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Jumbos pull the rug over the Polar Bears

February 3

A trip to Brunswick, ME proved fruitful for the women's track and field team at the Bowdoin Invitational last Saturday. Beating out second place Bowdoin by 93 points, the 256 points garnered by the squad gave it a commanding first place finish in a field of five teams. Though the Polar Bears usually prove a tough opponent for the Jumbos, this was not the case this time around. "People are a year better and we added a bunch of new people," coach Kristen Morwick said. "We have a lot more depth this year and a stronger team overall, the kids that are coming back are performing better." The stark contrast between the performance of the team this year compared to last season demonstrated the improvements the Jumbos have made in a year. At this time last year, the Jumbos were swept in the mile as Bowdoin took first through fourth places. However, junior Lauren Caputo (5:19.12), senior Danielle Perrin (5:23.43) and freshman Elyse Archila (5:30.89) ensured that the team would not fall to the same fate this time around. The trio placed second, fourth, and fifth respectively, with both Caputo and Perrin snagging PR's in the process. Perrin and Caputo also came back to perform in the 3000meter , with Perrin placing second in 10:51.09 and Caputo following one place behind in 10:54.74. In the 1000, sophomore Katie Sheedy (3:08.86) and senior Kristen Munson (3:12.16) both qualified through ECAC's on their way to third and fourth places. Freshman Becca Ades was seventh in the same race and qualified for the Div III championship meet with her time of 3:15.75. "We just had more depth, whereas they had a few standouts, but you need more than that to win a meet," Perrin said. "We buried them. We beat them last year too, but not so easily. It's a testament to how much people have improved and how good the freshman class is." In the 800, junior Jessica Trombly once again had a stellar performance, reaching a national qualifying mark at 2:15.17, and posting the top time in the country by a full two seconds. Five minutes after running a blistering 800, Trombly went on to compete in, and win, the long jump with a leap of 16' 2.5''. As has been a theme throughout the season, Trombly emerged victorious in three events, with the 55 hurdles (8.79) completing the triumphant trio. Other multi-event athletes had successful outings as well. Junior Amy Spiker (9.51) and sophomore Melissa Graveley (9.58) joined Trombly in the finals of the 55 hurdles in fifth and sixth places. Both qualified for the Div III championship meet in the event. Graveley also went on to win the high jump, clearing the bar at a height of 5' 1'' to clinch the win and set a PR. In the sprints, Rachel Bloom ran away with the 55 with a time of 7.62. The 200 saw a solid Jumbo contingent of sophomores Claudia Clarke (27.82) and Ayako Sawanobori (28.29) and freshmen Molly Whittington (28.82) and Katie Gadkowski (28.89) clinch the second through fifth spots. Clarke's time met the qualifying mark for the Div III meet. "Overall it was a great meet. Every end of things is contributing," Morwick said. In the throws, sophomore Jessica Colby had PR's in both the weight throw (39' 7'') and the shot put (35' 10''), en route to fifth place in each event. Sophomore Katie Antle had another banner day in the shot put, winning the event with a lob of 41' 6''. Junior tri-captain Jessica Gauthier was the top Jumbo finisher in the weight throw with her toss of 42' 3.5'' putting her third overall. All three relays took the top spots, with the 4x400 team logging its best time of the season by a delta of four seconds. Sophomore Sika Henry contributed to the speedy 4x400 relay with an impressive leg. This weekend will see Tufts play host to another slew of track aficionados at the Gantcher Center. Of particular interest will be Wheaton College, the defending National Champions in Div III, and a track and field foe to be reckoned with. "Bowdoin [Invitational] is a meet we treat as a dual meet, one that we look to win every year. However, this week will be different as we're focused more on qualifying than for gunning for one team. People are going to be running in events they want to qualify in," Perrin said.

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News

Some All-Star athletes not looking forward to trip home

February 3

In one of the lowest scoring NHL All-Star games in history, the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 6-5 Sunday in Florida. The game was full of the usual All-Star fun, but Dany Heatly also showed the hockey world some magic, scoring four goals in the game. With an assist on top of that, he only needed one more point to match the All-Star record hit by Mario Lemieux in 1988. But the fun and frivolity of the All-Star game is over, and some players are looking forward to going back to the real season more than others. Heatly should enjoy his moment while it lasts, because the Atlanta Thrashers are ten games under .500 right now. On the upside for the Thrashers, the team is improving under new coach Bob Hartley, going 6-3-1 in the last ten games. The Carolina Hurricanes are ahead of Atlanta, but probably not for long. Forward Jeff O'Neil will have to go back to a Hurricanes team that has been in a free fall the last two months, and have just one win in the last ten tries. This does not bode well for playoff chances. The most amazing thing about Carolina right now is that coach Paul Maurice, one of the youngest and longest serving coaches in the league, has not had his position questioned. Yet. Other players that may like to stay in Florida would definitely include New York Rangers defenseman Tom Poti, since for the first time in league history a team is actually considering firing its entire roster to help solve its problems. The Rangers have under-performed, taken some of the dumbest penalties on the ice, and all-around played hockey like the fat kid plays dodgeball. But never fear, Ranger fans! General Manager/Coach Glenn Sather is here! That is right, General Manager Sather has taken over the bench after firing coach Brian Trottier last week. Sather had vowed to never coach again since he took over the reins with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993. Just so everyone is clear on the team's history, the Oilers did not make the playoffs that year. There are several players, however, who will enjoy the flight home. First on the list would be Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco and forwards Bill Guerin and Mike Modano. These three have led Dallas to the top of the league, and an 8-1-1 record in the team's last ten games. Dallas is not carrying the conference like Detroit did last year, but the Stars are being looked at as the team to beat in the playoffs. Turco has no playoff experience, though, so it may not be as smooth of sailing as Dallas fans hope. Anaheim Mighty Ducks forward Paul Kariya is also looking forward to leaving the warm sunshine of Florida to return to the warm sunshine of California. The Ducks are 7-2-0-1 in their last ten, are looking at their first playoff berth in years, and the team just traded for Florida All-Star defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh. Ducks general manager Bryan Murray is trying to increase his team's playoff abilities, and make sure that the Ducks are strong enough to fight for a playoff spot right up to the end of the season. Well, the Montreal Canadiens did it this time. The team traded away a solid starting goaltender to its division rivals, the Boston Bruins, and wouldn't you know it? The Canadien's longtime division rivals start winning again. Who would of thought? Fair enough, goalie Jeff Hackett has only played three games for the Boston Bruins. But at 2-1 with a 1.34 goals against average, it is a heck of a lot better than what the Bruins have been doing in other games lately. There should be a good game next week when Hackett returns to Montreal with the Bruins on Feb. 11. Do not be surprised to see these two teams duke it out for a playoff spot come March, and do not be surprised if you see Montreal GM Andre Savard looking a little nervous about his job security if Montreal loses that fight.

