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News

Mets still winners despite elimination

August 31

The dream is over for the New York Mets, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention after Tuesday night's 10-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets had captured New York and the nation, in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, discarding their normal caps in favor of hats bearing the insignia's of the rescue workers - NYPD, NYFD, EMT - and playing ball with a passion as if trying to inspire their city. The team fought back from 13.5 games out on August 17 to a mere three-game deficit entering a three-game series against the first place Atlanta Braves last weekend. A sweep of the series would have given the Mets a share of first place, but the team dropped its first two games, including the second game in which the Mets had a 5-1 lead entering the ninth inning. Armando Benitez gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning to lose the game and perhaps the season. But Benitez was not on the mound when the winning runs scored. Instead, the Brooklyn born John Franco surrendered a grand slam on a 0-2 pitch to Brian Jordan. Before rushing to criticize Franco and the Mets, however, it's important to recognize where they came from. On August 17 the team was 14 games under .500 and it looked like the 2001 season was a lost cause. But the Mets went on a shocking run and nearly pulled off a New York miracle. Although they won't win the division, the Mets won the hearts of New Yorkers and fans nationwide. With the Mets out of the picture, it's a two-team battle between the Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. The pair is currently in the midst of three-game series that could decide the pennant. The Phillies cut the Braves lead to one game in the wake of a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night in the series opener. The teams will square off for one more tonight, after playing on Wednesday as well. Having dominated the National League since going from worst to first in 1991, the Braves hope to pull of their tenth straight division title. But regardless of whether or not they slip by the Phillies, Atlanta will surely make some significant changes in the offseason, after fielding the weakest lineup in the past ten years.Offense has historically been a problem for the Braves, and this year is no exception. Atlanta is 13th out of 16 NL teams in batting and runs scored. What makes this situation more worrisome for Braves' management is the fact that the squad's vaunted pitching staff has struggled all season. Despite leading the league in ERA, the Braves pitching is not what it once was. This is highlighted by the fact that Greg Maddux, who has lost four straight decisions and has not won in seven starts, could lose 12 games for the first time since 1990 if he drops his final start of the season. All of Atlanta's starters have had trouble at different points during the season - an unfamiliar situation for the team.As far as the rest of the NL goes, the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals are tied atop the NL Central standings with 91 wins apiece and in the West, the Arizona Diamondbacks hold a slim two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants with only five games remaining (including last night's action). It appears that both the Astros and the Cardinals will qualify for the postseason play; one team will win the division while the other will take home the wild card, leaving the Diamondbacks and the Giants to shoot it out in the west.The Giants will have a difficult time catching the Diamondbacks, as San Francisco ends its season with a three-game series against a solid Los Angeles Dodgers team while the Diamondbacks finish with three versus a lowly Milwaukee Brewers squad.On the record front, the Diamondback's Randy Johnson struck only six batters while picking up his career high 21st win on Tuesday night in Arizona's 10-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. The effort left Johnson 11 strikeouts shy of Nolan Ryan's single season mark of 383. Although Johnson has one scheduled start remaining, he may not make it if the Diamondbacks have already wrapped up a postseason spot.After Tuesday night's play, San Francisco's Barry Bonds remained one home run away from Mark McGwire's single season mark of 70 set in 1998. Bonds is also one walk short of Babe Ruth's 1923 record of 170. Additionally, following Tuesday night's play the San Diego Padres' Ricky Henderson remains one run short of Ty Cobb's career runs record of 2245 and three hits shy of 3000.With his 60th home run on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa became the first player to have three seasons of 60 or more home runs.

News

US will go at it alone

August 31

If and when military strikes extend beyond Afghanistan's borders to other countries that harbor terrorists - and a widespread conflict develops - the US will be left alone to battle anti-Western sentiment, according to political science professor Malik Mufti.Mufti, a Muslim who teaches courses on international relations and the politics of the Middle East, spoke at last night's panel discussion, "Doing the Right Thing: US Options in the War on Terrorism." If anything, the panel demonstrated that there is no easy solution to this conflict, no single definitive measure that will satisfy both US interests and the rest of the world's - particularly those of the extremists themselves.Mufti's assessment was one of three at the event, at which speakers never once forgot the US strategic interests in the Islamic world. Tony Smith, the Cornelia M. Jackson Professor of Political Science, discussed economic solutions, and Political Science Professor Rob Devigne gave the situation a historical context.Although President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have met with many world leaders to develop a coalition to encourage international cooperation, Mufti predicts a unilateral war fought by the US with help from Britain.Britain is expected to be the only country that will be able to weather the entire dispute without encountering conflicts of interest as the US takes military action outside of Afghanistan. US officials told the UN Monday that attacks against other countries might be necessary.Even traditional US allies could not be expected to counter their own interests in the Middle East, Mufti said. Companies in Russia and China, for instance, have signed deals with Iraq for oil production initiatives which would take effect if sanctions imposed after the Gulf War are lifted. "There is this illusion of a general consensus against terrorism," Mufti said. Support from Muslim countries is even more fragile, and some analysts have said that targeting a country such as Iraq would surely shatter Arab support for the US campaign. "Whatever is going to be done has to be largely on our own," Mufti said.Mufti said that for each mission, the US could work to build international cooperation. But as the military operation moves from one country to the next, new allies will be found as others abandon the effort. When Mufti dismissed multilateral cooperation, some students left the discussion. Junior Samantha Diamond "nearly fell out of [her] chair." "It seems to go against everything we've been doing for the past 30 years," she said. After the panel, Mufti explained to her that that policy should drive coalition-building among countries, not the other way around. He criticized America's recently subdued attitude towards the Russian war in Chechnya, which helped garner Moscow's support for counter-terrorism efforts. "Options" may not have been the most appropriate word to describe last night's panel - the three speakers did not present a smorgasbord of "either-or" alternative responses, and most of the panelists appeared to agree with each other."I think it was very realistic," said Leila Fawaz, the Issam M. Fares Professor of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean Studies and Director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies. As for specific solutions, the speakers could not come up with many."The resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict will strengthen the support of Muslim moderates," Mufti said. Professor Smith added that the policy should be reconciled, "whether it looks like caving into terrorists or not." But all of the panelists agreed that a resolution would not dissolve the current conflict, because its roots extend beyond the situation in the West Bank. And Mufti said that the US should not leave the Persian Gulf either. "In every era, some group has emerged to challenge orthodox Islam," Mufti explained. "This phenomenon is not new." He said the US needs to look at "what can be done to reduce the potency" of bin Laden's Al Queda and similar organizations that are bound to appear in the future. Doing so will require a long term effort of the sort that US foreign policy makers have traditionally shied away from. "If they overthrow the Taliban, capture bin Laden and leave Afghanistan," Mufti said, "it will be a defeat." A defeat because, in many ways, it would repeat the events following the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, when the US helped oust the Russians and left the Taliban to take over. Ultimately, the panelists said, much of the anti-US sentiment stems from the internal political situation in countries where anti-American sentiment runs high. Often oppressed, people in those countries cannot help but resent the US.To change that, Mufti said there need to be solutions as radical as nation-building. Borders in the Middle East and eastward are strained, he said, and countries need to be separated or amalgamated to ease internal conflict."We are never going to be safe," Mutate said. "We have to learn to take precautions."Smith addressed the security issue during his 15-minute talk. He took issue with air transport in particular."We are far too dependent on air transportation," he said, and suggested creating high-speed, rail networks in areas such as the northeastern corridor. From an anti-terrorism perspective, trains are much safer than airplanes. For one, they cannot be driven into buildings. He said the cost of operating and developing a rail network could be financed by increased taxes on gasoline, as in countries like France where the rail network is renowned for its efficiency. But he is not confident that such changes will be implemented, especially with the current Republican administration and the inevitable lobbying of the airline and trucking sectors for which rail would present new competition. He also suggested instituting national identification cards. "[They] would not free us from all problems, but it would certainly help." "Personal liberty would not be infringed upon but national security would be enhanced." Devigne offered less specific solutions to the problem, but rather a historical perspective. He explained that within Islam, fundamentalists are in conflict with people trying to develop a contextual, modern interpretation of the religion. But the current revival, he said, is a critical part of Islam. It also dictates eradication of outside influences - an effort Osama bin Laden supposedly tried to further on Sept. 11. In a videotaped response to Sunday's strikes on Afghanistan, bin Laden said: "neither the United States nor he who lives in the United States will enjoy security ... all the infidel armies leave the land of Mohammed." The land of Mohammed includes Saudi Arabia, a country home to many of Islam's most sacred religious sites, and, thanks to its oil reserves, subject to strong American influences. "The road to Mecca is through Washington and New York City in the United States," said Devigne as he explained a literal interpretation of the Koran, Islam's religious text. "[In that sense], I don't think bin Laden is completely wrong," he said.Even if bin Laden is captured, none of the participants expect such fundamentalist notions to go away.Students in attendance said their interest was piqued by the panelists' speeches."It wasn't the normal things you would hear from mass media," said sophomore Justin Krypel."America needs to protect itself," he said. "I don't think it's the role of the US to police the world but we have to be able to intervene when it's in our interests."

