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Be careful about making generalizations

August 31

To the Editor:I am often impressed by my fellow Tufts students' opinions and arguments as presented in the Daily and other campus media. It is terrific that first-year students jump right into the dialogues and begin new ones as well. However, I offer a quick caveat: be very careful about making blanket statements about Tufts when you have been here for only two months, especially regarding sensitive issues like race relations on campus. In Lisa de Elizalde's Viewpoint, ("A Natural bond," 10/31), she says, "Couples of different races [at Tufts] are nearly non-existent." Sorry, Lisa, that is simply not true. I can name loads of inter-racial, inter-ethnic, inter-religious, international couples that I've known at Tufts over the last three-and-a-half years. Maybe you just haven't met them all yet. Arguing over this point is not my intent all. Please keep writing, everyone, but only say what you know and know what you say.Ariana L. Wohl, LA '01

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News

Economics dept. understaffed

August 31

An upward trend in the number of students enrolled in economics courses and an unusually large number of economics professors currently on leave have produced substantial shortcomings within the department this year. Pressures within the understaffed department have been pronounced this semester, as five full-time professors are on sabbatical leave. Intermediate and upper-level courses currently average 40 students per section, nearly double the ideal enrollment figure, according to acting Economics Department Chair Thomas Downes. The faculty shortage, coupled with the general increase in class size, has caused distress among many students seeking smaller, more intimate class settings. "Having to compete with classmates just to get into a course at a university which fosters a non-competitive background is crazy," said junior Manijeh Azmoodeh, a board member of the Tufts Economics Society and economics major. "We came to Tufts for a liberal education where we could have a close relationship with professors and we're not getting that," she said. Downes cited the shift in international relations majors towards the economics clusters and the increase in high demand courses taught by popular new instructors as explanations for the recent rise in course enrollment. The increase in business and finance-related employment opportunities in today's global market has also affected student interest in economics classes. "The growth in enrollment in economics courses is a national trend that is even more rapid at schools like Tufts which do not have an undergraduate business program," Downes said. "We're trying to serve an ever-increasing number of students, and it's very difficult with the relatively small full-time faculty and secretarial assistance that we have," he said. Over-enrollment in courses has resulted in logistical problems as well. "It's definitely not a good learning environment when there are students piling up in the back of the room because there aren't enough seats for them," sophomore Tina Marsh said. "The size of these classes is definitely hurting my learning experience." "I can't remember a single upper-level course I've taken here that hasn't been in high demand," said senior Mike Champion, the co-president of the Tufts Economics Society. Champion also mentioned that students who are allotted poor registration times often have difficulty enrolling in many of their important classes. Economics 161 and 162, the international trade and finance courses, are among the hardest to get into, due to their high demand. In addition to overcrowded classes, some students have criticized the large portion of part-time faculty in the economics department. This poses a particular problem for economics majors seeking advisors, since potential advisors must be full-time faculty members at Tufts. "I've switched advisors three times because they keep leaving or going on leave," said senior Debra Steinberg. " I've just come to accept that as one of the annoyances within the department." Students have noted that the frequent departure of part-time faculty creates a learning gap as students move from introductory to advanced courses, often with little constancy in professors teaching those courses. "I understand the difficulty in hiring a full-time staff because they have to be tenured, which is a long process; but, at the same time, I feel a certain amount of unease that I'm not getting the most out of the teaching," said sophomore Trung Lu. Downes was sympathetic to student concerns regarding the shortage of available advisors and full-time professors, but he said that maintaining a large, full-time faculty was difficult. "Given the constraints under which the University operates, it is necessary to hire part-time professors to teach courses, and the nature of part-time staffing is that there is turn-over," he said. Downes also pointed out the importance of professors taking leave to expand on their professional research. "Faculty members can bring their research experience into classrooms, which is crucial for the intellectual life of the institution," he said. Some students and faculty members fear that the recent strains on the department have translated to fewer opportunities for professors to pursue their work outside of the classroom. "Having such large classes not only makes the education impersonal, but also puts more pressure on faculty members who should have more time for research," said Azmoodeh. Steps are being taken to alleviate some of the problems caused by understaffing and high enrollment. In an attempt to fulfill the needs of students taking economics courses past the introductory level, the department currently offers the largest number of intermediate macro and microeconomics sections in its history. Furthermore, the department is seeking to fill one full-time and one year-long position opening by fall 2001. Despite this effort to expand the number of core sections, a large number of students remain dissatisfied with the lack of variety of courses offered, citing the absence of finance, accounting, and business-related courses in the curriculum. "The fact that there are no specific finance courses reduces the credibility of the Tufts diploma," said graduate student Shyam Shanker, who was also an undergraduate economics major at Tufts. Many of the upper-level courses which require modest student-professor ratios continue to face problems with overcrowding, particularly because these seminar-type 100-level courses involve a substantial amount of written papers and oral presentations. "It's important to keep classes at a scale where students have the opportunity to write," said Professor Anna Harman, who divides her teaching duties between Tufts and MIT. "Economists who can write are in much more demand today," she said. Despite the importance of developing communication skills, professors who teach the upper-level seminars have been forced to modify their teaching methods to accommodate the oversized classes. "We want our students to be at the forefront of their fields, and that means using the University's resources in the best possible way," Professor Yannis Ioannides said. "Unfortunately, we are strapped because the classes are much too large for the resources available, and I've had to abandon a number of newer, more creative teaching techniques," he said. Ioannides stressed his hope for at least a 25 percent increase in faculty over the next several years in order to ensure that students receive the personal attention they need in order to excel in advanced level courses. However, such an increase would likely involve the redistribution of resources within the University, which is an administrative issue. "The success of the claim for better staffing depends on how students want to represent themselves as conveyed through the representation of faculty," Professor Dan Richards said. The student-run Tufts Economics Society is in the process of gathering opinion on the issue and is discussing a possible petition to lobby for more professors and smaller classes within the department. "There will have to be a large effort on the part of students to say to upper-level administrators that this is a large concern," said Champion.

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News

Administration charges Tufts fraternity president with serving alcohol to minors

August 31

In an unprecedented move, the University administration is pressing charges against the president of a Tufts fraternity for "furnishing alcohol to persons under 21" after a party that was broken up by the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) two weeks ago. The case, which will be heard in Somerville District Court next month, comes amid mounting tension between students and administrators over Tufts' ailing social scene. The charges were filed in response to an incident that occurred at Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) on Sept. 23, when a female Boston University student was found intoxicated and semi-conscious on Sawyer Ave. After the student's friends told police that they had come from a party at the fraternity, TUPD officers entered the house to break up the party, and found "evidence of underage drinking," according to TUPD Captain Mark Keith. At least one other fraternity on campus is also being investigated for a similar offense. While frat party break-ups have long been common occurrences on campus, fraternity presidents have never before been held individually, let alone legally, responsible for the actions of their houses. According to Keith, this instance was unique because the students at the party made no attempt to hide illegal activity. "When I walked into the house, I walked up to the bar and there were two females being served alcohol right in front of me," he said. "The bartender did not make any attempt to determine if they were of age to drink alcohol." The president of Sig Ep, who resigned last weekend, is being charged with the misdemeanor crime of "furnishing alcohol to persons under 21," and faces a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and six months in jail. While it is unlikely that the prosecutor will seek the maximum penalty, the defendant said that the implications of the charges reach far beyond his specific case. "Effectively, they will destroy the leadership structure of every fraternity on campus," the ex-president said. "When all the fraternities realize that the administration can do this, they will dissolve." The incident highlights what many students see as unreasonable and excessive enforcement of both Tufts and Massachusetts law. A protest will be held tonight on the President's Lawn at 11 p.m. in response to last week's unsuccessful 'social life' forum between students and Tufts officials. The charges were filed by TUPD Detective Lieutenant Charles Lonero at the request of the Department of Public Safety, according to sources close to the situation. Director John King declined to comment yesterday. The charges are being filed by the University despite the fact that that the ex-president was not directly involved in the offense, and despite the fact that his repeated attempts to call an ambulance or a taxi for the student were refused by both her and her friends. According to students who were on the scene, she was afraid to risk returning to her own campus and facing disciplinary consequences there. Sig Ep's new president, junior William Lane, said that the liability concerns brought about by the case will significantly decrease the number of frat parties held on campus. "It means that the fraternities are going to stop offering a place to go, except to brothers and close friends," he said. The liability issue is especially pertinent in the wake of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s recent admission of responsibility in the alcohol-related death of a fraternity pledge on that campus three years ago. The school agreed to pay $6 million to the student's family, and the settlement has caused other universities to re-evaluate liability concerns on their campuses. "They're not going to stop here. They got me," said the ex-president. "Every house that has a party is eventually going to get caught. They've started a trend, and they can't stop now." Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that the charges and other perceived crackdowns on parties at Tufts are occurring because the University cannot legally condone obvious underage drinking on campus. However, he recognizes that students need a social outlet and has been meeting with the Inter-Greek Council to discuss remedies to revive social life. "It is not our goal to prevent all drinking. If you start off with the acceptance of the basic tenet that no one can condone illegal drinking, then the question becomes how do you manage legal drinking," Reitman said. Reitman said that the University will likely start suggesting that houses employ TUPD officers to monitor parties. While students under 21 would still be allowed into fraternities, only those over 21 would be issued bracelets and would have to show them to bartenders in order to receive drinks. Although a police detail can be costly, Reitman is looking into ways to mitigate the costs. "It puts the University into the loop of responsibility," he said. "It means that there will be a feedback between the host and the officer that corrects small things as they happen." Fraternity leaders feel that the expectation that they can control what is going on in their house is unreasonable. "When it comes down to something as common as underage drinking, it's impossible to enforce," the former Sig Ep president said. "Hundreds of people come into our house every week. I can't control what everyone does. I'm not a police officer, I'm not a licensed bartender. I'm just a guy in charge of a house." In Massachusetts, "Dram Shop" laws make bartenders responsible for those they serve drinks to, even if that person consumes some alcohol in another location. "The minute you serve someone a drink, you become responsible. The law says whoever gives you your last drink is who's responsible," Reitman explained.

