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Logan Crane | If You Seek Amy

No matter how sexually expressive or experienced one might be, there comes a point when two partners hit a repetitive cycle. Getting spanked from behind or reverse cowgirl doesn't provide the stimulation you once loved, and you can literally envision your entire routine in bed. Sometimes, it takes a little spontaneity to revive your inner sexual fire.     A college dorm room can serve as a prison cell entrapping your sexual needs. There is only so much that can be accomplished in a 12-by-nine-foot cinder-block reformatory. Thinking outside your box can bring some sexual fun and a level of unexpected excitement.     There are plenty of spots on campus that serve as the perfect place to explore sexual acts. Everyone either has (or wishes to have had) sex in the book stacks of Tisch. It's been done, which takes the fun out of being the first to come up with the idea. But don't write Tisch off just yet; the cubbies are an exceptional place to please both partners. Having one person sit in the chair and the other under the cubicle can cause some fabulous ideas to spring up. Male or female, both partners can experience the excitement of going under, knowing there are others around.     In these circumstances, it is important to wear a poker face. Just like the card game, it is crucial to always keep a straight face even when you know you have a good hand, or tongue, on the table. The point of doing sexual acts in public is to keep your composure and fool everyone around you. Giving off any expressions can cause speculation and force you and your partner to fold, and there is nothing worse than not finishing a game knowing that there is a big ante building.     Tisch is not the only great resource on campus. The Joey has provided us with more than an unreliable service to Davis. We have all experienced the whiplash and bumpy bus service one too many times. The turbulence can provide constant up and down motion — great for those in need of a change in scenery. Doing it on the Joey can be accomplished by riding it late at night and by the female wearing a skirt or long coat. Make sure to sit in the back of the bus and have the girl look as though she is sitting on the gentleman's lap. After getting properly situated, let the locomotion of Joe take control; just remember, you have about eight minutes to Davis, so hope the journey is rocky.     Lecture courses can serve as a great place for partners to express sexual fantasies. The segment on cane toads in environmental bio can only be so fulfilling before your mind starts to wonder about more interesting and exciting things. Sitting in the back of the lecture hall with a coat, vibrating panties and a remote can make any lecture go from dull to swell. Have your man place the coat over his lap and proceed to find a certain something with your fingers. Make sure he is still taking notes: a) so that nothing seems obvious and b) because it's humorous to read what he wrote afterward. For your pleasure, hand your partner the remote to the vibrating panties, and let him have control during lecture. Suddenly, you will  enjoy 9:30 classes on Friday mornings.     So if your sexual routine seems to continuously go from front to back, I challenge you and your partner to take it public. Remember: your poker face is the most important component, a straight face fools the others, and it's the best, laying down a royal flush with a smile at the end of the game.

Visiting the Hill: Upcoming Speakers and Lecturers

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Tufts sees 12 percent rise in ED1 acceptances

The Tufts University Office of Undergraduate Admissions admitted 347 Early Decision I applicants last month, as it began to select the Class of 2013. The university accepted over 12 percent more students than it did during this round of applications last year, despite choosing from a similarly sized pool.

Tufts researchers reveal that in addition to humans, some animals suffer from OCD

