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Sampling a bit of Brown and Blue: admitted students pay a visit to campus

March 31

@byline: Anyone who has ever walked around at 8 a.m. knows the Quad is all but deserted at that hour. But yesterday the crisscrossed paths between Bendetson and Ballou Halls were overrun by accepted high school seniors and eager, chattering parents. Approximately 550 prospective students attended yesterday's events, which kicked off Admissions' annual April Open House (AOH). Festivities will run through the weekend, giving hundreds of prospective students a personal presentation of the Tufts experience and the atmosphere on the Hill. This weekend prospective students also have the opportunity to participate in the Student of Color Outreach Program (SCOPE). The program offers students of color the opportunity to meet with culture groups, the heads of culture houses, and faculty members of color during their trip to Tufts. Over 300 high school seniors registered to stay overnight with a student host, and Dean of Admissions David Cuttino expects anywhere between 1,800 and 2,000 students to visit campus throughout the weekend. He said attendance this year is "comparable or larger than previous years." Current Jumbos have felt the buzz around campus, and many have devoted time to make the experience of prospective students and their parents complete. "It's an eager crowd," said sophomore Josh Belkin, who helped to register students and parents for morning tours. "There is a new nervousness about being on campus for the first time, but for the most part, the pressure is off - they're already in!" Admitted students began their AOH experience at Bendetson Hall, where they registered for tours and collected materials provided to guide them around campus and inform them of small panelist sessions. Throughout the morning, students and parents could learn about the different academic departments by attending presentations by professors, and could find out about various campus opportunities including sports, the arts, and culture clubs. Some visitors said they were most impressed with the atmosphere hovering about campus. "It all looks nice and peaceful here," said John Liu of Boxborough, MA, who stayed Tuesday night in Wren Hall. "Everyone is really friendly," he said. The Admissions department provides overnight opportunities in order to familiarize admitted students more intimately with Tufts life. While students wishing to stay overnight had to register with Admissions so Tufts hosts could be matched and arranged, students only attending daytime events did not need to register. Cuttino said he thought all students who expressed interest in staying overnight had been accommodated. Some students have expressed satisfaction with the diversity of Tufts' student body. "I'm very impressed that Tufts is so diverse," said Alex, a high school senior from Miami who stayed overnight in Tilton Hall. After having visited Boston College (BC) and Georgetown, she concluded that Tufts' diversity makes the University unique. Not all visitors are experiencing Tufts for the first time, but even those already familiar with the campus said they discovered new aspects of the University that gave them stronger feelings of warmth and intimacy. "Tufts has the advantage of being a big university, but, unlike places like BC, it seems to exemplify the closeness of a small college," said admitted senior Taline, whose father is a professor in the Math department. Taline's mother Laura, who accompanied her on the tour today, had equally praiseworthy remarks. "I love Tufts. The students, faculty, and administrators are very connected and are very positive. It's a friendly atmosphere." A number of the students attending AOH expressed interest in taking a pre-med path at Tufts, citing biology and psychology as enticing areas of study. Others said they are considering international relations, previously the most popular major among graduating seniors, as a possible major. Still others cited the Tufts-Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Collaboration Program as a driving force behind their interest in the University. AOH has been held in some form for more than 20 years, and has been in its current form for approximately 15, Cuttino said. This year Student Outreach had over 700 participants, whose efforts culminate in AOH and SCOPE. Cuttino lauded the students' energy and creativity in making the weekend "a very productive experience for students and parents able to attend." Wednesday's clear skies facilitated Admissions' planned events. Prospective students were invited to indulge themselves in pleasantries as small as brown and blue jelly beans and as large as the Tisch Rooftop Caf?©.

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News

Tufts may start program in Cuba

March 31

Tufts is exploring the possibility of creating a study abroad program in Cuba, though plans are still in the early stages. Romance language associate professor Claudia Lenoir and Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye visited the communist country over break and estimate that it will take at least four years to set up Tufts-in-Cuba. If established, the program would be Tufts' only study abroad option in a Central American country and one of two in Latin America. While Cuba's political climate causes thousands of people to attempt to leave the country each year, Lenoir says it is one of the safest places to study abroad. "Cuba is especially propitious for this kind of study, with one of the most developed educational systems in the area," she said. According to Lenoir, the many other US universities that have already instituted programs in Cuba have not found safety an issue. "The history of US animosity towards Cuba does not translate into aggression that would endanger the lives of American students studying abroad there," she said. For the program to happen, the University needs to make a full commitment to it, according to Latino Center Director Ruben Salinas Stern. "I think it's going to take a while. Cuba doesn't do this very easily," he said. "From Cuba's end, they need to see that there is actually genuine interest." But even if Tufts commits, it will take several years to get the program up and running. "We are certainly not abandoning the idea, but we are going about it in a paced way. No program is established in one year," Lenoir said. "It takes about four years." To be allowed to visit Cuba, travelers must apply for special license from the US Treasury Department. Over winter break, the Latino Center took a group of students there, and the trip was allowed because it was for educational purposes. Senior Angel Vail, who visited Cuba with the Latino Center over the break, agreed with Lenoir's assessment that the country is safe to visit. "The people were really friendly," she said. "If people know that you're not from Cuba, they'll come over to you" to help, looking for tips in American currency. The motivation for establishing a program in Cuba is that it would allow students to gain an understanding of Cuban culture. According to Stern, simply studying the country from afar is not sufficient. "Cuba is portrayed in a very sort of black and white and superficial way," Stern said. "We don't really have a relationship with Cuba, and it makes it difficult for people to find out what's going on over there." The Latino Center's recent trip focused primarily on experiencing Cuban culture. The group went to museums, libraries, and universities, and met with Cubans and visited their homes. Vail said that many of the younger students expressed interest in going abroad to Cuba if they had the chance. Until students can spend semesters in Cuba, the Latino Center may use winter trips to build relationships with Cuba. Stern hopes to repeat the trip next January. Vail agreed that winter trips are a good temporary way to solve demand for learning about Cuba, saying the trips give students of any race a chance to study a myriad of interests in Cuba, from music to history.Emily Chasan and Adam Pulver contributed to this article.

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News

Father O'Leary expected to be offered University Chaplaincy

March 31

Roman Catholic Chaplain Father David O'Leary is expected to be Tufts' next University Chaplain, replacing Interim Chaplain Patricia Budd Kepler. Trustee Secretary Linda Dixon confirmed yesterday that the Board of Trustees approved the offer to O'Leary, which Provost Sol Gittleman and President Larry Bacow are expected to formally make soon. O'Leary could not hold back a proud smile last Sunday when he announced at his weekly mass that he would likely be offered the job. He said that to the best of his and the National Catholic Campus Ministry Association's knowledge, he would be the first University Chaplain of a private institution in the US. After a long string of Universalist Unitarian Chaplains at Tufts, O'Leary said the University is ready for a change. "It's been 150 years in the making," O'Leary said last night. "I think there was a push to promote from within; they wanted someone who knew the University very well." Gittleman would not confirm that an offer will be made but acknowledged that O'Leary was a likely choice. The Provost has been involved in the search for a new chaplain and said the University had not, to this point, looked outside of the Tufts community. Kepler is scheduled to leave at the end of June, and O'Leary would take over the Chaplaincy by July 1. His duties as Catholic Chaplain will be fulfilled by another Catholic priest, who will direct the Catholic Center and run the Catholic ministry on campus. The new priest will be appointed by the Archdiocese of Boston and then confirmed by Tufts. O'Leary had to seek the permission of Cardinal Bernard Law in order to secure the position because he would no longer be employed by the Archdiocese, but directly by Tufts. O'Leary said his love for Tufts made the decision to seek the position easy. He lauded the energy and "giving spirit" of the students he has encountered here. "I love the University," he said. "I've been here four years and it's the best place I've ever worked." He said religious and spiritual commitment were strong at Tufts, and pointed to the respect the administration pays the Chaplaincy as further evidence of the strength of Tufts' spiritual life. O'Leary said Tufts was the only school he knew of in which the Chaplain reported directly to the President. "All of the Chaplains have direct access to the president. At others campuses, the chaplains report to the Dean of Students," he said. "If you look in the Tufts fact book ... it goes Trustees, President, University Chaplain." Kepler was brought on in Jan. 2001 to replace 16-year veteran Reverend Scotty McLennan, who left Tufts for Stanford. Though she was a temporary replacement pending the selection of a successor, last year's presidential search delayed the choosing of a replacement and caused Kepler to remain longer than anticipated. Administrators were even said to have been reviewing the necessity of the position. "I'm glad that Tufts will have a permanent chaplain that will dedicate the time and energy this job requires," she said. "I've totally enjoyed being the Interim Chaplain." She said O'Leary was a good choice because the Catholic program he oversees is well-run and Sunday masses well-attended. "Certainly, I think [O'Leary] is ready for the position," Kepler said. "He has been the chaplain for four years and he's been running a Catholic program that's going very well." O'Leary arrived at Tufts four years ago to find a Catholic community with little organization. He said one of his biggest achievements has been resurrecting the Catholic Center. "The highest point has been the reclaiming of the Catholic Center," he said. "When arrived in '98, mushrooms [were] growing through the carpet in the basement." O'Leary said that as Chaplain, he would now act to support community members of all faiths and beliefs. Often, he said, it meant discussing issues not as an ordained Roman Catholic priest, but as a spiritual leader. "I'm someone on a spiritual quest," he said. As part of his involvement with all of Tufts' religious communities, O'Leary said he planned to attend Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and Islamic services at least once a month as University Chaplain. Though the Catholic mass would be overseen by a new Chaplain, he would hope to participate in it when he attended. Before working at Tufts, O'Leary was a professor of modern theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore. He also worked with interfaith inner city coalitions in both Boston and Baltimore. He currently teaches in Tufts' comparative religion department.

