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The Setonian
News

Journalist addresses 'The Bush Betrayal'

February 12

With the possibility of war with Iraq weighing heavily on America's collective conscience, journalist Frank Smyth's Feb. 11 on-campus discussion on the history of Iraq was very relevant to the students who attended. Sponsored by the Tufts Coalition to Oppose War on Iraq (TCOWI), Smyth's talk addressed George Bush Sr.'s encouragement and consequent abandonment of the 1991 Kurd and Shiite Iraqi uprisings against Saddam Hussein. Smyth related these events to the current political situation, stating his ambivalence about going to war and his apprehensions about the direction being taken by the current Bush administration. "At an institute like Tufts, it's important for us to help educate the campus on the history of the current situation in Iraq," said professor Gerry Melvin as he introduced Smyth. Smyth has written for The New York Times,The Economist, Jane's Intelligence Review, The Washington Post, and Salon.com. George Bush Sr.'s controversial second-time selection as this year's Issam M. Fares lecturer also heightened the relevance of Smyth's speech. Smyth began his talk, officially titled "The Bush Betrayal," with a comparison of the two Bush administrations. Smyth said both administrations share a "backward looking" view of Iraq that does not take its people's ethnic, cultural, and political history into account. According to Smyth, the public shares this view. "Most articles about Iraq aren't about the Iraqi people, they're about the American people's conceptions of the Iraqi people," he said. In order to "set things straight" for those 20 some students and faculty members in attendance, Smyth described Iraq's ethnic, religious, and political history from 1958, when its ruling monarchy fell, to the present. In the late 1980s, the Reagan administration supplied Hussein with supplies and information in order to aid Iraq in defending itself in its war against Iran. Within two years Hussein invaded Kuwait. Despite bringing attention to oversights on the part of the US government, Smyth shied away from finger pointing. Though some assert that Bush Sr. effectively gave Iraq "the green light" to invade Kuwait, Smyth said it was more likely that "Bush just didn't take [Hussein] seriously enough." Bush Sr. first asserted that the Iraqi people should overthrow Hussein's regime on Feb. 14, 1991, four weeks into the Gulf War, which ended two weeks later. By this time, independent revolts on the part of the Iraqi people had already started to occur. "The Iraqis were ready to revolt and Bush pushed them over the edge," Smyth said. "They were so grateful in Kurdistan that many couples named their new babies 'Bush.'" At this point, the Bush administration was certain that Hussein's regime would be overthrown. As evidenced by CIA documents, the CIA shared this certainty. Bush Sr.'s administration, Smyth asserted, both wanted and anticipated "a nice, neat coup" in which members of Hussein's regime would overthrow him. This line of thinking, however, "completely underestimated how terrified people were of [Hussein]." By April 2, the "intifada" which Bush had encouraged and then abandoned was over, and the administration claimed that it was not aware of the insurrectionary movement _ but communications transcripts have proven this to be untrue. Over three times as many Iraqis _ over 100,000 as opposed to 30,000 _ had died during the brief period of insurrection than did during the Gulf War, according to Smyth. Smyth, who was in Iraq at the time, became emotional when speaking of the suffering of the Iraqi people. "It's hard for me to talk about this because I saw this," he said. "I saw thousands of people under fire, leaving the city." Despite the enormous death toll at the intifada's end and its lack of US support, Smyth noted that independent resistance continued to spring up. He cited several recent resistance attempts such as a 1996 shooting of Hussein's eldest son and a 1998 assassination attempt on Hussein's Vice President. Smyth, who is currently working on a book dealing with the same subject matter he addressed in his talk, went on to tie the past to the present, scoffing at government assertions that bin Laden is linked to Hussein. "On the recruiting video released after Sept. 11, bin Laden calls Saddam 'a false Muslim,'" Smyth said, adding that similar sentiments were expressed by bin Laden in the video released on Feb. 11. "Coming from bin Laden, nothing could be worse." Smyth did warn, however, that US actions could potentially drive the Iraqi people towards allying with bin Laden and al Qaeda. "I'm ambivalent about this war," he said. "I'm in favor of getting rid of Saddam and his regime, but the USA is doing things in a way that is very dangerous." When asked to elaborate, Smyth stated, "this is an administration that has disregarded the rule of law, doesn't respect the world order, and prides itself on its own arrogance." Smyth believes the current administration needs to make a plan to stabilize Iraq before taking military action. He also warned against what he termed the administration's "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality. Should the US repeat its pattern of prematurely withdrawing from its commitment to cleaning up the Iraqi conflict, Smyth said, "the Iraqi people will be glad [Hussein]'s gone, but they won't be grateful to us."

The Setonian
News

Riding along the T: Porter

February 12

I like to think of Porter as a kind of distant third cousin you see on holidays. You want to seem them more often, and every Thanksgiving you exchange phone numbers and emails but the time flies by and the next thing you know a year has passed without the hoped-for visit. So it goes with Porter, the glorified strip mall that we always affectionately pass is actually our next stop. When I mentioned the subject of this week's article, I was nudged by multiple friends to mention how "when you go up the escalator it's like finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel." Or, sigh, to "talk about how when you go up the escalator it's like you're going into heaven." To that, all I have to say is: ye gods people! You want this dirt infested metal T-station as your invitation to St. Pete's gates? Feel free to find me making devil faces at you at the Dunkin Donuts across the street. In that same bustling industrial Mecca, you can also find the wonderful Star Market with such fine amenities as shampoo under $5 (take that, Jumbo), health food (see earlier parenthesis) and, if you're lucky, chipper girl scout mommies selling cookies. I, myself, partook in the all new "friendship circles." And I must say, beware evil _ these pure of heart cookies will give you a run for your money alongside their mighty thin mint and tag-along peanut butter brethren. Oh, and if you eat the whole box in one day you also might get a tummy-ache. Taking a stroll down the block, you can also find such staple stores as Dress Barn and Jennifer Convertibles. No, alas, they do not sell shiny red cars. They sell sofas. I know, I was both disappointed and baffled myself. Porter did have some independent shops. The Mud Flat Gallery thrives under the same roof as the River Jhelum. They had some cute arts and crafts type stuff _ but I got kind of distracted looking at the Liquor World sign across the street. Another personal favorite shop of mine is Vintage Etc. Not only does it have a "Duck Boy" as its mascot, but it is also a steadfast reminder as to why I'm not at Oberlin. By all means, I adore the vintage scene and greatly respect the old leather jacket handed down from my pop that hangs kinda weird in the back. But, everything in moderation. In terms of eats, there are the distinct favorites like the Japanese Blue Fin and Cambodian styled Elephant Walk. Supposedly, they have some tasty and unique cuisine _ and if not, well hey you just ate at some place named after how elephants walk. Heh. Sweet. But if you're more of a homebody, the Kotobukiya Market is certainly the way to go. With Asian market goodies of all shapes and sizes _ oh just go there and see for yourself will you? Finally, for all you dogs out there the Tea-Tray in the Sky, which is a little walk down Mass Ave, will give you free doggie biscuits when you bring your owner. So give them this column, fetch me a fresh Daily and wake me up in time for class tomorrow. Good puppy.

The Setonian
News

Budget cuts not likely to affect all Tufts Schools

February 12

Though Tufts was one of the Universities hit in the wave of recent state budget cuts, administrators remain confident in their ability to maintain research and academic programs. The School of Veterinary Medicine lost $3.6 million in funding two weeks ago when Governor Mitt Romney announced education cuts totaling $41 million. The school will suffer substantially since the money had been allocated for operational costs. But administrators said other Tufts schools would encounter fewer problems if they suffered government budget cuts because their funding is used primarily for research. Additionally, budget cuts are less likely to occur at other Tufts schools _ including Arts, Sciences and Engineering _ because the schools already receive so little funding. Tufts presently receives $100 million from federal and state government sources, but the figure is considered relatively small, especially since it is split between the different schools that comprise the University. Because the portions received by each school are small, further cuts are less likely. Tufts did suffer from some state funding cuts for scholarships in the school of Arts, Sciences & Engineering, but was able to cover the costs, Executive Administrative Dean Wayne Bouchard said. "We get money from the [Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant program], but it is in the ten thousands, not millions," he said. "We can absorb those cuts and we have made up the differences of the Gilbert Grant." The School of Dental Medicine has recently experienced funding problems: in March of last year, $50 million was cut from MassHealth, the state's Medicaid system for poor patients. The program supports a number of the Dental School's patients, and used to provide full dental coverage. But coverage has been reduced following the budget cuts, and MassHealth now only pays for dental work for those patients under the age of 21, and for extractions performed on adults. With less funding in place, fewer MassHealth patients will now be able to seek treatment at the Dental School for the insurance reasons. But even without the support of MassHealth patients, the dental school is not concerned. "It's a concern for our clinic, but we have other patients who can pay," said Pat Campbell, the executive associate dean of the Dental School. "We don't feel vulnerable because of [the cuts], we feel concerned for people we could be helping." Tufts School of Medicine is also not concerned about recent state budget cuts because it receives no state funding, and all federal funding is in the form of grants, which support research and financial aid and are not likely to decrease. "I think at the federal level research funding has been increasing at a healthy rate," said the school's Vice President of Finance Thomas McGurty. The Medical School receives about $40 million in such funding each year. While he felt that the federal government was giving strong support to basic research, Executive Administrative Dean of the Medical School David Dolins said that he was more concerned with the money being allocated to the Medical School. "The only concern we have is our ability to win the money," he said. The pressure being put on universities by the federal government to reduce their costs are "seriously challenging," Bouchard said. "However, it is still not likely that we will lose funding," he said. During fiscally conservative times there may be pressure to decrease funding, but it is highly unlikely that money Tufts receives will be cut entirely. A small part of Arts, Sciences and Engineering's $230 million annual budget accounts for cost recovery, which allows for the cost of using equipment and space. Tufts is reimbursed this $3.4 million annual cost by the federal government. While there is no danger that the government will stop funding entirely, it has asked that Tufts keep this cost as low as possible. But Tufts is not completely shielded from further possible cuts: state-funded service contracts, like the one at for police animal care at the Vet School, may be at risk. The Center for Applied Child Development is a service center affiliated with Tufts that does educational assessments and supports activities for local teachers. Because teachers pay with state funds, there is the possibility that Tufts could be indirectly affected. "We kind of anticipated some loss of funds," said Bouchard. "Through our planning process we can accommodate these losses. If the cuts are more aggressive, we try to look at the best way to address the concern and minimize the impact on students. We hope it is a short term economy problem."