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News

In Defense of President Bacow and his response to the naked quad run

February 3

We want to add our voices to the discussion about the Naked Quad Run and react to some of the feelings expressed about President Bacow's letter to the community. Unlike opinions expressed in the Daily thus far, we thought the President's letter showed courage and leadership. We know he understands what the NQR means to Tufts students and that he is someone who has his own breadth of experience related to traditions and bonds formed during college. Unfortunately, we also know that he is the person who gets called in the middle of the night when we are not sure a student is going to survive or when a tragedy has occurred. Weighing tradition against tragedy can tip the scales dramatically and forever. Being part of an edgy, non-conforming tradition may be half the fun of an event like the NQR. But that thrill would disappear if the consequences were disastrous. On the night of the NQR, hundreds of Tufts students ran through campus. Some vandalized property, some groped others, some illegally videotaped the event, and still others put barriers up to trip students_many of whom received significant injuries. The most serious medical problems that night were related to alcohol poisoning. When alcohol poisoning occurs, it is impossible for friends to predict how serious it is: one student may just "sleep it off", another may vomit and choke while unconscious, another may stop breathing. We cannot in good conscience ignore these risks. If a more serious outcome had occurred, you can be assured that all the editorials would be asking, "How could Tufts have allowed this to happen?" Where are the voices of students who have stayed up all night worrying about a friend? It is perplexing to us that the overriding concern expressed to this point is that the President actually voiced his upset over what he saw and what was reported to him. It would be a real loss to the Tufts community if we became polarized on this issue, unable to have a discussion about the meaning of tradition, the meaning of community, and the meaning of dignity and responsibility. If the only student voices heard on this issue are the ones who rail against President Bacow's legitimate concerns, it makes it seem as if the only thing students care about is tradition for tradition's sake _ regardless of consequences. We know that does not represent all Tufts students. How Tufts students treat one another and respect one another's rights and safety should be at the heart of your most honored traditions, and the focal point of discussions about any future Naked Quad Runs. Michelle Bowdler in the Director of Health Services and Margaret Higham is the Medical Director of Health Services.

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News

Michigan Wolverines Still Playing for Something

February 3

With a 0-6 start and no possibility of a postseason berth, the Michigan Wolverines had a horrible start to December. After a tough loss on Dec 7 to non-conference rival Duke, Michigan seemed headed for not only one of its worst seasons in recent memory, but one of its most heartbreaking as well. The loss to Duke was not just any loss. It came after a string of defeats to St. Bonaventure, Virginia Tech, Kansas State, Western Michigan and Central Michigan; teams that the Wolverines normally beat easily, even in a down year. Losing to Duke could have put the nail in the coffin for the Wolverines, but coach Tommy Amaker and his players have refused to quit or consider this a "lost" season. That's when it all came together and the season's mission became to win despite having no championship within their reach. Amaker has not had the easiest job ever since he accepted the Michigan coaching position. After leaving Seton Hall after one year, the former Duke All-American and assistant coach to Coach K landed at Michigan and attempted to bring the Wolverines back to their former glory days as one of college basketball's perennial powerhouses. Adding to Amaker's troubles has been the commotion surrounding his program from the Ed Martin Case, a school booster during the Fab Five Era at Michigan. Martin has been found guilty of having given former All-Americans Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard, among others, hundreds of thousands of dollars, which violates NCAA amateur athletic rules. During the course of the summer, Final Four banners were removed from Crisler Arena, while Fab Five records were destroyed in Michigan history books. The school itself imposed sanctions on the team's postseason play, banning it from both the NCAA and NIT Tournament for two years. It was an effort to strike before the NCAA, thus weakening the amount of damage. With these rulings in mind, the Wolverines opened their season with one of their worst starts in school history. But after their embarrassing Duke loss, Michigan rattled off 13 straight wins. During this streak, senior forward LaVell Blanchard has truly blossomed as a leader, becoming a formidable offensive force and scoring nearly 17 points a game. Unfortunately for Michigan, the team has been overachieving for the last month and had to come back to earth sometime. Despite starting this week atop the Big Ten standings at 6-0, the Wolverines suffered back-to-back losses to No. 14 Illinois and unranked Minnesota. The amazing thing about this team is that it is playing for pride. Regrettably, these players are suffering for the wrong-doings of players who are long since gone, some of whom are living the lifestyle of NBA stars (that's you Chris Webber). Too many men In the most bizarre college basketball game in recent memory, Seton Hall defeated Georgetown 93-82 in overtime after a poorly officiated last few seconds of regulation. The mistake happened after Georgetown called a timeout to set up its defense when the score was tied at 72 and there were 12 seconds to go in regulation. When Seton Hall walked on the court, no one noticed six players came out. Neither coach, none of the bench players, nor any of the eleven other players on the court. Now, we see this all the time on the football field, but on a basketball court with five players per team? Someone should notice that. With 7 seconds to play, Seton Hall's sixth player, Marcus Toney-El provided the "alley" and Damion Fray brought the "oop." With 6.4 seconds remaining, Gerald Riley of Georgetown drove the ball coast to coast and scored on six defenders to tie the game. This was yet another chance for the officials to notice that something was off. Regulation play ended in a tie and Seton Hall ended up winning in overtime with only five players on the court this time. Even with numerous challenges and disputes by Georgetown, all the Big East would give them was a "we're sorry."

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News

War protests: an education outside the classroom

February 3

In lieu of reading a Thursday viewpoint that reminded me of the costs of university attendance, I wondered, how do I know I'm getting my money's worth? Though the question of why students feel the need to educate themselves in the first place seems tedious, I think now is more important a time than ever to ask, if the knowledge we seek is not for the betterment of society, then for what? As for the faculty, I am fortunate to be in the midst of professors who use their wisdom to lead a community in current issues on which books have yet to be written _ books that, I might add, may one day be read in courses at this University. I think the writer of one of last Thursday's viewpoints ("Professors should not be participants in walkout," Jan. 30, 2003) owes the organizers of the moratorium gratitude for invoking such a response, and I the same to the writer for infuriating me. This is not so much a challenge as a plea for anyone who opposes the war on Iraq to use their creative, well-educated minds to come up with arguments more thought-provoking than attacks on personal hygiene. I also encourage those who do not wish to participate in a "walkout" to attend teach-ins when they can, remembering that education awaits outside the classroom as well as in. Chelsea Feerer LA '05

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News

The nightless city and me: a foreign perspective on New York

February 3

It was evening when we arrived. The chill and snow outside did not bother the seven of us from Hong Kong because we were greeted warmly by the 13 students of Tufts Institute for Leadership and International Perspective (TILIP) from Tufts... We got on the bus, starting the exciting four days in New York. New York struck me as a city of great cosmopolitanism and dynamics. I come from a city as well, and I know how hard it is for a city to be modern and able to preserve a rich sense of culture as well. The brand-names and sky-scrapers very often submerge the more important elements of culture _ history, tradition and arts. New York City is an exception in that it is a curious paradox, with both leading developments and at the same time emanation of a deep sense of heritage. While the powerful visualization tools at CBS and the fun games at the ESPN Sports Center impressed me, I was at the same time in awe of the magnificent Lion King musical production and the masterpieces in Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum. The contradiction of culture and development that I have taken for granted all along suddenly seemed resolved, as I walked through the architecture that blends the past and present, and as I experienced the creations that embody the city's artistic side. It is a place where you can find the best of anything _ technology, entertainment, and arts. The hidden tensions behind the speed and diversity are subtle. It would be hard, if possible, to generalize the character of New York City people. Being multi-racial and cultured, it would be safe to say that in general, the city tolerates different faces. However, the opposition forces of such internationalism can be seen from the blank faces of the homeless on the streets, the man who was brushing his teeth in the library lobby, or the African-American women who scorned at me (a Chinese), and told me to stay away from her. All these posed a sharp contrast to the friendly young man who offered to take a picture for me on Fifth Avenue, the receptionist and cleaning man in the hotel who always carried a welcoming smile and always offered to help when I needed anything, and the intelligence and hospitality of the various speakers and hosts of sites we have been to. This contributed to the complex feelings I have for New Yorkers. The stay in New York made me reflect a lot upon the responsibilities of a progressive and developed society. The diversity of the character of the city's people added both to its beauty and to its realism. Having seen the city for myself, I truly understand why people are so proud of it. No doubt, it is a leading city in the world. I finally know why, when the planes hit on September 11, it hurts_ much more than just having a piece of the homeland hit, but above all, the pride, the history, the dignity. Things seem to be going on as usual. The world has not stopped, nor has the city. I am reminded of the attack from time to time when I see postcards with the two landmark buildings now gone, but other than that, the city seems to be living with the same vitality it used to be. This perhaps is the best manifestation of remembrance of the incident: the spirit of the city lives on. Somehow I feel a special attachment to New York. I figure it has the same quick movement of sounds, colors and lights as in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government keeps trying to promote tourism in Hong Kong with the slogan "Asia's World City" or "Asia's New York." I cannot help but compare the two cities. I am surprised more by the differences than the similarities. Then, I realize, maybe it is no use aiming to become New York after all, as New York is unbeatable because of its uniqueness. What Hong Kong has shared and should continue to share is the strength of its people. What makes New York most impressive are its restless liveliness and vigor. Intellectual exchange comes in various forms. So far, coming to the US and talking to Tufts students on the program has been a fruitful experience. I look forward to an exciting stay here in Boston as well as the symposium _ the fruits of our exchange on China in Transition. Cora Chan Sau Wai is a student at the University of Hong Kong in the double degree program of Government and Laws. She is participating in TILIP program.

