The movie posters and press packets all describe Cedric Kahn'slatest road-trip thriller "Red Lights" as Hitchcockian, but abetter comparison might be Kahn's countryman Henri-George Clouzot -"the French Hitchcock."
I love women's beauty. Their hair (or no hair, depending on yourtaste), their face, their neck, their arms, their hands, theirbreasts, their figure, their bottom, their legs, their feet;everything on them is beautiful. The possibilities are limitless.And then there is also make-up which can change everything around(most guys out there know what I mean).
I can't believe after more than three years at Tufts, it is EvanCochran's assertions that have implored me to write a viewpoint.After feeling disgusted after reading Cochran's column, I decidedto sit down and write a response. The crux of Cochran's argument isthat the MBTA, by closing at 12:30 a.m., leaves drunken collegestudents with no other choice but to drive drunk, and it istherefore the fault of the public transportation system whenstudents drive drunk.
Both President George W. Bush and Democratic nominee John Kerrywill have to interpret shifting ideological and demographic trends,as well as factor in old patterns of support to win the presidency,Tufts professors say.
Many students entering their senior year wonder whether theskills they learned and the information they absorbed at Tufts willaid them in today's workplace. For many economics majors, the idealpost-graduate employer would be an investment banking firm on WallStreet.
What does Homecoming mean to you? Every Tufts student may answer this question a little differently, but to many of them, it means one gargantuan, untamed, weekend-long party. As we all know, Homecoming represents the kick-off of the school year and the fall season of sports, as well as a way for all of the Tufts community to show their Jumbo pride. This is done though the mingling of current students, faculty, alumni, family and friends at various athletic events, a cappella concerts, the awards ceremony, the campus parade, and the Tailgaters' Village. While many people went to the Saturday afternoon football game itself, many also chose to spend their entire day tailgating for the game, never quite venturing into the actual stadium. There was more inebriated debauchery on this one October afternoon at Tufts University than in scores of past weekends combined. An obscene number of intriguing people performed hilarious, and often "unthinkable," stunts at this affair: a 70-year-old man dressed up as a civil war hero, proclaimed to have been born in the mid-1800s as he pounded back a few beers. People boogied down and fell off strangers' car roofs, singing at the top of their lungs. T-shirts were both handmade and special-ordered. Delicious sandwiches, scrumptious hotdogs, and mouth-watering Krispy Kreme donuts were in abundance (not to mention free!), and there was certainly no lack of alcoholic beverages of all types and varieties. It's not very often that one gets to cheer for the "awe-inspiring" Jumbos while simultaneously taking keg-stands alongside their parents, and the occasional "cool" grandparent. According to enthusiastic sophomore Julia Avrutin, "tailgating for Homecoming was an exceptional experience that no one should ever abstain from, for any reason, whatsoever." To best recap last weekend's Homecoming, the Daily asked students for their most memorable event of Tailgater's Village. About 75 percent of the individuals interviewed had no recollection of the day at all, but could say with great certainty that it was "FUN!" Those who did remember a bit of the day, however, gave some eclectic and rather unforeseen responses.
The field hockey team will look to extend its two-game winning streak tomorrow when the Jumbos face off against the Bowdoin Polar Bears at Bowdoin. Tufts, 5-2 overall and 2-2 in NESCAC play, needs a victory to push its conference record past the .500 mark. After a two-game losing streak on the road, the Jumbos defeated Babson 2-0 last week for their first away win. However, since the Beavers are a non-conference opponent, the win at Bowdoin would mark the first NESCAC victory the team has earned on the road. Tufts hasn't had any trouble winning at home, where solid offensive play has kept the Jumbos undefeated. Prior to this season, senior tri-captain Dana Panzer hadn't scored a single goal during her collegiate career, but now it's a different story. Panzer has scored in almost every game this season, and currently stands atop the Jumbos and more impressively, the NESCAC, with eight goals and five assists for 21 points, including an average of 1.14 goals per game. Panzer also leads the Jumbos in assists, with five in seven games. Her efforts haven't been ignored. Panzer was named NESCAC Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, when she led the Jumbos to two victories. Panzer contributed two goals and one assist in the game against NESCAC opponent Bates last Saturday, following a goal and an assist against Babson the prior Thursday. "I was really excited," Panzer said on being named Player of the Week. "I had no idea, I found out when my coach told me at practice." Although Panzer appreciated the recognition of her contribution to the team, she recognized the team's overall achievements as being the most rewarding. "I've been more happy with the way the team's been playing, and that's I'm really proud of what," Panzer said. "It's so exciting to go to practice every day. We're working so hard and it's really been paying off on the field." The team has continued to improve under the guidance of new coach Tina McDavitt. The Jumbos are trying to better their already-intense offensive play by putting numbers on the board earlier in the game. "We do need to score earlier," Panzer said. "There have been a lot of games where we are dominating, but we're not really putting the ball in right away." Junior tri-captian Lea Napolitano, with two goals and four assists, is another offensive leader for the Jumbos, and she and Panzer have exhibited excellent coordination and chemistry on the field thus far, dominating offensive play and leading their teammates. Senior Jennie Sachs, another key offensive force, also has two goals this season - both game-winning. The Jumbos' offense is supported by strong defensive play on the other side of the field. Sophomores Marilyn Duffy-Cabana and Angela Rappoli have split time in the net, and although strong defensive play in the field has limited the amount of shots taken by opponents, Duffy-Cabana has racked up 16 saves and Rappoli has 14. The Bowdoin Polar Bears, 4-3 overall, are also 2-2 in NESCAC play. The team is coming off a strong 2003 season, where it competed in the postseason until it was defeated by Williams in the semifinals. The Polar Bears swept the NESCAC postseason honors, with current team captain senior Marissa O'Neil as Player of the Year, coach Nicky Pearson as Coach of the Year, and sophomore Taryn King as Rookie of the Year. O'Neil and King's success has continued this season. O'Neil has four goals and six assists in seven games, and King has four goals and five assists. Senior Colleen McDonald, also with four goals, has been the Polar Bears' other offensive leader. Sophomore Kate Leonard is Bowdoin's primary goalkeeper, and she's let seven in the net but has also blocked 42 shots, posting a save percentage of .857. Bowdoin has a record of success against Tufts. The Jumbos have not defeated the Polar Bears since 1998, and most recently they lost at home to Bowdoin 2-1 last season. This year, the teams have already faced some common opponents. The Jumbos have defeated Colby and Wellesley, two teams that earned wins over Bowdoin. The Polar Bears beat Amherst 5-1, but Amherst defeated Tufts in overtime. Both teams lost to Middlebury, an undefeated team with five NESCAC wins. The Jumbos are fired up to play another conference opponent this weekend as they look to improve their NESCAC record and help their chances of getting home field advantage in the playoffs.
