Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Wednesday, April 8, 2026
The Print Edition Print Subscription
Donate | About | Join Us
Advertise | Submit a Tip
Subscribe to our newsletters

Archives

The Setonian
News

Aidekman and Braker need an ark

October 18

The heavy rains that swept across the Northeast the past two weeks also took their toll on the Medford campus, causing water damage in two buildings. Students arrived at Aidekman Arts Center Sunday, Oct. 9 to find the building flooded. Water came into both the music library and the musical instrument storage rooms. A week later, on Sunday, Oct. 16, Braker Hall also flooded. The Aidekman flood occurred between 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and noon on Sunday, according to Librarian Michael Rogan, who was notified of the flood by campus security on that Sunday afternoon. At one point, he said, the music library was drenched with three inches of water. "Paper based materials in storage in the library were damaged," Rogan said. The water did not reach any shelves, though, he said. The music library, located in the basement of Aidekman, bore the brunt of the flooding, Library Assistant Abigail Al-Doory said. The library was closed that Sunday and did not re-open until this Tuesday. Some of the library's electrical equipment was damaged, including a stereo, Al-Doory said. The computers that were on the floor were not damaged. They were dried out by the Library Information Technology Support. "We didn't lose any data but we didn't have computers for several days," Rogan said. Musical instruments were also hit by the flood. "Some of the African drums did get wet," Al-Doory said. "But they were pulled out OK." Cellos had to be moved from the basement, but some did get wet. Music Department Chair Janet Schmalfeldt received messages from two students on Tuesday about the possible damage of one instrument and an instrument case. "My case just got a little wet on the bottom," sophomore Andrea Markell said. Junior Bryan Boyce's cello, though, was temporarily damaged by the flooding in the basement. "The moisture from all the water expanded the wood in my cello and I was unable to tune it for five days," he said. He did not immediately report the specifics of the problem to any faculty. Freshman Whitney Pegden said her cello was damaged but does not plan to get it repaired until she hears if the University will reimburse her. No decision has yet been made on if and how students will be compensated if items are permanently damaged. The upper floors of Aidekman were not hit as hard as the music library. A Chamber Singers practice was scheduled in Aidekman for Sunday afternoon was cancelled but classes were held in the building on Monday. Portable pumps were brought in by the OneSource custodial staff to divert water into the sinks and toilets. Both Rogan and Schmalfeldt said they were impressed by and grateful for the job done by OneSource. Fans were also put in to dry the carpet and prevent mold from developing in the music library, Rogan said. They were still there Tuesday morning. "You can still smell the stench," Al-Doory said last Wednesday. The flooding of Aidekman was caused by a failure in the building's sump pump - a device used to redirect water that is collecting below the floor of a basement before it overflows into the basement. "When the sump pump failed the groundwater rose," Rogan said. Director of Construction Management Mitch Bodnarchuk said flooding is a recurring problem in Aidekman. "With all the rain we had, this was a natural rising of the water table beneath the building," he said. The renovation of Cohen Auditorium and the construction of the new music building will give workers a chance to install a better drainage system for Aidekman, Bodnarchuk said. "We expect to solve this problem permanently," he said. Rogan, who is on the committee overseeing the construction of the new music building, said that this will be a "huge job." To put in a drainage system, he said, construction workers will "have to rip [the building] down to the dirt." According to Academic Computing Lab Manager Jeff Weiner, the Braker flood occurred when water leaked in through the ceiling. He does not believe any computers were damaged. "The computers are under the desks and are up off the floor in computer caddies," he said. "To be on the safe side, we will not turn on those computers until the area around them has a chance to dry."

The Setonian
News

Time to push Wi-Fi through

October 18

A $12,000 dollar investment for what could be a life-changing campus-wide improvement. For about $3 per undergraduate, Tufts could install a wireless Internet network on the two quads and the President's Lawn. Imagine how much better life here would be if instead of spending hours updating Facebook profiles and checking away messages while locked in the seclusion of a dormitory room , students could continue these noble pursuits while laying in the middle of the quad, or sitting on the library roof. Imagine laying outside transferring the contents of JSTOR directly into a bibliography while sunbathing, instead of having to cram into a messy, unlivable dorm room or maneuver through a Civil War reenactment to find a spot to work in the library. Now forget about it. Tufts will not become wireless before this year's freshman class graduates unless the administration pulls its collective head out of its derriere and realizes that investing $12,000 on wireless has a far greater relative utility than a $20 million investment on a new dormitory, or a multi million dollar long term investment to make admissions need blind. This is not to say that Tufts is not in need of more residential space or that need-blind admissions are not a noble goal. Both are clearly necessary and should be pursued wholeheartedly. However, the comparatively miniscule cost of implementing wireless Internet and almost effortlessly improving the lives of just about every student at Tufts immediately makes it unthinkable that money for Wi-Fi should not be earmarked today. But don't hold your breath. Tufts is committed to sinking large amounts of money into building Sophia Gordon Hall and increasing available funds for financial aid. Both projects affect only select portions of the campus population. A wireless Internet network would be a universal boon to the community. If Tufts honestly cannot scrounge up $12,000, the Daily has some suggestions for raising or saving the necessary money: -Increase tuition by a few cents a year. Once the network's installation is paid for, use the increase in revenue to maintain and service the network. - Stop paying Busta Rhymes to come and not perform every year. In fact, cut funding for PBoard in general. Tufts does not need more than one anonymous comedian per year, and certainly should not be paying homophobic dancehalls stars to perform in dining halls. - Cut funding for the TCU Senate. Is whatever they do honestly more important than being able to access the Web from virtually anywhere on campus? - Encourage students to use the bathroom less. A roll of toilet paper costs about 75 cents, so this will have to be a campus-wide effort. - Institute a small tax on the ice cream machine in the dining halls. This is a way to encourage healthy nutritional behavior and raise funds at the same time! In all seriousness, $12,000 is a piddling sum for a university and student body as large as Tufts. In an environment and era when information is such a vital commodity, it is inexcusable for the University to hold its students back from universal and immediate access.

The Setonian
News

Men's Cross Country | Tufts races to 7th place finish in first appearance in the Midwest

October 17

The men's cross country team got some new experience under its belt this weekend, traveling to the Midwest to race in a meet other than Nationals for the first time in its history. Tufts ran a very strong race, finishing an impressive seventh out of 23 teams at the Jim Drews Invitational in Lacrosse, Wis. The experience definitely proved to be a valuable one, as it matched the Jumbos up against several Div. III rivals that they would otherwise only see at Nationals. While the opportunity to race Div. I and Div. II teams always provides valuable experience for the team, it was against the fellow Div. III teams that Tufts concentrated racing against. The Jumbos ran well and finished ahead of Wartburg (242) and Haverford (243), both of whom currently sit ahead of Tufts in the national rankings. "I couldn't be more pleased with the result," coach Ethan Barron said. "We ran extremely well and I don't believe our strategy needs to be changed." The Jumbos were unable to match the runners of Wisconsin-Lacrosse (115) and Nebraska-Wesleyan (172) who finished third and sixth, respectively. The differences between Tufts and these two Div. III powerhouses has not discouraged the Jumbos, however, and definitely has not brought a sense of fear into senior co-captain Matt Lacey. "It's very difficult to match them," Lacey said. "We have plenty of room for improvement and by improving our weaker aspects we will have a good chance of doing well. The key to doing well against teams like that doesn't lie in your first or second runners but in your third, fourth, and fifth." Lacey (24:56) once again was the star of the show for Tufts finishing 15th overall, the highest of any Div. III runner. He was followed closely by sophomore Josh Kennedy (19th, 25:01). Senior Matt Fortin was third on the team for Tufts, finishing 61st in 25:50. The pleasant surprise of the weekend was senior Kyle Doran's (25:57) impressive 70th-place finish. Doran has been battling injuries for most of the year and his teammates were pleased to see him run so well. "No matter what his injury is, he is still going to come out and run strong and well," Lacey said. Doran was followed by junior Justin Chung (78th, 26:02) and senior Neil Orfield (96th, 26:14). Sophomores Dave Sorensen (141st, 26:57) and Brendan McNeish (185th, 27:26) rounded out the Jumbos varsity. Although the Jumbos ran well, there is definitely room for improvement and the distance between the front two runners and rest of the squad is becoming a cause for concern. Running against national competition that the Jumbos will see again in less than a month's time and focusing on strategies that will bring successful results are becoming important parts to Barron's daily routine. "The pace we have is working. We just need to work on having the back five a bit tighter with the front two runners," Barron said. Meanwhile, while the varsity runners made the long trip out to Wisconsin, the JV squad remained at home and took part in the weekly road races held at Fresh Pond in the Cambridge Reservoir. The race proved to be a good workout for the team and the most important outcome of the race was the return of Chris Kantos, who finished first in the eight kilometer race. "He ran well," Barron said. "He wasn't running at full effort and even though the weather was horrible, he really showed that he is back and ready to go to work." The Jumbos now have the pleasure of enjoying an off week in terms of competitive races. While Barron will make sure his squad works hard in its two weekly workouts, the main goal will be to get rested and refueled for the NESCAC Championships on Oct. 29 at Wesleyan.

