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Richard Linklater's Tape

January 29

This is the first of what will be a bi-weekly feature on movies: "In Case You Missed It the First Time." This week, it's Richard Linklater's 2001 film, Tape. Starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Tape had a limited release after successful showings at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals. Look again in two weeks for another great rental suggestion. This may not sound exactly like riveting cinema, but Tape is a captivating portrayal of relationships and our responsibilities to them. The film tells the story of Vince (Ethan Hawke), Jon (Robert Sean Leonard), and Amy (Uma Thurman) - three adults who were friends in high school and reunite ten years later. Hawke and Leonard, who met on the set of Dead Poets Society ten years prior to Tap), draw from their own parallel experience as old buddies and paint a realistic picture of two old friends who have grown apart over time. There is an uncomfortable affection between the pair - the kind that exists between friends who spent their formative years together but lost their common bond. Stylistically, Tape was a different step for director Richard Linklater (whose previous film was the vibrant Waking Life) because of its willful constraints: the 86-minute movie unfolds in real time and its only scene is that of a dingy motel room in Lansing, Michigan. The film, adapted from a play by screenwriter Stephen Belber, begins after Jon and Vince return to Lansing for a film festival. As a filmmaker, Jon's work is appearing in the festival and Vince is there as moral support. Amy is an assistant district attorney who coincidentally lives and works in Lansing. Amy, who was Vince's high school sweetheart, slept with Jon at a graduation party. Vince and Jon have conflicting opinions about the amount of pressure and consent involved, varying from Jon's admittance that his actions may have been "morally questionable" to Vince's accusation that Jon raped Amy. Amy offers her own perspective on what happened that night and the differing perceptions of the three throw into question guilt, truth, apologies, confessions, and the way people deal with trauma. All three actors turn in perfect performances. Hawke portrays Vince as more than just a burnt-out ex-jock. He shows the nuances of Vince's personality - his insecurity after losing Amy, and the single-mindedness of his urge to find out what happened. Jon, portrayed by Leonard, visibly struggles to maintain his idea of himself as a politically correct modern man, sometimes appearing annoyingly smug and sometimes utterly at a loss as to his own morality. As Vince tries to manipulate Amy like he did Jon, Thurman plays her as someone who has been victimized but who is not a victim. By the end of the film, she asserts herself as the one in control of the situation. The seemingly stifling directing choices are what allow the story to have an impact - the monotony of color, the limited cast of characters, and the enclosed setting all force the audience to enter these people's psyches. The color scheme is composed of mostly browns and sepias, and there are only three characters in the entire film, one of whom does not appear until about halfway through. There is something realistic about the conversations in the film. Unlike usual movie banter, the characters do not always deliver stinging barbs or make profound points. Conversations are drawn out and circuitous; and at one point, it takes about two and half minutes for Jon to get Vince to explain why he broke up with his girlfriend. In response, Vince admits that she thought he "played rough." Indeed, "roughness" is a theme in Tape. All three characters suffer and inflict violence - sometimes physical, sometimes psychological - which makes the viewer think about the masochistic nature of friendships. When Jon defends his moral fiber, you want to back him up but have a twinge of conscience that says not all is not right. You agree with Vince when he gets fed up with Jon's preaching and tries to catch him in a lie, but you also feel his self-loathing. You can understand Amy's feelings of betrayal and you support her desire for vengeance. None of the characters are all good or all bad - they're just like us. By the end of Tape, when the motel room door opens and you can finally leave, you're ready to get away from these three and confront your own demons.

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News

Boston set to party, win or lose

January 29

American culture embraces the Super Bowl more than any other sporting event. The annual NFL Championship beats out the World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, and even the Olympics in popularity. Nearly half of all United States households will have the game on this Sunday, making it the single most watched television event of the year. With the promise of big stars performing at half time, big names playing in the game, and the year's best commercials, what better day than Super Bowl Sunday to rally your friends and throw a party worthy of the big-game hype? Whether sitting at home on the couch with a plate of nachos and delivery pizza or going out to a bar to watch the event in a more lively setting while throwing back drafts, the Super Bowl gives many "fans" (only 8 percent of viewers actually care who wins the game) the chance to extend their weekends through Sunday night. When asked the main reason why he parties on Super Bowl Sunday, Delta Upsilon brother Anthony Shropshire had a matter-fact-reply. "Because it's football," Shropshire explained. "It's the best game; it's what we've been waiting for all year." With the Patriots favored in the Championship game, the Boston area is sure to be the center for Super Bowl revelry outside of Houston. Local bars and restaurants will see throngs of fans turning out to cheer on the Patriots in a communal setting. "We expect to be sold out," Tracy Wallace, marketing director of Jillian's Bar near Fenway Park, said. "Doors will open at 12:00 and we will [let people in] on a first come, first serve basis." Many bars and restaurants will offer specials for their Super Bowl clients. Jillian's plans to not only offer drink bargains, gift certificates and other prizes, but a Penthouse Pet as well. Penthouse pin-up Kylie Ryan will be at the restaurant as an added draw for male football fans. In Davis Square, the Joshua Tree will be giving away $1,250 worth of prizes during the Super Bowl broadcast. The bar and full service restaurant expects many Patriots enthusiasts to pack in, beginning as early as 10:00 a.m. when the Joshua Tree opens for Sunday brunch. "Many of [our clients] are Tufts students," Joshua Tree assistant manager Chris Collen said. "Any time there is a major competition with a New England sports team, we have a lot of people." On campus, students will come together wherever there are televisions broadcasting the game. DU plans to bring in 11 to 14 televisions, complete with stadium seating for ideal game viewing. Should the Patriots score a victory over the Carolina Panthers, thus earning their second Lombardi Trophy in three years, Boston will likely be the scene of one huge street party. "The night the Pats won the Super Bowl [in 2001] was one of the best nights I've had in Boston," junior Brian Costello said. "My friends and I went into the city and ran around with everyone else making noise. It was crazy." Much of that excitement filtered out onto Boston's streets where jubilant fans climbed buildings and lampposts, as well as driving around honking horns and celebrating with thousands of other excited people. As with any crowded, drunken situation, the potential could exist for the crowd to get out of control. When the Red Sox beat the Oakland A's in the AL playoffs, hundreds of Tufts students crowded the President's Lawn in celebration. TUPD had officers present and the paddy wagon handy should any of the revelers lose control. A similar situation could arise if the Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl this weekend. TUPD will have a few extra officers on staff on Sunday and will have their 11:00 p.m. shift come in early. According to TUPD Captain Mark Keith, no drastic measures will be taken, but one or two extra supervisors will be on hand. "We're not anticipating any big problems," Keith said. Whatever the outcome of the game, Tufts students and the city of Boston alike will have an excuse to celebrate come Sunday.

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News

Home by twelve?

