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14 freshman apply for TCU Senate elections

April 3

Fourteen candidates will compete for 12 sophomore seats on next year's Tufts Community Union Senate, making the upcoming elections the first contested race for the class in years. All of the other races -- for junior and senior senate positions, seats on the TCU Judiciary, and the Committee for Student Life (CSL) -- will be uncontested this semester. The number of freshman running is high compared to most senate elections. Normally, only seven senators may represent each class, but because there are only four rising juniors and five rising seniors running for seats, there are more positions open for rising sophomores. This year, there are ten sophomores sitting in the TCU Senate. Candidates planning on running in this month's elections were required to announce their candidacy at a general interest meeting Wednesday night. Three candidates will run for the TCUJ and there are four CSL candidates, according to unconfirmed ELBO figures. Before ELBO can announce the official number of candidates, the candidates' petitions must be validated and their academic standing must be confirmed. According to ELBO Public Relations Director Aravinda Rao, the contest for the sophomore seats indicates growing interest in the Senate. "We have done our job in promoting the Senate, and it represents a more cohesive class," she said. Freshman TCU Senator Rafi Goldberg also attributed apparent rise in interest to the success of ELBO's advertising campaign. Rao expects campaigning for the contested seats to be fierce. "[It will] be very difficult, as two qualified candidates will be knocked out," she said. Of the nine incumbent freshmen, eight will be running for reelection next year, along with six new candidates. Freshman Senator Joe Weiner will not be running for reelection this year because of his workload, but he said that he hopes to run for a position at some point in the future. Though the contested election may surprise many older senators and students, some freshmen seem unfazed. "The first election was contested and it just feels normal to have a competitive election," freshman Senator Dave Baumwoll said. He added that he was not concerned about the opposition. Senator Jeff Katzin is nervous about keeping his seat, but excited at the prospect of an unpredictable outcome. "This is a great opportunity for the reputation of the body," he said. The contested election will also make the Senate stronger, he said, and "legitimize the actions of the body because of the democratic principles that will be upheld by having an election and giving the student body a choice." Senators are not particularly worried about their campaigning; incumbent Senator Jos?© Vasquez plans to visit constituents door to door to maintain his seat. Although upper-class seats are traditionally uncontested because of the number of students studying abroad, TCU Senator John Valentine said he has a "strange feeling the class of 2006 will always be a highly-contested race." The competition speaks volumes about the class, Valentine said. The candidates will debate this Monday at Hotung Caf?© and face questions from ELBO and students. Elections will be held online next Wednesday.

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News

Portrait of a Young Artist

April 3

This week's student artist is freshman Cathy Lu. She is a five-year student in the dual degree program with the Museum of Fine Arts. She started to paint when she was young, but she, unlike other people, "just kind of never grew out of it." For high school, she attended the New World School of the Arts, an art magnet school offering classes in drama, music and the visual arts. There, she gained an appreciation for the visual arts. "Visual arts is cool because you can do it with whatever is around, you don't have to take lessons." While in high school, she got a Scholastic Award for her portfolio artwork. She always had her pieces in local contemporary art museums, such as the Bass Museum and the Miami Art Museum. In 2002, she won an arts recognition and talent search merit award. She likes to draw people and bright colors, and also works in ceramics. Daily:When did you decide painting would be more than just a hobby for you? CL: I never thought of painting as a hobby, actually. I don't know, it just seems natural, like something you just need to do -- like sleeping or eating. Daily: Are your paintings directly relevant to your life or more random? CL: Can they be random and still directly relevant? Daily: If President Bacow asked you to do his portrait, nude, would you oblige? CL: I'd have to be very drunk... no, even then... I'd have to be very drunk. Daily: When do you find yourself most inspired to paint? CL: Really late at night or early in the morning right before the sun is up. I always stay up really late (very different from the average college student I know). Daily: Have you ever considered painting a portrait of the runners on Naked Quad Run night? And if so, what color scheme would you use? CL: No, but that's brilliant! I would use our school colors, the good ol' brown and blue. Daily: What type of music do you listen to when you paint? Does Britney sneak in there, or is it mostly Ja Rule? CL: I listen to wimpy music like Weezer. Daily: What is your ultimate goal as an artist? CL: Not to end up in a card board box. I can deal with everything else. If you know anyone who you think should be featured in this section, please e-mail suggestions to arts@tuftsdaily.com.

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News

Faculty passes proposed actions on race and diversity issues

April 3

The faculty of Arts, Sciences, & Engineering debated, voted on, and passed a proposal to help race and diversity issues in the classroom at Wednesday's AS&E faculty meeting. The proposal, presented by the Faculty Executive Committee, had received strong support in prior faculty discussions on Feb. 5. The vote on the proposals on "race and diversity issues in students' academic experience" included three motions. The first motion would require all departments devote at least one departmental meeting to issues of race and ethnicity by May 2004, and the second would set a goal for all departments to have at least 50 percent of their faculty attend a University-sponsored diversity workshop. The last motion would require department chairs to spotlight departmental efforts related to diversity in their annual reports. The first and third motions passed without any debate, but the second motion -- which would force faculty to attend diversity workshops -- raised some questions from faculty members. Several department chairs argued that they do not have the authority to force their faculty to comply with those demands. Chair of Russian, German, and Asian Languages Vida Johnson called the second proposals' intentions "laudable but not doable." History professor Steven Marrone also raised the concern that the program could present funding constraints. In response, Executive Committee Chair Gary Goldstein encouraged all departments to take advantage of and work closely with the Office of Diversity Education and Development as well as the Office of Equal Opportunity. The faculty should pass the motion encouraging 50 percent of department members to attend workshops and then make a "departmental decision how to achieve that," Goldstein said. Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Robert Gonsalves said that he supported the measures, and that the effort needed to enact them should not be too much of a problem. "It's benign, I think it's a step in the right direction," Gonsalves said. "It's probably always a good idea to keep people on their toes," about diversity issues, he said. Initial student reaction to the measures has been mixed, but has generally supported the sentiment behind the proposals, if not their substance. "It is important to bring this issue to attention. People underestimate how much discrimination can affect a person's life," international student Elaine Andriejanssen said. But other students were less optimistic about the proposals. "I do not see how these particular steps will be effective," freshman Nancy Chen said. "I have some doubts about how these proposals by the faculty will affect the immediate discriminating experiences of the students, if at all." On Feb. 5, faculty participated in eight round-table discussions on students' experiences with diversity and discrimination. Nine proposals of possible actions by the faculty were distributed at that meeting, and the three that were most strongly supported were presented on Wednesday's vote. The remaining proposals that were formed during the round-table discussions could come forward for debate and be voted on in the future.

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News

Ex-Zambian president addresses war on Iraq, AIDS

April 3

Former Zambian President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda spoke about the ongoing war in Iraq and the AIDS crisis in Africa Wednesday evening. Speaking in the Crane Room of Paige Hall, Kaunda expressed his dissatisfaction with the American war in Iraq and with the little attention and effort devoted to AIDS by most of the world. By invading Iraq, Kaunda said, the United States ignored the possibility of a peaceful approach to the problem. "It is not 'shock and awe' but 'hope and help' that shall make the difference" for the Iraqi people, he said. Kaunda, the first president of Zambia, stressed the similarities between all nations and peoples. "Love thy neighbor as thyself," he said. US diplomatic blunders have alienated once strong allies and jeopardized the legitimacy of the United Nations, Kaunda said. "War is an evil... not only an absolute answer." Both the build-up to war and the initial stages of the war itself have had a dramatic effect on Americans, Kaunda said. Many Americans have undergone a soul-searching process and questioned their initial views of the war. The ways in which Americans are viewed abroad has also been altered, according to Kaunda. Kaunda expressed delight at the anti-war demonstrations in the US and Great Britain, some of which he participated in. Anti-war activists should not blame the people of the US and Britain for their governments' policies, but rather place the blame where it is deserved -- on President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair, he said. He also addressed the AIDS epidemic in Africa, using his son's death from AIDS as an example of the tragedy of the disease. In order to educate people about protection, they must first accept the sickness, Kaunda said. Kaunda talked about how the South African government was willing to blame anything for the disease, pneumonia, a cold, anything but AIDS so that they would not have to bear the cost burden. AIDS has ravaged most of Africa, already killing 17 million people, with another estimated 25 million infected. As a means of putting the crisis into students' hands, Kaunda suggested organizing on-campus protests and volunteering in Africa. The future of US diplomacy, Kaunda said, will depend on the determination of the leadership. "We need leadership with hope, patience, and a passion for peace -- peace being not only the absence of war, but the battling of afflictions like HIV/AIDS in our world... our one shared world," he said. Kaunda was imprisoned by the Rhodesian government and his party was banned in 1959, but in 1960 he was released and became head of the new United National Independence party. In 1962, he rejected a constitution proposed by Great Britain for Northern Rhodesia, charging that it would perpetuate white supremacy. Nevertheless, he took part in elections that October, and after winning a parliamentary seat, formed a coalition government. In 1964, Zambia became independent with Kaunda as president. Faced with increasing ethnic dissension, Kaunda established a one-party state in 1972. In foreign affairs, Kaunda played a central role in opposing white-supremacist governments in Rhodesia, South Africa, and South-West Africa (now Namibia), despite the attacks and hardships these policies caused Zambia. Elected to his fifth consecutive term in 1988, Kaunda was forced to restore a multiparty system in 1990. He was overwhelmed in a 1991 election by Frederick Chiluba. Kaunda has written several books, including Black Government (with C. M. Morris, 1960) and the autobiographical Zambia Shall Be Free (1962).

