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Confusion in 'ChE' department

September 27

Seniors majoring in chemical engineering are complaining about the department's lack of organization. Department chair Christos Georgakis acknowledged past confusion, but said the department has now clarified its policies. At the center of the discussion is Biology 152: Biochemistry and Cellular Metabolism, which current seniors took during the spring of their sophomore year. They took the course without taking organic chemistry, a prerequisite. Graham Good, Anura Patil and James Turco, all currently seniors and chemical engineering majors, said when they were sophomores their advisors told them the course was required for the major. Good said last spring they found out they did not have to take the class. Bio 152 used to be an elective course students could use to satisfy chemistry requirements, said Kyongbum Lee, an assistant professor in the Chemical Engineering Department. The department decided to make the course required in the 2003-2004 year, when current seniors were sophomores, he said. According to University-wide regulations, students are only required to complete major requirements as they existed when they declared that major. The course could only be recommended to sophomores that year, then - not required. The course is required for this year's juniors, Georgakis said, because the curriculum is changing to include more biological coursework. It is not clear what current seniors were told during their sophomore year, which was before he came to Tufts, he said. Georgakis said the department now recommends majors take Bio 152 as juniors. This was decided after discussions with the chemical and biological department chairs, along with engineering faculty. "That will definitely help being prepared for the course," he said. The course demanded students understand a subject not covered in their previous courses. "It ended up being a lot more headaches and work than it needed to be," Turco said. "[The course] is much more for people in pre-med; it's too extreme." Patil had no complaints about the work load, despite not having taken organic chemistry. Beginning with this year's juniors, the major will be different, in part because of Bio 152. "The biochemistry class will provide a foundation for core engineering courses that have direct relevance to industry, particularly biotechnology," Lee said. "It's a work in progress as we try to expand the curriculum," he said, "They're really the first class to experience the curriculum change." The current seniors' concerns went beyond one class. "It's a chronic thing where we have three courses we have to take that meet at the same time," Good said. Georgakis said he was not aware of conflict, but is willing to address specific student complaints. Students are still unsatisfied. "It seems like a lot of the professors don't know a lot of what's going on," Turco said. "There's not really anyone in charge," Patil said. Georgakis defended the department. "I think we're very well organized," he said. On Tuesday, ten chemical engineering majors met with a representative from the Accreditation Board for Engineering - a group of professional and technical societies that evaluate college and university programs. The representative, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, talked to students about their post-graduation plans, classes and the computer labs. One issue that arose was the study abroad options available to engineering students. Patil, who studied in Australia last semester, said the current junior class is struggling to find abroad opportunities and professors are not helping. "They're trying to make it very difficult to go abroad," she said. Current seniors studied abroad in London and Australia last year, Georgakis said. He is exploring the creation of an exchange program with a university in Germany and a program through Tufts in Paris. The students had some positive feedback at the meeting. They said professors encouraged them to do research and that research opportunities were easily available. They also said professors were always available for advising, for issues both in and out of class. "You really get to know your professors," Patil said.

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News

Drunk and orderly?

September 26

The recent near brawl on the bus home from Senior Pub Night and open container violations in Somerville show naive underage students are not the only ones engaging in dangerous behavior while intoxicated. These incidents, especially since they were committed by upperclassmen, are inexcusable. There are certain responsibilities that come with being a senior Jumbo. The rules and conventions of Medford and Somerville are not new. Off campus students have to learn, frequently the hard way, that getting drunk and lighting furniture on fire is not responsible neighborhood behavior. When students are clearly engaging in illegal, disruptive acts, police have no choice but to arrest. Students need to learn that having fun is not an acceptable excuse for their behavior in the adult world. To stamp out these intolerable behaviors, the University needs to better educate students when they are underclassmen. The current efforts of the University do not address the core of the problem. Health Services co-sponsors alcohol-free parties. ResLife offers substance free living and more events where alcohol is not served. These options are ignored by the vast majority of students. The administration needs a new strategy. The school should realize that students will continue to drink, regardless of their efforts. For better or for worse, alcohol is an integral part of university life. What needs to be changed is the education methodology. In the same way that sex education discusses methods of birth control and safe sex, alcohol education should be about how to drink, not a deluge of facts twisted to scare anyone away from alcohol for life. The current alcohol education program provided to students is one that focuses on all the risks of alcohol, and inundates students with survey after survey. Instead of an impersonal program most students will click through without reading, there needs to be a discussion of the issues associated with alcohol consumption. College will be many students first introduction to drinking. The responsibility of university educators is to ensure that these experiences do not inflict lasting damage on the student or the community. Students need practical advice - don't drink on an empty stomach, don't mix alcohol and prescription medications - rather than boring handouts. They need to be able to navigate their first frat or house party, aware of the varying effects of different alcohols and know to drink at an appropriate pace. Drinking is and always will be an issue at the University. The responsibility of Tufts is not to try and fight alcohol use, but to encourage responsible drinking and minimize embarrassing incidents in the future.

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News

Correction for Sept. 26, 2005

September 26

In an article published on Wednesday, Sept. 21, "Police look to make quiet campus even quieter with crime month," the Daily incorrectly reported that the TUPD will hold a freshman program regarding campus safety over the Columbus Day weekend. In fact, this program was already held during first-year orientation, over the Labor Day weekend.