January 29

Few students have fond memories of the days of parental curfews and rules. After breaking free by living on campus -- a decidedly parent-free zone -- some students find returning home to such parental guidelines over college breaks frustrating "We see a number of students after Thanksgiving break, especially freshmen, because it can be a bit of an adjustment," said Dr. Luanne Grossman, Supervising Psychologist at the Counseling Center. "Students feel that they've changed; are more grown up," Grossman said. "It can be a big issue if they feel grown up, but don't feel that their parents recognize it. They don't want their parents to see them in the old ways, and may fear that they are returning to the old ways." Since first-year students have just spent a semester learning to live on their own, some feel entitled to more freedom at home as well. According to Grossman, students' new, more adult self-perception may become most apparent during the first Thanksgiving and winter breaks back home. One common area of conflict between returning students and their parents involves curfews. "At home, my curfew is 2 a.m. on weekends and 12 a.m. on weeknights," sophomore Thuy Le said. "It's early on weeknights because my parents don't like me coming in late and waking them up, since they have to get up early the next day for work." These curfews are a change from Le's schedule during the semester: "[The curfew] gets annoying when I want to stay out late," Le said. Even for those without curfews or time limits, living at home can seem restrictive. "I don't have a curfew anymore, but my parents stay up until I get home, and so aren't happy if I'm out late," sophomore James Fraser said. "And no matter what time it is, I have to tell someone where I'm going. I understand, but of course it's annoying because when I'm [at Tufts] I could stay out for days at a time without anyone knowing." Senior Nikhil Abraham remembers feeling similarly boxed in during his first year at college. "Returning home during freshman year was probably the most restrictive," Abraham said. "I had only been away for three months, and my parents wanted me to come back home at a certain time, and sleep and eat all at certain times." "During the summer months, my parents also wanted me to work," Abraham added. "So there were [also] expectations and different time schedules than what I was used to when I came back home." According to Dr. Julie Jampel, Senior Staff Psychologist at the Counseling Center, such discrepancies between parents' and students' schedules and expectations are common. "Parents tend to remember the kids who left high school," Jampel said. "That tends not to be the person that comes back. Once you have been away from somewhere, you are different. Different experiences shape people." Considering the situation from a parent's point of view can be helpful for students struggling to readapt to home life: students must take into account that they are not the only ones that have to adjust to changes during this time. "There is a pull on the parents' side, too," Grossman said. "They want you to grow up, but it's familiar to them to relate to you in the way they used to relate to you." To parents, abiding by curfews and other rules can demonstrate a grasp of responsibility, prompting them to think of their children more like adults. "The more I obey my parents' rules, the better they treat me in return," Le said. "I should respect my parents' rules because I am living in their house," she added. "I like my parents, and they have been real lenient in the past, so I just want to keep them happy." According to Grossman, the best way to cope with this issue is to talk about it. "You have to get to know each other again," she said. "Find a way to understand what your parents' concerns are, and also a way to voice what you want. In a calm moment, negotiate about it." Such discussion has been helpful to Le. "I don't really ask my parents for permission to do anything really, but I let them know my plans and they're generally ok with it," she said. "They trust me enough." For those students whose relationships with their parents over break do not benefit from discussion, there's good news: many find that adjusting gets easier as time progresses. "There has been a large difference between freshman and senior year," Abraham said. "My parents used to wait up for me to come back home, and they don't do that anymore. The expectations gradually lessened as the years have gone on." However, Abraham said that with this freedom comes responsibility. "As those restrictions lessened, I gained other responsibilities such as dropping off or picking up my siblings, and helping with some of the larger events during the holidays," he said. Whether their parents are immediately receptive or not, Grossman said, the best advice for all students is to let parents know how they feel. "The biggest problems come when you don't talk about it," she said.

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News

News Briefs

January 29

University endowments rebound in 2003 After several years of shrinking, university endowments around the country showed a healthy improvement in the 2003 fiscal year. Universities reported on average a 2.9 percent return last year, compared to the average 6.4 percent loss they incurred in 2002. The country's wealthiest schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, generally saw the largest percentage increases. Tufts' endowment increased 2.9 percent as well, to $669 million. Despite overall positive reports, other prominent schools including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, and Emory University saw their endowments decline last year. Universities rely on endowments to cover five to 20 percent of their annual budgets. Although 2003 returns were mostly positive, it remains to be seen if they can make up the difference caused by inflation and cutbacks in state funding that have plagued schools across the country. Congressional budget fails to increase Pell Grant aid Congress passed a plan last Thursday that will raise spending on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) while keeping the maximum Pell Grant at the same level as last year. The new legislation is generally regarded as a victory for college lobbyists. It prevents the U.S. Department of Education from making a change in its financial aid policy which would have made 84,000 Pell Grant students ineligible for scholarships in the next academic year. College lobbyists were simultaneously disappointed that Congress did not increase the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050, despite a country-wide surge in college tuitions. The NIH budget was increased by 3.6 percent to approximately 28 billion dollars. The relatively small increase ends a period of growth for the agency, whose budget doubled in the last five years. The NIH funds many research grants at universities, and is an important source of funding for colleges. Four universities to develop new open-source courseware system Indiana University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and the University of Michigan have agreed to collaborate in the creation of open-source courseware tools and related software for higher-education institutions. Dubbed the Sakai Project, the $6.8 million venture is expected to include web-based software programs that include online class rosters, course outlines, assignment postings, discussion boards and online quizzes, all of which can be tailored to fit a particular institution's needs. The creators of Sakai hope to draw institutions away from the commercial courseware market. Currently, WebCT and Blackboard control approximately 42 percent of the market. During the past year, many institutions have taken issue with commercial courseware, citing problems associated with rising licensing and software costs, the inability to be customized to an institution's needs, and software glitches.

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News

Panthers, Pats square off Sunday in Superbowl XXXVIII

January 29

One local television station has dubbed this Sunday's Super Bowl as "the Lone Star Showdown." While this title refers to the location of the game, Houston, Texas, it can also be used to categorize the number of stars on the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers rosters. Billed as two stud defenses going at one another, New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady may be the "lone star" on either roster. Still, that doesn't mean the game won't be enjoyable to watch and be one for the history books. During week one of the season, few would have expected these two teams to be in the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl. However, both teams proved that a good offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. On the lines of defense, the big question of the Super Bowl is whether or not the stifling Patriots defense can hold the now two-headed Carolina Panthers rushing attack in check. This season, the Patriots ranked third in the AFC in rushing yards allowed per game (89.6) while playing games each against tough in-conference running back likes Ricky Williams, Curtis Martin, and Travis Henry, all 1,000 yard rushers on the year. New England's defining moment was when it stuffed the Indianapolis Colts potent offense on a game-winning goal line stand at Indy during week 13. On top of that, the defense once again rose to the challenge to defeat the same offense in the AFC Championship game. There is no doubt that the Patriots run defense is battled tested, but their pass defense is almost equally impressive. Although not ranked highly in passing yards given up per game, the defensive unit led the AFC in interceptions en route to giving the team the second highest giveaway to takeaway differential (+17). The Panthers offense has been uncharacteristically efficient in the playoffs, however, with Carolina alternating between Stephen Davis' power and DeShaun Foster's finesse in the backfield. New England's opponent, Carolina, is no slouch on defense either. The Panthers held opponents to an average of 295.3 yards per game this season, which places them third in the NFC. The source of Carolina's dominance comes in the form of three of their four down linemen. Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker, and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins accounted for 24 sacks on the season. Against the run, Jenkins and Brentson Buckner's presence should make it tough for Patriots running back Antowain Smith to rush up the middle. The Panthers defensive backs are relatively underrated because they do not have any name brand players. Emerging as their leader is Ricky Manning, Jr., rookie cornerback from UCLA. Overall, the Panthers secondary has been playing out of their minds in the playoffs. Trying to overcome the Carolina secondary will be Brady. The third year starter has been mediocre in the postseason with a 74.6 passing rating. However Carolina will have to be on top of its game to force turnovers because Brady has only thrown one interception in the post-season. On paper the two teams stack up similarly across the board with one big exception -- the kicking game. Panthers' kicker John Kasay has been solid all year, including hitting eight of ten kicks in the playoffs with a long of 52 yards. Kasay is almost automatic from short distance, but definitely can struggle from 50 yards and longer. On the other side of the ball, Adam Vinatieri is a seasoned veteran. Although the kicker has struggled some this season, he is a fan favorite and has been known to win games with his foot. With the two defenses going at each other this Sunday, it wouldn't be surprising if the game came down to Vinatieri or Casey's foot to win the game.

