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The Setonian
News

Traveling Lush | Cowboy hats in Boston?

November 17

We glided over the Bunker Hill Bridge through a haze of blue light in our stretch taxi as if on our way to a Boston-area high school prom. The bridge abruptly ran out and the bluish tinge was suddenly replaced by the yellow twinkles of headlights, and we soon found ourselves dashing off into Faneuil Hall as anxious as a dozen mice that had just been let loose from their laboratory maze.

The Setonian
News

NASA forensics

November 17

Dr. Jim Hallock of NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board delivered a lecture entitled "The Forensics of the Space Shuttle Columbia" to students yesterday at noon in Halligan Hall. The event was sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The Setonian
News

Can religion reduce college students' stress?

November 17

College students who take part in religious activities have better mental and emotional health than students who do not take part in these activities, found a recent study released by the University of California at Los Angeles' Higher Education Research Institute.

The Setonian
News

American occupation: think rampaging elephants

November 17

Most Tufts folks by now will concede that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was something between a mistake and a crime, and that the case for war in Iraq was based upon misinformation, if not outright lies.

The Setonian
News

Football | Despite results, Samko plays up positives

November 17

The football team wrapped up its season last Saturday with a 10-6 loss to Middlebury. With the loss, the team finished the year with a 2-6 record. Despite the way the season turned out, coach Bill Samko was not unhappy with his players.

The Setonian
News

Solomon Amendment extension unnecessary

November 17

The recent extension of the Solomon Amendment threatens to increase the strain between traditionally liberal universities and the U.S. military. The amendment's extension calls for the halt of federal funding from a number of departments if a college refuses to let the military recruit on campus.

The Setonian
News

Cast of 'The State' teams up again as Stella

November 17

No longer merely a dramatic cry from Marlon Brando, Stella has become a tour de force of unique creepy comedy. Created by David Wain, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, Stella Comedy is currently on tour throughout the U.S. and will be performing tonight at the Paradise Rock Club.

The Setonian
News

Ben Hoffman/The Lefty Groove

November 17

Hahahahahahaha. Sorry, that's just me sobbing at School Bus' tale of heartbreaking defeat in the recent B league intramural basketball championship ("Basketball team School Bus rolls through season only to wreck in final," Nov. 11).

The Setonian
News

'Da Vinci' rip-off gets history wrong, action right

November 17

Everybody knows the preamble ... no, not that preamble. Rather: "When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to track down a mind-blowing treasure of unbelievable wealth, make sure you do it with as many explosions and evil conspiracies as possible."

The Setonian
News

Hockey opens new season tomorrow

November 17

Tufts' hockey team, shown here at practice at the Malden Forum on Tuesday night, opens its 2004-2005 season tomorrow at Norwich. The Jumbos return numerous players from last year's 8-15-1 campagin. Look for a preview in tomorrow's Daily.

The Setonian
News

Evan Cochran | Down with the FCC

November 17

I have something to admit. First of all, my last article blew and I'm very sorry about that. The truth is that I didn't really have anything to say last week, and therefore I failed to meet my usual expectations. But today is a new day, my friends, and I have something new and daring to say.

The Setonian
News

Two Americas

November 17

On Nov. 2, John Edwards' theory of the "Two Americas" was proved true. Unfortunately for Edwards and his well-coiffed cohort, the grinning young senator wrongly identified our two nations as divided over economic status. The real division is a moral one.

