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The Setonian
News

Ask Angie

April 7

Q: The girl I was dating broke up with me two weeks ago because she doesn't feel we're romantically compatible. Now, she wants to go to coffee "as friends," but I don't know if I'm ready for it, or if I'll ever be ready. How do I get rid of my feelings of losing a mate and just appreciate her as a good friend? I'd think more time apart is the answer, but this never seems to work for me. Is there another way? --Confused and angry A: I'd like to think that the girl you were dating was at the time, in fact, your friend as well as your romantic interest. When you look at it from that perspective, you're still maintaining a great deal of the quality of your previous relationship if you keep up the friendship! The fact that she's so willing to hang out this soon after the breakup means that she values you in her life. If time apart never works for you, then I'd suggest just taking it slowly. Let her know that it's difficult for you to suddenly take this step backwards, and that you need to slowly bring her back as a friend. Start with a brief trip for coffee, and then work up to a movie or a long dinner. Some of the best friendships can rise out of ex-relationships, since you have a certain understanding of each other that few others can have. Of course, if you think it'll be impossible to relate to her on non-romantic terms, then a friendship wouldn't be worth the effort. It's up to you. Q: My roommate plays the same three songs on his computer every day. I can't take it anymore. Really. I'm stuck with him until the end of the semester. Please, please tell me how to shut him up. --Silent victim A: Unplug his computer. Actually, maybe that's not the best way to stay on his good side. Try not to throw it out the window, either. I have to imagine you've just been silently putting up with this for ages now. So, complain. Tell him it's getting a little repetitive to hear the same tunes all of the time. He may actually think you like those songs as much as he does, since you've probably never complained. If he's stubborn, take $10, get yourself some earplugs, and buy him some headphones -- you'll both be getting much deserved gifts. The money is definitely worth your mental (and his physical) health. Q: My friend and I both hooked up with the same guy a long time ago and he turned out to be a real jerk to us both. I've put the grudge behind me, and hung out with him recently. Absolutely nothing happened, but my friend is really upset about it. I think she still has feelings for him, and she seems to be upset with me. What should I do? --Over it A: Your friend probably feels betrayed that you would give that guy the time of day after how he treated both of you. As you've realized, however, the past is behind you. The fact that your friend still has feelings for him would make her more emotionally entangled in the situation. You need to respect the fact that she's still hurting, but also encourage her to move past her negativity. It may even be worthwhile to have her confront this guy about his actions, just so she can have some closure in her mind. If she's still hot for him, she may think you're lying about what did or did not happen. It's better for both of you to be really honest with each other about your feelings. Talk to her about this before she stews in her anger too long -- let her know that she means a lot to you and you would never do something to intentionally hurt her.

The Setonian
News

Eating like a student

April 7

Are you tired of Dewick? You think that our dining hall food isn't any good? Don't go crying to your parents, because college food used to be far more basic than it is now. The choices we have now -- from the reliable standards like deli sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salad, and cereal to the ever-changing daily dishes -- go far beyond the simple options that used to be the standard in college cafeterias. "Here's your meat, your vegetable, and your carbohydrate. Get a glass of whole milk on your way out." No, you don't have to like it more just because your parents had it worse. Having grown up with a sprawling array of food choices, we have higher expectations. It's just worth realizing and appreciating that no matter how tired you may be of our institutional food, you'd be even more miserable if the good people at dining services didn't put their all into making the dining halls and the campus center food to our liking. I'm not here to complain or to tell you to do things differently. I'm here to celebrate just how much great food is within our reach. Though I'd like to note that I think bitching about the quality of the food is rude. These people do everything they can to accommodate the specific prissy demands of 5,000 students who all want something different and are used to having things their way. They have to deal with vegans and vegetarians, athletes and picky eaters, and a campus of generally critical, sarcastic students. Given that, I'm impressed with what they've pulled off. And the campus center gives you some excellent lunchtime options, though I find myself eating the hot deli sandwiches religiously. They're a horrifying addiction. I started off with one per week sophomore year, and now I'm up to three. I might stick around at Tufts just so I don't have to quit. I'm not on a dining plan, and I haven't been for years. Sure, I like the luxury and variety of the dining halls, but you can't help getting tired of the institutional menu and the overall cost. Cooking for yourself is always tasty (unless you waste time cooking things that you don't even like), and it's so much cheaper. Yes, an all-you-can-eat meal three times a day for $8 per meal is a good deal, and I had some good times in Carmichael, but I don't need that much food three times a day. Forget about it. Talk to your parents. From dining halls to dining out, every edible aspect of college has improved in the past thirty years, and we're blind to it because we don't know anything different. Restaurants this varied and ubiquitous were unheard of. No one ever craved Thai noodles because there was nowhere to buy Thai noodles. We're lucky to live in a time and a place that offer us untold varieties of food. For a specialized example, take out a stack of restaurant delivery menus and scan the types of food you could order. Do you want Indian? Thai? Italian? Are you looking for cr??pes? Wraps? Tabouli? And these menus represent only those restaurants that are willing to cook your custom order, package it, and drive it to your door for free. Despite that, they encompass an orgiastic range of food. If the British had ever invented anything worth eating, I'm sure we could get it delivered in the next hour. (The most significant missing segment of the cuisine spectrum is French, and I think a large part of the French culinary experience is in the setting and service anyway. There's a culture gap between Styrofoam delivery containers on the floor of a rundown Somerville apartment and fine china on a tablecloth with a view of downtown Boston. I'll pay and travel for that privilege, thanks.) There are limitless choices for you independent eaters out there. The two local cr??pe places are really good, though not appropriate for a voracious eater low on funds (I require two cr??pes to make a true meal). Nick's House of Pizza makes a much better calzone than does Espresso's -- a Nick's calzone is light and small and crispy and cheap. Farther down on Boston Ave., there's Tasty Gourmet, and really, if you haven't heard about it by now, you almost don't deserve to go there. Tasty makes the best sandwiches you'll find in the area. I won't go so far as to say that they're the best sandwiches in the world, but while you're at Tufts, they might as well be. And hands down, the best cheap local eatery that you won't find Tufts students in: Bob's Imported Foods and Fine Catering on Main Street in Medford. Cheap and fast and delicious and full of the character that you'd expect from a local place that could care less about some university nearby. Great Italian sandwiches and pastas -- the veal parmigiana sub is absolute murder. Bob's doesn't need to impress anybody. The food speaks for itself. What about cooking for yourself? I think cooking is a basic skill that we should be teaching long before kids reach Driver's Ed. I don't demand that you be able to hunt, kill, butcher, and prepare your own food, but you should be able to look at a piece of chicken and figure out something to do with it (hint: apply heat). There's so much that could be said about college cooking, but I want to hit on one basic element of it and send you on your way for the week. People joke about college students living on macaroni and cheese. I say, good for you! It's a start. There are so many different kinds of macaroni and cheese that it's hard to get tired of it. The homemade variety (I'm talking actual cheese, actual macaroni, a stove, and an oven, not to mention cornstarch, milk, and dry mustard) can be ready in about half an hour, and you can feed several people (or yourself for several days) off of maybe $7 worth of ingredients. For those lazier days, there's the Annie's line of boxed macaroni and cheese. The possibilities with Annie's are limitless. If you want something light, just make the box alone, adding salsa, hot sauce, extra cheese, pepper, MSG, or honey as you choose to change the flavor without weighing it down much. If you want to make a serious and delicious meal out of it, try cooking up some chicken, onions, and peppers and adding some fresh apple slices just before you eat it. Mix in some ground beef or spaghetti sauce or (for the bold of heart) a can of Spaghetti-Os. Fantastic. And if you're feeling like a cheap thrill, go ahead and eat an entire blue box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. You wouldn't want that everyday, but I keep some of it around anyway. Convince your friends to eat it on tortilla chips. Ahhhh, good times.

