Archives

News

When LiveStrong trend weakens, does it fall by wayside?

February 1

When testicular cancer survivor and six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and his eponymous cancer research foundation first began distributing those yellow rubber LiveStrong wristbands through Nike in late May of 2004, they hardly could have imagined just how popular those bands would become. Since then, everyone from John Kerry to red-carpet celebrities to that guy in your economics class has proudly busted out the yellow bracelet, and so far, over 20 million have been sold. "[Last semester], a kid in the dining hall walked up to me to say 'nice bracelet' as he showed me his," sophomore Hilary Fazzone said. "I felt like we were in a little club or something." Sophomore Alexa Mirvis, who worked at a Nike tennis camp this past summer, said the bracelets were all the rage for her campers. "Campers would trade CDs for bracelets - it was such a commodity!" she said. "One camper had them, then all the campers had them." And so did many others, sometimes at great price: at one point, the yellow silicon rubber bands were being sold on eBay for 15 times their retail price of $1, and many stores were completely sold out. That demand was so high was due in part to the wristbands' trendiness. "I got one because it was stylish," freshman Jon Adler said. "I think it is an unbelievable marketing ploy. They made charity chic, and because it's chic, it sells." Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Henry Rubin confirmed Adler's assessment. "There is a smart marketer behind this trend, since many people are more likely to buy a bracelet than to do volunteer work or other kinds of support [or] care for these illnesses," Rubin said. Despite their initially skyrocketing popularity and the good cause they support, the bracelets are, as Rubin said, a trend-a trend that, like all others, has an expiration date. A recent issue of GQ magazine "[declared] the LiveStrong bracelet fad officially over," and, as evidenced by the decrease in wrists around campus sporting the yellow bands, the LiveStrong trend is indeed on the wane. "I don't think people are searching them out as much now," said freshman Bruni Hirsch, who witnessed the birth of the trend last summer when visiting her sister in Austin, Texas, Armstrong's hometown. Some people are even actively anti-bracelet. According to an article in Madison, Wisconsin's Capital Times (which stated that "every fad has its backlash"), a Wisconsin man has sold more than 1,000 black rubber bracelets with "LiveWrong" engraved on them through his website, drunkcyclist.com. Why the decrease in the LiveStrong bracelets' visibility? It's possible that those who were wearing the bracelets because they were "trendy" have banished the yellow bands to the trashbin. But those who wear them in support of the cause of cancer research - like Hirsch and junior David Baumwoll - continue to wear them proudly. "I got one over the summer," Baumwoll said. "I had just become aware of the fact that it was a fundraiser, and I've dedicated a lot of time to cancer research." "I know I wear mine for the meaning," Hirsch agreed. For students like Baumvoll and Hirsch, the bracelets' "trendiness" detracts from, rather than adds to, their appeal. "It has branched off, unfortunately, into a fashion trend," Hirsch said. "People are not wearing them for their true meaning." "I like to think [wearing a bracelet] became trendy after I got one," Baumwoll said. "I didn't just jump on the bandwagon. I think it is a cool idea because it's so simple, and I have a lot of respect for Lance's battles with his health." Junior Ed Kalafarski, who feels that the wristbands' trendiness overshadows the cause they stand for, is even more put off by the mentality some have taken towards them. "Some people I know wear them as more of a trend [than a statement of support]," he said. "I feel they're a great concept, but I'm afraid to wear one now since I'll look like a pop-culture lemming. The idea is awesome...it's a shame." The New York Times agrees with Kalafarski: in an article on the LiveStrong wristbands, the paper stated that "each time charity concedes public to private purpose, and subordinates caritas to marketing, we give up a little piece of our souls." There are indications, though, that the waning of the bracelets' trendiness has not deterred everyone, and that those individuals who are buying and wearing the bracelets to support charity will continue to do so: at the LAF website, www.laf.org, the bracelets are still on backorder for up to a month. "I do think that the wristbands are raising consciousness about illnesses in much the same way as the red ribbon and pink ribbon raised awareness about AIDS and breast cancer," Rubin said.

---

News

Forgotten Russian drama stands strong

February 1

In the 1960s, a young Dame Judi Dench and a younger Sir Ian McKellen worked together for the first time on the London stage in a Russian play by Aleksei Arbuzov. Their joint venture, "The Promise," enjoyed great success; so much so, that the production crossed the ocean and landed on Broadway. Unfortunately, the show fizzled in New York; in 1970's Cold War America, a Russian play performed by foreign actors simply didn't sell tickets. Skip ahead to 2005: Boston director Lilia Levitina stumbles upon the script and her company, Basement on the Hill Stage, produces the New England premiere at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA). What this latest staging proves above all else is that, given a little time and a more receptive audience, "The Promise" has an awesome ability to transcend time and geography. Without a doubt, the best elements of this production are Arbuzov's durable script and Levitina's "high-art" conceptual direction. The former derives its strength from a healthy balance of politics and characters. While the action is framed by the torrential socio-political climate of a war-torn Leningrad, the story unfolds with an unmarked progression all of its own. For the director, this production denotes a step up from the cramped, non-theatrical space of the BCA's Leland Center where she directed her last several shows to the larger and more legitimate BCA Black Box Theater. (Think of it as moving from off-Broadway to Broadway, but all within one building.) The best word to describe Levitina's directorial concept of this performance would be textured. True to her trademarked risk-taking, she makes some very bold choices. The most obvious is the decision to insert eerie music between lines of dialogue. At first, this addition to the soundscape of the play is unsettling, not only because of its unconventionality in the theater, but also due to the music's disconcerting resemblance to the odd theme from the film "12 Monkeys." By the end, however, this tactic pays off as it provides another tangible element to the story that allows the audience to connect on a non-verbal, non-intellectual level. In addition to the music, the production uses other methods to remind the audience of alternative means of storytelling. Punctuating the three scenes of the play which take place over a period of time in Leningrad's history are Russian film clips of the appropriate time period. As the newsreels play, the shadows of the actors preparing the set for the next scene blend into the black-and-white footage. This, in turn, creates an amazing metaphor for the way in which the characters are trapped by their political surroundings. The decision to mix film with theater covers up the usual tediousness of having to watch the actors make set changes. Yet this kind of inventiveness is not surprising coming from Levitina. She is familiar with working in found spaces, where some set changing sleight-of-hand is necessary to hide the mechanisms of theater. She demonstrates her ability to create a rich production that still retains a sense of closeness even in the larger Black Box space. Levitina also sheds some of her usual directing habits in this new production. Specifically, she often has some very intimate interactions onstage, but in this play, she does not even extend a kiss for more than a few seconds. The result is interesting: so much is left unsaid between the characters that it almost cries out for human touch. At the same time, her decision to steer clear of that path represents a new step for her directing style. This is not to say there is no movement to the production. Much of the play is communicated through the actors' wild physicality and beautifully sculpted stage pictures. Instead of adding obvious sexually symbolic interactions to the play, Levitina pulls back as a director and allows the story to tell itself. This recognition of the necessary changes involved in working in a larger space reflects a theatrical maturity on Levitina's part. If the production can be faulted in any area, it must be the ensemble work. Maybe the director spent a little too much time conceptualizing the production, or perhaps the piece is too demanding for the young actors. In any case, the performances of the three cast members rarely "gel" the way the script demands. In a play about comradeship, it often feels as if the characters step out of each others' way more than as if they create moments cooperatively. Individually, the young actors have great energy and enthusiasm for the roles. Yet as much as they seem to understand their respective characters, they ultimately fail to communicate their recognition of the ensemble's collective "character." Though the ensemble never really fulfills expectations, their energy certainly engages the audience to the point where it can begin to enjoy all the aspects of this layered production.Levitina demonstrates her ability to create a rich production that still retains a sense of closeness even in the larger Black Box space