Fresh off a big Homecoming win, the 1-1 Jumbos travel to Brunswick, Maine to take on the 0-2 Bowdoin Polar Bears tomorrow. Winless records normally scream out futility, failure and lack of execution. But for the Polar Bears, who have slumped their way to a 2-32 record under coach Dave Caputi over the last few years, the assessment of their start this year is that of hope. Last Saturday, the Polar Bears fought NESCAC power Amherst tooth and nail to double overtime before eventually falling 34-28. This loss had been preceded by another game performance in a 31-17 loss at Middlebury the week before. Them's the facts, as they say, and they certainly are not lost on Tufts' coaches and players. "They've done a great job recruiting up there," Jumbos defensive coordinator John Walsh said. "They have experienced players now and they're going to be very tough to beat." Among those experienced players is junior quarterback Ricky Leclerc, who in last week's shootout set three school records with 32 completions, 64 attempts and 395 yards. He had two touchdown passes and a touchdown run in the final six minutes to knot the game up against the traditionally stingy Amherst defense and send the game to overtime. "He is a very talented quarterback," Walsh said. "He moves so well and is effective at creating plays when there is defensive pressure on him." Leclerc is currently second in the NESCAC in all-purpose yards. The Polar Bears are more than just an all-out aerial assault. Behind what Walsh calls "a big offensive line," senior Rob Patchett has amassed 168 yards on the season. In addition, junior Mike Boyd has had two touchdowns. "From watching film they look like they have a real good running game," senior quad-captain and defensive tackle Chris Lawrence said. "They're scrappy, and if we take them lightly they will be running all over us." Lawrence, sixth in the NESCAC in tackles with 18, was a major part of last Saturday's fourth quarter stand against Bates, in which the Jumbos, already having surrendered 12 points, made a huge stop on fourth and one to give the ball back to the offense. "It is great to stuff them on fourth and one, but we have got to be better by not putting ourselves in those situations," Walsh said. "There is definitely a lot of room to improve." On the offensive side of the ball, the Jumbos' running game has yet to blossom as it has in the past. Senior Steve Cincotta has been held to 77 yards on 28 carries. Facing a Bowdoin squad that has already given up 449 yards on the ground in two games could be just what the doctor ordered to jumpstart the Tufts rushing attack. "We have to be able to control the ball, and that starts with the running game," Cincotta said. "We can't just go three and out like we have been doing at times the past couple of weeks." Besides the running game, the passing game that flat-lined against Wesleyan showed signs of life on Homecoming. Senior quad captain Jason Casey returned to form, going 14 for 28 for 185 yards and two scores in last week's 14-12 triumph over Bates. Senior Kevin Holland (six catches for 78 yards) and sophomore Brian VonAincken (four catches for 73 yards) were the recipients of Casey's TD strikes. But the fact of the matter is still that Tufts is last in the NESCAC in total offense with only 222.5 yards per contest. In what is still a young season, the Jumbos, who haven't lost to Bowdoin since 1998, hope to use this game to get their offense in gear and keep what has been a potent Polar Bears offense in check.
What if, instead of just learning about issues in the Middle East, one could discuss them with students who are experiencing them everyday? Now you can with a new class offered by the ExCollege, in collaboration with the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership and the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP). The Solis Connect Program brings together college students from the United States and Muslim countries in the Middle East to discuss global affairs and improve intercultural communication and awareness. "Traditional courses don't put a human face to the issue," said Matan Chorev, a 4th year student in the Tufts/New England Conservatory Double Degree Program and the co-leader of the course. "[Webcams help] people form friendships. When there is a bloody day or a terrorist attack occurs, it is tangible." "The Solis Program is a great way to interact with students from the Middle East on a personal level and create a discussion which will delve into the depths of their beliefs and help bridge communication," sophomore and Solis class member Danielle Warner agreed. According to the Solis website, students participating in the program are divided into eight-person units, each with four American and four Middle Eastern students. For an hour and a half every week, the units utilize Solis' online technology to hold discussions with trained facilitators. Students are able to receive credit for the program, which is run in concurrence with International Relations, Media Studies and Conflict Resolution professors. The Solis website lists Harvard University, American University in Cairo, Virginia Commonwealth University, Clark University and American University of Beirut as participants in the pilot Connect Program in the fall semester of 2003. Solis takes a three-pronged approach: exploration, expression and engagement. The first stage, "Explore," is a crash course in U.S. - Middle Eastern history and politics. Once students have developed a thorough understanding of the underlying issues, they cultivate their own ideas, which are communicated in the course's second stage, "Express." Using raw footage supplied by the BBC, Al Jazeera, and Solis, students create videos to communicate their perspectives to other students participating in the course. In groups of eight, students from across the world communicate via webcam in weekly online sessions and post thoughts on an internet forum. The course culminates with the opportunity to reach beyond the Solis community and share ideas with the outside world through a media project. Students collaborate to create documentaries and editorials that highlight the issues and propose solutions. The projects will appear in film festivals, newspapers, and on television programs all over the world. Chorev received a grant this summer to develop the Solis "curriculum menu." The menu is a fifteen page syllabus of reading material from academic journals, books, newspapers, magazines and interviews. Students are exposed to a variety of diverse resources in order to develop an understanding of government, foreign policy, religion in society, culture, and the role of the media. According to Chorev, exposure to a wide spectrum of opinions allows students to identify and explore the role of biases in politics and culture. Readings are accompanied in class by guest speakers, including Joshua Hammer, former Jerusalem bureau chief for "Newsweek," and a religious professor from Boston University. When Chorev sat down with the president of the Solis program, Lucas Welsh, and the executive director, Liza Chambers, to discuss including Solis in the ExCollege, he stressed the importance of creating a curriculum that emphasized not only communication, but also education. Arming the students with information enriches conversation and allows for more meaningful discussion. Jamie Morgan, a freshman in the class, is