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Hot ways to spend Valentine's Day in Boston

February 11

Another year has gone by and once again, it's Valentine's Day. Whether you are single, partnered, or searching for that special someone, the perfect Valentine's day and night are waiting for you somewhere in Boston. Take a Duck Tour. The couple that quacks together...well, quacks together. Same goes for friends, family, and similarly single hallmates. Get to know the city and your sweetie this Valentine's Day. Tours leave from the Prudential Center or the Museum of Science. For more information, check out the website at http://www.bostonducktours.com/ Wax poetic. Pay a visit to the Grolier Poetry Bookstore in Harvard Square. The cozy little shop has a huge selection of poetry, both well-known and obscure, so you can brush up on your Shel Silverstein as well your T.S. Eliot. If you come with a date, you can read each other sweet literary nothings. Alone, you can find someone who expresses your solitary sentiments perfectly and spend a little quality time with the shopkeeper's dog. And maybe the awkward moment you have with that Harvard hottie whose hand you brush while reaching for the last copy of The Harp Weaver will be more than just a chance encounter... The Grolier Poetry Bookshop is located at 6 Plympton Street in Cambridge. (617) 547-4648 Weigh in on your relationship: Steak by the pound The Brazilian Cafe Belo is the perfect Valentine's Day destination, regardless of your relationship status. Bring a date: If you're hot for each other, eating bulk beef will only bring you closer, since the pure animal pleasure of ripping into a hunk of meat together will raise any relationship to the next level. Plus, the extra calories will give you fuel for whatever other activities the night may bring... The pleasure of this restaurant isn't limited to canoodling carnivores, however. If you're spending V-day alone, what better way to dull the pain than by the pound? Cafe Belo is located at 636 Beacon St. near Kenmore Square. (617) 236-8666. Also located at 181 Brighton Avenue in Allston/Brighton. (617) 783 4858 Indulge your inner child Remember the good old days when cooties made love a moot point? Regress and spend V-day watching kids' movies and eating candy. Lots of candy. Rent a bunch of cartoons (Disney's great for impossible tales of romance), stock up on candy hearts and Hershey's kisses, and exchange Valentines like you did in elementary school. You'll discover the little kid in your sweetheart, or just perfect your skill at giving atomic wedgies. For your viewing pleasure, the Daily recommends Aladdin, Beautyand the Beast, Shrek, The Little Mermaid, or Finding Nemo. A Fishy Kind of Love Sushi: Nothing says romance like raw fish. And vice versa. After working up an appetite by finding Nemo, it's probably time to find you and your companion(s) some dinner. Boston offers a whole school of great sushi places, from Kaya and Blue Fin in Porter Square, to Gyuhama at Hynes Convention Center, to Mr. Sushi out in Coolidge Corner. Get yourselves a room- a tatami room (a traditional private dining room), where you can have your date all to yourself, or hide your shameful loneliness from the world. Either way, take your shoes off, kick back, and enjoy the evening. Don't like it raw? Like your seafood a little more well done? Oysters ... well, they're raw too, but they're said to be an unbeatable aphrodisiac. If you're queasy about E. Coli, you can always order the grilled salmon and get your date an oyster shooter or two. If you're dateless, grab your most attractive friends, skip the salmon, and order a whole round of the slippery little buggers. Try Legal Seafoods or the Union Oyster House, located at 41 Union St. (617)227-2750 When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie: that's amore. It's a scientifically proven fact that the Italians are more romantic than the rest of us. Since most college students can't afford a weekend jaunt to Venice, this Valentine's Day, try the next best thing and head over to the North End. If you've got a significant other, take advantage of the atmosphere. Walk hand in hand in the moonlight, drink red wine by the carafe, and slurp spaghetti while gazing into each other's eyes ... la Lady and the Tramp. Don't let singularity keep you from the North End. Who knows, maybe that beautiful dark eyed stranger is eying more than just your fettucine alfredo. Remember, romance is all about hidden possibilities. Get a room. Felicitously engaged? You don't need to be told what to do. Alone? Throw yourself a bash of which a rock star would be proud. Where's the fun in spending the night with just one person? If partying all night isn't your style, find the romance inherent in existentialism. Read Sartre, and when you realize that you are, in fact, on vacation, pay a visit to the hotel bar. Think Lost in Translation, Boston style. Scarlett Johnason and Bill Murray never would have found each other if they'd had anything better to do. Amerisuites Medford: http://www.amerisuites.com/ Boston Ritz Carlton: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/boston/ Dance! Nothing kick-starts romance quite like shaking your booty. Check the Daily's listings to see which of Boston's usual dance clubs appeal to you, or check out one of the special Valentine's Day dances that are going on throughout the community. Remember, you don't need a partner, you just need the beat. The Daily Recommends: Boston Swing Dance 8 pm Saturday St. James ARmenian Church 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown Tickets $13 (617)924-6603 Ryles Dance HAll Latin, Swing and Tango 9 pm Saturday 212 HAmpshire Street, CAmbridge Tickets $12 (617)876-9330 Valentine's Day Salsa Party 8 pm Saturday Knights of Columbus may 75 West School Street, Charleston (617)524-0457

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News

Ski team season in full swing

February 11

When somebody utters the phrase "Tufts athletics", a herd of Jumbos hurtling down the slopes is not the first image that usually comes to mind. Football, basketball, baseball and even sailing are sports synonymous with the Brown and Blue sporting scene. Yet when the snow starts falling on New England each year, a dedicated group of students strap on their skis and hit the mountains for a wild time. The Tufts ski team is one of the nine club sports offered by the school. As a club sport, rather than a varsity level one, the team does not usually receive much attention on campus. Nevertheless, it is still one of the more competitive Jumbo sports ensembles, and it can get intense. Imagine waking up at 4:30 every Tuesday morning to trek to the Blue Hills in Milton, Mass., for a 6:30-8:30 a.m. practice, then returning back to campus for a full day of classes. Then there's the 8:00-10:00 p.m. training session on Wednesdays. Throw in a two-day competition every weekend from Jan. 10 to Feb. 15 -- and that's just the regular season -- and you have some idea of the level of commitment the team makes. While practice is optional, the skiers love being on the slopes as much as possible, so the word "optional" isn't really in their vocabulary. "I just enjoy being part of the team," junior co-captain Erin Johnson said. "Getting time on the hill, it just really helps your skiing." The team is co-ed and consists of approximately 45 skiers, split slightly in favor of the men. Skill level ranges from those who have skied all their lives to those who have barely skied at all -- and this is one of the things that makes the team great, according to coach Rob McCune, a Tufts alum who skied for the team for four years before graduating in 1997 and returning as coach. Assisting McCune is fellow alum Brendan Mulcahy, a 1999 grad and former team member. "We don't make cuts. We offer it as a student activity and anybody who even knows how to ski can come ski with us, they don't have to race to be on the team," McCune said. "There's certainly a benefit from being on the team. It's great bonding." Despite that laidback attitude, the competition is still serious business. The Jumbos are part of the Thompson Division and compete in two events, the slalom and giant slalom, against nine other schools. These consist of Green Mountain College in Vermont, WPI, Holy Cross, Amherst, Trinity, Conn College, BU, UMass-Lowell and Northeastern. Green Mountain and BU consistently rank as the toughest women's opponents, while in men's events Green Mountain, WPI and Holy Cross are the teams to beat. Each weekend, the team heads to one of several slopes around the New England area, including Bromley, Haystack and Killington in Vermont, Dartmouth in New Hampshire and Berkshire East, Mass. Ten men and ten women form the competitive group each week, with the top six or seven spots in both categories remaining relatively fixed throughout the season. Sophomores Eliza Appert, Chloe Snider, Lael Nelson and Megan Nelson, senior Courtney Benson, and Johnson make up the top women, while seniors Michael Krafft, Nathaniel Sager, Ryan Steeb, Mike Tonelli, sophomore co-captain Max Felker-Kantor, Tonelli's sophomore brother Andrew, and freshman Eric Johnson are the core men. McCune likes to rotate the bottom three or four slots between the remaining members of the team, so that everyone, no matter what ability level, gets at least one week of racing during the season. "The top six to seven spots are fairly set with racers that have performed well enough to earn those spots," McCune said. "Because every weekend we can not only choose who races male/female for each day, but for each event, those last three or four spots can be rotated amongst eight people during a weekend." This season the Tufts women are ranked third behind GMC and BU and have secured a spot in the upcoming regionals, held at Waterville Valley, NH. The men are tightly perched in fifth place, just one point behind fourth place Amherst. GMC, WPI and Holy Cross hold the top three rungs in the standings. To reach regionals, the men must finish fourth overall in the standings, and with just one week of league competition remaining, they must gain two points by placing on both days of this weekend's competition at Haystack in order to pass Amherst. "We've made a huge comeback this season," McCune said. "The men were in eighth two weeks ago and the women were in fifth. We've made regionals for the last 15 years. We've put in a bid for nationals two, three times, just barely missing a couple times." So, with the all the early morning rises, long drives and busy weekends, why would anyone join the ski team? "I raced all through high school, so I definitely wanted to ski," said Appert, the team's number one ranked female. "But you can pretty much take it as seriously as you want. It's pretty laid back, yet you can still put a lot into it. I race hard and put a lot of energy into it, but you don't have to. It's just a nice dynamic of different people."