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News

Chicco, defense spark lacrosse team

April 3

The men's lacrosse team scored its biggest win of the young season on Wednesday, as a strong second half led the Jumbos to a convincing 9-5 victory over the Bowdoin Polar Bears. Behind eight second half saves from sophomore goalie Luke Chicco, the Jumbos outscored Bowdoin 6-2 in the second half, after the game was tied at halftime. Bowdoin had been ranked third in the latest NEILA Div. III rankings. Eight different players scored the Jumbos' nine goals, which included two second half tallies by junior midfielder Matt Malatesta. The win stretches the Jumbo streak to five with an overall record of 5-1, including a perfect 2-0 record in NESCAC play. With three goalies vying for the starting spot, Chicco has strung together two straight victories with 14 and 20 saves respectively, posting an impressive 72 percent save percentage over the course of the season. "Luke is doing an outstanding job," coach Mike Daly said. "He really extends to the entire defense." Chicco's and the defense's effort lifted the struggling Jumbo offense and gave it the boost it needed to settle in and produce. "Our defense played spectacularly over the last two games. They couldn't do anything," said sophomore David Taylor, the team leader in points with (23). "Trinity and Bowdoin had pretty high powered offenses. The defense pretty much shut them down the whole game. Their goals were well deserved." The defense held the Polar Bears to only two goals in the second half on the strength of eight saves by Chicco; meanwhile, the varied weapons on offense overcame first half difficulties to break the game open. "It shows what we're about," Daly said. "We're difficult to scout. It's not just one guy, it's a team game." The victory over Bowdoin saw different players contributing in the second half. The multiple goal scorers put pressure on the Polar Bear defense and made their coverage more difficult. "[Our offense] definitely helps since the defense can't focus on a few players by sliding early and helping out anybody who might be getting individually beat," sophomore Bryan Griffin said. "It was a team win." The team came together to overcome difficult playing conditions, namely Bowdoin's turf field. Daly provided a new strategy at halftime, which proved helpful. "We had some trouble with the turf in the first half," Daly said. "I told them to forget the bounce shot and just throw straight into in the net." The Jumbos did just that; spurred by Devin Clarke's fourth quarter goal, the Jumbos secured a 7-5 lead. With a second goal from Malatesta and one from freshman Mike O'Brien in the first nine minutes of the fourth, the Jumbos put Bowdoin away for good. Leading a diverse group of scorers, Malatesta netted two important goals. "He made the game turn," Daly said. "He made a lot of things happen. His two goals were huge." After Taylor tied the game at four in the third, Malatesta managed a key goal to give the Jumbos a lead they would not relinquish. After Malatesta's score off a faceoff to make it 5-4, the Jumbos would not trail again. Clarke capped the run with an overhand goal of his own, putting the Jumbos in front 6-4. Despite the win, the squad still sees room for improvement. "We need more consistency, especially clearing the ball," Coach Daly said. "We need to keep working and improving mentally." Two important games loom on the horizon for the Jumbos. This Saturday the Jumbos take on NESCAC rival Williams, also undefeated in conference play and 5-1 overall. On Wednesday, the Jumbos take on defending Div III National Champion Middlebury at home.

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News

ASEAN Auditorium set for summer renovation

April 2

Tufts will renovate the Cabot Center auditorium this summer as part of an ongoing program of improving classrooms. In the ASEAN Auditorium on the building's second floor, the sound system, ceiling projectors and built-in media equipment will be updated to the same standards as other recently-renovated auditoriums on campus. The seating, heating and air conditioning of the 350-seat room will be updated to the same standards as the recently-renovated Pearson 104. The Arts and Sciences Classroom Committee, comprised of members from several administrative departments, was formed three years ago to deal with classroom renovation. The committee has $1 million to spend on classroom improvement every year. The majority of this money pays for new technological equipment in large lecture halls. Paul Stanton, a steering member of the committee, claims that Tufts is very aware of the necessity of overall classroom comfort for a positive learning environment. "We work from a worst-to-first perspective," he said. "We try to target places that drastically need improvement, and then turn them into our showcase classrooms." Tufts has chosen to renovate building by building, instead of renovating the entire campus at once. In recent years, the University has renovated Barnum Auditorium, Braker 001, Pearson 104 and 106, Eaton 206, and Jackson 5 and 6. Over winter break, the Crane Room and the Terrace Room in Paige Hall were renovated. Stanton explained that seating, lighting, built-in media technology, heating, air conditioning, and acoustics are considered when renovating. He said Tufts tries to provide the highest level of technology in the classroom while preserving each building's historical value. But simple adjustments to classrooms, not sophisticated technology, can make the biggest difference to learning. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, temperature, lighting, acoustics, and furniture can drastically impact academic performance. "At many colleges classrooms are an afterthought, if they're given any thought at all," the Chronicle said. As classroom renovation continues, the administrators have strategically determined which classrooms get updated first. "We try to optimize each investment," Stanton said. "Therefore, even though some rooms in Robinson, for example, may be looking shabby, we will dovetail classroom renovation to exterior work." He said the University plans to renovate the classrooms in Robinson, but the refurbishment would coincide with repairs of the building's roof and windows. Students and administrators often refer to Pearson 104 -- the most expensive classroom project so far -- as an example of a successful renovation. Sophomore Dave Starr commented that the improvements "made a world of a difference" in his general comfort. The goal of the changes is consistent with the University's goal to help bring Tufts into the 21st century and to make learning a better experience, Stanton said. Some students, however, disagree with the way Tufts is spending its money. "Even though some rooms, especially in Robinson Hall, are very uncomfortable, if the professor and the coursework are stimulating, it shouldn't matter," said freshman Aarthi Ram.