grateful for the background information she is receiving. "One of my main concerns, and probably a concern for other kids in the class, is that we wouldn't know enough about the Middle East to get as much as we could out of [the conversation]," she said. "Researching the Middle East first really helped." The class's online discussions are synchronized with lectures so that students discuss the topics they have learned about in the previous class. The discussions play a vital role in the course, by allowing students to speak "face to face." Sophomore Emily Andrews, who co-leads the course along with Chorev, pointed out that the chats are not only valuable because they bridge a cultural gap, but also because they bring together people with very different points of view who can teach and learn from one another. "With the broader focus of talking to [American] students not just from Tufts, but also from schools like Harvard, Clark University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Maine, and students across the world, you get a diversity of opinions," Andrews said. Junior Negar Razavi is a student in the class who looks forward to the live chats. "I really hope that through such dialogue I gain new perspective on the daily situation of young people in Arab countries," she said. "I want to know how they view the US and what kind of future they envision for the Middle East." Students in the class are encouraged to become as involved as possible. They post comments on the web log, share new reading material with the class, and pose questions to their peers when they do not understand something. The hope, according to Chorev, is "to connect future regions and form friendships and deep understandings very early on." Sophomore Danielle Warner believes her and her classmates "will leave the class with more than just a broader knowledge of the conflicts in the Middle East. [We'll] walk away with eight or nine new friends from all over the world," Warner said. Chorev and Andrews understand that the students will most likely come across issues that are not easy to talk about. They encourage students to face their discomforts rather than hiding from them. Addressing uncomfortable topics, they believe, is the only way to eliminate tension. "I explain to the students that they should be open about their sensitivities," Chorev said. "People are afraid they'll be stereotyped. The goal is to break these stereotypes, and to come to understand cultural sensitivities." As Chorev and Andrews work to make Tufts' first semester of Solis an enriching and successful one, their minds are also on the future of the program. A goal for the spring is for students to receive a full credit for the class, rather than the half-credit that is currently awarded. Solis administrators and leaders also hope that further down the line, Tufts will adopt the course into a liberal arts concentration, most likely International Relations or Political Science. Additionally, they want the course to be able to fulfill the World Civilizations requirement. "I sincerely hope Solis expands to a larger class size so even more of the students can experience this amazing program," Warner said. "I see this course having a great influence on the International Relations department." Warner believes offering Solis through the IR department would create "demand for more interactive and interesting courses which really introduce students to world politics, and allow them to connect with other students across the globe," Warner said. But for now, Chorev, Andrews, and their students are focusing on making meaningful relationships with students across the world.
The past hurtles toward the present, and when the two collide, the future is born. No, it's not physics. It's just rap music. This formula of combining the past and present is what drives the legendary rap group De La Soul's eighth and latest studio release, "The Grind Date."(2004) With so much self-consciously commercial rap being made and blasted out of radios, it's becoming harder to navigate what direction hip-hop is evolving. But De La Soul (no longer tied to former label Tommy Boy Records) recently stepped up with an album that just might serve as a map. The group, famous for its diverse taste and its sampling of witty lyrics and lighter beats, gets a little more serious on "The Grind Date." The result is a sound that isn't entirely cutting edge, but is at once a monument to and an obvious progression of, what was hot in old school rap. Throughout their career, De La Soul has done their best to explore the outer limits of music and still stay relevant. They surprised listeners with their 1989 debut, "3 Feet High and Rising," which included bits of soul, jazz, funk, and psychedelic within its hip-hop tracks. For "The Grind Date," the group instead looks back to its own past. They delve back into their body of work to compile a new sound. De La's eclectic approach to making music allows the group to borrow directly from its own history without creating a recycled product. The first track, "The Future," is fresh with an intoxicating melody that will keep your head bopping. Despite the title, the lyrics reference the people and ideas behind old school rap, a theme that runs throughout the album. Another important subject surfaces in the title track, "Grind Date." De La drops a lot of street knowledge and experience on this one, but the lyrics are wrapped in another upbeat melody. This contrast between challenging lyrics and soulful beats is what made De La Soul famous. Despite their obvious knowledge of what lifted them up in the past, De La tries to establish a weathered adult sound beyond their usual style. The group occasionally overcompensates with spurts of grimy lyrics that turn out to be too hard for the stylish beats underneath and don't stay true to the smart and funny rhymes that dominate the album. Perhaps the harsh lyrics (like in the title track, which for some reason ends with unnecessary misogyny) are a part of the dissent and defiance that has characterized the rap group's career. De La has struggled with dueling desires for commercial success and a commitment to "staying real" since they emerged in '89. Their desire to balance is also apparent in their choice of featured artists that are also included on the album. The best guest on "The Grind Date" is MF Doom, one of the best rappers still in the underground. Thanks to MF, "Rock Co. Kane Flow" is easily the dopest track on the entire album. The dark beat better suits the lyrical intensity of the album. Sean Paul appears on "Shoomp", automatically giving the track commercial appeal as well as a dance hall groove. Also featured are Flava Flav, Common, and Ghostface, all artists whose careers have drifted in and out of between the spotlight and the underground. Even though the tracks alternate in style and seriousness, none of them are bad. The "Grind Date" is basically a smooth listen all the way through, the jilting and harsh "Shopping Bags" as the only possible exception. This club constructed track is noticeably formulaic with a marching beat that aggravates over time. It's easy to understand that rap is something that De La Soul's members Posdnuos, Trugoy, Pasemaster Mase physically must take part in actively and continue to need even after fifteen years. As they say on one track that you can't, "... outgrow rap like it's a size-five shoe."
