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The Secret Life of...a shoplifter | It all started with a key chain...

March 2

Freshman arrival: the first day of Orientation, and one of the busiest days of the year for the Tufts bookstore. Hordes of new students eagerly line up with their parents. Clutching armfuls of shiny new binders and fleecy Tufts sweatshirts, they readily hand over their credit cards and accept the mountainous charges accrued with their purchases. One freshman, though, decided to bypass this common procedure and opt for a quicker and cheaper route: the five-finger discount. Snatching a key chain off the hook, Rob* pocketed his new prize and quickly left the store. Although the key chain cost only a few dollars, it would be the first in a series of shoplifting crimes that Rob would commit throughout the rest of the semester. Although affectionately called a "klepto" by a few of his close friends, Rob is not a kleptomaniac - that is, his shoplifting is not a compulsion. "I steal things about an average of once a month here," Rob said. "It's not like it gets to be a few weeks and I decide I need to take something; it's only if I need something real fast and I don't have the money on me." By contrast, kleptomaniacs are defined as people addicted to stealing and do it to get an adrenaline rush more than to keep the stolen merchandise. This is a severe condition described by medical professionals as only afflicting five percent of identified shoplifters. Rob's shoplifting habits have been exercised at such campus locations as Hodgdon Good-to-Go and Jumbo Express, as well as the singular incident at the bookstore. "Almost everything I take has been consumed, because it's mostly food," Rob said. "Basically, whatever they leave out to me, like muffins, granola bars or gum." Possibly Rob and other college students who shoplift carried their habits over from high school, where stealing is sometimes a popular trend: more than one quarter of all people caught shoplifting are between the ages of 13 and 18. Since he started shoplifting over the summer, Rob has on occasion stolen more than a piece of food. "The biggest thing I've ever stolen were some rings from a store near my house," said Rob. "They were for the girlfriend of my friend. We were at the store, she wanted them, the lady behind the counter was being rude, so I took them for her. They cost about $80 all together. I felt like Robin Hood." In another instance of intended generosity, Rob managed to steal an entire bouquet of flowers, complete with glass vase, from Dewick-MacPhie dining hall, when he realized that he and his friends had forgotten to purchase flowers for the evening of a mutual friend's drama performance. In such instances as these, where he feels he has been mistreated offended is attempting to help others, Rob feels justified in stealing and denies any thoughts of remorse. In general, though, Rob is not proud of his shoplifting. "I do have a guilty conscience," he said. Rob maintains that he rarely enters a store intending to shoplift. "I know I shouldn't be doing it," he said. "It's a thing you don't think about. If I thought about stealing beforehand, I wouldn't do it." Such morals prevent him from stealing from other individuals. "One thing I will not do is steal from another person," said Rob. "Not a friend, or a stranger,or anyone." Despite his ease in differentiating between stealing from individuals and businesses or corporations, the issue of morality may be harder to define than Rob implies. According to research organization Hayes International, the U.S. retail industry loses an estimated $9-10 billion a year due to 290-340 million incidents of shoplifting. This causes retailers to significantly increase the cost of merchandise to the general public, affecting equally those who shoplift and those who don't. Rob admits that there is one place from which he has no qualms about stealing. "I really have a passion for stealing from hippies," said Rob. "There is a hippie store near my house, and I don't mind stealing their hackey sacks and smoking devices, because if they have problems, then it is just one less hippie store in the world." *Name has been changed due to the sensitive nature of the subject.

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News

University's admissions policy leads to under-representation of Asian-Americans

March 2

Editor's Note: This article has been corrected. Please find the correction here According to the University's Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin, last year's Asian-American applicants bore the brunt of Tufts' admissions inability to make the leap from "need-sensitive" to "need-blind" admissions. "The neediest individuals within the Asian-American category were ultimately denied admission," Coffin said. At the weekly faculty meeting with arts, science and engineering professors yesterday Coffin presented statistics suggesting that the total percentage of minorities at Tufts has decreased due to the University's admissions policy. Overall, minorities demonstrate more need than Caucasian students, and Asian-Americans demonstrated significantly more financial need than did the neediest students of other minorities, resulting in the largest overall shortfall. "This is bad news for diversity," History Professor Steven Marrone, a member of the Oversight Panel on Race (OPR), said. "What this means is that only middle-to-upper class - mainly Chinese, Japanese, and Korean - Asian-Americans will be represented in the student body. Entire sections of Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, or other generally socio-economically disadvantaged ethnicities will not have a chance here." Showcasing the profiles of various exceptional and well-rounded students, Coffin said their ultimate rejection from the University because of their high financial need in the face of limited financial resources. After trying to provide more aid to the Class of 2007, the University hit a low last year in the aid pool available to the Class of 2008. Instead of the usual $10 million available to incoming students, there was only $8 million available. "What we try to do is cut from the minority pool that already has the most representation before the final round of decisions," said Coffin. With more applicants represented in the pool than African-American or Latin-American students, the greatest numbers of Asian-American students were denied. Of the 79 students of color eliminated from the pool, 46 of them were Asian-American, resulting in an approximately four point percentage drop (from 14 percent to 9.5 percent) in Asian-American students in the freshman class compared to previous years. African-American and Latin-American populations remained within a 0.5 percentage point range. The total minority proportion of the Class of 2008 dropped from 27 percent to 24 percent from the Class of 2007. While 59 percent of accepted applicants also applied for grant aid, only 34 percent received any, compared to the average rate of 43 percent among Tufts' peer institutions, including MIT, Washington University in St. Louis, and all the Ivy Leagues. Coffin attributed much of the Asian-American drop to low matriculation rates (from 28 percent to 22 percent), which also revealed that most of the Asian-American students provided with some amount of financial aid instead matriculated at one of the peer institutions mentioned above. "If you look at where students who applied to Tufts and didn't matriculate ultimately ended up, you see that the overwhelming majority of them went to these major competitors, all of which are need-blind," Coffin said. "There is no reason to believe that a reversal will not happen this year and my colleagues in admissions are committed to that outcome." While Coffin recognized the various socio-economic classes that make up the category of Asian-Americans, he said that unless admissions had sufficient funding this year, they would again have to consider financial need before such diversity concerns. "The pool of Asian-American applicants continues to grow stronger each year," he added. Ultimately, 193 qualified candidates for the Class of 2008, already pre-approved for admission, were denied because their financial need was deemed "too high" (over $25,000 a year) for Tufts to support. The admissions selectivity was broken into two categories - a 32 percent admissions rate for those without financial need, versus 24 percent for those with need. Need-blind admissions has been a major focus among University President Lawrence Bacow and the University's Board of Trustees, and will play a role in the University's Capital Campaign, which is now in its initial "silent" stages. According to Bacow, the campaign aims to raise the $200 million necessary to support need-blind admissions at Tufts, the details of which are not yet available. Bacow also announced an anonymous gift made to the School of Arts and Sciences of $10 million - $4 million of which was designated to undergraduate financial aid. "We have an obligation to make the Tufts education open to as many people as possible," he said. When asked at the faculty meeting if there would be enough funds this year to ensure better diversity, Bacow said that such figures were not yet available and would not be until after acceptance decisions had been made.

