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Must see 1 a.m. TV

A brand-new fall network lineup! Too bad it doesn't come on after midnight. I don't know how your days work, but if I want to watch something that's on television at 8 p.m., I have to schedule it in a week ahead of time. College students like to sleep late and stay up late, and primetime TV just doesn't feed to that. And let's face it: "official" late-night TV is for suckers. Why watch movie stars promote their latest picture _ particularly now that you can watch Conan O'Brien on Comedy Central at two in the afternoon _ when a virtual feast of nocturnal entertainment is right around the corner? No, I say, watch not the "late shows" and the horrible movies. There's some amusing stuff on after 1 a.m. For beginners to the wee hours, I have three words: Food Network, baby. There's little that compares to watching other people make and eat the most decadent food while you sit starving in a Barcalounger. This trend in "food television" is a classy, 21st-century version of pornography for the hungry. But it isn't just the food, either. You can learn some fascinating useless things about food production on Unwrapped; what other show could devote an entire episode to mass-produced foods made of cheese? No longer is string cheese one of the great mysteries of the universe. College students everywhere know that Iron Chef takes cooking shows to a whole new level. Told that they must use some kind of fish that I've never heard of, these chefs can make more things than I can make with an entire grocery store, let alone my kitchen. And the serious nature of the show is awesome. From the overdubbed celebrity commentaries from pinheaded actresses to Chairman Kaga (who, you might notice, never allows his voice to be dubbed over) to gongs and smoke to the very pretense of "Kitchen Stadium," this show is like a deadpan campy joke that never drops the act. And it isn't a joke: that food looks so good. (Iron Chef is best watched after Golden Light and Kee Kar Lau are closed, though, because you will get a hankering for something stir-fried, and what you'll end up getting would not please Chariman Kaga.) For those nights when you're too hungry (or, perversely, too full) to watch someone cooking, though, your next best bet is always TNN _ the National Network. Formerly the Nashville Network, TNN shoots for one of the strangest combination of genre audiences you could think of. With approximately 15 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in a given week, bullriding competitions, The A-Team, and American Gladiators (in Gladiator Arena!), TNN manages to proudly glorify its Nashville roots and to bring back repressed memories (both good and bad) of B.A. Barracus and of unintentional gladiatorial homoeroticism. And you can get really into these shows, too. When I find myself rooting for a specific bull rider who was robbed of a good score by a judge or marveling at a particular gladiator's prowess on the Eliminator or wondering what the hell Jonathan Frakes does with himself every day (the answer: directing crappy kids movies like Clockstoppers), I know that TNN's guilty pleasures have ensnared me yet again. But I digress. You'll see things on the late-night tube that you would never see (hopefully) anywhere else _ for instance, the staggering work of nervous-system shutdown that is The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island. Not only do the Skipper and the rest go back to the island to run a resort, but it turns out that a valuable mineral useful for conquering the entire world can be found on ye olde island. Needless to say, a crazed maniac takes over the island with a squad of robots, the Harlem Globetrotters' plane crashes on the island, and our favorite castaways have the adventure of their lives. Watching the Globetrotters play basketball against a team of deadly robots kills more brain cells than grain alcohol. What about the dating shows? Sure, you'll see plenty of those during the day, too, but the mother-lode comes after 1 a.m. Somehow, they all manage to have their own tweak on the formula. I credit Blind Date for being the funniest with its Pop-Up Video-style messages _ it's oh so painful to see the "Taylor makes a move in five seconds" countdown on screen when you know he's going to get shot down. But, Change of Heart gets the brass ring for being the cruelest dating show around. A couple going through rough times breaks apart on the show to date different people, and then they come back at the end to decide whether to try things with their "new friend" or to stick with the original. And inevitably: Will: "I had a good time on my date, but I kept thinking about Lisa the entire time. It really helped me realize how important she is to me. I want to stay with her and fix our problems because I care about her so much." Lisa: "Well, I slept with Bobby on our date, and it was fabulous, so I think I'm going to make a clean break with Will and try out this new boy-toy." My only consolation on Change of Heart is to hope that the couples are all just normal friends who lied about their relationship to get set up on hot televised dates. Otherwise, the pain is too much to bear. Want a taste of the bizarre? Cops is on Fox at 2 a.m., and while it doesn't rank up there with TNN on the nostalgia and guilty-pleasure meters, it's pretty high on the "unexpected crazy drunk guy" meter. Unfortunately, it also makes me sad, so it's not necessarily a favorite. And if train derailments are your thing, Crash Files: Inside the NTSB is a sick, voyeuristic trip. There's some pretty conventional stuff on late at night, too, and it's much more fun to watch it simply because it's so late (or because it's been cancelled for years). Martin, Living Single, This Old House... one of my favorites being the three-in-a-row marathons of Murder, She Wrote on A&E. So sleep when you're dead. Even if you don't watch much TV _ surprisingly, I don't _ late night is the best time to get your fill of detached ironic amusement. It's a twisted world of entertainment out there just begging for you to laugh at it.


The Setonian
News

Florida Gators swamped

Thanks to the magical millions of Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, former Florida Gator coach Steve Spurrier bounced. Enter Ron Zook. Zook believes that his Gators can be as prosperous as the team from the previous year that won the Orange Bowl and finishing 10-2. However this season, the Gators are not having a season worthy of Disney World. In fact last Saturday's match-up against the Ole' Miss Rebels was more like Splash Mountain. Florida entered the contest ranked eighth in the nation with only one defeat on the season to the undefeated, returning national champion, the Miami Hurricanes. The loss to the Hurricanes was not a letdown in any fashion, as no team has defeated the Canes in the last two seasons. But a loss to the hands of Ole' Miss would be a letdown, so with the table set, Florida did the unthinkable _ it disappointed. All the tangibles were set for another Florida win. The halftime score was 14-2 Gators, Rex Grossman was the game's leading passer with 205 yards and Ernest Graham led with 52 yards on the ground. What the numbers did not show is Ole' Miss' 15 point explosion in the third quarter to sedate the Gators for good. This was completely unexpected as star Rebel QB Eli Manning only tossed for 154 yards and is usually the pulse of Ole' Miss (4-1). Defense was the key for Ole' Miss as Grossman completed two passes in the third quarter to Rebel defenders. The second of the two was returned for the go-ahead and game-winning touchdown. Although Manning did not throw for a touchdown, the Rebel defense pushed the Gators to a 17-14 loss and into a second place tie for the SEC East crown. Ole' Miss is 2-0 in the SEC and tied for first in the SEC West. In case readers have forgotten, the Wac-10 still sucks. Last weekend's games illustrated that Pac-10 football is still very competitive, but that the teams still fail to be top-notch. The California Golden Bears are quietly putting together a good season. After going to Michigan State and handling the Spartans, some were still a bit skeptical. After this weekend's victory over the now 18th-ranked Washington Huskies, the Bears might be as legit as any Pac-10 team can be. Cal showed just how grizzly they are by scoring in every quarter, staying one step ahead of Washington all game. On a positive side for the Huskies, QB Cody Pickett threw for 399 yards in the losing effort. Also in non-interesting fashion USC QB Carson Palmer tossed for a game high 381 yards for the loss. The Washington State Cougars had a touch more juice than the Trojans as they dragged out an overtime victory 30-27. The Cougars, who have the tightest uniforms in NCAA Football 2003, upped its record to 5-1 and a perfect 2-0 in Pac-10 play. USC plays one of the toughest schedules in the country and have emerged 3-2. The Washington State victory has them ranked 13th in the country and USC dropping to 24th. The Texas Longhorns have been ranked second all season, so with nothing to lose Oklahoma State proceeded to play balls to the wall and came within two points of upsetting the National Championship hopefuls. Texas' pre-season All-Americans, QB Chris Simms and running back Cedric Benson had big days, but the Cowboy defense managed to keep the high-powered offense out of the end zone. Some believe the Longhorns left its stomach exposed by looking ahead to next week's showdown against conference foe and third ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Texas is now 5-0 and Oklahoma remained undefeated at 5-0, setting up a huge showdown this weekend in Austin, Texas.


