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Pacific powers not so tough?

Two weeks into the regular season, neither the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers or the highly touted Portland Trail Blazers have lived up to their lofty expectations. In the season-opening rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals thrill ride, both the Lakers and Blazers came out flat, and for the next week the downward spiral continued. The Lakers went on to lose to the Jazz, traded buckets with the Grizzlies and Clippers, and then dropped two in Texas to the Spurs and Rockets. Meanwhile, the Blazers dropped three of their first four games. If you recall, the Blazers were 16 games into the regular season last year before getting three in the loss column. Indeed, this has been an unsettling beginning for both clubs, prompting fans to question whether they should write both powerhouses off. The Lakers have talent, and most of the time last year were flat out dominant. So why are they losing to mediocre teams? One criticism of Los Angeles from last year that carries over to this season is its short attention span. The Lakers can play incredible basketball and take over at any juncture of the game, but occasionally tune out, execute poorly, and allow other teams to control the tempo. They are susceptible to giving teams double-digit leads because they know they have the talent to play their way back into the game. It worked throughout last year's championship run, but many other teams in the Pacific are catching on, and will take advantage. Another reason the Lakers have played poorly could be a case of conflicting attitudes. Which came first, the losing or the turmoil? There are numerous reports that guard Kobe Bryant, who matured significantly last season, has gone back to his old ways of not sharing the ball and making other bad decisions. Superstar center Shaquille O'Neal has even mentioned this publicly. Bryant broke out with a season-high 37 points in a victory against the Rockets Sunday night, so this could be much ado about nothing, but it's certainly something to watch for. Finally, there have been questions about the make-up of this year's Laker team. In the off-season, Los Angeles traded away sharpshooter Glenn Rice, who last year fell short of expectations. Even so, Rice was a formidable outside threat, which is a big plus in coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense. So far the Lakers have not been knocking down shots from outside, and until that happens, double-teaming the stars of the squad, O'Neal and Bryant, will be much easier. But the squad has made two key additions. The most intriguing newcomer is Isaiah Rider. Rider wants to play, wants to win, and has more skills than anyone on last year's bench. The problem is that he also has more of an attitude. Phil Jackson handled Dennis Rodman for a while, so he shouldn't have much trouble with Rider. But the question remains: Will the slashing Rider make up for the absence of Glen Rice's dangerous three-ball? The second addition is power forward Horace Grant. Last year, the Lakers were abused at the four with the aging A.C. Green, prompting he front office into action. Though Grant's legs are not much younger than Green's, the move has so far marked improvement at both ends of the floor. Nonetheless, it remains a spot where other teams, like the Blazers, will take advantage. So the Lakers have some problems, and the rest of the league can rejoice. But not so fast. Odds are it won't take much to get the Lakers back to their winning ways, and when that happens, it will be back to the drawing board for most of the league. The rival Trail Blazers' poor opening deserves equal attention. While the Blazers are slowly but surely climbing out of the hole with four straight wins, they still haven't beaten a winning team in their first eight contests. Going into the season, this looked like the only team that could go toe to toe with the champs. Certainly Portland still has the talent, so what has been going wrong? The Blazers' hardships start with their injured list. On it, you'll find a 7'3", 292 pound center, who was a big part of the team's success last season. That center is Arvydas Sabonis, who is far more valuable to his team than last year's 11.8 point and 7.8 rebound averages would indicate. Out for at least another couple of weeks because of surgery on his left knee, Sabonis' absence could explain part of the team's woes. On offense, Sabonis allowed the Blazers to spread the floor, because of his long-range touch. Last year, he shot 50.5 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range, the highest of any center in the league. In addition, Sabonis created opportunities for other players with his imaginative passes. On defense, Sabonis takes up an incredible amount of space in the lane, which not only prevented easy baskets down low, but also allowed ball-hawking defenders like Scottie Pippen and Rasheed Wallace to excel, making steals and blocks from the help-side while opponents tried to deal with the enormous obstacle. That role is even more crucial when playing the Lakers. O'Neal had trouble when Sabonis held his position and made the big guy shoot over him. In the Western Conference Finals, it wasn't until Sabonis left midway through the fourth quarter of Game Seven that the floodgates finally opened, sealing Portland's fate. The Blazers made some big transactions over the summer, trading away heart and soul Brian Grant and young gun Jermaine O'Neal, and acquiring big men Shawn Kemp from Cleveland and Dale Davis from Indiana. Whatever numbers Grant and O'Neal put up for their new ball clubs, keep in mind that they weren't big contributors to last year's squad. The additions of Kemp and Davis offer the Blazers a whole lot of potential and versatility up front. The problem, so far, has been chemistry. Both Kemp and Davis been inconsistent, and often have looked out of sync with the offense. The team is likely hoping that, by midseason, it will have gelled and will once again wipe the floor with most of its opponents. Last, but not least, the Blazers haven't played with energy. This team runs 12 deep, but if nobody comes to play, that doesn't do any good. In their recent victories, the team has stepped it up a notch, but this is still something to watch for. The rest of the league is not going to concede this season. But make no mistake, the Lakers and the Blazers, despite their troubles, are the best two teams in the NBA, even if it might take them a while to prove it.

