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Use of Tufts name policy to be revised

March 31

Some student publications may be required to change their titles and add disclaimers to avoid implying they are official University publications. Tufts will likely change its policy on the use of its name this summer, a move which was sparked by issues surrounding the student journal TuftScope. TuftScope calls itself a journal of health, ethics, and policy. Its initial subtitle was the "Tufts University Journal of Health, Ethics, and Policy," raising concerns that the journal would be seen as an official publication of the University. Tufts officials said that the name was in violation of University policy. "TuftScope was a victim of our success," founding editor Brad Crotty said. He said TuftScope grabbed widespread attention because of its professional appearance and its marketing outside of the Tufts undergraduate community. If the publication had retained its original subtitle, the University would have had authority over its editorial content. TuftScope changed its subtitle to "The Interdisciplinary Journal of Health, Ethics and Policy" in accordance with a deal brokered by Dean of Students Bruce Reitman. The journal also added a disclaimer stating it is student publication of Tufts University. Reitman said the change will have little effect on student groups. "Any new policies will probably focus on the need to indicate that the group is a student organization," he said. "There will not be a radical change." The policy will be revised this summer under the direction of Reitman, the Provost's Office, and Director of Student Activities Jodie Nealley. "The policy is not very specific ... the rules are not very concrete," Crotty said. The policy will then likely move from the Provost's office to the Office of Student Activities. Reitman said that in the past there have been problems with the use of the Tufts name on the Internet, often for profit. Many other schools and corporations face similar concerns about the unauthorized use of names and trademarks. The journal gains reliability by using the Tufts name, Crotty said. "You gain credibility by being able to be associated with the school." He pointed to similar student publications at Harvard and other schools that use the name of their institution to increase visibility. "Journals come from someplace not from out of the blue. Being able to use the Tufts name tells where it comes from." Student publications on campus will likely add a disclaimer similar to the one TuftScope uses. Crotty thinks Hemispheres, the student journal of International Affairs, will have to change its name in a similar fashion. Hemishpere's current subtitle is "The Tufts University Journal of International Relations." "I think it needed to happen. I'm glad that they were reasonable when they approached this," Crotty said.

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News

Homecoming to be held earlier next semester

March 31

The University's biggest weekend of the year - Homecoming - will be held a month earlier next semester as part of an effort to ease conflicts with Parents Weekend. Traditionally scheduled for late-October, Homecoming is set for Sept. 27, and Parents Weekend will be held on Oct. 18 - one weekend later than usual. The changes were made by the Athletic Department and the Alumni Association, which hope to attract more students and parents to both events. In past years, some sports teams have missed out on Homecoming festivities - and some parents have been unable to visit campus during Parents' Weekend - because athletes have been at away games. The new scheduling aims to "look at dates more creatively," said Tim Brooks, Director of Alumni Relations. Brooks said that in the past, the Alumni Association tried to put the idea of a new schedule on the table, but it had not worked because discussion started too late in the spring. This year, plans started early. Last year, women's soccer and field hockey seasons were both finished by Homecoming, according to Sports Information Director Paul Sweeney. "Ideally," he said, "you hope to have football, men's and women's soccer, and field hockey that weekend." All of those teams will be present at next year's Homecoming, said Athletic Director Bill Gehling, who looks forward to the revised schedule. "I think it will be a great campus atmosphere. We play Bates that weekend. It's a wonderfully festive event, and you have a better chance of good weather in late September." While students seemed receptive to the idea of having more people around campus for Homecoming, some questioned the event's timing. "I think it's too early," senior Erich Muhlanger said. "Homecoming implies the end of the season, a culmination of events. Maybe it would be better a couple of weeks later." Junior Arun Lamba agreed. "The freshman are the ones that get into that stuff, and it might be too early to establish that this is their home for a Homecoming." But freshman Ashleigh Cheung liked the idea. "I think it's better at the beginning of the year, because people are still trying to make friends and it's something fun to go to together," she said. The dates for Parents Weekend have traditionally provoked discussion. According to Gehling, it is not scheduled in September because this comes too soon after parents drop off students at Tufts. Director of Parents' Programs Eleanor Short said that due to scheduling conflicts outside of her control, timing has been a problem in past years. "The athletic schedule is made 12 years in advance, and we must work around religious and national holidays, which has been challenging at times." "Unfortunately, we can't always meet all of the ideal requirements," Gehling said. "In three of the last four years, Parents' Weekend has been forced on a weekend when virtually all of our sports teams have been away." The rescheduling of Parents' Weekend will create "a much fuller, rounder weekend," according to Short, now that it will involve the 300 or so families who want to see children involved in a sport. "In the past," she said, "we have always welcomed these families, but there has been some difficulty in scheduling." Brooks said that now when parents come for Parents' Weekend, "they are guaranteed that their kids will be on campus." Brooks called the changes "a kind of experiment," and said that dialogue with Student Activities, the Jumbo Club, the leaders of the Alumni Association, and University President Larry Bacow seemed to indicate that this would be a positive move. "Of course," said Brooks, "there's always an initial resistance to change but parties seem to feel it won't dampen anyone's enthusiasm." For the most part, students seem to agree with that sentiment. "More people on campus makes for a more exciting environment the whole weekend," Sophomore football player Reid Palmer said.

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News

Breaking glass

March 31

In an age where bubblegum pop and rock musicals reign supreme, classical art forms such as opera seem to have taken a backseat in favor of boy bands, techno, and Rent - which the general public may or may not realize is actually based on the Puccini opera La Boheme. But Puccini, Mozart, and other opera greats are still as strong as ever in their original forms at the Boston Lyric Opera, where the company's latest production - the 19th century Donizetti opera Don Pasquale - opened last night. Pasquale's artistic director, Leon Major, spoke to the Daily last week about the status of classical operatic repertoire in America today, saying that much has changed over the past ten to fifteen years. While operas are still essentially presented as written, directors have the freedom to change around the setting, the time period, and even the language - though this production of Don Pasquale will be performed in the original Italian, with English subtitles to help the audience better understand the plot. Major suggested that the reason why opera tends to attract an older audience has a lot to do with certain stereotypes that have become associated with the art form over the years. "There's an image of fat ladies singing in a foreign language with not much reality," Major said. Not anymore. Opera has begun to delve into appearance-based typecasting similar to that seen in movies and musical theater. "Casting is closer to reality now than in the old days - now the voice counts but so does the look... it's very rare to have a large Mimi now," he added, referring to the heroine in La Boheme. But sometimes this proves difficult, given the vocal challenges that many composers present in some of the most complicated epic operas. "In some operas there are only certain people that can sing [the roles] and you have to look at that," Major said. This is not an issue for Pasquale, however, as Major's interpretation focuses largely on comedic acting in addition to impressive singing. The production conforms to much of the standards set forth for modern opera, encompassing a talented cast composed of seasoned Lyric Opera veterans as well as newcomers making their debut with the company. And while their musical talents create the core of the performance, there is much more behind these characters than just voices. "The singers are good actors and all handsome and musical," said Major, explaining that the beauty of DonPasquale is that the plot is accessible and the characters extremely relatable. Performed in the style of commedia dell'arte, the opera tells the story of Don Pasquale, an elderly bachelor who deceives his nephew Ernesto by marrying the young and beautiful Norina. Once Norina figures out the truth, she and Ernesto devise a plot of their own to teach Don Pasquale a lesson. "It's a piece that is very funny, but not funny in a slapstick way...it's the situations that are peculiar," Major explained. "If it was put in English it could probably run on Broadway." Major cited this as one of the primary reasons for choosing to direct Don Pasquale as part of Boston Lyric Opera's 25th Anniversary Season. "It's a mindset that opera is some kind of esoteric event, and in fact it's a piece of theater," he said. "I don't like doing shows that are so esoteric that people have trouble understanding - what's the point?" In fact, Major's directing background comes largely from straight theater, as he ran two theater companies in Canada before arriving in Boston ten years ago. He uses this to his advantage in this production, saying that the most difficult aspect of mounting Don Pasquale was figuring out who the characters were, how they could relate to each other, and where to place them on a historical timeline. "When opera singers take on the responsibility of a role and approach it as an actor, [the audience] gets involved," Major said. "When you see a play you get involved - opera is basically a play with a lot of music." By setting Don Pasquale in the 17th century and making Norina an actress at a theater where Don Pasquale would not often frequent, Major was able to give a special touch of color to an opera that is not commonly performed by the major American opera companies. But Major said that are not any glaring reasons why this is the case. "All of us are trying to figure out why [the opera isn't performed more frequently]," he said. "There's wonderful music - you'll come out literally humming the tunes, and a great story." Which is the overall sentiment Major hopes that Don Pasquale will perpetuate. "Opera is growing rapidly all around the country - it's mythic and big, you go to the opera and you see archetypes and great figures," he said. "The people are larger than life and speak to us and touch us."Boston Lyric Opera's 'Don Pasquale' plays at the Schubert Theater through April 9. The Daily will feature a review of the production in an upcoming issue.

