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Despite length, benefit concert pleases crowd

February 2

Dewick MacPhie Dining Hall was filled to capacity Friday night as rambunctious, slightly drunk students turned out for the AIDS Outreach Benefit Concert, eager to see some of the best student acts at Tufts. As various student groups took the stage, "waitresses" carried platters piled high with free condoms and dental dams through the crowd, peddling their wares. "They're serving condoms, not condiments," one emcee quipped. The show went on for a whopping three hours, featuring a wide variety of musical and performance groups. The ability to see that many groups in one place, and for only two dollars made the concert an event worth seeing. And the fact that all proceeds went to the Justice Research Institute, an organization devoted to HIV counseling and testing, only sweetened the deal. BEATS (Banging Everything At Tufts) was the first group to take the stage. The group, formed this fall, drums on random objects and pieces of trash, creating complex and catchy rhythms. Having practiced only four times previous to the concert, the group started off somewhat muddled. Some of their "drums" were less-than-suited for the rigors of being a BEATS instrument, and had worn out before the show. "The first part of the show was weak, but we gained momentum from there and I could feel that the audience was into it by the end," said freshman co-founder Jonathan Gais. "I couldn't be happier with the response we got for our debut performance after a week of practice." While the name might be somewhat incongruous with a concert emphasizing safe-sex, BEATS' performance bodes well for the future. After a brief break where the emcees read off statistics about AIDS and encouraged the crowd to stock up on condoms, the Amalgamates took the stage. The restlessness of the crowd made it difficult to appreciate the softer moments of some of their songs, but the Mates did their best to make their presence known on stage. A skit entitled "Dragons Don't Wear Suspenders" was the Traveling Treasure Trunk's contribution to the festivities. While keeping the skit amusing and light-hearted, the group managed to drop in references salient to the event. A visiting act, the Williams College Accidentals a cappella group performed three songs. By this point the audience had realized that being quiet makes the music sound better, so it was much easier to hear than the Mates performance. In the middle of the event, guest speaker Troix Bettencourt launched into his 45-minute warning to students. A local, Bettencourt works for JRI at an AIDS care clinic. After introducing himself, he noted how pleased he was to see such a good turnout, and then started his spiel. At first he did a "Sex 101 for College Students" bit where he cautioned students to "keep the lights on" the next time they have sex." Bettencourt then segued into his story of how he contracted HIV as a freshman at Northeastern University. The rest of his speech was devoted to describing how he came to terms with living with a fatal disease. While he had many interesting things to say, Bettencourt's verbosity made it somewhat difficult to pick out exactly what he was trying to emphasize. "He didn't have a clear point, so things that may have made a lot of sense to him and helped educate... were all but meaningless... to the audience," sophomore Sam Abrams said. Bettencourt was followed by YGS, sQ!, the Beelzebubs, and Spirit of Color, who rounded out the evening. Most cited the Beelzebubs and their renditions of "Machinehead", "Crazy Train", and "Nothing Compares to You" as the highlight of the second half. Aside from the length, opinions of the concert were generally positive. "Overall, the show was good, but much longer than I had expected," sophomore Ben Hagopian said. "We got a great show for our two dollars." A repeat next year is certainly called for, but organizers need to make sure they can keep it concise and interesting, while still being educational.

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News

Kaplan rates testing locations for MCATs, LSATs

February 2

A recent study by Kaplan, Inc., the nation's largest test preparation company and university admissions consultant, suggests that testing location plays a greater role in affecting scores than previously believed. Kaplan public relations manager Karen Blass revealed the details of the study in a recent press release. Over 7000 graduate school-bound students were surveyed after taking either the MCAT or LSAT at 261 different colleges and universities. The survey asked the students to rate their testing experience on four key factors: the test proctors, the quietness and comfort of the testing room, the overall test site experience, and the amount of available desk space. "Common complaints were poor lighting, extreme room temperature, loud noises, problems with proctors, timing errors, and lack of sufficient desk space," Blass said. One example of a bad testing environment was the October LSAT at the City University of New York's (CUNY) Brooklyn College _ ranked 253 out of 261. The exam was delayed, and during the test, "one proctor's cell phone rang, used foul language, talked repeatedly and told participants that she hated lawyers," Blass said. New York metropolitan areas ranked poorly in both exams. Texas and Pennsylvania had the most favorable results. In addition to differences between states, the study also revealed great differences within metropolitan areas. "In Boston, for example, Northeastern University ranked 39th on the LSAT, as opposed to 185th for the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Similarly, Wellesley College was third in the MCAT rankings, whereas the nearby John Hancock Conference Center came in a 172," according to the study. Tufts has not hosted either the MCAT or LSAT recently enough to be represented in the study. Some Tufts students dispute Kaplan's findings that the testing environment plays a significant role the test result. "How crowded a room is doesn't matter to me, because when I'm taking the test, I'm focusing on my test booklet more than I am on my surroundings anyway... as long as I get a full table and not one of those chair-desks," senior Aaron Chiu, who will be taking the LSATs in October said. Senior Jason Berkowitz, who took the LSAT in December, also did not feel location played a role in his score. "It was fine, really. Maybe a bit overcrowded, but that wasn't a problem at all. There are lots of kids who want to take the test," Berkowitz said. Berkowitz took the exam at the Boston University Law School, whose October survey results landed it in the middle of the pack _ 123 out of 261. "Some people probably use the testing center as an excuse for their scores," Berkowitz postulated. As Chiu explained, "the difference is marginal unless you're one of those people that gets nervous very easily." Kaplan does not have the power to set standards or regulations for testing venues. "All we can do is provide the information to students and [professional law and medical recruitment institutions], for them to use as additional information. [The professional institutions] hear extreme cases all the time, in which they accept formal complaint files. All we can do is to continue the surveys and report the information," Kaplan's Executive Director of Test Prep, Justin Serrano said. "We simply prepare the students," Serrano said. "We have no control over what schools give exams, although there is a set of basic exam standards that they are all instructed to follow." According to Serrano, "students are at a critical point in their lives when they take these tests, and a bad testing environment can quickly erase the hard work that goes into preparing for the exam." For the October LSAT examination, the Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI garnered top honors and Everett Community College in Everett, WA was ranked last. For the August MCAT, the highest ranked school was LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA, and the lowest was the University of Connecticut. Top schools were not ranked as highly as might be expected. Columbia _ ranked 16 by Kaplan _ was the only Ivy League school to be ranked above 87 for the LSAT. The University of Pennsylvania's Law School results were nine spots from last. For the MCATs, only two Ivies managed to crack the top 100, with Cornell at 24 and Harvard Law School at 48.

