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Hockey | Jumbos hit the road for NESCAC tournament

February 23

When they step onto the ice at Hartford, the Jumbos will be hoping that the third time really is the charm. After wrapping up its regular season with a 5-3 road victory at Wesleyan last weekend, the Tufts hockey team squeaked into the eighth and final seed of the NESCAC tournament for the third year in a row. Despite these postseason appearances, the Jumbos will look for their first playoff win when they face off against No. 1 seed Trinity College on Saturday. At least the competition will be familiar, as the Jumbos faced Trinity this past Friday, falling 5-2 to the top-seeded Bantams. The Jumbos played closely through the first period and went into the locker room with the score knotted 1-1 on a power play goal by senior Jason Boudrow. Trinity proved too strong for the Jumbos as the Bantams took control during the second and third periods. Freshman Issa Azat got the start in the Tufts net and made 37 stops, including 15 in the third frame. "We expect a hard fought game [this weekend]," Junior Pat Walsh said. "We played Trinity tight last week and we are trying to improve on our mistakes from Friday's game. We know it is not going to be easy but it is the playoffs so we are trying to be ready for anything." Other Jumbos are optimistic about the team's chances to make a real bid in the NESCAC tournament. "Although Trinity beat us 5-2, we had a few chances to get back into the game," senior co-captain John Hurd said. "I feel we have a real chance at winning compared to the previous years when we were happy just to be in the playoffs." This season represents the first time Tufts has a full line-up of players recruited to play NESCAC hockey. This year's roster has produced a 12-11-1 mark for the Jumbos, the team's first season above .500 in three years, and has brought a new buzz to the program. "I think the main difference from last year is the team's attitude. We try to stay even keeled no matter what happens, good or bad," sophomore Pete Corbett said. "We all get along well in the locker room and that translates onto the ice. Our seniors are all great because they understand what it means to lead by example." The winner of the NESCAC Championship Tournament will automatically qualify for the NCAA Div. III Championship Tournament. First-round match-ups set No. 2 Middlebury against No. 7 Hamilton, No. 3 Colby against No. 6 Williams, and No. 4 Bowdoin against No. 5 Amherst this Saturday. Trinity and Middlebury are favorites for the championship match-up, having faced each other in each of the last three NESCAC Championships Finals. Middlebury captured the title last season 6-2, while Trinity won the 2003 banner, 4-2. The past two years, Tufts has bowed out of the tournament in the first round, both years at the hands of Middlebury. Last year the Jumbos faced the top-ranked Panthers and Middlebury showed no mercy as the Panthers scored five second-period goals on their way to a 7-1 win, bringing an end to an 8-15-1 season for the Jumbos. "[This season] has been up and down, [but] overall we have been successful," Walsh said. "We are the first Tufts hockey team to be in the NESCAC and finish with a winning record. We are proud of that but we are not just satisfied, we want and hope for some success in the playoffs." Tufts currently has seven seniors on a roster of 25, including Bourdrow and Hurd. Bourdrow has had a successful final season, leading the team in assists and scoring his 150th point during his senior year. In addition to serving as captain during his last season on the Hill, Hurd has played in all 24 of the Jumbos' games this season, and is tied for second on the team with 10 goals. The senior pointed to the young talent on the team as a hopeful sign for the Jumbos' success next year. "The program just keeps getting better and better," he said. "We have a good group of freshman and it was a big step for two of those freshmen to be in goal." The playoff game on Saturday will take place on the road for the Jumbos, as they head to Hartford to face a Trinity team that posted its best regular season record since 1986-87. The Bantams' 19-2-2 overall record and 15-2-2 league mark was good enough for a top finish in the conference and provide the Jumbos with a lofty goal on Saturday.

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News

The world's water under fire

February 23

If you have gone to the bathroom on-campus anywhere this past week, you most likely sat down to read a conspicuously-placed sign declaring, "Water privatization, freshwater scarcity, melting glaciers: These problems are real and they affect you! Think Before You Flush - Come to the EPIIC Symposium." So just what should you be thinking about before flushing? Oil and water, perhaps? If that was your guess, then bravo! You are quite right, and as a reward you may now read this insomniac EPIICer's thoughts on the latter subject: WATER. Consider the world's water resources - over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water, just 0.01 percent of which is fresh water. 74 percent of that freshwater, however, is frozen in glaciers and the polar icecaps, meaning that only 0.008 percent of all freshwater is available for our consumption, found in rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Eight thousandths of a percent. Clearly, our freshwater resources are limited. And when you consider that 1.1 billion people in the world have no access to safe water, you might even call them in crisis. This crisis, however, is not due to a lack of enough water to go around. Think about how much water we consume in the United States on any given day - for drinking, taking showers, flushing toilets, washing our hands, food, dishes and clothes. Think about the water spent to irrigate our crops, fill our pools, water our gardens, produce our electricity and keep our golf courses emerald green. All told, these cumulative uses combine to put the average U.S. per capita consumption of water at 160 gallons per day, while more than half of the world's population lives on a mere 25 gallons daily. Despite global water scarcity, we in the developed world are swimming in freshwater. It is safe for us to assume that every faucet, hose or drinking fountain we turn on will pour clear, uncontaminated water until we choose to turn it off. Think about it - we have easier access to Cheetos than most of the world has to clean drinking water. If that discrepancy is not shocking enough for you, let's look back to the toilet. Every time you flush, an average of six liters of water swirl down the drain, whereas an average person in the developing world has access to 10 liters a day for the most basic life necessities. This means that if you have peed twice today, you have already used more water than the average person in the developing world will have today for all their drinking, washing and cooking needs. Unfortunately, lack of water and uneven distribution are not the only issues. The quality of the water available is also a major concern for people in more than 80 water-stressed countries. Over 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to sufficient sanitation - two-fifths of the world population. This insufficient sanitation translates into disease and death for millions, most of them children who are most susceptible to diarrhea and water-borne diseases. Every year 2.2 million people die of illnesses associated with unsafe drinking water, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene, 1.8 million of whom are children five-years-old and younger. A child dies every 15 seconds from contaminated water-related diseases that could be easily prevented, for a daily death toll of 6,000 children. People, that is more children dead than all the victims killed on Sept. 11. Even as I type it is hard for me to fathom this. Six-thousand kids die every day who would survive if they could just drink and bathe in water as clean as that with which we flush our toilets. This is all the more outrageous when one considers that it would cost only $16 billion a year to cut the number of people living without safe water and sanitation in half. To put that in perspective, $16 billion is less money than North Americans and Europeans spend a year on pet food. So what leads us to invest more in Meow Mix than in the lives and welfare of over 2.5 billion people? How is it that the populations of water-rich countries like the D.R. Congo are dying for lack of clean water, while golf courses and swimming pools sparkle green and blue in the California desert? What roles do water privatization, fossil fuel use, climate change, pollution and international security play in creating these conditions? And what can we as individuals do about it? To discuss these questions and more, I enthusiastically encourage you to attend the EPIIC Symposium. Sacrifice a couple latt?©s to buy a ticket and come learn about the liquids that make our world go 'round. Or, if you do not come, I ask you to at least remember these questions, remember those 2.6 billion people, those 6,000 kids who died yesterday, today and will die tomorrow, and recognize that your own water consumption habits matter. The water you save on a daily basis by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth, cutting five minutes off your shower time, flushing only when you really need to ("if it's yellow let it mellow...") and telling your friends to do the same makes a difference. A final thought - a Turkish businessman once said, "Millions of people have lived without love. No one has ever lived without water." I do not share this with you as a quote to put your romantic woes in perspective. Rather, I hope it serves to remind you that water is life, yours and everyone else's. You have the right and responsibility to understand where your water is coming from and where its future lies. Demand the right, accept the responsibility and join us for an exciting and enlightening Symposium.Jessica Berlin is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

