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Women's soccer falls in opener

September 12

The women's soccer team stumbled out of the gate on Tuesday when it dropped its season opener to Gordon. Despite controlling the play most of the game, the Jumbos could not put one into the net against a tough defense, while the Fighting Scots capitalized on their few chances to come away with the 2-0 win. "Of a 90 minute game, I think we probably had possession of the ball for 85 minutes," coach Martha Whiting said. "I don't want to make excuses, because I feel that we were a better team. But even though the better team doesn't always win, we really should have been able to put the ball into the back of the net, and we didn't." Gordon managed just three shots on goal, but put two of those into the Tufts net. The Jumbos, on the other hand, relentlessly pounded the ball into the Fighting Scot defense, but with no result, repeatedly hitting the post or missing just wide. Senior Kelly Stinson opened up the scoring for Gordon in the 19th minute when she netted her third goal of the year off an assist by junior Lindsey Benson to give the Scots the lead. Benson, who had five goals in a game earlier this season, provided some insurance for the Scots in the 73rd minute when she added an unassisted goal to give her a team-high 22 points in four games. But despite being down, the Jumbos kept up their strong attack, dominating the control of play, pressuring the Gordon defense, and generating one scoring opportunity after another. "We were down 1-0 at halftime, and came out and just fired away for a good 20-25 minutes," Whiting said. "We hit two posts, had a couple go by by inches, hit the keeper a bunch of times. We pressured and pressured and pressured, but didn't score." The Scots played conservatively to protect their lead, doing a good job tightening up their defense and doubling up on Tufts' attackers to keep the ball out of the net. "For quite a bit of this game, they packed it in defensively," Whiting said. "They put two players on whichever forward we had that was getting through. Defensively, they were really playing it cautious. The fact that they have a pretty talented goalkeeper helped tremendously. She's a big kid, and she has pretty good hands, so you really have to work to get the ball by her." Tufts finished the game with ten corner kicks, compared to just two for Gordon, but the Jumbos could not put one in. Whiting was frustrated by her team's play near the goal, both on offense and defense. "We have to make sure that, from 18 to endline, we're better than we were the other day," Whiting said. "We were great from 18 to 18, but from the 18 down to the endline, on both ends, we were not where we need to be." Gordon keeper Anna Stempien made eight saves en route to her third shutout of the year. The Scots improved to 4-0 on the season with the win, posting their 16th consecutive home victory in the process. The loss broke Tufts' winning streak over Gordon, which included three shutouts in the last four years. "They're very scrappy, and they play with a lot of heart," Whiting said. "They have definitely improved over the last three years." While the game ended with the Jumbos notching one on the wrong side of the win-loss column, Whiting feels that her team can build off the Tuesday's strong play. "I know it will come," Whiting said. "It wasn't as though we played horribly and looked terrible. That wasn't the case at all. I saw some great things happen out there. We possessed the ball very well. But we were snakebit _ we just couldn't put it in the net." Tuesday also gave Whiting a chance to see almost all of her team in action. In all, 22 players got in minutes for the Jumbos, including seven newcomers. Both Meg McCourt and Jess Gluck saw time in net, with McCourt starting and Gluck relieving her in the second half. "We're still trying to figure out combinations of players that are going to work well together," Whiting said. "At this point, playing time is up for grabs, starting lineup is up for grabs, and players understand that they really need to work hard in practice and compete and show who really deserves to play." The Jumbos will try to climb back to .500 this weekend when they travel to face Amherst. The Jeffs enter their season ranked number two in the country after losing 1-0 to Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAA Championship game last year, and are 1-0 after a win over Conn College. Tufts lost twice to Amherst last season, including a 3-1 defeat in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. "I feel good about Saturday," Whiting said. "I feel like it's in us. I like the fact that they also will only have just started their season, and will be in a similar situation as us. If we play well, and if we can finish, Amherst will be a great game."

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News

From shock to sadness

September 12

The campus community responded with shock to the Sept. 11 attacks last year, glued to television screens for hours of live news coverage. One year afterwards, the campus was blanketed in a different atmosphere, one of uncertainty about the meaning of that unforgettable day. After days of high temperatures, Sept. 11, 2002 brought strong winds and cloudy skies. The cool weather fully captured the troubled mood on campus, as the crowd at the 5 p.m. Academic Quad memorial service stood silent for a moment. For some, the day was marked by a somber mood as well as by the seemingly appropriate weather. "I was a basket case this morning," Protestant Chaplain Steven Bonsey said. But, he said, the campus knows that it needs to keep going. "We're all trying to put our lives together for the new year." Others on campus did not pay attention to the date, only pausing at moments to reflect, then carrying on as usual. "I was a little disjointed today," freshman Klementyna Weyman said. "Then I went to class, just like any other... day." But when the afternoon came around, she was on the academic quad for the memorial service. "I felt that this is something that I should go to," she said. Penelope Chester, a sophomore, felt that things went on as usual for the most part, saying that the bookstore and dining halls were still full of students. "It's the same as every other day," she said, but she thought perhaps students acted differently when they were alone and away from friends. Other students noticed the normality of campus life. Freshman Katherine Miller said she was aware that people were thinking of Sept. 11 but did not know how conspicuous it was. "Overall, I didn't notice any atmosphere," she said. The moods of faculty members also varied. Carol Baffi-Dugan, the program director for health professions advising said that the day had its moments. The anniversary "didn't overwhelm the day, but it was definitely in the backdrop," she said. "In some ways today was no different... but then I found myself stopping and remembering what day it was." Baffi-Dugan also said she felt the day was a good time for reflection. "I don't think I ever had an anger as much as a sadness" for what would make people take such action as those on Sept. 11, she said. Anger can be a way of coping with intense sadness, said Bosney, the Protestant chaplain. "I wouldn't say that [anger] is the primary feeling," he said. "My sense is that there is a lot of anxiety under the surface." Bonsey felt that the recent actions by US leaders are not helping the situation. "The leaders of our government are trying to whip something up" when people just want to find peace, he said.. Nisha Mehling, a sophomore, said that the nation's sentimentality about Sept. 11 was being abused.. "Hate does not stop hate," she said. Mehling felt that US President George W. Bush was taking advantage of the day to achieve his own goals. "It's ridiculous that Bush was talking to the United Nations yesterday" to convince them to support the US position against Iraq, he said. Media and commercial use of Sept. 11 was also a sore point for many students. Junior Angelica Lundquist said she saw department stores using the anniversary for advertising. Citing the flood of television specials and advertising for Sept. 11, she said that all the coverage was disturbing. "The media is glorifying it," Lundquist said. But Chester, the sophomore who said she did not notice anything different about the public mood on campus Wednesday, added that she was not concerned about the various issues and arguments on Sept. 11. "I tried not to think about that stuff, and just remember," she said. In the end, most just wanted to meditate on what the day meant for them and for the country. "This anniversary largely marks the loss," Miller said. "I was beyond the point of anger... there was just sadness."

