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Jumbos take first two NESCAC games on the road

January 20

Sometimes, a change can do you good. Following a ten-point loss at Salem State, men's basketball coach Bob Sheldon felt that his team needed to change things up a bit. So he sent the team's senior captain and third leading scorer Brian Shapiro to the bench in the Jumbos' next two games against Connecticut College and Wesleyan last weekend. The new look seemed to work out well for everyone, as the Jumbos' won their first two NESCAC games of the season, and Shapiro had his second best performance of the year with 25 points against Conn. College. "It's something that I talked about with the coaches and we thought it would be the best way to help the team out," Shapiro said. "And we've gone 2-0 since, so I can't complain." Against Wesleyan, however, Shapiro was not as fruitful, going 0-7 from the field for zero points, but it would not matter in the end as the Jumbos walked away with a 64-57 win. Senior guard Mike McGlynn led Tufts' attack against the Cardinals with 16 points, while sophomore big man Craig Coupe had 15 points and ten rebounds. Coupe is averaging a double-double for the season (14.2 points, 10.7 rebounds). "Coupe's been huge for us all season," Shapiro said. "There aren't too many teams anymore with a legitimate big guy, and he's been making them pay for it." The game was more of a blowout than the score suggests, as Tufts led by as many as 24 points with 14 minutes left to play. However, Wesleyan went on a 16-5 run over the final five minutes to narrow the lead to seven. Sophomore Reggie Stovell had nine points and seven rebounds in the effort, while freshman Blaine Lay contributed eight points. Against the Camels, Shapiro's offensive outburst in just 15 minutes of action keyed the Jumbos' attack that ended with the 90-62 victory, the team's second-highest point total of the season. With Coupe hampered by double and triple teams all evening, Shapiro made the Camels pay by nailing 9-13 field goal attempts, including 6-9 from the three-point line. Between Shapiro and the rest of the team, the Jumbos hit 15-24 treys on the day. The long ball proved particularly effective in the final 20 minutes of play, when the team shot 78 percent (7-9) from downtown to put Conn. away for good. "Connecticut's whole game plan was just to stop Coupe, so they had three or four guys on him every time," Sheldon said. "But that really opened up everyone else. They took away our inside game, but we had the outside game going pretty well." McGlynn finished the game with 13 points, followed by Stovell, who was a perfect 5-5 from the floor for 12 points. Freshman Dan Martin, playing in just his fifth collegiate game after an injury sidelined him for the first half of the season, had ten points coming off the bench. Martin and Lay have both contributed significantly in their limited playing time, which has help to add depth to the team. This depth should prove important over the course of the season, especially to a team that has been slowed by injuries in the past. "(The risk of injuries) always worries me a little bit," Sheldon said. "But we're playing ten guys in every game right now, so people aren't playing quite as many minutes as they have in the past. One injury won't kill us right now." The Jumbos' bench could prove to be a significant strength as the season progresses, with a number of potential starters coming off the pine. Junior Eric Mack, originally slated as the starting point guard before he was sidelined by an injury, has provided a spark for the team off the bench. Martin, regarded as one of the best athletes on the team, and Lay have exceeded expectations in their first year, and with Shapiro now the sixth man, the scoring potential on the bench is significant. The Jumbos, currently in the midst of a stretch of seven straight road games, will take on Wheaton today. The team's next NESCAC game will be at Bates on Saturday. "We've had a tough schedule all season so far, and this is going to be a tough week," Shapiro said. "But our confidence level is really high right now and I feel good about our chances."

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News

George Bush: war criminal, Fares lecturer

January 20

Perhaps on a campus where every other student drives an SUV it is appropriate to honor George H.W. Bush _ a man whose inaugural vision for America included leaving the next generation "a bigger car and a bigger bank account." I'm certain that the former president will be greeted by throngs of ambitious young capitalists eager to behold his wisdom and assume their places in the violent patriarchal world order. But the rest of us are responsible for representing countless thousands of people who cannot attend the lecture because they are dead, victims of The Patriarch himself. George Bush deserves a conviction for war crimes, not an honor from our university. During his tenure as director of the CIA, vice-president, and then President of the United States, he aggressively violated human rights in an astounding number of countries around the world: from Grenada and Libya to nearly all of Central and South America...not to mention the first American invasion of Iraq and the disastrous sanctions which have killed one million people and are still going strong. Yet memories of his bloody reign appear to have faded into oblivion as many of the same advisors who carried out his abhorrent wars are finding executive positions in the new Bush White House. Outside of the United States, few people have forgotten Bush's heinous crimes. I took part in a student_led trip to Nicaragua earlier this month, where reminders of a brutal 12-year war lurked around every corner. The women's center that we worked on was named after one of the region's first victims: a mother who died protecting her child from a grenade explosion. The subsistence farmer who taught me how to use a machete also showed me the paths that kidnappers used to take when they stole rural kids from their homes and forced them to be soldiers. In the capital, we saw the place where the defeated supporters of the revolution burned their guns in exchange for promises of land they would never receive. Violetta Chamorro's victory over the Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega in 1990 came under shameful circumstances. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguan people had been killed during the Reagan/Bush years and the US government willingly footed the multi-million dollar bill. In 1986 the World Court found the US guilty of "unlawful use of force...[that] cannot be justified either by collective self-defense" and ordered the government to pay from $12 to $17 billion to Nicaragua in reparations. The US refused to obey the World Court's verdict but continued to pay millions to arm the Contras. When George Bush channeled $20 million into Chamorro's campaign fund, the people knew that the nation's death toll would continue to rise if they kept the Sandinistas in power. Thus, Bush succeeded in squashing a popular revolution that prioritized nutrition, health care, education, and women's empowerment. Nicaragua has sunk deeper into poverty since the Contra war. Corrupt politicians steal millions from the people but continue to enjoy the support of the US government. Arnoldo Aleman, prot?©g?© of the US and President from 1997 until 2002, allegedly stole more than $100 million while in office. Nicaragua is now the second-poorest country in the hemisphere, and with the Central America Free Trade Agreement backed by Bush Jr. looming on the horizon, the country is going to get even poorer. But I'm willing to bet that "ruining a small Third World country" will not be introduced at the Fares lecture as one of Bush's accomplishments. It will be interesting to hear what they do say about his past, as it seems that everything he has ever touched is stained with blood, oil, and lies. Will they mention his role in the CIA during the destruction of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos? His enthusiastic support for the School of the Americas, where torture is part of the curriculum? The assassination attempts on the lives of numerous foreign leaders? The timely and very suspicious death of Orlando Letelier, Chilean Ambassador to the US, just a day before he was supposed to testify about US involvement in the coup and murder of Allende? Just who gets to introduce this guy anyhow? I hope he or she doesn't leave out any of this out. It isn't terribly surprising that this year's Fares lecturer is a warmonger; I've come to expect that from male politicians. What I find most offensive is that the administration thinks that this is an appropriate time to honor Bush, as our country is poised at the edge of a war that he helped start. It feels like a public declaration of the University's support for oil wars_I don't know how else the invitation could be perceived. I hope other students are concerned about the state of a university whose president admires the leadership of a war criminal, and I hope that they show up at the Fares lecture to tell Bush that we do not welcome him at our school. Who'll get the honor next year, President Bacow, Henry Kissinger? Emily Good is a junior majoring in Peace and Justice Studies and Community Health.

