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Weather slows but does not stop women's track

April 10

April showers bring May flowers, but what do April snow flurries and slush bring? For the women's track team, the onslaught of cold, windy, and often snowy weather has brought an added difficulty in attempting to reach qualifying marks for the postseason. This was evident this past weekend when the squad made the trek to Springfield College to compete in a makeshift invitational. The weekend's competition was supposed to be held at Trinity College on Saturday, but the Bantams weren't able to finish renovations to their track on time so Springfield stepped in to host an invitational on Friday. However, inclement weather delayed the Friday meet, so the event was rescheduled to Sunday when the weather was not all that much better. "Not everyone competed because some people needed the rest, and others couldn't make it once it was moved from Friday to Sunday," coach Kristen Morwick said. "For those who were there, it was just such poor conditions, in the 30's and ridiculously windy." Given human nature, some people thrive under adverse conditions, and this was the case at Springfield for junior Gwen Campbell. Throwing PRs in the discus, shot put, and hammer throw, Campbell seemed to remain unaffected by the weather around her. Her toss of 121' in the discus -- just missing the Div. I qualification mark -- was not only a PR but also thrust Campbell into first place overall. She threw the shot put just over 36' for a PR and a third place finish, and also had a PR in the hammer throw in which she placed ninth. "Considering the gale force winds, the fact that she did so well is amazing," Morwick said. Other throwers also put in impressive performances given the insistence of Mother Nature to not cooperate. Junior Kate Gluckman bested Campbell in the shot put, throwing just over 38' to take top honors in the event. Gluckman also let the discus sail for just over 114' as she claimed fourth in the event. Another bright spot on the dreary day was junior Jess Trombly's hurdle performance. With her time of 63.45, Trombly blew away the field of five competitors in the 400 hurdles, her closest competitor being a full eight seconds behind. The blistering time not only qualified her for Nationals, but put her third on that qualification list. Other qualifying marks were met by the three Jumbo representatives in the 5000 run. Freshman Rebecca Ades (18:59.65), junior Lauren Caputo (19:00.53), and senior Kristen Munson (19:02.44) clinched second through fourth places, and their times qualified them through ECACs. Senior Mary Nodine broke five minutes in the 1500 run with a time of 4:59.73 that put her in third place overall. Sophomore Melissa Graveley leapt to first place in the high jump when she cleared 5'. Graveley could have gone for more air, but the winds and cold temperatures forced her to attempt greater heights on another day. In the 400 dash, freshmen Rachel Bloom (1:01.33) and Katie Gadkowski (1:03.21) finished two-three, with Bloom's time qualifying her through Div. III NE and Gadkowski's for NESCACs. "I think that people competed really well due to the circumstances. It was cold, windy, and the conditions were really messy for the throws and jumps," Gluckman said. "A lot of people qualified early for the postseason which is good because we haven't had a good outdoor meet up here yet." This weekend, the Jumbos travel to Wesleyan, hoping for weather that will not include snow, sleet, or winter-like temperatures. The meet was supposed to be held at Connecticut College, but similar to the Bantams' tale, the school couldn't get its track renovated on time due to the wintery-spring weather mix. Connecticut College and Trinity will be in attendance, with the mix of the rest of the teams providing a good balance between throwing, running, and jumping to give the Jumbos a healthy dose of competition. Senior Myriam Claudio will return to the squad this weekend, having taken the beginning part of the season to rehab an injured ankle and get back to full strength. Claudio will take part in the pole vault, along with Gadkowski who will try the event again, as well as the 100 and 400. "We've had a tough spring, so we have to try to get people in events they couldn't be in last week to get some qualifying times," Morwick said. "Hopefully the weather will be better this time around, at the very least we'll be up against some good competition."

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News

Campus Center to get wireless net access

April 10

Next fall, students will be able to use wireless Internet inside the Campus Center and on its outdoor patio. The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate recently approved the project, and construction is scheduled to begin this summer. The project was spearheaded by freshman senator Jeff Katzin, who took over the plans from former TCU President Melissa Carson, who resigned earlier this semester due to health reasons. In order to get Internet access, students will need a wireless network card, which will be available at the Student Information Booth with a student ID card. TCCS will install the necessary software in students' laptops free of charge. Three ports will be installed at the Campus Center -- one by the commons, one by the upstairs office, and one by the pool tables. At a cost of $3,000 per port, the project will allow for complete coverage in the Campus Center. Coverage is currently available in Tisch and Ginn Libraries, the Medical School's library, Dowling Hall, and Olin Center. Katzin has also planned an advertising campaign to notify students of the new system. "We plan to do publicity to go along with the project," Katzin said. "We will send information home. Publicity is one of our top concerns. We plan to meet with students also." Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard, approved the Senate's plan for the project's funding. "I was approached by student Senate leaders to consider making the Campus Center the next location, which, for a variety of reasons, made good sense," he said. The project warrants financial support in order to take advantage of opportunities to expand Internet capabilities, Bouchard said. "Every year we look to enhance and improve the computing and communications environment at Tufts," he said. "More recently, Tufts has substantially expanded its network bandwidth, which, coupled with emerging wireless technology improvements, really makes this an ideal time to move more aggressively in this direction." Students have raised concerns about the wireless system currently in Tisch Library. "The coverage is spotty at times and it's worked well at times," freshman Chris Eager said. "I was there this weekend and I couldn't access the system. It's a decent connection, not as good as at the dorm." One problem at the library, especially during finals time, is the lack of available of wireless network cards, Eager said. Bouchard and the Senate have also considered plans to expand the wireless system to cover the entire campus -- plans similar to the system in place at Dartmouth College. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be considering options to provide wireless capability all over campus," Bouchard said. "We are waiting for standards to sort themselves out, the speed to improve, security protocols to be strengthened, and the costs to decrease." Bouchard referred to the recent developments in wireless technology, most notably the new 802.11g electronic device. The new technology delivers wireless internet service at nearly five times the speed of its predecessor 802.11b -- 54 bits per second compared to 11. Many commercial equipment builders, such as Cisco Systems, are waiting for approval from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering to go into production on the new device, which it expects in the next fiscal quarter. The full-campus device would require construction of outdoor antennas, which would be far more expensive than the plan for the Campus Center.