The Setonian
News

Stunning original performances in Alumnae

April 7

Mild and violent weather have competed for the Boston skies all March, and, on Sunday night, Alumnae Lounge mirrored this diversity with premiere cello and piano movements that were sometimes thunderous, sometimes genteel, and always fluid. Five pieces were performed, four of which had been composed by students. The additional piece, a Concert Preface by John McDonald, was described as a tribute to the premature birth of colleague Emmanuel Feldman's child this past summer. McDonald said the piece dealt with both "the joy of having a child, and the experience of not being able to bring that child home right away." The piece that Feldman played on the cello started off low and strong but quickly climbed the scale to reach desperate measures. It ended severely with a cracking pizzacato, perhaps representing the shock of an unexpected outcome. Feldman brought great sensitivity to his performance, and the piece itself allowed the cello, an instrument whose power is often overlooked in orchestra performances, to come through at great range. The ensuing three pieces, composed by Rebecca Sacks, were milder than McDonald's thunderous opening number. The first and second, "Exploration on Bach," were solo cello pieces with soft and almost hauntingly beautiful chord combinations. The third, in which the cellist was accompanied by McDonald on the piano, was richer but just as soothing. This piece and several other premieres were performed twice so the audience could fully appreciate their intricacies. Asked to speak before the pieces were performed, Sacks commented that they span a year's worth of her development as a composer. While her early inspirations came from great musicians whose works she had listened to, these pieces used "more of my own voice as opposed to another composer's," she said. One piece involving voice, "Los Espinos" by Aaron Clift, was performed by the composer. The piece was a poem by the Spanish poet Luis Cernuda that Clift set to music for the piano and cello. Clift's voice was strong and the poem lent itself to the music; the singer/composer also succeeded in balancing linguistic and musical pronunciation techniques. A five-part suite composed by William Zuck III followed in a slew of various tempos; each movement had a different dynamic that was indicated by its title, such as "Crazed and dramatic," "Sensuous and moving, ad nausea and vomiteum," etc. Though creative and striking, these pieces were not as inviting as the ones before it. While the titles of the movements helped one discriminate between them, they seemed more concerned with living up to these individual themes than with cultivating individual personalities to move the listener. The final piece was "Trio for Two", a composition by Alex Chechile. Though it offered a restoring tone after the previous Zuck piece, "A constant barrage," Chechile's piece did not stand out as much as the earlier movements of the concert had. They did show, however, that classical music can be soothing not by melody but by mere fullness and regularity of sound. In bringing together music inspired by artists and composers from all over the world, the concert was not only educational but telling of the diversity and worldliness of Tufts students. Though modestly advertised, many of these premiere concerts are well worth attending.

The Setonian
News

Former politician, professor Sununu speaks at Tufts

April 7

After years spent gaining insight and experience on both state and federal politics, former New Hampshire Governor, White House Chief of Staff, and Dean of Tufts' School of Engineering John Sununu returned to the Hill last night to voice his opinions about American politics and the current world order. He addressed the "cataclysmic" change in international relations after the fall of the Soviet Union and the need to recognize that change when formulating current US foreign policy. Recalling his days as a mechanical engineering professor, Sununu said that "systems get stressed the most in transition." The most important transition in many lifetimes, in terms of international relations, Sununu said, was the collapse of the USSR. According to Sununu, the fall of the Soviet Union signaled that a system of free markets, free enterprise, and capitalism was correct. "The debate was over," he said. Sununu also cited the increasing capitalist-leaning reforms of the Chinese government. "I used to say the two places in the world where you couldn't find capitalism were Communist Cuba and the Congress of the United States," he quipped. "But '94 [1994's Republican-dominated Congress] took care of that." In a post-Soviet world, Sununu said, "parties will have to decide how much they are willing to venture," fostering "constructive debate, but not creating domestic divisiveness, which is often dangerous." When the worldview was dominated by the USSR, "nobody broke ranks, it was too dangerous," he said. Sununu criticized the press for "brainwashing" the public, calling such reporters as Dan Rather "biased and ignorant." According to Sununu, "The press has no idea how the system [the Constitution] functions." In his view, the Constitution allows for debate "until consensus and agreement, and the country moves on." With experience as George H.W. Bush's Chief of Staff, Sununu also offered some thoughts about consensus-building in the United Nations. "I went into public life not caring much for the UN," Sununu said. In fact, he still views the UN as a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval on things we have to do." However, Sununu said, repairing the current UN would be much easier than developing a new system. The US had gone about things differently in seeking that approval for the invasion of Iraq, Sununu said. "I wish [the US] had been less clumsy in the process," he said. "You need a process that requires consensus, even more so since there were vetoes," Sununu told the audience. "You don't like going through the agony of building consensus, but you have to." In Sununu's opinion, the failure of the US to gain allies in the UN was a result of "personal failures, rather than systemic," and he said that Colin Powell should have visited Turkey earlier than two weeks ago if he wanted its support. Referring to the French opposition to the US-led war, Sununu joked, "If it was an important country, like Turkey or Jordan, we'd be really upset." On a serious note, he said that the lack of "instant unanimity" allowed Saddam Hussein to ignore the threat of war. When an audience member asked about the prospect of US-led nation building in Iraq, Sununu addressed only a specific situation, and said that he was "not encouraged" by what he's seen. He was "petrified" that Iraq would be divided into a federation for different ethnic and religious groups, saying that such a thing may happen and "it may look like an accident." Rumors of a federated Iraq signify that the Department of Defense consists of "a bunch of loonies who have no idea what they're talking about," Sununu said. Another audience member asked Sununu whether the current scene of world affairs was an "indictment" of the US as a superpower. "The US, in my opinion, reluctantly accepts this responsibility [of being a superpower]," Sununu said. "We've been asked to be the economic engine of the world." Sununu told the audience that it was "nice to find a good excuse to come back and visit on campus," and that since these are "not the most common of times," it would also "not be the best time to be extremely partisan." The speech was preceded by a small reception attended mostly by members of the Tufts Republicans and the Primary Source. At the reception, Sununu spoke of the 12-year leave of absence he took from the Engineering School before he was finally replaced. One asked Sununu how he made the transition from academia to politics. Sununu told about the New Hampshire Senate primary where he came in second and later joined the primary winner's campaign. After leading the candidate to success, the New Hampshire Republican Party asked Sununu to run for governor. Despite thinking he "didn't have a chance," Sununu "woke up one morning and found [him]self elected." Later, President Bush asked him to serve as Chief of Staff. "You don't turn a president down," he said. According to Sununu, "the reason the administration [of George H.W. Bush] pulled together was because they had a mad dog as chief of staff that made sure it happened." Sununu resigned in 1990, amidst allegations that he had used government jets for personal travel. Since his resignation, Sununu has co-hosted CNN's Crossfire, served as a trustee of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, and headed JHS Associates, a New Hampshire engineering consulting firm. Sununu's son, also named John, was elected to the US Senate from New Hampshire in 2002.

The Setonian
News

Alumnus defends peace and justice studies program

April 7

In the days since the Tufts Alumni Association revoked the Senior Award from Elizabeth Monnin, members of the Tufts and Greater Boston communities have voiced their opinions in local media. The issue became a flashpoint in area newspapers for a larger discourse on everything from the role and etiquette of dissent to the purpose of university education. For example, in a recent Boston Globe letter to the editor ("Peace, Justice, and Leadership at Tufts" 3/26/03), a resident of Brookline disparaged the Tufts Peace and Justice Studies (PJS) Program and, indirectly, Ms. Monnin for being "intellectually vacant." The author urged the Alumni Association to investigate the merits of the PJS program. Lest the Alumni Association decide to heed this poor advice and wield its influence over the PJS program, I wish to refute these derogatory claims and comment on some misguided assumptions that underlie them. In maligning the PJS program and Ms. Monnin, the Globe letter-writer ventured that she may be "going out on a limb." She was, in three major respects. First, her implication that a person's leadership capacity and moral character can be predicted from her choice of undergraduate major is a tenuous argument at best. Did President Bush's history major, Martin Luther King Jr.'s sociology major, or, for that matter, Osama Bin Laden's reported study of public administration predict their impact on society? If anything, leadership is molded by one's experiences and the passion to extrapolate and articulate a vision. We should honor individuals, like Ms.Monnin, who have consistently demonstrated this ability. Second, the assumption that Tufts' PJS curriculum ignores the impact of important economic and political forces on peace and social justice is erroneous. Incorporating community service with directed study of political science, international relations, sociology and religion, the PJS curriculum encourages critical analysis of the ways in which social justice can be strengthened. Or, for that matter, of how social justice can also be threatened by some of the very issues the Globe author cares so deeply about, i.e. "free markets, low taxes, a strong national defense," etc. A careful review of the Bush administration's budget plan highlights the latter point. Bush's proposal, which would cut $265 billion over ten years from programs like food stamps, student loans, and Medicaid while simultaneously offering over $700 billion in tax cuts largely targeted to the richest one percent in our country, serves to highlight how skewed our leader's sense of social justice is in this war-time economy. These plans and the woefully misguided war in Iraq should prompt us not only to participate in dissent and the articulation of alternatives but also to applaud those, like Ms. Monnin, who do. Finally, the suggestion presented in the Globe to Tufts University's Alumni Association to "consider whether...students are well served by [the PJS] program that is... so intellectually vacant" is baseless and uncivil. The scholars of sociology, history and religion, the human rights and public interest lawyers, the community organizers, the Peace Corps veterans, the doctors and public health advocates, the playwrights, the socially responsible investment bankers, and the schoolteachers who are alumni of the program may not agree with this assessment. Indeed, the current state of affairs domestically and internationally mandates the broader involvement of those engaged in social justice work and research precisely because of their unique intellectual expertise. When the Alumni Association, a non-representative group of volunteers, revoked a leadership award from a promising Tufts senior based on charges that have not been confirmed, its leadership revealed its own failings and political biases. Rather than insisting that the charges be fully investigated and, in the meanwhile, supporting the student they had once chosen to honor, the organization quickly bent to "worries of alumni." As a Tufts alumnus and former recipient of the Senior Award, I am voicing my own worry and profound disappointment. This decision of the Alumni Association, much like the disparaging remarks presented in the Globe, is unfounded and, by poor example, only reminds us of what good leadership is all about. Rishi Manchanda (LA'97 Peace and Justice Studies) is a Tufts University MD/MPH Class of 2003.

