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Do not distort Kerry's real deal

February 17

With Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) running away with the Democratic nomination it has become commonplace for opponents to level political broadsides in his direction. Last Wednesday was worrisome though. With Ed Gillespie (Republican National Committee Chair) and Ken Mehlman (Bush-Cheney 2004 Campaign Manager) off on a duck hunting vacation with Dick Cheney, where would we get our daily dose of Kerry-bashing? It turned out to be as easy as opening the Daily to read Adam Schultz's "Kerry's 'Real Deal' is a real sham." In the interest of full disclosure, both of us are interns on the Kerry campaign, but that is only part of why we are responding to Mr. Schultz's article. The most important reason for this viewpoint is to correct the record. Mr. Schultz's rabid attacks distorted the Senator's record, left out important facts, and made arguments that have no basis in reality. The first claim that Mr. Schultz makes concerns Senator Kerry's vote on the "resolution giving Pres. Bush a blank check to invade Iraq." Calling Kerry's vote a matter of political expediency misses the intricacies of the issue. In doing so, he dishonors Kerry's concern as a Vietnam veteran, who watched fellow soldiers die in battle, for the men and women of the armed forces. Senator Kerry voted for the resolution after being assured by Colin Powell that there would be no rush to war and that the goal was to get WMD inspectors back into Iraq. The resolution was also not the "blank check," as Mr. Schultz calls it. The resolution stipulated that the President must attempt all paths of international diplomacy before using force in Iraq. Only later did we discover that the President lied about the reasons force was "necessary" and had no intention of exhausting all diplomatic options. There is no flip-flop here as Mr. Schultz insinuates. John Kerry has always considered sending American troops into battle a last resort. Mr. Schultz's next attack is over Kerry's vote for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Senator Kerry joined his colleague Ted Kennedy, Congress's leading voice for education, in voting for this bill. It is easy for Mr. Schultz to be a Monday morning quarterback, but when Kerry voted in January of 2002, he had no way to know that Bush would drastically under-fund NCLB, hanging poor schools out to dry. That is why Kerry rails against it today as another example of Bush's domestic policy failures. Mr. Schultz largely avoids talking about Kerry's environmental record. The one issue he raises is that Kerry cannot be considered a good environmentalist because he voted against using force in the Persian Gulf in 1991. Scratching your head? We did too. He argues that Kerry's voting "no" on the war while Saddam Hussein was "torching oil fields and spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf" was environmentally inexcusable. The problem is the vote was in January and Saddam did not begin to wreak environmental havoc until March. Anyway, it was a wise decision to skirt the topic of the environment, because Kerry has an outstanding environmental record. His commitment to environmental causes goes back more then 30 years to when he was one of the founders of Earth Day. John Kerry has fought Bush and corporate polluters to protect clean air and water standards, and when Bush wanted to drill for oil in Alaska, Kerry led the fight to stop him in the Senate. Furthermore, the League of Conservation Voters endorsed Kerry for President before the New Hampshire primary, the earliest endorsement they have ever issued. Moving on to the Patriot Act, Mr. Schultz attacks Senator Kerry for denouncing John Ashcroft after voting for the bill. We would like to mention that he voted for this bill alongside his colleagues, the late Senator Wellstone, and Senator Kennedy. In the aftermath of 9/11, it was obvious that better communication between the intelligence agencies was necessary in order to prevent future tragedies. This was the main purpose of the Patriot Act, and is what Kerry voted to support. The main problem is not the bill itself. The problem is the abuse of civil liberties by John Ashcroft and the Justice Department. The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in federal court last July, the first in a series of litigations against Ashcroft's Justice Department. It is these abuses of the Patriot Act and broader attacks on civil liberties that Kerry rightfully calls Ashcroft out on. Mr. Schultz's viewpoint mentions Kerry only beating Bush by a few points in an unnamed poll on February 3. For what it is worth, the most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Kerry trouncing Bush, 51% to 43%. It is still very early in the election year, but Kerry's electability is more than just perceived. This brings us to where John Kerry's extraordinary rise in popularity originates. Is it Kerry's detailed platform for a "Real Deal" to replace the extreme policies of the Bush administration? Or is it, as Mr. Schultz suggests, that a supposed endorsement from CNN has convinced Americans to select John Kerry over the other Democratic contenders? Mr. Schultz makes the latter claim without offering any supporting empirical evidence. He also says that this "endorsement" from CNN is what rocketed Gov. Dean to the top of the polls last summer and fall, and boosted Kerry's popularity since the Iowa Caucuses. In saying this he degrades the efforts of the supporters and volunteers who have worked tirelessly for their candidates. It is their passion that creates political juggernauts, not the machinations that go on in the production room of a news network. The fact is that most Americans are as likely to get their news from the Daily Show or the loud guy at the water cooler as they are from CNN. Americans are independent people who make up their own minds. Kerry's 14 wins in 16 contests are not based on the "choice of a few Iowans" as Mr. Schultz alleges. They are based on the careful votes of the more than one million Democrats and Independents who have voted for Kerry because of his message on jobs, health care, education, the environment, his military and foreign policy experience and his ability to beat Bush. Mr. Schultz is trying to take complicated, evolving issues and paint them as black and white. It is Senator Kerry's knowledge, experience, and ability to deal with these complex issues that make him so qualified to be President. In his viewpoint, Mr. Schultz makes incorrect assumptions and unproven claims about Kerry's record and ideas for America's future. This is exactly what the Democratic Party does not need. We know that when the nomination is decided, the Bush re-election team will attack with its own false accusations and slander. For now we need to keep it a civil debate and focus on the most pressing concern - defeating George Bush in November. Aaron Banks is a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Art History. Nick Odato is a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Economics.

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News

Jumbos drop three straight over weekend

February 17

The women's squash team dropped all three of its matches against NESCAC foes Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby during its annual road trip to Maine last weekend. Tufts was blanked by both Bowdoin and Bates on Saturday, but fared better against Colby losing by just three matches, 6-3, on Friday. Even though it finished with an 0-3 record on the weekend, the team remained upbeat and felt it performed well despite the stiff competition. "We knew going into these matches that the teams were going to be very strong," senior tri-captain A.J. Crane said. Tufts put up a tough fight against Bowdoin with the bottom of its lineup. At the number eight spot, sophomore Joelle Polivy lost a close match (1-9, 9-4, 3-9, 8-9) to Bowdoin sophomore Brooke Nentwig. Junior Rhonda Barkan also battled at the number nine position, but ended up on the shorter end of a grueling five game match with sophomore Molly Dorkey (7-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-4, 5-9). Crane was handily defeated at number four (4-9, 4-9, 3-9), but was not overly disappointed. "I felt I played pretty well in the match against Bowdoin," Crane said. "We've been working on hitting a little harder and outworking our opponents. I think it's starting to pay off." The team's results were similar when it faced Bates earlier in the afternoon. No Jumbo was victorious, but senior tri-captain Leigh Checchio had the strongest Tufts performance against freshman Kelsey Engman in the number two slot. She was defeated (5-9, 2-9, 9-1, 1-9), but was the only Jumbo in the match to tally a game win against the Bobcats. In light of the squad's 0-3 stint over the weekend, coach Doug Eng is hoping the Jumbos will be more aggressive in their upcoming matches. "We still need to drive the ball a little better. It's going to be a project," he said. "We're a smart team, but we need to work on our movement and take charge of some of these matches. We are starting to take the steps, but we do need to master the fundamentals." On Friday afternoon against Colby, Tufts once again saw strong performances out of the bottom of its lineup, with the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions all emerging victorious. Freshman Liz Thys was consistent at the seventh spot, winning (9-4, 9-4, 9-4). Polivy notched a victory at number eight, winning (9-7, 9-5, 9-3). Barkman was also solid at number nine with a (9-3, 9-1, 9-6) win. "The Colby match could have been 5-4," Eng said. "We played extremely well in that one. Against Bates and Bowdoin we had our moments, but we didn't play all that well." Even though they failed to produce a victory, Eng was complimentary of the top Tufts players' performances. "Jules [Avrutin] and Leigh are playing extremely well right now," Eng said. "Both of them are playing much better than their scores indicate. Leigh has stepped it up at the number two position beautifully." The Jumbos have their eyes fixed on the Howe Cup next weekend at Yale University. Tufts is currently ranked 21st, but the team hopes it can improve upon that standing next week. In order to move up, the Jumbos face a formidable opponent in Smith College, who they lost to in a tight match earlier in the season. "We have a tough draw in the Howe cup," Eng said. "We lost last time to Smith, but I think we can win this time around. If we beat Smith, then we play Middlebury. We have a chance to take Middlebury, but in order to do so we need to be flawless." Despite the tough competition, Eng is optimistic about his squad's chances next week. "The team has been playing its best squash in the last couple of weeks," Eng said. "I think we'll show we're better than our ranking at the Howe Cup."

