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Whiffle ball game gets ugly

April 14

Opening day is supposed to mean sunshine and new beginnings, not bloodshed, snow and oral surgery. So when Matt, CJ and I -- the professional whiffle ball league's only returning members available on opening day -- took to the field two weeks ago for the commencement of our whiffle ball season, it was with high expectations. Already we knew that things were going to be different this year with the subtraction of our former housemate, and my former teammate, Joe Coulter, who moved back to New Hampshire. In the past, CJ and Matt had played opposite Joe and me. Frequently, our friend Dan subbed in for whoever couldn't play on a given day. But, on opening day, Dan was also unavailable. "It was a real desperate situation," Matt said. We considered postponing the season until Dan or one of our new housemates, Mike or Ethan, could play, but that thought was fleeting. We realized that the show must go on. In order to make the teams even, we were forced to recruit my girlfriend Haley as a temporary replacement. There was much debate about whether a girl should be allowed to play professional whiffle ball, but we decided to give her a shot because if nothing else, it was opening day. "I'm just thankful that they decided to give me the opportunity," Haley said. "If I do well, it could open doors for aspiring female whiffle ball players everywhere." So the four of us headed to the ballpark (a plot of grass between two apartment buildings) to get the season underway. We were immediately pleased to see that the city of Medford took our games so seriously that it added foul lines (bushes) and dugouts (benches) to the field during the off-season. After a heated argument about whose team Haley was going to be on, it was determined that since my former teammate had bailed on us, I was going to have to play with her. We made it through one and one third scoreless innings, with only minor problems -- a fierce cross wind a la Wrigley Field and two dogs running around the ballpark despite signs clearly indicating that dogs were not welcome on the field. We managed to overcome those adversities, but with one out in the top of the second, disaster struck. With a ghost runner on second, I drilled a high fly ball deep to left field. It seemed to be a certainty that the first run of the young whiffle ball season would score. But, CJ and Matt were of a differing view. CJ raced back to attempt the catch with Matt screaming encouragement. "We give 110 percent on every play," Matt said. "We know that this league is ultra-competitive. If you let down your guard for even one second, then you have no chance." To everyone's surprise, the ball got tangled in the tree above CJ, and though it hit his hands, he was unable to hold on to it. But in his heroic attempt to catch the ball (which was an automatic ground rule double whether he caught it or not), he stumbled, smashed his face on the dugout (the bench) and collapsed. I assumed that he was just joking around. I figured the little guy was probably just upset that his team was down 1-0. However, after CJ failed to get up for a few seconds, we rushed to his side to find him bleeding and holding his tooth. The whiffle ball game came to a startling halt. Instead of having the opportunity to bask in the glory of my first RBI of the season, we rushed CJ to the car and quickly sped to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. "That must have been an intense whiffle ball game," the doctor conjectured after observing our broken friend. Three hours, a shot of novocain, and 16 stitches later, we helped CJ back into the car and headed to CVS to purchase the doctor-prescribed vicodin and penicillin. For the next three days, while CJ waited out the swelling, popped pills, and sipped pudding through a straw, all I could think about was whether my opponent's injury signaled the closing of the professional whiffle ball league. My question was answered on the fourth day, following CJ's trip to the dentist for a root canal -- he would be able to return to the field. "Sure I was a little worried that I might be out for the season," CJ said. "I think anybody in my situation would be at least a little worried. But, I never lost hope -- even when I couldn't eat solid foods." So in a medical miracle, our hero, minus a tooth, was ready to play again only a week after his career-threatening injury. Unfortunately, the weather has not been as accommodating. Snow, rain and unseasonably freezing temperatures have stalled the whiffle ball season. "CJ's healthy again. That's clearly the most important thing," Matt said. "We aren't going to let this weather stop us anymore. Mark my words, we'll be out there this week no matter what."

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News

Embedded journalists limited in access, perspective

April 14

With the US public fixated on the latest tidbits of information out of Iraq, some experts including those at Tufts are questioning the reporting and its objectivity by so-called "embedded" journalists. One of the main issues surrounding the coverage of the war in Iraq has been the embedded journalists themselves, who are able to travel with coalition military units in Iraq and the Persian Gulf region. However, while this tactic gives journalists more access than they have had in the past, it does not necessarily allow for better coverage. The coverage embedded journalists have provided is like "looking through a soda straw -- there is plenty of information, but it only allows us to see a narrow slice of the war," said Boston Globe media analyst and former Tufts professor Mark Jurkowitz. Another common criticism is that American war coverage is biased -- due to the restrictions imposed on the embedded journalists in terms of what they can and cannot report. A very "American-centric" view of the war is presented, Jurkowitz said, but the embedded journalists have, in some respects, provided "good reporting." Embedded media are important, he said, because "this is the first time in a long time that the media has been allowed in battle zones. They certainly weren't in the first Gulf War or Afghanistan." Despite the one-sided coverage inherent in the lack of complete access, this type of journalism is useful because it gives us a "fly on the wall perspective" of the war, sociology professor Henry Rubin said. Rubin, who teaches Introduction to Mass Media, has asked his students to be aware of international media in addition to US coverage in order to get the "whole story." News organizations in other countries naturally give different perspectives of the war, he said. For example, Arabic-language news programs consider the war an "invasion, uncalled for aggression, and a breach of democratic international relations," Rubin said. Most US coverage of the war does not dwell on all aspects, such as how the Arab world feels, Jurkowitz said, although other perspectives are available to Americans if they are willing to look for them. "The whole story is available to Americans who want to find it," he said. According to Rubin, for media in other countries, including those in Europe, war is not the only news. The US is "saturated with war news," Rubin said, and even though Apr. 15 is tax day, there has been little to no mention of President Bush's new tax plan in the news. When other countries do cover the war, Jurkowitz said, they focus more on the damage and civilian casualties of the war, while the US emphasis is different. "We have seen a war of triumph," he said. He cited the example of the recent rescue of seven American prisoners of war. While it was almost certainly not the biggest event in the war last week, it nevertheless dominated the news all weekend, he said. Television proves particularly troublesome for finding complete and objective news, Rubin said. "Televised war takes away the impact of actual death and destruction and makes it seem like a video game," he said. Tufts students said they are aware of the difficulties faced by embedded journalists and the trouble with relying solely on their accounts for news. Freshman Julia Wolfson called media coverage of the war "over-sensationalized." She was bothered by a story she saw in which the US alleged that the Iraqi government was manipulating news media in Iraq because, she said, "we do that too."

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News

Sarabande dance troupe continues to enthrall Tufts community

April 14

Cohen Auditorium once again assumed its role as artistic venue on Saturday night, this time for dance troupe Sarabande's semester culmination performance, Kick Your Feet Up! , which featured guest performances by TURBO and the Tufts Dance Collective (TDC). The show opened with a lively jig titled "Kick Your Feet Up!" that featured all members of the company dancing in unison. The premier act successfully managed to harness the energy level of the enthusiastic show-goers and was received with strong cheers and applause. It marked the commencement of an evening that successfully mixed different dance styles and musical genres in a wide-ranging demonstration of the ensemble's strengths and individuality. The program made good use of Sarabande's wide range of talents, proving to be well-spaced between the more modern interpretive numbers and more traditional dances featuring tap or ballet. Daphne McCurdy, Beth Mochizuki, Amy Reid, Natasha Pittman, Jeanette Bailey, Erica Cruz, and Li Ouyang all performed short ballet solos to various orchestral pieces, and Christine Ash, Stephanie Cohen, and Kaitlin Toner delighted the audience with their rendition of the tap dance "Steam Heat." "I think my favorite dance of the evening was the one from The Pajama Game," said Brad Keller, a visiting student from MIT who came to the performance to support one of his friends. "I just really thought it was neat, and it was really different from the rest of the show." The other more modern dance pieces were greeted with equally animated receptions as Sarabande managed to showcase the incredible range and talent that their ensemble possesses. Every member of the group has the inherent grace and exceptional ability that makes watching them such a delight, each conveying a powerful stage presence that transcends the traditional limits of modern dance. Notable among the performances was "Four Women," an interpretive dance choreographed by Pittman that featured Ouyang, Oni Brown, Kaitlin Toner, and Pittman. "Chamma Chamma," a Hindi dance performed by ten members of the ensemble decked in bedazzling traditional Hindu costumes also stood out. "When Doves Cry" proved to be a powerful statement of unity, demonstrating the strength of the entire ensemble and the minimalistic costumes and lighting contributed to the mood of the piece. The evening also featured two other Tufts dance ensembles, the TDC and TURBO, the University's break dancing group. TDC, resplendent as always in their plain ties and fedoras, performed to Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" and TURBO, though less well-known than their fellow performance companies, performed a six-member freestyle break dancing improvisation that was greeted with a tremendous reception. The audience was riveted during the series of back flips, handstands, head spins, and feats of acrobatic bravado displayed by the group, interrupting them several times with enthusiastic applause. "I loved Sarabande, but I really liked the other groups too," Farah Tarhamoulin said. "It was neat to see all the different people together because they all have such a unique style of dance, and it was just really fun to see." The show concluded with a farewell performance by Sarabande's current seniors, Brown, Mochizuki, Reid, Lydia Guaraldi, Rebecca Licht, Moira Murphy-Cairns. The touching piece, performed to "Emotion" by Destiny's Child, provided a cap to the evening as the graduating members bid their goodbyes to the group and to the University in their own unique manner. "It was very well-done overall, just a well-done show," said Jeanette Langley, one of the many enthusiastic audience members. "I thought it was great how they spaced the different types of pieces out, and I especially liked the Indian dance." At the end, after a final "Nighty-Night" performance featuring all the members of Sarabande in their pajamas, this much seemed clear: the dance community is alive and strong at Tufts University.

