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WMFO reveals Fall lineup

August 31

Curtis Hall houses more than our own Daily offices and Brown and Brew. That mysterious door right outside of our beloved coffee house holds in it WMFO, a radio station featuring both Tufts and community DJs. Tune in to 91.5 on the FM band this fall, and here's a sampling of the artists you'll hear. Stay tuned in the following week for an in-depth look at the various shows and DJs WFMO has to offer.Sunday5a.m. - 8a.m.: "Sounds of Praise" - Darnley Brown8a.m. - 10a.m.: "Turn Table Noir" - Jason Murphy10a.m. - 12p.m.: "The Hedgehog's Dilemma" - Jennifer Sekelsky12p.m. - 3p.m.: "Morning After Blues" - John Morrison3p.m. - 5p.m.: "Living In America" - Eric Bove5p.m. - 6p.m.: "Forever Nameless" - Linda Roos 6p.m. - 7p.m.: "Rare Form" - Omar Ellis7p.m. - 9p.m.: "Anba Tonel Lakay" - Yvon Lamour, Jean Boisrond9p.m. - 10:30p.m.: "Self Confessed" - Seth Liff 10:30p.m. - 12a.m.: "That's My Word" - Stefan Marolachakis, Ben Smith12a.m. - 2a.m.: "Girls! Girls! Girls!" - Vanessa Dillen Monday5a.m. - 8a.m.: "Sounds of Praise" - Darnley Brown 8a.m. - 11a.m.: "Celtic Dawn" - Laura Davidson3p.m. - 5p.m.: TBA - Natasha Agrawal5p.m. - 6p.m.: "Between The Worlds" - Joann Keesey; "Everyday People" - Dan Zevin6p.m. - 7p.m.: "Pussy Galore" - Bambi, Bubbles and Candi7p.m. - 8p.m.: "All Things Virtuous" - Christine Moon8p.m. - 9p.m.: "Hardcore Heroes" - Mike Bright & Sabih Mir9p.m. - 11p.m.: "Can You Dig It?" - Johnny Marquis, Ammon Embry-Perline 11p.m. - 12a.m.: "Hippo Pota Muse" - Adam Scotto12a.m. - 2a.m.: "Arsenal" - Matt Isles, Robert QuintilianiTuesday6a.m. - 8a.m.: 10a.m. - 12p.m.: "The Pinwheels of Your Mind" - Dan Morley12p.m. - 2p.m.: "Strike The Box" - Chris Major2p.m. - 4p.m.: "Words + Music" - Leslie Lombino4p.m. - 6p.m.: "Shabooya Roll Call" - Fraser Ireland6p.m. - 7p.m.: "A-K-eh?" - Azadeh Masalehdan7p.m. - 8p.m.: "The Roadhouse" - Laura Foley8p.m. - 9p.m.: "In Public" - Michael Larson9p.m. - 10p.m.: "Weird Stuff Cheap" - Doug Perlo10p.m. - 11:30p.m.: "?GoDaM! Governed By Electronics" - Randolph Williams11:30p.m. - 12:30a.m.: TBA - Sarah Babineau12:30a.m. - 2a.m.: "Real Radio" - David Thacker, Sara Magenheimer Wednesday7a.m. - 8a.m.: News and Public Affairs8a.m. - 9a.m.: "Alternative Radio" - Martin Voelker9a.m. - 1p.m.: "Promethean Commentary Plus Jazz" - Hank Faunce 5p.m. - 6:30p.m.: "Old Fart At Play" - Drugless Douglas6:30p.m. - 7:30p.m.: "The Voicemobile" - Joyce The Voice7:30p.m. - 9p.m.: "The Popychulo Show" - Jay Kahn9p.m. - 12a.m.: "On The Town With Mikey Dee"12a.m. - 2a.m.: "Canada Is Taken" - Rich Sullivan, Alex Reeves2a.m. - 4a.m.: "Objects In Mirror" - Josh GrimThursday7a.m. - 8a.m.: News and Public Affairs8a.m. - 9a.m.: "No-U-Turn Radio" - Martin Voelker9a.m. - 1p.m.: "Promethean Commentary Plus Jazz" - Hank Faunce3p.m. - 5p.m.: "The Tip" - Steve Almond 5p.m. - 7p.m.: "Submit To The Sound!" - Tatyana Varshausky7p.m. - 7:30p.m.: "Fact And Foley"7:30p.m. - 8p.m.: "This Week In Radio"8p.m. - 10p.m.: "The Rac"10p.m. - 11p.m.: "Meltdown" - Ben Epstein11p.m. - 12a.m.: "You've Been Warned" - Steve, Joey and Joel12a.m. - 1a.m.: "Soapy Beats" - Chris Soper1a.m. - 2:30a.m.: "Pocari Sweat" - Trailer TrashFriday8:30a.m. - 10:30a.m.: "The Pregame" - Jordan Kolasinski10:30a.m. - 1p.m.: "Two Hours Is A Tease" - Joel Simches1p.m. - 3p.m.: "Drop Bass" - Eli Levin-Goldstein3p.m. - 5p.m.: "BINGO" - Laurie McKenna, Steve Harnish; "Dream Date with Togna"5p.m. - 6:30p.m.: "Intellectuals Meet With Other Intellectuals" - Brian Powers & Togna6:30p.m. - 8p.m.: "Nouvelle Vague" - Mona Masghati8p.m. - 10p.m.: "Stab It N' Steer" - Akira Kamiya; "SuperSonic Avengers" - Rich & Shawn Morrissey10p.m. - 12a.m.: "Underground Connect" - Chris Bergevin12a.m. - 1:30a.m.: "The Feelbox" - Nick Kapura1:30a.m. - 3a.m.: "Galactic Fractures" - PJ GraySaturday6a.m. - 9a.m.: Coffee 'N' SmokesAlex Piandes

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News

An unfamiliar fear

August 31

It has been many years since the Tufts campus experienced a crime as shocking as yesterday's armed robbery in South Hall. Two individuals, most likely not students, were given access to the dorm by their victims and left with $1,800 in valuables. There were no injuries, but the case nonetheless demands an extensive investigation to assure students, and their parents, that the campus is safe. Swift and coordinated police action by the Tufts University Police Department and the Somerville Police Department would send the clear message that crimes of this nature will not be treated with Res Life leniency. The investigation will not be easy. There was an inexplicable 40-minute delay between the crime and the call to the police, and though the perpetrators called their victims from a blue-light phone prior to the robbery, the victims said could not identify the suspects. The police are correctly focusing on the delay, but are aware that the students could have acted out of fear, or a desire to collect themselves before facing the authorities. Before focusing the investigation on forensic evidence, however, the police should work to clarify the mysterious relationship between the victims and perpetrators. In the aftermath of a crime, there is an alarmist tendency to institute heightened security measures and the University police are justified in defending the status of campus safety. Many schools, primarily, though not exclusively, in urban environments, place security guards in dorm lobbies and implement strict policies concerning guests. Tufts, however, has an excellent campus safety record, and the addition of security guards to dorms would be an inappropriate response to a random criminal act, which was startling because of the rarity of crime in the sleepy suburbs of Medford and Somerville. While students should not be overly shaken by yesterday's crime, they should realize Tufts is not completely immune from criminal activity. Each semester, there are a handful of incidents of petty theft and assaults between students and members of the surrounding community. Students are justified to take precautions to keep their neighbors and belongings safe, but the student body should not fall victim to paranoia or exaggerate the dangers of life on campus.