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News

Jumbos scratch out win over Smith

January 29

Good teams find a way to win on the road. Though it did not play up to its full potential, the women's basketball team gutted out a win at Smith College, 68-60, on Tuesday night. The Jumbos now prepare for two NESCAC home games this weekend against Amherst and Trinity. "We have been struggling a little bit to get a flow in our game recently," senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias said. "[Smith] was just a hard environment to play in. It was really dead and quiet. They were a scrappy team and we tended to play down to their level." "It was a good team effort in a tough place to play," coach Carla Berube added. "The way that Smith played took us a little out of our game." Tufts never trailed in the game, but the score was not indicative of the team's performance. "We had trouble taking care of the ball," Christoudias said. "We consider ourselves to be a full court team and, to do that; we need to focus for the full forty minutes." The Jumbos opened the game's scoring with two free throws by Christoudias. Tufts held a 37-29 advantage at half time, but was having trouble converting many of its shots. The team netted just 12 of its 34 first half attempts for a paltry 35.3 shooting percentage. "We have to be able to knock down shots when we're not in Cousens," Berube said. "There were a lot of easy shots that were missed even though we were getting good looks at the hoop." The team also had problems adjusting to Smith's 2-3 zone defensive strategy. "The zone demands that you play smart," Christoudias said. "We need to create more and take care of the ball really well." Tufts came out after half time and continued to distance itself from Smith despite some sloppy play. Midway through the second half, the Jumbos went on a 13-2 scoring run capped by freshman Jenny Muller's three pointer. With a 17-point lead and just under ten minutes remaining in the game, it appeared as if the Jumbos would cruise down the home stretch for the win. Smith, however, clawed its way back to within eight points by the time the final buzzer sounded. "They played hard for the entire 40 minutes," Berube said. "They never stopped and cut into [our lead] by the end. We missed some shots and also had some unforced turnovers towards the end [as well.]" Though the team was not entirely satisfied with its performance, it will use this win as another stepping stone towards this weekend's important NESCAC match-ups. Tufts will square off against rivals Amherst and Trinity in Cousens Gym on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Looking back into the recent past, Tufts has reason to be excited for these coming games. "We're going to be ready," Christoudias said. "The coaches know that and the players know that." Last year, Tufts fell hard to Amherst on the road 63-41. The team shot just 17 percent from the field and came away frustrated with its performance. "Last year was just ridiculous," Christoudias said. "It was a bad game. I think in front of our fans and on our home court, [Amherst] is a very beatable team [this year]. And the fact that it's Amherst means there's definitely going to be some revenge. We are extra ready." "Amherst is kind of an up and down team," Berube said. "We hit them on an upswing last year so we don't know what to expect [this year]. We just have to play our game." In contrast to 2003's Amherst game, the Jumbos handled Trinity last season on the road 80-43. In the ever-changing NESCAC, however, last year could be nothing more than a memory. "The whole [league] is unpredictable," Christoudias said. "We can't pretend anything is going to be easy. We want to follow up a big win against Amherst with a big win against Trinity." In preparation for these two critical games, the squad has been working on its focus as well as practicing against the zone. According to Christoudias, these two aspects will play a large part in Tufts' success this weekend. "The biggest thing is our mental toughness," Christoudias said. "The NESCAC is really competitive and is what really matters; it's what our season is focused [upon.]" "Our goal is to make the NESCAC playoffs," Berube said. "We just want to play well each game and get better."

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News

Turf field to be constructed this summer

January 29

A new synthetic grass fiber field will be installed this summer across from Cousens Gymnasium on the Alumni Fields and should be ready for play by September. The installation of the $1.8 million turf field was made possible by the million dollar donation of John Bello (A'68), the original founder of the SoBe drink company, and his wife Nancy (J'69). An additional $500,000 was raised by an anonymous donation from a parent, and the remainder of the funds will come from the Athletic Board of Overseers. The new field will incorporate state-of-the-art technology that will combine synthetic grass fibers on top of a mixture of sand and rubber, while maintaining the feel of a natural grass field. The key advantage is that the new field will require far less maintenance. "It is very difficult to maintain the quality of our grass fields because of overuse," Director of Athletics Bill Gehling said. "This will greatly help that problem." The new synthetic field will be superior to older Astroturf fields, which are used at several other NESCAC schools. "Astroturf is very playable for field hockey but we feel that the surface we are building will be a major upgrade for field hockey and all of the other field sports that will use it," Gehling said. The field hockey and lacrosse teams will be the primary users of the new field. Players say they are eagerly anticipating the field upgrade. "We've all been rooting for it for a very long time... everyone's ready for it," freshman field hockey player Traci Rittenour said. The new field will not be used exclusively by varsity sports teams. Intramural teams club sports and community organizations will also have the opportunity to play and hold events there. "A major problem we face in trying to increase our intramural offerings for the general student body is lack of field space," Gehling said. "This field will help that problem." The new turf will better train the Jumbos to "play better teams more competitively" Rittenour said. Turf fields allow for quicker passes and a faster-paced game. "It speeds the game up. It's ten times faster than playing on grass," Rittenour said. Junior field hockey and lacrosse player Willow Hagge pointed to the field hockey team's two losses against Bowdoin as evidence that practicing on the new field could help her teams' performance. At home Tufts lost 1-2, and playing on turf at Bowdoin, Tufts lost 6-0. "It wasn't that we were playing any better or worse," Hagge said, "we weren't used to playing on turf." In addition to improved surface conditions, an extra field will mean the availability of extra practice slots. The turf field will also be playable in conditions the old fields were not, which Hagge said will enable the lacrosse team to hold fewer practices inside. "Playing in a smaller space [indoors] is not the same space as the field," Hagge said. "As soon as the temperature gets in the 30s they can plow the field and we can get playing outside." Bello has been an active member of the alumni association, serving on the Athletic Board of Overseers for the past fifteen years. He also gave the inaugural talk of the Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecture Series in October. "Nancy and I feel very good about doing this," Bello said, "and it's not the last thing we'll do, either."

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News

Family, friends remember Vabulas

January 29

Family and friends of Peter Vabulas gathered in Goddard Chapel for a memorial service yesterday evening to share recollections of an intelligent and kind young man who was quiet but made lasting impressions on his friends and teachers. The memorial service was led by University Chaplain Fr. David O'Leary. "Peter was loved, and that love will not die," O'Leary told those gathered in the chapel in the opening prayer. Catholic Chaplain Ann Penick then read the 23rd Psalm. Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Susan Ernst said Dean of the Colleges for Undergraduate Education James Glaser was working to have Vabulas' degree awarded posthumously. "Everyone here expected Peter to be here at Tufts, finishing his studies," Ernst said. "Sadly, he is not." Dean of Students Bruce Reitman thanked those who tried to save Vabulas' life, administering CPR before the paramedics arrived on the scene. "You gave the very best effort anyone could," he told them. Political science professor Vickie Sullivan, Vabulas' advisor and professor for two classes, remembered him as quiet in discussions but always able to impress his fellow students with his insights. Sullivan taught Vabulas in a senior seminar in which he participated as a sophomore. Vabulas had been registered for one of Sullivan's classes this semester. "In his absence, he will be there," she said. Vabulas' friends and co-workers from the gaming store in Davis Square where he worked remembered a friend with an excellent sense of humor, and they told stories about times he left them laughing or joined them in games that lasted for hours. "The man I knew was funny, warm, and caring," his boss said. "His kindness was innate within him," his father, Jerry Vabulas, said. "It wasn't just added afterwards." His parents shared stories about traveling with their son, and letters from elementary and high school teachers who remembered Vabulas' intelligence and kindness. "His life was short, but full," his mother said. "He had a wonderful life." Vabulas' family started a memorial scholarship in his name at his high school in Port Washington, NY, where he had excelled in the Science and Math Olympiads and had been a member of the state champion Academic Decathlon team. The scholarship will go to a student who is deemed "most improved." So far, the family has raised $19,000. To contribute to this fund, checks can be made out to "The Port Washington School District" and marked "In memory of Peter Vabulas." Donations should be sent to: Peter Vabulas Scholarship Fund, c/o Seungwon Vabulas, 56 Soundview Drive, Port Washington,NY 11050.