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News

That's Entertainment

April 2

In a theatrical world where getting noticed is what's important, Chicago is bound to make an impression. The dance-oriented show is a glittering combination of steamy costumes, Fosse style dance, sparkling lights, energized songs, and over the top characters. Even with these enticing elements, Chicago hardly needs an introduction. After a spectacular Broadway revival followed by a slew of Oscar nominations, the whole Tufts community is anxious to see what Torn Ticket II student director Kalani Hawks has to offer to this already-popular show. However, Hawks remains untouched by all the hype. As a matter of fact, she hasn't even seen the movie, or for that matter, any rendition of the show. Hawks' first experience with this production is her own. This left her open to direct the show with a blank slate ready to be filled with her own ideas rather than those provided by Broadway or Hollywood. In addition to Hawks' lack of connection with either the Broadway revival or the recent box office hit, this particular rendition is played from the original script and score. The original 1970s production differs greatly from the Broadway revival and even more so from the film's interpretation. As for her vision, Hawks sees this piece as pure spectacle with its sole purpose being entertainment. Everything in the show combines to create one aesthetically pleasing tableau. Without a doubt, the most impressive and important aspect of the show is the dance. Thanks to Hawks' extensive dance experience and raw talent as a choreographer, the advanced and energized dance carries the production. The story takes place on Chicago's famed "Murderess Row" where sultry jazz women provide Chicago's premier form of entertainment: murder. The most famous murderess of them all is Velma Kelly, that is until America's sweetheart Roxy Hart arrives on the scene after having killed her abusive lover. The two women, both hungry for fame, battle relentlessly over whose name will make the headlines. Both are also clients of Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer, Billy Flynn. The plot sticks with the old fashioned formula for success: murder, adultery, manipulation, and of course, sex appeal. Among talents and highlights of the show are the outstanding voices led by Suzanne Corbitt (Roxy Hart), Andrew Beattie (Amos Hart), Deane Madsen (Billy Flynn), and Moira Murphy-Cairns (Velma Kelly). The dance aspect of the show is led mainly by senior Murphy-Cairns who plays famous murderess Velma. She is accompanied by a very talented chorus of murderess row dancer-singers. In a production of this scale and skill, cohesion and chemistry among the cast is a must. Despite having initially isolated rehearsal experience, cast members expressed the ease with which this show came together in the final weeks of rehearsal. Other elements that needed to be slowly worked into the process were the orchestra pit, elaborate lights, and large scale staging in Cohen auditorium. "This is one of the best shows ever," said Madsen who plays Billy Flynn. "We have an awesome cast, a talented pit, and a phenomenal director." This enthusiasm is apparent among the cast and is easily visible up on stage. Everyone agrees that Hawks' choreography not only is an inspiration but also holds the show together. "This is the only musical I've done that is clearly for the sake of entertainment," said Corbitt who is playing Roxy Hart. Entertainment for both the audience and the actors as it shows that the cast is no doubt having a great time playing and flirting on stage. Chicago's recipe for success is easy: lying, cheating, killing, energized singing, steamy costumes, and of course, phenomenal and sexy dancing. "This is by far the hottest show I've ever been in," said freshman cast member Emi Norris." "Hot" may be an understatement. Better try not to get burned.

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News

The Lush Gots nothin' This Week

April 2

Due to censorship, The Daily editorial staff has replaced expletives with "cowbells." Contrary to the popular belief of my roommates, friends, parents, the occasional professor, and most likely anyone who glances at the column each Thursday morning in the Daily, preparing for my duties as the Travelling Lush is not as easy as you would think. Despite the common assumption that I simply "drink and write about it," the formulation of a column that explores the world of social interaction at Tufts through the prism of an empty beer bottle or a delicious cocktail entails far more intellectually creativity, organization, and plain old energy than one would ever think. The process is simply not as easy as heading down to the beer store, picking up a six pack, getting silly, and then transcribing the events of the previous night into a Word document. On any given weekend, the entire ordeal usually includes almost all of the following: an early morning (or afternoon) trip to the gym to prepare my body for the beating I'll put it through that night, the consumption of the proper liquids and foods that will provide the perfect combination of ability to soak up alcohol without killing a serious buzz, an extensive itinerary organized to get me enough places to fill an 850 word column, a back pocket to house both a ball point pen and manila notepad to record the insanity, the right state of mind that will remind me not to have that extra one -- knowing quite well that it is inevitable that I will lose that manila notepad and pen and be forced to actually write the column from memory, and the foresight to remember to stock up on an exceedingly large amount of Advil and Starbucks expresso's, essential for the writing process the day after (have you ever tried to write with a hangover?). So, you can imagine the horror I experienced when upon waking this past Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., not hungover, and realized that despite my utter lack of festivity throughout the past week my deadline for this week's column had come and painfully gone. What's worse, I had nothing to write about. *Cowbells* How could I have done it? I had taken my responsibilities as Lush so seriously in the past that my readers had journeyed with me to the depths of the basement of the fraternity Zeta Psi, we had gone across town to sing a bit of Karaoke, enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the best Chinese place this side of Beijing, and even headed off to sangria in Spain and debauchery in Panama City, Florida. I had spent laborious hours in front of my computer screen describing my memories of an unforgettable spring break, the sheer ecstasy of getting my own column in the Daily, and even the sentiment of an entire country on the eve of aligning itself on the side of war. But this Tuesday morning I had awoke to the viscerally painful reality that I was skirting my responsibilities as the Travelling Lush. I had spent the previous weekend preoccupied with nagging research papers and the unfriendly job search while I sat in front of MSNBC and watched the America's newest form of reality TV. Sure, I had a few brewskies and even participated in the early stages of a one-on-one Beirut tournament, but never did I have the slightest intention of transforming those activities into quality literature suitable for the pages of this newspaper. For shame. *Cowbells*, I thought. My editor is going to kill me (editor's note: MacGregor watch your back). Even more devastating, the slight respite from the onslaught of "nerd" jokes that I constantly receive because of my strange affinity for the library would be gone. I had worked so hard to cast off the image of the studious Tuftonian. I had tried to pretend that I actually was a Lush -- that my weekends were really filled with mid-morning Sam Adam's and vodka-tonic nightcaps. Had it all been for naught? Did I have to accept the fact that my remaining weeks at Tufts would be filled with more trips to the reference desk than to the bar? I was still a senior, wasn't I? How in the *cowbells* had I let this happen? Distraught, I glanced at my watch again. 1:37 p.m. 1:38 p.m. I was already eight minutes late for class. This was it, the absolute moment of truth. My next action would determine whether I lived out the rest of my undergraduate days confined to the reputation of that studious Tisch General that I had worked all too hard at maintaining for the past three years, or if I would act upon my own words and let my life imitate my art.... And so I did the only thing I could do. I threw on my glasses, strolled into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, poured myself a dry gin and tonic, and sat down at my computer to write. In the words of "Pardon the Interruption's" Tony Kornheiser, "We'll try to do better next time" (the royal "We," that is).

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News

Downtown Crossing

April 2

When you're alone and life is making you lonely You can always go -- downtown When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry Seems to help, I know -- downtown Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty How can you lose? Downtown by Tony Hatch Ninth stop: Downtown Crossing Downtown Crossing, neon signs and all, is certainly a world onto itself, though perhaps not as idyllic as the song suggests. With the year-round lights and bells that toll on the quarter hour, Downtown Crossing has a continual night before Christmas frantic atmosphere, which might explain why many consider it the are of Boston that most resembles New York. An urban Mecca, it also harbors one of the largest commercial districts in the city. Clothes, shoes, music, books, jewelry, ties, llamas, movies; you want it, it's here. Well, maybe not the llamas, but everything else. Basically, if you're one of those people who wear sunglasses inside a mall, come here. It's an outside version of the Cambridge Galleria, and you won't look stupid for wearing SUN glasses in a place where the SUN don't shine. I could talk about other pet peeves I have, like the boys who thought it would be just a swell idea to start a band in my dorm with loud drums and bass blasting from the room right below me--but I bet you'd rather hear about what great and unique shopping opportunities abound around here -- like Filene's Basement (426 Washington St., 617 542 2011). When an aunt of mine first heard that I was going to school in Boston, she just said five words to me (okay, she said like 500, I'm cutting it down for dramatic effect): "Filenes's Basement on Saturday morning". The first original discount store, that stores like Marshalls and TJ MAXX are modeled after, was still a madhouse come Sunday afternoon. With discount everything from earrings to socks to Gucci men's sandals, this place is rocking with sales. What's more, the merchandise is both affordable and quality. In the Vault, in the basement of Filenes's Basement, are designer names of the kind that you read about in celebrity magazines at over 50 percent off. A Prada tank top could be yours for only $199.99! However, if you've come for serious shopping, as opposed to gratuitous ogling, then you must under no uncertain terms proceed to H & M (350 Washington St., 617 482 7001). A Swedish company, its styles are both trendy and typically fresh to the US scene. Moreover, H & M has clothes in virtually every color as well as sizes that give leeway at both ends of the scale. However, as inexpensive and trendy as it is, there are usually significant lines for both dressing rooms and register, so only come on a day when you can handle the crowds. In terms of other standout stores, it really depends on what kind of store you're looking for. As for me, I have been obsessed with the idea of getting turquoise converse since October when I went to New York and saw kids hitting the streets in the normal black ones. Why turquoise you ask? Shoes the color of the sky man! And yes, I am completely sober and serious. So, I decided to take a lil' trip down the street. First there was DSW Shoe Warehouse (385 Washington St., 617 556 0052). The store had some generic sneakers as well as various sandals, boots, and heeled shoes. Basically, it's an 'upscale' Payless, which is conveniently located a few stores down (367 Washington St., 617 451 1871). Either way, no Converse! And definitely no turquoise shoes. Sadness. Macy's (450 Washington St., 617 357 3000) was certainly no parade, although they did have everything else a typical department store would have, like bathing suits, lingerie, suits, and sweaters. Meanwhile, Footaction (381 Washington, 617 451 0190) was basically a dilapidated Foot Locker, who's name had been cut and pasted. Finally, I'd reached what looked to be the end of the street, and was about to give up all hope when I saw the window display: Foot Paths (489 Washington St., 617 338 6008) had Converse. Bouncing with a childish glee, I entered the store. There were purple, blue, navy, black, striped, flamed, red, and white Converse. But, to my utter dismay, no turquoise. Thus, my faith in commercial America gone, I walked with heavy feet to the local Barnes & Noble (395 Washington St., 617 426 5184), perhaps the only quiet place in the entire area. And even then, you could still here the drums that were being played outside. It's an intriguing feeling, to be surrounded by such bursting activity after being so removed on our suburban campus. So what, you may ask, is the moral of this story? Buy shoes online? Well, yes, but there's more. The more, is just that sometimes it's nice to go out and get that big little city feel in a little big city. So maybe I'll see you there We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares, and go Downtown Things'll be great when you're Downtown Don't wait a minute more Downtown Everything's waiting for you

