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Y'all can thank the South for Krispy Kreme

October 15

The dreams of Dixieland are alive and well in the one place they shouldn't be: Massachusetts, the birthplace of the American Revolution, the home of our greatest patriots, and the heart of the Dunkin' Donuts franchise. They come in the form of Krispy Kreme, the North Carolina-based chain and makers of the glorious, round, scrumptious fried pieces of dough. This past summer, the South finally fulfilled its Civil War destiny, at least in a culinary sense, by implanting the first Krispy Kreme in what has long been Dunkin' Donuts territory. The third franchise in larger New England, this doughnut shop is in prime location for Tufts students. Snugly tucked next to the Wellington T stop off of Rte. 16, between the Tufts campus and Target, Krispy Kreme is just close enough for that midnight attack of the munchies. In 1933, Vernon Carver Rudolph bought a doughnut shop in Paducah, Ky. -- replete with a secret recipe for a yeast-raised doughnut. Four years later, he established the first Krispy Kreme in Winston-Salem, NC with only $25 in his pocket. Customers continued to ask for their desserts hot and fresh, and the genius behind the franchise was born. There is the original, classic, glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut. Then there is the doughnut fresh off the conveyer belt. Warm to the touch, like a piece of freshly baked apple pie and gooey with tenderness incomparable to any other pastry; it is a masterpiece waiting to please the palate. Customers can watch the progression of the shaped dough as it moves through the Rube Goldberg-esque mechanism. After the doughnut lies on a shelf, moving up and down, changing shape from a thin, wide mouthed circle to a plump, raised, holey oval, it is flopped into a bed of hot frying oil. Moving along the track, the doughnut is flipped over -- so as to fry the other side -- revealing a deep brown that serves to recall memories of the tasty carnival funnel cake. Then -- and this is the best part -- the doughnuts are rolled through a solid sheet of hot glaze, millions of calories passing by the eyes in seconds. Finally, the doughnut finds its way to your mouth. But then there's the hitch: you can't have just one. The trademarked red neon sign that blazes "HOT AND FRESH" above the cars on Rte. 16 is like the deep sea angler fish in Finding Nemo with the light above its head, attracting its prey from afar. There are 200 calories in an original glazed doughnut, 110 of which are fat calories. Eating one will provide you with 18 percent of the recommended daily value of total fat. And as was said before, you can't eat just one. As sophomore Andrew Chira, a self-professed Krispy Kreme lover, claims, "the glazed doughnuts are basically pure fat and I can feel my arteries clog and the beginnings of a heart attack before I even eat them... in other words 'doughnut heaven.'" Health risks aside, there is an even greater ramification in the arrival of Krispy Kreme to Medford: the fate of the much-beloved Dunkin' Donuts. If Krispy Kreme, with its free samples and bright eating area, is the epitome of the hospitable and friendly Southerner, than Dunkin' Donuts is the epitome of the Masshole, the angry aggressive Boston driver who'll give you what you want without any bells or whistles. The latter will always be reliable to give you fast service, perhaps with a smile. Some students who hail from the Boston area maintain their loyalty to "Dunkies." "Dunkies is a vital part of my morning," says junior Lexi Shuman. "It's part of Boston pride... I love walking down the street and knowing at any given corner I can get my medium iced coffee with milk and sugar." There is a certain element of the "Krispy Kreme experience" that Dunkin Donuts cannot hold a candle to. Watching the fresh doughnuts roll of the conveyer belt, sitting in the brightly lit, welcoming dining area, and wearing the special paper hat that came out of an Edward Hopper painting -- it is like a free show that fills your stomach with sugary goodness. The South can keep NASCAR, Piggly Wiggly, and its Waffle House, but remind yourself, when gorging down a "HOT and FRESH" glazed doughnut, to thank them for Krispy Kreme.

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News

The 2004 dictionaries are out

October 15

Unlike the messy, unweeded garden that is the English language, the French language is much like the French park: it is carefully groomed by a team of caretakers, it remains decorative beyond practicality, and there are places where it is absolutely forbidden to go. It is therefore always a source of interest to see what new words and phrases are added each year to the two leading French dictionaries, the Robert and the Petit Larousse. This year's crop of French neologisms, reflecting international preoccupations such as terrorism and the Internet, have the honor to be counted among the just 100,000 words that make up the French language. (There are more than 500,000 words in the English language.) The Robert dictionary seems particularly concerned about recent world events. There are new French words related to biological weapons (anthrax, fi??vres h?©morragiques), chemical weapons (agent innervant - nerve gas), and other weapons of mass destruction (armes de destruction massive and bouclier antimissile, or missile defense shield). Many of the words are recognizable from the war with Iraq, though it seems strange that "missile defense shield" is just now entering the lexicon. During the Reagan era, did the French simply call it Star Wars as well? The French are also great borrowers of words, especially from English, as anyone who has visited France for even un week-end can tell. There is a government-backed effort to fight this, however, which has resulted in stringent laws against the number of non-French words that can appear on a billboard and the number of non-French songs that can be played on the radio. These rules occasionally lead to absurdities like the menus at French McDonald's, where one can order un hamburger but not un cheeseburger. Customers desiring the latter must order un hamburger avec une tranche de fromage (a hamburger with a slice of cheese). Still, foreign words will inevitably creep into any language that has contact with other cultures. France has therefore adopted a Quebecois word to describe junk e-mail, one that is perhaps even better than our word spam. The word is a combination of the French words for rotten (pourri) and e-mail (courriel): pourriel. Another borrowed word, one that is particularly interesting for Anglophones, comes from the Antilles: djobeur. Pronounced phonetically, the word reveals its meaning: a person who takes on short, informal jobs: a day-jobber. Other new words in the Petit Larousse are direct translations from words familiar to Americans: ?©tat voyou (rouge state) and d?©linquance au col blanc (white-collar crime). Of course, the inclusion of these words in the Petit Larousse and the Robert signifies their acceptance into the popular, not the official, lexicon. Not all of these words will pass the scrutiny of the true gatekeepers of the French language, the members of the French Academy (Acad?©mie Fran?§aise). This illustrious group consists of 40 members of France's academic super-elite who are known as the "Immortals" (a nod to the motto on their seal, A l'immortalit?©, not to their egos). Founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, the Academy originally served as a kind of aristocrats' club that benefited from a veneer of intellectualism. "The Academy consists very largely of people of high breeding," explained one Louis XIV-era member. "But we have to allow for a certain number of men of letters-if only to get on with the Dictionary, for they show an assiduity in that respect which could not be expected of people like ourselves." The Dictionary is indeed an important task of the now-legitimately intellectual Academy. They continue to show "assiduity" in their task of updating the official dictionary of the French language, though certainly not efficiency or rapidity: their pace would embarrass an escargot. In 2000, they came out with Volume II, from enzyme to mappemonde. Volume III is expected in 2005 and Volume IV in 2010, finishing the latest version of the dictionary that was begun 75 years earlier, in 1935. A task truly fit for an Immortal.

