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The Setonian
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Not so new, but New Found Glory still rocking out

October 26

New Found Glory is in a precarious position. They currently occupy that tricky area where they may have alienated their old fans by cracking the mainstream, and at the same time, non-fans might write them off as just another pop-punk flash in the pan. Do yourself a favor though, abstain from either one of these factions and check them out at Dewick tonight. Formed in 1997 in Coral Gables Florida, the band quickly garnered major notice on the punk scene. Rising from the ashes of other bands, most notably hardcore band Shai Halud, New Found Glory (then with an "A" in front) brought together a variety of influences and talents, bringing their high energy to live shows in small venues. Combining equal parts hardcore, emo and rock, the group began to establish themselves at the forefront of the new punk generation. Touring relentlessly on the east coast, the band continued to turn heads and gain a rapid fan base. Playing bigger and bigger shows, they quickly sold-out their debut EP, "It's All About the Girls." From there they were signed to noted punk label, Drive-Thru Records, where they released their first full length, "Nothing Gold Can Stay" in 1997. The debut deftly mixes lead singer Jordan Pundik's sugary sweet vocals with the hard-driving breakdowns and catchy hooks of guitarists Steve Klein and Chad Gilbert, not to mention the playful and powerful bass of Ian Grushka. Lyricist Klein makes no excuses about wearing his heart on his sleeve, and the band infectiously captures the emotion of growing up and breaking up. After the success of "Nothing Gold Can Stay," the band recorded an album of cover songs. This EP, "From the Screen to Your Stereo" is a tribute to movie themes, with all the songs putting an up-tempo spin on old favorites. Particular standouts are covers of "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" and of course, "The Glory of Love" from the "Karate Kid." After almost three years of touring and recording, the band didn't stop to enjoy their modest success. Instead, after logging thousands of miles on the road with such bands as The Get Up Kids, MXPX, and Reel Big Fish, they headed back into the studio to record their self-titled follow up to "Nothing Gold Can Stay." The album, released in 2001, features a new version of the irresistible track "Hit or Miss," and a video to accompany the song. With two well received full-length albums and a growing legion of fans, New Found Glory was indeed poised to hit it big. Following the album they set out on a big tour with pop punk pranksters, Blink 182. In addition to this tour, they managed to also outdraw main stage acts at the Van's Warped Tour. After success like this, did anyone really expect the band to take a long break? Of course not, as New Found Glory once again returned to the studio to capitalize on their ever increasing momentum. Working with producer Neal Avron for the second time, the band set out to expand their boundaries and create something more mature. What followed is 2002's "Sticks and Stones." The album, according to Klein, is just not just about girls and heartbreak. While much of the material might be an evolution from the typical teenage break up song, the album's first single, "My Friends Over You," is a straight-up relationship song. With the help of the single, and an uproarious video that garnered constant airplay on MTV, New Found Glory officially entered the mainstream, and of course experienced the backlash that comes with commercial success. They did return to their roots, however, taking a much deserved headlining spot on the 2002 Warped Tour. After their third album, the group cemented themselves as one of the premier punk bands, following in the footsteps of Green Day and Blink 182. While not always a groundbreaking band, New Found Glory no doubt inspired a strain of copycats and sound-alikes. Listen to The Starting Line's "With Hopes of Starting Over" and try not to think of New Found Glory. Continuing to push the band in new directions and expand musically, the band regrouped to record "Catalyst," released earlier this year. On their fourth full-length EP the band made a conscious effort to incorporate other sounds from their musical youth, mixing elements of hardcore, thrash and '80s new wave. Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees even cameos on the single, "Failures Not Flattering," which also features four-on-the-floor drum beats from drummer Cyrus Bolooki. Currently New Found Glory is out supporting their punk forefathers, Green Day. Renowned for an aggressive and passionate live show, expect New Found Glory to win you over with their relentless and melodic beats along with Pundik's unique voice. And if you're one of the few who've dismissed the band in the wake of their success, well you might just be won over again.

The Setonian
News

Tufts student accused of violent bias incident at College Avenue party

October 26

Tufts junior Terry Levine said another Tufts student verbally and physically assaulted him due to his sexual orientation last Friday, and has reported the matter to the Dean of Students Office. According to Levine and junior Alexandra Bloufarb, a friend of Levine's and witness to the event, an inebriated assailant pushed and slapped Levine after commenting that he "looked gay." Levine and several witnesses identified the alleged assailant as sophomore Reshawn Branch and named him to the Dean of Student's Office on Monday. When asked about what transpired last Friday night, Branch refused to comment. The Dean of Students Office confirmed it had received reports of two assault cases this weekend, one of them potentially constituting a hate crime. The office would not release or confirm the names of students who might have been involved and an investigation is ongoing. Reitman said the "bias piece of [Friday's] incident itself is not necessarily a crime." He said "the expression of bias may be something that we disdain that is not always something that is regulated or that legislation deals with." According to the Pachyderm, Massachusetts law defines a hate crime as a civil rights violation that involves a crime committed due to the victim's perceived sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, sex, disability, or national origin. Bloufarb said she had no doubt Friday's incident fell into this category. "I think it's really embarrassing, especially at an institution like this, because [this kind of bias] is everywhere and it needs to be dealt with," she said. Reitman said the adjudication process has started at the Dean of Students Office and typically takes several weeks. Levine said he was at a party at 143 College Ave dancing with friends at 1:30 a.m. Friday night when Branch approached him. "I had had no previous contact with him," Levine said. According to Levine and Bloufarb, Branch told Levine "you look really gay." Levine replied by offering to shake hands, asking him to "leave it alone. I said it didn't matter," Levine said. Bloufarb said Branch continued to verbally antagonize Levine, allegedly insisting, "No, you look like a fucking fag." At this point, the confrontation reportedly turned violent. Levine said Branch "slapped me in the face and I kept saying chill out, just shake my hand and leave me alone. After that, he put his hand on my neck and pushed me up against the wall," Levine said. Bloufarb and another witness and friend Rachel Rosen confirmed Levine's account. Upon being release from Branch's grip, Levine and Bloufarb said that a shaken Levine shook Branch's hand and left the house unharmed. According to both witnesses, Branch was significantly intoxicated at the time. "He contacted my friend to have him tell me that he was so drunk that he didn't even remember the incident," Levine said, "and all that he did remember was my friend throwing him out of the house." Rosen said, "A couple minutes later I went up to the kid and really ripped into him and it honestly seemed like he had no idea what he had done. He said he didn't mean it in a homophobic way." "It seemed as though I almost had to remind [Branch] of what he did," Rosen said. "He kept saying it wasn't a big deal, like 'I'm not homophobic, that's the last thing I am.'" Bloufarb agreed that Branch seemed considerably inebriated. "He was really drunk, but that's no excuse," she said. Levine filed a report with the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) that morning and gave a more in-depth statement on Monday. TUPD Captain Mark Keith said Levine "is pursing the incident through the Dean of Students Office. The victim left open the possibility of pursuing [the incident] through criminal proceedings, but hasn't made a determination if he wants to go that route yet." The TUPD has had no further contact with Branch at this time. "Tufts should get involved and make a big deal about it because it is a big deal," Bloufarb said. Incidents of bias at Tufts are usually handled by the Bias Intervention Team, which operates under the Dean of Students' Office. But Bias Intervention Coordinator Marisol Perez deferred comment to Reitman, who said, "While a campus investigation is going on because those involved are students, the Bias Intervention Team is not able to provide immediate and full disclosure on the incident." Levine left campus yesterday for his home to discuss with his parents whether or not to pursue legal recourse. He said he does not hold a "personal vendetta" against the perpetrator. "I think everyone has a right to know happened," said. "I'm not angry, I'm not an angry person," Levine said. "I'm just mad at the situation. Ignorance is everywhere."- Sarah Dalglish contributed to this article