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News

Go out and watch something

August 31

You know you've been waiting for it. The weekend is coming, and you're totally stressing about what to do. As always, you look to the Daily for guidance. And like the dependable force we have come to be on campus, never failing to deliver your precious crossword puzzle, we have come through yet again. This time we salvage your weekend plans with previews of movies opening today. Hey, if you can't have parties, at least you can have movies!Urban Legends: Final CutDirector: John Ottman Starring: Joey Lawrence, Jenny Morrison, Matt Davis "Whoa," Joey Lawrence is back, "whoa!" Perhaps best known for his role as Blossom's brother Joey on the sitcom Blossom, Lawrence now stars as Graham, one of three student filmmakers at Alpine University vying for the best thesis film award. Jenny Morrison and Matt Davis play the other candidates, and Morrison's character, Amy, decides to make her thesis about... you guessed it... urban legends. Of course, her film crew is ravaged by a series of "accidents," and Amy must uncover the murderer (this time clad in a fencing mask) before she suffers the same demise. John Ottman has the distinction of being the only film editor/film composer in Hollywood, known for the superb editing and tense scores of such films as The Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil. Ottman's sequel to Urban Legends is his first attempt at directing. Not to miss in this sequel will be the return of the character Reese (Loretta Devine), the headstrong supervisor of campus security. In the world of cheesy teen-horror films, she may only be Officer Dewey's counterpart (remember David Arquette in Scream?), but as a Foxy Brown fanatic, she's irreplaceable.Under SuspicionDirector: Stephen Hopkins Starring: Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman While Under Suspicion loses points for being a remake of the 1981 French film Garde ?  Vue, its stellar cast still sets it apart. Freeman and Hackman don't know how to make bad movies, so while the plot may take you for a ride, the acting will make it worth every penny. Freeman plays Victor Benezet, the detective investigating the murder of two local teenage girls. Hackman (Henry Hearst) is a powerful lawyer with a beautiful wife, played by Monica Bellucci...and the number one suspect. Filmed in San Juan, Under Suspicion promises to be a chilling and intelligent mystery set against an exotic background. It may be long and a bit drawn out, but if you hang in there, the verbal battles waged between Freeman and Hackman will deliver. Chain of FoolsDirector: Pontus L?¶wenhielm, Patrick Von Krusenstjerna Starring: Salma Hayek, Steve Zahn Hayek plays a detective hot on the trail of some stolen ancient coins. Her search leads her to Zahn, who plays a suicidal barber that happens to have the coins in his possession, through a rather odd chain of events. Yes, we said a suicidal barber. He ends up on the wrong side of the law... and in love with Hayek. The supporting cast may be the saving grace of this film, with talents like Jeff Goldblum, Lara Flynn Boyle, David Cross, Tom Wilkinson, and Elijah Wood. Directors L?¶wenhielm and Von Krusenstjerna, part of Swedish TV and commercial directorial team Traktor, have had no previous experience with feature-length films. But with names like those, how can they not bring originality and freshness to what has been characterized as both a black comedy and a romantic comedy?Woman on TopDirector: Fina Torres Starring: Penelope Cruz, Murilo Benicio You know when you're browsing through the comedy section of Blockbuster and you see all those random movies from the early '80s with girls in bikinis on the cover in compromising positions? Or maybe that's just the Blockbuster that I go to... anyway, Woman on Top could very well skip the New Releases section and end up directly on that shelf, surrounded by other funny but dull movies. Cruz plays Isabella, a controlling woman who finds her insecure husband (Benicio) in bed with the neighbor and goes off to San Francisco to start her life again. Cruz and Benicio have starred in many foreign television series and movies, but remain relatively unknown to the Hollywood scene. The same can be said for director Torres, who hails from Venezuela. The even more international cast (Cruz is from Madrid and Benicio is from Brazil) injects much passion into its roles, but even with good acting, a decent screenplay and creative directing, Woman on Top could end up a flop. You're better off going to Blockbuster, skipping the comedy section and renting Like Water for Chocolate.

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News

Field hockey loses to Bowdoin 2-1 in semis

August 31

The field hockey team was eliminated from the NESCAC Tournament Saturday after losing a disappointing semi-final match to first-seeded Bowdoin College by one goal. In the 2-1 loss to the Polar Bears, ranked third in the nation, Tufts played with unity and confidence, but could not find the net for the much-needed second goal. "We definitely fought our hardest, and although they were a really good team, we were well-matched," senior Mia Baron said. "We look at it like they got a lot of lucky breaks. Each team was there to win, and obviously only one of us could." The Polar Bears took an early lead when senior Lisa DiPilato ripped a shot past Tufts senior goalie Dena Sloan following a corner penalty less than four minutes into the first period. The evenly matched squads settled down for the remainder of the first stanza, each team having limited scoring opportunities. Bowdoin caught the Jumbos on their heels again only 17 seconds into the second frame, though. The Polar Bears controlled possession at the start of the period and quickly pushed the ball to the top of the circle, where the Tufts defense rallied to control the onslaught. Unfortunately, in Sloan's attempt to clear the ball, DiPilato slid in her second tally of the match and her fourth score of the season. "We didn't play well for the first four minutes of each half, and we didn't take advantage of all our opportunities," coach Carol Rappoli said. "I thought it was a terrific game, and I am proud of my kids for battling back from a 2-0 deficit and playing hard for the entire game." Faced with a two-goal deficit, Tufts came roaring back, getting numerous chances at the Bowdoin net. With 27:49 remaining in the contest, sophomore Dana Chivvis cut the lead to 2-1, intercepting a failed clearing attempt and beating Bowdoin first-year goalie Jill McDonald. The goal was Chivvis' fourth of the season. The remainder of the game was mainly contained in the midfield, with a number of scoring opportunities for both squads. "We played pretty well throughout the game," junior Lindsay Lionetti said. "Things just didn't go our way." While the Jumbos fought intensely until the last whistle, the Polar Bears staved off Tufts' late-game rally. Time expired with the team taking a penalty corner, but it could not covert, and the Polar Bears took the victory and advanced to the final round yesterday afternoon. "We just couldn't get in another goal," Baron said. "Especially in the last ten minutes, we put the pressure on so heavily, but they stepped it up too and just wouldn't let us score." Although the team suffered seven losses on the 2000 campaign, including post-season play, it never lost by more than a goal. "I think that really demonstrates what kind of team we are," Lionetti said. "We were so close on so many occasions, but just had trouble with the last step." This weekend's defeat comes at the heels of a late-season surge, with recent victories over top-ranked Williams and Wesleyan en route to a NESCAC tourney berth. "It was a disappointment, because we thought we were on our way up," Baron said. "We were the underdogs, we had nothing to lose, but it's never fun to be so up and then lose." Despite the loss, the season is surely not over for the Jumbos. The squad will compete in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament this week in a pool of other teams who did not make the NCAA Tournament. "It's difficult to suffer this kind of loss, especially when we've been looking forward to this for so long," junior Liesl Bradford said. "It's great that we're going to continue to play in the ECAC tournament, but it's just not the same." The team will play again Wednesday, although its opponent is yet to be decided. Most likely, the Jumbos will play on home turf, depending upon the outcome of yesterday's final match at Bowdoin. "We are still sort of on the rise and I think we can all agree that we've improved a lot," Baron said. "We have a few injured players back and have started to use more of our freshmen, and they've been doing really well. We didn't leave anything on the field on Saturday, and that is one of the most important things to do when you lose a game. Keeping that in mind, I feel that we can be successful this week."