---

News

Kalec, Boudrow shatter long-standing records

February 1

The record books were rewritten last Friday night as freshman goaltender James Kalec snapped a 49-year old record for saves in a single game. Kalec dominated in net, recording 60 saves against Colby College and breaking the record formally held by Dave Wilson, who made 59 stops against Boston University in the 1955-56 season. Kalec's record-setting game helped push the Jumbos past No. 13 ranked Colby with a 4-1 win. Coach Brian Murphy, who has been at the helm for the Jumbos since 1998, was impressed with Kalec's effort. "We've had some great goaltenders in the past," Murphy said. "But this is clearly the best effort I've seen from a goalie since I've been here." Kalec, who hails from East Amherst, New York and is a former Junior Hockey League player for the Fort Erie Meteors, was named NESCAC Player of the Week. He was also named Div. III Defensive Player of the Week by U.S. College Hockey Online. The freshman has played a major role in the Jumbos' success over the past few weeks. In addition to his record-setting game against Colby, the freshman was also solid against Bowdoin and Suffolk. He recorded 26 saves against No. 11 ranked Bowdoin and helped the Jumbos maintain a 3-3 tie, marking the first time the Jumbos have recorded a point against the Polar Bears since Tufts reinstated hockey as a varsity sport in 1986. Kalec also posted 26 saves against Suffolk and helped Tufts secure an 8-2 non-conference win. In recent play, Kalec has posted 1.94 goals against average, 112 saves, and a .949 save percentage. On the season, the freshman is 4-5-1, posting a .909 save percentage (fourth in the NESCAC) with 380 saves. "It's a great feat," sophomore Matt Dalton said. "He's been playing very well for us recently, and he's definitely contributed a lot to our success." Kalec's consistency, maturity and effort have been impressive considering the pressure facing a starting goalie and Kalec's collegiate inexperience. Murphy attributes Kalec's successful adjustment at the college level to his assistant coaches, specifically the goalie coach, Dave Ries. Ries has worked with the freshman personally since his arrival at Tufts. "When a goalie is playing consistently, everyone else on the team plays well," Murphy said. "Our goalie coach has done a great job preparing James, and our other goalies. James is a big guy and takes up a lot of space in net. He's physically and mentally prepared and has made the adjustment to play at this level." Although Murphy is impressed with Kalec's feat, the team's main focus is still on winning games. "James has a bright future with the team," Murphy said. "But right now we're trying to stay focused on winning, we aren't focusing on the record." Murphy also has confidence in his other two goalies, junior Matt Ninnemann and freshman Issa Azat, who have split time with Kalec this season. Senior forward Jason Boudrow is also looking to etch his name in the Tufts record books. Boudrow, a native of Somerville, is currently tied for fifth place in career points with Drew Carleton, who played for the Jumbos from 1996-2000. Boudrow has tallied 20 team-leading points this season, and is currently tied with junior Matt McCarthy for the team lead in that category. Sixteen of those points have come off assists, and Boudrow's playmaking ability is a key to the Tufts offense. "Its great to see a local guy and a veteran player like Jason accomplish something like this," Murphy said. "Records are always good to break, but as a team we try to keep our focus on winning, which is our first priority." With six games left and the season winding down, Boudrow would have to play phenomenally to move up to fourth on the all-time career points record list. Twelve more points would tie Boudrow with former Jumbo Matt Ryan at 160 career points. "We're all happy for him," Dalton said. "He can definitely put the puck in the net, and is always looking for guys, and making plays. I think he can definitely do it [reach 160 career points]." The team should have a good chance to get back on the winning track this Friday, when the Jumbos travel to UMass Boston this Friday night as they look to rebound from back-to-back losses this past weekend to Southern Maine and Salem State.

---

News

Penn can't stop this 'Assassination'

February 1

Some movies just don't work. "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" is one of them. Based on the true story of Sam Byke (Bicke in the film), the film details his attempt to hijack a passenger jet and slam it into the White House in 1974. The film is a downer in every sense of the word, and as (surprise!) disturbing as it is incomplete. We meet Sam Bicke (Sean Penn) as he squirms in his seat, lectured by his crooked boss to take a lesson from "Richard Nixon, the greatest salesmen of them all." "What good is good in times like these?" he later wonders. Miserable at his furniture sales job, disgusted by the injustice of the world, and separated from his wife (Naomi Watts) and their three children, life has not turned out as planned for the painfully neurotic Sam. Living alone, he spends his afternoons babbling about the inequality of the system to his auto mechanic friend Bonny (Don Cheadle). It's clear that Sam is holding onto his sanity by the thinnest of threads. Unfortunately, his life rapidly disintegrates from bad to worse. Denied a loan to open his own "honest" business, served with divorce papers, and evicted from his apartment, Sam promptly loses it altogether. We watch in horror as he descends into mania, madly scheming in his filthy apartment to kill Nixon, the perceived source of his troubles. The movie climaxes in a terrifying bloodbath aboard a passenger jet, during which Sam and a number of passengers are shot to death. Part political commentary, part character study, "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" fails to deliver on either front. In fact, writer and Tufts alum Niels Mueller, in his directorial debut, has found the perfect anti-crowd pleaser: a movie that manages to both disturb and confuse without providing any clear point. What are we supposed to learn from Sam? Why did no one in his life attempt to help him? How had he become a neurotic mess? Perhaps Mueller, whose previous writing credits include "13 Going on 30," bit off more than he could chew with this film. It is, to say the least, ambitious, but at 95 minutes, it is far too short to truly explore a character as complicated as Samuel Byke. If only "The Lord of the Rings" could have donated a half hour of screen time to "Assassination." Despite the movie's shortcomings, however, Sean Penn turns in another inspired performance, following up his brilliant turns in "Mystic River" and "21 Grams." Penn very well may be the best actor of our generation. His Sam Bicke is utterly genuine, an unsettling glimpse of idealism gone horribly wrong. Naomi Watts, almost unrecognizable as a brunette, does her best but cannot overcome script problems - it's unimaginable that the wimpy, world-hating, paranoid Bicke could have wed her. Don Cheadle rounds out the small cast, deftly providing Sam's grounded, realist opposite. Here again, however, Mueller fails to provide any foundation for their friendship; how are we supposed to believe that the cool, collected mechanic would have anything to do with a weirdo like Sam? Likewise, Bicke's transformation from fretful salesman to cold-blooded psycho occurs too quickly. Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," upon which "Assassination" draws heavily, carefully plots DeNiro's development from disillusioned loner to raving psychotic as he drives around in his cab. Mueller appears impatient, fast-forwarding through these establishing moments to get to the climax. Interestingly, President Nixon continuously appears on television throughout the film, professing his innocence and serving as a focal point of Bicke's anger. Yet again Mueller's script fails us; he refuses to show enough of Nixon's various speeches for us to fully understand and appreciate his role in the film. Does Mueller want us to empathize with Bicke, sharing in his hatred of the morally corrupt Nixon White House? Does he seek to draw parallels with our current administration? The film, however, is not without its pleasures. The score, made up almost entirely of Beethoven concertos, provides an interesting backdrop to the on-screen insanity. Other tracks include those from famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, with whom Bicke has a running imaginary dialogue. Overall, "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" feels incomplete. With a better script and an extra half hour of footage, this film could have been truly fascinating. As it is, however, Penn's gritty performance may be the only thing worth the price of admission. One wonders what might have been had Mueller waited a little longer to make this film. Alas, he did not.

