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The Same Fun Without the Walk

February 4

In a month that, in five days, has already been filled with a groundhog's forecast for a long winter, a hard-fought Superbowl victory, a celebrity faux pas, and a contentious presidential nomination race, February is shaping up to be a 29 day leap year whirlwind extravaganza. Even our own Tufts University is getting in on the action with on-campus venues which are putting out a jam-packed schedule of events sure to heat up your cold winter nights. Most Jumbos are familiar with buildings such as Barnum, Fletcher, and Aidekman as the place where you have your weekly array of classes (like that overcrowded sociology course or that excruciatingly long drama history class), but fewer are aware of the double life many of these facilities lead once the sun has set over the Medford/Somerville horizon. Even favorite campus hangouts and eateries like the Commons and Hotung have other purposes besides bringing you your daily supply of veggie paninos and hot deli sandwiches, with a pickle please. Starting downhill, the Aidekman Arts Center is home to not only an assortment of theatrical performances in the Balch Arena Theater put on by both the Department of Drama and Dance and Tufts student theater organizations such as 3Ps and Torn Ticket II, but an art gallery and sculpture court as well, a popular location for guest speakers from the University. Alumnae Lounge is often used by the Music Department as a concert hall for such events as "The Rhythms of Africa" concert on Thursday, Feb 19, and performances by the opera and small jazz ensembles later in the semester. Cohen Auditorium is home to musical events throughout the year, and is also the venue of choice for Lecture Series speakers and dance group showcases such as Spirit of Color (SOC) and Tufts Dance Collective (TDC). Moving up Talbot Ave. you'll soon hit the Mayer Campus Center, arguably the busiest locale at Tufts. Special events are held throughout the year here like last week's "Tid Bit Nippy Winter Carnival" and this coming weekend's "Gospel Choir Mania" -- a gospel music celebration where several choirs from the area will be performing Saturday night, sponsored by the Africana Center. The Hotung Caf?© within the Campus Center takes on a whole new identity on various evenings. Occasionally theatrical groups such as Traveling Treasure Trunk and Bare Bodkin Theater Company will perform skits or plays on the Hotung stage, or just about anywhere else they can fit two light trees and sound equipment. Thursday nights are reserved for "Hotung Unplugged," performances by Tufts and local bands, from 10-11:30 pm. Friday nights, the caf?© transforms into "Club Hotung" with a different DJ every week spinning his or her best dance grooves from 11-3 am. The best part of attending any of these shows is that a chicken parm is never more than four feet away. Two other Tufts eateries invite students to come listen to local bands or even perform for an awaiting audience. Brown and Brew and Oxfam Caf?© offer an assortment of performers throughout the week. According to its manager David Ford, Brown and Brew holds an Open Mic night on Tuesday for any kind of group or individual interested in performing music or poetry that fits the cozy coffee shop's relaxed atmosphere. Wednesday nights are reserved for bands playing the "Brown and Brew Live" gig. The Oxfam Caf?© behind Miller Hall offers another alternative for music enthusiast with their "Midnight Caf?©" on Friday nights, starting at 10:00 pm. Oxfam stages all kinds of artists and vocalists from all kinds of genres, including hip hop, folk, and punk rock. Oxfam patrons are also invited to play a variety of board games or scribble in coloring books, a welcome escape from any student's seemingly endless workload. Best of all, according to manager Danica Curavic, Oxfam customers can "eat Indian food to save the world". If sitting around listening to music in cafes isn't quite your cup of tea, never fear: Barnum 008 is the weekend destination for you. With one of the largest budgets around, Tufts Film Series puts your student activities fee to work and brings some of the top Hollywood films of the past season to campus. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, along with Sunday afternoons, Barnum 08 transforms from a boring Biology lecture hall into your own personal cinema. This weekend, Sophia Coppola's Oscar nominated film Lost in Translation takes top billing along with a showing of Gattaca Friday night. Keep an eye out for coming features such as Mystic River, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Last Samurai, and the complete extended editions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. While Tufts may be a relatively quiet campus Monday through Wednesday, students can take in any number of activities FREE of charge all other days of the week. All it takes to enjoy a weekend without even leaving campus is a willingness to button up your favorite coat, pull on your dancing shoes, and head on over to any of the venues across the quad -- or maybe even the one right outside your door.

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News

International Research Network wins recognition for IR Program

February 4

Tufts' International Relations program has drawn national attention with the receipt of a prestigious award. On January 26 the IR program was bestowed with the Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education for 2003-2004 . Tufts was given the award in the study abroad category for its International Research Network (IRN). Director of the IR program Christiane Zehl Romero said that the IRN is an integral part of the study abroad program at Tufts. Provost Jamshed Bharucha was pleased with Tufts' reception of the prestigious award. "The Andrew Heiskell Award recognizes Tufts' leadership in integrating two powerful experiences in undergraduate education: study abroad and undergraduate research," he said. Bharucha also said that the award demonstrates Tufts predominance in international studies. "Tufts has a long-standing reputation in the international arena, and we also are ideally suited to providing research opportunities to our undergraduates because of our faculty's combined excellence in teaching and scholarship," Bharucha said yesterday. Funded by a grant, the IRN "has been developed over the last three years with the Academic Technology department, and is now in its final state," Romero said. The IRN uses one internet site to help students bring together common resources, communicate with professors, and use pre-existing databases. In addition to the research tools, the IRN features former student papers and working faculty papers. International relations at Tufts incorporates the IRN and its innovations into its program, according to Prof. Romero. Two IR electives are available, INTR 91 and INTR 92, which "prepare students to go abroad and spend time on a research basis, likely senior honor's thesis research," Romero said. Using the ideas and concepts learned in these classes in conjunction with the IRN, undergraduate IR students are able to participate in research. "Doing research as an undergraduate is good preparation for later study," Romero said. "[It teaches] you to ask questions, look for answers, and independence." The strength of its study abroad programs improved Tufts' standing in contention for the award, Romero believes. As opposed to the break from academic intensity that many see it to be, Tufts "considers study abroad to be an important and integral part of the educational program, which integrates international research and study abroad into the four year academic experience," Romero said. The Heiskell award is the first for Tufts from the Institute of International Education (IIE), and could represent an important step in the development of the IR program. "[The award] will allow [us] to get more grants, to publicize the IRN and allow more people to use the network for research internationally," Romero said. "One of the biggest intentions of the Heiskell award is to publicize ideas and to have others copy it. Tufts will be glad to share ideas with other schools." Provost Bharucha agreed with Romero, stating "other universities will take note of [the IRN] and emulate it." In addition to receiving the award, a profile of the Tufts IR program is featured as one of the best practices in international education on the IIENetwork website. The Heiskell Award is named after the late CEO of Time, Inc., and is given to three universities each year in the categories of study abroad, internationalizing faculty, and internationalizing the campus.

