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Weekender Feature | Lady Sovereign

November 30

Compared to the bullet-riddled 50 Cent, the incarcerated Beanie Sigel, or anyone from the remaining bevy of menacing, hostile and accomplished rappers, Lady Sovereign is almost comically unimposing. Her side ponytail drapes easily onto her shoulder, allowing an unobstructed view of her disarming brown eyes. She's 19, 5'1", a girl and British (they can't fight). But appearances aside, make no mistake about it: Lady Sovereign will f-k you up. Armed with a Cockneyed novelty and a mad Napoleonic complex, the West London/Wembley grime rapper-trix, "Sov" (real name: Louise Harman) is spitting and snarling her way to the top of the global rap scene with lightning speed, and threatens to put her budding genre smack dab in the American music limelight. Her rap career began in adolescence, when she would bum around to friends' houses, recording entire 30-minute shows and immediately posting them on the Internet. Sov crafted her penetrating, razor-sharp delivery thus until, at 18, she debuted in earnest on this year's "Run the Road" grime compilation. Released by London's 679 Records, the album looked to capitalize on the increasing global popularity of grime/garage/two-step - a young, dance-friendly sound coming from the British underground and ghettos. The frenzied snare hits, booming bass punches, robotic melodies and lyrical prowess of Dizzee Rascal and The Streets, two of grime's would-be superstars, were garnering heaps of critical and commercial accolades, and at the height of their popularity, 679 released this collection of tracks from the nascent genre's lesser known artists. "Run the Road" is stacked, one of this year's best reviewed albums, but emerging from the pack of quality, bone-chilling, head-nodding, rump-shaking tracks - including a previously unreleased banger from Dizzee Rascal - was this random white girl barely old enough to drive. With its manically thundering beat and Sov's breakneck vocals, "Cha Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)" stole what was supposed to be a Dizzee Rascal/The Streets show, and introduced the world to the fierce "multitalented munchkin" who really is in a class of her own.What makes her sovereign? For one thing, no one has a voice like Sov's. Start with the delicate pipes of a good-looking, diminutive teenage girl and mangle it with packs and packs of cheap cigarettes and god knows how much Pernod (a favorite lyrical topic). Weather it with the frustration of being a woman in a male-dominated genre, and spike it on the streets of West London's housing projects, and you have her uniquely throaty, gravely vocals. She matches her distinctive voice with an equally peerless delivery. Sov impeccably dances atop syllables and flies through entire verses with a velocity that the 32-year-old Twista took a career to develop. Her intelligibility is even more impressive, given that half the time it's impossible to even understand cockney British subtitles, much less speedy rap vocals. "Cha Ching" immediately spotlights these strengths, opening with Sov spitting her now-trademark chip-on-shoulder self-aggrandizement. "I'm the best thing since sliced bread, no Eminem / Feminine? Nah / Ms. Sovereign? Yeah!" she narrowly spurts as she proceeds to diss her fans, among other phantom nemeses. It was this voice and this delivery that drowned out her peers on "Run the Road," and had a handful of executives seeing Euro signs. The success of "Run the Road" and "Cha Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)" made Sov a sensation in her native UK, where she released several well received singles, including "Hoodie" with techno megastars Basement Jaxx, an ode to her favorite outer layer much maligned by Britain's recent anti-terror campaign. Her success in the UK set off a race for the rights to release her debut EP, "Vertically Challenged," in the United States. The honor fell to Chicago indie-rap label Chocolate Industries, home of American underground studs Vast Aire and Diverse, and former home of fellow Englishman Roots Manuva. Sovereign goes vertical "Vertically Challenged" dropped earlier this month, and while not the grime masterpiece that her singles suggested, it is a tantalizing early look at a highly animated and disgustingly talented young rapper. "Random," the EP's standout track, in which she backhands J-Kwon, Chingy and Ludacris (in the first verse!), showcases the fiery fem-cee's boldness and aggression through astounding verbal acumen. "Smokin' kills and so do my lyrics / If you're poppin' pills then trash in a-with-it / 'cause I got the skills / And I'm over the limit / Dishin' lyrics like meals every second every minute." Sov burns the quintessentially grimey techno-bass throbs of "A Little Bit of SHH," knifing through the track with lunatic self-props like "They should put my voice on an ice cream van / That way the streets wouldn't be bland." In truth, though, "Vertically Challenged" will probably not be the grime release to finally make a serious impact stateside: Chocolate Industries simply does not have the distribution capacity to get Sov the exposure to infiltrate the callous American hip-hop industry. Nonetheless, one American Sov fan is looking to help her do just that. In support of "Challenged," Chocolate Industries booked Sov on a 16-day, eight-show tour of North America that began Monday in Boston (we'll get to that in a second), but before the tour began, Jay-Z, purportedly captivated by the teenager's ability, summoned her to Def Jam's Manhattan headquarters for an impromptu audition of sorts with an audience of Usher, Def Jam chair Antonio Reid and Jigga himself. If the audience wasn't tough enough, the circumstances were. According to Sov, the hip-hop mogul, nearly twice her age and a full foot taller, asked her to "spit something on the spot." "I don't normally get nervous," she says on her Web site. "But I didn't want him picking me up by the scruff on my neck and throwing me out the window." Not quite. After three 16-bar freestyles, Lady Sovereign was signed to Def Jam satellite La Familia. Moreover, according to a British fan site, Hov' intends to team Sov with Def Jam superstar Missy Elliott and hit-makers The Neptunes for tracks on her 2006 full-length debut, tentatively titled "Public Warning." She is now the first and only British grimester to boast a major stateside distribution deal and signing, but this is not the only leg-up she has on her genre-mates. Unlike her more talented peers, Lady Sovereign can perform.Live and kicking One of the most serious stateside knocks on grime is that it cannot make the transition from headphones to stage. The appeal, the Yanks seem to think, is in the music's production, the minute technical refinements that are no problem in the studio but a crippling bane in a club. Such was the downfall of the ill-fated The Streets/Dizzee Rascal American tour and this writer's earlier critique of M.I.A.'s Boston gig two months ago. On Monday at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, Lady Sovereign kicked off her first full American tour to a sold out audience of less than 200, and took a lead pipe to this consensus of live grime. Hitting the stage in a red Adidas tracksuit and sporting her usual youthful side pony-tail, Harman hijacked the audience's attention and clung to it like she wasn't coming back. On tracks like "Broom" and the Internet-only "Tango," a vitriolic harangue of fake tanning, her delivery is as shank-sharp as in the studio. She methodically plodded through the standard vocal time signature of "Hoodie" and sprinted like a shoplifter through the jaw-dropping verses of "Cha Ching" with equal volume and comfort. She strutted the stage right. She held the mic right. She bobbed her pointer finger right. She dealt with a faulty sound system. From a technical standpoint, she did the big and little things with the poise of a battle-tested vet - and she can't even drink here. Still, mechanical abilities notwithstanding, what will put Sov over the top in this country is what she did between songs. Girl's got personality, period. Beyond her I'm-a-short-British-girl schtick, she's a hilarious and engaging person the likes of which I don't think American hip-hop has ever seen. A female audience member pressed against the stage impulsively shouted, "I love you!" at a lull in the show; Sov responded by mocking the fan-girl and calling her, in perfect Cockney, a "silly bitch." Sov's explanation of "Broom," a song about a broomstick with which Harman beat one of her girlfriends (whom she also referred to as a "silly bitch") and the audience's ensuing laughter delayed the start of the song.Here to stay Lady Sovereign is not the best grime producer (Dizzee Rascal) or rapper (Jammer or D Double E). She's not the most imaginative artist (Kano), and she wasn't the first to do something big with the sound (Wiley). Overall, she's not the most talented artist of the genre, but if grime succeeds in the United States, it'll be on her coattails, because unlike all of the aforementioned artists, she's a flippin' character. Spin Magazine's Chuck Klosterman has said that bands like British pomp-rock act The Darkness will never succeed in America because Americans are too stern to appreciate irony. I disagree. I think it is the ironic appeal of a 19-year old, 5'1, white, Cockney British fem-cee with a massive chip on her shoulder and planet-sized personality that will open our musical borders to a genre that the rest of the world has known about for a year now, and allow the talent to speak for itself. Let's hope so anyway.