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News

Freedom pop

March 31

First, a selective timeline created to prove a point:August 15 1969 - Woodstock, Richie Havens performs famed "Freedom" August 17 1969 - Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix performs famed "Star Spangled Banner"May 1970 - "Let It Be" written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney is released on Let It BeSeptember 1970 - Jimi Hendrix dies1971 - Jimi Hendrix's posthumously released The Cry of Love features "Freedom"September 1971 - John Lennon's Imagine features "Imagine"December 1980 - John Lennon diesOctober 1989 - Neil Young releases Freedom featuring acoustic and electric versions of "Rockin' In the Free World" September 21, 2001 - Neil Young performs Lennon's "Imagine" on the Tribute to Heroes telethonOctober 20, 2001 - Paul McCartney performs "Freedom" and "Let It Be" at the Concert for New YorkDecember 5, 2001 - Neil Young releases the single "Let's Roll" Second, the point: our musicians have grown lazy and failed us in our time of need - songs of freedom simply ain't what they used to be. Though we can't accuse our favorite classic rockers for lack of trying, they have their hearts in the right place - we can lament the absence of any great music in response to the tragedies of Sept. 11. Who are we, mere music consumers, to belittle the artists when the muses that once inspired so frequently seem to have left our rock heroes high and dry when they seem so needed? We are people with taste, and with a discerning ear for fine music. So when the music of freedom that has filled the airwaves in the past five months offends that discerning ear, we ought to celebrate our own freedom by tuning out the 50-somethings' songs of today and return to theirs and others' freedom songs of yesterday. If we don't, the terrorists will have won. And even worse, Paul McCartney will go on in life thinking it is perfectly acceptable to write exceedingly trite songs with the most simplistic of lyrics and blander than bland melodies, then sing such songs for an entire nation ravenous for patriotic popcorn, eager to swallow anything glowing red, white, and blue regardless of how hollow it may be. And that would be a pity. The 1969 Woodstock festival, a self-proclaimed "3 Days of Peace and Music," started and ended with perhaps two of the most passionate heart-stopping freedom songs of rock and roll. The small upstate New York arteries, clogged and impassable on the festival's first day, forced the lead act Richie Havens to play long beyond his allotted time until the next performers had arrived. His long beard dripping with sweat, he vamped away at the guitar and raspily roared on with the word's "freedom," and later, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." The impromptu blurting evoked an emotional release in the ever-growing peacenik crowd that would sustain them for the next 72 hours as they nearly drowned in mud and nakedness. By the time closer Hendrix went off his solo electric guitar, rampaging through the National Anthem complete with distorted static bombs bursting in the air and deafening reverb rockets glaring red, it was evident - freedom and music could and did become one. Over the years, the songs kept coming. Hendrix offered his own tune titled "Freedom," while Paul McCartney gave us comfort "in times of trouble" urging us with "words of wisdom" to "Let It Be." The next year a Beatles-free Lennon imagined a world with no war. Cynics found his tune overly idealistic but most agreed it perfectly, eloquently, and emotionally captured a newfound desire for peace that so many could not adequately put it to words. Two decades later, just as our nation was slowly coming to the realization that it had survived eight years with a decrepit, senile movie actor as president, Neil Young found a comeback in the critically acclaimed Freedom. "Keep on Rockin' In The Free World," was a tune that shared the same idealism and passion of his freedom pop progenitors and mixed a rumbling rock and roll style with his trademarked high pitched I'm-the-man-whose-seen-it-all kind of voice. So what have we seen lately? Occasional beauty and frequent musical mush. Young's rendition of Lennon's "Imagine" effortlessly melded the idealism of years past and the pain of the weeks that immediately followed the tragedy. It was a highlight among highlights during an amazing three hours of touching dirges and anthems. And yet while that performance achieved such a perfect conflation of emotions, Young's release "Let's Roll" - a tribute to Todd Beamer, who had telephoned his wife from Sept. 11's doomed Flight 93 - is an uncomfortable and awkward juxtaposition of sorrow and glory, terrible loss and funkified jingoism. A haunting cell-phone ring precedes the Beamer-point-of-view lyrics: "We got to get inside there, Before they kill some more. Time is runnin' out . . . let's roll"- laid uncomfortably on top Booker T. Jones' Hammond organ. Though eerie and touching in its words-from-a-ghost gravity, it soon loses its effective pull on our heartstrings when it suddenly reveals the faux-poetic meanderings of a man with one more verse to write. It is as if Young highlighted the buzzwords from Dubya's latest sermon and jazzed them up with that sweet old rock and roll sensibility of good versus evil: "Let's roll for freedom, Let's roll for love, Goin' after Satan, On the wings of a dove. Let's roll for justice, Let's roll for truth, Let's not let our children, Grow up fearful in their youth." The corn-pone lyrics replace passion with folksy cheesiness, creating a song that might seem rough and heartfelt on the surface, but when you get deep down is as noxiously ordinary as Lee Greenwood's early '90s crowd-pleaser "God Bless The USA." So what happened? How did folks like the former Beatle who once penned such beautiful, complex, and touching tunes as "Let It Be," "Yesterday," "Hey Jude," and "Penny Lane" find himself at last weekend's Super Bowl asking America to clap for freedom? As he dove into yet another dull rendition of the tune "Freedom" which he had debuted, slightly off key, in his noble Concert for New York, he sang "Talkin' 'bout freedom/I will fight For the right/To live in freedom," it seemed as if most people were indifferent, waiting instead for a halftime show that would, for once, feature some talented musicians with something interesting to say. Can we fault these hurting classic rockers for their sub-par attempts? Not really, not in this time when our nation needs any and all salves for its wounds that it can find. If they meant well, then I guess their words can only help. But they still have the responsibility and the privilege to be disappointed when those we once counted on come through with tunes that are plainly rushed and derivative. And that's a right, for which I will never stop fighting.

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News

Jackson College' name stricken from diplomas

March 31

The "Jackson College" name will not appear on the diplomas of female graduates this May, Provost Sol Gittleman announced Wednesday. Reverting to the design that was abandoned in 1962 - when female students petitioned to add "Jackson College" to the diplomas - the certificates will now match men's diplomas, reading "Tufts College" with "Tufts University" written above. Gittleman said the change will "have no effect on the fiduciary status of Jackson College." Jackson College will continue to exist and is legally chartered to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, like the University. "It's too big a deal to go to the Commonwealth and change everything," he said. Although the diploma itself contains only Latin writing, many female students complained. Gittleman said he has had to explain what Jackson College is and why it is on the diplomas for 21 years. In his final year at the University, he decided to put an end to the confusion. The distinction between "Tufts" and "Jackson" graduates has also been removed from the University's web site following a series of complaints, according to Gittleman. Each year "somebody, or some group of students, comes and asks me 'why are we Jackson students?'" he said. The Provost's decision was prompted by the queries in the past, especially by the particular insistence of students this year. Tufts Community Union (TCU) Vice President Melissa Carson, who was among many students pushing for the change, said she was "elated" with the Provost's decision. When she approached the Provost earlier this semester, she told him that "things were different than how they had been in 1962" when women fought for the "Jackson" diplomas. While Carson thinks it is a good idea for students to learn more about the history of Jackson College, she does not feel the name needs to be on the diploma anymore. "I respect the memory of Jackson College but I don't think I need to have it on my diploma," she said. She said that women undergraduates undergo the Tufts experience and should therefore receive a Tufts diploma. Not all women on campus share her sentiment, however, and Carson acknowledges that some women would rather graduate from Jackson College. In 1962, Tufts' women successfully urged the administration to add "Jackson College" to female diplomas as a reflection of their pride in the College. Since then, attitudes about Jackson College and its role have changed. Jackson College was conceived in 1910 and was a prestigious women's college in its time.

