Archives

News

None is the Number: Asterisk

April 26

I collected baseball cards from the day I was old enough to open a package to the day I discovered a different kind of package, and I never really thought about baseball cards after that. But as I sat down to write my last column of the semester, baseball cards were all I could really think about. Over the past couple of weeks, we've heard reports of BALCO employee after BALCO employee claiming to have given steroids to the trainers of athletes ranging from Barry Bonds to Marion Jones. This week, the head of BALCO said that in some cases, steroids were given directly to the athletes. Barry Bonds? On steroids? Hogwash! The most revered athlete in all the land, on steroids? A favorite in the clubhouse and at press conferences, on steroids? For the love of shrunken testicles, how could this be true? I mean, Barry's always been jacked, right? How could anyone think he's been shooting up to bulk up? So I looked at my baseball cards. The results were not pretty. It turns out that in his first few years in the league, Barry was about as ripped as Earl Boykins. And it's not just Barry. Sammy Sosa looked more like Bruce Banner than the Incredible Hulk. Mark McGwire is the most obvious. His rookie card looks like somebody at Topps accidentally inserted a picture of Tara Lipinksi. I can't believe nobody saw this coming. With home run champion after home run champion getting overthrown like Latin American dictators, were people afraid to ask, or did they just not care? Hockey revenues and ratings are in the toilet, football's biggest story -- even with Eli Manning's Elway-esque draft-day move -- is still a breast that's seen more surgeries than Dick Cheney's heart, and basketball playoff games are so spaced out that you forget who's even playing. So why should baseball care? I spent an hour the other day trying to explain this problem to my baseball-ignorant friend (yeah, I know, obviously not a real friend) and by the end of the conversation, I just wanted to blow my brains out. How can a sport cheat right in front of our faces and not suffer the consequences? I tried to think of how such an obvious sham would look in other lines of work. I pictured a kid having his friend take his oral exam for him. I pictured the CEO of a big company lying to stock regulators but advertising his lies in every newspaper in the country. I pictured a genocidal dictator telling everybody he didn't have any weapons of mass destruction while he built a nuclear reactor in plain view of TV cameras. None of these situations could happen, of course. People would care. People would complain. People would know they're being lied to. But why not in baseball? The players' union would never allow a ban that would go into effect immediately, because their members would need time to get clean or find a way to cheat the ban, whichever is easiest (wink, wink). So what's the solution? Voluntary testing. One more time. Voluntary testing. Every player that doesn't want to look like a scumbag -- every player that doesn't want an asterisk next to every single one of his statistics -- will get tested. Then every one of those players will post their results on their lockers. Then after every game, when a reporter asks those players about the most recent BALCO accusation, all they have to do is point to their results. The players with the sheet will get the autograph requests. The players with the sheet will get the big contracts. The players with the sheet will have a clean slate for Cooperstown. You think Barry will put up his results? Even Pete Rose knows the odds aren't good. While I still have a few words left, I thought I'd turn to another asterisk, LeBron James and the Rookie of the Year award. LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists this season. Carmelo Anthony averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and he took a team from 17 wins to 43, and a playoff berth. Unless the Rookie of the Year award is secretly based on assists -- in which case Kirk Hinrich would win with 6.8 -- I can't figure out why anybody would vote for LeBron. During Sunday night's Nuggets-Timberwolves game in Denver, ESPN kept showing LeBron in the crowd rooting for the Nuggets. I couldn't help wondering if King James would trade his Rookie of the Year award for playoff experience during his rookie year. Call it greed, call it the A-Rod complex, call it whatever you want, but there didn't seem to be a lot of regret on LeBron's face. Oh yeah, and if Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke fires coach Jeff Bzdelik, Kroenke deserves to go to franchise-owner hell with Al Davis and Marge Schott. Bzdelik has performed nothing less than a miracle this year, and he belongs at the end of the bench next season. Well, that's all I've got for this semester. War the Rock Pile at Coors Field. War low humidity and high altitude. War a nice hot day at the ballpark with a nice cold drink. I'm out.

---

News

Hiroshima mayor stresses importance of disarmament

April 26

Hiroshima mayor Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba spoke yesterday afternoon on the efforts of the Mayors for Peace organization to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons. During a speech organized by sociology professor Paul Joseph, Akiba talked about the importance of the role that hibakusha play in educating the world about the consequences of using nuclear weapons. "Hibakusha" is the Japanese term for those who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in August 1945. Akiba's presentation at Tufts was part of a broader disarmament campaign. He also met yesterday with Boston mayor Thomas Menino to encourage Menino to join the Mayors for Peace organization. As of March 2004, Mayors for Peace had a membership of 579 cities in 108 countries and regions. Cambridge, Worcester and Amesbury are the only cities in Massachusetts currently in the organization. Akiba relayed a growing concern within the hibakusha community that the 1945 international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is "on the verge of collapse." According to Akiba, the U.S. has set an alarming example for other countries by reserving the right to use nuclear weapons in pre-emptive strikes. "Somehow, it has become acceptable to claim that war is necessary for peace. We have entered the realm of George Orwell: politicians claim that war is peace and people believe them," Akiba said. Akiba said nuclear weapons are evils which need to be eliminated. "I have no illusions about the task that is before us," Akiba said. "[But] it took one hundred years and a bloody war to free slaves in America." "Bottom up change requires time and sacrifice," he added. The contribution that the hibakusha have made in promoting disarmament often goes unrecognized, Akiba said. He praised the hibakusha's rejection of revenge and their pursuit of reconciliation with all -- even those whom they had previously regarded as enemies. One student asked Akiba for his views on the difference between American response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and Japanese response to the atomic bombs. "I don't want to compare one tragedy against another," Akiba said. But "in the case of Hiroshima, the tragedy and suffering was so great that [the hibakusha] must have perceived the magnitude of the problem ... and recognized that in order to solve this problem, the entire human race must cooperate." Akiba recognizes that there are hibakusha who hold different sentiments, particularly towards Americans. He, however, takes an optimistic stance on the matter. "Those angry sentiments are there, but all in all, they have tried very hard to come to terms with that," said Akiba. Currently, Akiba and Mayors for Peace are campaigning to raise public awareness of the consequences of the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They have found testimonies from hibakusha to be extremely effective and powerful in educating the public. They are a resource that Akiba laments is quickly fading as survivors age. "We should not take the existence and voice of hibakusha for granted, "Akiba said. Akiba said although the bombings are often discussed in classrooms, "it is extremely rare for universities to take the subject up as a formal course," Akiba said. According to Akiba, Tufts University, American University and Wellesley College are some of the few schools that have entire courses devoted to the topic. Akiba taught math at Tufts University from 1972 to 1976. He was elected to Japan's National Diet in 1990 and became mayor of Hiroshima in 1999. Mayors for Peace is a U.N.-recognized, non-governmental organization comprised of cities around the world which have formally expressed support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The United States dropped nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to bring a faster end to the war with Japan. In total, an estimated 200,000 died from the blasts. Survivors and their children have had to live with complications arising from nuclear fallout and radiation.

---

News

Kerry's campaign focuses on college voters

April 26

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has been devoting campaigning time and energy in an effort to attract college-aged voters by embarking on a tour of some of the nation's institutions of higher education. Kerry's focus on young voters may be strategically well-placed. According to a nationwide survey conducted by Harvard's Institute of Politics (IOP), 62 percent of college students have been paying attention to political news stories and 61 percent -- up 10 percent in the fall of 2000 -- say they will make sure to vote in November's presidential election. Paul Davis, a freshman at Harvard who helped write the survey questions said, "More students may be planning to vote because of the high profile of the Democratic primary and the closeness of the 2000 election." The Harvard poll results placed Kerry ahead of Bush by ten points, at 48 to 38 percent. Jenna Dreher, the founder of Tufts Students for Kerry, sees his recent visits to college campuses as a step in the right direction. "Kerry recognizes that college students are the future of America," she said. "Kerry's attention to the college population is well deserved and forward-thinking. By showing interest he generates a reaction by students in return." President of Tufts Republicans Philipp Tsipman, however, is more skeptical. He says Kerry will need more than a university tour to help him win votes in the Electoral College. "John Kerry is right to go after the college vote, which is up for grabs this year, but I doubt that he will be successful," he said. "[The Bush campaign's] outreach effort is very extensive. Not only does the College Republican National Committee have about 1,200 chapters now -- compared to the College Democrats of America's 200 to 300 -- but Students for Bush has a very strong following on many campuses." Moreover, Tsipman says that the Harvard poll is only one side of the story. He cited a Zogby poll released on March 21 which showed that although the President's support has fallen, 51.9 percent of 18 to 24 year-olds support the incumbent, compared to 36.6 percent who support the Democratic candidate. "Given that the poll results don't match up, I am somewhat skeptical about the percentages," Tsipman said. Some students seem to be unclear on Kerry's position on political issues. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents in the Harvard survey could not give Kerry a rating on the issues, according to Davis. Dreher explained the possible confusion over her candidate's stance. "Kerry is thoughtful and intelligent, so it is hard to boil down his plans, issues, and ideas to three-word sound bytes because he actually has substance and research behind what he says," she said. Though he admits that some students may not know much about Kerry, Davis believes they are willing to give him a chance in light of the current administration's failures. "Students are growing dissatisfied with Bush because of the economy and the war in Iraq," he said. "Honesty in a political candidate is important for college students. It's the issue they care the most about. In fact, many [of the students polled] said they'd rather have a candidate that had a DUI to his record or was gay than one who lied on a r?©sum?©." Several Tufts students believe Kerry's focus on college voters is a good move. "I think it's important that Kerry tap a resource that has been largely a non-factor in elections in the past. I think many college students who saw the debacle of 2000 are realizing the dangerous consequences of another Bush term and finally understanding the power they have to sway an election," sophomore Noah Fortinsky said. Junior Jen Gehling says that the recent college campaign is not necessarily responsible for the statistical switch. "I think it's important for both of the candidates to spend time targeting the issues that are important to college students but I would say that John Kerry's rise in the polls and George W. Bush's decline is probably unrelated to Kerry's recent focus on college students," she said. In addition, Harvard's poll gave interesting statistics -- including data which said that 41 percent of college students identified themselves as independent and more would rather have Bush as a roommate than Kerry.