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News

Women's crew prepare for Head of Charles

August 31

With the Head of the Charles Regatta a week away, the women's crew team traveled to Hooksett, NH to test the water against local clubs before stepping into the national arena. Tufts' two varsity boats finished tenth and 13th out of a 21-team field in the varsity Open Eight, while the novice team placed sixth in a field of 28 teams. A rarity occurred in NH Championship Regatta last weekend when the B boat finished ahead of the A boat. But coach Jess Normand was not too surprised, since the two boats were set evenly, and the rowers were placed so that the boats would finish closer together. "People were set in different places in the boat," senior Marcy Archfield said. "And that takes a little bit of getting used to." Though the results don't indicate a successful race, many in the boat felt that weeks of hard work are paying off. "It's taken time, but every week and every practice we improve as a boat," Archfield said. "We're still working on ratio issues and not rushing the slide, but we've really come together in terms of controlling the swing of the boat." The B team crossed the finish line in tenth with a time of 17:42.95, while the A team was three spots back at 17:50.76. A goal of the race was to cut the gap between the Jumbos and Holy Cross, a team that was victorious at the Head of the Connecticut two weeks ago. The B squad accomplished this task, finishing five seconds behind the Holy Cross B boat. In the Women's Eights novice race, the Jumbos finished in a time of 18:23.74, good for sixth place. The only other college that finished above Tufts was Colby in secnd place, as the rest of the teams were competitive high school squads. "The loss to Colby was disappointing," Normand said. The coach hopes her novice team can regain the form which won two previous races. Overall, Normand believed that the boats flowed well together and rowed effectively. The A boat had some problems with continuity, in that there was a lack of flow between the bow four and stern four that gave the crew an appearance of two separate boats of four rowers at times. This is something the team looks to work on as the season progresses. "We've gotten more aggressive, but we need to be even more so," Normand said. "You can't be aggressive without consistency, so we're looking for consistency and continuity in the boat." Some of the lack of flow was due people adjusting new boat positions for the NH Regatta. The flow and timing should only get better as each rower becomes comfortable in her new place in the boat. The teams also want to maintain a consistent effort throughout the entire race. In the upcoming Head of the Charles Regatta, the crew team will compete against both teams in its division and the best in the world. The B boat that raced in NH will be entered in the lightweight division, while the A boat will be entered in the heavyweight division. "We're looking to see how we stack up pre-season," Normand said. "The lightweight boat will look out for CRI, Riverside, and Radcliffe, while the heavyweight boat will chase after BC, Holy Cross and Wesleyan. I'll be interested to see how we place against Wesleyan, they're a big rival." Facing squads like the US National team and hundreds of others from around the world, the Jumbos will be spectators as much as participants. For many sophomores who moved up to the varsity level this year, it will be their first time experiencing the famous regatta. "It's amazing to think that we'll race alongside the best in the world," sophomore Sandra Goldberg said, echoing the sentiments of her classmates. "It's really beautiful to watch some of these boats race, they make it look so effortless as they combine speed and power with grace. We're all looking to have a good race and see how much the hard work we've put in will pay off." Most of the technique and aggressiveness issues that cropped up in the beginning of the season have been resolved, and some of the boats look to improve upon their timing in the week leading up to the Head of the Charles. For some, it will be their first time experiencing the thrill of such a premier regatta, and for others it will be their last, but all are eagerly anticipating what might be the biggest rowing event in the world. At the 37th annual Head of the Charles, spectators have a chance to witness world class boats but support Tufts at the same time. The world-famous Regatta begins at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and concludes on Sunday at 4 p.m.

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News

Dave Attell to headline Fall Comedy Show.

August 31

Comedy Central's Dave Attell will headline this year's Fall Comedy Show, Entertainment Board co-chairs Anna Sommer and Kelly Wisnewski announced yesterday. Attell is known both for his work as a stand-up comic and for his Comedy Central series, Insomniac. He will appear in Cohen Auditorium on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 15. "It was a board decision," Wisnewski said. "We took into account a number of suggestions from the members of the board, and he was the number one choice" Entertainment Board is still in negotiations to determine who will open the show. In addition to his stand-up performance, there may be other aspects to Attell's visit. Wisnewski said that a Comedy Central camera crew will be on hand to film his performance. However, she pointed out that "it's as yet to be determined if he's going to do his Insomniac stuff...on campus." On Insomniac, Attell takes to the streets of various cities after dark, videotaping his discoveries. Tickets for the Fall Comedy Show go on sale Thursday morning at the Cohen box office. Each ticket costs $3 with a Tufts ID, and there is no limit to the number one can purchase.

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News

Freshmen take over the Arena

August 31

In a director's worst nightmare, the producer drops out due to an ulcer, so the director designs the poster, but when the poster is taken to Staples to be copied the building catches fire, and a month before the show the performance date is moved up a week. In reality, director Taylor Shann believes that despite all these disruptions, the 3Ps' all-freshman production of Christopher Durang's The Marriage of Bette and Boo "will be a success." Aside from these unforeseeable obstacles, the Freshman Show presents a considerable challenge to its director because the entire cast and crew consists of first-year students. "It's tough," Shann said. "You're dealing with people who are learning their jobs." The cast has had about two months to prepare for this weekend's performances. Despite the large cast, problems with a myriad of schedules, and first-year anxieties - not to mention all the other calamities - the show has still evolved. Shann asserts that, in his experience, once the actors walk on stage with the lights and the technical cues, everything "magically" comes together. This mystery of the theater will have to work wonders, because the play had yet to undergo a dress rehearsal until two nights before its opening. From beginning to end, the show has suffered from the lack of a consistent rehearsal space. Three nights before the production, the actors performed a haphazard run-through in the Remis Sculpture Court, an alternate space, and more importantly, not the real stage. The cast, however, has united in the face of adversity. According to actor Andy Churella, they have even met on their own for extra rehearsals outside of the scheduled times. Clearly, the production has had some chaotic moments. And fittingly, Christopher Durang's script speaks to the chaos inherent not only in the acting world but in the real world as well. His autobiographical story revolves around the history of Bette and Boo from the viewpoint of their son Matt. Essentially, Matt is trying to make sense of the senselessness that defined his family and his childhood - perhaps an impossible task, as his relatives never attain sanity even as they grow older. Shann, who has also taken on the roles of sound designer and producer in previous productions, chose the play because of its sincerity - even though it becomes surreal at times. "When depicting family troubles, most stories are either funny like National Lampoon's [films] or dramatic like Death of a Salesman," Shann said. "This play included both comedy and tragedy, making it more honest." In the words of actor Armen Nercessian, "It's a fun show to be in, and hopefully it will be funny." The play purposely utilizes this duality of comedy and tragedy to get a varied reaction from the audience, although the two sometimes overlap. Everyone who sees this show will laugh and take offense at different times, but this will abide by Durang's intention in writing the piece. Knowing this, the actors have delved into their roles with great enthusiasm. They were aided by the author's notes provided in the end of the script, which expound how the root of each character. Additionally, Shann required his actors to meet with him for a pre-rehearsal chat to discuss their respective characters. He adopted this straight-forward directorial approach from his past theatrical experiences. Churella, playing the part of Matt's father Boo, appreciated Shann's direct style of directing. "I tell people when I want something different and when they are doing fine," Shann explained. According to Churella, he was able to find the role with ease even though his character "is kind of a weak person and an alcoholic." Playing opposite him, Emily Rufo plays Boo's wife Bette. "I was a little overwhelmed at first," she admitted. "In high school, people only came to cheer for their friends, but in college, people actually care about the quality of the production." As for her character: "She's an idealist - everything you're not supposed to be when you have problems." Bette cannot have children but insists on getting pregnant and then goes through several still-births. Rufo managed to find her character through rehearsal and with the director's help. Matt Nathanson, keeping his own name in the role of Matt, had some difficulty finding his character because it was his first serious role. Matt serves as the play's only sane character. "I think his struggle in some way is our own - to [try to] make sense of our seemingly random lives and to, ultimately, fail to do so," Nathanson said. Here, he has captured the essence of his character and of the play itself. Many other peculiar characters make up Matt's very odd family, but one of the most distinctive would be Father Donnally (Nercessian). "My character cared about religion once," Nercessian explained, "but now sees it as an arbitrary set of laws and doesn't want to be bothered by other people's problems." His absolutely apathetic attitudes towards both religion and people's attempts to find their faith through him provide some of the funniest moments of the play, and the actor plays it up perfectly. While the actors obviously perform when the lights go on, Shann has put forward more than the normal effort in creating the final product. Becoming more of the show's overall coordinator than simply director, he has undertaken more than most in his directorial debut. As a member of last year's freshman show, he wanted to get more people involved in the show and, through it, in the drama department. Part of the difficulty in working with first-year students has been variance in student's workloads. "Some overdo it and some underdo it," Shann said. "Scheduling [rehearsals] has been a trip." As for his directorial style, he draws upon his "first love" - film. When looking at a scene, he asks, "How can light and sound affect this?" This production is supported by loads of supplanted music, carefully picked by Shann himself. Shann has poured more than the usual amount of energy into the show, and the freshman cast has put forth its all. Through a combination of skilled acting, inspired directing, and a little bit of that old theater magic, the performance will shine without the audience ever suspecting the smallest turbulence in the rehearsal process.The 3Ps' production of The Marriage of Bette and Boo will run in the Balch Arena Theater at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1. Admission is free.