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News

Men's track and field team continues to adjust to outdoor season

April 10

The men's track and field team almost did not participate in a meet this weekend due to inclement weather on Saturday. But the weather improved enough on Sunday for the postponed Springfield Invitational to take place. Unlike two weekends ago at the Husky Spring Open at Northeastern, where the team raced against several Div I squads, the Jumbos raced against fellow Div III teams at the Invitational. But, similar to the Husky Spring Open, it was a non-scoring meet. "The biggest problem that we faced was Mother Nature," senior tri-captain Greg Devine said. "It's been cold and windy. We much prefer sunny and warm, but we take what we can get." Assistant coach Ethan Barron reiterated the fact that the team is facing weather problems, but is optimistic that once the weather gets warmer, runners will get faster. "We haven't had a good meet weather wise," Barron said. "I'm hoping this weekend the sun will come out. Our guys are performing unbelievable under these conditions." Indoor All-Americans and senior tri-captains Devine and Bryan Pitko once again took the lead for the Jumbos, placing first and second in the 110-meter hurdles with respectable times of 15.28 and 15.39 respectively. They also jointed each other in the 400 hurdles, this time with Devine (56.80) once again taking first, but Pitko (59.85) dropping one slot to third. "The 400 hurdles has been my race coming out of high school," Devine said. "I've always associated myself with the intermediate hurdles. The high hurdles is just something coach wants me to do to help contribute to the team." To go along with Devine and Pitko's performances, sophomore Ray Carre has continued to improve in every race in order to peak for the NESCAC meet. At Springfield, Carre placed second in both the 200 and 400 with times of 22.87 and 50.87 respectively. "Ray's been a consistent contributor to the team," Devine said. "Again the cold weather affected his performance. I expect good things out of him in the next two weeks." Freshman Shawn Hansberry also competed in the 400, finishing fifth with a time of 52.46. Fellow freshman Patrick Mahoney entered the 800 without a seedtime, but that did not stop him from running to a second place finish in a time of 2:02.99. The 4x100 relay team composed of Pitko, Devine, freshman Trevor Williams, and Carre nearly snatched victory from Springfield's A lineup, but fell tenths of a second short to finish second. Springfield's squad posted a time of 44.23 to Tufts' time of 44.61. There were 29 participants in the 1500, with Tufts placing two runners in the top four. Senior tri-captain Adam Sharp chose not to experiment with the 3000 steeplechase, as he did last weekend, and stuck to his bread and butter. It only took Sharp 4:14.38 to cross the finish line, good enough for second place. Freshman Matt Lacey, who ran at the same track numerous times in high school, was a little over two minutes behind Sharp as he checked in at fourth place in a time of 4:16.61. "That was a great race," Barron said. "Sharp and Lacey went back and forth. There was a horrible headwind hindering any race that used the whole track. They each took turns with the leads. I think if we get a good day weather wise they will throw down some good times." Two weekends ago at Northeastern, junior Peter Jurczynski ran the 3000 steeplechase in a time of 10:07.96. Last weekend, Jurczynski continued to display signs of progress in the event as he shaved precious seconds off his previous time to 9:55.50. He finished fourth in the event. Although there were many good performances in inclement weather at Springfield, Devine believes this season's team can be much better because of its diehard work ethic. "Our training has been so intense and productive that we'll improve upon all our performances and places as we go," Devine said. Devine also believes the throwing team has improved substantially from last year. He feels it was good last year, but it is even better this year. This improvement was displayed as members of the field team scored several points for the team last weekend. Senior Andy Dickerson tied for first place in the men's discuss throw with Springfield's Ken Morin. Both athletes propelled the discuss 37.74m. Also seizing first place in a field event was sophomore Dan March. He showed excellent control of the hammer enabling him to toss it 48.92m. Senior Adam Lukowski and freshman Brandon Udelhofen also faired well in the discuss event, placing third (36.88m) and sixth (35.08m) respectively. Sophomore Nate Thompson was a double threat in jumping events. He placed second in the triple jump with a series of bounds that landed him 12.37m from his starting point. He also finished fourth in the long jump, with one bound that carried him 6.22m. The team's next meet is at the Central Connecticut Invitational, which takes place tomorrow. While every meet is important, Devine stressed that the team's ultimate goal is to prepare for the NESCAC Championships, which will take place Apr. 26 and 27 at Williams College. "Given the results of the indoor Div. III's, I feel have good shot at winning," Devine said. "The pressure is on Williams to defend its title."

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News

Hagge leads offense for women's lacrosse team

April 9

Junior women's lacrosse player Willow Hagge's 5'2" frame darts around Kraft Field, clad in a pleated brown kilt and light blue #15 jersey. Knuckles wrapped tightly around her lacrosse stick, the Jumbos' top attacker hunts unrelentingly for scoring opportunities. From the bench, an army of substitute players cheers for Hagge and her teammates. Aside from those players not in the contest, according to coach Carol Rappoli, a "13th player" sits quietly beneath the bench. Despite her attire -- brown kilt and light blue Tufts jersey -- she does not exactly fit in. This is probably due to her small stature, wet nose, and the furry beige folds of skin that hang around her face. "Eloise," Hagge's pug, is perhaps the team's most loyal spectator, if not a member of the team in her own right. The dog attends most practices and games. "She gets really stressed out if she loses me, and we are all dressed the same, so she has a hard time finding me," Hagge said. "She gets kind of frantic, so she'll run the warm up lap with us, and even do some of the sprints we do to get going before games." Although Eloise belongs to Hagge, coach Rappoli likes to claim the pup is hers. "Carol is frighteningly in love with the dog," Hagge joked. "Everyone who knows Carol and knows how serious she is about things can't even believe that she allows me to bring Eloise to practice and games." The well-dressed, team-spirited pug seems to bring her owner -- and the entire squad -- good luck. In only her second season at Tufts, Hagge is currently the Jumbos' leading scorer, with 18 goals and ten assists. Her 28 points doubles that of the next-highest scorer, and is well ahead of where she stood at this point last spring. "Willow's a good shooter," Rappoli said, "She's able to create things when the play breaks down, and I think she's very creative off the ball and she's always moving in the critical scoring area." Last year, in her inaugural season, Hagge was the team's top offensive player with 34 points. "I think that I forget she's only in her second year of college lacrosse, because she's a mature player and we've counted on her from her [first] year to be a scorer," Rappoli said. "It's hard for a first or second year player to shine like that offensively." At 22, Hagge is one of the team's oldest members. She took a year off between high school and college, and then did not transfer to Tufts, or return to lacrosse, until her sophomore year. Her strong play is especially impressive given the two-year hiatus she took from the game and calls her return to lacrosse "nerve racking." "I was afraid that I'd reached a peak in high school," said Hagge, whose team made it to the Maine state finals four times. After losing in the finals during her freshman year, two consecutive championships followed. Expectations were lowered for Hagge's senior season because eight talented players had graduated. "My dad even bet me his car that we couldn't win the tournament my senior year," Hagge said. "But we came back and barely won. We dug in and it was an amazing game." Having lost the bet, Mr. Hagge turned the Volkswagen keys over to his daughter, who recalls letting her whole team drive a victory lap. She still relishes the memory, and reflects back on it when her team is struggling, as it has in two recent NESCAC losses. The Jumbos suffered tough defeats to Trinity and Bowdoin over the last two weeks, but their record still stands at 4-2. Their most recent competition, against Babson College on April 3, featured a dominating Tufts offense that outscored the Beavers 17-5. Hagge, who said she has, "a drive to score goals," netted three in that game. "I tend to be shooting as soon as I'm in front of the goal," Hagge said. "If I'm really into the game, I've got momentum, I'm probably not thinking that much -- I'm just playing on instinct. I love playing attack." Hagge exudes passion not only for her position, but also for the game in general. "Lacrosse is such a fun sport," she said, "It's really fast-paced. You have to have good stick skills and coordination, but it's also about running fast and pushing people and it's aggressive and takes a lot of skill." Hagge is also a midfielder on the field hockey team, but said that she prefers lacrosse. She would consider coaching either sport in the future, and might be interested in teaching as well. She said that her plans would likely change considering she still has two full years before graduation. As a student in the combined Museum School program, Hagge will complete her degree in five years. She will remain NCAA eligible for the duration of her time at Tufts because she did not play lacrosse during her freshmen year. Assuming she maintains the high caliber of play shown in her first two years, Hagge's continued presence on the team will be very valuable. "She's such a dynamic, explosive player," Rappoli said. According to Hagge she was not always a star. The Portland, Maine native began playing lacrosse when she was in seventh grade, but admits that her game back then was a sight to make eyes sore. "I was really bad -- actually the worst player on my team," Hagge said. "I would go out and just run around, and I didn't know what I was doing at all. I was kind of oblivious to the fact that I was bad." Eventually realizing that she, "wanted to be good," Hagge began to work hard at lacrosse. She picked up new skills and mastered old ones, developing into one of the strongest players on her team by the time she reached high school. According to her coach, Hagge has continued to work intensely for the steady improvements she has made. "She's never satisfied with her level of play," Rappoli said. "She's always looking to go out early and shoot or learn more tricks with her stick." While Hagge certainly earns her success through sweat and soreness, she is also a natural player, gifted with the qualities that her position calls for. "Willow's got good stick, good shot, and she's fast," Rappoli said. "Like all good attackers, she's never seen a shot she didn't like." "And she's a maniac," Rappoli said, smiling. "Because she's from Maine."