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News

Jumbos go 1-1 over huge NESCAC weekend

February 2

The men's basketball team came out on the short side of a tough battle this past Saturday against the Trinity Bantams at Cousens Gym, 97-77. The loss came less than 24 hours after the Jumbos pulled off a huge upset over Amherst, ranked first in New England and eighth in the nation. The loss to Trinity moved the Jumbos to 9-9 overall on the season (3-2, NESCAC), dropping them to 5th in the conference. "We may have been on too much of a high after the Amherst game," coach Bob Sheldon said after the loss to Trinity. "We came out strong, but we dug ourselves into a deep hole and couldn't get out of it." Tufts came out hot against the Bantams on Saturday afternoon as senior guard Mike McGlynn scored four quick points in the first 20 seconds of the contest. The Jumbos flashed signs of brilliance from the previous night, looking like they were going to cruise to another victory. Tufts passed the ball smoothly throughout the first part of the first frame, and with 17:32 left, sophomore center Craig Coupe sent a pass to junior forward Deyvehn East who slammed it down with authority. Things were going well for the Jumbos, and on the ensuing sequence, Coupe rejected a shot from Trinity forward Corey Days, ran the length of the court and was fouled as he went up for a lay-up. Though he missed both free throws, the Jumbos looked poised to rattle off their second NESCAC victory in under a day. The Jumbos then got careless with the ball over the next four minutes, allowing the Bantams to climb back into the game and take the lead 19-12 with just over 13 minutes left in the first. After an offensive rebound and putback by sophomore forward Reggie Stovell, Sheldon quickly inserted senior co-captain Brian Shapiro into the lineup to try and spark the Jumbos offense. On his first offensive possession Shapiro lined up from the right side of the hoop and nailed a three-pointer to bring Tufts within two. After stopping the Bantams on the defensive end, Shapiro came off a screen and sank his second three-pointer in as many attempts to give the Jumbos the lead once again with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. But that lead would be Tufts' last of the contest, as Trinity freshman center Tyler Rhoten began dissecting the Jumbos defense. Rhoten and junior guard Shaun Smith went on a tear, scoring Trinity's next 15 points and giving the Bantams a 13 point lead with just five minutes remaining in the first. Shapiro nailed another three-ball as the first half wound down to cut the Bantams lead to 11, 54-43, going into halftime. Rhoten led the Bantams with 26 at the half on 12-21 from the field, while McGlynn and Shapiro led Tufts with 11 apiece. Sheldon, who chose to play Rhoten one on one, did not change his defensive strategy in the second half despite Rhoten's success. "He basically told us to help each other on defense and to protect the ball on offense, but that we were not going to double team him on defense," Coupe said. In the second half, the Jumbos were never able to cut the lead to single digits. Tufts pulled within 10 points on two separate occasions twice early in the second half, but a disheartening 7-0 run by Trinity with 14:53 left quelled any chance for Tufts to mount a comeback. "We came out flat today," McGlynn said. "They came in and took it to us on our home court. They killed us, it was embarrassing." The Bantams lead reached as high as 22 with just under nine minutes to play as Rhoten continuously manhandled the Tufts defense. The Jumbos fought hard until the final buzzer, but the Bantams lead was too large to surmount. "Even though the score says we won by 20, this was not an easy game by any means," Trinity's Rhoten said. "They have by far the best shooter in the NESCAC in McGlynn, and they have extremely dominant big men. Individually, Tufts may be the most talented team in the conference." Rhoten finished with a career high 39 points for Trinity, adding 9 boards, two assists, and two steals, while McGlynn led Tufts with 26, including 10-10 from the free throw line. "When you have really good players playing with you, it just makes things that much easier. I can only imagine how many assists the guys had tonight," Rhoten said. The Bantams held Coupe, who averages 15 points and 11 boards a contest, to a meager four points and four rebounds in the game. "We play an inside out style of basketball," Sheldon said. "But when our inside weapon isn't there, it throws everything off." According to Coupe, the Jumbos were not as focused against Trinity as they were against Amherst. "I've learned that you can't have a let down in NESCAC play, you have to bring it every game because it's so competitive," Coupe said. "We underestimated Trinity as a team, and we completely lacked the intensity we needed. I did not play my game today, but I'm not going to make excuses. I just need to work hard in practice and try to get back to the level of play that I'm used to." On Friday night, the Jumbos took everyone by surprise and blew out the Lord Jeffs 83-66, who then were ranked first in New England and eight in the nation. Stovell had his best game of the season as he led four Jumbos in double figures with 20 points, while Coupe added 14 points, 15 boards, and three blocks. East added 14 points and four boards in the victory, and his solid defense and constant hustle throughout the game proved to be huge for Tufts. The Jumbos, who led for the entire contest, shot 55 percent from the field to Amherst's 32 percent. Tufts allowed the Jeffs just 66 points in the game, their second lowest point total this season, holding them to a season low 25 points in the first half. Stovell put the icing on the cake with a huge slam dunk over Amherst preseason All-American forward Steve Zieja to close out the ballgame. The Jumbos travel to Keene State to face the Owls tomorrow evening, and are back at home to face the Bowdoin Polar Bears and the Colby White Mules next weekend. "At this point, all we can do is look to improve our caliber of play against our next opponents and play like we did against Amherst," Coupe said.

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News

Women earn split in weekend blowouts

February 2

The women's basketball team played in two blowouts last weekend, unfortunately for them, they only came out on the winning end once. On Saturday, the Jumbos demolished Trinity College 80-43 to bump their NESCAC record over .500 (3-2). The victory in Hartford, CT followed an embarrassed 63-40 loss to Amherst the night before. The Trinity Bantams presented no challenge for Tufts. Whether it was frustration from the Amherst loss boiling over or just a gigantic difference in talent, the Jumbos took it to the Bantams. Nine of ten players on the Jumbos' roster scored and of those nine, six scored in double figures. "It was a really good team win," senior captain Hillary Dunn said. "Every person contributed. We really needed a big game like that after Friday night's loss." Sophomore guard Erin Connolly had a team high 14 points with four assists and five steals. Junior guard Maritsa Christoudias had 12 points and four steals. Three other Jumbos had 11 points. While Trinity only had six more turnovers than Tufts, defense was the name of the game for the Jumbos, as they had nine more steals and 19 more rebounds than the Bantams. "The defense was what we wanted to concentrate on," freshman Jessica Powers said. "It really sparked our offense. We wanted to get in passing lanes and not let them set up their offense and box out." The Jumbos had a 13-point halftime lead, but in a show of dominance over their opponents, Tufts outscored Trinity by 24 in the second half. Although Trinity is winless in the NESCAC at 0-6, the victory was important because it puts the team in the right frame of mind for upcoming games against conference foes Bowdoin and Colby on Friday and Saturday respectively. "We really weren't on top of our game at Amherst," Powers said. "Trinity was really important because we wanted to bounce back and play our game. To come back after a loss like that is really important for us." The Amherst game was a completely different story. Instead of the Jumbos controlling the game as they did against Trinity, Amherst _ previously been winless in the NESCAC at 0-4 _ subjugated Tufts. Amherst's overall record is now 10-7 (1-4 NESCAC), and demonstrated its ability to run with quality NESCAC opponents such as Tufts. "I think we are a better team, so we really didn't expect that," Powers said. "They didn't miss. It was their night, it wasn't ours." The Lord Jeffs' did not accomplish the feat of knocking off the number eight team in New England themselves. They got plenty of help from the Jumbos who shot a horrid 17.2 percent from the field. Tufts did not even score a point for the first 5:23 of the contest and did not convert a field goal until junior center Erin Buckley made a layup eight minutes into the game. Luckily for the Jumbos, Amherst was not playing too hot either. The Lord Jeffs missed 15 of their first 17 shots, but still held an 8-4 lead midway through the first half. From that point, the Jeffs scored at such a torrid pace that the Tufts squad was left with a 19 point halftime deficit. "We definitely were not going to give up," Powers said. "We could totally have come back from 19. That was the spirit in the locker room. We have to pick it up in the second and could still come out with a win." The Jumbos were not able to pull out a victory, but were only outscored 24-20 in the second half. "We picked up our intensity a lot more," Powers said. "That was one thing that was missing in the first half." Because of the nature of both the Trinity and Amherst games, everybody on the team got to play substantial minutes in the two league games. "We only have 11 people on our team," Dunn said. "We play a lot of people. It was important because we got everybody experience against NESCAC competition." The Jumbos next game is this Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against Lasell. The Lasers will enter Cousens Gymnasium with a 6-10 overall record. Lasell only averages 53.2 points per game and should find it hard to compete with the Jumbos who average 69.4 points per game. "Whatever their record is, we can't look past any team when preparing for Tuesday," Dunn said. "But we also have a really big weekend coming up [with games against Bowdoin and Colby]. Hopefully we can use the Lasell game to continue what we did against Trinity in terms of getting everybody into the games, executing our plays and getting back to the way we were playing against Bates."