The Setonian
News

Senate perplexity

April 7

The recent worry over an uncontested Senate presidential election has caused some to re-examine current regulations restricting the race to two -- and exactly two -- candidates. Junior senator Joe Mead finally indicated that he would seek the second nomination, but it is unclear what would have happened with a single-candidate race. It's another example of a logistical shortcoming in the TCU Constitution, and as long as the Senate is pushing for a revised edition, they may as well clear up this issue. There is a good possibility that the same problem could surface next year, since current sophomore class representation is similarly lacking. However, though the presidential candidates are generally juniors, the Senate allows for nominations throughout its entire membership. In this case, the established policy ultimately prevented an uncontested presidential election. This is clearly preferable to simply having a single candidate, since the effort to "get the vote out" each spring represents by far the Senate's most visible outreach effort. This campus interaction would be severely diminished in a race where the outcome was certain. There is still no clear way to handle a situation where no senator, regardless of class status, chooses to seek the second nomination. While such a dilemma remains extremely unlikely, this has so far proved to be the year of bizarre tests of Senate policy. Nevertheless, there are now two presidential candidates this semester.

The Setonian
News

Humanitarian Crisis

April 7

There is a tragedy worse than war. Even amidst all the suffering, shooting, and dying of the past two weeks, one of the most tragic stories I encountered involved no weapons. It came from the United Nations, divided on whether or not it would continue to send food and aid into Iraq behind the coalition troops. France, Germany, Russia, and China were set against anything -- even relief -- that could possibly suggest any agreement with the United States and its allies. Such political wrangling is selfish pride. Selfishness is worse than war's physical damage because that damage, bad as it is, is external, not internal. Selfishness may not destroy the body, but it certainly destroys the soul. Fortunately, wiser heads have for now prevailed in the UN. But it is troubling how relatively little attention is given to the problem of the war bringing out the worst in us. We seem more preoccupied with what's happening on the ground rather than in our hearts. Why is that? It may be that the horrors of war overshadow everything else. We are unaccustomed to seeing such brutality and destruction. It is surreal to read of women and children dying by machine gun fire, or soldiers blown up by deceptive defectors. In fact people, both on the "left" and the "right," often write as though they couldn't possibly have imagined this happening. Several recent articles against the war don't try to argue that Saddam Hussein is innocent of the charges against him, or that chemical attacks aren't threatening enough to be imminent, or even that the UN overrides a state's ability to make war. No, their thesis is simply that war is terrible -- that people die. Their prose is filled with horrific descriptions underlined by an assumption that there'd be no death in Iraq if it were simply left alone. Of those who support the war, many pundits aren't cheering as loudly as they did when they thought the fight would be a "cakewalk." Many cry "failure" before even the hundredth casualty, as if war has always been a push-button affair. In all of this it is certainly not the revulsion to war that I find strange, but the shock. I do not wonder why we hate war, but why we are so fiercely surprised by it. I wonder this only after reading some old words of our wisest predecessors. I went to Plato, and Thucydides, and others to ask them why we, in the 21st century, were going to war. Their response was surprisingly simple: "Didn't you know?" Didn't I know that, in 5,500 years of recorded history, there have been roughly 14,000 wars? Didn't I know that the common experience of mankind, taken collectively, has always been conflict and war? Didn't I know that all people die, many in gruesome ways? The ancients knew. They knew that the natural obsolescence of war is a myth, that there will always rise a person or a people -- driven by fear, greed, or glory -- who will only fall with war. They knew that the peace we have enjoyed for so many decades, the peace people of my age have always known, is an historical abnormality. They knew that "progress" does not just bring with it new ways to enjoy peace, but new ways to make war. How did we forget this? It seems peace can be just as distracting from the truth as war. In our rare period of peace we grew quite impressed with our own goodness. We thought racism was gone just because Jim Crow was out. We thought all that the poor needed was to be given more money. We thought the world's biggest problem was not tyrants and terrorists but global warming. In general, we developed a telescopic view that made us appear quite good in the big things but blinded us to the small, everyday evils of our individual lives. We overlooked are own suffering and flaws: the broken and grieving heart of a lover betrayed by the person they trusted; the cold, unfeeling heart that manipulates friends and gossips for fun and profit; the pride of one's race (any race) that leads to bitterness and spitefulness towards anyone different; the cruel pleasure of seeing rivals fail and the gnawing resentment of a much-loved grudge; the desperation of finding less and less meaning within each random fling; the ingratitude that sees 'nothing to eat' in a cafeteria full of food; the pride that denies all help and desires independence to only please itself; the pain or the boredom drowned in loud music and strong drink; the impatience that grumbles at anything slower than 'immediately.' These are not pleasant, and it is little wonder why we're so quick to avoid them. Several of you might now be very uncomfortable, thinking I am out to make some sort of attack on you personally. That's not the case. All of the above applies equally as well to myself. Others might think I'm out to paint the human race as some kind of thoroughly diabolical species. That's not true either. I won't deny that we are capable of remarkable good. A man and a woman can, in fact, have a deep self-sacrificial love that binds them through the worst of life (and of each other). Good friends can enjoy good jokes over a pint and a game of cards. People can give their most expensive commodity -- time -- generously to others who need it. People can think so much of their neighbors that they think very little of themselves. We can, but the great scandal is that we often do not. To say so is not to be a pessimist, but a realist. We are not demons, but we're not angels. The truth is that men and women are very good and also very bad. This is humanity's true crisis. We have somehow lost our way. We know what we ought to do, but we don't do it. Our problem is not with law-making (we've made plenty) but with law-breaking. We're on the wrong road and we don't know how to turn around. This is the tragedy worse than war, for it is the root of all wars. Some, reading this, might still wonder if I am not trying to destroy their "faith in humanity." That depends. If by 'faith' they mean "overall swell opinion," then I think that would have to go for simple honesty's sake. They could use 'faith' the way the religious do, to mean 'sober trust' or 'deep confidence.' If so, and they mean to place all their trust in our ability to solve our own problems or create meaning, then I must admit I do hope that faith is destroyed. I hope it is blown to bits. Not because I don't 'like' it, not even because it isn't true, but because it is a powerful delusion. Whether we're talking about a vague 'humanity' or the particular you and me, the idea that we have what it takes to heal ourselves is the biggest scam that ever won over the human race. It must be completely obliterated. If however, by 'faith' is meant hope, or the expectant desire that there is a solution to our problems and there is meaning to our lives, then I would never want to destroy that. That hope should exist because there is reason for humanity to hope. But before we can hope for escape we must know we are in prison. We will look at the reason to hope next week.

The Setonian
News

Protesters now and then

April 7

With the current war in Iraq magnifying anti-war activity on campus, several Tufts professors have commented that a range of both similarities and differences exist between the current campus anti-war movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement of the late 1960s. The protesting tradition at Tufts that began with the Vietnam War nearly 30 years ago initiated the change in campus activist movements. After the first anti-war protests, a noticeable difference existed on campus, according to University Professor Sol Gittleman. "In the 1950s it was Pleasantville," he said. "You'll never get it that way again; we've gotten what we always wanted to have -- diversity." Campus activism during Vietnam was just the beginning. Students and faculty have since protested everything from a lack of racial minorities in Tufts construction crews to a wave of dorm drug busts. Although they have not always been as successful as they might wish, activists have left a profound mark on Tufts, as well as the nation. Current students may scoff at rallies of only a couple hundred students marching around campus. However, even during the 1960s, at schools such as the University of California at Berkeley -- a focal point for many anti-Vietnam protests -- a majority of the campus was never involved in protesting, said Marty Sherwin, a History professor at Tufts. In fact, according to physics professor and Tufts Coalition to Opposing the War in Iraq (TCOWI) organizer Gary Goldstein, "we now have more support for this particular political issue than we have had for a long time. Student involvement is going up and up." But, he said, "it took years to build up to [this] level." Faculty involvement has also been a factor in campus activism, both now and in the past. This year, professors helped found and organize TCOWI and expressed their opposition to the war in other ways. Although Goldstein feels that the anti-War movement is really student-led, and that the professors and students interact as peers in TCOWI, he admitted that "there is right now more faculty involvement than there has been for a while." "The war is very much with us, so people want to do something with it," he said. Gittleman, however, feels that this is nothing out of the ordinary, and that faculty generally do get involved in protest movements. "They believe this is an inalienable right," he said, linking this attitude to the creation of the tenure system in the 1950s. "With tenure came security." Comparisons to past protests are inevitable, Gittleman said. "There is a certain amount of reliving." At the same time, Sherwin said, today's protests are not merely imitations of past protests, but follow in a "very important tradition." The timing is also different. The anti-war movement in the case of Vietnam did not begin until the United States had been involved for many years -- whereas the current movement preceded the conflict. Additionally, the wars themselves are very different, Sherwin said. "Different in every way, except that we're getting in where we don't belong," he said. There are, of course, many similarities as well. "There's a big similarity in the David and Goliath aspect -- and David won the last time," Gittleman said. While some aspects of protests have remained the same -- such as the type of moratorium on classes held in March, which Goldstein said "occurred many times" before -- other parts of activism have changed profoundly over the years, namely at the organizational level. Technology is a factor that has changed the activist movement profoundly. This "mind boggling" phenomenon, as Gittleman phrased it, has allowed organizers to instantly be in touch with a long list of followers. It has also allowed for national and worldwide coordination -- as was seen earlier this year at the Feb. 15 protests in New York against the then-impending war on Iraq. According to Goldstein, protests in the past centered more on "individual action" undertaken by campuses, as opposed to the national organization and communication seen today.