The Setonian
News

Bringing new beats to the campus

The Concert Board has had to settle with less-well-known performing artists at the Fall Rock Show after spending $15,000 last year to host Billy Joel. The board chose Virginia Coalition and the Aaron Katz Band, which may not be familiar to students, to perform at tonight's Fall Rock Show in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall. "We try to have up-and-coming rock bands, and have groups before they get big or are just starting to be big in the underground scene," Amy Dumpy, the Concert Board's co-chair, told the Daily. Many students would like to see more famous artists perform on campus. Junior Liz Richardson said that she would like Dispatch, Beta Band, or the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas to perform at Tufts. "Dispatch is always good," Richardson said. "I think we should [also] get Tracy Chapman back here. She's never performed here, but I mean, she's an alum." But the Concert Board hopes to sign a more well-known artists for Spring Fling and the hip-hop concert, which was a smaller affair than usual last year. Although some students were disappointed with last year's Spring Fling, senior Jeff Blumberg said that "Mo," last year's feature band, was one of the better musical performances he has seen. Blumberg also raved about Deep Banana Blackout, which performed at Spring Fling in 2001. "I've been psyched," Blumberg said. "My freshman and sophomore year [the Concert Board] got some amazing artists. I've been blown away by what they have brought here." At the Concert Board's first meeting this year, co-chair Omar Ellis charged this year's board members with a mission: "Your job is to let us know who you want to bring to campus," Ellis said. He also told members that they will be putting on the shows. "You are the show, pretty much," Ellis told the group of about one hundred students. The Board is headed by an executive, which deals with the administrative details of putting on a concert. The members who do not hold positions on the executive are involved in preparing the concerts by coming up with lists of possible artists for the shows, listening to their work, and then voting on which artists the Board will try to bring to campus. Once the Concert Board signs a contract with an artist, preparations for the concert can begin. Concert Board members have several of responsibilities, including running the concert, setting up the lighting, preparing the stage, and acting as security agents for the event. "We get to see how the music business works," Dumpy said. Just like in the "real" music world, Dumpy and Ellis have learned that Concert Board members must not reveal their plans to students before the contracts have been signed_ otherwise, the artists may decide not perform. To attract a specific artist, the board approaches agents at Pretty Polly Productions with the names of the artists they want and are told which ones they can possibly sign. These agents help them to contact the bands. Assistant Director of Student Activities Ed Cabellon also works with the Concert Board, helping to hire bands and arranging the major logistics, including police protection, concert facilities, and food catering. Dumpy explained that a perk of her position is that she not only watches the artists perform, but also that she has the opportunity to "meet them and hang out with them."


The Setonian
News

Anti-war rally rocks Tisch patio

The new Tufts Coalition Against War in Iraq made its presence known yesterday afternoon with a rally at Tisch Library. The rally, held on the National Day of Action, brought together over 100 students, faculty, and administrators. The rally began when five student volunteers energized the crowd by cheering anti-war protests. Four speakers, including two professors, a graduate student, and an undergraduate, spoke to the gathering. The speakers attacked most of President Bush's reasons for war in Iraq and expressed their support for a nonviolent response. "There is no compelling evidence supporting this war effort," project leader and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student Joseph Ramsey said. "The United States seems to want to derail any non-military solution to force war. I want to educate people and raise consciousness here at Tufts on this issue," he said. English Professor Elizabeth Ammons emphasized the American people's responsibility to voice its anti-war sentiments. "Silence means acquiescence," she said. "It means that we agree that our tax money and names should be used to support killing people in another part of the world, as well as US soldiers, in an act of unprovoked military aggression against another nation. I think it's our duty to make our opposition known." After the speeches were delivered, the audience began to cheer and follow the rally's leaders in a commanding march around the academic quad. The Tufts Coalition Against War in Iraq is run by a dozen student volunteers and faculty supporters, including professors Gary Leupp, Gerald Gill, Paul Joseph, Gary Goldstein, and Ammons. Ramsey worked with these faculty members, as well as graduate and undergraduate students and the Somerville Medford United for Justice with Peace, to design flyers and banners for the event. Despite growing domestic opposition, the Bush administration continues to move toward taking preemptive action against Iraq. Members of the Tufts coalition, among other anti-war organizations, believe that there is not sufficient justification for the violent solution that the White House is advocating. Opponents of the war point to the lack of evidence of Iraq's involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks when emphasizing the minimal threat that Iraq poses to the US. Event organizers thought that the rally succeeded in its initial efforts to educate and guide students, according to Leupp, a history professor. "My impression ... is that there's a 'gung-ho let's kick ass' crowd, and a 'no war no way' crowd, and most people are not really sure," he said. "They think Saddam is a bad guy. They're not clear what connection, if any, he has to Sept. 11. In this way the Tufts students' opinions mirror those in the community at large, although I think there's a larger critical component here, which is a good thing." The rally at Tufts came on the heels of last weekend's large demonstrations on the West Coast and in New York City. A larger rally will be held in Washington, DC on Oct. 26. Yesterday's event also coincided with First Monday, an initiative run by the Alliance for Justice which educated students on civil liberties at over 200 colleges. "It was a very open atmosphere _ easy for people to express their views. I was happy to see that a lot of different people could share the same view," sophomore Brian Roiter said. The importance of political participation was emphasized in the final words of Chemical Engineering Professor Jerry Meldon's speech to end the rally. America is "still a democracy and you can do something about it," he told the crowd.


The Setonian
News

Globaloney more like Swiss cheese

In "Globaloney" (Oct. 2), David Eil provides a critique of Lou Esparza's column "loU.S.A." Eil promotes a defense of the concept of globalization and the liberalization of economic markets. While I do not defend Mr. Esparza's column, I do believe that because of the lapses in Mr. Eil's argument, Globaloney is actually more like multi-national Swiss cheese. At the beginning of Mr. Eil's column, he accuses the opponents of globalization of creating arguments using "very little actual evidence and a whole lot of rhetoric and anecdote to make arguments." This statement shows a clear ignorance of the myriad professors, economists, and other authors who have shown the impacts of globalization as it is currently pursued to be questionable or flat out negative for the countries on the receiving end of the "liberalization of markets." The authors and sources Mr. Eil cites at the conclusion of his column _ individuals such as Bhagwat, organizations like the IMF and the World Bank _ bolster this ignorance. Jagdish Bhagwati, a professor of economics at Columbia, has written such articles as "Coping with Antiglobalization: A Trilogy of Discontents" (Foreign Affairs, Jan./Feb. 2002), in which he blames the antiglobalization movement on misguided youth or "virulent anticapitalists [who] experienced their social awakenings on campuses, in fields other than economics. English, comparative literature, and sociology are all fertile breeding grounds for such dissent." Talk about empty rhetoric and anecdotes. Likewise, one must question the objectiveness of an organization whose purpose is precisely what its statistics reveal. Believing the World Bank or IMF when they say that what they do is good is like believing Exxon Mobil when it says there are no drawbacks to gasoline. Mr. Eil then goes on to offer a creative analogy involving the United States. While his take on United States history is certainly interesting, he defeats his own argument once he points out that the United States also had "political stability and incredible natural resources." Add to the list over 100 years of isolation, a diverse mix if minds and talents, and protection by oceans, and the United States becomes a unique case in which the sole attribution of success to liberal markets is highly questionable. Even if the argument holds, in comparison to every other state which has applied the "Washington Consensus," the United States appears to be a statistical outlier. Why? Because the combined economic growth of the nations which have applied this formula of liberalization is near zero. (For more, check out Juan Enriquez, "As the Future Catches You," or ask any student in this year's EPIIC class). Just for kicks, compare this to China, which has done the opposite of the Washington Consensus and now has one of the fastest, if not the fastest, growing economies in the world. Next, Mr. Eil asserts that the reason the IMF and World Bank push free market capitalism is because it "is so overwhelmingly the most successful economics system that it would be irresponsible to suggest anything else." While I do not completely disagree with this argument, Mr. Eil neglects that free market capitalism and the assignment of complete property rights has substantial drawbacks and (gasp!) inefficiencies. For example, in terms of anything that has an externality, the free market can only be efficient if there are zero transaction costs, perfect information, and rational actors. Of course, "externalities" is the economic way of saying "environmental things like pollution." but it also deals with public goods, something every government must provide. The problem with the free market and public goods is the "free-rider" problem, in which some individuals do not pay because they can mooch off of others who place a higher value on the good. Thus, so long as the IMF and World Bank are advancing free market economics and neglecting these caveats, they are being irresponsible. I also would like to submit a second theory of international finance: if free market competitive economics is so great, how come the World Bank and IMF have monopolies on international loans? Would it be possible to set up a competing system in which the organization giving the loan would be forced to give the most preferable rates to the nation? Now we get to empirical studies. Mr. Eil explains he has "read no serious study that concludes that increased trade and investment with the outside world is a drag on growth." From this he concludes that it is "undoubtedly the case that more economic freedom and property rights domestically lead to higher growth." First, I would like to caution any reader to never believe a conclusion reached by what someone else has read, because you never know what he or she has not read. For example, I doubt that Mr. Eil is familiar with Prof. James Galbraith (the son of the famous J.K. Galbraith) and his work, which shows why the primary data set used by the World Bank and others is faulty and actually leads to the false conclusion that globalization has decreased income disparity. (Likewise, the article by Dollar and Kraay, "Spreading the Wealth" [Foreign Affairs Jan./Feb. 2002], which found that the most successful countries in recent years have been the globalizers, is based on this data.) The reason the data set is faulty is because it does not have data. Really, there are many nations where data is only available for a few years with large gaps in between or over a very short period of time. Prof. Galbraith has created a more complete data set and offers it at utip.gov.utexas.edu. The second problem with Mr. Eil's statement is his conclusion. First, by "property rights domestically", does he mean multi-national corporations which often come in and develop, as in the case of the Ogani in Nigeria? The Ogani are a native tribe who just happen to have oil on their land. The government decided to assign property rights... to Shell Oil. The results have not been pretty. The conclusion does not follow from the premises. As Mr. Eil said himself, the reason for the success in the United States was "political stability and incredible natural resources." Might higher growth need more than just economic freedom and property rights? Perhaps a fair market, a stable government, and an equal standing in the market place (rights and equality) would help as well. Finally, Mr. Eil cites China as an example of reform. I do not think that was the best choice given the actual record and current state of China. As for the conditionality of international loans, I agree that there need to be strings attached. However, I am not entirely sure what conditions Mr. Eil proposes to attach. In my opinion, there needs to not only be an accountability factor, but more importantly there must be a plan in place for sustainable development and growth. (Yes, those "labor and environmental standards" which nations see as an "encroachment on their internal politics.") Is it right for the developed world to raise even more nations to be addicted to oil and to force developing nations to count "value" by the definition of the developed world? On to Marie Antoinette, where before she gets beheaded, perhaps she should reduce the subsidies of the developed world that are manipulating the prices of grain so that others cannot enter the market. Furthermore, she should also look to the analysis of Juan Enriquez, who compares Columbia and Holland, one nation with low wages and one with high wages. Mr. Eil would argue that Columbia, with its low wages (and sunny warm climate for that matter) would do wonderfully at growing something like flowers. Compare this to Holland with its high wages (and rainy, cool climate). Which nation is better off right now? Might there be other factors besides low wages which determine whether a nation will prosper? Mr. Eil answers this question in the next paragraph discussing foreign direct investment and the importance of high productivity and, oh yeah, "political stability." (I would add, like Juan Enriquez has, that technology and education is key to development as well.) One last issue I want to hit on _ what has led to the recent growth, whatever growth there has been? Mr. Eil argues it is the "individuals and corporations, who while pursuing their own self-interest have given rise to incredible progress in economic growth." Questions: 1) What growth where? 2) Is this growth sustainable? 3) Are people's rights being violated from this growth? I do not believe that the growth is the result of the invisible hand guiding economies towards greater efficiency so much as it allowing self-interested people to take advantage of desperate situations. For the sake of space I will leave the rest of Mr. Eil's column as it stands. I would like to thank him, though, for an argument I fully agree with: do your homework. Do not believe what you read, what you are told, or even what you see. It is your responsibility to be able to explain what you believe. So regardless of what side of the debate you end up on, just know that your globaloney sandwich always tastes better with Swiss cheese. Daniel Mandell is a sophomore currently designing a major in Public Policy


