Archives

News

Rule enforcement commendable

February 9

Each student wearing a cap and gown on May 23 should be able to know that every other similarly attired person on the Green that day has slogged through the introductory classes, struggled in the upper-level classes, fulfilled the distribution requirements, and earned the right to walk across the stage. Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser will ensure that this is the case by enforcing an existing rule that requires all students participating in the Commencement exercise to have achieved or be reasonably close to achieving the requirements for graduation. The decision to strictly enforce the graduation requirements is commendable, though many students will likely criticize it. The knee-jerk reaction is to question changing a system that seems to have run smoothly. It seems nitpicky to deny students the chance to walk with their friends of four years and the same group of Jumbos with whom they matriculated. However, as Glaser points out, the rule generously allows students who fall just short of the requirements to participate in the ceremony. Students who are short the number of credits that they can earn over the summer or in one more semester will be allowed to walk. This is reasonable, and there is no need for the University to offer any more leeway. To do so would ruin the legitimacy of the Commencement exercise. The contentious issue that Glaser is tackling proves his worth to Tufts University. He has added controversy, complexity, and many hours of work to his life by questioning the status quo, especially surrounding Commencement. Regardless of whether students agree or disagree with his enforcement of this pre-existing rule, they should respect the willingness he has to make sure that this part of the undergraduate academic experience is as good as it can be. Restoring and preserving the high standard of Commencement will make the close to our undergraduate years much more rewarding.

---

News

Baghdad:Waiting for Progress

February 9

Explanation of my parody. From the 18th of December to the 2nd of January, I returned to Baghdad, Iraq the country of my birth for the first time in three years. I had expected to see rebuilding, hope and recovery of this war-stricken city since it had been over 8 months since the US-led war and occupation of the country but in turn what I confronted was in brief, "absurd." And I wish to express my unaltered and true experiences in the following form, inspired by the existentialist play "Waiting for Godot." Act I: Oh Master, we thank thee for liberating our womenfolk... In the newly liberated Iraq, women are all embracing their newly found freedom, now that they have been stripped of rights given to them under secular law. They are being clothed with narrowly interpreted Shar'ia law, all thanks to the Americans. In this scene, we see emancipation manifested in the following: Mrs. Iraq, mother of three, is unable to drive. As it turns out, the country with the second largest oil reserves in the world, Iraq, is facing a huge gasoline shortage. Cars line the streets -- stretching for miles as men and women wait to fill up their tanks with 30 liters, to be used for the cars and the generators. Mr. Iraq seats Mrs. Iraq next to him in the car. He would not let Mrs. Iraq drive in a car alone, even if she knew how to drive. A man driving alone is a site witnessed as frequently as flying pigs due to the security situation since "liberation." Once at the gas station, Mr. Iraq pulls into the women's queue -- only a one-hour wait as opposed to the seven-hour wait in the men's line. Mrs. Iraq sits behind the wheel as Mr. Iraq pushes the car from behind. After waiting an hour, they get their 30 liters, and return home. Act II: The new Iraqi currency? Four 21-year-old women, at the prime of their youth and freedom, lucky enough to be living in a newly-liberated country during the twenty-first century, wait for their driver to take them to the Baghdad Technological College. As Jaffar pulls up, he opens the trunk to take the four large jugs each girl has in hand. Could it be jugs of wine for a jamming party? Or could it be juice even? Actually no, parties and get-togethers are virtually nonexistent, especially for girls. The girls are bringing Jaffar their weekly payment of gasoline. Two weeks ago, Jaffar announced his decision to cancel the carpool service. The seven hours of waiting in gasoline lines was simply too much to take, and no increase in the wage could alleviate the situation. As a solution, payment in gas was the only way the girls could keep the service and get to the university. Act III: National services Scene I. Person Free: Wow! A lit house at 7:00 p.m. Is this power national electricity or from the generator? Person Democracy: It is the national electricity. It came about 20 minutes ago, for the first time in about 24 hours. Person Free: In my neighborhood, we have not had electricity for the last three days. Do you think my house is lit now? Person Democracy: Perhaps. Person Free: I wish the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) would stick to the damn schedule. I mean, they are supposed to follow a timetable where they bless us with two hours of electricity, cut it for four, and so on. Person Democracy: Perhaps they do not have the timing worked out just yet. Person Free: Okay. Well, I should return home now. I have been warming up water on the kerosene heaters for the past few days, just to take a warm shower. I better hurry home before the heat is cut. Maybe I can at least iron a little and wash my clothes in hot water! Scene II: New Year's Eve The scene is filled with an orchestra of explosions, gunshots, helicopters, and F-16s coming from above. Families of Person Free and Person Democracy are gathered for a quiet family get-together on New Year's Eve. Usually they celebrate at a country club -- with a singer, a DJ, catered food, and dancing -- a wild time. But this year, the streets are silent after 10:00 p.m. and families end their dinners before 11:00 p.m., in fear of being carjacked or killed on the way back home. Nor do they want to be checked by the American troops. Others decided to have small sleepovers, to witness the coming of 2004. This is the case for these two families. They listen to the television, powered miraculously by national electricity as the countdown begins: "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two..." The electricity shuts off right at midnight. Happy 2004! Person Free stumbles to the Aladdin-era kerosene-powered lamp. He lights it and heads over to the loud (but indispensable) generator. He discovers that there is enough gasoline to keep it running for another hour. Person Free: Well apparently when it comes to cutting electricity, they (CPA and IGC) seem to be on schedule! Act IV: Freedom of... Rana: Cousin, take me around Baghdad. I have been cooped up inside for the entire stay. I have not been allowed to go anywhere in this city because of this security situation. Explosions all the time! Hamoody: Okay. Let's get in the car. [Stuck in traffic for 30 minutes.] Rana: What is the deal with this traffic?! Hamoody: Well, there is no electricity for the traffic lights. The Iraqi police and traffic patrols only function when important officials or American troops need the way cleared. There is no law, so people violate rules left and right. After all, what do they have to lose? [Cars travel on roads in both directions, on the sidewalks.] Rana: Look! An Iraqi policeman is actually controlling the traffic now! Hamoody: He must be a new one! [GMC cars pass by, carrying officials.] Rana: Oops, he was just letting those IGC people pass. Hamoody: When I came back after the war "ended," I could not drive on the roads. Too many roads were closed off. Also, there were so many checkpoints! Imagine that! I have been living in this country for all of my life, but I returned to find everything off-limits to me! Rana, look at that man on the street. Do you see him, the one wearing the black gown? He is famous in Iraq because he wears slogans on his back and people give him money. Read what he has written... Rana: [reading] "Wa hakadtha dtha' al Iraq..." And in this way, Iraq was lost. The End

