Archives

News

The man behind the music

September 17

Whatever you do, don't call the new chorale director "Maestro." Korean-born Chris Kim hates formality _ in fact, upon seeing him around campus you might think he's just another student, dressed casually in khakis and a t-shirt. The director is ready to plunge in to this year, as he rarely shies from trying new things. On the contrary, he throws himself into new situations wholeheartedly and regularly. When Kim heard about a position at Tufts he immediately came over _ and was immediately faced with a week full of six hour rehearsals and a trip to Greece with students he had never even met as the Chorale group prepares for its trip to the Mediterrean nation. "At the interview, they asked me if I knew Greek. I said, 'Why, are a lot of your students Greek?" he said. The chorale director was recruited to replace orchestra director Malka Yaacobi while she took maternity leave and was inspired to stay at Tufts because the students he teaches are as crazy about playing music as he is. "Where I taught in New Orleans, students often had this attitude like, 'Why am I here?' and didn't play up to the level they should have," he said. "When I came here I re-discovered that people play music because it's fun." Kim says that Boston is a much better place than both New Orleans and Quincy, IL, where he also taught music for a few years. "It was 50 miles of corn and nothing, and I drove 5.5 hours every weekend to see my friends in Chicago." But the frenetic director couldn't take it even in New York. "They're just too fast!" Kim found a certain level of culture in Boston at a pace he could manage _ and besides, his friends and family are here. Here, Kim can play in a chamber ensemble with his college friends and attend major orchestra concerts without actually having to play in them himself. He whips out a picture of his niece and nephew and retells the time he took them to a Red Sox game. Kim's eyes turn wide as he tells how his six-year-old nephew turned down a chance to go out on the field and play ball. And he's even happier now than a year ago when he first came in for whirlwind rehearsals and a jaunt off to Athens with Tufts' instrumentalists. He enjoys teaching and directing chorale because he has been singing in choir all his life _ while also playing the oboe, the cello and the piano. "There's an immediate physical response you get from people who sing, because you are the instrument. If you say to instrumentalists, 'Play it like a sunset,' they'll roll their eyes at you," Kim said. "But you can say that to singers. If you're really involved in a piece and a character, you feel it: it affects the intonation and the diction." Kim does not intend to change the program much from that of previous director Jim John, who is now teaching for his alma mater, Queens College in New York. The reason why? The two were very much on they seem to share the same musical vision. They always agreed on the way to interpret a piece, even without having discussed it together. But Kim does intend to branch out with more new music, beginning with this semester's repertoire of "Misa Criola," a Latin mass played out against indigenous folk music, as well as more traditional classical pieces like Gabriel Faure's Requiem. The singer/director/chamber music/oboist accepted his former job in New Orleans hoping to bring in more new music but got frustrated when he was constantly turned down. "They were always telling me they didn't have the money to rent new pieces." Luckily, Tufts doesn't suffer from that problem _ neither in money nor in interest. "John McDonald [the chair of the music department] is a composer himself, so he really likes conducting new music," says Kim. Although Kim intends to put the spotlight on Spanish music this semester, given the upcoming Chamber Singers' trip to Spain, he won't predict what types of music he may use in future years. "Themes are easier to sell, but you can't just do themes because then you end up doing music you don't care about," Kim said. But the musician and director have no difficulty in choosing his music. He listens to his mother _ sort of. "I have a rule about 'what would my mother like,'" says Kim. "She plays the cello but is not a professional. I may care about the technical stuff and cool fugues, but she just wants to hear good music, something that she understands. So I try for a balance between easy to listen to and cool technical stuff." Though Kim is a believer in balance _ both in life and in music _ he admits there is a real reason that he loves Tufts and its "brilliant" students: just like him, they're interested in everything and want to do it all.

---

News

Omidyar program now requires classes

September 17

Classes will now be a requirement for students in the Omidyar Scholars program to receive their scholarships. The classes were created to ensure that graduating students will have all the skills necessary to become "active citizens," the goal of the program. The University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) runs the program, which is designed to cultivate leadership in students interested in active citizenship. The program was initiated in 2000 and currently has 62 students enrolled. One course is geared towards mostly sophomores and the other one is mostly for juniors and seniors, Student Leadership Program Director Carey Levitt said. The sophomore class, "Asset Bases Community Project Design," matches each student with a faculty fellow to help plan a yearlong project. Nancy Gabriel, a Community Engagement Specialist at UCCPS, teaches the course, in which students are expected to work on a project for eight to ten hours a week. Students will work with different organizations in Chinatown as a part of the class. They expect to "try to help them figure out what they believe the community needs most and then help implement programs accordingly," sophomore Eitan Hersh said. The upperclassmen class, "Leadership of Community Projects," aims to teach the concepts of Asset Based Community Project Design and the leadership skills to get other students and community members involved, taught by UCCPS Director Molly Mead. The classes will give scholars an "increased exposure to theories and models of leadership to help create positive social change," Levitt said. UCCPS is also offering a freshman seminar through the Experimental College, as a feeder for the Omidyar Scholars. Freshmen were sent letters over the summer, and accepted students are planning to join the Omidyar Scholars program in the fall of 2003. The freshman seminar is divided into four parts. Students will first analyze the concept of active citizenship, and the founding of UCCPS. They will then participate in experimental activities to figure out what interest and values related to active citizenship appeal to them. Students will have to participate for a minimum of three hours a week in an on-going community project. Finally, the students will have to learn about the background and importance of their project. The courses are designed to help the "Omidyar scholars achieve greater linkage with their overall educational experience," Levitt said. "The idea is to make active citizenship essential to every classroom, rather than an 'add-on' activity for students." At the moment the classes are only offered to students in the Omidyar program. Levitt hopes, however, that in coming years the scholars themselves will be able to teach courses to incoming freshman

---

News

Miaoulis pulling administrative double duty

September 17

Despite his promotion last fall to Associate Provost, Ioannis Miaoulis is continuing to serve as the dean of the College of Engineering. There are no immediate plans to change this. Although Miaoulis admits that this year's workload is more difficult than previous years, he also added that it is "much more pleasant." Miaoulis' many responsibilities are reflected in the fact that he receives over 100 e-mails a day. "A typical day for me consists of a thousand different things," he said. This year, to aid Miaoulis, Vincent Manno has been appointed Associate Dean of Engineering. As dean of engineering, Miaoulis' chief task consists of keeping the engineering school running. He works "closely with faculty to create strategies and goals, and to make sure that we all stay focused on achieving these goals," he said. The School of Engineering has surpassed these goals since Miaoulis has held the position of dean. In the past five years, undergraduate applications have doubled, while the average engineering school has seen a 15 percent decline in applications. In addition, the school has accomplished 229 percent of their fundraising goals, raising over $80 million to go towards supporting research, education, and facilities development. Also, Miaoulis, along with the rest of the Tufts engineering department, has helped to take engineering beyond the University. The pre-kindergarten-12 engineering outreach program enables elementary and high school students in Massachusetts to become more acquainted with engineering. Because of this program, Tufts has become the national leader in improving science and technology teaching at all educational levels, according to the school's website. By serving as both associate provost and dean of engineering, Miaoulis feels that he will be able to broaden his horizons and work on a more expansive agenda. Together with the newly appointed Provost Jamshed Bharucha, Miaoulis works to knit the Tufts schools together by promoting and implementing interdisciplinary projects. "The best thing about being associate provost is that I get to learn about fields that I know absolutely nothing about," Miaoulis said. "I get to discover what links each discipline together. And I believe that the most important answers to technological problems reside in the crevices between disciplines." Miaoulis also plans to continue teaching at least one class per semester. This semester, he is teaching a class called "Gourmet Engineering," a class on heat transfer that takes place in the kitchen. "It's a lot of fun," he said. "We learn and cook simultaneously, I love it." Miaoulis graduated from Tufts with a degree in mechanical engineering. After receiving his masters in economics and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MIT, he returned to Tufts to begin teaching in 1987. He became Dean of the Engineering School in 1994