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News

Jill Harrison | Traveling Lush

November 30

Do you believe in fate? As much as the Lush loves a classic, all-American Thanksgiving dinner, this year it was time for something different. Instead of heading South on I-93, last week I really emphasized the "traveling" portion of the column and went east, across the Atlantic, to spend the holiday with my older brother Mike, who lives in London with some flatmates who will be referred to here - most affectionately and somewhat derisively - as the "Law Dogs." This trip would most surely be legit; the Lush gene is shared by all the Harrison children. And what better time could there have been for me to arrive but the day before the lifting of alcohol permit restrictions dating back to World War I? I would argue that there is none. About a third of London's pubs, bars, and clubs had already applied for new permits allowing them to extend their hours and, in some cases, never close. Fate, my friends. Fate for sure. The first night, we took it slow because the Lush was feeling a little sleepy. Big Brother and I walked about 30 seconds down the street for a couple pints of Guinness (Extra Cold) and called it a night. The next night, having been caught in a particularly vicious hail storm earlier in the afternoon, we needed more than just a couple pints. We had a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal at a Chinese place in the afternoon. At night, we set out for dinner and drinks at the Westbourne, which I'm told is quite the place to be seen. We lucked out and got a table almost right away and settled in for the long haul. The pub had a menu to match its reputation, so we dined on not-so-typical pub fare - lamb and partridge (hey, it was a panic-order). While waiting for our gourmet pub fare, we consumed more than a couple of pints of Hoegaarden and a round of tequila shots. The meals came with a serious side of sass from one of the bartenders, directed at one of Mike's friends who he thought hadn't yet paid for the first round of shots. Once that was sorted out, dessert was a free round of shots to make up for his mistake. Well, the Lush will grant that mistakes are made, but leave the sass out of it if you please. What happened to the polite British? At least we got free shots for desert. Well, since the Lush is kind of a big deal, we cabbed it over to another super-hip London hotspot - the Lonsdale - where I was introduced to the wonderful, the magical mojito. By this point, the Lush was feeling pretty chatty and content to sip that limey-minty goodness and become best friends for life with Jack from Arlington, the 40-something uncle of Mike's roommate. The next night, we planned another classy evening; we even went to the theater. But somehow the night turned out a little bit less than classy. Seeing "We Will Rock You," the Queen musical, can get your night off to a weird start. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but let's just say it's set 300 years in the future and Queen music saves the world. I liked the show, but that opinion was not universal within our party. That, coupled with a death march to find a restaurant, left us with some long faces by the time we found a table at Pizza Express. We wanted directions to an Indian place but Preston made the mistake of asking a guy who was in the process of getting arrested, so that didn't really work out. Luckily, a few rounds of Peroni really turned those frowns upside down, and by the time we left, everyone was ready to party. We got outside and it was cold, so cold that a couple people were in danger of getting a little sad again, so we made a beeline for the nearest bar. I don't know what it is about Australian bars, but somehow the Lush ends up in one of them in every European city she visits. The Walkabout in London is actually pretty cool. It is housed in a converted church and has two dance floors and a balcony level overlooking the larger of the two. The bar was about as non-classy as the night before had been classy. We settled into the balcony with a round of Magner's and a great view of all the international making-out and singing along to Bon Jovi going on below. After an hour or so, we had all had about enough, especially after my brother had to pull me out of the way of some 17-year-old Swede's projectile vomit. The Lush was nowhere near drunk enough to put up with a scene like that. (That's almost an oxymoron, isn't it?) On Saturday night, with the end of the Lush's stay looming large on the horizon, the Law Dogs and I had to go out in style. We met up with some of their fellow future lawyers and hit Ling Ling's, an ultra-chichi bar/lounge in Nakasan, a Japanese restaurant near Piccadilly. We sipped on classy mojitos and one extremely-misguided rosewater martini that tasted like perfume (which is not a good taste). It tasted so bad, in fact, that we had to do some ultra-classy tequila shots to wipe that eau-de-disgusting taste away. The Lush received a number of compliments for her steely demeanor and general legit-ness in taking tequila shots. The shots were so good, they motivated Mike's roommate Alex and I to drunk-dial my Aunt Lisa - don't worry, she's cool. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Sunday was a day of reflection. Our extended weekend-long jaunt around downtown London had left us tired and our pockets a bit on the empty side - Mike's more than mine (my big bro is an excellent host). We ended the day with one final pint of Guinness. The Lush was not excited to return to the world of archaeology research papers, anthropology and biology finals, and this Saturday's upcoming LSATs. But, a good, solid Thanksgiving break of family time and pub time really rejuvenated me. I know this will come as a shock to many of you readers out there on the Hill, but the Lush is widely considered to be the biggest lightweight in the Harrison family. Last week, however, I truly represented and finally, at long last, proved to my older brother that I am truly worthy of the title the "Traveling Lush." Vindication? For sure.

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News

Inside College Basketball | A triple-overtime classic highlights Maui Invitational

November 30

While there were three early-season tournaments to kick off the college basketball season, the Maui Invitational received the most hype. And with four of the eight participants ranked in the top 12 in the country, the tournament lived up to expectations and then some. Buzzer-beaters, overtimes and closely-contested games in Maui may be a sign of a more wide-open national title chase then in years past. The first round went as expected, with all of the favorites advancing on an uneventful opening day. But the semifinal round kicked off two days of excitement. The best game of the week, an instant classic by all accounts, took place between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Michigan State Spartans. The game was extremely close throughout, with numerous lead changes, including four in the final 90 seconds of play. With Gonzaga up by three in the final seconds of regulation, Michigan State's Maurice Ager created some space with a pump-fake and hit a 25-foot three-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Bulldogs had a chance to win it in the waning seconds of the first overtime, only to see three shots on the last possession of the period fail to find the net. In the second OT, the Spartans turned the ball over in the final seconds, but Gonzaga failed to capitalize yet again on an opportunity to seal the game. In the third overtime, Gonzaga made good on its chances. After superstar Adam Morrison made two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 107-106 lead, Michigan State freshman Goran Suton missed a go-ahead layup, and Gonzaga's Derek Raivio made two free throws to provide the final 109-106 score. Michigan State's Shannon Brown had a chance to tie the game as time expired, but he lost the ball as he went to shoot. Despite the outrage of Spartans coach Tom Izzo, no foul was called. Morrison scored a game-high and tournament record 43 points and asserted himself as an early leader in the chase for the Wooden Award throughout the week. Ager led the Spartans with 36 points, and teammate Paul Davis turned in a stellar performance with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams capitalized on their free throws, with the Bulldogs shooting an incredible 27-for-28 while the Spartans were close behind at 26-for-29. This game had the intensity of a late March matchup between NCAA Tournament heavyweights, and may well be as good, if not better, than any other game that occurs this year. It also foreshadowed the ensuing excitement of the championship and consolation games the following day. Michigan State faced off against the Arizona Wildcats, who had lost to the Connecticut Huskies the day before in the other semifinal game. After dominating the glass and scoreboard for much of the game, the Spartans played sloppily, allowing Arizona to go on a 16-0 run for a 60-58 lead. But a pair of Paul Davis free throws tied the game and sent the Spartans into overtime for the second consecutive day. In the extra period, Brown gave them the lead for good on a short jumper, and Michigan State came out victorious, ending a hectic week in Maui. Gonzaga, not to be outdone, took its championship matchup with the Huskies down to the wire. The Bulldogs were down just two points at halftime, and kept it close for the entire game, neutralizing UConn star forward Rudy Gay and forcing his teammates to step up. Gay's supporting cast responded, with freshman Jeff Adrien and senior Rashad Anderson teaming up for 25 points in 34 combined minutes off the bench. Gonzaga's big three contributors - Morrison, Raivio, and J.P. Batista - were not nearly as dominating as they had been the previous night. Fitting with the theme of the week, the game came down to the final possession, when UConn's Denham Brown hit a turnaround jumper over Morrison and Batista as time expired to give the Huskies a two-point victory. Despite the absence of Marcus Williams, UConn looked sharp in all of its games and took home the title even with Gay's underperformance in the championship game. The must-see game this weekend is when the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Villanova Wildcats in a matchup of national championship contenders on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Earlier in the day, the defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels take on ophomore standout Rajon Rondo and the Kentucky Wildcats.

