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Bacow opposed to grad student unionization

March 31

Speaking out on the graduate student unionization debate, University President Larry Bacow told faculty members yesterday that a union would run counter to the interests of the Tufts community.A group of students known as the Association of Student Employees at Tufts (ASET) are working to gain representation on issues of stipends, working conditions, workloads, and health benefits. Their efforts gained new momentum earlier this week when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided to recognize graduate students as employees.ASET sought collective bargaining rights through the United Automobile Workers (UAW), and filed a petition with the Boston office of the NLRB on Dec. 7. The group also created a website to argue their case. In the Feinleib Lecture Hall yesterday, Bacow led Tufts' faculty in a discussion about the unionization process. Saying that he was "not anti-union," Bacow insisted that this is not an issue of ideology but rather a question of "whether or not the UAW representing our graduate students here at Tufts will strengthen the graduate program."Bacow was not weighing in on the debate for the first time. On the Tufts' website, he wrote that "I believe it would be a mistake for graduate students to unionize. The relationship between faculty member to graduate student is not one of employer to employee." Yesterday, faculty members at the meeting were divided over the question. English Professor Liz Ammons said it was an issue of ideology as well as practicality. She asked listeners to think about "how workers with very little power can improve their lives."Other faculty members, like philosophy Professor Daniel Dennett, were undecided on the issue. For them, the main concern was that restrictions might come about in a unionized faculty-graduate relationship. "If they are severe, that's what will sway me," said Dennett. Whatever the ramifications, the issue is far from being resolved. The NRLB must now decide which students belong to the "bargaining unit," or group of graduates who will vote in on-campus elections. While a majority of votes cast by secret ballot will determine if graduate students are to unionize and be represented by the UAW, the University is concerned about students who may be excluded. "If we think its appropriate for students to vote [by the National Labor Relations Act] then we think all students should have the right to vote," Bacow said. In a letter to the Daily, graduate student Tiffany Magnolia claimed responsibility for calling the UAW. "Only with a united voice can graduate students have a say in the terms and conditions of their employment," she said. Many at Tufts have disagreed, and some have formed an opposition group: Why Have a Union at Tufts (WHUT). Comprised solely of graduate students who claim no link to the administration, WHUT runs a competing website created "to provide information to fellow graduate students about the implications a union may have on all graduate programs." WHUT members say that dues, lengthy contract negotiations, and strikes would be the detrimental effects of unionized graduate students. They also content that the Graduate Student Council (GSC) could address these issues better than a union. Fellow graduate student Carl Martin disagrees, saying that while it is true that the GSC can address specific issues, "the administration hasn't been listening." With the UAW, he says, the University will be "obliged legally to negotiate".Graduate student Joe Ramsey said his connection to the University is more than just as a scholar. In a recent viewpoint, Ramsey wrote, "I myself am a graduate student and a teacher here at Tufts. I lecture for the English department, providing a service for which I am paid, and upon which the University depends." Martin agreed, saying that the jobs graduate students perform at Tufts are the type that they would put on a future resume. The jobs are part of the educational process but "that doesn't invalidate the very real employment." Similar issues have arisen in other Universities nationwide. In the spring of 2001, graduate students at New York University overcame heavy opposition to unionize, setting a precedent among private institutions of higher education. Groups at schools such as Colombia, Brown, and UPenn, are now working to follow suit. Bacow welcomed this debate at Tufts between students on campus, saying that he respected that "others may have different views and that's what being a university is all about."

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News

Changing Tufts for the better

March 31

Welcome to Tufts, a delinquent community with morons and geniuses, progressives and conservatives, jerks and sweet souls. People of all backgrounds and identities comprise this community. Now, this home is yours, so I challenge you to make it your own. In my past two years at Tufts, I have experienced tears and laughs, triumphs and defeats. Tufts has become my home, my community, and my family. Through my personal interactions, I have realized that Tufts is not what it seems. It is not the conscious, progressive, and diverse place it claims to be. Through my involvement with the Asian American Curriculum Transformation Project (AACT) and the Coalition, I began to see that Tufts is not only an institution, but also a corporation that cares more about its economic welfare than the progression of its students and their pursuit of knowledge. I became sickened by the reality that my history professor's idea of the "Emerging American Society" is one that examines the history of the United States with only a secondary examination of the impact of people of color. I became sickened by the hate crimes that happen every single year on campus and the lack of an institutionalized, prompt response to educate and inform the student population. I became sickened by Tufts' endorsement of a certain campus publication that promotes racism, sexism, and homophobia. Last year, a group of students from all backgrounds and experiences formed a group informally called the Coalition, and we began to alert the campus of neglected problems within our respective communities. Working with students appalled by indifference, we organized into the wee hours of the night and presented our frustration at the Trustee luncheon held last spring. Through our efforts, the administration responded by granting Tufts students a full-time tenure track position to address the history, literature and study of the Asian-American community. However, that was just the beginning. This year, we are looking forward to the implementation of policies and changes at Tufts that address our concerns. The following are some of our plans of action for this coming year. First, we hope to create a body that holds campus publications accountable for their content. This body would listen to the concerns of Tufts students, preventing and penalizing organizations that spread messages of hate targeting individuals and groups. Second, the AACT Project will continue to work for the inclusion of the Asian-American perspective in the Tufts curriculum in a variety of ways: through the establishment of new courses, modification to existing courses, and hiring of competent, sustaining faculty to teach these courses across all departments. Third, the Latino Curriculum Transformation Project will begin, with the immediate concern of creating a new faculty position and finding a professor who can fill the need for instruction in Dominican and Puerto Rican literature and culture within the Romance Language Department. Fourth, we will examine why we have seen a continuous problem with the retention of faculty of color at Tufts, but it appears little research and analysis has been conducted on the reasons for their departures. Fifth, we see a desperate need for effective, mandatory diversity training for professors and during freshman orientation - which we will begin to address. Last but not least, we will begin to try to eliminate frequent hate crimes on campus. There needs to be institutionalized, immediate administrative responses to hate crimes to inform the whole student body. Furthermore, proactive programming needs to be created to prevent hate crimes, so that the community will not just be programmed to respond when incidents occur. These are just some of the diversity problems that need to be addressed at Tufts. You have the opportunity to jump right in, be proactive, and make a true difference. The Coalition was formed last year, and now it is time for it to flourish and to make sustained improvements to Tufts. As freshmen, you bring fresh perspective, energy, and creativity into our community. Tufts is far from perfect, so I challenge you to grab on to these opportunities to make a difference and to embrace and better your home for the next four years. David Wu is a junior majoring in Psychology and American Studies.@keywords:David Wu#Race

