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"A Bigger Bang" is a bust

September 15

There are few things in the world more pathetic and depressing than listening to someone's 50-year-old dad talk about his days following The Dead. Wearing loafers and holding a briefcase, he'll sit you down, latch onto your ear, and unload a novella of completely embellished yarns about "Jerry, man," "Ithaca '77" and a host of other meaningless and archaic nonsense. You wish he could let go of his younger days and move on because, frankly, it makes him a lot less cool. The Rolling Stones' new album, "A Bigger Bang," is almost a complete reproduction of this scenario. Eight years since the group's last release of new studio material, listeners find them in the exact same place: trying to sound like they used to and failing. To be fair, "A Bigger Bang" is not a complete letdown. There are times when the band succeeds in sounding like they used to, most notably vocally. Mocking nearly every human biological reality, Jagger somehow still sounds a lot like Jagger. There is not an earthly being, including Mick himself, who can accurately estimate how much debauchery his 62-year-old (62-year-old!) body has sustained, but, impressively, he still wails with the same patented leathery, nasal bray from 40 years ago. Despite recent photographs to the contrary, 61-year-old Keith Richards is not only still alive, but can also occasionally play a guitar with the bluesy, Waters-esque panache of his coke days. On "Back of My Hand," the album's most enjoyable track, Richards fluidly weaves in and out of Jagger's howl and squealing harmonica. The listener almost forgets that the musicians are nearly eligible for senior citizen discounts. Hearing these two icons sporadically doing what they did so inconceivably well is reminiscent of the Stones' glory days of "Wild Horses," "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Let it Bleed." It could be the age or the miles, but there is most definitely something missing from this record and, more importantly, this band. The Stones give off the sense that they are simply going through the motions, doing an impersonation of themselves. It's apparent that, lacking either the passion, inspiration or sheer vitality to pioneer like they once did, the Stones are shooting simply to resurrect their former brilliance. Not only is that a shameful ambition (especially for them), but they don't even succeed at it. For every one of "Bang"'s quasi-successful tracks such as "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," there's a "She Saw Me Coming" or "Oh No Not You Again." There the once-fiery vocals sound trite, once-masterful guitar solos indulgent, and once-sturdy 4/4 time signatures boring. In truth, hardly anyone expected this to be a laudable effort. The reason Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen can be exceptional at their ages is because they make personal, intimate music; acoustic guitars, brushed drums and poetry. Bruce Springsteen notwithstanding, you simply cannot make good rock-and-roll music when you get mailings from the AARP and look like the undead. What made the Stones so good was their fire: Jagger's lusty swagger and full-throated voice, Richards' utterly incomparable licks, and the other guys, you know, doin' their thangs. Without which, the Stones are just another rock band that listens to the blues.

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News

Seniors: eight months 'til the real world

September 15

For many seniors, now feels like the time to panic. The struggle of where to go and what to do after college can be a difficult one. While for some the path is very clear, for others, there is no definite path in sight - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Going straight into the working world is a viable option for graduating seniors, according to Director of Career Services Jean Papalia. "Most graduate programs appreciate the additional skills, knowledge and experiences that students bring as a result of time spent in the workforce," she said. One senior heading right into the job market is Stephanie Cohen, a psychology major and communications minor. "We had a guest lecturer [in my "Introduction to Mass Media and Popular Culture" class] who was the vice president in charge of public relations and marketing at the Oxygen [television] network," Cohen said. "She described her duties and job, and I thought that it was something that I could be really good at. It grabbed my attention." Cohen hopes next year to find herself in an "entry level position in some entertainment company, in their public relations department. Either that or an internship where I'll make copies and get coffee," she said. "If I do a good job, then they'll ask me to stay on for a year or two." Unlike Cohen, senior Tammy Savin is heading directly to graduate school. For Savin, an English major and economics minor, the choice so was always clear. "Law school has always been the plan," Savin said. "I'm in school mode, and if I take a year off it will be harder to get back into. I'm not going to get a decent job for one year." For some career paths, students feel that graduate school is simply not necessary. Senior Caroline Hockmeyer, a double major in English and Spanish, is interested in the magazine industry and plans to enter the working world immediately. This year, Hockmeyer is interning under the fashion and beauty editor for Improper Bostonian and competing with two other interns for the job of assistant. "In my industry, graduate school is not required," Hockmeyer said. "So I have to make up for that in experience. If I win this job, it's something I can put on my resume and take anywhere I want to go. They don't want to hire some kid who is just an English major." Unlike Hockmeyer, many students aren't absolutely certain of the career field for them. Papalia said the best thing for confused seniors to do is to "visit us at Career Services so we can help you on an individual basis." Along with private sessions, Career Services also provides graduate school info sessions and panels, alumni career panels and career and graduate school fairs. For many Tufts undergraduates, help from Career Services and alumni contacts can help in making important job decisions. "This past summer I worked at Seventeen magazine in New York," Hockmeyer said. "Under the alumni list, I found that a graduate from Tufts was the vice president in publishing at Teen Vogue. She told me all about the business and told me what I am up against in terms of competition." But even with the help Career Services offers, many seniors still graduate from Tufts not knowing what career they want to pursue. Menina Skelly (LA '05) is now working at a running specialty store called Marathon Sports, as well as at Starbucks. When Skelly first came to Tufts, she "had plenty of ideas, but they changed constantly." "How many people come into Tufts wanting to be pre-med?" Skelly said. "I got scared and decided I didn't want to be stressed for the rest of my life." Although Skelly plans to go to graduate school at some point, she can foresee many other opportunities in her future: "Being a Spanish teacher, coaching lacrosse, being a sports trainer, finding a job that allows me to travel and speak Spanish," she said. While Savin is going directly to graduate school because she is very "self-driven and goal orientated," others such as Skelly are motivated by the excitement of not knowing. "I don't know where I want to be in five years, but that is the whole point of what keeps me going," Skelly said. "Right now, I intend to work different jobs, travel, live different places, research graduate schools and programs, talk to as many people as I can, and even use one of the 'What Color is Your Parachute?' books." While many seniors may be feeling the rush to decide on a future, Skelly believes that it takes time to fully realize what a person wants in life. "It doesn't matter what other people are doing; it's only what you want to do that matters," she said. "Whenever I ask an older peer or someone I admire how they figured out their life, they say that they are still trying to figure it out."

