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Men prepare for Head of the Charles

October 17

The men's varsity crew team competed in its second race of the season on Sunday at the New Hampshire Championships. Two varsity boats rowed in the event, the first finishing in seventh place out of twenty teams and posting a 15:01 time in the approximately three mile race, thirty-two seconds behind the victorious Colby Mules. The second boat turned in a mediocre performance, coming in 15th. The regatta on Sunday marked the second consecutive week in which one Jumbo boat achieved favorable results, as it finished near the top of the field. The teams first trial of the season came two weeks ago at the Textile Regatta in Lowell, Massachusetts, in which the number one varsity boat took sixth place out of twenty-five teams. "Our best rowing of the season came in the Textile Regatta. That race showed a lot of promise," varsity captain Max Bernstein said. The second varsity boat also displayed a solid effort but was penalized for not allowing another boat to pass. With the added penalty time, the second boat finished in 22nd place. The performance at the New Hampshire Championships should serve as valuable preparation for the prestigious and important Head of the Charles race this weekend, in which over one hundred crews from around the country participate. The event is the "culmination of the fall season" according to sophomore rower Rick Dalyai said. "It's always fun, the athletes love it," head coach Ben Foster said of the upcoming race. Hundreds of crew fans and curious observers gather each year on the banks of the Charles River or on overhanging bridges to cheer on the teams and admire the stamina and strength of the athletes. The carnival-like atmosphere created by the many crew enthusiasts and avid fans makes for an exhilarating day of competition. The perpetual improvement of the team from the start of the season should bode well for a strong showing in the Head of the Charles. "Both boats are faster than last year," Foster said of the team's improvement. The team attributes much of its success to the abundance of varsity rowers. Six of the men on the first boat return from last year's team, and the second boat is composed of many promising freshmen and sophomores. "We're looking to have a better boat this year with six returning rowers," Bernstein said. The team has also found it easier to simulate race-like conditions in practice with two varsity boats. "Having two eight man boats is a big improvement on last year. It's much easier to practice," Dalyai said. But with the improved numbers on the team and the returning varsity rowers, the expectation to perform well has increased from last year. Foster and the team seem confident that they have rowed well from the first race and will not be disappointed this weekend. The Head of the Charles will be that last organized race for the men in the fall, after which the grueling training process and strict practice schedule will continue through the winter. The team eagerly awaits the spring season, in which they hope both boats will propel them into one of the top places in the NESCAC conference. The fall season, although crucial in terms of training and preparation, does not officially figure into the NCAA crew standings. "The fall season is more of a warm-up for the spring season," Dalyai said. "It's important to do well in the fall to set the tone for the rest of the year." The Jumbos have certainly not dominated thus far, but have executed well with one boat finishing in the top half of the fleet. This weekend will be the final and most formidable test of this phase of the season, but the men are not daunted. If they repeat their performance of the past two weeks there shouldn't be much room to complain.

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News

Interest group to petition for fourth Tufts sorority

October 17

A group of students interested in the multicultural Asian interest sorority Sigma Psi Zeta are generating a petition to establish preliminary relations with the University''s Greek system. At least 15 female students have expressed interest in the preliminary establishment of an Asian culture sorority at Tufts, and the Committee on Fraternities and Sororities (CFS) is "looking into it," Pan-Hellenic Council President Mandy Scheinfeldt said. Though Sigma Psi Zeta has historically been focused on Asian-American culture, membership would not be limited to women of Asian-American descent. Initiated by sophomore Wen Cai, the interest in Sigma Psi Zeta is in its very early stages. "It''s pretty hard for me because I basically went around campus and people kept telling me to go to different [offices]," Cai said. "It turns out that there''s no official form [to get the required 15 petition signatures] _ you just take a piece of paper and get signatures on it." The small group plans to attain the signatures and meet with CFS some time in November, accompanied by a sister from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst chapter of Sigma Psi Zeta, Cai said. To form a Tufts chapter recognized under the Inter-Greek Council and the Pan-Hellenic Council, which governs the sorority system, the new chapter would "have to abide by the same rules as the other [sororities]," Scheinfeldt said. The group of students interested in the sorority is not yet officially recognized, according to Sigma Psi Zeta''s national vice president, Jeannette Moy. "The women aren''t sisters," Moy said. "There is an interest group and they have talked about recognition, but they don''t have status with us yet." If approved, the sorority could possibly be granted colony status in the spring, Scheinfeldt said. After three years with a minimum membership of 15 people, the Tufts chapter of Sigma Psi Zeta would be eligible for permanent recognition and an on-campus house. Moy said the interested women are simply introducing themselves to the Tufts community and making their presence known. "We require that [the women be] on the path to recognition with us in order to petition for recognition on campus," she said. "If everything goes right and they confirm their interest, they may be on the path to recognition." But the sorority might face a situation similar to that of Alpha Phi Delta, a fraternity which is housed in a Latin Way suite because of limited houses on campus. But the provision of housing for members of fraternities and sororities is an informal, unwritten guarantee _ "part of the... give and take relationship [the Greek system has] with the school," Scheinfeldt said. A number of Tufts students have gone off-campus to participate in sororities for years, such as the local Latina sorority, Alpha Rho Lambda. These sororities, however, are not officially recognized by Tufts. The addition of a fourth recognized sorority could have both positive and negative effects on the sorority system, Chi Omega President Debbie Anilionis said. "If there''s a large interest in the sorority that isn''t satisfied by one of the three that already exists, then it''s great to add another one," Anilionis said, adding that it would draw more people into and gather support for the Pan-Hellenic system. Conversely, "If we were to add a fourth sorority while we were still drawing from these smaller numbers, and they were to get members from the same pool of girls already attracted to the Pan-Hellenic system, then it could be detrimental to all," Anilionis said. In that case, the number of girls who rush would be split between four sororities instead of three "and everybody would be left with even smaller numbers than we already have." Despite talk in previous years that sorority houses were at risk of shutting down due to low membership, the Tufts sorority system is in no immediate danger of dissolving, according Inter-Greek President Adam Biacchi. This year''s fall rush was "rather successful compared to past years," he said. Twenty-five women signed up for fall rush this year, although the number of rushes who will choose to complete the pledge process remains to be seen. The increased participation may be attributed partly to heightened house activism. "All three sororities have been active on campus with philanthropic and community events, in part to raise their visibility and to get their name out to potential sisters," Biacchi said. The sororities have also worked to raise interest by combating stereotypes and misconceptions about Greek life, Pan-Hellenic Council advisor Ed Cabellon said. "The leadership within each of the sororities are all working very hard to attract more pledges through aggressive ad campaigns to improve the image and stigma of the sorority system." While all three sororities hold spring rush once a year, only some hold fall rush, when freshmen are not yet permitted to participate. This year was the first in six that more than one sorority, in this case Chi Omega and Alpha Omicron Pi, conducted fall rush. Fall rush participation is typically lower than that of spring rush. Interest in spring rush had been relatively consistent in recent years, averaging 60 to 90 eligible bid recipients, Anilionis said. Last semester marked a low, with only 46 women continuing through the rush process and receiving a bid. Tufts'' bid numbers are comparable to those of sororities at other institutions in the northeast, while Greek systems at southern and western universities typically garner more interest. Scheinfeldt called last year "a fluke," and said interest in sororities was exceptionally low nationwide. "We''ve already gotten overwhelming responses from the freshman class this year," she said "We''re looking forward to a really good spring." The University''s "Guaranteed Bid" system, which promises every interested woman a bid from one of the three sororities, is unusual among collegiate Greek systems. Prospective sisters rush the sorority system as a whole, and are guaranteed a bid from one of the three houses, not necessarily their first choice. After the number of all eligible bid recipients has been established, the Pan-Hellenic Council splits that number between however many houses conducted rush. Each potential pledge completes a bid-matching form, indicating their first, second, and third choice sororities. If 60 women complete the rush process, each house would be required to present 20 women with bids. Each sorority must give bids to an equal number of rushes. The "Guaranteed Bid" system decreases the number of pledges because rushes are not allowed to choose between bids from various houses, as at other universities, Cabellon said. "Because of the University''s mandate on a "Guaranteed Bid" system and quotas established by the sororities to make it an equal playing field, those women who are offered bids sometimes do not accept them, which lowers our pledge numbers." The system can be detrimental to pledge numbers, Biacchi agreed. "The national Pan-Hellenic Council''s already strict and burdensome rules are made even more complicated by the Tufts [system]," he said. "This produces a rush system that takes a lot of work to run." The guarantee has mixed effects, Anilionis said. "While it''s a great idea that everybody who wants to will get a bid, it also works against us because we''re forced to split evenly the bids," she said. "Some girls who want a bid from certain house won''t even get it." The bid acceptance rates differ between the three sororities, Anilionis said. If the University approves the recognition of a culture-oriented sorority, the "Guaranteed Bid" system may have to be changed. Under the current system, women seeking to join the Asian-American sorority would have to rush all sororities and could be offered a single bid from one of the three non-culture specific sisterhoods. The University''s Board of Trustees mandated the current bid system over ten years ago in an effort to make sorority life more inclusive. Tufts does not mandate a minimum number of sororities to maintain the sorority system, although the National Pan-Hellenic Council''s support is contingent upon the presence of two or more active sororities. "The national organizations of Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, or Alpha Omicron Pi may not feel comfortable providing support if there are two or less sororities at Tufts, which would create challenges," Cabellon said. The success of Tufts'' sororities is partly contingent upon the support they receive from their national chapters, Cabellon said. "They look to their national affiliates for council and advice on how to proceed on almost everything they do," he said. Jamie Cox contributed to this report.

