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Dean of Technology

September 23

The position of Dean of Technology remains just a proposal almost a year after the Computer Facilities and Usage Committee (CFUC) first recommended its institution. A technology dean would focus on the undergraduate computing environment and organize the computing services and facilities on campus. Many members of the committee continue to push for the position's creation. Wayne Bouchard, the executive administrative dean, is also a strong advocate for the dean of technology position. According to Kent Portney, chair of the CFUC, the primary role of the new dean would be strategic planning for the University's technology needs. The holder of the deanship would also be given the budgetary authority to increase technology programming in classes and initiate fundraising activities. Under a dean of technology, students would experience increase availability and organization of research opportunities. In addition, professors would have more training opportunities and funding, leading to faster penetration of classroom technologies. A number of factors led to the suggestion of a dean of technology. Information Technology Services (ITS) and Tufts Computing and Communication Services (TCCS) are responsible for technology issues at an undergraduate level, but their leadership is decentralized. There is, however, a director of academic technology who works on technology issues for all Tufts schools, both undergraduate and graduate. No central entity solely to connect these three administrative bodies. A new dean of technology would focus exclusively on the undergraduate schools of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering. The creation of the new position would alleviate the necessity of the existing deans to oversee technology issues. These deans are limited by time and the experience necessary to deal with this rapidly changing sector. The "proliferation of pieces [of technology] has become too much for the deans," Portney said. Some of the pieces that would come under the responsibility of the dean of technology would be electronic classrooms, digital libraries, courseware and online learning, and desktop, lab and classroom support. The members of CFUC feel that Tufts' undergraduate schools are not operating on the same level as other benchmark universities due to the absence of a central technology coordinator. The CFUC voted unanimously on the proposal to create new dean's position on Nov. 29, 2001. Last year, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Salt Lake Community College resorted to the drastic step of outsourcing its technology operations when they became too complicated. Some university presidents, instead of centralizing their technology administration under one dean, are reacting to their "ad hoc" policies by hiring private companies, the Chronicle reported

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News

E-Men competing in off-season, preparing for spring

September 23

"We had the best season in Tufts history last year, so we're looking forward to another great season," junior starter Zach Gellar said. While it certainly seems conceivable that the squad can compete on the level it did last year, the task is not an easy one. The team lost ten seniors from last year's New England Championship _ which equates to half of the 20 man roster. Perhaps the loss of former captain Mike Zalisk who won the Callahan Award, the Frisbee equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy, as the best Ultimate Frisbee player in the nation will be the hardest to overcome. Despite the loss of half the team, all is not lost as a number of talented veterans are returning. This year's front line includes one graduate student, two seniors, three juniors (including captains Andy Valen and Matt Abbrecht) and one sophomore. "While we can't replace last year's seniors, the majority of us have had starting experience as well as big game experience, so we should be alright," Gellar said. While the college competitive season doesn't start until this spring, the E-Men still play competitive Frisbee in the off-season. This past weekend, they had their first exhibition tournament, in which the likes of Brown, Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, MIT and Yale, amongst others, competed. A tournament similar to this will be held just about every weekend in preparation for the spring. While the fall season is used to hone skills and to build team unity, it also serves another purpose. "The fall club season helps evaluate which players will be best for us come spring time," Gellar said. "So while it may be like practice, it's still pretty intense." To those unfamiliar with the ultimate Frisbee team, it may seem odd to see the words "Frisbee" and "training" in the same sentence. There has always been a stigma attached to Frisbee that has made it appear to be more of a leisurely hobby than a legitimate athletic endeavor. But the E-Men provide evidence to the contrary. While only a club sport, Tufts Ultimate demands just as much time management and dedication as any varsity sport. During the fall season, the team practices outside two times per week, after winter break it practices three times a week, and following spring break the team moves outside for three practices per week. Even more jaw dropping is the team's travel schedule. On first glance, it bears a resemblance to that of a Div. I basketball team. Last year alone, the team flew to Spokane, WA, Atlanta, GA, Wilmington, NC and the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, CA. The E-Men will be making the same travel arrangements for this coming season

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News

Fighting fire on campus

September 23

It's after midnight and, for the most part, the hectic day has wound down and students are deep into their studies, asleep, or lounging about. Unexpectedly, an ear-piercing fire alarm blares through the hallway, drawing the residents reluctantly from their cozy rooms. With expressions of irritation, they trudge out to the building's front entrance, all the while cursing at having been removed from their homework and instant messaging. Although it is possible that a fire ignited in their residence, the students are concerned mainly with getting out of the cold and back into their rooms. To many students, a fire does not seem like a relevant problem, even to those who live in where the risk of one is supposedly greater. "I feel safe in Wren. I would not want to live anywhere else," said Guy deBros, a student who lives there. "The threat [of fire] seems distant," he said. deBros acknowledges that there is reason to be nervous, however. "There are a lot of doors. That's one problem. They open in different directions," he said. "To get out your have to go through doors, twisty stairs, around another door." Wren's complicated floor plan would make it one of the most difficult dorms to escape if it was filled with smoke. Ben Harbung echoed deBros' nonchalant attitude towards fire concerns. "There's no problem," he said. "I could just jump out the window. I live on the first floor." Despite typical student apathy towards fire issues, fire fighting and prevention is a large undertaking. Tufts has its own Fire Marshal Office, which cooperates with the Residential Life Office and local fire departments. Their recent undertakings on campus demonstrate a significant role on our campus that includes duties of prevention, training, and improvement of facilities. One of these projects was a comprehensive training session in Wren Hall involving field exercises with local fire fighters in August. "To work with local fire departments, we had the Somerville, Medford, and also Everett [fire departments] come in," Tufts Fire Marshal Perry Cayton said. The three town's departments are the ones that respond when fire alarms go off on campus. The training spanned four days, during which fire fighters carried out search and rescue simulations. Searching through hallways flooded with smoke and heat, the fire fighters rescued both live and dummy victims. "It was very thick... you couldn't see your hand in front of you," Cayton said. He explained that the fire fighters had to "go through [the smoke], just like it was a real fire." Such exercises were intended to expose fire fighters to the most challenging conditions. Other rescue workers attended to improve their skills. The fire departments and Tufts Fire Marshal used the drill as an opportunity to test their radio and television communications systems. "We had a lot of apparatus that was well received," Cayton said. "We also brought in the local ambulance. They tested their medical protocol." All residential advisors (RAs) underwent training as well, since they "would be the first to deal with the situation," should a fire occur, according to Cayton. The RAs were put through similar fire simulations to emphasize the importance of safety regulations such as maintaining clear hallways. During the exercise, firefighters and RAs navigate smoke-filled hallways where shoes and trash bins littered the floor. If a real fire were to occur, these items would pose a hazard. "People would be tripping all over these things," RA Julie Halt remarked, because they are impossible to see. The Fire Marshal and Res Life hope that training RAs would mean safety warnings would be relayed to other students. "I don't feel uncomfortable yet," Anne Stevens said. "We went through a fire drill yesterday and it went okay." "I guess we'll just have to see [what happens] when there's a fire," Stevens said. Wren Hall was chosen for the drill because of its complex floor structure. "People aren't familiar with that," Cayton said. "It's easy to get turned around. It's confusing at times." By using an onsite location, the fire departments were given the opportunity to see the building and stage a rescue operation in a real dorm setting. The difficulty in navigating through Wren Hall compared to the other dorms provided substantial experience for fighting dormitory fires. Improving facilities is among Tufts' current efforts to increase fire safety and prevention. "The new [University] President's goal this year is to finish installing sprinklers to all buildings within the next year," Cayton said. Although many newer dormitories already have sprinklers, older wooden buildings and houses have not yet been completely updated _ only one fraternity house is equipped with a sprinkler system. Updating facilities is the Fire Marshal's top priority. Still, even with well-trained fire fighters and technology, the Fire Marshal maintains that prevention is the key to avoiding fires. "It's not even the sprinklers that stops the spread," Cayton said. Unattended cooking and smoking are the most frequent causes of alarms, especially in apartment dorms like Latin Way or at fraternity parties. Burning candles have also set off alarms. Hazards which make fire fighting more difficult are routinely found during unannounced dormitory inspections, and include items hanging on sprinkler heads, covered smoke detectors, and blocked egresses. Carrie Benjamin cites these problems as one of the difficulties she would encounter should a fire occur in her dorm. "I know that especially with common rooms, if they were blocked they'd be difficult to get out in an emergency situation . . . but the doors are not heavy," she said. "I feel safe though. I don't worry about it." Since fire alarms are often the result of preventable safety hazards, the Fire Marshal advocates individual responsibility over other measures. Otherwise, local fire departments must send three fire engines and a deputy chief to the scene every time a fire alarm goes off to investigate

