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Many opportunities for undergrad research abroad
March 16Tufts undergraduates interested in pursuing research or education abroad have many options available to them.
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The secret life of...a bartender | Mixing drinks, making money
March 16An undisclosed Patriot player has paid sophomore Alex Maiocco $100 to smile. She has been tipped $400 by another pro athlete. And she has finished up work at 3:30 a.m. only to stick around for another hour with her coworkers drinking their share of free alcohol. Maiocco started bartending at the Rack in Boston last May after garnering an invitation from the owner, to whose children she gave swim lessons. Days before, she had been struggling to get past the front door with her fake ID -she was 20 at the time - but she could now spend hours at a time at the Rack, earning upwards of $1,000 on a Saturday night. "It's fun because you get to go out and you're working at a bar, so there's music and stuff, so it's a fun atmosphere," Maiocco said. "It's definitely not a typical job." The perks are great, but the work is hard. "It's a different lifestyle," she said. "When I work, I can't function during the day. It is a fun job, obviously, but it's hard to get used to." Maiocco began work as a cocktail waitress, but was soon promoted. She had earned her bartending certification, so the owner gave her a shot at the bar. "You don't even need the course if someone can train you," she said. "Most bartenders don't have a license." Maiocco said that the course only teaches the 20 most popular drinks, and that her time behind the bar was her true training ground. "It's good when you start working at a bar because you start making all these obscure drinks you've never heard of in your life," she said. Of course, that training requires time and patience. "My first night I wanted to cry because I was so busy and people were constantly asking for drinks, most of which I had never heard of," Maiocco said. "It was non-stop moving." That night, a group of eight guys kept returning to her with bizarre requests, such as a "woowoo" shot. "I had no idea what it was so I had to ask another bartender, and it was overwhelming," she said. "They kept making up these names that I didn't know." Maiocco finds the position of a female bartender to be a peculiar one. The job often seems like a trade-off between getting hassled by drunk guys and getting a lot of tips. At the Rack, all but two of the bartenders are women. "You definitely get hit on more [as a female bartender]," she said. "Drunk men definitely overstep boundaries. [Male bartenders] don't have to deal with that as much, but they also don't get tipped as much either. It's better to be a female bartender." The rules are simple: watch your patrons, and don't drink while tending bar. The first rule concerns liability: "Technically if you over-serve someone it's your fault, so you need to keep track of how much everyone has been drinking," Maiocco said. "So many people get too drunk and get carried out. I remember I worked on New Year's Eve, and I think I saw about 20 different girls puke." The second rule concerns professionalism. "You are not allowed to drink, but some actors come in and if they want to take shots with you, you do it under the table," she said. However, this practice does not go unnoticed. "So many people I have worked with have been fired for [drinking while bartending]," she said. "It's hard [to resist] if friends come in." But resisting temptation has its benefits: on an average weekend night (Thursday through Saturday), Maiocco earns between $800 and $1,000. Of course, Monday or Wednesday nights can yield as little as $400; still not bad for five hours of work. Considering that the pay she receives from the bar is negligible, she relies heavily upon tips. On a typical night, Maiocco arrives at the Rack at 9 p.m. She tries to get a ride with a coworker or have someone drop her off because parking is a hassle, and she tries to avoid tickets. Things at the bar won't pick up until 11 p.m., so she can ease into the night. The bar will be packed by midnight, which is when the job becomes chaotic. Fortunately for Maiocco, she does not have to make shots past 1 a.m., "so my life gets easier." The bar closes at 2 a.m., but there is still work to do. She and the other bartenders have to take down the bar, replenish any used alcohol, clean up the bar, count the money, and divide the tips evenly among the bartenders. On most nights, Maiocco is done by 3 or 3:30 a.m - the first point in the evening when the bartenders can capitalize on their unlimited access to drinks. If she stays to commiserate, she generally does not leave for home until 4:30 a.m., to sleep and - some weekends - start all over again the next morning. On nights like these, there is no time to spare. As a result, Maiocco had to learn her trade fast. Now she can handle a group of eight like the one on her first night. "If you don't know what a drink is, there's someone there," she said. "Worst comes to worst, we have a book of drinks at the bar to look it up, but that's a last resort. They'd rather you make it up than look it up. It takes much longer." The job has taught Maiocco confidence and street smarts. "When I first started working I was honestly afraid that someone would reach over the bar and grab me, but then you realize they're just drunk and you learn how to handle them," she said. "Being a bartender and working those hours makes me so glad I'm in college and will not being doing this for the rest of my life," she added. "I couldn't do it for more than four months straight. It's really draining."
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Dennis Doyle | The Brunson Burner
March 16When I think of Danny Ainge, the first thing that comes to mind is a T-shirt that reads "I Hate Danny Ainge" in bold letters on the front. The thing is, Ainge was the one wearing the shirt. He once wore it back in his playing days with the Celtics in the late '80s as some bizarre commentary on the fan-player relationship (I am guessing). That is the kind of guy Ainge was as a player, and he has been equally eccentric in the front office. Few would have guessed that the man responsible for nicknaming vintage Pistons guard Vinnie Johnson "The Microwave" would now be the brains behind the most storied NBA franchise. But with the Celtics rolling and winners of nine out of 10 since the return of Antoine Walker, it is starting to seem that there is a method to Ainge's madness. Of course, it did not appear that Ainge had much of a clue at all when he first took control of the team. His first of a string of questionable moves sent Antoine Walker to Dallas on the eve of the 2004 season, essentially in exchange for Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch and a first round pick. To an extent, Antoine was beginning to wear out his welcome in Boston. For a player not known for his shooting range, Walker jacked up a league-leading eight threes a night. Combined with his mopey, self-entitled attitude on the court, Ainge saw enough reason to send Walker packing. While Walker's relationship with the fans and the team was starting to go stale, trading him for the likes of LaFrentz and Welsch was not what anyone could have had in mind. It was hardly a trade of equal value. Walker was a two-time All-Star capable of 20, seven and five per night. Welsch was a prospect with modest potential. LaFrentz ... well, LaFrentz is LaFrentz. He is an injury-prone, underachieving center who plays almost entirely on the perimeter. The only thing more disappointing than his career up to this point is his Robbie Hart Wedding Singer haircut. These were the players Boston was getting for