Archives

News

Cultural Coordinating Committee finds place on campus

August 31

In its second semester, the Cultural Coordinating Committee (CCC), an alliance of Tufts' culture organizations, is working to define its role and goals on campus. Despite a change in leadership this fall, the group continues to find support among members of the culture groups and has undertaken several efforts to address common cultural issues on campus. "The CCC is working towards having a collective voice for the different culture groups on campus. It provides a forum for networking and exchange of issues between the groups," said Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate President David Moon, who started the committee last year. The group's flexible goals are contingent on current cultural issues. Its efforts this semester have focused on three areas: the slew of hate crimes this fall, the nondiscrimination policy following the Tufts Christian Fellowship decision, and faculty retention and curriculum. "Last year the CCC had a trial run. This year it has made a large push to get off the ground. The membership has increased, and it has become a very effective body," Moon said. "A lot of culture groups have shared concerns about faculty, recruiting students, curriculum, and hate crimes. We either work on these issues collectively or the groups become aware that their concerns are shared." The CCC recently organized the Blue Ribbon Campaign to promote awareness of on-campus hate crimes; there have been 11 cases of intolerance reported this semester. The incidents sparked debate between students and the administration regarding Tufts nondiscrimination policy, ethnic hate crimes, and campus safety. The CCC participated in this dialogue by meeting with administrators and faculty members. It also tried to educate students by distributing table tents and flyers around campus. "We thought that more could have been said about the hate crimes from the administration," Senate Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs Committee Co-Chair Mernaysa Rivera said. "The faculty and administration were impressed by our efforts. They've been helpful in hearing the issues and giving it more validity," she said. The CCC held a hate-crime forum in October to give students the chance to voice their concerns about the safety on campus and to propose possible remedies. Representatives from the Asian Community at Tufts, the Pan-African Alliance, the Association of Latin American Students, and the Tufts Transgendered Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective all serve as active members in the CCC. Last month, the CCC held a retreat at which members discussed past efforts to strengthen the cultural groups and promote safety for students on campus. The committee leaders are planning another retreat for next semester. "The purpose of the retreats is to bring everyone together and assess the progress made," Yeager said. "It indicates a continuity of the issues." Yeager noted that the group has effectively coalesced this year. "This year the CCC is a more powerful, more organized, more structured group. It is an umbrella coalition group. Several groups have concerns about the same issue. The CCC provides a stronger voice and supports the groups with different projects," she said.

---

News

Athletic department shifts attention to recreational sports

August 31

Now in his second year as University Athletic Director, Bill Gehling has set his sights on increasing on-campus recreational opportunities for non-student athletes and faculty. While stressing the importance of maintaining support for Tufts' intercollegiate athletic teams, Gehling insists that there is a need to bring athletics to the rest of campus. Gehling, a Tufts graduate and former women's soccer coach, has spent the better part of his time in the job exploring new physical education opportunities, and working to increase awareness of Tufts' athletics teams to both the student body and administration at large. From acting as a liaison between the athletics department and the administration, to searching for additional recreational outlets, Gehling is pushing to expand athletics on several fronts. Gehling's plans to add more recreational activities began coming to fruition last year, with the creation of a full-time position dealing with recreational sports and physical education. Gehling's naming of Branwen Smith-King as Assistant Athletic Director (AD) at the beginning of the 2000 school year did not signify a new title (Gehling himself held the role under former AD Rocky Carzo), but along with the designation came a structural overhaul of the role of Assistant AD. "The first thing I wanted to do was to get out into the community and listen and see what the community wants," Gehling said of his first days in the job. "That resulted in some interesting observations. One of the things I learned is that the community wants us to provide something for more than just the varsity athletes, that we need to do a better job of meeting the needs of the other 80 percent of the student body in terms of intramural opportunities, recreational opportunities, and health and fitness opportunities." Gehling decided that the role of assistant AD would be redefined to focus primarily on creating such opportunities, and spent the better part of fall '99 exploring options to fill the new position. "I assisted Rocky for many years, and I was pretty sure I didn't need someone to do for me what I did for Rocky," he said. "But what I wasn't clear about was exactly what I needed." Gehling's candidate search resulted in luring away Smith-King from her role as women's cross country and track coach and placing her in a more office-oriented environment. Smith-King's job description is rather vague, but includes responsibility for the creation of further courses and opportunities for recreational athletics, heading the physical education department (not a new role for her), as well as overseeing the University's intramural sports league, and the student-athlete advisory committee. She has also been exploring options for health and fitness programs in coordination with Health Services and the Nutrition School, as well as the eventual creation of a University "wellness" program. The 2000 fall semester has already seen the creation of several non-credit, eight-week courses within the physical education department, including courses in yoga and sea kayaking, both of which have filled the class size limits. The opening of the Gantcher Center last year allowed the school's track, lacrosse, and indoor tennis facilities to move out of Cousens Gym, creating additional space in the Cousens cages that the department hopes will eventually be used for recreational purposes. As athletic teams dominate the time on the Cousens basketball courts, the Chase Gym remains one of few outlets for use by non-student athletes. Plans for maximizing Cousens' space remain in the works. But while much of the department's focus has shifted to athletic opportunities for the non-student athletes, Gehling warns that "as much as I'm focusing the department on broadening our goals with respect to what we do for the community, I don't want that to imply that I somehow think intercollegiate athletics are diminished... I think they are extremely important and this is a year of major change in intercollegiate athletics." Gehling refers to the increasingly inclusive nature of the NESCAC, a conference formed 30 years ago as a loose alliance but which continues to become more of a competitive division. Most Tufts teams in the NESCAC will play an end-of-season tournament this year for the first time ever, with only the winner heading to the NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, following this year, NESCAC teams will not be allowed to qualify for postseason tournaments such as the ECAC's, meaning the NESCAC tournament will mark the end of the season for all but the winning team. Gehling hopes the new format and playoffs will help bolster community support for the school's 29 intercollegiate athletic teams. The first two home football games have unofficially brought in higher-than-usual attendance numbers, and early prospects for several fall sports teams point towards a number of postseason berths come November. "I want to spread the word about Tufts athletics," the director said. "Athletics can serve a critical function not just for the participants but the community. It has the potential to be a galvanizing element." While encouraging students to come out and watch their peers, Gehling acknowledges that losing teams are not likely to bring out too many fans. "Successful teams bring people together," he said. "It is important to have teams that are successful on a level, it's important for all our teams to aspire to that. When it comes to providing a source of inspiration and pride and getting people out to games, people don't come to watch when you're losing."