---

News

Of Montreal is hip. Wickedly hip.

April 26

Listening to Of Montreal is like taking a stroll through the Oxford English Dictionary with The Beatles. Pressing play with the band's new CD in your Discman will cause a fantastic explosion of Sergeant Pepper, disarmingly obscure words, and psych-pop melodies. Of Montreal has been around since 1997, formed after the demise of founder Kevin Barnes's relationship with a woman from the Canadian city referenced in the band's moniker. Following a few adjustments, additions, and subtractions, the current version of the band settled down in 1999 and has been recording and touring ever since. It should be noted, if only to set the stage, that Of Montreal is wacky. If it is any sort of indication, the band's 2000 release is titled "Horse and Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed)." Their cover art is distinctive, combining art deco flourishes with bold, kitschy colors and outlandish figures. The music found inside closely resembles this vigor and pizzazz. In many ways the tracks sound like '60s pop music. Then again, The Beach Boys never waxed poetic with words such as "The magnetic roller-skate wears a bonnet of blue" and "David stopped arguing with a mime and waved his arms like wheat." Indeed, it is the band's lyrical content and song structure that sets them far apart from any of their influences or contemporaries. Of Montreal is not a band terribly keen on the typical verse-chorus-verse structure. Many tracks resemble sing-song narratives about charmingly alliterative characters such as Mimi Merlot, Detective Dulllight, and Erik Eckles. Certainly a man inspired to name his band after a lost love is capable of introspective verses. As he so often does on previous releases, Barnes infuses his otherwise poppy, sometimes-ridiculous album with a smattering of contemplative and somber tracks. "Satanic Panic in the Attic" is Of Montreal's sixth release, and their perfect blend of maturity, immaturity, and creativity shines through on the album. "Eros' Entropic Tundra" focuses on a character's musings that meaningful love continues to elude him. The next track, "City Bird," reflects, no doubt metaphorically, on a bird's presence in a bustling, jostling city. However, by and large, Of Montreal's songs are just plain fun. The band has left its narrative structure behind for a more melodic, euphonious sound. Unlike past endeavors, where the peculiarity of the music almost demanded the listener's full attention, the songs of "Satanic Panic in the Attic" are able to function as pleasant background music or as the centerpiece. The quirkiness of the band has hardly subsided, and true to form, the four-and-a-half-minute opening track consists of only four (again, that's four) repeated lines accompanied by hand claps, a drum machine, and a synthesizer. Luckily, the album only gets stranger, and the remaining tracks are a romp through Barnes's creative and outlandish story lines and similes, complete with his seemingly inescapable references to butterflies. It is almost impossible not to swoon for the incredibly imaginative lyrics as Barnes tells his ladylove in the song "Rapture Rapes the Muses," "You keep me lit like antediluvian Troy." Clearly, the singer traffics in words. But rather than clamoring for the dictionary, the listener is advised to stay in their supine position. It will, you see, be difficult to gather oneself after Barnes has delivered lines such as "To sing this song in braille/You need to be haunted by glass freckles/And if your color treatment fails/Well you can always talk to Erik Eckles." No doubt, Barnes's lyrics and stunning vocabulary continue to both impress and confuse the listener throughout the album. Words such as "vertiginous," "lysergic," and "opalescent" are sung without the slightest of trip-ups, and the listener may need to scan the scene to make certain he is not in fact at the National Spelling Bee. In the case of Of Montreal, it is entirely appropriate to judge an album by its cover. "Satanic Panic in the Attic" features fantastic winged creatures, a Sergeant Pepper-esque gathering of antique and mythical characters, and a burst of primary colors. This artwork, also the creation of frontman Kevin Barnes, is perfectly indicative of the merriment and eccentricity contained within the package. So indie-rockers rejoice. Of Montreal has finally provided you with a complete album you can pop in without having your Coldplay-listening friends shoot you a bewildered and uneasy glance. And luckily, in the words of Barnes, it is also "nefariously hip. Wickedly hip."

---

News

Love story at heart

April 26

It opens with a man, blindfolded and bound, sitting alone in his cell. "I wish this were a real letter," hostage Michael Woods says, composing a mental message to his wife as he lays captive at the beginning of Pen, Paint & Pretzel (3Ps)'s latest drama production, "Two Rooms." The play, written by Lee Blessing, is based on the experiences of the Lebanon Seven, seven Americans who were taken hostage in 1984 and held for three years. It will be performed twice tonight, at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., in the Balch Arena Theater. "Two Rooms" follows the story of Lainie Woods (Nicole Frattaroli, '04), whose husband Michael (David Jenkins, '07) is captured by terrorists while the couple is teaching in Beirut, Lebanon. As the title alludes, the play's action takes place in two rooms -- sort of. The two rooms, Michael's cell and a room in Lainie's house, are actually represented by the same space on stage. Since Michael's absence, Lainie has set up a room to resemble what she imagines his cell looks like. Thus, the two characters inhabit the same space, but are never able to talk to one another. When Michael is in his cell, Lainie is able to leave the stage, but he is always present (in the corner) during her scenes. This effect is supposed to represent the fact that while Lainie can get away from her room, Michael is always unable to leave. The idea of imprisonment proved to be one of the challenges for David Jenkins, the actor portraying Michael. "For half the play I'm blindfolded and in handcuffs, which is something I've never had to do before," Jenkins said. Michael's isolation is further emphasized by the fact that most of his scenes are delivered as monologues. Michael writes imaginary letters to Lainie in his head; actual accounts of hostages show that this is a technique that prisoners of war use to maintain their sanity. Like Michael, most of Lainie's scenes consist of monologues. Nicole Frattaroli, who plays Lainie, cited this as one of the challenges of the role. "I talk to myself a lot, imagining that he's there," Frattaroli said. "I had to get into the mindset of frustration that goes with not knowing what's happened to [Michael]." Through these monologues, which span the course of three years, both actors must convey the characters' transformations -- a hard thing to do, Frattaroli explained, "in just an hour and a half." Over the three years of her husband's imprisonment, Lainie must come to grips with a government spokesperson who cares more about protecting the government's own interests than about the individual people involved in the hostage situation, and with a reporter who keeps trying to push her into giving an interview to let America know what has happened to Michael. Michael's transformation is more internal -- he goes through stages of self-discovery as he develops an understanding of the plight of his captors. Both Jenkins and Frattaroli affirmed that such development was a challenge to portray through the monologue structure of the play. Jenkins stressed that though he didn't know much about "Two Rooms" before he became part of the cast, it has since become "a very large part" of his life. The political overtones of the play apply to the United States' current role in Iraq, but Jenkins believed that the "social situations" the play explores are just as important as its politics. The play itself was chosen long before the current hostage situation in Iraq developed, but the escalating of the kidnappings there have made the subject of the hostage drama even timelier. Still, the director, graduate student Natka Bianchi, said that she tried not to make the politics the central issue of the play. "I think the most interesting part is the relationship between the central couple of the play," Bianchi said. "The politics set up a dramatic event, but it's really about this one woman." Junior George Rausch, who plays journalist Walker Harris in the production, said that though the play deals with relations between the United States and the rest of the world, it's also a love story. "There are personal values as well as values that would be important to Americans as well as foreigners," Rausch said. "It's personal, but it's also political." Graduate students don't normally direct drama productions with 3Ps, but Bianchi has proven to be the exception. Her production of "Two Rooms" cuts down to what Rausch described as "the essence of the play," minimizing the political rhetoric as much as possible. But the cast of "Two Rooms" still hope that their production leaves the audience with something to think about. "In the end, it's just like, hmm, it just makes you think," Rausch said. "It's really a great piece." -- Amber Woods contributed to this article.

---

News

Zatz What It Is: You have been poked by this column!