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News

March has basketball without the madness

March 31

To most Boston sports fans, the fact that the Celtics are in second place in their conference and en route to the playoffs must be exciting. Though I consider myself hopelessly devoted to Beantown sports, I must admit that I can only name one player on the team and have not so much as watched a Celtics game on television this season. However, when the top two men's college basketball teams meet up on Saturday, you can bet that I'll be tuned in - even though I can't even name the Final Four teams, let alone their players. Each March, when the sports world turns its head to the NCAA tournament, I find myself caught up in the frenzy of March Madness. College basketball excites me in a way that professional basketball does not because it is more of a game and much less of a circus. Though money and benefits scandals often emerge in college hoops, there is more of a sense that the amateur players are participating for love of the game. And that game is more pure than professional games because there are fewer interruptions for silly contests and less of an attempt to stimulate the audience with laser lights and loud music. The last professional basketball game I went to - Miami Heat vs. the Memphis Grizzlies last December - would have been more appropriate if it had been held under a big top. Every second of the game was filled with programming - dance performances, musical interludes, and games involving members of the audience. There was the actual game going on, dancers between plays, and a DJ in a box in the stands who played music at all times. A large orb in the center of the court flashed color throughout the game, making it difficult for the eye to focus on the actual court. This so-called entertainment in fact distracted from the game, and it ruined the pleasure of going to a sporting event to watch a sport. I couldn't even talk to the people I went with because it was as loud as a soft rock concert in the room, and we were constantly being told to look to this corner of the court for this, and turn our heads to the left side of the arena for that. Halftime shows and cheers are traditional features of basketball and football games, and indeed, they are entertaining. When cheerleaders spend the game standing to the side, trying to rally the fans, it unites people and gets them excited about what is going on during the game. But the music and dance performances during the Miami game were just plain distracting. College basketball, however, is a different story. There are cheerleaders and other forms of entertainment, but not on the scale of what professional teams have. At the Heat game, there was a sense that the game was a scripted show, while the raw aspect of college basketball allows fans to believe that any outcome is possible. A team can come back in the last few minutes of the game, or an underdog can defeat an opponent. College basketball is faster-paced, and the focus of the event is on the sport itself - who wins or loses and what effect this has on the national or conference standings. The tradition of Final Four prediction contests makes the game more exciting and draws in fans. The NCAA bracket pools allow fans to compete along with the players. I myself didn't pay much attention to college basketball until senior year of high school when that guy with the sparkling blue eyes asked me to join his Final Four pool. When I did it, I began to learn a little about the teams, and I cared enough about the tournament to watch a few games on TV. By the end of the contest, I was hooked, and I now pay closer attention to college basketball each year. I get excited when my teams win, even if I have no clue who those players are, or where on earth Gonzaga is located. Our society loves sports when it can find some way to identify with the players. Baseball is our national pastime because it is every man's game, and one does not have to have a specific body structure to rise to the top. Every person can't dream of being a basketball or football star, because you have to be either tall or husky for those sports. But you do not have to be perfect for college basketball, and the fact that players are young and make a few mistakes makes them more like us, the average population.

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News

Tufts' 12th president formally inaugurated

March 31

A small but jovial crowd was on hand for President Larry Bacow's inauguration on Friday, with students noticeably absent from the ceremony. The event was followed by a well-attended Saturday night celebration at the Gantcher Center in honor of both the president and Tufts' 150th birthday. At Friday's ceremony, the president's inaugural address was well-received, with a number of outbursts of applause and two standing ovations. At one point, Bacow pointed to his fourth grade teacher, Shirley Chandler, and thanked her for teaching him how to listen well - "because other people have very interesting things to say." Bacow also thanked his sons and wife Adele, who have "made my life so much fun." The audience was enthusiastic, encouraged by energetic speeches from representatives of other universities, including MIT President Charles Vest and President Emeritus of Dartmouth James Freedman. Among Tufts speakers, the most notable was Chair of the Department of Drama and Dance Barbara Grossman. Grossman read a poem, entitled "Ode to a Visionary Leader," which highlighted the faculty's appreciation of Bacow. Jamshed Bharucha, Tufts' next provost, was also in attendance. Bacow received a standing ovation after being formally inaugurated by Board of Trustees Chairman Nathan Gantcher. A sea of doctoral robes filled the first half of the audience, while the back, intended for students, was half empty. Some students attributed the low attendance to the inauguration being held on a Friday morning at a time when many were in class or asleep. For those students who did attend, many met the Bacows for the first time and said the event was a success. "It was very inspiring," freshman Jennifer Lash said. "He has a good vision for the institution." Others in attendance were impressed with the vast array of doctoral robes from all over the world, saying the diversity was a testament to Bacow's assertion that Tufts has grown "from an excellent regional university to an institution of truly international standing." "I'm very excited," chemistry Professor Christopher Morse said. "I came from MIT and I liked his vision and the efforts he made to become a part of the campus. It was a very nice ceremony, just the right length, the right amount of pomp and circumstance and the right tone." "[The inauguration] was very well done," alumna Marie Etchells (J'59) said. "I'm impressed with what [Bacow] says, it's a question of what he'll do." On Saturday, hundreds showed up at the Gantcher Center to celebrate both Bacow's inauguration and the University's sesquicentennial anniversary. A video, interviewing various Tufts personalities about the president, was shown throughout the evening. Additionally, a photo gallery showcased images of the University through the years. A number of alumni arrived to relive their Tufts experience along with current students. A makeshift cannon was presented to be painted by all members of the Tufts community. Charles and Hannah Tufts look-alikes were even present for the event. Tufts a cappella groups performed, and students, faculty, and administrators kept the dance floor generally full throughout the evening. Even the Bacows and University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) Dean Rob Hollister were seen doing their own rendition of the twist.

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News

Men's tennis wins two, suffers lone setback

March 31

The men's tennis team continued its stellar season by taking two of three matches over the weekend. The team scored 4-3 victories over Middlebury on Friday and on Amherst on Monday, while falling to Williams on Saturday. Its only defeat of the season, a 3-4 loss to last year's Division III National Champion, was a minor dent in a weekend thawhicht provided more confidence for the streaking team. "They are believing in themselves and believing that they can compete with anyone in the country," coach Jim Watson said. "I think when we lose 4-3 to the defending National Champions, it speaks well to our conference." The weekend's biggest match pitted the 14th ranked player in the country, Williams' Josh Lefkowitz, against Tufts' number one, Dave Ruttenberg. Ruttenberg claimed the first set 6-3 and was down 3-2 in the second against Lefkowitz, when he developed a cramp. Though the pain appeared minor, Ruttenberg was clearly affected. Against such stiff competition, it proved too much to overcome. "I was a little sick the night before," Ruttenberg said. "Against any other player I could have scrapped my way to a win. But it's kind of hard beating the number four player in the country (while injured)." Aside from the one setback, Ruttenberg was solid in his other matches of the weekend, winning 7-5, 6-4 against Middlebury and 6-2, 6-1 against Amherst. A positive for the Jumbos continues to be the play of the freshmen Rifat Perahya and Adam Yates. In a tightly contested match against Middlebury's number six player Stuart Brown, Yates pulled away for a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 victory. "It was tied 3-3 in matches and Adam had lost a potential match point in the second set, but he pulled through to win third set." Watson said. Rifat took a 6-4, 6-4 victory from Middlebury's number two on Friday. On Saturday, in arguably the team's most impressive win in a singles match this year, he won 6-1, 6-1 against Williams' number two, David Frankle. The win against a top player on a nationally prominent team was a strong sign for the young player. "I was really on," Rifat said. "I was really dominating my game." Rifat, who has demolished all but one player in his path thus far this season, anxiously deflected praise to the team as a whole. "I'm really happy to be part of the team." Rifat said. "Everyone is making sacrifices." Despite his imposing play so far this season, Rifat ran out of gas in Monday's contest, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Amherst's Adam Leibsohn. The team now stands at an impressive 6-1 and is experiencing one of its best seasons in several years. In fact, with five regular season matches left, the team is just one win shy of last year's total. "It's been a great year," Watson said. "We are winning matches we wouldn't have in years past." The Squad looks to continue its stellar play today at Trinity and then closes out its home schedule with matches on Friday against Bowdoin and on Saturday against Colby.