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News

Holocaust survivor speaks on the resurgence of anti-Semitism

April 9

Holocaust survivor Miles Lerman spoke to a varied audience of students and administrators about the importance of curbing resurgent anti-Semitism in the United States and the European Union at Hillel on Tuesday. College students are the key to defending against "hate-mongers" who are less recognizable than anti-Semites in the past, he said. "Europe, the leader of anti-Semitism, is now experiencing a resurgence of hate that is not just propagated by skinheads," Lerman said. "This hate is now spreading into the white circles and is now crossing borders into the United States." While Lerman did not speak about his personal experiences, he urged students to "listen to the sounds of the drummers of hate" and commit themselves to ending anti-Semitism immediately. Lerman was particularly concerned about Holocaust deniers. As the number of Holocaust survivors decreases every day, the task of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive becomes more and more difficult, he said. "In ten years there will be no one left to be witness to the Holocaust. Yet, the enemy is at the doorsteps today," Lerman said. He stressed that students cannot fight alone and called upon students to mobilize their friends and partners to fight anti-Semitism. "There must be an atmosphere of trust between Christians, Muslims, and Jews," he said. Lerman also cited the current political situation between the US and Europe and the US position on Israel as factors than impeded the fight against anti-Semitism. "Many more Muslims are living in the European Union than ever before, and these people are spreading anti-Semitism because of the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. European ill-sentiment toward Jews has certainly become more visible Lerman said. Belgium just "gave its courts the legal right to prosecute Israeli leaders as war criminals" and Sweden and Norway have stopped inviting Jewish professors to academic symposiums calling them "not conducive to academic scientific discourse," he said. In addition, France has only recently apologized for the deaths of 670,000 Jews during World War II, so it is not surprising that it does "nothing to stop anti-Semitism within their borders," Lerman said. After his speech, Lerman took several questions from the audience. Sophomore Adam Pulver asked if students, especially Jewish students, should be afraid when studying or traveling abroad. Lerman calmed him by saying that "the days of fear are gone for Jewish people." Indeed, Lerman said his experience at Tufts gave him hope that students would take the charge against hate and anti-Semitism. "What I have seen here [at Tufts] has encouraged me that you college students are not going to stand by idly," something that Lerman said he would remember for years to come. Lerman, who is Chairman Emeritus of the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, was a student when the Nazi's invaded his home country of Poland. After losing his family in the concentration camps, Lerman joined a group of other students who worked to sabotage and destroy German military supplies.

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News

The Masters circus

April 9

This year's Masters is going to be, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most ridiculous tournament that anyone has seen in quite some time. Of course, everything inside the gates is going to be fine. It's what's going on outside of this year's tournament that's going to get silly. But I suppose it's only fitting that this Martha Burk vs. Hootie Johnson catfight should boil down to little more than a circus, because that's really all that is has ever been. Because, what seems clear, though it may not be entirely true, is that Martha Burk cares more about proving Hootie Johnson wrong than she does about getting female members at Augusta. Likewise, Hootie cares more about ignoring Martha than he does about allowing female members at Augusta. So Hootie's going to sit comfortably inside his club, smoking a cigar, while Martha and the other rabble rousers are going to put on one hell of a show outside. And I, for one, think that it will be hilarious. Martha wanted to have 24 women protest right outside of the gates to the course. Now that would have been a little bit funny. Not laugh out loud, bust a gut, lose control of your bowels funny, but it would have given me a good chuckle. Twenty-four people, standing in the rain, yelling, "Let us play too!" while people drive past them without even looking definitely would have made me laugh. But the sheriff in Augusta decided that it would be too dangerous to have protestors right outside the gate, so he made them move to a field half a mile down the road. And not only is the field a half mile away, it's actually at a lower level than the street. So now all the protestors are going to have to jump up in the air with their signs above their heads to get anyone to see them. That just tickles me right sideways. I don't know that I could think of a much funnier picture. But what really nails this down as absolutely hilarious, are all of the other protesting groups. First and foremost, you have your group of women who hate Hootie Johnson. Then, you also have Jessie Jackson, and his group (who also hate Hootie Johnson), but they're protesting even farther away from the course than Martha Burk is. Then, of course, you have your protestors who are protesting the protestors. There's a group of women, in that same field a half mile from Augusta National, who are protesting against Martha Burk. I can only imagine what they're going to say. "Don't let us in! We don't want to play!" But I digress. After the women protesting Martha Burk, there's another group that just doesn't like Jesse Jackson, and it will be protesting against him. Behind that group is the one not-so-funny part of the protest, one member of the KKK, who also will be in the same field as Martha Burk. But after the lone Klansman, it gets a whole lot funnier again, with my personal favorite group of protestors, the "People Against Ridiculous Protests." The city also approved two other protest permits, including one to an unnamed man from Maine (and being from Maine, I can guarantee that this will at least make you giggle.) This whole situation has comedy written all over it. Won't it be funny to see Martha Burk get pissed off at the "People Against Ridiculous Protests?" And I can't wait to see what happens when the women against Martha Burk try to present her with a petition, supposedly signed by 8,000 people, that essentially tells her to shut her yapper. I really think that this is the only appropriate way that this saga could play out, short of a barroom brawl or a celebrity boxing match. This was never, at any point a serious debate. Maybe Martha Burk and the National Council of Women's Organizations actually do care about getting a female member at Augusta. But I can guarantee you that there are a lot of things that women care about infinitely more right now, like making sure that Title IX is protected. This media circus that Burk has kicked up around the Augusta issue has overshadowed everything thing else that women's organizations are doing, and has created a hugely negative feeling toward feminists everywhere. Martha Burk should not give up on the Augusta issue, but she should tone it down a few billion notches. Saying ridiculous things like CBS' coverage of The Master is an insult to women in the US armed forces does not help her cause. It just makes people side with Hootie and the club even more. Of course Augusta should have a female member, and maybe eventually it will. But direct attacks against stubborn people like Hootie Johnson don't work, and they never will. The Masters already dropped all of its corporate sponsors just to prove that it will never, ever, change anything because someone tells it to. Members will listen to suggestions, and say thank you, but as soon as you order them to do something, you can rest assured that it is never going to happen. So Martha Burk can go ahead and protest and make all the noise she wants. She should just realize that it will get her nowhere. I, for one, won't want to miss it.

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News

Election results delayed until today

April 9

Due to some technical glitches with the online voting system, the results of yesterday's rising sophomore Tufts Community Union Senate election will not be released until 10 a.m. today. ELBO announced the difficulties yesterday afternoon, saying that because of the expected close race between the 14 candidates for the 12 open seats, they wanted to wait until the results were official. ELBO usually releases unofficial results to the Daily the night before, and then releases the official results the following day. This year's sophomore seat election was the most popular in years, with eight of the nine current freshman senators returning to run for a seat. Results to the election will be printed in tomorrow's issue of the Daily.

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Faculty 'strongly disapproves' of Monnin award revocation

April 9

Faculty members officially added their voices to the controversy surrounding the revocation of Liz Monnin's Senior Award by passing a resolution at the Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) faculty meeting yesterday. "Be it resolved that the faculty of AS&E strongly disapproves of the decision of Tufts' Alumni Association to revoke its Senior Award to Elizabeth Monnin," read the resolution, which passed unanimously. The motion was brought before the faculty by Economics Professor David Garman, who said he wanted to give faculty a chance to discuss the "slippery slope" of revoking awards. "If we decide to start revoking awards or undoing decisions, I think there would be no end of it," he said. Monnin received notification that she would receive a Senior Award in late February, but a letter from the Alumni Association reversed the decision just three weeks later as a result of what it called her "inappropriate and offensive" behavior during the Fares lecture. The debate at the faculty meeting yesterday was short but spirited and resulted in a small alteration of Garman's original resolution, which called for the faculty to "disassociate itself" from the decision of the Alumni Association. "Dissociation only takes us so far," one professor said, calling for a stronger statement. Other professors pointed out that since the Alumni Association is an independent body, the faculty is already dissociated from the decision. Other attendees seemed to agree, and Professor Daniel Dennett suggested amending the motion to change its wording. "I would prefer saying we are dismayed and disappointed in our own alumni," Dennett said. Dennett's suggested amendment, which used the "strongly disapproves of" wording, was passed quickly and unanimously. A few professors expressed reservations about the motion, however, citing their lack of knowledge about the Alumni Association's selection process for the award. "I think it was a stupid decision to revoke the award... but I think they were well within their rights," Professor Gilbert Metcalf said. But faculty members still sought to formally distance themselves from the Alumni Association's decision. "The example here is not one we'd want our students to follow," Professor Steve Marrone said. Despite the faculty's unanimous support for the resolution, many professors seemed troubled that the motion was brought up in the last ten minutes of the meeting, leaving little time for discussion. During the debate, the crowd thinned as professors left to teach classes. "I wish that we had had longer to talk about it because it wasn't just the resolution itself, it was the opportunity... for people to raise different opinions about it," Garman said. Still, Garman seemed pleased with the faculty meeting's outcome. "I expect most Tufts alumni to understand that this is an issue of principle," he said. "When there's a principle at stake, the first thing you want to do is try to honor the principle, and then worry about the repercussions later."