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News

I'll just e-mail you

February 4

In an age dominated by electronic communication, students and professors are increasingly looking towards e-mail as a substitute for meeting face to face outside of class. College students will forever have questions that need answering and a class block is only so much time. Office hours can be the perfect opportunity to seek out professors to get those questions answered. They are (usually) a guaranteed time and place to find that otherwise elusive professor. However, with the growing use of e-mail, many students choose to stick to the faceless communication. While professors diligently hold their office hours each week, many students find e-mailing professors to be just as effective. However, students say that the type of question determines the means of communication. "I find that most general day to day stuff is easier to work out through e-mail" said sophomore Jordan Levie. "Most of my intellectual questions are answered in class." If students don't see the need for face to face interaction, many professors haven't forgotten the value of office hours. "E-mail is an awkward medium for any teaching dialogue which really gets into course material" physics professor Anthony Mann said. Other professors insist that office hours are an ideal place for students to get to know them better-- something which does not take place over e-mail. "You can say a lot more face to face. It shows real interest", English professor Jonathan Strong said. "Office hours are an underused resource, and it's too bad students are sometimes reluctant to come in." Tufts' professors are obligated by the University to hold regular office hours each week, one hour for every course they teach. Many professors choose to exceed this minimum, however, offering more opportunities for student-professor interaction. Strong currently makes himself available for twice the amount of time required. "[Meeting with your professors] is an important part of the college experience," Strong said. Strong is a unique example, in that he doesn't even have an e-mail account. His students therefore have no alternative but to seek him out in-person. Despite their availability, many professors feel that office hours remain an underused resource on campus: "Tufts students really don't take advantage of office hours as much as I would've guessed," Holcomb said. Professors cite the growing use of e-mail as the source of lessened personal interaction and use of office hours. "E-mail has reduced students seeking me out," psychology professor Phillip Holcomb said. Students have found hidden benefits in interacting with their professors outside the classroom. Reasons for seeking out professors vary greatly, ranging from "sucking up" to "genuine problems with the related materials", according to sophomore Ralph Lerman. Professors readily agree that students who make the effort to seek them out do appear to be more motivated. "Some students come in just to talk, which I encourage" Strong said. Although personal interaction is encouraged, many find that the most effective way to contact a professor is often dictated by circumstances. Many students would be lost without e-mail when last minute questions come up and desperately need to be answered. "I feel it depends both on the nature of the question and the time of day the student needs the question answered", mathematics professor Marjorie Hahn said. "E-mails are great for getting help in the evening or on weekends." "An e-mail can be effective if the answer is straightforward and short," Lerman said. "It wouldn't be fair to ask a professor 'can you explain the history of the world from 0 AD to present?'" Office hours aren't the only venue for face-to-face communication. Many professors have tried to reach out to student in more comfortable settings. "Sometimes professors are nice enough to take their students to lunch instead of plain old office hours", sophomore Heather Fuerstman said. "My child development professor did. I think that really helps." Interaction outside the standard campus setting can help demystify the unapproachable professor. Art and art history professors organize museum trips to supplement lectures, engineering classes take trips to Boston biotechnology firms, and geology classes are known to take trips to check out the rocks they are studying. In the eyes of many students who are too apprehensive to attend office hours to simply chat, these professor-led trips are beneficial.

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News

Jumbos suffer three losses, crucial injury, at Mount Holyoke

February 4

The women's squash team headed to last weekend's Mount Holyoke College/Smith Invitational believing it might be able to win three of the four matches it had on the slate. A serious knee injury derailed that hope. The team defeated Franklin Marshall 7-2 in their first match of the weekend, but lost its number two seed, freshman Erica Adler, to a knee injury. Three subsequent shorthanded losses to Mount Holyoke, Amherst, and Smith left the team a disappointing 1-3 in the tournament. Adler's knee gave out as she went after a ball in the first game of her match. She went on to lose in four games (9-7, 3-9, 4-9, 4-9). "Erica is a tough cookie," coach Doug Eng said. "She wasn't saying much about the injury during the match but [the injury] got progressively worse." Freshman Jules Avrutin also lost, falling in three games at the number one position (3-9, 0-9, 0-9). But the next seven Jumbos picked up the slack, winning with relative ease to give Tufts a 7-2 victory. Unfortunately for the Brown and Blue, those numbers were reversed later in the day when Tufts fell to Mount Holyoke, 7-2. The Jumbos dropped the first through seventh spots, with junior Rhonda Barkan and sophomore Joelle Polivy emerging as the only victors in the match. Senior tri-captain Leigh Checchio lost a tough five game match (9-2, 2-9, 9-2, 3-9, 2-9). The Tufts squad lost its momentum after Adler bowed out earlier that day. "I think maybe we could have won 5-4 if we had Erica," Eng said. "The two through five positions were where the competition was supposed to be, but without Erica, it was tough." On Sunday, the squad fell to Amherst, 9-0, before putting up a tough fight in a 5-4 loss to Smith later in the day. With Adler still out of the lineup, Avrutin, Checchio, and junior Nicole Arens all lost in straight sets at the top three spots for Tufts. Junior tri-captain Eliza Drachman-Jones put up a strong rally effort at the number four position, but still could not dig out a win, losing (0-9, 0-9, 9-4, 9-6, 5-9). "The match started out poorly for me," Drachman-Jones said. "I lost the first two games badly, so I just went into the third game with nothing to lose. I just put it all on the line." Eng was not as critical of Drachman-Jones' performance. "Eliza played one of her best matches," Eng said. "She got moved up a few spots but she still played great." Amherst still proved just too strong as the rest of the matches were not close. Against Smith, the Jumbos lost the top five matches, but rebounded to win the bottom four. "Against Smith we were shorthanded because of the loss of Adler, but even still we thought it was a winnable match," Eng said. Avrutin and Checchio both lost in straight sets at the number one and two spots, while at the number three spot, Arens dropped a very close five game match (9-3, 8-10, 4-9, 9-5, 9-3). "Nicole played brilliantly at times," Eng said. "She was attacking very well but she didn't defend the backcourt as well as she needed to." Drachman-Jones and sophomore Zoe Bolesta lost in straight sets at the number four and five spots, respectively. The rest of the Jumbos fared well, as freshman Liz Thys, Barkan, Polivy and sophomore Sarah Lucas swept the sixth through ninth positions. Drachman-Jones, while disappointed in the final results of the weekend, focused on the positives. "We wanted the results to be better so we were disappointed," she said. "But considering the circumstances, I thought we played real well." The circumstances were indeed difficult for the Jumbos, as Adler's opening-match injury meant that everyone behind her had to play up a slot. "It's not looking good right now," Adler said of her injury. "I can't straighten my leg. We're just waiting for the MRI." "We're still not sure if she'll be out for the rest of the season," Eng admitted. Without Adler, the team is set to play Connecticut College this weekend. "If we play smart, I don't think we will have too much of a problem with Connecticut," Eng said.

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News

All-Star Game and 'Miracle'

February 4

This weekend, the best players in the NHL will take a break from the stresses associated with regular season competition and travel to Minnesota for one of hockey's most uplifting experiences. No, not the premiere of the much-anticipated Disney film Miracle, but rather the 54th annual All-Star Game. Though Miracle does figure to be a great film, capturing the extraordinary U.S. upset of the Soviet Union during the 1980 Olympic Games, this weekend's festivities in Minnesota will surely raise just as many goose bumps. The collection of talent converging on the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul is mind-blowing. The deserving starting goalies are the New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur for the East and the Dallas Stars' Marty Turco for the West. Usually, the coaches rotate new goalies in for each period to ensure everyone gets equal ice time (kind of like Little League). Each team carries three goalies - the West's netminder reserves are Nashville Predator Tomas Vokoun and the Minnesota Wild's own Dwayne Roloson. The East has Florida Panther Robert Luongo and Montreal Canadian Jose Theodore for its back-ups. Other starters for the West, as voted in by the fans, include forwards Bill Guerin (86,657 votes), Stars teammate Mike Modano (86,119) and Todd Bertuzzi (104,361) from the Vancouver Canucks, and defensemen Rob Blake (104,809) from the Colorado Avalanche. Also on the West's roster is Nicklas Lidstrom (90,995) from the Detroit Red Wings. Clearly, the biggest outrage here is that the Dallas Stars, a team struggling for position in the Pacific Division, boast three of the six starters (the only other teams that have three total representatives are Colorado, the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey) including the struggling and injury-prone Mike Modano, who, though claiming to be turning it around, had a grand total of nine goals and an embarrassing -16 +/- rating. In the Eastern Conference, it seems Atlanta Thrashers fans really got out to vote with a whopping 145,380 votes (the most in the league) going to forward Ilya Kovalchuk. This extremely talented, Russian-born 20-year-old has had an outstanding first half of the season, tallying 26 goals and 31 assists, tying him for fourth in the league in total points. Sharing the first line spotlight in Minnesota will be Tampa Bay Lightning star Martin St. Louis (79,707 votes) and Boston Bruin fan-favorite Joe Thornton (51,247), complete with a newly constructed cheekbone after the Bruins' brawl with Eric Lindros and the New York Rangers two weeks ago. At the blue line for the Eastern All-Stars are the Devils' Scotts Niedermayer (104,567) and Stevens (121,838). Unlike baseball's newly established All-Star game rules that have real implications on the season, the NHL game continues to be completely superfluous. This can be attributed to the entertainment value associated with the high-speed, offensive action that has come to define past All-Star Weekends. Last year, the West won 6-5 after prevailing 3-1 in an unprecedented shoot-out to decide the outcome. Atlanta Thrasher Dany Heatley had four of the East's five total goals. (In a somewhat related story, Heatley returned to the ice this week and scored his first goal of the season on Tuesday after missing the first half of the season recovering from the September car accident that tragically killed his friend and teammate, Dan Snyder). Last year's exciting contest is a great example of what tends to happen in a game featuring the most skilled ice-hockey players in the world. That's not to say, however, that gimmicks are left completely out of the All-Star Weekend. Indeed, there is an "NHL Young Stars Game presented by Upper Deck," featuring the most promising youngsters in the league, and there is also a televised "Dodge/NHL SuperSkills Competition," in which players compete for various titles, including "Fastest Skater," "Hardest Shot," and "Best Goalie." Perhaps the most exciting part of the All-Star Game for Tufts students is that they can actually watch it through our dorm's cable service, as ABC will cover the event live (All-Star Saturday, 8 p.m.; All-Star Game, Sunday 3 p.m.).