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News

Vet School professor warns of agro-terrorism potential

October 15

A renowned professor warned an audience of the United States' susceptibility to agro-terrorism at a lecture yesterday. George Saperstein, the Amelia Peabody Professor at Tufts' veterinary school and the Chair of the Environmental and Population Health Department, said that agro-terrorism is just as threatening as its more widely-known counterpart, bio-terrorism, but it is often cheaper to execute. "For less than $1 one can legally bring in foot and mouth disease," Saperstein said. Saperstein said he "wouldn't be surprised if it was small farms near urban areas that were the source of the next attack" He said that preventing agro-terrorism depends on increasing knowledge about the subject and creating "a more informed public that are not placated by the press," Saperstein said. Although it would be relatively easy to execute an agro-terrorism attack, Saperstein said that the risk is small. "Even in warfare this is considered a heinous crime," he said. The professor noted that the affects of agro-terrorism can be wide-ranging, and include psychological effects on the public, tourism losses and the death of animals. The ultimate goal of agro-terrorists is generally not to hurt people directly, but through damages to livestock. Interest in agro-terrorism has ballooned since Sept. 11, 2001. "People rarely talked about food security before 9/11, now it's become a hot topic," Saperstein said. He said there had been a "drastic increase in investigations since 9/11 and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease." Since Sept. 11, 2001, Saperstein has changed the way he talks about the subject, which he was reluctant to discuss in classes before. "Agro-terrorism was a hush-hush topic talked about in corners of classrooms," he said. The increased media visibility of agro-terrorism has made Saperstein more willing to discuss the topic. Dean of the Veterinary School Philip Kosch described Saperstein as a "superstar, the point person in his field." His speech was the first in the vet school's lecture series. The series, titled "Veterinary Medicine, Science and Society," will present six lectures by faculty from the school. This first lecture attracted little attention; only one student was present. The lecture series will be alternating between the Medford and Boston campuses, and continues in Boston on Nov. 13. Kosch described the lecture series as "the very best way to show everyone what we [at the Veterinary School] do." "President Bacow encouraged all the schools to reach out and this is what we are doing," he said.

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News

Oktoberfest brings business -- not beer -- to Harvard Square

October 15

With a plethora of ethnic vendors, this year's Harvard Square Oktoberfest featured an eclectic blend of diversity. Organizers brought over 200 local businesses into the small plaza that is Harvard square. From the far-out Diamond Chiropractic, the feisty Jose's Mexican, and the Wild Child Tie-Dyes clothing, the space glowed with culture. Yet in the middle of this spirited chaos were guys aggressively handing out - Wrigley's gum. The organization seemed unnatural -- next to an array of Native American carvings sat a sierra mist truck, fried Dough, and hot dogs. Leading to the peculiar atmosphere was the fact that all vendors had to apply through mainstream corporations to secure a spot on the highly anticipated 25th annual "Oktoberfest". Oktoberfest did not seem genuine - rather merely a creation strung together by the Boston Phoenix Media Group, Legal Seafoods, Nantucket Nectars, and other similar companies. Absent, in addition, were some traditional Oktoberfest components - beer, pretzels, and beer gardens. At the Holyoke center outdoor stage, Oktoberfest showcased local musical talent. Playing what can be described as some form of "funk" music, styles included high energy, jazz, and groove. Performers fit well with the atmosphere, embellishing the buzz of the city with upbeat, lively music. In front of the performer Kelly Kaye, small children and adults could be seen dancing together, bringing the hippies out from street corners and onto center stage. One of the most sought after places for young families was the STAR 93.7 Performance area. For the under five crowd, its multiple moon walks perhaps made it the highlight of Oktoberfest. However, it also demonstrated the Americanization of the event. Oddly, it grabbed more attention than local vendors, of which Oktoberfest sought to spotlight. For instance, an African vendor, selling unique, cloth homemade journals lacked a steady flow of people. Ambitious and energetic she commented that it was her first year and she was "pleased to be participating in such a festival." She did not seem to mind that her booth was less popular; but rather was content to simply be a part of the festival. Often the vendors spoke little to no English and exchanged money by simple phrases such as '5 dollar please.' A particular vendor selling clothing from Utso, a local shop along Mass. Ave said that sales were often very high at Oktoberfest. It made the application process competitive. All vendors at the festival had to pass an application process, and then pay a fee to participate. The bill was about $150 to $200, depending on whether the business sold food. From a customer's view, the festival was highly successful -- despite its initial rain cancellation. A diverse group of punks, families, hippies, and middle-aged businesspeople all perused various carts and displays. Everyone blended into one mass, meandering through the streets together on the same route - instead of running to make the next T or drive home. Walking down the street one could hear one, two or even three languages on the same block. While it was mostly the venders who spoke assorted tongues, it was a welcomed change from the normal Harvard, Abercrombie, or Gap attitudes usually present. But, still the festival just seemed a bit off. Another noticeable incongruity was that many of the street vendors were not from the Harvard square area but instead dispersed amongst Boston. This directly goes against the organizer's claim that "Oktoberfest festival celebrates the autumn and the eclectic atmosphere of Harvard Square." All in all, the heart of the sponsors was in the right place, but the diversity seemed searched for rather than natural. Oktoberfest was speckled with Thai food, and Jamaican tapestries, but thrived under a strictly American atmosphere.

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News

Dorm thefts sign of early-semester difficulties

October 15

After several larcenies were reported during the first weeks of the semester, Tufts police are increasing their visibility on campus and have mounted an awareness campaign. Students and staff reported 11 cases of laptop theft by Oct. 1. According to Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Captain Mark Keith, in most cases the computers were taken from unlocked dorm rooms. "There haven't been any forced entries," he said. Officers have been instructed to be more visible in dormitories during evening hours to deter opportunity thefts. Generally the trend of larcenies tapers off as the year progresses, according to Keith. "I think people aren't used to living in a dorm setting," Keith said. "They tend to leave themselves vulnerable -- they're used to living at home, leaving their doors unlocked and property lying around." During the first week of September, three thefts were reported in South Hall, more than in any other dorm. One student reported waking up to find an unknown male in the room. The man was described as African American, six feet tall and aged in his late teens to early twenties. Later that month, students awoke in Bush Hall when a white male entered their unlocked room and said, "Sorry, looking for Sam," and left. The next day, a wallet was reported stolen from the same floor. Police have not named suspects for any of the crimes. "Without a lot of suspect information, it's difficult," Keith said. "That's why we encourage people to give us a call anytime they notice anything suspicious or out of the ordinary." TUPD has made efforts to increase awareness about theft. At a recent event, officers engraved the laptops and other belongings of over 25 students. The department has also posted flyers encouraging students to lock their doors, not leave property unattended in common areas, and report suspicious activity. Stephanie Vallejo, a freshman living in South Hall, said the outreach measures have made a difference. "Recently people have been really cautious about leaving their doors unlocked," she said. "People usually make sure to remind each other now." One resident on Vallejo's hall uses the whiteboard on her door to remind her roommate to lock the door. "She actually leaves the reminder on the whiteboard before she leaves if she notices that her roommate forgot to lock it," Vallejo explained.

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News

Seven Questions with Kelli Harrison

October 15

All the way from the Rim of the World, the women's volleyball team has a new kill specialist. Her name is Kelli Harrison. Harrison is only a freshman, but has already been named to two All-Tournament teams and was honored as The Tufts Daily's female athlete of the week on one occasion. According to her teammate, senior tri-captain Lindsey Moses, off the court Harrison doesn't brush her hair, enjoys the circus, and loves taking photographs. On the court she plays hard, dives for balls, and is never afraid to use her kneepads and leave some sweat on the floor. I caught up with Harrison doing her freshman duty of setting up the nets before a home tournament, so naturally seven questions followed. 1. What's the deal with the volleyball team's motto of "Dig Deep"? Well it was either "Dig Deep" or "Suck My Trunk." 2. Are you a little upset that one of the most successful teams of the fall season gets some of the worst fan support? Yeah I am. What does this school have against girls in light blue spandex? 3. You have already been selected to two All-Tournament teams after only really playing in three as a team, how do you remain modest? My parents pay me. 4. Does it make you at all self-conscience that every time the Daily runs a photograph of the volleyball team, it shows your booties in those spandex bottoms? Maybe if the pictures were only of our booties, we would have bigger crowds. 5. Your weekend tournaments really mess up pick-up basketball games, do basketball players ever get angry? We mess up pick-up games? We're never here on the weekends, did you want us to play or something? 6. If all of a sudden tons of East Coast people got excited about volleyball and wanted to see your team play, what should they expect? They should expect to find the school's sweatiest team wiping up the floor. 7. Why is your high school called Rim of the World when the Earth is round and speaking of which, where is Blue Jay, California anyway? Yeah, news of Columbus's discovery never quite made it to Blue Jay, which is close to Big Bear, California and you've probably never heard of that either. By Elliott Wiley, Jr.