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Day of Silence supports LGBT rights

April 9

Tufts students participated in the national Day of Silence yesterday, a movement in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies remain speechless until early evening. This year's Day of Silence has received more criticism from conservative groups than ever before, according to an article from CNN. Student participants in the event gathered on the roof of Tisch Library to break their silence at 6:10 p.m. Those present formed a circle, squeezed hands, and were able to speak once again. Sighs of relief and laughter were heard all around. The students proceeded to talk about their experiences and feelings about keeping silent for the day. Some students admitted to speaking due to classes or presentations, but everyone present remained silent for some portion of the day. "It really made me think about what I wanted to say before saying anything," one student said. "I talk all the time." Some participants spoke of negative experiences they encountered during the day. One student cited her frustration with the students who barely read the yellow cards that she passed out to them. The yellow cards that students handed out instead of speaking explained that the day's deliberate silence represented the silence caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals. But others found students to be very understanding and supportive of the event participants. Some high school students brought pins commemorating the event back to their schools after visiting Tufts. One aspect of remaining silent that had a profound effect on many of the participants was loneliness. "My biggest problem was walking by people who would say 'hi' and not being able to reply. I felt like I was being rude the whole day," one girl said. "My friends would also say to me, 'Oh, you can't talk,' so they'd leave me by myself." Dona Yarbrough, the Director of Tufts' LGBT Center, called her day "depressing and lonely" and said she spent most of her time catching up on her work in her office. Yarbrough also noted the lack of noise and liveliness usually present at the LGBT Center. Other participants resorted to exaggerated gesturing and facial expressions to get their messages across. "My friends thought [being silent] was the funniest thing ever and they just tortured me, but all in good humor," one student said. On a national scope, the event was met with both protest and support, CNN reported. Adults and parents like Steve Klein, the founder of Courageous Christians United, appeared at local middle and high schools, distributing pamphlets on the "dangers of homosexuality" and encouraging other parents to keep their children at home. "My kids went through this a few years ago, and I couldn't believe the homosexuality and the filthy sex that they were teaching," Klein told CNN, referring to his previous experiences with the event that led him to such strong opposition. Despite the increase in protesters, the national Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) announced a simultaneous increase in the number of participants nationwide, estimating that about 200,000 individuals would partake this year. The Day of Silence has also gained approval from Congress, where Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced a resolution to officially recognize the day. Gov. Gary Davis of California and other legislative groups are expected to follow suit. The protesters' actions were brought up at the Tisch Library roof rally. Some students labeled the protests as "tacky" and did not understand why so many people got mad when others were simply remaining silent. "It's important for allies to be involved in this," one girl said. "It was frustrating as to how many people I came across today who didn't believe I could do this."

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News

In favor of affirmative action

April 9

Imagine if you will that you're an admissions officer for one of the country's top universities. On your desk lie two files: one for Student A and one for Student B. After reviewing both applications you are quite impressed by the two files but unfortunately you've just been informed that the university can only accept one more student. What do you do? You look over their files again and ironically they are identical down to their SAT scores except for one factor: race. Student A is African-American and Student B is Caucasian. Here is where the practice of affirmative action comes into play. To increase diversity at your institution you choose to admit student A. Is this wrong? Is this unfair? Well this is exactly what the Supreme Court is in the process of deciding. Last Tuesday the high court heard oral arguments from lawyers representing both the University of Michigan and three white applicants who were denied acceptance to the university's law school. The ruling, expected in June, will either uphold the validity of affirmative action as a means of ensuring diversity at various institutions around the nation, or it will abolish practices designed to give preferential treatment to students of color, women, and other under represented groups. The court's rulings may also result in a compromise of sorts: prohibiting the specific practices in question, while permitting other practices meant to increase diversity. Already schools such as Princeton University have cancelled affirmative action programs as a preemptory measure to protect other programs. As a substitution to affirmative action the Bush administration favors policies which ensure that the top twenty percent of high school seniors are guaranteed placement in the state colleges if they choose to apply. An article recently published in the Boston Globe summarizing reports released by Harvard and Princeton dispels these programs as suitable alternatives. In fact the article reported that "In Florida less than one percent of the top graduates...needed the guarantee to gain admission because they satisfied normal admissions standards anyway." Although the Bush administration has argued for the country to adapt "race-neutral" policies, the current government fails to realize that without affirmative action this country will regress to an era of segregation. As recently as1992, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of United States v. Fordice that patterns of racial segregation were still present in the Mississippi public school system. Institutions such as the University of Texas and University of California at Berkeley have already eliminated affirmative action practices at their schools and the results are discouraging to say the least. Minority enrollment at Berkeley dropped 83 percent while the University of Texas witnessed a 25 percent decrease in minority applications within the span of one year. These decreases can be attributed to a number of things but most important is the reality that many affirmative action policies are backed by specific financial aid programs. After all, what good would it do to have these policies in place if a large percentage of the minority students offered acceptance could not afford to attend prestigious universities, although they often meet and exceed academic standards? So while the University of Texas (UT) may offer acceptance to a number of minorities, the institution is still prohibited from offering scholarships and financial aid packages previously associated with admissions practices deemed unfair. Lino Graglia, a professor of law at UT, claims that "We only have affirmative action in institutions of higher education because blacks and Mexican-Americans are not academically competitive with whites." Wrong. 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. Many public schools are largely funded by local taxpayers in the surrounding community so inevitably schools in wealthy areas will produce better students while poorer neighborhoods will receive less funding, ultimately jeopardizing the quality of education provided. Unfortunately an overwhelming number of America's poor are people of color. Opponents of affirmative action can only argue the policy's unfairness when analyzed outside of its historical and social context. Opponents argue that if Jewish and Asian-Americans can achieve economic growth without the aid of preferential programming then African-Americans should also be able to do so. How can this comparison be made when African-Americans have endured over 300 years of legalized discrimination, 245 of which were spent in captivity? Until the abolishment of Jim Crow laws in the early 1960s African-Americans suffered countless injustices due to a legal system condoning these practices. Although progress has been made, thirty years of affirmative action cannot possibly undo all this damage and level the playing field. Also to compare African-Americans with Jews, in this instance, is unfair seeing as European Jews are recognized as part of the white majority. Many also worry that affirmative action will essentially replace white students and workers with less qualified minorities. Statistically this argument is weak. In 1994 the Department of Commerce reported that less than 2 million blacks were unemployed and that there were more than 100 million employed white civilians. Assuming that the actual proportions have not drastically changed within the past few years, even if every unemployed African-American were to displace a white worker, less than two percent of the white population would be affected. Lastly, contrary to what others may think, the issue of affirmative action is not always so black and white. If affirmative action is abolished policies like the one regarding legacies may also be challenged. After all, legacies are admitted under the same premise. As Chris Khan of the Boston Globe reports, although legacies are given "no guarantee that they will get in...they are treated as 'plus' applications, the same distinction given to minority students." It's ironic that President Bush opposes the race based policies currently being examined by the Supreme Court while he himself was admitted to Yale as a third generation legacy. The future of affirmative action is hard to call but public response indicates that, with approximately 80 briefs (out of 100) filed in support of the University of Michigan, America is willing to own up to its past ills and prejudices in the name of equality and justice. Shantell Richardson is a senior majoring in English.

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News

Crew team toiled through rough weather

April 9

It was another day of rough weather for the crew team on Saturday, as Mother Nature threw pretty much everything she had at the Jumbos but the kitchen sink. At points it was snowing, raining, sleeting, and hailing. and the team saw some thunderstorms and powerful winds. In the end only 13 of the original 30 scheduled races went on as planned, but as a team, the Jumbos ended the day with several first place finishes, and a few disappointments. The weather proved to be too much for many teams to test and most of the races were canceled because at least one of the teams just didn't show up. It seems the icy conditions were too much for many teams to drive to Malden. One of the teams that was slated to come but couldn't make the trip from South Hadley, MA was Mt. Holyoke College. For this reason, the Tufts women's varsity team got the day off as Mt. Holyoke was its only scheduled competition. Senior Rebecca Clark, one of the Jumbo crewmembers who did not compete on Saturday, did not look at the day as a total loss. "I think that the women's team showed its maturity and ability to deal with unexpected situations like the race cancellation," Clark said. "And those who did not have an opportunity to row as a result of the weather were able to take pride in the success of the teams who did row." The success that Clark spoke of came in thanks to the Tufts second varsity squad's victory over Coast Guard. Although the team was not supposed to row against Coast Guard, it worked out well for Tufts. The Jumbos finished ahead of USCGA by over 20 seconds. Tufts came in at 7:33.9; while Coast Guard crossed the line at 7:55.5. The team looked cohesive down the final sprint, as the Jumbos final 250 meters were both smooth and solid, and they did not seem to overexert themselves to the point that the boat lost its continuity. The men's competition was similarly hampered by the inclement weather, though not to the extent of the women's. Facing nearby Boston College, the Jumbos did have the opportunity to put both the first and second varsity boats in the water. However neither varsity team left the water victorious. The men's first varsity squad lost to the Eagles by exactly seven seconds, finishing the race in 6:13.2. Times for both teams were slow due largely to the inclement weather. In comparison the men's varsity team finished in 5:53.7 just a week ago when it took on Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The second varsity team also went down to Boston College, 6:10.5 to 6:36.4. Also due to weather, the men's time was dramatically worse than last week's, where they finished in a time more than 30 seconds better. The teams are not overly concerned with their troubles in the early races, as they are typically used more as a chance for the Jumbo teams to get some races under their belts as a unit before the important competitions later in the year. The meet that the Jumbos are gunning for at the end of the year is New England Rowing Championships. This year's race will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Worcester. The ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships will commence the week after, on the weekend of the tenth and 11th of May. Currently, the team's focus is on practicing, improving, and logging as many hours of competitive racing that the team can find. Hopefully for the team, Mother Nature will comply.