---

News

Weathering the Storm

September 17

"I've really been impressed with the hitting," said Jack Atton, a Pop Warner football coach from Saugus, while looking out at Hormel Field in Medford. "And she," he adds, gesturing at a tall woman in a white helmet and pads. "She's got a lot more arm strength than I thought." The woman in question is Erika Statkus, the starting quarterback for the New England Storm of the Women's Professional Football League (WPFL), who had just heaved a long completion to her teammate as the Storm struggled to comeback from a 14-0 deficit against the Syracuse Sting. The Storm played its fifth game of its fourth season as a franchise in front of a small, but enthusiastic crowd. And this all took place as the sun set behind the buildings of Tufts University, just a few minutes away. The Medford/Somerville community is no stranger to professional women's sports. Roughly one year ago, the Boston Breakers considered playing their home games at Tufts' Zimman Field on campus. The team eventually settled at Nickerson Field at Boston University, but there is still a nearby option for Jumbos that want to take a look at women's professional sports. The New England Storm, one of eleven franchises in the fledgling WPFL, play their home games just across the Mystic River from Tufts. Yet most students have been unaware of the team's existence since it moved into Medford for the start of the 2001 season. "We wanted to be closer to the city," Melissa Korpacz, Storm owner and executive director of the WPFL, said about the move. "It wouldn't work in the city. Hormel Stadium looks good and you can see it right off of [route] 95." Visibility has been the goal of the WPFL since its beginning in 1999, when two teams toured the United States in an attempt to drum up interest in women's professional football. The league started up with six teams for the 2001 season, when the Storm lost to the Houston Energy in the league's first championship game. The women who play in the league must hold other jobs, and many are students and mothers who must balance three practices a week on top of their other duties. The players have a great deal of experience in other sports such as rugby, basketball, and flag football, but most never had the opportunity to play tackle football. "They need to teach the fundamentals," Atton said. A lot of the drills at the tryout were the same ones we use in Pop Warner. And they do, they play fundamentally sound football." John Powers of Syracuse and his wife Bonnie have a daughter, Kelly Powers, who plays defensive end for the Sting. It was John Powers first time at a WPFL game and his impressions were favorable. "It's great for them. She [Power's daughter] loves it. I would like to see a bit more publicity though," he said. "Nobody knows about it." To that end, the Storm have been active in the community, holding a football clinic in May and forming a partnership with the New England Patriots, who purchased fifty season tickets for the 2001 season. The team is looking for other ways to increase their fan base. "We've been sending tickets out into the Medford community," Korpacz said. "And we've really been targeting Pop Warner." The Pop Warner contingent was especially visible during the game against the Sting. In addition to Atton, the Chelsea Red Devils, the 2001 National Pop Warner Junior Super Bowl champions attended the game in their jerseys, even lining the locker room exits and cheering as the Storm came out for the second half. The Storm ended up losing to the Sting 14-13, but it will return home on Sept. 24 to face the Wisconsin Riveters. Students with a Tufts ID will receive 50 percent off of the price of their 20-dollar ticket. Tickets can be purchased at Hormel Field or online at www.newenglandstorm.com . The team has endured a difficult season so far, (the loss to the Sting dropped their record to 1-4), but Atton felt that the trip was worth it. "They give you everything you need, football, food, and beer. It cost five of us 85 dollars to go here tonight. It's probably about 500 dollars to take five to the Patriots." He paused. "And its real football." The younger two Powers agreed. "He hit him! He hit him," Andrew Atton said after one particularly vicious tackle. "She hit her, you mean," his brother, Patrick Atton, noted. "Whatever," Andrew said. "Same difference.

---

News

SAT revolution brings no immediate effect for Tufts

September 17

The first Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was administered by former Harvard president James Bryant Conant in June of 1926 to a group of 8,040 predominantly male and exclusively white students. Today, millions of students worldwide of different races, genders, and nationalities take the SAT. Over the years, the test has had minor modifications in its format and content _ such as the encouragement of calculator use in 1994 _ but nothing close to the most recent alteration. The College Board _ the organization that administers the SAT _ approved the biggest change to the exam in its 76-year history last spring. Nonetheless, the effect of this change on Tufts' admissions policies will likely be minimal. Assistant Director of Admissions David Brunk said that admissions policies would not change immediately. The University must first compare college grade point average (GPA) of students coming into Tufts with scores achieved under the new SAT format, a process that will take a minimum of five years. The new changes, which will not go into effect until March of 2005, include the addition of an hour-long writing test made up of multiple choice questions and a 25-minute essay. The analogies section will be eliminated and replaced by more critical reading passages. Problems requiring application of Algebra II skills will be put in the math section in place of the current quantitative comparison questions. The weight of the third section increases the "perfect score" from 1600 to 2400, and examinees will be given an additional half-hour in which to complete the SAT. The improved SAT will better illustrate applicants' writing skills, which Dean of Admissions David Cuttino said is what "we're looking for" at Tufts. The new test will not, however, change the type of student that is accepted to Tufts or the importance of SAT scores in the admissions process, he said. Students are not sure that the new format will make the lives of future applicants any easier. "A lot of kids see the SAT as a negative thing," prospective Tufts student Bridgid Dunn said. "People are afraid to apply to schools because of the SAT requirement." Dunn, who was visiting Tufts yesterday, said that although she was not a fan of standardized testing, that the SAT is, "still a necessary requirement just because it is a standard common to everyone." Tufts admissions echoed this sentiment. Scores are, "the only common denominator" by which to compare high school students, Brunk said. They also act as one of the only ways to compare Tufts students to students at other universities. But Brunk called the scoring a "double-edged sword." While SAT scores are nice for the Admissions Office to have, their usefulness can be limited. Often there is a, "correlation between high SAT scores, high [household] income, and a high first semester GPA," Brunk said. For Tufts, as for most other colleges, the SAT is only one of many characteristics considered by the admissions department. Other considerations include class rank, difficulty of schedule, GPA, recommendations, geographical diversity, ethnic diversity, extracurricular activities, legacy status, and AP test scores, to name a few. The SAT is "not nearly as important as the transcript," Brunk said. While the scores are not a deciding factor in the admissions process, Tufts will not be dropping them from the application requirements any time soon. The University must use the SAT for the purpose of national ranking, Brunk said. If Tufts were to exclude SAT scores from the admissions process, its US News and World Report magazine ranking might fall. The changes to the testing procedure were partly sparked by University of California (UC) President Richard Atkinson, who last year proposed dropping the SAT requirement from all UC applications because the current test measures only "undefined notions of aptitude or intelligence." He wanted a test to replace the SAT on the application _one that would better evaluate specific subject mastery. The College Board receives 15 percent of its revenue from the state of California and the UC system, which consists of nine campuses and 130,000 undergraduates _the largest university system in the country. Atkinson is pleased by the proposed SAT changes. "There is no perfect test, but this is a move in the right direction," he said in a recent press release. Prospective Tufts student Quill Teal-Sullivan thought the SAT was just a hassle, no matter what the changes. "I don't really think they measure anything of importance," she said. "Just whether your family put you through a [SAT score improvement] course or not. I wouldn't want to take them again." A second move that the College Board made recently was to discontinue the "flagging" of tests taken by disabled students. Students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or ADD, can request to be given more time on the SAT. In the past, however, the disabled students' SAT scores were marked to inform colleges that time was added. The argument in favor of this change is that notification could discourage students from requesting extra time, for fear of admission's discrimination. Currently at Tufts, disabilities flagging is noted in the application process, "but it is not used in the evaluation process," Brunk said

