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Glocal Economics | Asia-Pacific Economics

October 31

Financial writer Gerald M. Loeb said, "The desire for gold is the most universal and deeply rooted commercial instinct of the human race." Unfortunately for the environment and the world economy he is correct. From the Egyptian Hieroglyphs that date the use of gold as early as 2600 BC to the American gold rushes of the nineteenth century, this monetary standard has been at the crux of many world economies and is still today. The problem is that there is less and less of it to mine. Common gold mining practice today requires the inclusion of "gold cyanidation." This controversial method consists of sprinkling the highly poisonous chemical compound cyanide on large amounts of low-grade ore. The poisonous nature of cyanide, coupled with the destruction of vast landscapes and rainforests is starting to galvanize real concern among gold firms worried about there image. Earthworks, a mining industry watchdog, established a "No Dirty Gold Campaign" that protested outside many ritzy New York City stores. This concern has led to a revision of company policy by one of the most prestigious jewelry vendors - Tiffany's & Co. The company's chairman, Michael J. Kowalski has decided it will only purchase its gold from a mine in Utah which does not practice gold cyanidation. Significant accidents have occurred. In 2000, waste from a Romanian gold mine leaked into a tributary of the Danube River which resulted in the death of thousands of fish. A trail of cyanide from the spill traveled all the way to the Black Sea, over 1,600 miles away. Intense pressure from lobbying groups led to the establishment of a cyanide regulatory code, which has just recently been confirmed. Companies now have regulations regarding the storage and transportation of the poison and are vulnerable to inspectors which will come from a newly established industry committee. Some experts were disappointed that implication of the code will be voluntary, not governmentally enforced. Asian demand is makes up a large portion of world demand for the precious element. Traditional Indian weddings include gifts of gold. The family of the groom receives gifts from the bride's family for every family member, usually necklaces and bracelets for women and watches or rings for men. The bride is also expected to be adorned with gold jewelry for the occasion. India is the world's largest consumer of gold, with uses ranging from dowries to temple decorations. As disposable income increases for middle-class Chinese, so does their demand for gold. Malls and markets in China's affluent regions now boast some of the grandest jewelry available in the world today. Sales of gold this year reached to $38 billion - a record level according to the World Gold Council. Sales of gold have increased by 47 percent in India and 11 percent in China, both countries of enormous populations with cultural addictions to gold. The World Gold Council is an association of the world's top gold mining companies that was created in 1987 to stimulate world demand for gold. Malaysia a few years ago had flirted with the idea of returning to a gold standard with the hopes of reducing global dependency on the United States dollar but such a currency has yet to emerge. Gold for thousands of years has been a precious natural resource, and will continue to hold value in our modernizing world. Investment portfolios today are likely to include gold because of its relative stability and history of maintaining value. For the same reasons, gold is in high demand during unstable economic times and low confidence. As China's economy hopes for a soft landing from its current boom, and with fears of America's housing bubble bursting we may see an increase in the reliance on gold in the future. It will be the environment that will pay the price. Gregory Meiselbach is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

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News

Glocal Economics | Young Entrepreneurs

October 31

Tufts alum Adam Glickman (LA '89) is founder and CEO of Condomania, America's first condom store and the leading specialty e-tailer of condoms and related products. Glickman started his venture during his Senior year at Tufts and introduced the first glow-in-the-dark condom in the marketplace. Condomania is also now the exclusive home of TheyFit condoms, the world's first line of sized-to-fit condoms in 55 custom-fit sizes. YET sat down with Glickman to discuss his thoughts on entrepreneurship:Question: Why did you become interested in entrepreneurship? Adam Glickman: I had an innate, driving, and compelling force to make or provide products or services that met a market need. I strongly believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. It's not unusual for entrepreneurs to be the kids who sold lemonade on the street corner. It was never about the money, it was about providing a service that was needed and could improve people's lives.Q: What were some of the pressures and crises during the start-up period?AG: The set-up of process and procedure, managing cashflow and remote management presented the greatest problems. One of our biggest crises happened when we racked-up $49,000 in unpaid payroll taxes, plus an additional $49,000 in IRS penalties. This was mainly due to mismanagement issues. I was standing face to face with an IRS agent who was threatening to seize our assets, close our stores, and personally prosecute us if we did not comply. That was definitely a crisis moment. However, in Chinese the same character for crisis is the same character for opportunity. In your darkest moments you can find your best opportunities and solutions. My father was able to dig-up an aunt that could lend us $50,000. We were also able to hire a tax agent who used to work for the IRS, and he helped us negotiate an offer that made the $49,000 in penalties go away. We took three to four years to repay my aunt, but the discipline that this required gave us credibility, and later helped me raise $700,000 from friends and family for expansion. It also forced me to have the discipline to start managing things properly. Q: What kind of financing did you have? Was cash a significant issue? AG: Cash was always an issue, it was never not an issue. Initial funding came from my first business, Original Futon, which helped start the condom company. Additional funding came from winning the Tufts business plan competition. There was a lot of sweat equity. We weren't well financed until the late 90's. Eventually I put together a friends and family round and raised several thousand dollars for the company, which helped clean us up financially. Q: Have you ever had any business failures? If so, what are they? What is your perspective on failure?AG: Condomania is still here, in fact better than ever. I haven't had major failures, but small failures, such as wishing that I had executed some things more adequately, or taken advantage of some opportunities. It's a different type of failure. I don't fear failure, I fear regret. I don't fear not being able to do something, I fear not trying. I don't want to wake up one day and realize that two years ago there was an opportunity that I should have really taken advantage of. Failure can be a wonderful learning tool, but also a very expensive and difficult learning tool. There can be great benefit in experiencing failure. It's ok if it doesn't work out, it's ok if you make a mistake, because there's always a lesson that I guarantee you is going to make you more successful in the next company you set-up. Q: What are some of the most demanding conflicts/tradeoffs that entrepreneurs face? AG: The issue of self identity; who am I? Am I Adam? Am I common-man? Every entrepreneur becomes so absorbed by their company and brand that they have identity issues. Nine out of ten times it feels like someone died when an entrepreneur sells his company. If you are an entrepreneur, you aren't haunted by the insecurity of not having health options, stock options, retirement etc. You have to have calculated risk. I don't know any entrepreneurs who are ready to jump off a cliff, but if there's an analogy, we're all bungee jumpers.Q: What are some of the most important concepts, skills, attitudes, and know-how that an aspiring entrepreneur needs to get a company started?AG: Honesty about your capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. You have to come to terms with that. Some people say you should work on your weaknesses because your strengths will follow. But, why should you put your efforts into what you can't do well if you can hire someone to handle those things? Surround yourself with people who do things better than you do. That means hiring people who are more disciplined in management, more organized. Have great flexibility, be able to adapt, and finally make sure you have access to expert advisers.Q: When do you think is the best time to start a business, right out of college or after some experience with the corporate ladder?AG: Both. It depends on who you are, depends on your idea and inclinations. They are both great times. Right out of college you have nothing to lose, you don't have a mortgage, you're not married and you're used to eating pizza that's a day old. It gives you little to lose. Work experience, however, can be a tremendous asset. Q: At the end of the day, what motivates you? Is it profits, financial freedom, being your own boss?AG: The opportunity to make a difference, to lead and inspire others, and the freedom to pursue my vision. Most entrepreneurs will tell you they want to build wealth and take care of their family; but somehow that's not what gets them up every day.Thomas Singer is a senior majoring in international relations with a minor in entrepreneurial leadership. He was President of Young Entrepreneurs at Tufts in 2003 and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Tufts Entrepreneur.

