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So what do they do over summer vacation?

May 21

By the time the school year ends, students can answer questions regarding their summer plans in an almost automatic manner. But on the same college campus, awareness of the plans of faculty and staff for the upcoming summer is not so natural. Political Science Department Chair Vickie Sullivan will be teaching a summer course, but will be far from campus: "I'm teaching a class on Rousseau this summer in Talloires," Sullivan said. "I'm really starting to get excited about the class. We have a very good enrollment of about 15 students." Sullivan said she is looking forward to the unique teaching atmosphere of the Tufts-in-Talloires program. "We will be having intensive discussions in a private setting for two-hour blocks," she said. Having spent this semester teaching statistics and econometrics, Associate Economics Professor Tom Downes is dedicating his summer to several different projects. First on his list: a study he is doing on the changing role private schools play on educational provisions in the United States. He is examining how changes in the private sector affect public education. Incorporating both teaching and research, Sociology Professor Paul Joseph will teach a course on the sociology of war and peace for the first Tufts summer session, as well as finishing a book, which will be published in the year to come. Joseph said he appreciates the relaxed atmosphere of summer courses. "The classes are nice - smaller and more relaxed," he said. "There's a better opportunity to get to know students. The learning atmosphere is different." The athletic realm of Tufts also remains active during the summer months. "We don't do it for the money," Football Defense Coordinator John Walsh said. "If you're a coach, it's a year-round job." During the summer, the football coaches travel to football camps and clinics in June and July, visiting clinics at Notre Dame and Yale to search for recruits. The summer is the time to also work on the team's playbooks, meet with other coaches, and reflect on the old season as well as the one to come. "It's why we do it: the experience of watching kids succeed on the field, the classroom ... they grow; it's priceless," Walsh said. Softball Coach Cheryl Milligan is attending a scheduled recruiting weekend and the summer softball season games in hopes of finding new Jumbos for the team. "It's a lot of work, but it's fun," Milligan said. Apart from traditional recruiting events, Milligan takes time to continually improve her own game by playing with the North American Women's Baseball League during the summer months. There are four teams from Lynn, Mass. in the league, and Milligan will travel with the all-star team. She says that playing during the summer allows her to try out new stances or pitches, and to bring those lessons back to her players at Tufts. An engineering professor planning on having an intense summer fitness experience? Not exactly congruent with stereotypes. But in addition to training for a bike tour that he has been doing with his wife for 22 years, Associate Computer Science Professor Alva Couch is mentoring three students, writing a chapter in the Elseviev System Administration Handbook on configuration management, and attending several conferences. He also has a speaking engagement at the International Conference on Automatic Computing in Seattle, Wash. "One of the benefits of being a professor is a relatively unstructured summer schedule," Couch said. "I take advantage of that with a good two-hour bike ride a day and a 600-mile unsupported bike tour at the end of summer." Couch's fellow Computer Science Associate Professor Rob Jacob is setting up a small summer research group comprised of two graduate students and one undergraduate with the goal of identifying the next generation of user interfaces after desktops. Their hypothesis? The future user interface will be increasingly based on reality. "We don't know quite where to start," Jacob said. "We have a theory and will meet and simply say, 'Let's all just think.'" Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Mohammed Afsar will be continuing research funded by the U.S. Army and Navy. Seven sophomores are involved in this research, which will measure the resonance frequencies of 12 different common substances, such as sugar, salt, glucose and lactose. "Identifying materials based on their resonance frequencies is really important in determining whether the material is present inside baggage," Afsar said. "One can find out what's inside without scaring the public." By involving younger students in the research, Afsar said she hopes that they will become proficient in the research and become "key for future research at Tufts." Not all engineering professors choose to conduct federally funded research. Electrical Engineering Lecturer Paul McCormack will be "developing the next generation of integrated circuits for cell phones" at Bitwave Semiconductor in Lowell, Mass. Referring to his choice to work in industry during the summer, McCormick said it allows him to "bring back the knowledge into the classroom, the new skills." Chris Rogers, a mechanical engineering professor and the director of the Center for Engineering Education Outreach, is continually - in his words - "playing with Lego bricks for a living." Rogers does research on Steinway pianos, studies obesity in fruit flies, is building Lego underwater robots and building inventions with teachers in New Zealand over the Internet, as well as researching for Intel on how to make better computer chips. Such ambitious summer engagements do not finish with retirement. Mechanical Engineering Professor Emeritus John Kreifeldt teaches in Taiwan and travels in Borneo throughout the summer - and his travels have resulted in the development of a side interest: textiles. "I've been collecting textiles from Borneo and Indonesia for years and now have a piece in the American Textile History Museum in Lowell," he said. "I'm scheduled to give a talk at the MFA [Museum of Fine Arts] next February on these textiles." Assistant Mathematics Professor Misha Kilmer has hired two undergraduate researchers who will work with her on a project involving medical image processing. "I definitely have several conferences this summer," said Kilmer, adding in jest, "You'll probably do the professors a favor implying we do have a real social life outside of school!" Indeed, Kilmer is spending a portion of her summer going to Antigua with her husband for their 10-year anniversary. Her sister is also coming on the trip with her husband, celebrating their fifth anniversary. In the end, therefore, the term "summer" does not completely lose its complete "fun-in-the-sun" meaning for professors. As Joseph said, "I'm taking a vacation too, don't worry about that."

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News

Men's Track and Field | Brigham, Lacey and Jones head to Nationals

May 21

Most members of the Tufts track and field team have ended their season as the championship post-season has progressed. For three Tufts athletes, however, the season is not yet over. Senior Nate Brigham, junior Matt Lacey and sophomore Fred Jones still have one meet in which to compete, perhaps the most important of their track careers. All three have automatically qualified for the National Div. III Championship meet in Wartburg, Iowa on May 26. Brigham is rounding out his running career at Tufts, having set several school records along the way. On April 8 at the Hillside Relays at Tufts, Brigham smashed the previous school record in the 5000 meter run by nearly 20 seconds, running a time of 14:31.39. It was Tufts' first outdoor meet at home in five years due to poor track conditions. The track resurfacing project began a year and a half ago, and was completed in time for this year's outdoor season. During the first meet the track had seen in five years, the weather was perfect for outdoor distance running, and Brigham's mark was good enough to be the top 5000 time in the nation. Lacey would run an even faster time later on in the season. He started out the season strong and has only improved as the year progressed. He placed second in the 5,000 at Hillside Relays in a strong time of 14:34.04 that was overshadowed by Brigham's mastery on the course. At the Penn Relays on April 28, however, Lacey would not be outrun. He ran a blistering time of 14:19.37, finishing seventh in a field that included athletes from Div. I schools. The time is good enough to rank him at second overall in Div. III. Brigham also ran well at the event, automatically qualifying for Nationals with a time of 30:14.09 seconds in the 10,000. He broke his own school record with that time, resetting the record he had broken at Hillside Relays three weeks before. Lacey then one-upped his teammate again, setting a personal record in the 10K at the IC4A meet in Princeton. Lacey ran a time of 30:04.62, good enough for third in the nation and the school record. In addition to Lacey's individual accomplishments, he led the team to a first place finish at the NESCAC championship meet at Colby on April 30. Lacey won the 10K easily, lapping most of the field, but also helped Tufts net an extra two points for the team in the event when he came up on teammate senior Michael Don as he lapped him. Lacey started yelling at Don to urge him on and slowed his own pace to help Don finish in fourth, rather than the sixth place in which he was running. "It wasn't about time for me out there," Lacey said at the time. "I just wanted [the team] to win." Sophomore Chad Uy is one of the many Tufts runners who admire Brigham and Lacey's prowess this season. "It's pretty inspirational to see all those records being broken," he said, "It makes me want to go out there and run. They make it look so easy. They make it seem like anyone can do just as well." Jones also had a big year, translating his success in the indoor field events to the outdoors. Jones provisionally qualified for Nationals in two events, the long jump and the triple jump. He is currently twelfth and sixteenth in the nation, respectively. The top 16 marks are invited to compete at Nationals. Jones jumped a mark of 7.17 meters in the long jump at the George Davis Invitational at UMass Lowell. In the triple jump, he marked 14.34 at the NESCAC championships. Tufts finished second at NESCACs this year behind Williams. The Jumbos overcame injuries to several athletes. Williams has won the meet 12 of the past 13 years, and the Ephs were strong once again at NESCACs. Middlebury made Tufts sweat it out for second place, but the Jumbos triumphed by 9.5 points. Some Tufts athletes are on the outside of the National picture looking in, trying to solidify a berth to the championship meet. Junior Jason Galvin has performed extremely well this year in the throwing events, especially the hammer, his specialty. "I thought I would have a good year, but I didn't think I would get so many throws in," he said. Galvin provisionally qualified for Nationals at the IC4A meet, but is ranked 23rd in the nation. As of press time, Galvin still had one more meet to try and qualify for Nationals; the ECAC championship was held on May 19-20 in Springfield, Mass. "I'm feeling good. I PRed the past few weeks," he said last week.