Another hit and run in WWF?

Maybe it was because we were a little under the weather. Maybe it was due to the actual dreary weather. Maybe we weren't tuned in to the right channel. Shoving these possibilities aside, we really have to wonder if the World Wrestling Federation's creative team decided to take the week off. In any event, we sit here amazed. Last week at this time, we sat here writing about how it was quite an exciting time to watch wrestling. One would think that since the WWF has been performing poorly in the Nielsen ratings as of late - at least compared to its own standards - that the tense story-lines would continue to escalate to the point where channel-changing viewers would be compelled to drop their remotes. Up until this week, this had been the case. This week, we honestly can't tell you what was going on. Perhaps we take some things for granted as wrestling fanatics, but last Monday Night's Raw could have been one of the worst episodes ever broadcast. This was evident in the lack of crowd response the entire night. Sure, there is such a thing as having an off week, but this critical time of the month - right before this Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view extravaganza - is no time to slack off. At any rate, let us proceed with the analysis of the show. The debacle began with Kurt Angle cutting a weak promo from the ring, minus his usual catch phrases, only to then announce he was going to defend his world title against Crash Holly. We most definitely agree that it was a great idea to pit a lesser-known superstar against the champion in order to elevate his status in the Federation. At this point, RAW was going along just fine. However, too many moves like this, one after another, caused the show to sink into the quicksand of bad sports entertainment. Let us delve further. The outcome of the Kurt Angle title defense was the always-predictable interference and disqualification finish. After some post-match whining to Commissioner Mick Foley, Kurt Angle was thrown into yet another match on the show. We were sooooo on the edge of our seats, gnawing at our fingers in anticipation, when it was announced that Angle, Edge, and Christian would take on Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, and the Undertaker. All sarcasm aside, this is when we realized that RAW was headed into its downward spiral. But wait, isn't this Hardcore Holly's return match after being shelved for several months with an injury? Yes indeed, but he sucked before he was injured, and still sucks now. Some wrestlers just aren't entertaining, and he's one of them. The show rolled on slowly: we were treated to a segment of Edge and Christian singing along with improvised lyrics to Crash Holly's entrance theme. This was actually one of the brightest spots of the evening, as Edge and Christian's dry sense of humor finally managed to be entertaining. They have won our hearts. Keeping with the musical theme, a Road Dogg vs. William Regal match came to an abrupt end when an unidentified character (referred to by the announcers as K-Quick) ran down to the ring with a pair of microphones and convinced Road Dogg to start rapping with him. Mick Foley was then shown grinding with Lt. Commissioner Debra in the back of the building. The show then cut to a commercial. It's at this point that we would argue that the show's focus really fell through. There were attempts to be humorous, but there was little story-line development. Lita and the Hardy Boyz were involved in a six-man encounter against the Hardy Boyz. The match was exciting in terms of the actual wrestling, a rarity in sports entertainment these days. The only truly noteworthy thing about this match, however, was that Lita's pants managed to sink down a little lower than usual and reveal more of her ass. We were quite delighted to say the least. So we went on to see the Kurt Angle six-man tag match, and other meaningless matches, all the while waiting for the program to end. The main event featured an eight-man tag match, pitting The Radicalz against the Rock, Steve Austin, Chyna, and The One Billy Gunn (on a side note: what is Billy Gunn's deal? In the past year, he has gone from Billy Gunn to Bad Ass Billy Gunn to Mr. Ass and, more recently, from Billy G to The One. This name changing from week to week has to stop). The main event was, simply put, boring - one of the worst in recent memory. In the end, the Rock was battling toe-to-toe with Chris Benoit in the backstage area, when out of nowhere came Rikishi and Triple-H in a speeding automobile (they were supposedly out injured and not present tonight). They managed to take out the Rock when Triple-H drove the car past and Rikishi whacked him with a sledgehammer. The hit-and-run thing has become quite stale in our opinion. Furthermore, why is Kurt Angle fighting the Undertaker on Sunday at Survivor Series? This match came out of nowhere, and had no storyline built around it. While he and Triple-H had bad blood, Triple-H was thrown into the Austin angle to give him his heel status back. The Rock is also scheduled to fight Rikishi. All this time, Rikishi claimed to have hit Stone Cold for the Rock as a way of combating racial discrimination. Now that it's been revealed that he was in cahoots with Triple-H, where does this whole race thing figure in, and why is the Rock still fighting Rikishi? None of this makes any sense. Where did Stephanie McMahon go? What is Vince doing now? It's a disappointing week for sure. The only advice we may offer is that the WWF should deliver answers at some point. All we can do for now is keep the faith.

