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Students learn the right way to beef up

August 31

If you go to the gym more to pick up hot dates for Saturday night than to actually lift weights, then Monday night's body building and weight lifting program held in the Chase gym might not have interested you. Then again, the weight training and health information session, called "The Evolution of Muscle," was designed for both the experienced lifter and the interested observer. "We tried to answer questions for students who feel frustrated at a plateau or have never tried weightlifting and want to try," said junior Franci Otting, who was a program coordinator and emcee for the event. Otting, who was a varsity swimmer for three years, is a major proponent of weightlifting. Weightlifting can increase metabolism, build muscles, or add energy and vitality to your life, making it a great approach to living a healthy life, Otting explained. "It's a natural way to get a high," she said. Organized under the auspices of the ResLife duty teams, the program "[tried] to present different opinions of the issues around weight lifting," according to Otting. "It's a way for students to have their fitness questions answered." The evening's program featured many speakers, including two Tufts athletic trainers, and a short routine from Kimmy Murch, a 31-year old competitive body builder. Murch competes at an amateur level and trains completely naturally, and she participates in an average of two shows a year. The trainers and weight-training experts were there to instruct and teach students on how to lift properly so as to achieve results and avoid injury. Dr. Tim Donovan, a local chiropractor, related his own first experiences with the weight room and showed how proper technique is the key to success. "I did it incorrectly because I learned from somebody who did it incorrectly," Donovan said. The doctor emphasized posture by waddling around the stage, hunched over with neck craned and shoulders slouched."Exercise is not what hurts you. It's you doing the exercise that hurts you," Donovan said. The importance of stretching and the mental aspect of lifting were discussed during the session. Perhaps the most crucial aspect brought up, however, is to avoid overtraining. "How many of you lift to impress the person on the stair master next to you?" Donovan asked the crowd of guilty smiles. "Typically what you worry about it what you can see. Do you look at your rhomboids? No!" Donovan said. A common mistake among lifters is to work the same muscles over and over, which causes long term strain and muscle imbalance. The tiny, stabilizer muscles in our body are just as important as the bigger ones. Donovan challenged lifters to use concentric contractions and eccentric contractions equally, meaning that for every push there is a pull. In her first year as a Tufts athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach, Pat Cordeiro spoke about the nutritional aspects of weight training. She challenged the group to eat healthily and showed how to do so by diagramming the traditional food pyramid with slight alterations for a new, large category at the base for water. Cordeiro asked students to think about the noise their food makes. The sound of opening a bag of potato chips is not healthy. "If you pick up a banana, does it make any noise?" Cordeiro asked. Cordeiro emphasized that everything you need to eat healthily is located only on the outside of the grocery store: the milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and meats. "Maybe if you need a box of cereal, you can go into the aisles. But get out of there quickly," she warned. Students in attendance had different opinions about the event. Junior Bryant Coen, who has run track since his days as a freshman in high school, found the session useful and informative. "[The program] told me that some of the things I do are good, reinforced what my coach has said... and made me more aware of balance," Coen said. "I have weights. I just don't use them," said sophomore Kate Burke-Wallace, who was inspired by the presentation to start lifting. Other students had hoped for more about the sport and competition. "I expected to learn more about body building and competing," senior Ivan Padilla said. Following in the footsteps of his father who boxed, ran, and introduced him to sports, Padilla has been a serious body builder for the last four years. "Personal experience is the best tool to see what works or doesn't work," he said. As for the nutrition, "vegetables are my weakness," Padilla added. Sophomore Sonny Kathpalia, a varsity tennis player described the event like a high school gym class. "They didn't talk about anything that affect me on a personal level...it was just too broad and vague," he said. "I learned to use negatives (concentric contractions) and not so much weight," said sophomore John Burns said, An ex-football player in rehab with athletic trainer Mike Pimentel. "I'll probably incorporate some of the ideas in my workout," Burns said. "We want students to take the information most useful to them and use it," Otting said.

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News

TU professors: Take drugs out of meat

August 31

Though good for the human body, antibiotics have no place in commercial meat, according to a new study by Tufts Professor Dr. Sherwood Gorbach. Gorbach brought international attention to the use of antibiotics in the meat industry in a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) editorial last week. NEJM released three studies demonstrating that new strands of salmonella are the result of feeding healthy animals unnecessary antibiotics. Gorbach said that the overmedication of healthy animals is responsible for creating stronger strains of common diseases found in meats, such as salmonella, which cause great public health risks. Gorbach, who studied bacteria for over 30 years, says that the practice "should be eliminated from the [meat] industry." In his editorial, Gorbach called for tighter governmental controls on the use of antibiotic with cattle, hogs, and poultry. "These drugs have been banned in Europe and the time has come for us to do the same," said Gorbach, who is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) - an international organization engaged in the preservation of the power of antibiotics. Although many veterinarians say that antibiotics protect herds from virulent strains of disease, Gorbach says the process is not beneficial. "There are alternatives, as shown in Europe, after the use of these drugs was abandoned," Gorbach told the Daily. Policies enacted several years ago in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Holland, and Denmark prohibit the use of the controversial antibiotics that Gorbach says create stronger strains of bacteria. "The economic losses could be minimized and even neutralized by improvements in animal husbandry, the quality of feed, and hygiene," he wrote. The drugs are particularly dangerous, Gorbach says, because they are often administered without a veterinarian's consultation. While the practice aids animal growth and prevents infection, it also ensures that all animals get the medicine, regardless of whether they are sick. Over time, he wrote, "the use of antimicrobials in food animals selects for resistant strains and enhances their persistence in the environment." In a press release, Gorbach said that the "drug resistance in salmonella and campylobacter can increase the frequency and severity of infections with such organisms, limit treatment options, and raise health care costs." According to the FDA, there are an estimated two to four million cases of salmonella in the US each year, and the incidence of salmonellosis appears to be on the rise. According to the same report, AIDS patients are especially susceptible to salmonella, and they contract the disease at 20 times the rate of the general population. Gorbach has received support from the Union of Concerned Scientists and fellow Tufts' professor Dr. Stuart Levy, president of APUA. The pair has also received support from the World Health Organization. "This issue has been brewing for 30 years but with current papers and experts [like Gorbach] the case made by the APUA and the Science is stronger than ever," said Levy, who argues that the use of antibiotics in animals will lead to massive public health problems. "This will require government intervention, and the FDA cannot continue to ignore the results of this research," he said. The APUA will release a comprehensive announcement on their finding in December or January.

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News

New block schedule to be tested

August 31

After last semester's unsuccessful attempt to overhaul the block schedule, an ad hoc committee on scheduling has modified its initial plans and will begin testing a new timetable later this month. The plan presented to departments' scheduling coordinators (usually department chairs) proposes minor adjustments to the current block schedule. Dean of the College for Undergraduate Education Charles Inouye, who is heading up the initiative, hopes that better alignment of blocks will free up classroom space and reduce conflicts. Scheduling coordinators will test the new plan on paper by adapting existing classes and rooms to the new blocks to make sure that high-demand and required classes do not overlap. If departments decide that the proposal would work, the committee will test the new plan against students with particularly complex schedules. If the new timetable still satisfies administrators, it will be implemented in the fall of 2002 at the earliest. The current timetable incorporates extended and seminar blocks which run for more than 50 minutes and often overlap slightly with other blocks - often by just 15 minutes - and limit students' enrollment choices. If the blocks were coordinated, students would have more course options and fewer classrooms would be left unoccupied for just partial time blocks. Inouye published an open letter to the community in yesterday's Daily to explain the failure of the initial proposal and to outline the new, less ambitious plan. Originally, the administration wanted a more traditional schedule with classes held three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But this plan provided too few opportunities for classes to meet three times a week. The existing schedule provides 15 opportunities for one-hour morning classes, whereas last year's proposal only provided nine, according to Economics Chair David Garman, who has scheduled classes for seven years. Inouye said the University will also work with departments so that they use up more of the academic day to increase the course offerings available to students and make better use of classroom space. At the moment, many courses are scheduled in the late morning and afternoon, in accordance with student and faculty preferences, while few courses are available at other times. "If I could have the students use more of the day, the students would have a better choice of classes," Inouye said. In the current system, each class conflicts with an average of 65 others. Administrators also plan to enforce the current block schedule more strictly in the future. Between 200 and 250 classes are now taught during arranged time blocks. According to Associate Dean Jeanne Dillon, administrators cannot effectively use classroom space when accommodating classes outside of the block schedule. The economics department has already made accommodations. The department does not offer classes in the 5* block because it conflicts with too many other classes and makes inefficient use of classroom space.

