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Nation's campuses question free speech 'zones'

October 29

Protest regulations known as "free-speech zones" have caused turmoil recently across the nation's campuses, with students complaining that the school policies are unconstitutional because they limit free speech in certain areas. While there are currently no speech-zones in place at Tufts today, a look at past University history shows the policy idea is not so distant. Speech-zones are being created as a method of designating times and locations for specific types of speech in an effort to limit campus disruption. These may include rules for flier distribution, chalking, and the use of bullhorns. Nationwide, universities including Florida State, the University of Houston, Iowa State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of West Virginia, and the University of Wisconsin system currently have free-speech zones in place. Fourteen years ago, Tufts would have joined that policy list. The free-speech zones were implemented here at the University in 1988, after a male sophomore sold t-shirts listing 15 reasons "Why Beer is Better Than Women at Tufts," a female student at the University complained to administrators. The male student was placed on probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. Charges were eventually dropped, however, after it was discovered that Tufts had no rules explicitly prohibiting offensive speech. As a result, Tufts instituted a speech-zone policy where zones on campus were assigned varying levels of tolerance for speech that could be interpreted as racist or sexist. Academic buildings had limited tolerance, whereas dorms were no-tolerance zones. Violations were punishable, even to the extent of expulsion. Tufts said that racist or sexist language created an "intimidating, hostile, or demeaning environment for educational pursuits" and that it would not be allowed. Many disagreed with the new policy. It led to the Tufts Free Speech Movement, which protested the new policy by physically marking off the free and non-free speech zones. Participants in the movement held protest rallies and informed local media. Eventually, Tufts was forced to withdraw this policy in face of accusations of constitutional infringement, both from campus sources and across the nation. Today, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman does not support the policy decision made over a decade ago under President Jean Mayer. "People have to be able to express how we differ in background, race, and religion, to name a few," Reitman said. "We at this University wish to promote and naturally cherish the tenets of freedom of expression," he said. But the distinction between offensive speech and harassment is a "gray area," according to Reitman. While the former, he said, can certainly be obnoxious, it is not illegal. The latter is. When Iris Halpern brought a case against The Primary Source a little over a year ago, the campus was embroiled in a debate about where those borders fell. Halpern, co-founder of Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM) for the increase of janitor wages, placed charges against the Source, a University-funded publication, when it ran a cartoon that allegedly objectified Halpern's body. Halpern believed the cartoon constituted sexual harassment, and that the Source should be punished accordingly. The Committee on Student Life (CSL) dismissed the charges, but some students responded angrily to the decision. "We care about and protect our right to free speech," one member of the Tufts Feminist Alliance (TFA) said. "But we do not believe that we should be made to feel threatened and unsafe through the words and actions of fellow students." This opinion is shared by former Vice President of Arts, Science, and Engineering, Mel Bernstein, who left Tufts over a year ago to become the provost at Brandeis University. "People are free to speak as long as they don't put others in harms way," he said. At Tufts, Bernstein had introduced a pamphlet entitled "Confronting Intolerance" to the University community. The pamphlet advised students to report harassment to the administration. While Bernstein said that the pamphlet was always in keeping with the University's tradition of allowing people to express themselves, administrators at the time determined it to conflict with First Amendment rights, and it was taken out of circulation. Other free speech actions at the University have included the founding of a Tufts chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Last year, then freshmen Jeffrey Finkelman and Rachael Tabak brought the ACLU to Tufts because they wanted students to have a peer-led organization to turn to for constitutional interpretation and support of the First Amendment Rights. The University is wise not to set a singular free-speech policy, Finkelman said. "I think it needs to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but the University should err on the side of free speech." Forums, Finkelman said, are far more effective than would-be rules for changing circumstances on campus. "I think forums are good for any issue to get both sides together," he said. While "civil dialogue is encouraged" at Tufts, according to Reitman, the University prohibits speech that is can be considered harassment on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or age. Instead, administrators want to encourage "community conversations," Reitman said. Under this system, both parties _ those accused of offensive speech and those offended _ come together to participate in an open forum with the hope of resolving the issue. This system would function much like the procedure the administration adopted in the case of the Delta Tau Delta (DTD) fraternity, which posted an advertisement for Fall Rush events last year that was considered offensive by members of the TFA. The poster included a prominent picture of a female model posing in her underwear _ which, the TFA claimed, overshadowed the actual events advertised. Members of the TFA held a sit-in of the DTD fraternity house to protest the poster, saying that it promoted the objectification of women. DTD later agreed to participate in an open forum to discuss the issue with the TFA.

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News

Treasure your chest

October 29

How often do you examine your breasts? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the University's Health Services wants Tufts students to ask themselves this important question. Health Services has provided a myriad of events, informational pamphlets, and posters encouraging awareness and advocating an optimistic future for breast cancer victims, survivors, and the research necessary to make the illness a part of history rather than a current tragedy that takes thousands of lives each year. Health Services promotes not only awareness of breast cancer, but also its early detection and prevention. A four foot by six foot banner, currently posted in the Health Services building reads, "MOTHER, DAUGHTER, FRIEND, OR WIFE _ MAKE EARLY DETECTION A HABIT FOR LIFE." In addition to the banner, the breast cancer ribbon, shower hangers with instructions on conducting a self breast-exam, and helpful hints for early detection comprise a showcase that decorates a nearby wall. On Oct. 6, ten members of Health Services advocated breast cancer awareness by taking part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 10th Anniversary 5.1-mile walk along the Charles River. They raised between $1,200 and $1,500 for as they walked alongside almost 40,000 other people fighting breast cancer. "If I have the chance I'm happy to do it," Physician's Assistant Kathleen O'Dea of Health Services said, proudly sporting a crystallized version of the red ribbon. "Several staff members have family members with breast cancer," she added with sympathetic tears in her eyes. On Oct. 16, Health Services nurse Carole Maltase, nutritionist Pat Engel, and secretary Grace Fronduto staffed an outreach table at the campus center. They displayed cards with instructions for the self-breast exam, shower cards with helpful tips, information about mammograms and breast lumps, and a breast model to practice the self exam on. "The student population is much younger, but at age twenty it is recommended to do self breast exams," O'Dea said. Not only is Health Services willing to help, but it also welcomes feedback to make the educational process far-reaching and effective. Health Services also has information about breast cancer awareness on their website. The month of October is nearly over, and many students have overlooked the chance to take advantage of Health Services events. "Breast cancer is a battleground where young women need to fight also _ too many young women go day by day without realizing breast cancer is blind to age, freshman Edith Elliott, the niece of a cancer survivor said. "Caution needs to reach the younger generations." Men are often overlooked when it comes to breast cancer education, which can lead to deadly consequences. "It is a social misconception that only women can be affected by breast cancer," freshman Jonothon Gais said. "American society as a whole approaches breast cancer with preconceptions that need to be broken through education and outreach." Gais believes that breast cancer in America is viewed in the similar, one-sided way that AIDS was in its early years, with many Americans believing it to be simply an African or homosexual disease despite the fact that it is contracted primarily by heterosexual Caucasians. Breast cancer can become a devastating reality for everyone. However, scientists around the world are working to make it a disease of the past through their research, and health clinics are advocating early detection and suppression in the meantime. At Health Services, an informational card reads, "Here's to breast cancer awareness...Hope. Progress. Answers.