Jumbos bounce back against Middlebury after tough Williams loss

After losing to a tough Williams team last weekend, the women's tennis team rebounded this past Sunday with a big 7-2 win against Middlebury, increasing its record to 4-1. "This win feels great," coach Jim Watson said. "Rebounding from the loss to Williams I thought we played very well." Watson's elation can be explained by the sweep of all six singles matches that the Jumbos accomplished on Sunday, as opposed to just two singles wins last week against Williams. "This match was a real good confidence builder for our team after the loss to Williams," freshman Barclay Gang said. In the first singles match, sophomore Katie Nordstrom defeated Hilary Johnson 6-1, 6-1. Junior Erika Lee was presented with a bit of a challenge, losing the first set, 6-1, of her second singles match. But Lee was able to regroup, and win a close second set, 7-5, before taking the third set 6-3. In third singles, Gang continued her winning ways, dominating Nina Popel of Middlebury by not giving away a singlegame in her two-set victory. Gang only gave up three service points in the entire match. In fourth singles, sophomore Iffy Saeed also controlled her opponent with an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory. Sophomore Emily Warshauer won her match in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. In sixth singles, junior Heather Rich had a momentary lapse in the first set, losing 7-5, but she came back into form and was able to complete the sweep by winning the last two sets 6-0, 6-1. The Jumbos strength in singles has been quite apparent through the first five matches of the fall season; Williams aside, Tufts has not lost a single of its 24 singles matches. "The singles just speak for themselves," Watson said. Lee, Saeed, and Rich have all remained unbeaten so far this fall, but Watson emphasizes the overall team effort as essential to success. "The only matches that the other players lost came from the Williams match and Williams is one of the best teams we will face," Watson said. "The singles are doing really well. What we need to workon is our doubles play." The play of the Jumbos doubles teams is the only weakness the team has displayed so far this season. In the Middlebury match, the Jumbos dropped the first and third doubles matches, putting them in an early 2-1 hole. The first doubles team, comprised of Nordstrom and Lee, lost 8-1, while the third doubles team of sophomore Rachel Hammerman and junior Daniella Fontecilla was defeated by the same score. "We seem to get into that position a lot," Rich said. "We weren't worried, though because we know that we have a good team and we have confidence in our singles. We've won before afterbeing down two to one so we are used to it." Watson remains troubled, however, about the problems that the team is having in doubles. "I just don't understand it," Watson said. "Our first doubles team goes out against Williams, one of our toughest opponents, and wins. Then they come out against Middlebury and aren't even in the ballpark, losing 8-1." The only doubles team that seems to be doing well so far this fall is that of Gang and Warshauer, who took their match on Sunday, convincingly, 8-2. "It seems like we go into every match down 2-1," Watson said. "When we should be going into the match up 3-0 or 2-1." The less than perfect play of the doubles teams is not something that coach Watson is just discovering, having worked on it with his team all season long. "Doubles is all I worked on with the team this week," the coach said. "I'm just trying to keep it to the basics. Our problem is that we just aren't executing the basics. It is frustrating because we work more on doubles than on singles yet we are better at singles." "I think we need to be more aggressive in doubles," Rich said. "We need to win more points at thenet." You can be sure that Tufts will be working hard on doubles again this week, with tough matches against MIT and Bowdoin coming up. "MIT seems to be beating everybody," Watson said. "They beat Colby 7-2, which is the same score that we beat Colby. MIT is definitely going to be good, so we can't take them lightly." Watson described the Bowdoin match as "scary" because the Jumbos will be without one oftheir key players, Gang. The freshman, who has excelled in both singles and doubles for Tufts, will be traveling back home to Miami, Florida to meet with her wrist specialist. Gang has torn ligaments in her wrist from an injury sustained while playing tennis in high school. Watson hopes that the depth of his team will be able to make up for the absence of Gang, but he is still worried. "Right now Barclay is irreplaceable," Watson said. The match against UConn that is scheduled for today has been rescheduled for some time in mid-October. MIT will be visiting the Voute Courts on Thursday and Tufts will travel to Bowdoin on Saturday.