The Setonian
News

Cards spol D-backs bid to repeat

Both last year's defending league champions were sent home packing after their respective division series this October. As New York Yankees fans cringe at the sight of Angels celebrating their victory over the former kingpins of baseball, the only comfort left to hold on to is the fact that defending World Series Champions, the Arizona Diamondbacks, were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. In the other NLDS series, the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants waged a much more competitive battle. For a team that hasn't played a meaningful game since July, the Braves suffered a rude awakening as they dropped game 1 to the wild card winning Giants. After the Braves won games two and three and the Giants avoided elimination in game four, the series headed into the decisive game five on Monday night with the fate of each team up for grabs. Stay tuned to see which team will face the emotionally charged Cards in the National League Championship Series. With the season ending injury to Diamondback outfielder Luis Gonzalez, Arizona's offense was going to struggle. The pitching collapses that occurred in games one and two of the series, however, were not expected. Curt Schilling went into the playoffs fresh off two of his worst starts of the regular season; but it was lefty Randy Johnson, in game one, who looked like the weak link in Arizona's pitching staff. The Cardinals lineup torched Johnson for ten hits and five earned runs in six innings; horrible numbers for a pitcher who routinely pitches complete games and strikes out double-digit amounts of players. His outing was capped off by two homeruns including a moon shot by lefty outfielder In the first inning Jim Edmonds set the tone for the beating, and Johnson was no more effective in any other innings. The Cards Matt Morris, however, was as good as he needed to be, leading the team to a 12-2 win. Game two was the scene of an improved pitching duel between Arizona's Curt Schilling and St. Louis' lefty Chuck Finley, who was acquired from the Indians in a late season trade. The Cards held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, when the D-backs tied the game up on a RBI double from Quinten McCracken. It was the Cards who struck next, with Miguel Cairo delivering a RBI double in the top of the ninth inning that proved to be the difference in a 2-1 game. The win was a costly one for St. Louis, as they lost All-Star third baseman Scott Rolen for ten to 14 days after Arizona pinch runner, Alex Cintron collided with Rolen on a play near third base. Cintron was called out for interference but not before Rolen sprained his shoulder on the play. On Saturday, the Cards wrapped up the series by scoring off D-backs starter, Miguel Batista, in the early innings, and relying on the strength of their bullpen for the rest of the game. After the 6-3 series clinching game, game one winner Matt Morris carried deceased teammate Darryl Kile's jersey around second base in his honor. It's Cards firstbaseman, Tino Martinez, a former Yankee, who is proving he can win without the Yankees. As he leads the Cards to the NLCS, the Yankees are home in time to enjoy October baseball on television. Barry Bonds is another player who had something to prove going into these playoffs. The four-time MVP (soon to be five) has a horrible playoff reputation, yet he must have been licking his chops to get at the Braves pitchers. He had eight career homeruns off of Greg Maddux and John Smoltz going into this series, which is the most he has off any pitcher. Despite this record of success, Bonds did not perform well in the first four games of the series, batting .214, with two homeruns and three RBIs. To his credit, Bonds, as has been the case all season, was pitched around. On the other hand, the two homeruns were hit off of Smoltz and Maddux when the Braves already had the games won. Kevin Millwood and Greg Maddux preformed beautifully in games two and three for the Braves and it was up to the Brave's Milwood again last night to extend their season past the decisive game five.



The Setonian
News

Tufts medical center to sever links with other hospitals

The Tufts New England Medical Center (T-NMEC) and the Lifespan Alliance, a regional hospital and physician network, have announced that they will end their formal relationship after five years of cooperation. Its relationship with the Lifespan Alliance was intended to increase referrals to the hospital, the main teaching facility of the University's Medical School. But executives at the T-NEMC criticized functional aspects of the relationship, The Boston Globe reported, and were especially disappointed with the lack of referrals to T-NMEC by doctors in Lifespan hospitals. The hospitals within the Lifespan alliance, however, cross-referred patients and maintained equal rates. Citing financial disappointment with the relationship, the T-NEMC decided to sever its ties to the Lifespan Alliance this summer and develop relationships with individual Massachusetts hospitals instead. The decision is pending approval by state health officials here and in Rhode Island, where Lifespan is based. The dissolution of the T-NMEC-Lifespan relationship is a hospital-to-hospital decision that will not affect Tufts medical students, Dean of the Medical School Dr. John Harrington said. A spokeswoman for the Medical School refused to comment further. Since it joined Lifespan in 1997, the T-NEMC has paid $40 million a year in exchange for legal advice, malpractice insurance, computer services, laundry, human resources, and contract negotiations with insurance companies. Lifespan paid T-NEMC $8.5 million annually to finance large projects, including the purchase of medical equipment. Disappointment in the financial relationship was evident when the T-NEMC ran a $10 million operating loss last year, the Globe reported. The T-NEMC was not receiving much in return from Lifespan, Craig Kornett, a senior director of the bond-rating agency Fitch, told the Globe. When T-NEMC and Lifespan first joined forces, there was a widespread expectation that health care financing would eventually be consolidated, resulting in multinational systems, which would provide all necessary care. Industry insiders predicted the future domination of "capitation," whereby a single patient reimbursement would be used for all hospitals. Early predictions that the healthcare market would tend towards capitation resulted in over a thousand mergers and affiliations in the early 1990s. When the T-NEMC joined Lifespan in 1997, it was believed that the consolidations were necessary to increase the influence of health care providers in negotiating better rates with health insurance companies. But the failure of reaching profitability through capitation resulted in the termination of more than 80 percent of health care mergers. T-NEMC's attempt to consolidate also resulted in disappointment. T-NEMC's connection to Lifespan actually prevented the Medical Center from developing local relationships, according to T-NEMC executives. "There has been a perception that we're not Massachusetts-controlled," T-NEMC chief executive Thomas O'Donnell, Jr. told the Globe. Although the Medical Center has enjoyed some benefits from its five-year relationship with Lifespan, according to a T-NEMC press release "from the beginning, [the T-NEMC] recognized the importance of developing relationships with other Massachusetts hospitals." The termination of the alliance between the T-NEMC and Lifespan will allow the T-NEMC to negotiate its own contracts and form alliances with other Massachusetts-based hospitals. Medical School administrators believe that future alliance formations will be accomplished with greater ease and a higher level of satisfaction. As part of the severance deal, T-NEMC will pay $30 million to Lifespan for equipment the alliance purchased that has benefited the T-NEMC. Although Lifespan Massachusetts will no longer control T-NEMC, certain aspects of the relationship between the two hospitals will be retained. The T-NEMC will still pay Lifespan an undisclosed amount for laundry, information technology and insurance services and partnerships in liver and heart transplantation and radiation oncology projects between the two organizations will remain intact. Lifespan member hospitals include Rhode Island Hospital, its Hasbro Children's Hospital, the Miriam Hospital, Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, and Newport Hospital.