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News

Unstoppable force, meet immovable object

October 17

For a Tufts football team, this is as big as it gets. The undefeated, defending champion Williams Ephs will travel to Tufts to take on the Jumbos this Saturday, in front of a large Parents' Weekend crowd. The Ephs are currently tied with Amherst atop the NESCAC standings at 4-0, and are searching for their second consecutive perfect season, the sixth in school history. Tufts, meanwhile, is tied for third at 3-1 after dropping its first game of the season last weekend, 13-12 to Trinity. "It should be a good game," coach Bill Samko said. "Most of the guys are pissed because they let one get away (last week). But I don't think that anybody's down." The game will be a case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, as Williams will bring its top ranked offensive attack against the Jumbos' top ranked defense. The Ephs have proven to be an offensive powerhouse, but if any team matches up well with them it may be Tufts. "They're a tough team to match up with," Samko said. "But our defense has been playing pretty well. We'll definitely have to play well to win." The biggest challenge for the Tufts defense will be stopping Williams' air attack, which is lead by quarterback Joe Reardon, who is averaging 228 yards per game so far this season, with eight touchdown passes and just three picks. His primary target has been wide receiver Ryan Friend, who has 35 catches (three for touchdowns) for 415 yards this season, for an average of 103 yards per game. Reardon has not gone solely to Friend however, as seven different Ephs have touchdown receptions this season. Among those with a touchdown catch is Williams' unique weapon Scott Farley, who has played considerable amounts on both sides of the ball this season. Farley leads the team in scoring as its place kicker and punter, is second on the team in punt returns, fourth on the team in receiving, and leads the team with two interceptions. "They've got some good players," Samko said. "(Reardon) was player of the year last year, and he's just damn good." But if Williams doesn't kill you in the air, they may well run you to death. The team has averaged 147 yards per game on the ground thus far, but does not have a standout running back, as only one player averages more than 60 yards per game on the ground. Williams is far and away the NESCAC leader in total offense, as the team combines for more than 426 yards per game, nearly 70 more yards per game than second place Amherst. Tufts however, leads the league in defense by a similar margin, allowing just 182 yards per game. Second place Trinity allows over 241 yards per game. The Jumbos are also the top ranked team in scoring defense, but perhaps more importantly for this weekend, is the top ranked team in pass defense as well. Tufts backfield of senior tri-captain Evan Zupancic and juniors Drew Blewett, Jorge Rodriguez and Mark Tilki, along with solid pressure from the defensive line have only allowed opponents to throw for an average of 111 yards per game, just two touchdowns, and have intercepted the ball 12 times. If there is a backfield in the NESCAC to neutralize the Ephs passing attack, it appears to be that of the Jumbos. Williams is coming off of a thrilling come from behind win last week against Middlebury, where the Ephs scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes, including the game winner with 55 seconds to play, to secure the 27-24 victory. While Williams will likely be riding the momentum from that win, the Jumbos will be looking to get back on track following their frustrating loss last week, which may give them an added motivation. "Will it help? I don't know. I would have rather won the game," Samko said. "But they're beatable. I think everyone's human. You just line up and you play and you take it from there." Williams may be beatable, but history is not on Tufts' side. The last time the Jumbos beat a team from Williams was in 1986 in a 33-3 rout. The teams tied 14-14 in 1988 (before the advent of overtime) and again 10-10 in 1992. The Ephs have won every game since.

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News

Williams has big week in NESCAC

October 17

Both Amherst and Williams continued their football success with powerful ground attacks this past Saturday. These schools used their running games to stomp all over their competition. For Amherst, Junior half back Fletcher Ladd carried the team on his shoulders as he ran the ball an arduous 35 times compiling 208 yards in the process. Ladd's efforts helped the Lord Jeffs land a 14-0 victory over Colby. Meanwhile on the other side of the state, William's Tim Crawley came off the bench to dash for 127 yards on only 13 carriers, an average of nearly 10 yards per run. Crawley also added two touchdowns to his list of accomplishments, the latter score being the difference in the game as the Ephs went on for the 27-24 victory. After four weeks both Amherst and Williams look like they will be sharing NESCAC's top spot for a while, as both are a perfect 4-0. Amherst football was not the only team to make headlines this weekend as the men's soccer freshman forward Joe Gannon earned player of the week honors. Gannon scored twice in the Lord Jeff's 3-2 victory over Connecticut College this past Thursday. He then turned around and dished out two assists in Amherst's 3-1 win over Colby on Saturday. The Lord Jeffs at 3-3, however,are still sitting two games out of first; that top seat honor belongs to Bowdoin and Williams who both have 5-1 records. Amherst's victory left Connecticut College still scratching its head trying to figure out how to break its six game losing streak, as they are winless. For the women in NESCAC soccer, Middlebury is sad to see its road trip come to an end. Senior Forward Meg Bonny, along with the entire Middlebury team, enjoyed a great two game stretch in which she scored 4 goals as the team won an important game at a hostile Williams Colleg. The win moved Middlebury into fourth place, only two wins behind first place Tufts who leads the NESCAC with it's 5-1 record. Sitting close behind the Jumbos are Amherst and Williams who trail by only one game. At the bottom of the standings is Wesleyan who has struggled mightily to this point still unable to find a way to win in any of its first five contests. Williams is having a big week in many sports as they place yet another athlete in the player of the week spotlight. Volleyball sophomore Joyia Chadwick was remarkably consistent and mistake free as she had only 10 errors in 114 attempts for the week. In a win over Amherst she executed 16 kills. Chadwick has helped put the Ephs atop the NESCAC as they are tied with Amherst for that position. Each school has 6-1 records in the NESCAC. Appropriately Williams also boasts the player of the week in Field Hockey. Junior Tori Scott scored once and had two assists contributing to all three of the Ephs goals as they defeated Middlebury 3-1. Williams now has moved into a tie for first with Bowdoin as each team has five wins and one loss. Connecticut College remained a step behind everyone, and have yet to score a victory in this still young season in the NESCAC.

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News

Cramped quarters and long waits part of Pho Pasteur's signature style

October 16

There are about a thousand places to eat in Harvard Square. If you are willing to be a bit risky, Pho Pasteur is a good place to try. Located in The Garage, this Vietnamese eatery offers authentic cuisine at fair prices. But there are some things to consider before making this place your evening-opener: If you arrive after 8 p.m., plan on waiting 20 minutes. A good way to kill the time is to head around the corner and down JFK street to Urban Outfitters or one of the other shops just around the corner. But be forewarned: When you go back after the 20 minutes, you'll be told to wait another ten or so. Maybe instead of Urban Outfitters, you should go to Finagle-a-Bagel to grab a quick snack. That way, you won't be starving and ready to pounce when you are told that you have longer to wait. Speaking of waiting, even when you are seated, you won't get to order for yet another 20 minutes. We walked in to see this small restaurant, probably about the size of the lounge in most of the smaller Tufts dorms, and got just about the worst table in the house _ next to the bar, squeezed between two poles, and right by the door and the cash register. Despite the small atmosphere and even smaller personal space _ we were about a foot from the people next to us _ perhaps a better table would make for a more pleasant experience. There are multiple levels to the restaurant as you get farther away from the bar, and the higher you go, the more personal space is available. At least the people up there seemed to be more comfortable. Another perk to getting a table up high is that the noise level seems to be reduced. The problem, though, is that those few, elite tables are only for groups of four or more. This means that if you are planning on a nice evening with that special someone or trying to impress that person you have been waiting forever to go out with, you'll be hard pressed to come out with the result you desire. It is near impossible to have a personal conversation if you don't get one of the group tables, and if you're on a date, there's no where to sit but in the super-loud section. So, even if after all this you keep the faith and stay to eat (we nearly left, until finally we were asked for our orders after a total of 50 minutes since first putting our name in with the host), the food is not as bad as the atmosphere. The white rice is fantastic, as far as the quality of sticky white rice goes. It is usually served with the meal, but you can ask to get it right away, so that after waiting nearly an hour you can whet your appetite. Though we were new to Vietnamese food, we found our meals pleasant. The appetizer was summer rolls, a cold appetizer consisting of lettuce, shrimp (and pork if you desire) with bean sprouts all wrapped in a thin piece of rice paper served with a spicy peanut sauce. This appetizer was very refreshing and hit the spot. For entr?©es, we ordered Grilled Shrimp served on vermicelli noodles ($6.95) and the Bo Beef Steak (at $17.95, the most expensive item on the menu). The Grilled Shrimp served on Vermicelli is exactly what it sounds like. Vermicelli is it is thin rice noodles, and they were served mixed with bean sprouts topped with the deliciously spiced and grilled shrimp (about five in the serving). To give the noodles more flavor, the dish was served with something resembling sweet and sour sauce (nuoc cham). And for even more flavor there are hot and sweet sauces already prepared and ready at the table. This dish was very tasty until the shrimp ran out, but then it became more monotonous. As for the Bo Beef Steak, it is described as a sirloin steak, Vietnamese style. When it arrived it was not one steak, but two smaller steaks (each one was about six ounces). They are seared and then saut?©ed in garlic, black pepper, soy sauce and red wine. The steaks were basically small versions filet mignon. They were surprisingly tender and full of flavor. The soy sauce and red wine combination makes for an excellent flavor _ it is like nothing you have tasted ever before. The dish is also served with slices of fresh cucumber and thin strips of celery and carrot. As for the dessert menu, well, let's just say that it is a blessing that Ben and Jerry's is about 40 feet from Pho Pasteur (go for the "Sweet Cream & Cookies"). All in all, Pho Pasteur might be alright for lunch once in a long while, but only if the service really picks up and the waiting time to be seated, the hidden extra waiting time to be seated, and then the waiting time to order are eliminated. The only thing that was good about the service was the host and hostess are friendly and the water is refilled the second that your empty glass hits the under-sized table at which you are seated. If you are planning on going to Pho Pasteur, make sure you have a lot of time and are with at least three other people so your chances of getting seated at one of the more desirable tables are improved. Otherwise, your time is better spent searching for another Vietnamese restaurant.