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News

A weekend at the Huntington

September 12

If you don't feel like going to see XXX or Austin Powers III again this weekend, there's a great new play premiering at the Huntington Theatre Company. Ivan Turgenev's A Month in the Country adapted by the Irish playwright Brian Friel and directed by the theatre's artistic director Nicholas Martin opens to the public Friday with student ticket discounts and $12 seats. Turgenev's play looks at a group of people living out in the comfort of the countryside manor of Arkady Islayev (Tom Bloom), his wife, Natalya (Jennifer Van Dyck) and their supporting cast including family friends, servants, a young tutor and a crazy doctor among others. The plot depicts the lifestyle of the rich and the bored, who create their own dramas to escape the ennui of their daily lives usually at the expense of others (similar to The Great Gatsby). Natalya has many people around her estate who love her and who are at her command because of her dynamic personality and keen intellect. Van Dyck does an excellent job of portraying these aspects as well as exploring several levels of the character including her capacity for evil and her true desires. Family friend and Natalya's long-time admirer Michel Ratikin (James Joseph O'Neil) shares the same intellectual sophistication as the woman he loves, but she prefers to keep him around as her "lapdog." As Ratikin, O'Neil gives a convincing performance as a character who settles for the company of the woman he loves even if he can never truly have her. Turgenev wrote the play about his experience living on a country estate with the woman he adored, Pauline Viardot, and her husband, Louis. A 19th century Russian writer and playwright, Turgenev followed Gogol, wrote with Tolstoy, and preceded Chekhov in the chain of Russian writers. The individual performances of O'Neil and Van Dyck stand out on their own, but their chemistry on stage may be the most memorable aspect of the production. It is their confrontations that remind one why the theater is so exciting and so alive. It is comparable to being in a room when two people who you can tell have known each other a long time are having an argument and everything comes out except that it's not so awkward for you to be witnessing this scene. I emphasize Michel and Natalya because with their mutual capacity for wit, love and hurt, they are the most well-defined characters on the stage. In the end, despite the presence of several other sub-stories, it is the lost love of Michel and Natalya that provides the real tragedy for Turgenev's drama and for his life _ with Natalya being a symbol for his love, Pauline Viardot. Everything else in the play seems to be either part of the destruction of that relationship or simply irrelevant. The introduction of a young tutor who has come to the estate to teach the Islayeva's son and then steals the heart of both Natalya and her ward Vera (Jessica Dickey) certainly gets in the way of Michel's relationship with his love. The tutor, Aleksey, is played by Ben Fox, who has a good understanding of the role and the situation that his character is put in: obviously, not a comfortable one. The only other character really worth mentioning is the crazy doctor Shpigelsky (Jeremiah Kissel) who provides the majority of comic relief for the play and some of his own commentary on the nature of these Russian elites' lifestyle. Kissel does an excellent job in commanding the stage as the doctor who allows the audience to look at the characters from another point of view. Other characters include Katya, the servant girl, well-played by Stacy Fisher but not a terribly well-written part. The same can be said for several of the other actors in the production, who added their own comedy or plot points. The two notable exceptions are Alice Duffy, who played Arkady Islayeva's widowed mother, and Tom Bloom who played Islayeva. Ms. Duffy walked a fine line between subtlety and non-acting in her role and Mr. Bloom played a very feeble master of the house, which made his character somewhat funny but in the end, completely powerless. One wishes the director would have encouraged the actor to explore other levels of this character. As always at the Huntington, high commendations should go to the design staff. Alexander Dodge created a beautiful indoor/outdoor set that even included a rotating center and actual leaves on the stage. Michael Krass designed beautiful costumes that fit the time period wonderfully. The lighting design of Jeff Croiter magically transformed the indoor stage to the feel of being outdoors in the summertime. All in all, the Huntington stages a very commendable production of Turgenev's tale of the Russian elite's experiences with love, choices and the circumstances that affect them both. Tickets are available by calling 617 266-0800. @s:Another wonderful Huntington pla

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News

The best movies you've never heard of

September 12

This is the first in a series of Friday mini movie reviews, called "The best movies you've never heard of." It enables movie fans all over Tufts to briefly bring their favorite obscure film into the spotlight and explain why it deserves a rental or two. >The End of Violence 1996 Director: Wim Wenders. Starring: Bill Pullman, Gabriel Byrne and Andie MacDowell. Rated R. The End of Violence is a strange, intricate film that you might consider incomplete. It has all the ingredients for a potboiler thriller: conspiracy, murder, cover-up, paranoia and confusion. It even has a camera system that covers every inch of LA, ala' Enemy of the State. And yet it couldn't be more be less of a popcorn movie if it tried. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to the viewer. Popcorn movies have their time and place _ I maintain Armageddon was and still is a superior piece of summer entertainment _ but there is also a time and place for movies that require lots of thought and study. And I'm not talking about dramas that bring up a big 'issue' and then beat it to death for the next hour and a half (like 8mm- where we learn that all of the dark things in the human psyche are because of Nicholas Cage.) The plot in its broadest outlines: film producer Max (Bill Pullman) is given an FBI file that details a camera system, which is maintained by Ray (Gabriel Byrne). At the same time, Max receives the file, his wife (Andie Mcdowell) tells him, via cell phone that she's leaving him. As Max tries to figure everything out, two goons suddenly kidnap him, with Ray watching from his perch; all seeing but powerless. As the hired goons argue over what to do with Max, they are suddenly murdered. After that, the story fractures in a thousand different directions, all of them a small piece of the puzzle. Some pieces are fairly obvious, and some appear to be downright pointless. This movie will probably confuse and frustrate many people, especially during the first viewing. That was my reaction, at least, as you keep thinking, why these choices? Why so many plot threads? Why doesn't the conspiracy mean more? Why were the plans sent to Max, exactly? Why doesn't it add up? But after watching it a second and even third time, ideas start to stick in your head. Big ideals and big events are not the goal here. The relationship between a father and son is more important than a conspiracy. A character freeing himself from his own trappings is more important than who is behind the cameras. The hill of beans means more than the crazy world. And the details! So many bizarre little things that are only there for the patient viewer to find. The way Max makes his secretary wait on tele-conference just so he can watch her. The man hiding on the street, just in case a camera is watching him (and it is). The oblique way Ray's father tells him he loves him. The scene with the doomed thugs debating whether to kill Max is a small masterpiece in itself. The camerawork and music fill in most of the storytelling gaps, and Ry Cooder does an excellent scoring job, and the use of light and color evokes Los Angeles in all its' complex angles The film is far from perfect. Director Wim Wenders is trying to do a little too much, and there's about three characters too many to keep up with. On top of that, his message of nonviolence doesn't exactly mesh with the story. A single gunshot is more devastating than all his commentary on society, and the final standoff on the pier carries more emotional weight than the problem of violence in Hollywood. Then again, most of the time when Hollywood tries to think, they call Nicholas Cage. This movie isn't for everyone. If it sounds boring to you, it probably will be. If it sounds intriguing and a little off the beaten path (in a good way), I highly advise you to check it out. If you've got a favorite movie that no one has ever heard of, let us know at arts@tuftsdaily.com. Animated, silly, bizarre, obscure, artsy, whatever: this is your chance to make everyone hear about your favorite French film. @s:Twisting plot lines make great story second time throug

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News

Look both ways

September 12

After years of planning and construction work, Medford has finally installed traffic signals at the intersection of Boston and College Avenues. Unfortunately, due to "conflicting traffic patterns," the lights simply flash yellow on Boston Ave. and red on College Ave. This is supposed to be only temporary, but in the meantime, the lights are about as asinine as the stop signs they replaced. The practice of maintaining flashers that pose as traffic lights isn't just limited to the Tufts area. Medford has them scattered all over, including at two particularly bad intersections on Mystic Ave. going to and coming from Route 93. Somerville also runs flashers inside the Powderhouse Square rotary. If anything, the lights at Boston and College Avenues have made drivers more likely to just blow right through the whole thing. Back when it was a (mostly) uncontrolled intersection, many drivers would proceed through cautiously from all directions, never quite sure about the correct "right of way." But Medford's yellow flashers on Boston Ave. have empowered vehicles on that street to proceed without concern. And what sane person could figure out the lane system, where simply getting through to the other side requires being in a "wrong" lane? Which side has the right of way was also changed several time over the summer, leaving drivers more confused about who has the right of way. The city claims that all three traffic colors will appear on the lights sometime this semester. The delay in turning these on is just another example of the political bureaucracy and lack of concern for safety that have plagued attempts to fix the intersection for years. Additionally, turning on the three colors could create even more headaches. Long since used to walking across the intersection without much regard to traffic, students will actually have to stop and wait at red lights, and those crossing against lights will be in much more danger. Despite these drawbacks, the lights do represent a step in the right direction. There have been many incidents in past years of students being hit by cars in intersections. Though the adjustment period for both pedestrians and drivers may take some time, the new lights (complete with normal colors) should help keep everyone safe

