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Glocal Economics | Banana Republic Insights

October 2

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Latin America, for the most part, is a region with great potential, but it faces tremendous difficulties. Though the region has been gradually slid off the American radar in recent years, President Bush and other important leaders should be prepared to focus their energies here in order to help foster sustainable growth and strengthen democracy. Recent history has not been helping the situation. The 1994 Tequila Crisis, the 1999 Brazilian devaluation, and the 2001 economic meltdown in Argentina were major blows against the Washington Consensus in South America. During this era, the liberal economic model and its promoters began to be seen as enemies of the people. The region has still not fully recovered. As awful as these economic shocks may have been, Latin America has not moved entirely to the left. It has become clear that Fidel Castro-like declarations of "Marxism-Leninism" are no longer constructive. Where does that leave us? Democracy in the region, though stable, is vastly different than in the United States. Education and literacy levels do not compare, and the history of the caudillos, or authoritarian strongmen, is fresh in the minds of many. Politics here is tainted, in varying degrees, with corruption and populism. Economic policy is not far removed. Recent events in the region's most important countries have shown a significant risk that the spread of economic liberalism may be hampered by populist economics. In Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, or Lula, has found his Worker's Party bogged down by an ongoing corruption scandal. Though Lula has not been directly implicated, his image has been tarnished and his chances for re-election have been jeopardized. Lula has been a driving force in expanding free trade in the region. Because of his charisma and popular appeal, and given his humble roots and background, he has consistently been able to move Brazil in the direction of market liberalism without losing the support of the people. The scandals mean any of the country's other leading parties could be voted into office in the Oct. 2006 elections. The Brazilian electorate may lose its patience with the policies of politicians who have not earned its trust. Unquestionably, any potential change in the direction of Brazilian politics will worry the entire region. Further south, the Kirchner administration in Buenos Aires has been coping with similar woes. When Shell announced last May that it would raise prices, the Argentine President called for a nationwide boycott of Shell gas stations. According to The Economist, this resulted in a 70 percent drop in sales. Utility prices have essentially been frozen since the country's economic collapse in 2001. It is not surprising then that energy companies have been finding it difficult to earn profits, especially given recent growth. Utility companies were left with dollar debts, but their income was "pesified," meaning that their revenue now comes in the form of the devalued Argentine peso and many of their expenditures continue to be dollar-based. It is not hard to understand, why on Sept. 8, Suez SA, the second largest water company in the world, announced that it would abandon its controlling stake in Aguas Argentinas, the principal Argentine water company which services 10 million people in Buenos Aires alone. Electricite de France SA pulled out of Argentina in June, and the Sociedad General de Aguas de Barcelona SA's - another major water supplier - exit is seen as imminent. Though Pat Robertson may not want to admit it, Hugo Chavez has become a source of influence in Latin America. He is well liked by the people here, and is on good relations with heads of state. Bilateral agreements, including the provision of cheap oil, have expanded Chavez's role in Latin America. Yet the ideals of Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution sometimes oppose the notion of democracy and frequently run counter to market liberalism. Earlier this month, the Chavez government confiscated lands belonging to a British meat producer as part of its land redistribution program. Though it is unlikely that other Latin American countries would start similar programs, Chavez's influence is hardly beneficial for a region trying to encourage international investments and promote steady economic growth. To further complicate the issue, American leadership in promoting free trade for Latin America is precarious at best. Though Presidential Bush spoke eagerly of a Free Trade Area of the Americas, terrorism and Iraq have largely directed the Bush Administration's attention elsewhere. In the House of Representatives, the Central American Free Trade Agreement passed by a margin of two votes, hardly a mandate for the expansion of free trade. The recent hurricanes and the economic woes that may follow will not help alleviate this gridlock. Latin America stands at a crossroads in history. Though tinkering with economic policy is generally a good thing, much of Latin America is still rebuilding itself after a lost decade. A carefully managed expansion of free trade in the region would yield vast benefits. Mistakes today could have significant ramifications, and ultimately these are the political choices that determine if a family has enough to eat at the end of the day. Hopefully regional leaders will not be easily swayed by polls and will instead push for policies that can deliver the lasting rewards that Latin America needs.

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News

City project gasping for air gives crew team new life

October 2

The Tufts crew team is getting a new boat house, but few outside of the University seem to be satisfied with the way it happened. The new boat house is under construction on the Malden River. It is part of a nine-year-old, 200-acre development project in three adjoining cities that has been altered by the economy and survived legislators' attempts to kill it all together. Everett, Malden, and Medford oversee the project -- called River's Edge -- through a quasi-public group, the Mystic Valley Development Commission. The final agreement necessary to begin the project's first phase was made two weeks ago. The 9,400 square foot boat house is the only part of the project to have begun construction. River's Edge was originally designed as a commercial development, but the lagging economy did not provide enough buyers. According to the Sept. 23 Malden Observer, a last-ditch change to the project's master plan -- to include a residential component -- let the commission secure a loan to keep the project on track. A final master plan will now have to consider the zoning for the project, which does not currently allow a residential component. The original master plan did not include the boat house. The University approached the commission, which got the approval of the three mayors, Everett's David Ragucci, Malden's Richard Howard, and Medford's Michael McGlynn. The crew team now has no permanent home. It moved to the Malden River from the Charles River in 2001. On the Charles River, the team rented space in the Harvard University boat house, but on the Malden River, the team practices and races out of a tent at 378 Commercial Street in Malden. "We have enjoyed being there," Director of Rowing Gary Caldwell said of the Malden River. But, he said, the team is looking forward to "slightly less Spartan conditions." Under the deal with the commission, according to the Observer, the University will lease the property for the new boat house for the next 99 years for $100. The University plans to make the boat house available to the community, Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel said, "just as we invite Medford and Somerville to have access to facilities on campus when available and appropriate." The plans for the boathouse include a large multi-purpose room that will be available for non-rowing Tufts and community functions. "It is very conceivable that we'd have requests for space that are appropriate for this site," Rubel said. "We have a longtime history of working with the community with regard to facilities," Caldwell added. But legislators are not convinced the whole project will be completed. "It's like slow motion," Medford Councilor William Carr told the Observer. "I cannot convince anyone in the city that this is going to work." Another Medford councilor, Robert Maiocco, told the Observer the same thing. "I think it is a bad deal," he said. "Is it in the best interest of the taxpayers? No." The commission is awaiting the approval of the cities' legislatures on the addition of the residential component. The legislatures were not consulted on the boat house. The new boat house will fit into the commission's plans for recreational facilities to have a place in the commercial development, Athletic Director Bill Gehling said. The crew team "could be an important aspect of the future of this river," he said. Caldwell said he understood the slow pace of the development project. "Boathouses, like residence halls and music buildings, don't just pop up overnight," he said. "These things take time to develop."