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News

Rough stretch wears out volleyball over weekend

October 16

The Tufts volleyball team went toe to toe with the best volleyball teams in all of New England over the past week and came out with the scars to prove it. Its conference record went from 2-0 to 4-2, overall from 12-5 to 14-8, as the squad played five games in just three days, and managed to win just two. Of the five teams it played, four were ranked among the top six teams in the NESCAC conference. Amherst and Williams, two of Tufts' opponents over the weekend, are currently tied atop the conference with records of 6-1. After traveling to Wellesley last Thursday, the Jumbos came home to host a NESCAC Weekend on Friday and Saturday. Tufts played two matches each day. Although it was a tough weekend for the Jumbos, one bright spot was the play of Sophomore Ali Sauer. "(Sauer) really stepped up," coach Cora Thompson said. "She did a lot of things right, setting, coming up for spikes on the right side, good defense. She gave us a good presence." Coach Thompson pointed to fatigue as the culprit for the lack of blocking that became more and more apparent as the weekend moved along. The Jumbos' front line had a tough time closing their blocks and making quick adjustments at the net. "We did not play as well as we could," Thompson said. "We just ran out of gas at the end." This was especially true in Tufts' match against Amherst. It was a dominating performance by an excellent Amherst team that won the Bates Invitational. Amherst seemed much more rested and the Tufts squad seemed spent. The combination of just nine blocks and junior Lindsey Moses being the only member of the team putting up double digits in the dig column with 11, is never a good sign. One bright spot came from junior Amy Cronin, who tallied 13 kills on the match. However she did not get much support as the entire rest of the team managed only 17 kills. Their game against Middlebury earlier in the day provided a result more to the Jumbos' liking. They showed great resilience, losing the first set 26-30 then coming back to win the next three, 30-25, 30-21, and 30-24 respectively. Unlike their game against Amherst, the Jumbo frontline was dominant, with four players amassing more than 10 kills. Sophomore Emily Macy led the team with 19 kills, while Cronin and Freshman Courtney Evans each came away with 15. Behind every kill is a great set, and in this game, like ever Jumbo game, the sets came from Moses, who had a season high of 61 assists in the game. Macy's great game was on both sides of the game, as she totaled 23 digs on defense. Right behind Macy, four other Jumbos scored ten or more digs. The night before the Jumbos laid waste to last place Hamilton College who still has yet to win a conference match. Helped by many unforced errors on the Hamilton side, Tufts took care of Hamilton in three sets, 30-9, 30-17, 30-22. The Tufts squad jumped on them early, scoring 9 straight points to begin the match, and never looked back. The Jumbo serving game was impressive, totaling 12 aces, 4 of which came from the hands of Moses. The Jumbos began their weekend against Williams on Friday night. Although they went down in three straight sets, the team kept it close against a tough against a talented squad. Last year's NESCAC Champion, Williams used a variety of spikes and drop shots to keep the Jumbos off-balance. Led by NESCAC player of the week, Sophomore Joyia Chadwick, the Ephs won the first game convincingly 30-21. The next game should have belonged to the Jumbos, as they led through most of it, but Tufts could provide no answer for a late run by Williams and lost the match. Sophomore Danielle Cafasso led the team with 14 kills. Cronin was right behind her with 12 kills, and Evans, Freshman April Gerry and Macy all pitched in. Last Thursday the Jumbos journeyed to Wellesley College to take on the perennial powerhouse. After a close game in the first set where Wellesley edged Tufts 33-31, the Jumbos got no closer, losing the next two sets. Each set was very close, but the squad could not manage to bring home the victory. Cronin led the team with 10 kills and added 12 digs, while Macy led the team in digs with 18. Things will not get any easier this weekend for Tufts. The Jumbos will be traveling to Colby College to participate in another NESCAC weekend. Two of their opponents, Colby and Bates, boast a 5-1 record in NESCAC play. The Jumbos, however, should be much better rested, having almost a week to recover from their last match.

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News

Women's varsity crew team sets impressive tone for year

October 16

It seems a little change in scenery can make a big difference. After moving its boathouse from the Charles River to the local Malden River, the Tufts Varsity Women's Crew team has already seen a vast improvement. In the team's first competition of the fall season, its two entries finished fourth and 13th respectively out of 35 boats in the Women's Club Eights at the Oct. 6 Textile River Regatta in Lowell. Last year, at the same competition, the team finished 26th and 32nd. "It was a really strong showing," sophomore Alana Van der Mude said. "It sets a good precedent for the rest of the season." This past Saturday, the team competed in the New Hampshire Championships in Pembroke, the last competition before this weekend's critical Charles River Regatta. In New Hampshire the team's two boats finished second and tenth out of 21 boats in the Open Division. With a total of 19 rowers and three coxswains on the roster this year, the team has been able to create two boats of eight rowers each. In the Textile River Regatta, the two boats finished 47 seconds apart in one of the most competitive races of the day on the three-mile course on the Merrimack River. The Riverside Boat Club took home first place honors, edging out Bates College and WPI, with a time of 20:10, just more than a minute faster than the first Tufts' boat. The first Tufts' boat finished with a time of 21 minutes and 14 seconds; the second boat was clocked at 22:01, both competitive times. There is more reason for optimism though, with two of the top three teams that finished ahead of the Jumbos' first boat closing out their year-long seasons at the Charles River Regatta, the most important race of the fall schedule. Tufts rowers, however, are just getting going. The fall season is considered preliminary, before winter training and the strong close of their season strong in the spring with the aptly titled spring races, the shorter sprints. The New Hampshire Championships, considered a tune-up for the world famous Head of the Charles Regatta on Saturday, made for some hopeful rowers. "We're starting to really apply what we're learning in practice, and we're seeing the results," senior co-captain Maggie Danielson said. The first Tufts' boat finished with a time of 16:41.41, just 11 seconds behind first place winner Holy Cross; the second boat came in at 17:48.02 to finish tenth. Last year, Tufts came in tenth and 13th at the same competition. In addition to the boathouse move-a move which, according to the rowers, has made them more focused and given them a stronger team identity-this year's improvement can be attributed to a new sense of team unity and an influx of nine promising sophomore rowers and one sophomore coxswain. The Lowell meet was the first of their Varsity careers. "It was exciting," Van der Mude, a 5'7" New Jersey native, exclaimed. There's plenty of experience on the team as well. Led by senior captains Amira Baker-Jud and Danielson, the team has a total of seven seniors and ten returning members in all. In accordance with the team's unity theme, the Jumbos attempt to balance their attack by making each of their two boats equal in strength. "We are rapidly coming together as a very strong knit team," Danielson said. With a quality start under their belts, the Varsity Women's Crew Team's potential seems to be limitless and will hopefully be a precursor for success at the Charles River Regatta this weekend. The Head of the Charles has added a new division this year exclusively for colleges, increasing Tufts' chances for a breakthrough performance (the team will no longer have to compete against advanced rowing clubs). "This is an extremely exciting year for the women's varsity program," Danielson said. "We have a depth and breadth of talent on the team that I, as a senior, have never seen before." The novice team, composed of freshmen women who have never rowed before, also performed well at Textile River and in New Hampshire-finishing fourth out of 11 in Lowell and fourth out of 18 in New Hampshire in the Women's Novice Eights.