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News

Tuftonia decision doesn't work

April 9

The cancellation of this year's fireworks display is understandable, but is ultimately a poor decision, made worse by the fact that it was made without student input in secretive meetings. Concerns about the local reaction to the fireworks are nothing short of preposterous. As a major university and the second oldest in the area, Tufts seems more than entitled to hold a single fireworks show each year without complaints from the neighbors about the noise. And the connection between this year's Tuftonia's Day fireworks and a Medford fireworks display held one month after 9/11 is completely unwarranted. It is hard to believe that eighteen months after the attack, the emergency lines would once again be flooded with calls. Though some Americans continue to fear the possibility of future terrorist acts, especially in light of the war in Iraq, nationwide we have continued to hold fireworks displays and other activities that could potentially cause some citizens to panic. Life goes on, and the residents of Medford-Somerville deserve more credit then this decision awards them. The cancellation is also an opportunity to point out a major fault in communication between the leaders of SPIRIT and the Chief of the Medford Fire Department, Gil Berti. SPIRIT co-chair Meghan Sweeney received tentative approval from Berti even though war with Iraq was imminent. If Berti believed that the war would make the fireworks display impossible, then he should have specified this clearly to Sweeney a long time ago. SPIRIT most likely did not spend $14,000 for just any display. If there appeared to be a good chance of only a ground display, perhaps that $14,000 would have been spent more wisely on other components of the celebration. If there were one reason to cancel the fireworks display it would be to show respect for the loss of life in the war in Iraq. After all, there is an inherent irony in a group of American college students watching fire in the sky in awe, while young Americans and Iraqis of all ages have been subject to the "shock and awe" campaign only weeks earlier. Still, perhaps we can view celebrations like Tuftonia's Day and the thrill of an old fashioned fireworks show, as a time for togetherness, which in a time of war and precariousness, is perhaps what we need most.

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News

Shabu-Zen

April 9

Whether seeking a little warmth in the last days of the waning winter or searching for some place light and healthy to eat while slimming down for summer, Shabu-Zen in Chinatown may just be the place. A Japanese twist on the traditional Chinese hot-pot cooking style, Shabu-Zen offers an informal atmosphere whether having a quick lunch at the bar or a more leisurely and communal dining experience at a booth. The general dining formula consists of choosing a flavor of broth, a plate of uncooked meat, seafood or vegetables, and a side of either rice, vermicelli (thin Chinese rice noodle) or udon (thick Japanese flour and wheat noodle). Taiwanese born, American-educated owner David Wong was personable and offered many cultural and culinary insights. Having worked in Japan for 20 years, Wong determined that lovers of Japanese cuisine are "not just into the cold stuff" and decided to capitalize on this by recently opening this unique addition to Chinatown's myriad East Asian restaurants. Shabu-Shabu, he says, literally means 'swish, swish' mimicking the sound made when cooking a slice of meat in the broth. Choosing to sit at the large, rectangular bar in the center of the room with a view of the open, spotless kitchen, we each enjoyed our own personal built-in stainless steel pot for cooking. If sharing is preferred, then sit along the walls where electric stoves heat larger, more traditional hot-pots. When we sat down we were automatically served chicken broth in our hot-pots and separate side plates of soy and tea sauces, minced garlic, scallions, and chili peppers. For those who with a more diverse palette, four additional, more flavorful broths are featured: Chinese herbal, Chinese spicy, Thai tom-yum, and Korean kimchi. All entrees are also served with a plate of vegetables (bok choy, scallion slices, tofu, corn, tomato, fish balls). The Thai tom-yom broth is tangy and mildly spicy, but be careful to avoid eating the chili peppers, hard leaves, or lemon grass used for spicing. According to Wong many of Shabu-Zen's Cambodian customers have commented that the spicy-sour taste of the broth makes them feel like they are home. The Korean kimchi flavored broth can be served mild, spicy or extreme. While visiting Korea, Wong researched why he thought the complexion of Korean women was better and found that it was due to the chili paste in Kimchi which heats up the body, making you sweat and release toxins without hurting your stomach. Like the Chinese herbal broth, this selection will increase blood circulation. Choosing a broth flavor can make or break the meal at Shabu-Zen, so pick carefully while keeping an open mind to experimentation. We enjoyed the kimchi broth, but found it a bit overpowering as we struggled to savor the meat. Perhaps trying a side order of cold kimchi (pickled bok choy in the Korean flavoring) to wrap around the meat is the solution. We also chose the tom-yum broth that has depth and lingered in the mouth and nose. An excellent choice for those who like Southeast Asian cuisine. The menu features six grades of beef from the extremely tender Japanese imported, rib-eye Kobe beef at $48 a plate to four quality cuts of more reasonably priced beef ($11.95-16.95) to general grade beef ($9.95). When choosing the more expensive, tender beef, select a lighter flavored broth so as to not obscure the texture and taste of the meat. Lamb, chicken, and pork are one quality cut and price ($9.95). Because the menu was designed for healthy eating without the sacrificing of flavor, the fat that runs through even the tenderest cuts of meat is necessary so that during the cooking process it does not get hard and is able to absorb the broth. Chicken, also served thinly sliced, may turn hard and brittle quickly when cooked in the broth. Vegetarians can opt for the vegetarian broth and plate with a variety of vegetables, tofu and taro ($11.95). If not satisfied with one plate, then order an additional plate of meat or vegetables for only $4.95 (excluding high grade beef). Seafood lovers, can order from the ?  la carte menu or enjoy combination platters of scallops, prawns, salmon, cod, squid, clams, fish cakes, and more ($11.95-16.95). As savory as our meal was, the most delectable samplings were specially prepared for us by Wong himself. We sampled Thai suki sauce featuring cilantro, coriander leaf, garlic and chili sauce. This sweet and spicy dip complemented the Thai tom-yum broth and pork plate. Next, Wong made us a sauce for our lamb plate that was composed of fermented bean curd, black bean paste, and chopped scallions. These two sauces demonstrated again the depth and breadth of flavor one experiences while eating from a hot-pot. If interested in experimenting, do not be afraid to enquire or to ask for Wong himself as he is both enthusiastic and friendly, making conversation with many of his customers at the bar. The cool and light complimentary cup of sweet red bean soup, oats and longan fruit flavor provided a nice finish to the meal. Lovers of ice cream might try Mochi, a simple, yet wonderful desert consisting of an ice cream patty covered in a soft, floury taro shell. Try-out a signature fresh fruit smoothie ($3.50) mixed with peach, lychee, mango or another selection from the extensive juice menu to cool off on a hot day or after a spicy meal. The restaurant also features a domestic wine and an imported beer and sake list.