The Setonian
News

Life with Joey

April 7

It was during my freshman year here at Tufts that I figured it out: as diverse as our campus claims to be, there is one common thread that binds the entire Tufts community. It's the sentiment that the Tufts shuttle, or as many like to call it, the Joey, is the worst thing ever. Ok, maybe the feelings aren't as harsh as I am making them out to be, but I like to complain. My freshman year, my family made the trek up from CT to do the generic parents weekend thing -- take a cheesy tour of campus, visit my dorm room (of course I had remembered to take down all of the incriminating dorm party photos), and then take the obligatory trip to Fire and Ice in Harvard Square. As I was still pretty new to the whole Tufts thing, I assured my family that Harvard Square was just a hop, skip and a jump away. "All we have to do is catch the shuttle and it'll take us right to the T." Forty-five minutes later, my shivering family stepped aboard the giant beast and plopped down on those cold orange seats. Needless to say, the parents were not too happy. Where was this "easy access" to Boston that they told us about in the info session one year prior? This incident was the start of an ongoing battle between me and Joey. I felt betrayed, angry, and became cynical. Joey became a dark cloud that loomed every time I tried to get off campus. Did it really have to take two hours to make a trip to Osco? There had to be a better way. A lot of people told me to stop being lazy and to suck it up and walk to Davis. First of all, these people must not have taken into consideration the lazy factor. But even for those of us who are not lazy (a rare breed), isn't this what our money is paying for? Sometimes walking to and from Davis is just not a choice. This brings me to my second anecdote -- the Easter weekend betrayal. My family had planned a trip to Aruba, and I was to meet up with them to tag along. Suitcase in hand, I excitedly grabbed my train ticket and waited for Joey. As I waited in Olin, dark clouds started to gather and I knew that was a bad sign. As the rain poured, I realized that 40 minutes had passed with no Joey. My heart started pounding -- I was going to miss my train. It was too late for me to try to drag my suitcase all the way to Davis. Beads of sweat began to form and I started panicking. Fortunately, Joey appeared. And when I got to my train, it was a scene out of a movie. I literally jumped on as the doors shut behind me. "Joey will pay for this," I thought. Since the Easter weekend betrayal, relations between Joey and me had only gotten worse. I began to investigate Joey's flaky behavior. I discovered why Joey was always late; he was taking unnecessarily long breaks at the campus center. It made sense -- after the shuttle appeared at Olin, why would it take forever for it to make it to Davis? It was almost like the Bermuda Triangle, as the whereabouts of the Joey were a mystery to us all. Joey was taking excessively long bathroom breaks, chatting on his cell phone, and sometimes would just stand there! Joey said that he was just waiting to pick up as many students as possible. I muttered underneath my breath "What about those poor students who are waiting inside Denise's, who are being forced to buy ice cream just so that they don't have to wait outside in the cold? You have a duty to serve all of us, not just the campus center crowd." Joey was lazy and taking too many breaks. To my horror, I also realized that Joey was reckless and violent. I would hear urban legends (though they may be true) that he would nick the bumpers of cars parked in the Carmichael parking lot and in front of Miller. He didn't feel bad about it. What's worse is Joey's disregard for human life. This brings me to another incident -- the old lady fall. One sunny day, I was waiting in line to exit the Joey in Davis. Suddenly the bus started to move and I heard a scream. The driver had taken her foot off the break, "accidentally" as an elderly woman was stepping off the bus. One injury report later, I realized, this was not ok. I returned from Thanksgiving break my sophomore year to have my last confrontation (or lack thereof) with Joey. Heavy bags in hand, I excitedly stepped out of the T station and waited for Joey to bring me back to Jumbo-land. After 45 minutes, I began to hear rumors that Joey was not running that day. My heart sank when I found out that this was true. Along with a herd of angry students, I dragged my suitcase all the way back to campus. What was Joey thinking? My rocky relationship with Joey ended there. I finally brought my car to campus. I was glad to have cut off all ties with Joey, as my car treats me right. I am writing this Viewpoint for all of those victims who are still experiencing the lazy and erratic behavior of Joey. Just remember that we all feel your pain, and if we band together, maybe Joey will learn that this is not ok. Dena Asaad is a junior majoring in Biology and Spanish.

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Taking issue with the April Fool's issue

April 7

I have a lot of respect for the Daily staff and I recognize how much effort is required to produce a daily newspaper. However, upon reading the April Fools Daily, I was absolutely appalled. I think that much of the content of the paper was completely inappropriate and should never have been printed. The issue specifically targeted individuals on our campus and unnecessarily ridiculed them. While I expect this type of amateur and inappropriate ridicule from certain publications on campus, I am ashamed that our Daily newspaper would succumb to this temptation. I would ask that in the future, the Daily remembers that these individuals are members of our community and deserve our respect. It is disrespectful to ridicule someone in a publication where he or she does not have the opportunity to defend him or herself. I would like to clarify that I am not writing this letter in defense of specific individuals. It is important for everyone on campus to feel comfortable enough to step forward and advocate on behalf of issues that are important to them without fearing that they will be targeted and mocked in our community newspaper. And it should go without saying that individuals must be able to be active in our community without fearing that the Daily will explicitly refer to their breasts. I am specifically referring to the letter written to Abby Moffat from Andrew Potts on the Viewpoints page. The Tufts Daily is a newspaper and April Fools is no excuse to stoop to the lowest common denominator. Some jokes just are not funny. I find it upsetting and embarrassing that a university publication sunk to the level of sex jokes, objectification, and personal mockery to get a laugh. Sarah Klevan (LA '03)

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The Kid should call it quits

