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Spyware, adware plague Tufts students

February 16

In the midst of working on an important assignment for class, junior Ben Alexander left the room to get some food and returned, minutes later, to find that his computer screen was completely covered with porn adware. "My computer was overwhelmed by pop-ups while I was working on this paper," he said. "I couldn't even type because the ads were popping up so quickly. It was terrible." These days, spyware infestations have generated increased attention: students on the Tufts campus and across the country have frequently found themselves struggling against adware programs and pop-ups rather than focusing on their work. "Whenever I opened Internet Explorer, advertisements would pop up like crazy, and the disc drive would pop open ... I had to have someone fix that," junior Sarah Goldman said. Senior Chris Erwin had a similar experience with online ad programs. "They're no longer on my computer, as I have eight firewalls, four anti-virus programs, adware block, spyware blockers - a small army," he said. "But every now and then one pops up. You can't get them all." "Adware can do a number of things, from profiling your online surfing and spending habits, to popping up annoying ad windows as you surf," Tufts OnLine Supervisor Judi Rennie said. According to Rennie, in some instances, adware has been bundled with other software with or without the user's knowledge - or slipped into the fine print of a End User License Agreement (EULA). As a result, users are often unaware that they have installed the adware. "It is important that the users read the EULA before installing downloaded software - it would be their chance to decline this 'extra treat' the software folks have included," Rennie said. "Not all adware is bad, but often users are annoyed by its intrusive behavior." Rennie warned students to keep in mind that removing adware may cause the program it came bundled with to stop working. Spyware poses a potentially larger threat than adware because it can record keystrokes, passwords, credit card numbers, surfing habits, and chat logs. It may even take random screenshots of user activity. "Basically, whatever you do on the computer is completely viewable by the spy," Rennie said. "You don't have to be connected to the Internet to be spied upon." The latest forms of spyware include the use of routines to mail out user activity via e-mail or post information to the web, where the spy can view it at their leisure. Many spyware vendors also use "stealth routines" and "polymorphic" techniques to avoid detection and removal by popular anti-spy software. According to Rennie, Tufts has experienced a surge in the amount of spyware and adware trouble calls during the 2004-2005 academic year. "In September, we had nearly 600 students ask for help with this type of problem," she said. "In an average [non-startup] month, we get 150 to 200 machines with these problems." Although these problems are widespread, many users are unaware of their presence. A study conducted last fall by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance revealed that approximately 80 percent of all users had some form of spyware or adware on their machines, but only 11 percent of respondents whose computers had tested positive were aware that their systems contained any spyware. According to Rennie, most malicious programs infiltrate computers when users install "freeware" found on the internet. Others can be installed through websites that take advantage of the relaxed security that comes with Internet Explorer or through P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing programs. Junior Rebecca Firesheets was bombarded with advertisements on her Internet Explorer browser after downloading Kazaa, a music sharing program. "It was really frustrating," she said. "My computer became very slow." Rennie said that users should be cautious about sharing files or clicking on advertisements. "Students need to realize that 'Click here' is not an imperative," she said. "You have the option to close the window without seeing what's behind that message, or to not download the software that the window is urging you to take." When a computer at Tufts is infected with spyware, the user must call or make the trek to the basement of Ballou Hall, which houses the Tufts OnLine [TOL] office, to have the problem cleaned up. There, Residential Computer Consultants will make sure the user's machine is up-to-date with operating system patches and install programs like SpyBot and AdAware to help the student user prevent future mishaps. They will also install and configure Command Anti-Virus for any student that does not have virus protection. Erwin feels that Macintosh computers are much better-equipped to fight spyware than their PC counterparts. There is some evidence to support this claim. "There are reports of trojans, malware, and spyware on Macs, but in the TOL office we don't see all that many cases," Rennie said. "Mac users on the whole seem to have fewer problems." "If the student user doesn't keep the definition files for these programs up to date, they'll find themselves in exactly the same situation down the line," Rennie said. "Having a computer is just like owning a car - upkeep is imperative. You wouldn't go a year without an oil change or rotating the tires. Likewise, you shouldn't go a year without updating your virus definitions." To prevent spyware infections, Rennie recommended that students keep definition files updated, refrain from clicking on suspicious windows, and only accept file transfers or downloads from known sources. "In general, if you're not sure, don't do it!" she said. Although Tufts does provide basic technical support services to students, some complain that these resources are inadequate or ineffective. More often than not, students seek help from computer-savvy friends before going to Ballou Hall. "Tufts computer help is for the most part useless," senior Chris Erwin said. "They do some good things, but compared to other schools, they are far from being truly helpful." Junior Ricardo Sneller agreed with Erwin. "In order to fix my adware problems, I downloaded AdAware from the internet," he said. "The stuff Tufts had given me was ineffective, to say the least. It did not get rid of the spyware." Rennie indicated that TOL has been looking for new ways to educate the Tufts community about spyware problems in the future. "Tufts OnLine is working with some of the RA staff to put out a pilot class in the residential halls to help students better understand these topics and more," she said. TOL can be reached at x7-4TOL. The office, located in the basement of Ballou Hall, is staffed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

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News

BET shows the reality of 'College Life'

February 16

No aspect of life can escape the far-reaching grasp of reality television. Think your college life is normal, humble and relatively free of sensationalism? If so, you'd be at odds with BET's head honchos, who have created a new show called "College Hill" that explores the life of black students going to historically black universities and colleges. This show aims to showcase the black student experience while bringing you the excitement and drama of reality television. Premiering in fall 2003, "College Hill" started its first season at Southern University in Louisiana. The first cast reflected a mix of students from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, who all had to live together in the same off-campus house. That season proved to be a whirlwind of drama and chaos, showcasing wild endeavors like onehouse member's promiscuous behavior and another freshman-year member's pregnancy. In the past season BET tried to represent a diverse spectrum of the black student body, even though BET still pushed for high ratings by sensationalizing the lives of the students and creating mini-dramas within the house. Debuting Feb. 3, "College Hill: Spring 2005," attempts to bring back the hype and excitement of the first season by creating a whole new cast of students in the new Oklahoma location of Langston University. The new "College Hill" house is located out in the boonies, a few miles away from the Langston campus. The new cast consists of eight undergraduates, ranging from freshmen to seniors. Each cast member has already been designated their stereotypical roles in the house. Israel has been labeled the good-looking player. Britney, who happens to be Israel's former freshmen-year girlfriend, plays the role of the crazy ex-girlfriend. Tanisha is the good, conservative, born-again Christian girl, while Jon is the wild, alternative black punk rocker, who frequently runs around the house naked while drunk. Alva plays the role of the young mother, who is trying to pursue her education but must still deal with the issue of having kids while in college. The other characters in the house don't have quite as distinct roles, but they do help facilitate and instigate the drama between the house members, who all happen to be emotional spark-plugs of some sort. BET's novice attempt to create exciting and dramatic reality television is somewhat lacking in quality. Unlike its counterpart program MTV's "The Real World," BET has not put the funds or production expertise into "College Hill" that MTV has into the "Real World." Some of the same filming and production techniques coined by its predecessor, like the personal confessions in the black room and camera shots from all angles of the house, have been poorly attempted on "College Hill". The entire show looks like it was shot by an amateur production crew and gives off the vibe of a 'bootleg' "Real World." Beyond production values, the "College Hill" cast members are depicted as over-dramatized stereotypes. Although BET tries to seriously present students of wide-ranging socioeconomic status, their attempts fail miserably and the cast members are pigeonholed into their hyperbolized characters. Despite BET's attempt to be innovative and groundbreaking, many people, especially members of the black community, who feel that "College Hill" is misrepresenting the black college experience, have criticized the show's content. The argument goes that now that BET is no longer fully black-owned and operated, the portrayals and quality of its productions has declined. Lately BET's programming features hours of music videos that depict rampant materialism and sexuality. As the station keeps in its frequent rotation the scandalous comedy show "Comic View," it cuts its news hour with prestigious journalist, Tavis Smiley. The only news on BET now is a half-hour program at midnight These program changes, intended to target the new hip hop urban youth, has made many politically aware individuals within the black community complain that BET has lost its community-oriented focus. You may believe "College Hill" misrepresents blacks and is poorly produced, or you may feel that the show is good, fun entertainment and satisfies your cravings for reality television. Either way, "College Hill" is most likely not your reality.

