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The Setonian
News

Tufts' own prize-winning writers read their own work

March 31

Tomorrow afternoon the East Hall Lounge will fill with the voices of the best writers and poets in the undergraduate school. The English Department's 2002 Student Prize Reading will feature readings by prizewinning fiction writers and poets from yearly literary contests.The Kenyon Review's David Baker, from the American Academy of Poets, awarded junior Brittany Perham first prize in the poetry contest. Senior Scott Trudell received the Morse Hamilton Fiction Prize, judged by Stephen McCauley, author of The Object of My Affection and True Enough. In addition to being recognized as the best writers at Tufts, the winners will bring home checks for $100 each. English students were notified of the contest several months ago. Announcements were posted in East Hall and any full-time student on the Medford campus was welcome to submit original work, though there was a dominance of submissions and winners from the English Department. The contest has been around for many decades, in several forms. The poetry section is supported by the American Academy of Poets, which runs competitions nationwide. The Fiction Prize, however, is sponsored by the English Department itself, and chooses only one winner. Originally called the English Department Fiction Prize, it was recently renamed to honor Morse Hamilton, a memorable English professor who passed away several years ago. The contest requirements are loose. For fiction, full-time student status is the only qualification. Professor Jonathan Strong, who runs the contest, said there have been pieces "from three pages to 30 pages." And what kind of work are they looking for? "The story that comes most alive," Strong said. For poetry, the only restriction is that the poem (or group of poems) must be 200 lines or less. This rule exists so that the judge may evaluate each piece equally, and give each the time it deserves. Trudell's winning fiction story is titled "Three in Jake's Car," and was previously published in Outbreath, though he revised it for the contest. "It's a high school story about a love triangle," said Strong. "But it is much more than that. It's a character story about growing up." The live reading promises to be entertaining not only because it will feature Tufts' best writers, but because they will be reading the way they intended their stories to be read. The intonations and accents will be exactly on, and give a clearer idea about what the writer is trying to express to those listening. While running rather close to dinner time, the Prize Reading, which begins at 5 p.m., should not last for more than an hour.

The Setonian
News

Gifts with strings attached

March 31

A stuffed elephant, a gate, a set of chapel chimes - these are just some of the creative donations Tufts has received since it was founded 150 years ago. Not all gifts to the University are this creative and few are given without something expected in return. Institutions across the country have experienced a recent trend toward restricted donations - gifts that come with strings attached. Though such donations have caused conflict at some universities, Tufts administrators say that there is often a "convergence of opinion" between the University and its donors. The Tufts Tomorrow Campaign is in its final year, launched in 1995 to strengthen the endowment. As of Dec. 31, 2001, Tufts Tomorrow had reached 96.6 percent of its $600 million goal, with six months remaining in the Campaign. In a message on the Tufts Tomorrow Campaign website, President Bacow called it "the most ambitious campaign in Tufts University History." Funds raised have been directed at increasing scholarship aid, improving teaching, learning, and research facilities, endowing professorships, and strengthening various programs. The Campaign has received 31 percent of its gifts from alumni, 23 from foundations, and 17 percent from corporations. Other donors have included friends, parents, and estates. Restricted donations are on the rise nationwide, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in 1999. On average, for every unrestricted dollar donated in 1998, institutions received $3.88 in restricted gifts. This contrasts with a 3:1 ratio in 1996. Tufts public relations specialist Craig Lemoult explained the confidentiality that surrounds donations to the University. "People choose to give to the University in a variety of ways, but due to our responsibility to respect their privacy we can not comment about specific stipulations or conditions on gifts unless authorized by the donor," Lemoult said. Tufts Provost Sol Gittleman said that the University has not experienced complications with restricted gifts. While the delay in the groundbreaking of the music building was rumored to be a result of a donor's requirement that it be centrally located on campus, Gittleman said that this is not the case. Even before the donation was made over two years ago, administrators had eyed its proposed site at the corner of Packard Ave. and Professors Row as a key location at the entrance to the campus, Gittleman said. He added that having the public attend performances at such a prime location is "a positive idea," and that the supposed requirement made by the donor was actually "a convergence of opinion... the donor wants a building on a good spot and we wanted a good building on that spot." Gittleman said that while "Donors can have strings attached," the University is cautious to accept restricted donations. "We are very careful, we know about strings," he said. "The University will make the donor feel as good as possible about giving the money. You try to make the donor happy, but only to a certain point." When donations are made for specific building projects, Gittleman said that donors do not get to choose the location. "They can recommend, but we pick," he said. Gittleman referred to both the Olin Building for Language and Cultural Studies and Aidekman Arts Center as buildings for which the locations were chosen and later revealed to donors. "We gave the Olin people the best spot on campus," he said. The number of corporately endowed chairs is also growing nationwide, and some universities such as MIT have many, according to Gittleman. Corporations sometimes require a say in the placement of a chair, a stipulation accepted by some universities and rejected by others. "I wish we had a truckload of corporate chairs... and if we did, we would pick the holder," Gittleman said, emphasizing that Tufts does not allow a corporation to choose the faculty member to fill the chair. "It's nice if the holder of the chair cultivates the donor," Gittleman added. Sometimes a faculty member will be selected to hold the chair, while at other times the Dean, the department, and a committee will conduct a search outside of the University community, he said. He added that in the case of privately endowed chairs, a family member is sometimes allowed to sit on the committee that chooses the person to fill it. In order to endow a Tufts chair, donors must contribute at least $1.5 million, "with the return of that money offsetting the salary of the faculty member who holds thechair," said Siobhan Houton, associate director of public relations in the Office of the Senior Vice President. Other universities similarly do not allow corporations to choose the people who fill chairs. In the late-1990s the University of Washington passed up a $2.5 million United Parcel Service endowment for a chair in occupational orthopedics. The company, which had received many workers' compensation claims, specified that professor Stanley J. Bigos fill the position because of his experience in the area. The university said that it would not allow UPS to choose the chair and therefore lost the company's significant offer. In other cases, institutions have accepted endowed chairs even when the donor has made specifications for the holder. Portland State University decided in 1998 to accept a $750,000 donation from the Turkish government that endowed a chair in Turkish political economics. The donation required that the person appointed to the position not only have published works "based upon extensive utilization of archives and libraries in Turkey," but that they also "maintain close and cordial relations with academic circles in Turkey," the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The arrangement was questioned as a tactic to influence scholars to support Turkey's view of historical events. Some argue that corporate gifts with stipulations are undesirable because not all departments benefit equally from such restricted giving. Donations tend to support departments that will conduct research beneficial to the corporations. "The department of Slavic studies and the philosophy department tend not to have major donors throwing money at them," Andrew A Wilcox, president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, told the Chronicle of Higher Education in 1998. At some universities private donors have withdrawn gifts when stipulations have not been met. In 1997, writer and AIDS activist Larry Kramer withdrew an estimated $5 million donation to Yale when officials said that gay and lesbian studies did not call for a tenured faculty position, as he had requested. The University offered to use the funds to buy rare books by gay and lesbian writers or to support visiting professors, but Kramer rejected these options. Tufts is reportedly the only Boston-area institution to have increased its endowment despite the recession, with a 4.9 percent increase over the 2001 fiscal year. This contrasts with the 27.2 percent decrease in gifts to Boston University during the year. Many other universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Brown also fared losses. Harvard, America's most well-endowed college, saw its endowment drop$900 million to $18.3 billion within a year, according to The New York Times. The drop was greater than Tufts' entire endowment. Sizable donations made over the last three years include Bernard Gordon's $20 million grant to the School of Engineering, made in Nov. 1999, and eBay founder and alum Pierre Omidyar's $10 million gift in 2000. Gordon's, the largest gift in Tufts history, is funding a series of mandatory workshops and programs aimed at promoting communication and leadership skills for engineering students. Omidyar pledged to give the $10 million over a period of five years to the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, in part to fund the Omidyar scholars program. A Million Dollar Challenge to Tufts in honor of its sesquicentennial year will enhance donations made by both new and previous donors. An anonymous donor has pledged $150 for every new or increased gift made to the Tufts Fund this year, resulting in a maximum $1 million donation. A 'new gift' is defined as any contribution made during the 2001-2002 fiscal year - July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002 - by a donor who did not give to the Tufts Fund last fiscal year. The donor may, however, have given to other University establishments such as sports teams or class funds. An 'increased gift' is any gift of a greater amount than the donor's gift last year. "In a nutshell, if you give $1 to Tufts this year, and didn't give last year, you're actually giving $151," Lemoult said.