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News

Many women's track and field participants qualify for postseason

April 14

In another non-scoring venture, the women's track and field team got more cooperation from Mother Nature at the Wesleyan Invitational last weekend. Though the day started on a rainy and cold note -- sending some athletes inside to take part in field events -- the end of the day saw sun break through the clouds and some Jumbos coming through with equally bright performances. "There wasn't great competition, but it was a good meet," coach Kristen Morwick said. "It was non-scoring, but [assistant coach Rebecca] Reb's dad scored it unofficially and we most likely would have won." Echoing a theme pervasive throughout both the indoor and outdoor seasons, the throwers posted a slew of PRs and impressive performances. The squad flexed some throwing muscle in the shot put, capturing the first through fourth, sixth, and seventh spots overall. Leading the way in the shot was sophomore Katie Antle, who won the event with a toss of 38' 4," followed by junior Gwen Campbell who posted a PR of 38' 0.75''. Juniors Kate Gluckman and co-captain Jessica Gauthier rounded out the top four with lobs of 37' 9.5'' and 36,' respectively. Gluckman and Antle paired up to storm the discus, claiming the top two spots. Both qualified through Division I, Gluckman did so with a throw of 126', and Antle made it with a mark a 124' 8." "The throwers are really looking great. As it stands, they're at the top of the throws list in the NESCAC and could do very well," Morwick said. The inclement weather early on affected some of the field events. The high jump continued outside -- even in highly unfavorable conditions -- while the long jump, triple jump, and pole vault were all moved indoors. The change of venue did little to damper the spirits of the Jumbos, as many achieved personal bests in the field events. In her spring track debut, senior Myriam Claudio garnered first in the pole vault, with fellow Jumbo freshman Katie Gadkowski taking an impressive second place overall in her first attempt at the event. Junior Jess Trombly leapt to first in the long jump, hitting the ECAC mark with her finish of 16' 7.25." In addition to winning the long jump, Trombly also took first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.71, and in the 100 high hurdles with a time of 15.50. With the finishes, Trombly has qualified through Division I in the hurdles and through ECACs in the 100 dash. Freshman Rachel Bloom and Claudio also qualified for ECACs in the 100, finishing second and third in times of 13.08 and 13.14 respectively. Graduate student Sarah Leistikow was the next Jumbo to finish in the long jump, garnering third with a jump of 15' 9." Senior co-captain Zerlina Maxwell rounded out the top three Jumbo finishers with a leap of 14' 10.75," good for fifth place. Leistikow also competed in the triple jump -- for the first time - and recorded an impressive second place finish (33' 5.75"). Amongst other first-time performances, was a blistering run put in by sophomore Claudia Clarke in the 400 intermediate hurdles. In her first outing, Clarke ran away with the event, with a time of 1:10.19 qualifying her through ECACs. Sophomore Katie Sheedy was close on Clarke's heels, finishing second in 1:10.77. In The 400, junior Emily Bersin finish third overall with a PR of 1:00.35 and was just missed the Division I qualifying standard. In the long distance events, the Jumbos garnered the fourth through eighth spots, with seniors Danielle Perrin and Mary Nodine leading the way. Finishing in times of 4:54.44 and 4:54.62 respectively, Perrin and Nodine both met the qualifying mark for ECACs. While many Jumbos have achieved postseason qualifying marks, many are looking to get farther into the postseason or looking to better the marks they've already established. Though it seems as if the season just started, this weekend marks the last regular season meet for the squad. The Connecticut College Invitational will attract teams such as Conn. College, Brandeis, Coast Guard, and RPI. "It's the first scoring meet we'll have outdoors and with NESCACs next week it'll be a last chance qualifier for some. We're going for qualifying times, we're not strategizing to win the meet," Morwick said.

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News

How to defend affirmative action

April 14

Although I sympathize with Shantell Richardson's article ("In favor of affirmative action" 4/11/03), the debate over affirmative action is much more complex. First, for the top twenty American colleges and universities there is a 180 point gap between the average SAT scores of blacks and whites and a 210 point gap between those of blacks and Asians (Consortium on Financing Higher Education, 1992). Second, while many blacks are educated in public schools, many of which are under-privileged, Blacks who attend elite universities tend not to be educated in under-privileged schools. Even more troubling is that the black-white test score gap increases as educational disparities between blacks and whites decrease (Steele, 1995, 1999). Hence, the test gap is largest among the most educationally privileged blacks and whites! Given those facts, the problem that the Supreme Court faces in the University of Michigan cases is similar to the one that the court faced 25 years earlier in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, namely, that minorities are being accepted in lieu of applicants with higher entrance exam scores. So, we cannot evade the issue. Minorities are gaining acceptance into elite programs with lower test scores. In fact, the exact reason why the University of Michigan awards 20 points to the admissions scores of underrepresented minorities is to offset this disparity in test scores (which I will explain later). The only way that the situation is different than it was 25 years ago is that, back then, Asians were considered minorities. But now, since Asians have managed to outscore Whites on entrance exams, they are four to five times more populous in elite universities than in the general population. The mobility of Asian Americans in higher education relative to blacks, Latinos, and American Indians has only made it tougher to defend affirmative action. Furthermore, public polls show that the American public is decidedly against affirmative action programs that select people with lower scores over people with higher scores (although this percentage varies with how the poll questions are stated). Finally, the diversity argument that Thurgood Marshall et al. used to defend race-conscious admissions in the Bakke case is invalid. From the "Opinions of the Court" we see that the diversity argument was based on the First Amendment of the Constitution. Basically, a diverse campus is important for universities to achieve a "robust exchange of ideas". Furthermore, a university has the right to select a diverse campus because they have the right to academic freedom, which is tacitly supported by the First Amendment. Since protecting a constitutional right is a compelling government interest, we should protect the university's right to academic freedom, and thus to campus diversity. However, the First Amendment only provides conditional rights. In other words, first amendment rights are protected only if no other rights are violated. First amendment rights never outweigh conflicting rights. Merely deciding that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies suffices to restrict the university's right to academic freedom. (Section 601 of Title VI prohibits excluding persons from federally assisted programs based on race.) Although I've painted a dismal picture for affirmative action, there are ways to defend it. One way is to show that admissions decisions based on unadjusted college entrance exam scores violate Title VI. Here are the facts. SAT scores predict college GPA with only 18 percent accuracy for freshmen and sophomores, and even less for juniors and seniors, (Maas 2000, Steele 1999). Furthermore, we know that the predictive power of these tests decreases when there is less variation in the abilities of the test-takers. So, exams designed to predict success in graduate school are doomed to be less accurate than ones designed to predict success in undergraduate school. For example, GRE scores display only 9 percent accuracy (Myers 2001). Since certain racial groups score lower on these tests, then using these tests in admissions decisions establishes a systematic discrimination against these groups. This discrimination would be unproblematic except for the fact that these exams are irrelevant for predicting which students will succeed at which schools. Because using unadjusted college entrance exam scores excludes applicants based on race, it violates Title VI. Correcting for the systematic discrimination, for example with an extra 20 points as the University of Michigan does is one way to remedy the situation. However, if no points are added in favor of applicants, against whom these tests are biased, then that admissions process becomes unfairly racially biased against those applicants. There are other ways to defend affirmative action, but any of those ways must address the critical issues I have mentioned here. Quayshawn Spencer is a Graduate student of the Department of Philosophy.