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News

In defense of Alan MacDougall

April 2

In the past week, there's been a bit of a stir over Liz Monnin losing her Senior Award due to actions during the talk given by G.H.W. Bush. Some letters have cropped up in support of Monnin, and denouncing Alan MacDougall, and claiming that the University, in doing this, is trying to crack down on liberals, or protesters, or whoever else is against the status quo. I'm not so sure that's the case. I realize that in most of your eyes, I've just put the noose around my own neck, but so be it. But I have a few questions for some of you. Question number 1: do you think Tufts should be a forum for open discussion? I ask this in all sincerity. Protesting the talk itself, or the choice of speaker, or whatever, is one thing. It's understandable, defensible, and (as so many have and will point out) a Basic American Right. Free speech, right? But if open discussion is what's desired, you should have let the man speak. Even if you think he's a nitwit, even if you think his son is a diabolical madman, a minion of tyrannical corporate forces, or just a talking monkey. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and open discussion is open discussion. If you want to be heard, stop trying to interrupt, silence, or derail others. I find it ironic that Monnin's response to losing the award was the following: "I'm disappointed in Tufts," she said. "Universities are meant to be places of dialogue; they need to be places that welcome dissent" ("Senior loses award for protest behavior at Bush speech" Mar. 25, 2003). Let's be honest here: would Bush be the majority, or the dissenting opinion on this campus? And considering the, underwhelming turnout by Monnin and other protesters at the open forum held after the talk, I'm not sure dialogue was really a goal. Question number 2: do you think Tufts should welcome other speakers? This is an important question, and has a lot to do with the point I tried to make above. If Tufts is to be viewed as an open forum, where people may say as they will without censor or censure, then act like it. The same issue of the Daily that ran the article on Monnin's lost award, also mentioned students' discontent with the commencement speaker. If we want, as a community, to have people come to speak from influential places or otherwise interesting backgrounds, we need to welcome them. I can't, and won't, fault Monnin's desire or right to peaceful protest. But I can certainly call her out for mistreating a guest of ours. I say ours deliberately: Hers, mine, yours, if you're reading this... ours. Our Guest. One of the basic principles of a civilized society is that of hospitality. If you welcome a guest into your home, you treat them with respect, and honor due to a guest, regardless of their views of things. If the differences are too great, don't let them overstay their welcome, don't invite them back, but treat them with respect. If we want interesting speakers to come for Fares, for commencements, for other things, we need to show them our ability to treat a guest with honor and respect. Not MacDougall, not President Bacow. We as students. Fares and commencement speakers don't come here to speak to their contemporaries, they come to speak to up and coming generations. It's all fine and good that President Bacow welcomed Former President Bush. Unfortunately for the rest of us, future Fares speakers now know what they will perceive to be the truth about our campus -- we don't welcome dissidents. Question number 3: now that I've pissed off most of you, here's my challenge to you -- how much do you think protesting works? Sit-ins, or other ways of forcing change by being a nuisance, sure, they have some level of efficacy at a local level; people will do what they need to do to get things working again. But at that point it ceases to be about dialogue. A lot of students on our campus will claim to identify with one cause or another, but not to be an activist... because they want to retain their credibility. They want to be heard. Loud shouting, getting in peoples' faces, hollering, screaming, do one thing -- they put people on the defensive. At that point, they stop listening. They turn away. There's an old saying: you catch more bees with honey. Rally votes. Start up organizations to hit the streets and talk to individual people. Do something to directly influence the votes that will be sent out by a community. Since the 60s, with the advent of TV, elections and politics have more and more become about public relations. About money, for TV ads. Your public image has become one of the inhospitable host, of frenzied activists pushing against SWAT shields and acting generally unreasonable. Go talk to people. Go stand by the T station and hand out pamphlets, talk to people, try to sway their votes. Votes get political attention. Protests and nuisance antics get media attention that can all to easily be spun against you. Then you lose votes, because the public, over time, will want to be associated with anything other than the obnoxious activist types they see. Demonstrations are an old tactic, from 40 years ago. Back then, they worked, because so many people were against Vietnam and the politics in general. People were scared of nuclear war. Since then activism has apparently gotten a bad name for itself. Intelligence and ultimate direction has apparently been lost in the desire to get loud for a cause. Now spin doctors are making you look bad. It's funny, actually. You'd think that a public that was so easily swayed as to make Freedom Fries a viable concept could be swayed by notions of peace. So I don't think old tactics are working. Maybe they're fun, it's nice to be out in the open air screaming and shouting... but they're hurting you. Do I want war? No. I have a friend stationed in Israel, another stationed in Bosnia, and other friends of mine from my army days are doubtless in the Gulf area right now. But at the moment, it would seem that the thing the country needs most is a rational alternative view with a better image, a rational alternative leader. Or just rationality, Start with that. We have less than two years until the next election. What are you doing to find or work for someone who will actually be something resembling a better president? I commend Monnin for the work she does, even if I don't think her tactics are current or effective on a broader stage. I have to say that protesting during the actual speech was a cheap tactic though. It made us look bad as hosts. It wasn't really about free speech, since not much was really said, except in sign language that I'll even believe she didn't use. It was about getting attention. I can understand needing attention for a cause to work, but it has to be attention of the right kind. People will still remember the Senior Award debacle, so she has been officially recognized for her leadership ability, but like I said... she did make us look bad in front of any speaker who ever thinks about coming here again. With all respect to what Monnin may have been trying to do, she made us look like bad hosts. They're not pulling her award, I don't think, for being a dissident. They're pulling it for not welcoming one. James Watriss is a senior majoring in English.