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News

Parents deserve report cards

September 23

The people who pay the tuition should be able to see their children's grades. In the workplace, those who pay the salaries review worker output and thereby determine wages. Admittedly, the University is not a place of business. Students are not salaried workers, and tuition payers are not bosses. But parents should not have to expend $30,000 a year in tuition and not be informed of how their children are performing academically. Of course, parents could simply ask their children for their grades. Too often, however, students may not be completely candid with their parents. Parents learn too late about their children's academic difficulties when they can no longer be helpful in addressing the problem. Tufts University could easily resolve this problem by including together with the tuition bill a waiver of the student's right to privacy in terms of grades. The student could then sign that waiver which would enable his or her parents to receive the grades in the mail. As to the matter of the University's dunning parents for fees over and above the anticipated tuition, the school should not hesitate to mail those lesser bills directly to the students. Of course, the University wants to be paid and knows that too often students tear up dunning notices, chuck them in the trash, or leave them unopened under a pile of papers. If students do not pay their library fines, revoke their library privileges. If they don't pay their parking tickets, tow their cars. College students are not babies and should not be treated as such. If they can vote, drive, and fight for their country, they should certainly know that they have to pay their bills and behave like responsible citizens. Sending routine bills to parents in order to obtain immediate payment only infantilizes students, teaches them to be poor citizens, and assumes that they should live "the entitled life." One would hope that the University will see the error in its ways and will in the future make every effort to encourage good character in its students by directing bills and grades appropriately. Jessica Kaplan is the mother of a Tufts University senior.

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News

Radio Head

September 23

I don't listen to the radio. I don't avoid it as a conspicuous act of protest but because I don't see much point in it. Owning 500 different CDs makes it easy to find something suited to my mood _ and there isn't a CD changer in my car for nothing. Why should I listen to the radio's arbitrary choices when I can pick every song for myself? I don't spend money on new car speakers or a surround-sound receiver just to let someone else decide what I should listen to. That said, I don't understand people who complain about the evils of "corporate radio." Yes, the music is preselected, and no, the DJs don't have very much control over what they play. But if I wanted to run profitable radio stations nationwide, I'd do it the same way. It's a business, just like recorded music itself, and I refuse to blame someone for trying to run his business in the most profitable way possible. (If you're not into capitalism, though, I realize that we're not even speaking the same language.) Yes, standardizing playlists and homogenizing the nation's airwaves reduce the artistry of the medium. So does producing identical clothes en masse rather than having a tailor hand-craft each article, so does making cars on an assembly line with interchangeable parts, so does preparing and packaging foods to sell around the world. It's a natural impact of mass-production _ a natural impact of efficiency. Focus on the negatives of mass-produced radio and you overlook the fact that you're not left without choice. Just as people who appreciate fine clothes still get them custom-tailored, those who want to hear independent DJs are not helpless. Listen up: the rise of corporate radio has not wiped out independence at all. Plenty of non-corporate stations remain. Where? College campuses. College radio is the epitome of non-corporate broadcasting _ students with their own eclectic tastes and collections play their music for anyone who cares to tune in. WMFO does this all day long. Work your way up the ladder and you could be broadcasting your music all over Medford. And why does college radio work this way? Because there's no money involved. WMFO isn't owned by some nationwide conglomerate with budgets and agendas and stockholders. It's not trying to turn a profit, and so it can run itself however it likes. No one's pulling any puppetstrings behind the scenes because there's nothing to gain from it. What's that? You don't listen to WMFO because it plays music that you've never heard before? You want Eminem and Nelly and Pink and Avril Lavigne? Then quit whining about the corporate radio that you love consuming. In this case, the hard truth is hard indeed. Corporate radio plays the same music nationwide because that's what you want. Don't be ashamed. I don't think the corporate style is evil. Much as I don't turn on the radio, I have no problem with it; it just doesn't cater to my tastes. And I get surprised, too: I'll hear something in the gym or in a friend's car that I like. I like that feeling because I know I'm not stagnating. I love finding new music that I like, and not listening to the radio makes the radio fresh and new every time I turn it on because sometimes I've never heard any of it before. Mostly, though, I get exactly what I expect. I hear the same music every time I go to the gym, confirming to me that I'm better off not wasting my time on music that doesn't hit me where it counts. Why listen to a station where you love every third song when you could listen to your own collection and love every moment of it? Maybe you love the radio, though, but only wish that you could hear something new on it. Again, independent college stations have what you want _ or what you say you want, at least. You won't hear the hottest new pop or the hip-hop from Saturday night's party, but you'll definitely hear something new. Strike a balance. College is a great time to get interested in new things, and it's also a great time to do what you want to do. Listen to WMFO and see if you find something appealing. Listen to KISS FM and don't be ashamed of it. Listen to your CD collection and enjoy hearing your favorites. It's simple. Like all entertainment, radio is a consumer-driven market. Vote with your wallet _ or, in this case, your ears. If no one listened to the mass-produced stations, there wouldn't be mass-produced stations at all (and there may be a movement in that direction after all with new specialized satellite radio stations). If you really don't like what's on the radio, don't listen to it; maybe it'll change if enough people like you make your feelings known. If you just like protesting, please do it quietly; I'm trying to listen to something over here

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News

Carmen on the Common' typifies Boston's diversity

September 23

"If I love you, do not spurn me!" Carmen belted across a crowd of an estimated 60,000-75,000 people this past weekend. Her perfectly articulated arias reached across men and women, college students and children _ even caressing the ears of hot-dog venders on the periphery of the Common and the trucks barreling down Boylston Street. Chosen for of its diverse cast, "Carmen on the Common" certainly drew a diverse crowd to the Boston hillside. After a summer of hosting over 40 education and preview programs in the Boston area, the Boston Lyric Opera presented its culminating project "Carmen on the Common." The timeless opera was produced on a fully equipped stage sitting proudly in the middle of the Boston Common, just blocks from the Park Street T-stop. The free show _ and the BLO's persistent advertisement throughout the summer _ attracted both novice and experienced opera-goers alike with their picnic blankets. Whether they clad in jeans and t-shirts eating hot dogs from the numerous vendors, or donning ball gowns and unpacking their own wine and cheese, spectators lounged on chairs and each other as they watched one of the world's most celebrated operas of all time, most of them by way of a giant screen a few hundred yards from the stage. The speaker system was loud enough without being piercing, but watching the opera entirely onscreen (as the majority of viewers had to do) felt a bit like coming into Boston to watch PBS and eat a sausage sandwich. Further diminishing the thrill was the fact that the show was performed entirely in English and squeezed into auxiliary subtitles on the giant screen. These two features brought the beautiful and esoteric language of the opera down to a made-for-TV-audiences level which, while good for novices, detracted a bit from the true opera "experience." The voices and the orchestra were truly spectacular. Josie P?©rez (Carmen) had the perfect voice for her seductive character. It could be lilting and fine when she was enticing Don Jose to free her from jail, or it could be deep and rich when she was insisting that he not return to his barracks. The voices of her co-stars, Guiping Deng (Mica?la), and Robert Honeysucker (Escamillo), were strong and bold as well, but they did not match the passion and tenderness in P?©rez's voice in pitch or tonal quality. The sensuality of Carmen's voice was accompanied beautifully by one ever-present aspect of the show: the set. Upstage, there was a balcony flanked by staircases leading downstage, and change of scenery was affected not through pictures but through color. Sheer sheets of various colors constituted the primary back-drop for the entire show. In one scene, the sheet was crimson to create the ambiance of passion and danger; in another scene, it was blue to represent the sadness of Don Jos?©'s at his mother dying. Subtle and tasteful, these touches were practical for an outdoor stage. Unfortunately, one couldn't see much of nuances on the television screen, which focused on the characters the entire time and never zoomed out to show the beautiful set. Each half of the show was colloquially introduced by the producers, who geared their commentary specifically towards new spectators of the opera. They seemed to be working for a level of comfort among tense audience members. Lying on the grass in jeans, however, the audience seemed much more at ease at the opera than the producers onstage, who were dressed in ball gowns and full tuxedos. The colloquialisms they employed in revving the audience for the second half of the show (such as "Half-time is over!") were rather hokey but were received warmly nonetheless. And aside from the heart-stopping moment when Don Jose murders Carmen in a fit of jealous rage, one of the most memorable speeches of the evening was when Boston Mayor Thomas Menino welcomed the audience, by way of pre-recorded video, to the show in a perfect Boston accent, so that the words "Carmen" and "Common" sounded almost exactly the same