---

News

Trying to move on

February 8

The veterinary school is struggling to restore a sense of calm and unity to the campus one month after a canine experiment ended in the euthanasia of six dogs. The controversy swept through the school and into the media after four students in the Masters of Science in Animals and Public Policy program complained about the school's research on bone healing. The animal subjects' bones were purposefully broken and then allowed to heal using different treatments. All six dogs were subsequently euthanized to study the effects of the treatment. There is no ongoing research on dogs but Vet School Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Angeline Warner said this was not related to the recent debate. Doctorate students said they were offended at allegations of animal cruelty, saying the Vet School prides itself on high ethical standards. "If research is going to happen, Tufts is a place that is so ethical that is so concerned about animal welfare and animals not being in harm's way," second year class co-president Alisha Weissman said. "I couldn't believe they were taking this approach," and went to the press. "When we first returned to campus, the general feeling was that of anger," at the Masters students, Weissman explained. While this feeling has since calmed, Weissman said a sense of disharmony and betrayal amongst the students has emerged from the events. Weissman also added she is concerned that the opinion of four master students who originally protested the experiments is taken to be that of the entire student body. The masters program has ten students, while there are approximately 240 doctoral students. 201 of these students signed a letter supporting the actions of the researchers which ran in TheBoston Herald. "We have no conflict in support of our school, its staff, or our love for animals," they wrote in the letter. "Tufts continues to be a leader in veterinary ethics in part because it is receptive to students' ideas." Masters student Tara Turner said she and three of her peers took action after hearing the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee's (IACUC) decision. The IACUC is a federally mandated body reviews and approves all research at the school. The graduate students then sent out notices to the media. The Boston Herald, Associated Press and other major news outlets ran stories about the research. Vet School officials said they then received complaints from animal rights activists and several Grafton town residents. A demonstration against the testing was held was on school grounds. Despite the complaints, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Animal Rescue League found no evidence of animal cruelty following an inspection of the veterinary school. Turner bristled at the suggestion that she and her fellow masters students had acted irresponsibly by talking to the media. She said that the students only contacted the press after several attempts to resolve the matter internally. This view is supported by Carter Loup, Vice President of Animal Protection at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. But Loup said that although the Vet School's experiment was appropriate, the experience had been traumatic for the community. "I think there's a lot of hurt and pain within the [Vet School] family, if you will, right now," Loup said. According to Dr. Theodora Capaldo, President and Executive Director of New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS), a group of first-year veterinary students also had concerns about the canine study, but did not favor going to the press. NEAVS is an organization that tries to develop alternatives to animal research. The Vet School allowed the students to review a copy of research guidelines inside the school for a short period. They were then given a weekend to make a proposal for alternative guidelines. Ultimately, Warner said the proposals "were among those the investigator already considered in his federally-mandated search for alternatives." she said. Warner said non-lethal alternatives would not have provided results that would pass scrutiny in the academic community. "If the results are not made available to practicing veterinarians through publication, the benefits of treating fractures with this new method would never be made available to dogs, and the scientific contribution made by the dogs in the study would have been lost," Warner said. Any student can bring concerns about research before the Animal Welfare Committee, which has students, staff and administrators on it. "If the [animal welfare committee] felt there was a problem they would rely their concerns to the IACUC," Warner said. Turner is preparing a proposal for new IUCAC guidelines for research, which will include an emphasis on non-lethal alternatives in research. She hopes to submit them by the end of the month. Capaldo said the NEAVS will be also be sending a letter with proposed changes. The researchers from the canine experiment declined to comment for this article, and instead referred questions to Warner. She said although the school had not been charged with any violations, the school would enter a period of evaluation. "We're entering an honest and open dialogue within the campus community about research and research ethics," she said. "We hope it is a productive dialogue that doesn't just end with people reaching polarized conclusions." Loup said that though he believed the Vet School had taken the questions raised by the Masters students seriously, the ensuing discussion is still valid. "I think that all institutions need to review periodically how they view research that involves euthanasia and any kind of suffering," he said. "I think that's a good thing." A new lecture series on research ethics has been launched exclusively for veterinary students on the Grafton campus. The first talk was given by University Chaplain David O'Leary called "Seven Ethical Habits for DVMs [Doctors of Veterinary Medicine]." Leary, who has a doctorate in medical ethics, said the discussion was "very civil" and the audience engaged in a productive question and answer session at the end. Discussions will be scheduled throughout the semester. Warner said the disruptions of the past month also forced the school to increase security. All faculty and students must now wear identification badges, which are checked prior to admittance into buildings. "We're used to being out in the country and not having to worry too much about security and we have to change that now," Warner said. Weissman said she would like the graduate students to volunteer in the ICU unit, to understand the kind of care the school provides. She had a mixed assessment of the graduate student's actions. "I commend them for beginning the process and trying to present alternative methods to the research, even though they were scientifically inappropriate," she said. "I don't think they were getting the answers they wanted to hear." "They started out on the right track on how to voice their opinion, it would have been better if they had spoken to the second, third and fourth year vet students," Weissman said.

---

News

Winter trustee meeting focuses on Fletcher

February 8

The University Board of Trustees gathered with administrators, faculty, and students on the Medford/Somerville campus this past weekend to discuss issues ranging from campus improvements to community relations. The focus of the weekend's meetings was the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Friday morning, the trustees were briefed on current events by Fletcher deans and professors. The Board then divided into its three main committees to hear presentations by Fletcher administrators and the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's Trustee Reps. The University Advancement committee viewed Fletcher's new graphic identity, including a new logo and image campaign. Trustee Rep. Jill Bier spoke to the committee about Tufts' relations with the surrounding communities, proposing a Community Day that would bring local residents to the campus and a student address each semester to the Medford and Somerville Boards of Aldermen on Tufts programs in the community. She also encouraged increased alumni participation in the Alumni Network to make more relationships between current students and Tufts graduates. The Academic Affairs committee heard a presentation by Fletcher deans about the challenges facing the school. This was followed by Trustee Rep. Joe Coletti's presentation about the pitfalls of the current peer advising system and a recommendation for a more sustained role for peer advisors. The Administration and Finance committee was presented with Fletcher's new master plan for remodeling and several requests for appropriations for renovations to the school. Trustee Rep. Daniel Kleinman presented the committee with a proposal to increase the use of information technology in classrooms by installing digital projectors and increasing training programs to help teachers better use the technology. At the Saturday morning meetings, Fletcher Dean Stephen Bosworth presented the school's new strategic plan, and the four new trustees, Karen Pritzker, Bill Richardson, Dr. Alfred Tauber, and Bill Thompson, Jr., were installed. Only Richardson, the Governor of New Mexico, could not attend. The meeting was followed by a lunch with administrators, faculty, and students from each of Tufts' schools. A popular topic of conversation at the luncheon was the housing shortage on the Medford/Somerville campus and the difficulty of building Sophia Gordon Hall. Professors Row, the location of the dorm, is a historic district. During lunch discussions, Board Vice-Chair Joe Neubauer, the Chairman of Aramark, said the battle over the new dorm should be viewed in the broader scope of relations with the surrounding communities. "This is not a one-building issue," he said. "It's a question of whether we're going to be able to move forward." Neubauer said that "if Tufts were well-endowed 30 or 40 years ago and had some foresight, it could have bought up all the land around it" similar to the University of Chicago. Director of Student Activities Jodie Nealley addressed the problem of "trying to do a master plan for this place, being landlocked." Planning the capacity of new dorms requires a good deal of guesswork, Neubauer said, and empty rooms are worse for the University than a housing shortage. "The University is in the resource allocation business," he said. "If the beds don't produce any revenue, that's a wasted asset." When asked by second-year Dental School student Matt Feeley why the University does not purchase more housing for students on the Boston campus to make the Chinatown neighborhood safer, President Larry Bacow said, "Every time we say we want to change a community that's very tight, that's a very threatening statement." In reaction to Coletti's presentation, one topic of conversation was the quality of advising at Tufts. With several advising options already available for entering undergraduates, Trustee Joyce Barsam, a French professor at Northeastern University who has been on the Board since 1994, questioned whether "you add another layer of bureaucracy and invent something new, or do you fix what you've got?" Trustee Dana Callow, the Managing General Partner at Boston Millenia Partners, a private equity investment group, spoke about the necessity to increase the "corporate exposure" of the Tufts name. "If an employer hasn't hired a Tufts grad before and decides to go [recruit at] Harvard, that's a problem," he said. He proposed increasing partnerships with pharmaceutical companies through the School of Medicine. Trustee Marty Granoff said that increasing exposure requires improving both the faculty and student body. "It's top-down and bottom-up," he said. Echoing Bier's presentation, Vice President of University Relations Mary Jeka said that Tufts is active in the surrounding communities, but "it's clear as a bell, we don't broadcast -- we don't tell anyone." Because the luncheon gave many Tufts graduate students the chance to come to the Medford/Somerville campus, another discussion topic was the inclusiveness and sense of community among Tufts' many schools. "I don't think there is a really good connection" between the schools, said Jay Kher, Class President of the third-year students at the School of Medicine. Danielle Goldin-Munday, a first-year student at the School of Veterinary Medicine, said, "I feel like I go to Tufts Vet School, which has nothing to do with Tufts." The trustees themselves expressed a desire to be better connected to the Tufts community. "I would love to hear honest dialogue," Trustee Deborah Jospin, who was the Director of AmeriCorps before founding a Washington, D.C. consulting group, said. "I don't get to hear from students."