---

News

The good, the bad, and the Sopranos featured in fall TV line up

September 16

For those of you who have spent the past three months worrying over what will happen to Buffy, fear not _ the new season begins next Tuesday. Along with this classic that is a favorite to dorks who waste their college time inside watching TV, a wealth of new programs with recycled plot lines premiere in the next two weeks. Sunday American Dreams (premieres Sept. 29): Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. This rehashing of the "turbulent 60s" seems oddly reminiscent of the sentimental piece of dreck many have come to hate, Forrest Gump. Sure, Forrest telling President Kennedy "I gotta pee" was cool. But, please, try to keep some semblance of respect and dignity for the audience. The produces of Dreams have also thought up of some "cool" effects of their own, by splicing scenes from the real American Bandstand into the show. For those of who you haven't watched an hour of NBC in the past three months, American Dreams follows what the NBC Publicity Department calls "one family's journey through the times that changed out nation." Blech. Boomtown(premieres Sept. 29): The show centers around the same premise as the program that comes before it, Dick Wolf's, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, so it will be interesting to see how this new crime drama fares. Both deal with one brutal crime scene from different angles, yet there is one crucial difference: in Boomtown, the culprit is not revealed until the final few moments whereas in Law & Order, the perp is revealed in the opening segment. Cheers go to the addition of talented actor Mykelti Williamson, but huge jeers go the casting of former New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg. These boys should never be given a chance to redeem themselves. The verdict is still out on this one. The Grubbs (premieres Nov. 3): There seems to be a general theme going on so far in the new shows for this fall; repetition. See if this premise rings a bell: Two parents are proudly raising a vulgar and stupid family, except their young teenage son, whose first name begins with an M, wants to live a model life of maturity and intelligence. Wait, his name isn't Malcolm, its Mitch. And who better to play the older stupid father than Randy Quaid, master of stupid roles from Kingpin to Independence Days. Expect The Grubbs to be evicted by December. Alias (returns on Sept. 29): The theme song for this year's season might as well be "We Are Family", as daughter Sydney (Jennifer Garner), father Jack (Victor Garber), and her mother (Lena Olin) joins in as a family of secret, double agents. Here's one who's hoping for more wigs, more ass-kicking action from Garner, and more twists and turns to keep this season as good as the last. The Simpsons(returns on Nov. 10): fourteen seasons and still kickin,' the Simpsons will come back after the World Series with a star-studded episode with Homer going to Rock and Roll Fantasy camp. Additional episodes feature the return of Sideshow Bob... again... and the engagement of Mrs. Krabappel and Principal Skinner, and a big 300th episode special. As Burns would say, "Excellent." Monday Monday Night Football (already in progress): MNF looks to have its best season in years, as the pairing of Al Michaels and football legend John Madden team up to provide the color commentary and play-by-play, respectively. ABCSports finally realized that is helps to have commentators who actually know something about football, as opposed to being adept at spewing out random allusions (meaning Dennis "Hey babe, my HBO show got cancelled" Miller). In addition, MNF has many great matchups for the next few months, including a rematch of last years NFC Championship game between the Chicago Bears and the St. Louis Rams. The local favorites, the Patriots, also make a repeat performance against the Tennessee Titans in mid-December. Are you ready for some football? I am. Tuesday In-Laws (Sept. 24): As a continuance of this season's theme of repetition, NBC brings you the TV version of Meet the Parents. For some odd reason, a newlywed couple decides to live with the bride's parents. Father doesn't like new son-in-law. Hilarity ensues. Show gets cancelled. 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter(premieres Sept. 17): Turn on Nick at Nite or TVLand every so often, and you may see good ol' Jack Tripper (John Ritter) falling over himself in front of Mr. Roeper and the girls. Well, Ritter returns as a sarcastic, angst-ridden father trying to deal with his two adolescent daughters. Seems funny enough for me, and Ritter needs the work. 24 (returns Oct. 29): The best network drama on television last year returns a year later to find CTU Agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) estranged from his daughter (Elisha Cuthbert) when he is called in by President David Palmer. Despite the recent divorce, the president's former wife, the deliciously evil Sherri Palmer, comes back to wreak even more havoc. Hopefully, we'll find out who Nina is working for, why she killed Terri. If you have no idea what I am talking about, watch this season, it is more addictive than nicotine. Hidden Hills (premieres Sept. 24): Is your life funny? Well don't worry, because this new show from NBC is "your life, only funnier." My life is funny enough as is, thank you very much. I'll pass. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (returns Sept. 24): I don't like it, and I don't watch it, but if I don't mention this show, my friends will disown me. Especially because it may be the last season of Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular character. Anyone know what Kristy Swanson is up to? How about Luke Perry? Wednesday West Wing (returns Sept. 25): The biggest surprise of this upcoming season is "Will President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) win the election?" Of course he will, but the most anticipated moment of this year will be the departure of Rob Lowe's character from the show. Lily Tomlin also joins the show as the new secretary to the president, which hopefully can bring some new life into the show after last season's disappointing lack of structure. Amazing Race (returns Oct. 2): The best reality TV-series had gotten little recognition in its first two incarnations, but hopefully this year will break the trend. Host Phil Keoghan returns with 12 two-man teams all vying to win a race around the world. No Team Guido this time around, but the couple to watch is a conservative dad and his gay son, as well as the sister and best friend of a Sept. 11 victim. Cedric the Entertainer Presents (premieres Sept. 18): Despite the fact that prime-time variety shows have failed in recent years (The Wayne Brady Show comes to mind) one of the funniest black comedians is trying his hand at it. Here's hope for the best, as network TV could use a little push to mirror the diversity of the real world. Thursday Friends (returns Sept. 26): The inevitable pairing off of all the cast members is finally falling into place this year, which in all likelihood will be the last season. With Chandler and Monica married (baby on the way?), and Joey/Ross proposing to Rachel, Phoebe will probably get the leftover, and all will end in happiness. Why can't real life be this predictable? Scrubs (returns Sept. 26): All of the hilarious ensemble of the greatest new comedy return, with The Janitor becoming a full time cast member. From the heartless chief of staff Dr. Kelso to the obsessively stubborn Eliot, the cast of Scrubs hopes to avoid the deadly sophomore slump and suffer a rating setback. Although, they'd have to hit rock bottom in order to fail in the cushiest time slot of the year, sandwiched between Friends and Will & Grace. Survivor (returns Sept. 19): This is the fifth time we've seen 16 backstabbing, nasty, vicious snakes (or are they rats?) go at each other. They return to the South Pacific, Thailand to be specific. Not much else to elaborate on here _ it's kind of self-explanatory what will happen. But as long as someone's watching it, it will remain on the air. Good Morning Miami (premieres Sept. 26): The plot of this hackneyed, thrown-together series reads like a horrible chick flick. Guy chooses job because he falls in love with Girl. Throw in a dash of token kooky characters. Mix, bake at 350 for twenty minutes, let cool, and watch the profits come in. However, with a lead-in like Will & Grace, this recipe may just turn out to be a masterpiece. Friday That was Then(premieres Sept. 27): A neat idea that hopefully won't go wrong, That was Then tells the story of Travis, an adult who goes back to the '80s to redo his life. We've all wished that we could relive those special moments, prevent the embarrassing ones, and create new ones where opportunities were lost. Cool concept, but the Friday night timeslot is not promising. Firefly (premieres Sept. 20): From the brain of Joss Whedon, creator of the aforementioned Buffy, comes this new, quirky-space-western-dramedy. Too odd to even attempt to describe, Firefly seems like The Fifth Element gone wrong (and without Bruce Willis). The stupidity of the trailers never ceases to amaze me. I don't often wish harm upon others, but I hope this show fails. >Saturday There is no good TV on Saturday nights. Cops is still the number one show on Saturday nights. Go out. Party. Watch a movie or two. Just don't watch TV. Don't say I didn't warn you. Cable Real World: The umpteenth incarnation of the MTV all-too-reality series goes to Sin City. Can you imagine the Unintentional Comedy Potential of watching these obsessive-compulsive, nutty, catty, and eccentric personalities in LAS VEGAS? The city with no morals, no sense of right or wrong? Mind-boggling. The Ozbournes: As one of the few uninitiated into the cult icon that has become Ozzy Ozbourne, I can't really comment on what to look forward to _ other than, of course, "SHARON!" The Sopranos: This is for those readers lucky enough to subscribe to HBO. Enjoy the fourth and penultimate season of television's greatest show. According to creator David Chase, this year will concentrate more on the marriage of Tony and Carmela, but that doesn't mean his other family will be ignored. Will Paulie defect to the New York families? Will the FBI get their indictments to stick? For the rest of us basic cable, all I gotta say is, I love Kazaa. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Finally recognized by the entertainment community, Curb Your Enthusiasm was nominated for its first Emmy award this summer. Straight from the mind of Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, his half biography/half hilarity show is what Seinfeld dreamed to be in its glory seasons. Once again, I must praise the high-speed internet connection and Kazaa. Nothing can curb my enthusiasm for this show