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News

University lobbies to prevent extension of controversial law

November 30

A new interpretation of a federal wiretapping law is drawing protests from universities, and Tufts is joining the fight. In August the Federal Communications Commission issued an order to extend the reach of the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) to universities. Libraries, airports providing wireless service and commercial Internet access providers would also be included. The 1994 law requires that, "a telecommunications carrier...ensure that its equipment, facilities, or services...are capable of...enabling the government...to access call-identifying information that is reasonably available to the carrier." The new order would force universities to comply with the law by 2007. Through two organizations for higher education institutions and related businesses, the University is lobbying to prevent the extension of the law. On Oct. 24, the American Council on Education filed petition for review at the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia on behalf of Tufts and its other member institutions. The petition for review will block the order's implementation while the organization files a lawsuit, according to Vice President of University Relations Mary Jeka. The biggest problem identified by the Council and the other organization, EDUCAUSE, is the expense universities will incur. "The focus of these efforts is educating the FCC about the inordinate financial burden the law would place on universities," Director of University Information Technology Infrastructure Lesley Tolman said. In a letter to Jeka, EDUCAUSE Vice President Mark Luker wrote, "CALEA was not intended to cover Internet access, but...if the FCC did so extend it, an exemption should be issued as it is not in the public interest to require every college, school, and library to redesign its networks in the event that a lawful request for surveillance may arise in the future." EDUCAUSE Policy Analyst Wendy Wigen said the order, requested by the Department of Justice, places an unreasonable burden on universities to overhaul their computer infrastructures. When a court orders a wiretap at a university, law enforcement agents set up a filter at Internet access points on campus. The Department of Justice considers this process "far too cumbersome" and would rather be able to "flip a switch" to monitor Internet activity, Wigen said. Wigen said that in 2004 there were about 1,759 court orders for wiretaps at all levels of jurisdiction. Most wiretap orders are made to catch drug dealers and those involved in organized crime, she said. According to an article in the New York Times, in its defense of the order the Department of Justice wrote that the extension of the law was necessary "'in the face of rapidly advancing technology' [to preserve] law enforcement's ability to conduct wiretaps 'in their fight against criminals, terrorists and spies.'" EDUCAUSE researched 700 universities and found only a handful had received a wiretap order for security reasons, Wigen said. The order will not take effect until the lawsuit - which is in the process of being filed - is resolved. The Times article said universities have not raised civil liberties issues with the order because it has not gone into effect. Political Science Professor Marilyn Glater said, hypothetically, if the Department of Justice received a copy of a student's e-mail that discussed plans for terrorist activities, there would be sufficient evidence for obtaining a wiretap order from the courts. With additional communications technologies, though, "How do you preserve the values of the Fourth Amendment," Glater asked, in regard to the right against unreasonable search and seizure. Jeka said Tufts has no plans to comply with the order until the issue is resolved by the courts.Marc Raifman contributed to this article.

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News

Theater Preview | Torn Ticket II throws a real 'Wild Party' in Balch

November 30

"The Wild Party" isn't your average musical. You won't find any of the usual elements - no good guy, no bad guy, no painfully catchy melodies or laughably corny lyrics. What you will find is sex, drugs and one heck of a party. Torn Ticket II's fall major revolves around four vaudeville actors in the roaring '20s: Queenie (senior Julia Arazi), Burrs (freshman Sean Hefferon), Kate (senior Emi Norris), and Mr. Black (sophomore Theron Corbin). Queenie and Burrs have been together for a few years, but there are indications that their relationship may be going a little sour. Maybe it's that Burrs slaps Queenie, or that she holds a knife up to him. Suffice it to say, the couple's relationship could use a bit of a boost. To solve the problem, Queenie decides to throw a huge party. She invites all her friends from the vaudeville underground, creating an interesting crowd that includes two gay playwrights, a minor and a hooker. It's an eclectic and volatile mix: Kate, for example, makes her entrance into the party by giving the middle finger to the entire room. Yep, that's the kind of party this is going to be. The party starts as fun and games, but tensions soon escalate when Queenie meets Kate's date, Mr. Black. Their attraction is instant and powerful, and what starts off as an attempt to hurt Burrs becomes something more. This creates all kinds of problems, which the characters work out through song, dance and lots of alcohol. There are several elements that make "The Wild Party" different from traditional musicals. The play isn't structured in the typical musical fashion, where audience members can guess what ought to happen and then watch how everything falls into place. "Everything isn't neat and wrapped up with a bow at the end," said the director, senior Laura Espy. "But that makes it more real. That's life." The play also contains complex characters that defy labels like good guy or bad guy. "The characters are very multi-layered," Arazi said. The characters must struggle with themselves constantly and grapple with difficult moral choices that have no easy answers. Their relationships with one another are equally complicated, leading to exciting and dynamic interactions on stage. The fact that each character is deeply flawed makes for some interesting acting challenges. "Burrs is probably one of the hardest characters I've ever played," Hefferon said. "But what they say about the villains being more fun, that's true." Arazi agreed. "I had to find a lot of anger in myself to play Queenie. It was hard," she said. Perhaps what most sets "The Wild Party" apart from other musicals is its modernity. Although the play takes place in the 1920s, the pit is guitar-heavy, giving the score a very rock sound. Coupled with sleek choreography, the show has a contemporary look despite its historical setting. The story is also more than accessible to the modern college student. "If you think about it, what's happening here isn't so different from what happens at frat parties all the time," Espy said. "People become archetypes, it becomes a performance. We're attracted to the drama, that's why we go." The play is also rather modern in another respect. "It's so sexy," said Arazi. And it is. At one point, the entire ensemble has stripped down to their underclothes, and there are so many couples and kisses that it's hard to keep track. It's certainly not "Oklahoma!," but it is fun to watch. Espy said that she hoped this would take away some of the stigma associated with more "traditional" musical theater. "It's not one of those musicals where you walk away saying, 'That was so unrealistic. No one would just break out in song like that,'" she said. Instead, the music emphasizes the fact that the characters really are putting on a performance, not just for the audience but for each other. The score isn't there just for its own sake, and that sets "The Wild Party" apart. In the end, its modern, hip feel is what makes "The Wild Party" worth seeing. It's edgy, complex and fun. Even those out there who aren't "theater people" might want to give this party a go.