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News

How to write a constitution: Be creative, patient

October 31

When the subject of founding fathers is raised, Louis Aucoin is not usually the first name that comes to mind. But Aucoin, a professor at the Fletcher School, is just that - for Iraq. For the past three years, Aucoin has been working on a project for the United States Institute for Peace on constitution making. He recently attended a meeting in Jordan and served as a consultant for the creation of the Iraqi constitution. He spoke Monday at the Fletcher School to about 20 graduate students, most of whom were in Aucoin's class, Rule of Law in Post Conflict Societies. He focused on the compatibility of Sharia - Islamic law - and democracy. "Sharia law can be squared with all human rights laws," Aucoin said. "Any religious laws can be interpreted in many different ways - there is just the question of whether people will be hard-liners or not." The new Iraqi constitution passed a nationwide referendum Oct. 15. Two Sunni provinces rejected the constitution by more than two thirds, but three provinces were required to prevent the constitution from being approved. Even if the Iraqis manage to balance Sharia with human rights, Aucoin said, there are other stumbling blocks for the implementation of the constitution. "Inclusiveness is key and if the constitution making process is dominated by a particular political faction, it is doomed from the start," Aucoin said. "Civic education is also very necessary." During the constitution writing process, Aucoin said, some Shi'a leaders assumed since they were the majority, they could write the constitution to favor their community. "The way the Iraqi constitution was drafted was not ideal at all," Aucoin said. "There is a problem with legitimacy from the get go." Another problem for the legitimacy of the Iraqi constitution, Aucoin said, is the role of other countries in writing the constitution. "Multilateral approaches are better than bilateral ones," Aucoin said. "Bilateral approaches should be avoided because other nations shouldn't seem to be writing the constitution or being too involved." A rush to democracy may not be the best solution, though, when a country is undergoing daily ethnic violence. "Public participation should not be encouraged too quickly when a conflict is still hot or else it can make the situation worse and quite possibly more dangerous," Aucoin said. Aucoin cautioned that the constitution must also be flexible enough to adapt to societal changes. "If constitution making does not allow for the rise of groups, such as women, who want addition rights, there is potential for unrest in the future," he said. He ended his prepared remarks by discussing Iraq's future. A civil war is not out of the realm of possibility, he said. "I can't see what will happen. I don't have a crystal ball, but I have hope for the future," Aucoin said. Aucoin spoke for 40 minutes and then took questions for 20 minutes. "Lectures like these serve as a reminder that your professors aren't just teaching," Fletcher School student Gillian Cull, who helped organize the lecture, said afterward. "They do many things and they're even right in there, making decisions." Fletcher School student Josh Jones said he was glad Aucoin spoke. "This lecture served as a good insight into truly understanding what is going on in Iraq versus just reading what is in the news," he said.

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News

Glocal Economics | Economics of the size of nations

October 31

Enrico Spolaore is a professor of economics at Tufts University specializing in political economy, international economics and economic growth. Recently he gave two lectures in Montreal titled "Trade, Growth, and the Size of Countries" and "The Size of Nations in Times of Democracy and Globalization."

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News

Little progress seen in search for Cummings School dean

October 31

Over a month and a half after its members were chosen, the University committee charged with finding a new dean for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has yet to make much progress. "We are just starting to recruit applicants," said search committee member Joyce Knoll, the director of the clinical pathology laboratory at the Cummings School. The details of the committee's work are confidential, though, Knoll said. The search committee - made up of nine administrators, professors and students - was formed Sept. 12 by University Provost Jamshed Bharucha to replace former dean Philip Kosch, who stepped down in June. Pharmacology Professor Sawkat Anwer has been serving as the school's interim dean since July 1. Another committee member, Associate Chair of the Clinical Sciences Department John Rush, also declined to comment on the internal discussions of the committee. "In any kind of search like this, candidates have other terrific jobs already at other institutions," Executive Assistant to the Provost Molly Stutzman said. "They don't want their current position to be compromised in any way." Many potential candidates would not enter into the consideration process unless they knew it was fully confidential, Stutzman said. The position is advertised on the provost's Web site. "The University seeks a dynamic and visionary academic leader who can position the school for continued eminence and excellence by capitalizing on the school's many academic, clinical and research strengths," the advertisement reads. The search committee is looking for someone who can help the Cummings School raise money, Bharucha said. He stressed, though, that the quality of the school's students and faculty put it in "excellent" shape already. "The new dean will have a strong platform to build on," he said. According to the provost's Web site, the University has hired the Spencer Stuart firm's Jennifer Bol and Paula Carabelli to help with the search. Bol said she would not comment on the search's progress. Kosch is now on sabbatical. When he returns next fall he will serve as special assistant to the provost. He will help the provost research issues that may affect any or all schools within the University. "He strengthened research enormously," Bharucha said of Kosch's tenure as dean. Kosch became the dean of the Cummings School July 1, 1996. He had previously been the associate dean for research and graduate studies at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. Anwer previously served as the interim dean after Franklin Loew left to become the dean of the Cornell University Veterinary School and before Kosch was hired. Some of Kosch's contributions to the Cummings School, Kosch said, were helping to secure a $15 million grant from The National Institutes of Health for a bio-safety laboratory complex and the school's $50 million naming donation from former trustee William Cummings (LA '58). -- Kristen Sawicki and Bryan Prior contributed to this article.

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News

Reaction to last week's Flag Raising Ceremony

October 31

An Open Letter to:James A. Stern, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Tufts UniversityLawrence S. Bacow, President of Tufts UniversityJamshed Barucha, Provost and Senior Vice President of Tufts UniversityStephen W. Bosworth, Dean of The Fletcher School, Tufts University Subject: Fanatic Nationalism at Tufts, U.N. Day, and Tufts' decision processes. Dear Sirs, The unjustifiable submission of Tufts University's administration to unreasonable demands of a fraction of the Tufts community is contradictory to the basic principles, democratic values and founding ideals of the United States of America. These very principles, values and ideals are the main reason why we and other international students come here. Today, we are disappointed. The proceedings that led to the change of location of the fifth annual U.N. Day Flag Raising Ceremony on Oct. 24 at noon are of great concern to us. After a lengthy preparation for last week's U.N. Day ceremony to be held again at the flagpole outside Goddard Chapel at our University, we received an announcement that a decision had been made to shift the venue of the event, providing the Organizing Committee with less than 24 hours notice. It has now been revealed that the Tufts University administration yielded to last-minute pressure by three groups of students at Tufts that maintained that the U.N. Flag Raising Ceremony would "dishonor the United States of America." We would like the Provost to confirm or deny the information that he conceded to far-right students' demands during telephone conversations with them the day before the ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 23. Our main concern is that the process, the way this decision was reached, and the reasons behind it, appear to be in disagreement with the basic principles of any free society that aspires to call itself a democracy. We expect nothing less than full transparency and respect from an academic institution that fosters democratic ideals, such as ours. We support the right of everyone to express him or herself freely. Peaceful and respectful coexistence of different perspectives is essential to our democracy and the preservation of diversity in our society. We understand any opinion that is based on logic and reason. We celebrate patriotism. But we can never tolerate, endorse or legitimize anything related to fanaticism, chauvinism or national socialism in the United States of America. History has taught us that many of its ugliest periods have been started "with seemingly insignificant and gradual developments" due to threats and coercion of small groups that were allowed to gain momentum. In other words, the rest of us tolerating the intolerant. The views expressed by the groups opposing the U.N. Day Flag Ceremony, namely Tufts' Right-to-Arms Club, Tufts Republicans and The Primary Source, do not represent the majority of the Tufts community. In fact, they are contradictory to the values of Tufts University, United States of America and the International Community. The Tufts Republicans cannot undermine the Republican ideals by proposing positions that contradict the one held by the United States of America and President George W. Bush himself, who encouraged the promotion of U.N. Day celebrations in his Oct. 24 proclamation. We fear that this decision of the Tufts administration is setting a dangerous precedent. It is bordering on disgrace and is jeopardizing the public image of our University. The international outreach of Tufts University has been cultivated since its founding in 1852. The very core of our values and our competitive advantage is at stake. It is our duty, as loyal and honest members of this society, to cherish, defend and preserve it. With Respect, Gregory Dimitriadis and Teitur Torkelsson, Members of the U.N. Day Organizing Committee at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.The Provost issued a statement last week in a campus wide e-mail, and Dimitriadis and Torkelsson issued this response: From the start and in the end this has very little to do with the flag code. Applying strict legal interpretation you could say that some people from these groups were themselves violating the flag code they were pretending to defend at the ceremony today by wearing the American flag as a bandana, when article 8 (d) of the flag code says that the flag should never be used as wearing apparel. But this is not really about the code or strict legal interpretations of it. For instance, the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. raised the British flag on July 7 to show solidarity with the United Kingdom after the terrorist bombings this summer. Should they not do that if a small group of radicals would oppose it? We do not think many people would agree to such reasoning. Provost Bharucha's decision was good as reactionary crisis-management and a de-escalatory move to avoid conflict on campus. We appreciate and thank the Provost for being forthcoming and readily available for discussion. But we cannot overlook that the administration has avoided taking a position on how it views these groups and what they want to achieve beyond the single event of today. This is about tolerance to the intolerant and whether the University has firm, ethical and professional policies toward such groups. These groups wanted to make a point that they are here at Tufts. And they are. Alive and kicking. On a positive note, this whole incident brought Fletcher and the wider Tufts community together in solidarity to defend American values.