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News

The Five Rules of the college experience

March 1

This past week I had the pleasure of waking up to an ever-effusive tour guide shepherding prospective freshmen. They want to know about the college experience: yes, the one so oft idolized by parents and high-schoolers alike, but never truly defined. Each picks his own, you say? Well, having been here almost a year, let me enlighten you: there is, in fact, a college experience. Here it is, consisting of five basic rules. So, you're goin' to college. First of all, don't even think about staying within a 1,000 mile radius of that town you were born and raised in. Are you from another continent? Good! Welcome. You live in Salem, or worse, our own Medford? Pathetic! Rule number one: college is a time to grow, to stretch boundaries! How on earth will you enjoy the experience with your folks' shadow within a forty minute drive? Oh, you say you don't wanna do your own laundry? Yeah, nobody does - but if you want to persevere, for the love of God, keep your laundry (and yourself) away from your mother. What are you gonna do, go home every other weekend? Have your parents over for tea? If so, spare us the extra bed for hook-ups and just become one of those commuters, since you've sabotaged the experience anyway! You make me sick, you infantile brat. One of the first thoughts occurring to an unsuspecting freshman is approximately "Oh, woe is me! I am but a lost sheep - whatever shall my major be?" Well, you need to remember one key thing; Rule number two: you should major in whatever you want - what makes you really happy. All this for $42,000 measly bucks a year! Don't be another damn IR major - follow your dreams! Take my example: a plan of study major in the sociology of sexual relations, concentrating on lizards, with a minor in medieval studies and/or telepathic arts. I'll come out of Tufts readily armed for the demanding market, well-prepared to pursue a full-time position as an analyst of medieval lizards' sexual preferences. Maybe I'll even start my own telepathic consulting firm! Don't forget study abroad - I plan on going to the Marshall Islands, because the development of Marshallese lizards' sexuality in the Middle Ages is hardly documented, and I'll have lots of research to do for my thesis. Don't forget that that this will be the only time to gain such information - and don't you waste your parents' money, 'cause you'll wanna go to grad school, too. What about social life? Let me simplify. You want one? Too bad. That's right - because the administration, President Bacow especially, are wicked, twisted control-freaks. While you enjoy that quality alcoholic refreshment at an esteemed fraternity-sponsored social event, Bacow and his crew are, no doubt, pining over new ways to breed a campus of dry, econ-studying, non-TEMSed zombies (and if you cannot appreciate that TEMS is basically free nighttime transportation complete with shiny lights and sirens for your pleasure ... don't diss it till you've tried it). Rule number three: you're paying for the experience, and that is empty without a good time! Yes, the bureaucracy is trying to take that away! They wanna shut down the very institutions that are established for the benefit of the entire Somerville community, higher education and humanity as a whole? Let me tell you something: the experience is nothing without these establishments. The only way to have fun here is graciously provided by our own local brothas and sistahs. As incoming blood, it is your duty to protect that. Fight for your right. To part-ay. (And God bless America.) Okay. Rule number four: deal with your roommate. How? Well, they don't talk about this in those guidebooks, but I'll let you in on a little secret. Are you a lean, mean procreating machine? Too sexy for your shirt? Your body too bootylicious for me, babe? If you wanna live the experience, it better be "Yes ma'am" to all of those, or don't even bother coming. You think they give you a roommate so that you learn to "live with someone"? Not unless you're a commuter! Roommates are there to develop your assertiveness: pity to the poor Jumbo who's never had a chance to sexile that extra body in his/her room. That can only happen for two reasons: a) you must be a real ugly loser or b) your roommate did it first. For the sake of clarity, let me mention that of course, these five simple rules are not all-encompassing. They're to serve as a basic guideline. I don't mention, for example, classes and work and all that. That's not important. But I will leave you with the most vital point. Rule number five: never forget that you are now an adult, and deserve to be treated as such. You are now free like a bird. Like the wind! Actually, I lied: you also have the adult responsibilities of arising on a Sunday morning (or afternoon). That's hard. How about finances? Let me tell you, going to the bookstore and putting points on your Bursar's really takes a lot of maturity; but you emerge feeling as worthy as your anthro textbook. Yet, there are also freedoms: nobody makes you sleep (waste of time), and remember that shiny card your parents got you, with the Bank of America logo? Sure it's pretty, but it's also fun to swipe at H&M and your Jumbo Bookstore. With so many options it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The best way to cope is to take advantage of all of them at once. Missing something could limit your experience forever. Go at 'em. In the back of your mind, there may be a nasty thought. When you're a senior, you'll have to look for a job ... and make resumes and cover letters and become a corporate sycophant. But as a frosh? Please! Ugh, don't even think about that. You can be anything you want! Always remember, there are so many more important things to deal with. Rita Reznikova is a freshman majoring in international relations.

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News

Tim Whelan | Some kind of wonderful

March 1

First spring training game for the hometown team tomorrow, folks. They match up with the Minnesota Twins, the cross-Fort Myers annual rivals (in March). The Sox will see Minneapolis' Favorite Sons six times before they make a break for New England, and while much is sure to happen in these meetings, there is one thing that is absolutely certain: Doug Mientkiewicz will not be on either side. Now, I don't consider myself one to normally cry over spilled milk. And truly, Mientkiewicz is nothing more than that in the grand scheme of all things baseball-related. But in what was an otherwise perfect off-season for fans (save for Pedro's tired routine), Dougie provided me with all the bulletin board material I needed. Now I kind of know how Rodney Harrison felt when Freddie Mitchell mounted his needless and ill-advised verbal attack. Do you guys know of the Dougie soundbite of which I speak? Let me catch you up to speed. Upon arrival at Mets camp, this doozie spewed from the lips of our former late-inning defensive replacement. I'll let you guess what the statement pertains to: "It wasn't what everybody made it out to be. The Twins-White Sox is just the same to me." Ummm ... in my good ear? I'll be the first to admit that yes, our region has undergone quite the makeover brought on by the radical transition from inferiority complex to some warped version of a superiority complex. Seriously, I don't know what to do with myself besides gloat and bask in our greatness. But the reason the statement "Sox-Yankees is the best rivalry in the history of sports" holds so much water is because even those on the outside have deemed it so. We know it's the best, and we expect it to be recognized as such. Sox-Yankees is our fan Super Bowl, and we got to witness it 26 times last season. So why do I care so much about how a jettisoned backup who was only here for three months - with only a .215 average and a World Series ball to show for it - feels about one matchup? (By the way, he was 0-1 in the seven-game League Championship Series. Now I know for a fact that this rivalry wasn't the same as Twins-Pale Hose ... because he actually played in those middle-market, no-one-cares games ... idiot.) To just think of the fact that this fraud could have possibly been inhabiting first base this year is enough to make me nauseous. True, we wouldn't have won the WORLD SERIES without good first base defense. But last I checked, David McCarty was a defensive wiz, and ... oh ... would you look at that, he batted .258 last season. No, he's not Gehrig, or even Kevin Maas for that matter, but he's better than Dougie. And McCarty went to Stanford, so I think he would have at least the half of a brain it would take to acknowledge that our rivalry is a Secretariat-like runaway over the field. Oh man, it gets me more heated just writing it. I hate the Yankees with every fiber of my being. What could Minnesotans hate about Chicagoans (and only South Side Chicagoans at that)? The only rivalry I have deciphered is a competition for who can have more empty blue seats at their games. I can only rest on the hope, for his own personal sanity, that Mientkiewicz is simply, unbelievably, uncontrollably bitter that Millar got chosen to stay in town over himself. Dougie's thinking "I was an Olympic hero! He's going on friggin' Queer Eye! He's never hit a ball to right field, and I'm pretty sure he's still bending over to pick up a grounder he muffed on July 14th!" Then again, maybe I'm the insane one. Since I heard that quote from him, I've been scurrying up to people like a rabid dog with green eyes, grabbing their shirts violently as I spit out "You hear what Mientfrtwixcsds said?" My roommate went shopping for a cage for me earlier this week. But there's more. It recently came out that he griped about the amount of time he saw upon his arrival in Boston. Yes, Doug, you could have stayed in Minnesota and collected all those at-bats that made your team cringe. And you would have been knocked out in the first round, as your former mates were. No parade through the Mall of America, sorry man. You got stuck with a stupid ole 2.5 million person-deep parade, a ring, and your name in every paper in the country. But I guess winning isn't everything. I should have known not to trust anyone who has one of those goatees they just grow on the chin, sans mustache. Those are creepy, like people are hiding some secret under that one little spot on their face. I just hope Matt Clement shaved his. By the way, if you have one, feel free to e-mail me and defend it or just rip into me. I'd love to hear the rationale. OK, so we've established that Johnny Damon called his team idiots, but apparently Mientkiewicz truly is one. He belongs in a small market. I can't wait to see him play every day for the Mets, hit maybe .230, and get booed out of town. He and Pedro belong together. It didn't have to be this way, Doug. Hey, we need something to complain about, ya know?