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News

Local children give fingerprints, get faces painted

October 2

Civil war reenactments, a capella performances, face painting and four-year-olds - not the usual Sunday on Walnut Hill. The Medford campus hosted the third annual Community Day on Sunday, giving local parents and their children a chance to make the hike up the hill to see what the University is all about. The day kicked off with a speech by President Abraham Lincoln - local resident George Cheevers in disguise. Cheevers, who joked with children about history and politics, was there to promote the upcoming exhibit at Tisch Library, "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation." Other actors impersonated Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa May Alcott and Frederick Douglass to promote the exhibit, which starts Oct. 12. Many Tufts students volunteered at the day's activities, which included a reading corner, hula hoops and face painting. "One kid wanted a mustache," freshman Brittney Bannon said. Bannon painted children's faces. "Every time I thought I was finished, I'd show him the mirror and he'd ask for more hair. And another one asked me to paint a mailman on his face." Most of the student volunteers were coordinated by the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS), with about 80 LCS volunteers running the group's six activities and the information booth. LCS changed the way it looked for volunteers this year, opting to recruit outside of normal group members. "We pushed the idea of getting new volunteers who hadn't necessarily volunteered through LCS before," student coordinator junior Irit Lockhart said. Lockhart said the majority of student volunteers responded to an announcement on Tuftslife.com and did not come from LCS meetings. "What's nice for us is this is garnering a new body of volunteers," she said. LCS struggled to get volunteers for last year's event, Lockhart said. This year, instead of trying to first recruit students into LCS, the group focused on students who would only be willing to participate in one-day community service projects. The day included performances from a capella groups The Beelzebubs, The Amalgamates, Essence, and sQ!, the BEATS percussion group, and LCS' Traveling Treasure Trunk. Community Day was co-sponsored by Medford and Somerville. Representatives from the Eastern Massachusetts Literacy Council, the Somerville Community Center and the Somerville Family Center also took part in the event. The Tufts University Police Department took children's fingerprints and gave them and their parents safety tips.

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News

Apologies to no one: Wolf Parade is solid

October 2

Indie rockers unite: the debut album by Montreal natives Wolf Parade represents the mysterious genre at its finest. Produced by Isaac Brock, lead singer of Modest Mouse, "Apologies to the Queen Mary" demonstrates a heavy influence from the kings of indie, but also manages to craft an image of its own through creative lyrics and instrumental variety. Every piece to the formula for a quality full-length album is present: a steady, driving beat backing up freestyle guitars and keyboard and strained but never-faltering vocals. This apparent conventionality does not detract from the album's originality, however. Like any great indie rock album, "Apologies" begins by establishing a unifying mood, and the following 11 songs take that mood and find a way to create strikingly different variations. Another must-have feature for any aspiring indie band seems to be a sort of indistinguishable, stream of consciousness lyrical style. Not many sober listeners would understand what is meant by such songs as "I'll Believe in Anything," with lyrics such as, "If I could take the fire out from the wire / I'd share a life and you'd share a life / If I could take the fire out from the wire / I'd take you where nobody knows you and / Nobody gives a damn." No one can say that these unusual lyrics are bad - rather, they are left open to interpretation from stoners and poetry buffs alike. On the other hand, the album's strangeness may limit the range of fans that Wolf Parade will reach. Those listeners who think they like indie music because they have heard Modest Mouse's "Float On" and Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" are in for a rude awakening. These hits are certainly aberrations within the "true" style of independent music, which is hard to classify given the genre's traditionally low visibility. Radio and television airtime only add undue labels and generalizations to these bands, which soon turn to epitaphs as their shelf lives diminish and the trend passes them by. Although the band has thus far avoided this trap, those that say Wolf Parade pushes the envelope and challenges other indie bands to live up to their skillful blend of poetry and melodies are both right and wrong. Whereas this album does really stand out as one of the best of the year, it is very likely that several better albums have come out under the radar that would put "Apologies" to shame. Due to their innate "indie-ness," these albums have not escaped their local scenes. Take, for example, Autopassion, the indie pop gods of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This band starts with what The Strokes tried to accomplish and makes it smoother, catchier and, maybe one day, more popular. The beauty of the indie "scene" is that there is no cohesive scene - there are simply too many talented musicians to know about them all. Overall, "Apologies" is a great accomplishment and well deserving of a positive review, but it is too much to say that it will start a revolution, evolution or even a cult following. If you are a Modest Mouse fan who thinks the new album has made them too mainstream, however, the vibe from their better years lives on in Wolf Parade. In fact, between the various falsetto harmonies you might even occasionally forget which band you are listening to. Of course, if this review isn't convincing enough, the band was nice enough to post a "Myspace" Web page, complete with mp3 streams for your previewing pleasure. But do not stop here. The full effect of "Apologies" is not felt without the context of the entire album. This one is certainly worth the trip to Newbury Comics.

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News

Student needs lung lobes

October 2

Tufts student Billy Senopoulos, plagued by Cystic Fibrosis since birth, is very ill. Senopoulos, 27, needs a complicated lung transplant, which requires finding two separate suitable donors willing to give up one lobe of their lung. His rare AB blood type only complicates matters. He is also a diabetic. "Most of his life we kind of waited for a cure," said Julie Whitson, Senopoulos' cousin. The family started the B Nice Foundation, which promotes organ donation awareness and searches for help for Senopoulos. "Billy is getting sicker," Whitson said. "His doctor said if he got a cold he could die." The B Nice Foundation, started in May, is holding a fundraising dinner at Anthony's of Malden Oct. 14 to support the search for lung donors for Senopoulos. The money raised by the $25 admission, raffle, and silent auction will be used to compensate anyone who chooses to donate one lobe of their lung to Senopoulos. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that occurs in one out of every 3,000 people. Common symptoms include a chronic cough, difficulty breathing, frequent sinus infections, digestive problems, or recurrent pneumonia. The average life expectancy for someone with Cystic Fibrosis is 30 years. The owners of the restaurant are family friends and were happy to support the foundation. The foundation's immediate goal is finding donors for Senopoulos, but the family expects it to become a general awareness organization. "Hopefully we will be able to grow enough to support this nationwide," Whitson said. Margaret Higham, the medical director at Tufts Health Services, said the lung donation procedure is new and has rarely been performed. "There was no comparable treatment for Cystic Fibrosis done before," she said. Until recently, lung donation presented a much greater danger to the donor, whereas now donors can return to full lung function in a matter of weeks. The health risks associated with lung donation are still greater than with any other type of transplant, Higham said. Tufts Health Services is not involved with the B Nice Foundation or the upcoming fundraiser. "We weren't asked to be a part of it," Higham said. Senopoulos is a clinical psychology major in the REAL program, which was created in 1970 to for women who took time off school to raise families. The program now allows men, and it allows people over 25 to earn a degree if they have had to take time off for illness. Senopoulos went on medical leave from Tufts at the end of last October when his health became a serious issue. "I could barely walk because my breathing got so bad," he said. He is currently on a complex regimen of medications and nutritional restrictions. Although ill, he is not confined to his house. "He can go out, but it takes a lot out of him when he does," Whitson said. Senopoulos has been too sick to contact friends at Tufts and now is focusing all his energy on finding donors. "I want to finish my degree, but that is going to have to be post-transplant," he said. Senopoulos said he is very thankful for the support of people in the Tufts community, specifically Jean Herbert, associate dean of academic services and the director of the REAL Program. "Dean Herbert was very understanding," Whitson said. "But she can only do so much." Whitson said that she and her family, "would appreciate any support" and hope Tufts students will support Senopoulos' cause.