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News

Michael Moore uses documentary to examine social questions

October 16

Bowling for Columbine is the new documentary from the politically savvy Michael Moore, the director responsible for Roger and Me, and TV Nation. Now Moore is tackling the issue of violence in America, and Bowling for Columbine relays his message in a witty and poignant way. The United States is the most violent developed nation in the world, and many people disagree about the reasons behind this unfortunate truth. Moore sets out to find answers in his latest film, traveling the country, talking to people and getting ideas, mostly about such controversial issues as gun control and the influence of the media. With the recent serial sniper attacks across Virginia, Bowling for Columbine is even more pertinent. Moore is especially adept at asking those questions that really need to be examined in this country. Why is America so violent? Why does our media nurture fear? Why do so many people in America want to get their hands on a gun? These questions are not easy to answer, and while Moore attempts to make some progress towards revealing some answers, he does not make any promises. He is not attempting to single-handedly solve America's problems, but rather he reminds the audience of what they are and does so in a usually clever but sometimes frighteningly somber manner. Bowling for Columbine is a documentary centered around the inexplicable tragedy of a school shooting at Columbine. Many different sources have been blamed for the horrible event, from violent video games, to movies, to every aspect of the media, and even specific musicians like Marilyn Manson. While Moore cites these as valid explanation, he also warns viewers of jumping to conclusions by informing us that the last thing the shooters did before the event was go bowling. Perhaps there is a correlation there. While this is just Moore's facetious wit, it is a reminder to deeply explore these issues before making any definite decisions. At times the film tends to become a bit scattered as Moore moves from point to point without definite closure, sometimes straying too far. However, this stems from his interest in really exploring all sides of an issue. Moore has a gift for interviewing with people whose opinions are completely unlike his own and pointing out the flaws in their ideas without them quite realizing it. Of course, some of the time his subjects will storm out, but for the most part Moore makes a point with each of them, whether he agrees with them or not. Moore truly does look at all the angles: men who own ten guns and know how to make bombs, sociologists who know about the benefits of gun control, Marilyn Manson, and the guru of guns himself, Charleton Heston. At one point he travels up to Canada to try to figure out why the Canadians have such a lower rate of shootings than the US, but a relatively similar amount of guns. What he discovered is Canadians are not afraid. They don't even lock their doors _ even in big cities. Moore knows this firsthand because he tested it out, meeting a few Canadian citizens at their own doors. It is this sincerity that really shows through in Bowling for Columbine. Moore wants answers and is just as frustrated as his viewers at not always being able to find them. There are moments when he is genuinely surprised or touched at what the people he interviews have to say. While Moore may come off as a little too self-righteous on occasion by over-emphasizing his points, those who agree with him will admire his motives the whole way through. Moore really does mean well. What Moore really does in Bowling for Columbine is raise issues and start a discussion that the audience will hopefully continue after the credits roll. The more people who see this movie and react strongly to it, no matter what the reaction, the better. Michael Moore's success will really depend on whether or not he can get America to discuss its problems with violence. That is, after all, the first step towards a solution.

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News

Intramural Roundup shows you how to keep warm at winter games

October 16

Welcome to this week's intramural roundup. This week's article on intramural football will require a little reader participation, but we'll get to that in a moment. First things first. It's coooold out here at Fletcher Field. To combat the chill, we have three things: a Columbia windbreaker, two packs of Camel Lights, and a brown flask filled to the brim with good ol' Jimmy Beam. Intramural Roundup would like all of you out there in readerland to grab a bottle of your own and follow along. Every time a touchdown or an interception occurs, take a drink. Simple, right? Team Spam and the Indies is this week's featured game. Everybody take a swig for good luck and here we go. Team Spam took the ball first. The first pass downfield is picked off by number 52 on the Indies. The Indies QB then took the ball down the field on three passes setting himself up for the go ahead touchdown. Whooh. Smoooooth. But Team Spam answered right back with a touchdown of their own as Chris Lee found Tim Reardon in the endzone. Lee followed up that offensive success with a defensive one, intercepting a pass on the first play of the drive. But then it was number 88 Aman Chahal getting an interception of his own. That pick doesn't matter though as the Indies had to punt on that possession. Then, Lee threw a 50-yard pass to number 52 on the white team, following it up with a spectacular run of his own and a short touchdown pass. But, with the score 14-7 in favor of Team Spam, new Indy quarterback Ryan Sullivan hit number 68 with a pass a midfield, before throwing a touchdown pass to Chahal to tie the score. The teams then traded interceptions (two drinks people) and Team Spam took over at midfield. New Indy quarterback completed three passes before hitting number 68 over the middle for the go-ahead score. At the half, the score was 21-14, Team Spam leading. Whooooooooooo! How's everybody feelin'? Intramural Roundup's gotta tell you one thing, it doesn't feel the cold ANYmore! Now, while we take a not so short bathroom break, a word from our sponsor. Dark, handsome man: A lot of people ask me, Dan, how do you keep looking so young. I have to laugh, because the answer always surprises them. (Dog runs and jumps on his lap and starts licking his face.) Hey, whoa there Sparky. Every morning, I start my day with a big, hearty bowl of saltines drowned in Jim Beam brand whiskey. Sure it goes down kinda hard at 8 a.m., but after that, the day just saaaaaails by. Take it from me, Dan Fowler. If it doesn't say Jim Beam, it's just not breakfast. We are back. Indies have the ball at their own twenty. Things are gettin' kinda spinny like so lets keep it quick. The teams trade interceptions (remember, that's two drinks people) again! Then Sullivan hits 52 on a long touchdown pass. After a touchdown for team Spam, Sullivan hits the same receiver on the same play for the same result. That's it. Biiiiiiiiig sips people. Don't wuss out on me. With the score tied at 28, number 26 on Team Spam hits Lee with a touchdown, and from there things just start to go downhill for the Indies. In brief, the rest of the game went like this: interception Spam, touchdown Spam, turnover on downs Indies, touchdown Spam, turnover on downs Indies, touchdown Spam, interception Spam, touchdown Spam, touchdown Indies, interception Indies. Team Spam was drunk with excitement after the game. "We'd like to dedicate this victory to Sgt. Jason R Graves of the Chesterfield, NH police who arrested nine of us this weekend," Team Spam member Ian Smalley said. "He took our beer away too." Good guys, Team Spam, good guys. In other intramural action, Dirties quarterback Peter Le said of his team's 7-7 tie with Zeta Psi "This is going to be the championship game." Peter Le. Le. Write that down. Good guy Peter. Good guy. In the other intramural game of the day, Dearborn defeated Ill Sauce in a 28-21 game, which seems kind of hazy now. Now, another message from our sponsor. Dark handsome man: A lot of people ask me why I have such a great job. And I have to laugh, because the answer always surprises them. (His daughter comes over and puts her arm around him.) Girl: Hi daddy. Dark, handsome man: Hi honey. Every day at lunch, I like to wrap my lips around a bottle of Jim Beam brand whiskey. It keeps my mind relaxed, and my hands steady so that I can do my job right. Nurse: We're ready for you Doctor Fowler. Dark, handsome man: Jim Beam, it's not just for breakfast anymore. Reading Comprehension Questions 1. What the #$%$ are you lookin at, slim? 2. Do you have a particular problem with Intramural Roundup's hat? 3. Hey there good-lookin. Whaddya say we go and shave your back together, eh? What did we learn this week? -This guy here? Thiiiiis is the guy -If it doesn't say Jim Beam, it's just not breakfast.

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News

7 Questions with Alex Gardner

October 16

Full name: Alex Charles Gardner Height: 6'1" Weight: 200 pounds of twisted steel_sex appeal Hometown: Waltham, MA Birthdate: June 3, 1982 Sign: The middle finger Nickname: Cock-tip Alex Gardner is an athlete. True, his sport is not in season yet; but thanks to Amy Cronin not e-mailing me her responses to 7 Questions, Gardner stepped up. Gardner, a junior, has been on the varsity hockey team since his freshman year. Although he is on the hockey team, Gardner is more than willing to talk about all sorts of issues. I caught up with him after he was telling young ladies in the dining hall that this journalist (me) is hung to his knees, so it was only fitting that 7 Questions followed. 1. So you lived with me freshman year. Is there anything I should share about your past? I got raped in the shower freshman year, so remember to lock your doors when you are in Miller Hall. 2. You played a decent amount on the hockey team last season. Any shout outs you would like to give? What up Sully and Disco. 3. The NHL's leading scorer last season, Jerome Iginla, was black. Do you feel a touch of Tiger Woods-ism coming to hockey? It doesn't matter if he's black; he's Canadian. 4. Did you and your sophomore-year roommate, hockey forward Timm Schatz, ever play hockey in the buck with toilet paper? We ran in the naked quad run in our hockey helmets freshman year, but there was no toilet paper involved. 5. I hear you listen to comedian Dave Chappelle a lot. What is your favorite joke? Two guys and one girl is just the wrong kind of teamwork. I'm a one dick per fantasy kind of guy; my penis is the star of my own fantasy _ it's an Alex Gardner joint. 6. So what is the right kind of team work? Two girls and one guy, that's holding... sharing... helping... hugging... caring. The other way around is down right brutal if you ask me... chick looks like a chicken on a rotisserie. 7. Tufts hockey has been affected by decreased roster spots due to Title IX. How do feel about that? If women here had as much enthusiasm about playing sports as they did about eating ice cream up in Carmichael, then we wouldn't have this problem. _Elliott Wiley, Jr.