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News

Music Review | Beyond the Tommy Lee tape: new best of Crue

March 1

Despite the title, Motley Crue will never be called America's band. (But then again, the Beach Boys have that title, so that wouldn't be such a compliment after all.) In recent years, members of Motley Crue have been known for many things, most of which did not involve a recording studio. Arrests, jail time and pilfered home videos have harmed the band's reputation. While Lee made regular visits to his parole officer and family court, frontman Vince Neil has been a semi-staple of reality TV with appearances on "The Surreal Life." Although bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars have managed to keep lower profiles, all these stunts have distracted from the fact that Motley Crue was one of the better groups hatched from the heady L.A. Sunset Strip scene of the '80s. They never quite reached the critical and commercial heights of peers Guns N' Roses, mainly because the Crue never put out a legendary product on the scale of "Appetite for Destruction." Their recently released "Red, White and Crue," a third career-spanning compilation, is not exactly a new marketing strategy for the quartet. While it was mainly put together to be used as a push product while the group starts its reunion tour, it does remind listeners that the band had more than just a few moments of prominence. The initial tracks culled from "Too Fast For Love," the Crue's 1981 debut album, present the band as they really were at their best - raw, crude, angry, hungry (literally) and youthful. "Live Wire" and "Toast of the Town" are just a small sampling, but they show that no matter how Hollywood/Vegas-like they later became, the band did live the L.A. musician's life and had street cred to spare. After the doors for metal bands were opened by Quiet Riot in 1983, the Crue went softer for "Shout at the Devil" that same year. The shift landed them on Top 40 radio and, more importantly, a video in heavy MTV rotation. The album's tracks become more mainstream by the middle of Disc One. A cover of "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" put them in the Top 10 and paved the way for the metal-pop feel of "Girls, Girls, Girls" and the disc-closing "Dr. Feelgood." This is where the band loses its direction and listeners can hear the group digging too deep to come up with glossy productions. All this flash was apparently negative, as it followed on the heels of the Crue's too-slick-to-be-true remake of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." (and slick is never a good thing when you're covering the Pistols). Neil was booted out of the band and the Crue, as seen in lackluster tracks like "Hooligan's Holiday" and "Generation Swine," never recovered its commercial momentum. Even the mainstream side of the Crue has plenty of bright spots though. "Kickstart My Heart" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" are filled with machismo-laced beats that were perfect for fist-pumping concert moments, as well as appealling to their Harley Davidson-loving fans. While "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" could have been weak and might at first sound like a tune form the Poison catalog, it is saved by some heavier-than-usual guitar work from Mick Mars and an appealingly urgent tone in the vocals. "Dr. Feelgood" also could have fallen into this category, but its salvation comes from a heady and forceful rhythm ?  la Lee and Sixx. Not that they were the best rhythm section of all time, but they did capture a certain driving emotion that makes you forget the tune's pedestrian lyrics. The aforementioned "Street Fighting Man" is a brave attempt at a cover of the Rolling Stones classic, but withers off into mediocrity and is mostly the result of a sad, self-indulgent delivery from Neil. And why the set chose only to include the 1991 remix of "Home Sweet Home" and ignore the original cut from the group's 1985 CD, "Theatre of Pain" is very odd. Like it or not, "Home Sweet Home" is one of the staples for the power ballad craze of the '80s and was certainly better than any other attempts to copy the genre. Some may not care that the band is back, but a true fan will be glad too see them regrouped. In the midst of the past couple years' dull and financially disappointing concert scene, maybe we need a Motley Crue reunion more than ever. "Red, White and Crue" is like the Crue itself; it has its highs ("Street Fighting Man" and "Helter Skelter") and lows (any song that Neil did not sing on),but it is never tedious.

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News

IR department to begin new mentoring program

March 1

A mentoring program beginning this semester will allow Tufts seniors who studied one of the most popular majors on campus the chance to answer questions from undergraduates about the complexities inherent in learning about their discipline. The International Relations Mentors Program sets up underclassmen in a dialogue with seniors who are about to complete their IR major requirements. The underclassmen can ask general questions about the major and its requirements, or any other IR-related questions the student has, according to the IR department website. The Mentors program was a department decision that stemmed from a deparment meeting, and word was then spread throughout the IR department, senior IR major and mentor Alison Meisel said. "I think that this is an exciting opportunity for freshman to get an advantage the seniors never had when they were freshman," Meisel said. "The major can at times seem confusing because there are so many different aspects to it, but the mentors will help to make everything clear and understandable." The mentoring program is entirely student-run, but IR Program Administrator Katie Schaefer has been organizing meetings with the mentors and underclassmen. The mentoring program currently has about 35 volunteer seniors enlisted, and more are encouraged to sign up on the department Web site or at the IR office. The mentors will be split up into five thematic clusters based on their areas of study. The five clusters of the IR major are Foreign Policy Analysis; Regional and Comparative Analysis; Global Conflict, Cooperation and Justice; and International Economics. Currently, there are no mentors specializing in the subclusters of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and International Economics and Environment, while almost a third of the volunteers are mentors for Global Conflict, Cooperation and Justice. Almost all the seniors in the program studied abroad, and many others worked in IR-related internships. In addition to questions about politics or the IR major, underclassmen can also ask more experienced IR majors about their study abroad and internship experiences. Undergraduates can choose a mentor from a list on the department Web site. Clicking on a mentor's name provides the student with a list of background information on that mentor - everything from name and e-mail address to study abroad and internship experience to a list of all the IR courses the person took at Tufts. This information allows the undergraduates to find a mentor who best suits their needs and questions, say those involved in the program. According to Meisel, students are able to select a mentor of their choice, either on the IR website or at the IR Department headquarters in the Cabot Center in the Fletcher School. The underclassmen are then able to get the phone number and e-mail addresses of their mentor, who should be ready to talk to them. "We have a group of more than 20 talented seniors to help the freshmen," said Meisel. "I wish Tufts had a program like this when I was a freshman, I would defnitely have taken advantage of it." Underclassmen who will use the program agree. "The IR mentor program looks like a great resource for students," freshman IR major Nick Malouta said. "It will let us talk to people who have been down the International Relations path already." The program may be especially beneficial to freshmen. "It's no secret that the International Relations major is complicated," said freshman IR major Alejandro Pinero. "It's good to have help, because as a freshman it is easy to feel overwhelmed." IR department administrators intend to expand the mentoring program. They are seeking mentors of all kinds, but are lacking in some areas including regional comparative analysis.The clusters include foreign policy analysis, regional and comparative analysis, global conflice, cooperation and justice, international economics and trade and nationalism, culture and identity.Anybody intersested in signing up to be a mentor or looking for advice should consult the website for E-mail addresses and phone numbers of the people to contact.