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News

From the Editor-in-Chief | Putting global and local markets in your news

October 2

Open up any major newspaper and you're bound to come across a business or financial section. Granted, the Daily is by no means a major newspaper, but a section of this nature is something that we believe would be well received among the Tufts community. Enter our new, bi-weekly section: "Glocal Economics," debuting in today's issue. No, that's not a typo -- it's a combination of "global" and "local," as those are the two territories covered within its four pages. For example, today's edition covers the gamut from advice on starting a business from your dorm room, to Chinese economics. Like the rest of the Daily, Glocal Economics is entirely student-run, save for one contribution from Economics Professor Karen Eggleston. A handful of students, passionate about economics, finance, and business, composed informed articles and opinion pieces, and the result is most impressive. This new section includes a few specific foci that will appear in each bi-weekly edition, such as the "European Spectator," written by senior Jason Shellaby; "Chinese Economics," by freshman Gregory Meiselbach; and the Latin American-concentrated "Banana Republic Insights" by junior Mart?­® Kielmanowicz. Other highlights include this week's thesis focus by senior John Papp, who discusses social security privatization. In upcoming editions, senior Sam Ronfard will combine his philosophy and economics majors for his hybrid feature on ethics and economics. On the other side of the spectrum, the Daily staff first gave the section approval this summer because we were confident that it would find its niche on the Hill. As Tufts students, we represent cultures and backgrounds from all over, our campus is teeming with people who care about current events and we're never tired of learning about the areas we may not have much knowledge in. Our goal for "Glocal Economics" is to keep the Tufts community abreast of economic and financial issues that may have some relevance those who inhabit our own little bubble, and we hope it finds an audience here.

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News

Glocal Economics | Chinese Economics

October 2

This year it seems that America is well on its way to an $800 billion trade deficit, and according to many Americans the root of the problem is China. Complaints that rise all the way to the uppermost echelons of the American hierarchy - the United States Senate - bemoan currency pegs that have given Chinese exporters low labor wage commitments and unrealistic pricing capabilities. Ultimately, China's projected current-account surplus this year clocks in around $100 billion, forcing the question of whether or not it is fair to blame the majority of America's current-account deficit on Beijing. Should the bulk of the United States' trade woes be placed on China? Yes and no. China's share of global gross domestic product (GDP) is enormous: since 2000, China has contributed nearly twice as much to global GDP growth as the next three largest emerging economies combined (India, Brazil and Russia). Correspondingly, 75 percent of China's GDP is composed of its trade in goods and services, compared to many other developing economies which have rates that hover around one-third of that. Beijing's economic decisions affect not only the prices of manufactured good but also interest and inflation rates, the housing market and wages in the United States. But it is important to consider the other factors contributing to America's deficit. The absence of adequate domestic savings is arguably the main cause. So while China exports cheap merchandise to America, we export blame for our economic shortcomings on China. The rise of the Chinese economy may have lent itself to a drop in American inflation. Cheap production in the People's Republic has kept the prices of manufactured goods low, easing the rise of inflation. A study by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, quoted recently in The Economist, substantiated that the prevalence of the "Made in China" stamp on American shelves shaved an entire percent off America's inflation rate. It is China's vast and cheap manpower, coupled with low barriers of entry, that are most worrisome to the American protectionist. When it comes to factories, production and taxes, America just cannot win against the developing giant. But when it comes time to purchase these goods, consumers actually benefit from lower prices created by productive efficiency and an artificially low exchange rate. The recent decision in Beijing to adjust the decade-long peg of the yuan to the dollar has eased many protectionist grudges. Instead of fixing the yuan to the dollar, China created a basket of currencies. The yuan appreciated 2.1 percent comapred to the U.S. dollar, and has been permitted to float within a narrow band. This may have been a political move to suppress American protectionism, though it seems China is slowly trying to land its economic growth without a meltdown. This revaluation may not be 100 percent advantageous to the American population. Differences may be noticed in the prices of goods and services for China, and more conspicuously, with those that would have been. To keep the yuan effectively pegged to the U.S. dollar, China had been the largest consumer of American treasury bonds. With the revaluation, China may be less inclined to invest so greatly in our government's treasury, and thus finance our spending. For now, the protectionists may sleep a little more comfortably - whether it was catalyzed by their pressure or not - knowing that there have been some Chinese economic reforms. Speculation will be ripe during the coming months as the effects of the revaluation slowly come about. China's role in the American economy is a multi-branched tree. Its responsibility for the American current-account deficit should not be blown up, and blame given to domestic policy should correlate. Ultimately, we just have to wait and see whether the blame given to China will be justified by the effects of the revaluation.

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News

Volleyball | Team topples national and regional powers

October 2

After defeating a top-25 national team and then the top team in New England, the women's volleyball team came within one game of knocking off another top-25 team and winning the Tufts Invitational for the second time in a row. But the Jumbos could not overcome No. 23 Eastern University, losing 3-2 in the tournament final after taking the first game from the Eagles. One close loss did not overshadow a highly successful weekend. After opening up the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Emmanuel College, the Jumbos went on to defeat No. 22 SUNY Cortland 3-1 before defeating MIT, the top team in New England, 3-2. "I expected to play well," coach Cora Thompson said. "Of course we want to win every game, but we had stacked our lineup. I scheduled us against the top four teams in the tournament, so to come out 3-1 is great." The Jumbos came close to repeating as tournament champs after winning the first-ever Tufts Invitational last year. After a back-and-forth start in the first game against the favored Eagles on Saturday afternoon, the Jumbos went on a 7-1 run, led by four kills and an ace from junior Kelli Harrison, to pull out a 30-22 win. The Jumbos could not capture the momentum with the win, however. After another tight start knotted the second game at 17, Eastern opened up with a decisive run, ripping off a 13-5 stretch to close the game. The Eagles carried their energy to game three, taking a 20-12 lead and fighting off a late Tufts run to win the game 30-24. Tufts fought back, evening the match at two as freshman Caitlin Dealy and junior Dana Fleisher rallied the Jumbos from a 17-13 deficit to a 30-27 win. After falling behind in the decisive fifth game, this time 8-3 on a hard spike that had freshman libero Natalie Goldstein clutching her right arm in pain, the Jumbos charged back again. A spike by Fleischer sliced the deficit to one, but the Eagles rattled off seven straight points to recapture the momentum, the game and the match. Eastern improved to 20-0 on the season, while the Jumbos slipped to 13-3. "Coming that far and losing is always a disappointment," Harrison said. "But they're a good team and I thought we played some good volleyball against them." The match was very heated as Eastern coach Mark Birtwistle ventured out several times onto the floor to argue a call. His senior setter Erin Meredith, who was named the tournament MVP, received a yellow card in the fourth game after disputing a call that put the Jumbos up 26-23. The five-game match was the second of the day for the Jumbos. Earlier that day, the Jumbos defeated regional leader MIT 3-2. After winning two 30-28 games, the Jumbos appeared to be in control of the match. However, they struggled in the next two matches as the Engineers won 30-15 and 30-21. The Jumbos flipped the switch back on in the fifth game, winning 15-8. Sophomore Katie Wysham reentered the match after a two-game absence and recorded three kills, including the final two. "That's one of the great things about this team," Harrison said, referring to the squad's two-game lapse against MIT. "We do have moments where we break down, but we're able to identify the problem and fix it." The victory over the top team in the region should move Tufts up from its number five spot in New England. While the Jumbos took aim on the regional rankings on Saturday, on Friday they set their sights on national power SUNY Cortland. Cortland certainly looked the part of its No. 22 ranking at the start of the match, running out to a 7-2 lead. While Tufts fought back to tie the game at 12, it could not overcome the strong Cortland block, and the Red Dragons took the game 30-25. The Jumbos found themselves trailing again in game two, but a tap by Harrison gave Tufts a 19-18 lead that it would not relinquish, and the Jumbos reversed the 30-25 score from the previous match in their favor. The match marked Harrison's return from a thigh injury sustained against Coast Guard in the MIT Invitational last weekend. Harrison was sharp in her return, at one point spiking a ball that bounced off an MIT player's head and went back over the net to the Tufts side. While Tufts lost the point, the play excited the home crowd. "It was really great [to play again]," Harrison said. "I was a little shaky at first, but I was just so glad to get back out there. I missed a whole week so that was rough." Coming off the 30-25 win, the Jumbos found themselves trailing 16-15 in the third game before sparking a 14-5 run to take the game and the lead in the match. The momentum carried into the next game as a block by senior co-captain April Gerry made it 16-4. The Jumbos went on to win the game 30-17 and then gathered in a circle to chant "Jumbos" to the tune of the "Ol?©¦±uot; soccer anthem. "To be able to beat a top-25 team is awesome," Thompson said. "To be able to do it in four games is even better." The victory closed out a big day for the Jumbos that started with a 3-0 victory over Emmanuel. The Jumbos took the match easily, winning each game by at least eight points. Freshman setter Kaitlin O'Reilly, last week's NESCAC Player of the Week, was named to an All-Tournament Team for the second week in a row.

