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Website brings 150th celebrations online

March 31

To compliment the offline celebrations, a new website has been created to allow Jumbos from across the globe to participate in Tufts' 150th anniversary celebration. The Web Central team and the Publications Office introduced the website on Jan. 1 to celebrate 150 years of Tufts history. Facts, photos, a University timeline, and a calendar of upcoming sesquicentennial events make the site "key" to the 150th anniversary celebration, Associate to the President Judy Olson said. She serves as Chair to the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee. "It allows our extended Tufts family...to participate with us, via the web," Olson said. She hopes that "visitors will utilize the interactive areas...to join in the celebration and help build a site." But the site - which can be accessed at http://celebrate150.tufts.edu. - is only one part of the festivities, which have taken place over the course of the academic year. Highlights from the fall semester, including the Flag Raising Ceremony and Homecoming 2001, are featured on the site. The website's "Ask the Expert" forum, where participants were able to post questions for President Larry Bacow and Vice President of Information Technology Bruce Metz, debuted this month. Five other campus figures will participate throughout the semester. During his stint on the forum, Bacow addressed a variety of topics ranging from his goals for the University to his leisure activities. His said his priorities include increasing financial support for students and faculty, more strongly integrating Tufts' eight different schools, and improving the diversity of the faculty and staff. Metz has overseen the website's development. During his on- forum, which began yesterday and will continue for a week, he will discuss past and future changes in information technology. He said the site and the celebration are important tools in perpetuating a sense of community. "Given the fast pace of our society today, we tend to focus on tomorrow," he said. "Taking the time to remember the past together can be very helpful in strengthening community, renewing existing commitments, and informing us about possible directions for the future." Other academic activities created in celebration of the sesquicentennial include online study rooms and panels. Drama Professor Barbara Grossman is hosting a discussion of American Musicals in one study room. Future topics will include "Feeding Children well in the 21st Century" and "Global Warming, Climate Change, and Sustainability." Two other events will cap off the yearlong celebration. Bacow, now five months into his presidency, will be officially inaugurated on April 19 at Ellis Oval. Tuftonia's Day, Apr. 21, will feature the Alumni Association's dedication of a time capsule. Students are invited to submit ideas for items to be placed in the capsule by contacting timecapsule@tufts.edu.

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News

Hits and Misses

March 31

AngusFace The DayBlack Potato Records2.5/5 stars There's something about Angus. That would probably be The Matt Angus Thing, a blunt name for the latest project from an artist whose most recent album Face The Day is a pleasantly mellow listen. Angus, who performs here with Kim Williams and John Davies, has written and performed a handful of lively tunes with cheery pop-based lyrics and innocuous melodies that rest comfortably without grabbing too much attention. It's friendly music and the performers' skills are apparent. But then again, it's not especially compelling or innovative either. Ordinary drum licks rumble through the tracks, organ chords pop up then softly fade away from time to time, and Williams' sweet, subtle voice occasionally gives much needed texture to the dusty sonic landscape. Ultimately, the foreground is overshadowed by the background and Angus, who happens to be performing at the House of Blues in Cambridge on Feb. 24, just doesn't posses the vocal agility or imagination to sustain an album so full of potential. -Rob LottDakota MoonA Place to LandElektra3.5/5 stars I have yet to decide whether Dakota Moon is a male version of TLC or Destiny's Child, the African-American answer to a boy band, or a new, up-and-coming incarnation of Boyz II Men. Perhaps most intriguing is that the band manages to combine the best of all three genres on it second album, A Place to Land. If the title song, "Looking For a Place to Land," sounds familiar, it's because it was featured on NBC commercials that promoted the network's new series last fall. The tune is upbeat and catchy, despite uninspiring lyrics - perfect for use in an advertising campaign. The rest of the songs are surprisingly crisp, encompassing a range of styles and communicating effective presentations. The entire album would make a great soundtrack for any road trip with its polished spunk and accessible - though a bit simplistic - collection of music. -Lauren PhillipsGreat Big Sea Sea Of No CaresZo?3/5 stars It's pretty hard to pin down Great Big Sea - does the band purvey modern-day pirate music, Celtic-influenced drinking songs, or something in between? The Canadian quartet blends fast-paced acoustic guitars with inventive percussion and traditionally folk instruments - like fiddles, mandolins, banjos, and the bouzouki, yet another stringed instrument. The album takes on a distinctly nautical theme, with track titles like "Barque In The Harbor" and "Yarmouth Town." Great Big Sea's fast-paced, storytelling numbers would sound great in any bar, whether performed live or on disc. On "Scolding Wife," the band sings in unison the undeniably fun sing-along chorus: "And if the devil would take her, I'd thank him for his pain/I swear to God I'll hang myself if I get married again." The lyrical strength of softer tracks is practically nonexistent ("While you waste your precious hours, I could fill your day with hours"), but the band provides enough rollicking numbers to keep Sea Of No Cares from... capsizing. -Rob Bellinger

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News

Heartbreak' at the Huntington

March 31

While the average college student only reaches deep into his bank account to purchase fake IDs or the occasional concert ticket, it's worth it to dole out money for Darko Tresnjak's production of George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House at the distinguished Huntington Theatre Company. Shaw's brilliant piece takes place in antebellum England on an eccentric old sea captain's country estate. The captain, his daughter, her husband, the maid, and several other memorable guests comprise the house's loony ensemble. George Bernard Shaw wrote plays to convey his ideas. A socialist thinker, he constantly infused his political views into his plays, along with some carefully crafted digs at Western notions of democracy and capitalism. At the same time, he managed to mold some of the most fascinating and thought-provoking exchanges in dramaturgic history. Heartbreak House leaves the audience both laughing loudly and curiously contemplating long after the curtain falls. Though most reviews stick the part about behind-the-scene aspects of a production at the end, the set design for this show deserves primary attention. Entering the theater, one looks up at the stage set, a captain's drawing room, and starts to blink. Why? Because the scenery, designed by Alexander Dodge, was built so that the audience thinks it's looking at a three-dimensional picture. The top of the set - the roof of the room - has two levels: one below and behind the other one. To enhance the effect, the stage itself is slanted down towards the audience. The advantage of this set design - aside from being really trippy - is that it allows the actors and the director to utilize all of the stage space. Even when the actors are far back on the stage, their actions are still clearly visible to the audience because of the upward slant, which puts them higher up. In all exchanges throughout the first two acts, the person on the higher part of the stage holds the upper hand in the conversation, as well. Tresnjak deserves commendation for using Dodge's set design to add another level to the performance. Conversely, when the action takes place in the front of the stage, the actors seem closer to the audience, and therefore larger. Tresnjak makes great use of this effect in his blocking patterns, especially with the captain, who keeps toward the front of the stage to emphasize his great physical presence. The set moves outside after the first two acts. A colossal two-piece set forms the outside of the captain's house, which purposely looks like a ship, with several cannons lined up along the bottom of the two-story house. Again, the director takes advantage of the set design. As bombs start falling near the house at the end of the play, the captain stands atop the balcony of his "ship," shouting out orders for the battle that is now upon them - the onset of World War I. During this scene of falling bombs and explosions, lighting designer Rui Rita and sound designer Jerry Yager, along with the actors, did a marvelous job of creating a realistic and perilous atmosphere for the audience. All the designers, including costume designer Linda Cho, worked together to make the whole production a heightened sensational experience. The actors shine, as well. Mia Barron, who plays the role of weekend guest Ellie Dunn, does a superb job of displaying her character's arc. She plays a very innocent, young woman at first and in the second act, makes a clear transition into a stronger character that has more control of her future. She fills the role with grace, making sure the audience goes through the change with her. Other actors include Amy Van Nostrand, who plays the captain's daughter Mrs. Hushabye, and gives a bundle of energy to this vivacious character. J.P. Linton portrays Captain Shotover, supposedly modeled after Shaw himself, with a dynamic presence and a great sense of timing. In fairness, the performance did have two noticeable faults worth mentioning. First, Randall Utterwood's temper-tantrums become more irritating and stereotypical than true to his character. Secondly, and more importantly, the British accents dwindle and are at times non-existent. But even an inconsistency of this magnitude becomes hidden under the magnificent performance and the power of Shaw's words.