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News

In Our Midst | After graduating, Kimball returns to grade school

March 1

Senior Sarah Kimball will be spending her first year out of Tufts far from the fast-paced life of metropolitan Boston: she will be working in a rural town in southern Louisiana. Opting for a non-traditional work experience, Kimball has accepted a position as an elementary school teacher with the Teach for America program.

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News

Scholars discuss suicide bombers, Muslim martyrs

March 1

Two authors and researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara presented a lecture last night in Braker Hall regarding their six month-stint in a Palestinian refugee camp. "The Road to Martyrs' Square" discussion was led by Anne-Marie Oliver and Paul Steinberg, authors of the recent book, "The Road to Martyrs Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber." The lecture attempted to illustrate the mind of a Muslim martyr through passages read by Oliver and Steinberg along with video footage from actual martyrs of the Palestinian region. Oliver and Steinberg posed the question: "How does one turn him or herself into a suicide bomber?" "Faith without 'aqida' and without action is something that does not exist," said a young male martyr presented in one of the videos. "Aqida" is the Arabic word for creed, ideology, or conviction. According to Oliver and Steinberg, this belief emphasizes the appeal for action for the cause of justice, and to follow the path to Allah. Anne-Marie Oliver was born in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in the Deep South. "[I] never knew about the Palestine-Israeli Conflict and never heard anything about Israel as a state" she said. "I went to Jerusalem to study religion, and languages such as Hebrew and Arabic," she said. She said that this is how she was drawn into the region and eventually the topic of martyrdom. Paul Steinberg concentrated on Religious Studies at the University of California at Berkley, where he was interested in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and studied the tactics of Muslim Fundamentalists. Steinberg discussed the methods he and Oliver used to study the Muslims of the region. "We translated mainly primary sources such as graffiti and posters of Arabic containing slogans," he said. "The graffiti was often speaking against the Jews, encouraging boycotts, but others were more extreme slogans encouraging revolutionary ideas and encouraging the idea of martyrdom," Steinberg said. During their time in the Palestine, Oliver and Steinberg encountered rallies and martyr-related celebrations. "When we began working, we hadn't planned on writing about suicide bombers," Steinberg said. "It wasn't until later when this arose as a common problem." Some of the videos shown indicated why the examination of Muslim martyrs was significant. A video of Dr. Abdullah Azam, associated with The Giants - a Muslim fundamentalist group - expressed some central ideas of the Muslim martyr: "Killing and fighting was written for us," Azam said, in reference to sacred texts. "It is inevitable that you die standing on the field. There is only one death so let it be the path to Allah," Azam said in the video. Steinberg and Oliver showed footage of men advancing extreme ideas, yet they commented little on their ideas and made no attempt to connect them or validate them in accordance with Islam. Steinberg and Oliver concluded by trying to end on a less violent and jarring note. "We are planning future projects of focusing on the story of ordinary individuals who put themselves at risk or refuse to kill. We are also looking to promote alternative visions of the future in the region, such as alternative modes of heroism that do not involve violence" said Steinberg. The lecture was sponsored by the New Initiative for Middle East Peace, a student think tank and cultural outreach research group within the Institute for Global Leadership.

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News

Men's Swimming | Squad swims to fourth place finish at NESCACs

March 1

The men's swimming and diving team entered the 2005 NESCAC championship with confidence and high expectations, and by the end of the weekend Tufts had delivered one of its best championship performances ever. During the championship, held at Wesleyan University, the Jumbos finished fourth out of a field of 11 teams, broke eight school records, and clocked several Div. III NCAA qualifying times. Williams got first place with 1,862 points, nearly 500 points ahead of second-place Middlebury. Tufts, however, was not far behind Middlebury and Amherst, finishing with 1,133.5 points. The most impressive individual performances were by juniors Brett Baker and Jon Godsey, who each posted three individual top-five finishes and National B qualifying times. Baker led the way for the Jumbos in the freestyle events. The high point was Baker's first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a National B qualifying time of 1:41.53 seconds. Baker dominated the event, beating Colby freshman Evan Mullin by almost three seconds. He also broke Brian Herrick's nine-year old Tufts school record of 1:42.33. Baker was just as impressive in the 100 yard freestyle, placing second to Williams junior Will Cunningham by only half a second. Baker's time of 46.64 was a National B qualifying time. He also posted a fourth-place finish in the 50 free, touching in 21.46 seconds. Godsey had excellent swims in the backstroke events. On the first day of competition, he earned a second-place finish in the 50 backstroke, breaking his own school record in a time of 24.12 seconds. Only three tenths of a second separated Godsey from first place finisher Amherst junior Rick Estacio. Godsey earned two fifth-place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke. He achieved National B times of 52.25 in the 100 and 1:54.36 in the 200 during preliminaries. Sophomore Greg Bettencourt also had an impressive meet, posting a third place finish in the 200 free with a time of 1:44.13. Senior tri-captain Seth Baron finished third in the 200 butterfly, improving his own record and earning a National B qualifying time in a preliminary time of 1:54.27. Junior Jason Kapit posted two national qualifying times in the 400 individual medley and the 200 butterfly. Kapit placed fifth in the 400 IM and broke Tyler Duckworth's ('04) school record in a time of 4:10.56. He also finished seventh in the 200 butterfly behind his teammate, Baron. The Tufts relay teams earned the Jumbos a tremendous amount of points. Bettencourt, sophomore Justin Fanning, Baron, and Baker teamed up in the 800 freestyle relay and finished in second place with a National B qualifying and school-record time of 6:56.12. The 400 free relay team of junior Jason Kapit, Fanning, Bettencourt, and Baker placed third in a National B time of 3:08.16. The 400 and 200 Medley Relay teams also set school records and posted National B cuts. The 400 relay team of senior tri-captain Mike Rochette, Baron, and Fanning placed fourth with 3:29.78. Godsey's leadoff 100 backstroke leg of 51.83 broke Herrick's 11 year-old Jumbo mark. The 200 relay of Godsey, Rochette, Kapit, and Baker finished in fifth. The Jumbos' diver, junior Todd Putnam, finished seventh in the three-meter competition, earning 356.95 points for Tufts.

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News

Hongkers | The next big thing

March 1

It was trendy, it was fashionable - it was the Cyberport. The Cyberport is Hong Kong's answer to the computer revolution. It is a futuristic, expansive complex that cost more than $2 billion in U.S. dollars. It is the grand vision of Tung Chee Wa, Hong Kong's chief executive and the first person to rule after the territory was returned to China. He sees the Cyberport as a chance to solidify Hong Kong as "Asia's World City."

