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The Setonian
News

Busy week ahead for baseball

April 24

Remember looking out the window this spring hoping to catch a ballgame, only to see rain, sleet, and snow pounding the campus? This weekend marks a grueling mix of scheduled games and make-ups for the Jumbos, who play six games in four days starting today, as the season draws to a close. Tufts (15-8 overall) heads into the weekend in second place in the NESCAC East with a 6-3 record. Wednesday's 11-inning win over Bentley on senior tri-captain Evan Zupancic's walk-off homer kept the team on pace with the division leading Trinity Bantums. The Bantums (14-7 overall, 7-2 NESCAC East) defeated Amherst 7-4 for their second straight win and sixth in eight April games. Tufts now sits one game behind Trinity. The Jumbos begin a three-game series today against the NESCAC East cellar-dwellers, the Colby White Mules (7-11-1 overall), who are just 1-6 in the NESCAC. Two wins over Colby this weekend would clinch second place for Tufts. While Tufts could still catch Trinity and finish first, assistant coach Bill Samko says the team is focused only on what is within its own control. "We could catch [Trinity]," Samko said. "But what happens with them is not really in our control. We can only control the things we're involved in, like winning two games up at Colby." Home field advantage is not an issue, according to Samko, as playoff venues alternate each year, regardless of who finishes first. "We've just got to keep playing hard, and [coach John] Casey's going to have the top three pitchers going," Samko said. "Casey doesn't worry about anything other than us, and it doesn't really matter if we finish first or second, as long as we're in there." The Jumbos swept Colby in three games last season, outscoring the White Mules 21-8. This year's Colby team is relatively young compared to Tufts' more experienced roster. The White Mules have nine freshmen and three sophomores on their 24-man roster. Offensively, Colby is batting marginally higher than Tufts (.285 to .278), but the team's production has been far weaker. Tufts has scored 134 runs to Colby's 94, out-homering the Mules 9-2. Senior co-captain and center fielder Matt Gibson (.359, 15R, 12 SB) has been Colby's offensive sparkplug. With a team-leading 14 walks, nearly a quarter of the team's total, and a .474 on-base percentage, Gibson has been hard to keep off base. He also has nine doubles, twice as many as any teammate. Pitching will be key to the weekend's flurry of games. Impressive performances by sophomores Jeremy Davis (5 IP, 7 H, 1 BB) and Jeff Volinski (6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's) against Bentley kept Tufts in the game until the offense came alive. It was an encouraging sign for the pair, who have struggled with effectiveness throughout the season. Both will likely see action this weekend, and, according to Volinski, hope to build on Wednesday's confidence booster. "This game came at the right time," Volinski said. "We do have a huge weekend where a lot of kids like Jeremy and I will need to pitch." The Jumbo pitching staff has allowed the fewest walks of any NESCAC team, with 46. The importance of this is not lost on Volinski, who has allowed just one walk in 14.2 innings this season. "I've been told my entire life by my father and my coaches that walks will kill you as a pitcher," Volinski said. "You've got to keep the other team off the bases, especially the leadoff batter in every inning. Preventing walks has always been a key for me, and it's twice as important in close games like [the Bentley game]." The Jumbos try to continue their pitching prowess on Sundayat home against the West Division fourth-place Wesleyan Cardinals (3-6 NESCAC, 12-13 overall). The teams meet for the second time this year in a doubleheader at Huskins Field, rescheduled from Apr. 5. Tufts already has two wins under its belt against the Cardinals, having swept a doubleheader against Wesleyan earlier this month. Senior Jon Lee owns a perfect 4-0 career record against Wesleyan with a 1.29 ERA. He will lead the Jumbos against a Cardinal team batting .321 with 176 runs scored. Senior co-captain and shortstop/pitcher Bill Robinson (.352, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 28R) has been Wesleyan's big gun at the plate, along with notorious Yankee fan and Baltimore Orioles heartbreaker Jeff Maier. The freshman outfielder has started 22 games, batting .344 with 20 runs scored. While some fans may turn up to rag on Maier, the team will be focused on clinching another playoff berth. "I guess the most important thing for us to do is show up to play in every aspect of the game," Zupancic said. "We've got a chance to make the playoffs, so we just have to keep playing." The team will finish out the long weekend hosting out of league opponent Eastern Connecticut State on Monday at 3 p.m. at Huskins Field.

The Setonian
News

Few underdogs advance to intramural playoff semifinals

April 24

As Tufts intramural sports head towards the finals in soccer and basketball, fans and players alike have been enraptured with the games and have had little time to reflect on the nearly completed season. Last week, I asked people to think about what has transpired over the past two months. Their thoughts are inserted randomly throughout the article and generally have little or nothing to do with actual game action. First, a little information. The basketball bracket has generally held true to form as all but one of the number one seeds has advanced to the Final Four. Illest, JAP Funk All Stars, and Tappa Kegga rolled through the regular season with a combined record of 18-0. Their dominance continued this past week as they all won each of their two games with very little difficulty. (I just wanted to give a shout out to the Idaho Intimidator and ask where he was the last three games. --Senior Jeff Malbasa) DU has been the anomaly to the Final Four, since they are the only second seed in the tournament to make it that far. Its first game provided little contest against Team Doubletree, as the frat brothers went on to win 71-37. DU then faced Team Norton, a number one seed who went 6-0 in the regular season. Team Norton was no match for the overpowering DU forwards, as DU took the game and advanced to this weekend's match against Tappa Kegga. (I wanted to say thanks to my great RAs who allowed us to drink heavily before each of our games. Without him, Team Alkie would never have lived up to its name. --freshman Dave Donatelli) The soccer tournament has proven to be much more interesting with upsets being the norm. Team South and the Beers, both of whom were undefeated during the regular season, experienced early playoff exits. In a thrilling first round game, Da Gooses, who snuck into the Sweet Sixteen with a 3-2-1 season, defeated Team South 5-2. The Beers did make it to the second round before losing to Zeta Psi. Zeta Psi has played extremely well in its two games. Along with its upset of the Beers, Zeta Psi also shut out Lokomotiv Europa 5-0. (Alex Turner's decision to put down the Kleenex and join us in a game this past weekend is truly inspirational to all who are lonely. --sophomore Mike Schrimpf) Tappa Kegga and I-House have reached the semifinals, but not without stiff competition. I-House, sporting a 6-0 record and a number one seed, were tested mightily by underdog Schmuckers. With a packed house watching, I-House scored a goal sometime during the match, sending the crowd into jubilation and sending the Schmuckers packing. Then they played upstart Da Gooses in the second round and won again. Tappa Kegga narrowly beat Quicksilver 2-1 in their opening match. Then in the "Game of the Week," they took on Team Hot Sauce, another undefeated team. While the score of the match was not available, it was probably a hard fought contest that was decided in the waning seconds. Tappa Kegga and I-House now face each other in the Final Four. (Fraser, thank you so much for providing an interesting and informative article. You are the best writer on the staff, incredibly hot, and I want to marry you. --senior Lisa Kane) Not to be forgotten is the B-bracket of intramural soccer, which pins second tier teams against each other. Although less promoted, the games have proven to be just as interesting. Well, actually only two games have been played with the Slackers beating Miller Mafia 8-3 and Rich's Team defeating the Lady Jumbos 4-1. Other games this week should provide some hot action. Analysts believe that Juice will win the B-title crown. The finals for basketball are Tuesday evening in the main gym at 7:30 p.m. The soccer final for the A-bracket will follow this match, with kickoff at 9:30 p.m. Both games are expected to sell out, so fans are being encouraged to buy their tickets now.