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News

Tufts grads sufficiently literate in finances

October 29

Despite widespread concern at other universities about student's financial skills, students and administrators at Tufts are confident in the graduates' financial literacy and ability to deal with money issues after college. Credit card debt, for instance, is a major problem facing many college students solely because of a lack of advising, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in June 1999. But this problem does not appear to surface much at Tufts, where the administration says it is actively involved in promoting financial literacy, teaching students what they need to know to meet financial obligations in the real world, like paying taxes, bills, and rent. The situation at Tufts reflects a significant difference from other schools where administrators have not been as active. Among the critiques in the Chronicle article was a statement from a visiting professor at Georgetown saying the school was more likely to sponsor programs on sexually transmitted diseases than on managing finances. The Office of Career Services and Alumni Relations at Tufts co-sponsor a crash-course in financial literacy each February for graduating seniors. Previously called "Future Fest," the program will be renamed "From Backpack to Briefcase" and will be held on either Feb. 5 or 6, according to Alumni Relations Officer Thomas Williams. But past students do not feel there was all that much to learn before they graduated and went out on their own. "I knew how to balance a checkbook before I came to Tufts," Angel Vail (LA '02) said. "I wouldn't have needed [a course] and I would have probably been annoyed if it was required for graduation." The agenda for this year's program has not been set yet, but the program has traditionally addressed issues ranging from paying credit cards and student loans, finding an apartment, signing a lease, creating a monthly budget, and other issues for college seniors face when the graduate, according to Director of Career Services Jean Papalia. In addition, Papalia said that in past years, the Alumni Association has provided attendees "with a great little book," Life after Graduation: Financial Advice and Money Saving Tips by Terry Arndt and John Ricchini. Students are also educated on issues of money management by the Financial Aid Office. Before students can receive loans for financial aid, they are required to complete an entrance interview, which, according to Associate Director of Financial Aid Patricia Reilly, outlines their "rights and responsibilities as a borrower." While the entrance interview can be long and tedious, it is successful in achieving its goals, according to freshman Seamus Riley. "It seemed kind of pointless at the time, but in retrospect, it was very informative," Riley said. Prior to graduation, financial aid recipients are also required to complete an exit interview. An exit interview reiterates the repayment options described in the entrance interview, and it goes over "general financial planning" so students can repay the loans, Reilly said. In fact, advice on paying back loans to the University is what Vail said gave her the most financial knowledge before she graduated. Between matriculation and graduation, financial aid recipients have to speak with their financial aid counselors if they wish to take out any additional loans. According to Reilly, these sessions "try to make students aware before they borrow money." In the past, the Financial Aid Office has hosted programs similar to "From Backpack to Briefcase" centered on repaying loans. But Reilly said the sessions "haven't been that well attended." Both the Career Services-Alumni Relations program and the Financial Aid interviews seem to contribute to financially literate graduating classes. This is evidenced by Tufts' Cohort Default Rate (the percentage of graduates who default on their student loans), which was a mere 0.9 percent for 2000, compared to the national average of 5.9 percent. This success shows, Reilly said, that the preparation Tufts provides "seems to be enough." Because Tufts does not have a business school, some feel that graduates are limited in learning how to handle their own finances. But Papalia did not think this relationship could be drawn. "One' academic background has nothing to do with one's ability to manage one's money responsibly," she said. Even students who have studied economics at Tufts feel that they learn most of their finance skills elsewhere. Daniel Kramer, a senior economics and political science major, said he is confident in his ability to handle money after graduation. But, "I learned how to pay taxes from my father and my mother," Kramer said. But for those students who do not feel prepared to manage their credit after graduation, there are other options. Countless nonprofit organizations focus specifically on helping college students. Looking off-campus for advice may be in students' best interest, according to Samuel Gerdano, executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute. "It's better to find a company that doesn't have a financial stake in your continuing debt burden," Gerdano told the Chronicle.

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News

On board the Tech Age

October 29

Though the University is content that students are prepared to handle post-college finances, the mere need to create special programs to teach them demonstrates that there is a whole in the curriculum in this area and that students are only haphazardly learning these skills. There is currently a shortage of courses that are actively geared towards teaching professional and technical skills necessary for everyday life in a modern, technical world. While courses at Tufts generally do a good job providing important knowledge and analytical skills for the 21st century by tying in recent trends and current issues happening outside the boundaries of Walnut Hill, there is a noticeable lack of specific courses, such as basic finance, internet technology, and web design, to name a few, that could provide students with useful and highly relevant skills in the post-graduate professional world. When curricula include dynamic, hands-on options taught either by professors or by specialized professionals brought in from the working world, students' opportunities to broaden skills and apply tools that are increasingly necessary both in and out of the world of academia are immediately expanded. Tufts should encourage these types of courses and offer more of them alongside its current, more traditional curriculum. One way to do this would be to allow existing courses, such as the accounting course in the Economics Department and the stock market class in the Ex College, to count for the math distribution. There is currently a lack of interesting courses that fill that requirement, as the options for students for students are the useless Math for Social Choice class and banal statistics in various departments. The Tufts curriculum would greatly benefit from courses that challenge students to think about math issues that they find interesting to them instead of useless courses taken to fill the requirement. The chances of broad courses like basic finance in providing useful, relevant tools that all students would find helpful and immediately applicable are surely greater than some of the more traditional math offerings that are not necessarily attractive to all students. Tufts should therefore make a strong attempt to incorporate courses into curricula that specifically teach the relevant skills and tools we must increasingly apply in a fast-paced, technological age. In doing so, it will truly be able to boast its reputation as a well-rounded institution that fosters cutting-edge education.

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News

Seven Questions

October 29

I have been receiving much flak about a box called seven questions that the sports section of the Daily runs every Thursday. This section's purpose is to ask a Tufts athlete seven questions pertaining to his or her sport, hobbies, and basically everything under the sun. Some questions posed on subject are serious, but on the majority questions are jokes. The author of seven questions poses the questions and does not alter the answers. This being said, seven questions is my not my primary responsibility on this paper, and I pretty much do it for fun. I am not a big fan of all of the commentary I have been receiving about the box. In a recent publication of a campus magazine, there was much slandering of seven questions and myself. While I generally respect everybody's opinion without jumping to a rash conclusion, I felt that it was just plain wrong. I love a good comedian. I often listen to Eddie Murphy stand-up comedy for hours at a time. Granted, Murphy was a star during a different time period, but he said incredibly outlandish statements. I found those jokes often sexist and homophobic, but also tremendously funny. I realize that everybody does not have the same sense of humor, thus the complaints about seven questions. After some of this criticism started surfacing, a joke from Murphy's Raw continued to run through my mind. Murphy says that he is tired of all the flak he received from Bill Cosby after Cosby learned that Murphy uses profane language at his shows. Murphy says that he is so frustrated by Cosby's comments that he calls fellow comedian Richard Pryor. Pryor responds by saying the next time the Cosby calls to (this quote is heavily altered for the flagrant use of profanities) "tell him to kiss off, whatever makes the people laugh say that stuff." For whatever reasons, I thought the all of the seven questions published were funny. Could it be that I have the sense of humor that makes me chuckle to many of Murphy's "offensive" jokes? Most likely. Sense of humor is a characteristic that is unique to every individual and mine just happens to be on the lower side of the accepted norm. Although the campus publication that voiced its collective opinion against seven questions made a dreadful argument, that article and a letter from a disgruntled reader written to the Daily made me study past seven questions. I am going to be a man and admit that I can see how the seven questions with Alex Gardner could have been offensive to some. Many of the questions were responded to by inside jokes that can be taken the wrong way. Rape is not an issue to be joked about, and not only women eat ice cream at Carmichael Dining Hall. Regardless of freedom of speech or not, I do apologize to those females or males who were offended by said seven questions. Often jokes between friends are funny when read between friends, but when put on a campus-wide microscope some feelings get hurt. Although I do understand how some answers given in seven questions can be construed as offensive to some, I do believe that people tend to fight just for the sake of being pugnacious. There are some people who chose to be offended simply because they feel like they should be offended. Through college life I have learned that some people feel like there is an argument and a reason for protest for every facet of life. While the Alex Gardner seven questions was a mistake in many ways, the content of seven questions will remain relatively the same. The society we live in associates female and male athletes with sex. Arguably the most popular women's tennis player, Anna Kournikova, is ranked 36 in the WTA rankings. Judging from this ranking, she is not known for her world-dominating tennis skills. I guarantee if you poll a group of guys, at least half will identify Wilt Chamberlain as the guy who had sex with thousands of women before they recognize him as the player who scored 100 points in a single game. I do feel like readers who are concerned with the content of seven questions should actually look past their preconceived notions as to what is sexist and racist and actually take the content for face value. The face value of seven questions in 95 percent of cases is simply a joke. But, I will strive to make future seven questions less offensive to the general population while maintaining the comical and relaxed atmosphere of the box.