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News

New bus to Boston expands options for students

February 11

Sick of the frats and broken up house parties? The new bus to Boston, organized by the TCU Senate, can provide an alternative source of entertainment. But once you hop off the bus, where do you go? And will the Boston shuttle last? It depends on how much students plan to take advantage of this new opportunity. The two designated bus stops, at the Boylston and Kenmore T stations, are in key locations for living it up on the weekends. Both stops are located in popular areas of the city, with an abundance of stores and restaurants on every block. But since the bus runs from 9 PM to 3 AM on Friday and Saturday nights, the nightlife in the area is clearly the main attraction. The Boylston T station is located next to the Boston Common on the corner of Boylston and Tremont Streets. It is a central location, as both the theatre district and Chinatown are within walking distance. Theatres in the area include the Wang Centre for the Performing Arts and the Charles Playhouse, where Blue Man Group performs. For those looking for something on the lighter side, Nick's Comedy Stop is also within walking distance of the station. Almost directly across the street from the Boylston stop is the Loews Theatres Boston Common. The Cineplex houses 20 screens and discounted Loews passes can be purchased at the Info Booth in the campus center. Of course there is no shortage of bars and clubs near the Common. Boylston place, a side street off Boylston commonly referred to as "The Alley," houses a number of bars and clubs including The Big Easy and Bishop's Pub. Also nearby are posh Pravda 116, Roxy, and Aria. The Kenmore T stop is the second stop on the bus route, and it is located between Fenway Park and Boston University. With this location, it's no surprise that there are many bars and clubs for students and post-game partiers alike. If the shuttle is still in service come April, baseball fans can use the bus to come home from evening Red Sox games, or they can stay after the game for some post-game revelry. Many well-known clubs are located along nearby Lansdowne Street, including Axis, Avalon, Embassy, and Karma, which runs alongside Fenway Park. Bars in the neighborhood include Bill's Bar, Jillian's, and An Tua Nua, an Irish pub and dance club rolled into one. Lava Bar is located on the top floor of the Howard Johnson's. Many students are excited about this new low-cost alternative for their weekends. Sophomore Katie Semine said she will definitely use the bus for going into Boston. "It'll save people a lot of money because the T is getting expensive and parking is so expensive," she said. Sophomore Julia Verplank also appreciated the idea of a free ride. "A lot of the time, you walk out of the bars with not a lot of money left in your purse," she said. "I would definitely take it on the way home to save money because the cabs are so expensive." Verplank had only one complaint. "[The bus] should stop at Faneuil Hall where a lot of people go to bars." Faneuil Hall is not within close walking distance of either stop, but Verplank does acknowledge that a cab ride to Boylston would be much cheaper than a ride all the way to the Tufts campus. Many students are already taking advantage of this new opportunity. Sohpomore Alex Kramer took the bus to go into Chinatown last weekend. Although she had a good experience overall, Kramer found the bus to be very full. "The only problem is you really have to plan out your evening," she said. "If you don't, you will have to wait a really long time for the next shuttle to come, which is what happened to us." Attractions and locations compiled from Time Out Boston

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News

Women's squash rebounds with back-to-back wins

February 11

The outlook was bleak for the women's squash team after losing its number two player to injury and dropping three matches two weekends ago. The Jumbos turned the situation around quickly, however, with wins in two tough matches against Wesleyan and Connecticut College last weekend at Harvard. The women were on top of their game during a 7-2 victory over Wesleyan. Freshman Julia Avrutin led the way for Tufts in the number one slot, defeating her opponent in five games (6-9, 9-2, 7-9, 9-2, 9-7). "My opponent was a pretty strong player but my focus was just on playing my own game," Avrutin said. "I didn't want to let her get into my head." "Jules did a good job of attacking both the front court and the back court this time," coach Doug Eng said. "She's only a freshman; she's learning a lot and playing well." Senior tri-captain Leigh Checchio fell at the number two position (9-6, 4-9, 3-9, 4-9) while junior Nicole Arens picked up a big victory at the number three spot, winning 8-10, 9-3, 9-2, 9-1. Senior tri-captain AJ Crane, playing number four, dropped a tough match (9-7, 8-10, 1-9, 1-9), but junior tri-captain Eliza Drachman-Jones swept her opponent at number five, winning 9-3, 9-5, 9-1. "I was pumped up from my earlier five-game win against Connecticut College and I ended up playing real well," Drachman-Jones said. "I was just real excited and playing at the top of my game." Sophomore Zoe Bolesta battled back from a two game deficit to pull off a victory at number six (9-10, 9-10, 9-5, 9-0, 9-6). "Zoe pulled an Eliza," Eng joked, referring to Drachman-Jones, who pulled off a five game comeback earlier in the day against Connecticut. "Zoe and Eliza officiate and coach each other's matches so their strong play rubs off on each other," he said. Freshman Liz Thys, junior Rhonda Barkan, and sophomore Joelle Polivy all came through at the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions, respectively, which solidified the victory for the Jumbos. Avrutin felt the team played at a high level against Wesleyan. "We weren't expecting to win that easily," she said. "That match is definitely going to help our standings as we move on to the Howe Cup at the end of the season." Earlier in the day, the Jumbos dominated Conn. College by a similar margin of victory. Avrutin was victorious again at number one, winning 9-5, 9-7, 9-6. "The last time I played Connecticut College I defeated the girl in five games," Avrutin said. "I was glad that this time I won without dropping a game." Checchio had a strong match as well, winning in three games at number two (10-8, 9-0, 9-3). Arens also came through in a tough five game match (9-6, 8-10, 5-9, 10-9, 9-6) in the third spot. Conn. College came back to win at number four, as Crane fell in three close games, but Drachman-Jones came back from two games down to win at number five (5-9, 4-9, 9-5, 9-5, 9-6. "I just battled hard and stuck with it," Drachman-Jones said. "Even though Eliza lost those first two games, she knew there wasn't much difference in ability from her opponent," Eng said. "As soon as she started reading her opponent better and anticipating her better, she started to do well." "Considering we had a few tough losses last weekend, we just wanted it a lot more this weekend and we played much better," Drachman-Jones said. "The previous weekend we just weren't being aggressive," Eng said. "We spent the week working on ground strokes and driving the ball deeper. We stuck to our game plan and played really well." Tufts' depth helped it capture the rest of the matches. Bolesta, Thys, Barkan, and Polivy all stepped up at the sixth, seventh, eight, and ninth positions, respectively. None of them lost a game. The Jumbos look to continue that aggressive play and carry the momentum from their wins last weekend with them when they travel to Colby on Friday and then Bowdoin on Saturday.

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News

Mind your manners

February 11

Boston is known more for its crazy Red Sox fans and bad-tempered drivers than its polite citizens. In etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart's unofficial "top ten list of best-mannered cities in the United States," Boston did not make the cut -- while Charleston, South Carolina was designated the most polite city for the tenth time. Boston may not have been honored with bragging rights, but how do Tufts students rate on the politeness scale? Pretty well, according to both students and professors. While Southerners may be known for their manners and their "southern gentleman" persona, assistant mathematics professor Jonathan Bihari disagreed, saying that the majority of Tufts students are respectful -- even more respectful than their counterparts down South. "I have taught at the University of Virginia (UVA), Duke University, and, of course, Tufts," he said. "I have found the students here to be the most polite and down to earth." Despite "a few ornery students every now and then," Bihari said, "[I have] never had a bad class here. I had some horrid teaching experiences at UVA and at Duke." Spanish Lecturer and Boston College alum Tamara Marquez-Raffetto said that in comparison to students at BC, Tufts students are more "well-mannered and considerate. There hasn't been any blatant rudeness. I don't want to put down my alma mater, but I've definitely encountered more rudeness at BC." Marquez-Raffetto added that Tufts students are "more energetic and prepared, and have much more of a genuine interest in the material" than their BC counterparts. Students who have transferred to Tufts have the ability to compare the University to their prior colleges. Alicia Harvie, a sophomore and transfer student from Arizona State found that "in general the politeness is generally about the same," though "people were a little more laid back in Arizona. The east coast has a more intense pace." However, the typical Tufts classroom-like classrooms nationwide-- is not without its rude disturbances. Universities across the country have seen the increasing frequency of cell phone rings during lectures. "I think a cell phone has rung at least once in every single class I'm taking this semester within the first couple of days," sophomore Melissa Marver said. "I think it's disrespectful." President of the Alumni Association Alan MacDougall (LA '65) finds the idea of a cell phone ringing in a classroom "somewhat horrific...I would think that the minimal amount of courtesy would require the owner to turn it off before going into class." Professors deal with this rising issue in different ways. "Either they ignore it or they joke about it," Marver said. "There have been a couple of cases where the cell phone has gone off, and I find that distracting," Marquez-Raffestto said. "It's hard to ignore it only because the class turns to face the person. As a result, I don't even have to handle it. The student is usually embarrassed because of the clear faux pas, so it doesn't happen again. In fact, the student often apologizes profusely." "Each professor has different expectations for student behavior in the classroom. Other professors feel more strongly about the ringing of cell phones in class," Bihari said, noting that it rarely disturbs him. Unfortunately, cell phone rings are not the only distractions. "The one thing that bothers me most is talking during lecture. I find it incredibly distracting and disrespectful, especially since I feel as though I owe students my best," Bihari added. Many professors are most bothered when students blatantly read non-class related materials during lecture. "Everybody grabs a Daily before they go into class," Marver said. Despite these occurrences, Tufts students seem to be more polite than many would expect from a school located in a city known for its rude drivers and aggressive sports fans. "In terms of treating people with respect, students are fairly good about it," Marver said. "Only a portion of the students demonstrate lack of courtesy, and a lot of the time they just don't realize that what they are doing is disrespectful." Marver also offered examples of politeness on campus. "I notice quite a few people who treat the dining hall ladies with a lot of respect, both at the dining halls and at the campus center," she said. "They seem to know them by name and recognize them, and have conversations". A Hodgdon worker agreed. "Most of the students are very polite and courteous. You get one or two that are off, but I think that in general they are good kids. A lot of them have a sense of humor and it is nice to see them come in," she said. Tufts students should take pride as they are, in general, highly regarded. "My experience with Tufts students is that they are well mannered and polite to aging alums like me," MacDougall said. "I would hope that they extend that courtesy to each other."