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News

The right to die not absolute

October 15

Unless her family gets a court injunction within a couple of days, Terri Schiavo will die of starvation in ten days. She has been in a coma for the last 13 years of her life at a Florida hospice. At the age of 26, she suffered a heart attack that has left her unable to take care of herself or communicate. She is kept alive by a gastric tube inserted into her stomach that provides the basic nutritional requirements for life. Her family claims she retains powers of recognition, despite being mute and paralyzed. They have a videotape showing Ms. Schiavo reacting -- so they say -- to her mother leaning over her bed. Her husband, however, claims that nothing remains of her other than a beating heart. What her family sees as reactions are in fact mere reflexes, he maintains. After she was in the coma for seven years, Mr. Schiavo testified that she had expressed her desire to die rather than live only because of life support, and in 2001 her feed tube was removed for three days. But an appeal by Ms. Schiavo's family resulted in a timely court order to put her back on life support. It has become a case of husband versus family, and neither takes a pleasant stance. One advocates death; the other fights for a quasi-life. Ms. Schiavo's husband has a point. After thirteen years, is there really a chance that intensive therapy will miraculously succeed in Ms. Schiavo learning how to feed herself? But her family's concerns are no less important. Their accusations of Mr. Schiavo's shady behavior force us to question how much we can trust his opinion on his wife's condition. Why, for instance, was the family not allowed to visit their daughter? Mr. Schiavo has had a child with another woman, but refuses to divorce Ms. Schiavo, stating that he does not think her family will carry out her wishes to die rather than live in a vegetative state. While it is easy to stigmatize a man who wants to let his wife die, this should not cloud one's vision. An honorable, virtuous man would stand up against all critics to ensure that his wife's desire to die with dignity would be fulfilled. But to many, Mr. Schiavo's behavior indicates that he is neither honorable, nor virtuous, nor even a loving husband. The US Supreme Court ruled in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health that the quality of a person's life -- whether that person is in a normal or vegetative state -- cannot be a deciding factor in taking a person off life support unless they made a living will to do so. In absence of a living will, Florida wisely enacted a right-to-die law that allows person who has made their wish to be taken off life support if ever in a vegetative state known. If Ms. Schiavo's verbal wishes to have the plug pulled had been verified by others, then they should have been respected -- despite her family's pleas. Since only her husband asserts that she had such a wish - something contested by her family -- disconnecting Ms. Schiavo from life support is not the proper solution in this case.

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News

Correcting a common training mistake

October 15

My flat bench is good, but my upper chest is lagging. I know this question probably doesn't have much appeal to the ladies, but I really need to make my already manly chest that much manlier. Can you give me some advice on how to build my upper man-boobs? Thanks. -- Ralph "I'm so big you'll ralph" Lerman Sure, Alexei, I'll give you some advice. The first thing you have to do is change your chest routine. Based on the most common training mistakes, I'll assume that, like most macho men, you start each chest workout with flat bench. This is a mistake because it keeps your chest development one-dimensional and, well... flat. Starting each workout with the same exercise is a good way to let your body adapt and encounter a serious training plateau. So, to immediately shock your chest, try starting your chest day with incline dumbbell flyes. "Flyes?" you may ask. "But Ian, flyes are a finishing exercise! Won't that decrease the weight I can flat bench later in the workout?" Yes, my good friend, it will. But remember, the point is not to lift the heaviest weight with sloppy form. The goal is to stimulate new muscle growth. Variation is the key to this. Your chest is probably very bored with your current routine. Going from heavy flat bench to incline dumbbell flyes will help because the exercises are at opposite ends of the chest spectrum. So, you will immediately give your chest a shock that will help break the monotony and get you through the plateau. Now that you have taken the initial step of switching it up, you must begin to incorporate more varied exercises into your routine. Start by doing heavy incline barbell presses, then you can move to incline dumbbell. Keep the emphasis on pushing on an incline plane. This way, you will always be hitting, at least in some part, your upper chest. It's also important to keep muscular balance and symmetry, so make sure you incorporate a decline movement or two into your workout to ensure that your chest does not become too top-heavy. Try taking a month off from flat benching, and focus solely on upper and lower chest movements. I think with this split from your normal routine, you will see some good results fairly quickly. But remember, just because something works does not mean it will work forever, especially when it comes to building the human body. You must continually vary your routine to keep the gains coming. I am going abroad soon, and I was wondering what I can do to keep the fitness gains that I have worked so hard for this semester. I don't know if there will be a gym in Italy, and I don't know how easy it will be for me to get the amount of regular exercise I have been getting here. --Schimmel, Mason St. Going abroad can be tough on your fitness level, but it doesn't have to wreak havoc. Just follow a few simple guidelines, and you can minimize the damage. First, keep your appetite under control. Foreign food may be mouthwatering, but it also may be fattier. Stick to a diet of four to six small meals evenly spaced throughout the day, as this will help keep your metabolism running. Keep the meals consisting of one part fat, three parts protein, and four parts carbs. This way, you will be able to avoid some of the weight gain that is associated with excessive amounts of refined carbs that European meals and desserts are famous for. The lifestyle will be different across the ocean, so try things that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Try to commit to getting some form of vigorous exercise at least four times per week. This can consist of a run along the streets, perhaps a session of push-ups and sit-ups, or playing soccer for an hour. Just try not to forget that exercise is an important part of your daily life abroad. That said, enjoy yourself and remember to work up a sweat every once in a while. To submit questions to Inside Fitness, please e-mail fitness@tuftsdaily.com.