The Setonian
News

Alex Bloom | Philly Phodder

October 17

I love October. No other month in the year has every one of the four major sports being played. There's something for everyone to enjoy, and the past week didn't disappoint. The ChiSox are heading to the World Series; Notre Dame almost shook up the college football world; the Broncos, Jaguars and Bears scored big upsets; and Brett Hull retired. But the biggest stories this week have been the poor officiating from umpires and referees. Why should any sports fan or team accept the outcome of a game not decided by the play of either team, but by the call of a bonehead official? Let's put this last week under review. Because I haven't seen somebody steal first base since Pirates' manager Lloyd McClendon got tossed for arguing and refused to leave empty-handed. By now, you've probably seen the play. A.J. Pierzynski swings and misses strike three and the umpire rings him up. As the Angels head off the field, Pierzynski takes off for first, feeling he has nothing to lose. Suddenly, the umpire calls him safe at first. The question isn't about whether catcher Josh Paul really dropped the ball. It's about how the umpire second-guessed his own call. Manager Mike Scioscia was right to go out and argue because that call most certainly gave the White Sox new life. If the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-near-Orange-County-in-Southern California-west-of-Compton-but-north-of-Huntington-Beach break the tie in extra innings and win game two, they go back to Anaheim up 2-0 in the series. All of a sudden it's a whole new series and maybe the White Sox don't win four straight en route to the Fall Classic. The bad calls weren't just in baseball. The New Orleans Saints lost on a defensive holding call in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons. A defensive end was called for holding on a missed Todd Peterson field goal, giving the Falcons another shot five yards closer. In a postgame press conference, Saints' coach Jim Haslett called the controversial play "a chickens-t call." Not once, but four times. USC's fourth-quarter comeback to beat Notre Dame was also controversial. Trojan back Reggie Bush pushed quarterback Matt Leinart into the endzone for the game-winning score with three seconds left, a violation called "aiding the runner." And he wasn't even mum about it. "I used all 200 pounds of my body to push Matt in," Bush, who sounded very much like A-Rod slapping at Arroyo's glove, told ESPN.com Leinart's game-breaking QB sneak might not have even happened if the officials hadn't given USC a lenient spot. Leinart fumbled the ball out of bounds on the previous QB sneak attempt, but the ball was spotted at the goal line, not at the spot where the ball went out of bounds (somewhere between the two and four yard lines). Why do the professional sports leagues let this stuff happen? Why should games be decided because an official inserts himself into a play? There are solutions to the problem of poor officiating. I suggest similar to professional wrestling. If the official gets knocked out (by a chair or by a manager misfiring when throwing salt in a competitor's eyes) play continues in no-holds-barred style until the referee regains consciousness. But the real solution would be instant replay in each sport. If we can second-guess calls at home with reasonable certainty, then referees should also be able to second-guess their own calls. People are human and sometimes make mistakes. That's why they use instant replay in the NFL. Baseball fans complain it would slow down the sport. But if football can swallow its pride and use instant replay (lengthening a game that already stops every five minutes to go to commercial), baseball fans should own up to the deficiencies and bring in instant replay. I love a good manager argument as much as the next person. We use to go crazy at Veterans Stadium every time Larry Bowa went off on an umpire. But baseball needs to change with the times. College football and the NFL need to make more plays reviewable. There's no reason why any call in football can't be reviewed (like losing a fumble after being ruled down by contact). And I don't understand why officials upstairs don't step in more often to ensure that teams don't lose on technicalities. We're talking about the integrity of sports. Any true fan understands that instant replay and reviewing plays is good for the game.

The Setonian
News

Inside College Football | Leinart, Trojans stay undefeated with thriller over Irish

October 17

Game of the Week: It appeared the No. 1 USC Trojans' 27-game win streak was going to come to an end against No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Trojans miraculously avoided the upset, winning 34-31 in dramatic fashion. Down by three and facing a fourth-and-nine at their own 26-yard line with just over a minute to play, USC quarterback Matt Leinart found receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who broke free for a 61-yard gain. Jarrett was stopped at the Notre Dame 13. When Leinart ran the ball two plays later, he fumbled just as he reached for the goal line. Though the ball went out of bounds on the fumble, the clock continued to run and it appeared Notre Dame had won the football game. While fans rushed the field and the Irish players celebrated, the referees changed the ruling and put seven seconds back on the clock. On the next play, Leinart sneaked it in from the two after coach Pete Carroll and the rest of the Trojan sideline decoyed for the offense to down the ball to set up another play. The win gave USC its 28th consecutive victory and solidifying its hold on the country's top ranking. The Trojans improved to 6-0, while the heartbreaking loss dropped the Irish to 4-2. More from Week 7: There were some other thrillers this week, including two top ten teams falling from the ranks of the unbeaten. Quarterback Chad Henne found Mario Manningham from ten yards out as time expired to give the Michigan Wolverines the 27-25 victory over No. 8 Penn State. The Nittany Lions had just scored a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute to play, but the Wolverines came roaring back, using a solid kickoff return to gain a solid field position at their own 46. The game featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. Henne finished the game 21 for 36 with 212 yards and two touchdowns, both to Manningham. Tailback Mike Hart also had a good game, running for 108 yards and a score while catching four passes for 40 yards. The fourth-ranked Florida State Seminoles went down to the Virginia Cavaliers, 26-21, despite a furious Seminole fourth-quarter rally. Though FSU was down 26-10, it scored on its first two possessions of the quarter to make it a five point game. Virginia was able to seal the deal, however, as Tony Franklin picked off a pass from FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford with 50 seconds left. Cavalier quarterback Marques Hagans played the game of his life. The senior threw the ball 36 times, completing 27 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. The win was Virginia's second ever over a top-five team, the first coming ten years ago, also against the Seminoles. Second-ranked Texas continued full steam ahead this week, stomping No. 24 Colorado 42-17. The Longhorns jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Quarterback Vince Young was his normal, opponent-punishing self. Throwing the ball, he was 25 for 29 for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Running the ball, he found the end zone three more times. In a Southeastern Conference showdown, No. 10 LSU topped No. 11 Florida 21-17 in Baton Rouge. Running back Joseph Addai ran for a career-high 156 yards, and his touchdown in the fourth quarter put the Tigers up for good. The Gators fell to 5-2, while LSU improved to 4-1 despite turning the ball over five times. No. 5 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama both stayed unbeaten, improving to 6-0 on the season. The Bulldogs' win came at the expense of Vanderbilt, 34-17, while the Crimson Tide edged Mississippi on a last-second field goal 13-10. Player of the Week: It has to be Texas quarterback Vince Young. The junior tallied five scores on the day to lead his Longhorns over Colorado. He now has 17 touchdowns - five of which have come on the ground - and has absolutely dominated in each of Texas' six wins. His task next week will be tougher, however, which brings us to... Upcoming Game of the Week: No. 10 Texas Tech visits No. 2 Texas. The Red Raiders are the only other 6-0 team in the Big 12, and the winner of this game will most likely cruise into the conference's title game. Texas Tech is a scary football team. In its six wins this year, the offense has put up 56, 80, 63, 30, 34 and 59 points. In its recent demolishing of the Kansas State Wildcats, quarterback Cody Hodges threw for 643 yards and five touchdowns. Texas' only hope is to contain him.