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News

This is a 'School' for anything but subtlety

October 31

"School for Scandal," which continues its run this weekend at Tufts, is simultaneously en vogue and out of style. The show, first performed in 1777, has been adapted for the Tufts stage from Richard Brinsley Sheridan's original manuscript. The story centers on the relationships of two couples and explores the extracurricular activities of a group of gossips and high society members. For better or for worse, subtlety is not the name of the game in the Department of Drama and Dance's production of "The School for Scandal." In period costume, hair and makeup, this lack of subtlety proves to be a strong point. The powdered faces, faux beauty mark and fantastically elaborate 18th century costuming are perfect outward symbols of the flamboyance and ostentation of the main characters. The play's set design adds an exciting touch to the production, with the word "SCANDAL" stretched across the stage and a floor plan meant to be evocative of a fashion runway. Furthering this concept, paparazzi-esque camera bulbs flash at the end of important scenes, capturing the characters on stage in fits of pride or ignominy. The runway struts from the cast are played out effectively and prove to be a clever touch. Unfortunately for the play, anachronisms like these give the production a bit of an unsettled feel. This may be partly due to the script rewrites implemented for the Tufts production; this editing was done in part to dramatically shorten the play, which now runs for a tidy two hours. But the changes also include quips throughout the production that reference modern celebrities and present-day speech patterns. Such references are too few to be effective, yet frequent enough to make the audience wish the concept would be dropped. Thrown in with the period-text, allusions to Harriet Miers, Britney Spears and the much-feared "party foul!" are more awkward than amusing. Although these references will evoke laughter every evening, ultimately they just don't fit. Amusement at these jokes may fall more on the side of confusion at the silliness of the idea rather than true comedic value. To be sure, modern adaptations of classic tales are not doomed to fail. The commercially successful onslaught of William Shakespeare remakes in the past decade ("Ten Things I Hate About You," "O" and "Romeo + Juliet") demonstrate that updates aren't inherently problematic. But such revamps must be done with a bit more finesse than is evident in "Scandal." The competing forms of modern and Restoration humor ultimately cancel each other out. Even with a large ensemble cast, a few performances particularly stand out. Senior Lauren Murphy, playing the oft-silent yet always present ventriloquist Snake, captures the smarmy qualities of her role and manages to consistently remain in character while the action of the play takes place around her. Murphy's character is best set up to bridge the gap between original script and modern edits, and she does so skillfully and delicately. Junior Jessica Bauman perfectly inhabits her role as the philanthropic and wise Aunt Olivia. As her character differentiates herself from the rumormongers of the show, so too does Bauman stand out throughout the production with a strongly projecting voice and a well thought out approach to the role of the long-lost aunt. Bauman's scenes in the show prove to be some of the most enjoyable and easy to follow of the evening, due to the actress's effectively over-exaggerated portrayal of the character. Many of the other cast members also turn in noteworthy performances. Junior Kasey Collins, playing the sometimes confrontational yet ultimately likeable Lady Teazle, excels as usual in her comedic role, and the portrayal of party boy Charles Surface comes across effectively with junior Nick Jandl's charismatic demeanor. The idea behind "Scandal" is that the dangers of gossip and nosiness will ring true to today's audiences. There is the sense, however, that the audience is being over-satiated with theatrics in the hopes that it will hold their attention. If the play's message is so relatable, this should come across in the actions and interactions of the characters, not in quirky modern quips and unnecessarily explicit asides. This is in part a reflection of the play that Sheridan originally wrote; it presents caricatures of society, last names blatantly reflecting the insidious nature of the characters, and excessively obvious dialogue hammering points home (e.g. the not-so-subtle, though histrionic line "To love him I will sacrifice anything"). In this particular interpretation, if the tale is indeed a timeless one, it should rely on its merits without bringing J.Lo into the mix.

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Sydne Summer | How To...

October 31

This past summer, I thought I had the rest of my life all planned out. After graduation, I was going to attend grad school for journalism in New York City, work my way up at a reputable magazine and eventually move back to Los Angeles as a West Coast editor. Upon returning to Tufts, however, I realized that my future wasn't as clear-cut as I had thought. Talking to friends and faculty, I began to question my decision to go straight to grad school. It all started while doing a reading assignment for my TV reporting class. I read in Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel's "The Elements of Journalism" that "theories of journalism are left to the academy, and many newspeople have historically devalued journalism education, arguing that the only place to learn is by osmosis on the job. As even highly respected TV journalist Ted Koppel once said, 'Journalism schools are an absolute and total waste of time.'" It got me thinking: Were the next two years of my life going to be utterly useless? I immediately set up an appointment with Career Services to discuss my future. I have decided to wait to attend grad school, aiming to achieve real-life experience in my field first. How can you tell if you're ready for grad school? The first step is deciding on a profession. If you're unsure of what career path to take with your bachelor's degree in art history, it might be best to take a year off and explore your job options. Visit Career Services and find out what opportunities are available. A great way to explore possibilities is to spend your summer or winter vacation working for a temporary agency. You can try out various fields and see what sparks your interest. Working as a temp can also help you form valuable contacts. Keep these names in a networking file for future use. After graduation, call your contacts and try out the jobs that engrossed you. You may discover a passion for a career that does not even require you to return to school. On the other hand, if you already know the field you would like to work in prior to your senior year, you're ready to decide if grad school is the right option. There are many factors in making such an important decision. Aside from the obvious financial matters, there is the important question of how large an advantage attending grad school will give you. Of course, if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, additional schooling is a must. But what about a career in politics, education or, in my case, communications? A master's degree can't hurt - but how much will it help? The best way to find out about the possible benefits of grad schools is to talk to people in your potential field. If you want to be an anchorman, for example, get in touch with various broadcast professionals and listen to their experiences. Did they go to grad school? If not, do they regret their decision? If so, was it helpful for them in securing a job? You should also try to speak with current grad students to find out what the curriculum is actually like. The information posted on a school's website often differs from real life experiences. Location is another aspect to take into consideration. In my case, I knew I should be in New York, the magazine capital of the country. This made my decision easy. I based my potential schools on this factor, realizing that the contacts I met in grad school would be greater in an area where my profession was more popular. Research the locations in which people in your field tend to live; doing so can help to narrow down your school choices. Also, think about where you want to be, since many times, the place you go to grad school is the place you'll enter the workforce post-grad-school-graduation. If you hate the West Coast, you probably shouldn't apply to Stanford for law school. Once you've decided that you indeed want to attend, you need to get moving on the application. Most schools have a December or January deadline for the following fall term. Go to Career Services and develop a timeline. When will you study and take the GREs or MCATs? Who will you ask for recommendations? What are you going to write for your personal essays? If the list seems like too much for you to handle during your senior year, reconsider applying. Trying to get into a great grad school while studying for your five classes and attending tennis practice every night can be extremely stressful. You can always take a year off and apply when school is over. Whatever you choose, make sure it is your decision. It is great to have input from friends, family and faculty, but only you can know if you're ready to go to graduate school.