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News

Ranked or not, some teams need to pretending

September 23

This past weekend of college football revealed to the nation that there are a lot of fakers in the rankings. The list of imposters include last week's 14th-ranked team, Michigan, and possibly the biggest sham of all, the Tennessee Volunteers, who went into their game against Florida ranked fourth in the country. Two teams from the Wac-10, 22nd-ranked UCLA and 11th-ranked USC, also join the list of posers. While Michigan started its season off with a bang, defeating Washington in dramatic fashion with a last second field goal from kicker Phillip Brabbs and blowing out state rival Western Michigan, subsequent games leave doubts about the National Championship dreams of the Wolverines. A heart-breaking loss, like the defeat Michigan suffered to the Irish of Notre Dame, can not only push down a team in the rankings, but also deflate the heart and spirit of a squad. Last Saturday, the Wolverines were expected to stomp a mud hole into the Utah Utes, but barely escaped with a victory. The 2-2 Utes made a strong showing for the Mountain West Conference, which boasts the 25th-ranked Colorado State Rams as its marquee name. Utah, which has not had a primetime player since Jamal Anderson, traveled to Michigan with realistic dreams of keeping the contest close. With only dreams to keep Utah hopeful, they did the unthinkable and managed to never be down by more than ten points at any given point of the contest. Michigan scored ten unanswered points in the first half before its offense was stifled in the second half by a pesky Ute defense. Much of the offensive struggles can be placed on the shoulders of quarterback John Navarre, who misfired on many passes down the home stretch against Notre Dame last week, and only tossed for 186 yards against Utah. While Navarre did not throw an interception, he also did not connect on a touchdown, placing much of the offensive weight on running back Chris Perry (26-91). While the Utes defense was putting in work, the offense was getting worked. Quarterback Lance Rice passed for 208 yards, but had two interceptions. The second interception was rather unfortunate for Utah. After the team scored its first and only touchdown on a pass from Rice, the Utes had a legitimate shot of knocking off the 14th-ranked team in the country. With a minute left and Utah driving, Michigan defensive back, Julius Curry intercepted Rice, ending Utah's threat and game 10-7. Although Michigan did win, they proved could-be fakers due to the heavy Big-10 competition they have yet to face. The previously fourth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers faced its first true challenge of the season in a game against the perennial SEC power, the Florida Gators. The Gators entered the game ranked tenth after losing to defending champion Miami Hurricanes in its second game. The Gators opposed the Volunteers, who have played a softer out-of-conference schedule than the two-ply toilet paper that should be in every dorm bathroom. With victories over Wyoming and Middle Tennessee State, it is no wonder Florida dropped a deuce on the state of Tennessee, stunning the Volunteers 30-13. The loss should tell coach Phil Fulmer that a team has to play against worthy competition to prepare for a game with such important national implications. Rushing was not a key to the game as neither squad reached 100 yards as a team, but the passing game told it all. Florida quarterback Rex Grossman tossed his frustration from previous games onto the hearts of the Tennessee defense. Grossman passed for 324 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Before the Vols knew it, they were down 24-0 at halftime, a defecit that proved insurmountable. To the team's credit, quarterback Casey Clausen threw for 285 yards with no interceptions. Tennessee controlled the clock, but lacked the big play potential that Florida displayed. Tennessee wraps up its out-of-conference schedule with the ever-dangerous Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University. Not only is Rutgers the laughing stock of the Big East, its most popular football alumnus, quarterback Mike McMahon, was recently was benched by the winless Detroit Lions in favor of Joey "Heisman" Harrington. Looking down the Pac-10 standings, with Oregon and Oregon State as the conference's only undefeated squads, it appears as if every team is good because no team has more than one loss. Well, my friends, looks can be deceiving. After California muscled up last week to defeat Michigan State, the conference took two losses from its LA teams. UCLA and USC choked, just like the Dodgers in the second half of the major league baseball season, dropping huge conference-building games. Although USC demolished Colorado on national television two weekends ago, the Trojans are still fighting for respect. With victories over the Big-12's Colorado and Kansas State, the Pac-10 would have taken a giant step towards proving it is a better conference. As Ernest Byner did in an AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos, the Pac-10 dropped the ball. UCLA earned a spot in the top 25 just to get manhandled by an underachieving Colorado Buffalo squad. The Buffalo exacted perfect revenge on the city of Los Angeles in making up for a blowout loss against USC by wiping the field with the Bruins. Colorado running back Chris Brown carried the offense for injured quarterback Craig Ochs by rushing for 188 yards on 26 carries. UCLA showed the ill effects of losing last season's running back DeShaun Foster to the NFL's Carolina Panthers by tallying a net total of 62 rushing yards as opposed to the Buff's 325. Meanwhile in Manhattan, Kansas, the Cougars proved once again that they are a forced to be reckoned with. While Kansas State had played a Twinkie schedule until the USC match-up, its average margin of victory (54.33 points) could not be overlooked. For this reason, the battle was of two ranked teams with the lower of the two, K-State pulling out a thrilling 27-20 victory over the then-11th-ranked Trojans. The Cougars held a 27-6 lead three seconds into the fourth quarter. Even a late barrage of 14 points by the Trojans was not enough to earn them a victory. Kansas State improved to 4-0 with some experts believing they have a legitimate shot at the Big-12 title. Meanwhile, USC dropped to 2-1, but still remains ranked

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News

Once a terrorist, always a terrorist

September 23

In my opinion, Yasser Arafat is no different than Osama bin Laden. The man may have been elected, but the legitimacy of that election (which was years ago) is just like the legitimacy of the ones that keep Asad of Syria or Hussein of Iraq in power still today. They are illegitimate and do not necessarily reflect the views of the people. It has been proven by intelligence agencies that Arafat has given funding to terrorist groups and has not done enough to hinder such attacks as the one last week in Tel Aviv. He needs to be taken out of the picture because of his dishonesty. He cannot be talked to because he supports terror. He cannot be taken seriously because he speaks one way on CNN in English and another to his people in Arabic. He was a terrorist when he was in Lebanon; he was a terrorist in Libya; and he continues to be a terrorist in his office in Ramallah. He doesn't even report facts straight. Arafat was not born in Jerusalem as he tells the world. He was born in Egypt. Such a person cannot be trusted to negotiate issues which will ultimately decide the fate of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Another issue that needs to be addressed is Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, a capitol of any Arab entity since the establishment of Islam. So to me, Arafat's desires to have the city serve as the Palestinian capitol are not to be taken seriously. In fact, when Jerusalem was in the hands of Jordan before 1967, the Western Wall plaza served as a path for horse and carriage buggies that carried garbage through the city. I would not entrust Arabs to be in charge of the most holy of sites to the Jewish religion. Today, still with Jerusalem under Israeli control, Muslims control the Temple Mount and are allowed to carry out excavations under their Mosque. So in my opinion, the issue of Jerusalem is off the table. It is time to address the whole "right of return" issue. I would hope that anyone interested in Middle Eastern policy would know that Jews lived throughout most of the Arab nations in the time before Israel was re-created in 1948. My family is one of those. Before coming to Israel in the 1950s, my family lived in Iraq for generations dating back to the times of the bible. When they were "forced" to leave Iraq in the 1950s, they had to leave behind their lives, land, money, homes, and most of their personal belongings. There are many more families just like mine. At least hundreds of thousands of these families exist in Israel today and they aren't getting anything back from the Arab countries that they once lived in. Is Saddam Hussein going to send any reparations to my family? Will the Shah of Iran send all the money that was left in Tehran back to the Jews that fled Iran? The day any of the answers to those two questions becomes yes, I will agree that the right of return for Palestinians should be discussed. Until then, there is no point in talking about it. In short, I believe that peace will ultimately fall on the Middle East. We can all agree that the current situation cannot go on. It needs to end somehow. But when someone is murdered, you do not simply forgive the murderer and forget the crime. Similarly, Israel cannot simply say "Alright, now let's talk." It will take some time and when the time comes to negotiate and talk again, no matter who the Israeli leader will be, Yasser Arafat, in my opinion, cannot be sitting at the other end of the table. Ilan Behm is a freshman who has yet to declare a major