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News

On the campaign trail with Howard Dean

February 4

I just spent six days -- two of which were class days --in New Hampshire campaigning with Howard Dean. I woke up at 4 or 5a.m., jumped into a rented fifteen-passenger van and drove reporters, staffers and celebrities around the back roads of New Hampshire. I heard the Governor speak in front of overflowing crowds. At times, there were as many as 1,500 people inside and another 400 waiting outside -- all having come out in the freezing cold to hear what Dean had to say. I saw people energized about politics, sparked by the issues, drawn by his intellect and surprised by his honesty. I was transformed in those days, partially due to the measly three hours of sleep I was getting nightly, but mostly by the spirit of his campaign. I met a couple who drove up from North Carolina to sleep on a hardwood floor and volunteer their time for the campaign. People who had been stationed in Iowa for a week then hitched a ride to New Hampshire to help out where they could in the Granite State. These were not career political junkies but regular people. There were thousands and thousands of regular people standing up for Howard Dean. I first heard about Governor Dean over a year ago. I read about his plan to insure everyone in America by expanding current programs and getting people medical care now. While politicians can argue about the perfect system, Dr. Dean wants to get the 43 million uninsured people in this country covered. His theory is that we should first get everyone into the system, get them primary care physicians, and then decide how to best reform the system. While we have spent years arguing, there are people who are forced to forego medical attention from primary care and instead wait for last-minute treatment in emergency rooms after letting their illnesses get too severe. Governor Dean also has great plans for higher education. He wants to provide additional loans and grants to college students, and then make them pay only ten percent of their income for ten years after graduation. After the ten-year period, the rest of their debt will be forgiven. If they go into public service occupations like nursing, fire fighting or teaching, they'll pay only seven percent of their income. This is a real plan. It keeps real people in mind. So my interest in the Governor began. My intrigue was piqued; I went to hear him speak to see if the guy had any energy, any charisma. He passed that test with flying colors. Every person I know who has seen Governor Dean speak in person has become a supporter. Dean has a way of empowering his audience and convincing them that they can be a part of something bigger than they are, bigger than him. Dean emphasizes the importance for people to vote. He often refers to the 50 percent of Americans who do not vote, who do not care about politics and have never supported a political candidate in their lives. The mass of people in front of me were much bigger and more powerful than they could have been on their own. These are the people that show up to "Dean Meet-ups": informal monthly meetings set up online and run by locals. These are the people that contribute twenty dollars and join 25,000 others to raise millions for the Governor's campaign. This is what makes me feel like a part of something when I proudly wear my Dean for America pin around campus. I know people that don't care about politics. They don't watch Crossfire, religiously read the Washington Post or vote. But now they're involved. Some friends of mine entered the 10k San Francisco AIDS Walk last summer with me carrying Dean signs. My two sisters sat with me around our kitchen table over winter vacation and handwrote 30 letters to undecided voters in Iowa. My best friend has contributed money to Dean's campaign, twice! And I know (mostly because I'm addicted to reading the campaign's web log: www.blogforamerica.com) that they are not alone. People all over the country are seeing politics as something positive, all because of Howard Dean. In the true spirit of political empowerment, I am going to end this with a call to action. Next Wednesday, February 11th, is the last day to register to vote in Massachusetts for the primary in March. Register. Vote. Every Tufts student who is eligible to vote can register and vote in Massachusetts -- you don't have to go through the hassle of registering at home and mailing in an absentee form. All you do is fill out one simple form (which you can get at the post office next to Brown and Brew or in Dowling -- just ask!) and mail it on or before Tuesday. Even if you aren't going to vote for Howard Dean, even if you're not a Democrat, take this chance to register to vote. For those of you who are completely turned off from politics, I encourage you to give Dean a chance. You might just find out that Howard Dean is a real person, someone you could see yourself hanging out with and talking about what matters to you. Given the recent history of politicians being less-than-wholesome and less-than honest, you never know when someone this real, this energetic and this inspiring is going to come around again. Take this chance to support someone who supports you.

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News

Tufts to maintain incremental approach to wireless Internet capabilities

February 4

As wireless internet grows in popularity, Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS) will continue to update Tufts' network as it sees fit. Tufts currently boasts wireless connection in all libraries on the Medford, Boston and Grafton campuses as well as in the Mayer Campus Center and select portions of buildings including Dowling Hall, the Olin Center, and Cabot Auditorium. With the exception of a few classrooms, wireless internet is also available in all of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. "We started deploying wireless access to the Tufts Data Network for heavily-used public facilities based on student needs and interests," said Vice President of Info Technology Bruce Metz. Although Metz added that Tufts "is committed to maintaining the wireless network currently installed and to expanding the network as appropriate," financial matters represent a major hindrance to the further development of wireless areas. Currently, wireless installations are funded by Tufts' individual departments and schools as they see fit. Metz believes that the majority of schools comparable to Tufts are following the same incremental approach when it comes installing wireless capabilities. This strategy of gradual implementation allows the University to make decisions which are up-to-date with the rapidly evolving nature of wireless technology. According to the Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS) website, "the hallmark of [Tufts IT's] success has been not to jump into these [technological] areas too soon...but we must continue to watch the trends." "While wireless technology will eventually benefit our teaching and research programs, the clear benefits are just beginning to emerge as the technology matures, so we will continue to monitor the situation very closely," Metz said. Dartmouth University's wireless network is an impressive example for the Tufts campus to follow. Dartmouth's 500 cellular base stations provide wireless coverage to approximately 200 acres, enabling high-speed connection on all its grounds. Campus-wide wireless coverage has brought about other benefits. Taking advantage of the ability to locate objects relative to the numerous base stations, Dartmouth student Ben Kasdon has created a personal safety device for students to wear that is activated at a push of a button. By tracking the signal from the device, authorities and medics can arrive at the scene far more quickly than before. In addition, Dartmouth has developed an anti-theft program to track down stolen electronics such as laptops and PDAs using the same approach. Despite the possibilities that a campus-wide wireless network can open up in the classroom, not all people at Tufts are impatient to see widespread implementation of such a system. Fletcher Professor Joel Trachtman believes that wireless internet in the classroom can be more a distraction than an aid in the learning process. "I'd be much more comfortable with the idea if I could just flip a switch and turn off the internet when we didn't need it in class," he said. Trachtman added that "while wireless internet is invaluable for student research, the internet is simply not an important teaching tool for me." Metz and Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard have noted that students at Tufts are not disappointed with the wireless technology now available. Freshman Christopher Duerrmeier said that "wireless internet is everywhere I find it essential to have--when I'm working on a research paper in Tisch, for example." The TCCS website noted that "other universities continue to pursue wireless ubiquitous access (PDA, Blackberry, etc.) very aggressively; we haven't put that back on the table due to the expense, but students are increasingly expecting wireless service, and its relevance to teaching is increasing." "For now, we remain committed to our incremental approach, expanding the current wireless network at Tufts as resources, interests, and needs allow," Metz said.