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News

Two disturbing art films, one worth seeing

March 31

Winter is here, and that means it's time for all those movies that were afraid to get clobbered in the winter box office to peep out their heads and take their month in the limelight.Shaky Camerawork, Film This month, the 12th official Dogme film will be released in the US. The Dogme movement, which forever changed Danish filmmaking back in 1995 with the release of the dark comedy The Celebration, were meant to bring back realism by using only hand-held cameras, natural lighting, and bare bones production sound. Twelve films later, it seems that the sentiment is lost but the process remains. The camerawork still looks shaky, the dialogue still sounds coarse, but the plot holds none of the intensity of Dogme's earlier films. Italianfor Beginners is a love and loss story about six strangers who meet in a community college Italian class. A variety of grief-inspiring events bring the strangers together, ultimately leading to the sappy and predictable denouement. Individually, the characters are well developed and realistic. As a group they seem bonded by only a quiet desperation to escape their depressing lives, which are plagued by the death of their relatives. The widowed minister (Anders W. Berthelsen), Olympia, the clumsy bakery clerk (Anette Stovelbaek), and Karen, the passionate hairdresser (Ann Eleonora Jorgensen) have all recently experienced the loss of their wife, father, mother, or some other generic family member. Hal Finn (Lars Kaalund), a sports bar manager, is laid off and reluctant to find other employment. Finn is fluent in Italian and takes the college course only to impress the women in the class. When the instructor dies of a heart attack, Finn decides to run the class. The film is rated R, supposedly for language and sexuality, but the true reason is because somebody dies tragically every ten minutes. Italian for Beginners is undeniably morose, in spite of the characters' abilities to wash away the stench of death in sexual intercourse and good conversation. If you believe that six people can have nothing in common and be brought together by a language they don't speak, see this movie. If you get motion sickness, hate subtitles (this movie contains German and Italian), or want to enjoy your evening, don't see this movie.Dark, Darker, DarkoDonnie Darko creeped me out from the moment I went to its web site (www.donniedarko.com). The web site is as mysterious as the film, which has been shrouded in secrecy despite the star-studded cast put together by producer Drew Barrymore. Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky) portrays the brooding schizophrenic "Donnie" Darko. Donnie, a high school student whose life is slowly torn apart by his paranoid schizophrenia, searches for the truth behind his vivid hallucinations. Donnie's discoveries threaten to unravel the world around him. Within this paranoid state he is frequented by a grotesque human-sized rabbit named Frank who warns him of the earth's impending doom. Donnie's parents cling to him as he pushes them away, and he finds solace in the arms of his girlfriend Gretchen (Jena Malone). Gretchen runs from her ghosts, while Donnie now seems determined to contend with his. He challenges the preaching of a popular local 12-step author (Patrick Swayze), lays siege upon his high school, and comes to accept his own wild imagination. Unfortunately, Donnie Darko is only being released to theaters in select locations. It recently premiered in the Boston area at the Brattle Theatre, whose selections are a refreshing alternative to the typical box office buffet. Intended for release nearly three months ago, Darko was most likely held back due to the graphic plane crash that sets the film in motion. If you missed it in the theater and you still want to see it, don't sweat it - Donnie Darko is scheduled to be released on DVD this March.

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News

UCCPS expands Omidyar Scholars Program

March 31

The Omidyar Scholars Program, designed to foster active citizenship at Tufts, will again increase its numbers next fall, allowing for a new total of 55 participants in the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) program. The spaces left by the seven current senior scholars will be filled, and eight new spaces will be added. UCCPS Student Leadership Program Director Carey Levitt said the decision to minimally expand the program stemmed from "an ongoing discussion between Omidyar scholars, UCCPS staff, and our major donor." She said the UCCPS plans to sustain the overall size of the program while providing opportunities for incoming freshmen as well as undergraduates not yet involved. The program is primarily funded by University alumni Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, and his wife Pam, who will be this year's keynote commencement speakers. The Omidyars' initial gift of $10 million to Tufts in 2000 facilitated the launching of the UCCPS. Levitt said that the projected size of next year's student group is appropriate to meet the goals of the UCCPS. "This size feels right in terms of staff resources and time commitments," she said. The UCCPS plans to increase the number of scholars working with other Tufts students to broaden the program's reach and to spread the values of active citizenship, Levitt said. Scholars are selected based on "their potential to be leaders and model citizens at Tufts and in the larger community," as stated on the UCCPS web site. In its first year, 21 students participated in the Omidyar Scholars Program. The number grew to 47 for the 2001-2002 academic year. Omidyar Scholars are involved in both on- and off-campus active citizenship endeavors. Levitt said that "...scholars themselves are showing wonderful initiative for the community projects undertaken." Freshman scholar Morgan Harper is working with Somerville nonprofit Centro Presidente, which provides Latino immigrant families with everything from legal services to an after school art program for middle school students. The nonprofit is working to increase support for students wishing to pursue higher education, Harper said. "The Omidyar program made me aware of this specific opportunity, and has given me a lot of support as I work on my project, from planning to budgeting," she said. Harper supports the increase in student numbers. "I'm excited to have other people become a part of the program. I think both the incoming freshmen who areselected and the continuing undergraduates will bring new, exciting ideas with them," she said. She added that while diversity in any group can increase the difficulty of making decisions, the scholars' varied backgrounds and interests are a great benefit to the program. Junior scholar Nathan Machida called the program "the true embodiment of diversity." He said the conglomeration formed by each participant's unique ideas, interests, and perspectives has "broadened my outlook and has taught me the importance of taking all perspectives into account when working on a project." Machida is involved in planning an alternative Spring break trip for 15 students and four student leaders to Nicaragua next year. The project, called "BRIDGES," will pair the trip with a comprehensive course about international civic responsibility [see Features, page 3]. Senior Giuseppina D'Avanzo, a two-year Omidyar Scholar, is working with alma mater Everett High School to develop a stronger arts and humanities-based education. "It has been exciting to watch the [Omidyar Scholars Program] form. Over the past year the program has gone through tremendous changes for the better," D'Avanzo said. "This program has allowed me to meet new people, all of whom have extraordinary goals."

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News

Hits and Misses

March 31

Michelle MaloneStrange Bird Vol. 3Strange Bird Songs Records3/5 stars This album is just what you might expect from one of the Indigo Girls' favorite musicians - a collection of 14 tracks that range from angry grrrl rock to soulful acoustic crooning. Recorded live over the course of a year, Strange Bird is an eclectic compilation of styles and sentiments. The transition between tracks is not always the smoothest, but something tells me it captures Malone's spirit pretty accurately. To Malone's credit, she manages to have her moments of all-out rage without being as jarring as you might think. "On My Way" is one of the loudest tracks, but it's still tolerable. Malone really gets to shine on this album in the songs featuring just her with an acoustic guitar. Tracks like "The Edge" and "My Green Thumb" are the crowning achievements. While she lacks the lyrical genius of other female folk-rockers like Ani DiFranco, the spark is there. It just hasn't been realized yet on Strange Bird Vol. 3.-Kristen KeneippThe ComasA Def Needle In TomorrowPlastique/Yep Roc3.5/5 Given that The Comas originally set out to reinterpret the "alt country" genre a few years ago, one might not expect the work of art that is A Def Needle In Tomorrow, their last full-length studio effort. Traditional rock elements occasionally mingle with keyboards, the occasional sample, and violins - but the influence and talent of the group's four musicians is always present, in force. Def Needle is a pleasure to listen to, as it bounces like a sonic pinball between the influence of so much alternative and indie rock. With dragged-out vocal harmonies ("Tired"), 'stretchy' guitar sounds ("Rancor"), bouncy drum machines ("Sister Brewerton"), sing-along choruses ("Tiger in a Tower"), occasional-but-emotive keyboard solos, and enough variations in tempo to confuse even the most talented interpretive dancer, Def Needle's content could be traced back to Pavement, Built to Spill, and a thousand other indie bands. But its recipe is uniquely Comas. Looking for something new? This could be the place to start.-Rob BellingerMatt ZaneWords as CarriersInzane Records1 star Matt Zane is revered in the adult film industry for his artistic innovation. His bio claims he was "the one who took pornography and brought it kicking and screaming into '90s on such video classics as Cherry Poppers and Backstage Sluts." Though this detail is not directly relevant to Zane's latest effort - a rumbling, deep-voiced spoken word/poetry/short story recording - it does offer some explanation as to why listening to Words as Carriers might make you feel guilty. Essentially, this album is unpleasant. It's unpleasant to hear and unpleasant to think about. There might very well be a few nuggets of wisdom scattered within this album, but you'll have trouble finding them. The album is simply too grating to allow normally adjusted adults to withstand more than a few minutes. Zane touts this effort as "art without boundaries" and that's a pity, for Words could surely have benefited from a few.-Rob Lott