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News

Wireless network has arrived

March 31

Plans to create a wireless network are underway on campus, but students should not throw out their Ethernet cords just yet. Security concerns, the infancy of wireless technology, and the high cost of the project will delay the debut of a full-blown wireless network. Tisch Library, Ginn Library, and the Health Sciences Library will be the first sites with a wireless network, according to Tufts Communications and Computing Services (TCCS) Associate Director of Data Network Operations Doug Herrick. There are also plans to make the Campus Center wireless-compatible. The network has already been installed and is operative in Tisch. Eighty-eight percent of respondents in an online survey said they were interested in using a wireless network. According to the survey, the most popular locations for wireless are the library, the Campus Center, dorm rooms, dorm common areas and classrooms. Respondents said they would like to use it for e-mail, Internet access and course info. Herrick said that Instant Messaging was not an option on the survey, but would likely be popular. Although there is a market for wireless access, Herrick is cautious about advancing too quickly. "Wireless is very much in its infancy," he said. TCCS is "trying to get [its] bearings with the technology and what students want," Herrick said. There are currently three standards used for wireless technology, and officials are not sure which one will emerge as the universal standard. Wireless access is different from the network found in dorm rooms because users must share a single signal from a central access point. The speed of the connection depends on the number of users per access point and how much bandwidth is consumed by each user. For instance, AIM and Internet Explorer are better for wireless use than Peer-to-Peer sharing programs that have heavy traffic, like Morpheus. Also, like a radio signal, the signal fades the farther one moves from the access point. In order to access the wireless network, students will need a laptop computer and the proper wireless Ethernet card. Cards can cost up to $200 and might not have a long shelf life, due to rapidly changing technology. But the cards are available to borrow, free of charge, from Tisch for use in the library. Interested users must fill out an application and have their computer configured for the new technology. Anyone with a wireless Ethernet card can use the wireless access, whether they are part of the Tufts community or not. This poses a threat to security, since it would make it much easier to spread viruses or gain access to the Tufts network. Herrick said that most universities have not finalized their wireless networks due to this security threat. Dartmouth College has proceeded with its plans, but Herrick speculated that Dartmouth's rural location reduced security concerns. He said it is likely that Dartmouth was interested in being one of the first to install the network. While the survey indicates many students would use a wireless connection, not all students are in agreement. "The whole point for me to go to the library is not to be distracted," freshman Leah Madsen said. She worries that a wireless connection would distract her from studying. Madsen said she would like wireless access when she works outside on nice days. However, the beam from the access point is easily deflected off leaves, making outdoor use only available during the winter months. Freshman Gina Kessler does not see the need for her to use the wireless network. "I find my room a suitable work environment, I wouldn't pay the extra fee if I can use it in my room." Kessler suggests using the wireless funds for other projects, like buying more equipment in the gym.

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News

Preserving our world's natural resources

March 31

After reading Tufts' Urban and Environmental Policy Professor Julian Agyeman's recent op-ed piece for MSNBC, "From Responsibility to Sustainability," I sent it through a mass email and received the opportunity to read someone's criticism of his article. Since the criticism is popular, I felt the need to address it. However, since the critic's identity is unimportant, I will neglect this bit of information. In his article, Agyeman argues that the "American Dream" is defined in terms of consumption of goods and services, and that if this trend were to continue, the world simply could not support six billion people who live like Americans. Agyeman continued, that America must redefine the "American Dream" and grow in a different way; using mental resources instead of natural resources. The critic, however, argues against Agyeman on the grounds that America is only fulfilling a demand in the world's market for products and services. Therefore, the blame for America's large consumption of natural resources should be shifted onto the consumers of those products and services, rather than the producers, or, at least, the blame should include the consumers as well as the producers." Being careful not to set up a straw man, I will characterize the critic's argument in the following way. If a country produces a huge amount of products and services for the international market, then that country has significantly more resource needs. This means that in order to produce all of these products and services, the producing country needs a lot of natural resources. America, being one such country, does not produce only for itself, rather, it produces for everyone. Everyone is abusing the world's natural resources and everyone has a responsibility in the matter. Finally, if we wish to cut back on America's disproportional use of the world's natural resources, then we ought to have the world cut back on their disproportional use of American products made from these natural resources. While I admit that addressing hypocrisy is important, in this case, I do not believe that the critic's argument is worrisome. First, it does not follow that because a country supplies many other countries with many or even all of their products and services, that the resources used in production must be natural resources. Simply put, Agyeman is trying to make this very point. Agyeman mentions that producers need to draw upon their "mental resources" more and our world's natural resources less. Therefore, it is quite compatible with Agyeman's argument that the US could disproportionately supply products and services without disproportionately consuming the world's natural resources. Second, the critic points out that America's consumers share a responsibility for the consumption of the world's natural resources. I have no problem with this criticism, but only in its weak form. If the critic thinks that sharing responsibility translates into America having less responsibility, then I must disagree. Assume that the critic does think this. Then, the idea is that the US is less responsible for the predicament of consumption because they are simply fulfilling a demand in the economic market. However, this is not a good move. If we commit ourselves to that view, then we must also commit ourselves to the view that slave sellers are less blameworthy than slave buyers because slave sellers are only fulfilling a demand in the economic market. The problem is that our economic dealings are not, all by themselves, immune from moral responsibility. So, I hope that the intent in this designation of responsibility is not meant to relieve the US of any responsibility, but only to assign some responsibility to US consumers. There is, however, at least one way to assign greater responsibility to the US. As Agyeman argues, Americans have a responsibility to redefine the "American Dream." Insofar as the American Dream would be unsustainable if everyone adopted it, if everyone adopts the American Dream, the world's natural resources are doomed.I will go one step further than Agyeman and propose that Americans have a "special" responsibility to make sure no one else follows our dream. The American Dream is an American responsibility because it is a dream that we created, or at least one that we had a large part in creating. The dream is globally unsustainable, and therefore it is not only our responsibility to redefine the dream, but it is also our responsibility to make sure that no other countries follow our dream as it currently stands. This may sound strange, but here is an analogy. Insofar as nuclear warfare was an American war tactic and insofar as global nuclear warfare tactics are unsustainable, America has a special responsibility not only to redefine war tactics, but also to make sure that no other countries follow our old tactic of using nuclear warfare. So, much like our special responsibility to discontinue nuclear warfare, America has a special responsibility to discontinue the American Dream. (If it seems unfair to keep other countries from following the American Dream, look at it this way... No country deserves the American Dream, therefore America should keep every country from realizing the American Dream, itself included.) For instance, if America cut back on its own use of products and services originating from its own consumption of natural resources, but allowed the world to maintain its current disproportional use of American products, even if the products stem from America's disproportional consumption of natural resources, then this arrangement would lessen America's disproportional use of natural resources. Furthermore, since the American population is disproportionately small relative to our presumably large consumption of natural resources (for ourselves), one could argue that Americans ought to make the sacrifice, due to the unspoken rule that each country is only entitled to her "fair share" of the world's natural resources. In fact, the latter is partly Agyeman's point. American livelihood is closely tied to a principle of wastefulness that ought to be rejected. Thus, Agyeman's position is more plausible than the critic originally gives credit. Agyeman merely asks for America to rightfully assume a leadership role in solving the problem of the world's depleting natural resources. Furthermore, one way to lead, Agyeman recommends, is to redefine our dream into one that is more compatible with preserving our world's natural resources.Quayshawn Spencer is a graduate student in Philosophy.