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News

Trustees approve major construction projects

February 15

Within the first 10 minutes of their Saturday, Feb. 12 meeting, the University's Board of Trustees approved funding for Sophia Gordon Hall and the new Music building, both of which have been years in the works. "They don't usually spend that much money in one meeting," Trustees Secretary Linda Dixon said. While plans for both projects have been ongoing, this step is significant because no construction can take place until the Trustees approve the money to fund it. In addition to the construction of the two buildings, the undisclosed amount will also finance infrastructure for both projects, including telephone, cable and electric lines. Another vote authorized the second half of construction for the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and will renovate the upper floors of the Cabot building. The first phase of the construction, which renovated the lobby and lower floors, was completed this fall. Tufts will finance the project through bonds and temporary loans. Following the funding vote, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Ernst and Dean of Engineering Linda Abriola moderated an exchange on faculty recruiting and retention, discussing the benefits and challenges facing the University. This discussion was one of several events that focused on faculty over the two-day meeting. Prior to the meeting, the Committee on Academic Affairs discussed tenure practices with the Faculty Committee on Tenure and Promotions, soothing tensions over general policy and refused appointments. "Each side explained things that were bothering them, and found issues that they both had concerns about," Dixon said. Faculty and trustees were able to reach common ground by finding mutual priorities and placing the issue in perspective with national tenure review standards from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The trustees ate lunch with the faculty members engaged in similar interdisciplinary research, from the humanities to the arts to the sciences. The Committee for University Advancement is set to begin preliminary work on Tufts' new capital campaign, which is in its "quiet phase," Dixon said. The trustees worked to set a final monetary goal for the campaign, which will begin officially in about one year. Private consultant Mark Neustadt also presented a program to strengthen, streamline, and refine Tufts' public relations and internal communications. "It's about the Web site, the publications, getting the name in the paper," Dixon said. "It's getting the right message out to the right people in the right way." According to the trustees and administrators at the meeting, completion of the Sophia Gordon Hall and the new Music building is expected to be by Sept. 2006.

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News

In the spotlight | Costume creations are more than eye candy

February 15

Kasey Hafer probably won't read this article. The sophomore costume designer is in the midst of tech week, that special time before a show when rehearsals are late, long, and nightly. Finding time to interview for it was difficult enough. As assistant designer for the Drama Department's spring major, "Monster," Hafer spends much of her time hidden away in the costume shop in Aidekman, far from the spotlight as she designs, stitches, and organizes. During tech week, the separate projects of the actors and the technical and design team meets for the first time. And though audiences may often take certain aspects of a character's dress, accessories, make-up and hair for granted, each specific facet is deliberately calculated to coincide with the vision of the show and to evoke a specific response. "People don't realize that everything that you see, somebody put there. Someone made the decision that it should go there," Hafer says. "A hat, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief - they're there for a reason." So if a shirt is left untucked or clothing is frayed just so, look a little closer - a costume designer is at work. While the actors convey and shape the audience's perceptions, a costume designer will make sure that the actors' appearances coincide with an audience's notion of an era or cue a subconscious recognition. For example, audiences don't really want to see authentic medieval time period clothing, according to Hafer, because they wouldn't recognize it. Instead, popular cultural notions of what the medieval time period should look like - from movies or books or plays - affects the audience whether they realize it or not. The actors must look the part or, more importantly, what the audience thinks that part should look like. Hafer says that these cues help to form the audience's connection with the production. "It's not just designing costumes; it's being a limb of the body," Hafer explains. Every aspect of the production must be taken into account even while the separate production teams - light, sound, costume, and actors - work separately. Though the divide between what goes on behind and in front of the curtain can cause some friction, Hafer finds that the drama community is tightly knit. "Sometimes there is tension. The climate changes between behind-the-scenes people and actors. As people learn how interdependent the two are, a lot goes away," Hafer says. Hafer speaks from experience, having spent most of her life involved in theater, both onstage and off. Her grandmother taught her to sew in middle school; since then, Hafer has made her own clothing and jewelry as well as myriad costumes. The Malvern, Penn. native made her design debut in a 30-person show in which she also appeared as an actress in her senior year of high school, Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida." Almost three years later, Hafer estimates that she will have designed roughly ten productions once this semester has ended. As a work-study student in the shop, Hafer is involved in every major departmental show and helps to organize the chaos of behind-the-scenes theater under the guidance of Professor Virginia Johnson, head of design tech in the Drama and Dance Department. Hafer also pursues her own projects; this summer she will be designing a community theater production of "Twelfth Night." Though theater is a passion, Hafer ultimately wants to take her art into the realm of civil service. The perks of her job may be enviable (ripping clothing off actors for quick costume changes, for example), but Hafer is dedicated to using her work in theater to positively affect society. An international letters and visual studies major with a concentration in theater, Hafer plans to do a senior thesis project exploring theater for social change. She has experience with this, as she helped design the costumes for "Corpus Christi," last spring's 3Ps major which recontextualized the story of Christ as a gay man set in Texas, something Hafer feels gave a voice to a repressed community. "Art is a really good way to go about broadening communication between dissimilar communities," Hafer says. "The most important thing for me is reaching people."

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News

Social Security should die

February 15

There appears to be a lack of consensus between those on the Right and on the Left as to whether Social Security in its present state is actually in crisis. Some have chosen to back a solution and others tend to give longwinded and questionable reasons why everything the other person has said is wrong. The true question, however, lies in the very nature of this monstrous government program. If Social Security did not already exist, and the current program we have was proposed, would it ever pass and become enacted? Is there any way the American public would agree to give the government 12.4 percent (call it 6.2 percent if you want) of their paycheck for a benefit that has no guarantee and over which individuals have no control? Of course not. Social Security is deeply flawed and undermines our free society. Social Security should die. For those of you that watch "The Daily Show," this last statement may sound familiar. Sometime last week, Star Parker, president and founder of CURE (Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education), was "interviewed" by fake news correspondent Samantha Bee about Social Security. When asked about what should be done to save Social Security, Ms. Parker did not mince words and replied, "End it. Social Security should die." The interview proceeds in the characteristically satirical manner that viewers are accustomed to. It incorporated the suggestions of a self-identified Communist and insinuated that a fitness program for senior citizens would solve the Social Security problem by killing off old people through exhaustion. However, it would be too easy to dismiss Ms. Parker as just another "right wing nut-job" unconcerned with the well being of the poor and elderly. In fact, I welcome everyone that has an opinion (or doesn't) on Social Security to come see her speak next Monday night in Cabot Auditorium and decide for himself. What makes Ms. Parker particularly compelling is the fact that she was once a single welfare mother living in Los Angeles, California. She gives regular testimony before the U.S. Congress, is a national expert for major television and radio shows and is a regular commentator on various news channels. Having personally been on welfare and reliant on the government, she understands how government dependence leaves us less free and creates a mentality that you cannot take care of yourself or manage your hard-earned money. Parker is not a wealthy financial planner who seeks to promote the privatization of Social Security to establish a new market and potential source of profit, but rather a strong, black woman who knows first hand how personal responsibility benefits not only the black community, but all of society. Admittedly, scrapping Social Security is a bit far fetched and implausible, but that does not mean that President Bush's Social Security reforms are not heading in the right direction. Much has been made of his desire to cultivate an "ownership society" by putting money back in the American publics' pockets and promoting a culture of responsibility. If there was ever a time to address such a monumental task as Social Security reform, the time is now. With a majority in the House and Senate (not to mention a majority of the governorships being held by Republicans), President Bush is well positioned to tackle a problem that most would shy away from. Though several Democratic representatives denounce the president's agenda at every turn and deny that any mandate exists, no clear alternative solution has been proposed, thus relegating the Democratic Party to the all too familiar backseat of politics. The entire country would benefit from a more balanced, bi-partisan discussion of possible solutions to the problems that face Social Security instead of simply denying that a problem exists. One may ask where we, as students, fit in this argument. Until recently I would have replied, like many others, that a discussion of Social Security and its merits would not be of much immediate interest. Often we find ourselves trying to forget about what we are going to do when we leave Tufts and enter the real world, let alone what our financial assets will be like 40 years from now. Yet our generation has the most at stake. We and those that will follow us have much to lose if Social Security as it stands is not fixed. However, we also have a great deal to gain if personal accounts are established. Whether you agree with everything or nothing that I said, I think that everyone would benefit from a continued discussion of the merits and faults associated with President Bush's Social Security reform plan, as this type of legislation will directly affect us as we move closer and closer to the real world. The Tufts Republicans will be hosting a lecture by Star Parker on President's Day (February 21) at 8:00 p.m. in Cabot Auditorium concerning the President's plans for Social Security and how it affects the black community in particular. This is a tremendous opportunity to ask questions and become more informed about a program so relevant to our futures. Kevin Johannsen is a junior majoring in political science and economics. He is the Vice President for the Tufts Republicans.