April 26

This is a great time to be a stalker. A new website is taking campus by storm. It's called "The Facebook" ( www.thefacebook.com). If you aren't on it, you are out of the loop. For those of you who don't know what this site is, you can use it to post your picture and some information about yourself on the website's network of Tufts students. Then you can peruse through the pictures and profiles of everyone else at school that has signed up. If you find someone that you know, you can add him or her as one of your friends. Once he or she accepts your invitation, he or she will become part of your directory of friends. You can look through anyone else's friend directory and see who they are friends with. The possibilities of this site are endless. You know that hot girl in class that you always stare at? Want to know more about her? In the past, you'd have to rummage through those freshmen face books they give you at orientation just to find out her name, where she's from, and her broad interests. Now, with "The Facebook," all you have to do is list the classes you're in and you'll find not only her picture, name, and hometown but also where she lives on campus, her screen name, her phone number, her major, whether she's a liberal or a conservative, whether she's single or in a relationship, what activities she does on campus, along with her favorite bands, her favorite books, and her favorite movies. Most importantly, you'll see who her friends are. Maybe you and she have a mutual friend, someone that can hook you up. Maybe she has some other hot friends you can start stalking. Or if you want to move past the stalking stage, you can make a bold move. You can poke her. That's right -- as if this site wasn't great enough, you can poke people. If you poke someone, the next time they sign onto the site, it will say "So and so has poked you." Sounds pretty stupid but -- trust me -- it's a great icebreaker. Just remember that everything you can find out about other people, they can find out about you. You need a good profile. Everything in your profile needs to be either cool or funny, but if you go too far in either direction, it will be obvious that you are trying too hard. You should check your own profile constantly to get a look at what other people will see when they click on your name. Even more vital, though, is how many friends you have. You need to start getting friends and fast. If you just recently sign onto this site, you need to spend at least a couple of hours going through everyone at Tufts and adding everyone that you are friends with, acquaintances with, people you used to be acquaintances with freshman year but have fallen out of contact with, people in your classes that you've never spoken to, complete strangers. It doesn't matter. But you have to create the illusion of popularity. If that hot girl from your class looks at your profile and sees that you only have four friends, you're screwed. If you haven't realized the potential enjoyment of this website yet, there must be something wrong with you. Then again, what is the point of "The Facebook"? Isn't playing around on this website just a huge waste of time? What is the knowledge of your crush's favorite books going to do for you? Are you going to introduce yourself to her and pretend to like the same things? Are you? God, you are -- aren't you? Have you no scruples? Look at yourself. What has become of you? Have you truly sunk so far into the abyss of loneliness as to deceive a poor, innocent girl for your own personal gain? You disgust me, you sick bastard. For those normal people who aren't going to use this website to aid their deranged schemes, who innocently surf through "The Facebook" for the cheap thrill of seeing people you know and reading their profiles -- still, what is so enticing about this website? Why are we so captivated? When you first sign onto the site and see "There are three people waiting to add you as friends" displayed on the top of the screen, you'll get a reassuring feeling. But isn't it more exciting to meet someone in person and find out his or her interests through casual conversation? Won't some of the fun of life be removed if, when we finally introduce ourselves to that hot girl in class, we already know a ton of crap about her? Even if you're not stalking someone you want to get with, this website takes part of the fun out of socializing. I thought Instant Messenger was impersonal, but this doesn't even qualify as communication. Then again, what do I know? On-line dating services are more popular than ever. There's a web site called "Friendster," ripped off by "The Facebook," which has become incredibly popular. Maybe we've reached a new age in America. Given the resources at our disposal, people may now be more apt to do a background check on people before interacting with them in person. So is this site a pointless exercise in vanity and voyeurism or is it a valid way of expanding your social horizons? I'm not sure. But if you liked this column, please add me to your friends. I want it to look like I'm popular.

---

---

News

Genocide: Remembering the past for the sake of the future

April 26

One and a half million people were murdered between 1915 and 1923, while the U.S. sat on the sidelines -- determined to stay neutral. But was allowing countless innocent people to be murdered really remaining neutral? American Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Sr. Henry Morgenthau certainly didn't think so. In 1915, Morgenthau sent this urgent message to the State Department. "Deportation of and excesses against peaceful Armenians is increasing and from harrowing reports of eye witnesses it appears that a campaign of race extermination is in progress under a pretext of reprisal against rebellion." Although as an ambassador Morgenthau was expected to act supportively towards his host country, he refused stay neutral, and asked the U.S. repeatedly to take steps to end the "race extermination," he perceived to be taking place. This race extermination in Armenia falls, as Morgenthau, and later his successor Abram Elkus described it, under the category of genocide. Genocide, later defined by the U.N. as the purposeful and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group, is a term that is much debated when put in conjunction with the word Armenian. Many governments, including the U.S. government, do not formally recognize the Armenian genocide as a historical fact. The Armenian Diaspora, which was spread around the world as a result of the tragedy, is now a powerful group working to get the Armenian genocide recognized as a historical fact everywhere. Last Tuesday the Tufts Armenian club invited the Holocaust Museums chief of staff, William Parsons, to speak at Goddard chapel about remembering genocide for the sake of the future. In reference to this event, I have asked president of Tufts Armenian Club, Dzovinar Derderian, a few questions concerning the Armenian genocide, the Armenian lobby, and William Parsons' lecture last Tuesday. Why do you think that the Armenian genocide should be recognized? "The Armenian genocide shouldn't be recognized just to remember the one million people who were murdered. It is important to know about it because it was the first genocide of the 20th century, has crucial links to the Holocaust, and by accepting the Armenian genocide Turkey will be taking a first step towards bettering its human rights conditions."What do you mean it would be taking a step towards bettering Turkey's human rights conditions? "If Turkey were to accept the Armenian genocide, it would help the government reduce its human rights violations. It may, for example aid the different ethnic minorities in Turkey such as the Kurds who currently do not have the right to speak their own language, and are forced to call themselves 'Mountain Turks.'"Which countries do not accept the Armenian genocide? "There are many countries who do not accept the Armenian genocide, but most crucial to my eyes are the United States, Israel, and Turkey."What have the efforts of the Armenia Diaspora been in regards to getting the Armenian Genocide recognized? "I'm most familiar with the efforts of the Armenian American community; however I'm certain that the efforts of Armenians world wide are as effective. In Washington D.C., Armenians have two lobby groups; one of their main tasks is to consistently mobilize American Armenians to draft letters to politicians, urging them to recognize the Armenian genocide."Have these efforts been successful? "The efforts of the Armenian Diaspora have been successful in multiple countries. Most recently, these efforts have come to surface in Canada, where the parliament accepted the Armenian genocide on April 21st. As for the United States, the House of Representatives passed a bill accepting the Armenian genocide, however due to Turkish pressure; Bill Clinton chose to veto the bill."In your opinion, which countries does the Armenian Diaspora prioritize in their efforts to get the Armenian genocide recognized, and why? "For most countries, the reason that they do not accept the Armenian Genocide is because of political reasons. Mainly because of Turkey's geo-political location, the United States and Israel do not accept the Armenian genocide. In the case of the United States, it is crucial that it recognizes the Armenian genocide because it is the most powerful country, and will set a precedent for other countries. As for Israel, I think that out of common history, it would be not only rational, but also beneficial to the progress of recognition, if they were to recognize the Armenian genocide. Well, in case of Turkey it is always good for a country to reflect on its own mistakes in history, so that it can understand it, and therefore prevents it from happening again.'"Were you disappointed with the turn out for the Armenian Lecture last Tuesday? "I was not disappointed by the number, since Goddard chapel was almost full, but I was disappointed to see that most of the people present were adults from the greater Boston Armenian community, rather than students."Bill Parson, in his lecture, spoke very little about the Armenian genocide. How do you, and how do you think the audience, regards his decision not to focus on that issue? "I think that the audience was disappointed that there was such little time devoted to talking about the Armenian genocide, since after all, the lecture was in light of the Armenian genocide. As for me -- if the majority had not been Armenian, I would have been also disappointed with his limited focus on the Armenian genocide. I believe, however, that it is important that Armenians be aware of other genocides, as much as they are of the Armenian genocide." The Armenian genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century. 1915 sounds as if it was too long ago to be of any relevance to our daily lives, but this year marked the beginning of a pattern of "neutrality" towards the tragedy of genocide. After the Armenian genocide, the U.S. would go on to witness the same events unfold over and over again. As global citizens, we cannot allow this to occur again. Recognizing genocide is important for many reasons, but most importantly, in preventing it from ever occurring again. Genocide is a never-ending phenomenon and constantly needs to be monitored. William Parsons said in his lecture that by the end of the summer we may very well be sitting in Goddard Chapel mourning yet another genocide -- a genocide in Sudan; on a far larger scale than imagined. For the sake of innocent life, research the Armenian genocide and push the U.S. into action regarding Sudan. For further information of Armenia, please visit http://www.endgenocide.org/genocide/armenia.htm.Veronica Adamson is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

---

News

Education Briefs

April 26

New education bill would modify loan program Republican leaders will introduce a bill this week in the U.S. House of Representatives that ends students' ability to lock-in a fixed 30 year interest rate for student loans. Ohio Republican John Boehner has said the money the government uses to fix interest rates would be better spent providing additional services to current students. Democratic leaders have vowed to fight the proposal, arguing that the fixed rate loan is necessary for timely pay off of loans. They warned defaults from borrowers unable to pay back after graduation could increase if the change went into effect. Other officials warned that John Kerry might take up the change as a campaign issue, using the rollback as a rallying call for middle class families that use the program, and will make a key constituency in November's elections. The bill will be included in the renewal of the Higher Education Act, a law that provides guidelines for student loan programs. The bill would increase loans limits freshmen from $2,625 to $3,500, sophomores from $3,500 to $4,500.