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News

Student documentary gauges Lebanese uncertainty

September 15

Two Lebanese women came to campus Wednesday evening to present a documentary on the confusion in their country since the February murder of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Marwa Abou-Daya and Remi Raidan, both students at the American University in Beirut, interviewed people on the street in Lebanon to get their reactions to the murder. The resulting documentary "Shock, Pain and Hope: Valentine's Day in Lebanon," shows the complex opinion people hold as the country enters an uncertain era. Although it was the women's first visit to the university, Abou-Daya and Raidan previously participated in Soliya Connect, a videoconferencing program that allows students from the U.S. and the Middle East to speak to each other. Soliya is the main component Ex College course co-taught by senior Negar Razavi and first year Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy student Matan Chorev. Hariri, who served as prime minister from 1992-1998 and then again from 2000-2004, was killed on Feb. 14 when a roadside bomb detonated as his car drove by. Hariri helped create last September's United Nations Resolution 1559, which called for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. His death was widely blamed on Syria. The resolution also called for the disarmament of militias, including Hezbollah. Syrian troops had been in Lebanon since 1976, one year into what became a 14-year civil war. They completed their withdrawal at the end of last April. "Different people will say different things about the Syrian impact inside Lebanon," Abou-Daya said. She said some people experienced hardships from the Syrian occupation on a daily basis, whereas the lives of others were virtually free of Syrian intervention. Abou-Daya also said the Syrians played a prominent role in influencing Lebanese politics. The women interviewed a man who had camped out for weeks in protest against Syria after Hariri's death. "There are many theories all around the country," Raidan said after the film ended. "But there is little hard evidence of any link." German magistrate Detlev Mehlis is currently leading a United Nations inquiry into Hariri's murder. The students asked people to compare their perceptions of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. When asked by an audience member why the documentary made the comparison, the students said it was a popular sentiment in the Lebanese press. One man interviewd in the documentary said Lebanese were not interested in any foreign support, Syrian or American. "Lebanon must be for Lebanon," he said. The girls were hesitant to predict how the period of uncertainty following Hariri's death would affect the long-term dynamics inside Lebanon. "Right now, it is too early to see the future of Lebanon," Abou-Daya said. "However, many people in the country are ready to take charge." The Lebanese students are now taking their documentary on a tour of colleges on the East Coast, including a stop at Harvard University on Thursday. The Soliya Connect Ex College class came out of the New Initiative for Middle East Peace, a student group at the Institute of Global Leadership. The course was taught by the same students last year.

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News

Community Health begins the academic year with new faces

September 13

The Community Health Department has undergone a major turnover for this semester, with two professors resigning and three hired to take their place. Professors Bonnie Chakravorty and Charlene Galarneau both resigned. Chakravorty left to start a new community health graduate program at Tennessee State University. Galarneau is now at Wellesley College, teaching and researching in the women's studies department. Chakravorty served as the program's internship coordinator. Internships are required for the over thirty students majoring in community health annually. To fill the holes left by Chakravorty and Galarneau, the department hired Professor Linda Sprague Matrtinez on a full-time basis and Alissa Spielberg and Kalahn Taylor-Clark part-time. Program director Edith Balbach said any department must adjust to the loss of key faculty, but that she is "very excited about the new people we brought in." The new professors, she said, will have "a significant impact on students." Martinez will take over Chakravorty's internship duties, which include teaching a seminar and overseeing the progress of student internships. Martinez taught "Race, Ethnicity, and Health" in the department last spring and will be teaching it again this spring. She worked for the Office of Minority Health in the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, where she was involved in policy making. It is this non-academic experience, Balbach said, that qualified Martinez to oversee the internship program. Martinez has "knowledge of how to teach a good class and also knowledge of how agencies and organizations work," Balbach said. "An internship director must combine these two skills." Martinez began visiting the "very broad" list of places where community health students have had internships. She said on the whole the sites have been "very happy with [past] Tufts site visits and very happy with Dr. Chakravorty." Martinez said she has received "very positive feedback." Martinez plans to expand the list of internship sites. She said the department has a good atmosphere, up-to-date with the field, and student-oriented. Galarneau worked at Tufts for nine years. She was promoted to senior lecturer last year, and she had a secondary appointment at the School of Medicine. ""I'm very grateful for my experience at Tufts," she said. "The students are exceptional as are the faculty and staff." Another issue for the revamped department to tackle is the group of advisees of the former professors. Taylor-Clark, who is currently finishing her doctorate in health policy at Harvard University, was chosen to take on the majority of Galarneau's advisees. Taylor-Clark received her undergraduate and masters degrees from Tufts. "She really knows the Tufts undergrad experience," Balbach said. Taylor-Clark also worked as a teaching assistant for Professor Gary McKissick's course "Healthcare in America," and she has been the scholar in residence in Tilton Hall for the past three years. "I love advising students," Taylor-Clark said. She added that exploring different options is one of the points of college, and she enjoys facilitating that process among students. After her doctorate work ends this December, Taylor-Clark will be teaching two courses in the department, "Women in Health" and "The Politics of Health Disparities." She is not sure if she wants a career in academia. "[I have] done a lot of work that I really value... and want to share it with students," she said. Spielberg has been teaching at Harvard for the last seven years, and she has also taught at Emerson College. She taught a course last semester in the Ex College called "Sex, Drugs, and Personal Rights: The Frontiers of Law, Medicine, and Society." This semester she will be teaching "Health, Ethics, and Policy" in the Community Health Department. "The students who are in my course already come to the topics well-armed with a great understanding of public health," Spielberg said. "I've already enjoyed getting to know the students here and look forward to meeting with more of them."

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News

Shh, don't tell anyone

September 13

I am both conservative and Republican. I am also a freshman and have only been on campus for less than a month as of the moment I write this, so why would I write a viewpoint openly expressing such unpopular political views? What possible motivation could an insecure, naive freshman have for taking this academically and socially suicidal plunge? Shouldn't I be doing homework? Well, I want to inform you, the skeptical and probably liberal reader, of a fact that will blow your mind. Seriously now, stop skimming for one second and pay attention to this, because it's a good secret that we conservatives closely guard and one which you may not be privy to again. We are not all pendejos. College is meant to be a mixing bowl of different cultures, traditions and yes, political backgrounds. You wouldn't blame your fellow classmate for being Jewish, your neighbor for being a redhead, or your roommate for liking "Laguna Beach." We've all grown up with different experiences and personal values, so why would you blame a hick for being conservative? Why should I personally be more ashamed for disliking Ted Kennedy than you are for wanting to have his babies? If it is taboo to bash a particular race, religion,or sexual orientation, then why are you being such a player hater? Follow your own completely absurd brand of political correctness and don't blame me for being conservative. Some of us were born in red states - we can't help it. Some of us have grandfathers who only half-jokingly beg us not to turn into a pansy-assed liberal at college - we can't really help it. Some of us genuinely think that both Hannity and Colmes are veritable sex symbols of our generation - now who could help thinking that? My ?iberal, tweed-wearing, high school government teacher once asked my class to separate into groups - conservative students, liberal students, and the I-don't-know-enough-political-common-knowlege-to-tell-Dick-Cheney-from-Sasquatch students. He was a lion cutting the sick, Bush-loving antelopes from the herd. My fear of the scary, mainstream liberals caused me to waiver between the groups. Should I pretend that armageddon could only be averted with a female President Clinton in the White House? Or should I defy convention and sit with the Dungeons and Dragons warmongers that were nasally arguing whether the newer Mig-29's would have the phase array Zhuk-MS radars installed... which of course was where I belonged? I was weak and chose the third group - I pretended that I thought euthanasia should be protected because they were poor and didn't have anything to eat but rice. Well, no more will I deny the Republican genes that my self-made father and veteran grandfather granted me. I cannot pretend that Bob Marley's song "One Love" has extraordinarily deep and powerful lyrics. No longer can I pretend that Michael Moore isn't the Antichrist. I am speaking out. The real truth of the matter is that, despite being a card-carrying Republican, I'm just like you. Like most students, I could live off Cheez-Its, and I think that chocolate milk is the nectar of the gods. Like the rest of the country, I suspect that Kyle Boller is Brian Billick's illegitimate son. Both Trey Parker and Matt Stone should be sainted. I love Dave Matthews as much as the next white-bread, 18-year-old girl, and I have the same red and sepia OC poster on my wall that you do. I, too, have a secret crush on President Bacow (don't lie to yourselves). So next time you see a Republican flyer on campus or hear about a party at the Coulter house, don't resort to sabotage or question our right to attend a liberal college like Tufts. I'm aware that if there was a "political preference" checkbox next to the "nationality" section of the Tufts application, I might not be here, but it's far too late to be getting rid of me now. I'm not going to lie to you, some conservatives do get their jollies off eating newborns and knocking over old ladies' wheelchairs (I'm looking at you, Pat Robertson), but my point is that just because I'm conservative doesn't mean that I'm the spawn of Satan.Jennifer Newman is a freshman who has yet to declare a major.

