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Aspiring filmmaker turns room into museum

November 27

Most college students decorate their dorm rooms with pictures, posters, magazine ads, interesting newspaper articles or the occasional random item from Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. But for Tufts freshman Matthew Diamante, the inside of a dorm room is much more than a place to sleep, procrastinate, and procrastinate some more. Diamante's Hill Hall room features something that can't be purchased during the fall poster sale in front of the campus center: a rotating stereoscopy museum. Stereoscopy, which means "stereo photography," was popular in the 1970s, when people used to go door-to-door selling the machines. But the stereoscopy Diamante dabbles in is a bit different. It involves the red plastic Fisher-Price View-Masters that were owned by many children (and children at heart) in the early '90s. Three-dimensional slides of anything from Disney characters to views of the Grand Canyon are placed into the View-Master, and an orange switch is clicked to rotate through the images. When people ask to see his museum, Diamante just hands them his View-Master, which contains a new image every week. He places a sign on his door to inform visitors of which image set is the current feature attraction. Diamante's collection contains scenic pictures of different areas of the United States and Canada, from urban (San Francisco, New York City) to rural (Yosemite and Petrified Forest National Parks). Other slide subjects include the history of flight, the White House, the interior of George Washington's home in Mount Vernon and Civil War battlefields. "3-D is making a comeback," Diamante says, going on to say that he thinks magazines should publish today's news in three-dimensional photographs. "Time should release 3-D pictures of, say, Yushenko in Ukraine," he says. "Or Sports Illustrated should release 3-D pictures of the Red Sox winning the World Series." Diamante's interest in 3-D is fairly recent. His parents live separately, so he "doesn't really have a said room at home." Though he attended boarding school for two years before coming to Tufts, Diamante didn't have a rotating museum in his room there. But as he was digging through boxes at home at the beginning of the school year, he came across his old View-Master. Remembering recent 3-D spreads in National Geographic and three-dimensional motion pictures like "Chicken Little" and "The Polar Express," he started to search for 3-D images and View-Master slides on eBay. Diamante believes that much of the interest in his rotating museum revolves around the mystery behind what the image will be each week. "[This] is just for college, to spice things up," he says. And spice things up he has: Diamante says that though his Hill Hall rotating museum had a slow beginning, word is starting to get around. Diamante says his biggest proponent is a friend who lives in Hodgdon. She viewed the museum and told others about it, spreading Diamante's visitor base further across campus. The freshman now gets many inquiries as to what the new image for the week is - or if they can see the View-Master. "Guys were a bit more hostile at first, but now a lot of them knock on my door and ask to see it," he says. Diamante plans on majoring in political science, his interest in photography, three-dimensional images, and film may seem random. The California native, however, has a strong interest in filmmaking and has even made a few short films of his own. In high school, Diamante created an 11-minute film about 13th-century Vatican cardinals, as well as a six-minute humorous documentary of the Democratic National Convention. According to Diamante, his "most interesting" film is probably one that features a friend of his who bears a resemblance to the character Gollum from "Lord of the Rings." Diamante cut out the "real" Gollum and inserted his friend in the character's place. Moviemaking has always been Diamante's dream, and he even has a plan for how to market 3-D images and fuel interest in them throughout the Tufts community. "If Tufts used 3-D images to advertise pictures of the Hill to sell to alumnae, it could be a great fundraising tool," he says. But Diamante is managing his museum within the confines of his dorm room. It's 212 Hill Hall, for anyone who need a View-Master fix.

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News

Economics of Baseball | Jonathan Rissin

November 27

With baseball's hot stove starting to heat up, the first major trade went through with the Red Sox acquiring Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell from the Marlins for highly regarded prospects Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. Beckett is a pitcher with World Series experience, a career 3.46 ERA, and at 25 years of age, is in the prime of his career. Mike Lowell struggled last year, hitting only eight homers and batting .236 in 500 at-bats. Lowell is owed $18 million over the next two years, and was packaged with Beckett as a salary dump. Hanley Ramirez has long been the Sox' top prospect, but the shortstop has never dominated minor league competition - although he seemingly has all the tools to succeed. Anibal Sanchez overpowered single-A hitters last year before being promoted to double-A and performing well. In total, Sanchez had 158 K in 136 IP and walked only 40 batters. This is a trade that satisfied the needs of two clubs going in opposite directions; the Sox are trying to build a championship contender now, while the Marlins are dumping payroll for young players to rebuild around Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. With help from the PECOTA forecasting system, on page 14 are the Value over Replacement Player (VORP) projections until 2009. Beckett will continue to be a solid starting pitcher; he probably won't win any Cy Young awards, though he might pitch in a couple of All-Star games and compile 14-17 wins per season in Boston. Lowell can not get much worse than his performance last year, and he will be able to progress gradually playing at Fenway. Steroid speculation swirled around every player who suffered a serious drop in power or was "injured", and Lowell is not an exception. This only adds to his unpredictability and his contract definitely does not represent value for money at $9 million per year. However, this was a price the Sox were willing to pay to get a very good big league starter in the prime of his career. Another bonus is that Beckett will not be a free agent until after the 2007 season, and should make around $4 million per year through arbitration. We see that Ramirez and Sanchez project to be solid everyday players, but PECOTA projections for prospects that have yet to see any significant major league time are simply regressed performances of past comparable prospects and the future of individual prospects is quite volatile. For every Ryan Howard or Miguel Cabrera there are scores of guys who never make it. To illustrate this point, below are Ramirez and Sanchez's projections with standard errors. We will not know how good these two prospects turn out until we see them play in the majors, and that could be soon for Ramirez since the Marlins have a vacancy at shortstop. Many times, looking back at deals involving prospects is not entirely fair because of the current needs of the clubs and the volatility of prospects' future performances. The Sox desperately need pitching and if that means giving up prospects (future value) for Beckett (current value) and Lowell (an $18 million cost), then Boston must pull the trigger on the deal because the free agent market lacks pitching. Beckett will join the core of young pitchers the Sox have developed, including Jon Papelbon, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen. At the current time this deal seems fair; hopefully Sox fans won't relive the question "we traded Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson?"

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News

Alex Sherman | Retrospective

November 27

Forgive the "Gallipoli" reference. Last week we stuffed ourselves silly. Homework was irrelevant. That 20-page paper that needed work lapsed into sweet, sweet obscurity. Well, the dream is over: Welcome back to the grinder, Jumbos. Time to buckle down and power through until Winter Break. Last week I wrote about tradition. This week I'll encourage you to join me in celebrating one. On Dec. 9, we will observe the end of classes with a little indecent exposure as we run laps around the ResQuad naked. It's a cathartic release of tension, among other things, and the logistics of it are so out-of-sync (streaking in December?) that there's no way it can be considered lewd. More importantly, this treasured school-wide tradition transcends all social boundaries. Everyone is welcome. Rather than why everybody should run, I'm going to address why you can't. Below, I will provide cast-iron counterarguments to all your potential exemptions. Trust me - as a seasoned Naked Quad Run (NQR) veteran, thrice decorated for sobriety in participation, commended for additional laps, and acclaimed for supplying provisional vigilante security detail - running is better than anything else you could be doing the last day of classes. Ahem. Now, then: "Streaking is illegal!": So is underage drinking and smoking pot, neither of which ever happen. Regardless, since the advent of the "Nighttime Quad Reception" or whatever incarnation we've reached at this point, the NQR is a University-sponsored (and therefore sanctioned) event. The University provides the gravel, and the cops to seal off West Hall when it reaches capacity - and there are doughnuts. In other words, you will be running in an event that the University acknowledges and allows, on private property that you pay to help maintain - i.e. totally legal. And even if my logic isn't clean, I've at least given you pause. "I have homework to do!": Not this night. This is the best possible circumstance for the NQR. It falls on a Friday, and we have a full weekend before two more days set aside for studying. You have plenty of time to do homework later. "I might slip and fall!": Do what I do and run sober, or at least not plastered. That's the easiest solution. Just like anything complicated, do it drunk and you are more accident-prone. If running sober stirs up a hornet's nest of inhibitions, then at least wear sneakers. Don't be the idiot who brings high-heels or flip-flops. "It's cold!": It was cold 5,000 years ago when your ancestors were not leisurely running around a football field with a warm house waiting, but hunting mammoth for days at a time. Naked. 24/7. Hunting mammoth. Complaining of cold does your evolution as a species a great disservice. If you can't hack it for one lap, if you don't think you have the moxie to run naked in December, then you might as well live a lonely life and die alone, because when the next Ice Age rolls around, you and your offspring are going to die and it will be a speedy affair. "I'm embarrassed about my body!": Tell it to Eve - it was her fault. There was a time where we could wander nude around the Garden of Eden and be totally OK with our bodies. Then we chose knowledge over bliss. I'm asking you to choose bliss over knowledge, at least for a couple of laps. Look, the point is that the NQR isn't an exhibition, so don't be hampered by thinking there will be judges. Which ties into my next point... "My picture will wind up on the Internet!": The solution is ski masks. Recognizable tattoos? Body paint. There are ways to mask your identity. Also, skeevy photographers scatter like startled wildebeest when they are threatened by a naked and angry mob of young adults. A mad dash and a scream will do it. "One day I want to be president!": Let me ask you a question: Which person is more qualified for office? The person who participated in a sanctioned school tradition, stripped down and ran a few harmless laps? Or the person who stands on the sideline and watches, or for the hornier and indecent, takes pictures for his/her own personal enjoyment? Case closed. And on that note, I have a small closing memorandum for the perverts who are set on capitalizing on tradition by taking pictures. If you are that desperate to capture the image of a naked body, then I feel sorry for you. There's a plethora of Web sites and fine arts textbooks that can give you exactly what you are looking for, at no cost to your friends. No decent person will empathize with your photo collection. Nor will we have sympathy if your camera were to somehow slip out of your hands and break. So drop the camera and join up - you'll find that your street cred goes way up if you run rather than watch. Run safe. Run sober. And if you are still self-conscious, take Mr. Gibson's advice and run fast. As fast as a leopard.