The Setonian
News

Daredevil' delivers

February 11

Take Spiderman's action sequences, add in the moral ambiguity of Punisher, generously soak in the darkness of Batman's Gotham, garnish with a side of good characterization and you have the new movie, Daredevil. This is a bit more than your cheap comic book movie. The action sequences in the movie are great once the viewer suspends his or her belief in Newtonian physics. Characters jump like human crickets and slow motion is used to highlight all of the action. The cinematography looks better than Spiderman and only one or two sequences leave the audience wondering why the heroes look like a cartoon. However, Daredevil separates itself from other comic book movies with a greater attention to characters, which makes it more than your average action movie. The story follows the life of lawyer/vigilante Matt Murdock, aptly played by Ben Affleck. When Murdock was a child, he was accidentally covered in hazardous goo. This incident robs him of his sight, but heightens all his other senses to superhuman levels. He also gains a radar sense based on his acute hearing. By judging the sound around him, he is able to accurately gauge distance and "see" through walls, represented in the film by a cool-looking bluish strobe effect. Those that are worried about the film representing superhuman senses in a primarily visual medium should not be. His sense of touch and smell are downplayed, but his aural sense is brilliantly represented through a collage of sounds that assault Murdock and the audience. After a flashback explaining his powers, the movie fast-forwards to Murdock as an adult living in an alternate version of this world where everything is darker, the laws of gravity are looser, and pain from injury is smaller. Murdock meets sexy Elektra (Jennifer Garner), whose father is mixed up in organized crime with the Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). Kingpin hires Bullseye (Colin Farrell), an insane assassin with perfect aim, to clear up loose ends. Murdock and Elektra fall in love, Bullseye shows up and battles ensue. The plot follows the comic book reasonably well and pays respect to the source material. Ben Affleck gives a great performance as Murdock, showing a conflicted and tormented hero that inhabits a moral shade of gray. During several scenes in the film, Murdock is thrown into difficult situations and the character makes choices that defy the typical action hero stereotype. For example, in one scene, Daredevil is pounding on a small time hoodlum in his home and finds the criminal's terrified, crying son watching him as he hits him (Batman never had to watch the Joker's kid crying in the corner while he fought him). Garner pulls off the attractive ass kicker she plays, but the movie hints at depth to her character that is never addressed. Duncan plays Kingpin with a silent cool that brings to mind Ving Rhames' character in Pulp Fiction. Farrell is a real delight to watch as Bullseye. He has the ability to make the viewer laugh and cringe at his antisocial tendencies and indiscriminate killing. Jon Favreau provides some funny comic relief as Murdock's business partner and Joe Pantoliano is solid as the reporter trying to track down Daredevil. And, for fans of the comic book, you should keep an eye out for the names and faces of writers and artists of the comic littered throughout the movie. Yet, while this movie is generally positive, there are some negative aspects as well. First off, the love scenes between Elektra and Murdock were sub par. After a wonderful first meeting/fight, their relationship doesn't really work. It isn't bad on the level of Episode II, but it is weaker than the rest of the film. One of the other problems is the clich?©s. For the most part, the script tends toward the unexpected, but every once in a while a corny line will slip in or cheesy pop music will play reminding the audience that they are watching a mainstream action film. My advice: Do not see Daredevil if you are looking for a masterpiece of original cinema. Do see Daredevil if you are a fan of the comic, you want a fun movie, or if you are looking for typical Hollywood fare with a bit more depth. Daredevil is one of the best comic book movies and a standout action movie.

The Setonian
News

Grieving when far from home

February 11

Colleges students face numerous emotional obstacles while living away from home, especially as freshmen. As the United States is on the brink of war with Iraq and in the aftermath of the Columbia Shuttle tragedy, compassion from close friends and family can be critical for students dealing with difficult situations. One of the most stressful and heartbreaking experiences that college students often go through is receiving a phone call telling them that a close friend or family member has passed away. College friends, although they strive to be supportive, are often not enough. One sophomore had only been at Tufts for a few weeks last year when he heard that his close friend had died suddenly. "We were so close, and I was completely unprepared for the news," he said. The loss was even more painful for him because, although his new friends at Tufts supported him, the people who most closely shared his anguish were far away. "All my friends got to go to the funeral and have each other's support," he said. "During all this I was here, 3,000 miles from home." In late January, sophomore Jason Slomovitz learned that one of his favorite high school teachers had passed away. Unable to leave school to attend the funeral, Slomovitz dealt with the tragic news alone, feeling that the loss was exacerbated because he had no one to make the grieving process easier. "It's hard to be so far away from people who are going through the same thing as me," said Slomovitz. The complaint of not being able to attend the funeral is a common one from those who have experienced a loss while at school. The funeral can be a critical aspect of the grieving process, providing closure and a supportive atmosphere in which to mourn. Recognizing that many students are unable to leave the campus for a variety of reasons, the University offers students with several resources to help them deal with their grief. The Counseling Center, on call 24 hours a day, is one resource for students who need someone to talk with. "We see individuals who come here about each person's unique feelings and struggles," Counseling Center Director Dr. Jonathan Slavin said. Slavin recognizes that there is no standard way in which one should grieve or deal with a trauma, since it is an intensely personal struggle that time and support will eventually ease. English Professor Virginia Brereton is still reeling from the death of a former student, and tries to convey to her current students that they should be careful. "You may think we teachers forget about you when you leave our classes," she said. "But we don't. Please, please take care of yourselves." Some students find the spiritual comfort of religion to be an irreplaceable comfort. The Catholic, Jewish, Protestant and Muslim University chaplains are available to students as well, and can also be reached through the TUPD switchboard. "Grieving is not a linear process," said Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, the University's Jewish Chaplain and director of the Hillel Center. "One day you are fine. The next you are overwhelmed with grief." Not all students who lose someone close to them while at school are stranded on campus while enduring the grieving process. Freshman Elizabeth Mann lost a close family friend recently. The funeral was held close to campus, and her immediate family drove from Maine to be with her. "It was nice my family was so close," Mann said. "I feel as though death can be so surreal, and attending the funeral helped make it a reality." According to University Chaplain David O'Leary, mourning students resort to vastly different forms of coping. He cites "prayer, anger, lack of sleep, too much sleep, not eating, or eating too much" as examples. However, O'Leary believes that "the best coping means is to talk it out." Comforting a fellow student who is experiencing loss is also a challenging prospect. Summit recommends avoiding rationalizing the loss or attempting to explain it. The best comfort one can offer, Summit said, is a sympathetic ear and unconditional support. "To the Japanese, evanescence means sorrow, but then sorrow becomes something beautiful," Dean of Colleges Charles Inouye explained. "Without an awareness of death, we never really appreciate life."