The Setonian
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Disqualification lands Tufts in third place at the Danmark Trophy

This past weekend left the sailing team with mixed results after the Women's Singlehanded Championship at MIT and the Coed Danmark Trophy at the US Coast Guard Academy. The Jumbos faired better in the Danmark Trophy contest, where they sailed to a third place finish. The women meanwhile had a disappointing 12 place finish out of 24 teams at the Singlehanded Championships. The 12 races of the Championship were integral to those wishing to advance in the post season. The top five sailors qualified to go to the National Championships. Starting the competition with 43 single handed sailors, the first day of competition saw the field trimmed to 24 as 19 sailors were eliminated With a westerly wind of 15 to 25 mph on the first day and an east-southeasterly wind at 10 to 25 mph confronting the sailors on the second day, the weather proved harsh on the water. The differing directions of the wind could have contributed to the several mishaps each day, with eight capsizes the first day and two swamps the second day. Yale and Conn. College prevailed through the obstacles, as they fought for first place throughout the competition. In the end, the Bulldogs emerged victorious with 82 points. Connecticut College trailed in second place by a mere three points with Harvard at third place (95). Harvard, as many predicted, had a good showing for the first time this season. After underachieving for a month, Harvard had three sailors finish in the top five, taking the third, fourth, and fifth spots. Settling into a groove that Harvard previously settled into was Dartmouth who had a surprisingly disappointing showing. Of the three sailors entered in the race, two finished in the bottom three at 22 and 24, the best finish being at seventh place. For the Jumbos, visions of first place seemed out of sight. Junior AJ Crane sailed in division A and finished in the middle of the pack with mediocre results (150). Sophomore Lindsay Shanholt finished close to Crane (180), while senior Clare Dooley finished toward the bottom of the standings (194). Meanwhile at the Danmark Trophy, there were two divisions, A and B, both featuring 18 races. Harvard continued to show their true potential this weekend, finishing first overall (78). It was in this regatta that Tufts shone, garnering a third place finish amongst the 18 teams competing. Seniors Pete Levesque and Caroline Hall sailed in Division A, finishing third (123), with Tufts finishing first three times and being disqualified once. The disqualification came on the grounds of the starboard port rule, which states that when two ships are too close and turning the starboard boat has the right of way. "We were disqualified because we supposedly did not follow the starboard port rule," said Hall. "We protested after the race, because we thought that we were not on the port side. As we were turning, we reached our starboard side before we turned." In Division B, Tufts finished fourth (125) with St. Mary's College taking first (112), Harvard taking second (117) and Dartmouth ninth (169). Division B was headed by seniors JR Maxwell and Deane Madsen. Tufts finished first four times giving them a finish of first place 7 of 36 times. Strong outgoing currents had an impact on the results and certainly made sailing this past weekend much more complex. "The shifty winds made the race much harder than it should have been," said Hall. "We had a good start but a lousy finish, although we finished third, it didn't feel like third because of the wind." Next week the Tufts Coed sailing team goes at it at the Hap Moore Trophy at Coast Guard, while the Tufts Women's sailing team goes to the Women's Intersectional at Navy.


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Um... Angels and Twins win?

You've got to be kidding me. Bud Selig was left scratching his balding head this weekend as he and the rest of the baseball world were boggled by how the Anaheim Angels and the Minnesota Twins pulled off upsets in what can be termed the "What the f*$#?" Division Series. After the Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 in game five on Sunday, baseball oddsmakers threw in their towels and predicted the Milwaukee Brewers' racing hot dogs to win the World Series. It all unraveled in the fourth inning of Game 4 on Saturday. With a 2-1 series lead and a chance to clinch, the Athletics gave up seven unearned runs to the Twins, who went on to win the game 11-2. In Sunday's Game 5, it looked as if someone shot a stun gun at the Athletics' hitters and Oakland basically provided the Twins with a free ride to the Championship Series. A three-run ninth inning was not enough to lead Oakland _ whose coveted starting pitching struggled throughout the ALDS (American League Division Series) _ over Minnesota. In the ALDS, the Angels did what Red Sox can only dream of _ they redeemed themselves for 1986. The Angels, who lost the 1986 American League pennant to the Sox after leading the series 3-1 and being one strike away from victory in Game 5, upset the New York Yankees three games to one. There was no greater feeling than watching the look on Joe Torre's face after Nick Johnson made the last out _ his facial muscles were tighter than a mini-skirt on a prostitute and you could see the spew of swear words forming in his brain. His starters' ERA of 10.38 for the series was almost as high as David Wells' blood alcohol level on a typical Saturday night. Meanwhile, Anaheim nearly matched Roger Clemens' cholesterol level when it set a postseason record for highest batting average in a series at .376. The Twins and Angels now face each other in the Underdog Championship Series that begins tonight. Expect the contest to be close and thrilling. Both teams enter with hitting that is hotter than Lou Pinella's temper and pitching that proved in the ALDS that it could handle the pressure of October baseball. Minnesota's quirky astro-turf park worked against the Athletics, but it is less likely to impact the Angels, who were 3-3 in the Metrodome this year. For both teams, the question is whether their pitchers can continue to perform so well on little rest. Minnesota's Brad Radke's performance on Sunday was poetic (6 2/3 shutout innings,) but he may not pitch so well in the ALCS if the Twins push him to come back quickly. Angels' ace Jarrod Washburn pitched well on Saturday, but he gave four runs in Game 1, and he may not have the energy for two games in the ALCS. Anaheim's Ramon Ortiz, who was nothing short of dazzling in September, was rocked in Game 3 but escaped the loss after the Yankees bullpen imploded. Kevin Appier was a smart choice to start the ALCS for Anaheim, as he pitched well in his Game 2 start and is the only Angel with playoff experience. He will likely face Jose Mays, who had a breakout season last year but showed in the ALDS that he does not have the experience to handle the pressure of pitching in the playoffs. The Twins rotation from there has yet to be announced, but Rick Reed, Eric Milton, and Radke are strong enough to cool off Anaheim if they get enough rest and eat their Wheaties. The Twins and Angels share the same starting pitching uncertainties, so it may be the bullpens that determine this series. With closer Troy Percival and a slew of solid set-up men (including Francisco Rodriguez, who had two wins in the ALDS) the Angels have the advantage in the late innings. If you could even name the Twins closer before the ALDS, then you need to get rescind your official Twins Club Membership Card and get a life. Granted, Eddie Guardado (the closer, for you non-dorks) had 45 saves this season, but he nearly gave away Game 5 to Oakland in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday and does not have the experience that Percival does. Though the tops of each team's lineup are evenly matched, the Angels have the advantage of depth. Anaheim's seven-nine hitters, Shawn Wooten, Bengie Molina, and Benji Gil went a combined 12-for-26 in the series with four runs and four RBIs in Game 4 alone. While it is possible to analyze statistics and determine which team is more likely to outplay the other, the ALDS match-ups taught us that key to winning for both of these teams is a motivation and drive that cannot be calculated. October baseball doesn't get much better than this.


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From soap and paper towels lobbyist to President

If it is 3:30 in the afternoon, TCU President Melissa Carson is most likely eating mozzarella sticks from Hotung and a Diet Pepsi (surprisingly caffeine free) in her small but nicely-decorated office on the second floor of the campus center. If it is 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday night, one would almost surely find Melissa in her office typing away at her computer after one of the weekly Senate meetings. Carson's life as a student has been defined by her participation in student government. After serving on the Freshman Class Council, Carson had developed a desire to do more work with policy and the administration. She was elected as a senator for the sophomore class (one of only 28 positions for the entire TCU) and ultimately became vice president as a junior. "There's something about Senate that's addictive, Carson said. "When you set out to change something and it you do it, it is an amazing feeling." Carson's pride in Tufts is evident from the moment one enters her office. The room is neat, rather homey and nonetheless adorned with Tufts University pennants, posters of Jumbo, and maps of the campus. "It's cheesy, but I love Tufts," Carson said. "I can see the problems of the school and instead of just complaining about it, I actually want to change things." Outside the Senate, the 22 year-old Carson, who hails from Westchester NY, is majoring in child development and philosophy and is passionate about children. She boasts that the day she reached the age of legal employment, she began working as an after-school counselor at the Jewish Community Center in her town. Carson has also worked as a lifeguard and EMT. If her senatorial duties were not so time consuming, it is likely that you would find her canoeing, hiking or swimming. Carson's background is what her colleagues praise her for the most. "No student at Tufts has a more varied personal history than Carson. For that reason, there's really no one who is better qualified to represent our diverse student population," Trustee Representative Matthew Kane said. As TCU President, Carson has her work cut out for her. She has a lengthy list of goals she wants to accomplish, and to do so, she must bring together a body of 28 senators and four culture representatives. She also has to contend with a student body that is traditionally apathetic toward campus politics. "Gathering information from students who don't particularly have faith in the student government has also been a challenge," Carson said. "We need people to talk to us." Carson's first project has been the creation of a peer educator group of students trained to deal with incidents of bias. The program was delayed due to a lack of funding but is currently in the final stages of completion. With a smile and a little chuckle, Carson is also quick to volunteer that she lobbied for soap to be placed in the bathrooms around campus _ the traditional platform of a rookie senator. But she is still working to secure the placement of paper towels in the bathrooms. "She's got a real get-it-done kind of attitude. Hopefully she'll get a lot of people involved in the getting it done," junior Senator Josh Belkin said. Also on Carson's agenda for the year are revisiting the new block schedule and improving the off-campus housing situation. Carson has been working with Yolanda King, director of Residential Life, and local landlords to facilitate finding off-campus housing options for students. Carson is also in the process of coordinating free safety inspections with Medford fire and police officials for students not living on the Hill. Carson can effortlessly list the many policy and institutional changes she would like to see happen at Tufts. Such changes include need blind financial aid, 24-hour on campus eateries and a reinstitution of concerts on the quad. "If we use the system that is in place, we can get things done," says Carson. "I feel like Ballou and Dowling are willing to listen." Though senators caution that it is too early to judge Carson's performance as president, they agree that she is the right woman for the job. "Our president is great at getting things done," Senator Randy Newsom said. "When she puts her effort into something it usually gets done." "Although it's very early in the year, she has shown strong leadership skills by pulling the members of the Senate into a strong community," TTLGBC cultural representative Kelly Sanborn also remarked. "My only problem with Carson is that it is sometimes really difficult to get in touch with her. She is an extremely busy lady."