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News

Carb-cutting phase hits the Hill

January 27

Whether you're a card-carrying member of the freshman-fifteen club, battling a secret addiction to Carmichael's Oreo pies, or are still recovering from Christmas dinner, chances are you have at one point entertained the idea of dieting. You're not alone. With the increasing popularity of low-carbohydrate plans like the Atkins and South Beach diets, the low-carb craze has made its way to college campuses in general -- and "the Hill" in particular. "It's hard to quantify exactly how many students are adhering to the diet," Julie Lampie, Nutrition Marketing Specialist for Dining Services, said. "However, from recent dining hall inventory reports, we know it has some support among students. Bread and dessert consumption is down - in particular, the white bread." Manager for the Campus Center Commons Kevin Chin has noticed a similar shift in consumption trends. "At Jumbo Express, more students are going after the protein power bars, specifically the Odwalla bars," he said. Both the Atkins and South Beach diets rely on similar phase-by-phase plans. According to the Atkins website, the cornerstone of the Atkins philosophy is a four-phase eating plan. Phase one is heavily restrictive of carbs and is focused on immediate weight loss, while phase four allows more leeway and is focused on "lifetime maintenance." The South Beach Diet website claims that its similar three-phase regimen is not low-fat or low-carb, but rather teaches you to rely on the 'right carbs' and 'right fats.' Though such carb-cutting, protein-pushing diets seem to be gaining momentum, nutritionists and health officials from Tufts remain cautious. "We are happy when people are thinking about their health and looking to make good choices," Health Services Director Michelle Bowdler said. "When we get concerned is when people might take it to a degree that's not in their best interest. I advise students to come in [to Health Services] and talk it over with someone before trying any type of extreme food plan." According to Bowdler, such diets may yield rapid weight loss, but they are not necessarily healthy. "To disregard an entire food group and label these foods as 'bad' foods is worrisome to me," Bowdler said. "Students' bodies are still changing and growing, so it's really important to maintain moderation and balance." Health Services Medical Director Margaret Higham added that "the Atkins diet excludes whole grains, fruits and vegetables." As well as eliminating such vital foods, she said, the diet could lead to potential health problems. "You feel bad and often get headaches," Higham said. "Further, without carbohydrates, your body is forced to burn fat, a condition known as ketosis, which increases the acid level in the bloodstream and can overload the kidneys. I have seen college students develop kidney failure." "If you follow the diet strictly, it can be very high in saturated fat because of all the protein consumed," Lampie said. "A diet high in such fat can raise one's risk for coronary disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain forms of cancer." The diet, therefore, is far from perfect where broader health is concerned. "We live in a culture of instant gratification," Higham said. "People want a quick fix, and there isn't one." Despite the health risks, students are willing to try low-carb diets. "You don't have to eat less, which makes it appealing to anybody," senior Carrie Postel said. Sophomore Julia Clark, who is currently on the South Beach Diet, is happy with her results so far. "I love it and feel so much healthier," she said. "I'm so much more health conscious now and know that the South Beach is a legitimate diet that works." Though living on campus has presented some obstacles, Clark says the diet is easy to maintain. "I think there should be more options in the dining halls with better-quality salad bars like the ones in the commons," she said. "Also, Jumbo Express does not carry more than one or two items that are actually healthy for you and aren't loaded with sugar." A senior who wished to remain nameless also tried the South Beach diet, but got mixed results. "I was on the South Beach Diet, and in the first two weeks, I lost five or six pounds," she said. "But then I quit because I felt there was something wrong with completely depriving myself of carbs." Junior Brian Swaim agreed: "I don't think I could last - I like steak and cheese calzones too much," he said. Other students shy away from the diets for non-weight related reasons. "Now that there's mad cow disease and salmon is toxic, what the hell are people supposed to eat?" senior Karen Stern said. "I'm an angry carnivore over here."

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News

Jumbos happy with performance despite only one win

January 27

Despite having only one or two practices to shake off the rust of winter break, the women's fencing team suited up, weapons in hand, for its first conference meet of the season Saturday. The meet, held at Boston College, featured the host Eagles, as well as Tufts, Brown, Smith, Brandeis, and MIT. While the Jumbos managed only one victory -- a solid defeat of Smith -- senior epee captain Talia Alexander said that the squad's results were impressive considering how little preparation time this semester's abnormally late start afforded the team. "Considering that, I think we did amazingly well," Alexander said. Although Tufts lost overall to four of its five competitors, several meets were close. Brown won by the narrow margin of 15-12, and BC slipped by Tufts, 14-13. Several individual bouts were also close, with Tufts coming up short, 5-4 on several occasions. "I think [coming back from break] was a huge factor," Alexander said. "I feel like if we'd had another week of getting back into the rhythm of fencing, we'd have ended up on top of a lot of those 5-4 bouts." Sophomore sabre captain Kat Zouein expressed similar sentiments, citing the lack of recent practices as a likely factor in some costly fatigue towards the end of the day. "Everyone got a little tired at the end, which is explainable because we hadn't been practicing," Zouein said. Overall, though, Zouein said she was pleased with the team's results, and said coach Jason Sachs was "surprised" and satisfied as well. "I think we did better than we expected," Zouein said. "We had some extra practices before the meet so we could get some fencing in, but [the team] didn't come back [to Tufts] early, and because we got back to school a week later this year, we had this conflict with the meet being so soon." Zouein and the rest of the sabre squad -- freshmen Louisa May Zouein and Tiffany Tran -- provided many of Tufts' strongest results, as they defeated every school except their first opponent of the day, MIT. "The first bout of the day we were kind of shaky, but we pulled it together," Kat Zouein said. "After the first bout with MIT, I think we lost only one bout." Tran notched her first career victory in the sabre competition, as did classmate Elisabeth Sibley in the epee division. Rounding out the epee squad was Alexander, along with freshman Katie Muller and sophomore Regan Cerato. Senior foil captain Christina Zahara led her squad -- sophomore Julia Shih and freshmen Lauren Brown and Natalie Grano -- to a relatively successful day that included an exciting sweep of one competitor. "The foil squad did amazingly well. They swept one of the teams and that doesn't usually happen, so that was very exciting," Kat Zouein said. Next weekend, Sachs will keep his team busy, with two competitions scheduled. Sunday, the team will compete in an open non-collegiate event at the Boston Fencing Club, where Tufts' individuals will have the opportunity to face various members of the fencing community in an attempt to gain national ranking. Saturday, the Jumbos will make the short trek over to the Wellesley Invitational, a meet Tufts won the last two years in a row. Other teams traveling to the meet include Vassar and Smith. "This year, we're much more of a beginning team," Alexander said. "So I expect it to be much more difficult to win, but I think we have a fighting chance."