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News

Foreign policy tongue twisters

October 15

Foreign policy tongue twisters? No, I'm not writing about George Bush's mispronunciation of the names of foreign leaders in 2000. What I am writing about are the contradictions inherent in some of the foreign policy positions taken by the Democrats now running for president. I'm an avid Democrat but I see a major problem with our party's foreign policy - not just these candidate's, but Clinton and Gore's foreign policy too. It boils down to this: the Cold War ended over a decade ago, and our nation has yet to shape a new strategy to deal with this basic reality. On his official campaign website, Sen. Joe Lieberman posits that we need to, "develop a long-term strategy to move the Muslim world toward democracy...[that we need to] export hope, increase opportunity, promote human rights, and improve the lives of ordinary men, women, and children throughout Arab and Muslim nations." On Sen. Kerry's website, he says the following: "Americans deserve a principled diplomacy...backed by undoubted military might...based on enlightened self-interest...A bold progressive internationalism that focuses not just on the immediate and imminent, but on insidious dangers that can mount over the next years and decade, dangers that span the spectrum from the denial of democracy, to destructive weapons, endemic poverty and epidemic disease." And you might remember the huge flap that Gov. Dean caused last spring when he proclaimed that as a country we must prepare for a day when, "We won't always have the strongest military." Sen. Kerry was quick to attack Dean, claiming that he perhaps wasn't "fit" to be president for making such a claim, and stating: "No serious candidate for the Presidency has ever before suggested that he would compromise or tolerate an erosion of America's military supremacy." Of course, Gov. Dean's official website now states the following: "We remain the sole superpower in the world...We must lead toward clearly articulated and shared goals and with the cooperation and respect of friends and allies...I will not divide the world into us versus them. Rather, I will rally the world around fundamental principles of decency, responsibility, freedom, and mutual respect. Our foreign and military policy must be about the notion of America leading the world." Now granted, Dean makes much softer claims than the other three candidates that I've noted, but the contradictions are still there. What are the contradictions exactly? They're slight but they cut to the most fundamental foreign policy dilemma that we face. They reflect the fundamental tension between the pursuit of an American empire, and the subjection of the United States to the will of multinational organizations (e.g. the UN, NATO, etc.). During the Cold War, the United States acted rather overtly in promoting and defending its empire; from using the UN in Korea to thwart the spread of communism in the early 50s; to our willingness to risk global nuclear war over Berlin and Cuba; to our imperial intervention in Iraq in 1991 to secure a vital strategic asset. During the Cold War, the US used the aegis of "multinational organizations" in an attempt to soften the image of our empire, to make it appear as though we were adhering to the will of the world. And in the first major post-Cold War conflict , the Kosovo War in 1999, President Clinton specifically avoided asking for authorization from the UN because he knew that such a proposal would fail. Thus with some arm-wrangling, Clinton took the only aegis of support he could find - NATO. We merely shopped around for an umbrella organization that could lend the US-led operation legitimacy in the court of world opinion. Now few would deny that the US is the sole world superpower. But where should we go from here? The current crop of Democratic candidates seem to be saying, on the one hand, that we need to maintain our economic and military primacy while at the same time respecting multilateral institutions. However, there is an inherent contradiction in such a stance. If we insist on maintaining the world's strongest military and defending our national economic interests at every turn, then what happens if another nation chooses the same path? If fifty years in the future a united European Union decides that it's no longer going to play second fiddle to the US in terms of military might, then what? Do we step-up our efforts and try to out-pace them? Wouldn't that create a second Cold War? Or do we work with them through multilateral organizations? Which is it? It seems that if such a policy were pursued by another nation, it would be viewed as a direct challenge and threat to the security of the United States (and rightly so). So why should those nations of the world that have joined us in the UN, in NATO, and in countless lesser international organizations, allow us to continue on this path for ourselves? Could Europe's attempts to put the brakes on America's rush to war with Iraq earlier this year simply be the first evidence of a concerted effort to stop the US from maintaining and asserting its military primacy in the post-Cold War world? Could we blame the Europeans if that was their deep-seated reason for doing so? After all, the Europeans could tacitly support our military dominance during the Cold War because the primary asset we were protecting at the time was Europe. The world was a chess board and Europe was our king. So Europe couldn't really complain. However, invasions from the East are no longer our biggest worry. I'm certainly not going to defend bush here either for I believe he has also failed to define a coherent post-Cold War foreign policy-I maintain that, in the long-term, terrorism is only a blip on our radar screen, not a fundamental guiding principle around which we can shape our long-term foreign policy. Likewise, countless Democrats running for president make it abundantly clear that we should seek to export democracy to every corner of the globe, especially to the Middle East and/or Muslim world. But again, this seems at odds with adhering to the principle of deference to international organizations. It seems that the current candidates would argue that we need to democratize the Middle East with the help of the United Nations - but what if the UN doesn't care to partake in this imperial exportation? What if China decided that its totalitarian regime was best and took steps to export it to other nations? Would they have any more or less right to do so than we have? And would we not regard any such action by China as a direct threat to American security and our way of life? Is this not the exact scenario that precipitated the Cold War? These Democratic candidates, and for that matter nearly every politician in the United States, seem to throw these phrases around without seriously considering their long-term implications. We sit at a crossroads in the United States, a virtual stoplight on the path of our nation's history. We've been stalled here for close to a dozen years now - the light's already turned green, there's nothing holding us back, we just haven't decided whether to turn right or left at the intersection (pardon the political implications of this analogy). It seems that those Democrats who are jockeying for the presidency haven't yet decided which way to turn either. As the world's only superpower, will we continue to maintain our military supremacy and our American empire? Or will bwe turn back, will we truly cede power to a supranational organization like the United Nations?

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News

To IM or not to IM

October 14

Forget the sea of troubles, I want to play with slings and arrows. But I cannot do that inside because it would not be safe, and I do not want to be that far away from my computer. Why? Listen and you shall hear of the midnight addiction of Chris right here. The following ramble is about my personal crack cocaine and yours, instant messenger. I'll certainly be the first person in line when they create a 12-step program for IM-aholics. If it were not for IM, I am sure my whole life would shrivel to the size of a cashew, and my productivity would rise though the roof. As the QWERTY keyboard was created to slow down typists so they would not jam the keys, I'm sure that the sadistic programmer who created AOL Instant Messenger was trying to keep the American work ethic at a low but attainable level. For every friend I have in England and California that I talk to over IM (thus saving my cell charges), I have a pathetic counterexample. I have IMed my friends who were two rooms away. Aw heck, I've wirelessly IMed my roommates who were sitting at the other end of the couch. Ask yourself this question: are there people you talk to online every day, that you think you see all the time, but you cannot remember the last time you physically saw them? If the answer is yes, go IM that person and tell them to meet you at Diesel or Brown & Brew for a coffee. Maybe your friend has grown a goatee or a third arm since the last time you saw him. How about those friends you never see nor ever talk to, but you read their away messages so you feel like you know all about their lives? Do you look into your bathroom mirror every day and tell yourself you are not a stalker? Face the facts: the second you sit down at the computer you check 30 different away messages; then, 20 minutes later you check them all again in case something changed. I admit that I have spent more time writing away messages than I have on my taxes. And please, if you're going to leave up an "I am away from my computer" message, just leave yourself idle so I don't waste those precious 3 seconds looking. I think enough people read my own away message every day that I could cause a War of the Worlds panic by leaving a message up saying "Giant carnivorous worms invade Medford... Run!!!" I have some friends now that I do not actually remember their real names, I only know their screen names. Sometimes I walk down the street and actually call out things like "Hey Skat3rGyrl43! How was your date with XXXHottStud41?" And while we're here, how much mescaline are people taking before they come up with their screen names? Mine seems so simple compared to the ones where someone apparently let their cat walk across the keyboard for a few minutes. But we do everything over IM. We fight, we have sex, we declare war on small Pacific Island groups, and we even make puns. Maybe IM has replaced passing notes during study hall. I know for sure that I have made more dates over IM than over the phone now. I can still remember the very first time I called up a girl on the phone, and the quavering in my fearful voice as we talked about how much we both like Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese. Later, I named my first hamster after her hamster; it seemed more romantic than pulling her ponytail in homeroom. But I digress... Sure we think we are bolder and braver, but I'm Italian; I talk with my hands and typing just isn't the same thing. And I do not think I can put five years of E-flirting on my resume right after proficient in Word and Excel. Sure IM is great for that friend who just woke up with morning breath that could wilt scallions, but *hugz* just is not a substitute for real physical contact. No emoticon can ever mimic a smile that can melt your soul, and until someone finds a way to make a smiley face stick out its tongue and stick thumbs in both ears, I'll save that for one-on-one time. All of this IM conversation is ruining the spelling and grammar of a generation. I feel like I am the only person who uses semicolons outside of a winking eye. While I am just as kewl as the next guy, if my peeps are dissin' their boi, I wonder. And of course, the plural of boi is boiz otherwise you'd have French wood. If I wanted to de-standardize a language I could. Do you want to get IM's like this? Sum thymes eye dew knot right pros, butt yew knead two bee whys. Then stop typing things like "r u kiddin;" it just atrophies your brain. I shall end here. If you have to IM people, be verbose and witty. Here are my final pet peeves: "tu" sucks all the effort and meaning out of a thank you, "oic" means you were not really listening, and "brb" means you have become bored with me. If you are trapped under a grand piano, it's ok to not reply to my message. But unless both your arms have fallen off, take the time to tell me where you've gone. "FaulknerianRanter71" signed off at 6:18:06 PM. Chris Morse is a professor of Chemistry.

