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ExCollege class teaches future doctors and 'nurses' practical Spanish
September 23At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census, 28.1 million people living in America spoke Spanish at home, and of that number, just over half reported that they could speak English "very well." Since 2000, sustained immigration from Latin American countries and the persistent use of Spanish by second- and even third-generation speakers have only caused the use of the language to increase. This vast and ever-growing population of non-fluent English speakers has created an immense demand for Spanish speakers in the workplace, both as employees and as private interpreters, and nowhere has this need been felt more than in the realm of medicine. In the medical field, the ability of a doctor to communicate quickly and reliably with a patient can be the difference between life and death. With this in mind, Tufts' Experimental College has opted to offer a new course this semester called "Medical Spanish." The course is dedicated to instructing not only the students who hope to go into the field of medicine as doctors, but also those who are interested in being interpreters and social workers. The course strives to teach both the vocabulary required to translate between Spanish-speaking patients and doctors, as well as the complex and varied interpretation techniques imperative during emergency medical situations. In addition to working as an interpreter in many local hospitals, Lecturer Josep Vicente is fluent in six different languages including Spanish and Catalan. Although unfamiliar to many Americans, Catalan is spoken in areas such as Catalonia and Valencia, both of which are autonomous communities of Spain. Vicente stressed the importance of courses like "Medical Spanish" for those who hold a passion for the language and may want to enter the medical field. "The idea is more than interpreting word by word -- when you interpret, it is an act of communication," he said. "You have to be extremely accurate in an emergency situation: [An interpretation can] represent life or death because a mistranslation can lead to a misdiagnosis and a mistreatment, but the idea is to [also] get the nonverbal part of speech, which counts for a great deal as well." Certainly a skill like this does not come naturally to anyone after only one semester of studies, but Vicente said he believes the course will still provide a good foundation for his students. "Most interpreting courses in this country have the same amount of hours that we are going to have at the end of the [semester]," Vicente said. "What I want for them is to be very exposed to Spanish all the time and to be able to react to many situations, because in a way, even for a trained interpreter, it's like [being] an actor. The more exposure they get to the job, the better they will be down the road, but I think that most of [the students] will be at a sufficient level to get started." To hone these acting skills, at the end of every class, Vicente and his students engage in role-playing exercises, practicing difficult vocabulary and simulating emergencies in which the skill and poise of the interpreter can make all the difference. Other universities seem to be acknowledging the importance of this unique skill as well; Boston College's School of Nursing and Indiana University's School of Medicine, for example, offer similar courses. According to Vicente and some of the students, the class, which is taught in Spanish, seems to have been met with a great deal of enthusiasm from the Tufts community. "The first day we had 28 people, and some of them didn't make it because the class was too big," he said. "We are very pleased with the reception: There is definitely a niche out there." Luckily for those students who were not able to get into the class this semester, "Medical Spanish" has already been slated for a spot among the spring semester's course offerings. Sigi Fostvedt, a junior majoring in Spanish, worked as a secretary in an Idaho hospital in the summer of 2006 and had the opportunity to witness first-hand the importance of Spanish in a medical environment. "I would say that 35 percent of the people [who] came in didn't speak English, so even for me, it was very important to speak Spanish just as a secretary," Fostvedt said. "It's a huge barrier, especially in the West." Even though Fostvedt had already studied Spanish for a number of years, she was also able to say confidently that this semester's course has already taught her new information. "I really like it. [The class] is very relaxed and it's nice because the teacher is a native speaker," she said. "And what better way to learn how to be an interpreter than to practice, especially because you get the feedback that you wouldn't necessarily get if you just started working in a hospital? A lot of people -- even doctors -- don't really know how to work with interpreters. So this [class] is the best way to facilitate communication and really get the message across clearly and concisely." And although the course has serious intentions, its atmosphere is far from stiff. "We are all having lots of fun, the dialogues are very interactive and once the ice is broken, people love to be on-stage during the role playing. I am very pleased with the class as it is," Vicente said.
The Manhattan Short Film Festival brings together filmmakers from around the world
September 23In the mood for creative international films but don't have the time to sit through a full-length feature? The 2008 Manhattan Short Film Festival, currently the largest short film festival in the world, began this week on Sept. 21 and concludes on Sept. 28. In its 11th year running, the film festival will reach global and epic proportions, attracting some 100,000 people to venues in 115 cities spanning four continents. This diversity truly seems to support its mission, which is "to unite audiences around the world via the most creative short films in the world." A hefty task, certainly, but the Manhattan Short seems to be quickly approaching this goal.