News

Bugs, mice move in for winter

August 31

Every night, senior Manijeh Azmoodeh, a Stratton resident, wears earplugs to sleep. Azmoodeh is not kept awake by music or loud neighbors, but mice running through her radiator and above her room's ceiling. The phrase "quiet as a mouse" never seemed more of an oxymoron. "The mice wake me up at night," she says. In what has become an annual event, bugs, mice, and rats are settling into Tufts' dormitories to escape the cold. And students are complaining about their new neighbors. Residents of Stratton, South, and Metcalf halls have reported to Facilities sightings of creatures scuttling across their floors, over their ceilings, and inside their walls. Stratton seems to be the worst off. According to students and Director of Facilities Ron Esposito, Stratton, particularly the third floor and basement, is infested with bugs and mice. The mice have been there since September, although their numbers have increased with the colder weather. Junior Samantha Diamond, a Stratton resident, said the mice build nests in the building's basement and commute to the third floor through the walls, where they crawl through gaps near the radiators and squeeze under doors into the third-floor hallway. One mouse took up residence in the back of Diamond's refrigerator and often visited her closet. Her attempts to catch it were fruitless. For the most part, the creatures are a small nuisance, though they occasionally steal food. But others have expressed health concerns: mice are carriers of the Hanta virus, a rare and sometimes-fatal disease transmitted through inhalation of rodent feces. While mice infest some dorms, bugs prefer others. Hodgdon and Metcalf halls are home to especially large cockroaches, according to residents. Even Tufts' newest dormitory, South Hall, is not exempt from the problem. A freshman living there said students spotted a mouse in the hallway and called maintenance to catch it. "We're doing everything we can," Esposito said. Stratton residents have been given sticky glue traps to catch mice. A few residents also report that Facilities has put poison traps in the basement and outside the building to kill rodents before they reach student rooms. This work is done by a private exterminator, EcoLab. Facilities also uses rodent-proof foam and copper wool to block holes in the walls and penetrations in pipes. The department has also ordered a vacuum cleaner for Stratton residents to remove mice droppings. Although the problem arises every year, Esposito said Facilities never has much warning before its onset and that he does not know which dorms will be effected until after the creatures move in. For this year, the problem remains unresolved, and senior Jelena Senour is still not satisfied. She explained that she "signed [her] housing agreement with Tufts University under the assumption that [she] would be living in a healthy and safe living environment." Diamond said Facilities has not been quick to act. "If there are holes in the wall, why didn't they take care of them in August?" she asked.

News

Revisit the Rat Pack

August 31

Join Frank, Dean, and Sammy for a rollicking good time with two recently released albums, The Rat Pack Live at the Sands and Eee-O 11 The Best of the Rat Pack. These two recordings, released in honor of the remake of the movie Ocean's Eleven, showcase the ingredients that made the Rat Pack so popular. The Best of the Rat Pack, a compilation album, splits its time evenly between songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Most of the songs you'll recognize are by Sinatra, like "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Witchcraft." Martin's "Volare" is also wonderful, with a skillful vocal track by Martin and well-arranged orchestration. Davis performs duets with both Martin and Sinatra that prove to be the highlight of the album. In "Me and My Shadow," Sinatra and Davis sing in harmony, in counterpoint, and in every complimentary method known to a duet - the result is a great song. In "Sam's Song," corny lyrics remain second to gag contention between Davis and Martin, with Davis winning the match, and therefore the title of the song. The atmosphere is wonderful throughout the album, although it is only through duets that the listener gains appreciation for the relationship between the members of the Pack. The Best Of is good background material for any listener interested in the trio, but the material is taken from different recordings. Inconsistency in production therefore leads to annoying distortions from time to time. In Martin's "Volare," for example, the orchestra is too quiet and Martin's voice is shrill. In the following track, Sinatra's "Mr. Success," the orchestra is loud enough, but Sinatra sounds like he is standing behind a wall. But the big attraction of the Rat Pack wasn't it's collective sound, but the individual style and attitude of Frank, Dean, and Sammy. In Live at the Sands, the recording of a show in Las Vegas in 1963 with Sinatra, Martin, and Davis, the atmosphere is full of the three experienced showmen's camaraderie. Martin is the star of the recording, and is involved in every wisecrack and story. His introductory song, where he pretends to be drunk, sets the tone for the evening. Sinatra and Martin keep returning to the subject of drinking, joking about what would happen if the they were pulled over on the highway: "There's nobody drivin' officer, we were all in the back seat." After joking for over 15 minutes, Sinatra and Martin retire for Davis to sing a great version of "The Lady Is A Tramp." The two return to make it a trio for the remainder of the show. The tone is great, with Martin repeatedly shrugging off politically incorrect jokes with the excuse, "Sorry folks, just trying to have some fun." Sinatra leads the three through the show as the responsible one, and Davis enjoys himself despite being the butt of most of the jokes. If you ever wondered why the Rat Pack was so popular, get this album and pay attention. The jokes - the album is hilarious; don't listen to it while you study - are just the beginning of the story. By 1963, when this live show in Las Vegas was recorded, the Pack was at its prime. Nothing is spontaneous - every joke and cymbal crash is planned - but the three were clearly having fun. The Best Of contains the best songs of the Rat Pack, but the real treasure here is Live at the Sands. You just can't get this anywhere else. The Best Of : 3.5 starsLive at the Sands: 5 stars

News

Play nicely

August 31

To the Editor: The cannon's existence is based entirely on the good will of students. Painting on school property would be vandalism anywhere else, but it's tradition on the cannon because students and administrators understand the process, and they respect it. The cannon represents our history, our passions, and an era long gone. In the PC age of culture clashes and self-esteem, such a bastion of freedom of speech is out of date and a liability. Eventually, the administration will restrict painting the cannon, it already has. They will say that the cannon caused too many problems, and it already has. But thecannon represents all that is great about Tufts, especially our liberal spirit. And I am not in a hurry to see that disappear. So for the sake of all jumbos, past, present, and future, students should realize that the cannon is there for them, not for their politics, or their pranks, or their fights. I am not saying that "play nicely" should be adopted an official rule, but then there was time when only painting the cannon at night and guarding it untildawn was not an official rule either.Matthew Kane, LA '03The writer is studying in Brussels, Belgium during the fall semester.