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News

Water Polo finishes 2-2 at New England Championships

October 29

With Marco Polo is (unfortunately) unavailable as a club sport option here at Tufts, pool lovers must turn to the next best alternative to get their kicks before the winter swimming and diving seasons begin. While chugging chlorine may appear to be the best non-Marco Polo option, there are others. The Tufts Water Polo team is the other option. This coed group just finished its season this past weekend at the New England championships, where it went 2-2, competing against the likes of Boston College, UMass-Amherst, Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, and other schools. "I am a little disappointed in how we did this year. Obviously, winning is more fun than losing, and we definitely didn't win as much as we should have," said junior team MVP and leading scorer Kaili Mauricio. "We only lost one guy from last year's team. Coming in, I thought we had a better team than last year." The squad, led by Mauricio and senior captain Scott Hanchar, competed in three official tournaments this fall before the New England tournament. Three other teams _ Amherst, Middlebury and Rochester _ joined Tufts to travel to tournaments. While this short tournament schedule may not seem like much of a season, the team practices five days a week, not only in preparation for the tournaments but in preparation for the winter swimming and diving season. But not all members of the team are two-sport athletes. "We have three guys on the team who don't swim competitively, and the three girls we have on the team are strictly water polo players," junior Greg Schmidt said. "They see as much time and contribute as much as most of our guys do." The team had many newcomers step up and play an integral role on this year's team. Freshmen Joon Jun, Steve Ward, and John Godsey all made good contributions, as well as sophomore newcomer Jonathan Perry, who was on the swim team last year. "We don't have a lot of seniors or upper classmen on the team right now, so it was great to see these guys step up," Mauricio said. "It's a good stepping stone for the newcomers going into the swim season so that they're not too overwhelmed." Which begs the question: does the team take it as seriously as they take the varsity competitive swimming and diving season? "It's not as serious as the swimming, but it is definitely competitive," Mauricio said. "We love to play the game, and it's a great way to build or maintain unity before the winter. We have a lot of close guys, and with water polo being a team sport more than competitive swimming, it can help." "For the guys on the swim team, this is the off season", Schmidt said. "It's a welcome break. But we still treat it as important." One thing the members of the team wouldn't mind is for the team to obtain varsity status. "It would be nice to be varsity," Schmidt said. "We would get more funding, more pool time, and more attention basically. We have a 25 yard pool, and we compete against Middlebury who has a 30 meter pool and has enough people for 2 teams. It's just a little unfair." But the team will continue to strive for excellence. This water polo season may be over, but the team doesn't have to wait until next fall to compete again. A new season picks up in the spring once the swimming and diving squad has finished competing.

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News

Broadway transports audience to jazz age

October 28

The Balch Arena was transformed into a 1920's New York nightclub this past weekend with the opening of Broadway, this fall's Drama Department major production about the lives of showgirls, gangsters and detectives. The set, which takes place in backstage of a cabaret, is complete with stairs leading to dressing rooms, a piano, a table strewn with costumes and props, and a manager's office. Through the elaborate costumes and authentic-sounding early-century New York accents the audience is transported the audience right back into the bootlegging era. The main character, Roy Lane (Christopher Bonewitz), convincingly portrayed a male cabaret star trying to get discovered by a big agent. His character is honest and funny, and even his conceited nature worked well with his boyish infatuation with one of the showgirls, Billie Moore (played by Julie Azari). His different costumes, ranging from Uncle Sam to a clown suit complete with a red nose, put a humorous touch on the serious issues explored by his character. His competition for Billie's heart comes from no other than Steve Crandall (Josh Bauml), the bootlegging mob boss who becomes rich from illegally selling alcohol during the Prohibition years. Bauml deftly portrays the bootlegger's, complete with irascible temper and violent tendencies. The motives behind his romantic interest in Billie are unclear and slightly muddle the love triangle. We never discover what he wants from her, and while we can assume that he represents a threat to her virtue and innocence there's no clear conclusion. It seems sweet, if not predictable, that Billie and Roy end up together both on-stage and off-stage, but the romantic the dynamic between the three characters leaves much to be desired. Far more convincing are the sharp, contest-of-wills between the gangsters themselves, the nightclub owner Nick (Armen Nercessian), and the detective (Gio Gayner), pursuing all of them. Bauml's Steve successfully comes across as intimidating, arrogant, and clever when towering over his two cronies, Dolph and Porky (Max Dionne and Robert Curry). The tension in the show rises when Steve murders rival gangster, Scar Edwards (George Rausch), after figuring out that Scar knows too much about his illegal bootlegging activities. Scar, in his light-gray suit and with his sneering, no-nonsense attitude, juxtaposes Steve well _ both successfully represent the bad boys of the Jazz Age. The hard-boiled language of the showgirls serves as a strong contrast with Billie's the innocent and na??ve nature. The jaded, cigarette-smoking, ensemble with their short skirts and quick-tempers, provided another source of humor and nostalgia, and in many scenes were preferable to Billie's sweetness, which was cloying at times. Overall, the characters were somewhat generic and one-dimensional, yet this worked Broadway. The show tries to be a commentary on the 1920's in America rather than analysis of individual characters. The plot is the least strong element of the play, lacking in originality and devoid of elements of surprise. The realistic setting, the creative costumes, the authentic dialogue and the excellent acting made Broadway an enjoyable experience in time travel.

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News

Tisch, Ginn, Eaton to charge for printing

October 28

Students who use computers in Tisch and Ginn Libraries and Eaton computer lab to print papers and online materials will be charged ten cents per page as soon as January. The end of free printing is "inevitable," Tisch Director Jo-Ann Michalak said. Difficulties in finding suitable software to make the switch from free to fee-based printing, however, have delayed the decision of when the change will be implemented. A decision was expected earlier in the semester, Michalak said, but "we had to eliminate a couple [of software venders] that didn't work with Tufts." If the change is to be implemented in January, the decision must be made by Dec. 1, she said. Although the library system is "perfectly happy to support things we can afford," Michalak said, it cannot continue to support increases in the amount of paper students use. Tisch Library alone used 25 tons of paper last year, the Library reported, an amount equal to 425 trees and the weight of six elephants. Supplying the paper costs the university $60,000 each year, and the cost is rising. Each day, two reams, or 1000 sheets of paper, are never even picked up after being printed, Michalak said. "All of us are interested in providing students services for what they pay, but also in encouraging responsibility." The money saved would be directed "to services that we feel are more valuable than chopping down trees," Michalak said. One option would be to put the money towards finishing the planned Level G of Tisch, which currently houses infrequently requested books and periodicals. The Ginn Library began charging for printouts two years ago but eliminated the fee after Fletcher students began printing at Tisch instead. "Students aren't stupid," Michalak said. "If only one library charges, they will go to another." The upcoming change, however, will be campus-wide. The Boston and Grafton campus libraries already charge printing fees. Although the details of the payment system have not been finalized, students will likely have to save what they wish to print, which will be sent to a separate print server. As expected, many students are displeased by the prospect of having to pay to print documents. "Why doesn't the Tufts administration use the insane amount of money people pay to go here and use that to cover the cost?" sophomore Emily Rufo wondered. Sophomore Brent Patterson said that implementation of the change could hurt the University as well as its students. "Charging for printing at the library would really reflect on the University as a whole in my eyes," he said. But printing charges at universities are more common than not, Michalak said. Tufts' "peer institutions have either started charging or are seriously looking into it." And instead of asking if there is a printing charge, as in the past, prospective students now ask what the charge is, Michalak said. The trend towards charging for printing stems from the dramatic increase in the number of electronic journals now available, Michalak said. When students primarily used books in their research, universities were forced to charge for photocopies. Tisch administrators are looking to other universities' systems, such as Dartmouth's "print monitoring system," for inspiration and ideas on what not to do. The Dartmouth system requires that students go to another location to pick up items they print. Michalak thinks that the Dartmouth system "could be a pain" and, in theory, might dissuade students from printing documents that are needed but not essential. Tufts' planned fee-based printing system would provide Tisch, Ginn, and Eaton with a print server so students would not have to go far to pick up their documents. The University's libraries may also allow students to download documents to disk so they can be printed on home computers, something that is not currently permitted.