---

News

Supporting student-athletes

August 31

Last year, the NCAA changed the way it chooses teams for the women's soccer post-season national tournament. Now, the number one team from each conference is offered an automatic qualifier bid to the tournament, in addition to a limited number of at-large bids. As one of the most, if not the most, competitive conferences in the country, the NESCAC has in previous years sent seven or eight teams to the national tournament. This year, however, only three teams were offered bids to the tournament, with Tufts and Bowdoin both being given bids because of their strong schedule and successful records. Since the NCAA has changed the way it chooses teams for the tournament, I have had significant difficulties in choosing classes. We are required to play each team in the conference now, including Middlebury (four hours away), which makes our schedule much more compressed and hectic. As opposed to the two previous seasons I have played for Tufts, this season has been significantly harder on my academics. We had at least three games scheduled mid-week this season that otherwise would have been weekend games. This change made choosing classes and going to classes that were mandatory for my majors quite difficult. To avoid missing class, I had to schedule courses that did not end after 1 p.m., and, as many students know, the majority of upper-level courses in many departments do not begin until the afternoon, even late afternoon. Because we had so many games mid-week this season, I was not able to take classes that I needed for my majors. This is extremely ironic, since the point of changing the NCAA's policies for Division III athletes was to allow them to focus more on their academics. It is quite evident that this method does nothing but hinder the fluency of the student-athletes' academic calendar, making it impossible to take classes. At least in previous years, we knew that regular season games were only on Tuesdays, which allowed for more flexibility. This semester, however, we had games, both home and away, that were on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This creates an alarming contradiction, since students are "encouraged" to spend more time on studies than sports. I chose Tufts, as opposed to a Division I school, because I thought that I would be able to achieve a balance between sports and studies. This season, however, has proved otherwise. In order to be a competitive athlete, attending both games and practices, I was forced to sacrifice vital aspects of my education. If nothing else, the end of this season, besides being so much fun competitively, has allowed for more flexibility in my schedule. I experienced more problems with the regular season games than I did with postseason play. The women's soccer team played as long as possible for Division III athletes this season, and I believe that this is the strongest testament for the argument against the academically "hindering" post-season. It is no secret that athletes have a stricter schedule than non-athletes, and thus have a more structured lifestyle. Athletes must set aside special time for their academics, which they obviously do - statistics show that athletes have a slightly higher GPA than non-athletes. In addition, participating on a varsity team only strengthens a student's determination and focus. It makes the ideals that were once placed upon only academics applicable to all aspects of one's life. The student willingly engages in something that is useful and not shoved down their throat. I do a significant amount of other activities aside from soccer. I am an Explorations Leader and I am also an active member of the Tufts Feminist Alliance. These two groups play a major part in my life, but I must balance the time I allot to them with the time I spend playing soccer. Tufts could be a lot more supportive of its athletes if it attended to the needs of every student. Tufts does not have the power to alter the policy of the NCAA, but it can control other factors which will ease the pressure put on athletes. Tufts has the ability to better manage the tension-filled course scheduling of student-athletes. Other schools in the NESCAC allow for a break in the daily academic schedule for athletic teams. Williams, a competitive rival both academically and in almost every sport, does not schedule classes between 4-6 p.m., setting aside the time for athletic practices. This gives athletes a fair shot at enrolling in courses that would have met during these times. I understand that certain classes are scheduled during the afternoon because of the professors' preference, but by not offering any classes during this block, Tufts would be much more considerate towards its athletes, whom they encourage to strive for excellence. This is just one alternative to the problematic situation at Tufts for student-athletes, a term which, in itself, is a much-abused phrase that expresses the school's enthusiasm for athletics, yet neglects to address the major issues that these particular students face when acting out this "revered" role. As a member of the Tufts women's soccer team, I am more than proud of the accomplishments of this season. We worked very hard to achieve such honors. I do not see, however, how the school has supported us as students. Tufts does not acknowledge the difficulty involved in an athlete's choice of courses, and makes no effort to accommodate the sports schedule. Furthermore, despite what the women's soccer team may have done for the notoriety of Tufts, nothing has been done to resolve the disadvantages athletes face in the academic realm of Tufts. In addition, the choice to participate in athletics certainly should not be considered a sacrifice at the expense of getting a quality education. If Tufts is going to take pride in the accomplishments of its athletes, it needs to address their needs as students of the school. There needs to be a change in the way athletes are forced to deal with a limited choice of courses. Tufts student-athletes are indeed at a disadvantage as a result of this structured course outline, and I believe this to be a major flaw in the main function of the school itself. I know many other athletes who both understand my concerns and believe it is necessary to take action to balance how Tufts views its athletes and how it treats them.Lynn Cooper is a junior majoring in comparative religion and English. She was a starting forward for the women's soccer team that finished second in the NCAA tournament.

---

News

Jackson is not sexist

August 31

I am writing concerning Larissa Johnson's viewpoint, "A Sexist Degree Debacle," that appeared in the Nov. 2 issue of the Daily. The article displays a woeful ignorance of Tufts history and organization, "slippery slope" reasoning, and a misunderstanding of appropriate federal and state legislation concerning gender equity in private higher education. First, there are four degree granting schools or colleges within the Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Engineering (formerly the Faculty of Arts and Sciences): the College of Liberal Arts and Jackson College, the School (formerly the College) of Engineering, the College of Special Studies (School of the Museum of Fine Arts and certain non-degree programs), and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The 2000 edition of Bulletin of the Tufts University Arts, Sciences and Engineering (pp. 9-10) contain this information. The Tufts website also contains this information. The dean of social and natural sciences and the dean of arts and humanities both hold the title "Dean of Liberal Arts & Jackson College" and preside at meetings of the Liberal Arts &Jackson College faculty. The author's assertion that, "To find any reference of Jackson College you would have to search the archives," is at odds with reality. Second, the author's contention that admission of undergraduate women to Jackson College (instead of the College of Liberal Arts) in and of itself constitutes gender discrimination is laughable. The College of Liberal Arts and Jackson College have always had the same faculty, most of whom are also members of the GSAS faculty. Male and female undergraduates take the same classes taught by the same faculty. They live in the same residence halls and have access to the same academic support facilities. Does this mean that sex discrimination does not exist on the Medford/Somerville campus (or any other college campus)? Of course not! Nonetheless, I fail to understand how the "Jackson College" notion on the admissions records, transcripts, and diplomas of female undergraduates constitutes discrimination. Third, how can the author reasonably claim, "Ms. [sic] Jackson would probably be appalled that a distinction between the sexes was still being made at this university?" Does the author present any archival evidence to suggest that the late Professor Cornelia M. Jackson would strongly object to the naming of a college in her honor? Fourth, how would the author respond to other colleges and universities that have separate undergraduate colleges for men and women that share common facilities, faculty, and curricula? For example, Tulane University has two undergraduate colleges, Tulane College (for Men) and Newcomb College (for Women), under the jurisdiction of a Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Until 1972, my alma mater Duke University had two liberal arts colleges, Trinity College and the Woman's College, which occupied different campus, but shared a common faculty. (They merged to form a single degree grantingunit, "Trinity College of Arts and Sciences," and now both campuses are coeducational). How does the author feel about single sex colleges and universities, such as Wellesley College? Do admissions practices of such institutions somehow demean the value of the education they offer women? I do not think so. Do women's colleges discriminate against men? Congress, the federal courts and the state courts have not supported this contention. Finally, the author writes, "It is a clear violation of both federal and state law to award a degree that contains language whose inclusion is solely based on the gender of the recipient....The apathy of the faculty, administration, and student body to this practice is a disgrace." I beg to differ. Instead, it is a disgrace that such an ill-informed, poorly reasoned, and under researched article appeared in the Tufts Daily. It is a further disgrace that this rant, posing as a noble call to arms, may divert our attention from addressing real issues of discrimination and equity. If the author is so offended that the words "Jackson College" will appear on her diploma, may I suggest she transfer to another institution?Jeffrey W. Taliaferro is an assistant professor of political science. He is on leave for the academic year 2000-2001.

---

News

Senator Kerry to host Gore-Lieberman rally at Tufts

August 31

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry will arrive on campus this afternoon to lead a last-minute rally in support of Vice President Gore and Senator Joe Lieberman's bid for the White House. On the eve of the 2000 election, this event, which is co-sponsored by the Tufts Democrats and the College Democrats of Massachusetts, will include students from Tufts, Harvard, UMass, and other Boston-area schools. "Students care about this election," said Tufts Democrats President Greg Propper. "They care about the future of the country and they value our political system. We're hosting this rally to show people that we support Al Gore." Event organizers expect that the rally, which will take place in Jackson Gym at 4:30 p.m., will attract at least 400 students. It is also rumored that Congressman Mike Capuano may attend. Kerry, whom campaign officials have acknowledged was high on Gore's list of possible running mates, is a vocal Democrat and a vehement supporter of the vice president. As a three-term senator, Kerry has worked for a number of causes, including minimum wage hikes, increasing education funding, and creating stricter environmental policies. In addition, "he has fought to balance the budget responsibly, create a regulatory environment friendly to small businesses, and prepare the United States to meet new demands of international economics competition," according to his website. Kerry was born in 1943, graduated from Yale University in 1966, and then enlisted in the Navy. After serving in Vietnam, and receiving numerous awards and decorations, he became an active leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and a co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He graduated from the Boston College Law School in 1976, then worked as an assistant district attorney in Middlesex County. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1982 and elected to the US Senate in 1984.