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News

Outlets for drug and alcohol education

October 2

"They" say that "any press is good press." So, with that in mind, thanks to the Daily for keeping the conversation about drugs and alcohol use alive. Curiously, we agree with Sept. 27's editorial ("Drunk and orderly?"), although, only in part. The University does have a responsibility -- one that we take very seriously. At the same time, students are accountable for their behavior -- a point made less strongly in the editorial. In saying that all we do is "deluge [students with] facts twisted to scare anyone away from alcohol for life," it is clear that the Daily failed to do its homework. In fact, it was just last week that we asked the Daily editors to meet with Alcohol & Drug Program staff to discuss how they might provide on-going coverage of our events, activities and the like -- events just like ones described as needed by the Daily editors. If only the Daily had waited to meet with us. If only the Daily had read our Web site, then the editors would have known that we do operate from current, effective and research-based strategies that oppose the use of scare tactics. If only the editors had examined our materials; they might have actually agreed with our educational methodology and learned from the practical advice we are already providing. If only they had come to a forum, meeting or program, they could have seen first hand that our staff provides many opportunities for student dialogue and input -- believing that this is one of the most important ways to create a campus environment that supports safe drinking and healthy decision-making. The divisiveness that results from editorials filled with accusations is counterproductive to the creation of a cohesive community -- one in which we look out for each other; one that assumes that most of us can make "responsible" choices, and, one that sets adult expectations and holds everyone to them. Clearly, the Daily editors feel strongly about these issues, as do we. We only ask that you work with us by examining your own contribution to the solution. So, keep talking. Keep writing. We ask the Daily -- and the student body -- "what would make you participate in the dialogue?" "What do you suggest we do to "ensure" that a population of well-educated students, perfectly capable of making informed, adult decisions actually do so?" -- Margot AbelsDirector, Tufts Drug and Alcohol Education ServicesAlcohol and Health Education

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News

Glocal Economics | European Spectator

October 2

With the lack of support for its constitution and the ongoing debates such as Turkey's accession to its community, the European Union (EU) has been dealt several blows, leaving skeptics to forecast severe doubt on the European Commission's capability to construct a positive future in the euro zone. It is no secret that France and Germany - former powerhouses of the Union - need radical changes to pump up their sagging economies. A shared history of socialism is being challenged in both states by candidates such as Nicholas Sarkozy in France and Angela Merkel in Germany. In the time leading to Germany's recent election, the focus had shifted toward Merkel. Refusing to be portrayed as the German Margaret Thatcher, the new leader challenged incumbent Gerhard Schr?. Both Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Schr?'s Social Democratic Party (SDP) exposed their manifestos for reform, but Merkel obtained quick support and enthusiasm. The excitement was not been based on the fact that she is a woman in Germany's archaic political system but because she would be a dymanic force compared to the current political leadership. The CDU's manifesto promises many merket reforms to revive the German economy. Merkel's tactic is clear: warn Germany's population that radical changes are necessary and that they are possible without creating too much agitation around cuts in the welfare system - a large preoccupation of the state. As discussed by Dirk Schumacher, a German economist at Goldman Sachs, welfare state reform hits at the heart of people's anxieties and is by far the most sensitive area. Reforms in this costly welfare state have remained unclear in both parties' manifestos, but essentially the CDU's main objective would be to reduce costs in order to make labor cheaper as a solution for the high unemployment. The SDP's manifesto announced reforms that remained in line with its current political agenda, which most consider a bundle of broken promises that Merkel was given the status of favorite leading up to the elections. But on Sept. 18, the elections gave Germany's political future an uncertain face. Merkel won the most votes in the election, but she did not obtain enough to receive a clear mandate to govern. Gerhard Schr?'s surprising comeback led him to immediately claim his right to remain Germany's leader. As a result, domestic and international press have claimed that this inconclusive election will give rise to the possibility of a grand coalition to govern the Germanic state. Some claim that bipartisanship is already included in Germany's political process, while others believe a coalition between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats is as welcome as having the devil over for dinner. Both parties have a need to galvanize the economy's growth and reduce unemployment. In reality, the coalition will end as a political stalemate that could ruin the country's efforts toward any economic reform. For the European Union and the international community, this deadlock has left them in doubt on whether or not to invest in the slugging and unresolved German economy. Merkel's low electoral score has dented her authority and has left her locking horns with Gerhard Schr?. Business confidence reports have continued to drop since votes were cast. This ambiguous situation is unusual for Germany, the former motor of European growth. Though Merkel's press to achieve the Lisbon Agenda - an agreement signed by the European Union member nations in 2000 promising economic reforms to boost growth by 2010 - has been weakened in this opaque political situation, it is critical both for the future of Germany and the EU that Germany focus on economic reform. As majority leader, it is crucial for Merkel and the grand coalition to work toward greater unemployment and steady growth.