Antoine Walker, and Ainge's motives were rightfully questioned. What did he do to right the ship? He traded the team's defensive leader, Eric Williams, along with Tony Battie, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Chris Mihm and the much-maligned Ricky Davis. In principle, Ainge exchanged head coach Jim O'Brien's favorite player in Williams for an upstart problem child who once shot on his own basket trying to get a triple double. Jim O'Brien shortly resigned after four seasons of getting the Celtics to overachieve, and the team was left in disarray for the remainder of the 2004 season. Later on in 2004, in a way that seemed to add insult to the dubious executive decisions Ainge had made, he acted as the key component of the Rasheed Wallace trade for seemingly no particular reason. The Celtics brought on Chucky Atkins (real deal-breaker there), allowing the Pistons to acquire Wallace and make their postseason run that ended in an NBA title. So not only were the Celtics' faithful utterly baffled at this point, the rest of the Eastern Conference could not have felt anything but pissed that Ainge graciously helped the Pistons win the East and eventually the championship. After the train wreck that was his first season as GM, Ainge looked like perhaps his head was spending too much time close to a microwave. But just as you wondered about Ainge as a player with his eccentric antics, he usually would come through with a big shot. "Shooters shoot," he used to say, and Ainge has kept shooting, and now it appears as if the team has turned a corner. In the offseason, Ainge traded Atkins and stiff-center Mihm for Gary Payton. Payton is over the hill, but he has some serviceable years left at the point position. Ainge did a masterful job in the draft, acquiring studs Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen in the first round. Jefferson has shown promise of becoming a legitimate force in the pivot, and West and Allen already fit remarkably well in Doc Rivers' system. Then, three weeks ago, Ainge pulled off the trade that will most likely define his job as GM up to this point: he traded back for Antoine Walker. In the same way that his "I Hate Danny Ainge" T-shirt made little immediate sense, Ainge dealt for the player whom he dislodged from Boston only a year and a half ago. He reacquired the player who once called Ainge "a snake" and had insisted a personal vendetta was involved upon leaving. Now, any vendetta's gone, no hard feelings, and after resigning the waived Gary Payton, he got Walker for basically nothing - an obsolete Tom Gugliotta and Michael Stewart. And with Walker's contract expiring this summer, the Celtics are not financially obligated either. It has been a total roundabout wild ride for Ainge since he took over as GM two years ago. The exile and return of Antoine Walker has been the most circuitous of all his routes, and yet the team is coming together. At 35-29, his Celtics are poised to make a run in the East and put up a hard fight against Detroit or Miami. With the three-headed monster of Pierce, Walker, and Davis to go along with their standout rookie class, Danny Ainge has this team not far off the class of the Eastern Conference. You may not know where he is coming from, and he might not seem to know either, but Danny Ainge has gotten the Celtics ready to make some noise in the East.Dennis Doyle is a senior majoring in engineering. He can be reached at Dennis.Doyle@tufts.edu.
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Are Kings heir to garage rock throne?
March 16The second album hasn't been kind to many supposed garage rock prodigies; think The Vines' "Winning Days." "Aha Shake Heartbreak" will probably be used by the Kings of Leon's detractors as evidence that they are yet another talentless band thrown into the spotlight because of their long hair and poor hygiene. Though it is far from a perfect album, the Kings' follow-up is much more than the marketing scheme some suggest. The Kings burst out of the South during the garage rock boom several years ago with their debut "Youth and Young Manhood." The music press promptly dubbed them the Southern version of The Strokes, ignoring the fact that they didn't sound particularly like The Strokes, or like traditional Southern rockers such as Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers, for that matter. "Aha Shake Heartbreak" doesn't quite live up to the high hopes of many Kings of Leon fans, but it also isn't a throw-away record. The band's ability to play as a whole has improved dramatically since their last record; their playing could be mistaken for a punk band playing covers of classic rock songs. The tightness of a '70s arena rocker is present, but the Kings play faster and dirtier than .38 Special or The Allman Brothers would ever dare to. Amazingly, the band was able to nail these songs live in the studio, without any overdubs. Recording the album together probably gave the group their newfound sound of energy. It has also made them absolute knock-out in concert. Yet for all the media hype surrounding them, they play surprisingly straight-forward rock with amazing bar band chops. The Kings' dynamic playing, however, is almost completely canceled out by lead singer Caleb Followill's awful vocals. His singing style was mildly obnoxious on "Youth and Young Manhood," but becomes almost completely unbearable in parts of "Aha Shake Heartbreak." His southern warble, which sounds suspiciously forced, has become even more out of tune and at times borders on yodeling. The number of intelligible words Followill sings on the record can probably be counted on hands. And when you do catch some of the lyrics, you end up wishing you hadn't. But since when have lyrics mattered in good old fashioned rock n' roll? Maybe it's just wishful thinking during this never-ending winter, but these songs will sound even better blasting out of your car speakers this summer. "The Bucket," the record's first single, starts out with a guitar part that sounds almost like Franz Ferdinand and then morphs into an absolute barn-burner. Lyrical gems like "cancel that thing I'd said I'd do" aside, you'll be singing every last line after a couple of listens. It's also the song where Caleb has the best control over his vocals. The barks and cracks are in place here, and work to advance the song. "Soft," the track that follows "The Bucket," showcases The Kings weaknesses. The lyrics almost make 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" look subtle. ("I'd come into your party, but I'm soft") Another low point is the closer, "Re-Memo," which sounds like it belongs under a big-top, with its calliope opening and polka-esque rhythm. It's a mystery why they picked this song to end the album; they would have been more successful had they gone out full swing. "Aha Shake Heartbreak" is definitely an album that grows on you. After the first listen, it's not immediately memorable; it doesn't have as many hooks as their debut and the vocals can be grating. There aren't many current bands that play The King of Leon's brand of straight-ahead rock, and maybe that's why the hipsters hate them so much. They aren't advancing rock, or being ironic - they're playing rock for the sake of playing rock. You'll thank them for that when you're blaring "Aha Shake Heartbreak" in your backyard during a barbeque, in your headphones while mowing the lawn, and in your car on the way to the beach this summer. Hopefully touring in support of this album will help Caleb reign in his vocals, and give him some time to write some more intelligent lyrics, so that the Kings of Leon can produce the classic album they just might have in them.
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Inside the A.L. | Yankees vs. Red Sox: Who has the 2005 edge?