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News

Somerville erases no-snow emergency fines

February 10

The first major obstacle of new Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone's term was almost as hard as cleaning up the four inches of snow that didn't fall on the night of Jan. 27. Curtatone gave a reprieve to the 200 residents whose cars were towed and 3,000 who were issued tickets during the snow emergency declared two weeks ago. The mayor declared a snow emergency at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, but less than two inches of snow fell on the city. Still, cars were ticketed and towed anyway as part of Curtatone's new snow policy, implemented after local businesses complained about blocked streets and parking spaces. The new policy identifies an emergency as a projected snow-fall of four or more inches. The snow emergency of Jan. 27, declared six hours before the storm was to begin, gave residents four hours to move their cars to the odd-numbered side of the street or to alternate parking such as school and library lots. Because the new policy was launched the day of the Jan. 27 emergency, the city was not able to advertise the change. "Apparently [the emergency] was called the night before," said senior Zachary Chrisco, who was issued a ticket. "In the morning, we wake up and there's no snow," he said. "We didn't know it was even for our street -- there were previous storms, but we didn't know there was no parking on one side of our street." According to the Somerville Journal, it cost the city a total of $13,605.29 to pay additional staff to issue the tickets and tow the cars. Many residents demanded refunds at the office of Parking and Traffic the following day. "People were coming in, saying 'I've lived in Somerville for 25 years and this has never happened,'" senior Jenna Sirkin, who was also ticketed, said. Although Curtatone initially planned to follow through with the penalties, public outcry and claims of miscommunication forced the new mayor to back down. "We're going to grant -- one time, one time only -- amnesty on all tickets given as a result of not following these snow emergency policies," Curtatone said in an interview with the Boston Herald. Because of the confusion caused with the launch of the new ordinance, Curtatone has undertaken plans for extensive publication of snow emergencies. Curatone announced Feb. 2nd that e-mail alerts for snow emergencies would be set up for Somerville residents. The city is also working to set up a hotline. Information on snow alerts and snow policy is broadcast on local television. According to the Herald, Somerville would have made $179,000 had the towings and tickets not been issued a reprieve. The city hopes that improved communication will make the snow removal system run more smoothly. "We're committed to following through on this policy," Curtatone's press release continued. "Making sure the streets are clear of vehicles is the only way we'll be able to make our streets safe and drivable." The record of tickets issued will be erased by the city, and those who have already paid the ticket can go to the Somerville office of Traffic and Parking for a refund. Those whose cars were towed can go to Pat's Towing for a refund, according to Community Relations Director Barbara Rubel. Rubel questioned whether Tufts students will be properly notified under the new plan. "I'm not sure if students are aware of the winter parking bans," she said. "It would be a service that the Senate might take up to notify students of winter parking regulations on and off-campus." Unlike Somerville, Medford did not issue a snow emergency on Jan. 27th "I didn't feel it necessary because we watched the weather," Medford Comissioner of Public Works Paul Gere said. "They were saying there was going to be a lot of snow, but during the evening they downgraded it," he said. "We decided against it." Vice President of Operations John Roberto said on-campus students also find parking shortages during snow emergencies. When plowing the lots, he said, "we always suffer some loss in available spaces due to the snow being pushed into piles."

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News

No Capella Here

February 10

Voting for the third-annual Jumbo Audio Project began with one of the most popular songs of the year, Outkast's "The Way You Move," being used to test the audio levels, and ended with a handful of songs that almost no one had heard before. True to its origins, the this year's Jumbo Audio Project CD is comprised of entirely original music by Tufts artists. The compilation is put together by a panel of voters who choose the songs based solely on the music -- artists names and track titles were not given. Most of the people who sat hunched around the stereo that night were these selfsame artists, here to cast a vote for their own track. The Jumbo Audio Project received 30 entries this year -- more than ever before -- and more than could possibly fit on a single disc. Artists, Jumbo Audio Project members, and the random supportive friend were all asked to select their 15 favorite tracks. The 20 tracks with the most votes made the CD. After the voting is completed, the Jumbo Audio Project members not only design the cover and liner notes but also master the CD themselves before sending it off to an outside company to be manufactured. Three to four weeks later the Project has their own CD which they sell at the Campus Center and through personal contacts. All this is done in an effort to "get the word out" -- as Schilling puts it -- about Tufts original music scene. So what can you expect to hear after purchasing the CD? "We get submissions of all types, including rap, rock, folk, techno, and funk. We even have a track on the CD this year that's in Spanish," says Jack Schilling, a Jumbo Audio Project assistant co-chair. Those expecting to hear semi-competent amateurs on the CD will be pleasantly surprised to find that most of the featured artists are on contract and just a signature away from a Clear Channel playlist or a small but devoted cult following; whatever your personal conception of musical success happens to be. A band like bunk 9, for example, seems destined for the roster of a reputable indie label, especially since their entry, the angular but poppy "Stereotypical," is better than most of the stuff said labels have been releasing recently. There is no lack of more bizarre tracks. Take, for example, Alan Cohen's remarkable "Osiko," which begins with a Japanese mantra before suddenly stopping and launching into a chorus of hums. It's the kind of wild experiment that shouldn't work but somehow, inexplicably, does, making it all the more impressive. Listeners looking for a good laugh and to get in touch with their Tuftonian heritage should look no further than 'lil Sinskee's party-ready "Jumbo Thug," a hip-hop track that manages to namecheck every dorm and dinning hall on campus before insisting that "If you're reppin' Larry Bacow, just throw it up!" Then there's Power Trio Jackson who see the Jumbo Audio Project as a minor step on their quest to get famous overseas. Their track, "One with the Funk," is a self-described "in your face song about smoking weed." Just remember, when they finally do make it big, the Jumbo Audio Project CD is going to make a nice collector's item. Jordan Kolasinski, a member of Tufts band Redshift 6, started the Jumbo Audio Project in 2001 to unify the school's original music scene. This was no easy feat given that the Tufts campus is renowned more for its a cappella groups than garage bands. To this day, the only type of music the Jumbo Audio Project won't put on their CD is a cappella. "The reason for this is that when Jumbo Audio Project started, the only music that really had a foothold at Tufts was a cappella," explains Schilling. "We wanted to give something to the original artists." The CD has given students a rare and often surprising glimpse into what their more musically-inclined peers have been up to when they're not at Brown and Brew's open-mic night or playing the basement of a frat. Don't buy the Jumbo Audio Project for the novelty. Don't buy it because the guy who plays bass on track three happens to sit next to you in Economics. Buy it because when he's not sitting there, he's making great music.