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News

Inside the Red Sox | Game 162: Finally, Sox are in the playoffs

October 2

With their 10-1 win against the New York Yankees on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox officially entered the playoffs as the American League wildcard entry. Here's how the game went down, as the editors felt that such an important game warranted minute-by-minute analysis: 2:09 - The Indians are already losing 3-0 in the third inning. An Indians' loss would guarantee the Sox a spot in the postseason. 2:10 - Derek Jeter jumps on the first pitch from Red Sox starter Curt Schilling and knocks it off the wall. He's thrown out, however, by outfielder Manny Ramirez as Jeter tries to stretch it into a double. Manny leads the majors in outfield assists, proving that they are no way to measure the strength of an outfielder's arm. 2:23 - Jaret Wright is on the mound for New York. The Red Sox must be ecstatic. What is that he's chewing in his mouth? It looks like some small animal. 2:49 - It's nice to be able to watch a game without that ridiculous split-screen featured on FOX's Saturday national broadcast. Never mind that the feature itself made it hard to follow the Red Sox-Yankees game at times, but FOX would switch to split-screen at unimportant moments early in the Cleveland game and then not do it at key times in the eighth inning. Wouldn't it make sense to make the big screen with audio the Boston game since that's what people were tuning in to watch? 2:51 - Red Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria makes a very nice play to his right to throw out Jeter. This might be his first nice defensive play of the season, so good thing it's in game 162. 3:10 - Jaret Wright cannot throw a strike. Right now he has walked the bases loaded in the third inning, and he's coming nowhere near the plate. He's just not the same guy without Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, but who is? 3:12 - Outfielder Trot Nixon hits a sacrifice fly and catcher Jason Varitek grounds out to end the inning. These two guys have been a big reason for Boston's success in the past, but Nixon and Varitek have absolutely disappeared this September. 3:30 - Former Boston second baseman Mark Bellhorn has substituted for Derek Jeter at shortstop in the fourth inning. It's hard to recognize Bellhorn without his long hair, but the more important development is a possible injury to the Yankees' captain. It looked like he was hurting a little after he was thrown out at second base in the first inning. If the injury is serious (though it doesn't look like it is), the Bombers could be in big trouble, as they do lack depth in their infield. 3:52 - Manny breaks the game open with a three-run homer off Yankee reliever Scott Proctor. 6-0 Boston. 3:55 - NESN cuts to a scene in the Red Sox dugout in which Schilling and Ramirez are sitting next to each other. Ramirez says something to David Ortiz, who is seated nearby. Schilling has a confused look on his face and just shakes his head as Ramirez walks away. "Polar opposites," Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy says. It must be a bit awkward because an anonymous Red Sox teammate was recently criticizing Schilling to the Boston papers. There was widespread suspicion that the teammate was Ramirez. The two also allegedly got into a shoving match earlier in the season when it was rumored Ramirez was asking for a trade. That's just Manny being Manny. 4:08 - The Indians lose to the White Sox 3-1, and the Red Sox are officially in the postseason as the wildcard. The Sox game now no longer has meaning, so feel free to move on to other, more interesting stories. 4:15 - Shawn Chacon is pitching relief for New York. He was a huge part of their comeback in September, but it's hard to understand how he's that good. He doesn't strike out a lot of people and the bottom of the Red Sox order is hitting him fairly hard. It remains to be seen whether his success, and that of Yankee journeyman Aaron Small, will continue into the postseason. 4:29 - Curt Schilling's day is done. Six innings pitched and only one run allowed. Schilling hasn't been himself this season, but he always seems to come through when needed. And Boston will need him big-time in the playoffs.

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Sydne Summer | How To...

October 2

I listened to the ripping, tearing, crumpling and cutting overpowering the jazz flowing out of my TA's iPod. Normally, these sounds wouldn't affect me; I was in an art class, after all. Noise is a process of transformation, a necessary element in the progression of art. But sometimes, transformation can lead to destruction. I walked into class the morning of Sept. 23 prepared to discuss my interpretation of transformation. For me, transformation is simply an evolution, yielding both positive and negative results. Women often transform their physical appearance through plastic surgery and cosmetics. Children transform into adolescents via puberty then transform into adults through maturation. Lovers transform their emotions through attachment and adoration. While there are many forms of transformation, I was shocked and somewhat appalled when my art professor Bob Siegelman introduced the day's project. A novel was distributed to each student in the 12-person class. The only instruction was to transform the books. Wanting to eventually write a novel of my own, I couldn't even fathom the possibility of mutilating another person's work. It can take years for writers to develop and create material for works of fiction, history and information. How could I possibly destroy that? I know when I publish my first novel I won't want some art class to use my pages for something other than reading. I voiced my opinion, and Siegelman responded that "transformation does not mean destruction." But transformation can mean destruction. Katrina transformed New Orleans from a vibrant city into a place one can only envision in nightmares. Despite my irritation, I understood Siegelman's objective. He wanted us to throw away our concept of "things" and explore beyond what we know something to be. Instead of seeing a book, he aimed for us to see an object that could be used for other purposes, such as a sculpture or a memory box. Using my sympathy for the victims of the hurricane, however, I decided to transform my book into a gift: I wrapped my Nora Roberts novel in white paper, then took four extra books and wrapped those as well. I finally put them in a box with the intent to send the books as forms of entertainment to the people who have nothing left. I talked with Siegelman, trying to explain my problem with altering perfectly good books into new forms of art. While Siegelman respected my opinion, he said "in a way, [the books] have been rescued. They were meant to be recycled." Siegelman "rescued" the 16 books from a recycling bin in Newbury, NH. "It's a free place to get materials for projects," he said. The purpose of the project was to explore transformation. As I walked around the room, viewing my classmates' formations, I must admit I was impressed. Junior Valeria Arias, for example, devised a large piece where she used her book's ripped pages as a canvas and connected the colorful fragments to various objects with tape and wire. "At first, I felt really guilty [about] tearing out the pages," Arias said. But after learning that the books were found in a dumpster, she "decided to make something out of it." Senior Kyle Jacobson, on the other hand, dedicated his creation to the novel's author, Barbara Bradford. He turned the book "Her Own Rules" into a "book of the dead." By employing clay, red paint and glue, he created a piece in response to hardships experienced with past girlfriends. Senior Maya Ferrin transformed her novel into a sanctuary by placing the book covers knee-length apart on a burlap mat. She then crumpled the pages and used them as a point of focus for meditation. Although the pieces were remarkable, I kept to my initial gift idea. I hope to evolve this transformation into a book drive for the victims of Katrina. If anyone is interested in launching this project, please contact me via e-mail.

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News

Paying for test-prep doesn't pay off

October 2

You can see them everywhere on campus: brightly colored posters promising better results or your money back. Preparatory courses from companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review guarantee higher scores on graduate school admissions tests, but not without a hefty price tag. A course to prepare someone for the MCAT, LSAT or GRE will set students back $1,000. With the cost of education on the rise, is it worth it to take a prep course? Associate Dean Jeanne Dillon, Tufts' pre-law advisor, says no. She recommends that students forget about taking a course. Dillon bases her recommendation on studies by the Law School Admissions Council, the organization that administers the LSAT. "[The Law School Admissions Council studies] have found that people who self-study using two separate books get the highest average on the LSAT," Dillon said. "People who self-study with one book have the second-highest average, and the people who take those prep courses are the third-highest average." Kaplan, a popular prep course provider that advertised at a table in the campus center last month, did not return calls asking them to comment on these statistics. Carol Baffi-Dugan, director of health professions advising at Tufts, echoed Dillon's sentiment. "I do not encourage pre-med students to take a commercial review course," she said. "There are good review materials available." Practice tests and previous tests are available online, for a fee, at www.LSAC.org and at www.aamc.org/students/mcat. The tests are available for $8 each for the LSAT, and $40 each for the MCAT. Purchasing multiple books and practice tests, however, still costs less than a prep course: a Kaplan LSAT prep course costs $1,249, while the MCAT prep course runs for $1,549. For Dillon, the cost of such courses is unacceptable. "People know how to study," she said. "They're offering a service that you already know how to do for a lot of money. What's wrong with this picture?" Some students, however, find that the courses offer them something they can't find on their own: structure. "It was good practice, because I don't think I would have studied as much on my own," senior Sarah Wong said of her MCAT Kaplan prep course. Still, Wong confessed that the course was "probably not" worth the cost. Senior Priti Julka, who also took an MCAT Kaplan prep course, signed up for the same reason: "I knew I needed structure in studying," she said. Julka was upset, though, with some of the methods employed by her Kaplan instructor. The course focused on what Kaplan refers to as "high-yield" topics, which are topics that frequently appear on the tests. But when Julka took the MCAT, she discovered that "there was a lot of non-high-yield stuff on it ... [the course] kind of hurt me in that way." Still, Julka said, "the course was helpful." As for the high price tag, she remains unsure of whether or not the course was worth it. "I guess I have to wait to see my scores," she said. Wong, on the other hand, has already received her scores. "I was satisfied, but I was hoping for better," she said. Still, she said that she recommends the course to students who feel they need it. Baffi-Dugan agreed that sometimes there is a "psychological advantage" to taking a prep course "for the student who is not confident enough to prepare on his or her own." For some students, the reasons not to take a prep course are not strictly monetary. Pre-med junior Ron Brown feels that the courses are a scam. "I've never seen conclusive studies that people do better after taking it," he said of prep courses. "They're capitalizing on parents... they get parents to fear that their child isn't going to do as well as other people's children because their kid isn't taking this course." The high cost of the prep courses was enough to dissuade second-year graduate student Nick Stone, who self-studied for the GRE. "There's no way I was going to pay that," Stone said of the $1,049 price tag accompanying a Kaplan GRE prep course. Instead, Stone chose to study from a book that cost about $30. "The books have six practice tests in them, and they've got hundreds of vocab words that you can go through," Stone said. "It just seemed like it would be easier to do that on my own time." Stone's self-studying paid off: he received an 800 on the mathematics portion of the GRE, the highest possible score. Stone's experience substantiates Dillon's position on self-studying - a position that the dean finds it difficult to effectively communicate while competing with a constant barrage of posters for preparatory courses. "I don't have national advertising," she said. "I'm this lone voice saying it's good to study on your own." When Dillon receives advertisements from prep course companies, she throws them in the garbage. "You'll never see [advertising materials] in my office or in the resource library," Dillon said. Still, Baffi-Dugan feels that certain students might profit from the courses. "Basically, a student needs to examine his or her study skills and motivation, and decide which way to turn," she said.