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News

Conan rides the Emmys to new heights

September 23

The Emmy Awards recognized television's greatest for the 54th time Sunday from the Shrine Auditorium, making for a night full of harkening back to Sept. 11, head-scratching surprises, and outstanding standup by Conan O'Brien. With deserving first-year shows being celebrated and a noticeable increase in minority recognition, the Emmys seemed to do everything right this year _ though with a few exceptions. NBC fared the best on the awards floor and clearly dominated much of the broadcast as the network assured viewers that NBC was the "best" network numerous times throughout the program. Yet in the end, the night was an overwhelmingly positive experience, thanks to the comedic talents of Conan O'Brien who kept the show moving. Network television came out on top this year, with The West Wing, Friends, and Everybody Loves Raymond dominating the scene. The success of these shows, when contrasted to the success of depressing and darker shows like Six Feet Under of previous years, reveals the greater change in sentiments of our country over the past year. In the shadow of Sept. 11, television viewers longed for the strong leaders like President Bartlet of The West Wing. The awarding of Emmys to Stockard Channing, John Spencer, and Allison Janney for acting roles, as well as for the whole show as Best Drama Series, came as a great shock, as the third season of The West Wing is thought to have been its weakest. In addition to pining for a patriotic government, viewers chose to be near to those who they love, in real life and on the tube, as the cast of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond became a surrogate source of comfort. Jennifer Aniston graciously won for her role as Rachel, but favorite Matt LeBlanc lost to the man who everyone apparently loves, Ray Romano. As his television mother and brother (Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett, respectively) also took home statuettes, Ray's family was embraced by the American family this past difficult year. In another representation of the current national mindset, Emmy voters bestowed numerous awards onto Band of Brothers, the amazing HBO miniseries that ran earlier this year. Band of Brothers followed the heroic actions of Easy Company of the US Army in World War II, from D-Day all the way to the Battle of the Bulge in the Huertgen Forest. One of the most moving moments of the night came as the remaining members of Easy Company were displayed on the giant screen, the audience rose to their feet and gave them a lengthy standing ovation. But not all the nods to Sept. 11 were as cathartic. Former Mayor Rudy Guiliani presented an award to the four major networks, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX for their work in the aftermath of the national tragedy. It seemed like a bit too much like a pat on the back and gratuitous self-promotion, and therefore came off as tactless. This year's Emmys also touched on another issue of social importance _ minority representation in the mass media. Two shows, 24 and The Bernie Mac Show, were granted awards in their first year for writing. The plot of 24 involves an assassination attempt on a black presidential candidate, yet his character is not marginalized for his race. He is a strong, moral character, and his race was rarely, if ever, brought up as an issue through the whole run of the show. I for one was extremely pleased with 24's victory, as I followed the chaotic day of Agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) from hour one to hour twenty-four. It was by far last season's greatest new drama. The FOX network's The Bernie Mac Show takes a hilarious look at family life, and was deservedly recognized for its brilliance. It is in all likelihood the first mainly black cast since The Cosby Show to be recognized by the mainstream white society. One of the more unfortunate moments of the night was the presentation of the first ever Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to Oprah Winfrey. This was a horrible precedent to set, because Oprah is not a humanitarian, she's a talk show host. Julia Roberts called her "the world's girlfriend." Well, you go girlfriend, but being the one to talk about your weight and personal problems does not entitle you to be placed in the same category as the legendary Bob Hope. Anyone who unleashes Dr. Phil on the world should not be praised, she should be cancelled. And the title "humanitarian" usually means one has to be benevolent and generous to all humans. When's the last time you saw a man in the Oprah audience? Oprah's existence as a talk show host is to prove to her viewers that they matter, that they are special women. She may be a great person to talk to, or a "beautiful person", as Robin Williams mockingly put it, but a humanitarian, not at all. While there were many great individual moments, Alec Baldwin's confused "why am I here" looks or Tyne Daly doing her greatest Marlon Brando impression, Conan O'Brien was the star of the show. In his opening monologue, he "wakes up" late at the Osbourne's, replete with bleeping and zany behavior, then hitches a ride with a drowsy Ozzy to the Shrine. He then has a romantic interlude with Jennifer Aniston, but then moves on to comedian Garry Shandling. In what was hands-down the funniest moment of the night, Conan and Garry were shown riding down the beach bareback on a horse, like two lovers without a care in the world. Conan, the great late night host, proved that he could cut in prime-time, and carried the show when it slowed, and raised it high when the Emmys couldn't get much higher. Come on baby light my fire

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News

Yellow journalism

September 23

It is a sad time for journalism. In China, the state's Communist Party is getting ready for its 16th congress in November, and the state-owned media will be kept on a tight leash. The propaganda department of the Communist Party released detailed "guidelines" for what reporters in China may cover and what they may not. The government of China knows the power of journalism and how it can shape the perceptions of a nation by simply telling a story _ or not telling a story as the case may be. Newspapers are a major source of news in China. Thus, Chinese who want to be informed about the day's news in their country get a skewed story of what is really going on. The stories are skewed purposefully. They are skewed to benefit those who do the skewing _ those in power. Rather than providing an "objective" journalism that benefits all who can read it, the Chinese get a yellow journalism meant to meet the bottom line and tell a story as the Communist Party wants it told. The Chinese have little means to verify the validity of a story if they suspect that it is biased or erroneous, giving the newspapers, and thus the state, a lot of political power. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique to China. In fact, it is not too dissimilar from what is going on in our own country. I'm not just talking about how the corporate media is being concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer media conglomerates _ although this also plays a major role in what stories are reported and how they are presented. Have you noticed over the past year that major corporate media outlets have just been obsessed with this "War on Terror" and the "Challenge of the Nation," as if we were on some mighty and holy crusade to obliterate all that is "evil" lurking in the darkest corners of the globe? Now more recently they are focused on "Gulf War II: The Liberation of Iraq." These titles sound like something out of a TV Guide _ as if global politics was a sitcom and the storylines were being dictated straight from the White House Studios. The stars of our show, George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein battle mano a mano in a race against the nuclear time clock. Will the secular West triumph yet again; leading thousands of women to liberation as they overthrow their patriarchal oppressors? Or will the fundamentalist Muslim terrorists get the upper hand; destroying all that is good in the world and killing thousands of Americans? Find out on the Fox Spin Channel. There have to be other things to cover. Corporate print, radio, and television media are creating so much hype about the threat of Iraq that it makes you wonder whether this news is being covered because people are genuinely interested in bombing Iraq or if it is all a ploy to saturate the atmosphere in hawk talk. The latter is not as off base as you might think. Although the constraints on US media are not as stringent as they are in China, there is far from what we call a "free press" in this country. Late last year, a number of national corporate media organizations, in consultation with the US government, agreed to "self-censor" themselves regarding certain topics because the government wanted to guide the perceptions created by media and thus effect the track of national discourse. One of the concrete "no-no"'s they stipulated (publicly) is that one should not release any information that might assist terrorists. It might sound like a plausible national security measure, but the problem is, who gets to decide what information may assist terrorists? After all, in this time of hyper-patriotism around the "War on Terror," spilling too much information about what our government is doing might fuel the fires of rabid anti-war doves. But some of this censored information might be things that you and I would like to know. How are we to base our opinion on our President's foreign policy if we don't know what the effects of our activities in Afghanistan are? Why should we continue to pay taxes if half of it is fueling a war we know little about? And where is Bin Laden anyway? Is any of this information really going to assist terrorists? What is the real agenda? Now, you might say that these media organizations chose to censor themselves and they had the freedom to do that, and thus we still do in fact have a free press. But practices such as "self-censorship" and skewed reporting create a misperception of global politics among the American public. The corporate media is mis-educating us about the world. I mean this not in the sense that they are lying to us, but that we're not getting the whole story. Corporate media institutions are beginning to seem more like cheerleaders for the "War on Terror" rather than "objective" spectators. The media debate is not centered on the question "should" we attack Saddam Hussein, but rather "when" and "how" we should do it. Who decided on this shift in the debate? It certainly was not me and unless you are reading this from the White House Studios, it probably was not you either. So keep a look out. Our independent press may not be as independent as we think it should be