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News

Fourteen Tufts applicants advance in quest for Fulbright grants

March 31

Of the 28 Tufts applicants for the prestigious Fulbright scholarship, 14 students passed the first hurdle towards receiving the honor earlier this month when they were notified they had advanced to the second round of evaluations. The successful candidates applied to study in an array of 13 countries, from France to Nigeria and South Korea to Australia. Students will be notified of their Fulbright status beginning in April. The Fulbright grant is a US Department of State program, assisted by the Institute of International Education, which funds research and teaching opportunities overseas for post-baccalaureate graduates and post-doctoral and mid-career professionals. Around 30 Tufts students apply annually, though the number who receive grants varies from year to year, according to Joanne McPherson, an administrative assistant in the office of the Dean of the Colleges. The University had a record of 13 Fulbright winners in 1999. Typically, half of the Tufts students who apply continue past the first round and between seven and nine receive Fulbrights. The Fulbright program, Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye said, facilitates the aspirations of many students. "It's a good fit for Tufts because of our international focus and the numbers of students doing various languages and international study," he said. "We're very good at getting these awards because of the kinds of students we have." Prospective Fulbright applicants consult Inouye to develop their proposals and complete applications. Inouye meets with students, sometimes as early as their sophomore year, to begin the process. Most Bachelor's degree applicants either propose research-oriented projects or apply for teaching assistantships to instruct students in English overseas. The state department received over 4,000 applications for Fulbright country grants last year and awarded 960. Senior Seren Levinson, one of the 14 applicants now in the second round, applied to teach English as a Second Language in South Korea. Levinson is child development major interested in cross cultural and family relationships, and she said the structure of the program caters to her needs, since it provides teachers with homestays. Living with a Korean family, Levinson said, "would help me learn the language and the culture, not just be a teacher in a foreign country." Levinson became interested in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) as a senior in high school, when she tutored a family from Colombia in English. "I have always had an interest in teaching ESL," she said. Tutoring the family was "rewarding to not only help them with language, but to share each other's cultures." Senior Ehren Brav hopes to study the role that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play in building democracy in Nigeria. Brav has conducted on-site research in Sarajevo, Croatia, and Israel through Tufts' Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) program. It is the roots of Nigeria's current political instability that Brav hopes to study next. "Nigeria is a country with tremendous potential but a terrible legacy of ... oppression," Brav said. "For the first time in years, it went back to a democratic government, which was absolutely plagued by corruption. There's just so much to be done." Brav also applied for Marshall and Rhodes grants but did not receive them.

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News

Men's swimming team prepares for NESCAC championships

March 31

As a long and exciting season winds down, the men's swimming and diving team hopes to end with a bang at this weekend's New England Championships. After tapering for over four weeks, the team has shaved down for the weekend. With much preparation on top of a successful 9-1 season, the Jumbos are greatly anticipating the competition. Despite their enthusiasm, however, the Jumbos will be facing some of the finest swimmers that NESCAC has to offer. Once again, the Jumbos will square off against swimming powerhouses Williams, Hamilton, Middlebury, and Amherst - the same four teams that upstaged Tufts last year. The Jumbos completed their 8-1 season last season with a fifth-place finish. Williams, last year's champion, will be especially tough to handle. The Ephmen have been a NESCAC dynasty, winning 13 consecutive New England championships in a row. Powering the Williams squad is the two-man tandem of Jeff McBride and Ben Doob. McBride, who holds this year's top times in the 200, 500, 1,000, and 1,650-yard freestyle, was named last year's swimmer of the year. Doob holds this years top times in the 200 butterfly and the 400 individual medley. The other three squads - Hamilton, Middlebury, and Amherst - should prove to be big obstacles for Tufts as well. Those three teams joined Williams in the top 20 in the NCAA rankings. Nevertheless, Jumbo's coach Don Megerle remains unfazed. The veteran coach, with 30 years of coaching experience, is confident that Tufts will have a good finish. "I am so proud of these kids," Megerle said. "We have had such a great season. They have been swimming so well - I am confident for New Englands." Many of the swimmers seem quite enthusiastic as well. The meet will be the culmination of a career for some, while just a taste of competition for others. Among this year's departing seniors will be captain and freestyler Timmy Bouley, freestylers Matt Bedoukian, Josh Joseph, Reo Kurosu, and John Wu. This year's successful season can be attributed to the team chemistry and bonding. "We had a fantastic season," Bouley said. "We had so many great moments together this season. Hanging out together on weekends during taper, the meets, everything has been great." Even with their high anticipation for the New Englands, the Jumbos are still keeping their feet on the ground, aware of keeping their preparation intact. Many have lost much weight as a result of their diet reduction plans and less rigorous practices. But, what they have lost in weight and muscle, they have gained in rest. In the championships, expect Bouley and sophomore sensation Tyler Duckworth to lead the Jumbos against the competition. The other 22 swimmers on the squad are planning to step up as well. Many are realistically hoping for a finish between third and fifth place. "I'm as confident as I've ever been," Bouley said. "It has been a great year, and I've been swimming with a great group. We're focused and ready. With our restful taper, I am hoping that we can have a strong finish in the end." Though a small group of seniors will be departing this season, there is still much hope for the Jumbos in the future. The freshmen class has been considered to be one of the most talented and involved. Freshmen Seth Baron, Rich Halpert, Mike Rochette, and Alex Turner are amongst this group. "Our freshman class has been a pleasure to coach," Megerle said. "They bring much energy to the team, which in turn perpetuates into more energy. Our squad is reactive yet relaxed." Though only 24 swimmers will be competing this weekend, many swimmers not participating will still be joining them in the trip to Hartford for this weekend's events. The competition will be held at Wesleyan University from Friday to Monday.

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News

Get with the plan

March 31

As second semester quickly passes by, the sophomore class counts the days until the major declaration deadline. Everyone's asking. Your parents, your friends, everyone wants to know: what's your major? Although Tufts offers approximately 40 majors, these possibilities fail to satisfy some students. For them, Tufts offers a custom-made alternative. The plan of study (PoS) major, an often-underutilized option in the course bulletin, gives students the option of designing an interdisciplinary major that is personally suited to their academic interests. "I think college is all about taking classes that you love, and the set of majors offered doesn't always fulfill that need for everyone here," senior Beth Thompson said. Thompson will be earning degrees in biochemistry and archeology when she graduates this spring. According to Associate Dean Kristine Dillon, plan of study is one of the University's hidden jewels. "Undergrads come to it after realizing that they do, in fact, know what they want to study and know how to put it all together," she said. Much of the program is based upon a self-designed courseload that students must formulate and abide by once approved. Like other majors, the application and approval process should be completed during sophomore year. But PoS requires students to do a little more legwork before declaring a major. For some students, deciding to begin the application process is the greatest challenge in the PoS program. "It took me an entire semester to decide what to do," junior Christopher Just said. "I came out of two years of engineering and hated it. I didn't quite belong in Engineering or Liberal Arts, so this is perfect." Just is currently applying for a Public Relations and Communications plan of study. Unlike student-planned academic track programs such as Boston University's University Professor program, to which students apply as part of their application to the University, Tufts' program is open to all Liberal Arts undergraduate students who wish to take a greater control of their academic plan. But the University does not promote the program as much as some students would like. "I would have to say that I do not think the program is well advertised," said Thompson, a senior who had attempted to get a program approved for plan of study. Thompson added that she was discouraged to undertake the application process, and was told that completing participating in the PoS program would be a major hassle. "I think if the plan of study was pushed more, there might be a better rate of happy students," she said. "We need the structure, but for those who choose it, it should be easier to break out of the mold and create something special to their personality." Though most students who go to the trouble of declaring a PoS major feel rewarded at the completion of their set requirements, many wonder how the rest of the world will view their choices when they apply for jobs. Dillon keeps up with PoS students after they graduate to determine how effective their programs were. "They are set apart and must explain that they made up their own major with three advisors," Dillon said. The most popular majors formed under the umbrella of Plan of Study include African and African-American studies, Communications and Film Studies, Journalism, Urban Studies, and Sustainable Development. In addition to these popular programs, there are majors such as Women Studies, a program that originated as a Plan of Study, and eventually found its way into Tufts' mainstream academic offerings.