    Researchers at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine recently found that some animals, such as cats, dogs and horses, can be afflicted with the psychiatric condition obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Non-stop or out-of-control tail-chasing, wrist-licking and biting are all signs of this phenomenon.     "We have noticed several similarities between repetitive behaviors in animals and humans, a lot of times with grooming, eating and locomotion disorders," Clinical Assistant Professor Alice Moon-Fanelli said.     She explained that it can be disconcerting for pet owners to watch their pets perform these behaviors over and over again and not have any idea what may be wrong with these animals or how to go about helping them.     "One of my cats has a compulsion with stuffed animals," freshman Rachel Verrengia said. "He carries them all over the house and drops them in random places, and [he] always hides all of his toys under one chair. I have no idea why and it's kind of weird."     "OCD causes varying degrees of disruption to the animals' lives; these behaviors interfere with their ability to function normally," Moon-Fanelli said.     But thanks to researchers like Moon-Fanelli and animal behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine behavior clinic, pet owners now have an explanation for their pets' bizarre behavior that they can fully understand. After all, OCD is an extremely common disorder, affecting millions of humans worldwide.     In fact, Tufts researchers have been looking at the disorder in humans in order to gauge the scope and scale of OCD in animals and potentially determine how best to treat it.     People with OCD often experience excessive and nonstop anxiety, and their symptoms can range from an over-intensified concern about germs and safety to repetitive hand-washing or locking doors.     "OCD appears in humans at around the same young age that it does in animals, and they generally respond to the same types of medication," Moon-Fanelli said.     Previously, researchers thought that OCD was limited to humans, and while it is not the same in animals, Moon-Fanelli explained that the disorder's effects on them are real and noticeable.     The causes of OCD in both humans and animals may be genetically based or may be set off by an environmental stimulus. "We are finding that OCD runs in families, so we believe that there is a genetic basis to it, but it also may be triggered by an environmental stimulus like stress," Moon-Fanelli said.     The disorder may be activated in some animals, because they become restless as a result of not burning enough calories through hunting and other activities. Certain breeds of animals are predisposed to different aspects of the disorder; for example, German Shepherds often chase their tails while Dobermans often bite their sides. Sometimes medication, like serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Prozac or Clomipramine — the same medications given to humans with OCD — is necessary.     Dodman is working with a neurologist and genetics specialist from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Edward Ginn, who is studying the DNA of hundreds of dogs diagnosed with OCD in an attempt to find a link between dog DNA and OCD.     "It's easier to study dog genes than human genes because the dog genome is simpler and more limited than the human genome," Moon-Fanelli said. "Researchers are actively involved in analyzing the dog DNA to see if we can locate specific regions in the genome that differ between dogs affected with OCD and dogs that are symptom-free."     Since many of the genes in dogs and humans are the same or similar, Ginn and Dodman hope to discover additional therapies and maybe even cures for OCD in both species. Although more research is needed, their mutual outlook for the future is optimistic.     "It's great to see Tufts researchers taking a unique approach on OCD," freshman Michael Bernstein said.

Nutrition journalist to deliver this year's Snyder Lecture

In announcing controversial nutrition journalist Michael Pollan as this semester's Snyder lecturer, Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser reflected on the role that speakers in the series should play.