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News

Wake up and smell the coffee

August 31

Coffee. Some drink it for the taste, some to be chic, and many because it helps you stay awake to finish that ten page paper due the next day. Regardless of your reason, in Davis Square, there is good coffee to be consumed. The three coffee shops in Davis - Diesel Caf?©, Someday Caf?©, and Starbucks - can all soothe that coffee craving. But depending on what else you're looking for in your coffee experience (and for many, getting coffee is an "experience" consisting of hours of conversation, dashes of intellectualism, a place to study), you should think long and hard before deciding where you'll purchase that extra tall super mocha supreme-accino with two percent milk and an extra shot of espresso. So, where should you go? A breakdown of what each coffeehouse has to offer will help you make up your mind:Selection Starbucks and Someday Caf?© are both primarily coffee shops; each only offers various pastries in the way of food. Starbucks has a greater selection, but Diesel Caf?© wins over both with sandwiches, ice cream, salads, and more. However if it's coffee you're looking for, Starbucks has the most variety of beverage types, with Frappuccinos, iced beverages, and blended brews to choose from. If you're looking for unique taste, Someday Caf?©, while sticking primarily to regular, hot coffee, has many more flavors than Starbucks or Diesel. Someday Caf?© is also the only shop which primarily serves its coffee in actual mugs, making it more desirable for in-shop coffee drinking.Quality Starbucks' coffee seems to be a bit richer than Someday Caf?©'s, making it difficult to finish a whole cup because it's so sweet and filling. If yummy coffee is what you want, Starbucks seems to outshine the others. Yet Diesel Caf?© wins in the food department again, because its food seems to be fresher than Starbucks', whose pastries are sometimes on the stale side.Price The prices for a small mocha and latte were about the same at both Someday Caf?© and Starbucks ($2.50 and $2.55, respectively). The price for food at Starbucks is a bit steep, with an average of $2-3 for a pastry. Diesel Caf?©'s ice cream products are pretty steep - for example, a frappe costs around $4. While none of these places are very cheap, Someday Caf?© seems to be the most cost-friendly, especially because there are no piles of scones waiting to tempt you to pay that extra three dollars.Facilities For many, the decisive factor in choosing a coffee destination is the atmosphere. All of the shops have their own distinctive, fun style. Starbucks has the universal Starbucks' look - large, colorful furniture with jazzy music playing softly in the background, fun for chatting with friends. However, the clutter of the excessive (yet quality) merchandise, as well as the fact that there is rarely an empty seat or table in the place, prevents Starbucks from being a true standout. Someday Caf?© has a random assortment of old and new furniture, creating an ideal coffee atmosphere for some. Loud music, from reggae to progressive rock, creates a lively atmosphere within the shop. Diesel Caf?© has uniform metal (but cushioned) chairs and standard round tables, encouraging a more "in and out" stop for customers (although it has a pool table, and like Someday Caf?©, board games available for customers to play). For the real "coffeeshop" experience, Someday Caf?© seems to edge out the competition.Speed All three stores are quick and efficient, as they promptly deliver your order. Starbucks has the best setup in terms of organization - with one person consistently taking your order behind a cash register - while Someday Caf?© and Diesel have a more haphazard form of service. For no-nonsense service when you're in a hurry, Starbucks is your best bet.Location All three shops are located in Davis Square and are fairly close to the center of the area. Diesel Caf?© and Starbucks are actually right across the street from one another. If you want to get technical, Someday Caf?© is the closest of the three to Tufts, located right next to Somerville Theatre, while the other two are farther down that same street.Hours Starbucks: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 6:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Friday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday; 7 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sunday Diesel Caf?©: 7 a.m. - Midnight, Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. - 1 a.m., Friday; 8 a.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday; 8 a.m. - Midnight, Sunday Someday Caf?©: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. - Midnight, Friday; 8 a.m. - Midnight, Saturday; 8 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sunday Starbucks beats out the other two by 30 minutes during weekdays and an hour during weekends for opening times, but it lags behind the other two for closing hours. Since most Tufts students are prone to late nights rather than early mornings, this Starbucks advantage does not apply to them. Diesel Caf?© edges out Someday Caf?© for late night hours, making it the victor in this category. Which, you ask, is the best? As I said, it depends on what you're looking for. Category-wise, Someday Caf?© wins, with Diesel Caf?© coming in second, and Starbucks finishing third. But there are people who each prefer a different one, so again, it's a matter of taste. Overall, Someday Caf?© is the best place to relax and enjoy someone's company over a good cup of coffee.

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News

Women's volleyball at 14-7 after tough weekend

August 31

The volleyball team faced tough competitors last week and now stand at 14-7 after the weekend's matches. Exhibiting only mediocre performances, the Jumbos won two out of its three NESCAC matches and two of four overall. With 13 more games to play, the squad is ranked sixth in New England and third in NESCAC behind Amherst and Wesleyan. The Jumbos began the weekend on a dismal note, dropping three sets to Wellesley on Thursday - their first home loss in almost a full year. "We wanted to go undefeated at home this year," Coach Kris Talon said. "But unfortunately with [this] loss that won't happen. Wellesley was a good team. They went to their outsides and they also had a big middle hitter." With sophomore Lindsay Moses still struggling with her setting, Coach Talon allowed freshman Rebecca Schaevitz to set the entire match. Although setting is not the team's strong suit, it manages to compensate through its offense defense. Senior co-captain Jess Stewart was again leader of the court, with 12 kills and 13 digs. Sophomore Amy Cronin led the team in blocks with two as well as an attacking percentage of .636. Cronin, who nailed seven kills, did so without causing a single attacking error, which marked her first flawless attacking game of the season. The Jumbos rebounded against Bowdoin on Friday, winning its first match against the Polar Bears (3-0) and beating the home team (28-30, 21-30, 17-30). Bowdoin was a powerless competitor against the Jumbos, posting only a 6-13 record. "They were a weak team," Coach Talon said. "They won't even make the NESCAC championship. This gave us a chance to allow everyone to play. We were mixing and matching the line-up." Stewart, who is ranked second in the NESCAC for overall kills and seventh for kills per game, led the Tufts offense with 10 kills. The match's defense, however, was led by freshman Emily Macy who dominated the defense with nine digs. Macy is also in ranked among the top ten of NESCAC - second in total digs and eighth in digs per game. The team's turnaround play continued into Saturday with a tough win against Bates, who entering the match was ranked seventh in New England. Tufts defeated Bates in five tough games (30-19, 21-30, 30-21, 27-30, 15-10). The first three games were blowouts and Tufts could have won it in four, but unfortunately, the Jumbos allowed the Bobcats to close in and take the game, which forced the teams into that fifth game. In outside hitting, Stewart averaged 4.4 kills per game with a .380 hitting percentage and led the team with 22 kills and 18 digs. "We were really talking on the court," freshman Carie Fowler said. "Our energy was up and focused. We played our game. Jess [Stewart] had an amazing amount of kills. Jess and [Emily] Macy were really key hitters in our win." The Jumbos strong performance had withered away by Saturday evening, as they lost five matches to Colby. The Brown and Blue were not on the winning side of match and took the loss (30-26, 15-30, 23-30, 30-25, 9-15). "This match was similar to Bowdoin," Coach Talon said. "We had a huge lead in game one and we choked it away. We are playing better as a team, but if we want to win we cannot have Jess [Stewart] making ten hitting errors." Setter Moses uttered the same feeling as Coach Talon. "[We] didn't get it done," Moses said. "We had the game and we didn't follow through." The duo of Stewart and Macy combined again in the match combining for 37 of the teams 60 kills and also 35 percent of the team's digs. One or two players, however, did not dominate the defense. The squad had six members tallying over 12 digs in the match. Tonight, at 7 p.m. the Jumbos travel to take on Clark, a non-NESCAC competitor, and looks for a chance to improve on their play.