---

News

Cross country teams race to success at Nationals

August 31

The men's cross country team ended its up-and-down season with a successful showing on Saturday, finishing 11th at the NCAA Division III National Championships at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. Senior Leslie Crofton of the women's team wrapped up both her season and her career with a dominating performance in the women's national championships, where she finished fifth overall (18:12.5) to earn All-American honors. With her combination of speed and power, Crofton fought her way through the snow that covered the course into the top five of the race, beating Springfield's Barbara Swallow (34th overall, 18:42), who had consistently handled Crofton all season. Just like many of the male runners, Crofton covered her skin in Vaseline before the meet to serve as an insulator during the frigid race. "It was good [to beat Swallow]," Crofton said. It wasn't as if we were dueling it out. It would have been more [rewarding] if she had run a strong race for her. She didn't run nearly as strong as she did in the season." While her teammates were not there to see her, because the women's team did not qualify for Nationals, Crofton could not have written a better final chapter to her illustrious cross country career. The senior, who finished 57th in the nation last year, was in second place before getting out kicked at the line. "It was really the whole goal to make it to Nationals and then to be an All-American," Crofton said. "I was happy with how I ran. My goal was to be in the top 15. Right after the race, I was sad thinking how it was my last collegiate cross country race." Like Crofton, the Jumbos' male senior star Dave Patterson willed his way to a 16th-place finish (25:28.6), and All-American status for the first time. Patterson's display highlighted the Tufts squad, which barely missed coming in the top ten overall, falling nine points short of Wisconsin-Plateville, 332-323. "[Patterson] ran a brilliant race," junior Jason Mann said. "He leads by example, which means running well under pressure." "The past two weeks, [Patterson] has probably had the two best races of his life," junior Justin Lewis said. "He's really [been] taking control." Juniors JR Cruz (56th overall, 26:14.5), Ben Smith (74th, 26:24.5), Mann (79th, 26:26.4), and Lewis (107th, 26:43.4) rounded out the Jumbos top five. Despite finishing second on the team, Cruz, who usually runs neck-and-neck with Patterson, had a frustrating performance, crossing the finish line 46 seconds after Patterson. Nationals marked the second straight meet that Cruz has struggled. After winning the ECACs on Nov. 4, Cruz stumbled in the New England Regional Championships the following weekend. "[Cruz] ran a good race," Mann said. "I don't think he ran as well as he wanted. He kind of had an off day like I did, and like Smith did. The three of us, for some reason, didn't run as well as we would have hoped." While the gap between the first and second runners was much larger than usual, the Jumbos finally managed to decrease the delta separating the fourth and fifth runners, in large part because of Lewis. "I pretty much had one of my best races ever," Lewis said. "The other guys may not have had their best races. I just felt good and had a great race." For much of the season, the gap between the fourth and fifth runners had been the squad's most prominent weakness. On Saturday, only 17 seconds separated fourth and fifth men, Mann and Lewis, respectively. "[Lewis] ran out of his mind," Mann said. In a repeat of last week's Regional Championships, the five New England teams finished in the same order that they did in Dartmouth, Mass. Keene State dominated the five teams, placing three runners in the top 15 to finish second overall. Williams (fifth overall), Tufts, Trinity (14th overall) and the Coast Guard (17th overall) completed New England's impressive showing. "We know [Williams and Keene State] are both strong teams," Lewis said. "We aren't upset finishing behind them." In spite of Coast Guard's 17th place finish, by having four teams in the top 16, the NCAA guarantees New England five automatic births for next year's National Championship meet, the maximum for any region. "It is good for New England because it shows that we are one of the best regions in the country," Lewis said."

---

---

News

Dancing 'Dynomania' on stage

August 31

One hundred sexy and extremely talented male and female dancers, great music, lots of fun... What is it? It is this semester's Spirit of Color performance, entitled, "Dynomania - An Irresistible Urge to Dance." It's an unusually active night, with two acts of hip-hop, street jazz, and jazz, with a twist of ethnic influence. Each piece is full of energy, precision, and excitement. Spirit of Color director Kim Wong called it "the biggest party Tufts throws - so full of energy, spirit, and fun." The show opens with an entertaining "behind-the-scenes" video of Spirit of Color. It features clips of the choreographers and dancers working hard in rehearsal to learn all their moves in preparation for the big night and, it seems, having a great time, too. Then the live performance begins, and the dancers show the audience just what they can do onstage - everything from break-dancing to kicking to STOMPing to simply dancing their hearts out, all to popular music. Some of the music is from the Nutty Professor II soundtrack ("Just Friends"), music by Michael Jackson ("Thriller" and "The Way You Make Me Feel"), Method Man ("Even If"), and various other artists. Also, Spirit of Color holds its infamous annual dance contest halfway through the evening: for better or for worse, it tests the audience members' abilities to get their own grooves on. "The audience has as much fun as the dancers, screaming and yelling," sophomore assistant director Jocelyn Hall said. Each year tends to feature highly animated show-goers. Spirit of Color is a TCU funded dance group founded by Tufts students in 1996. It is a student-run organization that puts on incredibly energized performances of student-choreographed dances. Most of its shows are played at the end of each semester to sold-out audiences. At the beginning of each semester, Spirit of Color holds a general meeting so that the choreographers can share their different ideas about the various individual dances. Students then audition for the offered dances and practice one to two hours a week until the show. Of course, the final week or so becomes a little more hectic, as everyone puts the finishing touches on the dances, and ties the entire show together. There are about three dances that are open to all dancers, and close to 20 dances total each semester. No previous dancing experience is necessary - only the ability and desire to move your body and have a good time. Interested? Come see this semester's show on Friday, December 1, 2000 at 8 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now for $5 at the Balch Arena Box Office.

---

News

Tufts among best of Div. III

August 31

The success of the women's soccer team, as well as a strong performance by the men's cross country squad, has boosted Tufts into the upper echelon of Division III athletics, at least for the time being. The first release of this year's Sears Director's Cup rankings shows the Jumbos in sixth place overall for Division III. The award, presented annually at the conclusion of the spring season by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), goes to the school with the most successful all-around athletic program. The scoring system is based on where the school finishes in a particular sport in NCAA Tournament play, with points tabulated at the end of each of the three seasons. These preliminary rankings include four different fall sports: women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and field hockey. Tufts was awarded 90 points for the women's soccer team's second place NCAA finish, and received 53 courtesy of men's cross country, which placed 11th in Div. III. The combined total of 143 points puts the Jumbos just out of the top five, behind The College of New Jersey (first); NESCAC rival Williams (second); Hobart/William Smith (third); Wisconsin-Oshkosh (fourth); and Calvin (fifth). Not even all of the fall championships been accounted for as of yet, though, putting the pressure on the rest of the Tufts athletic teams to keep up the high-flying pace. Last year, the Jumbos finished 40th in the final Sears rankings, as Williams took home its fourth cup in the last five years. Two springs ago, the Brown and Blue ranked 45th, a significant step up from their 84th place finish in 1997-98.