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News

Local band plays Hotung tonight on way to stardom

August 31

According to Bob Whelan, lead vocalist of Boston's own Angry Salad, the group has no problem at all taking Steven Tyler's sloppy seconds. In fact, the band was happy to play the role this past Sunday night. Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith passed up the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at this weekend's Patriots' game. The offer was passed to Angry Salad, who gladly obliged. "It was cool," said Whelan. "But it's not a particularly good song. I'm a big patriot and everything, and I love this country, but there are a lot of better songs just from a listener or a singer standpoint. "Alex (lead guitarist Grossi) was pretty nervous. I really wasn't. There are other things I'd be really nervous about... like if I was asked to suit up and play. You get a far better impression of how big football players really are when you're standing next to them." Direct from the 60,000 seat venue of Foxboro Stadium, Angry Salad is heading straight to the cozier, more intimate setup of Hotung Caf?©. The band will perform tonight, at 7:30 p.m, what Whelan predicts will be a quiet, stripped down show - not quite unplugged, but laid-back, chill, and fun to enjoy while taking a study break or anxiously awaiting the news of who will be running the country for the next four years. "You know, we won't have the usual smoke and fireworks," he laughed. Their performance comes as a treat to many. Thanks to a distinguishable name and an infectious blend of upbeat, loveable pop music (who can resist a band that sings lines like "And she gave me a milkshake and a kiss/I don't need a whole lot more"?), Angry Salad has slowly carved a place for itself in Boston's music scene. And so the band isn't completely new to Tufts. According to Whelon, Angry Salad has played a few shows at DTD over the years, where he remembers "the wine flows freely - I can still smell that inexpensive beer on our cables" This Election Day show isn't their first political stint. The band is fresh off a month- long jaunt with MTV's Rock the Vote tour, where they traveled around South and Midwest with bands like Hootie and the Blowfish, Nine Days, and Beck to incite the youth of America to register to vote. "For us as a band, the only time we're only really productive members of society is that 40 minutes onstage. It was nice to be able to do." Whelon pauses, and laughs. "Listen, it wasn't Saving Private Ryan." But it was an opportunity for Angry Salad to reach a newer, warmer audiences in states like Alabama and Louisana, where their music has yet to be heard all that much. One of these stops was Orlando, FL, where the band frolicked for a day, thanks to free passes to the Magic Kingdom. They enjoyed all the innocent fun a day at Disney World offers - the spinning teacups, Animal Kingdom... and a scandalous draft on It's a Small World. "They (drummer Hale Pulsifer, bassist Brian Holland, and tour manager Jim Dand) insisted on shining a moon while we were in there. Bunch of heretics." Young eyes weren't tainted, however - the guys made certain in advance that the boat behind them was empty. Whelan abstained from taking part in the treachery."Somebody had to take the picture," he explained. Angry Salad's scandal isn't limited to family theme parks. The band recently performed on The Jenny Jones Show for the second time. Last time, the guys were treated to a show with a subject that Whelan remembers as "My Teen Makes Me Wanna Shoot Her When Her Body is Popping Out" More recently, in mid-October, the guys appeared on a show entitled, "Geek to Chic," playing before commercial breaks, and a small set at the end. "They had women who were perceived as unattractive nerds in high school, and evolved through the help of a lot of silicone. And then they'd bring out their arch-rivals from high school. We just sort of stand there on the side of the set. It was kind of like watching a car wreck up close." "I had assumed it was a setup, but it totally isn't. You get the feeling that their sentiment is that this is gonna be their big break." Angry Salad didn't always envision itself cruising around in Jenny Jones' limo. In fact, these Brown University graduates started out just playing weekends, and keeping weekly jobs at workplaces that ranged from the Big Apple Circus to an adolescent psychiatric unit."My friends were all working for Morgan Stanley, and going to law school. We liked music, and the idea of the band." After the initial move to Boston ("It made more sense to move here; it's a bigger pond.") and the decision to move music to the forefront of their lives, Angry Salad's original bass player felt he needed to get a "real job." "It was a matter of 'Do I want to live on peanut butter sandwiches and ride around in a van, or get work?'," Whelan explained. The remaining members then auditioned for a bass player and a lead guitarist. Soon enough, the music moved itself slowly but surely into the forefront. "Things evolved. We starting passing up on shows that people wanted us to play because of our jobs. You go through comfort zones. Do we wanna play music, or be temps?" The critical step came in 1997, when the group signed with Atlantic Records, and was finally able to play music and tour full time. "We've got some great people who really believe in us. Fantastic, really supportive. [The record company] gives us all the slack we want when it comes to being creative and playing the stuff we want to play," Whelan said. Since then, extensive touring - both opening and headlining gigs - has afforded Angry Salad the opportunity to cross paths with similarly self-made, hardworking bands like Tufts graduates Guster, (who, according to Whelan, "epitomize grassroots development") and Vertical Horizon. "They're a great live band, really good guys that we've gotten to know really well. It's always great to ride someone else's coattails to another part of the country." In order to embark on these cross-country tours, Angry Salad has to establish fan bases in places other than New England. While part of this can be accomplished by people liking what they hear at concerts, Angry Salad's main concern is radio airplay. "There's no substitute. It makes the whole thing run." The premise is simple: when people like what they hear, they'll show up at live show. Reaching the radio waves, however, is no easy feat - especially in today's cut and dry, rock and pop music world. "Radio ranges from hard stuff on the right end to the sugary pop of Britney Spears. Then there's a smaller window, where you have, like, Third Eye Blind, and Vertical Horizon." This is where Angry Salad wants to be, in the small-yet-popular land of Mix 98.5-dom that caters to music that's not quite hard enough to be rock, yet far from saccharine. And it's here where their problem lies. The few stations that cater to this music only have so much room for new, untested artists. Where Angry Salad has broken into local radio, they've been met with success. "It's flattering to go to Lincoln, Nebraska, or Colombia, South Carolina, and hear people sing along.... [They] know the words better than we do." The band hopes to release a new album next spring - some of whose songs you'll be able to hear tonight. Angry Salad's next big Boston show (and last for a while) will be a New Year's Eve celebration at the Hynes Convention Center - a repeat gig from last year. It's an all-ages show, which the band is thankful for. "Unfortunately, it's difficult to pull that off in Boston, with the Puritanical bylaws of the city." The band promises to be offstage by 11:30, so fans can still enjoy the night's festivities, and hopes to repeat the success of last year. "We had a great time doing it last year. We were standing in water, holding instruments that were connected to a lot of electricity. I'm thankful I'm here talking to you today." They are also looking forward to talking with students tonight at the show. Whelan and the rest of the band are looking forward to the small, intimate setting tonight's show will offer, and plan to stick around afterward to talk music, guitars, or anything and everything with anyone who's interested - these guys love their fans. "Election returns don't come in until later in the evening, so everyone should come out."

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News

Atlanta band's second effort nothing less than marvelous

August 31

It's somewhat refreshing to know that at least one band has not found itself caught up in the clich?©s of the current n??-metal era. Instead, Atlanta's fun-loving power trio, the Marvelous 3, has found itself caught up in various clich?©s of '80s popular culture: from new-wave dance music to hair-band metal.

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News

Out of Gotham: An NBA divorce story

August 31

Patrick Ewing in Sonics green is something New York fans will never get used to. But that doesn't mean most of them were sad to see the 15-year Knick head out of Gotham for good.

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News

Vince McMahon is back

August 31

To the delight of the faithful in-house New Jersey crowd and wrestling fans around the globe, WWF RAW saw the return of one of its most powerful personalities this Monday night. Vince McMahon, owner, founder, and resident whipping boy of the World Wrestling Federation, announced his long-awaited return to the world he created, providing for a truly memorable program. Upon arriving in his limo a half hour into the program, Vince seemed hell-bent on dissolving the much-anticipated Hell-in-the-Cell match scheduled for this Sunday's pay-per-view special, Armageddon. This match promises to be awesome, as it will feature six of the WWF's best wrestlers in one ring, battling it out for the world title. With the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Triple-H, Rikishi, and our Olympic hero Kurt Angle all in one steel cage, kicking the crap out of each other, this match will simply be unreal. Citing the dangerous nature of Hell-in-the-Cell, McMahon admitted that he does not wish to lose all his best wrestlers in one match. He systematically visited the superstars in the locker room and attempted to persuade them to refuse the match. Even though these feeble ploys were pretty funny, the whole angle was completely full of crap. There is no way that this match will be canceled, and this hoax was put in simply to set up the dazzling ending to this Monday's RAW. At the end of the program, Vince was slated to give his "State of the WWF Address," a pretty pathetic speech, with attacks aimed at Commissioner Mick Foley. Vince acted as if he was unaware of the events that have occurred since his vacation, which was quite amusing considering he is responsible for the script. After about five minutes of abusing Foley - from his match making skills to his gigantic fat ass - the Commissioner waddled to the ring to offer his rebuke. Rattlesnake Steve Austin followed Foley, storming to the ring simply to apply his customary 'Stunner' to the boss and then chugged a beer. We haven't seen Austin give the stunner to Vince in quite a while and, frankly, it was a beautiful sight. Taking after Austin, the Rock ran to the ring just as Stone Cold left and proceeded to apply his signature move on the dazed McMahon, the 'Rock Bottom.' While we thought this might be the end, RAW went one step further. Meeting the Rock on the runway, the American Bad Ass Undertaker came to the ring. Now most people, after being both 'Rock Bottomed' and 'Stunned,' might see the wisdom in staying on the ground, especially with only two minutes left in the program. Unfortunately this multi-billionaire wasn't able to see the logic in this. Vince once again struggled to his feet only to be ravaged one more time by the Undertaker's thunderous 'Last Ride.' While Vince stated that he wished for the safety of his top wrestlers, the three superstars responded with a powerful "Piss off, jackass!" In an episode that otherwise featured very little wrestling action, the majority of RAW consisted of wrestler speeches. Reaffirming his status as the top speaker in the WWF, the Rock gave a truly memorable interview. While we were among the many who had transferred that distinction to WWF Champion Kurt Angle, after the Brahma Bull's Monday night monologue, we're giving the award back to the Rock, if you smell what we're cookin'. With interviewer Kevin Kelly asking about this Sunday's Hell-in-the-Cell match, the Rock offered other suggestions for its name including, "painus-in-your-anus." This was somewhat disturbing coming from a man who wears only a black spandex bikini bottom into the ring. He then went on to do impressions of the other five wrestlers involved in this match. He insulted the "thong-wearing fatty" Rikishi, also touching on his stupidity and lack of personality. He made fun of the Undertaker's trademark eye-rolls, called Triple-H's wife a "two-dollar skank," suggested that Kurt Angle must pop three Viagras before having sex, and ridiculed Steve Austin for being a dumb redneck. Overall, the show featured very little wrestling, which is how it should be. The WWF has exhausted every possible match-up between wrestlers, and nobody cares anymore whether the Dudley Boys put Edge and Christian or the Hardy Boys through a table. It was funny the first 583 times, but even we have a limit on how much stupidity we can tolerate. This show featured some of the best verbal sparring we have ever heard, and will be hard to top. However, we have complete faith that Vince will find a way. To see how, watch Smackdown this Thursday at 8 p.m. on UPN, and the pay-per-view special, Armageddon, this Sunday night at 8 p.m.