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News

Closeup on CAD: Part 2 of 2

November 30

In engineering classes, many Tufts students have the chance to get up close and personal with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology: Tufts' Civil and Environmental Engineering department has its own CAD lab in Anderson Hall, as well as an Engineering Project Development Center (EPDC) that utilizes CAD technology and a machine shop where students can use AutoCAD to custom-design metal parts. According to senior and mechanical engineering major Michael Brown, Tufts' CAD lab - which includes 30 high-performance computers - is "sweet." "Anything you would want to draw [using CAD], you can do it there," Brown said. Civil and Environmental Engineering Senior Lecturer Lee Minardi, who teaches three CAD-centric courses at Tufts, shares Brown's enthusiasm for the lab and the "state-of-the-art" programs it utilizes. "Tufts' CAD lab compares very favorably to CAD labs at other universities," Minardi said. And many Tufts students take advantage of the lab. "I used it in a project this summer working with the BEND [Bringing Engineers into New Disciplines] program," said junior Clara Robinson, a mechanical engineer. "We were working with machines controlled by computers. Basically, we had a large plate that we needed to cut into specific dimensions with a laser-cutter. We used COREL [a CAD program] to control the laser." "It's a useful tool to know," Robinson said. CAD is first introduced to most engineers in EN-2, Engineering Graphics. The class is required by all engineers and taught by Minardi. He asked the course's 220 students last year to use AutoCAD to design iPod. "It was pretty amazing," Minardi said. "I gave them a CAD model of an iPod and a few speakers for them to place, and I gave them some dimensional restraints." The students took it from there. In Minardi's more advanced CAD classes, the projects get more complex. "In my ES-88 class, they just started their major project: a ten second animation," he said. For that project, the engineers have the chance to embrace their creative sides. "I've had people do everything from a fly-by of the Golden Gate Bridge to a fly-by of Florence, Italy, and one student did an animation of the Mars Rover landing," Minardi said. "The idea is to give students experience in creating precise geometric models to pose designs," he said, "whether they be mechanical assemblies or buildings or structures." For his senior design project, Brown is working with Axyz, Inc., a small engineering consulting company that recreates accident scenes from tractor-trailer crashes. "The trick was to figure out a way to use the information from a model truck in a program that would contain information about the surrounding environment during the accident," Brown said. To accomplish this "trick," Brown turned to AutoCAD, writing a program that converted raw location coordinates from a moving truck into a trajectory map. Then, he took that information and applied it to an AutoCAD drawing of the intersection where the accident had occurred - coming up with an accurate recreation of the truck's behavior during the incident. "It's pretty cool," Brown said. Brown is not the only student using the CAD lab for his or her senior design project: Many engineers use the lab to design custom parts for their projects. The parts are then produced in the Bray Machine Shop, near the Sci-Tech Center. "You can go into [the machine shop] and cut exactly what you want," senior and mechanical engineer Andrew Margules said. "If you're designing a metal plate and need holes in five specific places, you can create a design in AutoCAD, send it over there, and the machines will cut it for you using the dimensions that you've specified." Programs such as AutoCAD have uses outside the classroom, Brown said. He spent a month of his summer in the Virgin Islands thanks in part to his knowledge of the program. "I got a random job at an architecture firm because I knew AutoCAD," Brown said. "I worked on entering a couple's house plans into the program. They wanted to do renovations on their home, and it's really easy to play around with it once you've got it into AutoCAD." Tufts' CAD lab is only open to those students who use CAD technology for their classes - but those students often get hooked and end up craving CAD throughout their college careers: According to Minardi, once you go CAD, you never go back. "All freshmen engineers learn how to use AutoCAD or the EPDC," he said. "But a lot of those freshmen students still want to use the lab after the [required CAD class] is over. They keep coming back."

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News

A new generation of AIDS patients?

November 30

"A lot of young people think the AIDS epidemic is in the past," said junior Eva Alden, co-coordinator of the Leonard Carmichael Society group Sex Talk. "[They think] that since treatments have gotten so much better, it isn't as bad as it was." But according to recent data, they're wrong. AIDS is spreading among younger people. People under 25 only make up one-third of the U.S. population, but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly half of all new HIV cases occur in this demographic. AIDS cases have increased 10 percent in females and 7 percent in males, according to the CDC. There are now nearly a million cases of AIDS in the country. Massachusetts only has 18,339 of those cases - a low number compared to that of New York, the state with the most infected individuals (166,814). But despite having lower numbers than other states, AIDS cases in Massachusetts are rising: A HIV/AIDS data fact sheet posted at www.mass.gov shows a 25 percent increase in Mass. residents living with AIDS in the last five years. "It's pretty amazing how much even college students don't know," said Alden, who, through Sex Talk, educates students about safe sex in order to prevent the spread of infections including HIV. For Alden, HIV and AIDS are more than just educational topics: She is close with four people infected with HIV. Alden worked at Planned Parenthood as a sex educator for six months. She also spent last summer doing research on nutrition in HIV patients. "The reality is that yes, new drugs work better and keep people alive longer, but there still isn't a cure," Alden said. In an effort to increase HIV prevention, Health Services offers confidential testing for HIV. The service includes pre- and post-test counseling. "Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the progression of AIDS and keep people healthier longer," said Margaret Higham, medical director of Tufts Health Services. But she added that many young people are reluctant to get tested. "Many medical issues are stressful for students," Higham said. To alleviate concerns, Higham said that Health Services treats students "respectfully" and offers them quick appointments with trained staff. Health Services also supplies information about HIV/AIDS that is tailored towards people of all sexualities: "We provide literature and signs that indicate a LGBT-friendly setting," Higham said. Despite the wealth of information available to them, others students are scared to get tested because they are nervous about receiving the results. "Getting tested is frightening," Alden said. "But it is also one of the best ways people can stop the spread of HIV." Alden recommends going to get tested with a companion. "Pick a friend who won't judge you and will be there for you, no matter what the results are," she said. The infection of young people may be due in part to a lack of candid discussion. Sex Talk tries to put students more at ease with discussing the disease through informal dorm talks. "I think younger people are afraid to talk with their partners about getting tested for HIV, or any STI for that matter," Alden said. "It's important to have that conversation with someone because by having it you're protecting yourself." The spread of HIV among younger people also involves a lack of condom use. Though Health Services provides free condoms, several interviewed males - who did not wish to be identified - said that they do not use them. "I don't think people have a problem using a condom," Alden said. "[But] I think people don't like to use condoms." Sophomore Yuna Park said that the logistics of sex hamper condom use. "I don't want them to go flaccid on me, so I don't bring it up," she said. Tufts alumnus Adam Glickman (LA '89) thinks condoms are so necessary that he made a business out of creating and marketing them. While at Tufts, Glickman began distributing Jumbo condoms in an effort to combat AIDS among college students. His ventures later led to Condomania, a condom shop that moved online in 1999. Junior Heather Hauswirth believes the ability to "negotiate" condom use is very important for sexually active individuals. "If you don't feel comfortable asking for a condom, you probably shouldn't be having sex," she said. The Leonard Carmichael Society is hosting an AIDS Candlelight Vigil tonight to mark World AIDS Day. Students will gather at 7:30 p.m. on the Tisch Library roof to pay respects to people who have passed away from AIDS, as well as to share personal stories.