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News

Tufts study suggests infants respond to television

February 3

A new study by a Tufts psychology professor published in The Journal ofChild Development suggests that children as young as ten and 12 months old are emotionally affected by what they watch on television. The study was performed by psychology professor Dr. Donna Mumme, who is an expert in child behavior According to Mumme, the study is an important step in determining how infants use emotional signals and other non-verbal cues to learn about their environments and the people in them. Her research adds to the evidence that children can perceive differences in social and emotional behavior much earlier than some had believed. By the age of 12 months, infants can begin to respond to emotional stimuli on television. This suggests that parents may want to keep an eye on what their babies' watch as it could significantly impact their behavior. Mumme's study marks important progress in the fairly new field of infant emotional communication and reflects an infant's tendency to mimic the behavior of others. The study recorded the physical and emotional reactions of ten and 12-month-old babies when they watched a 20 second videotape of an actress reacting to a toy stimulus. When the actress showed signs of fear towards a toy, the baby consequently avoided the toy and was more likely to act worried. Conversely, if the actress was excited about the toy, the infant were more apt to play with it. Undergraduate and graduate students at Tufts are participating in follow-up research that includes studying babies' memories of research assistants. The next step is to determine if "emotion is focused around one event," Mumme said, and "what piece the baby takes away from the interaction." The experiments revealed that the 12 month olds responded more positively in general. But "the ten month olds' results were not as good." According to Mumme, "babies remember events, and those emotional reactions influence physical reactions right away. It would be more interesting to see if they remember these reactions after a certain time period." The study has far ranging implications for child psychology, Mumme said. "The main importance [of this research] is that all are aware that babies are aware of their surroundings," Mumme said. "They are sensitive to negative emotions, interested in people, and take a lot of information from their surroundings." Researchers are still trying to determine why the ten month olds did not respond as positively to the experiments as the 12 month olds. "We don't know whether it was because they just didn't understand or had a hard time with the video," Mumme said.

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News

A chat with Matt

February 3

A movie star sighting from the Starbucks across the street is rare; talking to one face to face is even rarer. While either of these would have been ideal yesterday morning, The Daily settled for a round table discussion via telephone with the Texas-born Matthew McConaughey, the main man of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. With his trademark southern twang, McConaughey sounded as relaxed and confident as many of the characters he plays on screen as he talked about his new film. The movie is a romantic comedy, starring McConaughey as ad man Benjamin Barry, and Kate Hudson as women's magazine columnist Andie Anderson. In the movie, McConaughey's character makes a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in ten days. He's set up with Hudson's character, who is under her own deadline, writing a story about how women drive men away. McConaughey commented on the movie's premise. "[It's] different than the other chick-flicks out there," he said. "It's the old joke where the audience knows what she's doing and what I'm doing, but we don't. The audience is the straight man." (Of course, one might say that anytime the phrase "old joke" is used, it usually means it's not different, but we'll give McConaughey the benefit of the doubt.) McConaughey told about his experience working with Kate Hudson, and called her "a natural and very gifted actress." And despite the fact that he was several years her senior, he found no problem being attracted to her on screen. Being quite diplomatic, McConaughey was hesitant to say he preferred her to Jennifer Lopez, whom he worked with in another very 'original' chick-flick, The Wedding Planner. The interview then strayed from discussions of the film to McConaughey's relaxed attitudes about Hollywood and his life. While wearing his, "Just Keep Living" t-shirt, both his personal motto and the name of his production company, McConaughey said that he liked to take a break from the chaos of Hollywood and kick back at his ranch in Texas. There he is able to get his internal clock "clocked on the right time" because "you can do anything you want or nothing at all," as opposed to the forced, fast pace of Hollywood. When it comes to acting and choosing roles, McConaughey said that his one rule is "to mix it up." He sees acting as a mix of all the "-ologies," where an actor has to use a little of one at least once in most roles. He said he loves that he can be a lawyer for three months and then switch to something completely different. When asked about his future plans, McConaughey mentioned his character in Dazed and Confused, and said mysteriously, "I feel a bit of a hippie coming on." Along with his mellow nature, McConaughey has an air of refreshing honesty. While he said he feels that he has "no responsibility" to be politically active because of his high social profile, he recognized that he has the opportunity to speak from a pedestal. But when asked about the current situation in Iraq and how he feels about the imminence of war, he replied frankly, "I would definitely have to do a lot more homework" to answer the question properly, and insinuated that others frequently answer it without the proper knowledge. McConaughey also brought up the point that too often political rhetoric is the cause of international conflicts. In regards to documentation concerning weapons inspections he said, "this is so debatable _ you can spin it too many ways, which is why there are so many problems now...Iraq is saying one thing; we're saying another. I think we can get out of this without going to war... I don't think Bush wants war either." In terms of movie reviews though, fair play is a quality rarely found according to McConaughey. "There are good-bad reviews and bad-bad reviews," he explains. He said that his new movie has received many of these types. "Critical and constructive reviews" are what McConaughey would call "a really good bad review." It is the review that assaults films with intelligent language, but without substance that he disregards. But the topic McConaughey was most enthusiastic about was his new movie. While it may same like the type of film men shy away from, he encouraged his gender to get out to theaters saying, "This one, guys, I think you can handle." Alissa Green Contributed to this article

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News

Chopping block

February 3

As many states nationwide are feeling the tightest budget crunches in decades, cuts are coming swiftly and surely. Massachusetts is certainly not going to be spared as Governor Mitt Romney looks for ways to close a $650 million shortfall for the current fiscal year, which is barely halfway over. And that's not all _ there is still a $3 billion gap for the next fiscal year. Romney certainly can't look to tax revenue as a bailout. Not only did the governor run on a platform of balancing the budget without raising taxes, but Massachusetts voters nearly passed a ballot proposal last November that would have done away with the state income tax altogether. By virtue of this, the ax must fall squarely on state discretionary spending, which includes funding for Tufts' School of Veterinary Medicine. Though $3.6 million had been budgeted, Romney last week cut spending for the vet school entirely for the current fiscal year. Granted, Romney has to make many tough calls to end Massachusetts' budget woes. But unlike raising healthcare payments for state employees or raising recreational fees for boating and golfing, cutting funding that has essentially already been spent will put the vet school in the red at once. Romney hasn't cut a projected budget amount that will affect Tufts in the near future. He has taken away money already granted to the University; money that is already gone. Without further state intervention, the vet school will have to immediately make drastic cuts to remain solvent. Such a restructuring will have a damaging effect on research and treatment programs, program staffing, and all other areas of the vet school. President Bacow has indicated that he is already speaking with state officials regarding the funding elimination, and hopefully such dialogue will be fruitful. But Bacow is also wise to investigate the legal ramifications of the late spending cut. Tufts has weathered financial storms before, and there is no reason to believe it cannot overcome this one. But the message is clear _ in tough economic times, a good name and a noble purpose just aren't enough.