The Setonian
News

Dismemberment Plan outdone by openers

February 11

Last Thursday evening, we were under the impression that we were going to a Dismemberment Plan show. As we trudged toward Davis, clouds of frozen breath hung suspended in the cold air as we exhaled, mentioning favorite D Plan songs that spoke of the impending break-up, and wondered aloud whether the Plan would play "Ice of Boston" (their classic Boston-is-depressing-and-cold-in-the-wintertime ballad) or not. During the T ride to Boylston and a hurried dinner of bagels and soup, the Plan remained our main topic of conversation. None of us really knew the opening band or had much to say about them. A few of us had seen the Damn Personals play the Crane room at Tufts last winter and hadn't been terribly impressed by their unexceptional 'emo.' I personally recall leaving the concert early to go to a "luau" in Wren (and I can think of no clearer indication of a band truly sucking than its being ditched for a theme party in Wren). As for Les Savy Fav? I'd heard of them, though I had trouble pronouncing their peculiar pseudo-French name. I'd read some incredibly positive reviews of their albums, but I hadn't really heard any of their music. They were one of those bands my friends kept on telling me I would like, but I never got into. On Thursday night at the Roxy, I finally had the chance to hear their screeching, shrieking, crashing music and to see their frontman, Tim Harrington, freak out and frolic across the stage. Finally, I found out what all the fuss was about. In fact, the exhilarating experience of seeing Les Savy Fav open kind of made the Dismemberment Plan's headlining set appear sedate and stuffy in comparison. And after all was said and done (or, rather, strummed and screeched), it seemed pretty clear that Les Savy Fav stole the show. Les Savy Fav was the sex and the Dismemberment Plan was nothing but the post-coital cigarette: not by any means unpleasant, but lacking the energy, the urgency, the excitement of the former. But I'll get to that in a second. So when we arrived at the Roxy, the Damn Personals had already taken the stage. I can't really comment on whether or not their music has evolved since they played at Tufts, because we spent what remained of their set checking our coats and wandering around the venue. I'd never been to the Roxy before, and I very much enjoyed running around the balcony and ducking into the elegantly-appointed mini-lounges lining the back of the second floor. Incidentally, the mini-lounges seemed like a pretty decent vantage point from which to watch a show _ they all had comfortable couches and convenient tables but still provided clear views of the stage. Perhaps when I grow old and my aching back can no longer handle a night of jumping around on the dance floor, I'll come a little early to shows at the Roxy and commandeer a private mini-lounge. We finally set up camp on the landing of the stairwell to the left of the stage. This arrangement not only placed us incredibly close to the performers (about ten feet away), but provided us with rather comfortable seating (the stairs), and a unique perspective _ we felt like we were backstage. We were above and slightly behind the performers, and we had a great view of their actions and of the reactions of the crowd in front of them. Soon after we sat down, Les Savy Fav took the stage. To fully understand Tim Harrington and to envision him in all his glory, please take a moment and imagine your uncle. Yes, your uncle. Now imagine your uncle very, very drunk and climbing on tables and chairs at a family gathering, clearing his throat and preparing to sing. Everything about Harrington's appearance is typically avuncular _ the bushy beard, the balding scalp, the round belly under the plaid shirt. Only, unlike most uncles (or at least unlike my uncles), Harrington is an amazing, dynamic singer, yelping and shouting lyrics wildly and punctuating his vocals with his spastic stage antics. As he sang, he jumped, ran and danced across the stage. He stomped on amps, he ran up a staircase, and finished one song while straddling the balcony railing. He jumped into the crowd and swung from a light fixture, he balanced on one leg like an overweight flamingo, and he ran to the edge of the stage and peeled off one of the security guard's yellow SECURITY shirts and put it on over his own plaid button-down (the security guard smiled politely and lifted his arms to facilitate the clothing exchange). He encouraged the crowd to participate _ he thrust the mic into the audience so fans could sing along, and during the last song, "Rome," he pulled a King Kong and picked up a tiny girl from the front row and placed her on stage. Most of the material was from their new album, Go Forth, but they also played selections from The Cat and The Cobra and Rome (Written Upside Down). Dismemberment Plan came on after a short break. Unfortunately, Travis Morrison's fairly reserved dance moves _ some jumping up and down, a few shuffles and slides _ were nothing compared to Harrington's antics. The Plan played some new songs, as well as crowd favorites like "You Are Invited" and "Do The Standing Still," and Morrison invited everyone up on stage to dance for "Ice of Boston." I got the impression that Morrison is tired of performing "Ice of Boston." He sang the lyrics very quickly and without the expressive pauses that make the album version of the song so funny and touching. Even so, fans (including my friends and I) rushed the stage and danced to the song. We found ourselves dancing behind the drum set, where we saw Harrington return from backstage and try to grab the drummer's drumsticks as he played, stealing the show once again.

The Setonian
News

Like father like son?

February 11

In politics, 20 months is an eternity. That being said, with the first day to declare campaign funds (Mar. 31) not too far off, it's not too early to think about what the 2004 Presidential Race will look like. Two questions will need to be answered: 1) Will Bush be vulnerable? 2) Which Democrat has the best chance of dethroning Bush Number Two? It's amazing how history repeats itself. As soon as W's approval ratings skyrocketed after September 11, 2001, every talking head in America was talking about how W. had learned from his father's mistakes. No way would he pay too much attention to foreign policy and neglect domestic economic troubles. No way would he let his popularity slide from its giddy wartime height to actually losing the election for his second term. No way. Well that was then, and that was even a few months ago, but this is now. Bush's approval ratings, while still high, have dropped significantly, leaving him little room for error. Bush has taken a huge risk by placing so much importance on the conflict with Iraq. If it goes awry _ if America is forced to go into Iraq alone, or if the war effort is unsuccessful, or if the rebuilding effort is unsuccessful, Bush's popularity will take a hit. What's more, the economy will continue to sour as investors don't know how the Iraq situation will resolve itself and oil prices keep rising. This will lead to the same criticisms Bush Sr. faced: too much attention paid to foreign policy, not enough to the American economy. A Bush aide would tell you that the White House has taken aggressive action to right the economic ship, with a huge tax cut as the most important component of the Bush economic plan. But not many people are really fooled. Many Americans, even Republicans, are worried about how the tax cuts are distributed, both across income brackets and across time. The best stimulus would be to give short-term tax breaks to lower income brackets, who would spend a larger part of that money. Bush's plan gives breaks to higher income brackets, and spaces them out over ten years. What's more, the tax cut only exacerbates the fundamental imbalance in the US economy _ its huge debt and lack of savings. Now, none of this will matter if America gets UN backing and cruises into Iraq without a problem, puts a stable government in Saddam's place, and the price of oil plummets down to $10 a barrel. And that's not impossible. And in that case, Bush will be very hard to beat in 2004. But let's say the war in Iraq doesn't go so well. The economy is still struggling, and voters are looking for other options. Who in the Democratic party can step up to meet Bush? First let's just eliminate a couple of contenders that have no chance. Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman. No chance. At all. Americans are tired of seeing Lieberman from the Gore campaign, he's too conservative to attract liberal votes, and besides he's Jewish. I'm willing to bet that America will have a female president before it has a Jewish one. Gephardt went out of style with jean jackets around 1988. He is the old-style protectionist labor-union backed Democrat that Bill Clinton made obsolete. Besides, Lieberman and Gephardt are just plain boring. Both of these guys will get a fair amount of money and stay alive for a while because they're well-known, but neither of them has any chance at winning the presidency. Zero. Now to the real contenders. There are three: John Kerry of Massachussetts, Howard Dean of Vermont, and John Edwards of North Carolina. Americans are worried about security more than anything else right now. Kerry is in the best position to allay those fears. He is a war veteran, but at the same time he has strong liberal anti-war credentials _ which could become important if the war in Iraq goes bad. In that case, Americans will be looking for a different approach to foreign policy, which Kerry could provide. At the same time, Kerry isn't all that exciting. He's not incredibly personable. He'll have to overcome that in order to beat Bush. Howard Dean has impressed some in the early going. Right now his main obstacle is his obscurity. But he has a lot of energy and has the advantage of being an "outsider." Many recent presidents _ George W., Clinton, Reagan, etc. _ have gotten to the presidency by side-stepping Washington politics (one more reason why Gephardt and Lieberman are hopeless _ they are steeped in Washington politics). John Edwards may have the best chance of the three. Like the last three successful Democratic candidates, he is from the South. He is as charming and personable as Bush, and as intelligent as Gore. His domestic policies (civil rights, education, tax policy, etc.) can win liberal voters, while his foreign policy won't scare the right (he stands with Bush against Iraq). But he will have to prove to the electorate that he is capable of doing the job. As a first-term senator, many view him as ill-prepared for the presidency. Also, his hawkish stance on Iraq may make it hard for him to differentiate himself from Bush if it becomes the main issue in the campaign. Right now the Democratic party is lost. It needs a new face. But if Bush loses in 2004, the Republicans will be in complete disarray. Either way, it should be an interesting race.