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News

Brett Weiner | Force Perspective

February 15

When I go to a movie, I want it to be good. If I've paid $10 (35 if I see it at Boston Commons during the weekend), I want to be entertained by the immensely interesting and intricately detailed universes these handsomely compensated artists create. As the box office and critical reviews indicate, a good movie is the exception to the rule. So why can a hundred-plus-year-old industry run by the creative and organizational cream of the crop armed with billions of dollars fail so often? As I learned working at a film production company last summer, making a movie is far, far harder than you think. Let's look at a typical example of movie development. Every movie starts with a script. Every script starts with a premise. Premises range from good ("The bus has to stay over 50 mph or else it explodes") to medium ("A group of 11 con men rob a casino") to brain-meltingly terrible ("The 'American Idol' winner and runner-up go on spring break!"). A bad premise is like Napoleon Dynamite on a date: completely doomed. Fair premises can be salvaged ("Ocean's Eleven"), but even a great idea can go horribly, horribly wrong ("Aliens vs. Predator.") But for our case study, let's pretend we have a script, and that script has a great premise. As a bonus, it is well written, too. The pacing serves the story, the dialogue is snappy and the characters are deep. Now, pretend a studio has bought our script. It goes into the magical phase of pre-production. Hold on! Before anything important happens, the studio may want rewrites. But, for the sake of argument, let's pretend the rewrites were minimal and didn't suck the soul out of the movie to serve an executive's vague, unresearched and underdeveloped notion of what appeals to a mass market. The attaching process begins. First, and most importantly from a business point of view, the studio picks the actor. The right actor can give a character nuance and life while bringing hordes of people to see a movie that may not seem interesting (Tom Hanks in "Cast Away"). Bad casting, such as Anthony Hopkins playing a black Jewish boxer in "The Human Stain," can leave the people that do end up seeing the movie scratching their heads. After the principle star is cast, the director is the next most important decision. This is because the director has immense power to mold the film into his image. Quentin Tarantino still won't see "Natural Born Killers," because he believes that director Oliver Stone butchered his script. Fortunately for our pretend script, a great actor and excellent director that work well with each other have been attached. Their schedules match up. The rest of the cast and positions are filled, and the movie moves forward into production. This is where the film is actually, well, filmed. Now that the script is actually being made into a movie, what is left to go wrong? Hmm, let me think. Acting, locations, lighting, camera placement and movement, time constraints, sound, art design, budget problems and onset conflicts are potential pitfalls. Multiply each of these factors by the number of shots (around 1500 for an average non-action Hollywood film) and we have the minimum amount of ways production can go bad. Add to this other unforeseeable problems (director Tom DiCillo had his entire wardrobe stolen from the set of his first film, "Johnny Suede") and the fact that having a smooth production period is statistically similar to winning the lottery. Fortunately for us, our pretend actors and pretend director had a great time shooting our wonderful pretend script with little interference from the pretend studio. Now the film enters post-production. This is where the editor gets control over the movie. Hopefully the editor has control of pacing and flow. Hopefully the editor understands the director's tone. And hopefully the editor can recognize good acting. A small math break. As I said before, the film has roughly 1500 shots. The amount of takes from each shot can vary widely from one (certain special effects shots in lower budget movies, like a car blowing up) to hundreds (Kubrick was a perfectionist). Let's take a conservative average of three takes a shot. That means there are roughly 4.8 x 10715 ways the film can be constructed (not counting editing shot length and special techniques), but only a few of those constructions will give the movie its maximum effectiveness. As the editing continues, music is added. Choices in music can create legendary moments ("Jaws"), elevate the film to a new level ("Garden State"), or split eardrums wide open ("Daredevil"). Our film, our special, beautiful film, has been crafted into a masterpiece by the post-production process. Now the movie is entirely in the hands of the studio. Pray that the ad campaign works, the viral marketing is clever, it tests well with sneak preview audiences, and the trailer generates interest. Trust that the studio has chosen the correct time of year to release our gem of a film. After an average of two years, our excellent work is finally released on the market. We've avoided the hundreds of thousands of problems that make the majority of movies unwatchable. And that is worth my 10 bucks.

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News

In Our Midst | Programming Board members have got got the whole Tufts world in their hands

February 15

Two girls, one common purpose: to organize and plan social events for all Tufts students. Seniors Jennifer Alexis Smith - Alexis to her friends - and Nicole Masone are the two heads of the Tufts Programming Board, and they lend their skills to planning events like Fall Ball, Spring Fling, fall and spring comedy shows, film screenings, the Mr. Jumbo competition, and, most recently, Winter Bash. "The Tufts Programming Board is an umbrella organization for social programs on campus," said Smith, a political science major from Avon, Connecticut. "Groups like the Concert Board, the Entertainment Board, the Spirit Coalition, the Film Series, the Lecture Series and the class councils are all parts of the larger programming board." According to Masone, however, these sections often intertwine. "Groups within the board work together for different events," said Masone, a quantitative economics and computer science major from Long Island. "For example, a lot of different groups within the organization work to get the Mr. Jumbo competition up and running." What exactly do these two girls do as the heads of the organization? "Our job is to run the administration, the office, [and] coordinate meetings and retreats," Smith said. From the decorations to the entertainment, Masone and Smith connect the individual parts of an event into a seamless whole. In addition to running the show through Programming Board, Smith and Masone are both active members of the Spirit Coalition, Entertainment Board and the Lecture Series. Though they say overall word of mouth has been positive, the girls' events don't always go entirely as planned. "Mostly, they're just little problems," Smith said. "For example, with Winter Bash, we circulated these tickets to on and off-campus mailboxes. They said that we wouldn't be able to sell tickets at the door, but at the last minute, we realized that we could. So we sent some frantic campus-wide e-mails out, but it was a little too late." "I got a couple of e-mails the next day telling me that some people didn't go to the event because they didn't have tickets," Smith said. "We like to think that it didn't stop a lot of people from coming," Masone added. "But the truth is, it might have." Though the girls said that they appreciate constructive criticism in e-mails, often they receive just the opposite. "People complain about silly things, like running out of soda," Masone said. "Sometimes I'll be in class, and people will be saying completely untrue things about an event we planned." "It's just frustrating because most of the time, people don't know how much goes into each event," Masone added. "We have all these grandiose ideas that we can't necessarily follow through on because our budget just isn't big enough." "I think there are parts of all jobs that aren't fun," Smith said. "But we do learn from those parts. We have constraints that are frustrating, and those often involve money." Regardless of a sometimes problematic budget, the Tufts Programming Board has put together popular campus events. "Before this year, we had an event in the campus center during the winter," Masone said. "The only problem is that the venue is so small, and tons of people were coming out and having to wait in long lines outside in the cold. So we figured that a larger event like Winter Bash would be welcome." And it was. "We booked the space, and then, when everything was ready, we went around to the fraternities and sororities to make sure nobody planned a party for the same night," Masone said. As the girls had expected, the event was a huge success. "During Fall Ball, we had about 4,000 people, and I think that they had a lot of fun. So, those people told their friends about Winter Bash," Smith said. "We think it went really well," Masone said. While events like Winter Bash and Fall Ball take a couple of months to plan, other programs - Spring Fling, for example - take a while longer. "Co-chairs get a list of people in our price range, and ask people at the student fair who they want to hear," Smith said. "Then, we get in touch with the people that we need to speak with, and it all folds out from there." "People started thinking about Spring Fling months ago," Masone said. (No word yet on who will be performing, though.) Despite the girls' apparent knack for event planning, neither Smith nor Masone were involved in elaborate organizing like this in high school. In addition, neither is looking into possible careers in event programming. Masone, for example, is now applying to graduate schools for higher education administration. Smith, however, believes that her experiences with the Programming Board have prepared her for any career. "I just relate this to practice in conflict management," Smith said. "Being able to mediate and solve problems is a necessary skill in any profession."