Everybody Hurts - Or I Do, Anyway

This mix is the perfect cure for a bad day (or week). It isn't too broad or too specific, but just sad in general. It's a collection that grapples with fear, self-pity, broken hearts, and shattered dreams. There are also some great sounds for when you feel depressed and just don't want to get out of it. Skip the cliché "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M., andlisten tothis mix when you're too sad to be happy. Go on... wallow for a while. It may not be productive, but it'll make you feel a whole lotbetter.Side A "Another Lonely Day" (Ben Harper) "Mercy Street" (Peter Gabriel) "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth (With Money in My Hand)" (Primitive Radio Gods) "This Time of Year" (Better Than Ezra) "Glycerine" (Bush) "Take It Out On Me" (Cowboy Mouth) "Circle" (Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians) "Here I Am" (Air Supply) "Closing Time" (Semisonic) "We Danced Anyway" (Deana Carter) "What's Going On?" (Four Non Blondes)Side B "Tears in Heaven" (Eric Clapton) "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper) "I Will Remember You" (Sarah McLachlan) "Iris" (Goo Goo Dolls) "Waste" (Phish) "What a Good Boy" (Barenaked Ladies) "Better Man" (Pearl Jam) "Round Here" (Counting Crows) "All I Want is You" (U2) "Across the Universe" (The Beatles)