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News

Wilco would never kick a 'Television' while it's down

November 27

Great live albums are few and far between. While a proficient live recording can capture a band at its most natural and energetic, a lackluster one can leave a bad taste in the listener's mouth. Recorded in Wilco's hometown and with a brand-new lineup, "Kicking Television: Live in Chicago," finds one of America's most beloved indie bands taking their superb studio work and making it rawer and funkier, while still offering versions faithful to the originals. Few active bands have experienced the transformation that Wilco has had from album to album. Not only has Wilco's sound changed over time - from rootsy, alt-country (1995's "A.M." and 1996's "Being There"), to late- '60s psych-pop (1999's "Summerteeth"), to its current incarnation of mature, experimental, indie rock - but so have its band members. A vital component of Wilco's first four albums was Jay Bennett, the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who unceremoniously left the band prior to the release of 2003's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." Wilco has a new driving force, however, in Nels Cline. Cline, a Chicago-based jazz guitarist, was recruited by lead singer Jeff Tweedy to play with Wilco in support of "A Ghost is Born," their 2004 full-length. It may seem unlikely that the star of such an accomplished band is their newest member, but it is clear after hearing "Kicking Television." While most of the pre-"Ghost is Born" material remains largely faithful to the original album tracks, Cline adds an epic quality to the newer material, something that is not fully captured on the original studio recording. As cool as Jeff Tweedy's sloppy, Neil Young-esque guitar solos sound on songs like "At Least That's What You Said," it is Cline's playing that takes the band to another level. Whether it's with the agile jazz fills of "Company in my Back" or the rip-roaring solos on previously mellow songs like "Handshake Drugs," Cline's '59 Jazzmaster almost single-handedly transforms Wilco into a far more electrifying band. As exciting as the new material sounds with Cline as Wilco's new secret weapon, the older songs are almost too faithful to their studio counterparts. Live touches like the clamorous percussion section on "Via Chicago," and slide-guitar on "Jesus Etc." are nice additions, but the pre-"Ghost is Born" material lacks the same swagger and panache. The worst track on the album is actually the title track, "Kicking Television," which sounds like a mediocre version of "I'm a Wheel," one of three tracks from "A Ghost is Born" that are, unfortunately, excluded from this album. The title track sticks out like a sore thumb, especially since the usually boisterous crowd remains nearly silent during it. Apparently, most of the crowd chose to head to the bathroom during that one. That said, the crowd interaction on "Kicking Television" adds a great deal of charm to the album. Lead singer Jeff Tweedy's comments between songs may not be anything to write home about, but there is a choice selection of sing-a-longs, most notably on "Misunderstood" and "Jesus Etc.," as well as a constant buzz emanating within the hometown crowd. This keeps the record from sounding too sterile, without taking away from the performances themselves. While not perfect, "Kicking Television" is a great snapshot of one of the standout live performers in American indie rock. Sure, it would have been nice to hear older songs like "Passenger Side" or the "Ghost is Born" rocker "Theologians" in exchange for a less memorable track like "Wishful Thinking." But "Kicking Television" is a solid live album because it shows a band taking its already brilliant source material and turning it into something unique, something special. Most importantly, this album really does capture what Wilco's current form sounds like on stage: free-wheeling, confident and happy to entertain.