The Setonian
News

Sciortino, Russell dsicuss Mass. clean elections

October 26

Democratic primary winner Carl Sciortino and Mass Voters representative Alexandra Russell targeted election ills ranging from big spending to patronage in a panel last night. Russell began by citing statistics on how elections are financed in Massachusetts. "One percent of the population is giving 83 percent of campaign contributions," she said. "A lot of people aren't able to afford to run." Public financing of electoral campaigns arrived in Massachusetts in 1998 when Russell's organization helped pass the Clean Elections Bill. But the initiative was later overturned and "written off without any accountability," Russell said. The bill aimed to provide a pool of money for candidates who could not afford to spend their own money to start a campaign. The average successful campaign for state representative costs $50,000, Russel said. "The higher the office, the more money it costs," she said Though opponents of publicly-financed elections say taxpayer money should not be used to finance political campaigns, Russel said, she called elections "part of the public good" and said they should be "voter owned." Sciortino also used the forum to bring up issues of fairness that pertained to his own election in the Democratic primary, such as the use of monies from organizations outside of the 34th Middlesex District. "[Sciortino] had outside groups funding his campaign," said Vincent Ciampa, Sciortino's independent challenger in the Nov. 2 election. Sciortino defended such financing as necessary since Massachusetts has no public money available to candidates. "I spent the last six months begging" for donations, he said, "going to people who are not in the district. That's not how democracy should work." Ciampa had his own special-interest financing, Sciortino accused. "He pulled in over 30 special interest groups, I had six. I had 30 individual contributors from the district, he had zero," he said. Sciortino said Ciampa's loss is as an example of the need for reinstatement of Clean Elections. "He thought he was safe," Sciortino said of the 16-year incumbent who often ran without Republican challengers. "If you don't have a challenger, there's no accountability," he said.

The Setonian
News

LGBT issues demand thoughtful attention

October 26

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues are dominating campus discourse this week. Junior Terry Levine was allegedly assaulted because of his sexual orientation this past weekend. Senior Matt Pohl is spearheading a campaign against the Red Cross' policy that forbids gay men from donating blood. And the Medford/Somerville state representative race has turned ugly, with third parties distributing anti-homosexual literature against alum Carl Sciortino. These issues are sensitive, but it is important that they be discussed. Each issue must be analyzed individually, but must also be considered in the larger sphere of the LGBT community's status at Tufts. While Levine's alleged assault is still under investigation by the Dean of Students Office, it must be taken seriously. We should feel safe on this campus, without fear of violence from other students. Although the alleged assailant was reportedly drunk at the time, this does not justify his actions. The seriousness of the alleged remarks is debatable, but everyone can condemn the incident's reported violence. Slapping and pushing someone against a wall by the neck should shock and shame students. Further investigation is needed and must be provided to the student body as soon as possible. Students who disagree on LGBT issues should use pro-active methods to discuss their viewpoints without causing LGBT students to feel victimized on this campus. Pohl's challenges to the Red Cross' policy last spring were met with criticism, because many thought he was attacking the integrity of blood drives. It is easy to understand this interpretation. The Red Cross does not allow men who have sex with men to donate blood because they have a higher statistical risk of catching and transmitting AIDS. For a similar reason, it does not allow people who have spent more than three months in Great Britain or six months in other parts of Europe to donate, since they have a higher statistical risk of acquiring mad-cow disease. Health concerns trump all others in a blood drive. Pohl has discussed ways to change this policy with the Tufts administration, the Red Cross and the Leonard Carmichael Society. He is correct to take a proactive step, with the opportunity to make a real change, instead of simply condemning the blood drive. If an agreement can be made by which men who have sex with men can give blood safely, this should be allowed. Until then, the safety of the blood recipients must take the first priority. There are real concerns about anti-homosexual sentiment in the flyers sent out to Somerville and Medford voters, encouraging them not to vote for Sciortino. The flyers don't attack his policies, but his status as a gay man. The flyers call him a "homosexual, anti-Catholic extremist," and warn, "Now he's about to be YOUR state representative!" These are attempts to stir up fearful, reactionary views among local voters that have no political basis. This is muckraking at its worst and should not be tolerated by Medford and Somerville voters. Tufts Republicans have invited one of the main proponents of the flyer campaign, Brian Camenker of the Parents' Rights Coalition (PRC), to speak on campus tomorrow in part of its "Homosexuality and Society" forum. It is understandable and right for the Tufts Republicans to discuss the gay issues being debated across the nation today. But it does not need to invite speakers who go so far to ask whether homosexuality even exists. Tufts Republicans don't have to be anti-homosexual in order to be conservative. A basic tenant of conservatism is to let people do as they wish without government intervention. They are entirely within their rights to debate current issues, but inviting disrespectful speakers to campus alienates a significant portion of Tufts' student body. While the Tufts campus is largely welcoming to LGBT students, this weekend's alleged crime suggests that threats still exist. Rather than fostering a hostile environment, campus leaders like Pohl and the Tufts Republicans should find a way to peacefully coexist.

The Setonian
News

Volleyball | Jumbos finish second place to Ephs in Hall of Fame Classic

October 25

The volleyball team traveled to Western Massachusetts this weekend and continued to impress teams around New England, finishing in second place in the annual Hall of Fame Classic Tournament, co-hosted by Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges. The Jumbos, who finished behind only regional powerhouse Williams in the standings, upped their overall record to 24-4 overall, overtaking the Coast Guard Academy as the second-ranked team in New England. Senior co-captain Emily Macy and sophomore Kelli Harrison led the charge for the Jumbos, both being named to the All-Tournament team. Macy led the defensive charge for Tufts with 63 digs in four games, while Harrison carried the offensive with 74 kills and just 10 errors. The Jumbos, coming off a five-game match with the Springfield College Pride in the semi-finals, dropped three straight games to the Ephs, 30-16, 30-18 and 30-26 in the championship match. According to coach Cora Thompson, fatigue was a key factor in the finals. "We will not use it as an excuse by any means, but when you play such a physical and emotional five game match against a powerhouse team like Springfield, and then have an hour of rest before taking on the top team in the region, it's going to affect you a little bit," Thompson said. The loss snapped a 16-game winning streak for the Jumbos that dated back to Sept. 25, one of the longest streaks in team history. Despite the finish, Thompson still had good feelings about the weekend. "It's a huge accomplishment," Thompson said. "Being second out of 16 teams [and] playing the best teams in New England [allowed us to] prove ourselves in New England this weekend." Senior setter Rebecca Schaevitz dished out 30 assists in the game, with sophomore Kelli Harrison leading the way in kills with eight. Freshman Kay Lutostanski added seven kills with no errors. Thompson was not discouraged by the loss to the Ephs. "I was very proud of the effort we showed all the way through the Williams match," Thompson said. "You can see by the scores that we improved every game of the match and that was impressive." The Jumbos will have a chance to exact revenge against the Ephs when the two face off again on Oct. 30. The match, which will conclude the NESCAC season for both teams, could determine which squad hosts the NESCAC postseason tournament the following week. Despite dropping all three games to the Ephs, the Jumbos feel positive about the coming rematch. "Coach [Thompson] kept telling us [losing to Williams in the final is] not that big of a deal because it was not an official NESCAC game," freshman Stephanie Viola said. "Now, we know what to expect for next time." While the Jumbos will have to wait for the chance to take revenge on the Ephs, they got their chance to avenge a Sept. 24 MIT Invitational loss to Springfield, beating them in five games in the semifinals on Saturday. With neither team winning a game by more than five points, the Jumbos squeaked out the competitive match 30-25, 29-31, 30-28, 27-30 and 15-12. Schaevitz distributed 60 assists as Harrison and freshman Katie Wysham recorded 22 and 15 kills, respectively. Harrison and Wysham also contributed on defense as Harrison's 20 digs were second only to senior co-captain Emily Macy's 23. Wysham also contributed five solo blocks and three assists. "It was good to have beaten everyone, but it was especially good to beat [Springfield]," Viola said. "Revenge had been necessary for a long time since they had beaten us in five games last year, and then in five this year in our house." The Jumbos' win over Springfield was not their only win against a team that had beaten them earlier in the season. Tufts downed Wellesley- 31-29, 30-13 and 30-25 - in its second match of the tournament. This was the third match between the two teams this season. The Jumbos defeated the Blue 3-0 on Sept. 2, just a week after losing to them 3-1. Led by four solo blocks and three assists from Wysham, the Jumbos tallied 13.5 blocks. Wysham was also key on the offensive attack as her 12 kills tied Harrison's 12 for the team lead. "We don't see all these matches as revenge," Thompson said. "Of course it feels good, but it feels better to know that we are consistently playing well." The Jumbos opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over co-host Mount Holyoke. Tufts used nine team service aces and 12 kills from Harrison to defeat the Lyons 30-25, 30-16 and 30-19. "Mount Holyoke is a much improved team, but was certainly the weaker team and this was an example of [our] having to go into a match and take care of business," Thompson said. "We were efficient and proved that we were the stronger team, no doubt." On Oct. 19, Tufts concluded its home schedule with a 3-0 victory over Brandeis. The Jumbos, playing on their senior night, won 30-21, 30-21 and 30-17. Tufts used eight service aces, three each by Harrison and Schaevitz, to sink the Judges. "We played well, taking care of business in three games," Thompson said. "Although Brandeis has an average record, they are a very tall and strong team. We had to serve them tough and hit smart to win it. Defense once again kept us going and we were able to pull off the W."