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News

One-woman play brings poet Dorothy Parker back to life

March 31

"What fresh hell is this," projects Elizabeth Morrell, the playwright and performer in the Threshold Theatre's Laughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye: An Evening with Dorothy Parker, a one-woman show documenting the ups and downs of the poet's life and career. No sooner had she uttered the words than I realized I had been asking myself the same question since arriving at the Threshold Theater. The entrance was nearly impossible to find, tucked away in the back of a piano factory at the bottom of a short stairway. The passageway to the theater itself was claustrophobic, as was the actual theater, a small stage surrounded by no more than 30 metal folding chairs. Judging by my initial observations, things were not looking good. To say that I was skeptical about the upcoming performance would be an understatement. But then Morrell stepped onto the sparsely decorated stage, bringing with her the sardonic, scathing persona of Dorothy Parker. Most well known for her participation in the Algonquin Round Table of the 1920s, Parker wrote three volumes of poetry, two collections of short stories, three plays, more than two dozen screenplays, and innumerable book and play reviews. Through a blend of reflections on the past and a series of poetry readings, the voice in Parker's poems expressing her bitter and sarcastic outlook on life is realized in this short, but dense, production. Set in 1964 at the 92nd Street YMHA in New York City, Morrell shares Parker's heartbreaks and triumphs with the audience, flawlessly capturing that causticity which was the essence of the poet's personality. Whether she is casually smoking a cigarette or sipping from a glass of whiskey, sitting comfortably yet guardedly in the easy chair or walking at a slow, methodical pace, Morrell conveys to the audience a feeling of deliberate, measured honesty throughout the hour-long show. The simple bareness of the theater that had at first led to a great deal of concern, now fostered a comfortable and immediate rapport with Morrell, creating a sense of intimacy and contributing to the show's realism. As she relives her difficult childhood, recounts such personal triumphs as writing for renowned publications Vogue and Vanity Fair, and relates her various romantic encounters, the audience becomes increasingly drawn into Parker's world of excess.Laughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye: An Evening with Dorothy Parker is elegantly written without being overdone. Morrell deftly combines retrospective narrative with the poetry of Parker written and published between 1926 and 1964, as well as her award-winning short story Big Blonde and two essays. Each of the 17 poetic interludes coincides with a stage of Parker's life. As she tells the story of an ill-fated love affair, Morrell reads "Unfortunate Coincidence," a poem first published in Life magazine on April 8, 1926 about having to endure an abortion. The tone of the play oscillates gracefully between humorous and heart-wrenching, taking the audience from Parker's childhood to the end of her career. The Threshold Theatre is a not-for-profit company "dedicated to the discovery and development of women artists of the past, present and future." Considering the organization's limited budget, Laughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye: An Evening with Dorothy Parker is still a well-done production. Stage managers Kim Hoff and Kara Pascucci and lighting designer Greg Jutkiewicz skillfully and successfully maximize their limited resources and space to put on a show that, while on a smaller scale than other productions making their way through Boston this season, is equally impressive. A far cry from shows like Stomp and Cats, Morrell's Laughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye: An Evening with Dorothy Parker is a welcome break from the Broadway National Tour shows that appear to be dominating Boston's theater scene lately. It is engaging and unique and certainly doesn't deserve to be judged by its less-than-stellar first impression. If you can find the entrance, you've won half the battle. All that's left to do is enjoy the show...which you willLaughter and Hope and a Sock in the Eye: An Evening with Dorothy Parker runs weekends through Feb. 23rd at the Threshold Theatre, 791 Tremont St. Call 617-484-7756 for more information or visit www.thresholdtheatre.org.

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News

Breaking the curse of the Charles

March 31

For diehard New England sports fans, Sunday night's Patriots' win was revenge for 1986. Or maybe it was revenge for everything that has happened since. When the ball slipped through Bill Buckner's legs that October, it was not just the epitome of the years of pain the Red Sox have suffered under the Curse of the Bambino. It was the beginning of a new curse - call it the Curse of the Charles River. Since then, every New England sports team has been plagued. The Celtics haven't won a championship since the spring before Buckner, and the Bruins have had their hearts broken in the Stanley Cup finals twice. The Patriots have never been an NFL powerhouse, and they got creamed in a Super Bowl bid five years ago. And don't get me started on the Red Sox. I might start to cry. On Sunday night, Adam Vinatieri came through where Buckner failed, and his field goal with no time left on the clock brought Boston its first professional sports championship in 16 years. A whole generation of children has grown up in this area and reached puberty without ever seeing one of their favorite teams achieve the ultimate dream. The Patriots brought them what they have been waiting for all their lives. But the Patriots didn't just win games this year, they won them in style - New England sports style. New Englanders have a flair for the dramatic, and we love to overreact. When more than two inches of snow is forecast, we run to the hardware stores and supermarkets and stock up on shovels and canned yams because we fear being shut in our houses for days (never mind that we have six cans of yams sitting in the back of the cupboard from last year's blizzard that didn't cause us to be shut in our houses). We also don't like to be comfortable. We build elaborate road systems that include things called rotaries and a lot of one-way streets to frustrate ourselves. We purposely chose to live in an area where the weather is bad so that we can complain about it all the time. So we also don't like our sports victories to be comfortable, predictable ones where our team takes the lead at the beginning and holds it all the way through. The New England style is to come from behind. We love underdogs because, in the real world, we are the little guys. We don't have the class of New Yorkers or the nice tans of Californians. The only thing that distinguishes us is that we say "wicked" all the time and we can't pronounce our Rs. We were once hardy Puritans, and the hardy Puritans made it through hard work and faith - so we look for those values in our sports teams. And come from behind the Patriots did, all the way from the beginning of the season when no one, not even Tom Brady's mother, thought they could ever win the championship. When the season started, the odds that the Pats would win the Super Bowl were 75-to-1. In short, they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Yet in the snow two weeks ago, it was the Oakland Raiders who melted. Then last week it was the Steelers who had been heavily favored to win. Suddenly, the door to the championship had been pushed open. A true New England fan might never admit this in public, but we were all skeptical that the Pats could win the Super Bowl. The Rams were statistically superior, and they were favored to triumph by 14 points. But then something happened that hasn't happened to a New England sports team in over 16 years: the Pats didn't choke. You can call it good luck or you can call it good strategy, but whatever it was, it led the Pats to win and led New England to rejoice. Watching a Boston sports team win a championship is something I have waited for all my life. I am too young to have been scarred by Buckner, but I've had the Sox break my heart three times in the 1990s. I cried when Mo Vaughn signed as a free agent with Anaheim, cursed at the television screen when I saw Roger Clemens get his World Series ring with the Yankees, and bawled in 1999 when the Sox had the stuff to win the championship and choked in the ALCS. I never got into the Celtics or the Bruins because by the time I was old enough to follow Boston sports, they were on the decline. But when the Pats started winning this year, I started to pay attention, and it brought me the joy I have been seeking for the 12 years that I have been passionate about a certain other Boston team. The optimist in me would like to hope that this is the beginning of a new era for Boston sports. The Bruins are leading their division; the Celtics are in second place in theirs. The Sox acquired Johnny Damon over the off-season, and Nomar and Pedro say they'll be healthy this season. Without the Boston sports curse hanging over their heads, these teams won't choke, and they'll bring more joy to Beantown this year. But something tells me not to break out all the champagne just yet. The Sox's sale is muddier than the Charles River, and one would have had to spend a lot of time at the Big Dig inhaling construction fumes to think they would be favorites to win the World Series this year. And the Bruins may be riding high, but there are five other first place teams in the NHL. A win is just a win, and as great as the Pats' win was, it doesn't mean the Curse of the Bambino will now fall as well. What it does mean, though, is that New England had a damn good football team this year. The Pats took us for a great ride, and they brought a glory to Boston that has been missing for most of my lifetime. We should forget about figuring out whether curses have been broken and enjoy this win for what's its worth. Boston was the greatest city in the country at noon yesterday when the Pats marched through City Hall Plaza in their victory parade. Let's break out the Sam Adams, warm up the clam chowder, and rejoice.

