Archives

News

Carre, Brigham, Jurczynski look to lead track team

March 17

Coming off successful cross country and indoor seasons in which the Jumbos finished first and second in Div. III in New England, respectively, the Tufts men's track program is poised to sustain its dominant performance outdoors this spring. After finishing second to Williams (Williams 135, Tufts 119.5) in last year's outdoor NESCAC championship, as well as in the indoor Div III. New Englands (Williams 115.5, Tufts 107.5) the men's team looks to follow in the footsteps of the cross country team in unseating the Ephs and claiming the NESCAC crown as a team. Along the way, Tufts wants to send as many individuals as possible to the national championships. The Jumbos will be driven in this effort by a slew of returning track stand-outs. Junior Nate Brigham (10000 meters) will anchor a loaded distance team which includes, among others, freshman Josh Kennedy (10000 m), sophomore upstart Matt Lacey (5000 m), sophomore Kyle Doran and junior Michael Don in the 1500, and senior tri-captain Peter Jurczynski, last year's NESCAC steeplechase champion. "Peter's got good agility and he's stubborn," coach Connie Putnam said. "He's a power runner and he handles that race well." Freshmen Scott Merrick, Dan Sullivan, and Dan Jones are also poised to contribute in various races. Brigham is hoping to continue his regular season success and break through on the national level. He holds Tufts records in the 5000 and 10000 meter runs, and was the New England indoor champion in the 5000 meter run last year. "I feel like we are poised to be the most successful team I have ever been a part of," Brigham said. "We are much more mature and a lot deeper than we have been in previous years." Regarding his own goals, Brigham said, "of course I want to make a run at winning nationals in the 10000, but right now my concern is getting ready for my qualifying attempt at the Penn Relays. All in all I just want to run fast for myself and for the team." Leading the way for this year's sprint squad will be junior Ray Carre, a blazing 400 m runner who also is the New England Div. III indoor champ and Tufts record holder in the 600. He is joined by the talented duo of sophomores Pat Mahoney and Trevor Williams, and freshman Nate Cleveland. Junior Nate Thompson will contribute points in hurdling events. With the returning talent and the momentum of a strong indoor season at its back, the Tufts men's track team's preseason goals may not be far out of reach.

---

News

U.S. Patriot Act author, critic go toe to toe

March 17

Despite the quickly falling snow, students gathered Tuesday evening in a mostly-full ASEAN Auditorium for a rescheduled discussion of increased law enforcement powers after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The U.S. Patriot Act, passed days after the attacks, was written to help enhance law enforcement investigations of potential terrorists in the United States. Tuesday night's event was sponsored by the Tufts American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Tufts Democrats and the Tufts Republicans. Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy and U.S. Patriot Act author Viet Dinh, and Massachusetts ACLU Executive Director Carol Rose attempted to frame the act outside of partisan political thought that is becoming more popular as the U.S. presidential campaign revs up. While Tufts Republicans President Philipp Tsipman introduced Dinh, Tsipman said that the Patriot Act is "a civil liberties litmus test that separates the good guys from the bad." But during the speech, both panelists spoke against using an absolutist mentality when examining some of the country's most controversial new anti-terror laws. "It does not shock me that there is politics in this town," Dinh said, referring to the stigma attached to supporters and critics alike of the Patriot Act, which he said had become a "brand name" for individual viewpoints on civil liberties. Dinh stressed that it would be a "grave mistake" to view the Patriot Act as intended to balance security against liberty. "You provide security to preserve liberty," he said. Dinh said, however, that even the provisions of the Patriot Act would not be enough to prevent terrorism. "It will not provide us an iron-clad guarantee that there will not be any more terrorist attacks," he said. Dinh defended the most non-controversial portions of the act -- including updates to privacy law for new forms of communication -- and said that theses were "corrective nips and tucks" that "patched the holes" in pre-Sept.11 law enforcement legislation. Dinh said the Patriot Act aimed to determine "how do we give law enforcement the tools they need" while simultaneously realizing that "governmental authority can be misused and abused." Rose countered that post-Sept. 11 is the citizens of the United States' "moment to decide what kind of a people we are." She said the problems of the Patriot Act were due to the pressure for politicians to "do something, to do anything" after the terrorist attacks. Rose agreed with Dinh that anti-terrorist legislation should not be a "choice between liberty and security." Rose said, however, that the Patriot Act provided "false security" because it did not address the root causes of terrorism and it prevented good law enforcement. She blamed the Sept. 11 attacks not on a lack of intelligence but on a failure to recognize the warning signs from available intelligence. "It wasn't like we needed to get more information," she said. Unfortunately, according to Rose, the Patriot Act's aim was to gather more intelligence and in the process it brought about a "decline in judicial oversight and a decline in legislative branch oversight." At that point in the discussion, the American flag stationed behind the podium fell to the floor. "Exactly," Rose said. During the question and answer system, Dinh and Rose often found common ground on issues -- at times giving each other good natured pats on the back and joking about their presumed enmity. Tsipman chose questioners, whose queries often served as jumping-off points for debate between the panelists. Dinh and Rose agreed that the legislative branch should be more active in changing the Patriot Act rather than using it as a political tool in election years. "If you have real issues, put it on the agenda," Dinh said. "Put up or shut up." For much of the question period, however, Dinh and Rose argued over provisions of the Patriot Act that extended beyond terrorism, especially in the field of immigration. Dinh, himself an immigrant who came to America as a refugee from Vietnam in 1978, said that stricter enforcement of immigration laws was warranted. "Abide by our laws when you come to our country as a guest," he said. Rose said that there is a fundamental difference in saying that immigration laws are illiberal and working to change them, rather than not enforcing those laws. She said many immigrants who were "given bad counsel" 15 years ago and told that immigration laws were not strictly enforced were now shocked to be put in jail after the Patriot Act. Dinh dismissed the leaked "Patriot Act II" which he said was an internal Department of Justice document that "wouldn't pass the laugh test past me or my assistant." The "Patriot Act II" was a preliminary draft of ideas for enhancing the Patriot Act that contained many controversial provisions, such as giving the government power to deport any legal permanent resident and the ability to revoke citizenship of those suspected of terrorism. Dinh acknowledged that the federal government currently has many methods to follow a U.S. citizen's private life. He joked that after he started working for the Department of Justice, he "started using cash a lot more." The event was originally supposed to be held Monday evening, but needed to be moved due to scheduling problems.