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News

Boryana DamyanovaSept. 20, 1983 - Nov. 22, 2005

November 27

Senior Boryana ("Bory") Damyanova was struck and killed by two cars while crossing the street near Davis Square on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 22. Damyanova, 22, was an international student from Sofia, Bulgaria. She was double-majoring in international relations and economics. At approximately 6:20 p.m. on the evening of Nov. 22, Somerville Police reports said Damyanova was hit by the first car -- a Lincoln sedan -- at the intersection of Broadway and Wallace Street, just a little outside Powder House Circle, in Somerville. After she was hit by the first car, she was flung into the opposite lane and a second vehicle -- a pickup truck -- traveling in the opposite direction, hit her as well. According to police statements in the Somerville Journal, Damyanova did not suffer -- she died instantly. Both drivers of the cars stopped after the incident and Damyanova was taken to Somerville Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead. According to police reports, no alcohol was involved and no charges have been filed against the drivers of the cars. Further investigation of the accident has been turned over to State Police, as one of the drivers of the vehicles which struck Damyanova has a relative in the Somerville Police Department, Somerville Police Chief Robert Bradley said. Representatives from both the State Police and Tufts University Police Department could not be reached for comment. According to an e-mail sent out on the afternoon of Nov. 23 by Heather Barry, Associate Director of the Institute for Global Leadership, to the 2003-2004 Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) class -- of which Damyanova was a member -- Damyanova was on her way to spend Thanksgiving Break in Montreal, Canada. Friend and fellow Bulgarian student senior Guergana Petkova confirmed that information, adding that Damyanova was on her way to visit her boyfriend, who goes to school at McGill University. Dean of Students Bruce Reitman sent an e-mail to the Tufts community later that evening about the loss of Damyanova and contact information for Damyanova's parents who reside in Bulgaria. Damyanova's mother, Dr. Penka Damyanova, is a professor at the University of Sofia and her father, Iskren Damyanov (in Bulgaria, a male's last name does not have an "a" at the end), is an employee of a large adhesive company.An extraordinary patron Damyanova was born on Sept. 20, 1983 and was from the city of Sofia -- the capital of Bulgaria -- which is as metropolitan a city as you can get in Bulgaria, Petkova said. (Although Petkova's family is from Bulgaria, they currently reside in Florida and she attended high school in the United States.) Damyanova attended the American College of Sofia -- a private, English-language school and, according to Petkova, she was fluent in Bulgarian and German. In Bulgaria, children do not begin school until they are around seven years old, which is relatively late compared to children in the United States. "I remember when I first met Bory, she was always asking me, 'Am I going to be the oldest one [in our class]?' and I would say, 'Yes, yes, you will be,'" Petkova said. Damyanova was able to attend Tufts as an undergraduate thanks to her sponsor, University trustee and alumnus Bruce Male ('63). In a Nov. 23 Boston Globe article, Male, from his home in Florida, said he had known Damyanova "since the day she landed in Boston," where they met for the first time at Logan International Airport. "She was truly the daughter in the family that we never had," he said. Director of the Institute for Global Leadership Sherman Teichman called Male "extraordinary." "He was her patron, he helped to support her here, he loves this University," Teichman said. Male is the president and co-founder of American International Bakeries, Italy's original producer of bagels and supplier of American-style muffins. He is also the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the Malden, Mass.-based TravCorps Corporation. Male also serves at the Chair of the University's International Board of Overseers, which, according to its Web site, "comprises alumni, parents and friends of the University... Their goals include improving and expanding the international reputation and reach of Tufts University as well as ensuring that the Tufts experience is as international as possible."'If she wasn't understanding, no one was' Throughout her Tufts career, Damyanova was highly active and involved in the Institute of Global Leadership, where she held her first job during her freshman year. She also worked at the Department of Political Science and at the Off-Campus Housing Resource Center during her sophomore year, and was a member of the Tufts Ballroom Dance team. Damyanova was an outstanding student, with a 3.72 grade-point average and, according to her profile on the 2003-2004 EPIIC Web site, she wanted to eventually combine her interests in business and law and become a corporate lawyer. Her two advisors at the University were Richard Eichenberg in the political science department and Drusilla Brown in the economics department. Nearly two years ago to the day of the accident, Damyanova attended Thanksgiving dinner at Eichenberg's house. In the Nov. 23 Boston Globe article, Eichenberg said Damyanova was "such a happy, bright student who brought light to people when she entered a room." In the same article, Brown said Damyanova was a special and a unique student. "She was a real intellectual in a way that a lot of students aren't. Often I would look to her to see if other students were understanding. If she wasn't understanding, then no one was," she said. Teichman, who said he knew Damyanova all four years, said he was "devastated" by the news of her death. He said that, throughout his career at the University, he has worked with approximately 800 students and this is the first one he has lost. "If you knew this woman...you would know that she had vibrancy and a joy for life, she was boundless...and it is so hard to think of her not with us," he said. "[Her death] is the... antithesis of everything she exuded around people...This student was extraordinary, ebullient, a life-affirming force and she appreciated everything about this University." "She had a real love of life and excitement about exploring a broad range of activities," Barry said. Teichman also said that she was chosen by the 2003-2004 EPIIC class to explain and introduce the EPIIC Symposium that year. "It is grotesque to think of a world without her," he said. 'Are you sure you want to go out like that?' "Bory was... a very busy person," Petkova said. "She had so many jobs." From local internships to traveling abroad for research or presentations, Damyanova took her education to new heights. About two years ago, Damyanova was an intern at an investment office at Century Bank in Boston, according to the Nov. 23 Boston Globe article. During her internship with Century Bank, Damyanova was credited with reorganizing the bank's entire computer system. For Spring Break 2004, Damyanova and senior Thomas Singer traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for their EPIIC project, "The Cultural Impact of American Multinational Corporations" -- a trip Damyanova "valued tremendously," Barry said. Damyanova and Singer investigated and researched advertising changes based on cultural issues in Dubai. But soon enough, Damyanova and Singer had to find a way to deal with some cultural issues just to get into their hotel. "[Damyanova] and Thomas had to pretend they were married, since single women from Eastern Europe were not allowed in, for fear of prostitution trade," Barry said. "That became a running joke in their EPIIC class." Singer said Damyanova's flair for fashion sometimes clashed with the more traditional views on women's dress in Dubai. "The fact that [the United Arab Emirates] is a Muslim country didn't seem to deter her from wearing skirts and sleeveless shirts in Dubai," he said. "Before walking out of our hotel, I'd ask her, 'Bory, are you sure you want to go out like that?' She never felt the need to change her dress style." Damyanova also befriended an Iranian family sitting near her and Singer in the desert. Singer said he remembers Damyanova exchanging e-mails with one of the girls from the family. In June 2004, Damyanova made yet another trek overseas to France for a meeting of the University's International Board of Overseers. As an international student, she intimated to the board that fund-raising for an international student scholarship was needed. For the fall semester of her junior year, Damyanova studied in Washington, D.C. with the Tufts-in-Washington program. In the summer of 2005, Damyanova worked for the Cambridge, Mass.-based mobile media company Scoot Adz as a Marketing and Logistics Manager, contributing to the company's Web site. "She was very into Web design," Petkova said. During the same summer, she attended the Tuck Business Bridge Program, sponsored by Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H. The program is a four-week long commitment for students, and includes training in leadership, finance, marketing and accounting. Petkova said Damyanova was "one of those people who came [to Tufts] and knew exactly what she was going to do, right away. Freshman year she told me she was going to major in IR and economics, and that's exactly what she did." This year, Damyanova was working part-time in Boston and lived in the Latin Way apartment complex -- the same on-campus housing she has had since sophomore year. Teichman said that shortly before her death, Damyanova had just accepted a job offer at Citibank in New York City. Peers recall 'a truly special friend' Damyanova's friends at Tufts are still in shock over the news and remember an extremely outgoing, gregarious and promising young woman. "When somebody dies, it's like something is missing," Petkova said. Petkova originally "met" Damyanova over the Connection2006 Internet forum, hosted by the University for incoming freshmen over the summer of 2002. "I remember some of the things she had listed under her interests in her profile, such as 'motorcycles' and 'driving fast cars,'" Petkova said. "And when we arrived on campus, she introduced me to the other Bulgarian students she knew." According to Petkova, there isn't much of a Bulgarian community or presence at Tufts. Part of the reason for this is that there simply are not many of them. "I think there's probably something like ten Bulgarian students," Petkova said. Also, Petkova said she believes that every single international student from Bulgaria attended the same high school -- the American College of Sofia. "So they already know each other," she said. As for how the international Bulgarian students meet the Bulgarian students who have been living in the United States, Petkova said, "We just find each other. You hear somebody speaking Bulgarian and you're like, 'Hey...'" She also said there have been some dinners among the Bulgarian students at Tufts over the years. There is even a Facebook.com group called "Friend of Bulgaria at Tufts," which currently boasts a total of ten members. Other friends who met Damyanova through extracurricular activities or classes said they will always remember her spirit and profound contributions to everything she did. "She was always really friendly and energetic," senior Ashley Ward, a former captain of the Tufts Ballroom Dance team, said. "She made a great teammate... That's what I remember most about her." Matan Chorev (LA '05), a first-year student at the Fletcher School, was a classmate of Damyanova's in the EPIIC program. "Bory's vitality is both epitomized by and an embodiment of what the Tufts community, and specifically our experience together in EPIIC, means to many of us," he said. "She was Tufts: international, civically and intellectually engaged, a leader. Even more so, she was a friend -- a truly special friend to so many people on this campus." Fellow EPIIC alumna and friend Lisa BonoCorredor (LA '04) said Damyanova's story should serve as an inspiration to all. "In her 22 years of life, she touched more people's lives and accomplished more than most people do in a typical 80 or 90-year-long life," BonoCorredor said. "She will always be remembered and I will think of her story every day of my life, at any moment when I am feeling lazy or complaining about what I need to do, and every single time I cross the street."Parents with high expectations Though Damyanova's parents were not interviewed for this article, Petkova had met them a couple of times and even spent some time with them in Bulgaria, when she was performing research for her EPIIC project her sophomore year. Both of Damyanova's parents are fluent in English, which, according to Petkova, is rather rare among the adult population in Bulgaria. "I remember being very impressed by that," she said. While visiting Bulgaria for her project, Petkova said that Damyanova's mother invited her to sit in on one of her classes, which involved Bulgarian students giving presentations in English. Damyanova's parents also took Petkova out to dinner and were "always asking me how Bory was doing, and if I could bring packages to her." Damyanova was an only child and her parents have visited Tufts a few times over the years, Petkova said. "[Damyanova] was very close to her parents, and it was hard enough for them to let their child go to school so far away." Petkova said she remembered one dinner in particular with Damyanova and her parents at one of the dining halls at Tufts. "It's always a real shock for Bulgarians to come to the United States and see the kind of food that we eat here. And when Bory's mom saw her at school once, she did the typical Bulgarian mother thing and started saying, 'You're getting so fat! Just eat salads!' And Bory did and she lost all her freshman weight," Petkova said. "But I just remember sitting there, listening to her mom and thinking, 'Oh man, that's exactly what my mom would have said to me if she were here.'" But like many parents, Damyanova's parents' main concern was not with dining hall fare, but with school work and securing post-graduation plans. "Her parents were always asking, 'Have you been interviewing for jobs? Where have you been interviewing? Where are you looking?'" Petkova said. "Her parents had high expectations for her and she had high expectations for herself, but at the same time, she knew how to have fun." Petkova said she would try to get in touch with Damyanova's parents later this week.A Web site for celebration of life and remembrance In his e-mail on Wednesday evening, Reitman said that, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, a coming together of the Tufts community "must wait until we return to campus." He said the University counselor on-call would be available for support throughout the holiday by contacting the Tufts Public Safety Department. At the end of his e-mail, Reitman said, "We will send out additional information as it becomes available." While no official University remembrance ceremony has been announced yet, to remember Damyanova, the Institute of Global Leadership has created a Web site in her memory: http://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/bory_damyanova.htm. Additions to the Web site are encouraged and can be approved by visiting the site and contacting Ben Mann at the Institute. Teichman said the Institute is "starting to get absolute slews of responses to the Web site from all over the world." "Now is a time to grieve and to mourn, but soon there will be a time to celebrate her," Teichman said. He added that the Institute -- as well as the University -- is working on an appropriate remembrance of Damyanova. "The pain is searing; the only upside of this is to recognize the community she has created," he said. "Everybody's just trying to make sense of something that doesn't make sense," Barry said. The Institute is also sponsoring a gathering at its office this evening at 9 p.m. Those who knew Damyanova are invited to attend and share thoughts and memories.

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News

Magical Jumbo season ends at hands of TCNJ

November 27

Even great things have to end sometime. Unfortunately for the Women's soccer team, that time was last Friday afternoon, when the Jumbos' record-setting season ended at the hands of No. 2 The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in the NCAA Div. III National Semifinals in Greensboro, N.C. The Lions, who came into the Final Four as one of two undefeated teams, struck twice early in the game en route to a 3-0 defeat of Tufts, placing them in Saturday's National Championship game. TCNJ's undefeated season was spoiled in the Finals by Messiah College, who defeated the Lions to take home the National Title. "We didn't quit throughout the entire game, we fought to the very end, even when it was 3-0 and we knew the season was going to end, we didn't quit," senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan said. "They were a good team. They put away their chances and we didn't. But we ended the season with pride, which was awesome." While the Jumbos undoubtedly were in tears after the season-ending (and career-ending for four Tufts seniors) loss, the silver lining lies in the fact that the team advanced farther in the tournament than all but one squad in the school's history and accomplished some never-before-seen feats throughout the season. "Especially for the seniors, it's more that it's over, not that we lost or how we lost," Callaghan said. "We know we had an amazing season and we wanted to win, but we're extremely happy with how we played." On Friday, Tufts got off to a quick start, creating several opportunities up the middle for senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson and the rest of the offensive unit. TCNJ's phenomenally stingy defense, which gave up just three goals in 22 games this season, held its ground, however, and prevented the Jumbos from tallying an early score. "You never actually know, but I think that if we had put away any of our early chances, we could have kept our early momentum and things would have been different," Callaghan said. The Lions countered Tufts' pressure with some aggression of their own, led by sophomore leading scorer Dana DiBruno and freshman Jamie Kunkel. DiBruno put her team on the board first in the 12th minute. After her initial shot was saved by Tufts junior keeper Annie Ross, the sophomore gained possession of the rebound and tore a shot past Ross to put TCNJ up 1-0. "After playing really well early and then having them immediately come and score a goal, it threw us off. The score was not indicative of the way we played," Callaghan said. Just under two minutes later, the same pair hooked up for the Lions' second goal of the first half. DiBruno controlled the ball on the flank and sent a cross into the box where Kunkel was waiting. The freshman controlled the ball and drove it past Ross for the 2-0 lead. "DiBruno was very talented," senior tri-captain Lindsay Garmirian said. "But we just focused on what we could control and played our own defensive style. We play a zone defense, so it's not like we were going to put a specific person on her." The Jumbos, to their credit, continued to fight intensely to get a goal back before the half. Tufts had its best opportunity just before the break when senior Lydia Claudio ripped a free kick just high of the crossbar. The second half saw much of the same action as the first, as Tufts created sporadic opportunities around the Lion net, but was unable to sneak anything by TCNJ keeper Alissa Kacar. In the 65th minute, Callaghan had one of Tufts' better opportunities but was unable to convert. "At the start of the second half we were awesome," Callaghan said. "We came out really strong. Unfortunately we just couldn't convert." Just two minutes later, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after being fouled in the box. Lion Courtney Krol ripped a shot off the goalpost, denying TCNJ a third goal and breathing some new life into the Jumbos. Unfortunately, Tufts was unable to capitalize on the shift in momentum, and the duo of Kunkel and DiBruno added an insurance goal just five minutes later. Kunkel sent a cross into the box where DiBruno was waiting to knock it into the net past Ross. The goal gave DiBruno 48 points on the season, giving her the single-season TCNJ school record. The trip to the Final Four was just the second in Tufts history, the first coming in 2000 when the Jumbos made it all the way to the Championship game, falling to TCNJ 3-1. Tufts finished its season at 15-4-2 in a tie for third place in Div. III with the University of Chicago. "This experience was something I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was an amazing weekend put on by the NCAA," Garmirian said. "It was nice to spend another week with a team that I love."

