The Elections Board (ELBO) held in-house elections for the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) Wednesday night, with two of the TCUJ positions hotly contested.
With a 3-5 record entering Wednesday's match against Brandeis, Tufts has not yet afforded itself the opportunity to take any matches for granted. This match was certainly no exception, as the Jumbos narrowly escaped from Voute Courts with a 4-3 win over the Judges.
The Office of Admissions released its Class of 2009 admissions decisions on March 30.
As part of the ongoing Tufts Longitudinal Health Study (THLS), student participants were asked to engage in a series of tests throughout this week as part of the study's designated Assessment Days.
"Nutrition is not a discipline, it is an agenda," said the late Jean Mayer, former Tufts University president and founder of Tufts' School of Nutrition, now the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Although nobody quite knows what sQ! stands for - the true title is known only within the group - this a cappella ensemble is still a beloved performance group on the Tufts campus.
The men's crew team had a successful weekend at home, winning three of its six races on the Malden River. After racing with Wesleyan University, Bates College and the University of New Hampshire (UNH), the Jumbos are feeling more confident about their ability on the water.
An article yesterday ("Police find keg in Zeta Psi," April 14) incorrectly stated that the Delta Tau Delta (DTD) fraternity was recently placed on probation for "a series of alcohol and drug violations." DTD did not incur any drug violations.If you see an error in the Daily, e-mail daily@tuftsdaily.com.
Tisch Library experienced what appeared to be their first significant system failure in approximately six years last Thursday night, resulting in disorganized records and frustrated students and faculty.
The Jumbos fought until the final buzzer, and mounted comeback after comeback, but in the end fell short, losing 9-7 to Middlebury College. In front of six hundred people at Bello Field Wednesday night, Tufts dropped its third-straight NESCAC game to the fifth-ranked team in the country.
Rapper Busta Rhymes will headline Spring Fling on April 30, replacing reggae artist Wyclef Jean.
The flashy girl from Flushing - oh, the memories! - is back. Well, sort of.
For Florida Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis, the strategy has been simple. Throw the ball over the plate and wait for the batter to hit it.
Tufts talk Thai, Tufts talk Thai real well It's New Year's this Friday at Thai Night in Alumnae Lounge. The traditional Thai New Year, known as Songkran, falls on April 13. The end of the dry season in the country, it is a time for celebration, one that the group hopes to bring to Tufts. Vice President of the Thai Club, junior Apisadaporn Thambundit explained the significance of the time. "[Songkran]'s known as the Water Ceremony. At this time of year water represents change, cleanliness, and washing things away," she said. In the Water Ceremony, the hands of elderly family members are washed with scented water as a blessing. The club has invited some members of the faculty to take part in the tradition at Tufts. The 25 to 30 member group will also host dance and kickboxing demonstrations, as well as a Thai marketplace in which students can barter for Thai goods. There's a catch-it has to be in the language. Tufts band Better Than Yesterday, formerly known as The Residence, will entertain the crowd with Thai pop songs. According to Thambundit, the club deliberately made an effort to incorporate several elements into their night, rather than only performing a show. "It's more interactive," Thambundit said, "We wanted to bring a very authentic Thai New Year celebration. People can learn Thai phrases and enjoy entertainment and home-cooked Thai food at the same time." An $8 cover change goes to benefit tsunami rehabilitation projects in southern Thailand. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m.SOC celebrates their 'Legacy'Spirit of Color, or SOC, Tufts' audition-based hip-hop dance troupe, is well known for their regularly sold-out semester shows. Their latest show, aptly titled 'Legacy,' celebrates this tenure, their alumni, and their distinctive style of performance which has continued to evolve since the group's founding in 1993. Sophomore Assistant Director Tamara Chao explained the group's decision on the title. "Alumni return and the senior class is influential in what we've become. SOC has definitely evolved over the years. There's been a move towards hip-hop, though we still have jazz, ballet and other forms of dance." Chao said. This semester that legacy continues with 21 dances originally choreographed by members of the large organization, among them an open dance possible for anyone committed to and interested in learning it. The show will include skits and a dance competition for members of the audience to shake and show their stuff during intermission. The show begins at 8 p.m. in Cohen on Thursday and Friday.An Evening of Javanese GamelanThis Saturday the Tufts and Boston Village Gamelan Ensembles jointly present an evening of Javanese Gamelan in the Alumnae Lounge. Featuring the respected I.M. Harjito, the concert will include his composition "Manglung" and including the work of Suyadi Tejapangrawit. The primarily percussion-based ensemble focuses on the music of Central Java. Directed by Barry Drummond, the evening is funded in part by the Somerville Arts Council. "The Ensemble is very hands-on," Drummond said. In performance, the ensemble is seated on the ground, playing bronze gongs, xylophones, hand drums and a two-string bowed fiddle, known as the rebab. The gamelan itself was forged by Javanese gongsmith Tentrem Sarwanto. "I remember the first time I saw gamelan; it was a magical evening, being able to listen and watch the performers," he said. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.- compiled by Stephanie Vallejo
My tenure as an amateur columnist is coming to a close. But before I leave, there is still something I must do. As a quasi-humor columnist (and that's what I am no matter how unfunny you think I am) I have neglected a magnificent weapon in the humor columnist's arsenal. And that weapon is the RUNNING DIARY. So without further ado, I bring you a column dedicated to the great Bill Simmons himself, The Power Hour Running Diary. 10:58 - To begin, my buddy brought his Power Hour CD, equipped with 60 one-minute vignettes from popular songs. The hour begins with Van Halen's "Right Now." My seven compatriots and I are enthused, frightened and aroused. Ok, maybe THEY aren't aroused. 11:05 - Our seventh shot comes with a toast to the recent fall of DTD. Hazing is bad. We make Steve, the youngest guy there, shotgun a beer and then do 20 push-ups. 11:09 - Outkast comes on, giving us a metaphorical shot in the alcoholic arm. The song ends way too early, with the follow-up, Cyndi Lauper leaving within me, an inconsolable depression. 11:10 - We have a discussion on the irresponsibility of the Greek system here at Tufts, after which we give Steve his paddling and poke him with red hot cattle prods. Beetnutz comes on at number 14, and my friend Karim begins to tell me his story about how the weekend Beetnutz performed at Tufts my freshman year, the Africana Center had its annual retreat, so the entire Beetnutz audience was white Jewish kids FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME. This kid repeats his stories more than an Alzheimer's-afflicted Ronald Reagan. Wait, too soon? 11:14 - REM comes on with "End of the World." Everyone tries to sing along. Everyone fails. We bury Steve alive. 11:18 - Two beers in, I have my first "I'm graduating" moment. I'm strangely at ease with it. Completely sober Saj would have an anxiety-created seizure. My idiot friends are singing out-of-tune to "Come Together," which two of them mistake for the Aerosmith cover of the song. Absolute idiots. Veronica Carter drops by, takes a few shots, and then puts us all on Probation I. Steve comes back and we're all very careful around him. He looks uncomfortable. 11:22 - Tenacious D - "Wonderboy." Great song. John and I have our first Cowboy, Indian, Bear match of the evening. We both choose Indian, and it results in a draw. CIB is basically a more interactive Rock, Paper, Scissors: Cowboy beats Indian, Indian beats Bear, and Bear beats Cowboy. As easy as that. By the end of the night I am confident I will get inside his head. No white guy beats an Indian at Cowboy, Indian, Bear. 11:25 - Conversation is sparked on how Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows is Jewish. Some are in disbelief; some are not surprised; others don't know who he is. John does his impression of Jackie Chan singing "War" by Edwin Starr, earning him the title of "the drunkest man in the room." Sadly, my money was on my little buddy Larry. He's short and all over the place. 11:28 - Second "I'm graduating" moment: I notice the rancid taste of the Miller High Life we're drinking. Man, is it terrible. In two months, I think, I may never have to taste it again. NEVER. Unless, of course, I do not improve my employment prospects. I begin to cry. 11:32 - "Bohemian Rhapsody." Oh God. Hands-down one of the most prolifically used drunken karaoke songs ever, trumped only by "Living on a Prayer" and possibly the "Doogie Howser M.D." theme song. My friends are the worst singers in the world. Larry starts to take off his shirt and is eventually persuaded not to. We all catch our breath. 