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News

Tufts teach-in protests military action

August 31

Tufts professors, joined by students and staff, rekindled peace activism and dusted off anti-war slogans not seen since the Vietnam War to preach against military action during a teach-in last Friday.Twenty-five students, staff, and faculty gathered in the Crane Room, where speakers urged attendees to consider the motivations of the terrorist who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon before the US carries out a violent response.Violence in Afghanistan, philosophy Professor Erin Kelly said, would be tantamount to terrorist strikes in major cities, causing mostly civilian casualties, because Afghanistan lacks a targetable military infrastructure.Japanese history professor Gary Leupp, who organized the teach-in, began the rally with a historical account of American involvement in Afghanistan. "We can't view these attacks in isolation," he said. "We need to get to the topic of imperialism."Joe Ramsey, a graduate student in English and one of a handful of students to speak at the event, said the targets of the attacks provide insight into the terrorists' mindset. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon symbolize America's economic and military might, he said, but Americans have been misled to believe that the attacks represented an assault on the nation's heart.Steven Marrone, who lectures in Medieval and early modern European history, said the nation should create a more benevolent image. "We need to focus on changing the wretched lives of many people around the world," he said. "I don't have a lot of confidence in the government of the US to take action that is both fair and effective."Marrone proposed a criminal investigation to find the people responsible for the attacks. He said the US can only prevent future terrorism by improving diplomatic and economic relationships with countries that historically harbor resentment.But attendees could not come up with many concrete and timely solutions to the terrorist problem."What can we do?" one student asked. "I'm honestly not sure." The student said the current situation was governed by a "playground mentality," as in "if you hit me, I'll hit you back."A lack of awareness may limit alternative solutions. Anthropology Professor Rosalind Shaw said that Americans are not educated about all possible responses because the media has not presented the options. "We shouldn't fall into the either-or trap," she said. Leupp and other attendees left the three-hour teach-in early for Saturday's anti-war protest in Washington, DC.According The Washington Post, the protest drew 7,000 people, but some organizers put the figure closer to 25,000. Most of the protestors originally planned to march against globalization outside World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which were canceled after the attacks.Activists in caravans came from as far as California and Oregon to attend the protest, the largest since the attacks. The event developed into a largely peaceful display against military retaliation, marred by a few scuffles and three arrests during one of the day's two downtown marches. Eight more people were arrested at DC General Hospital in a related protest. The protestors and participants of Friday's teach-in are among a national minority that opposes military action. According to a New York Times/CBS New Poll released last Tuesday, 83 percent of Americans favor going to war with a country that harbors those responsible for the attacks, "even if that means thousands of casualties for the nation's armed forces."But the protestors represent a growing national sentiment that the US government should withhold response until it is certain who is responsible for the attacks. English Professor Lynn Stevens wanted to expose the students in her international freshman writing class to that sentiment when she took them to the rally. "I wanted my students to see another point of view," she said.Her class, filled with students considering the international relations major, is studying argument and persuasion by examining newspaper editorials that support or denounce the government's response. "There are other ways we do things in this country," she said. "[The international students] are brand new to this country and not sure who to trust."

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News

Provost Gittleman to step down at end of year

August 31

Marking another step in his 37-year relationship with the University, Provost Sol Gittleman announced yesterday that he will step down from his post and asked President Larry Bacow to begin a national search for a new chief academic officer. After serving as the second-highest University official for 21 years, Gittleman will continue teaching at Tufts but plans to split his time between his grandchildren, visiting baseball parks, and writing a book. "As long as I'm at Tufts, I'll be teaching," he told the Daily last night following the announcement. Gittleman will live in the provost's official residence on Professors Row through next year and has no plans to sell his home in Winchester. His wife, Experimental College Dean Robyn Gittleman, will remain in her post, he said. When former President John DiBiaggio resigned, Gittleman, possibly the longest serving provost in American higher education, said he would serve as long as the new president wished. But as Tufts celebrates its 150th anniversary, Gittleman says he has made his impact on the University. "I feel particularly privileged to have served at a time when the faculty, student body, and those who help administer this University have made an enormous impact on the quality of the academic enterprise," Gittleman said in a University press release. "We've never been in a stronger position and we have a new president who fully appreciates Tufts and its people." In his official statement, Bacow lauded Gittleman's service to Tufts. "Sol is the heart and soul of this University," Bacow said. "He has always personified all that is great about Tufts: a passion for students, a commitment to the scholarly enterprise, and a deep-seeded concern for people. Like students and young faculty before me, I have found him to be a wonderful mentor." Beyond academics, Gittleman's love of baseball has spanned his life. The man who once tried out for the Baltimore Orioles is now a card-carrying member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Recently, Gittleman took his passion for the sport into the classroom, creating a freshman writing seminar about baseball's influence in the 20th century. As a young man from Hoboken, NJ, Gittleman attended Drew University to "play shortstop" and says his academic career began as an "accident," when his college baseball coach, a German professor, convinced him to major in German. Gittleman earned a master's degree from Columbia University in comparative literature and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where his wife was pursuing her undergraduate degree. He first worked as a professor teaching German in 1962 at Mount Holyoke College. Upon leaving Michigan, Gittleman said he would have worked at any college far enough from his parents to avoid regular weekend visits but close enough to allow for an easy drive to dinner. But "Mount Holyoke College was too small and in the middle of nowhere," he says, so it was an easy decision to accept Tufts' offer of employment in 1964. Gittleman came to the University as an associate German professor and moved into a faculty apartment on 166 Curtis St. with his wife and children. At the time, he had no definite plans for his future, but within two years, the 32-year-old was given tenure and asked to chair the German department. When then-President Jean Meyer asked him to become provost in 1981, Gittleman took the job, though he "didn't know what the heck a provost was," as he said in a 1996 Daily interview. His sole reservation: Gittleman stipulated that he would only take the job if he could continue teaching, saying he would lose the faculty's respect if he abandoned his commitment to classroom education. "Once you become an administrator you're automatically the enemy, that's why I never stopped teaching," he said. "You have to be seen on the campus carrying books." Overseeing Tufts' seven schools is a complicated task, Gittleman said yesterday: "It's the incompetent leading the ungovernable," he said. "What do we know about administration?" But after decades of experience, he described his central ability as being able to work well with doctors, dentists, veterinarians, and professors of the humanities. "I could get along with people and that was the only great skill you needed to have," he said. His courses, including the freshman writing seminar, Yiddish literature, and German language classes have been popular with students across generations, but the veteran educator and orator says he is not always a confident lecturer. "I've still got to go to the bathroom before every class," he said. "You're as good as the last class you taught. The fear of failure is the greatest motivator of any teacher." Next semester, Gittleman will teach his Yiddish Literature course. In the fall, he plans to offer the baseball seminar, again limited to a small number of freshmen. Gittleman has served under three University presidents, written more than 4,000 student recommendation letters, won two Fulbright scholarships, and received two honorary doctorate degrees in humane letters. He was designated "professor of the year" by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He says he is leaving Tufts in capable hands and that he is not concerned with his replacement, who will likely be chosen by the end of the academic year. Calling Bacow his "best dream come true," Tufts' 67-year old provost said he is ready to return to the role of full-time educator. "Having seen who he is and how he has comported himself made it very easy," he said. In the press release, the chairman of Tufts' Board of Trustees, Nathan Gantcher, said that Gittleman will continue to be important to the Tufts community. "He's played a major role in building our academic and research strengths, and we're fortunate he'll also continue to be an outstanding teacher here as well," he said.