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News

MFA gives women artists a studio of their own

August 31

As students around Boston begin their fall semesters, a new exhibition from the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) serves to inspire, provoke, and encourage the continuing local tradition of women in the arts.A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940, the MFA's latest major exhibition, is dedicated exclusively to the work of local female artists of varied media. The featured time period saw the openings of both the MFA and the Museum School's (SMFA). The former's launch of the 1887 The Work of Women Etchers of America exhibit was the first of its kind in America, and established the foundation for a lasting relationship between female artists and the MFA. The era also saw the easing of social restrictions on artistic training for women. While it was previously considered improper for women to practice life derivative techniques, female artists of the era were permitted or encouraged to pursue education in art. The exhibition's many portraits and objects allude to these constraints and inequities in their obvious foreign influences. "Roses-Souvenir de Viller le bel," a small oil on panel painting by Sarah Wyman Whitman, is one of the first to greet visitors in the gallery. With her strikingly modernist palate, the painting reveals the French influences the artist gained while training abroad. Paris also provided critical opportunities for the portrait painter Lois Mailou Jones, whose "Portrait of Hudson" (1932) showcases her technical mastery. Jones thus became known as one of the most prominent black women artists of her day.A Studio of Her Own endeavors to present a diverse picture through the collected objects and their respective creators. Two plaster casts - "Bust of a Woman" (1913), and "Head of a Man" (1913), by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (both partial casts for the larger "Emancipation") - provide a rare example of a black woman's work which is on permanent display in Boston. Finally cast last year, "Emancipation" now stands in Harriet Tubman Square in Boston's South End. Anna Vaughn Hyatt, whose portrait by Marion Boyd Allen hangs in view at the exhibition's entrance, is another of this small community. Her "Joan of Arc" (1915-1918) was commissioned for a Gloucester World War I memorial, a miniature of which she is seen at work on in Allen's painting. The painting and the smaller of Hyatt's sculptures, "Reaching Jaguar" (1906), illustrate the artist's concentration and expertise. This smaller work appears compositionally radical in comparison to the larger, more traditional "Emancipation." Known for her expertise in the rendering of animals, Hyatt captures the movement of the jaguar in a manner achievable only through hours of careful observation. The photographs of Mary Devens and Sarah Choate Sears also display this meticulousness, though they differ greatly in other respects. With her "Charcoal Effect (Portrait of Charles Hopkinson)" (1900), Devens celebrates the artist's hand in its "hand drawn" aesthetic. Conversely, Sears employs stark contrast in her series of portraits, primarily of children. Their innovations of photographic processes during the medium's infancy display the technical mastery and daring break with tradition that attracted the attention of renowned photographer Alfred Steiglitz. Especially in light of their vast differences, that the work of these two artists was recognized in New York again exemplifies the proliferation of artwork by women in Boston during this era. The show is dominated by paintings, however, featuring artists such as Polly (Ethel R.) Thager, Ellen Day Hale, and Gertrude Fiske. Female painters in Boston were instrumental in the establishment of tradition and the cultivation of the "Boston School" of art. This school subscribed to elegance, propriety, and refinement with a minimum of social commentaries or political content. This school of painting, which focused on domestic still-life paintings and portraits, used extensive color and, similar to the Dutch interior painters, often enshrouded the painting's subject in the bright light of a window. Even those women who defied the conventions of the school, however, still left lingering remnants of this training in their work. Although for some painters, succeeding within the conservatism of the era was the main key to the advancement of women in the Boston artistic community, the work of Gertrude Fiske insists otherwise. Her brilliant colors and images of powerful, self assured women decidedly break from social conventions - they are pictured without children, and on a formal level. Of her most unusual paintings, "Revere Beach, Winter" (1930) captures the desolate, surreal landscape of the abandoned amusement park during its off-season. The imagery is stark and foreboding, and captures the eerie carnavalesque aesthetic usually associated with more contemporary work. "The Window" (1916), also creates a similar feeling of isolation and desolation despite its images of figures in a room bathed in light. The painting's three women sit, in close proximity to each other, but in apparent silence and solitude. None of the three address the voyeur of each other. The colors are brilliant, yet the environment is dark and shadowy. As seems the reality for Boston women artists at the time, the mood of the work is mixed; there is the boldness and brilliance of the color and technique coupled with the isolation of the figures.A Studio of Her Own is a small exhibition, and its lighting is comparatively intimate by today's standards. But the work, varying infinitely in style and media, implies a plethora of women artists in nineteenth century Boston. Its timing is brilliant, as well. Many contemporary women artists are currently in Boston, or have recently put the city on their itineraries this fall, including Nan Goldin, Nancy Sperro, and Yoko Ono. The MFA has obviously given some consideration to bridging their exhibition of nineteenth century art with the contemporary, and has still managed to keep it local by inviting the artist Nan Freeman to work in the MFA's North Gallery concurrently with the exhibition.A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940 is on view at the MFA until Dec. 2. The MFA is open Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9:45p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The MFA is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, or at the Museum/Ruggles stop on the Green Line. For general information call 617-267-9300, or visitwww.mfa.org.

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Lighting up Camels, Jumbos win third straight

August 31

The women's soccer team improved its overall record to 3-1 (3-0 NESCAC) yesterday afternoon with a 3-1 win at home over the Connecticut College Camels. With Amherst defeating non-conference Eastern Connecticut State University 4-2, Tufts takes over sole possession of first place in the conference. The Jumbos started much stronger than they have so far this season, scoring two goals early in the first half. The Camels responded with a goal of their own midway through the opening period, and raised their level of play considerably, but could do no more damage before halftime. Tufts completely dominated the second half, and added an insurance goal in the 86th minute. "We've definitely picked things up," sophomore forward Jess Trombly said. "I think a lot of it has just been picking up the intensity level. We still have room to improve, but at this point we're playing really well, and I think we'll get even better once we start playing with each other and learning what everybody does." Tufts generated a number of scoring opportunities in the first few minutes. The team capitalized on one of these just over five minutes into the game, when junior midfielder Alle Sharlip played the ball up to senior co-captain Lynn Cooper. Cooper pushed her way through the defense for a clear run at the goal. Backing up Camel goalkeeper Laura Knisely with each step, Cooper picked her spot and fired the ball into the upper-left hand corner of the net to give Tufts the early edge. Not long after, Cooper returned the favor, assisting Sharlip on the team's second goal. With the ball in the box and defenders in front of her, Cooper snapped a pass back to Sharlip, who was waiting a few feet behind. The midfielder then skidded a low shot past a diving Knisely to double the Jumbos' lead. Sharlip's assist and goal give her seven points on the year, more than doubling her previous career total. Shortly after the goal, one Camel defender could be heard shouting to her teammates "This is ridiculous, Conn., step it up." Apparently they were listening, as the Camels began to put more pressure on the ball, and were able to create a number of scoring opportunities. A Tufts foul about 20 minutes into the half gave Conn. a free kick in Jumbo territory. Senior goalkeeper Mara Schanfield came up with the ensuing kick, and seemingly cleared the ball. But Camel freshman midfielder Christa Thoeresz stepped in front and rifled a shot back from over 30 yards out, beating Schanfield to score her first career goal and cut the lead to 2-1. The two teams then went back and forth for the remainder of the half, with Conn. continuing to control play after their score, but with Tufts picking it back up as the period came to a close. "I thought that we came out really hard in the first 20 minutes of the game," coach Martha Whiting said after the game. "But then they scored and it shocked us a little bit, and our intensity level went way down. We started standing, and they controlled a lot of the play at the end of the first half, which was a little disappointing." Tufts again poured on the pressure in the second half, however, not allowing the Camels a chance to get back into the game. "We talked a little bit at halftime about staying together as a team and staying positive, and just really trying to build the intensity level, which I thought we did in the second half," Whiting said. "We have a really fantastic team, but you're not going to be completely on every single game. It's important for them to understand that, but also to try to overcome those times when you're down a little bit." After dominating play for the entire period, Trombly added an insurance goal in the 86th minute. Senior midfielder Becky Mann drove through the middle and laid a picture-perfect pass just beyond the reach of a Camel defender. Trombly redirected the ball past the keeper and into the left corner of the net to give Tufts a 3-1 advantage. "Becky made an awesome run right through the middle, and it was a beautiful pass," Trombly said. "All I had to do was place it in. She did all the work - it was really a good run." The Jumbos will travel to Colby this weekend to take on the White Mules (1-1) in their fourth consecutive conference game. With the momentum they have built up, the Jumbos should be prepared for the match, but still must be ready to play when they step on the field, Whiting says. "Colby is another team that is always intense," she said. "They're scrappy. They come to play every game. And it's always an adventure when you go to Colby, because you never know what it's going to be like. But I'm confident that we'll beat any team we come up against as long as we come to play and play together." Last season, the Jumbos fell behind 2-0 to the White Mules, but stormed back to tie the game with two quick goals in the 72nd and 75th minutes before winning on an unassisted overtime goal by Elizabeth Tooley.

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Truth of cannon incident discovered