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News

Where have all the players gone?

August 31

With half of the available players freshmen, and most of the starting lineup in an unfamiliar position, the women's basketball players may just need a little time to get acquainted. Through the first two games of the season, the Jumbos fielded a starting lineup that looked very different from the one that led the squad to a 15-8 record last season. In fact, only the center, Emily Goodman, was among last year's regular starting corps. While the team shuffled its roster several times last season, two key elements, forward Molly Baker and guard Melissa Harvill, were lost to graduation, and point guard Shira Fishman will miss a few weeks with a torn meniscus. Injuries and illness have also forced guards Erin Harrington and Meghann Gill, and forward Sarah Conlon, out of commission, while guard Emily Desmarais is abroad. The new-look team is faced, then, with three problems: size in the frontcourt, a lack of depth in the backcourt, and a relatively untested group of athletes. While the team can rely on point production from Goodman, if it wants to get through the early, and easier, games unscathed, the uncertainties must not stand in the way. The problem in the backcourt is only temporary, as senior co-captain Fishman, the usual starting point guard, had surgery on Monday and is expected to return soon. Meanwhile, rookies, especially temporary starter Maritsa Christoudias, will benefit by gaining a few weeks of game experience. Christoudias scored 14 points in the Nov. 21 opening win over Johnson and Wales. For now, though, the pressure falls on sophomore Hillary Dunn, Fishman's backup last season. Dunn is the only healthy point guard on the roster, and will see a lot of minutes in the early games; she played all 40 minutes of the season opener against Johnson and Wales. When Fishman returns, though, Dunn will probably just move to the shooting guard spot, and start alongside the senior. "Because both captains are hurt, as a point guard, one of the aspects of my role is to be more of a leader," Dunn said. "On the floor, I'll have to organize the team." Dunn may also be looked upon to pick up some of the scoring slack in the absence of Baker and Harvill. "The only thing that I would like Hillary to do more of is shoot, and she's capable of doing that," coach Janice Savitz said. "I'd like her to find shots more and be a more verbal leader." "Hillary has totally upped her game since last year," Goodman said, "I think we're going to see a lot from her." Joining Dunn in the backcourt may be Katie Kehrberger, who gives the team some needed experience in the starting group. Kehrberger has not seen too much time early on because she is returning from the soccer season, but will quickly be called upon to increase her four points per game average from last season. Dunn and Kehrberger will get open looks on the perimeter when Goodman is doubled-teamed down low, a prospect the team says it is ready for. Still, the squad would benefit from players like Harrington and Harvill in the backcourt. "It's pressure that I don't mind at all," Goodman said about the likely double teams. "I'm ready for that, and we've been working on it." Goodman's problems will not only include a lack of shooters to kick the ball out to, but a lack of help on the boards as well. The team as a whole averaged 42.7 rebounds a game last season; Baker, Fishman, Harrington, and graduated senior Karen Robator combined for nearly half of those boards. Baker's 9.4 rebounds a night will be especially missed. "We're going to need to pick up the rebounding slack from losing Molly," Goodman said. "We need to play aggressively and intensely. Rebounding is the major emphasis for this year, especially since we're not the tallest team." Height indeed will be a problem. With the exception of the freshman class, no member of the team stands six feet tall. Goodman is 5'10", and Jayme Busnengo, a guard/forward, is 5'11". Freshmen who may see significant time include forwards Kate Gluckman (5'10") and Erin Buckley (6'0"), as well as 6'2" center Rebecca Anderson. The freshmen will see more playing time than would normally be expected both because of the injuries and because they give the team much-needed height. Buckley started at the four in the opener, while Gluckman came off the bench to notch seven rebounds. Gluckman may be the team's regular starting power forward, since her rebounding ability and defensive toughness in the post should at least partially compensate for the loss of Baker. Things may be somewhat back to normal for this team in time for the conference games, which begin on Jan. 20 against Bates. Fishman should be back in a few weeks, and Harrington will be suited up for the post-break games, while it remains uncertain whether Gill will return at all this season. For now, though, younger players will be forced into a spotlight they may not have expected. "We're not playing conference games," Fishman said, adding about Dunn, "I have confidence in her, I just want to be out there playing with her. "The options that are out on the court are just as good as ever. We just don't have very many people subbing in. I'm worried about the people out there in terms of getting tired." The team can only suit eight or nine players, including the addition of junior forward Mara Schanfield, and half of those players are freshmen. With two home games next week, including Sunday's Cousens opener against Lowell, and a trip to Wheaton on Dec. 9, Tufts may field the regular version of the team in time for its winter break trip to the Bahamas, where it will compete in the Great Goombay Shootout. Until then, the Jumbos will have to bide their time, and play with patience. And actually get to know each other.

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Revolution remain last NE team in striking distance of playoffs

August 31

It's tough being a New England sports fan these days. The Red Sox continue to see their postseason hopes wither, the Patriots have begun their season with an unimpressive 0-3 start, and there certainly isn't much to look forward to when the NHL and NBA seasons kick off.

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Men's swimming returns key performers, should start strong

August 31

After posting a decent 6-3 record in a winter capped by a surprise fourth place finish at the New England Championship, the men's swimming and diving team heads back to the pool with a veteran squad and high hopes for this year. The team returns many swimmers who posted their best times New England's, including tri-captain senior Nic Anderson, senior Chris Panagos, and junior Scott Cohen. All three scored top-eight finishes at New England's, and coach Don Megerle is confident that they have not reached their peak. "They can always improve," he said. Panagos was All-New England last season in the back-stroke and scored fourth and a sixth place finishes at New England's in the 50-yd. and 100-yd. events, respectively. Cohen will continue to swim both the freestyle and the butterfly. Anderson, an All-American last season, who posted top ten finishes in the 100-yd. and 200-yd. fly at New England's, will lead the team along with tri-captains Steve Capozzi, and John Gunselman, both seniors. Megerle is impressed with Anderson's leadership so far. "He's a good captain and serious about swimming," Megerle said. "And he backs it up too. This year's captains picked up the lead from last year; they are very supportive." The Jumbos' return the top finishers from last season in every discipline but the breaststroke. Tim Young, who had two top four individual finishes at New England's, swam the breaststroke legs of the medley relays and was undoubtedly a top swimmer on last season's team. Replacing Young was one of Megerle's biggest obstacles, but he believes that freshman Tyler Duckworth should fill the space easily. "He did better than I thought he would." Megerle said of Duckworth's performance at the pre-season relay tournament at Wheaton last Saturday. As a whole, the team swam well at the meet. "I think we had 20 better swims than last year's meet," Megerle estimated. The meet wasn't officially scored, as it was merely a warm-up. Duckworth isn't the only promising freshman though, as freestylers Kaili Mauricio and Aeric Solow are also expected to contribute to the team's depth. The team's unexpected success at New England's raised expectations for this season, but Megerle isn't worried about his squad meeting them. According to Megerle, they are "looking good in practice and taking a more serious outlook on training. They're doing things right in and out of the pool." Returning to the diving squad are sophomore David Liebenstein and senior phenom Patrick Girvin. Girvin placed ninth and 11th at New England's last year in the one meter and three meter events respectively and has been the team's most dependable diver for the past three seasons. The season kicks off with Saturday's meet against Trinity and Clark in Worcester, Mass., followed by the first home meet at Hamilton pool on Monday against Bridgewater. But the Jumbos' first real challenge will come against longtime rivals the Babson Beavers. "They're good this year, a lot of seasoned swimmers who didn't swim last year and a couple of really good freshmen." Megerle said. The Beavers will arrive at Tufts Nov. 30. In December the team will head to Fort Lauderdale for their annual training trip. After last year's impressive season-ending performance, Megerle believes the team is capable of anything and concedes that with the talent present on the team it's a mental game now. "If you can teach them to handle pressure, they not only will swim well, they'll be great people," Megerle said. "You decide to do well or not to do well. The seniors understand it, they've seen from their decisions what they've been able to do."