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News

University working to increase international aid

October 28

In the past, Tufts has not been an educational option for international students who need financial assistance. But this is changing with the University's small but expanding international aid program. The International Center estimates that it costs international students $4,000 more a year to attend Tufts than domestic students, brining the total cost to $42,551 for this academic year. The extra costs include transportation and living expenses. But students who are residents of other countries are ineligible for much of the traditional financial package _ such as Federal Work Study, loans, and grants. In the 1999-2000 school year, however, Tufts initiated a program to increase aid for international students because "as a increasingly international institution, we decided to try and help these students," Interim Director of the Office of Financial Aid Pat Reilly said. Aid had previously been unavailable because aid available to domestic students was already limited. The number of international students receiving aid is very small, as the current "pilot program" only offers money to between four and seven people per class. Dean of Admissions David Cuttino explained that the program is designed to help a "limited number of students" who need "substantial assistance" to attend Tufts. Scholarships typically range from $10,000 per year to full tuition. Roughly 25 of the 343 international students attending Tufts in the last academic year received this aid. Applications from international students are initially reviewed with all other applications in the first read through. Those which pass the first read are separated for additional elimination. The University can only support the need of a few international students who apply for aid. The process is extremely difficult, as more than 100 applications that would receive admission, but require aid are whittled down to about six. These students are then notified of their acceptance and receive the University's financial aid offer soon after. Freshman Boryana Damyanova of Bulgaria described her anxiety when receiving her acceptance letter, because she was "still unsure if [she] got the scholarship and could attend." The chance of being accepted with aid is somewhere between one and two percent, with hundreds of students applying from across the globe. The Admissions Department faces many difficult choices, as there are typically well over 100 students per year deemed qualified to attend but who need assistance. "A major question we have is what strategy to pursue," Cuttino said. "Should we select candidates from under-represented countries or outstanding students from countries which are already represented?" The department currently decides this process on a case by case basis _ varying each year depending on the applicants. Once the applicants have been selected and offered admission, the University stays in contact as they prepare for college. In order to obtain a visa to study in the United States, students must fill out a form proving they have the resources to finance their education. Damyanova said the University was "extremely supportive," and that her sponsor, Bruce Male, helped her in a variety of ways, from "meeting [her] at the airport to helping [her] set up [her] room and being able to answer any questions." Other resources outside of sponsors, who support and help students adjust to life in the United States, include the International Center and International Orientation. Male is also a trustee and head of the International Board of Overseers, which is seeking to expand international aid by finding new funds. One new program seeks to match individual sponsors to students. Although full tuition is a substantial amount of the Tufts education, International Scholars still face the problem of paying the remaining $15,000 per year. Parents are often unable to contribute as the median family income in many developing countries is below $10,000 per year. Nikolai Schwertner, a senior also from Bulgaria who does not received financial aid, attempted to help pay for some of his education by getting a job back home. He quickly discovered that obtaining a job was difficult, and also of little help. "In Bulgaria, I would be working for the equivalent of ten cents per hour, at the best job I could find," he said. Once in the US, restrictions regarding off-campus employment for immigrants also prevents students from earning money. The US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) severely limits off-campus work _ students can only work for 12 months during and immediately after their college careers and must engage in what the INS calls "practical training." First-year students are never granted permission to work outside of their universities. Faced with high costs of education, the students may work with Tufts officials to find ways to raise the additional money. Many international scholars are Resident Assistants, and in addition, hold work-study jobs around the campus. Some students elect to stay in the US over the summer and work on or off-campus in internship or research positions. The students tend to be busier than the average undergraduate _ Damyanova works two jobs while taking five classes in her first semester of study. Despite the prospect of the four years of hard work and extremely low odds of acceptance international students apply to Tufts and other American universities because of their strong reputations and resources not available in home countries. Schwertner, a computer science major, noted the major Bulgarian university had "about six computers for several thousand students" and even these "were ancient 486 machines." To draw these students from all over the world, Tufts this year has sent representatives of the Admissions Office to Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America to encourage perspective applicants. Admissions officials are in contact with guidance counselors from across the world to inform them of developments in the program. The University wants to create strong contacts with any school willing to educate students on study abroad options. International Students face the difficulties of the college application process as an outsider, according to Cuttino. "Imagine telling your parents you want to attend college in Britain," he said. "Think of the concerns they would have." Director of the International Center Jane Etish-Andrews said these efforts increase awareness but come with a catch. "We've done these efforts cautiously," she said, "because we know our resources are very small and very few people will be offered admittance." Tufts is sensitive to this, Cuttino said, and the University has taken precautions _ sending out letters and including the information on a website _ to make sure all perspective students are aware of the odds they face.

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News

Luck of the Irish still intact

October 28

For any true college football fan, last Saturday's games were must-watches. But, if for some reason you missed the games, I'm here to brief you as to what took place. First, we will go down to the capital of Florida to see if the luck of the Irish could finally turn into the skill of the Irish against Florida State. Next on the roller coaster of this week's Inside College Football, you as the reader will be taken to the Big House to see what went wrong with the Wolverines against Iowa. The key to beating Notre Dame lies in the opposing team's ability to contain running back Ryan Grant. Unfortunately for the opposition, not a single team has been able to do so, which has given the Irish an undefeated record heading into the contest against Florida State. The key for Florida State is having a balanced rushing attack with a leader at quarterback who can serve the ball to incredible athletes at receiver. Grant rushed for 94 yards including two touchdowns. You guessed it folks, Notre Dame won. The final score was 34-24, but in actuality, the game was not even that close. Notre Dame never trailed in the contest, paced by its suffocating defense that has blanketed three ranked opponents over the season. The Irish D held the ACC's leading rusher, Greg Jones to just 34 yards on 14 carries. FSU quarterback Chris Rix tossed for 207 yards. Unfortunately, he completed two passes to Notre Dame defenders while throwing no touchdown passes. With Notre Dame up 34-10 in the fourth quarter, coach Bobby Bowden had seen enough of his star quarterback and brought in back-up Adrian McPherson. McPherson was the spark FSU needed, as he went 8-11 for 118 yards and two touchdowns. To the Seminoles dismay, there are only four quarters of football, so the contest ended with the Seminoles finally playing like a top 15 team. The problem for the 'Noles is that they only played one quarter of good football, while the Irish played three. Notre Dame quarterback Carlyle Holiday continues to play solidly by not turning the ball over. Although he only threw for 185 yards, he did have two touchdown passes. This win continues Notre Dame's National Championship hopes as the Associated Press has the squad ranked at fourth in the country to last week's sixth. What if? That question must be on the minds of Iowa fans as well as players. What if the Hawkeyes beat instate rival Iowa State instead of losing by five? The answer: legitimate National Championship consideration. Under coach Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa football program has sparkled. The Hawkeyes entered last Saturday's match-up against Michigan 7-1. They exited the contest 8-1, handing Michigan its worst home defeat since 1967, 34-9. Nothing worked for the Wolverines. Although Iowa's offense was spectacular _ led by running back Jermelle Lewis (109 yards rushing, one touchdown) and quarterback Brad Banks (222 yards passing, 3 touchdowns) _ its defense was stupendous. Michigan was 6-1 and ranked eighth in the country coming into the game. Its yardage reflected none of this. The Iowa defense held running back Chris Perry to 14 yards on nine carries. In fact, quarterback John Navarre was Michigan's leading rusher with a total of 18 yards. The passing attack was not much better. Navarre actually succeeded in not turning the ball over, but he did not succeed in throwing a touchdown. His ineffectiveness led to his benching. Backup Spencer Brinton had six attempts, completing three. So what went wrong for the Wolverines? Answer: Everything. What went right for the Hawkeyes? Answer: Everything. Iowa is starting to make believers out of the Associated Press as they cracked the top 10, with the ninth spot in this week's polls. Most seasons Iowa would be in the thick of the National Title chase, but this season boasts six undefeated teams through 11 weeks of football. Some of these squads must lose for Iowa to make a run at the Sears Cup.