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News

Solution to the Tufts ticketing disaster

March 31

The campus has been graced by the presence of Al Gore, Bill Bradley, Colin Powell, Billy Joel, and now Bill Clinton. Tufts University will once again bring a huge name to come and speak. One would think there would be tremendous excitement and anticipation for this special event. After all, Bill Clinton is not only one of our greatest former presidents, but is a tremendously dynamic and charismatic speaker as well. However, the majority of Tufts students don't really care. Why not? Because if the administration uses the same method of ticketing as they have with the previous speakers, students know that they will have virtually no chance of getting in. When Al Gore and Bill Bradley paid visits, just a handful of tickets were available to the regular undergraduates; most of which were impossible to get. For Gore, students had to be recommended by their professors. The rest of Cabot Auditorium was filled with Fletcher Students, administration, and rich alumni. When Billy Joel came, there was tremendous demand for tickets, and the concert was to be held in Cohen Auditorium. The tickets were distributed using a ridiculous, overworked, inefficient, unfair online request system. Only 400 students of the 2,500-plus who wanted seats got to go. Those who didn't win the rigged computer lottery were forced to pay upwards of $100 a ticket from the Tufts students turned scalpers. So let us use these past debacles as a mandate to revise the ticketing system. We need a distribution method that actually looks out for the students (yeah the ones who pay the insane tuition to come here). Here are some suggestions. First of all, enough with Cohen Auditorium. Now I know how cozy and sweet it is, but truly what is so great about it? The acoustics? I don't think so. When there is high demand to see a certain speaker, let's hold the event in Tufts' BIGGEST arena, the Gantcher Center. It's new, it's big, the bathrooms are luxurious, and it can hold twice as many people as Cohen. Why turn people who want to go away? Also, we must get rid of the computerized lottery and the teacher recommendation methods. The best way to give out tickets is to distribute them first come, first serve, with a regular, ordinary, old LINE. Announce the time, place, and how many seats are going to be available, and give the tickets out in the order of the people in line. Let's say the Billy Joel tickets were given out first come, first serve at the campus center, rather than through the online lottery. With the tremendous demand for seats, the line would've formed the day before, causing a good portion of the student body to camp out at the campus center. In fact, this distribution method is used frequently around the nation at other universities whose students view the "camp out" as a huge social gathering and party opportunity. Also with the line method, the most adamant fans (at the front of the line) would prove themselves worthy and get the tickets through hardship, not because they have the fastest Internet connection. And at least those students who waited on the line and didn't get tickets would have still gained a memorable life experience. One last suggestion would be to broadcast the speech/performance in another location. Rather than limiting the viewing to the live audience, why not set up a screen somewhere else on campus and on TUTV so that all of Tufts can participate in the event. I'm sure people who can't get tickets would still like to see the show in some capacity. Now Bill Clinton is coming and the powers that be will probably conjure up another complicated, unfair ticketing method that just minimizes the number of students involved. Ticketing problems would be all but solved if they just employed the simple, the just, the democratic, the American method: the line. A line ensures the most deserving people get in, and also brings along the added bonus of a huge party outside. So before the administration shells out $100,000-plus of our dollars to get Bill Clinton, we should ask ourselves if it's really worth it for someone we're not going to see.

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News

Tootsie Pops, Twinkies, and the world of sports

March 31

In my life as a sports writer and enthusiast, I face countless burning questions which pertain directly to the heart of my fundamental existence. Some of these questions are answered simply. Take the following situation, for example:Random Column Enthusiast: Ethan, how on earth do you come up with such groundbreaking, innovative, veraciously witty, and awe-inspiring material for "The Red Zone" each and every week?Ethan (good looking columnist):I'm a genius. Simple questions like these are not what keep me up at night. An intellect such as my own cannot be bothered by such inane banter as the aforementioned dialogue. My mind tends to work on much deeper levels, pondering age old philosophical musings, such as: How many licks does it take to get the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? Or, how do they get the cream filling inside of the Twinkies? Quandaries like these riddle my life. Night after night I wrack my brain trying to answer these questions, to better the world with my thoughtful input. However, these questions pertain more to my philosophical being than my life as a sports writer, and since this is a sports column, I feel I should enlighten the sporting world with some of the conundrums that frequent my life. Consider this situation: You are sitting at home one morning, slouching in your La-Z-Boy with your belt unbuckled, enjoying a healthy breakfast of Cheetos and Pepsi; Stuart Scott, Dan Patrick, and the rest of the Sportscenter staff on the TV in front of you, when you think to yourself, "I sure could go for a pizza right about now." I'm sure many people have experienced the situation before. I know I have. I'm quite sure my department head and fellow columnist Dan Fowler has. Some of you may be experiencing this exact situation right now, and I salute you. For fear not fellow sports-lovers, you are not alone. Many share your plight. A wise political science professor once proposed the following as the basic philosophical quandary facing the world, the first of my sports related puzzles: "If you are drinking alone and watching Sportscenter, are you really drinking alone?" While on the surface this may appear to one of the more poignant inquiries into the world of the non-athlete sports fan, upon vast reflection and meditation one sees that the answer to the question is, simply, a resounding no. Sportscenter is a binding force among sports fans of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Rest assured that no matter when you are watching Sportscenter, be it at 12 a.m., 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 , 11 a.m., or even 12 p.m., someone else somewhere is watching too. Everyday, any fan can tune in to see the faces of Kenny Mayne, Kirk Kirkpatrick, or even Linda Cohn. On a good day you may even be able to catch the gentle jabs and funny catch phrases of the loveable Dick Vitale. "PTPer Baby!!" Sportscenter has become so intrinsic in the lives of sports fans everywhere that many would be lost without it, and I do not doubt the existence of support groups for Sportscenter withdrawal. Yet another dilemma that finds its way into my life pertains to my outspoken support of the Boston Red Sox. As an avid Red Sox fan, I am tempted to join my compatriots and buy into "Yankees Suck" propaganda. And as a lover of all things good, I naturally do not like New York. I don't like the Knicks and I despise the Jets. However, it is the Yankees problem that really puts me in a bind. I cannot, in good conscience, bring myself to hate the New York Yankees. As a lover of baseball, I can't hate a team that plays, day in and day out, the way that I wish my team would play. It would be in essence a sacrilege. However, when trying to rationalize this idea, I always find it tantamount to saying, "Hey, Satan's not that bad. He is, after all, the lord of darkness." How can I not hate the root of all evil, the nemesis to my heroes, the white whale to my Captain Ahab? It really sends my mind asunder. But the truth is that I cannot disrespect the Yankees by saying I hate them. I don't. I wish they would stop winning and give somebody else a chance, but I can't hate them. They're just too damn good. A third issue that is a constant annoyance to my happiness is this: What minion of Satan created the game of golf? Who concocted that twisted perversion that constantly torments my mind? Don't get me wrong; I love the game. I love everything about it, except that I cannot, no matter how much I play, get any better. I have hovered around a 15 handicap since the day I started playing. I have taken every lesson, read every book, taken every herbal remedy and psychedelic drug, had every therapy from acupuncture to psychic readings, and I do not drop a stroke. It is a mystery. But alas, such is the world of golf for me. I guess for now I will have to remain content writing, discussing, and contemplating the deeper meanings of Sportscenter and Tootsie Pops.