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News

AL West title still up for grabs

September 23

Get out your surfboards and suntan lotion, baseball fans, it's time to head to California. Baring a six-game win streak by the Boston Red Sox, the American League Division series will match two West Coast teams who played beyond expectation this year against one team lucky to be in a weak division and another team so feared that it's almost pointless to try and beat it. MLB is wondering right now whether the Minnesota Twins and Anaheim Angels' magic carpet rides will end when they are faced with pressure and playoff competition. The Oakland Athletics clinched a playoff berth on Friday night with a 4-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The A's, who lead Anaheim by three games, have won five straight as of Monday afternoon. In a seven-game series with two off days, Oakland's pitching trio of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson may well be all the A's need to dominate their opponents. Though Oakland is assured a spot in the playoffs, the last six games will determine how easy the first round will be. The Athletics have one more win than the Yankees and three more than the Angels, putting them in an excellent position for the Division Series because two teams in the same division cannot meet in the first round. If Anaheim wins the wild-card, Oakland _ no matter what the Yankees record _ would face the Minnesota Twins. This is essentially a free pass to the American League Championship Series for any team, unfortunately it includes a brief lay over in the Twin Cities. But if Oakland goes on a bender this week and Anaheim wins the division, the first round of the playoffs would be against the Yankees and significantly more difficult. Oakland has faced New York in the Division Series the last two years, and a rematch would certainly be emotionally charged. The Athletics lost to the Yankees in five games both years, and a series this year would pit Oakland against the team that stole their biggest star _ Jason Giambi. No matter how easy clinching the division is for the Yanks, they always seem to step it up in the playoffs, but Oakland seems more determined than ever to win this year. The most exciting element of the AL right now is that unlike last year, there are mysteries. In 2001, the playoff teams and matchups were determined by early September, the World Series teams were predictable, and the world seemed less interested in the baseball postseason than it did in watching grass grow on a hot summer day. Though it is easy to look at the statistics and say that Oakland and the Yankees are the best teams in the AL, the Angels proved throughout the season that they can play well, despite the fact that even their own manager can only name two players on his team. The fact that Oakland could play the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs leaves open the possibility for a surprise team to find its way to the ALCS. The Angels, meanwhile, have every incentive to take Oakland down to the wire for the AL West title, as Anaheim, if it wins the Wild Card, would face a difficult match-up against the Yankees in the first round. Anaheim is not a bad team, but the Yankees continually roll over opponents in October, and they are again a strong team this year. For Red Sox fans, the end of the regular season is just further proof that Major League Baseball is just not fair. The Minnesota Twins and Red Sox stood with identical 89-66 records yesterday, or a .574 winning percentage. On paper, Boston is a stronger team than Minnesota, and the Sox would be more competitive in the playoffs against the other postseason bound teams _ Minnesota is 0-6 against the New York Yankees this year and 3-6 against the Oakland Athletics, while the Sox are 8-10 against the pair. But while the Twins are busy planning a trip out to California for the playoffs this October, the Sox players are probably busy planning trips to northern New England to see the foliage. Blame it on the Curse of the Bambino. Blame it on Manny's broken finger. Blame it on Dan Duquette's destruction of the farm system. Blame it on the lack of rain in Boston this summer. But really, blame it on the Sox themselves. How a team with eight all-stars, including two 20-game winning pitchers, could fail to win their division defies all common logic. Technically, the Sox are not "mathematically eliminated" _ the Anaheim Angels failed to clinch the wild-card berth over the weekend when they lost two out of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners. But the chances of the Sox winning their final six games and the Angels choking during games against the lowly Texas Rangers are about as good the odds that the Big Dig will be finished in this millennium. While Boston fans prepare to spend another October sitting in front of their televisions with six-packs of Sam Adams Oktoberfest watching the despised Yankees in the playoffs, the rest of baseball is preparing for what is shaping up to be an exciting postseason

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News

Problems at frat parties may be caused by locals

September 23

Students and administrators are being forced to examine fraternities' interaction with the communities surrounding Tufts after a recent spate of crimes allegedly committed against the houses by local youths. Early Sunday morning, two men broke in through the window of the Sigma Nu fraternity. The men stole approximately $900 worth of electronic equipment. Witnesses pursued the burglars, but were misled by a large group of suspected cohorts. Events like this have grown more frequent over the past few years at Tufts. Four incidents of burglary and vandalism committed have already been reported this semester at fraternity houses on campus, according to Tufts University Police Department (TUPD). Early Sunday morning two weeks ago at another fraternity, a non-Tufts teenager sprayed a fire extinguisher and, when confronted, proceeded to threaten fraternity members with an illegal butterfly knife. The teen then slashed the tires of several cars in the parking lot before being apprehended and charged with vandalism, TUPD reported. By and large, such problems arise when fraternities are too lenient about who they let in, TUPD Captain Mark Keith said. "The majority of problems at fraternities involve non-Tufts students," Keith said. These students are often minors under the influence, he said. Some students say they are intimidated by outsiders at fraternity parties. "Suspicious characters often pull up on Professors Row," said one freshman who wished to remain anonymous. "They look like thugs and are very scary. I'm worried what they'll do." Typically, entrance to fraternity parties is at the discretion of fraternity members, but IDs and guest lists are frequently unchecked. According to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, lax admittance practices raise liability issues for fraternities. The Fraternity Insurance Purchases Group policy stipulates that only people invited and on a guest list are allowed in. But students have said it is not in the interest of the Tufts community to place restrictions on who is accepted _ though they agree that some line must be drawn to exclude those who pose a threat to campus parties. Uninvited outsiders need to be told to go away, Reitman said, but confrontation should be avoided. Exclusivity often creates tension and resentment in those who are refused entry. And it is easier to let in unwanted visitors, and then call the police. "If the police are called they can't walk in with their eyes closed," said Keith. If alcohol is being served to minors, police officers must intervene and shut down the party. The trade-off can be difficult for fraternity brothers. By not calling TUPD, Reitman insists that, "fraternities are ignoring the other danger. Fraternity officers are being foolish if they are blatantly serving alcohol illegally." Regardless of whether everyone is on the guest list, the fraternity remains liable for any accident that may take place. Fraternity members, Reitman said, should be aware that the police are there to help them. Students agree that fraternities need to be more resolute in refusing unknown locals admission. Fraternities hope they can accomplish this on their own, without TUPD assistance. "Individual houses should look inward to do a better job of policing their parties," president of Theta Delta Chi (123) Dan Johnson said. "It's a lot easier to control the party with people who know each other and can be held accountable in the Tufts community." But some fraternities are not sure of where to draw the line between security and discrimination. "Tightening security is a double-edged sword," said Jeff Blank, the president of Alpha Phi Delta. "On one level, some security is necessary in order to maintain a semblance of order. Overzealously tightening security at parties, however, could easily begin to cut against the party atmosphere that people come to enjoy.