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Visiting Chinatown students say Tufts is 'pretty cool'

October 31

Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown learned Friday that it is never too early to start thinking about college. The lesson was provided by students in American Studies 131: Active Citizenship in an Urban Community: Race, Culture, Power and Politics, in partnership with the University College of Citizenship and Public Service. As part of their class, the students invited freshmen from Josiah Quincy to spend a day on the Medford campus to learn about the college experience. This is the event's fourth consecutive year. The goal of the day, senior Nicole Mueller - one of the students in the class - said was "to prompt serious thought about attending college to a group of students who might not otherwise have really considered it." Organizers planned a full day of activities, including ice-breaker games, painting the cannon, attending an a capella performance by the Jackson Jills and going on a campus tour. Robin Coyne, a teacher at Josiah Quincy, said the day's schedule provided an appropriate diversity of activities. "It was a well put together agenda," she said. "It was well rounded." Aside from their initial observation that the campus is large and their jokes about the small size of the dorm rooms, most of the Josiah Quincy students seemed to appreciate the visit. Tufts is "pretty cool," Josiah Quincy student Xiao Mei said. "Maybe I'll come here." The day gave Josiah Quincy student Jason Fong the same idea. "I would like to come here," he said. Agatha Tong, a student support coordinator at Josiah Quincy who has been involved with the program since its inception, said the program is designed to encourage the Chinatown students. Tong said she wants her students to see that college is about more than constant studying and that it will include opportunities for students to expand their interests in extracurricular activities. Coyne said she agreed. "I hope they take away from it that they can all go to college," she said. "That it is accessible to all of them." This was not the only opportunity that members of American Studies 131 have to interact with students in Chinatown. Students in the class must spend at least three hours per week on an internship in the area. "The nature of the class is far more reciprocal than Tufts simply going into the community," said teaching assistant Jen Tyson, a graduate student in the Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Department. "The students both give to and receive from the community throughout the year." As part of this process, the class has two events planned for the spring. It will show a documentary about Chinatown and will make a presentation to the Chinatown community. For now, though, members of the class are glad to see some progress in their work with the Josiah Quincy students. "Talking to them, it seems like college is definitely something many of them want to continue on to," Mueller said. "And I hope that spending the day at Tufts will have encouraged more to seriously consider it." At least one Josiah Quincy student agreed with Mueller's assessment that Friday's events were about encouraging the high schoolers to pursue college. "That's the only reason we're here," Fong said.

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In Our Midst | Returning home to stop an epidemic

October 31

While many Tufts students donate time and money to various AIDS charities and organizations, few experience the epidemic firsthand. Senior Arek Majak, did just that while spending her summer working for UNAIDS in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. "My experience in Sudan opened my eyes," Majak said of UNAIDS, which is the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS. Her experience also put her in touch with her roots. Her family is from Awil, which is in the Bahr Ghazal in Southern Sudan. The political science major was also born there. Her immediate family left the country, however, after her father received a grant to earn his Ph.D. in the United States. Due to a 1989 coup that brought a military junta to power in Sudan and the civil war that followed, the Majek family was able to obtain political asylum. As the situation worsened in Sudan, Majak's parents applied for and received permanent U.S. residency, and Majak attended school in Santa Barbara, Calif., becoming an American citizen in December of 2003. "Because of the war, most of my family has relocated to Khartoum, although I still have some relatives in the South," Majak said. Majak's interest in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in her home country was spurred while studying abroad through the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London last year. While there, Majek decided to take a course on HIV/AIDS and development. That course included a final paper on mobility and migration as a factor in facilitating the spread of the disease. The paper assignment specified that students examine those factors in reference to one particular country. For Majak, the choice of which country to focus on was clear. She planned to spend Easter break with her family in Khartoum, and to concentrate her paper on the situation in her home country. During her time back in Sudan that spring, Majak met Simona Seravesi, a UNAIDS staff member whose main task was monitoring the HIV/AIDS situation in South Sudan. Majak was offered a position with UNAIDS. The Sudan office was understaffed, as they were still in the process of defining their work in the country, and eager for help. Once her time in London came to an end, Majak began her work with UNAIDS. She started work on June 12 - coincidentally, the start date of Sudan's National Aids Advocacy Week. During that week, several events were hosted and sponsored by the Sudanese government through the Sudanese National Aids Program (SNAP), along with other aid agencies in the country including UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Majak said the incidental timing of her job and the event gave her "real momentum in the field." Majak was able to meet representatives from various agencies and organizations and quickly became well-acquainted with many different AIDS Advocacy campaigns. She attended events and symposiums hosted by government ministries such as the Ministry of Armed Services, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Guidance. "It wasn't a formal internship because the UN has a policy on not having undergraduate interns, but also the fact that you have to be 25 years old," Majak said. "So technically, I was a 'volunteer,' although I was working full time and performing the duties of an intern. I was happy to get work experience, while also having the chance to spend time with my family in Sudan," Majak said. While working with UNAIDS, Majak flew to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to help monitor and evaluate the allocation of funds donated by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development for projects initiated by selected local non-governmental organizations. Those funds (totaling $600,000) were distributed among six non-governmental organizations: the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides Association, the Sudan Council of Churches, Help Age International, the Agency for Co-operation and Research in Development and the Association of People Living with AIDS. "From my experience with UNAIDS work in Sudan, I was most satisfied with fieldwork because it's more personal, in the sense that it put real faces behind the numbers," Majak said. Majak's hands-on experience augmented her concern over the AIDS epidemic. She learned the WHO's 3 by 5 Initiative - which was supposed to treat 30,000 HIV/AIDS patients by the end of 2005 - had not yet begun, due to problems with the allocation of funds. Although Majak was frustrated by the lack of urgency for the situation of HIV/AIDS in Sudan, coupled with the devastation from the aftermath of Sudan's civil war, she still maintains an optimistic attitude. She believes there's a dire need to recognize the problem and initiate a way to deal with it, as well as to rebuilding the country's southern section. "[South Sudan] needs to improve infrastructure and important sectors such as healthcare and education, among many other things," Majak said. After graduation, Majak plans to return to Sudan with her family and continue helping the country. "There's still so much that needs to be done," Majak said. "As of now, I'm torn between development work or whether I should get involved in politics," she said. "[This is especially important], since it appears more likely that South Sudan might very well become an independent nation in six years' time," she said. Though she is unsure of what route to take, Majak is certain about one thing: after graduation she will return to Sudan to help in whichever capacity that she is able. - Sydne Summer contributed to this article.

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Football | Tufts trounced by Amherst on Zimman Field, loses fourth in a row