---

News

Top Ten | Most Exciting Super Bowl Match-ups Ever

February 1

For those of you who watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and un-intentionally lewd halftime shows, there actually have been some good games thrown in the mix as well. So while you're cozying up with some wings and the biggest TV you can get your hands on this Sunday, think about whether the Eagles v. Pats match-up compares to any of these ...10. Super Bowl I: Packers 35, Chiefs 10. The Packers dominated an otherwise boring game, but this is the one that started it all. 9. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29. Vinatieri does it again at the final whistle.8. Super Bowl IX: Steelers 16, Vikings 6. A battle of two great defenses, but the Steel Curtain shut down the Purple People Eaters in the end.7. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16. The Titans came up just inches short as Kevin Dyson stretched for the goal line in the final seconds.6. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24. Elway finally gets his Super Bowl ring, but Terrell Davis stole the show with 157 yards and an MVP trophy.5. Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers 20, Bills 16. Montana threw for 357 yards, and still wasn't the MVP. That honor went to Jerry Rice, who caught 215 of them. 4. Super Bowl XXXVI: Pats 20, Rams 17. Vinatieri and the Pats begin their road to what people are starting to call a dynasty.3. Super Bowl III: Jets 16, Colts 7. Broadway Joe Namath guarantees victory - and actually comes through. How novel.2. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19. Scott Norwood misses the kick heard round the world, inspires character of Ray Finkle in Ace Ventura. It was the first of four years in a row that Buffalo wins the title of "first of all the losers."1. Super Bowl XXXVIII ... again. Refer to No. 9 for the game itself, but the other score: Janet Jackson's breast: 0, the FCC: a lot.

---

News

Newly remodeled restaurant to reopen tomorrow to students

February 1

A popular lunch destination for Tufts administrators, faculty, and students alike will reopen tomorrow morning after a six week renovation. Students returned this semester to find Nick's House of Pizza, at 372 Boston Ave, closed. A sign on the door explained that the restaurant was undergoing renovations and would reopen soon. Currently, the renovations are complete and the owners are hoping that loyal customers will return. According to owner Nick Kermanidis, the menu and prices will remain the same, despite the restaurant's re-vamped look. "My customers will come back because nothing's changed," he said. "People may come in and be scared, but it's the same place." Kermanidis said that the renovation is meant to offer a better atmosphere for customers. "I do it for my customers," he said. "I wanted to do something major." "We never had any issues, but it's time to take it to another level," Nick's son John said. "We had it for 17 years, we haven't really done anything to it." The old d?©cor was like any other neighborhood pizza restaurant: formica booths, a few framed posters, and a wood-paneled counter in the front. The restaurant now boasts a granite counter with stools, cushioned booths, and a high-definition flat-screen television. In addition, the menu will now feature a few more items, such as a Mexican-style pizza, a steak tip dinner, manicotti, a buffalo chicken calzone and a Caesar salad. A new double-decker oven will allow the restaurant to serve customers more efficiently. The lunch crowd at the family-owned restaurant is a veritable who's who of Tufts administration. On any given afternoon, one can see University Chaplain David O'Leary or Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Captain Mark Keith. Dowling Hall and Tufts Facilities workers also join locals and students, many of whom are regulars. "I've been bringing my lunch [to work]," O'Leary said. He will be back at Nick's after it re-opens, but he won't be at the grand opening celebration. "I don't do well with crowds," he joked. Kermanidis estimates that before Tufts Dining Services started Merchants on Points (MOPS), of which Nick's is not a member, he drew 20 to 30 percent of his business from Tufts students. Now, he said that students still come in regularly but most of his business consists of a non-student, lunchtime crowd. "Most of my business is from neighborhood people and the employees at Tufts," he said. According to John, Nick has looked into joining MOPS but was wary of the percentage of profit taken by Dining Services from each order. When the weather is warmer, Kermanidis will repave the parking lot and put up a new fence and awnings. "I have a lot of work to do," he said.

---

---

News

Even facing injuries, Jumbos roll away records

February 1

Despite missing important athletes due to injuries, it was still a weekend of personal bests and record-setting for the continually impressive men's track and field team. In a four-way meet that also featured rivals MIT, Springfield College and Bowdoin, the Jumbos placed second with 163 points and MIT won with 184 points. "We trained through the meet," coach Connie Putnam said. "And came pretty close. We only let them get away with 17 points. The outcome was good. I told the team it was a moral victory." Midway through the season, the team isn't looking to score points at individual meets as much as it is attempting to qualify its competitors for Nationals. And a few Jumbos managed to move closer this weekend. Sophomore Fred Jones won both the long jump and the triple jump and qualified provisionally in the long jump with a distance of 7.02m. Jones already qualified for the triple jump earlier in the season, an event that he competed in at Nationals last year and is now No. 1 in the nation in Div. III. Junior Matt Lacey pounded out a personal record in the 3000 meter, finishing second in a time of 8:31.21, launching him to second place on the Tufts' all-time list. Lacey will attempt to qualify for Nationals in the 5K, and his performance on Saturday in the 3K suggests he is in good enough shape to do so. A key event for the Jumbos was the 400, where junior Trevor Williams placed second in a time of 50.84. Tufts runners also placed third, fourth and fifth in the 400 and earned 20 points overall for their team. Senior Aaron Kaye won the 800 with a time of 1:58.87. Freshman Dave Bach was unable to compete in the 1000 due to an injury, but classmate Anyenda Inyagwa gave his strongest performance of the season, finishing third and setting a personal best with a time of 2:39.90. Throughout the race, he was consistently challenged by MIT runners, but with excellent maneuvering, held his ground. Inyagwa continued to improve, running another personal best in the second leg of the 4x800 meter relay, an event which Tufts won. "I was very happy," Inyagwa said. "It was the best I've run out of the three meets we've been to. I'd like to qualify for one of the big meets later on, but I'm not sure how realistic that is for me considering this is my first year in collegiate athletics." As it has all season, the squad continued to outpace competitors in the 5000, with senior Nate Brigham taking first place. The team did fail to place a runner in the top three for the 1 mile run. The absence of Bach made it difficult for Tufts to find points in that event. Senior Nathan Thompson had a solid outing in the 55 meter hurdles, placing first in the finals and improving his preliminary time of 8.17 to 8.05. Jamil Ludd, usually stong in the 55m hurdles, was out with an injury but is expected to return this weekend. Tufts won both the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays, an impressive feat considering many of the runners were also competing in various other races. "All the guys were doubling after running other events," senior Brian McNamara said of the relay wins. "We've got a lot of depth on the team, so we have a lot of athletes we can run. Some of the other teams have their top, top athletes, but they're not as deep as us." The fielding events showed the need for some improvement, but overall the team was pleased with its performance. Freshmen Jeremy Arak, recovering from a concussion, and Kenneth Kang are hoping to return to competition soon. "MIT is obviously a good team," Inyagwa said. "And we kept right on their heels. We're looking forward to meeting up with them again so we can catch them." The Jumbos plan to continue practicing hard to improve as the end of the season approaches. "[Coach Putnam] knows we can run and jump and throw better," McNamara said. "And I know there's room for improvement, and all the guys do too." On Friday, four runners also took a shorter trip downtown to Boston University to compete at the Terrier Invite. McNamara, Williams, Mahoney and Fortin comprised a Distance Medley Relay team that faced off against tough Div. I programs including Duke and Boston College. The Jumbos finished sixth and set a new school record with a time of 10:07.02, while Duke University took first place. The DMR team will next compete at the St. Valentine Invitational at Boston University on Feb. 12. In the meantime, the runners will work on fine-tuning the relay by practicing with short, fast intervals to improve their time. Although hitting the Automatic Qualifying time of 10.01 would be ideal, the team feels confident they can reach nationals as long as they improve their time from Friday. This Saturday, the Jumbos will host their third invite at Gantcher Center. McNamara feels optimistic that Tufts will qualify more competitors for Nationals. "If you can send more than a couple of kids to the nationals, you're doing pretty well," McNamara said. "I think the team has a chance to do that this year."