---

---

News

Youth Vote aims to increase student political activism

September 16

Across the state of Massachusetts today, voters will head to the polls for the gubernatorial primary. But few of those voters are likely to be college students. While voter turnout for the general public has slowed in recent years _ 50 percent of Americans voted in the last election _ the numbers are even worse among college students. Turnout among 18-25 year-olds was only nine percent in that election, but a group called Youth Vote is working to change that statistic. Youth Vote is a national coalition of over 90 national members and over 1,500 local and state members whose goal is to register thousands of students to vote. The group focuses its effort on many college campuses around the country, including Tufts. "We want to get young people to vote at least at the same levels as other age groups and possibly surpass them," said Laura Makinen, a Youth Vote campus organizer. Students who are involved with Youth Vote attribute voter apathy among their age group to the bubble that tends to exist around college campuses. "Everyone is always so busy with classes and extracurriculars that it's hard to stay informed on election issues," senior Madelyn Medeiros said. "It's also really easy to let Election Day slip by without going to the polls." Young people aren't truly apathetic, as most people assume, argues Laura Makinen, a Youth Vote campus organizer. They are passionate about volunteering but tend to opt out of politics because they are disillusioned with the politicians. "We're caught in a cycle of neglect," Makinen said. "Young people don't vote, so politicians don't address issues important to them." Many students have issues they want addressed, including affordable housing, student loans, and the environment. Tufts' active student body and commitment to changing the world made it a desirable place for Youth Vote to exercise its mission. "Engaging people in the political process in our country is a necessary step in effecting major social change, and Youth Vote was brought to Tufts because Tufts students are very responsive to Youth Vote," Makinen said. "The student body at Tufts is extremely active and committed to working to change the world." There are three main steps Youth Vote takes in trying to increase voter participation among students. The first is registering students to vote through large voter-registration drives. The second is educating the new voters through forums, debates, studies and polls. The final step is reminding people to actually go to the polls and vote on Election Day. Youth Vote is beginning to show a presence on the Tufts campus. Several groups have expressed interest in Youth Vote's activities, including Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans, the Leonard Carmichael Society, United Leaders, and Tufts Hillel. Last year, the TCU Senate passed a resolution in support of Youth Vote and its projects. The group is also being aided by the debate society. "I think that Youth Vote is a very important organization as it focuses on something which is all too often overlooked in American politics: youth," Debate Society President Daniel Mandell said. "...one of the most undemocratic things you can do, a crime against America, is to be ignorant of who is running your country." Youth Vote is hoping to put on a gubernatorial debate focused on youth issues for the upcoming election, according to Mandell. In conjunction with registering students to vote, Youth Vote hopes to work with University administration to help it to provide voting information to students. Youth Vote also wants to plan educational programs with campus groups to promote awareness of the issues involved in this fall's elections. "Youth Vote is non-partisan," Medeiros said. "So our goal is to inform young people about all candidates' platforms so that they can make their own decisions and voice their opinion through voting." When Election Day grows nearer, Youth Vote wants to plan a large "Get Out to Vote" campaign, reminding students to vote as well as telling them where the polling stations are. For students who are registered to vote in states other than Massachusetts, Youth Vote educates about absentee ballots, and gets them info about how to obtain them. "We encourage people to vote wherever they want to," Makinen said. The first Youth Vote coalition was held in 1994 with 17 national non-profit organizations. Today, some of its national organizations include the League of Women's Voters and MTV's Rock the Vote. It also consists of many local and state organizations. Here in Massachusetts, some of these are Mass Perk, Dump the Vote and Boston Vote. All these organizations are committed to educating students on the importance of voting. "Voting is one of the simplest and most direct ways to make a difference," Medeiros said. "If politicians realize that young people are a strong presence at the polls, they'll be much more likely to pay attention to issues that are important to us." @keywords:youth vot

---

News

Tufts-New England Medical Center to build new Cancer Center

September 16

In an attempt to increase its already well-known reputation in cancer treatment, the Tufts-New England Medical Center (T-NEMC) will spend $19 million over the next eight years to create a cancer research institute. The research institute will occupy 40,000 square feet of laboratory space near the Tufts-NEMC facilities and the campus of Tufts' Medical School. Scientists working there will attempt to improve their understanding of cancer and its effects on the human body. "The goal [of the new cancer research center] is to develop the second [National Cancer Institute] in Boston _ there's only the Harvard one," Dr. Michael Mendelsohn, a Tufts Medical School professor, told The BostonHerald in May, when the Medical School announced its plans. The center will attempt to "establish programs in cancer genetics, DNA research and the study of programmed cell death," the Herald reported. The Cancer Center's research will be organized into three divisions: basic research, clinical research, and control and population studies. The center will also have a clinical component, which will provide care in a "multidisciplinary setting where patients meet the surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists at the same visit," according to the center's website. The decision will "enhance the Medical Center's recognized excellence in cancer care," University's Health Sciences Public Relations Peggy Hayes said. Philip Tsichlis, a nationally-renowned authority on molecular oncology (the study of cancer), will head up the new center and is due to start working early this fall. Tsichlis "discovered a gene in protein that is one of the most important being studied today," Mendelsohn told the Herald in May. "He has superb interpersonal skills, and the commitment to developing the careers of young scientists in an environment that protects them and helps them grow." When he was appointed to the new position, Tsichlis was the director of basic science and a professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Before that, he was the associate director of laboratory research at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, also in Philadelphia. He served as an expert in the Laboratory of Tumor Virus Genetics for the National Cancer Institute as well. Although Tsichlis is coming from Philadelphia, his professional origins are at Tufts. At the beginning of his medical career, Tsichlis was an assistant professor of medicine at Tufts Medical School's Cancer Research Center. Tufts' involvement in the cancer research center is fairly unique in the world of medical research. Unlike many universities with graduate medical programs, Tufts does not have its own hospital. T-NEMC is a separate entity from the University but, as a spokeswoman explained, "we work together." Tsichlis will be a Tufts faculty member, but will be employed by the hospital. He will also be the first recipient of the Jane DesForges Professorship. DesForges served as a mentor to Tsichlis early in his career at Tufts

---

News

Lists show that Tufts is an active campus

September 16

Recent controversy surrounding the University's placement on The Princeton Review's ranking of campuses lacking in race and class interaction (Tufts walked away with a lofty seventh) has stirred me to respond. In disbelief I decided to conduct some research on my own _ to my surprise I found this wasn't the only notable exploit for which our humble institution was ranked. In fact, there are three factors about the student body mentioned in The Princeton Review lists that deserve more mention. First, our student population is an interactive body of individuals open to suggestion. From The Princeton Review's ranking of the Daily as the fourth best news publication on a college campus, one could make the simple conjecture that our student body is: a) readily concerned and b) willing to lend an ear to student journalists who have important messages to get across. The second factor that deserves more mention is The Princeton Review's ranking of Tufts as 14th in terms of its levels of student political activity. The political climate here at Tufts is a thriving element of campus culture _ yet another sign that students here are a group of individuals willing to modify the environment that surrounds them. The third and final element that deserves more attention is the fact that Tufts ranks second as a university that offers "more to do on campus." In the past year I have spent at Tufts I have found that our campus does indeed foster the involvement of students at all levels. From the Leonard Carmichael Society to the Arts Haus, students at Tufts are afforded the incredible opportunity to find their own niche and get involved. In essence the message is this _ while, it is important to acknowledge our faults, and in our awareness of these faults, attempt tangible changes, it is also equally necessary to formulate a comprehensive picture of Tufts. Weighing all aspects both positive and negative is important so that change may proceed. The very fact that race and class relations have raised an acute social consciousness amongst students it is an issue that reflects just how far Tufts has really evolved. The days of a single sex, single race, and even single class campus are no longer. Perhaps, it is time now to refocus the lens of scrutiny and consider what these rankings suggest, not just for Tufts, but also for upper levels of academia in general. Anndell Quintero is a sophomore majoring in international relations and clinical psychology.