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News

No arrests in pub night bus brawl

September 26

Two Tufts students were injured - one badly - in a fight on a bus on the way back from last week's senior pub night. Seniors Mike Ott and Dan Weinbeck were on the bus returning from The Hong Kong Restaurant, Pub, Bar, Lounge & Nightclub in Harvard Square early last Friday morning when they were allegedly assaulted by a non-Tufts student. Shortly after the bus left Harvard Square, the non-Tufts student began arguing with other people on the bus. Senior Pranav Kapoor was sitting in the sixth or seventh row of the bus. "Someone asked [the non-Tufts student] if he could stop nudging them," Kapoor said. "The next thing I know one of my female friends stood up and pushed him away." The non-Tufts student was calmed down, but as the bus got closer to campus, the argument restarted. "People started warning the bus driver that there were kids that weren't from Tufts," Kapoor said. The driver did not respond. "People started to stand up and yell at each other in front of me," Weinbeck said. "It turned into a shoving match." The non-Tufts student and Ott began fighting. Ott was punched in the face. "The guy flared up again and threw a punch at a guy in the first or second row," Kapoor said. "There was only one direct hit." Ott, whose cheek bones were severely damaged, declined to comment. Ott - the backup quarterback on the football team - did not play in the team's opening game last Saturday. Four people on the bus tried to restrain the non-Tufts student. Weinbeck, who said he did not know why the fight started, was one of the people who restrained the non-Tufts student. "As soon as he hit him, that's when I grabbed him," Weinbeck said. To get out of Weinbeck's grasp, the non-Tufts student bit Weinbeck repeatedly on the shoulder. "He bit me through my shirt and held on to it," Weinbeck said. During the struggle, someone on the bus was knocked into the inside of the windshield. A Somerville Police Department car appeared behind the bus. The police had been alerted through a direct department line - not a 911 call. A call to 911 is traced, but there is no phone number on the police report. The report also does not indicate the officer found the bus without a call. "It doesn't show that as a self-initiated incident," Somerville Police Department Lieutenant Paul Upton said. The call likely came from the driver or someone on the bus, he said. As the bus pulled into Powderhouse Rotary, the driver stopped the bus. The driver had not tried to stop the fight earlier. The Somerville police alerted the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD). "They called us indicating there was an incident," TUPD Captain Mark Keith said. At least two TUPD officers responded to the scene. When the bus stopped, the non-Tufts student and an acquaintance exited the bus. They walked a block from the bus and got into a taxi. The other people exited the bus, including Ott and Weinbeck. The taxi turned around and drove past the bus and the passengers. Ott and Weinbeck saw the non-Tufts student in the taxi, and told the TUPD officers. The Somerville police followed the taxi and pulled it over just outside the rotary. TUPD officers then took Ott and Weinbeck to the pulled-over taxi to identify the non-Tufts student. The incident was classified as a simple assault, as opposed to a felony. The Somerville police did not make any arrests. "There is no right of arrest on a simple assault not in the officer's presence," Upton said. Nobody was taken to the hospital by the police. "If they went to the hospital, they went there on their own," Upton said. Weinbeck said TUPD passed him on to Tufts Emergency Medical Services, which took him to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford. He was released quickly. The case is still open at TUPD, and the department will investigate the incident if either Ott or Weinbeck presses charges. "The victims have the opportunity to take out a complaint against the individual for assault and battery," Keith said. The department will also assist the students if they press charges outside of the University. Neither student has chosen to do so. Weinbeck said he hoped Ott would press charges. "I'm too busy to go bother with that," Weinbeck said. The event - which started during the night of Thursday, Sept. 22 - was run by the Senior Class Council. Tufts ID cards were required to board the bus only on the way to The Hong Kong. "Typically it has not been the practice on the way back, but always on the way there," Senior Class President Dave Baumwoll said. With the traffic in Harvard Square, organizers loaded students coming from the bar directly onto the bus. "We did not have time to check IDs," Baumwoll said. For future events, the class council expects to implement a wristband system. Students boarding the bus on the way to the event would be given a wristband, which they would need to board the bus again at the end of the night. "They won't be able to get back on the bus if they take it off," Baumwoll said. TUPD was not consulted by the Senior Class Council or the Office of Student Activities on the security for the bus. "We didn't know what event the bus was coming from," Keith said. "We weren't involved in that." The bus was operated by the Vocell Bus Company, which also runs the late-night shuttle to Boston. A company representative said the driver was not injured, and that the driver had not yet filed a report of the incident to the company.

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News

Meredith Pickett | The Eyes of Texas

September 26

I am hurtin'. Not a "Friday morning class" hurtin' or a "just found out your midterm is tomorrow" hurtin'. No, this pain goes much deeper. Quite simply, my legs hurt. Those not-so-quick trips hiking up and down this campus add up and all lead to one thing: constant leg pain. Some of you may not feel this pain and to you I say: you obviously spend too much time in the gym and not enough time walking to class. Go to class, it's good for you. You'll probably see me on the way, muttering curses under my breath as sweat starts to bead on my forehead. Now, I am from a very, very flat city. It's so flat that I don't know how to use the parking break on my car. So after spending my entire life in South Texas, spending last year getting used to the hill was a huge accomplishment. Of course, over the summer, my calves melted back into their natural jelly-like state. Now I find myself back in beautiful Medford, feeling the burn. This makes me wonder, what would life be like if instead of our founder putting a "light on the hill," he strove to somewhat illuminate that grassy area next to Harvard? In other words, what would life be like if Tufts were flat? 1. There would be no downhill-uphill rivalry. This is obvious. I mean, what would those poor downhill schmoes do? I bet you can tell where I live! (The cool side, duh.) But then there would be no competitiveness, no unique Tufts spirit. I guess we could always cheer for our sports teams... 2. We would get to class on time. I can't tell you how many times I was late to my 10:30 on the hill because I had math at 9:30 in Bromfield Pearson. Oh wait, actually I can. It was every day. I am constantly late to class because I can't convince my sleep-deprived body that it is going to take that long to get to class. So I ditz around and then find myself sprinting to class, increasing the tightness in my legs. And I'm still late! 3. No sledding on the President's lawn. This is an obvious problem. I mean, you can't cross country ski on a dining hall tray! 4. People would not be as time-efficient. I actually started writing this article while killing time in the library because I didn't want to go all the way up the hill to my dorm and back down for class. So I got something accomplished, which clearly is rare for me. All across campus, you can see people perfectly planning out their day around the hill. Backpacks full of work, planning where to eat, where to chill and spend their break between class, and what class is closest to mail services. And again, those poor downhill kids are trying twice as hard. As my friend said, when you live on the fourth floor of South, you pack for the day! 5. We wouldn't die because of black ice. It's embarrassing enough to eat it because you slipped on ice, but slip and slide down an entire hill? Now that's just downright painful. I should know, I slipped straight down the steep walkway down to Hodgdon. I just wanted some sweet and sour chicken, and I ended up with a cold bum with a raspberry. 6. The architecture wouldn't be as interesting. I'm not going to lie, when I toured Tufts, I was very impressed by the construction of Dowling hall. The Texas simpleton in me was like, go in over a bridge? To the seventh floor? That's crazy! What if I want to go to the first floor? Take an elevator and I'm back on the ground!? I have to go here! Also, I know that at least some of you have been walking up Packard after a late night and have wondered why the President's house doesn't slant. Well, maybe that's just me. But again, pretty cool, right? 7. We wouldn't have the best legs in academia. According to some polls, we have some of the ugliest college kids in the country. But darn it, we look good in skirts! 8. We wouldn't have the perfect setup for Spring Fling. We are blessed with a natural amphitheatre. If it weren't for the hill, no one would have been able to see Busta. Oh, wait... So there you have it, life on the non-hill. Not as painful and frustrating, but without the hill, it wouldn't truly be Tufts, would it? So I guess I'll just have to buck up and think about how lucky we are that we go to a school that is so unique. But as for the pain in my legs, I can't talk about it. My class starts in ten minutes, and it's in Cohen. Great. I'm going to be late. Again.Meredith Pickett is a sophomore majoring in History. She can be reached via e-mail at Meredith.Pickett@tufts.edu.