The Setonian
News

Aguh seeks to build coalition for change

April 24

Sophomore Chike Aguh first became interested in studying political science because he wanted not just to look at the inequities inherent in society but to examine ways to change the system. He wants to be Tufts Community Union (TCU) president for the same reason. "Tufts is an institution that not everyone gets the same out of," he says as he talks about the need to implement need blind admissions and make resources more accessible to students. "This is not about running against anyone. This is about running for something." Though the Princeton, NJ native is running with a platform and vision similar to that of Randy Newsom, the candidate he replaced, they use different terms to describe their leadership styles. While Newsom saw his affability as his greatest asset, for Aguh, it is his ability to build coalitions. As a co-sponsor of the new TCU constitution that students will vote on tomorrow, Aguh has spent every Friday afternoon since December working to create a compromise on an issue that has caused bitter disagreement in the student body for years -- the role of culture representatives to the Senate. Working with Sam Dangremond of The Primary Source, whom Aguh describes as his "diametrical political opposite," as well as Senator Alison Clarke and other student government leaders, Aguh helped the ad hoc reform committee create a new constitution that opposing sides have said they can live with. Aguh's ability to build coalitions can also be seen in his work outside the Senate, he says. As a member of Hillel, he has been on the planning committee for several events this year, including the Arthur Davis discussion and free speech versus hate speech event earlier this semester. He is also the editor of Onyx, a board member of Pan-African Alliance, and a member of the Middle Eastern Students Society. As the co-chair of the Senate's Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs (CECA) committee, Aguh has strived to demonstrate his two-fold leadership style. First is connecting with senators and other students on a peer-like basis: "A leader needs to have the love of those who follow, because they'll follow more," he says. Next is leading by example, even if that means taking unpopular stances. Aguh also places a great stress on accountability, whether it is student leaders to students or administrators to the community. He has worked on Senate outreach bylaws this year and shares Newsom's vision for holding administrators accountable for carrying out projects by establishing set timelines and goals. "I don't think a government can exist without the officials being held accountable to the people," he said. Though Aguh has a well-thought out philosophy on leadership, he emphasizes that what is most important to look at in assessing a TCU president is the actual issues he or she wants to work on. "Before qualities, it comes to proposals and policies. 'It's do you advocate for the student body?'" he said. One issue that Aguh emphasizes that Newsom spoke little about is curricular transformation. He has worked on the Asian American Curricular Transformation and Latino Curricular Transformation projects over the past two years and was one of the Senate representatives to the curriculum committee. Aguh is critical of Tufts for not offering ethnic studies majors that other schools have and feels that adding classes about the experience of different races and ethnicities in America is essential to creating a Tufts "curriculum for the 21st century." "We pride ourselves on being a global, ecumenical school. That we teach about every other area except home is something that needs to change," he said. Aguh's platform outlines many other areas where he would like to see change: he wants to improve the relationship between the Greek system and the administration, extend Tufts Police patrol off campus, teach students how to use Tufts services better, and work with the institution to improve the sense of community on campus. What separates him from Mead, Aguh says, is his proven record of leadership. Besides his work on the new constitution and outreach bylaws, Aguh worked to implement faculty diversity training, and worked with another senator to create resource guides for student groups. And while Aguh can be critical of Tufts, he sees the ability of students to criticize and change the University as its most positive asset. "There is an emphasis that if you don't like something, you should change it," he said. "The thing is to get leadership to change the things that need to be changed." Aguh's opponent, Joe Mead, was profiled in last Thursday's Daily. To read the article, please visit www.tuftsdaily.com.

The Setonian
News

Voting period extended

April 24

Voting in the presidential election and constitutional referendum will be extended until noon today to give students who received error messages yesterday more time to register their votes. Some students who tried to vote between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. were unable to cast their votes because the University's WebCenter website was experiencing intermittent difficulties. ELBO chair Abby Lillianfeld found out about the difficulties by 11:30 a.m., and soon afterwards technicians began working on the problem. By the afternoon, ELBO decided that it would be fair to extend the election. Voting was supposed to end at midnight last night.

The Setonian
News

Time to make the coffee!

April 24

Brown and Brew, a favorite hangout for students, is not quite so relaxing when you're the one making sure that customers have their coffee cake and eat it, too. The Daily spoke to David Ford, Brown and Brew's manager, to see what goes on behind the scenes (or steam). Daily: First things first: where are you from? David Ford: I grew up in New York and then spent two years in the Philadelphia area. I have been in the Boston area since 1968, and I am eternally waiting for a Red Sox World Series! Daily: How long have you worked as manager of Brown and Brew? How did you reach this point in your career? DF: I've worked with dining services for fourteen years and as manager at Brown and Brew for two and a half years. I have a degree in marketing from Northeastern University and degrees in culinary arts and foodservice management from Johnson and Wales. I have been in the foodservice and hospitality business for over 20 years. Daily: How does your day start? DF: I typically arrive at 7:30 a.m. and immediately check the appearance of the operation. Our mornings can be hectic, as nine types of coffee are brewed and various pastry products, which are baked daily at our campus bakery, are arranged in our display case. Early in the day I meet with Barbara Dalessio and Marie Cheri to review quality and quantity of products and services. They start their day at Brown and Brew at 7 a.m. Barbara does most of the setting up, and Marie prepares all of our sandwiches. Daily: What projects are you working on at the moment? DF: Lately Marie and I have been developing new grilled chicken sandwich recipes. We have a central kitchen that grills our chicken daily, and we have been using combinations of some interesting ingredients such as fresh ginger, garlic, Thai chili sauce, scallions, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Another sandwich that we've tried has lime juice, jicama, garlic, jalapenos, olive oil, and cumin. Daily: What is the rest of your day like? DF: We have several rushes during the morning, so I help out with customers. Between those rushes we place orders for milk, produce, pastry, and other related products. We use Food Pro - Dining Services' food ordering system. I also review business issues from the day before. These include customer concerns and recording of sales figures. During all these duties I need to be aware of our customers and to make sure fresh quality products and services are given to our customers and guests. If there is a need in these areas, everything is set aside and the faculty or staff member, student or campus guest is attended to right away. I guess you could say that a key quality of a Dining Service manager is flexibility! The rest of the day is helping out with customers, receiving calls from food companies, attending to the payroll and banking responsibilities, reviewing policies with our student workers (who do a great job!) and communicating with various Tufts departments such as the purchasing, dining, and administration departments and student activities. Daily: What is the strangest experience you've had on the job? DF: A student came in one day [with money] and said, "This is for the Samantha juice that I stole yesterday." Another time, someone left a half gallon of Stop & Shop ice cream in our refrigerator. Daily: What is the best part of your job? DF: I like to interact with the customers and employees. I also enjoy research into new products that will excite customers, and finding a product that works. Daily: What do you think of the various musicians that play at Brown and Brew? Do they enhance business? DF: In general the music has been well received at the B & B. We work in conjunction with student activities, and they do the band research. I think music and other genres enhance customer satisfaction and sales. There is entertainment every Wednesday at 9 p.m. Daily: What is your favorite type of drink? DF: I enjoy a double skim cappuccino steamed with honey and garnished with cinnamon. Daily: Do you get free coffee? DF: Only to drink on the job. It's part of quality assurance! Brown and Brew is open from eight a.m. to one a.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to one a.m. on holidays and weekends.