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News

Jumbos hand Salve Regina first home loss in two years

February 4

As even Cal Ripken will tell you, streaks can't last forever. The Salve Regina Seahawks learned this inevitable fact on Tuesday night, falling to the Tufts women's basketball team, 60-55, for their first home loss since February of 2002. The Jumbos, now 13-4 with the win, found themselves in trouble at several points in the game, but rallied back from a 13 point second half deficit for the victory. In the first half, Tufts scored just 17 points and shot a measly 25 percent from the field. Some of these difficulties were attributed to starting sophomore point guard Julia Verplank's absence due to a strained hamstring. Classmate Jessica Powers had to alter her playing style to fill in for her injured teammate. Though the Jumbos regained some momentum with four minutes remaining when Powers and freshman Jenny Muller scored their first points of the game to slice a ten point deficit in half, the team still went into the locker room down 22-17. "It wasn't our best effort in the first half," Berube said. "Things weren't clicking and we weren't shooting well." Much to the Jumbos' dismay, the beginning of the second half opened with an 8-0 Seahawks run. Salve Regina appeared to be breaking the game open as it pushed its lead up to 13 with a 30-17 advantage at the 17:31 mark. At that point, Powers and Muller took over, as the duo combined for 29 points in the second half. A three point bomb by Powers broke the Seahawk run, and then, after a jumper by Salve Regina sophomore Lindsay Frederick, Muller nailed a three to start a 27-9 Jumbo run. When the dust settled, Tufts had earned a 47-41 lead with just over six minutes remaining in regulation. As a team, the Jumbos netted 14 of their 28 shots after the break, figuring into a 50 percent success rate -- a vast improvement from the first half's unsightly 8-32 effort. "It was a different story in the second half," Berube said. "[Muller] came off of the bench and gave us a lift... we turned up the heat defensively." Frederick led the Seahawks with 15 points and 10 rebounds while playing every minute of the game, but could not single-handedly overcome the Jumbos' newfound fire in the second half. Junior Allison Love had another double-double, her third in the last five contests, as she netted 16 points and downed 12 rebounds in the effort. The win gives the Jumbos a boost heading into this Friday's crucial match-up with Bowdoin, the top ranked team in the nation, in Cousens Gym.

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News

Being press in the New Hampshire primary

February 4

If Vermon Supreme is elected President of the United States, he promises to travel back in time to strangle Adolf Hitler as a child. He also guarantees that he will give each American citizen a pony using the money that President George W. Bush has spent on the war in Iraq. And if time travel and equestrians are not what voters have in mind, they can turn to Randy Crow of North Carolina. Crow, who sees himself as a "visionary," believes that the terrorist planes of Sept. 11, 2001 were guided by remote controls. Crow's base of support is "a whole lot of stuff" and his main goal involves a constitutional amendment that requires all votes to be cast by paper ballots. It was only our first day of the Ex-College course "Producing TV Programs Social Change," and we couldn't help but wonder: were we attending the New Hampshire presidential primary or a three-ring circus? Tuesday, January 27, 8:30 a.m. With the guidance of our TAs we skipped over traditional first-class briefings and orientations and instead dived right into the world of wires, cameras, tripods, and microphones. In a matter of minutes we were transformed into bona fide journalists -- or at least, so we imagined. The cameras were thrown in our hands, the bus chartered and northbound, and our spirits prepared to capture the frenzy that was the New Hampshire primary. Upon arriving in the political vortex of Manchester, we were stunned yet bemused by the tactics of the fringe presidential hopefuls amidst the expected supporters of the mainstream candidates. These loud-mouthed political extremists embodied democracy at its best and most basic. The candidates had to go with the flow and expect the unexpected as an "anything goes" policy permeated the entire day. "If you want to run for president, pick up a piece of cardboard, write your name on it and tell people to vote for you," said Casey Kurbin, a local teenager from Manchester. While characters such as Vermon Supreme and Randy Crow are unlikely to make it to the "big show" in November, they were still essential to our learning process throughout the day. We were new to the primaries and new to the technicalities of documenting such an event. We began the day as timid college students and ended as respected news journalists. We realized and came to the firm belief that we had just as much of a right to document and interview candidates as the top network stations. One team started off at NBC News' NH primary coverage headquarters where they were quickly swept into the media whirlwind that dominated the atmosphere. Indeed, the media itself was often the focus. Beginning our documentary by interviewing Philip Alongi, the Tufts team quickly found itself acting as reporters. We kept our eyes wide open, ready to catch an interview, skipping from producers, to embedded reporters, to the director of the Democratic National Committee, and finally scoring a coveted interview with Chris Mathews of MSNBC's program, "Hardball." The victory of landing such interviews taught us the value of unbridled confidence and aggressive pursuit. We had a purpose and we aimed high. The real pay-off was not only in getting the interviews, but gaining the respect of our newfound colleagues. With our "Tufts University TV News" press passes in hand, we were able to confidently spread out and integrate ourselves among the supporters and press at the Kerry and Dean campaigns. We had ingratiated -- and schmoozed -- our way to the pinnacle -- for the time being -- of Democratic politics. The following Thursday, James Glaser, Dean of the College for Undergraduate Education, met with our class to discuss the primary. After we told him about our experiences and encounters, he joked with our professor Roberta Oster Sachs that the class should be renamed, "Weasel 101." It's true, we may have weaseled our way into the world of television journalism, but now that we've found our place in it we don't plan on leaving anytime soon. As NBC News team's Executive Director of Specials Planning Philip Alongi articulated: "We want to be competitive. We want to win the story. We want to own the story." And that is precisely what we did. We also learned the art of adaptation.

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News

Fraternities re-open on a smooth note

February 4

The reopening of two fraternities has not caused any increase in police activity or alcohol related events, Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) reports. Delta Tau Delta (DTD) and Delta Upsilon (DU) were taken off social probation, which they were on since the fall. The probation prohibited the fraternities from serving alcohol at parties. "We haven't had any [police activity] associated with the fraternities opening back up," said TUPD Captain Mark Keith. Though historically fraternity parties lead to an increased need for police activity on weekend nights, Keith is not convinced that prohibiting the fraternities from holding parties is a good idea. "In regards to complaints from the neighborhoods, it is my general feeling that with more fraternities closed down on campus, there tends to be an increase of off-campus complaints," Keith said. Keith explained that it is too early to be certain of the consequences of the fraternities re-opening. "To do any type of comparison between either alcohol calls or party calls compared to last semester... is going to take a good portion of the second semester," he said. Students on campus agree that having the fraternities open again is good for student safety. "When there were only two fraternities operating on campus, they filled up really quickly and people were forced to go off campus" said sophomore Christian Eager. He also added that town residents are insulated from party noise when gatherings are on campus. "Since the other fraternities have opened, there have been more options for going out, so our parties are less overcrowded and they're more controlled," said sophomore Sigmund Phi Epsilon brother Jason Bauer. Bharat Burman, a sophomore and brother at DTD, agrees that allowing fraternities to hold parties is a safer alternative to off-campus parties. "It keeps more people on campus to have a good time without going to extremes, and keeps them from going off campus and being loud," Burman said. "Luckily, so far, all the parties [at DTD] have run very smoothly. They've gone past 2 a.m. without any complaints or problems," Burman said. "We're glad to be back." Throughout the cold winter months, the police received less party-related calls both on and off campus. "You don't have as many people hanging around houses, and doors and windows are generally closed, keeping any of the noise within the house," Keith said. The same trends hold true for alcohol-related emergencies. Keith said that the number of medical-assisted alcohol incidents spiked at the beginning of the first few weeks of last semester, then decreased before another spike at the end of the semester.