The Setonian
News

Verdi goes Dinsney at the Wang

March 31

Disney's new theatrical spectacle Aida, written/composed by Elton John and Tim Rice, unimaginatively retells the story of a Verdi opera through simplistic lyrics but makes use of impressive technical effects. The musical, playing at The Wang Theatre until April 14, received four Tony Awards, and John and Rice received the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Despite the show's national recognition, Disney Theatrical Productions' Aida disappoints compared to Disney's two past award-winning musicals The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. John and Rice even wrote the dynamic music and lyrics for the Disney film version of The Lion King. The Nubian princess Aida (Paulette Ivory) is captured by the Egyptian commander Radames (Jeremy Kushnier) and taken back to Egypt where she becomes the maid-servant for the Egyptian princess, Radames' betrothed, Amneris (Kelli Fournier). In Egypt, Aida falls in love with Radames, creating a love triangle between the two and Amneris. At the same time, however, Egypt is warring with Nubia, which creates a major problem for Aida. On one hand, she loves Radames. On the other, she has a duty to her country. While the plot sustains the audience's interest, the lyrics generally fail to enhance the story and, further, they lack the imaginative sense reminiscent of so many Disney shows. Rice's lyrics simply string together the narrative. The only variety comes from John's musical compositions, beautifully played by the touring orchestra conducted by Steven Cosmo Mallardi. John, who has amassed 32 gold and 21 platinum albums, 29 consecutive Top 40 Hits and countless Grammy Awards, combines rhythm and blues, gospel, and African sounds. His music adds the necessary variety, proving he has not lost a step. The social and ethnic toil that defined Africa in the Egyptian Age of Imperialism is well depicted throughout the show. Instead of using traditional African beats, however, John chooses to build the music off of urban-style rhythms from the 21st century. This decision provides an intriguing contrast that works very well, showing that conditions in Africa are still quarrelsome and, even more relevant, that conditions in urban America need improvement to this day. The musical numbers reflect this quality in all respects. Wayne Cilento's dance choreography is commendable. His choice of styles displays a good understanding of the different cultures presented. The Tony Award winning scene design and costume design by Bob Crowley magnificently captures the essence of ancient Africa. The costumes and scenes set in Nubia reflect the more rural, isolated country, while those set in Egypt conversely represent the lavish, imperial qualities of the country. Basically, along with Crowley's design-work and John's music, the technical aspects of the production make the show entertaining. The plot suffers from a lack of creativity in the lyrics and the script, but the Tony Award winning lighting design of Natasha Katz, the sound design of Steve C. Kennedy and the abundant technical changes (445 lighting cues!), make the performance a true spectacle. The main characters all benefit from the direction of Robert Falls, also a co-writer of the script. Ivory, in the title role of Aida, finds the strength and sensitivity of her character. The chemistry between her character and the male love-interest Radames, played by Kushnier, is very realistic and palpable to the audience. When they sing their final song, "Elaborate Lives" a reprise, the tandem of their voices is simply overwhelming. The third leg of the love-triangle, Amneris, played by Fournier, belts out her songs beautifully. She also has the most developed character in the show and plays the part wonderfully. Bringing the entire show full circle, as most Disney productions love to do, she sings "Every Story is a Love Story" as the first number and then a reprise to end the play. All in all, the magnificence with which the pictures on stage were painted make up for the feebly told story. And this, in itself, makes Elton John's and Tim Rice's Aida worth the trip.

The Setonian
News

Paragon in limbo between collapse and new leadership

March 31

Unless the presidential duties of the club Paragon can be transferred, president Michael Kelly will soon step down and discontinue the two-year-old organization. Paragon was created to work for improvements in student life; founders hailed it as an alternative to the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate. The club brought Tommy Hilfiger to campus last year but was inactive during the fall semester. It has seen a period of low membership since most of its members graduated last spring. In a Feb. 3 e-mail to Paragon members, Kelly wrote that because of the lack of club activity throughout the 2001-2002 academic year he will "take the necessary steps to kill the club" unless someone steps forward to assume his position. He said that his busy schedule does not allow him to continue as president, although he will remain involved as a contact. Randy Wells and Damon Meyer, who served as club co-presidents before graduating in 2001, founded Paragon in the spring of 2000. Wells and Craig Waldman, who acted as vice president for a short time, were former Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senators who had become disillusioned with the Senate's ability to address student concerns. Sophomore Philipp Tsipman, a second year member, expressed interest in replacing Kelly as president. "We haven't been active really this year, and right now we're looking to restart it perhaps," he said. He added that although the club is not guaranteed funding next year, the next step is to take advantage of the funding currently available through the Senate and to try to gather the momentum to maintain Paragon in coming years. Tsipman said that a chief function of Paragon is "to provide a forum for people to improve Tufts in any way that they'd like." He added that if he can help organize students to collaborate on ideas, "I think that Tufts would be a better place for it. "Some things are better done by the Senate, but other people need to get involved to make [the University] better," he said. Both last year and at the beginning of the 2001 fall semester, Paragon conducted a student survey in the dining halls in an attempt to gauge student opinion on possible University improvements. While responses included improved campus appearance and lighting, better vending service, and more reliable Points Plus machines, "not really any progress [was] made because we only have a few members," Kelly said. Junior Adam Biacchi - a Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) member - remembers when the initial Paragon proposal was submitted. "The way the Senate changes things is they lobby administration to change, and that's essentially what Paragon wanted to do," Biacchi said. "They kind of admitted doing the same thing but said there is a limited number of senators, and why shouldn't everyone be able to help out and make university a better place?" In March 2001, Paragon brought Hilfiger to campus as the kick-off speaker for the Entrepreneurial Leadership Lecture Series, part of the Entrepreneurial Leadership program created by engineering school Dean Ioannnis Miaoulis. The club lobbied for the installation of lighting on Professors Row over the summer and cooperated with the Admissions Office to improve campus directions and install signs both on and off campus.

The Setonian
News

Argentina crisis prevented professor's return to campus

March 31

Argentina's economic collapse last month prevented a Tufts professor from returning to campus for the beginning of the semester. Spanish professor Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir returned to her native Argentina to visit family with the plan to re-enter US on Jan. 14, but did not make it back until two weeks later. On Jan. 12, Kaiser-Lenoir received a phone call from the airline that, due to the economic crisis, flights leaving the country were being cut back. She was told her flight plan would be diverted through Chile four days later, on Jan. 18. When she arrived at the airport in Buenos Aires on the 18th, she was turned away due to insufficient documentation. An Argentine citizen and permanent resident of the US since 1978, Kaiser-Lenoir was told new regulations had been imposed by the new Argentine government. "It is the kind of bureaucratic problem that happens quite often in Argentina," said Kaiser-Lenoir, who is currently applying for American citizenship. With the documentation problem resolved, she was able to find another flight on Jan. 30, allowing her to finally return to Boston. Kaiser-Lenior said the time spent in Argentina brought out intense emotions regarding her country's political climate and economy. Argentina, the country with South America's second largest economy, has been teetering on the brink of economic collapse over the last few months after a four-year recession. The recession has led to 20 percent unemployment and a $132 billion dollar national debt. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have both worked to develop several austerity plans for the nation, but its economy has continued to falter. "I had seen this coming for quite a long time, but Argentina has gone through a number of crises in the past," Kaiser-Lenoir said. "There were enough indications, though, that the economic model has come to a dead end...this is not just your regular down of an economic cycle." During her trip, she saw the effect of this crisis on her friends and family in Argentina. Her sister, a university professor, has not received a paycheck since November. A close family friend who was hospitalized has been forced to rely on family members for supplies ranging from cotton, sheets, and saline solution, to food and blood since national healthcare programs have been cancelled. In tandem with the economic troubles, which have resulted in the devaluation of the Argentine peso, Argentina has also been experiencing severe political and social turmoil. In a two-week period during December, the country had five different presidents. People continue to protest in the streets. "I didn't realize [how bad it was] until seeing the displays of discontent and despair on the part of the people and the inept reaction of the government," she said. "For instance, I never though I wouldn't be able to come back when I was supposed to." The political situation exploded on Dec. 22 when police killed 22 peaceful demonstrators. But Kaiser-Lenoir said that "repression, even in that extreme form, is not new- unfortunately- in the history of my country." She sees "nothing good" in the future of Argentina. "The real tragedy of the country is that, for the past 20 years, it as been subjected to the demands of an economic model dictated fundamentally by the big international financing organizations catering exclusively to the economic interests from abroad." She compares the Argentine crisis to economic crises in Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil. "In Argentina, it is the first time it comes combined with a political crisis and a social crisis...It has forced the political and social fabrics to come completely undone, and no one has any clue what to do." Since her return to Tufts, Kaiser-Lenoir has spoken about the Argentine situation on several occasions. Students have planned a forum for April 2 to discuss the crisis. "There is a growing awareness of the crisis in Argentina...it is symptomatic of much deeper problems that have to do with globalization that are not circumscribed to one particular country...There is a need to understand better what is going on there."