October 31

A different look, but a similar result. The football team didn't turn the ball over for the first time all season and quarterback Casey D'Annolfo passed for his second highest yard total of the year. Yet neither statistic was nearly enough to result in a Tufts win as Amherst bludgeoned the Jumbos 37-6. The win gave the Lord Jeffs their fifth straight victory, upping their record to 5-1 and handing the Jumbos their fourth straight loss for a 2-4 mark. "We thought we could win this game if we played our game," freshman wide receiver David Halas, who finished the day with two receptions for 51 yards, said. "They had a good team last year, too. We thought that maybe we could repeat [our victory over Amherst last year], but we didn't." Not much could stop Amherst, who hardly seemed to notice the heavy snowfall which started at kickoff and continued throughout the game, blanketing Zimman Field with a slushy layer by the second half. The Lord Jeffs sported both an impressive air and ground offensive at Tufts' expense, rushing for 233 yards and three touchdowns, passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and nailing a 40 yard field goal. The Jumbos never got their own offense to click, rushing for just 88 yards on 38 carries while passing for 173 yards but no touchdowns. For his part, D'Annolfo displayed impressive poise. He managed to make accurate throws while avoiding interceptions, rolled out of pressure while breaking tackles, and often threw the ball out of bounds to avoid costly potential sacks. D'Annolfo finished the day 8-for-24 with 171 yards and Tufts' lone touchdown, a one yard quarterback sneak over the top of a pile on the goal-line. It wasn't enough to match the dominating Lord Jeffs. Amherst senior Ngai Otieno, the league's leading rusher with 615 yards on the year, continued his impressive season with a 90-yard, one-touchdown afternoon. Even this impressive performance was bested by rookie Eric NeSmith, who outdid his older teammate by chalking up 92 yards as well as a touchdown of his own. Lord Jeff quarterback Nick Kehoe was also commanding, completing 11 of 17 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His lone blemish came on a fade down the Jumbos' sideline when Tufts senior defensive back Tunjie Williams made an impressive leaping play in the Jumbo endzone to intercept the ball and prevent another Amherst touchdown. "They're one of the better offenses we've faced all season," said junior defensive end Chris Decembrele, who finished the day with a team-high 11 tackles and 0.5 sacks. "They have a very well balanced offense, with a lot of big playmakers." The previously unflappable Jumbo defense showed considerable weakness for the second straight week. The team has given up 74 points in its past two games, after allowing just 30 points in its first four. The usual suspects were strong for the Jumbos, with both Decembrele and junior defensive back Bryan McDavitt leading the team in tackles and together combining for a sack, but neither individually could fend off Amherst's offensive onslaught. The defense's biggest deficiency was its inability to curb big plays, as Otieno broke Amhersts' second play from scrimmage for a 59 yard touchdown run, and Kehoe found junior receiver Mark Hannon for a 65 yard touchdown bomb to open the second half. NeSmith also had a 46 yard touchdown run in the third quarter. "On the big plays that they made, we just had mental lapses," Decembrele said. "Good teams take advantages of our mistakes." The Jumbos have their work cut out for them if they're to finish the season with a .500 mark. With two games remaining, they will need to win both in order to even their record at 4-4. The first hurdle is a game next week at Colby, who sports an impressive 5-1 record and will be holding Senior Day for its final home game. Tufts will finish the season at home against Middlebury, who stands at 1-5 but has beaten the Jumbos in their previous three meetings.

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Men's Cross Country | Tufts wins NESCAC championship for third consecutive year

October 31

Fighting through a chilly Wesleyan running course, the men's cross country team was able to retain its crown as NESCAC champion for the third consecutive year on Saturday. The Jumbos, despite not running their best race were able to edge out NESCAC rival Williams who finished with 62 points, four behind Tufts' 58. Host Wesleyan (99) finished a respectable third, but once again, it was the Jumbos who dominated the event. Despite their success, the Tufts frontrunners experienced a bit of an off week compared to their peak form, yet still managed to put up impressive times. Senior co-captain Matt Lacey (25:28) and junior Josh Kennedy (25:42) finished fourth and seventh, respectively. However, it was the improved performance from senior co-captain Matt Fortin (26:07), who finished eighth overall, which helped the Jumbos race to victory. Assistant coach Rod Hemingway was pleased with Fortin's race and the fact his captain is peaking at just the right time. "Fortin understands that in a cross country season, the goal is to peak in performance towards the end of the season and he is definitely doing that now," Hemingway said. "He is going to perform like this for the rest of the season and I was very impressed with his times." The recurring theme of the race seemed to be fatigue, as the Jumbos, fresh off an intense practice week, were unable to run to the fullest of their potential. "We executed our goal by winning the race," Hemingway said. "But it played out differently than we had expected. Lacey and Kennedy ran a bit slower, but we expected that since we planned this week to be a bit of a down week." However, the Jumbos showed they can still hold their own when they have to rely on their middle runners. Junior Justin Chung (26:21) finished fourth for Tufts and 16th overall while sophomore Chris Kantos (26:35), running in his first competitive race all season, ran impressively finishing 23rd. Senior co-captain Matt Lacey stressed the importance of Kantos' performance. "It was great to see him do so well," Lacey said. "This is definitely what we have been expecting of Kantos all season long. The scary thing is he can still do even better. It was a hard training week but we were able to win because the people who needed to step up definitely stepped up." While the Tufts campus was covered in snow, Wesleyan was limited to cold temperatures. However, the weather still took a toll on the Jumbos. Senior Neil Orfield, while usually keeping pace with Chung, fell back in the pack as his back began to tighten up due the cold temperatures. Orfield (27:08) finished 53rd. The Jumbos now look towards ECACs next week and Regionals in two weeks filled with confidence. "We definitely feel confident and strong since we didn't run to the fullest of our capabilities [at NESCACs]," Lacey said. Hemingway agreed with Lacey on the Jumbos' performance. "We ran a B+ race," Hemingway said. "Williams ran an A race and because of this, I'm really confident our middle seven runners can still beat them next week at ECACs." Coach Ethan Barron, along with Hemingway, while giving their top seven runners a rest week, must now concentrate on getting their middle seven prepared for next weekend's ECACs at Connecticut College. Tufts has won the ECAC championship the last two seasons. With sophomore Dave Sorensen (27:15) finishing 50th overall at Wesleyan and junior Nate Cleveland winning his first collegiate race in the open five kilometer race, the Jumbos should fair well against their regional rivals. "Sorensen will lead us," Hemingway said confidently. "Along with freshmen Andrew Lee and sophomore Anyenda Inyagwa, we should be able to do really well against schools like Williams. It's going to be challenge, but we've won this race the past few years and definitely expect to do it again."

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Glocal Economics | European Observer

October 31

Europe has frequently flirted with a more Anglo-Saxon model over the past several years, and the question has reared its head yet again. With the numerous events in 2005 that have been discrediting the European Union, this past week's affairs have once again sparked animosity between liberal-promoting Britain and the newly dismembered Germany. Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain called last Wednesday for a transformation of the European Union's economic approach and warned critics that Europe needed to embrace globalization if it wanted "to put the EU back together again." Many were skeptical of the next day's imminent happenings. While Blair was preparing to host the informal summit meeting in Hampton Court - which was aimed at reviving Europe's stagnating economies and reconciling political differences - British officials were worried that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would use his last European summit to spoil the show of his bene noire Tony Blair. This summit, which was scheduled with the aspiration that newly-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel would arrive as Germany's representative, was once again not remembered for its good intentions of solving Europe's poor situation but was highlighted by Schroeder's last international speech. In this speech, Schroeder demonstrated no reluctance in expressing his fundamental disapproval of Tony Blair's six-month presidency of the EU. He insisted that leaders should promote freedom, prosperity and social justice, and claimed that "only someone who fulfils these criteria has the legitimacy to take Europe forward." It was clear that he did not consider Blair to be such a person. After the rejection of the EU constitution, the difficult German election and the growing French Protectionism, one would think that the European leaders would want to gather once and for all to settle the increasingly lack of EU functionality. Concerns such as the ever-spreading bird flu requires for this community to work together and understand the true meaning and importance of a harmonized voice expressing the needs of Europe. In effect, Blair seemed to understand these pressing urges and organized this informal summit in order to re-launch the paralyzed EU, which has had a rather chaotic year. But once Schroeder refused Blair's invite to the pre-summit dinner on Wednesday evening and then failed to show up on time the next day, it was evident that this summit wouldn't be constructive in any way. In his attacks against the British Prime Minister, Schroeder clearly questioned Blair's authority to drive reform. Despite increasing global competition and aging populations, he urged the EU to "stick to its convictions" by promoting a social Europe. He also clearly denounced the "social dumping effect" that would take place if the EU were to enact an economic plan along the lines of the Anglo-Saxon model. In addition, Schroeder took advantage of this summit as departing Chancellor to express an angry voice against the new globalization "shock absorber fund" that was conceived by the European commission and has backing by both Britain and France. This fund - which consists of propping up regions hit by job losses due to globalization and restructuring - is regarded by Schroeder as a fund that will help some member states restructure in the face of greater international competition but will reward failure and will be impossible to finance. He had even foreshadowed his intent to disgrace the summit organized by Blair when he told journalists earlier on in the week that he is "more than skeptical" about the British-backed centerpiece of the EU talks on globalization. As Germany's Schroeder has unleashed a stinging attack on Blair during this informal EU summit, it is ironic to think that the embittered German leader, a former center-left "third way" ally of Blair, began his first term in office in 1998, eyeing the success of the reformist Blair and pledged a joint German-British drive to revive Europe's center-left. This last desperate attempt by Schroeder to sink Blair seems to indicate a much larger trend. There are many implications that the social Europe adored by France and Germany is on its way out of European politics. Globalization has already put enough pressure on Europe to coordinate itself more liberally in order to survive. Additionally, the Eastern European countries that have recently entered the EU are longing to forget their communist past and will be more inclined to use the Anglo-Saxon model than the French social model. With Merkel taking over the German Chancellor's position this month, it seems like France will soon be alone in its devoted mission to keep a social Europe. But with the 2007 presidential elections, where Nicholas Sarkozy has already been declared by most as the favorite contender, European politics are bound to change since as he shares many points of view with his German counterpart, Merkel. With this is mind, if one is to be questioned whether or not the Anglo-Saxon model can be applied to the rest of Europe, the answer seems pretty clear. It is inevitable.Jason Shellaby is a senior majoring in international relations.