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Glocal Economics | International Investor

October 2

With so much talk about China recently, it is easy to overlook one of the world's other great emerging markets: India. A fast growing economy has induced foreign investors worldwide to place their bets on India. Few countries match the consistent gross domestic product (GDP) growth over the past decade, averaging 6 percent. The global economy is getting in on both real estate and equity markets. Over the past two years, the Sensex - India's broad market indicator - has doubled in value, compared to the Dow Jones, which has remained flat over the same period. Similar to the U.S. indicator, the Sensex is composed of the 30 largest companies. This indicates that, unlike the bubble America experienced, India represents investment in the country's largest and most stable companies. Foreign mutual funds, private equity groups, hedge funds and individual investors have looked to India for more substantial returns. Over a billion dollars is invested each year as India's growth continues and successful companies continue to spring up. Private equity groups worldwide are investing in young Indian companies, allowing them to grow into successful corporations. In addition, foreign financial institutions allow consumers to afford cars, homes and other luxuries- boosting domestic sectors. Employees in the booming outsourcing sector, armed with extra spending money, are also helping local businesses. Despite all the benefits, India is wary to allow foreign corporations too much sway in its economy. Many Indians want to make sure foreign corporations do not overrun their own communities. Underneath the high gloss of big number gains, there is always concern that the high rise in value - 30 percent in the last six months - could lead to a crash at any moment. Real estate is another sector of the Indian market that has risen in value substantially over the last few years, particularly the commercial real estate. As India's economy has developed, there has been a greater demand for shopping centers, movie theaters and hotels. Multinational corporations are opening up manufacturing plants, offices and laboratories within India's borders. Microsoft as well as other computer software and hardware companies, has opened up customer service offices throughout the country. General Electric has offices in India that handle accounting and information technology. Hewlett-Packard is able to pay Indian programmers a fraction of what they would pay American programmers. New offices have pushed up the price of land in Bombay 25 percent over the past six months. As with the equity markets, many speculators feel the market may be peaking, though others see few signs of slowing down. Those looking to invest in India find it nearly as easy as investing in the United States. Indian companies on the American exchanges tend to be those with higher market capitalizations and a history of stability. Such companies include ICICI Bank ($8.3 billion market capitalization), Wipro ($14.2 billion) and Satyam Computers ($4.6 billion). Though there may be quite a bit of risk involved, India's economic potential will likely continue to bring in billions of dollars from investors who are looking for the extraordinary returns that only emerging markets like India can provide.

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Glocal Economics | Highs and lows entrepreneurship

October 2

You might become the next Michael Dell or the next Bill Gates. Starting a business in your dorm room and having it grow to a multi-billion dollar enterprise can happen. It just doesn't happen very often. Most college students, in fact most adults, who start businesses do so because they want to live the American dream of owning their own business. Too often that dream becomes a nightmare. Here are some things you can do to ensure this does not happen. The reality is that starting a business is easy. All you need is an idea. There never is a good time or a bad time to start. Many profitable companies have been started in the depths of recessions. Many successful companies die during economic booms. You just have to provide something that people are willing to pay for more than once. That's the key. Staying in business - much harder than starting a business - requires that you find profitable repeat customers. These are people who have bought your product or used your service once, and are willing to use it again and tell their friends about it. Word of mouth is some of the best advertising you can have. Customers may be willing to pay, but are they willing to pay enough over the long term so that you can stay in business? You have to know your costs of operation. There are direct costs for producing the product and service. There are also indirect, or overhead, costs that you have to pay whether or not you sell one dollar of product. You're starting in your dorm room, so you don't have rent or utilities to pay. That's true. But what happens when the business is successful and grows too large for your dorm room? You'll have to pay those costs then. Make sure that you price your products and services high enough to cover realistic overhead even if you aren't paying it at the present time. Save the difference. You'll need it when you expand out of your dorm room. Learn to read financial statements. They are your score card. Accurate statements produced every month help you spot minor issues before they become major crises. Even if you are very small, selling only $100 of product per month, generate a financial statement each month. By starting the habit when your business is small, it will be engrained when it grows. Don't like to sell? Learn to like it. Business is all about sales. It's promoting your company all the time. It's giving your business card out all the time. It's asking for the order. It's accepting rejection. You'll always get more rejections than acceptances. Get used to hearing the word no. The more you ask, the more yeses you'll get. Going into business with a partner? Make sure that you and your partner have different strengths. Partnerships get into trouble when all the partners like to do the same thing. Have a strong partnership agreement that is created when you two are still friends. Partnerships are like marriages. There are always ups and downs. Divorce is ugly when one partner doesn't hold up his or her end. Becoming an entrepreneur and owning your own business gives you much more freedom than you'll ever have working for someone. It also gives you much more risk. As a college student, you have an advantage. You risk very little for some potentially large rewards. If you find you don't like being in business, remember that you haven't lost the house, car or other assets that most adults pledge for when they start. You still are a student with a dorm room and a meal plan. If you fail, figure out what you learned and don't repeat that mistake again. If you are successful, use that business as a springboard for what you want to do when you graduate. There is nothing like receiving that first check. The memory keeps you going when things don't happen as you want them to. Business is all about risk and dealing with the inevitable challenges. Be creative. Meet the challenges head on and you'll ultimately be successful.Ruth King (E 78) started her first business two years after she graduated from Tufts. Her latest book is titled "The Ugly Truth about Small Business: 50 Things That Can Go Wrong and What You Can Do about It."Submitted through the Young Entrepreneurs of Tufts (YET)

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Glocal Economics | Jonathan Rissin | Economics of Baseball