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Free throws in the clutch fuel comeback upset over Springfield

November 27

After opening the season with a loss, the Jumbos won their second straight game with a 72-71 come-from-behind road upset of Springfield College on Tuesday. The team trailed the whole game, by as many as 14 points, but sophomore guard Dave Shepherd sank two clutch free throws with five seconds remaining to give the Jumbos their first lead of the game and the win. The Jumbos survived a last-second shot by the Pride and notched a big road victory over a team that had earned the second most honorable mention votes for the top 25 in the country. After two Springfield free throw misses at the other end with 20 seconds remaining, Shepherd pulled down the defensive rebound and was fouled on a three-point attempt by Springfield's Zach Mitzan. After missing the first free throw, Shepherd settled in to make the two deciding baskets. The Jumbos were led by senior center Dan Martin. With a team-high 23 points, Martin provided strong play throughout the game. Sophomore Jake Weitzen, who came off the bench to score 19 points, also was a key contributor for the Jumbos. Shepherd, who chipped in seven points of his own, emerged as the hero. Despite trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half, the Jumbos continued to battle back, led by the inside presence of Martin, who pulled down six of his nine rebounds in the second frame. "[Martin] was about as unstoppable as Brad Pitt in 'Troy,'" Weitzen joked. Martin, Shepherd and sophomore guard Jeremy Black were the workhorses of the lineup, each racking up at least 30 minutes on the floor. Two forwards, junior Brian Kumf and senior co-captain Brian Fitzgerald, each added seven points, while sharing playing time with Weitzen and sophomore Ryan O'Keefe. The second-half comeback was led not only by Martin's presence in the paint, but by a resurgence from the offense, which shot just 38 percent from the floor in the first half. Weitzen scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half, while Shepherd contributed all of his seven after halftime. The revived Jumbo offense made 56 percent of its second-half field goals. The defense was stellar down the stretch, pulling down 24 rebounds while holding the Pride to just eight boards on the offensive end. In addition, the team had nine steals, including three from Shepherd, which set the pace for the team's aggressive style of play in the final minutes. "Our defense is really what kept us motivated and gave us life," Weitzen said. The team hopes that these past two wins - one over Springfield and a 20-point drubbing of Alfred on Nov. 19 - will give them the momentum to cruise through its upcoming homestand. Beginning with Tuesday night's matchup with Western New England, the Jumbos will host three local Massachusetts schools, also including UMass-Dartmouth on Thursday night and Brandeis on Saturday. "The win against Springfield really gave us character as a team, showing our toughness and our will to win," Weitzen said. Western New England has one of the stronger teams in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Golden Bears enter the game with a record of 1-1. While all three games will be tough, the team can't help but look forward to Saturday afternoon's matchup with Brandeis. The Jumbos still have last January's 87-72 loss to the Judges fresh in their minds and are eager for redemption. "Brandeis embarrassed us last year," Weitzen said. "We'll be gunning for them on Saturday." So far, four Jumbos - Weitzen, Martin, Kumf and O'Keefe - are averaging double figures in scoring, but the team hopes that the offense will pick up even more this week. These next three games could provide a turning point for the team's season. "Once we start scoring, we should be scary, and being at home should help," Weitzen said. "I'm confident we will come out 5-1 after Saturday."

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News

Students in Paris 'go on with their lives'

November 27

Tufts students studying abroad in Paris this fall have had more to worry about than eating too much cheese. On Oct. 27, riots began in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, and after ten days of continued unrest in various cities throughout France, the violence reached the capital on Nov. 5. The rioting originally exploded in response to the accidental electrocution deaths of two teenagers of African descent, who had climbed a power station fence while running away from police officers. But over the course of the next few weeks, the riots - evolving into a violent protest against poverty and unemployment among immigrant and Muslim communities in France - spread across the country. Before the violence mostly abated in mid-November, thousands of people took to the streets, engaging in acts of vandalism and setting ablaze more than 8,000 cars. The rioters also turned their anger towards public places including schools, a cultural center and a youth hostel, setting them on fire in an effort to gain the attention of the national government. The French government initially reacted by declaring a 12-day state of emergency and authorizing local authorities to deport any foreigners convicted of involvement in the riots. On Nov. 19, that state of emergency was extended to include the next three months. Tufts has made no move to evacuate students from Paris or to discourage students enrolled to study abroad in France next semester from continuing with their plans. Sheila Bayne, Tufts Associate Dean of Programs Abroad, said that the Programs Abroad Office "keeps track of safety and security information in all locations where our programs are situated." That safety and security information, she added, comes "from a variety of sources, including the U.S. State Department, major news sources, International SOS (Worldwide Emergency Medical Services), our own Resident Directors overseas, and the study-abroad professional community." Taking into account information obtained from these sources, Bayne and the Programs Abroad office recommended that students continue with their semester and simply exercise appropriate caution. In an e-mail sent to all Tufts in Paris (TIP) students, Bayne and TIP Resident Director Monique Fecteau responded to concerns about the riots: "Without worrying unnecessarily, you should take reasonable precautions in your daily life, just as any resident of Paris would do at the present time." The e-mail also reiterated basic guidelines for staying safe while abroad - guidelines that all students learn during their pre-departure orientation: "Avoid all demonstrations. If you encounter a demonstration find an alternate route. Avoid congregating in groups of Americans and spending time in bars and restaurants frequented by foreigners. Refrain from conspicuously American dress and behavior. Keep abreast of the news and avoid risky areas." But Bayne also encourages students to continue with their normal daily activities and enjoy the rest of their semester in Paris. "To date, no parents or students have expressed concerns about safety," she added. That doesn't mean, however, that parents haven't felt the impact of having a child in Paris during recent weeks. Tufts junior Meghan Fenzel, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, said that her mother reacted strongly to news of unrest and violence in France. "[My mom] was completely sucked in by the media sensationalism and wrote me new worried e-mails everyday. It took a lot to reassure her that I was not in danger," Fenzel said. Fenzel was also concerned about the violence in Paris. Her concern was compounded by the fact that controversial French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy - who pushed for a strong crackdown on rioters - lives in the same neighborhood as her host family, increasing the chances of the area becoming a target. "I was pretty nervous to take the metro and stay out after dark, assuming that the violence would come to my area," Fenzel said. "But then I realized absolutely nothing was different in my daily life." Fenzel said that the violence has had little effect on Tufts students studying abroad, who are generally placed with relatively wealthy Parisian families in safe neighborhoods. Senior Sarah Morrison-Cohen, who spent last spring in Paris, agreed with Fenzel's assessment and said she would still want to go to Paris if given another opportunity. "The rioting was mostly outside the city in neighborhoods where we would never go. It's just not where you spend your time as a study abroad student," Morrison-Cohen said. While the riots drew international attention to some of the issues affecting impoverished immigrants in France, they were felt most dramatically within the immigrants' own communities. "It's pretty twisted and sad that these kids were destroying their own neighborhoods, burning the cars that some of their parents drove to work, destroying their little siblings' day care centers, while most Parisians went on with their lives, completely unaffected," Fenzel said. In fact, although living in Paris in relatively close proximity to the rioting, Fenzel was unaware of the first outbursts of violence. "It took about four days for me to even realize the riots were going on, and I found out from American news sources," Fenzel said. "American media made a much bigger deal of the situation than French media, to the point that it annoyed French people I spoke with." Senior Shaina Tofias, a former participant in the TIP program, received an e-mail last week from her home-stay sister, Antonine De Fermor, a French police officer. In the e-mail - which was written in French and translated into English by Tofias - De Fermor echoed Fenzel's observation. "It's not a war here like they say in the papers and on television," De Fermor wrote. She also said that the recent events have been trying for the Paris police force: "I assure you everything's fine, but work as a police officer was difficult for a few days." Tofias still remembers her semester in Paris fondly. "I feel confident that it's not as bad as the papers are saying," she said. "I would still go."