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News

Love and bowling

September 23

In one of my first columns last year, I wrote about how I spent the summer as a sports director at a summer camp, where I beat the hell out of five-year-olds in kickball. While last summer was thoroughly enjoyable and my self-esteem skyrocketed as a result of my athletic acomplishments, by the dog days of August, I still felt unfulfilled. I knew I needed something more this summer... so I found myself a girlfriend. I'm not sure what possessed her to date a frail, washed-up, former high school athlete like me, but I have learned that it's better not to question miracles. So I'm sure you are wondering why this is material for a sports column. Well, to be honest, I can make anything material for a sports column. But seriously, my relationship with Haley is directly tied to sports _ I think she may date me because, for the most part, she can beat the hell out of me in sports. Bowling: On one of our first dates we decided to go bowling. It seemed like a good decision at the time. I would beat her and she would be in awe of me. Sadly, it didn't work out quite like that. On that horrid night that will live in infamy, Haley, her friend Anita, and I headed to the local Davis Square bowling alley for what I assumed would be a little fun. After my first couple of rolls, I realized I was screwed _ my shots weren't dropping and Haley had come to play (Anita and I were neck and neck). After Haley hit a strike in the third frame, I realized that I was done. To make a long story short, we ended up playing two games and Haley trounced me two times. I tried to get her to play a third game (okay, I begged her), but she politely reminded me that the bowling alley had actually closed five minutes earlier and that the attendant had already done us a favor by allowing us to finish our second game. I made her swear that we would go back to the alley for a rematch. Eventually, we did return to alley of my darkest hour, and after winning three games I felt redeemed. Days later, however, when I was lying in my bed, replaying the sweet victory in my mind, I realized that she had rolled and inordinate number of gutter balls. Like the Chicago Black Sox in the 1919 World Series, Haley had thrown the game. I almost felt sorry for myself but then I turned to an old mantra for guidance: a win is a win. Winner: um, me. >Wiffle ball: One time in the street outside of her house, we played wiffle ball. Before I actually give you the play by play, let me make you aware that she played this game with what appeared to be a distinct disadvantage _ a badly bruised bone in her elbow that the doctor thought may have been chipped. While it sucked that she was hurt, for the sake of the competition I figured it would be great _ advantage Fowler. The "One Armed Wonder" agreed to pitch first and I stepped up to the plate, a stick in the middle of the street, thinking that I would make like Babe Ruth and slug a few shots to the next block. Ten pitches, seven misses. "I'm just swinging too hard," I informed her. "Don't worry. Just let me get a few more." Ten more pitches, five more misses. Making matters worse was the fact that the majority of the pitches I actually made contact on were weak grounders back to the mound (another stick in the road). I made Haley give me five or six "last swings" before I finally gave her a turn to hit. Note that on my really last swing, I did hit a majestic drive to the next block. It was now her turn. Ten pitches, eight hits, and she was using only one arm. "I'm going to start throwing a little harder now," I said. "Maybe I should throw one at her," I thought. Ten more pitches, ten more hits. "How was this disabled girl beating me?" I wondered. Instead of risking further embarrassment and taking another turn at bat, I suggested that we go inside so as not to put her at risk of further injury. She wanted to hit some more but I insisted that we cease play. "You shouldn't be playing sports in a sling," I said. Winner: Haley >Indoor tennis: One day, Haley and I decided to play tennis _ of course it was too hot to leave the house _ so we had no choice but to set up a court in her hallway. Masking tape served as the net and we played with two plastic rackets, which were meant to be used by three-year-olds with a spongy ball. After setting up the court we immediately got into a fight. She wanted us to be the Williams sisters but I refused to pretend to be a girl unless she agreed to be Anna Kournikova. Apparently, Haley isn't as big a fan of Anna's as I am so we had to devise a new plan. We decided to be Sampras and Agassi _ she had to be Agassi though, because she is in love with him. Whatever. Everybody knows that Agassi is no match for Sampras (see 2002 US Open) and, not surprisingly, Sampras (me) dominated the match. I won 6-0, 6-0, but the match deteriorated in the second game when she would physically attack me with her racket mid-point or before odd games when we switched sides of the hallway. To teach her a lesson about sportsmanship I was forced to spike a few balls at her while simultaneously releasing a primal scream. After winning the last point, I raised my racket to the heavens _ I was a champion again. Winner: Me Over the summer we also competed in mini golf, hitting up all the best courses in Cape Cod and White Plains (I mean the one ghetto course in White Plains), and a derivation of the game "Horse" called either "Fowler" or "Haley Jo," which is played on a crumbling basketball hoop in the entrance hall of a house. However, I feel that I have already embarrassed myself enough for one week, and the humiliation of revealing the outcomes of either of the aforementioned competitions would simply be too much to bear. Therefore, I ask you, my faithful reader, to tune in some other time for more athletic adventures with Dan and Haley

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News

Alumni donate $2 million to new music center

September 23

Two Tufts alumni, Stephen Distler (LA '74) and his wife Roxanne Kendall (LA '75) have pledged $2 million towards the construction of a new music facility at Tufts. The project has so far received $10.5 million in funding, and requires another $2.5 million before construction can begin. The fate of the new music center, deemed a high-priority project by the administration, has been uncertain in the past few years because of fundraising difficulties. Distler (LA '74) said he owes Tufts for his "high quality education," the TuftsJournal, an official University publication, reported. Wanting to actively give back to the Tufts community, Distler is "trying to help the new president and the University as best [he] can," he told the Journal. The Music Department, currently cramped in a house on Professors Row, has long needed expanded facilities. Practice, performance, and classroom spaces in the basement of the Aidekman Arts Center are limited and not properly soundproofed, while instruments stored in the basement are aging faster than they should because of insufficient climate control. Freshman Thomas Keidel takes a music theory class held in the Aidekman basement. "Right now there are only three rooms available for music classes," he said. "The location and quality of these classes don't really inspire you to go practice." Keidel said a new music center would make students feel like the University cares more about the arts. The proposed music facility will house Tufts' music library, now located in the Aidekman basement, and will provide ample space for learning and performing. The center will be built on the corner of Professors Row and Packard Ave., where the Zeta Psi fraternity house now stands. The facility's performance hall will bear the Distler family name, the Journal said. Distler's donation will significantly speed up the music building project. Ground will be broken for the building's construction once the University has gathered $13 million for the project, but an additional $3 million will be needed for the building's completion. The University also wants to fundraise for a several-million-dollar endowment to support the center's continuing operation and maintenance. Eric Johnson, of the University's fundraising and development department, said fundraising for the project is "an ongoing effort," but that the department is optimistic about the efforts. "We have been in contact with alumni, parents, and friends interested in [Tufts] music for a while now," he said. "The more support we have, the more quickly we can bring fundraising to a close." Distler, who completed his degree in three years, met Kendall as an undergraduate. He has also been involved with the Experimental College since he graduated, creating the popular Ex College course "Innovation in the Workplace." Ex College Director Robyn Gittleman, who worked with Distler in developing the course, found him "absolutely delightful and flexible." He "has a good sense of what he wants," she said. Gittleman believes Distler's contribution "will generously reward the Music Department, as well as the whole University." Distler is from Princeton, NJ and is responsible for private equity investments in education for Warburg Pincus & Co. in New York. He received his MBA from New York University. He has spoken enthusiastically about the future of Tufts under its new president, encouraging the University to take advantage of this "great opportunity with a great leader," the Journal reported. "I think [Bacow's] arrival is just what Tufts needs to further its evolution into one of the premier educational institutions in the country," he told the Journal. An advocate of alumni support, Distler hopes friends of Tufts will take an active role in improving the University. "To stand back there and hope that the school does better isn't going to get it done," he told the Journal. "People ought to meet Larry Bacow and see what they can do to help.

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News

Controversy over TVs in Dewick revisited with trial period

September 23

One of the televisions in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall which caused student uproar two years ago has been turned on for a trial period to see how students respond to new programming on the televisions. When the College Television Network (CTN) installed the TVs, the network's music videos and consumer programming insulted many students, and the televisions were turned off. But the network has since revamped its programming to include more informative, less controversial material, according to Patti Lee Klos, the director of dining services. Klos made an independent decision this fall to try and gauge student opinion on operating the TVs by activating one in a far corner of Dewick. "People who are dining alone seem to enjoy it," Klos said. By limiting operation to one TV in an isolated corner, she said, the programming would be available for those who wanted to watch without being invasive for others eating in the dining halls. The trial period will end in November. In explaining her decision to resume some TV use, Klos said that experience yields more reliable results than speculation. Klos wanted to involve the students in the decision to turn the TVs back on and gather student opinion before making any permanent decisions. "We respect that students might not want a broadcast on while they eat," she said. CTN supplied Tufts with the TVs under the agreement that the network's programming, which is beamed in via satellite, would be shown on all but one of the screens. Two years ago the programming attracted complaints from students, especially from members of the Coalition for Social Justice and Non-violence. The Coalition objected to the CTN's anti-intellectual themes and excessive sexual innuendo. Students said the programming undermined the student body of a university as prestigious as Tufts. The most hotly debated _ and most dominant _ program on the network was a music video program that offended students with its sexual content. Emily Good, a Coalition member and a freshman at the time, said the program featured "half-naked women and soft-porn music videos." Although CTN programming has changed since the network first aired at Tufts, the music videos remain the most popular CTN programming. Since the TVs were installed, CTN has been bought by MTV, a unit of Viacom, resulting in alterations to the programming line-up, which Klos thinks may warm student opinion to the television. The network will become a "'Reader's Digest' of television programming," said Carlo DeMarco, vice president of affiliate marketing at CTN. There will now be a more cohesive, structured broadcast, with specific time slots for different shows, instead of scattered programming, he said. CTN has made arrangements with CBS's news and sports divisions, The History Channel, ESPN Sports, and Glamour magazine. The network will also feature a special program adapted from MTV's "Fight for Your Rights" campaign on the importance of voting and more programming involving the interaction of college students on campuses throughout the nation. Two years ago, all of the TVs operated at once, and much of the airtime was used to advertise products such as Nike, Coke, and Slimfast. "Usually, mealtime is a time when you connect with your peers," said Good, the Coalition member. "The TVs made it impossible to do that." Although students expressed disgust with the content of the previous CTN programs, Klos said students watch significantly worse content on MTV and VH1. The Coalition, the most vocal opponent to the TVs, negotiated with Dining Services many times, but no consensus was reached. Less patient members of the community even vandalized the TVs by cutting their cables. The TVs were finally turned off, and have remained dormant until this semester. The screen of the single operating TV has already been smeared with food. Originally, the agreement with CTN was based on students' desire for a TV in Dewick that would exclusively broadcast Tufts announcements and daily information. CTN proposed an agreement in which the network would buy all equipment if Tufts would agree to use only one television for university announcements. "CTN was a way to serve a need without making a big investment," Klos said. Ever since TuftsLife.com installed screens to air daily university announcements in Dewick and other locations across campus, the necessity for CTN's TVs is less clear. Alison Clark, chair of the services committee of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, said that the greater student body did not get a chance to voice their opinions about the TVs two years ago because the trial period was over the summer. The current trial situation will allow students more of a voice in the issue, Clark said. If the student response to the revised programming is positive, Clark said, the television in the far corner would be left on. If reaction is negative, the TV will be turned off. But many students have already voiced negative opinions, including the TCU president. Melissa Carson said the University "doesn't need televisions in our dining hall.