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News

Tis the Season for the Sports bar

April 9

A few special times each year, sports fans sit real life down on the bench and live out their unattained childhood dreams of sports superstardom at the only field suitable -- the American sports bar. They enjoy the sensations of the buzzer beater, the unthinkable upset, and the game winning home run amidst the comfortable atmosphere of their friends, cheese nachos, and overflowing pitchers of draft beer. Surrounded by big screens, a plethora of sports paraphernalia and a mass of their sports adoring peers, fans can live vicariously through the triumphs and failures of the handful of athletes whose careers carried them beyond the driveway or the local YMCA. It just so happens that right now, for these few precious weeks in April and early May, sports fans everywhere are in paradise. With the NCAA tournament highlights still fresh in our minds, the NBA and NHL playoffs just around the corner, and the early days of the baseball season where anyone (even the Red Sox) have a shot at the top, there are few times better to celebrate competition at your favorite sports bar. And so on a Monday that screamed homework and came too soon on the heels of a Sunday morning hangover, a handful of Tufts seniors and even an honorary graduate headed downtown to enjoy the season's delights at the sports bar of all sports bars, the Fours. Located a mere moment from the North Station T-stop and a stone's throw from the Fleet Center, the Fours boasts one of Boston's most impressive sports bar scenes. The hopes and dreams of thousands of faithful Bostonians have lived and died inside its brick walls for over 20 years -- perhaps the only unchanging entity in a city whose teams have tortured its loyal fans with their innumerable ups and downs. Despite its humble external appearance, the Fours is lavishly decorated with an impressive array of sports necessities that cover every inch of the walls and boasts incredible variety. Harvard hockey jerseys, uncountable photos of Celtics legends, memorable pictures of the Boston Garden and Fenway, autographed jerseys of Boston superstars, and even an entire Boston University crewboat adorn the walls and ceilings of this cozy establishment. Named for the four major sports teams of the Boston area, the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox, it's hard to find a bar more in tune with the needs of the Boston sports community. What's more, in terms of local flavor, it's seldom that you won't find at least two or three diehards raving about "next year" at the far side of the bar as the night ends. Plus, with a great selection of draft and bottled beer that accompanies an equally tempting menu, it's hard not to pass up a chance to eat and drink with passionate Bostonians. The kitchen offers everything from pasta to barbecue chicken nachos to delicious sandwiches named after the most famous of Boston's superstars (try the Larry Bird). Just remember to get there early if you plan to go on a game night at the Fleet Center -- as tip off approaches, you'll be hard pressed to find a seat. Admittedly, some may say that I am a bit partial to the Fours for reasons that go beyond the incredible atmosphere, great drinks at decent prices, and unforgettable menu. After all, most of my fondest memories of Boston sports have been brought to life while plastered to the green booths that line the first floor walls, not to mention the fact that my uncle is part owner. But for as much as this may be a helpless ploy on the part of the extended MacGregor family, to this date my recommendations to friends about the best place in Boston to catch a bite to eat before the game have never, at least to my knowledge, produced disappointment. In the end the Fours always speaks for itself. With first timers coming back for seconds and thirds, visitors and locals alike can't seem to get enough of the high class feeling of a moderately priced sports bar that doesn't leave your shoes sticky or your clothes permanently smelling of smoke. And so although there was no Boston college team to root for at the finals of the NCAA basketball tourney this year, we decided to cast aside the rigors of our last few weeks at Tufts for a night of drinks, nachos, and Syracuse versus Kansas. Besides, I had called ahead and my uncle was behind the bar. As always, free drinks were hard to pass up.

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News

Studying abroad in the US

April 9

Approximately 40 percent of University juniors study abroad to learn a language, enjoy a different country's culture and lifestyle, or simply get away. Presently, Maria Antonieta Palma, a senior at the Universidad de Chile is studying at Tufts for her year abroad. Palma faces the same cultural differences, language barriers, and homesickness that other study abroad students face, but from the other side, as a student abroad in the US. Tufts Daily: What made you decide to come to Tufts? MAP: I was applying to go to Australia, then I found out about Tufts University. I heard that it was a prestigious university here, that's why I decided to come. TD: Why did you decide to study in the US? MAP: Of course, I needed to practice my English. And also, I think that people outside [of the US] don't have a good opinion on Americans, so I wanted to see for myself. I discovered that they were wrong, all wrong. TD: What are your impressions of Americans now? MAP: People here are nicer than what people say. They're very polite. They're warm and welcoming to people outside, or at least that's what I've found. Especially at this university, there's many foreign people here. TD: Many American students who study abroad choose to live near a major city to take full advantage of its cultural offerings. How do you like living near Boston? MAP: I like Boston a lot, much more than Santiago, the city that I live in. [Boston] might look a boring city, I've heard that people say that, but it's not. I think I love it. I have fallen in love with it. It's not fast like New York, but it's not the country. It's traditional. I like it. TD: You live in the Spanish House on campus. How has that helped you adjust? MAP: All the people in this house speak Spanish. I don't feel different and I feel part of a community. TD: Are there many other students who are like you, studying abroad at Tufts? MAP: Yes. We're a group of more or less 12 students from Germany, France, Spain, Japan, all over. We're all here for the year and we're all friends. TD: Do a lot of Chilean students study abroad? MAP: I am the first person to come here from my school [Universidad de Chile]. I am the first to come study in Boston, other students have studied in California. TD: What has been difficult for you in your adjustment? MAP: Language is a very important thing. Most of my words were British words -- that's what I learned [in Chile]. Here, I've learned about language from my friend from Mexico, who has been helping me with language and with culture shock. Other things like food were very difficult to get used to. Everything here is fast. You get a burger and fries, it's fast. You eat quickly here. There, there's more homemade food. And the music. In the beginning I didn't like the music, but now I love it. I didn't like it at first because it wasn't Latin music. TD: What are any other cultural differences you have observed or experienced? MAP: In America in general, people are very hardworking. At least in my country, we're not that competitive. We don't always read everything [for class]. Here, I feel like I have to or I'd be the only one not to read, there, I'd be the only one who has actually read. Also, here, people are much more independent and that was part of my getting used to life here... In Chile, I live at home. I have three sisters and my house is full of people, it's noisy. When I get home here, I am alone, and it's not like that at my house. TD: Has the University provided you with any extra academic help? MAP: I don't have many problems because all my classes are in English in Chile. My teachers there have all studied abroad or are native English speakers. I have had four and a half years of my classes being in English. TD: What else has helped you adapt to life at Tufts? MAP: I'm a TA of Spanish. Something that helped me adapt are the classes I'm giving, I'm always very busy. I don't have time to miss my family, my country, I don't have time to think about it. I have seven conversation groups now, last semester I had eight. I really enjoy [the conversation groups], I like it. I have such fun with them and I learn with them. I love to teach. It has helped me confirm what I want to do in the future. TD: Do you have any advice for students, from here or elsewhere, who are thinking about going abroad? MAP: They just have to. It's an experience that's priceless. It's something that helps you grow, learn... it's different in the beginning to get used to all the things you'll encounter there, but then you don't want to go back to your country... it'll be something that you'll value for the rest of your life. And of course learning the language. It's the only way to learn the language perfectly, well -- almost perfectly. TD: What are you doing after Tufts? MAP: Finish[ing] my studies there [in Chile] and [pursuing further studies]. I'm going into teaching, so I'm finishing linguistics and then beginning Education. I go back on May 15, I don't want to go. I do miss my family and I want to hug them all. But, I've met a lot of nice people. It will be hard to leave them, to say goodbye. TD: Do you think you'll come back to the US again? MAP: I hope so. TD: What are your future plans? MAP: I'd love to come to the States and work here as a teacher of Spanish, but with all the political problems in the country and the world, it's hard to get a visa. But it's part of my plans and I hope to make it part of my life.