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News

Vet school lab gets $15 million grant, town approval

September 13

A new bio-safety laboratory is to be constructed as the first development of Grafton Science Park, thanks to a large grant and ongoing talks with the town around the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. The National Institutes of Health has given the school a $15 million grant for the project. The other $5 million needed to build the lab will be provided by the University. The project was initially announced over a yeas ago, but safety and economic concerns from Grafton residents held up progress. The lab, expected to be completed by 2008, will be a 30,000 square foot facility in Grafton Science Park. The University wants to encourage biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical companies for the complex. The new facility will house laboratories with bio-safety level 2 and 3 ratings (BSL-2 and BSL-3), as designated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Center for Disease Control. BSL-3 facilities handle agents that can cause potentially lethal diseases. There are already two BSL-2 labs and one nearly completed BSL-3 lab on the Grafton campus. Massachusetts has around 100 BSL-3 labs, the most in the country. According to Cummings School Associate Dean for Administration and Finance Joseph McManus, the new lab facility will allow the school's faculty to better study infectious diseases. The two types of infectious diseases studied by faculty are food and waterborne diseases - such as E coli and salmonella - and zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted from animals to people - such as rabies and West Nile Virus. According to McManus, 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic diseases, a concentration well-suited for veterinarians. "The purpose of this laboratory is to safeguard scientists who are working to protect public health by better understanding ways to prevent, detect and treat these diseases," he said. Cummings School Spokeswoman Barbara Donato said the Grafton facility is part of a national campaign to study these new diseases. The National Institutes of Health "is funding several of these [labs] around the country to advance public health by studying emerging infectious diseases in very safe, state-of-the-art facilities," she said. Grafton residents opposed to the lab have raised a number of concerns with the University, including the effect on the local economy. The lab itself will not be taxed, but the companies that could potentially relocate near the new lab would generate income for the town. "We hope it will be a catalyst and a magnet for further development," McManus said. The construction of the lab will generate about 40 construction jobs over two years. The building will employ about 30 people per year, and as more buildings join the Grafton Science Park, more jobs and revenue should be created. Grafton residents were also concerned about the lab's proximity to the town. Tufts representatives have attended town meetings, held open forums for residents and spoken with a local emergency planning committee to hear resident's concerns. The University will provide special training for town emergency workers, McManus said. "There are individuals who are concerned about the lab ... but we will continue to meet with the community and keep the lines of communication open," McManus said.

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News

Omidyars pledge $25 million for financial aid

September 13

Pierre and Pamela Omidyar donated the first $5 million of what will eventually be $25 million toward undergraduate financial aid this summer. The initial donation was made in June, but the announcement was made Monday, Sept. 12 in an e-mail to the Tufts community from President Lawrence Bacow. This is the second largest individual donation to the University. The largest gift was $50 million for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine from real estate developer William Cummings. The Omidyars donated $10 million in 2000 to found the University College of Citizenship and Public Service. Last year they contributed $8.2 million to fund the University College through 2010. Pierre is the founder of eBay and serves on the University's board of trustees. Pamela serves on the advisory board of the University College. According to Bacow's e-mail, the Omidyars' most recent donation is designed to help the University have need-blind undergraduate admissions. The undergraduate Office of Admissions currently operates on a need-aware policy, where only a small minority of the incoming class is accepted based on its need for financial aid. Bacow's e-mail said the University needs $200 million to move to a need-blind system. The remaining $20 million of the Omidyars' gift has been structured to be delivered as that goal is reached. Executive Vice-President Steven Manos said the details of the gift were confidential. "It's a private arrangement between us and the donor," he said. Michelle Goguen, the head of public relations at the Omidyar Network, the couple's philanthropy organization, said Bacow's e-mail provided all of the information the parties were able to divulge.

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News

Nalgene bottles not as safe as article implies

September 13

The article about plastic water bottles ("Hold the refill...," Features, Sept. 12) confuses several different factors and winds up giving readers the wrong advice. The most important mistake is the final recommendation. The wildly popular transparent and often tinted Nalgene bottles are made out of polycarbonate, a plastic material that itself is made from bisphenol A. This is the compound studied by Tufts' Ana Soto, which has been implicated in many health effects by over 100 scientific studies, including superb research by Dr. Soto on breast cancer. The article should have recommended against using these bottles, instead of endorsing them because they are rigid. Bottom line? Avoid bottles labeled #7. Send your Nalgene bottles back to the manufacturer.J.P. Myers Charlottesville, VA

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News

Jumbos take second at Camel invitational

September 13

The Women's cross country team sprinted out of the gates in its first meet this season, taking second place overall at the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday. The Jumbos put three runners in the top six and had a solid pack, with 13 runners finishing within 1:20 of one another. "I would say that it was generally a mixed performance," sophomore Anna Shih said. "There were some people on the team who did very well and a few who were disappointed with how they raced." Sophomore Catherine Beck (18:25) led the way for the team, taking second overall in the race. Junior Raquel Morgan (fifth, 18:36) was second for the Jumbos, followed closely by freshman Katie Rizzolo (18:40) who managed a sixth place finish in her first collegiate race. "I thought both Raquel and especially Catherine Beck had a great race," coach Kristen Morwick said. "[Rizzolo] was a little bit of a surprise but she put in a really good summer. She's pretty intense." The Jumbos took second place with 55 points, behind the College of New Jersey's 36. Conn. College (102) and Trinity (110) were a distant third and fourth, respectively. The College of New Jersey managed to put its seven runners inside the top 20. Rounding out the Jumbo top seven were junior Sarah Crispin (20th, 19:09), sophomore Katy O'Brien (23rd, 19:15), senior Becca Ades (24th, 19:15), and freshman Evelyn Sharkey (29th, 19:22). "We had a lot of people run major [personal records]," Morwick said. Ades, who last season was the Jumbos' top runner, had a tough first race, running near the lead in the early-going only to drop off later. "[Ades] has been having injury problems, so it was frustrating for her," Shih said. Not many of the teams Tufts normally races against competed at the Waterford, Connecticut course. Only Trinity joined Tufts and the hosting Camels from the NESCAC, while the other teams at the invitational were schools not generally known for their cross country programs, such as Assumption College and Emmanuel College. The race did have many more runners than in 2004, with over 240 people this year, and it was considerably more competitive. Comparing this season's race with last, O'Brien took sixth with 19:18 last fall and this season improved her time to 19:15 but finished only 23rd. "In a more competitive meet, Conn. won't be nearly as close to us," Morwick said. "We had three in front of their top runner. In a bigger meet that gap is going to be much wider." The race was encouraging for the team with 13 runners in a close group. Behind Ades were senior Arielle Aaronson (31st, 19:26), sophomore Laura Walls (34th, 19:29), Shih (35th, 19:30), junior Jenny Torpey (39th, 19:40), and freshmen Susan Allegretti (40th, 19:40) and Morgan Medders, who took 45th (19:45). Four freshmen crowded the Jumbos pack, including two in the top seven. "[Having freshmen toward the front is] a good sign; it means our team is getting stronger," Shih said. Although it is still early in the season, the Jumbos are running as a close group. With six runners returning from last season's team and now the addition of some fleet-footed freshmen, Tufts could be a force in the NESCAC. "All those 13 were under 20 minutes for 5k," Morwick said. "We're deep; it's nice to see. And there are only two seniors and a couple juniors. It's looking good, but it is really early to tell."