---

News

Jumbos set for Head of Charles

August 31

The Tufts crew program has been hard at work of late to prepare for this weekend's Head of the Charles Regatta. The most important race of the fall season will take place on the Charles River tomorrow and Sunday. Men and women from all over the world will be piling into Boston's many hotels this weekend for a Boston event, second only to the marathon in size and importance. The Head of the Charles is the largest two-day rowing event in the world. Established by the Cambridge Boat Club 35 years ago, it features over 5,000 rowers competing in over 19 races. The race features rowers from the UK, France, Germany, Czceh Republic, Poland, Switzerland, and over 20 other countries worldwide. The event is very carefully maintained through a hierarchy of overseeing officials. The members of the Cambridge Boat Club manage the Regatta each year, and the Board of Directors appoints five trustees to oversee the race, as well as a 10-member committee to oversee the operational and logistical details of the event. In addition to the competing athletes, the race is expected to attract nearly 300,000 spectators, as well as many volunteer associations to aid in the event's preperation. Aside from the numerous races, there will also be rowing and fitness expos, which will be held throughout the weekend. The regatta, which began simply as a competition between Harvard and Northeastern, has grown to become the staple of all fall crew racing. "[It is] the ultimate of fall races," said Gary Caldwell, female varsity crew coach and head of the crew program at Tufts. "The granddaddy of the whole fall schedule." The racing event has become so large that it takes up two full pages in the Boston Globe. Tufts' men and women both hope to improve upon what Caldwell described as "middle of the road performances" so far this season. While the rowers have mostly been training through the early races, this event on their home course will finally give the team the opportunity to see how far it has come. What will make this year particularly exciting is that the boats will be lined up very close to many conference rival schools. The Head of the Charles is a head race, meaning that the boats do not all begin at the same time, but at fifteen-second intervals, one behind the next, and compete against the clock over the three-mile course. With rivals' boats lining up near the Tufts boats, competition should prove intense and focused. The women are starting two boats behind Union College and directly in front of both Holy Cross and Wesleyan, all schools that compete in the same athletic conference as Tufts. The men's eight is starting between Ithaca and Williams, both of which are in the team's conference. "It's always interesting to be in a head race with people you know you will be racing next season." Caldwell said. The women are racing two eights, one of which will have bow-marker number 14, and will be racing as a Tufts boat. The other women's boat will have bow marker number 70 and will be sponsored by the Mystic Valley Association. The men's club eight will be marked by bow-marker number 24 and is sponsored by the Mystic Valley Association. The novice eight will be marked by bow marker 23 and will be racing as Tufts University, and the lightweight women will be marked bow marker number 10 and racing as Mystic Valley Association. The Varsity races for both men and women will begin at 2:25 p.m. on Saturday. The men's novice race and the women's lightweight race will start on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2:10 p.m., respectivley. No predictions or expectations by crew members were offered for this weekend's performance. "I cannot say at this point." Caldwell said, "but the women's varsity is moving faster than last fall at this time." "It's a great day to go down to the river and see absolutley amazing rowing," he added. "It is the best racing in the world." All of the big names in rowing will be there for the regatta, including four medallists from the summer Olympics.

---

News

Clarifying Christianity

August 31

As a Christian on campus who is not affiliated with the TCF leadership, I would like to express my reactions to the TCUJ ruling and the popular opinions it has brought to light. I will start by saying that I do not know whether TCF discriminated against Julie Catalano on the grounds of her homosexuality, and that I believe that the TCUJ does not know either. If TCF did discriminate, I am sure it was due to unconscious prejudices and was not intentional. Everyone makes mistakes, and if the TCUJ is correct in ruling that TCF did discriminate, then to me, the probationary punishment is fair. I do not think that one mistake should result in permanent de-recognition for any group. (By that logic, the TCUJ should have dissolved itself after admitting to procedural error in the first hearing.)What interests me far more than the specific case is the ideologies expressed in reaction to it. There has been a surprising number of Viewpoints and letters written arguing that any group whose beliefs are dangerous or otherwise odious should not be allowed to exist. This is political correctness gone fascist, pure and simple. I assume that the vast majority of Tufts students understand this, and I will not waste my time arguing against such a basic lapse of reason and consistency. I will, however, address the more serious and widespread matter of how students view Christianity in general. I get the impression that most people do not have any clue what it is about (or what all major religions are about, for that matter). I am speaking specifically about the recently proclaimed idea that a person's identity and beliefs are inseparable, and that self-acceptance of one's nature should be taken for granted. Nothing could be more contrary to religion than these concepts. All that Christianity promotes can be reduced to three categories: Love God; Love your neighbor; Love yourself. It is the last category that matters here. Love yourself does not mean you ought to think you are perfect. It means you should recognize how you are imperfect, and seek to improve yourself. We all suffer from imperfections in our (fallen) natures. For example, many are prone to being angry without cause, or even hateful. Christianity frowns on this sin, and helps us to control it, so we may love our neighbors better. Some people are prone to procrastination, others to malicious gossiping. I am prone to impatience with people who disagree with me. And everyone is prone to pride: the sin of believing yourself more important than everyone else and that your agenda is more important than God's. If anyone reading this has had contact with real Christianity (as opposed to the watered-down virtual-Unitarianism that often goes by its name), then you know that the first thing to do if you seek a relationship with God is to identify your failings. Then you can renounce them and pray for God to help you improve. We never do, in this life, become perfect, but a lot of improvement is possible. I can personally attest that I am a more humble, generous, and loving person than I would be without Christianity. Had I instead accepted myself as I was, I would be obliged to hate those who were different (as so many children do, before they learn better), and to have sex whenever I felt like it. Instead I can control those tendencies, and replace them with the infinitely fulfilling love of God. As with all true things, there are subtleties and complexities to this. The Church (which means Christians in general, through history), must decide when a tendency is sinful and to be denied, or when it is a good and individual aspect of our unique God-given identity. I think we can all agree that the tendency to hate those who are different is the former, while the tendency to be good at math but poor at language is sprobably the latter. What about the tendency to be sexually attracted to the same sex? The Judeo-Christian tradition has ascribed homosexuality to the former category. We can never be certain that we are right to do so, but we are pretty sure. For one thing, the bible is quite clear that homosexuality is not the will of God. To argue on more generally convincing grounds, a homosexual relationship does not naturally result in procreation, and the form of the human body was clearly designed for sex to be between a man and a woman. There is simply no explanation for what role homosexuality is intended to fulfill. It meets all the criteria for an unintended aspect of fallen nature. For these reasons, Christians will always encourage homosexuals to avoid succumbing to their particular temptation. To Christians, the debate regarding homosexuality is often confusing. Why is this one sinful tendency to be accommodated while all others may be renounced? Perhaps it is because many homosexuals really cannot live a heterosexual life, and must instead abstain from sex altogether to be consistent with Christian teaching. This is a tragic reality, but not unique. Alcoholics have such a strong predisposition to abuse alcohol that they must abstain from it altogether. Christians like myself who abstain from premarital sex also know what it is like to have to completely deny a strong temptation. I give my utmost sympathy to those homosexuals who try to live a Christian life, but the Church cannot grant them an exception to the moral laws of God. Everyone must work towards self-perfection, even though we each have a different battle fight. I hope this Viewpoint helps some people to understand what Christianity is about on a practical level, and to question that infinitely prideful error that claims we are perfect the way we are. Please also understand that our refusal to promote homosexuality is an act of love. To compare TCF with the KKK, as has repeatedly occurred, is thus to understand its position exactly wrongly. Andrew Gould is a senior majoring in art history.