The Setonian
News

Correction

October 25

Due to an editing error, an article in yesterday's Daily ("Blood drive once again jepordized") was incorrect in identifying Matt Pohl as a representative of the Tufts Transgender Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC). Pohl will be speaking to the administration as a student, not as a representative of TTLGBC, and he does not represent the TTLGBC on the Tufts Community Union Senate. The TTLGBC has not expressed any involvement in the issue of the Leonard Carmichael Society-sponsored blood drive to the Tufts Daily.

The Setonian
News

The other crazy election

October 25

One leading candidate has spent weeks in Austrian hospitals recovering from what his campaign officials claim was a poisoning attempt from his main opposition. The other collapsed while about to board his campaign bus, claiming he was struck by a blunt object in the head in an assassination attempt - when in fact it was an egg that hit him. A week before arguably the most important United States Presidential election in the last half century, the citizens of Ukraine are within five days of lining up to vote in the most critical presidential election of their country's short, 13-year history. The election pits two candidates against one another whose differences on crucial issues make the differences between Bush and Kerry seem completely insignificant, and whose campaign tactics of make those of our presidential candidates seem like child's play. Though dozens of people are running for President, the leading candidates, Victor Yushchenko - the former Prime Minister of Ukraine - and Victor Yanukovich, the current Prime Minister, have turned the election into a two-man race. Neither front-runner is expected to win the outright majority, with the likely immediate result being a run-off on November 21. The first Victor wants to improve economic and political relations with the West, favors eventual NATO membership and even strives for the lofty goal of achieving the standards necessary for membership to the European Union. If elected President, he will pull out the 1,600 troops stationed in Iraq under Polish command and work to erase the corruption that existed during current President Leonid Kuchma's 10-year term. (Presidents serve five year terms in Ukraine and can seek reelection one time.) The second Victor could not be more different. He favors strengthening ties with Russia, making Russian an official language in Ukraine, and claims that he will not pull troops out of Iraq until democratic elections are held. He is not interested in improving relations with Western Europe and the United States, and he seeks to carry out the legacy of the current President. Thus, the stark differences between the two candidates, especially in the realm of foreign policy, make the differences between Bush and Kerry pale in comparison. But the campaign tactics of the candidates and their supporters, as well as the possibility of election fraud, paint an even darker picture of a country that has been marred by political scandal and corruption for the last 10 years. Aside from each Victor claiming that he has survived an assassination attempt, the current political environment in Ukraine is beyond heated - in fact, it borders on absolute violence. Journalists have been assaulted, the Organization for Security and Exchange (OSCE) in Europe has reported that campaign events have been disrupted, and students and public officials have faced pressure to support Yanukovich's candidacy. A military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of Kiev's liberation from the Nazi occupation on November 6, 1944, has been pushed forward to Oct. 28, just three days before the election, a clear indication that the parade is being used as a political ploy. Unfortunately, this environment is hardly surprising to most Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans. In the last five years, a prominent muckraking journalist who worked to expose political scandal was beheaded, military equipment was sold to Iraq by top government officials just months before the beginning of the war and there have been numerous allegations of blatant election fraud in local elections. President Kuchma has denied involvement in any of these activities, but has lost trust and credibility in the eyes of most Ukrainians. As a result, Ukrainians have become tired of scandals and corruption, and hundreds of international election monitors will be dispatched to help the upcoming election run as fairly as possible. Hopefully, the election will be free and just, but very little international attention will be placed on the Ukrainian presidential election due to its timing - it will occur a mere two days before the American election. America is not the only country in the world facing a crucial election that could change the course of a nation. Ukraine, a country of 47 million people that lies on an important crossroads in Europe, is on the eve of an election that could drastically change the course of Eastern European politics for decades to come.Stephan Vitvitsky is a junior majoring in political science and economics. He can be reached via e-mail at Stephan.Vitvitsky@Tufts.edu.

The Setonian
News

Kerry for President

October 25

On a hot August day in 2001, then-Provost Sol Gittleman addressed the class of 2005 at their matriculation ceremony. As the eager freshmen crowd sweated in the sun, the Provost described how the defining moment of his generation was the attack on Pearl Harbor. He then looked into the audience and asked, "What will be your Pearl Harbor?" Thirteen days later, the United States was attacked, and our generation became defined by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Three years later, we are faced with a choice that will have a lasting impact on both our nation as a whole and on our personal lives. We face a world that feels increasingly hostile to America and a domestic front that lacks enough well-paying jobs for the population. The middle class is shrinking and the income gap is getting wider according to information from the Census Bureau in 2003. This nation remains vulnerable to attack, with 95 percent of containers entering the United States without inspection. After the terrorist attacks, the American people and the world looked to George W. Bush for leadership in uncertain times. We are still looking. John Kerry, a man of strong principle with a lifetime of public service, is the right man to lead this nation. Kerry realizes that the peace cannot be won by the sword alone and that times of global threat require worldwide cooperation. Kerry has often been criticized for being overly nuanced, but adaptability is not a negative quality in a world where there are few certainties. Bush and Kerry came from similar backgrounds, but the contrast between the two men could not be clearer. Both were educated at elite New England boarding schools and went to Yale - and were even members of the same secret society, the Skull and Bones. Kerry decided to serve his country during combat in Vietnam, while Bush stayed in Texas to serve with the National Guard. Kerry has spent his adult life in the public service, as a prosecutor, lieutenant governor and senator. Bush has accused Kerry of flip-flopping on issues, but he has flip-flopped on the most important issue of this election - the war in Iraq. He went into war justifying it on the basis that there were weapons of mass destruction in order to gain public support for a pre-emptive war. All evidence up to this point indicates that there were never weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Instead of admitting fault, Bush decided to fabricate new justifications for the war - saying it was morally right to bring democracy to the Middle East, and that Iraq had the desire to create weapons of mass destruction. If these were the true reasons, they should have been mentioned before the United States went into war in 2003. These flimsy excuses should not fool the American people next week. Bush ran in 2000 on a platform of compassionate conservatism, which was his attempt to connect with moderate voters. Bush's policies, however, have been neither compassionate nor conservative: we have seen the return of a massive budget deficit and will most likely witness the first net job loss during a presidential term since Hoover. Given a razor-thin mandate, Bush stocked his administration with neoconservatives who have taken the opportunity to transform domestic policy into a realm of tax cuts for the wealthy and tough love for the working. Kerry will ensure that our generation will be secure not only from terrorist attacks but also from erosion of freedom at home. An administration that allows for American citizens to be detained indefinitely, without access to a lawyer - a decision later struck down by the Supreme Court - does not respect the constitutional rights of American citizens and is not fit to lead. Kerry will make sure our generation has economic opportunity after graduation by creating corporate tax incentives to keep jobs in America, while making sure tax relief is provided to the middle and working classes by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. Our generation simply cannot afford another four years of a Bush presidency. Bush has proven himself to be unfit to lead this country, due to his fiscal irresponsibility and international recklessness. John Kerry, in contrast, is a man of great fortitude who will guide America responsibly and with regard to international law. This is an election young people simply can't afford to miss, and one in which America cannot afford to lose.