The Setonian
News

Girl Talk' pretty in pink

March 31

Don't judge a book by its cover. No, really. Under normal circumstances, I would not have considered Julianna Baggot's Girl Talk an acceptable reading selection, simply on account of its bright pink cover. Blame it on anything from curiosity to lack of judgement - whatever the reason, I chose to look beyond the hideously pink book cover. Inside, I discovered an ironic, attentive, and comic examination of a mother-daughter relationship that forever changes one fateful summer in 1985. Lissy Jablonski, an advertising executive in Manhattan, is fast approaching 30 when she finds herself in the embarrassing predicament of carrying the child of her married ex-lover. Unsure of what her plan of action should be, she instead reflects on years past, recalling the summer she was 15. After her father ran away with a young, red-haired bank teller, She and her mother, Dotty, escaped from their sleepy New Hampshire home to embark on a journey through Dotty's past. Dotty names the summer of '85 "the summer that never happened" once her husband returns from his extra-marital escapade, but the period remains forever etched in Lissy's memory. It was the summer her mother revealed startling secrets. As Lissy finds herself repeating many of her mother's mistakes and fearing that her own unborn child will also follow in these footsteps, she must come to terms with the lessons learned through years of "girl talk." A quirky cast of characters saves Girl Talk from joining the ranks of other trite coming-of-age novels. As they travel from New Hampshire to Bayonne, New Jersey (where Dotty grew up), they encounter a Valium-addicted country club mother, a suspected mobster, a twitchy dog with a skin disorder, and a one-eyed Italian lover from Dotty's youth later revealed to be Lissy's real father. Lissy's adult life is likewise spotted with peculiar individuals ranging from Church Fiske, an old flame determined to trade his upper-class roots for the middle-class American dream, to her ex-roommate, a Korean stripper named Kitty Hawk. The multitude of themes woven together by Baggot adds to the novel's uniqueness. Issues of ethnicity, fidelity, and social status are combined with the typical girl-grows-up story to create a complex novel that appeals to a varied audience. Baggot depicts the experiences of both mother and daughter during the crucial summer of 1985 in such a way that both older and younger women readers can relate. Children often forget that their parents exist outside of their roles as mothers and fathers. Baggot gently and gracefully tackles this misconception through Dotty's memories. As she gradually reveals her intimate secrets to her young daughter and tells her various stories, Lissy realizes that her mother had a life of her own before Lissy was born. By reliving these memories of a painful childhood and lost love, Dotty and Lissy become more like equals. The mother-daughter relationship is strengthened as they both come to acknowledge each others' existence as individuals. Girl Talk is successful because it is an eloquent blend of humor and suffering. Baggot adroitly sidesteps over-sentimentalizing through Lissy's often ironic and sarcastic interjections and observations about her mother and her memories. The effort is not strained or awkward, due in part to the realistic nature of Lissy's character. Because Baggot portrays her as an ordinary individual, her experience is convincing and endearing. Even those moments that seem less believable (like when Lissy, on a whim, loses her virginity to church in a swimming pool), inspire the reader to think "Yeah...I guess that could happen." While Girl Talk is just a novel, much of it strikingly mirrors many of life's idiosyncrasies. Still, the novel is a far cry from universal - male readers will be hard-pressed to find something to relate to in Girl Talk. This notwithstanding, Baggot is a strong and insightful writer. The result a graceful, smart, and poignant novel. It is well worth the read, even if the book cover is bright pink.

The Setonian
News

Two candidates emerge in TCU President race

March 31

Though nominations will not be made until April 14, juniors Alison Clarke and Melissa Carson have come forth as the likely candidates for the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Presidency. Carson serves as vice president of the Senate and Clarke is the vice chair of the TCU Judiciary. Although the election would pit a student government insider against a judiciary member with no formal experience on the Senate, the two are striking a similar tone at this early date. Both Clarke and Carson said the Senate needs to improve its overall communication with the larger community next year. Though current president Eric Greenberg ran on the platform of "bringing it to the people," the two said that the Senate had a long way to go despite improvements in outreach. "The Senate needs a fresh perspective this year. It hasn't been as productive as it could have been, and I just think it could use a perspective change," Clarke said. "I don't think Eric brought anything to the people," Carson said. "I want to challenge senators to attend meetings of groups they don't belong to; we have to be willing to go outside our comfort zones." Carson said the recent TCU e-mail list she worked to develop marked a strong step towards increasing the Senate's contact with students. Too often, she said, senators and presidents have not contacted students enough after elections. "It's important for the president to stay flexible. It's easy to lay out in April what your priorities are going to be, but if things change you have to be flexible," she said. "The e-mail list is allowing senators to reach students across so many lines... it's an incredible start." Though she acknowledged that previous senators had made the same campaign promises, Clarke said she was committed to improving the Senate's outreach. She said strengthening the public relations and student outreach committee, increased polling of students, and following through on outreach efforts could be better. "[The Senate] doesn't do much outreach, or as much as it says it will," she said. "The only way you're going to be able to truly represent the people who elected you is to know what they want." One of the most hotly contested issues recently has been the culture representative amendment. Passed last year, it allowed culture reps - elected by their respective groups - to vote in the Senate. A proposed amendment would strip the reps of their vote and place them and other interested students as part of a non-voting culture lobby. Though both oppose the proposed amendment, they have different reasons for their lack of support. Clarke said she and other students are working on a different system to be introduced next year in which reps would have the right to vote, while addressing many of student and senator concerns. Citing the situation's complicated nature, Clarke declined to elaborate any further on the current system. Carson said she has worked against the passage of the amendment because she believes the culture reps deserve consistent access to the Senate. She said that the sponsors of the amendment had "carefully marketed" it so students would not realize it stripped culture reps of their vote and gave other groups rights they essentially already had, in terms of access to the Senate. "All it does is enumerate rights people already have," Carson said. "So many times we just relaxed the discussion into a dialogue out of respect for the people to come see us." Carson said she is running because the Senate has consumed a large part of her time, and she wanted to make life better for students at Tufts. "The Senate and Tufts itself have become my life. I've become very engrossed in making it the best place for students," she said. "It has a lot of potential that it's not living up to." One of her biggest priorities will be identifying sources of money for student activities. A current member of the Budget and Priorities Committee, she said that the committee had a "tremendous" lack of contact with the community, which was aggravated because faculty members have always outnumbered student representatives. "The committee has no bylaws. There's no guarantee that students who want to be heard are heard," said Carson. "There were times when we didn't have time to meet with people and wouldn't even accept written statements." Clarke said the outside perspective she would bring to the Senate would prove beneficial. Though she's been involved with the workings of the Senate, she has not served as a senator. "I'm not doing this for myself," she said. "A lot of senators get on four-year tracks and think about where they want to move up to, and that makes it hard for them to think about what they're working on in the present." Clarke is a psychology and Spanish major. She is co-president of the Psychology Society, a coordinator of AIDS outreach, and has written for the Observer. Carson majors in child development and philosophy, and is part of the Senate's Culture, Ethnicity and Community Affairs committee. She is also a member of the Leonard Carmichael Society and Hillel.

The Setonian
News

Play that funky music

March 31

This year's winner of the Battle of the Bands is an unassuming quartet called the Boston Funk Band (BFB). The group consists of seniors Mark Shwayder on bass/vocals and Rick Wilner on drums, and sophomores Ben Halperin on guitar and vocals and James Clark on piano. Clark is the "outstanding" stand-in for Brian Ezra, who is currently abroad. The members of the band each feel they have a distinctive role in the group. Shwayder is the mediator, who "handles everything that everyone else is scared to do." Wilner takes care of the technical aspects, Halperin gets the band gigs, and Clark provides the "undeniably good looks." From the beginning, the band's development progressed rather quickly. "We formed on Monday and had a gig that Friday," said Wilner. The group prepared enough songs for a three-hour set in just two practices. This early ability inspired Wilner's faith in the band's potential: "I could tell good things were going to happen," he said. But at first, business was a little slow - most of BFB's early gigs took place in the fraternity basements. A stint at the Naked Quad Run followed, along with several other on-campus gigs that eventually earned BFB dedicated group of fans. The band believes that what separates it from other Tufts acts is the strength and supportiveness of an on-campus fan base. "Our fans are the best," Shwayder said. "We definitely do not deserve them." "It's great when we go to a show and we see our friends there... and then there are these people who like our music for some reason," said Wilner. There does seem to be something for everyone - musical tastes and influences vary by group member. Shwayder listens to classic funk and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Halperin admires Phish's work, and also draws on the influence of Steely Dan and the Beatles. Clark likes Marcus Robertson and hip-hop. Wilner is also into hip-hop, and John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sting, and Vinnie Colaiuta. The band members also have an onstage camaraderie that helps engage the audience. "When Ben plays a solo we try to compliment it, not just lay down a foundation for him to play over," says Wilner. "Much to his chagrin," Shwayder chimed in. BFB's work came together for its best show, Battle of the Bands, where the members say everything came together extremely well despite initial nervousness. The group's "worst show of all time" had taken place in Hotung just a few months earlier. "Nothing worked, and Ben forgot the lyrics to 'Billy Jean,'" Shwayder explained. The quartet is excited about their grand prize - the opportunity to open Spring Fling - and hopes it can rely on the commitment of their fans to come see them the morning of the concert. "I am thrilled to be playing before Mobb Deep," Clark said. Halperin was equally enthused about playing before Toots and the Maytals. Despite being pleased with Concert Board's decisions, the group does have a few words of criticism for Tufts: "Tufts should have more practice spaces and better venues," said Wilner. Fairly serious about their music, the four take vocal coaching. "It hasn't helped yet, but we're working on it," Shwayder said. They also have recorded a 12-track CD, Ride the Train, in Wilner's home studio. Their own CD release party is currently in the works. The Boston Funk Band will open for Stuffis on April 25 in Bradbury, VT, and will open Spring Fling April 27.For more information on the Boston Funk Band visit:Bostonfunkband.com.