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News

Tanning into trouble

September 13

For those students who spent their summer days under the fluorescent lights of their jobs or internships, artificial tanning and tanning salons offered a popular alternative to regular sunbathing. And as the 80-degree temperatures disappear, more students contemplate this method of maintaining their summer glow. Indeed, tanning has become an essential component of many young people's self-image: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), this trend is particularly noticeable in young women and has become a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Part of its popularity is due to the relative affordability of the practice: seven sessions at a tanning salon cost an average of $35. The increase in tanning's popularity has long raised concerns within the scientific community. It had previously been found that ultra-violet (UV) radiation can lead to premature skin aging, eye damage and skin cancers. More recently, radiation was shown to have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of the immune system. According to the WHO, annual rates of melanoma -- a potentially deadly form of skin cancer -- have doubled in the past 30 years. While skin cancers account for one in three cancer cases worldwide, in the United States that figure is one in two. Senior Paige Cramer said she is aware of the sun's strength. Amidst tourists overcrowding her home state to achieve the perfect tan, the Florida native tries to shy clear of harmful rays. "The sun's intensity in Florida is so much stronger than it is up in Boston," she said. "Just by being outside for 30 minutes without sunscreen, I can see my skin getting darker -- it doesn't take long." "I always put sunscreen on when I'm at home," Cramer added. "[But] when I'm in Boston, I don't think to put it on because the intensity is so much less." Other students, such as freshman Ilana Marcus, apply sunscreen while at school as well. "I think people look better when they're darker, but I burn more than tan, so it's not worth it to go in the sun to be in pain later in the day," Marcus said. "Plus, I tan a little with sunscreen, and that's good enough for me." While skin cancer can affect anyone, some individuals are at higher risk. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, those at risk have lighter natural skin tones, family and personal history of skin cancer, constant sun exposure during work or recreation, or sunburn history from childhood. Other factors that indicate increased risk are freckles, skin that becomes red and painful after sun exposure, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, and a large number of moles. Family history of skin cancer causes some students to think twice before going outside without protection. "I think about skin cancer when it comes to sun exposure," Cramer said. "My mother has had a few bouts of skin cancer on her nose and cheeks -- skin cancer is everywhere." For Cramer, protecting herself from the sun is a priority, but many other students are less attentive. "I think that unless you have a personal reason to pay particular attention to sunscreen or other sun protection -- like family history -- then you're apt to forget it more often than not," freshman Leonora Mahler said. Aside from scientific discoveries, personal preferences play into students' decisions to avoid tanning. "I tan when I'm at the beach, but not consciously," freshman Pedro Echavarria said. "I think tanning for the sake of tanning is a little vain." Other students fear looking plain ridiculous, pointing out that bronzed bodies appear a bit unnatural when it's snowing outside. Mahler avoids "fake" tanning in order to not look like "all these orange people running around campus." Unlike Maher, however, an ever increasing number of individuals are turning to artificial tanning for a summer glow. Yet scientific sources agree that UV exposure under tanning beds or lamps is just as dangerous as natural sunlight exposure -- and perhaps even more dangerous. While UV radiation can be used for medical reasons under proper supervision, such as to treat Vitamin D deficiency, its mainstream use for tanning has led to much concern. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has even classified sunlamp and tanning bed exposure as "a carcinogenic to humans." A 2003 WHO report on Artificial Tanning Sunbeds said that certain machines can radiate with UV levels five times stronger "than the midday Australian summer sun." While some may agree with Marcus' claim that "tanning booths are sick," there are also those like junior Maren Lindeland, who has been tanning since the age of 16. And here at Tufts, the lawn is still scattered with students soaking up the rays of the almost-extinguished late-summer sun.

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News

Faculty Focus | Sternberg's success, a message to students

September 13

For Robert Sternberg, recently appointed Dean of the Undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences after 30 years at Yale, success in academia wasn't always a forgone conclusion. Sternberg performed poorly on elementary school IQ tests. His first teachers concluded he was of below-average intelligence and had little potential for academic achievement. He proved them wrong. Sternberg overcame his initial difficulties and attended Stanford University as an undergraduate. But there too, Sternberg faced disappointment and frustration. "I had planned to be a psychology major, but I bombed introductory psychology," Sternberg said. "The professor told me, 'Look, there's already one famous Sternberg in the field of psychology; obviously there's not going to be another.'" (The first famous Sternberg is Saul, now a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.) Intimidated, Sternberg took his professor's advice and enrolled in an introductory applied mathematics class, yet that too proved difficult. "I failed the midterm and the professor recommended that I drop the class," Sternberg said. "So I did." Sternberg returned to his original goal of majoring in psychology, and turned out to be very competent in the higher-level courses. "I'm more of a creative learner," Sternberg said. "I do very well in projects, but I was not good at memorizing all of that material in the introductory courses." His own experience compelled Sternberg to study the diverse learning styles of students, and use that information to improve teaching methods. Sternberg plans to continue his research here. He wants all students to "capitalize on their strengths, but also to correct and compensate for their weaknesses." Academic achievement isn't the only element of the college experience that concerns Sternberg, who served as the director of Yale's psychology graduate studies program. Areas of life outside the classroom are integral to students' education and experience at Tufts, he said. "Leadership and civic engagement are an important part of the Tufts education," Sternberg said. "People often get themselves into power who are very bright, but not necessarily wise, and maybe even foolish." "Take, for example, some of the people at Enron," Sternberg said. "It should be that you are developing your leadership skills throughout your education." (Andrew Fastow, Enron's disgraced former chief financial officer, attended Tufts as an undergraduate.) The new dean urges students not to sacrifice friends for studies. "There's a tendency for students to say, 'Right now I need to pay attention to my work,' and so they blow off building personal relationships," Sternberg said. "Don't do that - finding the time will never get any easier, and that is a really important part of life." After graduation, he encourages students to pursue their interests, despite external temptations. "Find what you really love," Sternberg said. "Don't go just for the social prestige or the money. Not that money isn't important, but the people who are doing things they really love are much happier."