August 31

Deeply troubled by the events of Oct. 2, Scott Trudell found to his amazement that the entire scene revealed itself to him in a dream. He therefore shares with the Tufts community what really happened at the cannon that night, according to his dream: An eerie calm settled over the academic quad just before 5 a.m., moonlight shining off Sam Dangremond's proudly Americanized cannon. "Tomorrow," Dangremond thought, "Tufts students will finally realize that I and my Republican friends love our great country." Misty-eyed, he surveyed his masterpiece. "And the liberal dogs will realize how much I want to blow up Afghanistan. For my freedom." One foot resting on the cannon's wheel, Dangremond thanked God for how happy it makes him to pretend that all are unified by the American flag - when suddenly, there it was, the unmistakable stench of hippies. With a rush of adrenaline, he whipped around and spied three bandana-covered faces by Ballou. "I know you're there, you Oxfam veggie-burger bastards!" he shouted into the night. "Damn right we're here, Sam," came Louis Esparza's defiant voice. "To add the sign of peace to that flag, and to non-violently kick your butt!" Esparza and his friends moved in, donning their protest gear. Seldom had Tufts seen a more professional blockade of the cannon, with Liz Monin and Esparza's karate stances of defense and primed rape whistles. "What do you think you're doing?" returned Dangremond. "This is my freedom of expression, and I'm following cannon tradition. You can't just come in and paint over Uncle Sam's symbol of freedom!" "Sam, your freedom is a real pain in my freedom's butt," said Esparza. "That flag represents a country that is causing unimaginable pain and suffering in Afghanistan. It's my freedom not to have to look at that icon of ruthlessness." "The Pachyderm says your freedom is screwed tonight, buddy. I'm in charge now." "Oh yeah, what about the freedom of the tens of thousands of innocent people who we're maiming and leaving homeless so we can set up a new evil warlord government in their country? Is their freedom screwed too?" Esparza cried. "All they get is another round of suffering and pain. That's more important than the stupid Tufts rulebook." "Lay off the PACHYDERM!" shouted Dangremond. And he threateningly pushed Esparza, thinking to himself, "They're into the universal love and peace thing. They're not going to fight back." How wrong Dangremond was. Esparza threw down his Chai tea in outrage and moved in with Monin to push him back so Adam Carlis could add flowers and anti-hate rhetoric to the cannon in peace. Infuriated, Dangremond knocked all three violently to the ground and started beating his cycling-toned chest to send them fleeing towards Ballou. Panting for breath, he circled triumphantly around the cannon singing, "God Bless America," and then hurried to the library phone to call the cops. But Dangremond, hunched over the emergency phone, hadn't won yet. Little did he know that the soldiers of social justice would reemerge to try and ensure that tomorrow, when Tufts students would unilaterally ignore the cannon, it would nevertheless decry jingoism in sloppy layers of paint. Unfortunately for Esparza and his friends, the peace symbols they managed to finish were short-lived. The TUPD soon arrived to banish them from the cannon and allow Dangremond to reapply a patriotic layer of paint while the trio hung their heads in shame. Dangremond watched them go and then turned to gaze at Boston triumphantly. "Another victory for American iconography, with God and Bruce Reitman on its side!" he thought. "I feel great, and it's almost as if they had never come. But what I want to know is, how uncompromising and violent am I going to have to be before this senseless cycle of hatred stops?"Scott Trudell is a senior majoring in English.

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Tufts alum screens film about learning disabilities

August 31

Tufts alumnus and award-winning filmmaker Josh Seftel (LA '90) spoke to students and faculty on Monday about overcoming his learning disabilities. Seftel's new film, "Ennis' Gift," which was screened before the discussion, tells the story of Ennis Cosby, the slain son of comedian Bill Cosby, who was dyslexic. The film will air on HBO next month. The film, created to memorialize Cosby's son, chronicled Ennis' success despite the limitations caused by his dyslexia. Seftel was approached by the Cosby family, who asked him to produce a documentary on learning disorders. When the Cosbys discovered that Seftel himself was learning disabled, they saw it as a perfect match. The combination of Seftel's speech and the film struck an emotional chord with many in attendance. Some said they were inspired by the successes Seftel and others in his film achieved when taught alternative approaches to learning. "I can remember at one point hitting rock bottom with my school work," said Seftel, who studied French literature at Tufts. "I think I was failing a class. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't know I had a problem, I just knew I was not good at reading." At Tufts, Seftel says he sought solace in the Academic Resource Center, calling it "an island where I knew someone could understand the struggles I was going through." The 51-minute color documentary featured interviews with celebrities who also have learning disabilities, including actors James Earl Jones, Danny Glover, and Henry Winkler, as well investment guru Charles Schwab. The film also featured several Americans of varying socioeconomic backgrounds and ages. Their stories showed the way each dealt with learning disorders and how the disorders taught them to overcome adversity. While depicting the pain caused by the disorders, the film expressed hope through a powerfully positive tone. Senior Mara Schanfield, who learned about the film while working on an independent study project about Tufts' programs for students with learning disorders, organized the speaker event and movie screening. Schanfield, who has Attention Deficit Disorder, said her goal was to increase the awareness of learning disorders at Tufts and nationally. While acknowledging her overall positive impression of Tufts' treatment of learning disabilities, Schanfield said there were some "really frustrating experiences" with teachers that didn't understand the difficulties caused by learning disorders. "I would love to show the movie again just for professors," she said, adding that workshops could also help familiarize faculty members with learning disabilities. To this end, Schanfield formed a student-initiated group for people with learning dissabilities. At Tufts, there are between 150 and 200 students registered with Disabilities Services, including a core group of 30-40 students who extensively utilize the service. "The most asked for accommodation is extended time for taking tests," said Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities Sandy Baer. "Providing note-takers and tape recorders for those with difficulties in those areas are also offered. We refer students to get tutoring within the Academic Resource Center." Schanfield's work brings an "often overlooked minority" to light at Tufts, Baer said. Together with Schanfield, she raised the funds to present "Ennis' Gift" through the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Diversity Fund that recognizes that students with learning disorders are another element of Tufts' diversity. Seftel was first introduced to film while on a Study Abroad program during his junior year. He has gone on to make successful documentaries such as "Old Warrior," "Taking on the Kennedys" and "Lost and Found." His films have received over 30 awards and been featured on CBS, PBS, ABC, NPR, The Discovery Channel, and HBO when "Ennis' Gift" debuts at the end of November. Seftel's work has taken him to places as far as Bosnia, Romania, South Africa and Costa Rica.

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CSL downgrades cannon incident decision

August 31

At a hearing last Friday, the Committee on Student Life (CSL) reduced disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Dean of Students' Office on two students involved in an October confrontation at the cannon. After the incident, senior Sam Dangremond, editor-in-chief of The Primary Source, filed charges claiming that three other students assaulted him while he was guarding the cannon. The alleged assailants, juniors Adam Carlis, Lou Esparza, and Liz Monnin, also filed a complaint with the Dean of Students' Office, saying that Dangremond assaulted them when they attempted to add a symbol of peace to the Source's American flag design. A Deans of Students judicial panel found Carlis, Esparza, and Monnin guilty of assault (CORRECTION: The students were found guilty of harassment.) and put them on Probation I. Although Probation I does not appear on a student's record, the student can be placed on Probation II if future behavior "[breaches] the standards of the community" and a notation is added to their transcript.Carlis and Monnin appealed the decision on its disciplinary severity and the fairness of the hearing. The CSL unanimously found the original hearing fair, but voted 5-3 to take the students off of probation and give them a warning instead."The [Dean of Students] panel did the best that they could, and it was a fair hearing," CSL member Amanda Berkowitz said. "We just felt [the punishment] was a bit severe. We felt it more fair to change it to a warning. We did agree it was harassment, but it wasn't as simple as one person harassing another."Berkowitz was the lone undergraduate member of the CSL to take part in the decision. The CSL is composed of six faculty members, five undergraduates, and one graduate student, but four of the five undergraduates recused themselves from the decision. Dangremond, who was present at the open hearing, is one of those undergraduates. He later said the sentence reduction is "outrageous" and the new punishment "entails nothing." "I was upset in the first place when they were only put on Probation I but this is just ridiculous," he said. "I think the five members of the CSL should be ashamed of what they've done...With this vote, a committee at this University has really sanctioned the use of violence against conservatives."The vote also demonstrates that the CSL is not connected to campus life, he added. "The five members of CSL just have no concept of how their actions affect the students," he said. "When professors live in such an insulated bubble that they don't even know what the cannon traditions are, they're ignorant of how students live on this campus." Although her sentence was reduced, Monnin said she was confused by the decision. "They maintained that we're guilty of harassment, but took away the punishment," she said. "I'm a little perplexed by that." Esparza said he was too busy to appeal the decision, but said he was disappointed that by deeming the previous hearing fair, the panel once again absolved Dangremond of assault.