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News

A workout plan for the new year

January 20

I know everyone does this, but I have made a resolution to finally lose weight and get in shape this year. How should I begin? What should I eat? Should I go running, or do I have to lift weights as well? This is a big question, so I'll address each part individually. First of all, let me congratulate you on making the effort to get in shape and adopt a healthier lifestyle. While the fitness center is inundated with people who have similar goals every year around this time, most of them don't stick with it and their numbers thin out eventually. Keeping a fitness log and setting monthly goals are great ways to stay motivated and committed. Try taking a before picture so you can compare your progress to your starting point. Anyway, the most important thing about starting up a new fitness program is staying committed. If you can do that, the rest is easy. As far as exercising, a combination of resistance (read: weight training) and cardiovascular exercise is optimal to get in shape. If you are a beginning weightlifter, I suggest a circuit program that hits every major muscle group two to three times a week. Train the larger muscle groups first, followed by the smaller ones. An example would be to train chest, back, and shoulders muscles first in the workout, followed by exercises that stimulate the muscles in the arms and the individual heads of the deltoids. Try not to take too long of a rest between sets (60 to 90 seconds is probably best), as shorter rest periods help keep your heart rate up and add cardiovascular benefit to your resistance training. On days you are not lifting, you can perform 20 to 30 minutes of light intensity cardio. An important part of beginning a fitness program is making sure not to over exert yourself too quickly. In other words, don't do too much, too fast. Each workout should be no more than an hour long, as staying longer in the gym to lift weights can rapidly lead to over training and wasted effort. The cardiovascular exercise you do, such as jogging or riding the bike or playing basketball for a half hour, should be done at a light to moderate intensity when you are first starting out. Try to keep your heart rate at around 60 to 70 percent of your maximum (the most accurate formula for determining max heart rate was found on heartmonitors.com and is as follows: 210 minus 50 percent of your age minus five percent of your body weight in pounds plus four if male or zero if female). I will say a few things about diet. First of all, try to eat four to six smaller meals a day, instead of taking the bulk of your calories in three big meals, with periodic snacking in between. This helps keep your metabolism stimulated throughout the day, which increases energy and burns more calories. This also helps you avoid overeating during meals. As far as what you eat, try to split up your daily consumption of calories into roughly 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent from fat. Eat complex carbohydrates (brown rice, oatmeal) and try to keep the sources of protein lean (i.e. lean beef, poultry, fish). Cut down on soda and fruit juice, as they provide empty calories from sugar. Also, calories from drinking can really add up, so try to reduce alcohol consumption. These are just general guidelines for a healthier diet. That said, starting an exercise program for the first time is a rewarding experience. Especially in the first few weeks, results are fairly dramatic, and you should see a marked difference in your physique and energy levels. For more information on starting and staying on a fitness regimen, check out the Personalized Performance Program at the fitness center in Gantcher. You can get all the personalized fitness information you want from the trainers there. E-mail questions to fitness@tuftsdaily.com.

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News

Jumbos storm to victory in men's track

January 20

The men's track team raced to a 73 point win over Williams on Saturday in its first home meet of the semester. The Jumbos put in strong performances across the board, improving on last weekend's rust-shaking meet at Brandeis University. "It was a real good performance all day long," Coach Connie Putnam said. "Little by little we showed signs of improvement." The meet was highlighted by several outstanding individual performances. Junior Jon Rosen notched the first win of his collegiate career in the 5000 meter run with a personal-best time of 5:31.22, followed by freshman Kyle Doran (5:40.13). "It was a big personal record for me," Doran said. "[Alex Curry] from WPI took the lead for a while, but Doran and I worked together well to drop him in the last mile." Senior tri-captain Greg Devine raced to first-place finishes in the 55 hurdles (7.75) and 200 dash (22.80). His hurdles time was just 0.01 seconds off the school record, shared by fellow senior tri-captain Brian Pitko (2001) and Marcus Pryor (1991). Putnam made special note of sophomore high jumper Evan Blaser, who began track last season as a freshman, having never competed in high school. Blaser jumped over six feet for the first time in his career. "Evan did a great job," Putnam said. "It was pretty neat, his first time over six feet." Senior tri-captain Adam Sharp was strong in the 800 (2:01.64), and defeated Keene State's William Monahan by nearly two seconds. Putnam was also pleased with senior Bryant Coen's win in the 600 (1:23.17), which broke John McGuire's 1:23.37 Tufts record, set in 2000. Trinity's Ryan Bak set a blistering pace from the start in the 3000, taking first place by 27 seconds (8:19.48). Junior Peter Bromka and sophomore Nate Brigham both put in strong performances, and finished fifth and seventh respectively, but Putnam wants to see his team more competitive against such dominating rivals. "Bromka and Brigham ran two really great times," Putnam said. "But I would have really liked it if they had kept that pace for a while. They backed off into a duel with the rest of the field." The relay teams, which Putnam described as "patched-together," claimed victory in the 4x200 (1:36.12) and 4x400 (3:29.40), and finished second to Conn College in the 4x800 (8:23.59). While Williams' Matt Winkler stole the show in the 1500 run, winning by ten seconds (3:58.38), Tufts' sophomores Michael Don and Aaron Kaye finished second and third respectively. "I ran a good time for me, but there's room for improvement," Don said. "There are a lot of really good freshman running, and some established runners too. We can win a lot of key points." Rosen agreed, cautioning against overlooking the young squad. "We've got a solid group, but young," Rosen said. "We had a pretty young cross country team in the fall, but a few guys are capable of qualifying nationally." The day's most welcoming sign was freshman pole vaulter Seth LaPierre's return following a ten-week layoff due to a broken foot. LaPierre came second, vaulting 4.12 meters, eclipsed only by Northeastern's Dave Wilkes (4.27), but nonetheless thrilled with his result. "I took it easy, because I'm not at 100 percent yet," LaPierre explained. "It felt great though, because for the past 10 weeks I couldn't do much of anything." The throwing team had a quiet day, as sophomore Dan March finished sixth in the weight throw (12.69 meters), and junior Ryan McPherson (12.44) led the Jumbos in the shot put, also placing sixth overall. Putnam was wary of his team's over-excitement following the convincing win, largely due to Williams' incomplete squad. "By and large, taking the whole thing on face value, any time we can get points on Williams it's great," Coach Connie Putnam said. "But by the same token we shouldn't thump our chests, we should just look towards the next meet." The Jumbos next meet will take place this Saturday, January 25 at 1pm at the Gantcher Center.

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News

Local Improv Troupe Seeks College Audiences

January 20

For an improv group, there may be no better audience than a group of college students. Kitsch in Sync, an improvisational comedy troupe based in Cambridge, is one of many Boston-area comedy troupes seeking college students as its main audience, and it will likely collaborate with one of Tufts' own improv groups in the near future to help in this endeavor. In order to attract more college students, particularly Tufts students, Kitsch in Sync is in the early stages of planning a collaborative show with Cheap Sox, Tufts' own improv comedy troupe. "We have been reaching out to college students lately," said Allan Telio, a member of Kitsch in Sync. "We have college troupes open for us." According to Adam Williams, who founded Kitsch in Sync five years ago, college students are an ideal audience for improv groups. "Because [the show's] spontaneous," he said, "it's informal, which college students like." Williams also explained that improv is a unique medium because it allows the audience to "follow somebody's stream of consciousness." Telio, who joined Kitsch in Sync seven months ago, said that improv performances are particularly appealing due to their funny and unpredictable nature. He also explained that comedy shows allow young people to laugh without thinking of or worrying about their daily lives. "People come, sit down and watch our shows, and laugh their butts off," Telio said. "There is no better way to relax than laughing." To students on limited budgets, the price may also be attractive. "Our tickers never cost more than ten dollars," Williams said. Overcoming Obstacles As a small group among Boston's numerous larger comedy troupes, Kitsch in Sync faces many obstacles besides attracting college students to its shows. Williams, who started the group after working with Improv Boston, preferred performing in a smaller group that would provide a cohesive feeling "I didn't find I was getting what I needed from Improv Boston," Williams said Williams soon recruited five of his friends to form what is now Kitsch in Sync. The group currently consists of ten members, still a much smaller number than that of most prominent improv troupes. According to Williams it is difficult to find members who are willing to spend time rehearsing. "Everybody wants to eat the bread, but hardly anyone wants to knead the dough," he said. The group has also had a hard time finding members who can feel comfortable together and form a cohesive group. "90 percent of improv is trust, 30 percent is timing and 20 percent is being funny...I never was very good at math," Telio joked. Another struggle for Kitsch in Sync involves finances. "It's hard to find a venue where it makes economic sense for us to perform," Williams said. "It's difficult for us to compete with the larger troupes who have venues in which they can both perform and rehearse." Establishing a home venue is an ultimate long-term goal for Kitsch in Sync. "We're still stages of development away from that," Williams said. Another obstacle that the group faces is as simple as getting the word out. "There is so much going on in this city that it is hard to get people's attention and make them come to the show," Telio said Area Improv For students looking for improv acts, The Improv Asylum, a comedy club in Boston, is a popular and relatively inexpensive choice. General admission is usually $15-20, and the club offers discounts to students with college ID cards. Katie Perez, a freshman who has attended shows at the Improv Asylum, explains its appeal. "It's almost the same price as a movie," she said, "but it's live and in the moment." Another option for students seeking improv entertainment is Tufts' Traveling Treasure Trunk. Dubbed the Trunkers, they are a semi-improv children's entertainment group that performs at local hospitals, schools and libraries. "I get a great sense of confidence from doing improv. Improv is risk-taking_ I don't know what's coming next," Trunker Molly Ritvo said, adding that improv is especially entertaining to younger people because it reflects reality in a self-mocking way. "It is a comedic imitation of daily dialogue," she said. The collaboration between Cheap Sox and Kitsch in Sync is tentatively planned for Jan. 24.