Bush is best

Today, everything we've read in the news and watched on CNN for over a year finally matters. We've listened to promises and speeches, and we've watched George Bush and Al Gore debate over positions for months. Now, after all the personal attacks and endless statements, it's Election Day. Many of you may think the two candidates look very similar. Even the press can't seem to decide which one they like better. But, today, Election Day, we urge you to let the numbers speak for themselves. George W. Bush's plan will work to help you. The truth is that Al Gore had eight years in Washington to use his influence as Vice President to further his proposals and improve America, but he did nothing. We now sit on the greatest opportunity to take all of the prosperity in our nation and use it to achieve good, to improve the lives of everyone, and to ensure our future. It's time for someone who won't be afraid to act and take chances to improve our nation while we have the opportunity. Governor Bush won't be a status quo president. He's making dramatic changes to reform government and improve our way of life. College students will benefit greatly under Bush's education plan. If elected, Governor Bush will fully fund the Pell grant program for first-year students by increasing the maximum grant amount by more than 50 percent, to $5,100. Bush also proposes offering enhanced Pell grants (an additional $1,000) to low-income students who take advanced courses in high school. Bush will expand the "Educational Savings Account" for each family, allowing parents tax cuts for money spent on their children's education. In addition, $1.5 billion will be reserved for states to give college grants though their own programs. George W. Bush's tax plan shows his concern for all Americans and for the future. Bush plans to double the child tax credit, to cut the tax bracket for all income classes, and to reduce the marriage penalty tax. As a result of Bush's plan, six million families will be removed from income tax rolls entirely. Also, the tax rate of most middle-income families will fall by over 40 percent. Single parents will receive significant tax cuts as well, up to a 100 percent cut. George W. Bush is also concerned about the environment. Despite what many Democratic supporters may think, Bush is committed to reducing pollution and protecting our natural resources. Bush supports the EPA and wants to increase the number of Brownfield cleanups. As president, Bush would fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund to its authorized level of $900 million, reserving 50% of the money for state and local use. Bush promises to establish grant programs for private initiatives of conservation. In addition, Gov. Bush wants to continue researching ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as create standards that would require cleaner cars. You may think that George Bush is no different than any other politician: all talk and promises that he can't or won't back up. However, this is where George Bush shines over Al Gore. Bush has a better record of reform as governor of Texas than Al Gore has as vice president. Texas has been named number one in reducing the release of toxic pollution, and has lowered industrial air emissions by 11 percent since Governor Bush took office. Bush is responsible for two tax cuts in Texas, totaling over $3 billion, which now remains in the hands of citizens. Texas continues to be one of only a few states in the nation with no income tax. Education in Texas has been Bush's most impressive achievement. Since he became governor, Texas has taken the number one ranking in teacher quality. Student scores on statewide tests have increased by 51 percent and minority students in Texas continue to outscore minority students in other states. State funding has increased by 37 percent per student, which has led to small class sizes, better learning resources, and Texas' highest literacy rate. George W. Bush has a clear plan for America. He wants to take our nation in a positive direction, with the American people as the highest priority. Because of his unique background, Bush is the Washington outsider who knows how Washington works. Only someone like George Bush can evaluate the flaws in the system and know how to fix them. Bush's plans speak for themselves. If you want a president who will fight to change the system for you, vote for George W. Bush today.Meghan Sweeney is a sophomore who is majoring in chemical engineering.

Mr. Husker goes to Washington

University of Nebraska 82, Roland E. Reynolds 16.