Jacob Lawrence is both an artist of the mighty and the everyday. Such a dual reputation might seem contradictory, but the new exhibit currently on display at Boston University manages to capture both sides of his work. The exhibit, entitled, "Jacob Lawrence: Chronicles of Struggle and Hope," highlights three major printmaking series in the artist's career, tracing it from past to present. Lawrence's work on the novel "Hiroshima," his series on John Brown, the great abolitionist, and his series of the Haitian revolutionary fighter Toussaint L'Ouverture are all on display in the new collection. But exhibit's curator, Patricia Hills, a professor of art history at Boston University, juxtaposes these images of traditional greatness with Lawrence's more mundane work, focusing on everyday people in his hometown of Harlem. These simple prints, all wonderful examples of Lawrence's style, depict carpenters and ministers in their everyday lives. These pieces pay homage to the predominantly African-American New York neighborhood that fostered Lawrence's artistic ability. The show's strength comes through in showing Lawrence's own strengths as both a painter and as a printmaker. Dr. Hills describes Lawrence as a painter who admired the effectiveness of prints in terms of their low cost and their ability to reach many people. The BU exhibit aims to live up to its own title, "Struggle and Hope," and successfully does so with a diverse showing of work. According to Dr. Hill, Lawrence chose to focus on "the heroes and heroines of African Americans -- figures in history who did not get the attention they deserved." "Struggle and Hope" shows the struggle not only of African Americans in general, but of Lawrence himself as an artist. A highlight of the exhibit showcases Lawrence's collaboration with the Harlem poet Langston Hughes. Dr. Hills displays three affecting prints that Lawrence made based on Hughes's poem, "One-Way Ticket." The prints "One-Way Ticket," "Flight," and "Silhouette," show unique sub-styles representing different portions of the poem. The title piece is a jam-packed, ink-on- paper design. It is filled with angular tension, and linearly rendered figures filling the page in bold black and white. In contrast, the stark "Silhouette" hangs forlornly, based on the lines, "Southern gentle lady/ do not swoon/ They've just hung a black man/in the dark of the moon." A long simple rope holds a man's down-turned head as he slumps into a nondescript background. While this piece is linear in quality as well, it also has a lonely, flame-like sense. While a historic figure like Toussaint L'Ouverture may be an obvious subject choice, more interesting among Lawrence's work is his aggrandizement of everyday people. Two examples of this are his offset lithographs, "Carpenters," and "Tools," from 1977. "Carpenters" uses valiant shades of red and blue which bounce off of the dark, muscular bodies of men at work sawing wood. Lawrence uses his artistic license to empower these ordinary men by making them seem larger than life -- they overpower the drab, oddly angled room they're found working in with their exaggeratingly large bodies, and brightly colored work clothes. The carpenters work in earnest concentration, and in turn, demand our attention. Another piece to note is Lawrence's screenprint for the 1971 Olympic Games, an exaggerated, slightly cubistic print that depicts five African American runners, three of whom are about to cross the finish line. Lawrence chose a simple palette of muted shades of yellow, green, red and blue keeping the focus on the runners instead of distracting the viewer with too many colors. It's clear that as time has passed, Lawrence's style has become looser, freer, and even more graphic in nature. One of his more recent works, "Revolt on the Amistad" (1987), depicts the now-infamous revolt on the slave ship. The water underneath the chaotic boat is painted in tumultuous shades of blue and black, adding drama to a scene bursting with activity and contrasting colors. Lawrence is shown as an artist dedicated to depicting heroes, both those who have already been acknowledged and more everyday heroes whom he feels deserved more credit. He clearly paints with an interest towards educating his public through his evocative paintings.
The men's soccer team continues its quest to find consistency tomorrow when it faces off against the Bowdoin Polar Bears. Coach Ralph Ferrigno's team has been unable to achieve 90 straight minutes of good play and is still looking for a sustained offensive spark. Coming of off of a 5-2 loss to Bates on Homecoming Saturday, the Jumbos are looking to have a whole game of good play and come out with a win. "We were disappointed by the Homecoming game," freshman midfielder Andrew Drucker said. "We are still looking to play 90 minutes of consistent soccer." A stern test will come tomorrow as the Jumbos engage in a battle against the Bears. So far this season the Jumbos have not been able to win two matches in a row. Although they have given convincing performances against sub-par teams like Salve Regina and Colby, they have not used the momentum from these games to capitalize in big NESCAC match-ups. Going into last night's game against Endicott, the Jumbos have run up a 3-3-1 record, but just a 1-3 mark against NESCAC competition. This shows Tufts' supremacy over non-league rivals, as well as its inability to attain victory against tough NESCAC opponents. As for tomorrow's game, the players are still confident they can fetch a convincing win. "We have to come out strong," sophomore defender Aaron Nass pointed out. "We have to put Homecoming behind us and come out with a good win". This will not be an easy task. Bowdoin is coming off of a 10-0 smashing of St. Joseph's College on Wednesday. The game boosted the Polar Bears' season record to 7-2 and demonstrated their offensive strength. Junior Andrew Russo leads the team with six goals and two assists while senior Tom Bresnehan has six scores and one assist. For the Jumbos to emerge with a win, they will have to get better performances from their more experienced players. "The older guys have to motivate," Nass said. "They need to serve as an example." Having scored six goals in seven games before last night's game, Tufts has to work on finishing off opportunities. Defense is also proving to be somewhat of a problem for the Jumbo squad, as it has allowed 13 goals, second most in NESCAC. Bowdoin defeated the Jumbos last season with a convincing score of 3-0, with current players like senior captain Scott Conroy and juniors Mike Guigli and Todd Gilbert on the pitch. Tufts has not been able to secure a win against Bowdoin in over three years. The team remains confident of securing a win, however. "We are still looking for a good result," Drucker said. "We just need to play a consistent game." @jump:see MEN'S SOCCER, page ?
