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The Setonian
News

Bacow to be inaugurated as 12th president today

March 31

Students, faculty, administrators and alumni will gather this morning to celebrate the inauguration of President Larry Bacow as his first year at Tufts draws near a close. But the University's 12th president will have some particularly special guests in the audience - friends and family, who traveled to the hill from across the nation. "It will be one of the largest collections of Bacows ever assembled in one place at one time," said the President, who served as chancellor of MIT before coming to Tufts. "I am looking forward to it with great excitement." Dean of the School of Dental Medicine Dr. Lonnie H. Norris, President of the Tufts University Alumni Association Bill O'Reilly, and TCU President Eric Greenberg will be speaking and in attendance for the event. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at Ellis Oval, and is open to the public. Tufts spokesperson Siobhan M. Houton said organizers are expecting a crowd of 2,500. "I know it will be a great day for me," Bacow said. "I hope it will also be a great day for Tufts." The keys to Ballou Hall will be presented to Bacow, as well as the charter to the university and the presidential medallion. Even though the University knew of Bacow's arrival last summer, given the size and prominence of the event Houton said the inauguration was delayed because it was difficult to organize. "There is a lot of coordination of schedules for many of the key participants," Houton said. "Also, there is also a great deal of booking of facilities for the weekend-long events." Although today marks the official inauguration, the celebration will continue throughout the weekend. Various student music ensembles helped kick off the event last night in a Cohen Auditorium concert with performances by the Tufts Chamber Singers, the Third Day Gospel Choir, the Joel LaRue Smith Trio and the Tufts Symphony Orchestra. The festivities will continue tomorrow night with Tufts' 150th Anniversary and Inauguration Celebration, beginning at 8:30 p.m. in the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center. Student a cappella groups will be performing, and Bacow will prepare a Tufts time capsule that will remain unopened until 2052. Bacow assumed the Tufts presidency on Sept. 1 of last year. He spent much of his time early in the year attending a multitude of events and attempting to meet as many students and faculty as possible. More recently, he streamlined Tufts' bureaucracy with a number of administrative changes and established the Taskforce on the Undergraduate Experience. Bacow comes to Tufts with a rich background in higher education. He graduated from MIT with a bachelor's degree in economics and received a law degree from Harvard Law School, before earning both a Master of Public Policy and a Ph.D. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. MIT welcomed Bacow to its faculty in 1977. There he served as the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies, and as chair of the MIT faculty and the MIT Council on the Environment. He played a key role in establishing a partnership between MIT and Cambridge University, called the Cambridge-MIT Institute. Before arriving at Tufts, Bacow served as MIT chancellor for three years. His research on environmental policy and regulation and on non-adjudicative methods of resolving environmental dispute resolution has garnered the respect and recognition of scholars worldwide. A distinguished lecturer both in the US and oversees, he has authored four books and numerous articles.

The Setonian
News

Redefining undergraduate education

March 31

The Tufts Tomorrow capital campaign recently met its goal of raising $600 million. This and previous fund raising efforts caused the University to evolve at a geometric pace over the past 30 years - to the point where the students, faculty, and facilities are all first-rate. But Tufts still faces many challenges, and it must figure out how to use the next capital campaign to address weaknesses in the undergraduate education. It's an undeniable truth that the dramatic rise of the endowment must continue under President Larry Bacow. On account of bad leadership at the beginning of the 20th century, the endowment was not in a position to flourish similarly. Jean Mayer and John DiBiaggio had brilliant careers at the helm, finally putting Tufts in the position to hit the coveted $1 billion mark during the Bacow administration. Before Mayer and DiBiaggio came on the scene, Tufts was a sleepy New England college with a vibrant activist scene, sometimes referred to as the Berkeley of the East. An unfortunate consequence of becoming "great," is that Tufts lost a bit of its luster in this respect. A majority of students who attend are pre-professional, and see undergraduate education merely as a warm-up to graduate studies. Many students and their parents understandably see the four years strictly as an investment that must reap considerable dividends. While there is nothing wrong with intending to use your Tufts' diploma to earn a six-figure salary, it certainly must signify more. Perhaps DiBiaggio realized this when he started the University College of Citizenship of Public Service. Tufts was educating and inspiring students to be successful, but DiBiaggio questions whether it was teaching them the value of giving back. The College must be given a few years before it can be determined if it can bring about the value shift that it intends, but more must be done across the University to further push its noble ideas of "active citizenship," and "sustainability." The best examples of students carrying out the UCCPS' mission without any affiliation to it are the campus groups that pride themselves on their tradition and take pride in performing their service for the community. The Beelzebubs, the all-male a capella group, are an excellent example. The talented group maintains its level of quality because it prides itself on a tradition, while keeping an eye to the future. As a result, it receives the most exciting performance opportunities, whether it be on campuses across the country, David Letterman, or a Red Sox game. The cover story in the Sunday Boston Globe magazine two weeks ago attempted to argue that Tufts was not worth the tuition, as students are more interested in their extra-curricular activities than their academics, and most of the money goes to the latter. The reality is that students are not interested enough in extra-curricular activities. While academics should always be the priority, far too many students spend their four years as cogs in a machine, pushing for the high GPA, and not caring about much else. These students are not the ones who will become leaders, nor the ones who will give back. There is no better example than Trustee Alan Solomont, who was a trouble-making activist during his years on the hill. As Tufts soars ahead, it must attract and seek out students who will add both to the community and to the statistics.

The Setonian
News

Respecting hard work: the grad student union

March 31

Jason Epstein should be ashamed of himself. His viewpoint used unverified and tangential statistics to make the claim that a grad student union would be harmful and unrepresentative of TAs and RAs at the University, using his own "silenced voice" as an example. First of all, Mr. Epstein's silenced voice happens to coincide with the rather ominous voice of Tufts administrators. Call me cynical, but I am wary of anyone who's voice mimics the cry of an administration that made us fight half a year (not to mention the decade leading up to this past campaign) to get decent living wages for our janitors - most of whom are minorities. The same administration that is currently in the midst of swindling our police force over an impasse in contract negotiations, and now have a union-busting campaign against the grad students.This issue is larger and more complicated than Mr. Epstein's arguments claim. The issue is about a commitment to an ideology of moral, ethical, and economic power that our University clearly does not have. Unions serve as part of a system of checks and balances principled in our national democratic system, ensuring that power doesn't become centralized in the hands of a select few who have no responsibility to the rest of their community. Case in point: the current Tufts Administration. Mr. Epstein perpetuates the University's attitude that the pro-union graduate students aren't intelligent or capable enough to begin a labor struggle for themselves. I question, "Who appears to be a puppet now?" as Mr. Epstein ridiculously charges that it is all a plot by the United Auto Workers union to infiltrate our ranks. As Tiffany Magnolia stated in her letter Jan. 24 letter to the Daily, not only is the effort to unionize heavily supported, but it also was inspired at the grassroots level. Grad Students at this school and across the nation are facing problems. Mr. Epstein rants and raves about the pro-union majority not listening to his voice, but he is clearly not listening to his own peers' issues. Mr. Epstein's paranoid self-centeredness is as astounding as his rhetoric. But of all logical crimes committed by Mr. Epstein, the worst is simply that he doesn't offer a single solution or idea to help his fellow students. The Graduate Student Council (GSC) is dependant on the whims and moods of the University. There is no clause requiring that its recommendations be followed. If there were, even the pro-union movement would probably feel differently about their attempt to unionize. If the University likes, it can choose to be generous. The GSC cannot force a change. And currently, the administration does not choose to be decent. At least Carl Martin is attempting to deal with this power issue.However, in using only emotional, sensationalistic, "can't we all just get along" clich?©s, Mr. Epstein imitates the very sentimentalism he attempts to mock. The right to mobilize does not come without its complications. The pro-union side is intelligent enough to admit these complications and attempt to work through them instead of romanticizing the current structure, as Mr. Epstein does. Mr. Epstein levies the threat of leaving behind 10 percent of grad student relationships with the faculty. If Mr. Epstein did not suffer so much under the myth of the administration, he would reason that the current system is leaving behind and silencing a far larger percentage. Close to 40 percent of grad students are now unionized. With numbers such as these, it is clearly more than self-centered or whimsical desires that are causing the movement. Some of the universities across the country that have established grad student unions or are in the midst of organizing campaigns to acquire one include but are not limited to: Colombia University, University of Michigan, University of Oregon, University of Florida, University of Massachusetts, State University of New York, Oregon State University, Rutgers University, University of Washington, University of Maryland, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Brown University, Yale University, University of Illinois, and the University of North Carolina.TA's teach our recitations and even classes, tutor us during office hours, and grade assignments, tests, and papers. They are valuable and necessary assistants to our faculty, and to us as undergraduates. All of us depend heavily upon them.Mr. Epstein claims in his extremely sensationalistic editorial piece that he would like to deal with the facts.Before the University of Iowa grad student union was recognized in 1996, salaries for RAs and TAs ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten with no health care benefits or paid leave/bereavement time. Hours of work increased while salaries remained the same. Now RA and TA salaries rank in the top half of the Big Ten and they have health care for all graduate employees and their families. Paid leave for sickness or bereavement is guaranteed and a provision for maximum work hours exists. Before unionization in 1999, the University of California saw its graduate employees without tuition remission or health care coverage. They were also being over worked as their class sizes increased yet their salary remained the same. After their unionization graduate employees won a 25 percent overall increase in compensation. Graduate employees now have tuition and fee remissions as well as access to required facilities and services.Most importantly, and this speaks to Mr. Epstein's so-called selfishness of pro-mobilization, graduate employees at University of California won smaller class sizes, and, as a result, more jobs became available for graduate employees. Both the University of Iowa with its established maximum work hours, and the smaller class size clauses of University of California don't "decrease" opportunities for grad students. They do the exact opposite, assuring more paying positions, as well, I might add, as richening the learning environment for us undergraduates by ensuring we have adequate assistance and attention in our four years here in smaller class and recitation sizes and more access to out of class help. Safeguards against the abuse of graduate students not only ensure more jobs, but a better work environment for the larger Tufts community. And it does not, at least according to Mr. Epstein's own facts, lead to a decline in graduate acceptance.Mr. Epstein conveniently told us that the numbers of grad student acceptances at the University of Kansas started dipping in the '90s when he claims a grad union formed. Isn't it too bad for his statistics that the graduate student union at the University of Kansas existed since 1969. Well, that just about nullifies the numbers on which Mr. Epstein bases his whole entire moral tirade. In fact, it strengthens the idea that this dip in graduate admission in the 1990s (referenced also was the University of Wisconsin) is probably not directly correlated with grad student unions. Instead there is a complicated matrix of reasons that explain why these numbers may exist.Universities always like to paint practices that create a more equal distribution of power and money in their communities as villainous. We just saw it with our custodians. Claims start flying that faculty salaries will fall if the University gives money to the custodians, or that undergrad tuitions will go up if grad student get granted decent wages. Never do they say that their middle-to-high, triple-digit salaries or massive benefit packages will take the cut. Never do they theorize that some pointless beautification meant to brainwash the undergrads into happiness will take the cut. I heard these exact same economic arguments in the custodial campaign. We heard about job cuts, and lack of funding, but this is clearly not what the situation is really all about. The money is there; rather, it boils down to priorities. Tufts needs to change theirs.Iris Halpern is a senior double majoring in women's studies and English. She was one of the student leaders of Student Labor Action Movement.