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News

Islamic Center to be renovated

March 31

Being religiously active at college can be difficult. It's hard to remain active in one's faith away from family, friends, and familiar religious sanctuaries. For students at Tufts who want to be religiously active, Tufts boasts numerous organizations. One such organization, the Muslim Students Association at Tufts (MSAT) - and the associated Islamic Center - provides a place for Muslim students to gather, meet, and pray. The main use of the Islamic Center, which is more than a decade old, is for MSAT prayers, meetings, and events, but students can also stop in to do reading and work. Interest in the group has soared over the past year and MSAT programs have expanded as a result. "We have focused largely on increasing awareness about Islam since [Sept. 11] because of the wide array of misconceptions of Islam that have popped up since the World Trade Center Bombings," sophomore and MSAT President Muzzamil Mustafa said. The Islamic Center and MSAT have been reaching out and participating in interfaith programs with other religious groups at Tufts. They participate in many events sponsored by the Tufts Chaplaincy, as well as participating with other groups such as the Dean of Students Office, the Asian American center, and Hillel. According to Chaplaincy Coordinator Linda Karpowich, the MSAT has always been interested in participating in interfaith events. "MSAT and the Islamic Center have been more than willing to participate in interfaith events even before Sept. 11," Karpowich said. Past events with other religious organizations have included a Muslim/Catholic/Jewish dialogue and members of MSAT speaking at the Chaplain's table. However, members of MSAT and others at Tufts - including Karpowich - say that the Islamic center is not adequate for the Tufts Muslim community's needs. Currently located in the basement of a house at 176 Curtis Street, the Center was originally meant to accommodate about 25 people. It was planned to have a prayer area, a kitchen, and an office. Recently, the numbers of Muslim students on campus participating at the Islamic Center's prayer services have increased dramatically. MSAT holds Friday's jumma prayers at the Islamic Center each week, which are open to the entire community. Around 75 people usually attend. To accommodate these people, the kitchen and office areas have been converted to prayer space. The lack of adequate space at the current Islamic Center has led to a need for an expanded Islamic Center. Although these renovations have not yet begun, organizers hope they will begin soon. "We hope that a larger Islamic Center will serve as a center to keep Muslim students organized on campus," Mustafa said. Those planning the renovations have several things they wish to see in the new center. They would like, among other things, to have a larger prayer area to accommodate 150 people, more office space, and conference rooms. They also hope to add a library, which will hold books and other resources about Islam for the entire Tufts community to read. Muzzamil said he also hopes that at some point, the Muslim Living Unit currently housed in 92 Curtis will be incorporated with the Islamic Center. The new center will hopefully present many possibilities and opportunities for the Muslim community. Organizers hope that the new Islamic Center will be able to hold classes about the Quran and Islam. "We may even work with different departments on campus to help bring new classes to Tufts about Islamic related issues," Mustafa said. In addition to Friday's prayers, MSAT and the Islamic Center hold a number of events and programs for the Tufts community. Past events include the annual Eid dinner and Ramadan iftar dinners. MSAT has also sponsored many talks and lectures about Islam. After the events of Sept. 11, MSAT responded by reaching out to the greater Tufts Community. Members attended vigils organized by different Tufts organizations that denounced the tragedies. Many members spoke to the press and media around Boston and were featured in local papers. MSAT also helped to organize Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's visit to Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. "We have tried our best to make Muslims on campus feel safe and be safe," Mustafa said. MSAT continued its normal events of the school year while paying attention to the increasing appearance of Islam in the news. Their programs since then have reflected this. And students hope the enlarged center will benefit a diverse array of students. "The Islamic Center will serve both the Muslim community at Tufts and the greater Tufts Community," Mustafa said.

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News

Light Switch Agression

March 31

Is it possible to aggressively flick a light switch on and off? I think I have actually discovered a new way for passive-aggressive people to let out their anger: and yes, that is to turn the light switch. On. And. Off. Very quickly, and as hard as you can.I lived in France last semester and apparently, leaving the lights on when you leave your room there is a serious offense. I am not sure why electricity costs more abroad - since France has almost as many nuclear power plants as America - but one suspects that in their own passive-aggressive way, the French politicians (no naming names here) deny all knowledge of them and take all the electricity to use for themselves and their bourgeois dinner parties. I discovered this "light switch aggression" after being lectured by my host mother who was bitter about my inability to keep the lights switched off when I was not in the house. The lecture, however, was only after an aggressive door slamming on my light-filled room after I left the house for ten minutes to return a late video. (The store, of course, was closed - meaning its lights were most definitely, and actually, off. Which is new for video stores, and mostly unheard of in the United States, where along with postal services and corporations they tend to fill America and the rest of the universe with a shared glory of luminosity.) I quickly returned, fully intending to apologize for the aggressive door-slamming. Instead, I was greeted bitterly: "You left the lights on." "Oh." "This is not the first time. You have left the lights off many times before." Therefore, because it is important, this is the part where I pause to stop and stare at the flickering lights on the TV, attempting to remember when, indeed, I had left the lights on. Considering that I religiously turn the lights off whenever I leave the house, I doubted seriously that I had left them on so many times but was trying hard to remember anyway. After my arrival in France where I was lectured for considerable amounts of time about the lights - she turned the lights off for me while I was still in the room - but I did not need them since apparently she thought I could read with my eyes closed Upon reflection, I suppose I would not remember, since she found them on and turned them off for me, now didn't she? Or at least I am sure her thinking would go that way. She considers my pause to contemplate as an affront. I guess I am just a slow thinker, (after all, I fit in the passive-aggressive category), because she carries on without waiting for a response. "Oh yes, do not deny it, you left the lights on. Many times!" Again, I pause to think. "Well, usually I don't. I guess I forgot. But ..." "No, you leave them on a lot. Considering that you leave them on all the time when you are there at night, you do not need them on during the day, too!" Rather than continuing to argue with her, I nod my head and leave the room. To calm myself down, I go into the kitchen to make myself tea. And on the way out, I flick the light switch off, as hard as I can. Just so she can hear the little click as the kitchen light is extinguished.Elizabeth Lash is a senior majoring in International Relations.

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News

James Bond game is stirred not shaken

March 31

Look! It's a first-person shooter. No, wait, it's an action-adventure game. No, wait, it's both. Games like Red Faction (THQ) did this well. Half-Life (Sierra) did this well. Deus Ex (Eidos?) did this well. And Agent Under Fire tries to do it, but ultimately comes up short. These games all try to do the same thing - create a hybrid that draws from the strengths of the best first-person shooters (a la the Quake series) and the best action-adventure games (the Metal Gear Solid series). Essentially, it's an attempt at creating a first-person shooter experience with a plausible, dramatic, and entertaining story. Red Faction had the whole package: a compelling story, superb gameplay, and brilliantly designed levels. Half-Life pioneered this genre of games some three or four years ago and its success rested squarely upon its story and its intense atmosphere. Deus Ex did the same. Agent Under Fire's real weakness is that it fails to shine in any one of these areas. The story is solid but fairly unoriginal and uninspired; the gameplay lacks originality; and the levels are moderately sized but poorly designed. The result is a game that is supremely mediocre: nothing more and nothing less.Gameplay It's all pretty standard here. You run, shoot, drive, and use gadgets. That's what James Bond always does, so that's what he does here. And the control to get you there is fairly solid in Agent Under Fire. While I did have some issues with the default control scheme - mainly with the pitch being too fast - you have a variety of options to reconfigure the controls. So after a little tinkering, the control is fairly solid - although the overall speed of the game, especially in multiplayer, feels bogged down. I'm not referring to the framerate, but that the characters themselves simply move slowly. And while there is an option to make them faster, I didn't find it very noticeable. The various levels are scattered and each is designed completely separately from the next. There's a lack of coherency, making it feel like sections of footage were merely patched together to create a final product. And the James Bond gadgets are here in full force. But from a gameplay standpoint, they're not used well at all. For instance, in one level where you must rescue a hostage who is tied up, you have to cut her loose using a handy dandy handheld laser. But why? I feel like most of these gadgets are forced into use. In any non-James Bond game, your character would "untie" the hostage without the use of the laser and you wouldn't think anything of it. So...why the laser? It's Bond, dude, that's all it is. Grade: CGraphics Running at a constant 60 frames per second, Agent Under Fire is generally a pretty game. But it is far from perfect. The biggest graphical letdowns are the explosions. Simply put, they look crappy. They look like two-dimensional orange blobs. Sure, it's a minor point. But for an effect that's so prevalent and so often measured as a benchmark of graphics, you'd expect more from a top quality title. Where are the flashy particle effects the Gamecube is capable of? They're not here. Moreover, the textures are clean and crisp and the animation of the characters is above average. The characters don't display the detail or fluidity of movement found in other top caliber games though (Metal Gear Solid 2 comes to mind). And Agent Under Fire handles a wide variety of incoherent levels nicely. From driving through cities, to running through elaborate corporate complexes, the graphics hover above par. A solid Gamecube effort, Agent Under Fire fails to really shine in the graphical department. It simply doesn't push the envelope like other Gamecube offerings.Grade: B-Sound How many times do I need to hear the James Bond theme song? Enough already. While this isn't the only background noise in the game, it sure does feel that way at times. And the other sound effects are also pretty mediocre. The voices are fairly well done - it seems that game developers are finally realizing that having good voice acting really can help a game. Thank God that the days of the voice-acting from the original Resident Evil on Playstation I are gone. It seems that developed editors finally hired real voice actors. Good job. But much like the rest of the game, while solid, it lacks shine. Is it unrealistic to think that they could have gotten Pierce Brosnan to do the voiceovers? Well, yeah, probably...but then again, Tobey Maguire (who plays Spiderman in the new high-budget comic book flick coming out next month) and with Bruce Campbell are doing the voice acting in the new Spiderman game. Throw in the standard gunshot and explosion noises and once again we find an average offering from Agent Under Fire in the sound department. Grade: C-Replay Value I'm a fan of the game that provides depth in single-player mode. After all, for $50 of my money, I'd like a game that will keep my attention for a while. Agent Under Fire really proves lackluster in its single-player mode. Lacking an intense story to draw you in, and lacking a crispness in level design (not to mention some weak, if not down right stupid, enemy A.I. in places), interest in the single-player mode fades quickly. The multiplayer mode, however, is substantially stronger. And thankfully, it's fully customizable. You choose which weapons are available each round; you choose the number of enemy bots; you choose the strength of the bots; you choose which Bond gadgets are available; you choose how fast the players move, etc. The options abound here, and when configured to your liking provide for a pretty fun multiplayer experience. While I never owned an N64 or had the chance to experience the ultimate Bond multiplayer game Goldeneye, my friends who did assure me that this is the best multiplayer Bond game since. While I'm more of a fan of squad-based multiplayer games, such as those found in Unreal Tournament and Counter Strike, the multiplayer in Agent Under Fire is quite fun. With a few friends, you'll keep coming back for this action. Grade: B+Overall Poor and inconsistent level design, average graphics and sound, and a weak single-player mode really bog down Agent Under Fire. With some more imagination and innovation, and a little more shine, this could have been something special. As it stands, though, it falls right to the middle of the heap. Overall: C+