MacGregor's goal gives Tufts 1-0 win

The men's soccer team moved into sole possession of fourth place in the NESCAC with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Trinity on Saturday afternoon in Hartford. The lone goal of the game was scored by sophomore forward Matt McGregor midway through the first half. The win boosts the Jumbos' NESCAC record to 3-2-2 and improves their overall record to 5-3-2. Tufts has only two NESCAC games remaining before the start of the playoffs, one at home this Saturday against the first place Williams Ephmen and a second on the road against Connecticut College. MacGregor's tally came in the 23rd minute. Senior tri-captain Dave Drucker looped a free kick over the defense and the goalie right at MacGregor, who bounced the ball into the net off of his chest. It was MacGregor's fourth goal of the season, and increased his team leading point total to 13. "He is a leader," coach Ralph Ferrigno said of MacGregor. "But a lot of players have combined to fill that scoring void." One of those players is Drucker, who assisted on the goal. Drucker is tied with MacGregor for the team lead with five assists, to go with three goals of his own. Despite the offensive contribution of MacGregor and Drucker, it was the Jumbo defense that starred in this game. "They really only had one good chance," coach Ralph Ferrigno said of Trinity. "They had a few shots, but all of them came from outside of the box." That one good chance came early in the game, when the Bantams set up for a penalty kick. The ball was stopped by goalie Steve McDermid, but the rebound bounced right back at the same Trinity player, who was again denied by McDermid. The win marked the third shutout of the year for McDermid - who made nine saves - and the Jumbo defense, which has combined to give up only two goals in the last three games. "The defense played well," MacGregor said. "They've played well back there all year. This game was a testament to that." Next for the Jumbos is a non-conference game against the Lasers of Lasell College. Lasell is a second-year program that plays in the North Atlantic Soccer Conference with the Newbury College Knights, the team that the Tufts demolished 10-0 in the season opener. Lasell also defeated the winless Knights 10-0 and sports an overall record of 7-3-0 and a conference record of 4-0 heading into yesterday's game against Daniel Webster College. Yet in the team's three losses, it has been outscored 14-0. Lasell lost to MIT 1-0 in overtime in Cambridge last Tuesday, and defeated Suffolk University at home 2-1 on Saturday. Looming just beyond the Lasers is a date with the formidable Williams Ephmen this Saturday, Homecoming day. Williams has not lost a game this season, and has won all but two games by three or more goals. In addition to having the top four scorers in the NESCAC, the Ephs have senior goalie Ryan Spicer, whose 0.77 GAA places him third among NESCAC keepers. The game carries much importance for the Jumbos, since any chance the team has of overtaking third place from Middlebury or second place from Bowdoin almost certainly requires a win over Williams. Tufts is also in a fight for fourth place, holding a slim lead over Amherst. If the season were to end today, Tufts would face Amherst at home in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, with Bowdoin facing Wesleyan, and Middlebury playing Bates. Williams would get a bye past the first round of the playoffs and would play the lowest seed left standing after the first round. Amherst beat the Jumbos 2-0 in Medford earlier this season in an admittedly poor performance for the home team. "We've really only played one bad game all year," Ferrigno said. "That was Amherst." Amherst's two remaining NESCAC games come against Wesleyan and Trinity, who are a combined 3-8-1, so the Jumbos will most likely need two wins against Williams and Connecticut College to clinch fourth place and home-field advantage against the Lord Jeffs. With the jostling for playoff positioning heating up, it will be a task to remain focused for the Lasell game. "It will be a little hard, but we've got to get the job done," MacGregor said. "We are on a bit of a roll right now, so we need to win to keep the confidence going." Ferrigno echoed his player's sentiments. "They can't afford to take it lightly," he said. "For a lot of them, if they take Wednesday too lightly, they won't be playing on Saturday."

Mytown fails to meet boy band standard

Are you tired of spending hours in the "Pop" section of Tower Records, debating with your inner cheese-ball over which new boy band CD to buy? Please, save some of your precious time and skip right over Mytown's self-titled debut.