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News

This Is A Test Headline (No. 2)

November 30

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed imperdiet consequat massa. Vestibulum sapien pede, semper et, mattis quis, tincidunt vel, tellus. Maecenas eros risus, tristique suscipit, dignissim a, facilisis ut, nunc. Aliquam risus felis, imperdiet commodo, viverra nec, lobortis eget, erat. Quisque porta, libero non suscipit ultrices, tellus sem pharetra metus, sit amet convallis turpis eros sed orci. Duis rutrum, libero ac porttitor tristique, nisl purus lobortis enim, ac iaculis dolor eros non libero. Phasellus pharetra rutrum elit. Quisque congue mi eu pede blandit egestas. Cras ligula. Praesent ac sapien.

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News

Inside the NHL | Riding six-game streak, Ottawa is outta control

November 30

The Ottawa Senators have arrived. Over the last two weeks, the Senators have absolutely dominated the league. With their 4-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, the Senators extended their win streak to six, and the sensational play of young phenom Dany Heatley is capturing attention across the league. Heatley, who has scored 17 goals and added 21 assists, has recorded at least one point in each of Ottawa's first twenty-one games, he is only two games shy of tying Wayne Gretzky's twenty-three game record. Along with superstar Daniel Alfredsson and youngster Jason Spezza, the Senators' line has emerged as the best in the league this season. The Senators aren't the only team finally playing good hockey. The New York Rangers have elevated their play to a 16-7-3 record, with Jaromir Jagr leading the league in goals and points. For anyone who doesn't watch SportsCenter, the Rangers have also contributed the greatest finish to a game this year. Last week, their tie game against the Washington Capitols went to a shootout that took 28 shooters to complete (far past the usual six to ten required). The winning goal by New York's Marek Malik, who put his stick between his legs and shot the puck into the top corner past goalie Olaf Kolzig before knocking the water bottle off the goal, will remain one of the greatest hockey goals ever. While the Senators and the Rangers, along with the Detroit Red Wings and the LA Kings, continue to dominate the power rankings, other teams continue to struggle. The Boston Bruins have landed themselves in the bottom six of the Power Rankings this week after an abysmal three week stretch. The Bruins have lost nine of their last ten with most of these losses coming as the results of blown third-period leads. Despite getting good performances from their stairs, Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov, the Bruins are ditching their leads faster than the Eagles ditched Terrell Owens. Brain Leetch returns to their lineup soon, which should incite the Bruins to step it up. By now, everyone has probably seen the clip of Detroit defenseman Jiri Fischer convulsing on the Red Wing bench. Fischer collapsed last week from a seizure which stopped his heart, but was successfully stabilized after being treated with an emergency defibrillator on the bench and then being rushed to the hospital. The game was postponed and Fischer is currently in stable condition, expected to return in about six weeks. Those harrowing moments when Fischer fell ill incited the Red Wings, who have won three of four, with a combined 21 goals, since the incident. In trade news, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks dumped off former superstar Sergei Federov to the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets two weeks ago for center Tyler Wright. The trade was the first in-season transaction to clearly demonstrate the implications of the new salary cap. In danger of exceeding the cap, Anaheim was forced to trade the high-stakes Federov. The Blue Jackets are next to last in the power rankings, in front of the hapless St. Louis Blues, and have gotten little help so far from the veteran, who has only three points this season. Between the ridiculous shootouts, the amazing goals and the constant press, November was an exciting month for the NHL, and December promises to be even better. Be sure to check out the Bruins' games, especially tonight against the scalding-hot Ottawa Senators.

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News

Cole Liberator | Hot Peas and Butter

November 30

The college football season is winding down and, at the moment, the championship game seems perfectly clear. Last year's nightmare that left undefeated Auburn stuck in the Sugar Bowl will be averted this year as only two unbeaten teams remain: USC and Texas. If your college football season isn't complete without a reason to bash the BCS and holler at the top of your lungs that college football needs a playoff, look no further than the other six spots that comprise the roster of the BCS bowls. First let's review the basics: there are four BCS bowls, the Fiesta, Orange, Rose, and Sugar with the championship rotating between these four sites every year. As it stands now, there are six major conference champions who receive automatic bids to one of these four bowls. This system stands to be altered in 2008 so that every conference has a chance to gain an automatic bid based upon the performance of that conference in relation to BCS standings over a four-year period. One clause in the new deal that has raised eyebrows of conspiracy theorists everywhere is that Notre Dame will be guaranteed a spot with a top-eight finish in the next installment of the BCS. This sort of special treatment has many college football coaches and university presidents screaming foul play. What these whiners need to realize is Notre Dame deserves a BCS bid this year and this amendment ensures that there will be no debate next time this premier program puts together a stellar season. Under the current BCS system six conference champs will receive automatic bids. The problem here is that the Big East is no longer Miami's guaranteed opportunity for Michael Irvin to boast about his alma mater. With the exodus of the elite teams in this conference, West Virginia was able to beat down on a bunch of mediocre squads that our Jumbos might even stand a chance against. That might be a bit optimistic, but the fact still remains that although the Big East is now the best basketball conference in the land, it does not warrant an automatic bid in football. West Virginia's automatic bid leaves one team in the top eight on the outside looking in heading into championship Saturday. Ohio State, Oregon, and Notre Dame find themselves in a game of musical chairs with the Mountaineers stealing the third seat and the music about to come to a stop. The team that seems to have the best shot is Ohio State. At 9-2, the Buckeyes' two losses were to BCS-bound Texas and Penn State, and both games were within seven points. They also came in second in the highly-competitive Big Ten with wins over Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Minnesota, and the nemesis of the golden dome, Michigan State. This strength of schedule, number of quality wins and unanimous top ranking in the human polls over the other two suitors leaves Ohio State in the driver seat. Oregon has the Pac Ten and every journalist up in arms about its potential snub as a perfect example of the East Coast bias that plagues college football. The Ducks' argument relies mainly on their 10-1 record, the best record of any of the three teams looking to ring in the New Year with a nice multi-million dollar payout. Just like the front-running Buckeyes, the Ducks' only loss came to a BCS team, top-ranked USC. The Ducks also point to their out-of-conference schedule that featured Fresno State, which ended up with a No. 23 ranking, and two other teams with winning records, Montana and Houston. Their argument is also supported by conference wins over California and Arizona State. Oregon fans have learned to embrace the BCS polls, however, because it is the only one that ranks them higher than Notre Dame. Despite the cries of the haters, Notre Dame deserves a bid on merit, not just potential gross income for the Fiesta Bowl. The Irish finished the season at 9-2, but with the unique blemish of losing to a team with a losing record. The other loss came at the hands of USC in the game of the year that was decided by Reggie Bush pushing Matt Lienart over the goal line for a touchdown. Critics have been quick to point out that the Irish have only one win over a team that ended the season ranked, and only two over teams that finished up with winning records. But in this race, Notre Dame is still the people's champs, outranking the Ducks in all of the human polls. Many have predicted that Notre Dame will claim the second at-large BCS bid because of its large national following and ability to sell tickets at a neutral site. Despite this off-field advantage, the Irish have earned their way on the field. Both the Irish and the Ducks beat Washington relatively easily and Notre Dame had to take it to the wire with Stanford. The huge difference between the two lies in their performances against undisputed heavyweight champ USC. While Oregon was an early KO, Notre Dame took the champs down to a judges' decision in which a controversial call by the referee decided the game. Another overlooked fact was Notre Dame's quality win at then-No. 3 Michigan early in the season. These two key points should outweigh Oregon's ability to roll over sub-par competition. Many sports journalists have found many words to answer the question, "does college football need a playoff?" I will answer it in one word: yes. But next to a playoff, the BCS is the best option. It does a decent job in an impossible situation. The system cannot be expected to instantly revalue a conference that has been betrayed by one of its charter members and two other turncoats. So for all of those fans in either South Bend or Eugene who wind up on the outside looking in this year, send your gripes to Boston College, Virginia Tech, and University of Miami, respectively.Cole Liberator is a senior majoring in history. He can be reached via e-mail at Cole.Liberator@tufts.edu.

