This weekend marks a special occasion. Tufts alumni will come from far and wide and undergrads will drunkenly stumble down to the hardly-ever-visited football field to watch the Tufts football team battle the ruthless Bowdoin Polar Bears. Sounds epic, doesn't it?
In 1994, Kevin Smith introduced the film world to a realm already intimately known by many: "Clerks" made a feature-length movie out of a day in the lives of two slackers in their 20s discussing "Star Wars" and comic books. The duo spends much of the movie quoting other movies - "Salsa shark ... We're gonna need a bigger boat" (Jaws, 1975) - and not really getting their lives together.
Though many adults look back on their teenage years and early 20s as an exciting period of growth and change, college-age students today may not be so happy and carefree.
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed a resolution Sunday to rename its Professor of the Year Award.
Tufts University Health Service is preparing for the upcoming flu season by setting up flu vaccination clinics in October and early December.
"Halo 3" is the final installment in the much-lauded "Halo" trilogy, and the first of the games to be developed for a next-generation console.
The best thing about being a freshman is that you know that you will never have to go through that experience again. Unless you're going abroad.
The Tufts community kicked off Latino Heritage Month yesterday with a catered reception at the Latino Center.
In the past, condoms have followed a one-size-fits-all approach, but now all that has changed. Tufts graduate and CEO of the specialty condom retailer, Condomania, Adam Glickman (LA '89) revealed a new line of custom-fit condoms called "They-Fit Condoms." According to the company, these sized to fit condoms can decrease sexual risks, such as pregnancy and STDs, and increase pleasure for both partners. All one has to do is go online to www.condomania.com and download a "Fit Kit" to measure their little friend in question. With 55 different sizes to choose from, there should be an ideal match for everyone, according to Glickman. They can then order their customized condoms and have them shipped directly to their door. With 55 different sizes to choose from, there should be an ideal match for everyone, according Glickman. They can then order their customized condoms and have them shipped directly to their door. Glickman began his condom career during his undergraduate years at Tufts. He had always been an entrepreneur and had his own futon company by the time he was a junior. Glickman attended Tufts during the 1980s, when he says it was the "first time there was open debate and discussion about AIDS." Few people previously considered condoms a necessity, but new fears arose with the growth of the deadly AIDS epidemic, Glickman said. "Short of abstinence to cure the spread of AIDS was the condom," he said. This increased awareness in safe sex caused Glickman to combine his entrepreneurial skills, with his interests from his psychology and sociology double major, to create "Jumbo Brand Condoms." "Jumbo Brand Condoms" were typical latex condoms packaged in a matchbook cover with a "Safe Jumbo is a Happy Jumbo" on one side, and a cartoon of the Tufts' mascot on the other. With classmate Davin Wedle (LA '90) Glickman went door to door and ended up selling one thousand condoms for one dollar a piece. With the success of "Jumbo Brand Condoms," Glickman wrote his senior sociology thesis on condoms before winning the "Montle Prize" for entrepreneurial leadership for his new company "Custom Condoms." "Custom Condoms," located in Somerville, became highly successful and in 1991, Glickman and Wedle opened "Condomania" in New York City. The following year, "Condomania" became a full time company and split with its parent business. Glickman moved "Condomania" headquarters to Los Angeles while Wedle stayed in Boston with "Custom Condoms," now known as "Global Protection Corporations." Glickman explains that his company "helps guide people to the best and newest products available." Hence, when Glickman learned of inventor Frank Sadlo's discovery of condoms made to fit each person as closely as possible, he immediately contacted the inventor. Glickman and Sadlo formed a partnership to get customized condoms from production to the marketplace, which resulted in "They-Fit Condoms." "They-Fit Condoms" address a common fear that men -- and their partners-- have of their condoms breaking or slipping during sexual intercourse. "My friend was so paranoid that after he had sex, he'd take home his condom and fill it with water to see if there were any holes," sophomore Tim Kane said. Sophomore Matt Ninnemann voiced concern that a condom's size could affect its susceptibility to breakage. "I had a condom break once...there was a lot of friction going on and I think the condom might have been too small," he said. Medical Director at Tufts Health Services Margaret Hingham disagrees with Glickman's assessment, saying that the "majority of condom breakage is due to misuse." However, Glickman asserts that in fact size does matter when it comes