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News

Cancer takes life of Tufts student

March 31

Junior David Medeiros passed away at the age of 20 last Thursday, after a year and a half-long battle with pancreatic cancer. The Medfield, MA native, an active member of the student-run drama organization Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps), was described as soft-spoken and easygoing by his friends. Family and friends will pay tribute to Medeiros today at a morning funeral and mass. A wake was held yesterday afternoon. "A huge number of people came, and I am sure a huge number of people will go to the funeral tomorrow," Kristen Leahey, a friend and fellow 3Ps member, said. "There were a lot of people who loved Dave," she said. President Emeritus John DiBiaggio was among the mourners. Medeiros returned to Tufts as a junior this fall after taking the spring 2001 semester off to fight his disease. Friends said that while they knew he had cancer, it shocked them that the disease ultimately took his life. Medeiros had appeared to be in remission during the summer and at the beginning of this school year. For Medeiros, the theater was an integral part of his Tufts experience. He began his involvement in 3Ps as a freshman in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in the fall of 1999. During the Fall 2000 semester, Medeiros acted in the drama department's show The Merry Wives of Windsor and in the 3Ps minor production Picasso at the Lapin Agille. The Fall 2001 3Ps minor production Reflections on Ice-Breaking marked his directorial debut. Fellow 3Ps member Adam Colt, who worked with Medeiros while stage managing for Picasso and acting in Reflections, spoke fondly of his friend. "He cared deeply about what he did. He put all of his energy into directing his minor last semester, and was dedicated as an actor," Colt said. Colt remembered Medeiros' knack for impersonations. "He could do a boatload of voice impressions. Last fall, when he was in Merry Wives of Windsor, he was a French doctor, and then he played Elvis in Picasso. He had fun with them." Leahey said that Medeiros, a child development major, enjoyed being with kids. He worked at the daycare center at Elliot Pearson. "He always really loved kids," Leahey said. "It was a privilege working with him and he was a privilege to have as a friend. He was a wonderful, gentle, kind person who always had the best intentions and always tried to make everyone happy...he was a great guy. He loved life and he loved people." Junior Aditi Gupta recalled how Medeiros became progressively sicker over the last few years. "He was just the type of person who always puts up a brave face," she remembered. "He was always putting others before himself," Gupta said. Medeiros became sick during his sophomore year, but his condition was first thought to be gallstones. He went in for surgery during winter break, and when it was established that he would need chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, he was unable to return for the spring. Gupta and other friends visited Medeiros in the hospital during the summer, and said he seemed to be doing much better. But in November, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to his liver and that he was going to have to go back into chemotherapy. He decided to not go back to the hospital, but to instead get treatments on the weekend and keep attending classes. By December, he was back in the hospital. Father David O'Leary of the Catholic Center is working with the Dean of Students Office and the Medeiros family to organize a memorial service to be held after students return from spring break, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. He added that many students have written to him expressing the desire that a tree be planted on campus in Medeiros' name, and said the idea was being considered. Students will be notified of memorial events by the Dean of Students Office. "It seems to me like David was quite a popular person," Reitman said. "There are a lot of people who want to be part of both the memorial service and participate in whatever we as a community do to remember him." The MetroWest Daily News reported in an obituary that during his illness, Medeiros collaborated with the Harvard Medical School to devote himself to improving the doctor-patient relationships for people living with life-threatening illnesses. Medeiros was an honors graduate of Medfield High School, Class of 1999. During high school, he was president of the National Honor Society, a tri-captain of the cross-country team, an active member of the Medfield Theatre Society, as well as the student representative to the Superintendent's Advisory Council. Although rarer than many types of cancer, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the US because it produces few- if any - symptoms before spreading. For this reason, only about four percent of all people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the US survive for five or more years. Medeiros is survived by his parents, Frank and Pauline (Turco) Medeiros and his sister, Lea Medeiros. The funeral is being held today at the Ginley Funeral Home, 882 Main St., Walpole, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Edward's Church in Medfield.The Medeiros family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the David E. Medeiros Memorial Fund care of Ben Franklin Savings Bank, 76 North St., Medfield, MA 02052.

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News

Despite yesterday's snow, a dry winter for Massachusetts

March 31

T-shirts in December? Even Naked Quad runners can attest to the fact that this year's winter has seemed unseasonably mild. After a warm end to the fall semester, most students didn't break out their winter coats until yesterday, when the minimal snow marked a change from the pre-break mild weather. Jumbos expecting to brave the low temperatures and frequent snowstorms associated with New England winters had been surprised by the climate change. "I wasn't expecting it to stay so warm into December. I would normally expect a Boston winter to have a greater amount of snow accumulation. I didn't even need to layer up before going out," sophomore Allison Cohen said. For students who hail from milder regions, the warm weather seems about right for winter, but still not right for a winter in Boston. "I can't believe it was seventy degrees in December," sophomore Wendy Carman said. "I'm from Seattle, so I'm used to milder winters. But I expected it to be much colder here, especially after all of last year's snows." Such unseasonable weather, while relaxing, inevitably prompts debate about the extent of global warming. But those worried about whether the greenhouse effect is to blame should not make general conclusions, says Associate Professor Jack Ridge. The geology professor says that the weather conditions of a particular year are not necessarily indicative of larger trends. "It would be more than just speculation to draw any conclusions about this year's mild winter, especially before it's over," Ridge said. "The mild and dry winter so far appears to be a function of a jet stream pattern, which has occurred in the past. When we talk about global climate change or global warming we should be referring to trends that have occurred over decades, not simply one odd year." Ridge said that the season's lack of precipitation, rather than its warmth, is of the most significance for people in the northeast."It's been very dry leading up to winter. There hasn't been a lot of snowfall. We [in Massachusetts] rely a lot on a recharging [of reservoirs and the water table] in the spring from snow runoff and rain," Ridge said. "The fall was very dry so there has been a lot of evaporation, and the water table is low. This could create a problem in the summer. Some communities in the northeast may have to ration water. It's happened before. A lot of times people associate [these summer problems] with drought, but they could be due to a dry winter or a combination of both [a dry winter and drought]."As yesterday's precipitation demonstrated, the weather could still return to more traditional New England patterns - snowy, bitter, cold. "This winter may be a little anomalous; I believe we had two record days of warmth in December. [The temperature] was in the seventies," Ridge said. "But that's not way out of the ordinary. We haven't had extreme cold yet, but the winter's not over yet!"