News

Fraternities debate the necessity of fall rush

August 31

For sophomores and upperclassmen unwilling to take the plunge and pledge a fraternity as a freshman, fall rush is the way to go. As this semester comes to a close, many upperclassmen are reflecting on their decision to pledge and the pros and cons of fall rush. Although there is an interest in fall rush - from which freshman are excluded - most of the time the pledge classes consist of only a small number of upperclassman. For example, 123 only has three pledges, ZBT has six, and DTD has two, while Zeta Psi, AEPi, and SigEp all decided not to hold fall rush. For Jon Bram, a sophomore pledging DTD, pledging is an important time to build a bond with possible future brothers. "You get to know a lot of people at that time," he said, adding that there are advantages to pledging after freshman year. For Bram, tennis practice prevented him from pledging last year. Jon Snyder, president-elect of ZBT, understands why some choose to hold off on pledging until they've gotten a better idea of what the fraternity - and the University - is all about. "I think that it is useful in that it gives potential brothers more time to think about the commitment they are about to make," Snyder said. "They can rush as freshmen during the spring, get a better understanding of the house by just making themselves visible at social events, and then they really know what the house stands for and the character of most of the brothers." Although many fraternities acknowledge the advantages of having a fall rush, the issue is up for debate among others. Most sophomores already know about the fraternities and might have already gone through rush as freshman; thus, the usual fanfare of posters and advertising goes unnoticed. Since the size of a pledge class depends largely on people who are already familiar with the fraternity and the brothers, some houses do not even have a fall rush. AEPi has never had a fall rush because they want their pledge class to be united. Thus, interested upperclassmen can only rush in the spring. Nat Sager, a sophomore who pledged AEPi in the spring of his freshman year said that small pledge classes don't beget the overall unity that spring pledge leads to. "We don't have fall rush and pledging because we feel the pledge process is designed to bring the pledge class together as a unit and that a small pledge class of three people defeats that purpose. You do not get the real experience if you do not have a full pledge class to support you through the process," Sager said. Despite the controversy surrounding fall rush, smaller pledge classes do have some positive aspects. Since most upperclassmen pledges are familiar with the brothers in the house, it makes the transition easier. Also, the fall activities and events planned by the fraternities are generally less challenging than their springtime counterparts. "The small pledge classes allow the new brothers to bond better because there is a more focus put on helping each other out with house projects and events. A larger pledge class however does help the house lower its dues for each member, but may hinder the idea of brotherhood if the group becomes too large," one ZBT pledge said.

News

Dear Osama

August 31

Dear Osama:We've never met and if we did you would probably want to kill me. The feeling is mutual. I've seen you on TV and thought a lot about what you've done. That is why, this Thanksgiving, I want to thank you. I'm not sure if I believe everything happens for a reason. I do know that some of the greatest lessons come from the worst tragedies. I know three areas where your hateful actions have changed me for the better and the world in which I live. First, you have renewed my appreciation for what I have. Each Thanksgiving Americans pause, eat lots of turkey, and consider how fortunate we are. This year the task of assessing our good fortune was made easier given the attention your attacks have focused on life in Afghanistan. I never imagined a place in the modern era where the government could outlaw shaving, where television was not permitted, and where women were forced to cover themselves completely or face injury. Thanks to the democracy I live in, my life is full of choices I am free to make - what religion I practice, where I settle and how I live. With hard work, the opportunities open to me are nearly unlimited. Fortunately, all of my family and friends were saved from your attacks. For those families who did lose loved ones, I am lucky to have enough to donate something to the many organizations dedicated to helping them. Those hurt by your terror extend beyond families of victims and include millions who have been hurt economically. Lost loved ones will never return and the best their families can hope for, with support, is to learn to cope with the loss. However, those who have lost a job or had a business fail will recover. America's economy will rebound. For that, I give thanks. Secondly, you have exposed America's greatest strengths and its most critical weaknesses. Today, America is a more proud nation, full of purpose. We recognize that more sacrifices are necessary for progress. New York City's police and firemen and passengers of flight 93 have reunited virtues like selflessness and courage with the meaning of heroism. Following in their path are the volunteers who work tirelessly to cleanup the havoc you wreaked and the armed forces that will help prevent it from reoccurring. In my country, there are always individuals who pursue a common good instead of acting simply for personal gain. Thanks to them, your attacks will not break the bond that ties us together. In fact, you have only strengthened our sense of community. For that, I give thanks. Among America's weaknesses your attack exposed is our endless struggles with racial tolerance and civil liberties. Since the attacks we have been forced to confront the urge of the powerful to suppress the rights of minorities. Some of our highest government officials have even fallen victim to the instincts that our laws were designed to prevent. Their efforts will be resisted by those who remember the internment of Japanese during World War II and other horrors of America's past. The battle for equal justice exists in every democracy and it will survive long past our battles with you and your organization. By brining it to the surface you have helped us confront it directly, rather than shove it aside. Your hatred for our country has reminded us that America must do a better job of explaining itself to the world. You point to American intervention in the Arab world as the cause for your attack. It seems America must do more to clarify its goals. In Bosnia and Albania, for example, we protected Muslims from religious persecution. Lastly, you have united so many in the world against your evil intentions and towards freedom. You have offered a common enemy for the world to unite around. Nations that once approached each other cautiously are now partners in a fight against you. On Sunday, the New York Times reported Secretary of State Colin Powell's feeling that "tense American relationships with Russia and China and even in the intractable Middle East . . . now seem more amenable to breakthroughs." Most recently, the world united against terrorism produced an agreement to decrease nuclear arsenals by President Bush and Prime Minister Putin. Possibilities for more progress by the new coalitions remain open. For that, I give thanks.Do not mistake my appreciation for the positive repercussions of your attack as a thanks for what you've done. You made a grave mistake and for it, you will pay the price. You will live in fear, face trial, or die running. Your actions have destroyed your aims and strengthened my country.In destroying your life, you have multiplied my appreciation for mine, strengthened my country, and united the world.