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News

Women's basketball goes 1-1 in first NESCAC weekend

January 20

The women's basketball team (9-2, 1-1) had a bittersweet weekend, going 1-1 in its first NESCAC weekend of the season. The Jumbos showed imperfections by squandering a seven-point lead in the second half en-route to a 79-76 defeat at the hands of Wesleyan, but also shined by setting a new record of nine straight victories with a 86-56 win at home against Connecticut College. In a contest chock-a-block with runs, the Cardinals had the last word on Saturday at Cousens Gymnasium. After being down 38-32 at intermission, the Jumbos mounted a 10-4 run to tie the game at 42 three minutes into the second half. After trading baskets for the majority of the period, Tufts surged ahead with a 9-3 scoring run with three minutes remaining in regulation. This barrage of points seemed like all the Jumbos needed to put away the Cardinals and wrap up their tenth straight victory. However, Wesleyan would not go out like Bishop in Juice (mid-90's movie staring Omar Epps) and mounted a 7-0 run of its own in the last 1:30 of the game to force the contest into overtime. "There were some bad calls against us and they were on fire," junior Maritsa Christoudias said. "They all made their shots, we had some mental breakdowns, but the effort was always there. It was heartbreaking but it wasn't over yet." After playing evenly for the first 4:45 seconds of the five-minute overtime period, something had to give, but unfortunately for the Jumbos the break was not in their favor. With 14 seconds remaining in overtime and the game knotted up at 76, Wesleyan senior co-captain Shaleen Bowman found herself open and converted her third three pointer of the day. The field goal capped the scoring for the day and left Tufts three points shy, with a 79-76 defeat. "The fact that it was a three put a lot more pressure on us," Christoudias said. "Throughout the game our mentality was the game is ours. We weren't ready to give it to them. We were going to make them work for it every second of the game for them to win." Last week senior captain Hillary Dunn said this game would be close, but few could foresee how close this match-up would actually be. Even with the loss, Tufts proved it can play with a quality basketball team as their opponents are ranked 24th in the country, sporting a 13-1, 2-0 NESCAC record. "We proved a lot to our critics, but we already knew we could play with anyone," Dunn said. "Wesleyan is having a good year, but they are a typical NESCAC team, meaning we have to play our best every single game." Jumbo followers have come to expect points out of the team's starting backcourt in freshman Jessica Powers who finished with 16 points, Dunn who chipped in seven, and Christoudias, who tallied four points, but were in for a special treat as the frontcourt displayed much talent. Sophomore Allison Love came off of the bench to score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds in 40 minutes of work, while fellow sophomore Krissy Nierenberg also put in yeoman's work going 6-7 from the free throw line and finishing with 12 points and six rebounds. "Lately Ally's really stepped up her game," coach Carla Berube said. "She has such a nice shot, I feel very confident in her shooting. Krissy plays hard all the time, that's why she starts. I felt very confident with her late in the game on Saturday." The Jumbos only turned the ball over 12 times last Friday night against Connecticut College. This is one of the many reasons that the squad cranked out a 30-point victory over a team that defeated them in overtime last season. Additionally, they stole the ball 12 times to Conn. College's six, had balanced scoring with five players in double figures, and shot 83.3 percent from the free throw line. The Camels owned a brief 29-27 lead with 3:40 seconds left in the first half, but the Jumbos went on a 13-3 run to end the period. The Camels would never again see the lead as the Jumbos kept up a momentum that was generally started by steals that were then converted into easy lay-ups. Christoudias, Powers, and Love had three steals each with Nierenberg tallying two. "The two of them (Christoudias and Powers) in the passing lanes on the defense puts pressure on the opposing team's offense," Berube said. "Them getting points on steals, also takes a lot of pressure off of our offense. The rest of the team feeds off that kind of defensive pressure." However a stat that often goes unnoticed in the Jumbo's fast break play was the assist to turnover ratio of Powers. In 26 minutes of work, she scored 17, but also distributed the ball for seven assists, doing so without a single turnover. "When she does have turnovers, she is trying to make plays which she has the green light to do," Berube said. "It was nice to see her making smart plays." In the post, Love (12 points, 11 rebounds) finished with her first of two double-doubles on the weekend and junior Erin Buckley also came off the bench making the most of her 13 minutes with 13 points and six rebounds. The Jumbos are in action tonight against Brandeis at 7 pm in Cousens Gymnasium. The Judges boast a 7-1 non-conference record, but have stumbled in their first three league contests, posting a 1-2 record. While Brandeis is not a member of the NESCAC, the teams share three common opponents in Wellesley, Regis, and MIT, all of whom both teams defeated. "They play in a tough conference and have a tough non-conference schedule," Berube said. "It will be a really big test. They beat us in a close one last year, so the girls will be ready tomorrow night."

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News

Lack of Intensity on D a Problem for Boston

January 20

Just when I was beginning to get a little worried that the Portland Trailblazers (23-15) were going to act like normal human beings for an entire week and not give me any unsavory material for my article, Rasheed Wallace came to the rescue. On Saturday, the league suspended Wallace for seven games without pay for threatening referee Tim Donaghy outside the Rose Garden after a January 15th win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Wallace, who has been relatively mundane with only seven technical fouls garnered this year (as opposed to 27 last year and an eye-popping league record 41 two years ago), will lose 1.26 million out of his 16.2 million dollar salary for his outburst. Blazers coach Mo Cheeks complained that the punishment was only made so stiff because of Wallace's past, apparently forgetting that in America repeat offenders tend to receive stiffer punishments. If their appeal fails and the suspension holds, the Blazers should continue their inconsistency on the court, and as always, we should expect more off-the-court incidents, brushes with the law, and disputes over playing time to emerge soon from the rain and gloom that is Portland. Another team that has been an enigma all season is the Boston Celtics (23-17), although the Celtics have at least managed to confine their troubles to basketball. The team has been dealt some brow-raising losses (114-69 to the Washington Wizards, 117-81 to the New Jersey Nets, 90-70 to the Miami Heat). But that tends to happen when your superstars shoot 39% from the field for the season, as both guard Paul Pierce and forward Antoine Walker have. Those ugly numbers are due in part to the team's off-season trade of Kenny Anderson to the Seattle Supersonics for Vin Baker and Shammond Williams. Williams has tag-teamed with Tony Delk to try to man the point guard position which Anderson ran last year, and both have been relatively productive. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Baker, whose game has turned nastier than Christina Aguilera. Despite their productivity, the problem with Delk and Williams is that they both are spot-up shooters who don't excel at penetrating and setting their teammates up for easy shots the same way that Anderson did. This invariably increases the degree of difficulty of shots for Pierce and Walker, and also leads to Walker trying his hand at running the team. Walker's passing skills and vision are remarkable for a man of his size, and he is certainly capable of playing the point forward. However, the problem lies with the fact that Walker is often situated outside the arc. Here he feels compelled to jack up the three, as he has 1550 times over the last two and a half seasons, or over 500 times in the same stretch more than Reggie Miller, who is possibly the best three point shooter in NBA history. In fact, Walker is well on his way to a third consecutive season attempting over 600 three pointers, compared to the one time in Miller's career that he even took 500 over the course of a season. As a result, Walker is getting to the line less than five times a game, which is inexcusable for a 6'9, 245 pound giant who can handle the rock. Granted, the Celtics are a team that relies heavily on the three, and when they're draining their long distance shots, as they were when they blitzed Philadelphia in the playoffs last year, they are almost impossible to beat. But when they're not making them, then they need their airtight defense to keep them in games, But unfortunately for the C's, they just don't seem to be playing D with the same intensity as they did last year when they advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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News