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News

Cool concerts for the summer months ahead

May 21

Sticking around Boston this summer? Going to be missing all those concerts in Hotung? You're in luck. Consider checking out some of the bands that are going to be playing at various locations in or near Boston during the next few months. Rilo Kiley and Nada Surf: Take your mind off any and all nuggets of nostalgia by going to Avalon tonight. Granted, it might be last minute timing and all 53 members of your extended family might be in town, but these are two indie bands not to be missed. Proof? Rilo Kiley's 2004 release, "More Adventurous," adventured its way onto dozens of "Best of 2004" lists. And even though Nada Surf is still riding on the tails of their 2002 release, "Let Go," the band's repertoire far exceeds that of most opening acts. At Avalon tonight. The Decemberists with Rebecca Gates: A little known band that's going to be huge soon, this is your chance to catch them on the way up. Their latest release, "Picaresque," got rave reviews. It looks like they're filling up that ever-gaping void in the world of good new bands. At Avalon on May 25. Tickets are $15.25. Stevie Nicks and Don Henley: Although you might have to be over the age of 30 to really appreciate these guys, years of listening to my parents' Eagles and Fleewood Mac albums have rubbed off a bit ... just a little bit. At the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA on June 8. LCD Soundsystem with M.I.A.: Both just put out sparkling new releases. With a lot of musical variation between the two, the mix of sounds should make for an interesting show. At Avalon, June 9. Santana with Los Lonely Boys and Salvador Santana Band: Santana is, obviously, Santana. A trio of brothers from West Texas, the up and coming Los Lonely Boys artfully combine the classic Tex-Mex fare of country, blues and rock with Latin rhythms, some hot guitar playing and Beatles-style pop melodies. Sure to be a hit. At the Tweeter Center, June 17. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with the Black Crowes: Tom Petty was quoted in Rolling Stone saying: "Only a complete greedhead would charge $150 for a concert ticket ... I was at one of our gigs recently and I was just stunned driving in that it cost $30 to park your car ... You got to care about the person you're dealing with." Thank God for Petty's philanthropy. Lawn seats are $95. At the Tweeter Center on June 18. Ja Rule: I don't really know where he's at right now in terms of his battle with 50 Cent, so if you go to his show, be careful. Touring in support of his latest release "Blood In My Eye," the small venue will provide an unusual chance to see Ja up close and personal. At Avalon on June 27. Dave Matthews Band: You know you love them, just give in to the craving. At the Tweeter Center on July 9 and 10. The Melody Tent Festival: New York has the Hamptons, Chicago has ... Wisconsin and Boston has Cape Cod. Besides the scenic view and tasty sea breeze, every summer Cape Cod opens its very own Melody Tent, located in Hyannis. This year's circuit features such acts as the newly-wed Seal (6/15), Carole King (7/11), Liza Minnelli (7/16), and "the Gambler" Kenny Rogers (8/12). And don't let the name fool you - "Melody Tent" also features comediennes such as Dane Cook, Lewis Black, and Bill Cosby. June 11 to July 24.For a complete list, go to Teaparty Concerts, http://boston.cc.com.

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News

Campus comment: all-senior edition

May 21

Upon leaving the Hill, Tufts seniors are full of things to remember and reminisce about. Fond memories and happy nostalgia pervade most seniors' goodbyes. But in realizing that their college years actually are over, some students find that they have regrets about the time they spent at Tufts. Senior Anny Kim wishes she had been more involved on campus. "I guess I regret just not taking advantage of more things," she said. "I could have spent more time getting to know professors better, or joining organizations." Some seniors felt regret over their academic choices during their eight semesters. "I regret not taking an Ex College class, because they always seemed really interesting," senior Laura DePalma said. "I never gave myself the time to take one." Senior Lauren Gesserman explained why she regretted not taking an international relations course. "This semester, I took a Spanish course called Latin American Civilization in which we learned, among other things, about the United States' role in Latin American politics and economics," she said. "It was fascinating," Gesserman continued. "It made me wish I had learned about my interest in IR much sooner!" One student expressed her regret about not taking a course with a particular professor: history teacher Gerard Gill. "I regret not taking one of Gill's classes," senior Anna Kantha said. "[Gill] does African American history; everyone raves about him." Taking advantage of Boston was important to one senior, who feared that she did not see and do enough in the city. "I regret not going out and doing more fun touristy things in Boston," senior Arielle Jacobs said. "Because I'm probably never going to live in Mass. again." Another student expressed concern over the way he spent his time at Tufts. "I regret voting in the Tufts elections," senior Brian Kessler said. "That was a waste of five minutes I'll never get back." "I most regret not liking Pepsi," he added. "Damn Pepsi campus."

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Eye on the Environment | Tufts is a brown and blue university with a green history

May 21

On May 10, the Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI) received the 2005 Climate Protection Award from the New England Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Usually, the award goes to corporations: Tufts is only the second university to receive this honor in the eight years that it has been awarded. Tufts first promoted environmental awareness in the academic arena. Eve Schluter, a program administrator for Tufts Institute of the Environment (TIE), points to the year 1963 as the dawn of Tufts' legacy in environmental education. "Tufts University's rich environmental history began in 1963 with a sanitary engineering degree offered by the department of civil engineering," Schluter said. Nearly 20 years later, the University opened an undergraduate environmental studies program as a possible second major. "The environmental studies program grew out of an especially popular Biology 7 course taught by [Professor Norton] Nickerson," Associate Biology Professor George Ellmore said. "Nickerson found the class to be so popular that he went on to put together an interdisciplinary major, which was way ahead of its time. Very few science majors crossed disciplines in the early '80s." Four students graduated in the environmental studies program the first year in which it was offered. Since 2000, the program has graduated about 40 students each year. When environmental studies was first offered as an optional second major, 70 percent of environmental studies majors were also majoring in a natural science. Now, students from 23 different primary majors including psychology, political science, economics and anthropology are also majoring in environmental studies. "The Tufts community has been very supportive of the program," Ellmore said. "We're now working with associated departments towards making the environmental studies major a free-standing major at Tufts. We think we have enough professors in different departments to give the program enough depth." Tufts' early involvement in the environmental movement was motivated in part by the threat of environmental health hazards. Tufts' Center for Environmental Management (CEM), established in 1984, trained more than 7,000 workers and inspectors to handle and remove asbestos and lead-based paint. In 1990, Tufts signed the Talloires Declaration, "a 10-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy into campus teaching, research, operations and outreach," Schluter said. Initially, only 35 schools signed the Talloires Declaration. Now 300 universities from 40 different countries have pledged their commitment. The environmental movement at Tufts gained momentum in the 1990s. Throughout the first half of the decade, the University created several interdisciplinary programs with an environmental focus. The Tufts Environmental Literacy Institute was founded in 1990 to help faculty integrate environmental concepts into curricula, paving the way for new degree options. In 1998, TIE emerged. "TIE is an interdisciplinary, University-wide education and research institute, devoted to advancing and disseminating knowledge about the many ways human interactions affect the environment, and ways in which people can meet their needs in an environmentally sustainable manner," Schluter said. A year after the creation of TIE, then Tufts President John DiBiaggio committed Tufts to meeting or exceeding the greenhouse gas emission targets specified by the Kyoto Protocol. During the same year, Tufts trustees created the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS). "From the start, environmental citizenship has been a major focus of the University College," UCCPS Dean Robert Hollister said. "Many significant public issues combine environmental and community aspects - they are one and the same." "An extraordinary environmental leader named Nancy Anderson created the environmental citizenship program to support the work of environmental activists," he added. "Nancy was gifted at linking environmental activists with academic specialists, at Tufts and at other universities." UCCPS has supported major environmental projects, including the Mystic River Watershed Collaborative. It has also assisted faculty fellows working on environmental issues and offered seed grants for curriculum development. One of these grants helped to launch Associate Economics Professor Jeff Zabel's popular environmental economics class. Another supported Associate Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Chris Swan's course on soil remediation. The University College has also funded several student projects through Active Citizenship summer grants and other awards supporting community development. "This past year, [UCCPS] supported my efforts both to bring environmental education to urban schools with the maple syrup project, as well as to create a stronger connection between Tufts students and the Somerville Community Growing Center, an outdoor community center and organic garden," junior Maisie Ganz said. The Tufts division of Water Watch has been planning for the future. "Our focus was not only on what could be achieved this year, but what we could help others achieve in the future," 2005 Water Watch Coordinator Zachary Harlow-Nash said. "We went from no long-term stream monitoring projects to three projects, which will likely resume in the fall." "Starting in the fall, Water Watch has also established a partnership with WSSS [the interdisciplinary Water: Systems, Science, and Society Ph.D. and MS Program] and UCCPS that will provide graduate students and some undergrads with the opportunity to present their research to others," Harlow-Nash said. "We received a lot of support from the schools and we were able to give several presentations to students ranging from first graders to sixth graders," Water Watch education intern sophomore Deirdre Cannell said. "We were really pleased with the progress we made this semester as far as communicating with a larger base of schools, presenting to over 1,500 students, and creating important curricula that cover topics from the water cycle to the watershed ecosystem." TIE and the Tufts Climate Initiative have also found success through partnerships. "Buildings are a huge source of emissions, and in order to build them with sound insulation and other mechanisms that will increase energy efficiency, we must have the cooperation of the builders," TIE Project Manager Sarah Creighton said. "We couldn't work effectively without the help of the Tufts Operations Division." Tufts' new dorm, Sophia Gordon Hall, will have solar-powered hot water and solar panels on the roof. Over the past few years, the University has taken great strides in increasing energy efficiency and using cleaner forms of energy. "Tufts has invested in a lot of energy efficiency upgrades, especially lighting upgrades," TIE Project Coordinator Anja Kollmuss said. Over the past 15 years, Tufts has reduced its net water use by 20 percent by installing more efficient toilets, showers and faucets. Currently, the Schmalz House has solar hot water and the Fairmont House has 500 watts of photovoltaics on the roof. This year, ECO has taken another step in converting Tufts to cleaner energy. Due to the efforts of ECO members and the support of student voters, a fee of $20 or less will be added to tuition charges starting next year in order to enable Tufts to purchase between 25 and 50 percent of its energy from wind power. Tufts Recycles has also been on the upswing this year. "Recycling used to be an aside," Kollmuss said. "But now the University has created a full time position for Recycling Coordinator." "Projects in the future will focus on waste reduction, improving recycling on the Boston campus, and working more closely with Dining Services," current Recycling Coordinator Dawn Quirk said.