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News

Letter from a Birmingham elevator

March 31

Like all other Tuftonians, we are very aware of current campus issues: racist graffiti, diversity (or lack thereof), sexual harassment, assault and battery, Asian American Curriculum Transformation, Jumbo II vandalism, and the clubbing of baby seals. However, these all pale in comparison to the real issue here. Let's face it folks, we need to stop beating around the proverbial bush. What bush, you may ask? The bush that is at the root of all of these other campus problems. That's right, we're talking about your safety - the safety of every person, every living thing that sets foot on this campus. Even those who merely peruse the Tufts website are at risk of falling prey to this menacing evil. We're talking about the unsafe Dowling Hall elevators. How can we expect to solve hate crimes, build a new dorm, crack down on racism, or name a psychology building, if we cannot even maintain safe elevators on campus? We know we speak for the entire Tufts community when we say, we cannot expect anything to get done while our basic right to safety is threatened.What's wrong with the Dowling elevators, you may wonder? Well, we say to you, what's right with them? Ask any observant elevator passenger and they will readily admit that the elevators display a safety certificate that expired in June 2001! Furthermore, the certificate was supposed to be renewed 90 days prior to its expiration - for all you non-math majors out there, that's 3 months...we're talking March 2001! In case you haven't noticed, it's March 2002- one year later, and still no new safety certificate! How can you claim to be concerned with liberty and justice when you remain silent about what really matters: unsafe elevators! How can we get anywhere in our fight for freedom if the elevator is breaking? Again, we cannot. You may be wondering how two concerned students found themselves embroiled in such a battle for civil rights. Well, it all began back in September. At that point, the certificate was in its youth of expiration, a mere six months overdue. Recognizing this immediate threat to the Tufts community, we took action. We submitted a complaint to the Dowling Hall Suggestion Box. This little known bastion of truth and justice served us well for the time being. However, we were fraught with sorrow when our cries for safety went unanswered. Always continuing in our pursuit for justice, we would not let this minor detail hold us back. Yes folks, we took it to the student services desk. You may think those people are just there to stamp your add/drop forms. But no, they represent the people behind the scenes who are responsible for your life. Like puppets on strings, they are mere toys in the hands of your "trusty" deans and administrators. One thing they are certainly not, however, is concerned with your safety. After feigning sympathy by recounting numerous tales of elevator malfunction and woe, they pointed us to the Tufts University Police Department. They merely dismissed us in our quest for justice, while flagrantly disregarding the safety of all Jumbos worldwide. Because, once a Jumbo, always a Jumbo. We believe it was Adam Carlis who said on this page, "Justice delayed is justice denied." Oh wait, did we say Adam Carlis...We meant the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Well justice has waited long enough. It's time to take action and it is going down. Not just the metaphorical "down." It is really going down this time. Just like those elevators. We have anticipated our dissenters who may just tell us to take the stairs or walk down the hill to avoid the unsafe elevators. Well we ask them: Would you have told Rosa Parks to get off that bus and walk to work? We didn't think so.In the spirit of the other Tufts social action movements, we too must have a catchy acronym. We considered TSAD (Tufts Students Against Dowling-elevators) and SLAM (Safe Lift Association of Massachusetts), but these seemed too clich?©. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you SEAT (Safe Elevators At Tufts). Bold, yes. Simple, hardly. This issue is complex and not to be underestimated. Justice will prevail. This cause has already begun to garner international attention. Why did the chaplaincy really arrange to have Desmond Tutu come to campus? To speak on truth and reconciliation...and unsafe elevators. Why does everyone want tickets to hear Bill Clinton speak at Gantcher? To hear details about Monica Lewinsky and elevator safety. What will Pierre Omidyar speak about at graduation, you may be wondering. He will speak of his Tufts experience, eBay, active citizenship, and of course the Dowling elevators. We're not asking for much. We're only asking for our safety to be returned. We had it last March, we want it this March. If our calls for liberty, justice, and safety still fall on deaf ears, we are committed to seeing this through. There will be banners on the quad - 5000 have spoken, where's our safety certificate? There will be candlelight vigils on the library roof - Take Back the Elevators. There will be chalkings - Dowling Elevators are unsafe. There will be cannon painting - only safe nonviolent blocking techniques will be used. There will be a cappella benefit concerts at Hillel - all proceeds going to the families of victims of unsafe elevators. There will be forums in Hotung - TFA (Tufts Feminine Alliance) vs. Dowling elevators. There will be elevator culture reps - and they will vote for a safer Tufts University. There will even be 6 am jogs with President Bacow.To be sure, this is not a problem that will go away by itself. We must take action, and it must be now. To quote Essence, Tufts' only a cappella group o' soul, "The only thing we did wrong, was stay in the wilderness a day too long...The only thing we did right, was the day we began to fight. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. Hold on." So we implore the Tufts community to hold on and keep its eyes on this prize. Justice will prevail; the sweet smell of victory is in the air.Rachel Hoff is a sophomore majoring in political science with a minor in Philosophy. Emily Rhodes is a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in urban studies.

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News

Kansas J-Hawks wrap up regular season number one

March 31

In the final week of college basketball's regular season, many teams took huge steps towards securing their postseason destinies. Top-ranked Kansas secured one of the best campaigns in recent history, culminating with a 95-92 victory at Missouri on Sunday. With the win, the Jayhawks enter the Big 12 tournament having completed the conference's first ever unblemished regular season. Kansas finished the tough conference schedule with a 16-0 mark, while going 27-2 overall. Regardless of its performance in the conference tournament, Kansas is a surefire number-one seed come March Madness after ending the regular season as the undisputed top team in college basketball. The Maryland Terps, which scored two ACC wins last week, won its conference outright and enters the ACC Tournament on a collision course with rival Duke. Maryland easily handled Florida State and Virginia, scoring a combined 207 points in the pair of victories. Maryland also ended its tenure on its home court, the famous Cole Field House, with a 112-92 over the Cavaliers. The Terps had their best season ever, finishing number two in the polls with a record of 25-3 overall and 15-1 in the conference. After dropping a contest to Louisville early in the week, number four Cincinnati bounced back, defeating tournament hopeful Memphis, 80-7. The win clinched the regular season Conference USA title for the Bearcats, who, with a good showing in the conference's tournament could win a top seed in the field of 64. Out west, the Oregon Ducks won their first Pac-10 title since 1939. The Ducks beat USC and UCLA in consecutive games this week, both of which were decided by fewer than five points. Oregon finished the regular season 22-7 and 14-4 in the conference. UCLA's loss, coupled with an early-week defeat at the hands of Cal, will likely drop the Bruins to sixth place in the PAC-10. In the Big East, UConn, perhaps the nation's most underrated team, defeated Seton Hall to clinch the East division title. The Huskies finished the regular season 21-6 with a 13-3 conference mark. Pittsburgh won the conference's west division title with an identical 13-3 conference mark, and a school best 25-4 record overall. Pitt will next take to the court on Thursday to face the Boston College/Rutgers winner. Both of those teams rest firmly on the NCAA bubble, and need strong showings in the conference tournament for any shot at a bid to the Big Dance.Alabama, after wrapping up the SEC Conference Title last week, was blown out by the Ole Miss Rebels, which are making a late season run for the tournament. The Rebels own a meager 1-7 record on the road this season, but finished the season 20-9 and 9-7 in the SEC. After beating Florida 68-51, Ole Miss dropped a three-point game at LSU last Wednesday. A win over Alabama fortified the Rebel's NCAA credentials regardless of their conference tournament performance. With a 10-0 run to end the game, the University of Illinois defeated Minnesota 67-66, to give the Fighting Illini a four-way share of the Big Ten regular season title. The Illini share the title with Ohio State, Indiana and Wisconsin, in what could be the most interesting conference tournament in the country. Some teams went long ways last week to cement NCAA Tournament berths. Missouri probably will get in after defeating Oklahoma State early in the week. Despite a tough loss to Kansas, with a good conference tournament, Missouri should receive a tournament bid. Virginia, which witnessed an unprecedented fall from grace late in the season, upset Duke before losing to Maryland. With two wins in the ACC tournament, the Cavaliers also will most likely win a coveted spot. In the Big East, it appears St. Johns will get in despite mediocre talent. B.C., one of the nation's most disappointing teams, has work to do in its conference tournament before sealing a spot. Nonetheless, it will be another great week of NCAA hoops, as teams play exciting conference tournament games before the real playoffs begin.