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News

Theater Review | Be afraid: 'Woolf' hits Boston planks before Broadway run

February 23

If you want to really wound someone, physical violence is just too elementary. Tongues as sharp as knives are far more treacherous. Why, pair a caustic tongue with a cruel imagination and a person's very psyche can splinter across a living room floor as you watch. Welcome to Edward Albee's playpen. Currently playing at the Wilbur Theater before tackling Broadway in mid-March, Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" crackles with intensity. Incendiary and allegorical (the leads share the names of our nation's first president and his wife), the play deconstructs two marriages, namely that of impotent college professor George and his sadistic wife, Martha, and that of another less important couple. The lead roles require such dynamism that it took Albee, who many liken to Samuel Beckett, over five years to cast the roles for this current revival. This will be only the third production of the play ever to appear on Broadway. The original production attacked Broadway in 1961, and was met with shock at its overtly sexual overtones. Thus, it was no shocker when Broadway's latest Mrs. Robinson, Kathleen Turner, won the coveted role of Martha. The happy surprise was the casting of New York funny man Bill Irwin as George, a move which took many aback. It shouldn't have. This emotional fireball of a script is lathered in comedy. This particular production, directed by Anthony Page, thrives on it. A veteran Albee interpreter, Page directed Albee's latest production, "The Goat or Who is Sylvia," in London's West End this past summer. The play begins in George and Martha's living room, a restrained, heavy wood set designed by John Lee Beatty. The time is late one evening after a faculty party. At first, George and Martha seem like any other boring and dissatisfied older couple. Only once Nick (David Harbour) and Honey (Mireille Enos) arrive, providing them with ammunition for their venomous barbs, do the real games begin. Have you ever played, "hump the hostess", "humiliate the host", or "get the guests?" Twisted, biting, and sardonic, Albee's script is nothing short of a playwright's wet dream. To afford a brief example, the four lushes like their liquor, and at one point George says to Martha, "That's a habit you have: chewing your ice like a cocker spaniel." She responds, "If you existed, I'd divorce you." But script aside, it is Irwin's characterization of George's ineffectual history professor which makes this production unforgettable. Martha clearly preys upon any affection George shows her, yet Irwin doesn't sway to her punches. Rather, he uses his lines wisely, slyly, enriching moments that even Richard Burton's distinctive Hollywood George overlooked in the 1964 film version. Tiny words wreak havoc as they fall from George's mouth. He polishes his glasses and you wonder how they haven't cracked from his intensity. Turner's performance, meanwhile, lacks that carefully nuanced feel. It's not that she doesn't earn her keep: indeed by the curtain call she was clearly exhausted. But the role seems to come more easily to her. And, in a way, that small advantage is unforgivable. Why should she get off easier than Irwin? It's an odd feeling, wanting to judge Turner's performance by Irwin's, yet due to their characters' Darwinian attitudes, it can't be helped. Throughout the play, she should be diving teeth-first into the intricacies of her role, yet instead she floats by on mere adequacy. By the play's conclusion, she barely seems wrecked when George has literally killed a part of her. At least her chemistry with Harbour's Nick fogs up the stage. The possibility of their affair is palpable and dangerous - for Nick that is. Harbour's genuine desire for Martha humanizes her in ways that Turner has yet to find for herself. He also helps define George's role, his heartthrob good looks a foil to Irwin's nerd. Yet as the play wears on, Nick's confidence and egoism weigh him down until he appears oafish instead of suave. Points for George. Oh, but poor Honey. She has no clue about the sexual games being played in her midst. Refreshingly, Enos veers away from the traditional ditzy blond associated with the role, instead using a thick Midwestern accent to convey her na??vet?©. The three more aggressive parts could have easily bulldozed her into oblivion, but Enos retains a firm stage presence. And a good thing too, since it is a successful Honey, an average homemaker, which tethers this show to a reality the audience can relate to. We're not all brilliant professors, but we've all blindly loved something in our lives. Of course, her blind love for Nick isn't even nearly enough. It's shallow, and Albee tears it down with his gigantic dramatic wrecking ball otherwise known as Martha. All of his productions challenge the status quo, and occasionally they prove too bold for the times. When "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" first appeared on Broadway in 1961, with such legendary talents as Arthur Hill and Uta Hagen in the lead roles, the Pulitzer Prize committee refused to award the prize that year, rather than give it to Albee. Not to be overlooked, "The Goat or Who is Sylvia" addressed the taboo of a man sleeping with a barnyard animal. In "Woolf"s case, Albee's social criticism of marriage has not weakened in the past four decades. Even with Turner only performing at half-speed, the show shocks the heart. It's amazing, the capability and willingness a human being has to hurt his fellow human. It's frightening, watching those who live for it. But make no mistake: Martha and George love each other. They love each other harder and deeper than Nick and Honey will ever know, so much so that they appear animalistic in their love. They rip off the veil of American domesticity and, as George would say, get down to the marrow of things.

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News

Faculty Briefs

February 22

Tufts researcher reinforces link between vitamin E and cataract treatment Professor Dr. Paul F. Jacques at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy spoke on the benefits of vitamin E at a health and science writers' workshop on vitamin E and health at the New York Academy of Sciences. The event was sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition. "Almost half of all Americans experience visual disability from cataracts," Jacques said. He explained that a cataract is a clouding of the lens characterized by an accumulation of damaged lens proteins. The protein accumulation disrupts the normally uniform density within the fiber cells of the lens, causing light refraction. This then interferes with the transmission of light to the retina. "We have evidence that a cataract is the result of oxidation of constituents of the lens fiber cells." That process of oxidation might explain why vitamin E, an antioxidant, would have a beneficial effect on cataracts. "The results of my past and ongoing studies, as well as studies by other investigators, show that individuals who consume vitamin E supplements or who have higher plasma concentrations of vitamin E have a lower risk of cataract, particularly cataract in the lens nucleus," Jacques said. Jacques is Director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Program, and Senior Scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Tufts dean pushes for laboratory in Grafton Associate Dean of Administration and Finance at Tufts' School of Veterinary Medicine, Joe McManus, took many North Grafton, Mass. officials by surprise in December when he asked them to approve his efforts to build a Bio Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory on the Tufts Veterinary School campus in town. The North Grafton Board of Selectmen turned him down, worried about what work would go on in that laboratory and what threat it posed to the public, according to the MetroWest Daily News. McManus has not dropped the issue, stating to the News recently that "most teaching hospitals, medical schools and veterinary schools have BSL-3 labs. These aren't a rare or scary thing. They're commonplace throughout the country." According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the BSL-3 labs are used to "study agents that can be transmitted through the air and cause potentially lethal infection." Tufts planned to use part of the $150 million grant from the government, used to build safer and cleaner biochemical laboratories across the country, in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to build a lab in Chicopee, Mass. According to the News, the University of Massachusetts backed down from the offer. The Board of Selectmen remains very concerned about the project. "In the climate we're in today ... we automatically envision our worst fears," said Chairwoman Sue Millis. "People want the town's assurance and Tufts' assurance that we're not putting them in harm's way by putting this in their neighborhood." McManus plans to answer all the questions the Board posed and hopes to begin construction on the lab within the next year.-- Compiled by Anthony McGovern and Brian McPartland from Tufts E-News and the Metro West Daily News