Spirit of collaboration motivates Middle East programs, discussions

    As Palestinians and Israelis begin to recover from the latest spate of fighting in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip, students at Tufts sought a similar path to what many world leaders are currently encouraging: dialogue, compromise and an airing of grievances.     In a rare collaboration between nearly every group on campus that deals in some way with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a series of programs began this week to give students the opportunity to voice their opinions and hear others' thoughts.     The New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP), part of the Institute for Global Leadership, hosted a discussion Wednesday night to facilitate a civil forum where students could voice their opinions and concerns over the fighting in and around Gaza.     Conversation ranged from an exploration of the origins of the conflict to whether Israel's invasion was a proportional and effective response to rocket attacks by Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza.     The dialogue was co-sponsored by the Office of the University Chaplain, the Arab Student Association, Tufts Hillel, Pathways, the Muslim Student Association and Tufts Friends of Israel and was moderated by Associate Professor of political science Malik Mufti who is also the director of the International Relations program.     In a follow-up presentation last night, Israeli Consul General to New England Nadav Tamir presented a briefing about the recent conflict, in which both sides declared unilateral truces last weekend.     That discussion was sponsored by Tufts Hillel, Tufts Friends of Israel, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and B-right, a Tufts group for students who have participated in free Taglit-Birthright trips to Israel.     At both discussions, students drew upon their personal experiences from studying abroad or growing up in the Middle East to move the conversation forward.     But on Wednesday night, the conversation often came to loggerheads.  Some, however, pointed out the importance of the dialogue in the abstract.     "We're committed to seeing problems solved by providing a tolerant, pluralistic environment," said sophomore Danna Solomon, a member of Pathways.     "What kind of measures can we make to bring this model to Gaza?" she asked.     Others questioned the efficacy of the process on a larger scale.     "We are agreeing on a lot of things, but we are here at Tufts. People there have an entirely different perspective," sophomore Danny Newhide, co-president of the Arab Student Association said. "We have certain biases here, but people who are actually affected have polarized points of view."     "It's hard to solve anything," Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, the executive director of Tufts Hillel, added. "We should not downplay the commitment to sit down in a room and have a conversation in this way."     Last night, students crowded into Barnum Hall to listen to Tamir, the Israeli diplomat, elucidate the origins and implications of recent fighting. Tamir explained how the end of a flawed ceasefire prompted the eruption of violence in Gaza.     "The ceasefire was supposed to end December 19th," he said. "For some time, the Palestinians knew they were not going to continue the ceasefire."     Tamir discussed that temporary truce at length, describing why Hamas refused to continue the armistice. He believes that Hamas' reluctance stemmed from improvements in the West Bank, explaining how a decline in recruitment for Hamas in that territory and a successful Christmas celebration in Bethlehem impacted Hamas' thinking.     And Tamir defended Israel's conduct during the 22-day war that began on Dec. 27.     "The one obligation of any government is to protect their citizens from outside sources," he said. "We did this with the clear determination that we are not fighting civilians but the Hamas regimes."     Throughout the presentation, Tamir continually expressed his grief over the loss of human casualties, both Israelis and Palestinians.     Skipping an explanation about specific actions during the current hostilities, Tamir jumped to provide a resolution.     He echoed President Barack Obama's speech at the Department of State, explaining that Israel wants a "durable, sustainable ceasefire." This would include a halt to the smuggling of long-range missiles into Gaza, which Tamir believes is an "attainable" goal.     During a question-and-answer session, students inquired about the legitimacy of the Israeli military's actions during the war and about the future of Gaza.     Students also used this time to discuss specific actions during recent fighting. Multiple students questioned the bombing of a U.N. school and alleged Israeli use of white phosphorus bombs.     "If we did something wrong, we will make it right," Tamir said. "We cannot bring dead people back to life, but that is the nature of war."     Palestinian students in attendance were quick to question the history provided by Tamir, negating both his history about the restriction of passageways into Egypt and the terms of a new ceasefire.     Tamir, who was a commander in the Israeli military, said he recognized the difficulty of explaining a battle to someone who has never fought in one.

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Dance Preview | Students compete for Best Dance Crew title

    Look out, dance fans. MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" is coming to Tufts — only student groups will be taking the stage in place of groups like JabbaWockeeZ and Super Cr3w. The student-run event Tufts Best Dance Crew is a take on the new hit television series, showcasing a wide array of dance groups and styles on campus.     Tufts Best Dance Crew starts tonight at 8:30 in Cohen Auditorium, when all eight groups competing for the ultimate title will perform. After all of the groups have shown their stuff, four will be selected to continue to the semifinals. The event runs every Friday night for the next three weeks, and in the end one Tufts dance group will be able to claim superiority over all the rest.     The original idea for the project came from sophomores Kenneth Lee and Hisham Bedri, who wanted to use Tufts dance to impact both students and the world. "Tufts is a very dance-based school," Lee said. "We have an abnormally high number of dance groups, and we wanted to use this to impact charity."     Lee and Bedri took their dance-off project to Pangea, a student organization for global awareness and action, where senior Rishikesh Bhandary and sophomore Rebekah Holtz got involved. Each year Pangea has a large spring event to promote global awareness, and Tufts Best Dance Crew was perfect for getting the whole school involved.     The event is free, but upon entrance and throughout the show, Pangea will be taking donations to support its many committees. The organization's projects range from building a computer lab for an orphanage in Cambodia to delivering solar cookers to refugee camps in Darfur.   "Any donation truly helps those in need," Holtz said. "There will also be posters set up for what each committee of Pangea does, and there are two presentations each show, so people know where their money is going."     The eight groups are placed in two brackets for the first show: Group A is made up of Envy, Turbo, Sarabande and Tap Ensemble, while Group B will feature the Burlesque Troupe, La Salsa, Garba and Spirit of Color. The types of dance will range from step to modern, from Latin to break dancing, from traditional South Asian to sexy burlesque.     The audience itself will be playing a huge role in Tufts Best Dance Crew because two of the final four groups will be chosen based solely on cheers from the students. There will be a decibel meter on stage to gauge the loudness of the audience when they cheer for their favorite two groups, while a panel of judges will choose the other two groups moving on to the semifinals.     "This is the first event of its kind, and we hope it will be fun and exciting," said Bedri, who is also the event's MC. "It should be a high-energy event with a lot of dancing. The crowd's response is crucial for the crews."     All of the coordinators promise that there will be many surprises to keep the audience entertained. These unscheduled performances may be other dance groups not competing, or perhaps non-dance performance groups to give the dancers a chance to rest.        Fortunately the party doesn't stop when the show ends. There will be an after-party at Hotung with a multitude of DJs to keep the dancing going into the wee hours of the morning.     The event promises to be a great show for everyone, as well as an opportunity to donate to charity and raise global awareness. "All of the dancers are very excited," Lee said. "It's going to be a great competition as well as a way to give back. Students should support the crews and support the world."