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News

Game 7 reminds me why I love baseball

October 28

When I was little all I ever wanted to be was a professional baseball player. I would practice fielding grounders by throwing a tennis ball against the front steps and I would practice making diving catches in the yard with my brothers. The floor in my room was covered with baseball cards and I spent many hours working on my signature for when it became time for me to sign autographs. I even used to sit on the toilet or in the bathtub for a couple hours each day and study baseball statistics in The World Almanac and in the Official Baseball Handbook. A lot has changed since the mid to early 90s. We moved out of my old neighborhood in eighth grade, and since then I haven't had a stoop to practice fielding on. I quit baseball in ninth grade after my coach wouldn't let me play with an earring. The floor in my room is littered with dirty clothes, papers, food and beer cans instead of baseball cards. And, now I only study baseball on the toilet two times per week. But, the biggest baseball-related change that I have undergone is the fact that I don't care about it nearly as much as I used to when I was growing up. Ever since the baseball strike of 1994, I have been a fan but never as devoted as I had been. I guess you could say that after the strike I lost my baseball innocence. I learned that there was more to baseball than hitting, pitching and fielding. That strike was the first time I realized that baseball was a business, and ever since my feelings for the sport have never been the same. However, Game 7 of the World Series _ the only playoff game that I watched in its entirety _ took me back to that time when baseball meant everything. For the first time in a long time, baseball felt right. After Darren Erstad squeezed Kenny Lofton's fly ball to center, with two runners on in the top of the ninth to clinch the World Series for the Anaheim Angels, he tapped gloves with left fielder Garret Anderson and the pair sprinted for the pitchers mound to join their teammates in celebration. While, it may be that in this modern baseball world the duo were sprinting in to pick up their cell phones and call their agents to renegotiate their contracts, it seemed to me that they were actually hell-bent on jumping in the middle of the celebration. A cynic might say, however, that the only reason Dusty Baker allowed his three-year-old son, Darren into the dugout was too add to his marketability as he heads into the free agent market. Just imagine how much a three-time Manager of the Year award winner, who has a good rapport with his players, who is coming off a World Series appearance, and who seems to be wholesome family man, could command on the open market. Though after watching Dusty Baker comfort his teary eyed three-year old son in the dugout in the aftermath of the Giants' 4-1 loss, and then conduct a post game interview with Darren in his arms, I told the cynic inside me to shut up. Baker is the real deal and his son clearly meant more to him than winning or losing. After watching JT Snow's take-out slide to the breakup up a potential double play after Tom Goodwin's grounder to second base in the sixth inning, I couldn't help but wonder if old JT had just tripped and stumbled into David Eckstein. Seriously, does anybody even care enough to break up the double play any more. A few minutes subsequent to the play, I finally admitted to myself that there was no way that Snow had simply tripped and stumbled at the exact moment necessary to take out the Angels' SS and break up the double play. As hard as it might be to believe in this day in age, it actually appeared that Snow realized that had he not prevented the double play, his team would have been one out closer to losing the World Series. Even more amazing is that Snow may have been more interested in winning the World Series than in getting an earlier start on an off season trip to Hawaii . Following the slide, Snow didn't even whip out a pen and try to autograph the base. Instead, he put his head down and hustled back to the dugout. Hell, even Mr. Showboat himself _ Barry Bonds was caught beating out an infield hit in Game 7. And, after a close inspection of his contract, it was determined that there was no bonus clause that paid him an additional sum for running hard to first base in a World Series game. Though, his agent will undoubtedly ask that the infield hit in World Series bonus clause be added for next season. Perhaps, the best play of the day was Erstad's full extension catch of a David Bell line drive. The Angels' speedy centerfielder raced in from deep center and belly-flopped to make the grab. Again the cynic in me reared his ugly little head. Did the recently divorced Erstad dive in order to impress a cute lady in the stands or did he really need to throw himself on the ground to make the catch? About six replays later it became clear to me that, had Erstad decided not to dive, the ball may have scooted past him, hit the outfield wall and completely altered the momentum of the game. So while Erstad may have gotten a few phone numbers from some cute girls following the game _ that was not the reason he chose to dive. The exuberance of Erstad and Anderson, the class of Dusty Baker, the hustle of JT Snow and Barry Bonds, and the all out recklessness off Erstad are just a few highlights from Game 7 that made me remember why I love baseball. At least on this one evening, players were playing the way they probably played growing up _ pre-multi-million dollar contract. They played with a fire and a passion that only ten-year-old kids have. To adapt a quote by Joe Jackson from W.P. Kinsella's novel, Shoeless Joe Jackson, for one evening at least, it seemed like "[the players] loved the game. [They'd] have played for food money. [They'd] have played for free and worked for food. It was the game, the park, the smells, the sounds... And it was the crowd, the excitement of them rising as one when the ball was hit deep. The sound was like a chorus." And, it was a beautiful thing to watch.

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News

Traffic lights at tricky intersection turned on

October 28

After months of confusion among drivers and pedestrians, the traffic signals at the intersection of Boston Ave. and College Ave. are in full working order as of yesterday. Calls for activation of the lights, which were installed over the summer, increased after a recent accident at the intersection in which a student was struck by a car. The lights operated for a short time after initial roadwork was completed at the beginning of the semester. But as soon as they were turned on, the contractor determined that additional changes "needed to be made to the timing sequence, and modifications to the signage were needed around the intersection," Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Captain Mark Keith said. The change of the signals from flashing yellow and red to fully operational may have been delayed by procedural protocol. The proposed changes to the traffic lights had to be approved by the state's site engineer, and then forwarded to the contractor, Keith said. The contractor then had to come to the intersection and physically make the changes. The Massachusetts Highway Department had jurisdiction over the project, which followed the construction of the bridge over the railroad tracks on College Ave. The addition of traffic signals to the intersection was meant to clear up right-of-way problems between drivers and pedestrians and among drivers. Pedestrians are now signaled to cross when it is safe, rather than forced to simply walk through traffic. Motor traffic has experienced a change in wait times at the intersection. Although the lights functioned according to design on their first day in operation, cars occasionally lined up far behind them. At times, over 20 cars were stopped behind the light between Anderson and Curtis Halls on Boston Ave. yesterday. Though the traffic dissipated in a few minutes, such lines reoccurred throughout the day. The contractor will monitor the intersection in the coming weeks to see whether additional changes are required. Initial student reactions have generally been positive. "Because many of my classes are in that area _ Bromfield-Pearson and the Science and Technology building _ the addition of a light makes me feel safer, especially after that accident," engineering student Lindsay Hersh said. Freshman Greg Apostle said in order to be safe crossing the intersection, students simply need to be aware of their surroundings. "As long as you pay attention you really should not have any problems," he said.