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News

Balancing Act

February 4

David Mitchell has never broken a school record, he has never been the Daily's "Athlete-of-the-Week," and he has never earned a Tufts varsity letter. He has never even played on a Tufts intramural team. Yet the senior is one of the most accomplished athletes currently at the university, and with his sights set on the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Mitchell has a chance to become one of the most successful athletes in school history. Mitchell's sport is ice dancing, and while it may be unfamiliar to, or misunderstood by most members of the Tufts community, it has been central to Mitchell's life for the past eleven years. Most recently, Mitchell and his skating partner, Loren Galler-Rabinowitz of Brookline, placed third at U.S. Nationals, which were held in Atlanta, Georgia last month. Now, Mitchell said, qualifying to compete in Turin is the pair's primary goal. The United States usually sends at least two ice dance pairs to the Olympics. Based on the national championship results, Mitchell and Galler-Rabinowitz would actually be the first U.S. qualifiers, because neither team that beat them last month -- Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto (first place) and Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov (second place) -- fulfills the citizenship requirements for representing the U.S. in the Olympics. Mitchell and Galler-Rabinowitz have skated together for six seasons, but this winter was their first competing at the top level internationally. Mitchell said that the move, which was required when he turned 21, meant four finishes "in the middle of the pack" at international competitions this year. In Atlanta, the Mitchell-Galler-Rabinowitz duo took fourth in the compulsory dance, third in the original dance, and third in the free dance, which was an entirely original piece that Mitchell described as "a kind of abstract tango" to music by the Bajo Fondo Tango Club. The compulsory dance is a preset piece determined by the International Skating Union, and the original dance is one in which the style of music is preset (this year it was blues and rock and roll), but where each pair's dance is an original work. Mitchell said that he has a good deal of influence in creating his and Galler-Rabinowitz's programs. "We have coaches and choreographers, but it's very much a collaborative effort," Mitchell said. "We all have input and try to let everybody known our ideas and what we think would be good where, to try to make the best program." Back when they competed in lower divisions, Mitchell and Galler-Rabinowitz enjoyed huge success. The pair was crowned Novice National Champions in 2000 and Junior National Champions in 2002. The duo has gone far, both literally and figuratively, traveling as far away as Bulgaria, China, Norway, Japan, and the Czech Republic for competitions. While the travel time involved with such competitions -- usually between a week and ten days -- certainly makes balancing athletics and academics difficult for Mitchell, he said that most professors have understood his situation. "Sometimes it takes sacrificing one for the other," Mitchell said. "Skating takes a little of a backseat when finals come around, and vice-versa when I'm building up to a competition." During the season, Mitchell spends several hours a day in training. He is on the ice at 5:30 in the morning, and usually returns to Tufts by 10 a.m. In the afternoons, he works out at Tufts' Lunder Fitness Center. "I'm on a pretty general lifting program but I do a lot more reps so I'm not getting bulkier as I get stronger," Mitchell said. "And I probably do a little more stretching than most guys do." Mitchell's frequent, intense training is necessary for a sport in which the importance of physical prowess is matched by the need for precise artistry. "[One] challenging aspect is trying to bring out the character of the music on ice," Mitchell said. "There are styles of dance from every different part of the world, and to try to translate them onto a surface like that and have them look authentic is very challenging, but a lot of fun to try because of it." Lifts and footwork sequences are Mitchell's favorite aspects of ice dancing, he said, adding that it was the uniqueness of the sport that first attracted him to ice dancing. He began to skate when he was ten, after spending a lot of time at the rink while his older sister practiced with her synchronized skating team. "I got bored and decided I'd like to try it," Mitchell said. "I started out in singles skating but wanted to try everything. I tried ice dancing and enjoyed it [because] it's got a different focus [than] singles skating, where everything's focused on the individual jumps in a program. [In ice dancing], it's spread out a little more and lets you be more creative with the footwork and artistry, and I enjoy working with someone else on the ice and in training." Mitchell, a native of Cortland, N.Y., said that his family is extremely supportive of his ice dancing, though he jokes that it took his sister, four years his senior, a little time to come around. "When I first started skating, my sister told me I should find another sport because I wasn't very good at it," Mitchell said, laughing. "Now she swears she didn't say it, but my mom [agrees that] she did." Prior to his junior year of high school, Mitchell decided that he wanted to get more serious about skating. He made a solo move to Massachusetts and joined the Skating Club of Boston, where coaches first paired him with Galler-Rabinowitz. While attending the Belmont Hill School for his final two years of high school, Mitchell rented a one-bedroom apartment in Arlington, and later in Cambridge's Porter Square. He said that living alone at such a young age was "a bit of a culture shock." "My parents raised me to be pretty self-sufficient, though," Mitchell said. "So I didn't have any major issues other than having to do all my own cooking, which wasn't so bad once I figured out how to do it." At Tufts, Mitchell said that his friends and DTD fraternity brothers have been very supportive of his ice dancing, and some have even shown up at competitions and shows in the area. He is unsure of his post-graduation plans, but the political science major would like to find a job. He realizes, though, that his and Galler-Rabinowitz's Olympic goals could make that search difficult. "I'm definitely going to keep skating, but it remains to be seen the quality of the job that will let me do that," Mitchell said. "It's hard to tell an employer you're going to miss two months a year."

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News

Tufts ensemble to perform challenging masterpiece

February 4

The ominous strains of Mozart's Requim will be heard across the Tufts campus on Saturday during a combined performance by the Tufts Chorale, Chamber Singers and Symphony Orchestra in Cohen Auditorium. The program also features the winners of the music department's annual concerto competition, as well as several other works by celebrated composers. The performance of the requiem was originally scheduled for Dec. 7; however last semester's first heavy snow storm forced organizers to reschedule the event. The ensembles have been working on the repertoire for Saturday's concert since the early fall and almost 200 students are involved in the performance. Malka Yaacobi conducts the Orchestra, and Andrew Clark conducts Chorale and Chamber Singers. "I'm very impressed with the skills level of this orchestra -- one of the finest I've heard at a college like Tufts," Clark said, and is excited about the opportunity the ensembles have to collaborate in this concert. "They bring tremendous energy to the performance, and the chorus and orchestra seem to raise the bar for each other and feed off of one another's energy and talent." The ensembles' talent finds a fine showcase in the musical works they will perform. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem is one of the greatest choral-orchestral works in Western classical music history. A requiem definition is a mass for the dead. Traditionally, in the Catholic Church, requiem masses follow a specific form and text. This particular mass was commissioned by a count in memory of his wife in early 1791. However, Mozart died while he was still writing, leaving the work unfinished. Franz Sussmayer, a friend and student of the venerated composer, finished a version of Requiem for performance. Sussmayer's completed version of Mozart's mass is most frequently performed today. Requiem is a beautiful and powerful piece. Mozart's last melodies are haunting and at times tortured. Chorale conductor Clark's favorite part of the program is the "Dies Irae" ("Day of wrath"). He described the Dies Irae as "probably the most well-known part of the piece. It's relentless, horrifying, tragic and basically 18th century heavy metal rock and roll." The rest of the program is composed of lighter, although still high-quality, fare (after all, every course can't be chocolate fudge). The orchestra will perform Brahms' Academic Festival Overture, which Clark describes as "a collection of Austro-German college songs, almost like a medley of fight songs, alma maters and drinking ballads." Together, the ensembles will present Beethoven's Elegy for strings and chorus, and the orchestra will play selections from the Grieg Piano concerto and the Sibelius violin concerto, featuring the winners of the December concerto competition as the student soloists. The concerto competition is an annual event sponsored by the music department and is open to all students in the applied music program. This year's winners were sophomore Klementyna Weyman, freshman Daniel Jones and 2nd-year Fletcher student Tomoko Hayashi, and the three will perform movements from concertos by Sibelius, Grieg, and Schumann. Weyman will perform the first movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor. She decided to compete with the piece in December at the request of her friends as well as personal reasons. "I grew up with it," Weyman explained. "The piece is deep and emotional, and I get to work through a lot of emotions I didn't even know were there. Playing it is very cathartic in places." Both the conductors and student performers encourage the Tufts community to attend the concert. "A concert of this caliber should not be missed," Clark assured. "I guarantee students will be pleased they took the time to experience this musical journey."

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News

Professors' pastimes

February 4

While Tufts students typically spend their winter and summer breaks visiting exotic locations or working to earn much-needed money, few think about what their University counterparts -- their professors -- do when they are not teaching. "I guess I always thought they either taught summer classes or went on vacation," senior Julie Jackson said. "They probably have beach houses or something." Many professors do typically spend part of break relaxing and traveling with their families, but much of their time is spent at work doing research in their respective fields. "Tufts is a research university," political science professor Jeffery Berry said. "You can't be here unless you are involved and active in your field." The ways in which professors conduct this research varies greatly depending on the subject. For some, research consists of working at home and writing. Berry uses breaks to focus on unfinished projects and start new ones. He enjoys spending numerous hours in his study writing books and articles and may also collaborate with other political science professors at Tufts to produce publications during break. For other professors, conducting research involves traveling to places both near and far from Tufts. Hilary Crane, a lecturer in the anthropology department, has traveled to Taiwan on numerous occasions to study Buddhist nuns. She also works closer to home, doing fieldwork in Boston where she studies Catholics with Celiac Disease. Even those professors who travel still must report and write on their findings. During the shorter winter break, when there is less time, Crane will write articles based on her previously-finished field research. While research is a major part of what professors do over break, part of this time must be spent preparing for classes. Many will often revise classes based on feedback from students and new findings in their field. Some professors advise students during the summer and even teach a few summer courses. "I spend a lot of time mentoring students," said Christina Economos, who teaches at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. "Since the summer tends to be less hectic I can better help students find internships and interdisciplinary study opportunities." Professors agreed that the flexibility in their work schedule is a great advantage. Instead of a more-standard, nine to five job, they know what they hope to accomplish and can work at their own pace until they are finished. The major advantage is that they can, to some extent, work around their personal lives. "It's a challenge to balance family and academia, but it definitely is possible in this environment," Economos said. "Tufts is very supportive of families." Professors also use their breaks as a time to catch up on things they may have been putting off, especially at the hectic end of the semester. "We may neglect the simple things, like cleaning, during the end of the semester, like students do," Crane said. "Break is a good time to catch up," Although the temptation to relax and get away from work for longer than an average vacation will always exist, the professors at Tufts tend to be very self-motivated. They enjoy being experts in their fields and are anxious to make new findings. "The real motivation comes from within," Berry said. "I'm lucky to have a job doing what I love."