April 7

Ken Griffey, Jr. should call it a career. It's as simple as that. With 469 home runs, 1,359 RBIs and a .295 batting average -- if Junior were to hold a press conference announcing his retirement today, it would conclude what is undoubtedly a Hall of Fame career. Plain and simple -- Griffey doesn't need this any more. Ever since coming over to the Cincinnati Reds he has battled injury after injury and criticism after criticism. His latest injury, a separated shoulder, resulted from an all-out dive to catch a fly ball on Saturday. We'll soon hear that Griffey should have known better than to dive for the ball. And if he didn't dive, we would have heard that he should have. Hell, even before coming to Cincinnati when he was still the Michael Jordan of baseball, Griffey was constantly criticized. In 1994, current Texas Rangers manger and then New York Yankees skipper Buck Showalter lambasted Griffey for "sloppy dressing." More specifically he felt that Griffey was disrespecting the game by wearing his hat backwards during warm ups and in the All-Star Game's Home Run Contest. Give me a break. Griffey was a care free kid who loved baseball. Who can ever forget Griffey rounding third base in the 11th inning of Game Five of the 1995 ALDS and the pure unadulterated joy on his face as he was mobbed by teammates? It was in large part because of this scene that the Seattle Mariners received funding for a new stadium, allowing them to remain in Seattle. Everyone seems to ignore the fact that Griffey, along with Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez, saved baseball in the Pacific Northwest. It was because of Griffey's skill and charisma that I jumped on his bandwagon back in 1990 when Seattle was in the midst of 15 straight losing seasons, a streak which began in 1977, the team's inaugural year. The Mariners weren't even on the radar screen before Griffey came to town. But, because of him, people like me started paying attention to the Mariners. Throughout the 1990s Griffey was not only the best player in the Majors, but also was the League's most engaging, charismatic and marketable commodity. For those reasons, and because they were both exceptional center fielders, Griffey was rightfully compared to the greatest all around player of all-time -- Willie Mays. Then before the last year of his contract, Griffey told the Mariners that he wasn't going to resign with them. He didn't have to do that. He could have played out the season in Seattle, before leaving for a top dollar contract elsewhere. But, Seattle wasn't the issue and neither was money. So he gave the Mariners a chance to get something in return for him, instead of losing him for nothing in free agency. He wanted to play for a team closer to his family -- his wife and children lived in Orlando and his parents lived in Cincinnati, Griffey's hometown. In the words of Peter Gammons, "Is there something wrong with a superstar whose family is this important? Not hardly. In a society rotted by family dysfunction, Griffey is family." Yet, for some reason, Griffey was tarred and feathered for this. After the trade, instead of demanding a contract which would have made him the highest paid player in the game, which he should have been considering as he was the best player in the game, Griffey settled for a nine year $116.5 million deal -- at least $30 million less then the Mariners offered him. $57.5 million of the contract was deferred money which meant that he would earn between nine and ten million dollars in present day value for the duration of the agreement. Consider that in 1999, Kevin Brown signed a seven year $105 million dollar contract with the Dodgers, which paid him an average salary of $15 million per year. Brown wasn't even the best pitcher in the game at the time and has missed most of the past two years with injuries, but for some reason he is nothing more than an afterthought in the minds of critics. Griffey's contract was such a bargain for the Reds that Scott Boras -- the agent who got Alex Rodriguez the $252 million dollar contract said, "If the player owns a Rolls-Royce and he chooses to sell it at Volkswagen prices, that's his right." In other words, the Reds found themselves the bargain of the century. Players and agents were unhappy with Griffey for not breaking the bank and establishing a new market. Again, he was vilified. In his first season in the National League, after 11 in the American League, Griffey suffered a "down year," as he hit a mere .271 with 40 home runs and 118 RBIs. Give the man a break, this would have been a career year for 99.9 percent of the players in Major League history and he did all this while adjusting to a new league. But, Griffey has been unable to build off the promising beginning to his Reds' career. Over the past two years he has battled injuries. In the final week of spring training 2001, Griffey tore his hamstring and then in the sixth game of the 2002 campaign, he tore a tendon in his right knee, while being caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. During this time, Griffey has been blasted for his conditioning. To these eyes he hasn't looked out of shape. And as the old saying goes, "it's easy to hit a man when he is down." Who knows what his training regiment includes? One thing is certain, however, it does not include steroids and may not even include amino acids, creatine or any other body building supplements en vogue among his colleagues today. Take a look at Griffey in 1989, and then look at him now. He looks pretty much the same. Look at Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds (to name a few) now, and compare them to how they looked during their rookie seasons. Each one has put on a ton of muscle and while they may have done it legitimately, there have to be some questions about how they and so many others have gotten so big so fast. You can't even tell that Sosa is the same person that he was in his rookie year. Nobody has ever accused Griffey of using any of these "get big quick" techniques. Yet, he is routinely criticized for not caring about his body. Perhaps, we should compliment Griffey for his obvious refusal to cave in to the pressure to take steroids or supplements, a clear sign that he does in fact care about his body and his future. Another slap in the face came during the off-season when Reds GM Jim Bowden tried to trade him for Phil Nevin, who has had two good seasons in his very mediocre career. Griffey doesn't need this disrespect anymore. He is already a first ballot Hall of Famer. No, he doesn't have a championship ring, but neither do many stars. It's time for him to take off his spikes for good. Maybe when he is gone people will finally appreciate him for what he was -- the best player of the 1990s and one of the best players of all time.

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Class of 2007 lowest acceptance rate ever

April 7

Undergraduate admission to the University has become more competitive than ever this year. Over 14,500 students applied, marking the largest applicant pool and the lowest acceptance rate (22 percent) in Tufts history, according to Dean of Admissions David Cuttino. Tufts proved to be a popular destination this year as students from 3,607 high schools in all 50 states and more than 100 countries applied for admissions. Candidates were admitted from nearly 1,700 high schools in all 50 states and 74 countries. "The achievements and the abilities of these students are impressive," Cuttino said. The admissions office accepted 2,596 Liberal Arts students and 550 Engineering students. Of the admitted students the middle 50 percent range for SAT I scores was 640-750 verbal and 660-750 math for Liberal Arts students and 640-730 verbal and 710-780 math for Engineering students. The average class rank for these students was seven percent for Liberal Arts and six percent for Engineers and nearly one quarter of the students admitted were in the top one percent of their high school class. Just over 51 percent of the applicants who ranked number one in their class were admitted. And 46 percent of students who ranked first, second, or third were accepted. Almost 48 percent of admitted students had SAT I verbal scores greater than 700 and 59 percent had SAT I math scores greater than 700 The Class of 2007 maintained the admissions office's current emphasis on diversity -- English is not a first language for 28 percent of the admitted students. Fifty-six percent of the Class of 2007 applied from public schools, 38 percent from private schools, and five percent from religious schools. According to Cuttino, more than 17 percent of admitted students are foreign citizens, permanent residents or US citizens living in other countries. Nearly six percent of admitted students are dual citizens. The most frequently represented states among admitted students are New York and Massachusetts; California and New Jersey followed and were equally represented. For foreigners, the most frequently represented countries are China, Turkey, South Korea, Canada, England, France, and Japan. Nine percent of admitted students are African American, ten percent are Latino, 18 percent are Asian American, and 11 students are Native American. Whitney West, an applicant from Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Omaha, Nebraska, was not admitted into the Class of 2007 at Tufts. Her credentials included a 1490 on the SAT I, a 32 on the ACT, an A minus average, co-editor in chief of her school's newspaper, and a member of the Varsity swimming and tennis teams for four years. "I was very disappointed at the admissions decision, but I understand that the Class of 2007 is highly competitive and I have moved on and am looking forward to attending either New York University, George Washington University, or Middlebury College," West said. The most frequently represented academic interests are International Affairs, Biology, Economics, English, and "undecided." This year's applicant pool also reflected an increasingly technological process, as more than 97 percent listed an e-mail address and 43 percent of admitted students submitted their applications electronically.

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New urbanism coming to Wellington Circle

April 7

A development project on a 15.6 acre parcel of land in Medford's Wellington Circle will bring hotels, office, and retail space to the area. The project, which will be undertaken by National Development, a Newton-based development company, is in the process of being approved by city officials. Last week Ted Tye, a managing partner of the firm, took Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn and several city council members on a virtual walk-though of the project. The development will be a landmark of a new architectural trend called "new urbanism," according to Tye and McGlynn. The term refers to a replacement of the traditional main street. McGlynn is not particularly worried that this enormous development will change the dynamic of Medford. "Medford is already very diverse and hopefully this will make it more of a destination point [for retired couples]." The piece of land is zoned for 1.1 million square feet of office, hotel, and retail space. However there is little demand for office space and the square foot price is dropping. Tye says that now there will be 650 residential units, small restaurants, retail stores, and a hotel. There are also plans for a retirement facility and McGlynn added that "we hope to add assisted living for senior citizens." Sidewalk caf?©s may even be created, said McGlynn, because with 40-foot wide sidewalks it becomes much more practical than in the rest of the city. The location on the Mystic River will also make the new development an attraction. The prospective audience to welcome this kind of development includes young working professionals, retired Medford residents who want to stay in Medford but sell their houses, and possibly even some Tufts faculty, Tye said. Both McGlynn and Tye are highly optimistic about the project and the impact it will have on Wellington Circle and Medford. Tye said that this development could "allow the city to become a model community." It is a form of "smart growth" and more housing leads to increased tax dollars in addition to "breathing new life into both Wellington and Medford." According to Tye, Wellington Circle is an area where one can "live, work and play." The Orange Line runs through the circle and will provide easy access to commuters into Boston, he said. One hang-up of the project, however, is what McGlynn refers to as "antiquated liquor laws." Currently for a restaurant to obtain a liquor license, there must be seating for 250 people. The liquor laws reflect the trend in the 1950s and 60s of building huge restaurants. McGlynn says that now "it's about time to lower [the required seating capacity] to 99." But the Mayor is not worried about getting the legislation passed, saying that it will provide big opportunities for both the new development and the Meadowglenn Mall. A big part of the project relies on the existence of small caf?©s and bistros. McGlynn is ready to present a petition to the city council that wants to deliberate the legislation. The project is currently continuing forward according to McGlynn who has thus far not heard anything negative about the project. McGlynn, however, still wants "to make sure it doesn't overcrowd the circle." So far all National Development has shown the council are sketches and the virtual walk-through. McGlynn wants to see concrete plans and "the character of the neighborhood" before pushing ahead with the development. National Development obtained the land in Wellington Circle earlier this year from Deutsche Bank who received it after Cabot, Cabot and Forbes defaulted on a loan. However before National Development purchased the land there was dialogue with the city in order to obtain theoretical approval of its plan.