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News

Jumbos sport new look in opener

September 22

If the basis of comparison for this year's football team is the success of last season's squad, the Jumbos started the season out on a promising note against Hamilton on Saturday. Last year, Tufts opened the season with a convincing 35-20 victory over Wesleyan, which set the tone for the Jumbos' 6-2 romp through the season. On Saturday, the Jumbos dismantled an out-matched Hamilton team, 20-0, a start they hope will send them on their way to another winning season. But while the outcomes of the season openers may be the same, the methods used to achieve them were slightly different. Last year against Wesleyan, the Jumbos plowed their way through the game behind the strength of running back Kevin Kelley's sequoia sized legs, which churned their way to 168 yards rushing, part of a 315 yard combined rushing effort on the day. This left the passing game as almost an afterthought, with then junior quarterback Scott Treacy completing ten passes for a mere 74 yards. The Jumbos ran 63 rushing plays in the game, compared with just 17 passing plays. Against Hamilton on Saturday, Tufts was without Kelley, and displayed a much more balanced offensive attack. Senior running back Chuck McGraw saw just 16 carries, which he turned into 63 rushing yards, and overall the Jumbos ran only 37 running plays, almost half as many as in last year's season opener. The passing game, however, showed much more life. Treacy, now a senior, completed 11 of 19 passes for 164 yards on the day. With two completions by sophomore back up QB Jay Casey, the Jumbos were 13 of 22 for 171 yards _ almost 100 yards more than last year's per game average of 75.8. "We think we're gonna have to be more balanced this year," coach Bill Samko said. "So that was part of the plan." The 171 yards in the air is more yards passing than Tufts saw in any of its games last year. In fact, the Jumbos only surpassed 100 yards passing twice the entire season _ 112 yards against Amherst and 152 yards against Williams. The last time a Tufts team passed for more yardage was two years ago on Nov. 4 against Colby, when then quarterback Todd Scalia went 20-42 for 224 yards. From the looks of their first game, the Jumbos have found the balance they are looking for in their offensive attack. And with a more confident Treacy, behind an experienced offensive line, the new approach just might work. "We just do what we have to do. If they're up on the line stopping the run, then we're gonna have to pass," Treacy said. "I had so much time back there today, I had no worries about getting sacked at all. I'm definitely more confident this year." The mix of pass and rush plays worked so well in the first half on Saturday, that the Jumbos scored on each of their first four drives, with Treacy passing to junior tight end Ryan Papi for two touchdowns. In those four drives, Tufts threw the ball nine times for 87 yards, while rushing 14 times for 71 yards. If there is a negative side to the increased emphasis on the passing game, however, it is the loss of clock control. Although they shut down Hamilton's offense, allowing only nine rushing yards, the Jumbos actually possessed the ball for almost five fewer minutes than Hamilton. While this is partly due to poor offensive execution by Tufts in the second half, it is also due to fast, efficient scoring drives _ in the second quarter Tufts drove 62 yards for a touchdown in 1:20. But if clock control is a concern for the team, nobody is showing it. Tufts still considers itself a running team, just a more balanced one. "We do what we have to do, but we're primarily a running team," Treacy said. "We have a big offensive line so we're definitely going to be running the football." And if the first game was any indication, they'll be passing it too

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News

Sig Nu robbed of about $900 in property over weekend

September 22

The Sigma Nu fraternity was the site of a theft this weekend, as two unidentified males burglarized the house of Professors' Row between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. early Sunday morning. There are no suspects, and it is estimated that $900 worth of electronics were stolen. At 2:39 a.m. the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a call reporting the burglary at 92 Professors Row. Witnesses report seeing two men smash a wifflebat into windows of the Sig Nu house around 2:10 a.m. Senior George Nitzburg and junior Dave Geisler were standing on the porch of the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity house at the time. The two "burglars" were estimated to be between 18 and 20 years old, both wearing baseball caps, t-shirts, and jeans, according to Nitzburg. One was tall and lanky, and the other was heavyset and had a goatee. The two men walked around "inspecting" the house, Nitzburg said, before grabbing a ladder and opening a window at the left back of the house. The men threw out a window air-conditioning unit, reached through the window, and stole several pricey items from a double room. A Nintendo X-Box video game console, a video game, and a Palm Pilot were stolen, according to the TUPD report. The items have not been recovered. Members of the fraternity said they suspected local youths were responsible for the theft, but Sergeant Doug Mazzola of TUPD said they had not identified any suspects. According to Sig Nu brothers, the incident was not an isolated one. Other problems with theft from fraternities have occurred this year and in past years. "We have a policy: all doors, all windows locked at all times," said Ira Fox, the risk management chair for Sig Nu. "Anything that's broken into has to be physically jimmied open." The incident was not just monetarily damaging. Incidents of theft "take a pretty fun atmosphere and put a damper on it," Sig Nu Vice President Andrew Sidrane said. After the men left Sig Nu, Nitzburg said he and Geisler chased them down Professors Row. At first they could not find the men they were chasing after, and then realized that they were surrounded by a group of people running with them. "We thought [the burglars] were up ahead somewhere until we realized we were in the midst of 20 [non-Tufts students]," Nitzburg said. "They were with us running after some imaginary person because they were [extremely inebriated]." Geisler and Nitzburg confronted the men but found them to be uncooperative. "They gave us attitude and problems. You could tell they were trying to be aggressive," Geisler said. "They were trying to cover for the guys who did it." As Nitzburg and Geisler tried to walk away, the group of men threw a wristwatch at Geisler's head. The two entered a nearby residence hall and lost the group of men chasing them. They called TUPD to file a claim when they returned to ZBT. Geisler said that they were the first to inform the Sig Nu brothers that there was a burglary. It took TUPD 10-15 minutes to respond to the call, according to Geisler, who said he heard other incidents of "townies" causing trouble on campus. While TUPD did not confirm the people who were involved with any incidents they responded to on Saturday, Mazzola did say that it was a "fairly active" night. "There was a medical assist call on [Professors Row] and there was a larceny report on P-row and several others," he said. Though TUPD says it will interview the two students who lived in the room that was burglarized, Sig Nu brothers are skeptical that the suspects will be caught. TUPD "took down our names and information, and you never see the stuff again," Fox said. "It's a risk you take living on the first floor." Members of SigNu do not have theft insurance through the University or their fraternity