The Setonian
News

Women's Crew | Women's team competitive at this weekend's regatta

October 25

Despite the windy conditions, all three varsity women's crew teams rowed successful races this weekend at the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston. The varsity A and B boats raced on Sunday, coming in 27th and 42nd places, respectively. The varsity C boat raced on Saturday coming in 30th out of 36 boats, but beat four varsity A boats including those from Bates and Vassar. The boats' final places fail to indicate just how close many of the races in the women's collegiate eights divisions were. For example, there were only 30 seconds separating seventh place Smith College from 31st place URI. The Tufts A boat placed 27th out of the 50 boats entered, and its finishing time of 13:55.778 was only about a minute behind that of first place Minerva Rowing Club. "It doesn't look like it was a great placing, but that only tells part of it in terms of time," senior Abby Schlessinger said. "It was a very close race where there were a ton of boats finishing in a small amount of time." Junior Daniela Fairchild agreed. "I think that the placement was not indicative of how we rowed. UConn. started really close to us and moved up early on, but we held them off the entire race," Fairchild said. "If you look at the times, besides the first four or five boats, the difference is small, only about 20 seconds." Because of bad weather conditions, the length of the race had to be shortened by two thirds of a mile, but the boats were still able to focus for a strong and steady race. The B boat placed 43rd out of the 50 boats, finishing in a time of 14:22.310. "There were tough conditions," sophomore Morgan Glasebrook said. "There was a lot of wind, waves and rainy, cold and gross weather altogether, but everything else went well." Although the Charles River is usually tricky to navigate because of its many curves and bridges, the windy weather conditions made it much more difficult for the boats to stay together and stay balanced. "It was really windy all around," Schlessinger said. "[The wind] was changing directions and the start was crazy, but we stuck it together. I think our coxswain took the turns really well. We definitely didn't have any problems in terms of crashes or anything like that." In this race, the coxwain's steering is crucial to a team's success. The course is difficult to maneuver and the coxwain needs to steer a straight path while blocking the way of other boats. "The only problem that we had with the race was that there were so many crews," Fairchild said. "[Our coxwain] did a great job of steering the course. UConn.was trying to cut through us, but she didn't give them any room. We smacked oars with them, which takes off time, but we managed to stay strong and keep a good rhythm." Since this is the last race of the fall season for the women, the strength and determination of the team during winter training will be integral to its success in the spring. The close times at the Head of the Charles prove that the collegiate women's teams are a very competitive group and winter training will be a determining factor in the spring sprint races. "Because the time between the boats that were [in the] top ten and [in the 30's] were so close together, this means that the work that we do this winter is important for the spring," Schlessinger said. "It is in our hands to take it to the next level. We are in a position to be really competitive with these teams.

The Setonian
News

Tufts professors give take on Bush, Kerry's foreign policies

October 25

The daunting task of foreign policy will be approached with very different goals and strategies by the two presidential candidates, according to Tufts professors. President Bush's decision to engage in a preemptive war in Iraq was likely the most controversial decision of his presidency, and perhaps the most polarizing in terms of the support he gathers now. While America has a long history of imperialism and unilateralism in foreign policy, a greater extent of cooperation has generally been respected since World War II, according to Department of Political Science Professor Tony Smith. "International law and organizations were usually seen - and correctly - as on balance a 'force multiplier' for the U.S.," Smith said. "The boldness with which the Bush administration denounced multilateralism was new." Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy diplomatic historian Alan Henrikson said that U.S. relations with the United Nations would be affected by who won the election. "The U.N. community feels very challenged by the Bush administration," Henrikson said. "When Bush spoke before the general assembly, he made it very clear that the U.N. would have to prove that it was relevant, or else, by implication, it would be ignored and bypassed." Henrikson dispelled criticism of Kerry's statement in the first presidential debate that a president's decision to go to war would be subject to a "global test." "He mentioned the idea of a global test, and what he meant by that I think is certainly not that the U.S. would have to get a permission slip from the U.N.," Henrikson said. "What he meant by it was that U.S. foreign policy should meet a test of reasonableness so that not only foreigners but also Americans themselves would consider what we are doing [makes] sense in light of the facts and in light of what our commitments are. The global test is not some external test, it is also our test." The ambiguity of the reasons for going to war with Iraq has raised questions of deception on the part of the president. "Recent polls have shown that Bush voters tend to believe - about two thirds [of Bush supporters] - that Saddam had a major WMD industry going and that he was working with al-Qaeda," Smith said. "Both beliefs are mistaken but allow a population frightened by Sept. 11 and patriotic in defense of the homeland to vote for the Republicans whom they correctly identify as being more aggressive militarily." Questions about North Korea have also appeared in debates and campaign speeches. Bush has made it clear that he prefers multi-party negotiations with the country, while Kerry said if elected, he would return to the single-party talks employed by the Clinton administration. However, Henrikson said that both techniques should be used at the same time. "This is not a case of either/or," Henrikson said. "Nearly always, multilateral talks and bilateral talks go on simultaneously. It's not a case of having to do it one way or the other." While concerns about the budget have been pivotal on domestic issues, rarely has either candidate addressed the effects of a healthy U.S. economy on influence abroad. According to economics Associate Professor David Dapice, the move from a federal budget surplus to a "significant deficit" has led to a decrease in the value of the dollar and left the U.S. economy worse off. "If the dollar starts a serious decline, that would tend to raise U.S. prices [of imports] and interest rates. That would depress housing, bond and stock prices and reduce wealth, which could by itself cause a U.S. recession," Dapice said. "Reduced U.S. imports would further slow the world economy, on top of high oil prices." Dapice said this has affected the U.S. role in the global balance of power. While the U.S. military is powerful, "soft" financial power is often decisive in international relations. "The U.S. has lost a lot of its 'soft' power and it may find it harder to exercise any power if it runs into fiscal and balance of payments problems," he said. "Its military will remain dominant but without many allies, and having aroused feelings of antagonism, many things it wants to do will be harder if there are fewer resources and friends."- Keith Barry contributed to this article.

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Justice and politics at The Hague

