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The Jumbos Will Protect This House

February 1

If they played every game at home, they might never lose. The Tufts women's basketball team showed the truth in that statement with two convincing wins at Cousens Gymnasium this weekend. The two victories, over Amherst and Trinity, pushed the Jumbos' record to 7-0 at home. On Saturday afternoon, the Jumbos turned in one of their more impressive offensive performances, beating Trinity 93-76. All five Tufts starters scored in double figures, with sophomore point guard Julia Verplank and junior forward Allison Love leading the way with 18 points a piece. Their scoring was needed as Tufts played an uncharacteristically poor defensive game. In the first half, Trinity repeatedly beat the Jumbos down the floor for easy baskets. After the game coach Carla Berube was unhappy with the team's defensive effort. "It really didn't seem to matter who we had out there, we gave up way too many easy transition buckets," Berube said. "That's not how we play. Giving up 76 points isn't good enough. That's not the defense we play." On a positive note, the Jumbos were able to limit Trinity's star player, forward Rebecca Bell, to 18 points in the loss. Tufts was hurt, however, by Trinity's perimeter shooting. Several times in the second half Trinity three pointers prevented Tufts from stretching its lead. Several times during the game Berube went small, bringing freshman Taryn Miller-Stevens off the bench to run the point. The lineup proved to be very effective for the 'Bos, making the team quicker and allowing Verplank to be more aggressive offensively. "It really isn't a four guard offense, because [senior] Maritsa Christoudias practices at both guard and forward," Berube noted. "We're lucky to have a versatile player like her." Verplank scored three points in the first half as she focused on running the team. But moving to the two guard position in the second half seemed to spark her scoring. Verplank kept aggressively looking for her shot after moving back to the point, and finished with 15 second half points. "I think being off the ball makes her look for her offense a little more," Berube said. "She's been more aggressive in these last two games, and it's been a big boost for us." Verplank and Miller-Stevens were important to Tufts' success against Trinity. The team's offense was noticeably smoother with at least one of its two natural point guards on the floor. The Jumbos struggled to set up their half court game and bring the ball up against full court pressure when Verplank and Miller-Stevens were on the bench. "They're our floor leaders, they set up the offense," Berube said. "I always try to have at least one of them in the game. They really do a good job reading the defense and penetrating." On the previous night, the backcourt seemed to have just as much success, leading the team to a 75-56 win Friday night against the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Sophomore guard Jessica Powers scored a game-high 17 points and added 7 assists, while fellow sophomore Julia Verplank scored 14. Each also contributed 4 steals, helping the Jumbos force Amherst into 19 turnovers. The Tufts' defensive effort extended beyond just forcing turnovers, as the Lord Jeffs shot just 33 percent from the field and hit just one three pointer. Tufts put the game out of reach with a 14-3 run to close out the first half. The Jumbos were up by nine at the break and quickly pushed the lead into double figures in the second half. They cruised the rest of the way, leading by as much as 20 points before winning by 19. The only downside of the weekend came in the second half of the Amherst game when freshman guard Valerie Krah broke her right hand. Krah was out of control early in the season, but had recently begun to play much more consistently and was providing a spark off the bench with her offensive skills. She will be missed, though the team's backcourt depth makes the loss easier to take. "It's definitely a loss for us," Berube said. "She's a very talented player. But we'll just have to deal with it. I told her to keep her head up, she's got three more years here." Tufts is 12-4, 4-1 in the NESCAC as it heads into this weeks games against Salve Regina, Bowdoin, and Colby.

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News

Leadership, Patches for Peace garner recognition for Tufts Hillel

February 1

Hillel International recognized Tufts Hillel with two awards at its annual conference in Princeton, NJ in December. Hillel International awarded Tufts Hillel the William Haber Award for the organization's innovative "Patches for Peace" program. Tufts Hillel executive director and Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Jeffrey Summit was honored with the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award for his leadership and role in the growth of the organization. Tufts Hillel organized Patches for Peace during the 2001-2002 academic year as a response to the September 11 attacks in New York. The organization had originally planned for a general interest meeting on Sept. 11, 2001 but instead cancelled the meeting and invited students to discuss the day's events. The discussions resulted in the launching of the Patches for Peace project. Patches for Peace united 88 Tufts student organizations for dinner, discussions, and the ultimate creation of a patchwork quilt that combined the work of each participating group. The quilt now hangs near the upper entrance to the Mayer Campus Center. "Too often Tufts students fail to branch out to different people simply because they lack a manner in which to do so," Richard Kalman, former Outreach Vice President for Tufts Hillel and co-organizer of Patches for Peace, said. "Intercultural programming allows us to cross those bridges, and take full advantage of the fantastic diversity here." Summit stressed the importance of including non-Jewish groups in Hillel activities. "An essential part of Hillel's role is to work together with different religious and cultural groups to create a sense of community on campus," Summit said. "If we can't do it on a university campus, then where are we going to do it?" According to Summit, Hillel looks to build a relationship between the Jewish and Muslim communities at Tufts as a response to current international conflicts. "We have an opportunity to model behavior here that we would ideally like to see in the world," Summit said. As Tufts Hillel's executive director for the past 25 years, Summit led the initiative to construct what is today the Granoff Family Hillel Center, now both a hub of Jewish life on campus and a center for campus-wide activities. "[Summit] took this organization and built it from a tiny group of students into the campus presence it is today," Leonard Goldstein, associate director of Tufts Hillel, said. "He, more than anybody I know, is able to bring people together in the community." Hillel student leadership and staff seem to agree that Summit has a talent for uniting people. "Rabbi Summit has an uncanny ability to make people feel welcome at Hillel and at Tufts," Kalman said. "As a leader, Rabbi Summit excels in pushing those around him to meet any challenge, no matter how insurmountable it might appear." The Exemplars of Excellence award was named in honor of Richard M. Joel, former President and International Director of Hillel, who left in 2002 to become president of Yeshiva University. It is given to those professionals who "inspire and provoke a renaissance of Jewish life on their campus and serve as models for the entire Hillel community," according to a 2002 press release. The Haber award is named after Dean William Haber of the University of Michigan, who served as Chairman of the Hillel Commission from 1955 to 1963. According to Hillel International, the Haber award honors "programs of quality for the Jewish campus community."