---

News

Behind the scenes

August 31

Cynicism bounced off the walls of Cabot Auditorium on Monday night as four authors discussed the film adaptations of their respective books. Susanna Kaysen, author of Girl, Interrupted; Tom Perrotta, author of Election; Stephen McCauley, author of The Object of My Affection; and Dani Shapiro, author of Slow Motion shared their experiences. For the most part, the writers had little good to say about the process. The authors began the night by describing their reactions to the film adaptation of their words. "It's everything you fear it will be. It's stupid and it's seductive and it makes you feel important and you're not," Kaysen said. Published in 1994, Girl, Interrupted was made into a movie in 1999. The book recounts Kaysen's 18-month stay at McLean, a private psychiatric hospital outside Boston. "I feel that the movie brought to the screen every emotion that I tried so hard to avoid in my book," Kaysen said. "[The movie] was sentimental, self-pitying, boring, and put the girls in the place of victims. It was toxic waste." Once a writer sells the rights to her book, the movie that results often becomes something entirely unrecognizable. Although the movie supposedly bases itself on the book, the author has little say in the production of the film. "To think that you have any control is to get your heart broken," Kaysen said. Shapiro agreed. "For the writer of the book to retain any control is almost impossible. Film is too collaborative," she said. Shapiro's novel, Slow Motion, is currently being adapted to film. McCauley can relate to the anticipation that Shapiro is feeling right now. It took 11 years for The Object of My Affection to be made into a movie. Although McCauley said that the screenwriter, Wendy Wasserman, did a good job adapting his novel, the end result had little to do with him. "It was very much her project and very much not mine by the end," he said. Although Reese Witherspoon is one of the producers of Shapiro's movie, Shapiro fears for the future of her novel. "There's a script floating around there somewhere in Hollywood. Reese is still very passionate about it but, most likely, it will turn into a made-for-TV movie starring Tori Spelling." Though the other authors were dissatisfied with the process, Perrotta felt differently. "Everything happened the way it should have," Perrotta said. "I feel incredibly well served." Election, written in 1993, was picked up by producers in 1996, and aired in theaters in 1999. The novel was published shortly before the movie hit the screen. "[The movie] was made so quickly it almost beat the book to publication," he said Modern writers are discovering the marriage between their books and movies. They grapple with the notion that many people base their impression of a work on a movie adaptation. They also realize that the popularity of their book depends heavily on the popularity of the movie. "Your book sells many more copies to people who won't read it [otherwise]," Kaysen said. While Perrotta acknowledged that seeing the movie is a far cry from reading the book, he admitted that he liked the attention he received after writing Election. "It's intoxicating to feel that something you wrote is a topic of common conversation, to be a part of something the world actually cares about. As a literary writer, that's a pretty rare thing," he said. Shapiro hoped that her movie will encourage people to read her memoir. The fact that the book has been made into a movie does not change the book itself. She was only concerned that people will, in fact, read it. "The movie will keep the book out there and give it another life," she said. All four authors agreed that, regardless of their feelings on the film adaptations, they would do it again. Writers can rarely support themselves simply by writing. For McCauley, selling the rights to his book meant that he could quit his job at a travel agency and focus on his next novel. Kaysen, who felt the most disdain for her novel's adaptation, said that even she would relive the process. "Well, they made my book into a movie and it wasn't very good. Now I never have to work for a living, though," she said. Some think this satisfaction with monetary benefits is missing the point, but the authors disagree. "It's not a compromise of artistic integrity if you've already written the book. It's just a sell-out," Kaysen said. Sophomores Sarah Brasslett and Chris Cao were sitting in the audience. After the forum, they discussed the negativity of the night's speakers. "It was interesting to see the incredible amount of dislike the authors had for the movies," Brasslett said."I kind of found it a bit disheartening how they separated themselves so much from the movie versions of their books," Cao said. "They shouldn't be so flippant about it. It's still their book."

---

News

University reinstates Napster with plan to cap use, but network still not up to speed

August 31

Tufts Computer and Communications Services (TCCS), the department that regulates access to the Internet at Tufts, has redesigned the University's network in order to handle the increased Internet traffic caused by Napster, a popular file-sharing program. But the changes, which come as the University lifts a 10-month ban against the program, have had little effect, and web browsing on campus has slowed to a crawl.

---

News

Teaching television hands-on

August 31

Creating Television, a freshmen Explorations class taught by seniors Jason Wang and Mike Glassman, met in the wee hours of the morning and headed to New York, NY in mid-November. The enthusiastic group hoped to gain an insider's view of what goes on behind the scenes of several popular television shows, such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dateline, and The $treet. Glassman and Wang's hands-on class format strives to offer freshmen a taste of the media in light of the school's lack of similar academic programs. "There is no communications major, and no TV major [at Tufts]," Glassman said. Recently, the class has been working on a cumulative project that began as news program and wound up becoming a live variety program broadcast on Tufts University Television (TUTV). "[The students] write some papers, but the main point is projects," Wang said. Freshman Blair Lerner explained the class structure. "The first half of the semester was about nonfiction television, and the second half was mostly about fiction programs," Lerner said. Wang and Glassman hoped to demonstrate both of these aspects during their time in Manhattan. They came up with the idea of the trip two weeks into the semester. "We had talked about the TV industry all semester, and wanted find a way to show [the students] what really went on," Glassman said. The trip, funded in part by the Experimental College, the class fund, and the students, necessitated early rising. The group left at 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning in a rental van in order to arrive in New York by 11 a.m. After a brief stop at Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the class traveled to NBC's Dateline studios in Rockefeller Center to meet with Tufts graduate Neal Shapiro (LA '80), the show's executive producer. Shapiro introduced the class to some of the writers and others affiliated with the show, including correspondent Bob McKeown. One of McKeown's sons, Rob McKeown (LA '98), recently graduated from Tufts, so he seemed glad to host the group. First, he explained exactly what his position as a correspondent entails: he writes the scripts and does the interviews as the on-camera personality. McKeown then showed the class one of his current projects about rising ticket prices due to ticket brokers. The students found McKeown to be friendly and personable - not a stuck-up TV personality in the least. "[He] was friendly, and I felt... comfortable with him," freshman Jordan Booth said. After meeting with McKeown, the students had the chance to talk with Dateline anchor Stone Philips. Although a receptionist at the studio told the group that Philips would probably only have a couple minutes to chat, he stuck around for a while. "We were surprised. He talked with us for at least a half-hour," Wang said. The students were glad to have the opportunity to talk with such a recognizable media personality. They were able to see beneath the news anchor to the person within. "Stone was really smart. Smarter than he seems on TV," said Booth. Lerner agreed. "I liked talking to Stone Philips. He's really intelligent - he's got a definite presence," she said. After Dateline, the class took the subway to Chelsea to see The $treet, Fox's new Wall Street-themed program. "At The $treet, we got a full tour of the whole set. We walked through the holding room where all the actors who were waiting for their scenes were sitting and playing cards... We met with everyone, from the prop guy to the costumers to the writers - we heard about it all first hand," freshman Stacy Ulrich said. The group was also able to speak briefly with The $treet actor Tom Everett Scott, who also starred in the film That Thing You Do. It was pure luck that the show was being filmed on the day of the class trip. "We got to see, step-by-step, everything that went on," Lerner said. Wang and Glassman were glad to take their students to places other than newsrooms. "I think [the students] probably watch something like The $treet more often then they watch Dateline," Wang said. So, how did two Tufts seniors gain access to all these studios? Actually, Tufts graduates were happy to host fellow Jumbos. Wang recently worked an internship with Artist Television Group (ATG), which produces The $treet, which he secured through ATG President and Tufts graduate Eric Tannenbaum (LA '85). From there, it was a piece of cake to reserve a tour of the set. The students were also able to tour Dateline because Shapiro was eager to host a group from his alma mater. Wang is excited that so many Tufts graduates end up in the media field. "They come out of the woodwork every year," he said, referring to the large number of Tufts grads that wind up making a name for themselves in film or television. The students seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves on the trip. "Taking the class has been one of the best decisions I've made. It's one great experience after another," freshman Andy Valen said. "Mike and Jason are really excellent teachers. We're learning and having fun doing it."

---

News

Getting back on their feet proves difficult for fire victims

August 31

A month after a fire swept through a Boston Ave. home, the five Tufts students who rented an apartment in the building are still in the process of rebuilding their lives. The victims have received a great deal of support from the Tufts community, including the generation of $1,400 from a relief fund set up by Tufts' Catholic Center, but are still struggling to find time to deal with this tragedy. The cause of the devastating fire that destroyed the apartment on Nov. 7 remains under investigation. The fire, which started at 4:30 p.m. and spread quickly through the walls and pipe chases of the old wooden structure, was gas-induced by a faulty boiler in the basement of their three-story apartment building. More details about the exact causes of the fire will be known when the report comes available. Although there were no injuries in the fire, it left two local families and Tufts students Sean McDermott, Winder Holeman, Fernando Degwitz, Diana Uejbe, and their guest Estefania Elias homeless. The students lost 90 percent of their belongings, and the house was torn down shortly after the fire. Tufts' Catholic Center has raised nearly $1,400 through contributions solicited at masses and from the community, and Father David O'Leary expects that number to grow. The students say that while they are impressed with the generosity of the community, they feel that the two families deserve it more than they do. "I think it's great that everyone helped out," said McDermott. "I think it really shows a lot about the character of the community here." McDermott is currently living with a friend off campus, and the others are staying in on campus residence halls. They are all planning on living together next semester, but the shortage of housing in the area has made the process of setting up arrangements difficult. Getting their day-to-day lives back together has also been a struggle. Holeman said that most of the irritation has come from dealing with the insurance companies, which are investigating the cause of the fire to see if the landlord is liable. The students are also frustrated with the fact that the landlord has not communicated with them a great deal since the fire. "He hasn't made an effort to contact us and in view of that attitude we are seeking legal council," said Uejbe. "We don't want to sue, we just want to settle... and make up for some of our losses." Trying to keep up with classes, stay involved in student organizations, and sort out issues from the fire has been difficult for McDermott. He said that the fire department was very supportive, and they brought the students to the apartment to salvage any items that were not ruined. But, his hectic schedule has not yet permitted him to go and pick up the items from the fire department. "Slowly things are getting back together," McDermott said. "But it's a big hassle, and a huge inconvenience to have to juggle putting your life back together and be a full-time student. We're all in the same boat." McDermott has purchased some of the essentials that he needs to keep up his studies and live his life, such as a new computer, a few outfits, and shoes. However, to replace or get back the value of all the items lost is going to take a lot of time. "I'm making a list of every thing I owned, from every fork to every pair of socks, to try and figure out how much [I lost]," McDermott said. "I have a spreadsheet going at home." Holeman has also been focusing solely on getting through the semester without having the fire affect him academically. He has yet to purchase some of the larger items, such as his television, computer, and stereo system. "My goal was just to finish the semester without [the fire] affecting my life or my grades that badly," he said. "And I feel like I've been able to do that with other people's help. All the teachers were very supportive and gave me extensions for papers." In light of the issues of fire safety raised by this accident, Fire Marshall Perry Cayton advised students to thoroughly inspect housing for potential hazards. "People should be checking to see if they have smoke detectors and have them serviced," he said. "For a lot of them this is the first time they've been put in a setting on their own." For those who are interested in helping the victims, monetary donations can still be made though Tufts' Catholic Center at 58 Winthrop St. The Center plans on dividing the money from the fund evenly among the Boston Ave. students and the two families.

