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A first year on the Hill

May 17

As the Class of 2003 prepares to leave the Hill, freshmen pack their boxes for the first of four post-college summers. Many of those freshmen may be packing up books - bought, of course, by anxious parents - with titles like Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside and Making the Most of College. Has the experience of Tufts' class of 2006 paralleled that of the graduating seniors whose comments fill the pages of these kinds of books? According to one group of Tufts freshmen, Steve Hofstetter has depicted the first-year college experience fairly accurately in his book, Student Body Shots: A Sarcastic Look at the Best 4-6 Years of Your Life. Hofstetter, a 2002 Columbia University graduate, segmented his book into ten chapters and a bonus section that includes "The Math of Dating," formulas for student relationships that "have been proven through years of experimental research." The main sections contain humorous criticisms of the college system in the United States as well as jabs at the interactions between the men and women who study in it. The ten rising Tufts sophomores with whom the Daily spoke all agreed that they are happier at Tufts than they would be at any other institution. Nevertheless, these students were as quick to point out perceived shortcomings on the part of the University's administration as they were to praise aspects of the way in which their college is run. Academically, most students are quite satisfied, finding that "getting into classes you want is easy for Liberal Arts students" and that the "courses are making [students] excited about [their] majors." Professors at this University, as at any college, received mixed reviews. While one student felt that "the professors are always available outside of class, and that really enhances your experience here," another's professors "made it intimidating to go to office hours." Other academic complaints abound: "The course descriptions don't always match up with the classes," one female student said, adding, "for a school with such intelligent students, class participation is very low. There's not enough dialogue; it's just people trying to impress the professors." An Engineering student felt that he was "getting behind friends doing the same thing at other colleges. I hate the fact that every computer engineer is learning stuff we're not up to," he said. Dormitory life received fairly positive reviews from the rising sophomores. "The dorms here are nicer than at any other school I've visited," one male student said. Another rising sophomore, who enjoys living on campus, worries he will have to live in a dorm room that he does not like in the coming year due to the housing crunch. "Sophomores should not have to live on-campus," this student reasons. "It might alleviate the housing shortage." Another student appreciates that her "brother can visit [her] and that [she does not] need to sign any forms," but a third felt that the absence of a visitor sign-in policy indicates a laxness in campus security. "Merriam-Webster defines 'edible' as 'fit to be eaten.' College students define it as 'there,'" Hofstetter states. Some freshmen have been pleased with the quality of the food prepared by Tufts Dining Services: "Our food is incredible," one male student said, "and I'm comparing it with Harvard, Brown, MIT and [the University of] Maryland." Others, however, see room for improvement. "Tufts could do a lot more for us - like with the freshman meal plan, 25 points are just not enough. We want to order [food on MOPS]." Beyond the control of the administration is the campus dating scene. One female student disappointedly noted, "It is impossible to date here. There are random hookups and a few steady relationships, but not a lot of going out on dates." This observation was supported by seven of the ten students the Daily spoke with, as well as by Hofstetter. "No one dates in college," he wrote. "Instead, the guy asks the girl to watch TV in his lounge, so he can show her off to all his friends and maybe hook up with her in his room later." Another female student attributed the situation to freshman orientation week at Tufts. "'No Means No' tried to tell us that [college women] can't take care of themselves and that guys are pigs," she said. "And guys learned to watch out for girls," a male student added. The Greek system, which has been under the thumb of the administration this academic year, is appreciated by some freshmen, and labeled "overrated" by others. "As freshmen, we would have had nothing to do without the frats," one female student said. "Bacow just can't get rid of the Greek system." A male student agreed because he perceives the social life on campus to be "lacking without the frats. That and the dorms are where people can relax." Other freshman did not feel that they benefited from the Greek system. "Tear down the frats and build new dorms," one exclaimed. Hofstetter claims to be "amazed at the stupidity of college administration when it comes to alcohol." In Student Body Shots, he points out, "schools hold Greek organizations to a higher standard when it comes to alcohol. If someone in a fraternity drinks himself sick, every one of their brothers gets punished, even if it happened halfway across the world." An aspect of college life that Hofstetter does not discuss as problematic in Student Body Shots is transportation - getting into the center of town. Perhaps this is because Hofstetter himself attended Columbia University, located in public-transportation-heavy New York City. Similarly, Tufts freshmen have been content using Massachusetts' public transportation. "Although I went into Boston much more often first semester because the work piled on in the spring, the T was and is great," one female student said. "Yeah, it's a godsend," agreed another. Freshmen from Washington, DC and New York City found it easier to navigate than the metro and subway system back home. "Tufts is in the perfect location - there's lots to do on campus - but we can easily go off campus and have a good time too, it depends on how much you want to spend," one male student said. Students also appreciate the University's contract with Joseph's Limousine Service. "Do you remember how tough it was to pick a college?" Hofstetter asks his readers towards the beginning of Student Body Shots. "And aren't most of us happy with our choice? You know why? Because no matter what school we go away to, in no matter what state, with no matter what kind of people, as long as we don't live at home, everything seems to work out for the best." Although living away from home for the first time in one's life is indeed a tremendous lifestyle change, it is clear that most freshmen's outlooks on their first year in college were molded by a plurality of aspects. Time will tell if the Class of 2006's memories remain positive, if critical, when, like the Class of 2003, its members march across the Commencement stage.

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News

Municipal governments push for Tufts to pay 'fair share' of expenses

May 17

An initiative to make Tufts pay for the municipal services it uses in Medford has reached a standstill, but Somerville may becoming interested in making Tufts contribute to its strained budget. At a March meeting of the Medford City Council, Councilman Michael Marks proposed that the University pay the city $1,171,779, a figure he based on a combination of residential and commerical property tax rates. However, the issue has not been brought up at any subsequent meetings. The University is reluctant to pay extra fees and according to President Larry Bacow, no direct negotiations are taking place. It is not uncommon for non-profit organizations, which are not tax liable, to make voluntary payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to the communities where they reside, as compensation for municipal services. According to Marks, Tufts poses a heavy burden on the city's police and fire services and there is the worry that with looming state budget cuts to cities, including $1.4 million for Medford, there could be a decline in services if Tufts doesn't start to pay its "fair share." Although Tufts has its own police force, Medford police are sometimes used and Tufts relies completely on the Medford Fire Department. In the four-year period from 1999 to 2002, Medford Police responded to 155 calls at Tufts and the fire department responded to 355 calls. While hard to measure, the costs of these services are significant, particularly for the fire department, officials say. Each time a fire alarm goes off in a Tufts building, three engines and a ladder truck are sent to the scene. Marks considers $75 per student to be "a fair and accurate assessment" of what the University would pay if it was assessed by regular residential and corporate tax rates. The city, however, cannot force Tufts to pay anything. Barbara Rubel, the University's director of community relations, feels that the PILOTs issue may come up with Somerville soon. This is currently only a Medford issue "just because that's who's raised it at that point," she said. While Somerville has not yet proposed a tax dialogue with the University, Chief Assessor Richard M. Brescia would like the possibility to be considered in the future. Brescia says that with the state budget cuts, the University "is not in as bad a position as we are." Brescia says that Tufts occupies 3.3 percent of the city land, or almost four million square feet. If Tufts were to pay the same 25 cent per square foot rate that Harvard University pays the city of Cambridge, the University's payment would amount to almost $1 million. According to Rubel, the University is reluctant to pay PILOTs simply because it cannot afford the extra costs. She said that if PILOTs were negotiated, the cost would be passed directly on to students. Tufts is also reluctant to make the payments because of the number of communities it borders. "If we created a PILOT in one community, we'd have to do the same everywhere," said Rubel. This would mean that paying PILOTs to one city would require paying four. In addition to the Medford/Somerville campus, Tufts' also maintains graduate school campuses in Boston and Grafton. There is one dorm on each of the secondary campuses. University officials also dispute the amount of strain Tufts puts on surrounding communities. Rubel also said that if Tufts' property was residential, it would actually cost the city more, as the city would have to provide extra schools for those additional residents. "Here we have 75 acres of land that may not generate property taxes, but it doesn't generate costs either," she said. Tufts does pay for building permits, water, sewers, and streets. Bacow said that Tufts contributes to surrounding cities through community outreach programs, such as the recent construction of a playground in Somerville. Rubel said that Tufts helps Medford schools and employs 350 residents. "Tufts makes contributions whenever asked," she said.

