On good days like today, six-year-old Gwendolyn Lorimier wears a charming smile and makes sarcastic jokes that reveal a wit beyond her years. On bad days, when fatigue and pain take hold of her, her strong voice quiets as she trades in her pink dress for a drab hospital gown.
The term supergroup usually evokes visions of boy bands or legendary rockers. This association may be right on the money in most cases, but progressive rock band The Sound of Animals Fighting is redefining the supergroup by combining some of today's biggest names in alternative and punk rock. The band's latest album "The Ocean and the Sun," is somewhat tamer than its predecessor "Lover, The Lord Has Left Us..." (2006) which featured guest appearances from Craig Owens (Chiodos) and Keith Goodwin (Good Old War), among the many others who contributed to artwork or production. This time around, group founder Rich Balling kept the team relatively small, using only the original members of the band.
W hen I was a freshman, I incurred the wrath of Internet-scouring Phish fans who took issue with a handful of lines in a piece I wrote for the Observer about my New Year's Eve with Santa Cruz band Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9).
With first place in the NESCAC on the line, the volleyball team delivered this weekend with crucial NESCAC victories over Amherst and Middlebury, improving to 19-1 overall.
A typical Tufts hopeful submits an exceptional application filled to the brim with stellar recommendations, a lengthy list of extracurricular activities and nearly perfect test scores — seemingly all that is needed for a thorough evaluation.
Frustrated by the popular images of "the Orient," which often resemble scenes from "Arabian Nights," the artists featured in "Empire and Its Discontents" seek to dispel that notion with resounding fervor. The exhibition, on display now at the Tufts University Art Gallery in Aidekman, features artists hailing from those countries once united by that ambiguous notion of Orientalism. Organized as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the publication of "Orientalism" by renowned thinker and Palestinian-American political activist Edward Said, the exhibition confronts some of his most fundamental ideas, not the least of which deals with the West's false assumptions regarding the East.
When the football team upset NESCAC titan Trinity at home on Parents' Weekend last fall, the difference in the game was one touchdown. A third quarter TD pass to then-junior David Halas gave the Jumbos a 16-10 lead, putting them ahead for good.
Tufts students joined a hundreds-strong protest in the Boston Common on Saturday against the war in Iraq. The event, "Stand Up for Peace in the Middle East," argued that the United States is pursuing an overly aggressive foreign policy in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.
Not everyone has the means to travel to see an opera performance in Milan. That's why The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline is offering a virtual opera experience, transporting several of the most world-renowned operas straight from Europe to the big screen.
Throughout Saturday's football contest at Trinity, Bantam senior Eric McGrath picked apart a seemingly helpless Jumbo secondary en route to throwing for a program-record 470 yards and four touchdowns on 34 completions.
Large crowds of musicians and spectators shook Davis Square on Saturday and Sunday as the Honk! Music Festival roared through town. More than 250 musicians turned out to "further the cause of freedom, justice and collective emancipation." Whether or not their message was effective, anyone venturing near Davis Square last weekend surely heard it loud and clear.
The Daily had the opportunity to speak with legendary actor Billy Bob Thornton over the phone this week about his new movie "Eagle Eye." In the film, which opens on Sept. 26, Thornton plays FBI agent Morgan, who is investigating a suspected terrorist named Jerry (played by Shia LaBeouf). Jerry insists that an anonymous caller has forced him and another woman, Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), by using technology to track and threaten them and their families, to become members of a terrorist cell that has plans to carry out a political assassination. Jerry must work to clear his name by finding out when and why. In the interview, Thornton told the Daily his opinions on technology, different acting styles, music and how to break into the business.Question: How did you prepare for your role as an FBI agent, and what was your favorite part of the role?Billy Bob Thornton: Well, I like to play different things all the time, so just the fact that I hadn't played it before was pretty good. I did do some research, and we had an FBI guy there. It's always different though -- what you say, when you say it, when there is a bunch of technical lingo and you don't really know what it means. When you say it, I think the audience can tell you are just reciting stuff that you've memorized ... the FBI agent was really helpful.Q: How was this movie different from ... your other movies?BBT: Well, I do a lot of more character-based movies or independent films. This is a big movie though, a lot of action. It's different in the sense that I have to do a lot more running around with a gun [laughs], that kind of thing. Obviously it takes longer to make it; it was similar to making "Armageddon" [1998] or "The Alamo" [2004]. Q: Are there any types of characters that you like playing more?BBT: I've liked pretty much everything. In the recent past, I've done a lot of comedies which I normally didn't do. I have to say I enjoyed doing those comedies ... I think I did too many in a row though; I think I'll wait a few more years before I do another one. I mean, the movies I like doing the most are like "Monster's Ball" [2001] and "The Man Who Wasn't There" [2001] because that's where I live the best. Q: What