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News

Author and alumna Anita Shreve talks at Tisch

April 2

One of her novels, The Pilot's Wife, was an Oprah's Book Club selection. Both The Pilot's Wife and The Weight of Water have been made into movies. But such success has not jaded bestselling author and University alumna Anita Shreve: upon returning to the University from which she graduated in 1968, Shreve was visibly excited. "[Returning to] campus is really an indulgence for me," Shreve told the crowd of approximately 140 people that had gathered to hear her speak in the Tisch Library's Hirsch Reading Room on Tuesday. "I got to give my husband a tour, 'Oh, that's Metcalf, my dorm, and that's where we ate!'" Shreve's talk, which was sponsored by the Friends of Tufts Libraries, went far beyond introductory reminisces. It gave those in attendance a glimpse into Shreve's writing process as well as the chance to ask her about her books and experiences. The talk also provided its attendees with a bonus: previews of two novels which have yet to be released. Prior to Shreve's introduction, Tisch Library Director JoAnn Michalak presented senior Alethea Barbaro with the second Maxine Newberg Gordon Book Prize. Like the award's namesake, a Tufts alumna who died of breast cancer in 1999, Barbaro is a math major who also possesses a love of literature and reading. After honoring Barbaro, Michalak welcomed Shreve on behalf of the Friends of Tufts Libraries and the Tufts community. Shreve took to the podium, telling the audience how happy she was to return to Tufts for only the second time since her graduation. As snow began to fall outside the windows behind her, Shreve then read an excerpt from a work in progress appropriately titled Light on Snow. "This is its first airing," she told her audience before reading the material, which involves a furniture maker who, during a winter walk in the woods, finds an abandoned newborn. Light on Snow will be published in approximately one year. Warning the attendees that the narrator's voice would be "slightly pedantic and fussy," Shreve then read the beginning of her upcoming novel All He Ever Wanted, which will be released on Apr. 15. Shreve described the novel, which takes place in 1933, as centered upon an aging college professor who is "reflecting back on an unforgivable act that he committed years ago." Shreve then opened the floor for questions, which the mostly female audience eagerly supplied. First, Shreve was asked whether her commercial success has led her to write her novels with Hollywood in mind. Shreve responded with a strong no, saying that writing requires that you "put everyone -- your family, your editor, Hollywood, even your readers -- out of your head." She went on to describe writing as "ultimately a selfish act...you do it for yourself." Many of Shreve's novels take place in the past, prompting one audience member to ask her what research methods she used. "I research on a need-to-know basis," Shreve said, noting "the stories come first, the characters come first." She added that she had to do as much research for novels set in the present as those set in the past, citing what she described as the author's duty to provide accurate "layers of reality" for the reader. Shreve also detailed her writing routine. "I write in the mornings, usually from eight to 12:30 p.m., but not every day," she said, adding that traveling and touring provide her with breaks. As far as technology goes, Shreve's writing habits are a mix of the old-fashioned and the modern. She writes her draft by hand, transfers it to the computer, and then prints it out to edit by hand. (In a reference that drew more chuckles from alumni than from students, Shreve recalled working on the drafts of her first books using carbon paper.) After the question session ended, Shreve set up shop at a table in the Tisch lobby and signed her novels for a lengthy line of readers. Those in attendance expressed satisfaction with both Shreve's visit and the presentation of the Gordon Prize. Alumnae Diane Homer, Margie Ford, and Betsy Gross (who was Gordon's roommate) attended the event to honor the memory of their friend as well as to hear Shreve speak. Mary Ellen Stanton, mother of a Tufts student, had only read two of Shreve's books prior to attending the talk. At its conclusion, however, Stanton said that she was now "really motivated to read more of them." Freshman Jackie Stone was also impressed by Shreve. "I personally have enjoyed her books because they're centered around the New England area, so I can identify them," Stone said. Karen Harvey-Wilkes, an attendee who graduated from Tufts in 1976, had a unique perspective on Shreve's talk. "[Shreve] was my twelfth-grade English teacher," said Wilkes, who last saw the author five years ago. "She used to read to us a lot -- her voice is the same as it was 30 years ago," Wilkes said. Though Shreve told attendees that "[she's] never been accused of having happy endings" in her novels, she certainly provided one for those who attended her talk. "She was fantastic," Stanton said.

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News

TV, reality, and war

April 2

It's been 14 days since this war started. Only two weeks. Yet it seems like it has been going on forever. Night and day, 24-hour, non-stop coverage of this war has left most of the public saturated with endless and repetitive information (or misinformation). If you tune in to any of the big cable news channels over a span of an hour you will hear the same pieces of mostly worthless information over, and over, and over again. You will see reporters "imbedded" with ground troops, military experts discussing the war plan, and news anchors continuously asking themselves whether Saddam Hussein is dead or alive. Multiply that times 1000 and you will get an idea of what watching CNN, MSNBC, or FOX News during the past days has been like. After two weeks of excruciatingly monotonous TV coverage of this war I feel tired. I wish we could talk about something other than this war. I wish I could write about something other than this war. But we can't. How can we evade the omnipresent? How can we escape the reality? How can we resist the temptation to grab the remote and tune in to CNN? As much as I dislike the news coverage, I can't help tuning back in. Perhaps somewhere along the line, our rightful desire to be well informed was transformed into a relentless addiction. In a way, this war is like a powerful and destructive drug. The more we watch it the more we need it. In this sense, coverage of this war is no different than other Reality TV shows. It's like watching Fear Factor, or Joe Millionaire, or American Idol. They are all terrible shows. They are dull and they insult our intelligence, and yet we don't seem to get enough of them. The sad part of this is that while we watch this war as if we were watching MTV's Real World, millions of people are experiencing the horrors of war first-hand. But they are so far away! What do we care? They are just Iraqis. We almost rationalize the suffering of the Iraqi people as if it were caused by an inevitable natural disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane. We forget that the American military action is responsible for their misery. We forget that their lives are just as valuable as ours. That their security is just as important to them as it is to us. That it hurts them just as much to lose a loved one. We forget that it is not their fault that Saddam Hussein rules their country. If every innocent people of the world had to pay for their ruthless leaders we would all be dead. Do we know what it must be like to have our own cities and towns relentlessly bombed night and day? Why can't we sympathize with the Iraqi fathers and mothers who have to protect their children from the dangers of war? Do you fully realize what it must be like to lose your son to a stray bomb, or to lose your mother and sisters because they were riding in a van that wouldn't stop at a military checkpoint? The truth is we will never understand what these people are going through unless the same thing happened to us. And they can't even put up a fight. There is something inherently unfair about that. The mightiest military power in the history of the world is destroying a small country with a poorly equipped and weak army. Isn't this like the big, strong middle school bully who punches the smaller children and takes their lunch away? But who cares as long as we are safe. And indeed, we are protected. First, we are secure because we are many thousands of miles away from Iraq. But we are also miles away psychologically. Seeing all of this through the lens of the camera insulates us from the real horrors of war because what we see on TV seems utterly unreal to us. We keep thinking this is all a scripted show, with actors and fake blood. We have to think this is all unreal, that this is just another reality TV show. Otherwise, how would we be able to deal with the truth? We know the truth, but we do not want to acknowledge it. There is no room for it in our world. We don't have time for it in our busy lives. We can't afford to stop and think about what is really going on. We can't ruin our pretty lives with thoughts of death and misery. But that is the truth of what is happening. The human toll is more than we can bear. Hundreds of people are dying. American, Iraqi, and British lives are being lost for no good reason. Towns and cities are being destroyed, families are leaving their homes, and relationships are being fragmented. But from the comfort of our living rooms it doesn't seem so bad. We can always turn the TV off.