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News

Travel plans changing in wake of attacks

August 31

On Saturday, sophomore Emily Good's sister got married in Valera, Venezuela. But Good wasn't among those in attendance - she was stranded in Medford, her evening flight to South America having been canceled after Logan Airport shut down. "I began to worry on Tuesday, but still thought I'd make it one way or another. I woke up at 5 [a.m.] on Thursday to make a few desperate phone calls to airlines, then gave up," Good said. Had Good been able to take a flight, she would have encountered new safety procedures and a greater security presence at Logan. Even with the airport's reopening, business has not proceeded as usual. Just 200 passengers boarded morning flights on Saturday, a mere fraction of the usual number of patrons. Those that showed up found themselves subject added safety measures, including a larger group of US marshals, armed state police, and border patrol officials. Once past security checkpoints, passengers were still subject to searches and requests for identification. Curbside check-in is no longer an option. And some airlines have replaced their metal cutlery with plastic, and passengers carrying items such as nail files, scissors, or pocketknives are not permitted to board. Police continuously search airport ramps, crawl spaces, and construction areas. All airlines at Logan have submitted letters to Massport, the director of Logan, guaranteeing they are complying with FAA regulations. Despite the added procedures, travelers have generally put up with long waits and cancelled flights as airlines step up their safeguards in response to Tuesday's attacks. "There will be some inconveniences, but safety will be the first element of our system to be restored," Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta said in a statement released by the White House earlier this week. Good could sense the burden of added responsibilities on airport officials when she called to inquire about changing her flight reservation. "They were helpful, but understandably busy. They're giving me a refund," she said. Until late Thursday, Good's family still thought she might find her way home. "They had heard that the airports opened up on Thursday and figured I could get a flight out of another airport. They're very disappointed that I'm stuck here, since they made some special arrangements to enable me to come," she said. Good is not the only student to have her weekend plans significantly altered. Sophomore Wendy Carman was set to travel to Las Vegas last Thursday to attend a conference for Cutco, a cutlery company she works for. "First [the airline] said my flight had been cancelled, and then the airport was still closed," Carman said. Travel plans were so disrupted by airport closings that the conference Carman feared she'd miss was eventually cancelled. "Obviously I felt horrible about what happened in New York, but it really was frustrating to not be able to go to something I had been looking forward to since June," Carman said. Some have sought different means of travel both due to a newfound fear of flying and a desire to avoid the chaos of reopened airports. Amtrak has stepped up to the challenge by expanding its services during the crisis. Unlike the nation's airports, many of which remain eerily deserted, Amtrak has been flooded with travelers who do not want to fly in the wake of Tuesday's attacks. Ticket sales are approximately 50 percent greater than average for this time of the year. Long-distance trains have seen the greatest increase in ticket sales; most of them were sold out this past Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, Amtrak is accepting airline tickets as payment for similar-destination train tickets, according to the company's website. The Greyhound Bus Company is also up and running, even in New York City's Port Authority station. Regular schedules have been restored, and according to one Greyhound employee there may be additional busses leaving from the Boston area. In the meantime, Greyhound is not accepting reservations and is requiring passengers to arrive at least one hour prior to their scheduled departure. Regardless, the bus company has become inundated with desperate travelers. A call to the Boston Greyhound station yields an automated message: "Due to extreme call volumes, we are unable to transfer your call to a customer service representative." Junior Diana Fischmann considered taking advantage of ground transportation in order to get to her home in Allentown, PA for Rosh Hashanah. "I considered taking a train instead [of flying], but it would end up being a six-hour trip for me each way without even taking into account the time it would take for me to get to and from the station. Since I am missing so much class already, it really didn't make sense for such a trip," Fischmann said. Fischmann was supposed to depart Logan for Philadelphia today in order to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with her family, but she is anxious about flying so soon after the terrorist attacks. "I have always been a little nervous about flying, but after Tuesday's events I am much more nervous. It scares me how unprepared we were for this, and how it could potentially happen again anytime," Fischmann said. Fischmann is just one of many travelers who chose to forgo seeing their families for the Jewish New Year. Logan saw a dramatic decline in the number of travelers this past weekend. By Saturday night, only a quarter of the typical number of flights had actually departed the airport. The planes that did leave were only filled to about 40 percent of capacity; pre-Rosh Hashanah planes are traditionally fully booked. Cancelled travel plans do not mean trouble for passengers alone; this week the country's major airlines cut back service in order to avoid bankruptcy. American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Continental Airlines all reduced their flying schedules by 20 percent in the aftermath of the attacks. In a desperate measure to cut costs, Continental Airlines let 12,000 employees go this week. Some experts say that unless the government can assist in subsidizing airlines, some major carriers will go out of business entirely. Financial analysts report that since Tuesday, the airline industry has been losing hundreds of millions of dollars each day. Tufts students differ with respect to how much Tuesday's events have impacted their thoughts about air travel. Sophomore Jamila Powell now feels a sadness and anxiety when considering whether or not she will fly. "My dad lost his friend. It's really hard for me to contemplate going to airports now," Powell said. "Nothing is ever 100 percent secure." Freshman Stefanie Croyle has always felt some anxiety about flying, but says those feelings were intensified by the terrorist attacks. "I get nervous on planes anyway, and I fly a lot. Even though I know it'll be safer, just knowing what happened will make me nervous," Croyle said. Sophomore Jessica Tubman is also wary of flying, especially this week. "Being that we're preparing for war, it's not the best idea to put yourself in that situation if it's unnecessary," Tubman said. Mental health experts say that the number of Americans who experience fear of flying is likely to grow based on second-hand reactions to the hijackings. Prior to last Tuesday, approximately one out of three Americans suffered from fear of flying, according to CNN. Some believe that increased security procedures will alleviate some anxiety and that relaxation exercises can also help. Still, some students feel that with the new airport security regulations, flying is more secure than ever. Though some wonder why it took airlines this long to implement stringent safety procedures, they feel that flying remains the most efficient mode of transportation and one that they will continue to use. "I think the statistics are still that flying is safer than driving," sophomore JR Urbon said. "But I can absolutely see why someone would be nervous; it's pretty scary what happened." "I think it's safest now, when they're expecting the worst," sophomore Joe Ungerleider said. The national chaos generated by last week's airport closings has as many personal implications as economic or logistical ones. Like Good, many Americans feel increasingly alone, separated from their families in time of need. "I feel very far away from them... I'm very sad that I can't be with them," Good said.

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News

EPIIC adapts program in aftermath of Sept. 11 attacks

August 31

Many classes across the University have adapted their curriculum to incorporate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks into their courses, including the Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) program, which strives to achieve global unity. In fact, EPIIC Director Sherman Teichman said the current tumult is reminiscent of events similar to those which compelled him to start up the program 17 years ago. Teichman created EPIIC after members of the Islamic Jihad hijacked Flight 847 in 1985. "Seventeen years ago, we began to unpack the complexities and allow students to understand the difference between terrorism, which has to be rooted out and destroyed, and political violence, which has other solutions," he said. After a politically-charged first month of school, EPIIC has begun a year aimed at addressing "Global Inequalities." The academic colloquium, led by Teichman and assistant director Heather Barry, holds several events throughout the year, such as its international symposium, and runs a work-intensive year-long course. "The course will address issues of inequity and inequality," Teichman said. "It will attempt to disentangle the complexities of global stratifications and hierarchy that reflect the power of the world, such as race and class." The program's focus was slightly redirected after the terrorist strikes to address the current political climate. EPIIC hopes to "distinguish terror from political violence," Teichman said. "What we're trying to do now is profoundly important to me." Students apply to and enroll in EPIIC at the start of each semester. This fall, EPIIC saw an increase in the number of applicants to the program - between 80 and 90 students applied this fall. According to Barry, EPIIC usually receives an estimated 50 applications. To limit class size, EPIIC decided for the first time to enroll only undergraduate applicants and not graduate students. The number of admitted students also rose this year, and 38 undergraduates were selected for the program instead of 25 to 30. The admission process included a written application and an interview with Teichman and Barry. "We try to take a spectrum of students, from freshmen to seniors, and comprise a class at least one-half international students," Teichman said. "We attempt a very broad-spectrum class representing all different faiths, creeds, beliefs." This year's class includes students from Germany, South Africa, Argentina, Malaysia, and Nigeria, among others. Participating students and EPIIC staff are preparing for the annual symposium, scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 3, 2002. Each year, international practitioners, activists, academics, and journalists participate for panel and workshop discussions. EPIIC consults with advisors and students to choose a topic that responds to current events. Teichman described the yearly topics as "conundrum issues." The program includes international research and internship opportunities, an interactive academic program for high school students called Inquiry, as well as multiple public service initiatives. Each EPIIC participant is required to serve on committees make decisions and preparations for the year's events. "Some colleagues have committed in principle to participating in the symposium, should the students choose to invite them," Teichman said. "But they won't be formally invited until the students choose how they want the symposium to run." Two weeks ago, EPIIC participants and faculty traveled to Saint George, MA, for the annual Outward Bound retreat. This year's "weekend immersion," included both academic and team-building exercises. "We really got a chance to get to know each other well and learn how to work in a team," freshman participant Jordana Timerman said. "We also discussed a lot of what we are studying."