was it like working with Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan? Did you have any fun?BBT: Yeah, we did, actually. Shia's a great kid and I like him very much. He's very mature of an actor for his age. A lot of the time you work with a 21-year-old and they don't quite have their chops yet, but he really does. Michelle is just the sweetest person I have ever worked with, a really wonderful person. I didn't have a lot with Michelle in the movie, but I had quite a bit with Shia. I was just chasing Michelle for most of the movie...Q: What do you look for in an action movie?BBT: Well, it's all about the screenplay. If it's well-written, then you have something to start with ... you really need one that is smartly written. Q: What advice do you have for kids looking to break into the movie or music business?BBT: Well, the first thing is to learn the history of what you are going into, whether it is movies or music or whatever. I think for a young person, it is very important to know because it will give you a foundation when talking to people you are trying to break in with. Then I would say you need to be in L.A., and possibly join a theater group ... it is easier to join theater group than it is to join a movie.Q: In many of your movies, you play the bad guy. Is there any special appeal to playing the bad guy versus the good guy?BBT: A lot of people assume I play bad guys. I mean, I play an a--hole in "School for Scoundrels" [2006], and I turn out to be not so bad in "Bad Santa" [2003]. There is something appealing about it; they are usually pretty interesting characters, sometimes more interesting than the hero.Q: Is there anything about your character that you feel personally connected to?BBT: Yeah, to a degree. You always try to put some of yourself into every character ... you try to play it as if you were one of those guys. If I were an FBI guy, that's how I would be. Initially, I had to find my way into it because I didn't relate that much to the character. Of course, there were elements that were similar; a guy being overwhelmed, looking for something he is not quite sure what it is ... I've felt that way plenty of times.Q: In this movie, there seems to be a lot of technology. How does technology play a role in your life?BBT: Being a musician and having a recording studio, technology is a big part of my life. But in my personal life, I only got a cell phone two years ago and I couldn't tell you how to take a picture on it or anything and I don't really use a computer. A lot of people in my life use computers, so I beg them to help me send an e-mail.Q: We hear you have a record coming out. What do you do in your band?BBT: I write the songs [and] do the lead and background vocals on the records. I do play drums on the records, but when we play live I have to be out front so we have a live drummer ... although I do go back there sometimes.
The power outage that left most of Tufts' campus in the dark yesterday was caused by a failure in a transfer station located near Dowling Hall, according to Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman. The power failure began on Sunday afternoon, and electricity was restored early Monday morning. The transfer station, where Tufts receives electricity from the power company National Grid, serves most of the university's academic and residential buildings. After the power went out, Tufts workers brought flashlights and glowsticks to affected dormitories and small generators to the Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall. Students went there, as well as to the Cousens Gym, to wait for the lights to go back on around campus. Meanwhile, police cars and other emergency response vehicles lined College Avenue as officers secured Anderson Hall. According to Reitman, there was an experiment being conducted in the building at the time of the outage, and when the fume hood stopped working, the police were called in to monitor the situation. "[The police] just wanted to make sure [that the electrical failure] was not creating any dangerous situations," he said. Medford Police Officer Richard Lebert, a patrolman who was among the responders, said that it is standard operating procedure to check buildings with scientific materials in the event of a power outage, comparing the large police presence to a test drill. "[Officers] just have to break out the book and go all the way down the line," he said, referring to the listed procedures put in place for such events. As such, he said that they were mostly there to "take all precautions [and] cover all the bases." Students were formally alerted to the power outage via the emergency response software Send Word Now at around 7:30 p.m. Reitman said that while the system is normally reserved for emergencies, it seemed like a practical way to reach students, given that many have registered their cell phones and would be able to receive the message even if the electrical failure left them without computer access. "It was basically the only reliable way to get the word out to everybody," he said. "[But] it was a judgment call because it's not the kind of emergency that Send Word Now was devised for." The notification blasted out by Send Word Now had a choppy feel, with incomplete sentences and even an abbreviated word. Reitman said this was because the program limits the amount of characters in each message. "It's designed for short, important messages, as opposed to an announcement thing such as this," he said. According to Reitman, around 15 additional TUPD officers came in to work yesterday to assure that everything ran smoothly on campus. TUPD, as well as other select buildings, such as the Dana Laboratory, had electricity from generators. The Tufts telecommunications system was also protected by a generator, according to Reitman. Reitman said that the last power failure caused by a similar problem happened during the summer of 2002. The outage lasted for several days.