---

News

Jury duty

February 8

Oh, Massachusetts, what a delight! I feel so incredibly privileged to live here amongst the civil, warmhearted Red Sox and Patriots fans, in perhaps the most exciting, personally fulfilling weather in the world, and finally learn the correct way to pronounce words that end in -ar. Well, I do declare, I definitely owe a debt of gratitude to the great Bay State. I was, therefore, predictably overjoyed to receive notification in the mail that I was to be granted the great honor of performing my civic duty as a member of a jury pool at the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge. A moment of distress followed my initial ecstasy. While I am fortunate enough to attend college in Massachusetts, I sadly do not call New England home. My permanent residence is a small town north of San Francisco, California, and I gasped at the thought that I might not be allowed to make the pilgrimage to that great monument to justice and Ed Sullivan. I thought that perhaps the State of Massachusetts, under the guise of appearing considerate, might have some cruel law to revoke my right, as a college student who does not reside in the state, to serve on a jury which would decide cases tried in Massachusetts. I am not sure how the state government would possibly justify the position that non-permanent residents be prevented from sitting on a jury. There could be some cute ploy to try and equate voting with being on a jury. Some conniving state legislator might have made the point that since college students who are registered to vote in their home states cannot vote in Massachusetts -- that is, they cannot participate in the Massachusetts legislative process -- they should not be allowed to participate in the judicial process. Well, I say take your parallel logic argument and shove it. I say double standards are a good thing. They keep you on your toes. Another legislator might have tried to play the compassionate, understanding, student-phile card. He might have pointed out that people from all over the world come to Boston and pay tens of thousands of dollars to study here. Each class period, he might point out, is worth, -- depending on the school -- as much as $100, and much more to the student who will gain knowledge from attending. This legislator might further remind us that employers are compelled to pay jurors for time served. Will the university or college hold a special lecture period for those students who miss class because of jury duty? Most certainly not; that would be logistically impossible and expensive. How, then, is the college student to be compensated for class time lost? Allow me to point out here that the rebuttal to this argument is quite clear: students will learn much, much more about just how efficient our justice system really is by sitting for jury selection, and, should they be so lucky as to be selected, they will learn what could otherwise only be acquired by sitting through hours of tiresome movies and television programs such as Twelve Angry Men and The Practice. My thoughts wandered from those party-pooper hypothetical legislators to the possible cases that I might be asked to decide. I thought of murder, rape, tax evasion.... and the granddaddy of them all, the vehicular manslaughter case against the guy that drunkenly backed over Super Bowl revelers on Sunday night. What if I were asked to decide this case? I mulled it over, and a lump developed in my throat as I realized that right there in front of me was yet another surely unjust reason to exclude me from deciding the fates of those charged in the state of Massachusetts. I realized that I could not even drink alcohol legally yet; in fact, I was two years from being able to do so. I had to double check the jury handbook to reassure myself that I was eligible to serve. I was overjoyed to find out that, although I cannot actually drink alcohol, I can in fact send someone who drinks and drives to jail. Having assured myself that none of these arguments had been used effectively to block college students from participating in the magic that is Massachusetts judicial procedure, I began planning my exciting day at the courthouse. I laid out what I was going to wear, drew a map from Miller Hall to the Davis T-Stop to the Lechmere T-Stop to the Courthouse, and started to fill out my juror questionnaire. I had a bit of trouble when I came to the part about my place of residence. I did not want to let slip the fact that I was not from Massachusetts for fear that I might be rejected by the judge or by either sides' lawyers. However, I could not lie on my questionnaire! Quite a quandary. I resolved it by supplying both my places of residence, cleverly deducing that no one would be able to tell in which state I was considered a permanent resident. Finally, fully prepared for the most exciting, useful, magical day of my life, I retired to the comfort of my bed after setting my alarm for 6:15 a.m.. After all, I had a long walk to Davis Square, a trip on not only the Red Line, but also the lovely, and only usually infrequent Green Line, and an extremely rigorous security inspection to look forward to before I reached that holy grail of American justice, the Fifth Floor of the Sullivan Courthouse. Steven Ward is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

---

News

Trustees connect to Tufts students during weekend gripefest

February 8

Although Saturday's student and faculty luncheon with the trustees was vastly more productive than the train-wreck of two years ago, many, if not most, of the concerns expressed are ones the trustees cannot directly address. Nevertheless, it is still vital that the trustees hear such complaints, and act on ones held by many students. The nature of the luncheons makes it difficult to prevent them from becoming, at times, a "gripefest" in which students complain about every aspect of Tufts both big and small. One trustee indicated that day to day student life concerns were not aspects that the body should be addressing. But even if the trustees work little on actual solutions, they have the mandate and authority to advocate on behalf of students and pressure the administration to more effectively address concerns. As it stands, the only group doing this is the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and the administration at best only has to take the Senate's opinion under advisement. A common topic for discussion at this year's luncheon was Tufts' increasingly restrictive social life. It is important that the trustees leave with a clear understanding of the discontent present in the student body. Many students believe administrative actions have caused the social scene to seriously deteriorate. We have to trust that the administration is acting in what it feels are Tufts' best interests. Students' social activities bring serious legal and safety concerns -- as the lawsuits against MIT for a student's death showed -- as well as problems with neighbors. The trustees can push Tufts to create and fund solutions that keep students happy while addressing the problems caused by too rowdy a social life. Otherwise the administration might opt for answers that are easier or cheaper but much less popular. Though the event was ostensibly successful, changes should be made to improve the representation of students at the meetings. Two years ago, the University tried to increase student access to the Trustees by having an "open mic" forum. The event was hijacked by students trying to get their point across by behaving uncivilly and disrespectfully towards the panel. Changes were implemented to ensure there would be no future "rogue" outbursts. But in the attempt to more tightly control the decorum of the meetings, the luncheon has become too restrictive. The majority of the students who attended the invite-only event were involved with student government. While they are the student body's elected representatives, it would be myopic to believe that they represent the entire spectrum of thought. A sizable senate presence is justified, but the quality and credibility of the meetings would be improved if more students outside student government circles also attended. Civil and respectful forums like the one held Saturday provide the trustees a great window into the lives of the students for whom they work so hard. Any changes that improve student access to the trustees while maintaining a high level of decorum would make them even more effective, and allow them to hear the student bodies problems and work together to discover solutions

---

---

News

All the colors of the rainbow

February 8

A colorful spectrum of students from all over the Boston area gathered for the second annual Taste the Rainbow Intercollegiate Queer Dance in Hotung last weekend. Tufts Transgender Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC) hosted the event on Saturday night, and an invitation to the event was extended to students from all over Boston. Partygoers danced, schmoozed, and refueled on late night chicken wings from the Hotung kitchen until one in the morning. Students from University of Massachusetts Boston, Harvard, MIT, Boston University, and Boston College were among those who attended, and Tufts and non-Tufts students alike had a great time dancing and mingling with their peers. The dance was a hit in the eyes of everyone involved. "After the dance, many folks came up to me to comment... on how much they had enjoyed it," organizer Andrew Chapman said, going on to call the night a "brilliant success." While non-Tufts attendees appreciated the opportunity to see the Tufts campus and get a taste of Jumbo lovin', Tufts students enjoyed the chance to acquaint themselves with their intercollegiate peers. Chapman and his fellow organizers worked extremely hard to prepare for the dance. Committees from TTLGBC decorated and prepared Hotung for the night's festivities. DJ George Forman Grill provided the music while events staff covered the evening's logistics. Attendees paid a $5 cover charge at the door to cover the costs of the dance. Although preparations continued up to the last minute, the night went by without any hitches. Hotung was packed with students, both gay and straight, dancing the night away. Chapman said that the night started out a little slow, but that by 11:30, Hotung was hopping. When the night drew to a close at one in the morning, few partygoers wanted the dance to end. Organizers welcomed students of all sexualities. Junior Karina Lorenzana said that she had a great time dancing regardless of her dance partner's sexual orientation, adding that "gay boys are better dancers anyway." Gay and straight students alike support events like Saturday's dance on-campus. Lorenzana said that the dance "gives Tufts the opportunity to create an atmosphere of tolerance and open-mindedness." Patrick Brown, the TTLGBC Community Representative to the TCU Senate, praised the dance both for the message it sends the Tufts community and for the social opportunities provided by the event itself, saying that it_helped to increase visibility of queer people on the Tufts campus, as well as providing a safe environment for students from different schools to interact with each other." Without opportunities like this one, students can become isolated on their individual campuses. By welcoming students of all sexualities to celebrate their identities, Tufts supports diversity on-campus and off. "It's important to know who you are," Lorenzana said. "Things like this give you the chance to explore and express yourself without any stigma." TTLGBC is an undergraduate organization that promotes awareness of issues surrounding sexuality, identity, and diversity in the Tufts community. It seeks to provide a safe forum for all students to discuss sexuality, to network, and to promote political action to support safe communities and equal rights. The first "Taste the Rainbow" dance took place at Tufts during the last academic year in November 2002. Like this year's dance, students from all over Boston came out to the Hill for the night of music, dancing, and social networking that took place. The first dance was such a success that organizers decided to make it an annual event. TTLGBC plans on repeating the dance next year, especially after Saturday's success.