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TCUJ, Sen. prez. call for ELBO officers to resign following bungled election

August 31

Two members of the Elections Board (ELBO) have resigned after what former ELBO chair Shane Mason called the "worst job ever" of running a freshmen election. And the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Judiciary and the Senate have requested the resignation of the sole remaining ELBO member, Valentino Caruso. The exodus from ELBO comes as a result of complications with the elections for TCU Senate freshmen representatives and the open Judiciary seat, which were cancelled last Friday, leaving vacant eight senate positions. The elections will be held this Thursday, but the advertised online format will be replaced by paper balloting in the campus center. Mason did not send election information to IBallot.com, the online company hired to conduct student government elections, in time to start the voting process, causing the cancellation. ELBO members at first thought they could mitigate the problems by holding the election for only 12 hours but eventually abandoned the plan. ELBO, the Judiciary, and the Senate held emergency meetings over the weekend to address the failed election. On Friday night, the Senate executive board and chair and vice-chair of the Judiciary met to discuss how the election should proceed. Because of its mismanagement of the year's first election, the ranking student government officers asked the ELBO members to resign. The Senate executive board, the Judiciary, existing members of ELBO, and one member of the Committee on Student Life (CSL) - the highest court at Tufts, consisting of both faculty and students - met on Saturday to launch an official complaint against ELBO. The Senate's weekend retreat was canceled and has not been rescheduled. Mason and former ELBO member Adam Mueller both resigned from their posts during the Saturday meeting, but Caruso, the ELBO treasurer, refused to resign. Senior Albert Huang was previously impeached by ELBO for missing more than three meetings. One complaint from the Senate and a joint complaint from the Senate and the Judiciary were filed to the CSL requesting Caruso's resignation. The document alleges that ELBO did not carry out its constitutionally mandated duty to hold the freshman election within the first month of school and also claims that ELBO blundered the presidential election and constitutional referendum last spring. Mason assumed all blame for the failed election and said his co-workers were asked to resign only because they served on his administration. "It was all my fault," Mason said. "It's not so much a lack of communication as a lack of responsibility," Caruso said. "He was giving us reassurances up to the night before that we were going to have an election. He didn't ask for help, and as a result, we didn't give it to him." But TCU Senate Vice President Melissa Carson said the entire ELBO body performed its functions irresponsibly. "The request for resignations was not personal, it was just because of their inability to do their jobs," Carson said. Caruso agreed that ELBO messed up but felt that he should not be held personally responsible because Mason has assured him up until the night before the election that it would be held. "I'm confident that I have a strong case," he said. "The CSL complaint does put forth some substantial claims, and I'm willing to take the time to address them and address my side." Paper balloting elections will be held at the campus center to expedite the election process. To guard against double voting, the campus center will be the only voting station, as mandated by the Judiciary. Caruso is scheduled to run the elections alone but will be subject to surveillance by the Judiciary and Jodie Nealley, director of the student activities office. To ensure a fair election, the Judiciary is calling for regular progress reports from ELBO to the Judiciary. Four students - five if Caruso is impeached - will be appointed to ELBO by the TCU Senate, Judiciary, and CSL and will receive formal training from administrators, possibly within the week. The new ELBO members will decide whether they want to pursue online elections in the future. Caruso feels Until now, ELBO was the only branch of student government that did not undergo formal job training. ELBO will have to report to an administrator if future problems arise; historically, it has not reported to any other branch of government. Problems with ELBO are not new. "It's a thankless job," said Ben Lee, the Senate treasurer. "They were expected to work a miracle. Now they will be able to work as a more cohesive body." Last spring's elections for positions in the Senate and Judiciary were uncontested, so ELBO never had to organize those elections. In other elections, however, such as the spring's presidential election, ELBO experienced numerous problems due to understaffing, and allegations of ballot fraud. Caruso said the perennial problems stem from the fact that some ELBO members do not take pride in their work. "Elections Board is inherently a thankless job," he said. "People have to be willing to be hard-working and they have to appreciate their own hard work." Many members of the Senate and Judiciary say they are concerned that freshmen have seen the worst in student government inefficiency. "If I was a freshman, I'd lose faith completely," said TCU Judiciary Vice-Chair Alison Clarke, one of the members of student government who filed the complaint against ELBO.

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A family affair

August 31

A blur of brown and blue surrounded her, and shouts of "Go Jumbos!" rang out from the crowd as seemingly gigantic football titans raged across the field. Little did Maggie McClory, a seven-year-old resident of Melrose, MA, know at the time, but her grandfather's idea of a babysitting excursion to a college football game would be a premonition of her career as a Jumbo athlete. McClory's grandfather, Anthony DeTeso, was the captain of the Tufts football team in 1943, and throughout his life, he often visited Tufts to cheer on his alma matter while babysitting. "He was really big on Jumbo pride," said McClory, now a Tufts sophomore For this weekend's homecoming festivities, Tufts invites its alumni to campus to celebrate school spirit with the student body. And for a few young Jumbos like McClory, whose relatives graced the Hill in previous generations, homecoming will be a family affair. Continuing her family's athletic tradition, McClory will play her second season with the softball team this spring as a pitcher and outfielder. Though long exposed to her grandfather's pride in Tufts, it wasn't always clear that McClory would wear the brown and blue. "My interest in Tufts was definitely affected by [my grandfather], and he was very happy when I told him I was interested in coming here," she said. "I'd say it wasn't all of my decision, but it was a factor," McClory said. "I knew I wanted to play college sports and that the softball team here was very successful." In keeping with her grandfather's involvement in Tufts athletics, McClory, like her teammates, maintains her Jumbo pride off the field. At home football games, the softball team volunteer selling pretzels and programs to fans. But the McClory family's love of Jumbo sports extends beyond her athletic contributions. "My parents are also really into the Tufts thing and, living so close to campus, they come to most of the games." Though this weekend will draw hundreds of alumni affiliated with Tufts' various intramural athletic teams, club teams also find support from program alumni throughout the year. This fall, the women's and men's Ultimate Frisbee teams will host an alumni tournament that will attract scores of 'bee chuckers that have graduated since the club's inception in the 1970s. One possible attendee may be club founder Jim Pistrang, whose son Dave also took up frisbee when he enrolled in Tufts last year. "I played in high school," the younger Pistrang said. "I guess in some ways I've thrown a frisbee all my life." Dave chose not to play Ultimate this year and said his father supports his decision. "He's fine with me doing things other than playing Ultimate and he's still involved with the sport on his own," Pistrang said. Jim coaches a middle school ultimate team in his hometown of Amherst, MA. "He sort of just teaches them how to play the game," Dave said. "It is a lot like what he was doing when he was at Tufts. Nobody really knew how to play back then so he was just teaching them how when he started the club." The torch of the ultimate frisbee legacy has also been passed from sister to sister in sophomore Birgit Unfried's family. Unfried's sister, Kirsten (EN '99), started playing ultimate in her sophomore year and since graduating from Tufts, she has found success on the west coast playing frisbee in San Diego. While taking classes at UCSD, Kirsten played for the school's ultimate team, "Team Psycho," and competed at Tufts when the Medford campus hosted the National Ultimate Frisbee tournament last year. Though they were both involved in other sports in high school, coming to Tufts proved a good move for the sisters' frisbee playing exploits. "I didn't know I was going to play ultimate before I came here, but had I planned on it, I definitely would have chosen to come here because of the ultimate program," Birgit said. There is also a legacy of sisters in Tufts' a cappella world. Sophomore Lerone Lessner met the a cappella group Shir Appeal, for which she now sings, before she came to Tufts. While visiting campus with her sister, Ravit, a Shir Appeal alumnae, Lerone got acquainted with the group members. "If she had rehearsal while I was visiting I tagged along," Lerone said. "The people in a cappella groups tend to be pretty tight so I got to know the people in the group." Living in nearby Brookline, Lerone said her sister will come to campus for the homecoming festivities this weekend, though Shir Appeal has no gig scheduled. While many of the athletic programs see this weekend as a chance to reconnect with the past on the gridiron and the fraternity basement floor, groups like Shir Appeal choose a different setting for their reunions. "She came to parents weekend for a concert," said Lerone of her sister's visits to campus. "We also organize dinners and such that aren't always at Tufts."

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University police ease enforcement