The Setonian
News

Hunger Banquet shares lessons of inequality

April 24

Students had a chance this week to experience hunger and inequality first hand for an evening. The first ever Hunger Awareness Banquet was held Wednesday night in the Lincoln Filene Center and was sponsored by the Leonard Carmichael Society groups, Hunger Project and Food Rescue. The banquet allowed students to recreate inequality in world diets, with the students divided into lower, middle, and upper classes, and receiving food accordingly. Upon entering the Rabb Room participants selected a piece of paper from a basket that would indicate which social class they represented. Fifteen percent of the papers were the high class, 30 percent were middle class, and 55 percent represented the low class. With an audience of about 20, the banquet adequately symbolized the three economic categories that reflect the division of wealth in the world. Students were fed according to their social class with the high class receiving a gourmet meal and the low class a serving of rice with no utensils. Students thought the interactive approach worked to bring hunger issues into their consciousness. "You just feel angry seeing people eating all that food that they can't even finish; it's frustrating" a girl who sat on the floor with the lower class said. "You want to say something but you don't have a voice." The political message of the evening was very clear for those attending. "There is plenty of food in the world, just improper distribution and it won't end until there is political and economic change," one of the coordinators said. The structure of the event was loose and allowed for students to break off and discuss a wide range of subject matter from hunger issues to lighter issues such as finals and Spring Fling. Coordinators Monisha Sharma, Lisa BonoCorredor, and Nayad Abrahamian stressed the importance of educating students about hunger issues. "We are trying to make people aware of the problems," BonoCorredor said. Attendees noted the massive debt many developing nations have as a serious obstacle to ending hunger. Mozambique spends 107 million dollars, or about $5.50 per person, each year on debt repayment. However, the country spends only two US dollars per person per year on health and four US dollars on education, with no money going toward food distribution. When developing nations take out loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank they must agree to conditions which decrease spending on government services including health, education, and food distribution. The speakers strongly stressed that despite aid from countries, including the US, developing nations are unable to provide the bare necessities for their citizens, largely because of IMF and World Bank conditions. Critics call on the IMF to cancel the debts owed to them by impoverished countries that routinely spend more money servicing foreign debt, up to 25 percent of their GDP, than improving the destitute quality of life within their state. According to Jubilee, the international campaign for a one-time cancellation of IMF debts, the debt of the developing countries could be erased with no cost to US taxpayers. The IMF would cover the cost of cancellation with funds already collected. Another issue brought up during the presentation was Fair Trade. With the overproduction of coffee, caused by IMF sanctions in Vietnam, small coffee farmers throughout the world have suffered extreme losses. With the supply of coffee continuously going up and the demand remaining static the prices fall but farmers suffer. Fair Trade establishes a basic and fair price for coffee and improves not only the quality of life for the farmer but the quality of the coffee being produced as well. On campus Oxfam Caf?© exclusively serves Fair Trade coffee and at least one type is available at Brown and Brew, Hotung, and the Commons. Coordinators were pleased by the audience of about 20 and hoped to work on advertising for next year's banquet. The event raised 50 dollars in donations, which will go to the Somerville Homeless Coalition, which is closing down due to recent budget cuts.

The Setonian
News

A Piece of My Heart' focuses on the untold stories from Vietnam

April 24

I have traveled this afternoon from our humble campus to the streets of Boston via the T. It is my hope that this afternoon will consist of arousing a certain degree of awareness of what exists beyond Medford, Massachusetts. My journey has taken me to the Leland Center Theater, if one can even begin to describe the four black walls that surround me, and the makeshift stadium-style seating of metal foldaway chairs a theater. I suppose it's a reminder that the art of theater can take place anywhere, even here. The show is a drama titled A Piece of My Heart, which will be performed by the Delvena Theater Company April 17-19 and 24-26. The play is a Vietnam War drama which consists of the personal memoirs of women who have served in Vietnam, a number of whom are registered nurses. The performance itself has been dedicated to the memory of Lt. Sharon Ann Lane, an army nurse killed during a mortar attack made on the Vietnamese Ward of the 312th Evacuation Hospital, in Chu Lai, Vietnam. The cast consists of six female actresses and one male actor. This male actor will play "All the American Men". This puzzles me, for how can one man serve to act as all the American Men who served in the war? But as the play unfolds before my eyes it becomes obvious. The six women are the play's focal point; their lives the broader framework in which A Piece of My Heart evolves. To my surprise it is revealed that the United States Armed Forces never officially documented the hundreds of women who risked their lives in service of their country. A Piece of My Heart is a performance that confronts head-on many of the fundamental issues that still perplex us today about the war. The play stops at nothing to reveal the divisiveness of race, ethnicity, class, and even gender. These were issues that tore at the psyche of the human spirit while in the context of war. As A Piece of My Heart opens, white light floods the room. Seated before the audience are Martha, Maryjo, Sissy, Leeann, Whitney, and Steele; six all-American girls wide-eyed with naivety and idealism. Martha is a navy nurse, who stands proud in her pressed navy blue uniform. "I'm a military brat," she confesses. Maryjo is a blonde, sweet-voiced folk entertainer who dreams of singing for the soldiers. Sissy is a brunette who seeks adventure: "I don't want to grow old, and rot away in good ol' Eerie, Pennsylvania." Leeann is half Asian; a spunky anti-war protestor who believes her efforts will support the soldiers, the unknowing victim of this war. Whitney is a Red Cross volunteer whose intentions are pure, and Steele is the iron-willed intelligence informant who hopes to confront the obstacles that hold her back in a racially-divided army. These women candidly admit to their mistaken perceptions of early 1960's Vietnam, still a mysterious tropical paradise that scarcely occupies the minds of collective America. Sissy, a nurse played by actress Lynne Moulton, explains. "You see, you only volunteered for Vietnam," a mystifying statement indicative of their mistaken conjectures of what was occurring in Vietnam. Steele, played by actress Cheryl Singleton, describes the obstacles she faced as a woman of color: "They never tell you about how the army wants you, but they don't really want you." Here the irony of racial dividing lines is shown in a way that moves the audience. Suddenly, the sounds of helicopters and gunfire are heard in the distance, and lights flash. The absolute chaos of war is exposed as the voices of all the women sound across the stage simultaneously. Each of these women has something very powerful to say: "I can't move. I can't talk. I can't do anything; I turn and look at the soldier and half his face is gone." Nothing is left untouched in A Piece of My Heart, the drowning of pain in alcohol, sex, and drug use is explored. In addition, the play highlights the enduring scars that are left behind after the return to the States and the difficulties these women have in adjusting to life as civilians in an atmosphere where support for the war has dwindled. Each of these women copes with the war with a sense of dignity, compassion, and perseverance that lasts even beyond their active service. Perhaps most striking about this performance is the ability of each of these actresses to master the skill of truly touching an audience. I left the Leland Theater truly able to say I had experienced theater at its best.

The Setonian
News

Slow start hurts men's crew at Worcester meet

April 23

In crew, as in most races, so much depends on the start. In track it is known as "getting out of the blocks". In crew it is known as the start sequence. In a matter of seconds a boat must be traveling from zero to 42 strokes per minute or else it will watch the other teams fly by. It was the start that hurt the men's varsity crew on Saturday at Worcester. The smooth, clean start that the Jumbos had hoped for eluded them and a sloppy beginning came in its place. "Our pre-race starts were very good," senior Michael Friedberg said. "We were really smooth and we went through our opening five strokes very efficiently. Unfortunately we were just a little off when the real race began." It was this bad start that suddenly turned the four-team race between Ithaca, Holy Cross, Connecticut College, and Tufts into a two-team race. Both Ithaca and Holy Cross began strongly and took that momentum to the finish line. The race ended in a photo finish, with the teams coming in less than 0.20 seconds apart. Ithaca edged Holy Cross with a time of 6:01.60. As for the Jumbos, they never really got rolling and finished well behind with a time of 6:15.50. Their time was good for third place, as they easily came in fifteen seconds before Connecticut College. The women's varsity team did not fare much better, finishing in 7:02.9. While the race was much closer than the men's, with the difference between the first and final boats being just 13 seconds, the Jumbos still came in at the tail end. They finished fourth, two seconds behind the boat from Connecticut College. Holy Cross took the win in a time of 6:49.2. Both male and female second varsity Jumbo boats followed the examples of their first varsity counterparts, as they finished third and fourth, respectively. The women finished in 7:20.4, just over twenty seconds behind the victorious 6:59.2 Ithaca boat. The men were five seconds off the leaders when they crossed the finish line. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, there was another boat between them and winner Holy Cross. In a time of 6:15.0, the Crusaders beat out second place Ithaca by just over a second, as well as the third place 6:20.0 Jumbos. While both male and female first varsity boats boast just one win this season, the records will be thrown out the window when the teams participate in the New England Rowing Championships at Worcester next Sunday. This championship race is easily the biggest meet for every team in New England, as each will be vying for a spot to compete in the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships. This year, the competition will unfold on the Cooper River in Camden County, New Jersey. The teams now have two weeks of practice and work out all the kinks and the fine details in a sport where technique is of the utmost importance. The New England Rowing Championships are wide open, with only a couple of spots almost guaranteed for the top teams in the region. It is very possible for both teams to finish their seasons with a flourish with strong finishes at the championships. "Records don't matter," said Friedberg. "All that matters is how much heart you have and your mentality."