---

News

Men's cross country struggles against DI competition

September 16

The men's cross country team finished fifth out of six teams at the Dartmouth invitational on Saturday when it placed five runners in the 37th-42nd overall slots. This finish was not disappointing to Jumbo runners, however, given the tough competition and difficult course it faced. Host Dartmouth, who finished with 25 points, dominated the meet with runners finishing first, second, sixth, seventh, and ninth, while Providence College(62), Keene State (72), and Lowell (80) also finished ahead of the Jumbos. On the bright side for the Jumbos, they (130) beat NESCAC rival Williams (190) by placing its top six runners ahead of all of Williams' finishers. Although the team did not fare as well at Dartmouth, its second race of the season, its performance was more than respectable given the intense competition. "We were running against probably the two best Division I programs in New England, as well as one of the top Division II teams and one of the top Division III teams in the region," junior Jon Rosen said. "So that's probably the best competition we'll face all year. It was a great experience to run against that type of competition." In the NCAA preseason poll, Providence was ranked eighth and Dartmouth was ranked 19th in Division I, while Keene State was ranked sixth and Williams was ranked 11th in Division III. Tufts received several votes in the poll but did not crack the top 25. Tufts ran in strong packs, with its top five runners finishing only 13 seconds apart. Freshman Neil Orfield led the team with a time of 27:03 and a finish of 37th, while sophomore Nate Brigham (27:11) followed up his strong lead performance at the Hayseed Classic with second on the team. Freshman Mike Cummings (27:12) and junior captains Peter Bromka (27:13) and Rosen (27:16) completed the course right behind him. "The first five or six guys finished strong together," Rosen said. "It helps to be out there moving with your own guys, especially when you're passing guys on other teams." Despite finishing in lower place than at Hayseed, the Jumbos' times at Dartmouth were significantly faster. Freshman Hadrian Engle attributed this to the fact that the Dartmouth course was much easier than the Hayseed course. "It was on a golf course, so it was a lot flatter. The first two miles were virtually flat, and there were two steep hills near the end, but no long gradual hills, so the times were a little lower," Engle said. "Also a lot of it was in the woods, so it was shadier, and the sun wasn't beating down on us." Coach Connie Putnam believed that the course itself was actually tougher, and attributed the improved times to improved competition. "This Saturday we were running at a Nationals qualifying pace, whereas last week [at Hayseed] we ran at a more relaxed pace because our guys were controlling the pace," Putnam said. "This week we had to keep up with some fine runners." Everyone seemed to agree that the race was a good building block. "I think it was a solid result for this point in the season. We definitely have a lot of improving to do, but I'm confident that we'll be able to," Rosen said. "The last couple of weeks we've been trying to figure out where guys are, and this helps us know." "We have some great young runners," Putnam said. "And they had a fine performance against some very good runners.

---

News

Gittleman named University Professor

September 16

Until recently, the title of "University Professor" was so distinguished that only two members of the Tufts faculty could claim it. A third professor has been added to the list. Former Provost Sol Gittleman has been named a University Professor for his contributions to the Tufts community for over 37 years. "For me, having been appointed a University Professor is the final recognition of an academic life," Gittleman said. Being appointed a University Professor requires a strong base of support among students, faculty, and administration. The University's president must first nominate candidates before the Committee of Academic Affairs of the Board of Trustees. "This special honor is reserved for our most distinguished faculty colleagues who have made extraordinary contributions to both their disciplines and to Tufts," President Larry Bacow explained. "Professor Gittleman was recognized for his remarkable record as a teacher, scholar, administrator, and advisor to generations of Tufts students." Once the Committee on Academic Affairs approves the President's nomination, the Board of Trustees must ratify it unanimously. "The nomination was greeted with unanimous and enthusiastic approval by the Committee on Academic Affairs and the entire Board of Trustees," Bacow said. The other two faculty members who hold the title are Philosophy professor Daniel Dennett and Dean Irwin Rosenberg, of the Friedman School of Nutrition, Science and Policy. "It doesn't get any better than this, to share with people like Daniel Dennett and Irv Rosenberg, this kind of designation," Gittleman said. During his tenure at Tufts, Gittleman has served as provost, professor, advisor, scholar, and friend to innumerable students and faculty members. Gittleman's list of accomplishments is substantial. He has received two Fulbright awards, two honorary doctorate degrees in humane letters, and was named "Professor of the Year" by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Gittleman has taught thousands of Tufts students over the years. His classes have ranged from German language and German civilization and the rise of Nazism, to Yiddish culture. He also teaches a popular freshman advising class, "Writing about baseball." Gittleman's honor has been hailed by an appreciative student body. "The best thing about Professor Gittleman's classes is his enthusiasm," said Dan Kahn, a sophomore. "Whether the subject is Jackie Robinson or Shalom Aleichem, Professor Gittleman is always speaking quickly and excitedly, taking questions, and waving his hands. He just wants to get everyone involved in the class and get the best out of his students." In addition to his enthusiasm, Gittleman is also known for his accessibility "What struck me about Professor Gittleman was how approachable he was and how much he loved the subject he was teaching," sophomore Yasmin Pena said. Pena took his "Writing about baseball" seminar her freshman year. "He would always come to class excited to discuss some aspect of baseball, so that would get us excited too. It was definitely the best class I've taken at Tufts so far." Professor Gittleman has a long list of academic accomplishments that span a lifetime of working in education, but the legacy he has created has also had a great impact on the community at large. "Gittleman's Yiddish literature course has been a staple here, for what seems like as long as PT Barnum's domesticated elephant," junior Richard Kalman said. "It was a truly unique experience to participate in a class that has that kind of staying power." "I've also never seen a professor so devoted to giving students personal attention," Kalman said."Despite his busy schedule, he always had time to sit down and chat with his students." Bacow called Gittleman "a legend at Tufts." "I loved working with him as Provost," he said. "Indeed, given all that he taught me about Tufts, I now count myself as one of his students, and one of his biggest fans." Even after stepping down as Provost, Gittleman continues to teach classes, advise students, and remains a powerful presence on campus. "It's liberating," Gittleman said. "Especially as you come to what should be the last years of a teaching life. So, I feel honored and very satisfied." @keywords:gittleman#university#professo

---

News

Student organization funding system in 'crisis'

September 16

The current growth of student clubs is not sustainable, members of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and administration have said in the past week. These comments come in the midst of a budget crunch caused, in part, by the recent extraordinary growth of clubs on campus. "Every year the J [TCU Judiciary] approves more groups," former Assistant TCU Treasurer Nick Abraham said. "The number of groups being recognized is outpacing the student activity fee." "We are headed towards a budget crisis," Abraham said. Last year, 26 different organizations received temporary status, which allows them to advertise on campus and reserve a room on University property. Of those 26, 17 went on to apply for official recognition by the TCUJ, only two of which were denied _ the Party Club and the International Food Club. These 15 new groups can now apply for funding from the TCU Senate. Meanwhile, the number of groups continues to grow, as 15 are already applying for temporary status from the Office of Student Activities this year. "It's pretty incredible," Student Activities Director Jodie Neally said. The solution to what Dean of Students Bruce Reitman calls "a huge dilemma" may not be forthcoming, though. Suggestions have been made, but each one encounters hurdles. Caps on new group funding for up to three years may be the solution, Reitman said, but that it "may only delay the problem." This problem, Abraham said, is that the "potential for more and more clubs is infinite." Once the Judiciary has recognized a club of a certain type, the precedent is set that it must accept groups with similar formats but different purposes. This is especially prevalent in culture groups and pre-professional groups, which make up 64 out of the nearly 170 different campus organizations. Another example is the Harry Potter Club, which is in the process of applying for recognition using the precedent of the No Homers Club. "Once you tell yes to a couple, you have to say yes to all of them. You can't discriminate," TCUJ Chair Adam Biacchi said. The TCU Senate ran a budget deficit last year due to a budgeting error of over $50,000. This shortfall has made the continuing addition of campus groups much more relevant this year. The issue has "more importance in light of last year's budget crunch," Abraham said. A second issue is whether the TCUJ should recognize resource availability before approving new clubs. The TCUJ is supposed to take into account that availability because of a recently added rule, but it has been instructed to not base decisions on it. "Reitman has told us many times we are not supposed to worry about money," Biacchi said. This concept is wrong, TCU Treasurer Ben Lee said. "I think the J needs to be able to take financial and space availability into account when recognizing groups," he said. For the TCUJ to focus on "resource availability" is not enough. "I think that all concerned feel that the guidelines given were pretty vague, and no one is quite sure how to interpret it," Lee said. Though there is concern about the proliferation of clubs and their effect on the TCU Senate's budget, Reitman feels there are more important worries than this budget. The school is running out of space for student groups to meet, and not many buildings are arriving in the near future. Reitman hopes that the new music building _ which has encountered recent funding problems _ as well as the new dorm will alleviate some of these concerns. "There's a way to deal with the money issue," but the space one is much more difficult, Reitman said. "The TCU budget is stretched so that the funding to various groups is below what should be possible." He suggested that student activity fees could be increased to help make up for the deficit. But Lee performed a study last year to examine raising the fee but discovered that Tufts "was definitely the highest" of the schools he studied. But, according to Lee, the growth in the student activities fee has been hugely outpaced by that of student groups and organizations. There are 43 percent more groups now than in 1993, while groups' budgets have inflated by an estimated 31.5 percent. The student activities fee had increased 56 percent during this same time period. The student activity fee is currently $206, after rising nine dollars last year and $67 since 1993. The increase dwarfs the 30 percent increase in tuition and room and board costs over the same time. But Reitman said that the cost of the student activity fee has to be put in perspective. "For that amount, compared what you pay for the curriculum, it seems like a pretty good deal," he said. The current cost for tuition, room and board at Tufts College is $35, 760. Abraham said that the best solution to the situation is to start placing more groups under umbrella organizations, much like the Leonard Carmicheal Society (LCS) and Hillel. According to Abraham, having a large group that organizes the funding for smaller sub-committees would "make it easy to coordinate and save money." But Biacchi is not so sure that having the TCUJ create umbrella organizations would work. "From an Allocations Board perspective, it's a lot less work for them," Biacchi said. But organizations will do "whatever they can" to not be a sub-committee. No Homers Club, Tufts Simpsons aficionados group, nearly fell under a subcommittee when it applied to the TCUJ at the same time as a cartoon club. They were given their own charter in the end, but No Homers Club President Josh Belkin thinks that method will not alleviate the funding problem. "It reduces the amount of direct communication between the group and the Senate," Belkin said. "I don't see it saving any money... The only way to save money is to cut money." The problem does not look to be going away anytime soon, though. "At an institution with so many talented people, we could have a club for just about everything, and unfortunately the funds available just do not allow for it," Lee said. The solution may be to limit future groups on campus, but most don't want to see that happen. "If we set a cap on the organizations... that means that we would be stagnant," Reitman said. "On what basis can you say no to a group?