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Glocal Economics | Banana Republic Insights

October 31

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Brazil should have theoretically been an ideal country in which to outlaw gun ownership among private citizens. Historically, its crime rates have been devastatingly high. Today, Brazil continues to be a global leader in gun related deaths, and its cities - though beautiful - are among the most violent in the world. A recent survey released by UNESCO indicates that among 57 countries, Brazil has the second highest gun death rate, with 22 deaths per 100,000 people-Venezuela tops the list. This amounted to one death every 15 minutes. Last year alone, 36,000 people were killed as a result of gun violence throughout Brazil. Additionally because Brazil has a far larger population than Venezuela, it leads the world in gun deaths in absolute terms. Despite these appalling figures, on Sunday October 23rd, Brazilians voted "no" by a wide margin on a proposed gun sale ban, and it is important to understand why. One major handicap for the supporters of the ban was that it was strongly endorsed by Brazilian President Luiz Inancio Lula de Silva. Remember how Al Gore didn't want to campaign with Clinton because it would hurt his image following the Lewinsky scandal? In Brazil, the anti-gun camp was bogged down by an increasingly negative view of the Lula administration. The gun lobby was adroitly able to turn the gun ban into a mini-referendum on Lula himself. The endemic distrust of the police also played an important role in the referendum. On top of obvious corruption and judicial incompetence, the Brazilian police forces often operate under a "shoot-to-kill" policy, resulting in deaths of innocent people. Though Lula introduced gun control legislation in 2003 (with some positive results), his financial backing of it has been mediocre. The law prohibits carrying concealed weapons, but because of budget cuts and political scandals, Lula has not been able to restructure and improve the police. In the virtually absence of police reforms, and the public's trust has continued to wane. The amount of influence that the state is able to wield decreases dramatically as one moves away from the urban centers. In the Amazon or other rural areas, the existence of rule of law is often questioned. Pistoleiros, gunmen, provide a cheap, effective and eerily common way to ensure personal safety or get revenge. Meanwhile, in the cities, reasons for voting "no" were varied and often flawed. Though the middle-class seems to fear break-ins and muggings, and the lower-class fears gang-wars and street violence, the gun ban would have helped Brazil. Experience has shown that guns are not an effective means to ensure personal security. As a family becomes wealthier, it is able to protect itself in more sophisticated ways. Motion detectors, guards, cameras, bulletproof cars and so forth, are far more effective at deflecting crime than guns might be. Thus, as the rich are able to more effectively protect themselves, crime begins to fester in other sectors of society. Naturally, the most significant violence occurs in and around Brazil's favelas, shantytowns. There are other benefits to banning the sale and ownership of guns amongst private citizens. Criminals tend to usually do everything possible to give themselves an advantage over their victims by trying to arm themselves more heavily than their victims. As the general population acquires more and more guns, criminals are increasingly likely to rely on bigger, deadlier weapons, creating an arms race of sorts. By limiting the number and the type of weapons that is available to the common citizen, criminals will be less inclined to seek out weapons out. Not only will this make overall crime less deadly - people may still get mugged, but they will be less likely to be shot in the process - this will also assist in giving the state some leverage in guaranteeing public safety. The October 23rd "no" vote has become an important hurdle in enforcing public safety in Brazil. Since the disarmament statue was passed in 2003, there has been an eight percent drop in gun deaths. 2004 marked the first time in 13 years in which there was a decline in gun deaths. Gun control has been working in Brazil, and it should be continued. Because gun legislation has clearly become intertwined with other political issues, Brazil may be forced to find other means toward the same end. Principally, the police force must be restructured. Budget cuts in this area are totally unacceptable. Police salaries should be raised in order to transform police work into a decent and respectable profession. Corruption at all levels must be stymied. Most importantly perhaps, Brazil should develop special task forces, focused and specifically trained for urban warfare in the favelas. Official estimates indicate that the referendum cost over $110 million. Perhaps before pursuing costly and risky democratic campaigns, Lula should focus on showing his people tangible results. Only with aggressive - though entirely legal and humanitarian - will the state be able to recuperate the trust of its people and regain a monopoly over the use of domestic force. Once Brazilians begin to see results and rebuild their trust in elected officials, in terms of security and otherwise, the President will able to receive the votes he wants in national referenda. Until then, we are more likely to see anti-gun and anti-violence legislation approved through back room politicking than through nation-wide voting.

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Alex Sherman | Retrospective

October 31

This article comes late, unfortunately, but I don't call it retrospective for nothing. Keep this in mind for next year. In the days of yore, the 31st of October was when the dead walked the earth and spirits mingled with the living. On the first of November, all the known monsters, witches, zombies, werewolves, demons, vampires, ghosts, imps, goat-men, hellhounds, blood-hawks and swamp creatures coalesced into one giant orgy of phobia. Humanity quivered in fear, concealed behind shut windows and huddled under blankets. Back then, the dead were equally venerated and feared. It then became tradition to mock or impersonate said monsters by dressing up as them. All Hallow's Eve eventually was shortened to Halloween, and it seems that as the holiday's name was abbreviated, so too were the costumes. Or done away with entirely. Nowadays, kids our age, if you want to call us that, don't care about costumes. Halloween becomes a day where, for the most part, we just put some half-assed attempt into our costumes. Boys usually show up dressed as something that they culled together from their limited wardrobes. And a lot of girls just find their shortest skirt and a revealing shirt. This lackluster effort is the recent theme of Halloween parties, and frankly, it's a damn travesty Step back for a moment. I have absolutely no problem with scantily clad women. This isn't my internal chauvinist speaking here, either. I just know that I belong to an overwhelming demographic of men who understand that the adage 'less is more' can apply quite well to clothing. However, as with alcohol, board games and family reunions, moderation is critical. And while my threshold of tolerance for those who dress to impress is far higher than, say, Monopoly, there's still a limit. I'm not on a crusade for decency, either - reading the previous paragraph hopefully clued you in to that. And boys are just as guilty for bad costumes. You can't just throw on a mask and expect results. If you were robbing a bank, then maybe, but not for Halloween. That I'm looking to do is reestablish some of Halloween's former glory; honoring the dead, huddling in fear of the monsters that stalk the mortal plane. Or, heck, if you're not a fan of being devoured by hellspawn or chased by three-headed werewolves, I'd favor just bringing it back to the old days where costumes were mandatory and good costumes were expected. I half-assed my costume this year, I'll admit. My disclaimer is that I had to wear a neck-brace because apparently something was wrong with my spine. A neck brace is a tough cookie to have for a foundation for a costume. But I tore up a laundry bag and turned it into a sling, wrapped my head and hands in bandages, and stole a crutch from the wall where it was ceremoniously hung to honor the last injury in my house. And blam: I'm an accident. I even sharpied in a little blood for extra effect. It might not have been your paragon of costume jobs, but you could at least appreciate the work put into it. While hobbling from one house to the next, several cars actually stopped to ask if I wanted a ride. In this way, I wasn't that different from a lot of girls on Halloween. Except I was wearing a real costume. I'm not sure exactly how we got from a day where the dead intermingled with the living to a grand old costume ball to an excuse to lose clothes, but I'm guessing it's the same way that the birth of Christ got turned into a 12 day gift extravaganza with reindeers and senseless logging. In the end, we're a far cry from the original holiday. This isn't to say there's not a secret unseen alliance of people who still labor to make Halloween a day of ingenious costume design. I understand through hearsay that the garment district downtown was packed this weekend. Also, Davis Square's own Buck-a-Book seems to have been replaced by a store devoted exclusively to costumes (like that'll last for another week). Ever wondered why our mothers used to make or buy us kick-ass costumes? Aside from silencing our inane yammering, I am willing to bet that they were trying in a small way to relive the bygone days vicariously through us. So latch on to these final days of Halloween before you get too old to costume yourself. Next Halloween, your costume should become your first and only priority. You should make your costume such that people are talking about it for months. Thanksgiving turkey should evoke vivid memories of your burn victim masquerade. But then, what about the scanty dress-up aspect of the holiday? I'm not saying this has to go either. Let's just set aside a day and make a new holiday where this is required of us. On a day of month x, all of us will have to dress like a playboy bunny or a topless god of thunder or a loin-clothed Tarzan. If they invented a holiday solely for the benefit of Hallmark, then we can make up our own holiday as well.Alex Sherman is a senior majoring in Architectural Studies. He can be reached via e-mail at Alexander.Sherman@tufts.edu.