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News

Fencing | Fencing strikes close to campus with home match

February 15

Last Saturday at 8:00 a.m., most of the Tufts campus was still fast asleep. But for the men's and women's fencing teams, it was the start of a long day of competition. Teams from throughout New England, including the likes of University of New Hampshire (UNH), Dartmouth, Boston College (BC) and Boston University (BU), arrived for the Tufts Invitational at the Gantcher Center. Eight hours later, the women had finished 3-2, while the men ended even at the end of the day at 2-2. "We had a pretty good weekend," coach Jason Sachs said. "We beat all the teams we were supposed to beat and lost to the stronger teams." The women took wins from BU, Dartmouth and UNH, and dropped matchups with Boston College and Wellesley. The Jumbos had beaten Wellesley two weeks ago. "I think the loss to Wellesley is not really an indication of let down from two weeks before when we beat them but more indicative of how this young team lives on the margin," Sachs said of the 15-12 defeat at the hands of the Wellesley Blue. The foil and saber squads each won 6-3 against Wellesley, but epee fell 0-9 to one of the strongest epee teams in all of New England. The foil squad once again had a strong outing, defeating every team they faced. Junior Julia Shih won all her bouts, going 15-0, while freshman Jamie Kraut went 12-3, and freshman Emily Cooperman had an equally strong showing. Despite her own success, Shih was quick to praise sophomore sabrist Louisa May Zouein, who went 14-1 on the day. "In addition to her incredible talent on the fencing strip, Louisa has been vital to developing our sabre team," Shih said. "She pushes herself hard and spends a lot of time teaching and pushing our new sabre fencers and her influence is obvious in how much they have grown in such a short span of time." While both the Blue and the Hawks handed the epee squad tough losses, the Jumbos did find success, winning their first match of the season against the Terriers. In the end, it was a good day for the women, who especially enjoyed competing on their home turf. Although there were only a handful of spectators, what they lacked in numbers, they compensated for with enthusiasm. "The team had great energy today, and everyone was very helpful and supportive," Kraut said. "It was a nice change having people in the background cheering for our team. It gave us confidence and optimism." The men's club team also made a strong showing on the day, defeating UNH and BU, losing to BC, and just barely edged out by Dartmouth 13-14. Sachs was very pleased with their performance. "Their season has been very impressive given that they have to do most of the work on their own," he said. Individually, Sachs praised freshman fencer Danial Tovrov's performance. "Dan Tovrov had a great day of fencing, he lost only two bouts on the day, beating some very strong fencers," he said. Tovrov went 7-3 on the day, and was proud of his team's resilience in defeating BC following their loss to a tough Hawks squad. "BC came out strong. They were gunning for us, because we beat them last time," he said. "But it helped us to trounce BU. In the end, I feel that we had a good day." While the men's team is fairly young and has a lot of freshmen on the roster, they have improved significantly over the season, and have a strong chance of finishing as one of the top club teams in the region. "We managed to put together a top notch club team that really shook up the other colleges who were expecting us to be pushovers," freshman Ethan Mandelup said. Next Saturday both teams will take part in the New England Conference Championships, with a chance to finish this season on top. Overall the women are 5-5 in their conference and the men ended the year at 5-4. "Our recent successes and vast improvement as a team give us great hope for a strong finish to the season," Kraut said. Sachs echoed the sentiments. "I am hoping that we will take home some hardware next week."

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News

Citing national statistics, faculty looks for raise

February 15

Faculty lobbied for increased pay at last week's Arts and Sciences faculty meeting and presented numbers from a study showing that salaries for Tufts faculty members rank last among all Category I schools, universities offering a doctoral degree. For the 2003-2004 academic year at Tufts, the most recent year numbers were available, professors received an average salary of $103,000 and associate professors took home an average of $77,300. The University paid assistant professors an average of $61,700, and instructors received $49,000. In contrast, the salary for a professor at other private and independent Category I Institutions averages near $122,158. Tufts salaries rank lower than other private-independent schools in every teaching position except instructor. When compared to other New England schools, Tufts falls behind. In 2003-2004, New England Category I Institutions paid their professors an average of $115,415 per year - $12,414 more than Tufts. Academe Magazine, a publication of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), released the data last March in its annual survey of professor salaries. "Despite the claims of the administration that they are trying to make salaries more competitive, the overall pattern is not changing in a positive direction," Urban and Environment Policy and Planning Professor Sheldon Krimsky said. Krimsky spoke at the Arts and Sciences faculty meeting earlier this month along with Economics Professor Jeffrey Zabel. Aside from the data in Academe Magazine, Krimsky and Zabel presented numbers provided by Tufts' School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine and the Fletcher School. The study also examined the University in relation to institutions that have been identified as comparable to Tufts by University administrators and Trustees. These schools included Boston College, Brown University, Columbia University and Northwestern University "I can't say what other schools have done to raise salaries, but it's clear our ranking has fallen," Zabel said. "The reality is we do not have the endowments that our peers have, and that puts us at a disadvantage in many respects." At the faculty meeting University President Larry Bacow explained that some of the difference in salaries between Tufts and its peers occur through differences in accounting. Some schools, such as Dartmouth and Cornell, include salaries from their business and law schools in their aggregate figures. Such graduate schools pay professors very highly. While Tufts' numbers also factor in its graduate schools, teachers at the Friedman School of Nutrition and the Fletcher School often work under short-term contracts, lessening their effect on the statistics. The difficulty of receiving a promotion gives Tufts an unusually high number of associate professors in comparison to other schools, Krimsky said. "At other places, [associate professors] will come up for professorship in a very short time, and the standards are not as high," he said. "At Tufts, however, it's a very arduous process to be promoted. It's basically the same as pursuing tenure." As a result, 52 percent of Tufts' associate professors have remained in that same position for 10 years, and 20 percent have not been promoted for over 20 years. Additionally, Krimsky and Zabel discovered that the salary gap between Arts and Sciences and Engineering has been steadily widening, with Engineering professors receiving higher pay on average. In the 1993-1994 academic year, the average difference in salary between Arts and Sciences and Engineering professors was $9,700. By the 2003-2004 academic year, the gap had increased to $14,000. "It creates problems at a university if a salary spread becomes too much. It's bad for morale. We're creating a dual class system," Krimsky said. The presentation inspired a strong faculty and administrative response both at the meeting and afterward, including comments from Bacow. As the smallest Research I university in the country, the University's average salaries meet or exceed those at public research universities, but lag behind those at some of our larger, private competitors, Bacow said. "The administration is devoting additional resources to close this gap ... We are committed to raising more resources to ensure that we can continue to recruit and retaining the very best faculty possible," Bacow said. Krimsky and Zabel plan to meet with University Provost Jamshed Bharucha next month to discuss the administration's reactions to their presentation. Bacow also planned to present the issue to the University's Board of Trustees at their meeting this past weekend. Zabel said he is impressed with Bacow's attention to detail. "[Bacow has] clearly been thinking about this and understands the concerns of the faculty," he said. "The administration seems to be aware that salaries are not competitive with peer institutions. The question is where have we been, and where are we going?"