The Setonian
News

Samantha Power speaks on international reaction to genocide

April 23

In an annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide that happened 89 years ago, the Armenian Club brought Pulitzer Prize winning author Samantha Power to campus Tuesday to speak on how countries -- especially the United States -- recognize, intervene and prevent genocide. Regarding US foreign policy towards such events, Powers said that the "patterns are spookily similar across time," and that it has not utilized the tools it has at its disposal that would allow it to deal with genocide in foreign countries. Another repeated obstacle to intervention and prevention, Power said, include society-wide noninvolvement, with the events in Bosnia being a "notable exception." Power pointed to a lack of presidential leadership on issues of genocide, and said that there was a lack of internal pressure on the US government to deal with these problems. Similarly, she said, there is a lack of domestic pressure to force politicians to act against genocide. However, she praised Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian General on the United Nations Mission in Rwanda in 1994, calling him an example of someone who "did his best to save what he could." The US and the UN refused to involve themselves in Rwanda on the eve of the genocide, and in spite of Dallaire's efforts, 800,000 people were killed. Previous instances of genocide, specifically Rwanda, drastically changed how governments reacted in the future, said Power, noting the incidents of intervention in 1995 on behalf of Bosnian Muslims, and in 1999 on behalf of the Kosovars. Power also discussed the origin of the term "genocide." Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer and intellectual, was deeply affected by accounts of the 1915 Turkish campaign against Armenians. During World War II, over 40 members of his family were killed by the Nazis. Lemkin became obsessed with the idea of developing a legal term for these atrocities, so that they might be recognized, punished, and prevented as an international crime. States are sometimes hesitant to apply the word "genocide" to violence that is taking place elsewhere in the world because the Geneva Convention and international law compel them to act against this crime, Power said. Power called this a problem of diagnosis, but said that the United States' historic hesitancy to get involved shows that we take the crime seriously. Power also said that the Armenian case should be used as the standard against which genocide is measured, and not the Holocaust -- the event that most people refer to when they refer to the word. Measuring events of genocide against the Holocaust would cause every case to look less severe, since six million people died in that tragedy. Audience members appeared to enjoy the speech. Professor Gerald Gill of the History Department praised the comprehensiveness of the lecture. He said that Power gave a "timely and topical" look at the unwillingness of presidential administrations and American interest groups to "mobilize American public opinion in support of humanitarian or military intervention against campaigns of genocide, including the Armenian genocide." Students who were previously unfamiliar with the Armenian genocide were pleased that Power's address was accessible to all. Graduate student Hira Bhattacharyya said, "she was extremely prolific and it was very easy to get through... She spoke on genocide in general, not just the Armenian case." Over one million Armenians were killed by the Turkish government from 1915 to 1917. The Armenians were the only major Christian minority in the ailing Ottoman Empire. Today, the United States and Turkey still fail to recognize that genocide occurred. Power recognizes the genocide, which has gained her strong Armenian support. Power is the author of A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide the winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction. Power worked as a journalist in the former Yugoslavia, where she became interested in the relationship between US foreign policy and genocide. She founded the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where she currently teaches a class and also received her law degree. Power was introduced by Tufts History Professor Ina Baghdiantz McCabe. Power followed up her speech with a question and answer session, and the event concluded with a prayer led by Reverend Vasken Kouzouian. The speech and ceremony took place in Goddard Chapel, with a reception following in Cabot.

The Setonian
News

Fourth Place Finish Squeaks Jumbos into Nationals

April 23

Junior AJ Crane and senior Clare Dooley lead the women's sailing team to a fourth place finish at this past weekend's New England Championships in Providence, RI. The top five finish gave the Jumbos a berth in the upcoming National Championships. The host of the regatta, Brown University, easily finished in first place with 100 points. Harvard came in at second with 117, and Yale was third with 135 points. The Jumbos were only six points behind the Bulldogs in fourth, and Dartmouth clinched the last spot at Nationals by finishing fifth overall and 17 points behind Tufts. Boston College finished in sixth place and will not qualify for Nationals. With 171 points, it was too far behind Dartmouth to catch up. Coming into the second day of races, the Jumbos were not in a very good position. They were in fifth place with Brown and Harvard firmly set in the one and two positions. "After Saturday's races we were worried about qualifying," said Crane. "We were holding on to the final spot for Nationals but we were not racing well." On Sunday, the team raced better and Crane was able to skipper her boat into a second place finish in the A division. After 14 races, Crane and her partner, junior Kristen Tysell, were only seven points behind Harvard's A team. In the B division, Dooley and her partner, senior captain Caroline Hall, were able to climb up enough to finish in sixth place and give the team its fourth place overall finish. The National Championships will be held June 2 - 4 in Detroit, MI. The regatta is missing one of the better teams, Old Dominion College, who usually earns a spot in the championships. Regardless, the competition will be tough. For Tufts, finishing fourth in the regionals raises some questions as to whether the team will be able to repeat last year's sixth place finish within a field of 18 teams. But Crane feels confident that the team can have success in Detroit. "We have experience. Clare and I have raced at Nationals the past two years," Crane said. "We were also surprised by some of the team's success at New Englands based on how those teams performed during the season." In the meantime, the team will keep its racing edge by competing in next weekend's Women's Marchiando Trophy held at Dartmouth College. The co-ed team also participated in two regattas this past weekend. But with the New England Championships coming up next weekend, the regattas were without two key members of the team. As classes wind down, the coaches gave senior captain Pete Levesque and senior Jarred Maxwell the week off to get their academics in order before their big races in the coming weeks. With the two seniors absent from this past weekend's race, the Jumbos finished with mixed results. Tufts hosted and took first place in a team-racing event. The Jumbos beat out rivals Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth in the round-robin style regatta. Rob Pascal headed up the three-boat team as the Jumbos lost only one race to finish the weekend's event with a 7-1 record. Second place Brown had three losses. In the team's other Regatta, the squad finished seventh out of 18 teams. Freshman Dave Siegal headed up the A boat and finished fifth in that division, while Brendan Shattuck skippered the B boat to eighth place. Though the result was not as strong as previous regattas this season, the team was able to accomplish the goal of resting their seniors while still getting Siegal good work in a competitive race. Based on fall season results, the team already qualified for New Englands. Levesque and Maxwell will most likely be joined by Siegal in the New England Team Racing Championships held at Tufts this coming weekend. The following week, Levesque and Maxwell will skipper the A and B division boats, respectively, in the New England Fleet Racing Championships hosted by MIT and Harvard.

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Jumbos high gear offense overcomes Brandies

April 23

The softball team exploded for 11 runs and 15 hits yesterday and beat Brandies 11-3 in the team's final regular scheduled home game. Along with the victory, the team also broke the previous season record for team home runs, hitting the team's 23rd and 24th of the season. The team record previously stood at 22 homeruns on the season, a statistic recorded in both 2002 and 2001. "It was a good win with a lot of good hits," coach Kris Herman said. The afternoon began for Tufts when the team was able to take advantage of a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base to turn one hit into two runs for the team. Tufts efforts in the first inning put the Jumbos ahead, 2-0. The lead did not last long for the team though, as Brandies answered with three runs of its own against freshman pitcher Sarah Conroy. Conroy allowed a leadoff home run and then gave up two walks to allow Brandies to take the lead at 3-2. "Sarah was struggling a bit with her drop ball," Herman said. After tying the game in the bottom of the second, the Jumbos took the final lead of the game on a third inning RBI double from sophomore Katie Smith. Freshman Julia Brenta relieved Conroy in the third inning, holding down Brandies and allowing Tufts to take over the game. It was in the fourth inning that the team finally took the game into its hands, tapping Brandies pitcher Bri Smith for six hits and five runs. "Her pitches weren't moving at all, the ball was just coming up," junior Julie Fox said. "She was only throwing fastballs and if someone throw's fast balls at us, we're going to end up hitting them." Herman added, "She was just trying to throw it by us and you can't get by us that easily." Tufts' fourth inning scoring attack began with a two RBI home runs from Davidian. Notching her first career homerun, Davidian was also the one to hit the team's 23rd of the season, breaking the past year's record. "Going up to the plate I had seen the ball well in my last at bat and was really confident," Davidian said. "I was just waiting for my pitch to drive it. It was really exciting." Hits by sophomore Courtney Bongialotti, Drake, and Fox all followed, leading to another three runs for the team. Fox has now hit safely in six of her past seven games, adding a double and a single against Brandies. "I just have some days where I go up there and the field looks so big and the fielders look so small," Fox said. Despite her offensive onslaught of late, Fox has not been the only strong hitter for the team. "We're all hitting with a lot of confidence. When everyone on the team is hitting well you just feed off each other," Fox said. Hitting the team's 24th home run of the season, freshmen Laura Spring put the icing on the cake with her two run homerun in the bottom of the fifth, allowing the Jumbos to end the game according to the run rule. With the victory against Brandies, the team now focuses on this evening's opponent Eastern Connecticut College, a program that hit its peak with national championships in the late 1980's. Though the Jumbos are not facing the toughest Eastern Connecticut College team, Tufts is still prepared for a strong out of conference matchup. "They're one of those middle of the road teams on their way to a comeback," Herman said. "They don't have anything we can't handle but they're the kind of team we have to respect." Tufts will begin a double header at Eastern Connecticut at five this evening, playing game two under the lights for the first time this season.