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News

Murder, mystery and comedy at Boston's Charles Playhouse

October 16

Every Tuesday through Sunday, a murder takes place in the downstairs theater of Boston's Charles Playhouse on 74 Warrenton St. The landlady of the Shear Madness hairstyling salon is killed, and it is up to the most unlikely band of crime-solving stalwarts to crack the case _ the audience. Welcome to Shear Madness, America's longest-running comedy, where the deed is done, witnesses are interrogated, and the audience ultimately votes on the killer in the most engaging brand of audience participation this side of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The play itself is simple enough. Gum-chewing, red-haired Barbara DeMarco and flamboyantly gay Tony Whitcomb run the Shear Madness salon. Their customers include bumbling businessman Mike Thomas, antique dealer Edward Lawrence, socialite Muffy Schubert, and Boston native Nick Rossetti. World famous pianist Isabel Czerny, the landlady who is never seen but is always heard playing the piano, completes the character list. The day starts out with business as usual, with Barbara doing her nails and Tony doing anything but actually cutting hair. As more of the cast enters the salon, however, suspicious activities start to occur: a stolen kiss here, a briefcase there, and a couple of overt threats of murder. Then, in a frenzy of rage from all the cast, Isabel Czerny is murdered offstage, and the cops come barging in. All of the witnesses are interrogated, and the whole first act is reenacted with the audience filling in gaps and calling actors' bluffs. While this happens, though, the actors hold their own, calling audience members "The Weakest Link," and otherwise humorously insulting them. During the break, one of the police officers roams the audience, in character, and answers questions from audience members about suspects, clues, and theories. After the break, the audience has a chance to directly ask the actors questions pertaining to the crime. It is a testament to the comprehensiveness of the show that every audience question had a direct and complete answer, and that nothing went unanticipated. Finally, the audience voted on who was the killer. When the second act began, the killer was revealed. Well, that is, tonight's killer. The ingenious gimmick of Shear Madness is that there is not one set ending. The killer's identity depends entirely on audience voting and reaction, so out of four possible killers, there are four possible endings. Neither the audience nor the actors know the killer's identity at the start of the show. While this sounds like a serious crime, the show itself is anything but serious. The It is peppered with jokes, both scripted and improvisational, and the actors are perfect in their delivery. Tony is the center of attention for most of the show, commanding attention with his over-the-top mannerisms and his loud and often hilarious homosexual jokes; he says to an officer at one point, "Hold me back! Hold me back! Just hold me." The rest of the cast gets theirs as well, especially Rossetti, the undercover cop who handles all of the interrogations. There are also many pop-culture references inserted by the actors, such as American Idol, the Spice Girls, Robert Blake, and the aforementioned Weakest Link. In their interaction with audience members, actors throw in barbs at Boston suburbs, such as Revere, Chelsea, and Medford. Many times the jokes were so funny and unexpected that the actors themselves could not stop themselves from laughing. This only served to make the audience laugh harder and to increase the energy of the show. Shear Madness started out as a serious murder mystery, written by German playwright Paul P?¶rtner and called Scherenschnitt. Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams appeared in the play in 1978, decided it would make a good comedy, and acquired stage, film, and television rights. The first ever performance of Shear Madness was in the Charles Playhouse in January of 1980. Twenty-two years and 9,304 performances later, Shear Madness shows no signs of slowing down in Boston. The play has been a hit both in America and throughout the world. The second-longest run was in Chicago, spanning 7,220 performances from September 1982 to November 1999. The third-longest is still going in Washington DC with 6,240 performances. Other American cities that have hosted Madness include Philadelphia, Kansas City, Houston, Fort Worth, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Detroit, to name a few. Shear Madness has also been a worldwide hit, playing Tel Aviv, Buenos Aires, Budapest, and currently in Italy and Athens, Greece. Shear Madness plays at the Charles Playhouse at 74 Warrenton St. in Boston. Shows are Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., and Sunday 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34 for all shows.

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News

Going to the fair

October 16

A week and a half ago, I was illegally checking my email from the upstairs computers in the library when I received a message from the wonderful people at Career Services. The email informed me of a fair that I couldn't miss. Everybody was going to be there. "Ooh, a fair," I thought to myself. "Fairs are usually fun, right? Maybe it will be like a county fair, with soft-serve vanilla-chocolate twist ice cream, cotton candy, live folk music, pony rides, and the lingering aroma of hay and manure!" On Thursday, Oct. 10, a career fair was to be held in the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center (the place most students know by its abbreviated title, Gantcher). With Thursday rapidly approaching, I began to question just how much fun this fair would be. On Wednesday night, after 17 milliseconds of internal strife and angst, I came to the conscious decision that I would not go to the career fair. However, I changed my mind and realized that I should in fact go to the career fair following a brief conversation with my parents on Thursday morning. I tried to hold my own during our discussion, but my Dad's arguments were just too persuasive. "Hey Adam, how are you doing? How are classes? Have you found a job yet for next year?" "Umm, hi Dad, it's good to hear your voice again, too. Classes are going well, keeping me busy. And no, I still don't know what I'm doing next year. I think there's some career fair thing tonight. I doubt I'll go; it's not going to be that good. None of my..." "You're going," he interrupted. "What?" "You're going or you're cut off financially." "Yeah, so anyways, I'm really looking forward to this career fair tonight." I put up the good fight, but alas, I was forced to succumb by the classic, low-ball cut-off-your-finances-tactic. At that point my mind went blank with the exception of three things. 1.) I have no r?©sum?©. 2.) I have long hair. 3.) I haven't taken my weekly shower or shaved. I was in trouble. What kind of company or organization would hire a scruffy, longhaired, unshaven, dirty liberal arts student with no r?©sum?©? Two options immediately came to mind _ Peace Corps and Green Corps. Despite the fact that I was the perfect candidate for the job, I had no desire to work for either organization. That left me no choice. I reluctantly showered and shaved and began to brainstorm activities and accomplishments to put on my r?©sum?©. However, I refused to cut my hair in a last ditch effort to preserve what little dignity I had left. Miraculously, at 7:15 I found myself hurriedly making my way to Gantcher, dressed in my best pair of khaki pants (with only one not-visible hole in the seam of the crotch) and a button-down blue shirt. With my sharp looks and impressive r?©sum?©, I would be irresistible to my prospective employers. How could anybody turn down the 1988 Ocean City Watermelon Seed spitting champion? I was practically the president of LCS, too (I think I might have volunteered for half of Kid's Day freshman year, but I can't remember). And what about my involvement in Tufts Mountain Club? So what if I wasn't active; I paid dues sophomore year. What really jumped out about my r?©sum?© was my participation in freshman class council. My peers elected me as an alternate council member (I finished third in a three person race) during an orientation week dorm meeting and entrusted me as their (alternate) representative. Since then I have committed myself to improving Tufts (regardless of the fact that I have never gone to any council meetings). As I walked down College Ave., I passed by some friends who were coming back from the career fair. "Hey Adam, how's it going? Going to the career fair?" they asked with a tinge of excitement in their voices. "Yeah I guess so," I answered as unenthusiastically as I could, trying to hold back numerous sarcastic responses that attempted to spew from my mouth. For what other reason would I be all dressed up and heading towards the gym? To look good while enlarging my already massive frame? To run some laps around the track in khakis? Or maybe to go for a fully-clothed swim in the pool? A few minutes later, I entered Gantcher and paused just inside the door. My teeth gleamed through my unabashedly smiling lips and I chuckled as I saw what awaited me. A short two hundred feet away were dozens of tables, big booths, flashy signs, smiling recruiters, and seniors. Some students were wearing normal college clothes - i.e. jeans and a Tufts sweatshirt - while others decided to get all decked out in fancy-shmancy suits. I had never seen so many people look so out of place in my life. The kid who sits in front of me in economics class and always wears a Red Sox hat was sporting a pinstriped, long-tailed, three-piece suit. And he was just one example of the young Clark Kentish men and women that mingled about, trying to sell their services. After spending forty-five minutes aimlessly meandering around the career fair I got a hot tip to head over to the Dow table for a free T-shirt. "Hi, how are you? My name is Adam," I said as I greeted the Dow representative with a firm, give-me-free-stuff handshake. "Hello, Adam. I'm Joel. How are you doing tonight?" "Okay, a bit tired actually, I don't really want to be here. I was just interested in seeing if you had any free T-shirts left." Unphased, Joel dove directly into his spiel. "Well, first of all let me tell you about what I do for Dow. I head up a team of around..." It was then that Joel's voice seemed to melt into undecipherable gibberish and my inner monologue became a broken record. "Free T-shirt. Free T-shirt. Free T-shirt..." By the end of the night I had handed out four or five r?©sum?©s, but only one employer, the Secret Service, seemed mildly enthusiastic about my credentials. I talked to the Secret Service recruiter at the booth for two or three quality minutes and then he asked me to step outside. "Son, I can tell that you are of good moral character and have sound values. Normally I wouldn't be speaking to you at all - that hair you have is a disgrace to yourself and your family. But today is your lucky day. Do you think you have what it takes?" What it takes? What the hell was this guy talking about? "Yes, I do, sir," I replied confidently. "Good. We're currently running," he interrupted himself and rigidly barked, "Stop playing with your hair!" "Right. Sorry sir," I apologetically muttered as my hand fell down to my side. "As I was saying, we are presently trying to infiltrate a northern California hippie community and we are in desperate need of individuals like yourself _ young, long-haired, wannabe hippies from the East coast." To his dismay, I declined his offer to join the Secret Service, citing the fact that I was not confident that my hair was long enough for me to pass as a true hippie (not to mention the fact that I'd think at least twice before taking a bullet for Dubya). After the Secret Service agent told me to look directly at one of those pen-like-selective memory-erasers from Men in Black, I promptly left the career fair and began to walk home. Although I was leaving empty handed, with no T-shirt and no job, it was undoubtedly a successful night. By attending the career fair I accomplished three important things: I gained valuable interview experience, organized my r?©sum?©, and most importantly, got my weekly shower out of the way.