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News

Jumbos capture third Tufts Invitational

February 10

On Saturday, freshman Nate Cleveland ran the 600 meter race almost as quickly as anyone in Tufts history with a time of 1:22.74. Minutes later, sophomore Pat Mahoney ran it even faster. Mahoney and Cleveland's 1-2 finish in the 600, with Mahoney breaking the school record of 1:22.49 set last year by classmate Shawn Hansberry with a time of 1.22.37, were part of a litany of impressive individual efforts that carried the Jumbos to a team victory at the Tufts Invitational III on Saturday. The Jumbos battled point for point with Ithaca College for most of the late morning and early afternoon before distancing themselves from the field with a string of point-reaping middle and long distance runs. At the end of the day, Tufts (155 points) was the only team in the field of 14 to eclipse 100 team points. RPI (98.5) finished second, followed by Springfield College (97) and Ithaca (94.5), which drifted back into fourth place. The early highlight of the meet came in the weight throw when junior Dan March won with a personal best 16.32 meters. The throw was long enough to qualify him provisionally for the Division III NCAA National Championship meet. If enough athletes don't automatically qualify for the meet, March will be among a pool of applicants to fill in the spots. But the excitement seemed to peak in the 600, when Cleveland, running that distance for only the second time, used a strong finish to eke out first place in his heat. He was about a quarter of a second in front of heat runner-up Jack Morgan of Amherst, and also about a quarter of a second slower than the school record. However, Mahoney toppled that mark in the final 600 heat. "Mahoney was awesome, and he can definitely run faster than that," assistant coach Ethan Barron said. Cleveland agreed. "Pat ran a great race," he said. "I think we could both run faster [if we ran in the same heat] because we could work off of each other and push each other." "Neither result surprised me, but both really pleased me," coach Connie Putnam said. "If you have one guy who's attacking a record, the other guy's going to do the same thing." In the jumps, freshman Fred Jones, in his first meet back from a hip flexor injury, finished first in the long jump with a 6.68 meter leap and then finished second in the triple jump, tying his own school record of 14.22 meter. "He was a little tentative after the long jump," Putnam said. "But when he came back fine in the triple jump, I think that gave him the confidence to realize he wasn't that hurt." Behind Jones, junior Nate Thompson finished fourth in the long jump and fifth in the triple, and also garnered fourth place on the basis of his 7.96 seconds in the hurdles. The climax to the day came when sophomore Matt Lacey, after hanging in second place for the first half of the 5000, blew away the field over the final mile and a half, lapping over half of his competitors, winning by over 25 seconds, and breaking his personal record by seven seconds with a time of 15:11.03. "If he had been in a field where a few guys were pushing him and running with him, he could have approached 15 flat," Putnam said. "Better competition probably would have helped," agreed Lacey, who bruised his leg on Wednesday and was unable to run on Thursday. "I was nearing my max, but other runners probably could have extended it for awhile. My last two laps were really slow. I was definitely bonking at the end." The Jumbos used team efforts to dominate the long distance events, placing eight runners in scoring positions in three different races. In the 1500, junior Nate Brigham (4:04.45) finished second, freshman Scott Merrick (4:05.75) and sophomore Matt Fortin (4:08.39) finished fifth and sixth respectively, and sophomore Kyle Doran (4:09.03) finished eighth. Early on in the day, the Jumbos took care of business in the 3000 when junior Mike Don (8:49.26), Fortin (8:50.7), and sophomore Neil Orfield (9:08.6) finished third, fourth, and eighth, respectively. By the time Lacey and fifth-place finisher junior Brian McNamara combined for 14 points in the 5000, Tufts had already distanced itself considerably from the baker's dozen of teams trying to hang with Tufts. But even then, the Jumbos weren't quite done, wrapping up third place in the 4x400 meter relay and second in the 4x800. "I almost wish it had been closer at the end, so our relay teams could run with some pressure on them," Putnam said. Other notable Jumbo performances were sophomore Seth LaPierre's second place in the pole vault, freshman Ryan Byrnes' fifth out of 52 in the shot-put, junior Rae Carre's second place in the 400 and sixth in the 200, junior Evan Blaser's fifth place in the high jump, and freshman Dan Sullivan's fifth and Don's seventh in the 800 meter race.

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News

Jumbos beat Wheaton for 15th win

February 10

One of these days, the women's basketball team is going to put together two halves of its best basketball and blow somebody out by 50. Until that happens, however, the Jumbos will continue to have games like last night's 76-66 win over the Wheaton Lyons. Tufts managed a win in its final home game of the season, despite playing just one solid half of basketball. Tufts was aggressive right out of the gates, pestering Wheaton defensively and dominating the offensive boards. Senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias was especially effective, grabbing six offensive rebounds and scoring on several putbacks in the first half. With less than nine minutes to go in the first, the Jumbos had pulled out to a 24-13 lead, and they continued to attack. By the end of the frame, Tufts had stretched its lead to 18 points, 38-20, and Wheaton was shooting less than 30 percent from the floor. Tufts started the second half much the same way it had played the first, scoring five points in the first ten seconds. They were the only points the Jumbos would score in the first four minutes of the half, however, as the momentum quickly swung Wheaton's way. Sloppy Tufts ball handling and poor defense allowed the Lyons to chip away at the lead. Behind a paltry 31.4 (11 for 35) Jumbo shooting percentage from the floor in the second half, Wheaton would eventually cut the advantage to single digits at 63-55 with 4:32 to go in regulation. The team stopped attacking and was slow footed on defense, allowing the Lyons to claw back into the contest. Tufts coach Carla Berube was unhappy with the way the team let Wheaton back in the game. "Not to take anything away from Wheaton, but that was all us," Berube said. "That was us getting complacent with a 20 point lead in the first half. We lost our focus, we didn't play defense, we stopped attacking, we didn't run our offense." The last six minutes of the game were played primarily from the free throw line, as first Wheaton and then Tufts seemed to get fouled on every possession. Tufts shot 13 of 16 from the foul line to secure the victory, despite not scoring a field goal over the same period. Both teams looked tired in the game's waning minutes, which was the likely reason for the excessive number of fouls. Powers and Christoudias led Tufts with 13 points apiece, with Christoudias adding nine rebounds and five steals. Classmate and fellow tri-captain Kate Gluckman chipped in 12 points off the bench. Senior co-captain Taryn Brassil had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead Wheaton. Despite a poor second half on Tufts' end, the score didn't reflect the caliber of the two teams. The Jumbos were clearly the more talented unit, but their lackluster play on both sides of the court allowed Wheaton to make it a game in the second half. The win brought Tufts' record to 15-5 overall and ran the team's final home record to 9-1. Wheaton fell to 6-15. It was a non-NESCAC game, but Berube didn't think that had any bearing on how the team played. "Every game means a lot to us," Berube said. "We get to put on the uniform, that always means something." Looking forward to the final two NESCAC games of the season, held this week on Friday at Middlebury and Saturday at Williams, Berube was confident about the team's chances. "I feel good, I feel strongly that we're going to give it our best effort," Berube said. "I hope we haven't seen the best out of this team, I hope there's more to come. I hope to be peaking right now, as we go into the NESCAC playoffs."

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News

Affirmative action's time not yet passed

February 10

Though hopefully minority scholarships -- like Tufts' new Karen Pritzker fund -- will not be necessary in the future, for the time being they serve an important and appropriate role. Opponents of affirmative action often take the high moral ground, arguing that society should be completely color-blind. Groups like the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) believe that when a university distinguishes students by race, it is engaging in exactly the sort of discrimination it seeks to eradicate. While one must admire the CEO's optimism and commitment to equality, the group has simply missed the boat. CEO Vice President Roger Clegg argues that programs like the Pritzker fund are "unfair, divisive, silly, and illegal." The result is a system that is not open to all, he argues. His observations are accurate; however it seems Clegg skipped his US history courses. He fails to acknowledge that American history is filled with governmental and societal policies that were unfair, divisive, silly, and illegal. These policies resulted in a society that was exclusive of many -- and the excluded were rarely white. And one does not have to dredge up ancient history to find these examples. Even the policies of the last 50 years have had serious effects for many minorities. Any student of US social history or urban politics knows the disastrous impact mainstream policies like red-lining, redistricting, segregation, ghetto-creation, and workplace discrimination had on minorities. When indirect factors, such as poverty and lower levels of access to education are factored in, the problem becomes even more severe. Affirmative action programs are the first, however flawed, steps towards rectifying these wrongs and attempting to bring those who were excluded back into mainstream society. The Pritzker fund admirably addresses a serious problem in some university affirmative action programs by stipulating that an eligible student also be financially needy. Many have understandably expressed outrage when a well-off minority receives special treatment simply for being a minority. The goal of affirmative action programs should be to reduce the economic and social gap of minorities when compared to whites. In the end, since Tufts' financial aid is entirely need-based, the Pritzker fund will only serve to increase the total amount of money available to everyone. Money for needy minority students that used to come from the general pot will now partially come from the Pritzker fund. This, in turn, will free up monies for everybody. No one is arguing that affirmative action is a perfect system. It attempts to correct for previous discrimination by discriminating against someone else. But society would be remiss in simply "moving on" and ignoring the lasting effects of the historical hardships it has placed on many minority groups. Ultimately, we all hope that Clegg's altruistic vision of a color-blind society will be realized. It is a goal shared by most people who support affirmative action and groups like the CEO. But a small dose of reality is all it takes to realize that we've got a long way to go.