The Setonian
News

Capote' won't leave viewers cold

October 17

As the weather turns colder and the stress of midterms grows unbearable, it's a good time to take a night off and relax in the comfort of those luxurious red seats at the local Loews. "Capote," unfortunately, would not be the best viewing for such an occasion. While intellectually gratifying and extremely entertaining, this cinematic experience might induce premature Valium indulgence. In 1960, famed author Truman Capote (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) sets out to chronicle the effects of a family's brutal murder on a rural Kansas town. As his ambitions progress from a New Yorker article to a groundbreaking non-fiction novel (what was to become 1966's "In Cold Blood"), his superficial involvement grows deeper. Capote's unique perspective, drawn from his experiences as a homosexual in the 1950s, draws him closer to those involved in the murder, from the detective to the victims, their friends and their murderers. Although at first conservative locals recoil from his loud blonde hair and distinctive effeminacy, ironically it is this stigma that allows him to reach those touched by the murder on a personal level. The murderers and others associated with the case are also cursed by an unshakable association parallel to that of Capote. Two men, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Richard Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) are arrested and found guilty on four counts of first-degree murder. Capote's emotional connection torments him as he grows closer to Smith. Capote frequently visits Smith in prison where they read his diaries and compare childhoods. Whether their relationship grows to be brotherly, romantic or merely close is unclear, but the extent of their affection is evident. Therein lies one of the most unique aspects of the film. Smith's character, though his actions are utterly heinous and unforgivable, is not automatically demonized but investigated. Capote's inner conflict of being abnormal in a forcibly normal world is projected onto the audience through the investigation. Director Bennett Miller's artistic style focuses on the development of human interaction and its surroundings. Instead of providing a rambunctious and exciting crime film, he emphasizes effects: of landscapes, conversations, and murders. It provides the kind of intellectual experience expected from a piece of literature. Action is unnecessary if thought can be evoked through alternative methods. As the plot unfolds, the audience is introduced to the constraints of the time period and its effects on basic human interaction. Mrs. Nell Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) is Capote's friend and research assistant on the trip, whose book "To Kill a Mockingbird" should be more than familiar to all who survived the seventh grade. As Capote's literary achievement plays out in the foreground, the audience is exposed to Lee's own success, one that is overshadowed by the male dominance of the decade. Miller's biographical drama places a unique emphasis on character interaction and Capote's personal responses to the events that unfold before him. Biographical dramas such as "Cinderella Man" and "Good Night and Good Luck" emphasized the individual's effect on the world, while this film emphasizes the world's effect on the individual. This provides a deeper, tangible appreciation for his life and his work, as the audience becomes privy to his character and not just his uphill struggle. Hoffman's performance provides an untainted glimpse of the real Truman Capote. Within Truman lies not a hint of the stiff butler Brandt in "The Big Lebowski" (1998) or the failed child actor Sandy Lyle from "Along Came Polly" (2004). Hoffman's subtle facial expressions and mannerisms transform him into the empathetic and passionately innovative author. Coupled with Miller's thought-provoking style and numerous other commendable performances, "Capote" provides moving insight into a literary mastermind. While the film is not necessarily a break from the educational realm, it certainly has the potential to bring any intellectual back to Earth after an overly fun-filled Homecoming weekend.

The Setonian
News

It's guaranteed you won't have the 'blues' after eating here

October 17

Many fans of Japanese cuisine would point to Nagoya, Kyoto or Tokyo as meccas for their favorite food. Most wouldn't mention Porter Square - but maybe they should. Bluefin Restaurant, tucked away in the back of the Porter Exchange Mall, serves some of the best - and most inexpensive - sushi around. The restaurant, however, is far from the only option for Asian food in the area. Composed of a half dozen supermarkets, restaurants and clothing stores in the Porter Exchange, Common Market Row forms a mini-Asian commercial district. On any night of the week you can expect to hear a cacophony of foreign languages mingling in the lobby of the one-story mall. As the cornerstone of this row, Bluefin draws a crowd. Such a crowd, in fact, that diners should expect a 20 minute wait before being seated (there are no reservations). These 20 minutes are best spent perusing the aisles of Kotobukiya, the expansive Japanese supermarket across the hall stocked full of exotic seafood, juices, snacks and desserts. It's a good place to try a can of Yogloo. Once seated, patrons have two options: ordering from the menu, or composing a selection of sushi from a provided checklist. The regular menu, which is in both English and Japanese (always a good sign), contains all the Japanese standards Americans have come to expect, from teriyakis to tempuras. Although palatable, they are nothing special. As far as appetizers go, the house salad (tangy and a little salty) is probably the best. For a main course the beef teriyaki is a perennial favorite, as is the vegetable tempura. The bento box is always a nice sampler, but it never feels like enough of anything. What makes Bluefin truly remarkable, however, is the sushi. When a small restaurant has space for a lengthy sushi bar and three to four sushi chefs, you can be fairly certain it's a priority. Bluefin is no exception. As with any serious sushi eatery, the list of available options is extensive, consisting of about 60 selections from Nigiri through rolls and specials. It is in its combo plates, however, that Bluefin sets itself apart. Plates are available in sizes of 16 ($18), 24 ($24), 32 ($30), and the gargantuan 120 ($100). Estimating about eight to 12 pieces per person, it comes out to a little more than $10 a person, quite reasonable for a delicacy usually reserved for birthdays or Parent's Weekend. Selections are a matter of personal taste, but a few stand out. The spicy tuna and eel with sweet egg rolls are invariably good. (Speaking of which, if you've been reluctant to try eel in the past, get over it - it's delicious. If you're not eating it because eels are mean looking, how rosy do lobsters look? Have you ever seen/smelled an industrially-raised chicken? Not pretty.) The nigiri is especially impressive - atop well-formed boxes of rice sit sturdy chunks of raw fish, still slightly chilled from the fridge. Of these, the tuna, salmon, and yellowtail are especially impressive - none of those wimpy slices found in prepackaged fare. In all of this superior sushi speak, however, let us not forget the cardinal rule: do not, under any circumstances, go on a Monday. Why not, you ask? Restaurants everywhere get their seafood deliveries on Monday and Friday mornings. Think about it: because the Monday delivery absolutely has to last all week, the leftover fish from Friday is what's served up on Monday, the last possible day before it must be thrown out. Raw fish that's been sitting in a reach-in fridge for four days? Thanks, but no thanks. Although Bluefin, set to double its floor space this winter, is the centerpiece, remember that Porter Exchange in general is worth a visit. Behind it sits an alley home to five lunch-counter-type places, including a noodle bar and a few more sushi bars. Apart from the food, the mall is home to Tokai, one of the few Japanese clothing stores in the area, a Gap, a City Sports and Lesley College. Not too shabby. Add to that an hour and a half of parking for $1 and that it's at most a six minute drive, and you've got yourself the makings of some serious good times. As long as you don't go expecting the pinnacle of sushi achievement ($100 sushi is still $100 sushi), you'll leave happy and still (relatively) hefty in the wallet.