---

News

Wendell Phillips finalists announced

February 8

Five seniors will compete to speak at graduation. The finalists in the Wendell Phillips competition were announced Thursday by the Office of Student Activities. Ariana Flores, Candace Gomez, Chinua Thewell, Stacey Ulrich and David Wu were selected as this year's finalists. Each of the students will give a five-minute speech on March 11 in the Coolidge Room. The competition will be open for the entire student body to listen. The Committee of Student Life (CSL) will make the final decision. Speeches will address the quotation "The agitator must stand outside of organization, with no bread to earn, no candidate to elect, no party to save, no object but the truth -- to tear open a question and riddle it with light." The finalists were instructed to address an issue of "contemporary significance and 'riddle it with light.'" "I would certainly be very honored to have the opportunity to speak at Commencement because the students and faculty at Tufts have made my college years extremely memorable," finalist Gomez said. Any student can be nominated by other students, administrators, professors, or by themselves. The nominated are then contacted and encouraged to prepare a speech. Students who accept must submit a resum‚ highlighting their community service, record a speech to present to the CSL, and write a short essay. Tufts is unusual in that it does not pick graduation speakers based on GPA or academic performance. The Award was established in 1896 by the Wendell Phillips Memorial Fund to honor one student each year from Tufts and from Harvard to speak at their graduation ceremonies. Wendell Phillips was a great preacher and orator in Boston. His scholarship honors students with excellent orator skills and public responsibility.

---

News

Jumbos drop two straight in Maine

February 8

If the men's basketball team had defeated both Bowdoin and Colby on its trip to Maine, it would have assured itself a spot in the NESCAC playoffs. Instead, Tufts chose to take the harder road to the playoffs by losing to Bowdoin on Friday night, 65-77, and 80-65 at Colby on Saturday. "We've only won one road game all season," senior co-captain Eric Mack said. "We're a different team on the road." Tufts was certainly the underdog against Bowdoin as the Polar Bears are now 5-3 in NESCAC play, but the Colby game was a toss-up with the Mules tied with Tufts for the final playoff spot entering Saturday's contest. "If we had taken two (against Colby and Bowdoin), we could have been in a great position for the playoffs," Mack said. Now Tufts is in sole possession of ninth place in the league, one seed away from the playoffs, at 1-6 in NESCAC play. Colby is in eighth place at 2-6 and Middlebury, whom the Jumbos face this Friday, is in seventh place at 2-5. In its game at Colby, Tufts performed poorly both offensively and defensively, which allowed the Mules to jump out to a ten point lead at the half and eventually a 15 point victory. "Everything was bad," Mack said. "There was nothing positive we could take from that game." Senior co-captain Deyvehn East and junior forward Reggie Stovell paced the way scoring-wise for Tufts with 10 and 14 points respectively, but Colby had four players in double-digits. Colby capitalized on its quickness at forward by allowing them to handle the ball on the perimeter instead of the guards, according to Mack. That type of offense created problems for the Jumbos as it forced their forwards to play further away from the basket then they were accustomed to. Colby's quick forwards then drove off the dribble for lay-ups with the option to pass back to a guard for an open three-point attempt. "Colby got a lot of dribble penetration and either got a lay-up or a three," Mack said. When it was all said and done, Colby made 46.3 percent of its shots, including a whopping 66.7 percent of its three-pointers (8-for-12). Meanwhile, Tufts struggled. In the first half, Tufts shot 40 percent from the field and even managed four more shot attempts than the Mules, but poor shooting beyond the stripe (0-7) hurt them. During the second half, Tufts began to shoot more to try to get back into the game, but its percentages dropped. "Looking at the percentages," Mack said. "We just didn't make shots." Tufts made just two of 16 three-pointers and failed to capitalize on almost half of its free throw opportunities (making 52.9 percent). The Jumbos matched Colby well in other areas of play, and even grabbed eight more offensive boards, but it didn't matter as Colby pushed itself into the playoffs. "No team is really bad, but we needed to beat them," Mack said. "Coming into the game they knew they had to beat us to get in the playoffs." The day before, against Bowdoin, it was a case of too little, too late. Tufts came out flat in the first half, shooting 8-for-26 from the field, while Bowdoin played well enough to take a 15-point halftime lead, 33-18. The second half was another story. Both teams came out of the locker room making shots, shooting over 50 percent in the half. However, the 15 point deficit proved to be too much for Tufts. Even though Tufts scored 47 points in the second frame, Bowdoin was able to put up 44 points and hold off Tufts 77-65. "To come back we have to make stops defensively," Mack said. "That's something we have to learn how to do." Possibly making the wins a little easier for Bowdoin and Colby were Tufts' injuries. The Jumbos played both games without power forward Brian Kumf, whose athleticism would have helped Tufts stop dribble penetration by Colby's forwards. "(Kumf sitting out) hurt more than I thought it would," Mack said. "He gives us a lot of flexibility." In addition, freshman point guard David Shepherd scored 13 points and dished out two assists Friday against Bowdoin, but was unable to play Saturday due to a knee injury. The Jumbos do not play another game until their pivotal match up at home against Middlebury on Friday. If the Jumbos beat Middlebury, there is a good chance they could sneak into the playoffs as an eight seed. Coach Bob Sheldon has given his troops the day off this Monday to rest up for Middlebury and then the number two Division III team in the country, Williams College, on Saturday.

---

News

In Defense of Religion

February 8

It is with great interest that I read the recent Daily article about the creation of the Secular Student Association. I was dismayed, however, by the attitudes its founders conveyed and the purpose some of their words implied. I was especially troubled by Calvin Metcalf's comments that the Association's purpose was to create a community that would be free from the "intolerance and bigotry" of religion. Though he described the SSA as a positive and non-confrontational organization, it is difficult to imagine how else these remarks can be interpreted. I would expect him to understand that there is much more to religion than the existence of intolerance and bigotry. These ugly aspects of human nature have been practiced in many guises throughout the course of history -- and needless to say, not all had to do with religious belief. Furthermore, Metcalf's insistence that the organization derives its "moral compass from common sense" is a puzzling one. It's hard to believe that in this vague phrase he has explained away every moral position of every one of the club's potential members. What he's really referring to is a code of ethics -- rules of behavior that can be rationally defined -- and not morals, which are innate, gut feelings that are often inspired by a sense of what is inherently decent and right; not what is logical. But even the ethics that guide the law codes of our society stem from a sophisticated and well-developed religious tradition. For example, the founders of this country stated in the Declaration of Independence that our inalienable rights -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- are given to us by our Creator. Clearly they are acting on preconceived religious faith. And that is but one example. The intellectual foundation that allows our modern and highly complex moral sense to exist was built over many long and painful centuries of religious thought and development. This process cannot be dismissed as irrational and irrelevant. Without this background we would be utterly lost in our attempt to create any functional morality. Samuel Kounaves may claim that religion and science are inherently incompatible, that logic has won and "irrational beliefs" have lost -- and yet, religion continues to play a vital role in the lives of millions of people. The most highly respected of our values -- love, generosity, forgiveness, humility -- all come with a justification that is spiritual -- not logical. Without them, we would be left only with base self- interest. Einstein himself -- one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century -- famously said that "religion without science is blind, and science without religion is lame." In our quest for a just and peaceful world, there is no room to dismiss either science or religion out of hand. And yet, for an organization that purports to create dialogue between atheists and religious groups -- while "not trying to confront anyone" -- it is troubling that every quoted reference to religion is a negative one. There is no acknowledgement of the good that all the multifaceted varieties of spirituality that exist on this Earth have inspired throughout the ages. The Torah, the Bible, the Koran -- these great and seminal works of literature, which represent so many of mankind's hopes, fears and yearnings -- all dismissed as bigotry, intolerance, and ancient superstitions? Is the comfort, solace and inspiration that religion provides in this increasingly hectic and materialistic world so worthless? I am a wholly secular person, and I cannot believe it. There is so much in religion of what makes us human -- the very worst and the very best of human nature -- that to dismiss it as ancient folly seems in and of itself the worst kind of folly. And so I hope my doubts about the SSA and its goals are misplaced. For the reasons above, I cannot say that they are unfounded. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the SSA will not become a forum for the destruction of religion and the uprooting of its influence. Maybe the debates and discussions it sparks will rather serve to increase our understanding of religion, of its place in the world, its perils, and its promise. That would speak well of the university that funds this organization's existence -- and it would be a huge testament to the intellectual honesty and moral vigor of its founders and its members. Ilya Lozovsky is a sophomore majoring International Relations.