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News

V-Day blues

February 17

Valentine's Day is a pain in the ass; it's a hassle for couples, awkward for hook-ups, and depressing for singles. Due to the pressure for everything to go perfectly, everyone seems like a slightly bigger jerk than usual. A missed phone call or late arrival can move one from the category of "slightly flaky" to that of "majorly insensitive schmuck". Regardless of your dating status, everything just seems a little worse on Valentines Day. If you have a significant other, you're faced with the pressure to get the prettiest flowers, go to the finest restaurant, and then give your partner the best orgasm he or she has ever had. Of course the flowers seem to wilt almost immediately, and over-crowded restaurants pile you right on top of other couples making it impossible not to observe others love rituals and compare them to your own. "Look at the way she's looking at him. Hey, remember when you were actually interested in things I had to say?" "Hey, remember when I could breathe without you criticizing me?" "God you are so defensive, let's just pay the bill and get out of here." Any other night after having an argument you would just go home, sleep it off, and deal with it tomorrow. Oh but no, not tonight. Tonight it doesn't matter if you're super pissed off at your partner, or if your just not in the mood. On Valentine's Day, you have to have sex with your "loved one", and further more, you have to act like you really, really enjoyed it. But as stressful as Valentine's Day can be for seasoned couples, it's certainly much more taxing for those whose status as a couple is still ambiguous. Valentine's Day has a way of unnaturally forcing the "where is this going" conversation. For someone who you've only hooked up with a couple of times, taking them out for dinner can be a sign of serious involvement... sure, it's just dinner now, but give it two months and you'll have named your first born. So you decide dinner's a bad idea... but then you're that non-committal prick with relationship ADD. It's too bad that Valentine's Day can't incorporate casual relationships as well. I mean, you would think that Hallmark would have the decency to anticipate these types of sticky situations and come up with Valentine's Day cards that were better suited for our needs. Forget "will you be my valentine", how about, "will you be my booty call?" Or maybe " my love for you does NOT grow a little each day...but gosh darn it, when you touch me, something in my pants does." Seriously though, why should one day be able to undermine a hook-up relationship that you've been strategically keeping vague for months? Granted Valentine's Day can be an annoyance for those in "things" as well as those in relationships, but perhaps Valentine's Day is worst of all for those of us who are single. It's become the ultimate binge-eating holiday because we can always turn to the two men who will never break our hearts: Ben and Jerry. One spoonful for every potential mate who never called, never called back, or never had the balls to get the number in the first place. Or if ice cream isn't your thing then there's always conversation hearts. But don't you wish Necco had phrases that were more in tune with your love experiences? "Sorry, taken", "just friends", "U R not 4 me". And even with all that sugar, it seems nearly impossible to erase the downward spiral of thoughts on love and relationships. "I'm not getting any on Valentine's Day... come to think of it, I really don't get that much at all... wow, I'm never going to get any, ever again!" What the Valentine's Day blues can be boiled down to is that it's a holiday about the love you don't have, and the ass you're not getting. Somehow, the love Valentine's Day is supposed to celebrate is reduced to the number of roses in a bouquet, the price of a dinner, and the number of partners in your bed. But it doesn't have to be. It's important for all of us to remember that the amount of love in our lives can be measured in units other than sexual partners. We should not be so ungrateful as to let the knowledge that we have family and friends who love us be overshadowed by the fact that we're striking out in the romance department. Five days after this past Valentines Day, I'd like to encourage us all to think about the areas of our lives that are rich with love, rather than those that are lacking. Understand that despite what all the teddy bears and heart shaped boxes seem to suggest, your worth as an individual is not dependant upon weather or not you have a significant other. Know that being single is not synonymous with being unlovable. And if all else fails... the valentine's candy is still 50 percent off right now.

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News

Reality TV reaches a new low

February 17

It's finally happened. Reality television has hit the lowest of all lows. Not even those who appreciate the genre for its humiliating and unintentional comedy could find anything redeeming in Fox's latest offering, The Littlest Groom. Unbearable to watch, this Bachelor for dwarves is both demeaning to the subjects on the screen as well as the viewers who watch it. The Littlest Groom, the byproduct of the marriage of The Wizard of Oz and The Bachelor, is one repulsive offspring. Enter "Glen," your regular dating show bachelor. With short highlighted hair and a wide beaming smile, he seems to have an internal switch that can turn on the charm at a moment's notice. He is even wearing the DTD-patented uniform consisting of a blue dress shirt and blue tie. Everything is perfect, predictable even. Except, GASP, he's a "little person," all four feet and five inches of him, and so are his bachelorettes. The conceit of most reality dating shows is to throw an atmosphere of humility and anticipation upon its participants. The nerds and fatties on shows such as Average Joe present a sympathetic caricature of everyone's inner "averageness," thereby making them the cheery underdog. By contrast, The Bachelor and Bachelorette series thrive on providing a fantasy image of romance, unattainable by the rest of America because they can never be as attractive as the people on television. Littlest Groom, however, does neither. Anyone who is not a "little person," cannot empathize with the women competing for Glen's heart. And no one will look at the diminutive cast and look at the resulting couple as a storybook romance. Instead, the Fox Corporation wants you to laugh at them and say, "Oh, how cute. Midgets can love people too." This is not to say that some of the women on the show aren't cute, but it's not because all of them are below four feet tall. Their exuberant confidence shines through their small stature, provoking any viewer to ask why these otherwise beautiful and inspiring women would degrade themselves by being on a show like this. When they are placed up against "regular" blonde and brunette bombshells, as they were during the series' premiere episode in a typical FOX-ian twist, it is impossible not to despise oneself for thinking, "Awww... that poor girl," as if she were a forlorn puppy. Full disclosure is probably necessary at this point. While this reviewer may not be classified as a "little person," he is a more than a few feet from being your next Yao Ming. At 5 feet 5 inches, I'd stand a whole foot over Glen the Bachelor, and still, I can't help but feel he's been used. In the case of most reality shows, viewers need not feel bad for making fun of the show's subjects because they are only on the show for greed, publicity, or just to have a good time. Here, all the characters seem to be serious about finding love. The Littlest Groom is a sad portrayal of the tough dating life among "little people," and to laugh at that is to be horribly cruel. The "little people" cause, if there is such a thing, has made marked improvements over the last year, mostly due to the success of actor Peter Dinklage. While most people saw him in his hilarious comedic role as children's book writer Miles Finch in Elf, Dinklage generated widespread acclaim for his starring role in The Station Agent, an indie film with Patricia Clarkson. And while the gains made by Dinklage could be eroded by the success of a show like this, the chances of that are highly dubious. By making it only a two-part series, even Fox obviously has very little confidence in a commercial success for The Littlest Groom. The second half of the series, airing next Monday at 8, in which Glen must choose between the three "average" women (all bound to be models of sorts) and five amazing "little" contestants, will probably be filled with the built-in drama of all other reality shows. However this time, there is no "joke" or guilt-free laughter, it's just a pathetic attempt at exploiting a people who were given the literal short end of the stick.

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News

Tufts Veterinary School, Norfolk Agricultural High School combine forces

February 17

The Tufts Veterinary School and the Norfolk Agricultural High School have made official a proposed ten-year collaboration. The collaboration is going to be a mutual exchange of resources. Among other perks, Norfolk's faculty will be granted access to the Tufts Veterinary School's library in Grafton and Tufts students and faculty will be able to more fully partake in certain Norfolk programs. According to Associate Dean at the Tufts Vet School Joseph McManus, the two schools have been cooperating informally over the past decade but state involvement has encouraged the transformation of the collaboration into an official pairing. The initiative behind the collaboration came from local official. "State Representative John Rogers (D-Norfolk), who is familiar with the missions of both Norfolk Aggie and Tufts Vet School, suggested that there may be mutually beneficial ways we could collaborate," McManus said. Budgetary concerns were one of the primary reasons behind the collaboration. "Tufts receives a subsidy each year from the Commonwealth for the Vet School because there isn't a state-run vet school for Massachusetts students. Our schools were encouraged to partner so that everybody could get a lot of mileage for that subsidy," Norfolk Superintendent Dr. Angela Avery said. Avery explained that "Tufts has offered to help us with curriculum development and professional opportunities, including the library resources. They're going to look at a first aid curriculum for our students and we're going to look at the possibility of collaborating on grants as they may come up." Tufts Veterinary School Dean Philip Kosch said there would be a number of benefits that the official collaboration will continue to provide Tufts. "For the past 10 years, Tufts veterinary students have expanded their medical and management skills by participating in Norfolk's aviary program," he said. Because Tufts does not have an aviary program of its own, it has used resources at Norfolk High. In reciprocation, Tufts has donated pigs to Norfolk's program, loaned equipment and supplies, and the Grafton campus has hosted the Future Farmers of America Livestock Judging Competition. As part of the new collaboration, Tufts faculty will be giving advice on equipment and supplies as well as on budgetary concerns. "Joseph McManus has already helped us by reviewing a grant we're submitting for biotechnology," Avery said. "We realized in addition to the things we've done we can also use other ways to have students interact," Avery added. "Tufts students always come out here to Walpole for a clinical day, and we thought of more ways our students could dialogue with Tufts students to see what it's like to actually be in a vet program." "The folks down at Walpole are interested in providing internships for students of both schools, so we think that this is going to be a nice positive relationship," Avery said. She added that, like herself, Dean Kosch "seemed very enthusiastic about the possibilities." At the ceremony marking this enhanced collaboration, Rep. Rogers said, "This expanded collaboration is another example of a public-private partnership that benefits both parties. We are extremely fortunate to have a veterinary school of such national and international prominence as Tufts located so closely to our own agricultural school, which also carries a reputation that is rich with excellence."