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News

Team secures runner-up spot

September 26

The Jumbos are on the move. Not even an increased distance and a treacherous set of hills could hold them back on Saturday as the women's cross country team raced to second place at the Jumbo Invitational, its only home meet of the season at the Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton. The win came only four days after polls ranked Tufts No. 12 in Div. III, behind Williams (1), Middlebury (2), Amherst (5), and Colby (7), as the NESCAC made a strong showing in the rankings. Sophomore Catherine Beck (2nd, 22:37), junior Raquel Morgan (4th, 22:47), and freshman Katie Rizzolo (8th, 22:58) blazed through the difficult Grafton hills to give first-place Amherst a run for its money before securing a second-place finish. Tufts' 62 points trounced Wellesley, the next closest team with 98 points, and put the Jumbos right on the heels of the Lord Jeffs' 52. The Jumbos also handled NESCAC competition from Conn. College (99), Wesleyan (124), and Bates (148), and established themselves as a force inside the league. "It was nice to see that we can do that, but we need to stay focused and keep taking things one week at a time," Beck said. "I thought we raced pretty well," coach Kristen Morwick said. "There were a lot of people who ran [personal records]. We were missing probably runners four through eight. That would have tightened up our top five significantly and if you have those girls in there, we'd kill them." Morwick decided to give junior Sarah Crispin, sophomores Katy O'Brien, Anna Shih, Laura Walls and freshman Evelyn Sharkey the weekend off. Grafton, this season's only 6k race, is particularly tough on middle-distance runners like those five, and the Jumbos have been racing for three weeks straight. Despite the absence of five solid racers, the Jumbos had a strong middle pack, led by freshman Susan Allegretti (20th, 23:36). She was closely followed by senior tri-captains Arielle Aaronson (30th, 23:50), Becca Ades (33rd, 24:01), and Jenny Torpey (36th, 24:05). Freshman Morgan Medders (44th, 24:17) rounded out the pack that put five runners across the line within 31 seconds of each other. Aaronson and Torpey had great races, cracking the Jumbos' top seven to help lead the team to their second place finish. Aaronson ran 1:13 faster this year than the same race last year and Torpey cut 56 seconds off her 2004 time. "Every week they continue to improve," Morwick said. "They're very competitive. It's so hard to say who that top seven will be at the end because our returners are running so competitively right now." Ades, an individual qualifier for Nationals last season, has had a tough road returning to form. She missed a lot of time in the summer with an IT band injury after spending a semester abroad last spring. "[Ades] is still in the process of getting back into shape and she's probably a month behind from where she was last year," Morwick said. "Her workouts have been great, but it's been beating her up on Saturdays. She'll be there, but we're just going to have to be patient and she's just going to have to be patient." The trio of Beck, Morgan and Rizzolo bunched close together at the top gives the Jumbos a 1-2-3 punch that should keep them very competitive when the team reaches the postseason. The women were instructed to run conservatively as a pack for the first mile of Saturday's race before they opened up. Beck managed to catch everyone but Amherst's top runner, senior Shauneen Garrahan. "It was scary to kind of go out there because it's definitely not what I'm used to," Beck said. "It's really helpful for me when we go out as a team in the beginning because that's where the pacing really begins. It's awesome when you know that you're not alone." "[Beck] ran a more conservative first mile," Morwick said. "She was 15 seconds off the pack and [then] she just ate them up. She's come in a lot more serious this year and I don't think we've seen her best race yet." Tufts will be taking the weekend off to prepare for All-New England's on Oct. 8 at Franklin Park in Boston. The course is fast and flat allowing teams the opportunity to run some of their best races. The race brings together the top teams in New England from Divisions I, II and III. The Jumbos will use the break to allow some runners to recover from the aches and pains generated during four straight weeks of racing. "Mentally and physically for the team, this is right where we need a break," Morwick said.

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News

Mixed results at Bowdoin regional tourney

September 26

The women's tennis team had an up-and-down weekend at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament this weekend, hosted by Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Tufts entered four singles teams and two doubles teams. Two singles players, sophomore Megan Gentzler and freshman Jessica Knez, both made it to the round of 16, with Tufts' top-seeded doubles team of senior co-captains Lisa Miller and Becky Bram advancing into the quarterfinals of the doubles draw. Knez and Gentzler, both first-timers on the varsity squad, were especially impressive and, Miller feels, it bodes well for the future of the program. "Jessica and Megan played well in their singles matches," Miller said. "We were very proud of the maturity they showed and the confidence they played with, which pulled through for them in their matches." Knez won her first match easily (6-4, 6-2) over Conn. College junior Amanda Poe. Although she faced a tougher challenge in her second match in Bowdoin freshman Sarah D'elia, Knez was able to come out on top in the three-set match (6-0, 1-6, 10-3). She finally succumbed to the tournament's eventual champion, Middlebury junior Amy Roche. Roche was never seriously tested and cruised to a victory, never losing more than two games in a set. Roche and her freshman doubles partner Elizabeth Emery also were the runners-up in the double draw. Gentzler had an easy first match victory over Smith freshman Seiko Fujii, winning 6-0, 6-0 before entering a battle against Colby junior Tracy Nale. The two split the first two sets 6-3, 0-6. The final set proved to be a nail-biter, with Gentzler gritting out a 10-8 victory to advance to the round of 16. However, Gentzler's good fortune ended there, as she was ousted from the tournament by Middlebury freshman Elizabeth Emery in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Middlebury posted a strong showing at the tournament, ending both Gentzler and Knez's runs. Tufts will face Middlebury on the road again on Sunday. The ITA tournament gave the Jumbos a sneak preview of what they will see this weekend. "Middlebury is much stronger than teams we've seen so far," Gentzler said. "We play them this weekend, so it was good to get a look at the competition. We got a chance to see them, and I think everyone on our team is capable of playing them at a much higher level." Miller and Bram were not as successful as their younger teammates in the singles draw, both getting upset in their first-round matches. Miller lost to Bowdoin sophomore Kristen Raymond (6-1, 6-4) and Bram went down to fifth-seeded junior Debbie Sharnak of Vassar 6-4, 6-2. The senior co-captains, however, were not about to go out easily in the doubles draw. After besting sophomore Gretchen Hackman and senior Francesca Russo of Babson College (8-2) and freshmen Sarah Gould and Amanda Tramont of Trinity College (8-5), the women were pitted against some tough cross-town rivals in MIT sophomores Serena Lin and Mariah Hoover. Both teams fought hard, but Lin and Hoover got the best of the Tufts duo, ousting Miller and Bram by a score of 8-6 in the quarterfinals. Despite the early exit, Miller was satisfied with the way she and Bram competed. "Becky and I played well together in doubles," Miller said. "We thought that each round we improved as a team on the court and the matches have given us confidence for the season." The other doubles team of Knez and freshman Mari Homma did not share the same success. The Tufts tandem went down in the first round of the draw to sophomore Trish Devine and freshman Jennifer Swarzkoff of Wellesley College 8-3. Certainly there are many positives that the Jumbos can take from the weekend's results. The doubles combo of Bram and Miller and the singles play of Knez and Gentzler are undoubtedly a cause for optimism. Also, the tournament proved a strong collegiate starting point for Knez in her freshman season. The Jumbos prepare for their next match on Thursday against MIT, where Bram and Miller will have another shot at the duo that knocked them out of the tournament last weekend.