---

News

Film highlights worldwide Sept. 11 reactions

February 8

About an hour and ten minutes into 11'09"01 -- September 11, a cell phone rings. Instead of impatiently shushing and glaring, the audience remained respectfully silent during this breach of movie theatre etiquette. The audience listened as a woman dialed home and left a message on her answering machine. What made this call home different from most was that it was projected through the theater's speakers. The audience was listening to an unidentified woman aboard one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center call home to tell her family that she loved them. This semi-voyeuristic moment of eavesdropping occurred during the climax of Mexican director Alejandro Gonz lez I¬ rritu's segment of 11'09"01 - September 11. The film, presented to Tufts by EPIIC's Film Series, is made up of 11 short films from 11 directors of 11 different nationalities. Producer Alain Brigand gave the directors only one restriction: each film was required to be 11 minutes, 9 seconds, and one frame long -- mirroring the European way of writing the date of Sept. 11. EPIIC showed the film because it ties in to this year's Film Series topic: "Dilemmas of Empire and Nation Building: The United States' Role in the World." Heather Barry, the Associate Director of the Institute for Global Leadership, said that with directors from all around the world, filmgoers were able to "get a whole range of perspectives from outside of the U.S." Barry believes this film is effective in showing "how different people react to the same event." It confronts the viewer with other people's realities, "whether you agree or not," Barry said. Barry highlighted the fact that the views of each director "don't represent their entire country." Two of the film shorts, by British director Ken Loach and Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, have been criticized for presenting controversial views of the U.S. and its attitude toward the events of Sept. 11. Loach's short is told in a voiceover from the point of view of a Chilean exile who compares the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to those of Sept. 11, 1973, when Chilean president Salvador Allende was overthrown in a violent U.S.-backed coup that resulted in the assassinations of thousands. The piece is critical of the U.S.'s part in the coup and looks for some sympathy for its own Sept. 11 disaster. Chahine's segment tells the story of a filmmaker who was trying to get shots of the World Trade Center the morning of Sept. 11. Returning to Egypt, he is troubled by what he witnessed that day, and he sees the vision of an American soldier who was killed in Beirut. At one point, the soldier expresses his frustration at the anti-American sentiments he sees outside of the U.S. The filmmaker responds by saying that since the U.S. is a democracy, everyone is responsible for the government and its sometimes-violent actions in other nations. I¬ rritu's piece elicited some of the strongest reactions. It opened with an entirely black screen and the sounds of news reporters joyously announcing that Sept. 11 would be a beautiful Tuesday morning. The blackness was intermittently interrupted with shots of people jumping from the crumbling World Trade Center towers. Gradually, the news reports became more and more frantic, and eventually included messages from people trapped in the towers or on the planes. In the end, the screen faded to white and a question came up on screen in Arabic and English which said "Does God's light guide us or blind us?" Not all of the films were so emotionally wrenching -- the piece from Idrissa Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso was humorously heartwarming, showing young boys plotting to capture a man they thought was Osama bin Laden so that they could collect the ransom and help one of the boys' sick mother. EPIIC will be showing the film again this coming Thursday, Feb. 12. EPIIC will also address some of the issues the film raised in its panel about the War on Terror during its spring Symposium.

---

News

Tufts goes 1-1 at home on weekend

February 8

The hockey team moved to within two points of the Amherst Lord Jeffs this weekend for the eighth and final NESCAC playoff spot after going 1-1 in its back-to-back home games against UMass-Boston and Babson College. On Saturday night, the Jumbos dropped their tenth game of the season to Babson 5-1 after squeaking by UMass-Boston on Friday evening, 6-5. "We have a good feeling against Amherst next weekend," sophomore forward Ken Cleary said. "Everyone is pretty excited," senior tri-captain John Van Pelt added. "We still have a good chance to make the playoffs, and our fate is in our own hands which is a good position to be in." On Saturday evening, the Jumbos stepped onto the ice hoping to amass their second straight win and tie things up with the Lord Jeffs in the NESCAC standings. They took a quick step towards doing so when sophomore Zak Smotherman and junior Matt McCarthy hooked up with freshman forward Matt Dalton, who fired the puck between the pipes for his first goal of the season. Senior goalie Ben Crapser held his ground for the first 20 minutes, sending back all 13 shots to preserve the one-goal cushion, but the Tufts offense was unable to capitalize on any opportunities for the rest of the period. "We were shooting pretty well, we outshot them overall," senior tri-captain John Van Pelt said. "The puck just didn't seem to want to bounce our way." Crapser wasn't as lucky on the Beavers' 14th shot attempt. Just 55 seconds into the second period, Babson evened the score on a goal by senior Rob Harvey. The score set back the Jumbos, both offensively and defensively. Despite notching thirteen shot attempts in the period, the Jumbo attack was unable to put the puck in the net. Meanwhile, the Beavers tallied two more goals at 14:41 and 17:41 by seniors Dustin Kim and Dan Snyder to give the Beavers a two-goal cushion heading into the final period. "Our morale was very high all throughout the game," Cleary said. "Because we knew we were dominating them throughout the contest, but we just couldn't put the puck in the back of the net." The Jumbos were unable to bounce back in the third period, especially after Babson added its fourth unanswered goal of the game just two minutes in by sophomore forward James LaFreniere to put Babson up three. Babson added the nail in the Jumbos' coffin with 6:30 left in regulation on a shorthanded goal by senior Eric Tkacz to increase its lead to 5-1 and put the lead out of the Jumbos' reach. "We carried the play for the most of the game," Cleary said. "They just seemed to get all the lucky breaks that turned into easy goals." Crapser suffered the loss for the squad despite making 31 saves. After surrendering the early goal, Beavers goalie John Sterbling played 58 minutes of scoreless hockey to earn the win for Babson, knocking away 37 of 38 shot opportunities overall. On Friday night, the Jumbos earned their third victory of the season, knocking off the UMass Boston Beacons 6-5. Tufts took an early three goal lead over the first ten minutes of the game on goals by senior tri captain Pat Byrne, Cleary, and McCarthy. On the other end of the ice, Crapser held his ground in the first, not allowing the Beacons to put anything past him. However, much like Saturday's contest against Babson, UMass came out fiery in the second period and amassed goals from senior Stephen Chin and junior Aaron Olsen to bring the Beacons back to within one. McCarthy led the charge for Tufts in the second half of the period to regain a three goal cushion, first on an assist to freshman John Murphy, then on an unassisted goal of his own with four minutes left in the second. Beacon senior Michael Ciarletta took a perfect pass behind the Tufts defense to score a breakaway goal late in the second to bring the Beacons back in the game heading into the final period of play. The Jumbos' lead would be reduced to one just 33 seconds into the period when senior Brian Sullivan scored from right in front of the net for UMass to make the score 5-4. Cleary put the game away, however, with a shorthanded goal at 13:58 to make the score 6-4. UMass added a goal as the final buzzer sounded, but it was too little too late as the Jumbos skated away with the 6-5 victory. Crapser had another strong effort, making 31 saves in notching the victory. Heading into next weekend, Tufts knows what it has to work on to be successful against the Lord Jeffs. "The major things we need to work on are not taking penalties in the offensive zone, playing with the systems, and just all around working hard as one unit," Cleary said. "If we do those well, we'll be fine."

---

News

Jumbos drop first at home to number one Bowdoin

February 8

On a Saturday that saw three seniors honored, it was a sophomore who stole the show. Jessica Powers had 23 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals as the women's basketball team overwhelmed Colby, 65-46 on Tufts' Seniors' Day. The conference victory came one day after Tufts lost its first home game of the season to #1 Bowdoin, 58-45. Against Colby, inconsistent play from the Jumbos in the first half allowed the White Mules to keep things close. Tufts was up 25-23 with 4:25 to go in the first, when a late run stretched the lead to eight at the intermission. Powers led the team with 13 points at the break, despite having to play stretches out of position at point guard. The Jumbos were without their normal backup point guard Taryn Miller-Stevens, who missed the game for personal reasons. The Jumbos increased the defensive pressure in the second half, and held Colby to just six field goals in the final 20 minutes. "We really turned it up in the second half," coach Carla Berube said. "We moved our feet and the help was there. The second half of this game, and the first half of the Bowdoin game, that's where our defensive effort needs to be all the time." Following a timeout at 14:40, Tufts went on a run that stretched the lead to 16 at 48-32. Colby never got back in the game, as the lead remained in double digits. "Last night's game was draining," senior Maritsa Christoudias added. "This was an important win for us. It was important for us to bounce back. We know that every single NESCAC game is the most important game of the year." According to Berube, the team was able to overcome emotions left over from Friday's loss to Bowdoin. "This was a great bounce back win for us, especially because it was a total team effort," Berube said. "We had a couple of players who left a lot of emotion on the court [against Bowdoin], so it was great to respond with this kind of effort today." On Friday night, Tufts hung with the top ranked team in the country before fading in the second half. Tufts was bothered by Bowdoin's pressure early on in the first half, and the Jumbos appeared to play timidly on offense. But Tufts stayed within striking distance by playing tough on the defensive end. For most of the first half, the Jumbos had trouble setting up their offense. With their sets not working, the Tufts players resorted to going one on one on nearly every possession. Late in the half, the team seemed to settle down, and at halftime Bowdoin led by just four points at 29-25. In the second half, Bowdoin went to a 1-2-2 zone that frustrated the Jumbos offensively. The zone stopped the penetration of Powers and fellow sophomore, point guard Julia Verplank, and held the Jumbos to just 20 percent shooting in the second half. Senior Lora Trenkle led Bowdoin with 13 points and five assists. Freshman Jenny Muller led Tufts with ten points. "We played a great game [against Bowdoin]," Christoudias said after the Colby game. "They had to play their best to beat us. Everyone knows we could've beaten them. We just need our shots to fall. I'd love to play them again." Before Saturday's game against Colby, Tufts recognized the team's three seniors, tri-captains Erin Buckley, Kate Gluckman, and Christoudias.