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News

Fencing wins third straight Wellesley Invitational

February 3

For the third year running, Tufts fencing returned home from the Wellesley Invitational victorious, having dominated the quad-meet and captured first place. On Saturday, Tufts was led by the sabre and foil squads, which went undefeated on the day and boasted four athletes who did not lose a single bout. "We were just the strongest team there," senior epee captain Talia Alexander said. She explained that Smith, who Tufts defeated for the second week in a row, is perennially weak while this weekend's other competition, Wellesley and Vassar, are teams that fluctuate from year to year. "This year we were just on top," Alexander said. "It was fun." Prior to the meet, coach Jason Sachs was unsure how his team would perform compared to its 2002 and 2003 victories at the invitational. Graduation losses last spring left several holes in the roster that have been filled by relatively inexperienced fencers. "I was a little worried because our team isn't as strong as last year," Sachs said. "But we certainly proved everyone wrong and we did really well." In the sabre division, the powerhouse tandem of sisters Kat and Louisa May Zouein went undefeated. Senior foil captain Christina Zahara and sophomore Julia Shih followed suit in the foil competition, downing every opponent they faced on the strip. Alexander praised Zahara for the improvements she has made since the two joined the squad at the same time when they were sophomores. "Three years ago, she couldn't lift a foil," Alexander said of her co-captain. "It's a credit to how hard she works that she [can go undefeated] now." The success of Sachs' focus on novice fencer development was further showcased when sophomore Tiffany Tran notched her first two collegiate wins in the sabre competition. The fencing team traditionally welcomes both veteran and inexperienced fencers into its program, and over the years, has shown considerable success in fostering the growth of newcomers. Last spring, then-senior Kasara Williams (LA '03) qualified to fence at the NCAA national tournament, marking the crowning culmination of a fencing career that did not begin until she was a freshman at Tufts. Along with Zahara and Tran, the team's current roster includes individuals like freshman Katie Muller, who won two of three bouts in her first collegiate competition against St. John's in December. Nevertheless, Tufts' hopes for continued success and aspirations of NCAA qualifications continue to rest largely on the shoulders of the Zouein sisters, who both entered Tufts with strong fencing backgrounds. "We've spent the season trying to develop a team around Louisa May and Kat, and we've done so," Sachs said. In their second event of the weekend on Sunday, Tufts' fencers competed as individuals in a non-collegiate tournament at the Boston Fencing Club. An event like this would favor individuals like the Zoueins, since there is no team scoring and each fencer advances based only on her own bouts. According to Alexander, Sunday was an interesting but challenging day for the squad, especially for new members, because the competition was run unlike normal collegiate meets. In a normal competition for Tufts fencers, five hits are needed to win a bout. At last weekend's tournament, bouts lasted until 15 touches, making each contest longer and more tiresome than those to which the Tufts athletes are accustomed. Also, after initial competition in pools to establish rankings, bouts were set up in a bracket system on a single-elimination basis. "We don't really practice bouts like that because we don't fence this way that often," Alexander said. "We haven't really practiced direct elimination [bouts] at all because [they're] not really collegiate fencing [and] not really important for how we do in the season. " Next Sunday, Tufts will compete in its second conference meet of the season, which will be held at Wellesley College. With over a dozen schools in the conference, the meet must be divided over two weekends to allow all schools the opportunity to fence each other. As compared to the first conference meet this winter, where Tufts faced several strong programs, this weekend's schedule favors a strong performance by the Jumbos. Alexander said she expects Tufts to win almost all of their matches against fencing schools like Boston University, Wellesley, UMass Amherst, and Smith. The upcoming two weeks will require a lot of hard work from the team. "But next weekend, we should do pretty well," Sachs said.

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News

Get your chakra on

February 3

The start of a new year brings new resolutions, and with them comes the desire to get better in touch with one's inner spirit. A series of the Boston art world's exhibits can help you do just that this month as they showcase a variety of different mediums that provide the perfect subjects for meditation. >Alpha Gallery Simple landscapes overlooking the majestic ocean provide the perfect background for meditation in the new exhibition at the Alpha gallery opening this weekend. The work of artist Hiro Yokose will be on display, showcasing a collection of his oil seaside scenes, all of which are painted in mute, peaceful colors that bring a feeling of serenity to the overarching landscapes depicted. The Alpha Gallery is located at 14 Newbury Street near the Arlington and Copley T-stops on the Green Line. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Exhibit opens February 7. Arthur M. Sackler Museum The peaceful image of the serene rock garden has dominated Western ideas of the Orient for centuries, and an exhibition focusing on rocks in Asian art is currently being featured at Harvard's Arthur M. Sackler Museum. The paintings here, which come from China, Korea, and Japan, feature simple landscapes, flowing rivers, and arching mountain ranges -- all of which incorporate physical rocks into their design. These paintings are accompanied by a few actual "scholar's rocks," which would have been used as meditation tools and placed on pedestals of honor in a studio. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum is located at 485 Broadway Street near the Harvard Square T-stop on the Red Line. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 with a college ID. Gallery NAGA Philosophers have spent generations upon generations questioning which came first, the chicken or the egg. Bryan McFarlane, whose paintings are on display this month at the Gallery NAGA, has brought this traditional meditation to life with his egg series. McFarlane's paintings are an attempt to bring the symbolic ideas associated with the egg to life through a series of brightly colored works that depict everyone's favorite chicken product in a variety of stages, both literal and figurative. His artwork is smooth and visually appealing; with a repeating oval-shaped egg form that brings an overarching consistency to the collection as a whole. The Gallery NAGA is located at 67 Newbury Street near the Arlington and Copley Square T-stops on the Green Line. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Exhibit opens February 7. Hart Nautical Gallery As any fish can tell you, there's no better place to meditate than on a quiet beach near the ocean, and an upcoming exhibit at MIT's Hart Nautical Gallery will let visitors get into the aquatic mindset without ever leaving the shore. The interactive display, titled iQuarium, is a virtual flowscreen that lets visitors control computer-generated fish in order to learn how they move and swim while underwater. Not only is it a good way to let go and just relax, but the demonstration might give you the edge you need for that upcoming marine biology class. The Hart Nautical Gallery is located at 55 Massachusetts Avenue near the MIT T-stop on the Red Line. Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Exhibit opens February 6. Admission is free. Museum of Fine Arts 2004 might be the year of the monkey in the Chinese calendar, but that's no reason not to appreciate the Chinese dragon as well. Currently on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is a collection of Chinese costumes, an exhibit entitled "Draped in Dragons." These traditional jifu, or dragon robes, are elaborately decorated with silk and gold thread and were used to identify a courtier's position in society. The exhibition is bright and colorful, and the costumes are accompanied by a series of placards that place them in perspective by providing viewers with a better background on court life during the Qing dynasty. The Museum of Fine Arts is located across the street from the MFA T-stop on the Green Line. Open 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily. Admission is free with a Tufts ID. Tufts University Gallery The work of Boston artist Enrico Pinardi will be on display this month in the Aidekman Gallery in an exhibit entitled "Metaphysics, Mystery, and Magic." The mixed media of Pinardi's work, which includes paintings, drawings, and an enormous hand-carved wooden sculpture, will provide a unique look at the metaphysics of still life when the exhibit opens late next week. The Tufts Gallery is located in the Aidekman Art Center, on Talbot Avenue across from the campus center. Open 12-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday. Exhibit opens February 12.