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News

Tufts launches new website

August 31

When the fall semester rolls around and the campus comes alive, there are always noticeable changes in Tufts' appearance. Upon a quick examination of the Medford campus, one can see the remnants of construction crews and the finished products of a variety of renovation efforts. This summer, however, it wasn't just buildings that were remodeled. The Tufts University website, www.tufts.edu, received a long-awaited facelift, leaving it a more technologically up-to-date information center. To create the new website, a University-wide team of Tufts faculty collaborated to ensure that Tufts' new site would reflect the needs of the entire community. Input was sought from various campus sources about the design and content, and hundreds of hours of work were put into the modern design. Major changes include adding a search feature and the main menu to every page, and including new scroll down menus. The new site also boasts a faster loading time than its predecessor. The Web team was able to reduce the load time for the main home page by approximately 80 seconds. With a connection speed of 28.8 kbps, Tufts now has one of the fastest sites among top universities in the US. The redesigned website has received both positive and negative responses from students who use it to access everything from the Tufts online directory to information about student services. Response to the actual design of the new website was positive overall, but students seem to be somewhat disappointed with how the information is organized. "The design looks pretty nice, but the organization is a little weak," sophomore Aaron Donovan said. Some students find the menus on the front page, which were moved but not altered, to be bothersome, because it can be harder to access what they are looking for on the site. When a visitor lands on the main page, he or she can choose to go to one of the main sections: About Tufts, Admissions, Areas of Study, Research, and Alumni. There are other options on the page as well, including the online directory, a link to news around Tufts, university libraries, and different job opportunities. Several students said the new site is more visually pleasing. "I think it's really nice. I like the use of colors," junior Judith Scott said. Donovan was also pleased with the new look. "The site looks nicer, and it represents the school better," he said. "It's also more up-to-date." Students noticed that each time they visited the site the main graphic changed. The rotating photo gallery features images from the Medford, Boston, Grafton, and Talloires campuses, each depicting student-professor interaction. Students interviewed also remarked that many of the subsites on Tufts' main website had not changed, and that this made it easier to locate useful online resources. However, the appearance of other Tufts websites may change in the future, because the University has approved plans to create a full-time Web team and advisory board to keep Tufts' online presence up-to-date. Feedback about the new Web site is welcome and should be sent to webcomments@tufts.edu.

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News

The perfect blend of romance and comedy

August 31

In the final third of Bounce, Gwyneth Paltrow utters a line that could easily be worked into a bad review - "Bouncing, it's like crashing over and over again." However, in this reviewer's opinion, Bounce is a tender and funny motion picture with a stellar cast. Darn. Starring the "Are they or aren't they?" couple of the moment, Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, Bounce is both a romance and a comedy, but most definitely not a romantic comedy. Instead, writer-director Don Roos presents an exceedingly moving drama with some magically comedic moments. The scene is set at the airport during the film's opening. Three strangers share a drink at a bar. Over conversation, two discover that they are both headed to Los Angeles. When one man's flight is cancelled, the other offers him his ticket. The man accepts, boards the plane, and then dies when it crashes shortly thereafter. The other man has sex with a stranger in an airport hotel. Fate is fickle, isn't it? Then again, the lucky guy is Ben Affleck, so maybe fate has little to do with it. But Affleck's character, advertising executive Buddy Amaral, is not lucky for long. Soon after his brush with death, he lapses into alcoholism. After an embarrassing moment at an advertising awards ceremony where, ironically enough, he wins an award for the post-crash advertising campaign he did for the airline, he checks himself into rehab and comes out a changed man. He then decides that he wants to seek out the dead man's widow to make certain that she is all right. We first see the aforementioned widow, Abby Janello (Gwyneth Paltrow), just moments after her husband dies. It is not until the next day that her worst fears are confirmed when her husband's driver's license is found on one of the bodies on board. One year later, when Buddy is dry and Abby is working as a real estate agent, they finally meet under the pretense of a business transaction. From there, they slowly fall for each other - first her, then him - and eventually get together. The problem is that he never tells her that her husband's last moments on earth were spent in his company. Not to mention that her husband is dead because he took Buddy's seat on the doomed airplane. Ben and Gwyneth make as good an on-screen duo as they did off. They have an incredible chemistry, but not one that begs the question "Are they still together?" What they share in Bounce is more a chemistry of personality than one of sexuality. Their on-screen rapport is definitely a bonus for Affleck since his acting here is more engaging than ever. The director plays off of Affleck's good looks by throwing him into boxer briefs, the shower, and even a wet, white T-shirt for no good reason. Still, from the very beginning, Affleck rises above his beefcake status to play a multifaceted, subtle Buddy Amaral. Gwyneth is not shown off physically nearly as much as Ben. In fact, never has Gwyneth been frumpier than in her opening scene. Awakened by her mother's frantic phone call, Gwyneth's first appearance is in a dowdy nightgown with curly, brown hair. After that, Paltrow's performance fills the screen and demands attention. She crafts the character of a sweet, simple woman with fierce pride and perseverance. This could easily be the best performance of Gwyneth's career, indubitably one of the best of the year. Early in the movie, when people from the airline arrive at Abby's door to tell her that her husband may have been on board, Paltrow manages to create a moment so heartbreaking that even on its own would make her performance astounding. Besides Ben and Gwyneth, a capable supporting cast, including Tony Goldwyn and Natasha Henstridge, rounds out the cast. Still, the only other cast member to truly shine as much as the leads is Johnny Galecki, best known for his role on the television series Roseanne. Playing Seth, Buddy's wisecracking office assistant, he steals many scenes from Affleck, and gives the film some of its funniest moments. Writer-director Don Roos brought together a wonderful cast with his own outstanding script. Bounce is his second foray in writing and directing. His first was 1998's The Opposite Of Sex. Initially, Bounce might seem like a departure for Roos, but it maintains his first movie's wry humor and emotional strength while being a quieter, more polished film overall. Bounce comes off as the typical romantic comedy in its trailers, but it is a profound, affecting movie. At times very funny and at time very tragic, Bounce rides the considerable talent of its cast and writer-director rather than their admittedly flashy names.

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Interview: Adam Sandler and the cast of 'Little Nicky'