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News

Wrong lessons learned

April 14

I've come to terms with the fact that I actively enjoy bad movies. This is only up to a point, of course. Still, while I love good movies more, I'm willing to watch really bad ones over and over again. It's the ridiculous aspect that brings me back for more. I can watch outlandish, good movies, particularly comedies, over and over again, too. It's just that most over-the-top movies are bad, not clever. Wet Hot American Summer and Billy Madison are bizarre and great; Red Planet and Demolition Man are bizarre and awful. And I love them all in unique ways. But watching bad science fiction of late, I realized that I don't get hooked by the plots and adventures and chase scenes and wall-busting fights (unless, as I said, they're utterly ridiculous). Instead, I love learning about the futuristic societies. And judging by the fact that this part of sci-fi movies is almost always fairly minimal, I think the rest of the world isn't as interested as I am. I mean, if the average man wanted to know more about the political structure in Starship Troopers, I'd expect filmmakers would provide it. After all, the novel of the same name that inspired Starship Troopers contains all kinds of political and social details that were left out. It's a book about a society, not about ridiculously ineffective infantry that have coed showers. Of course, thinking this way about movies usually takes me off on inappropriate philosophical tangents because I stop caring about the people involved and start watching their world very closely. I take the wrong message away from these movies; instead of marveling at the characters' lives, I wonder how they vote. I judge sci-fi on the merits of its society. Most of it comes up lacking, which is why I don't read much of it. For every Orson Scott Card or John Varley or Philip K. Dick -- true science-fiction greats -- there are dozens of half-assed hacks who survive as writers because insatiable sci-fi fans must take whatever they can get. Of course, some might not be able to tell the difference, either. Good science fiction is hard to come by because it demands creating a new society with a new structure and a complete set of rules. Writing contemporary or historical fiction is much easier -- you can just work with the laws, customs, and necessities appropriate to the setting. Inventing a setting means inventing an entire workable, believable culture and explaining it to the reader without being boring. Honestly, that is hard to do. Sure, you can write a textbook that will communicate everything about an imaginary society, but you have to entertain people to get them to pay any attention. The boring factor is why societal details get overlooked in most sci-fi movies. Most viewers don't care about it and don't demand too many explanations. One explanation for every three explosions is usually good enough. That's why those special people -- the people who were more interested in the social structure and breeding processes of Brave New World than in the actual characters -- end up watching and wondering and taking away the wrong lessons from most sci-fi. Take Minority Report. Spielberg spent time and money designing a plausible and thorough future for our country, and I still wanted to know more. I was most curious about the drug Tom Cruise takes. What does it really do? How widespread is it? Was it originally a medicine? Is it grown? Manufactured? Extracted from cocker spaniels? (That's a great image. Imagine a highly-addictive substance that is only found in the spines of newborn puppies. You'd spot the suppliers walking their breeding stock through Boston Common. Junkies would loiter around pounds, waiting for new arrivals. No self-respecting neighborhood would allow people to give away free puppies anymore. Even having a dog would be suspect. Dog shows would turn into counterculture conventions. Leftist animal-rights activists would ally themselves with right-wing drug enforcers. Do you see why I get tangled up in these movies?) Or Strange Days. There's a weird following around this James Cameron-written 1995 sci-fi mystery. Some people will tell you that it's fantastic. Thank God I'm here to tell you that they're wrong. What is fantastic, however, is the underlying premise. In this future, you can record your experiences and replay them, making you see and feel everything that you did -- allowing you to re-experience in full any part of your life that you've recorded. This sparks a black market in recordings because you can also replay other people's experiences. People start robbing liquor stores or murdering people or driving recklessly through traffic just to sell the exciting tape to some uptight businessman in need of a risk-free adrenaline high. But does the movie focus on the implications of this technology? NO. It's a straightforward serial-murder mystery that regards the mental recordings only as potent pieces of evidence. Imagine the possible effects! How does it affect someone's mental state and emotional development to experience things that he's never done or couldn't do? What kind of normal, non-criminal tapes would be popular? Would people want to see through the eyes of a child or an old man? What about viewing a recording of one of your parents? Do psychologists record their patients in order to understand them better, or would such a recording drive a normal person insane? While it's not a serious movie on any level, Demolition Man hints at all kinds of changes to society. Sure, they're intended to be funny, but I found them tantalizing. Taco Bell won the "Franchise Wars," and now all restaurants are Taco Bell (albeit of varying levels of class). Toilet paper has been replaced by a mysterious hygienic device consisting of three seashells. It's a pacifist, Puritanical future, and I hope that no country ever adopts the ideals seen in that version of America. Of course, it wasn't intended as serious social commentary -- at least I hope not, since that didn't really come across -- but as a backdrop for violent match-ups between Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. It was pretty good for that. I want more details! And I want you to think about it. Question, question, question. If a movie claims that money has been eliminated in the future, can you imagine a plausible way that might happen? Does anyone explain it? If countries have changed names and governments, do you know why and how? It comes down to this: When you watch a sci-fi movie, do you think about the plot or do you get in philosophical debates? Maybe I'm unusual, but a bad movie with a well-detailed society doesn't seem all that bad in the end.

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News

News Briefs

April 14

High school, EPIIC students collaborate on sovereignty issues Almost 400 high school students came to campus this weekend to discuss "African Sovereignty, African Perspectives" at the invitation of Tufts' Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) program. The students, who hailed from as far as Atlanta, Chicago, and Indianapolis, acted in roles such as African delegations, the World Bank, and non-governmental organizations in a project that serves as the culmination of EPIIC's year-long INQUIRY program. Now in its 12th year, INQUIRY partners Tufts undergraduates and professors with high school students and teachers to discuss issues of global importance. The weekend's events included discussions of issues such as peacekeeping in Africa, AIDS, and international debts. Students also heard from Samuel Amadi, a Nigerian attorney who spoke on the role youth will play in Africa's future. "From what the high school students had to say and what the Tufts students had to say, we believe it was a success," Project Coordinator Heather Barry said. Some high school teachers who have participated in INQUIRY for the past seven or eight years called it "the best one yet," she said. Police investigating vending machine break-ins A series of vending machine break-ins that have occurred in academic and residential buildings on campus in the last month is under investigation by campus police, who say that one suspect is currently being questioned. The suspect appears to be using some type of pry bar to remove or break open the coin box of the vending machines, according to Police Sergeant Douglas Mazzola, who also said that the break-ins have been reported during evening hours. The suspect is not a student or a local resident, Mazzola said. A similar series of incidents were reported last spring, although no suspect was charged at that time. Police have yet to determine whether the events are related. The total amount lost has yet to be determined, Mazzola said, and the vendor is still auditing the damage. Students recognized for academic achievement At a ceremony on Friday night, 150 students received academic awards that were presented by both President Larry Bacow and department chairs. Students who received awards were nominated by faculty and department heads, and then selected by the Academic Awards Committee, which is comprised of faculty members and administrators.

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News

INS Special Registration continues to affect Tufts students

April 14

The Special Registration (SR) procedures will continue to force a small group of Tufts students from a select list of countries to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, now part of the Department of Homeland Security. According to International Center Director Jane Etish-Andrews, there are approximately 30 undergraduates currently subject to Special Registration. These students were informed earlier this semester that they would be required to register. The National Entry-Exit Registration System is part of the USA Patriot Act, passed in Oct. 2001. Male non-immigrant students -- foreign students studying in the US without intent to move here -- from certain countries are subject to Special Registration. The countries that require SR are almost exclusively countries with significant Muslim populations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Eritrea. North Korea is also on the list, and more countries are likely to be added in the future. "At a Special Registration session, a non-immigrant will be required to answer questions under oath, be fingerprinted and photographed. It will also be necessary to have your passport, I-94 card, visa document, proof of residence, proof of matriculation from your educational institution, proof of employment, etc. INS may also ask to see banking and credit card information," the International Center website reads. In addition to an initial interview, SR students are subjected to ongoing monitoring and are required to make specific reports after being in the country for 30 days and then again after 12 months. SR students are also responsible for reporting any changes in their study, employment, or place of residence. According to a US State Department press release issued in Sept. 2002, the rationale behind Special Registration is that, "Terrorist attacks have claimed the lives of thousands of Americans, as well as nationals from many other countries. As a result, new regulations have gone into effect to help ensure the safety of all persons in the United States. These regulations require the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to register certain individuals in the interest of national security or law enforcement." The International Center staff has assisted SR students in meeting the INS deadlines, the last of which is April 25 for students from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, and Kuwait. Students at Tufts are updated about registration changes through e-mails from the International Center, and the information is also posted on the Center's website. Although none of the SR students interviewed were willing to be quoted, most felt the Special Registration system is appropriate given current world circumstances but that it does contribute to an unfair and negative stereotype of people from the selected countries. Samar Habayeb, the freshman representative for the Arab Student Association and a Palestinian student who lives in Jordan, believes that Special Registration is a form of discrimination, and that it creates wider problems. An entire population cannot be classified as terrorists based on the actions of a small group, she said. The increased security measures and visa regulations are "...ruining a lot of people's careers -- people can lose an entire year waiting for a visa to come through," Habayeb said. However, she is exempt from SR because she is female.