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News

Professor gives advice for Latino curriculum

February 3

In an effort to expand the Latin American studies program, members of the Latino Curricular Transformation (LCT) project have invited professors from other universities with ethnic studies programs to give advice about how Tufts can reform its curriculum. In the first of a series of three meetings with professors, LCT invited Charles Briggs, a professor of ethnic studies and head of the Latin American studies department at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), to speak yesterday at the Latino Center before an audience of ten students and the Center's director, Rub?©n Salinas-Stern. Briggs, who specializes in incorporating Latin American studies into university curriculums, spoke on how some of the same techniques used to develop the ethnic studies department at UCSD could be applied to Tufts. In building the department, Briggs said, schools have a choice of two models. The first option is to combine small departments such as Native American studies, African American studies, and Latin American studies to save money on department administration and office space. To build a strong ethnic studies program, however, Briggs suggested a second model, which involves directing smaller departments toward a common focus, such as globalization or development issues. USCD chose a model which focuses on the meaning and consequences of race and applies that into each discipline within the department. USCD's ethnic studies department has faculty from the anthropology, sociology, literary studies, media studies, political science, and history departments. Briggs said that if Tufts tries to hire very specific faculty positions, such as a Caribbean literature teacher, the "pool may be so small" that filling the position becomes difficult. However, if administrators "try to define [positions] slightly more broadly," departments usually benefit more, Briggs said. Briggs also addressed the issue of faculty retention, which has historically been a problem at Tufts, especially with minority faculty. "[Professors] want to be at home. They don't want to be marginalized outside of the department. They want to be in a department that wants them," Briggs said. The UCSD ethnic studies department has hired eight professors in the past two years, but Briggs cautioned against LST attempting to recreate USCD's success at Tufts. "There's no one model for every institution," and Tufts will have to tailor any expansions to fit the University's community and traditions, Briggs said. One way the UCSD experience with ethnic studies differs from Tufts' is the enhanced role of Tufts undergraduates in the curricular transformation process. Because students are actually going through the curriculum, Briggs said, "students will be more capable than [administrators]" to guide the program. UCSD uses several techniques to expand the audience of the ethnic studies department. The program makes joint hires with departments such as critical gender studies and urban studies. Courses are also cross-listed with other departments _ an "absolutely crucial" tool to reach students who do not have extra time in their schedules, Briggs said. The department also hosts weekly speakers on campus and invites members of other departments, which may explain why ethnic studies is a "fairly popular minor" at UCSD, Briggs said. The introductory course to ethnic studies, which is open to all students, focuses on immigration, the methodology of ethnic studies, and social issues through the lens of ethnic studies. While any attempt to increase ethnic studies deserves merit, Briggs said, "this is never an easy process." "You've got to make your presence felt in a range of different strategies." "It all depends on the people," Briggs said. The program needs "people who are committed to the study of ethnic studies and who have a sense of being part of something new and important."

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News

Carson resigns as TCU President

February 3

Melissa Carson resigned from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) presidency yesterday after she decided to take medical leave following surgery. TCU Senate Vice-President Andrew Potts will take over Carson's responsibilities but remain in his current office, as stipulated by the TCU Constitution. "My doctors want me to be stress free and on medication and healing," Carson said. "It shouldn't take that long for me to get better. It should take only a few months but if I am trying to take four classes, be TCU president and enjoy my senior year then they don't think I will get better." It is uncertain whether anyone will replace Carson as president. An election will be held next Wednesday to fill Carson's senate seat, but the TCU Constitution is not specific about what should be done when a president resigns _ it states only that in the event of an absence of the president, the vice-president will take over the presidential responsibilities. Potts stressed yesterday that he will not have the title of president, but will be fulfilling the presidential duties. "My goal is to ensure that the Senate keeps its full momentum and keeps the positive momentum that we have already," Potts said. He said that Carson's absence would be felt in the Senate, and called her the most effective senate member he has ever known. Carson broke the news to the Senate at the body's meeting on Sunday night. "I told them in person [Sunday] night because I felt like I owed that to them," she said. "Everyone seemed confident that the momentum will continue for the rest of the semester. This is truly the strongest senate body that I have seen in my tenure at Tufts and I know they can do it." Senators were optimistic about finishing the rest of the year, despite Carson's departure. "I think the Senate this year is really strong," Senate Historian Alison Clarke said. "We have really good senators all around. I think obviously she will be missed, but we have a strong senate that will be able to continue on." Carson's resignation letter was sent out to the student body yesterday evening. In it, she praised this year's Senate for not being "ruled by egos, but rather by a genuine desire to hear what students want and bring about change." Freshman senator Alex Mendell said that the Senate is in the process of accomplishing Carson's agenda, and that the former president will still be available for help when needed. "You can't replace somebody like Melissa," junior senator Randy Newsom said. "It almost motivates us more because we know how hard she worked for [the Senate] and we're going to do the same in her honor in some ways." Yesterday, senators, TCU Judiciary members and Elections Board (ELBO) members were still confused on what actions to take next. Potts, as the vice-president with the powers of the president, could call a presidential nominations meeting, paving the way for a presidential election, or the TCU Judiciary could conceivably force Potts to call the presidential nominations meeting if a student were to approach the board and ask for an election. Some student politicians are worried because ELBO currently consists of three freshmen, who just joined the organization last semester. ELBO members declined to comment about what they will do next. There is no general opinion amongst senators about whether a new president should step in. Newsom considers this year's Senate to be Carson's creation, and thinks "no one would be able to replace her, it would still be her presidency." He said there is already strong leadership throughout the Senate. Even though there would be no official president, he does not believe it would hinder the Senate. Senate Parliamentarian Adam Koeppel, however, thinks that Carson's position should be filled. He said that fulfilling the duties of both vice-president and president _ as Potts would if Caron is not replaced _ would be too much responsibility for anyone. Clarke, the Senate historian, has already expressed interest in running for the presidency, should the option arise. Should no other candidates step forward, Koeppel said he would run against Clarke so that she would not automatically become the next president. Carson, however, said that she just wants to make sure that her resignation does not lead to fighting about whether or not to fill her vacated post. "The last thing I want for this is to result in student body government infighting over procedure," she said. "We worked really hard to establish senate, judiciary agreement and maintain friendly relations. I just hope that the Senate and the J can work this out without having it turn into a battle. "I don't think that it will. I just don't want it to."