---

News

New trustee eager to make presence felt

February 8

New Trustee Karen Pritzker wants to make it known that she will be a very active member of the Board of Trustees during her five year term, and will not sit quietly. "I have no intention of sitting there and raising my hand when I'm told to," Pritzker said after her first meeting last Friday. Pritzker was approved by the Board at last November's meeting, after which she was asked by President Larry Bacow if she would accept the nomination. Potential trustees are not told that they are being considered until they have been approved by the Board. Pritzker attended Tufts for two and a half years and majored in international relations. Her future husband, Dan Pritzker, graduated from Tufts in 1981. When Dan Pritzker went to Northwestern University for law school, she followed him to Chicago and finished her undergraduate education at the University of Chicago, with a degree in American History. In recent years, Pritzker worked with Providence St. Mel, a private high school in inner-city Chicago, to raise money for students to attend college. The school has taken in $30 million over the past 15 years, and 100 percent of its graduates now attend college. The Pritzkers also established the Jay Pritzker Foundation, named after Dan Pritzker's late father, who founded the Hyatt Hotel chain. This year, the foundation began sponsoring the Jay Pritzker Scholarship Challenge Grant at Tufts. The Pritzkers' grant matches any donations for minority student financial aid at Tufts up to $5 million over the next five years. Karen Pritzker explained that "with limited funds, the idea is to leverage what you have" by using matching grant programs. So far, trustee Kathryn Cassell Chenault has pledged $1.1 million, and an anonymous donor has pledged another $1 million. Since they left Tufts, the Pritzkers had been approached by the University and asked if they would contribute. Prior to establishing the minority student financial aid fund, Pritzker said she told then-Provost Sol Gittleman that she and her husband would contribute "when the time was right" and when she was sure that there was "a fair degree of certainty that [the students receiving the aid] would succeed." Because of Pritzker's experience in financial aid and education reform, Bacow recommended that she sit on the student subcommittee for the Board's Academic Affairs committee. She said that regardless of which committees trustees serve on, their "primary responsibility is fiduciary." Within the Academic Affairs committee, Pritzker said she will put most of her effort into fundraising. "Everybody has a network," she said. Pritzker's father was in the U.S. Foreign Service -- he retired after the embassy bombing in Tanzania -- so her childhood was spent in various developing countries. It was this experience of being surrounded by poverty, Pritzker said, that gave her the inspiration and motivation to work for diversity and more affordable education. Dan Pritzker is the founder of the jazz band Soniadada. The Pritzkers now live in the Bay Area in California, and have five children, ages three, five, seven, thirteen, and fourteen.

---

News

NESCAC playoff picture to be decided in final week

February 8

With the first round of the NESCAC playoffs less than two weeks away, many questions remain as to tournament seedings and final league standings. The top eight out of ten NESCAC teams will qualify for the tournament. Of those, the top four seeds will host quarterfinal games on Saturday, Feb. 21. Tufts, along with Bates, Wesleyan and Williams, are vying for high seeds as they all sit in a second place tie at 5-2 in the conference. The four squads trail Bowdoin (21-0, 8-0 NESCAC), which will likely run away with its fourth consecutive number one NESCAC tournament seed. The real battle this year will come for the number two through five seeds as the current second place teams duke it out this coming weekend. Williams will play head to head matches with both Bates and Tufts while Wesleyan squares off against ninth place Trinity and seventh place Amherst on the road. Tufts and Bates will also both travel to Middlebury to take on the sixth place Panthers. Tufts has specific goals going into these final days of the regular season. "We just want to win both games [this weekend] because that's all we can control," senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias said. "Where we fall is up to the rest of the teams, but we still could get a home seed for at least one game and maybe even two." Should Tufts win its games against Williams and Middlebury, and Williams beat Bates on Saturday, Tufts would take sole possession of second place, and the second seed in the tournament. Williams is 2-3 in its last five games, but has last week's NESCAC player of the week, sophomore guard Colleen Hession, and two final games at home to its advantage. Hession averaged 21.3 points per game over a three game period and made 13 of her 23 three point attempts during the same span. The Ephs' only two league losses this year came to Bowdoin (a 62-61 heartbreaker in overtime) and to Wesleyan, 68-53. At 18-4 overall, Williams is ranked fourth in New England. Christoudias feels her team has a good chance at Williams if the Jumbos stay focused and play their game. "[Williams] knows the situation and they're going to want it just as much as we do," Christoudias said. "Home court always is an advantage, but if we play the way the way can, it doesn't matter where we are." Wesleyan, ranked fifth in New England at 16-3 overall, is also 2-3 in its last five contests. The squad suffered back to back losses to Bowdoin and Williams on Jan. 24 and 27, respectively. The Williams loss did not count towards Wesleyan's league record, however, because the two teams played each other twice this season with only one game noted in the NESCAC. Of the four second place teams, Wesleyan has the easiest end to its season, facing Amherst (2-5 NESCAC) and Trinity (1-6 NESCAC). The Cardinals lost to Bowdoin 55-43, and to Tufts in an overtime thriller, 47-46. "Wesleyan is a really good defensive team. Every single game of theirs is 50-45, 53-42; below 60 points for both teams," Christoudias said. "They [also] have five people who can run the floor." The Bates Bobcats had a five game win streak intact before falling to Bowdoin 56-46 last Saturday. Bates beat Tufts, 70-58, but fell to Wesleyan 62-57 earlier in the season. The Bobcats have a similar end to the season as Tufts with their final games coming against Middlebury and Williams. The results of these games could be comparable to those between Williams and Middlebury against Tufts. "[Bates and Tufts] are both very similar teams," Christoudias said. "We probably match up head to head pretty equally with them." Depending on this coming weekend's results, any of the top six teams could end up with a home game in the quarterfinals. Two of these squads, however, will earn the fifth and sixth seeds giving them road games against close rivals. Should two or more teams be tied coming out of the weekend's games, tiebreakers will determine final tournament seeds. "We are so excited," Christoudias said. "We want another home game, especially for the seniors. We should be well prepared." Rounding out the bottom of the league are Amherst, Colby, Trinity and Connecticut College. Amherst will most likely make the playoffs with home games against Conn. College (0-7 NESCAC) and Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday. Colby and Trinity sit at 2-6 and 1-6, respectively, in the league and could end up with the same final record should Colby lose to Bowdoin and Trinity lose to Wesleyan and beat Conn. College making for a tiebreaker for the final tournament seed.

---

News

To view or not to view?