Water Polo | Jumbos make waves with 4-0 weekend at Bates
September 23After posting a perfect 12-0 record in conference play last year, the water polo team picked up right where it left off this weekend. Entering the season's first tournament with the North Atlantic Division title to defend, the Jumbos scored victories over Amherst, Trinity, Bowdoin and host Bates in Lewiston, Maine. But while Tufts sealed up the wins to once again take its place atop the division, they didn't all come easily. "The teams were a lot better this year than they seemed to be in the past," senior goalkeeper James Longhurst said. "Some of the games were closer than we liked. They all knew we were a great team and undefeated last year, so they knew at our game they had to come out strong and bring their A-game to beat us. I think that kind of contributed to the fact that we weren't playing as well as we should have — we kind of underestimated all the teams." The Jumbos capped off the weekend with a thriller against Bowdoin. Tufts got the scoring going early, taking advantage of a new face in the cage for its opponent. "[Bowdoin] kind of goes either way," senior tri-captain Pete Georgakakos said. "Last year, one game was close and one game we just demolished them, so we didn't know what to expect. But we knew their goalie from last year had graduated and that the new guy wasn't too good. We relied less on the two hole sets in front of the goal and relied more on outside shooting; we kind of tore the goalie apart." But Bowdoin wasn't finished, and before the Jumbos knew it, the game was deadlocked at 10-10 with 25 seconds to play. Once again, Georgakakos, the team's most potent offensive weapon, came through for Tufts, firing the game-winning 11th goal with 10 ticks remaining. In the game's final seconds, the Jumbos staved off Bowdoin to lock up the weekend sweep. Sunday's success came on the heels of a busy Saturday that culminated with another slim margin of victory for the Tufts team, which defeated Bates by a score of 12-11. Longhurst, who made the switch from coach to goalie this season, was critical for the team down the stretch, turning in eight saves during the game and 28 for the weekend. "He wanted to play this year instead of coach, and I pretty much told him he had to play goalie whether he liked it or not," senior tri-captain Ben Mitchell said. "He did much better than anyone could have anticipated. There were plenty of times it was one-on-one — we let people swim right by us. It's like soccer: If you get a breakaway and it's you versus the goalie, it's pretty easy to score, but he was blocking shots that most goalies would have had trouble blocking. He looked like he'd been playing his entire life." "The guys on the team have been really helpful and really supportive," Longhurst added. "Some of them had played goalie in high school, so they were giving me pointers." Earlier in the day, the Jumbos battled Trinity, a team that took them by surprise. Tufts struggled to get it together in the game's early stages, and Trinity capitalized on the Jumbos' mistakes. "Trinity wasn't much of a challenge last year, so we went in kind of lightly, but they ... came out firing on all cylinders," Georgakakos said. Tufts was helped by freshman Benji Koltai, whose five goals were the difference makers in the 16-11 victory. "Benji was great," Longhurst said. "We lost a whole set last year, so Benji has been great being able to fill in. He can also play the perimeter or play hole set and free up [Mitchell] to play around the perimeter, too … He can help out off the bench right away." Tufts' first win came against Amherst, a strong-swimming team that has given the Jumbos trouble in the past. "They're not necessarily the most talented team, but they win their games by out-swimming their opponents," Georgakakos said. In the game's first half, the Jumbos struggled to quell the Amherst offense, but as the game wore on, they settled in and pulled away with a decisive 12-8 win. Next up for the team will be a tournament at Colby Oct. 4-5, the last for the Jumbos before the North Atlantic Division Championship. At Colby, the Jumbos will have to face the challenge of playing in a shallow pool, a feature that significantly alters play on both the offensive and defensive ends. "In most pools, you can't touch on either side, so there's not even the temptation," Georgakakos said. "With half the pool shallow, the game is a lot different. One team can rest on defense — they can be standing, at least a little. We'll be training for that. It's a lot harder to play offense in a shallow pool; the refs are a lot more skeptical of if you're touching the bottom or not." And the matchups won't be easy, either. Tufts will have to contend with Coast Guard, the division's only other undefeated team after this weekend. "It's always a really close and physical game," Georgakakos said "We're going to be looking back on games we've played against them to figure out what we can do as a team this year to make sure we come out with the win."
Ally Gimbel | When kiwis fly
September 23It's an overcast winter day in New Zealand, about eight degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) — day four of my Kiwi experience. I'm standing on top of a hill in Rotorua, barefoot and wearing nothing but my bathing suit, shivering spastically in the chill wind. Oh, and I am about to dive head first into a giant, plastic hamster ball.
Men's Tennis Preview | Tufts takes court today for first time, prepares for spring season
September 23Participating in one of the most competitive sports in the NESCAC, the men's tennis team knows it must take advantage of the fall portion of its season in order to properly gear up for the elite squads it will face come springtime.