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Jumbos dominate Middlebury Invitational

April 7

While the 14th Annual Middlebury Invitational was a showcase for many different teams, Tufts and the Middlebury Panthers proved to be the dominant squads amongst a field which also included the University of Vermont, Union College, and Hamilton College. Although the outcome had no bearing on their league record, the Jumbos took five of the six singles and doubles matches in the tournament. The finals of all of the flights in the tournament featured the face-offs between the Panthers and the Jumbos. In an illustration of Tufts' dominance, junior Barclay Gang defeated a fellow Jumbo, freshman Becky Bram, 6-1, 6-2 to win Flight A singles. "Barclay is playing the best tennis I've ever seen her play," senior co-captain Iffy Saeed said. "I think she only had about two unforced errors that whole match. It was really amazing to watch." Gang's surge did not end there, as she and sophomore Neda Pisheva proceeded to take the Flight A doubles title as well, defeating junior Sandy Spring and senior Ariella Neville of Middlebury 8-5. The Jumbos' doubles sweep continued with senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom and senior Emily Warshauer battling to an 8-6 Flight B win over Panther juniors Nina Popel and Jenna Siegel. The Flight C match was not as close, as Saeed and sophomore Ashley Weisman took out sophomore Jeannie McIntosh and junior Kristin Baker 8-3. Though the score did not show it, that win did not come easily. "I was battling a sinus infection all weekend," Saeed said. "I had to default from the singles draw because I was just too sick. But I should be ready for our next match." The lone Jumbo finals loss came in the Flight C singles, where Saeed had made the semis before dropping out. Sophomore Trina Spear made it to the finals, and put up a fight against junior Panther Kristin Baker. Spear was down 6-4 in the final set before battling back to take the next game, and then finally faltering 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. In the other singles final, Nordstrom beat Middlebury's Popel 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. All in all, Saeed felt the team played its best tennis in the tournament. "We had an awesome weekend," Saeed said. "From freshmen to seniors, we really couldn't have asked for much more." She added that it is certainly more than singles play driving the team's momentum. "We have worked so hard on our doubles, and it has really paid off. If we can execute in those matches, cooperating with one another, it should carry over to our singles success," Saeed said. Coach Jim Watson echoed those sentiments. "This was just the way we want the team to be playing as we look ahead to Williams and Amherst," Watson said. Before worrying about their NESCAC rivals, though, the undefeated Jumbos must head to Brandeis University on Thursday for a 4 p.m. showdown with the 5-2 Judges. Though this is not a league match, but Watson doesn't want it to be overlooked. "[Brandeis] has improved considerably and has become a lot more competitive over the past few years," Watson said. "We can't take them lightly, and the old clich?© goes that you have to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead. But honestly, Brandeis really will be a great tune-up for Williams and Amherst." With the Ephs and the Lord Jeffs at the forefront of their minds, the Jumbos cannot afford to have any slipups before those matches. Confidence is an important characteristic to have on your side, and the way to maintain it is not only through good performance, but also through keeping the best players healthy. "Jen Lejb was sick last week and now Iffy is a little under the weather," Watson said. "While we have the depth to overcome sickness or injury, we would rather have everyone healthy as we try to make it to the Nationals." The National tournament consists of the top eight teams in Div. III and will be held at the University of Redlands in southern California. In the most recent poll, the Jumbos are ranked seventh in the country.

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TV: the new game

April 7

March Madness, Opening Day of the 2003 MLB (Major League Baseball) season, the Masters (golf) tournament, the beginning of the NHL playoffs and the final few games of the NBA season. All are events in the sporting world taking place concurrently in the cold months of April. And all of them are on television. Sports and television make fantastic bedfellows. They live in a symbiotic world, feeding off of each other and twisting their futures together in a double-helix of commercial entertainment. The weekly sporting spectacular created specifically for television, Monday Night Football, enters its 33rd year on ABC, a product of the combined genius of Roone Arledge, head of ABC Sports, and Pete Rozelle, commissioner of the NFL. As a favor to the FOX network for airing its games, the MLB is strongly considering changing the frivolous nature of its All-Star Game from being a simple exhibition to deciding which league gets home-field advantage for the World Series. Of course, an All-Star game with a greater significance will yield higher ratings and more advertising dollars for FOX. So, for better or for worse, television shapes the way professional sports are conducted. March Madness, also known as the NCAA Basketball College Championship, concluded last night after two and a half weeks of thrilling basketball. The 65-team single-elimination tournament is tailor-made for television, with small private universities and large state schools all vying for the championship. CBS' knowledgeable and vibrant broadcast teams, like the headliners Billy Packer and Jim Nantz, offer great insight into each and every matchup. The theme song for "Road to the Final Four" serves as a melodious reminder to every sports fan to throw on their college hoodies and root for their alma mater (unless, of course, your school does not place a heavy emphasis on athletics and instead opts for Div. III standing). The Masters, professional golf's most prestigious event, begins Thursday in Augusta, Georgia on CBS. Yet the biggest story this year is not who can beat the unstoppable Tiger Woods, but what will happen between the months-long struggle between Martha Burk and Hootie Johnson. Burk, the chairwoman of the National Organization for Women (NOW) is the leader of a crusade to boycott the annual golfing event because the Augusta National Golf Club, the host for the Masters, is a private, males-only club that is discriminatory towards women. As the president of the club, Johnson has remained stoic in support of his club's constitutional rights to accept whomever they please. Burk has been partially successful in her campaign, as CBS has decided to air the tournament without commercials. This should make for an unprecedented television event and hopefully make the Masters an even more exciting event. We wait to see which match-up will be more exhilarating: Tiger vs. the field or Martha vs. Hootie. The baseball season began last week with a whimper and a snow storm. The Red Sox's "closer by committee" strategy fell apart in their games against the Devil Rays, as shown on NESN (New England Sports Network). NESN will be airing the majority of Sox games, and the remainder will be shown on UPN38 Boston. In addition, ESPN, "the worldwide leader in sports," will have its traditional Wednesday and Sunday Night Baseball games, the latter of which showcases the acclaimed broadcaster John Miller. Miller, formerly the radio broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles, currently serves as the regular color commentator for the San Francisco Giants in addition to his ESPN gig. FOX will begin airing weekend games starting in the summer in addition to the All-Star game and the playoffs in the fall. For those who can't get enough of the American pastime, TBS airs most of the Atlanta Braves' games. Every night, regardless of how many exams there are to study for and how many papers there are to write, there will always be a baseball game on television to distract you for a few hours. The NHL and the NBA are winding down their seasons as the weather -- supposedly -- turns warmer. As the sickest and poorest sport of the Big Four (the Eastern Conference Champion Ottawa Senators declared bankruptcy earlier this year), hockey could use an exciting Stanley Cup playoffs to reinvigorate its fan base. Yet, even then, the games won't be seen by many viewers, as the bulk of games will be shown on ESPN and ESPN2. The NHL is an endangered specie on television, and it's a shame that a sport like hockey which is incredibly exciting in person, is a dreadful bore on television. Hockey will likely lose air time to the NBA playoffs which begin in a week, also on ABC/ESPN. Games will also be shown on TNT, as they have been on Thursday nights for this past season. TNT's broadcasting team has been fantastic this season, especially Charles Barkley, who is emerging as a full-fledged talking head, spewing snippets of wisdom and humor with every breath. Hopefully, the biggest games won't be shoved onto the cable channels, like the NBA All-Star game was this winter. The NBA deserves the chance to prove it is a better product than March Madness, and will only have that opportunity if shown on primetime ABC. The humongous influence of sports on television and vice versa is visible practically everywhere and any time on television. The average channel surfer will see ESPN, FSN, ESPN2, ESPNClassic, ESPNNEWS, YES, MSG, NESN, and this list of networks goes on...and on. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a baseball game on TV, and I have work to do. Play ball!