October 2

I was going to name this article "Exploiting the PECOTA growth curve by using performance as a leading indicator for future wages," but I actually wanted people to read it. Baseball has a unique salary structure that provides incentives for teams that develop young players and penalizes teams signing free agents. The first three years in Major League Baseball (MLB), players are paid the minimum salary, which this year was $316,000. Prior to years four through six, players go through the arbitration process to determine their salary. The arbitration process begins with the team and player both exchanging salary figures for one-year contracts. If the sides come to an agreement at this point, salary arbitration can be avoided. If the sides do enter arbitration, an arbitrator will research the situation and decide. Arbitration allows teams to offer players low-risk, one-year contracts below the free agent, open market wage. A paper by John D. Burger and Stephen J.K. Walters, from Loyola College in Maryland, quantifies the arbitration discount. After a player has amassed six years of service, he is a free agent. This is a baseball player's big payday - guaranteed pay - because in MLB all player contracts are guaranteed even if the player gets injured or suffers a drop in performance. Risk is high in the free agent market due to multiyear guaranteed contracts, as opposed to the low-risk one-year contracts offered to players during their first six years of service. Teams losing players to free agency acquire two draft picks (The pick of the team signing the player and a supplemental pick at the end of a draft round. The round of both of these picks is either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round, depending on the strength of the player lost). The growth and decline of performance is linked to age. In a recent Baseball Prospectus study by Nate Silver, "A New Look at Aging," he determined the prime production years for each position and decline in performance. Players generally are in their prime from age 26 to age 30, and afterward begin to decline. The Oakland Athletics' General Manager Billy Beane exploits the MLB salary structure and player's performance growth rates better than any other general manager in the game. The Oakland Athletics don't rebuild, they reload. While everybody thought the Athletics were not going to contend in the playoff race, here they are again with a 90+ win season and challenging in the AL West after trading Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson, who both experienced drops in strikeout rate and increases in walk rate, signaling they were on the decline. The Athletics traded two guys who were going to be free agents after this season for young players who can help them now and others who are prospects for the future. If Hudson and Mulder walked into free agency, the Athletics would have received only draft picks as compensation - instead they received Dan Haren, Kiko Calero and catching prospect Daric Barton from the Cardinals for Mulder, and Charles Thomas, Juan Cruz and lefty pitching prospect Dan Meyer from the Braves for Hudson. The former Cardinals have contributed this season, with Haren posting a 3.81 ERA with the Athletics over 210 innings, with 157 strikeouts and only 52 walks. Calero is proving to be a valuable arm in the bullpen. Barton is absolutely tearing up AA at age 19. Mark Redman was also sent packing by the Athletics, so Haren and prospects Joe Blanton and Kirk Saarloos were given the opportunity to blossom in the Oakland rotation. By looking at Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA performance growth system, we see that Hudson and Mulder have actually passed their prime and are in the decline of their careers. PECOTA uses VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) to show the overall contribution to a player's team by quantifying how many runs they add above what a "replacement" player would add (an average triple-A player). These calculations were done prior to the season, so let's evaluate the rotation if it was left in place and how it performed in 2005 with Haren, Joe Blanton and Kirk Saarloos replacing Hudson, Mulder and Mark Redman. Here we see that by trading Hudson, Mulder, and Redman, the Athletics improved their rotation and reduced their payroll. By shuttling out two "big name" starters in their late twenties who began to experience drops in strikeout rates and increases in walk rates, Beane traded value past its peak and acquired cost-controlled players entering their prime. I would not be surprised to see Barry Zito in another uniform next year, with the asking price being a Jonathan Papelbon or Chien-Ming Wang.

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Winning streak continues as Jumbos tame Bobcats

October 2

There was no looking back for the Jumbos after a first quarter 59-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo to sophomore J.B. Bruno. Tufts tallied its second consecutive win on the season with a lopsided 34-7 victory over Bates on Saturday. The win was the 20th straight over the Bobcats since 1986. "We played well and with a lot of excitement that I haven't seen in a while," D'Annolfo said. "Our offense and defense were feeding off each other all day, and hopefully this momentum will help us in our next few games against some tough teams." Tufts put points on the board early on two long passing plays to Bruno and junior Brian VonAncken in the first half. VonAncken's 43-yard touchdown reception, the first of his record-setting three on the day, put the Jumbos up 13-0. The defense managed to hold Bates at bay, keeping the Bobcats out of Tufts territory until the second quarter. Bates junior Dylan McNamara caught a five-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Brandon Colon that put the Bobcats within six before the half. In the third quarter, with the Jumbos on top 20-7, Bates surged to the Tufts five-yard line. However, key defensive stops on third and fourth down prevented Bates from capitalizing. Tufts junior defensive back Brett Holm halted Bobcat running back Eric Obeng to kill the drive. The Jumbos closed the door on Bates with two back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter, extending the score to the final 34-7. Key catches from junior Steve Menty on the drive led to a three-yard pass to VonAncken in the end zone. Tufts turned a forced fumble by sophomore Gary Heffernan on the ensuing kickoff into a second touchdown. The Jumbos recovered the ball on the Bates 22-yard line and D'Annolfo connected with VonAncken in the end zone on the first play, giving the junior two touchdowns in just twelve seconds. After coming off a somewhat mediocre performance last weekend, Tufts put up a strong offensive game in its second week of action, posting its highest scoring output in two years. The Jumbos capitalized on their passing game and field position opportunities when it counted, finishing the day with 407 total yards. Solid play from the offensive line, coupled with a new game plan, made the difference for Tufts. "We had a different game plan," D'Annolfo said. "We tried to exploit a lot of their coverages. The offensive line did a great job all game. I had plenty of time to throw." D'Annolfo also rebounded from a rough game last week against Wesleyan, completing 16 of 23 for 255 yards and four touchdown passes. NESCAC named D'Annolfo the Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's game. Perhaps the biggest story on offense, however, was VonAncken, who was a target for D'Annolfo all game, posting five catches for 100 yards and three touchdown receptions. "[VonAncken] is one of our faster guys," D'Annolfo said. "Every time he was in one-on-one coverage, I was looking for him. We knew their secondary guys couldn't cover him one-on-one, and he was just in the right place at the right time. I was looking out for him all game." Tufts also faired well on the ground. Making his collegiate football debut was freshman running back William Forde, who rushed for 55 yards on seven carries and posted a 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Tufts played strong on defense and special teams, preventing the Bobcats from developing their offensive game and gaining field position. Bates finished the day with 183 total yards, with Colon going nine for 26 with one interception. Junior defensive end Chris Decembrele had a strong showing, tallying 11 tackles on the day.