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News

Major label signs rising twentysomething star

March 31

John Mayer is pretty and he sings. He is signed to Columbia Records. Please read on. If you'd just put this paper down, your actions would have been warranted. Since the Spice Girls, the major record labels have insulted our intelligence again and again, with mediocre-but-heavily-promoted bands (Limp Bizkit, Lit) and corporately assembled vocal outfits (*NSYNC, O-Town). Discerning music lovers are incredibly skeptical of finding new artists among such tasteless offerings, but Columbia has found a gem in John Mayer.Room For Squares, the 24-year-old Connecticut native's second full-length album and major label debut, challenges the conventional term "singer/songwriter." And though most of the album is recorded with a full band, Mayer remains quintessentially true to that title. He not only provides brilliantly honest lyrics and memorable melodies, but sprinkles the entire album with perfectly placed jazz and blues guitar solos. He adeptly moves from electric guitar to acoustic and back again, giving the 14-track disc a certain fluidity that's hard to come by today.Room For Squares is, of course, a major label album, and comes with all of the big league perks: backing vocalists and string sections, Hammond B3s, exotic percussion instruments, and so on. While the album sounds great, one wonders if some of Mayer's honesty is lost somewhere in the album's soundscape. Diluted or not, it is definitely Mayer's words that make the album. Room For Squares opens with Mayer's first single, "No Such Thing." The song is a convincing, touching, and rocking visit to Mayer's own high school years, a time of just-not-fitting-in. "Welcome to the real world, she said to me/Condescendingly/Take a seat," the song opens as Mayer's acoustic guitar sets the pace for his full band. The band, of course, jumps in and builds the song up to its sing-along chorus: "I wanna run through the halls of my high school/I wanna scream at the top of my lungs/I just found out there's no such thing as the real world/Just a lie you've got to rise above." Mayer's voice cascades from a forced falsetto, to a rasp reminiscent of his idol, Stevie Ray Vaughan. And his lyrics are truly one of a kind: you'll find "the type of morning/ that lasts all afternoon" on "Why Georgia?" and phantom lovers you "could have met...in a sandbox" on "Love Song For No One." Instrumentally, the album is far from disappointing. The searing jazz-blues lead on "Neon," a song of losing yourself in the bright city lights of Atlanta, also recalls the work of Vaughan, but with a refreshing newness. The bouncy, acoustic guitar intro to "My Stupid Mouth" not only sets the tempo for the rest of the song, but the emotional atmosphere as well. With a few simple chords, Mayer inspires his listener to feel his honest regret. On "Your Body Is A Wonderland," Mayer confidently weaves his composition skills together with his softly-sung, feel-good lyrics: "And if you want love, we'll make it/Swim in a deep sea of blankets/Take all your big plans and break 'em/This is bound to be a while...your body is a wonderland." Major scale melodies interact with the soft chords, tying the song together as an emotion more than a recording. Whether Mayer looks back to his childhood in "83," assesses the present in "Great Indoors," or considers the future of his love life in "Back to You," each of his songs takes on a life of its own. Such a talent is remarkably difficult to find these days.Look for an interview with John Mayer in next week's Daily.

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News

Not all news is bad news

March 31

On March 8, I spent a few minutes watching in horror as NBC's Today Show reported a breaking story from Texas - a woman had allegedly hit a man with her car, wiped him off her windshield, then left him to die. I can't shake this visual or the sickness that I feel in my stomach after having heard this story. Whether local or national news, stories these days are so depressing: the Boston clergy sexual abuse scandals, the boys that murdered two Dartmouth professors, and the ongoing horrors occurring in Afghanistan and the Middle East, Andrea Yates and poor Danny Pearl and his widowed pregnant wife. Perhaps times are uniquely grim right now and society is uniquely sick in the wake of Sept. 11. This makes the reason I am writing all the more important. I work at the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS). Our mission is to ensure that students graduate from Tufts prepared to be committed public citizens and leaders who take an active role in building stronger communities and healthier societies. The New York Times has called UCCPS "the most comprehensive example of the efforts... of universities across the nation to re-emphasize public service as a core tenet of the curriculum." This effort is by no means unique to the Tufts campus. Campuses around the country are building momentum for a civic engagement revolution: Brown University's Swearer Center for Public Service, University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, Bates College, Trinity College, and Portland State University to name a few. In my role as Student Leadership Programs Director, my primary responsibility is to build the capacity of the 48 undergraduate Omidyar Scholars who have received scholarships to reward their passions to become more active citizens and to engage in innovative efforts to build healthier communities. The UCCPS and the Omidyar Scholars are funded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar - Pierre as you probably know, founded eBay. His vision for the University College is to cultivate breakthrough models to rapidly expand student capacity to be active citizens engaged with building healthier communities. In dire times like these when story after story reflect random social ills, like a young woman wiping a corpse off her windshield - why can't the media take the responsibility for bringing inspiration into our homes each morning? Can't somebody do a series of segments highlighting the incredible movement emerging on college campuses today - civic engagement and the hope of healthier individuals and communities in the future? I'd love to see the Today Show or Oprah invite Pierre Omidyar and a handful of Tufts students to provide some a.m. inspiration. There are thousands of students nationwide, probably worldwide, who are putting their idealism to work for a healthier global future - wouldn't you like to hear from two of them for every one depressing act of present violence? I am a 28-year-old woman who has not yet lost all idealism, but like many of you, I imagine, it is diminishing. Imagine if younger kids and apathetic adults woke up each day and saw role models of the kinds of citizens they want to grow into, not the kind that make them nauseated as they walk to school or work each morning. Imagine how parents and neighbors and just average citizens seeking out the 'good' in this world might feel to wake up to those stories rather than to more and more death and violence. What would the ripple effect be in this world if students were trying to 'out-do' each other doing good, rather than taking notes on how to execute a high school murder rampage like that at Columbine? What is the role of the media - from The Tufts Daily to the Today Show - as civic leaders in communicating inspiring stories? Is it so na??ve to think that the media could even temporarily shift the emphasis to positive initiatives occurring in the world? I think the average citizen really needs a bit of inspiration these days. I sent this letter to Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, and Oprah - I'd love to see Tufts students currently leading the national movement of civic engagement share their idealism with the rest of the world on national television. Thanks to all of you Tufts students for the good work that you do and the inspiration that you provide to everyday citizens like me.Carey Levitt is the Student Leadership Programs Director for UCCPS

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News

Wendell Phillips finalists selected

March 31

Of the more than 1,200 seniors graduating this year, only one will be selected to receive the prestigious Wendell Phillips Award and given the opportunity to speak at graduation. As of Friday, the list of award candidates has been narrowed to eight. The Committee on Student Life (CSL), the student/faculty body that selects the candidates, notified eight students of their selection last Friday. This year, the committee chose seniors Tommy Calvert, Michael Ferenczy, Seren Levinson, Jesse Levey, Alethea Pieters, Erin Ross, Michele Shelton, and Anoop Swaminath. On Monday, March 4, the finalists will give a three- to five-minute speech at a public event in Ballou's Coolidge room. The topic will be a response to one of two observations made by Phillips, the famed Boston orator who championed the cause of abolition and women's suffrage in the late 19th century. "Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment," is one option; the other: "The best education in the world is that got by struggling to get a living." Candidates will explain how education will be a part of their efforts to make a difference in society. The Wendell Phillips winner also receives a monetary award of approximately $400. All seniors may apply for the honor, and many of them receive nominations. The CSL reviews all applicants, who tend to be influential leaders on campus. Last year's winner was Thea Lavin, a former organizer of Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD). The award was established in Phillip's honor in 1896 by a memorial fund association. Winning students are selected based on their speaking abilities as well as their sense of public service and social activism. Harvard University shares the honor with Tufts - each school selects one winner annually.