The Setonian
News

Election violated ELBO by-laws

February 11

This weekend's hurried senatorial elections appear to be in violation of the TCU Election Board (ELBO) by-laws that require the group to advertise open senate seats in the Daily for "at least ten academic days prior to an election." Junior Cristina Gioioso was confirmed at Sunday's senate meeting when she was the only person to present herself as a candidate for the seat. The election to replace the senate seat vacated by Melissa Carson last week was originally slated to happen today, which would have allowed a longer publicity period. ELBO's advertising consisted of two full-page ads in the Daily last week, and attempts were made to advertise the election on TuftsLife.com, though nothing made it to the Web site. "We had heard stories in the past of elections not getting held within the time stipulated by the constitution," ELBO member Abby Lillienfeld acknowledged. According to Lillienfeld, these elections were hurried to both avoid long delays and to have a full senate body in case presidential elections were called. "We were not clear on the by-laws; there are new ones that are being drafted, but are not yet in effect," said Lillienfeld, one of the three freshmen who make up ELBO. The by-law in question also states that attempts should be made to contact students who are currently studying abroad. ELBO members said that they are not in violation of the by-laws since they would have done more outreach had more people presented themselves as candidates. "Ideally we would have had more time this semester," Lillienfeld said. "It was unexpected." Members of the Senate Executive Board who were consulted did not feel that the election was too rushed, however. "I think adequate time was provided," sophomore parliamentarian Adam Koeppel said. Senators cited the two Daily ads and Melissa Carson's resignation letter as sufficient outreach to notify potential candidates. "It's always harder to have special elections," senior historian Allison Clarke said. "I think this was the same advertising or better advertising [as in other elections]." Some senators went further, praising the speed of the elections. Vice President Andrew Potts attributed the speed of the elections to the "extraordinary ELBO that we have." In the past, 20 or 30 days have passed before elections took place and previous ELBO's have required orders from the TCU Judiciary, Potts said. Senators do not have any input with regard to election timetables. Lillienfeld and the other two ELBO members, Jennifer Salluzzo and Elizabeth Oo, officially joined the group just this month. Traditionally, each ELBO body drafts new by-laws, although the current redraft has yet to be submitted for approval from the TCU Judiciary.

The Setonian
News

Rivalry Week heats up on ESPN

February 11

The Duke vs. North Carolina clash last week was ESPN's dream and a matchup that Dick Vitale surely had been salivating over for months. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the classic showdown was one of the featured games during ESPN's Rivalry Week. As Vitale would tell, although not quite so eloquently, these inter-conference rivalries are what college basketball fans look forward to all year long. Rivalry Week allows the NCAA to showcase some of the great intra-conference rivalries that make college basketball so entertaining. Duke and North Carolina is one such matchup that everyone would agree is one of the best rivalries in all of sports. ESPN markets this game as if it is "the Clash of the Titans." Ask Vitale why he likes this rivalry so much and you would be lucky to get a response in fewer than 500 words. To summarize Dick's thoughts, the reason the rivalry has provided such great entertainment over so many years is because the two schools have two of the winningest programs in NCAA history led by two of the best coaches (before UNC's Dean Smith retired) in NCAA history. They are also schools that have been free of any legal controversies or recruiting scandals and place a great importance on academic standards as well as athletic success. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, in the past few years, the rivalry has become a little one sided as Duke has won the last five meetings. In rivalries as heated as this one, however, rankings or last year's results mean nothing. Coming off three straight ACC road losses, Duke seemed on hard times, falling to number nine in the polls. North Carolina seemed to be recovering from its drop to mediocrity of the last few years, but the start of ACC play brought them right back to reality. With both teams in need of a major boost in confidence, this game took on even more importance. Ultimately, it was Duke's upperclassmen that led the team to an 83-74 victory on Feb. 5. Preseason ACC player of the year Chris Duhon came off the bench (as a result of his poor play of late) to have his best game of the season, with 12 points and ten assists. Dahntay Jones also added 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Devils in both categories. Last week was supposed to be a great week for the Florida Gators. Gainesville is football country, but for the first time in school history, the basketball team was ranked number one in the polls. However, on Feb. 4 the Gators faced rival Kentucky, who have given the Gators beatings for many years. In their attempt at revenge, the Gators fell flat on their faces. In their first game ever as the nation's number one ranked team, the Gators were destroyed by seventh-ranked Kentucky. The Wildcats, playing at home in Lexington, led 45-22 at half time, which made the game very uncompetitive to start the second half. Kentucky won 70-55 in convincing fashion, proving the Wildcats are still the dominant program in the SEC. In other good rivalries, the Maryland Terrapins lost two games in a row to ACC opponents. On Feb. 6 the No. 15 Terps were upset by the Virginia Cavaliers 86-78 and were later upset by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 90-84 on Sunday. These two losses sent the Terps out of the top ten and leave Wake Forest at the top of the ACC with Maryland and Duke tied for second in the conference. In the battle atop the Big East Conference, tenth ranked Notre Dame avenged an earlier loss to Pittsburgh by beating the Panthers 66-64 on Feb. 9. With 32 second left, Pittsburgh's All-American guard Brandin Knight hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 64-64. But only seconds later Notre Dame sophomore sensation Chris Thomas drove around Knight and spotted Torin Francis under the basket. Thomas passed to the wide-open Francis who scored with 0.6 seconds left. Once again, this rivalry and all of the others proved to be great theater, even if some of the matchups didn't produce the most competitive games.

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Men's squash evens record at 7-7 with 8-1 win over Conn. College

February 11

The men's squash team finished its regular season Saturday with a win at Harvard over Connecticut College. The 8-1 victory sends the Jumbos into Nationals with a 7-7 record. In the wake of the victory, coach Doug Eng could not help but recount his team's two close 5-4 losses against Stanford on Nov 23 and MIT last Thursday. "We would have loved to beat MIT and Stanford, and be 9-5." Eng said "But this is pretty much where we want to be [going into the postseason]." Against the Camels, senior co-captain Chris Choi came back from a 2-1 deficit to pick up his second victory of the year with a 3-2 win at the number one spot. "Choi played the best match I've ever seen him play, probably the best match of his college career," junior Jordan Kolasinski said. Tufts' number two, senior co-captain Nathan Anderson got his seventh win in a 3-0 victory, while Conn. College junior Jeff Carter defeated Tufts' Derek Lee 3-0 in the number three match. Four freshmen _ Spencer Maxwell, Tom Keidel, Pranav Tripathi, and Dan Karlin _ won the numbers four, five, six, and eight matches respectively. The four surrendered only one set between them and won by a combined total of 12 sets to one. Maxwell gave up only four points in his straight set win over Conn. College senior Mike Hennon. At Tufts' number seven spot, Kolasinski won in straight sets to earn his ninth win this season, tied for most on the team with Keidel. Senior Jon Wallace followed suit at the ninth spot with a 3-0 win to finish out the Tufts rout. The squash team also saw action last Thursday, when it dropped a close 5-4 match at nearby MIT. Senior Nathan Anderson, Keidel, and Kolasinski won in straight sets at the two, four, and seven spots and junior Jesse Goldberg won a 3-1 match for the Jumbos in the number nine match. While Jumbos Choi, Maxwell, Lee and Karlin were all beaten in straight sets, Tripathi took MIT's Nadeem Mazen to five sets in a close match that almost gave Tufts the victory. The tightly contested match was a tough loss for the team as it dropped the squad to 6-7 at the time.. "[The MIT match] was completely within our reach, we should have had it," Kolasinski said. "It was the most disappointing loss of the season." The loss dropped the team from a probable 18th overall national ranking to 20th; the same spot Tufts finished in the last two seasons. Tufts begins its postseason play Friday, Feb. 21 in the Nine-man National Tournament. The Jumbos are seeded fourth in their bracket, and will open against Stanford. Pending a victory, the team will face either Franklin and Marshall or Navy in the semifinals. Eng believes a possible semifinal birth, which will take place on Saturday, Feb 22 will be difficult no matter who the opponent. Eng stressed that the most important match is the next against Stanford and that the team will be taking Nationals "one match at a time."

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Task Force student forum sparsely attended