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News

Jon Schubin | Hongkers

May 21

I leave Hong Kong with mixed emotions. My study abroad experience was very positive, rewarding and important. I even decided to extend my original semester abroad into a full year in order to stay longer in my new home. But there is this problem. Hong Kong University is a place divided. There is a division between those who visit and those who stay. And it is a barrier that I found, even after a year, is not easily crossed. It is something that permeates every portion of my life in Hong Kong, but at the same time, it is largely invisible. This debate, however, simmered up from the surface with the installation in my residence hall of the "Democracy Board." In the ground floor of our residence, the Student Association placed two large pieces of construction paper with a question written at the top. This was the "Democracy Board." "What do you think of the removal of the Chief Executive?" one said. That one stayed nearly empty. One person scribbled "Bring in the Communists!" in large blue marker. The other board asked, "What do you think about the three new halls of residence?" This got the students talking. "Too many non-local students means that there will not be development of the hall culture," one person wrote. Another was more blunt. "Exchange students are bad for hall life!" The students were not just inflamed about the non-local students - the proposed all-male dorm did not have too many supporters - but the issue was the most popular. Later that week I attended part of a forum on the proposed dorms. The dean of students was English, and the forum had to be conducted in his native tongue. Most university functions are in Cantonese. There student after student got up and angrily denounced the new dorm in the same manner. The dean seemed taken aback by the response. More than a hundred students gathered for the forum, far more than the number of seats available. "We are trying to balance the needs of the local students, but at the same time enhance our position as an international university," he said. There was little satisfaction in the crowd. The new dorms are still scheduled to be built, and they will have an international student population between one-third and one-half of the total population. Local students wanted to be with other local students. International students, the general opinion was, would be damaging to the way of life of the local students. Even though international students may be welcome on campus, they are so different from the locals that the locals would rather put them in another place. This way the locals can live they way they like, and the international students can do the same. If a bunch of Germans want to party until 6 a.m. on a Saturday and host poker tournaments in a common room, that would be allowed. If the locals want to set up a karaoke machine and cook red bean soup while singing along to Andy Lau or Kelly Chen, that would also be okay. They have a point. Take my roommate, for example. I sleep at night; he sleeps during the day. I use the weekend for leisure and extra sleep; he goes home and works three jobs. I like to write; he is terrified of writing an essay. We can talk, and frequently do, about these differences, but it doesn't make them disappear. We are both sides of the divide, cohabiting an 11-by-six-foot cell. We are very different, but at the same time I wish that we could be close friends. I came abroad to experience new cultures and meet people. It frustrates me that the international students are removed from the local students. Blame lies on both sides for failure to put a real effort into getting past initial awkwardness (something I am guilty of) and also our different preferences. We remain just casual friends. Moving into different spheres was the natural, but unfortunate, outcome. Frequently it has been this column that has forced me out of my element, into parts of Hong Kong society that I would otherwise never explore. From Filipino Holiday Dances to the turbulent last four months in Hong Kong politics, this space forced me to push further. Having an empty space to fill has allowed me to push through the barrier and experience life on the other side. I only wish I had been able to apply it more to my everyday life. Hong Kong is a place where I am a visitor. Ultimately I have had to accept this status: there will always be something that makes me different from those who are born and raised here. I still had a wonderful time - met many interesting people and saw new places - but it was on these terms. My final "bye-bye" will be sad, but at least I know that I will be going home. Frequently it has been this column that has forced me out of my element, into parts of Hong Kong society that I would otherwise never explore.Jon Schubin is a junior majoring in political science. He can be reached at jonathan.schubin @tufts.edu.

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Alleged bias incident sparks anti-hate rally on campus

May 21

The alleged bias incident that occurred in the early morning hours of April 30 outside the Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) house sent the Tufts campus reeling from the sudden, very public occurrence of alleged racism, even attracting the attention of national media. Yet, this event may serve mainly to identify problems already present at the University, according to some. The alleged racially-motivated assault of junior Riyadh Mohammed prompted a response in the form of an "anti-hate" rally on May 3. At the rally, senior Reem Assil, a "personal friend" of Mohammed's, said that the event was "emblematic of the racism, violence and scapegoating that occurs on campus every day." History professor Steve Marrone, a member of the Oversight Panel on Race who also spoke at the rally, said he acknowledges that Tufts has a "problem" in this area. With regard to bias, he said, "I haven't had an experience at any other university like my experience at Tufts." The Bias Intervention Team releases an annual list of the reported bias incidents that occurred on campus. This year's list consisted of 27 incidents, not including the event on April 30. Dean of Students Bruce Reitman mentioned this high number of incidents at the community discussion that followed the rally, and said that racism may be even more prevalent because many incidents are not reported. Sophomore Mitch Robinson, a member of the Emerging Black Leaders and the Black Men's Group, said he has noticed racism on campus. While there is open bias, he said, what is more prevalent are the "subtle things." In his experience, he said, stereotypes are the most hurtful. He pointed to the stereotypes of African-Americans being genetically inclined toward athletic prowess and the assumption that African-Americans are accepted to academically strong institutions like Tufts because of affirmative action as two stereotypes he has come across. According to Robinson, "a lot of ethnic groups don't really understand each other or take the time to understand each other." Furthermore, with regard to the level of racism on campus, "certain pockets of students seem to be aware and others seem oblivious," said junior Ashley Mitchell, another speaker at the rally and a member of the Tufts Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). These pockets of awareness are generally limited to the students who are targeted, their friends, the Bias Intervention Team and the Dean of Students office, she said. The reason there is so little knowledge of bias among students is because there is a lack of dialogue, according to Mitchell. This is because "people only talk to who they want to talk to, and there is a lack of collective community at Tufts, whereby everybody does not care about everybody," she said. This racism, however, is not specific to Tufts. Relative to other schools, Marrone said, Tufts is not "at the bottom," but it is not the most open, either. According to University President Lawrence Bacow, "Tufts is a microcosm of the world we inhabit. We are not a cocoon that insulates students from tensions that exist elsewhere." In a country where racism is prevalent, it follows that the same will be true for Tufts, he said. Marrone said that racism in the United States is "profound and ubiquitous." Moreover, most of it operates "below the level of consciousness." "It's something the privileged-especially white people-can ignore," he said. "And it's something that people of color can't ignore. Every one of their interactions with white people contains in it some of this racism." As for the alleged expression of on-campus racism, there is widespread acknowledgement that the details are too murky to peg as violent racism. Freshman William Toner, who is being investigated in connection with the alleged assault of Mohammed, declined to comment, and neither the police nor the Dean of Student's investigations were complete at press time. Both Bacow and Mitchell also declined to speak on the incident, and said that there was too little certain and available information. Sophomore Dan McDermott, who was one of the organizers of the anti-hate rally and a friend of Mohammed's, said that he is "taking [his] friend's word for it" as to the details of the incident, insofar as it was "never about anything but the color of his skin." He said that the political situation for Arabs has been less than favorable since the Gulf War and that there "has been a lot of normalization of this kind of [offensive] language [directed toward Arabs]." "I can see [the alleged incident] happening. I see enough bullshit on campus, I see the news, I see what people read [about Arabs]," he said. "That stuff [about Mohammed] coming across drunk, I believe." While he agreed that Mohammed did not return to the fraternity after being verbally assaulted the first time in order to "pow-wow with the frat brothers and show them why they were wrong," he said, "[Mohammed] knows he didn't want to pick a fight." McDermott also said that he saw Mohammed the next day and "could see the physical evidence." He described his face as having cuts, bumps and bruises, and that he was having difficulty with his jaw. "You could tell he'd been in a fight," he said. He acknowledged that alcohol and intoxication of the involved parties played a role, and "possibly" on the part of Mohammed as well. He also acknowledged that the chain of events as to who was the aggressor against whom is unclear. Neither of these factors, however, are relevant to the true significance of the event, he said, which reduces to the importance of addressing the issue of racism. The fact that Mohammed was injured, he said, "wasn't the worst part." Rather, it is "the fact that this happened in the first place," he said. "It makes me really, really uncomfortable to hear that racism was involved." Indeed, according to Marrone, it is the racial slurs that Mohammed said he was called - which included "Saddam supporter" and "terrorist" - that are the basis of the issue at hand. "The fact that [racial epithets] can flow off someone's tongue like that, that's the problem," he said. While the currently indefinite chain of events that morning makes it difficult to place the blame on any certain party, Reitman said that once these details are known, "we must do whatever we can to ensure that they are brought to justice." Most parties hope that the high profile and severity of this event will help to make some changes at the University. "I am confident that once we have understood this incident, we will try to learn from it," Bacow said. All parties said they agreed that education is the best way to at least mitigate the effects of the racism. Mitchell said that "there needs to be some type of communication mechanism that allows all students to know what is occurring, but at the same time will not de-sensitize them." Marrone said that as a part of the Oversight Panel on Race, he has been encouraging departmental meetings to discuss race in the classroom. Ultimately, however, he said he hopes to include education about race into the curriculum. According to him, "we are moving in that direction." Moreover, Marrone believes the administration should be more vocal in its denouncement of such acts. "We need to have people in positions of authority saying that this is not acceptable," Marrone said. This will reduce the "racial enthusiasm" on campus, which leads people to impetuously look toward race in an argument. Mitchell, however, said that while ignorance of other races and race relations is the main hurdle in reaching cooperation between groups, "you have to want to unlearn [that ignorance]." People should certainly want this, she said. "You can't be worried walking around campus because you look like someone else," Mitchell said at the rally. In this situation, "everyone should be scared."