The Setonian
News

Eight Jumbos honored at Distinguished Achievement Awards

October 17

The Tufts Athletics Department took a look back at the 2004-2005 rosters and record books and honored eight outstanding Jumbos with Distinguished Achievement Awards last Friday. Five accolades were presented, each highlighting different aspects of the recipients' contributions to their respective teams. Alumni Reggie Stovell ('05) and Courtney Bongiolatti ('05) received the awards for most outstanding male and female athlete. The Clarence "Pop" Houston Award, named after the former Director of Athletics, Vice President of the University and NCAA president, is presented annually to the school's top male athlete. With 18.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, Stovell led the men's basketball team to its best season in recent years, finishing with a 16-10 mark and a four-point loss in the NESCAC tournament semifinals. The 6'5" forward was an All-NESCAC and All-Northeast Region pick, and racked up three NESCAC Player of the Week honors. "He came back for his senior year in the best shape he's ever been in," men's basketball coach Bob Sheldon said of Stovell. "He knew we needed him to be the man, and he was ready for it." Bongiolatti, the 2005 recipient of the Hester L. Sargent Award for most outstanding female athlete, exploded offensively for the Tufts softball team during her senior season. With a season batting average of .374, the New Jersey native smashed 14 home runs and tallied 45 RBI, setting single-season Tufts records in both categories. The Rudolph J. Folbert Awards are given to the top multi-sport athletes at Tufts. This year, the honors went to alumna Dana Panzer ('05) for her role on the field hockey and lacrosse teams and current junior Bryan McDavitt for his football and baseball performances. Panzer gave new meaning to a breakout senior season. Prior to the 2004 campaign, the Sayville, N.Y. native had never scored a collegiate field hockey goal. Over the course of the next two months, she set a new Tufts single-season scoring record with 32 points on 12 goals and nine assists. She appeared in the stat book in each of the Jumbos' ten wins, and led the team to a 10-6 record, nearly reversing its 2003 5-10 mark. Her play earned her spots on the All-New England First Team and the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Senior All-Star Team. On the lacrosse field, Panzer stepped up for a team which was without its starting goalie. Despite never having played in the cage, her 8.79 goals allowed average was fourth in the league. "She has a fire in her that lights up a whole team," field hockey coach Tina McDavitt said of Panzer, who has returned alongside her former coach as a graduate assistant this season. "I could rely on Dana to motivate her teammates or get them to focus without having to say a thing." The football and baseball stand-out McDavitt holds the distinction of having started every game for Tufts in more than one sport. The junior doubled as both a punter and safety on the football team and played first base for the baseball team during the 2004-2005 seasons. His .389 batting average, good for ninth in the league, and team-best 49 hits earned him All-NESCAC first team honors. So far this season, McDavitt has an interception and 13 solo tackles on the gridiron. The Rev. W. Murray Kenney Award is presented to the male and female in the senior class who best exemplify a positive attitude, persistence and dedication. Three 2005 graduates were recognized this year for their contributions past the stat book. Bob Kenny, catcher and captain of the 2005 baseball team, brought energy and enthusiasm to the diamond. His numbers - a solid .295 batting average with 13 RBI - were only one aspect of his contributions to the team's 23 wins. "Bobby Kenny is the most unselfish, team-oriented player I have ever had the privilege to coach," coach John Casey said. "He's an example of what hard work and dogged determination can produce." Crew alumna Abby Schlessinger ('05) was the second recipient of the award. Relatively short for a rower, she worked hard for a spot on the varsity boat, earning one to finish out the 2005 season and her career at the Women's Henley Regatta. "She has simply worked harder, pulled harder and run harder than anyone else the last four years of Tufts Crew," coach Gary Caldwell said. "She has willed other people to work harder because she was the toughest person on the squad." The third recipient, former Volleyball co-captain alumna Ali Sauer ('05), matched her dedication on the court with an equal commitment to campus life off it. A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Tufts Concert Board and a freshman orientation advisor, Sauer was a devoted Jumbo on and off the court.

The Setonian
News

Men stand up for men

October 17

I'm a man. A man at college. Moreoever, a first-year man at college. By most accounts, that puts me a bit above a felon on the ladder of respectability. I haven't done anything wrong, at least, not to my knowledge. I, and the other several hundred of my male brethren of the class of 2009 (and indeed, all Tufts men) are the victims of societal stereotyping. It's not terribly encouraging. What's the problem? That's a good question. Part of the problem is that no one is out there defining the problem. It's there, but it's hard to put your finger on it. An example of the problem is that male-female relationships are often defined as antagonistic. If a guy's talking to a girl at a party, it's automatically assumed that he must be making a move on her. If a guy goes to a party, he wins points with his buddies if he brings a girl back for a tour of his room. If a guy turns up empty handed, he did poorly, or did something wrong. If a guy rejects this whole notion, he's labeled as "gay" or playing for the other team. So, what's a real man? It's hard to say exactly, but a real man isn't a man who's just trying to score points for his "team." Being a real man doesn't mean he's some sort of 18th century country dandy, but it does mean that a girl shouldn't feel like she needs to hook up with the guy because she danced a song or two with him at a party. A real man shouldn't walk into a fraternity and have everyone in the room make the judgment that he's there to get a random hookup. Take the classic tactic that every man hates: the cock block. So a guy is making a move on a girl who might not be in the best state to make decisions for herself. His friend, recognizing this, makes a move to prevent him from doing something he and his partner might regret later. But this is frowned upon, in fact lambasted! That "friend" was no friend at all, but a traitor to his gender, stopping a fine hookup in the making! Part of the problem is the lack of recognition of a problem. There's plenty to be said and many willing to listen about women's issues, for instance. I don't think I have enough fingers and toes to count the numbers of women's groups on campus; we even have a Women's Center. There is a great deal of education about how women have stereotypes, image problems and issues that are mostly unique to their specific gender. However, there is a lot less information out there about men. Men have no group to represent them, to articulate their views on what's happening on our campus specifically or in our society generally. We have no group to take action, no place where men can figure out what's wrong and fight for a solution for us. But this article is not so bleak; there is hope to be found. How many real men do you know? Real men? Men of class and conscience? Men you're proud to look at, point at and identify as a man? Men have an image problem on college campuses and Tufts is no exception. A new group, with a new and unique set of ideals has been founded at Tufts, to speak for men, to educate men, and to encourage men to be real men. And not a woman among them! This group will implement new policies, new strategies and engage in partnerships with those organizations most directly effected by the problems we men are beset with. This group is the Tufts Men Activists Coalition, and every man should attend at least one meeting to discuss the important issues on men's minds.Jeffrey Kiok is a freshman and a member of Tufts Men Activist Coalition.

The Setonian
News

Community center may come to city

October 17

The Salvation Army may soon have a bigger presence in Somerville than the bell-ringers at supermarkets during the holidays. The Cambridge-Somerville corps has submitted the first phase of its application to host a new Salvation Army community center. About 20 other corps in the eastern region, including Worcester and Dorchester in Massachusetts, are applying for between eight and ten available centers. Between 30 and 40 centers will be built nationwide, split between eastern, western, northern, and southern regions. The money for the project, between $350 and $400 million, came from the Kroc family. When Joan Kroc - the wife of the late McDonald's founder, Ray Kroc - died in 2003, she left $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army for community centers, half for construction and half for maintenance. Before Kroc died, she gave $90 million for a center in San Diego, on which the other Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers will be modeled. "We're competing with a lot of other communities," Steve Winslow, a planner in Somerville's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, said. "We think we put in a good application; we hope it comes forward, but it's definitely a very competitive process." The center, which would be located on the border of the two towns on Somerville Avenue next to Conway Park, would have a gym, a pool, a theater, classroom space and studios for dance, music and art. The site is currently an old ice arena and parking lot. "There's an incredible amount of programming and developmental needs in the community," Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone said. "The type of impact it would have would be vast and lasting. The center would offer classes on "everything from English as a second language to how to balance your checkbook," Winslow said. It would focus on educational and recreational programming for several demographics, including teenagers, immigrants, and working class people. Phase 1 of the application, the Feasibility Proposal Phase, asks cities to outline where the center would be and demonstrate a community commitment to build the center. "A lot of people in the community have promised future support, and given current support to try to make this happen," Tufts Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel said. Arrowstreet, an architectural firm based in Somerville, provided preliminary designs for the center free of charge. Rubel assisted with the project by getting a letter of support from President Lawrence Bacow. "If this center comes to Somerville, I think there will be many ways that Tufts will be involved and be supportive," she said. The University may be involved with the center, Rubel said, through language tutoring, theatrical performances, and athletics. The center would be a "quality of life enhancer" for the community, Curtatone said, and the needs of the Cambridge and Somerville are unique in the region. "It would reach a much larger universe...than any other proposal that they're reviewing at this point," he said. William Shea, the chairman of the Salvation Army Kroc Foundation, said Somerville's history as a large immigrant community and its experience with gang violence, suicide, and low household income make the city a viable candidate. "Somerville qualifies as well as any community," he said. Curtatone also said the center could attract businesses to the area and help create a more "knowledgeable workforce." Winslow agreed that the center would "build the human capital that makes an economy like Somerville's grow." The cities' next step is the Development Proposal Phase, where candidates must demonstrate community need and support for the project. The final phase is the Design Development Phase, at which point the chosen communities would begin receiving funding for designing the centers and obtaining land. The Salvation Army hopes to break ground on some of the centers as soon as late 2006 or early 2007. "There's a lot more that needs to happen to actually make this come real," Winslow said. "We've got our fingers crossed."