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News

New Senators and J-member elected

September 12

With only hours remaining before the online polls close in the annual fall TCU Senate and TCU Judiciary (TCUJ) elections, all the candidates can do now is wait for ELBO to tabulate the votes and announce the winners sometime after 12 p.m. Eight freshmen seats, one sophomore seat and one senior seat were open on the Senate, while there was one TCUJ seat up for grabs Ted Schwartzberg was uncontested for the one senior seat. At a forum on Tuesday night in Hotung, the candidates made statements and faced pre-selected questions from senate leadership. The admissions office may tout the diversity of the freshman class, but the freshman candidates appeared remarkably homogeneous in their experience and personality types. Each one had leadership experience from high school, a similar level of enthusiasm about being at Tufts and comparable lists of ways they would improve the School. Some candidates identified specific changes they had in mind. Freshman Alex Mendell said he wanted to see turf on the quad, paper towels in the bathrooms, and books on the Internet. Other candidates focused on how their personalities made them good candidates. Freshman Jolanda Porter talked about her "responsibility and reliability" and said she was "ready to work." Most of the freshman candidates, however, centered their comments on their desire to serve the school and their class. Rafi Goldberg wanted to "help facilitate the legacy" that the freshman class will leave on Tufts by attending to the needs of his constituents. Dave Baumwoll and John Valentine gave the most creative presentations. Baumwoll gave impromptu remarks and humorously explained his desire to be "not only the ear, but the voice" of students. Valentine stunned the crowd when he sang his opening words, "if you've got a problem, you've got to rise above it," citing the film Cool Runnings. Brandon Balkind and Matt Pohl were the two candidates for the open sophomore seat, and both had similar reasons for running for the Senate. "I want to make the people know what's happening," Balkind said. Pohl said he wants to "change the fact that people feel that politics here is a joke." This year, freshman senators were elected a little over two weeks after orientation began, giving them little time to get acquainted with issues affecting the University, to develop platforms or to rally support. Instead, some candidates relied on catchy humor to attract votes. On Tuesday, Chloe Snider said she is approachable because "Chloe rhymes with David Bowie." Joe Weiner said he was the perfect representative because he is a "Jumbo Weiner." Junior Sebastiaan Kwakkenbos wanted to bring a "fresh sense of un-biased advantage" to the TCUJ. He ran against Michael Douglas.

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News

Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme - the great doughnut debate

September 12

3 am. The soft clicking of a laptop computer is the only noise audible in the otherwise silent hallway. A poor soul delves into the deepest recesses of his mind to find the energy to finish a paper that is due the next morning. More than anything else, the student wishes he were done and longs for his bed. Yet he knows that this paper is worth half of his grade. It is time for a lifesaver - time for a Dunkin's run. But is the food and drink sold at Dunkin' Donuts as good as it is cracked up to be? "Our doughnuts are much different than Dunkin' Donuts'," said a customer service representative for Krispy Kreme USA and Canada, which could soon open a store in Medford. "We sell doughnuts that are light and fluffy. The recipe, which is based from yeast rising, makes the difference between a good and great doughnut." Currently there are no Krispy Kreme shops in New England, but according to the company, a franchise owner has recently bought the rights to open multiple stores in Massachusetts. The names of the owners and the locations of the new franchises have not been released, but rumors suggest that one of the new stores will be in Medford. Dunkin' Donuts, a staple of New England life since its founding in 1950, has assisted many students in their late-night endeavors. Whether it is a late-night must-have coffee break or a snack for Tufts students painting the canon into the wee hours of the morning, nothing stirs the essence of an individual quite like the smell of fresh-brewed java and the velvety texture of a Boston Kreme. But freshman Ashley Rios said she prefers Krispy Kremes over Dunkin's donuts because "they are fluffier and they seem to have more sugar in them." But she said that at Dunkin' Donuts, "you get more fore your money." "I love glazed Krispy Kremes and mocha frappes at Krispy Kreme," senior Kasara Williams said. "It would be good to have a Krispy Kreme around." Although Williams and other Tufts students are pleased that a Krispy Kreme could soon open in Medford, others remain loyal to the currently available doughnut option. "I have never had a Krispy Kreme doughnut," senior Alethea Barbarom said. "I like Dunkin' Donuts when they are not stale, but anything that inspires such a following kind of scares me!" "Dunkin Donuts is better than Krispy Kreme," said Subashini Chandrasekaran, a senior. "My favorite donut is chocolate glazed and I love the original iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts." Many students find that as exams and paper deadlines approach, caffeine and late night snacks become a necessity. "Stores and coffee shops that are open twenty-four hours a day are crucial to my existence," sophomore Paula Lobo said. "I think that 24-hour coffee shops are important for college students, especially during finals because they are a great place to go study or get that extra hit of caffeine," said senior Aditi Gupta. As the University's coffee shop, Brown and Brew is the destination of many a weary scholar. However, Brown and Brew closes at 1 a.m., and many students who need a caffeine boost later into the night are forced to find a way to the 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts at Porter Square or just past Ball Square. Some believe that the Dunkin' Donuts on Boston Ave. should remain open around the clock. Other students just do not see the need for a 24-hour caffeine vender. "I like Dunkin Donuts the best, and I love Boston Kremes, but I'm not a big coffee drinker," senior Danny Pierre said. "Twenty-four hour shops are a good thing I guess, but I don't really think they are necessary." Laura Brown, senior: "Twenty-four hour shops just don't seem to be that important to me," senior Laura Brown said. Dunkin' Donuts, headquartered in Randolph, MA, is the largest coffee, bagel and donut shop in the world, with 5,000 locations in the United States and 40 other countries. The operation began in 1946, when William Rosenberg founded a company, Industrial Luncheon Services, which delivered meals and break snacks to factory workers in the outskirts of Boston. The fantastic success of his business directed Rosenberg to open his first coffee and donut shop, called the "Open Kettle" in Quincy, MA. It was not until 1950 that Rosenberg changed the shop name to Dunkin' Donuts, the chain that has become synonymous with New England. It is only recently that Krispy Kreme, a southern-based doughnut company, has begun expanding into Dunkin' Donut-dominated New England. But the Krispy Kreme corporation faces a formidable obstacle. According to the company's website, "on a typical day, Dunkin' Donuts serves as many cups of coffee as the Wall Street Journal sells newspapers."