---

News

Jumbos sweep Wesleyan, drop heartbreaker to William Smith

February 1

The Jumbos accomplished what they set out to do at last weekend's Mount Holyoke Invitational, but despite a 3-1 record on the trip, there was a slight taste of frustration. Despite playing well, the team dropped a very close match to William Smith, a team that was one spot ahead of them in the national rankings. The weekend couldn't have started out better, as Tufts defeated Smith 6-3 and then beat close rival Mount Holyoke 8-1. On Sunday the Jumbos began the day with a 9-0 sweep of Wesleyan, but they finished with the disappointing 4-5 loss to William Smith. "Overall the weekend went very well," senior co-captain Eliza Drachman-Jones said. "Our goal going in was to go 3-1 and we did that, despite being shorthanded." "But the William Smith match was still a heartbreaker," Drachman-Jones added. Once again, the Jumbos were forced to play shorthanded. Sophomore Erica Adler is expected to miss the rest of the season with health problems, and senior Nida Ghouse was out of the lineup with a leg injury. "I think we had to step it up considering the circumstances," Drachman-Jones said. "And I think we did." In the match against William Smith, Tufts dropped the top three matches. Sophomore Jules Avrutin lost in three games at the number one spot, freshman Rebecca Rice fell in a tight five game match at number two, and senior co-captain Nicole Arens also dropped a close five gamer. Drachman-Jones recovered from a two game deficit to pull out an impressive victory. "That was one of the best matches of my squash career," Drachman-Jones said. "Even though I lost the first two games, they were very close. I just told myself going into the third game I could do it. I started taking advantages of my opponent's weaknesses and then she started to get frustrated." Senior Rhonda Barkan won at number six in three games, sophomore Jenny Lange was victorious at number eight, and junior Sarah Lucas came through at number nine to spot Tufts its other three victories. "The match was so frustrating because we had so many five game matches," Drachman-Jones said. "We lost one of the five game matches at 9-10 in the last game, so it could have gone either way. This gives us some motivation to beat them in a couple weeks at nationals." Coach Doug Eng was equally disappointed. "We played a good match, but not our best," Eng said. "What was so tough was that we were up 4-0 against them, and one of the matches we were up 2-0 and 8-4 in the third game but we couldn't pull it out." "Losing that match was a little bit like the Yankees dropping that series to the Red Sox this year," Eng added. "But I knew even when we were up 4-0 it was going to be tough because of the matchups." The Jumbos still had a lot to be happy about, considering they played well in sweeping Wesleyan earlier in the day. No player dropped a single game in the match. "Going into the Wesleyan match, we were feeling confident but we knew the match wasn't going to be given to us," Drachman-Jones said. "Everyone had to fight to win their matches and we deserved to have the match come out the way it did." Earlier in the week some of the Jumbos pointed to Mount Holyoke as a persistent past rival, but this season the Jumbos pulled away for a relatively easy victory. Avrutin battled her opponent and ended up coming out with a hard-fought five game victory against Mt. Holyoke 9-5, 7-9, 9-10, 9-5, 10-8. Rice won in three easy games at number two and Arens won in four games. Drachman-Jones and sophomore Liz Thys both won in four games as well and Barkan won in three. Lange and Lucas continued to give the Jumbos solid play at the bottom of the lineup as they both won in three games. In its first match of the weekend, Tufts defeated No. 24 ranked Smith 6-3. "We didn't play great against Smith," Eng said. "We were a bit shaky at first, but it was our first match of the semester so that's to be expected." At the top spot, Avrutin lost in three games. However, the Jumbos picked up victories at spots two through five. Rice and Arens won in three games, while Drachman-Jones won in four and Thys won in five. Barkan was defeated in five games as well. Polivy and Lange won at seven and eight in four game matches while Lucas lost a tough five game match at number nine. The Jumbos are certainly happy to have Polivy and Lucas home from abroad in addition to the return of Lange from injury. "Joelle, Sarah and Jenny all played really well," Drachman-Jones said. "We're very excited to have them back and it's nice to have some new players to help out." The Jumbos have a match on Friday against Brown, a top 10 team in the national rankings. Though Tufts may be the clear underdog, the team hopes to use the match to gain experience against top competition. "Playing against teams like that makes you work harder," Drachman-Jones said. "We can use what we learn in the Brown match against teams we might play later, like William Smith."