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News

Budget set for next fiscal year

April 2

Despite the downturn in the national economy and Tufts' comparatively small endowment, the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering budget for next year will not suffer any major cuts, and it will include a significant increase in financial aid. Where the money comes from: Tuition and fees: $165 million Endowment: $7 million Gifts for current use: $5 million Other sources: $400,000 Sales & Serv Educ Activ: $3 million Sponsored programs: $31 million Indirect cost recovery: $3.6 million Sales & Serv Auxil Enter: $37 million Total: $252 millionWhere the money goes: Instruction: $68 million Academic support: $20 million Student services: $ 9 million Service of Educational Activity: $3 million Unsponsored student aid: $41 million Sponsored student aid: $8 million Sponsored research: $18 million Other sponsored activity: $6 million Institutional services: $22 million Operation and Maintenance of plant: $17 million Auxiliary Enterprises: $34 million Operating contingency: $2 million Debt retirement, plant funds, etc.: $6 million Total: $252 million Financial aid spending will go up an estimated 12.8 percent for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2003, the largest increase of any category in the budget. Tufts was able to increase its financial aid and weather the economic storm partially because it is now bringing in more money through fundraising and research grants, according to Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard. In particular, Tufts Fund has placed more of an emphasis on annual giving. According to the fund's director, Jeffrey Winey, the fund now stands at about $400,000 ahead of where it was last year, and it has a goal of raising $5 million more by the end of this fiscal year. The money raised is contributed directly to Tufts' operating budget -- not to the endowment. "We need to continue raising more expendable dollars that the deans can spend to support financial aid and academic programs," Winey said. "The emphasis has been there, but it's continued to strengthen with the new president and new provost coming on board." Donations earmarked for financial aid have significantly helped the University this year. Tufts Fund has focused some effort specifically on financial aid in part because of the "Pritzker Challenge" -- a promise by alumni Dan and Karen Pritzker to match up to $5 million in donations to financial aid for scholarships for minority students over the next five years. Tufts Fund's ability to raise money for financial aid is key, given that the University has a lower endowment than any of the schools that administrators consider benchmarks. Brown University, which Bouchard considers one of Tufts' closest competitors, is switching to need-blind admissions next year, and Tufts needed to increase its financial aid to compete with Brown and other schools. Also, the economic downturn has created greater demand for financial aid among applicants to Tufts. Increases cannot come from fundraising alone, and Tufts faces many challenges in creating a budget that reflects University priorities. Because the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering budget is tuition-driven -- $165 million of the $252 million comes from tuition and fees -- Tufts must balance the tasks of meeting rising operating costs while trying to keep tuition affordable to students. The cost of financial aid, technology, and library acquisitions can often grow more than ten percent, while tuition increases are usually under five percent, Bouchard said. Instruction is the biggest single expense each year, at $68 million. A variety of costs to operate and maintain the University come to about $74 million. When the budgeting process begins over the summer, the University must attempt to predict costs for a year in the future, such as utilities and compensation of employees. The School of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering has to complete its budget by February, earlier than Tufts' other schools, so that tuition and financial aid information can be given to students admitted in April. Rising oil and utility prices may have caused woes for off-campus students this winter, but Tufts had actually anticipated the rises and accounted for them in the budget. "The bottom line would be better if oil prices weren't as high as they are," Bouchard said. "But our planning process allowed us to cover the projected costs." The University is losing some money this year and next because of state cuts to funding higher education. Gilbert Grants, which are state funds to help students from Massachusetts pay for college, were significantly reduced by the state this year, causing Tufts to lose an estimated $100,000 in financial aid funding. The Dental School and Veterinary School also lost some state money. But while the budget is tuition-driving, tuition alone does not cover the full amount it costs a student to attend Tufts. Fundraising and returns on endowment investments bring in about $5 million and $7 million, respectively, which still leaves $75 million to be brought in from other sources. One of those is research grants, or "sponsored programs," a source of funding that is actually increasing next year. An estimated $31 million of the budget next year will come from grants from the federal government, corporations, and foundations. Securing more federal grants has an added benefit to Tufts because the national government provides money proportionate to the amount of the grants to the University to cover "indirect costs" such as electricity and heating in laboratories -- costs that Tufts would be paying anyway since students and faculty are in the buildings. In a year when the budget is crunched, the University finds ways to reduce costs by achieving greater efficiency. The consolidation of student services into Dowling Hall was not only convenient to students, it saved Tufts "real money," Bouchard said. He could not estimate the actual amount, but said it was somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Similarly, the reshuffling of the administration last year and the dissolution of the vice president post helped Tufts reduce costs. That Tufts was able to balance its budgets without major cuts given the current economy and endowment shows that the University's finances are in good shape, Bouchard said. Other schools throughout the country have been hurt by low investment returns this year and decreases in alumni giving. Dartmouth, for example, had to cut $5.7 million from its budget for the next fiscal year. The Arts, Sciences, and Engineering budget is drawn up by the Budget and Priorities Committee, a student-faculty-administrative group, in conjunction with the Policy Council, the group of Arts, Sciences and Engineering deans.

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News

Mead plans run for TCU presidency

April 2

Sophomore Joe Mead announced this week that he will seek a nomination to run for Tufts Community Union (TCU) president for next year. Mead, who has been on the Senate for a year, was re-elected by default yesterday when only a handful number of rising juniors turned in petitions to run. Until now, only one other senator -- junior Randy Newsom -- expressed a desire to run for president. There was speculation that sophomore Adam Koeppel would run to keep the post from going unopposed, but Koeppel said he plans to study abroad next year. The main plank of Mead's campaign will be improving the connections between the Senate and the student body. He suggested changing the way the Senate communicates with students, from holding poorly-attended forums to more direct outreach -- such as bulletin boards and the constituency-based bylaws that senators have been working to develop this semester. He also suggested that the Senate have a press secretary who works with campus media to inform students of Senate activities. "No one really knows what Senate does, and no one really knows how to use Senate as a tool to help themselves and make Senate a better place," Mead said. "I think Senate has traditionally been an elitist kind of thing." Mead is the chair of Allocations Board Council III, which works with media groups on campus. He is also on the public relations committee, and has been trying to get the Senate bulletin boards in dining areas on campus this year. The Naked Quad Run and the Greek system will also be featured in Mead's campaign. He expressed dissatisfaction with the Senate's lack of discussion of this semester's perceived administrative crackdown on the Greek system and said it was necessary for the body to discuss the issue because of its importance in student life. "It seems kind of arbitrary what the administration is going through right now," he said. "I think that the student body needs to be more involved and aware in decisions and situations that the administration makes." Public relations, preserving the Naked Quad Run, and working on Greek issues are also the three campaign planks that Newsom has outlined thus far. Though the TCU president is traditionally a senior, Mead feels he has developed the leadership skills necessary for the job through his involvement with the Senate and other groups -- he is the treasurer of the Inter-Greek Council, a brother in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and a member of the lacrosse team. He also feels he could bring continuity to the Senate by serving as president for two years. The Senate will meet on Sunday, Apr. 13 to nominate presidential candidates, and the election will be held Apr. 24. Under the current TCU constitution, only two candidates may be nominated, and if only two emerge, the Senate must select both to run.

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News

Provost's summer research program unveiled

April 2

As part of its new Undergraduate Research Initiative, the Provost's office announced the creation of a Summer Scholars program that will provide support to students who participate in summer research with professors. The new program offers 30 undergraduates a $3,500 stipend to work on research for at least eight weeks during the summer. An additional $1,000 will be given to offset research costs, an e-mail sent to undergraduates last week announced. Participants will work with a faculty advisor from Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Tufts graduate schools; or hospitals or clinics affiliated with the University. The participants must use the research opportunity to produce a final project or senior thesis. The opportunities for research apply to almost all Tufts departments. "People get the wrong idea that research is only for those in the sciences -- or graduate students and professors," said junior Mitchell Lunn, one of the program's creators. In order to receive one of the grants, students must first choose one of the opportunities posted by faculty on the Summer Scholars website, http://summerscholars.programs.tufts.edu. Research opportunities are already being posted on the website, and applications are due April 18. Prospective applicants must then approach the faculty member to ask for an invitation to apply for the project. "The application process is unique," Lunn said. After receiving an invitation, students must fill out an online application consisting of two personal essays on how the research will impact their knowledge base and methodological training. Two faculty letters of recommendation are also required, including one from the sponsor of the research opportunity. A selection committee composed of representatives of Art and Sciences, Engineering, and Tufts grad schools then decides who will receive the awards. The application process is expected to be highly competitive. "It's going to be a big thing. Being a Summer Scholar is really going to mean something to people," Lunn said. There have been over a hundred inquiries into the program. The Summer Scholars program is the result of nearly a year's work by the Provost's office, the Dean of the Colleges for Undergraduate Education's office, and the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience. Lunn worked extensively with Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye to help create the program after speaking with him about an Omidiyar Scholarship project. "Dean Inouye then brought the issue of undergraduate research to the Task Force," Lunn said. The Task Force then recommended further opportunities for undergraduate research in its January report, specifically the creation of the Summer Scholars program. Once the recommendations were released, the Provost's office began to work with Lunn and Inouye to fund and create the project. In his e-mail to students, Provost Jamshed Bharucha outlined the importance of "providing research opportunities that enable students to collaborate with professors and take part in the process of discovery and creation." Both faculty and students expressed strong support for the program, according to Task Force Chair Gilbert Metcalf. "There was broad support among faculty and students. "A university is a place where research is done and new knowledge is created so the summer scholars program is a natural fit," he said. The summer research program fits what some see as a hole in undergraduate education at Tufts. "Seventy percent of incoming undergraduate students expect to do research by the time they graduate, but the numbers that actually do are much less," Metcalf said. "What are the barriers? Earning money in the summer is one." The program will give rising seniors a head start on their senior thesis. "I can stay here this summer; make some money, but also forward my education. I definitely plan on applying," junior Greg Gale said.