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News

For retailers, dorm rooms equal dollar signs

September 26

A standard Tufts dorm room comes with a bed, a desk, a closet and a chest of drawers. But for many students these items are just bare in dorm room decor. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that college students will spend almost $34.4 billion this year on their dorm rooms - almost 34 percent higher than last year. That figure is more than twice the $13.4 billion spent by students in elementary, middle and high school combined, according to the NRF. Retailers are unsurprisingly figuring out ways to capitalize on students' willingness to part with their cash: Linens 'n Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond now offer online dorm-room registries. Along with the registries - which encourage family and friends to pay for anything the students request - these stores have intricate Web sites with "how to design" interactive videos and model campus rooms. The Container Store employs people to help students and their parents (by phone or e-mail) decorate the confined dorm space. After filling out a Web site form detailing what a student is bringing to college, the "dorm room experts" will tell students what to buy. Sophomore Emma Shields, who lives in West Hall, spent most of her dorm decorating money on storage. "I have a quad, so I spent so much money - about $300 just myself - on a lot of storage because our bedrooms in West are so tiny." Shields estimates she and her roommates spent a total of $1,200 on the room. "College students have money to spend, and stores are going all out - they have wandered into a gold mine," NRF spokeswoman Ellen Davis told the Associated Press. The extreme lengths to which stores are going to reach college students reflects their enormous buying power: the August and September back-to-school months have become the year's second highest spending season after the winter holidays. Students' eagerness to open their wallets and decorate their dorm rooms was evident in the popular bus trips during Orientation. The trips went to the Cambridgeside Galleria and Mystic View Plaza in Medford. The latter trip met with unexpected demand. While the buses to Target were supposed to leave the University once per hour from 1 - 5 p.m., the buses were needed once per half-hour. "There were three people to a seat, and people were even sitting on each other's laps" freshman Jeremy Price said. Additional crowding occurred when students returned with a large amount of merchandise. "A lot of people came back with refrigerators and bureaus that took up whole seats," freshman Lara Hwa said. A speaker from Bed Bath & Beyond spoke to students about outfitting dorm rooms during orientation. The Sept. 3 event, attended by 60 students, included a display of dorm room items. The Bed Bath & Beyond speaker came to speak at Tufts for free, in exchange for a student trip to Bed Bath & Beyond so students could see items shown during the presentation. This was the first year the representative attended orientation. Tufts students may be buying merchandise from stores like Target, but they're not necessarily buying into the premise behind those stores' lines of expanded dorm-d?©??r items. "My room doesn't have to look like a picture in a catalog," Price said. "I don't need a beaded accent rug for my room to be considered 'decorated.'" Some students are not interested in spending hundreds of dollars on d?©??r when college expenses are high. "I have pictures of my friends and posters I already had from home in my room, [and] I also have pictures up from a recycled calendar," Hwa said. "I paid $500 for my textbooks and a lot more for tuition here. I don't need to spend a fortune on decorating my room."

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News

More dialogue planned on racial divisions

September 26

Campus leaders are looking forward to restarting last semester's dialogue on race relations. The "Capen House Talks," named after the African culture center, began last spring to address why white students were uncomfortable coming to the center. The talks were organized by the University's Pan-African Alliance (PAA), and most of the attendees were PAA members, Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senators or members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. Discussion will continue from where it left off last year. Once the participants sat down for the original discussions, many other concerns poured out. "Everybody just started talking about the general issues of race on campus," then-TCU culture representative junior Rob Kim said. "What are the issues we're facing, why aren't we talking, and what can we as students do to solve these problems?" Kim is now the chair of the TCU Senate's committee on culture, ethnicity, and community affairs. According to last year's TCU President, senior Dave Baumwoll, there were "a variety of smaller frustrations" that led to the discussions on race relations. An event held before the dialogue began last spring, the Emerging Black Leaders Symposium, "had a very few number of non-black attendees," Baumwoll said. University President Lawrence Bacow did not attend the event. There were also concerns about the non-responsiveness of the administration and the Tufts University Police Department to race-related incidents on campus. "There was actually supposed to be a letter to Bacow to summarize what went on in last year's discussions," Kim said. The letter was not written, but PAA members expect to send Bacow a letter this semester. Baumwoll said it was important "to have it on paper that people in 2005 are still frustrated with the way issues of race and diversity are addressed." After a meeting with Bacow, Baumwoll said the president was "very receptive to a lot of the things that were going on." Another issue addressed in last year's talks was the lack of power of the Bias Intervention Team. "We were talking about reforming the Bias Intervention Team so that we would find out about bias incidents before the end of the semester," junior Zoe Gibson said. Gibson is the PAA culture representative on the TCU Senate. Kim said he wants to expand the discussion's participation. "It's important that the entire student body talk about [these issues]," he said. "These discussions need to happen in new forums and new locations with new people." This year's talks will probably not begin until later in the semester to give organizers more time to recruit new members, Gibson said. "We want freshmen to be a part of it," she said. Last semester, Gibson said, the PAA "wanted it to be open to the whole campus so that we had a whole range of views." Baumwoll said last year's discussions accomplished their goals, in part. "They did a great job of getting people together," he said. "There were a lot of people's feelings coming out, a lot of people's frustrations coming out." Baumwoll, Kim and Gibson said last year's discussions left many issues of race relations unresolved.

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News

Tisch can help avoid NY TimesSelect fees

September 26

Dear Editor,Before anyone forks over $7.95 a month to have access to all the daily content of the New York Times, they should know that Tisch Library provides the New York Times to the Tufts community for free through our online subscription to Lexis-Nexis. Lexis-Nexis contains all the content to the New York Times from June 1, 1980, to the current day. In addition, Tisch has purchased the New York Times Online Archive, which runs from the Times' inception in 1851 to three years before the current date. If you prefer paper, we also receive two print copies of the New York Times, one in the current periodicals area and one in the Tower Cafe. So save your money and use the Tisch resources!Laura Walters, PhDHead of Reference & CollectionsTisch Library

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News

No freedom of religion without freedom from government promoted religion

September 26

In a recent viewpoint entitled "Under God Phrase Should Remain" [Tufts Daily, 9/21/05] several arguments were advanced as to why that should be the case. The problem is that the author missed the most important and legally valid one as to why "under God," along with our new motto "In God We Trust" (replacing the original E Pluribus Unum), cannot stand if we are to have true freedom of belief. Of course it's historically true that the Pilgrims were Christians and that many of the founders were religious. It's also true that religion is intricately woven into the fabric of this country. Those, however, are not the salient points. Historical precedent does not inevitably translate into law or justify a wide spread practice. It's historically true that during the first century of our nation, women had few rights and African Americans none. It is also true that the "majority" of Americans condoned these practices. Clearly, a majority opinion does not always produce just laws. I believe the Constitution was written based on the ideals of establishing justice and securing liberty, not to promulgate history, but to insure that the lessons of the old world were not repeated in the new. It was written to ensure that certain inalienable rights were not trampled by the tyranny of the majority. The Constitution is the law of the land. The First Amendment clearly states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion." In Jefferson's own words, "that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." This phrase was used several times by Jefferson and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as an accurate description of the "Establishment Clause," to which first phrase of the First Amendment is referred. In 1954 Congress passed a bill, and President Eisenhower signed it into law, inserting "under God" in the Pledge. By doing this, our government in effect established and promoted the "opinion" that there exists a singular deity that we are all under. This is a specific belief. It is an opinion. It is in conflict with beliefs that accept multiple deities or none at all. It's the same as saying one Nation under Zeus, or Allah, or Krishna. What else does the First Amendment prohibit if not Congress placing a specific system of belief above others? By what right did Congress alter the Pledge and our motto to make a specific theological statement? In my opinion, if the First Amendment means anything, it means exactly that Congress cannot pass laws that establish or promote one system of belief over others. How many Americans would answers yes to the question: do you think our government should promote a specific religious belief over others? This is exactly what adding "under God" or "In God We Trust" to national "symbols" does. They are government endorsements of a specific belief. Americans are free to believe and free not to believe. They are free to exercise their rights at home, in houses of worship, or in the public square. On the other hand, our government and its officials represent all the people, and as such cannot favor one system of beliefs over others. No American should have to sit quietly by while a government official in a governmental process leads others in making a statement containing an affirmation of a religious nature. It is wrong. Government must be a neutral place where we can all gather as equals. A legislative body cannot codify a theological concept and claim that it is not promoting or establishing it. In its simplest form, the First Amendment means exactly what Jefferson stated - "the separation of church and state" - that religious institutions do not control government, its officials, or require government to enforce their religious codes. Likewise, government and its officials do not interfere with the practices and beliefs of religious institutions or individuals (barring criminal acts), or support, sponsor, or promulgate religious beliefs. If we are a free and just democracy, where respect of minority rights exists, there can be no "freedom of religion" without freedom from government-promoted religion.Samuel Kounaves is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Associate Director of the Massachusetts Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church & State.