---

News

In Our Midst | Composing classical on and off campus

February 1

It's 7 p.m. on a Thursday evening and, like many Tufts students, sophomore Erik Jorgensen is getting ready for a night out. The night he's preparing for, however, is not the typical Tufts Thursday of campus party-hopping - and Jorgensen is no typical student. In fact, he's far from Medford (he's in New York City), his goal in life is to write musicals and performance art, and the event he's getting ready for is a concert at which one of his own compositions will be performed. Twenty-year-old Jorgensen, who is spending the spring semester studying dramatic writing at NYU, is pursuing a five-year dual degree in drama (from Tufts) and classical composition (from the New England Conservatory, or NEC). Originally a jazz saxophonist, Jorgensen's victory in a composing competition at age 11 was a harbinger of things to come: now, his compositions have been commissioned and performed throughout Boston - and the world. "My work has been performed all around the city by the Parker quartet and the Dinosaur Annex [a music ensemble], as well as at the Concert Hall of the National Music Academy of Ukraine, which has been great," Jorgensen said. A less far-flung venue made an impression on him as well. "The 2003 Michigan Music Education Conference at the University of Michigan was good - that was my first symphony," he said. Even though Jorgensen has come a long way since writing his first symphony, hearing his work performed remains exciting. "It's a great feeling to see others perform your stuff," he said. "It's nerve-wracking, of course, but it's interesting to see how others interpret it. I mean, I'm nothing without the performers - music on paper isn't music." "It doesn't always come out like I heard it in my head, but that's the best part: musicians bring their own creative elements into the process," Jorgensen added. "Keep in mind that I began as a jazz musician - I'm all about the creative capabilities of the performer." Jorgensen is also "all about" observing how audiences respond to his music. "Audience response is great - it's the second reason I do what I do," he said. "I write because I need to, but also because I like to make people happy. So when I see people having a good time with my music, it's extremely fulfilling." "It's amazing to make other people smile, as cheesy as that sounds, which is probably why I don't write a lot of overly deep, pretentious nonsense," he added. Instead, Jorgensen writes fresh, creative, and adventurous pieces that, he says, are intended to "surprise people, but not in a shock value way - in an 'I wouldn't have thought of that' kind of way." For example, Jorgensen says that one of his recent compositions, "Aaponi's Destiny," is the symphonic equivalent of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novel. "It's [performed by] a string quartet," he said of the piece, which earned him a write-up in the Boston Herald. "The audience votes about what a mayfly can do while in New York City." Aaponi is a Native American word for mayfly, and the piece, Jorgensen says, was inspired by an ecology class he took while at Interlochen Arts Academy, where he spent his senior year of high school. ("Interlochen is in the middle of a national park, and class was outside every day," he said. "I'm a boy scout - I'm a sucker for that outdoorsy stuff.") For Jorgensen, such direct inspiration is an anomaly. "When I go to write a piece, I never worry too much about 'what does this mean?' or 'what am I trying to say?'" he said. "That falls into place and is subjective - you can't force that." Jorgensen began developing his musical instincts at a young age while growing up in the small factory town of Clinton, Iowa. ("Our biggest factory was national byproducts - they burned dead animals and turned them into glue, so our whole town smelled like that" he said.) "I wrote my grandma a letter when I was six that said 'I've decided to write music so I can make the big bucks,' though I didn't consider it as a career option until sophomore year," he said. "Until then, I wanted to be an astronaut." That fateful sophomore year, Jorgensen was studying theory with his choir director in order to become better at improvising on the saxophone. "He assigned me to write a classical choral piece," Jorgensen said. "I did and he loved it, so our choir performed it a bunch of times. Then I decided that's what I wanted to do: I loved the whole process so much - writing, rehearsing, conducting, performing - so I wrote two more pieces and applied to Interlochen and transferred to high school there." While at Interlochen, Jorgensen founded his first publishing company, Erik Jorgensen Publications, so that he could publish his own work. Since then, Jorgensen has gone on to found a subsidiary of the original company called TYT publications, which is a theatre and performance art publishing company. Not all of Jorgensen's endeavors, however, have been musical. "I like making sushi - I really wanna be a sushi chef as a day job, so I do that quite a bit," he said. "At Interlochen, my roommate was from Tokyo, so he got me started and I just kept doing it. It's really therapeutic." But then again, for Jorgensen, even the seemingly unrelated process of sushi making is linked to music composition: "It's like writing music - only you get to eat it," he said.Challenger explosion and Claude Monet, sort of tied together, and it deals with fear and creative launch."

---

News

Junior travels from Hollywood to the Hill

February 1

Relaxing after his first jazz band class of the semester, junior guitarist Geoff Brown sips his tea as he casually slouches at a table in Hotung, guitar case propped against the round table. While he and his various musical projects have played the venue before, this time he's here to discuss his music and the wide, varied, globe-spanning trip that began and ended in Medford - with stops in Hollywood, Las Vegas and the Outback. The 22-year-old junior music major will be increasing his profile locally with several scheduled performances in Brown & Brew and Hotung this spring in three separate projects. An eclectic musician, Brown plays with the Tufts group Funk Attack Squad, collaborates on instrumental works with Boston College graduate and cellist Karl Cronin, and performs acoustically with classmate and girlfriend Chloe Green. Now committed to performing locally, Brown is intent on finishing his education, but it hasn't always been that way. When he began life at Tufts as a freshman in the fall of 2000, he found himself disenchanted with higher learning. After one semester, he took his college savings and put it to less academic - but just as educational - use: a backpacking expedition through New Zealand and Australia. Soon after Brown's return stateside, he enrolled in the Musician's Institute (MI) in Hollywood, Calif., a three-decade-old certificate program which focuses on music markedly different from the kind he has recorded recently. Brown describes his first CD, "Rainy Day," with cellist Cronin to be "heartfelt and user-friendly." However, this style of music is just one side of Brown's repertoire, most of which is derived from the diverse training he received at the MI. There, he took classes in subjects such as "Acid Jazz Guitar" that flavored his own music and exposed him to things he could never have found at Tufts. Brown embraced a musician's unhealthy lifestyle as a student at in California with many late nights, bars and parties. "We were all rockstars," he said while laughing, "or at least we thought we were." Despite the impression the stereotypically responsibility-free rockstar life may leave, the guitarists and teachers at the MI were serious about their craft, says Brown. He asserts that a motivated student could get a lot from the program - specifically, private studio time with up to 40 different teachers, able to be recorded for later practice. But Hollywood wasn't a permanent fit for the mellow artist, either. Brown missed the East Coast and the "real people" he knew there. "I had a hunch that I was done with Hollywood," Brown said. "It was a very superficial place. I didn't want to be a marketed product." This revelation sparked his return to Tufts, where he could pursue his musicianship with a more academically-based, traditional program. Since his return, he's experimented in funk and folk music in his separate collaborations. Brown characterizes his work with Cronin as broadly appealing, combining elements of classical and folk music, with some elements of jazz. "It's very sentimental music," he said. His work with Funk Attack Squad is funk jazz with long, improvised solos. Brown calls it "groove music." Brown has had a few prior incarnations as a guitarist. From his time as a "shred guitar" enthusiast at age 15 to his present funk, jazz, and acoustic love affairs, his personal style has changed with his music. He credits his original interest to a young guitarist some years older than him from his home area named Sean Fennell. Another source of inspiration was the notable Longview Farm Recording Studio, which has seen such legends as Aerosmith. The Farm was in Brown's proverbial backyard - his hometown of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Brown's parents, both musically inclined themselves, have been supportive of his journey the entire way. "I've always been kind of academic in that I want to study in a university setting and I like to teach," Brown remarked, though he doesn't know where his music will take him ultimately. "I always think about where else I could be."

---

News

Ashcroft's attitude must be put aside

February 1

Outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft called for a renewal of portions of the Patriot act yesterday as he reinforced the position of an administration that emphasizes fear, stubbornness and a disregard for privacy. This tone needs to be abandoned by the government in order to protect the rights put forth by the Constitution. Bush has an excellent opportunity to do so during tonight's State of the Union address. This paper has previously argued against the Patriot Act and its infringement on civil liberties, since it allows authorities to tap phone calls, monitor E-mails and even search library records without a warrant or even probable cause. The Act has been defended as an instrument to fight terrorism, but Ashcroft also extolled its purposes in fighting domestic crime. In his remarks yesterday, Ashcroft argued that crime is declining because of stiff laws and the extra reach given by the Patriot Act. At what price are we buying safety? The war on terror is supposed to be protecting America, but it is pointless if the rights and liberties which make the United States great are destroyed in the process. The effects of the Patriot Act and the war on terror's reign of fear have taken its toll on the American public. A survey of 100,000 high school students by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found that a third of them think First Amendment rights are too extreme, according to the BBC. Half of the students surveyed believed that newspapers shouldn't print stories that did not have government approval. These students hopefully have been taught that the First Amendment rights are the basis of American democracy, yet they do not see value in the freedom of speech. This shows the declining respect for the Bill of Rights in the American public. Americans no longer even expect to have the rights which the founding fathers intended to be upheld in all situations. Hopefully, President Bush will move away from Ashcroft's stark, black-and-white language in the first State of the Union of his second term tonight. Bush needs to adopt an attitude which allows for grey areas to exist. Our inherent rights, such as the freedom of speech and the right against unreasonable search and seizures must be respected at all times. When the Bill of Rights and the Patriot Act come into conflict, the Patriot Act must be the one that loses.