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News

Satire for the CNN dork

February 3

He is Hollywood's Golden Boy of Late Night. He is the source of national and international news for millions of college and high school students. He is a respected news man, with no background in news whatsoever. He is the incomparable Jon Stewart. As the Democratic primaries begin to come in swarms after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, expect the ratings for Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to soar higher than ever before. Stewart and his motley crew of smarmy commentators attack the political world with an acerbic wit that is unparalleled in today's television media. By taking real news stories and giving them humorous spins, The Daily Show has many elements of the Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" feature, except Stewart and his writers are leaps and bounds better than the woefully inconsistent and unfunny Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. Each edition of the show has Stewart rattling off hilarious headlines, often with interspersed and bizarre features/interviews showcasing one of the Daily Show's talented correspondents. Stephen Colbert and Rob Corddry have been doing the heavy lifting as of late, and are therefore two of the brighter stars on the Daily Show cast roster. As a tag-team duo, they have done an impressive and remarkable job covering the pursuit for the Democratic Presidential nomination, or what they call the "Race From the White House." Their constant ridicule of all the candidates, from Dennis Kucinich to then poll-leader Howard Dean to current front-runner John Kerry, is a welcome change from both the stifled coverage on network news stations and the libelous sneering on Fox News Channel. Yet thankfully, their commentary reaches beyond the solely political realm. Stewart and company spend as much time mocking the media itself as the subjects that the media portrays. The interview with Howard Dean ridiculing Diane Sawyer's "Why are you so angry?" interview was high comedy, especially since Dean was in on the joke. At the New Hampshire Primary, Rob Corddry interviewed, to great comedic effect, many of the talking heads that were themselves covering the election, including MSNBC's Brian Williams. It used to be that one of the great running gags on the show was abusing people into thinking that The Daily Show was an actual news program. The cost of celebrity is that now, very few can be duped. Not that the notoriety has been too detrimental to the show's success; without it, Dean would never have parodied himself with angry and vicious "subconscious" thoughts. Rob Corddry would also never have been able to get the press access at the New Hampshire primary if the Daily Show were not regaled as a news resource for many young voters. While the wisdom of having a mock news show act in this capacity is not great, at least the nation's youth is paying attention to some news. In fact, with Stewart speaking as the voice of a jaded populace, cynical after Clinton's lies and Bush's tight-lipped administration, he might even be able to reach out and convince these same younger viewers to act on their opinions and vote. And in a refreshing take, Jon Stewart seems incredibly humbled by all the recent attention heaped upon his deserving shoulders. After winning an Emmy and being plastered on the cover of Newsweek's special year-end edition, Stewart is bound for greater roles than Comedy Central's 11 PM entertainer. The late night stage boded well for Stewart's predecessor, Craig Kilborn, who now has the late, late night slot on CBS. Yet Stewart is exponentially funnier and has the best comedic timing of any of his competition. Better than Jay Leno's smack-on-the head blunt style, and better than Letterman's self-deprecating cackling, and unmistakably better than Jimmy Kimmel's immature boorishness. It's doubtful that if (more like when) Stewart moves up to the higher ranks of late night that he'll be able to keep the content of the Daily Show controversial and political. Until then, enjoy this unfair and constantly biased news program on Comedy Central.

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News

Students' chances to see campaign shape their opinions of candidates

February 3

As Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) celebrates his primary wins today and the Democratic primaries continue to move full steam ahead, some Tufts students had a chance to have an in-depth look into the primary process last week in New Hampshire. "It's a great time," said Dean of the Colleges Jim Glaser, who organized a day trip to New Hampshire on Jan. 24 with his class ". "And it supplements what we talk about in the classroom in a most vivid way." In addition to providing them with insight into the campaign experience and the political process, observation of campaign activities can play an essential part in shaping students' opinions of candidates that they previously saw as indistinguishable. "This type of exposure is especially important for students who are still making decisions about which candidate to support," said sophomore and political science major Ajaita Shah, who went on Glaser's trip to New Hampshire. Seeing three of the Democratic candidates in person -- Kerry, Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), and Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) -- helped the students to solidify their personal preferences. "I knew that they had a lot of similar views, but seeing how they present themselves allows you to differentiate between candidates," Shah said. "It was interesting to see their rhetoric and how they represent themselves." "On a trip like this, you really can convey what it's like for candidates and for regular folks encountering the campaigns," Glaser said. Therese Corsello attended the New Hampshire trip with the group of Tufts students. She thought that it was beneficial to see them in person, because she felt that hearing speeches firsthand made a much greater impact than simply seeing them on TV, giving voters a chance to see how the candidates involve the crowd. "Seeing them in person specifically influenced who I support," Therese said. "All of the candidates [Kerry, Edwards, and Lieberman] presented themselves well and in very different ways. Corsello thought that Edwards and Lieberman were both very mainstream. But she believes that seeing them in person gave her a much better read on who they are. Kerry, who the group saw at a hockey game in Manchester, was the most impressive for Corsello. "Kerry's approach was very creative," she said. "Anyone can get up and recite the major issues, but Kerry's creativity made a greater impact on me. It definitely reaffirmed my support for him." Senior Adam Blickstein, president of the Tufts Democrats, also encourages student involvement in political campaigns, in part as a way for students to find out firsthand which candidate has views that best match their own. "One of our primary goals as a group is to involve as many people in as many campaigns as possible," Blickstein said. "We put students in contact with the candidates and encourage volunteering." Approximately 20 members of the Tufts Democrats are involved in specific candidates' campaigns. Another main goal of the Tufts Democrats is to increase the voter registration among college students. "We want students to vote, so we are focusing on that as well as the promotion of candidates," Blickstein said. "We have about six student representatives from other campaigns who are working at Tufts to further student involvement." Once students have determined which candidate best represents them, they are able to devote themselves without reservations to that candidate's campaign. Blickstein did just that, and spent the summer working for Kerry's campaign. Another student who became involved in the campaign is freshman Luke Shulman took part in the Edwards campaign, although he is not affiliated with the Tufts Democrats. Shulman spent his winter break working for the Edwards campaign in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "I put in 14-hour days with students from all over the country," Shulman said, adding that "it was a tremendous experience -- I learned a lot." The students who went to New Hampshire with Glaser's class began their trip with a tour of CNN's campaign headquarters. They then watched Kerry compete in a contest very different from the primary: a Manchester hockey game with both local and national players. From there, students attended a town meeting to watch Edwards speak. Finally, they saw Lieberman speak at a town meeting in Nashua. Approximately 70 students -- 40 from Tufts and 30 from Northeastern -- took part in the trip to New Hampshire, which Glaser has also offered during the past three presidential election cycles. In the 1996 election year, Glaser's students visited the Steve Forbes, Pat Buchanan, and Bob Dole Republican campaigns. In 2000, his students attended the Democrat Bill Bradley, and Republicans George W. Bush, and John McCain events. This year, the students visited the Kerry, Edwards, and Lieberman campaigns and took a tour of CNN. According to Glaser, the trip is unpartisan. Its main goal is to directly expose students to the campaigns -- whether Republican or Democratic. Such positive accounts of the experience are common, Glaser said, adding that several students who went to New Hampshire with him in 2000 asked to go again this year. "It was one of the most memorable things they did at Tufts," Glaser said. "I have great memories and great stories to tell from these trips."

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News

Harvard to expand in to Cambridge neighborhood

February 3

The Agassiz neighborhood of Cambridge struck a deal with Harvard University in December in the hopes of keeping relations friendly between the community and university during Harvard's 25-year-long, 1.6 million square foot expansion into the area. Discussions between the Agassiz Committee on the Impacts of Development (ACID) and Harvard recently culminated in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which outlines the relationship between the two communities during the coming 25 years of Harvard's expansion in the area. ACID has been working with Harvard since 2001 to address community concerns about the university's planned development in the area. The MOU is the result of the ACID "engaging Harvard in a positive, collaborative fashion" rather than fostering an antagonistic relationship between the Agassiz neighborhood and Harvard, ACID member William Bloomstein said. "We were concerned about the impact on the neighborhood during construction, as well as the long-term impact," Bloomstein said. "We could have put a moratorium on the subject, but we decided to work directly with Harvard." The MOU is a response to Harvard's development plan proposed in 2001 that will include various academic buildings, as well as parking garages in extensions of both the Law School and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. According to Tufts professor Anna Hardman, who specializes in urban economics, there are numerous problems that can arise from Harvard's expansion. Construction will prove an annoyance to those next door and the buildings will not only change the appearance of the area, but will also affect local traffic patterns. To minimize these factors, the MOU contains various "impact mitigation measures" which include regulation of traffic, constraints on the time frame of the construction, as well as recommendations for landscaping. Harvard has already conducted a traffic pattern study of the area. In return, Agassiz residents will support projects Harvard proposes to the city and will guarantee that Harvard can develop its campus into the area. "The neighborhood is very supportive of Harvard's needs to have new facilities and to expand academically," said Mary Power, Harvard's Senior Director of Community Relations. The effect of increased student housing on the neighborhood is perhaps ACID's largest concern. "The character of a community may be changed if it becomes a community with a lot of students," Hardman said. Negotiators agreed that the first buildings to be constructed will be science buildings, rather than student housing. Additionally, the MOU suggests that Harvard establish a science fund for community schools, as well as a recreation fund for the town. "We wanted to find ways for the neighborhood schools to be more connected to the good work going on in Harvard," Power said. Hardman suggested the city of Cambridge may have been a source of resistance to Harvard's proposal as well. "Cambridge has a long history of being concerned when institutions want to expand," she said. And because academic buildings are not subject to property tax, a loss of revenue is "an important issue." However, Bloomstein said that the city served mostly to "inform negotiations between ACID and Harvard." ACID was also only part of a "larger process." Further negotiations will be conducted by a Working Committee that includes representatives from the city, Agassiz, and Harvard. Power said that the "overall economic value that universities bring to the communities they're in far outweigh the consequences of lost tax revenue." Hardman agreed that "the city always gets revenues from businesses that become more profitable because they're near a university." In addition, Power said that the point of the negotiations and the relationship constructed by them is to make sure that the development is beneficial for both parties. The community funds suggested in the MOU are "examples of the kinds of things we want to do in the future." "There is still a lot of work to be done. The challenge has just begun. Now we have to implement the MOU and make sure the terms are met," said Bloomstein. Power believes this is possible, as long as dialogue remains open. "We will be working even more closely with the neighborhood," she said. "The most valuable part of the MOU is the emphasis on present and future cooperation."