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News

Dave Martin a leader on the mound for baseball squad

April 2

What may seem like a basic pre-game ritual for any pitcher may actually be a key component to the success of senior Dave Martin -- tri-captain of the men's baseball team and currently the team's number one pitcher. "I jog, stretch, warm up with the catcher, take a drink of water, and go out to the mound," Martin said. The right-hander continued, explaining that, "Pitching is all about getting into a rhythm. You have a routine, so you get into that rhythm before you even get on the mound." With three wins already under his belt this season and a 16-5 career record to back him up, it would appear that Martin's jog-stretch-warm up-water routine is effective in establishing his game rhythm. His coach, John Casey, also noted his consistency. "He's the same, and that's probably the biggest compliment," Casey said. "Every time we give Dave the ball, we feel like we can win. With him on the mound, it gives the guys a tendency to play harder." In his four years at Tufts, Martin has earned the team's confidence with his performance on the mound. He has accrued a career ERA of about 2.5, and thrown seven complete games in 143 innings. According to Martin, his .84 ERA last season is the highlight of his baseball career thus far. That statistic placed him second in the nation for Div. III pitchers and earned him a spot on the all-NESCAC first team. Martin was also named the Jumbos' Most Valuable Pitcher last spring. He has continued to lead the team's pitching staff this season with the support of senior Jon Lee and junior Randy Newsom, who complete the starting rotation. "I think three of the best athletes we have on our team are our pitchers," Casey said. "People don't always appreciate how athletic pitchers are because they only see them doing one thing." Casey said that Martin is also a strong fielder, and he hopes to give him an opportunity to hit later this season if a nagging hamstring injury will allow it. "He's so important to us on the mound that we have to make sure we don't risk that," Casey said. As the Jumbos' ace, Martin generally starts in the first of each weekend's three-game series. Last Friday, he helped to defeat Bates, and this weekend he will square off against Wesleyan. "The first game [in a series] is a tough one mentally because you're pitching against their best too," Casey said. "Dave's someone who's going to fight them the whole way. He's a big strong pitcher who wears you down. He just keeps coming at you." Casey also called Martin someone who will "do everything in his power to win." "He's very competitive. He's not going to let you win," Casey said. According to Martin, he enjoys competition, and said that he likes his position because "the pitcher competes in just about every play." "I like pitching because I feel like everything revolves around you," Martin said. "It's at your pace. You're almost in control of the game. You begin every play with the ball in your hand and you end every play with the ball in your hand." The right hander should be well accustomed to the feel of the ball by now, as he's been playing baseball for over 15 years. He began playing tee-ball when he was five years old, following in the footsteps of his father and his older brother, both lifelong ball players. Along with baseball, Martin played football and basketball at Arlington High School in Arlington, MA. He still takes part in pickup basketball games and said that he enjoys watching sports. "My biggest hobby is athletics in general," Martin said. "I'm a huge Red Sox fan." Martin has spent the last few summers on local diamonds, playing for the Inner-City League. He will do so again this year, but is unsure of other post-graduation plans. He said that baseball will certainly be part of his future, though. "On some level, I always want to stay involved in baseball," Martin said. "I'll probably be one of those guys who teaches my son's Little League team." Unfortunately, Martin would have to wait a while to share his greatest expertise, since there's no pitching in tee-ball.

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News

The illogical workings of a Boston mind

April 2

To any rational sort of human being, it was just one game. What's more, it was the first game out of 162. To a logical person of sound mind and body, it meant nothing. It was just a slip up, an opportunity to see what's wrong and improve, a chance to get the jitters out. Of course, for Red Sox fans, reason and logic left town about 85 five years ago along with a fat man who drank too much and liked to pulverize the ever-loving crap out of baseballs. So when Alan Embree came to the mound on Monday night to begin the new closer-by-committee era under the nauseating lights of Tropicana Field, and promptly gave up a two run blast to Terry Shumpert, we started to get a little bit nervous. But hey, isn't that what closer-by-committee is all about? If one of your closers comes in and has trouble, you can bail him out with another one. Enter Chad Fox, a 32-year-old journeyman coming off of two elbow surgeries. Fox gets two outs, should have been three but Nomar couldn't turn the double play, and then gives up a three run shot to Carl Crawford (who now has an eye-popping total of three career home runs). Ballgame. Not quite what we had imagined, especially after seven innings from Pedro that could only be described as Pedro-esque. It was an April Fool's day joke a day early. After all of the off-season talk about this new closer idea, about how it would be the next big thing, the bullpen couldn't possibly have blown a four run lead in the bottom of the ninth to the Devil Rays. Could it? This was not just one game out of 162. This was a cruel and unusual joke on par with Chinese water torture and 7th Heaven marathons. The season could not have started on a more sour note for the Red Sox. There is no other set of circumstances that would have been worse, short of God striking down Pedro, Nomar, and Manny in one fell swoop. Even if they had lost to the Yankees by about 25 runs it would have been better, because it would have been the Yankees, and deep down inside, everybody would have been expecting it. But this was the Devil Rays. The worst of the worst. The lowest of the low. A bona-fide Triple A team with about 13 seconds of big league experience and a $15 million dollar payroll. That's less than what the Red Sox paid Manny Ramirez last season. Nobody blows a four-run ninth inning lead to the Devil Rays. And things didn't get a whole lot better on day two. The Red Sox won of course, but that's secondary in this town when Bobby Howry gives up a game-tying two-run homer to Rey Ordonez, who has the power and plate presence of a Chicklet. Any other town would just shake it off, chalk it up to bad luck and let it go. In Boston we'll chalk things up to bad luck all day long, but if there's one thing we won't do it's let things go. We'll sit around and talk about how much of an idiot this Epstein kid is for thinking that you can close a game with a committee and how it looks like it's going be another season down the crapper. You might be able to convince other people that there are still 160 games left in the season and that nothing is over, by any stretch of the imagination, but not us. All we can see right now is Carl Crawford and Rey Ordonez, with their combined 12 career home runs sending all of our stupid closers on our stupid committee home with their tails between their legs. It's amazing, but Red Sox fans are the most negatively optimistic people in the world. We will go into every single game utterly convinced that somehow, some way, the Red Sox will blow whatever chance they are lucky enough to get, and will lose the game in pathetic and heartbreakingly awful fashion, all the while knowing that this will finally be the year that the Sox win it all. And the skepticism in every single game would be excessive if it hadn't been right for 85 consecutive years. Anybody would be a little miffed after almost a century of anguish. In a weird way, it's only logical that our brains are so illogical. Trying to understand how something can go wrong 85 times in a row is a lot like trying to comprehend the universe. It's almost not even worth trying. So you'll have to pardon Red Sox nation for getting so worked up over these first few days of the season. You'll have to forgive the Herald when it prints headlines like "Wait until next year" after opening day games. We just don't know any better. Yeah, there's a part of our brain that tells us things like the Angels started last season 6-14 and won the World Series, but things like that don't really matter in Boston. We know that there are still 160 games to go, and even though we're bound to lose every single one of them, we also know that come October, the Yankees will suck, and we'll be World Series champs.