The Setonian
News

Students speak with Bacow, vent about campus social life, restrictions

November 16

President Bacow led an informal discussion last night in West Hall, where the interaction with students about campus alcohol and social policies was frank and sometimes brusque on both sides. Many students used the discussion to sound off on their frustrations surrounding some University policies. Several expressed concern about the lack of social events on campus. "Do you want me throwing parties for you?" Bacow asked at one point. "Just because you pay tuition doesn't make you or us exempt from the law," he said. "If I had it my way, the drinking age would be 18. But that's not the law." Some students suggested that the University turn a blind eye to drinking on campus. "We can't say 'anything goes' and then wait until someone dies," Bacow said in response. But many students pointed to the University's recent stance on alcohol as causing the dearth of parties on campus, criticizing it as too antagonistic. One student spoke about the seemingly ubiquitous presence of police officers on party nights on Friday and Saturday nights. He suggested that the police not "hassle" partygoers in order to eliminate "a standoff where there doesn't have to be a standoff." Bacow, however, made it clear that "the police presence is almost always notified by a phone call, which we can't ignore." He also said the police are not as hostile as many students make them out to be. "If you're a freshman and you're caught with a beer in your hand, you won't get arrested, you'll just be told to pour it out," he said. Sophomore John Loof questioned the strength of the alcohol policy as a whole, including the University's approach to alcoholism, saying the University should foster a more interactive and tolerant relationship between students and staff, including the police. According to Loof, this would create a healthier environment for preparing students to deal with alcohol. "This is a far more forgiving and understanding place than what you're likely to find when you leave here," Bacow said, referring specifically to the recent acquisition of Margot Abels, director of the alcohol and drug prevention program of Health Services. Bacow agreed that students should experiment "because that's the only way they'll learn," but added that this should not occur "in an environment where they go too far because there were no limits." He also responded to questions about the state of community relations with Tufts specifically with regards to noise. "If the only time neighbors interact with students is when they're in an inebriated state, let's face it, they'll form a bad opinion of them," he said. Students do have opportunities to reach out to the community, Bacow said, pointing to events like Community Day, which brings Tufts' neighbors to campus, and the new advisory board in the Tufts Community Union Senate on community relations. He also encouraged fraternities and sororities to reach out to the communities, citing his experience as a member of a fraternity at MIT, where the brothers would have periodic neighborhood teas in the house. "All I ask of you is to be who you say you are," he said, noting that virtually all charters for fraternities encourage development of leadership and service. "I don't require you to take that pledge, so if you take it then mean it," he said. Students also posed several questions about University fundraising efforts. "The bulk of the money will go to support students and faculty," Bacow said. A "modest" amount would be spent on facilities. He reminded students that the University has set fundraising records over the past two years. Last year, it netted $116 million, including the $50 million Cummings donation to the Veterinary School. One of the University's priorities is increasing financial aid, he said, describing Tufts current admissions policy as "need-aware." Because the University will fulfill the need of any student that is admitted, "we admit people without regard to need up until a certain point, when we feel we've exhausted our financial resources," he said. Bacow also said money would be devoted to endowing faculty chairs and creating more competitive start-up packages for faculty, as well as to foster cooperation between Tufts' schools. In addition, he spoke about certain facilities initiatives in the works. Sophia Gordon Hall, the dormitory set to be located on Talbot Ave., will most likely be completed by Fall 2006 and house juniors and seniors. He also mentioned a new "Integrative Lab Complex" next to Dowling Hall that would combine engineering and biology labs. "One of the risks in my job is getting isolated, so I try to avoid that by doing things like this," Bacow said.

The Setonian
News

Torn ACL sidelines rookie guard for season

November 16

Playing in a pickup basketball game with his teammates on a Thursday night, just two weeks before the men's basketball season opener, 6'0" freshman guard Jeremy Black leapt for a rebound. Coming down, he bumped into another player before landing on his left leg awkwardly. Immediately upon hitting the ground, Black knew his knee was torn. "We were playing and I went up for a rebound and I landed pretty goofy on my left foot," Black said. "When I landed, I could just feel my knee tear. It was the grossest feeling of my life." The tear that Black felt was due to a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left knee. The injury will require reconstructive surgery that will keep Black out for the season. "The surgery's next week," Black said. "I'm traveling to St. Louis with the team [for the opener against Washington University] and then coming back and going home early for Thanksgiving to have the surgery." Black's injury is a disappointment for a Tufts team that expected him to contribute immediately. Playing for Jamesville-DeWitt High School in New York last year, Black scored 15.9 points per game and earned a spot on the first team of the New York Class A All-State team. Also on that team was A.J. Price, a freshman who will play for the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies this year. Black's team won the New York state championship last year and the Jumbos were hoping he could bring some of that success to their team. "I was going to come in and do what they needed me to do," Black said. "We weren't too deep with our guards this year. It was pretty apparent that freshmen would have to contribute at the guard position." The Jumbos will have to find another way to replace guard/forward Deyvehn East and guard Eric Mack, both of whom graduated in the spring. East led the team in points per game while Mack was the assists leader. Each logged over 26 minutes a game for the Jumbos. While the team works on addressing that problem, Black will work hard to get back on the court next year in good shape. "[After the surgery] I'm going to just start to rehab," Black said. "One of the things with a torn ACL is you can't rush back because you'll tear it again. You have to wait for the tissue to scar over, so it can heal completely." Black, looking ahead to a seven-month rehabilitation process, is just glad that he will still have three years of basketball ahead after this one. "It's unfortunate, but I'm just happy that it happened my freshman year," Black said.