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News

The immigration question

October 14

After two years of wasteful neglect, the thorny issue of immigration is returning to the national spotlight. The immigration question has certainly been overshadowed by the security concerns stemming from 9-11, but its relevance has not faded. The need to deal with this matter in a constructive way remains as critical as ever. Congress should actively seek legislative solutions to enable the millions of undocumented immigrants who live and work in this country to be recognized for their contribution to this nation by gradually legalizing their status. Illegal immigration is not a small problem in this country. As of the year 2000, as many as 7 million undocumented individuals -- 70 percent of whom are of Mexican origin -- were living in the United States. Approximately 300,000 new immigrants make their way into the US every year. Immigration flows have steadily increased over the past few decades, making it a seemingly unstoppable force. And given the persistent economic inequities between Mexico -- a poor country with excess cheap menial labor; and the United States -- a rich country in need of cheap menial labor; any efforts to halt this force may indeed prove futile. In a country that was built on mass migration, Mexican and other Central American immigrants have found refuge and opportunities unavailable to them back home. But they are not just human parasites that take away jobs and government resources from lawful American citizens, as some immigration opponents would characterize them. They work tirelessly in some of the most labor intensive and lowest paying jobs out there. Without their hard work, entire industries such as agriculture would be unable to operate because of their dependence on immigrant labor. Yet, despite their significant contribution to the U.S. economy, undocumented immigrants face abuse, violation of their rights, as well as legal and social discrimination, not to mention the constant threat of arrest and deportation. The kind of treatment undocumented immigrants receive in the United States is a subject close to Cecilia Dos Santos' heart. Cecilia is a junior majoring in International Relations and Anthropology here at Tufts and she is currently doing some research on the Salvadoran immigrant community in Somerville. In her opinion, "illegal immigrants are not criminals and should not be punished for working and living in the US. They are vital to our economy, especially in the unskilled sector and most people are too ignorant to realize this fact, not to mention that it goes unrecognized." As Cecilia's comment suggests, many people in the US perceive undocumented immigrants as criminals who break laws and do not deserve to enjoy the same benefits awarded to "legal" immigrants. This notion has been heightened by the new security concerns emanating from 9-11 because illegal immigrants are now seen as a potential terrorist threat. Immigration policy is increasingly being seen through the prism of Homeland Security -- the newly created department that has assumed the functions of the defunct INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). I have to say that I find the distinction between "legal" and "illegal" immigration to be troubling. After all, how different is this recent wave of immigration from others in the past? Why are Mexican immigrants less legitimate than the Irish or the Germans from the 19th century? Why are the Mexicans who cross the border different from the thousands of undocumented Canadians who live and work in the United States? And does anyone honestly believe that the passengers of the Mayflower had a more rightful claim to this land than the poor Mexican immigrants who risk their lives to cross the Rio Grande? I think they are both equally entitled to the promise of opportunity that this great nation has offered people of all backgrounds since its inception. I think the US should continue to be as generous towards immigrants as it has always been. Far from being a disadvantage or a weakness, immigration remains one of this country's greatest strengths by fueling innovation, progress, and cultural diversity. It is true that there is a limit to how many immigrants the US can admit. And it is also true that granting blanket clemency to all undocumented immigrants living in the US is unrealistic and maybe undesirable. But it is in the best interest of all parties involved -- the US government, Mexico, undocumented immigrants, employers, and society at large -- to reach an agreement on immigration. There are concrete steps that should be taken to provide easier and better channels for undocumented workers to earn legalization. The US government should cooperate more closely with Mexico to develop broader guest worker programs so that Mexicans in search of jobs will find incentives to work in the US legally. Mexico and the US should also collaborate with Mexico throughout the border to prevent undocumented immigrants from risking their lives by crossing the deserts. Too many lives have been lost trying to reach the American dream. Fortunately, recent encouraging developments in Capitol Hill signal a resumption of immigration as part of the congressional agenda. Republican Senator Orrin G. Hatch is currently sponsoring a bill aimed at granting legal status to thousands of high school students who are undocumented immigrants. Another bill would grant accelerated citizenship to immigrants serving in the US military. According to The New York Times, a third bill in progress, sponsored by Senators Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., would grant legal status to as many as 500,000 agricultural workers as long as they commit to work in the farms for a few more years. There is a growing bipartisan agreement on the need to address the immigration issue in a proactive and constructive manner. President Bush has a fantastic opportunity to push Congress to adopt bills helping immigrants attain legal status. By doing so he will heal the strained relations with Latin America, earn the respect of the Hispanic community in the US, and most importantly, he will allow the hard working undocumented immigrants to earn their rightful place in society as legitimate contributions to this country's success. Rodrigo de Haro is a senior majoring in International Relations.

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News

OEO kicks off National Disability Awareness Month

October 14

Last Wednesday the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) held a volunteer fair on the Campus Center Patio to promote the various ways students can get involved in National Disability Awareness Month. "The mission for this is to raise awareness, and be more visible," Coordinator of Disability Awareness Month Dana Christiensen said. Christiensen says the "spirit" of Tufts students will make for a successful month. "I know a lot of Tufts students volunteer," she said. "I thought this would be a good way to get students involved, or even to talk about their own disabilities." Members of LCS helped man the booths at the fair and Christensen hopes to continue working with the organization for future events. Two other Disability Awareness events occurred last night. Rose Hill, a student at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, performed "Map of the Body," which chronicles her battle with cancer. And the film, "When Billy Broke His Head...and Other Tales of Wonder," which looks at disability civil rights in an entertaining manner, was shown in Paige Hall. In addition this month, the OEO is asking students to donate their old cell phones. The OEO is working with Sprint on "Project Connect," which repairs donated phones and distributes them to the National Organization on Disability and Easter Seals. With the Student Occupational Therapy Association at BSOT, OEO plans to inform students of backpack safety with a table at the Campus Center later this month. At this interactive booth they will weigh students' backpacks and explain the dangers of having an overstuffed bag. The OEO ensures that the University complies with federal, state, and local laws pertaining to affirmative action, anti-discrimination, and the Americans with Disabilities Act through education and training. It also raises awareness and deals with grievances on the Tufts campus, according to Christensen. "OEO is guided by the University's commitment to and desire for a truly integrated, interactive, productive, successful, diverse student body, faculty, and staff," Director of OEO Yves-Rose SaintDic says in their brochure.