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Corporate welfare reform

The welfare reforms under the Clinton administration shifted America's views on government assistance. Welfare, once viewed by much of the population as cash handouts to people unwilling to get a job, are now properly recognized as financial assistance that is often necessary in an unstable economy. Welfare allows Americans who are between jobs, or are not earning enough to pay for housing or feed their families, to stay off the streets, while simultaneously providing incentives and assistance for finding employment. Without welfare, low and lower middle class Americans would be much closer to living impoverished lives. Despite the success of welfare reform, American corporations still receive vast amounts of welfare from the government. Why should American people be limited to five years of government assistance when corporate America can continuously receive government funds? It is time for Congress to closely examine and reform the corporate welfare system. I propose modeling corporate welfare after the welfare American citizens receive. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a large agriculture corporation, is rumored to be profitable only because of the massive subsidies it receives from federal and state governments. ADM is the corporate equivalent of someone too lazy to go out and get a job, relying instead on the monthly checks the government hands out. In order to prevent more ADM style subsidy abuse, Congress should limit corporations to five years of government subsidies. Just as the five year welfare limit encourages Americans to find a steady job, a limit on corporate welfare would encourage corporations to find a way to return to profitability. If a corporation is unable to remain profitable after five years of government assistance the field is obviously not profitable and the government should allow the company to fail. The government uses subsidies that make up the heart of corporate welfare as incentives to motivate companies to produce "common" or "public" goods: products that benefit all people instead of just those who purchase them. Corporations are hesitant to produce such products, as they do not receive money from everyone who benefits. Instead of using subsidies to encourage corporate production of public goods, the government should institute a tax break system. With tax breaks as motivation instead of subsidies, corporations will be unable to subsist only on corporate welfare. Companies that have already proven their ability to be profitable in other sectors will have a large incentive to produce public goods. Competent companies with successful management structures and production models will receive awards for their abilities. Congress will still be able to provide incentives to corporate America, without allowing companies to abuse the corporate welfare system. As global trade becomes more integrated, and the World Trade Organization gains power in the international marketplace, America will receive greater penalties for the corporate welfare it hands out. Already, many of our trading partners are angered by the unfair boost American corporations receive through government subsidies. Unless we reform our corporate welfare system, we will face harsher and harsher penalties from trade management organizations. The penalties will hurt American companies, completely offsetting the benefits of subsidies. Tariffs harm corporations that do not receive welfare just as much as their subsidized competition. If American products are to remain competitive in the global economy, Congress must reform the corporate welfare system. The current corporate welfare system is broken and unfair to the American taxpayers who fund it. Government subsidies do play a role in modern economies, but the government must ensure that corporations do not exist on subsidies alone. Without corporate welfare reform, American companies will continue to face tariffs abroad. Welfare reform has proved itself successful. It is time for Congress to step up and make similar reforms to the corporate welfare system.


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Polar Bears claw through holes in Jumbos defense

Brunswick, ME _ The field hockey team fell to the powerful Bowdoin Polar Bears Saturday, 3-0, on the turf of Ryan Field in Brunswick, Maine. The game marked the fourth straight loss for the struggling Jumbos and evened their NESCAC record at 2-2. Outshot 11 to two for the contest, the team was often caught back deep in its own defensive zone. The squad showed a lack of offense throughout the game, failing to score a goal for the fourth straight match. "You need to score some goals in field hockey to win games," coach Carol Rappoli said. "We're the worst team in the league offensively, at least as far as scoring goals." The Jumbos came out flat both on offense and defense from the beginning of the first half. Bowdoin senior Leah McClure scored five minutes into the match on a centering pass from sophomore Colleen McDonald. Another Polar Bear goal came with eight minutes remaining in the half by senior captain Jackie Templeton on a pass by junior Amanda Burrage. Tufts relinquished both goals by failing to clear the zone and neglecting to play tightly in front of the net. "I thought we played very poorly in the first half defensively," Rappoli said. Tufts made some adjustments during the half time intermission, however, which elevated its defensive performance for the remaining 35 minutes. "We reevaluated and made some changes," senior tri-captain Laura Hacker said. "The players who were on the field talked with the rest of the team and we really stepped it up in the second half." The defensive alterations made during the break worked for the next 31 minutes. Then with four minutes left in the game, Bowdoin sophomore Marissa O'Neill ruined Tufts' aspiration of a scoreless second frame when she netted the Polar Bears' third score of the day. The team "was much more intense in the second half, especially defensively," Rappoli said. Despite the rejuvenated effort on their own side of the field, the Jumbos still could not put together effective offensive combinations in the Bowdoin zone. The Polar Bear goal keeper was only forced to make two saves and Tufts rarely put the ball inside the circle. Part of the squad's toils on Saturday stemmed from Ryan Field's artificial turf. Playing on turf is a lot different from playing on grass, as the turf is much faster and the ball bounces more on it. Tufts attempted to tweak its playing style for success on turf by practicing on the harder surface in the Gantcher center last week. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, "one week does not make a turf team," Rappoli said. The team will have another five days of practice to work on its turf strategy in preparation for next Saturday's NESCAC match at Trinity College. Both offense and defense will be stressed in the Gantcher center this week, as the team will try to end its scoring drought and lack of early defensive aggression. Tufts is currently ranked sixth in the NESCAC with a 2-2 league record and 2-6 overall record on the season. The Polar Bears jumped to 7-1 on the year with their win on Saturday. Now, midway through the season, the Jumbos will play five of their last six games against NESCAC opponents. The matches will be important if the Jumbos hope to qualify for the playoffs. The approaching game against Trinity will be an opportunity for Tufts to redeem itself on turf and turn the tide of the season. "We've been making things hard for ourselves... if we can't get up for another game on turf, I don't know what can fire us up," Rappoli said.


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Tufts knocks off top-notch Bowdoin in OT