The Setonian
News

Why the war was, and is, utterly wrong

March 31

The bombing of Afghanistan, while resulting in disorder and widespread civilian death in the country, has also produced the following international repercussions.1. It has produced further destabilization from the Middle East to Central Asia. The bombing has confirmed many Muslims' perception of the US as anti-Muslim, while encouraging leaders engaged in conflict with movements rooted among Muslim populations (Sharon, Vajpayee, Putin, Jiang etc.) to depict their agendas as part of the "global war on terrorism." Governments of Muslim countries closely associated with the US are becoming increasingly concerned by the level of outrage towards US actions evident among their populations. The recent Washington Post story, indicating that Saudi Arabia's rulers feel the US has "overstayed its welcome" in the country since the Gulf War, suggests that even this most intimate of US allies is concerned that the US presence at Prince Sultan Air Base might lead to its own downfall in an Iran-style Islamic revolution. Meanwhile the Israeli government feels it has the green light to go to war on the Palestinian Authority (as a "terrorist" organ), and the Indian government to attack Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism. The world seems a more, rather than less, dangerous place now than before the bombing began Oct. 7.2. The success of the bombing, and accompanying (cheerleading) press reports, in sustaining widespread popular war support, have emboldened the administration to carry the war into a second reckless phase, with no end of targets in sight. Bush announced last year that 2002 will be a "war year;" Cheney has stated that he anticipates a long war beyond our lifetimes. Rumsfeld has stated that the war is about "a lot more than just al-Qaeda." The administration plainly hopes that an "America United" will enthusiastically endorse whatever expansion of the amorphous "war on terrorism" it announces. The early favorite for Target Number Two seems to have been Iraq. Allies may have vetoed that, and there are problems with attacking Iran, Lebanon, Somalia and Yemen as well. Oddly, it became the fate of the Philippines, a close US ally, to become the second venue for US action.In mid-January the US began dispatching over 600 Green Berets and other US forces to the Philippines to assist the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) in crushing the Abu Sayyaf group of Islamic separatists in the southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf group is supposedly a component of al-Qaeda and its destruction a next natural step in the "war on terrorism." But consider the following.The State Department's website on international terrorist groups puts Abu Sayyaf's fighting strength at only about 200. The AFP has 107,000 troops, about 7000 deployed in the area where Abu Sayyaf is active. President Arroyo has stated that the AFP is perfectly capable of handling Abu Sayyaf and other counterinsurgency matters in the Philippines. But when Arroyo met President Bush last fall, he offered her US ground troops to fight Abu Sayyaf insurgents. Arroyo declined; the constitution of the Philippines prohibits the deployment of foreign combat troops, and acceptance of such an offer would mean political suicide. This offer rebuffed, Bush offered US Special Forces to "train" Philippines' troops. Arroyo (for whatever reasons) agreed. This produced a political crisis in the Philippines, particularly when it was announced that the US forces would be deployed in a combat zone in the southern Philippines, where they would necessarily exercise the right to self-defense. That crisis forced the Arroyo government to reverse its earlier statement that the US troops would join AFP in combat areas and announce that they will train Filipino troops on bases only. But it's not clear that the US will accept that. The US government appears to be pressuring an uneasy, unenthusiastic host to accept a greater degree of US involvement in counterinsurgency than the host requires or desires. The presence of US troops can become a major political liability, in the Philippines as in Saudi Arabia. It is obvious that Arroyo did not go to Washington eager to invite US soldiers to her country, nor does she believe that the Philippines has a big al-Qaeda problem that can only be solved with US help. Indeed, she told Agence Press-France in January that there is no evidence for Abu Sayyaf contacts with al-Qaeda since 1995, and that there is no al-Qaeda operation in the Philippines. On Jan. 25 CNN aired a half-hour special "Live from the Philippines" that gave the US public its first "in-depth" view of the "second phase of the war on terrorism." This was highly sympathetic to the deployment of US forces (this was, after all, CNN: there was an invitation at the bottom of the screen to go online and "vote" on "which country should be the next target in the war on terrorism?") But it also noted the existence of widespread opposition to US military presence, especially among "nationalists" and "leftists." The most surprising revelation in the report was that in the late 1980s bin Laden visited the Philippines and primarily assisted a group called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, rather than Abu Sayyaf. This is a much larger group centered on Mindanao. The CNN report sought to link them closely with al-Qaeda, as if to assure anyone questioning the legitimacy of this "second phase" that this is, indeed, still all about Sept. 11 and over 2,800 dead.How arrogant US action must seem to many Filipinos! The Philippines was a US colony from 1898 to 1946. The US bought the Philippines from Spain following the Spanish-American War, and refused to accept the independent republic announced by Emilio Eguinaldo. In the "Philippines Insurrection" (1898- 1902) and aftermath, one-tenth of the Filipino population was killed by US occupation forces. In the postwar period the US has assisted unpopular Philippine governments in anti-communist counterinsurgency campaigns, notably under the martial law regime of Ferdinand Marcos overthrown by the "People Power" revolution of 1986. (The notoriously corrupt Marcos found comfortable exile after that in Hawai'i, having stashed away hundreds of millions in foreign banks.) The US was obliged to withdraw all troops in 1992, and their return is not welcome.There is a well-organized political left in the Philippines, including a Maoist guerrilla force, estimated by the US State Department at six or seven thousand, engaged in on-and-off peace negotiations with the government. These guerrillas (like so many other disparate groups, like the African National Congress at one time) are regarded as "terrorists" by the State Department, and the media is already beginning to conflate all listed groups as an ubiquitous threat to Americans. Given the extreme vagueness of the objectives of the current "war," who knows what new targets it may choose? "A lot more than just al-Qaeda," said Secretary Rumsfeld. When does the net widen to include the radical left, like Maoists in Nepal, the Philippines and India? Will it really make any difference a year from now whether the target of US rage has anything at all to do with September 11?3. The bombing campaign has resulted in the projection of US military power even further around the world. There has never been a more ubiquitous imperialist power than the USA. Now US bases designed for indefinite operation have been established in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan, and the Pakistanis have turned over at least one base to exclusive US use. Although the US government has assigned "peacekeeping operations" in Afghanistan to European allies, the US commander of "Operation Enduring Freedom" will oversee all foreign troops in the country. While the US has not colonized Afghanistan, and is probably incapable of controlling the many armed groups and factions in the country, it will undoubtedly be in a position to control Afghanistan's future in the near term, as new rulers negotiate lucrative contracts for the construction of oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia to the Indian Ocean. Is this unbridled imperialist power really a good thing for the people of the planet?The "war on terrorism" has, in fact, itself unleashed much terror on the world (while failing to apprehend Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar). Its planners, drawing political support from the feelings of grief and outrage, have carefully manipulated patriotic sentiment, seeking to win from the American public a blank check to bomb anywhere, anytime, and to fight any source of what they label "terrorism." Public opinion polls showing widespread US support for an attack on Iraq (which seems to have had no connection to the September 11 events) confirm their success so far, but I think that will change. I am proud in this context to be part of the "weak link" of thinking people opposed to this unconscionable war, and urge my colleagues and everyone in the Tufts community to question it and speak out against it.Gary Leupp is a history professor at Tufts University. Part II of his viewpoint "Why the war was, and is, utterly wrong" will be printed in tomorrow's Daily