The Setonian
News

City Briefs

November 16

Coyote roams Magoun Square Residents of Somerville have reported several coyote sightings in the last month. The most recent sightings were on Wilton St. and Clyde St. near Magoun Square, which is located only a few miles southeast of campus at the intersection of Broadway and Medford St. The Somerville Police Department first received calls about the coyote a month ago. Animal Control officers think the coyote may be hunting feral cats at night. Since the city is so densely populated, many residents find it hard to believe that a wild animal would make his home here. Animal Control officers suggested that the coyote might live in Medford, where the population is spread out over a larger area. City officials say the coyote is probably entering Somerville either along the MBTA commuter rail tracks on the Lowell line or through the bike path in Davis Square, which is how a deer made its way into Davis last summer. Animal Control officers are currently attempting to trap the animal so that they can release it in a rural area. No plans have been made to kill the coyote.Somerville aldermen reconsider investments in Israel The Somerville Board of Aldermen held a meeting Monday night at City Hall to determine whether the town's retirement board should follow through with a plan to divest its funds in Israel. A local group called the Somerville Divestment Project has requested that the board stop investing in Israel and in companies involved in alleged human rights violations against Palestinians. Pro-Israel attendees of the meeting argued for Israel as a model of democracy in the Middle East, while pro-divestment speakers questioned the city's knowledge of international affairs. If the resolution passes, it would require the board to forego investments in bulldozer, helicopter and weaponry parts manufacturers, including Caterpillar Inc., United Technologies, General Electric, Boeing, General Dynamics Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin. Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone has said he would veto the resolution should it pass in its current form. The board chose not to take action at Monday's meeting, but will vote at a Dec. 7 meeting. Officials will continue to accept and consider public opinion until that meeting.-- compiled by Jillian Harrison from the Somerville Journal

The Setonian
News

Onward and upward | Casey McCraw

November 16

While many students have trouble balancing just the workload and demanding schedule of being a pre-med major, freshman Casey McCraw accomplishes all this - and makes time to practice his figure skating three hours a day, five days a week. Along with practicing every weekday, McCraw's time is taken up by many competitions on the weekends. "In the beginning I was so stressed, but you get used to the stresses - it's still stressful, but it has gotten easier," he said. "I went to regionals last month, in October, and I got second in that, so next weekend, I'll be going to sectionals in North Dakota," he said. "The top four will go to nationals, and I expect to go to that." McCraw's family moved to Colorado when he was 14-years-old in order for him to have a better opportunity to succeed in figure skating. "Moving has never been that hard for me," McCraw said. "You meet new people, which is always exciting. Plus, Colorado had a huge training facility and lots of good coaches." "The high schools are also better, which was a big part of it," he added. "I've become very good at moving. We also moved to L.A. for two years because I wanted to act." McCraw first became interested in skating at age six while attending a birthday ice-skating party in Albequerque. "My two best friends did it, and they were sisters," he said. "I liked it and I was good at it. I started out in group lessons; then I started taking private lessons." McCraw doesn't really know when exactly it was he knew that he wanted to focus on figure skating. "I did the group lessons and then halfway through them I got bored," he said. "I talked to my mom about it and she said that she had paid up to a certain point so I had to keep taking lessons until then. It was during that time period that I really started liking it." McCraw spends many hours of his day perfecting his figure skating at the Boston Skating Club in Cambridge. For the upcoming sectionals in North Dakota, the top four competitors will be asked to move on to the nationals and then international competitions. McCraw, as well as all other competitors, will perform two programs. In the first program, skaters must incorporate a list of required moves. The second, longer program does not have any specific requirements, but usually involves many more jumps. Each skater hires professionals to choreograph their programs. At all competitions, McCraw competes within the junior level, composed of skaters between the ages of 16 and 20. "I've grown up with a lot of the kids that I'm going to be competing against," McCraw said. "You know what you have to do to win, but sometimes you get a surprise in there." Each competitor works throughout the year to perfect his skills and jumps, but in each competition, each skater is only given a short period of competition time to illustrate his skill: two and a half minutes in the short program, and four minutes in the long program. "You put a lot into it, and you only get six and half minutes total to prove what you have been working on for an entire year," McCraw said. "If you mess up the six minutes, that is an entire year wasted." Although sometimes the outcome of the event may be disappointing, the competitions can also be very rewarding. "The best part of the competitions is the adrenaline rush that you get competing," McCraw said. "The winning is also nice, too." McCraw competed for the first time at the sectional level two years ago and came away with a first place win. "It was the first one I went to and I got first at it," McCraw said. "Nationals after that was a disappointment though, because I got fifth place, and the top four get to go onto an international competition. It was frustrating that I missed out by that one place." When McCraw is not practicing or studying for biology, he enjoys shopping, watching movies, and going to parties with friends. In addition to skating, he likes sports including skiing and tennis - he even went skydiving with friends recently. "I'm not sure about the skating in the long run, but I would love to make it to the Olympics in 2008," McCraw said. "I also have big goals of being a plastic surgeon. Skating is for fun and I'll probably stop doing it when it stops being fun, but hopefully in the long run, I'll be able to do both plastic surgery and skating."

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