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News

Emissions market not the final solution

October 14

This month, the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) began operations, and Tufts is the first private university to sign on to the initiative. According to its website, the CCX "is a self-regulatory exchange that administers the world's first multi-national and multi-sector marketplace for reducing and trading greenhouse gas emissions." Essentially, it is a market-based incentive for member corporations and organizations to reduce their pollution levels by allowing them to trade unused pollution permits at market-determined prices. Supporters of such market-based incentives -- including the Bush administration -- purport that the market-derived value of these credits will be a reflection of the societal value placed on pollution-reduction. They claim that such market-driven measures ultimately will lead to real reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, a purely voluntary solution such as the CCX will never yield significant reductions, and government intervention is unavoidable if the environment is really at issue here. Consider for a moment the variety of corporations and organizations likely to join a voluntary pollution reduction initiative, or more precisely, consider their motives. The companies and organizations most likely to participate are those for whom it will cost the least and who stand to gain the most, either directly through the sale of pollution credits or indirectly through improved public image. Ultimately, the most egregious polluters, namely parts of the energy sector -- particularly coal burning plants, one of the most environmentally harmful methods of producing electricity -- will likely never be lured in by the market-based incentives offered by the CCX and any other voluntary pollution-credits exchange that may develop. Two things must happen to achieve significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, neither of which excludes the use of market-based incentives -- indeed they could make active use of such methods. First, there must be an increase in stringent and rigorous federal regulations of overall emissions levels. Some of the worst polluters will never change when offered market-based "carrots" for environmental responsibility; they will only respond to regulatory "sticks." Second, the US must sign on to multilateral agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, because global warming is a global problem. Environmental issues such as global warming affect everyone, and no state can afford to go it alone.

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News

Volleyball team goes 3-0 at NESCAC weekend

October 14

Despite lineup changes and absent players, the Jumbos nevertheless stove to improve upon their previous performances in the second all-important NESCAC weekend hosted by Trinity. Tufts' undefeated performance in last weekend's Bates Invitational was not enough to satisfy this squad apparently, as this weekend they played three perfect matches against Trinity, Wesleyan, and Connecticut College to improve the Jumbos record to 5-1, (15-5). Once again in a great display of the depth this team possesses, the Jumbos were able to dispatch two competitive NESCAC teams with many changes made in their rotation. Sophomore April Gerry -- who was to fill in for injured senior Amy Cronin as starting middle hitter -- was unable to attend Saturday's matches against Wesleyan and Connecticut College due to a family event. Down two middle hitters, coach Cora Thompson had to maneuver her already thinning bench to make up for the loss. With only one week to practice the new formations, Thompson chose to move regular outside starter freshman Kelli Harrison to middle hitter for Saturday's matches. Harrison had been averaging over 3.5 kills per game from the outside -- good enough to lead the team in kills. Thompson was confident she could make the adjustment because of Harrison's versatility, and her limited experience in the middle hitting position in high school. With Harrison shifting to middle, Thompson brought in freshman Dana Fleisher to fill in on the outside. This was the first major action Fleisher had seen this season, due primarily to a pre-season shoulder injury that kept her off the court. With new players on the court, as well as old players in different positions, it should have been difficult to find on-court chemistry and rhythm, as well as having everyone produce in their newly assigned roles after only practicing a week. Thompson, however was confident in her team's ability to make the adjustments necessary to win. "We'll be ready. We are in great volleyball shape right now so I know we are physically able to do it. It is just a matter of getting the kinks out," Thompson said. Entering match number one against Wesleyan, the Jumbos looked to gain their first victory over the Cardinals in three years. The team was especially looking to avenge last year's 3-0 loss. Wesleyan entered the tournament with a 1-2 record of NESCAC play, a spot below the Jumbos (2-1). In the first game, the Jumbos were still working the kinks out of the new rotation. Not only were there the huge adjustments at the net, but also defensive roles had to be switched around, including the placement of senior tri-captain and libero Dani Cafasso. Normally, Cafasso would substitute on the back row for the middle hitter; however Harrison is used to playing defense is an asset to the back row. Thompson instead played Cafasso for Fleisher a move which in certain circumstances asked Cafasso and Harrison to line up for opposing attacks differently than the were used to. Wesleyan was almost able to take advantage of the rearrangement of Tufts' squad, forcing the game to go into extra points. In the end, however, the Jumbos were able to win game one 31-29. After that the team took off, easily putting away the Cardinals in the next two games (30-19, 30-27). "I have full confidence in no matter what we do," Thompson said. "I am just trying to put the pieces together in different ways. The great thing is that we are so versatile" The key to this victory was the fact all of the players stepping onto the court produced from their positions. Despite the lineup changes in the back row, Cafasso still managed 10 digs in the game to lead the defense. Harrison was also able to get the job done offensively in the middle, leading the team with 16 kills. Also necessary for the victory were strong performances from regular starters junior Emily Macy on the outside and sophomore Courtney Evans in the middle. Macy racked up 10 kills in the match while Evans answered with nine. The Jumbos went on to maul over the Connecticut College Camels--who has yet to win against a NESCAC team--later that day dispatching them in three games (30-15, 30-26, 30-8). Most notable in this performance was the return of senior co-captain setter Lindsey Moses who appeared to have not missed a beat, earning 28 assists and 19 service points including one ace. The Jumbos once again proved they were a top team defensively in this match with 21 digs and not a single service receive error. These wins on Saturday had already been preceded by a resounding defeat of hosts Trinity college (30-25, 30-22, 30-26) on Friday night. Gerry was in the lineup for this game and so they used the rotation the team had been using the past few weeks. Junior setter Rebecca Schaevitz managed give her hitters 34 assists over the course of the match and Evans was a force at the net, earning four solo blocks and three assisted. The team as a whole dominated the match with their serving, racking up seven aces. The Jumbos now sit in a four-way tie for second place in the NESCAC with a record of 5-1. Williams (5-0), the Jumbos only loss, is seated atop the rest of the pack. Tufts will continue play on Thursday against Wheaton followed by a home game on Saturday against Amherst (5-1) who is also part of the second place tie.

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News

Tufts is first university to join environmental market

October 14

Tufts has become the first university to join an exchange for pollution permits intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The University recently accepted an invitation by the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) to join a pilot project of over 20 major companies that aim to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and Brazil by one percent a year. By 2006, they intend to emit four percent less than they did, on average, between 1998 and 2001. Canada and Mexico will also be added to the exchange shortly. The exchange gives members a financial incentive to reduce pollution production by allowing those who cut emissions by more than their quota to sell their unexercised pollution rights to firms which are unable to meet the target. Since different polluters incur different costs for reducing emissions, it is more cost-effective for some to buy permits than to reduce pollution. Environmental groups can also purchase pollution credits so that they cannot be used. Trading in pollution permits began Oct. 1 and the first auction priced carbon dioxide emissions between 60 cents and $2.90 per metric ton. CCX charges 2.5 cents for every ton of carbon dioxide traded on the exchange. The exchange also deals in other greenhouse gases besides carbon dioxide, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. Ultimately, emissions of these gases are converted into an equivalent tonnage of carbon dioxide. The exchange is monitored by the National Association of Securities Dealers and is legally binding for members, which include Motorola, DuPont, Ford Motor Company and Amtrak. Bill Moomaw, senior director of the Tufts Institute of the Environment, explained that this new commitment will require Tufts to continue with the efforts it has already started. He said the challenge for Tufts was "to use the energy we use more efficiently, and electricity for heating systems more efficiently as well." "This is all very new, [we are] learning how to make these changes and how to participate in something that is going on as publicly as the Chicago Climate Exchange," he said. This market-based approach -- an alternative to blanket government regulation -- is strongly favored by the Bush administration, which has been strongly criticized by environmentalists for its approach to the environment. "The US is the largest emitter per person [of greenhouse gases] but our administration has taken the least action of anyone in the world," Environmental Engineering professor Paul Kirsher said. Tufts was selected to join the CCX because of the commitment made in 1999 by Former President John DiBaggio to reduce emissions to meet or beat the expectations of the Kyoto Protocol. The installation of solar panels for heat and electricity atop the planned Sophia Gordon residence hall is one of the University's major initiatives to keep down emissions. Construction of the 150-bed dorm will be partially financed by a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. Other emissions reduction efforts include more efficient lighting and the adoption of hybrid and battery-powered cars for use by University staff. According to Kirshner, New England will feel climate change in the form of increased flooding, more occurrences of Lyme and tick disease, and reduced water quality. "The $4 to $5 million spent cleaning up the Boston harbor could be negated by climate change, and actually make it worse," he said. On Oct. 29, University President Larry Bacow, chief executive of the Chicago Climate Exchange Richard Sandor, and Randall Kroszner of the University of Chicago Business School and former member of the Council of Economic Advisors will participate in a panel discussion about the program.