The Setonian
News

Graduate student unions: who would they represent?

March 31

In a Daily Viewpoint that I wrote on Dec. 6 entitled "Graduate Student Unions - The voice of many, or the voice of a few?", I wrote my feelings about why I felt a graduate student union would be harmful to Tufts University and especially to graduate students. In Tuesday's Daily, Carl Martin attacked my position and made comments directed at me personally. Mr. Martin said that my opinions are "wrong," that my "response is empty," and that I'm demonstrating "apathy" to those who need to unionize. If the union that Mr. Martin is forcing onto the graduate student body will be as close-minded and intolerant of opposing viewpoints, then I am certain this union will not represent my views as a graduate student. If the union is unable to understand or represent my viewpoints as a graduate student, how can I believe they will be able to work with the administration? Is the union Mr. Martin's way or the highway? Is that the representation that we would like at Tufts? I don't think so. Mr. Martin has not offered any concrete evidence to differentiate the graduate student experience here from other universities of our caliber. The Association of Student Employees at Tufts (ASET) has not provided any information to demonstrate that the graduate student situation at Tufts is below that of comparable institutions. If you cannot provide precedent, how do you expect to convince people of your position? What specific efforts have been made by ASET to achieve change by working with the administration? If it is so bad here, why did Mr. Martin choose to come here? If Mr. Martin would spend his time working with the administration rather than against it, maybe we could find solutions together. As I see it, all he is offering now is more problems. The pro-union propaganda is gut-wrenching. It tugs at the heartstrings and says we need a unified voice. The union deals with emotion, and these certainly can be emotional issues. I would also like to deal with facts. Here are a few excerpts from the Martin/ASET web page from a poll taken at other universities with unions. "Professors did express concern about the increased labor costs caused by collective bargaining. Contracts that call for better wages for graduate students could eat into university resources that might otherwise be spent on research. Unions also generate more bureaucratic paperwork.... That's something overworked professors worry about, respondents said." More bureaucratic paperwork. Is that what we want from a union? Since graduate student stipends are determined by individual departments, each department will have to re-allocate their own funds to make room for increased stipends. There is a definite chance that with limited funds, as universities are non-profit, departments may reduce the number of graduate students. There is precedent for this graduate student enrollment decrease. Since union inception in 1992, graduate positions at the University of Kansas have decreased by 956 students. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the graduate student union was started in 1990, and since that time, the graduate student population has decreased by 934 students. Both of these cases cite the increasing cost imposed by graduate student unions as the reason for decreased enrollment. Keep in mind that there are approximately 30 universities with graduate programs in the nation, and this is just from two of them. These figures were taken directly from the University of Kansas Office of Institutional Research, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Graduate School Fact Book (http://students.washington.edu/ gsicu/GSICU-facts-6-1-01.htm). Will a union "strengthen the University" when it actually provides less opportunity for those looking to further their education? If having a union at Tufts University means higher wages but fewer graduate students, then I don't want a union here. The ASET web page also mentions that of faculty surveyed from universities with graduate student unions, only 10% felt that their ability to advise graduate students was inhibited. Tufts University has over 300 full time faculty members. If ten percent of our faculty advise an average of five graduate students, that would be 150 students who are negatively impacted by the formation of a union. What ever happened to making sure we don't leave anyone behind? I have a fellow graduate student in my department who received her master's degree from Michigan State University, and she has seen the negative impact of a union firsthand. I don't want that to happen here at Tufts. Mr. Martin's retort says he deserves a higher salary and more benefits, portraying himself as a mistreated minimum wage worker with no other options. This reminds me of the Tufts One-Source staff. I supported the recent salary increase for the One-Source staff that were making minimum wage and needed a raise. But this is different. The reason the minimum wage-earning janitorial staff comes to campus is to work. Mr. Martin and his fellow pro-union shop come here to learn. They come here for an educational degree and for personal advancement. Mr. Martin and I may have a few things in common though: we both have bachelor's degrees, and both chose Tufts for graduate work. I have student loans from my graduate and undergraduate education. I would love to not have student loans, but I am against a union. Since its inception, the pro-union movement has not sent its flyers, e-mails, or other information to all graduate students. I personally haven't received any of the pro-union propaganda. Once I made my position clear, I must have been removed from the pro-union mailing list. I have to get my information from other graduate students. Even if the pro-union shop won't include me in it's mailings, I am sure its union will accept my annual dues. I wonder how much union dues I will pay towards a union that won't tolerate my opinion, or enlighten me to its progress. This is not why I applied and accepted a graduate position at Tufts. I would like to stress to all graduate students on the Medford/Somerville campus that, whether for or against graduate student unions, it is important for each of us to be familiar on graduate student unions and to vote. For a union to be accepted, a majority of the votes cast is needed, not a majority of all graduate students. What is certain is that if a union is accepted, all graduate students in the bargaining unit will be bound by its actions, whether you voted or not. I encourage everyone to check out the following web pages (http://tuftsgrads.org/, http://www.geocities.com/whut-01/, http://www.tufts.edu/source/gradunion), put forth by the pro-graduate student union efforts, anti-graduate student union efforts, and the Tufts University administration, respectively. There are some positive aspects to unions, but after learning about grad unions at other institutions, I wholeheartedly believe that a union at Tufts will be detrimental to the graduate student body.Jason Epstein is a student at Tufts' Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