The NHL has been the least relevant major professional sport in America for more than a decade. For a brief moment in 2004-05, it got top billing on sports talk radio, SportsCenter and sports pages coast to coast. This unheralded coverage, however, was due to a forced lockout and not to anything spectacular on the ice.
Members of the Boston Progress Arts Collective plugged their mission of supporting Asian and Pacific Islander artists while undercutting stereotypes during a talk in the Granoff Music Center last night.
Dining Services is in a state of mourning after a worker collapsed Sunday night in the Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall and shortly after passed away.
Sexologist Logan Levkoff last night encouraged students to make a difference in a United States that she said desperately needs open sexual dialogue. Levkoff led off with a promise: "I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. I'm going to be very candid about what is going on in this country." Vitality, a Hillel health initiative group, sponsored the second annual "Ask a Sexpert" lecture in Pearson Hall. Last year, Drew Pinsky, known as Dr. Drew, spoke to students in Cohen Auditorium. During the talk, Levkoff worked in political issues regarding sexual health and education. She hoped to impress upon students "the importance of the upcoming election and what is at stake about sexual health." "We are seeing religious ideology taking over health and science," she said, arguing that the government is spending $1.5 billion on ineffective sex education programs throughout the country, many of which only teach abstinence. "This is crazy," Levkoff said. She went on to discuss federal legislation expanding refusal rights to pharmacists and doctors, which would allow them to deny a patient the morning-after pill or other types of birth control without giving a reason. Levkoff said the fact that 31 percent of girls will become pregnant before their 20th birthday and that only 25 percent of couples between ages 18 and 54 use condoms during intercourse show the severe need for open policies regarding contraception and sexual education. She went on to describe the effects of the media and technology on sex and relationships. "Pregnancy is becoming glorified by having people like a pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears on the cover of magazines," Levkoff said. She added that the news media and the film industry are not taking a serious look at the consequences of normal pregnancies or all the options surrounding pregnancy. She said that it is unrealistic in "Knocked Up" when a successful TV personality does not even consider getting an abortion. Additionally, a reliance on technology puts a disconnect in relationships, she said. "I am critical and cynical about how technology has changed the landscape of relationships," she said. Fox News recently cited that "one in four adults are okay without emotional connection if they have Web access," she said, declaring that this kind of thinking has to stop. "We do not talk face to face anymore. Instead, we update our relationship status on Facebook to convey our feelings about our situation," Levkoff said to a knowing chuckle from the crowd. She contended that part of this new mentality comes from the hookup culture on campuses. Levkoff warned that relationships must be grounded in verbal communication, and that a person's worth is not determined by whether he or she has a significant other. Touching on the use of alcohol, Levkoff said, "We use it to legitimize wanting to have sex." She said people should not be ashamed of desires or needs. Levkoff believes that sex is so negatively portrayed in society that girls have second thoughts about going after what they want. "I think Logan did a great job of summarizing the college hookup culture," junior Laura Hoguet, co-chair of Vitality, told the Daily after the lecture. Hillel President Nathan Render, a senior, praised Levkoff's candidness. "I went when I was a freshman to see her, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity to talk openly and honestly about issues that obviously affect the entirety of the Tufts population," he said. In her closing words, Levkoff said, "I am not a pessimist. We have a tremendous opportunity to change things. Start with your own life and then move up to a national level. Get involved and take a stand."
A recent Rasmussen Reports survey asked respondents whether they would vote to throw out the entire Congress and start anew if given the opportunity. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said yes, and just 17 percent said they would keep the current lawmakers in office. According to the report, just under half of all respondents believed that "the current Congress [is] better than individuals selected randomly from the phone book." A full third disagreed with this assessment, and 19 percent were unsure. While acknowledging the possibility of a certain margin for error, this essentially amounts to a bare majority of the public believing that the current Congress is no more effective at their jobs than the proverbial man on the street; that is to say that any bar fly, college student, retiree or hockey mom would be at least as well-equipped to deal with America's problems as the legislators toiling in Washington today. First of all, we at the Daily believe that this does a disservice to the men and women serving in the Capitol. While we often take issue with the acts of individual congressmen, on the whole we are supportive of the institution and appreciative of the hard work of its members. Legislators in Washington have a difficult job; they spend a great deal of their time away from their families, struggling to pass legislation and make beneficial policy and then must read that the public wants to give their job away to any random person who wants it. However, even if these feelings are unjustified, they are important, and they point not to Congress' lack of ability, but to the American people's lack of action. At the end of the day, these numbers suggest that literally half of Americans should be demanding that their congressman or senators either focus on the issues that matter or step down. They suggest that half of Americans should be engaged enough in the process to be able to make their plainly serious displeasure known. They suggest, at the very least, that well over half of Americans would make the nominal effort to show up at the ballot box every time these apparently ineffectual legislators are chosen. Yet turnout for midterm elections, when Americans are not voting for president, remains under 50 percent. Even in 2006, a year that featured many competitive races in the House and the Senate, just over 40 percent of eligible voters bothered to cast ballots — and this was seen as a high-turnout election. If you are so disgusted by the state of legislative activity in Washington that you would be willing to roll the dice on a completely randomized government-by-phonebook, why wouldn't you register your disappointment? Why wouldn't you get involved in politics? Why wouldn't you engage in advocacy? Politics and the development of policy are patriotic undertakings. More than personal glory, they are about public service. They are about solving the problems that plague our society and making life a little bit better for the people who live in our nation. Certainly, politicians have their problems. But we, as citizens, have our responsibilities. Government by the people, for the people was a hard-sought and hard-won victory. It is time that we begin living up to that promise.