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News

Islam; A Religoun of Peace

August 31

@j:muslim

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News

A new way of thinking

August 31

Tufts is a Division III school whose sports program will never rival Division I powerhouses like Duke, Michigan, or Florida State no matter how much some of us would like it to. Let's face it, if you wanted to paint your face and go crazy for every basketball game, you went to the wrong school. There are Cameron Crazies, but there may never be Medford Maniacs. That doesn't mean we can't push our sports teams to build, though. Sports may always take a backseat at Tufts, but that doesn't mean we can't expect our Athletic Department to strive to put the best teams on the courts and make the fields as professional as possible. It's with this attitude that a new column is born. Every week, this space will be dedicated to telling you the things the Athletic Department, the coaches, the players, and the Administration are doing right and those things that they are doing wrong. If a coach makes a great call, or the Athletic Department puts its funds into worthless programs, it will be printed here. This column is a first of its kind - one dedicated solely to Tufts sports. And don't think that there isn't enough to talk about. Despite the fact that the Daily covers Tufts sports every day of the week, there are issues and decisions that we may write about but not comment on. That changes now. Athletics at Tufts affects everyone. It's not just about the football or sailing teams. Varsity sports is just one aspect of the Athletic Department, and while these sports get the most coverage, they're not the only things that impact us as students. The Athletic Department is also in charge of club and intramural sports, though they get much less recognition. Throw in health and fitness issues, and now athletics at Tufts includes almost everyone. These columns, like regular coverage in the Daily, will neither tear apart nor cheerlead for sports at Tufts. Tearing them down is unfair to the athletes that are competing merely for the love of the game, and cheerleading is the job of the Athletic Department. Rather, it is a tool to question decisions the Athletic Department makes. I do not intend to dump on players or coaches for moves made in games. Rather, this is meant to analyze events that occurred in big games. For too long, the Athletic Department has had the freedom to act without scrutiny. Unlike the Senate or the administration, whose every moves are dissected to their fibers, the decision-makers in the sports world at Tufts have had free reign. This is not to say they've done a poor job; on the contrary, given the limited budget and attention it receives, the Athletic Department works hard to produce a quality product. However, it is time that certain actions are commented upon. In the coming weeks, this column will discuss the job security of Tufts coaches, the lack of investment in intramural sports, and the new basketball court. In some way, these and other actions of the Athletic Department play a role, albeit a small one, in the grand scheme of things, in our campus lives. Maybe you're a Tufts athlete who can't schedule classes because of practice. Maybe you like to work out but can't get machines because the gym's too busy. Maybe you play intramural basketball like me and get fed up of playing only six, disorganized, referee-less regular season games. Either way, the decisions coming down from the Athletic Department affect you, which means that this column will as well. And if I'm promising a column that affects you, it also means I want to hear from you. I don't pretend to know everything that is going on in the Athletic Department. If you have problems, compliments, or thoughts on any matter relating to sports at Tufts, send an email to jonjapha@hotmail.com. This is now your easiest way to get a matter heard and discussed. This column is neither radical nor negative. Instead it is necessary and questioning. The Athletic Department needs someone to question the decisions it makes. It needs someone to ask questions, to analyze actions, and start a debate. Finally, the Athletic Department needs a compliment when one is due. Tufts sports are often times competitive, and almost always exciting, both commendable feats given the lack of funds and interest. So what do I hope to accomplish by writing this? It's neither commendation nor notoriety. I know that there are problems in the world of Tufts sports that need to be fixed. I am not na??ve enough to believe that one column can do all the fixing. Rather, I hope that this column presents the debate to you. That's when the mending of problems can begin. I'll miss some issues occasionally, but hopefully, every week you'll be able to find something in this space that makes you think twice about what's happening in the sports closest to home. We may never cheer for our teams during March Madness or the Orange Bowl, but that doesn't mean we can't expect greatness. Most of us here are either sports fans, athletes, interested in fitness, or a combination of the three, and we deserve to know what Tufts is doing to cater to those needs. From now on, we will.

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News

Secure, Web-based e-mail coming to Tufts

August 31

A July 1 upgrade to Tufts' e-mail system left hundreds of students unable to check their e-mail this summer when the University stopped accepting connections from the popular yet insecure Telnet program. When complete, the enhancements will provide convenient, Web-based access to Tufts e-mail and safeguard the network from hackers. Telnet connections opened from public terminals left the network vulnerable to daily attacks from computer hackers, according to Information Technology Support Services Director Dan Weir, who said that Tufts is one of the last schools in the country to make the switch. Though Tufts has historically experienced fewer security breaches than other Universities, problems arose in the last six months, compelling Tufts Computer and Communication Services (TCCS) to expedite the improvement of Tufts' outdated systems. "This is a big concern in higher education, where networks are very vulnerable and hackers know it," Weir said. When students attempted to use insecure telnet to access their e-mail this summer, they received a message explaining the change and were instructed to download the more secure program. But some students found the information confusing and gave up trying to check their accounts. "I had no idea what was wrong," said senior Heather Barondess. "I had to call cross country three times to get a password and figure out how to get online. It was a little bit frustrating and confusing." Weir said he had not realized that the information was unclear until puzzled students flooded his office with phone calls. TCCS then changed the website to better inform students of the new system. "We understand it was a frustrating situation, in part because the original Web page wasn't clear enough," Weir said. "As soon as we went live, a number of students called and said it wasn't clear, and if anyone had any difficulty at all [and] they notified us right away, they were fixed within 24 hours." TCCS has also begun a long-awaited transition from the Emerald e-mail system to a more sophisticated service called Coral. The change hinder hacker activity and protect the network from computer viruses. When the switch to Coral is complete, students will once again be able to access their e-mail securely from any computer on the Web. Once complete, Tufts' system will resemble popular e-mail programs such as Yahoo! and Hotmail. Freshmen have already been given the new Coral e-mail accounts and TCCS will eventually switch current sophomores and juniors to the new system. Tufts' other campuses began implementing Coral last year, a transition that TCCS says may change students' e-mail addresses. Coral server addresses are formatted firstname.lastname@tufts.edu. If e-mail addresses are changed, there is a possibility that e-mail sent to the old address would still be delivered to the new one. "I believe [students] will have to change e-mail addresses," Weir said. "But they're actually getting a better e-mail server in total." Weir said TCCS has not made the change until now because Tufts is not targeted by hackers as frequently as schools like MIT. For every one attack that the Tufts system receives, MIT experiences about ten. "Telnet connections were discontinued simply because they are insecure," said Rebecca Voris, a technical support specialist for TCCS. "When you connect to a service such as Emerald, your name and password are sent in clear text. Anyone can eavesdrop." TCCS administrators say they discontinued Telnet during the summer because it would be less disruptive. Defending their decision, TCCS officials said they had thought that students would not rely on e-mail as much over the summer. But after hearing student complaints, TCCS plans to give advanced notice of future changes. The software did not allow for a grace period during the Coral change, which made a gradual switch impossible. TCCS did, however, create extra TuftsConnect CDs loaded with the new software in anticipation of the increased demand. "We did have the software available on the CD and internally for download for quite some time, but switching off insecure Telnet on University systems is an all-or-nothing process," Voris said. Weir said that the upcoming transition to coral will run more smoothly and that TCCS is already making plans to inform the student body ahead of time. "We will be sending individual e-mails to the students," Weir said. "We notified the schools that the change was coming," he said. "We will make sure students receive an e-mail and there will be better communication."