Brunswick, ME _ The women's soccer team picked up a huge victory over the previously undefeated Bowdoin Polar Bears in overtime on Saturday. Bowdoin entered the game atop the NESCAC with a 7-0-1 record, and was ranked second in New England and 13th in the nation. But the Jumbos would pull off the upset, capitalizing on a corner kick five minutes into the overtime period to take the game 2-1. Tufts improved to 5-2 on the year with the win, and has now won three straight games. By beating Bowdoin, the Jumbos move into first place in the NESCAC, tied with Williams at 3-1 in conference play, while the Polar Bears, at 3-1-1, drop to third. "Bowdoin was undefeated, so this is a big win for us," junior Jess Trombly said. "This was very important for our confidence. Bowdoin is a good team; they're tough and very skilled. Winning makes us believe in ourselves and raises our confidence a lot. Wins can start good habits that we hope will last the rest of the season." The Jumbos dominated play for most of the game, coming out strong from the start and surprising a tough Bowdoin team. Tufts forced Bowdoin goalkeeper Anna Shapnell to make 20 saves, while Tufts goalie Meg McCourt needed just four to pick up her fifth win of the season. "We were in control of the game for most of the time," coach Martha Whiting said. "They definitely had their breaks and chances, but for the most part we really threw them off because we played very aggressively and very confidently." Although Tufts out-played Bowdoin most of the game, it was the Polar Bears who struck first Saturday, translating a Jumbo mistake into a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. The Tufts defense turned the ball over in its own box, and Bowdoin senior tri-captain Shelly Chessie sent it into the net to give her team the early edge. "We had a couple mental breaks, and one of those resulted in a goal, but those things happen," Whiting said. "We didn't let it get our heads down." Tufts kept up its strong play after the goal, but Bowdoin's defense held, keeping the lead intact through the end of the first period. Even though the Jumbos were down 1-0, the team was optimistic at the half. "Even when we were facing adversity and losing at halftime, the players really sucked it up and didn't let it affect them," Whiting said. "We knew we were playing well, and even though we were losing, we all felt that we would win the game." Fifteen minutes into the second half, Tufts finally evened the score, with sophomore forward Jen Baldwin driving a pass from freshman Lindsay Garmirian into the Bowdoin net. The goal was Baldwin's second of the year, while Garmirian picked up her first collegiate point with the assist. Both sides had solid scoring chances down the stretch, but neither could convert, sending the game into overtime. Tufts continued to pressure in overtime, earning a corner kick just less than five minutes into the extra frame. Senior co-captain Alle Sharlip took the kick, crossing it into the box to fellow senior captain Cara Glassanos. Glassanos headed it in, sending the ball past Shapnell to give the Jumbos the victory. "We've been having trouble converting on corner kicks, so it was great to get that goal," Whiting said. "Alle hit an amazing cross, and Cara was at the other end of it and just banged it into the back of the net. It was awesome." With seven goals in their last three games, the Jumbos appear to have finally shaken off the offensive woes that plagued them early in the season. "All the practice is starting to pay off," Whiting said. "And also, when you have a very solid defense, it's easier to play well offensively. When the other team can't get the ball out of their half of the field, you're able to get a lot more opportunities. It starts in the back and works it's way forward." The coach also points to her team's cohesiveness as a key factor in the Jumbos' success lately. The team, she says, has begun to gel, and its play has improved as the season has progressed. "It's pretty clear that we have a talented team, but it doesn't really mean much until you start playing together," Whiting said. "We're in a bit of a groove now. The players are starting to feel comfortable with each other, and are becoming more confident in themselves and in each other. Everything is starting to click." The Jumbos will head to Waltham on Tuesday to take on non-conference Brandeis, before next weekend's NESCAC match-up against Trinity. After starting 4-0, the Judges have dropped to 5-3, and have lost their last two games. But, coming off a big win, Tufts has to be careful not to look past Tuesday's game. "Even though Brandeis isn't one of the best teams on our schedule, they're a tough team to play, especially on their field," Whiting said. "It was great to get such a big win, but we have to put that behind us and really focus on Tuesday now."


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The illusions in the Intifada

Entering the third year of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is important to look back and evaluate the implications that such an uprising has on the makings of the Middle East. Seeing the headlines describing both Israeli sieges of Palestinian buildings and of countless Palestinian suicide bombings ravaging Israeli towns, it is easy to loose sight of the long-term consequences of this conflict, even if the current cycle of violence were to end tomorrow. This being said, we must be prudent in examining the consequences by first establishing the reasoning for the continued conflict. Why do Palestinians persist on waging such uprising? More importantly, why do they persist with such unwavering support, even in the face of curfews, a totally crippled economy, and mounting death tolls? A recent poll conducted during the anniversary of the war indicates that 80.6 percent of the Palestinians support the continuation of the Intifada while 70 percent support a continuation of the military struggle. Policymakers and academics believe that humans act in their own best interests, logically reasoning that if it weren't for the expectation of a positive future pay off, individuals would not engage in such calculated destruction. This is exemplified by the Palestinian belief, shared by 83.9 percent of the population, that either the Intifada, or the Intifada allied with negotiations, is the best way to achieve the national goal of ending the occupation. The rationale behind their reasoning is quite clear: although Palestinians are suffering, the suicide bombings are also inflicting pain and fear into Israeli society. Further, although their tactics have undermined any sense of security, crippled their economy, and damaged their relations with some countries around world, their rationale determines that this is what will bring Israelis to the negotiating table with larger concessions than those that were being discussed before the Intifada broke out. This rationale has backfired, however. Instead of Israelis backing down on their demands, the sense of insecurity brought more distrust, polarized the political debate and allowed for military reprisals unthought-of only a couple of years ago. Two years ago, with all of the problems and intractable negotiations, Palestinians still had a government and a temporary rule over certain areas in the territories. Today, they have neither. In 1999, negotiations were revolving around the issue of Jerusalem, which Israel had always considered its undividable capital. Today, negotiations are revolving simply around ending the siege of the Muqata, deep into former Palestinian-controlled Ramallah. More importantly, even, are not the territorial delimitations, but rather the deeper mingling of both societies. Security services once cooperated, and educational institutions (albeit at a limited extent), shared knowledge. For over a generation, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians entered Israel and worked there. Today, very few Palestinians have work permits allowing them to work inside Israel. Instead of trying to bring Palestinian workers back, Israeli society has coped with the lack of such labor force with a large influx of foreign workers. Today, over 300,000 foreign workers work inside Israel, many working in the jobs previously held by Palestinians. In essence, Israelis are making their best effort to insulate themselves from any dependence on Palestinians. The new fence being built is just the physical evidence of this unfortunate phenomenon. These are the intractable consequences of the uprising. Instead of a positive payoff, which could very well have happened, we are now facing mounting losses on both sides. Abandoning the uprising by the Palestinians at this point would not only be admitting the failure of a policy but also mean bearing the consequences of such a failure, namely, a weak position in future negotiations. However, continuing to engage in a mistaken policy that has proven only negative payoffs by pursuing it even more stringently is sheer nonsense. Israelis, although losing their sense of security, are not experiencing life under curfew or 65 percent unemployment. And yet, if humans are rational beings, and the Intifada has not worked, why do Palestinians not abandon their struggle? My belief is that the answer lies in the fact that Palestinians living day to day inside the territories are constantly bombarded by a well-functioning propaganda machine that chooses to institute rationality in concepts only of interest to those in power. And let me be clear: I do not mean only the Palestinian authority, but especially the Syrian backed Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, which by de facto control the social safety net. It is a machine that instills pride in suicide bombings and one that promises a total annihilation of Israel; it is a machine that encourages children to risk their lives by throwing stones at armored tanks because it is brave, and because it will be shown in newspapers around the world. It may seem surprising to some, but 43 percent of the Palestinian population currently believes that the Intifada should end only by the liberation of all of historic Palestine, (read: extinction of Israel). With such expectations, how can one foresee an end to this conflict? The hard truth is that the Intifada has failed. Defending it only deepens the already great divide between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and offers absolutely no positive future payoff. Instead of searching for reasons that suicide bombers exist, we should be focusing on ensuring that the Palestinians are not fooled into believing that impossible concessions can be achieved through violent struggle. By accepting the behavior of suicide bombings, we implicitly give reason to their existence and justify their cause, protecting the leaders that have created them. The Palestinians deserve a land and a government. But, they also deserve a free press, an unbiased education system, and a democratic government. Only this will allow them to act rationally and pursue their best interests, which surely includes understanding the inefficiency of pursuing their interests through suicide bombing. Daniel Ades is a second year graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy


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Color 101, or 911?

Residents of the Arts Haus, known as a venue for creativity on campus, took artistic expression to another level on Friday _ giving free dye jobs and hair cuts to University students. Under the guidance of house manager, senior Erin Dwyer, the 17 resident house decided that free hair dying and cutting would be entertaining, fun, and practical. After all, "green hair is post-modern," senior Arts Haus resident David Attanasio said. For the event, the on-call stylists were sophomore Arts Haus residents Sadie and junior resident Sue, who were responsible for the evening's events. Sadie was confident in her self-taught abilities as a stylist/shaver. She came prepared with tools, and her short, spiky, platinum blonde hair gave her some credibility in the hair styling business. On the other hand, Sue appeared a lot more hesitant. "I've never highlighted hair before," she said. Despite her inexperience and hesitation, Sue, nevertheless, looked professional in her latex gloves, amidst her arrangement of hair dye. The students in attendance were mostly freshmen. Freshmen Sarah and Jason, decided to take part in the hair styling experiment because it was free. As it happens, Sarah, who is a veteran of hair dyes, showed up at the multi-colored extravaganza sporting short, dyed-red hair. She chose not to go too crazy and just rejuvenated the red with a fresh one. The excitement began when she sat down at the table with Sue armed and ready behind her. The first squirt of dye was a mind-boggling blood red. "Don't be afraid, it's only hair," Sue said to reassure her client. "If she messes up you can dye your whole head again," sophomore resident Whitney added. Sarah remained calm, cool, and collected throughout the procedure, and Sue did a successful job of revitalizing Sarah's exotic color. After the triumphant effort with Sarah's hair, Sadie took on freshman Jason's hair. His straight black hair fell long around the face, and he declared that it was time for a trim. As the black garbage bag was placed over his shoulders and Sadie prepared the razor, a look of terror crossed Jason's face. Jason expressed frustration in not being given a mirror to see the back of his head during the "styling session." Sadie stood behind Jason with razor in hand and proceeded to drag the razor over Jason's hair. Black packets fell to the ground, and when Sadie finished, Jason hurried to the bathroom to see the result. There was a moment of silence. "I like it," Jason said. "I'm not used to short hair, but I like it." The trend of success was put to a halt towards the end of the evening. While permanent dye is fabulous if one wants long-lasting color, it can cause problems when the bright dye stains skin. Washing out the hair color proved to be more trouble than was expected. "I have purple on my arms, my hands, and my face... everywhere except my hair," freshman Joanna said. Still, Joanna admitted that she couldn't pass up the opportunity to dye her hair an unnatural color, for free, and was pleased that purple was, at least, a "pretty" color. "We're all about living on the edge," Attanasio said. At the very least, people took chances by trying something new _ the mark of a college experience. In the end, there was no great catastrophe, just some colorful people.