October 25

Slobodan Milosevic is a very bad man. Apart from participating in and supporting the violent fragmentation of Yugoslavia, Milosevic viciously suppressed pro-democracy movements in Serbia, forced his people to live under crippling sanctions for a decade and allowed the same people to be bombed in a ruthless 79-day bombing campaign that destroyed much of their country. Yet, despite all this, most of the charges against Milosevic at the War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague are bogus, and the tribunal itself is clearly biased. Recently, the tribunal suspended Milosevic's right to defend himself and imposed a court appointed lawyer, Steven Kay, to defend his "best interests." As a result, dozens of Milosevic's defense witnesses, including many prominent politicians, ambassadors and experts from the United States and Europe, have refused to testify. James Bissett, former Canadian ambassador to Yugoslavia, in a letter to the court said, "I have from the outset had serious misgivings about the legitimacy of the tribunal. It is a political court rather than a judicial body operating in the interests of truth and justice. I have not presumed the guilt of Mr. Milosevic ... although it would seem the tribunal from the beginning has assumed his guilt." Witnesses such as Ambassador Bissett have refused to testify as a result of The Hague Tribunal's unwillingness to grant Milosevic the fundamental legal right to defend himself. In addition to this evident injustice, other facts further confirm the bias of the court. Milosevic is the only former head of state to be charged before the tribunal, despite a great deal of evidence confirming war crimes committed by President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Bosnian Muslim leader Alija Izetbegovic. In fact, in the indictment of Croatian General Ante Gotovina, who has yet to be captured and extradited by the Croatian Government, it explicitly states that Gotovina, "acting individually and/or in concert with others, including President Franjo Tudjman, planned, instigated, ordered, committed or otherwise aided and abetted in the planning, preparation or execution of persecutions of the Krajina Serb population." Though biased, the tribunal managed to admit Tudjman's participation in these war crimes, yet it did not take the necessary steps to bring him to justice. Furthermore, there is no mention of genocide in any of the court's references to the atrocious campaign of the Croatian army, even though it killed thousands and displaced over two hundred thousand Serb and other non-Croatian refugees from the U.N.-"protected" Krajina region. Unlike Tudjman, who was not charged at all, Milosevic was indicted for both war crimes and genocide. What is interesting is that Tudjman had direct control over the Croatian forces committing these heinous crimes, yet Milosevic, according to The Hague Tribunal, is being indicted for giving financial and logistical support to Serbs fighting in Bosnia and Croatia. But let us examine the genocide charge against Milosevic. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, genocide is "the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group." The fact that Milosevic had influence over and financed ethnic-Serb forces in Bosnia and Croatia, who, much like their Croatian and Bosnian adversaries, did commit war crimes in this bloody civil war, does not constitute genocide induced by Milosevic. If one does consider such actions to amount to genocide, then Tudjman and Izetbegovic are guilty of genocide as well. Yet, as stated previously, the Croatian and Bosnian Muslim leaders were not indicted by The Hague Tribunal for any war crimes, let alone genocide. Such double standards demonstrate the incredible bias of the tribunal. There is no evidence that Milosevic intended to exterminate entire Croatian and Bosnian Muslim populations. Indicting Milosevic for this crime undermines the tragedy of such real genocides as Hitler's systematic murder of over six million Jews during World War II. The timing of Milosevic's indictment by The Hague Tribunal is questionable as well. The civil war in Yugoslavia officially ended in 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, in which President Clinton and other western leaders referred to Milosevic as a "man of peace." How did Milosevic go from being a man of peace to being the "Butcher of the Balkans" only four years later? Charges against Milosevic were brought against him in March of 1999. This was about the same time that the United States and NATO decided to bomb Serbia because of Milosevic's overly aggressive campaign in Kosovo, which was aimed at rooting out a separatist military organization named the Kosovo Liberation Army. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make the connection that Milosevic was indicted by The Hague Tribunal in order to justify the U.S.-led bombing campaign against him. But in reality, the 79-day bombing campaign was not against Milosevic; rather, it appears to have been against the Serbian people. The U.S. and its allies attacked and destroyed civilian bridges, television stations, public water supplies, oil refineries, energy plants and even hospitals. Under the Geneva Convention, "combatants must distinguish between civilian and military objects and attack only military targets." Clearly, the bombing of civilian targets in densely populated cities hundreds of miles away from any sort of combat is a gross violation of the Geneva Convention. This is, in fact, a war crime. How else do you characterize bombing civilian bridges in broad daylight, targeting heating and water plants and deliberately destroying a television station that killed seventeen innocent journalists? According to the concept of command responsibility, President Clinton and the leaders of those countries involved in the bombing of such targets should also be indicted by The Hague Tribunal for war crimes. Apart from committing war crimes, those involved in the bombing of Serbia were in clear violation of international law. This U.S.-led coalition bypassed the UN Security Council and attacked a sovereign nation that had not attacked or threatened any of its neighbors. Sound familiar? The indictment of Milosevic is being used to justify U.S. intervention in the Balkans, much like President Bush's indictment of Saddam Hussein was used to justify his unlawful and immoral invasion of Iraq. By failing to hold the United States, NATO and other local leaders involved in war crimes accountable, The Hague Tribunal completely loses its legitimacy, and it does not hold the ethical right to prosecute Slobodan Milosevic.Daniel Vajdic is a freshman whose major is undeclared.

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Inside the World Series | Despite errors, Sox take 2-0 lead to St. Louis

October 25

If someone told you the Boston Red Sox would make four errors in each of the first two World Series games, you'd probably mutter a few words about a curse and expect the Red Sox to be on their way to losing another World Series. Instead, Boston is up two games to none, and all signs point to their first World Series victory in over 80 years. Remember, the Sox haven't won anything yet (except bragging rights over with the New York Yankees). They still need two more victories, but the foundation has been set, and it's built a lot stronger than Curt Schilling's ankle. No one has ever risen as far so fast in Boston sports lore than Schilling. If the Sox win the World Series, he has to be up there in the ranks with Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Ted Williams and others. Even if the Sox don't win, Schilling's performance has been superhuman. Forget steroids, Major League Baseball needs to do an investigation and see if this guy has made a pact with Satan. Blood was seeping out of his ankle as he pitched. He has had minor surgery on the ankle before each of his last two starts. At this point, would it surprise you if he hit a ninth-inning pinch-hit home run into a lightower in St. Louis? Would it? Yeah it probably would. But the guy is still unbelievable. Back on Earth, the Red Sox still need to win two more games. Boston couldn't ask to be in a better position with Pedro Martinez starting game three. Pedro's far from the Pedro of 1999, 2000 or even 2003, but he's still better than anyone on St. Louis. The Red Sox came back from a big deficit in the ALCS; surely St. Louis could do the same in this series, right? Highly unlikely. Boston has consistent starting pitching that allowed them to stay in every game. Unfortunately for the Cards, their starting pitching isn't particularly good, especially after losing number one starter Chris Carpenter to injury at the end of the regular season. St. Louis will have their next best pitcher on the mound in Game Three, Jeff Suppan. As fans in Boston know well, he's not exactly regarded as a pressure pitcher. Suppan was acquired by Boston at the trading deadline in 2003 and he performed terribly. Overall he's a decent pitcher, but the Red Sox lineup should be able to do some damage nonetheless. The other big problem for the Cardinals is that they don't have a relief ace in the bullpen. The loss of lefty Steve Kline was a huge blow (1.79 ERA in the regular season). Their closer, Jason Isringhausen, had a solid regular season, but he has been throwing the ball all over the place in the postseason. The Cardinals mediocre rotation combined with a shorthanded bullpen is bound to catch up with them. The one weakness in Boston's play has been its defense. They have had eight errors in two games. The bad news for Boston fans is that it probably won't get a whole lot better in St. Louis because of National League rules. That's right, the Other League, the one with double switches, no designated hitter and no "God Bless America" in the seventh inning. The last part may have been a lie. Playing in St. Louis means people won't just be laughing at Big Papi's playful antics, they'll be laughing at his defense at first base. Everyone loves Papi, but just from looking at him you can tell he's not the most, uh, agile person in the world. So expect a little excitement in the field. St. Louis's only hope is to have the middle of the order carry them as they have all season. The problem is a dominant middle of the order doesn't guarantee a World Series. Just ask the Cleveland Indians teams of the '90s. So far, Boston has done a good job neutralizing that advantage. Larry Walker had a big Game One and Albert Pujols was fantastic in Game Two, but unless the whole group is clicking on all cylinders, they're going to have a hard time coming back in this series. You may not be aware of this, but the Boston Red Sox have come close to winning a World Series Championship before. Boston fans are hoping this is their time, and with a 2-0 lead and Pedro on the mound tonight, it looks like they may be right.

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Marketing campaigns target college students