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News

A speech for the rest of us

March 31

There's an end-of-the-year tendency to focus on those graduating, to offer advice to seniors about entering the "real" world, to let the people who are leaving know how important and wonderful they are and how sorely they will be missed. There are speeches, ceremonies, dinners, cocktails, awards, even an entire week dedicated to seniors enjoying themselves. There is almost nothing in the last few weeks that doesn't focus on the seniors. But this isn't for them. After all, there are thousands of other people here at Tufts, and maybe, just maybe, they deserve a little something too. So rather than offering sage-sounding advice about the real world - a concept that no college student can pretend to fully grasp - I offer you a few words on something that I at least understand: college. College means being exposed to new and different things all the time. It means meeting new people, making new friends, discovering new music, learning new things, living new places, experiencing new...everything. The seniors don't know it yet, but they're about to start stagnating. Not you, though. You're in the midst of it! You're right in the eye of the goddamn mystical hurricane of culture and knowledge, and it's whipping around you so fast that you can't even focus on anything, let alone grab onto it. I don't intend to glorify college life any more than I did the seniors. It's a time in your life: you go through it, and you move on. If you're not taking advantage of it, though, you're just stupid. College is full of opportunities, and you cheat yourself if you don't seize - and balance - those opportunities. There are people around you that hail from all over the world. There are people who listen to different music, watch different movies, wear different clothes, and eat different foods than you do. If you're not meeting these people and learning what you can from them, you're missing out on an opportunity that will never come again. At the same time, there are people all around you that share your interests, and you have a great shot at making the closest friends you'll ever have. With so many students around you, someone here must understand references to The Simpsons or love the rap of Twista and the Speedknot Mobstaz or adore Hitchcock films as much as you do. Don't sit around and be bored. Find these people! There are student groups on campus that will let you do things you might never try again. Be a radio DJ? Work in television? Play in a band? Put out a daily newspaper? Star in a Shakespearean play? Dance your heart out on stage? Run a political protest? Why are you wasting your time just sitting there? It's easy to overlook the academic opportunities (even though they should be the most obvious), but they're profound. You can start fiery discussions about anything on a college campus. Politics, history, psychology, philosophy, biology - you name it, and someone's passionate about it. Take interesting classes, get into debates with people in the Campus Center, stay after class and talk with a professor. You will never be in such an intellectual environment again, and you'll never find so many people willing to discuss things with you again. And what a consequence-free environment compared to the rest of the world! Wear what you want! Eat what you want! Sleep when you want! You can't slouch into a job wearing pajama pants, sandals, and yesterday's t-shirt. You can't wear interesting clothes just because you want to be interesting. Look at your life and realize just how much you get every day - things you don't even think about - that you won't get after college. The opportunities to try new things never end here. You're growing, changing, adapting. So what about the seniors? If you're not uncovering new things, what are you doing? You're doing the same old thing. Ah, but graduates and seniors, don't start sending the hate mail yet. There's nothing wrong with settling down. There's nothing wrong with figuring out what you like and sticking to it. And even so, you're not set in your ways yet. It's a gradual process. It does happen, though, and the evidence is all around you. Do your parents listen to your music or the music that they listened to while they were in college? Do they dress like you or (gasp!) like they did in college? Are they stylish or are they outdated? And if this didn't happen when they left college, when do you think this happened to them, exactly? But again, there's nothing wrong with it. Look at the coin's other side. Young people are loud, arrogant, and disrespectful. They have no appreciation for what they have. They stay up late, play obnoxious music, and generally piss off a frightening proportion of the people around them. Who wants to be young forever? No one will listen to you, and everyone will resent what you stand for. Like everything else in life, it's a balancing act. You get four years to do this; make the most of it. Never look back and regret the things you didn't do. But don't cling to youth as though it will solve everything for you, either. Consider: if you think college will be the best time of your life, why even bother living the rest? The real world is different, yes, but it's not empty or unhappy. You haven't even hit a quarter-life crisis, let along a midlife one. So it all boils down to this: make the most of every stage of your life. Recognize opportunities and attack all of them. Do everything you can right now, do everything you can tomorrow. When your time to be a senior comes, don't look back and wish you had done things differently. And when you do leave, don't linger on how great college was and how bleak things look afterwards. It's still your life. You should be out there living it.

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News

With enemies like these, who needs friends

March 31

Remember Dr. Evil from the movie Austin Powers: "I didn't go through four years of evil medical school to have some kid call me mister!" That was funny. Remember Mr. Bush from the State of the Union Address:"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." That was scary. The evil states, understood to be North Korea, Iraq and Iran, reacted rather badly to Mr. Bush's speech. A large rally was held in Tehran, where the notorious (and banal) "Death to America" chant was revived for the first time in years. South Korea, which has been under an uneasy ceasefire with North Korea since 1953, was not amused either. One lawmaker there quipped that Mr. Bush was an "evil incarnate who wants to make the division of Korea permanent by branding North Korea part of the 'axis of evil.'" So what is the big deal? North Korea is the most friendless state anywhere and Iraq is not exactly rolling in popularity either. Who cares if we call them names? The problem is not with what Mr. Bush was saying - both states are indeed threats to US security - but how he said it. Mr. Bush has again demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic tact. Although tough talk may please voters at home, it has serious consequences abroad. There are three problems. Problem One: The US currently has huge public relations trouble. Our image is not of a just and benign superpower, but of a selfish hegemon. Regardless of what the reality is, this is the perception. Power lets you get away with doing what you want, whenever you want, and policies that may seem minor here may have pivotal consequences abroad. For instance, the 'axis of evil' remark strengthened the hand of extremists in Iran. This comes at a time when Iranian president Khatami was inching closer to liberalization of Iranian society. Iran, like China, is undergoing a quiet revolution, and mishandling diplomacy during this crucial time could torpedo hope for better relations in the future. Even after the 'axis of evil' speech, Mr. Khatami stressed the importance of d?©tente with the West. That is quite a generous step after someone calls you evil. This is not to say that Iran does not threaten US security-it does. However, instead of working with Iranian moderates, who are gaining political acceptance, the US has categorically rebuked the entire nation. Problem Two: Symbols matter in international relations. Words between states have the uncanny tendency to become self-fulfilling prophesies. Mr. Bush's coldness to North Korea will push that nation back into isolation rather than helping it engage the South. The EP-3 spy plane debacle with China is another example of the importance of symbolism. It had a major affect on Chinese feelings toward the US and threatened the stability of the leadership, as they had no way to retaliate to this obvious insult. The US claimed, correctly, that it did not violate international law. Besides, everybody knows we spy on China all the time, not just with planes but satellites as well. That is not the point. The point is the symbolism - the US being able to do whatever it wants to China. That is not good for Jiang Zemin's self-esteem. And what is not good for Jiang's self-esteem is not good for the stability of China. And what is not good for the stability of China is not good for the US. Problem Three: The US is sliding further into dangerous unilateralism. Even our closest allies - Britain and Canada - expressed grave reservations about attacking Iraq, the pet project of some members of the Bush administration. The US has failed to sign or ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, an improvement on the Biological Weapons Treaty, the Anti-Landmines Treaty, the International Criminal Court Treaty, and the International Treaty on the Rights of the Child. The only other country that has not entered this last one is Somalia. And recently, the US announced intent to abrogate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, against the wishes of every one of our allies. This says to the world, "Your priorities are not important to us. We are only concerned with national interest and will never enter an agreement unless it is clearly to our direct advantage. We know best how to manage politics, diplomacy, the environment and the military - stay out of our affairs." All the while, the US intervenes actively in the internal affairs of other countries. To his credit, Mr. Bush skillfully handled the military campaign against the Taliban, keeping a diverse coalition together in common cause. Many saw this as a signal that the US had been shocked out of its isolationism. Sadly, that appears not to be the case. On some issues, unilateralism is the way to go. For instance, both Bush presidents were more effective in reducing our nuclear arsenal than Mr. Clinton because they were willing to do it outside the confines of a formal treaty. However, there are fewer and fewer issues that can be handled this way. So what if we alienate everyone else - we are the world's only superpower, ha, ha, ha! Well, military and economic might does not mean security. Security is far more a function of skillful diplomacy than brute force. Talking like there is an axis of evil will inspire balancing behavior. Mr. Bush's strategy is to isolate Iraq and North Korea until they collapse. This is unrealistic; both leaders, like Fidel Castro, have outlasted a whole string of US presidents. The best strategy is to engage the moderates, in conjunction with our allies. The US should encourage other countries to take a more aggressive role in international diplomacy so it does not always appear that we are out on a limb. Although it is unlikely there will be much change in Mr. Bush's willingness to go it alone, at least he could refrain from actively making things worse.