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News

Women's basketball on record breaking pace

February 2

Times are good if you are a Tufts women's basketball player or fan. The Jumbos at 14-3 are on track to possibly the best season since women's basketball arrived at Tufts in 1972. A new coach and a new emphasis on defense have played a large part in the Jumbos' success thus far. This year's squad has already broken the school record for winning streak length by rattling off nine straight in January. The former record of eight consecutive victories was set during the 1985-86 season. That team went on to win 16 games and earn a playoff berth. The current Jumbos are just two wins away from tying the '85-86 team's victory total, and six wins away from breaking the 19 game all-time record for wins in a season set by the 1986-1987 squad. To break the record in the regular season, Tufts would have to win the rest of its games this season. Four of the squad's last six matches are against NESCAC foes, including first place Bowdoin and second place Colby. Bowdoin is having an outstanding season with its undefeated 6-0 NESCAC mark adding to a 17-1 overall record. Colby is 5-1 in league play and 14-4 overall. Both teams will pose a formidable challenge for the fourth place Jumbos if they are to break the school record for wins in a season. Rookie head coach Carla Berube has brought a plethora of basketball experience and a defensively oriented strategy to the Tufts team. After playing for the 1995 undefeated and NCAA Division I national championship UConn team, playing in the ABL and assistant coaching at Providence College, Berube brings great basketball knowledge to the Jumbo squad. "She was a great player and hard work was what made her what she was," senior captain Hillary Dunn said. Because conditioning was such an integral part of her own successful playing career, Berube implemented a rigorous conditioning program at Tufts this season. "In the preseason we worked hard getting into really good shape, our practices are still really tough too," Dunn said. "Because of our conditioning, we can pressure other teams on defense more than last year. We do better denying the wings and playing tough post defense." Due to this increased endurance, Tufts has amassed 223 steals this season. The team had also forced an average of 25.5 turnovers per game going into this past weekend's contests. Berube has not only augmented Tufts' physical play, she has established a new work ethic and overall attitude on the court. "The biggest thing is that she demands 100 percent at all times," Dunn said. "She expects all your desire to be put into your defense and expects a lot of heart." This change of heart has allowed the Jumbos to excel so far this season. With just six games remaining in the February lull before the playoffs begin on the 22nd, Tufts will have to keep the momentum rolling through the rest of their four league games. "For most of January, our game schedule was pretty hectic. Now it has kind of calmed down," Dunn said. "We will spend Wednesday and Thursday preparing for our weekend games." Berube's squad currently is in position to qualify for the NESCAC championship tournament for the first time since the 2000-2001 season. The top eight teams in the conference will receive invitations to the NESCAC's. Although the Jumbos are tied for fourth place in league after this weekend, they are in no way a shoe-in for a post season berth. The next few weeks will determine whether or not Berube's defensive, conditioned team will make it. This however, does not concern the coach. "It's still early. We still have two more weekends of NESCAC games. We don't really look at the standings, we are just concerned with us," Berube said.

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News

Tufts emergency plan for students abroad to hold firm

February 2

With the threat of war looming, college administrators are developing emergency contingency plans in case of potential attacks on American students studying abroad. At Tufts, an evacuation plan that has been in place for many years will be implemented in the case of a serious emergency. The possibility of terrorist activities, anti-American riots, and even natural disasters are causing many university administrators to revise the crisis plans that will protect American students abroad. Many schools feel that these plans are particularly important in the post-Sept. 11 era, especially given the possibility of war between the United States and Iraq, according to The Washington Post. A crisis simulation that will take place in the near future at Georgetown University exemplifies the precautionary measures some schools are taking to assure the safety of their students. This month, Georgetown administrators will gather in a conference room to discuss the response plan for students who need to be evacuated from a foreign country. Tufts' current emergency plan, which follows the State Department's advisement and evacuation procedures, will remain the University's primary means of protecting students abroad, Associate Dean of Programs Abroad Sheila Bayne said. The plan has been in place for several years, and there are no plans to change it at this point. One important aspect of ensuring the safety of students abroad is keeping them informed of important events. At the ten study abroad programs currently offered through the University, resident directors work with students to communicate important information to them while they are away. Dissemination of security information, as well as the monitoring of the information's legitimacy, is handled by Program and Orientation Coordinator Janna Behrens. But, many students choose to partake in study abroad programs that are not affiliated with Tufts. In that case, students who decide to travel to dangerous regions are doing so at their own risk, Bayne said. Last year, 350 Tufts students traveled to countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, Kenya, Botswana and Uganda through non-Tufts programs. When students participate in non-Tufts programs, they are forced to take a "leave of absence" from the University. Although students traveling on Tufts programs stay in communication with the University and often receive e-mails from the study abroad office about security warnings issued by state department, students at non-Tufts programs can lose contact with the University. Some students said they felt as if they were abandoned when studying on non-Tufts programs. Junior Erica Levine studied at Hebrew University in Israel last semester, and was not contacted by Tufts, even when her university suffered a bomb attack. Still, Tufts' lack of involvement made preparation for the trip easier, Levine said. "It was a relief not to have to deal with some of the problems I know my friends faced when trying to go abroad," she said. Tufts' study abroad office is concerned with the ability of other major university programs to ensure the safety of Tufts' students, Bayne said. The University doubts that evacuation procedures would ever even need to be implemented, however. Evacuation of any campus abroad is "very unlikely and unprecedented," given Tufts' history, Bayne said. Many students prefer Tufts' relaxed regulations to other school's strict guidelines about where students are allowed to travel. "I think it's nice that the University values the importance for students to go abroad and don't deprive us of these opportunities," Levine said. Next semester Levine will be returning to Israel. More than 150,000 American students are going abroad this year, and the Office of Programs Abroad said that 500 of them will be from Tufts. Increasingly, students are moving away from the traditional destinations in Western Europe to more exotic underdeveloped nations throughout the world.

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News

Jumbos end five game slide

February 2

In another weekend at home facing league opponents Salem St. and Southern Maine, the hockey team finally ended its winless streak after five straight defeats. After stretching the streak to five games in a 6-5 loss against Salem St., the Jumbos rebounded on Saturday to score a 4-3 victory against Southern Maine, putting them back into the win column. Against Southern Maine, the Jumbos were in control of the game for the majority of the competition. Jumping out to a 1-0 lead only five minutes into the first period on a goal from freshmen Remy Bickoff, the Jumbos offense continued on a roll for the rest of the game. "how well controlled was the game" Nearing the end of the first period the Huskies tied the score on a power play goal. Only four minutes later junior Pat Byrne put the Jumbos back on top with a lead that they would hold for the rest of the game. After Byrne's goal put the team up 2-1, the men continued to pad their lead scoring twice in the second period as well. Junior Timm Schatz scored midway through the second period on an assist from freshmen Adam Dulaney-Winn. Eight minutes later, Byrne scored his second goal of the game on an unassisted play that put the Jumbos up 4-1. It was in the third period when the Jumbos defense began to fall apart. . "third period collapse" With the Jumbos starting goalie Ben Crasper sidelined due to ??? freshman Matt Ninneman was used in his place to hold off the Huskies offense. After he performed well through the first two periods, allowing only one of five attempts on goal to pass in the first and stopping all seven shots in the second, Ninneman could not hold off a third period Huskies surge that resulted in 13 shots on goal. "quote about Ninneman" The freshmen goalie allowed three goals in the final twenty minutes as the Huskies pulled to within one with nearly eight minutes left to play. However, the Jumbos defense buckled down and held off another Husky shot to put a halt to the team's five game winless streak. "It felt good to win." The winless streak nearly came to an end on Saturday when the men surmounted a comeback against Salem St. in the third period to erase a 5-2 lead and send the game to overtime. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, Salem St. senior Wendell Richards was quick to recover his team's lead, scoring just 2:33 into overtime and sending the Jumbos home with a 6-5 loss. After jumping out in front of the Vikings 1-0 early, the teams exchanged goals in the first period and the Jumbos ended up on top 2-1. In the second period, Tufts seemed to crumble as the Vikings assault scored three goals while holding the Jumbos to the two goals they scored in period one. Ninneman was unable to hold off a Salem St. surge that began only 44 seconds into the second period to even the score at 2-2. The charge for the Vikings continued as they scored twice more in the second period and early in the third period to give the team a comfortable 5-2 lead at the beginning of the final period. Five minutes into the third period, the Jumbos began their comeback. The rush began with freshmen Matt McCarthy hitting a wrist shot into the net to bring the Jumbos within two. The Jumbos then continued to play physically to no avail for nine minutes. It was then that the team pulled within one after a Rotondi power play goal. Less than three minutes later, senior co-captain Mike Carceo helped even the score as he passed to wide-open sophomore John Hurd on what would be the final goal of regulation. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, they couldn't carry their offensive momentum into overtime. The Vikings put an end to the game only two minutes into the extra period.