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Rhythmic profanity

March 31

There ain't nothing like a song to bring people together - especially if it's about licking someone's genitals. Of course, most any kind of song will do the trick: unite a room full of strangers, and compel them to swing and sway, stomp their feet, nod their heads, and wave their hands in the air. But there's something extra special that bubbles to the surface when a) that song provokes feeling, as opposed to simply thought and b) you witness that music performed live. Let's start with the latter: the actual performance of music is what separates it from most other art forms. With music, presented not as a recording but in concert, the physical process of exploring and improvising is itself the art to be cherished. There is no finished product; there is no creation, only creating. It's a verb not a noun. A few weeks ago, when Nicholas Payton and his quintet played the stage in Cohen, the few Tuftonians who were wise enough to attend witnessed something pure that will never in a million years be captured on a little plastic disc. They saw the drummer strike the cymbal and immediately heard the result. They saw the bassist hulkingly grope and pluck at his strings, the waves of sound resonated outward echoing through our ears, clouding our mind, and stirring our gut. The moments - divide them how you wish into seconds or notes, songs or beats - are long gone now. In fact, they were gone the instant they were created. Its fleeting nature is live music's most appealing feature. It connects everyone present, inviting them into a secret society: "Only we have this moment. No one can take this away from us, nor can anyone join us later." Can you think of any other art as tantalizingly ephemeral as live music? I imagine it would be head-poundingly boring to witness painters and sculptors (Jackson Pollock excepted) in the midst of creation. Most writers, I'm sure, would probably require a gun pointed at their head before allowing spectators to watch over their shoulder while typing away. And it would probably take months of simply hanging around in LA to see the creative process behind most films. Ugh. Actors, you say, or maybe dancers? True, true: we watch them on stage just as we do musicians. But a concert possesses something that I contend other live stage productions do not. That is audience participation. This is not to say that concert-goers consistently find themselves on stage strumming away next Jimmy Page or crooning a duet with Babs: "People who need people..." No, it is just that music, in it's nature, possesses beats and rhythms, melodies and patterns. They shoot directly for our nerves and upon connecting, make us act funky: maybe we dance, maybe we nod our head, maybe we just sense something funny, a rumbling spark in our tummy. Music speaks to our soul, not just our intellect: when our soul is exposed and touched that way and we happen to be in the presence of both the musician and other fans, a feeling of vulnerability is inevitable. True aficionados of live music will embrace that vulnerability and let it envelop them. This thrill was never more present than on a Wednesday evening not too long ago in a small bar named Goombays on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. During the summer months the spit of sand that lies between the mainland and the Atlantic is a vacation hotspot filled with bikini-clad beachgoers and mini-golf mavens from across the union. But in March, locals alone fill the few open area establishments with a North Carolina liquor license. Entering the crowded, smoke-filled room last week, some friends and I witnessed not only a surf board on the ceiling and license plates on the walls, but also mobs of drawl-prone men drinking Bud Light from red plastic party mugs and throngs of young blond ladies who, to our eyes, appeared years away from their 21st birthday. As one of the few men in the bar without a goatee on my chin and tattoo on my neck, I drifted to the corner and wondered why there were so many people here on a Wednesday night. That's when the band came on: Cool Hand Look, a hardcore band featuring two shouters, a guitarist, a bassist wearing a Detroit Pistons Jersey, and long-haired drummer who appeared as if he were on hiatus from Rammstein's latest tour. They would have made Limp Bizkit proud, and their mothers cringe. One song, dedicated to "all y'all in trouble with the law," saw the lead singer urge us to "kill all snitches." I hated the music - it was deafening, malevolent and indecipherable - but I loved the moment. As the band rocked away, the mass of fans rocked and writhed, rumbling feet and flailing arms moved in unison. Sketchy guys groaned and grinded with the all-too eager young ladies whose all-too mini skirts and tight-tastic tanks did the trick. It all seemed so wrong. Everyone involved, however, seemed so right. They glowed with the serenity of a group truly at peace with the moment, the music flowed through them and they were one. By the time Cool Hand Look launched into an unexpected fan favorite, to which most of Goombay's knew the lyrics, it all made sense. The song "Lemme Lick Your Pussy" united the mob. They nodded their heads and sang in together as the band's leader led the chat, "Lemme lick, lemme lick, lemme lick, lemme lick lemme lick your pussy." They danced and smiled, cherishing the music and loving the moment. They rubbed themselves against one other. I was reminded of Nicholas Payton's trumpet spewing out notes that fell upon our minds like a firework's sparks through the night sky. So too did an aspiring North Carolina band let their tunes fly, wrapping everyone present in a warm, comfortable, BO-smelling blanket of rhythmic profanity. We all felt just a little bit closer.

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Hillary done cracked the century mark

March 31

On Saturday afternoon, junior Hillary Dunn became only the fourth women's basketball player in Tufts history to crack the century mark in assists in a season. With her third assist of the day against Bowdoin in the Jumbos 50-48 loss, Dunn joined Re Treadup (1989-90), Patty McDermott (1992-93) and Tufts' single season assist record holder Lisa Raffin, who recorded 121 assists during the 1980-81 season. "I had no idea that I was near a hundred or near any sort of milestone until my father handed me the program on Saturday," Dunn said. In 18 games on the season Dunn has averaged 5.6 assists per game, up from last season's average of 3.2 assists per game which she compiled over 21 games including 7 starts. Last year she finished second on the team in assists per game and total assists (68) behind Shira Fishman. If Dunn maintains her current pace of 5.6 assists per game over the team's final four games, she will shatter the single season assist mark and finish with 123. Incidentally, if she were to break Raffin's single season record she would be replacing a fellow graduate of Medfield High School in the Tufts record books. Raffin actually set her 21-year-old single season mark in 1981, the year Dunn was born. As of today, Dunn ranks seventh all-time in career assists at Tufts with 209. If Dunn maintains the 5.6 assists per game average for the remainder of her collegiate career assuming she plays the remaining four games this season and a full 23 game schedule next year (she missed one game this season) she will just manage to eclipse Raffin's career mark of 355. Currently, she is on pace to finish her career with approximately 359 assists. "That will be pretty exciting," Dunn said about potentially breaking two school records. "In high school I had a lot of these similar records so it's kind of cool to do it again in college." However, with all these personal milestones in sight, Dunn the consummate pass first point guard is still thinking about her team. "Right now I would rather win the next four games than break the season assist record," she said. "If in the process of trying to win the four games, I break the record, that will be nice. But I just want to do whatever I have to do to help my team win."

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Referendum election rules may have aided Yes vote

March 31

The rules governing Tufts' constitutional election system may contain a flaw that could potentially make it easier for amendments to pass. Although the culture rep referendum amendment was officially defeated yesterday, groups who were against the amendment feel the system is unfair, though nothing can be done at present. The current constitution states that if less than 25 percent of students vote, a two-thirds majority is required for an amendment to pass. If over 25 percent vote, a simple majority is enough. The possible flaw depends on the number of "no" votes. If additional "no" votes push the participation rate over 25 percent, it facilitates the passage of the amendment by drastically lowering the amount of "yes" votes required to pass it. Whereas a close vote under the two-thirds rule could defeat an amendment, a slightly larger vote of similar proportions could pass the amendment under the majority rule. Referendum election rules have not been an issue in the past because previous referendums were won by large majorities. This Wednesday's referendum, however, was extremely close, receiving 1011 votes in support, 1208 votes against, and 283 voters abstaining. The Election Board (ELBO) agreed that with the advent of online voting, the current constitutional system is no longer efficient. Despite its flaws, however, the system will not undergo changes anytime soon, ELBO Chair Joe Coletti said. "ELBO can only go with what the constitution says," Coletti said. "Nothing can be done about that this year because everything is brand new." The rules may change next year, though, as newly elected TCU President Melissa Carson said the issue should be examined before the next election. "I think that that's a problem to consider for referenda in the future," she said. "An incredible number of people turned out [on Wednesday]. I don't think its going to affect this referendum, but it's an issue to work out in the future." Senator Allison Clarke agreed. "No one has realized this before and it definitely should be addressed," Clarke said. With the recent use of online voting, she said the Senate might look at the percentage differences, as well. Former Senator Pritesh Ghandi said the possible mix-up might be a sign that many, if not most, of the election bylaws need to be reexamined. "It should just be straight up," he said. The procedure for changing election rules requires a campus-wide referendum to be conducted under the rules of the present constitution. Political science department chair James Glaser says this issue has come up in US politics before. He cited an equal rights amendment that was defeated in Virginia due to similar voting requirements. The culture rep amendment would have removed the voting rights that were given to culture reps in a referendum last year, while giving additional campus groups senate lobbying powers. It was defeated by a margin of 197 votes.

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Women finish disappointing season with three consecutive wins