---

News

Pre-Law Society sponsors talk with Judge

February 1

Whether contemplating the constitutionality of placing a cr??che on Lexington Green or clearing the name of a professional auto thief who didn't make the heist this time, Federal Magistrate Judith Dein's job keeps her constantly on her toes. "It's the best job in the world...I really died and went to heaven," she said. "It's interesting, and what I'm doing makes a difference to people." Dein, who is a Federal Magistrate judge in the Massachusetts Federal District Court, held an informal discussion last night in Barnum Hall with members of the Tufts Pre-Legal Society to offer perspectives on legal careers. She tries civil cases, including patent, employment, and trade cases. She also provides trial and pre-trial consultation to felony cases, including the reading of rights and lawyer appointments. She also participates in mediations for cases that do not go to trial. Dein found herself in law because she wanted to "keep her options open" - a conviction that influenced her choice of an American Studies bachelor's degree at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and her enrollment at Boston College law school. As a judge, however, she has come to see that law's flexibility is its greatest asset. "The beauty of law is that no matter what you're doing on a daily basis, it's a career that can make you feel good," she said. "Your job makes you fee like you're accomplishing something." When the word "law" is mentioned, Dein said that people tend to think of law firms, which is how she began her legal career, but that there are many different kinds of legal jobs out there. Dein went on to discuss different branches of trial law, including family law, criminal law, and sports and entertainment law, as well as corporate legal careers. She asked each student in the audience what their aspirations and interests were, and loosely outlined her path to success. "You can do really any kind of undergraduate degree you want to," she said. She stressed that in her opinion hard work and self-application in law school proved to be the key to success. She outlined the usefulness of professional experience, but downplayed the importance of frenzied immersion in internships. While she would not classify law school as her favorite academic or intellectual experience, Dein loved the actual practice of law as she rose to senior partner at a law firm. "I love being a trial lawyer, I love putting it all together [in court]. There is nothing as high as a good day in court and nothing as low as when the jury comes back against you," she said. Integrating work into life in general proved to be a greater challenge, she said. "The hardest part of law is to balance home life and working." Another advantage to law was the community involvement it facilitated. "It turns out that I had connected with a lot of people over the years," she said. This networking, she said, helped her land her appointment as judge - which she describes as very different from but more "intellectually challenging" than her job at a firm. The working hours, she said, are usually six days a week. Judges, she said, also "take turns being on call for all emergency arrests and for people who are arrested without warrants" outside of 9-5 business hours. Such events, such as calls from "people who do dumb things at the airport, like swallow large quantities of heroin" keep her day-to-day experience interesting. Her main advice to students was that law firms and schools are "looking for people who are hard-working, committed, and have some passion in something."

---

News

CD Review | DiFranco 'Knuckles Down'

January 31

Ani DiFranco is thoughtful, passionate, angst-filled, political and self-righteous all at the same time. She is a folk singer who looks like a punk, with her dreadlocks (or formerly, shaved head), piercings and tattoos. Well known for her marathon touring schedule, huge output of albums and status as a feminist icon, Ani's new album demonstrates both her maturity and her ability to collaborate and learn from experience. "Knuckle Down" presents a number of new challenges for Difranco. First, the album is a collaboration with Joe Henry, another performer and songwriter, who produced half the album and adds some calm and melody to Ani's famous strong, hard chords and voice. Second, there is no obvious mention of politics, a change for DiFranco, who made her name singing about abortion and other feminist issues. This is an album about family, identity, aging and love: the more mundane aspects of our lives. In one song entitled "Sunday Morning", the artist sings about frying eggs, reading in bed and the comfort of love on Sunday mornings. The album's title track and first song is perhaps the most energetic and forceful on the album. The rapid folk-style strumming more closely resembles Ani's earlier work. Yet even here she demonstrates a new maturity, opening the album by hollering, "I think I'm done gunnin' to get closer/ to some imagined bliss/ I gotta knuckle down/ just be ok with this / course that star struck girl is already someone I miss." The track "Parameters" is truly demonstrative of Ani's maturity, a reflection on life at the age of thirty-three. More a poem than a song, Ani speaks the words over a few soft guitar chords, saying, "even after you've long since gotten used to the parameters/they can all change/while you're out one night having a drink with a friend/some big hand may be turning a big dial/switching channels on your dreams." Perhaps best known for her 1995 album "Not a Pretty Girl," DiFranco was born in Buffalo, New York in 1970. At the age of 15, feeling alienated by her family, she left home to live on her own and play in the club circuit. By 19, she had written over a hundred songs. In 1990, DiFranco founded her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, to distribute her music more effectively. As DiFranco's popularity grew around the country, mostly as a result of her incredibly busy schedule, major labels took an interest in her. She rejected all of them and continued making music on her own label. Ani has produced over twenty of her own records and has still found time to be a fervent political activist. In fact, many of Ani's critics fault her for producing too many albums, rather than choosing her best work for release. For that reason "Knuckle Down" could come as a disappointment to fans expecting more of the same. It lacks the political bent and the angst of her old music. Indeed, many of Ani's fans like her for just that reason: she is angry, forceful and political. To less avid fans, however, her music can be self-righteous and difficult to stomach. Often her anger and "feminist hero" image overshadow her talent and passion. Ani is a unique, ambitious, and impressive woman. "Knuckle Down" is undoubtedly her most mature work to date, and her fans will probably embrace it wholeheartedly. To the rest of us, however, it's more of the same: a mediocre CD that should have been trimmed down.

---

News

Inside Women's College Basketball | Women's field is still wide open as March Madness looms in distance