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News

Blue Jays beat Sox in wild opener

March 31

The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays played an April Fool's Day joke on their fans yesterday - they played a game that seemed like anything but baseball. The 12-11 Toronto win was as long as the Boston Marathon, contained more strange and wild moves than a pro-wrestling match, and had a final score that resembled football. Pedro Martinez, who was 3-0 with an ERA of 1.00 in his four previous Boston opening day starts, led the masquerade, looking more like knuckleballer Tim Wakefield than a former Cy Young award winner. The seven earned runs he gave up matched a career high, and he left the game in the fourth inning. The game began with a flurry of scoring, as the teams scored 11 runs a piece over the first five innings. The Jays scrapped together eight runs off Pedro through a combination of walks and soft hits. The Sox, meanwhile, preferred to play longball. Solo homers by designated hitter Jose Offerman, Trot Nixon, and catcher Jason Varitek and a three-run shot by Tony Clark accounted for the bulk of their runs. Though there was only one 1-2-3 half an inning (the bottom of the sixth), the score remained tied until the top of ninth. Toronto's Raul Mondesi walked, advanced to second on Carlos Delgado's single, and stole third. He came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Darrin Fletcher - a quiet way to score the winning run, considering how wild the first five innings were. Toronto closer Kelvin Escobar got the win for the Blue Jays, while Sox closer Ugueth Urbina took the loss. When the dust - and Toronto Manager Buck Martinez' blood pressure - settled, there were a total of 23 runs scored, 27 hits, 2 errors, 27 runners left on base, and one Toronto coach ejected during the game, which took 4.5 hours to play. The real chaos came not in the scoring but in a bizarre play in the fourth inning. With Boston's Rey Sanchez on second, Johnny Damon hit a fly to centerfield, and Vernon Wells made a diving stab at it - which the third base umpire ruled as a catch and an out. Sanchez scurried back to second base but found Damon there as well. Damon bumped into Jay's second baseman Homer Bush, causing him to drop the ball. The second base umpire made a safe call, but it was not clear who it was directed to, and Sanchez left the base. Bush, however, did not think to tag him, and Sanchez remained at second. Meanwhile, Varitek tagged up at third and ran home, and the Jays came out to argue that he had tagged up early. The appeal was denied, and when third-base coach Cookie Rojas continued to argue with the umpires, he was ejected. The run ended up making little difference, as the Jays tied the score in the next inning. For the Red Sox it was more than just opening day. It was the start of a new era. Gone were general manager Dan Duquette, John Harrington, the Yawkee Trust, and the clubhouse tension that plagued the club last year. In came John Henry, manager Grady Little, and 17 new players. The members of the New England Patriots threw out the first pitch, - perhaps in a symbolic effort to transfer their winning aura to another Boston team. And in the spirit of new beginnings, it was the Sox newcomers who made the most contributions in the game. Clark went 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Sanchez and centerfielder Johnny Damon each had RBI. Varitek, who sat out most of last season because of knee surgery, had a promising homecoming, as he had three hits in three at bats, including a home run in the second, and had two RBI.

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News

99 percent addicted to Instant Messenger ;)

March 31

When that cute guy you met at a party asks you for your screenname instead of your phone number, you know you're in trouble. While "LOL," "TTYL," and "BRB" have not been officially added to the English language, anyone with access to a computer knows what they mean. America Online's Instant Messenger (AIM) feature is all the rage these days, especially on college campuses. AIM (and the similar ICQ) are free, and offer students the "chat" component of America Online without the e-mail feature. Members pick a "screenname" and can talk to friends or leave "away messages" when they are away from their computer. While ICQ is popular among the international and West Coast crowd, the majority of students at Tufts have AIM screennames. "It's my downfall," freshman Kathryn Peters said of Instant Messenger. For incoming freshmen, downloading some type of online "messenger" system is essential. "I downloaded it the first day [it was available]," freshman Lauren Gesserman said. AIM was not always as popular as it is now. Senior Latrice Goosby was inspired to create a screenname by her freshman roommate, an international student. Goosby didn't know of any other students' using the feature at the time. Goosby and other students say they use Instant Messenger primarily to communicate with friends at other college campuses. IM has allowed her to keep in touch with students she met abroad, since it's much easier and cheaper than a visit or long-distance phone call. "Without IM I probably wouldn't talk to a lot of my friends from high school," sophomore Tyson Lynch said. He says that IM away messages and personal profiles allow him to keep up with friends he doesn't see every day. However, many underclassmen admit to the ultimate in laziness: chatting online with Tufts neighbors and friends in lieu of phone calls or personal visits. "I'm on it all the time except for when my Internet connection is broken," freshman Kate Kleene said. Senior Jessica Cohen says she mostly talks online to the people she sees every day, although she says she still prefers to use the phone. Sophomore Gati Dharani says she thinks that because of the heavy reliance on IM, students' social skills may be deteriorating. "People need to have face to face interactions with people to work on their social skills. IM does not allow for that," Dharani said. Sophomore Tenley Oldak thinks that IM changes the way people talk to each other. Ideas are not put into full sentences and IM lingo - abbreviations for "laugh out loud," "talk to you later," and "be right back" are often employed instead. Some IM users think that IM does improve communication with other students. Sophomore Victoria Tran says that the impersonal nature of AIM emboldens students to be more blunt than they would be in person. AIM's easy access and free subscription can mean online addiction for some students. Goosby admits that IM is so addictive - she gave it up for Lent. Oldak says she is on IM all the time and only turns it off when she goes to sleep. Senior Larry Baum says he relies on IM all the time to make plans to meet his friends or to procrastinate to avoid work. Goosby points out that IM is more distracting than e-mail because it can be left on all the time. "After you write your e-mails there's nothing to do," Goosby said. "You can have IM on when you are writing a paper on your computer and it's very tempting." Some students feel that the influence of IM is spreading to the younger generation in middle and high schools. "I feel like younger kids are much more savvy with IM," Dharani said. "My sister started using it when she was 14. I did not start until I was in 12th grade. She knows how to do much more with it than I do." "My brother has been using IM on AOL at home since he was in seventh grade," senior Jessica Cohen said. Lynch says some people develop curiously different personalities on IM than they have in person. "On IM some of my friends are funny and I wonder where that comes from," Lynch said.

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News

Carson for president

March 31

Voters casting ballots in Wednesday's presidential electionwill be deprived of the opportunity to elect a leader capable of truly reviving campus-wide interest in student government, despite both candidates' calls for greateroutreach. However, though both candidates would prove better at managing theSenate body than the student body, Melissa Carson's record as vicepresident offers promise that the government under her leadership will moreactively pursue University improvements than if directed by Carson'sopponent, Alison Clarke. Clarke's campaign focus on reconnecting the Senate to its voters and bringing responsive leadership to the campus center congress is refreshing, especially compared with Carson's preference for closed-door meetings with mid-level administrators. Her eagerness to butt heads with Ballou, moreover, gives some credibility to her bold platform, which includes promises for curricular diversification and need-blind admissions. And while championing already popular issues, the former Judiciary vice chair seems open to encouraging student groups to fund-raise to endow chairs in underrepresented academic areas, widening the curriculum without straining the University budget. Yet Clarke's long tenure in student government and effusive praise of former President David Moon belies her claims of "outsider" status, which have helped her in early polls amongst voters disaffected by President Eric Greenberg's administration. Clarke's leadership on a government organ that most students have not heard of makes her outsider approach tantamount to a Red Sox batboy running for manager under the guise of being new to the sport. In some disadvantageous senses, though, Clark is an outsider. Even if shesucceeded in igniting students' long-dormant interest in the Senate, her unfamiliarity with the daily duties of the Senate president call into question her ability to ensure the effective operation of the body's committees and executive board. And while her calls for revolutionizing Senate outreach are impressive, she has little to show for it and can hardly convince voters that her rhetoric is more credible than failed outreachpromises of candidates past. Carson won't turn the Senate around, either. But while her acerbicposture and do-it-yourself leadership style will not dampen the infighting and disloyalty that plague the body, things will get done. Whereas Clarke would meet resistance from career Senators who have spent the last year working with the vice president, Carson has a network of allies on the Senate ready to work under her, if not with her, next year. More importantly, Carson has proven herself capable of bringing about the type of small changes - such as extending late night parking hours and creating the TCU email list - that must accompany the broader goals she plans to pursue, though will likely struggle to achieve. Carson, for all her temerity, lacks Clarke's desire to fight administrators on behalf of students. But her personal relationships with Dowling deans and experience on University governing committees could render her cooperative approach equally effective. Both candidates have expressed dissatisfaction with President Eric Greenberg, hoping to distance themselves from the unpopularity of the Senate. This strategy is indicative of a systemic problem in Tufts' student government, which will never affect fundamental change until its leadership undertakes projects that transcend the one-year tenure of a particular president. Instead of reinventing the wheel, whichever candidate emerges victories on Wednesday should build upon the successes of presidents past, aggressively attacking Tufts' financial aid system, housing inadequacies, and academic offerings with the vigor Carson exhibited throughout this past year.