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News

Stovell has best weekend of the season

February 2

Even Saturday's dismal 20 point loss wasn't enough to ruin the weekend for Tufts sophomore forward Reggie Stovell. Stovell finished Saturday's game against Trinity with a double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds), and finished the weekend with a combined 32 points and 20 rebounds, his best two game spurt of the season. Against Amherst on Friday night, Stovell led the Jumbos in their upset of the eighth ranked team in the nation with 20 points, and brought the house down in the closing minutes of the game with a thunderous dunk over Amherst All-American Steve Zieja, who fouled out on the play. "To tell you the truth I didn't know [I could jump that high] either," Stovell said. "But I took off and kept going. Playing against an All-American, I really wanted to step up my game. I've never dunked in a game before, and to have it be against an All-American, that's pretty special." Stovell's weekend performance came as something of a surprise, especially after the three games prior to Friday night's matchup. In those contests, at UMass Dartmouth, Bates, and Brandeis, Stovell scored five, four, and three points respectively. "We had a talk with Reggie," coach Bob Sheldon said. "And we just told him 'You're thinking too much, and trying to do too much. You've just gotta play.'" Sheldon's "just play" method seems to fit well with Stovell. The combination of a 6'5", 220 pound frame, a sweet jumper, and all out intensity makes Stovell somewhat of a NESCAC oddity, and a potentially dangerous weapon for the Jumbos. Stovell too would likely agree that he is at his best when he can "just play." After Trinity freshman Tyler Rhoten lit up the Jumbos for 39 points on Saturday, Stovell said that, were the matchup not in the controlled confines of Cousens Gym, Rhoten never would have had such a performance. "Let me tell you this. If the refs weren't on his side, I'm telling you I would have guarded him balls out and I would have been effective," he said. "If we're playing in the park, he's done. He's out." But that might be as far as the "in your face" street ball mentality goes for Stovell. The forward was quick to pay his respects to Rhoten, who had 26 points in the first half alone. "He had a great day," Stovell said. "You've got to give him that. He's a good player." >No troubles here Despite shooting 2-10 from behind the three point line on Saturday, and 4-14 combined for the weekend, senior guard Mike McGlynn said that there's nothing wrong with his jumper. "I wouldn't say that [I'm having shooting problems]," McGlynn said after Saturday's game. "Teams know who I am now so I'm not going to get any open looks. I've got to get my scoring other ways _ go to the basket and get to the line. I'm scoring the same amount of points as last year, I'm just doing it in different ways." McGlynn has averaged 17.7 points per game this season, which is nearly the same as last year's 18.0 PPG. He scored 26 points on Saturday to lead the Jumbos in the losing effort, only six of which came on three pointers. McGlynn elected to drive to the basket on numerous occasions, and went to the line more than any other player, where he shot 10-10. It seems that opposing teams still recognize McGlynn primarily as a deep threat, however. Trinity guards were continually in McGlynn's face whenever he touched the ball outside, which may be the reason for his sub-par 2-10 performance from downtown. Finally some fans After they had played seven consecutive games on the road, the Jumbos were no doubt happy to see a near packed house turn out for Friday night's game against Amherst. Amherst freshman John Bedford was probably not as happy about the turnout however, as rows of fans taunted him throughout the game. Bedford is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against Davidson College and its basketball coach for revoking an offer for a full four-year basketball scholarship. Fans who showed up for the game brought signs making fun of Bedford, and chanted "Davidson" whenever the freshman touched the ball.

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News

Super Hunger Brunch to take place next weekend.

February 2

Each year, the Greater Boston Food Bank feeds 190,711 people _ equivalent to the combined populations of Cambridge and Somerville. This weekend, students going to brunch can spend a little extra money to help feed the hungry in Boston. The 12th Annual Super Hunger Brunch will take place this coming weekend in restaurants in and around Boston. The event, sponsored by the Greater Boston Food Bank, will donate its earnings to feed the needy. Each of the restaurants sets a price for their brunch _ either $20, $25, or $35 _ and donate all of the day's earnings to the Food Bank. This year, over 50 restaurants will participate in the event, almost double the number from last year, according to event spokesperson Tracy Doolin. Last year, over $75,000 was raised and this year more than $100,000 is expected. "What is unique about this event is that 100 percent of the proceeds are given to the Greater Boston Food Bank," Doolin said. Based on the initial feedback, most restaurants are expecting close to 100 people. This means that there should be over 5,000 people involved in the brunch. The Food Bank suggests asking the wait staff to volunteer or receive donations from food suppliers in order to offset the event's cost to the restaurant. In addition, the servers often donate their tips from the day. Though the burden of the cost is placed on the restaurants, many establishments are eager to help. "This is a worthy cause and I enjoy being a part of it," said Haris Jususdegovic, the owner of Sabur, a restaurant in Teele Square. Sabur, in its first year of participation, does not ask for donations from food suppliers like some of the other restaurants. "Everything comes from us" and "we don't cut corners," Jususdegovic said. In addition to the restaurant donations, close to 500 people are expected to volunteer from the Greater Boston Food Bank. The volunteers' duties range from greeting customers, staffing an information table, and collecting payment, according to Laraine Kohler, who is in charge of organizing volunteers. In order to find many of the helpers, Kohler "reaches out to schools and corporations." Many are found through volunteer fairs and people who call the Food Bank excited to help. The event is so popular, however, that Kohler has had to start turning potential volunteers away. The typical volunteer is a woman aged between 30 and 45. According to Kohler, many of the same people who work at the food bank donate their time for the Super Hunger Brunch. However, "there are always new, excited volunteers." The volunteers _ many of whom choose popular restaurants such as Evoo, Rialto, and Blu _ receive a free brunch in return for their service. These restaurants are also the ones that sell out the quickest, and their reservations were full several weeks before the event. The brunch is also fortunate to have the services of celebrity chef Jody Adams, who will be cooking at Rialto and has been working on the Super Hunger Brunch since its first year. Restaurants are given "free reign" about menu choice, dates, and most other choices involving their commitment, Doolin said. Their only restrictions are that they must provide one of the three price options. Most of the participating restaurants are located in Boston and surrounding suburbs such as Cambridge and Somerville, but some are located as far away as Medfield. Local companies also donate their services. "This is the first year we have used media partners, and they are doing a great job of giving us publicity," Doolin said. WCVB-TV 5, Boston Magazine, Boston.com, and The River 92.5 FM are all helping out by plugging the event and providing volunteers. Boston Cares and the United Way also helped sponsor the brunch. The Greater Boston Food Bank's serves nine counties of eastern Massachusetts. . 3.98 percent of this population received assistance from its member feeding programs, including food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens. Some of the other events that the food bank sponsors are Canned Laughter, Boston College Alumni Association's Second Helping Gala, and Party for a Plate, a tasting event in which many Tufts alumni participate.

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News

Slow, intriguing Spider

January 30

David Cronenberg's Spider is a complex psychological portrait of a mentally ill man. The film follows Dennis Clegg (Ralph Fiennes), a perpetually mumbling mental patient who has been institutionalized for most of his life. As leaves his institution and settles at a boarding home for the mentally ill, Clegg begins to relive his past. He has flashbacks of himself as a child, interacting with his mother (Miranda Richardson). He remembers his father (Gabriel Byrne), and his infidelities with the local "tart", Yvonne (also played by Richardson). Byrne kills Clegg's mother so he can pursue a relationship with Yvonne, and the movie deals with Clegg, both as an adult and child, coming to grips with the crime. The acting in the film is superb. Ralph Fiennes performs well as Clegg, constantly muttering and fully immersed in his memories. Unfortunately, he is underused, as he spends most of his time furiously and illegibly writing in his journal or standing around in his memories with shameful looks on his face. Byrne and Bradley Hall, who plays young Clegg, also turn in solid performances. However, Richardson steals the movie. The fact that she plays two characters highlights her talents as well as serving the story. Her ability to assume two different characters is amazing. Without a sharp eye, viewers of the film will be hard pressed to realize the same actress is playing both roles. One of the film's weaknesses resides in its confusing dialogue. One particular exchange between Young Clegg and his father seemed ridiculous, until the viewer recognizes that he is seeing the possibly inaccurate memories of a schizophrenic. However, the major problem with the film is the pacing. This movie moved slower than a turtle on Valium crawling through wet mud. It felt like two and a half hours when the actual running time is 98 minutes. To be fair, the pacing wasn't unnaturally slow; it did serve the quietness and depth of the story. On the other hand, after the tenth scene in a row where Fiennes garbles while walking aimlessly around, even viewers with a long attention span will feel like someone with ADHD after eating a bag of Skittles. The directing reflected the pace of the movie. Slow camera movements, slow dialogue, slow everything. If the acting weren't top notch, the film would be intolerable. Watching this film is like watching a boring professor lecture about something that could potentially be very interesting. If you are tired, do not see this movie because you will assuredly fall asleep. If you have a short attention span, do not see this movie because you will spend the majority of the time playing with your zipper. If you are elderly, do not see this movie because you might age rapidly and lose what is left of your golden years. Finally, if you are a schizophrenic do not see this movie because you won't be able to distinguish the movie from reality, which can lead to potentially awkward and dangerous situations. Do see Spider if you want to see excellent acting in a thoughtful film about family, memory and reality.