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News

Loss and New Life

September 10

On Sept. 11, the walls came down. The walls of our presumed security as a nation and of our historic immunity from invasive attack crumbled on our television screens, over and over and over again. We had imagined our land as safe and our way of life as sacrosanct, untouched by the turmoil of political and cultural conflicts abroad _ even those in which our people, rightly or wrongly, were vilified as the enemy, the global Satan. Human beings need walls. Human life is fragile and it craves shelter from the hostile elements _ from the wind and cold and rain, and from the evil and brokenness of human hearts. Yet even in the day that we were suddenly made vulnerable _ as we all found ourselves treading the earth more warily, more tenderly _ we found a strength among us that the walls had concealed and blocked: the strength of connection. We discovered ourselves to be more than atomized consumers in an individualist society. We discovered ourselves to be members of families as we desperately tried to get in touch. We discovered ourselves to be neighbors as we asked each other gently, are you all right? We discovered ourselves to be citizens of communities, vitally dependent on the labors of many we had taken for granted _ fire fighters, police officers, health care workers, airline pilots, postal workers. We even discovered ourselves to be patriots. And we discovered something more: we discovered that countless people all over the world _ people whose own histories had been touched by terror _ came to assist us with their prayers, their sympathy, and their political will to unite against a common threat. In the crisis of Sept. 11 a barrier was torn aside to reveal the terrible face of a present danger, one which we have mobilized to resist. The threat of terrorism will continually demand our strength, vigilance and resolve as we stand against anyone, anywhere who would sacrifice the lives of innocent people for the sake of political gain _ however cloaked by false piety or justified by past oppressions. Yet, in our increasingly militarized response to that crisis, we risk the loss of the very precious opportunity it afforded us. For a moment on that day a curtain was drawn aside and we glimpsed something beautiful: the possibility of lives lived more seriously, more consciously, more valuably. In that day we felt within ourselves the capacity for sacrifice, the miraculous potency that comes of the desire to live life for others. We were ready to lend our hands _ and to join them with others _ to relieve the suffering of victims. We were ready to give of ourselves _ and we gave in unprecedented amounts. We were ready to rise up in strength; we needed only to be called upon to serve. It may be that this precious opportunity for national transformation has been squandered. It may be that for far too many of us life has returned to the grotesque semblance of an obsolete normalcy. It may be that once again we are cowering behind our walls, wishing only to be left alone _ to continue our oblivious consumption and pursue our questionable happiness. Nowhere is this more evident than in our unwillingness to heed the voices of people all over the world _ our friends, not our enemies _ who urge us to look at ourselves, look at our way of life, our swaggering way of being in the world as a nation, and ask ourselves _ what responsibility do we bear? How have we helped to bring the world to this pass? How have we contributed to the root causes of desperate acts, however unjustifiable? Or perhaps a better question: How can we help to create a world relieved of violence, poverty, oppression and degradation? How can we redeem the day? God is in the redemption business. It is in the nature of God to touch what is twisted, broken, tortured, demented in the world and to heal it, make it whole, make it new. For many Sept. 11 was an experience of God's absence, God's abandonment of the world. But for those of us who know the cross that Jesus died on _ died crying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" _ such moments are revealed as the times of God's closest presence _ a presence too close, perhaps, to be seen. Where was God on Sept. 11? God was with the innocent on the 87th floor. God was with those who rushed up the staircases, hoping to save some. God was with those who, for days and weeks following, passed ash-caked bits of human remains from hand to hand, in buckets. And God was with those everywhere, throughout the world, who prayed and worked for peace. God's power does not fail. Even now God holds the gate open to us. We, as Americans, can step out of our privileged insulation. We can step through our walls and meet our global neighbors in the streets. We then may recognize a simple truth that wisdom has known for ages: true security comes not in building barriers high, but in building bridges wide. And we may find that our hands _ our humble hands _ can be the healing hands of God. Reverend Steven Bonsey is a University Chaplain

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News

Fletcher experiences large jump in applications

September 10

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy experienced a marked increase in applications in the admissions season following Sept. 11. The school received a record 1,800 applications for admission this fall, an estimated 50 percent increase from previous years. For the last five years, the average number of applications has been in the 1,200 range, according to Laurie Hurley, Fletcher's Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. The events of Sept. 11 "certainly had an effect, but it's hard to gauge the exact impact they had on admissions," Hurley said. "There have been many other events this year that have affected grad school applications," she said. Slowing economies, like the one the US has recently experienced, traditionally prompt students to apply to graduate school instead of look for work. Though a number of factors may have contributed to Fletcher's rise in applications, it is clear that Sept. 11 caused an increase in the number of students across the country who are studying international affairs. "Perhaps there were people who were, in the back of their minds, interested in international affairs, and Sept. 11 may have reminded them," Hurley said. Applicants often mentioned Sept. 11 in their admissions essays, she added. Kenkichi Morishima, a first-year student at Fletcher originally from Japan, said Sept. 11 affected his decision to study at Fletcher. After the terrorist attacks, Morishima "saw the patriotic movement, and I was surprised to see the entire US going towards one mainstream opinion." Morishima became interested in studying in America because he saw that there "not much diversity of opinion" in the US. "But then I had American friends in Japan who did not hold that [patriotic] opinion," he said, "and I saw that the mass media did not reflect every side of the issue. The US has a lot of resources, and it is the best place to learn." The students who applied for admission to Fletcher to begin studying this fall were of a similar caliber and ethnic makeup to applicants of previous years. This past year, according to Fletcher's website, 45 percent of applicants were international students representing 47 countries, 47 percent were women, and 17 percent of the United States citizens were students of color. In total, 28 percent of the applicants were offered admission, and 190 students enrolled. The composition of Fletcher's entering class has changed only slightly from the entering class of 2001. The number of non-American students, students of color, and females decreased slightly. The 2002 entering class has representatives from 45 countries. There has not been a surge in the applications of particular groups, just "more of everyone applying," Hurley said. The increase in applications may also be attributed to Fletcher's new policy of offering early notification. Under the early notification program, potential students apply for admission in November and find out if they are admitted by January. Students applying according to the regular timetable do not receive their admissions decision until April. Unlike many undergraduate programs of early application, Fletcher's system is non-binding. Hurley said that the early notification program was especially helpful to international students, as it "gives them more time for planning their finances, the logistics of moving, etc." Thus far, there has been little indication that certain fields are increasing in popularity because of Sept. 11. "It will be interesting to see in two years what people have decided to study," Hurley said. Currently, the most popular fields of study are international business relations, international negotiation and conflict resolution, international security studies, and development economics. Fletcher has not added any courses specifically in response to Sept. 11, according to Nora Moser, the school's Registrar and Manager of Student Academic Programs. "It's more subtle than adding new courses," she said. Fletcher's response to Sept. 11 "is more ingrained within the curriculum." Moser pointed to the example of Robert Pfaltzgraff's course, previously titled "Proliferation and Counterproliferation," which has been changed to "Counterproliferation and Homeland Security." Graduate schools with programs in foreign affairs have not been the only ones to experience surges in the number of applications. The Boston Globe reported that nationally, there was a 17.4 percent rise in applications to law schools last year. "The story is the same in business schools, 84 percent of which had an increase in applications nationwide this year," the Globe said. Additionally, the Peace Corps, Teach for America, and other service organizations have fielded higher number of applications due to the sluggish job market and post-Sept. 11 altruism. "The Peace Corps is benefiting from all of these things," Barbara Daly, a spokeswoman for the organization, told the Globe. "People want to give, and they see this as a way to serve their country."

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News

Soccer squeaks out double overtime win

September 10

Returning to the men's soccer team after missing two years, senior Dave DeLuca's double overtime goal helped the Jumbos take down the Lasell Lasers, 2-1, yesterday afternoon. Barely beating out the Lasers 2-1 for their season opener last fall, the Tufts played 103:50 minutes of soccer on Tuesday before finally putting away Lasell. "It was not much really, the ball came through the box and a couple defenders missed it," DeLuca said. "All I was thinking was putting my foot on the ball and getting it in. I'll be the first to admit, it was lucky. But a goal is a goal." The Jumbos started off strong, continually penetrating deep into Lasell territory. Yet while they looked like the stronger team in the first half, the team was unable to score. Several times the Jumbos found themselves taking shots that were either blocked or that missed the goal. "We created a lot of opportunities but were unable to convert," senior co-captain Matt MacGregor said. Going into halftime scoreless, the Jumbos came out strong in the second half quickly gaining control of the ball and scoring 30 seconds into the frame when junior Alex Berg put one in the net off of an assist from junior Brian Mikel. Up 1-0 it seemed as if the Jumbos would be able to hold on for the victory, but with 16:03 to go Lasell answered Tufts goal with their own. In the 75th minute, Lasers senior tri-captain Bryan Silviera scored his team's first goal. Attempting to regain the lead, Tufts took several close shots in the final minutes of regulation and in the first overtime but once again were unable to convert. The teams continued the stalemate into a second overtime where DeLuca brought the game to a close in it's 103 minute with the game winning goal for the Jumbos. In their second overtime, Tufts once again drove down the field, looking for an opening. After several passes, DeLuca was able drive the ball through the crowd in front of the goal and into the right corner. The goal was especially sweet for DeLuca who rejoins the Jumbos after missing two seasons. A starter in his freshmen and sophomore year, Deluca took off from school in 2000-2001 and then missed the 2001 season after tearing his ACL on the team's preseason tour in England. "It feels good to be back out here and playing with the team," DeLuca said. Despite the close score, Tufts dominating the ball on both offense and defense as it took 31 shots, while holding their opponents to only six. "We need to improve on hitting the targets," coach Ralph Ferrigno said about his team's inability to convert shots into goals. The Jumbos will need to improve offensively this Saturday when they take on Amherst for the opener of their NESCAC schedule. Requiring two overtimes to beat Amherst 1-0 last season, Tufts wants to end the contest in quicker fashion this time around. For now the Jumbos can sit back and enjoy their sixth straight season opening win despite the hardships that came along with it. "We shouldn't have gone into overtime but we still got the win. I don't think any coach isn't going to take that," Ferrigno said.