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News

A Few Facts That Will Change Your Life

February 22

In the United States alone, 95 percent of the country's original forest cover is gone, excluding Alaska. The United States also consumes 25 percent of the world's raw materials. Though it may not be obvious to the average person, this world is at a critical crossroads. All around the globe, people are being forced to think about extensive use of resources and their impact on the earth. Let's throw some more numbers out there: While the United States is home to only 4 percent of the world's population, we demand 25 percent of the earth's remaining oil supply. This equates to a daily consumption of 20 million barrels of oil. What incentive do Americans have to use less when congressional subsidies to the oil industry come to 12 billion dollars? Where does all of this oil come from? There are approximately 50,000 oil fields in the world. Most of them are relatively insignificant as the largest 40 oil fields in the world hold 50 percent of the world's oil. Most of these oil fields are located in the Middle East. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates with 95 percent accuracy that there are 2 trillion barrels of oil in reserves in the world. Two trillion barrels sounds like a lot, but is it really? Theorist M. King Hubbert believes that problems will arise when the world has consumed 50 percent of its oil reserves. At this point, demand for oil will keep increasing, while supply will be steadily decreasing. When do Hubbert and others believe that we will hit this peak and problems on the world scale will begin to occur? Given calculations that take into account population growth and increased global oil consumption, it's projected that we will reach Hubbert's Peak in 30 to 40 years. The average Tufts student will be 50 to 60 years old; our children will be finishing up their own college educations and heading into the world. Did you know that 96 percent of Egypt's population lives in the Nile Valley and Delta, which is four percent of Egypt's land mass? This incredible uneven distribution of people on land is bound to face more problems than it already does given that projected climate change is going to reduce the Nile's flow by 25 percent. Sixteen of the twenty "dirtiest air" cities are located in China; 80 percent of China's water is unfit for human consumption. What implications will this have for China's emergence as the world's next economic powerhouse? Is such environmental degradation really an economic liability? China is not alone! We see similar problems plaguing more affluent countries. Australia has the least water per capita of any country in the world at 1000 meters/year/person. Turning to our world oceans: 75 percent of the global fish stock is depleted. There are more issues with our oceans than just food and food supply. Though it seems like a Disney movie, there were 445 piracy attacks in 2003. Here they are; a few fun facts to change your life. No longer can we say, "This won't happen in my lifetime." As a world, we are united by an impending global dilemma that concerns our diminishing supply of natural resources and radically increasing demand for them. Oil and water are two of the most precious resources on earth. The 2005 EPIIC (Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship) symposium on oil and water is a unique forum for discussing these facts' context with increasing relevance to all of our lives. This event promises five days of interesting, intriguing and educational events that will be highlighted in 13 panel discussions featuring 54 of the world's most educated and passionate people in the water and oil fields of study. Tickets are on sale for $5 for Tufts students. Get your tickets from any of the four locations on campus: the Campus Center, Dewick, Carmichael and Fletcher!Shanti Sattler is a sophomore majoring in Peace and Justice Studies

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News

Health Services introduces addiction support groups

February 22

University Health Services is now offering two new programs to give students an on-campus option for support when dealing with problematic alcohol or drug use, as well as smoking. Jeanne Haley, a clinical social worker who has worked at Health Services for over a year, added two new programs to the Tufts Alcohol and Drug Program this semester: a counseling program for students who want to stop smoking, and a weekly peer support group, "Sober at Tufts," for students who have given up on drinking or drugs, or are trying to do so. "What I've learned is that it is not necessarily very easy to be sober, because so much of the social scene revolves around drugs and alcohol," Haley said. The Sober at Tufts program, Haley said is a drop-in program that is confidential and involves no commitment. "It's really just about how to fit into the social scene without using alcohol," she said. Haley said that although there is a sizable amount of students do not use alcohol or drugs at social events, she said there are students who do not realize that not drinking "can feel really isolating." Some students who Haley hopes to reach out to seemed to agree that drinking is endemic in the Tufts social scene. "[Problem drinking is] not about peer pressure... it's about the culture at Tufts," said a student who admitted to drinking heavily and who wished to remain anonymous. "There's nothing else to do. Students wonder what to do instead, where to hang out and who with." Haley said that Sober at Tufts is designed to help students with this dilemma. Director of the Community Health Program Edith Balbach said that on-campus counseling programs are important as they are tailored to the Tufts environment. "I think the benefit of on-campus programs is that the most effective programming we do is responsive to the community," she said. "If you're going to have a successful program, it has to reflect the reality of the Tufts student experience." The changes to the smoking cessation program reflect new attitudes toward the benefits of quitting while seeking counseling. Previously, students who came to Health Services hoping to quit smoking would receive advice about taking an aid, like a patch, or possibly a prescription for anti-smoking pills like Zyban. New research and guidelines, however, from such groups as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Preventive Medicine recommend that cessation aids be combined with counseling. Research has shown success rates for quitting is higher in such programs. In order to gain the expertise necessary for implementing a program that combines counseling and cessation aids, Haley enrolled in a University of Massachusetts Medical School course on tobacco cessation over winter break. Several Tufts students have already come to Haley to begin working with her to quit smoking, and the Sober at Tufts group has already met for a lunch provided by Health Services. Some students are trying to deal with their own problems with alcohol or smoking while others are worried about friends or family members. As the drug and alcohol counselor for the entire campus, Haley said she sees a number of students who visit her after running into serious alcohol-related trouble with the University. But Haley said she also sees students who come in voluntarily, worried about themselves or individuals close to them, and she's hoping that now, with the introduction of this new program, she will see a lot more students coming in on their own.

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News

Inside the NBA | Basketball All-Star break run-down, Part II

February 22

In an offensively loaded All-Star Game, Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers led the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 125-115 win over the Western Conference All Stars. A.I. took home MVP honors for the second time in his career, scoring 15 points and leading all players with nine assists and five steals. The West jumped out to an early 13 point lead, only for the East to answer with a 17-0 run in the second quarter that gave them a two-point lead going into halftime. The game remained fairly close throughout its duration, with the East hanging on for the victory. Ray Allen led all scorers with 17 points, but his effort was not enough for the West to emerge victorious. The rookie game was not as close of a contest. The Sophomores, led by Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony's 31 points, won easily over the Rookies, 133-106. Anthony, playing in front of his home crowd, hit 13 of 18 shots and took home MVP honors. The Rookies came out firing and led 64-58 at the half. However, their fortune was reversed in the second half, with the Sophs storming out of the gate and blowing out their younger counterparts. This was the third consecutive year that the Sophs have defeated the Rookies. High-flying Atlanta Hawks rookie Josh Smith scored a perfect 50 on three of his dunks on his way to winning the Slam Dunk Contest. Among his slams were a leaping jam over Nuggets' forward Kenyon Martin, as well a windmill dunk, made famous by former Hawks great Dominique Wilkins, while wearing a throwback Wilkins jersey. Smith defeated Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudemire in the final round of the competition. Stoudemire's teammate, guard/forward Quentin Richardson, won the three-point shooting contest, while fellow Suns guard Steve Nash easily won the Skills Competition. Suns forward Shawn Marion, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, and retired Suns guard Dan Majerle took home the hardware in the Shooting Stars competition. Now, here's Part II of Inside the NBA's All-Star Break Report. The surprise team of the year is the Seattle Supersonics. The Sonics were not brought up in preseason discussions of playoff contenders, let alone division winners. However, they've made all doubters eat their words. Seattle is currently third in the West, and holds a ten game lead in the Northwest Division. Led by All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, the Sonics are playing to their strengths and have been one of the NBA's premier teams up to this point. Coach Nate McMillan has done a fantastic job in turning around a team that made no major acquisitions during the offseason and seemed doomed for mediocrity. McMillan and Allen are in contract years, and negotiations thus far have been decent at best. Allen is looking for a big long-term deal, but he and the team are about $30 million apart on contract talks. Allen has been part of several trade rumors, and whether or not the sides will come to agreeable terms on a contract is questionable at the moment. The ability for Seattle to continue its winning ways will be watched closely throughout the duration of this season. Honorable mention: Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards. The most disappointing team of the year would have to be the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves had the same team that fell just short of the Western Conference finals, and have had a healthy Wally Szczerbiak and Troy Hudson for nearly the whole season. Kevin Garnett has continued to post his MVP-like numbers, averaging 22.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Expectations were high, with many believing that the Wolves would break through to win it all. However, their struggles can be primarily attributed to the lack of production from veterans Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. Sprewell is averaging career lows in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game, and has complained about contract negotiations as he is in the final year of his deal with the team. While Cassell's numbers have not dropped quite as much, they are still down across the board compared to his numbers last year. In addition, the inconsistency of their frontcourt has added to their problems. They are 10 games back of Seattle in the Northwest, and currently wouldn't qualify for the playoffs. They just fired Coach Flip Saunders and are a team in need of some personnel changes as well. Honorable mention: Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, and the entire Atlantic Division, which is poised to send the worst three-seed in NBA history into the playoffs. The sixth man of the year award goes to Vladimir Radmanovic of the Supersonics. The Bosnian forward, in his fourth year in Seattle, has become a key figure in the Sonics' winning ways. His 12.5 points per game is third on the team, and he leads the team in three-point shooting, hitting 41 percent of his trifectas. He has taken some of the defensive attention away from Allen and Lewis, and his combination of size and shooting range makes him a tough matchup for many teams. He fits in perfectly with Seattle's perimeter-oriented strategy and is another of the Seattle players that will become free agents in the offseason. Seattle will have competition in trying to retain Vlad's services, as he will be a fairly sought after free agent. Honorable mention: Antonio Daniels (Seattle), Marquis Daniels (Dallas Mavericks).