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News

Cooke speaks on history of Muslim women and conflict

January 30

Tufts students were given the opportunity to learn Wednesday about women's role in Muslim history and the impact that they have had in Jihads over the past 1,300 years. Muslim women have been passionate defenders of religion throughout history, according to speaker Miriam Cooke. Cooke, a professor of modern Arabic literature and culture at Duke University brought her 20 years of research and travel around the Middle East to Barnum Hall. Her lecture, "Women's Jihad: Before and After 9/11," sought to explain both the history and reemergence of woman into Muslim politics and protest through jihad. Jihad, a Muslim term for "struggle," refers to wars fought in the name of religion. According to Cooke, "Jihad provides the language and reality of modern war where religious ideas and symbols are central." She described jihad as both "an internal struggle and an external struggle to defend one's religion." Cooke went on to explain how jihad could effect positive spiritual changes as it forces one to believe in Islam to the point that one must be willing to sacrifice her life for it. In Islamic tradition, the calling of jihad is perceived to be more important than marriage _ the highest calling in the life of a Muslim woman. The presence of women in jihad has been profoundly important because of the determination of peace they bring to the movement. Cooke referred to jihad as a Muslim woman's "universal duty and right." She emphasized the word "right" since jihad has long been considered a male custom. Now, however, the involvement of women in jihad has turned it into a political mobilization for the equality of Muslim women in Islamic society. Muslim women's involvement began with Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, who was convinced her husband was a prophet, according to Cooke. Khadijah, along with three other seventh century heroines, became known as the "Warriors of the Faith." Although Muslim women are commonly perceived to have a primarily domestic role, Cooke emphasized that women are ultimately responsible to Allah. If an invader _ from either outside or inside the community _ threatens their religion, it is ultimately the woman's job to stand against them, Cooke said. These perceived intrusions have led women to rise up, notably in Palestine. The 20th century has transformed jihad with the incorporation of arms in the Islamic fight. Recently in Palestine, there has been an unprecedented growth of female suicide bombers. Cooke cited many other modern examples, such as the Algerian uprising in the post war era, and said that woman are no longer "the negotiators [of peace], but imitators, who are adopting men's ways of fighting." Cooke argued that, despite what many people think, the majority of Islamic women do not feel oppressed by their religion and customs. In fact, jihads have created large groups of women who fought against the racism and gender oppression of many Muslim cultures. These women helped to create the Islamic movements of the 1970s and 1980s, including the overthrow of the shah of Iran. Cooke cited the fact that the Ayatollah's bodyguard was a woman as one of many examples of woman power in Muslim culture. Cooke said that several women in Saudi Arabia hold weekly lectures to praise the virtues of the religion, ushering a whole new generation of followers. Following the initial importance of women in the seventh century, "Women were increasingly marginalized from affairs in the years after Muhammad," Cooke said. "Authorities wanted women to be less visible and certainly not fight." Her speech was the second in a series of talks about Middle Eastern Politics and Culture. Cooke is the president of the Duke University's Department of African & Asian Languages & Literature. Since 1999, she has co-chaired the Muslim Network Projects, which seeks to create connections between Arab universities and those in the United States. Her most recent work is a novel called "Hayati: My Life" and intertwines three generations of Palestinian women in the midst of war and poverty.

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News

Requirement changes on hold until final Task Force report

January 30

A recent reorganization of academic committees and new recommendations from the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience have breathed new life into a possible curriculum reform. It seems likely, however, that the Task Force's initiatives to change aspects of the University's curriculum will face a long, uphill battle before implementation. Curriculum reform must go through a variety of committees, sub-committees and boards before it could ever be put into effect. In recent years, there have been many proposals made to change Tufts' general curriculum requirements _ none have been implemented. The University now has four separate committees responsible for discussing proposals to change academic policy. Two curriculum committees, one for the College of Arts & Sciences and one for the School of Engineering, make decisions on approving new classes, distribution, and foundation requirements. The two other committees are the Educational Policy Committee (EPC), which is responsible for decisions affecting both Arts & Sciences and Engineering students, including graduate students and the Academic Review Board (ARB), which handles student petitions. The ARB was created in order to consolidate the several committees that had previously filled the role. "If a student wants to see if a course will count for World Civilization or Language credit and it isn't already approved, they bring it before us to consider," ARB Chairman Fulton Gonzales said. "We deal in the gray areas." Students can petition to the ARB at anytime concerning course credit. The all-faculty committee also holds several meetings a semester to discuss pressing issues, but it does not have the authority to make new policy recommendations. The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) debates recommendations that affect all Arts, Sciences, and Engineering undergraduates, it handles decisions that could be adopted by both curriculum committees. In addition to the Arts and Sciences and Engineering Curriculum Committees, the EPC is also devoting its time to the recommendations of the Task Force. "The majority of our agenda this upcoming semester will be focused on reviewing the Task Force's initiatives," said David Mulholland, Co-Chair of the EPC. According to Mulholland, there would be "two or three" issues in the Task Force's Interim Report Part II, released on Jan. 22, which fall under the jurisdiction of the EPC. One recent proposal to the faculty submitted by the EPC would allow students to double major with a minor. All plans for changes to classes and to distribution and foundation requirements must first pass through one of these committees before going to a faculty vote. The committees recently approved some new courses, but debates on major changes have been put on hold. "It's pretty difficult to make changes [to the curriculum]," said Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator Rick Dalyai. "It goes through the faculty to the department, not an easy task for students to be involved with." The committees have been waiting for a report from the Task Force before beginning discussion on any significant overhauls. This has limited any action that the committees could have performed over the past academic year and with everything on hold, the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee met just one time last semester. Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye said that putting the work of the committees on hold ensures that new projects would not have to be changed after the release of the Task Forces's report. The Task Force's Interim Report Part II challenged the faculty to "renew our thinking about and our enthusiasm for breadth, depth, and personal development as parts of a Tufts education." To do this, the Task Force recommended that the University "consider a new approach to requirements that would provide incentives to encourage departments and faculty to infuse more courses with substantial writing, speaking, and critical thinking components." Because the ultimate decision to approve a change lies in the hands of the teaching body, the administration is only able to make suggestions and organize the process of changing requirements. "At a university, we value academic freedom," Inouye said. "We have a system for tenure, which protects professors from things other people may not like. For the same reason, the curriculum is the privy of the faculty." A majority of university faculty must approve all changes in requirements. Before a proposal comes to a vote, it must clear the respective student-faculty committee the proposal was assigned to. The EPC will hold its first meeting of the semester today to discuss goals for this term. Meetings are open and are regularly attended by four student representatives.