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News

Students take to the podium in Ex-College classes

March 31

At some point in your academic career, you may have met that professor who inspired you to consider a teaching career - or one so poor that you figured anyone, including yourself, could have done a better job. What you probably haven't done, in either case, is to literally have taken the classroom over. But such is the opportunity for Tufts upperclassmen who choose to tackle the challenge of teaching a class in the Experimental College. The Ex College consistently provides an array of unusual offerings, and some of this semester's student-taught selections are no different: from "Express Yourself: A Cultural Study of Madonna," to "A History of Video Games: Technology, Art and Pop Culture," to "Seamanship: Nautical Science and the Maritime Experience." Though taking the teaching reins might seem desirable, it's anything but easy. While professors in fields from political science to biology can consult with any number of professionals concerning materials and techniques, student-teachers in the Ex College are, for the most part, on their own. As senior Alex Rappaport - whose seamanship course is offered this semester - discovered, the biggest problem is not having assistance or traditional guidelines. "The most difficult part about preparing for these courses is that they are usually very original, and so we actually have to lay the groundwork ourselves," Rappaport said. "There are no prepared textbooks, so a great deal of research is needed." This individuality gives room for teacher freedom, but also imposes a greater accountability. Students interested in teaching an Ex College class must begin planning their courses far before the semester even begins. "This is a great way to test the teaching waters with really motivated, bright students," Rappaport said. "As far as the task of applying goes, it took a great deal of foresight and attention to detail. We had to have our courses generally planned out by the end of October." So is it difficult to be accepted into the Ex College's teaching staff? Senior Eric Murphy, who will be teaching "Observational Astronomy," said that the most important factors are a student's passion and will to teach - as well as a lot of time. The application process weeds out those not prepared to dedicate a significant amount of time through an interview, recommendations, departmental approval, and writing samples. And for many of the students, it hasn't just been a semester's worth of preparation - it's been a lifetime. Erin Ross, a senior and longtime Madonna fan, said she's been "researching" for her ex-college class for years. "I started looking at Madonna from a more academic view about three years ago when I wrote a paper about her work as a feminist and discovered a lot of writings about her work from a cultural standpoint," Ross said. "At that point I realized it would be very interesting to look at all of this material in a classroom setting." Ross, along with many other student-teachers, was surprised at the response to her course. Although she could only take 12 students, 26 signed up for her course. "This is an opportunity very unique to Tufts, " she said. For students such as Murphy, an appreciation of professors' work and an impressive resume-building opportunity are important, but working with fellow students is reward enough. "I can't say how good it feels to see everyone in class having a good time while learning about the field that I plan to spend the rest of my life studying," Murphy said. Like many other teachers, he relishes the intimate setting that an Ex College class brings. In addition to encouraging discussion, he hopes the small size will offer a setting where he can receive feedback about his teaching skills. "The best way to learn is by asking questions, and when other students in the class can answer them instead of me, I know I am doing my job right," Murphy said.

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News

Scenes from the FleetCenter

March 31

The fist time Elton John and Billy Joel toured together in 1994, it was a stadium-filling success and one of the top grossing tours that year. The coupling of these two ivory pounders, back on tour this year, was a stroke of genius by some undoubtedly now-economically-elated promoter. Money motives aside, the pairing makes sense in a lot of artistic ways, not just by the common thread of both being piano players. After all, John has been part of many successful duets (e.g. George Michael, Kiki Dee). Teaming up has usually been a good move for him, although there was that dud of a song he did with Lee Ann Rimes in 1997. While both men are great baby grand recitalists, they have never been linked in the category of legendary keyboard-men (in the vein of Jerry Lee Lewis/Little Richard). None of this matters, as both have catalogues for which most performers would sell their eternal essence. And while many have squabbled over the high ticket price for the tour - Joel even called the prices "ridiculous," but sarcastically followed that comment up with "well, at least I know my kid is gonna go to Harvard" - patrons have gladly shelled out the cash for this duo to sell out five nights at the Fleet Center. Taking the stage together at the show's onset, John and Joel played three ballads, sharing lead vocal duties. Though it's hard to remember a time when a concert opened with a ballad - let alone three - Joel's "Just The Way You Are," sandwiched between Elton's "Your Song" and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," worked surprisingly well. After Joel's exit, Elton, with his full band in tow, delved into an hour and a half of material, most of which was unexpectedly drawn from his heady '70s repertoire. Opening his solo set with the amazing "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" collage, from his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, was a treat for the more hardcore listeners, but left many a new generation fan a bit bewildered. Digging up classic rock chestnuts, John blended '70s standards ("Take Me to The Pilot," "Levon," and "Philadelphia Freedom") with early '80s smashes ("I'm Still Standing"), and wisely passed over nearly all of his '90s material. Strangely, Elton's newer songs ("I Want Love" and "This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore") met with lukewarm, but polite audience response, which is sad, as his latest Songs from the West Coast CD is his most complete work in years. Backed by a crack quartet that included his longtime guitarist, Davy Johnston, and powerhouse drummer, Nigel Olsen, John finished his set with the bouncy "Crocodile Rock," during which he let the audience take over on the nonsensical chorus, no doubt in part to preserve his voice from cracking. If John's musical range was ever in question, it should be put to rest. For all the abuse he's taken for some of his more maudlin numbers, i.e. the Lion King soundtrack, his output more than makes up for his missteps. Hell, even Elvis Presley (who John is neck and neck with in Top 40 hit totals) made some bad musical choices when it came to soundtracks (if you don't agree, just try listening to the soundtracks to G.I. Blues or Clambake sometime). As quickly as John left the stage, Joel returned. After a few self-deprecating comments about the botched hair cut he tried to perform on himself (can't he afford a Flowbee with those ticket prices?), he reached back to The Stranger album for the epic "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant." While the song of young love gone awry and the memories of mid-'70s New York may seem dated to some, it really is one of Joel's more ambitious early works. His uncorking of "New York State of Mind" was an expected move for the all-too-proud Long Island native, but his unearthing of the obscure, but stellar, "Miami 2017," a song about bizarre events in New York was a surprise. The tune had also been a highlight of Joel's set at the "Concert for New York" last October. Much like his touring partner, Joel has made a couple of blunders along the way. Whereas Elton concealed his bad judgements at the concert, Joel was all to happy give a history lesson and strap on a guitar for his annoying "We Didn't Start The Fire." In fact, when Joel first strapped on his Gibson, he spoke out about how unfair it was that Aussie rockers AC/DC had not been inducted by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the second year in a row (Billy Joel...an AC/DC fan?). With that, Joel introduced a bulky roadie, (named Chainsaw!) and picked up the mic for a blistering version of "Highway to Hell." A truly cool move by Joel, if only he hadn't messed it up by playing the oft-covered "Fire." That aside, his set-concluding "Only The Good Die Young" was hot enough to make up for any minor sins he committed. Gathering together after Joel's set, the duo once again traded vocals, but on some more buoyant tunes this time. The upbeat feel of Joel's tale of weekend debauchery, "You May Be Right," and John's prima-donna-ish "The Bitch Is Back," meshed well, but the mood was brought down a bit for a nice nod to the late George Harrison on "Here Comes The Sun." The energetic mood quickly returned with a cover of "Great Balls of Fire." The show-ending "Piano Man" was appropriate for these two veterans who certainly don't need each other to sell tickets, but complement each other's style in a now-celebrated manner. In a business ripe with overactive egos, it is nice to see two of the most successful performers of all time still humble enough to share the spotlight.