Last season, the Bowdoin Polar Bears came into Medford and shut the Jumbos out on their own turf on Homecoming Weekend. The Jumbos look to exact a little revenge on the Polar Bears tomorrow in Brunswick, ME., when the 2-3-2 Jumbos take on the 5-3-1 Bears in a matchup of fourth place NESCAC squads. The NESCAC standings were all shaken up last weekend when Bowdoin tied Middlebury, Amherst tied Bates, and Wesleyan upset Conn College, opening the door for the Jumbos to shoot into second place in the conference with a win and a little help. Tufts will look to its seniors for motivation as the squad looks to bounce back from a 3-0 midweek loss to the Brandeis Judges, a game where the Jumbos surrendered a goal 44 seconds into the contest and never bounced back. "We had a really good practice yesterday," senior goalie Meg McCourt said. "The focus was a lot of intensity to get ready for Saturday. Our attitude going into the game has just been to focus on all the positives and leave behind all the negatives." On offense, the squad will be paced by senior Jen Baldwin and newly converted forward junior Ariel Samuelson. Baldwin has scored just one goal and tallied one assist in the Jumbos' six games, as compared to last year when she had already tallied three goals and two assists at the six-game mark. Samuelson, who played fullback for the past two seasons, is still looking for her first career collegiate goal. The Jumbos will have a lot of support off the bench from juniors Lydia Claudio and Sarah Callaghan and first-years Lauren Fedore and Kim Harrington, both of whom look to continue the strong NESCAC performances they put on last weekend against the Bates Bobcats. Perhaps the strongest part of the Jumbo game has been its defense, which once again will be led by senior center fullback Catherine Benedict. Benedict has been a strong force in the backfield all season, and along with classmate Alina Schmidt, sophomore Jen Fratto, and freshman Joelle Emery, the Jumbos look to hold the Bowdoin offense scoreless for the 90 minute contest. The aforementioned offense for the Bears will be led by freshman forward Ann Zeigler, who has scored four goals and tallied an assist to lead the Bears with nine points. Bowdoin's deep offense has seen eight different girls find the back of the net so far this season, including five girls with two or more goals in nine games. On defense, the Polar Bears will be paced by senior co-captain Kendall Cox and classmate keeper Anna Shapell. Cox and Shapell have been the leaders of a defense that has allowed a mere 1.06 goals a game, with just a .112 shot percentage and 10 shots a game allowed. "Last weekend broke the ice for us, and it showed us what we're capable of doing," McCourt said. "It is my hope we'll continue on that streak, and we know we're capable of getting it done so I think we'll do it." Interestingly enough, however, it could be advantageous for the Jumbos to travel up to Brunswick rather than playing in Medford. The Bears have been a bland 1-1-1 at home, while they have been a dominant 4-2 when heading into other teams' domains. The Jumbos won't have much time to dwell on the result of Saturday's game, as the squad faces its first mid-week conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon against the Wesleyan Cardinals at home at 4 p.m. While the Cardinals are just a lowly 1-3 in the NESCAC this year and 2-5 overall, they have certainly shown signs of life this season with a 2-1 upset of Conn College, and are not a team the Jumbos can take lightly. "We're definitely focusing on one game at a time, but we know we have six regular season games left so we know we have to put them away," McCourt said. "We definitely are starting to feel a sense of urgency now having so few games left."
The Tufts Democrats hosted a diverse panel at the Forum for Youth Involvement in Politics Wednesday night, where guests included a Tufts graduate, Howard Dean's former campaign manager, and a wrestling star. The three panelists at the forum were former Campaign Chairman for Howard Dean Steve Grossman, Judge George Harrison and Voting Advocate Chris Nowinski. The forum focused on student involvement in the upcoming election and the importance of student participation in grassroots politics. Grossman, a trustee of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the former Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Committee, was the first to speak. He began the round-table discussion with of examples of grassroots success in American politics over the past 30 years. "Stories are more reasonable than rhetoric," he said. All three panelists stressed the significance of voting and student outreach to encourage political involvement. Grossman referred to the three greatest events in recent history as "the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and the current movement to re-engage political participation in the United States." "We have a far more educated voter electorate than we've ever had," Grossman said. Harrison, who graduated from Tufts in the 1950s, emphasized the need for a candidate who demonstrated "trustworthiness and forthrightness." He said Tufts students had come a long way since his days on campus, when the young Democrats club was virtually non-existent. Perhaps the most surprising speaker was World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Chris Nowinski. The Harvard graduate, known for his WWE persona "Chris Harvard," was quite different from what the audience may have expected. Students waiting to see an equivalent of The Rock were met with a well-spoken, well-dressed young man. Nowinski, a bipartisan political correspondent for WWE's Smackdown the Vote campaign, said that his personal history in politics developed during his college years in Boston. The panelists had a lot to say about today's upcoming presidential debate. "I would like to see my candidate [John Kerry] mention and specifically speak to the youth of America," Grossman said. All three speakers agreed that in order to win, Kerry would have to speak to the agenda of young people. "You don't really notice [its relevance] when you're a student," Nowinski said. "But wait until you have to worry about health care." During a question and answer session one student asked about the speakers' attitudes towards youth-popular satirical news programs like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The panelists had varied reactions to this question. "The Daily Show is my only source of news," Nowinski quipped. More seriously, Nowinski said that shows like The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live do give a skewed version of the issues but "they improve everyone's media savvy." Grossman spoke for the advantages of political satire, including public awareness and humor in politics. But Harrison remained indifferent. "I don't know if its D-a-l-y or D-a-i-l-y - it's probably on after 10, so I'm asleep," he joked.