Better the second time around

January 20

Some bands need new songwriters. Godboxer is one such band. But that didn't stop the crowd from going wild for the new band during a late Friday night gig at Bill's Bar. This is a band that, on a good night, sounds pretty close to Semisonic (a band near and dear to my heart) but with mind-bending feedback. The source of the noise was the bassist in the corner, a chain-smoking bald-headed 300-pound guy, dubbed "that wrestling dude" by my friend for his strong resemblance to Jesse Ventura _ although probably slightly less prone to controversial politics than Minnesota's governor. The group is led by two singers/guitarists: Aaron Lippert formerly of Expanding Man, and pop guitarist of the year Jay Barclay, formerly of Miss Fortune. Drummer Mike Levesque has backed up David Bowie and the Candy Butchers, and the group is rounded out by self-named "indie rock" bassist Joe McMahon; who once conducted rock s?©ances with the Clairvoyants. Maybe these guys should have called themselves the band Formerly Known As... Godboxer could have also called itself "the rock band that's mellow on the outside with heavy metal cream filling overtones on the inside." Translation: get a beer in your hand, start swaying to the music and you'll enjoy yourself. Just ignore the lyrics. Once you've heard one, you've heard them all, since they're along the lines of, "I met a girl and she was cool, so we went out together." Add in a couple of Biblical overtones with a mention of the Garden of Eden and you've got a picture of their lyric-writing ability. Putting aside the lyrics, this is a band that may be going places, even if it's just because of their resume. After all, Kurt Cobain's lyrics don't exactly make sense and he still did OK. Godboxer has been compared to Redd Kross crossed with the Who, but I wouldn't say that because I'm an ignorant music listener and I was born way after their heyday. I would prefer to categorize Godboxer more as an Aerosmith/punk combination, since their lead singer is also a skinny dude with a falsetto voice and a guitar, and call them slightly punk since, after all, this band is playing in Boston. Godboxer is also the only band whose members sling their guitars so low they cover their pelvises, a move not seen since Elvis took up his microphone. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing they may actually get off from their music. It has to be hard for these self-admiring rock stars, since they were just awarded a 2002 Boston Music Awards nomination for Outstanding New Rock Band. Godboxer is nothing if not charismatic, though. Lippert had me doubling over with laughter at some of his comments in between sets and had me and the rest of the admiring fans in front dancing to his tunes by the end of the five-song debut. And besides, there has to be a reason they've been called the new hot thing of the year. That would be lead singer Lippert, whose voice that must have been trained in school choir. He has a pretty-boy alto voice that still can reach above the cacophony of feedback and hallucinogenic metal strumming and make his mainstream pop melodies heard. Lippert, however, will forever be known to me and my friend as the falsetto who can sing in registers even I can't reach. The bassist isn't too bad, either, and he makes their songs what they are with the undercurrent of hallucinogenic indie-rock. So my advice is, if you go to hear this new band is, forget everything I said, go get a few beers in you, mix and enjoy. Just don't expect to come away with any epiphanies from their songs and move your body to the music, like Madonna so wisely advises.

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News

Second place finish for Jumbos at Tufts Invitational

January 20

After nipping at the heels of athletic juggernaut Williams for the majority of the meet, the women's track and field team ultimately conceded to a second place finish at the first Tufts Invitational of the new year. Though a victory over the Ephs would have been desirable, the day was nonetheless filled with a smattering of impressive individual accomplishments. "The team really stepped up in ways they're not used to doing. I don't want to burden people too early in the season," coach Kristen Morwick said. "Overall I was pleased with the result, we were close to Williams, which is always good early season." Of particular note was the performance put forth by junior Jessica Trombly. Accounting for about 40 team points, Trombly excelled in each event in which she competed. Her second place finish in the long jump was an indoor PR at 16' 10'', missing first place by centimeters. Trombly smoked the competition in the 400 meter, with her time of 57.86 demolishing an old personal record by two seconds and qualifying her provisionally for the NCAA Championship meet. In the 200, Trombly's time of 25.77 was two-hundreths off the school record and more than a second ahead of the second place finisher, Colleen Doody of Williams. The ability to compete seriously in this variety of events bodes well for Trombly's future pentathlon ventures. Sophomore Melissa Graveley also had an impressive day across multiple events as she too is being preened for the pentathlon. In the finals of the 55 hurdles, Graveley jumped from eighth to finish fourth overall, obtaining a PR of 9.67 in the process. She also leapt to second in the high jump, barely edged out at a height of 1.52 meters. The throws continued with the steady improvement that has been expected this season. In the weight throw the Jumbos garnering the fifth through seventh spots with the throws of junior Jessica Gauthier (12.18 meters), and sophomores Jessica Colby (11.88) and Katie Antle (11.09). Colby's toss was an indoor PR. Antle continued her dominance in the shot put despite a sore back, with a hurl of 11.88 meters good for third. Junior Gwen Campbell (10.89) and Colby (10.07) rounded out the Jumbos who secured points in the shot, placing fifth and seventh respectively. Campbell had a huge gain in her final throw that propelled her from eighth to fifth overall. "They're all improving and making gains. It's nice that they're all getting in there and placing and improving a little every week," Morwick said. Coming back from a semester abroad, junior Emily Bersin had a good race in the 600, placing fourth in 1:44.81. In the 1000 sophomore Katie Sheedy qualified for ECACs with her time of 3:09.82, good for seventh. Amid stiff competition in the 1500, Junior Lauren Caputo managed a sixth place finish in 4:52.99. The 5000 also featured tough competition, in the form of Williams freshman Carolyn Cretti, who blew away the field with a time of 7:05.92, a mark which broke the facility record. However, the three Jumbos who also competed in the event all qualified for the Division III Championship meet, even though they had never run the event on the track. Freshman Becca Ades led the way in 9:22.25, with seniors Ashley Peterson (9:22.48) and Danielle Perrin (9:25.77) following close behind. Though there were many admirable individual performances, it was a lack of depth due to sickness and injury that hindered the team. For instance, with pivotal senior tri-captain Myriam Claudio out there was no one to score in the pole vault. With only three competitors in the pole vault in this meet, any effort by a Jumbo would have resulted in obtaining valuable points. Likewise, points were lost in the 1000 and 1500 due to a lack of depth in the events. "We lost by 20 points because there were gaps, and with eight places scoring you can't have that," Morwick said. "We lost points in jumps and sprints where there were injuries, and you can't do that in a little meet where everything is so close against a team like Williams." This weekend's Quad Meet will allow an opportunity to compete against some top New York teams, including Cortland and NYU. It will provide some competition outside of the NESCAC and allow those who were injured and sick last week to show where they are at this point in the season. "We're starting from a much better point this year, especially once we get the injured people going," Morwick said. "Williams has the quality in the distance events and loaded the right events to get by us, but that should all be different in a month or so."