The Setonian
News

A nod to academics

March 31

There is still time for Ballou to silence Tufts' most senior critics, who have rightly protested the administration's lack of academic focus following the selection of the commencement speakers. If the graduation ceremony is destined to lack an intellectual component, why not adjust Senior Week programming to leave students with the lasting impression that the sum total of four years in Medford cannot be measured by the number of beer bottle capshanging on the wall. The celebrated extracurricular activities here - and they are wonderfully diverse and enriching - often distract the administration from its primary role: fostering a community of students, superficially diverse in skin color, but fundamentally alike in their desire to be educated. The notion that at Tufts one learns more outside the classroom then insideshould be banished from this institution's official vernacular. Though college is fun, it is not summer camp. I have put forward various informal proposals to recalibrate the Tufts experience to its academic mission, but they have not been well received. One idea, to transform University requirements into a common curriculum to facilitate academic discourse amongst all types of students, is apparently too controversial, both in its lack of student support and the fear that course reading lists will not be politically correct. Another idea, to mandate that each department hold an annual symposium, modeled after this weekend's EPIIC event, is dismissed as too expensive, too time consuming, and unlikely to attract even those students majoring in a particular discipline. My last proposal, which will no doubt elicit a similar dismissal, is for Tufts to incorporate into Senior Week an interactive final exam that all aspiring graduates are forced to take. The logistics are simple; each professor submits to the Senior Weekplanning committee five questions from each course they teach. Students arriving at the test submit their transcript - embarrassing statistics blocked out - and are given slips of paper with questions from a random selection of their courses, resulting in an examtesting the knowledge gained, and lost, of subject matter studied over 16 semesters. The plan involves inviting professors to attend the test, so they may first shame their former students by watching them struggle, then review the material and engage seniors in some academically-inspired nostalgia. "I'm sorry, Montserrat Texidor, but your calculus class was at 9:30 a.m." "My apologies, William H. Waller, but is a black hole a 'cosmic heater' or 'cosmic cleaner?'" The test would represent an 11th hour flash of academic salvation, one that could reveal Tufts' pedagogical shortcomings, celebrate lessons not only learned but retained, and bring all types of students and faculty together for a shared academic experience. Tufts administrators play too small a role in the teaching side of this University. Notwithstanding the classroom contributions of the provost and former president, Ballou is more often associated with studentcenteredness than student education. I'veheard countless school officials discuss diversity, but not once discuss Aristotle. They've talked about citizenship, but never mentioned political theory or cited the development of US civil society. Tufts' new president has earned at least three academic degrees post-high school, including a law degree from Harvard and a BA from MIT. It would be a colossal waste of the president's intellect for him to spend his time at Tufts as a fundraiser, cheerleader,and chief bureaucrat. Though the president plans to eventually teach a course on environmental economics, he should consider broadening his academic role. Incorporating a nod to academics in Senior Week would be symbolic gesture of that desire. Memo to the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience: Let the Senate worry about dining halls and dorm rooms. For if you don't focus on faculty recruitment and retention, classroom technology, and academic cohesion, no one will.

The Setonian
News

Crew teams kick of season against WPI

March 31

The men's and women's crew teams raced this past Saturday against WPI in their opening meet of the spring season. Racing with a favorable tailwind and in relatively smooth waters at their new home on the Malden River, all boats were able to finish with lower race times than expected. Competing for the Baker cup, the men's varsity eight boat came across the line with a time of 5:19.7. This time was good enough for a seven second victory over the men's varsity eight from WPI. "We outperformed our expectations," captain Max Bernstein said. "Since you cannot defend in rowing, you cannot focus on the other team. All you can do is do your best."Not only did the Jumbos claim first place, but they also began the season by exceeding hopes of where they wanted to be at this early juncture. Part of the assessment for a race is the race pace, or the number of strokes per minute. For this race, the goal for the boat was to maintain a pace of 34 strokes. However, the Jumbos maintained a pace of 36 strokes, well ahead of the pace they were hoping to achieve. At this point last season, the boat averaged only 32 strokes per minute. "[Our pace] was far head of the pace from last year," Bernstein said. "Which is indicative of our hard work over the winter. We were able to display our fitness and come out on top." The Jumbos can now charge into the spring season with not only a win under their belts, but with the knowledge that their offseason training was worthwhile. "This was a great win for the men," coach Gary Caldwell said. "We have won the Baker Cup the past three years, but this crew is potentially the best crew we've had since 1995. There is some Division I talent in the group and I think they will be the surprise crew in New England. They will probably surprise everyone early, but then they will all catch on that we are a legitimately fast crew." The women's varsity four had a successful weekend in its own right. It defeated WPI's varsity four by four seconds with a time of 7:14.7. This win was an encouraging start, particularly because the WPI program has been gaining strength in recent years. Unfortunately, the women's varsity eight were unable to pull of a victory. The Jumbos started off aggressively, taking the lead of a length early on. However, WPI was able to come back over the course and win it by a length. Tufts lost by four seconds, crossing the line in a time of 6:19.4. Despite the loss, the Jumbos was not disappointed with their performance. "On the whole I thought we did really well," sophomore Maggie Denes said. "The varsity from WPI is a really strong team. We only lost by four seconds. We were satisfied though. We kept it together the whole race." The team was especially pleased with its ability to sprint quickly at the end, an area that sometimes makes the difference between winning and losing, and an area that the team had emphasized during winter training. The crew had been working on maintaining a 32-34 strokes per minute race pace and getting it up to 36 strokes at the end of the race while staying together with good technique. In the actual competition, the Jumbos were able to maintain a 36 stroke race pace throughout the entire course. "It's funny that we did great on all the things we had been working on in the weeks before the race, yet it was other things that cost us," Denes said. "We were at 36 [strokes per minute] the entire race which was exactly what we had been working on. We were fast and together but we just didn't have the run we needed to win." On Saturday both the men's and women's team will face off in an important meet against Tulane at home. The men will also be facing Boston College. With first race jitters out of the way, Caldwell is confident he'll see another strong performance from the women's crew. "We rode well against WPI, but we just need to relax," Caldwell said. "This race will give them confidence for the upcoming weekend." The men's crew however, is working from the other end of the spectrum, trying to avoid overconfidence. One of its focuses entering the season was beating Boston College, a big rival. "One thing we made sure of is that we didn't get too excited after the win," Bernstein said. "After a short congratulations after the race, we put our heads together and spoke about next weeks race."