February 11

Braving the snow and anticipating free pizza, a mere 11 students came to Dowling Hall Monday night to voice their opinions about the recently-released recommendations of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience. Forum participants seemed to approve many of the Task Force's proposals, especially those that would increase the sense of community on campus. The small group of attendees, which included at least one member of each class and students from both Engineering and Arts & Sciences, was dominated by members of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to the Task Force. SAC members tried to glean feedback in preparation for an upcoming report on student reaction to the Task Force's proposals. One point upon which students and administrators unanimously agreed was the importance of implementing a college system to improve Tufts' overall sense of community, especially for first-year students. Since Tufts already has a natural uphill-downhill split, instituting two colleges could be natural, said Professor Gilbert Metcalf, who co-chairs the Task Force with Dean of Students Bruce Reitman and Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye. At the meeting, SAC members noted that the Task Force's proposal was for a college system, not a residential college system, since some students would still live off-campus. The colleges would have approximately 250 entering students per year who would remain affiliated with their college for all four years. One result of implementing the college system would be to change Tufts' pre-major advising system, which students at the forum cited as in need of change. Though incoming freshmen could still choose from advising programs such as Perspectives, Explorations, and Faculty Seminars, they would also have access to a group of advisers affiliated with their college. But the students at the forum had other suggestions to address the advising problem, such as assigning non-faculty University personnel as advisers. Non-faculty staff members often make better pre-major advisors since they do not actively teach and frequently have a broad perspective on the University, students said. Under the college system, each college's Director of Advising could serve in this function, Metcalf said. Future construction projects, especially the completion of Phase III of the Campus Center, were also an area of concern for some students. Though some students mentioned the need for a central mailbox facility and increased space to socialize, both of which Phase III would provide, others argued that the money could be better spent renovating old dorms. The question of senior theses also caused some debate, since some members of the Tufts community have argued that students should not be allowed to receive the highest Latin honors at graduation without having written one. Some forum-goers disagreed, arguing that theses are not for everyone and that honors should recognize other forms of academic and leadership success. Other potential points of reform included improved faculty support and more recognition from peers for thesis writers. One proposal that students were particularly in favor of was the recommendation to implement a more comprehensive four-year writing program. Every student attendee agreed that Tufts undergraduates are weak in this area. Though Task Force members are aware of the need for change in the writing requirement, they are less clear about which particular measures would help the most. Possible solutions include mandating the first-year writing requirement to all students, regardless of their scores on AP English exams, and splitting up requirements for English skills and writing skills. Forum participants also touched on the proposals for integrating the different Tufts campuses and schools, such as creating a University calendar that lists the upcoming events for all schools, appointing graduate students as advisors or mentors, and providing research opportunities and internships at the graduate schools. The Task Force has held at least six open student forums in an attempt to improve undergraduate life by taking stock of both the positives and the negatives of the Tufts experience. Any changes will be Tufts-specific, taking into account Tufts' individual resources and community ethos, Reitman said. "We're not trying to model Tufts after any other school," he said. Student support for the proposals will likely be critical when the time comes for the administration and Board of Trustees to make funding decisions. Another open forum on the Task Force's December and January interim reports will take place on Monday.

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Why do they hate us?

February 11

Monday night, students had the chance to see a new documentary that examined the widespread resentment of the United States in the Middle East as a reason behind the Sept. 11 attacks. The film, Why U.S.?, was created by 24 year-old filmmaker and recent University of Missouri graduate, Bill Lindsey. Lindsey traveled around the world to examine the roots of Middle Eastern resentment of US foreign policy and culture and his film has gained prominent fans, including former President Bill Clinton. In the Middle East, "there is a thin layer of anti-Americanism, but under that is this fascination" with American culture, Lindsey said. The documentary covered issues ranging from the conflict in Israel to religion to the lack of democracy in the Middle East, and tried to examine all the different elements that could have caused an event like Sept. 11. The decision to start the ambitious project began when Lindsey and producer Cody Shearer met by chance in a Kinko's in Los Angeles on Sept. 11. Since every plane in the country was grounded, Lindsey offered Shearer a ride to Washington, DC. The pair began interviewing people all across the US during the drive to Washington, and found that most Americans were confused as to why there was so much hatred toward the US. This lingering question sparked Lindsey and Shearer to take the project to a larger scale. The film is "trying to educate people and start discussion around the country," said Shearer, who also serves as president of the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution. The film features interviews with professors, journalists, students, and politicians from the US, Europe, and the Middle East. The documentary includes a broad range of views, such moderate ones from students in Cairo, to extreme ones from a 20 year-old spokesman for Al-mujahideen who had just returned from Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. The film used these interviews to show the psychological rift between the US and the Middle East. "You cannot find a single social group in the Middle East that is for the US," Sarah Lawrence College professor Fawaz Gerges said in the film. Such opinions were backed up with images of rallies in the Middle East where thousands chanted hate slogans against the US. Americans are responsible for learning about the world and keep abreast of US foreign policy, the film concluded. Conveying that moral was "one of the goals from the beginning," Shearer said when an audience member asked him about the motives behind the film. "I wanted to present some ideas of what Americans can do," he said. While creating the film, Lindsey and Shearer sought to be as unbiased as possible, though Lindsey said they were not always as successful as they would like to have been. One audience member, an Egyptian diplomat, felt that Lindsey did not always fairly portray the issues impartially. "The editing of the film, I felt, misled the audience [about Egypt], said Obaida El-dandarawy, a diplomat on leave in order to study at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The documentary unfairly judged Egyptian democracy without showing an understanding of the culture, El-dandarawy said. Discussion after the film focused on how the Middle East's opinion of the US should affect the Bush administration's plan for war in Iraq, and whether it is too late for the Middle Eastern public opinion about the US to change. Though Lindsey said he learned a lot about Iraq while traveling in the region, he was not going to try to present a solution. "It's a lot more complex than a lot of people think," Lindsey said. In fact, Lindsey had wanted to put a greater focus on Iraq, but there was not enough time to cover everything. Often, Lindsey said, he felt that he could have made entire documentaries about individual issues brought up during the film. These issues will remain un-addressed, at least by Lindsey, since he is hoping to work on a feature film after he finishes screening Why U.S.? around the country later this spring.

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Problems with Powell

February 11

Faced with a US administration so brazenly hawkish, so dismissive of the demands and desires of other nations, so simplistic in its worldview, and so clearly right-wing, many Americans have come to see Colin Powell as the last man of reason, moderation, and integrity in our executive branch. Some have gone so far as to refer to him as the "dove" in the Bush cabinet. His moderate stance on affirmative action as well as his ability to put six or seven convincing sentences together without a problem has won him widespread praise. For sure, patriots may take solace in the fact that though our President stumbles over the word "nuclear" while threatening to preemptively unleash the world's largest arsenal of such weapons, at least Secretary of State Colin Powell is competent. He is someone we can trust, someone we must respect. This widespread feeling about Powell's honor, integrity, honesty, and credibility however _ and it often nothing more than a feeling _ must be questioned. Examining Powell and his bold claims, one quickly finds that both in terms of his historical role within the US government and military, and with respect to his current "enough is enough" presentation at the UN Security Council, there are many reasons both to reject his arguments for preemptively attacking Iraq, as well as to dispose of the idea that his is the "no-nonsense" voice in the Bush administration. Judging from the way TV commentators swallow Powell's allegations about Iraq, it would seem like many have forgotten that Colin is the same man who, prior to Gulf War I, fed the public the lie (or as he later recanted after the deployment of US forces to the Gulf, the "error") that the Pentagon had received satellite photos of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers massing on the Saudi border. Such secret intelligence was cited by Powell and others to "prove" to the American people that Saddam Hussein's Iraq was bent on regional (if not global) domination, and so to get them to support a war to reinstall the US-friendly dictator of Kuwait. Similarly, the media seldom note the fact that Colin Powell was involved in covering up the infamous My Lai massacre in Vietnam, before that story got leaked nationally. And while we're talking Vietnam, it would seem like our media has completely forgotten how prior to the escalation of that conflict (which would kill two to three million Vietnamese), the President of the United States, with the help of US intelligence, explicitly and knowingly lied to us and the world about what came to be known as the "Gulf of Tonkin" incident. Falsely claiming that a US ship on a peaceful mission had, without provocation, been attacked in international waters by North Vietnamese forces, President Lyndon Johnson quickly pushed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through Congress, thereby gaining unlimited economic and military support for undeclared wars in Southeast Asia, which would last another decade. In short, from the start, there is good reason to question the secret intelligence that Powell cites, both because he has a history of "erring" in such a way as to support US war-plans, as well as because the military executives in the US government have a long history of lying to whip up popular support for policies they've decided to pursue for their own reasons. None of the above of course takes away from the fact that Powell gave a powerful performance at the UN Security Council. Who could but shudder as he talked about the thousands of deadly "teaspoons" of anthrax that inspectors had yet to account for? Who wasn't disturbed by the State Department-produced "Al-Qaeda family tree," which posited a link between arch-enemies secular Saddam and Islamic Wahhab Bin Laden? Granted this is a "link" about which US, British, and European intelligence experts are widely skeptical, but it's still scary to see on TV. As The New York Times quotes a German senior intelligence official who has long been studying al-Zarqawi, the man whom Powell cited as the Al-Qaeda-Hussein link: he has yet seen "no indication of a direct link between Zarqawi and Baghdad." Nonetheless Powell posits the link, supporting it with a flurry of circumstantial details that wouldn't be enough to convict a jay-walker, and yet, when combined with Powell's persuasive power, may be all the evidence necessary to justify firing a thousand cruise missiles into Baghdad, a city the size of Los Angeles. Despite his image as a thoughtful and open-to-peace-kind-of- guy, it has become increasingly clear that Powell is utterly cynical towards UN inspections in Iraq. Yet even as he is dismissive of everything Blix wants to do and which Blix believes can be done in Iraq without war, Powell, like a proper performer aware that the regular folks at home are not so dismissive of the UN as he is, makes strategic references to Blix's statement in his own UN pitch. Powell thus characterizes his remarks as "support[ing] the core assessments made by Dr. Blix and Dr. El-Baradei." For, "as Dr. Blix reported to this council on January 27, 'Iraq appears not to have come to a genuine acceptance, not even today, of the disarmament that was demanded of it [emphasis added].'" Powell proceeds to state that Iraq has done "nothing" to conform to the requirements of the Security Council, and that _ as his interpretation of satellite photography proves _ further inspections are pointless. Saddam is just too sneaky. But the "core" of Hans Blix's actual statement (and don't take my word for it, go read it yourself, as well as Powell's text _ both are available online at www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq and compare) actually argues something substantially different and subtler than Powell's simple all-or-nothing condemnation suggests. Blix, for instance, with regards to the success of inspections, states that between 1991 and 1998 _ when the US Inspector Richard Butler ordered the inspectors out of Iraq _ inspections "brought about considerable disarmament results." As he continued, "It has been recognized that more weapons of arms destruction were destroyed under this resolution than were destroyed during the Gulf War: large quantities of chemical weapons were destroyed under United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) supervision before 1994." Though he states that questions remain unresolved with respect to biological weapons, Blix writes that, "it is certain that UNSCOM destroyed large biological weapons production facilities in 1996." Moreover, "The large nuclear infrastructure was destroyed and the fissionable material was removed from Iraq by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." Thus, the "failure" and the pointlessness of inspections would not seem to be nearly so complete as Powell cynically pretends. No wonder Blix and many other inspectors are calling not for war but for more inspections and more time to do them. Powell's either/or, all-or-nothing language obscures the fact that arms inspections are a process, which as Blix states in his UN address, is not predicated on complete and instant openness and trust on either side, but which rather aims at producing increasing levels of trust and cooperation between inspector and inspected over time. This already seems to be happening in Iraq. Concerning Iraq's cooperation to date, Blix told the UN _ well before the major positive developments of the last few days _ that "It would appear from our experience so far that Iraq has decided in principle to provide cooperation on process, notably access [to suspected weapons sites]." Blix is of course, not without criticisms for Iraq's reluctance to comply with various inspector requirements, nor should he be. But the point I wish to make here, before closing, is that Powell's overarching argument _ "Iraq has done nothing but deceive" and therefore we must do much more than just inspect _ rests on a terrible oversimplification of the process of inspections. More importantly, Powell's misrepresentation of Blix' statement is clearly aimed at painting a picture where war is the only option available to disarm what he describes as an essentially deceiving and duplicitous Iraq. In short, because Powell's case for war has clear problems (namely little evidence of a credible Iraqi threat to the US or its allies), he drives the need for war home with misleading rhetoric. But though he performs the role of "reasonable leader" better than Bush does, his happy-to-bomb bad faith in selectively making use of Blix is unmistakable. Furthermore when it comes to the crucial issue of the "link" he conveniently posits between Al-Qaeda and Baath Party Iraq, his past lies and fabrications, as well as the skepticism of intelligence experts, undercut the basis for blind faith. We cannot afford to sit back and "trust" Colin Powell. As Americans, we need to realize that the habit of viewing this man as a beacon of honesty, wisdom, or integrity within an otherwise corrupt Bush administration, whatever its reason, lays us open to justifications for mass murder that are founded on misinformation and manipulative misinterpretations of evidence, courtesy of the US State Department. Joseph Ramsey is a graduate student studying English.