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News

Jumbos look to get back on track this weekend

March 31

For the hockey team, the inaugural year of NESCAC play has as expected proven more difficult than the less-competitive schedules of years past. As the team approaches the season's midpoint, it sits in the tenth and final position of the conference, with a record of 3-6 (4-8 overall). The Jumbos are hoping, however, that their come-from-behind victory over Skidmore College last weekend - also their first victory in a month - will signal a resurgence. "The toughest part of our season is almost in the past," junior tri-captain Mike Carceo said. "We're coming out of it right now, playing better and hoping to get into the playoffs." Over the winter break, the team faced some tough conference competition, including Williams, St. Anselm, and nationally-ranked Middlebury. It gave up 42 goals in six games during the slide, while only scoring 18 of its own. Still, the Jumbos are far from disheartened. "We're not discouraged in any way," coach Brian Murphy said. "We've continued to practice hard and have only suffered a couple of real discouraging losses. We won't let that keep us from what we want to accomplish, which is to improve." One bright spot for the squad throughout the month's turmoil was the play of senior goaltender Ian Kell. In nine games this season, he's clocked 443 total minutes, and has a saving percentage of .868 and a 4.87 GAA. He stood strong between the pipes last weekend, making 29 saves, including 13 in the second period against Skidmore. "He's played well in net and been doing a good job for us there," Murphy said. "Our defense is doing a good job of getting the puck out." Carceo also praised his teammates' recent performance. "He's just completely on his game," he said. "Ian's playing as well as he did before he took time off and is really playing with confidence." Kell and the Jumbos will get a lighter schedule towards the end of the season, but this weekend brings more potentially problematic opponents. Tufts will travel to Maine to faced top-notch Bowdoin and Colby. On Friday, the team squares off against the Polar Bears, who currently rank second in the NESCAC and boast a record of 6-0-3. That will be followed by a match against the fifth-place White Mules on Saturday night. Colby has lost only to Williams and top-ranked Middlebury "We don't go up there pretending that we're as talented as they are," coach Brian Murphy said. "We're going to do other things to compensate for that, and I think that we'll play well." While the Maine squads boast dominating, aggressive offenses, the Jumbos plan to counterattack with an equally strong defense. "We're going to try and slow down defensively to shut down their offense and stay on the puck at all times," Carceo said. Though the Jumbos are sitting in the cellar, they still have a legitimate chance at earning a playoff berth. The squads that currently occupy the bottom slots of NESCAC- Amherst, Wesleyan, Conn. College - all have yet to play the most competitive NESCAC teams. "We're not completely out of the playoffs yet," Murphy said. "We haven't played Amherst and Wesleyan yet, both of which we can beat. We've played the 6 toughest teams on the schedule so far. The toughest part of our season is behind us, particularly after this weekend. We certainly still have something to play for." In fact, Tufts has yet to play six NESCAC teams, and could feasibly nab the number seven spot in the league - good for a playoff spot. "In order to accomplish this, we still need to be more consistent," Murphy said. The team's freshmen, who fell into a rut over break after a strong start, may be the key. Three of the squad's top five scorers are freshmen - John Hurd (fourth, 14 points), Gino Rotondi (fourth, 14 points), and Shawn Sullivan (fifth, 12 points). They'll be tested this weekend, against tough competition and in front of considerably large crowds. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. Friday night and the Jumbos will return to the ice Saturday at 4 p.m.

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News

Women's swimming sinks Brandeis

March 31

After suffering two losses in a row, the women's swimming and diving team rallied on Saturday to defeat Brandeis, 165-127. With the win, the Jumbos boosted their record to 6-2 on the season. "People swam well last Tuesday, even though we lost [to MIT], " coach Nancy Bigelow said. "We continued to swim well on Saturday." Diver Beth Wecksell led the way for Tufts. In a 10-dive championship round in the 1-meter, Wecksell finished in second place with a score of 392.93. The score was high enough to meet the national qualifier, securing a spot in the National championship this spring.As with most of the meets this season, the Jumbos started off strong with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. That team - composed of senior tri-captain Sarah Hertzog, freshmen Katharine Ferguson and Erica Weitz and sophomore anchor Amanda Bloom - cruised into first place (157.64) with a margin of victory of almost ten seconds. "I love starting off the meet with an IM relay," Ferguson said. "It's great to start off strong and get the team going." In the past six meets, the Jumbos have won five of their six medley relays (both the 200 and 400). According to the most recent NESCAC listings, the Jumbos hold the seventh-fastest time in the 200-medley relay (1:57.83), clocked on Nov. 28 against Wellesley. The members of that team included sophomores Kierstyn Thayer and Mika Sumiyoshi, and freshmen Ferguson and Susan Ascoli. The team also holds the seventh best time in the NESCACs for the 400-medley relay (4:16.08), a time which it recorded on Dec. 1 against Bowdoin. That team was comprised of freshman Sarah Ferranti, Ascoli, Sumiyoshi, and Ferguson. The Jumbos have made a habit of more than just strong starts - finishes have brought similar success. The team has closed out its meets with a victory in the freestyle relay seven times in its past eight meets. Even against Bates, Tufts' most difficult challenger to date and the team's worst loss of the season (192-106), the 200 freestyle team (Thayer, Bloom, Ascoli, and freshman Katelyn Stevens) defeated the runner-up Bates squad by more than three seconds (1:46.05). "We've been switching it up a little," Ferguson said. "Trying to put the best, speediest, most motivated swimmers into the relays." That flexibility will allow Bigelow to experiment with the relays over the next couple weeks, during which she'll determine which swimmers join which relays for the Feb. 22-24 NESCAC Championships. Tufts will enter A and B squads in each relay. "My job over the next week will be to find the strengths of the team as well as look at people for their individual strengths to find the best teams," Bigelow said. "The A and B relay teams are a great way to involve the whole team and really make it a team championship instead of just an individual championship." This past weekend, Bigelow placed her athletes in more sprint swims than usual. Hertzog scored first place points in the 50 backstroke with a time of 30.68. Ferguson touched the wall first in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 33.75. She also took second place in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.37). Throughout the season, Ferguson has filled the shoes of Kristin Horton, the team's leader in the breaststroke last season, who graduated in May. "I've trained in all the strokes but have put a little extra into the breaststroke," Ferguson said. "I've been happy with my times this season and they have been pretty consistent throughout. Hopefully with the taper and rest, they will get even faster." Next weekend, Tufts will travel to face NESCAC leader Williams in the team's last regular season meet. Following the showdown against Williams, the Jumbos will have a weekend off before the NESCAC Championships. The team will be boosted by the return of Sumiyoshi, who has been out for the past two meets with a knee injury. Bigelow said her goal for the team is a sixth place finish at the championships.