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News

You better Prey for Rock and Roll

October 14

Prey for Rock and Roll has all the makings of a stellar rock band movie: an attractive cast, engaging music, and a compelling premise. It poses the ultimate question, "At what point do you give up pursuing your life's dream?" However, the film fails to deliver on a key point: plot. The story of an all-female rock band's quest to hit the "big time", Prey for Rock and Roll should by all means be a good movie. The film follows Jacki (Gina Gershon) the lead singer of the un-named rock band as she comes closer to her 40th birthday and ponders her own future. Jacki has sought rock and roll stardom since the tender age of 12 but has not yet come close to fulfilling her dream. She works in a tattoo parlor living paycheck to paycheck. Her band, having gone through several former manifestations, is a rag tag group of women hoping to get their big break any day soon. The band members themselves have been formed using every stereotype of a female rock musician ever created. Faith (Lori Petty), and Sally (Shelly Cole) are lesbian lovers who play lead guitar and drums, respectively. Tracy (Drea De Matteo) IS the female version of Keith Richards complete with frizzed out hair, bloodshot eyes, dirty face, and a nasty drug habit. Jacki, as the band's brave leader, is the true heart of the group as she plays the role of composer, lyricist, and pseudo-spokeswomen/manager. Together the women take on the LA rock scene while carting their own gear and receiving less than $13 each for a gig. "And the fact that I have to f***-ing lie about my age pisses me off. It's true man. Unless you are young, hip, and look good on the side of a building in a f***-ing designer jeans ad, you're not going to get signed," says Gershon as she narrates the film. Her constant voiceover is annoyingly preachy as she retells her experiences, dispenses advice and agonizes over hitting the big 4-0. Her statement would be valid if Gershon looked anything like your average 40 year old. However she is amazingly gorgeous for any age. Prey for Rock and Roll continues to create such contradictions for the remainder of the film. While the story is obviously an attempt to strengthen the image of the female rocker, stoutheartedly committed to her music, the message is cheapened it by the inclusion of a rather drawn out love scene between Jacki and her on again off again girlfriend. Though love scenes can add depth to a story by highlighting emotional tensions, this is not the case in Prey for Rock and Roll. The lesbian love scene is a blatant attempt to bring in an audience interested more in one image-focused scene than the underlying themes that highlight the rest of the film. After their moment together, Jacki's girlfriend disappears from the movie altogether. The inconsistency of the film's intended message to women can probably be traced back to its director, Alex Steyermark. The director began his career making music videos, a field that emphasizes female sexuality in order to sell a product. This appears to be the case in Rock and Roll as we are drawn in by a seemingly unnecessary love scene. However, the contradictions in Prey for Rock and Roll go beyond its portrayal of women. As Jacki bemoans growing older, the character does little to demonstrate that she has actually learned anything from her life experiences or matured since her 21st birthday. The character exhibits a juvenile understanding of reality. In one of the most random scenes thrown into a film, Jacki goes to her mother's house to celebrate her birthday. Her family displays little believable interaction as the scene only exists to rather insensitively reveal that Jacki was sexually abused by her father as a child. After this revelation, the family disappears just as quickly as the girlfriend. The abrupt manner in which the idea is introduced makes sexual abuse seem an afterthought to the rest of the film. How Jacki has changed since her painful experience is not even addressed. Where the film does deliver, unsurprisingly, is in the music montage scenes. The girls truly rock out with songs written by the screenwriter and real life rock musician Cheri Lovedog. Gershon performs all of the vocals herself and possesses a definite rock star charisma that carries the film. One scene in which the band performs a song about rape was rather poignant and well shot. Here the band did deliver the emotional edge that is lost through the rest of the movie. Rock and Roll attempts to identify with other gritty indie films like Requiem for a Dream with its portrayal of rape and drug addiction; yet it never delivers the emotional punch of other similar films getting caught between being a movie about music and a movie about musicians. The film exists solely as a litany of complaints about the music industry until a series of dramatic events turns the girls' rock and roll world upside down. These plot "twists" are so forced that they never become a cohesive story. The audience gets the idea that these events just happen to the character without an overall story arch or adequate character development. Rock and Roll is a decent film that could be several times better with a little more focus, a solid story, more music and a lot less voiceover narration.

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News

New Coen brother's film Intolerable Cruelty lives up to its name

October 14

That's not to say, though, that the movie was not so funny that it left audience members gasping for breath. It's just that afterwards, that laughter felt empty -- so that it was difficult to remember what wasn't so tragic it was funny. A flat out mockery of the traditional love story, George Clooney with his trademark smirk, stars as the pull-out-all-stops divorce lawyer, Miles Massey, who comes to terms with his first taste of true love: Marilyn Rexroth, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. If Miles was the alpha male then Marilyn would certainly be his alpha female. Conniving yet classy, brilliant yet heartless, one might say that they are a match made in heaven -- if such a love affair was possible outside of pre-nups, gold diggers, and a marriage system that didn't later involve the courts. Filmed in a style reminiscent of the 1940's/50's bedroom farce, moments in the film don't attempt to be anything more. For instance, there's a continual joke about Miles and his teeth. He's frequently looking at them in mirrors to attest to their brightness, chomping down on them to discern their stability -- all in attempts to show how bored this poor, rich soul is. However, the gags go too far with the portrayal of Clooney's boss, Herb Myerson (Tom Aldredge), the senior partner of Mile's firm, Myerson and Massey. Grotesque at 85 years old with skin peeling, dark lighting makes him look like he's actually rotting. It's just unnecessary. Throughout the entire film, the Coen brothers hit the audience over the head with a bottle of irony, suggesting how lacking in life the very wealthy are -- its tastelessness just does not add to the overall picture. An extra character that does, however, is the fantastic performance given by Billy Bob Thorton as Marilyn's second husband, Howard D. Doyle, oil king extraordinaire. Maybe it's because his character appears to be the only genuine character in the entire film, but his bumbling characterization spices up the screen like a fresh bottle of Tabasco sauce. His lack of grammatical prowess and big white house could be compared to another oil big shot but that might be hitting a bit too close to, uh, Washington. Edward Hermann also gives a knock out performance as Rex Rexroth, a man both easily and comically influenced by younger girls and choo-choo trains, also known as Marilyn's first ex-hubby. Geoffrey Rush's performance as Donovan Donaly (yes, there does appear to be a loony name pattern here) is also notable. What is so frustrating about the film is that it has all the right ingredients for a sizzling and great movie. But, for whatever vengeful or bitter reason, the Coen brothers simply choose not to use them. Perhaps it's the more conventional nature of IntolerableCruelty, when compared to past ventures such as the other Clooney driven film, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, or The Man Who Wasn't There that pulls its dark humor down; maybe the world it suggests to us is just too familiar. Nevertheless, wit is a hard commodity to find in Hollywood these days. The Coen brothers know this and for that we should be grateful. But just as Mandy Moore makes us question if there is a greater omnipotent power punishing the world by putting her in movies, so do the Coen Bros provoke this question through the cold, steely eyed lense of their camera.