---

News

What's happening in the Middle East?

April 26

The assassination of the Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin created a rather expected atmosphere of anti-Israeli and anti-American hatred in the Arab world. The interpretations for this act of the Israeli armed forces are tough. But there has to be one. It is not possible to easily accept the interpretation that Ariel Sharon suddenly lost his mind and decided to unilaterally demolish any option for cooperation and peace in the Middle East, making at the same time dozens of leaders, economic interests and facilities in the West, Israel and the United States "legal targets" for extremist Muslims. The more narrow interpretation of this action could be the domestic political survival of the Israeli prime minister. Through the option of drastic retaliation against terrorism, Sharon probably targets the cohesion of a nation that feels surrounded, and in a desperate defense against blind attacks of destruction. The Israelis do not see any evolution or any prospect for peace. The only thing that they are left with is a type of retaliation -- which makes them even more defensive. Is it possible that Sharon betted on exactly this feeling? The negative aspect of this interpretation would be nearly total isolation of Sharon by the West. At a time when Europe is not willing to face the deadly initiatives of al Qaeda dynamically, but chooses the path of discourse and truce (e.g. the reaction of the Spanish people), the increase of violence by Israel causes isolation rather than sympathy. Even the United States could not be able to respond positively in any Israeli militarist initiatives. Otherwise, the only plan that is left for the American president as the sole basis for justifying the war in Iraq is wiped out. If we accept that Ariel Sharon was not out of his mind, then what other interpretation can be given to the attack against the Palestinian religious leader? Two cases can be made: The one has to do with the assessment of the Israelis that the Palestinian resistance has been curbed and that few strikes against higher hierarchy levels will kneel down the reactions and force the Palestinians to a truce. The validity of this explanation will be tested in the near future. If it holds, there will be other strikes against crucial Palestinian leadership targets. In this case, even Arafat might not be excluded as a target of such a strike. The second explanation is much more complex. A short retrospect in history is necessary. Hamas was the creation of the secret services of Israel -- with the help of the CIA -- when the Islamic fundamentalists where not yet a serious disturbance for the Western policy makers. Much like the secret service of Pakistan is responsible for the creation of the Taliban and the other Afghan-Arab teams surrounding Bin Laden, Hamas was established in the Palestinian territories after the Muslim Brotherhood was destroyed (so that Arafat would be confronted with Islamic skeptics of his absolute power on the Palestinian people.) Adopting completely extreme and radical positions, Hamas, under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, often exposed Arafat -- torpedoing his compromising moves and doubting the right of existence of an Israeli state. It is important that Hamas supports the establishment of a Palestinian state to use it against the ultimate destruction of Israel. The independence of Hamas and its unilateral actions of violence and extremism was completed after the attacks of Sept. 11. It was then revealed in the United States that Hamas was gathering funds legally inside the United States for the fruition of its purposes. Walking on the path of extremism, Sheikh Yassin saw this type of violence as the only means for the creation of an Islamic state on the territories Israel had "stolen." With the presence of Hamas, and especially of the Sheikh himself, it would be practically impossible for Arafat and all other moderate Palestinian leaders to move on to some kind of an agreement for the solution of the Middle Eastern question. Due to the autonomy of Hamas, any compromise or step made by Arafat was stalled because of Hamas opposition and response with suicide bombings. Was this attack then a step towards the materialization of a plan for the final conclusion of a solution? That is a dire thought at these times of panic. The future will show. If Hamas does not retaliate against the destruction of high levels of internal hierarchy, and Arafat after a period of time appears more certain and firm, then the assassinations will acquire different meaning. If Israel intensifies, without serious Islamic retaliation, the deadly attacks against Palestinian leaders, it is obvious that the other interpretation holds -- bearing a huge cost not only for the West but also for the future of any international war against terrorism. Regardless of any scenarios, the political end of Sharon is already approaching.Theofanis Exadaktylos is a senior majoring in International Relations

---

News

As if you needed another way to procrastinate -- Thefacebook comes to Tufts

April 26

On top of TV, Playstation, AIM, e-mail, and Friendster, there is now a new online source of distraction available to Tufts students. On Monday, April 19, Thefacebook.com, an online student directory, expanded its network to include Tufts. As of Sunday, April 25, 2,004 Tufts students had already registered. The website was created by Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg and initially only included Harvard students. Founding member Chris Hughes, also a Harvard sophomore and Thefacebook's press relations manager, explained Zuckerberg's intention upon creating the site. "He had the idea of a college social networking community that had fun useful features for students," Hughes said. As a result of the website's success at Harvard, Zuckerberg, Hughes, and their colleagues decided to expand the network to include other colleges. The first schools incorporated were Yale and Columbia, because, Hughes explained, many Harvard students had friends at the two schools. "We want people on the network to extend invitations to students at other universities," he said. The expansion plan has continued in this vein -- including only schools where there is some overlap between student bodies. "We do absolutely no publicizing -- people come to it on their own," Hughes added. "We make sure people have heard about it by having a student body that is in contact with students at other schools." Thus, just down the road, Tufts was a compatible addition to the network and, apparently a successful one as well. With a great deal of talk on campus and over two thousand Tufts students connected in just under a week, Thefacebook's reception at Tufts seems to be quite positive. "The addition of Tufts to Thefacebook could not have come at a better time," Tufts sophomore Julia Verplank said. "Now that it's crunch time with school, I am in desperate need of new procrastination tools. I especially enjoy the poking feature." The poking feature has about the same effect as the actual physical activity -- the recipient is just informed that they have been "poked" and by whom. Sophomore Mari Pullen enjoys communicating with friends from back home." It has been nice to hear from high school friends at other schools," Pullen said. "And lately, since my life has been a bit hectic, [it's been useful in] contacting people from classes that I've missed due to various activities." Sophomore Jessica Schwartz had a similar concern. "The concept of having some random person ask me to be their friend just by looking at a picture seems a little awkward to me," she said. Though Hughes admits that Thefacebook definitely has recreational components, he also believes it can have more profound effects on student interactions. "There is a component in which kids will get to know people they aren't as close with through Thefacebook -- someone you might just run into in a class, have one meal with," he said. "It has a certain ability to be a facilitator for social interaction." There are also many useful aspects to the site, other than using it to procrastinate. "It's helpful when you are trying to get someone's phone number who you're not that close to," Hughes said. He explained that students can use the website to find people for study groups or "search for everyone who is a certain major in your dorm and then contact them and ask what classes you should take." In fact, the site includes a feature where students can list their classes in their profiles. A member can then search for students in those classes or browse a list of all the students who have also listed the same classes. Some students, however, are uncomfortable having such a vast amount of personal information accessible on the web. Pullen sees the information as a concern. "But I choose not to put a lot of that type of information online, such as my home address," she said. Members do not have to fill out their profiles entirely -- you can provide as much or as little information as you desire. Also, the site includes numerous privacy options that can limit who can access to your information. Some students worry that websites of this nature can bring out the more shallow aspects of the student body. Sophomore Emily Kaiser joined Wickedparty.com, another online directory, earlier this semester. "I was excited about it because I figured that parties at other schools might be a good change of pace, but it turned out to be like Friendster with people whose primary goal in life was to 'get crazy,'" she said. "I came here to meet people with more diverse interests than that. So reading profiles about how proud people are of getting wasted was a huge turn off," Kaiser added. "And I also kind of thought it was embarrassing because I'm reading profiles of Tufts kids, and they all came across as so shallow." But students are enjoying the mystery aspect of the site, and the opportunity it provides to meet new people. Verplank explained, "I've always been fascinated by the fact that there are really random people out there who know a lot about me, but I have never even met."