---

News

Injury free, the field unit looks to shine

March 17

Superman is renowned for his multitude of talents: he can jump extraordinarily long distances, vault over towering objects, and hurl even the heaviest bad guys with ease. Although they don't have to dispose of villains, the field unit of the men's track and field team is expected to perform many of these same tasks. In events such as the long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and the discus, hammer, and javelin throw, Jumbo athletes will be tested in many of the skills that make Superman such a force. Although a lot of attention has been focused on freshman standout Fred Jones, who, as senior tri-captain Adrian Clarke said, "could finish in the top three at nationals" in the triple jump, many other team members are remarkable in their own right. Junior long jumper Nate Thompson was a consistent top five finisher last year and has been honing his skills indoors all winter, along with Jones. Sophomore pole vaulter Seth LaPierre, according to Clarke, "is going to do some special things this season," while fellow classmate Will Heitmann should also contribute in that event. In the throwing arena, junior Dan March, sophomores Brandon Udelhofen and Jason Galvin, freshmen Vincent Galatro and Ryan Byrne, and senior tri-captain Ryan McPherson are all are primed for strong seasons. Coach Connie Putnam pointed to March and Udelhofen in particular as prime suspects to produce for the Jumbos. "Brandon has really come to the forefront," Putnam added. "And Dan March will probably continue to be our best hammer." While all of the aforementioned athletes were at least modest contributors indoors, Putnam mentioned sophomore Lionel Yarmon in the javelin and junior Tyler Groff in the hammer as Jumbos who could become players in the outdoor field scene. "Outdoors, the throws go further, so it's easier for smaller guys to compete and throw further," Putnam said, in reference to Groff. As for Clarke himself, the pole vaulter spent most of last season nursing tendonitis, and is finally healthy again. "I'm really looking forward to just getting out there," he said. With Jones' sixth-place All-American finish at indoors national this weekend, and a deep field of throwers and jumpers to complement him, the Jumbos are excited about the upcoming season. "Last year, injuries really held us back," Clarke said. "We were only at about 80 percent health. This season we're closer to 95 percent."

---

News

After a year-long effort, the 2004 fact book is complete

March 17

Students wondering how many volumes of books can be found in the Tisch Library, or how many Tufts alums currently reside in Iceland can now rest easy. The Office of Institutional Research recently released the 31st edition of the "Tufts Fact Book" for 2003-04 year, which is currently also available online. Since its first publication in 1973, the fact book has been a fundamental resource for administration and faculty to access statistical information about the University. According to Executive Director of Institutional Research Dawn Terkla, the process of compiling information for the book takes most of the one-year time span between publications. Every year, "the institutional research coordinator sends a request to over 100 different individuals at the University to provide statistics about their specific departments, areas of study, and students," Terkla said. After the Institutional Research Office receives the information, the data is computed and compiled by the editor, and "the 'Fact Book' is born," Terkla said. The book's creators will have a harder time for next year's publication without Judy Smalley, who acted as editor for the last seven years. Smalley retired from Tufts last month after sixteen years at Tufts, Terkla said. Terkla views the "Fact Book" as a "public service to the University," though she admitted it is not a typical document an undergraduate would read. Used heavily by administrators, Terkla said that the book "is one of the major sources available for statistical information about Tufts." "It is important for an administrator to have [the book] readily available when asked for information," Terkla said. As both a contributor of data and a user of the "Fact Book", Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said the book is a "source of raw data" that "provides a snapshot of life at the University in a statistical way." Reitman found the book "useful to affirm what we are thinking and to agree or disagree with what is actually going on at the University." Analysis of statistical information from the "Tufts Fact Book" archives showed several trends regarding the student body. Over the last thirteen years, the number of applicants for undergraduate study at Tufts has markedly increased. In the 1991-92 academic year, 6,301 students applied for spots in the Liberal Arts and Jackson Colleges, jumping to 7,391 in the 1995-96 year. Last year, there were 12,719 undergraduate arts and sciences applicants, more than double that of in 1991-92. As greater numbers of students apply to Tufts, the male to female ratio has remained relatively stable, with an almost 50-50 split each year. In 1993-94, 53 percent of undergraduates were female and 47 percent were male. In 1999-2000, 55 percent were female and 45 percent male. This past year, females made up 52 percent of the student body, while males made up 48 percent. Students' states of origin have stayed also stayed stable, with Massachusetts and New York in the top two spots and Connecticut and New Jersey tied for third in 2003-04. This is little changed from 1995-96 when Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey were in the top three spots, with Connecticut trailing only by a small amount. The top countries for international students has seen some variation over time, with Canada, India, and Japan being the three countries most frequently represented in the student body in 1995-96. In 2003-04, Tufts enrolled the most students from China, Canada, and India. Only over the last three years have the "Tufts Fact Books" been available in an electronic format. Terkla said that the book is "in a transitional phase," and there are future plans to get rid of the paper version and make a searchable online database of all the information contained in the book, Terkla said. And for those who still curious about how many volumes of books are located in the Tisch Library, the "Fact Book" counts it at 812,138, and there are 12 Tufts alums currently living in Iceland.

---

News

Tufts Traditions: How much do students know about Tufts?

March 17

Jumbos spend a good four years on the Hill, but just how much do Tufts students really know about their campus? Many students feel that they and Tufts students in general, do not know enough about Tufts' traditions and history. "I think that Tufts in general doesn't do a good job of teaching people about trivia or engaging them in Tufts traditions," junior Erin Baldinger said. "People don't always take an interest in Tufts traditions -- it's too bad." For instance, the cannon is a Tufts landmark that students often pass several times a day, but most can only speculate on the intricate story behind it. Some students cite that they've heard that it is pointed at Harvard. Others think that it was involved in a past war. Students' lack of knowledge about the stories behind campus landmarks is widespread: many admit that they do not know as much as they would like. "I know a little bit, but not as much as what I feel like I should know," Baldinger said. Other students are more confident in their knowledge of the campus. "I think I could give a tour, maybe not tell you how many books are in the library, but I think I know a fair amount," senior Flori Engler said. Interest and knowledge levels may simply vary from individual to individual. "I think it depends on the student," Engler said. "I think most people, if they don't know about Tufts traditions, have [created] their own traditions." Snider agreed that the knowledge level depends on the student. "I think most people know a little bit, like about the cannon, but there are some people who know a lot -- every trivia question," she said. "I think they [Tufts administration] could emphasize traditions more. People should be proud to be at Tufts." "Tufts students don't know about Tufts trivia. I don't think it's correlated with a lack of school spirit -- the spirit just is not grounded in anything," junior Alexis Gerber said. "I don't know how we could convey traditions, you have to know them to pass them on." Bowen Gate You kiss and what...?! Alexis Gerber, junior: "If you stand under it and kiss someone, you'll get married." Choloe Snider, sophomore:"I don't know [who Bowen is] -- maybe it was someone who kissed under it and got married?" An alumnus' gift Bowen Gate is actually named for Tufts alum Eugene Bucklin Bowen (Class of 1876). Bowen gave several gifts to Tufts; along with Bowen Gate, the Bowen Lions outside of Barnum Hall and the Bowen Chimes in Goddard Chapel are his donations. Cannon What you think you know...: Snider: "I know it's a replica of some cannon used in some war." Erin Baldinger, junior: "It was donated by somebody a long time ago. ... I don't really know much about it. I know about the tradition of painting it, though." Flori Engler, senior: "You paint it at night and you have to stay out and guard it." ...and the real deal: The cannon was given to Tufts as a gift by the city of Medford and the Medford Historical Society in 1956. It is a replica of a cannon taken from the deck of the USS Constitution. The tradition of painting the cannon began in 1977, when students painted in protest of a controversial honorary degree. The Rez What's in a name? Engler: "It's that little coffee shop in the campus center. Maybe it stands for Residential Cafe?" Snider:"It's named after a reservoir. There used to be a reservoir where the Residential Quad is." A reservoir on the Hill The reservoir was located where the Residential Quad currently is and was constructed to provide water for Boston, Chelsea, Charlestown and Somerville. It was featured in several Tufts traditions of its time: dates made at the reservoir could not be broken, and a senior asking for a date at the top of the pump house could not be refused.The reservoir was used as an emergency water supply from 1914 to 1944 when the plot of land was sold to Tufts... for all of $1. It was drained and filled in 1948 and used as a parking lot until Carmichael was built in 1950. Library scroll Decoding a mystery Gerber: "I always thought it was a piece of artwork that was supposed to represent what is in the library." Baldinger: "It's something in binary code, but I always wonder what it is." Engler: "It's a poem about the library in binary code. There's a plaque on the wall that says what it's about." The sculpture was installed in 1997 and was designed by then-Museum school students Sarah Hollis Perry and Rachel Perry Welty. It is a binary-code translation of the poem "New Eyes Each Year" by Philip Larkin. A translation of the poem is located on a plaque under the sculpture.