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Music Review | Soundsystem are far from losing edge

February 22

If you can say anything about James Murphy, principal member of the ultra hip disco-punk band LCD Soundsystem and half of the DFA Records production team, it's that he defies easy classification. After producing fellow indie group The Rapture's album "Echoes," and releasing LCD's breakthrough single "Losing My Edge" during a one-year span in 2002, Murphy was crowned the godfather of "dance-punk" by the indie music press. At this point most artists would record a quick cash-in album of "Losing My Edge"-clones, then fade into obscurity. Instead, Murphy waited three years before releasing LCD's self-titled debut on Feb. 14, along with a bonus disc that compiles their previous singles. The result is dynamite. On this album, Murphy proves that he is a force that cannot be contained by one genre. Although taking on dance-punk with songs like "On Repeat" and "Thrills," some of the album's most impressive moments come when he tries his hand at other musical styles. The gentle "Never as Tired as When I'm Waking Up" would have been at home on the Beatles' "White Album;" it's about as far away from dance music as you can get. The first single, "Movement," is mix of slurred vocals, programmed drums, synths, and Velvet Underground guitar. Murphy attacks the music press's tendency to create "movements without the bother of all the meaning," a critique of both the garage rock trend from a few years ago, and the dance-punk movement Murphy has been lumped into. If there is a better way to deflate the hype surrounding you than pointing out that you're just a "fat guy in a T-shirt doing all the singing," I haven't heard it. Without a doubt the best song on the album, the humorous, tongue-in-cheek "Daft Punk is Playing at My House," tells the story of a kid getting the famous French dance duo to play at his house. The song highlights possibly Murphy's best attribute, his sarcastic sense of humor. It is this same humor that is sorely missing in most of the modern music landscape, which is dominated by angst-ridden modern rock, self-absorbed garage rock, boasting gangsta rap, and unexplainable emo. It's refreshing to laugh when listening to rock music, whether it's the to image of Daft Punk playing next to a washing machine in some kid's basement, or to the laments of an ageing hipster on "Losing My Edge." In keeping with the unusual nature of the group, the bonus disc almost overshadows the album itself. The disc is comprised of LCD's earlier singles, including "Losing My Edge," and two versions of "Yeah" (one labeled 'Crass,' the other 'Pretentious.') One of the great singles of the 2000s, "Losing My Edge" displays the non-stop rantings of a hipster who is afraid of younger "art-school Brooklynites with borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered '80s" who are stealing his crown of obscure music knowledge. No one, from record store clerks to Murphy himself, is safe from the song's biting wit. In keeping with his ever-shifting style, Murphy's next big single, "Yeah," rejects his previous single's rambling style in exchange for simply repeating "Yeah" over and over again. As repetitive as this sounds, it is some of the catchiest music, dance-punk or otherwise, that you're likely to hear. LCD Soundsystem could have coasted by on the crest of the dance-punk trend a few years ago. By waiting, however, they were able to record the music they wanted to, not what was dictated by a trend. This is the album that James Murphy wanted to make, with all its indulgences and experiments. Dance music gets a bad, but partly deserved, reputation as a derivative genre in which all songs are comprised of a few minutes of bass and looped vocals. Even if Murphy's varying styles affect the flow and consistency of the album, anything's better than listening to endless variations of the same rehashed song. In a perfect world, when we think of dance music in the future we will think of LCD Soundsystem instead of DJ Sammy's "Heaven."

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News

Band Profile | Tufts' band the Juice gets served on the rocks

February 22

Following in the footsteps of their incredibly successful Tufts predecessor, Guster, another up-and-coming Tufts band, The Juice, has set its sights in high places. So keep your ears peeled (if that's actually possible) in the next few months for more info about this quintet, which plays at Somerville's Abbey Lounge tonight and plans to release their first CD, a seven-song EP currently in production, within the next month. This rock/pop band, which takes most of its influences from '90s bands such as Incubus, Dispatch and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, might be described as a mix between Guster and the much-missed ska/reggae band Sublime. Three of their demos can be heard on their website, thejuicemusic.com, which can tide you over until the release of their new EP. This latest project is tentatively titled "On the Rocks," and it is a disc that bassist Kenneth Kitchin says contains "more energy, and is more sonically dense." The band itself consists of five friends with the same musical dream, developed and pursued after a few fateful Tufts-related encounters. Singer Leon Mandler and guitarist Mike Vitiello were high-school friends from Miami where they actually played together in a band called The Amps. Through a fluke roommate-matching placement - who says ResLife doesn't know what they're doing - Mandler and Vitiello became freshman-year roommates. The two had planned on continuing with their musical projects at college, but the band was not properly formed until the duo met third addition Matt Ballinger while trying out for lacrosse. Ballinger, to his credit, is a veteran of the professional music scene, having been a member of the now-defunct Dreamstreet, of Disney fame. Ballinger then recruited his suitemate and soon-to-be Juice bongo player, Jim Govatsos, into the mix. After a few fun jam sessions, it was unanimously agreed upon that the band needed a bassist, and Kenneth Kitchin, Ballinger's freshman-year roommate, rounded out the quintet. Their first official bonding session, according to Vitiello, was frat-hopping at MIT. Vitiello remembers wandering around the waterfront with fellow Juicers, looking for parties when they found a few abandoned wrist-bands on the ground that they thought would gain them entry into the good parties. Unfortunately, this was not the case, as they jumped into the window of a random building where they thought their mystery party was, only to find that the party was on the roof of the adjacent building. Once they had figured this out, the boys ended up literally crashing the party by jumping Spiderman-style onto the roof of the appropriate building and were summarily kicked out by bouncers less than an hour later. Well, at least these guys know how to party. But they know how to play, too. Instead of the classic bassist-guitarist-drummer-singer line-up, The Juice makes good use of the bongos (also like Guster), which creates a more down-to-earth folk feel to their music. Also, the Juice boasts the ability to feature two singers, giving their sound a bit of a more soul-oriented or R&B quality.

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News

One ID card to rule them all

February 22

Plans to merge the three different points systems into one and to integrate JumboFob into a single ID card are welcome news to a student body befuddled as to why their points won't pay for laundry. Remembering the difference between Dining Dollars, Points Plus and Vending Points is hard enough without having to keep straight the balance on each of the accounts. Proposals were also made to let ID cards access dormitories, replacing the JumboFobs. The creation of Dowling Hall five years ago brought the various student services offices together from across the University, and made life easier for both students and staff. Centralizing the Points and Fob systems will have a similar effect, this time making the ID card a useful tool for any transaction. It's about time Tufts made these changes. The University lags behind peer schools in terms of making services accessible to students. Many other schools let students access dorms with their ID card instead of keys. At Duke University, ID cards can be used to buy food, check out library books, go to basketball games, and access dorms, printers and the gym. ID cards, however, may already be pass?©. There are talks at Duke of switching to thumb scans instead of scanning a card's magnetic strip. It's not an issue of keeping up with the Joneses, but of the University staying up-to-date. Tufts ensures that its academics are kept up to par with other Universities for bragging rights and to attract the best students and scholars possible. Student services should be treated in the same manner. Tufts wants to offer the best academic experience available and student services are a key component. If red-tape is a hassle, it is what students will remember after graduation. That can't help fundraising efforts. These reforms and giving ID cards a new look may not be an issue of "pride" as Tufts Community Union President Dave Baumwoll believes, but, they are important to keep day-to-day life as easy and efficient as possible. Streamlining University services is the best way to keep Tufts running smoothly with content students.