11:37 - The running diary is proving easier to write than I thought. Consequently, I am approaching my word limit at an unheard-of pace. I decide to slow down, get drunker, and possibly make fun of my friend Kirit for wearing a Phillies hat. John snarfs. Weezer is on. Sigh, college. 11:40 - Coolio comes on, prompting the "What the hell happened to Coolio?" conversation. Singing along, I forget the words to "Gangsta's Paradise" and seamlessly jump into "Amish Paradise," the Weird Al incarnation of the song. Then comes Skee-Lo. Do the hits keep on rolling or what! 11:43 - I learn that the lead singer for Sister Hazel is black. My world is turned upside-down. 11:45 - My friend Justin has been collecting the empty cans to make a beer-amid on top of the living room table. I resist the very strong urge to burst through them like the giant ape in the arcade game Rampage. Remember Rampage? Oh God, I'm entering the drunken nostalgia phase. 11:51 - Bhangra music hits the CD, track 47. I feel strangely connected to it. Steve, who seems to have fully recovered psychologically, prompts me to dance. I do it. Then comes the six-way Cowboy, Indian, Bear. I pull out the old Cowboy on those unsuspecting bastards who predictably play Indian. Poor predictable white people. Curiously Steve also plays cowboy. We suspect him of cheating and intravenously inject grain alcohol into his bloodstream. Hazing is a terrible, terrible thing. 11:53 - You know you're drunk when you are singing along to Chumbawumba. In fact, that should be the international sobriety test. The awesome songs keep coming. It's definitely key to have a killer last few songs on a Power Hour CD. It can make or break your night 11:54: I consider the irony of shooting paintballs at people painting the cannon. Oh, the delicious irony! 11:57: Homestretch. Blind Melon - "No Rain." Good song, not great. I'm wondering, do I like it just because I'm drunk? 11:58: The last song is absolute crap. CRAP. In a drunken fervor, we start the CD over again, intent on finishing off the remaining beers. The 'beeramid' falls, the cardboard 30-boxes are emptying, and my friend Larry is peeing into a cup in the corner of my living room. Problem sets be damned, this is what college is all about.Saj Pothiawala is a senior who is majoring in economics. He can be reached via e-mail at sajid.pothiawala@tufts.edu.
Many Tufts students enjoy the perks of studying and traveling in other countries. While abroad, they visit museums and historic sites, experience another culture, gain proficiency in a foreign language - and, last but not least, party. No trip to Europe is complete without the requisite tales of leaving a club as the sun is rising or streaking through a Spanish plaza. But you'd be hard pressed to find either of these activities listed in the index of a traditional travel guide. Until now. While traveling in Europe with his brother six years ago, Doug Bell (E '93) first discovered this gaping whole in the travel guide market. "We were in Florence, and I was carrying three of the traditional travel books," Bell said. "I remember specifically it was a Tuesday night and we were looking for something to do." "We must have walked around the entire city and could not find anything to do," he said. "I was visibly upset." When Bell returned from Europe, the experience remained in the back of his mind. "I knew the existing guides didn't fulfill a specific need," he said. Instead of remaining bitter, Bell decided to turn his misfortune into an opportunity. Back in the states following his travels, he wrote a business plan for a travel guide company that focused on the fun and social side of traveling. An engineering major, Bell went on to attend business school where he focused on entrepreneurial studies, learning how to start a business successfully. Since graduate school, Bell has spent most of his career in marketing. But this solid education was, unfortunately, only one aspect of the project. "At the time, I didn't have the capital to make the investment and I just wasn't in a position to make it happen," Bell said. "I didn't have the right business partner." Bell's business plan had to take a back burner to his day job as a marketing director for a global company based in Chicago. Five years later, however, in Jan. 2004, Bell finally found the right business partner. His idea became a reality with the startup of PartyEarth LLC, a travel guide company