---

News

Spring Break

March 17

How could I resist? Spring break. So topical. So -- excuse the early pun -- tropical. So, as my high school friends and I used to say in a mocking tone about such cliche parts of college life, "college." That's right. Spring break is a rite of -- well, literally -- passage that every student must face. I would be mistaken to tell you that every student must head to Cancun or go sea kayaking, but for this week off from school, we've all got to do something. Girls Gone Wild I honestly believe that this only exists in video tapes starring girls from Big Ten schools, but apparently I'm wrong. If you're holding a plane ticket that has a destination that is anything involving the word "beach" or a word that is not English, you're in for "Girls Gone Wild." It's really amazing to me that people actually have weeks like this in their lives: wet t-shirt contests, dancing on top of bars, standing under a pouring stream of vodka on the dance floor. It's amazing -- and something that frankly I think is well worth it. After all, when again in your entire life will you be able to go into a club, get completely smashed, take countless shots of God-knows-what, and go home with God-knows-who? Just don't get caught on video! (Or, should I say, be sure to get caught on video!) Medford Almost the opposite of going down to take in the MTV Spring Break scene is to stay in Medford for the week. And hey -- I'm not knockin it. Save yourself the price of a plane ticket and the airsickness ta'boot: you can have all the wet t-shirt contests you want in your very own apartment on College Ave. (Warm weather, free-flowing tropical alcohol, and sketchy guys you don't know not included. Of course, cold weather, free-flowing cheap alcohol, and sketchy guys you do know are included.) But having a nice week off and not going anywhere too crazy could provide you with some good R&R, uninhibited time for sex thanks to the absence of your otherwise ever-present roommate, and unlimited pints of Ben & Jerry's. Jamaica I think Jamaica falls somewhere in the area of the "Girls Gone Wild" extravaganza, but the alcohol is substituted for with a much more... relaxing substance. Angie mentioned something to the effect of "guys selling you dime bags for fifty cents when you step off the plane." Hm. Sports Teams Training Trips I know that plenty of people will be taking trips with their teams this Spring break: to Arizona to run, to Georgia to play ultimate, and even to sunny Tufts University for crew. It seems to me that these Spring Break ideas combine the best of all worlds: you get in your share of "college-aged fun" but there's a purpose in there somewhere of weekend tournaments, weekday practices, and hard work to train. Of course throwing in a plane ride or road trip with teammates make things that much more spicy. Florence with one friend Well, I don't think this is too typical. But, Kurt and Jason, I know you're heading off to this beautiful destination. So... you know... enjoy yourselves! Home Of course, home is a free option that is hard to pass up. But hard to swallow! Unless you're a freshman holding on to that long-expired high school girlfriend or a wily upperclassman who has a source of cash at home, all I have for you is: WTF. The following things will really incense you upon making it back to the place where you grew up: being asked to empty the dishwasher, watching a movie with your parents in the living room, hearing your mommy call you down for dinner. But hey, Bonnie Rose, if it's your birthday, more power to you. So that's that. Spring break. Ironically, one could posit that the people making each of the choices above are usually doing the same things during the year (having wet t-shirt contests, drinking to excess, going home and watching a movie) and that in fact this makes spring break not a "break" at all, but rather just a week-of-what-you-usually-do but without interruption. Have a blast.

---

---

News

Jones looks to repeat winter success

March 17

For the first time in its history, the men's track team has a freshman entering the outdoor season with an All-New England title under his belt. Even though Fred Jones is only a freshman, the team will look to him for points in important meets this spring. Jones' success has tempted coach Connie Putnam to test him in other events, such as the 4 x 100 meter relay, in addition to his long jump and triple jump duties. "On one hand, we want a lot from Fred because he's more talented than other guys," Putnam said. "But on the other hand, we don't expect any more from him than other team member. Everyone has to contribute and we want everyone to do their best." Jones' success has not harmed his work ethic. His recent experience at nationals, where he placed sixth in the triple jump, has inspired him to dedicate his free time to the weight room. During the team's brief break, and throughout the outdoor season, Jones will be lifting intensely in an attempt to better his performance. "I plan to spend a lot of time in the weight room in order to gain strength and speed," Jones said. "With my strength below average, I need to be in there as much as possible in order to maintain national success." When the team moves to Ellis Oval for the spring, the Northfield, MA native will be looking to continue his impressive season, although the cold and windy weather might initially hurt his performance. "Hopefully I will be able to fuse my success to the outdoor season, but the New England weather will definitely play a key component to my success," Jones said. "I should continue to thrive outdoors when the weather warms up." Jones' achievements have been no surprise to Putnam. "It wasn't a shock," Putnam said. "We knew what we had coming in. He's lived up to our expectations in every way."