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News

Stop the Barry hatred

October 16

Stop it. Just stop. I've had enough of all the Barry Bonds haters out there booing the man just for being who he is, and being one of, if not the best ever, to play the game. There's just no cause for it. How can you hate a man who puts up numbers like Bonds does? I just don't understand. I've listened to more people rag on Barry in the past two years than I can stomach, and it just doesn't make any sense. I guess now you have to be just a mediocre player in the major leagues for fans to love you. If you're lousy, you get booed. But if you get too good you get booed too. People are too damn moody these days, and it stinks worse than a Cheerios burp (some of you know what I mean). When I see bad baseball, I boo. When I see good baseball, I cheer. And when I see something absolutely phenomenal, like Barry Bonds, I get excited. I can't understand people who claim to be fans of baseball, but badmouth Bonds and change the channel whenever he's on TV. Why would you not want to watch him? It's like watching Willie Mays or Ted Williams or Babe Ruth play the game. Who wouldn't want to watch them take the field? In the past two years Barry Bonds has had arguably the best two individual seasons in the history of the game. Last year he hit 73 homeruns, batted .328, walked 177 times, struck out only 93 times, and had an out of this world .863 slugging percentage. .. 863!!! And this year he was even better, batting .370 with 46 homeruns and just 47 strikeouts, while compiling a .582 on base percentage. (These numbers are absolutely ridiculous, for those of you who don't know. Completely and utterly insane. Nobody should be that good. Somebody hold me.) And people still say they don't want to watch him?!?! What the hell is going on? I hear the complaints, and they're just as crazy as Barry's numbers. "He's too arrogant. He's not a team player." Get a freaking grip. What great player isn't arrogant? Show me anyone who was ever great at any sport and I'll show you the cockiest person you've ever met. You have to be cocky to be that good. Do you think that Michael Jordan didn't know he was the best player ever? Do you think that Wayne Gretzky thought that Gordie Howe was better? Or that Lance Armstrong thinks he's maybe the second best in the world? Give me a break. I knew athletes in high school who were cocky and I know athletes in college who are cocky. For Christ sake I get cocky when I find Waldo twice in the same day. So what if Barry thinks he's a better baseball player than everyone else? How could he not? He's far and away better than anyone playing the game now, including A-Rod and Sosa. Forgive the man for being human. When you're realistically put in the same category as the greatest players who ever played how can you not be confident? I don't know that anybody has ever backed up his talk like Bonds has. Of all the disgustingly arrogant baseball players (and there are A LOT) nobody can back it up even half as well as Barry can. People say he's not a team player, that he doesn't make his team better. Are you serious? Have you seen the Giants? JT Snow? Shawon Dunston? Tom Goodwin? This is not a postseason roster. Hell this is only about a step above the Brewers. Do you really think that Jeff Kent would have hit .313 with 37 homers and 108 RBI if he wasn't hitting in front of Bonds? Barry lifts his team to an entirely different planet when he's in the lineup. Not even Mark McGuire could improve his team the way Bonds has. How can you do more for your team than make every single player on it better? The only thing that anybody ever had on Barry Bonds was that he was a choke artist when it came to the postseason. But with four homeruns and ten RBI in the playoffs this year, that tag is long gone. He's proven that he can play when it matters most, and opposing pitchers still don't know what to do with the slugger, even in October. Of course everyone will say that he's only done what he's done because of a watered down league and steroid use, but as the Herald's Michael Gee said, "Bonds' overweening self love wouldn't let him mess with his body." So maybe his arrogance has paid off after all. His records and his numbers give him a case as the greatest player ever. He isn't quite there yet, but I wouldn't count him out. The only thing left for him to put on his resume, a World Series ring, is within his grasp and I'll be damned if I'm not going to watch him go after it, especially for some stupid reason like he's too cocky. Last time I checked, nobody ever got into Cooperstown just by being nice.

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News

Gettin' pseudo-ghetto fabulous at the Hong Kong

October 16

We suspect that the owners of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square intended their establishment to be a classy bar where pretentious Harvard students would go to debate the finer points of fluid mechanics over a glass of cognac. When that idea didn't work, the owners turned it into a ghetto-booty dance club sports bar with a Chinese restaurant _ and this concept works fabulously. From the outside, the Hong Kong is at its sketchiest. With a half-broken neon sign and an intimidating bouncer, the Disneyland-goes-to-China architecture makes the bar look more like a strip-club than a dance club. The inside is a little more classy _ though some patrons didn't get the "no sucky-sucky" memo. On the first floor is a Chinese restaurant that offers your typical late-night MSG fare. The menu was lengthy but the dishes were standard _ one step up and a cup of grease less than Kee Kar Lau. Instead of beginning your evening here, think about stopping here on the way out. The restaurant stays open half an hour later than the club, and trust us, the food will taste better after a few scorpion bowls. Head up to the second floor if you need a few drinks before you start bumping and grinding. This is the bar floor, featuring high-stools and tables for setting your scorpion bowls on, four televisions to catch the game, two dart boards (not exactly the smartest thing to put around drunk people), and our favorite, the Keno monitor for the Viagra-hounds who still like a night on the town. In case you haven't already figured it out, a scorpion bowl is the drink of choice at the Hong Kong. Not only does the sweet punch pack a punch, it gives you little plastic animals to play with throughout the evening. The beer is reasonably priced ($4 on average), and the selection is standard _ a couple of imports, a couple of domestic, and 12 on tap. Get your draft beer here, as the small third floor bar offers only bottles and hard liquor. If you're looking for the trailer park girls who go 'round the outside, then the third floor should be your destination. This tiny room tries really hard to be a pseudo-ghetto dance club, and it's halfway successful. 94.5-esque music, fake fog, and a double-sundancer set a great atmosphere, but the club can't escape the fact that its patrons are white Harvard students and sketchy 35-year old men. The mixed crowd is actually one of the club's best attributes. At the Hong Kong, everyone fits in, whether you are wearing black pants and a sequined shirt that barely covers your nipples or a sweater-vest and pleated khakis. (Authors' note: please do not mix and match these wardrobe items.) When we first entered the third floor, we were greeted by two thirty-something men doing the robot to Ice Cube's "You Can Do It." The dancing _ and the hairstyles _ only got weirder from there. Don't go to the third floor before 11:30 unless you are looking for that high school dance feel _ you know, when everyone stands in the corners of the room waiting for the other people to make the first dance move. After 12, however, a line to enter reaches down the stairs, and the younger, more glittery crowd gets the party started. Seeing that we have even less rhythm than Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, the traveling lushes were looking for a distraction, which we found when Japanese anime porn was turned on the two televisions mounted to the walls. Nothing spices up your evening like "Fighting the Satanic Sex Monster: Volume II," which we must say had excellent character development. Despite its pseudo-ghettoness, the Hong Kong is a brilliant marketing strategy. Unlike the nacho cheese dispensers in the campus commons, this place caters to a variety of palettes, from the college students who are looking for some wild dancing to the 20-somethings looking to chill at a bar to the 30-something men looking to get with the younger generation (which, they do not seem to realize, will not happen if you try to freak girls from behind). Having a restaurant on the first floor is pure genius, because what tastes better than fried, greasy Chinese food after a night of drinking? The only real downside to the Hong Kong is that the proliferation of security staff makes it feel more like a high school dance. Aside from that, the venue is a great place to go with a group of your friends, or with a date to whom you don't really want to have to talk. As senior Neorge Gitzburg put it, "yo, da fuckin shit at Hong Kong is da bizzi-biz-omb! I got my grub on, and that shit didn't know what hit it. It was like, 'what if my bitches be Chinese food' and I be like, 'DAMN, I'm eatin' you BIYATCH!' " "You know what I'm sayin'," he added.

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News

Rally monkey strikes again

October 16

Is there anything more annoying than the rally monkey? He's the Anaheim Angels new mascot that jumps around on the Jumbo screen and the inspiration for the stuffed animal replicas wrapped around the necks of little Angels' fans. This annoyingly lovable monkey was conceived on June 6, 2000 in a game that the Angels were losing to the San Francisco Giants. In an attempt to get the crowd going, the stadium crew found a clip of a monkey jumping up and down in Jim Carrey's "Ace Ventura," and superimposed "Rally Monkey" over it. After the clip was shown on the Jumbotron, the Angels scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. The rally monkey became a daily part of SportsCenter highlights this season and has carried the upstart Angels to the World Series. Facing the Angels and the monkey in the All-California World Series will be Barry Bonds and the newly crowned, National League Pennant-winning Giants. Despite both California teams being wild card winners, the similarities stop there. They each have an entirely different makeup of players, so let's look at the chances of each of these teams to win the World Series. Nobody picked the Anaheim Angels to do anything this season, but in a turnaround worthy of the 1991 Atlanta Braves, the Angels overachieved. Without any true superstars, they epitomize the meaning of "winning as a team" with their style of sound, fundamental baseball. Night after night, the players sacrifice, hit and run, steal and play great defense. Their offensive lineup has no proven superstar in the middle of it, but Garrett Anderson put up MVP numbers this season, and Troy Glaus has been providing clutch hits and homeruns this entire postseason. Despite not having that one monster offensive player, the Angels have a very balanced lineup from top to bottom, which was highlighted by number nine hitter, Adam Kennedy, hitting three homeruns in Game five of the ALCS. The two-headed monster at DH of Brad Fullmer and Shawn Wooten will have to sit out all of the Series games played in San Francisco, but neither are great hitters to begin with. Anaheim's starting pitching staff is not as proven as the Giant's staff, but ace Jarod Washburn will have something to say about that. He and fellow starters Ramon Ortiz, John Lackey, and Kevin Appier have performed well in the postseason, but it is the strength of the Anaheim bullpen that has carried this club this far. Twenty-year old unknown, Francisco Rodriguez emerged from a September call-up from the minors to collect four postseason wins and a 1.80 ERA in a setup roll out of the bullpen. And when the Angels have any kind of lead late in the game, you will be sure to see the star closer, Troy Percival. Angel's manager Mike Scoscia was hesitant about bringing Troy Percival into the first ALDS game against the Yankees _ the Yankees struck for four runs to win the game. He better not hesitate to use him in this series. The Giants team persona is totally opposite that of the Angels. While the Angels only have a team personality, the Giants have the strong individual personalities of Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, and Manager Dusty Baker that are too big for one clubhouse. Amazingly, they have been able to keep their egos in check and gather their talent for this World Series run. The Giants relied on the hitting of Bonds and Kent for most of the regular season, but it has been the clutch of hitting of number two-hitter Rich Aurelia and NLCS MVP Benito Santiago, hitting behind Bonds, who have carried the Giants through the playoffs. If the Giants are to win their World Series rings, players other than Bonds and Kent will have to step up because pitchers will never give either of those players any pitches to hit. Despite having a very good home run-hitting team, the Giants rely on their starting rotation for most of their wins. Kirk Reuter, Livan Hernandez, Jason Schmidt, and Russ Ortiz are all crafty veterans and with the exception of Schmidt, win with pitch location and changing velocity. While their bullpen, led by closer Rob Nen, and setup men Tim Worrell and Felix Rodriguez, has been very good this postseason, they are not quite as good as their Angel's counterparts. Pitching is the name of the game in this series and the teams that make the fewest mistake pitches will win. Both teams are opportunistic offensively, and will punish you if you leave the ball out over the plate. Every player in both lineups is capable of "going yard" any at bat, so good late-inning relief will be the key to this series. The Angels have a better relief core and will be able to neutralize the power of Bonds and Kent. Barry will not win his first World Series ring this season, and once again that annoying Rally Monkey will strike, leading the Angels to the crown in six games.