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News

Affirmative action is not the answer

April 14

Affirmative action as it is practiced today is morally wrong and often constructed and defended upon flawed assumptions. I recognize that I could probably fill 30 pages writing on this topic and making my argument, but bear with me as I will try to condense my points into this Viewpoint. Before I begin, I rarely see a reason to do this, but for this topic there may be a desire to know information about my personal background to have an understanding of where I am coming from. So I will volunteer just that: I am a 20 year old white male from western Maryland. I live in a small town of 5,000 residents and attended one of the worst performing and most overcrowded school systems in the state. I come from a split family of few means; I vividly remember during the recession of the early 90's when my family was able to put food on the table only because members of our local church were gracious enough to donate food to us. Perhaps I was disadvantaged growing up in a situation like this, but I never expected or wanted any special privilege because of it. I worked hard and I've made it to Tufts University just like everyone else who is here. That said, why do I so passionately oppose affirmative action? It seems that many defenders of affirmative action make arguments similar to the following (this is a direct quote from the Apr. 10 Viewpoint, "In Favor of Affirmative Action"): "We have affirmative action because minorities have never received equal and adequate access to quality education. Inequities in academic performance are a direct result of the earlier educational advantages available to whites." Both of these claims are exaggerated at best and simply false at worst. I will use examples from my experience here at Tufts to make a point. One of my best friends here is Hispanic, lives in Southern California, his father is a lawyer, and he attended a private boarding school before coming to Tufts. Likewise, most minority students that I personally know at Tufts, like most everyone that I have met at Tufts, attended great public or private high schools and are from relatively to extremely well-off families. These minority students are not the minority students that are truly disadvantaged in this country and that could use the help afforded to them by affirmative action based admissions programs. I would much rather see the efforts spent on propping up and defending affirmative action invested in improving public schools in the Mississippi Delta, in Appalachia, in our inner cities, and in the poor rural towns of the Midwest and elsewhere. It is these students, be they minority status or not, who truly need our help. The minority student who lives in Washington, D.C. and attends St. Alban's does not need the help of affirmative action. Yet I fear that too often it is this type of student who receives it. After all, the university is most interested, they often proudly boast, in promoting "diversity" on campus. So whether the minority student is from an upper-class family or from an impoverished ghetto matters little to them. I understand that the horrible institutions of slavery and racism still weigh heavily on the minds of many and it is not my intention to belittle those concerns in any way. But we must also recognize that African Americans are not the only segment of our population that can make claims of having faced historical injustices in this land. The poor white farmers, the indentured servants, the Native Americans, the Chinese, the Catholics, and countless others were disadvantaged for long periods of time. If one wishes to argue that the severity of slavery was much greater, I would contend that the plight of Native Americans was at least as severe, if not more so. And if we're going to talk about cold hard numbers, and not percentages, then far more impoverished white families have faced injustices through the centuries than have minorities -- if for no other reason than by virtue of the fact that in the 2000 Census, close to 70 percent of the country considered themselves "white". Do I think that all of these groups need special privileges when applying to colleges to "level the playing field"? Absolutely not. There is no reason to give any applicant an advantage in college admissions by virtue of his or her race alone. (And for that matter, because I know it is a counterargument of many, the policy of 'legacy' admissions is also baseless, unfair, and needs to go.) College admissions offices often defend their affirmative action policies because they bring "diversity" to campus. But my question is: why do universities only care about racial diversity? Why not economic diversity? Political diversity? Etc. Why not devise a system whereby college admissions officers admit an applicant based on his or her resume and credentials alone? We do live in a society, I thought, that cherishes meritocracy. Applicants could be assigned an Application ID number to identify them. Their addresses, race, gender, etc. could be kept on file separate from the application so that the student could still be contacted through the mail or by e-mail. Tufts could be a trailblazer in adopting such a radically new and egalitarian admissions process. And while surely not every admitted class would be 50/50 in its male to female ratio, and we might not get that one student from each of the 50 states, and at least one representative from 35 different nations, Tufts' reputation would still draw a diverse applicant pool that would result in diverse classes, even if not in the cookie cutter molds that they are today. And while on the topic of admissions, I would like to make a comment about graduate admissions. It seems that defenders of affirmative action, like the one referenced earlier, claim that the policy is needed to "level the playing field." If such were the case, wouldn't such preferential treatment no longer be needed once the minority student was admitted to a school like Tufts? If the minority student needed the policy to get admitted to the 'level playing field' that is Tufts, why does that same student then need preferential treatment again when applying to graduate schools? Both the hypothetical minority student and the hypothetical white student would be applying from the same Tufts, why should one get a special advantage? It is time that we finally put racial divisions behind us in this country. If we stop defining things in terms of race, those racial tensions that still linger today will begin to finally fade. I fear that too often the current policy of race based admissions incites resentment amongst white students and just furthers such tension. Moreover, trying to put myself in the shoes of a minority student, I would be offended if I knew that I was helped by an affirmative action admissions policy that made the blanket assumption that I was disadvantaged simply because of the color of my skin. I think that for schools to make such an assumption is wrong, if not downright racist. And while I know that my idea for an admissions policy based on strictly merit alone is nothing more than a fantasy, I would realistically like to see universities try to think outside of the box and come up with more egalitarian and fair admissions policies. If any intermediary program were to take the place of the current race based affirmative action system, I would much prefer to see a system that helps those that come from failing neighborhoods and poor families, regardless of the color of their skin. I believe that such a move would at least be a step in the right direction towards helping those that truly need it. In conclusion, it is time that we all recognize that these are all just topical solutions to solving the deep rooted problems stemming from our ever deteriorating public schools. Far more time, money, and effort needs to be put into saving our public schools and 'leveling the playing field' beginning with elementary education. In the long run, the college admissions process is not the place for it and the current system of race based affirmative action is certainly not the policy for it. Adam Schultz is a junior double majoring in political science and history.

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News

Handing out the hardware: the NBA's best of 2002-2003

April 14

Inside the NBA was worried that the Portland Trailblazers' chemistry, which went from bad to ugly when Zach Randolph punched teammate Ruben Patterson, would go from ugly to hideous if Patterson retaliated. However, Patterson soothed those fears when he announced that he would not seek revenge on Randolph, saying, "I can't retaliate, trying to fight him or beat him up, because I'm on probation, so I would get in trouble." Only the Trailblazers. And while we're speaking of ridiculous quotes... Best Quote of the Year: Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics, the league leader in three point attempts despite a 32 percent connection rate, on why he shoots so many three pointers: "Because there aren't any shots worth four points." That's the mindset of a wide-body power forward with a handle who shoots 3.7 free throws a game versus 7.5 threes per contest. And as long as we're discussing the best of the year... MVP: OK, first of all, Kobe Bryant isn't winning. When Shaq retires, Kobe has a good shot at winning one, two, maybe even five MVPs in a row. But not when Kobe and Shaq combined could only take the L.A. Lakers to the sixth seed in the West, while Tracy McGrady alone might take the Orlando Magic to the sixth seed in the East. That being said, I realize that the Eastern Conference is a lot weaker than the Western Conference, so someone who can only get his team to sixth place in the East is not going to be MVP. And since McGrady is clearly the MVP of the Eastern Conference (over Allen Iverson and Jason Kidd), and he's not going to win, then no one from the East can. So we go back to the West. With Kobe and Shaq canceling each other out, it comes down to Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. TD is the better player and has taken his San Antonio Spurs to a better record. But KG does just as much, if not more, for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he deserves to finally bring home some hardware. Of course, this is contingent on Minnesota holding on to the fourth seed, and home court advantage, in the first round of the playoffs. If the T-wolves fall back in their final games, then Duncan adds another trophy to the mantle. Most Improved Player: Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors. Not too bad for a second round pick. Coach of the Year: The candidates are: Rick Carlisle, Detroit Pistons; Isaiah Thomas, Indiana Pacers; Larry Brown, Philadelphia 76ers; Eric Musselman, Warriors; Frank Johnson, Phoenix Suns; and Flip Saunders, Timberwolves. Isaiah Thomas is out. He handled the whole "Are the Pacers overaggressive?" issue badly, defending his team until it was too late. By the time he came to his senses, Ron Artest was the joke of the league and team chemistry was shaky. Brown and Saunders are eliminated too. Both have done a great job surrounding a star (Iverson and Garnett, respectively) with solid role players and using his system to get his team near the 50-win mark. But it is really no different than what they've been doing for years now with the same core groups of players. Musselman and Johnson are both young coaches with great futures ahead of them, but, despite low preseason expectations for both teams, their squads actually possess a great deal of talent. They may have exceeded preseason predictions, but they didn't exceed the limitations of their ability. The coach that did manage to surpass both preseason predictions and talent holdups is Rick Carlisle, so he wins the award for the second consecutive year. Sixth Man of the Year: Bobby Jackson of the Sacramento Kings. Kudos to the Spurs' Emanuel Ginobili, the Pistons' Corliss Williamson, and Pacer Al Harrington. But really, who else could it be but Bobby? Defensive Player of the Year: Stephon Marbury of the Suns, the 76ers' Allen Iverson and Eric Snow, and the Kings' Doug Christie have all had great seasons, but there's no way the Pistons' Ben Wallace (15.4 rpg, 3.15 bpg, 1.42 spg) doesn't win. Rookie of the Year: This is a two man race between Amare Stoudemire of the Suns and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. Their statistics are close, but Stoudemire has been more consistent, and his captured a playoff spot. However, we all know there's now way Yao doesn't win this award.