---

News

NHL's March Madness upon us

March 17

The science of bracketology is usually associated with the men's college basketball tournament, the 64-team melee that starts today. In the National Hockey League though, another subfield of the bracketology discipline is being established. There is no selection committee, politicking, or automatic bids; just a two-week race for playoff position and the resulting match-ups for what will surely be a great month of Stanley Cup playoffs. For now though, hockey fans are eagerly awaiting their own month of playoff mayhem. Let's call it Anticipatory April. The closest race down the stretch is shaping up in what seemed a few weeks ago to be an unlikely setting, the Pacific Division. The San Jose Sharks (88 points) have struggled to maintain what was once a substantial lead over their bitter rivals, the Dallas Stars (85 points). Tuesday night's game between these two Western squads demonstrated this battle for the division, and the top-three playoff spot that is guaranteed to come with it. After Dallas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first two periods, the Sharks bit back in the third by scoring three unanswered goals in the final six minutes and three seconds of the period. The last two goals came by way of rookie sensation Jonathon Cheechoo, tying the game with 34 seconds left after scoring 63 seconds earlier. For those of you more familiar with college basketball than hockey, this is an example of the hockey equivalent to the buzzer-beater. The game ended in a tie, but the point helped the Sharks escape Dallas with their precarious three-point lead in the Pacific intact. These two teams will meet once more, on March 28 in San Jose, before the end of the regular season. Expect playoff-like intensity. Here in Boston, another division race is shaping up in an unexpected manner. The Northeast Division has been tight all season, with the Boston Bruins (93 points), Ottawa Senators (90 points), and Toronto Maple Leafs (90 points) all having quite respectable years. A few weeks back, it seemed as though the Bruins would have been content with just a playoff berth. But after Tuesday night's 2-1 victory over Toronto, Boston clinched a playoff spot and grabbed a three-point division lead, putting them in line for the third playoff spot in the East. With seven of their remaining nine games in the Fleet Center, the Bruins look poised to hang on and capture the Northeast crown. Though there are still two weeks left to play, the teams that will make the postseason are pretty much set. There are, however, a few still on the "bubble." One such team unsure of its playoff fate is the Los Angeles Kings (79 points), who are trailing both the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues by one point for the final two playoff spots. The Kings' loss to St. Louis on Tuesday night bumped them out of the current playoff picture, and their remaining ten games (five home, five away) don't seem to put them in a good position to leapfrog anybody -- all ten are against teams that are over .500. Of course, the real story this past week was the league's punishment of Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi for his dirty take-down of the Colorado Avalanche's Steve Moore. Even non-sports fans whose idea of athletic competition is a Saturday night Beruit game (sans "live ball") can appreciate the brutality and viciousness with which Bertuzzi struck. The league has suspended Bertuzzi for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs for the hit, and he will have to apply for reinstatement into the league at the beginning of next season. The hit, which has, unfortunately, been getting more media attention than anything else in the NHL all season, came in the third period of an embarrassing 9-2 Vancouver loss. Moore suffered a concussion and two fractured vertebrae. With Bertuzzi, who had 60 points this season, out, the Canucks' Stanley Cup hopes are all but crushed. So, with the brackets still not finalized, hockey fans will have to wait before making their predictions and entering office pools. When the time comes, however, this reporter will not shy away from that daunting task. Next week: end of season awards.

---

News

Shakespeare goes gay

March 17

The story is one of the most famous of all: two star-crossed lovers from Verona, struck by misfortune and divided by their feuding families, choose to die together rather than live without each other. This month, the Mill 6 Theater Collaborative resurrects this Shakespearean classic in an all-male adaptation. Mill 6's production, appropriately titled "Shakespeare's R&J," is directed by Barlow Adamson and was originally adapted for the stage by playwright Joe Calarco. Rather than just recasting the play to account for all male actors, Calarco instead chooses to set his version in a boys' boarding school: four students sneak out after curfew to perform their own reading of the tragic love story. Adapting the difficult language and archaic turns of phrase of Shakespeare's plays for the modern stage is never easy. But Calarco does a fine job of reinterpreting the original story and the cast of the Mill 6 production brings it alive. All four actors play numerous parts throughout the reenactment (as well as their expository "schoolboy" characters), and their contagious enthusiasm and energy leaps off the stage. The production is mostly bare -- some boxes, a chest, a platform against a brick wall -- but the simplicity of the set makes the seemingly improvisational performance all the more realistic. Similarly, there are almost no props of which to speak: a single red scarf plays the part of swords in the duels, poison from the apothecary, and the ultimate happy dagger in the final scene. This lack of complicated accoutrements surprisingly adds to the piece, allowing the imaginations of the individual audience members to run wild. The play itself opens simply enough, with schoolboys racing through their day, doing sums and conjugating Latin, but after the final bell, the four friends sneak out from their dormitory to read an old copy of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The performance is intentionally stiff at first, but as the characters begin to get into their parts and the story starts to come alive, the audience and the schoolboys alike are caught up in the timeless words of the tragic play. While all the characters of "Romeo and Juliet" were played by male actors back in the heyday of the Globe Theater, the decision to use such a cast today automatically associates the play with modern issues like gay marriage and attitudes towards homosexuality. Even though these questions were never present in the original script, it's hard to watch their friends' disapproval of "Romeo" and "Juliet's" first kiss without wondering how much of the ire comes from Montague versus Capulet and how much is the schoolboy's discomfort with homosexuality. However, the production thankfully stays away from the didactic, and the actors let the simplicity of the love story state their case for them. By the end of the play, the action on the stage is so enthralling that the gender of the actors is barely noticeable; the story, the tragedy, is first and foremost, no matter the players. Each one of the four actors is notable for their abilities to bring a modern edge to a 17th century play. In too many remakes of Shakespeare, one leaves wondering whether or not the actors really got all the jokes, but Tyler Hollinger (Mercutio, Lady Capulet, Friar Lawrence) and Jeremy Johnson (Tybalt, the Nurse) leave no question that they fully understand the script's humor. Hollinger especially is exceptional in his ability to take on different exaggerated roles, and he switches between his characters so flawlessly that the audience doesn't even flinch as he abandons the stuffed shirt of Juliet's mother for the sauntering persona of Romeo's best friend Mercutio. Adam Soule (Romeo) and Spencer Christie (Juliet) are also more than believable in their performance, both as love struck teenagers in Verona and tentative schoolboys experimenting with life and the Bard for the first time. Though the setting is Calarco's, all the dialogue comes directly from Shakespeare. Lines from "Romeo and Juliet" are deftly adapted to supply most of the dialogue. Calarco also throws in bits and pieces of famous speeches from other plays including "The Tempest" and "Midsummer Night's Dream." Fans of Shakespeare will love the chance to show off their knowledge by laughing at all the jokes (like when one of the boys spontaneously quotes Puck), and everyone else will simply appreciate the powerful language. This may not be a performance for the most hardcore Shakespeare purists - many scenes and characters are truncated to allow for the four-man cast - but the well-adapted script and the simple production are a worthy rendition of a timeless story. Whether this is the first time you've seen a version of "Romeo and Juliet" or the tenth, "Shakespeare's R&J" is unique enough to warrant a second look. The Mill 6 Theater Collaborative production of "Shakespeare's R&J" is playing at the Devanaughn Theater (791 Tremont Street, Boston's South End) until Mar. 27. Tickets are $12 with student ID and can be purchased at the door or through www.theatermania.com. 617-240-6317.