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News

Inside Fitness | Cardio comes in more forms than machines

February 15

Whenever I go to the gym during the day, all the cardio machines are always taken. Since I have things to do, I can't wait for two hours while they burn 2000 calories, so I always end up lifting. Is there any way I can get a decent cardio workout while I am lifting weights? - Frustrated Cardio Fanatic from Lewis Hall. Yes, those crazy cardio-obsessed people are quite a sight. Hour after hour they drape themselves on the machines, sweating in effort and anticipation of the next weekend's debauchery. How does one get a reasonable cardio workout when all the elliptical/stairmasters/bikes/treadmills are occupied? I should let you know that Tufts does have three tracks that I know of off the top of my head. Two are indoors - one is in the Gantcher Center, the other is in the Cage by the security booth. The third one - well, if you don't know where the outdoor track is (hint: it's around the football field), then you probably shouldn't be using it. If you are set on using weights, then here are a few recommendations that will help you pump up your heart rate and avoid the frustration that comes when all the cardio machines are taken. Supersets or compound sets - which involve performing one exercise directly after another with little or no rest - are a great way to turn a lifting routine into a cardio workout. Being sure to keep the form strict, you can increase your heart rate by increasing the tempo of your workout. Move immediately from one exercise to another, perform the reps at a slightly accelerated pace, or run in place between sets (I see another gym-goer using this technique all the time, though his actions are a little bit ... different). Perform cardio using a bench bar. This is a simple movement that will have you huffing and puffing in no time. Start with a standard bar, holding it by your knees. Bring it up to your chest using power clean technique. From here, press the bar up over your head and bring it down behind your neck in squat position. Do a squat, press the bar back up over your head, and bring the bar back down to your knees. Congratulations, you just performed one rep. As you get used to these movements, the exercise should develop into one fluid motion. This method of "Iron Cardio" (phrase coined by Marc Lobliner of Avant Labs) should be performed in sets. Practice a few times to get the movement down before you attempt an all-out set, but keep in mind that the focus is increasing heart rate and not the pounds on the bar. Iron Cardio should be used sparingly, since it will tear the muscle fibers and may cut into gains anticipated from a straight hypertrophy program. If you aren't involved in a comprehensive hypertrophy program, doing some Iron Cardio can lead to some lean mass gain (just a little, ladies... don't worry, you won't get 'hyoooge'), which will cause you to burn more calories around the clock. It will also increase your metabolism for longer than if you just did a half hour on the bike. Bodyweight exercises are also great ways to rev up your heart. Remember those awful jumping jacks you were subjected to in high school gym class? Do those joints. Or run outside (the weather is getting nicer. Batman ... maybe you should come out of your cave). Jump rope. Go down to the cage and hit the heavy bag, and take a swing at the speed bag (as soon as they put a new one up... the old one has mysteriously disappeared). Play basketball/tennis/soccer/football/field hockey/etc. The point is that there are many things you can do for cardiovascular exercise that don't involve one of those machines. So next time you hit the gym and are appalled at the lack of available cardio equipment, be creative. There is no fitness law that says your cardio workout has to be quantified in little red LED letters in order for it to count.

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News

Festival features African cinema with a message

February 15

The emerging art film in Africa once again has the opportunity to shine at the Museum of Fine Arts at the annual African Film Festival, running now through Feb. 26. Over the past few years, the MFA has been expanding its range of film topics, currently showcasing movies with gritty and controversial story lines. Featuring highly acclaimed films like "Moolaad?©" by Ousmane Sembene (Senegal, 2004), this year's festival selections address a diverse range of societal issues. The festival's eight-show engagement starts off with Ousmane's "Moolaad?©." The film depicts the courageous life of a West African women who struggles with the trauma of female genital mutilation in her village. The main character, Coll?©, after being utterly mortified by her own circumcision, refuses to let her daughter be put through this grueling ceremony. When her rebellion against tradition gains her notoriety in her village, Coll?©'s home becomes a safe harbor for four other young girls who run away from the village in order to escape circumcision. The film takes a radical turn when the men of Coll?©'s village face off against their female counterparts, who intend to fight to change the cruel sexist traditions of the past. "Moolaad?©" is about a battle of progress versus tradition where many issues like gender equality and human cruelty are explored in depth. The film is shot in the West African dialect Bambara, but has English subtitles. Sophomore Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa's roots stem from the culturally rich African country of Ghana. Growing up watching Ghanaian cinema, she believes that the African independent film industry is growing at a rate similar to that of the recently popularized Latin American cinematography. "The film festival seems like an exciting opportunity to display the culture, traditions, and issues of modern African life," Anyane-Yeboa said, "I definitely hope I get a chance to go out and view my people's work, and I encourage everyone else to check it out, too." Secretary of Tufts African Student Organization, Sophomore Temi Ogunbodede, is excited to see the work of new African filmmakers and believes that an event like the MFA African Film Festival will bring more exposure for black art films. "I am very fascinated with film, and I always enjoy seeing my people - other blacks - in cinema, especially when the films address diverse topics and themes, rather than the Hollywood-packaged stereotypical black movies," Ogunbodede said. Other featured films at the festival include "Kabala" (Mali, 2002) by Assane Kouyate, "Daughter of Keltoum" (Tunisia, 2001) by Mehdi Charef, "Soldiers of the Rock" (South Africa, 2003) by Norman Maake, "Hollow City" (Angola, 2004) by Maria Jo??o Ganga, "Cosmic Africa" (South Africa, 2002) by Craig Foster and Damon Foster and "Mrs. Wheelbarrow" (Senegal, 2002) by Moussa Sene Absa. There will also be three short African films that will also be shown at the festival. All these films touch on an array of topics from political corruption, the criminal underworld, and the effects of war to the coming-of-age experience and a journey for cultural truth. This year's film entries are definitely stretching the mold on creativity and breaking out of the box of conventional storytelling. These films address many significant subjects and raise awareness through innovative plots, compelling new actors, and stunning cinematography.

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Men's Squash | Weekend match-ups yield mixed results for Jumbos

February 15

It was a mixed week for the Jumbos as they chalked up impressive victories against Connecticut College on Wednesday and Northwestern on Sunday, but dropped matches to Bowdoin and Bates on Saturday. The week sent Tufts away from the Hill, as they bussed to Connecticut College on Wednesday and then headed north to play Bowdoin and Bates on Saturday before finishing up play on Sunday at Harvard for their match against Northwestern. "We had a pretty good weekend," coach Doug Eng said. "We hoped Bowdoin's match would be a bit closer, but Bates is a very strong team and we had a good win over Northwestern." The Jumbos prevailed in a number of close matches to defeat Northwestern 8-1. Freshman Jake Gross picked up an easy victory, winning 9-0, 9-2, 9-0. Junior co-captain Spencer Maxwell won in four games at the number two spot, dispatching his opponent by a score of 9-2, 9-5, 3-9, 9-1. Freshman Nelson Schubart came back from a 0-2 deficit to beat his opponent in five, and senior co-captain Fernando Kriete also prevailed in a tight five-game match. Freshman Kris Leetavorn won in three games at the number five spot, while sophomore David Linz posted a victory at number six with a win in four games. Juniors Tom Keidel and Pranav Tripathi both won in four games at the seventh and eight slots, respectively. The only match the Jumbos dropped came at number nine, where freshman Jonah Peppiatt lost in four games. "Northwestern is a feisty, deep team," Eng said. "It was a tough match because it was our third of the weekend, but it was a good win and I think we played well." On Saturday, a talented Bates squad dispatched the Jumbos with relative ease. Even Gross, who has been a force for the Jumbos all season, fell in three games to Bates freshman Ricky Weisskopf. "Jake's loss to Bates was half-expected," Eng said. "We knew his opponent was very, very strong. He's ranked number three for the El Salvador National Team." "Ricky's just an awesome player," Gross said. "He was on his game and a lot of the games were close. It was really high quality squash." Bates easily took the matches at numbers two, three, four and five in three games each. Linz managed to win the first game at number six, but he still lost the match 5-9, 9-0, 9-1, 9-4. Keidel suffered a similar fate, as he also managed to pull off a victory in one game but dropped the match 9-2, 9-6, 4-9, 9-6. Tripathi and Peppiatt lost in three at number eight and nine, respectively. The Jumbos had hoped to pull off an upset against Bowdoin, but it was not meant to, as the Polar Bears prevailed 8-1. Gross continued the strong play he has shown all season, winning at the top spot with a score of 9-2, 1-9, 9-6, 9-2. Maxwell, Schubart, and Kriete all were defeated in three games. Leetavorn put up a tough fight at number five, but he fell in five close games. Linz lost in three games and Keidel lost in four. Tripathi and Peppiatt both lost in three games to close out the match. "We were hoping the match against Bowdoin would be closer," Eng said. "We were hoping to win two or three more points in that one." Gross echoed the disappointing nature of the loss, and alluded to the scheulding of the match. "The Bowdoin match was a little disappointing because we hoped to surprise them," Gross added. "It was early in the morning and I think everyone on the team was a bit sluggish, including me." Earlier in the week the Jumbos pulled off a key 6-3 victory against Connecticut College, a team that had been ranked higher than Tufts. The Jumbos held strong at the top of the lineup, with Gross, Maxwell, and Schubart all notching victories. Leetavorn, Keidel and Tripathi accounted for the other three wins in the match. "Connecticut College was a real nice win for us," Gross said. "We knew they were ranked above us but that we could probably win. So it was good to just go in, get the win and get out of there." The Jumbos are looking to take a more aggressive approach in their upcoming match against MIT on Wednesday. "Right now to get better we need to work on our drives and cut off balls early so we get the shots we want, instead of the shots our opponents want," Eng said. Wednesday's match will be the last of the regular season before the Jumbos enter tournament play, which will start with the five-man team championships played at Trinity next weekend. "We're really looking forward to the five-man tournament because there will be a lot of great competition," Gross said. "It will also be great preparation for nationals."