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News

Summer work-study not an option for students

March 31

Tufts will not provide work-study opportunities to students receiving financial aid this summer because the Financial Aid Office will run out of work-study money by the end of the academic year, according to Director of Student Employment Joanne Grande. The University prefers to use the money - which is allotted by the federal government - during the academic year, she said. Students enrolled in the program receive financial aid awards at the beginning of the year averaging about $2,000. According to Grande, students can only earn as much as the amount of the award. In the past, however, some students have earned more than their federally-subsidized amounts because of leftover federal money. But Grande said that this has not happened in some time. "In the last few years, we've been running out," she said. Because the pay rates are much higher than in previous years, students are using up their hours before the end of the year. Program participants should know how much money they are awarded at the beginning of the year and should not be surprised when they are out of money. "When they run out, they'll have to stop," she said. "We can't give them any more than they're allotted." Grande also said that in her 21 years at the University, the Financial Aid office has never given money back to the government, which means it has always found a use for it. Financial Services provides two types of programs, Federal Work-Study and Tufts Work-Study. Most work-study students are on the federal program, with only a few on the latter.According to the Department of Education website, Federal work-study money can be used for on-campus and off-campus jobs. Off-campus work provided for by work-study funds should be in the public interest, such as non-profit agencies or public agencies. By contrast, students doing Tufts work-study can only get jobs on campus. On campus employment for work-study students includes jobs offered by the different departments of the University. Freshman Katie Sheedy has a work-study job at Jackson College, but does not make all the money she is awarded because the position does not afford her enough hours. "If I wanted to make the rest of the money, I would have to get another job," she said. Aside from opportunities on campus, off-campus employment is made available to students, including community service-oriented jobs, in which the student works for a non-profit organization or a public agency. One such option for off campus work-study employment is the America Reads Program that helps to prevent illiteracy in America. As of now, the only approved program for the America Reads Program is a Boston organization called JumpStart. The national non-profit organization is a part-time AmeriCorps program that pairs University students with children in Head Start programs. Jumpstart provides one-on-one attention to develop literacy and social skills for low-income children and resources for their families. Carolyn Schrodel, Senior Director of University and Community Partnerships for JumpStart Boston, said the program has drawn about 85 Tufts students over the last several years.

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News

How to look good for Spring Break

March 31

In light of the upcoming spring season, I am devoting this week's Inside Fitness to tips and tricks for burning fat and bringing out that six-pack that's in high demand once beach weather comes. The first step is to get in the gym. Keep the focus on higher repetitions at a lower weight. This technique serves to tone and harden the muscles, giving you the "hard" look. Train more frequently, but with less volume. This means that if you trained your chest once a week, doing four exercises of four sets each, cut down to three exercises of four sets, or four exercises of three sets, and train maybe twice a week (again, because of the lighter weight being used here, over training should be minimalized). Focus more on isolation and finishing movements, such as flys, pull-ups, and preacher curls. The same principle for upper body goes for legs, too. Keep the weight lower, and the reps in the 12-16 range. Cardiovascular training is of the utmost importance for the beach look. Doing some sort of cardio workout at least three times a week for 30 to 40 minutes is optimal. Try to do it after lifting, so as not to completely tire you out before lifting. Another effective technique that is breaking up the cardio sessions. Instead of doing one 50 minute session, break it up into a morning session of 25 minutes, and an afternoon/evening session of the same. This approach may seem a little extreme, but it works very well in bringing up the metabolism. Another way to get cardiovascular benefit is to decrease the resting time between sets while you're lifting. This adds an extra dimension to your weight training workout, shifting the emphasis from primarily strength and toning to endurance and strength and toning. Perhaps the most important factor in losing fat and toning up for the beach is what you consume. I say consume, because the important things are not only what you eat, but what you drink as well. Most sources recommend eight to ten glasses of water per day, but pretty much every fitness magazine consulted puts that amounts upwards of a gallon a day. In short, drink as much water as you can, as this will help you reduce fat, as well as contribute to your overall health. Eat lots of protein, probably 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Make sure the protein comes from lean sources, such as poultry, fish, and lean red meat (This does not include Carmichael cheeseburgers, or those processed chicken things, the "grillas."). Also, try to avoid low-quality carbohydrates, and concentrate on finding high-quality ones (baked potatoes, brown rice). Low-quality carbs are those that are sugary or highly refined. These include most cereals, snack foods (chips), and candy, as well as sodas and many juices. Be sure to eat frequently throughout the day as well. By eating four to six small meals throughout the day, you speed up your metabolism (which helps burn fat), as well as safeguard against overeating at any one meal. One last thing that many people do not get enough of is fiber. Make sure your fiber intake is sufficient throughout the day. Not only does fiber promote general health, it also helps burn fat. Sources of fiber include leafy greens and salads. Follow these steps, and this spring break you'll be confident in your bathing suit at the beach.I need some tips for a good calf workout. Any suggestions? First, warm up thoroughly. Stretch out and make sure your calves are loose. You can begin with standing calf raises, either with a barbell behind your neck, or under the smith machine. Do a few sets, with higher reps in the range of 20 to 30. Move immediately to the seated calf raise. Do three sets of 16 to 20 reps, resting for a few seconds if the burn becomes too much. After that, go to the leg press and do calf presses, banging out reps of 20 to 30 again. This workout should be done quickly, with lots of stretching between sets so as to avoid cramping.

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News

Hits and Misses

March 31

The Baldwin Brothers Cooking With Lasers TVT Records 4/5 Stars These Baldwins have nothing to do with acting, and all jokes their moniker inspires are probably not funny. Neither is the Chicago quartet's astonishing major label debut. The Baldwin Brothers shine a bright light on the future of live electronic music, blending organic bass, drums, and Fender Rhoades with occasional samples and guest vocals. "That's Right" gets things started modestly with a few quirky vocal samples. Soon, the band is churning out funkily simplistic basslines, clashing keyboards, and techno beats. The Brothers always lay down an incredible groove, and their songwriting talent is perfectly complimented by several guest vocalists. Cibo Matto frontwman Miho Hatori lends her hauntingly ethereal voice to "Dream Girl," while Barron Hicks lays down slick rhymes on "Urban Tumbleweed." "Bionic Jam" is exactly what it sounds like, a duel of the Rhoades - and better than any of the crap you'll hear playing at Urban Outfitters. These Baldwins truly have something for everyone. Check 'em out.-Rob BellingerEd Hale and TranscendenceRise and Shinetmg records2/5 starsRise and Shine provides the perfect soundtrack for a trip to the supermarket or the mall -it's mindless, reasonably pleasant, and not particularly memorable. There are no standout performances, but, then again, there aren't any awful tracks either - only awfully simplistic lyrics like "Maybe I won't let you down/I know I was a loser/I know I am a clown." The songs seem to tell the same story over and over again. Like the band's name implies, the music on Rise and Shine is about discoveries connected to existentialism and self-identity. But the nice thing is that the group manages to dismiss the stereotypes associated with "motivational" music, providing an upbeat modern rock rhythm. The lyrics tend to get lost under repetitive chord progressions that don't make use of appropriate blending techniques. It seems that Ed Hale and Transcendence are trying so hard to make a statement that they forget the basics of making meaningful music. -Lauren PhillipsPortableOnly If You Look UpTVT Records1.5/5 Stars Tunes from this typical modern rock foursome fit the mold. Obviously careful and studious listeners to all of that bland cookie-cutter, allegedly alternative, actually super-ordinary rock that has filled the airwaves since the mid '90s, band members have done their best to follow such teachers' steps. But what if those teachers aren't going anywhere interesting? Portable offers clean music with formulaic almost predictable variation: well-produced, logically presented, and inoffensive. The guitar riffs reverberate appropriately while fortuitously named vocalist Chance presents equal parts angst, irreverence, and confidence. It's not gonna make you run screaming with your hands over your ears. In fact, if you stumble upon a tune while turning the dial on your car radio while driving back home to New Jersey, you may even hear the song out in its entirety. But I doubt you'll remember it. And that's the clincher: there's nothing especially bad about Only If You Look Up, its just especially easy to forget.- Rob Lott