March 31

The women's lacrosse team ended its season somewhat prematurely when it failed to qualify for the NESCAC playoffs, despite winning its last three games of the season, including a dramatic 11-10 overtime victory over Connecticut College, on April 27, in what turned out to be Tufts' final contest of the year. The three game winning streak was a positive end to a season that was disappointing at times. After losing its top three scorers from last season, the team knew it would be a difficult task to repeat the successes of past seasons. Despite this, the Jumbos began the year with high goals and expectations, as the addition of sophomore transfer student Willow Hagge added a new scoring threat in the place of last year's top scorer Jen Gregorian. Two weeks into the season, however, the team experienced a serious setback in terms of these goals when senior co-captain Christina Orf suffered a torn ACL and two other top players experienced ankle injuries. "I think we expected to be one of the best teams in the conference, and try and win the conference," sophomore Lauren Peach said. "But two weeks into the season, one of our best players tears her ACL, then two of our starters hurt their ankles, so our priorities changed pretty quickly." Despite these setbacks, the team opened up the season on a promising note on its annual spring training trip, securing three convincing wins in non-conference competition while jumping out to an early 3-0 record. Hagge proved to be a valuable asset early on, netting three goals in her first game as a Jumbo, and finished the trip with seven goals and four assists. Upon returning from the trip, the team began its NESCAC schedule with a contest against then undefeated Trinity on March 30. Though the Jumbos jumped on top of the Bantams a mere 43 seconds into the game, they fell in the contest by a score of 9-5. Just three days later, Tufts again faced another undefeated team, the Bowdoin Polar Bears. The two teams entered the final two minutes of play with the score knotted at ten, but it was Bowdoin who came out on the winning end. Senior captain Beth Sherman found the back of the net just 1:22 remaining to secure the 11-10 win. The loss dropped the Jumbos to 0-2 in conference play. After a non-conference game against Babson on April 4, which the Jumbos dominated in a 15-5 victory, the team headed back into NESCAC territory - a stretch of games against three of the top four teams in the conference. Tufts lost all three of these games, including a 12-5 thumping at the hand of eventual NESCAC champion Middlebury. The defeats left the Jumbos with an 0-5 conference record, and almost out of the playoff picture entirely. "We sort of had our lulls, and the NESCAC conference is the best DIII conference in the country," Peach said. "You just can't really make that many mistakes." But the Jumbos fought back and registered 7-5 wins over both Wesleyan on April 18 and Bates on April 20, as well as the thriller over Connecticut College which put them back in the postseason hunt. Results from other games did not work out in the Jumbos' favor, however, and the team missed the postseason. "I'm disappointed with our final record, but only because it doesn't adequately reflect how good our team really is," Peach said. "We work really hard and we have a lot of talent, we just didn't necessarily play well for an entire 60 minute game." Despite several tough setbacks throughout the season, the team was able to look at the positive side of things. "I think we've only grown stronger because of it, and our team is really close now," Peach said. "The last three games of the season, we finally pulled together and played like we had wanted to all along- as a team." Hagge led the team offensively this season with 34 points in the form of 26 goals and eight assists. She will be an important part of a next year's team after the departure of three seniors - Samantha Snitow and co-captains Orf and Liz Horrowitz. These three will be hard to replace, as each has been a substantial part of the team for the last four years. "Our seniors were incredible leaders this year," Peach said. "It's going to be hard to fill the void of Samantha Snitow as a leader on defense and Liz Horowitz as a leader on attack. But our team has already learned to deal with not having Christina on the field, and it'll be a question of juniors and seniors stepping up to take their places." Other key members of next year's squad include juniors Ari Kristan and Kathy Kenney, who the team recently voted to be next season's co-captains. Kristan, the team's goalie for the past three years, finished fifth in the NESCAC in goalkeeping, accumulating an 8.15 goals against average as well as a .564 save percentage. Kenney, a strong defensive player, was Tufts' only representative on this year's All-NESCAC teams, as she was selected to the second team. Teammates are quick to praise Kenney for her dedication and hard work. "She will be a great leader and captain," Peach said. "Everyone on the team respects her for her intensity on the field. She brings the entire level of the playing of our team up another level." A strong crew of underclassmen provides a great deal of optimism for next year's team. Despite the disappointing final result of this year's campaign, the overwhelming feeling on the team is one of anticipation for next season. "We're a young team, so I'm not so disappointed," Peach said. "I'm just excited for next season."

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Baseball regroups taking 2 of 3 from Trinity

March 31

The baseball team rallied in both games of its Saturday double-header to come from behind and take victories away from Trinity. Although both games looked bleak early on, the Jumbo bats woke up in time for two wins to take the weekend series from the Bantams two games to one. In game two, the Jumbos were down 4-6 going into the bottom of the fourth, but three Trinity errors and five runs pushed Tufts to a 9-6 lead. Senior tri-captain Dan Callahan was one of the main sparks in the bottom of the fourth rally as he hit a run scoring triple to tie the game at 6-6. Trinity made the game a nail bitter until the end on the backs of senior shortstop Andy Freimuth, who hit a solo homerun in the top of the seventh. Bantams senior Nick Callini and freshman Jayme Dorr had RBI base hits to cut the Jumbo lead to 10-9. In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Greg Hickey answered the Bantams threat with his second homerun of the day, this one being of the two-run variety. With Tufts ahead 12-9, Trinity posted one more run before Tufts shortstop/pitcher Brian Shapiro came into the game to shut the door on Trinity and earn the save. "I haven't been pitching that much so far this year," Shapiro said. "It was nice to contribute on that side of things. [Coach John Casey] hasn't used me that much so I didn't have any arm problems." Sophomore Randy Newsom started the game and threw three innings, and sophomore Dave Frew entered the game in the fourth. Frew earned the win to improve his record to 2-0. Junior tri-captain Evan Zupancic hit his eighth homerun of the season, tying a Tufts single season record. He went 3-5 in game two and scored two runs. Even with his name in the record books, Zupancic was not that excited. "I'd rather that we win games than people making records," Zupancic said. "If hitting homeruns is helping the team win, then absolutely it is a good thing, but only when it is in our favor." Callahan also got his swagger back, going 3-5 and scoring three runs. In game one, comeback was also the theme. Going into the bottom of the fifth, the Jumbos were down 2-4 and looked like they were headed to their second loss in a row. With time running out, as they only play seven innings in the first game of a double-header, it seemed as though the team was shot with a jolt. Hickey blasted a homerun over the left-center wall and a clutch two out single by junior Jon Herbert evened the game at 4-4. The following inning, the Jumbos continued what they had started, hitting three singles in a row to load the bases. With senior first baseman Tim Ayres on third, Hickey on second, and sophomore third baseman Adam Kacamburas on first, freshman catcher Bob Kenny stepped to the plate. Kenny hit a one hopper through the infield scoring Ayres easily with Hickey motoring in with a look of determination behind him. With Tufts up 6-4, and runners on the corners, freshman second baseman Frank Dinucci caught a break as junior first baseman Kurt Piantek dropped the put out throw from third. With the bases loaded Zupancic stepped into a pitch to pick up the RBI and all but end Trinity's hopes of winning. After a shaky start in which he gave up back to back homeruns in the first inning, junior Jon Lee regrouped and surrendered only two more runs. The long ball killed Lee, but he worked hard to keep the Jumbos in the game. Shapiro entered the game in the sixth to pick up the win, improving to 2-0 on the season. Lee and Shapiro combined for 11 strikeouts. In both games Shapiro moved from shortstop to pitcher, which sounds like it might be tough on one's arm, but Shapiro says the opposite. "It's actually not that bad at all, my arm is warm because I'm in the field," he said. "It's easier than coming off the bench." "After getting down really early in the first game, we had to show what we are made of," Zupancic said. "We had to respond, and I think we responded well. I think we were just a little bit harder and tougher than they were, mentally and on the field, so we ended up with the win." The Jumbos did not fare as well against the Bantams on Friday, though. After getting up on junior pitcher Jonah Bayliss 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Jumbos could not buy offense for the rest of the game and finished with only three hits, losing 2-1. Zupancic hit an infield single with Herbert following him with an opposite field single to advance Zupancic to third. Zupancic scored when Callahan hit a fielder's choice, forcing Herbert out at second. The next batter, Shapiro, walked putting runners on first and second with one out. Bayliss pitched his way out of the jam, surrendering only one run. "He was pretty, good, he threw really hard. If you are not a disciplined hitter he can make you look foolish," Zupancic said. "He made all of us look foolish at some point. We were trying to pull the ball, which you can't do against people who throw that hard. You have to slap the ball opposite field. It showed he was good because we only had one run and three hits on the board." Bayliss was not the only pitcher cruising, as junior Dave Martin put his sub-one ERA on the line and did not disappoint. Martin was dominating the Bantams through five innings until the game was delayed 45 minutes due to lightening. That might have been the kiss of death, as Dorr hit a solo homerun off of Martin to lead off the seventh inning. Freshman catcher Andrew Fries scored the Bantams second run in the top of the eighth. Fries went 4-5 on the day. Martin did an excellent job scattering 13 hits and had two strikeouts, while Bayliss ended up with ten strikeouts. Both pitchers tossed complete games in a classic pitchers duel. "Martin pitched a great game on Friday," Zupanic said. "Anytime the pitcher only gives up two runs, we shouldn't lose a game, especially with the ability we have at the plate." Even with the heartbreaker on Friday, the weekend was a success for the Jumbos, as they retained their first place standing in the NESCAC East at 7-1. Trinity was dropped to 8-4 in the league, making the league title and home field advantage in the playoffs in arms length for Tufts, as there are four league games left. "It just shows how tough we are," Zupancic said. "We had our backs against the wall, after losing Friday like we did, we responded."