that recently released its first book, PartyEurope 2005. "[The idea] really was like a vision," Bell said. "I saw it when I was over in Europe and it never really got away from me." When Bell returned from his trip, he not only wrote a business plan, but also registered a URL for the concept. "I got a bunch of offers, some in the 10s of 1,000s of dollars, and I definitely could have used the money at the time, but in the back of my mind, I thought 'I am going to do this someday.'" "I am just so thankful that I didn't let go of the URL," Bell said. "If you believe in something and you want something bad enough, hold onto it." And work out its kinks ahead of time. "Take the necessary steps in advance to really understand the market you are going after," Bell advises undergraduate entrepreneurs. "Only 10 percent of new ventures actually succeed, and the key is to do as much as you can beforehand in the planning process to improve the odds of success. I studied that for years, and in reality it is 100 percent true." Bell admits that, even with five years of planning under his belt, bringing the first book to fruition was not devoid of difficulties. "When you look at writing a book, you just don't really understand everything that goes into it," Bell said. "The book is 400 pages long and contains over 600 reviews. Making sure-400 plus pages are perfect is extremely time-consuming." In addition to editing worries, the creators faced an added demand of constructing characters for the guidebook. The book provides the opinions of four characters created by the editors: in essence, the frat boy, the girl-next-door, the hippie outdoorsman, and the glam city girl. The characters arose as a result of the different focus of this guidebook. "This is not a comprehensive guide," Bell said. "It's a supplemental guide to other books, but it drills down on a category that those books don't give enough info on - fun, social travel." Bell was quick to note, however, that what constitutes "fun and social travel" differs greatly based on personality. Bell and his business partner found a resolution for this problem in their four characters. "The reader can say 'I'm more like that character - what would he recommend in this city, on this night, in this neighborhood?'" Bell said. "It's like asking a friend of yours for their review." Though the characters are fictional, the actual reviewers were recent college graduates that Bell and his business partner hired to live it up in Europe. "Three groups went to Europe," Bell said. "One group went for 100 days, and the other two went for a month each." Think you missed the job opportunity of a lifetime? PartyEarth LLC is actually currently in the process of hiring young people to update the PartyEurope guide and to help on future publications. Applications can be found on the website, www.partyeurope.com. Bell's love of travel did not arise as an undergraduate at Tufts, despite the school's emphasis on studying abroad. "I didn't study abroad when I went to Tufts - I regret that a lot," he said. "I was afraid to miss anything at school - I didn't want to leave, to give up a semester away. When I left school I realized what I had missed, and it made me travel a lot more." Bell does, however, credit Tufts as an influence on the travel guide. "It's a partying book, so I will definitely say I learned to party at Tufts - I can definitely connect that directly," he said.For more information, visit www.partyeurope.com.
Senior Marcus Mattingly, age 23, was arraigned in connection with drug trafficking yesterday, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's office.
You know a high roller when you see one. If the loyal entourage, sweet ride and phat apartment aren't clear giveaways, the unflagging confidence and unmatchable stories are. An international high roller brings that status to the next level, leaving a trail of debauchery and mayhem across the globe, with an ever-changing group of companions and hosts. For the purposes of this article, the definition of an "international high roller" is someone whose jet-set lifestyle takes him or her all over the world in continuous style. You want this kid's life. And unfortunately, this article is as close as many of us will come. One senior has lived this life for almost eight years. Having grown up abroad in Southeast Asia, Leo* came to the U.S. in high school to attend a boarding school outside Santa Barbara, and then came east to Tufts. During his school years, he has traveled with frequency to Whistler, Miami, Bali and beyond. Many of Leo's most extravagant memories took place on a trip to one of the 32 countries he has visited. "My parents have