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News

Kilmer can be our wingman anytime

September 13

"Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" is a film of firsts. For Shane Black, it's his first time directing. And for Val Kilmer, it's his first time playing a gay guy. To be more precise, it's a gay private eye Kilmer portrays in the October release, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang," the action-comedy-romance-mystery movie loosely based on a series of trashy police novels. The film follows Robert Downey Jr.'s hapless character, Harry, from his days as a small-time criminal in New York to his week-long stint as a would-be actor in the seedy Hollywood underworld. Kilmer plays "Gay" Perry, a tough veteran private detective who guides Harry through his new environment and helps him win the heart of his bumpkin-turned-actress childhood sweetheart, Harmony. "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" is a tricky, stylized gem of a film that delights and entertains audiences as much as it leaves them feeling awed and just a little confused. The Daily sat down with Kilmer and Black to get their perspective on the movie and maybe help clear up some of that confusion.Question: I found that an interesting dynamic in this film was that the gay character was the actual "manly man."Val Kilmer: I wrote that. I said to Shane [Black, the film's writer-director], "Let's make him gay and have him kiss Robert [Downey Jr., Kilmer's co-star] and have them make out forever." [Laughter]Q: Isn't it tough to find a balance between making cheap shots, funny-because-he's gay-humor, and more clever humor? You didn't play Perry as a flaming gay guy.VK: When creating a character in theater or in film, it's crucial to get into the director's head: their taste, their sensibilities, their rhythms... because that's what the film is. It's a director's medium. You can affect the spirit of a character, but you can't affect the vibe of a movie. No matter who you are, it's the director's story. And Shane is a really fine writer who likes junk, pulp detective stories. He grew up loving them... It's a strange responsibility that the director has. One of the main jobs of the director is how to encourage people not to be doing their best work. If you let the cinematographer do their best work, then the day is destroyed, because they'll light the hell out of this room and nothing will get filmed. Sometimes an actor takes over a movie, and it becomes character fluff, and it ruins the movie. So a director's job is to make people content with not owning 100% of their time. And Shane has a great sense of grace about how to spend our day. It's odd, because I don't respect him, [Laughter] but there was a natural respect from the crew immediately. He never raised his voice.Q: I've heard you say recently that when you read the screenplay, actors filled those roles, but the characters didn't change despite the different personalities the actors brought to them. Can you talk about that?VK: When something's well written, you pick up on it right away. You get a feeling anyway, good or bad, right away. But with this, I was just living in hope until I met Shane that it was going to feel the same way it did when I read it. And it was exactly like that. It's a very weird talent -- sometimes genius -- that screenwriters have. They're shortchanged in literature. It's a very hard job; you're writing an impression, which you have to write in shorthand. Like newspaper journalists, but with a screenplay it's... a series of shorthands. Like poetry. And like poetry, it's often bad.Shane Black: The actors become so stamped on your brain, it's impossible to look back and imagine someone else playing them. Maybe Matt Damon... [Laughter]VK: Matt's a God.SB: It's true. It's one of those fortunate pairings [Downey Jr. and Kilmer]. The star of the movie is the fact that these two guys are together. How could you not love that? You don't know what you're buying, but you know something great is going to happen. They've never been in a movie [together] before, and I thought: "Who knows what's going to happen when you take Robert Downey Jr., with all his volatility, and Val, with his... well... volatility, and when you throw them together, something's going to happen." So to me, the star of the film is this incredible coming together... this... this...Q: Marriage?SB: Yes! The marriage of two towns... It's like Sinatra and Bono.VK: Am I Bono or Sinatra? [Laughter]Q: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" projects a very violent, very outrageous image of the Hollywood scene. In your experience, is Tinsel Town actually the way you portrayed it to be in the film?VK: It's quite a town. But there is a hope. It's statistically true, there's a lot of sexual abuse. And these boys and girls run away from home to find a place where everything's pretty. And they go to L.A. to find that, and it's actually a hot spot for the same stuff they're running away from. But at the same time a guy like [Downey Jr.'s character] Harry can go there with hope that's never gonna die, and because it's L.A., it's gonna come true. You're going to run into the girl of your dreams, and believe that anything's possible, and lie to win her hand, and become the thing you're lying about.

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News

TV Preview | New season, new turmoil in Newport Beach

September 13

A campus normally abuzz with commotion and activity seemed to turn desolate last Thursday night at 8:00. How to explain this sudden collective calm? Only one answer comes to mind: the third season of Fox's "The OC" was about to begin. That's right, another year of adultery, drug addiction, violence at black tie events, and hot twenty-somethings playing teenagers is already captivating audiences everywhere. And for those few of you who may have missed it, here is a comprehensive update on the latest drama in Orange County. The show begins with flashbacks to the night Trey (Bradley Stryker), Ryan's (Benjamin McKenzie) delinquent older brother, was sent to the hospital with gunshot wounds, courtesy of Ryan's girlfriend, Marissa. (Ryan, for any "OC" virgins, is the show's resident bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who, try as he might, can never seem to stay out of trouble.) Next, we see almost the exact scene that started last year's season. The impossibly beautiful Marissa and Summer (Rachel Bilson) lie on pool chairs next to a very large house wearing very small bathing suits. (There seem to be endless opportunities to wear tiny pieces of swimwear year-round in the OC.) Marissa, played by Mischa Barton (quite possibly the worst actress on television), laments over the rocky way her senior year seems to be starting. That's what happens when you shoot your boyfriend's brother. Meanwhile, Julie Cooper-Nichol (Melinda Clarke), Marissa's meddling and deceptive mother, fears that colleges won't look kindly on a history of attempted murder in a prospective student. So what would any concerned mother do? Clearly, blackmail the recently comatose Trey into testifying that it was not Marissa, but his own brother, Ryan, who shot him in a fit of rage. That done, cops arrest Ryan and put him in the slammer after his failed attempt to flee Newport Beach on Marissa's father's yacht. Now the group find themselves in a real pickle. With their friend wrongfully imprisoned, Seth (Adam Brody), Summer (Rachel Bilson), and Marissa (Mischa Barton) must find a way to free him. Their solution is to dress as candy stripers, sneak into the hospital, and confront Trey. This plan, while brilliant, forces Marissa to come face to face with her attempted rapist (Trey tried to rape Marissa towards the end of last season, the reason for all the brotherly fighting and Trey's subsequent shooting). Convincing gal that she is, Marissa successfully gets Trey to tell the truth to the police, acquitting Ryan of any blame. And what of Seth Cohen's mother, the poor, alcoholic Kirsten whose drinking suddenly got wildly out of hand last season in a hurried effort to send her to rehab and advance the show's plotline? Here's a hint: her first line of the season opener goes, "I'm Kirsten, and I'm an alcoholic." She then goes on to blame her recently deceased father for her feelings of inadequacy and subsequent use of alcohol to stifle those feelings. At the group therapy session, a blonde woman named Charlotte (played by Jeri Ryan of illustrious "Star Trek," and her sexually deviant ex-husband fame) voices similar problems, and the two women quickly bond over their shared experiences. So what will happen next? The stage is set with a plethora of plotlines that need to be tied up over the course of the next 23 episodes. Kirsten's new rehab friend will undoubtedly do something horrible to her (the whole thing reeks of identity theft), and Sandy (Peter Gallagher), her adoring husband, will come to the rescue as usual. Seth will continue to make witty remarks and toy with his on-again, off-again relationship with Summer. The repercussions of the gun incident still loom over Marissa and Ryan's heads, further straining their already uneasy relationship. Julie's hopes of having a "normal family" will be dashed after the next traumatic event takes place, probably one for which she will be wholly responsible. Whatever happens, though, admit it: if you weren't before, now you'll be one of those people holed up in your dorm watching the rest of the action this Thursday.