January 31

As the glitz and glamour of March Madness shimmers in the distance, the sports world finds itself once again tempted by the forbidden fruit of mid-season - the NCAA Tournament. Mention "The Dance" to any engaged sports fan and you'll see their eyes light up at the thought of three weeks of post-player match-ups and small-conference Cinderella sleepers. Unless, of course, you're talking about women's basketball, in which case you'll probably get a blank stare, followed by, "Of course UConn's going to win it again, right?" Or from the somewhat broader-thinking sports enthusiast, perhaps: "What about the team with the crazy coach?" (While Pat Summit may be toeing the line between genius and lunacy in perfect Bobby Knight form, her .832 winning percentage as head coach of the Lady Vols of Tennessee is the highest of any coach still in the game.) While the men's NCAA tournament is always tinged with the hype surrounding The Upset, the women's field has been consistently referred to in terms of its dynasties, most notably the ludicrous reign of the UConn Huskies, who have won four of the last five national titles, amassed a 175-9 record since 2000, and turned out some of the game's star players. And it seems that everyone is just counting the days until March when they will make it four in a row. Not so fast. The women's field is opening up rapidly as the season gets underway, and here they are - the top five reasons not to engrave the trophy for the Huskies just yet. 5. First of all, UConn's not playing terribly well. Now at 13-5 and ranked tenth nationally and third in the Big East, the Huskies have already matched their losses for the past three seasons combined. These numbers are indeed respectable, even solid, for any other team, but UConn has never been any other team. Peaking at a No. 4 preseason ranking (after four straight seasons atop the preseason polls), the Huskies have been sliding down the NCAA rankings since the beginning of the season. Feeling the loss of All-American (and arguably the best player in the game today) Diana Taurasi, UConn has played inconsistently and lacks the depth that past UConn rosters have brandished. Junior Ann Strother has been carrying the team in the stat box, playing nearly 32 minutes per night and averaging 12.8 points, but has little consistent help in the backcourt. The Huskies are struggling to do the little things on a regular basis, as evidenced by 16 first-half turnovers in their home loss to Notre Dame on Sunday. 4. Home to a record of 206-16 and 87 straight sellouts, Gampel Pavilion has been something of an Everest in women's college basketball, a place where the home team always wins and the visitors wish they hadn't come. That's changed this season, as UConn has already been dealt three home losses. Although all three, and four of their five season losses, have come at the hands of nationally ranked teams, this just proves that the Huskies are nowhere near untouchable. 3. Nine conferences are represented in the latest women's top-25 ranking. Smaller-conference competitors like Temple from the Atlantic-10 and DePaul from Conference USA are right up there with perennial ACC, SEC, and Big-12 powerhouses. The field is perhaps the most diverse the league has seen in years, and the variety of teams, styles, and individual standout players across the league poses a host of potentially exciting matchups. While the ESPN/USA poll, the AP Top 25, and the RPI rankings for the men have been consistently close to identical throughout the season, no one seems to be able to pick a stable top 10 for the women. Teams to watch include big-name schools like LSU, Duke, Ohio State, Stanford, Purdue and Penn State as well as some that may sound more surprising like Kansas State and Vanderbilt. The women's field is full of playmakers. Explosive players like Penn State's Tanisha Wright, Notre Dame's Jacqueline Batteast, Duke's Monique Currie, and LSU's Seimone Augustus can pass, shoot, and create and are truly fun to watch. And keep an eye on some of the field's younger players-LSU freshman Sylvia Fowles garnered her eighth double-double in the Tigers' victory over Auburn on Sunday, and 6'3" Vanderbilt freshman Carla Thomas puts up nearly 16 ppg to boost the Commodores into the top 25. 2. The mid-range jumper. As much as the sports world scoffs at it, everyone knows it's the key to a solid offense. More reliable than the three and more versatile than the post shot, it's the shot that wins games (think Michael Jordan's 1998 foul-line jumper, Christian Laettner's turnaround at the buzzer for Duke, or Reggie Stovell's 12-footer from the corner to push Tufts over Wesleyan on Friday), and the women are just better at it than the men. Every top women's basketball team in the country has this weapon in its repertoire, and all of them are dangerous for this very reason. 1. The women's field is more wide open this year than it ever has been, and one thing applies to both the men and the women: it's college hoops, and anything can happen - even a UConn loss in the tourney.

---

News

Women's Swimming | Jumbos edge Bates for a close second straight victory; improve to 5-2

January 31

Tufts captured its second close victory Saturday with a 159-139 win over Bates at Hamilton Pool. Tufts improved to 5-2 on the season, while the Bobcats, with their second loss in a row, fell to 3-4. The race marked the final home meet for Tufts senior swimmers, including quad-captain Erica Weitz. In her last meet at Hamilton Pool, the senior left on top, finishing first in the 200 yard backstroke (2:16.28) and second in both the 200 butterfly (2:16.23) and the 200 IM (2:17.08). Other senior swimmers provided significant contributions as well. Quad-captain Sarah Ferranti finished third in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:05.57, and finished fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:04.73). Quad-captain Suzy Ascoli finished fourth in the 50 free (26.45) and senior Hollen Spatz contributed a fifth place finish in the 200 free (2:06.82). "Despite the win, this race really did have a bittersweet feel to it," said coach Nancy Bigelow. "Erica was rock solid, as she usually is, but all the seniors provided excellent leadership." Unlike races earlier in the season where the team cruised to wide-margin victories, the Jumbos needed strong performances from every team member to pull out this win. Two of the team's first three victories were by comfortable margins, rolling over Wellesley and Brandeis by 41 and 52 points respectively. Recently, the team has had to fight harder for wins, including this 20 point victory and a two point squeaker against Trinity last Saturday. "This race was completely a team effort," Bigelow commented. "In order to get this win, we needed those fourth and fifth place finishes. The distance swimmers are hanging in there. It is a lot to ask of them to come out and swim these challenging races meet after meet, but they continue to impress." Both this meet and the Trinity meet have been extremely trying on the team, but Bigelow knows that the tough competition will pay off in the future. "Having these close races will definitely help make our swimmers tougher and stronger," she said. "Their times keep dropping and this will be a big key at the NESCAC Championships in February." Sophomore Jessica Bollinger's swimming was key in the Jumbos' win, netting first place finishes in the 1000 freestyle (11:15.08) and the 500 free (5:32.75). Freshman Allison Palomaki also finished first twice, winning the 100 breaststroke (1:09.19) and the 200 breaststroke (2:29.61). Other first place finishers included junior Katie Mims in the 50 free (25.62) and the 400 free relay team (3:45.92). This Saturday, the team will head to the MIT Invitational, which will pit Tufts against seven teams, including conference rivals Williams and Middlebury. For some swimmers, this meet will be a tune-up for the NESCAC Championships, a last chance to pare down their times. "This meet is very important for the kids who are going to the championships," said Bigelow. "They will want to perform well in their last race of the year." Following the meet Saturday, the team will have two weeks off before select Jumbos compete in the NESCAC Championships, which will last from February 18-20. "I think we are where we want to be right now," said Bigelow. "The season is winding down, but we are ready to make a strong showing at the end of the year meets. It's going to be fun."

---

News

Correction

January 31

An article yesterday ("Donated art set to liven up the Medford campus") incorrectly implied that the Tower Gallery in the Tisch Library is affiliated with the Tufts University Art Gallery. Instead the Tower Gallery is a separate venue for students to display their art, administered by the library staff. The article also incorrectly stated the name of the University's gallery as the Aidekman Gallery. The correct name is the Tufts University Art Gallery.

---

News

Finalists chosen for Wendell Phillips Scholarship

January 31

Six Tufts juniors and seniors were notified of their status as finalists for the annual Wendell Phillips Memorial Scholarship yesterday. The finalists are seniors Chike Aguh, Zachariah Baker, Eitan Hersh, Matthew Pohl and Zeleka Yeraswork and junior Annette Kramer. The winner is given the opportunity to speak at the Baccalaureate Commencement Ceremony in May. Established in 1896 by the Wendell Phillips Memorial Foundation, the award is given annually at Tufts by Director of Student Activities Jodie Neally to a junior or senior who has shown a high public awareness and great promise as a public speaker. "I knew [being selected as a finalist] included me among some influential and dedicated people from across campus," finalist Pohl said. "It was a very humbling experience." To become eligible for the award, students must receive a nomination by a member of the Tufts community who has witnessed the beneficial work the student has done. "I spoke on National Coming Out Day, and [the LGBT Center Director] Dona Yarbrough told me she was going to nominate me," said Pohl, a political science major and vocal supporter of the LGBT issues on campus. Some of the finalists, however, like finalist Aguh, were never told who nominated them. "You can be nominated by anybody - a faculty member, a friend or even yourself. I don't know who nominated me," he said. Members of the Committee on Student Life (CSL), who review the submitted applications, pay close attention to the student's speaking abilities as well as his or her public service credentials. Applicants must deliver a four-minute speech submitted on audio tape, as well as a short essay on an inspirational leader. "The application process began back in November and was very rigorous. All of the finalists are very qualified and we all want to be the only undergraduate to speak at commencement," Aguh said. To determine the final scholarship recipient, each finalist must present a three to five minute response to a question formulated by the CSL, which asks students to describe how they "speak their mind on a divisive issue" in keeping with the activist tradition of Wendell Phillips. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist in the United States in the 1830s. Phillips left his job as a lawyer in order to join the movement and became a leader of the radical abolitionists. He gained nationwide acclaim among abolitionists for his writings in William Lloyd Garrison's famous newspaper The Liberator. "Considering how Phillips was such a famous and influential activist, I was ecstatic to find out I was a finalist for his award. His namesake and legacy mean a great deal to me," Pohl said. The final speeches will be presented on March 7, and are open for viewing to the Tufts community.