---

News

17 Tufts seniors played final home game

August 31

On Saturday, 17 Jumbo football players suited up in the Brown and Blue for the last time on their home field. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave Zimman field on a positive note, as Colby beat Tufts 28-14 in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 people. "It was emotional," senior Brian Holmes said. "It didn't really hit me until we were walking off the field." Holmes has been instrumental all season in sparking a somewhat stagnant Jumbo offense, and Saturday's game was no exception. He rushed for 52 yards and had an additional 81 yards receiving to boot. This season, Holmes has led the entire offense with 781 total yards on the ground, in the air, and with kickoff returns. He transferred from Middlebury last year, and has had a versatile career playing on both sides of the ball. Last season, Holmes was selected for the All-NESCAC team as both a cornerback and a kick returner. Despite many strong individual efforts, the Jumbo team has fallen to 2-5, and unless it beats a dominating Middlebury team on Saturday, it will post the worst record in the past four years. "It's been a tough season," Holmes said. "Missing opportunities on little plays has been what it has come down to." One positive aspect of the season to date was the general dominance of the Jumbo defense. While the offense has not always provided the needed spark to win games, the defense, led by captain Pete DiStaulo, has at least kept most of the games close. The six-foot, 306-pound defensive tackle amassed seven sacks and 41 tackles and has led the team both on and off the field during his final season. "It's pretty emotional," Distaulo said of his last game on home turf. "Every game we've played here has been a big game." Other big contributors on the defensive side of the field are defensive tackle Everett Dickerson, defensive end Joe McLean, linebackers Matt Luther and Mike Marino, and safety Jeff Karacz, all seniors. Marino has 52 tackles this season as well as a sack and an interception. Dickerson has 33 tackles and six sacks. This defensive unit has held opponents to an average of 19 points per game, a respectable statistic in the offensively potent NESCAC conference. On a team that revolves around the tough play of the defense, the senior leadership this year has been invaluable. On the offensive side, Holmes, tight end Mike Baril, receiver Brett Cicchillo, and fullback Jon Rodgers have been the seniors contributing the most this season. Cicchillo has 55 yards receiving but has seen limited playing time due to a knee injury. Rodgers' season was also cut short after the third game after a serious ankle injury, but he still remains third on the team for rushing with 54 yards. The 17 seniors will play the final game of their career at Middlebury this Saturday, but there is a certain sentiment these Jumbos have to playing on Zimman field in front of a home crowd. "Homecoming games have always been the best," Holmes said. "Those games are great with all of the fans who come out." Karacz recalled another memorable game, which helped jumpstart the struggling football program four years ago. "There have been a lot of close games over the years, and all of the hard fought games are memorable. But, the last game of my freshman year against Middlebury was amazing," Karacz said. "We won in the last minute of the game on a field goal. I was injured at the time but it didn't matter. It was important for the program. It got us going for the next three years." Over the past four years, the team has had major ups and downs, culminating in a 16-15 record over that period, highlighted by a 7-1 mark in the 1998 campaign. Although this season will go down as a disappointment, the seniors have helped to build a solid football team for Tufts. Leaving the team behind will not be easy. "For a lot of guys, we've been playing for 10 or 15 years," Karacz said. "We'll never be able to do something like this again."

---

News

Students pleased with improved network performance in dorms

August 31

Student discontent over the slow speed of the Internet connections this semester has subsided in recent weeks, as Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS) has made several improvements to the network. Measures such as an increase in the overall bandwidth and a better distribution of existing bandwidth have been successful at giving computer users on campus faster access to the Internet. The biggest change came when Tufts ameliorated the capacity of the connection by reconfiguring the Internet-2 line. The computers on the Tufts network all have access to the Internet through one large pipeline. Only so much data can flow thought that pipe at a particular time, so the network slows down if a great many users try to send and receive data at the same time. The reconfiguration added a second pipeline, and increased the overall speed for network users by nearly one-half. The Internet-2 connection is top-notch technology and is used by only 200 institutions, most of which are considered Research I, meaning top-level research-driven institutions like Tufts. There have also been ongoing improvements to the ResNet, the sector of the computer network that serves the dorms. The network is divided so that a certain amount of bandwidth is allocated to the dorms and a certain amount to faculty, staff, and administrative offices. When it was reconfigured over the summer, ResNet was allotted ten of 15 megabits, or two-thirds of the bandwidth. After students complained about the slow speed of the network at the beginning of the semester, TCCS made improvements so that dorms receive nearly 90 percent of the available bandwidth during non-business hours. Students have reported notable changes in the speed of their Internet connections since these changes took place. Many find web pages loading much faster and the transfer times for mp3s and other data files much shorter. "I have noticed that [web] sites load up much faster than before, which allows me to get my research done faster," freshman Amy Spindel said. "I can get files faster - be it music, movies, or porn," freshman Zach Chrisco said. Many previous student complaints were about the long transfer times they experienced while using the file-sharing program Napster, but it is actually use of this software that has caused the network slowdown. Napster still runs when students sleep or are away from their computer, serving mp3 files to any of its 20 million users. "Students don't realize that they are sharing their files to the rest of the world as well," Director of Networks and Telecommunications Lesley Tolman said. Napster was banned at Tufts last fall after it began to cause slow-downs in the network, but newer versions of Napster and add-on programs widely available on the Internet have made it easy for students to find ways around the school's barrier, and Tolman felt that Tufts should not be in the business of blocking information. With Napster back online again this fall, there have been times where network resources have been heavily strained once again. Tufts Online, the division of TCCS that deals specifically with the network, distributed flyers to dorms informing users about Napster's sharing ability and how to disable it. Tolman did see slight improvement after the network awareness campaign, but her office is still looking to speed up the network. "We want to do more monitoring of bandwidth hogs," Tolman said, in reference to users who download and upload large amounts. Server logs and new software will allow TCCS to pinpoint individual users who are causing problems. Network performance has also improved because of the shutdown of the Napster-clone Scout Exchange, according to freshman senator Nick Abraham, who has been working with Tolman to alleviate this area of student discontent. Besides the bandwidth issues, TCCS has experienced other problems this fall, including a recent security breach. For a short period of time, student identification numbers from the class of 1998, which double as social security numbers, were available on the network. Abraham himself first discovered the private information while casually browsing the network in the Eaton Lab. "I saw an HTML file that contained names and social security numbers of expiring emerald [e-mail] accounts," Abraham said. Tolman said the data was 18 months old, and insisted that it had been up for no more than 30 hours before it was discovered. She believes that the information was not misused or widely accessible on the network. "It was a big mistake," she said.