October 25

Ask Tufts students around campus what bank account they have, and many of them will say Fleet/Bank of America. One reason is that the Fleet ATMs are readily available in the campus center. Many students may also be choosing Fleet/Bank of America, however, because of its free checking (for the first year), which is designed to cater to students. Fleet/Bank of America represents a new trend of companies catering toward college students, giving them far more options and better deals to choose from. According to brandchannel.com, "millions of college students across the U.S .[are] being targeted by more and more of what can only be called traditional major marketers: automakers such as Volkswagen and Honda, entertainment brands including MTV and Playboy and communications brands including Sprint PCS." For example, several recent advertisements for Sprint are specifically tailored to college students: one advertisement takes place in a sorority, and another is in a fraternity. According to Emily Durand, a lecturer at the ExCollege, companies in competitive markets tend to "follow each other very closely in offering new features to gain market share." This year Durand is teaching a course titled: "Intellectual Property in Business and Society." An example of this trend, after Citizens Bank began providing free checking to students, Fleet followed closely behind with its own student plan. "I chose Fleet because it seemed big around here," freshman Jackie Silverman said. Freshman Alyssa Walsh agreed, saying, "The free checking is definitely one of the reasons I chose Fleet." All banks are eager to get the business of students. During orientation, freshmen are inundated with flyers offering free checking and other incentives. But banks are not the only companies that are catering to students. Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless and Sprint PCS cellphone companies are all offering free "in" minutes, which allow people to speak free of charge with in their respective networks. "I've had Verizon for about five years, but I started getting free 'in' minutes about two years ago," senior Jessica Angerson said. "The free minutes are a really big incentive [to get Verizon]," she added. "Most of my friends have it." So how do students know how to get the best deal possible? "If consumers read the fine print of offers like 'zero percent financing' or '1,000 free anytime minutes,' they can try to find the best deal and may take their business there," Durand said, "regardless of any 'loyalty' to a cable company or wireless provider." Freshman Megan Keily says the same thing about Cingular. "It's great because I can talk to my family and friends for free, and they have a great long-distance plan," Keily said. Video stores are also beginning to come out with deals that are highly attractive to college students. Blockbuster Video is now offering a deal similar to Netflix, where students can pay $20 a month and rent unlimited videos or DVDs over the internet. Walsh is a prime example of how students are able to take advantage of these new deals. "I've been going to West Coast Video in Davis Square," she said. "Somebody told me about the Blockbuster deal, and I'm going to sign up for it now. I have to watch a lot of movies for class, and it will definitely save me money." Tufts itself is entering the competition: this year, the Tufts Student Resources installed a machine in the campus center that allows students to rent DVDs. The charge is 99 cents plus tax, with a charge of $2.49 for every extra day. In addition to being cheaper than any local movie rental store, the location is much more convenient for students who have limited time. This copy-catting can get tricky. What protects companies' ideas? "Almost nothing - unless the company has invented an entirely new service," Durand said. "Netflix, the online DVD rental company, is a good example of this." Netflix acquired a patent on its method of automatic, pre-ordered rentals using a web interface, so now it has the option to either stop or require payment from other retailers who offer online DVD rentals, such as Wal-Mart. "Offers of extra cell phone minutes or other incentive gimmicks don't qualify as patentable 'business methods,' and so companies are free to rip one another off with impunity - which can be to the customer's advantage," Durand said. Despite the benefits that result from companies competing for the dollars of college students, some students say they pay little attention to who offers better deals. "I have Cingular because my family has it," sophomore Liz Manno said. "It's always worked for me, so I never bothered to switch it." Manno is not alone: many students choose to stay on their family plan or to simply use whatever their parents have. However, free minutes and free student checking are now so common that, regardless of choice, just about all students have access to them. Other students also keep their home banks, which sometimes proves to be difficult. Freshman Matt Symer uses the Bank of New York. "It's kind of annoying to have a bank that's not on campus because of the charges at the ATMs," he said. "But it would be pretty easy to switch if I wanted to - every bank has free checking." Still, Symer will not be switching anytime soon. "I like my bank," he said.

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Inside College Football | Only two upsets this weekend in College Football among top 25

October 25

Although this past weekend only saw two Top 25 upsets in college football, there were many tight games that came down to the wire. Big Game breakdown: Considered by many to be the marquee match-up of the weekend, the number 11 Michigan Wolverines traveled to Indiana to take on the number 12 Purdue Boilermakers in a key Big 10 showdown. Heisman hopeful, QB Kyle Orton, led Purdue in coming off a rough loss last weekend against the Wisconsin Badgers, and were seeking revenge against the perennial powerhouse Wolverines. With 2:45 left in the game and Michigan trailing 14-13, Wolverine kicker Garrett Rivas nailed a 35-yard field goal to put the Wolverines up 16-14. Orton showed resilience though, as he marched the Boilermakers into Michigan territory as the clock wound down. However, after Orton completed a pass to wide receiver Dorien Bryant, Michigan's defense ended the game. Michigan defensive backs Markus Curry and Ernest Shazor combined for a rough hit on Bryant that forced a fumble. Michigan's Leon Hall recovered the ball. After the play was reviewed by replay officials, the call on the field stood and the Wolverines had sealed a victory, 16-14, keeping them tied for the Big 10 conference lead with Wisconsin. Another great game this weekend was between SEC rivals Mississippi State and the number 19 Florida Gators. Coming into the game as 24.5 point underdogs and having lost to D-1AA team Maine a few weeks ago, Mississippi State looked as though it didn't have a chance. But Mississippi State didn't give Florida the lead during the entire game and prevailed over the Gators, 38-31. With the game knotted at 31 apiece and only 32 seconds remaining, MSU running back Jerius Norwood ran 37 yards to break the tie and give the Bulldogs a 38-31 lead that would stand for the rest of the contest. Elsewhere across the country, number one USC mutilated Washington, 38-0, while number 2 Oklahoma destroyed Kansas, 41-10. The third-ranked Miami Hurricanes posted a solid win over N.C. State by a count of 45-31 and the number 4 Auburn Tigers remained undefeated, routing Kentucky, 42-10. The fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles squeaked past Wake Forest, 20-17, while number nine Texas defeated one of the nation's best offenses in 24th-ranked Texas Tech, 51-21. The BCS no-name team, number 17 Boise State, defeated Fresno State, 33-16, while potentially soon-to-be-ranked Boston College defeated number 25 Notre Dame, 24-23. With only a few weeks left in the season, the top five in the BCS standings are USC, Oklahoma, Miami, Auburn and Florida State. This is not baseball: Two of the most historically solid college football programs went head to head this weekend: Iowa and Penn State. But the final score did not reflect the capabilities of either of these schools. Iowa held Penn State's offense scoreless on Saturday, and Penn State only allowed two Iowa field goals in the first half. The final score? 6-4, Iowa. More runs were scored in Game 1 of the World Series. You might be asking yourself: How is it possible to score four points in a football game? There's only one answer: Two safeties. We won't see this again for a long time. Players of the week: This week, the offensive ball goes to Texas Longhorns quarterback Vince Young. After suffering a nail-biting defeat to Oklahoma only a couple of weeks ago, Young tore apart the Texas Tech Red Raider defense, completing 10 of 15 passes for 142 yards and a TD, as well as rushing for 158 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns. On the other side of the football, the defensive ball of the week goes to the Iowa Hawkeye defense. Holding the Penn State offense to zero points and just 147 total offensive yards, in addition to picking off the Penn State quarterbacks a total of four times, the Hawkeyes squeaked out a 6-4 victory in Penn State's Beaver Stadium.Iowa and Penn. State play to strange 6-4 outcome.

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Balanchine choreography tastes just like butter

October 25

"Divertimento 15" was the first ballet I have seen during which I wanted to be tossing and catching popcorn in my mouth. Cultural faux pas aside, "Divertimento 15" was the first of three pieces showcased, and presented a lightly buttered variety of ballet. It was energetic, poppy and just a little bit fluffy. To be clear, there is no way that the dancers actually resemble the movie popcorn (they were dripping with neither butter nor salt), but I am certain that based on the style of his choreography, George Balanchine was definitely enjoying Orville's best while listening to Mozart. Opening its 2004-2005 season this past weekend with "Balanchine Martins Balanchine," The Boston Ballet sandwiched the world premier of a new piece by Peter Martins with Balanchine's two established masterpieces. Martins, successor to Balanchine as ballet master-in-chief of the New York City Ballet (NYCB), has choreographed more than 75 new works, primarily for the NYCB. Set to Mozart's divertimento of the same name, "Divertimento 15" has a presentational style, focusing on technique and movement as opposed to story and plot, defining characteristics of a story ballet. A story ballet is the type that features dancers as characters, charming princes or personifications such as Arabian coffee or Chinese tea. Rather, this piece allowed the principals, soloists and corps de ballet members to showcase their abilities, as well as share with the audience their pure love of dancing. The dancers obviously had fun with the work, despite their lack of technical polish - and I found myself laughing in delight, ready to throw back a handful of fluffy white kernels. The principal dancers and soloists wore golden yellow costumes which made my cravings more intense. The ultimate popcorn moment however, typical of the entire piece, was when the three men jumped, turned and landed in a repetitious and very quick canon. For each beat of the music, one of the men was straight in the air, another was pirouetting and the third was landing the jump, ready to turn again. George Balanchine is known for choreographing the music - not simply to the music. The second billing for the evening was the world premiere of "Distant Light," choreographed for the Boston Ballet by Danish-born Martins. This ballet was brilliant, particularly for those looking for contemporary choreography strongly rooted in the classical ballet canon. And, it did not resemble any modern snack food. While the cast of "Divertimento 15" occasionally stumbled over Balanchine's choreography (as anyone who is not accustomed to it would), Martins clearly utilized the individual strengths of the "Distant Light" cast, including principals Lorna Feij??o, Nelson Madrigal, Roman Rykine and Yury Yanowsky. The provocative music of Peteris Vasks, with its use of minor chords, kept the audience on edge and immediately alerted them to the differing tone of "Distant." From Feij??o's first phrase, the audience recognized that the movements they were about to see would be abstract, as well as technically demanding. Feij??o began center stage, lying on her back, writhing erratically. Three men entered and a series of intense partnering began. Feij??o would wrap herself around one of the men, and he would manipulate her as a puppeteer would a marionette. Martins did not take this relationship too far, however, and only loosely suggested connections between the dancers. Tension among the four dancers grew and subsided over the course of the piece. Feij??o showed her remarkable versatility by sharply executing her mechanical, more abstract movements, while effortlessly relaxing her movements with only a turn of the music, her body softening as she danced from the more classical canon. The importance of "Distant Light" to the repertoire to the Boston Ballet is clear: as his successor, Peter Martins allows the company the opportunity to take an active role in the Balanchine legacy. Balanchine's "Rubies" served as the final piece of the evening, a difficult transition back to a classical piece after the dramatic Martins work. "Rubies" employed a soloist, a pas de deux and a large corps, filling the stage with glittering, scarlet costumes. A giant star of rubies provided the backdrop for the dancers who personified the jewel to Igor Stravinsky's "Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra." Unfortunately, Balanchine's original choreography and overall design were more interesting than the dancers themselves, except for Romi Beppu, who danced the pas de deux with Yury Yanowsky. She was playful and engaging, but also had strong lines, jumps and the commanding stage presence that "Rubies" demands. The pair mocked jumping rope, during which Yanowsky looked uncomfortable, but Beppu executed the move while maintaining her dignity and purpose. Her 180 degree pench?© convinced me that she was indeed the Queen of the Rubies instead of soloist Melanie Atkins, who seemed too delicate and submissive in her role, although technically fitting. Overall, the evening demonstrated the versatility of the Boston Ballet in its principal and corps de ballet, as well as the company's desire to place itself among the masters of the Balanchine technique and heritage. While the rest of the season includes four story ballets, the "Balanchine Martins Balanchine" program provided a provocative start to the 2004-05 season.

