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How do you Bonnaroo?

Some of the most evident aspects of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee are the varying states of unpreparedness of the festival-goers.

‘Heads or Tails?’: A postmodern postmortem

With the staging of Meng Jinghui’s “Heads or Tails?,” the Tufts community was called upon to react to the abstracting force of “non- traditional” art. Which is simply to say that the call for meaning’s production was conspicuously sounded — a conspicuity opposed to the subtler message ...

Have a 'pretty' experience at Maria Bonita

A few sacrifices had to be made when I moved here from Texas. I could no longer wear flip-flops year round. There was no room for my SUV in Beacon Hill, so I had to leave it behind. And, I had to drop my "ya'lls" to avoid public ridicule. But the hardest thing to let go of was the delicious, readily-available, traditional Mexican food. While Mexican food does exist in Boston, choices are often limited to either a fast food franchise or a chic spot that costs mucho dinero. Where I come from, Mexican restaurants abound that offer fresh, flavorful, authentic food that is inexpensive. And since I'm a Nutrition student, my ideal Mexican restaurant must also have some healthy options. The closest I've come to feeling like I'm back in Texas is at Maria Bonita Restaurant. This cozy, 25-seat restaurant is a 10 minute walk from Davis Square, just down the Minute Man pathway to Mass Ave. But when you enter, you feel like you've stepped into a central Mexican kitchen. While the mango-colored walls and wrought iron light fixtures add to Maria Bonita's welcoming atmosphere, what really makes it feel like home are the friendly people who prepare the simple, comforting dishes. The menu is not trendy or fancy or particularly unique - tacos, tostadas, tortas, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas filled with beef, chicken, beans, pork, fish, or vegetables - but what makes Maria Bonita different is that the uncomplicated dishes are wholesome, satisfying, and if it's possible to gauge such a thing, made with love. The vegetarian burrito was chock-full of tangy veggies (saut?©ed mushrooms, squash, zucchini, and peppers), yellow rice, and pinto beans - the flavors melded together with creamy cheese and hot sauce. A few added spoonfuls of fresh cilantro-infused salsa gave the burrito a perfect balance between light and rich. Unlike its drive-thru counterparts, the burrito definitely wasn't greasy or heavy, so I felt good about eating it (though I'd request a plate if you're planning on using silverware - I had a rough time maneuvering with the paper-lined basket). The cheese enchilada plate my friend chose included two warm cheddar-filled corn tortillas carefully topped with a spicy red sauce, diced tomatoes and lettuce. Each bite was velvety and comforting. Sides of seasoned black beans (I preferred the pinto beans from my burrito) and rice rounded out the colorful plate. The stars of the meal were definitely the chips and guacamole. The lightly salted homemade wheat tortilla chips were nice and thick - which was a good thing when you're using them to scoop large amounts of the wonderfully fresh, chunky guacamole. It was well worth $1.50 for a small bowl of this heavenly avocado creation. In fact, everything at Maria Bonita is incredibly inexpensive. The enchilada plate was $5.00 and the burrito cost $3.00. While Mexican food menus can be a mine field for those wanting to eat healthfully, Maria Bonita isn't nearly as dangerous because the portions are reasonable. My friend and I both left feeling satisfied, but not gorged. Also earning nutrition points are the lack of food coloring, flavor additives, and heat lamps at Maria Bonita; instead, there are just straightforward recipes made with simple ingredients. Maria Bonita is special because it's basic. Maria Bonita Restaurant is located at 2447 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, and is open from 10 am to 9 pm every day of the week. Tel: (617) 868-1160. Jennifer Wilmes is a graduate student in Nutrition Communication at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BA in Communication from Southwestern University.

Women's Crew | Baker and Brown Cup kind to brown and blue

The women's crew had a mammoth showing on Sunday, sweeping the varsity eight, second varsity eight and novice races.

Out of Thin Air | Humidity, or not humidity?

The old hidden-ball trick, the spitter, the stitch-a-ball-on-the-jersey trick... the humidor?

NESCAC Series | NESCAC teams in national spotlight

Nutrition Spotlight | Read this before you break out that bikini...

As the much-missed warm air creeps back in to Boston, it's time to peel off your winter layers and start showing some skin! But before making its spring debut, your skin may need some TLC after another long New England winter. Often, this means heading to the drugstore for scrubs, lotions and any other product that promises vibrant and glowing skin.