The Setonian
News

From different camps, student activists arrive at same end

October 17

Two students from opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide agree on the causes of the conflict, and they came to Tufts Monday to tell students how to help solve the problem. Khulood Badawi, the former president of the Association of Arab Students in Israeli Universities, joined Yuval Adam, the leader of the Student Coalition at Tel Aviv University, in Cabot 205 for a discussion hosted by the New Initiative for Middle East Peace and the Fletcher School's Med Club. "Israel is a democracy, yet Palestinians are not given the full rights of citizenship," Badawi told the audience of about 25 students. "When I was at university, I couldn't receive scholarships or live in dorms." She said she felt conflicted as a Palestinian citizen of Israel being asked to serve in the army. "Why do you ask me to serve in the army and serve the same system that doesn't serve or recognize me?" Badawi asked. Military service is required of most Jewish citizens of the state, but not of Israeli Arabs. Israeli Arabs pay taxes to Israel but are denied equal rights as Jewish citizens, Badawi said - a system that inspired her to become a student activist and protest against the Israeli government and for peace. "It's not useful to be observers," she said. "You should take the action into your own hands and do something." She was expelled from Haifa University for organizing demonstrations not approved by the school. Many Israeli universities have similar policies, she said, because of the October Riots - the clashes between protesters and the Israeli military that left a dozen Israeli Arabs dead in the town of Umm el Fahem in 2000. Adam, an Israeli Jew, began working for peace when one of his fellow students at Tel Aviv University was shot for protesting. "It made me think about how an Israeli could possibly shoot one of us just for being at a demonstration," he said. "People are killed all the time, but this was the first Israeli who was killed." This event made Adam see how easily his life could be affected by the violence in Israel. It can be easy as a college student to think only of personal problems, such as an overdue paper, he said. Adam began to ask questions about the presence of equality and human rights in Israel. "I want to believe that we [Israelis] are the good guys because I love my country," he said. "Yet, they are doing bad things in the name of a Jewish state." One of the main reasons cited in support of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's pullout from the Gaza Strip this past summer was the higher birthrate among Palestinians in the occupied territories, and the threat this posed to Israel retaining both a Jewish majority and a democracy. "Arabs are referred to as a 'demographic problem' in Israel by Israelis," Adam said. "Yet Jews were once considered a demographic problem, too" before the state's creation. He said the benefits of protesting injustices are worth the challenges. "Being an activist is tough," Adam said. "It is not fun and people can scream at you and call you a traitor. The Vietnam War would have lasted a lot longer if it were not for students protesting against it." Adam said the United States' preferential treatment of Israel only hurts the chances of peace. Both students also discussed the barrier being built along the border with the West Bank. Referred to as a separation fence by Israelis and a wall by Palestinians, the barrier has been condemned by the non-binding International Court of Justice and rerouted by the Israeli Supreme Court for encroaching on Palestinian land. The Israeli government says the barrier has limited terrorism inside the state - a similar barrier surrounds the Gaza Strip, from which attacks were minimal during the latest Palestinian uprising - but Badawi and Adam said it is a land grab. The discussion was sponsored by The Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which is hosting a conference in Tel Aviv in December for Israeli and Palestinian students from different parts of Israel. The group coordinated the New Initiative for Middle East Peace's (NIMEP) student research trip to Israel and the West Bank over Winter Break during the 2003-2004 school year.

The Setonian
News

Unplugged' will have you fallin' for Keys again

October 17

The accolades for Alicia Keys have been pouring in since "Fallin'" became a smash in 2001 and helped make her debut, "Songs in A Minor," a major smash - not to mention darling of the 2002 Grammys. Her follow-up, 2003's "Diary of Alicia Keys," was a big seller, but didn't garner the glory of her debut. Luckily for her, she's still hot enough to be chosen as the first artist to lead off the resurrection of MTV's "Unplugged" series, last seen in the heady days of 2002. Going unplugged as a keyboardist is not too much of a stretch (at least not the way it was for LL Cool J and Aerosmith), but on her new unplugged album, Keys shows that she's as competent live as she is in the studio. Her vocal delivery, with its wide emotional range, is her biggest asset, and she makes the best use of that talent on the lovelorn numbers from the album like "If I Ain't Got You," "You Don't Know My Name," and "Every Little Bit Hurts." She also again tackles Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me," and, while it's not quite as good as the Purple One's original, Keys does add a certain sincerity and warmth to the song that expands on the desperation of Prince's original vision. In fact, her only major gaffe on "Unplugged" is the duet with Maroon 5's Adam Levine on "Wild Horses." If you have to cover the Stones, and if you insist on doing it as a duet, then please pick a partner with some soul. Nothing against Levine, but he's no Mick Jagger (hell, he isn't even a Rob Thomas). Keys's other strength is her proficiency on the keyboard. While one is not usually able to pick out a performer simply by the sound of key strokes in the same way one can identify a certain guitarist by only a few picks or strums of guitar strings (e.g. Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen, etc.), Keys has created a rich, soulful, and confident sound - one that Vanessa Carlton would sell her soul for - that you know it is uniquely and unmistakably hers after a just a note or two. One place where Keys has a bit of a liability is her ego. Yes, a confident performer is extremely appealing, but Keys seems a bit full of herself, giving off the vibe that she feels she is the second coming of Aretha Franklin. Wanting to be the next Aretha is a great aspiration, but after only three releases, it may be a tad premature to be considering herself the subsequent "Queen of Soul." Also, while her material is emotional and expressive, is does tend to fall into ballad mod a bit too often; she surely would not hurt her set by adding more upbeat tracks. This aside, Keys ends the album on a great note with the "Love It Or Leave It Alone/Welcome To Jamrock" medley, for which she is joined by Mos Def, Common and others. The raucous tone of this posse set makes the listener long for similar collaborations. But, to be fair, Keys comes from a jazz, gospel, and soul background, and is more suited for slower jams. Overall the "Unplugged" experiment was a success for Keys - look for her at the Grammys in February. Apparently the judges at the Grammys have a weakness for this stuff (remember that these are the same people that doomed us to hear Clapton's God-awful "Unplugged" version of "Layla" for all eternity). The only thing that would have made Keys's CD complete would have been a duet with Usher. A version of "My Boo," sans all the studio tricks, would have been a great treat. But hey, Adam Levine is just as good as Usher...isn't he?