---

News

The Oslo peace process: RIP

September 16

Some issues didn't change this summer. The Israelis and Palestinians are still at each other's throats. For two years now, the only news coming out of the Middle East is of blood, war and violence, with almost no hope of peace or of anything productive ensuing. What Israel's late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin lost his life over is now crumbling before our eyes, only eight years since the historical Oslo peace treaty was signed between the PLO and the State of Israel. Just two years ago, Prime Minister Ehud Barak was willing to hand back over 90 percent of the West Bank and split Jerusalem in half in order to ultimately reach a final peace with the Palestinian people. In my opinion, Arafat should have taken what he got then and there, and said thank you. No Israeli leader was ever willing to make such concessions in the past. And after the current Palestinian unrest, I doubt in the future that any Israeli leader will go as far as Barak did. But now two years later, we are at a state of war. We were so close and now seem farther apart than ever. I am left with only questions. How can this be? What has changed? And now I want answers. One possible answer is that nothing has changed and that is the whole problem. Since the creation of Israel in 1948, what I have seen of the Arab mentality has remained the same. Deep down in their hearts, I believe that Arabs cannot wait for the day the Jewish State will be destroyed. Palestinians hold rallies burning Israeli flags and chanting "Death to the Israelis." Iran and Syria are continuously funding the Hezbollah; meanwhile the Hamas and Jihad terrorist organizations are working around the clock, planning out terrorist attacks against Israel. In contrast, rallies in Israel are being held at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv weekly to support peace and pray for an end to the violence. The daily Palestinian unrest is dangerous and a threat to the sovereignty of the State of Israel. While some newspapers, such as The New York Times, continue to show one-sided views of 15-year-old Palestinian kids being killed, the fact remains that they made the choice to be out there on the streets. In my opinion, those Palestinian children are a threat to the soldiers and are therefore chased away or, in extreme cases, fired upon. The men defending Israel are only three years older at the age of 18, and no 18-year-old takes joy in shooting an M-16 and taking another person's life. Another possibility is that maybe we (Arabs and Israelis) are just not as alike as everyone thinks we are. Daily, Israeli children sit in schools discussing ways to end the violence, which they want no part of. In contrast, Palestinian children are being sent to the front lines to get killed in a desperate and immoral attempt by the PLO to win international support for their cause. Violence will not get them anywhere. To Israelis, whether they are right wing or left wing, war is not the answer. We want peace. Unfortunately, from what I can gather, this is not the same for our Palestinian counterparts. Even when the Oslo accords were signed in 1993, Palestinian terrorists went on rampages throughout Israel, carrying out bus and car bomb attacks which killed dozens of Israelis. So then what is the goal of the violence? I think that the goal of the violence was for the Palestinians to show their true faces to the Israelis. The Palestinians are saying that they do not want peace. If the Arabs wanted peace then Arafat would have accepted the 90 percent of the West Bank that Barak offered him at Camp David. So really when you look at it, the Palestinian violence has succeeded in one thing and one thing only: creating a new political slogan for the Israeli right wing, "We told you so." No matter what the answer is, I am indeed starting to see the true face of the Palestinian people. From what I see, they speak peace and practice war. Now I feel like it's just good that we found this out about them now and not after we gave them half of Jerusalem. It seems to me that they don't want to see Jews and Arabs living side by side. Instead, they want to see us out of what they claim to be "their" land. In my opinion, this unacceptable behavior has led to the death of the Oslo Accords. The killers were the Palestinian people under their leader, Yasser Arafat. Ilam Behm is a freshman who has yet to declare a major.

---

News

NL races just about settled

September 16

With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, it appears that three of the four NL playoffs teams from last year will have a return engagement this October. The St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks are sure bets to qualify for postseason play, while the San Francisco Giants and the L.A. Dodgers continue to duke it out for the wild card. In the NL East, the Braves have already clinched a postseason berth, and in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals have built a six and a half game lead over the second place Houston Astros. The cards appear set to clinch the division sometime in the very near future. Houston refuses to go down without a fight, however, as demonstrated on Sunday when Wade Miller pitched a complete game three-hitter for his first career shutout. Despite the moral victory, the Astros still face an uphill battle as they need have only 12 games remaining to make up their six and a half game divisional deficit and a five and a half game deficit in the wild card standings (through Monday afternoon). Though the Astros have played like a playoff contender of late, they dug themselves a deep hole with their dismal play earlier in the season. In the NL West there is not much a race for the divisional title as the Diamondbacks have just about wrapped it up. But, it is interesting to note that there is an internal battle going on between two Arizona players _ Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling _ for the Cy Young. The pair is a combined 45-10 with a 2.62 ERA and 617 strikeouts in 2002. Schilling just missed picking up his 24th win of the season on Sunday versus the Milwaukee Brewers after Diamondbacks' closer Byung-Hyun Kim blew the save in the ninth inning. Arizona hung on to win 6-5 in the bottom of the 13th on a Tony Womack single that scored Felix Jose. Though Schilling wasn't able to notch the win, he did record his 300th strikeout of the season and joined Johnson in the 300 club. Schilling and Johnson, who notched 17 strikeouts in a 5-0 complete game three-hitter on Saturday, became the first teammates in Major League history to record 300 strikeouts in the same season. Outside of the Cy Young award, the only thing up for grabs in the NL is the wild card (Barry Bonds is the NL MVP). The two contenders are the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, who have perhaps the best rivalry in all of baseball, one that began when the Giants played in Manhattan and the Dodgers in Brooklyn. As of Monday afternoon, the Giants held a one game lead in the wild card standings and the pair began a crucial four-game series in LA last night. The Dodgers, who had played consistently well for most of the season, are coming off a four games series against Colorado during which they won only one game. Including the Colorado series, the Dodgers have lost seven of their last ten. Luckily for LA, following the series with the Giants, it will finish the season with nine games against losing teams (San Diego and Colorado). San Francisco, on the other hand, has won seven of its last ten, and will be looking to finish strong in its last eight games against Milwaukee, San Diego and Houston. The key to the Giants' success will be whether the people hitting behind Barry Bonds and his lofty .578 on-base percentage (courtesy of his 176 walks) can drive him home

---

News

The 'real' real world

September 16

A confession, if you will: earlier this week, I reached a new low. I found myself procrastinating from my work by registering for the GRE. Now, I realize that this does not seem all that bad. And, it is not that bad, until you follow that action to its logical conclusion. Gone are my days of snood and Instant Messenger. Gone is joking about the "real world." Suddenly, it seems to be rapidly approaching. When I returned to Tufts after spending my junior year abroad, I thought that the hardest transition was going to be getting used to being back on campus. Wrong. Instead, it is the slow and sometimes imperceptible transition from undergraduate to alumni that is getting to me. Right now, the thing that I can say with certainty with regards to my future is that I will be receiving phone calls from Tufts asking me to donate money for the rest of my life. With so much preparation for the future, it is getting even harder to figure out what the future is. I can tell you one thing, though. I have developed a slight fear of acronyms. Between GREs, MCATs, LSATs, MBAs, MFAs, MAs, and Ph.Ds, my life has begun to look a lot like a bowl of alphabet soup gone horribly awry, and that is just assuming I choose to go on for more school. And, if I do, there is the whole application process with which I must contend.. Remember that? Why will you be a vital asset to our community? Tell us everything about yourself in 200 words or less, and we mean everything. The only thing that got me through it the first time was the knowledge that the first time would probably be the only time. Wrong again. But, going the "real world" route will not save me. They have applications, too. During my freshman year, I could not wait to get out into the real world, to have my own apartment, and my own job. Now, four years later, having my parents buy groceries and pay rent bills is becoming more and more appealing. I keep hoping that they will tell me what I should be doing next, but they seem to be operating under the false assumption that I am an adult and can therefore handle such important decisions. Am I regressing? And, more importantly, am I the only one who feels this way? For those of you in your final year, like me, I wish you the best _ in 200 words or less of course. And, to you underclassmen, I say this: volunteer, get involved, go abroad, work your summer internships, live your lives, but do not trick yourself for one moment into thinking that you can escape the "real world". Hillary Tisman is a senior majoring in English