March 16The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees battled through all of October on the field. They fought all winter off the field. We all know who won the first battle, but which squad is entering 2005 with the upper hand? Let's break it down:Boston Starting Pitching: Curt Schilling will be the anchor of Boston's staff (as if he wasn't already). Schilling may start the season a few weeks late due to a bout with the flu and some residual ankle problems, but all indications are that he will ultimately be fine. David Wells will step into the number two role. Wells is a left-handed Curt Schilling, except for the fact that he's bald, fatter than Schilling, louder than Schilling (if that's possible), and he doesn't throw as hard. But Wells is a veteran big-game pitcher who throws strikes. Behind Wells will be Matt Clement, who has a lot of upside, but has never been able to put everything together. The back of the rotation should remain the same, with Tim Wakefield and Brandon, ahem, Bronson Arroyo filling in the final two spots. If Wade Miller can get his shoulder healthy, he could be a dangerous mid-season addition. Despite the high pedigree of Boston's staff, they pose a lot more risks than 2004's squad. Schilling is a year older, Wells has back problems, Clement can have control problems, Wakefield can have some very rough patches, and Arroyo is talented but may have pitched over his head last season.New York Starting Pitching: Randy Johnson changes everything. He finally gives New York someone to go toe-to-toe with Schilling. The signing of Carl Pavano is not as significant. Pavano will be playing in a much smaller park, facing a designated hitter, and will have a worse defense playing behind him. He's no ace, but he should give New York 15 wins and 4.00 ERA. The Jaret Wright signing was a puzzler. He looks like he's one of those high-priced free agents ready to fall apart after leaving pitching coach Leo Mazzone. But on the plus side for New York, there's no way Mike Mussina can be as bad as he was in 2004. If Kevin Brown is healthy, he should be pretty solid, but what else is new. Just like Boston, New York's rotation has some question marks. If Brown or Johnson go down with injures, or if Wright implodes, then this team is in trouble. Unlike Boston, they don't have as much depth in the farm system to go out and acquire a top tier player at the deadline.Edge: very slightly to the Yankees.Boston Bullpen: If Matt Mantei is healthy and can come through as a setup man, Boston should be all set. If not, the Sox could struggle in this area. Alan Embree and Mike Timlin are reliable, but aren't close to dominating. Luckily for Boston, Keith Foulke is.New York Bullpen: The addition of Mike Stanton is very big for New York. They missed him dearly the last couple of years. A trio of Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordon, and Stanton is exceptional.Edge: New YorkBoston Lineup: Boston's lineup is consistently among the best in baseball, and it may be even better in 2005. Outfielder Manny Ramirez and designated hitter David Ortiz form a flamboyant and powerful core, but a healthy Trot Nixon could be the wildcard in this lineup. Nixon mashes righties and could make an extremely dangerous platoon partner with reserve Jay Payton. It is possible there will be regressions from players like second baseman Mark Bellhorn and centerfielder Johnny Damon, but a full season from Trot Nixon could make up for these other potential declines. The addition of shortstop Edgar Renteria should help some, but other than his obscenely good 2003 season, he hasn't lit the world on fire with his bat.New York Lineup: Just as Boston will benefit from the return of Trot Nixon, New York should benefit even more from the roid-free return of Jason Giambi. Despite being off the juice, Giambi looks strong and healthy. He has crushed the ball in spring training thus far. Tino Martinez will go back to first base, and Tony Womack will man second base; scare no one. Center fielder Bernie Williams is also declining. However, other than those three spots, the Yankees lineup consists of top-tier All-Stars (Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, etc.). Edge: DrawBoston Defense: Renteria will be a help at shortstop, and other than that things stay pretty much the same for Boston. They will really miss the ability to substitute Pokey Reese and Doug Mientkiewicz late in games.New York Defense: Tino Martinez will help improve the defense at first. Still, if Bernie Williams is patrolling centerfield, the Yankees are in deep trouble. It might help if they give him a wheelchair to help him chase down fly balls.Edge: Draw Conclusion: These teams are so close in talent that it should be fun to watch the season unfold. But right now, New York's superior bullpen combined with its very slight starting pitching advantage make the Yankees better positioned to excel in the playoffs. However, all bets are off if Boston can pick up a top quality player before the trade deadline.
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Gewirtz to run for Somerville alderman seat
March 16For the first time in four years, John Connolly will face stiff competition in the race for Somerville's Ward 6 Alderman position in November.
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Vet School plans major expansion, upgrade of hospital
March 16The Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine plans to considerably expand its animal care facilities.
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Why I hate Lawrence Bacow
March 16Since arriving at Tufts, I have noticed that it is popular for students to dump on our president, Larry Bacow, for his enforcement of certain "laws" imposed by our "national government" which students find unfavorable. I am referring, of course, to this man's crusade against binge drinking at Tufts. This is a very hot topic not only at Tufts, but in a given week it is likely that there will be at least one article on it in every non-Mormon school newspaper around the country. Bacow, or as those of us who know him call him, "Bac-attack," has chosen his side on this issue, and that side seems to favor "The Man" or as he will be referred to for the rest of this article "All Three Branches of the Federal Government." My beef with Larry is not his alcohol policy, though; I am furious with him for never delivering me a basket of fresh fruit. I love fresh fruit, and I am sure that Bacow enjoys many a fresh orange in his stylish modern kitchen. Why do I have to go all the way to the dining hall to get a banana? Why is there not a basket of fresh fruit sitting outside my door every Monday? Why is Bacow the only person who gets to enjoy fresh fruit in his private space everyday? Some people might argue that the alcohol issue is far more important than whether or not I am getting all my vitamins and minerals. Make no mistake, these people are dirt bags. They also probably enjoy fresh fruit baskets every Monday morning courtesy of President Bacow. Is that your game, Bacow, giving fresh fruit to your opponents on the alcohol issue so that they will ignore actual problems that exist at Tufts and focus on a moot point? I am on to you, Larry, and if I do not start getting fresh fruit, you are going to see some serious criticism of your alcohol-related policies featured in the Daily written by my withered, vitamin C-deficient hand. Damn you, Lawrence Bacow, damn you for not giving me the fruit that is rightfully mine. You just waltz around in your big house with its cool name assuming everyone is going to argue themselves to death about the issue of binge drinking on campus and nobody is going to call you out on what you really are: a fruit miser. I cannot count how many surveys I have had to fill out on how much I drank last week, but not one of those surveys has asked how my scurvy is advancing. Now, as I write this Viewpoint, I can feel my teeth loosening. If only I had a fresh fruit basket of which I could get some of that needed vitamin C. I ask you to remember back to a time in December when everyone was getting antsy about just how Bacow was going to treat the hallowed Tufts tradition of the Naked Quad Run. Questions like: "Is he going to enforce the law and not allow underage people to drink?" "If I drink a bottle of vodka will I still be able to run?" and "Am I even big enough to run?" were on the tip of everyone's tongue, and the bastard even let people do it anyway. It was a classic case of salutary neglect, but let me tell you something else that was getting neglected: my fresh fruit basket. I do not want my words here to be taken out of context. I never actually said that Larry Bacow bears a striking resemblance to Mussolini; I only implied that his withholding of my fruit basket would make said Italian dictator clap his hands with delight. While everyone at Tufts concerns themselves with this apparently serious issue of freshmen getting TEMSed in the dorms before midnight, I am just going to sit in my dorm room and wait for my fresh basket of fruit. I would also like to end by hypothesizing on just why students binge drink. I have heard that in many cases, scurvy leads to irrational behavior. I am sure that if one was to check the records every student who has been TEMSed this year has never received a fresh basket of fruit from this "upholder of the law."Forrest Graham is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