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News

In the Name of Religion

February 10

Religion has a source of both powerful unification and violent contention for mankind throughout history. Today, the native land of the three great faiths on this earth (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) is being ravaged by an endless cycle of hate, violence and mistrust. I am referring to the longstanding crisis between Israel and the Palestinians. War in this region is not new. Throughout the history of mankind, this arid, harsh and beautiful land has seen endless bloodshed. The irony is that while so many people all over the world live by the message of love and peace that these faiths evoke, the people who live in the very region from which these faiths were born are torn by hatred and conflict. Religious fanaticism has played a significant role in perpetuating conflict in the area. The century-old conflict between Zionist Judaism and Palestinian Islamism now has world-wide implications and can no longer be ignored as simply a regional Middle Eastern issue. Both the Israelis and Palestinians claim to have a God-given right to call the disputed land their home but have demonstrated time and again that peaceful coexistence within the same borders is difficult to attain. Militant extremist groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade have used their influence to evoke the sacred notion of "jihad" (literally translated to mean "struggle" to follow God) to persuade Muslim people that committing acts of violence in God's name and perpetuating the irrational violence is somehow holy and justified. It saddens me to read about how both sides invoke their holy right to the land upon which they so freely spill one another's blood. The perversions of "God's will" by both parties and the notion of "jihad" by Muslim militant groups have resulted in the senseless slaughter of thousands of people. These militant groups seek attention to their bid for independence through terrorist acts. Never mind that thousands have died while the bloodbath persists in the name of their holy war. For some people, religion is a source of comfort, strength, and peace. For others, it has become a divisive force. Wars throughout history have been fought in the name of God. The irony is that the three monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all essentially believe in the same God. They are all what Muslims refer to as "People of the Book." Unfortunately, religious fanatics in the Middle East abuse the symbolism of their religion to promote their own agendas, which perpetuates an endless cycle of violence. This symbolism, and the religious perceptions that interpret it, determine whether religion is a unifying or a destructive force. It is up to the leaders, both religious and political, to instill within their peoples the conviction that mankind should manifest its belief in the existence of God to effect peace, not war. In an effort to feel secure, the state of Israel has pursued a policy of building settlements in the occupied territories of West Bank and Gaza. Not only has Israel advanced onto Palestinian land and created a myriad of settlements that isolate Palestinian communities from each other, but it has imposed checkpoints that are degrading to those people who are forced to wait in line for hours in order to get from one pocket of Palestinian land to another. The barrier wall that Israel has begun to build in order to protect its citizens from the suicide bombers has caused human suffering by cutting off 700,000 Palestinians from their jobs, farms and schools. In the face of such injustice, people may resort to one of two things: seek revenge or seek advice from above. Desperate Palestinians find both desires fulfilled in religious militant groups that profess to do God's will by causing the deaths of innocent Israeli civilians. I sympathize with the plight of the innocent people who bear the burden of this conflict. I cannot begin to comprehend the suffering and loss they wearily endure in their daily lives. The mistrust that many Palestinians harbor for Israel has pushed many of them right into the open arms of groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which participate in the suicide bombings that ultimately results in more death and destruction for both sides. Both peoples are caught in the vicious cycle of hate, revenge, and mistrust. The road map to peace was never given a good chance due to a lack of leadership on both sides. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has done nothing to use its leverage to bring about a compromise. Both sides should pursue the road map to peace through negotiations. Israel should withdraw from the occupied territories and allow for the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel is a democratic state, but in order to remain so it has to grant the Palestinians the right of self-determination. Otherwise, as the demographics in the region change, Israel will eventually become either a non-Jewish state because of the greater Palestinian population, or an apartheid state, in which the minority will rule over and suppress the majority. This is why the creation of two states is a very viable and attractive solution, and why the construction of the wall in the West Bank may come back to haunt Israel. Both Jews and Muslims call upon the same God in their respective prayers, and continue to kill one another in His name. Children -- tomorrow's leaders, who are growing up in the midst of the conflict -- have been poisoned by the brutality they bear witness to day in and day out. Moreover, the mutual mistrust between Jews and Muslims persists throughout the world because it is passed on from generation to generation. Religion oftentimes serves as the vehicle that conveys messages that would have made God's messengers roll in their graves.

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After Supreme Court rulings, minority only scholarships still legal

February 10

In the wake of the June 2003 Supreme Court rulings regarding affirmative action, conservative groups such as the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) are still concerned about minority scholarship funds like Tufts' Pritzker fund. The fund was recently started by new Trustee Karen Pritzker and husband Daniel (A'81) and will match dollar for dollar any money given towards minority scholarships up to $5 million. The grant stresses that it serves specifically "undergraduate African American, Hispanic American and Native American students from underprivileged backgrounds." Funding minority-only scholarships is entirely legal. "Individuals who choose to invest their own money in causes and opportunities that are meaningful to them are not restricted by affirmative action rules," Public Relations director Siobhan Houton said. Houton stressed that "Tufts is in compliance with the admissions policies and processes of the June 2003 Supreme Court affirmative action rulings." The ruling deemed that colleges would be allowed to keep the ability to consider race in choosing students. However, CEO Vice President Roger Clegg stressed that even if schools like Tufts are technically within the limits of the law with their minority-exclusive scholarships, it "is not right, or legal, in my opinion, to exclude because of the color of skin." Intent on fighting "reverse discrimination" at colleges throughout the country, Clegg insists that programs such as the Pritzker Fund are "unfair, divisive, silly and illegal." He added that "we're not trying to limit any opportunities for anyone; we want the system changed that that all can participate." Due to increased pressure from conservative groups such as CEO, many other schools throughout the nation are carefully reassessing their admissions and scholarship policies for minority students. Despite many schools' decisions to change how they factor race into other crucial academic decisions, Tufts has not been forced to make any major changes to its own policies in the wake of the ruling. Director of Financial Aid Patricia Reilly noted that "since Tufts already meets the full financial need of all accepted students, regardless of race, the University of Michigan ruling will have little impact on how we award financial aid." Reilly added that "although minority students at Tufts may qualify for aid from specific funds, such as the Pritzker Fund, the amount of financial aid is based solely on financial need and is not related to the student's minority status." Although the Supreme Court ruling was regarded as a victory for affirmative action, some still feel it did not go far enough to protect policies which encourage diversity on campus. The July 2003 decision also struck down the University of Michigan's points-based admissions system which awarded minority applicants extra points. "I agree with the ruling but I don't think it goes far enough," Latino Center Director Rub‚n Stern said. "While it justifies some type of affirmative action based on diversity being a good thing for the education of all students... it never mentions the racism that has been part of our history and that still exists today as the justification for affirmative action." Similarly, Sociology professor Paula Aymer noted that "societal conditions have not improved to the point where the playing field is level for all races." "We have to look out for people who are disproportionately needy," Aymer said. She finds that certain minority-based scholarships are currently the best way to give largely underprivileged racial groups a chance at higher education. "I don't know what an alternative could be," she said. Although by and large Tufts Arts & Sciences has felt little or no impact from the Michigan ruling, that is not to say that the institution as a whole has felt no pressure since the landmark case. Two of Tufts Medical School's programs were accused last April of race-based admissions, and were subsequently forced to change their on-line descriptions of those programs to less minority-exclusive wording. CEO threatened to report Tufts to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights if the university didn't change the admissions statements on the website. Tufts complied, and the charges were dropped. "Tufts should be applauded for taking that step in the right direction," Clegg said. Ohio State University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst dropped point-based undergraduate admissions policies last October, and, like the University of Michigan, will now rely more on responses to essay questions in evaluating students' potential diversity contribution.

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News

Loving Ryan Adams can be hell

February 10

There's nothing singer/songwriter Ryan Adams hates more than Bryan Adams jokes. When a concert-goer yelled out a request for Bryan's classic "Summer of '69" at a show in 2002, Ryan hardly adopted a grin-and-bear-it position. Rather, in true volatile-rock-star form he stopped the concert, demanded that the house lights be turned on, and proceeded to locate the heckler. Adams gave the man $30 as a refund for his ticket and ordered that the fellow leave the venue, refusing to play again until he had departed. The incident surely proved that at a Ryan Adams concert, one never knows what to expect. Sometimes the singer is in chipper spirits (at one concert in 2002 he gave away multiple guitars and an engraved toaster to lucky audience members), and sometimes he kicks people out of shows. Rock N Roll, Adams' fifth full-length album, is the artist's musical attempt to spite his record company, Lost Highway. The original group of songs Adams proffered to Lost Highway was deemed to be too "gloomy." Therefore, to satisfy the company and perhaps to make a statement, the album Adams ultimately created is a soulless, insincere addition to his heretofore critically acclaimed collection of tunes. Adams opens with "This Is It", probably an allusion to The Strokes' hit album Is This It. True to The Strokes' style, "This Is It" is a fast, tight, guitar driven track. However, Adams's take on this brand of rock is tiring. The sneering, kitsch vocals will frustrate listeners who know Adams as a moving, capable singer. The song's cacophonous halt, with screeching guitar effects, proves that the artist who charms listeners with his refreshing alt-country tunes is absent from this album. "This Is It" sums up Rock N Roll both in title and in form. Regrettably, this is it; the album will never offer the poetic lyrics and charming tracks Adams's fans enjoyed on previous records such as Gold and Heartbreaker. Each song seems to be as unfortunate and uninspired as the last. The only reprieve from this is the fourth track, "Wish You Were Here," which is bearable only because it provides a break from the frantic pace of the opening tracks. Still, this song is hardly a reflection of the affable postcard signoff it references, with edgy lyrics such as "It's totally f-cked up/I'm totally f-cked up" and "If I could have my way/We'd take some drugs." Luckily, the songs Adams originally proposed to Lost Highway made their way on to two EPs, titled Love is Hell Parts I and II. These were unobtrusively released at the same time as Rock N Roll as a sort of compromise between artist and record company. With these EPs Adams hands his listeners a musical equivalent to the engraved toaster. While he kicked the music industry out of his concert and gave them the finger with Rock N Roll, Adams proves he cares about his fans with the more satisfying tracks of Love is Hell. The first half of the 8-track long Part I is nothing special, but on the fifth song Adams makes the album come alive with his striking rendition of Oasis's "Wonderwall". His minimalist approach to the song, with imploring, echoing vocals and a hushed acoustic guitar, is truly affecting. He brings the song back from Top Forty overplay and creates a perfect blend of nostalgia and emotion. The listener is hooked, and the remaining tracks on the EP are equally stirring. "Shadowlands" begins with an unassuming style reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. The finale of the song is an impressive instrumental crescendo that (refreshingly) doesn't exist for the sake of sounding artistic, but instead manages to continue with the storyline of the lyrics to paint a conclusion to the sullen song. "World War 24" and "Avalanche" close out the first EP with the simplicity and passion that was remarkably lacking throughout Rock N Roll. The piano and violins of "Avalanche," along with a surprisingly fitting electric guitar, ushers the album out on a relaxing note. Love is Hell Part 2 begins with "My Blue Manhattan," an unhurried ode that is in subject the same but in style quite different from Adams's biggest hit, "New York, New York." Its Nick Drake-like vocals and sultry piano help the singer perfectly personify the city's comfort and cruelty. Again, the EP peaks with track five, this time with the lover's tale "English Girls Approximately." The song, probably a reflection on Adams's relationship with singer Leona Naess, is more upbeat than most of the tracks on the EP. In fact, its style seems more fitting of the previous release Gold, but its presence in Part 2 is nonetheless fitting and welcomed. Rock N Roll, with its uncharacteristic edginess and lack of creativity makes listeners wonder what happened to the alt-country rocker they expected. Or, if they are simply too broken after listening to the tedious album, it just makes them wonder what happened to their $14 and whether a Bryan Adams joke will bring their poorly spent money back.