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News

Kerry is the real deal

February 17

I bet few people were really anticipating what is now unfolding in the Democratic primaries across the nation. Only a few weeks ago, Washington pundits were already writing Senator John Kerry's political obituary and asserting the inevitability of a Dean nomination. Well, surprise, surprise! Kerry is now well on his way to win his party's nomination and Dean is well on his way to become, as some have put it, "an obscure trivia question." I must say that, for one, I am not surprised to see Kerry doing so well. I have always believed he was the strongest Democratic candidate from day one. In April of last year, well before the race was under way, I wrote a column entitled "The man who can beat Bush"(4-24-03), in which I outlined the reasons why I thought Kerry was in the best position to win back the White House. Even at the height of Governor Dean's popularity among Democrats I still believed Kerry was the best option to confront Bush. In a column entitled "Pragmatism or Idealism: The Democrats Dilemma" (11-12-03) I tried to explain why voting for Kerry would be much more sensible choice than the seemingly unbeatable Dean. I mention this not because I think I am a political guru with the power to see the future. I say it because my support for Kerry's candidacy is rooted on the solid conviction that he is the best candidate out there -- a conclusion I reached a while ago. Now, having said that, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the way the Democratic electorate has behaved during the primaries. I confess that I feared that Dean would be able to channel the raw anti-Bush sentiment among Democrats to his favor. His emotional appeal -- some would say radical -- to the Democrat's sense of powerlessness at first resonated strongly amongst the liberal core of the party. But at the end of the day, his message was not compelling enough to convince the voters that he could take on Bush. Kerry, on the other hand, offered a more mainstream alternative, backed up by a bright resum‚ and a presidential image. And that is the central lesson of these primaries: electability, or the perceived probability of beating an incumbent president, proved to be the most important attribute for a candidate. In the eyes of voters, Kerry had a better chance of beating Bush, and that is why Kerry has been winning almost every primary. This simple truth is a great case study in electoral politics; the fact that voters could discard Dean's raw meat of Democratic indignation in favor of Kerry's pragmatism and solid credentials tells me that voters are more sophisticated than I would have thought. Now it looks increasingly clear that the November election will match Kerry against Bush in what will undoubtedly be a fierce and, despite what some people would wish to believe, extremely close race. Bush and Kerry are already sparring each other, throwing around accusations in a decidedly negative confrontation. It will be rough campaign, and I will enjoy it every step of the way. As far as I can tell, Kerry has a great advantage: Bush is now on the defensive. The president has everything to lose. Imagine him being defeated, being fired from his job just like his daddy was. That would be too much for him to handle. He now has to defend his record, which has been under incessant attack by the Democrats for many months now. Experts say that re-election campaigns are basically referendums on the incumbent's administration, so this may be all about what kind of a president Bush has been. Bush's problem is that the important parts of his record are pretty much indefensible. He cannot claim he has created jobs. He cannot claim there were WMD in Iraq. He cannot claim Iraq is a success story. Another problem for Bush is that he does not have much ammunition against Kerry. He cannot say Kerry is unpatriotic because the Senator is a war hero. He cannot say Kerry would be fiscally imprudent because the president has created the worst deficits in history! He cannot claim Kerry is controlled by special interests because, as the Kerry campaign rightly pointed out, nobody in history has received more money from special interests that president Bush. Kerry does have one conceivably weak spot: his senate voting record. But that does not seem much compared to all the ammunition Kerry has against Bush. We'll see what happens. This election is just getting started and the contenders are just warming up. It will be an epic fight. But for now, all we can do now is sit back, relax, and turn on our TV's to CNN or Fox News, or both. Rodrigo de Haro is a senior majoring in International Relations. He can be reached at deharo@tuftsdaily.com.

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News

Made in Mexico

February 17

Take the green line to Hynes Convention Center, turn left onto Boylston Street and step out into Mexico City. Well not quite, but The Institute of Contemporary Art's new exhibit, "Hecho en Mexico" (Made in Mexico) will at least make visitors feel as if they've had a taste of the sprawling metropolis that lies south of the border. The exhibit covers the entire expanse of the small ICA museum. The show features various themes such as life in contemporary Mexico, outsiders' visions of the country, and Mexico's relationship with its own culture and folklore. In the making of her Guadeloupe exhibit, Mona Hatoum, a Lebanese-born artist living in London traveled to the much-revered tomb of St. Guadeloupe for her documentary-style video, "Video of the Shrine of Guadeloupe." The video depicts the tomb's trademark scene: a canary bird sitting outside of the shrine in a cage. In the film, an older man periodically opens the cage to let the tiny yellow creature fly out as it performs odd tricks for kernels of food. Next to this slightly amusing video is a giant, human-sized bird cage entitled, "The Mexican Cage." This wooden structure, painted in vibrant shades of pink, blue and yellow, is meant to represent Hatoum's opinion of Mexico's fervent religious traditions as well as the country's treatment of animals. The bright colors of the human-sized cage are almost insulting, as cheery as they are, to Mexican culture. In a tongue-in-cheek look at Mexico's euro-centric class is Daniela Rossell's series on wealthy Mexican women, "Ricas y Famosas." Rossell's work draws attention to a stratified rift in the country where wealthy upper class women have blonde hair and opulent, ostentatious lives while the poor citizens can't afford proper funerals for their dead family members. In Rossell's piece "Last Supper," a golden haired woman sits at a large white and golden dining room table alone. She looks sullen and striking at the same time. The Baroque-style room is decorated with lavish detailing like ornate wallpaper and decorations, a large candelabrum in the center of the table and, the pi? ce de r‚sistance, a large reproduction of da Vinci's "The Last Supper" hanging on the wall. Another highlight of the show is a skull painted in 1997 by famed contemporary Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco. "Black Kites" features a human skull covered in black geometric shapes. At the top of the skull are boxes, evenly drawn and spaced. As the head contours and recedes into sockets and holes, the boxes themselves shift and change in size to fit the new curves and forms. Other young ‚migr‚ artists like British-born Melanie Smith, find workers for their projects at low cost. One of Smith's videos features two Mexican men creating a large room-sized web of multi-colored string. There is no apparent purpose for this exercise -- it just seems as if Smith was able to pay people to do what she asked and then taped it. Upon leaving the exhibit, one can walk down to the lower gallery and observe the superficially refreshing bubble display. This instillation piece by Teresa Margolles entitled "En El Aire" appears to be light and cheerful -- that is, until one reads that the water used to produce the bubbles was taken from a morgue in Mexico and had been used to clean corpses. Thankfully, Margolles sterilized the water. While this is a difficult way to leave the museum, it makes one think about the great realities facing Mexico and its citizens. A U.S. artist would never have had access to such water nor would he ever be able to use it in a public art exhibit. Made in Mexico is a powerful display of the dichotomies in Mexican society, between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots and the artists and their subject matter.

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News

Jumbos eliminated

February 16

The hockey team's hopes of snatching the eighth and final NESCAC playoff spot from Amherst were stifled this weekend, as the Jumbos suffered a 5-3 loss at Amherst on Friday and a 6-1 setback Saturday at Hamilton. Going into last weekend, the Jumbos only trailed the Amherst Lord Jeffs by two points in the NESCAC conference playoff standings, and with five games remaining, the Jumbos' hopes were high. But when they needed a victory to pull even with Amherst, Tufts came up two goals short. The frustration from Friday evening's loss at Amherst could be easily seen on Saturday, as the hockey team fell again -- this time 6-1 at Hamilton. The Jumbos amassed 11 penalties over the course of the game and were out-shot 60-16. Tufts' lone goal came early in the first period from sophomore defenseman Jack Thompson. At the second intermission, the Jumbos found themselves down two goals, and in good position to make a strong comeback. But Hamilton came out firing in the third period and scored three goals over a nine-minute stretch. "We did fine against Hamilton until the third period," junior co-captain John Van Pelt said. "We normally don't travel long distances like that so traveling definitely was a factor in our play." Against Amherst on Friday night, everything seemed to be going the Jumbos' way early in the third period, as they took a 3-2 lead 22 seconds in on a power-play goal by junior co-captain Shawn Sullivan. But a few minutes later, Tufts experienced a defensive breakdown, surrendering three goals to Amherst in a span of 94 seconds, ultimately ruining its playoff hopes. "We had a lot of opportunities, on both the power play and at even strength," Van Pelt said. "Our goalie came up big early on, but we just didn't capitalize on our chances. They put pressure on us and made the big plays." "We outplayed them the whole game," Kane added. "We played very well as a team, minus those two minutes." The statistics also show that Tufts had plenty of good scoring opportunities. Tufts out-shot Amherst 39-38 and had nine power play scoring chances (eventually scoring on two of them). But the balanced scoring attack from Amherst was just too much for the Jumbos to handle. Amherst had five players with a goal each, while Tufts was led by Sullivan, who amassed all three Jumbo goals. The losses in both games this weekend, combined with a pair of Amherst wins knocked the Jumbos out of playoff contention. Tufts fell six points behind eighth place Amherst in the standings, with only three games remaining in the regular season. Even if Tufts wins its remaining three games and Amherst loses its remaining two, Amherst owns the head-to-head advantage after defeating the Jumbos this weekend. With the playoffs out of the question, Tufts still hopes to pull out a win at Plymouth State on Wednesday. The Jumbos defeated Plymouth State 7-2 last time the two teams met. "We're not just going to lie down and let the other teams roll over us," Kane said. "We want to pull off some wins and roll into next year with some momentum."