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Men's Crew | Preview
March 16The men's crew team is pumped up and ready for the upcoming spring season. With a young team consisting of only four seniors, the team may have to overcome some obstacles inherent to a young crew, but still has hope for a successful season on the water. Last year's squad had a strong fall season and performed well at the New England Championships, where the second varsity eight finished third and the third varsity eight finished first. At the biggest race from last fall, the Head of the Charles regatta, the team finished in the middle of the pack, placing 24th of 53 teams. Varsity coach Jay Britt was brought in for the fall season and faced the challenge of getting acquainted with the team, along with putting together the boats as individually cohesive units. The fall season, which is often seen as a preparatory time for spring, offered an opportunity for the Jumbos to gain a better understanding of their new coach and to create a general idea of what they hope to accomplish in the future. Sophomore Mike Abare explained how success will result from a group effort and strong guidance by the coach and team captain. "With solid leadership from our captain [junior] Ben Harburg, and having an entire team that rowed both in the fall and all of last year, we certainly have an experienced crew," Abare said. "That's the beauty of this sport, it's all about the team and how we can work together to accomplish our goals. Our coach has been hammering a solid work ethic and emphasizing how we should give it all we have, especially when we're on the water." During the fall season, the Jumbos had mixed results, but overall, racing was successful. The fall season is used as a building block for the spring, and the team has spent the winter in the weight room trying to improve its performance. The crew hopes to avoid a replay of last spring, when it struggled in the beginning of the season after shifting members around in an attempt to find a rhythm. This resulted in a few disappointing losses and the presentation of new challenges as the season continued. Even though many of the boats put up good times at the races, the Jumbos could not seem to place as well as they would have liked. Coach Britt expressed his faith in the team, emphasizing that high morale will be important to a strong season. "I think the guys will surprise themselves, as well as the other people in our league, when it comes time to race," Britt said. "And we're going to focus on each individual race as a separate challenge." The team has individually strong rowers, and the challenge that it now faces is to bring together its assets and form a cohesive unit. "We need to continue to find our identity, to find out who we are as a crew and as a team," Britt added. "And as we face each day, hopefully we'll come together for this season." The rowers has been practicing in the early morning hours, starting at 5:45 a.m., allowing themselves the longest possible time on the water. The rigorous practices may seem daunting, but they are the only way for the team to improve its chances of reaching Nationals later in the spring. "Throughout our grueling winter training, a lot of guys made improvements in their strength and endurance on the erg machines [rowing simulation machines]," Abare said. "And that means we'll be going faster than before and we'll be ready for action this spring." This upcoming weekend, as spring break begins, the men will head off for double-sessions, spending much of their time focusing on improving their rhythm. The first scheduled competition is on Saturday, April 2, which will pit the men against teams from Boston College, Trinity and the Coast Guard Academy.
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Men's Track and Field | Season Wrap-up
March 16The indoor season for the men's track and field team is officially over, but unlike many of Tufts' winter athletes who can enjoy some time off, the Jumbos are simply taking their running shoes outside for the outdoor season and jumping right back into intense competition. And if the results of the indoor season are any indication for how the outdoor season will progress, the outcome looks strong. "I think it was a really successful season in terms of the age of the team," coach Connie Putnam, in his 21st year as head coach, said. "In terms of the way we performed during championship season, school records and All-American performances, it was among our best." "We scored in three events at the NCAAs," Putnam added. "That's a first. Most importantly, we brought six All-Americans back [from Nationals]. That's very unusual." The season ended on a high note at Nationals. In one of the year's highlights, sophomore Fred Jones tied his career-best mark to place second in the long jump. Senior Nate Brigham took eighth in the 5K and the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team also placed eighth. It took awhile to get there. The indoor season was long, starting back in December, and the Jumbos had their fair share of struggles throughout. Athletes battled the winter flu and other various injuries, struggled to get in shape after semesters abroad, and faced tough competition in the NESCAC. The first meet the Jumbos competed in during the indoor season was the Husky Classic. In this non-scoring meet, junior Matt Lacey and sophomore Fred Jones provisionally qualified for the Nationals in the 5,000 and the triple jump, respectively. After training hard over winter break, the team opened 2005 with a bang. The Jumbos beat eight other teams to win their first Jumbo Invitational, and then 11 other teams to win the second Jumbo Invitational. They ultimately won their third Invite for a sweep of all the home scoring regular-season meets. A DMR team consisting of senior Brian McNamara and juniors Trevor Williams, Patrick Mahoney and Matt Fortin made some noise at the Boston University Terrier Invitational when they competed against tough Div. I, II and III competition and finished in a time of 10:07.02 to provisionally qualify for Nationals and set a new school record for Tufts indoor track (previously 10:10.85, set in 2001). The DMR team, with senior Aaron Kaye replacing an ailing McNamara, then attempted to improve its time at the St. Valentine's Invitational. The team ran a 10:01.33, which pushed them up in the National rankings and rewrote the record books once again. The Valentine Invite proved to be an important meet for Tufts, as Brigham qualified for the 5K (14:36.59) and Lacey improved his qualifying time (14:43.43) as well. One disappointment for the Jumbos was the New England Div. III Championships. Although Tufts dominated in the long-distance events, Williams out-shone the Jumbos in the sprints and won the meet for its second consecutive year: an upset considering Tufts' talent. The Jumbos took second, and Jones set a career best and school record in the long jump with a mark of 7.24. "We wanted to do a little better at the New England Div. III Championship meet at home," Brigham said. "We wanted to win. But because we didn't accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish in indoors, we're looking at it as a stepping stone for oudoors." "We need to fundamentally give the young sprinters a little more confidence," Putnam said. "I think they're talented, we just need more experience. We [also] need more sprinters on the squad, but we're very satisfied [with the team's current sprinters], they've worked hard, and by next year they should be quite good." At the Open New England Championships at Boston University, Kaye ran a 2:28.93 in the 1,000 and broke the record of 2:29.332 set in 1982 by Paul Murray, capping off a successful season. "We only got beat in head-to-head competition by MIT during the regular campaign," Putnam added. "And then we were second at New England [Div. III's]. That's always good to stay in the top three at Div. III's, and we only lost that meet by a smidgen. By and large, it's as good of a season as we've ever had." At the end of the regular season, many Jumbos sat on top of the rankings in New England Div. III. Jones led in both the triple and long jump, Brigham was first in the 5K and Lacey was third, and Fortin was first in the 1,000 (2:30.68). The standings reflect another strong season for the distance program. "Lacey is probably the most consistent 5K guy in the years I've been here," Putnam said. "He put down more under-15:00 performances than anyone else in the history of the program." "Fred Jones, from the standpoint of leadership and team presence, he certainly did a great job in the jumps," Putnam added. "In terms of middle distance, Trevor Williams and Aaron Kaye did a good job. We had some great performances from a freshman, Nate Scott, in that realm [as well]." With a group of talented underclassmen, the Jumbos have plenty to look forward to this spring and next year. "We had a lot of good performances form the young guys," Brigham said. "There are definitely a few seniors leaving on a high note, like Aaron Kaye. We were excited to see how he's emerged as a middle-distance star. It was a really good season, something to build on for outdoors."