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Women's Soccer Sidebar | Regular-season crown

October 31

Four years ago, then-freshmen Sarah Callaghan, Ariel Samuelson, Lindsay Garmirian and Lydia Claudio came into coach Martha Whiting's soccer program with few ideas as to what their next four years would bring. Just two months later the four freshmen were celebrating with their teammates on a sunny November afternoon at Kraft Field after defeating Williams 3-0 to win the NESCAC title and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The victory came after a 6-2-1 regular season in which the Jumbos won the season crown through a tiebreaker after a three-way tie approaching the postseason. Don't be alarmed that the previous paragraph sounds strangely familiar. Four years later, the four seniors, along with classmate Cate Meeker (who joined the team her sophomore season), once again finished with a 6-2-1 mark in a tie atop the conference, and once again earned the top seed in the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker. The seniors' four seasons have been unusually symmetrical. After winning the NESCAC regular season and playoff titles three years ago, the Jumbos fell in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The results of the 2005 playoffs are still up in the air, but the Jumbos, and especially its four seniors, are hoping that the symmetry continues through to next Sunday afternoon. "This time around, the seniors would appreciate winning NESCACs so much more," Callaghan said. "Not only because the end of the season means the end of our careers, but because as freshmen, we didn't realize how hard it is to be that successful." "Winning NESCACs freshman year was amazing and I can't imagine a better way to end my soccer career than by repeating that success," Samuelson added. "When I was a freshmen, I didn't quite understand how big of an accomplishment it really was to win NESCACs, but now as a senior I know and would be so appreciative to win again."- Aman Gupta

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News

Gold industry far from golden

October 31

As gold prices continue to soar to long-lost highs, many individuals may consider melting down their precious wedding bands. This gold boom - unlike the one that sent our parents scrambling for spare pieces of the metal in the early '80s - was not caused by mounting uncertainty in the market. It has instead increased global consumer demand that appears to be the cause of the 17-year high in prices. This unique scenario represents a significant opportunity to reform and develop within the gold industry. Consumer demand has accounted for a significant majority of global consumption ever since most central banks moved away from the gold standard. Demand, after years of stagnation, is enjoying healthy rates of growth, primarily because of ballooning sales in the Far East. Chinese and Indian residents with newfound wealth want gold - and lots of it. As the industry enjoys the windfall of these new consumers, they will maximize sales by paying close attention to the culture role of gold in these new countries. In the West, gold is traditionally presented very conservatively, and designs have not changed significantly over several decades. Asian customers are different. The newly-minted Chinese and Indian middle class consumers want a way to express their new found wealth. Designs that Europeans and Americans would consider gaudy are very popular. Thus, it would seem ideal for gold designers to follow the customer in their designs. The gold industry should take a cue from the diamond and platinum industries. It needs to make a concerted effort to link different steps in the production chain. If the sector were to collaborate on advertising efforts, retailers would benefit from increased volume and miners would have the cash to explore new efforts. Producers and retailers of gold can also find new applications for gold in industry. Funding research for the development gold usage in the medical and electronics field could open another important future source of revenue. With these new, long-term sources of demand in place, the time is ripe for the mining industry to tackle major reforms in how they obtain their supplies. Anti-mining groups have been pressing the industry for years for governments to ban cyanidation - a common way of extracting gold from the ground. Major mining interests have taken steps to prevent this. This is a wise move, because a policy of self-regulation is logical for a worldwide industry. But even if left to police themselves, the fact remains: it is in the gold industry's best interests to phase out cyanidation. Improving standards in production will ultimately be beneficial to the producers. Not only will they benefit from an improved image, but they will escape potentially expensive legal costs and costly restoration to the environment. Cyanidation is representative of an older, swashbuckling industry. Extraction through this method is extremely wasteful. It takes nearly 30 tons of rock doused with cyanide to extract only one ounce of gold. With rising costs of gold, the industry has the unique opportunity to invest in new extraction methods. Not only would the environment benefit from lack of pollution, but additional sources of gold could be tapped. Ultimately in this highly fragmented sector, the major body - the World Gold Council - needs to encourage a unified transformation. It will only be through synergies in supply chain integration, improved exploration methods and self-regulation in environmental standards that the sector will be able to benefit from price rises and sustain development. Profit margins may fall in the short-term, but with guaranteed demand from the Far-East and the threat of environmental lawsuits diminished, the overall forecast for the industry will be much brighter.

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Alex Bloom | Philly Phodder

October 31

Let the truth be told: the NBA starts another season tonight, and there are many changes this year. Amare Stoudamire will be out for four months. Ron Artest will be back, although nobody is certain whether he'll last four months. And Larry Brown now coaches the Knickerbockers, which means Stephon Marbury may be on a new team in four months. Now I could give you a preview of all 30 teams, breaking down each of their key acquisitions over the offseason and identifying who will be the movers and shakers this year, but I'm not David Aldridge. And this is an East Coast school, so 95 percent of you don't care that the Golden State Warriors could have a breakout season with Baron Davis and Jason Richardson working together in the backcourt. The only division that anyone cares about is the Atlantic Division. But before we move further, here's my crude and slightly offensive joke of the week: the New Orleans Hornets, who were a pitiful 18-64 last season, will play games in Oklahoma City this year due to Katrina's wrath. If they are still mired in last place by February, the team will reportedly change its name to the Oklahoma City Bombers. The favorite right now in the Atlantic is the New Jersey Nets. The Nets brought in Vince Carter last season in late December and after struggling through the regular season, they put together a 16-5 run to close out the year. They took the eighth seed in the playoffs before being swept out by Shaq's Heat. They are easily the most talented team in the division with Jason Kidd, Vinsanity and Richard Jefferson. The addition of Marc Jackson, who averaged 12 points and five rebounds last season for Philly, gives the Nets a strong frontcourt in a division with weak big men, pairing Jackson with Jason Collins and Nenad Krstic, who could really use a few more vowels. And Jeff McInnis is a good point guard off the bench. Philadelphia and Boston will give the Nets some trouble. The Sixers' biggest offseason acquisition was bringing in Maurice Cheeks as head coach. Cheeks was an assistant under Larry Brown before heading out to Portland to take the Blazers to two playoff appearances and three winning seasons. Allen Iverson has professed his respect for the coach, so perhaps AI will finally be on the same page as his coach. There are a lot of "ifs" in Philly. If Chris Webber can finally recover from his knee injury and be a complement to Iverson, if Andre Iguodala has the type of breakout season Sixers' fans are hoping for, and if Iverson can stay healthy, this team should be formidable. But if the lack of depth on the bench caused by the injury to Willie Green and the inexperience of swingman Kyle Korver, center Samuel Dalembert, and Iguodala continues to be a factor, the Sixers will again be just a first round doormat in the playoffs. Boston is a mix of young and old. It's anybody's guess to how long Danny Ainge will keep Paul Pierce on the team. Everyone knows Pierce has a bad attitude. Gary Payton and Antoine Walker are gone. In their place are Al Jefferson and Delonte West. Justin Reed, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green are the future of this squad, and the C's have a ton of potential. The Celtics' good draft gives them a solid bench, with Mark Blount and Brian Scalabrine backing up LaFrentz and Green, Oriene Greene, and Reed coming off the bench for Ricky Davis, Pierce and West. If this team is going to compete, they must play better defense. Doc Rivers' team was 11th in the Eastern Conference last season in team points allowed. Then there's the new-look Knicks. Does Larry Brown have more magic left in him? This is a new kind of team. Tim and Kurt Thomas are gone, and some new faces have hit the Big Apple. Eddy Curry and Jerome James give the Knicks two very big men under the basket and Quentin Richardson will be a good swingman. New York got younger by trading Kurt Thomas for Richardson, but Q had back problems in the past and now has hamstring problems. Curry and James have both been out of shape during the preseason, and Brown, who prefers veterans over young guys, may give a lot of playing time to Antonio Davis and Malik Rose. It will be interesting to see how often Channing Frye plays, considering the treatment that Brown gave Darko in Detroit. Jamal Crawford and Marbury will lead this team, but hopefully for Knicks fans, it will be to more than 33 wins. That leaves Toronto, which picked Joey Graham and Charlie Villanueva during the first round of the draft. Jalen Rose and Chris Bosh will lead a team which is still rebuilding. The Raptors dealt problem-child Rafer Alston to Houston for Mike James in the offseason, and he joins Rose, Bosh, Morris Peterson and Loren Woods for the Raptors' starting five. Rafael Araujo and Matt Bonner will come off the bench for what will be another disappointing Raptors team. None of these teams will be able to challenge the Eastern Conference powerhouses of Detroit, Miami or Indiana. But this is Boston. And it wouldn't be Boston if fans didn't care about any other team or division but their own.