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News

TUTV goes digital

April 14

TUTV, Tufts' very own student-run television network, has high aspirations for the upcoming fall semester, planning to run its programming in streaming video on the internet. This decision was made in part because of the ambiguity of cable service for next year, as well as the desire to make TUTV available to faculty and other viewers outside the community. The changes will also bring new programming to the network. TUTV Director Adrian Pellereau voiced his hopes that the station could provide more hours of new shows. "The policy has been, 'We make our own shows and we broadcast them,'" Pellereau said. One of his goals is to swim through the possible legal issues and offer content from other networks. Pellereau also was excited about the capabilities that come with streaming-video. TUTV cameramen will be able to go to any location for shooting, and be able to send it back to the studios for broadcast with just an Ethernet cable. In addition, the "DVD quality" images will be accessible to all members of the Tufts community. As a part of this drastic change in the ideology behind TUTV, all current shows will have to re-apply to be a regularly produced program. "Since we will be less reliant on purely new materials," Pellereau said, "every show has to be re-submitted." This policy change was the basis behind the rumors of the cancellation of the popular show Jumbo Love Match. According to Pellereau, the rumors were a result of a miscommunication between the station management and JLM host Andy Katzenberg. Katzenberg contends that last Tuesday, he was told that the show was "cancelled indefinitely" and that he would be given more information on Thursday, whereupon he was told that the show would continue to run this year, but would have to re-submit for next year. "This seems like it would be a hassle," Katzenberg said, though he understood the reasons behind the change. On Thursday he was also told that he should refrain from showing on-air advertisements for college-boxes.com, an online merchant for which Katzenberg works. JLM is Tufts' own take on the dating show genre, and is often highlighted by racy comments and risqu?© material. When asked if he would ever entertain a request to tone down the sexual content of the show, Katzenberg said, "A little bit, but it's a liberal school, and it's a comedy." He also added that his primary goal for each and every episode of JLM is to entertain the studio audience and viewers on television. "If you don't like what you are watching," claimed Katzenberg, "change the channel." Pellereau defused any controversy regarding the supposed cancellation of JLM by stating that "every show is technically cancelled" as it has to re-submit an application for next year. In addition, he pointed out that a large portion of the production staff is either graduating or studying abroad next year, leaving the staff for JLM up in the air. Other local programming that could find its way back onto TUTV next fall include a Tufts news show, and the current sports show, Best Damn Interruption. Pellereau has high hopes for the former program, asserting that production would begin during Orientation week so they could begin airing as upperclassmen return to school. BDI features junior Daily editors Elliot Wiley and Ethan Austin, as well as Katzenberg, as they discuss many issues going on in the world of sports. The title is a take-off on two widely successful "talking-head" sports programs, ESPN's Pardon the Interruption and FOX Sports Network's Best Damn Sports Show Period. Last semester, Wiley and Austin were joined by junior Colin Stewart, who is studying abroad this spring. Now the pair is joined by special guests to fill Stewart's spot, as well as Katzenberg, who comically said about his role, "I'm like Heather Locklear on Melrose Place: I'm always listed as a special guest, yet I show up in every episode." It seems that TUTV is headed into the right direction by taking the technology available to them and using it to broadcast to a wider audience. Yet at the same time, part of the charm of the shows aired is their low-budget feel -- poor audio and all. In addition, if quality shows like JLM and BDI are not renewed as programs, it would be a terrible loss to the student community. Many people tune into the shows to see their friends enjoy themselves in a student activity, just as they would go to a Torn Ticket II show or a softball game. While the improvements sound exciting, lets hope they don't come at too great a cost.

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News

Through the token-booth glass

April 14

To many University students, the T is more than a subway line; it's a lifeline. How else can students travel virtually anywhere in Boston for a buck? Despite their reliance upon the T, however, students generally view the T strictly from their side of the token-booth glass. But what about the people on the other side, the MBTA token sellers? After all, they are the ones who have to deal with ornery customers, crowds of rushing people, and -- perhaps worst of all -- those omnipresent T-stop "musicians." To kick off its new profile series, the Daily went underground and discovered what it's like to work in a T station rather than just rush through it. Tufts Daily: First things first: name and location? DM: Dora McClure, and I live in Hyde Park. TD: How long have you worked as a token collector? DM: Since 1997, but I drove a bus for 11 years before that. TD: What's a typical day like? DM: Busy, real busy. I have to work it because there's nothing else that has the hours I want. So, I work a morning shift at the Harvard stop and then work at Central Square in the afternoon. TD: So, who do you find to be most courteous, in general? DM: Oh, definitely the tourists. They don't know what's going on so they don't give you any trouble because they're so confused. Half the time they think the token you just gave them is a penny. TD: You must get a wide range of people riding the T. In the past six years you've probably seen more than your share of bizarre incidents. What's the weirdest thing you've seen on the job? DM: One time, a man came through the gate with his baby in a carrier and put the baby on the train, then came back to give me his token. Well, the train doors closed while he was walking back, and the T pulled away! So this guy jumps into the tunnel and goes sprinting down the track after it. We ended up having to call dispatch to cut the power and then pull him out. TD: So he did find his baby in the end? DM: Oh yes, but when the media showed up he wouldn't tell anyone his name. Turns out, he was terrified that is wife might find out. TD: People certainly do desperate things to catch the train. DM: I wish the riders could see how crazy they look when they see the train coming -- they panic and start running! I saw an old man, must've been in his late 60's, going slowly down the Central Square steps. But when he heard that train coming, he took off, taking the steps two at a time, racing to catch it. TD: What's the best kind of day at work -- when ridiculous things happen? DM: Honestly, the best days I've had are when people take the time to say thank you, and look me in the eye, and acknowledge me. It's just the little things that people don't realize makes my day. TD: Well, hopefully our readers will remember that next time they're buying a token. Conversely, do a lot of people sneak by without paying? DM: Oh all the time. TD: Is there anything you can do? DM: No, because if you leave that booth and try to confront them, well that's just dangerous. TD: Do you have any opinion on all those musicians in the stations? DM: Some are good... [and] some really aren't! I don't mind them usually, except for once, I just couldn't take it anymore. It was the holiday season and there was this lady singing opera in a piercing voice. I called up dispatch, and had them listen. Immediately the dispatcher said, "No problem, we'll send someone now!" TD: If you could, would you just eliminate the music all together? DM: No, but if I could change something, it would be for people to appreciate [token sellers] a little more. Have people treat us more like people and not take their bad days out on us. Although the college kids I've seen don't give me a hard time. Harvard Square is a lot different from Central. Central is always busy, and pretty rough. TD: That sounds more than reasonable. Do you have a favorite part of your job? DM: I like that I know what I have to do and don't have a supervisor looking over my shoulder constantly. TD: And finally, do you get to ride the T for free? DM: Why of course! I should hope so!

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News

Laptop or desktop?

April 14

Tufts tour guides often offer opinions on the type of computer best suited for incoming freshmen. Desktops are cheaper and feature simpler expandability, while laptops provide complete portability. Traditionally, laptops suffered from a primary downfall -- they still needed to be connected to a dorm or classroom wall to access the internet and other online services. But Tufts has indicated that it intends to expand a small, existing wireless network to reach most areas of the University. To many students anticipating a truly wireless campus such as Carnegie Mellon, progress may seem excruciatingly slow, especially given the fast pace of today's technology. Some delay is certainly due to the prohibitive cost of implementing a wider system. But credit Dean Wayne Bouchard for recognizing the potential of 802.11g, the new IEEE wireless standard looming on the horizon. With maximum speeds clocking in at more than five times the current wireless standard, it is reasonable to wait until the new technology is available. In the meantime, current wireless access on campus is adequately improving. The Senate's recent successful push to include access points in the Campus Center demonstrates a sensible strategy in pursuing the most-utilized campus areas for wireless upgrades. For any future freshmen still considering the college computer purchase, think twice about getting that laptop. Just make sure to get a wireless network card, too -- the spare ones here are going fast.