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News

Fighting the Flu

January 27

Winter has arrived in full force, bringing with it arctic weather and everyone's favorite virus, influenza. Commonly known as the flu, influenza is a respiratory disease that affects 10 to 20 percent of the national population each year -- and its effects are no fun. "You feel like you've been run over by a truck," Health Services Medical Director Margaret Higham said. Health Services has been helping students deal with this year's particularly severe flu season: because of their close living arrangements, college students face a greater risk of infection than the general population. Each year, an anti-flu vaccine becomes available in the fall. The vaccine, however, is not 100 percent effective. Doctors from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) make an early determination of which strain of virus will spread worldwide the next year. The selected strain of virus is then grown to make a vaccine, which is tested for effectiveness. If approved, the virus is grown in quantities large enough to vaccinate the U.S. population. This process takes time and is somewhat unreliable. Some strains don't grow that well, and, as it did this year, the CDC sometimes selects the wrong strain. Unfortunately, this year the doctors bet on the wrong team -- the virus strain they selected for the vaccine was not the season's dominant strain. As a result, though this year's vaccine still provides protection, it is not completely effective. Luckily, the vaccine is not the only preventative measure one can take. Higham advises students to wash their hands frequently, avoid sharing beverages, and stay away from sick people -- even roommates and significant others. However, "people are contagious for several days before they really feel the symptoms, so it's really hard to prevent [contraction of the virus]," Higham said. According to Higham, flu symptoms include high fever, headache, body aches, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and fatigue. She suggests that students with these symptoms take Ibuprofen, Aleve, or Tylenol to reduce the fever. Higham encouraged students with a high fever to come to Health Services. "Don't go to class, go to bed," she said. "So many of the kids with flu said, 'Well, I couldn't come to Health Services because I had to write a paper and go to classes,' but they are just spreading it to everyone else." Though there is no cure for the flu, there is some hope for those who contract the virus. New antiviral drugs, if taken within 48 hours of the first sign of symptoms, can reduce the duration of the illness and possibly decrease the chance of serious complications. One of the better known versions of this drug is Tamiflu. According to the drug's website, Tamiflu prevents the virus's spread from cell to cell. Clearly, time is of the essence: if the virus has already spread to many cells, the drug is relatively ineffective. Last semester, freshman Alex Liveris did not have time on her side. Liveris contracted the flu during finals and ended up in the hospital with a 104 degree fever. "I hurt so badly I couldn't stop crying," she said. By the time she decided to go to the hospital, it was too late for the medicine to work effectively. The doctor told Liveris that she had already been through the worst part of her illness. When Liveris initially went to Health Services with her symptoms, she was not tested for the flu. "If that had been done before I admitted myself to the hospital, that would have saved me a lot of pain," she said. However, Higham said that antiviral drugs are not necessarily a quick fix. An antiviral does not work "like you would think taking a drug for an illness would usually work," she said, adding that "we don't think it makes you less contagious." According to the Tamiflu website, in two large clinical trials patients who took Tamiflu felt better 1.3 days faster than patients who did not take the drug. The length of each person's illness varies, however, so shorter durations of the flu are not necessarily linked to the drug. "Usually people with the flu have a fever for five to seven days," Higham said. The medicines can also have some side effects, most commonly nausea and vomiting. Before taking an anti-flu drug, then, students should factor the potential adverse effects into their decision. "You have to weigh for yourself what the downsides and the benefits are," Highman said.

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News

Men bounce back, beat Brandeis

January 27

Battling back from Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Bates at the buzzer, the men's basketball team gutted out a 67-57 win over the visiting Brandeis Judges last night at Cousens Gymnasium. Led by senior co-captain Deyvehn East, the Jumbos held off Brandeis to earn their fifth win of the season. "We didn't fold," coach Bob Sheldon said. "We just fought through it and in crunch time, we were more of a team than they were." The Jumbos came out with victory on the mind against the 10-5 Judges. Revenge was also a factor as Tufts fell to Brandeis 72-70 last year on the road. Tufts led through most of the first half, but never completely slammed the door on the Judges. Despite two crowd-pleasing ally-oops from East fed by junior guard Andrew Kaklamanos, Brandeis managed to stay within striking distance. "It was the same as in the beginning of the year," Sheldon said. "We let down some and they had some nice three's." Brandies tied the score at 30 with 1:04 left and then went ahead on a long three point shot from the right side with 20 seconds to go in the first half. Looking dazed and frustrated, the Jumbos retreated to the locker room at the intermission down 33-30. After 15 minutes of rest and a motivational speech from senior co-captain Eric Mack, the Jumbos came out ready to win in the second half. Brandeis, however, had no intention of relinquishing its lead. With a tight zone defense and full court press, the Judges kept Tufts away from the hoop. Brandeis scored four straight points to open the half taking a seven point lead and forcing the Jumbos to call a timeout. With the clock stopped, Sheldon changed his game plan. "I told them to get off the dribble and pass more," Sheldon said. "We wanted to get the ball inside more. That opened up [East's] game a lot." The time out was all Tufts needed to rekindle its intensity. Though they trailed by five points, the Jumbos began to play like a team with a mission. "We got going and [got] focused," East said. "We expected and needed this win." Tufts out rebounded, out shot and, most importantly, outscored Brandeis in the second 20 minutes. East provided the needed momentum with 12 points and eight rebounds adding to his game totals of 23 points and eleven boards. Sophomore Dan Martin came up with ten points in the second half and brought down eight rebounds as well. The true turn-around came with Tufts down by two, 39-37, and fifteen minutes remaining in the game. East passed the ball over the Brandeis defense to the leaping Martin. The airborne sophomore slammed the ball through the net with the third ally-oop of the game tying the score at 39. "Sometimes we try to make energizing plays to get everyone a little more excited," East said. The play woke the sleepy crowd and gave Tufts the necessary boost. The Judges sunk back on their heels and allowed the Jumbos to steal the ball and take the lead, 41-39, at the 13:40 mark. Tufts then went on a 17-4 run highlighted by East's two big three's and a sequence in which the co-captain came down with an offensive rebound, ran to the other end of the court for a defensive board, and then put in a lay-up. Tufts' defense held firm allowing 24 points, but keeping the Judges from taking easy shots and driving to the basket. The fast pace of the game played into Tufts' hands forcing the Judges to commit the fouls that padded the Jumbos' lead. With five converted foul shots serving as its last five points, Tufts ran out the clock, holding on to a 67-57 win. "We have been working hard," Sheldon said. "We dug in and got the win. It was nice to be happy and proud." The Jumbos moved to 5-11 on the season and will gear up this week in practice for a tough NESCAC weekend on the road at Amherst and Trinity. "Going back into NESCAC, it's nice to go out of the league and get a win," Sheldon said. The Jumbos will work on fine-tuning all they can in practice leading up to this Friday and Saturday's league match-ups. "We'll go over our offense and make it a little smoother," East said. "We'll also run a little bit and get into better shape."

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News

The culture option proposal is a move in the right direction

January 27

For the past three years, the student-driven Asian American Curriculum Transformation Project (AACT) has been fighting for the incorporation of Asian American Studies into the curriculum at Tufts University. Currently, Tufts offers only three Asian American Studies courses, all of which are taught by part-time, non-tenure track faculty. Tufts has no tenured or tenure track Asian American Studies professors. In the past, AACT has brought speakers such as Helen Zia and Ronald Takaki to campus. We have also been successful in securing a joint search between the English Department and the American Studies Program for an Asian American Literature professor. Unfortunately, however, the search committee did not find a suitable candidate, and no professor was hired for the proposed position. More recently, AACT has been actively working toward revising the inconsistencies regarding the exclusion of Asian American and Latino/a courses within the Culture Option Requirement. We were pleased to learn that on January 23rd, the Arts and Sciences Curricula Committee drafted a Proposal that would change the Foreign Language Requirement and Culture Option of the Liberal Arts Foundation Requirements in two phases. The full proposal can be viewed online at ase.tufts.edu/faculty-meetings/as/1-28-04/main.htm. Phase I of the Culture Option Proposal is a temporary solution that recognizes and remedies the historical oversight of omitting Asian American and Latino/a courses from the Culture Option. By rewording the current Culture Option in the Bulletin to include Asian American and Latino/a, parity would be achieved and would allow these areas of study to fulfill the Culture Option. Phase I of the proposal would last until the spring of 2006 and would apply to graduating classes through the spring of 2008. At this point, Phase II would be implemented. For us, the efforts of the Curricula Committee signal a move towards the recognition and inclusion of Asian American and Latino/a Studies in the Tufts Curriculum. While we are pleased with Phase I of the proposal, Phase II presents new concerns for us. Although AACT has been working towards an improved Tufts curriculum, our efforts have thus far been hampered by the lack of a decision making process that is transparent to members of the student body. Phase II of the proposal will continue the work of addressing "the major issues concerning intellectual inadequacies of the Foundation Requirements." Phase II would establish an ad-hoc committee that would be responsible for creating new or revised requirements to replace the existing Foreign Language, Culture Option, and World Civilization components of the Foundation Requirements. If the proposal passes, Phase II should, from the outset, be transparent to the Tufts student body. Students should have the opportunity to take part in the development and decision-making process of the revised requirement, in which students will have a vested interest. The faculty should incorporate students as members of the Committee or create an advisory panel consisting of students in Phase II of the aforementioned proposal, so that we can come to a lasting solution that will enhance the Tufts Community as a whole. In order to truly stimulate an intellectual atmosphere, it is necessary for students to be involved in the formulation and implementation of Phase II of this proposal. Efforts of student organizations invested in curriculum development at Tufts deserve recognition. We hope that Phase II would continue to move in the direction of incorporating Asian American and Latino/a Studies courses as part of a greater movement to provide students with a more complete Tufts education. All members involved in the implementation of both Phases I and II of the Culture Option Proposal ought to re-examine the recommendation made by the 1998 Task Force on Race to create an American Race and Culture requirement. We hope the Committee would engage in discussions that will introduce a range of visions into the process and look forward to working with faculty on future endeavors towards curriculum development. Thomas Chen is a senior majoring in American Studies.