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News

Make up your mind to check out 'Indecision'

November 27

Benjamin Kunkel's "Indecision: A Novel" will be a welcome breath of fresh air for just about any reader, especially for those too long engrossed in 19th century classics or turned off of literature by a high school regimen of redundant Toni Morrison books. "Indecision" is a genuinely contemporary piece of fiction with roots in the traditional coming of age story. Think "Catcher in the Rye" for the new millennium. This is Kunkel's debut novel, and what a debut it is - at least at first. Readers will likely devour the entirety of the book as its crisp and comic style remains consistent and highly entertaining throughout its more than two hundred pages. But the unexpected ending of almost slapdash construction has a juvenile feel to it, as though Kunkel realized too late that he had no idea where he was going with the plot. Having no clue about the future is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the chief conflict facing the 28-year-old protagonist Dwight Wilmerding, who struggles with "abulia" - the chronic inability to make decisions. From within the confines of his New York apartment and his cubicle at Pfizer, Wilmerding wonders what to make of his education, his life and himself. Though his sister, Alice, offers her assistance through bi-weekly sessions of psychoanalysis, Wilmerding finds a more promising, albeit risky, solution in a brand new drug called "Abulinix," which supposedly cures abulia after only a week or so. With Abulinix surging through his system, and having been "pfired" from Pfizer, Wilmerding abruptly leaves behind New York and his quasi-girlfriend Vaneetha and sets off for Ecuador to visit his old friend and possible love interest, Natasha. Some may find Wilmerding's incessant pondering and mid-life crisis-type behavior annoying, but behind his constant whining resides a serious affliction of almost all young people in modern times: an overwhelming sense of purposelessness, uncertainty and lack of direction. The real problem is that Kunkel, after teasing the reader with so many pages of hinting at some sort of meaningful change in Wilmerding, fails to offer a sound resolution to this rather prominent and very real ailment. The conclusion of "Indecision" strays a bit too close to one of those "it was all a dream" endings, leaving the reader wholly unsatisfied and questioning the actual intent of the book. If Kunkel wanted his work to be a call to action or a catalyst of "democratic socialism" as the last few chapters suggest, he should have more thoroughly developed the veins of neo-liberalism and anti-capitalism that pulsed rather weakly through the text. Kunkel has a hard time properly juggling the intimate character-centered portions of his novel and the more global-oriented, preachy parts. "Indecision" remains worth the read. One of its strongest points is the original narrative voice and the unique perspective of its main character. Kunkel uses an endless stream of interesting, beautiful and accurate metaphors to show his readers the world through Wilmerding's eyes, without sounding too abstract or aloof. This down-to-earth approach to vivid description makes both the urban and exotic settings equally lucid and appealing. The plot's non-linear timeline is well crafted as opposed to confusing. Kunkel nicely balances his overt humor and wordplay with sometimes-subtle social commentary and philosophical undertones. The incorporation of e-mail excerpts, the references to very recent events in history and the abundant use of familiar colloquial terms such as "dude" and "like," all blend together well and remind the reader just how contemporary this novel really is. Above all, Kunkel has shown one thing through "Indecision: A Novel": he is an extremely talented young writer bursting with potential. This first book of his deserves the attention it has received and will surely pique your interest to the point that you look forward to his future publications. Let there be no indecision about that.

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International Investor | Russia's economy is booming thanks to oil

November 27

Russia's shift towards capitalism has been long and arduous. Organized crime, government corruption, corporate collusion and a lack of economic efficiency have made the region financially unstable. The government's debt default in 1998 punished virtually everyone that invested in Russia. Incredible growth is nevertheless now apparent, even in the face of instability. Russia's economy and stock market have grown at rates not found in the world's largest and most stable markets. Russia's weak economic state has left room for significant growth potential, which is only now being realized. Russia's biggest exchange, with a market capitalization of over $300 billion, is the RTS Exchange. Stock, bonds, futures and options are all traded on the RTS. The standard measure of the Russian market, the RTS Index, has risen in value over 65 percent since the beginning of the year. The index is composed of the 50 most liquid stocks that trade on the exchange. These returns are quite remarkable, especially compared to the Dow Jones and S&P 500 - both of which have remained virtually flat. These financial returns mirror the economic growth of the whole country. GDP growth has averaged 6.7 percent annually since 1998, well over twice the rate of the United States. Economic growth has been driven by significant expansion in both the industrial and service sectors, and a rise in global oil prices. Growth has been disproportionately centered on large corporations, as barriers of entry remain high. The country continues to have poor banking and economic policies. This may help the short-term international investor - who can now expect outstanding returns in Russia's most stable industries - but not for the country's long-term economic situation. Competition is necessary for extended growth and prosperity. Russia's economy depends on oil reserves. It is the world's second largest exporter of oil (after Saudi Arabia), earning approximately $125 billion so far this year through international sales. The industry is controlled by Transneft, the government's pipeline monopoly, and a few conglomerates. These large corporations' recent earnings have pushed the RTS Index to new highs. While record oil prices have hurt consumers in many regions around the globe, Russia and those that have invested there have prospered. The flow of money has helped the growth of Russian corporations in other sectors. Even with significant growth it would be hard for any investor to have complete confidence in the Russian stock market and economy. Natural gas, metals and oil are the lifeblood of the nation's financial systems. These are all commodities with volatile prices that fluctuate wildly. A significant decrease in the value of any of these goods could cripple the Russian economy, cutting the profits of companies in virtually every sector. Coupled with Russia's rocky financial and economic past, this leaves many hesitant to invest in this promising yet unstable market. It is quite simple for one to invest in Russia's market. ING Russia A (LETRX) is a mutual fund that has made over 40 percent this year. Third Millennium Russia (TMRFX) is a fund that has made just under 35 percent. Neither of these two American funds that invest in Russia have been able to replicate the results of the RTS Index. Mutual funds frequently use market indexes as a benchmark for performance. The astounding returns on recent investments in Russia are undeniable. Others still remain skeptical. Corruption and an overreaching government - in addition to the volatility of the oil market - how left some questioning how much longer this growth can be sustained.

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Sydne Summer | How To...

November 27

For some, birthdays are no big deal. They're just another day, with the exception of officially turning a year older. My birthday, however, is my second-favorite holiday (the runner-up to Halloween). Every time March rolls around, I start organizing the annual event. If my friends want to surprise me, I make every effort to ensure that the party will be a success through occasional snooping and eavesdropping. I might be an extremist, but everyone - at least during their collegiate years - enjoys a birthday celebration. So I've tried to compile a few of my favorite memories to guide you in planning a surprise birthday party.Scavenger hunt It might sound corny and a tad prepubescent, but scavenger hunts can be a fun way to surprise your friends. In high school, I planned a day hunt for my best friend Michelle. A few of my girlfriends and I picked up various gifts - tank tops, frames, makeup - and hid the wrapped presents around Michelle's neighborhood. Included with each gift was a clue leading her to the next hiding place. For example, after she found her tank top, she read, "Now that you have something to wear, look in the place where you brush your hair." Michelle then found the next gift under her bathroom sink. The final clue led her to her main present - a trip in which we took her to Mountain High, a small ski resort north of Los Angeles. College is an ideal setting for a scavenger hunt. You can hide presents under Jumbo or in Dewick. You can have a dorm hunt in which gifts are stored in the rooms of mutual friends. While you may not be able to go skiing at the end, there are many other possibilities for a grand finale: End your hunt in the dorm common room with a picnic of your birthday buddy's most beloved foods. Or finish at a house with pizza, drinks and a group of friends. You can even take the surprise one step further and have the final clue at your friend's favorite restaurant, bar or night club. Regardless of how the hunt turns out, your friend will truly be touched by your effort. I know Michelle was.Asian invasion Being from Los Angeles, I must admit that I'm a bit obsessed with "the sush" (pronounced "soosh"). One of my favorite birthday memories was a "Japan Night" my friends prepared sophomore year. I was pleasantly astounded when I walked into the room on the fifth floor of Carmichael: On the desk, there was a party plate of sushi prepared by Yoshi's, a few bottles of sake and Asahi, and plastic cups filled with chopsticks. Asian lanterns adorned the walls and my friends yelled out "Konnichiwa!" upon my arrival. After dinner they sang "Happy Birthday" while presenting me with my cake, which was composed of Americanized moch - rice balls filled with ice cream. Although we stayed in the dorm the rest of the night, you can extend the Asian theme by going to karaoke after dinner.Beach party The winter chill can often lead to the birthday blues. So why not warm up your friend's night with a beach party? First, find out your friend's favorite beach; then plan accordingly. For instance, one of my favorite beach party themes is "Miami." If I were planning my own party, I would serve mojitos and black beans and rice while playing salsa on my iPod. Another option is a Cabo getaway with margaritas, coronas, quesadillas and palm-tree-shaped lights. For New England natives, plan a preppy party with Cape Codders (cranberry and vodka), shrimp cocktails and polo shirts - collars up, of course. Or, for a humorous soiree, throw a Revere beach rendezvous, complete with Doritos, 40s and wife-beaters. Whatever the theme, make sure to turn up the heat and request appropriate attire: Bikinis and swim trunks only, please!Little Italy When I was growing up, I always felt sorry for those of my classmates who had summer birthdays. They were never able to bring cupcakes to school or have a party with all their friends. Sophomore year, I decided to throw my college classmates with summer birthdays a half-birthday bash to compensate for not celebrating with them on their real birthdays. Because it was a last-minute event, I didn't have much time. So I decided to do Italian. My non-summer-birthday friends and I picked up large loaves of bread, olive oil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and red wine at Trader Joe's. We then took out the George Foreman, made paninis, poured the wine and bellissimo! We had a small Italian feast. It was the perfect pre-party event to show our friends with birthdays during the summer months that we hadn't forgotten that they have birthdays, too.