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News

Pelvic exams at Medial School scrutinized

May 17

A growing national controversy over how much patients should be informed of procedures performed on them while they are under anesthesia has put teaching hospitals - including those affiliated with Tufts - in an uncomfortable limelight. The procedure in question is pelvic exams conducted on anesthetized women by medical students without the women's explicit consent, something that a Tufts Medical School alumnus is accusing the school of doing. Tufts Medical School administrators claim that exams done solely for the students' benefit do not occur at Tufts, although Dr. Michael Greger (M '98) has claimed otherwise - both in a book criticizing medical education and in public lectures across the country. Medical students receive their first experience performing a pelvic exam, which involves inserting two fingers into the vagina in order to locate and examine the ovaries, as second year students. This first examination is conducted on a conscious woman contracted for this specific purpose. However, as third-year students, during a required obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) clerkship, students conduct pelvic exams on patients who will undergo surgery. Tufts said that its policy is very clear. "The only time that patients are examined under anesthesia is when it's relevant to the medical procedure," said Dr. Robert Kennison, a professor of OB/GYN at the medical school. "The exam is always important for the performance of the medical procedure." There is some debate over the circumstances under which examinations are done in medical schools; some allege that the women are used to provide students with experience and that the exams are not necessary for the surgery, while others claim that only students who will be assisting in the surgery perform these necessary examinations. Greger's claims contradict the Med School's, at least with regards to the procedure five years ago when he was a student. In his book, Heart Attack: Diary of a Third Year Medical Student he states, "at Tufts, medical students - particularly male students - practice pelvic exams on anesthetized women without their consent and without their knowledge. Women come in for surgery and, once they're asleep, we all gather around; line forms to the left." The Tufts administration categorically denies that this sort of practice, to their knowledge, ever took place. Students contacted either did not respond or would not speak on the record. One student said that to the best of her knowledge the only students conducting pelvic exams on anesthetized women were those who would be participating in the surgical procedure, and when it is necessary to the surgery. Administrators feel that the issue is more about a communication failure between teachers and students. "I think one of the reasons this [confusion] has happened is that students aren't there at the consent time," Kennison said. "There's a perception that there has not been consent." Kennison also said that part of the misunderstanding is due to a potential lack of clarity in the consent procedure. Although consent must be obtained before any procedure, it is not clear whether women understand what exactly they are consenting to when they agree to be operated upon. "All patients who come here are made aware that they are coming to a teaching institution," Kennison said. Although the surgical consent forms vary, all cover "who is going to be doing the surgery and participating in it." Student assistance is explicit, and Kennison said that their participation, as necessary for that assistance, is implicit in the consent. Although patients can request that students not participate in their surgery, Kennison admitted that this option is not necessarily made clear to the patients. However, "there is this discussion at really high levels, as to what policy has been specifically stated," he said. In response to the recent controversy, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, an umbrella organization for all professional OB/GYN practitioners, will release a statement from their ethics committee on examinations conducted by people in training, Kennison said. In other teaching hospitals it is questionable to what extent students are performing exams for educational purposes, though doctors are emphatic as to the teaching utility of exams done on anesthetized women. The muscles are more relaxed, allowing the students to feel the organs without interference, and the patient cannot feel the sometimes painful mistakes of a novice examiner. Greger, however, argues that "the art of doing a pelvic exam has very little to do with the technical skill, it's all about making the woman feel comfortable... When somebody is asleep... as an educational experience it's really quite limited." The debate was sparked by a February article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, detailing the change in the mindset of medical students from first and second year - where many claim that they would feel uncomfortable perfoming pelvic exams on anesthetized women who had not consented to them - to third and fourth year students who did not express the same reservations. In addition, in early March, several teaching hospitals attached to prestigious schools, including Harvard, announced that they would be changing their procedure to ensure that only students participating in surgical procedures would perform pelvic exams on anesthetized women. News stories caught the attention of many, and spurred the creation of People Against Non-Consensual Pelvic Exam (Non-Con). Gabrielle Lichterman, founder and executive director of the group, claims that over 400 teaching hospitals in the country practice non-consensual exams on women, and is trying to lobby senators to pass federal legislation to control the practice.

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News

Tufts Top Ten

May 17

Every year, I go to countless games at and away from Tufts, witnessing some good, great, not so great, and some downright sad moments. Unfortunately, I'm usually one of about only ten people from Tufts to witness all of these moments. So, I thought that for my last column of the year, it would be a good idea to share the best of this year's Tufts sports moments with you. Although a semi-strict word limit will keep me from going into too much detail about each one, I have compiled the top ten best moments in Tufts sports this year. And away we go... 10. Elliott Wiley learns on The Best Damn Interruption that Wilt Chamberlain is dead. This one you really had to see to understand, but just trust me. On our TUTV sports show, The Best Damn Interruption, Elliott, Colin Stewart, and I were having a lively debate about Michael Jordan's comeback, when Elliott suggested that Wilt the Stilt could make a comeback. Colin and I stared at each other for a few seconds, somewhat taken aback, and then we broke the news to Elliott: "Dude, Wilt Chamberlain died, like four years ago." Elliott sat bolt upright and stared directly at the camera. "He's dead?!?! I didn't get the memo! I didn't get the memo!" This moment was pure comic genius. Elliott really had no idea that Wilt Chamberlain was dead. It wasn't something you could have ever made up. Without a doubt one of the funniest moments of the year. If you didn't see it (and chances are absurdly good that you didn't) you'll just have to trust me. 9. "Browntown" "Browntown," or the Zeta Psi heckling section at men's lacrosse games, makes the list of the Tufts Top Ten for entertainment value and school spirit. The Zeta Psi brothers, as well as legions of other revelers turned out faithfully for every men's lacrosse home game, cursing, cheering, and heckling everyone and everything on the field. Browntown was responsible for the most enthusiastic cheering at any Tufts sporting event I have seen in my three years covering athletics at this school. My favorite Browntown moment of the year? The "Please stop raining! Bam, bam, bam-bam-bam, Please stop raining!" chant when it started to sprinkle during a home game against Trinity. 8. Football team actually wins a Homecoming game. Forget that it didn't come against Amherst or Williams. Forget that it did come against a Bates team that hasn't beat Tufts in 17 years. Forget that the Jumbos would only win one more game for the rest of the season. A 27-0 rout over Bates marked the first time since 1991 the Tufts football team walked off the field victorious after a Homecoming game. The game proved to be one of the last highlights of the season for the team, which, after winning its first three games of the season, lost its last five. 7. Men's lacrosse beats Bowdoin with last minute goal by Bryan Griffin in NESCAC playoffs. Following its best-ever regular season campaign, the men's lacrosse team won its first-ever NESCAC playoff game in dramatic fashion when sophomore Bryan Griffin scored the game-winning goal with 40 seconds left to beat Bowdoin 14-13. There could have been no more appropriate goal scorer than Griffin, who led the team all season in goals, assists, points, and hustle. With 101 points so far in his career, Griffin is well on his way to becoming Tufts all-time leading scorer. The playoff victory over Bowdoin set the tone for the Jumbos' postseason, which saw them run all the way to the NESCAC championship game, which they lost to defending national champion Middlebury. 6. Women's soccer makes a run through the NCAA tournament. For the second time in the last three years, the women's soccer team thrilled the Tufts athletic world with a NESCAC championship and run through the NCAA tournament. This year's team did not fare as well as the team of two years ago, however, and lost a 1-0 decision to Keene State in the second round on an own goal. 5. Jess Trombly wins five events at New England Div. III Championships. True, it was amazing, but to say it was surprising would be a lie. After three years as Tufts' premier athlete, there's not much that Jess Trombly could do that would actually surprise anyone. So when she took first place in five (yes, five) different events at the New England Div. III Indoor Championships this winter, everyone was impressed, but nobody was really astounded. Trombly followed her performance (probably the most impressive in Tufts track history) by running all the way to the NCAA Indoor Championships. 4. Evan Zupancic breaks career interception and career home run marks in the same year. Rivaling Trombly for Tufts' premier athlete of the last four years, senior Evan Zupancic broke the records for career interceptions and career homeruns in the same year. Zupancic finished the football season with seven interceptions, and finished his career with 19, demolishing the old record of 15 set by Scott Burnham in 1982. On Apr. 6, Zupancic rewrote the record books again with a first inning blast, his 20th homerun of his career. That pushed him past Bill Canon and Eric Sholds who each had 19 career round trippers. 3. Men's basketball misses last- second shot against Williams, losing in second round. It would have been a perfect story. Mike McGlynn, the team's best player, charges to the basket and sinks a lay-up as time runs out to beat the Williams basketball behemoth and move on to the NESCAC championship game. But the story wasn't to be, and McGlynn's shot didn't fall. Williams won the game, and went on to win the National Championship. But the thrill of watching that game was easily the most excitement I've ever had at any Tufts game, in any sport. 2. Reggie Stovell dunks over All-American Steve Zieja in Tufts upset over Amherst. Sure, Amherst didn't have one of its top players, and true, the Jeffs were probably overrated anyway, but Reggie Stovell's jam over an All-American was just plain cool. My first question to every coach and player I could find following the game: "Did you have any idea that Reggie could jump that high?" The resounding answer: "No." 1. Jon Lee throws a no hitter, which Randy Newsom follows with a two-hit shut-out. It was the second one of his career, and it was in a seven-inning game, but that didn't make Jon Lee's no hitter on Mar. 29 any less special. But what made the day even more remarkable was Randy Newsom's two-hit, 11 strikeout, shutout performance in the second game of the day's doubleheader against Bates. In the doubleheader, Tufts outscored Bates 13-0, allowed just two hits, and struck out 19 batters. Tufts went on to make the NESCAC playoffs yet again, while the Bobcats once again finished with a losing record, out of the postseason.