---

News

The Elephant People bare all in controversial documentary

September 16

Tufts' annual Naked Quad Run is the subject of an expos?© entitled The Elephant People, which will be shown today at 7:30 p.m. at the Coolidge Corner Movie Theater. The documentary tries to uncover the motives behind years of Jumbos' participation in the tradition, said producer Jeremy Noritz, who graduated from Tufts in the combined degree program through the Museum School in 2000. The first cut of the documentary was shown at both Tufts and the Museum School in the spring of 2001, and has since been revised. It was completed a year ago, and Noritz would like to organize a showing of the new cut on campus sometime before this December's Quad Run. Noritz said he decided to explore the subject because he was interested in the Quad Run's origins and why it became a tradition. "I was interested in... what compels college students to run naked in a group, and to kind of just see what it's all about," Noritz said. Although the tradition has been described as a way for students to blow off steam the night before the first day of reading period, Noritz said, "it had to be more than that for it to keep going on." The documentary, billed in a press release as "revelatory and controversial," explores the role of peer pressure in students' decisions to run. While each participant has his or her own reason for running, Noritz said, his investigation revealed that "a lot of it became about peer pressure at times." Tufts alumni such as Michael Dupuy (LA '01), who worked with Noritz on projects for Tufts' radio station WMFO, helped with the endeavor. "I think it's obvious that it's a very interesting phenomenon in and of itself," Dupuy said of the Quad Run. The film investigates the opinions of various University community members, including those of students, faculty, pre-frosh, former chaplain Scotty McLennan, and actor Hank Azaria (LA '85). Before shooting footage of the December '99 Quad Run, Noritz attempted to make his face and name known amongst students while interviewing and shooting for the documentary throughout the semester. In past years, films of the event have landed on the Internet and have been circulated by other methods, heightening controversy surrounding the already disputed event, Dupuy said. Noritz and his crew wanted to "let people know this didn't have those other motives that people were worried about it." Despite this effort, and despite numerous other cameras filming the event, some runners were upset at the sight of Noritz's eight cameras and crew. "The night of the run there were a lot of people who were very angry at me and my crew," Noritz said. "One of my crew [member's] cameras was smashed by an angry person." "A lot of people really do get angry when they see people flashing photography at them, for very legitimate reasons," Dupuy said. But the documentary maintains anonymity whenever possible, he said. The camera shots are framed, for the most part, so that the audience cannot see a runner's face and body at the same time, and the chaotic nature of the run makes it hard to recognize runners, Noritz said. Even so, Dupuy said, it would be a natural, "knee jerk response" for a person to view the documentary as pornography or simply as a joke without having seen it. Noritz wanted to explore the idea of tradition in general, using the Quad Run as a point of investigation. "...Because this was a tradition with nudity and people are sensitive to that, it clouded the issue a bit," Noritz said. "But in a way that made it stronger also." The documentary does contain an element of lightness. "It's just a really humorous event and it deserves a little airtime," Noritz said. The documentary explores the issue of Quad Run training, Dupuy said with a hint of jest. "All the runners had to mentally prepare and some physically prepare for the run," he said. "Some people only need a bit of alcohol to prepare for it; others need some pep talk or some jogging practice." While the film allows for "a bit of self mockery," Dupuy said, "I don't think its intention is to just make fun of the Quad Run, but to sort of draw attention to it as an unusual sort of rite of passage for Tufts students." Dupuy added that the tone of the documentary is "a little more respectful than you might expect." While the documentary was primarily aimed at the Tufts community, it was also meant to "entertain the public at large," Dupuy said. The Coolidge Corner Movie Theater is located at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline, MA

---

News

Twins, Angels wish upon a star, dreams come true

September 16

Take that Bud Selig. The Minnesota Twins delivered the beleaguered MLB commissioner a virtual punch in the face on Sunday when the team that just barely avoided contraction last offseason completed its improbable run to a division title. The Twins clinched their first postseason berth since 1991 after their 5-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians coupled with the New York Yankees 8-4 drubbing of the Chicago White Sox. While the Minnesota Twins might be the little team that could, on Saturday Derek Lowe completed his emergence as the little pitcher that could when he won his 20th game of the season _ though at 6'6", Lowe really is not all that little. After a dreadful 2001 season in which Lowe could not warm up in the Boston Red Sox bullpen without being booed, the right hander lost his closer role and was inserted in the starting rotation. Ignoring a Red Sox nation full of doubters, Lowe fired a no hitter, started an all-star game, won 20 games and molded himself into a legitimate Cy Young candidate with his 20-7 record. Continuing a trend of heartwarming September stories, something that seemed virtually impossible just over two weeks ago when it appeared the players would go on strike, is the daily screening of Disney's Angels in the Outfield. After Sunday's 13-4 win over the Texas Rangers, the Anaheim Angels were winners for the 16th time in the past 17 games. Even more remarkable for Anaheim, a franchise which has never won a playoff series, is the fact that the win gave it sole possession of first place in September for the first time in four years. The victory also happened to be the team's 94th of the season to set a new club record. With a magic number of six to clinch a playoff spot, it appears that Darin Erstad, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and friends are finally experiencing a little of that long elusive Disney magic. However, despite the success of the Angels, the Twins and the Oakland A's _ three of the four teams most likely to make the AL playoffs _ everyone knows that the road to the World Series runs through New York. For that reason, teams from outside New York must have salivated upon hearing that there is some discord in the Yankees' clubhouse. Usually a model of professionalism, the Yankees suffered the first locker room scuffle of Joe Torre's tenure on Saturday when Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez allegedly punched battery mate Jorge Posada in the face. Could this event signal the demise of a franchise which has competed in five World Series since 1996, and won four of them? Get a grip, Hernandez is a number five starter at best and besides Torre is a master of personal relationships. If he says the spat is over and done with (and he does), then it's not even an issue. Anaheim, Minnesota, and Oakland beware. With the AL playoff participants (Minnesota, New York, Oakland, Anaheim) all but determined, the big races are now for the individual awards. The MVP is a two-man race between a pair of slugging middle infielders, confuse A's shortstop Miguel Tejada and Yankees' second baseman Alfonso Soriano, who break two stereotypical baseball molds. First, middle infielders are not supposed to hit homeruns and second, in today's game many of those who do hit home runs are steroid induced sluggers ?  la Jose Canseco. Rest assured that no one would confuse Tejada or Yankees' Soriano with a Mr. Universe contestant. Soriano is bidding to become the fourth 40-40 man in MLB history and is the Yanks' most exciting player since Rickey Henderson (who can be seen finishing his career on the Red Sox bench over the next few weeks). Tejada replaced Jason Giambi as the A's number three hitter and seem likely to supplement him as the A's perennial MVP candidate. The shortstop is third in the AL in RBIs (120) and tied for eighth in homeruns with 34, while batting .309. As far as the Cy Young race goes, two Red Sox and an Oakland A are up for the award. Although the Sox will miss out on the playoffs as usual, they stand a 66 percent chance of having one of their own win the Cy Young award. Pedro Martinez, Lowe and Oakland's Zito are the three candidates. So who is going to win? Well all you need to know is Red Sox' history _ 1918, Bill Buckner, 1975 World Series, etc. _ to figure it out. Answer: Zito