---

News

Tufts goes 0-2 on the weekend, effectively ending season

April 26

There's still a game left to play, but for the women's lacrosse team, the season all but ended on Sunday. In an odd twist of events, the Jumbos lost in overtime to 1-7 Connecticut College on Saturday, but because of Trinity's concurrent loss to Bowdoin, Tufts still gained the seventh spot in the NESCAC postseason tournament. Tufts then fell 13-7 to second-seeded Amherst on Sunday in the first round, effectively ending the Jumbos' season. Tufts, whose record is now 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the NESCAC, will still play one more match in a makeup game scheduled for today at home against non-league opponent Babson. Over the weekend, the Jumbos traveled from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut to Amherst in order to take on the Lord Jeffs in the first round of the seven-team tournament on Sunday. Amherst played host to the Jumbos because of its higher seed, and dispatched the Jumbos in a rematch from the teams' first meeting just six days ago, when the two teams played each other in the regular season. Amherst also won that contest, 14-10. Despite losing for the second time in a week to the defending Division III national-champions, along with dropping their last three league games of the year, the Jumbos had reasons to be positive on Sunday. "Amherst was the NCAA national champions, and I thought we played a tough game," sophomore defender Hillary Pentz said. "In general, I don't think the team has regrets about our play on Sunday. Our first half against Amherst was exactly how we had wanted it, because we didn't allow many turnovers and stuck to our game plan." The Jumbos built a solid lead early in the first half, going up 2-0 with 6:22 elapsed. Tufts led by as much as 4-1 through much of the period. However, Amherst came back to tie the match at 4-4 with 11 minutes remaining in the frame, thanks to the third of Amherst senior tri-captain Liz Martin's five goals on the day. Junior Ashley Harmeling, who also netted five for Amherst, put the Lord Jeffs up for good with just under 11 minutes left before the half. Together, Martin and Harmeling accounted for ten of Amherst's 13 goals. The scoring was more evenly distributed for the Jumbos, with senior Kristen Saldarelli scoring twice, and senior Lauren Peach, juniors Willow Hagge and Jen Griffin, sophomore Dena Miller, and freshman Sarah Bromley each scoring once for Tufts. "It was the end of the year, and we wanted to go out there for the seniors and give them a good last game," Bromley said. "We wanted to give them a win." Still, despite falling short in their effort, the Jumbos are confident they matched up well against Amherst and felt they played a good game against a team that last year went 18-2 in the regular season, and won the national title. "We have more speed, but on the whole they have more composure," Pentz said. "[In Sunday's game], our attack was really composed and our defense was playing zone and was [adjusting] well. The only problem was, they seemed to be getting the draw more than us. In the last ten minutes of the game, they got up by two goals, and that was tough to come back from." Although the Lord Jeffs trailed 6-5 at halftime, they outscored the Jumbos 7-2 in the second period en route to their victory. The win will send the Lord Jeffs to the NESCAC semifinals against Williams this weekend at Middlebury. The Jumbos weren't nearly as sharp on Saturday in their final regular-season NESCAC match-up, a 10-9 overtime loss to Connecticut College. Conn. College, which ranks dead-last in offensive production and second to last in team defense in the NESCAC, almost put the game away in regulation, but Jumbo team-scoring leader Miller scored her fourth goal of the day with 36 seconds left to play to delay her squad's fate. Despite trailing 3-0 halfway through the first half, Conn. College rallied back and found itself down only 4-3 at halftime. The Camels then outscored the Jumbos 6-5 in the second frame and scored again in overtime, sending them to their fourth consecutive victory. Conn. College finished 2-7 in league, but 8-8 overall. Having lost to both Conn. College and Amherst twice in the past week, Tufts now finds itself the owners of a sub-.500 record. The Jumbos haven't had a losing season in 25 years, so although otherwise meaningless, today's game against Babson could give the team a chance to at least finish with an even mark of 7-7. "We're playing this game because it was rescheduled," Pentz explained. "We still have to go out against Babson and play hard, but obviously after already playing in [the postseason tournament], the team really felt like our last few games were the last ones of the season."

---

News

Baseball sweeps Colby, keeps playoff hopes alive

April 25

It was do or die. Next weekend, it will still be do or die. And the weekend after that? Do or die. Tufts baseball swept a crucial three-game series against NESCAC-East opponent Colby College this weekend -- 11-1, 9-4, and 16-6 -- but the Jumbos, now 5-4 in the conference, are hardly in the clear. Next weekend, the squad must sweep Bates in order to pull even with Bowdoin (8-4 in NESCAC-E). If such a tie occurs, Tufts will advance to the conference tournament based on a 2-1 record versus the Polar Bears. Trinity (10-2) has already secured the other NESCAC-E berth, as well as top seed in the tourney. "It's in our hands now, so that's all we can ask for," coach John Casey said. "We did what we had to do [against Colby]. Now we just have to go up [to Bates] and do what we have to do there." On Saturday, while anxiously awaiting word on a critical Bowdoin-Bates doubleheader (at least one Bates victory would keep Tufts in the running), the Jumbos did their own part with a two-game rout of the Mules on Tufts' Huskins Field. Game one was highlighted by the bats of freshman Brian McDavitt and sophomore Jim O'Leary, who nailed their first collegiate home runs in the bottom of the fourth. McDavitt led off with a poke over the center field wall. Minutes later, freshman Chris Decembrele singled and stole second before being driven home by O'Leary's homer, a monster that sailed over center-right field for an estimated 400 feet. "It was nice to see some power," senior co-captain Adam Kacamburas said. "That's a quick and easy way to get some runs." After the abuse of the McDavitt-O'Leary tag team, Colby pulled freshman Robert Rosenbaum in favor of reliever John Beitia. Though he started with the bases clear (thanks to O'Leary), the righty took a beating nonetheless, walking four consecutive Jumbos and advancing one on a wild pitch. A Kacamburas walk pushed sophomore Greg Chertok home, to cap Tufts' breakaway inning at 10-1. Earlier, Kacamburas hit three doubles in as many at bats, driving in two runs and scoring three. To match the Jumbo offense of game one, senior co-captain Randy Newsom (5-1, 3.86 ERA) gave an exceptional effort on the mound. Incredibly efficient, Newsom threw just 65 pitches in the complete seven-inning game. Even more impressive was Newsom's strikes to balls ratio; he threw 51 strikes and just 15 balls on the afternoon. The ace struck out six batters (two looking), walked none, and allowed just three hits and one earned run. In comparison, Colby's Rosenbaum threw 77 pitches (44 strikes) in 4.1 innings and allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs. "It's easy to go out there when you know you're going to have good defense and kids scoring every time," Newsom said. "I was aggressive that whole game and that's why. They were aggressive too and it worked to my benefit." Tufts started game two with far quieter bats, chalking up its first tally in the fourth inning, but eventually prevailing, 9-4. Colby took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when sophomore Travis Agustin reached first on a Chertok error at shortstop, and scored on an RBI double through the right field gap from freshman Andy Carr. The Mules upped it to 2-0 in the third, when Tufts' starter Ben Simon walked Colby freshman Brian Liberty, who then advanced to third on a sacrifice hit by sophomore Rodney Ames and scored off a single by freshman shortstop Tom Salemy. Like Colby, Tufts tends to have numerous underclassmen on the field at once, but for the Jumbos, veterans, like seniors Newsom, Kacamburas, and Dave Frew, seem to have had a strong positive influence on the development of the Jumbos' youth contingent, which has posted increasingly strong performances. En route to his fourth career victory, Simon (4-1, 2.36 ERA), a freshman, was supported by classmate Aaron Narva (4.32 ERA), who picked up his third save. At the plate in game two, Decembrele was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored, Chertok was 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run, and McDavitt was 3-4 with an RBI. It was the fleet-footed Chertok who fueled Tufts' charge into the lead in game two. He drove in a pair with a fourth-inning double (for the 2-2 tie), stole second, then snagged the go-ahead run with spectacular base-running on a ground ball by junior Bob Kenny. Tufts chalked up a whopping 36 runs in the Colby series, with almost half in yesterday's 16-6 rout. Kenny upped his average to .321 with a 2 for 4 outing in game three, where he scored twice and drove in a pair. The wild performance of Colby starter Jordan Henry stood in stark contrast to Tufts junior Jeremy Davis, who christened game three by shutting down five consecutive batters. Davis (4.70 ERA) ran a no-hitter into the fifth, when Colby freshman Andy Carr notched a single. He left after seven innings, with five hits and no runs allowed, at which point senior Dave Frew entered for an inning of scoreless relief. Sophomore Erik Johanson ran into trouble when he took to the mound in the ninth, as Colby broke onto the scoreboard with half a dozen runs on as many hits, including a pair of wind-aided homers over the centerfield wall. Senior Nick Palange had a rough ninth inning as well, as he returned to the diamond for the first time since suffering a knee injury on April 10, but left the game when Colby's Vincent Domestico slid into him during a forced-out play at second base. Narva took over for Johanson with two outs to go in the ninth and ended the series with a swingless strikeout of Colby's Rosenbaum, who returned from his rough pitching performance in game one to take over second base. Throughout the weekend, Colby's young, weak pitching staff provided fertile ground for the Jumbos offense to bolster statistics. O'Leary (.375) was 6 for 10 in the series with three runs and five RBI, while Kacamburas (.333) was 5 for 11 with five runs and six RBI. Decembrele (.324) finished 7 for 12 with five runs and two RBI, and fellow freshman McDavitt (.320) went 7 for 13 with three runs and as many RBI. Clement boosted himself to the top of Tufts' batting ranks (.419) as he hit 5 for 9, crossed the plate five times, and drove in another four. "It was nice to get solid offensive output throughout the weekend, but we need to be more consistent," Kacamburas said. "We will see better pitching this upcoming week and we need to continue to have good at bats and to be productive."