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Inside the AL | Ordering hinges on season's last weekend

September 26

As baseball reaches the pinnacle of the regular season, the division races prove the more things change, the more they really remain the same. Despite early surges from underdogs the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers, teams are assuming familiar roles as the season winds down. The Chicago White Sox, a perennial hard-luck story, sat atop the AL Central division on Aug. 1 with the best record in baseball. Their 15-game lead over the second-place Cleveland Indians seemed insurmountable. It appeared to be only a matter of time before the Sox clinched their hold on the division title and coasted into the playoffs. But appearances were deceiving. Less than two months later, the Indians have cut the lead to a mere two-and-a-half games heading into the final week. Chicago's pitching faltered over the last several weeks putting their playoff chances in doubt. Even baseball's most knowledgeable analysts could not have anticipated the final three games of the regular season at Jacobs Field could determine the winner of the AL Central. The Chicago-Cleveland match-up will not be the only significant series in this week. The Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim are playing a four-game series in Oakland this week. Although the quest for the AL West title is not as close as either the East or the Central divisions, a four game series between the top two teams could decide the victor. Under the direction of general manager Billy Beane and coach Ken Macha, the Athletics jumped from last place to first place during the season, securing their typical position near the top of the division. They have cooled off, however, and currently trail in both the division and in the wild card races. Great scheduling provides the A's with a glimpse of hope, as four well-played games against the Angels could send them to the playoffs. In the AL East, the Boston Red Sox, leading the New York Yankees for 85 of the last 86 games, yielded their seat atop the division to the Bombers. Now the two teams are tied for first place and the regular season finale at Fenway will likely determine the division winner. Both players and the fans are familiar with a consequential season-ending series between the rivals. A one-game playoff ended the 1978 season, when Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent launched a game-winning homerun over the Green Monster in left field. The Yankees and the Red Sox last finished tied nine years ago. This time the final three games are much more significant. Depending on how successful the White Sox and the Indians are in their last week, this series could determine which team has something to look forward to in October. For the first time since the instatement of the wild card in 1994, all four playoff spots in the American League will be determined in the final week of the season. With the exception of the Cinderella Indians or White Sox, the playoffs are likely to be dominated by perennial heavyweights.

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Education Secretary announces new commission

September 26

How should colleges be evaluated and how can higher education be made affordable? These are questions to be asked by the new Commission on the Future of Higher Education, announced last Monday by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Spellings spoke Sept. 19 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "We must develop a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education," she said, according to the prepared remarks on the Department of Education's Web site. Though she spoke only generally about the initiative, Spellings said the commission will serve a few main purposes. The commission will hold public hearings around the country to answer questions about higher education, including what skills are needed in the global economy and how opportunities can be extended to all people. Charles Miller, the former chairman of the University of Texas' Board of Regents, will lead the 19-member commission. Other members include former North Carolina Governor James Hunt and American Council on Education President David Ward. Commissioners will try to provide solid information on the strengths and weaknesses of individual colleges in order to make better comparisons between schools. Another focus of the commission is how to make higher education more affordable. Tufts administrators are unclear how the University will be affected or its role in the commission's work. "I do not honestly know what impact it will have on Tufts," Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Robert Sternberg said. "I'm not sure anyone knows at this point." In her announcement, Spellings said the commission will evaluate the current system, but she was "not advocating a bigger role for the federal government in higher education."

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Inside College Football | Virginia Tech every bit as good as their top-five ranking

September 26

All week, college football experts and fans were drooling over the match-up taking place between No. 4 Virginia Tech and No. 15 Georgia Tech. The game featured two of the best teams in the ACC and in the nation, as well as a tantalizing face-off between perhaps the nation's best cornerbacks in Virginia Tech's Jimmy Williams and Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson. All signs pointed to a great game. An hour of football later, though, one team walked away a loser while the other solidified its position as a legitimate contender for the National Championship. The Hokies of Virginia Tech thoroughly dominated the Yellow Jackets in every aspect of the game, scoring the first 31 points of the game and running away with a 51-7 victory. Following the style of play that coach Frank Beamer has installed in Blacksburg, the Hokies scored three non-offensive touchdowns-two by the defense, and one on special teams. Virgina Tech's special-teams squad also blocked a Yellow Jacket field goal attempt that could have made the game 7-3 early on. At one point in the game, Virginia Tech returned two picks for touchdowns and hit a field goal to score 17 points in a span of 44 seconds. Hokie quarterback Marcus Vick had another strong game, completing 13 of 18 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. He now has seven touchdowns and just a single interception on the season. After sneaking by North Carolina State in the opener, Virginia Tech has gone 3-0, hammering out 141 points and allowing only seven. If they can survive a tough ACC schedule, the Hokies look like a prime National Championship contender. Coming into this season, college football experts were talking of a resurgent Big Ten Conference. With Iowa, Michigan, Purdue and Ohio State all entering the season as contenders, it looked likely that a Big Ten team would be playing in the title game come January. When Purdue lost this weekend to Minnesota in a 42-35 thriller, it became the fourth Big Ten preseason favorite to fall in a still-young season. No. 21 Iowa and No. 14 Michigan also lost this weekend, each for its second loss on the season. Just two weeks removed from a crushing defeat at the hands of Notre Dame, Michigan watched as Wisconsin punched the ball into the endzone with 24 seconds left to capture a 23-20 win. The loss knocked Michigan out of the top 25 for the first time in seven years. Iowa faced a daunting task this weekend, traveling to No. 8 Ohio State. Knowing that it needed a victory to keep any dim championship hopes alive, Iowa fell flat on its face, losing 31-6. It could only muster nine rushing yards on 18 carries against a stout Buckeye defense. Despite losing to No. 2 Texas on Sept. 10, Ohio State is still very much in the title hunt. If dual-threat quarterback Troy Smith can play like he did against the Hawkeyes- when he threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 127 yards and two more scores, the Buckeye defense could be good enough to push the team to a 10-1 finish. Still, Ohio State will need some of the other top teams to falter... So much for Louisville as a lock to win the reconfigured Big East. Making its debut against South Florida on Saturday after switching from Conference USA, the Cardinals were destroyed by the Bulls 45-15. After a showing like that, Louisville doesn't look like its going anywhere fast, even in the watered down Big East... This week, it will be No. 18 Arizona State's turn to try to knock out No. 1 USC. After struggling in the first half against Oregon this past week, the Trojans found their stride, easily defeating the Ducks 45-13 and remaining the team to beat in college football. While the Sun Devils have looked impressive this year, losing only a tight game to No. 5 LSU, they will be hard-pressed to beat the high-powered Trojans.