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MLB heats up early on

March 31

Though only days old, the 2002 baseball season has had its fair share of exciting moments and stellar individual performances. Here's a look around the MLB so far: New York vs. Baltimore, Opening Day Save a few experts trying to be different, everyone is picking the mighty Yankees to repeat as AL champs and make their fifth straight World Series appearance. So when Roger Clemens, who went 20-3 while winning his sixth Cy Young Award last year, had surrendered no walks, no runs and one hit through the first 3 2/3 innings, no one was particularly surprised. But when David Segui hit a hard liner up the middle, Clemens instinctively reacted by reaching out his bare hand in an effort to field the ball. The liner hit Clemens hard in his pitching hand. After walking the next two batters, the Rocket gave up a grand slam to Orioles third baseman Tony Batista. Clemens left one out in the fourth, after surrendering eight runs, walking five and giving up seven hits. Though X-rays were negative, it was anything but a reassuring performance for those hoping Clemens maintains his dominating form. Cleveland vs. Anaheim, Opening Day The Cleveland Indians made history last season, becoming the first team to lose two players who finished in the top ten for MVP voting in the same off-season. Roberto Alomar was traded to the Mets over the winter, and Juan Gonzalez signed with the Texas Rangers. Yet if the Indians receive pitching like they did from Bartolo Colon on Sunday night, the lost offensive production will not be missed. Colon, anything but svelte, was as brilliant as he is hefty, tossing a complete game five-hitter, walking two and striking out five. The Indians scored four times in the opening frame, and never looked back, cruising to victory on the back of their largest horse.San Francisco vs. Los Angeles, Tuesday Like antiques, homes, and wine, Barry Bonds' value is improving with age. At 37, Bonds had the finest single season in the history of major league baseball in 2001. He clubbed 73 home runs last year, breaking Mark McGwire's three-year-old record of 70, and continued the trend in the Giants' opening day victory over the rival Dodgers. Bonds, who in 2002 could become only the fourth player in MLB history to reach the 600 home run plateau, continues to deflect attention away from himself and towards his ultimate goal of winning an elusive championship. With major dissention in San Francisco regarding all-star Jeff Kent's injured wrist, the Giants are lucky to have baseball's best all-around player. Kent broke the wrist in the preseason, and claimed it occurred while washing his car. Contrary reports, however, have stated that Kent actually injured the wrist while riding at high speeds on his motorcycle, an action officially prohibited in Kent's contract. Immature behavior has been a problem with Bonds in the past, but the veteran has righted his ways to become a rock in the Giants' lineup. With Bonds, manager Dusty Baker, and G.M. Brian Sabean, the Giants have a legitimate shot of winning the NL West.

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News

Neal Shapiro to accept Light on the Hill today

March 31

NBC News President Neal Shapiro will receive this year's "Light on the Hill" award today at 11 a.m. in the Coolidge Room in Ballou Hall. Rob Burnett, Emmy-Award winning CBS producer and this year's other recipient, will not be presented with the award until next semester. Shapiro will speak about the media since Sept. 11. His prior experience in the world of televised news, along with his current status as head of NBC's News division, make him a fitting speaker for the topic of post-Sept. 11 newscasts. According to the NBC web site, Shapiro oversaw the production of several major breaking-news stories, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, the death of Princess Diana, the Columbine tragedy, the war in Kosovo, and the Clinton impeachment trial when he worked as the executive producer of the Emmy Award winning Dateline. He also served as the executive producer for several hour-long specials, including reports on corporate layoffs in America, migrant farm workers, and welfare reform. In June 2001, Shapiro was appointed president of NBC News, the most-watched news organization in the world. He also oversees the cable news channel MSNBC. Before becoming news president of NBC and working as executive producer of Dateline, Shapiro worked at ABC. He has produced ABC's PrimeTime Live newsmagazine, Nightline, and worked in the company's Chicago bureau. A former Observer editor-in-chief, Shapiro graduated magna cum laude with degrees in history and political science. Shapiro has retained close ties to Tufts since his graduation, and he is currently chairman of the Communications and Media Studies Alumni Advisory Board. His visit to Tufts today will coincide with a Communication and Media Studies lecture.

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News

A two-sided truth

March 31

From the 11th to the second half of the 19th century, Turks and Armenians of Anatolia led a peaceful coexistence. In the entire history of the world there are no two other peoples with different languages and religions, who have managed to live together for such a long period. Our intention in writing this Viewpoint is not to create tension but rather to illustrate how the friendship between two nations is falling victim to political ambitions. This unfortunate situation can only be overcome by unbiased research that nourishes objective points of view. Benefiting from only one perspective is disgrace for the rational human being, since this only creates prejudice and bias on one's part. Therefore, we feel obliged to present the following arguments from two different perspectives to illustrate the fact that there are always two sides to history. It is true that one would use the "proof" that benefits one's own condition. Unfortunately, this is a misfortune on behalf of history as a social science. It is argued by those who recognize the so-called Armenian genocide that the number of deaths amount to 1.5 million. It should not be forgotten that any number in this case is falsifiable and varies according to different sources. For instance, the official number presented by the Encyclopedia Britannica is 600,000, contradicting the former. Another fact that is used to support the Armenian point of view is a quote by Adolf Hitler: "Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" However, Dr. Robert John, a historian and political analyst of Armenian descent, declared that this commonly used quotation of Hitler was a forgery and should not be used. Additionally, the US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, wrote a book documenting the tragedy in the dark year of 1915. However, it should be remembered that he and his successors who happened to be in Istanbul back then, had the possibility to obtain irrefutable proof certifying the responsibility of the Ottoman rulers in the said "genocide". But nothing of the kind happened, not even after all the Ottoman archives came under the control of the European occupying military forces. As you can see by the above facts, any argument that the Armenian side offers can be refuted. It is imperative to emphasize that the same exact case applies to the Turkish arguments as well. Our aim in proving some of the facts that are presented by the Armenian side false, is to demonstrate that this discussion can go on for years and years with each side presenting its own chosen "proofs" of their side being the correct one. It is important to note that many of the facts are not facts anymore: they are the photographs of photographs. In addition, every sensible person knows how the lobbies behind governments work and how politicians do not hesitate to use history as a political tool. For instance, although firmly pushed by the powerful Armenian lobby and the senators of states with large percentage of Armenian populations (such as Massachusetts), the US Senate refused to recognize what happened in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. Although under such immense pressure, the US Congress refused to pass the resolution simply because of its strong political ties to Turkey. On the contrary, as France is one of the countries with the largest number of Armenians residing outside of Armenia, it is not surprising to see it pass a resolution that recognizes the incident as genocide. This is just another example of how history is used as a political tool, since the French parliament voted for the resolution just before elections. To make our point clearer, we would like to quote a French politician: "I am not a historian. I am a politician and I have political goals that I have to reach. For that, I need votes and I am interested in the Armenian population's vote in France". These examples illustrate how sensitive historical issues can be used as political weapons in the arena of balance of power. For the sake of the discussion, we would like to point out a historical fact - an unarguable fact that cannot be distorted for any political ambition. The Republic of Turkey was founded by Ataturk in 1923. From the 14th century until 1922, the land of Turkey was part of the territory encompassing the multi-national, multi-religious state known as the Ottoman Empire. It is wrong to equate the Ottoman Empire with the Republic of Turkey in the same way that it is wrong to equate the Habsburg Empire with the Republic of Austria. Therefore, it just becomes a deep technical flaw when the name of Turkey is used when talking about the unfortunate incidents of 1915. In order to make use of the liberal atmosphere our university provides us, we should never blindly depend on testimonies of any side even though it may seem coherent within itself. We, as open-minded university students, should do our best to come up with our own independent opinions after having digested all possible perspectives. In the specific case of the Armenian-Turkish conflict, we encourage all to explore more about this particular subject so that the goal of education -which is to eliminate opinion without comprehension- is fulfilled. The crucial aim is to let those who are interested in the subject solely for the sake of history- and not for any political ambitions- be able to see that there are two very strong sides to this argument. The Armenians have succeeded in presenting their side of the case dominantly for a long time, mainly due to socio-economical factors. However, in a university the free flow of information should be dominant over any economic or social factor. Tufts has always prided itself in being respectful to diversity and we are honored to take this opportunity to express our view that the aim should not be to win an argument, but to discover the truth. Lack of information brings bias and prejudice which are threats to friendship and peace.Zeynep Mededi is a freshman majoring in International Relations and Economics. Esra Yalcinalp is a sophomore majoring in International Relations and History.