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It's all about perspective

April 23

On my shoulders sit two figures. One has a little pitchfork, the other a halo, and they might as well have appeared straight out of TheEmperor's New Groove. They speak to me as I watch this bazillion-dollar production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, which is playing this weekend at the Wang Center Theater for upwards of $70 per ticket. What ensues is the conversation between these two opposing sides: Halo: Talk about getting a bang for your buck. This is a show you could actually say is worth paying seventy dollars: the dancers and singers are Broadway quality, the sound is fantastic and the sets and costumes are amazing. There's steam effects, a moving set, a huge cross made of lights and great spectacles; in fact, there's nothing you're missing by not going to New York to see this. Pitchfork: Of course, there's a reason you can't see this in New York. Webber is a washed up fake-rock musical maker, and this overproduced show couldn't survive in the current Producers era of musical theater. Big is fine, but schlock is schlock, and at least The Producers and 42ndStreet know what they are. How can Webber think this means anything? Halo: Webber didn't think anything, the producers did. Besides, you can't deny the fact that though the musical may be pretend-rock, but it is catchy. Every person around us is tapping their feet and practically singing along, and why not? Webber and Rice took the Jesus story and made it accessible and interesting for everyone, and they're the only creative team to actually question about Judas's motives. That's worth something. Pitchfork: Let's talk about Judas. Carl Anderson has done this role, according to the program, for about...forever. He may know it cold and be able to still sing it, but damn, is he a little long in the tooth. Leather jacket or not, he's older than the other apostles by at least 30 years. Let someone else take a crack at this, please! Halo: He may look a little older, but he's selling it more than the guy playing Jesus. Performing this show in cities all over the world is a tough beat, and Anderson is up there playing the part like he might never get a chance to play it again. He earns his paycheck every night. And the other apostles are dancing and singing their respective pants off. These are talented performers having the time of their lives up there, whether as an apostle or a Roman Guard -- Pitchfork: For the love of Pete, why are the Roman Guards dressed up like storm troopers?! You've got Pontious Pilate dressed up like an SS Officer, Stock Brokers in the Temple, apostles spray-painting the walls, which are in fact Roman columns. The whole thing reeks of remake for the sake of remake, half-baked notions sent to the designers without much thought for how the whole thing gelled. Halo: So the Orwellian troops thing is a bit much, but you have to admit, seeing a bunch of stock-tickers dropping from the ceiling and a chorus line of well-dressed fortune-seekers was pretty damn cool. Also, seeing "Enron" and "Tyco" stock prices flash by gave everyone in the audience a moment of pause. Either through Christ or the stock market, everyone wants salvation without much work, and this remake hammers home that point successfully. Pitchfork: And what is the show saying, exactly, with that King Herod number? You've got a very silly bald guy in an ill-fitting suit dancing with his name lit up in cheesy lights, screeching "So you're the Christ, the great Jesus Christ!?" And here come the dancing girls, and here come gangsters doing the bunny hop, and here comes the Chicago-like lights. There are times where this show is completely insane. Halo: But it is never boring. The story moves fast with practically no pauses, and it tells the story in such a way that everyone both gets and enjoys. The kids are oohing and aaahing, and the older crowd can be heard muttering, "Isn't it so much fun?" Not only that, but the whole thing, intermission and all, runs under two hours. Pitchfork: And if we judged everything by these standards, what a dark world this would be. This show might be pitched as the Jesus story re-imagined as a look at Celebrity, yet it remains remarkably safe. No one will be offended by this, no one's ideas about God and Man will be challenged, no one will believe more or less. Webber is a master of creating entertainment that lets the audience just sit back, relax, and passively be entertained. He never makes you sit up and listen to what is being said, instead, he creates music that's pleasing to the ear and impossible to get out of your head. Yes, you enjoy yourself, you listen to the CD and everyone got paid, but this is not what theater can, or should be. Halo: If we expected great art every time we went to the theater, what a pessimistic world this would be. Webber and Rice may not challenge anyone's faith, but they did take the 'Greatest Story ever told' and tell it in a new way so that everyone can appreciate it. People who don't think they like theater will like this, and that means that hopefully those people will go to the theater again. That's what we want in the end, right? Pitchfork: But if the people who like theater don't think this is good, then you have more people coming to see something the purists don't want. Sooner or later we're going to have a problem here, some say we already do. Halo: Yet, again, you were never bored, were you? So it goes on. Mr. Halo says I should call it a great show and encourage people to see it, a good night at the theater that will thrill you. Mr. Pitchfork tells me to cut it off, that Webber has taken enough of your money and we should encourage new shows instead of high-price remakes. I think I'll try to meet them somewhere in the middle.

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Men's tennis drops close match to Bates, 4-3

April 23

Bates College ended the men's tennis team's four game winning streak yesterday with a 4-3 victory over the Jumbos on the Hirsch Courts in the Gantcher Center. "It was a tough loss today, we could have had this won," junior Jon Bram said. "We let it slip away." The match started out with a third doubles win by Bram and freshman partner Ben Rubenstein. The two boast the best doubles record on the team, going 7-3 through the spring. Senior co-captain Danny Lang teamed up with junior Adam Yates in a second doubles match, but lost 8-4 to put the doubles point in the hands of Tufts' number one doubles team of senior co-captain Dave Ruttenberg and sophomore Rifat Perahya. Despite being up 7-6 late in the back and forth match, Ruttenberg and Perahya dropped the close match 9-7 to give Bates the point. Tufts set its mind to making up the lost doubles point in singles competition. Early in the set of matches, Perahya won in dominating fashion 6-1, 6-0 before most of the other matches were even into their second sets. "I was on top of my game. I was zoning," Perahya said. "It's not important that I just win my matches, we need to win as a team." Despite being ahead 5-4 in the first set, number one player Ruttenberg, lost a tight first singles match 7-5, 6-3 to Bates' Will Boe-Wiegaard. After winning the first set 6-1 in the number four match, Lang could not hold on as he lost the next two sets 6-3, 6-2. Bram, on the heels of an uncontested match last Tuesday against Babson, won an intense third singles match 7-6, 7-6, going to a tiebreaker in both sets. "I had a big win today, it felt good," Bram said. "[The uncontested match] gave me some rest. The break was good for me." Late in the match, freshman standout Ben Alexander won his first set 6-2 before going to a super breaker in the 7-6 second set. Alexander won eight straight points to eventually win 10-8. But it was too little too late for the Jumbos, as shortly before, Bates senior Dave Meyer defeated number five Adam Yates to clinch the win for the Bobcats. Despite the team loss, Alexander had a smile on his face after his win. "I gave up a match point in the second set to let him get back into it," he said. "It was intense." Although Alexander was content with his win, the team feels it is more talented than its 6-5 record indicates. "Teamwise, we are not having our best season. We could have done much better," Perahya said. The team was also in action Tuesday against Babson. The team won 4-0 as the doubles and number one and two singles were uncontested after Tufts won the three through six matches. Lang, Yates, Alexander, and freshman Ben Rubenstein were all winners in the blowout that saw Tufts lose only three games out of the eight sets played. Yesterday's loss drops Tufts to 6-5 and possibly out of postseason play. "It's going to be tough to make Regionals now," coach Jim Watson said after the loss. "Its up to the selection committee now. They invite eight teams and hopefully they'll think we deserve it." Before the Regional tournament, Tufts has the NESCAC tournament to worry about. The NESCAC Championships take place this weekend at Middlebury. "There's a tremendous amount of depth in the NESCAC," Watson said. "The only weak teams are Connecticut College, Hamilton, and Colby. The rest are very, very good." Despite the loss, the team is confident for the tournament. "We are going to be very solid in the postseason," Alexander said. "All but one loss was close. There were a lot we could have won."