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News

The fight against AIDS comes home

February 1

The assortment of rainbow condoms and candy taped to each seat in the audience was the first of many colorful twists on an undoubtedly dark issue at last Friday's second annual AIDS Benefit Concert at Cohen auditorium. The concert aimed to create a fun way for Tufts students to raise money and get informed about the ever-present HIV/AIDS issue, while simultaneously enjoying an energetic show featuring a wide variety of some of Tufts' most celebrated performance groups. The eclectic and enlightening event was co-coordinated by Julie Wlodinguer of AIDS Outreach along with Jane Beshore and Allison Patrick of Sex Talk, with the help of their umbrella organization, the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS). The show opened with an upbeat bang as student band, The Residence, enthusiastically shook the auditorium and engaged the audience in a spirited chemistry that lasted the entire show. It was hard not to immediately become absorbed in the group's Dave Matthews-like beats, complete with sax and inspired lyrics. Tufts' own improv troupe, Cheap Sox, took the stage next and fed off the audience's awakened dynamism. With interactive skits, the audience got a chance to throw in its own two cents as the group performed a dizzying array of comically savvy sketches. The result was a hilarious get-together complete with an adult potty-trainee, a five minute display of human evolution, and a classic case of turrets. A different sort of improv followed as BEATS (Bangin' Everything At TuftS) showed that even a well-timed coughing fit can count as music. The group began with a skit highlighting the downright silliness (and musical potential) of discrimination toward those infected with HIV and transitioned into an interactive clapping routine that required a surprising amount of successful coordination on the part of the audience. The group rounded off their performance with their famed "water jug" routine. Spirit of Color (SOC) kept the rhythm going with a tantalizing all-male rendition of Justin Timberlake's "Senorita." The casually clad ensemble lived up to SOC's seductive reputation with seamless synchronization and a charm that can only come from a group of dancing boys. The girls were not to be outdone, however, as Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) followed up with its own sassy version of Aerosmith's "Dude Looks like a Lady." The female dancers got in touch with their not-so-ladylike side as they shed their professional attire with a spunky display of just how much fun it is to be a lady. The concert's upbeat first half was a stark contrast to the show's founding intention -- to educate and raise money for a deeply stigmatized cause. As the music faded and the dancers left the stage, co-coordinators Wlodinguer and Patrick introduced the next part of the show with a few poignant facts concerning the omnipresent threat presented by HIV/AIDS. The co-coordinators then introduced the night's guest speaker, Julia Tripp. A victim of HIV, Tripp has dedicated her life to helping and informing others at UMass Boston's Center for Social Policy (CSP). As a non-profit organization and the recipient of all the benefit's profits, the CSP will ensure that the money from the benefit goes to help individuals who have experienced poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, mental health issues, and in this case, specifically HIV/AIDS. Wlondinguer addressed Tripps' struggles and praised the current choices she is making with her life. "She has battled drug addiction, sexual and physical abuse, loss of loved ones, homelessness, poverty--she has suffered almost every disadvantage I can think of, and on top of it, and because of it, she has HIV," Wlondinguer said. "Remarkably, she has cleaned up her life and made it into something that she can be proud of." Tripp candidly shared her inspirational story with the audience. While her story was indeed a sobering reality, Tripp was able to demonstrate that fulfillment and happiness can exist despite the presence of HIV. She emphasized the importance of education and communication in lifting the stigma associated with victims of the disease and pointed to "fear and ignorance" as the main culprits of ostracizing the HIV positive community and leaving it with an "enormous burden of secrecy." "I dream of a world without stigma and shame," Tripp said, attempting to finish on a note of hope. She left the stage to uproarious applause. The quieted audience was then lifted back up by Tufts' solo guitarist John Burlock and his original song, "Cardboard Shoes." The performer had his own charm while his music had a catchiness reminiscent of Jack Johnson's "Bubble Toes." Tufts' lyrical troupe, Sarabande, followed with a sultry and limber dance that featured only four of the group's performers. TURBO rounded off the night and re-elevated the show's energy with a surge of remarkably rubber-band-like break-dancing. The show surpassed last year's fundraising total by collecting over $1,100. On top of it, the audience was treated to a fantastic and diverse spread of Tufts performers.

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News

John Kerry, Patriot's Candidate

February 1

Ensuing months could, using a John Kerry-esque superlative, provide some of the most compelling days and weeks the city of Boston has seen since John F. Kennedy last putted golf balls on the White House's South Lawn. Since then, an aversion to the Northeast brewed in the hearts and minds of average Americans, replaced by the cowboy South-by-Southwest mentalities of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. New Englanders failed where they once dominated, as their monopoly on the White House whittled into a situation reminiscent of the Red Sox status as second-class citizens to the ultimate prize. Even native Brahman borough resident George Bush Sr. claimed to relate more to a longhorn wrangler than a lobsterman, and subsequently dispatched Michael Dukakis -- one of those, as Richard Nixon put it, "damned New England intellectuals and Massachusetts liberals." Never mind that the Bay State has had four straight Republican governors; fortunes and perception could soon be on the mend. Boston could once again win a major championship, hold a national convention, tear down the rusting artery of ancestral highways, and see one of its native sons return to the White House. The latter event would represent a coup for a region and a party beleaguered by the "L" word. In John Kerry, the Democrats may have just chosen their version of the New England Patriots to be their nominee for the 2004 Super Bowl of politics, and it is not because their presumptive choice is a fellow resident of Massachusetts. John Kerry's rise in Iowa and New Hampshire can only be accounted for by one word: consistency. It is a word that Kerry himself has shied away from in his legislative life. He voted against the first Gulf War, a war the international community and the United Nations deemed worthy; he voted for the more recent yet internationally disdained Iraqi war, and then he voted against funding the reconstruction of the very country he gave President Bush the authority to attack. Similar blatant and subtle inconsistencies clutter Kerry's senatorial record, yet the primary and forthcoming general election have not and will not be determined by highlighting such legislative fumbles, but rather events outside of the junior senator's control. Kerry aided but did not completely determine his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. He played smart, simple, and efficiently in the town halls and rural communities where he could recount stories from the jungles of Vietnam and highlight a resume and career that cried presidential. Kerry's speeches failed to produce the fire of a Dean sermon, or to swoon the electorate with the dimples of John Edwards. There were no references to being a general or the son of a general mill worker. With no populist narratives of childhood parsimony, the lifelong patrician produced a steady delivery of policy speeches and admonitions to the Bush White House. This consistency allowed voters to feel comfortable about the candidate -- not inspired, not emotionally attached, but self-assured that his was a campaign free from gaffes and stumbles that the media and the Republicans could exploit. His stability in the face of voter volatility and candidate unpredictability made him a staid candidate for voter refuge. The confluence of outside events coupled with this stoic campaign style allowed Kerry to reemerge as the favorite son of Caucus goers and primary voters, cementing the senator as the preeminent candidate to take on the Bush administration in November. What John Kerry provides the electorate is sufficiency. He has Howard Dean's anti-war stance without the extremism, and Wesley Clark's military credentials without the general's questionable disposition and lack of political experience. He can solidify labor and union support without seeming to be a political liaison of those factions. Geographic disadvantage will be ameliorated with a strong southern running mate, possibly someone who could also soften John Kerry's scarecrow appearance. Voters can find solace in his resume, credentials, and ability to campaign without complaining about the establishment, the media, and Terry McAuliffe. Like his hometown Patriots, Kerry is unassuming, lacks flashiness, and always finds a way to seize victory when it appears out of reach. He exudes the traits that make many of the other candidates tempting and attractive, but in a more refined, distilled, and less volatile manner. It is a simpler solution, but a far more efficient one as a result. The general election will not be dictated by rhetoric, policy proposal, or candidate attitudes. Rather, it will be one dominated by macro events instead of micro issues. It will be a referendum on whether the war in Iraq was worth it, on the perceived erosion of civil liberties, on the ideological direction of American politics, on a unilateral and alienating foreign policy, on whether lost jobs have been regained, on whether the American people can trust the Bush White House, and on whether America is inherently safer from its enemies than it was four years ago. As voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have determined, John Kerry might not represent the best Democrat in the field, but he might be the only candidate sufficient enough to defeat George Bush in the general election. What he lacks in style and substance he makes up for in efficiency and durability. The viability of any Democratic candidate against George W. Bush will be determined mostly by events outside the candidate's control. If the pendulum swings towards Bush, no Democrat could defeat him. If it swings the other way, the only Democrat who could defeat the incumbent is one steady enough, consistent enough, and sufficient enough not to roil the pristine waters of fate. In elections of referendum, the ideal adversarial candidate does not necessarily need to paint the grandest vision and most inspiring message to win, but rather, embody enough fortitude and patience to let electoral factors take their natural course. If John Kerry plays the political game as the New England Patriots have played football over the past twenty weeks -- steady, efficient, simple, and mistake-free -- then celebration in the region should extend well-beyond Sunday's exuberance of another Super Bowl appearance for the Boston based team. Adam Blickstein is a Senior majoring in Political Science and is President of the Tufts Democrats.