---

News

Peace with security

August 31

Ask any number of Israelis if they want peace. Old and young, on all sides of the political spectrum, they will almost always respond with a resounding "yes." I know this is true because I have tried it. I have asked people here in Israel, and everybody wants peace. But people are not willing to merely sign a peace agreement that gives away both land and an assurance of security. In Tuesday's Daily, this is exactly what Dina Karam ("Who is to blame for this Israeli/Palestinian conflict?" 11/28) wants Israel to do. "...It could have followed through with its promises to return Palestinian land, to satisfy the majority of Palestinians, to get closer to the security it has desired for so long, and to open more doors to peace with the Arabs, but lose a few Israeli lives in the process due to random Palestinian insurgents," she wrote. This suggestion would be repugnant to the entire Israeli community. Human life is sacred for the Israeli people, and it is the responsibility of the government to protect that life, the life of its citizens. It is not the Israeli Government's job to sacrifice lives simply to satisfy the surrounding countries or the world as a whole. However, even this is simplifying things tremendously. Things are not as simple as Karam would like us to believe. Karam seems to believe that, had Israel simply given the lands within the territories to the Palestinians, very little, if anything, wrong would have happened. This couldn't be farther from the truth. We can see this by looking at the round of negotiations that came immediately before this most recent saddening outbreak of violence. In the Camp David accords in July, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered more than had ever been offered before. However, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, balked at this offer, and the conference ended without a resolution on any side. Karam has stated that the Palestinians balked at this offer because they felt that the Israelis were going to back out or revise the proposal later. However, by saying this, Karam is ignoring two very important issues. The first is that Arafat specifically stated that what Israel was offering was nowhere near enough. Since the outbreak of this violence he has even gone as far as to say that unless Israel retreats to its pre-1967 borders, the violence will continue. The other issue that is being ignored is that the Israelis are not alone in their failure to implement aspects of treaties. A key aspect of each treaty has been an agreement by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to rein in terrorism, and work with the Israelis to stop terrorism and assure security for Israel. However, since the negotiations began, the Israeli government could not give back the land to the Palestinians, because there were still sporadic attacks on the Jewish people in the seven years since the Oslo accords were signed. Karam seems to dispense of this fact as if it were irrelevant, but that couldn't be further from the truth. These "sporadic" attacks on Israel are the exact manner in which the Palestinians have not fulfilled their part of the bargaining. In addition, the PA's recent release of many known terrorist leaders is a further example that a true peace based on the agreements of the past is not what they really want. Karam tries to argue that the current round of conflicts is entirely the fault of the Israeli government. She claims that because Israel hasn't given up its land, the Palestinians are entitled to use violence to obtain it. However, perhaps what Karam doesn't realize is that the longer the Palestinians act violently in regards to the situation, and the longer stones are thrown and shots are fired on both sides, the more likely it is that Israel is not going to give up its land. Even Karam's statement that the majority of the world is blaming Israel for this conflict is incorrect. At the beginning of this latest round of violence, she would have been correct. However, as the conflict continues, with no end in sight, the world has been changing its opinion in general. No longer is everyone blaming the Israeli government, nor are the majority of people even blaming Likud leader Ariel Sharon for the conflict. Sharon was certainly the catalyst for the current situation, but in no way is it his fault nor the fault of the Israeli government. Karam also states, "Palestinians will continue ravaging the streets, throwing stones, setting off bombs, and shooting even though scores of them are being savagely and brutally maimed and killed by the Israeli military." However, even this claim is not truly the case. The Israeli military is not savagely and brutally maiming and killing people. In fact, compared to how any other country in the world would react to terrorism - citizens being shot at on the roads, riots on a daily basis - Israel is showing a great deal of restraint. However, this is not the point. The point is that, as long as the Palestinians are "ravaging the streets, throwing stones, setting off bombs, and shooting," the Israeli government and Israeli Army are responsible for protecting their citizens to whatever degree they deem necessary. As long as there is violence in the streets, there can be no semblance of peace. The Israeli government has not, "[rotted] away... hope for security and peace for the Israeli people." Instead, the Israeli government realizes that it can't allow people to attack its citizens just because they aren't happy with the agreements. The Israeli government realizes that it can't allow people to threaten its inner security. As Karam stated at the beginning of her viewpoint, "Without security, Israel is not the paradise that the Jewish people expected for themselves or that they deserve." She is absolutely right on this count. And because security is the utmost desire, the Israeli government cannot give up its land when there is even a remote threat to that security remaining. As long as there is violence, there can be no peace. And there can be no peace without security.Howard Wolke is a junior majoring in both comparative religions and history. He is currently studying abroad in Israel at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

---

News

DiBiaggio announces plans to leave Tufts

August 31

John DiBiaggio, president of Tufts for the last eight years, announced yesterday that he will resign his post by June 2002. At 68 years of age, Tufts' 11th president does not plan to retire and said he might depart sooner if University trustees identify a suitable replacement. DiBiaggio sounded hoarse but characteristically charming as he fielded the deluge of press inquiries that followed the unexpected statement. The outgoing executive made sure to note the major accomplishments of his tenure, which range from staggering increases in applicants and the endowment to the establishment of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS), a pet project that he calls his "legacy." DiBiaggio inherited a financially-strapped University, and by all accounts, he has transformed Tufts' finances and infrastructure. The "Tufts Tomorrow" campaign helped triple the University endowment and will have raised over $600 million by 2002. DiBiaggio presided over the most generous gift in University history - a $20 million donation from engineer and businessman Bernard Gordan - and a five-fold increase in endowed chairs since 1992. "When you achieve the objectives you set out to achieve and you begin to see that your goals are going to be met, you make a decision," DiBiaggio said. "I'd rather leave when I'm at the top of my game." In eight years, almost non-stop construction brought six new buildings to the Grafton campus, in addition to planting the seeds for the Gantcher Center, Dowling hall, and the planned psychology and music buildings to further crowd Tufts' hilly swath of Medford/Somerville real estate. "The fiscal strength is greater now than it was eight years ago when he came," said Provost Sol Gittleman, one of DiBiaggio's closest coworkers and friends. "We were in a period of such enormous expansion, and he brought focus and direction." If DiBiaggio remains until 2002, which he called his absolute final deadline, he will have spent a decade at Tufts since leaving behind the presidency of Michigan State. Although a ten-year tenure is above average in modern academia, it would be a full six years shorter than that of his predecessor, former President Jean Mayer. DiBiaggio has spent a third of his life as a college president. Asked if he would consider filling the vacancy at nearby Harvard or aother campus, DiBiaggio said he will not consider taking a collegiate presidency position. "Where are you going to find a place quite like this," he asked. "I couldn't imagine being at another university that would be as desirable as this one." Gittleman, who was here when Tufts hired DiBiaggio, said he was not surprised by the announcement. "When John came, he told me it would be a ten-year ride," he said. "I told the trustees at a meeting three to four years ago that we would soon have to conduct another presidential search." To the end, DiBiaggio remained enamored of Boston and the green, suburban campus that lured him from Michigan to Medford. A dentist by training, DiBiaggio held the top administrative position at the University of Connecticut and Michigan State University, both large, public institutions. For DiBiaggio, the transition to a mid-sized, private school was long awaited. "Tufts is a much better environment for learning. Because of the size of the place there can be much more personal contact," he said. DiBiaggio's resignation comes at a low point for Tufts in the rankings-conscious academic world. After a year at number 23 on the US News and World Report chart, Tufts steadily declined, finding itself ranked 29th for two straight years. To Gittleman, anyone who blames DiBiaggio for the rankings situation has a "very short memory" of Tufts' history. "We were never in the top 30 before 1993," he said. Lonnie Norris, dean of Tufts' School of Dentistry, thanked DiBiaggio for bringing Tufts much-deserved prestige. "We've always been a really good university, but I think the recognition from the rankings has brought even more recognition to the school's academic achievements," he said. "I am sad," said Norris, who has been at Tufts for 20 years. "I know that the board of trustees will do a good job in selecting a new president, but as we get used to working with someone who has been very good and very successful, it makes us all a little anxious about the direction we'll go in the future." DiBiaggio's work on public service ("students should graduate from Tufts with a commitment to the well being of others") landed Tufts in the National section of The New York Times and bolstered DiBiaggio's already prominent reputation. The founding of the UCCPS last year marked the culmination of years of lobbying and coordination that began at DiBiaggio's first meeting with Tufts' trustees. At the time, DiBiaggio proposed the creation of a college dedicated to injecting career-minded students with a social conscience. The idea yielded a class taught by DiBiaggio, a fully-staffed college, and a $10 million donation from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. "The unique character here is that his new college will allow [citizenship] to become embedded into education, rather than being viewed as volunteerism," said Mel Bernstein, vice president of arts, sciences, and technology. And, as students and faculty acclimate themselves to news of his resignation, DiBiaggio said he and his trademark dogs have a lot of work ahead. "I still have time to accomplish some things I set out to accomplish. The institution is in very good health and it can only continue to enhance its standing," he said. "This has been a wonderful, wonderful experience for me. I love this place, and the dogs have enjoyed it too."Will Kinlaw contributed to this article.