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Women's basketball fighting winter shooting freeze

March 31

After ending the first semester on a four-game winning streak, it seemed the women's basketball team was in a prime position to continue that success upon its early January return from winter break. But with two losses in three games and a 6-4 record overall, the Jumbos find themselves at a crossroads at the midpoint of their season.The squad did its best to forget about its two initial losses of 2002, games against the University of New England (63-46) on Jan. 7 and Wellesley (67-43) on Jan. 10, by defeating Smith by a 45-34 margin last Saturday. Still, team members remain disconcerted."Obviously we are disappointed because we are not playing to our potential in the least bit," sophomore Maritsa Christoudias said. "We realize that [the losses] are something we have to leave behind us because league games are coming up." Despite the win against Smith, poor shooting continued to plague the Jumbos, haunting them in the losses to New England and Wellesley. In the three post-break games the Jumbos have shot 32.8 percent, 29.1 percent, and 26.3 percent, respectively. "Our problem is definitely shooting," Christoudias said. "It's something that will come. Our defense is doing fine and we are preventing teams from scoring a lot of points." Junior co-captain Hillary Dunn said the team has been getting good shots but that "they just haven't been falling. They have been falling in practice so maybe we have just been coming out flat." While the team as a whole is having problems putting the ball in the basket, its struggles have been magnified over the past three games. Emily Goodman, the Jumbos' leading scorer over the past two years, also finds herself in the midst of an uncharacteristic shooting slump. Though she leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game, Goodman has averaged just under nine points per game in the three January contests. Her struggles could be the result of a shooting slump but could also have to do with the fact that she is a marked woman after two all-star caliber seasons under her belt. "A lot of people know about her now," Christoudias said. "She is getting a lot of pressure. She is just in a slump, and she will get out of it and when she does it will help us out. But obviously we can't put all the pressure on her." Dunn had a different take on Goodman's point reduction. "This year we are a different team," she said. "We don't need one person to score 25 each night. We have a lot of people that can score. When we are successful it seems that we are getting points from everyone...This year we can still win games without her scoring 20 because we have other people that have developed into scorers." Two of those players are junior Erin Harrington and senior co-captain Jayme Busnengo. Harrington led the team in scoring with 11 and 20 points, respectively, against New England and Wellesley, before slipping to three in the win over Smith. Busnengo was the most accurate shooter among the starters over the past three games, shooting at a 47.6 percent clip. She posted a double-double in leading the team in both scoring (12) and rebounds (10) in the win over Smith. While the team's poor shooting could lead to finger pointing, according to Christoudias, it's done the opposite. "We are all really supportive of each other," she said. "Basically disappointment and frustration is the biggest thing. We have the talent to be a really good team. We played really well in the preseason. We know we can do it but we have to get it out of each other. We are not giving up on each other." With three games in the next six days, the team will have little rest and even less time to focus on its shooting slump. "I think it will be helpful to have all these games in a row," Christoudias said. "We know its going to be rough but games are fun and we can handle them. It's better than four practices in a row and then a game." "We had a good win on Saturday against Smith," Dunn said. "Again, we shot badly, but we were getting good looks. We just need to take it one game at a time."

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Intersection redesign to begin this spring

March 31

The installation of new traffic lights and lane markers at the intersection of Boston Ave. and College Ave. will begin late this spring. After two students were hit in an accident last February, the University began exploring plans to make the intersection safer. Currently, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is replacing the water mains below the intersection, which provide the entire campus water supply. These water mains were not in immediate need of reconstruction, but will be impossible to reach after the roads are repaved. Tom Gawyrs of the MWRA explained that the project of restoring the pipes coincided with the planned reconstruction of the intersection. "That's why we're out in winter," he said. "We're trying to get it all done before the roadwork begins." The reconstruction of the intersection is a joint project involving the MWRA and the city of Medford. After the water main replacement is completed by the MWRA, the repaving of the intersection will begin. Paul Gere, the Director of the Medford Public Works, said that the redesign of the intersection would begin after "140 feet of 8-inch pipe is replaced by 12-inch pipe." "The intersection is going to be state-of-the-art," Gere said. "There will be a whole new system of traffic lights, different crosswalks, and an Opticom system." An Opticom system allows approaching emergency vehicles to reconfigure the traffic lights so that they may pass through with greater ease. The repaving and the installation of traffic lights will be funded by the City of Medford and carried out by a construction company working under the Massachusetts Highway Department. Gere said that once the MWRA has finished replacing the pipes, the redesign of the intersection should take no more than six months. The MWRA's work on the pipes should be finished around the beginning of March. The intersection has long been considered a particularly dangerous one, due to angle at which Boston Ave. and College Ave. converge and the high degree of pedestrian traffic. Last February two students sustained minor injuries after being hit by a van passing through the intersection. Students agree that the intersection needs to be made safer. Junior Erika Amir-Denton said she feels nervous crossing over College Ave. to use the post office or visit Brown and Brew. "The other day it was so busy that I couldn't have crossed if a cop hadn't been there," she said. Freshman Michelle Friedman, an employee at Brown and Brew, said sometimes she has "to make three or four attempts before I feel safe enough to cross. I'll be relieved when the construction is finished and I hope it makes the intersection safer." Gere said the intersection of Park St. and Salem St. near Route 93 is also slated for reconstruction. The installation of a new system of traffic signals will begin after the work underground on utilities is completed.

The Setonian
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Yankees still look like team to beat

March 31

While the winter weather continues, the boys of summer are beginning to gear up again. This week pitchers and catchers began reporting to spring training, ready to prepare themselves for another season in the sun. Several players have joined new teams, while and in other cases new management, coaching staffs, and owners will be trying to establish themselves with new organizations. With all the moves and facelifts, remembering the composition of a particular team can be complicated. So here's a quick rundown to help you stay on top of the offseason occurrences:American LeagueIf there is going to be a team to bring down the New York Yankees again this season, it's going to have to come from the National League. Once again, Mr. Steinbrenner pulled out the checkbook this off-season to sign the market's biggest name and has seemingly secured himself another league championship title. The Yankees' biggest move was the signing of former Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi to replace Tino Martinez (who left the team for the St. Louis Cardinals). Giambi's bat provides an already strong lineup with the home run power that the Yankees were lacking this season. Along with Giambi, the Yankees added a number of other players to their revamped roster - including fan favorite David Wells, a traditionally strong performer at Yankee stadium, former Braves pitcher Steve Karsay, outfielder Rondell White, third baseman Robin Ventura and veteran lefty Sterling Hitchcock.Last year's best regular season team, the Seattle Mariners, enter 2002 with a relatively unchanged roster. But with the loss of outfielder Jay Buhner to retirement and pitcher Aaron Sele to the Angels, the Mariners may not be quite as dominant this season. The team did upgrade at third base where Jeff Cirillo, acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, will replace David Bell. Ruben Sierra also brings his big bat to Seattle after a solid season in Texas. The Mariners will certainly be among the AL leaders, but if they couldn't dethrone New York last year, it probably won't happen this year.The only team with the potential to finish anywhere near the Yankees in the East is the Red Sox. And with a rotation featuring newly acquired John Burkett as the number two starter, Boston doesn't look to be that imposing. Still, with the acquisitions of Tony Clark and Johnny Damon to play first base and centerfield, the Red Sox should play better than .500 baseball.The once dominant Cleveland Indians may be in rebuilding mode after trading Roberto Alomar to the New York Mets for a package centered around outfielder Matt Lawton. The team will also be without Juan Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton, who were both lost to free agency. Rather than emphasizing offense, this year's squad seems centered around a young pitching staff which includes Bartolo Colon and C.C. Sabathia.National LeagueThe 2000 Subway Series might be repeated as soon as this year, as it was the New York Mets who completed the most off-season moves in the NL and now appear poised to win the National League East. Trading for Alomar was the team's biggest in a series of moves that served to restructure the team's infield. The Mets also signed first baseman Mo Vaughn and traded away third baseman Robin Ventura. Edgardo Alfonzo will slide over from second base to replace the departed Ventura. Shortstop Rey Ordonez is the lone Mets infielder who is not new or won't be changing positions. Infield wasn't the only area where the Mets made changes. Signing several pitchers and outfielders, Mets fans will have a whole new roster to learn this season. If New York wants to win the NL title, though, it'll have to pass the Arizona Diamondbacks first. Last year's World Series co-MVPs, Curt Shilling and Randy Johnson, are ready to rejoin almost all of their teammates to make a run at a repeat title. The Diamondbacks' greatest loss was slugger Reggie Sanders to free agency, but the team has the depth to replace him. The squad also picked up Rick Helling to fill the number three hole in the starting rotation. The Diamondbacks and Mets aren't the only strong teams in the National League this year. As usual, the Braves are sure to be in the race. Having resigned key free agents Javy Lopez and John Smoltz, the team also traded outfielder Brian Jordan for superstar Gary Sheffield and picked up Vinny Castilla to play third base. Chipper Jones will slide into left field. Lastly, keep an eye on the San Francisco Giants. After just missing the playoffs last year, San Francisco has made multiple moves this winter. The team picked up outfielder Sanders, third baseman Bell and outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo. More important than any addition or subtraction to the team, though, was the resigning of Barry Bonds. After a 73-home run year, the Giants hope that their left fielder can be nearly as productive in 2002. With all the moves in the National League, division races should once again be tight this summer. Unlike the American league, several teams have the capability to take home the NL crown. Whether they can go on and bring home the World Series title is what we'll have to watch out for.