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News

Choices for conscientious college consumers

February 1

How much do you know about the products you purchase? Where do they come from? How are they made? How much waste do they generate? How are they packaged? For environmentally conscious consumers, shopping can be a hassle and a headache. After all, the decisions we make as consumers powerfully indicate our priorities to corporations. Before panicking over whether you should choose paper or plastic, consider the full lifecycles of the materials. Neither is particularly good nor harmful to the environment relative to the other. Although paper is a renewable, biodegradable resource, it requires massive amounts of water and energy to be processed. The biodegradability of paper is not necessarily an environmental asset either, since biodegradable substances emit methane (a potent greenhouse gas) as they decompose in landfills. Plastic can be incinerated, but paper is a renewable resource while plastic is not. Styrofoam has long been regarded as an environmental "evil." Styrofoam (which is in fact a misused brand name) gets its nasty reputation from a time when ozone depleting CFC's were used in its production. However, CFCs are no longer involved in the making of Styrofoam, and many products that consumers identify as "styrofoam" are actually polystyrene, a type of plastic that is recyclable. To ascertain whether an object is Styrofoam or polystyrene, simply look on its bottom for a triangular logo indicating its ability to be recycled. Of course less packaging is better. "But what matters more than the packaging is what's in it," says Outreach Project Coordinator for Tufts Institute of the Environment, Anja Kollmuss. The act of conservation goes beyond the choice of paper or plastic at the supermarket or whether one orders Wingworks chicken tenders in foam containers or Espresso pizza in carboard boxes. Students' eating habits also play a role in conservation. According to Kollmuss, eating less red meat is one of the best ways to conserve resources. Processing beef requires massive amounts of water, growing cow feed requires large inputs of water, pesticides and fertilizer, and grazing destroys huge plots of land and leads to manure pollution. Eating organic meat and poultry instead of regular meat also has positive environmental effects. The animals raised for organic food production are not injected with hormones and their food is not grown with synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Kollmuss concedes that it is often difficult to make responsible food choices on campus. The dining halls do not offer organic meat or chicken, for example. Along with well chosen eating habits, there are several other ways for students to make decisions that will conserve resources. Consuming less in general is an important and often overlooked way of reducing energy waste. The products we buy often undergo energy intensive industrial processes. There are also more technical ways to save energy. A computer monitor uses the same amount of electricity as a 75-watt light bulb, so turning off your monitor when you are away from your computer saves a considerable amount of energy. "Screensavers," on the other hand, save no energy. A third of all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are emitted from cars and trucks. Biking or walking around campus instead of driving significantly decreases air pollution and helps prevent climate change. Using public transportation (like the T) to get around also saves energy as compared to putting another car on the road. Using your heating and air conditioning wisely can save energy and cut down the electric bill. For the winter, Tufts Institute of the Environment recommends setting your thermostat for between 65 and 68 degrees during the day and between 50 and 60 degrees at night. Lights account for about 25 percent of electricity use on campus. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 60 percent less energy than regular light bulbs and last ten times longer. They normally cost between $8 and $16, but Tufts students can get them for free through Tufts Institute of the Environment by exchanging their regular light bulbs. Halogen lamps use a lot of energy, but give off minimal light. According to the Tufts Institute of the Environment, if you live in an apartment off campus, your refrigerator could be hoarding an unnecessary amount of energy and therefore costing you extra money. "Fridges should be set between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit, and freezers between zero and five. If your settings are ten degrees too cold, which is often the case, your electricity costs will be up to 25 percent higher," according to information from the Tufts Institute of the Environment. Because of the fuel airplanes require, frequent flying is especially hazardous to the environment. By traveling locally instead of flying you can save a significant amount of energy and improve air quality.

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News

Don't bother curbing your enthusiasm

February 1

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" Like the Wizard of Oz in, Larry David, the comedic genius and man behind the curtain of television's Seinfeld, probably prefers that everyone leave him alone. Therein lies the fundamental gut-wrenching conceit of David's quasi-biographical HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm: nothing can ever go Larry David's way, mostly because of his own smug and neurotic demeanor. With Season One now on DVD, thanks to HBO Video, anyone can now gleefully watch the antics of King Larry David, the man with a poison touch. The series seems surreal, thanks to the improvisational nature of the show. With only a vague plotline behind each episode, David and the actors he has hired to play his fictional wife, manager, and other everyday characters speak ad-lib with very little written dialogue. As a result, the absurdity that sometimes limited the humor in Seinfeld comes off as authentic "Larry" in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Though the premise of the show is Larry David's daily disasters, David is in fact playing a caricature of himself. Social etiquette is tossed out the window, leaving a wonderfully malicious schlump -- a different, but not too different, bizarre "Larry David". Alongside "Larry" are Cheryl Hines as his wife "Cheryl" and Jeff Garlin as his manager "Jeff." If Cheryl is the mellowing factor that keeps Larry in check, then Jeff is the devil on his shoulder, egging him on. The two are like mischievous children; their judgment so many miles away from the social norm that even when they act with their best intentions, there is no way the situation can turn out well. For instance, in the episode "Beloved Aunt," Larry takes it upon himself to write an obituary for his wife's aunt. Using Jeff's connection to the obituary writer for the local paper, Larry dictates an obituary for his "beloved aunt." The inevitable problem? The paper prints it as "beloved c-nt". Cheryl's family blames Larry, kicking him out of the house for the night. He takes refuge at Jeff's house, but is evicted from there too because Jeff's mother thinks Larry copped a feel. It's all a typical day in the life of Larry. In addition to all ten episodes of the first season, the Season One DVD has the hour-long original HBO Comedy Special that inspired the entire series and a Bob Costas interview with Larry David. While light on special features, the Costas interview is rather interesting, especially for those interested in how each episode is produced. As a whole package, the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm doesn't measure up to the glories of the second and third seasons. Whereas Season Three had an overarching theme of Larry opening a restaurant, Season One lacks any cohesion, and suffers from it. Without any connection between events in each episode, the show seems a bit irrelevant. Yet the unstoppable laughs anyone will have when watching Curb outweighs that small detriment. While watching Curb, one cannot miss the show's connections to Seinfeld, the series that made this failed stand-up comedian famous. Again, David's inherent sense of ridicule for the idiosyncrasies of ordinary life has made a show about "nothing" into "something." The other obvious connection to Seinfeld is that George Costanza was the clear caricature of Larry David. They share the same apathy for others' well-being, as epitomized by George's indifferent reaction to his fianc‚e's death, and total self-adoration (see Larry's magnanimous dismissal of his lawyer). But like George, Larry is a bit much to take in extended periods of time. So don't try and watch all ten episodes in a row, or otherwise you'll start hating him more than you should. Taken in small doses, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a fantastic second act for Larry David, as he portrays "Larry David."