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News

Tulane students arrive on campus, begin life at new school

September 13

"New Orleans is my second home," Tulane University senior Jennifer Near said. Near is among approximately 40 Tulane students who began their transition to Tufts this week. The group was accepted by the University in response to the closure of their school following widespread damage from Hurricane Katrina. Roughly two-thirds of the students arrived last Thursday, and the rest arrived Monday. The students were given orientations by Tufts administrators in Dowling Hall. Director of Administration, Information Technologies and Libraries Paul Stanton opened the orientation, where students were introduced to their new school and given their ID cards, e-mail addresses, housing assignments, and advising groups. Other administrators also made presentations, including Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, Director of Residential Life Yolanda King, University Chaplain David O'Leary, and Associate Dean of Academic Services Jean Herbert. Reitman encouraged the new students to integrate into the Tufts student body by becoming active in campus life right away. "You are here, you are a part of us," he said. "Take advantage of everything this place has to offer." President Lawrence Bacow and his wife, Adele Fleet Bacow, also welcomed the new students. "We really want to give you a regular college experience and education," President Bacow said. According to King, 17 of the students will be living on campus. Reitman is sending a letter thanking those students who volunteered to host one of the new students. According to Dean for Undergraduate Education James Glaser, the admitted students were divided evenly between the four years. This is contrary to the administration's expectation that the small size of upper-level courses would limit the ability of upperclassmen to enroll at Tufts and still fulfill requirements for graduation. Near, who is from nearby Moltonboro, New Hampshire, said she decided to come to Tufts because it comparable to Tulane in social life and academics. "Dartmouth is a great school but I wanted to be near culture and a city night life," she said. "Tulane is mostly on the same level with Tufts," he said. Despite the similarities between Tufts and Tulane, Near is having difficulties taking the classes she needs to graduate because they do not exist at Tufts. She would like to find those courses at Tufts or at another school in the spring. "I'm going to have to wait it out," she said. Glaser said it is too late to bring in extra faculty and add to the curriculum just for the Tulane students. "Hiring a professor takes time," he said. He said, however, that extra sections of some courses had already been added to accommodate the large freshman class. "Everyone who wanted English I got into it," he said. For this semester, Near is living off campus with another Tulane student, a Tufts student, and a Harvard graduate student. She said living off-campus makes it difficult to meet a lot of Tufts students. "It's hard to start over as a senior," she said. She said she misses having a circle of good friends and being active in the groups that she spent time with at Tulane. With e-mail accounts and cells phones down, the Facebook has been the best way to keep in contact with friends from Tulane. She has still not heard from some friends from school. "I'm sure they're alright but I'm just waiting to hear from them," she said. Because she lives nearby, Near said, she can depend on her local friends. "It's harder for others who don't have any home now than it is for me," she said. Harris Siambanis is a first year graduate student from Greece who is studying chemical engineering. His studies at Tulane were going to be his first extended stay in the United States. Siambanis chose to come to Tufts for many of the same reasons as Near. Tulane senior Alisha Weir, who was at the orientation for guest students on Thursday morning, said she is not as sure as Near that she will be spending the entire semester at Tufts. "I'm not happy to be jumping into classes so late," she said. "I'm not convinced I'm going to go to school this semester." She chose to come to Tufts at least temporarily because she knows people in the area and is from nearby Winchester, Mass. By the end of the hour-long orientation session Thursday, some students had begun to yawn or shift impatiently in their seats. New students were told they will have the option of buying a block of ten meals for $85 in addition to the other Dining Services meal plans. Meal blocks are usually available only to students who live off-campus. The academic deans have agreed to allow all Tulane students a 10-week period to add and drop classes, the same length of time given to Tufts freshmen. Junior Eli Cohen acted as a peer leader at the Thursday orientation, and he helped the guest students register for classes. "I told them if a class is closed, waive the Tulane flag at professors and they'll let you in," he said. Cohen said the guest students seemed happy to settle down after two weeks of confusion. Although Near is now close to her home, she still wants to get back to New Orleans as soon as possible. "I felt like I was being treated like gold [at Tufts]," she said. "But sometimes you just want to go home." Near has already begun learning how to aid those in trouble in New Orleans, and she hopes to go back during winter break to help. "I will go back whether Tulane is open or not," she said.

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News

The hardest thing to say

September 13

With job approval poll numbers sliding below 40 percent in recent days, President Bush yesterday grudgingly indicated perhaps all had not gone swimmingly at the federal level in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Bush took responsibility for the sluggish response "to the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right." While this may seem to the untrained ear a very weak statement of accountability, it in fact represents the first time in nearly five years that the man who works in the office where the buck stops has taken responsibility for anything. Compare Bush's words yesterday to his response when asked at the second presidential debate last year to list three mistakes he had made in his first term. On that occasion, on the campus of Washington University, Bush awkwardly but insistently defended his decisions to go to war in Iraq and implement a gigantic tax cut, and then said: "Now you asked what mistakes. I made some mistakes in appointing people, but I'm not going to name them. I don't want to hurt their feelings on national TV." It is clear that Karl Rove has begun to think outside the box in an effort to prevent the President's approval rating from falling below freezing. His new strategy appears to be to make Bush seem like a responsible adult. Humility and accountability are valued leadership qualities and are to be commended. But if Rove is serious about releasing his lame duck back to the pond of political viability, humility and accountability should be extended retrospectively to the initial five years of the Bush Administration. First, the President should apologize to the American people for lying to them and committing blood and treasure to a war of ideological colonialism that has left the country more vulnerable than it was originally. Next, Bush should take responsibility for being handed a healthy national surplus and promptly turning it into the largest deficit in American history. The Commander-in-Chief should issue a general mea culpa for simultaneously cutting taxes for the rich and relief programs for the poor during a period when the poverty rate has increased over 10 percent. President Bush should apologize to Valerie Plame for employing a maliciously leaky deputy chief of staff, and to the American public for flip-flopping on his promise to fire anyone involved in leaking the name of a CIA operative to television and print entertainer Robert Novak. He should apologize to high school students and anyone valuing rationality and the scientific method for elevating a religious belief system to the level of the theory of evolution. The "I'm sorry, America" campaign would be a long, painful one for the President. It's hard work apologizing, and he may have to skip his next vacation in order to make amends for colossal job losses, falling wages and rising gas prices. But it is necessary if the President hopes to be in the position, politically, to make even more devastating mistakes in the next three years.