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Speaker denounces Bush admin

October 25

Ken Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, an organization focused on global political freedom, came to Tufts last night to discuss human rights in relation to the war on terror. The lecture, entitled "Waging an Effective Fight Against Terrorism: the Role of Human Rights," took place in Alumnae Lounge as part of an ongoing series sponsored by Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC). Roth's speech focused on the way U.S. foreign policy regarding terrorism is highly counterintuitive and ultimately reinforces global terrorism. He noted that a successful war against terror must be based on dissuading a certain "swing vote, people who could be persuaded, talked into, becoming [terrorists]." Roth said that, at either end of the spectrum, there are full-fledged terrorists, defined as "people with an idea of deliberately attacking humans," and a population that could never bring itself to go to such lengths. "The measure of success of a campaign against terrorism," Roth said, "is in terms of the swing vote." Roth noted that in order to achieve long-term success, a war on terror must carefully remain within the bounds of international standards of human rights. "Terrorists are non-compliant with international standards of human rights, but if the government, in its effort to fight terrorism, does not comply with them either, it immediately defeats itself," Roth said. He added that "the logic that the end justifies the means has caused utter disaster ... since [this mentality] is shared by the government and terrorists alike". Focusing instead on maintaining high standards of human rights throughout a campaign against terror, Roth believes, is the most effective way to woo the terrorist "swing vote," thereby undercutting future recruits in terrorist ranks. "Violation of the laws undermines the standards themselves and it is that way that we lose the swing vote," Roth said. He added that the seeming double-standard the U.S. government has instated in its war on terror has bred enormous resentment against the country, encouraging further terrorist retaliation. Roth cited numerous examples of the Bush administration's alleged disregard for international human rights, including its non-compliance with the Geneva Convention. A general disregard for international rules is a "signature decision of the Bush administration," Roth said. The results of such "lawless" behavior have resulted in several international scandals, including the treatment of prisoners of war at Guantanamo Bay and the Abu Ghraib mistreatments. These were not a "mere management problem, but a series of decisions" Roth said, "that were not talked about but intentionally ignored." Disregarding international human rights laws, Roth warned, in effect undermines the entire anti-terrorism effort itself. "We create a huge source of resentment," creating prime candidates for future anti-American terrorism, Roth said. The current administration "has placed its [emphasis on] ideology over human rights," Roth said. "It talks about freedom and liberty, never about human rights." In comparison to this "arm twisting administration," Roth said he believed that Kerry would place a greater emphasis on human rights and international laws. "Kerry ... talks about court-martials, golden rules of interrogation and multilateral communication, resulting in better diplomatic relations," Roth said. He added that Kerry would enforce the Geneva Convention again, and create a system of international support by building a culture of human rights and returning to traditional means of protection.

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David Cavell | Double Down

October 25

"But Dave," you say, "won't Red Sox fans like you lose their identity and reason to live if and when the Sox win the World Series this week? Admit it, won't you actually be sad?" Oh yeah, I'll be miserable. Definitely. I secretly loved losing to the Yankees year after year. I love that the Arizona Diamondbacks have won more titles since the First World War than we have. I love hearing about Babe Ruth and the year 1918 whenever I meet Yankees fans. And I especially adore watching highlights of our infamous defeats. That makes me happy. Hopefully, next week, I can finally stop hearing about Bill Buckner forever. I can stop explaining that our bullpen blew a two run lead in extra innings in that World Series game and that in any event the Mets were a better team. He was a great first baseman; collected 2,715 hits in his 21-year career. The Sox probably wouldn't have been in the '86 Series at all without his 102 RBIs that year. But I don't care about Bill Buckner. I'm tired of him. Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up rooting for a team that defines misery and failure? If you aren't a Red Sox fan, maybe you just cannot understand how frustrating this is, but try to imagine. Imagine having to stand on your feet for all of Game 7, sweating and anxious like you're wearing a wire talking to Tony Soprano when the Sox are up by seven. Imagine having to wear lucky articles of clothing and sit in lucky seats. And there are people who believe we like doing this? Just about every sports fan in our country feels bad for the Red Sox, with the notable exception of Yankee fans, who are sadistic. "Wow," they say, "that must be awful for you, no one loses like you guys." Do you honestly think I like hearing that? Not to mention the beating received from Yankees fans right up until we gave them a solid kick in the groin on Wednesday night. Far be it from me to gloat. I've had to deal with '1918' chants for most of my life, gritting my teeth and pretending to be deaf. Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch Aaron Boone circle the bases, knowing that I'd be forced to watch the clip a thousand times more as part of montages explaining how my favorite sports team was cursed? You know what one of the best parts of this victory is for me? Knowing that from now on I'll never have to hear another arrogant condescending Yankee fan smugly assert that "there is no rivalry" or that "we don't care as much as you do." Yeah, let's see them make the argument now, after the total and utter panic that followed our victory in the Bronx in Game 7. Can you imagine growing up a Yankees fan? Don't give me that "Pride of the Yankees" stuff. Yankees fans learn from an early age to root against the underdog. Think about that. Every great sports film, pretty much every memorable moment in sports history, involves a team or individual beating huge odds to come out on top. To Yankees fans, however, those moments are defeats. Yankees fans should root for Goliath, should root against Rocky and the Bad News Bears. How awful. You know something? In the history of the Red Sox, through all of our historic and improbable defeats, we never blew a 3-0 series lead against our bitter rivals. Oh, but I forgot, they don't care that it was us, the unshaven, idiot Red Sox that did it. No, that doesn't make it any worse than if it was the Minnesota Twins. Of course not. I root for the Red Sox because I love Boston and I love baseball. You've heard Boston described as a Red Sox town first and foremost, and it's true. No matter how great the achievements of the Patriots or Celtics, this city remains devoted to our baseball club, even to the frustration of Patriot players. This city loves baseball. The Red Sox have been around, in one form or another, since the turn of the 20th century. We root for the Sox because they've represented our city for better or worse since then, from their shameful and despicable reluctance to integrate, to their near constant battles with the Yankees. Indeed, Fenway Park isn't just the oldest standing baseball stadium; it's a national landmark, a Mecca for Americans on par with Cooperstown and Mount Rushmore. It's even better when we're playing the Orioles or the Royals. Games like those will never change. They've never meant anything, and they never really will mean anything. I never want to hear about the Curse again. Sure, there might be some sentimental attachment after the fact as you look back on eight decades of heartbreak, but nothing we can't handle. I for one will simply be relieved. Maybe the two Chicago teams will finally have to deal with the dubious honor of "longest stretch without a World Series." For that matter, why has no one decided that there's a "Curse of the Black Sox" upon the White Sox? They haven't won a World Series since 1917, and have only been in the October classic once since the 1919 Black Sox scandal, in 1959. Why hasn't this happened? Oh, and that rivalry with the Yankees. Don't for a moment think it will be over when the Curse is. After Steinbrenner overpays for Beltran and Pedro this winter, we'll be all set for another divisional battle, followed by a third consecutive ALCS knock down, drag out slugfest. Bring 'em on, again, this time with us chanting "Year-Two-Thousand." Rooting for the Red Sox won't be joyless if we win this week. Rooting for the Pats has become infinitely more enjoyable since their victories. The only thing missing after the Sox finally win it will be the taunts of haters (New Yorkers) and the pain of Bostonians. And really, put like that, it doesn't sound so bad, does it? Have we got that clear? Good. Now let's win this.