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News

Ballroom team waltzes into conflict

February 16

Money and mismanagement allegations have thrown Tufts' award-winning ballroom team into turmoil. The controversy began when the three co-captains of the team, sophomores Kirsten Linder, Ashley Ward and Dave Johnston, decided to remove several alumni instructors from the team. "They're bad for the team. They clouded personal issues with business," Johnston said. One of the alumni was escorted by four Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers out of a practice last week. Johnston said the alumni intruded in the affairs of the organization and misrepresented the team. He cited a "rude e-mail" the alumni sent to the Yale Ballroom Team regarding a scheduling conflict, strained relations with local professional dancers, and conflicts with other team members as reason behind the termination. The three alumni, who all graduated last year, were responsible for giving paid, twice-a-week lessons to first-year dancers. This position has historically been held by upperclassmen dancers but was held by the alumni this year. A letter left by the captains at a practice last year signed by all three captains also questioned the location of funds given for the lessons. Captain Kirsten Linder said one of the alumni, Stephanie Chin, was using funds from teaching for personal expenses. "It's against the teams policy because [Chin] isn't paid for teaching, her lessons are supposed to be covered," Linder said. "If she doesn't need the money for lessons, then she shouldn't get anything from the team." Chin denied these allegations. "I have not stolen any team money. Every cent that went to me was earned as you have all witnessed," she wrote in a statement to the team. Chin said her private lessons were paid by monies earned as secretary of Studio 665, where she works full-time. The costs of the lessons were deducted from her salary. Mark Herschberg, who works with the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancing Association (USABDA), said amateur dancers were barred from accepting any payment for lessons. Amateur dancers are not allowed to make any money unless they are at the elite level; Tufts has no dancers in this category. Violating these rules could lead to disqualification from amateur competition, but Herschberg said the USABDA does typically does not investigate before a formal complaint is filed with the organization. Herschberg said teaching amateur lessons was often a "thankless job." He said some clubs require service, while "many [dancers] do it because they care and want to give back to the community." Many dancers have defended the alumni. At a meeting last Wednesday which the captains did not attend, 24 of 26 attendees voted to reinstate the alumni. There are approximately 50 students on the team. The captains and a moderator attended previous meetings, but Johnston called these meetings "absolutely fruitless." The Ballroom Team's constitution states that an officer can be impeached for missing meetings, "not fulfilling office duties," or "not treating the team mission and/or members with respect." Any vote must be approved at a meeting where three-quarters of the team must be present, and two-thirds in attendance must vote to impeach an officer. No impeachment hearing is currently scheduled. TCU Judiciary Chair Abby Moffat said the Judiciary would not be involved as every group has "their own procedures for impeachments." Moffat said the alumni could not be considered members of the organization, since they did not pay the student activities fee. "[Alumni] can't make decisions for undergraduate groups," she said. No formal complaints have been filed with the Dean of Students Office. Linder said this was more because of the effort involved in the process. "I feel so tired and worn down that I'd almost rather just be impeached, she said, "Even though I know in my heart that what we're doing is right and [the alumni] are a detriment to the team." Any embezzlement hearing would be held by the Dean of Students, and carries the punishment of expulsion, according to the Judicial Affairs Handbook. This punishment would be meaningless to the alumni. At Wednesday's meeting, the team members present decided to make a proposal to present to the alumni. Sophomore Emily Mangone said "the captains would accept [the proposal] or we would impeach them." The compromise calls for lessons to be taught by a combination of students and alumni. An additional lesson would be given to first or second year dancers by a professional instructor. The proposed plan would cost $285 per week, or $3,420 for the rest of the term. This would vary from the team's budget from the TCU Treasury, which only calls for $2,860 in instruction per semester, which would come entirely from a professional instructor. Additional money comes from a reduction of competition fees, which would only be covered for experienced members. The group's budget calls for the payment of the entire team's concert fees. TCU Senator Jose Vasquez said the "the budget subcodes are just mere guidelines." Groups are allowed to transfer monies between different areas of the budget with the approval of the TCU Treasurer. Vasquez refused to comment on whether paying alumni to give lessons was in violation with TCU policies. Team members were also concerned about the quality of newcomer lessons as they were taught by the captains. "I'm not against [captains] teaching, I personally don't feel as if their skills are as strong as the other alumni," Mangone said. The team has not voted on any proposal, but the process has had an effect on the team's performance. While several team members won ribbons at Sunday's competition at Boston University, it was a disappointing finish compared to previous competitions. "I don't think we are as prepared as can be," sophomore Ilya Lozovsky said before the competition. Mangone said the multiple meetings had cut into the team's practice time. Members are now trying to find a solution which would allow the team to concentrate on dancing. "I don't think there's a way the current administration can stay," Mangone said. She said, however, that the captains would be welcome to continue dancing with the team. "They are a huge help, I hope they will stick around," Lozovsky said. Lozovsky said everyone had a piece of the blame. "I think the captains were wrong in kicking out the alumni unilaterally," he said, "on the other hand, I think the captains did have some legitimate complaints." Brian Loeb, Allison Roeser, and Daniela Perdomo contributed to this article.

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Resident sounds off on Vet School issue

February 16

Imagine that six healthy children were selected as experimental subjects to have their leg bones broken and then allowed to heal using different treatments. Afterward, they were euthanized because non-lethal alternatives would not have provided results that would pass scutiny in the academic community. Their sacrifice contributed to potentially helping other children with broken bones in the future. Of course such an experiment would be considered scandalously unethical. But is there such a gap between humans and animals -- especially with "man's best friend" -- that we can not question the ethics of the Tufts researchers? I find it downright Orwellian for second-year class co-president Alisha Weissman to assert that Tufts is "a place so ethical that is so concerned about animal welfare and animals not being put in harm's way," ("Grafton campus community deals with aftermath of controversial animal deaths" Feb. 9) when it is patently clear those six dogs were indeed put in harm's way, whether for the greater good, as they would have us believe, or for prestige or for profit. How many people would have donated their own beloved pets for such a project? But it seems to be ethically O.K. to use the hapless dogs bred for this purpose and doomed from birth. There is a great disconnect here, and I am astounded that most of the vet students do not see it, to judge from their letter to the Boston Herald. Diana Cartier Chestnut Hill, MA

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Jumbos Clinch Home-Court for NESCAC Playoffs