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News

University looks into adding need-blind admissions policy

October 16

In the midst of the current economic downturn, universities around the nation are struggling to meet the financial needs of their students. While Tufts has the lowest endowment among its US News top 30 rivals, the University remains committed toward implementing a need-blind admissions policy. This effort, however, is continuing at a time when other institutions are revoking their need-blind policies because of budget concerns. In order to make need-blind aid feasible another $100-150 million will be needed in endowment contributions. Tufts administrators are resolute in attaining this goal without affecting tuition costs _ currently rising at 4.5 percent annually. The proposed need-blind policy would essentially separate the student's application into two separate piles _ one for admissions and the other for financial aid. Admissions officers would only review the admissions application, and a student's ability to pay would have no bearing on his or her chance of acceptance. By alleviating the distinction among students who can and cannot foot the full cost of a university, students are selected strictly on the basis of their merit. This has the potential to create a more talented and diverse student body, according to Dean of Admissions David Cuttino. "A need-blind policy would make this place a more rewarding place to study," he said. "It will enrich Tufts' educational environment and increase our ability to interact cross-culturally as adults." Currently, all Ivy League schools and many of Tufts' rivals have need-blind admissions policies. Last spring, Brown University became the final Ivy to adopt the policy to compete with the pressure between schools, and increase applications and enrollment yield. The need-blind policy has become a type of marketing tool, Cuttino said. Admissions people use the words "need-blind" to project an image of educational equality _ a perfect meritocracy. "Need-blind," however, is a misleading term. In fact, many need-blind universities often do not meet the student's full demonstrated need. A student may be accepted need-blind, but may not be able to afford the cost of attending because his demonstrated need has not been met, Cuttino said. In response to the economic downturn, a few elite need-blind universities _ including Princeton, Yale, Stanford and MIT _ have reduced their criteria for financial aid. This policy is aimed to allow these schools to enroll more of those they accept and to help alleviate families' financial difficulties. Tufts' approach is to meet 100 percent of a student's demonstrated need. Cuttino feels it is important to first ensure that the University can meet the needs of all entering students rather than to offer admission to students who will not be able to attend. After a review of all applicants, the admissions committee uses complex financial models to assess who they can afford to accept. In the end, a compromise between need and talent is struck. Only a very small number of students are denied acceptance as a result of their inability to pay, Cuttino said. Due to the slowing economy, these numbers may be increasing. The number of students requesting financial aid has increased substantially over the past decade. This year, approximately 63 percent of applicants are expected to request financial aid, up four percent from the last two years. The decline of the stock market has caused some families to lose savings for college. Dallas Martin, President of the National Association of Student Aid Administrators recently told The Dartmouth that "Individual families' earnings and savings have decreased and in many cases, their savings for education has evaporated or been reduced drastically." As a result, Tufts has taken steps to maintain the quality of the student body. Over the past ten years, the financial aid budget has grown considerably. Currently, 35 percent of students receive financial aid with the average grant now at $16,000, according to Executive Administrator of Finances Wayne Bouchard. "Ten years ago we were at only ten percent of student charges, we are now at 15.7 percent," he said. "That's a major improvement." Financial aid still remains the administration's highest priority, Bouchard said, and that it is the one of the better ways to achieve the "best and brightest student body." In this year's budget, financial aid will be allocated over $27 million from the $230 million estimated operating budget for the College of Arts and Sciences. Yet, compared to the endowments of its top 30 rivals, Tufts financial generosity has raised concerns over our growth and sustainability. Students wonder whether the administration is spending too much in the area of financial aid. "Although a need-blind policy might enhance the student body in some ways, the expense might constrict the resources available to us," freshman Alex Maloney said. Additionally, a major decline in government funding for private universities has led many universities to make severe budget cuts. Over the last decade, the Federal Pell Grant has decreased sharply from covering 21 percent to 13 percent of tuitions at private colleges across the US. Last year, due to over-investment, Dartmouth University was forced to make severe, across-the-board budget cuts. Johns Hopkins University had to rescind its need-blind admissions policy as a result of struggling finances, despite Hopkins' much larger endowment than Tufts at just under $2 billion. Last year's average university endowment lost value for the first time since 1984, according to the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers. On top of all this bad economic reports, Tufts must also struggle with the news that only half of the expected $700,000 Massachusetts Gilbert Grant money will be handed out this year. These of anywhere between $200-$2,500 are available to participating Massachusetts' institutions of higher education and schools of nursing. The funds must be used for direct financial assistance to needy undergraduate students to enable them to attend or continue to attend such institutions. Government cuts like this make it more difficult for Tufts to make financial aid available. This prospect looks particularly glum as the markets continue to slide. The economic conditions "make it harder to raise money and close that gap," Bouchard said. As University President Larry Bacow said in his inaugural address, "If we want to admit students on a truly need-blind basis, we must develop an endowment in keeping with our stature as a university... and we will." Tufts' ability to achieve a truly need-blind policy will be measured through the determination of this generation of Tufts alums, Cuttino said. "It will be friends of our university that will move us in being need-blind and meeting full need."

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News

Debate society debates for more money

October 16

The Speech & Debate Society appealed for a larger budget at Monday night's Senate meeting, but failed because of new rules which limit the funding of new student groups. Despite the Debate Society's original request of $9,114.55, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's Allocations Board recommended the Senate grant the group $856.01. The Senate affirmed ALBO's recommendation. TCU Treasurer and ALBO Chair Ben Lee said one of the reasons $856.01 was recommended was because the Debate Society qualified as a "new group." According to new Senate bylaw 24, which was passed Monday night prior to the Debate Society's appeal, the Debate Society is a new group because it did not have a budget last year, even though it was officially recognized bye the Senate. And with "new group" status, its funding is restricted to $1,000 limit. The Society wanted to be exempt from the new group classification and considered an established group. The purpose of the cap is to give new groups what is known as a "probationary period." According to the new bylaw, this will "allow the leadership of the organization to gain valuable experience in programming and working within the University system." Bylaw 24 defines "new groups" as "groups that have been newly-recognized by the TCU Judiciary (TCUJ)" and "groups that are not newly-recognized but did not receive funding during the normal budgeting process." The old bylaw 24 said only "newly-recognized" groups fell under the $1,000 cap. Mandell said that the Debate Society might have been able to argue that they were not a "new group" and that they should be able to receive more funding. Although the current society is considered a new group, there have been debating teams at Tufts before _ in a letter addressed to the Senate, Sandra Fried (LA'01) pointed out "the team often used to pride itself about the first debate ever against Harvard," in the 19th century. Within the past several years, however, interest waned and the team became somewhat "dormant," according to Debate Society President Daniel Mandell. Last year, Mandell reinstated the debate team and it was officially re-recognized by the, a practice all groups must repeat every year to be eligible for TCU funding. With new recognition, Mandell applied to ALBO for funding. But due to various complications, a budget for last year was never instated and funding was never awarded. This year, Mandell submitted a new budget request to ALBO asking for $9,114.55. The group listed its major events as a Gubernatorial Debate, An on-campus debate of "hot topics", parliamentary debates, an inner city school debate, and the "Grapple in the Chapel" debate when Tufts would host Cambridge University's debate team. The debate team then cut down their budget request by scaling down many of their expected expenses and came up with a second figure of $2,450. ALBO further reduced the Debate Society's proposed budget by eliminating the costs of having the Cambridge team debate. Lee thought that not granting the money was "fiscally responsible" from a treasurer's standpoint, and that the Debate Society can always apply for buffer funding in the spring before the scheduled Cambridge debate. The buffer fund of $50,000 is used to give money extra funds not included in their original budgets. Mandell thought that ALBO must see the prestigious Cambridge event as "not feasible for a 'new group' to do." He was not convinced there would be enough money left in the buffer fund by the spring. Despite a lack of funding, the Debate Society was able to host Cambridge last year through co-sponsorship from other groups. But to have Cambridge back this year, the debate team needs to have "secure funds." Mandell said that as of now, the team would not be able to afford hosting the Cambridge event. At the meeting, freshman Debate Society executive board member Vinda Rao, spoke for the Debate Society. She said the last penny in the ALBO recommendation of $856.01 was "unwarranted" and done out of "spite and mockery, not out of purpose." Lee responded that the one-cent was the result of ALBO's specific calculations. Just last week, the Senate passed an ALBO recommendation for $581.04, and on Monday night, they passed another for $756.20. "The Senate is here for groups, not to try to spite groups," Senator Randy Newsom said. Rao continued her presentation, arguing that its past accomplishments demonstrated its stability. She said schools like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia have debate team budgets in the tens of thousands of dollars. "We don't think we can compete without the funds," she said. "Put faith in us."