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News

Actions speek louder than words

August 31

Dear President Bacow, I appreciate deeply the amount of effort you have put into the custodial issues plaguing Tufts since long before you came here. You were not here in 1994 and 1997 and cannot be held accountable for the past administrative blunders that have proved Tufts a merciless and disgusting employer to the more racially, ethnically, economically varied constituency that makes up labor on this campus. For this I can only say, and I think we agree, that our past needs to change and that together we're attempting to solve this problem, so that you can start your tenure here at OUR university with a not only shining, benevolent, economically intelligent, but moral record. We have met many times over this issue, finally culminating in your statement of purpose, printed in last Friday's Tufts Daily. Since you gave me a version early and appeared to request my opinion concerning it, I shall proceed to do so with honesty and brevity for the sake of our continued communication and both of our time constraints. I am tired of having numerous meetings with you and other administrators bent on placating us and waiting us out. It will not work, and just as I'm sure you do not fall for my soft words, nor do I fall for yours. You keep asking the students to "trust" the administration, but how can we do so when after 1,500 supportive signatures, several rallies and teach-ins, expressive support from publicly elected officials, numerous Viewpoints and news articles, public demonstrations during parents weekend in which hundreds of parents signed support, visual display presentations, faculty petitions, supportive phone-calls, and numerous meetings with all types of administrators, OneSource, and dozens with the workers later, we see from you in actuality nothing but vague, simplistic, and polarizing words? Your statement assures nothing in terms of decent treatment to the workers on our campus and who are part of our community. I feel it is a blatant attempt at circumventing the issue, constructing the administration as currently powerless when we both know for a fact that this is not true. It also seeks to target the weak points of students and faculty, talking about tuition hikes and faculty salary cuts etc. when once again we both know that it does not need to come from there. And even if it does for example need to come at the expense of rising student tuition (which does so enormously every year) you forget to mention that it would be an increase of $37 a year per student, barely anything, and I and many other students are willing to pay in order to be part of a respectful diverse community. I've talked to faculty and they too have said the cuts in their pay would be so marginally incremental that they would not be adverse to it. Yet time and time again you specifically coach it as a drastic altercation in these fields, even if it must come from one of them, which as a matter of fact, it does not need to since over the past few months there have been numerous examples of wasted finances pointed out to you that have nothing to do with these priorities. Also, you repeatedly insinuate that the kind of money needed to treat our workers right is too massive for our budget to manage. The money we are talking about for increased decent wages and family health insurance and sick days is only .007 percent of our annual budget (not even endowment). These are tough times and I understand the economic instability of this university. I spent my freshman year telefunding to raise our endowment and fully understand the economic constraints we suffer under. But even with this full realization, the legitimacy of our concerns needs to be addressed in more than just politically savvy words that say and produce nothing. We are fully committed to this issue and will not be waited-out or appeased with pretty words. Actions speak louder than words and we have seen absolutely no action so far. We want to trust you, and will do so as soon as you prove that our trust is not displaced and make an honest concrete effort to remedy the situation of poor labor standards on this campus. Lest I need to remind you, and your statement happens to forget, these are people, human beings, with dignity and lives and families. These are wonderful people you won't even go to a meeting to talk to. They are not numbers, they are not theory. They are people who work for you on this campus through the contractor OneSource that you ultimately control and draw up contract with. Custodians are not temporary work here either. They will be needed and are intricate in our university's functioning forever. I'm afraid to say that I am sad today. I will never understand why I see people and the administration does not. It treats the custodians like invisible beings, like dirt. There's something wrong with the world today... look all around. People do not care about or even think about other people. The administration may feel that they are covering their "ethical" standards by sitting back and waiting years for the next contract to come up, leaving workers in suspense for yet more of their lives. I do not feel like those are my ethics or the ethics of the 1,500 signatures we got from Tufts students, faculty, staff, and parents. I can't go to bed feeling ok with myself until I tokenly improve the labor conditions on this campus in June 2003 (maybe we still have no written assurance pertaining to particularities even in this), I don't know why others can. For a final time I implore you to take this issue seriously and do something about it - something serious. You have expressed moral and ethical standards and I can only pray that you do follow through on them more concretely than this statement in the future. I don't know what else to say except that I am being honest in saying, and though I solely write this Viewpoint and would never speak on behalf of others without their permission, I feel I can safely say on behalf of many, we can't and won't understand why respect of humanity is falling by the curb-side for .007 percent of our annual budget. It is truly depressing and I'm sure it saddens you just as much as it does so me. Iris Halpern is a senior majoring in women's studies and English. She is a student leader of SLAM.

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News

Mets salute fallen heroes

August 31

With a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last night, the New York Mets upped their record to 74-73. The last time the Mets were above .500? April 5, when they stood at 2-1. The resurgence has done more than get the Mets back on track - it's plunged them into a pennant race and forced New Yorkers to conjure up long-since abandoned hope. New York trails the Atlanta Braves by just five games, with 15 contests remaining in the season. Six of those games come against Atlanta, meaning the Mets have a difficult road ahead. But each win over Atlanta would move the Mets a whole game up in the standings. After falling 14 games under .500 on Aug. 17, the Mets have gone on a remarkable 20-5 stretch, culminating in last night's 9-2 win over the Pirates. Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza homered for the second straight night. The Mets have won eight consecutive series, and while they had been playing inspired ball before last week's tragedy, it seems that the team is even more focused this week - wanting to give New Yorkers something to cheer about. In order to honor the heroes who risked or lost their lives trying to rescue those stuck in the World Trade Center, the Mets have worn hats with the NYPD, NYFD, and EMT insignias. The Mets will get their first crack at the Braves this Friday night, when they come to town for the first game in front of New York fans since the tragedy. The atmosphere inside Shea Stadium, which has been used as a staging area for rescue workers over the past week, should rouse emotions. While the Mets paid tribute to victims with their hats, Major League Baseball is also showing its support t stitching an American flag on the back of each player's jersey. After Tuesday night's dramatic 9-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals jumped atop the NL Wild Card leader board. Four teams - the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies - are within four games of the Cards. The divisional races are just as tight, as none of the three divisional leaders - the Braves, the Houston Astros, and the Arizona Diamondbacks - have more than a 4 1-2 game advantage over the second place team. Just as the Cardinals are trying to wrap up the Wild Card, their best player - 21-year-old Albert Pujols - is looking to complete the greatest season ever by an NL rookie. After 144 games, Pujols' statistics are shocking - 35 homeruns, 117 RBI's, 99 runs scored, and .336 batting average.Much has been made of the amazing "rookie" season that Ichiro Suzuki is compiling for the Seattle Mariners but Pujols' standout season should not be overshadowed. The youngster needs three more home runs to tie the NL rookie homerun record, shared by Frank Robinson and Wally Berger.Lost in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks has been Barry Bonds' pursuit of home run history. Prior to the six-day layoff, Bonds was on yet another one of his homerun tears. With 63 homeruns through 145 games, Bonds is on pace to tie Mark McGwire's 1998 record of 70. In his first game back following the mourning period, the slugger was held homerless.