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News

Source advocates for conservative culture rep

October 28

Representatives of The Primary Source announced the publication's attempt to initiate a campus-wide constitutional referendum to provide for a "conservative culture" representative at the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate meeting Sunday night. "Conservative culture" is as much of a culture as any other and therefore should have a culture representative, said Simon Holroyd, who spoke for the Source. Its staff members are "people who share common goals, feeling and aspirations," he said. The group "feels like it needs to be together," and therefore constitutes a "culture." Conservative students are seeking to represent their "views and ideology," which are "often under-represented and discriminated against," Holroyd said. The original argument for the existence of culture representatives was that some minority groups on campus are underrepresented in student government and should therefore have an outlet to express their ideas and address their issues. Generally, students see Tufts as a fairly liberal campus, which places conservative groups like the Source in the minority. "Conservatives are a distinct group of students on this campus, who have suffered numerous acts of discrimination and are historically underrepresented on the TCU Senate," Holroyd said in his letter to the Senate. For the Source to gain a representative, the student body would have to pass an amendment to the TCU Constitution, which defines who sits on the Senate. Four culture representatives currently serve on the senate, representing the Asian Community at Tufts (ACT), the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), the Pan African Alliance (PAA), and the Tufts Transgender, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Collective (TTGLBC). Each culture representative holds a full Senate seat and votes on all issues. Unlike other senators, however, the student body does not elect the representatives; they are elected by their respective organizations. For a constitutional referendum to be voted on by the student body, the TCU Judiciary must approve the wording of the ballot question, and the Source must submit a petition for a vote with the signatures of 250 students to the body. If the Sources' referendum succeeds, the publication will be the umbrella group for the new culture representative. The representative would be a Source member, but would answer to all conservatives on campus. Some senate members questioned why the Source, which originally opposed the very existence of culture representatives, now wants its own representative. But it is necessary to have representation in order to encourage change, Holroyd said. "How would [we] change the system [we] disagree with if [we] don't have a vote?" Many senators who heard the Source members' address have yet to decide how they feel about the issue. "I definitely need to hear more... before I go supporting that specific referendum," Senator Andrew Potts said. "I want to hear how they answer some more questions from the student body. I'm not outright against it but I'm not for it yet either." Potts said the proposal is so new that he is still trying to "figure out what it is they say that they want before [deciding] whether [to] support it or not." Based solely on Sunday's presentation, "they do have a bit more planning and sorting it through that needs to happen," Potts said. He awaits further discussion of the issue, possibly at an open forum and through Viewpoints. "I can understand where they're coming from and I could perhaps see how a representative of what they're asking for could be useful," Potts said, "but I'm not sure if they're doing it properly and that's what I need to see, if this group is actually coming out and doing it for all the right reasons." Some senators, in casual discussion outside of Sunday's meeting, suggested the possibility that a new student group be created that is not tied to the Source, to foster conservative culture on campus, Potts said. Such an organization might make a conservative culture representative "slightly more acceptable" to those who "automatically write off anything that comes from" the Source. Unlike the Tufts Republicans, such an organization "would include all of the conservative thought, not just the platform of the political party," Potts said. Such an organization might better be fit to "foster a good and real and meaningful debate" on the issue than the Source, since many students automatically choose not to listen to any proposals tied to the controversial group, Potts said. The Source was responsible for the appearance of posters and chalkings across campus Thursday night featuring a statement made by TTLGBC culture rep Kelly Sanborn, Liotta said. The statement read, "If any group wants a rep... they should run a referendum. I'll support it." "The importance [of the chalkings] was not that it was Kelly Sanborn," Source Editor-in-Chief Megan Liotta said. "The importance was that it was a current culture rep who said they'd support any group who wanted a representative, and we're a group who wanted a representative." Sanborn was displeased with the use of her words. "By distributing the posters around campus, I feel The Primary Source is personalizing an issue that doesn't need to be personalized," she said. "The quote was taken out of context from a discussion last spring that was not debating [the] rights of the Primary Source to have a culture rep." A conservative culture representative would not only represent members of the Source staff but all of conservative culture at Tufts, Holroyd and other advocates of the referendum stressed. Although the Tufts Republicans have backed the referendum, Holroyd said the seat would represent conservative culture, not just conservative politics. The purpose of having a conservative representative is so that all cultures, not just four, are represented in the Senate, according to Liotta. "We feel that if there's going to be culture reps who have a vote, then every culture needs to be adequately represented," Liotta said. "If you define culture as a group of people with similar beliefs and practices, then I think that yes, conservatism is definitely a culture and definitely a minority culture." Representation of conservative culture is important "especially since the student government has a penchant for passing referendums on issues in national politics," Liotta said, referring to the spring 2002 referendum on the Israeli-Palestinian situation. The referendum was proposed, but never actually passed.

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News

Tuesday night keeps it real

October 28

Two shows, two networks, two entirely different premises, yet two masterpieces. The reality television craze that should have died the way the primetime game show did is still alive and well with these new reincarnations. ESPN's Beg, Borrow, & Deal and MTV's The Real World have transformed Tuesday nights into the best reality night of the week. As ESPN's first venture into creating original programming that did not involve old bald men debating sports, Beg, Borrow, & Deal appears to be a rookie phenom in the reality genre. The premise has two teams, each with four members, must get themselves from Times Square, New York City to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, without anything on them but their driver's licenses and the clothes on their back. They cannot handle any money, and can only take advantage of one favor per person. Accordingly, they must "beg, borrow, and deal" their way across the country. In addition, they must perform ten sports-related tasks, such as shag fly balls in a Major League Baseball park or beat an NBA player at a game of H-O-R-S-E. The producers at ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) have created an impressively unique program that appeals to audiences of all demographics. The average reality television viewer should love it, because it contains all the great Machiavellian politics and incessant complaining of every successful program. The average sports fan should love it, as they get to see normal folks perform stunts that they could only dream of. Imagine being a Baltimore Orioles fan, and then watching other fans catch fly balls at Camden Yards, the cathedral of all ballparks. At times it is frustrating, however, to see these amazing tasks being carried out by shmoes who know absolutely nothing about sports. Take contestant Josh, member of Team Cobi, and alumnus of Tufts. A self-proclaimed nitwit when it comes to sports, he has found his way onto the field of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Miller Field in Milwaukee, Comiskey Park in Chicago, and the aforementioned Camden Yards. He rode in a car with Giants star Jason Sehorn, and shot a hockey goal on an NHL goalie. These are among a sports fan's dreams, yet Josh, not a sports fan, gets to live the dreams for the sole reason of winning a contest. The burden for the success of a reality television series lies solely on the dynamics of the cast; the members have to be memorable. More than four years later, people still know who Richard Hatch is and that he won the first Survivor. While Beg, Borrow, & Deal has no one who can compare to Richard, cast members Josh and Juliet of Team Cobi, and Tony and Aubrey of Team Contact stand out as the most unforgettable. In contrast to the smooth-talking, sarcastic, and sports-challenged Josh, is the prissy, cranky, and unpredictable Juliet. In last week's episode, she tore into an elderly man at Miller Field, almost costing her team a task. Labeled as a liability by her three teammates, Juliet is the monkey's wrench in Team Cobi's well-oiled machine that has paved ahead to a substantial lead. Tony is the typical Yankee fan. Crass, self-centered and a slob, Tony spends the road trip thinking with his stomach. He usually acts without any regard for his team, much to the dismay of cry-baby Amber. The waterworks pour out of her eyes so often she could replace Hoover Dam. The interaction between these two characters is often one of the highlights of the episode. As with Beg, Borrow, & Deal, the cast members of The Real World: Las Vegas make the show. In The Real World, however, there is one non-human cast member, Sin City herself. I'm surprised it took MTV a full dozen incarnations of the long-running series to realize that Las Vegas is the perfect setting for a group of seven, self-centered, mentally-imbalanced, twentysomething nymphomaniacs. Set in the top-floor penthouse of the Palms Casino and Resort, The Real World chronicles, "the true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real." Of course, the house is full of pricey, chic amenities and their jobs are a laughingstock and an insult in comparison to every hard-working Jane and Joe across America. For this year's occupation, the residents are in charge of planning parties with their sketchy boss, Marc. His work ethic has to be lifted from your basic "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: What Not to Do" video shown at companies everywhere. After trying to sleep with a couple of members of the cast, he seems to have mellowed in sketchiness _ but his stench still lingers. The cast is exceptional this year, raising the unintentional comedy scale to a new level. First there is Brynn, the super jealous sexpot who couldn't smell more of desperation. The object of her green-eyed monster envy? The hot and heavy Steve ("I'm married, but no one seems to care") and Trishelle ("I've disgraced my family from being in a threesome"), who seem to have no objection to doing the nasty in front of housemate and farmboy Frank. I happen to think Frank is by far the funniest and most decent member of the cast. His honest and straightforward approach to everything gives him a "deer in the headlights" caricature on the show. He's the lost boy in the crazy messed up world of the Real World. Rounding out the cast are Alton, whose blatant homophobia was put on display for comedic purposes last week; Irulan, who is turning out to be the strongest leader of the pack and the object of Marc's affection; and Arissa, who unfortunately hasn't had much to do other than look extremely frightening with her big bug eyes. With the proliferation of sequels to great original reality series (Big Brother 3, Mole 2, Amazing Race 3 and Survivor 4 come to mind} failing in the ratings wars, television networks are turning to creating inventive new series and spicing up old ones. Beg, Borrow, and Deal and The Real World: Las Vegas are two great new examples of where reality television is going, and things are looking up. Beg, Borrow, & Deal airs at 8 PM on ESPN on Tuesdays Real World: Las Vegas airs at 10 PM on MTV on Tuesdays