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Jumbos freeze Polar Bears

Brunswick, ME _ Senior running back Chuck McGraw rushed for 148 yards and the Jumbo secondary had six interceptions as Tufts pounded Bowdoin on the road on Saturday, 44-13. With the win, Tufts improved to 3-0 and stayed in a tie atop the NESCAC with Williams and Amherst. On Bowdoin's first play from scrimmage, junior safety Drew Blewett picked off a pass from Polar Bear quarterback Justin Hardison inside Bowdoin territory. Though kicker Marcellus Rolle missed a field goal, the interception set the tone for what would be another stingy performance by the defense. "On that first play, the defensive line applied good pressure," Blewett said. "I just read his body and stepped up." The game was scoreless until early in the second quarter. Bowdoin began a drive at its own ten-yard line. When Hardison was again rushed from the pocket, he threw another wayward pass directly into the hands of Blewett. "That second pick was right at me," Blewett said. "He rolled to me and threw it directly to my chest." The Jumbo offense took over at the Bowdoin 25 and behind the running of McGraw and senior quarterback Scott Treacy put together a short touchdown drive to give the Jumbos a 7-0 lead. The remainder of the second quarter was sloppy, with the teams trading turnovers. After Evan Zupancic intercepted his record-breaking 16th career ball, Bowdoin defensive back Ben Babcock picked Treacy as the two squads waged a messy war of offensive stagnation. With less than ten seconds left in the half, however, Tufts received a punt, and instead of running out the clock and taking the 7-0 lead into halftime, the Jumbos decided to be aggressive. Quarterback Scott Treacy found junior receiver Tim Mack in single coverage, streaking down the left sideline. Mack made a brilliant catch, keeping one foot in bounds, and then made a cut inside around the cornerback and scampered 83 yards into the endzone as time expired. "It was a perfect pass," Mack said." "It was right where it was supposed to be. Treacy threw a hell of a ball." But not everyone was impressed with the team's efforts up until that point. "I didn't think we played well in the first half at all," coach Bill Samko said. "I guess we should just the fly pattern every play." "We had a little bit of trouble finishing our drives in the first half," Treacy said. "But we ran 45 plays in the half, which is really good. We just have to finish it off, and I think in the second half we did a better job of that." Tufts' offense was anything but sputtering in the third quarter. The Jumbos pounded away at Bowdoin with an aggressive running game led by McGraw, who picked up over 30 yards on the drive. On a first and goal, Treacy ran right on a keeper and sprinted into the endzone to give Tufts a 20-0 lead. Tufts seemed to put the game away after another Bowdoin turnover gave the Jumbos possession at the Polar Bear 23-yard line. After recovering his own fumble, Treacy again hit Mack, this time in the corner of endzone for a 27-0 lead. "We knew that Bowdoin was struggling defensively coming in," Samko said. "They gave up over 40 points last week at Amherst. So when we scored twice, and it was 27-0, I think our mentality was that the game was over. Unfortunately, it wasn't." With a big lead, a general malaise seemed to set in over the Jumbos' play. On Bowdoin's ensuing drive, Hardison threw a bomb to a Bowdoin receiver who ran all the way to the Tufts 15-yard line. Only a diving tackle from sophomore defensive back Donovan Brown saved a touchdown. But after a few short runs, Hardison's receiver was in the endzone, cutting the lead to 27-7. They were the first points surrendered by the Jumbo defense all season. Tufts went three and out on its next possession and Bowdoin put together another solid touchdown scoring drive to end the third quarter. The Polar Bears converted two 4th and 1 opportunities. After missing the extra point, the lead was cut to 27-13. Tufts' offense again sputtered and was forced to punt. The momentum had clearly shifted as Bowdoin took over the ball on the 48-yard line with the opportunity to get within a touchdown of Tufts. Hardison looked to complete a short pass to his receiver on the right on the first play of the drive, but Zupancic dove in front of his man and intercepted the pass, ensuring Tufts' victory. The Jumbos would add a field goal and two more touchdowns, one of them a 43-yard run by sophomore running back Steve Cincotta, for a satisfying finish to an impressive road victory. Everyone agreed, however, that as Tufts enters the toughest part of its schedule against Trinity, Williams and Amherst, the team would need to be more consistent. "That was by far the best team we've played this year," said junior defensive linemen Caleb Hudak, who led the team with four solo tackles before leaving with an injury. "Unfortunately we played half football again. We need to start playing entire games." "Looking ahead to Trinity, we've just got to keep getting better," junior defensive end Reid Palmer said. "We've got to step up and make big plays against the better teams and work on never letting up."


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Diversity improves at School of Engineering

The administration and faculty of the School of Engineering have been making a strong effort to increase the diversity of the school's student body for the past six years, with noticeable results. But the University hopes to build further on this progress and garner more interest in engineering from students of different backgrounds. "We are doing very well overall, but we're not quite there yet with certain groups," Dean of Engineering Ioannis Miaoulis said. "I will be happy when the population of the engineering school reflects the population of the world." A Strategic Plan development was organized in 1996 with the goal of enhancing the diversity of the students and faculty in the School of Engineering. Since then, the number of female faculty members has tripled and women have taken on key leadership positions. Several department heads are women, as is the Associate Dean of Engineering. Presently, half of the department chairs and directors in the schools are members of typically underrepresented groups. By improving the diversity of the faculty, the school hopes that more students will feel welcome in the school. These professors serve as role models for women and other minority students in engineering. Professors, in turn, would like to see more diversity in their classrooms. "There's never enough of it," Professor James Schmolze said. He cited the moderate number of women in his classes as well as the small numbers of African-American and Hispanic students. That said, Tufts has twice as many female engineering students as the national average _ 32 percent of undergraduates and 40 percent of graduate students of the School of Engineering are women. In total, underrepresented groups constitute between 40 to 50 percent of the student body, of which approximately 20 percent are students of color and 15 percent are international students. The Office of Institutional Research does not compile an exact breakdown of the racial composition of the School of Engineering's student body. To attract more students to engineering, professors have altered their curriculum to include a more hands-on approach. Schmolze referred to studies that show that female students are less drawn to the technical aspects of engineering than male students are. If the material has a clear application, however, it generally has a greater appeal to women. Tufts has integrated this active approach in engineering, and is reaching a broader range of students. Furthermore, professors strongly encourage women and minority students without giving these students special treatment. According to Professor Robert Gonsalves, the departments track the academic performance of all their students through personal contact which is effective at encouraging engineering students from all backgrounds. Professors have noticed improvements in the diversity of their classes. When Professor Karen Panetta first started teaching at Tufts, only one of her students was female. Now, women make up half of Panetta's classes. Professor Judy Stafford, in her first year at Tufts, noticed a higher female representation in her Software Engineering class than she had expected. Women comprise one quarter of her students, which is 15 percent higher than she had anticipated. The culture of the school has changed as more women are becoming engineers. "Now that the climate has become more accepting to women, it becomes more accepting to other underrepresented groups," said Miaoulis, the dean, referring to African-American and Hispanic students in particular. To improve the diversity of the engineering field, the University has been working with schools throughout the state to integrate engineering into the curriculum at all grade levels, from kindergarten through high school. "Children are taught math and science in schools, but engineering is more than math and science," Panetta said. Also, for the last four years the University has hosted a LEGO camp, where local children between the ages of 5-10 design, build, and program engineering projects made from LEGOs. The goal of these programs are to introduce students to engineering at a young age and to encourage children of all backgrounds to explore this field. This effort has helped the Tufts School of Engineering receive greater name recognition among prospective students, and applications to the school have doubled in the past eight years. "A university provides the perfect laboratory setting to understand the interactions between diverse groups," Gonsalves remarked. "It's a place to make mistakes, learn, and avoid trouble in the future."