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News

Kimmel is edgy in premiere

February 3

With baited breath, talk show failures Chevy Chase, Magic Johnson, and Martin Short waited for a new member to join their ignominious club. But Jimmy Kimmel stood strong in his first week of his new late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, withstanding corporate censorship, lackluster guests, and a ghost scare, to ultimately host one of the funniest and wackiest weeks in late night television in recent memory. If he's lucky, ABC executives will agree and give the irreverent show a chance at success. Kimmel is a veteran of comedic television, making his career as co-host of the game show Win Ben Stein's Money. He also had success with the misogynist and culturally insensitive, yet uproariously amusing The Man Show, which he co-hosted with wise-guy Adam Carolla. On FOX Sports' NFL pre-game show, Kimmel reached network audiences with his sarcastic wit and football insight, providing sports fans with his picks and his best Terry Bradshaw insults. Kimmel's raunchy comedic mind is joined by Carolla, previous Head Writer for Late Night with David Letterman Steve O'Donnell, fellow Letterman veteran executive producer Daniel Kellison, and ESPN Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons. Simmons, also known as The Sports Guy is the most unique edition to this staff, as he has never written for a television show of any sort. But, ask practically any college aged sports fan, and they will tell you that Simmons is a comedic genius who should be a fine addition to an established comedy writing team. Advertised to premiere after the Super Bowl, Live was aired much later than expected due to ABC's extended post-game coverage, missing out on some of its core demographic. Those who turned off their televisions passed up a great hour of entertainment, as the grand opening featured George Clooney, Tampa Bay Buccaneer (and recent Super Bowl champ) Warren Sapp, and the band Coldplay. Yet all of them were upstaged by the week's co-host Snoop Dogg, who infused the show with his own brand of "Snoop" humor. As fake snow fell from the ceiling as a spoof of NBC's themed "Blizzard Monday," Kimmel asked, "Hey, how do you say 'blizzard' in Snoop?" to which the possibly stoned guest host replied, "Blizzy KuhNizzy." The running joke on the show is that they essentially have no guests. Since the show is run on the East Coast live, if a guest fails to show, as Jon Gruden did on Sunday night, Kimmel has to run the show on the fly. Carolla showed up one night to fill time, as did Kimmel's uncle, who works as the show's "security guard." The motley crew adds a fresh enthusiasm that is a sharp contrast to The Tonight Show and Letterman. However, the unrehearsed, hodgepodge feel of Live has kept ABC executives and censors very edgy, which is not a commercially savvy way to premiere a new late night program. Jimmy Kimmel Live is based on the ideology that the show should really have no structure. Its unpredictability is the greatest drawing factor, as each episode brings new twists and spontaneous moments of hilarity. After an audience member vomited on opening night, ABC/Disney yanked the show's liquor license, prohibiting the host from providing his audiences with free beer. A "ghostbuster" came on the show later in the week to exorcise the spirits haunting the theater, and the sheer randomness of a woman yelping and hyperventilating on the screen brought side-splitting laughter. Yet the greatest sketch of the new show came with the "slang spelling bee" where two National Spelling Bee Champs squared off against two gangsta rappers, spelling out words like "fasheezy" and "killaz." While it may not offer the level of sophisticated humor that one would find on Letterman, Live is a volatile and crazy ride that is destined to thrill viewers each and every night.

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News

The rest of the worst

February 3

OK, so as promised, Inside the NBA is back this week with a look at some of the other teams who aren't sending anyone to this weekend's All-Star game. Memphis Grizzlies: Record: 13-33. Vital Info: Allow 100.4 ppg, strolled out of the opening gate with a 13 game losing streak, Jason Williams starts at point guard over Brevin Knight _ 'nuff said. Good Signs: For starters, they got out of Vancouver. Secondly, they have a lot of good young talent in Pau Gasol, Drew Gooden, Shane Battier, Stromile Swift and co. Final Prognosis: They've been playing better lately, although when you start the season with a 13 game losing streak, the only way to go is up. But the team has looked better under new coach Hubie Brown, and since he and Jerry "I am the NBA" West are, admittedly, just a little wiser than Inside the NBA, they'll get the benefit of the doubt on this one. Miami Heat: Record: 16-31. Vital Info: Average 20.6 free throw attempts per game, compared to 27.1 for their opponents. Somehow Pat Riley has convinced himself that this is the referees' fault, rather than the result of having players who can't drive to the basket and can't play defense. Good Sign: Caron Butler looks like he might be the next Paul Pierce. After slipping in the draft, he's averaging 14.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 1.83 spg. But... Final Prognosis: Riley's in trouble here. Brian Grant and Eddie Jones are getting old, and Alonzo Mourning needs to be worrying about his health, not playing basketball. Unless Malik Allen and Rasual Butler pan out REALLY nicely, there are going to be a couple of ugly years ahead. Chicago Bulls: Record: 17-30. Vital Info: This team is a sickening 2-23 on the road. Their third leading scorer and second leading rebounder Marcus Fizer is out for the season with a torn ACL. Rookie PG Jay Williams is shooting 37% from the field, 26% from deep, and 55% from the line. Wow. Bad Sign: Five years go, GM Jerry Krause, the man everyone loves to hate, let the best player in league history walk away because he was more concerned with winning a battle of egos against coach Phil Jackson. Well, what do you expect? Windy City natives better cross their fingers that the bad karma doesn't hang over the franchise the way it has for a certain New England MLB franchise for, oh, 85 years, after they got rid of a guy named Babe . . . 85 years is a long time. Final Prognosis: There's too much talent here for this team to stay bad for 85 years, but they've got a ways to go. Don't expect Jalen Rose to be around for the good days. Atlanta Hawks: Record: 19-29. Vital Info: Third in the league in turnovers per game at 16.5, led by Glenn Robinson _ the only non-center "star" to have more turnovers (3.7) than assists (2.9). Okay, so their record isn't that bad. But you've spent the last three seasons acquiring three of the game's more talented forwards and you've promised season ticket holders a $100 dollar rebate if the team doesn't make the playoffs. Paired with the fact that you're averaging less than 12,000 fans a night, and your only sellout of the season will be the all-star game, it doesn't exactly constitute a season for the ages. Bad signs: Shooting guard of the future DeMarr Johnson seriously injured his neck in an offseason car accident and will probably never play again. Basketball is the only sport in season and Georgians still care more about Michael Vick, Greg Maddux, and Georgia football. And once again here karma is important. Any franchise that once traded super citizen Steve Smith for J.R. RIDER deserves whatever it gets. Final Prognosis: Hawks season-ticket holders should treat themselves to a big night out at Red Lobster, because they'll be getting a check in the mail soon. This team isn't going anywhere; look for Stan Kasten to try to pull off another blockbuster trade and start from scratch. And sorry no mention of the Blazers this week, but they have actually gone two consecutive weeks without providing any fresh article material, so they get the benefit of the doubt _ for now.

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$3.6 million cut for Vet School

February 3

The lagging economy is finally starting to catch up with Tufts in a big way. But unlike at other schools, the endowment at Tufts hasn't withered. Instead, the University has fallen victim to state budget cuts. Last Thursday, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney cut all of the state's $3.6 million funding for the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. State support accounted for 13 percent of the school's operating budget. Tufts was to receive the $3.6 million as part of a contract in which the Vet School provided medical care for Massachusetts State Police dog and horse units. The state also axed a $5,000 tuition break it gave to Massachusetts residents attending the school because there is no public vet school in the state. The cut was part of a larger $41 million decrease in funding to schools and colleges in Massachusetts and the second cut the Vet School has faced in a year. The year before the first cut, the school received $5.3 million from the state. The Vet School did not receive any prior warning about the cut, spokeswoman Barbara Donato said. Rumors spread last year that the budget would be cut, however, prompting the Vet School to "make necessary adjustments to economize where we can and strengthen our collective efforts to enhance revenue from a variety of sources," Donato said at the time. Due to the deficit in the state's budget, officials found it "easier to pay the bill [for police animals] themselves," rather than to continue paying Tufts, said Jodi Charles, Romney's deputy press secretary. Under the previous agreement, the state simply sent sick animals to the school and the cost was underwritten by the University. In a bulk e-mail sent yesterday, President Larry Bacow said that the money Romney cut was related to a contract for the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2002. "We already performed these services," Bacow said. "We have not been paid." Tufts' General Counsel has not yet determined what course of action it will pursue. But the Governor's office is not worried about the possibility of the University filing a lawsuit. "[Tufts] can't sue ... there was an understanding by Tufts that the Commonwealth would be given funding, as it was available," Charles said. The University hopes to maintain the Vet School's "tradition of excellence in veterinary education and research," Bacow said. The School's future remains uncertain, however, until other sources of funding are found to replace the state's former contribution. The University plans to meet with state officials and members of the legislature to discuss the government's cuts. If the funding cannot be restored, the administration may be forced to make budget cuts across the university. While Tufts was one of the biggest single losers in the new budget, school officials around the state scrambled last week to see how they fared. Higher education cuts totaled $16 million and some said K-12 education would be hurt indirectly because of overall local aid cuts. "There will be a lot of urban and poor school districts that will feel great pain because of those cuts," said Geoff Beckwith, president of Massachusetts Municipal Association. The Department of Education loses combined $25 million in grants for early literacy ($11.8 million), early childhood education ($10 million), and free breakfasts ($3.1 million). Before the cuts, the Vet School received some of the lowest funding in the country. While the school received 13 percent of its operating budget from the state, other vet schools around the country typically receive between 26 to 36 percent of their endowments from state governments. As with every other state in the country that hosts a veterinary school, Massachusetts entered into a contract with Tufts nearly 25 years ago to give money for basic operating support. Tufts Veterinary school is one of only 28 in the country and was established in 1979.