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Inside Explorations: Part 2 of 2

September 26

In the second installment of Inside Explorations, the Daily takes a look at the challenges faced by students who lead the University's popular Explorations courses, in which upperclassmen teach and advise first-year students. Though students teaching Explorations courses begin methodically mapping their out weekly topics and readings months in advance of freshman orientation, these first-time teachers frequently observe that sticking stringently to the planned syllabus is not always the best strategy. "We had a syllabus that we tweaked," said senior Heather Kenney, who is teaching the course "School Portrayals." "We rejected "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens; I didn't want to make them read this book that I wouldn't have wanted to read." Other teachers have taken equally unorthodox tacks. Senior Erik Johanson and junior Zaki Beda created a football draft to liven up their class, "Sports Finance." They linked the draft to online fantasy football numbers, set a salary cap and other parameters, and utilized Blackboard technology to bring it into the classroom. "It actually went really well," said Johanson. "The students were pretty shy in the beginning, but now they're starting to open up a little." Structuring classes to facilitate both learning and open discussion can be a challenge. "Our first two classes, we've crammed so much information in that the class seems to fly by," said senior Luke Brown, who co-teaches a course called "The Culture of Clothing." "We were sitting there thinking, 'Oh my gosh, did we get through this, this, and this?'" Brown and senior Gabriela Jirasek, his teaching partner, felt it was important to build a base of knowledge for their class to work from, so that later classes could be filled with information, but also include loosely-arranged discussions. In addition to careful planning, Explorations teachers need the energy and flexibility to pull off an interesting and informative class every week, for two-and-a-half hours. For first-time teachers, this can be an intimidating task. According to Robyn Gittleman, program supervisor and director of the Ex College, the challenge is compounded by the fact that Explorations classes are pass/fail. Explorations students are required to complete a term paper and participate in class regularly, and students who do not take the course seriously risk failing and losing credit for the course. But Gittleman said that "anybody who's teaching a pass/fail course, no matter who they are, will have more of a challenge in getting students to pay attention than if they were having it count as a letter grade." To combat this issue, Gittleman supports Explorations teachers in their goals with a week-long training session before the beginning of classes. She also meets with them weekly throughout the semester in a seminar setting to discuss teaching methods. Many teachers choose to fight student laziness by working to make classes so interesting that they naturally prompt active participation. "I spend a lot of time every week thinking, 'What would keep me in the class?'" said senior Jason Wang, who teaches a course called "Comic Books and Society." "It's two-and-a-half hours on a Thursday - that's a big chunk of time." To switch things up at the beginning of the semester, Wang removed the text from some old comics and had students re-arrange the frames to examine their composition. In addition to figuring out ways to engage their students, Explorations teachers have to fulfill two roles at once: they serve as both teachers and Orientation Leaders. "It's an interesting duality of teaching and being a friend and an advisor: at the beginning of the semester, you're telling them not to get too drunk, and suddenly when the semester begins, you're more of an authority figure," said senior Katie Stewart, who co-teaches "Healthcare Inequities." "It's not a normal student-teacher relationship because [campus is] small enough that we run into each other doing all sorts of things," said senior Elana Eisen-Markowitz, who is teaching "Multiracial Perspectives." "But that doesn't mean that there isn't some sort of separation, some sort of boundary between the way we interact with them and the way we might interact with other random underclassmen," Eisen-Markowitz said. Gittleman said that challenge serves as a valuable learning experience for Explorations teachers. "That's a hard line to straddle," she said. "As a peer, how would you handle a situation where they say, 'I'm not going to do the assignment, because I didn't like the book?'" Most Explorations teachers agree that getting respect is just a matter of approaching the material seriously so that the students will do the same. "We're not [a chemistry class]," Wang said. "We understand this. But [the students will] respect you if you respect them. As an advisor, I've found that you don't have to lead them around so much. They are adults, and we don't want to lead them like sheep." New students, however, often do need help with various adjustments to Tufts schedules, course selection and other administrative tasks. "I had one student call me about class times, really worried," said Wang. "He was asking 'A-R-R? What is A-R-R?' and just freaking out on the phone. I just said, 'Relax, it stands for arranged - it means your professor will work it out.'" While their students come away with a new perspective on campus, the leaders themselves also gain from the Explorations experience. "What these freshmen don't realize is it's as much of a learning experience for us as it is for them," Johanson said. "[There is] a lot of preparation involved, but teaching something - anything - makes you really think about what it is you're teaching and how," Eisen-Markowitz said. "So it's a whole other level of analysis that's required to impart the issues to a group of students - especially peers - than would be necessary just to process it yourself."

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From the Editor-in-Chief | From Sex to Switzerland, and all that's in between

September 26

One of the more enjoyable tasks of putting out this publication -- from an editor's perspective -- is working with our ever-changing batch of columnists each semester. But this September, we in the Curtis Hall basement were beginning to feel slightly apprehensive because up until our column submissions deadline neared, we had a mere smattering of applicants. The volume of submissions grew on deadline day, much to our relief, but you may notice that the number of columns this fall is of a lesser amount than in previous semesters. But we could not be more enthusiastic with the columnists who, bit by bit, will be unveiled and will debut throughout this week and for the rest of the semester, Monday through Thursday. Our first pairing of columnists is a duo of seniors with wit and attitude: Alex Sherman ("Retrospective," Viewpoints), this fall's obligatory Rantin' Columnist, who likes to have a side of humor with his realistic approach to daily thoughts and observations; and Sydne Summer ("How To," Features), a native of Hollywood Hills, Calif., whose spry tone steers her advice columns through splashes of cosmopolitan sass. In addition to our Monday columnists, we have eight others who all bring their own plates of humor, expertise, and observations to the table. Our youngest columnists are a group of four from the sophomore Class of 2008. To sympathize with all our anxieties and frustrations with college life is Meredith Pickett ("The Eyes of Texas," Viewpoints) -- not to be confused with Chuck Norris' "Walker, Texas Ranger." Our Sports section will also feature two young'uns, both renaissance sportsmen: Benjamin Swasey ("From Way Downtown," Sports) and veteran columnist Alex Bloom ("Philly Phodder," Sports). And for a happy ending to this group is Sara Franklin ("Oh My!: Sex Straight-Up," Arts), our first sex columnist to emerge after a one-year hiatus. Franklin brings plenty of hilarity and clever analogies to her writing, leaving us little doubt that we'll ever go unsatisfied. As a significant chunk of our junior class -- the Class of 2007 -- is studying abroad right now, it's only fitting that our two columnists from this year are both residing overseas and will be sending us weekly reports. Following a gradually-building Daily tradition of study abroad columnists from Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, we head back to Europe this fall: Julie Schindall ("Making the Connections," Arts) will educate us on the arts Switzerland has to offer, and the Prague-based David Pomerantz ("Pom in Prague," Features) will trace his footsteps -- and massive neck muscles -- through his Europe-side travels for four months. And last, but never least, is our group of four senior columnists from the Class of 2006, who just happen to compose one of the most knowledgeable line-ups of columnists in Daily history. Aside from Sherman and Summer, we have Keith Barry ("Blight on the Hill," Viewpoints) whose sharp, witty, and informed writing leaves little about Tufts at its mercy; and Cole Liberator ("Hot Peas and Butter," Sports) whose columns successfully attract both sports aficionados and sports neophytes alike. So welcome to the real beginning of the Daily's fall semester, where we hope that there will be something to whet everyone's appetite.