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News Briefs

January 27

Former Enron Finance Chief, Tufts Alum takes plea Former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow (LA '83) and wife, Lea Weingarten Fastow (LA '83), entered a guilty plea at a federal courthouse in Houston last week, confessing to their involvement. The couple, who met during a tour of the University in their freshman year, arranged a plea that would ensure one parent could be home with their two young children. Mr. Fastow, who graduated magna cum laude from Tufts with a degree in Chinese and economics, admitted to two counts of conspiracy to fraud, and will serve a ten-year prison sentence. Lea Fastow, who had a six-year career at Enron before leaving to raise her children, plead guilty to a charge of falsifying tax forms. She will serve a five-month sentence, five months of house arrest and a year of supervised release. Information provided by Fastow has already led to the indictment of former Enron accounting chief, Richard Causey. He is the highest ranking Enron official to take a plea bargain so far. Prosecutors hope that information provided by the Fastows may lead them to indictments against former chairman Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling. Both maintain their innocence. Tufts ranks high on Peace Corps list again Tufts ranked 5th on the list of "Top Producing Colleges and Universities" for Peace Corps volunteers in 2004. Twenty-six alumni entered the program, up from last year's count (23). The University of Chicago displaced Tufts from its 2003 1st place ranking with 34 participants. Among small schools (under 5,000 undergraduates), The University of Puget Sound, Dartmouth College, and Grinnell College also ranked in the top 5. Nationwide, interest and participation in the Peace Corps is growing. In 2003 the top 5 schools in each category sent an average of 15% more alumni than in 2003. The Peace Corps has 7,533 volunteers serving throughout the world, a high since 1974. A total of 461 Jumbos have participated since the program's inception in 1961. "Tufts sends a large number of students to the Peace Corps because it is able to foster an environment where the values of service to others and international spirit are constantly being absorbed," said Jean Papalia of the Career Services Office. "Since we have such a strong commitment to the international perspective and service, it is not surprising that Tufts has a large number of volunteers in the Peace Corps." Tufts senior skates to bronze at Nationals Tufts senior David Mitchell along with his partner Loren Galler-Rabinowitz finished 3rd at the US National Skating Championships, highlighting the pair's rise into the ranks of ice dancing elite. Previously, the pair won the 2000 Novice National Title and a 2002 Junior National title. In light of the latest victory, the two will serve as alternates for the World Championships and have set their sights on a spot on the US Olympic team. Both members of the pair have also studied full-time during the intense training required for high levels of the sport, an impressive undertaking. "The balance and rigor of doing all we do forces great efficiency", Mitchell told the Brookline TAB. After his graduation in May, Mitchell plans to devote himself full-time to his skating career. -compiled by Katharine Schmidt

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While you were freezing at home, the NHL heats up

January 27

When I wrote last, the NHL season was not even half over. But after a long winter break full of professional hockey, teams are officially gearing up for the playoffs -- most with only about 30 games left. For some teams (the Penguins, Capitals, Blackhawks and Bluejackets come to mind), it is become painstakingly clear that this was just not their year and any hope for playoff success will have to be deferred to next season (if there is a next season). For most other teams though, the season is just now heating up -- the last playoff spot in both conferences will undoubtedly come down to the final week of the season while the rest of the playoff-bound teams jockey for position. The hottest team over the break was indisputably the Ottawa Senators (64 points). After prophetically calling for their rise to prominence in my last article, the Sens have heeded the call by earning 32 points in their last 20 games. Suddenly, the team that earlier in the season was last in their division is vying for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Its biggest boost came around Christmas time during which the team went undefeated for 11 games, winning nine and tying two. There's no real secret to the Senators strategy - offense is the name of their game. They lead the league in total goals scored at 167, roughly 3.4 a game. The surprising thing about the Senators is its equally strong defense this year. They're second in the league in total goals against with 102 (that's a 2.1 team goals against average for those scoring at home). Additionally, Ottawa is one of only two teams in the league to have an astounding ten players with ten or more goals (the Colorado Avalanche is the other). Leading their charge has been 22-year old Martin Havlat. The skilled winger has scored eight of his 15 total goals in the month of January alone (reminder: it's still January). Ottawa's success seems to be an aspect of a greater trend - Canadian teams are competing again, maybe even for the Cup. If the season ended today, five of the six Canadian teams would make the playoffs (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with Edmonton the only disappointment). One such Canadian success story is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs (65 points). The Leafs are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the lead of the Eastern Conference thanks in large part to the play of veteran goalie Ed Belfour. On Monday, Belfour was named NHL Defensive Player of the Week after winning all three of his team's games while giving up only three total goals and saving 95.2% of shots faced. Belfour's most recent victory on Saturday marked his 423rd career win, tying him with Tony Espositio for fourth place on the career victory list. In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks (61 points) have made some serious waves. Predicted by most to flounder in the bottom of the standings, the no-name Sharks have made a surprising surge to the top of the Pacific Division (for yet another example of this reporter's trend-predicting prowess, see "Inside the NHL" from 12/3/03). Since the Tufts winter break officially began on Dec. 19, the Sharks are 13-3-1-1. In one week alone, this Silicon Valley squad beat the conference-leading Colorado Avalanche (66 points), Detroit Red Wings (65 points) and Vancouver Canucks (63 points). In off-ice news, All-Star Jaromir Jagr is now a New York Ranger, traded from the Washington Capitals on Friday. In return, the Capitals got forward Anson Carter and much needed financial wiggle room by unloading a good bulk of the largest player contract in the league (according to reports, Washington will have to pay between $16 and $18 million of Jagr's remaining $44 million salary over the next four seasons). The Capitals were surely disappointed with Jagr's contributions on the ice during his two and a half year stint with the team. Though he scored a respectable 83 goals during his career in D.C., his numbers were no where near those we had been putting up in Pittsburgh. Though Jagr's first game as a Ranger was an embarrassing 9-1 loss to Ottawa, he was sure not to disappoint the New Yorkers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, where he scored three points in the Rangers' 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Ultimately though, this deal was about money and, as Washington owner Ted Leonsis describes it, the "new economic reality" of a league facing a daunting lockout next season, during which teams could begin losing money at an alarming rate.