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News

West continues to dominate league

March 31

The end of the NBA regular season is still five weeks away and the playoffs may not end until mid-July, but it does not take Peter Vescey to predict which conference will prevail in the Finals this year. As it has done every season since Michael Jordan re-retired in 1998, the West will win again. The miracle New York Knicks came up empty against the dominant San Antonio Spurs in '99; the high-energy Indiana Pacers managed just two victories against the LA Lakers in '00; an extremely talented Philadelphia 76ers squad could only eke out a single win versus the Lakers in '01. With this year's Eastern conference dawdling in mediocrity, there is no question that a team from the West will be pinning up a championship banner in '02. The numbers speak for themselves. As of Sunday, the West has four teams that can already boast of 40-win seasons; the East, zero. Even more telling is that six Western teams currently have .600-plus winning percentages; only the New Jersey Nets can make that claim in the East. The team clinging to the eighth playoff spot in the West is the Utah Jazz, whose respectable 34-27 record would be good enough for a fourth seed in the East. Looking at the East-West head-to-head matchups, the difference between the two conferences becomes even more glaring. Only one Eastern team, the Nets, has achieved a winning record against Western foes; in fact, the top eight Eastern squads have a ghastly 33-74 combined record against the top eight Western clubs, and an 87-101 record versus the West overall. It is not surprising that the eight playoff-bound Western teams have a convincing 138-61 combined record against the East. This blatant inadequacy on the part of the Eastern conference is not a result of untalented players - Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Glenn Robinson and Paul Pierce are not all that inferior to Kobe Bryant, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan. However, the teams that currently find themselves atop the Eastern standings are in foreign territory. For a decade, these clubs struggled to succeed against MJ and the Chicago Bulls, Patrick and the Knicks, Reggie and the Pacers, and Alonzo and the Heat. Now, the Bulls are an average Junior College team, the Knicks are battling to keep their place in the league, and the Pacers and Heat are just hoping to get a spot in the playoffs. All of the premier Eastern teams, New Jersey, Detroit, Boston, and Milwaukee, have looked incredibly assailable at times this year, in large part due to their inexperience at the helm of the league. While the changing of the guard has finally allowed them to make runs at division championships, it has also left them extremely vulnerable to the wrath of a young, but powerful Western conference. A number of these teams have the potential to develop into formidable and intimidating clubs, and this year's playoffs will undoubtedly help them do so - but not in time to win the 2002 Finals. That honor will once again go to the West. While a number of Eastern teams do have a reasonable chance to represent the East in this year's finals, the Knicks are not among them. With a Bulls-esque 23-37 record and no indications of improvement, the Knicks will fail to make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Since coach Jeff Van Gundy abruptly resigned in November, the team has struggled miserably under Don Chaney and has regularly been booed at their home court, Madison Square Garden. Although losing center Marcus Camby to a season-ending hip injury did not help the Knicks' cause, their problems are deeper than injuries. Despite having a league-high, over-the-cap payroll of $85 million, the team lacks both depth and talent. Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston are both 0potent scorers, but have greatly underachieved this year and lack any semblance of a supporting cast. This dearth of talent is preventing the Knicks from trading for capable players, and their inflated payroll will prevent them from signing any significant free agents this coming offseason. Despite these problems, last week Knicks' management chose to extend coach Don Chaney's contract for another season. Chaney, who won the NBA's Coach of the Year Award in 1991 with the Houston Rockets, has had no success this season in creating a winning formula. His relaxed coaching style was new to a team that had grown accustomed to the aggressive, ankle-grabbing tactics of his predecessor Van Gundy, and his .317 winning percentage as a Knicks' coach is the worst in franchise history. Nevertheless, club president Scott Layden is confident that Chaney can lead the Knicks out of the Eastern conference cellar and back into the playoffs.@s:East is least

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Overabundance of Macs causes frustration in Eaton Lab

March 31

Though the Eaton Computer Lab was renovated and expanded last year, some students are again complaining about a computer shortage - not in terms of total quantity, but for PCs relative to Macs. Students' lack of familiarity with Macs and other difficulties have left many calling for more PCs. That concern is evident most afternoons at Eaton. The first floor contains half Macs and half PCs, but the division typically doesn't represent the demand for each type of computer. Generally, there are twice as many computers in use on the PC side as there are on the Mac side of the room. The basement of Eaton, which has only PCs, is often packed. Eaton Lab System Manager Marian Lau said the situation was not worrisome. "It depends on the time of day, but both Macs and PCs do get used," Lau said. "The Macs serve the same function as the PCs but people are scared to use them." The Mac-PC breakdown was a result of an Information Technology Services (ITS) perception that student demand for Macs was significant. "Originally, in the old Jackson lab we had 18 Macs and always got complaints about the lack of Macs available," ITS Director Tony Sulprizo said. In total, there are 109 PCs and 45 Macs. But a good amount of the PCs are located downstairs, and students using them must walk back and forth between the levels if they wish to print. One reason students may not be using the Macs is that they just don't know how. Nico Juber, president of Tufts Mac Users Group, said that "people try to use them, get frustrated, and then don't use them anymore." According to Juber, the desk staff's lack of knowledge about the Macs may be causing students to stay away from them. She once had trouble printing from a Mac and had to e-mail it to a PC to get the printout. "If I can't do it, others must really be frustrated considering I am the head of this group." Juber said. Juber suggested investing in better Macs, but some students say there's just not enough desire to use them in the first place. "There's obviously a demand for more PCs," said Andrew Marcus, a senior and PC user. "They should replace some of the Macs with PCs because no one ever uses the Macs." The University does buy computers based on usage, according Manager of Instructional Services Jeff Weiner. But the problem of student acquaintance with Macs could might be an easily amended one. Juber suggested that a workshop in Eaton, run by Tufts MUG, could help hesitant students learn to use the Macs. Sulprizo agrees that this would be a good idea and offered to set a time in the Eaton Lab to teach students. "We hadn't planned on doing training, but we are certainly willing to work on something like that," Sulprizo said. Heather Thompson, a junior and a Mac user at home, only uses the PCs in Eaton Lab because she cannot access items as easily from Macs. She asked for help in using the Macs, but gave up after she realized the desk staff was not knowledgeable. Though the differences between computer operating systems are seemingly minimal, some students, like Juber and Thomson, have Macs at home but still struggle with those in the labs. "I'm disappointed at how difficult the use of Mac computers has been made," Juber said. She added that Macs should be easier to use than PCs but that Eaton often conveys the opposite impression. "It's not a clear cut situation because the University has already made an investment," senior Rob Greene said. "It would be nice, though, to see the University make a wiser investment - one that would help the majority of students either through workshops or a different computer setup."

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News

Following the rainbow

March 31

Pierre Omidyar was a fine choice for this May's commencement speaker. He is a successful Tufts grad and dedicated philanthropist, a model in many ways for Tufts students. We ought to thank him for his generosity and laud him for his passionate commitment to changing our world for the better. He would make sense as the honored speaker during the ceremonies of this, Tufts' sesquicentennial year. That is, if we couldn't get LeVar Burton.I've thought about it long and hard, considered all the facts and details, mulled over all the bits and bobs, sent out my feelers, and called in my favors. And my own personal search committee has found the perfect graduation speaker. LeVar Burton, or Jordy, as I like to call him, is warm and friendly. He has a big smile and he can repair the warp speed reactor core of a big outer-space flying ship from the 24th century all the while wearing a super cool stylized visor. He can laugh with the best of them, and share the sorrow of a mourning nation. He transcends boundaries and brings people, countries, and races together. He has been there in our youth, and he should be there as we take the next definitive step into adulthood. He gave us reading. Thank you Mr. Burton, thank you. We would be honored to have you share your words of wisdom with us. Thank you for giving us reading. Like I said, a ten million dollar donation is impressive and laudable, certainly not something to sneeze at. But alas, it is not reading. Of course, what is?Every day, during my busy, hectic schedule, I am always reading, reading reading. It is what I do. I read. And yet where would I be without Mr. LeVar Burton - the man who gave us reading? Every time I tackle a book, or skim the paper, or glance at an "Employees Must Wash Hands" sign, I read. And that's when I think about my buddy LeVar and wonder at what a special man he is. Do you remember Reading Rainbow? I do. It is perhaps the world's most consistently amusing and entertaining television show. While shows like Seinfeld or ER come and go, offering little more than lame laughs and canned drama, RR, as I like to call it, has been tireless in its dedication to introducing us to wild worlds as diverse and fascinating as bowling alleys and hospitals, zoos and science museums. The first chords of the theme song have always prepared us for an adventure into the unknown territory, tracked and traced only by the words of a creative author . The excitement and giddy chills inspired by those sweeping, spunky softly comfortable notes once made me eager to sit down and do whatever LeVar suggested. As we graduating seniors prepare to venture into the frighteningly unknown territory that is our future, it would only be appropriate to return to the man and his song. Let us consider his mantra, the lyrics that once welcomed us daily to the adventurous mind-bending, book-bound world of letters, words, sentences, and oh-so colorful illustrations: "Butterfly in the sky/ I can go twice as high/ Take a look/ It's in a book/ A Reading Rainbow." The first line is an obvious reference to ancient philosopher Chuang-Tzu who once dreamed he was a butterfly and when he awoke, no longer knew if he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man, or a man who had dreamed he was a butterfly. Perhaps LeVar is asking us to reevaluate our own image of self and conception of reality as we step out of a rule-bound world, and into the unfathomable chaos that marks all that is undefined and unknown. What is real? Good question L. You've really made us think.By the time he taunts us with phrases like "I can go twice as high," "I can go anywhere," and "I can be anything" he's got us. LeVar has pulled us in and piqued our curiosity. "Take a look," he says. "It's in a book" he proffers. What? What is it LeVar, that is in a book? Could the answer we've been looking for all along be in a book? Could all that web research, all that time spent at career services and counseling, all that arguing with my parents, all that work spent on developing my resume have been for naught? Yes, LeVar assures us, the answer is a Reading Rainbow, and it is found in a book.So let's welcome LeVar Burton and invite him to be our graduation speaker. If he can teach us how to "be anything" then surely we ought to listen. I will follow that rainbow as far as my noble, kind-hearted Buddha of Public Broadcasting will take me. I will seek its source and find the inspiration for which I have always yearned. It will be glorious. It will be brilliant. It will be serene restful reading rainbow bliss. So give him a try. After all, you don't have to take my word for it.