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Strong opposition to Alumni Association's award revocation

April 6

In the three weeks that have followed since the Alumni Association revoked Liz Monnin's Seniors Award, the body has faced intense criticism from students, faculty, and alumni, who said it failed to recognize protest as a form of leadership and limited students' rights to free speech at Tufts. In February, the Alumni Association informed Monnin, a prominent campus activist and a co-chair of the Tufts Feminist Alliance, that she would receive the award, and then reversed the decision just three weeks later after learning about her involvement in protests at the Fares lecture on Feb. 26. A letter from the Association characterized Monnin's protest involvement during former President George Bush's speech as "inappropriate and offensive." The "Seniors Award" is one of 12 awards that will be given this weekend by the Alumni Association to seniors who have demonstrated "potential for leadership." Alumni and a group of 40 faculty and staff members have sent letters to President Larry Bacow opposing the association's actions. Sixty-three students and alumni have also signed a pledge circulating on the Internet to withhold funds from the Alumni Association until officials apologize to Monnin and return the award. According to opponents of the decision, the Association's revocation is hypocritical because protest involvement is itself a demonstration of leadership. "Standing up against the status quo requires both fortitude and conviction, attributes that any good leader possesses," said senior Kristen Loureiro. Other Seniors Award recipients said they felt similarly, and questioned the Association's characterization of leadership qualities. Opponents explained that that protest involvement and organization are activities that could help students prepare to succeed later in life. "Organizing and activism is work and takes certain skills and talents," said English Professor Sonia Hofkosh, who signed a letter sent to Bacow. "Certainly there are jobs in which those skills and talents would be much valued." The faculty's letter to Bacow stated, "We can think of no demonstration of the 'potential for leadership as an alumna,' a key criterion of the revoked award, stronger than the decision Liz Monnin and others made to express their position on current political events in the form of public protest." But it was the manner in which Monnin protested that offended many. "I feel that dissent should be respectful and that people should not be interrupted or jeered," said Susan Yost (J '75). "I disagree with many of former President Bush's decisions, but he still deserves courtesy." At Bush's speech, Monnin was one of the five students who held up signs and began to chant while Bush spoke. The sign they held, which read "gyms are for soccer, not for warmongers," was intended to express opposition against the then-impending war in Iraq, according to Monnin, as well as the domestic and foreign policies of Bush Sr.'s administration. The offensive nature of Bush's speech, which included references to quieting protestors with duct tape, was what made many in the audience support the allegedly rude actions of protesters that day. According to physics professor Gary Goldstein, Monnin's actions were appropriate, "given what [Bush] was saying." "The people inside who might have made noise did nothing illegal," said Goldstein, who protested outside on the day of the speech. "They might have offended somebody's sensibilities. But the presence of George Bush offends some of my sensibilities." Others felt that interrupting the speech was essential to getting their point across. "Of course our actions were disrespectful and rude -- that was the point," said senior Louis Esparza, one of drafters and signers of the pledge. In fact, many feel that the actions of those who protested inside the speech were justified because of the intense effort on the part of speech organizers to keep protesters outside at bay. Protesters who were originally told that they would be within vision of Bush as he entered the gymnasium were disappointed when police barricades brought their march to a halt outside Curtis Hall, several hundred feet away from where the speech was taking place, Goldstein said. "Barriers and riot police goaded people," Goldstein said. "Those of us who were outside trying to protest had a very difficult time." Thus the extra steps that had to be taken by those who protested inside to demand that their voices be heard may have been justified, he said. "Sometimes you've got to be loud if those who refuse to listen are going to hear even the tiniest squeak of dissent," Hofkosh said. The Alumni Association has refused to comment further on the controversy, only saying that complaints from students, professors and administrators prompted it to revoke the award. Bush's position as a former President caused many to debate the level of respect that he should, or should not, have been given. "I think it's important to show respect for the office and respect for the office holder even if one disagrees with what they say," Yost said. But some reasoned that the former President's achievements were exactly what made him a target for protest. "It is a different situation when you register protest against powerful figures who are symbols of the prevailing power structure as opposed to, say, harassing individuals as private citizens who do things you may not agree with," Hofkosh said. Some critics of the Alumni Association's decision have suggested that the award was revoked because Monnin protested at such a high-profile event. "The Fares lecture is designed to get important donors together," explained Goldstein. "And when there is any disruption of that, [speech organizers] overreact." In Goldstein's view, the administration has a tendency to reward actions by students that have no political basis. Alumni who were also opposed to the decision are mobilizing as well. "Tufts should support rather than censure debate," wrote Charles Simpson '63 in a letter to Bacow. "Instead, the Alumni Association punished Ms. Monnin in order to send a message to students on 'The Hill' that they should either support the war against Iraq or stand in silence."

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Williams game postponed; Men's Lacrosse prepares for Middlebury

April 6

On Saturday the men's lacrosse team traveled three hours to Williamstown, only to turn around and come back. Wintry weather and a soggy field at Williams College forced officials to postpone the contest -- which would have been the team's third NESCAC game of the season -- to an undetermined date later this season. While the postponement gave the Jumbos a weekend off in a busy spring season, it will also leave them a week removed from their last game when they take on the Middlebury Panthers at home on Wednesday. "I think either way we would have been fine," senior tri-captain Alex Kerwin said. "We were ready to play, and it was disappointing to drive all the way out there, wait two hours, and then come back. But it's nice to have a break." No date has been set for the makeup, but the team already has a game scheduled for every Saturday and every Wednesday until the NESCAC playoffs start on Sunday Apr. 27. "I think we definitely would have rather played the game," said sophomore and leading goal scorer Bryan Griffin. "It would have kept more continuity to the season, playing every Wednesday and Saturday. Now we have to move the game, and maybe play two days back to back." Williams, currently 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the NESCAC with wins over Bates and Colby, would likely have been the Jumbos toughest test so far this season. But now the team shifts its focus to Middlebury and what is certain to be its biggest challenge to date. Middlebury enters the game as the defending national champions, with a ranking of sixth in the nation in the latest LaxPower.com College Coaches-Computer Rating. Tufts is ranked 24th on that same list. The Panthers are 6-1 on the season, with their only loss coming in an away game against perennial powerhouse Gettysburg, 7-6. They have not allowed more than eight goals in any game, and have scored an average of 13.6 goals per game, including a 22-goal outburst against Union. Despite Middlebury's daunting resume, the Jumbos say that they are not intimidated. "We're not treating them any differently than we treat anybody else," Griffin said. "We're preparing the same exact way." The Jumbos too have put together an impressive season thus far with a 5-1 record, 2-0 in the NESCAC. Though they have struggled somewhat with fundamentals including ground balls and clears, the Jumbos have held their two opponents, Trinity and Bowdoin, to five goals apiece. "Our defense has been unbelievable," Griffin said. "The zone defense has really helped a lot. It makes the time of possession a little lopsided, but anytime you hold two NESCAC teams to five goals, that's impressive." The defense, anchored by senior tri-captains Dave Richman and Mike Morley, has only allowed more than eight goals in one game, in an 18-10 loss to Eastern Connecticut. And with sophomore goalie Luke Chicco stopping 71.7 percent of the shots that get through, it is reasonable to believe that the Jumbos can contain Middlebury's attack. Tufts' attack has also been strong, despite somewhat low-scoring games against Trinity and Bowdoin. Sophomore David Taylor leads the team with 24 total points, while Griffin is second with 22, but leads the team with 17 goals. After 20 points in his first four games, Griffin's production has slowed, with only two points in the last two contests. "I've had a lot of opportunities, I just haven't finished them all," Griffin said. "But as long as we're winning I don't even care." Both the defense and offense will have their hands full against Middlebury. Tufts has not beat Middlebury since the Jumbos joined the NESCAC in 2001, and lost last season 17-6 in Vermont. Though they are treating the game as they would any other, the players are certainly aware of whom they are playing. "Yeah it's a regular season game, and I think that we would all like to beat them in the postseason more than anything," Kerwin said. "But I think if we were to win this game, it would be huge for this team and this program."

The Setonian
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Bruins vs. Devils: There could be a few surprises