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News

Fraternities confused about administration's concerns

January 20

Fraternity members have recently expressed confusion about the improvements that the administration is calling for in the Greek system. Last semester, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that the system was failing to live up to University standards. Reitman said that the administration wanted to see fraternities and sororities focus more on philanthropic efforts, encourage more pride and cohesiveness in the system, and show leadership in the Tufts community. He was not the only one to criticize Greek houses. Recently, President Larry Bacow said that fraternities "must be more than just a place to party." And Assistant Director of Student Activities Ed Cabellon said that fraternities and sororities, "are at a crossroads, and they know it." But many students involved in the Greek system felt that Reitman's statements last semester came without warning and created confusion about the administration's expectations. Former Inter Greek Council (IGC) President Adam Biacchi, who was replaced in December, said that when Reitman requested that changes be made, "it was completely news to us." Biacchi said that the administration had communicated concerns about cleaning up after weekend parties, but that was all. Administrators complain that Tufts' Greek system has fallen out of line from the system's philosophy. Greek systems at other universities are often more unified as the houses make more of an effort to work together, Cabellon said. Cabellon added that although Greek houses at Tufts have made significant improvements in the last year, "it's more of the individual houses doing things for themselves." Biacchi agreed that the unity between the houses could stand to improve, but "it's not like we're fighting with each other," he said. The rate of student participations in Greek houses has dropped from 18 to 11 percent in the last decade. Administrators said that the decline in interest might be related to the inability of many houses to organize philanthropic events and encourage pride and unity within the system. "The Greek System has a negative stigma on campus," Cabellon said. "A lot of students aren't rushing." The fraternities feel that there are misconceptions about the amount of charity work that is done because the events are not well publicized to the Tufts community, Alpha Epsilon Pi President Josh Gold said. Delta Tau Delta Vice President Mike Visconti agreed. "The administration in general doesn't see a lot of what we do," he said. "We just need to be more visible on the Tufts campus." Visconti said that fraternities at other universities often sponsor community service events and invite the whole campus to participate. But at Tufts, fraternities often perform service by volunteering at homeless shelters or public schools in surrounding area _ not on campus, where students would see it. House representatives said that the annual Read by the River event, last semester's Mud Volleyball tournament, walks for the American Cancer Society, and work with daycare centers and shelters in the area are just a few examples of the programs in which they are involved. Sigma Nu has recently increased its charitable efforts by instating a program called "The Pursuit of Excellence." The program, which was started by Sigma Nu's national chapter, gives the local chapter points for philanthropy, attaining a certain grade point average and giving back to the community. If the fraternity fails to achieve a certain number of points each semester, the national chapter will get involved and press for improvements. While community service is strongly encouraged both by the administration and the national chapters, Tufts Greek system does not technically have a community service requirement. And within the University, there are different opinions as to how much work fraternities should do. Cabellon feels that through his communication with the Greek system, the houses have reached adequate levels of charitable work. Reitman contends that the houses should increase their efforts. Some fraternity members disagree that increased philanthropy will have an affect on the rush numbers for the Greek houses on campus, as some administrators believe. "Doing community service isn't going to make more or less people join," Biacchi said. Fraternity members are concerned that the administration ignores the positive effects created by the presence of the Greek system. "I think the University agrees with everything that we do that's right. But when we do something wrong, they tend to focus on it," Sigma Nu President Joe Cerra said. But Cabellon said that the attention the houses get from the administration is not unfounded. "A lot of Greek students ask, 'why are they coming down so hard on us?' It's because they have more than some other students. They own property, and they have a right to recruit who they want into their organization," Cabellon said. While the administration remains concerned that the Greek system focuses more on partying and the social scene than on promoting fraternal values, Greek members said that restrictions on parties in fraternity houses would not decrease the amount of partying that goes on. "There would just be more parties elsewhere, in off-campus houses or whatever," Biacchi said. Administrators have shown determination to improve relations with the Greek system by hiring an administrator who will work with the Office of Greek Life and serve as a liaison between students and administrators. In the past, communication has been difficult. "If we give them a booklet of information, the president will read it, but often times the information will not be disseminated throughout the fraternity," Cabellon said. The University says that the purpose of the new position is to demonstrate its desire to improve the current situation. "This Greek community has such potential," Cabellon said. "There is value to the system." Though representatives of the Greek system were confused about some of the demands being made, several of them said that they would do whatever it takes to survive. "Of course we're willing to cooperate," said Cerra. "We just don't want to lose our house."

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News

Men's swim team rejuvenated for second half of season

January 16

While most Jumbos were returning from vacations with family or relaxing time spent at home on Tuesday, the men's swim team returned from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home of its winter training site. The two-week trip promoted team chemistry and demonstrated the Jumbos' commitment to success in their upcoming meets. "It was extremely productive trip," senior tri-captain Ed Edson said. Now, the team will carry on with its normal training routine. "I'm anxious to get back and start training again," coach Don Megerle said. The team returns to Tufts with an undefeated 4-0 (1-0 NESCAC) record, but the Jumbos' toughest opponents are yet to come. Tomorrow, the team is scheduled to take on NESCAC rival Wesleyan, one of four remaining NESCAC opponents Tufts will face before the championships February 28-March 2 at Williams . On Tuesday, the team will travel to Cambridge to take on MIT, an out of conference powerhouse. According to Megerle, MIT has the strongest team in school history this season. It would take a tremendous effort from the Jumbos to win the dual-meet. In any case, the match should be a good primer for the team's remaining meets, in which it will face three NESCAC foes-Trinity, Bates, and Williams- along with non-league Brandeis. The squad is still optimistic, and sees itself as tied for fourth in the NESCAC right now. Since the team doesn't compete against each NESCAC opponent in a duel-meet, the standings are mere speculation. The NESCAC Championships will be the final indicator of the team's position in the conference. "I have a lot of confidence in the team right now," junior Kaili Mauricio said. Last year, the Jumbos finished with a 9-1 record overall in dual-meets, and finished fourth in the NESCAC Championships. "We're looking to move up in our conference and send more swimmers to nationals this year," Edson said. Last year, Tyler Duckworth, now a junior, was Tufts' lone representative at nationals. "I look forward to seeing the team meet its potential," Mauricio said. The toughest teams in the NESCAC this season appear to be Amherst and Williams. "Those teams have the best swimming I've ever seen in the history of NESCAC," Megerle said. Hamilton and Middlebury will also be formidable foes come championship weekend. One meet that should definitely be circled on the team's schedule is the February eighth bout with Williams. The results of the meet will gauge the squad's chances at becoming a top NESCAC team. The training done in Florida over vacation should help the team get ahead of its competition, as it built confidence and strong team chemistry. "We really stepped things up at training and formed a better team dynamic," Mauricio said. "It was just as much a team building exercise as it was to get in shape." Refreshed, fully healthy, well-trained, and tan, the men's swim team appears to be in top form. One swimmer described this year's group as the best squad Tufts has seen in 6-8 years, and added that the team is on the brink of breaking into the NESCAC elite. "Our prospects are good," Coach Megerle said.