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News

Reality TV reaches for new material

January 27

The scene: a network programming board room. Executive #1: Okay...I've got a good one. Stop me if you've heard this before...Ok, so we put sixteen normal looking guys, maybe we could call them "Average Joes," on a tropical resort and set them up with a gorgeous woman. Then...as a twist, we put muscular cyborg male underwear models up against the average dudes, and then act surprised when our own 'bachelorette' picks the stud. Executive #2: Ooh! Ooh! Speaking of Bachelorettes....let's make a show all about how this one girl, who was spurned on an earlier reality show, gets to pick a guy to stay with forever and ever. Or two weeks. But at least we can plan a wedding for them, and air that too! Executive #1: Ah...wait, one last great idea. So we put a washed-up 80s pop star (is Tiffany available?) and a couple of record producers at a table, and have them judge people's singing skills and laugh when the singers are really bad. Then people in the audience pay money to vote on who they think the best singer is. Then we own that singer's soul for a few years in exchange for a few months of fame. Executive #2: Um...these have all been done before? No problem, we'll just provide second-rate reincarnations of all these shows and the public will eat it up just as they did for the first few. End Scene. This is the sad, sad state of television today. Viewers are tortured with Average Joe 2, another version of The Bachelorette, American Idol 3, the millionth Real World and a contrived "couples" version of Fear Factor. And as sequels tend to be, all are vastly inferior to previous manifestation of the same program. Usually, with shows like Survivor, producers try to mix things up and offer new reasons for viewers to watch. However, now, they have gotten lazy and are merely throwing up clones, hoping that these same viewers will find it just as attractive. It's no surprise then that the two latest successes in the reality television world are based on original and ingenious concepts. The Apprentice and My Big Fat Obnoxious Fianc?© are both fantastic examples of the enrapturing push and pull dichotomy that has become characteristic of reality television. NBC's The Apprentice, also known as the "Donald Trump Vanity Hour," is a wonderful venture into the marriage of television and business. In essence, the show consists of watching numerous Type-A personalities fight amongst themselves to decide who will be the last one to hear the Donald's now infamous phrase, "You're fired." At times, the crabs in-a -bucket imagery can be tiring, but with characters like the now laid-off Sam and the soon to be pissed-off Omarosa, the show's formula works. Each week, the all-female Team Prot?©g?© (groan...how unoriginal, thanks for nothing ladies) squares off against the all-male Team Versacorp (because they are... versatile) in a competition based on the mandatory skills to be successful in the business world. The losing team must face Donald in his board room, where one member gets the axe. The last one standing wins an apprenticeship with none other than the real estate mogul himself. As it now stands, Team Versacorp has lost three in a row, mostly thanks to an incorrigible twit, Sam. He is essentially every group project's worst nightmare, as he thinks ten square miles outside the box and can't be reined back in. It will be interesting to see how the guys fare now that their weekly scapegoat has been sent away. With the men's competition beginning to unravel, the eight catty and aggressive women can only go so far before decapitating one of their own. Watch for the aforementioned Omarosa Manigult-Stallworth to steal the spotlight as she makes enemies with the snap of a finger. My Big Fat Obnoxious Fianc?© has all that is wrong (read: all that is right) about reality television. Enter Randi, a beautiful, stunning doe who is about to get stuck in the proverbial headlights. She agrees to the following proposition: convince her family that she has been on a reality series, found the love of her life, will marry him in twelve days, and must ensure that her father, mother, and siblings attend the wedding. In return, she gets half a million dollars. The catch? Her fianc?©e is, well, big, fat and obnoxious. He's Tommy Boy without the charm; Billy Madison with an extra few hundred pounds. Played by an actor, "Steve" is the whipped cream on this sundae. He is hysterically immature, making Randi's mission even more difficult. The show is bound to become even more irresistible as Steve gets to "Meet the Parents." It's not just a game any more, Focker, it's reality. Kind of.

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News

Jumbos go 3-0 returning from break

January 27

Men's Squash showed no rust coming back into action, going undefeated in their first week back in Medford. The Jumbos first defeated the University of California-Berkeley 6-3 on Saturday at home, then traveled to Vassar the next morning to defeat Vassar 8-1 and Columbia 7-2. Coach Doug Eng said he was happy with the performance of his team in the three matches. "We wanted to start the second half of the season out with a bang, and I feel we did," Eng said. The Jumbos knew that Vassar had given them trouble in the past, but they were ready for them this time. "Vassar has a winning record against us because we always travel out there to play," Eng said. "It's a four hour trip and sometimes we are a bit sluggish when we play them, but we handled it pretty well." Sophomore Spencer Maxwell did his job at the number one position, winning in 4 games (9-7, 4-9, 9-2, 9-0). Sophomore Tom Keidel and Kolasinski did not lose a game as both posted victories at the number two and three positions respectively. Sophomore Pranav Tripathi lost a hard fought match at the number four position (5-9, 10-8, 4-9, 9-5, 9-6). Sophomore Dan Karlin also was defeated at the number five position in three games, while senior Alex Busse won easily at number six. "The Vassar match was really impressive, just a lot of solid play," Kolasinski said. The strong early play might have been helped by half of the team training in Montreal during the break, practicing three or four hours a day to keep sharp. The trip may have provided a boost to the team chemistry as well. "People came back from the Montreal trip in very good form," Eng said. "I think they got to know each other better and the team in general is hitting extremely well right now." "We got some real good training on the Montreal trip and I think it helped us a lot," senior co-captain Jordan Kolasinski added. Part of the reason Tufts was so strong against Vassar was because of its match earlier in the day against Columbia which helped to loosen the team up. The Jumbos were a bit sluggish at first, arriving just before the game, but the squad posted solid results by the end of the day. Maxwell won easily at the first position while Keidel lost a tough five-gamer (6-9, 8-10, 9-6, 9-1, 9-6). Kolasinski was defeated with relative ease at the number three position, but Eng was happy with his co-captain's play. "The kid Jordan played probably played better than any of the other kids for Columbia that day. We were capable of winning the second match, but Jordan's would have been tough to pull off," Eng said. The lower part of the Tufts lineup continued its strong play, as numbers four through nine were all victorious. At the six position, Busse managed to pull off a win in five games (5-9, 9-7, 9-2, 6-9, 9-6). Curren won in four games at the nine spot, and the rest of the Jumbos (Tripathi, Karlin, Goldberg, and Linz) all won without dropping a game. In the match against Berkeley, the team dropped the top three matches, but they came back to win the bottom six. "They had a real good top three, but we have a real deep team and that is a key for us," Kolasinski said. None of the lower six Tufts players even lost a game, dominating their opponents with relative ease. Linz only lost one point at number seven. Curren only lost two points at number eight, and Wong only lost three points at the ninth position. "We were very sharp against Berkeley," Eng said. The most daunting challenge for the Jumbos in that match was at the number one position where Maxwell faced Hakan Borgstrom, formerly Sweden's number one ranked junior player. Maxwell knew he was going to face a talented opponent beforehand. "I had seen some of his results and they were very impressive so I knew what I was up against," Maxwell said. "His shots were phenomenal." The top Jumbo ended up losing 2-9, 1-9, 0-9, but Maxwell took the loss in stride. "There's a lot of losing involved in getting better so I'll learn from it. I played better on Sunday," he said. Even with its strong performance over the weekend, Tufts is looking to improve. "I still think we can play a little smarter," Eng said. "We don't need to hit special shots, we just need to stay focused and play within ourselves. After Fordham and Hamilton things get a lot tougher so we need to be very disciplined."