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Women's squash gathers momentum for big dance

February 11

In its last home match, the women's squash team added the season's first pair of back to back wins, defeating 19th ranked Connecticut College 6-3 at Harvard on Saturday. With three upset victories over higher ranked opponents the past two weeks, the Jumbos improved their record to 5-11 and leapt into the top half of the Walker Cup portion of the National Championship, for teams ranked 17th -24th, nabbing the fourth seed. Tonight, an incomplete Tufts squad squares off against 17th ranked Wellesley, which routed Tufts 9-0 on Dec. 4, while conceding just two individual games to Tufts out of the 26 games played. Hoping to improve upon the thrashing that occurred in the earlier contest, a depleted Tufts squad faces its toughest test since the onset of its recent surge at the Mt. Holyoke Invitational two weeks ago. In Saturday's match against Connecticut College, the poised squad overcame the higher ranked opponent and showed its depth in front of its last home crowd of the season. "This was the seniors' last home match," coach Doug Eng said. "Connecticut College had a lack of depth. They are good at the top, 2-4, but then they dropped off." The team came out fired up in its last chance to perform for the hometown fans, defeating the outgunned Camels to the tune of 6-3. Exhibiting their superior depth, the Jumbos dominated the 5-9 spots, with a record of 15-0. "We knew we had a good chance to win this match," said sophomore Eliza Drachman-Jones, who easily won her seventh spot match 3-0. "Since it was our last home match, we came out really juiced up. All of our friends came to watch us." Although the team won without much difficulty, the match results leave some room for improvement as the team prepares for the Walker Cup. While the team pounded William Smith 8-1 last weekend, the Herons were without their number two and seven players because of injuries, which may have prevented them from posing a challenge to the full ranks of a deep Jumbo squad. "I'm concerned about the competition at the top, mentally [spots 2-4]," Eng said. "To win at William Smith, we have to win at one of those spots. To beat Wellesley, we definitely have to win there. We have to figure out what we're going to do with those spots." Eng outlined a problem with the team's performance recently, in which the spots 2-4 have struggled. These spots failed to produce a victory in the two most competitive matches over their recent run, against both Connecticut College (6-3 win) and Mt. Holyoke (4-5 loss) over the last two weeks. The latter part of the Tufts lineup kept the match close last week, winning the 4-6 spots before eventually succumbing 5-4 to rival Mt. Holyoke on Sunday February 2. If the season ended today, the Jumbos, with the fourth seed in the Walker Cup, would meet the dangerous fifth seeded squad from William Smith in the opening round. Although the Jumbos have put together a run, with a full squad the Herons pose a formidable challenge. "We have never faced a full strength William Smith team," senior co-captain Winnie So said. "But all the wins have given the team more enthusiasm. The team is more together." Through all of the adversity early in the season, including an early 2-11 record, the squad has managed to recover over the last two weeks and effectively establish themselves as a legitimate competitor for the Walker Cup. "After the win at Connecticut College the players know we can beat anyone," Eng said. A full lineup distinguishes the hot team over the last five matches (3-2) from the debilitated squad that showed up in the previous 13 matches, going 2-11. . "We finally got the whole team together," Eng said. "In the last four matches, we could've gone 4-0."

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Task Force proposes four year writing program

February 11

Students and faculty expressed a generally positive reaction to the creation of a comprehensive writing program, a major component of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience's latest interim report. The report proposes a new emphasis on writing and the writing process in college, and challenges the Tufts community to rethink the way writing is used in undergraduate education. A combination of writing-intensive classes, consultation with writing fellows, and contact with administration would ensure that undergraduates are writing throughout their four years at Tufts, according to the Task Force. Several methods for developing writing skills were proposed in the report, including a requirement that sophomores complete several papers in order to declare a major, which would encourage seniors who qualify to complete an honors thesis, and would expect all juniors to take a writing intensive course known as the "Junior Writing Requirement." Task Force Chairman Gilbert Metcalf said the proposals grew out of suggestions from alumni and faculty who stressed the importance of good writing skills. While the Task Force did not give concrete recommendations, their report included two "example" programs in order to create discussion, Metcalf said. Both programs call for all students, regardless of Advanced Placement (AP) scores, to take two English courses during their freshmen year. Currently students who score a 4 on the AP Literature or the AP Language & Composition tests can place out of English 1, and those who score a 5 can place out of the entire first-year writing requirement. Students can also place out of English 2 by getting an A- or A in English 1. The expansion of the program would add even more sections to what is already one the largest course selections at Tufts. Even with the current exemptions, a total of 108 sections of English 1 and 2 were offered this academic year, according to the English Department. If every incoming student were required to take these classes, the English department would need almost 200 sections between the two semesters. The sections are currently taught by a combination of professors, lecturers, and graduate students, who lead classes which are capped at 15 students. But freshman and potential English major Anita Sinha disagrees with the Task Force's proposed requirements. "These courses are seen more as remedial courses, if you got a 4 or 5 you are obviously qualified to write in college." Many professors and staff members do not feel that is the case, because the AP examinations do not measure the types of skills that are needed in college writing. To accommodate students who normally would have placed out of the freshmen writing requirements, the Task Force has proposed having honors sections of English 1 and 2. "No matter how good a writer you are, you can always improve," Metcalf said. The increase in enrollment could aggravate the complaints of many freshmen who criticized the English 1 and 2 enrollment process last fall. Many students were forced to wait and take English 2 in the spring semester after they found every section filled before their registration time. "Getting into English 1 was an absolute nightmare for people," Sinha said. "And that was with some people having exemptions." Professor Elizabeth Ammons, who is currently the director of the first year program in the English Department, agrees with the new four-year approach to English requirements. "Writing is an on-going process; no one or two courses can 'fix' it once and for all," Ammons said. "Having the opportunity to spend time on writing skills in courses beyond the first year would be very valuable to students." At Monday's Open Student Forum, students had mixed opinions on the issue. Some were supportive of the new writing program, while others expressed reservations. "I don't think students should have to take these types of courses throughout college," freshman Sarina Bains said. Metcalf was quick to defend the proposals, saying they weren't additional requirements, but rather a way to tie together currently disparate parts of a Tufts education. The cornerstone of these proposals is an increase in the use of writing fellows. The four-year old program has outstanding student writers work with professors and meet with students one-on-one to help edit and revise their work. Proposed changes to the program include having all students submit papers for review and revision by a fellow during their second and third year. There are currently 27 fellows, and this semester only thirteen professors have signed up for the program. Director of the Academic Resource Center Nadia Medina acknowledged there would need to be a major expansion of the program if the fellows are to assume the role the Task Force's report envisions. Using more graduate students is one option to increase the number of fellows, Medina said. In addition to meeting with students individually, graduate fellows could also lead discussion groups focused on writing. Graduate fellows were originally a part of the pilot program, but the Academic Resource Center found it difficult to recruit graduate students. The first year writing program and writing fellows are, according to Metcalf, "good programs but they are narrowly defined." In an effort to incorporate these existing bodies into the program, the Task Force recently met with the chairmen of the programs to discuss the report and its suggestions. Medina was supportive of the proposals but cautious of any attempt by the Task Force to create an oversight committee for any new, extensive writing program. "People should be encouraged to make their own [writing] programs, and then we should meet and discuss them," she said. Whatever the opinion of the program coordinators, the faculty has the ultimate authority to change the writing requirements. The Educational Policy Committee and Curriculum Committees have been briefed by the Task Force and will begin to discuss the proposed changes in the next several weeks.