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News

Students opt for more homework after graduation

March 31

Facing an economic recession and a tight post-9/11 job market, graduating seniors are having a rough time finding post-graduate employment for next year. According to a nationwide survey of 237 employers conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, as reported by CNN, the hiring of new college graduates stands to decrease by 20 percent. CNN also reports that "the national unemployment rate for those between the ages of 20 and 24 was 9.6 percent in December, up from 6.9 percent" last year. Given the dim job outlook, more graduating seniors and recent grads have opted to hunker down and weather the storm in graduate school - and the volume of graduate school applications is booming. A Jan. 24 New York Times article cited application increases of up to 50 to 70 percent at top business, law, and doctorate programs. According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, the number of students taking the GMAT for business school increased by 12 percent from 2000 to 2001. Tufts' graduating seniors are acutely aware of the current economic situation. Even if their post-graduation plans haven't changed, they realize that they are vulnerable to tougher admissions competition at graduate schools. "I was going to apply to law school anyway," said senior Beth Rotenberg, an International Relations and Spanish double major. "So I wouldn't say the economy affected my plans directly, although I do look at the state of the economy now and I'm glad I'm set on what I want to do." Rotenberg adds that the recession and the resulting surge in applications made her consider the competition. "There really are a lot more people applying this year, so I was advised to apply to as many schools as I could afford to... I'm glad I applied to as many as I did," Rotenberg said. She has already been accepted at several schools. Senior Kevin Welsh, a Spanish and Environmental Studies double major, has also been admitted to law school. He echoed Rotenberg's appraisal. "The fact that there's more applicants definitely didn't help, but the economy didn't affect my plans," he said. According to senior class dean and pre-law advisor Jean Dillon, students have to prepare well in advance of their senior year in order to apply to schools, which can reduce the impact the recent economy and the post-9/11 job shortage can have on such students. "Most seniors entering law school have been talking to me since their junior year - scheduling the LSAT, arranging their schedules," Dillon said. "Basically these students had prepared beforehand, so it's doubtful that something like 9/11 could influence them too much." Dillon does say that the increase in applications has made it difficult to forecast students' admissions prospects as in years past. "For the first time I'm telling kids I really have no idea what their chances are at schools like BC and NYU because applications are up so much." But Dillon attributes much of the application boom to dwindling job opportunities. "I'm hearing things like, 'I lost my job and I'd been thinking about law school' more often this year, definitely," she said. Graduate schools welcome the increase in applications, partly because schools appear more selective with such a large applicant pool. Rather than expand class sizes, adds Dillon, law schools are maintaining enrollment levels or even scaling them back. Daunting as the situation may seem for applicants, some seniors see graduate school as a prerequisite for their field of interest. "I definitely need grad school to do what I want to do," senior Marjorie Scheker said. Scheker is a Spanish major who plans to study music entertainment management. She also hears from graduates how difficult it can be to find work. "I have friends who've been looking for months; it's kind of scary." Jean Papalia, Director of Career Services, says she has noticed effects of the weakened economy on seniors and their plans for after graduation. "Seniors are appropriately concerned about the job market," Papalia said, citing an increase in the number of students who are applying to graduate school and job-hunting at the same time. "They want to ensure that they're doing something meaningful next year. By generating options, they feel that they are 'protecting' their interests and taking control of their futures in an uncertain economy."

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News

Another Incident of Intolerance on the Campus

March 31

To the Editor:It was reported to my office this week that two individuals, both Black female Tufts students, were personally targeted in an incident of intolerance as they walked on Professors' Row in front of Metcalf Hall at 3:50 a.m. on Feb. 16. At that time, four or five white males, 18 to 22 years old, drove by in a white Mercury Sable. The men shouted racist and sexist obscenities at the women and threw eggs at them, striking them on the legs.This was an awful incident. An event that makes any of our students unsafe on campus injures our whole community. There is no reason to think that it was Tufts students who committed this reprehensible act, but there is also no way to rule out that possibility. The police, who were informed of this incident on March 1, are investigating the circumstances, but have few leads to pursue. If anyone has any information that might help identify the perpetrators, please inform the Public Safety Department immediately. I also encourage anyone who is victimized on this campus to report the incident as soon as possible. Finding those responsible for crimes like this one must be a high priority. Letting others know that we deplore the hatred expressed is just as important.

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News

Career services steps it up to prepare students for shaky job market

March 31

With commencement looming on the horizon, many second-semester seniors have found themselves stressing over their immediate futures. From work to grad school to time off, options abound. To help students make these often difficult decisions, Career Services has hosted numerous activities over the past few months geared especially toward seniors. Over the past few months, the staff at Career Services has offered a variety of information sessions, career panels, and resume workshops preparing students for careers in anything from advertising and the environment to engineering and working abroad. The Career Services website, careers.tufts.edu, details a full schedule of programs and services that students can take advantage of. In an effort to help students find jobs and obtain internships in areas of interest, Career Services conducts networking nights, as well as internship and job fairs, and provides assistance with r?©sum?©s, cover letters, and interviews. "We know that seniors are grappling with a range of career issues," Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said. For "a student who knows exactly what she wants to do, but can't find the 'right job,' we can help hone networking skills. For a senior who is overwhelmed , 'I don't know what to do,' we offer assessment tools coupled with career counseling." Close to 70 students attended Wednesday's Finance Networking Night, where interested students had the opportunity to meet 12 Tufts alumni in the finance field. "In terms of networking, it's not like making serious contacts," senior economics major Mir Reza said after the event. A Career Decision Making Workshop will be held on April 8. Other upcoming events include panels on careers in government, public service, investment banking, and non-profit organizations. "We vary our program format to meet the needs of all students," Papalia said. One recent event asked alumni to advise students on "finding jobs in a tough economy." Their advice? "Network, network, network." Reza said she felt the event could have used some more seasoned panelists. "Most of the people there were entry-levels, so they didn't really have much clout in their companies," Reza said. "I'd definitely try to get alumni in senior positions so they are in better positions to help you get your foot in the door." Sultan Chatila, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, has also used Career Services for r?©sum?© critiques, internship searches, and graduate school searches. Chatila said the Career Services Resource Library in Dowling Hall - which boasts a multi-media collection of resources for career development - set him off in the right direction. "I found a lot of helpful information. The resource center is great for people looking for a starting point," Chatila said. The Resource Library contains periodicals and directories as well as Graduate School Rankings and videos of recent workshops.

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News

Maryland vs. Kansas, too good to be true?