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News

Tufts fencing boosts conference record to .500

February 10

An unexpected loss to host Wellesley was the only blemish on Tufts' record Sunday, as the fencing team attended its second and final conference meet of the season. The Jumbos prevailed against four of five schools, drastically improving their record in the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference (NEIFC) from 1-4 to 5-5. Following a disappointing 14-13 loss to a Wellesley squad that Tufts beat twice earlier this season, including a 17-10 victory just last weekend, the Jumbos rebounded to dominate their next four matches. "Part of what's great about fencing is it teaches you how to deal with losing, and this team handled it extremely well," coach Jason Sachs said. "This team is strong. They turned around and rallied and beat everyone else." Sachs said that Wellesley's victory stemmed from "the Titanic of several unlikely things" happening to the Tufts squad almost simultaneously, including sophomore sabrist Kat Zouein's first conference loss this year and fluke losses by senior Christina Zahara in the foil and sophomore Regan Cerato in the epee. "The thing about fencing is you can't be perfect and you can't expect everyone else to be perfect," Sachs said. "Unfortunately everyone wasn't perfect at the same time." When they host the New England Championships in two weeks, the Jumbos will face Wellesley again, with hopes of redemption. "We're determined to pay them back for this unlikely loss," Sachs said. "They fenced hard, but it just shouldn't have happened." Despite opening the day on a low note, Tufts won the remainder of its matches and left with a satisfactory .500 conference record. The Jumbos topped UMass Amherst (16-11), Dartmouth (17-10), UNH (17-10), and Boston University (15-12). Sachs noted that Tufts' dominance in some of those matches allowed the Jumbos to substitute in some non-starters, which left the final scores looking closer than they actually were. To win a fencing match, a team must capture victories in at least 14 of the 27 individual bouts. On Sunday, hitting the 14-point mark early against some schools afforded Sachs the opportunity to give less experienced fencers, like freshman Laura Sibley, some time on the strip. Sibley notched her first competitive win in a bout against Dartmouth College, in a performance that Sachs said "showed a lot of promise." According to Sachs, classmate Louisa May Zouein had "a sparkling day." Hers was more predictable than was Sibley's, as Zouein has already enjoyed a stellar inaugural campaign at Tufts. She continued that streak Sunday, going undefeated in the sabre division until her very last bout -- a loss against BU that Sachs attributed to fatigue at the end of a long day. Zouein was a bit more critical of herself, though, as she speculated that her final BU opponent was a stronger fencer than most of the competition, and that she may not have put enough effort into the bout. "I think it was a misjudgment on my part about how much effort I needed to expend," Zouein said. Performances like those by Zouein and Sibley -- as well as an impressive batch of fights from sophomore foilist Julia Shih -- highlighted what was, overall, a strong Tufts showing in the conference. "Five and five in the conference to finish, that's not bad for a team that has four freshmen who have never fenced before," Sachs said. "So we have no worries. We had a minor setback [against Wellesley] and that's okay. You have to keep your eye on the bigger prize, which is NCAA's and New England's." Sachs predicted that the surprise of losing to Wellesley would motivate his team as it prepares for the upcoming New England Championships, which will be held in Tufts' Gantcher Center a week from this Saturday. "Sometimes when you have a loss it focuses you," Sachs said. "We're going to turn this loss into a positive focusing factor for the New England's, and I guarantee...in two weeks we'll put forth a good effort against Wellesley and other schools."

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News

TNEMC to study sleep for NASA

February 10

A new study at the Tufts-New England Medical Center (TNEMC) has recruited 50 healthy men to be bed-ridden for almost a month in order to study the effects of muscle atrophy and bone deterioration. The four-year-long study is entirely funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) research arm. NASA will be closely following the results, as humans subjected to the weightless environment of space will experience severe problems related to losing muscle from atrophy. Astronauts who spend a month in space lose up to a third of their bone mass. The men, aged 30 to 55, will enter a two-week period of intense resistance training and exercise before the experience and will then be kept to their beds over a period of 28 days. Afterwards, they will be studied individually over the course of the four-year study. The two doctors running the experiment, Drs. Ronenn Roubenoff and Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa, hope that the resistance training and precisely timed feedings will allow the subjects to recover more quickly after their prolonged bed stay. "Space flight," Roubenoff said, "is essentially prolonged bed rest." He said the information taken from the experiment could prove equally valuable to earth-bound patients as those floating in space. Women with high-risk pregnancies, invalids, nursing-home patients, and those recovering from surgery all often need to spend prolonged periods in bed. For centuries, bed rest was a standby for medical advice, but studies in the last fifty years have shown conclusively that it is often not advisable. "If you're healthy, you can tolerate a week without trouble, but after that, you start to see large losses of muscles and bone," Roubenoff said. "We are built to sacrifice protein from muscle, in times of stress, to boost the immune system," he said. "We're designed to get better relatively quickly or drop dead." This immune system plunge, combined with continued inactivity, wreaks havoc on the rest of the body. Kidney stones, bed sores, blood clots, and diabetes-causing insulin immunity are common side effects. The study is expected to prove valuable for a future manned mission to Mars, which President George W. Bush has supported recently. Whereas astronauts reached the moon in three days, it will take at least six months to get to Mars. "The moon is easy. Mars is a whole different story," Roubenoff said. There is a danger that by the time the astronauts set foot on the surface of Mars, they may not be able to walk or operate their equipment, Roubenoff explained. Because a possible manned Mars mission is at least a decade away, Roubenoff expects to have years to analyze the study's data. "We'll be mining this data for a long time," he said. "It's a good thing we're not going anytime soon." Tufts University has other connections to NASA's Mars program. Chemistry Professor Samuel Kounaves is a part of a NASA-funded team that will be launching another Mars rover in 2007.

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News

The Fog of War': Sobering reality

February 10

The age of reality has invaded the big screen. Fortunately, it is not the crass and tasteless reality programming that has poisoned television with sadistic schadenfreudue. Instead, the documentary has become a wildly successful and introspective genre in today's film business. Last year alone saw three intriguing documentaries (Spellbound, Winged Migration, Capturing the Friedmans) enjoy widespread critical and public praise, each with their own unique theses. Even Bowling for Columbine, whose status as a "documentary" is debatable, redefined the genre as something other than PBS-material. But don't tell that to Errol Morris, the preeminent documentarian of our times. Since the release of his first documentary Gates of Heaven in 1978, Morris has kept the genre alive with other highly-regarded films like The Thin Blue Line. His latest, The Fog of War, belongs on a list of the greatest documentaries ever, because of its fascinating probe into the life of one of the Cold War's most troubled individuals, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The film begins with McNamara's earliest memory of an Armistice Day parade celebrating the end of World War I at the raw age of two. The Fog of War follows the extraordinary life of this Harvard MBA graduate who eventually became the first President of the Ford Company from outside the Ford family, as well as John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson's Secretary of Defense -- thereby being intensively involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. The film is subtitled: "Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamara," and is divided chapter-like by each lesson. Each one is monumentally important to understanding the psyche and rationale of Robert McNamara. In his ninth lesson -- "in order to do good, you may have to engage in evil" --McNamara says, "I think the human race needs to think more about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?" Therein lies the central motif of McNamara's post-Vietnam life. Morris uses a unique interview process by using a machine called Interrotron, patented and invented by the director. Working as a quasi-teleprompter, the Interrotron projects Morris' image on a mirror located above the camera, thereby providing an effect that is simultaneously inviting and impersonal. As McNamara speaks to Morris' image eye-to-eye, he is also speaking directly to the audience in the theater, imploring them to understand his position. The result is uncanny as McNamara seems to age with the public blame of the disaster of the Vietnam War weighing down on his shoulders. To this day, he seems to believe he is inculpable for his actions during that era. His attempts to throw the responsibility onto President Johnson and General Curtis LeMay seem half-hearted and even unfair, as neither of those two political giants are around to defend themselves. When he says, "We saw Vietnam as an element of the Cold war. Not what they saw it as, a civil war. We were wrong," he seems only slightly remorseful. But to feel anger towards McNamara would be contrary to Morris' goal in The Fog of War. Morris' mastery in generating an empathetic representation of McNamara is the heartbreaking conceit of the film. This man, who used to be consul to Presidents, is now a grizzled and depressing shadow of his former self. If McNamara can be considered the "star" of The Fog of War, than Philip Glass' moving score is the supporting cast. The unending and gut-wrenching stringed ostinato is coupled with a mournful, high-pitched woodwind, producing a memorable score that fits the film perfectly. The loud booms of Vietnam's Operation Rolling Thunder serve as an impressive contrast to the smooth, rolling rhythms in Glass' minimalist compositions. For anyone who doubts the importance of studying history, this documentary is a must-see. Whether McNamara knew of the contemporary relevance of his words at the time is irrelevant, as Morris is sure to pick up on it. The number one lesson, according to the life of Robert McNamara is "empathize with your enemy." He says, "We must try to put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes, just to understand the thought that lie behind their decisions... I do not believe that we should ever apply our economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we would not have been there." The connections to the war in Iraq are countless. McNamara, even in his older, obstinate, days said it best, "...the conventional wisdom is: don't make the same mistake twice. Learn from your mistakes." To start, no one should make the mistake of not seeing this documentary. It is a mind-numbing and eye-opening trip through the real reality.