February 8

Pornography has long been a contentious issue among academics, feminists, politicians, and religious leaders. Although not all Tufts students are regular viewers of pornography, most have come across it at some point in their lives. The fundamental question still remains: is there a consensus on porn? Fewer women than men admit to using porn. "I have never really watched porn on my own," a female sophomore said. "Sometimes with friends we look at it and laugh, but I've never used it for my own pleasure." The advent of the internet has had a huge impact on the accessibility of pornography, moving it from the adult section of the video and book store to the home computer. Now porn is a click away, reducing any fear of running into a professor at West Coast video. "[My use of porn was] infrequent earlier on, because there was less of it and it was less readily available," an anonymous senior male said. "As the Internet made stuff more easily available and easier [to access] the frequency of use went up." Many Tufts students -- both those who watch porn and those who do not -- accept porn as a normal part of sexuality. "I don't think that it's indecent for a boyfriend to use porn," sophomore Alison Isaacs said. "You can't always be together when the mood hits him, so there's nothing wrong with him finding ways to satiate his desires himself." "I think that it's a perfectly acceptable outlet for natural sexual impulses, curiosity, and entertainment," sophomore Claire Freierman said. Students' opinions vary widely from general acceptance to repulsion of pornography. Some students were concerned that porn could change people's expectations or attitudes about sex. "A lot of times guys or girls expect certain things from a hookup or casual relationship that they see in porn," sophomore Margot Rapoport said. "However, I think in real relationships porn is not a real factor because there is usually more communication." Part of people's disgust with pornography is that it's viewed as derogatory towards women. "I do think that porn portrays woman as sexual objects which exist only to fulfill men's carnal desires," an anonymous sophomore said. "In this way I think that porn is detrimental to relationships between men and women and perpetuates misconceptions about womanhood and sexuality." Some students worry that porn influences people's perceptions and interactions with the opposite sex. "I believe that occasionally watching pornography won't completely transform people, but over time the images stay with us and can do damage," sophomore Marion Phillips said. "Sometimes guys try to imitate what they see in porn, not realizing that it's acting, and sometimes women don't respond the way they do in porn." Others disagree. "I don't see how it would objectify women's bodies anymore that it would men's," Freierman said. Porn-watchers generally do not think that porn has altered their concept of sex. "I don't feel porn has affected my perception of sex, men or women in any significant way," a male senior said. "Porn shows a variety of kinds and ways of sex and a variety of men and women. I view porn as a neutral, neither good nor bad, expression or display of certain sides of the sexual spectrum." Pornography is an issue that has divided feminists. Professor Nancy Bauer, who teaches feminist philosophy, said that there are anti-pornography and pro-pornography feminists. Anti-pornography feminists believe that porn should not be protected by the First Amendment, because "it doesn't just cause harm, it is harm." Other feminists find pornography liberating for women. "I think that feminism seems to get associated with the anti-pornography movement, but there are lots of feminists who are pro-porn and who think that its proliferation is potentially helpful to women," said Bauer. Bauer thinks that publications like Penthouse and Playboy are "more worrisome" than hardcore magazines. "Hardcore magazines are not trying to sell you anything...in Playboy, they have an airbrushed woman next to a car ad. It commodifies women's bodies." Bauer added that some kinds of pornography are more harmful than others. "There's so much junk culture that deadens people's minds. Some porn is part of that, and some isn't," she said. Bauer believes that pornography can influence expectations and attitudes. "Students are increasingly reporting that they are experiencing in their potential partners a kind of screwed-up understanding of what sexuality is about from just being saturated with it on the internet," she said. Professor Joseph DeBold, psychology department chair, said that there is no evidence suggesting that porn impacts behavior or views in any long-term way, although it can produce some short-term effects. "Exposure to pornography can alter the way that men view women as assessed in a lab situation," DeBold said. "We have to keep in mind, however, that these are very temporary phenomena. In a month, those altered views are gone." The societal concern, he says, is whether or not adult pornography is harmful. There is no demonstrated causative link between pornography and sexual violence, according to DeBold. He said that interviews with convicts have revealed that people who are aggressive toward adults are actually less likely to have been exposed to porn.

---

News

Search engines help scholars untangle the Web

February 8

From the popular (the now-ubiquitous Google) to the scholarly (Lexis-Nexis), Internet search engines collectively process 550 million searches per day and may have reshaped the research landscape for both students and professionals. "I don't know what my life and my research would be like without search engines," said senior Mitchell Lunn, a biology maqjor who is currently researching a rare, genetic pediatric disease and uses search engines daily. "There is no humanly possible way to scan journals by hand for articles relating to a particular disease." Like Lunn, senior and biology major Rachel Jervis says she would be unable to conduct her research without online databases and scholarly search engines. As a 2003 Summer Scholar, Jervis researches how the tobacco industry targets women's weight concerns through its advertising. With online archives, she is able to search for highly specific internal tobacco company documents. "If I'm looking for a document with the keyword 'obesity' from the 1970s by Joe Someone of Philip Morris, I can just search for it," Jervis said. Prior to 1998, when tobacco industry documents were digitally archived and made searchable as part of that year's tobacco industry court settlement, Jervis would have had to travel to a warehouse in Minnesota to access the files. Search engines' accelerative effects have been felt in many research fields. "I spend more time learning and working rather than searching, which translates to higher efficiency," Lunn said. But according to graduate student Joanne Jannsen, coordinator of the Tufts University Child and Family WebGuide research team, search engines' speediness also has a downside. "The advent of the Internet has raised the expectation in many professional fields that people have easy access to a wealth of information and should be able to complete their work more quickly," Jannsen said. "This puts pressure on people to produce quickly, even though there is no guarantee that the information they find on the Internet is reliable." In an effort to make at least one area of online researching -- child development -- both convenient and accurate, Jannsen and her team continually evaluate websites related to child development for the WebGuide. If the sites meet the research team's criteria, they are categorized and linked through the WebGuide's searchable index, a system that has been featured by The New York Times. "One of our main services is that we make it possible to bypass random searching and uncertainty about the relevance and reliability of information," Jannsen said. "People need to be very vigilant and critical of the information they're looking at on the Internet." Jannsen's concern about the reliability of sites uncovered through popular Internet searches is a common one. "Popular search engines like Google are primarily bad because to do serious research; you're looking for peer-reviewed literature," senior lecturer and Director of the Tufts Community Health Program Edith Balbach said. "But Google sends people to popular websites, and students have trouble distinguishing between the two." Jervis is one student who does not: "I've only been working with very trustworthy databases -- I know that if I'm getting Google returns, there's crap mixed in there," she said. Lunn, however, has a more positive view of Google, pointing out that Jannsen and Balbach's caution is applicable to more than just online research. "A researcher using any book, newspaper, journal, or magazine should always read with caution, [understanding] that you may be reading an opinion or a poorly designed experiment," Lunn said, adding that he uses Google to research cellular processes or chemical compounds that are unfamiliar to him. Though she is "wary" of search engines like Google and feels that students rely on them too heavily, Balbach concedes that Google and its ilk have had positive effects, including making it much easier for researchers to find obscure details or contact information. "When I was starting out as a researcher, if you wanted the mission statement of some organization or the updated FDA release schedule, it was really hard," Balbach said. "The Web has totally changed the way we find that ephemeral information." Jannsen agrees with Balbach regarding popular search engines' usefulness in finding out such details: "I use regular search engines like Google mostly to look for names and addresses of organizations, popular opinions and other background information," she said. Researchers also note popular search engines' convenience in attaining research materials through commercial suppliers. "It's often a quick way to compare prices," Lunn said. Though experts are divided regarding the positive and negative research implications of popular search engines, they have a uniformly positive view of scholarly search engines and databases. "My research is mainly in the health field, and [Tisch's online database resources] have been incredibly helpful," Balbach said. "If students use things like Ovid [a collection of medical resources], it gives them a window into peer-reviewed and scholarly literature." "When I'm researching something and I really need credible information, especially if I'm looking for empirical research, I go to the Tufts library site," Jannsen agreed. Over 250 fully searchable online databases can be accessed through the Tisch Library's website. Many of these -- which cover topics including art, health, sociology, science, politics, and more -- provide free full-text articles, making it easy for researchers to seek out reputable information that is tailored to their research needs. In order to survey 80 years of women's public opinion on smoking, Jervis accessed the public opinion database Polling the Nation through the Tisch site. Though the accessibility of such online resources saved time, it also made Jervis wonder if she was missing out on a more personal brand of research experience. "It's kind of sad that when we need information, we don't go and talk to experts in the field anymore -- now, you just go online," Jervis said. Ultimately, however, the convenient trumps the personal, and the fast facts top the face-to-face: "The payoff," Jervis said, "is worth losing the personal touch." The Tufts University Child and Family WebGuide can be found at www.cfw.tufts.edu. See tomorrow's By the Numbers for some surprising statistics about search engines and the Internet.