---

News

Willingham and Paterno fight for respect

September 16

This past weekend in college football pitted some questioned programs such as Notre Dame and Penn State against more successful teams. In the games, each continued their return to the upper echelon of Division I football and the rankings they deserve. While rankings are often disputed, they are the difference between an Orange Bowl appearance and a lesser Music City Bowl showing. An opening 2-0 record was only good enough to earn Notre Dame the 20th spot in the land. This past weekend was the test coach Tyrone Willingham and his staff had been waiting for _ the chance to crack the top 15 and finally earn respect. The only problem was the Irish had to go through the seventh ranked Michigan Wolverines, who were fresh off a last-second victory over Pac-10 favorite Washington Huskies. As if Willingham's 9-3 record at Stanford was not good enough to earn him respect as a head coach, critics are forcing him to prove himself once again for the blue and gold of Notre Dame. Even with a kickoff classic victory against then-ranked Maryland, and a 24-17 win against in-state rival Purdue, skeptics couldn't bring themselves to rank the Irish in the top 15. With much hype in South Bend, the game did not disappoint fans, and the back and forth battle that ensued ended with the Irish edging the Wolverines 25-23. In the defensive showdown, Michigan quarterback John Navarre was held to 230 yards and the game's leading rusher Ryan Grant (Notre Dame) barely cracked the century mark for 132 yards. With lead changes a norm and Michigan with the ball at midfield with two minutes left in the game, it seemed almost certain that the Irish were destined to a fate similar to the Huskies a week earlier. However, with a twist of luck only seemingly reserved for the Irish, Navarre misfired on a couple of open receivers, throwing away essential scoring opportunities. Fate eventually caught up with the Wolverines and a pass was deflected into the arms of Irish cornerback Shane Walton to seal the victory. While this victory has not sent Notre Dame into National Championship talks, it does prove they can play with the big boys. Off to its first 3-0 start since '96, the Irish are now ranked 12th in the nation, while Michigan's first loss drops them to 14th in the country. Though he started the season off-pace, coach Joe Paterno is now back on track to stay competitive with Florida State head coach, Bobby Bowden, as the all-time winningest coach in Division I college football history. After missing a bowl game last season (5-6) and the season before that (5-7), Paterno's Nittany Lions seem to be on the rebound this season. Penn State stumbled out of the gates early, defeating Central Florida 27-24. With that narrow victory, many believed they had little to no shot against national powerhouse Nebraska. With the Huskers following its tradition of athletic quarterbacks in Jamal Lord, and power running backs in Derrick Diedrick, the Nittany Lions seemed set for a thrashing. What was predicted to be either a Husker blowout, or a competitive game with Nebraska emerging on top, turned into a Penn State rout. Behind 259 yards passing by QB Zack Mills and 123 yards rushing by senior running back Larry Johnson, the Nittany Lions steamrolled Nebraska 40-7. Penn State upped its ranking to 15, while Nebraska sputtered to 19. In other major games, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are proving that they are a legitimate threat after a 32-13 mashing of Wake Forest and have bettered their ranking to 16. On Thursday night, the Virginia Tech Hokies spoiled Marshall QB, Byron Leftwich's coming out party. At 6-6, 250 pounds, Leftwich is a physical specimen of a pocket-passer. Although he passed for 406 yards, many dropped passes and squandered opportunities left the Thundering Herd trounced, 47-21. The combination of Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones in the Virginia Tech backfield was far too much for the Marshall D, as they were bounced out of the top 25

---

News

No One Lives Forever: Obvious statement and bad game

September 16

No One Lives Forever (from here out, simply No One Lives Forever) originally appeared on the PC in the fall of 2000. Gamespot.com and IGN.com, two videogame websites, gave the PC version of No One Lives Forever an overall score of 9.3 and 9.1 out of ten, respectively. The same sites gave the PS2 version of No One Lives Forever an overall score of 4.6 and 6.9 out of 10. What the hell happened? Did it simply age badly, or did something go horribly wrong on its journey to the PS2? Since I never had the chance to play the PC version, I can't comment on how it stacked up but I can certainly comment on the horrendous port of a game that appears on the PS2. And Gamespot and IGN were pretty much right on; the game just isn't fun, period. Gameplay: No One Lives Forever is no more than a very, very mediocre first-person shooter. There are power-ups, lots of bad guys to shoot who all look the same, linear gameplay in a deceiving 3D setting, a stash of the standard weapons, silly gadgets, etc. You know the drill. But it's nothing special. And honestly, in the gameplay department I have a hard time putting my finger on what exactly distinguishes the mediocre first-person shooters from the good first-person shooters. I mean, they're all essentially built on the same gameplay framework _ yet some are really special while others sink to the bottom under their own weight. To the best that I can determine, subtleties in design make all the difference. Red Faction, for instance, was an incredible first-person shooter that debuted on the PS2 in summer 2001. It was blessed with enough personality and character for three games with a backdrop set deep underground in a Martian mineshaft. No One Lives Forever is a quasi-James Bond parody set in random Middle Eastern cities that feels like a mediocre attempt at poking fun _ loosely _ at the James Bond series. Which sounds more appealing to you? What it comes down to is that the game just isn't any fun to play. It feels uninspired and lacks that something special. It bleeds mediocrity. Grade: D Graphics: The PS2 has been on store shelves in the US for nearly two years now; we're well into its second generation of games, sitting smack in the prime of the PS2's videogaming life. Games should finally be taking full advantage of the power the system has to offer, cranking out beautiful graphics (like those in Metal Gear Solid 2, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Madden 2003, etc.). Yet No One Lives Forever simply looks awful. Granted, on the PSone it would look above average but here _ uh _ it ain't gonna cut it. Packed with murky, low-resolution textures, poorly animated cut-scenes, and clunky enemies, No One Lives Forever certainly won't win any awards for aesthetics. I must make one concession, however, regarding the menu screen for the game. It's easy to navigate, quirky, straight out of the '60s (it reminds me strongly of the Austin Powers movies) and sharp. But it's all down hill from there. Grade: C- Sound: The game has one shining (and believe me, amidst the rest of this crap that's called a game, it's brilliant) feature: the music and voiceovers. Much like most truly poor games I find, it seems that developers always manage to squeeze a little something out of the sound department. Perhaps that's simply a testament to the ease of developing cool soundtracks for video games _ beats me. But it just works that way. But hey, by all means, if you're simply an audiophile and enjoy playing games with solid soundtracks and voiceovers without regard to downright awful graphics, lame gameplay, and simply terrible execution than perhaps you'd still be interested in picking up No One Lives Forever. But seriously, is anything that I write about the sound quality going to make anyone buy this piece of mediocre plastic? Next category. Grade: B+ Replay Value: The game was such little fun to play that I was only able to stand the few hours and handful of levels necessary to write this review. Picking the controller up once will be enough to make you want to break your controller in half and never play your PS2 again. So needless to say, the replay value is non-existent. There's not even a multiplayer feature. A Bond rip-off without multiplayer? Bah! Do yourself a favor and wait until Timesplitters 2 or Red Faction 2 hit store shelves this fall if you're looking for a good first-person shooter for your PS2. Grade: D I'm giving No One Lives Forever a slightly better score than last year's Herdy Gerdy (by far the worst game that I've had the misfortune of reviewing for the PS2) simply because, well, it actually functions; you can play it from beginning to end. But playing the game just long enough to write a fair review felt like a chore. If that's a statement that makes you want to buy a game, then go for it. Otherwise, steer clear of this one. Overall:

---

News

Ten songs for Latin dancing

September 15

These are some mainstream songs that work so well for Latin dancing! 1. Anastacia "I'm Outta Love" _ This team's new favorite cha cha song, and it's great for getting you in the mood to dance. 2. Lou Bega "Mambo No. 5" _ I know it's cheesy, but you can dance the jive to it, not mambo. Just wanted to make that clear! 3. Pink "Missundaztood" _ When I first heard it, I couldn't believe that she used a cha cha rhythm for her song! It's a good song for beginners, because the beat is so clear. 4. Jennifer Lopez "Ain't It Funny" _ Perfect for dancing the samba! (The original version, not the remix) 5. Shakira "Moscas En La Casa" _ One of my personal favorites for rumba, Shakira's Spanish lyrics are very beautiful. 6. Boyzone "No Matter What" _ This song appeared on the "Notting Hill" soundtrack, and is a sweet, romantic song for dancing rumba (commonly known as the dance of love). 7. Shakira "Whenever, Wherever" _ I know I used one of her songs already, but she writes great songs for dancing! This one is another samba. 8. Anastacia "One Day In Your Life" _ Another great cha cha song from Anastacia. 9. Caf?© Paradiso "Only You" _ This isn't really a mainstream song, it's from a ballroom album. However, I put it on the list because it's my favorite jive. 10. Santana "Smooth" _ I figured I'd finish with this song for two reasons: it's great for cha cha and it makes you want to keep on dancing!

---