News

Loss of innocence

August 31

These last few days have weighed heavily on America. One week ago, the worst terrorist attack in history was perpetrated against the US in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. It is likely that over 6,000 people are dead. I cannot think of a greater tragedy to affect the US during my lifetime. The event has hovered over the country like a black cloud - every conversation is in more somber tones than before, every flag flies at half-mast, and every face bears the marks of this catastrophe in melancholy countenance. This tragedy has resulted in an outpouring of grief, generosity, nationalism and an angry desire for revenge. It has brought out both the best and the worst from Americans: the Red Cross is swamped with blood donations, and the country has pulled together in a way I've never seen before. At the same time, many voices are calling for military action - sustained, costly, retributive war - without waiting for complete evidence or considering long-term consequences. This event has taken the innocence of a generation, as the assassination of John F. Kennedy or the war in Vietnam did for our predecessors. No longer will we feel as safe flying or living in a major city. More importantly, the attack brutally underscores the danger of our world and the continual presence of people willing to commit atrocious crimes not in the name of some political or moral cause, but out of simple, relentless hate. So what do we do now? First, justice must be served, as much as that is possible. The perpetrators of this crime must be found and punished through collaborative effort that ensures due process of law. Second, countries that shelter terrorists must be prevented from doing so in the future. This is difficult and requires careful use of diplomatic and military force, in conjunction with our allies. Simply bombing a city or attacking an army is pointless and will result in needless casualties on both sides. Counter-terrorism is a new kind of warfare and cannot be accomplished using old strategies of conventional combat. My great fear is that the US will cave to the cause of revenge, rather than justice and prevention, and attack countries like Iraq or Afghanistan without concern for loss of life. That would be an attack against innocent people, compounding the crime already committed.Third, better intelligence is necessary and terrorists should be kept busy worrying about survival, rather than planning an elaborate strike against the US. The next attack could well make use of chemical or biological weapons - it is incumbent upon us to prepare for this contingency. Although it is impossible to completely stop terrorism, the risk can be minimized.Lastly, domestic security must be improved. Greater care must be taken at airports, at borders, and in governments to catch terrorists before they can act. However, extreme caution must be taken here, as there is a constant tension between security and personal liberty. My other great fear is that the US will so tighten security as to infringe on privacy and our Fourth Amendment rights against frivolous searches. We are at a dangerous point. The sleeping giant has awakened and is looking for enemies. Although the US must strive to stamp out terrorism and bring perpetrators to justice, it must do so with the utmost care. I fear some fighting is inevitable, but we must not become embroiled in a conflict in which we cannot get out and cannot accomplish our goals. Our action now must be motivated by security - not by politics or a desire for revenge - and must not cause suffering among civilian populations. In the past, the US ran into trouble when it did not define its goals, lost sight of those goals, or refused to accept its limitations. Colin Powell defined this in his famous "doctrine" - well worth quoting in full: "Is the political objective we seek to achieve important, clearly defined, and understood? Have all other nonviolent policy means failed? Will military force achieve the objective? At what cost? Have the gains and risks been analyzed? How might the situation that we seek to alter, once it is altered by force, develop further and what might be the consequences? .When the political objective is important, clearly defined, and understood, when the risks are acceptable, and when the use of force can be effectively combined with diplomatic and economic policies, then clear and unambiguous objectives must be given to the armed forces."We can all hope that Powell will use the same logic now.Ehren Brav is a senior majoring in physics, math, and political science.

News

Senate offering shuttle service to Logan next week

August 31

The Senate will again offer a "Turkey Shuttle" to Logan Airport this year to help students begin their Thanksgiving journeys. Tickets for the bus cost $5 and are on sale at the information booth in the campus center and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The shuttle will make nine trips between the campus center and all five Logan terminals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The trip is scheduled to take one hour, depending on traffic. Citing heightened security measures, including more stringent and time-consuming baggage checks, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines are advising travelers to arrive at least two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international departures. Since Sept. 11, airlines have banned knives of any kind, aerosol cans, athletic equipment that can be used as a weapon, and all cutting or piercing instruments from carry-on luggage. Travelers are also limited to one carry-on bag, plus a smaller item such as a handbag or laptop. Only passengers with boarding passes will be permitted past security checkpoints. FAA regulations also require adult travelers to show government-issued identification, in addition to the specific requirements of particular airlines. For more information, call your airline or visit www.faa.gov/apa/tipbroch.htm.- Nicolas Ferre

News

High temperatures, low income

August 31

New research by Tufts economics professor Margaret McMillan, who specializes in economic development, suggests that geography and climate may influence wealth levels in certain countries. Taking a new approach to an old argument, McMillan contents that countries with temperate climates are more prosperous because they have generally have more arable soil, and are also more likely to turn to international trade, since they cannot grow crops year-round. McMillan's research focuses specifically on ground frost, the frozen layer of moist soil near the Earth's surface. The first frost usually hits Medford in early November, when overnight temperatures begin to dip below the freezing point. In tropical ecosystems, where the temperature rarely falls below freezing, animal and plant diseases flourish in the warm topsoil. Ground frost also contributes to buildup of organic matter in the soil, which is essential for raising and nourishing crops. The combination of these two factors create infertile land in tropical countries, leading to lower agricultural productivity and lower levels of wealth. McMillan points out that tropical countries often have very large populations but relatively unproductive work forces. India and Indonesia, two examples of tropical economies, have a combined population exceeding 1.2 billion but an average per capita income of only $2,300, which suggests that economic productivity does not depend on population. Efficiency, McMillan says, depends on human capital, which is not necessarily related to the number of available workers. Human capital is a measure of the skill and productivity levels of a workforce. "The idea was that the overall level of human capital is higher in temperate countries," she said. "You can't look at numbers alone." Ground frost also influences public health by selectively killing organisms that spread human disease. The resulting workforce is generally healthier and more productive. "People have been talking about the importance of geography in economics," she said. "It's not a continuous variable. There's a certain amount of frost days that are good. If you're below or above that, it's bad for growth." But the theory is not without counterexample. McMillan said that the few tropical countries that have become extremely prosperous, like Hong Kong and Singapore, have embraced trade, rather than agriculture, as the primary focus of development. Along with her research partner, William Master from Purdue University, McMillan has found that temperate countries have converged towards high levels of income since the 1960s while tropical nations have diverged to various levels, depending on their economic scale and the extent to which they have embraced trade. McMillan and Master met in South Africa in the fall of 1998 and began joint research the following fall. They have presented their work on ABC News and in The Times Higher Education Supplement, a British publication comparable to The Chronicle of Higher Education. McMillan and Master's initial research leaves more questions to be answered. "We'd like to develop a theoretical model that more explicitly delivers how is it that climate affects productivity and how that productivity translates into surplus that builds up the rest of the economy," she said. The two also hope to examine how international trade drives growth in tropical economies.

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High school project turns into patented invention