August 31

Students no longer need worry about parties breaking up before midnight this fall, with the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) loosening its ironclad grip on the campus social scene. After a six-month hiatus, parties at Tufts are suddenly reinvigorated. Students seem more satisfied with campus social life this fall, though changes began last winter. TUPD reduced the number of parties it shut down partially in response to initiatives put forth by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's Social Life Policy Task Force last January. After 300 students gathered on the President's Lawn to protest what many considered a police "crackdown," the TCU Senate formed a task force made up of administrators and students from various departments and student organizations. "We reached a point of frustration where we felt the police were shutting down parties a little too frequently and much earlier in the night," TCU Senate President Eric Greenberg said. "It was getting to the point where there was hardly a social scene." The initiatives included improving the relationship between the Greek system and the TUPD, the provision of some non-alcoholic activities, and extending Hotung operating hours until 3 a.m. on Friday nights. "All these initiatives were to make social life more apparent and give functions the best chance of running through their predicted end time, instead of being shut down," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. "The previous fall in 2000 was not good, but the changes that were put in effect last spring and this fall seem to get pretty positive feedback." Fraternities and culture houses now register parties with the TUPD prior to hosting events. Each event is assigned a detail officer who visits two or three parties a night to check that they are complying with University regulations. The detail officers also check the party site before the event to ensure that the hosts have drafted a guest list and a proper system for checking ID's and indicating which attendees are under 21. "Last year's freshmen got a taste that there was no social life on campus. They felt that there was nothing to do here," Greenberg said. "There is a police presence now, but it's a cooperative relationship." Sigma Nu President Eric Halzel said that the current set-up is better for campus social life. "It's definitely on the upswing," Halzel said. "I think it's more about working together to create a safe environment and a fun environment at the same time." According to TUPD Captain Mark Keith, the TUPD is fully staffed for the first time in recent years, giving the perception of a heightened police presence. While more officers are on duty during busy hours this year, Keith said that complaints have decreased. "September is usually a very busy month to begin with and that was the case last year," Keith said. "There were a lot of parties and a lot of complaints from neighbors. So far this year, it doesn't seem to be as busy as it was last year." But TUPD has broken up some parties that did not comply with University rules. "A couple of parties have been closed down for not going through with, or following regulations for having an event," Keith said. The number of such overall interruptions, however, have decreased. "Anything was positive after first semester, and so far it's been working," Halzel said. Last year's "crackdown" was partly influenced by the 1999 alcohol-induced death of MIT student Scott Krueger and the multi-million dollar lawsuit that his parents settled with the school. "I think there were a lot of students who felt that there was a different type of culture at Tufts than at MIT," Greenberg said. "The truth is, drinking on campuses is reported to be a national problem. Just because [Krueger's death] was in Boston, the scrutiny was more focused on colleges in the area. The pressure to act was a little bit stronger here." Though Tufts has not experienced any recent alcohol-related deaths, Reitman said that Tufts students should not believe they are invincible. "Rather than attributing it to programs, [we're] lucky that nobody's gotten hurt," he said. "It's been people's vigilance and a little luck." Though September is typically a busy month for the TUPD, Keith said that last Tuesday's terrorist attacks changed the mood on campus. The lack of incidents "was probably due to the tragic events," Keith said. "It just seemed to be very quiet and somber on campus." But according to Reitman, Tufts experienced a higher-than-average number of students who required medical attention last weekend. "Above all, safety is the primary concern of everyone," Greenberg said. "If there is a party, and it seems under control, [police] will tell the students what they need to keep the party going instead of just shutting it down."

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Students remain overseas despite fears of terrorism

August 31

Student interest in Tufts' abroad programs is strong despite fears of attacks on Americans traveling in foreign countries following the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks. The majority of students studying at foreign institutions have chosen to remain overseas, and there is no decline in enrollment for abroad programs next year, according to the Office of Study Abroad. All 280 students signed up for fall semester or yearlong programs abroad received an e-mail after the attacks offering them the option to cancel their plans without incurring a financial penalty. Residential Life guaranteed housing to any students who changed their plans, and officials in the study abroad office said they would ask professors to accommodate these students in their classes. The University also offered to help students enrolled in non-Tufts programs to abrogate their monetary obligations. Of those who planned to study abroad, only six students chose to stay at Tufts, according to Sheila Bayne, associate dean of programs abroad. Four of those six students - two of which were enrolled in Tufts programs - cited fears about traveling as the reason they changed their minds. On average, two students cancel study abroad plans each year. According to Bayne, the terrorist attacks have enhanced the importance of studying abroad, and few students are scared away. "We need to engage ourselves with the world, and understand what it is to think in a different way," she said. "Without this we can't learn to be responsible." Tufts-in-London was the only program delayed by the tragedy. Fifty three students were scheduled to arrive in Britain for orientation on Sept. 13, but the starting date was rescheduled. All 53 are now attending class in London. Some students have expressed concerns that an escalating US-led war in Afghanistan could endanger Americans travelling abroad. In evaluating student safety, Tufts follows the US State Department's travel advisories - if the government advised Americans to evacuate foreign regions, Tufts would work with that nation's embassy to facilitate an "orderly and safe departure," Bayne said. The State Department has advised Americans to keep a low profile when traveling abroad, avoid tourist areas, and to not flaunt their American identity. "Our students would not normally be identifiable as an American group if they are speaking the language, attending class at the university, and spending time with native speakers, which makes them virtually indistinguishable," Bayne said. The Sept. 25 Study Abroad Fair was "by far the largest and best attended" to date, according to Bayne. Study abroad programs continue to expand, and new programs in China and Hong Kong will be inaugurated this spring. Tufts-in-Ghana is scheduled to reopen next fall. As for the spring 2002 semester, students face a Nov. 30 deadline for submitting leave of absence forms. Until after the forms are due, it is impossible to say how many students are planning to study away from the Medford campus. Some have already said that their parents are concerned about their safety. But according to Bayne, students are as safe abroad as they are at home. "Paris and Madrid are no less safe than Boston or Chicago," she said. So far, most students seem to agree, and few are willing to derail their academic plans. "Sure, it made things a little more difficult, with general insecurities about other governments," said junior Amanda Schupak, who hopes to study in Kenya. "My parents are afraid of sending me to Africa when they don't really know what things will be like in three months." Despite her parents' concerns, however, Schupak says she will apply. While students may not feel unsafe in foreign countries, many say they fear being isolated from family and friends in the event of another attack. "You can't live your life out of fear," said sophomore Jill Bier, who plans to study in Australia during her junior year. "Australia is so far away that I'd be safer there, but it would be harder to get back if I needed to be with my family." Americans are the only ones afraid of terrorists. Many international students here say they felt safer at Tufts than in their native countries. "In the Philippines, we also have terrorism. I thought in the United States I'd be safer," said sophomore Myra Valenzuela. Students considering abroad programs in Israel have generally been less optimistic. An average of 13 students study in Israel each year, according to Foreign Study Advisor Sally O'Leary. This fall, few students are considering study in Israel. "I would love to go to Israel but my mom won't let me even consider it," Bier said.

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News

Bylaws will increase communication

August 31

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed new bylaws during its retreat this weekend after one senator, sophomore Pritesh Gandhi, threatened to quit the body and form a rival student government if the proposals did not pass. Gandhi, who spearheaded the changes in order to further connect senators with the student body, made his announcement at a senate meeting earlier this month. He was "pleasantly surprised" this weekend when senators voted overwhelmingly in support of the bylaws. The new rules institute a biweekly senate open forum and "class collectives" - meetings intended to boost interaction among senators from the same year. Gandhi proposed the changes because he was frustrated with the body as a freshman senator. "I felt [Senate was] detached, inefficient, and incapable of providing the leadership that a student organization should provide," he said. After this weekend, however, the senator's tone was noticeably more optimistic."It's a sign that Senate is going to make a lot of changes," he said yesterday.Gandhi said his goal was to increase communication between senators, class leaders, and the entire student body. "It's going to encourage students to come out and talk," Gandhi said. "We're not an elitist group."Senators should go door-to-door more often than the traditional run-through to obtain signatures needed to run for office, he said. "Right now, the senators don't talk about the student concerns that they go out and find," he said. "If they don't talk about it, then they aren't doing their job." Senate president Eric Greenberg, vice president Melissa Carson, treasurer Ben Lee, and assistant treasurer Nikhil Abraham all co-sponsored Gandhi's proposal.In the past, the senate held open forums at the beginning of its meetings, which enabled students to voice their concerns. But few students took advantage of the opportunity. As a result, senators have a "tendency to do projects they want to do" without considering the best interests of the student body, Carson said. "It's improving the Senate, adding to what we have by bringing connection back to the classes with class collectives and furthering outreach efforts," she said. The collectives will meet once each month to increase networking between senators from the same year. Each class of senators will also meet once per semester with its corresponding Programming Board class council to discuss class-specific issues and events. The extended open forums will meet every other week before Senate meetings. To collect information, senators will spend their office hours speaking to students in dorms, dining halls, or out on campus. The office hours of the president, vice-president, treasurer and Allocations Board officers will still be spent in the Senate office."It's an evolution of the process" to reach out to the community, parliamentarian Andrew Potts said, noting previous attempts to hold dorm meetings and keep question boxes in the campus center and dining halls as predecessors to the new bylaws. But one senator, senior Bill McCarthy, raised concerns about the necessity of class councils, saying the collectives will likely serve little purpose. And Potts, who said he generally supports the bylaws, admitted he was concerned that the Senate may be attempting too many reforms at the same time. "I would like to have seen the reforms done as a trial period and then lead to an automatic vote, just because of the nature of how much it fundamentally changes what we do," Potts said.He said that if a few reforms were implemented over time, the body would find it easier to fix problems. "If I personally feel like the Senate is getting bogged down in these changes and hindering our ability to do our job, I won't hesitate to propose an amendment to kill them," he said. "It's not a personal attack, but it's my job to make sure Senate is running smoothly."