April 6

The Boston Bruins roller coaster of a season ended last week, to the sigh of relief of Bruins fans everywhere. The team started off the year as the best in the East. But then the Ottawa Senators passed them. Then the Philadelphia Flyers. Then the New Jersey Devils. And so on, until they clinched the seventh seed in their final game against the Buffalo Sabres with an 8-5 barn burner. That means the Bruins' first round playoff match will be against the playoff ready Martin Brodeur and his Devils. The series looks like a giveaway to the Devils because of their playoff history, Brodeur's Olympic gold medal and Stanely Cup rings, and a coach who's actually coached NHL games before. The Bruins have none of these. What the Bruins do have is an understanding of how a low seed can pop off the higher one, a lesson taught to them by last year's Montreal Canadiens. And if the season series between the two teams is any indication (which it usually isn't), Boston might be in better shape than previously thought. The series went in the Devils favor with a 1-2-1 record for Boston, but every game was a one-goal affair. The big decision for the Bruins is who they are going to go with in the net to face the mighty Brodeur. Jeff Hackett has been out of the picture for the last few weeks as he rests a broken finger, leaving Steve Shields to take over who has been playing just fine. In fact, he's been playing so fine that Hackett might be out of a starter's position when he gets back. It would be the right call if O'Connell gives the job to Shields instead of Hackett. A large part of playing well in the playoffs is confidence going in, especially confidence in your goalie. Shields has played very well down the stretch, and it would behoove O'Connell to go with the hot hand instead of resting his team's playoff chances on a cold goalie who hasn't touched a puck in weeks. But the last game against the lowly Sabres really brought home this team's weaknesses. When Shields let in two goals on seven shots and was subsequently pulled, backup Steve Thomas did not fare too much better, letting in three goals in 18 shots. It is good to see speedy sniper Sergei Samsonov back on the ice, he finished the game with a goal and an assist in his first game back. Boston is going to need to watch its own end very carefully with the Devils, the type of team that loves to pounce on mistakes. The 1-1 tie between New Jersey and Boston last week was a good sign, though, proving that Boston can play a tight defensive game if need be. But defense starts in net, and the game was a tie only because Shields stopped 28 of 29 shots. If he plays like he played in Buffalo, woe to the Bruins. The other good series in the East is going to be between the Flyers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. These two teams love to play tough, tight playoff games, and they especially love to throw lots of elbows. Toronto coach Pat Quinn is a great playoff performer, and we do not even need to mention the resume of revitalized Toronto goalie Ed Belfour. So what does Philly have to bring against the Leafs? Well, they do have Tony Amonte, who has lit the lamp more times than turn-of-the-century lamplighter. In recent years, the Flyers have had serious goal scoring issues, a problem that a goal-scoring Amonte can solve. Their next problem is goaltender Roman Chechmanek, who last year had a bit of a tiff with his teammates when he yelled at them for not scoring enough goals. But the team says that bygones are bygones, and that there is no bad blood between teammates. We will see how far that goodwill goes when the first signs of struggle comes to the team. The series that wins the best chance of being a blowout goes to the Ottawa Senators vs. New York Islanders matchup. True, the Senators have never exactly been known as playoff performers. But the Islanders are not the Toronto Maple Leafs -- a team that Ottawa loses to every single year -- and the Sens are much, much improved. They boast the best record in the NHL, an awesome goalie in Patrick Lalime, and some serious firepower. Depth might hurt Ottawa because of its low salary, but that shortfall should be made up by the fact that the Islanders are going into the playoffs with Garth Snow as the starting goalie. Never heard of him? Surprise, surprise. Snow is a journeyman, and has played well for stretches of time. But he could not be considered a go-to goalie, bouncing around the league like a rubber ball, playing in only one playoff series along the way -- going 8-4 for Philadelphia in 1997. So expect the worst for an Isles team that has not played well in recent weeks.

The Setonian
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Blazers back to old ways

April 6

Good Sign: Having a heated, competitive practice. Bad Sign: Having a heated, competitive practice that leads to one teammate punching another. Welcome back, Portland Trailblazers. Oh, how we've missed you and your antics. Inside the NBA has also appreciated your ability to amuse us. You guys are the team that brought us spitting on opponents, threatening referees, and holding down half the drug charges in the Portland area. Now, you show us how an NBA team holds rugby practice. First, it should be noted that on Mar. 29, rookie Qyntel Woods was pulled over for speeding (83 in a 55 zone) and cited for marijuana possession. Following the lead of veterans Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace, Woods is the third Blazer to be cited on such charges this year. However, all that seems like a walk in the park compared to what happened later in the week. On Apr. 2, Ruben Patterson got into an argument with Woods at the end of a heated practice. Zach Randolph, Woods' best friend on the team, thought it would be a good idea to jump to his buddy's defense by punching Patterson in the eye. Randolph was suspended for two games and fined $100,000. Not surprisingly, the team came out listless on Thursday and lost 93-88 to the Utah Jazz. Patterson, with his left eye swollen shut, tried to play but was ineffective and scoreless in ten minutes of play. So who are the victims here? Well, I feel for Patterson, as much as one feels for someone who has been arrested for sexually assaulting his kids' nanny, beating his wife, and punching someone who accidentally scratched his car. Mostly, I feel for Maurice Cheeks. When he was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, he probably thought he had his hands full with Allen Iverson. However, that situation probably seems downright breezy to Cheeks now compared to his current troubles. After all, AI never punched a teammate, and there was only one of him anyway, not a whole team. Cheeks was brilliant as an aide to Larry Brown in Philly, and definitely deserved a shot at a head coaching position. Unfortunately, when a position finally did open up and an owner did come calling for Cheeks, where was it but the NBA's own active volcano, the constantly erupting Trailblazers. Surely Cheeks knew what he was getting himself into, but if you're an assistant coach aspiring to be the main guy, and a head coaching position opens up, you have to grab it. So Cheeks did, and currently holds the reigns to the enigma. Of course, the Blazers are 47-28. If they can hold on to the fourth seed in the playoffs, grab home court advantage, and avoid facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, they could do some damage in the playoffs. And if this happens, their fans will forgive them, and ESPN will write a story on how they overcame all the adversity and trouble to come together as a team and make something special happen. Right. Quote of the Week: Jalen Rose actually said this two weeks ago and it slipped under the radar, but it was just too juicy to pass up. Rose, the former Indiana Pacers point guard whom the team traded to the Chicago Bulls last year, on its recent pickup of retired PG Tim Hardaway, noted that the Pacers must have been regretting their decision to trade Rose. And he said this right before the two teams clashed on Mar. 28. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 140-89. In 21 minutes on the floor, Hardaway shot 5-9 for 14 points to go with seven assists and three steals. Brad Miller, who came to Indiana in the Rose trade, had 22 pts and 11 rebounds. Rose shot 5-14 from the field. And the Pacers didn't seem too regretful.

The Setonian
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Maximum-performance munchies for marathon runners, athletes

April 6

Boston's marathon tradition gets downright presidential this year: on Apr. 19, University President Bacow -- along with 38 students, alumni, faculty and staff members -- will run the famed 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to downtown Boston. Even if you're not joining Bacow in the Boston Marathon next week, you should be aware that the amount and type of food you eat before a lengthy workout has a great impact on that workout's success. Although it is well known that working out burns calories, it is also very important to know how to provide your body with enough energy if you are an active athlete. Just because you are burning extensive calories does not mean that you should eat "whatever you want." If you are an active athlete, it is important to fuel your body properly, with sufficient calories and an adequate balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fats. Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., a local nutrition expert, has identified two goals for athletes such as marathon runners whose workouts last longer than 60 to 90 minutes. The first goal is to prevent dehydration; the second, to prevent a drop in blood sugar, which leads to muscle weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. First, some general guidelines to follow for a daily workout schedule: make sure you are well fueled [but not too full] before exercising. If you have not eaten in a while, a small snack -- a piece of fruit, a granola bar, a bit of pasta with chicken -- an hour before your workout may be all you need. If you are working out for longer than an hour, you should consume 30-60 grams of a carbohydrate-filled snack. Go for complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas rather than donuts or sugary foods. Other choices are a banana or an energy bar. If you do not tolerate food well while working out, you can always try the new "Goo" sports supplements or just stick to sports drinks. About eight ounces of a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade should provide you with the energy equivalent of a solid snack -- a calorie is a calorie to your body, whether it be from food or drink. Speaking of drink, it is very important to remain hydrated before, during, and after a workout. Remember to drink before you ever feel thirsty: the thirst mechanism is often unreliable for athletes. Eight glasses of water a day are not enough for individuals who work out extensively. Try to drink one to two cups of water before you work out. Drink another cup every 15-20 minutes throughout your workout. Don't forget to hydrate again as soon as your workout is complete! Chronic fatigue, headaches, and nausea are symptoms of dehydration. Keep in mind that caffeine has a natural dehydrating effect, so compensate for every drink of Coke, coffee, or tea with an equivalent amount of water. And now for the protein debate: consuming a great deal of proteins has not been proven to build muscle bulk. Protein does, however, build and repair tissues, help hair and nails grow, and produce red blood cells. Protein should comprise about 15 percent of your diet. A number of food sources contain protein, so do not feel that you need to gorge on meat products. For example, grains, milk products, beans, seeds, and legumes all contain proteins essential for body maintenance. Between 15 and 30 percent of your dietary intake should consist of fat. To figure out what percentage is right for you, multiply your daily caloric intake by .30. This will provide the range of fat grams you should consume per day. Carbohydrate reserves are the first target for energy utilization by your body in a work out, but fat is broken down immediately after these carbohydrate reserves are depleted, as in endurance exercise. Before a big race [such as the Boston Marathon] or an intensive workout session, stick to "tried-and-true" foods that you know from experience will not upset your stomach. Establishing familiarity with your body's response to certain foods or drinks will enable you to make wise decisions regarding your pre-workout snacks. By following these dietary tips, you lay the groundwork for a beneficial and productive workout. For those of you training for the Boston Marathon, good luck! You've worked long and hard. Eat well and rest during this final week: doing so might not turn those 26.2 miles into a walk in the park, but it will make you better prepared to face the race.

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