---

News

Seven Questions with Mary Anderson Cella

March 17

Full name: Mary Anderson Cella Nickname: That ear piercing laugh in Carmichael Birth date: 5/6/85 Hometown: Williamstown, MA Zodiac sign: Taurus Hobbies: Creeping on celebrities and men (especially Elliott Wiley Jr.), and reading the 7 Questions archives Favorite athlete: Elliott Wiley Jr. (He's almost an athlete) My lifelong goal for my Tufts sports journalism career has finally come true -- I have a groupie. Freshman Mary Cella hasn't given me that "groupie love" because I don't cheat on my girlfriend, but Mary still appreciates my work. While Cella isn't an athlete at Tufts, she does have an athletic background in alpine skiing and basketball, but pretty much she gets to do 7 Questions because she has boosted my ego to unbelievable heights. Yesterday, I caught up to Cella completing an unbelievably tough cardio workout regimen, so naturally 7 Question followed. 1. What possessed you to go online this year and read all of the archived 7 Questions that ran in the Daily even before you became a student at Tufts? The first time I read 7 Questions was when I earned my nickname (ear piercing laugh in Carmichael), so I obviously found it hilarious. I just couldn't get enough and I still can't. 2. Through my sources, I hear you have an unbelievably tough workout plan, care to share? I do a lot of cardio in the gym -- but the real sport of it is scoping for meaty treats. Yes, boys I'm that creepy girl on the elliptical who stares at you everyday. >3. How did you get into alpine skiing? I started skiing when I was three and joined a race team at nine. On the western rim, we don't have anything but hills, fields, cows, and snow, so racing is pretty big, especially at my high school. We won five state championships in my six years there, proving our superiority to the east coast. 4. Besides skiing, what sport do you respect the most and why? I'm a retired ball player, so I love baseball. Boys in tight pants are always fun to watch. 5. What are your spring break plans and what is the wildest thing you will do at that location? I'm going home to sit on my couch and watch the cows eat my bush. No seriously, my next door neighbors have cows and they eat my shrubbery. If I get really wild and crazy, I might go to the Williams gym or even Stop and Shop. 6. Every weekend I see you at some frat, what is your favorite fraternity to frequent, and why? What girl can resist being seduced by meaty landmasses in the dimly lit DU basement? >7. Does it offend you that I consider you my 7 Questions groupie? Why or why not? I can't be offended because it's true. * by Elliott Wiley Jr.

---

News

Despite weather, women's lacrosse opens season today

March 17

Despite a snow-covered field and dreary conditions, the women's lacrosse team is optimistic about starting the season in today's game against non-conference rival Wellesley College. Because of Mother Nature's apparent indifference to outdoor competition, Tufts held practice indoors yesterday. Today's match-up was scheduled to be played at Wellesley, but will instead take place on the artificial turf of Boston University's Nickerson Field due to the weather. The game will pit Wellesley (8-9 overall last season) against the Jumbos (6-6 overall, 2-6 in NESCAC in 2003), who are seeking to improve after last year's less than stellar record. And although it would usually be detrimental, the recent inclement weather could play a positive role for Tufts in the game. "We have been practicing indoors because of the weather," coach Carol Rappoli said. "I think we're ready for the artificial surface." Preparing for a different playing surface is one thing, however. Trying to rally the troops and get the season underway for the first game is another. "We have a very young group of kids, and we're working on the basics. We're making sure everyone knows the plays and their roles in them," Rappoli said. "I am looking forward to this after our scrimmages [with MIT and Bentley], because our team got better in each one." The Jumbos handily defeated MIT and demolished Bentley, a Division-II school, 18-2. Tufts beat Wellesley in Medford 12-10 in the Jumbos' third game last year, on the way to a 4-0 out of league record last year. The stellar non-conference record did little to help the Jumbos in the NESCAC, however, as the team finished with a disappointing 2-6 mark in conference. Every game the Jumbos dropped last year came at the hands of a NESCAC foe. Still, while last year's out of conference games were a deceiving indicator of how Tufts would go on to perform in NESCAC, this year's contest against Wellesley can still provide valuable information as to where the Jumbos stand and what they need to improve. "It's not a league game, but we are looking to win and [gain] some momentum and confidence," sophomore defender Hilary Pentz said. "It will give us some kind of indication about where we stand." The Jumbos, who will be heading to Florida for spring break to face off against Union College and Western Connecticut, would like to get a win under their belts before hitting the jet-stream and the warmer weather. Also important for Tufts will be the valuable play and leadership of veterans, who can use the beginning of the season to help the younger players get accustomed to the collegiate level. Specifically, senior tri-captains Christie Langenberg and Lauren Peach will have to anchor the defense for junior goalie Sarah Lipson. Lipson, converted from attack, will be making her first ever start in the net. On attack, senior tri-captain Kristin Saldarelli, and last year's leading scorers, junior Willow Hagge and sophomore Dena Miller, are all returning. Hagge, also a member and former co-captain of the field-hockey team, scored a staggering 34 goals and notched 13 assists in her 12 games played as an NCAA-eligible sophomore in 2003. Scoring goals at a clip of 2.84 a game, she upped her career numbers to 60 goals and 21 assists, almost doubling the output of her nearest teammate. Although Hagge is in her fourth year at Tufts as part of the museum-school program, she has another year left on her eligibility according to NCAA rules and, therefore, can factor in to Tufts' plans in 2005. Hagge did not use a year of athletic eligibility her freshman year as a Jumbo.