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All people and racism
March 16The Viewpoint "White people and racism," by Alex Weissman (March 10), disgusts me. I did not expect to be called a racist when I sat down at dinner and opened my copy of the Daily. Despite the three upcoming midterms I have on my plate, I felt compelled to respond. The author claims that white people do not feel comfortable going to the Africana Center. He then speculates that this is because they are overtly or at least implicitly racist. Does this mean that black people who have never set foot in the Latino Center are racist against Latinos? Taking the argument one step further, could one argue that every member of the Tufts community who has not attended every culture center is a racist? If that is the case, I wonder what percentage of students has actually been to every center. There is not a study that I know of that has recorded these numbers. Despite this, I would venture to say that most people at Tufts are racist against at least one group under these superficial criteria. The article claims that "institutionalized racism keeps Asian American studies out of the Tufts curriculum." Good point. As a person who is partially Irish American, I have often wondered why I cannot major in Irish studies. And since we were discussing culture houses, I have been having trouble finding the Irish culture house at Tufts. Realizing that it did not exist, I was momentarily tempted to decide that Tufts had "institutional racism" against the Irish. Then I realized the impracticality of having academic programs and centers for every race and culture. A particular statement from Weissman's Viewpoint strikes me as so illogical and demonstrably false that I suspect that if I paraphrase it here I will be accused of having distorted it. I will therefore quote it directly. "I got into Tufts because I am white." I do not know you, and I do not know your high school. However, I would be very surprised to learn that every white kid in your grade got into Tufts or a better school. I do know something about the admissions process at Tufts, having gone through it myself, and I can assure you that being white will not cause you to be recruited. I must assume that you got into Tufts because you are smart. You seem to have made the mistake common to so many players of the race-card of confusing an economic advantage with a racial one. Your family moved into the suburbs because you had the money necessary to do so. A black family possessing the same wherewithal could have easily done the same. Next, Weissman questions why he only read one book by an African American author in his time at high school. I do not know why this is. If anyone is concerned about this, stop by Tisch and check one out. The situation is easily remedied. I will close with a word of advice to Alex and anyone else interested in getting white people (or anybody) to go to the Africana Center. Instead of speculating that it is because the people who do not go are racist, try to hold more fun events that reach out to other groups. These can show off the great aspects of African culture, but should not focus on issues of race. I am not Jewish, yet I have attended Hillel many times because they make the effort to make outsiders feel welcome there through a variety of enjoyable events. And when they are unsuccessful, I doubt they and their allies say even privately to each other, "Damn Gentiles, they must hate Jews."Francis Curren is a sophomore majoring in history.
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Former AP president speaks on contemporary media
March 16Former President and CEO of the Associated Press (AP) Lou Boccardi spoke on modern journalism in Cabot Auditorium last night in the most recent installment of the Charles Francis Adams Lecture Series.
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The Tufts Experience: Make it what you want it to be
March 16I'd like to respond to Adam Pulver's recent viewpoint ("Blind admission," March 7). I write not so much to defend the admissions department, which Pulver vilified (apparently the fact that schools are interested in high SAT scores and yield rates is a revelation for him). Rather, I write to attempt to point readers in a different direction than where Pulver has so oft urged during his tenure at Tufts. The common theme in Pulver's writings is that something is wrong at Tufts. In the column he wrote for the Daily it seemed like he was making a different attack each week. From the administration to the students, Pulver found something to criticize with every Tufts organization. Furthermore, he often made thinly-veiled allusions to groups with whom he had had falling outs. This semester his column in the Daily ended and the campus hadn't heard from Pulver until he published his March 7 viewpoint. The reason I write this short history is to point out that Pulver's allegations must be taken with a grain of salt. He has criticized every possible person, been forced out or "resigned" from several on-campus groups, all the while writing often self-aggrandizing columns pointing the blame elsewhere. I posit that perhaps the problem is not Tufts, its groups, its admissions department, its nutritional policy or any number of other recipients of scorn from Pulver. Maybe, just maybe, the problem lies elsewhere. This leads me to the second point of this viewpoint: college is what YOU make of it. Tufts can only influence you one way or the other so much. Everybody has things they dislike about Tufts. I wish there were fewer requirements, and that prices weren't so high. Others wish there was more "Jumbo" spirit. Even the professors probably don't like working in their cramped, sometimes windowless offices - but, hey, that's Tufts. For everything bad about Tufts, there are things that are great. I, for one, think the faculty in the German department is excellent. Others find pride in taking part in the EPIIC program or attending one of the seemingly hundreds of lectures that occur every semester. Tufts certainly provides plenty of exciting opportunities, as well as many frustrating policies, all under the umbrella of what all of my friends would agree is a challenging academic environment. Neither these policies nor opportunities force you to have a good or bad time at Tufts. One can simply choose to ignore the policies they like or for that matter, get involved in changing them, but it is important to recognize that Tufts itself can not ruin your day, so to speak. I've had my difficulties with Tufts, as well as personal issues while attending the University. I found it important to differentiate between Tufts causing the problems, and my own experience with such problems while I was at Tufts. By doing so, I have, along with tens of thousands of other current and former Jumbos, successfully negotiated my way to commencement without finding it necessary to burn every bridge I cross. Some of us have even managed to graduate from Tufts (or anticipate doing so) as happy adults, content with most aspects of our college education.Claude Mendelson is a senior majoring in political science.