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Ethics and Economics | Black's transgressions bring up the Enron question once again

November 27

Last week, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago indicted Lord Conrad Black with eight counts of mail and wire fraud. U.S. prosecutors claim that he and three other executives diverted nearly $84 million from his media empire, Hollinger International. Black and others are accused of abusing corporate perks, diverting millions of dollars through unauthorized transactions, and lying to shareholders. If guilty, Black could face up to 40 years in jail and $2 million in fines. Last Monday, Hollinger announced that six of its directors were stepping down from the board. This is worrying since Black has often said that many of his actions as chief executive of Hollinger were approved by the company's board of directors. It seems that every year yet another high profile chief executive is charged with fraud. What has happened to good business ethics? It is usually thought that ethical practices, while costly in the short-run, are good for business since they generate positive long-term externalities. Good ethical practices are a perquisite for building trust with potential partners, and this trust is necessary to foster loyal and innovative long-term cooperation. If business ethics is reduced to a cost benefit analysis, then it is synonymous with enlightened self-interest that always pays in the long-run. There is a lot of truth to that assertion. Nobody will deny that treating employees, customers and business partners is good business practice. It entails short-term costs but it is an investment in future loyalty which usually pays off. This idea is at the root of American business practices. Isn't the customer always right? The real question, however, is not whether ethical behavior may be good for business - we know that it is - but whether long-term self-interest always leads to ethical behavior and vice versa. I will agree in accordance with Bernhard Schwab that this is not always the case. The indictment of Black is another example that questionable business practices do exist. Most corporations abide by high standards of ethical conduct. But the routine indictments of chief executives as well as wide-spread corruption in many parts of the world leads one to conclude that good business and good ethics are not always synonymous. In addition, if good ethics always led to good business, many of the laws and regulations in place today, like the Security and Exchange Commission, would be unnecessary. The lack of an established code of ethics for business practices can be viewed as giving decision makers - CEOs, boards of directors, small business owners - an option. She or he may break ethical rules if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs, but can choose not to do so if the costs are too high. One can choose to bribe government officials to exploit a coveted natural resource, though the disclosure of a bribe may negatively affect public relations to such an extent that the benefits of the bribe are outweighed by the loss in public image. There is thus a cost to abiding by strict ethical norms. It reduces decision makers' choices. In addition, the main benefit of pursuing good ethical practices is that it is a signal to others that we are trustworthy and thus good business partners. This means that ethical behavior is valued for the public relations benefits it generates. Thus, there is an incentive for firms to exploit any good ethical practice it implements in order to maximize its public goodwill. Business ethics thus becomes an exercise in image. If one could be sure that he or she would never get caught for bribing an official and thus greatly increase a company's shareholder value by gaining access to rare raw materials, what would be the incentive to abide by high ethical standards? What does this mean? It means that while good ethical behavior is good for business, it does not have to be. Without an established and institutionalized code of conduct, decision makers have the option to be ethical but do not always have to be. Chief executives are often under a lot of pressure to maximize shareholder value in the short run. That is how they are compensated and how they are judged. This provides the kind of incentive that I think leads decision makers to make ethically questionable choices. Does that excuse their behavior? Not at all. It just means that we as a society should work together to create incentives that encourage and reward ethical behavior. Regulations should be tightened, enforcement stricter, and contracts between boards of directors and chief executives should include ethical clauses. I hope that the indictment of Black will motivate Congress not to create new laws but to increase the funds available to monitor and pursue delinquent chief executives.

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European Spectator | Talk of first rate hike in six years brings mixed reactions in Europe

November 27

Europe has faced many political and social difficulties in recent months: an unexpected rejection of the EU constitution, a troubled and indecisive election in Germany, and political riots in France. To add to their troubles, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced this month that it might have to raise interest rates on the Euro as soon as December. Inflation is estimated to rise even after the Euro hit a historic low against the dollar this month. At the same time there is no denying that certain sectors of the European economy have been suffering from instability. Interest rates on the Euro have been maintained at a low 2 percent for the last six years. President of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet, declared this month, however, that the ECB will raise rates by a quarter percent. Wolfgang Munchau of the Financial Times points out that the Maastricht Treaty mandates the ECB focus exclusively on price stability - often at the expense of other policy goals. The dilemma that the European Central Bank faces isn't purely economical, but in fact questions the very existence of the Euro as a unitary currency. Increasing interest rates will cushion inflation, but it can stunt economic growth in European countries currently experiencing economic bursts. The fundamental problem of a twelve-country monetary union is determining how to adjust policies. While there are many disparate levels of growth and employment, there is only one monetary policy. Increasing interest rates will push the Euro up against the dollar. For countries that need to grow economically, this will increase their export prices. Businesses already need to come to terms with the high oil prices that are now finally taking a toll. Decreases in exports will only delay economic growth further. The response to increase interest rates on the Euro has not been met with an equal amount of warmth and appreciation by states in the heart of Europe, many of which are facing negative economic growth and instability. Consumer prices have increased by 0.5 percent all over Europe this year. Increased oil prices set in dollars are estimated to trigger inflation. Independent from this, inflation is bound to augment in states on the edge of Europe, such as Finland, Spain, Sweden and Ireland that are currently undergoing positive economic growth. Higher interest rates will not only keep the lid on inflation, but have already elevated business confidence for European manufacturers. Germany - often viewed as the anchor of the European economy - is urging the ECB to keep interest rates low. It is promising to help keep the value of the Euro intact by decreasing the German budget deficit in 2006. Germany has failed to adhere to the EU budget deficit limit of three percent since 2001. To reduce its spending it has begun issuing its government debt in dollars instead of euros. As a new government takes effect, Germany is attempting to recover from its current weak economic state by finding ways to decrease unemployment and by adopting improved fiscal policies. Until stability returns, it is asking the ECB to hold off on increasing interest rates. France is still suffering from the effects of recent political riots. The riots are thought to have economic underpinnings, caused in large part by expanding unemployment and a floundering economy. France has also expressed the concern that increased interest rates will deter economic growth when it is most vital. Along with Germany and France, Italy is also lobbying to keep interest rates on the Euro intact. Higher interest rates might impede Italy from meeting its goal of 3 percent GDP growth. The Euro zone countries are being asked to choose between ameliorating their own domestic economies and saving the Euro zone economy as a whole. The world will have to wait beyond Thursday's decision to determine whether the Euro can unite 12 disparate economies under an effective monetary policy.

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Jumbos fail to locate killer instinct in time for victory

November 27

In a closely-played game that saw strong defensive performances from both teams, the Jumbos failed to manage a victory in overtime against Southern New Hampshire University last Tuesday at home, ending the hard-fought game deadlocked in a 3-3 tie. Despite strong offensive bursts that gave Tufts the lead three times in the game, the Penmen fought back, answering each goal with a score of their own. Heading into overtime, however, the Jumbos could not carry over their offensive production, failing to capitalize with a man advantage. With the tie, the Jumbos remain winless on the season, with a 0-2-1 overall record. Heading into overtime, the team was expecting a win especially after putting together two strong periods of offense. "I expected a lot more than what we did," senior assistant co-captain Matt McCarthy said. "Anytime you have a lead that many times you expect to win. We also should have put more goals up against them. Three isn't enough and we know we should have scored more." Tufts was led by a dominant performance in net by sophomore goalie James Kalec who finished the game with 51 saves along with a first-period shutout. The Penmen looked to have the offensive momentum throughout much of the first period, bombarding Kalec with shots and controlling the play in the Jumbo zone. In the second period, however, the Jumbos answered with an offensive burst of their own. McCarthy found the net through the five-hole off a feed from his younger brother, freshman Greg McCarthy, to put the Jumbos up 1-0. The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Penmen answered with a goal six minutes later by Kyle Bousquet. Tufts sophomore Ross Gimbel lit the lamp off a feed from classmate Greg O'Connell to put Tufts up 2-1 again in the second period, but the Penman found a way to answer once again, tying the game at two heading into the third and final 20 minutes. Tufts came out strong early in the third period and was rewarded with a goal from senior co-captain Ken Cleary. Cleary was fed off the tandem play of the McCarthy brothers who quickly moved the puck in their zone to set their teammate up for the score. As was the trend for the entire game, the Penmen answered with a goal of their own from sophomore Matt Lemay that tied the game at the final score of 3-3. Both Kalec and freshman Penman goalie Matt Courchesne held out strong in the overtime period. The Jumbos will look for their first win of the season as they host Salve Regina Tuesday at home. Salve Regina currently sits at 2-1-1 on the season, averaging just over three goals a game. There are still some kinks that the team hopes to work out as it continues its quest for its first win. Among the many things the Jumbos look to improve upon are their offensive consistency and their control of the puck in key power play situations. "Some aspects have gone well and some haven't," McCarthy said. "There's nothing really specific that we need to work on [individually], but we have been working on special teams and just playing more consistently." The Jumbos seemed to struggle on capitalizing on the power play against Southern New Hampshire. According to players, the team has been working in practice on controlling the puck in power play situations, which in close games are often a deciding factor. The Jumbos will also look to improve on their consistency on offense. The team believes it has not lived up to its offensive potential and will look to change that come Tuesday. "We're still not where we want to be," McCarthy said. "We're just not playing consistently. There have been a lot of situations where we take a lead, then let it go late in the game, and instead of winning, we end up with a tie or a loss. We just don't have that killer instinct that you need to finish off teams when it counts."