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News

Remembrance to Resolve

September 10

Sept. 11, now Patriot Day, will always be remembered. Yes, we can recall where we were at the first hearing of the news. We will always have the tragic pictures captured on video, of the planes hitting the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. We have the many stories of heroism; the "Let's Roll!" from the passengers of the plane that crashed into the field, avoiding hitting a building full of people. We recall the very brave men and women who entered a burning building to rescue, only to become victims themselves. For the last year The New York Times has been running brief biographies of all the victims of Sept. 11. Remembering is very important. Today the services of remembering at Tufts University are many. President Bacow has asked there to be a moment of silence at noon. The School of Veterinary Medicine will have a 7:30 a.m. event in Grafton, the School of Medicine and Dental School in Boston will have a combined event at 12:15 p.m. for the entire Boston campus. Here at the Medford campus there will be a 5 p.m. service in front of Ballou Hall on the green. We gather as a University family to remember and pray for those who died. We come together as a University family to reflect on where we are as a country. We come together as a University family to support one another. All family gatherings look to the past in order to find hope for the future. We as a University family do the same. But there should also be a way to make the leap from remembering to resolve. Resolve. We all know the basic meaning of the word: to reach a firm decision. But there is also a definition from the world of choral singing; resolve means to make progress from dissonance to consonance. We as a nation are still trying to move from remembering to resolve. Will this be done by war or by diplomacy? How as a University family can we move from remembering to resolve? Each of us does have the power to move from remembering to resolve. As a University family can we resolve to see the sacredness and dignity of human life? Can we resolve to see the need for tolerance and acceptance of diversity? Can we resolve to see the actions of a few extremists do not represent a whole nation or an entire religion? Can we resolve to work for a better world where disagreements are acknowledged but an individual's personhood is still respected? Can we resolve to recognize that HATE debases, while LOVE embraces? The office of University Chaplain resolves to be a voice for the freedom and dignity of all. Let us, as a University family, resolve to be peace and light, not just on this Hill, but for the world. Please know that I, and all of the associate chaplains are here to serve you

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News

Sept. 11 has mixed effects on admissions process

September 10

While there was no significant decrease in college enrollment after last Sept. 11, many colleges changed their recruitment strategies over the past year to focus more on applicants from their region at the expense of applicants living further away. For some colleges, including ones in Washington, DC and New York, where the attacks occurred last year, the new strategies yielded a rise in applications to record numbers. Georgetown reported a seven percent increase in early action applications last year, and also reported an increase in international applicants. Barnard, the all-female affiliate school of Columbia University, showed a 15 percent increase in applicants. New York University was one of the few top-tier schools whose applicant numbers declined. The school saw a five percent drop in early decision applicants. A December 2001 study conducted by Noel-Levitz, a consulting firm that specializes in higher education enrollment management, found that four-year private institutions were "significantly more likely" to change their enrollment goals than other institutions. The main changes have been in geographical focus: lowering the expectations in national and international enrollment but increasing local and regional numbers. The bottom line seems to be positive, with 59 percent of colleges reporting jumps in applications. Most of the schools with significant number changes were in the Midwest. Top-tier schools showed only negligible differences. Admissions officers have said that students from the East and West coasts are more likely to be willing to travel to college, while Midwesterners are more likely to stay close to home. This may reflect the recent economic downturn rather than the threat of terrorism following last September, and the Noel-Levitz study reported that 37 percent of the colleges surveyed thought more students would have to borrow money in 2002 than in 2001. Tufts freshmen interviewed for this article did not cite Sept. 11 as a factor in their college application decisions. "Most of us already had lists," explained freshman Jasmine Landry, who hails from Philadelphia. "I don't think most people had time to rethink the whole thing." Landry said she applied to schools in New York because she was planning to anyway. Freshman Christian Haslestad, who lives in Norway, said he did not reconsider his plans to study in the US, although his parents did feel more concern after Sept. 11. "It wasn't anything I thought about . . . [but] my parents actually were kind of scared, since Boston wasn't too far from New York where everything happened. They thought maybe it would be easier to just go to Europe," he said. American freshmen, for the most part, did not think their parents had become more concerned after September. "The security skyrocketed, so my parents felt that it was safer than ever," freshman Jessica Levine said. Despite the apparent lack of concern among freshmen, colleges changed some of their marketing strategies last year. Apart from different geographical focuses, many institutions changed their brochures, highlighting campus safety, affordability, and "caring" environments. These changes reflect heightened concerns of prospective students and their families

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News

Living Well in a Difficult Time

September 10

In the face of large events, such as the tragedies we experienced one year ago on Sept. 11, there is a tendency for the individual to feel small and powerless. What can we do to make a difference? What can we do to have an impact on this history as it unfolds and shapes our lives? I see many people looking to our leaders for solace, direction and guidance. I want to suggest that while our leaders are important, our lives are really shaped by each one of us, in our daily actions and interactions. I don't believe that we, as regular people, are powerless as large events unfold. In a very real way, we each have profound power to shape and influence the quality and experience of life in our world. I am deeply influenced by the Jewish tradition's emphasis on the centrality of the individual in changing the world. Teshuvah (change, growth), in its essence, is the work of the empowered man or woman, making an individual decision that moves to action. One of the essential messages of the Jewish New Year is that more than anything, each person's actions count. First, I want to stress the incredible importance of being actively present in our lives. Our technology challenges our ability to be fully present in any one place, at any one time. We can be called, beeped, faxed, emailed and Fed-Exed anywhere. So much vies for our attention. We live in a world where we are both everywhere and no-where. To live well during a difficult time is to try to be fully present with the people around you. Being truly present with another human being is giving that person your full attention. It is looking into their eyes rather than over their shoulder at the TV. It is being willing to engage in thoughtful conversation over dinner even though you are tired. Being fully present is being comfortable to sit and be silent with a friend. This requires both physical and emotional presence: if you care about your friends and family, it's important to spend time with them. Once you are physically there, then it is essential to be emotionally involved and available. Sometimes people are not present because they are uncertain of the words to say, or they fear they won't have the right answers to give. But being there in this difficult time is not about knowing the right answers or what will happen next. It's certainly not about being able to explain the root causes of international terrorism. To a large extent, it is about being willing to make direct, focused, compassionate contact with the regular people who are part of our lives: our friends, our parents, our children, the person sitting next to you in class. Those are the interactions that shape the way we conceive of our communities, make us feel at ease or on edge and build webs of connection in our daily lives. Harold Kushner tells a story that I've always liked about a boy who tells his father that he going over to help a friend who just broke his new bicycle. The father asks "What do you know about fixing bicycles?" The son answers, "I don't know anything about fixing bicycles: I'm going over to help him cry." I think of people who have helped me when situations seemed dark. In my experience, such people didn't flood me with wisdom, they didn't magically fix things, they were certainly not perfect: they were willing to spend time, to talk and listen. Never underestimate how very important is it for you to be present, and hopeful, for those people directly around you. That leads me to my second point, which is the importance of conveying hope. While many people have been singing "God Bless America," the song that has been going through my head recently is Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah" The Hope. In this era of instant gratification, it can be a profound gift to those around us to convey that it is possible to remain hopeful, even for a long time, before our goal is achieved. I know from my rabbinic work with families in grief, that a key to a family's recovery after experiencing tragedy is having one person in that family who holds and articulates a vision of hope. Many families will make it through a difficult time if just one person is able to look through to the other side of a crisis and continues to say that things will eventually be all right. Living well through this tragedy is being able to convey to the people around us, even in our fear and uncertainty, that our lives will go on and we will continue to work, love, play and celebrate. Finally, I want to stress the importance of asserting the truth that good eventually inches out evil in our world. We know that evil exists. That wasn't news on Sept. 11. There will always be the haters but when we examine our history, we maintain that still, good will eventually triumph. This is a powerful message and one that is at the core of my religious tradition. Living well in this difficult time is to accept and convey that truth; I don't believe we have another option. These are demanding times, but we don't have to be superheroes or great national leaders to have an impact upon our immediate world. If we are able to be present for the people around us, remain hopeful and assert that good will eventually inch out evil in our world, each one of us can make a profound contribution. Rabbi Jeffrey Summit is the director of the Hillel Foundation and an associate chaplain