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Portrait of the artist | Molly O'Neill

March 1

As Molly O'Neill leans forward, her eyes widened by excitement and stylish glasses, her hands come up to play with a thought that hangs in the air. "Artistic inspiration? Mostly life." She leans back shyly and shrugs. "Is that enough?" For this diverse actress, mime, poet, painter, model and photographer, the inspiration of life is certainly enough to sustain an abundance of artistic expressions. From serving on the executive board of Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps) to modeling for a charity fashion show, Tufts sophomore Molly O'Neill adds her joy for life to a multitude of artistic endeavors both on-campus and off. Growing up on a farm in Oregon, O'Neill always enjoyed art, whether it be taking sculpture classes at a nearby university or getting together with her high school classmates to discuss their poetry and stories. Surprisingly for this now-busy actress, O'Neill says she did little acting before she came to Tufts, finding the atmosphere at her high school unsupportive and exclusionary. However, after joining the cast of the 3P's production of "Clue" her freshman year, she realized that drama was quickly developing into her new calling. Discovering what O'Neill calls a "tight-knit, bohemian, supportive community," she quickly made some of her best friends and entered a theater organization that she now leads as the group's archivist. Since then, she has acted in five plays on the Tufts campus, including "Monster," which closed Saturday night. Aiming for a double major in drama and archaeology, O'Neill studies acting with Sheriden Thomas in her Acting III class and describes the experience as, "very challenging, but [it] pushes you to another level in acting." For O'Neill, the entire artistic experience is about expressing a love for life. "Art is my way of appreciating the beauty around you. It keeps you humble," she said. And while she enjoys the structured art of acting in a directed show, O'Neill also draws inspiration from more spontaneous forms of expression. As a member of Hype!, the Tufts miming troupe, O'Neill appreciates the ability to break the boundaries of our everyday lives. "In acting, you look for room to move inside your character's skin. In Hype!, you can alter time, reality ... it's a much more fluid form of theater," she said. Yet for this all-encompassing artist, acting is only one outlet. O'Neill cites the poetry of e. e. cummings and Dylan Thomas as major inspirations, along with nature and dreams. In her painting, she strives to explore human dreams, claiming that "people don't pay enough attention to their dreams." In her photography, O'Neill searches for the essence of the subject through its small patterns and its textures. In the busy life of this artist, few things bring greater joy than discovering the availability of a darkroom in the Aidekman basement or in witnessing the first flowers of the season poke out from the frozen ground. Filled with an exuberance for the natural world around her, O'Neill admits that the urban diversity of Boston somewhat overwhelms her. While she speaks highly of the Museum of Fine Arts and other museums and theaters in downtown Boston, it is clear that O'Neill still needs only to look up to the night sky for artistic inspiration. Upon mentioning that she comes from a more rural part of Oregon, she inquires animatedly, "Can you believe that in Boston you can't even see the stars because of the lights?" Despite the significant change of coming to Boston for college, O'Neill feels like she's just discovering what the world has to offer. "I love college life. Whatever your passion is, you can find an opportunity." One such opportunity happened upon O'Neill last year, when she was literally walking down the street. A woman working for Spheres of Exchange, a support organization for refugee women in Boston, asked O'Neill if she had ever thought about modeling and if she would be interested in hitting the runway for the group's charity fashion show. Now in her second year as a model and volunteer, O'Neill finds herself contributing to a social cause as well as exploring the new artistic realm of fashion. For this Renaissance woman, entrance into a new artistic medium is a walk in the park - or down the street. So while O'Neill grapples with the practical demands of life - deciding what to major in, fixing her cell phone, and finding a summer job - she takes solace in being able to move through that life with her art. "I'm a very firm believer that you get out of life what you put into it," O'Neill said. And as explanation for her busy rotation of acting, painting, modeling, writing, and various other endeavors, O'Neill shrugs her shoulders and gives a response that obviously comes just as easily as her talent: "There is so much beauty around us. I am merely expressing it."

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News

Minors should not be sentenced to death

March 1

The Supreme Court's decision yesterday to outlaw the death penalty for juveniles is important because it affirms that minors must not be held in equal legal status to adults. The death penalty is an extreme form of punishment and should be used as a last resort. Prohibiting sentencing minors to death underlines the severity of the death penalty, and ensures that minors are not held responsible for crimes beyond their responsibility.

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Fencing | Tired squad still performs well at meet

March 1

This weekend, the women's fencing team traveled to Haverford College in Pennsylvania to compete in the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing championships (NIWFA). The event featured 16 teams from the East Coast, including Temple University, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Florida, U.S. Military Academy and Drew University. Although Tufts still finished in the top 10 at the event, three exhausting weekends of competition finally took their toll on the Jumbos. "The team did OK. Not great," coach Sachs said. "Driving out to Philly the night before and fencing the next morning was difficult, and contributed to our flat beginning. The team was clearly tired and it affected their fencing." Despite the handicap, the team still finished strong, especially the foil squad, who finished in third place out of the 16 teams, sending all three of its members to the individual round. The sabre group finished in seventh place, and the epee squad took 11th. The format of the tournament was similar to last week's New England Championships, with each school's fencers competing in A, B and C slots. The top nine A fencers, the top five B fencers and the top two C fencers all moved on to direct elimination individual round. Five of the team's nine fencers moved to the individual round, including junior foilist Julia Shih and sophomore sabrist Louisa May Zouein, who each took third in their respective weapon categories. Freshmen foilists Jamie Kraut, Emily Cooperman and sabrist Diana Barger also made it to the individuals. For the foil team, Kraut went 10-5 in the A slot, Shih was 9-6 in the B slot and Cooperman was 12-3 in the C slot. Zouein finished 12-3 in the A slot and Barger finished 12-3 in the B slot. A highlight for the epee group was the performance of freshman Katherine Zeis, who won seven of her bouts. "We had a good time," Sachs said. "The freshman this year received valuable experience. I bet next year we will be much stronger in this tournament because we will host it, so rest should not be a factor." Despite the Jumbos' successful showing, overall the team was less than excited about the tournament, according to Zouein, who lost 14-15 in the sabre individual round. "The meet was fine," Zouein said. "There was a lot less heart at this meet. There were a lot of girls, and a lot of them were just tired." The meet offered some excitement, however, in the individual foil competition, where teammates Kraut and Shih had to face off against one another in the first round. "Fencing a teammate in an individual tournament is usually a very stressful experience," Shih said. "You practice with these people all week long, you know their strengths and their weaknesses and they know yours." Shih won her bout against Kraut and the following, before losing to the ultimate winner of the foil tournament. "Julia especially was awesome," Zouein said. "She had so much focus and endurance after a long day of fencing. She beat some excellent fencers to place third in individual. We were all so proud of her. She's got so much patience." The entire team will have to show these qualities at next weekend's NCAA regional finals, which will be the last match of the season for those on the team who do not advance. This will be a major test for the Jumbos participating, as the team will face some of its stiffest competition yet. "We are in the strongest region in the country," Sachs said, "where many schools have Olympic level caliber fencers, so if someone squeaks through to NCAA Championships it would be a major accomplishment." Shih, Zouein, Kraut, Cooperman and Barger will all compete at the meet, which will be held at Yale University. Whatever the results, Shih is sad to see the season approaching its end. "We spend so much time with each other, with all the practices and through many long meets," Shih said. "We're there to celebrate everyone's highs and we're there with our support for the lows. We have an incredible team this year and I'm sad to see it end because they have really become part of my extended family."