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News

Former dental student held for questioning in connection with terrorist attacks

August 31

A former Tufts dental student has been detained for questioning in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to a report in the Boston Globe last week. Fayad has not personally contacted his family since the detainment, although the Egyptian Embassy in Washington has been relaying information as they learn it from the US government. "We have not been able to contact him personally. We will try to do so," said Mahmoud Zayed, head of the consular section at the Egyptian Embassy. "His family in Egypt is concerned and wants to contact [him]." Fayad is considered a material witness because authorities believe he was once the roommate of one of the hijackers, the Globe reported. Fayad reportedly studied at Tufts dental school for six months, before being dismissed. The University would not confirm that he ever was a student. The Los Angeles Times reported last week that he was being held by the FBI in New York for a possible link to the attacks in Washington and New York. But the FBI refused comment. The 33-year old Egyptian native was taken into federal custody on Sept. 17 from his home in Colton, CA and was transferred to New York for questioning. Globe reporters found the Tufts connection through documents in an Otis Street apartment in Cambridge. The documents indicate Fayad attended the dental school for a brief period in 1998 or 1999. Reports said Fayad is one of 175 people on the FBI's "watch list" of those with possible connections or relationships to the terrorists. Fayad was evicted from the Cambridge apartment after failing to pay his rent and subsequently moved to a Pleasant Street apartment in Malden. This apartment building reportedly once housed operations connected with Osama bin Laden. A former resident of the apartment, California native Raed Hijazi, is now imprisoned in Jordan after collaborating to disrupt a millenium celebration at a hotel in Amman, according to the Globe. But associations between Fayad and Hijazi are not confirmed. The Malden building's landlord told the Globe that he was surprised about Fayad's detainment and that he was a "regular guy" who often played tennis. Neighbors in Colton say that Fayad lived in California for at least the past 18 months, reported the Globe. One resident of the apartment complex told the LA Times that he "sometimes took issue with people who criticized the United States." In addition to 19 people identified as hijackers, 350 people have been detained and 400 more are sought for questioning by federal authorities. Officials a searching for members of the network which supported the hijackers, provided them with money and training as well as coordination.Investigators plan to freeze financial assets and institutions which may have been used as conduits between Mr. bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network. They are looking into 200 organizations that may have been involved. - Veronica Aguilar, Adam Blickstein, Nicolas Ferre, and Adam Pulver contributed to this article.

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News

Here's to you Mrs. Kennedy

August 31

Do you miss your mother? Has it been a while since you've been home, since you've chilled with that woman who gave you life, since you were treated to a good home-cooked meal? Well, even though Momma may be a few hundred miles away, you won't have to look very far over the next few months to find a pretty good substitute. At any given point between now and next February there will be scores, if not hundreds, of well-meaning women in their 40s and 50s feeling warm-hearted and nostalgic while visiting South Boston's John F Kennedy Library and Museum. Swing by and you're sure to get a hug or two and, maybe if you're lucky, someone will pinch your cheek. What occasion could draw so many folks from such a discrete demographic pocket? Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years, an exhibition running through Feb. 28, 2002 is a veritable cornucopia of history-heavy, nostalgic knickknacks, treasure chest treats, and musty memories. It might make your mother swoon, but for those of us born after the Bicentennial, the presentation might evoke a different emotion. Go for the interesting artifacts forever frozen into our minds from history books and television retrospectives. Witness the collision of culture and politics, borderlines, and hemlines. The expansive exhibition focuses primarily on the dresses that made Jacqueline Kennedy, the icon and the leader who, from the White House of the early '60s, led our nation out of the artistic and social shackles of the conservative '50s. A mere 31 years old when she moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kennedy used fashion and style as a signifier. This was a new world, and we would be led through it by a young politician with a thick Boston accent and an even younger woman with an affinity for the latest and finest French fashions. The exhibition uses some of her finest dresses as the mile-markers along the highway of her husband's administration. Positioned carefully on tastefully opaque mannequins eerily reminiscent of the woman herself, the dresses represent the sharpest and most creative women's fashion worn at home and abroad. But this is no simple, frenzied fashion show frozen in time, the photographers' flash bulbs long since dimmed by history. Interior designs, aged documents, sketches, photos, and video are among the accessories that bring life to the exhibition. Watch footage from her voyages to India and Mexico (she wore high heels while riding an elephant!), or examine the seating charts from the impressive cultural celebrations organized by the First Lady and wonder at so much artistic talent in one room. It is no wonder all those women fill room after room gazing upon still displays of the woman's grandeur. They admire and love her. They want to be her. The JFK Library and Museum in a majestic I.M. Pei-designed structure features a permanent exhibition about the 35th President, his life, and work. Accessible via the Red Line, the museum sits quietly near UMass Boston's campus on the southern shore offering a majestic view of the city skyline that might rival that from Tisch Library's roof. Call 1-877-616-4599 for more information.

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News

Mid-'90s techno still worth ago

August 31

Maybe it's not from your time, and it's certainly not your parents' music, but you could consider Robert Miles' Dreamland your older brother's techno. Sure, there's the cutting edge of electronic music, but the previous generation (surprise, surprise) thought of some pretty good things, too. Miles released this album in 1996, and while it's not in the same style as modern DJs and electronic artists, it deserves a spot alongside them. Whatever happens to techno in the US always seems to have happened first in Europe (making import CDs hot items here), and Robert Miles, born in Switzerland and raised in Italy, is no exception. And he did beat the American scene: when grunge had essentially died, Tupac Shakur was still alive, and the popularity of dance music hadn't been realized, Miles had already released Dreamland and found a niche audience. The single "Children" made it into the club scene and brought Miles recognition that continues even now as one of dance's most popular artists. You may not know his name, but if dance is your thing, you'll recognize "Children" right away. You like drum-and-bass? You like hardcore? That's too bad, because Dreamland will leave you out in the cold. The album's first track, "Children [Dream Version]," starts off with a rainstorm and segues into a piano introduction: not quite the furious mood many clubgoers look for. Fans of house and trance music, however - especially the gentler, less progressive sides of them - will find this album much to their liking. Moreover, the album is "gateway" techno in the sense of a "gateway" drug: it isn't intimidating and it's easy to get into. It's also easy on the bass, remarkable for a time when subtlety in dance music was not asked for. Miles may not used real instruments on Dreamland (unlike on his most recent release, Organik), but he certainly likes to make it sound like he is. The introductions, the melodies, and the musical flourishes that recur throughout all are imitative of real instruments, from the piano solo and rich strings of "Children" to the... well, piano and strings of "In My Dreams." Miles certainly has favorite sounds, but this isn't one muddy, homogenous leviathan; each track has its own distinctive air. "Children" builds slowly to lush, gentle climaxes, while "In My Dreams" focuses more on intense rhythm, quickly bringing in a faster beat.Dreamland is largely instrumental, but three of its tracks - "One and One," "Fantasya," and "Fable" - incorporate the kind of sweet and ethereal (not to mention pretentious and emotional) female voice that are a standard turn in modern techno. The vocals heard here are often long, melismatic crescendos, sometimes without any discernable words at all. It's hard to say whether Miles is better at the instrumental or the vocal tracks; the album flows through its 70-minute run without ever encouraging you to stop, despite its long and exhausting songs (most of them are over six minutes long, and "One and One" is the shortest by far at four minutes). One track may bring your energy up and pass you to the next to bring you back down. By incorporating two versions each of "Children" and "Fable," Miles returns the listener to a previous theme in the manner of a large-scale classical fugue. This isn't just a DJ mix; this is 100 percent original music, and the overall effect is wondrous. The high melodies, floating over the thick, serious beats - with punctuating sections without any background rhythm at all - give Dreamland its taste of futuristic spiritualism; picture long robes, crystals, alien landscapes, and you'll have the idea. There is a sense of soaring through wide-open skies, or of fantastic, magical adventures. That may sound unbearably cheesy for music (five-year-old techno music at that), but within the context of the album, you'll buy into it and love it. Modern techno has become so much more complex since the mid-'90s that in comparison Dreamland can sound like a simple exercise with its many realistic instruments and its happy, other-worldly feel. Writing off Robert Miles' first album, though, can't be justified. The modern sound of trance owes much to his example, but even without the historical backdrop, Dreamland deserves a place in any techno devotee's collection.