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News

Ante up

February 15

Tufts is already a great place to go to school and, by many indicators, it is getting better. Early decision numbers reported in yesterday's Daily seem to point in the right direction for the composition of the newest class of Jumbos, which is on track to break admissions records for academic excellence. These are great times to be on the Hill, and the University needs to make sure that facilities and faculty are funded adequately in order to remain competitive with peer institutions. The University has taken a Jumbo step forward with facilities construction by finally expediting plans to break ground and construct both Sophia Gordon Hall and the new music building. The Trustees approved funding for the projects this past weekend, both of which should have a significant positive impact on life on the Hill. Sophia Gordon Hall will help to expand and modernize campus housing options: currently the newest hall, South, is over a decade old. The new music building will answer long-standing demands for increased classroom and rehearsal space for the music department. It will put a fresh face on an assortment of academic buildings that are generally old and showing it. What truly makes Tufts a world-class institution, however, is its faculty. World-renowned experts in the classroom make this University what it is: a standout. With this in mind, it is disturbing that Tufts underpays its faculty relative to peer institutions. While it is true (and oft-mentioned by Ballou) that Tufts is the smallest Research I institution in the country, we should not let our size be a crutch when it comes to compensating faculty fairly. Tufts' endowment has seen tremendous growth under President Bacow: now it's time to see that some of it makes it around the academic quad. The urgency of the faculty pay situation is underlined by the Kaleidoscope report, released last spring, which showed poor retention rates on The Hill for minority and female faculty. While it is true that money will not solve all the problems in this area, increased salaries will make Tufts a more accessible campus for women and minorities. The University has made some progress in adjusting to concerns of underrepresented faculty, such as establishing transitional housing in a former Medford school for junior faculty. What would really be elementary, however, is a bump up on payday. President Bacow has provided exceptional financial leadership for Tufts. Now it is his job to ensure that faculty are compensated at levels appropriate for their experience and expertise. We are a small school, and that does limit our options, but this is nothing that big thinking cannot solve. Right now we should be thinking of bigger checks for faculty and brighter days ahead.

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Team's results hold steady as it skates into Regionals

February 15

Tufts continued its pace at Berkshire East in Western Massachusetts last weekend, but the women's ski team fell further behind their second place rivals Boston University, and seem set to finish third through the season. The men's best skier was again freshman Andrew Benson, who placed first in both giant slalom (GS) and slalom. Sophomore co-captain Joseph Shaw placed 15th in GS and 18th in slalom. The rest of the men's team was unable to get better than 39th place, however, meaning that second place Tufts fell further behind first place Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The gap between the two now sits at an insurmountable 31 points. "We were missing Eric Johnson, which was disappointing," Shaw said about the men's poor team showing. The men's team got sixth in GS and seventh in slalom. "Eric is usually our No. 2 guy, so it definitely hurt us." Shaw was very pleased with freshman Juan Lois' 39th place finish in GS and freshman Yuichiro Okutsu's 40th place finish in slalom. "That was really cool, they just started racing, so that really helped us," Shaw said. Three of the teams top performers came through again this past weekend, with freshman Alex Nussbaum grabbing 10th in giant slalom and 14th in slalom; freshman Sarah Heath was 12th in GS and junior Lael Nelson took 18th in GS and 11th in slalom; and senior co captain Erin Johnson right behind with 19th in GS and a team winning eighth in slalom. Despite a strong showing, the women were only able to grab third in both events, right behind BU's second place finishes, which expanded their lead over third place Tufts to 11 points. Although Tufts' place will most likely remain steady until Regionals, Johnson said that the strength of the freshman class is going to mean an unbelievable team next year. As for this season, the improvement from race to race of the freshman skiers impresses her. "[Nussbaum] has been our best GS skier this year, like something clicked for her skiing. She gets how to ski slalom now," Johnson said. Sarah Heath has been skiing consistently fast in GS now too." Another high-scorer for the women's team, Kate Butler, did not race this weekend. The team had to struggle against poor conditions this weekend. The slalom course was shorter than its average length due to a lack of snow coverage on the mountain. The team has one more race before its season ends and it moves on to Regionals at Waterville, N.H., which they should be locked in for with the ircurrent standings. Johnson said it is unsure right now whether the team will put in extra all day training sessions before Regionals like it did last year. "We're definitely a young team with a good future," Johnson said. "It sounds so clich?© but it's true." Johnson said that the women are looking to get back a few skiers next season, including currently injured junior Eliza Appert. Shaw said that the amount of new skiers on the team has been a challenge, but that the spirit on the team is great this season. "We were concerned because we had a lot of new guys, not a lot of guys coming back," Shaw said. "Everyone's been helping out in a different way." Having Benson win nearly ever race this season has helped the team hold its second place in the division, Shaw said. But with some skiers coming back from abroad next year, and some younger ones getting better, Shaw is excited about next season already. "We're looking forward to having a little more depth next year," Shaw said.

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Jon Schubin | Hongkers

February 15

I like to break rules. This space, which will contain a weekly dispatch from Hong Kong, begins with a detour to Thailand and an encounter with my Thai doppelganger. It was three in the morning on the first night of 2005. On break from Hong Kong University, I had traveled with some fellow exchange students (but no Americans!) to the island of Koh Chang, Thailand. It wasn't the most auspicious time to be in Thailand. We arrived in Bangkok one day after the tsunami (or "the wave," as the locals refer to it). My mailbox filled up with messages asking, "Are you dead?," which was flattering and also a bit strange. I was tempted to reply with a "yes." My group had already planned to avoid Thailand's overcrowded south coast and go instead toward the less developed islands to the northeast. Upon arrival, we discovered that every vacationer stranded from the wave had exactly the same idea. Two hours later, we had accommodations at a sleep-on-a-floor-mat-with-an-insect-net-type place called the "Jungle Hut," and were quite thankful. New Year's Eve was the following night. It felt strange to be partying less than a week after the country's largest disaster, but we did it anyway. By three in the morning, I had enough and headed back toward the Jungle Hut. Koh Chang is a mountainous island with a single-lane road going around the perimeter. There is no public transportation - you get around by hailing converted pick-up trucks with a bench in the back. I was standing on the road, thumb out. The chances of trucks running at this hour, on this night, especially ones with sober drivers, were very slim. I realized I might have to spend the night sleeping on the beach or try to keep myself occupied until sunrise. Suddenly, I saw a man waving at me from across the road. He was a local, and after several more hand motions, I realized that he wanted me to come over. He was seated in front of a closed art gallery, with a small table placed in front of him. His name was Rooney, and in halting English he introduced the other people at the table as his brother and a female cousin. There was also a fourth gentleman at the table, who was Polish. This man had a little too much to drink and soon wandered off to the "bathroom," never to return. Rooney was the only person who spoke any English - the others just smiled and occasionally nodded as he spoke. His cousin was responsible for repeatedly filling my glass and bringing over bowls and bowls of peanuts, chips and cookies. Rooney explained that he was the owner of the gallery, which was filled with Surrealist portraits and local landscapes. Once he started telling his story, I was amazed at the similarities between our lives. Rooney was a young political science student, just like myself. He had been born in the South, and then attended Bangkok University, the best school in the country. We talked about music, America and food, with an incredible amount of overlap. Our stories only diverged because of our backgrounds. Rooney had run out of money in his third year of school, and was forced to drop out. He had tried to attend classes at night, but this had proved unmanageable. Trying to profit from the country's massive tourist industry, he now owned two souvenir stalls, he said, gesturing to a strip right across the street. Rooney said that he wanted to come to the United States to join another cousin at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco. Just as he finished saying this, another young man approached Rooney, yelling frantically. Rooney rushed off, and soon an ambulance was on the scene. He came back briefly, explaining that a friend had been involved in a fight, and he needed to go the hospital to make sure he received treatment. As Rooney sped off in the ambulance, I was left alone - the other two relatives followed Rooney in a scooter - wondering if he would ever have the opportunity to leave the island again. He had made it to Bangkok, and had been so close to completing his education. Now, he was here on this island, living off tourists. That night made me reconsider the crowds of people hawking necklaces on the roadside or offering overpriced rides in a "tuk-tuk." The tourism industry, annoying as it might seem to tourists, may help people like Rooney to receive the education that I am so lucky to have. This was especially true in Thailand, where the government is desperately trying to rebuild the tourist industry after the wave. The other outcome from that night was that I developed the two rules that will guide this column: 1. Little stories come out of big ones. 2. Locals have the stories. And with that, I am headed back to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a group of islands with a tiny strip of land on mainland China. Today, it is officially a "special autonomous region" of the People's Republic of China. Six million people are crammed into massive tenements and luxury apartment complexes. Some neighborhoods rank among those with the highest population density on the planet. I will be speaking to the people of Hong Kong in my column. No, I don't speak Cantonese, the local dialect, or even Mandarin, which is preferred by the mainland authorities. But I will be searching out an interesting person each week and will repeat his or her story and how it fits into my ongoing experience in Hong Kong. And I can't promise I will not break either of my two rules while doing it.