President, trustee chairman urge patience as Madoff internal investigation continues

Pending the results of an ongoing internal investigation, the university's top officials are withholding judgment on the process that led to a $20-million investment in Ascot Partners, a hedge fund connected to disgraced financier Bernard Madoff.

Tufts teams split Tuesday night contests

    The ice hockey team dropped its fourth straight game last night, tripping up at Conn. College, 3-1. The game was never in doubt, as the Camels took a 3-0 lead before sophomore Tom Derosa scored his eighth goal of the season and the lone tally of the game for the Jumbos. Rookie goaltender Scott Barchard saved 23 of 26 shots, while junior Greg Parker of Conn. College was 21-for-21. Tufts again struggled on power plays, going 1-for-5, but the Camels weren't much better at 2-for-6. The match ends a five-game road stretch for the Jumbos, who next take on Colby at home on Friday.     The women's basketball team scored a 79-71 victory last night over non-conference rival Wheaton, which it beat last year in the regular season and postseason, as senior Katie Tausanovitch put up a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds and junior Julia Baily contributed a double-double of her own with 13 and 10 to go along with 3 blocks. Still, the bigger story of the night might be the injuries the Jumbos sustained. Sophomore Colleen Hart played only nine minutes before taking an elbow to the head that knocked her out of the game, while Tausanovitch injured her right hand. X-rays on Tausanovitch were negative; the extent of Hart's injury is as yet unknown.

Tufts students, both past and present, attend inaugurationof America's 44th president at Washington's National Mall

While many Jumbos remained on the Hill yesterday, flooding the campus center to watch inauguration speeches and grumpily sitting through classes, hoping to be released early, some Tufts students braved the snowy highways and traveled to Washington, D.C., to witness President Barack Obama's acceptance speech and absorb the atmosphere of the historic day.

Video | Scenes from Obama's inauguration

A variety of Tufts students, faculty and alums were in attendance yesterday when President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Two of them, sophomores Julie Bloch and Catherine Burrows, sent the Daily this footage -- taken from the ground amid the enormous crowd that showed up to watch.

Leaking pipes, no running water in Haskell

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New biosafety laboratory set to tackle infectious diseases

A new lab at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine will soon enable researchers to study infections, diseases and biological threats and to develop vaccines, treatments and cures.

Student robbed near Anderson Hall

A female Tufts student was the victim of an unarmed robbery on the corner of College Avenue and Dearborn Road on Wednesday night, according to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD).

Funding for sexual assault prevention programs dries up

Margaret Mikkelsen recently lost her job as the executive director of Students Active For Ending Rape (SAFER), a non-profit organization that helps students build stronger programs in their schools against sexual assault, but you won't find her wallowing.

Tufts and the Bernard Madoff scandal - a timeline

As long as money has existed, so too have scams. The Ponzi scheme in particular has a rich history, one that began long before its namesake Charles Ponzi was exposed in 1920. But while a number of swindlers have given a face to the Ponzi scheme over the years, Bernard Madoff's image will likely remain its symbol for generations to come. The sheer magnitude of the charges facing the former Nasdaq chief guarantees him staying power, and the true complexity of his scheme appears to only just now be emerging.