February 16

Women's basketball coach Carla Berube said last week that "great teams have to win on the road." If this weekend was any indication, Tufts might be ready to make the jump from good to great, after a pair of important wins on the road against NESCAC opponents. The Jumbos won 77-62 over Middlebury and 59-37 over Williams, clinching a home playoff game for the Jumbos for the first time in women's basketball history, and gaving the Jumbos eight wins in their last nine games. "We're very confident right now," sophomore guard Jessica Powers said. "We've won games all season but haven't always played our best, but this weekend we really played up to our potential. It's a good time to be playing well for us, especially because we're heading into the playoffs next weekend." On Saturday Tufts registered one of its more impressive wins of the year against the Williams Ephs, using suffocating defense to take Williams out of the game. The 37 points scored by the Ephs is the fewest that Tufts has given up to any team this year. Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with Tufts building a slim 23-18 margin at the break. But the Jumbos came out fired up in the second half, scoring 17 of the first 19 points to put the game out of reach. "We put our whole defensive game together for the entire contest," Powers said. "Sometimes we have lapses where we don't play well as we should, but on Saturday we played good defense for the entire 40 minutes, which also sparked our offense." Tufts' defensive effort allowed the team to dominate, even though it didn't play a great offensive game. The Jumbos shot 37 percent from the floor for the game and their 59 points was well below the team's normal output of 71 points per game. Williams was unable to take advantage of Tufts' struggles, as the Ephs were shut down offensively the entire game. The Ephs shot under 24 percent for the game and finished just 1 of 14 from behind the arc. Williams' Maggie Miller scored a game-high 19 points, but shot just 8 of 24 from the floor, and the rest of the Ephs managed just seven field goals combined. "They are normally a great shooting team but we had some great pressure on their shooters and they had an off night," Christoudias said. "We made them take tough shots, so we didn't have to score that much because our defense was so great." Tufts was led by Powers, who continued her strong play with 16 points, four assists, and four threes. Classmate Julia Verplank added 12 points, including a notable 8 of 8 from the free throw line, and senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias chipped in with 11. On Friday night, junior Allison Love led Tufts to victory at Middlebury. Love broke out of a mini-slump with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Jumbos shot 62 percent in the second half to come away with the win. "It was a good game for [Love], she made a lot of big shots and dominated not only outside but inside as well," Powers said. Junior forward Erin Connolly came off the bench and played her best game of the season, lighting the Panthers up for 14 points in 16 minutes on 6-8 shooting from the field, including 2-2 from long distance. "Erin really stepped up in an awesome fashion against Middlebury, it was amazing to be on the court with her when she did that," Christoudias said. "We all knew she had it in her, and she really gave us a lift." The score was close for most of the game, as Tufts led by five at halftime. Middlebury took the lead for the first and only time in the game with just under 11 minutes to go in the game. But Tufts scored on its next possession to regain the lead and used a late run to get a comfortable 15 point win. Verplank had 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists for Tufts, while Christoudias had 10 and junior Erin Connolly added 14 off the bench. Middlebury was led by Alexis Hollinger's 18 points and 9 rebounds. "Friday night really proved that when we need to step up, we step up," Christoudias said. "This whole team has always known how deep we are and we really showed it [against Middlebury]." Tufts is now 17-5, with one remaining non-conference game against MIT before the NESCAC tournament next weekend. The Jumbos will host the Ephs on Saturday night, with Tufts looking to advance to the semifinals and Williams looking to get revenge on the Jumbos. "They're definitely going to be out to get us because we beat them at home on their senior weekend," Powers said. "We can't go in their knowing we've already beaten them, we need to go in knowing we're going to have a tough game because team's really step up in the playoffs. We're certainly confident but not overconfident."

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Tie-breaker lands Tufts as fourth seed

February 16

After four months and 22 games, the women's basketball team's postseason seeding came down to a tiebreaker. Tufts' hopes for a second seed in this weekend's NESCAC championship tournament were dashed when coin toss to break up a three-way logjam for second place between Tufts, Wesleyan and Bates didn't go the Jumbos' way. Tufts came out on the bottom end of the three deadlocked teams' seedings, earning the fourth seed in the tournament and a home game against number five Williams on Saturday. Wesleyan won the toss and was awarded the second seed and a home game against number seven Middlebury. Bates was given the third seed because it won the head to head match up with Tufts on the season, and will play at home against Amherst. The decision came down to a coin flip because all three teams had 7-2 league records and there was no head-to-head game outcome that favored one team over another. According to the NESCAC web site, if three or more teams are tied after all basketball related tiebreaking scenarios, a coin flip "or similar random action involving all tied teams" will be used. Though the Jumbos came out on the short side of the tie breaker, they still are eagerly awaiting the playoffs. "At first we were a little disappointed," senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias said. "But we got what we wanted which was a home seed." With this seeding, the women's team will play at home in the playoffs for the first time in school history. Bowdoin earned the first seed with its 23-0 perfect record. The Polar Bears now stand atop the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today national polls as the number one Division III women's basketball team in the country. They will face off against eighth seeded Colby (9-15, 2-7 NESCAC) at home on Saturday, beginning their quest for a fourth consecutive NESCAC tournament win. Christoudias believes, however, that Bowdoin is not completely unbeatable despite its daunting statistics. "Any team is beatable," Christoudias said. "We would definitely love to play them again. We'd have to play our best, but I absolutely think we could beat them." Before Tufts can even think about facing Bowdoin later in the tournament, it has to deal with Williams on Saturday in the quarterfinals. The Jumbos came out on the winning side of last Saturday's final NESCAC game of the year at Williams, 59-37. That win should be a confidence booster going into the playoffs, but another important advantage will be the crowd in Cousens Gym come Saturday. "Our 'super fans' are a huge advantage," Christoudias said. "[They] will help a lot, so it will be tough [for Williams] to play us here." The Jumbos however, are not getting overconfident about the game just yet. "On the other hand, we can't assume that we'll just walk in and march right over them," Christoudias added. "They're playing for the same thing we are." Should all of the top four seeds win their respective games on Saturday, the remainder of the tournament would be played on Bowdoin's home court with Tufts matched up against Bowdoin and Bates facing Wesleyan in the semifinals. The winners of those two games would move on and duke it out head to head for the league championship and an automatic bid to the Division III National Championship tournament. The Jumbos will continue with their normal practice regimen as this weekend approaches. "We'll just focus on taking care of the little things," Christoudias said. "Turnovers are still a problem and we'll keep [working] against the zone." This playoff game will be the last women's basketball game played in Cousens Gym this season. For the seniors, the game holds even more meaning as it signifies the end of not only a basketball season, but of their four year careers. "All three seniors want to leave the court having played the best game they can," Christoudias said.

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An open letter to Vet School students

February 16

Dear Vet School Students, As a representative voice of more than 85 Cape Cod residents who publicly support the graduate students' opposition of the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine's (TUSVM) bone healing experiment, I would like to share with you our perspective on the controversy that recently swept through your campus ("Grafton campus community deals with aftermath of controversial animal deaths" Tufts Daily, Feb. 9). Just hours before attending a New Years Eve fundraiser for TUSVM's Oncology department we learned of the plight of five research dogs with surgically broken legs. Prior to hearing the evening news, none of us had scrutinized the kinds of research our donations might be supporting. As supporters and patrons of a school considered an ethical leader in the humane treatment of animals, we had simply taken it for granted that our dollars were being spent on the research of naturally occurring disease and injury. After hearing the news we immediately began to reevaluate our previous misconception. Although it was learned that the Oncology fundraiser had no apparent direct ties to the experiment in question, several attendees continued to express concern that their donation's might be diverted to animal research methods that they themselves might not agree with. Consequently, the research dogs' story prompted us to begin a discussion of our views on the subject of responsible animal research. Whereas, we are not all scientists, together we possess extensive experience caring for a wide variety of animal species with varying degrees of good health, illness and injury. Accordingly, it doesn't take a scientific degree to know that it should be possible to measure the healing of canine bones through the same methods as are used with humans, or that rehabilitation possibilities do exist for two or three legged dogs "bred specifically for research" ("Dogs now gone: Tufts destroys five research canines" Boston Herald Jan. 3). Our perspective was expressed in a letter dated 12/31/03. In applauding TUSVM for its commitment to scientific advancement we simply explained what such a commitment means to us: "... research that does not harm or kill but rather uses already existing illness and injury or non-animal methods to uncover information that will serve both animals and humans alike." We asked those involved with the bone healing experiment to consider other options for the dogs in question. And we asked for a response. The initial letter was signed by 85 Cape Cod residents and was sent to the administration as well as to the researchers. No reply was received. Then we learned from a Boston Herald article ("Dogs now gone..." Jan. 3) that the dog's lives had been terminated on New Year's Day. In fact, TUSVM has yet to respond to our letter, or to any of our follow-up telephone calls requesting more information about the experiments scientific validity and efficacy than has thus far been provided to the press. We continue to be very disappointed in TUSVM's overall response to the ethical controversy your academic community is trying to come to terms with. Hence, we would like to clarify a few issues. We do not represent the animal rights activists, the Grafton residents or the public demonstrators that TUSVM's has admitted to hearing from on this issue ("Grafton campu..." Feb. 9). We are simply a group of concerned Cape Cod citizens who share the same deep commitment to the health and welfare of animals that hopefully prompted all of you to enter Vet School in the first place. Neither our response, nor the response of the other animal advocate groups poses the security threat to your country campus that certain reactions of your University suggest. Amongst us are past and current donors, supporters, volunteers and clients of TUSVM. We believe that as a group we comprise a legitimate representative sample of your potential future client base. We also believe that TUSVM administrators have received similar input from a significantly larger representative sample of your potential future client base than they have admitted to. We hope that as a group of professionals in training, many of who will undoubtedly enter the business world of Veterinary medicine, you will demand that the administrators of your institution fully disclose to you the true context and extent of public feedback this controversy has generated. We also hope that you will seriously examine the manner in which the administration of TUSVM has publicly responded to this controversy. Applause for leadership in Veterinary educational ethics aside, we think valid questions have arisen about TUSVM's leadership role in research ethics. Respect for TUSVM's receptiveness to the ideas of its students' on an internal level aside, we believe that the principles of good public relations and business practice do not include silence, secrecy, avoidance of the press and fear of public scrutiny or accountability. To our knowledge, both TUSVM and the primary investigators have declined to speak to the press on several occasions. None of our letters or phone inquiries have been answered and none of the inquiries of several other groups that we know of have been answered. We have not heard of any reports of radical or extremist activities occurring on your campus, which would justify the institution of added security measures. And it seems that both the press and the student body have been misinformed about the context and extent of the public's interest in this matter. We therefore conclude that it has been TUSVM's own failure to provide a reasonable and accountable public response to this controversy that has served to propel whatever sensationalism might have ensued. It is our belief that the Animals and Public Policy Graduate students have legitimately presented several clearly defined questions pertaining to the issue of responsible animal research. We also believe that the subject of responsible animal research is ultimately a public policy issue and that it was therefore very appropriate for the students' to bring an ethical issue that they were unable to resolve internally to the public's attention through the press. The four of the 30 original protestors who felt ethically bound to come forward signify a legitimate representative sample of not only a portion of your student body but also quite possibly a legitimate representative sample of Vet School student body's in general. That voice deserves to be acknowledged rather than minimized. Furthermore, we believe that because TUSVM receives state funding, the Massachusetts public deserves the right to demand public accountability as well. This recent controversy on your campus has prompted us to sadly conclude that we are now better educated about the kinds of experiments to which animals are subjected. As such, we strongly support the Animals and Public Policy students who have joined forces with New England Anti-Vivisection Society to effect changes to animal research policies across the board. We will not be boycotting TUSVM hospitals but we will insist that any future donations are held as restricted funds as we continue to expect TUSVM, as well as all veterinarians, to show accountability to its consumer base. We hope that you will keep our perspective under serious consideration as your educational community enters into "an honest and open dialogue...about research and research ethics." ("Grafton campus..." Feb. 9). There is no question that many animals benefit from the expert veterinary services at TUSVM. Let this experience serve to unite your academic community as it continues to reach towards its leadership goals Sincerely, Betsy Erickson Betsy Erickson is one of a group of 85 Cape Cod residents who donate money to Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine.