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TCU Presidential candidates meet in debate

April 23

In an attempt to firmly establish and clarify their plans to improve the undergraduate body just one day before elections, TCU Presidential candidates Chike Aguh and Joe Mead voiced their opinions on campaign issues in a debate last night. Perhaps owing to the amount of controversy and confusion surrounding this year's presidential election, the debate received what one Senator called an "abysmally bad" turnout, composed almost exclusively of Senators, and began 15 minutes late. In an opening statement that outlined his accountability and outreach focused platform, Aguh described plans for utilizing the administration's services to help the community, maintaining the vitality of the Greek system, and teaching students how to make use of all Tufts has to offer. Aguh clarified several unique components he feels are key to his campaign, including the attention he has given to increasing awareness of diversity at Tufts through training programs. He believes there should be mandatory diversity training for all junior faculty saying that, "an Ivy league degree only precludes the presence of intelligence. It doesn't preclude the absence of ignorance." Mead, whose opening statements followed, said that his platform was, and would always be, under constant revision based on the changing needs and concerns of the student body. While he maintained most of the basic tenets of his platform, such as his focus on improving communication between the administration and the Greek system and working with the Taskforce on the Undergraduate Experience, Mead announced the implementation of a gender studies program as a major addition to his campaign. Working to implement such a program, he said, would provide students with the opportunity for an education that they couldn't get at any other school. "We can't blame students for ignorance if we don't educate them," Mead said, expressing his hope that this new program would work to decrease the number of homophobic incidents so common to the Tufts campus. Mead and Aguh were both acutely aware of the meager turnout for the debate, and thus stressed the need to fortify the connection between the Senate and the student body, but disagreed on the ways to do so. Aguh said he plans to increase the Senate-student body connection through his recently developed outreach bylaw. Mead, however, said that he felt the outreach bylaw was "largely ineffective" because it was introduced too late in the semester and limited its scope to groups. If elected, Mead said, he will implement the constituency bylaw, which he claims is currently ready to facilitate outreach to all students, not just groups. Aguh and Mead also both expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal of the four-college system by the Taskforce on the Undergraduate Experience. While Aguh suggested that the administration draft a mandate encouraging people to be more involved and try new things, Mead said that the development of a clear mission statement would foster a more cohesive community. Additionally, Aguh fielded more questions about his proposed TCUnited program. Although he admitted that this will not be an easily accomplished goal, Aguh asserted that as TCU President, he would work with the administration to develop a program through which life skills that are developed during extracurricular activities could be reflected on the student transcript. Aguh and Mead left the audience with their final thoughts on how they would like to impact the Tufts community. Aguh wants to create a better community in which "students can just be students" and not have to worry about institutional problems. Mead echoed Aguh's desire to serve the students. "I want every student to have a deeper love and a deeper understanding of what Tufts is," he said, emphasizing the strength of his platform. "There are no gaps, no question marks," he said. "My platform will be accomplished if I am elected." Elections for the TCU Senate president are being held today from 9 a.m. until midnight.

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Griffin's Hat Trick Boosts Jumbos

April 23

When the Jumbos need him, sophomore Brian Griffin always seems to pull through. When his team's lead had dwindled to one goal early in the second half, Griffin single-handedly jumpstarted the Jumbo offense and put them the game out of Wesleyan's reach. His second half hat trick led the Jumbos to an important 11-7 victory over the Cardinals, pulling the Jumbos ahead of the Cardinals in the NESCAC race. "He's our engine," Coach Mike Daly said. "I have so much respect for him as a worker and as a warrior." Scoreless in the first half, the Jumbos' leading scorer Griffin showed how well he can take over a game. The sophomore incited and capped a three-goal run to give Tufts its' biggest lead of the contest and put them ahead 8-4 in the third. The Jumbos never looked back, holding a four-goal lead or better for the rest of the contest. "We need the big runs," senior tri-captain Alex Kerwin said. "The runs are huge in helping us to stay ahead." With the Jumbos clinging to a one goal lead early in the second half, Griffin used his speed to beat his man and easily drop in a goal behind Wesleyan goaltender Matt Wheeley, starting the Jumbos run. Sophomore David Taylor was fouled, but managed to net the second goal of the run as the Jumbos went a man-up immediately after. Following a steal, Griffin satisfied his already primed fans with a goal to cap the run and put the Jumbos ahead by their largest lead to that point. The win puts the Jumbos in excellent position for home-field advantage for the upcoming NESCAC playoffs. Wesleyan drops out of what had been a three-way tie for second between with Tufts and Amherst. "In my four years we've never had a home playoff game," Kerwin said. "It would be huge to get that." Along with his two goals, junior middie Matt Malatesta won several important face-offs to keep the momentum going down the stretch. "Mal is doing great," Daly said. "He's been doing a great job all year. He had a huge goal off the faceoff. It was a big answer. The face-off was especially important to keep the possession. We have to earn the ball back each time." After two miscues in the first quarter, the Jumbos improved in clearing the ball from previous contests. The middies' cleaner play put the pressure on the Cardinal defense. "Our clearing game improved 100 percent for the whole game," Griffin said. "We had more settled possesions and we kept getting a lot of the same looks. It also helped the defense to get more confident." Switching from man-to-man early to a zone to protect the lead, sophomore goalie Luke Chicco and the Jumbo defense proved effective. Chicco turned away 16 shots and avoided many other goals that narrowly missed the net. He continues his dominance in goal, turning away almost 70 percent of the shots. The Jumbos took their first three goal lead after a 15 minute scoring drought in the second quarter. Griffin rounded the goal and threaded a pass from behind to senior Chris Kollar to give the Jumbos a 5-2 lead. The deficit proved too much for the Cardinals, as they would only come within one once before Griffin took over. With the Jumbos' third consecutive victory, the squad improved to 9-3 on the year and 6-2 in the NESCAC. The Jumbos narrowly defeated Williams and Bates by a combined difference of two goals this past week before the scoring onslaught led to the impressive victory over Wesleyan. The Jumbos look to continue their winning ways against Connecticut College on Saturday. The team gets no break before the playoffs however, with its first contest set to take place on Sunday. "Homefield advantage is huge," Griffin said. "It is especially good to see a lot of fans come out and support you."

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Still lots of hockey to play before the Stanley Cup