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News

Ten thoughts on birthdays

November 30

I have never been a big fan of birthdays. I just do not understand the point of celebrating. As I see it, the only three years your birthday is important are when you turn 17, 18 and 21 - when you can see an R rated movie, when you are no longer permitted by law to hook up with underage girls, and when you can consume alcoholic beverages. Other than that, no other birthday is important. As we get older we start to dread our birthday because it is a sign that death is looming ever nearer. Most of the time when I am told it is someone's birthday I find myself in quite a predicament. Do I smile and wish them a Happy Birthday? Or do I cry over the fact that they are still alive? I have been told that the former is more socially acceptable. Without further ado, here is a list of ten important thoughts on birthdays: 1. You are not entitled to be angry at people who forget to wish you a Happy Birthday. When people forget to wish you a Happy Birthday, it is for a reason: either you forgot to put it down on the Facebook or they were never really your friend. Stop bitching and threatening to never talk to me again, because frankly I don't care if you do. 2. Just because you were born today 20 years ago doesn't mean I'm going to do what you want to do. Chances are I don't like you and have no interest celebrating the fact that you are alive. 3. Celebrating your birthday on Friday when your birthday is actually on Monday is not OK. You're just going to have to wait until next year, sorry. 4. Throwing yourself a birthday party is one of the most self-important and obnoxious things a person can do. Who are you to say that you deserve a party? Who are you to assume that people actually care and want to celebrate the fact that you were born? You are as superfluous as the bottom button of your American Eagle button-down. 5. On a related note: If you do throw yourself a party, under no circumstances are you to expect a gift if you're not paying for my dinner. You treat me, I treat you. 6. Relatives you only see on Thanksgiving and other rare occasions need not telephone you Happy Birthday wishes. We both know I have no interest talking to you, and you have no interest talking to me. A check in the mail would be nice though. 7. On a related note: it is not a coincidence that I always get your answering machine when I call to wish you a Happy Birthday, Uncle Larry. When you run out of conversation after "I'm good, how are you?" it's always a bad sign. 8. Declaring your birthday to the world on your away message is the equivalent of writing "I have no friends" in permanent marker on your forehead. Knowing it's your birthday is about as important to me as knowing why Brad left Jen. If I don't already know it's your birthday, chances are I don't want to know. 9. Taking 21 shots on your 21st birthday is stupid. People only do it because "it's what everyone else does" when they turn 21. When girls turn 14 they start giving out sexual favors like candy on Halloween because it's what all the other girls are doing. Do any of them still think that was cool? 10. Finally, if you absolutely insist on celebrating your birthday, please remember that a birthday lasts a day and not a week.Eric Miller is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major, and Andrew Goldsmith is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania.

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News

This Is A Test Headline (No. 3)

November 30

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed imperdiet consequat massa. Vestibulum sapien pede, semper et, mattis quis, tincidunt vel, tellus. Maecenas eros risus, tristique suscipit, dignissim a, facilisis ut, nunc. Aliquam risus felis, imperdiet commodo, viverra nec, lobortis eget, erat. Quisque porta, libero non suscipit ultrices, tellus sem pharetra metus, sit amet convallis turpis eros sed orci. Duis rutrum, libero ac porttitor tristique, nisl purus lobortis enim, ac iaculis dolor eros non libero. Phasellus pharetra rutrum elit. Quisque congue mi eu pede blandit egestas. Cras ligula. Praesent ac sapien.

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News

This Is A Test Headline (No. 10)

November 30

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed imperdiet consequat massa. Vestibulum sapien pede, semper et, mattis quis, tincidunt vel, tellus. Maecenas eros risus, tristique suscipit, dignissim a, facilisis ut, nunc. Aliquam risus felis, imperdiet commodo, viverra nec, lobortis eget, erat. Quisque porta, libero non suscipit ultrices, tellus sem pharetra metus, sit amet convallis turpis eros sed orci. Duis rutrum, libero ac porttitor tristique, nisl purus lobortis enim, ac iaculis dolor eros non libero. Phasellus pharetra rutrum elit. Quisque congue mi eu pede blandit egestas. Cras ligula. Praesent ac sapien.

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News

The Secret Life Of... casual coke users

November 30

When then-senior Marcus Mattingly was arrested in the spring for cocaine possession, the campus lost a major supply line of the drug. But apparently it wasn't enough to stamp out use. Students on campus admit to varying degrees of use of the stimulant. And though we all saw the egg-splatter anti-drug commercials years ago, some students maintain that it's possible to be a casual coke user without developing the stereotypical drug habit. "I do it maybe once every two months," said Patrick*, a senior. "I went through a period [when I wasn't at Tufts] where I did [cocaine] more often because it was one-third the price that it is here. It's not that terrible. Freud wrote a lot about it." "I've done it maybe four times in the last year," said Kim*, a senior. "I know I have enough self-control not to get in too deep with it." Sarah*, another senior, echoed Kim's sentiment. "At first, it's not a drug that's easy to get addicted to - unless you have an addictive personality, which I don't have," she said. But Sarah has heard horror stories of addiction. "With an addictive personality, I've heard you can do it only one time and become addicted," she said. Like Patrick, Kim and Sarah, senior Dawn* entered the world of cocaine use with more of a stumble than a jump. "I used to think coke was pretty heinous," Dawn* recalled. "My excuse was that I was worried I'd like it too much. But I got over it and tried it. I can't exactly remember why; I think I just figured I'd never know until I tried." When she tried cocaine for the first time, she found the experience to be somewhat surreal. "I thought, 'Man, I'm doing blow! This is kind of funny, looking back on what I thought about coke before,'" Dawn said. "I didn't really feel like I was doing something bad; it was just kind of unexpected. I liked it." Sarah first tried the drug when she spent a semester abroad her junior year. "I met this guy while I was abroad who was really wealthy and into clubbing and stuff like that," she said. The friend, a former professional athlete, used cocaine on a regular basis along with most of his former-athlete friends. "One day we were out at some club, and he offered it to me, and I tried it," Sarah said. From that point on, she used cocaine nearly every time she went out with the friend - which was almost every Saturday for three months. Kim made a more gradual move to cocaine. "I tried snorting Ritalin once, and it was an enjoyable experience," she said. "So that made me more comfortable with the idea of trying coke." She used the drug for the first time her junior year. "I was drinking with my boyfriend and his friends," she said. "It was one of their birthdays, and someone had some. I was drunk, so I wanted to try it." Most students who dabble with the drug do not think they will become addicted. They cite two deterrents to developing a habit: the price tag and the "hangover." "It's way too expensive to be addicted to it," Patrick said. "The day after you do it, you don't crave it. [Cocaine's] not something you can function on. I see myself as a person who likes to function." "I do it so rarely because of how expensive it is and because of how terrible it makes me feel the next day," Kim said. "And because I don't want to like it too much." "I can see how it would be an addictive drug the night of using it, and I really enjoyed the way it made me feel that night," she added. "But I literally got a cold and was sick from doing it for a week [after the first time]. The hangover from it is really bad." Sarah found that the drug had a permanent effect on her immune system, which has been weak since she contracted pneumonia twice before she was eight months old. After years of healthy living, and with lots of help from her mother, Sarah was able to strengthen her immune system. "Once I did coke, I shot that back down again," Sarah said, adding that after her first time using cocaine, she was sick for three days and "felt dead." Since returning to the United States, Sarah has stopped using cocaine. "Doing [cocaine] wasn't worth what it's done to my immunity," she said. Dawn's perspective on cocaine addiction is different. She stopped doing the drug ten weeks ago after going through a period in which her drug use got "way out of hand." She was using cocaine every weekend, multiple nights in a row. "I never used to buy coke myself, but then I really started to buy my own this summer, all the time," Dawn said. But at the beginning of this semester, friends of hers who had gone abroad - and who were also frequent cocaine users - returned to campus. "When the whole gang got back together again this year the proverbial shit hit the fan," she said. "Once I ran out of Adderall, and I had a shitload of work to do. So I railed a few before class, which was a really bad idea." Dawn decided to quit the drug - and she had a monetary incentive to do so. "I also made a cash bet with my friend that I could quit, so that kind of helps as motivation," she said. "The bet is on until senior week." Despite her hiatus, Dawn admits that the drug remains on her mind. "I think about it all the time... I get really tempted," she said. "I just went to L.A. for Thanksgiving, and my friend was railing some of the best blow he'd ever had, and I wanted to so badly. But I know if I do have a little bit, it'll be, like, the end - I'll just want more." The drug's illegality doesn't seem to be a major concern for most students who use it. "It was always hammered in my head that coke is bad; coke will get you killed," Dawn said. "But then I realized that people are hypocrites, and that there is a big fat slice of the population who subscribe to all types of addictions. Me dabbling with some yeyo isn't going to make anything worse." "It's like other drugs or alcohol - [the legal repercussions] cross your mind, but you're thinking more about the drug and what it's going to feel like once you start doing it," Sarah said. "Plus, everybody there was doing it." "Being abroad is like Las Vegas," she added. "Hopefully, whatever happened there will never come back to America." *Names have been changed.