The Setonian
News

Issue of 'kill' and 'no-kill' shelters not so clear-cut

October 17

When a stray dog is found roaming the street with unidentified wounds or when a student living in a dorm gets caught with a cat and can't bring it home, what happens? For most animals in situations like these, the animal shelter is the answer. But shelters vary widely in both quality and practices, and both the funding source and euthanasia policies affect what will happen to the animal. Municipal shelters are usually funded by either the town or the county, and exist primarily to solve animal nuisance issues. "Municipal animal shelters are funded by taxpayers to keep animal problems at a minimum, so they focus on picking up strays that are a nuisance, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, and animals that are dead on the road," said Research Assistant Professor Annette Rauch, a core faculty member of the Cummings Veterinary School's Center for Animals and Public Policy. Private shelters, on the other hand, are typically non-profits established for the sole purpose of finding homes for homeless animals. "Privately funded shelters were started by people who wanted to find homes for animals, so by their very nature, they're going to focus heavily on treating animals for medical problems and getting those animals into homes no matter what it takes," Rauch said. In the past these fundamental differences have led to very different outcomes for animals that enter the shelters. In some municipal shelters, Rauch explained, "animals have a certain holding time, and then they're out of there, whether by euthanasia or adoption." Private shelters attempt to have every animal adopted - nearly the opposite policy of some municipal shelters. Disagreements have resulted from interaction between the two types of shelters. "[The friction] comes from having a different mindset of what the primary goal is - this has created a lot of friction between those whose view is getting animals off of the street versus those who are there to help save animals," Rauch said. One of Rauch's goals for sheltering animals is cooperation between municipal and private animal shelters. "We're trying to improve those relationships between municipal animal control and private animal shelters," she said. "We want to help them work together and go back and forth between each other instead of constantly going against each other." Another sharp distinction between shelters is that between "kill" and "no-kill" (or "limited admission"). "Kill" shelters euthanize animals, while "no-kill" shelters claim not to euthanize. Each has its advantages: "kill" shelters can accept any animal that comes to their doors, with the understanding that un-adoptable animals will most likely be euthanized. "No-kill" shelters can avoid euthanasia by accepting only adoptable animals (which is why they are also known as "limited admission" shelters). The divisive line isn't as simple as it may appear, though. "What's interesting is that the 'kill' shelters say that by not accepting these extra animals, the 'no-kill' shelters are forcing the 'kill' shelters to do the euthanasia for them," said Sarah Cornetto, who is currently studying for her master's of science in Animals and Public Policy at the Cummings Center. Rauch agreed. "With many 'no-kill shelters,' there is not a lot of space and they fill up. When someone comes to the door, they have to say 'Sorry, we're full,'" she said. "To only have limited admission shelters can be a problem to the public - what are they supposed to do with their unwanted animals?" Often the public's perception of "no-kill" is that they take the higher moral ground by not euthanizing animals. But Rauch feels differently: "It's unfair to come across as 'better' because they're turning away animals that they don't have space for, so the animals end up going to 'kill' shelters that are open and will take an animal regardless." Cornetto has worked at animal shelters in New Jersey and Virginia - areas with vastly different animal problems. "The best shelters that I've worked with have been a combination of 'no-kill' and 'kill,' where they would try to only take in extremely adoptable animals," she said. "Any animals with aggression or health problems would be euthanized - that helps to make sure that animals that could have a good home have the best chance at getting one."

The Setonian
News

Sara Franklin | Oh my!: Sex Straight-Up

October 17

As you sit in class discreetly reading the Daily while pretending to pay attention to your professor, look to the person on your right, the person on your left, and that cute guy or girl in front of you. According to statistics, one of you has genital herpes. Still not worried about STDs? A study by the University of North Carolina says that one in two sexually active people will contract an STD by the time they are 25 years old. Approximately 65 million people in the United States are currently living with a viral STD. Fifteen million more people contract an STD every year, and about half of these people are between the ages of 15-24. With such an abundance of STDs in this country, and specifically on college campuses, how can you be sure that your next sexual partner doesn't have one? The answer is that you can't...unless you ask. That said, picture yourself in this situation: You're at some frat party (if you can manage to find one these days) and after drinking a few beers you start chatting up that hot guy or girl from your English class. An hour goes by and TUPD comes to shut the party down at midnight - but don't despair! The hottie invites you back to his or her room and you consent. Things are going well as you start passionately making out. Soon your partner's hands start stroking and slowly moving south. Suddenly you blurt out, "Do you have any STDs?" Talk about killing the mood. So how does one go about bringing up the subject of STDs without spoiling the "moment"? Asking to inspect your partner's genitals for red, oozing blisters is obviously out of the question. Here are some suggestions:1. If possible, try to bring it up outside of the bedroom.2. Tell a funny STD story. Did you know that you can get chlamydia from rats and cats?3. Ask, "Do you want to hop into the shower and get clean?" When he or she immediately screams "Yes!" add, "By the way, are you clean?"4. For those who like to incorporate dirty talk in bed, say, "Feeling your luscious lips kissing my lips is really turning me on. It would turn me on even more if I knew the last time you'd been tested."5. Have some STD pamphlets from Health Services lying around in an attempt to provoke conversation about STDs. 6. Play a sexual game of "Never have I ever." ("Never have I ever kissed someone here." "Never have I ever been handcuffed." "Never have I ever had chlamydia.")7. As you start going south ask, "Do we have to be extra careful or are we both clean?"8. Play the song "The Seed" by The Roots, and when you hear the line, "I push it naked cuz I've taken my test," ask, "Do you?"9. Ask your partner if he or she has ever used a flavored condom or dental dam. Talk about why you would need a flavored condom or dental dam. (Answer: to protect against STDs during oral sex). Note: You can also use saran wrap with flavored lube for protection during cunnilingus or analingus (it's cheaper and just as safe).10. Post a copy of this article above your bed, point to it in the midst your heavy petting session, and say, "Hey, did you read that one?" Some of you might be tempted to skip these questions and just look for signs of STDs on your partner's genitals. You might be on the lookout for the thick yellow-green drip from a man's penis characteristic of gonorrhea, or maybe the small, bumpy warts characteristic of human papilloma virus (HPV). Unfortunately, many signs and symptoms of STDs do not show up for days or even months after contraction. Even worse, many men and women never exhibit any signs or symptoms of STDs. It's also important to note that although condoms do help prevent STDs, even proper use does not ensure that you won't become infected. Herpes, HPV, and syphilis can all be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact in areas the condom does not cover. Whether engaging in vaginal, anal or oral sex, it is important to know for sure whether your partner has been tested. If your partner has not been tested, refer him or her to Tufts' Health Services. Tufts Student Health Insurance does cover STD testing and many private insurance companies will also cover the tests. Although the cost of an STD test might seem expensive, the cost of not getting tested can be even worse - some STDs left untreated can lead to cancer, infertility, and even heart disease - not to mention the fact that you will keep spreading the STD to your partners. That said, go out there, have fun, have sex, but most importantly: be safe. It's a jungle out there and who knows what sorts of diseases those Jumbos have.

The Setonian
News

Animal euthanasia is controversial but historically-rooted

October 17

Animal shelters as we know them are often founded as a means of preventing cruelty to animals. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) was founded in 1868 after a Boston lawyer heard about a pair of horses who were forced to race to their deaths. But for as long as animal sheltering and humane societies have existed, so has animal euthanasia in some form or another - and many of the same societies that protect animals from harm also put them to sleep. This is not because animal shelters are by nature cruel. "The reason they're forced to euthanize is because they started out as a dumping ground for unwanted animals, so they ran out of room and had to get rid of them somehow," said Sarah Cornetto, who is currently studying for her master's of science in animals and public policy at Tufts' Cummings Veterinary School's Center for Animals and Public Policy. "They started out trying to be more humane, because originally there were very inhumane euthanasia methods, like mass drowning," Cornetto said. "That's how humane societies got their start - it's their heritage." Modern-day reasons for euthanizing animals vary by region. "One issue that we continue to have in Massachusetts is a pretty massive cat overpopulation problem," said Annette Rauch, core faculty member and research assistant professor at the Cummings Veterinary School Center for Animals and Public Policy. "Many shelters are still euthanizing cats because they don't have enough cage space - there are more cats coming in than people coming to adopt them," Rauch added. The overpopulation is worsened by the large number of undomesticated cats in the region. "Cat overpopulation is complicated by the issue that there are so many feral, unsocialized cats or previously tamed abandoned cats that are not spayed or neutered, and who are having many litters of kittens, year after year," Rauch explained. Another problem in New England is the large number of aggressive pit bulls raised for fighting. "We're seeing a large increase in pit bulls - a big dog issue facing the region," Rauch said. "Too many pit bulls are having puppies, and some parents are not good choices for breeding because of their temperaments." For dogs that are completely un-adoptable because of aggression, euthanasia is usually the only choice. According to MSPCA spokesperson Scott Giacoppo, although shelters in the Northeast face a number of challenges, the rates of adoption and euthanasia for these shelters are comparable to national averages. In the past, euthanasia could take nearly any form: using a gas chamber, drowning, breaking animals' necks, and so on. Current veterinary practice typically avoids inhumane procedures. According to the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) statement on euthanasia, "the euthanasia of animals has been acknowledged by most animal-protection organizations as an acceptable means for alleviating or preventing suffering. However, the euthanasia of any animal involves a difficult choice, requiring that each case be evaluated on an individual basis." Most shelters in the U.S. follow the HSUS' recommendations, which go into much further detail about particular euthanasia methods. Shelters try to reduce the number of euthanasia procedures they must accomplish through several methods. But the most effective and simplest way to reduce animal euthanasia is through early spaying and neutering of pets. According to Cornetto, since northern shelters have more animals with behavioral problems than unwanted litters, "it shows that spaying and neutering helps reduce the number of unwanted animals because the animals that shelters are getting are returned pets, instead of animals off the street having litters." "It seems like spaying and neutering does help, and the question is how to get people who aren't doing it to do it. Hopefully we can spread the success from more urban areas into rural areas," he added. Rauch agreed that the solution to the euthanasia issue begins long before an animal reaches a shelter. "I think even in best case scenario, there are always going to be a certain number of animals that will find their way to a shelter," she said. "We just want to minimize that number and try to have people understand that it's a big commitment and it's a lifetime commitment to have a pet," Rauch said. "It's not okay to get a cat and two years later treat it like a sweater, where you can get rid of it if you don't like it anymore, and if you want another one you can get it." So will there ever be a world without animal euthanasia? Rauch thinks it's possible, but not easily attainable. "We're always going to have to euthanize animals with behavior problems and highly aggressive animals," she said. "But all of these other animals that are being euthanized because of their coat color, or ear mites, or because the owner moved, or developed allergies, or had a new baby - these reasons we hear over and over again - if we had the will, we would stop euthanizing these animals." Rauch believes that the movement towards less and less animal euthanasia has already begun. "We're moving towards euthanasia being less and less acceptable," she said. "We don't have the facilities to house these animals for a long time until their problems are solved. We're never going to adopt our way out of this problem. There have to be more programs for spaying and neutering, more behavioral work, and more counseling to match shelter animals with adopters."