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News

Women runners third at Hayseed Classic

August 31

The Tufts women's cross country team finished third at Saturday's Hayseed Classic race, only one point behind Wheaton College, but 44 points behind winner Connecticut College. The race was held at Tufts' home course in Grafton. Members say that despite the final score, the team accomplished its goals on Saturday by sticking together and running in packs. The strategy succeeded, as its five scoring runners all placed between seventh and 18th place. "We tried to race as a team and split into groups," said senior Lauren Caputo who placed 26th. "We didn't try to develop a front runner." Tufts packed together commendably, but not as much as Conn. College, who not only had a frontrunner in sophomore Maura Danahy, who finished first overall, but packed its other top five runners into the first seven spots. While Conn. College and Wheaton's strong performances were representative of how seriously each school took the race, Tufts went into the Hayseed with a different mindset. "We looked at this race as a training run," Caputo said. "Conn. College and Wheaton saw it more as a race." In spite of this more relaxed mindset, Tufts only finished a point behind Wheaton, though that result is of little concern at this point in the season. "We lost to Wheaton," senior co-captain Eleen Adams said. "Later on in the season, we shouldn't be losing to Wheaton." Junior Heidi Tyson was the first Jumbo to finish, coming in ninth with a time of 21:09.2, just ahead of sophomore Katie Mason, whose finished tenth with a time of 21:16.5. Tyson, along with senior Heather Balantyne, who placed third for Tufts and 13th overall, have impressed teammates with their work over the summer. "Heidi Tyson and Heather Balantyne were the biggest improvements from over the summer," Caputo said. After Tufts' top three came a freshman, sophomore, and junior in order across the finish line. Kristen Munson, Lauren Dunn, and Ashley Peterson finished 17th through 19th, and within 20 seconds of each other. In addition to staying together, the Tufts women were focused on staying cool, as the 5,000-meter race was run in temperatures reaching up into the 90's. "It was really hot, and I think that affected us," Adams said. "Coach told us to take it out easy and go from there." Heat and Conn. College aside, the Jumbos can build from this race as they look ahead to next Saturday's meet at the Dartmouth Invitational. "Basically, we want to improve and make sure that everyone runs to their fullest potential," Adams said. In the long run, the Jumbos' focus this season will be on replacing graduates Leslie Crofton and Jenn Edelmann, both of whom were regularly in the top seven last season. "We have a lot of people that have a fair amount of potential," Adams said. "So it should be interesting. Losing Jen and losing Leslie, two of our top seven runners, that means we have some big spots to fill. But I think we are up to it." Not only are returning runners like Tyson, Mason, Balantyne going to have to pick up the pace, but the Jumbos will rely on freshmen like Munson and Rachel Brandenberg, who placed 25th despite returning from a stress fracture. "A lot of freshmen looked really good," Caputo said. Strong pack running, impressive freshmen, and avoiding injuries in the heat were all good first-week signs for a team looking to improve on last year's seventh place finish at the New England Championships. "We're all psyched to get into the season," Caputo said. "We look like a strong team that can be tops in the NESCAC."

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News

Mussina almost perfect in Sox's eighth straight loss

August 31

When Pedro Martinez returned to action on August 26 after two months on the disabled list, it sparked hope among Bostonians that the ace could pitch the star-crossed Sox into the playoffs. Unfortunately for Boston Red Sox fans, while Pedro pitched six shutout innings in his second start since returning from the disabled, it was not enough to save the squad from losing 3-1 to the New York Yankees. Then on Sunday night, the Sox' playoff hopes were essentially extinguished when Mike Mussina came within one strike of throwing the first perfect game in Fenway Park's 89-year history. Carl Everett came off the bench and ran the count to 1-2 before lining a pitch into leftfield, ending Mussina's stab at perfection with one out in the ninth. While Mussina failed to complete the gem, he finished with the fourth one hitter of his career and slammed the door on the Sox season. Following the loss, Boston's eighth in a row, Dan Duquette fired pitching coach John Cumberland - despite a dominating performance by David Cone - where he matched Mussina with eight shutout innings before surrendering an unearned run in the ninth to lose the game. Adding insult to injury, former Boston star and current New York ace Roger Clemens picked up a win in the opening night of the series to improve his record to 18-1. Two Cy Young's later and well on his way to a third since leaving Boston (his sixth overall), Clemens continues to defy skeptics. In a similar occurrence for notorious losers, the Chicago Cubs, who are actually in a pennant race this year, received some uplifting news from their star right-hander and staff ace, Kerry Wood. Wood, who has been on the disabled list since August 4 with right shoulder tendonitis, threw off the mound for the third time before Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves - pain free. The big right-hander will be activated in time to start on Friday against the Braves. Of course, the discussion of great pitchers returning from injuries would not be complete without mention of the Cincinnati Reds' Jose Rijo, who has made the most inspirational comeback of all. Even the writers had all but written off Rijo, as he was on the Hall of Fame ballot this past year and actually received a vote. But on Sunday, Rijo continued his reemergence against Pittsburgh in the Reds' 8-6 victory. While his line was not overly impressive - two innings, two hits, and one earned run which raised his ERA to 3.38 - it is important to understand how this man's appearance in a box score is a miracle. After a six-year absence from the MLB in which Rijo had five elbow operations since his last game in 1995, the 36 year-old right-hander tossed two scoreless innings of relief in his return on Aug. 17. Although Rijo sported a 111-87 career mark with a 3.16 ERA at the beginning of the season, he will continue to pitch out of the bullpen for the time being. Barry Bonds has been chasing home run history all season, but in a recent twist, Slammin' Sammy Sosa has entered the mix. While Bonds is new to the home run race - he had never hit 50 before this season - Sosa is right at home in the pursuit of home run records. Who can forget the classic 1998 duel between Mark McGwire and Sosa when the two surpassed Roger Maris' record 61 on the way to finishing with totals of 70 and 66, respectively. Sosa followed up his 66 in 1998 with 63 and 50 in the two following years. While Bonds and the Arizona Diamondbacks' Luis Gonzalez had dominated the chase until Sosa's most recent explosion, Sosa's 16 homeruns in August put him at 53 dingers - only four behind Bonds. When Sosa slammed his 50th homerun on August 26, the slugger joined McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 50 or more in four seasons.

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News

University not searching for replacement chaplain

August 31

It is nearly one year since Rev. Scotty McClennan stepped down as university chaplain, but Tufts has yet to begin a search for a replacement. When McClennan became dean of religious life at Stanford University in January - ending a 16-year tenure at Tufts - the University appointed Rev. Patricia Budd Kepler as interim chaplain. At the time, the Board of Trustees was searching for a successor to former President John DiBiaggio, and the search for a permanent chaplain was postponed to allow input from the new president. But since taking office on Sept. 1, President Larry Bacow has devoted much of his attention to the administrative restructuring announced this week. That initiative includes a national search for new provost. Kepler's contract as interim chaplain was extended from the end of last semester until June 2002, and she says she will remain at Tufts for the duration of the academic year. Judy Olson, the president's executive associate, said that despite several forums last spring that sought to clarify the role of the university chaplain, Tufts never initiated an active search. "We're very content at the moment with the interim chaplain," Olson said. But according to Olson, the president's office will soon look for a long-term replacement. Rev. Kepler said she is not a candidate for the permanent position and has little input in the search for McClennan's successor. "I'm trying hard not to be involved and just do my job on a day-to-day basis," she said. Kepler, who was an affiliate chaplain with Tufts as the pastor of Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church before McClennan left, said she knew her position would be temporary when she accepted the job. She said that her successor will be expected to serve for "an undetermined number of years" and should therefore be relatively young. While she waits for the University to act, Kepler said her job is to prepare Tufts for the future. "An interim's job is really to assess the situation and to give the University as much feedback as possible on that assessment," she said. "I get to see where the strengths are, where the weaknesses are, where the promise lies, and what needs more work." When she started in January, Kepler assumed the responsibilities of a permanent chaplain. "I try to keep track of the religious pulse on campus and to make sure that all of the constituencies here are served," she said. "The chaplaincy provides a focal point for the multiple faiths on campus to come together, to talk together, and to interact - both in times of celebration and times of crisis." She also has the opportunity to leave her mark on the position. Unlike her predecessor, who was present in the classroom as well as at the pulpit, Kepler does not teach undergraduate courses. Instead, she has focused her efforts on outreach in the campus community and promoting interfaith dialogue. Last spring, Kepler initiated a weekly "Tea and Theology" program for members of the Tufts community to engage in informal discussions with the chaplains about current events. "This is a time for students to meet chaplains they wouldn't normally come across in their weekly lives," Kepler said. Her next project is to determine whether there is sufficient demand for an English as a Second Language (ESL) class for Tufts' custodial staff. Kepler is also continuing McClennan's programming, including the Chaplain's Table, a dinner and discussion program in which dialogues are often led by professors and broach topics such as religion in Africa, the Islamic tradition, and the role of music in religion. Kepler's leadership has won praise from students. Senior Janis Manzo, who was hired to work for the chaplaincy in her freshman year, said Kepler is well-attuned to the needs of the student body. "From day one she knew my name," Manzo said. "She talked with me and really wanted my input."

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