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News

Drinking beer with nuns

November 27

Drinking beer with nunsby Danny Lutz "Anything can happen in Madagascar," my professor Nat Quansah said. And right on cue a local dog named Cafe sauntered into the classroom, situated himself behind Nat, and marked his territory with a puddle of urine. As fun as it is to write about dog pee, this isn't a story of Cafe's bladder. Instead, I write about the quest of every study abroad student: to be a part of a culture. And for me it's about the desire to become a local here, to be a true Malagasy. It began last Saturday morning, when I slid into a car with Vontzy and Joba, two Malagasy I hadn't met before. The plan was to visit an ecotourist site close to the capital city of Antananarivo, and interact with the nearby villagers. "Be ready to be flexible," Vontzy said, referring to the common occurrence that events never go as planned. We reached Anjorozonbe, a town 15 kilometers away from the ecotourist camp, at midday. There we bought raw meat to bring to the villagers as a "voloandala," or gift from the road. Unfortunately, at this point, the road had turned into something of a motocross course, and Vontzy's 1980 Passat practically laughed out loud when we tried to continue on it. Or maybe it was just the sound of his broken muffler. Unable to continue by car, we strapped on backpacks and hiked. Two hours later, 15 kilometers seemed a lot longer than it had originally sounded, and the raw meat was starting to cook under the Malagasy sun. Once we reached the ecotourist camp, I was shocked to discover that Vontzy and Joba did not plan on stopping there. The local village was still two kilometers away. I began to worry about whether the villagers would welcome us. It's times like these that I like to compare Madagascar to the United States. I wondered how well we'd be welcomed into a small-town, Midwestern home in the United States if we showed up with only a few slabs of meat, asking for a place to stay. In Madagascar, I discovered, it's quite easy. The villagers took us in immediately, cooked the meat for dinner and shared with us, and then gave us a pile of straw to sleep on. That night, looking up at the sky, I wondered if friends and family back home were sharing the stars with me. After being woken extremely early the next morning by a rooster who had apparently lost his sense of time, I was injected with a bit of Western Culture. On our return, after the villagers sent us off with a top-notch Malagasy breakfast of rice and leftover meat, we passed by the eco-camp, where we were nearly mauled by two mountain-biking Americans. Oh god, I thought, another local village and culture overrun by American tourists. The couple invited us to sit with them during their breakfast, where the man introduced himself as the vice-consul to Madagascar, to my surprise. These guys weren't tourists at all, but rather they were part of the American Foreign Service working to develop Madagascar and its relations with America. I realized my judgment of people here had completely fallen apart, even with fellow Americans. The biggest shock happened in Anjorozonbe, where we returned to pick up the car. Vontzy had left the car at a Catholic church, and upon our arrival the sisters invited us in for lunch. While they prepared the food, we waited in a room full of portraits of local church men and read religious magazines. They then invited us to the table, where I immediately sat down without realizing that everyone else had remained standing to perform a group prayer. During the prayer they all did the sign of the cross, and I tried to follow; but, it being my first attempt, I flailed my arms in every direction. Luckily for me, no one noticed and we finally sat down. They served me the best meal I've had so far in Madagascar, consisting of four courses, yogurt for dessert and plenty of beer. Originally, I thought the beer was only for us visitors, but the nuns on each side of me filled up a glass and knocked it down. Jesus would be proud. After lunch we began the journey back to the capital. I was left to try to unravel and sort through the unusual events of the weekend. Would I ever be able to understand the world around me in Madagascar? In other words, could I ever be a local? This wasn't the conclusion I expected to reach, but I realized that I am an American. Whenever I felt lost throughout the weekend adventure, my thoughts kept returning to Tufts, friends and the girl back home. Even in attempts to isolate one's self by traveling to the end of the Earth, it seems that a tiny world will always exist within.

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News

Bory's lesson

November 27

We've all been there. We've all crossed Broadway, or Powderhouse, or Boston, or College on a dark night, headlights coming at us. We've all wondered whether that car was going to stop, or just assumed that it would, assumed that simply walking out into the street ensured that we would safely cross. None of us expects not to make it to the other sidewalk. Many of us, as college students, live as if we were crossing a street. Our childhoods are the sidewalk behind, our futures are the sidewalk we stroll towards. We live in transition. In the language of economics, we are deferring gratification, making an investment of time now that will pay off later in life. The tragic flaw in this way of viewing college life is painfully obvious today. The rest of our lives may not come at all. The death of Boryana Damyanova sends shockwaves through the Tufts community. She was well-known on campus, involved in many organizations, and had an active social life. She will be missed because of the void she leaves. But there is a much deeper level at which her death is even more disturbing. It represents the tragic loss of someone with the world before her. All her expectations, hopes and dreams died with her on Broadway Tuesday evening. Instead of gracing the pages of an impressive resume, her accomplishments are relegated to an obituary. But, just as her death reveals our vulnerability and the tragic gamble we take by investing so much in tenuous futures, the life of Boryana Damyanova teaches us how to live for today, passionately embracing every moment. From her intellectual fire to her ubiquitous smile, Damyanova intensely enjoyed life at Tufts. She took advantage of more opportunities than most students even consider during their four years. She took part in EPIIC, she traveled to Dubai, she studied in Washington, D.C. She did it all while excelling academically and preparing to pursue a career as a corporate lawyer. This is the lesson of Boryana Damyanova, and this is how she should be remembered and celebrated by the Tufts community. It is possible to live for today and tomorrow at the same time. Study hard, have goals and dreams, but don't ever forget how fragile and precious life is. Don't sacrifice happiness now for happiness in the future. Pursue passions now, study what you love, enjoy your friends, and take advantage of opportunities to travel and see the world. As Robin Williams would say, carpe diem, seize the day. Passage across the street is not guaranteed. The other sidewalk may never come. Happiness should not be contingent upon reaching it.

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News

Boston betting on Beckett to be their stallion on the mound

November 27

Major League Baseball's winter meetings have not even begun, but the baseball world is already abuzz with activity. The Boston Red Sox got things started when they acquired pitchers Josh Beckett, Guillermo Mota and third baseman Mike Lowell from the Florida Marlins for four minor league players. The New York Mets then made a splash by acquiring power hitting first baseman Carlos Delgado and cash from the Marlins for 25 year-old first baseman Mike Jacobs and two minor leaguers. Another slugging first baseman was then told to pack his bags when the Philadelphia Phillies sent Jim Thome and $22 million in cash to the Chicago White Sox for center fielder Aaron Rowand and two pitching prospects. Let's start with the Boston trade. With this trade, the Sox immediately become legitimate contenders for the World Series in 2006. In 2005, they did not have a horse in their rotation that they could depend on. When Boston won the World Series in 2004, it had two such horses: Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling. With any luck, Boston could very well have two horses once again if Beckett can maintain his health and Schilling comes back strong after his ankle problems. Add in the fact that Guillermo Mota is better than most of Boston's relievers, and this deal was a no-brainer. However, there were some downsides for Boston. In order to acquire Beckett, Boston was forced to take on Lowell's albatross contract of $18 million over the next two years. While it was painful to watch Lowell bat in 2005 (.658 OPS), he had posted five consecutive strong seasons prior to last year. Nine million per year is a lot to pay to find out which Lowell will show up, but the Sox need pitching badly enough to take the gamble. And if Lowell is a complete dud, Boston still has the on-base machine Kevin Youkilis to fill in. The Sox got a good deal in the trade, but they didn't make out like bandits. They had to part with shortstop Hanley Ramirez. While Ramirez hasn't put up the numbers in AA that some had hoped for, scouts rave about his tools and project him as a future All-Star. Anibal Sanchez, the other major prospect included in the trade, was Boston's second or third best pitching prospect and put up some excellent numbers as a youngster in AA. Boston needed to make this trade, but the Marlins received some valuable players whose careers could take off in coming seasons. Meanwhile, the Mets can count on some improved offense next season thanks to their own trade with Florida. Delgado consistently puts up great numbers, and he has an unbelievable eye at the plate. But in order to be contenders for a championship, the Mets are going to need to improve their bullpen significantly. One of the two major relievers on the market, B.J. Ryan, just signed a monstrous five-year, $47 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Billy Wagner is the only major impact reliever left out there, and if he spurns the Mets, there will be big trouble in Queens. Once again the Marlins got some talented players in return for dealing Delgado. Jacobs had a fantastic debut for the Mets in 2005, and the Fish also managed to snag Yusmeiro Petit, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Florida has a young core group of players to build around in Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, and the prospects they are acquiring could be cheap, yet talented supplements. The White Sox-Phillies trade appears to be one that helps both teams. In Thome, the White Sox receive a designated hitter (or first baseman if they can't re-sign free agent Paul Konerko) who has the potential to hit 40 home runs. They are giving up a solid center fielder in Aaron Rowand, but if it's the Rowand of 2005 (.736 OPS compared with an OPS of .905 in 2004), the White Sox can handle the loss. Rowand plays exceptional defense, but Chicago already has a center fielder playing left field (Scott Podsednik) who can shift over if necessary. Thome stands a good chance of overcoming his injury problems and it is worth the price of Aaron Rowand to find out. As for the Phillies, the emergence of Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard made Thome expendable. Howard is exponentially cheaper than Thome, and he has a high upside. If the Phillies were in the American League, they likely would have kept both players. But Rowand should be a decent fit for the Phils, and the trade represents only positive additions if compared with 2005 when Philadelphia got nothing out of Thome. Even with these exciting blockbusters, there is likely to be even more movement within the league come December. Many of the major free agents have yet to sign, and some high profile players like Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez may be moved. By December, the hot stove should be scalding.