always encouraged me to travel because my dad loves to travel," Leo said. "When I was a kid my parents would always take us to random countries. We loved doing that." Since he has lived primarily in the U.S. since the age of 14, Leo has had the opportunity to forego many trips home in favor of taking radical trips with his friends. "My parents would pay $1,500 for me to come home during a break, so they would rather I go have fun with my friends [for that amount of money]," he said. "They realize I'm in college and they know I'd rather go have fun with my friends and travel. A ticket to anywhere else in the world is cheaper than it is home." Leo likes to take advantage of many airlines' round-the-world tickets, which enable him to stop anywhere along his route home, for what is usually a nominal fee. "If anything, I'd just have to pay $100 to change it so I can decide to stop in Amsterdam or Paris ... I can basically choose where I want to stop," he said. "I can choose seven or eight destinations around the world on an around-the-world ticket that costs the same as a roundtrip ticket to Jakarta." That's exactly what Leo did last year when he used a trip home as an opportunity to visit Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Singapore and Dubai. "I get to go visit old friends I grew up with, some friends from boarding school scattered across the country," Leo said. "I always just happen to get to visit all these people because they often live in these international hubs." When he's not escaping the U.S. for a round-the-world trip or a getaway to his vacation compound in Bali, Leo is finding ways to enjoy his time in the U.S. "All my money goes into weed, snowboarding and my car," he said. "And I eat out every day. Oh, and computers." Leo spent $1,200 on lift tickets alone last year, and managed to exceed $4,000 in snowboarding expenditures. "I drop so much money on snowboarding," he said. "It's not just lift tickets. It's hotels, transportation, food, going out to bars, equipment." The food alone results in major charges, as Leo's appetite is insatiable after a long day of snowboarding. "You spend a lot of money on food," he said. And certain resorts, such as one he has frequented at Lake Tahoe, have onsite casinos. Leo learned a lesson in how quickly costs rise when on spring break in Miami this year with a large group of friends. "The first night our tab was a grand," he said. "It was a phenomenal night. There were 10 of us, with a four-bottle minimum. We ended up getting the bottles, and then of course there were girls with us, so the guys had to pick up a little of the slack." After recovering, he and his friends spent the day on a $5-million catamaran for a booze cruise. The vessel boasted three soundstages, with an open air, "chill, lounge-y house," Leo said. "You go downstairs, there's drum and bass, hip-hop, Questlove. It was awesome." Leo felt the $75 cover a worthy fee for the "phenomenal" music and "amazing" boat. "The most ridiculous thing we did was the 12-hour rave at Ultra," Leo said. "It was insane. Every DJ you have possibly heard of was there playing throughout the day." The rave started at noon and went until midnight, with "the best of the best" in mixing represented, according to Leo. He and his friend enjoyed the first week so much they decided to extend the trip another week. "I needed a vacation from my vacation," he said. "I just needed to burn out for a week." The fact that Leo would be shacking up in his friend's apartment in Coconut Grove by the Ritz Carlton, complete with 275-degree balcony views, made the decision that much easier. As for his car, a Three-Series BMW convertible, he calls his additions "very frivolous." These additions include rims, lowering his car, a "very nice, but very inaccessible" sound system and a remote starter. But the things that most exemplify Leo's high roller lifestyle reside in his home country. "The ridiculous things are all in [my home country]," he said. "From [the capitol city where I live] you can just hop over to some private islands where they have cool peacocks roaming the island." One such island has an ornate reef surrounding it with tropical fish and clear waters, where Leo fishes and dives, relishing the time he can "chill out on the island." One "perk" of living where Leo does is the fact that there is little police enforcement, due to corruption and a lag in technology. Leo recalls trips on the highways near him in a friend's Ferrari doing 160 mph, loving "racing around at three in the morning without having a worry in the world."*Name has been changed. This person's identity and the veracity of his statements have been confirmed.