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News

Why I listen to Tupac during Passover Seder

May 17

Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races/We under I wonder what it takes to make this/one better place, let's erase the wasted/it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other." - Tupac, "Changes" I am writing on this delicate topic to highlight the distinction and subtlety of the ideas of race and culture. These large and abstract concepts grew to become very personal for me during this semester. The way I encountered them was similar every time. Either a person from a given culture attempted to both start and end the discussion by attacking my character and asserting that his membership qualified as grounds to discredit the opinion of a non-member, or I enjoyed a positive exchange in which both parties remained on equal and respected ground. I have had this type of interaction about food, music, and lifestyles. Further examples advance my discussion of a distinction between cultural identification and preservation, on the one hand, and cultural ownership and reification on the other. Hip-hop: This art-form and culture may have distinct roots from certain cultural experiences, but the lyrics, beat, and overall feel of the music evoke deep sentiment in people across the world. This does not discredit the origins of the art form, or its ability to celebrate specific experiences, but it places it within the context of globalization. Eastern European youth, for example, may find this music appealing because it reflects themes relevant to their lives; these include encounters with power structures, feelings of frustration and alienation, and celebrations of the human experience, like sexuality, joy, and remorse. As a member of EPIIC, an intensive and immersive program at Tufts whose theme this year was sovereignty and intervention, I explored the degree to which hip-hop music and culture has risen to become a global phenomena. This culminated in researching a Native American rapper who discussed both current and historical themes through the medium of hip-hop. In this instance, the rapper, Litefoot, harnessed this folk-art form to express his own culture; as such, he used the global to communicate the local. The result was a recording label that presented the traditional Native American themes within a hip-hop context. The group Spearhead is another example of hip-hop's being combined with other styles of music, once spatially and temporally associated with funk. They use a rap/jazz fusion to express political and social messages. The lead singer, Michael Franti, is a testament to the expanding hip-hop form, defying ways in which people have attempted to culturally appropriate it. As an African American adopted by a white couple, Franti's diverse background creates a varied and dynamic story in which to express his material to all those who feel the music. Tupac Shakur is an example of hip-hop icon and folk hero who exemplifies a defiance of cultural appropriating hip-hop. While his name is inseparably linked with the West Coast, Tupac was born in Brooklyn and spent much of his youth studying in Baltimore. This illustrates the defiance of cultural appropriation in that the symbol of West Coast rap becomes so, not by being from the West Coast, but rather by being received as legitimately West Coast. At a conference on Tupac, hosted by the Hip Hop Archives and Harvard University, scholars and commentators discussed Tupac, illustrating his diverse legacy. Tupac transcends simple appellations of an artist, thug-intellectual, and compassionate misogynist; he is something bigger, someone that, while rising out of a particular time, is timeless. He became a modern folk hero. I was extremely fascinated to watch the way in which one feminist scholar used the symbol of Tupac as an archetype of folk hero and of masculinity. Many of Tupac's lyrics treat women with contempt; his insight and his insidiousness was to her both disease and cure. This fits well into the overarching argument. Tupac's ability to maneuver between many identities - thug-intellectual, monogamous pimp, violent peacemaker - underscores the futility of confining Tupac to a particular legacy or tradition. As a folk hero operating in the folk form, Tupac illustrates how this mode of expression possesses universal relevance. This emphasizes the importance of context and culture. The aforementioned examples suggest that if someone rises from a certain tradition it does not necessarily restrict their legitimacy in others. But what does this do to expectations of race and culture? Considering that hip-hop is as much a lifestyle as it is a mode of expression, to what degree do we lend legitimacy to people wearing certain types of clothing? Style, in many ways, is that which defies necessity. Should we be at all surprised that do-rags are worn without function, or that people wear Timbs in the middle of the summer? Are there socio-economic or geographic prerequisites to legitimately sport certain styles? To what extent does the hip-hop lifestyle belong to one particular group, and, as such, to what extent should it be preserved and nourished? This sort of cultural appropriation warrants numerous counter-examples. Most notably, Eminem is perhaps the most successful artist and producer of 50 Cent. Eminem frequently likens himself to Elvis Presley, wearing do-rags that serve not function but style, and crosses into the mainstream markets with Oscar in hand and the number one spot on Top 40, heavy metal, and hip-hop charts. He introduced a style to the world and an attitude many embrace regardless of their backgrounds. His efforts underscore major advances in the globalization of hip-hop in which people from areas other than East and West Coast can appreciate and emulate an art form that has deep resonance for them. I recently witnessed the phenomenon firsthand in Honduras and Belize, where children wore Timbs and Celtics jerseys and young men tried to hustle me burned 50 Cent CDs. While this may not be the essence of hip-hop or its style, it is one aspect of its global manifestation. Hip-hop has long since gone global, and the effort to confine and to label the authentic people by reason of their not being from a certain area or having a certain background undermines the art-form and belies the spirit of music as narrative, relevant to all cultures. I understand the importance of preserving and celebrating culture; however, I question the methods people use to claim traditions and declare themselves sole authentic guardians of those traditions. I held a Passover Seder at my house in which I tried to accommodate the viewpoints of the nine non-Jewish guests and one other Jewish guest. The Seder included a balance of the traditional and the non-traditional. While we explained the significance of many of the traditional aspects, including the language and the meaning of the Seder plate, we also incorporated a variety of other symbols and figures including Fredrick Douglass and Gandhi, whose life and work reflects the beliefs in freedom and human dignity that Passover celebrates. In this way, we celebrate Passover both as a universal folk-tale, freedom store, and also as a specific moment celebrated within the context of one tradition. Similar questions arise from examining hip hop. Hip hop is an art form that often describes particular stories resulting from shared experiences unique to certain perspectives, but, on the other hand, it transcends experience and particular culture by becoming global and by speaking to certain universal truths and feelings. While this should not undermine hip-hop's ability to express unique and local truths, it has become a medium of folk-narrative, and as such, can be translated into a variety of cultures and languages, along with other great works in the canon of Eastern and Western traditions.

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News

Yet another year of TV radiation

May 17

For those of you who spent hours watching TV instead of doing work, this article needs no introduction. Best reality show: Joe Millionaire Millions of Americans, including yours truly, tuned in to watch the incredibly vapid Evan Wallace Marriot choose the Queen of Aloofness Zorah over the promiscuous Sarah. The special FOX "twist" at the end was also pathetic and a total cop-out. Giving a million dollars to the couple anyhow? They should learn to live alongside each other in poverty. I'd even bet that amount that the two never even hooked up after the show was finished taping. But with all these criticisms, why is it the best reality show? Because it was so funny, so addictive, and, well, how often can you see a girl sincerely say she wants to become a "mercenary" and help out the poor? Worst reality show: Are you Hot? This disgusting excuse for television is a blatant rip-off of one of the best uses of the internet to date, hotornot.com. Is there anything more irritating than watching Lorenzo Lamas with his laser pointer point out a woman's "flabby" thighs, when in actuality, there's less fat on them than in a tub of I Can't Believe it's Not Butter! Blech, no wonder ABC is last in the ratings essentially every week. Best choice by a network head: Family Guy on Cartoon Network Thank goodness for cable. Once again, a show too racy and too offensive to be shown on regular television finds its place. Family Guy is the most random and uproariously funny cartoon this side of The Simpsons, and that is saying a lot. Long live Quahog and Peter Griffin. As the perverted neighbor Quagmire might say, "Oh, yeah..." Worst choice by a network head: Moving Ed to Friday Nights Poor Tufts alum Rob Burnett. His quirky and funny show Ed starts losing some ratings, and what does NBC do? Throws them in the worst time slot possible where the show can't possibly rebound. Having a show on a Friday night is akin to having calculus as a B block class on Monday mornings - it's salt in the wound. I hope the suits at NBC make the right choice and put Ed in a time slot that won't equate to a death notice at the end of next season. Best movie shown on Tufts Movie Channel: Sum of All Fears Kudos to TMC for having a quality action film on television just months after it hit the big screen. Ben Affleck notwithstanding, the latest Jack Ryan thriller served as one of the best avenues of procrastination. Even better than an infomercial for the Ronco Rotisserie Grill. Worst movie shown on Tufts Movie Channel: The Country Bears, for four months Yeah, so LCS' Kids Day is a big hit, and there are many Child Development majors on campus, but still, why is this movie on a college campus movie channel? There is no reason for this. It's a movie based on a theme park attraction. It should never have even been made. One more caveat: Haley Joel Osment is in it. Best candidate for jumping the shark: The West Wing Is it possible that Rob Lowe made the smart move by leaving the show early? With creator, producer, and ??ber-screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's recent canning, the future of the NBC presidential drama looks bleak. Recent plot lines include an invasion of imaginary country Kundu and another assassination attempt. President Bartlett gets shot at more than Michael Moore effigies at an NRA convention. A show that prided itself on mirroring the liberal Clinton administration has woefully failed at adapting its structure since Bush's election two years ago. One can only hope that the show will rebound, fast. Stupidest character ever: Kim Bauer on 24 Kim, played effortlessly by Elisha Cuthbert, never really had a purpose other than wearing tight clothes and revealing gratuitous cleavage. This has brought on the wrath of 24 fans everywhere, as the most loyal viewers have labeled her "Spawn" on the website televisionwithoutpity.com. Through the course of the past 22 hours, Kim has been kidnapped, arrested, set a cop car on fire, held hostage, and has obviously overdosed on stupidity pills because no one could ever be that absentminded. But, she's wearing tight clothing, so it's all good. If you only could have one channel, it would be: HBO Yes, it's premium. But there's a reason. HBO has the best programming - The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Curb Your Enthusiasm come to mind, along with the best made-for-television movies and miniseries (i.e. Band of Brothers, and of course, the best motion pictures on television today). Instead of trying to save the inadequate Tufts Movie Channel, take advantage of the change in cable provider and demand HBO. At least make it an option for those who know good television when they see it. Students shouldn't have to resort to KaZaA in order to get their fill of high quality programming.

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News

Administration seeks to change Greek system

May 17

The University administration and the Greek system may be headed towards 'a clash of values and priorities" next semester, as the University attempts to refocus the community towards what it refers to as its "traditional goals." Following a semester in which five separate houses had to face disciplinary action, the change in interaction between the administration and the Greek houses next year will have the potential to completely change the social landscape at Tufts. The Dean of Students Office says that if its goal is to increase student safety, increased administrative involvement is inevitable. "I can't address their needs if their only way to have fun is to have a free-for-all," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. Tufts announced the hiring of Greek Life Director Todd Sullivan this month, whom the administration hopes will be able to have a more personal and involved role with the Greeks. "You heard Greek officers say that they were not getting enough support from Tufts," Reitman said. With nearly 15 percent of the student population involved in the Greek system, Reitman said it is a specialized area of student affairs that requires more attention. Fraternity and sorority presidents expressed concern and frustration during the semester over what they saw as unclear messages from the University administration regarding what behavior was acceptable. There are some members of the Greek system who have expressed concern, though, that the new position will simply be an extension of what they view as inflexible administrative rules. While the exact role of the Greek Life director is still amorphous, Sullivan said that for the moment he plans to just come in and ask questions. He starts in the position June 1 and will begin speaking with student leaders and administrators. Sullivan said that his first focus will most likely be on returning to traditional Greek values, such as community service, self-respect, and academics. "When there is more of a focus on the founding values of the organization, fewer negative things happen," Sullivan said. Sullivan has worked previously in similar capacities at Florida International University and Indiana University. A "liaison"-type position is what Reitman and Sullivan think will work best to allow Greek leaders to work well with the administration. Reitman envisions the position as one that would allow the Greek Life director to be able to drop by Greek houses in a casual way. But according to Reitman, the Greek Life director would also report any infractions he saw, making the goal of friendly relations between Greeks and their new director a little more difficult. "He's going to have to confront problematic and illegal behavior," Reitman said. When asked if this dual responsibility for the Greek Life director will make success impossible, Reitman said no, as long as people are willing to compromise. "It has to be the approach people are thinking about if they're being realistic," he said. "If the goal of a night at a social function is to just to get trashed, this isn't going to work." Citing the reforms made to other campus events, such as Spring Fling and the Pancake Breakfast, Reitman said that the administration has a responsibility to work with students to improve organizations and events. He believes that by doing so, students are safer, and that there is only a minority of students who want fewer controls. "I have no way to meet the needs of those students," Reitman said. Reitman's opinion contradicts the results of a poll conducted by the Daily in March, which found that almost three-quarters of the student body was opposed to increased administrative control over alcohol on campus. Some fraternity brothers think that it is the administration that is not being realistic about expectations. "They want us around on their terms, and aren't being realistic about what Greek life is about," said junior Alpha Epsilon Pi brother Nat Sager. "You can't embrace Greek life without the parties." According to Sager, there is a perception on campus that the administration wants to eventually shutdown social life on campus, which he thinks will just push drinking further underground. "For the most part, it's better they drink in a controlled environment," Sager said. The need for a direction in Greek Life policy has become much more urgent to the administration this semester after five different houses faced disciplinary action for infractions ranging from minor rush violations to endangerment of other students. The biggest punishment went to Zeta Psi, which will be on probation for two years, during which no one but brothers will be allowed in the house, and no alcohol will be allowed on the premises. But Sullivan is experienced in dealing with problems within Greek systems. His previous job was as Director of Campus Life for Greek Affairs at Florida International University for over three years. While there, he oversaw the expansion of the system from 20 chapters and 700 students to 27 chapters and over 1,100 students. He dealt with one serious hazing case, which resulted in the suspension of one fraternity until 2006. Alcohol, which is what many of this past semester's violations were related to, is not a problem that is specific to Tufts, Sullivan said. "A lot of education in terms of alcohol abuse can help to stop that," he said. Sullivan is also trained for intervention procedures, and has organized programs on alcohol abuse. Members of the Greek system, however, complain that the problems highlighted by campus media are an unfair representation of what they do, which they say includes campus leadership and community service. To help fight that perceived imbalance, the IGC launched The Greek Letter this semester to broadcast to campus the beneficial effects the Greek system has on campus.