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News

Wysteria Lane's dirty laundry is back on television

September 29

Sunday night just got a whole lot steamier: juicy, satirical nighttime soap sensation "Desperate Housewives" is back. Season Two premiered this past Sunday, answering questions from the season finale and offering new ones. In case you haven't been following the drama on Wisteria Lane, here's an overview of Season One. Susan (Teri Hatcher) is dating Mike the plumber, whose investigation into his former girlfriend Deirdre's murder has led him to suspect Paul and wife Mary Alice, who mysteriously committed suicide at the show's beginning. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) is pregnant by either her wealthy, criminal husband or by her lover, the teenage gardener. Bree's (Marcia Cross) husband Rex died from heart failure because the jealous pharmacist had been secretly tampering with his heart medication. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) is trying to re-enter the workforce after growing jealous of her husband's new co-worker/ex-girlfriend and accidentally getting him fired. On Sunday's season premiere, a number of plotlines from the previous season remained unresolved. Gabrielle brought a falsified paternity test to appease her husband when she went to go visit him in jail, typical controlling Bree clashed with her mother-in-law over funeral arrangements for Rex, and Lynette was forced to bring her baby to her interview at an ad agency, but she was hired anyway. The show concluded with an eerie look at the street's new family bringing food to a mysterious prisoner in their basement. Bewildered and confused by all these twisted storylines? Part of the show's unique charm is its comically exaggerated premise, reassuring us that it never takes itself too seriously. The show pokes fun at the decadent, materialistic culture of America. Bree is so Martha Stewart that her son asks her if she is running for "Mayor of Stepford;" Lynette is a typical soccer mom who juggles her endless to-do list with her four boys and social gatherings with the girls; and everyone on Wisteria Lane has perfectly manicured lawns and gorgeous house exteriors. However, these seemingly perfect beings all have skeletons in their closets - or, as the show likes to put it, dirty laundry. As narrator Mary Alice remarked at the end of the season premiere, no one knows or cares what goes on behind closed doors. Clearly this ironic, racy style works; together with castaway drama "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" revived ABC's long-declining ratings. This year, the soap opera won six Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards. Teri Hatcher was among the recipients, receiving a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and was nominated for an Emmy in the same category. Long considered a stale actress past her prime, Hatcher has benefited the most from the show's success with a huge career comeback. Whereas Hatcher and Longoria make up the flashy, glamorous side of "Desperate Housewives," Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman are the ones who really carry the show. Cross, with her characteristic hair flip and distant demeanor, has really flourished in her role; she was nominated for both the Emmy and Golden Globe Award in the Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series category. Huffman plays the opposite sort of character. Once a high-powered working woman who left her career behind, she has become a perennially stressed out stay-at-home mom who takes her kids' ADD medication in order to have enough energy to get everything done (and she recently returned to work). Huffman is brilliantly convincing in this role, and her talent landed her a nomination for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actress in a Television Series - Comedy and a Screen Actors' Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also beat out co-stars Hatcher and Cross for her first Emmy in 2005. With all this talent, "Desperate Housewives" is not just a stylish fad or women's soap opera. This show has brains, beauty, genius and wit, a provocative, entertaining satire of our society's own dirty laundry.

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Eye on the Environment | Katrina causes long-term environmental damage in Gulf

September 29

It is now clear: Hurricane Katrina is the most tragic and costly environmental disaster in the recent history of the United States. As the hundreds of thousands of people begin returning to affected areas, they will wade into places wrought with environmental dangers. Inside the flooded areas Louisiana were 60 chemical plants, oil refineries and petroleum facilities. Flooding caused six major oil spills between the mouth of the Mississippi River and New Orleans and several smaller spills in other places. Fifty thousand barrels have been recovered, but Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials estimate another 160,000 barrels were not recovered. Each barrel contains about 42 gallons of oil. Oil from the 350,000 flooded vehicles in the area will take several years to decompose. The sewage system was also overrun during the hurricane. The EPA announced on Sept. 16 high levels of E-coli, a toxin-producing bacterium, in sediment around the city. Pollution is not the only environmental factor preventing the safe rehabilitation of New Orleans. Geology Professor Jack Ridge doubts the city can sustain further sediment weathering. "Subsidence is one of the greatest threats to New Orleans," he said. Built on the Mississippi Delta, New Orleans rests on soil infiltrated with mud from the river. As the city develops and more structures are built, the accumulation of weight squeezes water out of the muddy ground. New Orleans is sinking further below sea level. "When New Orleans was first settled, people were living above sea level," Ridge said. "But subsidence and flooding became a serious danger, so levees were built for protection. Unfortunately, subsidence is fastest under the levees because the levee itself and the sand underneath it weigh down the mud below." If the New Orleans area was not developed, natural mechanisms would prevent it from sinking: The Mississippi River would frequently flood muddy areas so that the soil would not become dehydrated. The levees currently surrounding New Orleans are designed to protect the city from category one or two hurricanes. Katrina was a category four hurricane and the levees failed when Lake Pontchartrain flooded. "People knew that this was going to be a situation," Ridge said. The United States Geological Survey issued a report in 2001 detailing the various factors that put New Orleans at a very high risk for a type of large-scale natural disaster. The report identifies subsidence and climate-change induced sea level rise as the major threats to the city. Other risk factors include heavy precipitation and the deterioration of coastal wetlands that would naturally prevent flooding. "There is a knee-jerk reaction to rebuild," Ridge said. "But nobody has really thought of a plan for that. At what point can you not conceivably build levees any higher?" Ridge compared the quality of land in New Orleans to the quality of land in Venice, Italy. "Venice is another city that has undergone subsidence," he said. "Those canals used to be streets." Galveston, Texas, experienced a 1990 flood comparable in strength to Katrina. But Galveston is not prone to subsidence. In response to the flood, Texas raised Galveston by 10 to 15 feet, constructing the extra ground with sand. This would not be a reasonable solution for New Orleans, Ridge said: The subsidence in the New Orleans area would prevent building up ground. "It is important to restore local wetlands," Ridge said. "That is the one thing that can be done in the way of prevention." The Army Corps of Engineers predicts it will take until mid-October to pump all of the excess water out of the flooded areas of New Orleans. According to Philip Clapp, head of the Washington-based National Environmental Trust, clean-up costs will exceed the $62 billion allocated from Congress. "A clean-up like this has never been attempted before," Ridge said. "New Orleans is now basically like a giant Superfund site." Superfund sites - that is, areas designated by the EPA to receive immediate as well as long-term waste management and remediation - are traditionally about a football field long. Three Superfund-size sites were flooded in New Orleans. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, Hugh Kaufman, a senior policy analyst at the EPA, said it was "reckless and irresponsible" for the EPA to imply that it would be safe for people to move back into New Orleans. He compared the current situation in New Orleans to the EPA's hasty and ultimately inaccurate assessment of the air quality in downtown Manhattan following Sept. 11, 2001.

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All together now

September 29

The Educational Testing Service has taken an important step toward improving academic rigor in updating the TOEFL - the exam that measures English proficiency in non-native speakers. For both international and local students the change will be a welcome improvement in classroom dynamics. Most students have had a teaching assistant who, while bright, is unable to explain concepts to other students due to language barriers. The awkward pauses and garbled responses will hopefully end soon with the addition of the speaking element to the examination. Strong conversational skills are a crucial prerequisite to participate in university life. A student who must interact with professors, peers and community members cannot fall back on strong reading comprehension skills alone. American universities have strong conversational components built into daily curricula - an educational characteristic that is rarely found elsewhere. At Tufts - and in classrooms across the country - professors welcome challenges and comments from students. Few other systems grant students the right and privilege to question professors and participate in discussions to the same degree. It would be a shame for students to eke through four or so years at Tufts without this experience. A higher education is a significant investment for any student, whether they are paying $160,000, ?90,000 or seven million rupees. For students paying the additional expense to trek across oceans to attend Tufts, they should do everything possible to prepare themselves in advance. While it is safe to assume most Tufts students - all of whom have struggled through many language classes - can sympathize with the difficulty of mastering a language, it is something international students must complete early. Oral fluency is much easier to attain in adolescence than later in life. A university-level education in English needs to be built upon significant groundwork developed prior to arrival to ensure that students may be capable of maximizing their time on campus. Incapable students are not only missing out on important elements of classroom exchanges, but they are putting other students at a disadvantage. The University has always emphasized its diverse student background. People from different cultures need to be able to communicate their unique experiences with the larger community. Education experts predict Asian students will have the most problems with the new test. The traditional emphasis on grammatical exercises in classrooms from Beijing to Mumbai will need to give way to more time mastering long vowels and hard consonants. This is a positive development - the next generation of Asian business leaders must to be able to communicate with the world's largest economy. The goal of a university is to prepare students for the future. In today's rapidly shrinking world, effective and rapid communication is a necessity. By pre-selecting international students based on oral proficiency, Tufts can achieve a more dynamic and fruitful classroom experience and ultimately graduate both local and international students with more valuable degrees.

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