The tragedy (and comedy) of Bobby Knight

Pawn takes red Knight. Check mate. Bobby Knight, the head basketball coach at Indiana University for 28 years, was fired on Sunday, Sept. 10. Night has fallen on the coach, and it's a brand new day in Indiana. The man more powerful in Indiana than the Governor, more meaningful a symbol than the Hoosier the state was named after, has been rendered powerless. Knight, whose career at Indiana has been a torrid blend of success and controversy, was put on a zero-tolerance policy by school president Myles Brand on May 15 after a seven-week investigation of the coach's choking of Neil Reed during a 1997 practice. Knight was on the tightest leash the school could find. He had to agree to a code of conduct, was suspended for three games, forced to apologize to those he had wronged in the past, and fined $30,000. As much money as the school has paid him in the last two decades, Knight should have been able to look under his couch pillows to pay off the fine, and the few apologies he has given in the past have beenanything but sincere. Coach Knight: Yeah, Neil, I'm sorry that your neck was in the way when I was wringing my own hands. And I'm also sorry that you heard me screaming profanities at you, they were meant to be quiet and behind your back. Knight need not worry about the three-game suspension either. As for the code of conduct - it appears that Mr. Knight ran out of toilet paper, because he seems to have forgotten about any code and certainly doesn't remember agreeing to adhere to its conduct. The coach's latest episode involves a freshman who yelled to the coach "Hey, what's up Knight." Bobby Knight, who apparently likes being called by his last name as much as the average person likes being called "dirt", allegedly grabbed the freshman by the arm, whirled him around, and cursed at him for his disrespect. Freshmen, welcome to Indiana. Here's your course book, your dorm key, and your introductory neck wringing. Around the corner, you can pick up your ID card and your complimentary cursing. Whether the coach actually grabbed the freshman is a drop in the water compared to the overall picture in Bloomington. There is both tragedy and comedy in the situation, but neither is particularly pleasant for the people of Indiana. The greatest tragedy is that both the situation and the people surrounding Knight set him up to fail. Knight, after coming over from the Army in 1972 (where his aggressive style was compatible with theMilitary Academy), was put on a pedestal. Basketball in Indiana is more important to most men than their wives, and they had found themselves a coach who could make the state proud. And for that, Knight could do no wrong. Imagine driving around a state where everyone knew who you were; the cops would let you off with a warning because you beat Ohio State last night. It's ignorant to say that this is all Knight's fault. The school and the state of Indiana gave Knight so much power and made the line so thin that when he unknowingly crossed it, many of his former friends and supporters turned on him. On the other hand, it would be equally as ignorant to say that this isn't Knight's fault. The coach saw a situation and took advantage of it. There has to be something in your head that tells you that it's notokay to choke your shooting guard, and that it's not okay to get physical with your power forward. But that thing that we all have doesn't work in Knight's head, and now he's paying for it with his job. If you give someone an inch, he'll take a mile. The state of Indiana gave Knight a mile, and he took the whole damn state. But now he has to give it back, and while there's no doubt that he should be fired (in fact, there's little doubt that he should have been fired on May 15th), it is true that college basketball is losing one of its greatest coaches ever. Knight is fifth all time in wins amongst college coaches, and posted a 661-240 record with the Hoosiers. He won three National Championships and coached the 1984 US Basketball team to the Gold Medal. He was twice the National Coach of the Year, once the Naismith Coach of the Year, and six times the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Other than controversy, Knight should be remembered for two things. First, Knight got more out of his players than any coach ever has. Knight didn't always recruit the most talented stars - he recruitedplayers he could mend and build his way, and he was successful doing it. Like Frank Sinatra, he did it his way, and it worked. He did recruit one very talented star and built him into a superstar. Knight should always be remembered for giving the NBA Isiah Thomas, one of the most exciting point guards to ever play the game. But Knight's accomplishments can't outweigh the fact that he abused some of his players and was an eyesore for the Hoosiers. Through his own fault and the fault of the school, Knight has worn out his welcome. So there will no longer be a large man stalking the sidelines in Bloomington in a bright red sweater with bright red cheeks throwing a bright red chair onto the court. The lights are now out for Knight.

Ice cream for a good cause

A brightly colored truck carrying little nibbles of chilly goodness rolled into the campus center yesterday and eager students swarmed, drawn by the prospect of free ice cream. Ben & Jerry's "Build a Future" tour didn't just come to Tufts to give out freebies, though. Their stop on campus also helped raise awareness for Habitat for Humanity. The nationwide tour focuses its attention on the student-run and student-led chapters of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit group that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the world. Volunteers have built over 100,000 houses in 60 countries since 1976. These houses are then sold to low-income families. Tufts' chapter is run in conjunction with the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS). Every Saturday, Tufts students take trips to work with the organization. Ben & Jerry's first contacted Habitat Boston, hoping to put on a joint promotion. According to Chris Boron, volunteer coordinator of Habitat Boston, the organization wanted to drum up support - the free ice cream was used as a way to draw in students. "As part of their socially conscious mission statement, Ben & Jerry's partnered with Habitat to recruit volunteers," said senior Jess Tonn, a Habitat coordinator for LCS. Students who visited the scoop truck yesterday had their choice of three Ben & Jerry's flavors. As soon as the event began at 1 p.m., the line was already long. Within 15 minutes, LCS had gathered several names of new volunteers as well. Part of the day's festivities included a "Pint-athalon," where students competed to finish a pint of ice cream the fastest. Only Ben & Jerry's smooth flavors were used in the contest, though, to make sure that no one choked during the competition. Raffle prizes were also given away during the day to lucky event-goers.