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News

For great fish, try Kaya

February 1

Porter Square is the home of a number of great sushi places. One of the best is Kaya, a Korean-Japanese restaurant with great food and great atmosphere. Kaya's menu features a wide variety of traditional dishes, from edamame and miso soup to chicken teriyaki and Kalbi Tang, a traditional Korean cow-bone broth. Although there are many options, the best food at Kaya is the sushi. Diners can select made-to-order sushi (anything prepared with sticky Japanese sushi rice, including vegetarian California rolls and cooked fish such as smoked salmon) and sashimi (pieces of raw fish, straight up) a la carte. It's hard to have a bad piece of sushi at Kaya, and students who are used to the chewy rolls from the campus center are in for a treat. Restaurant-goers can sit at the bar and watch chefs make their dinner right before their eyes. Everything is freshly prepared, so the fish is tender and the vegetables are deliciously unwilted. Basics like salmon and spicy tuna rolls are always an excellent option, and for seafood-wary diners, the California and avocado rolls are consistently good. Also good is the restaurant's tobiko, or salmon roe, rolls. Salmon roe are tiny orangey colored salmon eggs that look like little glass beads, and the rolls were both aesthetically appealing and delicious. Not only did it taste good, but the roe was also fun to eat -- imagine the pleasures of popping bubble wrap with your fingers and transfer that image to your mouth. Another one of the pleasures of Japanese cuisine is the sake bomb, where a shot of hot sake, traditional Japanese rice wine, is dropped or poured into a glass of beer and ceremoniously chugged by everyone at the table. The ritual of sake bombing adds to the festive atmosphere of an evening at Kaya. Kaya is casual and pleasant. Housed in its building on Massachusetts Avenue, the restaurant itself is decorated in traditional Japanese style, and high ceilings and good lighting give it an airy, open feel. If you come with a large enough group, you can also request to be seated in a tatami room, a private dining room featuring paper screen doors and a low table with a barbecue pit right on it. You'll have to take off your shoes, but you and your friends get the whole room to yourselves. Kaya can be a bit pricey, with entrees beginning at $10.95, but sushi and sashimi can be ordered a la carte, and soup and appetizers are more moderately priced. The atmosphere and overall quality of the restaurant, however, make Kaya a worthwhile destination for a low-key night out on the town. "I enjoy sushi and sake a priori, but I always have a good time at Kaya," junior Michelle Friedman said. Kaya is a great place to relax with friends and have a good meal, but it's similarly a great place to take visiting parents who are feeling a little adventurous, but don't want to go all the way into the city. Kaya is located across the street from the Porter Square T stop at 1924 Massachusetts Avenue. For reservations, call (617) 497-5656.

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News

Mark Tilki named region's top defensive player for Divs. II and III

January 29

When praised, senior Mark Tilki humbly prefers to redirect credit towards others -- his football teammates and coaches, and his family. But earlier this month, the standout cornerback stood alone when the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston recognized him as the region's top 2003 defensive player in Divisions II and III. Tilki is the only Jumbo ever to receive the Joe Zabilski Award, which is given in honor of the former Boston College football player, Northeastern coach, and Gridiron Club President after which it is named. Tilki's achievements on the gridiron were notable throughout his four years in brown and blue. But in his senior campaign, he shone as one of New England's top playmakers on both defense and special teams. Tilki finished the season with 29 tackles (23 solo), 131 interception return yards on five picks, and three touchdowns. As a return specialist, he averaged 10.6 yards on punts (201 yards on 19 punts) and 26.2 yards on kickoffs (343 on 11), which earned him a third-consecutive nod onto the All-NESCAC squad for special teams. According to head coach Bill Samko, making the all-conference team as a sophomore is a rare accomplishment and just one example of how great Tilki's contributions have been since day one. "He's a great athlete -- arguably one of the more decorated football players in Tufts history," Samko said. "The one knock would be his size [5'9", 170 pounds], but certainly he's strong, he's tough, and he's legitimately fast. And as important as his sheer speed was his quickness. He can change directions, he's very athletic." This fall, Tilki was also named All-NESCAC on defense for the second time, was selected to the prestigious New England Football Writers' Division II-III team, to the Football Gazette All-East Region 1st team, and to the d3football.com All-America 3rd Team. Samko said that Tilki's raw skill on the field is matched by a personality, work ethic, and leadership skills that have been equally valuable to the team. "As important as his performance was, I think his leadership is probably his greatest strength," Samko said. "He has drive. He's a very intense competitor, and I think that flows into everything he does. When the whistle blows, he's gonna go a million miles an hour from the start to the finish." Given the obvious talent and athleticism Tilki consistently displayed as a four-year starter at Tufts, it is difficult to believe that just one season into his football career, at the age of six, he considered quitting the game for good. "The first year I went out I was really tiny, barely making weight to play for the youngest age group," Tilki explained. "It turned me off from football just because it was hard for me to compete. I was fast but being so small, I got knocked around a lot." After that first season in Pop Warner, Tilki took a two-year hiatus from the sport. He returned only when one of his three older brothers lured him back onto the field with a promise of five dollars for every touchdown eight-year-old Mark could score. Back on the gridiron, Tilki fell in love with the game. And he was good. "My brother never went through with [the bet]," Tilki said. "Because I scored a lot." Besides bribing him to give the pigskin another try, Tilki -- who's bigger now, but still one of the smaller athletes on the field -- credits his brothers with guiding him both in life and in football. He says that it's likely that they also fostered those very skills that make Tilki so effective come game time -- toughness and speed. "The tough aspect goes along with just being the youngest with three older brothers, getting beat up and them throwing me around," Tilki said. "That's maybe why I got to be fast, running away from them." The four Tilki brothers grew up in Derby, Connecticut, and all played football. The valedictorian of his high school class and an electrical and biomedical engineering double major at Tufts, the youngest Tilki is also the only one to go on to play collegiate ball. With his Tufts football career over and even time in the classroom here winding down, Tilki now looks ahead to finding a job -- he's most interested in engineering cells with a biomedical company -- and eventually plans to attend graduate school. When he leaves Tufts, Tilki knows that football will provide some of his most satisfying memories. "Not just from the actual game, but [also] the people in the program made it worthwhile," Tilki said. "From all the coaches, who are excellent, who are there for you on and off the field, to the players being like brothers... it's a joy. They are all my best friends, it's like a very close-knit family." Tilki attributes much of his success on the gridiron to the coaches and teammates with whom he feels so close. Primarily an offensive player in high school, a broken wrist as an incoming freshman relegated Tilki to defense, where, with the help of his Tufts coaches, he found that the position was actually a good fit. Defensive coordinator John Walsh, Tilki said, brought a new, more mobile style of defense to the Jumbos when he joined the coaching staff in 2001, and "made defense fun." As for his brothers in brown and blue, Tilki stressed the influence that his teammates have had on him, through shared camaraderie, dedication, and pure talent. "It's totally about having confidence in your teammates," Tilki said. "When everybody wants to win, when everybody wants to see you win, when you're looking for everyone on the team to do well, when you're not selfish and nobody on the team is like that... it really helps you to be the best you can be with the talent you have." Tilki has proven himself exceptional, though, in the amount of talent and level of dedication that he has given his teammates and coaches to work with. "If you had 20 Mark Tilkis, you wouldn't have too many problems," Samko said. "If [every player] could capture his attitude, you've got a great chance to win. Because that's what he is: he's a winner, with everything he does."

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News

A view from abroad

January 29

For many students at Tufts, the Super Bowl marks one of biggest annual events on the non-academic calendar. Parties, food, beer, intense rivalries, celebration and disappointment. But what do international students think about all the hoopla? Close to seven percent of Tufts' undergraduate population comes from abroad to study on the Hill, from such far reaches as Turkey, Australia and Poland. For many, the Super Bowl is as foreign as Easy-Mac or Fluff, deeply "American" and steeped in a tradition that is difficult to comprehend until you experience it first hand. And what better place to discover the excitement of the Super Bowl, than on a college campus. "I'm basically not interested in it," sophomore Raphael Hui, a Hong Kong resident, confessed. "But I'll watch because it's what everyone does." It is not that Hui is disinterested in sports. Quite the contrary. Hui, who was born in California but grew up in Hong Kong, where his parents are originally from, follows the popular sport of 'Rugby Sevens'. 'Sevens' is a modified version of rugby featuring seven players, rather than the customary 15. But Hui says the social side of the Super Bowl is what draws a lot of international students to watch, rather than the sport itself. "My impression is that even foreigners get into [the Super Bowl], just because everyone watches," Hui added. "Basically it's just a popular thing." Freshman Alexandra Liveris will also be watching, but for different reasons. Born in Hong Kong, Liveris' parents both hail from Australia. She has spent her life living around the globe, spending time in Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia and Michigan, where she now lives. "We consider ourselves Australian," Liveris said. "My Dad is a huge sports fanatic, a big Australian sports fan with rugby and cricket. But Australia and America are similar because they're both big on sports. I'll be watching the Super Bowl here, because of my father and brother." Liveris says that as Australians living in the United States, it's difficult to celebrate Thanksgiving for any reason other than for the football, because culturally there is no Thanksgiving-equivalent Down Under. This trickles down to Super Bowl Sunday. Liveris is of Greek decent, so any excuse for a celebration with lots of food is quickly embraced in her family, and when combined with sports, there is a certain expectation from her relatives. "If I didn't watch, I'd probably get some questions from back home," Liveris said. And her pick? "Patriots!" Liveris added with a smile. Like there's an alternative in this town.