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News

Skipping South Station to explore Chinatown

April 9

It's funny, the idea of writing about South Station. Because, when I thought in my dorm room about South Station, sure I thought about trains, buses, and specifically that eight hour disastrous bus ride to NYC that I took last October, but the surrounding areas of dilapidated highways and little to no consumer activity? Not so much. So, while South Station may be the next numerical stop on the red line, this week we're going to head diagonally into the highly cultured niche that is Boston's Chinatown. Unless, that is, you want to hear about Fiduciary Trust Building. You're lucky; I'm not that cruel. 10th Stop: South Station/Chinatown If you walk straight from the South Station T, tucked between the increasingly prevalent high rises, you will find the eclectic and increasingly steadfast district of Boston's Chinatown. In the past few years, however, a growing controversy has been mounting there. Provoked by the building desires of wealthy corporations and educational institutions, including Tufts' own dental school, the Chinatown debate centers around the abuse of high rollers taking advantage of the traditionally low income housing reserved for immigrants and families. For the moment though, the historic buildings are holding firm; on this crisp weekend morning there were no wrecking balls in sight, just the faint wafting of dim sum brunches coloring the streets. But, even though Chinatown was not fighting the politics of an ever expanding city this morning, for the past week, Chinatown had been fighting a battle of a different nature: the effects of consumer's fright over the SARS virus which has attacked mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam in recent weeks and subsequently has raised concern toward the mainly Asian immigrant community in Chinatown. First of all, before I say anything else -- SARS is not in Boston's Chinatown. Secondly, for those of you unaware, SARS is a respiratory illness of unknown nature, which a small percentage of people have died from that currently, has no cure. The situation concerns Chinatown visitors so much that while I was there, I found myself in the midst of a planned visit by Mayor Menoni while eating at the Emperor's Garden (690-698 Washington Street, 482-8898). Even while the Mayor walked from table to table and greeted happy eaters under the beautiful, cavernous, ornate old theater balcony, those dim sum carts kept on rolling, the host and hostess smiling widely at its customers. But, the wideness of their smiles and the tenseness of their brow betrayed their nervousness regarding the situation. I was glad to be there in support, even though prior to this morning I was completely unaware that there was even a problem. So, to interject a quick favor, moral plea: go to Chinatown and support the businesses. You'll be doing good and, at the same time, getting a good meal in return. Speaking of meals, to be honest, I must say with chagrin that I only knew the names of three of the four dishes I ate because, alas, there was no menu for the dim sum (there was for regular meals). Instead, the dim sum carts would pull up next to your table, the server ask if you wanted it, and if you nodded yes they would punch your card (receipt) in a certain way. For starters, my friend and I tried the barbeque pork bags. Wrapped in a sweet breading, the appetizers had a unique texture unlike that of any other food I've ever eaten, save perhaps a similar brunch I had this summer in San Francisco's Chinatown. We followed it by juicy shrimp dumplings, gooey but delicious sesame balls, and then mystery meat concoction that reminded me of Friday's at my high school cafeteria because it has every kind of meat from sausage to chicken wrapped in a green looking leaf. Basically, at $5 person, this was one filling and delectably satisfying brunch. After brunch, we walked around a bit, finding such local gems as Vinhkah Trading Company (675 Washington Street, 338-9028) Inside you can get such vital items such as Lover's Tonic for Men with EXXX Ginseng ($6.50). Or, for the more practical, there were lots of colorful inexpensive lights to hang down from the ceiling that would make any dorm room happening. Finally, they had Dried Sweet Potato Slices ($1.15) For this store, describing it as eclectic would be an understatement. Van's Fabric Discount (14 Beech, 423-6592) also was eclectic, but this time in terms of fabric selection. Every color under the sun, I tell you this place was magical. Red, purple, silver, patterned, embroidered, imprinted, metallic -- I could go on. If you ever need to make a dress, or need fabric for wall paper, anything -- come here and you won't be sorry. Gradually we weaved in and around a few more streets. We looked in at the East Ocean City (25-29 Beech Street, 542-2504) seafood restaurant, pointing and wrinkling our noses at the colorful and tall fish tanks which housed the majority of the restaurant's made to order menu. We stopped at the Crown Royal Bakery (68 Beech Street, 338-8885) and shared pyramid cakes and chocolate mousse while watching the elusive Chinatown Bus tickets being sold to excited travelers to New York City. And then, without meaning to, we found ourselves in front of the Chinatown Orange line stop. Happy and full, we went home.

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News

No fireworks in time of war, Tufts and Medford say

April 9

The fireworks show that typically concludes the Tuftonia's Day celebrations will likely be scaled back or cancelled altogether this year because of noise complaints from area residents and concerns that the bangs may be mistaken for a bombing attack. The Medford Fire Department gave tentative verbal permission for the display the week before spring break, according to Meghan Sweeney, a co-chair of the Tufts University Spirit Coalition, which runs the show. Since then, the US forces have invaded Iraq, and Medford Fire Department Chief Frank Gilberti is now reluctant to sign the fireworks permit. Tufts officials have also raised serious concerns about the show, according to Sweeney. Tuftonia's Day, which celebrates the University's "birthday," is always scheduled for the third week of April. The festivities have included a fireworks display for the last four years. But Gilberti explained that when the city sent up fireworks a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, local emergency dispatchers logged between 800 and 900 calls because the sound frightened many residents, who believed that the area was under attack. "The 911 phone lines were inundated for hours," he said, "so much so that that if there was an emergency, someone couldn't get through." Gilberti also confirmed that the City has received complaints from area residents about the noise of the Tufts display in previous years. Gilberti has been working with Four Star, the company TUSC hired to put on the show, to come up with alternatives. As the situation stands now, with just over a week left before Tuftonia's Day, the fireworks display will likely to be replaced by a smaller one. TUSC will still hold a barbeque, possibly set up carnival booths, and have a band. The University administration has also recently held several closed-door meetings to discuss other possibilities for the event. The money for the fireworks display is allocated from the student activities fund, however, so TUSC does not need the administration to approve how it spends the money. Some of the other options being discussed include low-level and ground fireworks displays that would take place on either the Residential Quad or the Tisch Library roof. The alternative displays would be about as long (ten minutes) and cost as much (about $14,000) as the aerial display. The aerial display was supposed to be held on the baseball fields across from Cousens Gym. A smaller display would be visible only in the immediate vicinity and local residents would be spared most of the noise. But some Medford residents are disappointed with this plan. "It's the best show I've ever seen, said resident Paul Palandino, who called the decision "ridiculous." Some residents were also insulted by the assumption that they might mistake the sound of fireworks for a bombing campaign. "Give us a little bit of credit," Alexander Clark said. TUSC typically distributes flyers notifying the public about the fireworks and inviting them to the celebration.

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News

Late surge pulls Middlebury out of reach

April 9

For one half, the men's lacrosse team outplayed a three-time defending National Champion. But, Tufts failure to clear the ball in the second half brought the team back to reality, and enabled the Middlebury Panthers to claw back from a 4-3 halftime deficit for a 12-7 win. "I'm disappointed, we have to play for 60 minutes, not 45 minutes," coach Mike Daly said. "We can't win with the defense playing the whole second half." The Jumbos failed to control the play in the second, allowing Middlebury to set up its offense and outscore them 9-3. The Jumbo offense sputtered late, failing to retain possession. When the Panthers went on a 4-0 run to take its first lead, the Jumbos could only answer with one goal before Middlebury put the game away with four consecutive tallies. Many turnovers allowed the Panthers to sneak back into the game in the second half. "We just couldn't do the little things," sophomore goaltender Luke Chicco said. "They had a lot of better looks in the second half. We really should've won." In the second, the saturated field took its toll and worsened to the sloppy Jumbo play. After a penalty on Chris Kollar in the fourth, Middlebury quickly dispelled any of hopes of a Jumbo victory with four successive goals. The Jumbos endured a swarming offense that caused many turnovers while the defense tried to clear the ball. The slippery field made traction spotty. Both teams fought for numerous ground balls and engaged in intensely physical play, sending several players sprawling to the ground. "We just were not able to clear the ball," Daly said. "Today we played hard just not smart." During the second half, the Jumbos could not keep the ball in the hands of their offense. The team's play in the later stages changed dramatically from the crisp tone set in the first half. "It was our fundamentals," sophomore Bryan Griffin said. "We just couldn't catch, throw, and clear." The cold temperatures may have also contributed to the team's struggles on offense. Each time the Jumbos managed to put a goal on the board in the second, Middlebury seemed to have an answer to quickly answer. Sophomore points leader David Taylor led Jumbos the way with a hat trick, including two goals and an assist in the first half, when he found Chris Kollar wide open in front of the net. Kollar finished the fast break as he faked out the goalie with the first of his pair of goals. In the first quarter, the Jumbos jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, pressuring the Middlebury defense and dominating the time of possession in the first five minutes of play before their second-half breakdown. Chicco had a busy day between the pipes, turning away 19 shots to keep the Jumbos in the game. As the Jumbos failed to clear the ball, Chicco and the zone defense helped to preserve a lead at the end of the half 4-3. At halftime the Jumbos led 4-3 but careless play prevented them from holding their lead. Tufts' advantage quickly evaporated in the second half but not before Dave Taylor had his say. To open the second half, Taylor received a pass from a midfield on a fast break. He had an open net but hesitated on a shot before he froze the Middlebury defense and goalie Christopher Davis with an underhanded flip7 with his back turned. "I actually should have taken the first shot," Taylor said. "It was something where it just felt right at the time." The team soared in the first quarter, dominating play and pressuring the Middlebury defense as snowdrifts fenced in the newly shoveled field. The Jumbos took advantage of their opportunities and forced Davis to make several difficult saves in the first quarter. "We had some really good possessions in the first quarter on offense," Griffin said. "We really did not get too many in the second, third or fourth quarters." The Jumbos will have a chance to return to their winning ways when they take on Colby this Saturday at home.