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News

Track and field seniors make the most out of their ability at Tufts

May 17

Comprising one of the larger senior classes in the past few years, this core of runners, throwers, and vaulters made an impact that will be felt in both scoring and the work ethic they all evince. "The most noticeable thing about this senior class is that they didn't all come in as all-stars in high school," coach Kristen Morwick said. "However, with the work and determination they've put in over the past four years they've all become real impact athletes and it's great to see what they've been able to accomplish when they all stuck with it." Myriam Claudio Myriam Claudio had never done track before college, making her advances over the past four years in the Tufts program all the more impressive. Claudio leaves as a record holder in the pole vault, and also ran a leg in the 4x100m relay that smashed the school record this season. The relay team is currently ranked 14th on the Nationals list and hopes to make the trip to St. Lawrence in Canton, NY to compete at the NCAA Div. III meet. "She's been a solid contributor over the past four years," Morwick said. "We wouldn't have been able to do the relay without her, and she's had a really good college career especially considering that she never did track before Tufts." Kristen Munson Posting PRs in the 10K and 5K this year, Kristen Munson has made major strides in her ability during her time as a Jumbo. Munson was also a key contributor in cross-country, cracking the prestigious top seven. Having found her race this year, Munson has made big leaps in that time in both personal marks as well as contributions to the team. Munson leaves Tufts in the top ten in the best all-time 10k times. "Kristen finally found her race, and it's shown in her times and accomplishments in the 10k this year," fellow senior Ashley Peterson said. Mary Nodine Battling two stress fractures over the past few years, Mary Nodine has shown an amazing ability to fight back. As of the New England Div. III meet, Nodine held the school record in the 3000 steeplechase and was ranked 17th on the Nationals list. Morwick has high hopes for Nodine making the trip to Nationals to represent the Jumbos in the steeplechase. "Mary came back from some hard injuries and never gave up," Morwick said. "A lot of what shows results in Div. III is when you put in a lot of hard work and heart." Danielle Perrin Danielle Perrin is the second half of a dynamic duo that makes up the steeplechase contingent of the team. She and Nodine have been trading off the distinction of holding the school record in the steeplechase throughout the season. Perrin also made advances in the javelin as well as a slew of other long-distance events. "In her first year Danielle wasn't even an impact athlete, and now she's a Nationals qualifier," Morwick said. "Both the coaches and her teammates recognize that she is the most improved, she really came into her own this last year." Ashley Peterson Also hassled by injury, Peterson came back from surgery that was performed because of nagging shin problems. Even given the injuries over her career, Peterson has made a big jump in the past year and posted PRs in the 5k and 10k races. "I'm really proud of what Ashley's been able to do, given the surgeries and her academic rigors with the thesis and everything," Morwick said. With these and other seniors leaving, the squad will have voids in the middle and long distances to fill. Nodine and Perrin are the top two steeplechasers and, along with Peterson and Munson, comprise a strong distance delegation. Claudio was the best pole-vaulter in an event that is hard to master. Morwick hopes that current team members, as well as a strong freshman class, will be able to fill in where these seniors will no doubt leave gaps. "We're losing a good group," Morwick said. "A lot of the seniors had their best season this last season, which is great to see. Hopefully next year others who were not as visible in contributing will step up that role just like this senior class did."

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News

The over-looked caught on film

May 17

Advance praise has emerged for Vesto Productions' first independent film Pretender's Dance. A film production company founded by Tufts/SMFA dual-degree graduating senior Tom Keefe, LA/Museum '03, and Jeremy Wang-Iverson, LA '02, Vesto created a work seeking to promote understanding of Body Identity Integrity Disorder (BIID) through its sensitive exploration of the subject material. Pretender's Dance is a compassionate, thought-provoking look at the rare psychological condition known as BIID. Individuals afflicted by the disorder feel that they are trapped within the wrong body. In order to obtain peace of mind, they struggle with whether to obtain elective amputations to alter their bodies to a desired design. The story is about Adelaide, an aspiring dancer who enters into a relationship with a young man, Sebastian, who suffers from BIID. The plot revolves around Adelaide's decision to incorporate Sebastian's condition into an audition piece for the highly competitive NYU dance school. "The dancer," Keefe said, "is much like myself, an artist intrigued by this curious condition." After screening the rough cut of Pretender's Dancer at the SMFA Student Review Board for Keefe, faculty had high acclaim for the film. "Tom has created a powerful narrative, visually and script-wise, that creates a story that is spare, economical, and beautifully told," museum faculty member Susan Stark said. Along with the accolades from the SMFA, Pretender's Dance received praise from within the Tufts community. Notably, Tufts University granted Keefe honors on the film as his senior thesis. "Original in theme, masterful in composition, Pretender's Dance suggests that Tom Keefe is a young filmmaker with a real future," said drama professor Laurence Senelick. The journey involved in creating this film commanded an incredible amount of dedication on the parts of Keefe and Wang-Iverson. "This project has been an enormous physical, emotional, and spiritual challenge with more obstacles than you could imagine along the way. It is completely to Tom's credit that we've done so well and I'm delighted to say it's only the beginning," remarked Wang-Iverson. Vesto Productions began as an academic/creative collaboration between Keefe and Wang-Iverson while enrolled in Professor Ken Olum's class, Astronomy 10. They developed a friendship while creating a series of educational videos for the class including a fictionalized account of the life of Vesto Slipher, an astronomer from whom the company derived its namesake. Vesto Productions' first substantial work was the well-received President Bacow Inauguration video, based on the style of a documentary shown at the Academy Awards. Encouraged by the success of the inauguration video, the pair soon decided to develop a "film for film's sake." Keefe came upon the idea for a film when his brother showed him an article on BIID in Atlantic Monthly while on a plane ride home to his native Wisconsin. After he convinced Wang-Iverson of the merit of such a work, they began intensive research to develop a fuller understanding of the disorder by contacting the author of the article, Gregg M. Furth, Ph.D., a Jungian psychoanalyst. Furth was impressed by their open-mindedness concerning BIID. In a letter endorsing Vesto's project, Furth stated that he views the project as an opportunity to "educate the medical, therapeutic, and lay public about the syndrome." After securing a $5,000 grant based on their film proposal from the Provost's Office, Keefe and Wang-Iverson began pre-production on their film. To give his characters more depth and to continue developing the script, Keefe turned to friend and fellow screenwriter Alex Reeves, A '03. An English major with a talent for creating realistic dialogue, Reeves became an integral third piece of the Pretender's Dance production. With his presence, the group fell into defined roles. The team coalesced with Keefe as the director, Wang-Iverson as producer, and Reeves as the writer. "Our partnership was based on Tom seeing images and me hearing the dialogue," said Reeves. As the writer, he created the characters' voices, paying close attention to the complex emotional quality of the film. To finalize the script, Reeves penned his own version and interwove it with the original. Pretender's Dance emerged as a project rich in visual aesthetic with a strong narrative structure revolving around natural dialogue. Using this dialogue, Reeves helped Keefe realize his intense, visual concepts. Deciding they worked together well as a team, Keefe and Reeves also co-taught an Explorations class this past fall through the Ex-College, fittingly entitled "Making the American Independent Film." A few adventurous first-year students from their class even became involved in the Pretender's Dance project as on set production assistants. With the crew and actors finally gathered, Pretender's Dance began shooting on Feb. 13, 2003. In below-freezing temperatures, the intrepid filmmakers met on Beaver Pond in Medford to shoot an ice-fishing scene. As the crew dealt with numb fingers and toes, a feeling of excitement was still tangible. After wrapping up on that first frigid day, Keefe and Wang-Iverson were invigorated by finally watching their vision materialize before them. "It was hard work, but the kind that I wanted to wake and do the next morning," Keefe said. Filming continued throughout February and March with shooting at such diverse locations as the Massachusetts coastline, the abandoned Dogtown, and various locales within Rockport and Cambridge, including the home of Tufts English professor Jonathan Strong, Wang-Iverson's former advisor. Once filming wrapped in mid-March, Keefe began the arduous task of editing more than ten hours of footage down to a concise, but compelling 20-minute short. This required transferring the film from its original Super 16mm format to digital video. After about a month of intense daily editing, Keefe emerged with a rough-cut Pretender's Dance. Wang-Iverson and Keefe plan to have the first public showing of Pretender's Dance at a conference held annually for members of the BIID community at Columbia University in June. They also plan on having a Boston premiere sometime in September at Coolidge Corner for the Tufts community and all those who participated in the film. Future plans for Vesto Productions include the development of Pretender's Dance into a full-length feature to be shot next summer. Other projects on the horizon include the production of a documentary about the life of Jonathan Neuman, the Tufts student with rock 'n' roll dreams who died of leukemia last summer at age 22. Vesto has obtained the rights to footage of Johnny Physical, as he was known, from renowned filmmaker Albert Mayles, director of the highly acclaimed Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter. This is a significant step for Vesto in establishing itself as a viable production company within Boston. Eventually, Vesto Productions hopes to produce a variety of film projects ranging from feature films and music videos to commissioned works.