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News

Patriots fans calm before the storm

January 29

Calmly and confidently, the New England faithful around Tufts and the rest of the Boston area are preparing for Sunday's Super Bowl match-up in Houston between their Patriots and the Carolina Panthers. And while the fanfare has been less than expected, there certainly isn't a lack of reason for excitement. The Patriots, the top ranked team in the NFL in 2004 -- not to mention winners of 14 straight -- will face off against resurgent Carolina, who were sub .500 last year and just two years ago finished a humbling 1-15. New England boasts the NFL's seventh ranked defense, just in front of Carolina who is ranked eighth, and the Patriots enter the game with the fourth best run defense. They also allow the fewest points per game, at 14.9 a contest. Still, some Tufts students feel that the anticipation isn't all they expected it to be, especially with the local Pats vying for the claim of World Champions. "I'm from up north in Canada, and I imagined there would be a lot more excitement around Super Bowl time, especially being in the hometown," sophomore sailor Alex Singer said. "I haven't seen too many things on TV about it, and I really haven't heard people talking about it." Tufts students were in the thick of excitement in fall 2003, when the Red Sox narrowly missed a World Series appearance, falling in a tough seven game series to their heated rival and juggernaut, the New York Yankees. As the Red Sox haven't won a World Championship since 1918, compared to New England, who won football's title two years ago, it's possible that a more mellow post-season fever is present for the Pats. "This is nothing like the Red Sox. With the Sox, you could see the die-hard fans' enthusiasm all over the city," Singer continued. "It almost seemed as if had the Red Sox won the World Series, the city of Boston would've burned down. I don't see that with the Patriots." Still, Tufts students have no intention of allowing Super Bowl Sunday to pass quietly, with or without the anxiety and build-up beforehand. Large gatherings are the norm, with students getting together to eat wings and pizza, drink beer, and watch the year's perennial top-rated network show. "We're going to take all of our couches into one room, and sit in front of our big screen TV," Theta Chi brother Andrew Rothstein said. "We'll all just chill, have fun, and order a ton of wings from Wing Works." A staple of football games, the Super Bowl provides the annual peak of business for local wing establishments. "This year, we have so many wings that we are having to store wings in the freezers at [neighboring] Domino's Pizza," Wing Works' General Manager Bob King said. "Business is always crazy at this time, but it's definitely going to be even better this year thanks to the Patriots." To counter the rush, King is making a few modifications for smoother business operations on Sunday. Wing Works' normal compliment of 13 flavors will be down to five for Sunday, and King is encouraging advance orders so customers wanting wings can have their orders processed. "We have three phone lines, and from 2 p.m. onwards there is never a free second. The instant you put the phone down, it's ringing again," King explained. "The only exception is if it's a close game; if [the game] can go either way in the last 15 minutes, the phone is silent." Recent Super Bowl history has shown a flare for the dramatic, with three of the last six games ending in point differentials of seven or less. Two of those -- New England's 20-17 victory over St. Louis as the time expired in Super Bowl XXXVI, and St. Louis' 23-16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV that almost wasn't had Tennessee's Kevin Dyson reached his arm out just a yard further -- were not decided until the final second of the game. Predictions for the game run the gamut, although ESPN experts seem to have settled on a close New England victory. King agrees with the experts, saying the Pats will win but will fail to cover Vegas' seven point spread.

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News

Vet School justified

January 29

The recent controversy regarding the use of research dogs at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine has touched a cord that has a strong emotional component among most caring people. As a dog owner and scientist, I have evaluated the research project from a number of perspectives. Although a handful of students opposed the project, the non-veterinary students who went to the press did not represent the overwhelming majority of Tufts' veterinary students, faculty or administration who likewise share an immense compassion for animals. In fact, the complaint voiced about animal cruelty was unfounded. Inspections immediately following the lodged complaint of cruelty were determined to be without merit by multiple regulatory agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and the Massachusetts Department of Health. Moreover, the experimental protocol had received critical and careful review by Tufts' internal animal care committee prior to being approved. As in any veterinary school, medical school or university, research is an integral part of an educational system. Tufts Veterinary School has a strong history of excellence in both clinical and basic research. Research with animals helps us improve our pets' health by curing their diseases, developing vaccines, and treating their injuries. Tufts has long been recognized as a leader in minimizing animal use in teaching and maintains a policy of reducing animal use in research projects. These important values are regularly discussed among our students, faculty, and supporters. I would urge readers to recognize that there is a place for carefully conceived and clinically valuable research that is conducted within the stringent guidelines governing animal welfare. Situations are not always black or white. The difficult choices made at our nation's veterinary schools are made with deep concerns for improving the health and welfare of animals. These are important matters that Tufts continues to address as a responsible institution whose goals are to educate students, provide hospital services to animals, and conduct research that will benefit animal and human health. Robert Bridges Professor of Biomedical Sciences Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine

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News

Tufts Bhangra places second at national competition

January 29

Upon returning back to school from winter break, the Tufts Bhangra team went on a mission. From Friday, Jan 16 through Thursday, Jan 22, the 14 member squad practically lived in Cohen auditorium, practicing day and night to prepare for the annual Bhangra Fusion competition in Detroit, Michigan, which took place last Friday night. All the hard work paid off in the end as the team took second place out of twelve teams, and earned first among collegiate squads. The second-place finish earned the team a trophy and a check for $1,000 dollars. The only team to place ahead of Tufts was Khalsa Junction, a non-profit all male team of professional dancers who won the event for the second straight season. "The entire experience was absolutely amazing," senior co-choreographer Kapil Dargan said. "It was one of the best weekends from beginning to end for all of us." Bhangra is a joyous, unifying dance that brings people of every culture together. It is driven by upbeat, rhythmic music with fierce drum beats and powerful vocals. It is coupled with graceful dance moves requiring a high degree of skill and athleticism, both of which are reflected in the complexity, precision, and grace of the dancers. The squad is led by choreographers Dargan and sophomore Priti Julka, both of whom devised the dance in the two days before the rest of the team returned. The team includes grad student and former captain Vidushi Gupta; seniors Dargan, Neha Surana, Mshak Ghazarian, Sameer Puri, Vaani Garg, Abha Verma, and Shaunik Panse; sophomores Julka, Arun Brahmbhatt, Nadia Ashai, and Neel Shah; and freshman Jed Forman. In addition, the team had senior Soham Mahadevia playing the dhole, or Indian drum, throughout the performance. With the exception of Garg, Brahmbhatt, and Shah, all members of the team had performed for at least one semester, but the three newcomers were met with a warm welcome. "I was nervous at first about entering the dynamic that had already been established from last semester," Garg said. "But it was amazing from day one. It was a week unlike anything I have done at Tufts." The team drove to Michigan on Thursday night with two other teams, arriving very early Friday morning for the Friday night competition. The long trip was more time for the team to bond and get even more comfortable with each other. "We became a really close family over the past week," Dargan said. "We practically lived in Cohen auditorium, ate every meal together, and spent about 16 straight hours bonding together on the bus." At the competition, the 12 teams were judged on the originality and creativity of their moves and stunts, their synchronization, their energy on stage, and the strength of the individual parts. The Tufts team's dance was very formation oriented, and involved a lot of new steps in the mens' individual section. After all twelve teams had finished performing, the judges announced the third place winner, host University of Michigan. "After the third place winner was announced, we thought we had a slim chance because all of the other teams were so good," Surana said. That doubt was short-lived, however, as the Jumbos were called out onto the stage as the second place winners shortly thereafter. They charged the stage, crying and hugging each other, staying there for almost five minutes. "It was incredible to just step onto the team and win," Garg said. "I was really proud of the older team members who have dedicated the past few years to the team. They have brought Tufts Bhangra to the high level at which it stands now." Overall for Tufts, the weekend brought the team even closer together, and more importantly, paid dividends for its hard work and effort over the previous week and a half. "Usually, we have a great time and dance really well, but this time we finally got to walk away with a big check and a huge trophy," Surana said. "It was such an emotionally fulfilling experience, especially for the seniors." The squad has two more major competitions remaining this semester: Southern, in three weeks, and Bhangra Blowout, the most competitive national Bhangra competition in the country, in early April. In addition, the squad will be performing for the Tufts community at the TASA culture show in Cohen auditorium on March 5 and 6. "Bhangra fusion was a great experience for all of us," Julka said. "We had a lot of fun and were able to pick up new ideas for our future competitions. Despite our success, we will continue to work to perfect our dance and hopefully bring home another trophy."