---

News

Inside Fitness | Realistic planning is necessary to follow through on those New Year's Resolutions

January 31

So I've done what half of America does every year around this time: I've made a resolution to get my flabby body into shape. I make this resolution every year, but I never stick to it. Do you have any advice for me and all the other slobs out there who aspire to fitness and health but just can't seem to stick with it? - Big Bertha Gottesfeld, New York The January rush to the gym has always been one of the more amusing/irritating gym phenomena I've encountered. It's amusing because, hey, it's pretty damn funny to see all the New Year's Resolutionists wandering aimlessly around the weights, or draping themselves on a cardio machine for 10 minutes. It's irritating because of the same reason: the gym here is packed enough without all the Resolutionists, so when they make their annual appearance, I feel like I am walking down Fifth Avenue during the holiday shopping season (read: it's really crowded). Anyway, my own ramblings aside, here are some helpful tips to keep you motivated and hopefully still working out by the time the weather gets warmer.Be realistic Don't pick up a magazine and point to some fitness model's diamond cut body and think, "Yeah, that's what I want to look like in a month." Setting unrealistic goals is a sure way to shoot yourself in the foot. Start slowly. Set goals that are attainable. They can be goals of body composition ("I want to drop three percent body fat in the next month"), of performance ("I want to be able to run a mile without stopping to catch my breath"), or simply of fashion, as in fitting into those jeans you haven't been able to wear since you strapped on the freshman 15. Keep a log Buy a little notebook and record your progress. Keep track of your workouts and jot notes about how you feel after each one. Every once in a while, look back over past workouts to see how far you've come. Writing things down is the easiest way to make your aspirations of fitness concrete. It's also a great way to make going to the gym a habit. Consistency is key when it comes to changing your body. Keeping a daily log goes a long way to ensuring this consistency.Bring a buddy Finding a workout buddy will make it easier to stick to your gym commitments. If you find yourself slacking, he/she can help you pick up the intensity. You'll also be much more likely to get in the gym if you have someone waiting for you. A buddy can provide a little healthy competition, helping you push yourself harder than you normally would. However, remember that you are really competing against yourself and the innate laziness that consumes your soul whenever you think about working out. Competition is good, but only if it keeps you going.Get a trainer Hiring a personal trainer to get started is a great way to ensure that you are getting off on the right foot. It will cut down on that aimless wandering I mentioned earlier, and a trainer is a great motivator (you're paying for him/her, so you better make it count). If you're a student and cheap, check out the Tufts Personalized Performance Program (TPPP) program. It provides free personal training to students. Pick up a flyer in the gym or e-mail Francis.Otting@tufts.edu for more information.

---

News

After boiler alarm, questions arise regarding high heat settings

January 31

Tilton Hall was evacuated at 8 p.m. yesterday evening, following a boiler alarm. An automatic alarm notified the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) and the Somerville Fire Department. Freshman Andr?©s Roque also pulled the fire alarm after seeing black smoke. Sophomore Shanti Sattler was the Resident Assistant (RA) on duty at the time of the incident. Sattler and TUPD officer John Murphy explained that a furnace had malfunctioned, but that there were no flames. The University's janitorial and maintenance service, OneSource, and Facilities immediately began repairs. "The same thing happened last year," Sattler said. "It was just smoke." Residents of Tilton have routinely complained about the high heat setting and now wonder if the malfunction is related to how much energy is used. Freshman Tilton resident Laura Willcox hoped that the incident will call attention to how hot the dorm is. "It is a blistering inferno in Tilton," she said. "This will hopefully clue them in [so they] will turn down the heat." Freshman Megan Carter, another Tilton resident, agrees. "I think it's ridiculous that when it's 20 degrees outside we're wearing shorts and T-shirts [in Tilton]. It's a waste of money - it's a waste of electricity and energy." Nevertheless, Sattler said that officials "don't think it has anything to do with the fact that things are so hot in here." Officer Murphy described a scene with a "medium" smoke level, but it was enough to cause concern among students. "When I first saw the amount of smoke, I thought it would be really serious," said freshman Maggie Brunner. "However, we got back in the dorm in 30 minutes." "I was in my room and I heard the fire alarm go off," freshman Samuel Lee said. "Everybody was as confused as I was." Lee added that, upon leaving the building, he saw "a lot" of black smoke rising from the top of Tilton. There were no injuries or damage to the dorm reported. Students evacuated the building upon hearing the main smoke detectors. TUPD officers were on the scene before the evacuation was complete.

---

News

U.S. rights to all, even in Guantanamo

January 31

The prisoners of Guantanamo Bay were given a glimmer of hope yesterday when a federal judge ruled that they can challenge their imprisonment in U.S. courts. Judge Joyce Hens Green also said that the military tribunals used to try the prisoners were unfair and unconstitutional. This ruling is a vital reinforcement of the Supreme Court ruling that prisoners can contest their incarceration, and it brings the detainees under U.S. constitutional law. By holding the Guantanamo detainees under U.S. law, Judge Green is asserting that the American legal tradition is strong enough to withhold any terrorist threat. The Bush administration claimed that the prisoners had no legal or constitutional rights. This interpretation is dangerous, because it allows for the rights guaranteed by the fifth and sixth amendments to be repealed in the name of the War on Terror. Foreign nationals are put on trial and held to the same laws as U.S. citizens. There is no reason for those held in Guantanamo not to have a trial before a jury, with access to counsel and material to support their defense. The Bush administration wants to classify the detainees as "enemy combatants" and hold them to whatever legal standard fits the administration's goals. Under the guise of "enemy combatants," the United States could detain prisoners at Guantanamo Bay without charge until the War on Terror is over. According to The Guardian, only four of approximately 550 detainees have been charged with a crime. Green pointed out that prisoners could be held for an indefinite period of time, since President Bush himself has admitted that the War on Terror could take generations to finish. Yet, one Australian and four British prisoners were able to return to their home countries without a military tribunal last week. Why should detainees with a first-world legal system to fall back on be the only ones spared from unfair imprisonment? Unsurprisingly, the Justice Department will appeal this ruling, likely taking it back to the Supreme Court at some point. Hopefully the Supreme Court justices will uphold Green's ruling to give Guantanamo detainees a right to a fair trial under American law. The American legal tradition was built to be universally applicable. The Founding Fathers wrote the Bill of Rights and the Constitution with the intention that the principles set forth would always be upheld. By not according constitutional rights or a fair trial to the Guantanamo detainees, the Bush administration is admitting that our rights are only applicable when it is in the administration's political interests. It is vital to accord constitutional rights to those held in Guantanamo Bay to ensure that they will continue to be accorded to all U.S. citizens.

---