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Alex Bloom | Philly Phodder

May 21

I love the Philadelphia sports teams. I always will. I will live and die on every single game and I will complain bitterly about our teams even when they win titles. I'm a sports fan from Philadelphia and that's what we do. Hall of famer Mike Schmidt once said that "Philadelphia is the only city where you can experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day." Well I'm not in Philadelphia anymore, sadly. Nine months of the year I'm in Boston. And now, after one full school year, I've made a few adjustments and picked up on a few problems with this city's sports scene. Boston, this is my advice to you, direct from Philly. First, I've had to make a few changes. It's so strange and new to be around teams that don't suck (Philadelphia speak). Sure we have the Eagles. But it took them three tries just to make it past the NFC Championship. You may have heard of the team that beat them. The New England Patriots. I have to be honest. I can't stand that team. If the Eagles have too much personality with guys like the recently released Freddie Mitchell and the recently whiny Terrell Owens (he has to feed his children), the Patriots don't have enough. Bill Belichick can't possibly be as boring as he sounds every week, can he? I've seen undertakers with more personality. And while they may win all the time, they don't have any fun. They haven't had any fun since Lonie Paxton made snow angels in the end zone against the Raiders. It's all business for this team. They need to live a little. Also, you fans are so jaded from decades of the Red Sox losing that it has spilled over to other sports. After the Super Bowl (once I finished grieving in my room) I walked around campus and it was like a graveyard. Have a little fun. Celebrate a big win. Get rowdy. Enjoy it when Super Bowl championships come, because someday they'll stop (hopefully next year in the Philly-NE rematch). I can't admit to liking anything about the Celtics. As long as they play the Sixers, they will provoke my ire. But they are the most successful team of all time in the NBA and they have a great young nucleus. However, Boston, stop denying it. Nobody likes Antoine Walker. Just get rid of him. He's not worth it. Even The Truth can't handle Antoine (although you can't handle The Truth). And I'm a little disappointed in the lack of NBA fans in this town. That needs to change. Baseball is far and away this city's strength. I went to my first Red Sox game two weeks ago with my brother. The atmosphere around the stadium is electric. He compared the scene around the stadium to Wrigley Field. I don't think you can make comparisons. Fenway Park stands alone as the ultimate baseball experience. So what if you can't find tickets? (That's the reason I didn't go down sooner.) So what if prices are through the roof? I wouldn't trade it. My brother and I walked into the stadium behind home plate and he immediately said that he finally understood why other people complain about not being close to the field. At Veterans Stadium, there used to be no such thing as close to the field. But at Fenway, there are no bad seats. We moved from our grandstand seats that we bought off scalpers to the right field side behind the Pesky pole. And sitting in the sun watching Manny drive a home run over the Monster against the A's was fantastic. Following "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with "Sweet Caroline" is also a nice touch. Of course, Foulke blew a three-run lead in the top of the ninth, putting the team down by a run. My brother and I had to check and make sure we weren't still in Philadelphia, because that kind of thing is the norm for the Phillies. But we exercised our Philadelphia charm by heckling nearby Octavio Dotel in the bullpen, reminding him of the walk-off he gave up the night before Sure enough, Dotel delivered again. We started a "Tek" chant, and the captain made it happen to give the team its second straight walkoff victory. When I first arrived at Tufts, it took me a few games to figure out who Tek was. And now I know all the words to "Dirty Water." When it comes to Red Sox baseball, don't change a thing. The stadium's great, the owners care about winning and "the idiots" deliver. They're fun to watch and it's simply a great organization. Wait, you can change one thing. Get rid of Terry Francona. Although he does have a lot of good managerial qualities. After all, he's the only manager in the league who has absolutely no influence on wins or losses and only a few distinguished baseball minds are capable of such a feat. And obviously having Francona in the dugout works. Go figure. The passion in this city for sports is fantastic and I hope that never changes. Watching the Sox win their first World Series wasn't just magical for Boston fans, but for baseball, and I feel privileged to have celebrated here at Tufts. So while this city may lack cheesesteaks and hoagies, a loyal throng of disgruntled fans, and a general appreciation for the immortal John Kruk, I think I will be able to manage for another three years. Well, as long as the Eagles can beat the Pats next year.

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News

Keep the Greeks

May 21

The year that is drawing to a close has been a difficult one for fraternities and sororities at Tufts, with a series of high-profile Greek disciplinary problems leading many on the Hill (and in Dowling and Ballou) to question the value of Greeks on campus. While troubles on Professors Row and beyond are certainly not to be excused, this campus would do well to remember the value that fraternities and sororities add to Tufts. Many students, faculty, and administrators should not be so quick to point at Greeks for problems that are endemic to campus as a whole, not simply the fraternity and sorority houses. First and foremost, however, should be the realization that Greeks do bear some responsibility for the tribulations that now rest on their doorsteps. They are the ones who choose to have parties where liquor laws are wantonly disregarded, leading to walk-home injuries, fights, and noise disturbances. Fraternity brothers who use their membership as a carte blanche to start fights and show a lack of respect towards women are just now reaping the seeds they have sown over years of brotherhood. Perhaps most significantly, some fraternities and sororities on campus perpetuate an "us versus them" attitude of elitism that makes it especially difficult for the remainder of campus to come to their defense in times of crisis. Nevertheless, in the furor to implicate fraternities for everything from underage drinking to understudying, Jumbos have lost sight of what fraternities contribute to this campus. On Halloween, Greeks opened up their houses to local children for "Halloween on the Hill," giving community members the opportunity to have some fun on campus. This past semester saw efforts by Greeks to raise money for women's heart disease, throw a bash to raise awareness for Crohn's Disease, and walk for breast cancer. The Greek system is not, contrary to popular belief, about constant partying; we would do well to remember the community service to which most Greeks are committed. Greeks don't just give beer; they give back. Many also forget that the problems on Professor's Row this semester are not exclusive to the fraternity and sorority system: underage drinking, hazing, sexual improprieties and racial tensions exist all over campus. While this is not an excuse for these things to be practiced anywhere on the Hill, it should serve to put the current woes in proper perspective. Many who are quick to point the finger at fraternities and sororities for alleged hazing, for instance, seem to forget that many of the same activities occur with regular frequency within sports teams, clubs, and other groups. Dealing with the fraternities and sororities without looking at the larger nature of the problem will be both ineffective and unfair. One of the main assets that Tufts offers to potential and current students is a campus community; although Tufts is very close to Boston, the University offers students plenty of things to do without hopping on the red line. Fraternities are an integral part of this campus and its social life, a fact that administrators and students would do well to bear in mind when contemplating their future. Keeping Greeks on campus and in good shape may not be an easy task, but the dividends paid by a robust fraternity and sorority system are well worth the effort.

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News

Men's Tennis | Injuries to top players kept tennis team from gelling

May 21

Their season began with a five-hour roller-coaster ride of a match. Early on, the men's tennis team's chances of victory looked strong. They won an early singles match, but Bates came back to win the middle part of the match, taking a 3-1 lead, meaning that the Jumbos needed to capture the final three matches for a victory. In the end, the team came up just short. The match would turn out to be a microcosm of the season as a whole for a team that finished 6-7. There were many times throughout the season when it seemed the Jumbos were ready to overcome injuries and inconsistency to make the playoffs, yet they always came short against the top brass of the NESCAC. Whether the Jumbos admit it nor not, the injuries to senior co-captains Rifat Perahya and Adam Yates along with Ben Alexander missing almost the entire season had a tremendous effect. For one, it was often too difficult for them to game-plan due to placement inconsistency. The injuries also had a psychological effect on the rest of the team. Still, the team developed an ability to quickly put losses behind them. After a difficult NESCAC tournament in which the Jumbos finished seventh out of a field of 11, the Jumbos played Babson on Apr. 26 in non-league competition and pulled out a 5-2 win. Yates led the way with a two set victory in the No. 1 spot. Two days later, Tufts closed out its season on a loss, dropping the final match to Williams, 6-1. The only Tufts winner was sophomore Sean McCooey, who took a super tie-breaker 10-4 to win at No. 5 singles. The Jumbos struggled all year against more difficult competition. They often circled big matches on the calendar weeks in advance, including Middlebury, Bowdoin, Williams, Amherst and Trinity. Each was supposed to be a defining moment, one in which the Jumbos could make a statement and show that their victories against non-league competition and weaker NESCAC competition such as Connecticut College were not the peak of their ability. "We had a lot of high expectations coming in," Sophomore Sean McCooey said. "Seeing that it was Rifat's and Adam's last year and we were unable to win those matches, it is obviously disappointing." There is not one single factor that explains the Jumbos' difficulties in "those big matches." At various points, the team struggled to deliver strong first serves and make aggressive returns. Subsequently, the Jumbos were often chasing opponents' shots all over the court instead of trying to hit winners. "It is impossible to isolate any one thing when you look at it," said junior Paul Roberts, who will captain next year's squad. "I mean for me it was not having the big serve, for Yates it was not having a backhand, and for Fleder it was a deficiency in the speed department. "Additionally, these struggles always seemed to occur at different points during the season, almost like a comedy" Roberts, however, was in the spotlight in one of the Jumbos' most thrilling moments of the season. The junior handed one of Amherst's top players, Lenny Lepner, his first loss of the season. In another match, he led the No. 18 player in the country by a score of 5-1 at one point. "I put a deep scare into that kid and it was a tremendous feeling," Roberts said. With his ever-competitive nature, the future captain cannot wait until the leaves turn green next spring, and he certainly has an ambitious agenda. "I am already looking forward to revamping the practice schedule, making workouts more intense, and having a strong character team again next year." Roberts will have a tough to act to follow considering the chemistry that developed between this year's players. "We lost matches, but when we think back on the season, what I am going to remember most is our trip to California during spring break, the night we spent at a hotel in the woods of Maine, and those long trips to Williamstown," McCooey said. "These moments reflect the true character of our team."