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Not so fast

Fast food has permeated many cultures around the world. Not only can you grab a Big Mac in just about any American city, you can spot golden arches from miles away in major foreign cities as well. In fast-paced societies, many people have embraced fast food as a time-saving lifesaver of sorts. But research has shown that the excessive calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium in fast food may be harmful to your health. The antithesis of fast food is "slow food," and nutritionists generally agree that it may be beneficial to your health if you eat it more often than fast food. There is actually a "slow food movement." It was founded in Paris in 1989 by a food-and-wine writer in response to the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Rome's famous Piazza di Spagna. At first, the movement was a local opportunity to protest ubiquitous fast food that detracts from a country's customs and traditions. But since its inception, the Slow Food organization has developed into an international nonprofit grassroots group with 65,000 members in 45 countries, each with local convivia, or chapters. According to its website, the Slow Food organization is dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of great slow food, "from the spice of Cajun cooking to the purity of the organic movement; from heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to handcrafted wine and beer, farmhouse cheeses and other artisanal products." The slow food movement is making its way to the United States at a snail's pace. But it may be just what America needs, since nutritionists suggest that health is perhaps the primary benefit of eating slow food in America. According to the Center for Disease Control, an estimated 61 percent of US adults are either overweight or obese. Overweight, stressed out and lacking time, we grab fast food. What exactly is slow food? If you search www.slowfood.com looking for specific "slow food" menus and recipes, you won't find any. That's because the organization defines slow food as a "state of mind." Although abstract, this simply means that taking the time to eat a sandwich can be a slow food experience; you don't have to eat luxury foods every day. Slow food is partly what you put in that sandwich and partly the act of slowing down to decrease stress, which will ultimately improve your health. Numerous foods can be slow foods. Suppose you are at school and have a one-hour lunch break between classes. You can either drive to get a Whopper with French fries or bring along a sandwich from the Campus Center or from a Davis Square restaurant, such as The Blue Shirt Caf?© or Diesel Caf?©. While you might not think a sandwich meal is slow food, surprisingly, it qualifies if it includes whole-grain bread, unprocessed meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables. The fast food hamburger meal likely contains many more calories and fat grams and much less fiber as compared with a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with lettuce, tomatoes and sprouts. Preparing a sandwich ahead of time or bringing along a quick, healthful meal allows more time for savoring your food. And it will save you from running around in a frenzy to find fast food as well. How can you eat slow food? It is a good idea to choose more fresh foods instead of frozen or canned food by going to a farmers' market, like the one held on Wednesdays in Davis Square.. Eat a wide variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables _ organic ones when possible _ and cook from scratch when you can. When eating, sit down at a table with others. Turn off the TV and converse with each other, and savor every morsel of your food. The Slow Food movement wants us to wake up and literally smell the freshly ground coffee, lingering at the table as we sip it slowly. The idea of slow food is to abandon unhealthful fast food to rediscover the sensual pleasures of eating natural foods, which will most greatly benefit our health. Slow food is also about decreasing the stress in our lives and enjoying the emotionally healthful connections we make with others as we dine together. In eating slow food, we improve our physical health by switching to more nutritious foods. Ultimately, in taking the time to preserve our health by eating slow foods, we will potentially be granted a longer life _ so, hurry up and eat slow food.


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Soccer falls to Bowdoin for third straight loss

Brunswick, ME _ After beginning the season with a promising 4-0 record, the men's soccer team began a downward spiral homecoming weekend that continued at Bowdoin this Saturday, resulting in its third consecutive loss. Looking to get back on the winning track this weekend, the men recovered from a 1-0 deficit at the half to tie the game and take it into overtime. But it was the Polar Bears who prevailed, sending the Jumbos home with a 1-2 loss. Going into the game, the Jumbos knew that they faced a challenging match-up. Sitting atop the NESCAC standings with a 6-1 record, the Polar Bears were the Jumbos' toughest opponent thus far in the season. Coming out in the first half, the Jumbos looked timid as Bowdoin quickly took control of the game. Nearly 15 minutes into the match-up, the Polar Bears' offensive charges paid off as freshmen Ethan Galloway scored an unassisted goal over the top of sophomore goalie Scott Conroy's reach. Though Bowdoin scored quickly, the Jumbos felt that after witnessing their opponent in action, they would be able to mount a comeback. "In the first half there's always a little bit of nerves against a team like this," junior tri-captain Mike Blea said. "After seeing them though, I think we realized that we were certainly the better team." A clearly stronger Jumbo team emerged in the second half of the game. Entering the period with a renewed intensity, the Jumbos quickly took charge of the game, keeping the ball in Polar Bear territory for most of the half. Taking several shots on goal, senior Garrett Dale was finally able to convert on a pass from junior teammate Craig Gelormini. With the game now tied, the Jumbos felt that it was in their hands, taking several more close shots on goal. "After that goal, we definitely had the momentum going for us," Dale said. "It was an awesome display," coach Ralph Ferringo said. Time ran out on the Jumbos before their momentum scored them another point and they took the game into overtime. Tufts continued its push into the extra period, with several more crowd-teasing attempts on goal. In the end though, the Jumbos beat themselves: a scuffle in front of the goal caused Tufts to a Polar Bear shot into its own goal. "They had the ball just once in our half for a lucky opportunity," Blea said. The loss came as a heart breaker for the Jumbos especially after their performance on the day. "This is probably our best game yet. We got unlucky but we proved a lot to ourselves," Blea said. Blea's sentiments were echoed by most of the team. "Bowdoin came into the game on top of the league, the top team in the region, and often times we looked like we were the home team today, we were so much on top," Ferringo said. Compounding 19 shots on the day, compared to Bowdoin's 14, the Jumbos were the dominant offensive team in the game, especially in the second half. With the loss now behind them, the Jumbos will focus on carrying over their solid play to their game against Salve Regina on Tuesday. Though Salve is an out-of-conference opponent, Tufts still considers the game of high importance. "All of the games are important," Ferringo said. "I know some of our peers don't take the non-conference games as seriously, but I do. I think the attitude and the mentality are the keys for building a team, and I think our attitude and mentality have to be the same for Salve as they do for Trinity next weekend." Tufts will try to put an end to their streak of losses this Tuesday at 4 p.m. on Kraft field.


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Unbeaten women's tennis stamps authority on opposition

Just two weeks away from the New England Championships, the women's tennis team continued to stamp its authority over opponents with two strong wins this week. The Jumbos remained undefeated, following wins against MIT on Thursday and Bowdoin on Saturday. While the team lost its first two matches of the season against Bowdoin, the 7-2 overall victory ran the Jumbos' fall record to 6-0. Saturday's clash at Bowdoin provided the Jumbos with their first real competition of the season. The number one doubles pair of sophomore Jennifer Lejb and senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom survived a close encounter with Bowdoin's Alexis Bawden and Paulette Hricko, winning 9-8, while the second pair of junior Barclay Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva prevailed 8-5. Bowdoin proved even tougher in the singles, with number one Lejb and senior co-captain Iffy Saeed (six) stretched to three sets. Freshmen Rebecca Bram (two) and Lisa Miller (five) suffered their first losses of their young Jumbo careers, losing 6-2, 7-5 and 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 respectively. Gang (three) and Nordstrom (four) finished with more one-sided score lines, though this belied the closeness of the matches. "We had to fight," Saeed said. "Everyone had a challenging match, which was good, especially with the New England Championships coming up." With the Championships approaching quickly _ they will be held October 18-20 _ coach Jim Watson will be looking for the women to improve two main parts of their game. While an ongoing focus this season has been the need to keep the ball deeper in the court on a consistent basis, the ability to mix up the pace of the point has become increasingly important. "They need to have the ability to change the tempo of the point," Watson said. "We got into trouble [against Bowdoin] by using the same pace all the time. It's fine if you're winning the war, but if you're losing the war, you have to do something about it." Watson is pleased with the effort so far, and feels it is important that the team lost a couple of matches, as it takes away the pressure of trying to be perfect every single time. "It's nice to not have so much pressure," Nordstrom agreed. "Everyone doesn't feel they have to win every time out to remain perfect." Earlier in the week, the Jumbos met with MIT in an encounter that featured many close scores, but again resulted in a 9-0 sweep for Tufts, its fifth straight. Backed by three tough but triumphant doubles matches, the team had the advantage going into the singles. The strength of the doubles teams has been a major factor in the Jumbos' success so far, according to Watson. "The doubles teams are playing pretty well," Watson said. "But I still tell them I think singles is our strength. But to take a 3-0 lead into the singles is an added bonus." While the doubles pairs have been challenged recently against Bowdoin, MIT and Middlebury (number ones Lejb and Nordstrom have been threatened in matches that could have gone the other way), this can only be beneficial to the team. Following the winter break, the Jumbos will meet Amherst and Williams, traditionally powerful teams. Facing stronger opposition now, the team will hope the hard-fought wins prepare it for the upcoming matches. In singles action against MIT, Lejb (one) had little trouble with MIT's Julie Koo, triumphing 6-1, 6-0. Saeed (five) was victorious 6-1, 6-1. However Gang (three) was extended to three sets before winning. Freshman Becky Bram (two), Nordstrom (four) and sophomore Trina Spear (six) all won in straight sets. The team's success was partly due to the member's ability to work together and play off each other's successes. The team regularly has events that forge off-court friendships and improve on-court relationships. "We're very close," Nordstrom said. "We motivate each other, and seeing each other so motivated helps us individually too." The Jumbos will meet Wellesley on Wednesday at 3:30pm at Tufts and look to remain perfect this season, as they seek their seventh consecutive victory.