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News

Top Ten | Excuses for not going to last Saturday's 99-88 home basketball win

February 22

So our basketball team advanced in the NESCAC Tournament last Saturday against Colby, and Cousens Gym reached pandemonium. But, seeing as our student body population is some 5,000 or so, some of you out there were missing. Here are the top excuses we heard from you guys for not showin' up to rattle Cousens.10) "My favorite player is Drew Kaklamanos, but I couldn't get enough shirts in time to spell "GO KAKLAMANOS." (ed. note: GO KUMF)9) "The gym looks too much like a church, and I'm an atheist."8) "Colby and Tufts' uniforms don't match. I can't watch a 40-minute fashion crime."7) "As a basketball purist, I do not condone any basketball that does not use the original peach baskets at both ends."6) "LOUD NOISES !!!!!!!"5) "I don't want to be that guy, you know, the obnoxious fan" (ed. note: Don't worry, there are plenty of fill-ins to take your place)4) "I heard the crowd was calling themselves the 'Cousens Crackheads.' As a proud graduate of the D.A.R.E. program, I just can't be a part of that."3) "Wait ... Tufts is in the playoffs?"2) "Wait ... we have a gym?"1) "I, like most in the NESCAC, am scared of Reggie ... and don't get me started on Dan Martin." -- By Tim Whelan and Jessica Genninger

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News

Women's Squash | Tufts swept in the Howe Cup tourney

February 22

Sometimes your seeding simply reflects your team's ability, and such was the case for the women's squash team in the Howe Cup over the weekend. Tufts came to the Howe Cup, the National Championships, as the 15th ranked team in the country and left Princeton, NJ with the same ranking. The Jumbos lost all three of their matches in the Tournament. They were first blown out by Bates, 9-0, and then dropped two heartbreakers to William Smith and Bowdoin, each by a score of 6-3. As a result of being ranked 15th, the lowest in their division, the Jumbos were matched up against ninth ranked Bates in the first round. Bates' talent differential was simply too much for the Jumbos to overcome. Tufts was only able to extend one match beyond the three game minimum against Bates, with freshman Rebecca Rice winning the lone game for the Jumbos. The Jumbos lost to Bates earlier this season by the same score. On Saturday, in the losers' bracket, the Jumbos had the chance to avenge their 6-3 loss to Bowdoin. The match, however, mirrored that of a week earlier, as the Polar Bears once again defeated the Jumbos 6-3. Bowdoin's top six players all defeated their Jumbo counterparts, while the Jumbos' seven, eight and nine players made quick work of their Bowdoin opponents, just like last week. "You simply have to hand it to Bowdoin," senior co-captain Eliza Drachman-Jones said. "They were the better team. We tried as hard as we could, but came up a little short." On Sunday, the team competed against William Smith with a chance to move up in the ranks on the line. The Jumbos were anticipating the chance to defeat William Smith after losing a tough 5-4 match earlier this season The Jumbos did not fare any better in the rematch. Tufts was defeated 6-3, sealing its fate as the number 15 team in the nation. Once again, Tufts' seven, eight and nine players, Liz Tyce, Joelle Polivy and Jenny Lange, were all victorious. "It was really disappointing to lose the match against William Smith," Drachman-Jones said. "They have almost become like our rivals. Each time we play them, the match is usually very tight." The Howe Cup marked the Jumbos' final match of a season in which they failed to capitalize on a promising start. The Jumbos opened the season by winning eight of their first 12, but ended up losing eight of their last nine matches to finish with an overall record of 8-11. The only two Jumbos with matches left to play this season are sophomore Jules Avrutin and freshman Rebecca Rice. Both will compete at the Singles National Championship at Yale between March 4 and March 6. Despite their record, the Jumbos are anything but disappointed, especially since they improved from their number 20 ranking of a year ago. "When you consider everything, it is really remarkable what we accomplished," Drachman-Jones said. "To finish as the No. 15 team in the nation, without ever really having our full roster, is a testament to the hard-work and character of this team." For senior captains Drachman-Jones and Nicole Arens, along with classmate Nida Ghouse, the Howe Cup tournament marked the end of their Tufts career. "I have enjoyed all four years here," Drachman-Jones said. "However, the last one was definitely the best. To watch this team come together and the way we became such good friends was nothing short of awesome. You can always tell, even though squash is an individual sport, which teams have good chemistry and this year's women's squash team was certainly one of them." When considering their most memorable moments, there will be many for Drachman-Jones and her fellow seniors. "I will miss the players, the camaraderie, and the competition," Drachman-Jones said. "Coach Eng has meant the world to me. His technical expertise is just the beginning. He is a great life teacher, as he knows how to build character in his players. He has that ideal balance" "Simply put, Doug is just a great coach," she added.

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News

Shining light on Tufts' 'hidden gem'

February 22

Two bikini-clad girls stand face to face in a desert, tugging at their bathing suit bottoms and flaunting their naked midriffs in a showdown of sexuality. This provocative duel is a scene in Alex McQuilkin's "Get Up Your Gun," a video piece that plays continuously on the New Media Wall of the Aidekmann Arts Center. The New Media Wall is just one of the many recent additions brought to the Tufts University Art Gallery by Amy Ingrid Schlegel, Director of the University's Galleries and Collections. Prior to Schlegel's arrival at Tufts in January 2004, the University's gallery was used to showcase ethnographic and historical pieces, rather than to exhibit art. Schlegel, who has a Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University, sought to redirect the gallery's focus away from the multicultural, interdisciplinary vision of former director Susan Masuoka and towards exhibiting new art. "What Amy has done is commit to showing contemporary art, and that is a major shift," said Doug Bell, the gallery's preparator and registrar. "I think it was a great decision." Schlegel relocated old art from the University's collection to various spots around campus, including the Tisch Library and Gifford House. She removed all of the sculptures from the Remis Sculpture Court and turned the room into a multi-purpose space, which is now often used for receptions and performances. With the older art on display in Gifford House, the library, and other high-traffic areas around campus, there was room to reorganize the gallery space inside Aidekmann. Schlegel wanted to give members of the Tufts community a space to exhibit their work. "There seemed to be a real interest and desire on the part of the Tufts community to have some venue to be able to share their interest and their mission," she said. Schlegel dedicated what was then known as the Slater Concourse Gallery to this purpose. The space, now known as the Tufts Community Gallery, has been used by organizations including Hillel, the Women's Center, and EPIIC. The Tufts Community Gallery is run both for the students and by the students, who curate everything themselves with minimal help from the gallery administrators. Schlegel believes the concourse provides students with a valuable opportunity to get hands-on experience in organizing an exhibit Heidi Wirth, the University's Exhibitions, Publications, and Programs Coordinator, is impressed with Schlegel's transformation of the concourse. "It's very energizing - it leads people from the front of the building to the back, and that is a tough barrier to overcome," she said. Although it is not always possible to achieve, Shlegel attempts to organize all exhibitions around a common subject matter or idea. Currently, "Girl Culture" and "Time Signatures" are accompanied by Paul McCarthy's digital video, "WGG (Wild Gone Girls)," as well as Alex McQuilken's videos, "Get Up Your Gun" and "Teenage Daydream: In Vain" on the New Media Wall. All of these pieces involve similar themes. Finding art that is relevant not only to the other art in the gallery, but also resonates with the gallery's audience is a major goal for Schlegel. For her, the key is "not just knowing who the audience is, but trying to program in diverse ways." Developing the gallery's audience while creating more institutional visibility is one of the three objectives Schlegel hopes to accomplish within the next five years. In order to personalize the gallery to the University's culture, Schlegel builds her exhibitions on a foundation of internationalism and active citizenship. "Those core values drive our own mission here," she said. Schlegel has also reached out to the surrounding Medford and Somerville communities. The gallery stayed open this past summer for the first time in its history, exhibiting the work of local artists. Through more community outreach, Schlegel is working to dissolve the barrier between the University and its neighbors: while Tufts is a private institution, the gallery is open to the public free of cost. As part of this effort, the gallery now offers programs every other Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening that include gallery talks and lectures by featured artists, receptions for the openings of new exhibits, and forums on exhibit-related issues. Schlegel's second objective is to get the gallery up to industry standards and gain accreditation. According to Schlegel, many galleries call themselves museums, but do not meet the American Association of Museums' criteria for accreditation. Without accreditation, the gallery cannot get art on loan from any of the bigger, more prestigious museums. To become accredited, the Tufts gallery would have to make a series of expensive and time consuming changes. These changes include ensuring climate and light regulation by closing off the gallery from any doors that lead to the outside, hiring professional guards, and storing and displaying artwork according to strict regulations. Schlegel's third five-year objective is to build a national profile for exhibitions and publications scholarships. To achieve this status, the gallery would have to produce its own exhibitions, which could be displayed at other venues. Schlegel also hopes that Tufts will eventually create its own scholarship. Right now, art comes on loan from other galleries for a short amount of time. In the future, Schlegel hopes that this will change. "We want the Tufts name associated with what we produce as much as possible," she said. This is a very expensive objective to achieve, but Schlegel is optimistic. She is dedicated to building the endowment through fundraising, applying for grants, and cultivating donors. Schlegel believes that Tufts is willing to help make this dream a reality. "The University sees this now as a higher priority than in the past," she said. Of all of the important and exciting changes that are occurring at the Tufts Art Gallery, one of Schlegel's most vital improvements is spreading awareness and cultivating interest among members of the student body. "We're a hidden gem, and we want to get the word out there," said Wirth of the importance in bringing more students to the gallery. Schlegel agrees: "We're really a resource, and we'd like the community around us to know that," she said.