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News

Ask Angie

April 14

Q: Angie, I'm addicted to candy. Every time I pass by the campus center and Jumbo Express the smell of the sour peaches draws me in!! What do I do?? -Sweet Tooth A: Hmm, well, that's not really the worst addiction you could have -- candy sure beats alcohol or drugs! This sort of obsession becomes a problem when it infringes on your ability to go about your life in a normal fashion. Do you think about candy during every moment of your waking hours? Are you eating so much candy that you don't eat anything more healthful during the rest of the day? If you exclusively ate sour peach candy for every meal, then I'd suggest a visit to a nutritionist or at least some sort of intervention. What it sounds like is you get cravings when you pass by the place you associate with that candy, specifically, the lower side of the campus center. To avoid those cravings in the first place, see if you can reroute your trips away from Jumbo Express. Without having to look at the store, or "smell" the sour peaches, you may not even think about them. If you know you can't cut it out of your life completely, try to consciously limit yourself to less candy every day. When you buy a bag of those peaches, eat a few and seal the bag for a later time. Just like any addiction, quitting cold turkey may be harsh -- by gradually decreasing your candy intake, you'll find yourself craving the sweet stuff less often. Q: Hello Angie, I'm having problems with my roommate. I'm Jewish, and Passover is coming up. My roommate is not Jewish, and thinks it's funny to make fun of all the kosher food I'm buying. I find this disrespectful. How can I make him understand? - Frustrated Religious A: That's seriously not cool for him to mock your preparations for the upcoming religious holiday. If he is religious, try asking him how he would feel if you made light of some of the traditions he holds dear. Do some research on his religion and let him know you genuinely respect his practices. If religion is not a big deal to him, he may not understand the seriousness with which you approach your religious life and these events. Other than asking him politely to leave you alone (which I assume you've done), you may need to insist that you will not have any religious discussion anymore in your room. If it's still a problem, talk to your hall RA -- it's their job to handle roommate conflicts. If nothing works, just know that you've only got a few weeks left with this guy until summer. Q: Dear Ask Angie, I do not want to go home for the summer AGAIN. My parents think I am going home but I have other plans. How do I break the news? - Not Home Sick A: The clock is ticking, and I'd recommend telling them sooner than later. You may need to give them a little while to accept this information -- especially if this is your first summer away from home -- rather than waiting until the last second and using the 'shock and awe' method to drop this bombshell. Parents have the tendency to appreciate honesty. You're away at college, you've enjoyed a certain amount of independence that you didn't have at home. Let your parents know that it will be easier for you to get a hold of your newfound independence by living away from home this summer. Be sure to have it very carefully planned out -- you say you have a plan, but how certain is it? You'll fare better with them if you have some sort of job lined up and a definite living situation. Promise to visit them regularly, and invite them to visit you. This news doesn't have to be traumatic for either you or your parents.

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News

Eternal life

April 14

Last week, we saw people celebrating in Baghdad. There are many in Baghdad, and beyond, who are not celebrating, to be sure -- those still mourning their loved ones. Whether the good of one outweighs the cost of the other I am in no position to judge. But the celebrations themselves are powerful. They possess a quality, a joy deep and strong, against which even our most thrilling house parties pale and shrink. Their celebrations are real and their joy genuine. Yet there is a celebration that, every year, boasts of being greater than anything we've seen in Baghdad. This Sunday, the Christians will celebrate Easter, the most important holiday in their lives. To celebrate Easter is to recognize the new life of Jesus of Nazareth, a man who walked out of his grave and never went back. What is it that makes this holiday so great? The Baghdad celebrants first bubbled over with their taste of freedom. Saddam Hussein, his omnipresent image leering at them from every street corner, had maintained a brutal rule of fear and oppression for over 25 years. The freedom Christians celebrate is from a fear far older. The fear is that the universe is silent, that we are alone. That uncertainty that plagues sleepless nights is dispelled by the certain birth of the man called Jesus. His claim is to be the very image of the invisible Almighty, the result of God entering human history as a painter might step into his painting. If the claim is true, then not only is the human race not alone, but its Creator is immanently interested in it. Such a God is not aloof, ruling by fear from some presidential palace. Freedom from fear would mean little to the Iraqis if they did not also know that soon, the war would be over. The endless fighting of the past 20 years -- with Iran, the US, even within Iraq -- will be finished. We, who have never really known war, do not know what the joy from such a peace is like. We may catch a glimpse when a personal relationship, marred by betrayal, is restored by the breaking of the silent treatment. True peace is not the absence of conflict but the ending of it. It is not a detached state of other-worldliness but the creation of friends out of enemies. The Christians proclaim such a peace for a conflict far larger than the Mideast -- our war with God. Christianity does not, like a sales pitch, propose the solution to an imaginary problem of its own creation. Every culture in the world has said that our wars with each other reflect a deeper war within ourselves. The book of Genesis simply, correctly identifies the cause: every man, woman, and child finds themselves in a state of rebellion against their creator. Some people imagine that the "original sin" had something to do with sex. That isn't true. The truth is that Adam and Eve were the world's first unilateralists. They could not bear to recognize anyone as having the right to authority over them, not even the One who gave them the free choice to rebel. So they went their own way. They rebelled against everything Good and dragged the world along with them. Some people understand the state of "original sin" to be "being blamed for Adam's mistake." But no one can be blamed for their parent's faults, only their own. What we have inherited is their inclination to rebel. We prove that we are their children when we are told not to do something and our desire to do it only grows. We've had no shortage of resolutions -- from a council of Moses and Muhammad, Buddha and Confucius -- calling us to love what is good and shun the perversion of the good. We've even made some resolutions ourselves. But we've failed to fully comply with any of them. We are in material breach with goodness, and so also with its source -- God. Christianity means nothing at all until this is understood. This is the humanitarian crisis that God invaded history to confront. The cure for any rebel is surrender. But if our history has shown us anything it is that we cannot surrender. It never lasts. We wave the white flag and then start shooting again. So God, desiring to rescue us more than anything else, entered our world to do for us what we could not. As Jesus he surrendered in everything and died a rebel's death, so that the rebel in us might die. His true surrender can now be shared; anyone can partake who agrees that he needs to. This is what the Christians mean by "believing in Jesus." Some Christians have done such a poor job explaining their message that "believe in Jesus" seems like one more moral injunction on the checklist, just like "don't gossip" or "give to the poor." This gives the impression that, of two people with equally exemplary records, one would be condemned for not sharing the other's beliefs. But this is all quite backwards. It is not one's beliefs that actually put one in danger, but one's own unexemplary record. If I am driving in Europe, I can refuse to drive on the left side of the road and believe that I should not have to, but neither is going to prevent the Mack truck from hitting me on the right. I would be condemned, as it were, not for what I was thinking, but for what I was doing. But a change in my thinking could have taken me out of danger. Believing in Jesus is the solution to a danger that already exists. Easter is the celebration of rescue from danger, peace at the frontlines with God. It can only be for, to put it very mildly, the unexemplary. Jesus made it quite clear that he had arrived to cure those who knew they were messed up, not those who thought they weren't. Believing, trusting in that cure or not is not a matter of being a good boy or a bad boy, but of becoming God's friend or remaining His enemy. It is not a choice between doing a good deed or a bad one, but between living and dying. Living is the last and greatest cause to celebrate in Iraq. The Iraqis who once feared a midnight knock from the secret police are ready to live again. Easter celebrates that life and a new kind of life, the resurrected life of Jesus. "Resurrection" literally means, "standing corpse." Does that sound embarrassingly crude? For many it does, who think it silly to wish for a life after death. Now if the Resurrection happened, it happened. If not, then not. I don't see the sense in polling for opinions when the question is of facts. But ask anyone who's lost someone in this war if it's so silly. Only someone who knows the horror of death can understand the horror of no real life after death. People have always tried to make the Jesus of Easter out to be a ghost, as if that were somehow more respectable. But the initial report has always been the same: He's back, body and all. Not as a zombie or a reincarnation. A resurrection is more than that. It is the same person, but recreated. This re-creation, available to all, is a result of the peace with God through Jesus. The peace is more than a bargain. The Greeks bargained with (and bamboozled) their gods. Christians, though, surrender -- not with their minds only but also with their hearts. They surrender not to slavery, but to adoption. A person adopted into the family of God starts to lose his resemblance to Adam. He becomes, in the end, a new kind of person, one for whom love is not a chore and patience is not a frustration but whose very instinct is to admire, not envy, those better than himself. This person breathes goodness like the air, not because he "has to" but because he is united with God who is good. Just as sexual union results in a new kind of creature -- the Couple -- out of the two lovers, every man and woman united with God changes. Heaven, or being with God in a resurrected body, is more than a vague happy place. It is not a place where your every selfish whim is granted. It is where your every whim is a selfless desire to give. Heaven is really a wedding party. It is the never-ending celebration of the reunion of a loving God and the unfaithful people He has always loved. Though they have broken His heart again and again, He offers His hand out still. Eternal love is the promise to all who will accept. Easter is the celebration of the day in history that proves the promise -- and the hope for the day when the promise is complete. If anyone desires to see what such a celebration is like, visit with the Christians this Sunday at Park Street Church, right in front of the red line stop, at either 11 a.m., 4 p.m., or 6 p.m.