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News

Glocal Economics | Jonathan Rissin | Economics of Baseball

October 31

Developing players is a more crucial and hands-on skill for Major League Baseball Clubs than for any other major sport club. In no other sport is there such a structured minor league development system which spans six levels, not to mention the baseball teams outside of America. The top players can zip through a minor league system in two years, but most major leaguers played minor league baseball for four or five years before reaching the majors. Strong minor league systems are cheap and efficient ways to restock a major league club, as apposed to the free agent market where multi-million dollar contracts are the norm. Staying competitive requires proper drafting, development, and retention of major league prospects. I quantified the value of each major league club's farm system based on the prospects that it currently contains. The value of prospects that are higher in the farm system (AAA, AA, A, rookie) are more valuable because they are closer to the major leagues, have logged more innings, and therefore are more projectable as major league players. A player who is performing well at triple-A is more valuable than a player having a great year in rookie ball. Not only is the value of the triple-A player much less volatile, the realization of his value is in the near future as opposed to the distant future. Baseball America, the scouting and minor league authority for baseball fans, ranked the top 20 prospects in each of the 16 minor leagues. In the table I noted how many players each major league club had on the lists and I called them "prospects". Any player in the top ten in triple-A, top five in double-A, or top three in single-A is a "stud" and therefore is more valuable than other prospects relative to their level. The value of the prospects in the farm systems is based on the average contributions that former minor league players have made once they reached the majors. I incorporated that an additional win is worth $2.14 million dollars on average to a major league team based on Nate Silver's analysis. I used a metric called WARP (wins above replacement player) to quantify the wins each player contributes to their major league club. By multiplying WARP by $2.14 million, the value of a player is determined. From this number, subtract the player's salary and the marginal value of each player is obtained. For example, if a player's WARP is six wins and is paid $10 million per year, then his marginal value=(6*2.14)-10=$2.84 million. Since players are on one-year cost-controlled contracts for their first six seasons, they are paid well below market value, and generally have positive marginal values to their clubs. "Farm value" is the sum of the projected marginal costs of each major league club's current prospects. The two Los Angeles teams lead the pack in farm values, followed by Atlanta, Boston and Minnesota. This displays the tremendous job Theo Epstein has done in stocking the once barren Boston system in only three years. Teams with high payrolls that also have strong farm systems can expect to be division favorites for years to come due to the savings they get from their prospects coupled with millions of dollars in free agents. Teams with low payrolls rely almost entirely on their farm system, which means bad teams with weak systems like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Kansas City can expect more losing seasons in front of them. Only a team like the Yankees could win with almost no farm system, but their $200 million payroll could not buy a World Series the past five seasons. In two years when Sheffield, Mussina, Rivera, Posada, Johnson, Giambi and Matsui are too old to play, the Yankees will have no prospects to fill their roles and even Steinbrenner does not have enough money to replace them all with free agents.Jonathan Rissin is a senior majoring in economics.

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News

Prime' turns out to be a winning number

October 31

It's never easy to meet your significant other's parents -- but it's even harder when one of them is your therapist. This is the case in the new romantic dramedy "Prime," written and directed by Ben Younger, best known for 2000's "Boiler Room." The story unfolds as Rafi (Uma Thurman) visits her therapist to discuss her just-completed divorce. A 37-year-old career woman, Rafi is stunned and in denial over the collapse of her nine-year relationship. Her therapist, Dr. Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep) advises her to take things slowly and "enjoy [her] new life." Rafi meets a young Brooklyn painter, David Bloomberg (Bryan Greenberg), who happens to be Dr. Metzger's son. None of this clicks until one therapy session where Rafi reveals the truth of her burgeoning relationship -- her new boy toy is 14 years her junior. What is even funnier is that Dr. Metzger advocates a relationship with a younger man until she finds out who Rafi was actually dating. In an ongoing and hilarious motif, Metzger goes to see her own therapist to discuss the ethical complications surrounding her patient's involvement with her son and her inability to continue their professional relationship. The comedy is light but fulfilling at the same time. The well crafted script gleans just enough comedy out of each situation without making the film completely dependent on the central mother-son-girlfriend gimmick. The triangular relationship is the main crux of the film. Further complicating this central dilemma is Dr. Metzger's devout Judaism and Rafi's shiksa status. The dinner scene in the Metzger's home is one of the funniest (and most uncomfortable) situations in the entire film. David's grandmother orchestrates the scene, dropping the punch line when she turns to Rafi in the middle of a different conversation and says, "So I hear you are thinking of converting to Judaism." The acting is likewise commendable; all find ways to make their characters fresh and believable. Bryan Greenberg is especially impressive -- this up-and-comer is clearly going to go far. He is convincing as a naive young artist, even though the starving-artist-in-a-romantic comedy angle is becoming quite cliche Thurman, beautiful as always, does magnificently playing Rafi as an under-loved and overworked middle-aged career woman. It's clear why the two would fall in love; both are attractive people looking for something fun yet serious. Streep plays her role as she does any other -- with understated exuberance. She dives into the mind of Dr. Metzger, the fifty-something Jewish psychoanalyst from the Upper West Side, and obviously has a great time with it. The scene in which she initially finds out and forces Rafi out of her appointment time really gives Streep the opportunity to work her performing magic. Metzger closes the door behind Rafi quickly and leaps to the couch, flattening out the wrinkles in her clothing while doing breathing exercises she clearly hasn't used since pregnancy. One character that seemed a bit superfluous was David's best friend Morris, played by Jon Abrahams. A listless amalgamation of romantic comedy stereotypes, he felt out of place in "Prime." Younger acknowledged that, through Morris's character, he was angling for a 'slapstick feel.' "I wanted to make sure that there was a good age contrast between David and Rafi's friends," Younger told the Daily a few weeks ago. While Morris did help to demonstrate that contrast quite explicitly, his character ended up being a dead-weight, creating more plot contrivances than innovations. For the most part, "Prime" succeeds as a light and airy film. It is the perfect date movie -- not quite as uplifting as cheesy Reese Witherspoon fare but also not as dreadfully anti-romantic as last winter's "Closer." The strongest aspect of this film is that it draws its laughs not from tired bathroom humor or contrived situations, but from the characters and their interactions. This is a fabulous example of a writer/director in his prime.

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