Queer women discuss fear and insecurity on campus

Omidyar speaks at Tufts, encourages active citizenship

How does one go from Pez dispensers to the cover of Forbes Magazine? Tufts alumnus and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar spoke about his remarkable business journey to a crowd of 150 students and faculty in Cabot on Friday as part of University President John DiBiaggio's Community Forum on Leadership for Active Citizenship. In his address, entitled "New Information Technologies and Civic Engagement," Omidyar praised Tufts for allowing students to pursue their own interests, and touted the Internet as the developing global community and marketplace of the 21st century.

Men come through with strong showing at Jumbo Invitational

The men's track team placed third this weekend in the Jumbo Invitational, held at Dussault Track and Field. Facing the likes of MIT, UMass-Lowell, and Bowdoin, Tufts came out with a more balanced scoring attack than it has in prior meets.

America's anti-immigrant policies hurt Tufts international students

I am writing in response to a recent Daily article, ("Costs may rise for international students," 2/25) in order to help students understand what is currently happening with Congress and the US Immigration Service.

Tennis team struggles against Williams

Wind and tennis are usually not a good combination. When the defending Division III champions are thrown into the mix, the combination becomes especially volatile. The Jumbos quickly learned that in their 6-1 loss to Williams on Saturday afternoon, a defeat which dropped Tufts' record to 6-3 on the season.

Fosse' dances its way into Boston

Their dancing is smooth, sultry and downright sexy. Some might even call it irresistible. Take off your hats, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back Fosse, the 1999 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical. The show, which previewed in Boston last year before opening on Broadway, has returned to Boston once again for a limited two-week engagement at the Colonial Theater. An homage to the great choreographer/director/actor Bob Fosse, Fosse celebrates the tremendous contributions he made to both musical theater and film. Not surprisingly, the show was conceived by those most familiar with his unique vision. Chet Walker recreated Fosse's dances and Gwen Verdon, Fosse's wife and Broadway leading lady, is the artistic advisor to this production. Ann Reinking, the esteemed choreographer, and Richard Maltby Jr direct the show.

Soggysandwich.com brings a twist to politics as we know it

Each day many of us take a few minutes out of our hectic schedules to read the latest news briefs, or to catch a few breaking stories on TV. Yet all we see are the same pictures of war-devastated areas and communities ravaged by violence splashed across our screens. There has to be some good that can come out of all the negativity conveyed to us by the media. There must be some humor that can come out of all the seriousness. But where can we find it, and how long will it last?

Jumbos avoid embarrassment in loss to Purple Cows

Going into the meet against Williams on Saturday, not a single Jumbo swimmer or diver was even considering an upset victory. It wasn't a lack of heart or intensity, because many team members actually shaved their heads or entire bodies to improve their times. Williams simply has dominated every team in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) for years.

Ready to Rumble' wrestles with poor script and plot

For those sick of those sappy romance movies and hard-to-decipher indie films, finally a film has come along that will appeal to your most basic sensibilities. It's sweaty, physical, and crude. Get pumped to hit the mat with director Ryan Robin's latest flick Ready to Rumble, but don't expect much else with this mediocre film.

Enthusiasm propels lax towards success

The enthusiasm and passion of a young men's lacrosse team will be the driving force to turn a 1999 5-10 team into an ECAC Championship-bound squad. The team, now in its second month of training, prepares to inaugurate its season this weekend in Florida.