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News

Boston's best independent bookstores

February 3

Living in an era of stores such as Barnes and Nobles, Starbucks, and the Gap around every corner, students often feel the need to shy away from large chain stores. The many independent bookstores in the Boston area are fulfilling alternatives. In the heart of Davis Square is McIntyre and Moore Booksellers, located on 255 Elm Street. Students, locals and book collectors flock to McIntyre and Moore for its convenient location, relaxed environment and friendly staff. "It's a scholarly bookstore," Rachel Rosner, an employee at McIntyre and Moore said. Will Kurtz, another McIntyre and Moore employee, believes that the store's unique selection attracts diverse groups of people. "It's kind of different," Kurtz said. "It has something you're not really expecting to find. We might not have the exact title you're look for, but we'll have something cool and interesting that you don't know exists." Despite lacking places to sit, students and locals can be found reading among the wooden bookshelves. The store's down-to-earth environment is comforting, and the small space makes everything easy to find. Slightly farther than McIntyre and Moore is the well-known Harvard Bookstore, located in Harvard Square at 1256 Massachusetts Avenue. Harvard Bookstore was voted "Best Bookstore" by Boston Magazine in 2002 and 2003. Harvard Bookstore offers 20 percent off their "Select Seventy," the store's 70 most popular books. Harvard Bookstore also buys and sells used books, and a variety of authors come there often to discuss their latest work. Trident Bookstores & Caf?© at 338 Newbury St. in Boston provides a cozy atmosphere for its customers. Trident is half caf?© and half bookstore. The bookstore section does have a small selection of used books as well as gifts and cards. The cluttered shelves and chalkboard signs give the store an artsy, youthful atmosphere. Freshman Emily Brambilla likes Trident Bookstore because of its in-store caf?©. "I can read a book while having a snack," Brambilla said. "They have really good smoothies, too." Another unique Boston bookstore is Brookline Booksmith, found at 279 Harvard Street. Brookline Booksmith was voted "Best Bookstore" by Boston Magazine in 1999 and 2001. Brookline Booksmith has an assortment of new and used books. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff is helpful in finding the perfect manuscript. Similar to Davis Square's McIntyre and Moore, Brookline Booksmith offers a relaxed atmosphere. Customers with varying interests search among Brookline Booksmith's old wooden floors and read between its bookshelves. Like Harvard Bookstore, Brookline Booksmith also hosts authors in discussions about their work. A more library-esque environment can be found in used bookstores such as Avenue Victor Hugo. At 353 Newbury St., Avenue Victor Hugo was named "Best Used Bookstore" by Boston Magazine in 2002 and 2003. The store contains a true potpourri of books -- it's hard not to get lost among the high wooden bookshelves filled with novels and stories from virtually every century. Benjamin Hosig, a junior at Boston Conservatory, shops at Avenue Victor Hugo because of its distinctive collection. "You don't see many bookstores like this around anymore," Hosig said. "You can come in here and buy a classic for three dollars." Leaving the new bestsellers up to larger chain bookstores, Avenue Victor Hugo is able to offer used books ranging from one-third to one-half off publishers' prices. The wooden bookshelves, small space, and old-fashioned books give Avenue Victor Hugo a vintage feel. If used books are not your fort?©, Buck-A-Book is a bargain option that's also close to campus. Located on 276 Elm Street in Davis Square, Buck-A-Book offers best sellers for 50 percent off the publishers' list prices. Their selection is limited, but their prices are significantly cheaper than those of large chain bookstores. Buck-A-Book also has a selection of cards, calendars, small gifts and party accessories. Sophomore Lei Bausinger shops at Buck-A-Book before going on trips. "[Books there] are so much cheaper than books at the airport," Bausinger said. Also, "it's really easy taking the shuttle into Davis Square." For mystery and suspense fans, Kate's Mystery Books in Cambridge is a special trick-or-treat. Located on 2211 Massachusetts Avenue, Kate's was voted "Best Specialty Bookstore" by Boston Magazine in 2001. The bookstore, which occupies a Victorian red brick house, offers a thrilling atmosphere with sculptures of black cats on the bookshelves. Students can search for books as rock music blares off the walls for spine-tingling fun.

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News

Jumbos knock off 24th ranked Keene State

February 3

With a 5-13 overall record and losses in eight of their past 11 games, the Jumbos' date with the 24th ranked Keene State Owls last night at Cousens Gymnasium looked daunting. Apparently however, nobody let the Tufts men's basketball team know they weren't favored to win. Tufts' agility, coordination and gritty play outlasted the Owls and sent the Jumbos home with a stunning 96-94 upset victory, exploding with an impressive offensive performance and physical defense against the second ranked team in New England. The Jumbos opened the first half with fast breaks, stingy defense, and clutch shots, launching them to an early 21-12 lead with 13:18 left in the first half. As the Keene State men found their bearings, the Jumbos then switched gears and prepared for the long haul against the now 16-4 Owls, riding out foul troubles and playing tough inside while protecting their lead, heading into the locker room at halftime with a 48-44 lead. The first half of play would see 26 of the game's 52 personal fouls, and both teams finished both periods in double bonus. The calls took a toll on Keene State, however, who missed 19 of their 50 free throws attempts over the course of the night. Dissatisfied with the referees, Keene State head coach Rob Colbert also drew a technical foul in the first period for using profanity in disagreeing with a call. "[The referees] were calling a tight game tonight," coach Bob Sheldon said. "Still, we played a great game. This really picks this young team up, showing them that we can handle a team that's ranked nationally." Keene State's ranking didn't faze the Jumbo players. "We had confidence tonight, and we came right at it," said junior Reggie Stovell, who finished the night with 19 points on 7-12 from the floor. "We just played. We know we're capable of beating anyone, even the best team in the nation." Five Jumbos finished the night in double figures, with senior co-captain Deyvehn East leading the way with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Stovell had 19, sophomores Dan Martin and Blaine Lay had 17 each, and freshman Brian Kumf notched 13. East also brought down six rebounds. East's fellow co-captain Eric Mack also nailed a pair of threes, and had five assists and two steals while running the show at point-guard. "It's all here," Sheldon said. "This shows our team where exactly we are capable of going." Foul troubles seemed to be the only thing that could have held the Jumbo attack back last night, with Tufts amassing 15 personal fouls in the first half alone. The Owls weren't able to capitalize, however, making only 62 percent of their free throws. East, Kumf, and Keene State's Harley Davis all fouled out in the match-up. East was the first to leave, having to sit out the final 5:25. The Jumbos shot 62.7 percent from the field, 0.7 percentage points higher than Keene State's foul shooting percentage. Sophomore Dan Martin gave the biggest boost to the Jumbo average, converting 6-7 from the floor and 5-5 from the free-throw line. "I didn't let anything get to my head today, I just concentrated on my shots," Martin said. "We have the components to be a great team." The Jumbos look to feed off this win when they travel to Bowdoin and Colby this weekend, looking to improve their status in the NESCAC playoff picture.

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