Welcome to the Daily's interactive police blotter map. Click each point on the map to learn about the incident that happened there.
A Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officer, feeling threatened by a crowd of brawling students, sprayed partiers with pepper spray during Tropical Escape, an intercollegiate dance in the Dewick-Macphie Dining Hall on Saturday night. The female officer, whose name was not released, ordered a crowd of individuals to stop fighting, but the crowd then began "moving towards her" and "crowding her," according to TUPD Capt. Mark Keith. In response, the officer "sprayed in the general area where the crowd was," Keith said. The technique worked, as the crowd began to follow instructions and moved out of the building. But once the attendees were outside, further brawls broke out. Six TUPD officers had been on duty at the event, but reinforcements from the Somerville Police Department and TUPD arrived soon after the spraying. These forces were eventually able to calm the violence. "No injuries were reported, no arrests were made and the event was closed down for the rest of the evening," Keith said. But at least one Tufts student felt the effects of the spray. "There was one student who approached one of our officers feeling the ill effects of our pepper spray, but that person was tended to and the effects subsided within 10 to 15 minutes," Keith said. Senior Simone Grant, the president of the Caribbean Club, which hosted the event, said that the pepper spray forced one girl at Tropical Escape to seek medical attention. "One girl had to call TEMS because she was coughing so much," Grant said. Grant recalled the chaos of the situation when the TUPD officer dispensed her pepper spray. "All of a sudden, people started coughing. We had to evacuate because we couldn't stay in the building," Grant said. Keith said that the officer only used pepper spray when she felt the situation had gotten out of her control. "[She] told the crowd to disperse, they again started crowding her, so she feared for her safety," he said. Keith could only recall one prior occasion when a TUPD officer used pepper spray. In that instance, which Keith believed to have occurred a year and a half ago, a reckless driver was acting combative but the pepper spray successfully subdued him. "It's an effective tool and it would be something that would be less harmful than resorting to a baton," Keith said. "The effects incapacitate a person … You can subdue them and get them restrained," he said. The event ended at 1:30 a.m., which was one and half hours earlier than planned, according to Grant. Grant did not know the individuals involved in the fight that triggered the spraying, but she said that they were not Tufts students. She said that students from Harvard, Boston College, Wellesley and other Boston-area schools attended the event. Grant said TUPD was not prepared for the event and had failed to set up a barricade in front of the dining hall to organize the entrance procedure. "It was just a bunch of people fighting to get to the front. There was no order to get people into the party," she said. She also said that the floor in Dewick had not been cleaned, which led to a 30-minute delay in starting the event. "The Caribbean Club [executive] board had to clean the ground ourselves and … TUPD wasn't there to open the closet so that we could get a broom," Grant said. According to Grant, the Caribbean Club sent in interdepartmental requisition forms (IDRs) to TUPD early, describing the nature of the event and the services they would require. "We sent in our IDRs and it's up to TUPD to provide the service we paid for… They did not prepare adequately for the event. We didn't get what we paid for," she said. Grant is planning a meeting with the Office of Student Life and TUPD to discuss the events of Saturday night. She wants to discuss how to avoid similar mishaps in the future. "TUPD needs to be prepared," she said. "It was the Caribbean Club's first big event of the year. We were trying to build up the Caribbean Club because last year we didn't have much of a presence, but it's kind of difficult to do that given what happened," she said. Grant said that the event staff "did the best that they could with the resources they had" at the dance, which featured Boston-area DJ King Ilabash.