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News

Hockey | Icemen encounter some heavy NESCAC competition in season's opening weekend

November 21

The ice hockey team didn't waste any time easing into the season. Playing back-to-back games this weekend at their home rink at the Malden Forum, the Jumbo icemen faced the defending Div. III Champion Middlebury Panthers on Friday, followed by a matchup against Williams on Saturday. The Jumbos dropped both games, falling 4-1 to Middlebury and coming up short against the Ephs 6-3. The Panthers came out to defend their national title, and they played like it. Tufts took an early 1-0 lead when senior co-captain Ken Cleary took advantage of a power play to flick the puck past sophomore goalie Ross Cherry at 15:07 in the first period. But Middlebury evened the score less than three minutes later as sophomore Justin Gaines snuck one by Tufts' sophomore goalkeeper James Kalec, who finished the game with 36 saves. The game remained stalemated through a scoreless middle period and through much of the final stanza as the Jumbos found themselves within striking range of beating one of the best teams in the nation. The Panthers, however, added three goals in the game's final minutes, including an empty-netter, as coach Brian Murphy pulled Kalec in hopes of finding some extra offense as the clock ticked down. In Saturday's NESCAC showdown against Williams, the Jumbos were able to get some stronger offense going, scoring three goals and holding the lead for much of the game. However, once again the team was foiled by a late-game surge as the Ephs found the back of the net three times in the final period to run away with the win, their second of the weekend. After an intense attack by the Jumbo front line, freshman Joe Milo put Tufts on top eight minutes into the game. Though Tufts controlled the momentum for most of the period and had several power play opportunities, Williams got on the board when junior Kevin Colwell found the right corner of the net to knot things at one. Both teams scored twice more in the second period, as Tufts' leads of 2-1 and 3-2 were countered by Williams goals to keep things even, and interesting, as the game headed into the final period. The go-ahead goal came seven minutes into the period when senior Dennis Kim ricocheted one off the post and into the net, taking the punch out of the Jumbo attack. That goal was enough, but the Ephs would add two more goals in the final three minutes to finish their opening weekend 2-0. The loss started the Jumbos on the wrong foot this season, putting them in an 0-2 hole that they will look to get out of tonight with a home game against Southern New Hampshire at 7:30.

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News

On writing about the Holocaust, Liebrecht is anything but silent

November 21

Israeli writer Savyon Liebrecht jumped right into the topic of her speech, the same topic on which most of her writings focus - the Holocaust. "In my home, as in many others, there was a complete, total silence on the subject." Liebrecht spoke Monday night to around 50 people at the Granoff Family Hillel Center, discussing both the Holocaust and her writing - two subjects that are inextricably linked for her. Hebrew Professor Rahel Meshoulam introduced Liebrecht, who was born in Munich, Germany to Holocaust survivors and moved to Israel as a young child. After studying philosophy and English literature at Tel Aviv University, Liebrecht went on to become a writer in a wide variety of genres, including stories, television scripts and plays. Meshoulam called her a "major voice in contemporary Israeli literature." Liebrecht used the connection between two of her own stories, "Excision" and "Chayuta's Engagement Party," to provide her listeners with several lessons in relation to the Holocaust. She first provided brief summaries of each of the stories. "Excision," one of her shortest stories, centers on a grandmother who survived the Holocaust. When she picks up her granddaughter from kindergarten, her granddaughter has a note affixed to her forehead saying she has lice. This note reminds the grandmother of the ghetto and the concentration camp she experienced. She proceeds to cut off her granddaughter's hair violently, ruining her relationships with her family. "Chayuta's Engagement Party" also focuses on a grandparent Holocaust-survivor. As the grandfather in the story ages, he loses his drive or ability to remain silent on his past. When he starts to speak out, each family member reacts differently. His granddaughter asks him not to tell any of his stories at her engagement party. He starts to gather a crowd, and when she reminds him of his promise, he dies because he can neither refrain from telling his stories nor break his promise to his granddaughter. Liebrecht outlined the common themes in the two stories, emphasizing the issue of silence. "As we know today, most of the homes of survivors were silent, silent in the sense that they did not talk about these experiences." She cited various reasons for these silences, including the "incapacity of people to deal with a traumatic past and a demanding present at the same time." Liebrecht said many Holocaust survivors who came to Israel subconsciously chose to focus their energies on the present. "The second reason for the silence is the very unique relationships between the survivors and their children," Liebrecht said. "They protected us by not telling, and we protected them by not asking." The third source of silence Liebrecht mentioned was the Zionist movement. Liebrecht described the image of a "new man" that Zionism tried to construct, a picture of a man who was "the antithesis of a survivor" and who did not know how to interact with survivors. Liebrecht also discussed silence as a result of "the feelings of guilt that every survivor feels." Survivors did not want to discuss their experiences because of the stigma associated with having survived, Liebrecht said. "The hidden question was what immoral act did you do to survive, an act that others who were more moral than you did not do and so did not survive." She said "the incapacity of the language" was another reason for silence. In addition to these two stories' common theme of silence, Liebrecht mentioned the connections of the grandparent-grandchild relationship and the "state of mind that the survivor finds himself in within family gatherings," causing him or her to act differently than in other circumstances. Liebrecht answered various questions from the audience, mostly focusing on her personal beliefs about writing. "If there is a duty for literature, then it is to smash stereotypes," she said. "The things that keep haunting me - this is what I find myself writing." In her speech, Liebrecht did not explicitly delineate what college-age students can take away from either her Holocaust themes or her beliefs about writing. After the speech, she said when she writes a story, "I don't think about the readers' ages. What I'm interested in is getting the story right." Her advice to writers was "not to let these sorts of calculations enter their work; it might be harmful" and "not to try to please anyone or to explain things." Liebrecht used two more of her stories to make additional points in her speech. "Morning in the Park Among the Nannies" touched upon the "reduction of human experience to that genderless place." "The Strawberry Girl" allowed Liebrecht to look at the Holocaust from a different point of view that she usually does in her writing, telling of a "humane" German soldier and his "innocent" German wife in a concentration camp where a young Jewish girl grew strawberries. Liebrecht used the story to impart the lesson that "no matter what I'm going to write about, no matter how far-fetched it seems, when the story gets published, someone is going to call me and say, 'That's my story.'" A woman who read "The Strawberry Girl" had actually been in a concentration camp where strawberries were grown. "The imagination is much, much shorter than whatever happened there," Liebrecht said.

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News

Unlocking the door to China's reform

November 21

Though the Bush administration returned from China on Monday, it will have to wait until way past Christmas to begin opening presents from the Chinese. America's reform wish list in China is long, detailed and highly contested. For there to be any hope of accomplishment, it is important the desires of the administration must not be expressed as demands, but as wishes. This week's visit, for the most part, was a step in the right direction. The Chinese have a consistent track record of being slow reformers. It took months of U.S.-based agitation before the Yuan was revalued - at an unexpected moment - by a small amount. Former President Deng Xiaoping's promise to hold elections at the national level was another example - with elections still stuck in small villages after a decade, they still seem a long way off. The Chinese are no longer (and have not been for a long time) awed into submission by the United States' power. Because of this, it is necessary to consistently and firmly reiterate the United States' desires for reform. Human rights, international trade, religious freedom and intellectual property rights dominated the discussions, though little success was achieved on any front. The administration was able to meet its low expectations for the trip. It promised no major breakthroughs and received none. There were several token gifts - including a very tentative agreement to purchase $4 billion of planes from Boeing - but little else. Officials have been emphasizing the opportunities the trip providing for face-to-face contact between President Bush and the current Chinese President, Hu Jintao. It was smart thinking from an administration that is increasingly shrewd in their interactions with this rising superpower. President Bush, however, made one major gaffe during the trip: he went to church. Religion has always underlined the President's agenda, but its appearance in China was inappropriate. By attending Mass at the state-sanctioned Gangwashi Church, Bush managed to offend both the host and his own nation. Chinese officials, who still closely monitor religion, were irate. Many Americans are disappointed with the president's choice of a "puppet" government church, instead of supporting the millions of Chinese who worship at the risk of persecution in unauthorized churches. Attending a Christian church sends a poor message of American superiority toward the Chinese. Though it may demonstrate respect for religious freedom, it shows that the United States only accepts change on its own terms. China has been making progress toward increased religious freedom, including the recent Regulations on Religious Affairs Declaration, but it serves no purpose for the president to flaunt a delicate issue in a series of meetings designed to foster ongoing Sino-American relations. The president - in a precarious domestic position - should have kept the conversation tightly focused on the economy. It is here that sizable gains can be achieved. The United States has already shown it can broker deals with China over textiles quotas, and it is time to apply these to intellectual property rights and labor standards. It is only through ongoing negotiations and patience that the United States achieves results with China. The autocratic government of the world's largest state prizes stability above all else. If the president tries to veer from emphasizing slow and steady reform, his may find his policy in the same place he was after a press conference in Beijing: behind a locked door.

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