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News

University feels after-effects of student's cocaine-related arrest

May 21

The arrest of a Tufts student earlier this month for cocaine trafficking has left his future hanging as administrators and students grapple with the implications of a cocaine culture abruptly brought into the spotlight. On Tuesday, April 12, senior Marcus Mattingly, 23, was pulled over by Massachusetts State Troopers on Route 16 in Medford for driving an unregistered motor vehicle. At this time, State Troopers discovered 200 grams of cocaine, a significant amount of cash and drug paraphernalia in the car Mattingly was driving. After obtaining a search warrant, the police discovered an additional 80 grams of cocaine as well as more cash and drug paraphernalia in Mattingly's campus residence, the Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity house on Professor's Row. According to a press release from the Middlesex County District Attorney's office, the 280 grams of confiscated cocaine was valued in excess of $25,000. Mattingly was arraigned in connection with drug trafficking before Judge Allen Jarasitis of the Somerville District Court on April 13. He entered a plea of not guilty and was held on $10,000 cash bail. Mattingly posted bail and attended a pre-trial conference on May 11. A second pre-trial is now scheduled for June 8, at which time a court date may be set. According to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, no disciplinary action will occur through the Dean of Students Office because the investigation was conducted by the State Police. "This is something that the state and federal government have defined laws about, [it] wasn't campus policy that really came into play," he said. Because any court proceedings will not happen until after the conclusion of this semester, Reitman said that Mattingly's status at the University is pending and awaiting the outcome of the proceedings. "[Should a] felony conviction be made of campus, that individual is not eligible to be [on campus]," Reitman said. Due to his pending status with the University, Reitman said Mattingly "is not eligible to receive a degree at this time." If convicted, Mattingly faces a minimum of 16 and maximum of 20 years of jail time. According to arresting officer Richard Iwanicki, Mattingly was pulled over for a motor vehicle violation. But Iwanicki was unable to comment on how police found the cocaine in the car following the stop. To Iwanicki's eye, "the likelihood of a conviction looks pretty good." Iwanicki said drug trafficking violations are "pretty common," though "[not to the extent] of what [Mattingly] had on him." Iwanicki said that most drug trafficking takes place "more towards the city area." According to Thomas J. Barrett, an attorney who practices criminal defense law in Salem, Mass., it is "not a given that [a defendant in a case like Mattingly's] will be convicted." According to Barrett, "there's a whole line of defenses he has, that everyone has." A defense lawyer, Barrett said, would first "want to explore whether the police acted permissibly in obtaining the drugs and whether they violated his constitutional rights, which includes freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures." Other factors must be considered in a conviction, Barrett said, "whether or not he did possess the drugs, whether he stored them with the intent to sell, or strictly for personal use." "These aren't necessarily just technicalities, it's very fundamental stuff," Barrett said. "He has a defense." Barrett did say, however, that drug trafficking cases of this magnitude are relatively rare. A high-level drug trafficking case, Barrett said, is one of the most severe cases of drug distribution and drug possession, carrying a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years. According to Barrett, such a conviction "implies that the person is a drug dealer on a pretty large scale." Although cocaine was seized in the DU fraternity house, DU president sophomore Brian Rowe confirmed that the fraternity was not associated with the arrest and would not suffer disciplinary consequences. "[The administration understands that] it's his problem, not ours," Rowe said. "From the standpoint of the fraternity it was definitely fair because we haven't felt any backlash at all." According to Rowe, Mattingly has been evicted from his room and expelled from the fraternity. "[Mattingly is] a good guy, and very friendly, but he likes to keep to himself a lot," Rowe said. "Between work and class it was hard to get to know him really well." Rowe said that Mattingly, as a brother, "didn't spend a lot of the time in the house" and his first floor room was relatively secluded. "The difficult part is the [resulting discussion among] students on campus," Rowe said. "They say that he was selling to everyone in the house and that is completely untrue." Mattingly's arrest does not necessarily imply a surge in cocaine use at Tufts, but rather represents a rare window into an enduring drug culture that has remained, for the most part, hidden. This fall, Tufts conducted a survey assessing alcohol and drug use within its population. According to Margot Abels, Director of Drug and Alcohol Prevention services, 8.6 percent of Tufts students reported having ever used cocaine. "Eight-point-six is low compared to most campuses," Reitman said. "I suppose to the extent that it's good news, it's a good thing." Tufts also ranks behind national averages of cocaine use. Fifteen percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 have used cocaine in their lifetime, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2003 National Study on Drug Use and Health, shifting trends in cocaine usage may reflect changing preferences or availability of other drugs, she said, such as ecstasy or hallucinogens, or increased binge drinking. "Since the mid-'80s there has been a decrease, generally, in cocaine use," Abels said. While cocaine usage did not top the list of drug policy priorities, Abels said that "judicial responses, services such as counseling and treatment, prevention, education, family support and social marketing for environmental change" could help cope with solving drug problems. Reitman said it was unlikely that the arrest would result in any change in current campus drug policy, since the investigation occurred under the jurisdiction of the state police. Yet one student questioned whether any preventive drug policy at Tufts could be effective. "What Tufts policy makers and police don't realize is that the kids who want to be using drugs will find them." A further crackdown, the student said, would only yield additional backlash. "I'm concerned that this drug bust and several other incidents of increased police activity could have a negative effect on night life and continue to generate bad publicity," he said. Student views on cocaine use - particularly from users - were difficult to solicit due to the sensitive nature of the topic, but those students who agreed to speak anonymously shed some light on the cocaine culture on campus. Interviews were conducted both with students who had used cocaine and with close acquaintances of such students. According to interviewees, the cocaine culture appears to lack much of the social nature of widespread alcohol use. One student said he would "not openly" discuss his cocaine use. "The stigma is too great," he said. "It's definitely under wraps unless for some reason you see it," another student said. "That's one of the biggest things, to keep it under wraps." Students interviewed confirmed that cocaine use rarely occurred on its own but as an addition to the pre-existing party culture of alcohol, marijuana or other drugs. "It's definitely not just cocaine, it's really everything," one student said. Interviews confirmed that Mattingly appeared to be a popular source for cocaine for the Tufts campus. In spite of potential legal and health problems, these students did not necessarily view their cocaine use as problematic. One periodic user would "probably do it again," he said. "If you can be smart about using it, taking care so that in doesn't become an addiction, I don't think it is as bad of a drug as everyone makes it out to be." One student said that to some, an intense party culture marked by cocaine use was a boon to certain fun-seeking students. "I think many kids feel some sort of pride that a drug dealer of that magnitude operated at Tufts," the student said. "And this drug bust has improved their opinion of Tufts' 'coolness.'"

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News

Search for Dean of A&S continues

May 21

Tufts University faculty and administrators are still trying to determine who will be the new Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) for the 2005-2006 academic year. Susan Ernst, who currently holds the position, told the administration and the student body earlier this semester that she plans to step down. "I have decided to leave my position as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, effective June 30, 2005," Ernst wrote in a letter to the Tufts community. "This is not a decision that I made easily." Ernst, however, said she does not plan to leave the Tufts community entirely. She will remain at Tufts and focus on teaching and research in the Biology Department, primarily in the field of genetics. Over the last 15 years that Ernst worked at the University, she held a variety of leadership positions, including Dean of Natural and Social Sciences, as well as Dean of A&S. Ernst has also demonstrated her expertise in the field of biology. According to a letter from University President Lawrence Bacow and University Provost Jamshed Bharucha, she cloned the first gene in the Biology Department and helped to bring molecular technology to the Medford and Somerville areas. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society. In 1997, Ernst was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science and worked as the Chair for Biological Sciences in 2002. Bacow and Bharucha also highlighted Ernst's accomplishments as Dean of A&S. Ernst was key in reorganizing the Dean's office in order to give more of a voice to graduate education at the University. She worked to develop closer ties between A&S and Tufts' professional schools. She also drummed up support for undergraduate financial aid and faculty development. "[Ernst's] high standards, integrity and passion for teaching have been the hallmarks of her tenure [as Dean]," Bacow and Bharucha wrote in their letter. "She has established a vision for the school that will serve as the foundation for its continued future success for many years to come." Soon after Ernst announced her decision, the search began for a new Dean to fill the void left behind by Ernst's impending departure. According to Molly Stutzman, executive assistant to the Provost, the number of possible replacements has been whittled down to a few, but the process continues. Stutzman said Tufts performed a very comprehensive search to find the best possible candidates to fill the position of Dean of A&S. Administrators placed an advertisement in the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as other major academic sources read by faculty and students from around the world. The ad called for, among other things, candidates able to "articulate and demonstrate strong commitment to the value and importance of research and scholarship to the mission of a university." The University also conducted a broad outreach program to other colleges and universities around the country. Faculty and administrators talked to potential candidates on the phone and in person to convince them to apply for the position. At the same time, Bharucha said he formed a Search Advisory Committee made up of members of the faculty and the administration that met with all the candidates to try to get to know them better and explain why they would fit in so well with the Tufts community. The goal, according to Stutzman, is to find an applicant with a wide variety of strengths that he or she can bring to the Tufts community.