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News

Fletcher holds panel on issues of terrorism, discrimination

September 10

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy hosted a panel discussion on Monday titled "The New American Profile: Eye on the 'Other,'" _ one in a line of events held this week to commemorate Sept. 11. The United Way of Massachusetts and the Fletcher School co-sponsored the interactive panel. Panelists addressed issues of terrorism, Islam, public perception of religion and the racial and religious discrimination inflamed by Sept. 11. Christopher Lydon, "Ten O'clock News" anchor on Channel 2, and journalist for the New York Times and Boston Globe, served as panel moderator. Panelists personalized the discussion by recounting how Sept. 11 affected their own lives. Quamar-ul Huda, assistant professor of Islamic Studies and Comparative Theology at Boston College, is of Pakistani origin, and said his association with Islam was a source of guilt after the attacks. Huda said he is tired of having to deal with racial stereotypes. "I'm more frustrated, upset, unsettled, and unsure than ever, but also optimistic, since I have no other alternative," he said. Leila Fawaz, Director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts, said she reacted to Sept. 11 by attempting to further blend into the US mainstream. She immediately changed her physical appearance, abandoning her natural brunette color for blond hair. She also began to wear a cross around her neck and was angered when her husband spoke Arabic to her in public. But Fawaz told the audience "It's okay to have different views, as long as everyone respects each other." Lydon raised the issue of the sadness many felt in the wake of such a shattering event. Political humorist and panelist Jimmy Tingle discussed his own feelings of despondency following Sept. 11. Tingle said he was uncomfortable using humor again until a flight attendant told him how much his work cheered her up. Panelist Usmaan Ahmad, a Kashmiri-American, recounted an incident following the attacks in which he was judged as a threat simply because of his appearance. Although they knew nothing of his name or origin, security guards forced him off of a plane simply because they felt he looked like a potential danger. Ahmad noted that many minority grocery market owners and foreign taxi drivers posted the American flag on their windows immediately following Sept. 11. They felt like they had to have the flag up, he said. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin II also served as a panelist. Although he expressed satisfaction with the current climate of the US, he noted that "the world sees the US as inconsistent and hypocritical." Fawaz concluded that the consistency of policy is important. She added: "The US is a great country and we have to make sure that it stays great." Fletcher student Malini Goel said respect for everyone's opinions was the panel's most important element. "This panel shows what Fletcher stands for: open dialogue, listening to each other's ideas, and learning," Goel said. Junior Lauren Friedman, a native New Yorker, said she was pleased that the panel was held "to commemorate the terrible event that affected [NY] city and the whole nation." The panel was one of many events that the United Way has helped arrange and fund. The organization's one million dollar fund provided counseling, legal assistance, and help for those who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn following September's events

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News

Lack of wind deflates Tufts' sails

September 10

On a weekend when mother nature afforded little help, Tufts sailing started its fall campaign at the Harry Anderson trophy race hosted by Yale University. In a close result, Kings Point narrowly edged out Harvard College to claim victory in the regatta, while Tufts finished in fourth place overall. The regatta was an Intersectional affair, with teams such as Stanford from the PCIYRA (Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association) and St. Mary's from the MAISA (Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association) districts joining teams from within the NEISA (New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association) district in which Tufts competes. There were two divisions within the race, A and B, and within each division there were six races amongst the field of 24 competitors. The place that the team finished in each race equaled the number of points it received in that round. Once all the races had been run, the amount of points dictated by the team's finish in each round was tallied and the team with the lowest point total claimed victory. Kings Point and Harvard ended up with the same team point totals of 64, but a tie-breaker instructing that the team with the most first-place finishes be declared the winner but Kings Point on top. There were only two teams which represented Tufts in the Harry Anderson regatta, one team in the A division and one in the B division. Senior coed co-captains Pete Levesque and Caroline Hall competed in the A division, while seniors J.R. Maxwell and Deane Madsen represented the Jumbos in the B division. These two teams amassed a team total of 80 points, 37 in the A division and 43 in the B division, which put Tufts in fourth place. "We were pretty happy with the result, but we had hoped to do a little better, especially this early on in the season," Hall said. "There were so many boats that it was easy to be inconsistent." Many of the events surrounding the regatta contributed to an atmosphere that was not conducive to smooth sailing. Twenty-four teams competed, as compared to a field of 18 in other races, which meant more boats on the course during each fleet race. Also, the weather did not cooperate. With a lack of wind causing many postponements and not allowing the full course of racing to play out. There were postponements on Saturday due to a lackluster breeze, but four races in the A division and two races in the B division were possible in the afternoon when a light southerly wind ensued. Sunday saw a little more cooperation from the weather as a moderate south-southwest wind ensured that four races in both the A and B fleets occurred. After that point the course was devoid of wind and there were only six races in each division that could be used to judge the winner of the regatta. Usually there are as many races as there are teams, so the fact that there were fewer races did not play to the Jumbos favor. "The light air didn't allow us to have as many races as we would have wanted to," Hall said. "It was a frustrating regatta because we sat around more than we sailed. More races meant that we would have done better." Looking ahead to the meat of the season, the team is anchored by a strong senior class and invigorated by a swell of new freshmen. The mix of experienced collegiate sailors and the more novice freshmen has created a healthy, competitive atmosphere at practice. This weekend will provide two competitive venues in which the team can showcase its' talents, both the Captain Hurst Bowl hosted by Dartmouth College and the Women's Man-Lab trophy taking place at MIT. Last year the Jumbos placed tenth at the Captain Hurst Bowl, and hope to improve upon that mark this time around.