August 31

Karen Buch looked at the junk in her basement and saw more than an opportunity for a yard sale. Instead, the sophomore turned discarded toys and tools into new medical technology. Buch began her journey to becoming a patented inventor by undertaking a project with funds and support by her high school. Within a year of taking her first step, Buch successfully developed a new measuring device for microscopic particles. "I constructed an instrument to measure pattern dimensions that literally came out of materials from my basement," Buch said. Buch defines her invention as both a method and an instrument. Essentially, when an object is placed in the path of the laser beam, diffraction and interference patterns occur naturally. These patterns vary according to the dimensions and orientations of the obstruction. "I studied these patterns and modified Young's Two Slit experiment to apply for three dimensional obstructions," Buch said. This experiment is one of the fundamentals of modern physics and is based on the fourth law of logic. In Young's experiment, electrons are released from a source and travel past a wall with two slits in it en route to a screen. One would assume that the electrons would either go through one of the two slits or be absorbed by the wall area between the slits. But this is not the case. The pattern created in this setup is identical to that which would be created if the electrons were actually wavefronts traveling through both slits at once. Yet, each electron still makes contact with the screen at only one point. Using these concepts, Buch found a way to distinguish abnormally sized blood cells (erythrocytes) from normal ones. This categorization is useful in studying conditions like sickle-cell anemia. The invention can also be used as an alternative method for measuring almost any microscopic obstruction. Buch's invention did not require the high-tech materials that one would associate with sophisticated medical technology. "It consists of a laser mounted on a trapezoidal arm from my father's old erector sets, a spring to provide tension in the arm, a thumbscrew that, when twisted, enables the arm to move up and down, and a slide holder [positioned] a given distance from the laser beam," Buch said. To get the instrument to work, Buch pointed it at a projection wall from a given distance and then inserted the slide into the field of view. Buch is skeptical about her instrument's place in the future of hospital tests. Hospitals already have access to instruments that are more accurate, precise, and efficient, and Buch's alternative method requires training and a lot of math to measure the patterns. She wishes she had been able create a computer program to calculate the necessary algorithms for the user of the instrument. Buch's creation makes one assumption that critically affects its uses - the idea that blood cells are spherical, when in fact they are really donut-shaped. "This assumption does seem a little drastic at first, but very modern medical devices such as flow cytometry make this assumption as well," Buch said. Buch arrived at Tufts with years of interest in scientific experimentation and research. She conducted science experiments when she was young and has always been inspired by her father, whom she calls "a true lover of the sciences and inventions." Despite this talent for science, Buch said she never expected her experiment to work. Since blood cells are transparent, and she had been calibrating the instrument with opaque obstructions, Buch could not be sure of how to account for the complex interference patterns that she was encountering. "I remember up until three days before my research project was due, I couldn't figure out how to interpret the patterns, let alone image them," Buch said. "On that third day, I'm not really sure what made me do it. I had been very frustrated with my project and, on the verge of giving up, I decided to do one last measurement and, eureka, there it was!" Here at Tufts, Buch is keeping herself busy in the engineering department by double majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. While this first invention involves biology, Buch does not foresee a career in this field. But, she hopes to go into the related field of medical instrumentation and perhaps develop medical prosthetics. "After this, I am not sure what is next. All I know for now is that I want to know as much as I can. The more I know, the more I can do with my knowledge," Buch said. One last question remains about Buch's invention: what will it be named? "Because it consists of a method, it is known as 'An Alternative Method for Measuring the Dimensions of Three-Dimensional Obstructions Such as Blood Cells Using Interference Patterns and Laser Light Diffraction," Buch said. "Unfortunately, it's not too creative of a name."

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Brandeis game to test Tufts

August 31

The field hockey team, fresh off its first victory of the season, will host NESCAC rival Conn. College today at Huskins Field at 4 p.m. Both teams are looking to continue their winning streaks after important weekend victories. Tufts (1-4, 1-2) defeated Bates 5-4 on Saturday, while the Camels (3-3, 2-2) handled powerhouse Colby 2-1, giving the White Mules their first loss of the 2001 campaign. Tufts is led by its offensive trio of senior captains - Lindsay Lionetti, Christina Orf, and Barbara Szajda. But despite their strong play, the team has not been able to put enough points on the board. After getting shut out in three consecutive games, Tufts scored for the first time against Colby on Sept. 22, and exploded for five goals this past weekend against Bates. While the majority of the Jumbos' season has been consistently dismal, Conn. College has had a sporadic year, defeating Colby (2-1) and Trinity (1-0), but getting crushed by Amherst (4-0) and Middlebury (6-1). Conn. College sophomore Emily Huffman has provided the offensive spark thus far with five goals, while her teammate, senior goalkeeper Anna Trafton, has posted a mediocre 2.95 goals against average. A more telling statistic is the Camels' 0-2 record on the road, where they have been out-scored 10-2. Despite its record, Tufts has only been outscored 8-6 in NESCAC play, and has narrowly missed many scoring opportunities, leaving the possibility for a close match tomorrow. The women's soccer team (4-3, 3-2) is also playing an important home game this afternoon against the non-conference Brandeis Judges at 4 p.m. on Kraft Field. The team is coming off a close, 1-0 loss to Bates this weekend and is hoping to use the Brandeis game to get back on track. The Judges are perennial underachievers and boast a 2-7 record this season. Leading scorer sophomore Melissa Delowe has scored three goals on three shots for six points this season. The team also has twin sister tandem Emily and Melissa Purswell, who paired up to score the winning goal in last Tuesday's victory over Westfield State. Tufts has had success this season with an array of scoring options, with seven different players scoring goals. Although the team has not gelled as quickly as anticipated, it should be able to overpower Brandeis.

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Senate seats garner no interest

August 31

Three Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate seats left vacant by seniors Michele Shelton and Erin Ross and junior Kathryn Klencheski will be opened up to sophomores after a meeting on Thursday for upperclassmen seeking the positions did not attract any students. The three senators resigned earlier this semester, leaving open two senior seats and one junior seat. The Elections Board (ELBO) solicited applications for the posts, but none were received before the prescribed 15-day deadline. ELBO then scheduled a mandatory meeting last Thursday night for new candidates, which was unattended. "The thinking behind that, is if you have senior seats and no one runs, they would drop down to juniors immediately, but since there were none, it all just goes down to the sophomore class," ELBO chair Valentino Caruso said. Caruso said that ELBO plans to begin advertising for sophomore senate candidates this week, hold another candidates' meeting next Wednesday, and likely holding the election Thursday, Nov. 15. According to Caruso and sophomore senator Pritesh Gandhi, several sophomores have already expressed interest in running for seats. "I personally think it's a good thing seats are getting bumped down to a class that really wants to be active," Gandhi said. "There are going to be a lot of sophomores who are going to apply to those seats." Gandhi said that more than three sophomores might run for seats. Last year's election for open seats in the spring was uncontested. Gandhi also said that having a class-unbalanced Senate would not adversely affect the body. "I'd rather have a Senate that's active regardless of distribution between classes," he said. "The key is finding active people to represent the concerns of the student body." Parliamentarian Andrew Potts said that blocks of students from an over-represented class might team up to block votes or push through legislation once or twice a year. He did not see any potential conflicts in opening up all the seats to sophomores. "People tend to do their jobs, which is the best for all the students as a whole," he said. "It's rare that people gang up on a certain issue. I'm not that concerned about it." Potts added that the Senate did not experience any conflicts two years ago, when the freshman class was over-represented with nine or ten seats. The greater problem, Potts said, will be acclimating the new senators so late in the year. "It's tough when someone just jumps in because they feel like the new guy," he said "I think that's the hardest part - having them feel like they're part of the group." The Senate's executive board will likely meet with the new senators and hold a "mini-retreat," Potts said, to explain the body's structure and committees. "We'll tell them to feel free to speak up and don't worry about making mistakes... to make sure that they feel as comfortable as possible," he said. Senators have not been actively seeking out candidates, Gandhi said, because prospective senators should be self-motivated. "The goal is to find people who want to do Senate based on their own motivations," he said. "No one is actively recruiting people, which is a good thing." Sophomore Shaunik Panse, who plans on running for one of the open seats, said that campus leaders should try better to alleviate certain aspects of student life in the aftermath of Sept. 11 to ensure that people feel secure. "After the terrorist attacks and backlash on this campus and a lot of other campuses, a lot of students felt unsafe," Panse said. "I think it's the job of the senators, not necessarily relieving that feeling of insecurity, but contributing to the overall betterment of everyday life." Sophomore Abigail Moffat has expressed interest in running for a seat, saying that, as co-chair of the Tufts Feminist Alliance, she can approach issues from a different angle. "I feel that the Senate will benefit from someone with the specific agenda of looking at [issues] with a woman's angle," she said.