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Inside Fitness | Control, positioning key to good workout
March 16This week, I'm not going to begin with a question. I'm instead going to try my best to impart upon the Tufts population the importance of not doing stupid things in the gym. I want to say first that I harbor no delusions of grandeur. I know the entire student body does not read Inside Fitness religiously. I also know that the one person who does read it religiously is my mom. That point aside, this edition will do its best to give you some basic tenets to follow while working out. If you at least keep these things in mind, you should have more productive gym time.Speed: You are not racing anyone. No, not the guy next to you on the treadmill, not the guy tweaking out under the squat rack. Perform your exercises in a slow, controlled manner. A frantic tempo when lifting invites injury, messes up your form, and makes you look like you've just come from a coke party (which I know may be true for some of you, but the entire campus endowment couldn't afford the amount of coke it would take to make all those people lift like jittery hummingbirds ... so I know it can't be true for all of you).Range of Motion: I don't care what you read in Men's Fitness. Don't even try to explain that "in the latest issue of Flex ..." For the uninjured, a full range of motion is the most fundamental aspect of lifting weights. Doing half-reps on the bench press may allow you to put more weight on the bar, but you are certainly short-changing your chest development. Throwing your chin at the bar when you reach the top of a pull-up may make you feel cool - hey, a nice flick of the chin is a universal meathead greeting where I'm from- but it's not going to allow you to develop the back strength and mass you are looking for.Bad Position: If you find your body in any of the following positions, stop what you're doing:*Knees leaning out over your toes (common when squatting)*Wrists behind your head (any sort of behind-the-neck exercises, such as pull-downs or military presses).*Locked knees (never lock out your legs when you are lifting. This goes for squats, leg presses, and any other exercise where you have weight resting on your legs).*Neck turned (common when struggling to lift heavy weight during most compound movements, bench press in particular. Keep your eyes straight ahead during all exercises).Ab exercises: People do so many ridiculous things that I could devote an entire column to this, but here's the rundown:*Ab exercises are meant to be felt, not merely completed. If you find yourself doing 1000 crunches in the gym, you are simply not doing them right. Tempo should be relatively slow on the up and down portion of the exercise. On the up portion, crush your abs together as if they constituted an accordion. *DON'T PULL ON YOUR NECK. And I'll say it again, too. DON'T PULL ON YOUR NECK. Having your hands behind your head inevitably leads to neck-tugging. This can lead to injury, it lessens the effectiveness of the exercise, and it will probably make you sick from all the neck and chinning.*Keep your lower back as flat on the mat as you can. Please, pass this along to your favorite gym idiot and hope he or she reads it. While I do not claim to be preaching fitness gospel, this advice is simple logic that everyone could figure out if they stopped to think before they worked out.
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Boston Jazz Collective brings music to the masses
March 16Daniel Blake will be the first to tell you that finding one's place in the unforgiving and overwhelmingly crowded music world is not easy: "I've got a little bit too much stress, and I don't sleep a lot," said the Tufts alum (LA '03). But despite all the challenges that come with being a young artist, this jazz saxophonist and composer has set a goal much larger than himself: changing the face of jazz in Boston. With co-director Marianne Solivan, Blake founded the Boston Jazz Collective (BJC), an organization committed to fostering community in this "very solitary, very individualistic" art form. According to Blake, "the community aspect has been lost in the last three decades ... and we are trying to create an environment to cultivate this." The BJC produces a free monthly newsletter and a website containing a musician/band database, where Boston-area musicians and jazz fans can network and share gig information. Through regular BJC-organized concerts, Blake hopes to educate Boston audiences about the importance of the music that he is so passionate about. In the most recent BJC newsletter, Blake jokingly hypothesized why jazz is less popular than baseball in Boston: "Jazz is not as important to Bostonians as baseball because most Boston baseball fans probably don't know what jazz really is, and wouldn't know where to go even if they did! What if [the Red Sox] played jazz instead of baseball?" But, even in an imaginary perfect world where crazy metaphors came true and jazz became as popular as baseball in sports-obsessed Boston, Blake would shun the dogmatism that often comes with being a Red Sox fan. His style is all about letting musicians and fans do what they want, and not saying "it has to be that way." Accordingly, the BJC does not require or promote any one form of jazz; "we aren't trying to force-feed jazz on anyone," said Blake. The idea for the BJC came from frequent appearances at the usual Tufts venues as an undergrad. Blake regularly participated in jam sessions at Brown & Brew, Hotung and especially Oxfam. "I would sometimes play [at Oxfam] every week for months." As a double-degree student with the New England Conservatory, however, Blake had little time to participate in extra-curricular activities, save for a stint on the cycling team during freshman year. The child-development and jazz performance major speaks highly of the NEC program, which is one of the few of its kind in the nation. Even while enrolled at a prestigious conservatory, however, Blake felt at home in the Tufts music department, which he feels is "underappreciated." He counts John McDonald, the music chair, as one of his greatest mentors. "If I hadn't met him, I wouldn't be as developed. I owe a lot to him." In addition to running the BJC, Blake devotes much of his time to teaching. A full studio of sax students and a teaching position at a South Boston charter school keep him insanely busy. "I'm throwing my guts into music right now." But he insisted first and foremost on one thing, "I am a jazz musician." Blake is intense but thoughtful about his music, describing his own work as "straddling many different fences ... attempting to combine many influences, with American jazz as the central influence." Accordingly, he prefers to write compositions that "allow me to set my own parameters," and his list of musical influences reflects musicians who are not known for a cookie-cutter approach to music: Thelonious Monk, Sydney Bechet and B?©la Bartok, just to name a few. The former Jumbo also credited his semester spent in the Tufts-in-Paris program as providing him with "a whole different way of thinking about sound. [Paris] totally affected the way I play the saxophone." There, Blake often collaborated with musicians from around the world, including many from the Middle East. His latest work, a "Party Suite" comprised of four movements, reveals Blake's disgust for dogma and love of experimentation and influence mixing. Recently featured at the Artists-at-Large gallery in Hyde Park, the composition is a playful musical story of someone getting ready to go out and party, including everything from the "lazy morning shuffle" in the morning to the actual main event. Contemporary, yet without any of the boring stuffiness typically associated with "modern" music, the piece is fun to listen to, mixing frequent, well-timed melodic intervals with thoughtful improvised interludes. Eventually, Blake hopes to attend grad school in order to improve his artistry, both in composition and performance. But he's always thinking about the larger picture: "I like making my own music, but I want to fit into something bigger than myself."