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News

UK Garbage

March 31

Last week I took an early tropical vacation from my strenuous second-semester-senior schedule. As is custom before all plane rides, I self-imposed a stringent magazine diet, denying myself all glossy, shiny media until checking my luggage onto the flight. After handing the airline employee my bags and furtively badgering her with questions about whether my luggage would actually meet me on the other side ("So when you say the luggage is checked straight through the layover, what exactly does that mean?"), only a armload of Vogues, Allures, and Luckys could soothe my jangled nerves. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Fortune smiled upon me that day. For, as I approached the magazine wall at the News & Sundries stand, a tiny glittering glossy gem caught my eye, a freshly made apple pie to my media-starved soul. Half the size of other magazines and sporting Victoria Beckham on the cover, it could only be one thing: the British edition of Glamour.Glamour magazine itself is no big deal to me. As far as I'm concerned, over the years it's become synonymous with Cosmopolitan and is something I'll read on the treadmill rather than something I wait for month after month. However, British Glamour is something else entirely. For one, it's pocket-sized - and mini-anything is always fun. Secondly, it's British press, which is in a league of it's own. During my year abroad in London, I learned this lesson about the British media the hard way. For months I fought an uphill battle against the home-team publications, refusing to buy any British magazines and scouring the stores for US imports. As anyone in Dowling Hall will tell you, when you are living abroad, after the novelty of a foreign land wears off, an overwhelming torrent of rage sets in. Once you realize that the red meat is rabid, that no one, contrary to popular belief, thinks American accents are cute, and that you won't see sunshine for the next year of your life, things can get ugly. After criticizing the schizophrenic weather, the antiquated school library, and the taxicabs that look like hearses, I started in on the media. What's the deal with Big Brother? Why is the Queen Mum's paper cut front-page news? Who is this Nazi-dominatrix from "The Weakest Link?" Why is Ginger Spice EVERYWHERE??? To fortify myself, I stocked up on US publications, which fortunately were available at every newsstand. Yes, each Vogue might have cost me $12.00, but wasn't it the perfect cure-all for a bout of homesickness? However, sooner or later I realized that buying British magazines wouldn't corrupt me as much as it would double my magazine collection. Sold. Unlike my American staples, the British magazines were a guilty pleasure, the odd tabloid a sinful indulgence shamefully squirreled away under my bed. With their garish headlines and sensationalist stories, even I, champion consumer of mixed media, had to admit they were trash. But maybe, just maybe, couldn't a closer look at these publications reveal something of anthropological interest? Wasn't there a deeper psychological meaning behind these screaming headlines that would unearth a darker nationwide pathology? Though in the end, most of my Tufts food allowance went towards buying enough magazines to wallpaper Buckingham Palace, I like to think I enriched my cultural education as well. As the nostalgia washed over me while I clutched that small, Posh-Spiced packet, I remembered what OK!, Hello!, Looks, and UK Vogue taught me about England and why I miss the British press. One thing I noticed is while the English press seems even more obsessed with pop culture than America, the British actually take the cult of celebrity much less seriously. What immediately struck me was the lack of formality or deification of the rich and famous. Instead of page after page of sniveling drivel about Jennifer Love Hewitt's latest tube top, British magazines might say something like, "Nice try luv - if we can see your implants, the top's too tight." The Madonna coverage is another example. Though the British press fawns over ex-pat Madonna, along the way they have invented dozens of charming nicknames for her which are normally reserved for someone's grandmother. The press might watch Madge's/Miss M's/ Mad's every move, but it's refreshing to see reporters take Madonna off her pedestal and drape her in a crocheted afghan. Secondly, the outrageous intrusiveness of the British press can also be a healthy way to channel disgust over pop culture. The Brits are invasive to a fault. I suspect this has something to do with their long-standing monarchy, which is really nothing more than a national fishbowl. While such reporting can become tiresome (do you really care if Prince William's sixth cousin has red riding boots?), there is something wickedly vengeful about the press's utter disregard for private lives. Famous people who shed crocodile tears about their lack of privacy are annoying; why not give them something to really cry about? Channeling this spiteful sentiment, open up a tabloid and you can read everything from Naomi "Fisticuffs" Campbell's Narcotics Anonymous minutes to the diet and exercise regime that transformed Geri Halliwell into a walking stick of beef jerky. An issue of Hello! can make "Jerry Springer" and "Temptation Island" look like History Channel specials. Finally, from an economic viewpoint, British magazines exhibit healthy market competition, with each women's magazine conjuring new ways to grab your eye and lure you to the cash register. For example: the freebies. Like a box of Crackerjacks, each women's magazine has a different giveaway calling from inside a protective cellophane wrap. Sure, you don't really need a heart-shaped pocket mirror or another black makeup case, but it's really the thought that counts. When was the last time Elle gave you anything? Thus, while to the naked eye these magazines may represent everything that is wrong with Western society, an in-depth look can reveal startling truths about the English culture. Obviously, trashy journalism can go overboard, like it did with Princess Diana. But now that I'm back home and surrounded by familiar publications, part of me longs for the outlandish frenzy of the perverted British media. Somewhere deep down, I miss reading about the rascally antics of the terminally tan Posh & Becks. What will fill the void left by Robbie Williams and his rehab visits? Where will I catch up on Geri's latest yoga moves? In this egocentric country, it's harder to find foreign magazines than it is abroad. I guess that's what the Internet is for.

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News

Budgeting 'error' to result in club funding cuts

March 31

In a "letter of regret," the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Treasury announced Thursday that money later discovered to be $53,000 in expenses to be paid out of the Student Activities fee had been left out of this year's budget.The same error has been made for several years, but was not discovered until an outside firm audited the budget this semester. Previously, the costs had been unknowingly deducted from the budget surplus, which is also used to fund unexpected club requests and special projects. The surplus has fallen to $20,000 from $200,000 in 1998.The deficit came as a surprise to senators. Earlier this year Treasurer Ben Lee touted the success of the Treasury thanks to its balanced budget and "fiscal responsibility" in the State of the Treasury speech.Former TCU Treasurer Michelle Shelton, who drafted last year's budget, said that the Student Activities expenditures were left out due to "human error." This is the first year the oversight will negatively impact TCU-funded groups - rather than continuing to drain the surplus, the Treasury plans to include these costs in next year's budget. "It was an oversight on the part of the treasury," Shelton said. "It's easy for things to slip through the cracks."The Treasury failed to account for a yearly $10,000 loan payment on the Mountain Club's New Hampshire lodge and the $43,000 salary and benefits of the Budget and Fiscal Coordinator in the 2001-2002 budgets. The expenditures, which are automatically deducted from the budget each year, are part of contractual agreements with the University, and have existed since the late '90s. That process, combined with inadequate accounting procedures, has allowed tens of thousands of dollars to be deducted in previous years without the treasury noticing. Because the operating budget and surplus were lumped together into the same account, Shelton said, treasurers have never had an accurate picture of how big the surplus was. "There were these rough estimates of the surplus, but there was never really a clear number because it was all in one account," Shelton said. When the Treasury switched banks last year, the funds were separated into two accounts to more effectively manage the money. The University loaned the Tufts Mountain Club $100,000 in an interest-free loan to repair the lodge, which would be repaid over the next ten years with the money allocated by the Senate. No Treasury has ever taken the $10,000 dollar expenditure into its budgeting projections. Shelton said she and previous treasurers were not privy to the exact deductions that the Administration made to the Senate's budget. In the absence of a thorough understanding of how the Budget Coordinator and lodge repayments were made, the expenses were overlooked. "The Treasury had access to University statements [this year] that I did not have access to," Shelton said. Despite the large deficit forecasted for this year, the Treasury is still planning to balance the budget for the next fiscal year. Treasurer Ben Lee said in a meeting Sunday that the Senate might look into canceling the Fall Fest music concert in an effort to save money for next year. As well, the Treasury has cut the Senate's allocation of roughly $46,000 of the Student Activities fee for itself by $4,000. "To put it simply, if every group requested exactly the same amount as last year, we would still run a deficit, without even considering the new groups that have been recognized," the Treasury said in its letter to student groups. The TCU Judiciary approved several new groups this semester, all of which are eligible for funding from the Treasury. The Treasury said it does not plan to cut indiscriminately, however. "The cuts will not be across the board," the letter read, adding there will be some groups that will face more constrained budgets next year. Since campus groups did not all exhaust their entire budgets last year, the surplus will pay down the final deficit to a projected $45,000. If enough campus groups are under budget again this year, the deficit could be reduced further. The yearly Student Activities budget, which is controlled by the Setate, is roughly $900,000. "We firmly believe that last year's Treasury did not engage in any fiscal mismanagement," current Assistant Treasurer Nick Abraham said. Last year's Budget Coordinator, Frank Nocito, said that all precautions were made but that it was his job to prevent the error. "It is one of the roles of the Budget and Finance Coordinator to monitor and address those types of mistakes for the Treasury," Nocito said. "We took extreme efforts to make sure that information such as ongoing agreements with student organizations and the University Administration were well-documented." Shelton said that more frequent auditing would prevent something like this from happening in the future. Currently, an independent auditor goes through the Treasury's budget once every four years. Shelton lost the Senate Presidential election to Eric Greenberg last year, and resigned her position as Treasurer from the Senate this year citing personal reasons.