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News

Women finish third at Div. IIIs

May 17

After a successful spring campaign, which culminated in a second-place finish at NESCACs, the women's track and field team will continue well into the postseason thanks to some impressive individual performances. The last big push will be getting as many Jumbo representatives as possible to the NCAA Div. III Championship meet, which will take place from May 22-24 in Canton, NY at St. Lawrence University. Over the weekend of May 1-3, a whittled-down version of the squad squared off against the best that schools in New England Div. III have to offer. Even though many Jumbos were unable to attend due to the rigors of the final exam schedule, the contingent that did attend racked up enough points to finish third overall. With a total of 189 points Williams College took a commanding first-place finish, while second-place Colby College was just over 20 points ahead of Tufts'' 86. "We didn't load the lineup, just put people in events they wanted to run and got third easily which was nice to see," coach Kristen Morwick said. "Colby was just ahead of us, and if we'd gone after them we would have easily been second." The results of the meet boasted a slew of PRs, as well as some newly attained school records and NCAA qualifying marks. The dynamic steeplechase senior duo of Danielle Perrin and Mary Nodine took third and fourth in the event with close times of 11:19.79 and 11:19.91, respectively. Both easily met the NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 11:30.00 - the event has no automatic qualifying time. In the same event, junior Lauren Caputo ran a PR to finish sixth in 11:35.80, and freshman Emily Pfeil posted a 20 second PR of 12:03.55, which qualified her for the ECAC Championship meet. The multi-events also elicited PRs from the Jumbos partaking in the event. Sophomore Melissa Graveley was two points shy of amassing an impressive 3900 points in the heptathlon. Her effort was good for fourth place overall and brought forth PRs in the high jump, long jump, and the 800. After a disappointing start in the hurdles that put her in last place, freshman Megan Sears fought her way back with PRs in the high jump, 200, and 800 to end up in sixth overall at the end of the two day competition. Never one to shy away from the top spot, junior Jess Trombly competed in four events, placing first in all but one. Trombly won the 100 hurdles in 15.21 and the 400 hurdles in 1:02.28, with the latter being both a new school record and a NCAA automatic qualifying mark. She also partook in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, with the 4x100 - comprised of senior Myriam Claudio, Trombly, sophomore Ayako Sawanobori, and freshman Rachel Bloom - sprinting to first in a solid time of 48.99. The 4x400 team - composed of junior Emily Bersin, Bloom, sophomore Sika Henry, and Trombly - came out in second place with a time of 3:55.46. Though the time was good enough for an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, Morwick claimed that the 4x400 team can run faster. In addition to contributing to two relays, Bloom also took part in the 200 dash, reaching a PR of 25.71 that propelled her to third place overall. The throws were also represented with Jumbos finishing in the top scoring eight in the shot put and the discus. Sophomore Katie Antle garnered eighth place with her lob of 39' 3.75'' in the shot put, while junior Kate Gluckman let the discus sail in her second place effort. Gluckman's toss of 133' was close to both a school record and the NCAA qualifying mark. "In general it was a great meet, considering the academic stress we were under," Morwick said. "The outdoor season has been a big push, it's a long year and people are pretty tired, but we've managed to hit our goals: top two at NESCACs and top three at New Englands. At this point we're shooting for more [NCAA] qualifiers." As of the New England Div. III Championship meet, the squad had two relays and four individuals poised to make the trip to Canton, NY. The 4x100 and 4x400 are in, as are Graveley in the high jump, Nodine and Perrin in the 3000 steeplechase, and Trombly in the heptathlon, 400 hurdles, and 100 hurdles. Between New Englands and Nationals, Morwick hopes to see a few athletes who are close to qualifying meet their marks. These include Bersin in the 400 hurdles, Gluckman in the discus and Claudio in the pole vault. "We need to improve on our provisional marks and I hope to get as many people in as I can," Morwick said. "We want a big contingent this year, just the experience of us going gives us a leg up on next year. Even if all the individuals who should go to Nationals do not, the season has seen many other marks surpassed. Numerous school records have been broken, some multiple times within the season. Included in those shattering school marks are Perrin in the steeplechase, Claudio in the pole vault, Claudio, Bloom, Trombly, and Sawanobori in the 4x100, and Trombly in the 400 hurdles and heptathlon. With only a few - albeit key - members lost to graduation this year, the team has a good base to build upon in the upcoming year. "In general people are performing well, we've done well as a team and we're hoping to get some more great performances and bring a whole group to St. Lawrence for Nationals this year," Morwick said. "We are still a very young team and have lots of room for growth, we're only getting better. We have a solid hold on the number two spot in New England and the NESCAC and are competing more consistently and with a lot more desire and determination."

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News

Transitional representatives elected to Alumni Council

May 17

The Class of 2003 elected four Transitional Representatives to the Alumni Council on May 1 from a pool of 14 candidates. The four seniors elected - Alison Clarke, David Michaels, Sarah Stroback, and Benjamin Lee - were elected from the largest pool of candidates since the program began in 2000. Each will serve a five-year term as members of the Tufts Alumni Council, which is the governing board of the Tufts Alumni Association. Each of the 14 candidates was nominated by a fellow member of the Class of 2003. Council members are nominated from among alumni and voted on by the Association. At the end of their five-year term, transitional representatives are eligible to run for a full council membership, which lasts ten years. The Transitional Representative system was created for the Class of 2000 in an effort to better connect younger alumni to the University. Although the "[previous] system produced excellent leadership for the Association for many years," Alumni Association President Alan MacDougall said, "the Association found that the Council's two hundred members did not contain enough younger alumni." The creation of the positions was part of a concerted effort by the Association to promote the involvement of younger alumni, which included the founding of the Young Alumni Achievement Award. The award honors a recently graduated alumnus who has made significant accomplishments in his or her career since graduation. The Alumni Association also reaches out to younger alumni in other, less conventional ways. "I helped a graduate of the class of 2002 in his job search. He is now helping a current sophomore in his search for a summer internship," MacDougall said. "Tufts is a family, and that is the way a family behaves." MacDougall believes the program has been a success. "The Transitional members have been such outstanding people that I know that their classes have a sense of connection which was not felt by previous classes in their early years after graduation," he said. Transitional members have taken leadership positions, serving as chairs of Council committees and leading regional chapters of the Association in both Philadelphia and Baltimore. While fundraising is not a direct goal of this program, MacDougall did point out that "it is essential to the future well-being of the University that our alumni have a consistent habit of giving." MacDougall suggested the more connection young alumni feel to the University, the greater the chance they will donate earlier. All four elected members for the Class of 2003 expressed a strong desire to stay linked to the University. "I decided to run because I have loved my time at Tufts and do not want my connection to the University to end with graduation," Michaels said. Clarke pointed out that "there are a lot of changes for the better that Tufts can make and alumni involvement is key for many of these changes." Clarke, along with Ben Lee, plans to start an insurance plan for Tufts Alumni. MacDougall has high hopes for the Class of 2003. "I know that the four members who were elected will serve the University and the Association in key leadership posts, but I also know that the other nominees and other members of the class of 2003 will fill key posts in the next few years," he said.

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News

Identity theft a threat to students

May 17

During the past school year, chances are that nearly every University student wrote a check, charged tickets to a Red Sox game or movie, applied for a credit card, threw a bank statement into the trash, or misplaced their Tufts ID card. Students may think that the damage caused by any of these actions is limited to a self-indulgent dip into the typically meager college-student budget. In truth, however, the damage can be far greater: elevating students' risk of being targeted for identity theft, a crime which has a much more devastating effect than a few Moviefone tickets on a tight budget. Identity theft is a term used to refer to all types of crime in which someone obtains and uses another person's personal information (whether it be their Social Security number, credit card number, or other identifying data) without that person's knowledge, most often for economic gain. The prevalence of this crime in the United States has been steadily increasing for quite some time: Bankrate.com reports that there are almost 900,000 new victims each year. Many of those targeted have been college students, who are especially prone to identity theft for a number of reasons. One reason is that Social Security numbers (SSNs) are used as universal identifiers at most colleges, including Tufts. At schools nationwide, SSNs are used in situations from purchasing items at the bookstore to replacing names on a list of test grades. Such blas?© use of SSNs, however, can have devastating results, as was the case of college student Jenni D. (who did not wish to use her last name), whose identity theft received national coverage. In late 2002, someone stole Jenni D.'s SSN from her student ID card. Using the SSN, the thief opened up 13 credit card accounts, seven checking accounts, nine cell phone accounts, and bought a brand new Chevrolet Suburban, totaling $72,000. This case brought a new awareness of campus identity theft to those at colleges and universities. Since Jenni D.'s story received national attention, most colleges, businesses, and governments have responded in various ways. Perhaps the biggest change adopted by Tufts in order to combat the rise in identity theft is a change in the way student ID numbers are issued. Prior to the fall 2002 semester, all students' ID numbers were the same as their SSN, if they had one. SSNs were included on student ID cards, along with athe student's name, date of birth, and picture/ Because openly displaying students' SSNs increased the chances of identity theft - SSNs are the most popular keys to unlocking someone's financial assets - incoming freshmen in fall 2002 received radnomly-generated, nine-digit student ID numbers distinct from their SSN. Only this year's incoming freshmen were automatically assigned randomly-generated ID numbers, but the Department of Public Safety offers to change other students' ID numbers and issue them with a new ID card for free. Although actual data on the number of students who have changed their ID cards was not available, the Department did say that some students, perhaps fearing identity theft, changed their ID numbers. Many students, however, see no reason to change their ID numbers; they are not worried about identity theft, as it is a crime that as, until recently, received very little publicity.When asked if he would switch to the newer system and switch his ID's Social Security number to a randomly assigned number, sophomore Joe Schipani responded negatively. "Probably not, seeing as the only thing that concerns me, and has never actually happened to any of my friends, is the use of my ID number to buy food on MOPS," he said. When asked if he shared some students' concerns of losing their IDs and thus having their Social Security number floating around Boston, Schipani also responded negatively: "That's like saying, aren't you afraid of carrying your bank card around?" While students shouldn't be afraid to do so, they should be aware. In addition to being conscious of the consequences of losing their ID or bank card, students should be conscious that providing personal information on the internet can also lead to identity theft. The Internet is a virtual godsend for identity thieves, providing them with a wealth of opportunities to intercept financial information. Personal information is sent via the Internet everyday, and may not always be sent to the place where the user trusts it is going. When asked how they stay safe online and what precautions they take, the majority of Tufts students said that they didn't think twice about identity theft. Freshman Elizabeth Maynard said that she, like most others, trusts that common sense will keep her safe: "Sites will tell you not to use names or birthdays or things like that for passwords, so they are not easy to figure out," Maynard said. When transferring information on the Internet, however, common knowledge is not always enough. Lucy Lazarony at Bankrate.com warns, "Watch your step when applying for credit cards on the Web. There are plenty of phony card sites to avoid. Check to see if the Web site is connected to a legitimate credit card company before applying." What are some other commonly suggested tips for preventing identity theft? If you are shopping with an online merchant, look for the Trust-e symbol or a Better Business Bureau online seal located somewhere on the page. These symbols indicate that the seller is trustworthy and has been independently audited. Additionally, Dani Arthur from Bankrate.com warns students to be careful of "shoulder-surfers" - people who stand close by as individuals punch in their PIN numbers at an ATM. Fill out all credit card and loan applications clearly and exactly the same way every time: that way every bill that arrives at your house should be addressed the same. To those students living off-campus, never leave paid bills in your mailbox - always drop them off at the post office instead. All of these tips are connected by the crucial underlying idea that students should keep tabs on all financial documents and numbers. "Earlier this year, I found someone's Fleet bank card on Talbot Ave," one anonymous freshman said. "I turned it in to the University police. Just seeing it lying there made me more careful about my own bank card, though - what if that was my card lying there and someone dishonest picked it up?" Finding something so valuable can clearly motivate students to more actively combat identity theft, but doing so shouldn't take such a wakeup call: in the name of safety, students should pay close attention to their personal information - before somebody else does.