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Leisure Reading for your Spring Break
March 16Before you head off toward a week full of hangovers or Volunteer Vacations, the Arts Department thought they'd provide a suggested list of books to pick up for some relaxing beach reading. "Weetzie Bat" - Francesca Lia Block You may have to venture into the young adult section to find this gem, but at a mere 128 pages, this offbeat fable is a must-have for any plane ride. The book follows the misadventures of the feather headdress-wearing Weetzie, a slinkster-cool California girl who gets three wishes from a genie. The tiny tome reads like a magical realist's love letter to L.A; Block's ecstatic prose transforms the city into a gorgeously gritty Technicolor dreamscape that can feel like Shangri-L.A. one minute and Hell-A the next. A surreal fairy tale, the book is about finding love and creating your own family (Weetzie's baby has not one, not two, but three proud fathers) and about imagining a world where love really can conquer all. - eventually. - Jacqueline Houton "The Rum Diary" - Hunter S. Thompson The doctor was best known for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," his political commentaries and his sports writing, but "The Rum Diary" is actually one of his best works. Written while the Gonzo spirit was alive and kicking but before everything went to the dogs in a haze of drug-induced psychosis, "The Rum Diary" is an (ironically) sober account of a carousing journalist in Puerto Rico that is, undoubtedly, partly autobiographical. It's actually poignant and intelligent. - Valerie Chung "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, And How Baseball Got Big" - Jose Canseco The former baseball star, a six-time All Star selection, turned the baseball world upside down with his account of steroid abuse during his playing days. Canseco names names in the book, including Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez as steroid takers. As a result of the hysteria created in part by the book, a number of players are being subpoenaed to appear before Congress and testify today. Is there any truth to the allegations in the book? Read it and decide for yourself. - Dave Cavell "The Pleasure of My Company" - Steve Martin It's your standard obsessive-compulsive genius hides away from the world and charms us with zany antics and a good heart story, of course, but this surprisingly insightful novella about an ex-computer programmer is refreshingly and irrepressibly funny. Brought to you by the multi-talented actor/comedian/writer Steve Martin, it's light, genuine, and set in sunny California. Better than a beach read, but not a big commitment, read and enjoy the pleasure of its company. - Stephanie Vallejo "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto" -Chuck Klosterman You'll never watch "Saved by the Bell" the same way again. Or, for that matter, listen to Billy Joel, eat breakfast cereal, or play "The Sims." Klosterman is practically the Seinfeld of essayists; he's a culture critic who writes about "nothing." While the rants can get overly-analytical and the essays at the back end of the book drag on, this collection is a thoroughly enjoyable examination of what makes our world tick. Be prepared to chuckle at humanity's own stupidity and at Klosterman's twisted little world. - Brian Wolly
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Wyclef, Goldfinger, The Walkmen to headline at Spring Fling concert
March 16Reggae rapper Wyclef Jean, indie band The Walkmen and ska band Goldfinger will headline Spring Fling on Saturday, April 30. Tickets will go on sale Monday the 25th. "We wanted this year's Spring Fling to have a very different flavor compared to that of previous years," said Sheena Harris, co-chair of Concert Board. "This Spring Fling was really geared towards hitting a diverse music audience at Tufts." Jean is best known as the lead rapper and guitarist for the now-defunct band the Fugees. He is now a solo artist, and has released two albums - "Preacher's Son" in 2003 and "Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101," last October. Jean fuses his island-born reggae instincts with his love for hip-hop and throws a bunch of other musical influences into the mix. He has collaborated with Santana and Destiny's Child. Goldfinger, currently wrapping up their tour for their new album "Disconnection Notice," which came out last month, are known for putting on energy-fueled shows. Along with bands like Sublime, Rancid and No Doubt, Goldfinger were part of the ska-punk movement of the mid-to-late '90s. They have toured alongside bands such as the Sex Pistols and Reel Big Fish, and played on the Vans Warped Tour. The Walkmen are riding the current popularity of indie bands. Last November, the band was featured on "The O.C." Their influences include Hendrix, The Violent Femmes, the Amps and Neil Young. The band's music is driven by piano and organ in addition to the more traditional guitars, bass and drums. Their second full-length album, "Bows and Arrows," was released last year, and they continue to build a reputation as an up-and-coming act. After last year's spring fling local residents complained about hearing loud profanity from acts Less Than Jake and the Sugar Hill Gang. Harris said Concert Board worked to make sure this year's Spring Fling received fewer complaints. The winner of Tufts' Battle of Bands will open the show. The competition will be held on April 9 in the Hotung Caf?© of the campus center beginning at 12 p.m. Tickets for Spring Fling will be free for all students and each student is allowed to bring five guests. Guest tickets will cost $20.
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Anti-war rally brings forth a range of speeches
March 16Students, faculty and community members gathered on the Tisch Library Patio at approximately 11:45 a.m. yesterday to rally for an end to the war in Iraq. The rally followed a week of anti-war events sponsored by the Tufts Coalition Opposed to the War in Iraq (TCOWI) in preparation for what graduate student and TCOWI leader Joe Ramsey called a "global weekend of action to oppose the war." This Saturday will mark the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the war. Large protests are scheduled to be held in New York City and on the Boston Common, on Saturday and Sunday respectively. "We expect thousands of people to be in the Boston Commons on Sunday," Ramsey said. "Our goal is to educate, agitate, organize ... and push members of the Tufts community, who are on the fence now, to protest the war." The first people to show up at Tisch, primarily members of TCOWI, held up signs, hit water jugs like drums, and chanted slogans as students and faculty members walked by. Physics Professor Gary Goldstein was among those present. "I've been opposed to this war since before it started," Goldstein said. "The fact that the reasons [to invade] were bogus was clear to me two and a half years ago." The messages written on the signs ranged from bashing the war to supporting the right to protest. One sign read: "We support the troops, bring them home now!" while another read: "Dissent is Democratic." The protestors recited chants such as "Stop the war, it's about time - Bush's war is still a crime!" By 12:15 p.m., between 20 and 25 people had assembled on the Tisch steps. At that point the marching and chanting stopped, and the floor was opened for short speeches. Graduate student and member of TCOWI Dan DiMaggio, was the first to speak. DiMaggio briefly explained the purpose behind the rally and introduced each speaker in turn. Senior Jesse Lessinger and freshman Sarah Lawson - the only undergraduate speakers - followed DiMaggio's lead. Lessinger discussed the "Not in our Name Project" and its "Statement of Conscience," which condemned many of the policies of the Bush administration, including but not limited to the war in Iraq. Lawson focused on her friend's experiences as an American soldier in Iraq. She said that while her friend had some good experiences there, the situation was worsening and he was being forced to stay longer than he had originally been assigned. Other speeches came from History Professor Gary Leupp, Veterans for Peace member Mark Alston-Follansbee, St. Paul, Minn. resident and The Socialist Alternative member Brent Perry, as well as Ramsey. Topics ranged from brainstorming ways to encourage people to support the anti-war movement, to the problems with the U.S. Army recruiting in high schools. Between each speech, the group broke back into chants and engaged in some informal chatter. English Professor Deborah Digges said she was "appalled" by the lack of support Tufts students were showing for the cause. Graduate student Erin Dwyer responded to Digges' comment and said that the war in Iraq may not be relevant enough to the lives of Tufts students since "they are the future CEOs of Enron." Digges said that "we are living in 1984," in a society filled with fear. Ramsey closed with a poem entitled "Low Road," and said that TCOWI is working to "turn hearts and minds against this war."