---

News

First full-length from TV on the Radio doesn't quite live up to its expectations

March 17

It's 1989. A lovestruck Lloyd Dobler hoists an enormous boombox over his head outside Diane Court's window. He hits "play" and what comes out is the voice of ... TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe? Well, not quite. As any '80s film buff knows, the above scene from "Say Anything" actually features Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." But somehow, the voice of New York native, Adebimpe, smacks of the former Genesis front-man. In fact, most of TV on the Radio's first full-length album, "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes," seems familiar -- sometimes even nostalgic -- with effects ranging from '80s pop-star vocals to barbershop quartet-style harmonies. But if you can get past your mental images of claymation trains and dancing chickens, you'll see that TV on the Radio surpasses its kitschy associations. Biographically, there isn't much to separate TV on the Radio from the pack of contemporary New York groups. The trio -- Adebimpe, instrumentalist/producer David Andrew Sitek, and vocalist/guitarist Kyp Malone -- is from Brooklyn, and like so many other bands in that area, they have a strong interest in the visual arts (Adebimpe is a filmmaker and Sitek is a painter). Staying true to the incestuous qualities of the Brooklyn scene, the band is friendly with their neighbors, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (YYYs). Sitek produced the YYYs' "Machine" EP and album "Fever to Tell." Adebimpe directed their "Pin" video -- which, interestingly, features a "Sledgehammer"-esque stop-motion Karen O doll romping through a macabre New York playground. Despite the bands' camaraderie, they have little in common stylistically. TV on the Radio's dark reserve is a far cry from the YYYs' unhinged freneticism. Adebimpe, Sitek, and Malone first made waves with the release of their moody 2003 release, "Young Liars." Of the EP's five tracks, the only one that made it onto the album is "Staring at the Sun," a good example of the contrasting forces at work on "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes." The vocals are crisp and clean, standing out over the fuzzy growling bass and ticking cymbals. The guitar is indiscernible, presenting more of an emotive force than a showcase of Malone's skill. The instruments provide a back-up presence until the album's sixth track, "Poppy," when the guitar finally sounds like a guitar and the drums like drums. The finger-snapping and high-hat hitting give the song the feeling of a live performance and distinguish it from the more bizarre electronic songs like "The Wrong Way" with its inexplicable foghorn sound. The vocals have precedence over the instruments on most of the album. One of the best songs is "Ambulance," in which there are no instruments. Instead, there are layer upon layer of harmonized vocals in what sounds like a bastardized a cappella arrangement. This gruesome love song also contains some of the album's most interesting lyrics: "I will be your accident/if you will be my ambulance/and I will be your screech and crash/if you will be my crutch and cast/and I will be your one more time/if you will be my one last chance." There are many promising elements on the album, but the band's redundant tendency partially snuffs out their glimmers of creativity. The barbershop effect on "Ambulance" is fun and unexpected, but it's annoying when they pull the same trick two and a half minutes later on "Poppy." "Don't Love You" sounds a lot like "Staring at the Sun" (including the highly Gabriel-ized vocals), and there's the added insult of its trite lyrics: "I just want to let you know I don't love you anymore." Early in the song, Adebimpe admits that "it's been said best before" but that doesn't stop him from saying it for five more minutes. By the time the final track, "Wear You Out" (a fitting title for another agonizingly long song), suggests "let's break it down," you suspect they won't. And you're right -- the song goes on and on until it mercifully reaches its dissonant end. The EP worked well because TV on the Radio got a chance to explore -- but not exhaust -- the depths of its darkly inventive sound. In the end, if you could TiVo the band's second release and cut out all the extraneous clutter, "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes" would probably sound a lot like "Young Liars."

---

News

Car slams into University apartment

March 17

At roughly 11:45 p.m. last night, a vehicle slammed into the front porch of the University apartments at 11 Sunset Rd., and the driver fled the scene. According to senior Joseph Ungerleider, who lives in the upstairs apartment, the driver was visibly intoxicated. "I was sitting in my room, and it literally shook me out my seat," he said. Senior Nick Palange, whose bedroom is directly above the front porch of the building, said he heard a loud bang, followed by screeching tires. "I went out onto the balcony and saw a car in our house," he said. Ungerleider said that he went outside, and saw the driver step out of the car after attempting to back his car out from under the front porch. Ungerleider immediately called the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD). Two neighbors attended to the driver immediately after the impact, and, according to Ungerleider. The neighbors helped the driver remove the vehicle, and when it was free, the driver jumped back into the car and sped away. According to Ungerleider, the car headed down Sunset and onto Hillsdale St., heading toward Boston Ave. Palange was able to record the license plate number of the vehicle. Both TUPD and the Somerville Police Department responded to the accident. Police were able to match the license plate to an address, Ungerleider said. The latticework on the front porch of the building, as well as some plumbing underneath the porch was visibly damaged. TUPD was unable to comment in time for this article. --by Ethan Austin

---

News

Putnam thinks spring will have Jumbos in top form

March 17

Coach Connie Putnam thinks that the spring holds promise to be a little more productive for his men's track and field team than the winter was. And after 20 winter-to-spring transitions at Tufts, Putnam certainly has some experience on which to base that belief. "We're excited to get outdoors, get some nice warm weather, some sun, get our Vitamin D," Putnam said. "We'll be better outdoors. We should throw further and run faster." Spring will bring with it not only blue skies but the 10000 meter race and 3000 meter steeplechase, and both of those should be to the Jumbos' benefits. Senior tri-captain Peter Jurczynski is the defending NESCAC steeplechase champion, while Brigham was the conference's runner-up in the 10000. "I consider the 10000 my best race," Brigham said. "I do the 5000 indoors partly because I know that in order to be a good 10000 runner you have to run a good 5000." Additionally, the spring sprints are the 100 and 200 meters rather than the 55 and 100, where the Jumbos' cupboard of short distance sprinters is mostly bare. Although the Jumbos still don't have any experienced 200 meter runners other than junior Ray Carre, Putnam was hopeful that some of his quarter-milers could step down and try to help him out. "Fifty-five meters is incredibly explosive; you're basically done once you accelerate," Putnam explained. "The 200 has a slight measure of endurance." Putnam's knowledge and experience of the intricacies of running are one of the reasons that, over the years, the Tufts track and field team has established itself as one of the best in the NESCAC, and indeed in all of Division III New England. Although this year's team is extremely talented, no team can be great without dedicated coaches. "Everything you could know about track, Connie knows," senior tri-captain Adrian Clarke said. "He knows it inside and out." Yet apart from being a knowledgeable coach, Putnam seems to have a better idea of the 'big picture' than others. "He's seen the top level teams, and he knows what we have to do reach that level," sophomore Matt Fortin explained. At Putnam's side are assistant coaches Pat Dinino and Ethan Barron who, according to Clarke, "really know their stuff." Dinino spread his name across the Jumbo record book while competing for Putnam in the early 1990's, while Barron was a Middlebury Panther in college. The two will help the Jumbos continue to refine their technical skills in an effort to capture the NESCAC title. "This is a great bunch of guys," Fortin added. "We are going to be a force to be reckoned with."