The word "fraternity" brings to mind the alcohol-fueled debauchery of the classic college film Animal House, but fraternities across the nation, Tufts included, are attempting to change that image. According to the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), an organization that oversees communication between over 60 national fraternities, "the 20th century fraternity is no more." The organization has passed a new set of standards this year that "will propel fraternities to be who we say we are" and includes guidelines on communicating to members information on alcohol consumption, sexual assault, hazing, and values and ethics. The NIC has no official governing or judicial power over its member fraternities to enforce its standards, however. Independent studies consistently show that members of fraternities and sororities experience higher incidences of alcohol abuse than non-members and are more likely to be binge drinkers. Some colleges have gone so far as to ban fraternities from campus, including Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Colby, all members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Some of these colleges still have "underground" fraternities, which reside off-campus. Many national fraternities have taken definitive action and enacted alcohol-free housing policies. "This [alcohol-free housing] has happened with 11 different men's national frats, of which we happen to have a chapter of Theta Chi," Tufts Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Todd Sullivan said. "There are many other frats that do not have chapters here that have also made decisions like this." Sullivan said the new regulations have to do with the safety of Greek members and guests as well as liability insurance. "Studies have shown that alcohol-free frat houses have far fewer incidents largely because alcohol is often a factor in many incidents that happen," he said. But Dave Westol, executive director of the National Theta Chi Organization, refuted the claim that liability had played a factor in the decision. "The primary reason was to get back to our values, to what we believe in, and to what we say we believe in," he said. The change was "all about recruitment," Westol said. "It's [to attract] the guys who say 'yeah I can party, I can have a good time, but I am joining the frat for other reasons than simply having a social place.'" Westol said that such prospective members "are less inclined to take the risks, to do dumb things, and more inclined to be a little more responsible." The change in policy only bans the use of alcohol in fraternity housing. "We repeat and repeat and repeat that we are not an alcohol-free frat," Westol said. "Our chapters can have as many parties as they want. They just have to be held according to our policy, not in the house or on our property." The policy was decided at Theta Chi's 1998 convention, which was composed of delegates from every active chapter as well as alumni delegates. Jim Maxwell, president of Tufts Theta Chi chapter, pointed out that the policy "was voted to go into effect five years later, which was conveniently after all of the undergraduates that voted in favor would have graduated." The policy change has affected parties held at Tufts' Theta Chi, but Maxwell said "it's still the same group of guys. We still like going out and having fun. The policy has just changed what we can and cannot do within our chapter." Maxwell also spoke to the policy's positive side. "As a result, we have been able to make improvements to our house that we would not have done if we were still having large parties inside," he said. Westol said Theta Chi has reaped the benefits of banning alcohol on fraternity property at the national level. "For Theta Chi and for other groups the challenge now is to find other social events they can have that don't focus around alcohol," Sullivan said. "It's a continuing challenge." Theta Chi is planning a "battle of the bands" in the coming weeks. Delta Tau Delta (DTD), which is alcohol-free this semester due to violations of Tufts' rush policy, "already had a couple of alcohol-free social events. They're really working hard to do that," Sullivan said. Sullivan has also emphasized creating a positive Greek influence in the community since being hired last year. "The Greeks have done a very good job over the last year of buying into the focus on increased community service and leadership opportunities, and there have been fewer risk-management violations," Sullivan said. But many students are dubious that the change in official policies will have an effect on the realities of alcohol abuse on campus social life. "As long as there's a critical mass of hard-drinking frats, I think we'll be OK," sophomore Frank Curren said. "The only draw of a frat for me is the free beer," said one student, who wished to remain anonymous. "You won't catch me in one of those dank basements without some booze in me," he said. "There is a national movement amongst fraternity and sorority headquarters staff and campus advisors to return to values-based activities and living in congruence with our guiding principles," said Megan Johnson, Dartmouth's assistant director of Coed, Fraternity, Sorority, Undergraduate and Senior Society Administration. "We are seeing increased numbers of community service hours and money donated," she said. "This is extremely promising as we are often faced with the not so positive images of Greek life," Johnson said, calling to mind the popular dorm room poster of John Belushi downing a bottle of hard alcohol with the word "COLLEGE" emblazoned across his chest. Dartmouth is infamous for its fraternal exploits, rumored to have inspired the film Animal House, from which the image comes. At colleges where fraternities have been banned, Greeks say that not much has changed. Michael Harrison, an alumnus of Amherst's Theta Delta Chi - known as "123" at Tufts - said "the only difference was the off-campus aspect of it, because we are recognized by the national organization and are in every other respect a 'normal' fraternity." "It's basically a benign relationship where the college pretends we don't exist as long as we don't do anything stupid," Harrison said. At Harvard, fraternity life is "off the radar screen at this point," according to Judith Kidd, associate dean of Harvard College and director of Student Activities. "It is my observation that [Greek activity] seems to be increasing," Kidd said. Harvard's Committee on College is convening a group to discuss policy changes regarding Greek life. But Kidd does not see reinstatement of university-recognized fraternities as a possibility. "I frankly think that any school that does not have a Greek system would not consider starting one, and I know we're not seriously considering that here," she said. The NIC study found that "negativity about Greek Organizations grows with time among undergraduates, particularly among [non-members]. As would be expected, Greeks are more positive about their organizations than are [non-members], but even upper-class Greek students become more negative." But fraternities may be improving their behavior with or without official stimulus. A study published in March in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education compared Greek behavior between 2000 and 1994 and reported, "Overall, the fraternity and sorority members who responded to the 2000 survey appear to be a much more responsible group in terms of their alcohol use and experienced fewer alcohol-related consequences [than the 1994 respondents]." "While there is much work needed to reduce heavy alcohol consumption among fraternity and sorority members, there has been some important progress made in that very direction," the study concluded. Despite these changes, Sullivan said "the founding principles and ideals of the organizations are resolute. They are the same from when these groups were founded 50 or 100 years ago."