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News

Trades and surprising picks make NFL draft exciting

March 31

Do you believe that an obscure linebacker from Western Tennessee State is all that stands between your favorite team and the Super Bowl? Do you simulate games, even seasons, in Madden franchise mode because you can't wait to select non-existent collegiate football players in a fictitious draft? Do you know the 40 times and Wonderlic scores of people that have no idea who you are? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are a NFL Draft nerd. Join the club. Like so many other football fans out there, once the NFL season ended I was left with a huge void in my life. Night after night, at work or at home, I began to pour over scouting reports and mock drafts. For the next several weeks I spent more time with Mel Kiper Jr. than I did with my mom. But Mom can't run a 4.4 40 or bench 225 lbs. 17 times like Donte' Stallworth. After months of weeks and weeks of waiting my day finally came and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. I plopped down on my couch for a long day of television watching. The opening picks of the first round went relatively according to form, with the expansion Houston Texans selecting "their quarterback of the future," David Carr out of Fresno State. The strong-armed "family man" with movie star good looks was everything that the Texans wanted and, as Carr paraded his 20-plus relatives onto the podium he flashed the smile of a 22-year-old on the verge of signing a 60 million dollar contract to play a game. I hate this man. Things didn't really get interesting until Dallas came on the clock with the sixth pick in what amounted to be the most exciting moments of the six-hour marathon. As the final seconds of Dallas' allotted time ticked away, the Minnesota Vikings, scheduled to pick seventh, scrambled to leapfrog the Cowboys and select the player they coveted, North Carolina defensive tackle Ryan Sims. But when Viking officials ran up to hand in the card bearing Sims' name, they were told that Dallas had executed a trade with the Chiefs, who, as could be expected, snatched up Sims. In a really pathetic way, it was all very thrilling. The Cincinnati Bengals continued their bid to replace the Los Angeles Clippers as the most abysmal franchise in pro sports when, in usual fashion, they neglected to address pressing needs and reached for Arizona State left tackle Levi Jones, confounding and infuriating their already paper-thin fan base. Jones was later seen crying in his Eloy, AZ, home, as he was previously expected to have a promising NFL career but will now go the way of past Bengal flops Dave Klingler, Kijana Carter, and Dan Wilkinson. Both the Cowboys and the Raiders had uncharacteristically good drafts, proving that old, senile owners can still do the job as NFL executives. Jerry Jones and Al Davis, both traditionally terrible drafters, each pulled off a number of slick moves to secure their men: Oklahoma safety Roy Williams and Miami cornerback Phillip Buchanon respectively. In Jones' case, he continued to deal and ended the day with the draft's top safety, top guard (Andre Gurode), and arguably the top receiver (Antonio Bryant). The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots also didn't do too bad for themselves, trading their first and third round picks to the Redskins to move up and select Colorado tight end Daniel Graham. Graham, a 6'3", 248-pound pass catching phenom can be expected to contribute immediately and should give third year quarterback Tom Brady another viable weapon. Despite not having a position to play, Heisman trophy winning quarterback Eric Crouch was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round. Mike Martz has said that Crouch will see time at running back, slot receiver, punt returner, and maybe even defensive back. Whatever position the undersized ex-quarterback assumes, he seems poised to continue the long standing tradition of former Heisman trophy winners that go on to do absolutely nothing in the NFL. Does the name Gino Toretta mean anything to you?

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News

Never be the same again

March 31

Sure, the Jumbo Audio Project may be ready - and priced to move, no less - but when it comes to campus pride, there's nothing like a sense of history. And among Tufts' claims to fame in the entertainment industry there lies last year's Spring Fling headliner, Guster. Composed of Tufts graduates Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel, the band started with a 1992 performance in Hotung, recorded two independent albums, and now boasts both a major-label deal and nationwide tours. The three men have made their mark with their unorthodox combination of two guitars and a bongo set, referred to sometimes as "folk-pop" and sometimes as downright unclassifiable. Many people (Tufts students not the least among them) have picked up Guster's latest CD, Lost and Gone Forever; but its uneven predecessor, Goldfly, doesn't resonate with the same consistent spirit. The band didn't begin there, however, and fans looking backwards shouldn't give up. Those let down by Goldfly should delve a little deeper and uncover the group's actual debut, Parachute. Guster recorded Parachute in 1994 when its members were still juniors at Tufts - rare copies of the CD bear the group's original name, Gus - and the strength and character of the music is surprising for the first recording from such a young band. The elements that have made the group so successful of late have been there all along. People unfamiliar with Guster might recognize only a few tracks, most notably "Mona Lisa" and "Happy Frappy," but the meat of the record shows just as much promise for the fledgling group. The trio's talent for catchy, climaxing choruses is evident already. "Window" expands from a simple guitar progression to strings, bongos, and a miniscule verse into the first cycle of a three-segment refrain that hits three different emotional levels in a row. "Scars and Stitches" skimps in similar fashion on the verse in favor of a climactic chorus that resounds like a solid pearl in a swirl of chaotic guitar and drums. Besides choruses, Guster also excels at kick-offs. There are some quick openers like the full-speed first-track start of "Fall In Two," but the best introductions come with the teases - the songs that build slowly and delay the vocals for up to half a minute or more, especially as seen in "Window," "Happy Frappy," and "Parachute." This same progression of a slow ramp up to the full tempo and intensity continues on later albums with tracks like "Airport Song," "Rainy Day," or "Fa Fa." If nothing else, Guster knows how to keep some of its thunder in reserve for later in the song. No matter how good the first chorus or the first minute or the first half of a song is, the best is always held for the end. The lyrics are simpler, shorter, and sometimes more awkward than the band's more recent writing, but Miller in particular throws forward enough drama and intensity in his singing to pack some serious emotional impact. The songs themselves are simpler and sparer - not unsurprising from a trio of college juniors - but the intelligent writing and impassioned performances more than make up for it. No amount of studio work or complicated rearrangements can replace the vigor of three college students in love with their music. Don't start thinking that things have gone downhill since Parachute, however: the band has evolved since 1994, even if the basic sound remains, and all of the changes improve on the original. Fans might be surprised at Parachute's stripped-down style. Most elements unique to Guster - especially the vocals and the percussion - sound familiar, but change is inevitable even over the five years between Parachute and the band's most recent record. Rosenworcel's percussion on Lost and Gone Forever, for example, transcends simple rhythm and provides the band's signature timbre. Parachute lacks the same intense popping of hands on bongos that makes more recent work like "I Spy" or Goldfly's "Airport Song" more engaging. Instead, Rosenworcel takes on a less audible role here - what some might consider a more traditional place for a drummer. Into that void come four guest kit drummers recruited for the record that dilute the sound. Moreover, the songwriting isn't impeccable. Some of the tracks - even the popular ones - drag, particularly "Eden" and "Dissolve," despite moments of catchiness. None of the songs are cheerless failures, but some are a bit slow in ensnaring your ear. Considering Guster's penchant for writing about love and suicide, it's unsurprising that some of the tracks sink emotionally, but without glimmers of brightness, it's hard to sell an audience on it. Not to worry, though. Those glimmers come often enough to buoy the entire disc's mood, even if the album lacks Lost and Gone Forever's near-impeccable construction. Newcomers beware, however: Lost and Gone Forever does a far better job of roping you in, and you're more likely to appreciate Parachute after immersing yourself in the band's more recent work. Guster fans, however, won't regret taking time to check out the group's origins, if they haven't bothered to do so already.