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News

French Marxists Make Pop Music

January 29

It seems like Stereolab has been around forever. The band's latest album, Margerine Eclipse, sounds as if it was recorded by either a long-forgotten krautrock band who toiled in a cramped Cologne basement thirty years ago, or a kitschy lounge-pop act accustomed to playing at a cocktail bar on Mars, a hundred years from today. One of the most appealing aspects of Stereolab's music is this interminable quality: listening to it leaves the vague sensation -- simultaneously comforting and exciting -- that you've heard all these songs before but were half-asleep, or had the volume turned down, or just simply forgot. On their albums, Stereolab itself seem confused about its time and place, creating music for a world where the 21st century we know never happened and instead was replaced with a utopian version, conceived in the early 60s, where men and women fly to work in bubble cars and, inexplicably, speak French. This mix-up of styles and aesthetics is half the fun of the band's music. With this in mind, Margerine Eclipse is a successful Stereolab album if only because it carries on this tradition of hazy ageless-ness. Sure, it sounds like every album the band has made before (and probably will make in the future), just as it sounds like both the result of, and inspiration for all the musical influences appropriated here: the propulsive but spacey German band Neu!, the sophisticated pop of Burt Bacharach, the jazz pretensions of Chicago post-rockers like Jim O'Rourke and John McEntire (both of whom worked as producers for the band at one point, leaving a noticeable mark), and the "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" of Esquivel. God knows what other retro-, avant-garde, or simply obscure musical styles can be found on Margerine Eclipse. The usual criticism leveled against Stereolab is that all of its albums and songs sound uniform and uninteresting. While this has never been entirely true, there certainly was a point there in the late '90s when the band was making relatively colorless, dull music. The best possible thing that can be said about Margerine Eclipse is that this period seems to be over. The songs here might not be as rough-hewn as the band's early material, or as funky as their mid-period albums, but thankfully they never become as gratingly "lite" as the records directly preceding Margerine. As has been the case with Stereolab of late, the best songs on Margerine Eclipse are the most structured, the least noodling. "Bop Scotch," the tightest track on the album, starts out light and wispy before turning on a dime into something resembling the Surfaris with synths. "Margerine Rock" and "Hillbilly Motorbike" both recall Stereolab playing the simple, driving motortik they do best. And even the most free-form tracks are fun enough to redeem the slower parts on Margerine; "La Demeure," for example, conjures up an interesting groove to make up for its general aimlessness. Then there are suite songs like "Dear Marge" and "Cosmic Country Noir," songs that cycle through different musical styles, occasionally playing off a unifying theme or hook. These types of songs are a Stereolab specialty and they're as effective as ever here. As its title obliquely alludes, Margerine Eclipse is a tribute to Mary Hansen, a singer for Stereolab through much of their career, who was killed last year in a bicycling accident. The thought of the band members creating a dark, brooding epic as a tribute to Mary is inconceivable, their music being so indebted to the lighter side of things (then again, this has never stopped them from singing about Marxism). But the music on Mary's tribute album still sounds like plastic and bubbles throughout and doesn't get any gloomier than merely wistful. Her death was certainly tragic but it seems to have given the band a new purpose, one that will ensure its already strange timelessness.

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News

College basketball enters conference season

January 29

Unlike college football, where a loss on your regular season resume all but kills your national championship chances, the premier collegiate basketball programs regularly play top-25 non-conference opponents before conference play begins. In fact, many coaches use this time to create a battle-tested team that can survive the harsh arena crowds that they will face come March. Early season losses are not only common, but are the norm even for top tier programs. That's why it is so rare to have two undefeated programs in Division I basketball this late in the season. Both the Stanford Cardinal and the St. Joseph's Hawks have unblemished records, uncommon for teams in major conferences such as the PAC-10 and Atlantic 10. Stanford plowed right through its early non-conference schedule and has survived the first of its PAC-10 rivals to become the number two team in the country. The Cardinal did much of their damage without their star swingman, junior Josh Childress. Stanford has already beaten the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona, but with Childress back, the boys out west should be an even tougher task for any PAC-10 opponent in the following weeks. St. Joe's (17-0) hasn't played as challenging a schedule, but even for an A-10 team, an undefeated record is impressive at this point in the season. This streak has been led by a mighty mouse of sorts in All-American Jameer Nelson, whom many proclaim to be the national player of the year. Nelson's backcourt mate, Delonte West, has also been outstanding, and this team has been running up the score on opponents. Of the two remaining unbeatens, the Hawks have a much easier schedule, with their toughest remaining game being against the Dayton Flyers, who are leading the A-10 West Division. Despite one loss in November, the Duke Blue Devils (16-1) are at the top of the polls, led by the sharp shooting of sophomore J.J. Reddick and the reemergence of Chris Duhon. Duhon played great against the Texas Longhorns as well as versus key conference rivals, the Wake Forrest Demon Deacons and the Maryland Terrapins, proving himself as one of the premier point guards in the nation. In addition, the Blue Devils have solidified their usually soft interior play with the shot-blocking defense of Shelden Williams, Shavlik Randolph, and freshmen sensation Luol Deng. The Louisville Cardinals (15-1) have an impressive record this year as well. But their win/loss ratio shades the bumpy start that is about to get even rougher. Before Louisville's game against the rival Kentucky Wildcats last month, the brother of All-conference guard, Francisco Garcia, was gunned down in New York City. After flying home with coach Rick Pitino for the funeral, Garcia returned against his coach's wishes to put in a gutsy performance in a win over the Wildcats. Unfortunately, the Cardinals are going to be without their prime-time coach for an indefinite amount of time, as Pitino announced he would be taking a temporary leave of absence on Monday night. Pitino cited extreme pain over the last week as the cause for this departure. He will be going to Minnesota for medical tests but doctors have already ruled out prostate cancer. Within the next two weeks, Louisville has tough conference games against the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Memphis Tigers that are sure to test the strength of their newly appointed coach and the glue with which Pitino has created this team. The UConn Huskies (15-3) have been somewhat of a disappointment so far this season. With two losses in the last two weeks, the Huskies have fallen from the top spot in the polls all the way down to number eight. It will be interesting to see how this team reacts to these midseason losses, because no Big East team seems to fear the Huskies. The Providence Friars were able to slow their game down against UConn and keep the Huskies in the 50s point range. If UConn is not careful, it could easily lose three or four more conference games. Conference play always brings out the best in teams. Despite not having particularly tough schedules, either of the two remaining undefeated teams could lose to an Oregon State (8-9) or a Temple (6-9). While the NCAA Tournament brings the most drama to the masses, February's conference games bring out the best of college rivalries.