@jump:see GREEK, page XX@conthead:Students unsure whether frat changes will affect on-campus drinking
For Julia Taft, oil and water do mix - in complex ways that profoundly affect the lives of many in crisis-wracked nations throughout the world. Taft, Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery in the United Nations Development Programme, addressed a mostly full Braker 001 last night on the complex puzzle of humanitarian relief. These themes of oil and water, the topic of this year's Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) Colloquim, brought Taft to speak at Tufts by invitation from the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL). According to Taft, natural resources such as oil and water are "incredibly important drivers, important perpetuators of conflict, especially in the African setting." Taft gave examples of abundance in African nations in which faulty distribution and corrupt governments gave rise to poverty and inequality. In the case of Angola, despite having "so much oil," 90 percent of the population lives in poverty and civil war has wracked the country for 26 years. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) presents a similar desperate situation - despite abundant gold and diamond mines, the country has been "caught in conflict for four decades," Taft said. Conflict and crisis, Taft said, becomes all the more "pernicious when resources are used to fuel the conflict and provide resources to pay for the killing." After extracting revenue and profits, governments will use resource revenue to pay rebel groups to kill - thereby intensifying conflict. Taft discussed the acute humanitarian crisis as well as the complex implications of water scarcity with respect to the Sudan. According to Taft, global warming caused severe drought in Darfur, Sudan. As a result, gone were the rich pastureland and wells that used to drive "the breadbasket for the rest of Africa," Taft said. Because of water-induced conflicts between ranchers and farmers, the Sudanese government dispatched the Arab Janjaweed militias to "quell conflict" virtually without impunity. It was later discovered that the government was offering air support as well as carrying out aerial bombings on behalf of the Janjaweed effort. Widespread displacement and fear resulted - "they routed villages, stuffed people down wells, burned houses." Cramped in refugee camps, "everyone is scared to death," Taft said. The lack of water in the region was both a humanitarian and a security crisis, however, too much water caused yet another obstacle. After the drought came heavy rains, "and with the rain, comes the locusts," Taft said. "They can eat their weight in a day, destroy a field in ten minutes, and they multiply like you've never seen in your life." Taft used the example of Zambia to delineate the interlocking nature of water scarcity and AIDS - where the population was decimated by the virus and one in five children were orphaned. In this area, much of the adult population had been virtually eliminated. "There were mostly women and children - on the farms there was no one who could grow anything," she said. "You went to the schools, and kids were sitting there, but there were no teachers." Taft, while meeting with the government, encountered the one living member of the agricultural committee - the rest of the members had all died of the virus. The committee kept writing proposals for aid, which were repeatedly refused because there were insufficient personnel to implement them. There was to be another proposal written - until the man drafting the proposals also died of the disease. "There is no one there to run the government," or improve water transportation and sanitation, she said. Taft highlighted Nigeria and Angola as states with abundant resources that created vast societal and infrastructural problems. Often, Taft said, oil companies fail to invest substantial amounts of oil revenue back into the country to battle poverty, hunger, and unemployment. Out of necessity and bitterness towards outside interests, Taft said, villagers will prick small holes in oil pipelines leading through their villages and siphon off small amounts to use to power their lamps - leading to leakages, explosions, and enormous disturbances in the pipeline. Taft cited one example against this disturbing trend - detailing an anthropologist hired by one oil company in Chad to consult with villagers to determine acceptable routes for the pipelines, avoid disturbing traditional practices, and work out various forms of compensation for oil pipeline passage. Taft concluded with a summary of U.N. efforts to improve the functioning of corrupt governments. "The U.N. helps governments to have transparent budgets-fiscal controls and good governance," she said. She also emphasized the acuteness of the situation and stressed the widespread nature of humanitarian crisis. "There are 65 countries in the world that are either in war, almost in war, coming out of war, or are failed or failing states." Sophomore Casey Beck approved of the integrated nature of the many elements Taft discussed. "I think what she said really brought the idea of the interconnectedness home," she said. "She definitely gave me hope in the U.N., giving their response in Africa a face and personal ties." The IGL also presented Taft with the Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award - which is presented to figures in the field of International Relations with a "critical integrated understanding of issues" and a "coherent integrated vision" for making meaningful contributions to the global community. The EPIIC Colloquium is a year-long academic class run through the Experimental College and the IGL, stressing an interdisciplinary approach to International Relations issues. It includes lectures, independent research, and a symposium bringing leaders to Tufts for discussion and debate.