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News

UCCPS shifts focus to Omidyar Scholars

August 31

After its first full year of operation, the University College for Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) is discarding various ventures to focus on its Omidyar Scholars program. The program, which has more than doubled in size since its inception last year, will now receive more faculty attention. The changes were spurred by an internal review conducted at the end of last semester by UCCPS officials and the Omidyar Foundation, which provided the initial $10 million grant to fund the college's first five years. The Omidyar Foundation applies business practices to the nonprofit world and oversees the use of the grants it awards. "The entire focus of UCCPS is going to be shifted in the direction of Omidyar scholars," said Carey Levitt, UCCPS student development coordinator. "Last year was the first year of its existence and it was kind of spread all over the place," Levitt said. The college will now place more energy on helping the 47 Omidyar Scholars use the $4,000 community project fund they will now be granted annually to promote active citizenship and public service. "We're providing a lot more training to the group this year," said Molly Mead, director of UCCPS. The scholars, Mead said, asked the UCCPS to give them "more structure." Tufts Alumni Pierre Omidyar (LA '88) and Pamela Omidyar (LA '89) told the Daily last fall that their scholars program is an effort to find lasting solutions to community problems. "We want to make a measurable difference. In order to do that, you have to be accountable, and the people you give money to have to be accountable," Mrs. Omidyar said. Omidyar scholars spent much of last year becoming familiar with the mission and the goals of UCCPS. "Last year was a big year for us in terms of getting to understand, learning more about what the mission of UCCPS is and what exactly the definition of being an active citizen is," said sophomore Omidyar Scholar Christina Zahara. "For us, not doing a whole lot last year was the most effective thing we could do." Students on the UCCPS advisory board say it is difficult to measure the UCCPS' success. "The problem with measuring active citizenship is that there are no good indicators. That is something the staff has kind of acknowledged," said junior Brad Crotty, a UCCPS board member. "One thing that we would like to see is more student input and more student dealings with UCCPS. Unfortunately, those kind of things are going to be more limited this year," he said. While the UCCPS is reducing its programs, it expanded the Omidyar Scholars program from 21 to 47 scholars. Some scholars, however, say increasing the number of scholars could damage the program, but that Tufts must follow the advice of the Omidyar Foundation. "Keeping small numbers would help us to get things together," Zahara said. "The money that was given to UCCPS was meant to have a program in place, the UCCPS, and have it double in the second year." The UCCPS shrunk several programs to improve its mission to incorporate active citizenship into the University curriculum. The college will no longer plan events with the Office of Student Activities and has limited its involvement with the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS). Other significant cutbacks include the elimination of two courses that were offered through the Experimental College last year, one of which was the Leadership for Active Citizenship class co-taught by then-President John DiBiaggio and Dean of the UCCPS Rob Hollister. President Emeritus John DiBiaggio says he wants to teach the course this spring, but the UCCPS says it will no longer fund the high-profile speakers that have historically lectured to his students. The college has also discontinued its Task-force for the Enrichment of Academia in Citizenship and Humanity (TEACH) program, which in conjunction with the Experimental College trained students and faculty members to integrate active citizenship into the curriculum. The only class the UCCPS offers in the Ex College is "Education for Active Citizenship," taught by Lisa Boes, a doctoral candidate at Harvard. The class, which has a small enrollment, may not be offered next semester. But the UCCPS will maintain a handful of programs it began over the past year. They include a program that provides stipends for students with internships in active citizenship positions, a student advisory committee, and Education for Active Citizenship grants. In a Sept. 5 announcement, the UCCPS requested Education for Active Citizenship grant proposals of up to $5,000 from students, faculty, and staff to be submitted by Oct. 3. The college will also continue its support for the Nia project, which targets black high school youth for mentoring education and community advocacy.

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News

Tutors available online

August 31

As part of the Academic Resource Center (ARC)'s push to make resources available 24 hours a day and seven days a week, it launched the Online Tutor Finder, a program that allows students to find subject-specific tutors. Most of the legwork involved in finding a tutor can now be performed online. The service finds tutors for particular subjects and hours of availability, and even schedules tutoring appointments. The finder has been online since last spring. Students can access lists of subjects and classes which feature tutoring services on the website. Once the user selects a class, the finder lists names and hours of tutors for that class. A form also allows users to e-mail specific tutors to make appointments. If a tutor is not available for a particular class, the center will try to locate a tutor through a form accessible on the site. The program was devised to decrease paperwork and to make the tutoring service more user-friendly. It was created by the student services technology team and paid for by Student Services. About 150 students have utilized the finder since last spring and 75 students have used the service during the first three weeks of school. In the future, Shadi Tayarani, the coordinator of tutoring services, said that the ARC hopes to post old exams on the Web and may also make tutoring applications available on the site. "We have old exams in many subjects, including biology, chemistry, math, and economics," she said. Despite the ARC's progress, many students are unaware of the tutoring options. Freshman Carly Baruh said she did not think the service was especially important. "I hadn't heard of the on-line service," she said. "I guess I would use it though, if I really needed help in a class." But sophomore Mellisa Brandt, who used the tutoring services for the first time last Tuesday, said that she could fully understand her math homework for the first time after signing up for regular hours with a math tutor. "I've been having trouble with math all semester, and he actually made it clear so I could visualize it." The service, which employs approximately 100 tutors - both non-freshmen undergraduates and graduate students - features tutoring for advanced courses and writing, and also addresses time management and study habits. The Online Tutor Finder can be accessed through the ARC Online Tutor Finder website at webcenter.studentservices.tufts.edu/tutors.

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News

Me hug you long time

August 31

I hugged a stranger on the street last week. A few days later, a stranger hugged me. Grasping for an explanation, I ask myself, "Self, what's going on?" As I struggle to answer that question, the world spins around me. I can't clear my mind, for it is a raging cauldron bubbling over with hug-related emotions. It felt nice, for starters. That first hug I gave to that stranger down on the Common near the Park Street T stop was weird but nice. I mean, for hugging a stranger the experience was surprisingly nice. If you had asked me beforehand what it would be like to hug a stranger on the street, I would probably have offered you an alphabetical array of adjectives from "awkward" and "bizarre" to "yucky" and "zany." But instead, I find myself settling in there with a pleasant, comfortable, middle of the road n-word: nice. It certainly was. That lone hug never really struck me as grand or significant, however, until a few days later when, on a very different street in a very different town, a stranger approached me and with very little warning gave me a big hug. Was this karma? My hug to a stranger had come back to me in the form of a hug from a stranger. The planets were aligned, or at least they had come together in some sort of celestial embrace, spreading major hug-vibes across the galaxy. Of course, that moment, that second hug, was not particularly nice at all. But it was something - it gave me some perspective, it gave me reason to pause, and it gave me a serious case of the willies. Here's what happened. Travelling downtown on a fine Wednesday afternoon, I exited the Park Street T stop, where I found, to my confusion and curiosity, a twenty-something young man neatly dressed, holding a large sign affixed to a long stick. Big letters, scrawled across the sign with magic markers, spelled out two deceptively simple words, "Free Hugs." I stood back at first - until the guy embraced one young woman and then turned directly to me, nodding his head. The man's voice floated through the unseasonably warm fall air: "And you?" He said it as simply as if he had been asking his best friend to go for a jog or offering his mother a glass of water at the dinner table. But no. The implication of these two words was undeniable. I answered, for reasons still unclear to me today, without even parting my lips; I moved in his direction slowly. He came to me swiftly and wrapped me in his arms. It lasted but a second, maybe two. My mind was clear. I felt at peace. At that moment I asked myself, "A free hug?" Today, I ask myself, "What was I thinking?" Basking in our comfortable post hug glow, he looked at me and said, "The answer is kindness." We each went our own ways: I back to work; he off into the Common to deliver more hugs. "The answer is kindness?" The answer to what? Quick, skip ahead... my experience on the Common had become a distant memory, a foggy tall tale. Returning home from Tisch a few nights later, I pass by a group of young people - local high schoolers, I imagine. They are hanging out, skateboarding, basically just chilling. They're the kind of young gentlemen I generally lump under the category "punks" (a lucky few might in fact warrant the title "lazy ass punk"). Suddenly, one of these fellows breaks from his posse and approaches me. He gazes from under his hooded sweatshirt and says with quiet force, "HUG." Punk puts his arms around me and I stand still, frozen, I do not return the hug. We stand there for some time, maybe five or six seconds, an eternity. Finally, I gather up some semblance of noise, some faint groaning attempt at speech emanating from deep within my gut: "Alright, dude, that's been nice. Enough." I wriggle my way out from under him. He goes his way, I go mine. Turning in his direction, I see him raise his hand at me as he shouts simply, "HUG." Once more I cannot say a thing. I let the confusion pass through me. I am an empty slate, all hugged-out, Zen bliss. So what's all this hug business about? After my first encounter I couldn't stop from wondering. The placement of the word "Free" in front of "Hugs" prompted me to consider the possibility of what it meant for a hug not to be free. Can a hug be purchased? With what? Money? Do hug prostitutes exist? Hug whores? Are there hug brothels and hug pimps for all those huggers of ill-repute? Can you look up a hug escort in the yellow pages and find a young lady named Traci with long blond hair and - of course - strong arms who will join you for dinner and, later that night, when you return home, wrap her arms around you, her palms meeting your back as she gives you an amazing hug that only a woman of her experience and talent is equipped to provide? But we do pay in some way, whenever it is we do a little hugging. Perhaps with those we know, it is something less tangible. Emotional commitment? A willingness to make oneself vulnerable or uncomfortable? The risk of a mis-hug is always there, and no one wants that. Hugs are weird. They may appear innocuous, but they are anything but. I consider myself a typical hugger, reserving the action for family, dear friends, and occasionally mere acquaintances if I've been drinking a bit at a party and Bon Jovi is pumping from the speakers. And yet, suddenly I don't know what to think. I am confused and unsure. I might have to reconsider my entire philosophy on hugs and surely the only way to fully understand that confusion is to seek it out once more. I imagine roaming the Tufts campus and beyond, offering a person or two a hug as they cross my path. So be wary. The day might come, maybe sooner, maybe later, when you are wandering to class, eating at Dewick, or doing your laundry, and we will meet. I will ask you, dear stranger, if you would like a free hug. Please oblige. I promise it will be nice.