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Concert Review | In concert, Maya's sex-politics balance is M.I.A.

September 26

We often hear about a musician's creativity when said artist combines disparate genres or in music-journalist speak, "fuses the (element of genre A) with the (unrelated element of genre B) and comes up with something totally unique." These semi-ironic unions are frequently utter failures, detriments to pop music (disco-metal, rap-rock, emo-pop). Sometimes, however, the musician manages to strike a balance between the seemingly disjointed aspects of two or more genres and produces something that not only sounds innovative and enjoyable, but is more than a cheap attempt to score critical points. M.I.A.'s debut solo LP, "Arular," is an ambitious, risky, and ridiculously successful exploration of this balance. The Sri Lankan-born, London-educated songstress, whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam, fuses grime, hip-hop, bhangra and a dozen other international styles into a kaleidoscopic fusion that hops around like it needs Adderall. "Bucky Done Gone" opens with a cold, mechanic, machine-gun snare roll, then gives way to M.I.A.'s demands for attention in a scream punctuated by stomping tribal drums, which leads into a dancehall trumpet flare, and ultimately to shrieking, paranoid rhymes. This all happens in the first 25 seconds. She grabs a bit of the Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band on "Sunshowers," then exchanges it for the twitchy techno effects and speaker-splitting reggaeton crunch of "Galang." She drops a steel drum fill in "Bingo," then an incessant, didgeridoo-type hum on "Hombre." M.I.A crafts a rich, diverse sound with influences from scores of locales and eras. She pulls from so many different genres and uses the bounty so cleverly that her record, which should be a mess, sounds focused and consistent. M.I.A.'s vocals stay deftly poised between seemingly contrary, or at least incongruent, qualities. On "Arular," she quickly takes a clear political stance, penning leftist lyrics about issues like the exploitation of developing nations that often lack bite and insight, but at least needle listeners to consider the issues. She delivers these lines in a husky, devastatingly sexy voice, and spicing up "Bucky Done Gone" with an inexplicable orgasm in the middle. Perhaps the most indelible evidence of her "vote-then-do-me" mentality is the album's cover art: hair lazily covering one eye, she looks enigmatically into the camera, framed by cartoon images of tanks, bombs, fighter planes, and assault rifles. An inherent danger in relying on this intricate balance is that if you're off, you're way off. Records can always be re-recorded, but on stage it can be a serious hazard. This was clear Saturday at the Paradise Rock Club. M.I.A needed to bring her unique beats, rhymes and sexy persona for a successful show. The beats were no problem: DJ Contra, who bears a slight resemblance to M.I.A.'s DJ boyfriend, the newly retired Diplo, set clean levels, and took care of one part of the M.I.A. machine. The sexy component was also in place. She is incredibly fine, an attribute that can get lost in an auditory medium. Her sultry voice sounds even more alluring in person. M.I.A. is sexy because of the way she moves. On stage, she bobs her hand and points her finger in the same fire-breathing-MC fashion as Eminem, but balances it with an exotic, islander swagger, a duality the crowd very clearly found arousing. As the set opened with "Pull Up the People," the Paradise turned into a sloppy bed of hedonism for the musically elite. It was like Spring Break for Pitchforkmedia.com. The indie kids started licking and grinding each other, which at first was a good thing, if terribly awkward to watch. Nonetheless, it became difficult, and ultimately impossible to hear the rhymes over the primal, lusty cries of the audience, or enjoy the show while sandwiched between two fat, sweaty girls in Bloc Party T-shirts eating each other's faces. In person, the sexual essence M.I.A. so expertly balances with political awareness in the studio totally overpowered the other elements of her arsenal. This disturbed the fragile and impeccable balance between them and rendered her performance less enjoyable than her album. Unless, of course, you like Bloc Party, lesbians and face-eating.

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News

Government support needed for linguists

September 26

Dear Editor, Regarding your editorial ("Transforming the study of language," Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005), encourage students, professors, and administrators to write their U.S. representative and ask him/her to support the National Security Languages Act. If passed, this bill would provide grants to universities teaching "less-commonly taught foreign languages" and pay off loans for students who major in those languages. The government has the political will to create a generation of linguists who will address the challenges of our global era, but the 109th Congress needs to know that you also have the will to become one. We can show Tufts that this is the way to improving its languages departments. Michael Stanton-GeddesAlumnus, Class of 2004