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News

City objects to dorm's construction

May 17

Though Tufts will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for its new dormitory on May 16, the city of Somerville has raised serious opposition to the construction plans based on the historical value of some of the properties that would be destroyed. The new 55,000-square-foot residence hall, which is designed to hold 150 students and will be located between Professors Row and Talbot Avenue, is just the beginning of a chain of new construction that will involve at least six buildings on campus. The properties at 13 and 15 Talbot Ave. will be destroyed to make room for the dorm, as well as the house at 20 Professors Row that dates to 1852 and housed Tufts' first president, Hosea Ballou II, and is currently the home of the Music Department. The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (SHPC) has objected to Tufts' plans to raze the Music Department, as well the properties at 72, 80, and 128 Professors Row - the Dearborn House, Zeta Psi, and the former building of the Institute for Global Leadership. These buildings are scheduled to be razed when Tufts builds the new music building, for which fundraising is almost complete. "To the Commission, the history of Tufts is intertwined with history of Somerville," said Bill Doncaster, a spokesman for the city. "Even losing one of them in [Professors Row] would be a significant loss." The SHPC has long taken an interest in the small-town appearance of Professors Row and, in a letter to University officials, called it a "street that is particularly evocative of the early development of Tufts College and its growth within the agrarian, and subsequently, residential landscape of West Somerville." This is not the first time Tufts has clashed with Somerville over the fate of the buildings on Professors Row. In the mid-1980's there was a serious effort to declare the entire street a historic district, a proposal Tufts opposed due to the considerable constraints such a label would have placed on any changes to the buildings' appearance. The SHPC dropped the proposal in 1989 when Tufts Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel sent a letter to the city promising "to work with the Commission to develop a plan for the accomplishment of mutual goals." According to Doncaster, "the city bowed out due to this assurance." When Tufts began planning the construction slated to start this summer, University officials gained initial approval from Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay, though their proposal did not include the destruction of the property at 20 Professors Row. Gay and other city officials support Tufts' attempt to try to house more students on-campus, since students living in residential areas have created problems with parking, illegal apartments, and noise. But "never in a million years did the city believe Tufts would raze these buildings [on Professors Row]," Doncaster said. The mayor supports the SHPC's opposition to Tufts' planned construction, he said. Tufts will meet with the full membership of the SHPC to discuss the planned destruction of all three properties on Professors Row at their regular monthly meeting on May 20 - after the groundbreaking ceremony for the new dorm. According to Tufts Vice President of Operations John Roberto, "it's difficult to predict at this time the results of those discussions." But only a few steps remain before the University can begin construction this summer, Roberto said. The job has been "competitively bid," and Tufts officials expect to receive approval from the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Commencement weekend. The University has yet to receive a building permit from Somerville, however, a process that may be hindered by the fact that it requires authorization from the SHPC. Still, Tufts hopes the construction will begin in early June, Roberto said. "As soon as we get a building permit we'll start," he said. Despite the recent controversy, architect Steve Dadagian has touted the new dorm as a "good reflection on the University" due to the new energy-efficient technologies it will incorporate. For example, the integration of solar hot water is expected to reduce energy use by 45 percent. In addition, high performance windows will result in decreased stress on air conditioning units. The solar residence hall comes as part of a larger initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and educate Tufts students about energy, energy technologies, and climate change. The new dorm also incorporates recommendations from the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience on how to promote Tufts' intellectual climate. The dorm will house a faculty member with access to a programming budget, which will fund activities to create a community environment for students. The initiative will help "to support a greater sense of community and more interaction between students and faculty," Task Force Chair Gilbert Metcalf said. The dorm will also include common spaces for study, meetings, and community gatherings, including a roof terrace and a spacious atrium. The spaces will be designed to look inviting and maximize natural day lighting. The dorm is expected to be "a new model for living and learning at Tufts," according to its planners. Tufts hopes to finish building the new dorm in time to accommodate students in September 2004. The Music Department, currently located at 20 Professors Row, will be moved to the Provost's House after construction starts.

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News

Reflections from the provost

May 17

Congratulations, Class of 2003! Graduation is a special day, a milestone in life in which one can look back to the accomplishments of the past and ahead to the excitement of the future. For you, graduates, and for your family, faculty, and friends, this day represents both achievement and promise. I share a special connection with you, the Class of 2003. Your graduation is my first commencement at Tufts. Accepting President Bacow's invitation to join him as his new Provost and Senior Vice President has been the most important professional decision of my life, and these past nine months have proved to be the most exciting and rewarding. The people at Tufts - faculty, students, and staff - are extraordinary. I have enjoyed getting to know some of you and look forward to seeing you in the future as alumnae and alumni. Tufts is one of the few research universities in which students are at the center. The faculty are passionate about their students and passionate about their teaching and mentoring. At the same time, they are actively engaged as leaders in their disciplines and at the intersections between disciplines. This organic integration of teaching and research makes Tufts distinctive, and marks it as an institution others seek to emulate. Many research universities keep their students at bay, and most small colleges lack the research activity that allows students to take part in the process of discovery and creation. The new Summer Scholars program, launched this spring, will capitalize on Tufts' winning combination of teaching and research. The program will enable Tufts undergraduates to conduct research during the summer with faculty across the University and in the affiliated teaching hospitals. It connects the schools on all three Massachusetts Tufts campuses as well as Tufts-affiliated hospitals and clinics, and enables undergraduates, graduate students, and professional students to work and learn side by side in an immersing atmosphere outside the classroom. The richness, diversity, and challenge of your Tufts experience will set you on paths you may never have anticipated, and will enable you to recognize and seize opportunities you may never have contemplated. You graduate into an increasingly complex world, one in which the certainties of the past can no longer be taken for granted, and in which borders are blurred. I assure you that the Tufts education - an environment that fosters individual discovery coupled with a concern for others in the community and around the world - is the very best anyone could wish for. Your time at Tufts has been one of growth and change. You have seen the building of the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center, the opening of the Jaharis Family Center for Biomedical and Nutrition Sciences on the Boston campus, the development of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, the centralization of student services now provided in Dowling Hall. You have been at Tufts for two presidents and two provosts. In the coming years, Tufts will see a new music building as well as improved facilities for Arts, Sciences & Engineering that will enable teaching and research to rise to the next level of excellence. It will see the new Sophia Gordon residence hall for undergraduates and better housing options for graduate and professional students. Those of you who have studied on the Boston campus will be happy to know that we are taking steps to create a more integrated campus and to improve the student experience within it. Tufts is on the move. It is the most poised institution of its kind. The hallmark of excellence is striving always to be better. As we seek to take the U niversity to new heights, we will pay particular attention to ensuring that a Tufts education is affordable, and that the student experience is exceptional. I am proud to be a part of Tufts, and I am confident that as alumni you will be increasingly proud of your Tufts degree, as the institution catapults from strength to strength. Although this is graduation, it is not goodbye. As alumni you are forever part of Tufts, and I hope you will return often. Your impact on Tufts has been profound, and I know that you will continue to have an impact. You go out as ambassadors of Tufts through the example you set in life. I wish you all the very best.