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News

Library adjusts to demands, celebrates sesquicentennial

March 31

Just two years ago, Tisch Library celebrated the acquisition of its millionth volume. Now its stacks are overflowing, and the University is struggling to find space for new volumes. Though there is more floor space in the building, the library lacks the funds to make the space accessible to the public. The constant arrival of thousands of new books recently prompted library administrators to move low-use bound periodicals to the unfinished ground floor, level G, to compensate for the lack of sufficient shelf space on Tisch's first floor. Level G is on the library's north side below level 1 and is approximately one-third of the area of each of the building's other three levels, according to stacks coordinator Thomas Souers. The space is meant for publicly-accessible stacks, but approximately 15,000 square feet will remain unfinished until the library collects enough funds for its completion. Until now, other departments have used the space as needed, but the library recently reclaimed sections of it to be used for bound periodicals storage. Building planners limited the library's storage space under the assumption that much of the collections would become electronic by the turn of the century. This did not allow for storage sufficient to accommodate the current growth rate of over 17,000 volumes a year. Bibliographers shifted certain material to the level G stacks in order to minimize the inconvenience to library visitors. They attempted to move largely periodicals that are available electronically and volumes not regularly used in teaching and research. The Library Committee approved the selection criteria, retrieval policy, and list of titles. Department heads were asked to submit feedback at the end of the fall semester, which led to some changes to the list of titles. Over winter break, library staff worked to implement the new arrangement. A $100,000 grant allowed for the installation of moveable compact shelving, providing almost twice as much shelf space as stationary stacks. Compact shelving sits on rollers; the shelves move apart to create aisles only when needed, saving valuable floor space. "Tisch Library staff members know how important it is for our patrons to have as much of the collection as open and accessible as possible," Tisch Library Director Jo-Ann Michalak said in a written statement. "We are seeking funding to make level G publicly accessible." Until this is possible, staff members will attempt to retrieve materials from level G as needed, "in an efficient and timely manner." Circulation staff members will satisfy requests for stored periodicals on a daily basis. Requests turned in by 1 p.m. on weekdays will be available at the Tisch circulation desk by 4 p.m. the same day, and those received before 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays will be obtained by 5 p.m. Request forms may be obtained at the circulation desk, and after Feb. 15 will also be available on the Tisch web page at www.library.tufts.edu/tisch under the heading "Borrowing and Other Services."

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News

Earthfest celebrations begin today

March 31

The first annual Earthfest at Tufts will be celebrated with music and fanfare today in the Campus Center. The daylong festival - sponsored by Environmental Consciousness Outreach (ECO), Massachusetts WaterWatch, and the Tufts Mountain Club - comes in honor of Earth Day. ECO co-chair Cindy Chang said Earth Day is a time to recognize that the environment is the basis of life and to publicize commonly unknown facts about contamination. "Earth day hopes to bring light to the issues which affect us all, such as global warming, toxic waste, water and air pollution, and the depletion of the ozone," Chang said. Earth Day has been celebrated worldwide since 1970, but this marks the first year that there will be an on-campus Earthfest alongside ECO's traditional low-key events. The event will include live music, food, and raffle prizes as well as a video featuring comments from University faculty, administrators, and students concerning the importance Tufts places on environmentalism. "We hope to include people who are usually not involved actively with environmental concerns and to give everyone who comes through the campus center more information about the environment," Chang said. Organizers of Earthfest hope to educate students through information booths that provide general information about vegetarianism, global warming, ocean pollution, and link them to social justice issues such as hunger and poverty. Environmental issues are important to Tufts, Chang said, especially compared to other schools. She said a good method to measure how concerned and involved students are is by examining the strength of the recycling program. She said students could always make increased efforts to separate trash and recyclables properly to prevent waste. Students on campus feel that Tufts succeeds as an environmentally conscious school. "There are lots of recycling places all over campus that students can use," sophomore Seth Leiboh said. Common sights such as students driving cars around campus and leaving lights on all day in dorm rooms are examples of poor energy use, Chang said. She thinks the biggest environmental abuse on campus is students leaving their computers on all day when they are used for no more than an hour. "This sucks up a lot of energy, and when every single student does it, we waste a lot of energy," she said. While Freshman Caitlin White said that environmental campaigns - such as the annual fall "Do It in the Dark" - are important, she thinks they need to be run year-round. "A conscious effort is made to reduce the amount of energy used on campus, but it is not something we should campaign for just for one week or for Earth day," she said. "Environmental awareness needs to be addressed on an more regular basis because it is a constant problem."

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News

Music building still in the works

March 31

While construction on Tufts' new music building was initially expected to commence at the end of this semester, groundbreaking on the 35,000-square foot building has been delayed until the University secures more funding for the project. Recent donations as high as six or seven figures made for the building will be announced at this weekend's Trustee meeting. "Recent pledges for Tufts' new music center bring it quite close to the critical mass necessary to break ground," Senior Director of Fundraising and Development Gary Lowe told the Daily yesterday. Vice President of Operations John Roberto said that the Office of Development is making significant fundraising progress. "I believe that in a short period of time we will be resuming planning of the building," Roberto said. Last September, administrators were confident that Development would reach its fundraising goal for the building by October. The goal proved more difficult than expected due largely to a struggling economy, and the original estimate of $8 million for the project rose to above $20 million. "Obviously the market is influential," Lowe said. "But there's no bad time to raise money." Roberto says the groundbreaking depends on the cooperation of many different people and that its commencement is simply a matter of time. In order to complete the project, the Zeta Psi fraternity currently housed on the building's future site must be relocated, the architect and construction company must be ready, and all Somerville zoning regulations must be agreed upon. None of this can begin until the funds are secure. "We have not been actively proceeding with the plans," Roberto said. The building will follow the phased construction plan that has emerged over the last year. During Phase I, the shell of the facility will be built, but only the concert hall will be finished. Phase II will entail the construction of classroom and practice spaces, though these spaces will require additional funds. "The completion of the plans awaits further fundraising achievement so we are closer to having all the funds in hand prior to proceeding with the project." Roberto said. In collaboration with an outside architect, a four-member faculty committee has narrowed its building options to six or seven blueprints. Roberto said the timeline has always been subject to change based on fundraising achievement, and he remains confident that a music building will be a reality in the coming years. "This is very high on the president's priority list," Roberto said. Planning for the facility began two years ago after the University received $4 million from an unnamed donor for the construction of a centrally located music building.