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Policies create obstacles as parents draw closer to their children at school

February 16

Most high school seniors cannot wait for the day that they can pack up their belongings, leave childhood behind and arrive at their new home for the next four years: college. Despite red tape from increasingly strict government regulations which make students' records harder to access, both Tufts administration and students alike try to keep parents in the loop. Tufts says that parents are offered the opportunity to attend campus tours, orientation programs and are welcomed to contact the Deans, professors, and counseling centers at any time. Despite the growth in parental participation in college life, both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) have continued to spark debate between students, parents, and university officials. The HIPAA, created in 1996, makes students' health records confidential and requires students to sign a permission of release before their record can be released to their parents and University officials. Only insurance companies and authorized medical professionals may have access to those records. At the Tufts Counseling Center, parents with concerns or questions can receive consultation and education over the phone, staff psychologist John Rosario-Perez said. "Parents should be supportive and remain interested in their children's lives. Keeping communication open and encouraging your children is important," Rosario-Perez said. Although the Counseling Center at Tufts does not have any specific programs aimed at parents, several of the Center's staff members make themselves available to greet parents at the various culture houses during orientation. The students who visit the Center about parental problems tend to voice complaints about parents becoming too over-protective while they are away at college. "Most of the students who come to the Counseling Center are protective of their own privacy -- they're motivated and independent people. The most common cases are about general adolescence, because these are students who value their independence," Rosario-Perez said. Thanks to online campus newsletters, e-mails from Deans and professors, parents' weekends, and college counseling centers, parents have gained more access and insight to their children's college lives than ever before. According to the government's education website, FERPA states that, "generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record." Records, however, can be released without consent if the student is transferring, if it is needed for financial aid purposes, or if there is a matter of judicial concern. Elena Lozovsky, whose son Ilya is a sophomore at Tufts, is not a fan of the FERPA. She feels that she should have the right to access her son's records since she is the one who pays for her son's college education. Lozovsky said she has been satisfied with the amount of information she receives from the University that she considers important and relevant. Students have expressed mixed emotions regarding increased parental knowledge about their college lives. "[My parents] don't bother asking, because if I don't [complain], then I'm doing well. If I tell them about a grade, it's either because I did awesome or [badly]. So, they'll hear about it one way or the other," senior Aaron Weinstein said. Sophomore Nathan Papazian, son of Director of Administrative Computing Richard Papazian, said, "[my parents] don't ask, but I tell them if I do well." "I don't think it's a huge problem. As long as John isn't on severe academic probation, I have no reason to be concerned. Plus, I'm sure he would let me know if something was going badly," parent Janet Pettito said. Pettito's son Jon is a sophomore at Boston University At a school like Boston University, which has heightened security measurements and enforces more strict rules than suburban and rural campuses, parents are continually kept alert about crime, news, special guests, and program developments, Pettito said. "Back in the 1970s when I was in college, parents were never as interested or involved in what was happening around campus as they are today," she explained. "They basically told us 'have a good time, don't forget to write, and see you at Thanksgiving,'" She said that she receives the same updates as her son about changes to his program, letting her track his requirement needs and study abroad options. "It's exceedingly helpful," Pettito said.

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Kanye West's debut looks to change the rap game

February 16

Kanye West the producer has the most radio airplay and most singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with four in the Top 50. So will Kanye West the rapper's debut album, The College Dropout, "drop then flop" -- as Kanye puts it in his own words? Impossible. The final product of Kanye's concentrated efforts and best material, The College Dropout doesn't lack depth, hitting listeners with sarcasm from the get go. With burning social commentary on "All Falls Down," "Spaceship," and "Jesus Walks," Kanye is relentless and unafraid to tackle serious issues including racism and religion. His flow is best on these tracks, and the blend of intense lyrics over mournful rhythms contains some flashes of brilliance. It is no wonder that Kanye West is single-handedly moving hip-hop in a new direction -- shifting it to his own soulful Chicago roots. Coming out of a new urban tradition, Kanye is one of the most exciting people in hip hop today. The Midwest is new to hip hop, and hip hop heads are ready to listen to new stories of life out there. "Spaceship" is a notable storytelling effort. The first half of this track really feels like a singer/songwriter cut, missing only the acoustic guitar. Kanye describes his experiences struggling to move up and out of the working class world. He sings the hook and his voice is surprisingly affecting. But the album breaks from soulful beats (sped-up Motown and gospel samples infused with strings) and introspective, complicated lyrics to reveal a brash and cocky young rapper more concerned with fashion than lyrical depth. At his worst, Kanye is no better than rappers like Cam'ron, who depend on incessant and generic couplets to hold tracks together. Tracks like "Workout Plan" are still catchy because the production quality does much to cover the weak raps. A few high profile appearances also help to improve tracks like "Get Em High" and "Two Words." Respected lyricists Common, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def are true hip-hop poets, and because of their clear lyrical superiority Kanye was smart to seek them out on these cuts. The end of the album returns with a smoother sound; the finale of "College Dropout" is a lead-in to the new hip hop Kanye is pushing. The last three tracks, including the popular "Through the Wire," are amalgams of rap, R&B, and soul which leave no room for rap's underground element. Either an evolution or a split in the rap world seems imminent. At the very least, Kanye created a trend, and it's heavy to think that one man is responsible for such change. "College Dropout" isn't an instant classic. The album has problems, mostly centered on Kanye's lyrical ability. Sometimes he can't rap, and it doesn't help that he keeps his self-importance on the surface of some tracks. Hot lines drop once in a while, but many lyrics are noticeably thin. The incredible talent needed to consistently produce a complete album and sustain a career seems to elude Kanye. Perhaps it's asking too much of a rapper to immediately surface as one of the greats, but Kanye's "Midas touch" as a producer set the high standard for Kanye West the rapper. The Kanye craze has been building since he laced hit beats for Jay-Z's original version of Blueprint. As demand for his production skills rocketed, Kanye eventually signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records as a rapper, all the while remaining active as a producer. He graced Jay-Z's last three albums as well as making beats for several fan favorite tracks, such as the current Alicia Keys and Ludacris hits, "You Don't Know My Name" and "Stand Up," respectively. Meanwhile Kanye had been teasing fans with tastes of his skill as a rapper on a series of mix tapes, most recently Kon the Louis Vuitton Don. The mix tape material wasn't exceptional, but Kanye's silly, nonchalant flow appealed to hip hop and R&B fans alike. But silly can't make a whole album, and the flow remained a big question mark. Luckily, Kanye knew that, and his newest release shows it. For a freshman effort, Dropout is a remarkable surprise, especially considering all the time West has to develop. But right now, The College Dropout has to be part of your collection.