The Setonian
News

Spring Break movies leave a lot to be desired

March 31

With all the Oscar buzz that has consumed the movie industry in recent weeks, few new movies have found their way to theaters. But the lack of new releases has not meant that moviegoers have been left completely in the dark. Well, not exactly. From obscure foreign films to random showings on cable television, people in search of a movie have not been without their options. The Daily looks back on what spring break had to offer.Brotherhood of the Wolf, 4 stars out of 5 In the spirit of my visit to French-Canada, a trip to the Somerville Theater was made beforehand to see this French film that has caused a small sensation. The sensation being that it is neither a romantic comedy, an over the top farce, or an experimental film and yet still crossed the Atlantic. No, this movie is, quite simply, an adventure. A kick-ass, high energy and atmospheric film that delivers the goods Resident Evil could not. Both movies have monsters, but only Brotherhood of the Wolf has the characters as well. The film is based on real events, sort of. There was a "beast" that terrorized the countryside of France before the French Revolution. Two men were sent to kill it, and succeeded. At least that's what the history books say. The movie intends to tell the real story, much like the children's books that claim to tell the real story of the big bad wolf. The film's structure: the two men are shown beating up some thugs early on and performing kung-fu in slow motion, so we can see that they stand for justice. Then, the audience meets all the creepy townspeople of the terrorized province, including the probably corrupt priest, the one-handed gunsman, the governor, the governor's daughter, the crazy gypsies that shout warnings of future beast attacks, the women of the local brothel, etc. Everyone looks at least partly guilty, and the cinematography is mesmerizing. Imagine Sleepy Hollow, except with a better script. And in French. The build up goes on for about an hour and a half, and just when you start to grow restless - wham. The last hour of the film is a nonstop full tilt boogie of blood, swordfights, beastfights, traps, tricks, accusations, and lines like, "The Beast has a master. I want him." The difference is, having taken the time to get to know everyone and dive into the mystery, all of this means something. When one of the leads re-appears after a premature burial, doused in warpaint and carrying two swords, you know exactly why he's there to kick some artistocrat derriere. I got my money's worth of mystery, action and adventure, and random nudity.Ice Age, 2.5 out of 5 stars This movie has made 90 million dollars in two weeks. Domestically. I wish that were a statement of it's quality. I wish this film was better. I really do. The elements are there - Ray Ramano as a Wooly Mammoth, John Leguizamo as a Sloth, Dennis Leary as Dennis Leary, and a small squirrel that gets the crap beaten out of it at every turn. The story is simple enough for a decent cartoon - the creatures have to band together to save a human child and return him to his family. No, wait, that's the story to Monster's Inc. Anyway, the ingredients are there. And individual sequences do work wonderfully. There's an encounter with a doomsday dodo cult that has a lot of chuckles in it, good chemistry between the leads and a fun sliding sequence in an ice tunnel, and the squirrel. Especially the squirrel. Every time the rabid little squirrel shows up is time well spent, and as the late Chuck Jones loved to show, you can't see an animated animal get beaten up enough. But it's also a testimony to the weakness of the film that all of these sequences could have happened in any order. The dodo doomsday cult, the sliding sequences, the running gags all don't really contribute to the story very much. As such, the film doesn't feel like it's building towards anything. We see Dennis Leary's conversion from bad guy to good guy coming a mile away, we never feel like the kid's in any real danger. And time spent at the beginning with Ray Romano constantly saying "I'm not going" is wasted because, hey, we've seen the trailers, we know he's going. A running gag with two rhinos was apparently so hilarious on paper, the animators failed to follow through and explain why. They keep showing up, to less and less comic effect. Especially squirm-worthy is the final sequence, where the child is reunited with his father in slow motion and inspirational music. I've got nothing against happy endings in kid's movies, but this one lays on the syrup pretty thick. As a kid's movie, it is successful. The jokes aimed for the 12 and under crowd hit their marks, and it will probably spawn a sequel or two. The animation is quirky and makes a distinct impression, a noteworthy achievement in a field getting so quickly crowded by Dreamworks and Pixar. That being said, this film is nowhere near the sharp satire of Shrek or the warmth of Monster's Inc. Ice Age is Fox's foothold in computer animation, but it's a shaky one. Ice Age 2 better be sharper, or they're gonna fall fast. And it better have more of that squirrel.Little Nicky, 2.5 stars out of 5 stars In the past five years, Adam Sandler has built up a tradition of being in movies that cost nothing and make untold millions. So some fool decided to give him a big budget - as a result we have the first Adam Sandler flop. The trailers for this movie (released in Fall 2000) looked really, really bad and therefore no one saw it. Sandler hasn't released a film since, although there is one coming out this summer, and that also looks awful. What happened? I loved Happy Gilmore, I liked The Wedding Singer, I sorta liked Waterboy. Did he get suddenly unfunny, or did we just grow up? Little from column A, little from column B...Little Nicky, despite appearances, isn't all that bad. At least not for a movie caught late night on cable. Satan (Harvey Keitel) has three sons (Sandler is the one with the face that looks like it got hit by a shovel, because it did) and decides to give his throne to... none of them. As a result, his two meaner sons (Tiny "Zeus" Lester and Rhys Ifans) escape to Earth to raise some hell, and Satan begins to fall apart. Oh, never mind. The question is, are the jokes funny? Well, some of them, yes. A pineapple gets shoved up Hitler's ass, the Harlem Globetrotters actually get called for traveling, and there are so many plugs for Popeye's chicken that it becomes a great running gag. And the cameos! There are more cameos here (mainly SNL vets) than in Jay and Silent Bob, including some truly funny appearences by Ozzy Osbourne and a doomed Henry Winkler ("People of Earth, I give you Henry Winkler... covered in bees"). Regis Philbin shows up to joyfully recount some road rage, and an unrecognizable Dana Carvey plays the evil ref at the Globetrotters game. The problem is Sandler himself. He's just not that funny here, using a bizarre accent and limping around like Igor from Young Frankenstein. The movie itself isn't half bad, but he keeps showing up and ruining things, like that annoying kid you mistakenly invite to a party. The budget itself is also an issue, as you can see 70 million dollars spent for no reason. Hell is rendered wonderfully, with huge sets and lots of demons everywhere. But this is an Adam Sandler movie. Why did they bother? Why bother with a talking dog as a sidekick, when he's more distracting then funny? Why bother using computer animation to turn Sandler into a bunch of tiny spiders when he's attacked? Why have a special effects showdown at the end when, again, this is an Adam Sandler movie. All he has to do is get in another fight with Bob Barker for the movie to end. Anyway, the movie isn't half bad, and if you want to see a textbook example of overconfident filmmaking, this is it. The film looks like it was a huge party to make, but the actual result feels like an in-joke with us on the outside. I can imagine the screenwriting sessions: "We'll put it in hell! With pineapple's up Hitler's ass! We can do whatever, they'll give us the money!" Yes, and now comes the decent into obscurity. Or maybe not. Appearently, Sandler is going to be in the next P.T. Anderson (Magnolia) movie, and there's no quicker way to re-establish credibility than to be in a young, hot director's new film. Just ask Tom Cruise.Wet Hot American Summer, 4.5 Stars out of 5 This movie was released in about three theaters last summer, but now on video has a good chance to become a strong cult movie. It is, without a doubt, the most random, imaginative, caution-to-the-wind comedy I've seen in a long, long time. It's not a "good" movie, per se: it was shot for about four dollars, has all the seriousness of a Leslie Nielsen movie, and doesn't play by rules of logic or characterization. It is, however, very funny. There are many jokes that surprise you and blindside you, in a way that reminds you what it's like to really lose it. It's the last day of summer camp in 1981. Janene Garafolo plays the geek Camp Coordinator, who is more interested in seducing local fellow astrophysicist geek David Hyde Pierce. Then there's Coop (Michael Showalter of MTV's The State) who parodies the slightly-wimpy-but-caring-sensitive-guy so well that it was almost painful to watch. Almost. Then there's the camp slut, the camp horndog, the smelly kid who never takes a shower, and most importantly the camp cook, who is a Vietnam Vet and has many a conversation with a can of vegetables. The plot roughly involves everyone trying to get laid and a piece of skylab falling towards the camp. I'm not going to pretend it makes any sense, or that it's a classic piece of cinema. But it's funny. It's really funny. Every time the film sets you up, and you think, "Ok, I know where this is going...," you don't. You really don't. Especially not when the camp counselors go on a trip into town. Rent the movie. You'll see what I'm talking about.

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Post-break, women's crew prepared

March 31

Many athletic teams headed south over spring break in search of warmer weather and worthy opponents, but the women's crew team stayed in Medford to battle the cold in a sport that is at the mercy of mother nature. "Row, eat, and sleep. That's pretty much all we did over spring break," junior Rebecca Clark said. "But it paid off because we had four people with erg times under eight minutes, and we have a low team erg average." The purpose of winter training in collegiate crew is to build strength and improve technique in preparation for the spring season. While races in the fall are roughly 5000 meters, the spring season features 2000-meter sprints. The onset of the spring sprint season means two major changes for the Jumbos: the composition of the team and the venue for home races. Among the four juniors abroad this semester are co-captain Amira Baker-Jud, as well as Maggie Danielson, Dianna Darsney, and Keffie Feldman. However, the void created by the loss of these seasoned rowers will be partially filled with the return of four rowers to the team during the spring. Veteran juniors Emily Hanson and Jessica McKeon return from fall semesters abroad, while sophomore Anna Lindgren-Streicher is back from taking the fall crew season off and sophomore Liz Richardson is back from a fall injury. "I'd say getting up at the earliest hours of the morning again was probably the toughest part," McKeon said. "You have to teach your body to follow an entirely different schedule. But coming back to the team again was the best part." As the team adjusts to the changes in the lineup, it will also have to contend with a new home race course this spring. After sharing space with Harvard on the Charles this fall, the team will now move to the Malden which isn't suitable to the longer races. The Jumbos' first test on their new home river will be on March 30 against WPI. The course dictated by the Malden River is not straight and very narrow, fitting only two boats across. This provides tougher race conditions than some other courses and could give the team a great home course advantage. "The first race is a big race for us because it is going to determine what our strengths and weaknesses are. It will give us a jumping-off point to work with to improve our strokes and our technique," McKeon said. During the six regular season races scheduled, five will take place on the Malden, with three being against one other team. For the two races with more than two teams, the competition will be styled like that at the famed Henley Regatta with elimination rounds. Two teams will square off, since this is the most the Malden course will permit, and from each round, the winners will be pitted against the winners and the losers against the losers in order to determine placements. "The Malden course is great," Clark said. "It will psych out our competition and the placement of the course means that we can even race in heavy wind which wasn't as feasible on the Charles. Also the finish line is right by the boat house, and there are lots of good places to watch." Long-term goals include increasing strength and working on technique. These two factors play a key role in the success of a boat in the shorter, faster sprints in the spring season. More strength allows for faster starts and helps maintain a steady pace throughout the race. Proper technique makes for cleaner and more efficient strokes that make the ride a smoother, faster one. "We lifted a lot during the winter in an effort to increase out strength," senior co-captain Shelly Nelson said. "We want to get stronger, cleaner strokes and work together better. It places the focus on the entire boat and making the boat move better as a team."