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News

Where the sidewalk ends in Harvard Square

March 31

When Shel Silverstein passed away in 1999 he was remembered primarily as a poet - specifically a children's poet. The renowned author of such collections as Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic mixed the sweet with the absurd and the joyous with the ghoulish to create his very own genre of children's literature -call it cheerful dread- that earned him the plaudits of five year-olds and 55 year-olds alike. But what few people knew was that in his nearly 70 years of life, Silverstein had become a veritable modern Renaissance man, and one with a wicked sense of humor at that. In the '50s, he got his start as a cartoonist for the military publication Stars and Stripes, and a few years later he was drawing for Playboy. He also wrote hundreds of songs, including the Johnny Cash-performed "A Boy Named Sue," and he released a number of jovial folkish albums like Freakin' At The Freaker's Ball and Drain My Brain. Oh yeah, and we shouldn't forget to mention the handful of motion picture soundtracks he composed, the screenplay he wrote with David Mamet, or the scores of plays, long and short, that he wrote over the years. Now that's a resume. If you think about Silverstein that way, you might feel a sudden yearning to investigate the man's accomplishments beyond, say, The Giving Tree. Well, apart from reviewing four decades of Playboy or scouring dusty old racks of vinyl, you might have a difficult quest ahead. Fortunately, the folks at The Market Theater in Harvard Square have made life a little easier: Through the month they are running two programs of collected short plays written by Silverstein with adult audiences in mind.Shel Shocked and Signs of Trouble both feature nine short plays. Alternating from evening to evening (you can catch them both on Saturday evenings), both last about 90 minutes. The Market Theater at Winthrop Square above Grendel's Den is quaint and comfortable, leaving no audience member more than ten feet from the stage and creating an atmosphere that's more like hanging out in a parlor room with a bunch of inebriated philosophers and drama students. Silverstein's plays bubble over with dark humor and playful, perverse deep thought. It seems as if the author started each play by stating to himself, "I wonder what would happen if..." With Signs of Trouble, directed by Wesley Savick, you'll find plays ranging from chillingly honest and raw to simplistically silly. With a sort of manic mystic eagerness, the production drags its audience from highs to lows and back again. "No Skronking" features a young man eating at a diner who comes upon a sign that features the titular warning. "But what is skronking?" He doesn't know, we certainly don't, and when a waitress refuses to tell him, the escalating argument becomes a kinetic charade, equal parts raw emotion and drawn-out semantics. Meanwhile, another feature called "Duck" gives us Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds by way of a tutorial in logic. Each play is the result of an author's demented but heartfelt consideration of humanity. More akin to goofy nuggets of humor, wisdom, and reflection than any kind of deep, dynamic drama, each typically ends with one or all of the characters in hysterics. While this sometimes verges on annoying, it serves well to keep its audience hooked, pulling us in and willing us to stay for whole ride. 'What will they do next?' we ask. Signs of Trouble is a sharp sustained burst of energy and absurdity; it is unsettling and all the better for it. The cast of six does a fine job giving life to Silverstein's words as they successfully jump from character to character, giving them each the unique personality that they deserve. The set, which rises and falls with each new play, is full of surprises despite its apparent simplicity. The same can be said of the production in general, which, thanks to the author's desire to leave us thinking, succeeds in developing an hour and a half of heartfelt, ever-so-twisted joy.

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News

Students face problems with Trumpeter e-mail switch

March 31

Last week Tufts began the two-month process of transferring upperclassmen into the Coral e-mail system from the Emerald server. Some students have expressed concern about the changeover and frustration at having to go to Eaton computer lab to get their new account passwords, but many students are reporting the process has gone smoothly. Coral is part of the Tufts' Trumpeter e-mail system, and because it does not require any special software, students will be able to check their e-mail from any computer on the Internet. Freshmen, who started the year under the Trumpeter system, and seniors, who were given the option to stick with Emerald, were not required to make the switch. Heather Diamond, a staff member who aided students with their accounts, said that the changeover has not been difficult, despite student concerns. "We didn't have any problems... everything's going smoothly," she said. While the actual process of account set-up has reportedly been relatively painless, some students have cited problems in their attempts to use the accounts. Sophomore Mariyana Radeva said that her account did not receive e-mails the first few days after it was set up. "I tried to send myself e-mails to test it but it didn't work," she said. "So I made it in such a way that every e-mail sent to my Tufts account is forwarded to my Yahoo! account. That's more convenient for me." Sophomore Ben Hsu said that he did not encounter any problems using Trumpeter, but that he was frustrated with its slower speed and lack of a "sent mail" folder. "I would like to keep track of what I sent to who, and I can't anymore," Hsu said. Most students seem happy with the new system and the transition, however. "I didn't have any problems with it, but I haven't used the one upperclassmen used so I can't really compare," freshman Burcu Bezci said. "I haven't experienced any inconvenience or frustration about it." One sophomore said he is unhappy with only being able to use the IMAP application, which allows you to see your e-mail through the Trumpeter system. Instead of saving hard copies of e-mail on the user's computer, it saves them on a server where they can be accessed from anywhere. With Emerald, students could use the POP3 system, which automatically downloads e-mails onto the user's system. E-mails are accessed and deleted more quickly under that system, however they cannot be accessed anywhere other than the local computer. "The new system is much less convenient," he said. Sophomore Amanda Rowley said that she was unhappy with the lack of an address book in the Trumpeter e-mail system. "I wish I had an address book, because it is a pain to type the e-mail address every time. But I guess it is safer that way, because just in case someone's computer gets a virus, it can't reach anyone without an address book," Rowley said. Whether or not students have had a difficult time adjusting to Trumpeter, its more secure connection will come as a relief to those leery of Emerald's insecure connection.

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News

Pitko places sixth in Nationals

March 31

Junior Bryan Pitko finished sixth place in the 55 meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday. The lone representative for Tufts at Nationals, Pitko capped a breakout season with a Tufts record-setting performance. In the culminating weekend of a long indoor season, Pitko saved his best performance for a meet that featured the nation's top Div. III runners. Starting with Friday night's preliminaries, Pitko put forth an impressive effort, finishing the short-distance race in 7.63 seconds - a new Tufts record. Pitko, whose time dropped to 7.69 in the finals, earned All-American status with the sixth place finish. "I was really happy with my performance in the trials. Setting a school record is obviously something that I can enjoy," Pitko said. Pitko moved on to the finals on Saturday afternoon, in a field that included two of his foes from the ECAC Championships two weekends ago: Enrique Llamos of Montclair State College and Shawn Levinson of the College of New Jersey, also the leading qualifiers in the event. Pitko had finished a close third to Llamos and Levinson at the ECAC meet. Those runners proved the nation's best; Llamos won the title in 7.46 seconds, while Levinson came in second with a time of 7.53. For Pitko, the meet's lone Tufts representative, the recognition of All-American was satisfying. "I was pleased with my effort in the final," Pitko said. "Being All-American is a great feeling. I think I can compete with the first two finishers, though." Head coach Connie Putnam and Pitko made the weekend trip together. Pitko said that despite competing without teammates on hand, their support was important. "Generally speaking it would have been great having my teammates at Nationals with me," Pitko said. "The good thing was that I heard all of their advice in my head throughout the trials and finals. They were definitely an important part of my success this season." With Pitko leading the charge as the spring outdoor season begins to take shape, Pitko said he and teammates are anxious. "I can't wait until outdoor track because I really believe that we can make a significant impact as a team," Pitko said. "We have so many tremendous athletes. I really feel that we can be a major factor at the national level this year. The outdoor season should be filled with an abundance of national qualifiers."

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