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News

China symposium focuses on security, student interaction

March 31

Scholars from China, Hong Kong, Boston, and New York arrived at Tufts this weekend to participate in this year's Tufts Institute of Leadership and International Perspective (TILIP) symposium on China: Dimensions of Security. The weekend featured discussions of military, economic, regional, environmental, and personal security, but program organizers said that the interaction fostered between students across cultural and international borders was more important. TILIP Director Sherman Teichman said he hoped the panels and the rest of the symposium would be more than a discussion. "This is a public intellectual forum, we hope," Teichman said. "We encourage a fluid and free exchange of ideas." Created in cooperation with Tufts, West Point, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University, and Peking University as an intensive bicultural program for undergraduate and graduate students, the symposium was the culmination of a long string of events for students who participated TILIP's 2001 Hong Kong intern program. The symposium included 11 consecutive panels over four days. Professor Zhu Feng, director of the International Security Program at the School of International Studies, Peking University, delivered a keynote address focusing on the momentum of change that has occurred in China over the last 30 years. Mentioning that US President George W. Bush will be visiting China this week - 30 years to the date that former President Richard M. Nixon visited the communist state - Feng discussed the fundamental differences between the two countries, including personal security, human rights, international cooperation, and modernization. "Whether the US is a friend of China or an enemy, there is no final answer," Feng said. Tufts students and visiting students from China and Hong Kong moderated the panels. The Chinese students participating in the symposium are members of the top five to ten percent of the 300,000 students in their senior class. They came to the program, which included a stopover in New York, after interning with the TILIP students last year. In Friday's keynote, panel speakers focused on strategic aspects of security. Much of the panel focused on new concepts of security. "There is a new concept of security since September, but which one is best for each country?" Professor Su Hao from Beijing asked. Professor Tu Weiming, a Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy and of Confucian studies at Harvard, said that though he is not an expert of security, he believes security will be based on a real understanding of domestic issues and world issues. "We see that China's ability to deal with internal issues is a key to its emergence in the world today," Weiming said, in reference to the way China should deal with differences of religion and ethnic minorities within the country. Also focusing on Bush's visit, Weiming said the Chinese infatuation with the West will play a large role in the modernization of China. Boston College professor Robert Ross, author of several books about Sino-American relations, focused on how China's attempts to deal with poverty, government legitimacy, and inequality place the country well above the modernization curve of other developing nations. "All countries, when they go through modernization, face the same problems and most countries don't make it," Ross said, citing Argentina and Indonesia as recent failures. Ross argued that the beginnings of a legal system in China are evidence that the country is achieving its objective to "keep the world at bay" so it can focus on its own domestic problems. "We will see a new legitimacy for Chinese leadership based on economic success with declining crime rates and corruption and some form of democracy, not like the American democracy," he said. West Point cadets joined the panels that focused on military security: a panel featured Col. Russ Howard, head of social sciences at the US Military Academy. Other panels, many of which featured Tufts professors, focused on human and labor rights, protection of the environment, government corruption, Taiwan, regional security, minorities in China, and the increasing economic gap. In the closing panel, entitled "China 2025/2050: Perspectives on the Future," experts attempted to predict where modernization will take the country - which contains more than one-sixth of the world's population. Citing China's increased world integration over the last 20 years and the extraordinary growth of the digital economy, Shahid Yusuf, a lead economist for the World Bank, said that the current trends in the country will bear greater significance in the future. "It is important for China to be integrating nationally as well as to be integrating with the world economy," Yusuf said. "Whether the course of globalization is smooth or bumpy will depend very substantially on what sorts of policies China pursues cooperatively with other countries. No one country can do it alone." Other panelists focused on demographics - particularly a shortage of women, the signing of international agreements, and the possible effects of the rise in HIV/AIDS. "In order for China to become a world class economy, the Chinese political system has to achieve a high standard of transparency and accountability," said Brandeis professor and World Bank consultant Gary Jefferson. Saying that modern evidence has shown this can only be achieved in a multi-party system, he noted that China has already surprised the world: "Then how is it that China has made such rapid growth?" The TILIP students, who chose the theme of the symposium last spring and selected the speakers, said the symposium exceeded their expectations. "It was outstanding because it really brought neglected issues to the forefront of campus," TILIP student Anoop Swaminath said. "I think it hit upon some issues that America has not in the midst of a war against Afghanistan." TILIP student and senior Anthony Wan agreed. "It went beyond my expectations with the prominent people we were able to bring and the wide variety of topics discussed," he said. Peking University junior Clark Feng, who is visiting the Medford campus for the program, said that the symposium was an opportunity he thinks he could not have had in China. "In China, even in Peking University, where the atmosphere is relatively free, the scholars may not be so candid," he said. "In China we have different access, but here we can listen to scholars from all over the world and broaden our aspects of our country and learn some different kinds of analysis." Saying that the symposium "fulfilled every scintilla" of his expectations, Teichman said he felt the students involved were extraordinary. "Watching the interaction between students from Beijing, Hong Kong, China, and West Point is a crucible of citizenship," he said. "They are making contacts for the future." Even panelists said this was one of the best symposiums they had ever participated in, particularly because of the student interaction. "Students from all these different places were asking all the hard questions," John F. Kennedy School of Government fellow William Overholt said. This year marked TILIP's fourth Sino-centric symposium and its 18th annual symposium. In recent years symposium themes have included Preparing the Next Generation: Global Leadership Across Cultures, Globalization and Modernization in China, and Globalization, and China: Challenging Cultural Boundaries.

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@title: Missing master key in Houston prompts replacement of all locks

March 31

Dormitory locks in Houston Hall were replaced last Friday by University Facilities after a master key was found missing from the security box near the building's entrance. The absence, while not officially considered a theft, is being investigated by the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD). The master key's disappearance was first noticed on Thursday by a trade supervisor investigating the security of rooftop access to Houston. The gray security box located near the door showed no signs of damage, so investigators believe the perpetrators likely had a copy of the key to open the outer box. Inside the box, master keys are held in locked "cores," which require a second key - known as a sequence key - to open. One of the cores is missing its keys and has a broken key lodged inside. According to TUPD Captain Mark Keith, all sequence keys issued to Facilities workers were accounted for. The broken key is most likely a copy of an original, he said.Facilities replaced all Houston locks and keys in response, including the sequence keys used by facilities workers. Students received notice of the change from flyers posted around the dorm on Thursday night. New keys were distributed when the locks were changed on Friday, either directly to residents who were home at the time or via a pickup table set up in the lobby from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Investigators are worried that the sequence key lodged inside the core might be from another dorm. They will also change all sequence key locks in other dorms as soon as possible. Houston residents say they experienced minimal inconvenience from the change. Freshman Alana van der Mude was in her room when the lock was changed. "It was a little crazy when [locksmiths] came barreling in," she said. "At first I was overwhelmed, but they were very polite." Houston resident James Gronek said he hardly noticed the change. "It was easy," he said. "I was out all day, then I came back and picked up my new key." A team of three people from a private lock company conducted the lock and key replacement, which was finished by late afternoon. Two people changed the locks while the third distributed new keys. Workers stated "security concerns" as the reason for the change, but rumors about forced entry circulated the dorm. "It was a little frightening," van der Mude said. Some believed a student had stolen the key to gain access to the roof, which students have sometimes used against University regulations. The master key did not unlock roof exits, Keith said. The security box master key system was installed in all dorms in 1993. Prior to the boxes, master keys were distributed directly to all Facilities workers. This is the first problem facilities has had with key security since the boxes were installed, Keith said. He expressed confidence in the key storage method. "You do one dorm and everything is secure," he said. "It's a much better system." The missing master key, which provided access to all rooms in Houston, will no longer work if found. There are currently no suspects in the case.