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News

University assumes newsletter publishing responsibilities

January 29

Taking a nod from other top schools in the area, Tufts has begun its own publishing company in an effort to cut costs on school publications. Tufts Media was formed at the beginning of 2003 to accommodate the publishing demands after the purchase of the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter, run by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, at the end of 2002. Last December, the University also acquired Your Dog: A Magazine for Caring Dog Owners and Catnip: A Magazine for Caring Cat Owners, produced in conjunction with the School of Veterinary Medicine. All three newsletters had previously been published as joint ventures between Tufts and outside publishing companies. According to Tufts Media CEO David Lee, the publishing company is an effort to "develop a consumer publishing and media capability within the University." Lee also said the publications will serve as "outreach vehicles," improving the University's visibility and highlight research by Tufts professors. According to Health and Nutrition Letter Executive Editor Larry Lindner, "juniors, sophomores, [and freshmen] before they graduate will see the Tufts name on the map more through publications." There is "a much more entrepreneurial approach to getting the Tufts name out there," Lindner. The Health and Nutrition Letter has been operating for 20 years on an agreement between former University President Jean Mayer and Westchester county publisher William White and his company, White Publications. White's recent death prompted the University to re-evaluate the relationship. "Who is determining the future of Tufts' media? Why couldn't we have this capability here?" Lee said. Both of the vet school publications were previously run by Belvoir Publications. One of the benefits of in-house publishing is the increased control over the content and presentation, Lindner said. "[There is] a more concerted effort to spin out really good work when you coordinate the business and the editorial." All three publications have scientific editors in addition to production editors. The amount the University has spent to buy-out the agreements with the outside publishers is confidential but Lee said the terms were favorable to the University. He predicted that the amount of money saved by bringing the publishing in-house and the money made through royalties will have "double the rate of return of the University endowment." Lee also predicted that "the full royalty potential is going to be between triple and quadruple what it was." Because Tufts Media is a non-profit company, the royalties from the publications' subscriptions, which total 250,000, will now go directly to the graduate schools involved. Since a major goal of the newsletters is to bring Tufts professors' expertise to the general public, Tufts Media is also releasing lists and magazine insertions of nutrition and veterinary books recommended by Tufts professors. "The average person doesn't know where to turn or who to trust," Lee said. "Where the market indicates we will be successful, we will be moving into that niche," Lee said. Lindner, who has been with the Health and Nutrition Letter for 18 years, said he has not seen major changes since the newsletter was purchased by Tufts Media. "I suspect that down the line there will be pamphlets and brochures," he said, but for now, "the plans are bigger than the changes." According to Lee, Tufts Media is not a university press, and it is "never going to get in the business of scientific journals or academic manuscripts." However, it is possible that Tufts Media will publish complete groups of books on select topics, likely related to the topics of University newsletters. In addition to the three existing publications, Tufts Media is reviewing proposals to launch several new, more specific newsletters. "Now that Tufts is established in the marketplace, there's nothing to stop us from moving on," Lee said. He pointed to the strong equine department at the vet school as a possible starting point. The subscriptions for the newsletters are handled by Palm Coast Data in Florida. The Health and Nutrition Letter is printed by Omniprint in Washington, D.C., and the two vet school publications are printed by Ovid Bell Press in Fulton, Mo.

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News

Increased security surrounds returns to the U.S.

January 29

International students returning to Tufts this semester were confronted by a controversial set of U.S. entry regulations implemented as part of a new Homeland Security Department anti-terrorism program. Launched in early January, the US-VISIT program mandated several new entry procedures for certain travelers. Visa holders and visitors from select countries must now be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival in the United States. By Jan. 5, the new entry procedures were in effect at 115 airports and cruise ship terminals at 14 seaports. According to the Homeland Security Department website, the new procedures will "help protect the nation against those who intend to harm American citizens or visitors to our country." Information obtained at customs check points will be checked against a database of possible terrorist threats. Although Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told the Atlanta Journal Constitution the new system will be "easy for travelers to use" and in most cases adds only 15 seconds to traditional entrance procedures, many worry the new measures will slow travelers already bogged down by frequent security checks and long customs lines. Lixiang Bu, a graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, experienced some of these delays while traveling to Tufts from China earlier this month. Although he arrived on schedule, Bu said he witnessed another passenger miss his plane because of what he called a "troublesome entrance procedure." The majority of Tufts students, however, had few complaints about the process itself. "[It was] simple and straightforward," freshman Carolina Fowler said. Fowler, from Brazil, described having to place her right and left index finger on a machine for several seconds, then having her photo taken. "It took maybe five minutes for the whole process," she said. Although many agree the process itself is relatively quick and painless, others find the implications of its policies problematic. Visitors from a select list of 28 countries, including New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom, are currently exempt from the new photograph and fingerprinting measures. This has prompted many to wonder how effective the regulations can really be. "Who's to say that there isn't someone [from one of those 28 countries] that is a terrorist? They're not getting screened and that's an issue," Director of Tufts' International Office Jane Etish-Andrews said. Andrews believes the new process has both good and bad points. While she feels the policy is good for national security, Etish-Andrews said she anticipates problems for foreign students in the future. "One concern is that if there's a data mix-up and one student is coded as a threat to national security, there isn't a clear way that it can be corrected," Etish-Andrews said. "How are we going to help our students if there are errors that are made? I'm nervous about that." "I think that the US-VISIT regulations are implemented just to keep Americans scared," International Club Public Relations Officer Gabriel Mas added. "In the end, it gives people a favorable opinion of the government when... these measures are just useless, unfair, and inhospitable to visitors," Mas said. However, there are international students who think the new policies have some merit. "The United States has been threatened" and is taking measures to defend itself, Fowler said. "In the beginning some people have expressed that they feel discriminated against when they are 'randomly' selected for extra security checks due to how they look, but if that were to happen to me I would have no problem with it." Additionally, Etish-Andrews questioned the impact this entrance process will have on the U.S. market for higher education. "This is a $14 billion industry," Etish-Andrews said. "Are we going to jeopardize that by making it so difficult to come and study [in the U.S.] that we lose students?" The Department of Homeland Security has called for the US-VISIT plan to be fully implemented by 2005.