Derek Jeter is the greatest player in the history of the world. He's the best player in baseball. He should be the league MVP every year. He built the Eiffel Tower. Not true - but that's what the talking heads would have you believe. Yes, it's true that the New York Yankee shortstop added to his impressive postseason resume of clutch plays by scoring on Hideki Matsui's sharp flare to short right field in the bottom of the twelfth inning of Wednesday night's Game Two Yankees victory. And yes, it was good base awareness and daring running by Jeter. But let's not go around bronzing his cleats. First of all, credit Matsui; he's the one who got the ball to the outfield to plate the winning run. You can call it a sacrifice fly (which it was), but if the outfield's not playing in, that's a solid hit. Matsui's been overlooked, just like he has been all year playing in a lineup with Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Gary Sheffield. And speaking of the drawn-in outfield; let's put some blame on Minnesota Twins rightfielder Jacque Jones. Was he checking out a girl in the stands? Was he sending a text message to Tori Hunter? Whatever he was doing, he wasn't ready to throw home, and in a scenario where your team loses if a run scores, that's unacceptable. Jones seemed to be caught back on his heels by Matsui's hit, and his throw would have made Johnny Damon embarrassed. Jeter should have been out by five feet, and there should have at least been a play at the plate. Just like Jeter's flip play from foul territory never would have been relevant if Jeremy Giambi had slid in 2001. And getting back to Jeter, have you ever heard of anyone else getting so much attention for scoring the winning run? No. The general rule is: you get the RBI, you get the press. Case in point: does anyone really remember who scored to give the Arizona Diamondbacks their World Series victory against the Yankees? Nope, but everyone remembers that it was Craig Counsell's bloop single that drove in whoever scored. That wasn't the case last night, as the announcer repeatedly praised Jeter for his smart play. We even were treated to multiple replays of Jeter's presence of mind in not wandering too far down to the line to be able to tag up. Hey, this isn't basketball, where players don't know fundamental skills anymore. This is baseball; players are still supposed to know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. And most baseball players should be able to put themselves in position to at least have a shot at scoring in that scenario. This isn't to knock Jeter. He's a great player, he's a great leader, and he made a great play. But let's give blame where blame is due: Jacque Jones. And let's give credit where it's really due: Matsui. And in Boston: Short of winning a Superbowl, and NBA title, or (insert joke here) a World Series, this could be about as fun as sports weekends get in New England. The Boston Red Sox look primed to wipe out the Anaheim Angels at home this weekend. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots look to break the NFL's consecutive wins record against the Miami Dolphins, whose offense hasn't reminded anyone of the 1999 St. Louis Rams.
The University College has undergone many changes since its inception in 1999 - it has shortened its name from the cumbersome University College of Citizenship and Public Service, expanded its programming, and spent increasing amounts of funds on community projects. Its success, however, remains untested.
Jordan Kanter is a junior majoring in Biopsychology and French. He took this photo in August 2004 in Berlin, Germany. "Reichstag VI: Dawn of a Secret View" was taken looking down from the top of the dome of the Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament. After the unification of Germany the decision was made to move the Bundestag from Bonn back to Berlin. The decision resulted in the dome reconstruction, which started in 1995 and was completed in 1999. While at first the subject was of much controversy, the dome is now a visited landmark and a symbol of the "new Germany."
@bodytext: For every misinformed kid who thinks "a time to be born / a time to die" is merely a line from a Byrds song, who only knows Madonna as the aging pop star, and who thinks "Joan of Arc" is just a drama on the WB, help is on the way. Religion and art can seem like two oppositional forces at times, but the truth is that they have affected one another since their creation. The connection between the two has endured crusades, inquisitions, the rise of atheism and Marilyn Manson, and continues to be a contentious issue for debate. Students will get the chance to examine the effects of art and religion on one another this semester at the Chaplain's Table, a weekly event cosponsored by the Chaplain's Office, the International Center, and the Fletcher School. The Chaplain's Table has been around for "about 20 years" and is a program that is "pretty uniquely Tufts," according to University Chaplain Reverend David O'Leary. It offers students and faculty a chance to engage in informal discussion based around the semester's theme. Past Chaplain's Table themes have included "The Body: Fasting and Feasting," "Spirituality Today," and "Religion and Popular Culture." This semester, the central topic is "Religion and the Arts." Each week, a different guest speaker will lead a discussion on a variety of subjects ranging from Romanesque church portals to Hebrew poetry in the Middle Ages. Annah Jones, a junior who attended last week's Table, said that the mix of genres from week to week "brings attention to the things you wouldn't have paid attention to before" while shedding new light on topics "you would have had a bias toward." Senior Deirdre Brodie agreed that the connection between religion and art is "a really worthwhile topic that no one talks about. The Chaplain's Table's relaxed setup - it is held in the MacPhie Conference Room in the Dewick dining hall - allows it to address the kinds of debate-sparking topics that more formal Chaplaincy programs like Reflections, a series of lectures in Goddard, cannot tackle. As O'Leary sees it, the biggest advantage of the setup of the Table is that it gives attendees "the ability to be in dialogue with the speaker over a period of two hours - just like a regular dinner conversation." Another factor that keeps the conversation accessible to everyone is the variety of religious backgrounds and discussion topics that one finds at the Chaplain's Table. Jones counted among the program's strengths the fact that "there's a different person who comes every week and it's someone with a different perspective." At last week's Table, every attendee did contribute: storyteller and folksinger Ben Tousley led the group in an impromptu rendition of the Robert Frost poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." O'Leary was quick to assure prospective Tablers that they aren't usually expected to recite poetry at dinner, but said the spontaneous performance proved that "poetry can be moving" and showed "what poetry and music can tap into." If the idea of religion and art seems too complicated to grasp all at once, don't feel bad: even the greats have had trouble sorting this one out. Cristelle Baskins, an associate professor in the art history department who will be speak about Michelangelo and religion on Oct. 14, guessed in an e-mail that her main point will be that "this topic is extremely difficult to pin down since the artist's ideas changed over his long lifetime." Don't take Michelangelo's position changes as evidence of flip-flopping though; Baskins said that, "looking at Michelangelo's spirituality provides a wonderful opportunity to understand the dynamism of the church in the early modern period." In the end, religion and art are two intensely personal experiences which cannot be easily explained. As Brodie remarked, "people use art to express themselves creatively. What comes out in the creative process reflects what's inside you." If you're interested in exploring how your own creative process works, check out the Chaplain's Table this Thursday. And bring along your Muse; she could use a free dinner.The Chaplain's Table meets weekly from 5 PM to 7 PM in the MacPhie Conference Room at the Dewick Dining Hall and is free.