---

News

Jumbos rattle off ninth straight win

April 25

The softball team extended its winning streak to nine straight games on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the Wesleyan Cardinals in a doubleheader, 4-2 and 12-3, in Middletown, Conn. With the wins, which were considered non-NESCAC, the Jumbos upped their overall record to 16-14 on the season, putting them above .500 for the first time since March 26. The loss dropped Wesleyan to 9-19 overall on the year. Heading into the NESCAC playoffs next Friday afternoon against Williams College and former head coach Kris Herman, the Jumbos have picked the perfect time to peak and play their best softball. "I feel like we've regained our confidence and have the feeling that we can't lose," senior tri-captain Deana Davidian said. "And that's important for going into the playoffs. We're really confident right now, and that's the way we felt all last season. It's good we have it back." Junior Caroline Grieco went the distance in the first game on Saturday for her fifth win of the season. Grieco allowed eight hits -- seven of which were singles -- and two runs in seven innings, with three walks and two strikeouts. Grieco started off a little shaky, allowing two runs and three hits in the first inning of play. However, she stranded two runners on base to end the inning, and settled down from there on out, letting the Jumbos bats go to work. The offense was carried by sophomore Laura Spring and senior tri-captain Julie Fox. Spring was the only Jumbo to earn multiple hits, going 2-4 with a double, RBI, and runs scored. Fox chipped in with one hit in two at bats and two RBI's of her own. Tufts tied the game in the third inning with two runs, and tacked on one more in each of the next two innings to make the score 4-2. Junior Courtney Bongiolatti led off the fourth with a triple and scored what would be the winning run on a passed ball. The Tufts defense also played one of its best games of the season. The squad committed zero errors and made all the routine plays when necessary to help Grieco get out of jams and leave Cardinal runners stranded. In all, the Cardinals stranded eight batters in game one. "Solid defense is absolutely key for us winning NESCACs," Bongiolatti said. "We struggled a bit, we've put it together and we're confident that everyone on the field can make the plays when the ball is hit to them." Game two saw much of the same pitching and defensive prowess from the Jumbos as in game one. However, the Jumbos erupted for 12 runs and 20 hits. The offensive barrage was led by Fox, who went 4 for 4 with 3 doubles and four runs scored, junior first baseman Katie Smith, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, and Spring, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. The offensive show was even more impressive because the teams only played five innings in game two, rather than the usual seven. The Jumbos strung hits together all afternoon against the Cardinals, and erupted with two outs in the fifth, when the squad rattled off eight straight hits leading to five runs. Every Jumbo who stepped to the plate earned at least one hit, with seven of nine batters having multi-hit games. "Everyone is hitting the ball better, whether against good pitching or not good pitching," Bongiolatti said. "We're more confident at the plate, and everyone's getting on base. We're not just getting a few big hits, people are getting on anyway they can, and everyone is doing their job." Sophomore pitcher Sarah Conroy pitched the second complete game of the afternoon, going all five innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs, walking two and striking out one. Once again, the Jumbos defense held strong and did not commit an error for the entire game, helping Conroy get out of a shaky third inning. Next up for the Jumbos is Williams in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs away on Friday afternoon. Game time in Williamstown is set for 2:30 p.m. "I think we feel like overall, we're just playing Tufts softball right now, which is a strong hitting team with great defense," Davidian said. "I feel like we're peaking at the right time right when we need to, and we're in a really good position going into tournament."

---

News

Seniors recognized for commitment to progressive causes

April 25

Students, professors, and alumni gathered in Oxfam Caf?© Friday to recognize seniors Ariana Flores and Cecilia Chen, recipients of the first ever Progressive Senior Awards. The awards were given by the Tufts Progressive Alumni Network (TPAN), a new organization of alumni founded in January of this year, to seniors showing a commitment to social justice, leadership abilities, and potential as social change agents Last year the Tufts Alumni Association revoked the senior award of Liz Monnin (LA '03) after it accused her of acting inappropriately at George Bush, Sr.'s appearance at Tufts. The Alumni Association's action spearheaded a movement on the part of recent alumni to develop a new support structure for alumni. "[The Alumni Association] has a monopoly on the voice of the alumni," Lou Esparza, LA '03 and TPAN steering committee member, said. "We want to change what leadership is at Tufts, including people who buck the system and rock the boat," Esparza said. Political science professor Gary McKissick presented the award to Flores for her leadership in the Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM) for workers' rights, as well as in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) and women's rights campaigns. Flores has also been involved with Tufts Coalition to Oppose War in Iraq (TCOWI), and both the Latin-American and Asian-American curriculum transformation projects. McKissick spoke of the difficulty of affecting and maintaining meaningful change in a world that's "a huge mess -- it's a hard situation to embrace fully," he said. "Once you acknowledge the extent of the mess, you get really paralyzed." Flores, McKissick said, has stayed active in pursuit of beliefs in spite of friction and opposition. "There's no one on campus more involved in things," McKissick said of Flores. "She never wavers, she believes what she does matters. She has exposed herself to the vilest ridicule on campus, and is held up by others as the worst of what activism is." McKissick was sure that Flores' drive would continue beyond Tufts. "There's no doubt the world will be a better place because she's out there fighting," McKissick said. "She's fighting the fight that ought to be fought -- with guts." Laura Horwitz (LA '03) presented the second award to Cecilia Chen, who was recognized for her involvement in a variety of Asian-American issues at Tufts. She has coupled her efforts to develop and expand on the University's Asian-American Studies program with academic efforts in Asian-American art and public health policy. She has also been active in progressive organizations in Boston's Chinatown. Chen, Horwitz said, represents a "different side of being progressive." The two met after taking a class on Asians in America with professor Jean Woo. Chen helped to establish and persist with the Asian-American Curriculum Transformation program (AACT) after realizing the extent of what she considered a lack of Asian-American coursework and faculty at Tufts. Initially, Chen and other members of this committee focused on obtaining a tenured-track professor in the discipline. Despite their efforts, Horwitz said, this resulted in "a miserable failure." In this situation, Horwitz said, Chen did not give up. "She said, 'Okay, we'll keep going and find a different way.'" Horwitz said that the committee thought they needed a professor in order to advance their goals, but that Chen's strong commitment to Asian-American perspectives at Tufts made even more valuable contributions. "We needed a person -- we needed a persistence," Horwitz said. "There are a lot of ways to get there." Due to student pressure, faculty voted this year to accept Asian-American and Latin-American courses to count towards the University's culture requirement. In her acceptance speech, Chen said she wished to "challenge Tufts' Eurocentric curriculum." "This movement won't end with me," she concluded. Following the presentation of the second award, various individuals shared their own insight on the laureates and informally recognized other successful individuals and efforts in activism at Tufts. According to TPAN member Cindy Chang, LA '03, there were a fair number of seniors nominated for the award from across many departments. The recipients were chosen for their commitment to social justice, leadership abilities, and potential as social change agents, according to a press release. "TPAN strives to be a positive alternative to the Alumni Association that will support progressive active citizens at Tufts and develop a community of progressive alumni for lasting community and support," TPAN steering committee member Rachel Jones, LA '03, said in a press release. A monetary gift accompanied both awards. Chen elected to donate hers to the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) in Boston's Chinatown. Flores had not decided what she was going to do with her money.

---

News

Vegging out: a national and collegiate pastime

April 25

With students rallying for ESPN in dorm rooms and gathering to watch Omarosa's departure from "The Apprentice," watching television is as much a part of college culture as it is a reflection of American culture. There has been, however, a growing grassroots movement to turn off the television. The non-profit organization TV Turnoff Network, which coordinated last week's "TV-Turnoff Week," that encouraged people to turn off their sets for a week, points to a national TV overdose as an important contributing factor in problems including obesity, poor academic achievement, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. According to the TV Turnoff Network, the average American watches at least four hours of television daily, which adds up to two full months a year sitting in front of the tube. By age 65, Americans have spent close to 11 years watching television, and nearly two years on commercials alone. American children spend, on average, one week less in school than they do watching television every year. Sophomore Tina Mercado says she watches "a lot of TV" but finds a balance between the boob tube and her homework. "I like to have the TV on all the time for some reason," she said. "Watching TV is a very enjoyable pastime, but not essential to life or anything, so I have no problem turning the TV off when I really need to get work done." Mercado feels that as long as "you don't abuse it" there is nothing wrong with spending a few hours watching MTV. "I mean if you really are addicted to watching TV then you probably have a problem, but if it doesn't interfere with your daily life then I think you'll be ok." According to the annual General Social Survey by the University of Chicago, college students actually watch less TV than the population as a whole, averaging three hours per day instead of the four hour national average. And that number has actually declined by nearly one half hour since 1975, according respondents in the survey. Many Tufts students have little time for TV and aren't convinced that occasionally turning on the tube is all bad. "I think watching TV is not a waste of time," said Junior Evan Cochran. "Like it or not the shows that people create for TV are art, so watching TV in my mind is just like going to a museum. Who's to say that DaVinci wouldn't have been a director if TVs existed back in the day?" Not everything on TV qualifies as "art," however. Many students feel what matters isn't necessarily how much time is spent in front of the TV, but rather the quality of the programming. "These latest plastic surgery shows are probably not the best for young teenage girls who don't love themselves yet," sophomore Rachel Diskin said. But according to Diskin, college students are not the ones at risk for TV's detrimental affects as they are less impressionable and have little time to devote to channel surfing. "I am proud of my TV habits at college," Diskin said. "But at home it changes. At home I feel like a fat, stupid American." And as unflattering as the stereotype may be, statistics show that it's not too far off the mark. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) nearly two thirds of American adults are overweight and over one third is clinically obese. And the percent of overweight youth more than doubled between 1960 and 2000, not long after the advent and assimilation of the household TV set. "TV is definitely addictive, and that's where it leads to problems like obesity," said sophomore Shaina Tofias. Studies have shown that being glued to the tube can have some serious repercussions. A recent Harvard study concluded that adult men who spent more than forty hours a week watching television were more than twice as likely to develop Type II Diabetes, a disease closely linked with obesity.