---

News

Pearl in the Rough

February 8

What Girl with a Pearl Earring lacks in violent action sequences, it makes up for in its vivid visualization of city life in Delft, Holland and the intense emotions involved in art, sensuality, and obsession. Based on Tracy Chevalier's novel of the same title, it tells the story of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) and a peasant girl who models for him in private. Little is known of Vermeer's life, and his relatively few paintings were not discovered until two centuries after his death. The dearth of information on Vermeer allows for the hypothetical story of Vermeer and his peasant maid-turned-model, Griet. The movie, directed by Peter Webber, reflects conditions in seventeenth century Holland where poverty was widespread and art and high culture depend largely on the whims of a few wealthy patrons. The story begins when Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a young peasant girl, is forced to become Vermeer's family's maid in order to support her own family, which is on the brink of poverty. Griet's beauty immediately sparks interest from both Vermeer and his patron Van Ruijen, a truly detestable character who dabbles in rape and pedophilia throughout the film. Johansson falls quite naturally into her role of silent pensiveness and wandering, qualities that she has exhibited in previous characters. She also masters the subtleties of sexual tension and unspoken flirtations. Such is the nature of Griet's relationship with Vermeer, as she quickly becomes the inspiration for his next painting. - which causes an intense jealousy on the part of Vermeer's insecure and perpetually pregnant wife. Although Griet displays an interest in young Pieter, the local butcher's son who pursues her affection with witty remarks, this relationship more closely resembles indifference when held up to the restrained passion that she holds for Vermeer. In fact, the only moment that Griet deviates from her thoughtful and passive nature is a scene in which she runs desperately through the dark streets of Delft. This mad dash, which at first seems to be the result of some terrible event, turns out to be caused by Griet's immediate need of a sexual outlet, which she cannot achieve with Vermeer and which Pieter, whom she finds beer in hand at the local brothel, does not deny to her. Wary of his wife's jealousy, Vermeer is forced to paint Griet in secret. He develops an obsession with the peasant girl, which might superficially be a result of her beauty, but is really more deeply rooted in the understanding that Griet has for the depth of a painting and the synthesis of colors which make it up. This is something that Vermeer's wife will never share with him, so it is an insulting discovery when she finds not only that Griet has been modeling for her husband, but that the peasant girl has borrowed her pearl earrings. For those used to Colin Firth's recent succession of roles as the well-groomed English suitor, this portrayal of the tortured Vermeer quite convincing. It does help that his face is hidden in a wild mane of scraggly hair and the object of his desire is not Bridget Jones. Griet's fate is left up to interpretation, but what is expressed in this film is the story of her sensual exploration and artistic understanding. The image of Vermeer's actual painting at the film's end evokes a new curiosity for the many tales that are masked behind it. The eyes of the young peasant girl are haunting, and they linger long after the credits have been cued.

---

News

The Midseason Award Picks

February 8

With the NBA all-star game on the weekend slate, it's time for Inside the NBA to dole out the midseason version of the league's postseason awards. MVP: For once, Shaquille O'Neal can't claim that he should be the MVP, and it's not because Kobe Bryant is carrying the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, injuries have derailed the possibility of any Laker winning the award. The problem is that almost every player who is having an MVP-type year is either on a bad team or else on a squad with at least one other player who is also valuable to the team. In the east, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady are out because their teams are struggling (and for the Orlando Magic, struggling means a 19-game losing streak despite having one of the top five players in the game). Paul Pierce has carried the on-again, off-again Boston Celtics as best as he can, but he has thrown up too many 3-16 and 7-26 shooting nights. Baron Davis put the New Orleans Hornets on his back for awhile, but we're not giving the MVP to someone shooting 38 percent from the field and 64 percent from the charity stripe, both of which would be good numbers if we were talking about on base percentage and slugging percentage in baseball, which we're not. Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest have been equally important to the Indiana Pacers' success. In the west, Peja Stojakovic's play has been plain insane, but he has Mike Bibby, Brad Miller and everyone else to keep the Sacramento Kings on track without Chris Webber. If Stojakovic missed a game, the Kings would probably roll on without him. And who would you pick from the Dallas Mavericks? It is possible that their MVP might be Antawn Jamison, simply for volunteering to come off the bench, and thus keep Antoine Walker happy. Jamison won't win the MVP, of course, but he'll take home the Sixth Man of the Year Award for his sacrifice. So that basically makes the debate a repeat of last year: Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs or Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unlike the last two years, there's no reason to think Garnett won't be the one holding the hardware at the end of the year. Duncan has been good, especially during the Spurs' hot streak, but he has turned into Shaq at the free throw line. A better measure of his value will come this month, when he will have to keep the Spurs afloat as they are forced on a three week road trip as the rodeo takes over the SBC Center. Gotta love Texas. In the meantime, Garnett is the MVP pick. Granted, Sam Cassell has been nothing short of fantastic, but KG's numbers are just too good to be overlooked: 24.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 1.33 steals (all numbers per game). All of those numbers are better than Duncan's with the exception of blocks, where they sport the same average. KG hasn't missed a game, he's unselfish, and he plays with intensity at both ends of the floor, unlike half the league. The footnote here is that if Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets keep playing the way that have been since head coach Byron Scott was fired, there is no reason Kidd can't win the award. Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest. There really should not be any debate here. Besides, if he doesn't win it this year, he really might go berserk. Rookie of the Year: In any normal year, Carmelo Anthony wins this award. In the year of Lebron, Lebron James does. Coach of the Year: Everyone is talking about Jerry Sloan or Jeff Bzdelik to win this award, but what about Milwaukee Bucks coach Terry Porter? The Bucks are currently 27-23, the fourth best record in the east, despite having a rookie at point guard. Did anyone pick the Bucks to finish higher than tenth in the East? Just a remarkable job done by Porter. Of course if they were in the west, they would be about 10-40, because their trio of big men consists of Dan Gadzuric, the infamous Joel Przybilla, who once was actually selected ninth in the draft, and his fellow first round bust Joe Smith, who only set the T-Wolves back 3.5 million dollars and five first round picks. The fact that the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference has those three guys manning the paint is everything you need to know about why the west is so much better than the east.

---

News

Before I leave the country...

February 5

For students who travel abroad, the decision to study in another country comes with the knowledge that a large amount of preparation required. "I've asked plenty of friends who studied abroad for both a year and a semester about leaving the country, so I seem to have a pretty good handle on what to expect," Junior Maura McCarthy said. She is planning to leave for New Zealand this spring semester. McCarthy is looking forward to going abroad, but she has had to deal with the stress of packing, say goodbye to friends and family, and figure out the best way to stay in touch with those in the U.S. "Getting all the logistical stuff out of the way -- like passports, visas, applications -- was overwhelming, but now I have so much to be excited about," McCarthy said. Before going abroad, students need to decide what to do about the campus extracurriculars they are leaving. "People who are involved in several activities around the Tufts campus don't want to miss out on all that while they are away," Associate Dean of Programs Abroad Sheila Bayne said. "The decision to go abroad gets difficult when someone has to make the choice of either missing out on an abroad experience or missing out on either a semester or a year away from their activities at Tufts." Junior Laena Orkin, who will leave for Melbourne, Australia in a few weeks, is extremely involved at the Tufts Athletic Center. However, her commitment to her job was not enough to discourage her from traveling abroad. "I knew that I only had an experience to gain, and when I come back I can return to my normal routine," Orkin said. In additional to personal preparations, Tufts requires that students attend a mandatory general interest meeting that briefs students on the area they will be traveling to. Seniors who recently returned from programs abroad attend these meetings and discuss their experiences, which help to give students who will be studying abroad a more accurate account of what to look out for when traveling. The Academic Resource Library in Dowling Hall provides additional resources for students. Included are evaluations of each abroad program, filled out by returning students. "Students going abroad definitely take advantage of the evaluations," Bayne said. "It gives them a chance to get a more personal account of what they may or may not experience. They are able to keep in contact with students who know how to answer their questions more accurately." Going abroad also raises concerns about dealing with potential language barriers. Many Tufts programs in foreign language-speaking countries require that students be proficient in that native language. Students generally take classes in the native language while abroad as well. "I had taken two semesters of Italian before I left for Florence," said junior Ben Rubinstein, who recently returned from a semester in Italy. "When I arrived I also took classes. I felt like I had adequately prepared for the course load." Despite the challenges studying abroad poses, Tufts students do not seem to have any hesitations about the academic challenges that await them. "The hallmark of Tufts University is that we have a student body that is beautifully prepared for a heavy workload," Bayne said. "The study abroad program also prides itself on the fact that our students demand the most challenging programs. They are not afraid of demanding requirements and assignments." Academics aside, the appeal of studying abroad often lies in the fact that students want to explore new worlds -- seeing and doing things they might never have the opportunity to again. Juniors like McCarthy and Orkin agree that the unknown aspect of studying abroad is its most exciting part. Consulting travel guidebooks such as Let's Go and Lonely Planet pique intrest, as well as provide opportunities for additional abroad adventures. Those who have previously studied abroad say that the experience is what you make of it. "Tufts does a good job preparing us for the technical stuff-credit transfer, advice on programs, general information on culture shock," Rubinstein said. "But that only takes you so far. You have to make the effort to acclimate yourself to the culture once you arrive. The only way I could have known that was to simply go and see what it was like." Next Friday, the Daily will explore how students whose friends are all studying abroad cope with the resulting changes to their social circles.

---