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News

Men's track finally gets good weather, performs well in Wesleyan Invitational

April 14

The men's track and field team's outdoor season has been hindered due to inclement weather in its first two meets, but signs of spring lifted spirits at last weekend's Wesleyan University Invitational. A day that started with light rain ended up pretty nicely as the clouds cleared up by early afternoon. The meet was non-scoring, and the competition was not the greatest, but the squad had a nice day to run. "The guys ran extremely well," senior tri-captain Greg Devine said. "We've been taught to always race the clock, whether or not good competition is present." Since track has an indoor and outdoor component, making it a two-season sport, expectations for freshmen rise once the outdoor season begins. Freshman Patrick Mahoney, who is coming off a hamstring injury sustained during indoor track, lived up to these expectations over the weekend, claiming a first and fourth place finish in the 200 and 400-meter races respectively. Mahoney sprinted the 200 in a time of 23.72 and finished the 400 in 51.19. "Going into the day, I was just looking for quality times to qualify for future meets," Mahoney said. "It's been tough with the weather. I was looking to go out there and run, but not get injured. I qualified for NESCAC's in both races. Afterwards, there wasn't any great celebration, but I was happy with the way I ran." Placing one spot behind Mahoney in the 400 was teammate Ray Carre (50.71). Also in the 400, freshmen Shawn Hansberry (52.07) and Trevor Williams (52.30) placed seventh and ninth respectively. Younger members of the team continued to impress by placing highly in distance events. Freshman Matt Lacey (15:35.67) captured the top spot in the 5000 with classmate Mike Cummings placing fourth after crossing the finish line in 16:00.70. Junior Jon Rosen also held his own, placing sixth with a time of 16:13.14. "The freshmen have been pretty spectacular all year," senior tri-captain Bryan Pitko said. "This weekend was just an indication of how good they can be. We expect big things from them in the future." Behind every good team are consistent performers. For the Jumbos, these achievers come in the forms of Devine and Pitko. Coach Connie Putnam races both Devine and Pitko in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles. The Wesleyan Invitational was no different as the two competitors were once again pitted against each other. "It always adds another level of competition to the race," Pitko said of racing against Devine. "It's always a good competition. I look forward to running against him." Devine claimed the top spot in the 400 hurdles after blowing by the competition in a time of 54.90. The second place finisher, Chris Orr of Trinity College, finished over a second behind him. Devine finished seventh in the 110 hurdles in a time of 17.17. Pitko placed second in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.50. The winner, Pat Moffet of Wesleyan edged out Pitko for first place by .32 seconds. Pitko did not fair as well in the 400 hurdles, running it in a time of 1:02.10. A loaded 4x100 team composed of Pitko, Devine, Williams, and Carre picked up a victory after the four combined for a 44.22 finish. In the 4x800 relay, Devine ran the event for the first time in his Tufts career. Carre, Mahoney, and Hansberry joined him and the team finished second with a time of 8:21.14, well behind first place finisher Quinnpiac who ran the race in 8:07.04. "We were having a little fun!" Devine said. "The distance guys decided to have a race between classes. So they entered four 4x4 teams and the A 4x4 relay squad was bumped up to the 4x8. After finishing the 4x8, we all sat back and watched '03 run away with the victory in the 4x4." Other good distance performances included junior Ian Joseph whose 2:00.22 in the 800 was good enough for fourth place. Sophomore Aaron Kaye placed fourth in the 1500 after running a 4:05.63 in the event. The jumping and fielding component of the squad had another good day, grabbing high places in the non-scoring meet. Although only three competitors participated in the high jump, sophomore Evan Blaser snatched first place after gliding over the bar set at a height of 1.83m. Sophomore Nate Thompson and freshman Dave Clayton finished one and two in the long jump after Thompson bounded 6.34m and Clayton 6.09m. Clayton and Thompson also participated in the triple jump, this time with a slightly different outcome. Clayton (12.43m) finished third and Thompson (12.39m) finished fourth. "It was kind of tough because we got there a few minutes late and we were rushed into it, but the judge was nice enough to give us our own flight with just the Tufts guys. This let us warm up a little bit," said Clayton, who is just learning the art of triple jumping. "It feels pretty good especially since I'm learning how to triple jump the right way. The coaches have really helped me out with my form." Freshman Brandon Udelhofen put the technique he has learned throughout high school and his early college career to work by placing fourth in the shot put after hurling the shot 12.43m from the pit. "We haven't really had a chance to practice that much with the weather," Udelhofen said. "But, we do a lot of footwork indoors and worked on our fundamentals a lot to get prepared. I was kind of surprised with my finish, but also excited. It was good and I will go from there." The hammer throw event saw three Jumbos place in the top four slots. Sophomore Dan March finished first with a toss of 46.20m with seniors Adam Lukowski and Andy Dickerson placing third and fourth after lobbing the hammer 39.90m and 39.30m respectively. This Saturday, the men's track and field team travels to New London, CT to participate in the Connecticut College Invitational and stiffer Div. III competition. The team hopes for good weather in this tune-up meet for the NESCAC Championships on Apr. 26 at Williams. "Conn. College will be very similar to this last meet," Devine said. "Our team will be racing the clock and throwing against standards. If the weather is nice, look for some guys to just absolutely explode."

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News

Big Band brings down the house

April 13

The Tufts University Big Band, under the direction of Joel LaRue Smith, gave an exceptional performance this past Thursday evening in Goddard Chapel. The recently restored chapel provided an acoustically (and visually) gorgeous performance hall, which contributed to the overall success of the concert. The audience was packed right to the back row, and included the presence of President Bacow and his family. Joining the Tufts Big Band was the Boston University Big Band, and special guest, funk trombonist Fred Wesley, who is best known for playing in the James Brown Band. The Tufts Band took the stage first and Smith introduced the band and informed the audience about their recent trip to Cuba over spring break, which he said had an influence on the band's style that, would be apparent to anyone who had heard the band before. Including guest artist Fred Wesley, a total of sixteen musicians filled out the big band's sound. After the introductions, the group dived right into an energetic and powerful set filled with Latin jazz numbers that included "Manteca" (by Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo), "Rhythms of Our World" (by Arturo Sandoval) and a Tito Puentes medley called "King of the Timbales." Throughout the set, the whole band and the conductor were very present in the music and performed very emotionally. Lead trumpet Scott Aruda opened "It Don't Mean a Thing" with a stunning solo, and when compounded with junior Meg Bliss-Moreau's intense scat, had the audience eager for more. Many other skilled solos filled the evening. Senior Pete Shungu gave a memorable solo on trumpet during the opening of "Rhythms of Our World," backed by pianist junior James Clark. According to the discography, the band combines "tango from Argentina, Bembe (which is Afro-Cuban), Samba from Brazil, Bomba from Puerto Rico and Songo, one of the most recent Cuban Rhythms." It was not noted in the program that Aruda is a local professional musician who has recorded on several albums, including ones with Michelle Willson and the Evil Gal Festival Orchestra, Russ Gershon and the Either Orchestra, and Ed?? Tancredi's Band. Several other musicians in the groups were also professionals; however, it is a valuable experience for the students to play with these musicians. This interaction of professional and student players goes along with LaRue Smith's attitude towards the band's musical diversity. "We're really committed to playing music from all sorts of places," he said. After a brief intermission, the Boston University Big Band, led by Josh Nelson, took to the stage. Wesley joined them for their first tune, the Stevie Wonder hit "Sir Duke." A series of tight drum solos wowed the crowd in their concluding piece, "Latin Import," by Jon Fedchok. Both bands will be reuniting in two weeks at Boston University for another intercollegiate concert and Nelson was particularly excited at the prospect of this and future intercollegiate musical endeavors. This show, ladies and gentleman, was hot and the Tufts Big Band received a well-earned standing ovation at the conclusion of their performance.