---

News

Not many surprises in NBA playoffs

April 25

Clang, whistle, swish swish. That was the sound of the Milwaukee Bucks losing their shot at a first round upset of the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. After taking away Detroit's home court advantage with a 92-88 win at Auburn Palace on Wednesday, Milwaukee returned home on Saturday afternoon and found itself down 85-82 with five minutes remaining. That was when Detroit showed why it's the superior team, especially defensively. Multiple times down the stretch, the Bucks missed a shot, and the Pistons drew fouls and made both free throws, leading to Detroit's 95-85 victory to reclaim home court advantage. Both teams failed to make a field goal over the final four minutes, which for Milwaukee including a horrendous sequence in which Toni Kukoc missed two free throws and two three pointers (badly), Bucks star Michael Redd was relegated to the bench with five fouls after fouling Richard Hamilton on back to back possessions, and the refs called a phantom foul on the Bucks' Joe Smith. Detroit shot a perfect ten out of ten at the line over this same time period, and now the Bucks need to win both games at home and one back in Motown. So is anyone going to pull off a first round upset? It seems unlikely. In the west, the Houston Rockets just are not good enough, and the Los Angeles Lakers are too good. The Dallas Mavericks are too dangerous to ever count out, but they have an uphill battle. The only way the Denver Nuggets are beating the Minnesota Timberwolves is if a UFO lands at halfcourt to take Sam Cassell back to his planet (in which case we'll know the T-wolves really are destined to never win a first round series). The Memphis Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs has been nothing short of a train wreck for the Grizz, although it's funny how everyone says it's too bad that Jason Williams' season has to end like this after he finally had such a breakout year and turned things around -- even though last year was the year he really turned things around, finishing second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio behind sub Kevin Ollie (this year he was fourth). In the east, the New Orleans Hornets aren't dead yet, but if they lose tomorrow night they'll be down 3-1 and officially on life support. As for the Boston Celtics, their series with the Indiana Pacers makes the Spurs-Grizzlies series look like a friendly picnic. Seriously, Boston should have just forfeited game four; they really had no chance to win. It was like in one of those movies like "Heavyweights," where the fat kids just get beat in every possible way by the kids from the sports camp, and they know they have no chance to win. In real life, however, there is no ridiculous ending for the Celtics that allows them to pull off a miracle upset. And then of course, there's Tim Thomas, who has missed all but game one of the New York Knicks' joke of a series against the New Jersey Nets after a flagrant foul by Nets center Jason Collins. Thomas responded by categorizing Net Kenyon Martin as a "fugazy", a term for fake from the film "Donnie Brasco," and by saying: "my goal is just to get back out there on the court before this series is over so I can go hit somebody. That's it. That's all I'm looking forward to." A couple of things here. First of all, Tim Thomas' mom must be really proud. Second of all, another great move by Isiah Thomas, bringing in a guy whose only goal in a playoff series isn't to get back on the court and help his team win, it's to get back on the court and hit someone. Third of all, this reaffirms what we already know from seeing watching MTV's "Cribs": professional athletes, like rappers, really like gangster and mafia movies. They like watching them, they like filling their big empty houses with posters of gangster and mafia movies, and they like using slang from them in word wars during playoff series. All this begs the question: why is Tim Thomas always causing distractions for his team during the playoffs? Remember, last year he announced that he wouldn't complain about playing time during the playoffs, a huge sacrifice on his part no doubt. Thomas was a top ten draft pick, but this is the first year he's averaged over 14 ppg and he still has never averaged over five rebounds a game (never something to brag about when you're 6'10). No one in this corner is a Kenyon Martin fan by any means, but Thomas just needs to shut up and play. It's hard to believe that the same Bucks team once had Thomas, Glen Robinson, Anthony Mason, and George Karl, four names associated with cancer at least as much as cigarettes. Anyway, it seems safe to say the Knicks won't be going anywhere this postseason. But maybe the team will gel better next season. They'll have to, because thanks to Scott Layden and Isiah, the players aren't going anywhere.

---

News

The talented Mr. Romney

April 25

Times must be tough for Republican Governor Mitt Romney. Hepresides over a notoriously liberal state that soon will become thefirst to allow gay marriages. Though he vocally opposed suchmarriages in Massachusetts, he has tread carefully for fear ofoffending the electorate. Yet Romney -- often mentioned as possiblenational candidate -- still needs to appear conservative enough atthe national level so as not to alienate himself from Republicansnationwide.

---

News

Bush education plan: covert military recruitment scheme?

April 25

The next time you are at home and the phone rings, be sure to check the Caller-ID. If you have younger brothers or sisters, do not be surprised if you find that Donald Rumsfeld is on the line. Unbeknownst to most parents, students, and educators, President Bush's plan to reform public education in America includes giving every high school student's phone number to the Pentagon. Since its establishment in early 2002, most Americans have become familiar, at least by name, with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). A major plank in President Bush's 2000 election campaign platform, the act remains today the keystone of his wide-ranging educational reform package. As the Department of Education web page (http://www.ed.gov/nclb) reads: Signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind act gives our schools and our country groundbreaking educational reform, based on the following ideals: Stronger Accountability for ResultsMore Freedom for States and CommunitiesEncouraging Proven MethodsMore Choices for Parents Superficially, NCLB is a foolproof proposal, sure to achieve great results. But among the many horrors concealed deep within the six-hundred-and-seventy page plan to transform America's schools lies something startlingly unexpected: a passage devoted entirely to the subject of the U.S. military and its new love affair with American teens. As David Goodman reported in the November/December 2002 issue of Mother Jones Magazine, NCLB contains "a provision requiring public secondary schools to provide military recruiters not only with access to facilities, but also with contact information for every student -- or face a cutoff of all federal aid." In other words, the NCLB gives the U.S. military complete, unfettered access to the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of every student attending public high school in America. For many Americans, it might be difficult to tell how this differs from the already existing policy for military recruitment. The distinction is simple. Prior to the NCLB the military could make recruitment phone calls, but only after the young men and women they would target had turned eighteen and filled out registration cards. In this way, young Americans willfully and knowingly passed on their contact information to the military. Now, however, the military is compiling its database of student addresses and phone numbers without the students or their parents ever knowing they have been added to the list. Students and parents have a right to know this is happening; they have a right to provide consent (or not) before their privacy is penetrated. NCLB brazenly denies them those rights. But why does legislation supposedly aimed at improving education for American youth include a section providing special permissions to the U.S. military? Moreover, what does military recruitment have to do with making the nation's classrooms better? In reality, there is no valid relationship, but rather an attempt to prevent the politically disastrous possibility of conscription. And given the current U.S. engagements in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, and elsewhere, a draft in this decade is becoming a serious risk. Other questions demand answers in wake of the NCLB. Why have parents and students yet to be adequately notified? Some time in early 2002, all high school principals received a letter signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and Secretary of Education, Ron Paige, notifying them that failure to comply with the new law and release students' contact information would result in the revocation of federal funding for their school systems. Principals were instructed and later reminded that they must notify their school communities of information disclosure to the military at the beginning of each school year. But even if most school administrations have complied, a mere letter sent home does not represent an adequate response to such a heavily loaded policy change. An engaged nationwide dialogue between parents, students, and educators should have immediately emerged. Americans need to be aware and united on the issue, demanding first an explanation from the Bush administration and then the permanent elimination of the portion of the NCLB that requires universal discloser of student information. Speaking directly to this issue, Jill Wynns, president of the San Francisco Board of Education, commented in Goodman's article: "I think the privacy implications of this law are profound. For the federal government to ignore or discount the concerns of the privacy rights of millions of high school students is not a good thing, and it's something we should be concerned about." Indeed, the disregard for students and families' rights by the federal government is appalling. Even more frightening is the absence to date of discussion of the issue. Why are parents and educators not enraged by such a covert assault on their children and students? Maybe some are, but they have not yet shown it. It is likely that many just do not know. Parents and educators would be upset and able to demand change if they were actually informed of the issue at hand. Since Jan. 8, 2002, however, there has been virtually nothing but silence in the media. Evidently, the secret military plans buried in the NCLB are not sexy enough of a topic for coverage in primetime newscasts or the headlines of leading national newspapers. If nothing else can spark the emotion and outrage required to properly address this issue, perhaps passing along the following quote from Goodman's article will get Americans thinking: "'The only thing that will get us to stop contacting the family is if they call their congressman,' [said] Major Johannes Paraan, head U.S. Army recruiter for Vermont and northeastern New York. 'Or maybe if the kid died, we'll take them off our list.'"Timothy Creedon is a junior majoring in History.