The Setonian
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Tufts University or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love College

March 31

In the very first class I taught at Tufts, a student asked me what they should call me. I answered "Professor Morse or O Captain My Captain." This sadly prompted me to lend my copy of Dead Poet's Society to the 85% of the class that hadn't seen the movie yet. [If you haven't, I suggest you run and see the best Ethan Hawke film, predating Uma and his attempted literary career.] That movie has two basic themes that I want to expand upon in terms of your impending adoption into the Tufts Community. The first is the need "to suck the marrow out of life" or the carpe diem philosophy; the other is that the faculty are here at Tufts to help you open and expand your minds into new realms. No matter what other people tell you, I firmly believe that your college years are your formative years. As you're reading this, you will already be inundated by questions and decisions. Should we bunk the beds? Do I want to take Italian or Japanese? Did I remember to pack my thermal underwear? Is Lance going to make it into space? No matter what the answers to these questions are, you need to go out and explore where your niche will be at Tufts. Now it is my job to start planting seeds of all the things you can and should try while you're here. Just remember to "have fun storming the castle." Tufts has more dance troupes than there are States that begin with the letter "A." You cannot even count all the a cappella groups with the fingers on one hand. Add to this the musical and drama programs, and the artistic outlets are nearly infinite. Heck, they even let me perform in West Side Story. Also, there's a strong Greek system here (somewhere between Revenge of the Nerds and The Skulls) and athletics ranging from the intensity of early morning crew practices to the mid-afternoon mellowness of ultimate Frisbee. I also would love to see all of you try to make Tufts and the rest of the world a better place; I don't mean that you have to be on the short list for the Nobel Peace Prize by the end of your senior year, but become involved. Consider the letters "S," "L," and "C." As LCS they make up the Leonard Carmichael Society, the umbrella service organization at Tufts. Rearrange them and you get the CSL, the Committee on Student Life. This, along with the Senate and the Judiciary are the three elected governing bodies on campus. Eight of you will get to assume seats on the Senate this month, and you can make the will of the Class of 2006 known. While you don't have to become a politico, you can join a culture group, become a campus tutor, write for one of the many campus publications, or set the groundwork to become an RA next year. Keep your eyes open for things that may catch your fancy; just don't look back and regret how little you did four years from now. Taking a phrase from the Pet Shop, Boys, there are lots of opportunities; if there aren't, you can make them. Last year, two freshman joined up to create the "No Homer's Club for those people who were interested in the Simpsons. Maybe in the future, you'll create a group too. (I have been looking for some students who love trivial knowledge to start up a College Bowl team; we are the only Boston area university without one.) Now that I have offered suggestions to fill about 167 hours out of your week, we need to talk about the balance that college is. I'm going to pass along some advice that my parents gave to me, and I still tell everyone: college is part academic and part social, and you are cheating yourself out of a complete education if you skimp on either half. Don't bury yourself in academics so that you have your own cot inside the library; don't join the square root club (those are people who have a GPA that is higher if you take its square root). Look at college as an opportunity to explore new areas you've never thought of. You don't need to know what your major is, you don't have to start applying to graduate school, and you should not know what classes you are taking second semester senior year. This is why you are in college. Take classes in things you might be interested in or in subjects you never even knew existed. Repeat after me "I don't know what I want to do with my life; I don't know what classes I want to take." Admitting you are in college to learn about yourself and everything around you is the first step (and there are a lot more than eleven steps after that). Remember a handful of things: you cannot screw up (everything you do is part of your experiences, and you learn from them), college is what you make of it (you can go to a school like Harvard [shudder] and after four years be less intelligent than when you entered, if you let it happen), and wear sunscreen (that ozone layer is still precarious). Maybe if you follow these rambling words, you'll be a well-rounded and well-adjusted graduate 4 years from now. If not, don't sue me because I'm just a poor academic. So, even though many of you will never dare take one of my classes (I'm in the chemistry department.), I hope you get to know as many of the faculty as you can. We are your advisers, counselors, teachers, friends, and confidants. We are the crew on this schooner you are sailing into the future, so don't try to single-handedly circumnavigate the Earth. Ok, I couldn't resist having one prosaic statement at the end of this. Just promise me you won't show this viewpoint to your English 1 instructor.Chris Morse is a Lecturer in the Chemistry Department

The Setonian
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Four seniors elected to Alumni Council

March 31

Upon leaving Tufts, graduates will join the more than 72,000 other alumni in the Tufts University Alumni Association. Graduating seniors Michael Ferenczy, Seren Levinson, William McCarthy, and Sarah Molenkamp were chosen to represent the class of 2002 in the Alumni Association Council (AAC). The system of electing four seniors to the AAC was started three years ago to get younger alumni more involved by electing transitional members that serve for five years on the council instead of the regular ten. Ferenczy, Levinson, McCarthy and Molenkamp help represent the younger alumni minority in the council. "One of the biggest goals of the Alumni Association is engaging younger alumni and finding new and innovative ways to keep alumni connected to Tufts once they leave," Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Sardella Assistant Director of alumni relations. The transitional members plan to build on the idea of maintaining more contact with alumni. "I've heard comments for alumni saying that after only two years Tufts lost track of them or didn't contact them," Sarah Molenkamp said. "It's important to make people feel like this is a lifetime thing." Other transitional members have been able to bring a new perspective on alumni relations. The alumni website was recently redone with help from transitional members. Generally more technologically savvy, the transitional members have provided fresh ideas of how to engage people in being involved in Tufts. "I've had a wonderful four years and I want to give back," Molenkamp said. "I think it's important that I do that. I found this a good way to get involved and stay involved." The AAC is broken down into 13 standing committees that include an awards committee and communications committee. The role of the transitional members is to provide the voice of the younger alumni for these committees. "The biggest area of improvement in the association is understanding what kids want when they get out of school so we can devise programming for them when they leave," Sardella said. "We want to know what are the types of events that we can have so we can bring them back." Alumni should recognize that once-a-year donations are just a small part of belonging to this organization, said Molenkamp. "People complain that it's just 'give us money,'" Molenkamp said. "I want the alumni to know to it's more than just that. It's important to reach out into the communities where there are a lot of Tufts Grads like DC, Los Angeles, and New York."

The Setonian
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Men's track successful at non-scored meet

March 31

The men's track and field team traveled to Northeastern University on Saturday for the 2002 Spring Husky Open, its first meet of the outdoor season. The meet was not scored, instead providing coaches with an opportunity to gauge their team's status early in the season. Among the competition were several Div. I squads, including Northeastern, Boston University, and Boston College. Many teams' runners used the event to get back into competitive shape following a two-week hiatus from the indoor season. Coach Connie Putnam said the weather was a big help. "We were very lucky it was so nice outside," Putnam said. "It was a good overall performance. Everybody just seemed to shake off the rust from the break." A few key members of the team did not participate in the meet. Junior sprinter Bryan Pitko, who recently competed in the indoor nationals in the 55-meter hurdles, did not run due to tight hamstrings. Fellow sprinter and senior captain Andy Benedict did not compete due to an ankle injury suffered during the indoor season. The injuries hardly hampered Tufts' performance, however. Among the notable results was junior quadcaptain Greg Devine's seventh place finish in the 200 meter dash. Devine, who also placed sixth in the 400 with a 50.54, said his 22.46-second 200 exceeded his expectations. Other impressive performances included a freshman jumper and hurdler Nate Thompson's fifth place finish in the 110 meter hurdles (16.01). Freshman Dave Starr established a personal record in the pole vault with a height of 3.51 meters. Putman made some lineup changes, including moving freshman Ray Carre from sprints to distance events, in which he competed in the 1500 meter run. Freshman Spencer Gerrol placed 35th throwing javelin for the first time. "Most of the team's depth and talent is concentrated in the middle- and long-distance events." Putnam explains. "You have to expect that at a school like this. Bright minds and strong disciplined athletes can also make great distance runners." This year's squad welcomes 15 new freshmen who hope to fill some of the spaces left by graduated seniors. Some of the younger distance runners - like Nathan Brigham, a freshman who made a name for himself in the cross country season - are expected to provide the team with solid performances. On Saturday, Brigham placed seventh in the 5,000 (15:28.06). Thompson is also expected to add much needed talent to the jumping events, which Putnam considers the team's weakest spots. Thompson said he was satisfied with this weekend's performance. "Overall, it was pretty good for a pre-meet," Thompson said. "The coaches seemed very happy. So far, I think we are having a good carry over from the indoor season. We just have to continue to work hard and stay in shape." Returning talent and leadership will come from quad-captains seniors Benedict, Ben Smith and JR Cruz, along with Devine. Cruz and Smith will be key distance runners; Cruz finished second in the 5000 run with a time of 15:02.97, while Smith placed ninth in the 1,500 in 4:05.03. This week the team will prepare for its first scored meet of the year, as it heads up to Lewiston, ME to compete against Bates on Saturday.

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