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Alex Bloom | Philly Phodder

September 26

It's America's national pastime. So why does America think baseball is so boring and the game is so long? Why do many of my friends refuse to watch a game on television or pay attention through nine innings at the ballpark? I, for one, cannot understand these people. Going to the park is one of my favorite hobbies. I've seen six games live this season and enjoyed every one. People just don't know how to have a good time watching baseball. Let me help you out with some pointers for enjoying a baseball game with a recap of one of the best games I attended this season. On June 1, the Giants came to town to play my team, the Phillies, who were trying to get to .500 and had won three of four games. I ventured down to Citizens Bank Ballpark with my twin brother Chris and a few of our friends in hopes of seeing some good baseball. Actually, I knew I wasn't going to see good baseball. After all, I was going to a Phillies game. That's like going to the dollar store for a good...anything. That's the first tip. 1. Know what you're going to see. If it's Yankees-Red Sox, it'll be a nail-biting slugfest (there's just no pitching). If it's Marlins-Nationals, you're going to see one run...total. If it's Phillies-Giants, it's just bad baseball. Choose wisely. Before we go further, you should know the source of these tips. My brother and I, you'll have to understand, view ourselves as unapologetically Philadelphian. We take pride in being rudely pessimistic, obnoxiously loud, and genuinely boorish fans of all our beloved (yet grossly underperforming) pro sports teams. But try as I may, I still fall short of my brother's example. I guess it's because I possess a little more self-control. It's a problem I'm working to correct, one day at a time. Chris and I had read Moises Alou, the Giants outfielder, uses his urine to callous his hands to ease the effects of not wearing batting gloves. Now I've heard of weird traditions regarding sports, but this is flat-out ridiculous. Chris was intent on booing Alou, among others that night. That's my next tip. 2. Be a part of the game. Pay attention. Cheer or boo accordingly. Start or join rally chants. Keep score if you have to. Just don't throw batteries at the players. I've heard that's not allowed. From the upper deck of right field we immediately joined the game. When Phillies third baseman David Bell (hitting .252 with one homerun and 15 RBI after two months despite a salary of $4.7 million) got up to the plate, Chris stood straight up and laid into him, even though he knew the players couldn't hear him. "TWO-FIFTY TWO [voice screeching]!?! THAT'S ALL? YOU SUCK!!" I thought we might be offending the father and son seated near us (although other fans got a kick out of it), but that moral question was reconciled when I realized the dad was only spending $25 for the cheap seats. 3. Spend some money! Get an ice cream in a mini-helmet. Get a program. And if you're cheap, go down on fan giveaway day and convince some kid to get you the little Phillies cooler they're giving away only to fans 14 and under. Not that I've done that before... Throughout the whole game, we were quite displeased that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided to start Placido Polanco at second base instead of hotshot prospect Chase Utley. Although Manuel, considered a players' manager, may possess adept human relations skills, he's a moron managing in the National League (he let closer Billy Wagner bat not once, but twice this season). Utley, considered the future of the team, was developing into an All-Star. We let Charlie hear our displeasure ... every time Polanco approached the on-deck circle. "HEY CHRIS, UTLEY'S ON DECK!!" "NO, NO, I THINK THAT'S POLANCO!!" "WHAT? WHY WOULD ANYONE START POLANCO OVER UTLEY!?!" As the game progressed we decided to move closer to the field of play. My brother, our friend Phil and I crept by the ushers and sat at the very edge of the fence in right field, prime position for jeering Alou. 4. Move around the stadium. Take a look around and check out the amenities. If you bought bad seats, relax. You can always move. Wait until the later innings so you don't get caught. We laid into Alou for two innings, ragging him for the urine story, a poorly-played flyball, his dad Felipe Alou being tossed for arguing a call and for generally being in our line of sight. At one point, Alou turned to look right at us. I cowered away while my brother, who attends Dodgers games while he attends USC in Los Angeles, stood up and brazenly hollered: "HEY MOISES, YOU SUCK!! AND WHEN I GET BACK TO L.A. I'M GONNA BOO YOU THERE TOO!!" Philadelphia's finest on display. 5. Choose the right company. Don't go with a girl who wants to leave after the second inning. On the flipside, it may not be to smart to go with my brother. He's fine for a few innings, but he needs to watch the profanity. During the eighth, the Phillies loaded up the bases and Manuel made his smartest call all season: he told Utley to pinch-hit with the game tied 6-6. We were ecstatic and told Alou the ball was coming his way. We didn't realize how right we were. Utley drilled a 1-1 pitch to deep right field. It was way back, way back ... right to my brother. He reached up with hat in hand, watched the ball go into the hat, and watched it fall out and bounce on the field. He had a pinch-hit-grand-slam-home-run in his hands, the rarest souvenirs from one of the rarest plays in baseball, and dropped it. Alou got the ball and casually threw it back, rather than tossing the ball into the stands. Footage of Chris dropping the ball replayed on the Jumbotron over and over. An usher later said he could have gotten us signed memorabilia from Utley if we had the ball, while fans behind us (as well as our friends) mocked Chris for missing the big one. That brings me to my final tip. 6. Bring your baseball glove. Always, always, always bring your baseball glove. There you have it. Follow my tips and you'll never attend a "boring" baseball game. But forget your baseball glove and you'll have a story to tell for the next 25 years.

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Sara Franklin | Oh My!: Sex Straight-Up

September 26

Sex and baseball. Baseball and sex. The American pastime and the universal college pastime. I don't claim to be an expert on either, but the similarities between the two are so obvious that it's nearly impossible not to notice. And no, I'm not just referring to the "bases" metaphor. That good old middle-school analogy, while logical in its concept, lacks a great deal of clarity. Okay, so the four Fs are generally accepted. The first two are pretty clear, but rounding second between shortstop and third, things become a little fuzzy. No pun intended. Shortstop isn't really even covered. And really, what happens between second and third can be the most important part of the game for at least half the teams out there, especially considering the huge potential for error. But I digress. Bases are only the beginning. Those who scorn baseball might do well to read on, especially if it's been awhile since you've been up to bat: Equipment: Having the right stuff can't hurt your game, but having it and not knowing how to use it properly won't get you further than the minors. And unfortunately, the only way to improve is to just keep playing, no matter how embarrassing the score. Innings: There's a reason innings are split between teams. If one team is always batting and running the bases, the other team has no chance to score. And that's just not a fair game. Heck, it's not even a real game! Wild Pitches/Pop Flies/Foul Balls: Anything from a bad day to pre-game jitters can cause these. Hey, they happen. Just don't expect a home run from one, unless you happen to run into one of those players who can hit anything. If you're lucky, you'll get some sympathy from the ump. Home Runs: A home run doesn't count unless you have touched all the bases, so don't you dare skip any! Each one is there for a reason: use them, keep a foot on them when you're supposed to and enjoy them while you're there! Check in with the base coaches periodically; you don't want to miss any potentially amazing plays. Spring Training: Of utmost importance. If you don't train long and hard, you won't be ready once the season starts. And no one wants to be unprepared. Warming Up: Also of extreme importance. You can't always rely on the other team to get you going. And once you're on the field, there's no going back unless you really want to piss off the other team, create uncomfortable situations, and potentially ruin future seasons. Performance-enhancers: If you're really having trouble hitting them out of the park, or if just getting up to bat gives you the willies, corking your bat is always an option, though its legitimacy is up for discussion. Some people don't care, others are morally opposed. Hit by Pitch: While this may seem like a fairly simple error to avoid, some people have a bit of trouble with their aim. It can happen by accident or might be a malicious habit of the pitcher. A generally unpleasant experience. Physical Condition: A help, but not in any way necessary. I mean look at David Ortiz. He plays TONS of ball and he's quite the tub. Skill does not solely rely on physical stature. See below. Intelligence: The best players have something going on upstairs besides thinking about their own game and have become adept at reading the other team's moves and acting accordingly. Rookies: If you are one, remember that just because you haven't been playing for long doesn't mean you can't play well. If you play with one, just keep their inexperience in mind; the first season is always the scariest. Beer: Some people can't enjoy the game without it, but it can be a tricky ally. While it makes the game a heck of a lot more fun to just be around, and the idea of playing gets more and more exciting (and perhaps even more likely), you may find yourself swinging at balls you wouldn't even consider going after without that beer. Once you actually get on the field, you'd better be able to run in a straight line, or else you'll have a hard time making it home. That could get you kicked out of the game or even fined - and it weighs down your record. I hope as the post-season fast approaches, these insights help your game, or at least let you appreciate it more. Or if you're content with your stats as they are, play ball!

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