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News

Search for dean of admissions continues

May 17

The search for a replacement for Dean of Admissions David Cuttino should be finished by mid-summer. Despite speculation to the contrary, the position will be filled, although it will have a different title and changed responsibilities. Dean of Arts and Sciences Ernst, who leads the search with Dean of the School of Engineering Vincent Manno, said the mid-summer date is a goal, not a deadline for selecting a candidate. "We will fill the position when we have the right person," she said. Tufts is looking to hire a candidate for the position, now called the Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Management, who has "long-term, serious experience within admissions," Ernst said. The position has not changed, however, despite the new title. Candidates include assistant deans of admission at other schools, she said, who may want to move to a more senior position. This presents a challenge that is typical of the search for many senior level administrative positions, Ernst said. Many candidates already have jobs and "we want to bring this job to them...to catch those who might not be looking." Tufts has employed an executive search firm in addition to placing advertisements both inside the school and also in the education press. The firm will help "do some of the heavy lifting" in the search, according to Ernst, which became involved five months ago. Isaacson, Miller, the same firm that was used to bring in President Bacow, is conducting search by using contacts in a large network of faculty and administrators throughout the country. Dean Ernst said that Isaacson, Miller has "brought great people to Tufts" in the past. The first step for Tufts was to post the position internally with the Human Resources department. More recently, the position was made public in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education, and The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education - all popular media outlets for such searches. The first step that Isaacson, Miller took in its search was to talk to administrators and staff at Tufts to develop a profile of the ideal candidate, Ernst said. The firm spoke with admissions staff members at Tufts to gauge the type of person who would work well with them. They also contacted other people who will be working with the new dean, such as Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard and even consulted Cuttino. Isaacson, Miller's search process, however, is much more informal. The firm will likely use its contacts to call people whom they think are interested in the job, or people they have been told are interested, according to Ernst. If a candidate is interested, Isaacson, Miller sends them a comprehensive document detailing the position and performs reference checks that would otherwise be time consuming and tedious for Tufts to do itself. The search firm will limit the field to ten to 15 people whom they find to match Tufts, said Ernst. It conducts extensive phone interviews and passes on the information gathered to administrators at Tufts, she said. Once the search firm turns over the list of names of prospective candidates that they have assembled and narrowed, a Tufts committee will begin its review. The committee is composed of two faculty members, Associate Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Berry and Associate Professor of Child Development Jayanthi Mistry, and two staff members, Bouchard and Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Yves-Rose SaintDic. Two students who are available over the summer will also be selected as members of this committee. The committee was assembled by Ernst to be as diverse as possible. She hopes to get "as broad an input into [the search process] as possible." According to Ernst, this committee will meet throughout the summer break to select the best candidate. As a final part of the search, President Larry Bacow and Provost Jamshed Bharucha will individually interview the final candidates that the committee chooses. Looking forward, Ernst said she was "delighted with the committee" and had a positive outlook on this summer's task. "Dean Cuttino was a great dean of admissions and will be a hard act to follow, but I think that Tufts is in a wonderful position to attract a new dean," she said.

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News

Tufts forfeits cost of cancelled Spring Fling

April 27

The University was forced to forfeit tens of thousands of dollars this weekend when it cancelled the annual Spring Fling concert because of bad weather. The event, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, was to include performances by rapper Busta Rhymes, the band Reel Big Fish, and the student band Drowned. Although the Concert Board saved money on production costs, it will still have to pay the first two acts for their scheduled appearances. Organizers did not take out insurance against the possibility of bad weather. The Concert Board announced that the event had been cancelled in a mass e-mail sent early Friday afternoon. Many students wondered why organizers had no backup plan. In an advertisement in today's Daily, the Concert Board said there was no way they could move Spring Fling indoors, as the Gantcher Convocation Center is not allowed to be used for large concerts. "Tufts made a promise to the Medford community that [Gantcher] would only be used for sports, Convocation/Commencement exercises, large lectures, and explicitly no concerts," the letter said. When Spring Fling was last rained out nine years ago, the event was moved to Cousens Gymnasium -- but "that was a disaster" Concert Board Co-Chair Jordan Kolasinski said, because of the mess students created. According to Kolasinski, board members had been checking the forecast for nearly two weeks leading up to the show, but the final decision was not made until the day before. Kolasinski and his co-chair, Ariel Santos, consulted student activities administrators and their agent before making the decision. They all agreed that the conditions would be too harsh to put on a show, although Kolasinki and Santos had the final say. Although there were some objections that Saturday's rain was not heavy enough to warrant canceling the show, Kolasinski said that after observing the weather on Saturday, "there was no way the concert could have gone on." Some students felt that the Concert Board poorly planned the event. "We live in a climate where it is sunny and seventy one day and flurrying and 35 degrees the next. I can't believe there was not a plan in the event of bad weather," senior Andrew Kenney said. The student band Drowned was not notified by Concert Board before the mass e-mail was sent. "I woke up Friday morning, and a couple of my friends had IM'd me" that the show was cancelled, Drowned member Sivan Ilamathi said. Ilamathi said he understood that organizers were "dealing with acts like Busta Rhymes and Reel Big Fish, and that we're just the Tufts band," but he was surprised Concert Board did not contact Drowned first. "I just wish they had extended that courtesy to us," Ilamathi said. However, according to Kolasinski, the Concert Board sent Drowned an e-mail Friday morning and left a message on Ilamathi's answering machine. "If they're upset, I completely understand," Kolasinski said. "I think they're still frustrated... We absolutely dealt with it in the right way." Ilamathi said he only received a phone message after Drowned sent an e-mail to the Concert Board and several local clubs to find out if there were any other possible venues. "They didn't initially contact us," he said. Drowned ended up playing a set in the Hodgdon Hall lounge on Saturday night. The Concert Board is offering ticket refunds from now until May 1.

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News

Cyprus 1974

April 27

The story of Cyprus is one I have been brought up with. My mother, who is Greek, and father have helped me develop a profound love for Greece and pride in my heritage by making me attend Greek school as a youngster and traveling to Greece every summer to visit family. Every year, we attend church for three nights in a row to socialize and celebrate Easter, culminating in a beautiful service Saturday night to hail the resurrection of Christ; every year, we celebrate "???!" (No!) Day on Oct. 28 in remembrance of the Greek resistance to the Italian invasion under Mussolini's orders during the Second World War; and every year, we celebrate the Mar. 25, Greek Independence Day, complete with a parade down 5th Avenue in New York City. Yes, it does sound somewhat like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," and I can empathize with many of the characters of this movie, however exaggerated or comical they may be. There exists a historic enmity between the Greeks and the Turks, and all I knew of the "other side" was what my family was telling me and what I was learning from Greek media. My grandmother was among those forced out of her home in Constantinople, today Istanbul, by the Turks and I have spoken to survivors of the Cypriot invasion. I have heard all of their stories of suffering, and this has given me a bias against Turkey. Throughout my upbringing, I have been exposed to the Greek perspective on the Cyprus issue, and I do harbor strong feelings about the topic. After all, a popular chant of the Independence Day parade is "?????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????!" ("Get the Turks out of Cyprus!"). It is a catchy chant, one that young Greeks marching or watching the parade pick up very quickly. Many people today are unaware of "Cyprus' quiet crisis," as BBC has termed the Cypriot situation. I wrote my term paper in AP US History about the Cyprus issue and the US double-standard involvement with it. In short, after World War II, there was much restlessness in Greece, as in the rest of Europe. At the time, Cyprus was a British colony and was struggling for its liberation. A movement called enosis began in Greece in an attempt to reunite Cyprus with Greece. With the signing of three treaties, Britain granted Cyprus its independence in 1960, and almost immediately after its departure, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations clashed. In 1967, the army overthrew the government in Greece under the premise that it was preventing a communist takeover. The junta was directly supported by the United States, and on July 15, 1974, they launched a coup d'?©tat in an attempt to assassinate the incumbent president Archbishop Makarios, who was striving for an independent Cyprus instead of complete enosis, the ultimate goal of the junta. This provocative move gave Turkey its excuse to justify its intervention and the junta's coup backfired as the Turks invaded northern Cyprus on July 20th of that year. July 20, 1974, will remain a date of infamy in Greek and Cypriot history as the invading troops forced Greek Cypriots out of their homes, committing human rights violations and vandalizing Greek churches and structures in the north, while simultaneously forcing Turkish Cypriots to move to the north. To this day, Cyprus remains divided by the "Green Line," which divides the capital Nicosia in half. In 1975, Turkey declared north Cyprus a federated Turkish State, and in 1983, Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot president, formed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), to this day recognized by no nation in the world except Turkey. Cyprus remains to this day the world's most militarized country. The town I am from in New Jersey is very homogeneous, and I must admit I had not known any Turkish people until I came to Tufts, where I have met several who are very pleasant. This has made me question my previous convictions about the Turkish people today, especially in light to the improved relations between the Turkish and Greek governments. I welcome the Turkish population of students here to respond. What have the Turkish people been taught and what feelings do they harbor toward historic issues like the Cypriot invasion of 1974 that have divided the Greek and Turkish people? What angers me the most about the Cypriot crisis is the involvement of the super powers, mainly the United States and Britain. Cyprus, so cherished by so many, was just a pawn played by these superpowers as so many nations have been. When Britain granted Cyprus its independence, it did so by leaving the nation under a purposefully divisive constitution and with three treaties that would help ensure British presence upon the island. In this way, Britain was able to play the two antagonistic populations against one another in order to maintain this influence. After WWII, while the Cyprus issue was developing, the Cold War was taking place, so the United States was keen upon keeping Russia out of the Balkan region. The US was the only nation that had the sole power to bring about change in Greece, yet it chose to support the military junta because that establishment was the most anti-communist regime in all of Europe. Both the junta and the Nixon administration mutually benefited from their relationship. The junta donated money to the Nixon-Agnew election campaign while the US strongly supported the junta's coup in Cyprus because the Cypriot president Makarios was a cleric in politics, and as the United States' foreign policies have proven time and again, if another regime fails to meet US standards it is blacklisted as a "threat to democracy." Makarios also objected the junta when it allowed Israeli planes to use a US base in Crete to launch air strikes on Egypt, Jordan and Syria, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. Moreover, the strategic importance of Cyprus' location cannot be overemphasized. By supporting the junta, the US could secure a strategic foothold on the island and then be able to play the Turks and the Greeks against one another to maintain power. Furthermore, I resent the unwillingness of the US and other powers to offend Turkey because of its influence in the region as a democratic republic and moderate Muslim country. The human rights violations committed against the Greeks and other subcultures and different ethnicities by Turkey in the past have either been simply frowned upon or largely ignored. This lack of action is in sharp contrast to the US stance on the Kosovo issue in the 90's and the current issue in Iraq. Citizens of the United States cannot wonder why so many harbor anti-American sentiments when such a double-standard exists in its foreign policy. As a global super power, the US has the flexibility to be selective in its policies; however, such policies have and will continue to backfire in the future and sentiments of mistrust and hatred will continue to be fostered and acted upon by terrorists, or what others call 'freedom fighters.' Despite this tragic history, developments in Cyprus have begun to improve as the EU welcomes the island into the union next year and is considering Turkey's bid for membership. I look toward the future with hope as the Greek and Turkish governments are working together for the first time toward a peace plan. Today, headlines read that for the first time in 30 years, people of either side have been allowed to cross over this Green Line and the UN buffer zone. Though Turkish Cypriot president Rauf Denktash may not support the union of the two halves of Cyprus, I believe, as many do, that Cyprus should enter the European Union next year as a united nation, not as one separated by de facto segregation because of the blind stubbornness of politics and the games that super powers play. Daphne LaBua is a freshman who has yet to declare a major.