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News

Reasons not to dream the impossible dream

January 16

Akin to Shakespeare with a Spanish twist, Miguel de Cervantes penned his famous novel Don Quixote during Spain's Golden Age, completely unaware that hundreds of years later his life's work would turn into the latest sappy revival to hit Broadway. Over winter break, I went to New York City to see Man of La Mancha, a classic Broadway musical based on the Spanish novel Don Quixote. We went because my parents, like the parents of many of my friends, remembered the songs from their childhood, and were eager to see my 13-year-old brother and me have the same experience. The show intertwines the story of Miguel de Cervantes (played by the legendary Brian Stokes Mitchell) with the lives of his characters in his famous novel. Donning the imaginary name Don Quixote, the absent-minded tax-collector and poet exudes chivalrous bravery in every problem that he tries to solve. Unfortunately for our hero he also becomes needlessly involved in situations that don't call for his help and simply make him look foolish. This "man of la Mancha" fought bad guys and tried to win the hand of a lady all by fancying himself a knight in shining armor with his trusty sidekick (Sancho Panza _ a tubby little man who plays into his pal's fantasies) by his side. No matter how often his enemies or the damsels he tries to rescue may laugh at him, Don Quixote maintains his pride. He is convinced that the world needs saving and that he is who he says he is: a powerful knight in shining armor. Only when several black knights surround him at the end of the play with large glass mirrors is Don Quixote defeated and forced to look into the cold hard steel of reality. He is not a hero at all, but simply a regular man. The premise is, admittedly, fascinating. The show demonstrates that Don Quixote's delusional image of himself is only an exaggeration of every character's self-image. Quixote's willingness to play out his fantasy rather than conform to a conventional disguise actually helps his fellow characters come out of their shells _ including his object of affection. The audience, too, is challenged to ask what stylish disguises we don like Quixote. But I have to say that the songs, particularly the timeless classic "To Dream the Impossible Dream," sung by Quixote himself, ruined it for me. I was never a lightweight for Broadway lyrics in the first place, but something about a bronzed, fifty-plus man in tight-pants daring me to "fight the unfightable foe" and to "run where the brave do not go" left more of a pesky prickle in my throat than a lump. The show has its spine-tingling moments of truth, but I began to recognize that tingle in my spine not as inspiration but as vicarious embarrassment _ embarrassment for Stokes, and embarrassment for my usually cool-headed parents, whose faces were already watering as they stood to give the actor a standing ovation before the first act was even over. Dream the impossible dream? Didn't the sixth grade teacher of whoever wrote that song tell them to vary their nouns from their verbs? And what does "impossible" have to do with anything? Our fantasy images of ourselves aren't necessarily impossible; they just aren't necessarily true. These were the thoughts racing through my mind as the show ended and my father (MY father, who NEVER cries) turned to me with a red, tear-streaked face and started raving about how wonderful these songs were _ songs he hadn't heard in years and years. I couldn't believe that my father, who prides himself on not even buying into the trite, tight climax lines of America's favorite movies, would cry over an idea as obvious and flat as "dream the impossible dream." I could not connect with this show, nor could my thirteen-year-old brother. Our parents claimed he was too young; he must not have understood the plot. But my brother and I understood perfectly. The show was lame, and it just happened to be a part of my parents' youth. I'm sure if I hear the theme song from "Hey Dude" in thirty years or so, I'll shed a tear or two myself, but I'll never claim that Brad Taylor's passion for horses inspired me to be the non-conformist I am today. In conclusion, "I heart NY" as much as the next girl, but Man of la Mancha is not a good reason to go there. It is, however, a good reason to send your parents there. Perhaps, so you can spend Valentine's Day weekend curled up on the couch with a honey from our cynical generation, watching a rented collection of The Osbournes and deconstructing your dreams.

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News

A privilege, but a disappointment

January 16

This year Tufts is once again honored by the generosity of the Fares Foundation in bringing a distinguished speaker to campus to discuss major issues facing the Middle East. Certainly President George H.W. Bush has a unique perspective on the current climate in the Middle East, having opposed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait during his term as the 41st President of the United States. Still, what many students may not have known upon receiving the e-mail announcement concerning the upcoming Issam M. Fares Lecture is that Bush has already spoken as part of the Fares series, having delivered the 1994 address. It seems impossible that other equally qualified speakers do not exist, thereby necessitating two Bush lectures in fewer than ten years. It remains unclear why Bush has been selected twice, when so many other important figures have not yet visited the University. As long as we're hosting former presidents, for example, why not host President Carter, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, who reached an immeasurably significant Egyptian-Israeli settlement with the Camp David Peace Accords in 1978? Carter, of course, has the added benefit of having never lectured as part of the Fares lecture series. A brief examination of Bush's 1994 comments leaves something to be desired. A significant portion of his address was devoted to praising Fares, who was a significant financial contributor to Bush's 1988 inauguration. In comparing excerpts from Bush's address with those from the lectures delivered by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Giscard d'Estaing of France, Bush appears to have brought far less to the table in terms of revealing a great deal about his experience as a world leader in dealing with the Middle East. And unlike speakers such as President Clinton, who delivered the 2002 address, Bush certainly is not renowned for his oratory skills. We can only hope that this year's lecture will yield more substance than the 1994 address did. Furthermore, one cannot help but raise an eyebrow at the fact that in promoting the Clinton lecture last year, the University PR office repeatedly mentioned that Bush had been one of the previous speakers. While recently, Bush's name was mysteriously missing from the list of past speakers in President Bacow's e-mail announcing Bush as this year's speaker. Why ignore the fact that Bush is a repeat speaker? The University should welcome President Bush with respect, and students should prepare provocative, well-researched questions in advance of the lecture. There are, after all, new issues to discuss, particularly since George W. Bush is now in the White House. Still, the University should ensure that in the future the Issam M. Fares lecture series attracts speakers with entirely new perspectives.

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News

Former trustee at center of corporate scandal

January 16

Gary Winnick, the founder and chairman of embroiled Global Crossing and a former Tufts trustee and significant donor to the University, resigned from his post at the telecommunications company Dec. 31, after it collapsed under $12 billion in debt and allegations of insider trading and unethical bookkeeping practices. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is pursuing an inquiry against Winnick and the company, although an SEC spokesperson would not comment on the investigation. A group of investors has also filed a class-action civil suit against Winnick. But a week before Winnick's resignation from the company, the Justice Department announced that it lacked sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against any of the company's executives, including Winnick. Winnick was originally selected as a trustee because he is the parent of a Tufts graduate, the husband of a longtime library overseer, and a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He served on the University's Board of Trustees between November 1995 and May 1999. In the spring of 1998, Winnick and his wife established the Winnick Family Chair in Technology and Entrepreneurship, currently held by Professor Gregory Crane. During the 1999-2000 academic year, Winnick gave $2 million toward financial aid, and has also contributed smaller amounts to Hillel and Tufts' European Center at Talloires. Winnick became embroiled in controversy after he sold $734 million in company stock just before Global Crossing began to crumble and its stock price plummeted. Allegations surfaced that Winnick based his trading decisions on information not available to the public. The company's stock, which traded as high as $64.25, has recently traded at about two cents per share. The fruits of Global Crossing's successful years placed Winnick on Forbes Magazine's annual list of the 400 richest Americans since 1998. After a number of Global Crossing employees lost their savings and retirement funds in the stock plunge, Winnick placed $25 million in a trust fund to help these employees. It is unclear how this money will be distributed to employees, some of whom have complained that the amount is too small. "I deeply regret that so many good people involved with Global Crossing also suffered significant financial loss," Winnick wrote in his resignation letter to the company's board. "The collapse of the telecommunications industry, however, has taken a terrible toll on employees and investors alike, with an unprecedented loss of billions in investments and tens of thousands of jobs." Winnick founded Global Crossing, which is incorporated in Bermuda, in 1997, even though he lacked previous experience in the telecommunications industry. Financiers were impressed, however, with his idea of creating a global telecommunications network that would not be linked to existing networks. In the immediate future, a New York bankruptcy judge will allow Singapore Technologies Telemedia and Hutchison Whampoa of Hong Kong to acquire a majority stake in Global Crossing, as well as its 100,000-mile fiber optic network _ the most extensive in the world _ for $250 million. The sale price amounted to a fraction of the billions Global Crossing spent to build its assets and a third of what the two companies offered to pay in early 2002, when creditors rejected the bid. The deal provided startling proof of how fast the business of fiber-optic networks continues to disintegrate in an environment poisoned by the WorldCom accounting scandal and a global glut of capacity for Web traffic and e-commerce. Winnick made news at Tufts early in his term as a trustee due to a business connection with Campuslink Communications, the company that provides the University's phone services. Although Winnick served simultaneously as a Tufts Trustee and an investor in Campuslink, then-University President John DiBiaggio dismissed the potential conflict of interest as "an interesting coincidence." "There's nothing that bars a trustee from having a relationship with the University and a company," Executive Vice President and Treasurer Steven Manos said at the time. Winnick excused himself from trustee conversations regarding Tufts communications in order to eliminate any bias created by his involvement in Campuslink. Winnick resigned from the Board in May 1999 when his work at Global Crossing no longer allowed him to attend Board meetings and perform his duties as a trustee to his satisfaction. In his letter of resignation to the Board of Trustees, Winnick cited his "increased frequency of global travel" and "scheduled business commitments" as reasons for his departure, but praised the University and noted his "great disappointment" in having to leave the Board.