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News

ESL program being offered for janitors

September 8

The English as a Second Language (ESL) at Tufts program, which will provide basic English tutoring to participating Tufts janitors, will hold its first class Sept. 28. Classes will take place for one and a half hours every Saturday throughout the semester. LCS President Kate Elder called the ESL at Tufts program "groundbreaking." "It's the first collaborative program between the President's Office, the Chaplaincy, and LCS... and we hope it is not the last program of this sort," she said. Seventeen janitors, who work at Tufts as employees of OneSource, have signed up for the free program, and more than 20 students have expressed the desire to volunteer as tutors. According to ESL at Tufts co-founder and coordinator Andrea Daley, if more volunteers sign up, more janitors will be offered the opportunity to take the course. Daley said she has been amazed by "the overwhelming desire that people have to help out and get involved in the community." Harvard Seminary student Michael Evans initiated the program while working in the Chaplain's Office last year. After attending a Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM) rally last year protesting janitorial wages and treatment, Evans decided an ESL program would be beneficial to the campus community, he said. Evans approached then-freshman Andrea Daley, who has served as coordinator of ESL and Adult Literacy for LCS since last spring, to suggest starting a program through LCS. In April, Evans discussed the idea with Irlanda Jimenez of OneSource, who served as liaison between the janitors and LCS by gathering names of people interested in signing up for the classes. Twenty-five OneSource employees expressed interest. LCS also will also offer daycare for the children of ESL students, although only one person has expressed the need for this service. Once it became clear that interest in an ESL program was sufficient, Evans discussed the possibility with interim Chaplain Patricia Budd Kepler, who gave her support for the idea, Daley said. When Father David O'Leary was named Chaplain late in the spring semester, he too offered his support. Kepler and Evans sent a proposal to the President's Office asking for financial assistance. At the beginning of the summer, LCS was notified that the program would receive approximately $500 from the office. The President's Office also provides moral support and advice, said Judy Olson, Executive Assistant to the President and liaison between the Office and LCS. But, Olson said, LCS essentially leads the program, and she and O'Leary play a minor role in providing support when needed. She pointed to Daley as the leader in establishing the program. "All the credit for getting the program off the ground goes to Andrea Daley," Olson said. "She worked hard over the summer to get her materials together, to make contacts with people who might want to participate in the program, and to think through the program." In June, a letter was sent to Random House Publishing asking if the company would donate 35 textbooks, or as many as possible, to the program. Eight weeks later 35 books showed up at the LCS office, Daley said. Daley and sophomore Cathy Caicido, who will serve as program co-coordinator when the course begins, produced a workbook to supplement the textbook. The workbook familiarizes students with practical situations, such as how to fill out a hospital admittance form and how to order food at a restaurant, and teaches pronunciations of basic English words. It is also formatted so that ESL students of different levels can move at their own pace. Spanish Professor Claudia Mejia became involved in the program through Daley, who was a student of hers last spring. "To study English is very important not only because of the language itself but the program will provide the opportunity to integrate [its students] into the Tufts community and the United States," Mejia said. She called the program a "window into the world of the growing Latino community in Boston." Mejia also said that some of the janitors might desire assistance in their native language, as well as English. If this is the case, she said, she will work to develop a program to help them with their reading and writing skills. She said that most of the janitors at Tufts are either recent immigrants or have never had the opportunity to study English. "The janitors are going to learn a lot about each other, diversity, different experiences, different cultures, and different ways to learn," she said. The tutors will also learn a lot about their own language, about each other, and about the backgrounds and cultures of their students, she added. Mejia has helped to advertise the program within the Department of Romance Languages by asking fellow professors to discuss it with students and by posting fliers. She will draw on her knowledge of teaching a language when she serves as advisor to the tutors. Mejia would like to see the program grow in the future, possibly to include faculty and staff tutors as well as student tutors. She also hopes that if enough people volunteer to teach, the program will be extended to include the spouses and children of the janitors

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News

West Nile Virus case found in Medford

September 8

A 50-year old Medford man is among the four new cases of West Nile virus reported in Massachusetts over the weekend. After infecting hundreds of residents on the Gulf Coast, West Nile has found its way to Tufts' neighborhood. The Medford man and a 55-year old woman from Revere have fully recovered. An 86-year man from Rosalind, however, has been hospitalized in serious condition, the state's director of communicable disease control Dr. Alfred DeMaria told the Boston Globe. The fourth new case is a man from Michigan, who was discovered to have the virus in Massachusetts, though it is believed that he contracted it elsewhere. He has returned home to be hospitalized. "Tens of thousands" have already been infected and the number is likely to grow, the Los Angeles Times said. Most infected will only suffer "flu-like symptoms." Thus far, 854 serious cases _ 48 of them fatal _ have been reported in 28 states, the Times reported. West Nile is transmitted via mosquitoes, which breed in standing pools of water. Other animals, such as birds and horses, can be infected. The discovery of dead birds carrying the virus is often a sign that human infections will follow. While there is a vaccination for horses, a human vaccination has yet to be developed. Until then, people are advised to wear long sleeves and long pants when outside and to use insect repellant. Since mosquitoes are more active after nightfall, it has been suggested that people should restrict outside activities after dark. The virus first appeared in 1999 in New York City. Since then, it has spread across the country and now there are unconfirmed reports of West Nile in Los Angeles. Louisiana and Mississippi have been ransacked by the disease this past summer. There have been more than 296 cases in the two states this year, the Globe said. The "massive increase" is not just media hype, Dr. Lyle Petersen of the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta told the Times. It is confirmed in the increasing number of dead, infected birds and the presence of the virus in large numbers of trapped animals. There is now speculation that the virus can be transmitted through blood transfusions. It was discovered that a Georgia woman, killed in a car accident, had been infected with West Nile after her organs were donated. All four recipients of the woman's organs were found to be infected _ three were hospitalized for encephalitis, and one died. The possibility that the recipients caught the disease from mosquito bites has not been ruled out. The Boston Health Commission, along with the health boards in Revere and Medford, is considering whether or not to begin spraying insecticide to kill mosquitoes. Such plans are controversial, because of the insecticide's threat to the environment, humans, and animals. Currently, the city of Boston uses a "bacterial agent" in catch basins to kill mosquito larvae, the Globe reports. This method is popular because it does not threaten people or the environment. Other cities, such as Dallas, have used a species of fish related to the minnow _ the gambusia (mosquito fish) _ to consume the larvae before it hatches. According to the Dallas Morning News, the gambusia reduce the mosquito population without leaving behind environmental worries. The odds of becoming seriously ill from West Nile are low _ out of a national population of nearly 275 million, there have been 854 serious cases this yea

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News

The Lush torn between two worlds

April 23

This past Sunday night, I found myself in a very unusual situation. After a few drinks in the afternoon sun that has too seldom graced us with its presence this spring, I decided to head into Boston for a night out on Newbury Street. Given my unsatisfactory performance as the Lush this semester, I was actually quite proud I had given up an evening on my porch for a cab ride downtown and a few drinks at the bar. But as I contemplated patting myself on the back, I realized I had to stop lying to myself. It was not the bar scene that beckoned, but the Massachusetts state liquor laws and my lack of foresight that had drained my beer supply and forced me to head downtown. Yet, even as I sipped a seven-dollar gin and tonic on the top floor of Bar 33, I pondered my decision to bail out on the Tufts scene and head downtown to the bars. Just weeks away from the end of my undergraduate life, I wondered whether I should be spending my days sipping on expensive drinks at a classy bar or pounding a warm Busch Light in some worn-down basement. It wasn't Bar 33 that was the problem. After all, there aren't many better places to hit up on a Sunday night. With its unique ability to attract a young crowd on the first day of the new week, Bar 33 offers a great place to celebrate a long weekend or late Monday classes. Located next to the Hard Rock Cafe in Copley square, Bar 33 provides a comfortable blend of bar, lounge, and club atmospheres that will suit even the most varied of interests. Whether you are sipping delicious mojitos at the circular oasis on the top floor, smoking a hooka in the side lounge ($25 a night -- reservations needed), or dancing to a smooth blend of house, Latin, hip hop, and techno downstairs, this chic but rather exclusive club could keep anyone going late into the wee hours of a Sunday. In fact, as long as you get there early, manage to impress the rather picky bouncers, who at times seem to weed out their clientele on the basis of physical attributes, and aren't afraid to leave your English at the door (normally a very international crowd), Bar 33 is sure to deliver a good time. And so there I was, enjoying my cool Caipirina and practicing my rusty Espa?±ol, while I did my best to remember a few salsa moves I had learned years ago in a club in Chile. But despite the attractive atmosphere and my well-known affinity for jumping at the chance to practice my conversational skills in another language, Tufts was tugging at my shoulder and calling my name. It seemed that if all those times I had once wished that my fake ID was good enough to get me into a respectable Boston bar had faded into the background. All the times I had cursed the campus scene for its lack of vibrancy were long forgotten. With just weeks left to enjoy the undergraduate pastime of cheap beer and packed basements, I wanted nothing more than a game of Beirut or a round of flip cup. After all, just weeks from now I would no longer be able to legitimize passing up a more "mature" atmosphere for the comfort of a frat or college house party. In addition to a diploma, responsibility, job stress, and our official entrance into the "real world," college graduation also brings along with it the profound reality that weekend social gatherings are shoved violently into the realm of the "young adults" or the "professional twenty-somethings." Dismissing the rare exception, graduation replaces house parties with private gatherings at classy bars, and for as much as I like a night out on the town, there's something to be said for free keg beer and overcrowded common rooms. So, as I desperately fought the helpless feeling of nostalgia that accompanies the end of our undergraduate educational experience, I decided to fork over the money for a cab ride home and spend what was left of the night bouncing around Somerville and Medford neighborhoods. And when the local police inevitably arrived to break up the house parties, my new Five Star attitude toward the Tufts campus scene refused to let the fluorescent lights dampen my spirits. Even the rather disconcerting experience of finishing off the night watching a VH1 special on the founder of "Girls Gone Wild" seemed good to me at the time. After all, at what other point in my life would searching the local neighborhood for free beer be an acceptable and normal way to spend the weekend? Why not leave the bar scene for when I too will have joined the world of the professional twenty-somethings? After all, the time would come soon enough. Not to mention the fact that one of our friends had taken one for the team and journeyed up to New Hampshire for a refill on our supplies. A six pack of PBR had my name all over it...