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Despite differing politics, students find friendship

February 15

Though the Tufts community is largely considered a population that tends to lean left of center, differing political viewpoints do exist on campus. In a cohesive community like Tufts, members of opposing political groups not only interact, but also often form close relationships with each other. How are boyfriends and girlfriends, best friends and roommates able to prevent their conflicting political views from getting in the way of their relationships? There are a variety of reactions and approaches to this dilemma. Conservative freshman Joe Brown jokingly threatens to use brute force to impose civility on his relationship with his liberal roommate, freshman Jake Gross: "I'm three times his size - in fact, we are polar opposite sizes," Brown said. In reality however, the two roommates were compelled to deal with their political differences. The earliest concern regarded Brown's decision to hang a gigantic American flag on the wall beside his bed. Spanning 10 feet across and five feet down, the flag, to Brown, is primarily a symbol of patriotism. He acknowledges, though, that it is typically seen as representing conservative politics. Gross' first reaction reflected the latter sentiment. "When I first saw it, I was like, wow, are you a hick or something?" Gross said. As the two grew to become friends, they maintained their habit of referring to each other using derogatory nicknames. "He calls me a 'hick' for voting for Bush," Brown said. In casting his vote for the Republican candidate, Brown was not alone. In fact, he was one of many: numerous polls and studies from such institutions as Harvard's Institute of Politics and UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute suggest that overall, college students are moving in a conservative direction. In the 2004 presidential election, a substantial number of college students - 41 percent -voted for Bush. (55 percent voted for Kerry.) Like politics on the national scene, the conflict between Brown and Gross intensified during election season. "We used to watch the debates together," Brown said. "Every time Bush said something, Jake would make fun of him, and every time Kerry said something, I would do the same thing." However, Brown admits that such banter was never very productive. "He has no intention of listening to my points of view, and I have no intention of listening to his," Brown said. The two roommates now live together in relative harmony. Next year, however, Brown plans to room with fellow freshman Aaron Gerratt, a liberal who is proud of the "Bushisms" poster that currently graces his wall. When asked how he feels about the possibility of this poster being in their shared room next semester, Brown replied, "What 'Bushisms' poster? The one that my flag is going to be on top of, or the one I'm going to be using for toilet paper?" Gerratt laughed and replied that he really wasn't concerned about any potential conflict. "All I'm going to do is sit there and listen to [Brown] talk trash," Gerratt said. "Honestly, I am wicked psyched to room with Joe - even if he is a dumb hick." Romantic relationships, however, can be more complicated. Freshman Rachael Fowl, who describes herself as a liberal, has been dating a conservative for several months. "The first time we talked about it was before the elections," Fowl said. "It's not a huge part of my life, or his, so it wasn't really that big a deal." Despite Fowl's ambivalence, she noticed that her boyfriend was subject to heavy criticism from other people. "I feel uncomfortable for him sometimes," Fowl said. "When everyone is saying, 'Oh, Bush is so dumb' or whatever, he is just like 'OK, I'm going leave now.'" Such repeated incidents compelled Fowls' boyfriend to change his profile on thefacebook.com from "conservative" to "apathetic." Their relationship, however, suffered no such changes. "Our relationship is stronger than our political views," Fowl said. Other romantic relationships have not faired so well. "My last girlfriend was very intolerant," Brown said. "We used to get into big arguments all the time. After awhile it was just kind of fun to piss her off - she would go on for half an hour."

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Concert Preview | North meets South somewhere in Middle East

February 15

Southern boy band Lucero hops the Mason-Dixon Line to rock the Middle East tonight with their country compatriots, Northstar. Virtually unheard of in the Bay State, this hip indie band with a serious Southern following invades the big city and might just take a few prisoners. Ask any self-respecting blue-state student, "What kind of music do you like?" and bet on one similarity in their answers: not country. Surprise, eastern elites, this genre is sneakily seeping into many popular bands, most notably the recent indie rock phenomenon Wilco. And though Garth Brooks-style country may never take off in Massachusetts liberal arts schools (thank God), indie rock bands influenced by The Pogues, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits are gaining ground. Lead singer Ben Nichols' wide-ranged, throaty voice brings a depth to the mellow and melancholy music, and his twangy, scratchy southern drawl is matched by the raw guitar. The band's lyrics show a sense of history, taking cues from Americana. Though the southern gentlemen pinpoint Johnny Cash and Tom Waits as influences, their sound is unique enough to outdo their own comparison. Most may not be able to place their style, but indie aficionados may perhaps see a likeness in the now-defunct Uncle Tupelo. The Tennessee-based band once relied on their regional label, Madjack Records. Gaining attention, the band made the jump to Tiger Style Records, a New York City-based label, which produces a number of known indie bands. Early on, Lucero demonstrated maturity and depth rarely found in contemporary rock. Their first record with Madjack Records, "Tennessee" (2002), illustrates their painful, poignant lyrics. On the song "Slow Dancing," Nichols belts out the heartfelt, tender verse, "Smoking cigarettes more than I should/My hands won't stop shakin' and that can't be good/I would forget you if only I could/Think about anything else." Lucero isn't all aching heartbreak and shattered love, though. Listen a little longer on the same record and catch the gem, "Ain't So Lonely." The beat is reminiscent of more typical country songs, calling to mind the image of a Texan guy in a ten-gallon hat moving his head to the beat. But somehow, Nichols manages to infuse more typical punk into the song. Another upper is "Chain Link Fence," in which Nichols sings about a crush. Catchy and less country, the song is a welcome relief from the band's more morose fare. Lucero's first Tiger Style album, "That Much Further West" (2003) is a departure from their Southern roots both musically and regionally. Faster, catchier and less raw, Lucero keeps their distinctive blend of southern country and indie rock, but this album will likely expand their fan base to include a more mainstream audience. Lucero is on the brink of breaking onto northern playlists, and their position is best described by the band itself, encapsulating the South within a greater context. In "Further West," the band explains their singular status as a country band poised on the indie threshold with their song, "Tears Don't Matter Much." With a rocking backbeat, Nichols sums up his particular orientation with the words, "I'm just another southern boy/Who dreams of nights in NYC." Tonight when they take the stage at the Middle East, they will undoubtedly surprise and impress. Teaming up with fellow confederates Northstar, this jamboree is worth a trip; they're not just whistling dixie. -Stephanie Vallejo contributed to this article.