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News

Science is for the birds

October 28

Whether eating breadcrumbs in the park or "decorating" parked cars, pigeons are an ever-present feature in the urban landscape. But to members of the University's scientific community, especially those interested in animal behavior and learning, pigeons are much more than a common nuisance. Like dolphins, pigeons are known for displaying behavior that indicates a great capacity for learning. Thus, many researchers in the field of psychology devote their energy to the investigation of the cognitive capabilities of these birds. In a field of study known as comparative psychology, scientists examine the ways in which different species process information and attempt to distinguish the principles and mechanisms that are universal from those that differ across species lines. Dr. Robert Cook, a prominent researcher in avian perception and cognition, and professor of psychology, has been studying the visual and learning capabilities of pigeons in his laboratory on the Tufts University Medford campus for over 15 years. His laboratory, moved recently to a new facility, houses a colony of about 40 birds (Columba livia) and is the site of various studies conducted on the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Cook's experiments investigate such topics as object and motion perception, memory, vision in the three dimensions, and same-different discriminations. "Such same-different relations are among the most fundamental of psychological discriminations and lie at the center of many types of advanced intellectual functions and behaviors," Cook said. For a given task, a pigeon is placed in a plastic experiment chamber that is blocked from the outside and lit by a fixture in the top. The box has a window that looks directly onto a computer monitor, on which visual stimuli are displayed. The window is sensitive to touch _ much like the screen at an ATM _ and translates to the computer when the bird pecks at the image shown. Pecking is the bird's way of responding to stimuli. Presentations vary tremendously, from computer generated motion simulations, to photographs of people, to drawings of flowers. Simply put, the computer program receives that information, and if the bird makes the correct choice, it is offered some grain. If the bird is wrong _ if it pecks at the wrong stimulus, or fails to peck at the correct one _ it is given no food, and the light is turned off for a few seconds. Analysis of collected data lends insight not only into the abilities of the pigeons themselves, but also to the development of such processes in other species. "Our... research has suggested that pigeons have a previously unappreciated capacity for learning and using abstract concepts," Cook said. "Thus, this integral component of intellectual behavior may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously supposed." Pigeons have been used in the field for various reasons. On a practical level, the birds are small and easy to maintain, and therefore make ideal subjects. Additionally, they are highly visual animals. With a small, compact and powerful central nervous system Pigeons compares to the well-studied systems in mammals such as rats, monkeys, and even humans. In fact, with a nervous system structurally similar to (although simpler than) that of humans, pigeons can be used to create comparative models of the modalities employed in various psychological processes. Cook's results have been published in numerous scientific journals, and he is the editor of the cyberbook Avian Visual Cognition, featuring his own studies and those of dozens of other researchers in the field.

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News

Fire shuts down Dewick at breakfast

October 28

Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall was forced to close during breakfast yesterday morning after a grease fire filled the building with smoke. The fire began at 6:05 a.m. in the charcoal grill, which had just been turned on to warm up for the day, according to Dewick-MacPhie Unit Manager John Wasserboehr. The Medford Fire Department was called in and used large fans called "smoke extractors" and opened the windows and doors to clear the smoke that had filtered throughout the kitchen to the dining areas, Wasserboehr said. Tufts Facilities turned off the building's heat and changed the ventilation filters to get rid of the smell of smoke. The Fire Department helped the Dewick crew clean the kitchen and dining areas, and a health inspector came to make sure the facilities were safe before the dining hall was reopened for lunch. Food that had been exposed to the smoke was thrown away. The Tufts University Police Department's (TUPD) Captain Mark Keith confirmed that the facility did not sustain any damage. Carmichael Dining Hall, Hodgdon Take-it-Away, and the Campus Center eateries were "stressed to capacity" with the extra traffic caused by the Dewick shutdown, but Carmichael Unit Manager David Kelley said the extra students were not a problem. The dining hall usually keeps a day's or two days worth of backup food as a precaution. An estimated 150 more students than usual came to breakfast and about 300 more for lunch at Carmichael, even though Dewick was reopened by noon. Carmichael typically serves 350 students for breakfast and 1,000 for lunch. The University and the other campus eateries helped in the crunch, Wasserboehr said. "We really pulled a rabbit out of the hat," he said, adding that he hopes "no one was really inconvenienced." Dining Services does take many precautions to insure the safety of its employees, though kitchens are a "risky environment" to work in, Dining Services Operations Manager Ralph Perrotto said. The kitchens are equipped with fire suppression systems, and staff members are trained in areas of fire safety such as fire extinguisher operation. Dining Services holds an annual training session for staff in which they work closely with the Safety Department to teach kitchen and fire safety. "We take care of our employees and make sure they're in a safe workplace and are well trained," Perrotto said.

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News

Voting for two bad candidates

October 28

'Ask Angie' is the Daily's weekly advice column. E-mail questions to angie@tuftsdaily.com. Q: Having just received my absentee voter ballot, I have a dilemma. My state is having gubernatorial elections and I strongly dislike both candidates! For whom do I vote for, if at all? Am I a bad democrat (small "d") if I don't vote? Should I vote for the candidate that I dislike the least? _Vexed voter A: Good for you _ not every student took the time to register as an absentee voter! It's great to hear you're taking the elections so seriously. Without knowing what state you're from, it's harder to give you good advice. Have you considered voting for an independent candidate, or does your state only have two candidates running? Some people believe that voting for an independent candidate is "throwing away your vote", but look at Jesse Ventura, who successfully won an election to become Governor of Minnesota. There are other things to vote for in an election and you are certainly allowed to abstain from picking a gubernatorial candidate. Many people also believe that most elections come down to picking the "lesser of two evils", and if you believe that it will be either one or the other, then go with your instinct. As we learned in the last Presidential election, every vote counts. This is your vote and your decision to make, do what you can be proud of. Q: Ever since I have been at college, I have been the biggest procrastinator. All I want to do is hang out and party, and my work always waits until the last second. I have never been like this before, but I can't seem to motivate myself. What can I do? _Slacker boy A: Hey, welcome to college life. Most people have a brush with procrastination a little too hard and often get in trouble before their work ethic gets back on track. It's good that you recognize this _ that's the first step to procrastination-free living. Unfortunately, motivating yourself is the only way to make this work. When you get assignments, plan out a schedule to slowly complete work over time. Study daily. To reward yourself for this work well done, you can go out and party with the rest of the big kids. You'll be a lot more relaxed and able to enjoy yourself without knowing you've got to still write a five-page paper by 3 pm the next day. As your work starts getting harder, it will become nearly impossible to function this way. Start changing your habits now and save yourself the trouble later.

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News

US_China: an asymmetry of state attitudes

October 28

"I hope US will issue more visas to Chinese students." _ a senior student in Peking University. "I hope the meeting will lower the McDonald' s price in Beijing" _ a Beijing reident eating in McDonald' s. These are two examples I found on one of China' s biggest news website, www.sina.com.cn that show that the coming meeting of Chinese President Jiang Zemin and George W Bush triggered vivid imagination among Chinese people. The overall tendency of the news on China' s side is quite optimistic, some say that the Sino-US relationship is experiencing an unprecedented peaceful era after Sept 11 event. Some are even expecting this summit to be another landmark in the Sino-US relationship the way that the Nixon-Mao meeting was in the '70 s. Slightly to my surprise, when I read through US news reports on this issue, I didn't feel much difference in the overall warm and cooperative atmosphere, and it seems that the world needs the two nations to be friends at this moment. They won't avoid sensitive issues though, including weapons, North Korea, Iraq. These issues are all involved in this summit yet both sides are very positive toward a harmonious conversation, which will take place at the Bush ranch, two weeks before Jiang steps down from his current position in the communist party. As a team member of TILIP (Tufts Institute of Leadership and International Perspective) said, "the US just doesn't really see the meeting as that friendly as the Chinese media may have boosted." Similarly, in China people always ask, "why don't we use domestically produced CPU?" but issues like this are rarely covered in the formal media. Exploring deeper into the current news it's not hard to raise more puzzling questions: what will Jiang gain politically from this trip? Why isn't the so-called fourth-generation leader of the party going this time? Maybe a delicate game theory model can solve similar puzzles, but not this one. All the answers will become clear quite soon and as long as China and the US can retain their stable relationship and combine their effort to build up a more peaceful international environment, who cares about the summit. However, even though it's only a 90-minute private gathering in a relaxing place in Texas, the potential power of the meeting should not be neglected. This is actually a golden opportunity for the two nations to build up genuine understanding of each other, in the way the two presidents may feel on a personal level. Generally, the youth of China, especially university students, are more passionate and ready to express their feelings and attitude toward such events and up to now, their expectation and comments have both been positive. I, as a current economics student at Peking University and a potential cross-cultural scholar, really hope that this trust will grow stronger and a more profound base for cooperation will be built through this effort. There relationship is imperfect, however. As expressed in the opening notes, many Chinese students are suffering because of the US's limitation on visas, and we know that not only in China, but also in many other nations in the world: the atmosphere is getting sensitive. This is obviously harmful for ongoing academic activities between the US and other nations, and other potential losses are also significant, for example the loss from international trade. For a certain period of time, the US has been absorbing the brightest minds from allover the world, now its changing its strategy under political constraints. It's really a pity for those who have faith in the leading research programs of the US and the US is also negatively affected, in that it is losing its best professors and miracle makers, in a time when technological innovation is most needed in developed countries. We students will soon become the core of tomorrow's society and we really hope that US will give us a good first-impression in our first round of direct interaction with the nation, with the visa officers from the nation. The North Korea issue in the summit has surely captivated many eyes, and again to my slight surprise, most are not expressing too much interest or holding a too high expectation of the conversation. The people that I have talked to have learned to be critical and objective after witnessing all the changes in the recent past and their comments are mostly: how will a 90-minute conversation at a ranch count? They have to some degree agreed that it's more of a retirement party of Jiang instead of a formal discussion of political and diplomatic affairs. Anyhow as the conversation is conducted in a way that no other people except the translators are present, it's not rash to say that there might be some substantial progress, or at least the two giants will benefit from each other. After all, it is a big effort and hopefully Jiang will bring what he learns this time to APEC and to his future influence on the new chair of China Communist Party. Monic Sun is a senior majoring in economics at Peking University in Beijing.