---

News

Jumbos dominate Bates, remain tied for first in NESCAC

April 25

The men's lacrosse team continued its winning ways this weekend when it doubled up the Bates Bobcats, 14-7, in NESCAC action in Lewiston, Maine, on Saturday afternoon. The win puts the Jumbos at 6-1 in the NESCAC (10-2) overall, with their only blemish being a one goal, overtime defeat to the nation's second ranked team, Middlebury. The Jumbos kept pace with the Panthers, who narrowly defeated Trinity this weekend, 11-10, for first place in the NESCAC with just two conference games to play before the postseason tournament. Tufts' 14-goal outburst increased its season total to 87 goals scored, tops in the NESCAC. Despite the victory however, junior Bryan Griffin felt the squad did not play up to its potential. "In general, I felt we played pretty sloppily," Griffin said. "In order to be where we want to be, we need to clean up all aspects of our game. We need to make that jump to where we know we can be, we're just not there yet." The Jumbos once again showed their depth in the contest at Bates. Throughout the season, opponents have exerted much of their energy shutting down Griffin, which has forced other Jumbos to step up into the role of goal scorer. For the last few games, that role player has been junior Devin Clarke, but on Saturday it was sophomore attackman Michael Hughes, who scored four consecutive goals early on for the Jumbos to set the tone, and had five total in the contest. "Hughes played great, he worked real hard in the crease and found a way to get open all the time," Griffin said. "We were getting him the ball and he did a great job finding the net. All his hard work came together yesterday and I hope it gives him a lot more confidence for the rest of the season." After a hard fought first quarter, both squads had managed to find the net three times.But in the second quarter Hughes took over, scoring all three of Tufts' goals in the quarter, while last week's NESCAC co-player of the week, junior goalie Luke Chicco, shut down the Bobcats offense, not allowing a score in the second. While the Jumbos started to click in the second period, they still were not playing to their potential, only holding a three-goal lead against the 1-7 Bobcats. Players were getting open around the net, but a combination of missed shots and great goaltending held the Jumbos to just six goals at halftime. "We knew we were better than Bates, we just needed to get settled in and get into our routine," Griffin said. "We pretty much let things come together, and told ourselves to keep shooting, and eventually the shots will find their way in." Hughes continued his strong play in the third quarter, netting an early goal to put Tufts up 7-3. The Jumbos never looked back from there, outscoring Bates 8-4 in the second half to pick up the W. The Jumbos continued to show their offensive depth as nine players all tallied goals. Sophomore Mike O'Brien chipped in with two goals, while Griffin, Clarke, freshmen Mark Warner, Brett Holm, and Matt Lanuto, sophomore Evan Saulsbury, and senior Drew Innis all added a goal apiece. "Most teams rely on just one midfield line to score, and while we do rely heavily on our first midfield line, our second one has been playing great which has led to our success," Griffin said. "You need the midfield line to sustain the entire game, and we feel we have depth to do that. It's a real testament to coach Daly's recruiting and how hard he works in the off season to get everyone ready." Chicco put in another solid performance for Tufts, playing the entire contest and making 12 saves while allowing seven goals. The Jumbos head into the final week of the regular season tied for first place with Middlebury at 6-1. If the season were to end today, Tufts would earn the second seed in the playoffs because Middlebury owns the head to head advantage over the Jumbos. However, Tufts still must face off against Wesleyan College on Wednesday afternoon, and Connecticut College at home next Saturday with hopes of earning the top spot in the conference and hosting the tournament.

---

News

The Best of Tufts 2003-04 Results

April 25

For the first time ever, The Tufts Daily's "Best of Tufts" survey was available online to readers. This year's version took the term "informal survey" to an extreme and is completely unscientific. Never mind that nothing prevented people from voting multiple times. Forget that no effort whatsoever was made to ensure a random sample of respondents. Margin of error? ... it's anyone's guess. In addition to more conventional answers to the questions, the Daily received some very interesting and notable answers from readers. One respondent managed to incorporate the genitilia of an unspecified "David" into almost each response. Unfortunately, his full responses, along with many of the other funny answers, are unsuitable for print. In the "On the Hill" category, more than a few respondents expressed surprise to hear that sororities existed at Tufts. Meanwhile, fraternities were voted the best place to pick someone up. More specifically, Tufts students looking for play seem to gather underground: "dark fraternity basement" and Delta Upsilon / Delta Tau Delta basements garnered several votes. On the other hand, one respondent wisely divulged, "this is tufts, guys... you're better off staying at home." Another respondent, who took a more corrupt (or purist, depending on your point of view) stance, replied, "at daycare :)". The Daily feels that the million dollar question is how the Campus Center came in second. Meanwhile, some respondents - probably scarred by some dreadful dining hall experience - were exceptionally detailed in voting for the "Best dining hall dish ... if you want to get sick" category. The "bleeding meat" garnered two votes, while the lasagna was nominated for the honor for its resemblance to "a bucket of ricotta cheese". In the "Off the Hill" category, one clever respondent proclaimed the best place to go to find wings was "a duck." The "Best Chinese takeout" category was met with skepticism. "Is there good Chinese food around Tufts?" asked one. Others simply resigned themselves to "?". North End proved to be a popular destination for couples on dinner-dates. But many took advantage of the opportunity to bemoan their date-less status. This seemingly widespread problem with lack of dates may be attributable to the fact that Boston appears to have absolutely nowhere to pick up dates. Respondents overwhelmingly responded with confusion and "??" to the "Best place to pick someone up" category. Several (overly?) confident respondents nominated their respective rooms for the category. Despite Daily efforts to steer responses towards more legal forums of filesharing, Kazaa, KazaaLite and Limewire still ranked in the top three places to download music. The RIAA (and Apple) may be pleased to hear that iTunes did come in second. After filing through surveys until our finger were raw and bleeding from papercuts, the Daily is pleased to give the campus "the best of Tufts" in 2003-04. Compare the results with both friends and enemies alike, and we will see you again next year. On the HillBest Student Organization First: Leonard Carmichael Society Second: Concert Board Third: The Primary SourceBest Performance Group First: Beelzebubs Second: Spirit of Color Third: Tufts Dance CollectiveBest Fraternity First: Delta Tau Delta Second: Theta Chi Third: Sig EpBest place to pick someone up First: Frats Second: Campus Center Third: Brown and BrewBest campus eatery First: No Name Cafe Second: Dewick-MacPhie Third: Campus CommonsBest yogurt flavor in dining halls First: Vanilla Second: Strawberry Third: ChocolateBest Odwalla (drink) flavor First: Mango Tango Second: Strawberry Banana Third: OrangeBest dining hall dish: First: Stir fry Second: Pizza Third: Chicken fingersBest class if you want an 'A' First: Astronomy 10 Second: History of Rock 'n Roll Third: Creative WritingBest show on TUTV First: Jumbo Love Match Second: Best Damn Interruption Third: Sunday LeftoversBest dorm First: West Second: Miller Third: SouthBest student band First: The Residence Second: theMark Third: Bunk 9Best Sorority First: Chi Omega Second: Alpha Phi Third: Alpha Omicron PiBest hang out spot First: Campus Center Second: Brown and Brew Third: Dorm roomBest candy at Jumbo Express First: Swedish fish Second: Sour Patch Kids Third: Chocolate covered pretzelsBest smoothie at No Name First: Strawberry Second: Mango Third: Strawberry bananaBest fuel for an all-nighter First: Red Bull Second: Coffee Third: Diet CokeBest dining hall dish...if you want to get sick First: Fish...any and all fish Second: Chicken grilla Third: Fried clamsBest Study Spot First: Tisch Library Second: Ginn Library Third: Campus CenterBest place for employment First: Library Second: Gym Third: Brown and Brew Off The HillBest calzone First: Espresso Pizza Second: Andrea's Pizza Third: Nick's House of PizzaBest pizza First: Espresso Pizza Second: Nick's House of Pizza Third: Andrea's PizzaBest breakfast/brunch First: SoundBites Second: Jay's Deli Third: Tasty GourmetBest wings First: Wing Works Second: Zing Wingz Third: Espresso PizzaBest restaurant off MOPS First: Anna'a Taqueria Second: Nick's House of Pizza Third: Tasty GourmetBest restaurant on MOPS First: Andrea's Pizza Second: Espresso Pizza Third: Pasta PisaBest restaurant to take parents First: Diva Indian Bistro Second: Legal Sea Foods Third: FiRE + iCEBest restaurant to go on a date First: Diva Indian Bistro Second: Joshua Tree Third: FiRE + iCEBest coffee shop First: Starbucks Second: Diesel Cafe Third: Someday CafeBest Chinese takeout First: Rose's Second: East Asia Third: Panda PalaceBest bar First: The Burren Second: The Joshua Tree Third: UnderbonesBest dessert First: Finale Second: JP Licks Third: Cheesecake FactoryBest beer First: Corona Second: Samuel Adams Third: Magic HatBest liquor store First: Hillside Wine and Spirits Second: Kappy's Liquors Third: Teele Square LiquorsBest dance club First: Avalon Second: The Roxy Third: AriaBest music venue First: Middle East Second: Avalon Third: The ParadiseBest place to pick someone up First: ??? Second: Clubs Third: Best mall or shopping area First: CambridgeSide Galleria Second: Newbury Street Third: Copley SquareBest to get a haircut First: Mario's Salon Second: Ultimate Barber Shop Third: Safar CoiffureBest place to download music First: Kazaa/KazaaLite Second: iTunes Third: Limewire

---