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News

Building Iraq's Future

April 9

Even the staunchest critics of the Bush administration must acknowledge that the war against Iraq has been a relatively smooth affair. In a relatively short period of time, the American and British armed forces have swept through most of Iraq with considerably few civilian casualties. To be sure, the military campaign is certainly not over yet, and indeed, some of its most dangerous episodes may very well lie ahead. But the effective dismantling of Saddam Hussein's power structure will surely take place in a matter of weeks, if not days. Thus, the citizens of Iraq are witnessing a truly historic moment, which will shape their country for generations to come. As the military aspect of Bush's plan for Iraq draws to a successful end, the hawks in the White House can pat themselves on the back, but when the last Iraqi general surrenders, the United States will face a much more complex and no less perilous stage: building Iraq's future. Setting the stage for a successful reconstruction of post-war Iraq will undoubtedly be one of the most formidable challenges George W. Bush will meet as President. Before him lies a truly unique opportunity to make a profound impact on this country and the whole of the Middle East region. Will his administration rise to the challenge and provide political and economic means for the rebirth of Iraq, or will it neglect this country to a dusty corner of its foreign policy once Saddam is crushed? This question is of tremendous importance and will define the presidency of George W. Bush, and indeed, US foreign policy. If, in fact, Bush is able to transform Iraq into a viable democratic state the president will have scored a major political victory. If Iraq becomes the next Germany or Japan, where American occupation provided a launch pad for vibrant economies and beacons of liberty and freedom, Bush and his advisors will be more than vindicated. The rebirth of Iraq would become a jewel of American foreign policy and Bush's war would be remembered as a courageous action to change the political paradigms of foreign affairs. Some experts of the Middle East such as Thomas Friedman of the New York Times have supported military action against Hussein's regime insofar as it is part of this audacious project to change the region's political face. But the big question is, can this scenario become a reality, or is it just an idealistic fantasy? As much as Friedman admires the plan's boldness, he wonders if the Bush team is capable of committing time and energy to rebuilding Iraq. In fact, skepticism regarding the Bush team's nation building credentials is one of the reasons most of the world opposed this war. Personally, it is for me. To be quite honest, this reputation is not undeserved. Who can forget how George W. Bush decried nation building and its usefulness during the 2000 presidential campaign debates? And even fresher in our memories is the notorious example of Afghanistan. Back then, US armed forces quickly dismantled the Taliban regime through a relentless bombing campaign, much like they have done in Iraq. Bush got rid of the Taliban, but Afghanistan is still a mess. A weak government with scarce resources, under the constant threat of violence can do little without the help of the US to maintain stability and provide relief. Will this be the case in Iraq? Abandoning Iraq would not only be a humanitarian catastrophe, but also a big mistake. If Iraq is not assisted in becoming a successful nation it can slowly but surely develop into another failed state. It can then easily fall prey to more radical elements of Iraqi society and become the next Afghanistan. And we all know what the potential risks of having another Taliban-type country can be. It would definitely make you wonder if the more things change the more they stay the same. Another victim if such abandonment takes place would be American credibility abroad. Forget Bush -- his credibility abroad is null. More importantly, the whole American nation and the ideals for which it stands would be questioned throughout the world. The much advertised regime change would have served the whole purpose of eliminating Saddam and not the liberation that was promised. If the international opposition to this war seemed excessive, it would pale by comparison to future disagreements in the international community if America loses more of its credibility. America's interests are tied to reconstructing a free and successful Iraq. This task will surely be more difficult than the ongoing military campaign, but it is of much higher value. It is always easier to destroy than it is to build. It is always easier to bomb than it is to reach out and cooperate. Let us hope the Bush administration will be committed to the rebirth of the Iraqi nation, not for his political sake, but for the sake of America. If he is not up to the task, let us have, like Senator John Kerry proposed last week, a regime change in this country.

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News

Phone Booth' is gripping

April 9

Stu Shepard (Colin Ferrell) is a successful New York publicist with his fair share of famous clientele. He wears expensive Italian suits and his hair is perfectly tousled. Stu has two cell phones, and a college-aged gopher to hold the one he's not talking on in one hand, and write down everything he says with the other. What then, is he doing using the last pay phone in New York at 53rd St and Eighth Ave. Well, it turns out that Stu's life revolves around lying -- lying to his clients, to magazines, and to his wife, who checks his phone bills and would notice the regular calls Stu makes to an attractive struggling actress everyday, at the same time. So he uses the phone booth. But Stu's not all bad. So far, saying "big kiss" on the phone is the closest thing to an illicit relationship he has to this girl, who doesn't know that Stu is married because he even takes his ring off to call her. However, it seems that someone has been watching Stu's life, and does not approve of the way he lives it. So on the fateful day that Phone Booth takes place, Stu finishes his call as usual, and then makes the mistake of picking up the phone again when it rings immediately after he hangs up. It's instinct, right? The voice on the other end of the line turns out to belong to a grade A psychopath (Kiefer Sutherland), with a penchant for forcing morality on strangers, and a high powered sniper rifle aimed right at Stu's heart. He even demonstrates his shooting ability by grazing the edge of Stu's ear off. The crazed sniper proceeds to hold Stu hostage in the phone booth, even as the NYPD fills the streets, forcing him to be honest, with himself, his wife and the watching world for the first time in his life. But Stu cannot get off the phone or explain himself, because the sniper proves that he will not hesitate to kill innocent bystanders if Stu does not obey him. Forest Whitaker shows up a negotiator after the sniper takes down a pimp who tries to get Stu off his prostitute's "business phone." To the cops, it looks like Stu is the perpetrator, someone looking for cop-assisted suicide. This is one of those movies I could pick apart for hours, but at the end of the day, I am still happy that I saw it. This is mainly because director Joel Schumacher took Larry Cohen's script, which occurs entirely in a phone booth, ten days and only $1 million, made a movie that was not horrible. While it was scheduled to be released last year, the date was pushed back because of the Beltway sniper attacks -- which shows some tact on the part of the film's publicists. Technically, the movie is brilliant -- it has to be. All the shots are of a phone booth, but yet it remains interesting to watch. The film starts off with shots of selections of the more than three million New York cell phone users. The best part about the camera and the editing is when the screen is divided into more than one shot, where secondary action occupies a box filling a portion of the screen as the main action takes place. At some points the screen is divided into four shots. Yet this is never overdone, and serves to alleviate the potential staleness of phone booth shots. However, the film is not without its fair share of problems, and no amount of camera work can save the script from dragging. There is a certain point where the suspense is at a climax, yet there is still thirty minutes left in the movie, and you are half hoping the sniper will shot somebody, just so something will happen. This is when you first start to notice the holes in the plot, like how the NYPD thinks that Stu shot the pimp, even though the body was obviously shot in the back by a high-powered rifle, which would be noticeable in a phone booth. Why does the sniper chose Stu as his next victim? The previous victims all committed harsher acts, like pornography and embezzlement, when Stu did not even cheat...yet. Finally, we start to wonder if we even care if Stu gets it or not. While these criticisms come to mind after scrutiny of the script, the movie is salvaged by Ferrell and Sutherland's gripping performances. Stu is the actor's dream part, and Ferrell takes full advantage, running the gambit from crying in a crumpled heap to screaming with his arms outstretched for the shooter to take his best shot. Sutherland's gravelly bass is the perfect compliment to Stu's instability. He periodically intersperses maniacal giggling in with his demonic quasi-religious demands for Stu's repentance. While the message of the film may come off as preachy and extremely intense, it is definitely needed in today's world. There will always be people that, like Stu, don't realize that respect is what should make the world go round. All his life Stu dismissed the little guys as inferior, and Sutherland is the kind of crazed psycho that felt the need to point that out. But don't go see the movie for that... go because the acting is good, and because it's interesting to watch a movie that takes place in real time, in a phone booth and that is nevertheless pretty damn exciting.

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