---

News

Eastern skiers rule

March 17

So I've had this theory since I was like three years old. Most people call it crazy, but I call it right. I'm gonna let you in on it in a second, but I just have to warn you, this might ruffle a few feathers. Eastern skiers are better than western skiers. That's right kids. We up here in the land of ice, rock, and monstrously thin cover could teach all you pure powder skiers a thing or two. You'll note, however, that I said eastern skiers are better, not eastern skiing. Important difference there. I love some pure eastern skiing as much as the next psychotic with a death wish, but there's no getting around the fact that it sucks. The only problem that I have with my theory is that I've never been able to empirically test it. I've never actually been out west to the lands of nipple deep powder and eternal sunshine to see how well I stack up to skiers out there. But this will soon change, my friends, for I am headed to Jackson Hole over spring break, where I will put my finely tuned eastern abilities to the test. And I'm fairly confident that I'll come back vindicated, and will furiously laugh in the face of anybody who ever told me I was nuts. But back to the theory. I suppose I should explain a little. I grew up skiing at Sugarloaf, that famous mother of a mountain in Maine that Amos Winter and the Bigelow Boys cut by hand back in 1951. Now, when you cut a trail by hand in 1951, you couldn't really make it very wide. And since it took so damn long to cut a single trail, the trail you cut had better be fun. And fun means steep. And narrow. And windy. With big rocks. And that first trail that they cut, Winter's Way, is still there today, and it's still as steep and narrow and windy as it ever was, just like the others that they cut shortly thereafter. And this is what we eastern skiers grew up on. Sure, modern technology has brought in some nice wide cruisers, but to be an eastern skier, you have to be able to ski the old classics. But they have steep and narrow chutes out west. What makes the steep and narrows in the east so much different is the fact that there's hardly ever snow on them. Every now and then you get a pretty good dump, but for the most part, any classic eastern trail is going to be so hard packed and icy that it's essentially bulletproof. So you end up with about six to eight inches of rock solid cover, with rocks, sticks, and stumps poking out trying to get in your way. Sound good to you westerners? Of course it doesn't. If you had conditions like that out west, you'd probably just spend the day inside, and wait for the sky to open up and pour about three more feet of delicious powder on your heads. We can't wait around for days like that here. If we do, we ski one, maybe two days a year. So we take what we've got. And we can't get enough of it. Probably sounds crazy to a lot of people, but I love to navigate my way down a nauseatingly steep trail of what is essentially asphalt. And when you ski on this stuff your whole life, you get to be pretty good at it. There are eastern skiers who would gladly tear apart trails that a lot of people would consider unskiable. Not because of where it is, or how steep it is or anything like that, but because there's not really any snow on it. Now, put that same eastern skier in three feet of fresh powder, and he probably falls flat on his face his first time down. But after adapting to skiing on a combination of rocks and ice for his entire life, don't you think he'd be able to get used to that powder pretty quick? My guess would be yes. But on that same token, take a skier who has skied in nothing but fresh soft, luscious snow for his entire life -- no matter what kind of steeps he's skied or how filthy he is in the park -- and put him at the top of that shiny bulletproof lane of nonsense on some mountain in Maine, and how do you think things are going to turn out? Not so pretty. And my guess is that it would take a lot longer to get used to skiing on rocks than it would to get used to skiing in powder. Call me silly. So there you have my theory. We can call it "Ethan's First Theory of the Universe." And keep in mind that it is just a theory, until I see some things for myself over spring break. Then it will be "Ethan's First Law of the Universe." I can't wait.

---

News

Springing away from Tufts

March 17

Through the drudgery of winter and the stress of writing papers and studying for exams, one gleam of light shines through for Tufts students -- the promise of one week known simply as "spring break." While the name spring break may conjure up images of lying on the beach in warm sunny weather, not all students take that route. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, approximately one million college students take spring-break trips each year. Nearly 18,000 buy travel packages from Student Travel Services, the most popular spring break package company in the nation. To encourage students to sign with them, spring break services recruit students to advertise. One such company is Student City, which bills itself as "The Ultimate Spring Break Experience." In order to entice representatives, including senior Brenden Yee, Student City offered a deal -- for every 15 trips representatives booked, they would get a free trip. If they booked more than 12 trips, they received a commission from the company. "It was very open-ended in terms of what I was supposed to do," Yee said. "I basically was given a bunch of flyers with my contact information and tried to sell trips to my friends." Yee found, however, that it was difficult to get the word out about the spring break trips on the Tufts campus. "I found it to be very difficult in that flyers were always being taken down by Facilities, and it was even more difficult to get my friends to commit to a trip four months out," he said. "College kids just don't work that way." Yee did manage to convince about 15 friends to go through Student City and take a trip to Jamaica. Other Tufts students booked packages through Student Travel Services, Student Travel Advantage, and Sun Splash Tours. While the pre-packaged vacation offered by companies such as Student City is appealing to some, other Tufts students plan their own breaks. "I'm going to San Francisco to visit my friend who goes to [school there]," sophomore Christina Palermo said. Others student's plans are more ambiguous. "Hopefully I can catch a ride with my friend down to South Carolina; go to D.C., and Georgia," freshman Jeannie Serwich said. Still, for some students, spring break is a chance to see family and friends who they haven't seen in a while. "I'm taking a break from work to spend time with my family in Disney World and then spending time with my friends at home for the remainder of the break," Sarah Eisler said. "I'm going to New York City. It will be my first time there so I am looking forward to it, and then I'm heading home to Arizona," sophomore Adam Stober said. Not all students will be relaxing on their breaks. The Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) sponsors Volunteer Vacations, which offer volunteer work in states including New Jersey and North Carolina. These "working" vacations offer students the opportunity to donate their time to work at such places as the "Rock the Vote" campaign or Habitat for Humanity. "Volunteer Vacations are a great way to put spring break to a positive use," Volunteer Vacations coordinator Allison Cohen said. "Having a week off from school doesn't have to equal a week of spending insane amounts of money and working on your tan, it can also equal one week of giving back to communities and building new friendships." A benefit of these programs is that they are relatively cheap and enable students to have a good time while doing community service work. "We are fortunate to be able to run volunteer vacations over spring break to give Tufts students an affordable option that is both fun and civic minded" Cohen said. "I thought it would be more productive rather than staying at home and hanging out with friends," sophomore Llyod Chebaclo, who is a Volunteer Vacation participant, said. "It'll be great to meet new people, that is another nice part about it."

---

News

Choosing a place to live

March 17

The imbroglio in Cousens Gymnasium is not surprising considering the innate stress of the housing lottery, but it was without a doubt exacerbated by the recent and sudden departure of Associate Director of Occupancy Management Lorraine Toppi. The two problems should be not be conflated. Toppi's departure during the most hectic part of the year for the Office of Residential life threw a monkey wrench into the works. Many candidates to be Residential Assistants are still unsure of whether or not they were accepted, and freshmen went into Cousens Gymnasium to choose their rooms for next year prepared only with the knowledge they had sought out themselves, whether from the ResLife website or from upperclassmen. Toppi was responsible for these two activities. She could have expedited the selection and notification of RAs and provided better guidance to freshman about the lottery system were she still here. This does not change the fact that room selection is essentially an agonizing process. Choosing a roommate for the next school year is not easy. Finding a satisfying, or at least sufficient, room is likely to leave one disappointed. One proposal by Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate Historian Jeff Katzin last semester would consider whether a student's lottery number was high, middle, or low the year before to make sure that every student has a number in the top third at least once. This is ineffective since most juniors and seniors live off campus, so the only important number is the one assigned freshman year. Most proposed changes face similar problems. In 2002 lottery numbers were released in December instead of March. This change allowed students to think more about their living situation and to be better prepared for selection day. Unfortunately, ResLife failed this year to come through with informational follow-up material that could have made the process even easier and less distressing. ResLife has to deal with many intricacies surrounding student housing at Tufts. There are weaknesses to the current system, but normally it works well enough. Most freshmen will find out sophomore year that their fears are unfounded. The confusion created by the surprising departure of Lorraine Toppi indicates that Director of ResLife Yolanda King should focus on establishing a long term staff that will become familiar with the system and will be able to help nervous freshman through this chaotic event.