Standalone | Workin' Women

Ivka Kalus (left) addresses the Women in International Business Conference last night hosted by Tufts Broad2Be. Kalus is a portfolio manager in the International Growth Opportunities Strategy Group at State Street Global Advisors, and she received her MA from the Fletcher School. Kalus, a mother of two, discussed how to balance a family and a career. Among the other conference participants were Nathalie Laidler-Kylander, an adjunct lecturer of International Business at the Fletcher school, Jean Hammond, a high-tech industry entrepreneur, and Sheila Cavanaugh of Fidelity Investments.

How to | ...break your habit of skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day. That's right, your grandmother's wisdom about the importance of breakfast is more than just an old saying. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Get Your Motor Running | Marathon lessons prove helpful to all athletes

On April 17th, over 20,000 people - including 200 Tufts runners and yours truly - voluntarily took on the challenge of completing the Boston Marathon: a 26.2 mile run from Hopkinton to Boston.

No Fares Lecture for 2005-2006 academic year

Although many of the high-profile speakers to visit Tufts are invited as part of the Issam M. Fares Lecture Series, that lecture will not happen in the 2005-2006 academic year, Professor and Fares Center Director Leila Fawaz confirmed for the Daily in an e-mail.

Letter to the Editor | Lt. Gov candidate: What will you do this summer?

With the academic year drawing to a close and the Red Sox lighting up our field of dreams once again, it is tempting to start down-shifting and glide into the relaxing rhythms of a quiet summer.

Men's Crew | A frustrating weekend for the men's crew

Lake Quinsigamond proved to be almost as frustrating to row on as to spell, as the men's crew failed to win in any of its races on Saturday and Sunday.

I scream, you scream, for ice cream (and a good cause)

"Free ice cream for everybody!"

Correction

The text of yesterday's News article "Class Council races today; sophomore and senior seats contested" (Apr. 25, 2006) incorrectly stated that Class Council elections would be held today. The elections took place yesterday. The Daily apologizes for the error.

FINDING BALANCE | I've been a bad, bad girl - and I won't apologize!

I'm graduating, in less than a month, from Tufts' Friedman School - one of the top institutions in the country devoted to the study of nutrition. My degree in nutrition communication, is something of which I'm proud, but it's also something that carries a tremendous burden.

Class Council election results

SOPHOMORE CLASS COUNCIL

Inside Fitness | Resistance training good for those with little time

With warm weather approaching, what would you say is the single best way to get in shape for wearing summer clothing? I don't have a lot of time to waste in the gym with finals coming up. Please put together a quick workout that I can do in as little time as possible. Some nutrition advice wouldn't hurt either.