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News

Off-campus students dissatisfied with local parking situation

February 10

According to senior Jenna Sirkin, the parking situation for students living off-campus can be summed up in two words. "It's awful," she said. Sirkin's assessment is a common one, and the regulations in each city highlight the complicated and conflicting parking needs of students and permanent Medford and Somerville residents. While Tufts has jurisdiction over streets on school property, the majority of upperclassmen live on streets that are under the jurisdiction of Medford and Somerville. The high demand for parking has led both communities to enact parking regulations. However, Somerville's parking policies are much stricter than Medford's due to a higher population density. "Somerville is a very small city, and parking is very difficult," Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel said. "Both cities have resident parking programs, developed out of the sense that there are too many cars and not enough room for all of them." Students with out-of-state plates who wish to park regularly on the street must register their car with the city of Somerville, which could lead to a change in insurance rates. Students may use Somerville visitor parking passes to ensure legal parking for no more than two nights a week in the same vehicle. Police will ticket a vehicle they believe has been there for a longer period. Senior Zachary Chrisco said the residents in his house rotate who parks on the street and who parks in their driveway every two nights, in order to circumvent the limit. "It's tough," Chrisco said, "[But] we make it work." Other students expressed frustration at Somerville's current parking policies. Senior Peter Bromka said he was displeased with street sweeping rules, which require that cars alternately leave even and odd sides of the street clear two days a month. and has also been ticketed for parking his car against the flow of traffic. Chrisco has also been ticketed for parking his car against the flow of traffic and for his car "hanging out of the driveway a little bit." Senior David Geisler, who lives on College Ave., said the problem is compounded by the high cost of parking on campus. A resident pass costs $400 for a full year. "If they make it cheaper, everyone will buy passes," Sirkin said. "The idea is to deter you from having a car." Sirkin believes that opening faculty lots during the evening might ease the parking situation on city streets. Longtime Somerville parking problems led Tufts to seek a collaborative solution for students and the Somerville police. "We were embarrassed to hear about students who left the area after receiving dozens of tickets and tearing them up and leaving a pile on the street as they drove away," Rubel said. "We decided to work with the city to capture those parking scofflaws, put the tickets on their bursar bills, and by doing so, help the cities enforce parking regulations. The policy is spelled out in the Pachyderm and is always described to students when they inquire about parking as part of their off-campus housing search." According to Rubel, the situation has improved. "Parking complaints have dropped substantially," she said. Although Rubel still occasionally hears from neighbors, she said that they try to contact the driver and inform them that "we provide on-campus parking and they are contributing to difficult relationships with our neighbors by not using it." While the parking situation remains tight, Vice President of Operations John Roberto said Tufts adapts to needs as best it can. "The University's parking program is managed quite well," he said. "We assess the number and category of parkers [and] where they're designated to park on an annual basis." "We make basic changes to the allocation of spaces based upon demand and [make] any changes as they are warranted," Roberto said. To prevent any difficulties, Rubel said students should consider parking when looking for a residence. "We urge students moving off-campus to find a place with off-street parking or consider changing their car registration to their local address so that they can get a parking decal for the city where they're living," she said. Rubel said that parking difficulties in the area are not exclusive to the student population. "It's no more difficult for students than for anyone else in the community," she said.

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News

From the Marines to Medford

February 10

This is the first installment of the Daily's new weekly Wednesday series, "They're Going Places...," which spotlights exceptionally unique and ambitious Tufts students. If you would like to suggest a subject for an upcoming profile, email dailyfeatures@yahoo.com with details and contact information. With a towering stature, large build, and fatigues, it is hard to miss sophomore Joe Goodrich when he steps into a room. At first one might be intimidated by Goodrich, a 23 year-old sergeant in the United States Marines. Behind his chameleon blue-green eyes, however, there is much more than a military personage. "The word that everyone takes for me is intense," said Goodrich, who is the second full-time Marine to be enrolled at Tufts. "I can be really intense, but I don't mean it to be a bully. That's just the way I'm used to being." Before becoming a Marine, Goodrich lived in the small town of Colchester, Conn., with his father, four brothers, and two sisters. Always known for doing "out of the ordinary things" in high school, Goodrich woke up one morning at the age of 18 and decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps. A handful of Goodrich's older high school friends had joined the Marines and changed for the better. Using them as an example, Goodrich went off to boot camp at Paris Island, S.C. for three months during the summer of 1999. At first, Goodrich's father was infuriated with his son's decision. However, once Goodrich graduated at the top of his 800 person class at boot camp, his father was proud. "The Marines helped my parental relationships" Goodrich said. After boot camp, Goodrich attended various training sessions and was stationed in Japan for a little over a year. Before getting transferred back to the states, Goodrich traveled to Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Korea. He later passed through Denmark, Sweden and Eastmore, in England. When he returned to Virginia, Goodrich was a Marine officer instructor, training newly commissioned officers of the Marine Corps. In Virginia, Goodrich decided he wanted to be an officer. "I enjoyed the training so much," Goodrich said. "When I saw my students who were officers, I knew I could do that." Goodrich applied for MECEP (Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program) and was accepted into the program. While applying, he had accumulated enough credits from night school to earn his Associate Degree from Northern Virginia Community College. All that remained was to choose the college of his choice: "That was a tough decision," Goodrich said. Although Cornell offered him a full ride, Goodrich decided on Tufts for its location, size, and reputation. "I'm not a big fan of the huge schools," Goodrich explained. "At Tufts, people actually walk around campus knowing who you are." Goodrich juggles a heavier load than the average college student. He is a ROTC advisor for BU, BC, Tufts, Northeastern, Harvard, and MIT and thoroughly enjoys his role as leader for ROTC students. "I let them know they can come to me for anything," Goodrich said. "And it makes me feel good knowing that I can help them." Due to his extensive activities, Goodrich gets up at 5 a.m. on average every morning. "You'd be surprised," Goodrich said. "If you have a lot to do, you really don't even think about not sleeping." Being in the military has presented social problems for Goodrich: "People are intimidated by me," Goodrich said. However, intimidation is far from his goal. "A lot of people think we're just ground-pounding baby killers, which isn't true," Goodrich said of the Marines. "We don't like fighting and killing. We don't like war." Goodrich does recognize that his Marines persona and college student persona do not mesh perfectly. "I come off as two different people," Goodrich said. "I am a little bit more serious and assertive in uniform because I have to be careful. There are always people watching. A Marine is a professional at all times." Goodrich balances his military and school work with his passion for music and baseball. Since his radio internship with Kiss 95.7 during his senior year of high school, Goodrich has developed a hobby of DJing. While working for Virginia's B101.5, Goodrich had lunch with Vanessa Carlton. Deeming her to be one of the moment's hottest sensations, Goodrich let his infatuation get carried away and proposed to the musician. Carlton flirtatiously laughed off the offer. "But I was serious," Goodrich said. At Tufts, Goodrich has his own radio show with his friend, freshman Jason Sack. "The Jason and Joe Radio Show" airs every Tuesday and Thursday on 91.5 WMFO. "It's a chance for us to be ourselves while playing music we love," Goodrich said. "It's our favorite time of the week." Goodrich is currently trying out for the Tufts baseball team. Goodrich has played baseball since he was a kid, and believes that the sport incorporates the main ideals of the military. "It's another form of leadership and teamwork," he said. A full course load, military responsibilities and time consuming extra curricular activities may seem like too much to handle, but Goodrich is confident he can handle the load. "I've always juggled a million things," he said. "I've been told by everybody that I put too much on my plate at a time, and I do. But I've gotten so used to it that if I have too big of a gap with nothing to do in my life, I will find something to fill that gap." After college, Goodrich plans to finish out his time in the military, hopefully as a pilot. He then plans on doing more schooling to become a teacher. Marine? Check. College student? Check. DJ? Check. What's next? "Down the road, my overall goal is to be a Secretary of Education," the ever-ambitious Goodrich said. And as everyone, most of all Goodrich, knows, a Marine never fails a mission.