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Small school, big names

March 31

Not everyone has heard of Tufts University. But those who have not heard of Tufts have heard of Al Gore, Billy Joel, and Colin Powell - all recent speakers at the University. And soon, former president Bill Clinton will be added to the list of prominent names. So how do those big city names end up in Medford? Generally, the University's academic departments are responsible for arranging speakers. Former Vice President Al Gore's recent visit was arranged by Professor Rich Lerner and the Child Development department. Special programs throughout the University also attract influential people to campus. One such program, Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) conducts forums almost every year. Nobel laureates, distinguished academic scholars, journalists, and world leaders have all been brought to Tufts by EPIIC.A recent EPIIC symposium in 1999 titled "Global Crime, Corruption, and Accountability," had speakers involved in their countries' struggles with justice and accountability. These speakers included: Wole Soyinka of Nigeria, Luis Moreno Ocampo of Argentina, and Gisela von Muhlenberg of Chile. Program director Sherman Teichman feels fortunate to have had so many prominent and experienced people speak at EPIIC symposia. He believes that such speakers contribute to the creation of what he calls "a community of knowledge" between students and speakers."In all of the 18 years of our participation in bringing over 2,000 really distinguished people to campus through symposia... we've never paid a single dime of honorarium," Teichman said. EPIIC does not pay any speaker fees and does not deal with speaker bureaus, contacting the individual directly, according to Teichman. This tradition, he says, comes from speakers' respect for education - they come for the "reality of these student conceived and student enacted programs.""[The speakers come in the] context of continuity of leadership and inspiration and imparting of knowledge, Teichman said. "They come because of the student, [because of] the explicit student control of these programs."Teichman praises the willingness of past speakers to connect with students after their speeches, which he says provide further educational "nourishment". "These people [speakers] become our social change agents," Teichman said, mentioning how past speakers have helped students to find jobs and agreed to speak at other events. Ultimately, Teichman believes that the University's prestige, not size, matters when it comes to attracting famous speakers."The core reality here is the recognition of this University," Teichman said. "The stature of this University, is not a question of its size, but of its prestige... They know they are going to a school that is well-informed... where students are curious." The Fares Lecture Series from the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, which sponsored Powell last year, also brings speakers to campus. Last spring, the Fares Lecture Series brought professors from other universities, such as Dr. John Esposito, a professor at Georgetown for a lecture titled "The Future of Islam," and the director of the Konrad Adenauer Institute in Morocco, Dr. Wilfried Buchta, with his lecture entitled "Iran: the struggle for the succession to Khomeini." As far as public relations are concerned, Tufts does indeed receive some of the spotlight that comes with famous speakers."I think sometimes we do get good press when high profile people come here," Craig LeMoult from Tufts Public Relations said. He adds that this is not always the case as there was no media allowed at the Al Gore event, which was kept small and intimate at his request."The main purpose [of speakers] is really for the students," LeMoult said. "Sometimes we do get publicity like if someone gives a major address, the press goes in favor of the speaker as well, and sometimes its good for [the speakers] as well." However, while the University does benefit from the names of such famous speakers, some of its students do not. "I guess it means a great deal to the University to have high caliber speakers come, but unfortunately most of us normal students are unable to go and see them," sophomore Robyn Bornstein said. The money issue is one that concerns sophomore Branden Yee."I'm excited when I hear that such influential people are said to be speaking on campus, but a little disappointed with the lack of opportunities for people to attend," Yee said. "It would disappoint me further if I knew that these speakers and performers were being paid ludicrous amounts of money because in my mind there are so many other small improvements around campus that should be attended to first." Yee referred specifically to campus issues such as dorm maintenance and late night study spaces."If not many people are going to benefit from the speaker because of limited availability or space and we're paying a lot of money maybe we should use the money to benefit a lot of people for facilities and other things on campus," junior Lorraine Sensenig said. Sensenig was able to attend the Powell lecture last year.Sensenig also mentions that advertising for special speakers is not always apparent; by the time a student hears about the speakers, it is too late to get tickets or sign up to attend the lecture.However, the money that goes toward speakers does not necessarily come from tuition, and might not have been spent on the undergraduate campus anyway. The Fares Lecture series, for example, is sponsored by Trustee Issam M. Fares, who also funds the Fares Center for Middle Eastern studies. Advertising on campus can be tricky, according to junior Robby Borton, a member of EPIIC. Not all students look at posters, which can cause what Borton calls a "gap in knowledge" in terms of awareness of who will be speaking on campus. Still, Borton believes that these names are a fundamental part of the Tufts experience. "I think generally it's great to have a speaker come whose main focus is his own field of work and who can devote his speech to a specific issue he has explored in depth," Borton said. "I think its an important part of education." In the past five years, political heavyweights Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Colin Powell, Bill Bradley, Margaret Thatcher, and Stephen Hawking have spoken at Tufts. Entertainers such as Jay Mohr and Billy Joel have recently graced the Cohen Auditorium stage.

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Hits and Misses

March 31

Trey AnastasioTrey AnastasioElektra4/5 When Phish took a long-term break in 2000, the band's cult following wondered what would happen next. The distress in towns like Burlington and Amherst was palpable. Some found solace in the welcoming hands of other aspiring jam bands. Others smoked up. Most did both. Now fans have another option: Trey Anastasio, Phish's main dude, has been occasionally touring as a solo act and has recently released that project's self-titled debut album, a complex and satisfying offering. Cheery, hip, funk-heavy, and friendly beats establish an eye-winking foundation that invites listeners into Anastasio's world. The former Phishter's planet - inhabited by an eight-member supporting band and guest members such as Nicholas Payton - is pleasantly mellow in a flannel and corduroy kind of way. The album is perfect Sunday morning fare, soaring high, delicately dancing about, then deftly bolting for the finish line with careful keyboards and playful woodwind intrusions. - Rob LottDecifunkOpen Your EyesSqueeze Box Records3/5 Can a ten-piece funk orchestra be done justice on a studio disc? Open Your Eyes begins a little unsure of whether it can affirmatively answer that question, but luckily both the album's quality and musical self-confidence pick up. Composer Kenny Cascioli's bass and drummer Todd Budich's beats keep everything together, paving the way for the group's dueling guitars and horn section. The presence of both a male and a female vocalist allows Decifunk to experiment with harmonies as well as call-and-response lyrics. The songs speak for themselves, each delicately and meticulously arranged. "Pretend" is a straight-out throwback to the low-end, rumblin' bass style of P-Funk. "Rollercoaster" is pure seduction, and "Pop The Top" is pure fun. Even more impressive is Decifunk's resume: they've opened for Soulive and seem to be constantly on tour. Live funk is made for dancin', and if Decifunk plays anything like they record, they'll have you out on the floor.-Rob BellingerBonnie RaittSilver LiningCapitol4/5 Bonnie Raitt has long established herself as a diva of country pop and blues. Her latest endeavor, Silver Lining, showcases her versatile voice while serving up a compilation of upbeat rhythmic pieces along with slow and sultry love ballads. But it's not just Raitt herself that makes this album shine. Her spirited backup band provides skilled instrumental riffs and harmonies that create an additional edge to many of the selections. "Fool's Game" (not to be confused with Jewel's "Foolish Games"), for example, works perfectly as the album's opening track, grabbing the listener with its honesty. While many of the songs are covers, Raitt's own "Gnawin' On It" (co-written with country legend Kenny Rogers), "No Getting' Over You," and "Back Around" are enough to spice up the album with some original flavor. And I'm not even a huge fan of country music. -Lauren Phillips

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A taste of the old country

March 31

Hugh Hefner does not appear in Playboy of the Western World. There are no bunnies, no mansions, and no centerfolds. Feel free to stop reading now if you were under the impression that Miss May was coming to the Balch Arena Theater. Now that the obligatory Playboy joke is out of the way, let's move on. Playboy of the Western World is a comedy about a mysterious man (Patrick Murray) who arrives in a village in rural Ireland, reveals he's killed his father, and is made a hero. Confused? Just wait. The plot is further complicated by a pub owner's daughter (Nicole Frattaroli), a sexy widow (Sarah Marcus), another mysterious appearance, and rioters. And this is all in Irish accents. Can comedy and outrage coexist? Can history and theater fuse? Can a man who murders his father be a hero? All are important questions that Playboy of the Western World tries to answer. However as this is a comedy, the most important question is "Is it funny?" When John M. Synge's Playboy of the Western World was first performed in 1907, audiences in Dublin were outraged. Many considered the play an affront to decency and an attack on Irish culture, which resulted in riots. While the elements of the play that were objectionable in 1907 may seem harmless to a modern audience (the word petticoat just isn't that shocking anymore), history is an important part of this production. Director Sudipto Chatterjee has chosen to incorporate the past of Playboy of the Western World into the show, to "make the history part of the comedy." Before the play begins, audiences will have the opportunity to view an exhibit on the history of the play, the riots it caused, and Anglo/Irish relations at the turn of the last century. This should help audiences to place the play in its historical context. Chatterjee takes this historical integration a step further by incorporating rioters into the performance, a concept he refers to as a "time warp experiment." Similarly, deliberately anachronistic elements of the production evoke modern playboys (think James Bond and John Wayne). Music is also very much a part of this production. According to stage manager Amanda Berkowitz, all these elements come together in "a crazy world... because only in a crazy world would a town accept a murderer and then glorify him." This crazy world fuses history with drama and creates a production that actor Josh Bauml (Old Mahon) describes as "different from any theatrical experience. Very fun. Very original." Chatterjee's production strives to bring an old play together in a new and unique way and to bring the audience into the world of that play. This world includes singing, dancing, and the uilleann bagpipes - a type of Irish bagpipes that actor Patrick Murray plays in the performance. All the play's action takes place in a pub, complete with thatch, poteen (an alcohol made of potato juice), and town drunks. The set and costumes place the audience directly in a 1907 rural Irish village. When asked why Tufts students should attend Playboy of the Western World Chatterjee said, "Do you want a laugh? Do you want to be outraged? [This is] a comic meal. I'm asking people to come and get fed. Enjoy. It's a banquet." Playboy of the Western World opens Thursday, Feb. 14 in the Balch Arena Theater. There will be a wine and cheese reception following the opening night performance that the audience is encouraged to attend. Further performances will take place Feb. 15, 16, 21, and 22 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.. Tickets are $10 for the public, $6 for senior citizens, and $5 with a Tufts ID. $3 tickets are available for the 14th and $1 tickets are available for the 21st. For more information or to buy tickets over the phone contact the Balch Arena Theater Box Office at 617 627 3493.

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To sleep, perchance to dream