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Tim Whelan | Some Kind of Wonderful

February 15

Our sporting landscape currently has a dryness of Death Valley-like proportions. We can thank Jose Canseco for injecting ... oooh, maybe we can put that word to rest ... nay, invigorating our daily debates with a dash of controversy. But arguments and anecdotes are where the action begins and ends on that topic. I want jumpshots, pick and rolls, Cameron Crazies (or Duke Dweebs if you ask me). And my wish has been granted, more than in any year I can remember since Kevin Garnett picked groupies over coeds and made the jump to the NBA. This winter, we have not been afforded the luxury of watching Dmitri Couldyoupleasegetov score game winners to propel the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators, as Barry Melrose hones both his hair and his "What are you talking aboot?" accent between periods. College basketball has been our saving grace. Maybe the sport always has held that distinction on this campus, where a list of NHL fans can just about be narrowed down to the Jumbos hockey roster. But this season, especially, has been one chock full o' personalities and games you don't need to have a bet on to enjoy. Most importantly, we are familiar with the product and the players we are watching this year. Think of for how many recent Marchs you have taken a gander at the NCAA Tourney field and said "Hey, look at that, Auburn is a number one seed. I didn't even know they had a basketball team." So you blindly filled in the bracket, basing most of your picks on hearsay or a game you may have seen a team play in the Alaskan Shootout in November. Maybe you picked Marquette to go to the Final Four to be bold, and it worked, and your five bucks was well spent. But more likely, you and many others turned out to be emperors walking down the street with no clothes on. You thought you knew what you were doing, but you really had no idea. Fast forward in your mind to mid-March '05. It's the day after Selection Sunday, and in your right hand is a freshly Xeroxed copy of the NCAA Tournament bracket. I haven't felt this Visions of UNC's Sean May getting a rebound, out letting a pass to Raymond Felton, who threads an alley-oop to Rashad McCants from half court. Dee Brown and Gerry McNamara, running the fast break as if their pants were on fire. Even watching J.J. Redick, who draws unprecedented levels of ire and jealousy, forces me to question whether I ever have seen anything as beautiful as his shooting stroke (besides a new pack of Sour Skittles, of course). Why do these names roll through your brain, and then off the tongue? How can we identify all these juniors with one school, one mascot, one color? One reason is they all have taken the path less chosen, the one whose riches are not measured in dollars and cents but rather in AP polls and crowd reactions. (Speaking of crowd reaction, BC's Conte Forum denizens better start inching towards "Gahhhden Level" if they hope to rattle ACC visitors next year. Those southern gyms get downright loony, while the Eagles backers have a hard time even getting "Wicked Loud.") Knowing the product is always a large aspect of enjoyment for us, and this season is evidence of that. True, there was, as in most years recently, a mass exodus of underclassmen and high schoolers to the draft. Of the first seven picks, five were early entrants and two were high schoolers. Only four college graduates were taken in the first round. So how have the teams and players we've seen on the college level been so recognizable without the likes of Luol Deng, Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon? The answer is simple - depth. There has been so much to choose from. There could have been more players who jetted to the league to toil in .500-ville. Illinois' Brown, a rich man's T.J. Ford in my eyes, chose to stay, as did standout teammate and fellow junior Deron Williams. A wise choice, because a team that would have fizzled out and had to rebuild again now is undefeated and gaining notoriety. A Carmelo Anthony occurrence where a freshman comes in and immediately leads his team to a title is rare. But even more rare is a nucleus, like Illinois' or UNC's, that stays together long enough to form something more than just an AAU All-Star team that barely registers as a blip on the historical radar screen. The Fab Five, Phi Slamma Jamma, the Duke and UNLV teams of the early '90's. Not one-year wonders, any of them, although the first two fell short of titles. They built a base, and then added stories to their legacy with each season. But for every one of them, there are other teams that you wonder what could have been had they stayed together for just one last run. UNC of the '90's comes to mind. In 1993, they won the title with - get this - Eric Freakin' Montross leading the way. The teams after that consisted of one group with Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace and another with Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter. And all four could have played together! But alas, all bolted early, without that one final chance to take the prize that ... gulp ... Montross got. This year, there seems to be 80 tournament-worthy teams. And we know what we're getting - players who have proven themselves before. Chris Paul, Jarret Jack, Keith Langford. The pre-conference tournament buzz is at epic levels, and that is all a fan can ask for in a month devoid of many other thrills. Then again, most of you guys don't have ESPN, do you? Alright, in that case, this season hasn't been anything special.

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News

TCI Salutes Climate Change Pioneers

February 15

Today marks a milestone in the relationship between governments, businesses, and non-governmental organizations worldwide. After more than seven years, the Kyoto Protocol comes into force this week. This important first step puts the global community on a path towards slowing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately reducing emissions to a level that will not have an impact on the earth's climate. Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI) applauds the signatories for their vision and their willingness to work across boundaries to find solutions to a problem that poses a global threat. Tufts University has agreed to meet the constraints of the Protocol, and TCI continues to work towards that goal. To meet the goals of the agreement, Tufts must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. TCI and its many campus partners, especially those in the Facilities and Construction departments, are working hard to meet these requirements. Thanks to their dedicated work, electricity usage (a main component of campus emissions) has now leveled off on the Medford campus. The commitment of the Tufts operations staff has made this possible, and their work is to be commended. While TCI has made important strides towards this goal, we still need the help of the Tufts community to help us reach our target. There are several easy things you can do to reduce Tufts' emissions: * Drive less. Take the campus shuttle, or walk to your destination.* Remember to turn the lights off and shut down your computer if you're going to be away from your dorm room or office for an extended period of time.* Be sure the windows in your building are closed. If you see one open, close it! TCI is proud to salute the visionary world leaders, as well as our own staff climate heroes, who have agreed to combat global climate change and we look forward to continuing to do our part here on the Tufts campus.Sarah Hammond Creighton, Project ManagerRamsay Huntley, Research Associate

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News

Women's Squash | Rival schools are too much for Tufts

February 15

Despite a strong effort put forth from the Jumbo roster, Tufts' depth could not overcome Bowdoin's and St. Lawrence's top-of-the-ladder strength, falling in each match 6-3. Even though the overall score does not suggest a blowout, many individual matches were anything but close. "The teams do not match up very well against one another," coach Doug Eng said. "In both the top and bottom matches it was pretty obvious who was going to win." The Jumbos are more well-rounded from top to bottom than either Bowdoin or St. Lawrence. However, in the highest and lowest-ranked matches, there was little suspense. Tufts simply could not compete against their opponents' top-tier players, and, on the flip side, the lower-seeded Jumbos had little trouble defeating their counterparts from Bowdoin and St. Lawrence. "There is a world of difference between the one and nine players on St. Lawrence, a difference that is much smaller on our team," Eng said. Senior co-captain, Eliza Drachman-Jones echoed her coach's sentiments. "Our strength is really at the bottom of the ladder. We count on Jenny and Joelle to keep us in matches." Tufts' Jenny Lange and Joelle Polivy, ranked eighth and ninth respectively, won their matches handily against their Bowdoin and St. Lawrence counterparts. After studying abroad last semester, both players are trying to return to form, but everyone expects that the adjustment period will be short-lived. "You just don't come back and return to form right away, it is something that will take a lot of practice," Eng said. "Jenny and Joelle are not on the top of their game, but give them a week or two and they should be right back where they left off." Despite the win-loss record, Eng could not be more satisfied with the top of the ladder play, particularly that of senior co-captain Drachman Jones. "She is playing way over her head." Eng said. Drachman-Jones became an exception to the trend of the match, when she defeated St. Lawrence number two player, becoming the only top three players on the Tufts squash team to win a match over the weekend. "I played the same opponent that I played last year and this time I did what I knew I had to do, keep the ball deep," she said. "I also was able to defeat my opponent in the mental game. She was like a loose cannon out there." Keeping the ball deep and knowing when to hit the kill shot have been sticking points for coach Eng all year long. While he feels this concept is resonating with his team, he recognizes that there is still room for improvement. "We are trying to do it, and we are definitely improving," Eng said. "However, there are still too many drops. We also need to be sharper when attacking the front court." The Jumbos will hone these very skills in practice this week, as they prepare for the Howe Cup Tournament this weekend. The Jumbos are extremely excited about the opportunity to play in Div. II this year, having moved up from Div. III last in 2003-2004. Their higher placement will likely provide the Jumbos a second chance to defeat William Smith, Bowdoin and St. Lawrence, three matches Tufts lost by a small margin. The team has found a way to overcome injuries, study abroad absences, and sickness to become the 15th-ranked team in the nation and now they are almost back at full strength. Senior Nida Ghouse returned from her leg injury last Wednesday in the Jumbos' 7-2 win against Connecticut College. The victory marks the second time the Jumbos defeated the Camels this season, picking up a win in their first match of the season by the same score. Ghouse showed improvement between the Connecticut College match and last weekend's Bowdoin round robin tournament. The Jumbos hope she will be at close to full strength for this weekend's Howe Cup. "It allows everyone to return to their normal positions, as Nida will play the number four spot," Drachman-Jones said. "Her efforts to come back along with her perseverance will be a huge emotional lift for our team." Drachman-Jones realizes this weekend's tournament will be a challenge for the Jumbos; the type that could make it one of the years more memorable moments; a chance for the Jumbos to put all this season's adversity behind them and just play squash. "We need to keep getting stronger," Drachman-Jones said. "We know what we need to do against our opponents this weekend and we cannot be intimidated by other players' statistical accomplishments. We just need to play our game and forget about who's on the other side."

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