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What's Your Problem?

August 31

Q: Dear "Dr." K, My girlfriend and I have recently been discussing having sex in theGovernment Book Stack Section of the Library. What do you think: kinky or crazy? - Experimenting with ErosA: Dr. K is going to have to take a step back and listen to each shoulder in turn: first the angel, then the devil.Angel: This is crazy! It's understandable to want to experiment with your girlfriend, especially when things get a little boring and need to be jazzed up. And coming up with funky ways to express your wild side would be a great idea if you kept it between the sheets - in your ROOM! If you need to get your groove on in the middle of the library stacks, then maybe you should figure out exactly why you and your girlfriend are in need of such a thrill. Is your relationship reaching a sexual plateau? Do you feel like you need reconnecting, or just some added excitement? Let me make a few suggestions for alternatives to freaking out your fellow students and librarians over at Tisch. If you need to re-ignite the spark, maybe you should plan a night of total romance. Ok, I know it sounds cheesy, but trust me - this will work! Here's a sample scenario: Take your girlfriend out to a really nice dinner (North End, etc.) and perhaps indulge in a bottle of wine. Wear your favorite outfit, and really pay attention to how sexy your girlfriend looks - and compliment her on it! After dinner, go back to your place where you will have conveniently left a few playful items waiting your arrival. Have some candles and music ready, maybe some of those flavored body lotions that taste really good, whatever. Another suggestion would be to have some fruit and whipped cream handy - I don't think I need to spell out what fun you could possibly have with that. Really, the key is just to take your time, paying close attention to every detail of each other. Lock your door, unplug the phone, and if you live on-campus, make it clear that your roomie better not disturb. If all else fails (and you are really into the kinky stuff) you could always invest in some serious vinyl, love beads, and other non-conformist toys. The bottom line is this: people in the library are generally pissed off anyway, and if someone were to see you (and they would), you'd run the risk of causing some supremely stressed student to lose it altogether and freak out. And if a librarian or professor caught you...well, all I have to say is good luck! Devil: What a wonderfully kinky idea! There is nothing quite like a spontaneous thrill to get the adrenaline (among other things) pumping. If you really want to make it fun though, you can't plan ahead or get nervous. If you want to do it, just do it one night when you and your girlfriend just happen to be studying together. Maybe you can whisper something devilish in her ear, or pass a note across the table, and tell her to meet you in the Government Stacks (or maybe the Ethics section - how ironic). You will have to be somewhat inconspicuous, however, so try not to get caught. No doubt the thrill of actually going through with it in the middle of the library will be excitement enough to ensure you, ah, "finish" your business fast. They call them quickies for reasons like this! Q: Dear Doctor K,I've been feeling nervous recently knowing that the end of November was coming up and with it, of course, Thanksgiving. This will be the first time that I've gone home since school started and I'm anxious because I think that I've changed a lot since I left, and I have this feeling that everyone at home hasn't. Maybe we'll be hanging out and have nothing in common anymore. I feel like I've done so many things and met so many cool new people since September that things can't possibly be the same. I kind of want to just stay here with my new friends. Is that wrong? - FreakedA: The dictionary definition of a friend is "a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts; a person you know well and regard with affection." Does your own definition of a friend differ? If not, then why are you doubting your relationships that began long before you met anyone here at school? Going home for Thanksgiving break should be a really exciting time for students. You get the chance to re-connect with family and friends who you haven't seen for a long time. This is the time to build relationships stronger, share stories, and talk about how weird everyone at school is. It's understandable that you're nervous about the first get-together with high school friends, but unless your personality has done a complete 180, then stop worrying about it! You became friends with these people for a reason, and that same reason is what should make you genuinely excited to see them when you go home. So maybe you've done a lot of cool things and met cool new people, but do you think your friends from high school haven't? Unless, of course, they have been at school thinking about you the whole time and realizing that they couldn't possibly imagine having any other friends. This is highly unlikely however, so you have to give your friends more credit that you do. Ignoring your friends from home (the same people who undoubtedly helped you through your most awkward, confusing, hormonally imbalanced times) is denying your roots, your upbringing, and your whole life prior to freshman year. Don't be lame - just go home, and be really appreciative that your friends are still there for you.

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Confronting your learned resignation

August 31

In Glen Roth's column "Popping the Bubble" (October 9, 2001) he asked, "will our generation step up to the challenge, or has our fortune left us incapable of making a difference?" This question strikes at the heart of a condition of modern human being, namely, learned resignation. That's right, we have learned to be resigned that we can make a difference. Learned resignation is waiting to see the world unfold rather than shaping our world here and now. Intellectual awareness, while important, does not affect change. Let me pose some challenging questions. What is the source of leadership that makes a difference? Is it our passion? The ability to feel genuinely? Just look at the conclusion drawn by the same person that asked the insightful question above, "though I cannot claim to know what our role should be in this new era, as it appears to still be in its preliminary stage, I know our country and our world remain ripe with injustice and inequality." This is an expression of resignation. I would rather have read that Mr. Roth initiated something new to address this situation. This student's response, I feel, characterizes the condition of learned resignation so prevalent in our society today. When will this student decide to take action? After the next attack? Until then, Roth claims the present situation is, "still in its preliminary stage?" What this really means is, I understand - intellectually or conceptually - that this era is ripe with opportunities to make a difference, probably because someone in authority said it was so, but I am not ready or prepared to capitalize on any of these because I am not capable of understanding - experientially - the deep down passion required to take action. This typifies the condition of "learned resignation." We are resigned that we can do anything to make a difference because we are not capable of experiencing for ourselves what our deep commitments are. We have learned our lessons well from each other and from our society's institutions, including Tufts, to intellectualize our lives, instead of experiencing our lives. Further, making a difference is so often a guilty response or an obligation, or payback, as the student further states, "I just feel that there can be no greater gift to the victims of Sept. 11 than having their sacrifice serve as a call to action for us." This is not difference making; this is intellectualized moral obligation. What about acting because you feel so committed to building a new world society, instead of tearing one down? What about acting with all of your passions, simply because you are committed to something, and that you feel this commitment. Commitment is a choice to act in the face of resignation, it is the triumph of possibility over resignation. Maybe we are so deadened inside that we have lost this ability to experience, to feel genuinely. I can only conclude that we are afraid of the power of our emotions as the source of our own leadership actions. The resignation I am speaking about is that which lies deep within our consciousness - we do not even know it is present within us, EACH OF US! So, we can speak about "possibilities" and "difference making" but so very few are actually living these realities, except maybe Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush. They are acting, rightly or wrongly, consistent with their emotional connection to their commitments; it is not a concept to them. What about making a difference here and now? If not here, then where? If not now, then when? Certainly these two present day world leaders are acting from their direct experiences, a call to action if you will. They have not let fear stop them from making a difference in the world, unlike most Middle Eastern governmental leaders. When will King Fahd be challenged to break free of his fears that keep his country from taking bold leadership action, such as contributing to the building of a new vision of a world society? Will George W. Bush's own experience of his inner commitment sustain him through his Presidency and even through the next phase of the war against terrorism? Will each and every citizen act upon his or her own sense of commitment? A good example is the work done by the Guardian Angels, founded by Curtis Sliwa in the 1980's, first in NYC and now worldwide (Guardian Angels exercise their right to make citizen's arrests when they witness crimes in progress). This group realized the existing threat to any subway rider's safety, and took matters into their own hands. Why hasn't someone started the "Homeland Angels," an organization to screen all potential terrorists in this country? What if a student wrote about what he is doing now, in his own life, as a committed leader, versus something that should be done like a good idea or a concept? Would this make the difference, similar to a committed action, and similar to an experience of impacting a very real and serious situation in life? Our learned resignation is not a condition of a single person, or a single institution, or a single people, but rather a human condition in modernity. To decide to "step up to the challenge" means not merely the situation in the Middle East, or NYC at ground zero, but the depth of our learned resignation, that is common to each of us and all of us. This era is ripe with opportunities to make a difference, not because I said so, but because you know it - from deep within your self. Where did we learn to be resigned, what are we afraid of, and now what are we going to do about it? I have applied to teach a course entitled, "The LeadershipChallenge" at the experimental college. This is my personal answer. What is yours? Henry G. Brzycki is President of The Center for Contextual Leadership and the Brzycki Consulting Group in Burlington Massachusetts.