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News

City Briefs

March 1

Bomb Squad responds to threat, finds 'bomb' to be a shot put A bomb scare on Friday, Feb. 18 at the Somerville Police Station in Union Square left officers embarrassed after the "bomb" was discovered to be a shot put. According to the Somerville Journal, Somerville Police Officer Scott Gamble called the State Police Bomb Squad after a woman put the shot put on a desk at the station and said she had found it under her car. Police stopped traffic on Washington Street outside the station and evacuated the lobby. Several emergency vehicles responded, and a State Trooper X-rayed and removed the shot put while wearing a bomb protective suit, according to the Journal. Police determined over the weekend that the object was harmless. "This is embarrassing to say, but yes, it was [a shot put]," Jim Polito, the public information officer for the Somerville Police told the Journal. Drive-by shooting in Assembly Square leaves two teens injured A drive-by shooting in Assembly Square on Friday, Feb. 18 left two teenagers injured in what may have been a gang-related incident. An unknown male fired from an open van door as it sped past the two victims. One victim, age 18, was seriously injured, and the other, age 19, was grazed by a bullet, according to the Somerville Journal. "They knew who they wanted to get," Somerville Police Public Information Officer Jim Polito told the Journal. "I don't think that this was some random-type thing. I don't want people to think that they are going to the movies and are going to get shot or anything. That is not the case here." Assembly Square has been the site of two murders in the past year, the Journal reported. At least one was gang-related. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the Friday night crime. Controversial WWII memorial sparks debate in Medford The site of a World War II Memorial in Medford is under attack by Medford City Council members because they were not included in the decision process, according to the Medford Transcript. The issue highlighted what Medford City Councilor Robert Penta said is a lack of communication between the city council and city administrators. "The council has not had any involvement," Penta told the Transcript. "The council is always asking what's happening. This is just another issue we haven't been involved in." Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn said that the memorial's intended location on Winthrop Street is ideal due to its "proximity to a school, visibility from the street and ample parking," according to the Transcript. The Mayor added that the council could have become involved at any time in the long history of the planning of the memorial. "I would love to have them involved," he said. "If they were so interested, why haven't they done anything about it over the past 15 years?" The cost of the project is estimated at $500,000.-Compiled by Bruce Hamilton from the Somerville Journal and the Medford

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Chabad recognition delayed

March 1

Chabad at Tufts, a new Jewish group seeking official Tufts recognition, was surprised Monday night when the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) announced that they would be unable to deliberate the issue until the Tufts Chaplaincy approved the group. At a last-minute meeting Monday afternoon, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, Director of the Office of Student Activities Jodie Nealley and TCUJ Vice-Chair sophomore Jake Resnicow found that as a spiritual group, Chabad must receive clearance by the University Chaplaincy before it can meet with the TCUJ. According to Resnicow, this is based on Committee on Student Life (CSL) guidelines which "suggest" that all organizations must follow Tufts' policies. Therefore, the Office of the University Chaplain's policy which states that the Chaplain's office "will approve and clear all religious and spiritual groups and organizations who are seeking recognition at Tufts," takes precedence over any TCUJ decision. Nealley, Reitman and Resnicow concluded that the TCUJ could only deliberate after the Chaplaincy makes a decision. The TCUJ had previously planned to make the decision at their Monday night meeting. The Monday afternoon meeting was initiated by Reitman. TCUJ Chair senior Shaharris Beh was also invited but was unable to attend. According to Beh, the postponement of a ruling on Chabad contradicts the understanding reached last fall in a meeting he had with Nealley, University Chaplain Father David O'Leary and Rabbi Jeff Summit, University Jewish chaplain and executive officer of the Hillel Foundation at Tufts. At a meeting held before Chabad had begun the recognition process, Beh said that O'Leary told him repeatedly "that approving Chabad would be setting a 'dangerous precedent.'" Chabad at Tufts is a new student group being proposed by Jewish students who were inspired by the activities and programming at the Chabad House, located a few blocks away from the Tufts campus. The students plan on working with the house, possibly with its director, Rabbi Tzvi Backman, acting as an advisor to the group. Junior Esther Volchek, president of the proposed Chabad group, said yesterday that they will have to think about their next step. She is planning to meet with the TCUJ to see exactly what procedure the group should follow to pursue group recognition. "I know the rules right now are very, very hazy, but we all want this to work out for the best," she said. As of yesterday morning, O'Leary was uncertain as to what would happen next in the recognition process, as he said he was uninformed of the decision regarding Chabad. O'Leary said he has not faced a situation like this since he took his current position in 1998. The procedure with the University Chaplaincy would most probably be informal and involve discussion as to how to best meet the student needs presented by the Chabad group, Reitman said. If the Chaplaincy finds that Chabad represents a population that is not being served and cannot be served by the current staff of associate chaplains, O'Leary can extend the associate chaplaincy designation to whomever he feels represents and supports them, Reitman said. The creation of a Muslim chaplain is the most recent example of a solution of this sort. Previous to the TCUJ decision on Monday, O'Leary was skeptical that the Chabad group could prove that they do not fit under the Hillel umbrella. "My office views it as duplication [with Hillel]," O'Leary said. "They would have to go a long way to show they are not duplicating." Summit emphasized the warm feelings between Chabad and Hillel. Summit said that Hillel's mission is to provide support for all Jewish students, and that any proposals from students dissatisfied with the current programming would be welcome. But Volchek said she feels that there is enough difference between Chabad which is based on the teachings of Jewish mysticism and Hillel that they should constitute a separate group. In a letter explaining these differences to the TCUJ, she highlighted that the group feels that "becoming a sub-group of Hillel would undermine its mission and prevent the organization from thriving and serving the Tufts community to its fullest potential." Beyond the problem of duplication, there is also the sensitive issue of off-campus organizations opening campus branches. Both Reitman and O'Leary expressed wariness at having student groups that answer to outside organizations. The guidelines for recognition of new groups require that groups' constitutions clarify "the extent to which members of the Tufts community who are not members of the organization may participate." O'Leary emphasized the need to keep off-campus organizations from getting on campus. "It is a very serious thing if outside religious groups start tapping into student funding," he said. "I'm not stopping anyone from going off-campus," he said. "They are free to work under Hillel and they are free to work off-campus." O'Leary was adamant, however, that off-campus organizations that are not Tufts-based cannot become student groups. According to Volchek, each Chabad house is a separate house, unaffiliated with each other. Funding for the Chabad House is raised independently of the central organization. Currently, according to Backman, the activities of his center are funded by private donations. The larger Chabad-Lubavitch organization, based in New York, is a type of Jewish Hassidic movement. The local center is run by Backman and his wife Channie. They began the center three years ago in order to provide a space for Jewish students to examine their identity. Since the Chabad House opened near Tufts, Hillel and the new group have worked together on several occasions. Another concern of O'Leary's was the recruitment tactics used by religious groups. "There's no proselytizing or trying to make people uncomfortable," he said. O'Leary pointed out that Chabad takes a stricter view of Jewish law than a Reform Jew would, and he questioned whether their vocal and proactive attitude would not make people uncomfortable. In an interview last month, Backman emphasized that his Chabad Center "looks for ways to make Judaism accessible and interesting," and that they seek to find "ways for Jews to connect to Judaism."