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News

Men's cross country races to top ten finish at All-New England's

October 14

Going into last Friday's All New England Championships, coach Connie Putnam stated that "a top ten finish would be very nice" for his men's cross country team. This goal seemed tough because of both the quality and quantity of runners at the race: almost 50 teams from Division I, II, and III competed. In fact, Putnam's teams had achieved this feat just twice during his tenure at the school. But Tufts did it for a third time this weekend, running to a ninth place finish out of 47 teams at Boston's Franklin Park, the highest the team has finished the race since the 1998 team also finished ninth. Div. I powerhouse Providence dominated the event, placing runners second and third overall for a team score of 40 points. Brown (59), Boston College (127), Stonehill (202), UMass Lowell (216), Boston University (221), Quinnipiac (237), and Dartmouth (253) also finished ahead of the Jumbos (256), who were the top D-III school. Junior Nate Brigham finished 18th overall at 25:04. Freshman Josh Kennedy finished in 25:43, good for 47th, while sophomore Kyle Doran was right on his heels, finishing 51st overall with a time of 25:48. Junior Mike Don (25:58) and sophomore Matt Lacey (26:05) finished 63rd and 82nd overall to round out Tufts' top five. Putnam was especially impressed with Kennedy, who broke the Tufts freshman record time at the course. "I usually try to stick with Lacey and [senior co-captain Peter] Bromka," Kennedy said. "This time, I was with Lacey for a couple of miles, and then I felt good and I went ahead." Bromka sat out the meet with a leg injury, and Putnam thought his squad could have fared even better had it had his services. "We need guys to race closer to Nate at the top," Putnam said. "I think Pete can do that." As it was, the team was mostly satisfied with what it did accomplish. "We went in with the mindset that we were going to beat all the Division III schools and finish in the top ten," Brigham said. "We did both of those, so we definitely feel pretty good about ourselves right now." In order to finish first out of the D-III competitors, Tufts had to upend the Keene State Owls, ranked seventh in the nation in the Oct 7 poll, for the first time this season. The Jumbos, who were 11th in the rankings, were able to do so by an impressive 120 point margin. "We wanted to beat these guys, and it definitely gives us some confidence," Putnam said. "We just can't get too overconfident, and we can't take it for granted that this is going to happen every time, because Keene is going to come for our throats at the qualifiers and we've got to be ready for them." Tufts also finished an impressive fourth place in the sub-varsity race which immediately followed the varsity one. "That's important, because one of our goals is to win the ECACs [in which teams race their second seven]," senior co-captain Jon Rosen said. "We definitely think that we can do it, and this was a good tune-up." If the sub varsity race was a good tune-up for the ECACs, the varsity competition was great preparation for nationals due to the large collection of high level runners. "The level of competition is so much higher than your typical meet," Brigham said. "It's a great opportunity to get to race against these types of schools." "We always view the New England's as a preview for Nationals," Rosen said. "So this was a good meet for us." Next week, the squad will race on the qualifier course which they will need to master to get to nationals. They compete on Saturday at the Maine State Invitational in Southern Maine, where the NCAA New England Championship will be held on November 15.

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News

Website tracker to keep students updated with Senate projects

October 14

In an effort to do a better job seeing through Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate projects, a Project Progress Tracker webpage has been added to the Senate's main site. Unveiled earlier this month, it posts the status of every project that the Senate is working on. "I think that the most important thing about the Project Tracker is that students can see what we do without even having to go to a single meeting," Senate Historian Jeff Katzin said. TCU President Chike Aguh is especially pleased with how "a new level of accountability will be instilled for the TCU Senate," he said. By putting plans down on paper before the entire community, Aguh said that senators will have an increased desire to follow through with their projects. Students can also get the senators' contact information and their office hours from the site, in an effort to make it easier for students to become more involved in projects in which they have interest The idea for this kind of site was first broached at the end of last year by Aguh and Senator Randy Newsom. After gaining a sense that the Senate was too disjointed from the rest of the student body, Aguh and Newsom asked fellow senator Rafi Goldberg for help. The actual creator of the program, Goldberg, worked on the tracker over the summer. "I hope that this will help bring the Senate and the student body closer together," he said. Goldberg feared that, because the student body had no way of following the senate's projects, they would be oblivious to the positive changes the senate claims to make on campus. "Without that information, they'd have no reason to vote for us again," he said. Freshman senator Zach Landau foresees great changes in the way students, especially freshmen, can get involved in projects on campus. "The Project Tracker is a wonderful idea...especially for freshmen who are looking for guidance as to how to make projects more effective and efficient," he said. The Senate itself should also experience changes for the better through the Progress Tracker. The simplicity with which information can be updated and accessed will ensure that "the site will help senators to collaborate with each other and avoid redundancy," Katzin said. "The Progress Tracker is going to change the face of student government at Tufts," Goldberg said. "For the first time ever, complete knowledge of exactly what every member of the Senate is doing will be just a few clicks away," he added. The site has already shown great signs of success, according to Katzin. "I got an e-mail from a girl earlier today because she saw that I was working on the MOPS system...She then asked if I could speak with Patti Lee Klos about improving laundry facilities. That's exactly the kind of feedback that we are hoping for from the Tracker," Katzin said. "The Tracker will hopefully give us feedback from students as well as present concrete ideas about what the Senate does for the TCU," Katzin concluded. The Tracker can be accessed on the Senate website.

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News

Jumbos place 13th at Western New Englands

October 14

Missing many of it's top golfers due to midterms -- shooting a combined 357 and ending 60 strokes behind the tournament winner, Husson College - the Jumbos finished 13th out of 15 teams at the Western New England Invitational last Thursday. Coach Bob Sheldon decided to go with four players who had not gotten a chance to golf in tournament competition so far this season. Senior Andrew T. Weiss led the Jumbos with a score of 86. Despite finishing first for his team, Weiss was not satisfied. "I was a little disappointed," Weiss said. "I think everyone was overall." However, Weiss was glad to get back in the action. "I went abroad last year, so I didn't get to play. I played some my sophomore year, but it was certainly nice getting in there on Thursday," he said. Senior Nat Sager, who finished second for Tufts with an 87, echoed Weiss' comments. "I didn't play that well, but it was a good experience," Sager said. "The greens were not in great shape, which made for some difficult putting, but there are no excuses." Freshman Dan Patack shot a 90 and sophomore Paul Chase rounded out the scoring for Tufts with a 94. Sheldon is expecting some contributions from the two underclassmen in the future. "[Patack and Chase] are pretty good players," Sheldon said. "I expect to see them more in the future." Chase also felt the tournament was beneficial. "It was nice to get some more tournament experience," he said. "I had played in this tournament last year, and the course isn't my favorite. It's not that long, but the greens are tough. Overall it was good practice." The Jumbos are also gearing up for the New England Championships on October 20 and 21. "Right now, everyone is focusing on what they individually need to work on to be at their best next week," Sheldon said. This Thursday, according to Sheldon, the team will practice at Belmont Country Club due to its similarity to the Captain's golf course, where they play the New England's. Tufts is probably going to stick with the lineup it used in the ECAC Championships, consisting of senior Brad Hawes, sophomore Dan Weinbeck, and freshmen Arjun Chawla, Matt Linde, and Justin Meier. The Jumbos have not fared as well as they had hoped coming into the season. But they are banking on a good performance at the New England's to make up for it all. Last year, Tufts finished 16th out of 48 teams. The tournament consists of teams from Divisions I, II and III. In order to advance to the national tournament, Tufts must finish in the top three for Division III schools. "It's nice for the guys to be able to go up against teams from those upper divisions," Sheldon said. "It should give them some excellent competition." Sheldon is taking a wait and see approach when it comes to the expectations for his team. "We're not setting any goals quite yet," Sheldon said. "We're going to see how the guys are playing this coming week and we'll go from there."

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