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Opera Review | Classic 'Carmen' opera boasts talent but lacks sizzle

September 13

"Carmen," the classic, racy opera tale of seduction, failed love, and revenge, has captivated audiences for nearly 150 years. Yet this innovative production, directed by Dominque Serrand and produced in collaboration with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune, tweaks Georges Bizet's masterpiece. And while imperfect, the production cannot disguise the innate talent of the performers. The plot revolves around a soldier, Don Jose (Bradley Greenwald), and a saucy gypsy woman, Carmen (Christina Baldwin). When she is arrested for attacking another woman, Carmen convinces Don Jose to let her escape. She then takes him as a lover and persuades him to desert and join her gypsy band. She tires of him quickly, however, but Don Jose isn't keen to be discarded so soon. Only the pleadings of his childhood love, Micaela (Jennifer Baldwin Peden), convinces him to leave Carmen to see his dying mother. Unruffled, Carmen takes a new lover, the handsome toreador Escamillo (Bill Murray), and drives Don Jose crazy with jealousy. He, in turn, stalks Carmen and demands that she return to him, and like any good opera, the whole thing ends in a lot of blood and death. With the grand orchestral score reduced to two pianos, the show has a recital feel. This is a daring move; there is no melodic guide for the singers or cover for a missed note. Unfortunately, while there are some truly sublime moments of piano accompaniment, mainly in the more delicate passages, they fail to support the overall fiery passion that is "Carmen." Unlike most contemporary performances, Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy's libretto (script) for this rendition relies heavily on recitative, or spoken dialogue, so the show has a heightened dramatic quality. The result is very accessible for the novice opera-goer, as it emphasizes the theatrical element of opera. Baldwin (Carmen) has a voice that is appropriately seductive and sultry, as well as beautifully expressive. She is the quintessential Carmen; the mocking tone she adopts with Don Jose mimics great Carmens of days past, notably Julia Migenes-Johnson of the 1989 film version. Her performance occasionally crosses the line from sensual to sexual, however. Carmen's accidental-but-on-purpose sexuality is the secret to her power over men, but to her detriment, Baldwin is transparently sexual in her motives. Greenwald fights a losing battle as Don Jose -- the part is for a tenor, and Greenwald is a baritone. The result is strained at times and complicates his already uptight acting. As a result, Greenwald never seems fully immersed in the drama, but appears rather as a self-conscious player in Carmen's web. Nonetheless, Greenwald opens up beautifully (vocally, at least) during his arias, and his voice deftly soars through the emotional palette. The rest of the cast is strong as a whole. An exception is Murray as Escamillo, the dashing toreador that seduces Carmen away from Don Jose. Even the leather pants he wears can't make up for his weak voice and unconvincing acting. In a production with no orchestra for support and a large amount of spoken dialogue, these faults are even more prominent. The show is full of golden moments and significant miscalculations. One such shining example is the duet between Don Jose and Mic?¤?¬a in the first act. It is naked, innocent, and one of the few instances where the subtlety of the pianos can be truly appreciated. Likewise, Jennifer Baldwin-Peden (real-life sister to Christina) is truly magnificent in the second act when she allows herself to loosen her mature, expressive voice. As she wanders the mountains, her aria is pure loveliness. This aria is a sharp contrast from the shy, na??¶? Mic?¤?¬a in the first act, but the audience is too grateful to notice. In contrast, the costumes start out wonderfully and then take a turn for the worse. Soldiers in uniforms stained red from dust set the Andalusian scene perfectly. Dirty, sweaty factory girls in smocks trudge onstage and are completely believable. Unfortunately, the female chorus stalks across stage like something out of "Shawn of the Dead," detracting from the overall effect. The costumes for the gypsy women are just plain confusing. They look like a cross of ballerinas and biker babes gone horribly wrong. One could have wished for a little more chemistry between Baldwin and Greenwald. Their duet near the end of act two should be a moment full of fire as, Carmen tightens the noose around Don Jose's poor heart. The scene descends into base sexuality, and loses an opportunity to build intimacy between the two. Overall, the interpretation is invigorating. There are times when the show falls short, but perhaps more importantly, the opera is accessible in ways a more grandiose production is not. This is a show that drama enthusiasts and musicians will both enjoy, and is worth checking out. If nothing else, ask that cute girl in econ what she's doing Friday night; girls dig guys who like opera!

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News

Senate chooses student trustee reps

September 13

This year's student representatives to the Board of Trustees were elected Sunday night. Seniors Dave Baumwoll, Laura Fruitman, and Cho-Yau Ling were chosen from a group of ten candidates. The trustee representatives were elected by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate. All but two of the candidates were seniors; the others were both freshmen. The winners will attend Senate meetings and meet with a designated trustee committee three times during the year. At the February board meeting, the student representatives will present proposals for change to their trustee committees. Baumwoll, last year's TCU President, will work with the University Advancement committee. Fruitman will work with the Administration and Finance committee, and Ling will work with the Academics committee. At the election, each applicant was allotted 15 minutes: current senators reviewed the applications for five minutes each, the applicants were asked to make five minute speeches, and then senators asked the applicants questions for the remaining five minutes. Senators deliberated for about two hours before deciding on the three winners. Committees were assigned after the winners were picked. Before the discussion of applicants began, TCU President Jeff Katzin instructed senators: "We want to see their vision. We're not electing them to specific seats." According to Katzin, all of the candidates were serious and qualified. "There were some close calls," he said. After the election, the winners summarized their presentation to the senators. Baumwoll said he will use his position to improve alumni relations. "That's one of our major shortfalls," he said. He compared the University to a taxi, with students as paying passengers and alumni as fuel. Tufts, he said, has a "major fuel deficiency." He recommended the creation of alumni clubs or lounges in different cities. "It makes a huge difference to have a venue where they can gather in an informal setting," he said. Fruitman plans to focus on increasing connections between students and faculty from different schools in the University. She said last year's closure of No Name Cafe in the Fletcher School was a step backward in the connections developed between undergraduate and graduate students at Fletcher School lectures. She also said she plans to work on increasing the availability of research positions for students. This interest was motivated by her experience doing research in psychology and sociology. Ling said he will propose changes to the international relations program. "If Tufts is going to compete with American universities and those abroad, it has to promote a reinvestment in languages and IR," he said. He also suggested the creation of more narrowly focused majors in international relations, such as international development and international economics. In his presentation to the Senate, Ling said he wanted to work with the Administration and Finance committee. "I was a little shocked when I got the education side of it, but they thought that because my platform is what it is, it made sense," he said. All three candidates expressed enthusiasm about their new positions. "I think it's great that there's a student voice on the Board of Trustees," Fruitman said, "After all, this is our university, and I'm really excited to represent the student body."