More than 850 UCLA students show up to porn film screening

    It's a Thursday evening on campus, and you have a couple of options for the evening. Should you: finish that Physics 12 problem set for Friday's lecture? Hit up a party in Zeta Psi's basement? See your roommate star in this weekend's Balch production? Or maybe see a porn screening?     Last month, students at the University of California, Los Angeles had similar options. Their Campus Events Commission sponsored a free showing of "Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge" (2008), a high-budget pornographic film.     "It was our biggest event of the quarter, surpassing events with actors like Alan Rickman or blockbusters like ‘Eagle Eye' [2008] and ‘Body of Lies' [2008]," Alex Jeffries, films director for the Campus Events Commission, said.     He explained that Digital Playground, the production company for "Pirates II," contacted the university with the idea for the screening.     "I discussed the idea with several other directors and our commissioner, and there was a lot of positive support," Jeffries told the Daily in an e-mail. "We then took the idea to our faculty advisor, and he let us know we could legally do the screening as long as we checked IDs — students had to be over 18 — so we went forward with the idea."     Despite threats of a protest organized on Facebook.com by various UCLA Christian organizations, over 850 students attended the film's screening without a hitch. The Facebook protest event encouraged students to register and get one of the limited numbers of wristbands for the event so that other students would not be able to go. There were also rumors of a walkout and of e-mails to be sent to the Commission and chancellor's office.     "From the Facebook events they made it sound to us as if we would be dealing with protests, but the night went very smoothly," Jeffries said. "It was certainly an interesting screening. Initially, people were laughing and [being] raucous, but I think the length of the movie may have [worn] on them. It's over two hours [long]."     UCLA may be starting a trend with this type of movie, but Tufts doesn't look like it's going to fall in line anytime soon. According to sophomore Matthew DiGirolamo, former president of the Tufts Film Series (TFS), the idea for a porn screening has been brought up in TFS meetings in the past but has not had much momentum.     TFS chooses its movie selections in a group vote. Limitations on its film choices are mainly due to the group's semesterly budget, and it does not need approval from the Tufts administration.     DiGirolamo, who is an arts editor at the Daily, said that if TFS voted to screen a pornography film, he would not necessarily ask permission from the administration but would rather give them a warning of what was to come.     The situation was similar at UCLA. "In terms of [our] administration, we talked to our advisor," Jeffries said. "It was not a question of whether or not to show the movie; it was just about making sure we were able to handle ourselves in a professional manner."     According to Bruce Reitman, dean of student affairs at Tufts, TFS would not be prohibited from screening a pornographic film.     "The university would not sponsor it because we shouldn't. … But the question comes up about academic freedom," Reitman said.     He explained that, above all else, students must have a choice about whether or not they wish to view the film. For example, the university would not allow a professor to show pornography in a class or let a campus group screen a pornographic film in a dorm where students could see images unwillingly and be victimized.     "We're not in a position to be moralists … and censor what some consider bad taste," Reitman said. "The issue arises when it affects other people. On campus, there is [a] complex diversity of values, beliefs and backgrounds, and no one can agree on everything. … That's not to be feared; in fact, the civil dialogue is to be encouraged."     Overall, Reitman does not see any value in a pornographic screening but does not think that the university should censor what some consider an art form.     Although the administration wouldn't put up a fight, DiGirolamo does not think that TFS would ever host a porn screening at Tufts. While members have joked about the possibility in the past, it has never actually come up for a vote. Still, he said that if there were enough student interest, the group would consider the option.     Students on campus have differing opinions about a potential pornography screening.     "I think that most Tufts students would be open to the idea [of a porn screening]. … Tufts has very liberal, open-minded ideals," senior Rachel Wenger, a leader for Tufts Christian Fellowship, said.     On the other hand, Wenger said, she is personally not in favor of a university porn screening and feels that porn degrades men, women and their relationships to just the physical aspects.     "[Porn] paints a false picture of sex. … It's wrong for a university to endorse that perspective. … A university has to make a decision on what [it] stand[s] for," she said.     Freshman Evan West is more open to the idea.     "Porn, like other films, can be … kind of an art form," he said. "It goes against some people's values, but students on campus have different values."     But even DiGirolamo said he probably would not attend such a screening.     "It seems a little awkward. … Porn is not exactly the type of thing you would want to watch with other people," he said.

Array of legal options available after Madoff

After $20 million in losses from an alleged Ponzi scheme, legal experts say it might be time for Tufts to dig in its claws.