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News

Hockey looks to cool competition this weekend

March 31

The hockey team's first season in the NESCAC/ECAC East has, as expected, proven to be a tumultuous one. The team jumped to a respectable start in November, earning three wins in five games, but slowed tremendously in the subsequent two months. Since those first five contests, Tufts has notched just one win in 11 games. This weekend, the Jumbos will meet some similarly struggling opponents, and are expecting to stop the slide.The Jumbos (4-12, 3-10-0 NESCAC) will attempt to redeem themselves this weekend in back to back home games against Babson and UMass-Boston.Babson is currently ranked eighth in the ECAC with a 4-11-2 record. Last season, the Jumbos lost to the Beavers, 5-3, despite then-freshman Ben Crapser's 34 saves in net."It always seems like a close game with Babson, with a loss in the end," Murphy said. "They have a national championship and are always very good and are very good this year. Really in this league, anyone can beat anyone."UMass-Boston, which has upped its talent level with the addition of a few University of Maine transfers, is 2-15-1 and sits at tenth in the league. After getting outscored 31-10 in its last four contests, Tufts is looking forward to the weekend."They're both having tough years as we are, kind of similar to us right now, so it should probably be a good game for us," junior tri-captain Mike Carceo said.Though a few key players will be absent for the team's homecoming this weekend - Brandon Hayes and Pat Byrne, both of whom are resting due to injury - Murphy said his team is well rested and prepared. "We had a good practice yesterday," Murphy said. "We're a little nicked up here and there, so other guys will have to step up and play well."Crapser, familiar with Babson's style of play, will start in net this weekend, while senior Ian Kell will be absent because of personal reasons.This weekend, the team will look to Carceo to lead the way offensively. The junior has not been seriously hampered by the difficulty of the league's play. He leads the Jumbos in scoring with 26 points, and last weekend, reached a landmark by scoring his 100th career point in just two and a half seasons. Carceo has 102 points to his credit, and ranks tenth all-time scoring at Tufts."Mike Carceo is one of the best players in the league and is top ten in scoring in the NESCAC," Murphy said. "He's handled himself really well in some not so easy games and is a great leader."With 1.42 ppg, Carceo is tied for seventh in the NESCAC. "I just want to help the team get on the right stride for next year, and end the season on a good note," Carceo said.Murphy also credits senior tri-captain Rob Greene and junior tri-captain Chris Martin for keeping the squad focused throughout the tough season. "It's been tough, but they've really done a great job," Murphy said.Another bright spot for the squad has been the unanticipated success of the freshmen. Three of the team's top five and six of its top ten scorers are rookies. Gino Rontondi has moved up in the scoring ranks and trails Carceo by eight points, and John Hurd follows closely behind with nine goals and seven assists."We've got some good young players and we expect them to continue to get better over the years," Murphy said."I've been really impressed by all of the freshmen so far," Carceo said. "I give them a lot of credit for being able to step in and contribute right away," As for the rest of the season, the Jumbos have modest goals in mind."We just want to get better every time we get on the ice, fix the things that we're doing wrong, and end the season on a good note," Carceo said. The puck will drop tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Malden Forum.

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News

Men's swimming crawls to 7-0 record

March 31

Coming off two strong wins at Hamilton Pool from the previous weekend, the men's swimming team entered this week's meets with confidence. Its undefeated season continued with wins over MIT and Bates improving the team to 7-0. The Jumbos, used to having more swimmers than opposing teams, faced MIT with fairly equal depth on Thursday. That made no difference however, as Tufts dominated the Engineers, 140-101. The victory was fueled by the efforts of junior Ed Edson and sophomore Tyler Duckworth, who both grabbed a pair of first-place finishes. Edson's wins came in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:49.00 and a 49.51 finish in the 100 freestyle. In the 100 event, Edson surpassed his season-best 49.53 finish earlier this year against Bowdoin. Duckworth nabbed his two first-place finishes in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:00.02, and the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:12.99. Duckworth blasted the rest of the competition in the breaststroke event, winning by over seven seconds and securing himself the fastest finish in the NESCAC's this season. Other notable performances included strong finishes in the diving competition, with David Liebenstein, Jonathan Perry, and Connell Cloyd holding the top three spots, earning the Jumbos 32 points overall. Coach Don Megerle considered the event to be the Jumbos best competition since the meet against Bowdoin before the break. "This year's team has a great attitude," Megerle said. "They are showing great initiative." Unlike last week's two-day two-event schedule, Tufts was able to have a few days cushion between events to rest for Bates. This lapse between meets helped rejuvenate the Jumbos to another solid victory, as they outswam the Bobcats, 161-139. Saturday's victory could be attributed to strong overall contributions from many. Though swimming with much more depth against Bates, Tufts put up its second highest scoring total since its 188 point opening performance against Clark. "Overall, I was pretty pleased with our efforts for both meets," said freshman Rich Halpert. "We swam well, and hopefully our training will pay off by the end of the season." The victory was characterized by a number of one-two finishes. Freshman Seth Baron and sophomore Aeric Solow gave strong performances in the 200 butterfly, finishing one and two with the respective times of 2:02.69 and 2:05.67. In the 200 backstroke, Edson combined with sophomore Kaili Mauricio to have another one-two finish. The two were within less than a second of each other, as Edson's time was clocked at 2:04.14, while Mauricio finished in 2:04.58. In the 200 breaststroke, Duckworth and freshman Michael Rochette completed the race in the top two as well, with the respective times of 2:18.96, and 2:23.41. With this past week's two wins, the Jumbos appear quite confident and optimistic for the upcoming weeks. "We just have to remain physically and mentally prepared for the rest of the season," senior captain Tim Bouley said. "We will be facing the top teams within a few weeks, and we need to remain optimistic from our good swims." Despite defeating all their NESCAC competitors thus far, Tufts has yet to face swimming powerhouses Amherst, Wesleyan, and Williams. All three teams finished in the top three in last year's championships, while Tufts ended the season with a fifth place performance. Hamilton, who also was among the higher-placing teams last year in the championships, is at 4-2 this year and should finish amidst the top teams again this year. "Our winning is all relative," Megerle said earlier in the year. "We know we will be facing good competition in the championships. Williams, Hamilton, and others have very strong squads. We just need to get ready, remain enthusiastic, and respect each other." Tufts' swimming has been gaining steady momentum since the beginning of the season, with its strong upset of Babson earlier in the year. There has been no sign of rust in the water, despite the three-week hiatus from racing over the winter break. The Jumbos have defeated their competition by an average of 33 points since their return. Next the Jumbos will host a strong Brandeis squad, who is 6-0 in head-to-head competition. The meet will be held this coming Saturday at Hamilton Pool, and will be the last meet before March's NESCAC championships.@s:Team dominating competition this season