When the lights come up tonight at the Balch Arena Theater, the audience will be greeted by strains of cheerful music and warmly elegant art deco set pieces. A Cockney maid and a cat named Zoe will then welcome everyone to their "House of Bliss" and the world of "Hay Fever." Although author Noel Coward, who wrote the play in three days in 1922, is renowned for his fast-paced comedies featuring simple jokes within intricate situational contexts, this production questions this light-hearted convention, simultaneously challenging the role of the artist in society. Director Sheriden Thomas and her actors delve into greater emotional depths than those usually found in Coward's plays, while staying true to the comic heart of the piece. Taking place over the span of a weekend, the play centers around the artists of the Bliss family, their two maids and the four civilians they invite to stay in their luxuriously appointed country home. The artists, an author, an actress, a painter and a dancer, each creatively frustrated, decide that they must welcome the society that scorns them into their home in order to break through their artistic malaise. Civilians and artists collide in a highly stylized dance that echoes the conflict between any creative person and the society that their art must inevitably serve. "The creative process is a solitary and often lonely one, even though all art eventually requires an audience. Creativity has a raucous, chaotic, dangerous feel to it, and it's feared, and not socially acceptable," Thomas said. Senior Stefanie Schussel learned about her own creative process as she explored the role of houseguest Myra Arundel, a society siren. Schussel enjoyed discovering "how to mix a vibrant, three-dimensional character with a specificity of physical movement, and then to maintain that precision while making artistic explorations." Freshman Madeline Schussel was challenged by the role of Sorel Bliss, a dancer. "I was stretched both physically and creatively, and found out that I'm less flexible than I thought," she said. This production will challenge the audience's own ideas about art and relationships, and about its creative self. Assistant director, senior Laura Janowitch, feels that "creativity is an innate quality in all of us, put aside in deference to civilized society. The two oppose each other, but life is about the compromise." Lauren Murphy, who plays retired actress Judith Bliss, said "Comedy is pain. Interpersonal relationships are sometimes too strong, and in this show the pain is in how they stretch and snap back together." Murphy and her fellow actors examine familial relationships that are turbulent yet full of love. The discords between family members are at first comical as we watch adolescents squabble and adults posture. Later, however, they are given greater weight as we compare them to the more superficial conflicts played out by the civilians, consisting of games of status and intrigue. In some ways, the whole play is a game, one that must be played to the finish, whether the characters are playing parlor games or those of courtship. Each character joins in, but we soon find that the Bliss family is at an advantage as they systematically strip each guest of their pretension, a process that is an art form in itself. Their manipulations often take place in the form of seductions. As Thomas said, "art is very seductive." Through its captivating exploration of the creative process, "Hay Fever" seeks to seduce the audience into discovering that force within themselves.Performances of "Hay Fever" commence tonight and run through April 23. Tickets can be purchased at the Balch Arena Box Office in the Aidekman Arts Center.
I have to confess my horrible, repulsive habit: I am a trash-digger! Shudder. You may have seen me, bent over the trash cans in Cousens Gym, Tisch or the campus center. With my butt up for everyone to see, I dig through the trash for bottles: clear water bottles, beer cans, soup cans, whatever. And I bet you are wondering why in the world anyone would do this, day after day, thanklessly and embarrassingly. The answer is simple: These bottles and cans are all RECYCLABLE! Gasp. If people stare at me in disbelief as I dig, I am even more perplexed at why the bottles are there in the first place. We are all intelligent and high-achieving students, or at least good are at faking it. Then why do we still throw away recyclables, despite the presence of a recycling bin one foot to the right? Are we Tufts students too busy with our heavy workload? Did some of us not learn how to read the words "trash" and "recycling?" Or are we all simply colorblind, unable to tell the difference between the navy trash bin and the green recycling container? This baffles me. As a professional trash-digger, I have grown accustomed to both the humiliation of my job and the germs I routinely encounter. When I take bottles out of my friends trash cans, I sometimes attempt to be stealthy, hoping they will not notice my disgusting habit, at least at first. And I do not limit myself to trash cans. Anywhere I see discarded recyclables, I feel the call. From the muddy Gatorade bottle, still half-full, lying on the side of College Ave., to the smashed "Beast" can in front of 123, I will pick up anything, anywhere. Several times, I have confronted my friends about their recycling habits, or rather, their lack thereof. Most just shrug, unable to understand why I am so indignant. The only rational explanation that I got was from my friend Sarah, who responded, "It doesn't seem to make sense, because recycling takes so much energy, which pollutes the air. Just throwing something away is easier for me and doesn't take any dirty energy." True, the process of recycling does require a lot of energy. However, energy can be a renewable resource. Instead of nuclear power, coal and electric, we can use solar and wind power. Landfills are extremely limited and we can only put so much trash in until the grime spills into your yard. So, here is my plea to you, students of Tufts. Do not make me dig through the grimy trash cans anymore. Please, Please, PLEASE take the one extra second to toss your water bottle into the recycling bin - you know, the green one with the two holes in the lid? Do it to help me, to help the environment, or in honor of Earth week (which is the third week in April). Otherwise, you can become my fellow trash-digger. Who knows, you may like the job almost as much as I do.Emma Shields is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