March 31

Welcome to the age of medical miracles. The new millenium has brought an array of drugs that treat everything from obesity to sleep disorders to sexual dysfunction. But as we pop pills and marvel at the awesome effects (namely, how effortlessly we lose weight, fall asleep and have great sex), are we slowly forgetting that people are, in fact, meant to be flawed? In his latest novel, Inspired Sleep, Robert Cohen examines this dilemma and seeks to define the fine line between effective and excessive medicine. Bonnie Saks, a divorced middle-aged mother of two faced with a dead-end job, an unfinished doctoral thesis, and an unwanted pregnancy, and she can't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep. As she struggles with an impending midlife crisis, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Ian Ogelvie, a young and ambitious research scientist at Boston General Hospital involved in a study of a new sleep aid that seems too good to be true. Their collaboration is a collision of two worlds that leads them both to question the human condition. Embodying an intelligent combination of science, politics, emotions and morals, Inspired Sleep is complex yet coherent. It is both a satirical criticism of the inner workings of money-hungry pharmaceutical giants and a sensitive examination of the joys, disasters, and disappointments that are inherent and inescapable in life. The miracle drug more than lives up to its promises; from the moment she begins to take the magical drug, Bonnie experiences not only relief from her insomnia but also glorious dreams, increased productivity and awakening of the senses altogether. But it becomes apparent that these baby-blue pills will never solve all of life's dilemmas. Both Bonnie and Ian must realize that the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, and science itself are not without fault. An eclectic array of characters creates the lens through which Cohen carefully examines contemporary America and its various obsessions. From Larry Albeit, the over-medicated, idealistic, unrealistic lawyer, to Cress, the drug-addicted Shakespeare-hating babysitter, to Marisa Chu, a competitive researcher at the hospital and the object of Ian's sexual appetite, each of the characters in Inspired Sleep is vivid and well developed. They have been carefully chosen by Cohen to play clearly defined roles within the context of the novel and its goals. The result is a work of fiction replete with interesting, intricate personalities that contribute to an already rich plot. Cohen's distinct style of writing is a combination of wry humor and careful but genuine emotion. Thoughtful dialogue and descriptive narrative make the characters endearing and convincing in their plight to eradicate the imperfections and complications that they are convinced are at the root of the difficulties that plague them. Cohen inspires thought and consideration in the reader through his characters, bringing light to the issues which he seeks to examine in the novel. More than a work of fiction, Inspired Sleep is also a form of social commentary that enlightens the reader about certain elemental flaws that have come to pervade modern America in recent years. Though careful and astute in his perceptions and comparisons, Cohen occasionally gets caught up in unnecessarily lengthy and meticulous narrative observations that belabor the point he is trying to make. Such passages are distracting and tedious to decipher, often requiring a second or third read. There are many places in the novel where this kind of attention to more subtle or elusive details is effective and impressive. Certain segments, however, remain difficult to navigate and, unfortunately, detract from the otherwise powerful impression made by the novel. Despite this shortcoming, Inspired Sleep is a relatively flawless novel in a sea of the unimpressive, unoriginal literature that has come to constitute American fiction. Creative and thought-provoking, Cohen has written a novel that is actually worthy of the recognition it received last year as a New York Times Notable Book. Though not an easy read by any means, Inspired Sleep is worth the time it takes to read it. Cohen does exactly what a novelist is supposed to do - open your eyes, make you think, and leave you with a fresh perspective on the world around you.

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A poor politician is a poor politician

March 31

TO: President George W. BushFROM: Vice-President Richard CheneyRE: Keeping our oil industry competitive Our efforts to expand petroleum reserves without decreasing consumption are working. People are buying SUVs and using electricity like crazy - it seems last year's energy crunch is nothing but a distant memory. However there are problems on the horizon. We are still too dependent on Saudi oil, Americans are showing increasing desire for efficient cars, and people are beginning to believe that there is not really an energy crisis after all. We need to keep American oil, energy, and car companies competitive. This requires a three-step process: expand domestic production, lower international oil prices, and fight environmental objections. First, we need to expand American oil reserves. The first step is to drill in Alaska. In order to maintain support for our drilling initiative, we need to prevent people from buying more efficient cars. A slight increase in average fuel efficiency would get us more oil than we could ever hope to get from Alaska. Besides, most of the oil we currently extract from that state is exported to Japan. The American public does not know this, and we must keep it that way. Additionally, we must explore for oil in the Rockies, offshore in California and Florida, and anywhere else we can. The Department of Energy predicts global oil demand will grow from the current 77 million barrels per day to 120 million barrels per day in 2020. Global demand for petroleum is going to skyrocket, George, and this is how our oil companies can ride that wave. Most importantly, we need to make the American people believe oil is a matter of national security. Between you and me, George, there really is not any petroleum shortage: when you account for inflation, the price of a gallon of gas has fallen by around 40 percent since 1980. Because technology is improving, there are now more known oil reserves than ever before. But if we make people think we are at the mercy of the Middle East oil companies, they will be more willing to accept drilling at home. That will benefit American petroleum companies, some of our biggest campaign contributors. Second, we need to get cheaper gas from abroad. We still have to contend with the sticky fact that the Middle East has 63 percent of the world's known oil reserves, 25 percent in Saudi Arabia alone. Every day, Saudi Arabia has three million barrels in extra capacity - oil they are not even using! That means that they can drive down prices to cripple any competitor they want. We saved their rear ends in the Gulf War, and they still insist on gouging us for everything we have. Sorry, George, this part always gets my heart pounding! Saudi Arabia provides us with about 17 percent of our oil. In order to maintain this market share, they have to sell us oil for a dollar less per barrel than to other countries, equivalent to a $620 billion subsidy per year to American consumers. What I am trying to say, George, is that Saudi Arabia is serious about being our biggest supplier. We need to make some changes. Over the last two years, Russia increased its annual petroleum output by half a million barrels per day. This is the single greatest increase any country has ever seen. This puts the pressure on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and all the other Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries to lower their prices. What does this mean for us? More gas at lower cost! That means our car and energy companies can benefit from decreasing prices. We need to seize this opportunity and play Russia off the Middle East. Third, we need to fight environmental objections. We are still facing resentment over not signing the Kyoto Global Warming Protocol. The US is the biggest carbon dioxide producer, and we need to do a better propaganda job convincing people we are concerned about global warming. One way to do this is to emphasize the increasing efficiency our economy is running at. Although carbon dioxide emissions continue to increase, we must focus the argument on efficiency. So far, this is working. Although Asia will soon be gulping oil down like the rest of us, no other country can compete with the US for growth of oil imports. We have managed to keep our car companies strong by preventing any serious restrictions on SUV emissions. Although the American people say they support conservation, nobody really practices it. We need Americans buying big, inefficient, gas-guzzling cars, and we need to fight laws that would increase minimum gas mileage. By emphasizing voluntary emissions reductions, we can make people think we are reducing greenhouse gasses while not actually forcing anyone to change their behavior. That is how we can get the economy back on its feet, car manufactures making profits, oil companies raking it in, and us back into office in 2004. On a personal note, most of your administration has close ties to the oil, energy, and automobile industries. The Bush fortune was built with oil, I was CEO of Halliburton - one of the world's leading petroleum companies, Chief-of-Staff Andrew Card was head lobbyist for General Motors, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice has an oil tanker named after her. Oil policy does not just affect American companies, George, it affects our families. By increasing domestic reserves, playing Russia off the Middle East, and making people think there is a dangerous oil shortage, we can be the best administration for American big business since Reagan. Look forward to talking with you next time you stop by my secure, undisclosed location.

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Don't blame the trustees

March 31

For the first time in recent memory, the heads of all three branches of student government were invited to the Trustee Luncheon, and I cherished the chance to sit at lunch with a trustee and voice student concerns. I attended the luncheon as a student representative, with high hopes to convince the trustee at my table that some of the most pressing issues facing students were financial aid and race relations. Unfortunately, those efforts were overshadowed by the shouting match that ensued during the question and answer period. I believe John Dowling's anger is matched only by my indignance at being associated with the shouting mob. This display brought back memories of the march on Ballou that took place my freshman year. Once again, it's not the message that is at fault, it's the delivery. And once again, the issue has been lost in the resulting uproar over manners, as if manners are actually more important than quelling hate mail to Capen House. But you have to know your audience, and as in the march on Ballou, this audience was not receptive to the style of presentation. Pritesh Gandhi's stirring speech on the racial divide at Tufts would have been enough for the trustees at this particular moment. I could tell that the message was sinking in while he was speaking, and yelling at the trustees for something they cannot immediately change probably accomplished less than letting those eloquent words stand on their own merit.Insulting the trustees and showing no appreciation for their hard work on a new dorm shows a lack of commitment to student issues that were important yesterday, and a desire simply to protest without thought to the loss of student credibility caused by such comments. Unfortunately, in my four years here, and in my three years as an active campus citizen, I have found this desire to shout for one day and ask someone else to fix the problem to be a disturbing trend present in many of the minority leaders of the Tufts community. I care deeply about race relations on this campus. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the some of the "culture groups" aren't willing to put in the necessary work to improve the current climate. For example, I have spoken to numerous active members of some of the culture/political groups, and none of them knew how one was chosen as a member of the Committee on Student Life, possibly the most powerful student/faculty committee at Tufts. Some seemed to believe that students are selected by the faculty. The students are not handpicked, however, they are elected by the student body. But for the last two years, this election has been uncontested. I wish this were an anomaly, but unfortunately, the same holds true for the TCUJ, a body which directly helps influence guilt or innocence of students in the disciplinary system, and which controls the recognition of student groups. Last year's general senate election was also uncontested. The belief that student government does not represent minority concerns leads to a vicious cycle. Culture groups don't run candidates, candidates with other priorities are elected, and student government does not represent culture groups as effectively as it could. This again leads to a lack of candidates from culture groups. This is not true of all minority groups. South Asians, many of whom are actively connected with TASA, are traditionally well represented on senate. This creates a strong voting block that can prioritize issues like the creation of Hindi/Urdu language courses. Instead of following the example of TASA, however, it seems that some of the cultural communities would rather yell at trustees. Even though the three planned "questions" were eloquent, and importantly, true, they took much less work than being on the senate for an entire year. The work of improving race relations is not accomplished in a dramatic protest to the trustees, it is done in the sometimes boring and monotonous meetings and work that occurs daily on this campus when those who are truly committed to improving Tufts continue their struggle. Yelling at the trustees or marching on Ballou may make one feel better, but the real progress will be accomplished quietly, without the drama that characterized last weekend's luncheon. Change may be accomplished by working outside the system, however, it will never occur without the help of those inside the system, and the culture groups on this campus have the political power to elect senators, judiciary members and CSL representatives. These members of student government would then have the student mandate to hold the administration accountable for implementing necessary changes, for example, the proposals laid out by the Task Force on Race. I challenge those who truly care about Tufts and its students to run for seats in student government, and not to be content with pacifying themselves with a diatribe to the unsuspecting trustees.