March 31

With the official start of the big dance less than 24 hours away, here's your cheat sheet for one half of the field of 64, specifically the East and Midwest regions: EastThe East bracket has a lot of big names whose seasons have not lived up to predictions. That means a host of good early-round match-ups, with some teams packing their bags earlier than expected. Big Boys1. Maryland (26-4) - The Terps are led by senior guard Juan Dixon, who averages 19.3 points a game and senior center Lonny Baxter, who dominates down low with 15.2 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. Strong play by Byron Mouton and Steve Blake has the Terps looking for their first NCAA Championship. If the Terps want to improve on their final-four appearance from last season, they will need a solid contribution from Chris Wilcox and their deep bench.2. Connecticut (24-6) -The Huskies pulled off what no fan outside of Storrs, CT thought was possible: winning the Big East Tournament. With that victory already under its belt, UConn heads into the tournament with a newfound sense of confidence, but an overall presence that has lower seeds gunning for it. In order for the Huskies to give Maryland a run for the East, they need big play from co-Big East Player of the Year Caron Butler, who averages 19.5 points a game.5. Marquette (26-6) - Who is Dwyane Wade? Many college basketball fans may not even recognize this name, but after the NCAA tournament the entire country will know this man. Not only is this sophomore guard an All-Conference USA Selection, but more importantly - along with fellow guard Cordell Henry who shoots 37.5 percent from three-point range - he has led the Golden Eagles into the mix of NCAA contenders. Although the Golden Eagles are only a five seed, look for them to make waves in Maryland's side of the bracket.6. Texas Tech (23-8) - The Red Raiders are not really Big Boys, but they also are not sleepers. Although Texas Tech is the sixth seed, they might have the easiest route to the Sweet 16. Bobby Knight does not like to lose and a tough first round win against Southern Illinois followed by a victory over an overrated three seed like Georgia could find them battling with Uconn for a spot in the Elite Eight. The Red Raiders have three players averaging 15 points or better, and when they work on all cylinders they are tough to beat.Sleepers13. Valparaiso (25-7) - Look out for this 13 seed in the first round. Valpo has great upset potential, especially since they are matched against the very streaky Kentucky Wildcats. Although the Crusaders have not beaten any top-25 teams this season, they have played tough games against Kansas (81-73) and Arizona (74-70). And they have also won 14 of their last 15 games. Aside from that, Valpo brings a balanced attack to the table, with all five of their starters averaging in double figures. 11. Southern Illinois (26-7) - At large bid from the Missouri Valley Conference? The committee obviously thinks this team is no joke, so they must be respected. The Salukis lost in the finals of the conference tournament 84-76 to a tough Creighton team, who is seeded 12 in the Midwest. This team can go nine deep on a regular basis, with the capability to go 11 deep. A balanced scoring attack and fresh legs on the floor will provide a tough match-up for Knight's Red Raiders.StalematesEight-nine game- Wisconsin (18-12) vs. St. John's (20-11). This is going to be a battle in Washington, DC. Red Storm head coach Mike Jarvis is familiar with battles in DC as he was the coach at George Washington University before he took the job at St. John's. Jarvis' team is led by junior-standout and all Big East performer Marcus Hatten. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Hatten continues to amaze doubters scoring 19.9 points per game. Don't let the record fool you, the Badgers like to slow the ball and take good shots, which could play right into their hands as the Red Storm turnover the ball nearly twice to every assist. Although Wisconsin only averages 66.9 points per outing, it has shown throughout the season that they can win the big games, as they are 5-2 versus top 25 teams. The team leaders are Kirk Penney and Devin Harris, combining for 27.5 of the teams 99.9 points a game. The loser of the game goes home, but the winner's fate might be the same as their victory is fed to the number one seed Terrapins.Seven-ten game- North Carolina State (22-10) vs. Michigan State (19-11). The Wolfpack are this year's ACC tournament runner-up and Michigan State did not even make it to their conference semi-finals. NC State has 22 wins, by far its most in a long time. Mich. State has 19 wins and 11 losses, and that is not even including the postponed game against Virginia it was losing. The game seems lopsided on paper, so why is it a stalemate? Becase NC State is a relatively young team with little post-season experience. NC State is the only non-ranked opponent that has defeated Maryland all season. Senior guard Anthony Grundy is the Pack's heart, if he gets shut down the Wolfpack get shut down. The Spartans also have to contend with a rack of talented freshman. On the other hand, the Spartans are only one of four teams to beat Oklahoma this year, showing their big game potential. As the Wolfpack rely on Grundy, the Spartan rely on sophomore Marcus Taylor. If NC State can keep him below his season average of 16.8 points a game, they should be OK. If not the Pack could be in for a long day.Overrated3. Georgia (21-9) and 4. Kentucky (20-9) - Both play in a somewhat overrated conference in the SEC and both lost in the first round. Coach Jim Harrick has a plethora of talent on his Bulldog squad, but their lack of experience might hurt them in the long run. The Wildcats have a similar upside in a great coach, Tubby Smith. Their downside is that they have one superstar in Tayshaun Prince and an underachiever in Keith Bogans. Kentucky is always going to make a run for the title, but they might be stopped short in the first round to a red-hot Valparaiso team.Prediction: An ACC elite eight leads to Maryland heading to the final four for the second straight season. Look for Marquette to challenge the Terps in the sweet 16, also look for Texas Tech to go to the elite eight instead of NC State.MidwestWhile the Midwest bracket lacks some of the big names the East has, it has just as many exciting match-ups. And if Cinderella will be crowned princess at all this year, she will most likely be from the Midwest.Big Boys1. Kansas (29-3) - Rock jock Jayhawks: this juggernaut was the number-one team in the country until it lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament Finals. Kansas has an excellent outside game to complement its dominant inside presence. The Jayhawks are composed similarly to the Chicago Bulls of the mid-'90s. They are led by All-American Drew Gooden (20.3), who has a Michael Jordan like presence on the court being able to score from the inside or out. Gooden is complemented by team's version of John Paxson and Steve Kerr in Nick Collison (15.6 points per game) and Kirk Hinrich (15.8 points per game), who shoots 49.2 percent from three-point land. Any way you look at, Kansas will be a tough shoe to polish and will most likely make a showing in the final four.2. Oregon (23-8) - Oregon came within two games of being the first school since the '60s to win the PAC-10 title in football and basketball in the same year. Even with a semi-final loss to one of the hottest teams in college basketball, USC, the Ducks are still a force to be reckoned with. The squad is led by Frederick Jones, who averages 18.5 points per game. If the Ducks hit their three-point attempts, they might quack their way to the elite eight. Oregon shoots 42.4 percent from three-point range as a team.3. Mississippi State (26-7) - The Bulldogs might be the hottest team in college basketball, as they have won their last eight games, including a SEC Championship against number two seed in the South, Alabama. Mississippi State wins games by playing good defense and showing a wide variety of line-ups. The Bulldogs can play up to ten players a game, which will pay off the further they get in the tournament. Sleepers9. Western Kentucky (28-3) - After a win at Kentucky in its first game of the season, the Hilltoppers have not looked back. They are led by center Chris Marcus, who averages 16.4 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. Senior Derek Robinson shoots 45.8 percent from three-point range and averages 10.6 points a game. Western Kentucky is a deep team that can play 10-11 players a game.12. Creighton (22-8)- Once again the Bluejays played their way into the field of 65. They defeated Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Finals, but were seeded lower than the Salukis. Creighton is a deep team that can play with the best. They beat Western Kentucky earlier this season and playing the streaky Florida Gators in the first round might help.StalematesSeven-ten game- Wake Forest (20-12) vs. Pepperdine (22-8). This could be the toughest game in any bracket to pick. The Demon Deacons hail from the always respected ACC Conference, but Pepperdine has been a giant slayer all season. Wake performed as they were expected to in the ACC tourney, winning their first game and losing to Duke in the semis. The Deacons have been playing big games all season because of their tough schedule. However, they have not performed up to par in most of those games as their 3-9 record versus top 25 teams reflects. Wake's pulse is senior, Darius Songaila. He averages 17.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Also look for big contributions from Josh Howard and Craig Dawson for the Deacons pull out this victory. The Waves of Pepperdine have the potential to go to the elite eight, but are also very beatable in the first round. Gonzaga has been a constant thorn in the Waves side as they have won 17 of their last 19 with their only two losses coming to the hands of the Bulldogs. Pepperdine is a well-balanced team that relies on six players for most of their scoring. Wake or Pepperdine will certainly give Oregon a run for their money in the second round.Six-eleven game - Texas (20-11) vs. Boston College (20-11). This game is most likely the least interesting six-eleven match-up, but be sure Longhorn and Eagle fans will be tuned in. This battle showcases the middle of the pack from the Big 12 and the middle of the Big East. Texas had one of the most demanding schedules of the year and performed relatively well. Out of eleven losses, only four did not come to top 25 teams. The Horns have the nations leading assist man in freshman T.J. Ford as well as three big time scorers. With an all-around game, they should be tough for BC to handle. Boston College is destined for a first-round loss. Many felt the Big East is in overrated conference and the Eagles are an overrated team. The only way for BC to win this game would be for another player to step up besides Troy Bell. Bell averages 21.4 points a game. Containment of Bell, forcing other members of the team to play will propel Texas to the second round.Overrated4. Illinois (24-8), 5. Florida (22-8), and 8. Stanford (19-9) - The Illini have had a decent season, but maybe over seeded. Illinois did win their last seven league games, but exited early in the tourney to eventual champs, Ohio State. Even though they are overrated, the Illini might still find their way to the sweet 16 because their probable opponents in the second round are cold. The Florida Gators struggled their way to a 10-6 conference record. They have elite eight potential, but heavily rely on the three. One bad game from the arch could be the end of the Gators season. Stanford has lost three of their last five games and has received an eight seed based on the PAC-10's reputation. The Cardinal might fall hard from their elite eight appearance a season ago and all to the Hilltoppers in the first round.Prediction: Kansas gets the bid to the final four, but look for Oregon or the winner of the Wake/Pepperdine to give them a run for their money. Illinois or Florida gets to the sweet 16, but Kansas will be waiting to thwart any efforts to make the elite eight.

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