The Setonian
News

Women's Cross Country | Jumbos run to second at Plansky Invitational, give Williams a scare

October 17

It may have rained, but it certainly didn't pour on Saturday for the women's cross country team. The Jumbos rose to the occasion at the Plansky Invitational at Williams and gave the No. 1 nationally-ranked Ephs a close call. Tufts took second with 33 points, right on the heels of Williams, whose 23 points were enough to hold off the Jumbos on their home course. "We had a really good showing against them," sophomore Catherine Beck said of her team's effort against the Ephs. "I think we really stepped it up and came together as a team. I was really impressed with the way we were all working together." Beck once again led Tufts runners with her third place finish (15:06) on a 4K course. She stayed right with Willams' No. 2 runner, senior Michelle Rorke (second, 15:03). Last week at All-New Englands, Rorke and sophomores Elizabeth Gleason and Mallory Harlin all finished in front of Beck, with Rorke ahead of her by 13 seconds. This time around, Beck beat Gleason by seven seconds and Harlin by 28 seconds. "I was pretty happy with my race," Beck said. "It's hard not to be happy when the team comes together so well." Tufts put nine runners within 42 seconds of each other. Senior tri-captain Becca Ades kept progressing in her return from injury, taking fifth in 15:15. Ades, the Jumbos' top runner last season, has steadily improved with each race after a slow start this season. "She's looking better and better every week and she's dominating in workouts," coach Kristen Morwick said. "I think by NESCAC's [on Oct. 29], she'll be back." Ades was followed closely by freshman Evelyn Sharkey (sixth, 15:21) and sophomore Katy O'Brien (eighth, 15:24). Both runners had great races, especially considering that they are both more middle-distance runners and they were forced to race on a weather-beaten course known for its hills. While the Ephs took the meet, Tufts had a strong showing, putting four straight runners across the line. Junior Sarah Crispin (11th, 15:36), senior Arielle Aaronson (12th, 15:42), junior Sam Moland (13th, 15:45) and freshman Susan Allegretti (14th, 15:46) worked well together throughout the race and finished as a pack. Freshman Katie Rizzolo was right on their heels, taking 16th at 15:48. "We did really well," Aaronson, another of team's tri-captains, said. "The top ten or so were all together by the half-mile mark. We ran as a team for as long as we could." Naturally, times will be closer together in a shorter race. But conditions were tough this weekend for the Jumbos as they drove three hours out to Williamstown to run a muddy course riddled with puddles. The course at Mt. Greylock High School also boasts a 400-meter hill at the end of the race and the first mile had to be altered due to the week's rain. Yet the team pulled together to run one of its better races of the season. While the meet hosted seven teams, it was essentially a dual meet between Tufts and Williams, as teams like Stonehill (third, 115), Assumption (fourth, 275), and Hartwick (fifth, 374) lack the high-caliber programs to compete with the Williams and Tufts. The team raced this weekend without sophomore Raquel Morgan, usually a team top-three finisher, who did not make the trip out to Williams. "She's not the kind of the person that needs a ton of races to do well when it counts," Morwick said. "A 4K wouldn't have been her thing; she's better at the longer stuff." Rizzolo did not turn out a great performance at Williams. Usually a top-three runner for Tufts, she was the Jumbos' ninth finisher on Saturday. "She just had a rough morning," Beck said. "Everyone has some days where it just doesn't happen out there. It's good that she's getting it out of the way now." Despite her sub-par race, the Jumbos have a solid top three in Beck, Rizzolo and Morgan. With Ades improving with each race, she could be finishing very close to the top three as the season progresses. And the team's top seven varies with each race, a sign of the depth of the roster. But youth and inexperience are once again recurring themes this year for the Jumbos, as eight of the team's top 12 runners are either freshmen or sophomores. The team will take next weekend off to prepare for the NESCAC Championships at Wesleyan on Oct. 29. The league championship race will be a good indicator of how the competition will stack up at Regionals. "There are a lot of different variables in there that could work in our favor or blow up," Morwick said. "If we could at some point put it together we could be a tough match for anyone, including Williams."

The Setonian
News

Detlef Schrempf!

October 17

Let's face it. Tufts can be a pretty nerdy school. When all is said and done, most students come here to learn and won't let much get in the way. The Tufts student is steadfast in commitment to education and accomplishing goals that will allow him or her to move forward in life. True, scholasticism is pretty important to the whole college experience, and I'm not going to argue that doing well in class hasn't always, in the end, been my primary objective (at least through my first three years). But in all seriousness, how many people out there want to read a front page article about Tufts e-mail? We all know that Tufts e-mail is pretty crappy, and getting those stupid reminders that your mailbox is filling up is enough to make you want to strangle someone with your Ethernet cable. But do we have to read about it? Are we that nerdy? Sadly, I thought that this saturation of e-mail-related front page stories was a recent occurrence in the slow news world of the Daily, but after looking up some archives from my freshman year, I found this little beauty: "Coral email system down for six hours yesterday." And even sadder, it was written by one of my friends. Does this school legitimately care about something like that? If your e-mail was out for six hours yesterday, would you want to read about it the next day on the friggin' front page? Apparently, according to my inside source, the newsroom doesn't have a specific agenda at the Daily. Somehow, though, the list of front page topics seems to limit itself to the following topics: noted speakers speaking, the Senate doing anything, a faculty member saying or doing something outside the classroom, anything involving a Tufts student -- especially a Greek one -- getting in trouble, and something involving e-mail. The saddest thing about this list is the lack of positive news. There just isn't that much front page reporting on Tufts students doing good things. Does everybody out there remember the LCS Katrina relief concert held in Cohen a few weeks ago? Probably not, since the Daily didn't report on it. The show consisted of Tufts bands and performance groups, and even the event's organizer wowed the audience when he sat down at the piano. And while I don't know the exact number, I'd estimate at least $2,000 was raised that night. Seems like a pretty worthy news story. Another group raised money for Katrina relief just a couple weeks earlier: Zeta Psi. With a Mardi Gras theme, the brothers held a party that featured a Tufts band, a Tufts DJ, and the return of a house that had been on probation for over two years. Most importantly, though, was the money raised that night: another $2,000. Theta Chi teamed up with LCS to sell beads for charity, and while their efforts were noted in an editorial, the main reporting done by the Daily on this fundraising focused on questioning whether selling beads was an appropriate way of raising money, as if that were more important than showing students doing something good. In my time at this school, I've noticed that the student body is not one big happy family. We're a diverse group of people, and so it would be expected that we're not always going to get along. Clashing ideologies make for the occasional shouting match, and this type of spirited dialogue is healthy and a necessary part of growing at college. However, part of the problem is that students are pretty oblivious to good things other students are doing. Everybody knows that a couple students, only one of whom was of legal drinking age, were caught with open cans of Natty Light. But not everyone knows that a small group of Tufts students have raised a ton of money for Katrina relief even though it should be imperative that we know who is actually doing something during these difficult times. And here, it is up to the Daily to let people know of the positive actions that students undertake. In a recent viewpoint, Joseph Alexiou was spot-on in saying "There is no sense of camaraderie [at Tufts]," and this is indeed upsetting. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that there doesn't exist a large number of students out there who think people getting caught with beer is really exciting stuff. Or maybe I shouldn't call Tufts a nerdy school as much as a cutthroat one, where we happily read about the little mistakes made by our fellow students rather than wanting to hear about their achievements. Well, if that's the case, then it's time to grow the hell up, Tufts. We're going to one of the best schools with some of the most amazing people in the entire world, and we should take pride in our ability to be a part of it. So I call upon the Daily to emphasize the positive undertakings of the students at this university rather than picking them apart. And just for good measure, enough of the e-mail stories already.