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Top Ten | Reasons to be excited for spring training games

March 1

Finally, we get to see some action from our Lords of the Diamond tomorrow as spring training gets rolling. Not that we haven't gotten some already from our peeks at the goofy practices, but after all the off-season antics we're ready for some competition. So here are the top reasons you should be pumped to pull yourself away from college hockey and delve back into the season that truly never ends ...10. What else are your grandparents who live in Florida going to do? Shuffleboard?9. In one practice, David Wells will cover first on a ground ball more than he will all season. Earn your money, Boomaahh!!8. You'll get to hear the annual "Ken Griffey Jr. is healthier than ever this year!" Sure he is.7. Now another city besides Boston will have to worry about how to pronounce Mientkiewicz, let alone spell it. 6. Sosa's in Baltimore, Pedro's a Met, Bonds might have to lay off the "special cream" for good ... it's a whole new game this season.5. You'll get one last peek at Millar pre-Queer Eye. Some of you may have grown attached to the small animal that nested on his face last season, but now that he has his ring, we wouldn't mind a little less cowboy.4. Come on, don't you miss Tim McCarver? Just a little bit?3. Without the NHL to supply some good, old-fashioned sports violence, things have been a little dull. But give the verbal war a few more weeks, and "Brandon" Arroyo might just be ready to throw high and inside to Alex "Deadbeat Dad" Rodriguez. Who knows, maybe A-Rod has had time to perfect his slapping technique during the offseason.2. We all know baseball has moments when it's less than stimulating, but now you can amuse yourself by playing "spot the player who's shrunk." Thanks, Jose Canseco!1. March 7 -- the first Sox-Yankees matchup. Now that the Yankees have the Big Unit and a reason to be bitter back at Boston fans, the Sox-Yankees rivalry will be even more intense (if that's possible).-- By Jessica Genninger and Tim Whelan

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Theater Review | Angels in Afghanistan

March 1

Even pre-Sept. 11, Afghanistan was not the kind of place where most Westerners would choose to vacation. By 1997, the fundamental Muslim Taliban regime ruled over 95 percent of the country. Under the Taliban, Afghan civil liberties and basic rights went out the window. Afghan history and cultural traditions were subjugated and destroyed; art was forbidden for fear that something would be created that might presume to imitate God. Tony Kushner has never been afraid to do just that in his work. God and his disciples, whether performing his work or questioning his existence, are all legitimate topics for discussion in Kushner's plays. In fact, his work tends to deal with exactly those subjects that the Taliban outlaws so completely - religion, politics, and sex. His highly-acclaimed "Angels in America," (1991) is subtitled a gay fantasia on national themes. A play about gays and Mormons and angels themselves, it explores how they locate themselves in the United States today. Kushner's artistic vision has always been inextricably intertwined with the social and political world; his latest venture, "Homebody/Kabul," is no exception, and the Boston Theater Works production of the play is intimate and thought-provoking. Jason Southerland, the director, has created a somewhat paradoxically self-contained picture of a British family who travels to Afghanistan in 1998, and whose world, as a result of the trip, is both torn apart and allowed to heal. "Homebody/Kabul" opens with a sparkling, verbally brilliant monologue by the homebody herself, a London wife and mother, Nancy "The Homebody" Carroll. The Homebody is middle-aged, tired-looking, a little frumpy, but gracefully articulate. The Homebody jumps from subject to subject, riffing on depression, the drugs that treat said depression, the books she escapes in, her unhappy marriage, and her angry daughter. She tells us a story about buying fezzes (Afghan hats) for a party. She reads to us from an outdated guide to Afghanistan, published in 1968, worlds away from the play's time and our own. Though the Homebody's words are quick, she is never entirely comfortable. As she constantly corrects herself for rambling on too long and for speaking so literarily, there is a sense that something has been lost - although neither the Homebody nor the audience is entirely sure what it is. Despite her ideological uncertainties, the Homebody's reassuring narrative whisks the audience to a place very far away. The bright, light, raised square of the Homebody's London dining room disappears, and we find ourselves on the ground in a dingy Afghan hotel room. Two Afghan officials describe in gory detail the destruction of a woman's body. The victim's husband sits stunned on the bed and her daughter behind a curtain. The woman, we learn, was the Homebody, and she is dead, beaten after violating the Taliban's laws on restricting women's appearances in public and for listening to a walkman. The first act of the play ends after the Homebody's daughter, Priscilla, runs out of the hotel room, away from her father and into the streets of Kabul to find her mother, who she believes is still alive. She meets a guide, a poet who speaks Esperanto, who offers to help her find her mother. The plot that follows the Homebody's monologue is not entirely believable. It seems unlikely that a British family would simply pick up and travel to Afghanistan on a mother's whim, and that a daughter would run into the streets to find her mother's body which is nowhere to be found. Outside of the family circle there is even more to question - an Afghan librarian inexplicably finds her way into the family in order to travel back to London, and a drug-addicted British official works his way into the family intimately enough to make this all possible. None of this rings exactly true in the literal sense of the word. Instead, the plot resonates with a kind of poetic truth. While we don't believe exactly that we are in Afghanistan, it begs us to imagine what it would be like if we were. The play asks us to think of what life might look like from under a burkha and what it means to be a family or a country or simply a citizen. What might life feel like if we let down our defenses enough to recognize the people around us and to listen to what they have to say? If, like in Afghanistan, everything we know and enjoy and feed our souls with was destroyed or suppressed, could we stay put? In such an environment, is there such thing as love? The audience finds some answer in Kushner's characters. Like the Afghan citizens whose home was so drastically changed by the advent of Taliban rule, something has upset the balance of the Homebody's family. They rely on antidepressants and forced civility to get along with one another, yet they stay together because they are a family and because they love each other. As Priscilla, the unmoored daughter, expounds, "What else is love but recognition? Love's got nothing to do with happiness. Power has to do with happiness. Love has only to do with home."

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Women's Swimming | Season closes with sixth place NESCAC finish

March 1

Despite losing several good swimmers after the 2003-2004 season, Tufts still surprised many this year, going 5-2 and finishing sixth at the NESCAC Championships. The returning swimmers got a big boost from the freshmen newcomers, who helped the team go undefeated at Hamilton Pool. "We had an absolutely fabulous year," said coach Nancy Bigelow. "The team was filled with overachievers, and they really came together as the season progressed, which is very important in an individual sport such as swimming. They did an excellent job of gelling as a unit." But, the season is not over for several swimmers. Freshman Allison Palomaki qualified for the national meet at Hope College in Michigan. Her 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:06.70 at the NESCAC meet was good enough to get the invite. Fellow freshman Bianca Spinosa is still waiting to see if she will get the call for 100-yard butterfly. Her time of 58.15 set a new Tufts record, as did Palomaki's. These freshmen were rock solid all year, grabbing first and second-place finishes meet after meet. They were the key to several of the Jumbos' victories. In addition to Palomaki and Spinosa, freshmen Tia Bassano and Monika Burns also ranked near the top of their events at every meet. "I was not surprised by the impact of the freshmen at all," said Bigelow. "I knew that we had a very strong freshman class coming in. We were counting on them to make a good contribution and they came through." Senior quad-captain Erica Weitz also emphasized the significance of having an exceptional freshman class. "They really stepped it up this year and swam fast from the beginning of the season," she said. "They should be proud of their performances all year, but especially at NESCACs." Weitz, along with the other three quad-captains, seniors Suzy Ascoli, Sarah Ferranti and Kate Sweeney, provided leadership throughout the year. Not only did they swim well, they helped the team bond. "The captains did just a great job," said Bigelow. "Building a team doesn't just happen, it takes a lot of time and work. They also got help along the way from the underclassmen as well, which was important." Finishing sixth at the championship meet should not be taken lightly, especially since the Jumbos missed out on fourth place by only 8.5 points. Williams, which captured its fifth straight NESCAC Championship, will be a contender at the national meet. NESCACs were particularly strong this year, making it that much tougher for Tufts to place highly. The team broke six school records at the NESCAC Championships, and three individuals and a relay team made national cut times. In addition to the two school records in Spinosa's and Palomaki's national cut times, Spinosa set another Tufts record in the 50 fly, which she swam in 26.26 to finish second. Also, the 200 medley relay team of Spinosa, Burns, Bassano, and sophomore Chloe Young-Hyman achieved a new Jumbo record in their national B cut time of 1:49.80. Unfortunately, it was not quite enough to get the team to Michigan. "The NESCAC meet was definitely a big highlight of the season," said Bigelow. "Having three individuals make cuts for the national meet is phenomenal. It was a great team effort." The championship meet closed the book on the career of 11 senior swimmers, including Weitz. "I think one of the highlights of the season for the team, especially the seniors, was the last home meet against Bates," she said. "The whole team really came together and swam fast to win the meet. It was just a really great note to go out on." The NESCAC tournament provided a second memorable experience. "The final meet was also a wonderful part of the season because everybody swam their best times," said Weitz. "It was just so exciting to get to watch everybody swim that fast after training so hard for an entire season. I am just so proud of how our team competed this year." With the exception of Palomaki, and possibly Spinosa, the rest of the team can look to next year. "I think the kids are already looking forward to next season," said Bigelow. "We will get some new faces and it will be another good season."