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News

Tufts gets a lesson in gospel music

February 3

Black History Month started off with a bang in a big way on Saturday night as Tufts University hosted a commemorative event to kick off the month-long celebration of African American culture and diversity: Gospel 101: A Cultural Experience. The first event of its kind here at Tufts, the evening of gospel music was in the planning for over a year, thanks to student organizers Deborah Durant, Adrianne Gladden, and Nytangia Leitzsey as well as faculty members Lisa Coleman, Denise Phillips and Assistant Professor Idella Johnson. The auditorium was nearly packed from the opening note, as people from diverse backgrounds eagerly filled the seats in anticipation of the upcoming musical experience. Coleman, Head of the Tufts Africana Center, introduced the festivities, saying that the concert was being held for three reasons: to communicate and foster an appreciation for gospel music, to celebrate and honor a commitment to the community, and to embrace a cultural dialogue that extends beyond the University. "Black History Month is a time of celebration," Coleman told the crowd, "and we're starting at Tufts by celebrating our community and our music." The program was hosted by the Two Old Ladies, a local comedy sketch performed by Bonnie F. Weaver and Shirley Mullen. As Agnes and Annabel, two elderly sisters who "deigned" to host the night's festivities, Weaver and Mullen had the audience rocking in their seats nearly the entire evening. Whether trading barbs back and forth _ "Behave, Annabel! This is a college we at!" crowed Agnes at one point, to which her sister promptly returned, "I know, that's why I fell!" _ or singing their own versions of the performed songs, the Two Old Ladies brought a lovely, off-beat tone and many laughs to the evening's performance. Essence, the all-female a capella group at Tufts dedicated to music of the African Diaspora and always a powerful stage presence, opened the concert portion of the evening with the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing." The group's second song had every member of the packed auditorium on their feet, featuring a soloist with beautiful vocal dexterity and a lively ending that left the entire crowd calling for more. "It seems like every time I hear them, they've gotten a little bit better," concertgoer Robert Blackman said. "It was definitely an appropriate start to the evening." Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir, directed by Johnson, was the next to take the stage and was greeted with an enthusiastic reception from the audience. The sheer size of the group was overwhelming; with each member of the choir singing with all of her heart, this powerful musical experience filled the auditorium, bringing the music alive and once again bringing the audience member to its feet. The rest of the evening featured local gospel groups from beyond the Tufts Community. David Roitfarb, a young man who practices what he calls "Street Gospel" or "Spiritual Hip Hop," provided a break from traditional church music with two lively songs in which he proceeded to rap the gospel. This staggering of styles provided a nice break from the traditional and Roitfarb's unique take on religious music seemed to fascinate the audience. "I hadn't really heard anything like it before," Erin Roithberg said. "But it was just incredible listening to him. It seemed like he was totally singing from the heart." Roitfarb was followed by Nancy Bilonda, an inspiring young gospel singer. Her group also delved into the realm of "gospel reggae" in yet another break from the usual, producing a lively energy that had the entire auditorium dancing along. This variety of differentiations on classic gospel music, interspersed with the more traditional styles, seemed to re-energize the genre in the eyes of the audience and provided a modern take on this sometimes traditional music. The T. Robinson Chorale, a more traditional gospel group, took the stage next, followed by "Littlepraiser," a young girl who used interpretive dance mixed with beautiful music to provide yet another deviation from what we tend to think of as "conventional" gospel. The evening concluded with Freda Battle and the Temple Worshippers, another choir that provided a more traditional interpretation of gospel music but with energy that brought the audience back to its feet. The final group was nationally renowned gospel artist Freda Battle and the Temple Praisers. Battle and the Temple Praisers emphasized the spiritual nature of gospel and had the audience on the feet for all of their songs. Gospel music is unique in that it offers its audience a chance to become part of the performance. Clapping, stomping, and dancing in the aisles is as much a staple of the style as the uplifting lyrics and soaring voices that make gospel such a champion of the religious spirit. "It just really captured the essence of Black History Month, the entire evening," JoAnn Tiller said. "It was such a powerful way to start things off, and all the groups were absolutely incredible. With any luck, we'll be back again next year."

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News

INS system's deadline pushed back

February 3

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has extended the deadline to input information into a database which tracks international students. The previous deadline, Jan. 30, 2002, was extended 15 days in order to let schools and the INS work out computer compatibility problems and other glitches with the system. "The reason why the two weeks grace period was added was to make sure that the systems at the colleges and universities are actually communicating with the system at the INS," said Department of Justice spokesman Jorge Martinez. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is supposed to interface information from over 3,000 schools approved to emit visas to their foreign students. SEVIS is designed to keep track of information on the academic, personal and financial status of alien students. Most importantly, it ensures that students are actually attending the institution that gave them their visa. There are 1,272 foreign students and 451 foreign faculty members on Tufts' three Boston-area campuses. Most of these non-citizens are here on visas that will fall into the categories catalogued by SEVIS. SEVIS, however, does not appear to be operating smoothly. "The system is very, very slow," said Jane Etish-Andrews, Tufts' liaison with the INS for undergraduates. "It can take hours to get a student's information in." The University currently must enter information for every student by hand in real time. The cumbersome manual process will eventually be eliminated after the system is upgraded and more efficient "batch transmissions" are made possible. "Now we're holding back because we want to use the batch system," Etish-Andrews said Another problem with SEVIS is that Tufts has been unable to create an actual visa document through the program. Additionally, the system frequently kicks users offline. Tufts administrators have stopped attempting to use SEVIS until such problems are fixed, according to Etish-Andrews. "We're ready; if the systems would work we'd do it," she said. Martinez said that "the INS has been working with looking at those problems," and will be searching for any way they can make the system function more smoothly. The demand for an electronic tracking system came to the forefront after it was discovered that some of the Sept. 11 terrorists entered the country on student visas, but the issue initially emerged after the World Trade Center bombings in 1993. In 1996, Congress mandated the creation of SEVIS, with an implementation deadline of Jan. 30, 2003 _ a deadline that was abandoned in 2000. The USA Patriot Act, passed last year, reinstated the deadline and injected $36.8 million into the project. The USA Patriot Act requires schools to supply information ranging from whether the student is taking a full course load or working as an off-campus employee to any disciplinary action he or she receives. The system includes all post-secondary schools, including universities and vocational schools. In order to be approved for participation in SEVIS, institutions had to apply to the INS and pay a fee of $580, according to an INS news release. New foreign students will be barred from entering the country unless the INS has received prior notification from their institutions via SEVIS. Non-compliance with the INS system would prohibit schools from issuing visas, seriously compromising their ability to admit international students. Universities have until Aug. 1, 2003 to put in all foreign students, who received Visas prior to the reinstatement of the USA Patriot Act, into the database. Tufts will be holding general information meetings about SEVIS later on in the semester and the International Center will put up a website with SEVIS information.