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News

Athlete of the Week

October 28

Junior Amy Cronin earned NESCAC Player of the week honors for her dominating performance on the volleyball team. Helping the Jumbos to a 2-1 record in their previous NESCAC weekend, Cronin was a key player in the Jumbo's 6-4 NESCAC finish that will place them at the sixth seed in this weekend's NESCAC tournament at Amherst. During the weekend Cronin helped the Jumbos finish of both Bowdoin College and Colby with 11 and 12 kills respectively and 39 kills on the weekend. For the season Cronin leads the Jumbo team with an astounding 359 kills on the season, an average of 3.452 per game. Adding his second goal of the season to his season statistics, senior Dave DeLuca was the first to draw blood in the Jumbos match-up against Middlebury on Saturday. Though the Jumbos were unable to close out the win against the Panthers, DeLuca's goal proved to be pivotal in preventing the Jumbos from falling further in the loss column. The tie placed the men in position to clinch the last spot in the NESCAC championship which will begin the following weekend.

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News

US-China at crossroads or circumstantial cooperation?

October 28

President Bush was quite busy the past weekend with the leaders of Asia Pacific. On Friday he received the Chinese leader Jiang Zemin at his ranch in Crawford for a barbecue summit. Due to the climatic state of US-led war on terrorism, the sacred talks on Taiwan and human rights were derogated in favor of consultations about Iraq and North Korea. However, the two leaders are also expected to finalize an agreement on US technical assistance in customs inspections and set a date for future talks on human rights talks. Not surprisingly (coincidentally), the summit concluded with Attorney General John Ashcroft's announcement of a FBI liaison opening in Beijing. The Attorney General also appraised Chinese efforts to combat terrorism. The summit, one may conclude, was successful for both the Americans and Chinese. In his third meeting with the Chinese leader, President Bush took the chance to cement the new US-Sino relationship born of the war on terror, while Jiang Zemin received the crowning ceremony from United States prior to his expected retirement this fall. The summit was also symbiotic. China and the US had their own little meeting and put on a show of unity prior to APEC summit. These are diplomatic woos that bolster Chinese confidence about their position in global affairs. China on the other hand sets the example to (and encourages) other ASEAN members to cooperate with US on counterterrorism war. The meeting at APEC summit in Cancun also gave time for an avowal of budding partnership. During the previous weekend, the leaders of the 21 member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation met at Locos Cabos, Mexico to conclude their new WTO pacts by 2005. The leaders endorsed the elimination of agricultural export subsidies which pressure on the European Union in WTO talks to be held in Cancun on September 2003. The agenda, however, was not strictly economics and trade. President Megawati opened her and ended her speech on terrorism. Meanwhile President Bush accompanied by Jiang Zemin took the opportunity to add Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan and South Korea's president, Kim Dae Jung, to their discussions about North Korea and his nuclear weapons program. In the post-Sept, 11 atmosphere, the new rhetoric of the Bush Administration seems to suggest constructive partnership with China for deeper and more stable relations. Perhaps the US-Pacific Asia relations, particularly US-Sino bilateral ties, are at crossroads where they break from the past. Once a Red threat, China now appears to be counterterrorism ally. Yet not so long ago, following the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, China was the pariah, and had weathered a string of US bilateral crises including the 1996 standoff over Taiwan, the 1999 bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, and last year's collision between EP-3E and Chinese jet fighter. In fact, at the time of his election, Mr. Bush's defense advisers described China as a potential adversary, to be "contained." However, a turn of events ensued: the US did not obstruct the Chinese bid for Olympics 2008 and held meetings with Chinese President which advanced China's WTO membership. In addition, continuous business deals covering telecommunications to beer highlight closer commercial ties. So it seems in the post Sept. 11 atmosphere the more traditional pro-business, pro-engagement view of China seems to have prevailed in the US. Similarly, since last October, China has sought to present itself as a partner in the US-led war on terrorism and seems more determined than ever to pursue friendly ties. Recently, the Chinese government issued new regulations governing exports of value in missile programs and for use in biological or chemical weapons. Furthermore, China has increasingly released high profile prisoners. According to an activist from San Francisco, Johan Kamm, nearly 30 prisoners have been released from the list of 74 prisoners presented by American diplomats to Beijing. Lastly and noteworthy is China's supportive effort against terrorism. I am not an expert on US-China relations, but as an observer I am skeptical about the foundations of this newly developed affair. Does this summit symbolize a fundamental and enduring change in US-Sino relations from the past, or is this a circumstantial cooperation based on differing perceptions? Does the superficial unity of terrorism veil the deeper differences and challenges ahead of the two nations? Recently during a lecture to participants of TILIP program, Professor Walker expressed his uncertainty about the cooperative affair. He also pointed at how the two states view each other "through different prisms" which is demonstrated by the varying weight and coverage of the press in respective states. I share this view with Professor Walker and would further add that it would be premature to conclude that China is a US ally. First, a closer look needs to be taken at the foundation of the alliance and cooperation. What are the primary interests in bilateral and regional ties? Are the Americans interested in a long-term change of strategy? Second, the domestic issues that determine foreign policy should be considered. China will have the 16th Plenary Congress meeting and should "serious leadership rifts develop over domestic issues, policy toward the United States could also become part of the political battle." Third, there are still bilateral security issues overshadowed by war on terrorism. Many officials in the Chinese military are already highly suspicious of America's adoption of pre-emption as a core strategic doctrine. Meanwhile the US has repeatedly accused China of helping both North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons program. Lastly, there are potential issues which emerge as the different attitudes governing the relations create asymmetries. Trade frictions and technology competition can well become the future challenges as the glued unity on terror dissipates with bin Laden's death. In fact, analysts also claim that he next few years may well be marked by anti-dumping suits and cries of protectionism. What happens when Beijing's ambition to develop its technological capacity materializes, and China starts to compete directly against the US? The conflict is obvious, and if or when bin Laden is dead, perhaps Americans will hear and read more about China. On a positive note, however, the circumstances are fertile for planting new seeds of cooperation and change of rhetoric. Perhaps the question of Taiwan, human rights and nuclear proliferation can be discussed when Bush visits the next Chinese leader for a tea ceremony in Beijing. The issues are intertwined and, although both sides value security and stability, they will remain central to America's relations with China long after bin Laden is dead. China is huge trading partner of America, and set aside war on terrorism, the current circumstances may serve as greatest incentive for a better diplomatic and strategic cooperation. Sara Mohammadi is a senior majoring in economics and international relations.

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