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News

Men's tennis goes 2-1 over last three matches

April 2

The men's tennis team saw a three match winning streak end when it fell to rival MIT 4-3 on Tuesday. The top of MIT's lineup proved too powerful for the Jumbos as it won the first three singles matches over senior co-captain Dave Ruttenberg, sophomore Rifat Perahya, and junior Jon Bram. The losses were the first for any of the three this season. "MIT had some players who were very strong at the top of their lineup," senior co-captain Danny Lang said. "We played very well, but it didn't go our way." Tufts players Lang, sophomore Adam Yates, and freshman Ben Alexander took the four, five, and six matches to split the singles competition with MIT. However, MIT won two of three doubles matches to take the deciding point and the 4-3 win. While the top two doubles teams of Ruttenberg/Perahya and Lang/Yates lost, Tufts' third doubles team of Bram and Rubenstein was able to take a victory. "It was basically two of the top ten nationally ranked teams going at it," coach Jim Watson said. "All the matches were very competitive but they just attacked it more than us. We can build off this." The hard-fought match backed up Watson's preseason claim that MIT would be, "the team to beat." Lang thought that MIT's home-court advantage led to the tightly contested match. "Anytime you go on the road it is tough," he said. "Maybe things could have gone our way on our home courts." The team hosted the Wesleyan Cardinals last Saturday afternoon in its second conference match of the season. The Jumbos won two of three doubles matches to win the doubles point, although both matches were tightly contested. The number one team of Ruttenberg and Perahya held on for a close 9-7 win and in the second doubles match Lang and Yates won 8-6. The top of the Tufts singles lineup remained unbeaten in the Wesleyan match as Ruttenberg, Perahya, and Bram each won their matches in straight sets. Lang dropped the Jumbos first singles match of the season in a tight 6-4, 6-4 match against Wesleyan sophomore Wes Yeoman. Yates and Alexander held strong at the bottom of the lineup with two straight set victories. In action last Friday, March 28, the Jumbos squared off against the Connecticut College Camels to open its NESCAC play. Coming off an ankle injury, which kept him from singles competition in the team's first match, Ruttenberg picked up his first solo victory of the season in straight sets. Ruttenberg also teamed up with Perahya, who shut out the Camels' number two player, for an 8-1 win in the number one doubles match. Bram and Lang followed suit at the three and four spots, and Yates won an impressive match at number five 6-0, 6-0. Alexander rounded out the Tufts victory with a 6-0, 6-1 win at the bottom of the lineup. The teams of Lang/Yates and Bram/Rubenstein won convincing doubles victories: 8-3, 8-2 respectively. Coming off their loss to MIT, the Jumbos venture into a tough weekend at home against Middlebury on Friday and on the road against defending national champion Williams on Saturday. "Middlebury is every bit as strong as MIT," Watson said. "It is one of the teams to beat." The coach was optimistic though, saying, "The pressure is definitely on them. We have beat them the last five or six years, and it's on our turf." Lang also noted the importance of this weekend's matches. "These are the two toughest matches we will have the rest of the season," Lang said. "We will find out where we stand."

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News

Brazilian restaurant in Medford moderately priced and delicious

April 2

Taking a seat at our table at the Oasis restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a pole protruding from a neighboring table. The pole was maybe 18 inches tall. And it was covered in meat. Huge pieces of meat. The night was looking up. Situated in Medford Square, Oasis bills itself as a Brazilian restaurant specializing in barbecue. About a fifteen minute walk from campus (and a few scant blocks from the Sci-Tech Center), students looking to try something new but not too unfamiliar should find it perfect. The dining room is nice and the staff keeps a steady stream of Brazilian music flowing from a radio in the corner. It's a bit cramped, but what you would normally expect from such a suburban eatery. But back to the important stuff: the skewers of meat. Meat on a stick is naturally an attractive novelty so my companions and I certainly needed to try some. The menu offers the "Brazilian B.B.Q." for $15.99, which includes five speared pieces plus salad, rice, beans, fries, and a side known as farofa, which you can read more about later. Judging from tables around us, this seems to be a popular dish for groups. Everyone can sample a bit of each. The "Mini Skew" provides two pieces with same side orders for $9.99. The meat choices include sausage, pork, steak, and chicken. For those who for some reason do not like their food speared on a spike, the menu offers a wide variety of vegetarian, steak, poultry, pork, seafood, and pasta dishes. Some choices are familiar, such as the bourbon and cajun chicken or the fajitas. To give it more of an authentic tone, much of the menu is written in Portuguese with English translations underneath, although the Salm??o grelhado is helpfully translated as "Salm??o grelhado" so that dish may remain a mystery. Between us we ordered three types of meat (in skewered form, of course), blackened catfish ($8.99), and fried plantains ($2.49). Most entrees come with a salad, complete with beats and vinegar and oil for a do-it-yourself salad dressing. The arrival of the main course signified probably the lowest point of the night. Quoted verbatim from the menu, the name of my dinner is "Brazukinha (Mini Skew)" and yet my steak and pork did not come pierced on a miniature sword. What a disappointment! Fortunately, everything improved from there. The two pieces of meat served with the Mini Skew are enormous; cuts this size would probably run $15 or more each at a steakhouse. The quality was superb. Although the meat was cruelly unskewered, every piece was juicy and quite flavorful, more so than most Americans would probably expect. The same can be said about the other meat at the table, a piece of chicken and the catfish. Both were quite good. These dishes came with a bowl of black beans and a huge pile of rice, also delightfully savory, although mine was undercooked. The "skewers" came with fries and the mysterious farofa. This intrepid reporter entered Oasis expecting to fill his notebook with discreet notes and instead walked out with merely the word "farofa" scribbled on a blank page because this side order was so interesting. It looks something like a pile of breadcrumbs and tastes about the same. After some research about farofa (the Brazilian embassy in London's website dedicates a whole page to it), I discovered it is a "simple cassava flour mixed with butter to make it moist and crunchy." The site says it is an acquired taste, and I'd tend to agree. For such generous and scrumptious helpings the prices are very reasonable. Very few entrees run more than $9 and all the desserts go for $2. Remember to bring your ID because Tufts students receive ten percent off. The service was excellent with a pleasant staff and speedy food delivery. At one point, someone appeared to be the manager even dropped by to inquire how we were faring. Those looking for a nightcap will find a rather large selection of desserts, including flan and mousse variations, and alcoholic beverages, although some may be disappointed that the Brazilian restaurant offers very few exotic imported beers. And for those who don't want to walk to Medford Square, the restaurant runs a delivery service as well. All in all, the Oasis has a bit of an exotic flavor to it, good especially for those who want some familiar items served in a new way. And on spears.

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News

Registration system changed

April 2

After years of discussion about the perceived inequity of the registration procedure, administrators have updated the system that determines the order in which students choose their classes. Registration times for the fall 2003 semester were assigned to students randomly within each class, instead of being based on the number of credits a student has taken. In the past, registration times were determined through a process which gave students with a larger number of credits the opportunity to register first. Upperclassmen picked first, but within each class, students were placed into subgroups, depending on how many credits they had earned. Registration times for the students in each subgroup were then randomized. Thus, a senior with the most credits would be in the first subgroup to chose, but not necessarily have the best time. When students begin next week to register for the fall 2004 semester, rising seniors will still pick first. However, the registration times have been randomly assigned throughout each class, and the subgroups have been eliminated. "[The system] was what it was and we didn't think it was equitable," said Senior Class Dean Jeanne Dillon. "I think it's a worthy experiment. We are giving people an equal shot." Under the old system, administrators faced concerns from students who could not afford to take classes over the summer, did not have Advanced Placement credits from high school, or who needed to work and were unable to take a large number of classes. While the new system does even out the playing field, it may do so at the expense of students who have worked hard to take a large number of classes. "I think if you work hard and go the extra mile you should be rewarded," said sophomore Eric Paskowski. "I think there is financial aid for summer programs. There will always be a way to finance education." Although registration is important, the schedule that students set before classes begin is in no way final. An average of 13,000 schedule changes are made during the first few weeks of class, suggesting that ultimately, an early registration time is not required for a good schedule. In fact, a number of students do not even bother to register at all, Dillon said. "One of the other things we are trying to get across is that you are supposed to register," she said. The plan to change the registration system has been in the works for over a decade, according to Dillon. And the desire to do so "was not something that the class deans decided," she said. "Pretty much everybody wanted to." The move of student services to Dowling Hall was part of the impetus for the change, according to Dillon, because it helped bring together dialogue on student services about different issues. Another contributing factor was the naming of Joanne Smith as the acting registrar last fall. In the past, the registrar existed in name only, and therefore no one person could act as the gatekeeper of student records. "Now there is someone who can take responsibility for the registration change," Smith said. During winter break, Smith set up a system to assign registration times with Tufts Computing and Communications Services. "We heard a lot of students complain about [the old system]," Smith said. "This way, it's just more fair."

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