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News

Future focus on property acquisition, new buildings

May 21

The Class of 2005 may not recognize the Tufts campus when they return for their 10 year reunion. The impending sale of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church property from the Archdiocese of Boston to the University, the renovation of the Dame School, changes to Packard Hall, the construction of the Integrated Lab Building and the extension of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line to Medford will all play a part in shaping the future look of the University. At press time, the University was very close to acquiring the former Sacred Heart church property on Winthrop Street. "We're in the final stages of terms and conditions for acquisition," University Vice President for Operations John Roberto said. "We do not have a specific reuse [plan]. Should we succeed [in acquiring the property], we're putting together some potential uses for the facility." According to University Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel, Medford residents may have a mixed reaction to the announcement of the property sale. "Feelings ran very high when it was announced that that parish would close," she said. "There will be some people who feel that the University will be a good steward for that property, and there are others who feel that it should be put on the tax rolls. We just have to see how that works out." Since the University is a non-profit organization, the use of the church will not generate tax revenue for the city. Rubel said Medford residents were excited about a University purchase of the former Lorin Low Dame School on George Street, which will now house the University Advancement office, currently located in Packard Hall. "The neighbors around the Dame School did not want it to be developed residentially," she said. "They were very welcoming of the University's interest for using it as an administration building." Rubel said that negotiations over the reuse of that property filled a "reservoir of good feelings" for residents. "Now as we proceed to renovation, doing the work on the building, we have to make sure we maintain that good feeling," she said. "And my office will work with the construction department to make sure that neighbors know what's going on, and that we're keeping them informed." Roberto said the current work on the Dame School was to stop any further building deterioration. "There were some problems with some roof leaks and broken interior drainage piping - we wanted to stop any damage to the building," he said. "We'll probably be designing it over a year - the earliest it would be available would be January of 2007 but probably more like June of 2007." The move of University Advancement would leave Packard Hall open for an academic tenant. "I'm sure we'll be looking to renovate [Packard Hall] for academic use. The thinking was to free up the space on the hill for academic purposes," Roberto said. The University is in its preliminary planning phase for the construction of the Integrated Lab Building that will be built along Boston Avenue, on the now-vacant hillside next to Dowling Hall. "We're just beginning the programming of that facility - identifying the users of that building, and roughly the type of space they would need," Roberto said. "We will be working with the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering to determine the departments and types of activities that would go in the building." The actual design phase is in the future, he said. Now, "we sit down with the representatives of the two schools and we will come up with the projected space needs and use needs for the building. This isn't even a design, it's called a space program." The University has hired Cambridge's Ellenzweig Associates for the space program only. Ellenzweig has designed buildings for Harvard University, Post Office Square in Boston and Cambridge's Alewife Red Line station. A space program "is the first step in what could be a four to five year project [until the building is completed] and that's assuming everything fell into place," Roberto said. According to Rubel, Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn "seemed to be receptive" to the new building. "I think that most people don't like to commit themselves until they have as much information as they think they need, and we're not at that point yet." A little further up the street from the site of the Integrated Lab Building, Boston Avenue's intersection with College Avenue might become home to a Green Line stop. According to a Boston Globe report of May 12, funding was secured for further study of extending the Green Line to West Medford. One possible location for a stop is on the Tufts campus. "The good news we have about the Green Line right now is that when the 'T' did all their modeling, they determined that extending the service to Medford makes sense," Rubel said. "But the work that's been done so far does not say that it will happen, where it will happen or how it will happen." The MBTA asked Rubel to represent the University on an advisory committee regarding the project. "We have made it clear that we're very excited about the prospect of having a station within the campus - the obvious place is the intersection of Boston Ave. and College Ave. Both cities understand and seem to be supportive," she said. Rubel said the mayors of both cities seem to also be receptive to the University moving forward with some of the recommendations of its Master Plan. "They appreciate that we're doing this very thoughtfully, they appreciate the fact that the plan doesn't represent anything large scale - large scale expansion into neighborhoods - and there are still pieces they're waiting to see with great interest, especially traffic and parking," she said. "We are at a point in time where there are tremendous opportunities out there," Rubel said. "It's very fair to say that right now we have very strong positive relations with Medford and Somerville. We have two mayors who appreciate the University in their community and recognize that we are a positive citizen. They need to work with us when there are any differences. They're working with us. If there are problems that arise, I'm sure they'll tell us." That the University spared the demolition of any homes on Professors Row in the construction of Sophia Gordon Hall and the new Music Building added to feelings of good will from the community, Rubel said. "The [Somerville] Planning Department is very positive about the design of the two buildings. We keep hearing people say, 'Tufts builds good buildings, Tufts takes really wonderful care of its campus.' Things are moving ahead in a very positive direction."

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News

Greek system is under fire for multiple violations

May 21

With the recent number of disciplinary incidents involving members of the on-campus Greek system, many Tufts community members have found themselves wondering whether or not the system is falling apart. Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Todd Sullivan said he does not believe the situation to be that bad. "[The Greek system] is not falling apart, but we have serious concerns," he said. "This semester was very difficult. I don't know if we know yet what led to all of these things happening this semester but we're going to follow up on that." The Chi Alpha chapter of the Chi Omega sorority will be suspended for one year starting on May 22. The charges of "participating in the hazing of fraternity pledges," "participating in the distribution of alcohol to underage individuals," and "contributing to the endangerment of others," were brought against the chapter by the Dean of Students Office. According to a press release from the Office of Community Relations, each charge relates to the participation of Chi Omega members in the fraternity pledge activities of Delta Tau Delta (DTD). One such activity occurred at the Chi Alpha chapter house, while another occurred at an off-campus apartment on Feb. 25 and 26. According to Chi Alpha chapter president Elizabeth Thys, the chapter has appealed the University sanctions and is awaiting a response. After a University investigation regarding incidents occurring on Feb. 26 and 27 found that freshman pledge Ian McPherran stopped breathing during an alcohol-related pledge event at the chapter house, the Beta Mu chapter of the DTD fraternity was shut down for a year, and is on probation until 2007. The fraternity had agreed to remain dry during the 2004-2005 school year following three disciplinary charges brought against it in the 2003-2004 school year. Additionally, the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) found a keg of beer in the Kappa chapter of Zeta Psi fraternity on April 8 of this year. The chapter is currently in the second year of a two-year probationary period and no alcohol is permitted on the fraternity's premises until this probationary period lapses. Zeta Psi chapter president junior Joshua Cohn said he had no information regarding the condition of his fraternity for the next semester, and could not comment on the fraternity's stance with regard to the accusations. "I simply hope that this matter will be handled by the [Committee on Fraternities and Sororities (CFS)] in an appropriate manner," he said. "Zeta Psi truly looks forward to ending our probationary period after two-plus years of cooperation with Tufts and positive behavior and influence within the Greek system." The Greek system came under further criticism after junior Riyadh Mohammed alleged that three Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) brothers physically attacked him on the night of April 30. According to Mohammed, an Arab student, the attack was racially motivated. According to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, there is an ongoing investigation into the allegations, with TUPD working as the primary investigator in conjunction with the district attorney's office. "[Mohammed] has not yet said whether he intends to pursue criminal charges," Reitman said. Because the incident is still under criminal investigation, Sig Ep chapter president junior Patrick Willis could not comment on the accusations except to say that the fraternity is cooperating with the authorities in the investigation. Additionally, senior Marcus Mattingly, 23, a Delta Upsilon (DU) brother, was arrested in connection with drug trafficking on April 13. Massachusetts State Police found 280 grams of cocaine, assorted drug paraphernalia and large amounts of cash in Mattingly's unregistered vehicle and in his DU bedroom. Mattingly's arrest was not fraternity-related - in fact, he was evicted and expelled from the fraternity that day - but his arrest garnered a great deal of attention from local media who described him as a "Delta Upsilon brother at Tufts University." Greek leaders, such as DTD President junior Noah Ornstein, said they strongly believe that there will be negative effects if the University goes too far with disciplinary measures against fraternities and sororities. "Despite specific grievances people may have with some of the members, the presence of DTD and other Greek organizations is as big of an allure to lads and lasses looking at schools as any of the academic attributes," Ornstein said. "Greek organizations are the keystone of on-campus social life." "Without a Greek system and places to go for many non-Greeks to party, underage drinking in the dorms would go way up," Cohn added. "This drinking would occur in an unmonitored [setting]." Due to what he views as poor campus social life, Ornstein said he is upset with the disciplinary action taken upon DTD and other Greek organizations. "Despite what my mother says, Tufts is not a cool school," he said. "Thus I find it particularly strange that the University would be willing to eradicate the last vestiges of on-campus social life." A poll conducted by the Daily last month questioned students about campus social life. Forty-four percent, or 144 of the 331 students who answered the poll, said that they feel campus social life is "good." Twenty-four students said social life on campus is "very good." Not one of those 24 students was a junior or senior. Thirty-six percent responded that campus social life is "not so good" or "terrible," with an additional 43 students who responded that they had "no opinion." The same poll showed general support for the Greek system - a question asked if Greeks contributed to the Tufts community in a positive way. Twenty-six percent responded "yes" while 32 percent responded "slightly." Twenty-seven percent said that the Greek system contributes positively to the Tufts community "not often" or "never." An additional 15 percent of respondents had no opinion on the subject. "We have to emphasize the positive aspects of the Greek system and the individual students in the system," Sullivan said. "We have very committed student leaders who have been advancing the idea of the Greek community through programs, new member forums, a Greek leadership retreat and community service." "I think they do good work, but that's overshadowed by these other, more negative things," Officer of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter said. Reitman said that the reluctance of the Greek community to propose long-term solutions for their problems is perpetuating the present dilemma of recurring incidents. Sullivan's position of Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs was created last year after difficulties in the Greek system arose in Spring 2003. "We hoped bringing Todd on would bring about a change," Reitman said. "That was the time for the system to recognize that it needed to turn a corner and build a system the community can be proud of." Junior Alexis Liistro, president of the Inter-Greek Council (IGC) said she feels that now is such a time. "[The Greek system is] in no way falling apart, and now more than ever, feels the need to rise out of hard times and band together to create a great system for the future," she said. "The big question is [if these problems] are a continuation or resumption of problem behavior," Reitman said. "Were they lucky they didn't caught last year?" Liistro said, however, that "it is important to remember that the actions of few do not reflect the attitudes and feelings of the entire system." "We, as a system, must rise above the incidents that have happened this past semester and become a great and positive presence on the campus," she said. "Our goals for the next semester are to take steps toward becoming the system that we want to be, and that our surrounding communities need us to be." Sullivan said he believes that good leadership is the first step for an improved Greek system, and according to Reitman, members of this year's IGC, Pan-Hellenic Council, Interfraternity Council and CFS include the "best and most responsible leadership we've had in years." "What remains to be seen is if the majority of Greek students are committed to those changes or not? Is it just the leaders? We don't know the answer to that yet," Sullivan said. "We've got a good structure, strong leaders, senior administrators willing to give [the Greek system] a chance - these are all in place," Reitman said. "But it requires buy-in and if buy-in doesn't exist, then the system will fail. It's not enough for the Greek system to say that the problems are a result of just a few people." Reitman went on to discuss the effects on Greek life of the alleged hate crime committed by the Sig Ep brothers. "Unfortunately this alleged bias assault probably further divided the Tufts community overall. It's always very difficult for us to decide whether we should judge people as individuals - such as in the DU case - or if the problem should reflect on the [Greek system] as a whole," he said. "To what extent is something that's not a chapter activity reflective of the character of the chapter as a whole?" The Anti-Hate Rally held on the Tisch Library patio on May 3, which was inspired not only by the alleged assault on Mohammed but also by bias incidents that have occurred on-campus all year, raised similar questions. According to Sullivan, University President Larry Bacow said he supports the Greek system but wants it to be a "great system or no system at all." In Fall 1992, after a particularly volatile year at Tufts coincided with the shutting down of the Greek systems at other New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools, the Tufts faculty voted to shut down the Greek system. The recommendation, however, was not acceded to by the University's trustees who made the final decision. "Of course [such a recommendation] could potentially happen again but right now we're dealing with the issues on a chapter-by-chapter basis," Reitman said. Approximately 550 undergraduates, 11 to 14 percent of the undergraduate population, are members of one of Tufts' 14 Greek organizations. These organizations include 10 fraternities, three sororities and one co-educational independent fraternity. In any given year, two hundred students can live in chapter houses, making up six percent of on-campus residential opportunities, according to Reitman.