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News

Jumbos prepare for first place Amherst tonight

January 30

Maybe a home-cooked meal is just what they need. The men's basketball team will return home tomorrow night to take on Amherst in its fourth NESCAC game of the year. And after seven straight games on the road, the last two of which were losses, the Jumbos are ready to be back. "We haven't been home in like a month," coach Bob Sheldon said. "We need to fill this place up and get some home court advantage." But the Jumbos homecoming might be anything but sweet considering their opponent. Amherst is 15-2 on the season, including a 4-0 conference record, and sits atop the most recent NESCAC and New England standings. And despite a fairly uninspiring non-conference schedule to open the season, the Lord Jeffs did not play down to their opponents, crushing teams by margins of 37, 34, and 31 points. NESCAC opponents did not slow Amherst down either, as the team opened its conference schedule with three consecutive 30-point victories over Colby, Bowdoin, and Middlebury. The Lord Jeffs squashed any remaining doubts as to their talent with a 67-61 win last weekend over Williams, which was then ranked third in the nation. "It'll be a good match up," Sheldon said. "They score a ton of points and play great defense too. But I think if we play well and play together we can beat anybody." It may be a "good match up," but the Jumbos will certainly have their hands full tonight. After rattling off four straight wins, including two over NESCAC opponents Connecticut College and Wesleyan, and one over Wheaton (5th in New England), the Jumbos shooters went ice cold, and the team dropped consecutive games to Bates and Brandeis. Nearly everyone on the team seems to have been affected the team's recent shooting woes, including its leading scorer, senior Mike McGlynn. McGlynn, who led the league last year shooting over 48 percent from beyond the three point line, has shot a combined 10-30 in the Jumbos last two losses, including a 5-19 mark from downtown. "I think against Brandeis, he was really just pushing a little bit," Sheldon said. "But he should break out of it." McGlynn transferred from Brandeis to Tufts his junior year. Tufts will need McGlynn to find his stroke against Amherst. While the team's main offensive strategy has been to pound the ball inside to its big man Craig Coupe, when Coupe is challenged the Jumbos rely heavily on outside shooting from their guards, including McGlynn, senior co-captains Brian Shapiro and Jim Wilson, and junior Deyvehn East. And Coupe can expect a challenge tonight, as Amherst boasts one of the better big men in the league in the form of Pat Fitzsimons, a 6'8" senior who is second on the team in scoring. Coupe, listed at 6'7", should match up well against Fitzsimons. Statistically, Fitzsimons has a slight advantage in scoring (14.8 ppg), but Coupe has the edge in rebounds, averaging 10.5 per game. Entering Tuesday's game against Brandeis, Coupe was tied for 20th nationally in Div III rebounding. Tonight may well prove to be the toughest game so far this season for Coupe, as Fitzsimons is arguably the most skilled big man the Jumbos have faced. Sheldon, however, sees things another way. "It's not so much have we played anybody [with a legitimate big man], it's have they played anybody," he said. "We have four legit big guys who can pound with anybody." Depth is indeed one of the Jumbos strengths, with four players, Coupe, sophomore Reggie Stovell, and freshmen Blaine Lay and Dan Martin, all listed at 6'5" or bigger, and all of whom are scoring threats. But depth is also a strength of the Lord Jeffs, who boast five players who average double digit scoring. Senior forward Steve Zieja was named a preseason All-American this year, and leads the Jeffs with 17.9 points per game. "They have a lot of depth. Before the season started, Amherst's coach had a quote in the Boston Globe saying that his team could win 18 games with his second five guys," Sheldon said. "I have the clip hanging in my office." After a month on the road, the Jumbos are banking on their home turf giving them the edge they need against Amherst. And despite the typically lackluster crowds at Cousens gym, Sheldon is hoping for a strong turnout. "A big crowd is gonna mean ten to 12 points on the scoreboard at the end of the night," he said. "You hear about Cameron indoor stadium and all of those places, and how tough it is to play there, we want Cousens to be like the third worst place in the world to play tomorrow night."

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News

Out of sight, out of mind?

January 30

Relationships in college can be very difficult, even when both partners live on campus. Petty jealousies, outside stress from school work and activities, different groups of friends, and pressure to look towards the future all contribute to the drama. Put three thousand miles between two partners, and the odds against their success as a couple suddenly become much greater. Despite how difficult a long distance relationship might seem, many students at Tufts choose to pursue [or at the very least, maintain] relationships when one or both partners go abroad. To the rational mind, a long distance relationship spanning continents may seem ridiculous. The rational mind, however, behaves very differently than the heart. For many couples who contemplate maintaining a long distance relationship, the issue is never black and white. In many cases, couples decide to stay together after much debate. One junior who went abroad last semester originally thought she and her boyfriend would naturally break up for that period of time. "No, we probably won't stay together," she said at the time. "But it's okay because we love each other and I know we'll be together when we are back at Tufts." But, as the date of her departure drew nearer, she realized that the risk of losing her significant other was not worth four months of freedom. "We decided to stay together because it just didn't feel right in our hearts to break up," the junior said. "I knew I didn't even want another boy to look at me, and I guess he felt the same way." Junior Lauren Workman is currently preparing for her four months abroad in Australia. She departs in early February. Even though she will not be able to see him until May due to the distance and the cost associated with flying back and forth, Workman and her boyfriend of several years have decided to stay together. What makes it worth it? "We've been together since high school, basically," Workman said. "There's no one else I'd rather be with, so why would I risk losing that for four months of 'possibilities?'" Men too are frequently open to the idea of staying together. Sophomore Brian Costello plans to go abroad to Paris next semester to study abroad. Although he is not currently in a relationship, Costello is optimistic about the prospect of making a relationship work while abroad. "I would stay together if we were both committed to the relationship and willing to make it work," Costello said. "Long distance relationships can be tough, but going abroad doesn't mean that a relationship will end or has to end." Costello acknowledged, though, that each relationship is unique. "I guess that it would depend on the circumstances," he mused when first asked his thoughts. Many couples can deal with the loneliness of a few months apart during their college years because, after all, it is only a few months. And while high school students might not have the life experiences required to make the difficult decision to stay in a long distance relationship, many college students have experienced prior relationships and thus are more ready to enter into long distance relationships. In many cases, college students are more determined to hold onto a solid one when they find it. Many college students who attempted to stay with significant others from high school have found that sort of long distance relationship to be difficult to maintain. Sophomore Lauren Ungerleider and her high school boyfriend, Jim, decided to stay together despite attending separate colleges. This year, though, they have decided to slow their relationship down. Ungerleider explains that decision as the result of the realization that she and her boyfriend had started to drift apart. "Theoretically you have different majors, different interests, and you want to go different places," Ungerleider said. "So you still connect on an emotional level, but you just don't see each other and you make a choice to focus on other things rather than the relationship." Other students, however, are able to maintain relationships with high school boyfriends or girlfriends. Freshman Cory Levitt, whose girlfriend of over a year attends high school in Pennsylvania, testifies to this: "It's definitely possible to keep a high school relationship going, even if one person goes off to college," Levitt said. The University offers counseling to students experiencing difficulty navigating the direction of their relationships, recognizing relationship concerns as a significant factor in students' lives. Approximately 600 to 700 students utilize the Counseling Center each year, many citing concerns about their relationships as a reason. A fortunate truth for campus couples attempting to maintain relationships when one of them goes abroad is that each partner has a common touchstone: his or her roots at the University. Unlike those couples attempting to keep a high school relationship alive, matches made at the University possess a "home base" that, even if one partner is abroad, provides common ground. The aforementioned junior acknowledges that the attempt to sustain a long distance relationship is not always successful. "I love him and it worked out really well," she said. "We were lucky." Many couples try to stay together but find that distance, jealousy, and loneliness outweigh the positives of their relationship. There are other couples, though, who make their long distance relationships work, and they are models who may give faith .

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News

Women's swimming loses in final second heartbreaker

January 30

A second. That's not much time. You read the last sentence in about a second. You can blink a couple times in a second. Now imagine hundredths of a second. Not much can be done in that very limited amount of time. But last Tuesday night the Tufts women's swim meet was decided by just that amount. Unfortunately for the Jumbo women, those hundredths of a second were not kind, as they found themselves on the losing end of a 152-148 meet with MIT. It was easily the closest meet the Jumbos had been involved in all year. As it ended, the team's record dropped to 5-1, while MIT improved to 8-2. But it could have just as easily gone the other way. In the 100-yard breastroke sophomore Katherine Ferguson finished third with a time of 1:12.91, scoring three points for the squad. Her teammate, freshman Meghan Wallach, finished just .01 seconds behind her and for her effort got two points for the team. Both swimmers were edged by the slimmest of margins by Engineer swimmer Moria Chambers. She finished in 1:21.90 and took 4 points for second place. The meet would have been deadlocked had the two Jumbo swimmers finished before Chambers. Then in the 50 freestyle freshman Katie Mims finished in 26.35 seconds, a time that was good for fourth. She was just .02 seconds behind the nearest MIT swimmer. Had the two switched places, the score would have swung by two points in favor of Tufts. Despite the disappointing outcome, the Tufts women's swimming team proved that they are one of the top teams in the NESCAC. Against a team referred to as "first class" by coach Nancy Bigelow, the Jumbos more than held their own. Everyone was proud with the effort the Jumbos gave. "Sure it is frustrating to lose, especially by only 4 points, but everyone swam really well at the meet," senior tri-captain Shayna Burke said. "We knew that it was going to take everyone's effort to win the meet, and everyone gave 110 percent in order to try to do just that." Among the excellent efforts on Tuesday was the three-victory performance by junior Mika Sumiyoshi. She took first in the 200 freestyle, the 200 backstroke, and the 200 IM. She swam her best times of the season in each event. Sumiyoshi was also the first leg of the team that took second place in the 200 Medley relay. Sophomore Erica Weitz took two events, the 200 butterfly and the 500 freestyle. She also took second to Sumiyoshi in the 200 IM. Weitz was part of a trio of Jumbo swimmers who took the top three spots in the 500 freestyle. Freshman Kristin Hyland and sophomore Kate Sweeney finished 2-3 respectively. Sweeney went through the "yeoman's test," Bigelow said. "She swam the 1000, 200, and then the 500. That is very tough but she did a great job." Sweeney took third in the 1000, once again behind Hyland. Following her was freshman Katie Seyboth. In the 200 Sweeney again took third, wedged in between two MIT swimmers. The Tufts divers gave the team a big boost in both the 3-meter and the 1-meter events. They outscored the Engineers 30-8. Junior Beth Wecksell took both events for the Jumbos, while senior Angela Russo received second in the 1-meter competition, and third in the 3 meter event. Wallach also won an event, the 100 butterfly. She beat out three MIT swimmers for the nine points. Wallach was also a member of both second place relay teams in the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay. There will be little time for the team to think about the loss, as it must now regroup for Bates this Saturday and then Brandeis the following day. However, the true competition will be against Bates. After they finished just behind Bates at last year's NESCAC Championships, the Jumbos would like to prove that they are the better team this year. The meet starts at 12:00 p.m. at Hamilton Pool.