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Two become one: Tufts course treats religion and ecology as a single discipline

February 16

Keeping pace with an international trend led by universities, religious leaders, and philosophers around the world, Tufts now offers a course uniting the topics of religion and ecology, two seemingly disparate subjects. According to Environmental and Population Health Professor Paul Waldau, who teaches the Religion and Ecology course at Tufts, religion influences a person's attitude towards the natural world and the living beings that comprise that world. "The religion-and-ecology approach allows us to see different dimensions of religion," Waldau said. Through his course, which is cross-listed in the Comparative Religion Department and the Environmental Studies Departments, Waldau attempts to show students how different attitudes towards ecology may originate in the religious ideas that are embedded into a culture. "You can be a perfectly good Jew, Christian, Muslim, etc. and be friendly to the natural world," Waldau said. "But sadly, you can be fully Jew, Christian, Muslim, etc. in some people's minds and be very unfriendly to the environment." Studying religion and ecology as a single discipline identifies the environmental currents underlying different religious beliefs, which influence believers to treat the earth in various ways. The doctrines of most popular religions include both positive and negative attitudes towards ecology. Waldau hopes that his classes, in addition to encouraging environmental awareness, will produce an understanding of personal values and the importance of knowing about various religious traditions. By addressing issues of both religious and ecological heritage, Walthau intends to bring students a new perspective on both. "I'm teaching people who will become leaders," Waldau said. "It's a fascinating challenge to enable them to see the roots of a problem." In an effort to do so, Waldau exposes his students to the philosophies of Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grimm, writers and educators who are leading the religion and ecology movement. According to Waldau, teaching religion and ecology as a single topic has political significance. If religious institutions become active in the fight against environmental degradation, he said, the government and corporations will be quicker to limit environmental damage. Waldau is encouraged by the fact that the American Academy of Religion has recently suggested that several prominent religious figures are interested in addressing ecological problems. Additionally, Waldau suggested, both religious institutions and ecologists could benefit from treating environmental problems together: ecologists could secure the support of millions of religious practitioners around the world, and religious institutions could gain ecologically minded supporters by presenting themselves in an environmentally conscious way. An activist in the religion and ecology movement, Waldau strives to conduct his classes in the most comprehensive and open-minded manner possible. In his mind, the most effective method of teaching allows for the discussion of as many views as possible. The least effective method is to treat the topic purely academically. Tufts is one of more than 30 universities across the United States to offer courses on religion and ecology as a single discipline, according to Waldau. These courses take several forms, all discussing ecology or animal protection in relation to religious beliefs. Some popular courses relating to religion and ecology include "Religion and Nature" or "Religion and Ethics." Outside classes, Tufts students are taking Waldau's message to heart, combining faith and environmental awareness on their own time. The student-run ECO club recently teamed up with Hillel to celebrate Tu B'Shevat (Holiday for the Trees), educating students on the links between faith, culture, and the environment. In addition to his current Tufts course, Waldau teaches a course on religion and animals at Harvard that will also be offered at Tufts next fall. He has written a book called Specter of Skepticism that discusses the Christian philosophy of animal treatment. He also leads "The Great Ape Project," a movement founded in the early 1990s to help establish protection for chimps, apes, and orangutans.

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Naked Midget Roller Derby

February 16

Hi there. I'm Andy Zatz. This is my first column. So far, so good. Well, I guess I should tell the few people at Tufts who don't know me a little bit about myself before I start rambling. I'm from lower upstate New York, I'm a senior majoring in English, and I suffer from erectile dysfunction. My shrink says that it has to do with a fear of intimacy because I walked in on my parents having sex when I was two years old. And I didn't leave the room. I just stood there. And they knew I was there too. But they just kept going. Was all that true or was I just making it up for a cheap joke? You'll never know. That's going to be part of the charm of this column. This column is going to be freaking awesome, man. Seriously. Anyways, now that you know a little bit about me let me explain how I got into the narcissistic business of writing a column. Last semester I wrote a couple of viewpoints and my friends who laugh at the same idiocy I do thought they were funny. Then this semester came along. "When are you going to write your next viewpoint?" my friends asked me. "Yes, I should write another viewpoint," I would reply. So, since the semester started, I've been combing the Daily for an article that piqued my interest so I would have something to write about. But nothing was happening on campus. I need something to outrage me to write a good viewpoint. And it's difficult to get outraged over the fact that Tufts just appointed four new trustees. Things looked hopeless. But wait. A glimmer of hope. There's good news. I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geiko. And I could write a column! A column doesn't have to pertain to any kind of issue. It's just a rant. And ranting I can do. The question remained: what should my column be about? The Daily columns all seem to have some sort of a theme. Amber has her sex column. Some other guy does a political one. And then there's the one where... um... Actually I just read the Amber Madison column but I imagine the other ones have themes too. And I needed a theme of my own. I needed something original. Something that would speak to the common Tufts student (a New York suburban Jew). My first idea was that, for every column, I would take a different drug and write the column while high on that drug. I would call the column "Doing Drugs With the Z-Man" Catchy, right? So I took some mushrooms and tried to write my first drug-laden column. Here's what I came up with: Dude, what if like this whole world is just an atom. Like an atom on some guy's knee or something. Like I could have a whole universe on my knee right now. How freaky is that? I haven't eaten in eight hours. I have a headache and I don't want to be tripping anymore. Just a few more hours. Just a few more hours and everything will be okay. WHY WON'T IT STOP? Oh my God! My mom is calling me on my cell phone. Okay... Okay... I just threw my cell phone down the stairs. That was actually pretty good but I don't want to be known as the sketchy drug guy. I want to be known as the sketchy impotent guy. This is my first column and I've already made three impotency jokes. I like how this is going. Anyways, I still needed a theme. Wait -- I just did a word count and I have enough to stop writing. So, long story short, I decided not to focus on a theme and just do a column about whatever I felt like writing. If a campus issue comes along that piques my interest, I'll write a column on that. If it's a slow week at Tufts (aren't they all) then I'll write about something mundane about every-day Tufts life. In this instance, I felt like writing about me writing a column. Took the easy way out this time. But stay tuned readers -- I've got plenty more asinine stuff up my sleeve. Till next time.

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News

Changed alcohol policy leads to more TEMS use

February 16

The number of alcohol-related calls to Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) jumped by a significant percentage last semester when compared to data from the previous year. The University's new alcohol policy may be partially responsible for the increase. In September, Tufts administration officials decided that students who called TEMS for an emergency that involved a first violation of the alcohol policy would not be place on Probation Level I, but would still be written up in a report filed with the Office of Residential Life & Learning (ResLife). TEMS reported 51 patients for alcohol intoxication in the 2003-04 school year-to-date. In contrast, the entire 2002-03 academic year only saw 37 patients. "We have heard a lot of positive feedback about the change for the first offense and more people are calling TEMS because of the non-disciplinary response," Dean of Judicial Affairs Victoria Carter said. This non-disciplinary first-offense policy was revised "to take the disciplinary sting out of first offenses" so that more students would not hesitate to call for help, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said in December. Alcohol-related TEMS calls from freshmen increased from 16 last year to 24 this year. The sophomore class made 11 TEMS calls this year, while last year's sophomores only accounted for 5 of the calls in 2002-03. Eleven alcohol-related incidents to which TEMS responded are classified as "unknown," because the students in question did not report which class they were in. Senior Kate Anderson said the old policy made it hard for students to decide when to call TEMS. Under the old policy, she said, "if there was someone really in trouble, you called. But there was always that line you weren't sure you wanted to cross especially if it meant they could get in trouble." The former first-offense policy dictated that if a student was found illegally consuming alcohol, he or she ran the risk of being placed on Probation I. Though the student's parents would not be called and the offense would not be written up on his or her permanent record, the old policy did stipulate that the student would be ineligible to join a fraternity or sorority, become a Residential Assistant (RA), or hold various student leadership positions. First time violators now receive a letter from Director of Drug and Alcohol Education Margot Abels that asks them to complete an online health course from mystudentbody.com. Alternatively, students can choose to meet with a counselor at the Tufts Alcohol and Health Education Center or with Carter. Failure to comply with one of these options within two weeks of receiving the letter will result in a referral to the Judicial Affairs Office, which then places the student on Probation I. Of this year's estimated 150 first-offenders, 55 have opted to take the judicial course offered by mystudentbody.com this past semester, in addition to the 400 to 500 first-years who completed it non-judicially, according to Abels. All freshmen are required to take the online course, but not all of them have. When asked if she thought the online course is an effective way to impress upon students the dangers of alcohol abuse, Abels said, "I don't want people to think of using [the course] so punitively -- I'd like them to learn. If one in 100 realizes, it's a win [because] it only takes one death to rock this campus." Sophomore John Shea applauded this new approach to alcohol abuse on a college campus like Tufts. "It's not really very realistic to think that drinking can be eliminated," he said. "I think [the new policy] is a great improvement because it concentrates on the safety of the students." Carter agrees with Shea's assessment. "It is unrealistic to establish a goal of eliminating drinking on campus -- or anywhere else," she said. "While we can't ignore the Massachusetts state laws about drinking, our primary goal is to address abuse." The MIT campus was hit hard in 1998 by an alcohol-related death when current University president Larry Bacow was chancellor there. A student died of alcohol poisoning after attending a party at a fraternity house. Since then MIT has implemented a procedure where the student requesting medical treatment is not issued any sort of citation -- even if the person is under 21 -- as long as he or she has not done damage to any property or assaulted another person. At Boston University (BU), there is no first-offense policy set in stone. "We treat every case as the individual case it is," BU spokesman Colin Riley said. Riley commended Tufts for requiring its first-year students to complete the online health course but said that BU was not considering such an option. For now, freshmen at BU "hear at their orientation what we expect of them, and consequences," Riley said. "We are explicit. For example, if a roommate passively participates [in alcohol abuse] -- even if he or she wasn't drinking -- he or she can also face consequences." The freshman class has made the most calls to TEMS; 24 over the past semester. The calls constitute a majority over every other undergraduate class. Freshmen drink heavily when they get to college, Abels said, because "they are away from home, living in dorms with other kids their age. This, in addition to all the demands of college [coursework] and socializing with older [peers], leads to an increased interest in alcohol at parties." Freshman Sarah Freuden said the rise in freshman alcohol abuse numbers is due to the closed fraternities last semester, not because freshmen have discovered their newfound freedom. "I think that since last semester, [because many of the fraternities were on probation], there wasn't much to do. People are more likely to drink excessively when they're sitting around bored in their rooms." This hypothesis will be tested this semester as Delta Upsilon (DU) and Delta Tau Delta (DTD), two of the fraternities on probation during the fall semester, have returned to the campus social scene. Abels went to college when the drinking age in the United States was 18 -- the legal drinking age in the great majority of countries throughout the world. "I don't remember any friends ever going to the hospital [for alcohol intoxication]," she said. Carter agreed that "it was a lot easier to educate about the responsible use of alcohol when the legal age was 18." As for drug abuse at the University, there are no official figures. Abels said, however, that there are certainly a "critical number" of Tufts students who have been or still are drug addicts. "We know people do it and people come to us for help but it really is harder to identify than alcohol abuse," she said. On disciplinary action regarding first-offense drug abuse Carter said, "It depends upon the classification and amount of the substance found. Some amounts are considered trafficking and can result in arrests and/or disciplinary action. We respond to marijuana use in the same way as alcohol. Other drugs, like cocaine and crack, will result in more serious outcomes." There are peer support groups of five to ten people that meet each week regularly to discuss recovery for substance abuse, Abels said. If a student is interested in joining one of these groups he or she should contact Elizabeth Moore, a counselor at the Health Education Center. "We really are here to help," Abels said.