April 23

Ding, ding. Round Two! The smoke has settled, the dust has cleared, and the Colorado Avalanche are nowhere to be found. Neither are the St. Louis Blues. In fact, after last night, the Western Conference's playoff picture is turning into a Rob Zombie movie for the conference's elite teams. Moving on to the second round in the West are the Vancouver Canucks, the Minnesota Wild, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and the Dallas Stars. The Avs and the Blues both carried $60 million payrolls, and enormous playoff expectations. Both carried a 3-1 lead into their respective series. Both had the announcers saying that it was only a matter of when before these two teams moved on the second round. Well, both choked like a bad porn star. The Wild and the Canucks fought back to win three games in a row and take their respective best-of-seven series to move on to round two. That means that the only team in the Western semifinals who is supposed to be there is the Stars, who will face off against the (also) surprise Ducks. How will things work out? The crystal ball says that Dallas looked a little sloppy in its first round series against the Edmonton Oilers, and that could be a problem. The Stars are not up against Tommy Salo anymore, a goaltender who has never carried a series. Instead they are facing the brick wall that is "Giggy," Jean Sebastian Giguere. The Ducks play a smart, simple game that focuses on defense It is actually very similar to that of the Stars when they had their Cup runs in the late 1990's. It punishes teams who overextend themselves, or make that one bad play. The Oilers play more of a run-and-gun style, and they still pushed Dallas to a close game six. Dallas will need to get Turco to play consistently, and they are going to have to pray to the Lord Jesus himself that they do what the defending Stanley Cup champions could not. Solve Giguere. As for the other series, Vancouver against Minnesota, it really is a toss-up. Neither team is supposed to be there, so who's the favorite? Inside the NHL can't say. It's just too hard. Minnesota's Stanely Cup winning coach Jacques Lemaire versus Vancouver's Stanley Cup winning coach Marc Crawford. Vancouver's inexperienced playoff goaltender Dan Cloutier? The Wild's Manny Fernandez has even fewer playoff games under his belt, but looked unbelievable in game seven against Colorado. Where the Canucks hold the edge is on defense, with solid performers like Ed Jovonoski, Mattias Ohlund and Brent Sopel. Also, the Wild has nothing like the Canucks' top line of Todd Burtuzzi, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. But Vancouver is prone to breakdowns and scoring droughts, something that a smart, defensive team like the Wild will make them pay for. And no one would argue that Minnesota is hungry to prove the naysayers wrong, again. The end result is a series to watch. The Eastern Conference is much simpler. No underdog won a series, which leaves the Ottawa Senators to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa and New Jersey both romped through their first round series, leaving them rested and ready to go into the second round. Philly, on the other hand, suffered through a punishing series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although the last game was a blowout thanks to Leafs' goaltender Ed Belfour falling apart like a cheap bicycle, Toronto is a big team, and the hitting was heavy. Not to mention that there were seven overtime periods in the series, an extra two full games and change. There is no way the Flyers are not tired. As for the Devils and the Lightning, an upset is possible. But it will require some offensive magic from Tampa Bay, goaltending magic from the Lightning's Nikolai Khabibulin, and a complete and utter breakdown at the other end of the ice. If the Lightning can do something special in the first couple of games, then there will be a series. But if the Devils' defense and goaltending shut down Tampa Bay like they did the Bruins, do not expect the series to go past five games.

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Self-designed, self-marketed, self-sewn

April 23

One night over winter break, senior Vanessa Brewster was unable to sleep. But rather than visions of sugarplums, what danced in Brewster's head were visions of another sort: fashions, which she sketched furiously, barely noticing as the winter night became a winter morning. The inspiration that struck Brewster that night will be fully realized tomorrow in the campus center, when Brewster sells her spring clothing line under the name "Osorio." Brewster is grateful to her parents for their support of her ventures: she named her spring collection "Osorio" after her mother's maternal maiden name. Sewing was so much a part of Brewster's life that she can't remember not knowing how to sew, and she has always been passionate about clothing. "It's not separate from the rest of my life; it's so integrated," she said. "It's always been there." Brewster picked up the passion for sewing from her mother, a seamstress who ran her own sewing business when Brewster was growing up on Whidbey, a small island in Washington's Puget Sound. In middle school, Brewster was selling her creations to her classmates. She also made prom dresses, including her own. "It was great, because I never had to worry about people having the same dress as me!" Brewster said. Anyone who buys an "Osorio" piece of clothing will be able to avoid this problem, as every piece of Brewster's clothing is unique. "There's only one of the same color and size, so there's no two [pieces] that are the same," Brewster said. Brewster, who buys her fabrics at a store in Woburn, describes the items in "Osorio" as "tried-and-true" -- virtually all of the designs are ones she has made for herself, worn, and received requests for. Brewster's personal favorite pieces are the jean skirts. Their customization, she said, lends them a great deal of character: "They're made out of 100 percent recycled denim from all different places -- Banana Republic, J.Crew, Old Navy -- so there's a huge variety," she said. Brewster brought her sewing machine cross-country with her to Tufts. "I got stopped about six times because of my sewing machine at the airport, [security personnel] kept opening it up!" But Brewster says she would be even more inconvenienced by life without it. While studying abroad in Spain during her junior year, Brewster did not have access to a sewing machine. "I missed it," she said. "It was hard." Brewster's travels abroad have broadened her outlook on fashion. One trend she has noticed is that European women place a great deal of importance on having a put-together, elegant style. This emphasis is influencing the American fashion climate. For example, Brewster cites the popularity of Juicy Couture's velour sweatsuits. "Even for just working out, women want a more tailored look than baggy sweats," she said. "We grew up with 'grunge,' but now things are leaning more towards 'glam.'" Brewster also predicts the proliferation of custom mass production, enabling people "to have more tailored clothes." Brewster sees evidence of the "increasing demand for custom-made things" reflected in the customization options currently offered by such big-name manufacturers as Levi's and Brooks Brothers. While at Tufts, Brewster has honed her craft through working with the Tufts Drama Department Workshop. Carson Eddy, resident costume designer at Tufts in 1999 -- 2000, encouraged Brewster in her costuming pursuits. Eddy's successor, Professor Virginia Johnson, has also served as a mentor, along with Workshop supervisor Susannah Brown. "[Johnson] is trying to get together a class for next year that teaches sewing," Brewster said, encouraging interested students to pursue that experience as well as to get involved in costuming for Torn Ticket II and 3P's plays. Brewster hopes that students will take advantage of these opportunities: "[Sewing] was especially common forty or fifty years ago," she said, "but now it's a rarity." Brewster also hopes that her "Osorio" sale will inspire students to pursue their passions, be they in the fashion arena or elsewhere. "People are so talented here [at Tufts]," she said. "To see more young entrepreneurs starting off would be great." So what does Brewster think of Tufts' color combination? "It works!" Brewster said, laughing. "And as far as college colors go, it's refreshing." On the web: www.eecs.tufts.edu/~ddean/osorio/osorio.html.

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The 'Daily' cleans out the CD bin

April 23

If you have ever taken a walk into the Daily office, you probably have noticed, or tripped over, three large mail bins full of CDs and promotional material. This is the Arts department's black hole of solicited material. Every day, we receive tons of CDs, movie promo DVDs, a book or two, and lots of other weird stuff. Since we would not put any of our readers through the painful experience of having to read reviews of ALL this hit-or-miss material, most of it ends up in the bins (for good reason). Yet, despite the abundance of awful material, there are some diamonds in the rough nestled inside the bountiful bins. It is simply a matter of having the patience -- no, the courage -- to sit through the duds in order to find the occasional dandy. Now that we have the patience and, of course, the courage, we have ventured through this eclectic collection of mostly bad music to bring you...the Mystic River...eh-hem, the Daily Arts cleanup. Title: Problematic >Artist: The Brett Rosenberg Problem Label: Sodapop Records Poppy when not screaming, rocking when not wailing, the Brett Rosenberg Problem is a tad schizophrenic. But as the singer relates another tale, you see the real problem with Problematic -- it's not that exceptional. It's not exceptionally bad (which would make writing this review a lot easier) nor is it exceptionally good. The lyrics aren't awful but aren't especially evocative and often fade into the background like so much white noise. It's a CD you can put on and not remember is playing until there's an eerie silence in the room. Unfortunately for The Brett Rosenberg Problem, their identity crisis (classic rock/pop/emo) forces them into the milieu of alt-rock bands. Title: What it is to Burn >Artist: Finch Label: Drive Thru Records The question that immediately pops into my head after hearing this first verse of "New Beginnings" by Finch is "Who do they sound like?" The vocals, the breakdowns, the screaming all seem somehow familiar. Aurally, the band sounds like Aaron from Good Charlotte fell into a vat of nuclear waste with Linkin Park and somehow fused into some punk/pop/screamo mutant. The band makes sure to emphasize the screaming part making you want to hug the lead singer before duct taping his mouth shut (I'm not a screamo fan to say the least). But, if you dig suburban angst, Finch does it better than most with lyrics that approach poignant -- or at least give stupidity a wide berth. Title: Locust Years >Artist: Blue Horizon Label: Godeye Records It's not often that the Daily office receives a CD promo that isn't full of angst-ridden wails and blasting electric guitar. On that note, Blue Horizon's new album, "Locust Years," was a pleasure (and a relief) to listen to. Jason Imbesi and Elizabeth Stephan have charming voices that blend like the shades of Kentucky blue grass. The second song, "Cocoon", and the fourth, "Living in Dream," feature Stephan's deep, honey-smooth undulations as well as the group's catchy musicality. From the rather sentimental liner notes, I suppose the CD is directed more toward listeners who favor thoughtful lyrics over innovative or particularly exciting tunes. Title: Let >Artist:Natalie Flanagan Label: One Way Productions The cover photo of Natalie Flanagan on this album tells you exactly what she's going to sound like -- a throaty, resonating voice that matches the strong jaw and straight, no-nonsense brown hair. The way she nonchalantly trails off at the end of her lines is reminiscent of Dylan. In sweet contrast to her vocal style, however, the music is as smooth and rolling as the hills of West Virginia. My favorite song on the album is "Margot's Arms", which exemplifies both of these characteristics. The first song, "Grace Under Pressure", seems to convince itself this line has not become clich?©, but I like the artful Christian imagery. I recommend this album for driving but do not think it is worth following the artist into "a place where aching melancholy is tempered with courage and tenderness", as David Wildman suggests in the liner notes. Listening to the music is adequate.