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News

Affirmative Action is Everyone's Concern

August 31

When I first read Matt Senko's article in The Primary Source, "Ideas, Not Colors," I was shocked. I could hardly believe that he was serious. As a critique of the affirmative action system, this article seemed to argue that minority students at Tufts were not adding to the diversity of the campus, and in fact Tufts was lowering its standards in accepting them. Although Senko singled out African-American students in his article, his statement should be of concern for all students. Senko is trying to invalidate the right that minority students have to be on this campus, and these statements should not be delivered without any response. His argument makes the glaring assumption that all students of color were accepted solely based on affirmative action, not on their grades, extra curricular activities, or essays; an assumption which is absolutely incorrect. He believes that in accepting these minority students, "more qualified" students were rejected. I believe that Mr. Senko does not have a good understanding about how the system of affirmative action works. There are no quotas dictating how many people from each race need to be accepted every year. When the admissions office reviews two applications, an application written by a person of color is not accepted if his or her qualifications are worse than the application of a white student for the sake of diversity on campus. The purpose of affirmative action is to simply broaden the scope of where admissions officers look for applicants. That is to say, if the application pool is more diverse, by default more students of color will be accepted. Tufts will not admit any student that it feels is not qualified to be here. The students of color at Tufts are not "lowering its standards" as Mr. Senko seems to believe! Senko says that, "It is a racist assumption suggesting that people of different colors are inferior to whites and need the help of admissions officers." Again, I do not believe that Mr. Senko understands affirmative action. By adhering to the system of affirmative action, Tufts University by no means suggests that people of color are inferior to whites, and thereby need help to be admitted. Tufts is being realistic and recognizing the existence of racism in our society. This racism is ingrained in our education, employment, and judicial systems; it denies people of color the equal opportunities that by law they are guaranteed. Institutional racism is a malicious cycle that will continue to oppress unless active change to reverse its affects is utilized. Affirmative action is only one example of such change. In his article, Senko posed the question, "does a student body characterized by various races and different skin tones necessarily equal 'diversity'?" He maintained that "only experiencing different ideas and outlooks achieves this goal." I agree with him that different ideas contribute to creating diversity, as do different religions, cultures, and experiences. To ensure that diversity exists, however, we as a university must try to recruit students of color because these stated qualities cannot solely be found within the white race. There are many experiences that a person of a marginalized community has inherently lived through. To argue that a person of privilege can represent these experiences, or that they are not crucial towards our education as human beings is absolutely ridiculous. Without the help of this diversity within our campus, among students, professors, and administrators, our school would be lacking many opportunities for education in classes about race, ethnicity, and religion, as well as discussion panels that are frequently offered, literary and art magazines, shows and organizations like the Spirit of Color, the Tasa show, and so many others. This is everyone's issue no matter your race, ethnicity or identity because of the widespread influence that diversity has on our school. I am personally disappointed by the Tufts administration for not officially and vocally responding to this article. Tufts University DOES believe in affirmative action and its beneficial results of diversifying the school. Where has the administration been to support it's policy? Karen Alroy is a majoring in Enviromental Studies.

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News

Applying the lessons of Election 2000 to the war on terrorism

August 31

The war on terrorism was interrupted briefly last week by a reminder of an event that seized our attention one year ago, but seems distant today, dwarfed when compared to anthrax threats and military attacks. This month marks the anniversary of what has become known as the Florida Recount, yet it was anything but a recount. The actual recount, a ten-month examination of Florida's ballots conducted by a consortium of news organizations, indicates that the closest presidential election in American history was, in fact, closer than many realized. More detailed results will find their home in the history books as Americans have turned their attention to the safety of air travel and the security of their mail. What seemed at the time a potential tear in the fibers of our democracy, appears in retrospect, a mere speed bump on the road to today; a road that has led us to a war on terrorism. Memories of "hanging ballots" and Palm Beach voters lay in the shadows as images of the World Trade Center engulfed in flames tower above them. How quickly the tragedy of Sept. 11 marginalized a historic moment and cast it from our nation's consciousness. The election's anniversary did not go unnoticed in my mind - I spent five months working in Nashville, Tennessee at the Gore/Lieberman campaign headquarters. Working 14-hour days among some of the sharpest minds in politics taught me a lot. One trend I noticed was the way the language of political campaigns borrows from the military's lexicon. The word "campaign" itself is derived from its military uses. Political campaigns involve "foot soldiers" positioned strategically in "battleground" states; from within the "trenches" advisors help create "attack" ads; and the ultimate goal is to win a "landslide" victory. The campaign in Afghanistan is very different from the presidential campaigns that ended one year ago, despite similarities in the language of elections and warfare. Whereas the war rooms in Nashville and Austin plotted social security policies and prepared debate tactics, the war rooms in Washington confront battles where lives are at stake, not swing voters. The conflict in Florida was a partisan, domestic matter; today's focus is on a non-partisan, global threat. In Afghanistan, there will be no recounts and sadly, victory will bring no real winners. While there are differences, certain lessons of Election 2000 are surprisingly applicable to the war on terrorism. Perception is Reality - Vote counts, recounts, and legal maneuvers were futile after the image of George W. Bush's face appeared on television above the words "42nd President of the United States." In the court of public opinion, the election was over because newscasts create reality. The same public that calls for bin Laden's head today will call for George W. Bush's tomorrow unless he can maintain public support. To do this, Bush will have to win the critical battles fought on each evening's news and every morning's front page. For the moment, approval is strong, but with a sinking economy headed towards Christmas, the task of holding support will grow more challenging. Don't Forget your Base - How many times since last November have Democrats been asked, "What happened to Tennessee?" Defeat can come from the least suspecting sources. So far, Tony Blair has been an outspoken US ally and many nations have shown their support. However, the true test of our friend's commitment in the fight against terrorism will come not in the weeks immediately following the attacks, but as public opinion in their country's falters. Already, poll numbers in Europe show a less enthusiastic public than in the US. Just as swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and of course, Florida, were crucial to victory in Election 2000, there are swing members of the coalition against terrorism. Unless America's base of supportive nations stands with us, we stand no chance of holding onto reluctant coalition members. Complicating matters is the question over whether Bush should expand the war on terrorism to nations other than Afghanistan. President Bush may be unable to decide the issue if reluctant coalition members turn against the US in a war on new perpetrators in other countries.Never Underestimate the Outsider - Al Gore faced an evasive opponent who lacked his experience. George W. Bush, however, exploited his assets and found victory. This is not the first war that America pursued an enemy with fewer resources and a less technologically advanced arsenal. Russians discovered the painful lessons of trying to attack Afghani forces on their land and on their terms. If we are to defeat the Taliban, our strategies will need to be as smart as our missiles. We cannot fight a new war with yesterday's tactics, nor attempt to fight with one hand tied behind our back. To underestimate the Taliban's will is to ensure defeat. As the saying goes, "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It is doubtful that the disaster that Election 2000 produced will ever be repeated, but that is not to suggest that beneficial lessons cannot be gleaned from the experience. President Bush may profit from considering how last year's battle offers lessons applicable to today's war.

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