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News

Jumbos go 1-1, make seventh playoff spot

February 16

Before this weekend, the men's basketball team was in the process of watching its season collapse into the void. But, with some hard play and a little bit of luck, the Jumbos now find themselves in the seventh seed heading into the NESCAC quarterfinals next weekend. Saturday's loss to Williams, the nation's number one team, turned out to not be a factor against Tufts in its position in the standings as the day also brought losses to both Middlebury and Colby. All three teams were left in a tie for seventh place in the conference. With the top seven teams going to the playoffs, the three team's names were picked out of a hat to choose the school that would see its season extended, and Tufts lucky horseshoe apparently was well-polished. The Jumbos earned their chance at the pick with an at-home win against conference competitor Middlebury 78-66 on Friday night. However, Lady Luck would not have been needed at all if Tufts had managed to go 2-0 this weekend. Unfortunately, the Jumbos were unable to take down division III's best team to do so, dropping their game on Saturday against Williams. Williams performed exactly as expected, defeating Tufts 75-52 and securing themselves the top seed in the conference. "They are the number one team in the nation," coach Bob Sheldon said. "I am proud of the way we competed." Friday night, however, was the must-win game against Middlebury, and is the reason the Jumbos competing in the playoffs. The Jumbos dominated the game from start to finish, giving away the lead once. Senior co-captain Deyvehn East led the effort with 15 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists. A fired-up Martin added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore Blaine Lay contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds. Both Martin and Lay also had a hand in containing Middlebury senior co-captain Nate Anderson. After leading for most of the first half, Middlebury began to threaten with two minutes left. The Panthers were silenced as Mack sent an alley-oop to Martin, firing up the team and putting the score at 36-31. While zone defense in the last minute prevented Middlebury from getting a good shot, junior Andrew Kaklamanos hit a three-pointer to put the Jumbos up by eight at halftime. In the second, East and Mack led by example, diving and scrambling for balls and making plays happen. The Jumbos maintained their intensity level, despite being up most of the second half. "We played with great passion," freshman Jason Grauer said. "We didn't have a choice; we needed to win. It was do or die for us." Grauer contributed to the intensity level of the game by hoisting a three pointer in the face of two Middlebury defenders, falling to his knees as the shot clock expired. "I saw myself in a bad situation and I had to find the hole," Grauer said. "I saw the light and hoped for God to send it in." The shot ended an 11-4 Panther run to maintain Tufts lead at 10, 59-49. The Jumbos coasted the rest of the way to the 78-66 victory. Most of the Jumbo's wins this season have been at home, something that will be a stumbling block as the Jumbos will have to be on the road to play Trinity in the quarterfinals. "Being at home is a huge advantage for us," Lay said. "It is great to see people come out, it gets us fired up. We are a different team." For Saturday's game, Williams overmatched the Tufts players. Williams went into the game with four starters averaging in double digits in points per game. Four minutes into the first half on Saturday, three of them had contributed buckets to put the Ephs up 10-0. "We got down early and they took advantage of that," senior co-captain Eric Mack said. Sophomore forward Scott Armstrong broke the dry spell at 15:34 with a shot from three-point land, going on to lead the Jumbos in points for the day with fourteen. Williams answered right back with a three-pointer of its own, courtesy of junior forward Tucker Kain. In fact, it seemed like any time an Eph had an unguarded moment behind the arc, three points were the next thing to follow -- ten of those moments in total. Tufts did not make up ground until it had about seven minutes left in the half when the team scored eight unanswered points to make the score 20-31. According to Mack, who contributed five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals to the effort, the Jumbos had success when they picked up their opponents in transition and stopped them at half-court. Williams kept their lead into halftime, and for the rest of the game. In the opening minutes of the second half, the Jumbos were able to cut the lead to under ten on a lay-up by sophomore Dan Martin to make it 40-49. After that, the Jumbos were unable to make much happen, as Martin had to sit after accumulating his fourth foul. Williams' 12-2 run, which soon followed, closed the door on a victory. "It hurts," Sheldon said in reference to taking Martin out. "We need full strength up front, and with [Brian Fitzgerald] injured, it hurts to have him out. The team has one more regular-season game against Clark University this week.

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News

Queer community upbeat over recent gay marriage confirmation

February 16

If Julie Goodridge has her way, she and her partner will wed this spring, with an 8-year-old daughter Annie in tow. Goodridge's efforts to get married are part of a nationwide political and ideological controversy. Goodridge, 46, seeks to marry her partner, Hillary, after a protracted legal battle. Governor Mitt Romney met with Goodridge and her partner, and the six other plaintiff couples on Friday. "I still haven't recovered," said Goodridge of Romney's attitude toward her family, which she called "absolutely heartless. Last week, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) confirmed its November decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health to legalize civil marriage for same-sex couples. The confirmation struck down the proposed civil union alternative for gay couples as separate and unequal. The firm stance of the court -- and expected passage of a legislative amendment this Wednesday opposing its decision -- means that the decision will likely come down to Massachusetts voters in a 2006 constitutional referendum. When the SJC ruled on gay marriage last November, "it was such a profound feeling," Goodridge said. Civil marriage and its legal entitlements are "rights that we have already been granted... no one can take them away," Goodridge said. Meanwhile, opponents to same-sex marriage mobilized to protest the decision. Spokesperson for the Coalition for Marriage Ray McNulty supports an amendment that would redefine marriage as the "exclusive union of one man and one woman." "[Homosexuals] may choose to live how they will, but the strong feeling exists that they should not be allowed to redefine marriage for the rest of us," McNulty said. The Coalition for Marriage group is an umbrella organization that includes various religious, community and political groups opposing same-sex marriage. According to McNulty, members of the Coalition for Marriage "by and large have no ill will to the homosexual community." The Coalition's resistance to gay marriage is "a matter of tradition." Moreover, McNulty indicated that the SJC overstepped its bounds with the ruling, suggesting that the court could grant benefits for same-sex couples -- such as hospital visitations and inheritances -- without conferring marriage rights to homosexuals. Goodridge finds these allegations shocking. She said, "some heterosexual couples feel like their relationship is threatened by us getting married, which it obviously isn't." While some argue that same sex unions would demean the institution of marriage, Goodridge quipped, "[heterosexuals] have done a pretty good job of that on their own." Although Goodridge believes the SJC decisions were victories for same-sex couples, she expects legislators to exploit the "emotional reaction" of the electorate in order to block same-sex marriage. Goodridge likens the struggle of homosexuals to that of African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. "Under what circumstances are civil rights laws passed based on a popular majority? Not many," Goodridge said. Tufts senior Noris Chavaria and TTLGBC member who is writing his American Studies thesis on civil unions in Argentina said in an e-mail that "the legal work is only a step." According to Chavaria, "same-sex couples will get recognition not only legally, but slowly society will learn and embrace the fact that same sex couples are just as human as opposite sex couples." Boston's gay community is optimistic about the decisions, despite the opposition. Steve Smith, Executive Director of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus said, "two of the plaintiff couples... are season subscribers to our concerts. At our concerts in December, we acknowledged their presence from the stage and both couples got standing ovations from our audience. Within the Chorus family, our members are thrilled with the decision, which validates our basic civil rights as citizens of the Commonwealth."

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