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News

Zeta Psi faces six allegations

April 13

The Committee on Fraternities and Sororities (CFS) began an inquiry into the allegations against the Zeta Psi fraternity on Friday. The inquiry is open to the public, at the request of Zeta Psi, and will not be completed for at least another week. The inquiry, which was held in Dewick-MacPhie dining hall, allowed Zeta Psi brothers to speak formally in front of the CFS and answer questions surrounding the investigation of the fraternity that has been ongoing since two pledges were injured after a party on Feb. 20. Zeta Psi faces six charges: the hazing of pledges, distribution of alcohol to minors, distribution of alcohol to intoxicated individuals, endangerment of others, sponsored drinking games, and rush violations. During the first five hours of the inquiry, the CFS heard reports on the allegations from TUPD, as well as testimony from three witnesses. There was no decision made by the CFS on when to reconvene to hear the six remaining witnesses that are expected to be called in. Zeta Psi is being represented by its president, Peter Schaefer, as well as an advocate from the Zeta Psi national chapter. No details of the proceedings can be released until the inquiry is completed. Additionally, the Dean of Students Office stipulates that witnesses and names heard in the proceedings cannot be referred to in the Daily. The CFS consists of TUPD Captain Mark Keith, Student Activities Assistant Director Ed Cabellon, Public Safety Director David Slater, Community Relations Director Barbara Rubel, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, Judicial Affairs Director Veronica Carter, Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator David Baumwoll, Inter-Greek Council President Jessica Grasso, Inter-Fraternity Council President Jason Weber, and Pan-Hellenic Council President Liz Kronick. Since Weber is a member of Zeta Psi and Carter and Keith were involved in the official investigation, all three refused to participate in the inquiry. Baumwoll was unable to be at the proceedings because of another commitment that prevented him from arriving in time for the start. The inquiry stems from events earlier this semester, when Zeta Psi pledge Sebastian Gonzalez was injured while intoxicated after leaving a party. The incident prompted a full TUPD investigation into the fraternity.

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News

Do the Jumbos know how to play?

April 13

After chatting for a bit with Paul Farris and Alec Orenstein of The Mark, over the finer points of hi-fi rock bands like White Stripes and The Strokes, and discussing some of Paul's immediate influences, I went off to enjoy a set played by the band for the Jumbo Audio Project promotion concert last Tuesday at Hotung Caf?©. Last Tuesday was the first day of the Jumbo Audio Project concert series, which promoted the recently released CD that showcases the musical talents of Tufts students. Playing a crowd-pleaser, "Flipside," and a band favorite and the '80s-favorite Soft Cell cover, "Tainted Love," the Mark performed their third show ever that evening. After attending both their second (at the Battle of the Bands the previous Saturday) and third shows, it became clear that as they play more sets the group is quickly coming together and performing as a band rather than dueling prima donnas. The Mark is one of the ten on-campus acts that played at the Jumbo Audio Project promotion concert. Other bands that played at Tuesday's concert included, Y.G.S., Drowned, and Human. It is gigs, like the Jumbo Audio Project concert, that give nascent bands the opportunity to test their mettles and their sound beings to materialize. Human, unlike The Mark, has had the luxury of presence on the college show scene and has been together for quite some time. The experience they have had with technical difficulty, and their ability to handle it well -- or at least better than most -- became clear after the ten minutes of level problems that failed to stop them from rocking the house (after smoothing out the kinks). Human has an emo vibe that summons to mind the styles of Thursday and Dashboard Confessional. Their identity relies on a fusion of grunge and progressive rock, and it fits, but didn't seem to shine through Tuesday night. The lyrics of "Ordinary Lie" -- "Open wide / intensify / paint it beautifully" -- sounded more like emo-core lyrics than grunge. Acoustic guitarist and singer Katie McD also performed at the concert. On this particular Tuesday night, she performed duets, which exuded a light, coffee-shop style sound. The marks of the Celtic singer/songwriter are conventionally upbeat, and touch on depth. John Dimsdale, an accomplished songwriter pianist, also played that night. On stage, he shared a bit of his soul and even more of his talent. Dimsdale played a soulful rendition of his composition "Daybreak" and a new composition dedicated to "a special someone" in the audience, reminding the crowd how personal the artist can become on stage when given the support. AfroDzak and Cabron y Climax brought both their own hip-hop flavor to the stage. Influenced by the Mos Def styles of funk and hip-hop, AfroDzak adopted the immediate fusion of hip-hop jazz. Their lyrics were well-structured around the poetic brand of hip-hop that lent itself well to the trumpet solo being played. Cabron y Climax preserve the political relevancy of hip-hop, harking back to the days of N.W.A. and Public Enemy and the messages still being preached by Nas. The influence of these great minds of hip-hop is seen in the foundations of their flows. The Tom Keidel Band took the stage next, playing one song, "The Dice." This song with its classic rock vibe blended with a jam spice leaves one anxious for them to write more songs. There is an underlying allegory of in the lyrics of "The Dice;" if you're sharp you'll catch on, if not, sorry. Overall good performances were done by all, despite the lack of notice that seemed a problem for all the acts to adjust to. All the same, the acts entertained - so keep your eyes out for flyers for these bands' next shows.

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News

American League having an eerie beginning

April 13

At the moment, the American League is riddled with enough uncertainty to drive fans and general managers alike loony. The Kansas City Royals are 9-1, which is the 2003 equivalent of cats and dogs living together. Torii Hunter is hitting .125, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have the second best batting average and the fifth most runs in the league, and Pedro Martinez has yet to get a win. Let's also not forget, a man named Mike MacDougal holds the AL lead with six saves, while perennial save machine Troy Percival has only one in his team's 11 games. Though the landscape is goofy, there is one old reliable rearing its ugly head once again. Yes, it is the New York Yankees who have once again proven that rules and trends in the league don't apply to them as they have rattled off win after win to the tune of a 9-1 record. New Yorkers are already comparing this team to the 1998 squad that won 114 games and demolished the Padres in the World Series. But who didn't see this coming? Once this team beat the Boston Red Sox to Jose Contreras and got their hands on Hideki Matsui this off season, observers knew that this team could rattle off at least 90 wins in its sleep. And now that the, "how do they keep doing it?" pitching is firing on all cylinders, Mr. Steinbrenner is a happy man. While Kansas City's Runelvys Hernandez leads the league with three wins, four Yankee starters are right behind with two wins apiece already. I mean, the Tigers just got their first win of the season on Saturday and here is a team with four starting pitchers with multiple W's. Granted, the Yanks have been doing their damage against weak AL East teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay, but people have seen the troubles Boston has had with such teams. Of those four Yankee starters that have come out of the gates hot, the man with the worst ERA is Mike Mussina, at 2.57. The loquacious David Wells has apparently put his off season matters behind him, as he is second in the AL with a 0.53 ERA. Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are still alive and kicking, which is just straight up annoying for Yankee haters. Moving from stellar staffs to dismal ones; the Texas Rangers are falling down the same trap they have found themselves in since Alex Rodriguez came to Arlington two years ago. The Rangers hurlers are currently holding down the ranch with a 6.94 ERA, anchored by "ace" Chan Ho Park's 9.28 mark. The lone bright spot in the Lonestar State has been Red Sox castoff Ugueth Urbina (4 saves, 1.69 ERA). Though he has caused headaches in the past, many in Red Sox nation are cursing the day he ever left. The most disappointing aspect of the Rangers inability to get people out is how potent their offense can be. Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, and A-Rod are setting the pace in the AL with four home runs apiece, though the team is only hitting .249. If there is one thing that we have learned so far, it is that a National League/Anaheim Angels small ball approach will win championships. Thus far, new Rangers manager Buck Showalter has not brought any noticeable changes to the beer league softball feel of his Texas club. Although they have the same 4-7 mark as the Rangers, a team that has turned a lot of heads in the league is the Devil Rays. Lou Piniella has certainly put his stamp on this team early. When he came to town, he got rid of any high priced, aging players (Greg Vaughn et al) and is relying on the young talent that they have produced. Top ten draft picks Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli are doing their best to inject Devil Rays pride into Tampa. Crawford holds what, to this point, is the best moment in D Rays history -- a walkoff dinger against the Sox on Opening Day. Highly touted Rhode Island native Baldelli has had at least a hit in every game and is setting the pace with a .400 average. While not contenders, Tampa Bay will be giving teams fits all year. One Last Thing: Congratulations to the Detroit Tigers and to rookie manager Allen Trammell for their first win of 2003, a 4-3 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. There is no word yet whether the Tigers will pull a George Costanza, which would be to quit the season and just go out on top.

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