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News

The Ladies in black are Out of the Red

January 30

Out of the Red is the newest release by the Jackson Jills, their seventh CD. The group has been a strong contributor to campus music with accolades varying from Best Female Collegiate Album for their 1996 and 1998 releases to numerous Collegiate A Capella Recording Awards to the 2002 runner-up award for their last collection, titled Snapshot. Fans of a capella will be extremely pleased with this latest collection, which covers songs by artists from Fastball and Alicia Keys to Ricky Martin and Pearl Jam. The pieces are all upbeat and lively, with rolling rhythms and uplifting lyrics that can brighten even the dreariest day. The album opens with Celebrity Skin by Hole, an upbeat song with an easy rhythm that sets the tone for the rest of the collection. It's followed by the much slower Question Everything by 8Stop7, which shares the notable quality of a moving bass line with No Man's Woman, a cover of a Sinead O'Connor song. I'm Outta Love by Anastasia showcases the group's considerable lyrical skills and provides a good contrast to earlier pieces with its more mellow sound. With its contrasting harmonies and soaring melody, this fourth track acts as a good representation of the soulful pop currently making the rounds of the music circuit. Tonight and the Rest of My Life is the next piece on the album. This song possesses a haunting melody that soars over the moving harmonies and is a wonderful interpretation of the Nina Gordon original. You Give Love a Bad Name opens with a lively lead-in; its strong energy carries through the rest of the Bon Jovi cover, making this upbeat song one of the highlights of the album. Next up is You're An Ocean, distinguished by the Jills' talented capability of interpreting Fastball's constantly moving harmonies and underlying melodies. This piece in particular showcases the incredible versatility of the a capella style, as growing tension builds towards the inevitable release at the end. Fallin', a cover of the Alicia Keys original, features a solo that demonstrates incredible vocal dexterity which is coupled with solid percussion and smooth bass harmonies. Ricky Martin's She Bangs adds a Latino flavor to the album, as well as allowing the Jills to show off their considerable talents in a new vocal arena. Its underlying percussive beat, complete with a tongue-clicking wood block, goes far towards capturing the true flavor of the original. A much-needed break from the earlier upbeat pieces comes in the form of Snow on the Sahara, a cover of the original song by Anggun, which features a mellow solo melody that soars over the rolling harmony of the piece. Next up in the collection is Rearview Mirror by Pearl Jam, a fair interpretation featuring a lively bass line that adds life and rhythm to the haunting solo. Kissing You, the next track on the album that represents a cover of the Des'ree original, is the only point where the album really seems to drag; this song is much slower than any of the others in the collection and though, it features a lovely solo, really seems to lack the moving catharsis of the Jills' other pieces. The collection concludes with the upbeat Canned Heat by Jamiroquai, which is performed so enthusiastically that one can't help but get up and dance.

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News

Women's basketball set for busy NESCAC weekend

January 30

The women's basketball team will hit the road this weekend with aspirations of bettering its 13-2 (2-1 NESCAC) record and extending its four game win streak. Tufts will square off against the Amherst Lord Jeffs tonight at Amherst and then will go to battle against the Trinity Bantams tomorrow in Hartford, CT. Amherst and Trinity are currently tied for last place in the NESCAC with 0-4 league records. The first obstacle Tufts will have to overcome in order to continue its success lies in a struggling Amherst squad. The Jeffs are in the midst of a six game losing skid despite maintaining a 9-7 overall record. Amherst lost its previous matchup on Tuesday versus NESCAC foe Williams College by 16 points (64-48). "We don't worry about what kind of streak they are on," coach Carla Berube said. "What we do is what matters. We have to come out strong and not have lapses like we have had at the beginnings of our games lately." The Jeffs' loss came in spite of senior power forward Sarah Walker's career high 18 rebound, 17 point, four steal performance. Tufts will have to contain Walker if they are to come out on top. "They have some quality players in Sarah Walker and Shannon Russell. But it's really about us and our defense. If someone starts to hurt us, we'll make changes, maybe do some double teaming, but it really comes down to what we have," Berube said. Amherst's main vice during its six consecutive losses has been its inability to hold on to the ball. In the Williams game alone, the team had 27 turnovers. "We play a pressure defense and get into passing lanes. Hopefully they will turn it over if we play a tough one-on-one D. We will put a lot of pressure on them and not let them get their offense going," Berube said. Statistics and analysis aside, little love is lost between Tufts and Amherst. "We'll be fired up for the NESCAC game, Amherst is always a big rival," Berube said. Tufts will return from Amherst only to board the team bus again on Saturday for their 3 p.m. match at Trinity. The Bantams will be coming off a Friday night game against Bates, making fatigue a possible factor on both sides of the ball. "We both have tough games on Friday night, but players are used to playing back to back games," Berube said. "We will come out running like crazy. We're in pretty good condition and will play our game." Trinity has posted a mere 5-9 overall record going into its game against Bates tonight. The Bantams have yet to chock up a victory in NESCAC play this season. Last year, Trinity smacked the Jumbos 53-71 here in Medford. "We're a totally different team than last year. We've been using the whole 'let's get them back' thing this year, but we'll be ready no matter what," Berube said. The Bantams defeated Suffolk College on Tuesday 78-65. Freshman forward Jennifer Gargiulo had 19 points, 16 rebounds and four assists while shooting 60 percent from the field in the win. If Tufts is to be successful in its upcoming games, it will have to minimize sloppy turnovers and stay strong on defense. Freshman Jessica Powers, junior Erin Buckley, and Thursday's star, sophomore Allison Love, will also have to be on top of their games on both ends of the court. With victories in both of these upcoming weekend campaigns, the Jumbos would improve their league record to 4-1 and probably advance in the standings. The team currently sits in a tie for fifth place with Middlebury. "It's still early," Berube said. "We still have two more weekends of NESCAC games. We don't really look at the standings, but are just concerned with what we are doing. Everything will fall into place accordingly."