Lieberman should be commended
September 22What a difference two years have made, indeed. Just two short years ago, U.S. military deaths in Iraq were occurring at an average of 2.57 per day, according to icasualties.org. Following the troop surge, which was initiated only last year, that number has dropped to an average of .74 per day, which represents a 71 percent improvement. Injuries, likewise, have dropped nearly 80 percent from two years ago (although the Pentagon has not released all up-to-date statistics). Back in September 2006, Iraq was still the most important political topic discussed and the economy was booming. In other words: no kidding "what a difference two years make." It was also only two short years ago that the Democratic Party turned on Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), a long-serving lawmaker and Senate committee chairman from Connecticut, in favor of an unknown, inexperienced Greenwich millionaire. This challenger, Ned Lamont, ran a campaign almost solely on a pledge to bring all American troops home from Iraq (as if he would have been commander in chief himself had he been elected). Lamont outspent Lieberman significantly, using his own money, after gaining the Democratic Party nomination. In the general election, Lamont lost to Lieberman — who decided to run as an Independent — by 10 percentage points. Despite having been pressured to withdraw his candidacy and having been abandoned by his democratic colleagues in the Senate — including Sens. Obama (D-Ill.), Biden (D-Del.), Clinton (D-N.Y.), Kennedy (D-Mass.), Kerry (D-Mass.) and Dodd (D-Conn.), among many others — Lieberman still sought to caucus with the Democrats. Now, Lieberman stands beside his good friend and Republican presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz.). Democrats, as should be expected, are furious, having all but lost their 51st vote in the Senate. But many still wonder what is behind Lieberman's lack of party loyalty. Over the past seven years since Sept. 11, 2001, Lieberman has progressively become more hawkish, as have a significant number of other legislators, recognizing America's increasing national-security threats. It should be obvious that this is the main reason Lieberman decided to cross party lines and endorse McCain; of course the fact that his own party abandoned him provides extra incentive. Instead of being ridiculed for his lack of loyalty to the party establishment or cited for his evolving views on national security, as he was in a recent Daily editorial ("What a difference two years make," Sept. 4), Sen. Lieberman should be commended for his bravery in doing exactly as he believes, despite the consequences. This is, after all, the reason he was reelected to the Senate in 2006 by Connecticut's independent voters. Strict adherence to party platforms and lack of independent thinking by our elected leaders is exactly the problem with the current state of national politics. Those representatives that act as delegates rather than straw men swaying in the wind of public opinion are our true leaders. Good examples of these are the senators who formed the "Gang of 14" to bring about compromise, as party stalwarts repeatedly clashed horns to no avail. Among this select group were Joseph Lieberman and John McCain, two independent-minded leaders. The political landscape has shifted significantly since the spring of 2005 when the "Gang of 14" was formed. Lieberman, however, has remained true to his beliefs and position as a democratic independent-minded Senator. This stands in stark contrast to the blatant pandering of Sen. Obama who never swerves from the party line. Sen. McCain, too, is guilty of positioning himself more closely with his party's base as a result of political expediency. Rather than resuming the current left vs. right/Democrat vs. Republican battle, now is the time to embrace independent thinkers like Lieberman rather than targeting them as traitors to their narrowly defined political parties. As such, it was a shame that we missed the opportunity to see and perhaps vote for a transcendent McCain-Lieberman ticket.
Cutting the cord on landlines, students choose cell phones
September 22This is the second article in a two-part series exploring landline phone use and its demise in the wake of the cell phone. The first installment focused on the landline services offered in Tufts' residence halls; this one examines how students view these services and on how the trends in wireless communications will affect students post-college.
Alumna Hessan brings Tufts education to CEO's chair
September 22Diane Hessan (J '76) told students last night that her Tufts education laid a strong foundation for her success as the president of a major company.
Police Briefs
September 22Welcome to the Daily's interactive police blotter map. Click each point on the map to learn about the incident that happened there.
Jessie Borkan | College Is As College Does
September 22OK so not my first date. Webster's defines a date as "a romantic appointment or engagement," and I have certainly been on my fair share of those.
Amid economic crisis, Tufts rethinking financial aid carrier
September 22The recent upheaval in capital markets could cause Tufts to change its system of allocating federal financial aid in time for next year's process.
Jeremy Greenhouse | Follow the Money
September 22I think we all watched Brett Favre's crazy antics last night (except for me), so allow me to play Tuesday morning quarterback with Favre and my New York Jets.
Overuse of antibiotics leads to ineffectiveness
September 21Editor's note: Correction appended
Corrections
September 21The Sept. 19 article titled "Alums Tisch, Stewart name company after Hill," indicated that Jeffrey Stewart graduated from Tufts in 2000. He graduated in 1990. The Sept. 19 article titled "Tufts' alert system, Send Word Now, contacted slew of students during yesterday's test" said that the recent Send Word Now test run occurred on Thursday. It occurred on Wednesday. The article also did not end due to a production error. The Sept. 19 article "Senior pursues interests in counterterrorism" attributes the photo to Shawna Russo. It was actually taken by Daily photographer Susan Kornfeld. The Sept. 15 article "iPhones become uPhones as colleges distribute technology to students" said that all students at the University of Maryland "can receive [an iPhone] on the condition that they participate in a feedback seminar." The university actually limits the number of students who can be part of this pilot program. Currently, 133 scholarship students are participating.