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News

Nostalgia2

March 31

"I don't like nostalgia unless it's mine" - Lou Reed It's true, nostalgia is lame. Of course, looking back and remembering good times here and there isn't so bad. Sure, it's nice to bask in past successes and smile softly at the thought of wacky adventures or sweet moments in time, captured now and forever in the rosy-colored, candy-coated snapshots of memory. But be careful: live in the present and yearn for the future, or else! Before you know it you might find yourself, a proud 22-year old, watching the Breakfast Club and Saturday Night Fever three times a day, wearing a Smurf-themed one-piece pajama suit, and downing shots of Pop Rocks for breakfast with strands of Bubblicious Bubblegum Tape as a chaser. The folks behind such nefariously successful ventures as Urban Outfitters and Nick-at-Night might try to convince you that this lifestyle is cool, calling on terms like camp, kitsch, post-modern, retro, and zeitgeist. But don't be fooled. The danger remains. Nostalgia is nice on occasion, but it's hard to control. And I can't even try to describe the hell to which you will be banished, if you are unfortunate enough to have let your nostalgic impulses reign free. (Imagine: the one and only radio station in such a fiery inferno features solely the greatest hits of Rico Suave.) But what is one to do? How can we reap the benefits of nostalgia without exposing ourselves to its frightening risks? I suggest a solution: nostalgic nostalgia. What? Let me try to explain: we can and ought to feel nostalgic for stuff that is itself nostalgic. In other words, by taking a step back and adding another layer to the landscape we can cherish the fleeting pleasures of a nostalgia-like experience while at the same time protecting ourselves with a soft ironic cushion of self-consciousness. It's beautiful. With that added ever-present measure of yes-I-know-what-I'm-doing personal awareness, we can once again relish the joys of what once was. So, why obsess over 1986's Ferris Beuller's Day Off and find yourself ceaselessly crooning "When Cameron was in Egypt's land...?" Instead, focus your reflections on reruns of Parker Louis Can't Lose, an unabashedly cheese-drenched early-'90s sitcom that was itself nostalgic for the Broderick-bolstered original. Give it a try and you'll find yourself feeling much healthier, happier, and hipper. I promise. Consider:The Wonder Years In retrospect, when we watched it the first time, the dramatic comedy was pitiful. The canned, caricatured recreation of '60s suburbia presented through the middle-American adventures and wizened voiceover of Fred Savage's Kevin Arnold, was strictly TV-by-numbers, playing successfully on the bittersweet sentiments of a baby-boomer generation just turning 40. But now, look again. We can notice that sugary sweet corniness and acknowledge its presence. We slowly immunize ourselves against its dirty tear-jerking paws. We can watch and laugh and say things like "Dammit Winnie Cooper, why are you so annoying?" even if we are still secretly entranced by her shy eyelash-batting ways. Nostalgia exists, but not for the '60s, as the show intended during its 1988 debut. Rather, we prefer to wax maudlin simply about the remembered joys of watching the show itself.Fiddler on the Roof When my parents brought me to see the musical stage production somewhere around my eighth birthday, it was because they were proud of their eastern European Jewish heritage. It was also because the show's hero Tevye and his family surely reminded by parents of their own grandparents: yiddish-speaking folk who, as depicted in the play, came to New York from a cruel czarist Russia. As I look back and consider the show itself, it seems pretty darned silly. Oy, with those corny lyrics and flashy dance numbers seemingly more appropriate for a Carousel ride or trip to the South Pacific than a story of desperation and alienation from the wind swept steppe of Anatevka. What shmaltz - the Lotts swallowed it whole. And yet, when I happened upon the Oscar-nominated 1971 film on TV this weekend, I did not gag. I swooned. My joy was not of cherishing a touching dramatic work of art depicting the memories of generations past, but rather of recalling the joy and abandon with which my family gave in to celebrating the musical's pure goofiness. I recall my mother humming away at "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and envision my father dancing nimbly to "If I Were A Rich Man"- yeidel, deidel, diddle, diddle, deidle. This is not simple nostalgia: it's nostalgia squared. So go ahead and give it a try. You won't risk the pathetic regression and inevitable body odor that is always a possibility when you set your Chuck Taylor All-Stars upon the slippery slippery slope of plain old unmitigated nostalgia. Instead, you'll thrive with a newfound consciousness and find a suddenly sincere connection to all things cool and right in this world. Now, that's life. L'Chayim!

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News

Battle between free weights and machines comes down to preference

March 31

What is more beneficial: free weights or machines? This is an age-old question that has long been disputed by bodybuilders and recreational gym-freaks alike. The simple answer is neither one is that much better than the other; it all depends on your individual fitness goals.Free weights are a great way to build muscle mass and strength. When working out with free weights, you significantly recruit more muscle fibers due to the balance aspect of the exercise. In other words, even as your chest is working to press those dumbbells, many other smaller stabilizer muscles are working to keep the weight balanced and under your control. In this way, you fatigue the muscle fibers slightly more completely when lifting with free weights. Also, there is almost no end to the amount of exercises you can do with a set of dumbbells. You can hit virtually every muscle group.As far as the cons go, there are a few. First, free weights do nothing to promote good lifting form, which is far and away the most important aspect of any lifting routine. If your form stinks, so will your workout. Also, lifting heavy with free weights requires a spotter; to lift without one, even with moderately light weight, puts you at a severe risk for injury.Now, to the machines. Lifting with machines is good because it incorporates a set range of motion. The form is generally pre-set, so it's usually more difficult to cheat or have improper form when working with a machine. Also, because a machine is a set range of motion, you don't need the assorted stabilizer muscles to balance the weight. While this may seem like a negative aspect to some, many people are looking to more effectively isolate a muscle. Machines are well suited to this task. Another convenience is the fact that, with machines, a spotter is not required. That is not to say that you can't get hurt using a machine; it's just that you won't have the risk of dropping 65-five pounds on your face when an arm gives out. And, since the range of motion is limited, a machine may be a better choice for physical rehabilitation of an injury - you can focus on rehabbing the individual muscle more easily.The cons of a machine are pretty much similar to the pros. The lack of stabilizer muscle recruitment leads to a workout that less completely tires the muscles. The set range of motion does not force the issue of proper form; with a machine, it's done for you. Also, in the interest of expense, a machine is much more costly than are free weights. To effectively simulate all the exercises that one may perform through the use of free weight exercise, an assortment of machines are needed. In other words, to get a good workout from machines, you will be running from one machine to another the entire workout. The differences between free weights and machines do not imply that one is better than the other. Choose your method of lifting based on what you aim to accomplish in the gym that day. Oftentimes, the most effective workout is a combination of both.Dumbbells or Barbells? Again, the differences here is of preference. Dumbbells force deeper muscle recruitment by enabling a fuller range of motion. You can focus more on an individual muscle with dumbbells, like with concentration curls (one-handed bicep curls) or triceps kick-backs. However, since each muscle is being worked individually, dumbbells are not the most conducive to muscular symmetry. Barbells, on the other hand, force muscles to work in pairs (like in bench-pressing or barbell curls), thereby helping muscle symmetry. Also, barbells allow for lifting more weight; this helps fully fatigue the muscle. As with machines and free weights, the choice between dumbbells and barbells is simply one of individual goals in the weight room that day.

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News

Bookstore has ceased sale of newspapers

March 31

In line with several area convenience stores, the Tufts University Bookstore has recently decided to stop selling all newspapers. The move was entirely an economic one, said bookstore manager Ron Gill. It was the result of slumping sales. Gill said that students' unfettered access to free newspapers on the Internet, the free copies of The New York Times delivered to each dorm daily, and Daily newswires likely brought about the low sales. The bookstore's decision to no longer sell newspapers came last month after newspaper distributors voiced their disappointment with sales of their newspapers at the Barnes & Noble affiliate. Some of the major newspapers the bookstore used to carry included USA Today, The New York Times, The Boston Herald, and The Boston Globe. After newspapers are delivered to the bookstore and are unsold, the distributors must reclaim the remaining papers and return them to the distribution center. As a result of competition, the return rate of the newspapers to the area distributors was well over 90 percent each day. The rack couldn't hold all the returned papers," Gill said. The bookstore would typically receive 30 copies of the Boston Herald and would have to return 28. "We would generally sell one or two, if that, and none on Friday or Saturday." Such marginal sales, according to Gill, could not justify the cost to the Herald of transporting the papers back and forth. Similar cuts to Herald sales in the past have caused the price of that paper to fall dramatically from 50 cents to 25 cents. When asked about the recent lack of newspaper sales, a Herald representative declined to comment. Critics of the bookstore's decision insist that Tufts students must have access to more print news sources than the Daily. Senior Jennifer Bien said that while she did not usually buy the newspapers at the bookstore, she always read them when she was shopping for other things in the bookstore. "Students obviously are interested in what's going on, but no student is going to buy [newspapers] on a daily basis," she said. "It's a shame that the University does not provide newspapers for all its students." Gill understands this complaint and admitted that he too misses print newspapers in the bookstore. "I'm a big fan of the sports pages and I love USA Today," he said.

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