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News

Tufts hosts second annual Fair Trade Forum

April 27

Students from several Massachusetts universities gathered for the second annual Fair Trade Forum at Cabot Auditorium on Friday to learn more about what they can do to encourage support of Fair Trade products on their respective campuses. The Fair Trade movement, according to organizers, is a growing international cause which focuses on the welfare and self-sufficiency of farmers in poor countries. Fair Trade takes a market-based approach to ensuring that small farmers avoid debt, improve working conditions, and develop the knowledge and skills to benefit their businesses. Because buying Fair Trade products is one way to help ensure that farmers will be paid a living wage, many students at the Forum discussed different ways to work towards that goal. An afternoon panel involving college students who have done significant work to further the Fair Trade movement included Tufts senior Cindy Chang, who worked with sophomores Caroline Mauldin and Erin Allweiss to found the Tufts Fair Trade Coalition last fall. The Coalition has approached individual academic departments to switch to Fair Trade coffee. While Hotung Caf?© and Brown and Brew already offer Fair Trade coffee, the coalition hopes to encourage campus dining halls to serve the coffee next semester. "The short term goal of the coalition is to begin raising awareness of the issue of Fair Trade here at Tufts," said Mauldin, who hopes to see Tufts serving only Fair Trade coffee by 2005. Raising awareness was a major goal of the forum, according to Nahid Bhadella, a member of a national two-year campaign called Raise Your Voice, which participated in the event. Raise Your Voice was developed to educate college campuses about global socioeconomic issues, including fair trade. "There is a growing understanding that economics are the new politics. As consumers, our daily actions affect the lives and livelihood of others," according to Bhadella, who said the forum allowed students to deconstruct problems and find new avenues for change. A morning panel entitled "All About Fair Trade" gave students a basic introduction to the problems of global trade and the poverty and distress it can cause. The panelists included the coordinators for such organizations as Oxfam America, Equal Exchange, and Boston Fair Trade Action Group. The afternoon included a time for action planning and networking with other students, followed by several hour-long workshops. Workshop topics included "Campaign Organizing: Getting Where You Want To Go" and "Media, Perception, and Social Change -- Oxfam's Perspective." Friday's forum was a major accomplishment for the Fair Trade movement, and extremely helpful for the Tufts Coalition, according to Mauldin and Allweiss. Because the coalition is seeking more student involvement, the forum allowed Tufts to see what paths other colleges have taken to successfully serve Fair Trade coffee on campus. Bhadella emphasized that involving students in a forum is a form of mobilization more effective than the protests against free trade that are often seen. "Instead of showing opposition to something, we encourage dialogue. People come to learn from each other and share with one another. Leaving the conference, students have a general idea of what action to take next," she said. The Fair Trade movement began in the mid-90's and has been gaining support ever since. "When I came to the United States for my undergraduate education, I was very interested in Fair Trade, as I came from a developing country," said a Northeastern graduate student attending the Forum. "It was a small number of us working to promote Fair Trade then, it's so encouraging to see the number of people who turn out today in support." The Forum was sponsored by the Massachusetts Compact, Oxfam America, and the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS), all of which support promoting student involvement in public service issues.

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News

Chike Aguh wins TCU presidency

April 27

Sophomore Chike Aguh was declared the winner of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) presidential election on Friday, ending a campaign period marred with controversy and confusion. Aguh defeated sophomore Joe Mead by a vote of 1003 to 656. The constitutional referendum on the ballot succeeded, with 876 students voting in favor, 103 against, and 363 abstaining. Turnout was significantly lower than last year, due in part to confusion over the election date and technical problems with the online voting system on Thursday. An estimated 33 percent of eligible voters cast ballots on Thursday and Friday, compared to 52 percent in last year's presidential election. Votes on the new constitution barely surpassed the 25 percent turnout threshold -- a referendum must be voted on by 20 percent of the students to be considered, and if less than 25 percent vote, it must pass by a two-thirds majority, which likely would have happened in this case. Last night the senate chose executive board positions in in-house elections. Joe Mead was elected to the Vice-President position. Josh Belkin was elected Treasurer and Jeff Katzen will fill the the Historian position. Both elections were uncontested. Dave Baumwoll won a contested election for Parliamentarian. Half of the exec board and most chairs and ALBO board chairs will be rising sophomores. Vice-President elect Joe Mead said that it wouldn't be a problem, "We've had the best freshman class ever." He was hopeful for the next year, "I think the next year will be smoother," he said. "There are always bumps in the road, but this senate has great leadership." Aguh attributes his victory to his connections to students in different areas of the Tufts community and the concreteness of his campaign platform. "The students responded to me coming at them with proposals and actual plans and a vision, rather than rhetoric of flowery language," he said. "I'm very happy that the students put their faith in me to choose me as the leader of the TCU." Mead said that Aguh's leadership of the Senate's Culture, Ethnicity, and Community affairs committee gave him connections to communities on campus who are usually active voters. Mead felt that he is better known in the Greek system and athletics, sectors that don't follow Tufts politics on a regular basis. "He had a lot of support from the different culture communities, which I did not have," Mead said. "The changing voting days hurt me a lot because a lot of the people I was counting on to vote are the people who don't normally vote, who don't actively seek out when the election is." Both candidates agreed that students were probably turned off from voting by the controversy over who the candidates were and when the election was. Mead said that many people told him on Friday that they hadn't voted because they couldn't get the website to work. The short campaign period may also have affected turnout, as many students who did not vote said they were not aware of who the candidates were. Unlike last year, when the candidates and several of their supporters had viewpoints in the Daily outlining their platforms, the candidates only had time to publicize their names, and attendance at Wednesday night's debate was sparse. "I don't think enough people know about any of the candidates to feel like they are able to make a reasonable decision," junior Charline Han said. Junior Jonathan Portny was aware of who the candidates were but said he did not make efforts to learn about their platforms because he has no idea what student government or the TCU president does. He also was confused about the election date. "I didn't even know the vote happened already, there're still flyers all around campus," he said. "I just delete e-mails from the Elections Board when I get them." Others said they did not vote because they don't have faith in student government. "It seems like whoever writes the most chalkings wins," sophomore Nayad Abrahamian said. "They don't have enough power to make effective change. They all talk about the same things." Of the students who did vote, many based their decisions on personal knowledge of the candidates or on information passed on their extracurricular organization. Sophomore Caryn Harris, a member of the Leonard Carmichael Society, said she heard from others in her group that Aguh was sympathetic to the needs of the organization. Another sophomore said he personally knew both candidates but found Aguh to be a better leader. "I knew he was more dedicated and hard-working. His activism is more important," he said. Now that he has assumed the presidency, Aguh will stay at Tufts over the summer to start work on several of his campaign goals, including bettering public safety, talking to trustees about Phase III of the campus center, and laying out his TCUnited proposal to give student course credit for extracurricular activities. He would also like to talk to administrators about the possibility of soundproofing the Gantcher Center so it can serve as a rain site for Spring Fling in the future.

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News

Battling an eating disorder as a college student

April 27

Ask most people who exercise and diet about their habits and you'll most likely get a vague response about being slightly concerned about their weight and keeping fit. But what about the girl who's always at the gym; the friend with the "extremely small bladder" who always has to run to the bathroom once or twice during a meal; the boy whose girl friends tease him about how little he eats and how he's "even skinnier than a girl"? There is a thin line between simply being concerned about one's weight and being obsessed with the numbers that appear on the scale. The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that approximately seven million females and one million males struggle with eating disorders. In addition, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that out of ten female college students suffer from a severe or borderline eating disorder. The situation is no better or worse at Tufts. Created five years ago, the Task Force for Eating Disorders focuses its attention on tackling the problem of eating disorders in the community and aims to raise awareness about the problem. The Task Force consists of faculty and staff together from the Health and Counselling services, the School of Nutrition, Residential Life, Deans' Office, Dining Services, and Athletic Office. With sources from so many different areas of the school, "there isn't just one way to access care," Director of Tufts Health Services Michelle Bowdler said. "The whole theory behind starting this Task Force was to create relationships amongst the health service/counselling center and the other places... so that people would know how to get somebody into treatment," Bowdler explained. How well has their approach worked? Bowdler admits that the number of cases Tufts has been treating has indeed gone up year after year. This most likely reflects a greater recognition by students that help is available at Tufts, as well as a greater willingness to seek out help. Still, there are always those like sophomore Mandy (not her real name) who are reluctant to get help. For Mandy, going through high school with the purging type of anorexia was hard enough -- college has been an even greater challenge in maintaining the stable state of mind necessary for recovery. "Ever since the first time I purged, my mentality has been 'oh, winter break is coming up... I'll stop then,'" Mandy said. "Winter break would come and pass. I might have been good for a few days, but by the time school started again, I would have relapsed into old habits of purging what little I did eat." Looking back, Mandy believes that she was ready to stop these habits when she said she was. "They were all just false promises I made to justify any restricting or purging I was doing at the time. I guess it's just like a smoker saying to himself, 'just one last smoke.' But of course, it never is." Indeed, the hardest cases to treat are "the students that aren't quite ready to be treated," Clinic Manager Kathleen O'Dea said. These people visit Health Service "only because they've been 'strongly encouraged' by their parents or family to seek treatment." Until they are ready to undergo therapy on their own, little can really be accomplished. Friends play a crucial role in the well-being of the people they know with eating disorders. Few people with disordered eating will approach a therapist or doctor -- both complete strangers -- for help when they lack the support and understanding of friends. "The first time, two concerned friends turned me into the dean," Mandy said. "Six months later, when I returned to admit that my problem hadn't gotten any better, I had dragged another good friend along" for emotional support. Both Bowdler's and O'Dea stress that anyone is welcome to come talk. Bowdler's words are reassuring: "We just want people to know that what they're going through is not going to shock or surprise us, we understand what they are going through; it's not new to us... we just want care for them and help them get into treatment."

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