---

News

Jumbos ready to 'bring Williams down'

March 16

While sprints, hurdles, and relays may be the focal point of the Tufts women's track and field, the team is looking forward to this season's field events. The team's throwers consist of a veteran group of mostly juniors and seniors who have had the privilege to train under coach Rebecca Brooks, a former Williams thrower. The team's greatest strength this season is shaping up to be the discus, where it has had much success in past years. In the discus, seniors Gwen Campbell and Kate Gluckman were able to place in last spring's NESCAC Championships, helping the team to an overall second place finish. Gluckman was also able to place in last year's NCAA Div. III Championships. Both she and Campbell have logged throws within ten feet of the mark that would qualify them for the national meet. Campbell is certainly aware of the damage she and the rest of the team's throwers are capable of doing this spring. "Discus is our area with the greatest potential," Campbell said. "And it is a personal goal of mine as well." The team also expects to be competitive in both the shot put and hammer throw this season, with Williams being the conference's team to beat in those events. At different points last season, senior Jessica Gauthier and juniors Jessica Colby and Katie Antle all held the school record in the hammer, and a new mark is expected this spring as well. The throwers have their sights set this season on both scoring points for the team and excelling individually. "We are looking for some of us to score in the championship meets and also the chance to send someone to nationals in a throwing event," Gauthier said. The Jumbos' jumping program is also optimistic for the spring. Junior Sika Henry is coming off a ninth place finish in the long jump in this winter's NCAA Div. III Indoor Championships. Senior quad-captain Jessica Trombly and classmate Shushanna Mignott will look to build on solid long jump performances from the indoor season. Mignott and Trombly finished third and fourth, respectively, in the event at the New England Div. III Indoor Championships. Tufts' throwing program is improving at much the same time as the rest of the team, making points scored in the throws that much more important in 2004. Coming off a finish only behind Williams in last spring's NESCAC Championships, the team is looking to clear the final hurdle and talking to its members, it does not lack the necessary confidence. "I expect we will place no lower than second at NESCAC's," Campbell said. "And if there ever was a chance to bring Williams down, that is going to be the meet to do it."

---

News

Cross-Trainer most effective cardio machine

March 16

This week I take a look into the most efficient cardio machines and the most efficient ways to eat. There are so many different cardio machines at the gym to choose from and I can never decide which one to use on a given day. Since I don't have much time to spend at the gym, can you tell me which machines burn more calories than the others? -- Kwong Ninj, class of 2007 Of all the machines at the fitness center, the most efficient machine -- the one that will make you burn the most calories in a given period of time -- is the cross-trainer. The cross-trainer's dual-action capability gives you the ability to integrate a lower body workout, with the elliptical foot pedals, and an upper body workout, with the moveable handlebars, pushing your body to the max. Next on the list, all at about the same efficiency level, would be the arc trainer, the elliptical, and the treadmill. These machines make you work hard, providing your body with a good lower body workout, but they don't give you the upper body workout that the cross-trainer does. At the bottom of the efficiency list would be the stair-climber and the stationary bikes. These machines don't tend to work you as hard as the other ones do. But this is all relative. Depending on how hard you push yourself during the workout, you could easily burn more calories at high intensity on a stationary bike than at low intensity on a cross-trainer. The efficiency levels above are only general guidelines. If you're a traditional believer in treadmills and skeptical about the ellipticals and cross-trainers, one exercise physiologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia noted that "the physiological responses associated with elliptical exercises were nearly identical to treadmill exercises." In addition, "both exercise machines are effective for increasing the amount of calories burned and for producing cardio respiratory health and training benefits." So believe it: Ellipticals and cross-trainers work. Besides giving you a solid workout, they are much better for your joints than treadmills because they are basically non-impact exercise machines. This, in turn, makes you feel as though you're putting in less effort for the same amount of calories burned. I've heard that eating five meals per day is better than the traditional three. What should the average college student do? -- Hungry hippo, class of 2005 Since we college folk have awkward schedules that change day in and day out, there's really no set way to eat. The basic guideline I would suggest would be to get your average amount of calories every day in a reasonable manner, without overeating at any one sitting. If you enjoy eating three meals a day, that's fine; if you do better with five a day, that's okay too. But you'll be in trouble if you're a normal five meals per day person and decide to overeat at lunch and dinner, forcing your body to metabolize overly large quantities of food twice during the day. Just stay with whatever reasonable plan works for you and fits your schedule; if you enjoy five meals a day but have eight hours of class on Tuesdays, bring a snack or two. A final word of caution: If you like to eat before bed, be careful. All of the calories you consume near bed time will be floating around in your system while you're sleeping. At this time, your body's metabolism is slowest, making it much easier for you to pack on some pounds.

---

News

New English immersion program fails to make dramatic improvements

March 16

One year after the implementation of the Structured English Immersion Program (SEIP), many believe the program has not been any more successful than the program it replaced SEIP separates students by their native tongue and places them into a one-year intensive language program. By the end of the school year, students should be fluent in English. Previously, foreign language students stayed in bilingual education classes until they were fluent in English. Somerville Haitian Coalition Executive Director Franklin said the intensity of SEIP may have adverse affects for the immigrant community. Many students may drop out, or be placed in special education programs because language barriers can be misinterpreted as learning disabilities, he said. Freshman Julia Goldberg, who began tutoring East Somerville Community School students through the Association of Latin American Students, said that the number of students leaving the program with a good grasp of English actually decreased under the new system. "When you segregate the students [by language], they speak their own language with each other and their English doesn't get better," she said. The state implemented the Transitional Bilingual program in 1971. This school year is the first for the new program, SEIP. A benefit of SEIP is that it puts students who are new to the U.S. with a group of their peers who speak the same language Joan Stankus, a guidance counselor at East Somerville, which caters largely to Spanish-speaking students, stresses the benefits for students to be with others who speak the same language. "The students can connect school and their culture faster," she said. She added that many of the students in the SEIP program have little prior education, so the entire school experience is foreign to them. Having others like them nearby can only make them feel more comfortable in a new setting, she said. Goldberg said she has mentored a Portuguese-speaking student at East Somerville who felt alienated because the other bilingual students spoke a different language. Because students' native languages are not used in the classroom, students who speak less-represented native languages may face difficulties in school. "Whenever you have a school in a community with a majority in a certain language group, the school will have programs that work for that majority," University College Program Manager Shirley Mark said. "It's very hard to create programs for students in the minority." Jack Hamilton, the Executive Director of the Community Action Agency of Somerville, which works with low-income and immigrant families, said he has heard complaints that students are not receiving adequate bilingual education. Still, he said, the school district should not be blamed for the problem. The schools are simply "working with mixed guidelines and limited funding" as a result of the new legislation. The new law has "cut the legs out from under anyone who wants to do a good job," Hamilton said. Schools have already spent money attempting to adjust to the new system by hiring teachers trained in immersion education and buying materials geared towards English immersion. Dalembert said he is not opposed to the segregation SEIP provides. "We're not proposing isolation or segregation," he said. "But when it comes to learning, we have to do what is best for the kids." However, Dalembert is opposed to SEIP's time table. "One year is simply not enough time to really assimilate a new language, for anyone," he said.

---