The Setonian
News

Volleyball | Jumbos cruise to a 2-0 weekend over Amherst, Middlebury

October 17

All season, coach Cora Thompson has emphasized the depth of a roster that was expanded this season to 14 players. With junior leading hitter Kelli Harrison forced to the bench with a concussion, that depth was on display this weekend, as the team defeated conference rivals Amherst and Middlebury. Thompson utilized several different combinations of players as the Jumbos hung on against Amherst on Saturday for a 3-1 victory and then cruised past Middlebury 3-0 the next day to move into second place in the NESCAC at 6-1 and 19-3 overall. Tufts and Middlebury entered Sunday's match-up tied for second in the NESCAC with a single loss. The Jumbos distanced themselves from the Panthers, however, winning the first two games 30-17 and then coming from behind to win the third game 31-29. "This game was good," Thompson said. "I think we came out a little bit flat, but we picked it up there at the end." The Jumbos came out firing in the first two games. With the squad holding a slim 10-8 lead in the first game, freshman Caitlin Dealy handled a low set from classmate Maya Ripecky and deftly sent a lob into the back left corner. The point triggered a 20-9 run that ended with six straight Tufts points to close the game. After quickly falling behind 6-3 in the second game, Tufts cleaned up its play and stormed to a 30-17 win. After controlling the first two games, Tufts appeared to be in control of the match. The Panthers did not give up, however, giving the Jumbos a run for their money in the final game. After starting the match 9-9, the Panthers capitalized on some sloppy play by the Jumbos to grab a 13-9 advantage. Tufts crawled back into the match but was never able to take a big enough lead to put Middlebury away. The game went back and forth and the two teams found themselves tied at 29. With control of the match on the line, both teams fought hard for the next point. After a couple of impressive digs by Ripecky, senior co-captain April Gerry spiked a Middlebury hit to give the Jumbos the 30-29 lead. On the next play, Dealy earned a kill to close the match. "It was a good win," Thompson said. "Middlebury's the type of team who can come back so [it's great] to be able to put them away, especially when they come back and play at the end like that. They are a good team. They're very scrappy. They have a refuse-to-lose attitude." But the Panthers were not the only team with that attitude. "One of the great things about our team is that we can turn it on when we have to and come back," Gerry said. Thompson also attributed the win to the leadership of her seniors. Senior co-captain Courtney Evans and Gerry combined to record 14 kills, along with three blocks and four block assists. The left-handed Dealy led the way for Tufts with 14 kills, two aces and also contributed defensively with a block and two block assists. "She's done such a good job," Thompson said. "She's not necessarily a flashy player. She doesn't necessarily crush the ball, but she's very smart and consistent. That's what we're striving for - consistency. She's a great passer and a very smart hitter." The win came on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Amherst on Saturday afternoon. Just as they did on Sunday, the Jumbos came out and won the first two games before struggling in the third. This time though, the squad could not pull out that third game and had to take the match in four. "We blew through them in the first two and took control of the match, but then we let up," Thompson said. "That's still something we're working on." After pouncing on the Lord Jeffs 30-24 and 30-27, the Jumbos let a 30-28 game slip away. They recovered in the fourth game, however, pulling out a 30-24 victory. While Dealy would step in and lead the attack in Harrison's place on Sunday, it was junior Dana Fleisher picking up the slack on Saturday. Fleisher was big on both offense and defense, recording 18 kills and 19 digs. "[Fleisher] played unbelievable," Thompson said. "Amherst has always had a really tough time figuring her out. She's always been very effective against them. That's definitely why we played her against Amherst." The match marked the first time since October of 2003 that a Tufts-Amherst match has been decided in fewer than five games. The previous three matches, most recently the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament last year, had required the full five to determine a winner. The match also featured an intriguing matchup between two freshman setters. While the Jeffs are 12-7 and 3-3 in the NESCAC this year with freshman setter Sara Heller, the Jumbos have thrived with first-year Kaitlin O'Reilly leading the attack. O'Reilly piled up 52 assists in the win. With the wins over Amherst and Middlebury, the Jumbos moved into second place in the NESCAC, trailing only Colby. Having completed its home schedule for the year, the Jumbos will now travel to Brandeis tonight before heading down to Georgia to compete in the Emory National Invitational this weekend to close out their non-conference schedule. The squad is hoping for the return of Harrison, who sustained a concussion in practice on Friday, for the trip south. "Going down south is going to be interesting," Thompson said. "We're going to try to go down there and represent New England. A lot of teams in New England are behind us and I've heard that from a lot of coaches. Hopefully, we'll stay healthy and play well, but it's definitely going to be a challenge at this point in the season."

The Setonian
News

Getting a foot in the door or just getting coffee?

October 17

Students looking to be the next Hank Azaria or Peter Gallagher gathered in Eaton Hall Monday to get tips on how to make it in Hollywood. Andrea Gall Schmitt (J '90), the director of the alumni network in Los Angeles, spoke at the event, which was hosted by the Communications and Media Studies program. She told the audience of about 30 students it is difficult to succeed in Hollywood. "I want to begin by saying that I currently am not working," she said. "So you will have to take the things I am saying with a grain of salt." Gall Schmitt has spent many years acting in Los Angeles. At Tufts, she majored in English and drama. "There is a lot of pain and suffering trying to get work out there, so if you have a head start it can only help you," she said. "For every job out there, there are about 5,000 qualified people to take it." Students who want to write movie scripts need to know that it takes years for works to be read, revised and rewritten, Gall Schmitt said, so people entering the industry should have a long-term plan. "You could look now and see that 'The Forty-Year-Old Virgin' was very popular, and you see that the trend is toward R-rated comedies, so you go and work on an R-rated comedy," she said. "But by the time the script is ready to be made into a movie, these types of movies may no longer be popular." She said students need a "5-3-1 formula" - a long-term plan with interim steps. "If your goal in five years is to write up a script for a movie, what do you need to have done to make that happen?" she asked. The best way to get a job from industry executives, Gall Schmitt said, is to have a specific goal. "These people are very busy, so if you call and say, 'I am interested in working in television,' they won't have the time to help you," she said. Another strategy is using alumni contacts in the industry as leverage. "It is a bit discouraging that a Harvard student got the job before it was even posted because he had a connection," she said. "Tufts alums really like to help out Tufts alums," the director of the Communications and Media Studies program, Julie Dobrow, said. Gall Schmitt said jobs are available to recent graduates, but usually as personal assistants. "There definitely is a hazing mentality for the assistants," she said. She recounted a story of an assistant who put the wrong type of sweetener in her boss' coffee and had the cup hurled at her head. "Ask yourself, 'do I want to spend the next five years of my life getting coffee for these people?'" she said. "You are going to have to choose a path, and it may not be the original path you intended to take, but you have to make a choice." Gall Schmitt was also in town for Saturday night's Cheap Sox 25th reunion show in Goddard Chapel. Her speech ended with a final piece of advice. "The most important skills you can develop are to be observant and to be able to think on your feet," she said.

Trending
The Tufts Daily Crossword with an image of a crossword puzzle
The Print Edition
Tufts Daily front page