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Jordan wows crowd with 41 points in preseason game

August 31

Michael Jordan has temporarily silenced his comeback critics - at least those who said he had lost a step. Jordan officially returned to his old form on Saturday in a preseason game against the New Jersey Nets, as he erupted for 41-points in the Washington Wizards' 102-95 loss in front of a sellout crowd at home. And in typical Jordan fashion, the five-time MVP and six-time NBA Champion also incited a third quarter Wizards' surge that nearly brought his team to a come-from-behind victory. With Washington down by 18 early in the third, Jordan caught fire, scoring 16 Wizards' 20 points over a five-minute stretch. During the run, he shot six for six from the field, including back-to-back three pointers and his first dunk since he announced his second return to the NBA earlier this month. When Wizards coach Doug Collins gave Jordan a much-needed rest with 5:36 to play in the quarter, the Nets lead had been whittled down to just two points. For the game, Jordan shot 15 of 24 from the field, 9 of 11 from the line, and 2 for 2 from three-point land in 33 minutes of action. The beefed up version of Jordan (now a thicker 216 lbs.), starting in the small forward spot instead of his trademark shooting guard position, also grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists - including a textbook no-look pass to Courtney Alexander. But what the box score does not reveal is that the Wizards struggled to maintain a high level of play with Jordan on the bench. With Jordan in the game, the Wizards outscored the Nets by 16 points; with him on the bench, New Jersey held a 23-point advantage. When number 23 checked back into the game one minute into the fourth quarter, the Nets had turned the tables in the six minute Jordan absence and built their lead back up to 17. Not surprisingly then, Jordan promptly took matters into his own hands in the final quarter, scoring ten of his team's 27 points and bringing the hosts back to within two points with 1:19 to play. There would be no last minute magic, though. With the Nets up four, it was Wizard Tyronn Lue who took the shot instead of Jordan, which resulted in a badly missed three pointer. New Jersey's Brandon Armstrong then put the nail in the coffin with a three pointer of his own to make it 100-95 with 36 seconds to go. Collins then took Jordan out of the game, and the Wizards fell to 1-3. So although his individual talent remains firmly intact, the question remains as to whether or not Jordan can lead a new franchise into the NBA hierarchy. The challenge will officially begin next Tuesday, when the Wizards open their season against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

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Study shows that students drink less than perceived

August 31

A May 2001 study of alcohol use at Tufts shows that although four out of five students drink, most overestimate the amount of alcohol their peers consume. The survey, which was conducted by Tufts' community health program, was part of a "social norms" campaign to inform students about how much other students really drink. "In general, Tufts students are like [those at] many other campuses," said Charlene Galarneau, a lecturer from the community health program. She went on to say that overall alcohol use on campus is consistent with statistics for similar-sized schools, where drinking is neither unusually light nor heavy. At larger universities, she said, heavier drinking tends to occur more frequently. The survey did find, however, that a significant number of the students - close to 16 percent - typically consumed six or more drinks at one time, which is characteristic of alcohol dependency. The study compiled students' drinking habits through written surveys, group discussions, and one-on-one interviews. The researchers also focused on first-year student's perceptions of drinking. "The first-year drinking experience in many ways is different from other drinking," Galarneau said. "When students first come to campus, they bring a lot of expectations about drinking." But these expectations often turn out to be false, Galarneau said. The study found that Tufts students, like their counterparts around the nation, have an exaggerated idea of the amount of drinking their peers do."I think to a certain extent, [students] think it's cool to drink a lot," said Steve Metzger, a senior and one of the student researchers. As a result, most students think their peers drink more than is typically the case. In fact, the study found that 19 percent of students do not drink alcohol at all, a statistic that surprised junior Viola Manteufel, another student researcher. "That's a lot bigger than I had expected," she said, "and I think other students would be skeptical of it. But that's what we found."Manteufel pointed out that students may perceive heavy alcohol use among their peers because they are more likely to remember frequent drinkers than nondrinkers. "The people who do use alcohol are so visible," she reasoned. "It's easy to find the drunk people, but it's harder to find the people who aren't drunk."Although many see fraternities as hotspots for freshmen who want to drink, the study found that drinking often occurs elsewhere."It was... significant to validate the theory that students are drinking as often in their residence hall rooms as they are at the frats," said Armand Mickune-Santos, coordinator of the alcohol health education program. The student and faculty researchers ended the study with eight recommendations which address student well-being. "[The] emphasis is on how to create an environment that is safe and healthy as opposed to a punitive approach to drinking," Galarneau said. The University's underage drinking policy was recently relaxed for students caught drinking in dorms. The new policy puts students on residential life probation, keeping them in "good standing" with the university. Last year's policy, which Dean of Students Bruce Reitman called an "aberration" in a Daily interview earlier this month, withheld good standing privileges, such as the ability to pledge fraternities and sororities. The recommendations include a social norms campaign that would correct misperceptions about student drinking; continuing research on campus alcohol use; and implementing a plan to address alcohol-related concerns on campus."Designing and implementing a social norms campaign to compliment the educational and the counseling services we now offer would work well this year," Santos said. As the only health counselor who deals with alcohol use on campus, Santos emphasized the need for others to become involved in campaigns on drinking awareness."This 'alcohol abuse drinking culture' is too significant of a problem that can only be addressed as a community effort," Santos said. "Social and non-drinkers should not have to tolerate other people's inappropriate and unwanted behaviors and attitudes." Santos recommends that Greek students in particular lead the campaign, because they are sometimes criticized for making alcohol widely available. "Fraternities spend a great deal of time defending and defining the great things they do for the community regarding campus life," he said. "Now would be a great time for fraternities to promote a lifestyle that has less emphasis on alcohol parties." The study, a result of Tufts' involvement in the Boston Coalition's Task Force on Underage & Problem Drinking and the University's own Alcohol Task Force, was sent to 45 to 50 administrators, faculty, staff, and student groups. "Now we have actual Tufts data that tells us how much Tufts drinks," Galarneau said. "It's really an at-home picture." "We hope that everyone involved with the University will pick up on this and pick up on a discussion and some sort of plan," Galarneau said.The study, released by the community health program, was conducted by department chair Edith Balbach, Galarneau, and students who took a year-long course devoted to the issue. Galarneau said she and the students examined drinking in different situations - not just binge drinking - to characterize overall alcohol use on campus.