August 31

There are five simple blue folding chairs set up in front of a theater filled with anxious college newspaper reporters. As the publicity representative escorts latecomers to their seats, she reminds the aspiring journalists, "Please ask questions of the other panelists, and not just of Adam." She's obviously been around the block and knows what's first and foremost in the minds of college-aged kids. As Adam Sandler - dressed in sneakers, sweatpants, a flannel and uncharacteristically intellectual glasses - takes his seat, it becomes clear that he has the attention of everyone in the room. And for good reason - he starts the Little Nicky press conference in true comedic form, with a little bit of stand up. Once the class clown, Sandler maintains his goofy aura... and makes millions from it. As the other panelists are introduced, he makes rowdy noises, cheering and doing quick impressions of them. Rhys Ifans, who plays one of Nicky's evil brothers, Adrian, sits quietly on the edge of the group in tousled blond hair and a retro trench coat. Though he is clearly the newcomer to this group of men who have collaborated on previous efforts, he cracks the occasional joke and replies actively, if not briefly, to questions. Ifans remembers getting the Little Nicky script while he was working on another movie, and thinking it was "hilarious." He flew to New York to meet with Sandler and others before accepting the part of Adrian, and recalls in his lilting and attractive Welsh accent, "We both stunk of the same stench. We'd both had a bit of a night out the night before, so I thought, 'we're gonna get on.'" Best remembered for his role as Spike, the filthy roommate in Notting Hill, Ifans is quickly making a name for himself in the industry and skyrocketing to comedic fame. He got his start doing theater work in Britain and since then has co-starred in The Replacements and plans to star in the upcoming Human Nature with Patricia Arquette (who also stars in Little Nicky). As far as his interpretations of his character go, he didn't try to delve too deeply into Adrian's inner workings. One touch he did bring to Adrian, however, is his accent: "I used an English accent in this [instead of his native Welsh accent] because there's a lot of Englishmen in Hell." As for playing a villain, he says, "When you've got two horns sticking up out of your head, the rest just takes care of itself." To Ifans' left is Allen Covert, who has worked with Sandler on many other occasions, including Big Daddy and Happy Gilmore. He first caught the public's attention opening for Sandler's 1996 comedy tour, and has worked with him writing, performing and producing CDs like They're All Gonna Laugh at You! and What The Hell Happened To Me? Sandler sums up their playful relationship in a characteristically funny voice: "I think my favorite actress that I've worked with so far is Allen Covert," referring to the fact that Covert often plays the gay guy in Sandler's movies, and usually "dresses funny." Covert, for his part, confesses that recently a lot of little kids have been approaching him in the street with exclamations of, "Hey, you're the gay guy!" Hunched in his chair to the left of Sandler and beneath a mountain of thin curly brown hair is Robert Smigel - who was waitlisted at Tufts, incidentally. He looks like the underground followers he attracts - rough around the edges and scruffy - but also highly intelligent with a very specific brand of humor. His creative genius is responsible for Saturday Night Live's popular "Ambiguously Gay Duo" animated short and football sketch "Da Super Fans."After writing for SNL for almost nine years, he became the head writer and producer of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, introducing "Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog," and other skits that are still on the air. Once again behind the scenes, Smigel is the voice of Beefy the talking dog in Little Nicky. And why a talking dog, you ask? In Ifans' words, "Any movie with a talking dog is fucking okay with me." To his left and on the other edge of the group sits director and most serious of the goofy bunch, Steven Brill - who applied to and was rejected from Tufts. Since that devastation, however, he has gone on to great success. Brill's first script was the original Mighty Ducks, and he has since appeared in Sandler's films Big Daddy and The Wedding Singer. Though he also jokes around with the other panelists, he offers the most serious and traditional answers to questions, providing an almost paternal presence. The dynamic among the five guests reflects their creative process. Sandler, who co-wrote and stars in Little Nicky, sits in the center chair surrounded by friends and co-workers, "buddies" as he would call them. As they joke around with each other, doing impressions and teasing gently (sometimes not-so-gently), it becomes evident that this his how they behave both on- and off-camera. They're just a bunch of friends hanging out and doing what they think is funny. They all admit to enjoying themselves, whether on the job or just goofing off. "It's fun more than anything because we're friends while we're not working and then we just sort of roll into this mode of being friends while we're working," says Brill. "It's like Playland, it's pretty great actually." The group explains that they would often come hang out around the set when they weren't working and the fun would continue. "Most of the time it's like circus freaks hanging out around the circus after it closes," Brill continues. Keeping with the idea that filming a movie is like hosting a big party, Sandler explains how he decided which actors would have cameos. Many of the smaller roles in Little Nicky are played by friends from his days with Saturday Night Live, including Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider and Dana Carvey. His own comedic idol, Rodney Dangerfield, plays Lucifer, Nicky's grandfather and the founder of hell. Sandler explains that in casting, he chose people whom he liked and thought would add elements of humor to the movie. He called them up, recounting, "'Hey, you wanna come over and hang out for a couple of days?' I know they're gonna kill, I know they're the funniest guys I know." Sandler's collaborative writing process for Little Nicky is another good example of how his friends get in on the action. He thought of the idea for a movie about the son of the Devil and an angel and recalls thinking to himself, "Well, this is fucking gold!" Mimicking his own interpretation of the response his friends in the business had, he quotes, "Yeah, you're unbelievable, how did you think of that? I'm so psyched I get to hang out with you, you're cool, you're charming and you're funny as shit, no one's funnier than you." Getting serious, Sandler explains that when writing, he and his creative team sit in a room and brainstorm, coming up with situational jokes and trying to weave them into a plot line. "It's just trying to make each other laugh in the room and have the story make some sense, make sure we get enough laugh points in it." Director Steven Brill was called in when Sandler and his team reached some rough spots in the writing process. "This one was a little tricky because we had to create a science-fiction world and do a lot of thinking that we don't normally have to do," Brill recalls. "We had to actually write longer and harder on this just to get all the rules down." Brill also admitted that they had some difficulty editing all the content they shot to fit the normal length for a feature film. As a result it's safe to assume that some of that "gold" of Sandler's original concept ended up on the cutting room floor.There's a lot of funny stuff in there, though, and not a little of it is sexual innuendo. "The sexual stuff is goofy," Sandler concedes. "I don't think any man watching this movie gets an erection. I've seen movies where I've had full-on erections, and I was excited about having the erection... The dogs making love was nice, but no erection."Sandler's mischievous dialogue with the audience is indicative of the thin line he walks between working and playing. Most of his characters are drawn from real-life inspirations, and Nicky is no exception. Nicky is a frustrated nerd whose temper builds until the breaking point, not unlike Sandler himself. "In real life, I snap a lot. I like playing characters who get insulted a lot and either lose their temper because of it or can't think of a snappy comeback or get in holes. But I do like snapping," he admits, "it's part of my comedy. I like yelling. I've done it my whole life. Sometimes when I would snap at my house growing up, it would make my dad laugh, or sometimes he'd smack me. It wasn't always funny, but if I watched it on tape I'd probably laugh."On playing Nicky, Sandler says his inspiration came from real life, and proceeded into an improvisational aside:"It wasn't that challenging for me, I just put my mouth to the side and talked goofy. I was doing an impression of a kid I knew growing up who used to talk like that. He was the kind of guy who knew a lot of rock 'n roll facts and he used to make up lies if he didn't:'I saw Zeppelin last night, they kicked ass.''No you didn't.''My cousin saw them.''No he didn't.''My cousin's got a live poster in his room, and he says it looks like everyone's having a f--king riot.'"Sandler admits to not challenging himself by trying different types of roles. But when you've got a formula that's as successful as his, why change anything? "Nothing that I've done so far has been that difficult as an actor, except that in Big Daddy I had to cry in one scene, and I didn't realize that I hadn't cried in about 15 years," confesses Sandler. "I saw you cry on the plane the other day when they ran out of chicken," interrupts Smigel. "That was a good one." Sandler, however, admits to having strong ties to his movies and his characters. His favorite of his own pieces is Billy Madison, in part because it was the first time he was allowed to pursue his own vision and in part because it is his mother's favorite. As far as characters go, however, he's partial to one in particular. "I'd let Bobby Boucher lay on my lap and sleep." The success Sandler has seen has been no accident. Though he comes off as the class clown and the goofball, like all of his characters he's got a heart of gold and some real ambition. "We love it," Sandler says, speaking for the group. "I mean, we're guys who like to laugh and have a good time but we also love comedy and we're very serious about comedy. We want to make sure that the stuff we wrote in the office and we laughed our asses off is executed the right way and make sure that the people in the audience are gonna get to laugh as hard as we do." For Sandler, it's all about having fun and cracking jokes. Explaining his favorite scene in Little Nicky, Sandler spits out broken sentences through his own laughter. "That makes me laugh the hardest... out of everything in the movie... every time I see Henry [Winkler]... I see the f--king bees cover him and I hear him scream, 'Aaaahhhhh!' and I laugh." All goofing aside, according to Sandler Little Nicky does have an underlying message: Good defeats evil. He plays the good guy because he really is a good guy, the kind you'd like to have call you up just to hang out. Sandler sparkles, both on- and off-screen, so it's no wonder that he's such a big hit. People watch his movies because there's something at once easygoing and captivating about being around him, and the camera picks up on that. Joking around with his friends on camera has made Sandler millions, but that's not why he's doing it. He truly enjoys what he does: making people laugh. The fun he and his buddies have on camera is contagious, which accounts for the multiple viewings most of his movies get from fans. Watching a movie like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore over and over again is like hanging out with your own friends. Sandler's inside jokes become yours, and from that develops a sense of community and loyalty... which explains why Little Nicky will probably top the charts this Friday.

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Golfers struggle at New Englands, finish 35th overall

August 31

The golf team stumbled in its final event of the season, placing 35th among the 46 schools participating in the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships, held on Monday and Tuesday at the Captain's Course in Cape Cod. The young Jumbos' squad struggled with cold weather and very good competition, consisting of some of the finest programs in the region, including a number of Div. I squads. Tufts shot a 683, which placed it 96 strokes back of the tournament winner, the University of Rhode Island. That margin is a bit deceiving, though, as URI simply dominated the event, and the Jumbos were not quite that far behind the rest of the pack. The Div. I Rams were so overwhelming in winning their fourth straight New England title that the second-place finisher, Central Connecticut, with a score of 615, was closer to 12th place than the top spot. The presence of a Div. I powerhouse left Tufts' place among NESCAC opponents as a better barometer. In that sense, the tournament was slightly more successful, as the Jumbos placed fifth out of the seven division opponents that were involved in the event. Williams led NESCAC participants with a score of 647, placing it 13th overall. Trinity, Middlebury, and Amherst were also ahead of Tufts, but Wesleyan and Bates both shot higher scores than the Jumbos did. "The tournament was more or less a disappointment for us," sophomore Elliot Barr said. Things started off poorly for the team, as the number one and two golfers, Barr and sophomore Arun Lamba, struggled on Day One after teeing off an hour late due to frost on the course, obviously not ideal for golf. That may have played a role in the terrible start that Barr suffered through, shooting a triple bogey on the first hole. He finished with an 89 on the day and was clearly disappointed with the result. "I tried to recover from the first hole, but my driver was not cooperating," he said. "I had trouble adjusting myself to the greens as well, so I had no chance to stop the bleeding." Adding to the tough first day were the struggles of Lamba, who had been coming on strong as the season progressed. He shot a season-high 102 on the first day, struggling to keep the ball in play at times. Lamba showed that he is a better player than that, recovering to shoot a more respectable 88 on the second day, but that still was above what he is used to. Barr also experienced a mild recovery on Day Two, scoring an 86. The rest of the golfers carried the team on the first day, with sophomore Dan Kramer shooting an 82, junior Erich Muhlanger putting together an 86, and freshman Brad Hawes shooting an 87 on the day. On the second day, the three remained steady, allowing the team's overall score to improve, continuing a trend that began in the first tournament of the season. Hawes shot the lowest score of the tournament for Tufts, an 81, Kramer shot an 84, and Muhlanger shot an 88. "There was a bit of pressure in the tournament," Hawes said. "But we relied on mental toughness to hang in there." The tournament capped off an up-and-down season, which was to be expected given the team's youth. Among the golfers that the Jumbos sent to the New England's, there was one junior, three sophomores, and a freshman. With Kramer and Hawes carrying the team this weekend, the Jumbos now have four solid young golfers going into 2001, as Barr and Lamba carried the team for most of the year. "It was a building season," Hawes said. "We usually played well during practices; we just need to compete well in tournaments next year." Adding experience to the mental toughness that the team showed throughout the year makes for a very promising mix next year. Despite the team's inconsistency at times, it never got down on itself, which is rare for such a young squad. "Our scores always improved on the second day of two-day events, and that is something to take pride in," Barr said. "Not many teams can go out there, struggle, and fight back like us." With the pieces in place, don't be surprised if the next time the Jumbos show us how capable they are of getting up off the proverbial mat, it's in bouncing back from a disappointing final weekend this year and becoming a force next fall.