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News

Satisfaction with Career Services remains low

September 22

Despite numerous attempts to approve Career Services over the last five years, student satisfaction with the department remains low. Five years ago, satisfaction was at an all-time low, and so was the staff. It was at the point where there weren't even enough chairs in the cramped career center for everyone to sit. In the 'Senior Survey' exit poll, satisfaction levels with Career Services have only slightly increased in the past year. The understaffed Career Services has evolved over the last five years, according to Paul Stanton, interim dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs. The department used to be split between locations and was able to consolidate when it moved to Dowling two summers ago. More services have been added, and students who used to have to wait three or four weeks for a 15 minute appointment can now walk in and immediately see a counselor, according to Staff Assistant Karin Murphy. This time difference can be critical to a graduating senior, especially with impending fall recruitment deadlines. Additionally, the career library that was created in Dowling offers students a wealth of easy to find information, and computers have been set up in the library as a job resource. Administrators have speculated on many reasons why students are still complaining that Career Services is not up to par. Stanton cites current economy for student dissatisfaction. "There's a 'grouchiness' factor that comes with a downturn," he said. "Even if we've been doing more, it's still harder to find jobs out there." Others say that the dissatisfaction is caused by the fact that students have a different perception of what Career Services should do for them than Career Services does. "Maybe their expectations are unrealistic," Director of Institutional Research Dawn Terkla said. Much of the student criticism centers around on-campus recruiting. Career Services has made efforts to diversify the companies that attend its career fair each year, but some students do not find it useful. "From what I see, many of the fairs are for engineers," said senior Wilma Chan, a pre-med biology and child development major. "I've been to the non-profit career fair, and it was organized well, but variety-wise it was hard to find anything that strayed from education." According to Career Services' website, 46 companies will be represented at its October fair. Of these, eight listed are not-for-profit, six are for engineering, four are for high tech and government, seven are related to high tech/science/research, and five are for education. Only one represented is law. There are no advertising/PR or communications companies. Tufts made over 1,000 phone calls in an effort to plan the fair, according to Career Services Director of Recruiting Sarah Smithson. Between 50 and 60 companies who came to the fair last year are returning, and ten to 20 are attending for the first time. Others complain that the recruiters who come to campus do not offer jobs that interest them. "The problem with on-campus recruiting is that it often brings in the companies who need to fill lots of entry-level positions, but these kinds of jobs aren't particularly interesting to most Tufts students," said senior Anna Somer, an environmental studies and economics major. But Career Services explains that students should not expect to find offerings for creative, high-powered jobs from campus recruiters. "Those that come to campus to do on-campus recruiting are the ones doing 'high-volume' recruiting," Career Resource Manager Donna Milmore said. "It's hard to bring companies to campus if they're only looking for one or two people." Though students still do not perceive that Career Services can find them jobs, many praise the department's programs for preparing students for the application process. Child development major Randi Wiggins, found Career Services' resume and cover letter reviewing was efficient and helpful. "When I was abroad, I was applying for internships and I wanted to have my resume and cover letter reviewed by the counselors. I faxed it from Chile and they faxed it back with corrections within 24 hours." One problem Career Services has is difficulty attracting first and second-year students, which often means that students are not aware of what services to expect when they are actually looking for jobs. Attendance is a problem for all age groups, as seen in the fact that only 200 out of an estimated 1,200 seniors attended five recruiting seminars last year. "Our goal is to get students on campus into Career Services at least once in their career here," Stanton said. Career Services does offer a series of sophomore workshops, which Wiggins found to be useful. "They seemed really knowledgeable but at that point I didn't know what I was looking for," Wiggins said. "You have to know what your passion is first, and they're great once you know that part." Chan did not agree with this evaluation, saying that she has been "consistently and repeatedly let down." She has turned to career services at other universities as well as the Tufts Biology Department. "I did online searches using Google, which were a lot more helpful than Career Services. I don't think their website is really that organized, and it's hard to use their databases and engines," Chan said. Academic departments often receive information about job offerings, grants, and internships. But students complain this information is often obscured, posted on bulletins in the department buildings or in news announced by a professor. Students cite the Career Services' alumni networking as effective, but also say it is one of the most unutilized resources. While the alumni network does not necessarily guarantee students job opportunities, it does offer seniors a chance to directly connect to their fields of interest. The number of alumni networking subscribers doubled to 3,000 in the past year. But some would rather see Tufts strengthen its existing relationships with companies rather than try to build new ones. "It would be nice if Tufts let people know if certain consulting companies or investing companies liked to hire Tufts graduates," said senior Veronica Chouinard, a mechanical engineering major. "Then [students] could fully utilize a networking relationship that is already established.

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News

Camels too much for Jumbos

September 22

The women's soccer team dropped to 2-2 with a 1-0 loss to Connecticut College on Saturday. Out-played in the first half and giving up a goal in the 41st minute, the Jumbos were unable to make up the difference despite a stronger second period. The Camels controlled flow of the game for much of the first half, winning a majority of the free balls and keeping the play in Jumbo territory. Tufts' game long tendency of being a little sluggish getting to the ball gave Conn. time to work the ball effectively and generate good scoring chances. "We didn't play well the first half," coach Martha Whiting said. "We just didn't play with any intensity, any fire. We gave them too much space and too much time to get their heads up and play the ball to players' feet, and we were chasing the ball." But while Conn. held the upper hand, the Jumbos played well enough to keep them off the scoreboard for most of the first half, making strong defensive plays when called upon. The lone goal came with just under five minutes to play in the period. Conn played the ball to its back line after the Tufts defense cleared it out into the middle of the field. Camel junior defender Brianna Balboni got possession about 35 yards out, and sent a long, towering shot in towards the goal. The ball carried all the way through the box and into the net, dropping just under the crossbar and over the hands of a leaping Meg McCourt to give Conn. the lead. The Camels threatened to add to their lead as the clock ticked down towards halftime, firing another shot just over the crossbar and forcing McCourt to make a couple more stops, but the Jumbo defense kept Conn. from adding to its lead. The Jumbos were able to pick up the intensity in the second half, doing a better job of taking possession and putting together offensive drives, but it was too little too late. Despite four corner kicks in the first 15 minutes of the period, and a number of strong pushes as the half wore on, Tufts was unable to find its way on to the scoreboard. The Jumbos had one of their best chances with just over 20 minutes to play. Camel freshman defender Nicole Doler lost control of the ball trying to bring it up across midfield, giving it up to sophomore Becky Greenstein. Greenstein drove the ball up the right side, then crossed it in to striker Jen Baldwin, who fired a shot at the goal. Camel goalkeeper Paige Diamond made the save, but the run helped energize the Jumbos, who kept up a strong attack for the remainder of the game. Although Tufts was able to create a number of scoring chances over the last 20 minutes, the team could not put any of them away. The Conn. defense held tough, denying the Jumbos again and again, with Diamond making a number of nice saves to record her third shutout of the season intact. "I thought that we played better in the second half, but we need to understand that we can't wait until we're down a goal and there's 20 minutes left in a game in order to really get fired up and start to play," Whiting said. "We just waited a little bit too long." The loss drops Tufts to 2-2, 1-1 in NESCAC play, while Conn. improves to 3-2 and picks up its first conference victory. Tufts will have the week off to practice, with its next game the Homecoming matchup against Bates. The team will concentrate on finishing chances and putting the ball into the net, something it has struggled to do so far this season. The Jumbos have just three goals in four games, despite out-shooting their opponents 52-26 and posting a 30-12 advantage in corner kicks. "In general, we tend to get a lot of opportunities," Whiting said. "What we really need to work on now is finishing those opportunities. I feel like it's going to come _ it's a process as the year goes by. We have plenty of players who can put it in the net, but we just need to be patient and let it happen.

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News

Field hockey shuts out Connecticut college

September 22

The Tufts field hockey team came back after Wednesday's disappointing loss to Wellesley with a 1-0 victory over the Connecticut College Camels on Saturday. The NESCAC game improved the Jumbos' record to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference. Tufts stepped up its level of play from Wednesday and managed to control the pace for most of the competition. Connecticut had several chances early in the first half, but the Jumbos managed to clear the ball from their zone and quickly counterattack. Crisp passes and quality attacks were the backbone of the Tufts offense. The team "passed much better and had better combinations" than in past games coach Carol Rappoli said. Despite sharp play and high energy, the game remained scoreless for the better part of the first half. The Camels maintained a tight central defense and thwarted three penalty corner opportunities for the Jumbos with clears deep in their territory. Connecticut's goalie made several outstanding saves as well, to the frustration of the Tufts offense. The first and only goal of the game came on a pass combination deep in the Connecticut zone. Sophomore Dana Panzer and senior captain Laura Hacker each hit laser passes in front of the goal leading up to the finish by senior Capitan Dana Chivvis. "It was a perfect setup and I had an open shot," Chivvis said. In the second half, both teams continued the intense style of play which they established in the first thirty-five minutes. Possession often shifted from one team to the other due to physical play in the neutral areas of the field. Tufts nearly scored its second goal of the match on a pass combination by Hacker and Panzer. Eventually, play became too rough for the referees' liking and green cards were issued to Chivvis and a Connecticut player. The Jumbos did not hang back, however, and continued to control the game. "Connecticut just didn't know what to do with us," Chivvis said. Saturday's victory was very much a team effort. Freshmen Jeanne Grabowski and Lea Napolitano contributed with aggression and fast-paced movement on the ball. Napolitano was especially strong up the middle with several steals and drives through the Connecticut defenders. Junior Kelly Sarson played tenacious defense halting Camel attackers and clearing the ball to the outside. Even the goal was the result of an unselfish pass combination between three players. "[We] played very well together and pulled [ourselves] out of the low spots," Chivvis said. Despite the win, the team was not satisfied with its offensive output and intends to focus on offense during practice. "The focus of this week will definitely be finishing," Rappoli said. The Jumbos' victory over Connecticut places them atop the NESCAC field hockey standings with two wins and no losses in conference play. This is a vast improvement from last year's meager single triumph in the league. Tufts will play non-conference opponent Wheaton away at 4:30 p.m. on Thursda

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