to condoms. "The number one reason for condom failure beyond misuse is due to a size issue," he said. He points out that condoms that do not fit properly often leave an unrolled ring at base, which can become caught in the male's partner and get pulled off. The ring also can make the condom roll back up, increasing pressure and discomfort. Irritation is also a byproduct of the condom being too tight. In addition to its protective use, Glickman says that a comfortable condom makes for a more enjoyable experience. And aside from childbirth, enjoyment is the main reason people engage in sex -- thus if it's not comfortable, sex likely will not be enjoyable. "Once you get a condom that fits right, it's better both physically and mentally," Glickman said. "Anxiety alone can kill the moment." Despite positive aspects of sized to fit condoms their price deters some college students from actually purchasing them. "They-fit Condoms" are priced at $11.95 per dozen while drugstore condoms range from $6-$12. Furthermore, most college students get their condoms free of charge. "I just go to health services," Ninneman said. Sophomore, and co-coordinator of LCS's Ses Talk, Allison Patrick stresses the importance of free condoms. Sex Talk hosts events such as Condom Outreach in the campus center where free condoms are offered. Patrick says that although guys can sometimes be hesitant about picking up protection for their precious package, "we have couples who come to stock up." The important thing, according to Patrick, is to get the condoms out there. "A free condom is better than no condom at all," Glickman agreed. This is designed to compete with the Trojan at your local drugstore. It's one of those things that make sense within an individual's needs and budget." Freshman John Tilliss agrees and says that he would only buy custom-fit condoms "if I was dating someone." A sophomore who wishes to remain nameless says he would not buycustomized condoms because he does not "think it's worth it." "It's just as easy to go to Rite-Aid and buy some regular ones... regular ones are stretchy anyway so it's ridiculous," Babula said. Hingham doesn't see the need for custom-fit condoms because "latex does stretch to fit many sizes." However, just because a condom can stretch to size, doesn't mean it feels good, says Glickman. "I could roll a condom over a watermelon but if I happened to be shaped like a watermelon it wouldn't feel good," he said. In fact, by the 200th order of "They-Fit Condoms," all 55 sizes had been purchased, showing the remarkable diversity in penis size. Over 85 percent of the customers indicated in a survey by the company that they planned to reorder the condoms again. Glickman contributed his success to his years spent at the University. He says "the experience at Tufts shaped me and my perspective in a really positive way to be able to pursue this... without the environment at Tufts, I don't think any of this would have happened."
The Sept. 25 letter to the editor from Kevin Keane, Senior Vice President of the American Beverage Association, tries to make the case for bottled water. The American Beverage Association is an industry group whose members include PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, manufacturers of the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 bottled water brands, respectively (Aquafina and Dasani). This obviously self-interested case is as full of holes as a sieve.
The football team's freshman linebacker Brian Danshaw captured NESCAC Rookie of the Week honors for Week 2, as his defensive efforts helped lead the Jumbos to a 35-20 victory over Bates in Lewiston, Maine.
Boston and its surrounding cities are no strangers to gang violence, and recent trends have suggested that the situation is not improving.
Universities have always been nexuses of controversial discussion and debate, but a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last Monday to students at Columbia University has sparked debate over how the collegiate forum should be used.
Mondays in Davis Square have been getting louder lately, and it's not due to a rowdy bar crowd or those caffeine-addicted Starbucks customers.
A year ago, the National League playoffs began with four teams - one 97-game winner and three others that limped into October amid the lowest of expectations - vying for a spot in the 2006 World Series.
Copyright law is a tricky subject. Most of you would probably agree that musicians and filmmakers should be compensated for their art, but you have also probably used file sharing. File sharing has enriched many people's lives, including my own, by granting exposure to new styles that they couldn't otherwise afford.
Alright, I admit it. I kind of, sort of, somewhat, in my own special, obnoxiously condescending kind of way, enjoy National League baseball.
While the women's cross country team took the weekend off and the men posted a third-place finish at the Keene State Invitational, the real story this weekend was the comeback of a pair of runners that have been integral to the success of their respective teams throughout their time at Tufts.