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News

Task Force on Race has mixed achievements

January 30

Five years after the final report from the Task Force on Race, many of its initiatives still remain incomplete, although the University has seen forward movement towards some of its goals to improve diversity issues across campus. An Oversight Panel was created after the completion of the Task Force on Race to oversee the administration's movements towards the goals outlined in the Task Force on Race's final report. Junior Julia Karol, a member of the Panel, said that while the University has made some movement in the right direction, there were still much more to do. "It's not necessarily that the Task Force [on Race] has failed, it's just that some things are very hard for the administration to do," Karol said. She said that this year the Panel is focusing on the curriculum part of the Task Force on Race's recommendations, which has become an "area of concern" for them. But Karol did clarify that curriculum is also one of the more difficult elements of the Task Force on Race's recommendations to change, since it involves hiring new professors, and trying to outline and define the position that the new professor would have within the University. The latest Panel report from 2002 states that there is "definite progress" in curriculum diversity. Many of the other areas are showing improvement, according to the report. These areas range from increased support to student performance groups to student recourse procedures to the newly created bias response team. However, there still needs to be more improvement in relation to a number of issues, especially with culture centers, which have not been granted additional financial support since 2000. Where it seems the administration has fallen short is in regard to graduate students and faculty. The Panel states that there have been no increases in minority faculty or graduate students, or culture center involvement with academic departments. Retaining minority faculty has been a problem for Tufts recently, with many calling for a safer, more welcoming environment. In a recent study, examining groups of faculty hired between 1991 and 1996, only 38 percent of Asian, Black and Hispanic professors remained, compared to 61 percent for Caucasian professors. The Latino Curriculum Transformation project (LCT) has faced problems as well, with its curriculum transformation project, which has faced a shortage of funding needed to hire more professors. "They always make it seem like it's a matter of funding, but if they supported us, maybe it would be different," LCT member sophomore Juliana Zapata said. The administration is often inconsistent in its curriculum decisions, according to Zapata, citing the fact that Native American courses and Africans in the New World count as cultural requirements, but Latino-American studies courses do not. "Inconsistencies... make it seem like the administration to a certain extent turns their back on us," Zapata said The Task Force on Race was formed in the fall of 1996 and analyzed race relations in the Tufts Community. Its final report, released in Feb. 1998, found inequalities in the cultural diversity of course offerings. The Task Force's recommendations included additional funding and resources to correct these inequalities, which senior Kelly Condit, a member of the Asian American Curriculum Transformation project (AACT), said has gone largely unheeded. The report's authors would not be surprised that the diversity goals set forth by the Task Force on Race have not been accomplished. At the time of the original report, Co-Chair of the Task Force Anne Gardulski said, "I'm afraid people will think the report is a blueprint and say 'Here is the plan, let's go do it.' People have to realize things are not going to change this semester or probably for the next five years." Condit described the situation as "frustrating," and has been working with Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee student member sophomore Chike Aguh with proposals for new classes. Condit raised concerns that a new Task Force has begun even though the previous Task Force on Race's recommendations haven't been put into place. While the AACT has had some notable success in the past two years, including the approval to hire a new tenure track professor in Asian American studies, members of the AACT have expressed dissatisfaction with the Task Force on Undergraduate Life's latest interim report, which did not address the expansion of Asian American or Latino programs.

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News

Hockey team continues to struggle

January 30

After rolling to three consecutive wins upon its return from winter break, the hockey team is now struggling through a four game winless streak. After they were embarrassed by Bowdoin 12-2 last Friday, the Jumbos fought a proven Colby team to a 3-3 tie on Saturday. Such a performance as in the latter game will be necessary as the team heads into this weekend's home games with Salem State and Southern Maine. Both these games are opportunities for redemption for the squad. Last year, en route to their 6-17 record, the Jumbos lost at Salem State 11-3 and the next day, at Southern Maine, 9-3. While there is no question that this year's team is better, those losses still hang over their heads. "We have a lot to prove," sophomore forward John Hurd said. "These were two of our worst games last year. Both teams took it to us, and we just played horribly." As improved as the Jumbos are, two wins this weekend are not a guarantee. Salem State comes into Friday night's game with a solid 8-5-2 record. While it did lose to Williams, a team that Tufts beat, it defeated national powers Bowdoin and Middlebury, both squads that Tufts had trouble with in losses. The Vikings are led by senior defenseman Nick Stauder, who leads his team in points with 21 and has the most points in ECAC East for defensemen. The rest of the defense has proven decent as well, and has given up 4.33 goals per game. Senior goalie Kaleb Christenson has been effective as well. At forward, sophomore Paul Knight and junior Mike Viens forge the way for a scoring offense that is 3rd in the ECAC East and 2nd in scoring on the power play. "Salem State is a very good team that can put the puck in the net if they get the opportunity," coach Brian Murphy said. "We have to respect them." Whatever happens Friday night, Tufts won't have much time to recover as Southern Maine rolls into Malden Arena for a 2:00 Saturday tilt. While they hold a 5-11 record, the Huskies have lost some close games and are a team that cannot be taken lightly. At forward, they rely on junior Chad Lause and freshman Franco Narcisi, who is 3rd in scoring among freshman in the ECAC East with 18 points. At defense, sophomore John Lounsbury leads the crew, and the team's goaltender by committee system is headed up by junior J.R. Wappel and sophomore Matt Collaton. While the Huskies are not especially good in any one area, they have proven that they are sufficient enough to compete. This is evidenced by their most recent game, a hard fought 9-8 overtime loss to a strong Babson team. "Both of these teams we'll see this weekend are quality teams," junior forward Pat Byrne said. "Both gave us a whooping last year. But as long as we play within our game and within our system, we'll get wins." For the 4-5-4 Jumbos, "playing within the system" must include improvements on their special teams. Currently, they are last in the NESCAC on the penalty kill, and only kill the penalty 75 percent of the time. But, in contrast, they have done a sufficient job of putting the puck in the net when they get on the power play, as they are 3rd in the NESCAC (scoring 19.7 percent of the time). "Our special teams have been okay, but nowhere near where we want them to be," Murphy said. "We have to stay out of the penalty box to ensure that we don't put ourselves at a disadvantage." In addition, Tufts is ninth in the NESCAC in scoring defense, giving up a liberal 4.62 goals per game. "We definitely need to work on our defense in our own end," Murphy said. Besides defense, there is certainly a question as to which goaltender will start for the Jumbos. With junior Ben Crapser and his .893 goals against average out with a leg injury, they will have to rely on freshmen Tim Kane and Matt Ninneman. Ninneman had a standout performance in last Saturday's 3-3 tie with Colby, as he turned away 34 of the White Mules 37 shots. But it is not definite as to who will start. "We'll see how practice goes for both [Kane and Ninneman] and we'll make our decision from there," Murphy said. The team is confident with either one in net. "Ninneman made a lot of great saves last weekend," Hurd said. "But we're just looking for another great weekend out of both of our freshman goalies." With the season winding down, the time is now for the Jumbos to make a surge in the standings. Sophomore leading scorer Shawn Sullivan (18 points) sees only one way to make that happen. "As long as we go all out, stay aggressive, and get away from being timid, we'll start winning games again."

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News

Fire investigation officially closed

January 30

The fire that killed junior Wendy Carman almost two weeks ago was likely caused by a cigarette, investigators said this week. Medford Fire officials said that the official cause of the fire will remain undetermined, but investigators concluded that the fire was accidental and "most likely caused by the improper use of smoking materials." The fire that killed Carman, a 20-year-old Spanish major from Tacoma, WA, began at 4:24 a.m. in the loft above the garage at 20 Harris Rd., according to investigators. By the time the fire department arrived on the scene, the garage and loft, with Carman asleep inside, were completely engulfed in flames. The Boston Globe reported this week that Carman's death prompted state Senator Cheryl Jacques to pursue legislation that would require cigarette makers to sell self-extinguishing cigarettes in Massachusetts. According to Medford Building Commissioner Paul Mochi, the loft may have been illegal because it did not meet fire safety or building regulations. Although the fire inquiry has concluded, the Building Department will continue to investigate possible code violations. "There shouldn't have been anyone occupying that space," Mochi told The Boston Globe last week, and there was no record of a permit for the structure. According to Mochi, the garage would have needed fireproofing gypsum board on the walls and ceiling and at least two exits to be habitable. The house where Carman and her housemates lived is owned by Frederick Shaffer of Reading. The tragedy has raised concerns about the quality and safety of off-campus student housing. "The off-campus housing situation is tough," Mochi said. "The only time we can go in is when [residents] call." Neighborhood inspections are impossible, although the building commissioner said that the city is trying to increase investigations. "We just have to do as many inspections as we can," Mochi said. "Fortunately there are a lot of good watchdogs in many neighborhoods that will call us." Although after the tragedy, Tufts officials said they did not plan to change the way the University deals with off-campus housing issues, Medford officials have met with members of the Tufts administration to coordinate an ordinance dealing with student housing problems. Another meeting is scheduled for next week. Safety issues often arise in student neighborhoods surrounding college campuses because many students are not aware of their rights as tenants and are unsure what their landlords' responsibilities are. Tufts students who live off-campus in Medford and Somerville have complained of poor heating, ventilation, water leaks, broken locks and rodents. Some landlords have been known to take advantage of students because of their short tenure in the houses and their lack of wherewithal about housing issues. In his report, Medford Fire Chief Frank Giliberti, Jr implored students to "take responsibility for their own fire safety" by checking that their smoke alarms worked and that there are clear exits.

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