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Inside Fitness | The big question: Free weights or machines?

March 1

What's better to get big? Free weights or machines? - Guy who obviously doesn't read my articles, Lewis Hall There are certain advantages and disadvantages to both methods of resistance training. Free weights are generally better for building mass and most types of functional strength. Since our movements outside the gym are never restricted by a tracked range of motion, free weights will help you get stronger in ways that may actually come in useful (like when you're lifting that keg out of the back). Using free weights also recruits lots of little stabilizer muscles that you wouldn't use if you were lifting with machines. So free weights are usually preferable, assuming you are a competent and uninjured lifter. However, if you have an injury, free weights may not be the way to go. The performance of any free weight exercise requires a strong emphasis on form, since your motion is not preset for you. This means that if you don't know exactly what you're doing, not only will you look like a complete idiot, you will probably end up hurting yourself (if you are not hurt already). The other problem with free weights lies in the fact that you are basically just lifting big pieces of metal. If you drop one of those big pieces of metal on yourself, it will friggin' hurt, believe me, homey. This means that you need a spotter for all lifts of any appreciable amount of weight. Machines are good for older lifters, as well as those who are injured and have a limited range of motion. Because the movement is tracked for you, you don't have to worry as much about form. You can focus more on feeling the contraction in the target muscle instead. Machines are also safer, since there is no risk of dropping some heavy iron on your ugly mug. This means you don't need your boy Bruno to loom over you as a spotter, dripping sweat and saliva on you as he ogles the reasonably attractive TA bouncing on the Stairmaster across the gym. Most routines are built around heavy free weight exercises, with some machine work added on at the end to isolate the muscle and force blood into it. A bread-and-butter chest routine would involve some type of barbell press, perhaps some weighted dips, and machine or cable butterflies. If you are just starting out, however, try to stick primarily to light free weight movements. Work on form and achieving a full range of motion. Mastering - or at least getting good at - these two aspects of weight training will save you from injury and pave the road to more significant gains in the future.I really don't like doing cardio, so I've been looking for something I actually enjoy doing to get my heart rate up. Instead of getting on the bike, can't I just have some sweaty sex? I sometimes feel a burn while I am having sex with my partner - couldn't I just try to focus on maintaining that burn? - Jon C., Curtis St. The accepted amount of cardiovascular exercise is 20 minutes, three times per week. However, that is not to say that you just need to get sweaty. You need to elevate your heart rate and keep it elevated. If you can monitor your heart rate and ensure that it stays elevated during a romp in the sack with your loved one and maintain that level of elevation (heart rate, etc.), then I guess you could consider your sessions as a cardio workout. I am inclined to suggest alternative measures, however. I don't think that turning sex into a form of exercise will improve it. But if it does, please let me know.

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Tufts group encourages 'everybody' to dance

March 1

If you notice that one of your friends has suddenly transformed into John Travolta or J. Lo on the dance floor, he or she may have co-curricular dance group Everybody Dance Now! (EDN!) to thank. "Every class, I get a great mixture of kids, some who have never danced before, and some who have claimed to only dance when they were drunk," said freshman Lara Kitain, who has been dancing for 16 years and teaches EDN!'s hip-hop class. "I help students find the rhythm and let loose; give them the opportunity to show off at a party or a club." "One of the dancers who took my class last semester told me that she had gone out one Saturday night with her friends, and they had all complimented her on what a better dancer she had become-just because she had been taking my class," said freshman Christine D'Aguillo, who teaches EDN!'s weekly beginner jazz and lyrical class. Since its creation was spearheaded by sophomore Allie Bohm last fall, EDN! - through free classes taught by student instructors like Kitain and D'Aguillo - has offered the Tufts community a low-pressure, non performance-oriented way to learn types of dancing including the traditional (tap, jazz, and ballet), the international (salsa and flamenco), and the more modern (hip-hop). Early last semester, Bohm - fed up with the lack of options available to students who enjoy dancing but have a limited amount of time and money - approached Associate Professor of Drama and Dance and Director of the Dance Department Alice Trexler about forming a new on-campus dance group. "Basically, I realized that while there are many dance groups at Tufts, they're all performance-oriented," said Bohm, who teaches EDN!'s tap class. "And, while Tufts has curricular dance classes, they're only [offered] in a limited number of dance styles, and not everyone has time in his or her schedule to take curricular dance classes." "There seemed to be a place for a dance group that didn't have performance as its primary goal," Trexler said. "Many Tufts students have training in different dance forms and are interested in sharing these techniques with their peers as well as practicing." "The dance program promotes a 'liberal arts' approach to dance - that is, learning for its own sake - so having a co-curricular relationship to EDN! was a natural step for us to take," Trexler added. "Although this relationship is still developing, we hope to create projects for the future." Bohm said that many students find "going into Boston to take dance classes" to be "time-consuming and expensive." By contrast, EDN!'s classes are weekly and free, as well as non performance-oriented. "I became involved because it's a great opportunity to stay involved in dance at Tufts without the commitment that's required by some of the other dance groups on campus," said freshman Alison Hoover, who teaches EDN!'s ballet and pointe class. "I was used to taking tons of dance classes in high school, and it was weird coming to Tufts and not having that opportunity all the time," D'Aguillo said. "Organizations like Sarabande and SOC [Spirit of Color] are fun, but if you don't make it, you don't have much opportunity to dance." "I thought it was a great idea to start EDN! just to dance for the sake of dancing and not worry about perfecting a dance for a show," she added. Sophomore Kacie Nakamura, who teaches EDN!'s flamenco class, agreed. "I was part of the ballroom team last year, but had no time this year for it, though I still wanted to dance," said Nakamura, who has been flamenco dancing for 13 years. For Nakamura, EDN! was a great opportunity to share her love of the dance form. "I ended up with four girls who showed up every lesson, and it was fun to teach them what I know," she said. The other student instructors agree that leading EDN! classes has been a rewarding experience. "EDN! is a great opportunity for me to keep up my skills and teach others what frees me and makes me happy!" Kitain said. "I'm very happy with my class - the dance department has been very supportive of the group," said sophomore Mayaluz Verdecia, who teaches EDN!'s salsa classes and describes salsa dancing as "one of [her] greatest passions." "Since my freshman year, I've been planning to create a salsa club or something, since there wasn't any group like it at Tufts," Verdecia added. "For me, this program was the opportunity I was looking for." Leading EDN!, however, is not without its challenges. "Because there's so much [happening] on campus, and there's no requirement that students sign up for these classes or come every week, sometimes classes are huge; sometimes they are tiny," Bohm said. "It's hard to predict." One demographic in particular has yet to give in to EDN!'s lure. "Guys do not come to dance," Nakamura said. "They should ... in flamenco, men have to have an attitude and show their strength through their actions. I would have thought this appealed to guys out there!"

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