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News

Baseball sweeps Polar Bears

March 31

The baseball team swept a three-game series at Bowdoin this weekend, winning the opener on Friday and both games of a Saturday doubleheader. Although coach John Casey expected a challenge, the Polar Bears proved no competition for the Jumbos. With the victories - 14-2, 8-3, and 13-3 - Tufts vaulted past Trinity for first place in the NESCAC East. "We're obviously happy to take all three," senior tri-captain Dan Callahan said. "It was good that we didn't let up at all this weekend through all three." In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, pitching carried the Jumbos. Senior tri-captain Steve Lapham started the game and went four innings, giving up no earned runs. He did surrender six hits - and Bowdoin threatened to score on two separate occasions - leading coach Jon Casey to bring in sophomore pitcher Randy Newsom early.Newsom completed the final five innings, giving up only one earned run and three hits on the way to his third victory of the season. He lulled the Polar Bears to sleep, striking out nine batters. "However coach wants to use me is fine," Newsom said of coming out of the bullpen. "We have three great starters in Lapham, Martin and Lee, if coach wants to use me like that in league games, that's perfect for me." Freshman catcher Bob Kenny and sophomore left fielder Greg Hickey each had three hits, with two doubles apiece. Kenny and junior tri-captain Evan Zupancic hit homeruns. Senior first baseman Tim Ayres went 2-4 with a double en route to a three-RBI day. Zupancic accounted for the team's other two RBIs. In the first game of Saturday's double-header, junior Jon Lee demonstrated why he earned last season's NESCAC pitcher of the year title. Lee pitched all seven innings of the game, giving up nine hits to match his nine strikeouts. All three runs scored were earned, lowering his ERA to 4.57. The win pushed his record to 3-1 on the season. The Jumbos got the spark they needed from the top of the lineup in this game, with Zupancic and designated hitter Jon Herbert each going 3-5 from the number one and two slots in the lineup. Zupancic smacked another homerun and had two RBI, while Herbert scored two runs. Callahan tallied two hits to go along with three RBI and sophomore left fielder Drew Blewett went 2-4, scoring two runs.The Jumbos never trailed, as they broke the scoreless tie in the third inning with two runs. The squad continued its run surge, scoring three in the fourth and two in the seventh. The team scored eight runs, but had the potential to do even more damage as they left ten runners stranded on base for the game.In Friday's game, junior pitcher Dave Martin continued his unbeaten ways, pushing his record to 4-0. Martin tossed eight innings, giving up four hits and one earned run while striking out three. Martin's ERA was already so low that the game actually served to increase it from 0.30 to 0.46 - which leads both the team and the nation. Zupancic had the hot bat on Friday as he hit his fifth homerun and stroked two doubles on the day. After the weekend, the tri-captain had seven home runs on the season. Also contributing from the outfield was Blewett, who went 4-6, scoring two runs. Sophomore third basemen Adam Kacamburas also had a big day at the plate, going 3-6 with three RBIs. "A lot of guys are stepping up, Adam Kacamburas has been hitting the ball the whole year, Evan has been on fire lately," Newsom said. "Drew Blewett and Bob Kenny had great weekends."Although the game ended with a convincing 10-run victory, it was not always in hand for the Jumbos. Tufts was down 3-0 to the Polar Bears through four innings, before the squad came through with 13 unanswered runs. The Jumbos scored two runs in the top of the fifth, five runs in the seventh, and six in the eighth. "Well I think that is part of developing throughout the season, no matter what the score, anytime in the game, we know we have to answer," Callahan said of being down 0-3 in the fourth inning. "We knew we had to respond to their runs and ended up beating them pretty handily." It was gratifying for the team to remain undefeated in conference, but the larger challenge arrives this weekend. The second-place Trinity Bantams will play the Jumbos in Medford, with the winner of the series likely to clinch first place in the division as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Newsom said the Bowdoin sweep was important, but Trinity is even more crucial. "This is going to be a very pivotal weekend in deciding how the NESCAC tournament looks for us," he said. "We want to win all our league games, but we also have even more incentive because we want to have the NESCAC tournament at home."

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News

@headine:Gubernatorial candidate, ex-labor secretary to rally at Tufts tonight

March 31

Emphasizing the role students can play in Massachusetts politics, gubernatorial candidate and Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich will try to spur students to action before he addresses professor Michael Goldman's "Media after 9/11" class at 5 p.m. tonight. His presentation, to take place in Braker 001, follows his decision last week to enter the race for Massachusetts governor on the Democratic ticket.The visit was organized by Goldman, who serves as a political consultant to the candidate. Reich, who is also an economics professor at Brandeis, will speak about the pre-Sept. 11 media to Goldman's "Media after 9/11" class after addressing the larger community at the rally. The Rhodes Scholar will draw upon his experiences in the Clinton cabinet in explaining his plans to reinvigorate Massachusetts's sagging economy. In addition to economic recovery, Reich intends to promote his vision of ending corruption in state government. He will also outline plans to improve the state's education and healthcare systems. According to Goldman, many out-of-state college students do not realize the impact state policies have on them. Part of Reich's strategy has been to visit area universities and encourage students to register to vote in Massachusetts. Reich will address the shortcomings of current Governor Jane Swift's administration. From the Massport scandal to poor economic performance to Mass Pike firings, there has been no shortage of controversy during her tenure. Swift served at Lieutenant Governor under Paul Cellucci, who was recently called to serve as ambassador to Canada. Reich's entrance into what The Boston Herald called the "ultimate blood sport" has been applauded by various newspapers and public figures across the state. Even the traditionally conservative-friendly Herald said the "smart, committed, and decent" candidate would sharpen the election's focus on issues and debates and serve to improve the elections. "He's coming to Tufts to rally support for his cause and get students behind him," Goldman said. Reich is one of six democratic candidates vying for the democratic nomination, and his late bid has caused some to wonder if he can garner the required minimum 15 percent of the votes during the June convention. Though many, including the Globe and the Herald, have criticized such rules imposed by the Democratic party as an unfair limitation on legitimate candidates, Reich is confident that he will be able to get the support by June. "He was one of the best and most covered cabinet secretaries during the Clinton administration," Goldman said.Emily Chasan contributed to this article.

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News

Two French profs awarded prestigious NEH Fellowships

March 31

In what it called a "highly unusual" move, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded coveted fellowships to two Tufts professors from the same department. French literature specialists Gerard Gasarian and Isabelle Naginski from the department of romance languages both received $40,000 fellowship awards for 2002-2003. "They happen to be both qualified and their work is of a very important nature," NEH media relations spokesman Jim Turner said, adding that the fellowships program is "the NEH's most competitive program - very, very, very competitive." This year, 1260 people applied for 174 fellowships. MIT and the Universities of Massachusetts - at both Amherst and Boston - also had two professors receive grants this year, and three Harvard professors received fellowships, though no two were from the same academic department. An NEH grant can be used over the course of an academic year, which is generally about nine months. In some cases, professors will receive financial supplements from their universities so that they can perform research on their regular salary. Naginski, associate professor and chair of the department of romance languages, received a fellowship for research on the topic "George Sand: Mythographer for the Romantic Age." She specializes in 19th century French prose, Franco-Russian literary relations, and women writers. She received her first NEH grant in 1987. The professor plans use the next year to produce her second book on George Sand, following the first, entitled George Sand: Writing for Her Life. "People know about [Sand]," Naginski said. "She dressed as a man, smoked cigars, and had famous lovers... she is infamous but her works are not famous." During her lifetime, Sand wrote over 90 novels, and also produced books of criticism, plays, and autobiographical works." Naginski said her second book would be more thematically oriented than the first. "I'm going to focus on how [Sand] tried to find myths to recreate a civil society after the French revolution. Sand thinks novels can change the world," Naginski said. "They can create new social models, new relationships between the sexes, and reconciliation between the classes." Naginski will primarily work out of her home in Concord and will use Harvard's Widener Library and Yale's Sterling Library. "My research feeds into my teaching," Naginski said. She has taught a George Sand seminar in the past, and would like to return to Tufts in the fall of 2003 to lead another. She also hopes to teach a research seminar on 19th-century French literature, based on the University's new French acquisitions. This spring Naginski will conclude her sixth year as chair of the department of romance languages, a job she describes as "a very, very huge task." Her successor has not yet been chosen. Gasarian, an associate professor, received an NEH fellowship for his topic "The Forbidden Love of Words in Modern French Poetry." Also a second-time grant recipient, he specializes in 19th and 20th century poetry. With his first grant in 1995, Gasarian produced a book entitled De loin tendrement: Etude sur Baudelaire. This was the first year that he was again eligible to apply, since five years must elapse between fellowships. Gasarian plans to use his newly awarded fellowship to explore modern poets' relationship to words. "My intuition is that in the Western literary tradition most poets don't feel comfortable admitting that they are attracted to words," Gasarian said. Ever since the time of Plato, Gasarian said, "We put substance over structure, content over form, and ideas over words... there are movements where poets come out and say, 'I love beauty for beauty's sake and art for art's sake,' but these movements are usually seen as a selfish indulgence." He said that the socially acceptable reason for writing is "not because you love words, but because you have a passion for issues and ideas, or you need to express emotions," He would like to "show that the tendency to suppress one's attraction to words doesn't disappear, it reemerges in an indirect fashion ... it returns in the guise of words of love, which express a suppressed love of words." Gasarian described the NEH fellowship as "an honor, but also extremely fruitful on the material level because it allows you to produce a book." He said that a fellowship also improves his teaching. Naginski said the two NEH fellowships should be "good for the department. We are often seen as difficult and complicated. Now at least it will be known that we do serious research." French professors Vincent Pollina and Brigitte Lane have also received NEH fellowships past years. The NEH is an independent federal agency that awards grants to support research in the humanities. The fund distributes more money for humanities programs than any other organization in the United States.

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