The Setonian
News

Griffin leads Jumbo attack into conference playoffs

April 23

Sophomore attacker Bryan Griffin is a scoring powerhouse on the men's lacrosse team. Last year's NESCAC and New England Rookie-of-the-Year has already racked up 89 points in his career, with 59 goals and 30 assists. That statistic is certainly a running total, though, as Griffin is not even half way through his Tufts career. According to coach Michael Daly, several coaches in the league, including some who play professional lacrosse, have made comments that Griffin "plays the game the way it should be played." "I couldn't agree more," Daly said. Already this season, Griffin has netted 29 goals in 12 games, along with notching 16 assists for a total of 45 points. About two weeks ago, he recorded a career high in points in one game with seven; scoring twice and assisting on five other goals against Colby. It was the second time in his career that Griffin had gone off against Colby. Last year, he brought the Jumbos back from behind to win by scoring three goals in the last quarter. "Those two breakout games really gave me a lot of confidence," Griffin recalled. A natural competitor, Griffin loves to win. He also said that he thrives off of the "constant excitement" of lacrosse. "Every time you step onto the field you know you're going to have 60 minutes of creating opportunities for yourself and your teammates, and you get to watch the defense make plays," Griffin said. "Just the whole time, it's an exciting game." Griffin is well respected by his coaches and teammates at Tufts as well as in the greater NESCAC league. This respect is something Griffin has fought to earn ever since he began playing lacrosse as a fifth grader in West Islip, New York. All over his native Long Island, lacrosse is hugely popular and play gets competitive at a young age. Griffin said he started the game late, and as a result was forced to work even harder. "I'd say I was kind of looked over all through my high school career, and I had to work my way to the top," Griffin said. "It makes me proud that I'm not the person who's been looked at and recognized the whole time, but by improving myself, I've gotten to be like that." As he's grown and matured as a player, Griffin's hard work and skill have pushed him from the shadows and into the spotlight. His coach praised the attacker for his intensity. "Bryan is just a worker, plain and simple. He continues to improve every day as a lacrosse player," Daly said. "His work ethic has also made him one of our more skilled players. He routinely shoots for hours per day so that his game is always at the highest level possible. Shots he makes in the games never surprise me because I watch him practice them over and over again." Daly said that Griffin demonstrates his dedication to the game not only when he is playing, but off the field as well. "He is a lacrosse junkie who loves the game, loves to improve, and isn't afraid to get dirty to achieve it all," Daly said. "He spends so much time watching film of the best players in the game today and he is always learning. He listens to coaching and it is an honor to coach him and be around him." As the Jumbo's leading scorer two years in a row, Griffin is clearly well suited for his position. He said that as an attacker, he relies on "quick bursts of speed" in order to get the ball and create scoring opportunities. He has also worked with his coaches to improve his defensive game, and Griffin said he is happy with the progress he has made in that area. Daly also expressed satisfaction with Griffin's improvements on defense.. "Bryan is also our hardest working 'rider' and he is tenacious at getting loose balls back," Daly said. "He is our best player and he is such a competitor, we sometimes have to keep him out of practice because he only knows one speed -- full speed." As such an integral force on the team, Griffin's health and conditioning are important concerns for the athlete and his coach. "Getting hit and checked, your body takes a real beating," Griffin said. "You have to take care of yourself so you can get up and play to the best of your ability every game." Daly echoed similar thoughts when he said that he'd like to see Griffin continue conditioning in the weight room, to help avoid any possible future injuries. "Other that that, we just want him to remain Bryan Griffin, the kid who competes every second of the game and the guy who loves lacrosse," Daly said. "I wish I could capture those two qualities about Bryan and pass them along to our younger guys."

The Setonian
News

Time is right to make your move in fantasy baseball

April 23

We're coming to the end of April, and it's time to get serious. Your fantasy league is young, but you don't want to get left behind. It's getting clearer which teams are worthy of being in the top half of your league, and which teams are just not getting it done. This means it is time to make some smart moves, and iron out those question marks on your team. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses: hot starters, poor closers, or great outfielders and a pitiful third baseman, and that's okay. My advice right now is to strive for greatness. That's right, greatness. There are a lot of hard slots to fill in your line-up. Some of the toughest tend to be second base, shortstops, and third base. These positions offer fewer good players than first base or outfielders. For most teams, at least one, if not all, of these positions is filled by mediocrity. But we're going for gold, here. If you break down the numbers, there's a smaller difference between a mediocre player and a bad player than there is between a mediocre player and a great player. So, if you have a weakness, exploit it, and try to get a big strength somewhere else. Edgar Renteria is your shortstop and Jose Valentin is your third baseman? Trade them both with a pitcher for Miguel Tejada or Nomar Garciaparra, then pick up the next best third baseman off waivers. Vinny Castilla may be washed up, but he could get you some hits and RBI every once in a while, and then you'll have Tejada as your shortstop pulling in MVP numbers. It's also time for you to look at your league and see what can be exploited. In the standings, some categories may be easier for you to score points than others. For example, while RBI come in high numbers and are pretty unpredictable (Toronto second-string catcher Greg Myers had four RBI last night, while Manny Ramirez when four for five with no ribbies), it's a tough race in which to gain much ground. On the other hand, runs and stolen bases are usually much closer races. A fast lead-off hitter in a good lineup will be scoring a lot of runs. If that's a category where you find yourself in the middle of the pack and need to add a few points, you might want to think about trading for a Johnny Damon or a Ray Durham or even picking up Shannon Stewart. In fantasy news, Randy Johnson is on the DL, Carlos Beltran is off, and Curt Schilling had an appendectomy, but should only miss one start. The hottest players over the past week are Alfonzo Soriano, Sammy Sosa, Carlos Lee, Carl Everett, Mike Mussina, Jorge Julio, and Tom Glavine. I doubted Everett's homerun streak would last against the Oakland pitching staff, but he is still hitting, so think about picking him up if he's still a free agent. Look for turn-arounds in the next week from Lance Berkman, Manny Ramirez, Torii Hunter, and Shawn Green. Great players will return to their old form. The market right now is low for closers. I know I said that you shouldn't care too much about these guys who hardly affect more than one category (saves) but, having closers will keep your innings down. A lot of closers are not looking great lately -- Billy Koch, Troy Percival, and Armando Benitez to name a few. But these guys are still everyday closers and they will get you saves. So what if Koch's ERA over the past week is 33.75? He pitches so few innings, that it will only modestly affect your team ERA. Figure that closers get in about three or four innings a week, while starters usually get a start and a half, which can be anywhere from eight innings to 14. The worst thing that can happen is a closer picks up a loss for you, and that hurts. But, you have to roll with the bad. These guys may look weak now, but they will be valuable down the road. Closers will eventually become great trade bait. So, if guys are looking to sell closers cheap, buy. Lastly, don't stress about how your players add up right now in the player rater. It will all balance out. You know who's good, and you know what to do. But don't get lazy and let your team slip away. There's nothing worse in fantasy baseball than having a member of your league throw in the towel before June. There's still plenty of time to make your move. All it takes is a few good decisions and a little bit of luck. Like Yogi said, it ain't over til it's over.

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