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An excellent start

February 11

The proposal drafted by Mayors Dorothy Kelly Gay and Michael McGlynn in conjunction with the University is a solid foundation for the future of monitoring off-campus housing at Tufts. It recognizes the need for regular inspections of the houses in the area and holds all landlords responsible for ensuring that tenants are living in a safe building. The proposal would not be complete without the necessary measure of putting the names of negligent landlords in Tufts' hands. If passed, students will have some peace of mind, knowing that their homes have been properly inspected and that their landlords are finally being held completely accountable. The fact that some area landlords are worried about the cost of the inspection is nothing short of absurd. Property values in the Tufts area have increased exponentially over the past few years, and landlords are collecting more rent money than ever, without increasing the quality of the buildings that they are renting. Many students are paying $700 a month to live in drafty houses that have not been properly cared for in years. Surely the landlords can sacrifice $75 to $150 a year for the safety of their tenants, who generally don't ask for much. After all, adults with families would never pay so much rent to live in houses in this condition. The Administration should be commended for publicly joining forces with Gay and McGlynn in this effort, but this is only the beginning. Legislation should not replace a proactive response from the Office of Off-Campus Housing (OCH) and the Residential Life Office. Despite the promise of formal inspections, students should still demand to have easier access to the information necessary for living off campus safely. Furthermore, if the proposal is passed by Medford and Somerville city councils, OCH will have to be extremely diligent about providing the list of landlords who have failed to meet the standards set by the new legislation. The Tufts community can only hope that the city councils pass the proposal. Without the power of the law, solving the problem of safety in off-campus housing will be far more difficult, if not downright impossible.

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INSIDE FITNESS

February 11

When I work out, I always do a combination of cardio and weight training. Depending on how I feel, sometimes I do the cardio first (usually jogging), and sometimes I just jump right into lifting. Should I be doing one before the other, or is it ok to switch it up? - Phildo, Fairfield University It is generally recommended to do a five to ten minute cardiovascular warm up before engaging in any sort of exercise, be it resistance training (weightlifting), aerobic exercise, or anything else. As far as order goes, studies have shown that doing a cardio workout before a weight training session effectively reduces muscular strength, thereby lowering the amount of weight one can lift. In the opposite case, lifting weights before doing cardio does reduce the capacity to perform (this is obvious... the muscles are tired), but does not, however, reduce the effectiveness of the cardiovascular benefit gained through aerobic exercise, nor does it in any way decrease the fat-burning effect. In other words, whichever workout you complete first affects performance in the subsequent one. However, for most people, the goal of weight training is to lift the heaviest weight possible with the strictest form possible. The goal of aerobic exercise, however, is usually either for fat loss or cardiovascular benefit. In that light, I recommend that you should consider your fitness goals and perform whichever workout you deem most important. If you are looking for strength gains, lift first. If you are looking primarily to increase speed, reduce fat, etc., and not specifically to increase strength or muscle mass, do the cardio first. Fitness is important to me, but I also like to go out on the weekends and have a few (and sometimes more) beers with my friends. Is it really that bad to have a six-pack or four once in a while when I am relaxing? -Shanty, Villanova University Alcohol consumption is most definitely detrimental to any and all weightlifting goals, as well as any other fitness goal. First, because of the biochemical makeup of the alcohol itself, alcoholic drinks are very high in empty calories, and because when you go out for a night of partying, you never "have just one or two," the excess calories really add up. So drinking can definitely put a few or more pounds of excess flesh around your midsection. Alcohol also can interfere with carbohydrate loading in the muscle fibers, thereby hindering muscle contraction. Not only is alcohol a depressant, which in itself is a reason to avoid it if you're looking to get in shape, it can even lower your natural testosterone level, thus slowing strength and muscle gain. In other words, if you are at all fitness consciousness, avoid the booze. I need some new exercises for biceps. Lately I just haven't been getting the same pump that I used to. Any ideas?-Zach, Quinnipiac University There is one basic movement for which the bicep is used: the bending of the elbow joint. However, that is not to say that there aren't a plethora of different and effective exercises that will give your biceps a good pump. Standing curls are the standard biceps exercise. These can be varied by doing them sitting (this is possible only using dumbbells) at either a right angle, or at a slightly lower incline. Changing up the plane of the exercise helps hit the muscle at different angles, which helps more thoroughly fatigue the muscle. Another great resource is the cable machine. Instead of plain old one-handed curls, you can do reverse curls, in which you grip the bar with a palms-over grip, or quick twenty-ones to really burn. Another good exercise utilizing the cables is the following: Position each cable stack so the pulley is a little bit higher than your head. Attach a handle to each stack, and grab the weight, one hand holding each side. Position yourself so you are pretty much equidistant from both sides. Holding your arms straight out, parallel to the floor, slowly bend at the elbows until your fists are as close to your ears as your biceps will allow. At the same slow pace, lower the stack until your arms are almost straight. Do not let the weight rest, and repeat. This is a real burning exercise, so lighter weight is recommended, along with a rep range of 12-16, although heavier weight and lower reps can be substituted.

The Setonian
News

New legislation to protect local renters

February 11

Town officials in Medford and Somerville are drafting legislation that would require official inspections when landlords rent their buildings to new tenants, three weeks after a Tufts student died in a fire in an illegal loft. The proposed ordinance would make landlords "responsible for scheduling an inspection with the Building Commissioner prior to allowing the dwelling unit to be reoccupied by a new occupant or occupants." For each inspection, landlords would have to pay a $75 inspection fee. If a property owner rented to a new tenant without scheduling an inspection first, he or she would be fined $100 for every day that an occupant inhabits an un-inspected living space. "When you have a tragedy like this, it causes concern not only in the Tufts community but also in Medford and Somerville," said Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn, who drafted the legislation along with Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay and Tufts officials. The new ordinance will affect all landlords in both communities. "Both Mayor Gay and myself felt that it wasn't effective to do it [on] one side of the border," McGlynn said. Concern over the safety of local homes was sparked after a Tufts junior, Wendy Carman, died in her garage-top room at on Harris Rd. in Medford. The room, which was connected to the main house by a breezeway, did not have enough exits or the requisite fireproofing to be habitable, and there was no permit for the structure. Today, the office of Medford's Building Commissioner plans to release the results of the fire investigation. "We'll announce at that time whether we're going forward with civil or criminal complaints," McGlynn said. The owner of the property, Frederick Shaffer of Reading, could be subject to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail for the violation. Tufts helped draft of the legislation and the results of inspections of student apartments will be forwarded to the University. "This puts students in a safe environment, and secondly, gives parents peace of mind," McGlynn said. Though the ordinance has been drafted, it is unclear where the cities will raise the funding and personnel for increased inspections. "It's a proposal _ we haven't worked out the specifics," Medford Building Commissioner Paul Mochi said. "When it gets passed, we'll take the next step." Before becoming law, the proposed legislation would have to be approved by the Medford and Somerville city councils, something Mochi is confident will happen. Inspections have always been available for rental units, this new law would make them mandatory. But the proposed inspection requirement has already attracted opposition from landlords. Mark Leger, the eastern vice president of the Massachusetts Rental Housing Association (MRHA) said that the current inspection regulations were adequate. "Already under the state building code, there's regulations that every five to seven years, cities and towns are supposed to go in and inspect," he said. "If there's egress now, there should be egress in five years." Leger also worried about the logistics of instituting the new legislation and said that inspectors might be overburdened as busy moving days, such as Sept. 1, approached. "How many tenants are going to have to end up staying in a hotel because the inspectors can't get through the workload?" He also asked whether a change of roommate would necessitate an inspection. But landlords, it seems, are primarily concerned with the cost of the inspections. "[Gay] is looking for money in all the wrong places," said a Somerville landlord who asked not to be identified. But McGlynn does not fear for the financial health of local property owners. "I'm sure landlords aren't going to be pleased, it's another step they have to go through," McGlynn said. "But I think those who care about public safety should welcome the ordinance. Let's face it _ people who are renting those structures around Tufts are getting substantial rents." Some property owners already perform self-inspections when units are re-occupied. According to one landlord's assistant, her boss inspects the buildings "to make sure that the apartment is returned to him in the condition it was rented, and for the safety of the renters and for his own peace of mind." McGlynn said the relationship between landlord and local government will change if the ordinance is effective. "What it's going to do for the landlord is give the landlord peace of mind that his tenants are in a safe environment," McGlynn said. "The problem is that people look at the Building Commissioner as their enemy. The Building Commissioner makes sure you're in a safe environment."