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News

French and Thin: What the French got right

February 22

We Americans have many stereotypes about the French: they're arrogant, rude and unkind to innocent tourists. Despite all of these negatives, however, I think that we Americans can learn a thing or two from the French. One of the most common opinions that we have of the French is more a reality than just a judgment: they're ALL thin (well, most of them at least). France is known for its delectable cuisine, especially its breads, cheeses and wines. Even though these notoriously "unhealthy" delicacies are consumed at most meals in France, French people seem to be able to stay so thin and still eat these "taboo" foods on a daily basis. But how? After living in Paris for nine months and then returning to the United States, I was most struck by the difference in the size of the people. Americans overall are so much bigger than French people! French women are long, lean and stylishly dressed in their silky scarves and pointy-toed high heels. But how is this possible in a place where baguette is a must at meals, a ham and butter sandwich is an acceptable lunch and people dip their meat in mayonnaise? Before I left for my year abroad in France, I have to admit, as narcissistic as it sounds, that one of my biggest fears was gaining 20 pounds because of French food. After all, I was going to be eating much richer foods prepared by my host mother and surrounded by the temptations of patisseries on practically every block. But I also knew that there HAD to be a way they do it. How do French women stay so skinny despite the "bad-for-you" French food? The Danone Institute reports that only 10% of the French population is obese, in comparison to nearly 30% of the American population. How is this possible? I found a few answers for myself while living in Paris. The French have a very different attitude toward food than Americans do. Although we both like to eat, and in both cultures, eating and drinking are often a central part of socialization, the French truly take the time to enjoy their food. For the French, meals are grands ?©v?©nements - they are a big deal. The French contemplate and look forward to their meals. They take pleasure in the act of eating and savor their food. Meals are not seen as a "chore," as they often are in the United States. We often think about meals as just another thing on the list that has to be completed quickly so that we can move on to the next item on our agenda. Even the "food language" that we use in the United States shows our attitude towards food. We say, "I'm going to get food" or "grab a bite to eat." The French "take" their breakfast, lunch and dinner and even have separate verbs to express the act of eating each meal. While in France, I also found a general difference in the quality of food. The French take pride in their food and are very selective in choosing what they eat. They tend to use fresh ingredients in their cooking, which is reflected in their frequent trips to the market. They do not do their grocery shopping in bulk. Huge wholesale establishments, like Costco, are virtually non-existent in Paris, whereas large farmers' markets occur several times a week in different parts of the city. With this high quality of food come satisfying meals: the key to the French people's ability to stay thin and still enjoy food. Satisfaction with food is directly correlated to the amount of food one eats. Because the French ensure that they are satisfied by their meals, less food is necessary to make them feel full and thus, they eat smaller portions. Often times Americans think that bigger is better, the more food you eat, the more satisfied you would be. In France, however, the quality and taste of food determine satisfaction. In our country, where diet and weight-loss is an enormous industry, we often equate being thin with being on a diet. A diet is when one restricts his or her intake of certain "bad" foods, and the notion of deprivation as the key to being thin has become generally accepted. In order to be thin, you continually have to deprive yourself of certain foods that our "thin culture" has labeled as "prohibited" (potato chips, chocolate and the like). From my experience in France, however, there is no such thing as a "bad" or "prohibited" food, and there is certainly no such thing as deprivation. French people do not restrict themselves from having the occasional cr??pe or pastry. This is not to say that the French are ignorant of basic nutrition: they know that sweets are not supposed to be consumed in large amounts. They are aware of the existence calories and fat grams, but the difference is that they do not obsess over them! Because nothing is "forbidden," they are not compelled to binge on these "bad" foods. In the United States, we do have this notion of "forbidden" foods. In human nature, when something that we want is forbidden, we are compelled to want it even more. From my experiences living in both cultures, this is what causes Americans to overdose on the "bad" foods and eat an entire box of Oreos in one sitting. Since certain foods are not "forbidden" in France, the French allow themselves to indulge in things they like, but not overdo it. They are satisfied with their one tarte au chocolat and then are done. Finally, as a result of this satisfaction with their meals, the French do no snack in between meals. Snacking is seen as unnecessary and is only done by children between coming home from school and dinnertime. Without mindless snacking, three satisfying meals a day and no feelings of needing to deprive themselves of "bad" food, the French have discovered the secret of living well and staying thin.Alison Meisel is a senior majoring in French and International Relations.

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News

Admin. discuss new Jumbo Card

February 22

If suggestions made in a Feb. 10 meeting take hold, students may be able to order Wing Works, take out library books, get into the Museum of Fine Arts for free, and open dorm doors all with the same card. The initiative to upgrade the current student ID into a more useful "Jumbo Card" is directed by junior Ed Kalafarski, co-chair of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate Services Committee. Specific upgrades discussed at the meeting included: integrating the JumboFob into the magnetic strip on ID cards, unifying the points system, and redesigning the face of the card. "There were a bunch of people working to improve the card but they weren't working together. What we did was put them all in the same room," Kalafarski said, "The affected departments all got on the same page, and the important thing is that the technologies exist and are achievable." The University's Department of Public Safety is currently examining the cost of including JumboFobs with student IDs. Cards with integrated fobs already exist at schools like Boston College and Dartmouth College. The Jumbo Card also aims to simplify the Point system. The current Point system has three separate points accounts: Points Plus (those used in the bookstore), Dining Points (those used for meals and at Jumbo Express) and Vending Points (used in vending machines, library printers, copy machines and for laundry). The new card would combine Points Plus and vending points into one account. "The cards right now are more confusing than they are convenient. This new system should simplify card use," Kalafarski said. The committee is also looking to implement technology so that students can add points to their cards over the internet with a credit card. The new ID will also improve aesthetically, as it will incorporate what Kalafarski described as a "hot" new design. "The main reasons for switching the card are pride and convenience," TCU President Dave Baumwoll said. "The aesthetic look of the student ID is a symbol of the pride students have in Tufts." According to Kalafarsi, the current IDs misuse the Tufts seal, as nothing is ever supposed to be written over the school seal, as the seal is the University's signature. The current ID has text placed over the school seal. "IDs carry with them a sense of Tufts pride, and the current form and look of the IDs does not accurately reflect the pride that many students have for Tufts," Baumwoll said. According to TCU Senator junior Jose Vazquez, the new IDs were supposed to be issued to this year's freshman class. Public Safety was unable to get University approval, however, so the new IDs were not issued. Out of the meeting came a committee which formed to continue work on the Jumbo Card. Committee members are Director of Public Safety John King, Director of Dining and Business Services Patti Lee Klos, Acting Executive Director Richard Papazian and Kalafarski. The library staff will also be consulted in the implementation of the new card, as it will also act as a library card. "This initiative is a huge step in the right direction and will help make the Tufts experience as convenient as possible," Baumwoll said Kalafarski is confident that students will get to use a Jumbo Card by this fall. "This is definitely happening. The nature of the changes mean they can be phased-in over time," he said "What we'll end up with is something that is more convenient for students and staff in many ways, with a hot design that's a better representation of the university as a whole." Dean of Students Bruce Reitman and Paul Stanton, Director of Administration, also attended the meeting.