The Setonian
News

Regarding "Stem cell Tissue[...]"

October 25

Regarding "Stem cell Tissue Center offeres insight into biomedical trends" in Friday's Daily, it is suggested in the article that further research into embryonic stem cells will bring moral clarity on the issue. However, if a human embryo is a human life, then the process which extracts stem cells from an embryo, destroying it, is murder, and no amount of research can change that. Also, from a practical perspective, non-embryonic stem cells can be ethically obtained from several sources other than bone marrow, including umbilical cord blood, skin and even teeth. Furthermore, non-embryonic stem cells have been used to successfully treat conditions including spinal cord injuries, heart damage and Parkinson's disease. To date, embryonic stem cells have not been used to successfully treat any human patients. Jared Burdin(EN '06)

The Setonian
News

Political Cartoonists: The watch dogs of democracy

October 25

Before Jibjab.com and "The Daily Show," Americans got their political satire from cartoonists who relied on simple pen and paper rather than multimedia expertise to render their wit. Three leading editorial cartoonists in that grand tradition discussed their craft Sunday afternoon at the JFK Library. In a forum moderated by Scott Simon of NPR, titled "The Art of Political Cartoons," Mike Peters of The Dayton Daily News, Mike Luckovitch of The Atlanta Journal Constitution and Dan Wasserman of The Boston Globe discussed the role of cartoonists as watchers of democracy. Exposing the gaffes, flip-flops and absurdities of political icons is all in a day's work for the three artists, who all say they rely on adrenaline to distill complex social and political issues into topical, concise and humorous pieces every day in time for a press deadline. This is a task that is impossible without a healthy dose of cynicism, according to Peters. When asked about the cartoons that he regrets drawing, Peters responded laughingly, shaking his head with chagrin, as he recalled a piece he created early in his career lauding Gerald Ford when he took the presidential oath. Soon after, Ford pardoned Nixon - and in Peters' opinion, no longer deserved the high praise. "Our job is to be the attack dogs," Peters concluded. Luckovitch noted that while the artists' respective papers have an obligation to present political editorials with balance, cartoons and cartoonists are not held to the same standards. Cartoons are pure opinion, and as such, can take the hard stance. "Editorial cartoonists are one of the few groups trying to show what is going on," Luckovitch remarked, "We're trying to bring the truth out." This truth, especially in the current political climate, seems to be markedly in favor of the Democrats; current cartoons shown by each artist were clearly for a laugh at the GOP. The artists agreed with that observation, and Luckovitch remarked that "there aren't that many conservative cartoonists." Likewise, Luckovitch noted that the use of humor is more prevalent now. He noted that cartoonists are "competing with the culture," citing Letterman and "The Daily Show" as two examples. When asked whether or not he could draw a pro-Bush cartoon if the occasion arose, Wasserman answered, "Absolutely." He stated, "I don't have to march in lockstep with the Globe." Wasserman also noted that people want a "consistent point of view" in their editorial cartoons, similar to what is found through a columnist. "If they [readers] are looking for a conservative columnist, they won't look to my work," Wasserman said. Peters feels that the cartoons addresses his own personal worry concerning the election, as he explained, "We find ourselves doing these Bush cartoons ... because it's [the current political situation] dangerous." He went on to explain that this election is among the most important in his lifetime; he strongly feels that the reelection of Bush would be a mistake. As a Democrat drawing for a primarily Republican audience in Atlanta, Luckovitch is aware that the stances he takes are unpopular with his neighbors that have an unconditional, almost religious, support of President Bush. Luckovitch remarked that, for the uninformed, the repeated catch phrases of politicians become almost dogmatic, which he finds frustrating. He is unable to gauge whether or not his work affects public opinion, but as he stated, "I would like to believe that it makes a difference." Editorial cartoons do make a difference, according to Steven Goode, a history teacher at John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, a high school in Roxbury. He includes political cartoons as part of his curriculum, as he feels cartoons "act as a segue" to the political issues. Francisco Rodriguez, a junior in Goode's class, feels that political cartoons do help educate the public about politicians' stances. He stated, "It's a more down-to-earth description of the issue at hand. Instead of these long speeches, it's to the point." While the role of cartoons in the political arena is clear, the cartoonists remain artists. "As cartoonists, we get attached to these characters. When they leave office it's traumatic," Wasserman joked.

The Setonian
News

Healthier snacks to appear in Tufts' vending machines

October 25

Students with late-night hunger pangs will soon be experiencing a much healthier array of snacks in their dormitory vending machines. Freshman Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator Diler Erdengiz undertook a campus-wide initiative, her first project as a TCU senator, to replace chips and candy bars with more health-conscious alternatives. "My ultimate goal at the end is to put healthier snacks into students' diets and thus improve their health," Erdengiz said. "For example, instead of buying a pack of Peanut M&M's, a student might get into the habit of purchasing a granola bar instead, which will improve his health in the long run." The project is near fruition after about a month of negotiations and cooperation with Tufts Dining Services. Although the changes were meant to have been implemented last Friday, Erdengiz said that the modifications will instead occur within the next week. The plan involves no change in vending machines or in the food distributor, Canteen, Inc. Instead, "the healthy choices will replace other snacks which" are the least popular, statistically, among the student body, Erdengiz said. As a result, there will be no increase in vending costs to Dining Services, nor will students need to pay more for the healthier snacks. Sophomore TCU Senator Zach Landau, co-chair of the TCU Services Committee, noted that this project is beneficial to all students, especially freshmen. "It will be nice to have healthy alternatives in the vending machines, especially for freshmen who can't order from [Meals on Points] and have limited choices in terms of healthy food once the dining halls close for the night," he said. Landau said that the TCU Senate, and Erdengiz in particular, worked closely with Dining Services to ensure a rapid transition to healthier vending choices. "We're grateful to Dining Services and [Director of Dining Services] Patti Klos for all of their help with this," he said. Nutrition Marketing Specialist Julie Lampie, who works for Dining Services, expressed excitement at the notion of students having greater choices in terms of their diets. "I think we have students who have a wide variety of tastes," she said. "There need to be choices for all students, and having healthy options is no exception." Lampie noted that, by implementing these changes in vending options, Tufts is following a national trend. "These sorts of changes are happening in public schools all over the country right now," Lampie said. Lampie said that, while some students will undoubtedly embrace the healthier options in their vending machines, other students will be dismayed that some fattening staples will be eliminated. Erdengiz stressed, however, that only the least popular snacks currently being sold will be replaced with the healthy snacks. "I hope that students understand that just because a snack is healthy, it doesn't mean that it's not tasty," Lampie said. She added that if the healthy snacks do not sell, Tufts' vending system will probably return to more traditional snacks. According to Erdengiz, the new snacks will include Mr. Nature Raisins, Unsalted Trail Mix, NutriGrain bars and Nature Valley Granola bars.

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