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News

Premium meal plan fuels Dining Dollars, MOPS

February 10

It should come as no surprise to Tufts students that the Premium meal plan required for freshmen offers all-you-can-eat food at a cost that is more than many can stomach. Students enrolled in other meal plans have likely also noticed that food from Merchants on Points (MOPS) is only available for delivery after 7 p.m. -- traditionally the hour when the dining halls closed. According to Director of Dining Services Patti Lee Klos, the high cost of the Premium plan, coupled with the limited competition between the dining halls and MOPS, are designed to "support the entire network" of Dining Services. "All of those monies do support all the services," Klos said. "We have quite a bit of fixed costs, which is why we've always limited where the money can go." Freshmen, who are required to pay $2,110 per semester for the Premium plan, provide a large portion of the funding for establishments such as Brown and Brew and No Name Caf‚. While these eateries are open to all students, they are used primarily by students with meal plans grounded in Dining Dollars. The Premium plan allots freshmen 25 Dining Dollars. Klos estimated that the average first year student uses the dining halls 14 times per week. During a 16-week semester, that means that those on the Premium plan pay $9.42 per meal. If students do not eat $9.42 worth of food in each meal, the remaining money goes to benefit establishments where their own plan is useless. "There is no way I'm going to eat 400 meals in one semester," freshman Rina Sobel said. "I think I might have used 150 meals last semester, maybe not even that many. I just wish I could've taken some of those meals and either been able to give them to older friends so I can eat with them in the dining halls, or better yet turn them into points." The Dining Dollars and MOPS programs "do absolutely nothing for freshmen," Sobel said. The old Trio's Down the Alley in the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was heavily subsidized by undergraduate meal plans, according to Klos. "It didn't even come close to breaking even," she said. For that reason, Dining Services changed Trio's format, menu, and name in order to make it more accessible to the undergraduates paying to keep it in business through their purchase of meal plans. The eatery is now known as No Name Caf‚. The change brought larger crowds of undergraduates during the lunch and dinner hours, and many Fletcher students lost their usual gathering place -- a side effect Klos regrets. "In response to financial concerns, I've displaced social concerns," Klos said. She said she would like to find a solution to allow students a quiet place to study while eating, and she hopes the proposed caf‚ in the Dranetz Tower of Tisch Library will fulfill that need. MOPS hours and availability are also meant to keep money within the Dining Services budget, while at the same time providing students with options that are not available on campus. "We want the money to be used on services the University provides," Klos said. For that reason, Dining Dollars are not valid at MOPS until after 7 p.m., and only then on delivery. According to Klos, MOPS are meant to complement rather than compete with Dining Services establishments. Dining Services also takes a 15 percent commission off all MOPS orders. The Dining Services' budgetary system differs from those at other universities. The mandatory freshman meal system at Brandeis University, for example, usually costs about $1,900 per semester. While all first year students there are required to have a meal plan, they are allowed to choose among several options. "We have extremely high participation," Brandeis Director of Dining Services Barb Laverdiere said. "Very few meals are not used ." While Brandeis does not offer a comparable system to MOPS, it does provide a system called WhoCash, which functions in a similar manner to Tufts' Points Plus. WhoCash allows students to pay extra for points that can be used instead of cash at local restaurants. According to Laverdiere, Brandeis students with WhoCash have about 15 dining options, as opposed to the five MOPS options at Tufts. Boston College, which is a larger school than Tufts, also has mandatory dining plans for first year students and for many students who live on campus. Like Brandeis, Boston College provides a variety of plans for their first years. Plans range in price from $1,875 to $2,875, and students are credited 50 percent of unused meal costs to their bursar bill at the end of the semester.

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News

Kerry's Real Deal

February 10

John Kerry likes to parade around the country now promising to offer the American people a "Real Deal" to remedy the 'raw deal' the country has gotten from President Bush. Kerry started using this line sometime around December when his poll numbers were plummeting to near Dennis Kucinich levels. You know, around the same time that Sen. Kerry's campaign was suffering so much that he thought it would be wiser to mortgage his palatial townhouse on Beacon Hill rather than do the sensible thing and drop out of the race. So what's the deal with this supposed real deal? Let's begin by quoting Sen. Kerry himself. First, on foreign policy and Iraq, Kerry uses the following line on a daily basis: "George Bush has run the most inept, reckless and ideologically driven foreign policy in the modern history of our nation." Sounds fair enough and many of my liberal friends would likely agree with this statement. But Sen. Kerry voted for the resolution giving Pres. Bush a blank check to invade Iraq. First he voted for it, now he bashes it. That's called political expediency. Ok, so that's only one issue, let's move on. Let's try education. Kerry bashes Bush for ushering through the now infamous No Child Left Behind Act. Well, again, Sen. Kerry voted for No Child Left Behind. Let's try civil liberties and the Patriot Act. Kerry absolutely loves to throw about John Ashcroft's name and proclaim that one of his greatest achievements as President would be naming anyone other than Ashcroft as Attorney General. But Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, the blank check that has empowered Ashcroft. Let's recap: Kerry voted for the War in Iraq, No Child Left Behind, and the Patriot Act. Now he rails against all threes as staples of his campaign stump speech. And that's supposed to be a 'real deal'? These are just three issues on which Kerry has pulled political 180s on in just the last two years. He's been in the Senate for twenty years now and there are plenty more flip-flops to be found (another of my personal favorites is his vote against using force during the First Gulf War in 1990/1991 - this from the same Sen. Kerry who voted for war in 2002/2003 and who is championed by many as being a strong defender of the environment...maybe no one at the time let him know that Saddam Hussein was torching oil fields and spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf). Yet, issues aside, now many of my friends proclaim that they like Sen. Kerry for no other reason than that they think he can beat George Bush. And according to exit polls in New Hampshire and in the seven states that voted on February 3rd, this was an overwhelming reason why voters chose Kerry. Now why did they think that Kerry was electable? Many on February 3rd specifically cited a CNN poll that showed Kerry beating Bush in a head-to-head match-up. What CNN failed to mention about that poll was that it also showed Sen. Edwards beating Bush. Gen. Clark was only losing by 1 point to Bush and Dean wasn't much further behind. Why might Kerry have been at the top of the heap, if only by a few points? Surely it had nothing to do with CNN talking about no one but Kerry in the wake of the Iowa caucuses. Sen. Kerry on January 19th, the day that he won Iowa, received the coveted endorsement of CNN. It's the same endorsement that Gov. Dean carried last fall to the top of the polls. In Iowa, Kerry's victory was a surprise. That is true. But why did it happen? Most agree that Kerry floated to the top as the two frontrunners, Gephardt and Dean, bloodied each other up with harsh attacks. Iowan voters have an historic love for positive campaigners and turned to Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards over the increasingly vicious Gephardt and Dean. Kerry literally won Iowa because of the choice of some 6,000-10,000 Iowans. And as a result of those few Iowans, CNN crowned Kerry the champion. Giving him positive coverage for the ensuing week leading up to New Hampshire, Kerry walked away with another win. The momentum had begun and CNN carried Kerry into winning five of the seven states on February 3rd. All the while CNN and the rest of the media did nothing to question the legitimacy of Kerry's new found momentum. Kerry was still offering voters the same pathetic 'real deal' that he had been offering (and, if poll numbers and fundraising are any indication, they rejecting) since late last fall. The only thing that had changed was that a few thousand Iowans were turned off by the negativity of Dean and Gephardt. As a result, Kerry has become the odds-on favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Since then, the media coverage he has received has been akin to that which one might expect a Pope to receive. Any politician could build momentum with the kind of coverage Kerry's received over the past three weeks. So, my fellow Democrats, no offense to Iowans, but do you really want the choice of a few Iowans to matter more than your own? Barely ten percent of delegates for the Democratic nomination have been awarded so far. There are still 90 percent to go. If only Kerry's endorsement from CNN weren't so pervasive, maybe Democrats would realize there is still a choice to be made and that Kerry isn't the real deal after all. The Real Deal with Kerry is that he's yesterday's news. The Real Deal with Kerry is that he's part of the establishment, and part of the problem, in Washington. The Real Deal with Kerry is that he's known quite justly by many as being Mr. Political Expediency. The Real Deal with Kerry is that a few Iowans looked to him as the last man standing when Dean and Gephardt went down in flames. The Real Deal is that with Sen. Kerry our country will get something that we're used to: politics as usual. If that's what you want, then please vote for Sen. Kerry. If you want a career politician who doesn't know how to pick a fight, who doesn't know how to take a strong stand on issues, who changes his positions with the same frequency that many in Hollywood marry and divorce, then Sen. Kerry is your candidate. If you want a New Deal for America though, please cast your vote elsewhere. Anywhere else. With any luck, my fellow Democrats will reject CNN and Sen. Kerry and vote for an honest, straight-talking American when it comes time to vote in their state's primary. When that time comes, my recommendation is ABK (Anyone But Kerry): Clark, Dean, Edwards, Kucinich, or Sharpton. Take your pick. Any of the five would be an improvement over our current 'frontrunner'. And if you still support Kerry, do remember to send your 'thank you' notes to CNN and the state of Iowa. Adam Schultz is a senior majoring in Political Science.

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