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News

Women's basketball buried by Middlebury, Williams

March 31

Though they hoped to earn at least one win during a two-game road trip to Williams and Middlebury, the women's basketball team returned home Saturday night empty handed. Now ninth place and 1-6 in the conference, the team will need to win its next two games and get a little help from Wesleyan and Amherst - currently tied for seventh - to nab one of the seven playoff spots. On Friday the team traveled to Williamstown to take on the Purple Cows (17-6, 6-2), who were riding a four-game win streak. Williams opened up on fire, running up a 38-17 lead by halftime. In the second half, things did not get much better for the Jumbos, as Williams rolled to a 79-50 victory. Tufts' offense performed well in the game, as the team shot a respectable 41.4 percent from the field. Turnovers were the downfall of the Jumbos though, as Williams forced 30 turnovers on the evening. In fact, the team had more turnovers than points in the first half. "Williams pressed a bit, but they didn't do anything we haven't seen before," sophomore Maritsa Christoudias said. "We just were not mentally in the game, and turnovers are a result of mental breakdowns." Junior Emily Goodman led Tufts in scoring with 12 points, while sophomore Erin Buckley picked up ten points and seven rebounds off of the bench. Defensively, Williams sought to shut down Goodman and junior Erin Harrington, and the method worked well, as Harrington was only 2-10 from the field. For Williams, juniors Melissa Skeffington, Kate Stumpo, and Abi Jackson all scored in double figures with 14, 14, and 18 points respectively. Skeffington put a show on from beyond the arc, leading the team with four threes. Harrington was the only Jumbo to nail a three, as Tufts struggled with a 1-7 mark from downtown. After the disappointing loss, Tufts spent the night in Williamstown, and drove up to Middlebury the next day to face the 18-4, 6-2 Panthers. The Jumbos started out flat, and Middlebury capitalized, opening up an early 25-9 lead in the first ten minutes and cruised to a 64-50 victory. "The trip definitely had a little bit of an affect," Christoudias said. "We traveled at least two hours before both games, so it's hard to keep an intense mindset after being on a bus." Turnovers and lack of points from beyond the arc were again problems. Harrington recorded a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, and Goodman led the team with 11 points. Buckley again provided a spark off the bench with seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks in only ten minutes of play. Freshman Alexis Hollinger led the Panthers with 18 points, and junior Kristin Hanley also contributed 15 points. After the weekend, Middlebury and Williams are tied for second in the conference, trailing only Bowdoin (18-1 6-1). The Jumbos have five more days of practice to prepare for another two-game road trip next weekend, which will conclude the regular season. At 1-6, the team must win both games against Wesleyan (14-8, 2-5) and Connecticut College (1-17, 0-7). If Tufts wins both games, it would force Wesleyan to beat Bates (15-5, 5-2) on Saturday. Amherst (11-10, 2-5), also vying for the seventh playoff spot, will have two tough games against Williams and Bowdoin to conclude its regular season. "We can and we will win the last two games," Christoudias said. "The whole season has been filled with a sense of urgency because we are all so frustrated because we know how good we are, but the results just aren't coming."

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News

ELBO fails to motivate freshmen participation in TCU elections

March 31

Tufts' Elections Board (ELBO) held elections to fill the two empty freshman seats in the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate yesterday. Unusually late in the year, the election sought to fill the seats vacated when the original freshmen elected to the positions resigned. Sophomore Joe Coletti, chairman of ELBO, said the late election was not the result of freshmen disinterest. Rather, he said, the senators who resigned were among many freshmen who don't realize the time commitment involved in the Senate. As the time piles up, the occasional senator loses interest. Whatever the case, without a complete Senate, the body is unable to continue with business as usual, so there is a limited amount of time after resignations to find students to fill the positions. What results is a "special election" - which typically bring the lowest voter turnout of any election. In addition to low-voter turnout, this election met with low candidate turnout. While apathy for student government didn't prompt the election, these poor turnouts demonstrate that it remains something of an issue. ELBO, with limited time and resources, has advertised in many different forms, from table tents, to posters, to the Internet, but without much success. Students feel disenfranchised from the senate, Coletti said - they think they cannot make a difference in campus government and are then discouraged from running and even voting. Moreover, some students take a pride, for better or worse, in not paying attention to campus politics. Coletti attributes some of the lack of interest to the lack of coddling students receive as the year progresses. In September, potential freshmen senators were walked through the electoral process. They heard about elections in advising groups and were encouraged to vote. But during the spring, the proactive motivation to elect new senators is not there. There's always a lot of initial freshman interest, Coletti said. But after a disastrous performance by ELBO last semester's elections, he fears that many students will both be discouraged from the system and mistrust the electoral process. Still, the elections board is comprised of new members this time around. Coletti said he and his fellow ELBO members want to restore the school's faith in the senatorial electoral process. "We feel like we do need to make it up not just to the freshman class, but to the student body as a whole," he said. Coletti feels ELBO used every outlet in trying to solicit interest in the latest election, but the task was too demanding, especially since this semester's ELBO has only three members - Colleti, junior Eric Krause and Andy Stearns. "Not having enough people in ELBO makes it harder to advertise further," Coletti said. Yesterday, he was manning the table and switching off with his other two board members due to complications that have arisen in the past with hired tablers. Last year, accusations of ballot tampering hampered the election. As a result of several such problems in the past, the current board members are spreading themselves even further, protecting the dignity of a wounded process. Freshman Hilary Wentz, who did not vote, did not see an overwhelming amount of advertising. "I didn't vote because I hadn't heard anything about any of the candidates and it didn't really seem like that big of deal to me." Even those who do vote often show up to select friends. Caitlin McGarthy read about the election and candidates in the Daily and saw several of the table tents. She felt motivated to elect a female to office, and was friends with one of the candidates. "I'm also voting because Alexis [Smith] is a friend of mine and I think that the fact that she's on the freshman council and would be a Senator would give the freshman class a really powerful voice," McGarthy said. "It would be nice to have a girl in politics, because there are always guys doing it and, at least in my high school, nothing ever got done." Several freshmen responded to the class-wide e-mail as well. That, combined with a sense of civic duty, brought freshman Daniel Mandell to the polls. "I'm very involved in getting students involved and I think that in a democracy, every person that has the right to vote should take advantage of that right," Mandell said. Mandell hopes that others will be inspired to vote and said ELBO is not getting students to the polls enough. "I am still not happy with how ELBO is running the election," Mandell said, citing the lack of advertising of the current election. Coletti and ELBO are hoping to change such negative perceptions. In the end, perhaps, it's the candidates that can get out the vote. Freshman Lisa Schupmann saw the e-mail and signs for the election, but what made her vote was personal attention from one of the candidates. "I saw ads, but the biggest reason I voted was that one of the candidates came to my room last night and talked to me about the election," Schupmann said. According to Schupman, the candidate discussed how he could personally make a difference on the senate. "That pushed me the most to come vote...I voted for him," she said.

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