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News

Are you for Carolina or against the Patriots

January 29

As Super Bowl XXXVIII approaches, students at this small New England school are getting ready to watch the New England Patriots face off against the Carolina Panthers. While most are opting to route for the home team, there is a small minority who are honorably cheering for the underdog Panthers. "I have to route for Carolina -- my roommate is a diehard Pats fan," freshman Ben Chynsky said. This is the overwhelming sentiment one finds when trying to sniff out the Carolina faithful on campus. While few are technically Carolina fans, many are cheering against the Patriots. Case in point is freshman Mickey Ferri, who hails from Connecticut and considers himself a Packer Backer. "I'm cheering against them because everyone likes them," Ferri said. Other temporary Panther fans have grown out of a lack of interest in either team. "I'll go for Carolina because they are the underdog, and when you don't have a favorite team, you want the underdog to win," junior Brandon Taylor said. That is not to say there are no true Panther fans to be found on campus. Freshman Brad Kelly has lived in Charlotte, NC -- home of Ericsson Stadium where the Panthers play -- for two years. "I am originally from Canada," Kelly said. "but I like underdogs, and it was the first American city I lived in that had a pro-football team." Not all North Carolinians share Kelly's enthusiasm. Senior Chapel Hill native Brooke Frankel showed more of a reaction over UNC's narrow 68-66 victory over N.C. State last Wednesday, than for Steve Smith's 69-yard touchdown catch in the double overtime victory over the Rams to send them to the NFC title game. "I never watched the Panthers before, and I was never around anyone who watched pro sports at home," Frankel said. "But here, everyone watches the Patriots, so I have been watching them, too. I will be cheering for them on Sunday." When asked why no one at home watched pro-sports, Frankel replied, "there are enough college sports to keep us occupied." The Super Bowl apathy plaguing Chapel Hill does not seem to be squandering the enthusiasm down in Charlotte, however. "I live in the same neighborhood as the owner and people have been decorating and putting signs on the street," Kelly said. "The city is going crazy." Unfortunately for Kelly, he will find no camaraderie with his fellow Sunday viewers. "There are no Carolina fans at Tufts," Kelly said. "But it doesn't really matter...I'm going to party either way." Taylor expressed a similar sentiment. "I'm going to celebrate regardless," Taylor said, "but I won't go into Boston if they win. I'll probably go to sleep."

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News

Important shuttle information

January 29

Wednesday's story on the night shuttle ("New bus service to Boston will begin trial run") left out two pieces of information. First, there is an established regular shuttle from the Medford campus to Boston: the Museum School shuttle, which makes several round trips each weekday. Second, and more critically, there are indeed late-night transportation alternatives to taxis for us non-car owners. The MBTA has offered Night Owl service on weekends for over two years. The buses cost just $2 and run at 15- to 30-minute headways. Routes run parallel to major bus routes, and all subway lines and branches. The last trips leave from downtown Boston at about 2:30 a.m., and from Harvard at almost 3 a.m. Zipcar is another alternative. For students 21 and older, Tufts sponsors $20-per-year membership in this rent-by-the-hour program. The hourly rate is only $2 between midnight and 6 a.m., although you must reserve in advance. There are already two subsidized late-night transportation options. This is important information for students if they are to decide whether the new shuttle is a wise expenditure. Noah Cooper LA '05

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News

Handling of memorial disappointing

January 29

I am Peter Vabulas' first cousin, six years his senior. Our mothers are sisters, and though he lived on Long Island and I grew up in Cambridge, MA, we spent a significant amount of our youth together. His passing took our family by complete surprise on Dec 3. There were no signs of illness, though he was never one to complain much. I would like to express some disappointment about how the University handled the initial plans for his Memorial Service scheduled for Dec 10. Our family and friends, in the midst of this awful situation, scheduled time off work, made travel and hotel reservations, and rescheduled business trips. In addition, a cardiac expert and her team moved around their extremely busy schedule to accommodate Peter's family, a brave decision on Peter's family's part to try and figure out what happened. Two days prior to the date, we found out Tufts cancelled the event. They mentioned bad weather and exams, and were worried that not many would show up. I am positive that this was merely an oversight, but for a grieving family, who had much on their mind, and with the holidays coming up, I felt it was rather insensitive, like a slap in the face. Even if ten people gathered together, it would have been worth the effort, especially to have closure. I'd like to emphasize that there are no ill feelings, but just something to take note of in the future if an unfortunate event like this occurs on campus again. I am happy to hear that Tufts will be holding the rescheduled Memorial Service this Thursday and I plan to attend. I was at the four viewings of his wake Dec 13 & 14 and was amazed at how many came to pay their respects, that one person who had yet to realize his full potential, could impact that many people. Friends, students from his elementary and high school, teachers, neighbors, co-workers from Simon & Schuster, Bloomberg co-workers from his father's office, and the list goes on. His mother has set up a scholarship fund in his memory which has been a great success so far, and is merely a testament to how strong a community can be.

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News

Calling all would-be ink stained wretches!

January 29

By this point in the year, most students know that Tufts offers countless different teams and clubs for students. From fencing to ballroom dancing to the Monty Python club, there is a plethora of possibilities for students looking to get involved, and this diversity of opportunity extends to the literary sphere as well. For those Jumbos of literary persuasion, Tufts offers ample opportunity for your trumpet to be heard. Student publications include not only literary and artistic journals but also cultural showcases, forums for student playwrights, and political commentary. Read up on some of them here, and if you're feeling inspired, drop them a line. Fencing is fine, but after all, the pen is mightier than the sword. >Literary/Artistic Journals: There are a number of outlets for aspiring authors, poets, playwrights and photographers on the Hill. Outbreath is a magazine which publishes primarily short stories by Tufts Students, but it also includes occasional one- act plays and submissions by outside contributors, such as Tufts faculty members. It features original photography and art work, and is published once a semester. ase.tufts.edu/outbreath Optimus Prime is devoted to Jumbo poetry, and includes original artwork as well. http://ase.tufts.edu/oppoetry/ SALAAM, or the South Asian Literary and Arts Magazine, is a forum for student artists with a focus on creative writing and visual arts with South Asian roots. The magazine is intercollegiate, attracting submissions and readers from all across the Boston area. http://ase.tufts.edu/salaam/ Onyx is Tufts' black literary magazine. It provides a literary and visual artistic avenue for creative works reflecting the experience of African Americans. Contact: Chike Aguh (caguh01@tufts.edu) The Zamboni has no rich cultural heritage to serve as creative fodder, but follows in the tradition of such revered publications as the Onion. Jumbos who think they're funny will find themselves right at home amidst the Zamboni's comic essays, satire, cartoons, and anything else funny and fit to print. http://www.ase.tufts.edu/zamboni/ Performance: Playwrights and screenwriters will find many forums to see their creative efforts come to fruition. The Bare Bodkin Theatre Company is dedicated to producing student written and created theater. There are opportunities for student-written one acts, as well as full length plays. Contact Ashley Berman (ashley.berman@tufts.edu) TUTV, the Tufts-run television station, also seeks original ideas for shows and other projects from the Tufts community. http://ase.tufts.edu/tutv/ Politics: Since art and politics are inseparable, no discussion of the Tufts artisitc community would be complete without the more politically minded journals such as Radix and the Primary Source. The Source is Tufts' journal of conservative thought, which is published every other week and seeks well- informed contributions addressing both campus issues and politics on national and international levels. http://www.tuftsprimarysource.org/ On the other end of the political spectrum, Radix is dedicated to liberal and radical thought. It publishes essays, poems, and art related to liberalism and social change that relate to the Tufts community and students' everyday lives. Radix does not believe in hierarchy and has no editor in chief. http://ase.tufts.edu/radix/ News: Tufts' news media rounds out the literary spectrum. One opportunity for Jumbo posterity is available through the Yearbook, which is published annually for the graduating class. Contact: Anna Filatov (Anna.Filatov@tufts.edu) The Observer, Tufts's oldest newsmagazine, has been around since 1895. It publishes news and opinion pieces as well as photography and editorial cartoons on a weekly basis. http://www.tuftsobserver.org E-News is an online organization dedicated to Tufts news and headlines both on campus and around the world. There are opportunities for students interested in gaining journalistic experience to work with e-news. Contact: Peter Sanborn (peter.sanborn@tufts.edu) The Tufts Daily is Tufts only daily publication. The Daily covers news, arts, and sports, and also publishes opinion pieces. www.tuftsdaily.com For further information and submission deadlines, please visit Tuftslife.com and the website of the Office of Student activities. Many publications have back issues online.

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