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News

Diversity in dating

August 31

Dating. It's something everyone thinks about, and many if not most experience during college. Walking around campus, students spot couples holding hands or kissing as their paths diverge and they head off to class. The reasons people choose their partners vary. Some simply aren't concerned with the race or ethnicity of the person they date. For others - a seemingly small minority - race is a factor. Seniors Al Vazquez and Celeste Dodge met last year while abroad in Spain. They had the usual pre-relationship jitters. Neither had a clue the other was interested. "I had no idea she had even glanced my way. I was like, 'She's out of my league.' She's too pretty," Vazquez said. Dodge, however, was receptive to Vazquez's interest, and counted on her friends to let him know. "I told my friend I thought he was cute. God bless friends," she said. During the matchmaking process, their respective races never was an issue. Vazquez is a Cuban from Miami; Dodge is white, from California. But to this day, for these two, race has been little cause for discussion. "I don't look at him and say he's of a different race," Dodge said. Much of this stems from the fact that Vasquez himself rarely makes an effort to hang out with other Hispanics. He explains that he feels more comfortable in the "white" community. "I'd rather hang out with my friends and do 'white things' than force myself to go out with [Latinos]." Despite his identification with whites at Tufts, Vazquez still feels a tie to his Cuban heritage, which plays an important role in his family life. When he came to college, he jumped into the Latino scene at Tufts through participation in the Hispanic American Society, now called the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS). Because many members of Tufts' Latino community hail from urban locales, Vazquez, who comes from a suburb in western Massachusetts, didn't feel like he fit in. "That's when I got my first impression that these people are different from me," he said. Vazquez says that there are times when he needs to 'put on the salsa' and reconnect with the Latino community, something he calls "recharging." "There's a different flavor in my Hispanic friends that I enjoy that's in me and my family." When he "recharges," Dodge doesn't go along. "When he hangs out with his Hispanic crowd, I usually take the night off. I don't fit in. I don't feel comfortable. They talk fast Spanish. Right there, off the bat, I feel uncomfortable. They're way more feisty; so much emotion, so much energy," she said. Rub?©n Salinas Stern, Director of the Tufts Latino Center, says that this cultural disparity Dodge experiences is one of the reasons Latinos usually date within their own race. "The Latino student is very strongly ethnically identified. It is very important to them to date within their culture," he said. Carrying the culture to the next generation is equally important for Latinos, according to Stern. "Their culture is important to perpetuate, and it is important for them to raise their children in that way. So, I think it is a positive," he said. Sophomore Caroline Park, a Korean, agrees that minority students often feel pressure to pass on their culture. She said feels pressure from her parents to find a spouse within her ethnic group. "My parents believe I should marry a Korean man [because] I should keep the whole blood line going." Park went on to say that her parents' rules are very specific, even discouraging her from marrying someone from another Asian nation. "[My parents] have certain prejudices against other Asians," she said. Junior Nee-Kofi Mould Millman alluded to similar cultural tenets surrounding marriage. "People in general say that it's okay to date outside your ethnicity, because you're ultimately marrying someone from your own culture," he said. Sophomore Miyuki Tsukada explained that marrying within ethnic lines is not difficult for everyone. She is surrounded primarily by Asians, so her dating pool draws from this community. "It's not that I look for Asian people, but if I meet them at the Start House, most likely they're Asian," she said. Some students' social groups are less homogenous. Junior Liz Conn is biracial, and her friends are diverse. Her taste in guys, however, is not quite so eclectic. "I am attracted to white boys. I have been able to relate more, and have been accepted more by white people," she said, explaining that she comes from a white, upper-middle class, Cleveland suburb. For Alexandra Haney, race as a dating criteria didn't initially enter into her mind. Haney, who is white, never gave much thought to her black ex-boyfriend's race. "I had to describe that he was black, and that caught me off-guard because I never had to describe that any of my [past] boyfriends were white." Haney found herself providing a rather detailed description to friends away from Tufts. "It wasn't just enough to say that he has brown hair and brown eyes. Otherwise, they wouldn't be getting an accurate picture of what he looked like," she said. "It felt ludicrous because I realized that we do assume when talking to our friends that they are dating someone inside their race, and it never occurred to me that my friends did that."She said that her friends would only envision her with white guys. "I knew that because I'm white they would automatically assume that I was dating a white guy," she said. She says that in her experience, this type of assumption is more prevalent in the white community. Haney says she has no preconceived notions about who her non-white friends date. "I don't assume anything until I have heard differently."Although Haney dates outside her race, she thinks she is the exception, rather than the rule. "I think interracial dating is rare [at Tufts]," she said. She notes, however, that there is seemingly no connection between her observations and the general sentiment on campus. "I don't think it's really frowned upon. I didn't encounter any weird looks or rude comments," she said. Haney theorizes that students date within their ethnic groups simply because their social scenes often don't expose them to perspective partners of other races. "I think that people tend to stick to their own groups as far as friends go, and that's normally how you would meet boyfriends or anybody that you would date."

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News

De La Soul is Alive

August 31

Bringing out the most excitement Dewick has seen since the last chicken parm night, De La Soul, a Long Island-based rap trio, delivered an entertaining set which highlighted the group's extensive 11-year career. The crowd of around 350 students ranged widely, from those in the back corner who were there because their friends dragged them, to the guys in the front who knew every single word to every single song played.Regardless of the crowd's knowledge, De La Soul focused its show on audience participation, constantly trying to determine 'where the party was at' by getting each of the two sides of Dewick to try to scream louder than the other. The group also did its homework on Tufts, throwing out references to Espressos and the uphill/downhill rivalry.The one-hour set began fittingly where De La Soul's career began, with Buddy, an early single off their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. Filling in for the Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip - who were featured on the studio track - were Dave (formerly Trugoy) and Posdnuos, rapping energetically, while Mase controlled the turntables. After a few more tracks from their debut album, De La jumped into their more current work, with "Thru Ya City," the likely next hit single off of their latest release, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. The album, the first in a three-part trilogy, can be seen as the reemergence of one of the most influential Old School rap acts, after a steady decline in popularity throughout the '90s. The album - flooded with hits and guest appearances by Redman, Busta Rhymes, The Beastie Boys, and Chaka Khan - is also a distinct departure from their unique, intelligent, and almost psychedelic style which set them apart from the emerging gangsta rap acts of the early '90s. While not as witty and satiric as some of their earlier work may have been, current hits like "Oooh" were clear fan-favorites, as accompanying video effects and flawless vocals set the crowd into a state of frenzy. In a popular song off their debut album, Me, Myself, and I, Posdnuos handed off the mic to members of the audience to sing the catchy chorus. De La Soul also performed numerous songs off two lesser-known albums, De La Soul is Dead and Stakes is High, including "Ring, Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)," "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays," "Itzsoweezee," and the show's closer, "Sunshine." Throughout the show, De La Soul maintained its intensity, and unlike most hardcore rap acts out there, all three men sported smiles for the entire show. The portly Mase - who took occasional breaks from behind the turntables to rap - seemed to be having the most fun, slapping hands with the audience and laughing throughout the show. Although the crowd seemed as energized as possible for not knowing all of the group's material that well, Posdnuos seemed a little irked by the lack of intensity from the crowd at times. This was especially apparent during the one segment where the group broke from their original material, and dipped into a little George Clinton P-Funk to get the crowd dancing. Upset at the lack of "booty-dancing" among the Jumbos in the audience, he cut off the music and gave more specific instructions on how he wanted everyone to shake their money-makers.Overall, the show was extremely entertaining - De La Soul showed the Tufts community that after 11 years of performing, they could still throw a party. Unfortunately their laid-back style of intelligent satiric rap, which made their first album one of the most innovative of that genre, was lost in the live venue, where the bass often drowned out the message behind the lyrics. Minutes after the show, the energetic smiles of the performers turned into indifferent scowls, as the crowd anticipated an encore song that was never delivered, showing perhaps they were as good actors as they were musicians.The opening act, Boston-based reggae group One People, actually did provide an encore performance, but the crowd was much less excited by their return to the stage. The five members of the group consisted of three bona-fide middle-aged reggae performers on keyboards, bass, and electric guitar, as well as a white, frat-boy like lead singer, and an Asian drummer. While the drummer held his own, keeping up the reggae beat, the lead singer seemed confused as to where he was from and why he was the lead singer in a reggae group.The group offered adequate original material, and also covered some Bob Marley tunes like "Get Up Stand Up" and "No Woman No Cry." The lead singer's true roots emerged when he busted into his rendition of House of Pain's "Jump Around," where about four members of the audience proceeded to follow his instructions. He also broke into the chorus of Paul Simon's "Cecilia" during the middle of a reggae song, which came across as odd.Opening for a well-known band is never easy, and One People did an admirable job of keeping the audience mildly entertained. A few lucky Jumbos received free copies of the band's most recent tape, which were hurled into the audience by the lead singer. When the band finished its set, there were no lighters waving in the air, nor any shouts of "one more song," but nevertheless, One People delayed De La Soul for a good ten minutes with an encore tune that rambled on for far too long - and cut into the music that was the true highlight of the night.