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News

Second appearance for the former president

January 16

When Former President George H.W. Bush visits Tufts to deliver the Issam M. Fares Lecture, it will not be his first visit _ or his first Fares lecture. On Feb. 26, Bush will give a speech entitled "Perspectives on the Middle East" _ nine years after he delivered a lecture, "Retrospective on the Gulf War and Its Impact," which dealt with American presence in the region during Operation Desert Storm. But for a considerable portion of his speech, Bush praised Fares' investment efforts in the US and Europe and Fares' social work in his home country of Lebanon. Bush's return engagement highlights the amicable relationship between the pair. During one visit to the Persian Gulf, Bush flew on Fare's private jet, according to the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, a publication co-sponsored by the Middle East Forum. Fares also donated $100,000 to George W. Bush's Presidential Inaugural Committee. Siobhan Houton, Tufts' assistant director of public relations, declined to comment on Bush's return appearance. Despite already giving a Fares lecture, Bush's prior appearance in the series was not acknowledged in the mass e-mail sent out by the office of the President that announced the engagement. The lecture series is funded by an endowment from the Fares Foundation. Fares I. Fares (LA '93), a member of Tufts' International Board of Overseers and the Board of Overseers for Arts & Sciences, created the series in honor of his father Issam M. Fares. The elder Fares is the Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon and a trustee emeritus of the University. The lecture series focuses on public policy and the Middle East. The two-part program consists of bringing in a prominent public figure once a year, to talk about issues concerning the eastern Mediterranean; the second part brings in "high-caliber" scholars to discuss the region. University officials declined to disclose how much Bush will be paid for his lecture. The lecture series attracted national attention when it was revealed that the 2000 speaker, Colin Powell, received $59,500 for a lecture given a week before the Presidential election _ when many pundits assumed that he would be appointed Secretary of State given a Republican victory. Fares dismissed the criticism. "The Zionist lobby in the US and its agents in the region felt displeasure and concern that certain Lebanese and Arab personalities have a friendly relationship with some senior officials of the new American administration," he told the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. Last year's speaker was Bill Clinton, who spoke about development's potential to thwart terrorism. Other past speakers include Margaret Thatcher, James Baker, George Mitchell and former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

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News

Overdue notices now sent via e-mail

January 16

In an attempt to save paper and reach students faster, the University's libraries have begun sending notices of fines and overdue books to students via e-mail. Until this semester, students received paper notices via US or campus mail informing them of updates on overdue and recalled books, as well as any charges on library users' accounts. "We are trying to enhance services for students by making more things available electronically," said Sandy Oelschlegel, assistant librarian at the Tufts Veterinary School. Oelschlegel served as a liaison between the library committees responsible for the change. Oelschlegel is confident that the electronic service will make life easier for students. Electronic notices will save paper and arrive more quickly than mail notices, which could save students money on fines. Students holding overdue books and government documents are charged 25 cents for each day past the due date, and $1 for videos and laser discs. Despite the touted improvements, some students are skeptical. "I don't think electronic notices are a good idea because not everyone checks their e-mails regularly," freshman Sarah Conroy said. But Oelschlegel said that it is students' responsibility to check their Tufts e-mail. Other students were more open to the change, however. "I think more people will actually see the notices this way because most people check their e-mail a lot and paper mail gets thrown out without looking at it," junior Timm Schatz said. "However, if I had a piece of paper, I'd be more likely to remember that I had to return the book or pay the fine." The decision to switch to electronic delivery was generated by the Public Services Steering Committee of the University Library Council (ULC), which is composed of the directors from University libraries on each campus. The new service was then implemented by the Lending Services Sub-Committee of the ULC, whose members administered the technical aspects of the shift from paper to electronic notices by ensuring that the database carrying all students' e-mail accounts was compatible with the library system.

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News

Hillary Dunn continues to play through broken bone in right foot

January 16

What is often overlooked by spectators, but never underestimated by teammates, is senior captain Hillary Dunn's leadership. The lone captain has been playing with a broken bone in her right foot since mid-November. And even with a broken bone, coach Carla Berube stresses that Dunn is an integral component of the team. "I need her to run my offense," coach Carla Berube said. "She's consistent and steady on the court." Although Dunn admits the injury is very painful, she refuses to let it sideline her from league competition. In many ways her perseverance inspires the team to play better and reminds them of her importance to the team's success. "She's the only senior and is playing through a lot of pain," junior Marista Christoudias said. "Her foot is really messed up and that shows how important this is for her. It is good to have her on the court. She has the most experience. She is the point guard so she is the leader in many ways." Dunn has been preparing for NESCAC competition by sitting out during the last couple minutes of blow out victories such as against Johnson & Wales, and in last Monday's 35-point victory against the University of New England. "She's been cleared to play," Berube said. "I'm sure it's sore for her daily and we are keeping an eye on that. When it's sore we will rest her." Dunn's importance as a point guard is comparable to her importance as the only senior, and the experience that comes with three years of NESCAC basketball. "She knows how tough the competition is and how fierce the defense is," Berube said. "That's why I want her out there." With nine games played this season, Dunn only has 14 more games left in her career. While an injury is tough to battle through, this is her last season to don a Jumbo uniform. "If this were not my senior year, I would be more inclined to take time off and let it heal," Dunn said. "But I only have a few months left of college basketball so it is not a choice in my mind. I have to play through it." Since it is certain her foot will not heal during the season, Dunn must bare the pain until her career is over. "We need to keep her healthy for the next couple of months and then her career is over," Berube said. "Hopefully it won't be a huge part of our season. Hopefully she will be healthy enough to play for the next couple of months." While Berube has never coached in a NESCAC game, she imagines that the desire and hunger to win is greater than in non-conference match-ups. The competitive nature of NESCAC games can be much tougher on injuries such as Dunn's broken bone in her foot. In the event that the pain becomes unmanageable at any point during a game, Berube is certain that freshman point guard Julia Verplank can run the offense. "I'm sure NESCAC games will be very competitive; we will see what the games are like," Berube said. "If I get a chance I will pull her out. We have a freshman back up in Julia Verplank who is very capable and plays a lot of minutes now. (Verplank) is getting a lot of experience and I am very confident in both of them." Dunn also realizes that she cannot play all the time, so she also relies on Verplank to lead the team while she is on the bench. "I have all the faith in world in Julia and the rest of the team does too," Dunn said. "I want to be on the court at all times, but I know that can't happen. Julia can definitely do the job well too." There is not much that anything outside of rest can do to heal Dunn's foot, but she does take some precautions to decrease some of the pain. This includes wearing a carbon shoe insert, even though it hinders her play because it forces her to run flat-footed. She also practices lightly the day before games and ices her injured foot as much as possible. While it sounds like a major injury, Dunn has been playing through it and Berube is confident that she can continue to play. "It sounds like a huge deal that she has a broken bone," Berube said. "But she's playing some substantial minutes (in games) and practicing everyday, so I think she will be fine."