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News

Balance | Get your motor running

February 22

It's no secret why the Gantcher Center is packed these days. Spring break is just around the corner and with New Year's resolutions in full swing the gym is busier than ever. While the gym can be a great place to relieve stress, get fit and even socialize, the crowds of fellow co-eds can make bad gym habits more apparent. Whether you're a workout newbie or a regular, now is a perfect time to brush-up on your gym etiquette. 1. Mirror, mirror on the wall Mirrors are not just about vanity; they're about safety. If you notice someone watching their form be considerate - don't block their view. At the same time, if you are looking in the mirror from across the gym, don't get upset if someone crosses your visual path. Be realistic.2. Wipe it down No one likes walking over to a piece of equipment and finding it drenched with someone else's sweat. It just takes a quick wipe using the disinfectant provided by the gym to avoid being that guilty person. Bringing your own towel is also helpful if you tend to excessively perspire. 3. Rack it! Be gracious; return your dumbbells and weight plates to their appropriate designated racks (heavier weights are usually kept low and get progressively lighter towards the top). The gym is for everyone and it would be a shame if a loaded barbell turned away the next user or prevented them from finishing their workout.4. Cell-free zone Unless you are waiting for an important call, turn your cell phone off or leave it in the locker room. Describing your latest weekend drama to your best friend may not be the motivation the person on the Stairmaster next to you was hoping for. 5. No cardio hogs Cardio equipment can fill up before you blink during peak hours. Respect others' desires to work up their heart rate and limit yourself to 30 minutes. A half-hour is plenty if you pick up the pace!6. Work-in or wait (patiently, please) Politely ask "how many sets do you have left?" rather than impatiently hanging over and staring someone down if they happen to be using the very same equipment you too would like. They'll probably be less likely to dilly-dally and may even offer for you to "work-in." 7. Don't dawdle If you are the person someone else is "patiently" waiting for, acknowledge them - and without rushing - efficiently finish up your sets.8. Pack it in, pack it out A clean and neat environment makes the gym a better experience for us all. If you take out a magazine to read, put it back when you are done (and don't forget the little postcard order forms that fall out). If you're a gum-chewing exerciser, throw away the wrappers. And if your seasonal sickness isn't keeping you away from the gym, at least toss your tissues in the trash. 9. Come clean, leave dirty While sweat should be part of everyone's workout regimen, coming to the gym wearing deodorant and clean gym clothes is certainly appreciated by all. 10. You-only competition It is not necessary to keep up with the person next to you, or worse - try to show them up. We are all at the gym to further improve our own fitness level. It's not worth the risk of injury to out-do your neighbor. Guys: that means if the girl next to you is benching more, don't try to out do her - you will probably get hurt. And girls: it's not necessary to go pound-for-pound with Hercules on the football team. Bowles is a graduate student in Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism at the Friedman School. She has a BS in Exercise Science and Psychology from the University of Utah. Shannon is certified strength and conditioning specialist and a former member of the U.S. National Gymnastics Team.

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Balance | Nutrition spotlight

February 22

The abundance of nutrition information in the media can make it difficult to determine the most nutritious way to eat and maintain a healthy weight. The newly updated 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released on Jan. 12, aims to offer Americans some scientifically sound advice. Every five years, the United States government undertakes the task of condensing the scientific research regarding nutrition, physical activity and food safety into a cohesive set of recommendations for healthy living. The Department of Health and Human Services and The Department of Agriculture select a group of the nation's preeminent scientists to review the literature and develop key points. In previous years, the guidelines were written for the general public to use and understand. This year, however, the guidelines contain more technical information because they are oriented toward policy makers, nutrition educators, nutritionists and health care providers. The 2005 guidelines reinforce messages from previous publications, but add some new recommendations as well. The overall theme is that the diet should provide the nutrients needed for growth and health, and that these nutrients should come primarily from foods, rather than from supplements, when possible. The recommended daily calorie intake for moderately active individuals 19-30 years old is 2,000-2,200 (females) and 2,600-2,800 (males). To stay within these calorie ranges and still get all of your nutrients, it is recommended that foods chosen be nutrient-dense items such as vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. The guidelines recommend limiting sugar, salt, cholesterol, alcohol, saturated fat, and, with new emphasis, trans fat (i.e. partially hydrogenated oils). More so than in previous editions, the new guidelines emphasize the problem of obesity and include chapters on weight management and physical activity. As opposed to the 30-minute daily recommendation of exercise from previous years, the 2005 guidelines recommend 30 minutes for decreased risk of disease, but 60 minutes for weight management and up to 90 minutes to sustain weight loss. The USDA is developing educational materials to present the new guidelines in an easily understandable way. For the past 12 years, the Food Guide Pyramid has served as the model for conveying this information. Now the pyramid design will be replaced with the new Food Guidance System, which USDA plans to reveal in the upcoming months. The new model will appear anywhere the pyramid did, including education materials and food packaging.Sara is a graduate student in the dual-degree Nutrition and Public Health program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BA in Anthropology from Cornell University.

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James Gerber | Through the smokescreen

February 22

Mr. Rove, I salute you. You may not always get the credit you deserve, but many of us know it was your genius that engineered a Republican takeover of our government. Over the past few months, I've been privileged to actually witness what I assume to be some of your tricks and tactics, particularly when it comes to your control of the media. It all started around two months ago, when it was discovered that the Department of Education had surreptitiously paid $240,000 to conservative political commentator Armstrong Williams to routinely promote the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on his broadcast shows. In an attempt to defend his decision to accept the money, Williams claimed that he had always supported the policy. That can't be true, I thought. There must have been a reason, Mr. Rove, why you felt it necessary to pay for Williams' support. Then I read that in 2001 Williams strongly criticized, both on television and in his nationally syndicated column, the administration's decision to drop private school vouchers from the NCLB. In fact, these commentaries were the only times Williams mentioned NCLB prior to accepting the money in December 2003. Since then, he has specifically praised the policy in at least five columns. Hats off to you, Mr. Rove. This was obviously money well spent. I had to wait another two months before my next lesson. Finally, in early February, I noticed that some weblogs were uncovering a story about a certain White House reporter named Jeff Gannon. This trick was truly a work of genius. Apparently, "Jeff Gannon," whose real name is James Guckert, was a fake news reporter from the fake news agency Talon News. Gannon's editor-in-chief at Talon News, a Republican activist from Texas named Bobby Eberle, is also the president of GOPUSA.com, a "conservative news, information, and design company dedicated to promoting conservative ideals," according to its Web site. Gannon had access to the White House press for two years without ever being subjected to background check. Ever. Gannon was known for asking softball questions and clearly served as a lifeline for Press Secretary Scott McClellan amid hostile questioning from less compliant reporters. Media Matters for America, a liberal press watchdog that has done extensive research into the case, discovered Talon's "news" almost always consisted of recycled White House and Republican National Committee press releases. Gannon even admitted to doing this in an interview on CNN, as if it was his "journalistic responsibility" to simply recycle this information to the public. Gannon stayed under the radar until Jan. 26, 2005, when a question proffered during a Presidential press conference went too far. (In reference to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Hilary Clinton, Gannon asked the President how he could "work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality.") Fortunately, Gannon's nationally televised question caught the attention of some political weblogs on the Internet. Soon, Gannon's real identity was uncovered - along with a hidden past. Apparently, before becoming Washington Bureau Chief for Talon News, Gannon ran a male escort service and hosted a male porn site. His service advertised fit male Marines; Gannon even offered himself as an "escort" of choice, charging $200-per-hour. How, Mr. Rove, did you secure Gannon access to the White House without a Secret Service background check? Oh, I see, you gave him a daily pass, which, unlike a permanent pass issued to other journalists, avoids such checks. He had a daily pass every day, for two years. Evidently, the daily pass doesn't even require a real name. Brilliant move, Mr. Rove. Gannon claims that he met you only once, at a White House Christmas party. However, Gannon's aggressively partisan work and the ease with which he got day passes makes it hard to believe that his presence wasn't at least implicitly sanctioned by you. Also, you are a man who rarely gives on-the-record interviews to the mainstream media, yet you had time to talk to GOPUSA and Talon News on several occasions. So there must be some connection between you and Gannon. Though the White House can claim that it was unaware that Gannon was using an alias, it must have played some part in maintaining his cover. Otherwise, we're looking at a major security breach. The Gannon story broke a couple weeks ago, and he has since resigned his post at Talon News. Even with the revelation that Gannon was another case of a Republican homophobic closet case, the real news here is how this fake newsman might be connected to Armstrong Williams and your propaganda machine. Was this another instance of you and the Bush administration paying for favorable media coverage? Probably not, since you found a man who would, as he wrote, serve as "a conservative journalist embedded with the liberal Washington press corps." It was, undoubtedly, yet another instance of your genius: how you managed to move from paying for media support to finding the perfect someone to support your policies without any financial remuneration, whatsoever. Your opponents had better find a solution for you quick. For as long as you are in the White House, it's looking bleak for fair and responsible news coverage. Once again, I salute you, Karl Rove.