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Captains battle out hurdles as men's track falls to MIT, Bowdoin

February 3

Perhaps feeling the lethargic effects of a long, early morning bus ride to Maine, the men's track team placed third behind powerful foes MIT and host Bowdoin on Saturday. But while the scoreboard depicted MIT's 30-plus point victory, as the Jumbos finished third of the four teams, the meet featured many closely contested races, leaving Coach Connie Putnam optimistic on the return journey. "We stayed very close, and it was a high echelon meet," Putnam said. "Those might be four of the top five schools in New England. It was a very worthy meet to be in." The Jumbos also competed against Springfield College for the second straight week, holding their own in many events. Senior tri-captains Bryan Pitko (7.65) and Greg Devine (7.69) battled out the top spots in the 55 meter hurdles, both finishing with NCAA qualifying times. This marks the second consecutive week Devine has notched a NCAA qualifying time in the event. Sophomore Nate Thompson finished fourth. Fellow senior tri-captain Adam Sharp (2:36.44) triumphed in the 1000, his third victory of the semester, following wins in the 800 and 1500 in the last two meets. The three captains' strong results have played an important role in the team's success so far. "Lots of the kids have good performances and everyone is important," Pitko said. "Hopefully [our results] light a fire under them and motivate them to what they can achieve." Nevertheless, despite the tri-captains' results, the team was not at full strength. Devine pulled up injured following the 55 dash and was scratched from the 200. Senior Bryant Coen, who has played a valuable role in the team's two wins this season, did not race due to an Achilles injury. "With a healthy Greg and a healthy Bryant, we would have had a few more valuable points," Putnam said. "But we stayed close, despite not getting big points when we needed, and were very evenly matched with Bowdoin." Grad Adam Carberry, who finished tenth in the 600 (1:30.08), experienced a slightly wild ride during his race. "There was a lot of banging out there, and Carberry was stepped on and elbowed three or four times," Putnam said. "The judges were a bunch of octogenarians; in fact one or two were nonagenarians, short-sighted at best, and very much working for Bowdoin." Despite the final score, the team was encouraged by the close match ups and determination. Inexperience proved to be the main difference between the Jumbos and the other top New England schools such as MIT and Bowdoin, both of whom boast large contingents of track-tested seniors. Nonetheless, the team received support from several freshmen, including Ben Harburg and Kyle Doran. Harburg filled in for the second place 4x400 team (3:26.99) and Doran (15:43.53) finished sixth in the 5000. "Harburg was in limbo out there, but ran a heck of a leg filling in," Putnam said. "Doran kept up with the leaders for a while, and even though he ran out of steam, he ran a gutsy, courageous race." Sophomore Ray Carre, who won the 400 (50.29) and finished fifth in the 200 (23.26), agreed. "I was very proud, everyone had a job to do and went out and did it," Carre said. "The times people have been running have been phenomenal. "I've got a lot more training to do for the 200, I'm not very quick out of the blocks. A lot of the advantages people have is their starts." Freshman thrower Jason Galvin threw past 40 feet in both the shot put and weight throw for the first time in his career, and sophomore Dan March consistently topped 45 feet in the weight throw. "Forty feet is a good barrier to get across," Galvin said. "All the throwers should see a lot of improvement in the next two weeks with two home meets coming up." With next week's home meet featuring a host of teams from New England and beyond, including potential force Ithaca, Putnam was encouraged by the team's performance. "I left [Bowdoin] encouraged, knowing this is a very young team and the others were much older, experienced teams," Putnam said. "I told them 'let's just go up there and not get too emotional over it', and head to head, it was tightly contested all day." The men's track team competes this Saturday, Feb 8 at 11a.m. at the Gantcher Center.

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News

Jumbos Icemen have no choice but to win

February 2

With a win and a loss this weekend, the men's hockey team made one thing abundantly clear; it has a difficult time maintaining a level of consistency. After mounting a rabid comeback against Salem State only to lose 6-5 in overtime, the Jumbos came back Saturday and hung on in a 4-3 triumph over Southern Maine. With Middlebury, Colby, Bowdoin and Trinity appearing to have a firm lock on the top four spots in the NESCAC tournament, the final four spots in the eight team tournament are certainly up in the air. At the moment, the Jumbos are holding onto the seventh slot, which is a vast improvement from last season's last place squad that missed the playoffs completely. The reality of the situation is such that the Jumbos could finish fifth but they could also find themselves out of the race completely as the last place team in the conference, Connecticut College, is only four points behind them. "The past couple of weeks have been tough," senior co-captain Mike Carceo said. "Hopefully we can use Saturday's win as a stepping stone towards more consistency for the rest of the season." While all games against ECAC East teams are also included in the conference record, the Jumbos most important remaining games will be against key NESCAC opponents Hamilton, Amherst, Wesleyan and Trinity. At the moment, fifth place Hamilton's fifteen points are only three more than the Jumbos twelve. Amherst and Wesleyan are two teams that have struggled this year and are currently behind the Jumbos in the standings. Trinity is the Jumbos last game of the year, where they will travel to Hartford. The Bantams have proven themselves to be one of the elite teams in the Northeast this season, so a Tufts victory would be monumental. Currently, as the seventh seed in the conference, Tufts would face Bowdoin. After last weekend's flukish shellacking at the hands of the Polar Bears, the Jumbos would probably rather move up in the standings and go against a team like Colby. The White Mules were a team that Tufts matched up well against in last Saturday's 3-3 tie. After winning three in a row after break, the Jumbos had yet to win another game until Saturday's victory. As close as they have stayed with most of their opponents, they have not had that killer instinct that characterizes successful teams. "We aren't playing as consistently as we would like to right now," sophomore forward John Hurd said. "In our league, anybody can make a run, so it's important that we hold on to leads when we get them." On Saturday at Malden Arena, the squad had Southern Maine against the ropes as they were up 4-1 heading into the third period. But the Jumbos were out shot 15-6 in the third period, lucky to only give up two more goals and escape with a 4-3 win. On Friday night the team played the role of rally-er rather than the one being rallied against. After jumping out to an early 2-1 lead over Salem State, the Jumbos stayed true to their recent form and did not add any insurance goals. Salem State rebounded to score four unanswered goals in the second and third periods to go up 5-2 and seemingly leave the Jumbos for dead. But with their backs against the wall, the Jumbos answered with three goals in twelve minutes of play in the third. But all good things come to an end, as their momentum could not carry them into overtime, where Salem State's Wendall Richards scored on a breakaway for a 6-5 win. "Every game is a must win now," Carceo said. "We have to keep coming up big against the teams we're supposed to beat." In that third period against Salem State, Tufts was clicking on all cylinders. This is not to say that the Jumbos caught lightning in a bottle, but they played some of their best hockey of the year. Such an effort will be what the Jumbos need if they want to excel in the playoffs. But they are going to have to get there first. "We have to get points the next couple of weeks," Hurd said. "We want to be more comfortable going into the playoffs. We hold our own destiny."