---

News

Tufts changes alcohol policy

August 31

After years of student grumbling about the University's strict fines for alcohol violations, the Dean of Students Office has revised its regulations on drug and alcohol use. The new policy is designed to present a unified response to illegal drinking at Tufts, while encouraging students to seek medical help for friends in alcohol-related emergencies. Dean of Students Bruce Reitman called the new rules, which closely resemble those of other Boston-area schools, a "middle of the road policy." "We're not asking for a dry campus - some schools did that, and I think it's foolish," said Reitman. He went on to say that the new policy meets the administration's goals of "balancing something that meets the requirements of the law, meets the requirements of our own Tufts families - which are not just students - and is not so strenuous that it prevents people from calling medical help for their friends who need it." The new standards are much more lenient on the vast majority of students, who never get beyond a first citation. The policy employs three levels of probation to deal with alcohol and drug infractions. A first offense will result in level one disciplinary probation for one year, a drug/alcohol consultation, and residence hall probation for one year. If a second violation occurs, the student will be placed on level two disciplinary probation for one year, and will attend another consultation. The student's parents will be notified, and they will be placed on deferred residential separation for a year, meaning that any further residential life policy violation will result in the loss of campus housing. If a student commits a third offense, which has never happened according to Reitman, he or she will be placed on mandatory medical leave from the University for one year. The new policy eliminates the controversial $50 fine that is thought to have made students less likely to call for help when their classmates were in trouble. While the old policy allowed alcohol violations in residential halls to be treated differently than infractions elsewhere on campus, all disciplinary action regarding illegal drinking will now be dealt with by Assistant Dean of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter.The changes come amidst a growing student sentiment that Tufts imposes too many fines and fees on its students, many of whom are already on financial aid or receiving student loans. Many complained that the old policy, which allowed students in certain circumstances to choose between a monetary fine and community service, was harder on students with less money. "I was written up for drinking my freshman year," said junior Bill Lane. "We were given a choice between a $50 fine or ten hours of community service, and I chose the fine." Under the new policy, students no longer have the option to "buy their way" out of alcohol and drug violations, putting all students on equal footing, regardless of an individual's financial situation. Reitman said that there was much disagreement among students at last spring's Opening Up the Classroom forum on whether parents should be informed about students' alcohol violations. Massachusetts law requires all public universities in the state to call a student's parents on the first alcohol offense, but Tufts, as a private university, made the choice not to involve parents until a second offense is committed, out of respect for student privacy. The Dean of Students Office urges students to contact Tufts Emergency Medical Service (TEMS) for people who are "intoxicated or drugged to the point of semi-consciousness," and warns them never to "leave an individual alone to 'sleep it off' or overestimate your own ability to assure his or her safety or to recognize the danger signs." Students can reach TEMS 24 hours a day by calling 7-6911.

---

News

Envisioning a different kind of world

August 31

So, what did you do this past summer? Some of you may have traveled to tropical islands on enormous cruise ships, or perhaps visited the European countryside. You might have worked all summer, or maybe you just hung out and enjoyed the time off from school. Junior Natalie McCabe, on the other hand, spent her break traveling to some rather unusual destinations - dozens of India's high schools and colleges. McCabe is a member of Tufts' chapter of VISIONS Worldwide (Volunteering International Students in Organizing Never-Ending Service), which focuses on promoting AIDS/HIV awareness in developing countries. Last June, McCabe, along with 18 of her peers, left for India to present a series of programs on sex and HIV prevention to the country's youth. Due to the location of the programs, McCabe may have stuck out a little. "I was one of three white students on the trip," McCabe remembered. "Everyone else was South Asian." South Asia is the primary focus of VISONS's efforts. McCabe pointed out that while Africa has the highest number of AIDS cases, India has recently had the highest number of HIV cases, meaning that the number of people with AIDS in India will soon surpass that of Africa. McCabe's two-month experience in India began with a short training period in Washington, D.C. From there, the student volunteers were divided into three groups that left for different cities in India. McCabe's group traveled to Bombay, where they stayed in a rented apartment. Armed with brochures, posters, and condoms, the students visited a number of high schools in the region. While most principals and school administrators were grateful for the students' efforts, some were not so thrilled. "Sex is a taboo subject in India," McCabe explained. "Some would listen to what we planned to talk about, and they would say things like, 'No condom demonstration.'" For the most part, the principals were very receptive to the program. According to McCabe, Bombay had just recently passed legislation mandating sex education into school curriculum. Unfortunately, the typical purveyors of this new information were adults, such as doctors. McCabe spoke with many principals who felt that VISIONS' peer education approach would prove to be more effective with India's students. The presentations that McCabe and the other volunteers gave were very direct, no-holds-barred discussions structured in a debate style. McCabe felt that the students were very intelligent, and didn't hesitate to ask lots of questions. "Sometimes we didn't even have time to get to all the questions," McCabe said. This doesn't mean that the students weren't surprised to see a group of girls speaking so candidly about sex."The 14-year-olds would sit with their mouths hanging down to the floor," McCabe said, though she sees a strong similarity between these kids halfway around the world and the kids here in the states - they're all educated, they all speak English, and they all think: "'It can't happen to me.'" McCabe recalled one incident from her trip in particular detail. "I remember standing in a school hallway trying to explain to a group of younger girls what oral sex was," McCabe said. The girls were astonished that a female would come in and talk so candidly about such a subject. The VISIONS volunteers talked to older students, up to 22-years-old, during the two-month stint as well."What fascinated me was that the students looked to us as authorities. We tried to emphasize that we were just college or medical students as many of them were, and that we just wanted to spread awareness about a problem that was just as real for us in the United States," McCabe said in a recent Boston Globe article. In order to make her trip to India possible, McCabe needed to raise funds upwards of $2000. At the time, she didn't think raising that amount of money on her own was even possible. She began by asking her family, friends, and past teachers. Her advisor at Tufts, though, recommended going to the school's administrators, and it paid off - McCabe received $2000 between Provost Sol Gittleman and Dean of the Colleges for Undergraduate Education Charles Inouye. She also received an additional $500 from the Somekh Social Justice Fund, established by Scott Roehm (LA '99), Alex Shalom (LA '99), and Talli Somekh (EN '99), after seeing a flyer for the fund around campus. "I had absolutely no idea that so much money was available at Tufts. I don't think enough students know about it," McCabe said. In total, she took in about $4000 for the trip, about double what she needed to raise. The extra money was used for just that - extras. McCabe's group bought more condoms to distribute to students, printed more brochures, and created more posters for the program. Besides her trip to India, McCabe is also active in Tufts' VISIONS chapter. Those free condoms in the dining halls - that's thanks to VISIONS' efforts. The chapter also periodically cooks dinner for Boston area residents infected with HIV, and is currently working on a holiday a capella concert for children with the virus. McCabe estimates that the VISIONS membership at Tufts is about 150 to 200 students - not bad for a program that has less than ten chapters in the United States. The University will host a retreat for the group of national chapters this November.

---