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News

Women's Swimming and Diving | Tufts surprises many with sixth place finish

February 22

When it was all said and done, only 8.5 points separated the fourth and sixth place teams at the three day women's NESCAC Championships in Middlebury, Vt. Tufts, unfortunately, was the recipient of sixth place, losing out to fourth place Colby and fifth place Connecticut College, who beat the Jumbos by a measly two points. However, that did not stop Tufts from breaking six school records and possibly sending three individuals and a relay team to Nationals. "We had just an outstanding meet," coach Nancy Bigelow said. "We outperformed anything I ever expected. It was totally a team effort and I am proud of each and every one of them. I really could not be more excited." The closeness of the race added to the team's anticipation. "We were all so excited to be in contention for fourth and fifth place," senior quad-captain Erica Weitz said, referring to the fact that Tufts was holding onto fourth place going into Sunday. "Everyone worked so hard down to that last relay so we really couldn't ask for more. We swam incredibly well and had a lot of people coming back at night to swim in finals." Williams continued its domination of the NESCAC with its fifth consecutive championship. The Ephs finished in first place with 1,729 points, ahead of Amherst (1,431.5) and Middlebury (1,337). Tufts finished with 848 total points, a decrease from last year when the Jumbos racked up 914 points on their way to fourth place. A number of swimmers had standout performances for Tufts, including freshman Allison Palomaki. She was the leading scorer for the Jumbos, finishing with a total of 71 points. The freshman finished seventh in the 50-yard breaststroke (31.41), sixth in 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.70), and sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:26.23). In the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, she made the national B cut, which means she has a chance to go to the NCAA Div. III Championship meet at Hope College in Michigan in March. Palomaki's 100-yard time also set a new school record. Fellow freshman Bianca Spinosa was just as impressive, setting two school records in the 50- and 100-yard butterfly. She finished a Tufts-best second overall in the 50 fly (26.26), a big jump after finishing seventh in the preliminaries. She also placed fourth in the 100 fly with a time of 58.15, a time that also provisionally qualified her for Nationals. "Allison and Bianca had been aiming all year to get the times they did," Bigelow said. "The environment at the championships is so electrifying because everyone is pulling for the swimmers. I think it really gave them a boost." Weitz echoed those sentiments. "The freshmen swam especially fast this weekend," she said. "Allison and Bianca made the top eight in their events and dropped a lot of time. Tia Bassano, Renee Nicholas, Claire Pigula and Sharon Silverman all dropped a ton of time and placed well at finals." Chloe Young-Hyman had a very strong meet as well, finishing fifth in the 50-yard breaststroke (31.16), seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.10) and 12th in the 200 breaststroke (2:29.89). Her 100 breaststroke earned her a chance to go to Nationals as well. Additionally, the fifth place-finishing 200 medley relay team of Young-Hyman, Spinosa, Bassano and freshman Monika Burns (1:49.80) made the national B cut while setting a Tufts record. The relay team, along with Palomaki, Spinosa and Young-Hyman, will find out Friday if they will go to Nationals once the official list of qualifiers is released. In her last meet at Tufts, Weitz did not disappoint. The senior finished seventh in the 400-yard IM (4:40.39), 11th in 500-yard freestyle (5:13.80) and 12th in the 200-yard butterfly. "It was an incredibly fast meet this year, so I was really happy with the way I swam," she said. "It was great to place in the top eight in the 400 IM, and I was equally pleased with my 500 free and 200 fly because I swam some of my fastest times in those events." With such a stacked lineup of swimmers, several meet and conference records fell. Senior Lindsay Payne of Williams broke the NESCAC record in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 28.64. She also broke NESCAC records in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.68) and the 200 breaststroke (2:16.82). Senior Kate Kovenock of Connecticut College also had a dominating meet, winning the 50-yard freestyle (23.47), the 100 free (51.26) and the 200 free (1:53.20), setting two meet records and a pool record in the process. Freshmen phenoms Marika Ross of Middlebury and Brittany Sasser of Amherst broke the meet record in the 200-yard IM, as they tied for first with a time of 2:04.98. Sasser also broke the NESCAC records in the 100-yard backstroke (56.15) and the 200 backstroke (2:01.20) and Ross set a NESCAC record in the 200 fly (2:03.09) and a meet record in the 400-yard IM, winning the race with a time of 4:29.71. "The field was very tough and incredibly fast this year," said Bigelow. "The top eight finishers in the 100-yard breaststroke made national qualifying times and other races had similar results. It just shows how strong the conference was." Going into the meet, not too many people would have been shocked if the Jumbos had finished eighth. However, for the second consecutive year, the swimmers found a way to overachieve and had a very realistic shot at fourth place heading into the final day. "I am so just so proud of our whole team because every person put their heart into their swims," Weitz said. "It was great to watch everyone swim their best times and have fun doing it."

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News

Men's Squash | Jumbos capture USSRA Div. III title at Trinity

February 22

Despite not getting the seeding they preferred in last weekend's USSRA Five-Man Team Championships at Trinity, the Jumbos made the most of their situation and won the Div. III Championship. "We were a little disappointed because we wanted to be placed into Division II," freshman Jake Gross said. "I thought we could have done very well in the higher division." Coach Doug Eng echoed Gross's disappointment with their low placement. "[It was an acceptable placement] if the competition was good," Eng said. "But that was not the case. Trinity has a habit of underestimating us." Still, the Jumbos were able to take advantage of their circumstances, and went 3-0 for the weekend to win the title. On Friday, the Jumbos faced Hamilton and defeated them with relative ease in a 5-0 sweep. Gross won quickly at number one. The two close matches involved junior co-captain Spencer Maxwell, playing number two and winning in four games, and senior co-captain Fernando Kriete, playing number four and pulling out a five game victory. On Saturday morning, the Jumbos faced an adult squad from New Haven and prevailed 4-1. Tufts was matched up with an adult squad because the competition was an open Nationals tournament, not an intercollegiate event. Gross won easily again at the top spot, while Maxwell fell at number two in a four game match. Kriete once again managed to eke out a five-game win. The Jumbos closed out the tournament with a 3-2 win over Trinity's fourth squad, which consisted of the number 15-20 players on the Bantams. "The Trinity match was definitely our hardest," Gross said. "They defaulted at number one, so I played the number seven player for Princeton in an exhibition match instead." Gross was defeated in four games by his opponent. "I didn't play all that well," Gross said. "I was a bit sluggish out there and my opponent was certainly a good player." Kriete continued to pull out close matches, as he yet again prevailed in five games. The Jumbos have a big week ahead of them preparing for the CSA Team Championships at Yale next weekend. "We're going to be taking it lightly for a day or two, and then we'll start trying to fine-tune our shots with some drills as we get closer to the tournament," Gross said. "We're going to be doing a lot of fine-tuning on drives that stay down and tight," Eng added. "We want to pressure our opponents more, be patient, and stay healthy." Gross and the Jumbos have high expectations going into the weekend. "We'll be in the third division for Nationals," Gross said. "I think we can win it." The Jumbos will begin the weekend as sixth seed in the division and will play Stanford, who they believe they can beat decisively. They will also likely face Connecticut College (who they defeated earlier in the season) and possibly the top seed, Colby (who the Jumbos lost to 5-4 when they were a bit shorthanded earlier in the season). "We should win the Summers Cup if we play solidly," Eng said. "It is a matter of fact rather than opinion that we are the best team despite the low seeding. But several teams will push it, so it won't be easy. We just need to play like we know we can." One thing is for sure - the upcoming weekend will certainly hold a lot of dramatic squash, and the Jumbos hope to rise to the top in their division.

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