Video highlights | Football, Tufts vs. Wesleyan
September 21This game was recorded and narrated by JumboCast; the compilation above was produced by the Tufts Daily.
Athletes of the Week (Will Forde, Melissa Burke)
September 21Senior tailback Will Forde lifted the football team to a comeback 20-14 victory in its first game of the season against Wesleyan Saturday, rushing for a career high 133 total yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Tufts as a team posted 247 gained yards from the rush.
Top Ten | Requests for TRL before its cancellation
September 17After an impressive 10-year run, MTV's landmark show TRL will air its final episode in November. Though the show has gone through some changes to stay in touch with young audiences with increasing levels of ADD — including incremental shortening of music video clips — we in the arts section think there might be some changes the network hasn't thought of yet which have the potential to save the show. Rather than send them a letter, we thought the show would appreciate it if we voiced our requests here. 10. Bring back Carson Daly: Let's face it: you probably either loved him or, if you were a teenage guy, you probably hated him for his ability to talk to girls your age without breaking a sweat. Yet he was still TRL's only truly memorable VJ; try as they might, the show just couldn't find anyone who was quite as big a tool as Daly. I guess we'll never know whether he would have kept that stylin' swoosh haircut in the face of impending baldness. 9. Restart the boy band craze: TRL, it's time to realize your potential and consider that, although you may have gotten tired of interviewing what seemed to be the same post-pubescent pretty boy, most of America has not. We wanna see more young men who aren't afraid of dressing alike, singing cheesy lyrics and frosting their tips. You know you have the power, so let's get it done. 8. Fix the live performance sound problems: Everyone would get excited when they heard that their favorite band was slated to play on TRL, but in the end, it was never worth getting excited for five minutes of way-too-loud guitars and drummers looking confused because their bass drum just fell off the stage. All the while, the studio audience is totally phoning it in while trying to act like they know who these people on stage are. 7. Stop blocking traffic: As if there weren't already enough tourists, vendors and homeless people to make Times Square into a hellhole, TRL had to also make it an easy target for pedophiles. "Psst. Did you hear that every day at 3:00 p.m., hundreds of 13-year-old girls ditch their parents, crowd around on the sidewalk,and ‘go wild'?" 6. Play more than 30 seconds of the videos: "Here it is, guys, the second chorus of the song you called in 6,000 times to vote for!" The sad part is that no one was really watching for the video itself anyway. They could just print out the list, hold it up to the camera to let us read it, and then have monkeys salsa dance in drag for the rest of the hour. We have that idea copyrighted, by the way. 5. Sedate in-studio audiences: The only way to actually hear music on TRL was to try desperately to tune out the overexcited rabid throngs of tweens screaming about anything and everything in six-second bursts, followed by the obligatory "Wooooo!" Canned laughter and applause never seemed so good until TRL crammed "music appreciators" into the studio and told them to make "live" more alive than it should ever be. 4. Eliminate shout-outs: Leave out the shouts, for Jesse's sake! We've never been interested in watching a bunch of tube-top-wearing, screaming fangirls yell into the mic, letting us know that they love their boyfriend, mother or mother's boyfriend. If that wasn't enough, we were forced to read the shout-out messages on the bottom of the screen throughout your show. By the way, HEY MOM I'M AT THE DAILY OFFICE WRITING THE TOP TEN!!! 3. Resurrect Jesse Camp: America's favorite "who wants to be a VJ" is … wait, is he really dead? Well, hold on a second, my séance cloak is in the laundry. You brought the goat's blood, right? 2. Play my requests: Wasn't MTV based on the slogan, "I Want my MTV!"? Every time you watch the show, your favorite video would be "on deck" and VJs assured you it might be on the next episode. How about you play a music video that people actually want to see? Start with Prodigy's "Smack My B-tch Up" and move on to "Justify My Love" by Madonna. That will get you some viewers. 1. Incorporate reality TV into the countdown: Why do you think that shows like "The Hills" and "Cribs" do so well on MTV? Viewers don't want music videos anymore, they want reality! Here's what you can do: vote off VJs in the middle of the show, have a candid backstage catfight between Alyssa Milano and Kennedy, film Damien Fahey having a breakdown because he hasn't had his mineral water, or film Daly and zombified Camp in a long lip-locking session. Now that's good TV.
Tufts grad Sciortino wins primary contest
September 16Democratic state Rep. Carl Sciortino (LA '00) narrowly defeated Alderman Bob Trane yesterday after an unexpectedly grueling primary campaign.