The Setonian
News

Students consider INS measures a necessary nuisance

February 11

Tufts students from primarily Arab and Muslim nations have been caught between frustration and support of the increasingly complex federal regulations designed to track foreign aliens in the United States. Although most agree that the measures are important, they feel the processes are unnecessarily time-consuming, intimidating, and inefficient. The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) requires that male citizens of 25 designated countries aged 16 or over report to an INS office to be fingerprinted, photographed, and privately questioned under oath. The rule does not apply to immigrants to the US. Last month, the INS expanded the list of countries whose nationals have to register to include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait. Citizens of those countries are required to register between Feb. 24 and Mar. 28. The rules affect 28 Tufts men from 14 countries. If a student leaves the country, he is required to meet with Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) representatives upon exiting and re-entering the US, and then again 30 days later. Citizens of these countries have to register annually whether or not they leave the US. "Our students are very compliant," said Jane Etish-Andrews, Director of the International Center. "No one is bucking the system." Students have told Andrews that INS personnel are generally respectful, but "it's the whole intimidation piece" that concerns her: if anything is out of order, a person can be detained. According to Dean of International Affairs Dr. Adel Abu-Moustafa, the registration process "can take all day." In order to register, students must provide documentation that proves that they are in good standing with their university. A United States citizen who was born in Egypt, Abu-Moustafa sympathizes with students while tempering their fears. "It helps when someone from their culture is talking to them," he said. "I remind people that everywhere in the world they have procedures [to track visitors]... Everyone will have to do it eventually." For the moment, however, tracking people from these 25 countries is the exception to US immigration procedure, and it has caused some anxiety. "It's scary. It's just plain scary," Etish-Andrews said. "Are we welcoming our students, or are we making it hard for them to be here?" After a short pause though, she added, "On the other hand, it is national security." Some Tufts students have had a less-than-ideal experiences with the new registration process. When senior Genghis Hadi, a Pakistani citizen, arrived at Kennedy International Airport in New York, he was held for two hours for fingerprinting and questioning. He said the officers were not respectful and that they "joked about people's names and butchered the pronunciations." He also noticed inconsistencies in the system, when friends who were from the United Arab Emirates and Oman _ also on the NSEERS list _ were not detained. Even students who have not been required to register have been affected by tighter immigration policies. Sara Mohammadi, a senior from Iran, had to wait four months for her visa to be approved, causing her to miss last semester. Her visa was approved just prior to the start of the second semester. Visas typically take about a month to approve, but more frequent background checks since Sept. 11, 2001 have lead to a backlog. "I appreciate the American people for allowing me to utilize their educational resources," she said. "But the US is an advanced country which is a model for the rest of the world. It's gone about this [registration system] like a third world country." By 2005, the INS will be required to track all of the estimated 35 million foreign visitors who enter and leave the US. By 2004, all official travel documents used to enter the US must contain biometric identifiers, like fingerprints, in addition to photo ID. The INS identified the 25 NSEERS countries as an "important first step" in tracking these foreign visitors. Some human rights groups and others oppose the new INS regulations and have called them discriminatory. The Washington Post reported that an amendment to cut funding for NSEERS, sponsored by Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, was attached to an appropriations bill approved by the Senate on Jan. 25. A spokesman for Kennedy said that the amendment "cuts funding until Congress has the information it needs to assess whether this is the most effective use of tax dollars in the war on terrorism." The bill is still pending in the House.

The Setonian
News

Vaginas hit Cohen

February 11

Vaginas will be taking over Cohen Auditorium this weekend, as Tufts students produce and perform the Vagina Monologues for the third year running. This year, the show has been significantly changed. Four new monologues have been added, two of which were written by Tufts students: one titled, "Being a Woman," and one, untitled, which was written and will be performed by a group of men. Co-director Meredith Gilbert pointed out that every year, as the cast changes, the show does, as well. "I've seen it several times, and it's never been the same show," she said. The 20 performers in this year's performance are extraordinarily diverse: they include women and men, Tufts undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff, people of widely varied backgrounds and social groups around campus. The cast was selected from over 100 people who tried out, almost doubling the number who attended last years' auditions. The production staff attributes the large turnout for auditions to the impact past productions have had on the campus. Zo? Hastings, last year's director and this year's assistant stage manager, said, "Last year, I postered everywhere to reach a wide range of people, but this year everybody came to us." As the cast and production staff fine-tuned the show at Sunday's rehearsal, it was evident how well the group worked together and how close they had become as they offered comments on each others' performances and participated in an orgasm workshop. Together, they practiced the varying types of moans, from the "combo vaginal-clitoral moan" to the "elegant moan" to the "surprise triple orgasm moan," all of which make their appearance in one particularly memorable monologue. "The cast is so amazing," said Gilbert. "They make us look so good." "Rehearsals were so good," added co-director Rebecca McCormick. "The dynamic in the group is super. Every time we all end up in one room, we just start laughing." As members of the cast and production staff spoke about the Monologues, it became clear that this effort was at once deeply personal and intensely political. While putting on a wonderful evening's entertainment was always a clear motivation for the production, co-producer Jean Manney stressed that part of the show's purpose is "to empower women to come together to work to end violence." Rather than focusing exclusively on direct physical violence against women, the show also addresses more subtle forms of internalized violence and self-hate. "The whole idea that women can't talk about sex and vaginas is a subtle form of violence against women," said co-producer Caroline Davis. Christina Hanson, the stage manager, agreed. "Sharing experiences that you usually aren't able to talk about is really important. Whether it's talking about being a victim of violence to learning that you don't have to turn red because you just said the 'o' word in public, this show is all about fighting that silence." Cast members and production staff also stressed that the show was about celebrating women and their vaginas, rather than degrading men, and voiced their appreciation for the way the Monologues depicted women as sexual beings rather than sexual objects. McCormick summed up much of the show's message as she spoke about how women have choices. "All these stories open up my eyes to what you can do as a woman who has control of her body," she said. Manney commented that the event is also geared toward opening up constructive discussions on a lot of issues. To that effect, the organizers are planning an open discussion in Hotung the week after the performances where participants and audience members can discuss issues raised by the show. Stories told in the monologues cover a wide range of vagina-related experiences, from violence to birth to sex to self-discovery. In "The Vagina Workshop", one woman discovers her own "unique, beautiful, fabulous vagina." In "My Vagina Was My Village," a Bosnian woman raped by opposing army forces tells her chilling story. And in "Reclaiming Cunt," the performer proceeds to do just that, examining, picking apart and eventually shouting the word "cunt" until it is freed from its negative connotations. In addition to the monologues, ensemble pieces are a large part of the show. One skit answers pressing questions like "If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear?" As a part of the college initiative "V-Day: Until the Violence Stops," the Monologues, written by Eve Ensler and previously performed as a one-woman show on Broadway, are performed at different universities around Valentine's Day in order to raise funds and awareness around issues of violence against women. This year, proceeds from the Tufts performance will help benefit the Massachusetts Eating Disorder Association, as well as the organizations chosen by the national V-Day group. In the words of cast member Ilina Chadhuri, "All of us came into this world through a vagina. They were our first connection with the world... so come here them speak!" The performance will be preceded by Vulvapalooza, a fair celebrating vaginas, which is organized by Sidney McKinney. Booths will include such delights as a "make your own vagina" table by the Crafts House, performances by the Jackson Jills and Essence, a vagina-cookie decorating table by the Feminist Alliance, women's health information from Health Services, a sex toy display by local business Grand Opening, information on sexual abuse and domestic violence, and lots of free Luna Bar samples. Vulvapalooza will be held in Alumnae Lounge for the two hours preceding the performance, and admission is free. The show will be performed Thursday, Feb. 13 at 9 pm and Friday, Feb. 14th at 8 pm. Tickets are $5 for Tufts students and are on sale at Aidekman Box office.

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