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Piano Man visits the Hill

August 31

A few hundred lucky Tufts students were given a rare treat on Nov. 13 when music legend Billy Joel chose Tufts as one of six stops on a cross-country tour of universities. The Piano Man dazzled the Cohen Auditorium crowd with familiar tunes and selections from his new classical album, while answering questions posed by students and faculty. The purpose of the concert tour, dubbed "Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions, Answers, and a Little Music," was to give Joel small venues to expose college students to the creative process behind his music. He chose Tufts for the small size of Cohen Auditorium. Although Concert Board members expected Joel to play for 1.5-2 hours, The Entertainer graced the stage for over three hours, talking, playing, and poking fun at everyone from George W. Bush to Gilbert and Sullivan. During the show, Joel used "cheat sheets," consisting of large black binders filled with his music, to make sure he could tackle any request. Allowing students to choose the play list, Joel played tunes ranging from the lesser-known "Falling in the Rain" to his legendary "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "And So It Goes," and, of course, "Piano Man." Tickets to the concert were sold online through the student website Tuftslife.com. The 470 tickets made available to undergraduate and graduate students sold out in 44 seconds and cost $35 each. Joel's appearance cost the University $35,000, which was paid for with ticket revenue and the $15,000 allotted for the annual Fall Rap Show, which the Concert Board canceled in favor of Joel. Other stops on his college tour included Princeton University, New York University, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown.

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Jumbos end slide, rule MIT

August 31

The men's basketball team ended its two-game losing skid last night with an 84-77 overtime win over MIT. With the victory, Tufts improved its record to 4-3 on the season. The loss spoiled what had been an unblemished year for the Engineers, dropping their record to 7-1. Coming off two straight losses, and in danger of dropping below the .500 mark, the victory in what coach Bob Sheldon called a "must-win" game, was crucial. "We needed a win," Sheldon said. "We were coming in here 3-3, just lost two in a row. They were coming in here 7-0. This was pretty huge." After trading leads late in the second half, the teams found themselves tied at 70 with 1:31 left. Neither team could get a shot to fall as the clock wound down, and a three-point attempt by junior Brian Shapiro with four seconds left caromed off the rim, sending the teams into overtime knotted at 70. In overtime, the Jumbos looked inside to freshman center Craig Coupe, who scored five early points to help Tufts to a 77-72 lead with 3:30 to play. After MIT evened the score at 77 with 1:56 left, junior Kyle Van Natta put the Jumbos up for good with a layup at 1:09. A Shapiro layup with 39 seconds remaining boosted the lead to 81-77. The Engineers failed to score again, and three Jumbos free throws on desperation fouls gave Tufts the victory. The game was close in the early minutes, as the two teams traded leads, matching each other shot for shot. The MIT shooters caught fire, however, hitting 18-27 first half shots. Leading the way for MIT was freshman Adam Gibbons, who connected on 7-10 shots, scoring 18 of his game-high 29 points in the first half. The Jumbos, meanwhile, were led in the first half by junior Brian Shapiro, who had 12 points on 4-8 shooting. A Shapiro three pointer, followed by a breakaway layup, put the Jumbos up 37-34 with 3:45 remaining in the half. MIT hung close, however, and the score was knotted at 41 at 1:44. But the Jumbos were not able to muster any more offense before the break, as the Engineers effectively shut down the their perimeter game, holding the team to only eight three point attempts in the first half. An MIT three pointer sent the Engineers into halftime with a 44-41 lead. "They did a good job of taking away the three," Sheldon said. "We still scored 41 points, but we didn't get a lot of good looks." MIT struck first in the second half, increasing its lead to 46-41. That was as large as the Engineer lead would get, however, as the Jumbos looked inside to Coupe, who finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds. "In the second half we went inside to Coupe more," Sheldon said. "We did a good job adjusting." The Jumbos took their first lead of the second half with 6:44 remaining, when a three pointer by junior Mike McGlynn put Tufts up 65-63. MIT took the lead back forty seconds later, after consecutive layups gave the Engineers a 67-65 lead. The teams would knot the score at 70 and head into overtime. While they walked away with the victory, the Jumbos only had 16 three-point attempts on the night, their lowest total of the season. The limited looks at the basket from beyond the arc suggests that teams are trying to shut down Tufts' potent perimeter game. "I think teams are really going to try and take our three point shots away," Sheldon said. With the perimeter game effectively muted, the Jumbos looked inside to Coupe a great deal in the closing minutes. While it may appear that Tufts is shifting its game plan to rely less on the three point shot, Sheldon insists this is not the case. "We're just going to be more balanced now," he said. "It's part of the growing process." Next up for Tufts will be a match up against 5-3 Wheaton College. While the contest is again a non-NESCAC game, the Jumbos are nonetheless taking it seriously. "Wheaton started out a little slow, but now they've won two or three in a row," Sheldon said. "It's gonna be another battle. We're gonna work on getting more balance, maybe set up some more plays to get the ball inside to Coupe." The Jumbos face off against Wheaton on Saturday at 7pm, as the back end of a men's and women's double-header.

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Observer' to maintain funding level to chagrin of 'Source'

August 31

Despite the recent transformation from a weekly newspaper to a biweekly magazine, editors of The Tufts Observer say they do not plan to ask for a different budget this year or next. "Our production costs for this year will remain the same under the new format as they did under the old format," Observer Editor-in-Chief Mara Vatz said, adding that there would not be any short-term rearrangements of the budget either. The paper's costs might even be slightly less this year, since it did not produce issues during the initial two-week transition. The change in structure - but not funding - for the paper re-ignites a longstanding debate over the amount of money the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate budgets for campus publications. The Senate has long battled with The Primary Source over funding for the magazine, which often criticizes student government. The conservative journal has long accused the Senate of not giving it enough money. Source Editor-in-chief Sam Dangremond says that the Observer receives too much money from the Senate, and with the new format, it is wasting its money on expensive production costs. "Of course they will spend it all, having full color, glossy covers," he said, referring to the Observer's Nov. 9 issue. The Observer and Source are now both biweekly magazines. The Observer is budgeted for $39,000 per year, $9,000 of which is paid for by advertisements, and $3,000 by subscriptions. The other $27,000 comes from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, in contrast to The Primary Source's $17,000 funding. Vatz feels that the Observer money is well spent and that its budget is just the right size. The Observer hopes to return to a weekly format in the fall of 2002, and Vatz said the extra costs will be covered by advertising revenue. The Allocations Board (ALBO) of the TCU Senate, however, could adjust the budgets for either magazine for the next academic year, but not until the first of February, according to Nikhil Abraham, the Senate's assistant treasurer. ALBO members say they will not change the Observer's funding based on its change in format. "In general, we work on a case by case basis," Senate Treasurer Benjamin Lee said. He said that the Source and the Observer's budgets should not be compared even though they are both biweekly publications. Individual costs would be more important than the format of the publications. Dangremond said that the Senate should better regulate the amount of money that goes to the different publications to ensure fairness. "They need to set a uniform production standard," he said. "There is a middle ground that the organizations should be brought to." The Source's publication costs, according to Dangremond, are much lower because they only use one color on their front cover and use cheaper paper. No allocation revisions will occur until ALBO has their meetings with the student groups on campus. "Any changes will be reflected in the budget they present," Lee said.