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News

Women tally eighth straight victory with win over Johnson & Wales

January 16

A win is a win. That is the philosophy the women's basketball team adhered to after thrashing Johnson & Wales 72-41 on Wednesday evening. Although many team members agreed the victory came despite shoddy play, the Jumbos still managed to increase their winning streak to eight games in their final game before the NESCAC season begins tonight against Conn. College. "This win is our eighth in a row, which ties the Tufts record," senior captain Hillary Dunn said. "Even though this was a sloppy game, we achieved our ultimate goal of tying the record." Tufts finished with 24 turnovers and Johnson & Wales mishandled the rock 40 times. The surplus of mistakes was mainly due to the pace of the match. Johnson & Wales pushed Tufts to play a fast break style of game they are not used to. "It shouldn't matter who we are playing'" junior guard Maritsa Christoudias said. "It is always about our style of play. Tonight was not an example of the type of team we are, we let them control the pace." Dunn admitted that Johnson & Wales is not the best competition the team will see; so mistakes the Jumbos made against the Wildcats will not slide against stiffer NESCAC competition. "With a lot of important games coming up, we cannot play as sloppy as we did today," Dunn said. "We had a lot of turnovers. The other team wanted to play a run and gun game and we got caught up in that momentum and ended up playing their game and not ours." Although the team felt its performance was subpar, it still won by 31 points. Despite the sloppy play, the Jumbos feel that their overall game is hard for opponents to compete with, as evidenced by the large margin of victory. "If we run, we get easy points'" Christoudias, who led the team with 19 points and eight rebounds said. "The majority of our points were off of fast breaks and foul shots." Foul shots proved to be an important component of Tuesday's win. Although the Jumbos are last in the NESCAC with a team free throw percentage of 62.5 percent, they were able to make 68.8 percent of their foul shots against Johnson & Wales. Free throws accounted for 22 of 40 points Tufts scored in the second half. Christoudias led the way making eight of nine free throws. "We weren't doing well foul shot wise," Christoudias said. "This game proves how important those shots are." Freshmen Jessica Powers and Julia Verplank played solid defense, as they tallied three steals each. Powers finished with ten points and Verplank with five. Although Johnson & Wales was an easier opponent for the Jumbos, Dunn does not feel the team has achieved its 8-1 record by feasting lesser opponents. "We have played some really good competition and are ready for league games," Dunn said. "Babson (62-54) and Wellesley (56-51) [both of whom the Jumbos defeated] are at the top of their divisions every year." Tonight's game against Conn. College at 7 p.m. in Cousens Gymnasium is important to the team not only because it is its first league game, but also because the Camels earned their only league victory against the Jumbos last season, in overtime 82-77. "It's going to be a tough game, they have been getting better," Dunn said. "They really embarrassed us last year, we want to get revenge." The Jumbos jump right back into action for a home game at 3 p.m. on Saturday against Wesleyan. The Cardinals eliminated the Jumbos from playoff contention in the second to last game of last season with a 65-60 victory. "If we play our best it should be a really good game. We are pretty evenly matched," Dunn said. Even with an eight game win streak and an 8-1 record, the season is still far from over. "Hopefully with two wins this weekend, we will prove a lot to people and gain the respect we deserve," Dunn said.

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News

Research right at home

January 16

In addition to the 750,000-plus books it possesses, the Tisch Library contains more than 3,000 different periodical titles, and more than 13,000 online journals and databases. Obtaining articles through Tisch's electronic databases and journals has become an increasingly favored research method among University students, who site convenience and decreased cost as benefits. Tisch's electronic journals and databases may be accessed through any internet connection. Students seeking to research at their leisure can operate within these free channels from their own computers if they do not wish to pay the library's ten cent per page photocopying or printing fee. "I can't even remember the last time I researched without using the online resources," freshman Monica Gallagher said. "It's so much cheaper!" In addition to being less costly than photocopying, many students find electronic resources more expedient. "I tend to use electronic journals for research. It's more convenient than paging through the real things," freshman Lara Korman said. "If it's not on the computer, I usually don't go searching for the article," freshman Maddy Carroll said. "It's easier to find articles online because I can do it from my room instead of having to go to the library." Tisch's electronic resources are also useful to students who are studying abroad and do not have physical access to the library. However, the high convenience of online databases and journals does have a price. "The use of our print collection has been going down, especially in the sciences," said head of collections and reference Laura Walters. "That's the reason we're starting to charge to print pages out. It was costing us 60,000 dollars a year to support free printing in the library." Tisch's policy on print periodicals allows decidedly less freedom of access. Unlike online resources, which can be accessed from students' own computers in the comfort or squalor of their dorm rooms, print periodicals may not be removed from the library. They must be photocopied or read within the confines of the library. While this policy may inconvenience some students who wish to take out the journals it provides greater accessibility for all students and is a basic library rule. "Every academic library that I know of has this policy," Walters notes. By limiting the use of periodicals to within the library, the Tisch policy avoids the problem of inaccessibility and ensures that periodicals remain available to any individual who wishes to come to the library and seek them out. Once journal issues are one year old, they are bound into book form and shelved. Most journal volumes contain at least 100 articles. If these volumes were available to be checked out, their setup would prove highly problematic according to Walters. "Many people are sometimes looking for the same bound journal since it contains so many different articles," Walters said. Freshman Cory Levitt reasons that journals are like encyclopedias: they shouldn't be taken out because of their frequent usage. "[Journals] also have such a variety of information. Chances are that if you're taking [a journal] out for one reason, there's someone else who needs it for another reason." Since periodicals cannot be removed from the library, those seeking simply to read an article must do so inside the library. "Unlike a book, one can read a journal article quickly," Walters added. Though the policy against removing periodicals from the library is a firm, the Tisch staff is willing to accommodate special circumstances. "Should a patron need to make a color copy, they could check the periodical out for an hour," said Walters. As a precaution against the theft of periodicals, however, that patron would have to leave his or her ID with the library.

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News

Men's squash team enters, exits break on good note

January 16

After enduring three consecutive losses, the Tufts men's squash team entered winter recess in fine style by sweeping its two matches on Dec 8 at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, Conn. The wins evened the squad's record at 3-3. "Our team really stepped up and showed what we're capable of," senior co-captain Nathan Anderson said. In its second match of the day, Tufts defeated tournament host Wesleyan by a 7-2 margin. The Jumbos shut out their opponents in all but one of their seven individual victories, and displayed their depth as well, winning each of the number four through number nine matches. Earlier in the day, Tufts beat Saint Lawrence by the same score of 7-2. Freshman Tom Keidel, junior Jordan Kolasinski, and freshman Dan Karlin, the Jumbos' number seven through number nine players, each posted shutout victories. Kolasinski lost only six of 33 points in his match, and four of Tufts' five freshmen earned wins. Despite the two wins, head coach Doug Eng was still not satisfied with the effort of his team's leaders. Senior Chris Choi and freshman Spencer Maxwell, Tufts' number one and number three players, respectively, each lost one-sided matches to Wesleyan, and Choi also dropped his other match of the day to Saint Lawrence's Drew Constantine. Eng indicated that those defeats were unexpected, especially because some of his top players nearly won their matches in a Nov 24 contest against Bowdoin, one of the nation's top teams. "If we're almost beating Bowdoin, and then losing to Wesleyan and Saint Lawrence, that's a concern," Eng said. "We probably should have won both of those last two matches 9-0." Senior co-captain Nathan Anderson, who won each of his matches at the Invitational out of the number two slot, maintained his winning abilities against Wesleyan and Saint Lawrence. Despite the losses at the top, Tufts offered evidence that its depth is great enough to overcome any shortcomings its leaders may have. "As for the performance at the top of the ladder, it is not of real concern because our team's real strength comes from our depth," Anderson said. "We don't have the international superstars that some schools, even schools lower in rankings, have at the top of their ladders, so the matches at the top are going to continue to be difficult." Tufts will compete at the Yale Invitational on Jan 24, and in seven other matches, including a Feb 6 battle against rival MIT, before Nine-Man Nationals begin in late February. The Jumbos will travel west to Amherst, Mass. for a match against Vassar on Sunday. With the two wins at Wesleyan getting Tufts back to .500 overall, things would seem to be pointing in the right direction _even if Eng was concerned by the fact that the boys at the top of his ladder have had better results against contenders than they have against pretenders. "It's like the Boston Celtics beating Dallas and Sacramento on the road, and then losing at home to Denver," Eng said.

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