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News

On the Daily's AACT editorial

May 21

The members of AACT would like to thank the Daily for its recognition of Asian American Studies (AAS) as a worthy cause. We would, however, like to clarify a few potentially misleading points made in the editorial published on Friday, April 29. The editorial states that "an aspiring political scientist may desire a great deal of knowledge about the rapidly growing and changing nations of the Asian continent." Again and again, we have distinguished Asian American Studies from Asian Studies. These are two distinct disciplines with different methodologies and areas of focus - a basic fact that seems to be misunderstood in the first reason cited by the Daily. The editorial asks us "to remember that the addition of more AAS (as well as other ethnic studies) will benefit students of all ethnic and cultural groups." We have not forgotten. We have long declared that everyone - of all races - will benefit from AAS, as it would contribute to a more complete and accurate understanding of America and the world. We are glad that African American and Latino/a Studies are already part of Tufts, but Asian American Studies remains neglected as a crucial piece of history. The editorial argues "an increase in faculty would provide the Jumbo Asian communities with positive role models and culturally relevant mentors." AACT has consistently demanded that Asian Americanist professors not be confused with Asian American faculty. While we appreciate and need minority faculty on campus, what we are demanding is appropriately trained scholars specializing in AAS. Finally, the editors advise AACT to "broaden its appeal and seek to work with Jumbos of all stripes." Let it be known that "Jumbos of all stripes" were part of the protest. AACT has worked with and continues to work with students across race, gender, and sexuality. With increased and accurate representation of this issue, we hope the appeal of AAS will spread even further.Thomas Chen '04 and the members of AACT

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News

Tim Whelan | Some Kind of Wonderful

May 21

How many times have you seen college graduations play out in movies? Not many, if any at all, right? Movies take us to fantasy lands, and places audiences want to be. College graduations are not where people want to be, mainly because of the uncertainty that lies ahead. Coming out of high school, we knew our deal, and we knew that the foreseeable future was there for the taking, filled with a multitude of possibilities but still having a framework surrounding it: college. This "rite of passage" which brings us together today looks a bit murkier through the windshield. I have my wipers on full blast, but the fog is yet to be lifted. But you know what I say to all of that? Who cares. Over our Tufts careers, we have gained quite the education about how to live for the moment. Four professional sports championships in as many years will do that to a region. So why should a college graduation be any different? I, like many of my compatriots, am not as gainfully employed as I would like to be leaving here today. Sure, the future would be well-positioned if I had a real job (besides waiting tables) to look forward to, but such is not the case. So while graduation is supposed to be a "first day of the rest of your life" moment, I prefer to think of it simply as a day to celebrate what we have seen and done in our time as Jumbos. When George Foreman hung up his boxing gloves, do you think he knew he would be making millions on a Lean Mean Grilling Machine? Do you think Paul Newman knew he would gain a new generation of fans mainly because his face was on salad dressing? The clich?©d point is that the future, whether it has been "started" yet or not, holds a ton of possibilities. And today is not the day to agonize over what those may be. Take a look at the people around you. Think about that time you painted the cannon, or made fun of the kids who were painting the cannon. Think of the time you had a few too many and climbed on top of Jumbo. This is the last time you'll be around most of these people; talk to one of those faces you never met, it will probably feel good. "I thought this was a sports column?" you're asking. What happened to the inane quips that made up "Some Kind of Wonderful" all year? Well, I'm going to recall some goofy stuff that made my stay in Mehfah/Suhmvull so enjoyable for you now, such as: - My roommate, Steve Cincotta, taking a pitching-machine fastball directly off the chest out of the hand of Greg Hickey. Point-blank range. Just one of the many classic moments from that freshman year JV baseball season. - The other football coaches making me do an impression of our defensive coordinator, Coach Walsh, in front of the team before the Amherst game that year. At least I made one contribution. - One of my buddies, who shall remain nameless, dominating 10 Krispy Kremes in one sitting. This is the same man who would go on to wrap a hot dog with a Krispy Kreme and go to work. Bravo, anonymous eater. - Sitting on this very quad during freshman orientation, during Larry Bacow's first address as Tufts president, and all I could think about was how many dips and pull-ups I would be able to do in the football fitness testing that was to follow that day. I can't remember how many I did, but I do remember being paralyzed by those thoughts. I was not yet, as I have been promoting, living in the moment. - Pledging DU. It may have been dubbed Delta "Oops I pledged the wrong fraternity" by us, but in the end, my college career has been a more ... interesting ... place because of it. - Living in West Hall sophomore year. I'm sure everyone has their favorite Naked Quad Run moments from their four years, but having our own room on the first floor made that a night that will not soon be forgotten. There are so many more. I have to let go of Tufts, but it won't be easy. I'll miss all of you at the Daily. Being the only senior on the sports staff this year was an honor. But you guys will definitely be alright without me. You may even be better/more productive. Thanks to my family as well. Much of the fam has been reading this column all year, but they've had the online version. How much better does my picture make the reading experience? I thought so. As one rather destructive stoner said in the immortal "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" as he shoots plates thrown into the air, "The dishes are done maaan!!!" Yes, indeed, the dishes of four years of college life are done. But don't smash them. You have a Tufts degree, seniors. Don't forget that. In the words of Terrance Mann, "Peace, love, dope. Now get the hell outta here!!"Tim Whelan is graduating today with a degree in English. He can be reached at Timothy.Whelan@tufts.edu.

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News

The Years' Best in Tufts Athletics

May 21

Male athlete of the year: Fred Jones, track and fieldIn only two years of competition at the college level, sophomore Fred Jones has quickly established himself as not only one of the best Div. III athletes in New England, but in the nation as well. The superstar jumper anchors a solid track and field program and has returned from all of his appearances in NCAA Competition as an All-American. Jones' marks in the Tufts record books should last long after he leaves Medford. This winter, Jones erased a 55-year-old Tufts record in the long jump and now holds the school records for the indoor long jump and triple jump as well as for the outdoor triple jump. At the indoor Nationals this winter, Jones leapt to a second-place finish in the long jump competition, tying his career-best mark of 23'9" and finishing just one inch behind the winner. He also competed in the triple jump, just missing the finals. At the meet, he was recognized as the NCAA New England athlete of the year and reinforced his reputation as one of the nation's best. Last year at indoor Nationals, Jones finished sixth in the triple jump as a freshman. He has brought home All-American status both years. The sophomore has already provisionally qualified for the 2005 outdoor Nationals in both the long jump and the triple jump. He'll get a chance to better his already sterling record on May 26-28 in Wartburg, Iowa.Female athlete of the year: Courtney Bongiolatti, softball Courtney Bongiolatti, the shortstop and senior co-captain of the softball team, hit the ball at a staggering rate this year, leading her team to the NESCAC finals and a successful 27-8 record (7-1 NESCAC East). She hit a school record 14 home runs, smashing the previous mark of 9, which had been held by Lis Drake. Only three players in the history of the NESCAC have hit more home runs in a single season. In addition, Bongioloatti tied Drake's career home run record when she hit her 31st and 32nd on Apr. 30th against Colby. In addition to the homers, Bongiolatti also led the league in RBIs with 45, slugging (.869) and total bases (93). She also ranked among the league's top five in hits (40), runs scored (26) and batting average (.374). During one two-week stretch from Apr. 14 to Apr. 30, Bongiolatti hit a staggering nine home runs in 11 games. This year she became the first Tufts softball player ever to earn first team All-American status. Not surprisingly, the New Jersey native also won NESCAC Player of the Year.Coach of the year: Bob Sheldon, men's basketball In the 2003-2004 season, the basketball team was woeful. It finished 8-17 with only two conference victories and just two home court victories. As a function of that finish, most fans had pretty slim hopes for this year's team, which featured basically the same roster. Then, before you knew it, the team was winning, and winning big. Coach Bob Sheldon's young team became an offensive juggernaut, knocking down threes and dumping the ball down low to big man Reggie Stovell. The team outrebounded and outscored opponents all season long and finished with a 16-10 record (7-2 NESCAC), the best Tufts finish since the 1999-2000 season. The team's impressive turnaround from last year is even more an accomplishment for Sheldon, considering the team's youth - only Stovell and guards Drew Kaklamanos and Jesse Belodoff are graduating. Ultimately, the team lost in the semifinals of the NESCAC playoffs, bowing out to Bates, 60-54. Still, the turnaround from last year is staggering, and a lot of the credit deserves to go to Sheldon.Rookie of the Year: Danielle Lopez, softball Tufts featured one of the most impressive freshman classes in recent history this year. In the fall, Adam Arsenault, a linebacker on the football team, was one of the team leaders in tackles and was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year. In the winter, swimmer Bianca Spinosa was the only Jumbo to qualify for Nationals. Greg O'Connell started on the soccer team and finished second in scoring on the hockey team, and this spring, teammates Megan Cusick and Erica Bailey both earned all-NESCAC honors as a catcher and pitcher, respectively. While their performances were remarkable, the softball team's second baseman, Danielle Lopez, led the field. Lopez was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and for good reason. The Danvers, Mass. native smacked a league-best 44 hits and was second to teammate Bongiolatti with eight home runs and 76 total bases. The rookie was also third in runs scored (26), and fourth in RBIs (27). In the field, Lopez started every game for the Jumbos.--Compiled by David Pomerantz and Jessica Genninger

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News

Jeff Volinski | Stop whining!