NESCAC Series | NESCAC teams in national spotlight

Fifteen years ago, a national championship title was just a dream for NESCAC athletes. But with the postseason runs of the Tufts women's soccer, men's basketball and men's swimming teams this year, and with 26 league teams currently in the national top 25 polls and several poised at a national title, the news is out: NESCAC is here to stay. Prior to 1993, NESCAC rules prohibited teams from competing in any tournament that was not regional and terminal, meaning that its draw pool could not exceed New England, and it could offer no NCAA qualifying berth to the winner. "NESCAC schools have always been strong athletically - we were just the best-kept secret," Tufts Athletic Director Bill Gehling said. "If we had been allowed to compete on the national stage back then, we would have been successful. We offer an option to really good student-athletes that's tough to beat." Individual qualifiers in track, cross country and swimming were allowed to compete at Nationals from the league's inception, but relays and all team sports were prohibited, a rule intended to protect class time and keep NESCAC teams off the slippery slope of big-name athletics. "To me, the only purpose that rule served was to keep deserving athletes from having the chance to test themselves at the highest possible stage," Gehling said. "It created an inequity in that track athletes or swimmers could go whereas [team players] couldn't, and that never struck me as fair." Rather than NCAA tournaments, NESCAC teams played in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournaments, which were regional in scope and offered no automatic qualifying bid to the national tournament. "We had a great deal of success [at ECACs], to the point where in the semifinals there would be a minimum of three, if not all four, NESCAC teams," Middlebury Athletic Director Russ Reilly said. "Clearly we were showing that in addition to outstanding academics, we also had great athletic programs." With NESCAC programs proving themselves around New England, the impetus for change came largely from two league athletes. Bowdoin track and cross country star Eileen Hunt ('93), now Eileen Hunt Botting, and Williams runner Seth McClennen ('92) provided a voice for the student-athletes across the conference that were putting pressure on their coaches and administrations. "I thought that the rules were unnecessary and unfair and extreme," said Hunt Botting, now an assistant political science professor at the University of Notre Dame. "There's no athlete that doesn't want to compete at the top level." Botting Hunt met with then-president of Bowdoin Bob Edwards, who was newly arrived from his post as president of Carleton College, a Div. III school that had no such restrictions on NCAA tournament play. With Williams president Francis Christopher Oakley facing pressure from McClennen, and Colby athletic and academic administration being lobbied by a standout cross country relay team, the NESCAC presidents met and agreed on a three-year trial period to allow league teams to accept NCAA berths. "A lot of pressure started to be exerted by student-athletes, their families and the coaching staff to add NCAAs to our menu of athletic offerings," Reilly said. "Several track relay teams and a couple of hockey teams and a couple of lacrosse teams were having unusually great success, and the presidents decided to try it as a three-year experiment. At end of first experiment, there was a second, and now it's standard practice that we go as institutions." One of those teams was the Tufts women's lacrosse team, which went 71-4 from 1984 to 1990 and won five consecutive ECAC Championships. The Jumbos were undeniably among the nation's best, but were prohibited by NESCAC rules from pursuing a national title. "We all came to Tufts knowing what the rules were," lacrosse coach Carol Rappoli said. "In my mind, the ECAC tournament was what our goal was, and we have six championships in the 80s. The only disappointment for me [was that it was] about six years too late when the NESCAC presidents allowed teams to participate in the NCAA [tournaments]." Botting Hunt pointed primarily to the economic sacrifice that is asked of student-athletes who choose to play at a NESCAC school over a state school or Div. I program that can offer athletic scholarships. "The kids that NESCAC attracts are already turning down Div. I scholarships because they value their education," Hunt Botting said. "Economically, it's a huge difference, and [NESCAC schools] were basically saying, 'You made this incredible sacrifice, but we're going to punish you even more by denying you the opportunity to compete at Div. III Nationals.' The culture of NESCAC is one that is very professional and unique, and [allowing teams to go to NCAAs] didn't compromise that." "The big thing that keeps corruption out of Div. III sports is the lack of scholarships," Hunt Botting added. "We have that safeguard and then in NESCAC we have the extra safeguard of the kids, choosing to go to these schools because they care about a liberal arts education." Rocky Carzo, a former Tufts football coach and Athletic Director, was at the helm when the decision was made in 1993, and still holds reservations about its implications. "When we started allowing [teams to go to national tournaments], people told me 'Rocky, you're going to be sorry. You guys have got it made, and all you're doing is opening a Pandora's box by going to NCAAs,'" Carzo said. "I've been here for a long time as a coach and an AD [athletic director], and I don't know whether it's better or not." "When does the tail begin to wag the dog?" Carzo continued. "When does it become so important to go to national championships that it affects the way students live, the amount of practice they have, the amount of money that you put into the sport, the number of coaches you have, the number of facilities you have? All of those things have an impact on where your school is going." While they still prompt debate, the new rules are firmly established in the NESCAC institutions' athletic programs, and the success that has followed their implementation is undeniable. Williams College has won the Div. III Directors Cup, awarded annually to the best athletics program in the country, nine out of its 10 years of existence, and the past seven straight years. The only time it lacked sole ownership of the top spot was in 1998, when it shared the title with NESCAC rival Middlebury. Williams, Middlebury and Amherst have been in the top 15 of the standings all 10 years, with Williams and Middlebury going one-two in 2004-2005, 2000-2001 and 1998-1999. "These are kids who care about their future as intellectuals and professionals," Botting Hunt said. "Sport is more of a hobby for them - it's just what they do, secondary to everything else. What I'm amazed by is how NESCAC teams, even though they have the highest academic standards in Div. III, consistently do really well at Nationals. Obviously, something's working out well."

Top Ten | Sports Quotes

As a wise man once said, "Everything worth saying has already been said." In that ironic tradition, the Daily presents our list of the Top 10 sports quotes. They'll make you laugh, they'll make you cry, but mostly they'll save us from having to think of anything creative.