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News

Admissions criteria not affected by revised SAT

September 13

Next year's freshman class will be admitted to Tufts in way that will change how the Office of Admissions does business. Students in the class of 2010 will be the first to have taken the newly redesigned SAT. The changes to the test will require adjustments on the behalf of admissions officers just as much as on prospective students. In the past, the SAT consisted of only two sections - verbal and math - and was scored out of 1600 points. The redesigned test will include an essay portion, worth an additional 800 points. "The new format required us to redesign our information systems and adjust our testing requirements somewhat," Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin said. The original two SAT sections will be evaluated similarly to how they have been viewed in past years. "Scores from the old and new verbal and math sections are comparable," Coffin said. "The writing section is a new test and it will take us a year or two to establish our norm." The SAT II writing subject test had previously been required for admission, in addition to two other subject tests. Now, Coffin said, only the two additional subject tests will be required. Because the SAT II writing subject test had been required for many years, Coffin said, the new SAT does not affect the amount of importance the Office of Admissions places on writing skills. "It is always important for applicants to demonstrate excellence in English grammar and written expression," he said. Jonathan Gebayo, a high school senior and prospective student took both the old and the redesigned SAT. "We're the first year to take the test...so we set the bar, which is good," he said. "But it also doesn't give us a concrete idea of where we rank in the admissions process." Gebayo complained that the redesigned test is 45 minutes longer than the original three hour test. "It was incredibly long," he said. "I thought I was going to pass out." In addition to the new writing section, the new SAT has dropped the analogies component from the verbal section in favor of critical reading passages. The new test also costs more than the previous one. The redesigned SAT costs $81.50 to take, whereas the old version cost $58. Sophomore Jessica Preston said the redesigned SAT may give an unfair advantage to students more interested in humanities than in science. "English takes up two thirds of the exam now," she said. Coffin said the longer time of the exam would be taken into account when reviewing the scores, but that the admissions criteria would remain largely intact. "The new SAT format simply rearranges the testing elements Tufts already requires of candidates for admission," he said.

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News

Fall season should serve as springboard for crew teams

September 12

With three races on both the Men's and Women's crews first semester schedule, the fall season is a time for the crew to come together as a team. Hard work now could put both teams in position to achieve great success in the spring season. Both crews return a strong core of rowers to be joined by newcomers in both the novice and varsity programs. The men's crew will be led this fall by junior tri-captain Jeff Vanderkruik and senior tri-captain John Papp. Senior tri-captain Ben Harburg, who is on leave until November, will rejoin the team for winter training to complete the crew's leadership triumvirate. Following a testing session that consisted of a two-mile run, a two-kilometer erg workout, and time in the weight room on Tuesday, the team is starting to figure out what its strengths should be this season. Papp pointed to sophomores Ian Davis and Max Hurd along with first years Artie Zeckendorf and Jake Mandel as underclassmen to watch this fall. Among the upperclassmen expected to continue as strong contributors to the team this fall are senior Eugene Fayerberg and junior Anthony Dennis. Papp acknowledged that while the team tested well in a workout setting, a crew's success still boils down to the water. "It's hard to tell how a rowing team will do purely based on test results, since a large factor is how well the team fits together on the water," the senior tri-captain said. "However, based solely on test scores, I'd say we are off to a good start." Vanderkruik knows that a key in the fall to year-long success is for the team to establish a consistent pace once it hits the water. "I believe that a main goal for this season and the rest of the year is to find our rhythm as a team," Vanderkruik said. "We get along extraordinarily, but we are very different individuals, and the only way all of our hard work is going to pay off in full is for us to unite as a team on the water, as well as off." With plenty of opportunity to hone its skill in the fall regattas, the men's crew is hoping the spring's ECAC regatta will be the site of its greatest achievement. The Women's crew expects immediate success in the fall, with the hopes of laying a strong foundation for its main season in the spring. Following a 2005 spring season that included a fifth place finish in the petite eight at the NCAA Div. III Women's Rowing Championships in the team's first appearance at the event, there is reason to anticipate more of the same this year. This year's team will be led by senior co-captains Daniela Fairchild and Jacqueline Stone. According to Fairchild, there is already plenty to be happy about in the team's early training. "[An early-season lifting session] further cemented for me the fact that our team will be extremely strong this year," Fairchild said. Among the other returnees this fall is Martha Dietz, a senior who was among the team members to make the trip to Rancho Cordova, Calif. The team is optimistic that Dietz, who was hindered by injury throughout the 2004-05 campaign, will be completely healthy and ready to go this fall. "[Dietz] was troubled by a knee injury all last year," Fairchild said. "But [she] is completely healthy now and should make an even bigger impact on the team." Also returning to the Women's crew this fall is junior Kristine Shoemaker, a third-year who the team is thrilled to have at Tufts for the entire year rather than losing her to a study abroad program. "[Shoemaker] is a powerhouse on the team," Fairchild said. "And we're ecstatic to get her back." As in most years, members of last year's novice crew will make the step up to the varsity level. The women's novice eight showed that all of its members were prepared to make the step forward if necessary by capping its 2005 spring season with a second place finish at the ECAC National Invitation Championships behind rival Colby. Senior Betsy Ricker was one of the leaders of the novice boat and is expected to make the jump to varsity this fall. "Over the past few years, our program has produced successful novice boats, which, in turn, has now led to amazing potential at the varsity level," Fairchild said. Both the Men's and Women's crews open the season at the Textile River Regatta in Lowell on October 2, and all eyes are on the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge over the third weekend of October.

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Tufts nabs fifth place at Connecticut College Invite

September 12

The Men's cross country team finished fifth out of 24 teams on Saturday at the Connecticut College Invite. The College of New Jersey won the meet by accumulating 74 points. Trinity (77) placed a close second, followed by Southern Connecticut (80), Conn. College (145), and Tufts (173). The Jumbos' top five runners crossed the finish line within 30 seconds of each other. Senior co-captain Matt Lacey led the way for the Jumbos, finishing 25th overall with a time of 25:47. Junior Justin Chung (26:01) and senior Kyle Doran (26:02) finished 35th and 36th, respectively. Senior Neil Orfield (26:08) finished 41st overall while senior co-captain Matt Fortin (26:16) placed 46th. Tufts could have fared better, but interim head coach Ethan Barron had his Jumbos run at a 5:30 mile pace over the first three miles. "We took it pretty easy," Orfield said. "It's encouraging to finish fifth when you're not racing your hardest." The planned three miles at an easy pace became two miles. "Lacey got a little jumpy and started to take off," Orfield said. The slow opening pace meant the school's runners were near the bottom of the pack, but then they started to gain ground. "I was with Justin and there were a few spots on the course where it was too narrow to pass people, which was frustrating but once it opened up we were blowing by people." The Jumbos are starting the season running controlled races, and then plan to increase speed and finish strong in November. The captains said they don't expect this weekend's UMass-Dartmouth Invitational to play out much differently from the Conn. College. Invite. "It's hard sometimes because I want to do as well as possible every time," Lacey said. "But I know it's more important to bring everyone along and work on running together. We look at the early races as a progression, as pieces of the puzzle. It will be worth it later when we go out there and beat those teams that are finishing ahead of us now." Sophomore Brendan McNeish and Dave Sorenson rounded out the Jumbos' top seven runners. McNeish finished 74th overall in a time of 26:45, while Sorensen was 82nd with 26:53. Junior Josh Kennedy and sophomore Chris Kantos both sat out the race. Kennedy was feeling fatigued while Kantos had a tight hip. "We're not really worried about them," Lacey said. "We've been going very hard during the week and Kennedy didn't feel like he had recovered that well. He's fine; he'll be racing next week and hopefully Kantos will too."

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