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Poll suggests social life meets expectations

March 31

In the fall of 2001, 300 students took to the President's lawn to protest what they perceived a crackdown by police on the party scene - and general social life - at Tufts. Three semesters later, the majority of students say that social life on campus has somewhat improved or not changed during their attendance at the University, a Daily public opinion poll showed. Of 148 students polled, 46 percent have not seen a change, while 32 percent think it has somewhat improved. But just because things have not changed, students are not entirely dissatisfied with campus social life. While students of all years were close to agreement about the character of campus social life, the poll suggested that seniors are more satisfied overall with the campus social scene. According to the poll, 57 percent of seniors say their expectations of campus social life have been met, while only 42 percent of freshmen, 38 percent of sophomores, and 40 percent of juniors agree. Although most students have not noticed a significant change in campus social life, administrators feel options for entertainment have expanded recently. Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that last year saw a "major change in social options" because of the work of a policy group formed after a student forum on social life. "People were saying the campus in general is too dependent on the Greek system to provide social activities," Reitman said. Though the Greek system has high visibility on campus, the poll revealed that many students do not choose to attend fraternity and sorority events on weekends. The majority of students polled said they do not frequently attend Greek house parties. An estimated 15 percent of students are involved in the Greek system and a much larger percentage of the student body attends Greek events. But 53 percent of students polled rated their frequency of fraternity party attendance a "1" on a scale of "1" to "5," "5" being most often. Students voiced dissatisfaction with the role of the Greek system in campus social life, saying there are "too many drinking-centered activities" on campus. One student said the biggest problem with campus social life is that "it's all frats." Another said the Greek system is poor and weak, which may be attributed to an "anti-fun administration." However, fraternities are not the only option for campus entertainment on the weekends. Since students protested a police crackdown on parties in the fall of 2001, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and administrators have been working to develop weekend programming for students. "The fraternities have played a large part in social life on campus the last few years, but there's plenty of untapped opportunities," said TCU President Eric Greenberg, who was a leader in many of the efforts to improve campus social life last year. Non-Greek or dry social activities are there, but "people just have to look." For example, Club Hotung, held every Friday night, is an alternative place students can go for music and dancing. The club's hours were extended last year as part of the policy group's effort, and students of age are allowed to drink there. Events such as the Sailing Into Spring cruise this Friday, drama department productions, and music performances provide students with a variety of options for social activities, Greenberg said. Other groups within the University, the Student Activities office, the Program Board, and other groups work to provide "a variety of kinds of opportunities that are both just social in nature, that are co-curricular in nature, that that are mingling in nature," according to Reitman. Though Reitman and Greenberg tout the virtues of on-campus programming, some students expressed unhappiness with what they saw as too many activities focused on one specific group, while still another said Tufts students do not have enough school spirit. One student said Spring Fling, the Naked Quad Run, and Fall Fest are the only "campus-wide events that a large proportion of the students attend together and enjoy." Students also vocalized feelings that, as one student expressed, "the word isn't spread well about the activities." Another factor that fragments campus social life is the draw of nearby Boston and Cambridge. "People leave campus too often on the weekends," one student said. Of students polled, 73 percent said they go into Boston for social reasons at least 3 times a month, while 32 percent go at least 6 times a month. The proximity of Tufts to Boston and Cambridge attracts a number of students to the University who wish to take advantage of what the city and its surrounding areas have to offer. There is "less need to focus entirely on campus for your social life," Reitman said, leading to less occasions for the entire campus to come together. Reitman believes that the combination of on- and off-campus social options gives Tufts students a positive experience, unique from the experiences of students at other universities. But 39 percent of students surveyed see social life at Tufts' either "slightly worse" or "much worse" than at other institutions. Only 18 percent said Tufts' social life is either "much better" or "slightly better" than that of other universities. Greenberg said he does not have enough knowledge of other universities to make a comparison, but that sometimes students become too narrow-minded in judging their school. "Sometimes we're stuck in our bubble here and we don't realize how it is at other schools," he said. The University, however, maintains committed to improving social life, according to Reitman. "I think school spirit is pretty high these days compared to where it used to be," Reitman said. He said class spirit-building events, such as the senior welcome back and the sophomore run/walk/roll, have been established to further class spirit. Though Reitman sees opportunities to gather the student body as a way to increase school spirit, a lack of resources forces the number of these events to be limited. "Those kinds of events cost the student government and the University lots of money," he said.

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It's official: O'Leary new University Chaplain

March 31

Tufts announced yesterday that Father David O'Leary would be the next University Chaplain, succeeding outgoing Interim Chaplain Patricia Budd Kepler. O'Leary is believed to the first Roman Catholic priest named as chaplain of a private university. Calling O'Leary a "catholic with a small 'c'," Provost Sol Gittleman said Tufts could not have asked for a "more qualified and committed" spiritual leader. When former University Chaplain Scotty McLennan announced he would depart in 2001, Kepler was brought on to serve temporarily. Last year's presidential search and questions as to the future of the office delayed the University's naming of a successor until now. O'Leary has served as Tufts' Catholic Chaplain since 1998, and will be replaced when he assumes the Chaplaincy on July 1. His successor in that capacity will be designated by the archdiocese but must be approved by Tufts. In addition to directing the Catholic Community at Tufts (CCT), O'Leary leads Sunday masses and assists other area churches. He will continue to teach courses in the Department of Comparative Religion. "We decided we had a strong internal candidate," Gittleman said. The Provost added that O'Leary expressed interest in the position within days of McLennan's departure. Gittleman said Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Jeffrey Summit was uninterested in the position. Summit was unavailable for comment yesterday. The controversy surrounding the Catholic Church in Boston did not factor into the decision to hire O'Leary, Gittleman said. "David O'Leary does not have to be judged by problems of the Catholic Church today," he said. CCT president Susan Murphy has worked with O'Leary for four years and said his appointment was a "great step" for the University. O'Leary was a large part of the driving force that has worked to rebuild the Catholic community, she said. "I feel that he's very open and works very well with all the different chaplains, she said. "His background is diverse; I feel like he'll be a great asset." Junior Erika Robbins, current treasurer and president-elect of Hillel, said she congratulated O'Leary and wished him luck in his new office. O'Leary received his doctorate degree in philosophy from Oxford University. He attended St. John's Seminary College and School of Theology for both his undergraduate and graduate degree. He also served as a chaplain in the US Air Force Reserve, and taught ethics at the Air Force Academy in Denver and at Air University in Alabama.

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Baseball opens NESCAC season strong

March 31

The Tufts baseball team opened its NESCAC schedule with a sweep of a double-header against Bates on Saturday. The wins extended the Jumbos' winning streak to eight games after starting the season 0-3-1. Powered by a balanced offensive attack, the Jumbos scored seven runs on 15 hits in the first game of the doubleheader as Tufts went on to beat the Bobcats 7-2. Eight of the nine starters got at least one hit, and senior first baseman Tim Ayers went 2-4 with a solo home run. Junior pitcher Dave Martin went the distance on the mound, surrendering only two runs in seven innings, though neither were earned. Sweeping the afternoon proved more difficult, as the Jumbos needed a run in the bottom of the tenth to win the game 6-5. Junior center fielder Rob Maguire did a yeoman's job in the leadoff spot, going 2-5 with a homer, two runs, and three RBI. Senior right fielder Dan Callahan continued to improve on his impressive season, following up a 2-4 performance in the first game with a 2-3 showing in the second. He scored a run and had two stolen bases in the latter win. "I think the most important thing is that we fought hard in the second game, in the last inning and came out with the win," junior centerfielder Evan Zupancic said. "We played baseball the way were supposed to. The last inning was a real strength for us. That's the way we need to play nine innings." It was a group effort on the mound, as coach John Casey was forced to call upon his bullpen. Sophomore Randy Newsom got the start, and went three and one third innings, giving up three runs on five hits, before giving way to junior Mike Byron. The junior gave up one run in 3 2/3 innings before yielding the ball to junior Brian Shapiro, who had been playing shortstop prior to taking over on the mound. Shapiro went the rest of the way, giving up a run but garnering the win. Despite the wins, Zupancic was not satisfied with the performance. "Personally I don't think we played particularly well," he said. "I think we are capable of playing to a higher standard than we did on Saturday. We came out with the wins which is important but we are trying to play at a high level. We weren't too happy with how we performed. Against a better team we probably wouldn't come out with a win." The combination of Callahan, Shapiro, and Ayers, the 3-4-5 hitters, has been a lethal one all season. After the weekend, the three were batting .391, .426, and .400, respectively. "We left a lot of guys on base," Zupancic said. "We had opportunities to drive guys in and really open up the game and we didn't. It really kind of hurt us and that was why we kept it kind of close in the second game. We gotta work on that and not keep [our runners] stranded on the bags." The Jumbos take their attack, and the eight-game win-streak, to Mass Maritime today for a 3:00 game. "It's a big game for us just because it's the next game," Zupancic said. "We look at one game at a time. We just really have to take it one game at time and not look ahead. If we look past teams they will come back and bite us in the butt."