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Saj Pothiawala | The Saj of Tao
March 16Writing a column every week is not as easy as it sounds. Sure, I make it look easy, but that's like saying Nancy Kerrigan makes getting hit in the back of her leg with a lead pipe look easy. And that's exactly my point. No, not what I just said. Rather, what I just did. I made a Nancy Kerrigan joke. That was more than 11 years ago. I might as well have brought up Monica Lewinsky or Manute Bol. Hey, remember when Jerry Falwell thought that Teletubby was gay? HA! The point I am (poorly) trying to get at here is that it's hard to think of funny things to say every week, and often what you get, especially from me, is something useless and not truly that funny. Case in point: last week the first sentence of my column was just the name of a popular STD. I suppose that's funny. But how funny is it really? It's just a cheap laugh - I copped out. If you laughed at it, it was probably for either of the two following reasons. The first: shock value. You, presumably a decent, well-kempt, STD-free individual, were sitting in class on a Thursday afternoon and your boring lecture forced you to open your copy of the Daily. What did you see directly below my stupid-looking face? GONORRHEA. And you snarfed your Orangina all over the sleeve of the dude that fell asleep in the seat next to yours. You were not expecting gonorrhea (in fact, not many people do expect it) and you find its presence in your lecture hall incredibly hilarious. But it's not funny. In this case, gonorrhea served only as a comedic enhancer. It works as setup and punch-line, but out of context most people would not find it funny. The actual joke is the idea of starting off the column with something shocking. Gonorrhea does not create the funny, it just makes the funny funnier. The second: you're as immature as I am. I ALWAYS find gonorrhea funny, especially when it's in all capital letters. In fact, I could be sitting on the examination table at my doctor's office and hear from the doctor that I have it, and I would absolutely burst out laughing (assuming I was not debilitated by the burning). I just find it funny. It could be because it's a disease that wears many hats. Gonorrhea could walk past you in a club wearing low-rise jeans and a belly shirt. Gonorrhea could stand in the corner of the latest Busta Kappa party sipping on the Kool-aid punch and sucking a lollipop. It could even be READING THIS COLUMN RIGHT NOW. And that's funny. But most likely it's because gonorrhea changes the way your winky works. And yes, I am that immature. Back to my point, though: gonorrhea, despite what I think, is not really that funny. And here's what I'm driving at: it means nothing. Nothing. What possible good do I create in this world by writing self-indulgent columns about my impending unemployment or advising a bunch of spoiled college kids on how to spend their spring break? Where's the thought-provoking satire? Where's the biting social commentary? Where's the beef? See, there I go again. Making a stupid joke. I have an idea: maybe I'll reference an '80s television show right now! That'll appeal to your collective sense of nostalgia and aid me in endearing myself to you. Hey, let's talk about that "Full House" episode where Kimmy Gibbler pierced Stephanie's ear for her! Or even about how Judy the youngest daughter just disappeared after the fourth season of "Family Matters"! Of course I'm being overly cynical, almost absurdly so. I enjoy writing about irrelevant, self-indulgent college things because I am an irrelevant, self-indulgent college student. You enjoy reading what I write because you are just like me, and don't pretend you aren't, because you hide it just as well as you stay sober on the weekends. College affords us positions as the irresponsible youth of society. For many of us, the only responsibility we have is to keep ourselves alive for four years before carrying on to the next level. But I ask you, Tufts University, to take off your blinders. Pretend that you did not just put 200 dining dollars on your bursar's account so that you can have your six-dollar sandwich from the campus center. Pretend your trash was not taken out for you today and your bathrooms weren't cleaned. Pretend you did not go to breakfast at 2 p.m. last Sunday. And pretend that you did not charge all your textbooks this semester to your parents' credit card so that you could spend your own money on alcohol and marijuana. It's easy to get caught up in college life, to waste four hours a day downloading blooper videos off of ebaumsworld, to laugh when you see GONORRHEA in print. Next time, though, I challenge you, do not laugh at GONORRHEA. Keep yourself from accepting my stupid references to '80s sitcoms as worth the minutes it takes you to read them. In fact, just stop reading my stupid column. Read Paul Krugman. Read George Will. And if you appreciate ignorance and hatred, read Ann Coulter. They make you think. Just don't read Saj Pothiawala; it's just not worth it. Have a happy St. Patrick's Day.
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Police Briefs
March 16Wren Hall residents caught with marijuana At approximately 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a call complaining of a suspicious odor in Wren Hall. Upon arriving at the scene, TUPD officers determined the smell to be that of marijuana. Officers traced the smell to a room and asked to speak with the resident. The resident, as well as two other students in the room, promptly admitted to smoking the substance. According to the officers, the students were very cooperative and gave the remaining marijuana to the authorities. The students were informed by the authorities that a report would be filed with the Dean of Students Office.Student exposes himself to residential assistant TUPD officers were dispatched to an undisclosed dorm on Friday, Mar. 11 due to a complaint regarding indecent exposure reported at 11:18 p.m. Upon arrival, officers interrogated the victim, a residential assistant (RA) of the dorm. According to the RA, a male student came to her room and exposed himself as part of a prank. The female RA did not want to press charges, but did want the authorities to document the incident. TUPD officers subsequently filed with the Dean of Students Office. According to TUPD records, the perpetrator was unaware that exposing himself had legal ramifications.Multiple incidences of vandalism linked On the morning of Saturday, Mar. 12 at approximately 8:30 a.m., a resident of Houston Hall reported an incident of vandalism. The resident reported that the back windshield of her Volkswagen vehicle had been broken, allegedly with a block of wood. Later on Mar. 12, at approximately 12:30 p.m., residents noticed spray paint graffiti on the side of Houston Hall. According to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers, the obscenities may have been directed toward the resident of Houston whose vehicle had been vandalized earlier that day. The officers who reported to the scene dispatched a liaison officer to the dorm to speak with students. The cases are still under investigation and police have no suspect at this time. Regarding the destruction of motor vehicle parts, TUPD Sergeant Rich McConaghy advised those with cars to "be aware of their surroundings" when they park their cars and, should an incident of vandalism occur, they should "report the incident to the authorities and take photographs of the destroyed part."Student in possession of tampered IDs On the morning of Sunday, Mar. 13 at approximately 12:23 a.m., Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers observed a motor vehicle traveling down Professors Row at excessive speeds. The officers followed the car to Packard Avenue, where the driver - a student - stopped and exited the vehicle. When officers asked the suspect for identification (ID), the driver at first refused but relented after further insistence. According to TUPD records, the suspect allegedly falsified several of his IDs. The falsified IDs were promptly confiscated and given to the campus detective for a follow-up investigation. Authorities filed a report with the Dean of Student's Office.
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