May 21

Imagine that you are sitting in a steamy auditorium, watching one of those award ceremonies that simply will not end. An award recipient trudges onstage to receive a lifetime achievement award and begins to read a 10-page dissertation describing, in detail, his life story. There's just one problem: nobody in the audience cares. Everyone is hot and sweaty, and all they want is for Mr. Award Face to stop talking so that they can all go home and eat their leftover mashed potatoes and watch the news. Right now, I feel just like Mr. Award Face. Not because my face resembles a lifetime achievement award, but because I have been put in a situation where I'm supposed to sum up the last four years of my life, at a moment in time when both my audience and myself are eager to move onward. But what, I ponder, are we moving towards? Cubicles, coffee and cardiac arrest? I don't know about you, but I want to relive this "college" phenomenon as many times as I can before I get stuck writing TPS reports for Bill Lumbergh. For the past four years, the word "college" has completely defined my life. By telling someone that I was a college student, I would convey a comprehensive sketch of my life - that I was young adult in search of a career, and that I was in an uncontrollable stage of experimentation where I would try anything once. One incident involving a keg, a flamethrower, a Tibetan yak and the rain dance comes to mind. Regardless, this form of expression no longer applies. I mean, the next time a friend asks, "How's life treatin' ya?," I will not longer be able to respond, "College, man, college" and bask in that moment of complete understanding between us. Now that it's over, I'll have to admit that college has changed me as a person. When I first came to Tufts, I was young, immature and cowardly. I would flee in terror from other humans. Now I am old and wise, and I turn into the Incredible Hulk when angered. But honestly, college has been a time of rapid development for me, and my views of the world have changed dramatically. All of a sudden, I care who is running this country. When I stumble upon something that I don't understand, I want to figure out how it works. I want to grow, I want to improve, and I want to conquer the unknown. Look at this - I've even gained an appreciation for writing entire paragraphs without being lame and sarcastic. Breast. Damn. I have a newfound appreciation for this thirst for knowledge. I now realize that the journey for knowledge is one of the pleasures of life, and it will continue to be so long as I put my pants on each morning. Well, Jeff, does this mean that when you finally end this expedition for awareness of yours that you will no longer be wearing pants? You have my word. Of all the things that I've learned in college, I have to say that the most important is the fact that as I learn, my personal views of the world are constantly in a state of flux. It seems like just yesterday I thought that broccoli was the devil incarnate, and that mixing one percent and two percent milk would cause a violent explosion. Now I know that at least one of these isn't true. I wake up each morning expecting to learn more truths such as these. You may think that it's too late for advice, but hey, who cares what you think? My advice to both graduates and incoming students is to expose yourself to as many different things as you can. One of the most rewarding aspects of my college career has been writing this column, which I decided to try out on a whim. Who knows what my second semester of senior year would have been like if I hadn't sent in those three sample articles to the Daily? ("I hate John Mayer," "I hate names," and "Can't Stand It," for those scoring at home.) I guarantee that it would not have been as enjoyable. In college, you are forced to do a lot of things that you don't enjoy, but you are also free to find any number of things that you do. It is these experiences that will shape your future. Find something that you love, that you could see yourself being in 10 years, and have at it. If I had found a university where I could have majored in Spiderman, then I would have been first in line to sign up. Well, you know what they say, if you can't become a superhero, why not become a mechanical engineer? I think someone said that. In closing, I would like to say that I am grateful for every experience that I've had here at Tufts. Many of these I'm sure I will never forget - my struggles on the baseball field, the faces of friends, and heck, even sitting in front of my computer wrestling with each sentence of these columns. Recently, I've been wondering what I would try to accomplish if I had the opportunity to relive these past four years. While what I would do is a story for another day, the simple fact that there were stones left unturned is proof to me that you can never accomplish too much the first time around.

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News

To President Bacow, concerning the Anti-Hate Rally

May 21

EDITOR'S NOTE: On May 2, President Bacow sent an e-mail to the student body concerning an alleged hate crime. The following day, there was an anti-hate rally which addressed the incident (see page 3). Below is a response to President Bacow's e-mail from a Tufts student.President Bacow, Thank you for your words. I value your concern for the safety and well-being of all members of the Tufts community. I also value your dedication to developing the Tufts endowment, and I respect the time and energy you put into meeting with trustees like the one you saw this afternoon. I'm sure you heard what a powerful event the rally this afternoon was. Students, deans and faculty spoke about the importance of modeling global attitudes here on campus. You would have been proud. Among the most passionate speeches we heard was that of a professor in the history department whose name I didn't recognize. He echoed statements that had already been made, statements about silence not meaning neutrality; about the importance of taking responsibility for what's going on around us. What sent ralliers into an enthusiastic roar, however, was when he shouted: "You need to raise your voices and tell the grown-ups who think they rule this school-" well, he was drowned out by cheers at that point, but I gather it was something along the lines of "to take action." The fact of the matter is, President Bacow, that you DO control Tufts. The students have the power to yell and write and fight and learn, but only the administration has the power to punish the perpetrators. You can punish them in a thoughtful way, in a way that forces them to think about what they have done while letting the rest of us-many of us, if the past is any indication, capable of committing similar crimes in the future-see what will happen if we do so. In the future, I hope to proudly donate to an alma mater whose administration is invested in understanding and protecting the health and safety of our diverse world. I can safely say, however, that I will be MUCH prouder to donate to a school whose administration is equally invested in protecting the health and safety of its own students against crimes of hate and ignorance.Hilary Lustick, Class of 2005

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News

Plenty of thespianism to go around

May 21

After a year of varied productions, the final curtain has been drawn on campus theater. From the dark "Monster" to the heartwarmingly chipper "Newsies," Tufts actors and actresses have explored a range of styles and settings through the drama department and numerous student theater groups. In the fall drama department musical major, "Parade," faculty member Barbara Grossman directed a talented cast, while exploring the range of the genre. Rather than the archetypal musical of sunshine and tap shoes, Alfred Uhry's "Parade" used song to convey deeper emotion in the tale of a Jewish man's experience in 1913 Atlanta, which included lynch mobs and rampant anti-Semitism. Neal Bell's "Monster," directed by faculty member Laurence Senelick, was the next show to grace Balch. An edgy take on Shelley's classic "Frankenstein," the show highlighted themes of life and death, passion and obsession. The creature, made by Frankenstein and subsequently ignored, wreaks a path of destruction through the creator's life. A departure from the darker themes explored this year arrived in time for a dreary spring. Noel Coward's "Hay Fever," the final department show, entertained audiences with the story of the house of Bliss. The play begins when each member of the clan invites a guest to stay in the same room, allowing for merry melodrama. Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps) fall major, "Metamorphoses," directed by senior Jess Fisch, brought stellar acting and characters to the stage. An update on Ovid and a Tony award nominee in 2002, the play features several classical stories tied together by the theme of love. The spring 3Ps major, "Woyzeck," directed by sophomore Brendan Shea, brought what many have called the first modern tragedy to campus. This interpretation, set in an eerie carnival, tells the tale of the soldier Woyzeck, detailing atrocities mental, physical and emotional as the man slowly descends into madness with his only friend, the imaginary Andres, as a comfort. On the opposite end of the spectrum, "Newsies," directed by sophomore Brian Smith, brought a sunny enthusiasm to campus. An adaptation of the 1992 Disney film of the same name, the show entertained and amused audiences with its tale of newspaper-boy woe. An adaptation of Martin McDonagh's Broadway play, "Pillowman" cleverly mixed comedy and tragedy. Directed by senior Dan Balkin, the show follows the police investigation of child murders eerily reminiscent of those in an author's short stories. Maureen Donohue, president-elect of 3Ps, believes the shows produced by the many groups beneath the 3Ps umbrella this semester were diverse. "We had a range. 'Woyzeck' and 'Newsies' are about as different as you can get," she said. Donohue and the group tried to choose shows that would interest both actors and audiences. "We're trying to find shows that the actors want to do and get Tufts excited. We've been trying to get new people to shows, who don't necessarily spend all their time in the theater," Donohue said. The 3Ps spring minors, "Newsies" and "The Pillowman," were among the best audience draws according to Donohue. Other staples of Tufts theater enjoyed good attendance as well, including Bare Bodkin's annual 24-hour theater festival. Bare Bodkin continued to bring student-written works to the stage in the fall with "Aria da Capo Prime," a work combining Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Aria da Capo" and two acts by senior Kate Burns. In the spring, Bare Bodkin sponsored "The Night Visitor," a play by senior Armen Nercessian, which brought the author's nightmares to life. Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," directed by senior Christina Hanson, once again packed Cohen just in time for V-Day to educate and entertain. Rat-a-Tat, Tufts activist theater, brought "The Laramie Project," and Hillel sponsored "Kindertransport," which provided theater with a social context and message. It was a year for comedy as well, with the newly formed group Major: Undecided hosting its first feature show, "Death by Vending Machine," in the spring, while Cheap Sox continued to make audiences laugh with its witty brand of improv. Traveling Treasure Trunk continued to bring creative theater to local children, and the mimes of Hype! explored the genre outside the glass box. Torn Ticket II, the musical theater organization, brought "A New Brain" in the fall, and "Children of Eden" in the spring, as well as "Tick, Tick ... BOOM!" and a jointly sponsored minor with 3Ps. Next year's theater season looks equally promising for 3Ps and the organizations beneath its umbrella, with "The Wild Party," and Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance" set to debut in the fall for Torn Ticket II and 3Ps, respectively. Donohue has found that the call of the theater and a promising new season often bring back alumni. "We haven't had Hank Azaria or Peter Gallagher come back, but we're a close knit community, and I anticipate a lot [of alumni] coming back next year," Donohue said.

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