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Post-holiday return to campus causes excitement for some, anxiety for others

March 31

New classes stressing you out? Wistful about leaving sunny vacation spots for a snow-covered campus? You're not alone. According to Caroline Moriarty, a staff clinician at Tufts Counseling Services, many students are suffering from insecurities about leaving home, eating disorders, learning disabilities, relationship and sexual problems, and academic anxiety - all common causes of depression among college students.Many less common problems are also surfacing this year, many stemming from fears related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Traffic at college counseling centers in New York City is up 20 percent as a combined result of college-related stress and the recent terrorist attacks, according to the International Association of Counseling Services.The increase has been less pronounced at Tufts, but counselors say that students here are far from immune to 9/11-related concerns. "It's obvious that recent world events have affected the students here," Moriarty said, adding that many students are still very concerned about the implications of the terrorist attacks. "It was really good to be with my family over the winter break, especially after Sept. 11," said one male senior. "I wouldn't call it depression, but I was certainly happier and felt more secure at home."For some, the constant activity and pressure of college can impose stress and sadness. The onset of classes and the return to hectic dorm life are common causes of depression among some students."I've never felt so grateful to be home as I did this past winter break because there I had family and friends who genuinely cared about me, people who were sincerely interested in my welfare," said one female freshman. "Unfortunately, that's not a feeling I always have when I'm at school."The student, who wished to remain anonymous, added that while she does not attend counseling, she could benefit from a few sessions. And despite having been through it before, upperclassmen are not exempt from feelings of emptiness and regret upon returning to Tufts. "Coming back from a month off always leaves me depressed," said one male junior. "There's no time to breathe - right away, we have to pay for expensive books and go to lectures. This morning I couldn't get up, I just slept through both my classes. I just don't want to deal with it."Tragedies like that of Michigan University sophomore Candy Wei, who suffocated herself last January, might have been avoided had there been more mental health treatment and counseling resources available. Frightening stories such as this one have left many universities scrambling to prevent a similar disaster. Tufts seems to be successfully managing its load of demand for counselors, at least for now. Like other universities nationwide, Tufts offers health services to combat mental, emotional, and physical health problems. Full-time undergraduate and graduate students covered by the comprehensive health fee can get help at health services on Professors Row and the counseling center at 120 Curtis Street. The health plans accepted by Tufts also cover the cost of off-campus referrals. Usually, students schedule their own appointments at the two centers, although class deans and professors occasionally recommend that a student attend counseling. After an appointment is made, a student will usually attend two preliminary consultations in order to determine what kind of aid he or she needs. Since only psychiatrists employed by Health Services can prescribe medication, some students are directly referred there. Often, Health Services and the Counseling Center work in tandem, with a student meeting with psychologists, social workers, or graduate-level interns while simultaneously taking medication prescribed by a psychiatrist.In situations where a student needs long-term counseling and therapy, it may be recommended that he or she meet with an off-campus therapist. Students identified as depressed are encouraged to attend a 12-session confidential therapy program tailored to their needs.Counselors are on call 24 hours a day, and students can reach them after hours by calling the Tufts Police. No questions are asked of the caller other than a phone number where the student can be reached.

The Setonian
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Housing crunch leaves students out in the cold

March 31

Close to 200 Jumbos are still looking for housing for next year, after the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) experienced an extraordinary housing crunch during last week's lottery. A larger number of seniors-to-be than usual chose to live on campus next year, limiting rooms for next year's junior class. Only 70 rooms were made available to this year's sophomore class of approximately 1200. An estimated 20 freshmen girls also did not receive housing in the lottery. Although rising sophomores will eventually be provided rooms on campus, many are scrambling to find off-campus apartments. The causes of increased demand, according to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, include "increasing dependence on Internet connections" and "a presence of support and dialogue resources more readily available on campus." ResLife declined to comment and referred all questions to the Dean of Students office. "The political situation in the world makes students and their parents prefer living on campus," Reitman said. Renovation work done in dorms over the last several years may have also made residence halls more attractive to students, according to Reitman. First-year students were disappointed by the unavailability of housing for next year, especially since they are guaranteed on-campus rooms. While no male freshmen are still looking for housing, many freshman females are still waiting to find out where they will be living. Freshman Emily Baraf was one of several freshmen who arrived at her scheduled lottery appointment and was told to give ResLife her phone number because "they had run out of rooms," she said. A week later, she called the Office of Residential Life and was told the only thing she could get was a "closet single" in Wren Hall. Baraf said the communication with ResLife has "all been one-way." Although Baraf's appointment was during one of the first days of the lottery, rooms were being saved to be given to incoming freshmen. Baraf did not fault the lottery system itself but said the University should have a larger array of options. "I shouldn't have to live in a closet-sized room," she said, noting the sizeable tuition and housing fees students pay to the University. Baraf was not the only one frustrated by this year's lottery. Sophomore Marcellus Rolle waited in line at Hodgdon Hall for over an hour but ended up one of many juniors-to-be having to go on the waiting list. Like Baraf, he did not blame the lottery system but the inability of the Office of Residential Life to deal with the housing shortage. "Obviously ResLife has known about this problem," Rolle said. "They were supposed to release juniors' numbers early so we wouldn't have to be worrying about this now." Rolle and his roommates will have to seek off-campus housing now. Yet, because they began searching so late in the semester, there are few affordable off-campus housing options left, and they are disappointed in the Office of Residential Life. "They were supposed to be making strides to make the whole housing lottery easier, but nevertheless it just seems like it's more jumbled," Rolle said. ResLife is working to help the large number of students still seeking housing. Members of the two-year-old Office of Off Campus Housing, Reitman said, "are actively seeking apartment openings around campus, working with students on negotiation skills and providing roommate matching." ResLife will also provide "short-stay" opportunities that allow students to stay in the residence halls after exams and through the summer while they seek off campus housing. Sophomore Andrew Gelfand was "rather worried about the whole situation because the [housing] system has been a problem in the past." He chose to seek off- campus housing early on. He pointed out that some people have grants or loans for housing, but they can only be used for on-campus housing. Many times, however, "people who could afford off campus housing get the on-campus housing. The whole situation stinks."Any current seniors who are vacating an apartment should call ResLife at x3248 with their landlord's name, address, and number of rooms available.

The Setonian
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A historically dramatic meeting between Nixon and Kissinger

March 31

No one knows what was actually said between the two men, but an encounter between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger on the eve of Nixon's resignation led playwright Russell Lees to speculate about what might have happened on that historic night. In Lees' play Nixon's Nixon, now playing at The Huntington Theatre Company, he constructs a hypothetical relationship between two unique political figures that manages, on the whole, to captivate its audience. At first, Nixon, played by Keith Jochim, is seen lamenting in the Lincoln Sitting Room, where the entirety of the play takes place, save for the grand finale. Kissinger, portrayed by Tim Donoghue, enters the room timidly. The Secretary of State, aware of the President's pending impeachment, is wondering why the President has summoned him the night before his scheduled resignation. It quickly becomes apparent that Nixon simply wants Kissinger to hear his last testimony before he succumbs to the inevitable. Former President Nixon's career engenders intrigue in the minds of the American people to this day. His personal characteristics, a dogged appearance and cynical persona placed him in direct contrast to the normal image of a national leader, as was evidenced by his defeat to the more attractive and more enthusiastic Kennedy in the 1960 election. Yet, he still managed to win the votes of Americans time and again, which helps to explain the fascination with this powerful man. Unfortunately, the exploration of Nixon's "character," composing the first third of the play, fails to produce the same support from the audience. A pattern develops where Nixon rants while Kissinger tries to subtly coerce him into resignation. This portion of the script lags because it all stays at one level; one gets the sense that this part of the play would be more interesting to read than see performed. To his credit, Lees' show recovers from its initial dramatic deficiency in time to incorporate other layers and to achieve, in the end, the necessary arc - the rise and fall of action and tension - that completes a production. The author employs a clever device that of which the technical staff made strong use, where the two actors act out a flashback without actually breaking from their characters. This decision, whether it was made by the playwright or the director, succeeded in both broadening the depth of the play and infusing comedy. From this point on, all aspects of the play picked up. Up until this point, the movement of the actors had been commendable but not exceptionally noteworthy. Director Charles Towers found exciting ways to position the actors within the minimal set that matched the excitement of scenes where Kissinger became Mao Zedong for the reenactment of Nixon's historical meeting with the Chairman, for example. In these scenes where the characters performed flashbacks, the actors shined the brightest. Donoghue skillfully portrays Kissinger, maintaining the German accent even in the scenes where he becomes someone else. He has a good comic sense, although there are times when he forces the issue. Overall, he successfully captures the verbal and physical aspects of the playwright's zanier version of the former Secretary of State without once sacrificing his character's intentions. Playing the title role, Jochim also finds the physicality and the vocal quality of his character. Even though he does not necessarily resemble the former President, one almost forgets that Nixon is dead whenever Jochim does the trademark jowl shake. He discovers all the layers of the complicated man, from his hunger for power to his strong self-hatred. A character with such inner contradictions provides a great deal of levels for an actor to capitalize on, and Jochim does just that. It is likely that the performance of the actors is heavily influenced by the direction of Towers, who has remounted this production at several international venues before coming to Boston. His interpretation of Nixon brilliantly captures the famous figure in a sympathetic, almost gruesome, and undeniably humorous fashion. As for Kissinger, he makes sure to emphasize the self-serving aspect of the man without denying his soft spot for his commander-in-chief. Lighting designer Dan Kotlowitz and sound designer Ben Emerson manipulate their respective tools to create wonderful scene changes that aid the overall production. In addition, while the set itself never changes, drastic changes in sound and light actually shift the scene when the characters do scenes from the past. The audience sees the set stand still, but they are still somewhat transcended to another place. These transitions cleverly parallel the structure of the flashback scenes when the characters enter different realities, but never really fall "out of character." Costume designer Hillary Derby also deserves commendation for her fitting choices of costumes. The ever-proper and somewhat rigid Kissinger wears a tuxedo with a bowtie and Nixon is formally dressed, trying to retain the air of a President despite his impending resignation. Scenery designer Bill Clarke chooses appropriate furniture and scene design to denote the White House. The production comes full circle and redeems itself by the end, culminating in one super conclusion, magnificently sculpted by the entire crew, that erases the memory of the play's duller moments. Despite weaknesses early on in the play, Nixon's Nixon soon erases from the memory of its audience these flaws and proves to be an all-around dramatic success. 'Nixon's Nixon' plays at the Huntington Theatre through April 7. Tickets are available by calling 617-266-0800 or at the Huntington Theatre box office

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