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News

The real issue in the TCF controversy

August 31

The Tufts Community Union Judiciary has rendered a fair albeit complex, middle-of-the-road decision in the question of whether to eliminate the Tufts Christian Fellowship as a bona fide Tufts University student organization. To abolish the group would have effectively silenced its voice on campus. There were many issues at stake in the controversy, and to its credit the Tufts student body in the pages of the various student newspapers including the Daily, the Observer and the Primary Source gave informed comment on the issue from all sides. While the TCUJ's decision is not the final step in this controversy since the administration will ultimately decide the status of the TCF, it is fitting that student opinion through the TCUJ's findings as well as opinions expressed on campus will have been a part of the decision making process. The wisdom of the decision by the TCUJ is that while it recognizes the Tufts University policy of non-discrimination, to the extent that it can be defined, it does not threaten the identity of any student run group that has either a religious or a political agenda. While presumably the Monty Python Club will not have to deal with a potential officer who thinks that Groucho Marx is funnier than John Cleese, such groups as the Democrats, the Republicans, the Spartacus League, the Primary Source (which has already been threatened with de-funding), and the various feminist and activist groups would have to worry. This is because student clubs tests in the rough identity of ideals and purposes of their membership. To prevent them from regulating their membership by excluding people who deny those ideals and purposes is to make them subject to attack in a way that destroys their function of representing a particular controversial point of view. It has been reported that one student group, Tufts Men Against Violence, has already altered its constitution to permit women to join. As Tufts works its way through this controversy, it is hard to escape the conclusion that it is a further example of how intolerance is being justified in the name of tolerance or more especially of how religion is being marginalized by our cultural and academic elites. The TCUJ's first decision which simply kicked the TCF off campus may seem compelling to people who believe that organized religion is intrinsically intolerant, that it makes judgments about whole classes of people including women and gays, or is authoritarian. The resulting conclusion may be that religion is inimical to the ideals of an open university setting. Yet the irony is that for nearly a thousand years in the history of Western civilization, organized religion was the sole originator and support of higher education. Historically, the revered religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism have systematically supported higher education as part of their mission to inculcate a vision of the divine into society. In doing so these groups believed they could refine the manners and elevate the attitudes of believers and develop higher learning beyond the basic ability to read sacred texts, in order to create rational and complex systems of learning. During the Middle Ages, the great universities of Europe were founded under the auspices of the Church, including the University of Bologna in Italy, the Jagellonian University in Poland, the University of Paris, and Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. Typically, the schools were originally set up as part of a church or cathedral, and came by the end of the 13th Century to include separate faculties for Liberal Arts, Theology, Law and Medicine. In the early Middle Ages, the Arab Moslem civilization which at that time was more advanced than that of Europe, developed secular learning by the rediscovery, translation and commentary of ancient Greek writers including Aristotle. The same civilization also harbored Jewish learning including the great figure of Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides) who wrote a famous text that dealt with the conflict between The Torah and secular learning represented by Aristotle.In America, in fact in New England, many of our best known institutions of higher learning have religious foundations. Harvard began in the early colonial period as a seminary for Congregational ministers and in the 17th Century, the great Puritan preacher and writer Cotton Mather was considered for it's presidency. Baptists who had been denied the right to worship in Puritan Massachusetts founded Brown University and for a century after it's founding, the presidents of Brown were Baptist ministers. Brandeis University was founded as a college for Jewish students who, back in the 1950s, had only limited access to enrollment into Ivy League schools. Boston University was founded under the auspices of the Methodist Church and continues to maintain a highly regarded divinity school (as do Harvard and Boston College). Local Catholic institutions such as Boston College, Merrimack College, Holy Cross and Emmanuel were founded by and continue to be run by their respective religious orders. Tufts University was also founded under religious auspices, namely that of the Universalist religion, an offshoot of Protestantism, and for a hundred years maintained a divinity school, the Crane School of Theology. However, Tufts has continued to lose that part of its institutional memory which is religious. Only recently it was being suggested that once the sole remaining full-time professor of religion retired, there was no need for a replacement, and only student demand rescued the Department of Comparative Religion. This would have been an unmitigated tragedy, I think, since even on the most secular of terms religion needs to be studied and understood as an historical force and current social phenomenon. As a formative influence in students' lives there is literally no replacement for the insight, inspiration and moral and intellectual definition provided by religious belief. Thus one of the reasons for the vitriolic nature of our current politics is that politics is the one remaining system, which can give meaning to our lives once religion is no longer on the intellectual horizon. Political persecution is as potent a destroyer of civil peace and ruination of personal life as religious persecution.Occasionally, there is a question expressed (along with some weak humor) about the meaning of the symbol on the seal of Tufts University, the downward flying dove with an olive branch in its beak. However, its meaning becomes plain in the context of religious symbolism, for the dove is the traditional symbol of wisdom as the olive branch is of peace. In Christian theology the dove is the symbol of the Third Person of the Trinity, i.e. the Holy Spirit who is that aspect of God's nature which is the spirit of love and wisdom. It would be a shame to efface its memory entirely at Tufts.John Caiazza is the Associate Director of Student Financial Services. He will soon be moving to a position at Marlboro College in Vermont.

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News

Going to class without leaving the comfort of your bedroom?

August 31

The incessant beeping of your alarm clock wakes you. You roll over, shut it off, and stumble your way to class, still in your pajamas and bed-hair. Sound like a nightmare or a dream come true? If you're en route to a lecture in Anderson, you might want to consider throwing some clothes on and dragging a comb through your hair. But for students attending virtual universities, this is just the type of flexibility they need in their continuing education. Virtual universities are part of a growing trend known as "distance learning," a method of education that allows students to earn degrees from the comfort of their own home and according to their own schedule. People in today's job market need advanced skills and degrees to compete in their fields, but many do not have the time to attend a university fulltime. Educators realize this and have since reacted, creating an opportunity for higher education while still maintaining a fulltime job. Different methods of distance learning include television, videotaped lectures, written correspondence, and Web-based learning such as chat rooms, e-mail, and discussion boards. Due to the popularity of her class, "Genetics, Ethics, and the Law," Professor Ronnee Yashon teaches sections of her course online. All sections of her course rely heavily Tufts' CourseInfo site, submitting papers and retrieving documents and grades online. Although she is not involved in a virtual degree program, Yashon has plenty of experience with distance learning. When presented with the opportunity to teach a course in New Hampshire, she decided to design an online course instead of moving there. "It just sort of spread," she explained. Yashon has positive feelings toward virtual universities. "I think that, first of all, if it allows people who normally wouldn't be able to go to college or get into a program, it's terrific," she said. "The major positive that I think about online courses is, number one, that busy people can fit it in and the ability to do it at your own speed," Yashon said. "People have other lives and they just can't get away to spend hours and hours in a classroom." But don't get the impression that a distance degree program is a simple way to avoid early-morning classes or that it can easily be handled alongside a full-time job. Such courses are just as difficult as their conventional counterparts. Papers are submitted via e-mail and online drop boxes ? an added bonus for the environmentally aware ? and exams are administered online as well. Some professors also choose to use chat rooms and bulletin boards for their students to interact with each other. Yashon says that the problem with class chats is that it takes away the convenience factor that is essential to most online students. "Everyone has to be online at the same time [for a chat room], which is exactly like having a class," she explained. Many who feel wary of distance learning argue that students suffer from this lack of interaction with other students, as well as with their professors. "The major negative that people see is that the interaction between students and between students and instructors is minimal," she said. Yashon made the distinction between interaction and face-to-face interaction. While the latter may not be present with distance learning, she dismisses the idea that this precludes interaction entirely. "I have tremendous interaction with students," she said. "And who's to say that you don't learn just as much without that interaction?" "I don't feel that you miss that much. It depends on your major," Yashon said. "You can see how a masters degree in accounting would be easier than getting a degree in biology." She pointed out that the hands-on nature of such fields as biology and chemistry would require additional lab work. The concept of a virtual university is not a new one. In the past, students could attend universities through traditional "snail mail". These "correspondence" classes weren't always taken as seriously as regular classes, which is a prejudice that virtual universities also face. "[Correspondence classes] got a bad reputation because they weren't accredited by major universities," Yashon said. To avoid a similar fate, virtual universities work hard to establish themselves as institutions. As more and more major schools establish courses and degree programs on the Web, distance learning is gaining more respect. Schools such as Duke and Columbia, as well as Tufts, offer courses online. The Distance Graduation Accrediting Association (DGAA) provides a standard to which nontraditional universities are measured. Employers can ensure the reliability of an online institution through this accreditation the same as they would with a traditional university. The difference here is that the DGAA doesn't assess the individual programs of the university; rather, major corporations from around the world measure the acceptability of the degrees awarded. The ability of an institution to produce qualified applicants through a full-distance graduation program determines the accreditation. Each institution must also prove its reliability and opportunity for career advancement. Traditional on-campus learning is not a factor in the accreditation process. The DGAA protects the best interests of the student by distinguishing legally recognized programs from Internet scams. Whether learning in a traditional classroom or online, different benefits and drawbacks present themselves. Finding the right method, though, may require a simple self-assessment. "I don't think that you're necessarily losing anything [through online courses]," Yashon said. "It's all in how the student looks at it. Everyone learns differently."

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