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Christian groups, schools clash over non-discrimination

February 2

Students from a Christian group at Rutgers University have sued the school in a case reminiscent of the battle between the Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) and the Tufts Community Union Senate Judiciary (TCUJ) in the fall of 2000. Rutgers decided in Sept. 2002 that InterVarsity Multi-Ethnic Christian Fellowship's constitutional right to choose its leaders based on religious beliefs, specifically views on homosexuality, violated the school's non-discrimination policy. During a periodic re-approval of student groups' constitutions, Rutgers officials demanded that the Fellowship include the university's non-discrimination statement in its constitution. "Membership shall be open to all Rutgers University students and must comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of... religious affiliation," the statement reads. InterVarsity, an evangelical ministry organization that has 34,000 members in chapters on 560 campuses nationwide _ including TCF _ then sued Rutgers in hopes of re-recognition. The suit, filed at the end of last year, alleges that Rutgers violated the Fellowship's First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion when it suspended the group's funding and recognition. For Tufts juniors and seniors, these occurrences bring back memories from the spring semester of 2000. In April 2000, TCF denied then junior Julie Catalano _ who was openly homosexual _ a leadership position because her views on homosexuality differed from those accepted by the group. The TCUJ quickly de-recognized the group. Just before the end of the school year, the Committee on Student Life (CSL), in response to an appeal by the TCF, ordered that the TCUJ re-evaluate the case in the fall. The final TCUJ ruling, issued in Oct. 2000, stated that the TCF had indeed violated the University's non-discrimination policy, but at the same time agreed to re-recognition on the grounds that groups had the right to select their leaders based on beliefs. Even some outside of the religious community have criticized an all-encompassing non-discrimination policy. Making such policies mandatory would require "a Democratic club to allow a Republican president, a Jewish group to allow a Holocaust-denying president, and a Muslim group to accept a leader who believes in Christianity, animism, or voodoo," columnist Jon Leo wrote in the Jan. 13 issue of US News & World Report. There are two major differences between the Tufts and Rutgers cases, according to Sarah Barga of InterVarsity. "First, Tufts _ to its credit _ had in place appeal and hearing procedures that gave us an opportunity to make our case to the Tufts community. Rutgers did not give us that same opportunity," Barga said. Secondly, "as a private institution, [Tufts] can... define its own mission and message," Barga said. "We simply tried to explain to the Tufts community that evangelical Christians had a voice and message that contributed to campus diversity and to the free exchange of ideas." Tufts' status as a private institution gives the University a considerable amount of flexibility, since it "can uphold or deny religious freedom at will, said Lynn Wartschow, one of the senior leaders of TCF. Tufts could choose "to affiliate religiously or in other ways show religious or anti-religious partiality," Wartschow said. Unlike at Rutgers, a public institution, a lawsuit against Tufts never materialized. "So long as we had that opportunity to persuade the University community that TCF had something to contribute and was not guilty of the charges filed against it, I can honestly say that TCF did not consider filing a lawsuit," Barga said. The conflict at Rutgers was not resolved so smoothly. One of the Rutgers chapter's senior leaders, Michelle DeRitter, wrote an open letter on the group's website to protest its de-recognition. "We did not agree with the non-discrimination statement because our faith is central to our lives, and we will not deny the importance of our faith to fit within the University's vision of an acceptable student group," DeRitter wrote. The Rutgers case is only the most recent example of the intensifying struggle between InterVarsity chapters and colleges and universities across the country, according to several recent articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education. On Dec. 10, 2002, the administration of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill demanded that its Christian Fellowship amend its constitution for the same reasons. After the Rutgers case was filed and rumors of a possible suit against UNC began to circulate, the administration backed off of its case and allowed the group to remain funded. Matters came to a head at Central College in Iowa when its fellowship asked for the resignation of one of its leaders who had recently revealed his homosexuality. After a month of deliberation, the student government voted in late Sept. 2002 nearly two to one to continue to recognize the group. The situations at the other schools have not come up during TCF meetings, according to Wartschow. "We have on occasion prayed for other fellowships undergoing difficulties on their campuses, but that has been the extent of our discussion," Wartschow said.

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News

The multivitamin mystery

February 2

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, most people do not receive enough vitamins in their diet and that "it appears prudent" for adults to take vitamin supplements. According to Tufts nutritional scientist and researcher on vitamin supplementation Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, only about 60 percent of Americans take a multivitamin every day. Whether or not you take a multivitamin may affect your health, but so can the kind of multivitamin you take. So which category do you fit in? To determine your specific multivitamin needs, consider whether you fall into any of the following categories of people who are at high risk for nutrient deficiencies. 1. People who don't eat the recommended number of servings from the Food Guide Pyramid [6-11 grains, 3-5 vegetables, 2-4 fruits, 2-3 dairy, 2-3 meat/meat alternative]. 2. People on a low-calorie weight loss diet [below 1,200 calories per day]. 3. Strict vegetarians/vegans (those who do not consume any animal products, including eggs and dairy). 4. People who are lactose intolerant. 5. Women of childbearing age who do not get enough folate from fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. 6. People who limit themselves to only a few types of food. 7. People with an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia nervosa. 8. People with multiple food allergies that prevent them from eating a varied diet. 9. People whose family history puts them at risk for heart disease or cancer. 10. Smokers, who need a higher amount of vitamin C and folic acid. These ten categories cover much of the US population, which is why JAMA researchers recommend that everyone take vitamins. Since at least one of the above statements most likely applies to you, taking a multivitamin would probably be beneficial to your health. So where do you go from here? One option is to take a trip to your local pharmacy or visit www.vitaminlife.com to check out their assortments of multivitamins. CVS sells about 14 brands of multivitamins, with 82 different types from which to choose. Vitaminlife sells 17 brands, with 453 types. These include, among others, supplements without allergens, kosher supplements, supplements for vegetarians, high potency supplements and all-natural supplements. Of course, you can narrow your search almost immediately by eliminating at least a couple of options. For example, if you are under 40, you can automatically eliminate many of the "mature" formulas. However, this still leaves you with dozens of choices! As a young adult, it is wise to consider a multivitamin plus mineral supplement. All nutrients should come close to meeting 100 percent of the daily value for that nutrient. However, most multivitamins are low in some nutrients, especially calcium, so you may need to take an extra calcium supplement to reach 100 percent. When purchasing multivitamins, always check the expiration date. Also check for the letters "USP" on the label: this mark tells you that the United States Pharmacopeia has declared that the vitamin actually contains the ingredients and the amounts stated on the label and that the tablets will dissolve effectively. Store brands are often identical to name-brand vitamins. Avoid multivitamins with an excessive number of ingredients _ a long list of herbs or other added ingredients may be just a tool to help sell the product. Also, "natural" vitamins are often advertised as better than manufactured vitamins, but both have the same chemical structure. You probably don't need a multivitamin that claims to satisfy stress-related vitamin needs, as the normal stresses of your day will not increase your need for vitamins. Also, steer clear of high-potency formulas, which often contain too much of some nutrients and lack others. Additionally, avoid multivitamins with over 150 percent of the daily value for any nutrient and keep in mind that men's and women's formulas are usually no better than regular multivitamin formulas. What should you look for in a vitamin? Minerals such as zinc, copper, magnesium, and chromium, though if you eat red meat, you probably will not need iron in your multivitamin. Once you've chosen a multivitamin, how should you take it? Start by taking only one multivitamin daily, as taking an excess of certain vitamins can actually be harmful. Be sure to take your multivitamin with a meal to help increase absorption, and don't forget to tell your doctor about any supplements you are taking, including other vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Just remember that multivitamins are not magic pills _ they cannot make up for a poor diet. They do, however, offer fairly inexpensive "nutrition insurance" for students pressed for time who don't always eat as well as they should.

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