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News

Save Ballou's house

October 16

I read with interest of the plans to erect a new dormitory on Talbot Avenue. As a former Tufts student and now staff member, I know well the housing shortages Tufts has faced, both from personal experience (I lived in a miserable forced triple in Wren Hall as an undergraduate), and my professional work at Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. I also know that the university has limited options in where to situate new construction. However, I want to point out an important part of Tufts history that would be lost if this project goes forward as planned. The article in Monday's Daily correctly points out that the house at 20 Professors Row (the current music department building) was once the residence of Hosea Ballou 2nd, first president of Tufts. But it was more than that. Ballou House, as it came to be known, was built by the College especially for Ballou in 1854 and is, in fact, the oldest wood-frame house on campus. At a time when Ballou Hall, then known simply as the College Edifice, was a stark protrusion on the top of the hill that was dotted by new-planted saplings and tangled grasses, Ballou House was the second structure built at Tufts, and was an integral part of the Tufts landscape. College Avenue had not yet been laid, nor Packard. Professors Row was a track that circled the base of the hill only as far as 72 Professors Row. Ballou House stood near the current president's residence, a classic New England farmhouse, with a small ell off the back and a barn and chicken coop behind. The house was moved to make way for the construction of Packard Avenue after Ballou's death. It continued to serve as a residence for faculty and administrators. For many years it was the home of Leo Rich Lewis, composer of many Tufts songs, including the Alma Mater. At a time when the built environment of colleges and universities is often described by the catch phrase 'bricks and mortar' it is easy to forget that the architectural heritage of schools like Tufts was built in wood. There was a time when Professors Row truly lived up to its name, lined with wooden homes built and occupied by faculty. Most of these structures have been replaced by more 'enduring' brick houses. Ballou House is one of the few remnants of that earlier era. As plans move ahead for further improvements to the campus, more of these houses are slated to be lost, including 80 Professors Row (Zeta Psi now, but once Shipman House, another faculty home). More than just an address, this house is a part of the history of Tufts. Can it be saved? Anne Sauer (LA '91, G '98) Assistant Archivist, Digital Collections and Archives

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News

Boston gears up for season's biggest outdoor sporting event

October 16

The Head of the Charles Regatta, a long-standing New England tradition that takes place every autumn, enters its 38th year this weekend. It still adheres to the customs established by Harvard University sculling instructor Ernest Arlett in 1965 that characterize the series of races set to take place this weekend. Now the world's largest two-day rowing event, the regatta was established by members of the Cambridge Boat Club. It is modeled after "head of the river races" held in England. "Head" races, a class of regattas, usually span an average of three miles. Boats in turn race against each other and the clock, starting sequentially roughly 15 seconds apart. Winners of each race are awarded the honorary title of "Head of the Charles." Once a Sunday-only event, the Head of the Charles is perhaps one of the biggest outdoor sporting events of the season (and one of the last before Old Man Winter rears his ugly head). In addition to drawing thousands of rowers from around the world in single, double, four and eight-person boats, it is also one of the area's premiere social gatherings. The race, which begins at Boston University's Boathouse and ends at Herter Park, has been known to attract as many as 300,000-plus spectators to the shores of the Charles River and surrounding areas. If you're one to pre-party, the Head of the Charles offers plenty of tailgating opportunities. To satiate your growling stomach, stay close to the Flour Bakery and Caf?© on Washington St. Tailgaters will be able to choose from special picnic basket packages that include everything from the eatery's signature pizza bread, salads, fresh baked goods, homemade granola and drinks. But by no means are you limited to these _ you can also choose from a wide selection of sandwiches as well. With a three-mile span of race territory, the question becomes "Where's the best spot to plant my picnic basket and stake out the action?" For bird's-eye views of the action, spectators should head to Anderson, Weeks or Eliot bridges. Magazine Beach or the Boathouse are other excellent spots that are a little closer to ground level. Other good race lookouts include the Cambridge side of Memorial Drive and the finish line. Be forewarned, however, that the area gets jam-packed in a jiffy _ for a prime viewing spot, be sure to head over to the grounds well in advance, otherwise you're likely to miss the race while you're busy elbowing through the crowds. Is the thought of standing still for hours by the side of the windy Charles on a crisp October afternoon is less than appealing (read: you're sensing a peculiar numbness in your extremities just at the thought of it)? Worry not, as there are plenty of events surrounding the race grounds that will keep you warm by keeping you in motion. Concession stands abound at the Head of the Charles, particularly near the Eliot Bridge and across the river at Soldiers Field Road. Goodies available for purchase include commemorative T-shirts (whether you buy them for sentimental value or because you didn't wear enough layers is up to you) and some good old fashioned chowder, Boston-style. Other official Regatta items include posters, programs and street banners. The celebration continues this year even after the final boat crosses the finish line, with various after-party engagements at area dance clubs. On Saturday, Avalon will feature discounted admission prices. The same holds for Embassy on Sunday. The Head of the Charles isn't just for racers and rowers this year. In addition to the event's main attraction, the area surrounding the Charles River will be alive and bustling with opportunities for spectators of all ages and interests. For more information, visit www.hocr.org.

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News

Josh Ritter and Lori McKenna to perform tonight at Paradise

October 16

The atmosphere that characterizes Boston's diverse and thriving music scene is one that allows hard-working musicians to distinguish themselves from the sea of countless other men and women with guitars and original lyrics. Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter, two performers headlining tonight's concert at the Paradise, have achieved just that. In a few short years, both these musicians have found success in increasing audiences for their particular brand of music. When 24 year-old Ritter began playing music at the age of 18, it was something that came very naturally to him. "[It was] not something I thought too much about," he explains. "It seemed about as natural to me as putting on clothes that fit just the way you want." His inspiration to pick up a guitar and write came from Johnny Cash, who to Ritter seemed "like kind of a normal guy writing songs that kinda speak to so many things in life." He says, "So much stuff on the radio didn't seem to be written or sung by real people. [Cash] seemed to me some strange, weird animal... something totally different." Born and raised in Idaho, he moved to the East Coast "committed to doing music as a career." "Boston has been my home base and great place to try things out," he says. Unlike Ritter, McKenna sort of stumbled upon the success she has had performing at area venues. Calling herself "a late bloomer," this Massachusetts native did not begin trying her hand at local open mics until about four years ago at the age of 27. "I intended on using song writing as a hobby," she says. Once she began to have children, however, she "had a little bit more courage to get out of the kitchen. I felt I had to have something else besides being a mom and wanted to find a niche somewhere else." Success with Boston audiences has been easier for McKenna and Ritter than either of them ever anticipated. "I would have imagined that it's competitive," says McKenna. "But people are very supportive of each other." Ritter shares this sentiment despite moments of discouragement. "I commit myself to doing the best work I can do," he explains. "I'm not trying to take over the world; I'm trying to find the people who are interested in hearing a good song. If they find me and they like it, we'll keep in touch." McKenna attributes the sense of camaraderie and encouraging atmosphere not so much to Boston but to the kind of music she and Ritter have to offer. "My guess is that this type of music is the same in other cities," she says. "It's about regular people and trying to be part of community." Unlike McKenna, whose touring opportunities are sometimes limited by the fact that she is a mother of four ("You have to be a little more choosy about where you go...[and] think outside the box to make it work," she says), Ritter has spent extensive time touring through Ireland. This has given him a unique perspective on the experience of performing for a Boston audience. "[Ireland] is an interesting place to perform because people are so familiar with a tradition, and interested in how your music fits into that tradition," he says. "You can see the Boston community as having a spectrum of 50 years of great music, [whereas] Ireland's goes so much farther. The commitment is the same to great music, but is approached from an angle that's different." If there's one thing that truly separates performing in Boston from other American cities, it is the audience. According to McKenna, audiences here in Boston are "smart." "For the most part, audiences are there for the purpose of listening to a singer-songwriter," she says. "You can do the quiet songs, and they'll quiet down and listen." Both performers fail to recognize what the rest of Beantown has dubbed "the Boston thing." "What it comes down to is the songs, and the show, and your set, and how the audience responds," explains McKenna. Ritter agrees with this philosophy, claiming that his role as a songwriter is sort of that of an outsider looking in. "You should see what everybody else sees, and when you do, you should try to look at it in a completely different way," he says. "You're essentially trying to create a new way of looking at something." While it may be easiest to categorize these artists as just two more Boston singer-songwriters, it is clear that what they have to offer audiences goes beyond a decent show with a few catchy tunes. While they may not be out to there to conquer the world, McKenna and Ritter are clearly looking do more than just strum their guitars. One thoughtful listen to their carefully crafted lyrics is all it takes to realize that they are trying to speak to you through their music. Tonight's concert at the Paradise will prove just that.

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