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News

This Is A Test Headline (No. 4)

November 30

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed imperdiet consequat massa. Vestibulum sapien pede, semper et, mattis quis, tincidunt vel, tellus. Maecenas eros risus, tristique suscipit, dignissim a, facilisis ut, nunc. Aliquam risus felis, imperdiet commodo, viverra nec, lobortis eget, erat. Quisque porta, libero non suscipit ultrices, tellus sem pharetra metus, sit amet convallis turpis eros sed orci. Duis rutrum, libero ac porttitor tristique, nisl purus lobortis enim, ac iaculis dolor eros non libero. Phasellus pharetra rutrum elit. Quisque congue mi eu pede blandit egestas. Cras ligula. Praesent ac sapien.

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News

This Is A Test Headline (No. 6)

November 30

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed imperdiet consequat massa. Vestibulum sapien pede, semper et, mattis quis, tincidunt vel, tellus. Maecenas eros risus, tristique suscipit, dignissim a, facilisis ut, nunc. Aliquam risus felis, imperdiet commodo, viverra nec, lobortis eget, erat. Quisque porta, libero non suscipit ultrices, tellus sem pharetra metus, sit amet convallis turpis eros sed orci. Duis rutrum, libero ac porttitor tristique, nisl purus lobortis enim, ac iaculis dolor eros non libero. Phasellus pharetra rutrum elit. Quisque congue mi eu pede blandit egestas. Cras ligula. Praesent ac sapien.

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News

Dame escapes Stanford to become BCS-eligible

November 29

Last Week's Game of the Week: In a game it had to win in order to qualify for a BCS birth, No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish came from behind late to edge Stanford 38-31 in Palo Alto, Calif. The Cardinal, a heavy underdog, put up quite a fight and even took the lead 31-30 with about a minute and a half to play in the fourth quarter. Stanford backup quarterback T.C. Ostrander found receiver Mark Bradford for a 76-yard completion to set up Matt Traverso's go-ahead score. But Notre Dame was not finished. The Irish got the ball back on their own 20-yard line, and quarterback Brady Quinn hit Jeff Samardzija on the first play for a hefty 30-yard completion. Notre Dame proceeded to march down the field as the Stanford defense hardly put up a fight. Tailback Darius Walker waltzed into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with just under a minute to play. The Cardinal got the ball back with 41 seconds to play but were unable to mount any sort of rally, and Notre Dame escaped with the victory. Quinn finished the day 25-for-38 for 432 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The junior, despite the gaudy yardage numbers, seemed to be a little bit off his game, as he was repeatedly rushed and made some poor decisions. It is a good thing he had two 6'5" receivers to rely on, as Samardzija and Maurice Stovall came down with jump balls all night. Samardzija finished with nine catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and Stovall had seven catches for 136 yards and a score as well. Finishing with a 9-2 record, the Irish qualified for a BCS bowl for the first time since the 2000 season, when they were shellacked by Oregon State 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl. More Week 12: No. 2 Texas moved one step closer to its quest to play for the national title with a 40-29 victory over Texas A&M at College Station. The game was back-and-forth, and despite the fact that the Aggies were missing their starting quarterback, they held a 22-21 lead early in the third quarter. The Longhorns proved their No. 2 ranking, however, quickly retaliating with a touchdown on the ensuing possession and then blocking a punt and returning it for a score. The game was an opportunity for Texas quarterback Vince Young to strengthen his status as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, but the junior could not find much of a rhythm against the A&M defense. He finished with only 162 yards passing and two turnovers that led to Aggie touchdowns. In the Big East, No. 11 West Virginia defeated disappointing Pittsburgh at home 45-13. The Mountaineers threw the ball only ten times all game, but this was more than enough, as Pat White, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt combined for 451 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The victory, coupled with South Florida's loss at Connecticut, clinched a BCS birth for the West Virginia, as the Mountaineers will likely play in the Sugar Bowl. No. 4 LSU received a scare from Arkansas on Saturday, but came away with a close 19-17 victory. The Razorbacks had a chance to tie it when they scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but failed to complete the two point conversion and LSU escaped safely. The Tigers head into the SEC Championship this Saturday against No. 13 Georgia, a winner over No. 24 Georgia Tech 14-7 in a hard-fought game. The winner of that game will also receive a bid to a BCS game. There will be a deserving team left out of the BCS bowl games this year. Notre Dame will more than likely receive an at-large bid because of its popularity, despite its two losses and only three victories over teams with winning records. No. 6 Ohio State will probably receive the other spot with a 9-2 record. This leaves No. 7 Oregon, 10-1 on the season with its only loss coming to No. 1 USC, likely left out of the equation, which is an absolute travesty. Going into the final weekend of the regular season, the stage is set for four very important games, including the SEC title game. In the Big 12 Championship, Colorado will look to ruin the Longhorns' perfect season with an upset, and in the inaugural ACC Championship, No. 5 Virginia Tech should be able to defeat a Florida State team that is in a complete tailspin. The last game with sizeable implications is... Upcoming Game of the Week: No. 12 UCLA at USC. This game will be full of firepower. The Trojans feature last year's Heisman winner Matt Leinart at quarterback, the upcoming Heisman winner at tailback, Reggie Bush, and the Pac-10 leader in rushing touchdowns, LenDale White. The Bruins feature a powerful tandem: the Pac-10 leader in passing touchdowns in quarterback Drew Olson and running back Maurice Drew. Look for USC to be too much for the Bruin defense, as the Trojans set their sights on the national championship.