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Made in Mexico is a harsh reality

January 27

Teresa Margolles has gained recognition within the art community for her use of shocking, often violent, installation pieces that depict the misery and destruction of modern life in her native country, Mexico. The work of this artist often deals explicitly with death and, more specifically, with those whose lives were lost as a result of the drug war. Margolles bombards her viewers with intensely symbolic and emotionally charged messages by using arresting devices such as body parts, morgue equipment (sometimes "clandestinely" obtained), and illegal drugs in her work. In one of her exhibits, Margolles used laminated photos of those who died in the drug war to cut cocaine -- in cocaine bought using a $5,000 government grant. Given Margolles' painfully blunt and candid method of handling the subject matter of death, it may sound as though she does not respect the sanctity of the dead. However, the truth is not that simple. When asked if she believes in life after death, Margolles replies that she hopes there isn't, because "it would be a really frightening thing." She would allow her own body to be used for art only if she were assassinated as only then would her death say anything significant about life and violence. She doesn't believe her pieces are disrespectful, because "when you die, your body doesn't matter to you anymore." Margolles's often morose works aim to remind people of the universality of death and violence. For one piece, she dug up a 36-meter section of sidewalk for one day and invited people to toss in any small, otherwise meaningless tokens or mementos that belonged to their deceased loved ones. She then resealed the sidewalk, preserving their memories beneath a layer of pavement. Margolles pointed out that although much can be learnt about people through their possessions, everyone loses their identity once they die. Contemporary social problems in Mexico often lend inspiration to Margolles' work. In a country where burial sites are expensive, one of Margolles' friends who could not afford a grave for her miscarried child gave Margolles the child and asked her to "do something with it." In response to her friend's grief, Margolles created a "portable casket" and interred the body of the child in a block of cement. Since the body is completely indistinguishable as any specific child, the piece signifies the commonness of the particular experience of pain and frustration in losing a child. Margolles often seems eerily disconnected from the gruesomeness of her pieces and is able to talks candidly about her work. In one contentious piece, she made a deal with a mother to pay the burial costs for a 17-year-old boy who had been killed if she could keep a body part. She ended up with his tongue, which she displayed in shows. She admits that she had really wanted to ask for his penis but realized that request probably would not have been granted. Anyone going to see an exhibit of Margolles's work can expect to be confronted with and challenged by the undisguised reality of the results of violence. Perhaps she could make her point in a less abrasive way, but would she still be able to force you admit to yourself the ugly realities of life and death? Margolles herself puts it best: "After this, what can you really say about art? Anything after this is just entertainment."

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Why study abroad?

January 27

I was in Blackwell's Book Shop on Broad St. in Oxford, England the other day, looking at the New York Times atlas of the world, and dreaming up exotic destinations for the holiday between the second and third terms, called Hilary and Trinity, in Oxford. I am here for the entire academic year on a non-Tufts program through Butler University. Since the application deadline for Tufts programs abroad is February 1, I am writing to share my experiences, convey the joys of a year abroad generally, and aid any sophomores deliberating on the issue. Surely you know about the invaluable experience of international travel by expanding your horizons, living in a new culture, meeting new people, encountering new ideas and perspectives, and speaking a different language. (Side note: you learn that American English is different from what Brits call "proper" English after nodding your way through a conversation "yeah, yeah" with kids from the north of England or, worse, Scotland.) On the other hand, understandably, you might not want to miss time at Tufts. Tufts is a great school with wonderful people and a lot to offer. Then again, you might not want to miss your chance to study abroad. I remember sitting down in Dean Herbert's office in the spring of 2003 with a growing desire to travel abroad but without a clue as to where I wanted to go. I left the meeting with the decision to go to Talloires for a summer and to try England for the year. She reassured me that there was no such thing as too much time abroad. The first step then is to talk to Dean Herbert. In case she's booked, think about: 1. Where do you want to go? One of my favorite things about Tufts is that their first recommendation before you even arrive on campus is that you get a passport. During freshman orientation they give you that little book of all the countries in the world. Tufts delivers the Times to the dorms to keep you abreast of international news. Then Tufts opens the doors to let you explore the world through its own programs in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Chile and a place in Germany that I can't even pronounce. Dowling Hall houses a study abroad library with maps, books, computers, program evaluations and even students waiting to help. They hold (mandatory) information sessions as well. This is why nearly 40 percent of the Junior class spends at least one semester abroad and why one of our mottos is "Training the next generation of global leaders." Tufts makes it so easy. They do almost everything but sign your leave of absence form. 2. Why? Think about what you want to get out of the experience. Are you going for a different cultural, language or academic experience or do you just need to get out of Medford for a bit and Somerville doesn't exactly whet your appetite? There are many reasons to study abroad you won't discover until you arrive. For me, I have found a remarkably steep new learning curve. I am learning about what it means to be British but surprisingly more about what it means to be American. 3. How long do you want to go for?Summer, semester or year. I'm biased, but be selfish. Go for the whole year. When you think about it, a year isn't that long. It's long enough to get to know a country and its people-or more likely just one city and a few new friends. 4. What about friends?family? pets? No, you can't bring your roommate or your goldfish with you. Studying abroad should be a personal experience. This is my Kantian theory of study abroad: Kant said we cannot know the thing-in-itself, which is free from the forms of time, space and causality. In a way, studying abroad strips you of these forms. Adapting to a new environment forces you to adjust to a new schedule or pace of life. The space around you is different. People in a new culture will react to you differently-and often just don't get the American sense of humor. Time, space and causality are not removed permanently, but altered. You are all alone, disoriented in a foreign country. What you find is the thing-in-itself because you are the thing-in-itself. Here you discover your most fundamental desires, thoughts and values. This is the time to do your clearest thinking, when it is only you and all that you believe in, when you are all by yourself in Prague, Dubai or Beijing trying to order a hamburger by mooing at the waiter. As for friends, real friends are like family and will always be there for you. If one of my friends, Andrew (LA 06), studies abroad all next year, we will probably never see each other again in the same every-day context of living in Miller two floors apart. But I'm not worried. Andrew, you are one of my best friends. I love you, buddy. 5. Who should go abroad? You should go abroad. That being said, going abroad is a personal choice and obviously not right for everyone. If you are interested, investigate your opportunities. The world is a big place. Looking through the atlas in Blackwell's, it took me 20 minutes just to thumb through China. I think college is the best time of our lives because now is the time when we are more free than we have ever been and more free than we ever will be again. Go study abroad. I'm glad I did. Noah Trugman, junior majoring in philosophy, is currently studying abroad at Oxford University.

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News

New bus service to Boston will begin trial run

January 27

Tufts administration and the TCU Senate have nearly completed plans to begin a new shuttle route into downtown Boston. Director of Public and Environmental Safety John King and Dean of Students Bruce Reitman met with Senators Jeff Katzin and Josh Belkin Monday to run through the final logistics. Students seem optimistic that the bus to Boston will allow the chance to enjoy the city after the Red Line closes in the evenings. "I think it will cut down on drinking on campus with easier access to alternate opportunities for entertainment in Boston," Freshman Stephanie Mayer said. The new bus service will begin with a four-week trial run. "We're aiming for Feb. 6 but it may take three weeks," Katzin said, citing legal concerns over bus insurance. During the first four weeks, the shuttle will run on both Friday and Saturday night, beginning service at 9 p.m. at the Campus Center. The buses will run every hour on the hour until 3 a.m. Vocell Bus Company will operate the downtown Boston bus route. Tentative stop locations have been planned for Kenmore Square and the Boylston T-stop. The shuttle into Davis Square is run by Joseph's Transportation. King sees a particular weakness in the planned locations of bus stops. "There's one pickup on MBTA property that I hope we don't have any conflict with," King said. "I understand the locations [Boylston and Kenmore Square] are clearly more popular, but I'm not sure we can pick up on MBTA property." King says that guest use of the bus will be strict. "Up front it's just going to be Tufts students. Dean Reitman was concerned some people [who are not Tufts students] would take advantage of free transportation," Katzin said. "Technically the students are paying for [the transport] with the student activities fee." The Senate will consider producing guest passes if there is sufficient objection to the Tufts-only rule during the trial run. The administration also addressed concerns about unruly behavior. "If people are intoxicated or disorderly the driver can refuse a ride," said Katzin. "But that's the same rule as MBTA buses." Currently, students who choose to stay out past 12:30 am without a car find themselves facing an expensive cab ride back to Tufts. The Vocell-operated bus will be the first regular shuttle into the city from Tufts, though it is not the first transport to Boston that has been proposed. "It's been talked about but it's never materialized, I don't know why," King said. The shuttle service will cost the University $350 per evening and $2,800 over the four-week trial-period. King said that it is hard to foresee how the trial will turn out. However, according to Katzin, "if there are no problems we have every intention to continue the service."

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