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News

Ask Sara Wilson, RD | Red meat and almonds and chocolate, oh my!

November 29

My friend just started eating red meat again after being a vegetarian for years. She claims she has more energy and just feels "better." Is this just psychological, or is there really something about eating meat that gives you more energy?

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Arts

Apple release is a lean, 'Extraordinary Machine'

November 29

There are only a few albums in your mom's music collection that you can actually imagine her sitting and listening to. They are the oldies she has a story about when they come on the radio, the albums that she was excited to get on CD when they were re-released. They are the Joni Mitchells and the Carole Kings that you just know she flipped endlessly from side A to B and back again, listening as her high school sweethearts held her hand or broke her heart. And for the combined reason that they're a window into your mom's soul and they're just plain good, you like them too. With "Extraordinary Machine," her most recent addition to a cache of already impressive and critically acclaimed albums, Fiona Apple becomes your Joni. Some day a listen to her music will evoke nostalgia - not in the embarrassing way that "Barbie Girl" makes you think of the choreographed dance you made up in middle school, but a different brand that reminds you of real sentiment. Like Apple herself, "Extraordinary Machine" has a sordid past. No, it didn't come out with a precocious and powerful debut at the tender age of 18, film a borderline soft-core music video and famously proclaim that "this world is bullshit" in an acceptance speech at the VMAs. Instead, its bit of scandal came from an Internet leak of an early version of the album. After releasing the widely praised and commercially successful "Tidal" in 1996 and the widely praised though not-so-commercially successful "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King..." (1999), Apple retreated on a six-year music hiatus. She eventually broke her silence by recording tracks with producer John Brion but then decided to shelve the album. These songs, not intended for release, were leaked as the nasty rumor spread that Apple's label, Sony, was withholding the record because it felt the songs weren't appealing enough. Apple, insisting she was the cause of the album's shelf status, tried again with producer Mike Elizondo, known for his past work with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent. The unlikely pair worked on a simpler take on Apple's songs - one that takes care to showcase the artist's vocals and piano stylings. Brion's touch can still be felt on the first and last tracks, both of which are holdovers from round one. These two songs are among the most memorable on the CD. The title track opens the album with a bouncy, show tune-esque song, proving that Apple didn't emerge from her time away wishing to sound exactly as she did before. "Extraordinary Machine" ends on an equally positive note with the optimistic "Waltz (Better Than Fine)." Staying true to its title, the three-quarter time breezy tune manages to impart a simple, hopeful message while Apple's well-wishing comes across as genuinely sincere. On the rest of the album as well, Apple provides a diverse and well-executed collection of tracks that hold their own next to previous favorites like "Criminal" and "Shadowboxer." With some songs infectiously upbeat and others beautifully woeful, all boast the type of timeless composition that separates the "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"s from the "Big Yellow Taxi"s. "Extraordinary Machine" is the type of album on which each track will be a favorite at some point. Individual experiences may vary, but Apple has provided enough range in both style and tone to suit all of the emotional needs of her audience. Apple's strength undoubtedly lies in her lyrics, which she manages to craft poetically without sounding overwrought, and in her thoughtful distillations of emotions you hadn't realized were universal until she put them into words. She manages to make a circular argument sound lovely ("Last night's phrases / Sick with lack of basis / Are still writhing on my floor") and the routine sound lyrical ("Home is where my habits have a habitat"). While the idea of a singer and her trusty piano is by no stretch a new one, Apple holds her own in the genre and confirms her unique style among her contemporaries, some of whom weren't around last time she was adjusting her mic. With more street cred than Norah Jones and Vanessa Carlton, and with a shade less feminism than Tori Amos, Apple gets it right, as per her usual, on this new album. "Extraordinary Machine" exists as a wholly enjoyable and thoughtful record from first track to last, plus all the new ones in between. It can provide background music or solace and its lyrics can, as is Apple's strength, take on a chameleonic role to fit with the listener's own emotion.

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Ben Swasey | From Way Downtown

November 29

Staring at the television screen late Monday night while watching the Indianapolis Colts rack up another win, a familiar but unwanted affliction came over me. It is a common illness that has no known cure and always occurs toward the tail end of a semester. Symptoms include fatigue, the inability to open a book, and a general loathing of all things academic. I know I have contracted this plague because it's been 14 minutes since my last sentence. The final weeks of a semester are tough; the work is the most important and it seems much harder to get done. This period determines the winners and the losers - in terms of GPA, at least. In this manner, sports are the same. The end is the most important part of a game and often decides who wins and who loses. In addition, winners are usually able to raise the level of their play at the end to pull out a positive result. For the purposes of this column, we'll call this the ability to finish a game. By finishing a game, I mean that a team or player is mentally tough, can focus and rise to the occasion, do the little things necessary to win, get a big play when required, and be clutch. This quality is evident when a basketball or football team hunkers down, increases intensity and gets a big defensive stop. It is also evident individually when a relief pitcher fires strike after strike or when a tennis player comes up with a massive ace in a set tiebreaker. Every day and every week, the ability to finish a game, or lack thereof, is on display. For example, this past Sunday, the New York Giants' place-kicker Jay Feely missed three potentially game-winning field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime. Despite committing one less turnover and gaining nearly 150 more total yards, the Giants lost a big game to an NFC foe when the Seattle Seahawks' Josh Brown was able to make his own field goal with less than three minutes left in overtime. Another NFL example came from the St. Louis Rams-Houston Texans game. Despite being down 24-3 at halftime, the Rams rallied to win 33-27 in overtime after outscoring the Texans 30-3 in the second half and overtime. The Rams may not be a good team this year, with a record now of 5-6, but they are certainly better than the one-win-Texans, and Houston's inability to finish off their solid first-half performance is an indication of its woeful season. As a Boston sports fan, I am very aware of this ability to finish games. On the one hand I have the New England Patriots, with Tom Brady's undefeated postseason record and his career number of game-winning drives already over twenty, and of course, Adam Vinatieri's clutch field goals. On the other hand, however, I have the excruciatingly frustrating Boston Celtics. The Celtics can hang with any team in the NBA for three quarters, but often fold in the end. Their offense becomes stagnant against the increased pressure defense of their opponent and they lack the toughness to make big stops on the other end. To prove my point, simply look at the Celtics' two losses to the Detroit Pistons, maybe the NBA's best team thus far. In the first contest, the Celtics played great and actually took a one point lead with less than a second remaining. Of course, however, the Celtics let Richard Hamilton, one of the league's best shooters, go through a double screen and bury an open jumper at the buzzer. In the second game, the Celtics had a lead going into the fourth quarter, but were completely schooled in the end, getting outscored 38-19 in the final quarter as they lost by 15. Even Monday's loss against the Magic showed the Celtics' late-game ineptitude; as Mark Blount's feeble shot attempt with 12 seconds left was summarily stuffed by Dwight Howard. Hey Blount (hilariously pronounced "Blunt" now), pack your bags, bud. Across all sports and throughout history, late performance is required for great athletes. David Ortiz was considered for this year's AL MVP because of his statistics with runners on base in late inning situations. Quarterbacks Joe Montana and John Elway were defined by Super Bowl two-minute drills. Tiger Woods seems to make every shot and putt when he needs to. Michael Jordan's career, minus that whole Wizards comeback that didn't happen, was bookmarked by clutch shots at UNC and in the pros. In the end, I hope this column inspires you to be the Tom Brady of your biology class and empowers you to raise your academic game as we reach the end of this fall semester. Now if you'll excuse me, I've done way too much writing today; I need a nap.

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