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The show won't go on

August 31

The return to normalcy took a backseat yesterday as NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue decided not to play this weekend's football games. The decision was a highly contentious one, and Tagliabue took his time consulting as many people as possible before making the decision. To some, the debate was a complicated one. To others, like the players, it was a no-brainer - take the week off. Playing football this weekend could be seen as the best way for Americans to return to life as it was four days ago. It could be seen as a needed diversion for a mourning nation. Hopefully, the decision that hung over Tagliabue's head had nothing to do with lost revenue or scheduling problems. There are arguments for a return to normalcy and a diversion, but the stronger opinion seems to be that we should focus on more sobering subjects this weekend. Two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had the option of suspending play. He did not, and it was a decision that haunted him for the rest of his career. Tagliabue was faced with a similar decision, and it was the opinion of many that it would be unwise if he were not to learn from history. The player's association unequivocally stated that it did not want to play this weekend, as many players, like citizens throughout the rest of the country, have families or friends directly or indirectly affected by Tuesday's catastrophe. Aside from the emotional aspect, which could have been enough to cancel games on its own, there are logistical and safety questions at play. First, travel is not only difficult but frightening. New York Jets' quarterback Vinny Testeverde, whose team was slated to play the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, has stated that the last thing he wants to do is fly across country, and who can blame him. Further, to ask the New York Giants to focus on their home game against the Green Bay Packers with smoke from the World Trade Center serving as an unsettling backdrop seems unfair. Players and officials have also both mentioned the fact that tens of thousands of people sitting in a stadium could potentially be a target for further attacks, though the scenario of an assault on a stadium seems out of the realm of possibility. One last security concern could spark from a desire to curtail any form of vigilante mob violence, and thousands of drunk, emotional, angry men appears a recipe for disaster. Far-fetched or not, these were the scenarios Tagliabue had to deal with in the past few days. In addition, postponing this week's football games could result in a 15-game schedule, as there will not be time in the season to make up the missed week. The leaders of other sports have followed a similar course of action. League sources have indicated that Major League Baseball has cancelled all games until Monday. The missed games will be made up the first week of October, pushing back the playoffs and World Series by a full week.After some initial disagreements about whether or not to play on Saturday, NCAA Division I-A games have all been postponed. A return to normalcy or a weekend of mourning? The sports world, and one of its most visible leaders - Tagliabue - had to make that decision this week. What we can tell you from Week 1 Though opening week in the NFL is compartmentalized at the way back of everyone's consciousness, there were highlights from last Sunday and Monday... Though the San Diego Chargers were thought to be an improved team this year, no one expected a 30-3 destruction of the Washington Redskins. The Chargers had an excellent offseason, as they brought in Doug Flutie to start at quarterback for a few years while they train rookie Drew Brees. The Chargers, once criticized for trading away the number one pick in the draft, looked brilliant on Sunday as running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who was selected after the Chargers traded down, ran for 113 yards and two scores. The Chargers are no longer a guaranteed win for teams in the AFC West...Speaking of the AFC West, the Denver Broncos won the battle but lost a receiver on Monday night, as they defeated the Giants 31-20 but lost starting wideout Ed McCaffrey for the season...If the Chargers were a surprise, then the Carolina Panthers were off the charts, as 29-year-old rookie Chris Weinke looked like a 29-year-old veteran as he threw for 223 yards, one touchdown pass, and ran for another in Carolina's 24-13 upset of the Minnesota Vikings.

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News

Spin it again, Sam

August 31

Combine live performances and songwriting with a youthful bend towards electronic music and you have high-quality work by real people that has the potential to find a unique popularity with the techno-lovers of the world. Sound too good to work? Last year saw the release of St. Germain's Tourist, a complex and beautiful patchwork of live jazz and electronic music - easily one of the finest albums of the year. In the aftermath, live/electronic combo discs are popping up with more frequency as record labels realize there's an audience for relaxed, highly intelligent electronica and that real, live musicians often have exactly the edge listeners are looking for. The New Deal is one of these upstarts, and it feels good. In concept, the energy of a live jam-band and the intricacy and planning of a DJ is a great thing. The New Deal does not drop the ball.Working without a DJ - the group consists of a bass, keyboard, drums, and a beatbox - the members of the New Deal have the freedom to "mix" in ways that a real DJ could never achieve on a mix CD. Bits of the third track, "Exciting New Direction," show up five minutes before the song itself even begins. The flexibility of real musicians and their ability to create new music creates new opportunities. The album does not consist of songs mixed together or even retuned old songs, but rather all original music. Think of it as a 61-minute concert. Down to the meat of it, the New Deal provides varied, head-bopping sounds that never diverge into the angry or demanding end of electronic music. If you're looking for a checklist, though, there are three things it gets right that you won't always find done well: polyrhythmic beats, rich bass melodies, and vocal samples. The underlying rhythm of any given song is never simple or repetitive. The live mentality of the group seems to give it ears enough to play with drumlines mid-song. With New Deal member Darren Shearer on both a beatbox and drums, there's the potential for highly varied breakbeats and rhythmic tricks. Don't expect repeated blasts of bong-rattling bass to provide the backbone of any track - the interiors of the songs are so complex that when the group cuts everything off for momentary interludes of simplicity, the stark contrast wakes you up immediately. The lack of overpowered bass, however, doesn't imply a lack of intelligent bass. With Dan Kurtz providing basswork for the group, there is no shortage of complex, ever-changing melodies in the lower register. Don't expect Phish-like picking, but the New Deal's relation to jam-bands and the potential to perform original music can make for some creative moments, and it's more consistently interesting than the simplistic rhythm sections you may hear in pure electronic music. As for the vocals: there aren't many, and they don't have the same grade of cheesy lyrics you find in most electronica. Some cringeworthy stupid lines make it even into the songs spun by the world's top DJs, and while they don't always get in the way, they certainly don't make things any better. The New Deal uses vocals sparingly - good luck finding more than a few distinct ones on the album - and where they are used, it's not as a focus for the song but as an accent. In the first track, when you hear, "Now if you've got a pair of headphones, you better put 'em on and get 'em cranked up," you'll want to pay attention. Only a few times, especially on "Deep Sun" and "Technobeam," the New Deal pushes you towards the dance floor with some shaking tracks. For the most part, the album is too much about relaxing to whip anyone into a frenzy. This is not to say it's boring, however; it's just more suited to walking around with headphones on or to hanging out with friends than to buffeting yourself against other people's sweaty bodies. The bottom line: The New Deal isn't a party mix. If you're looking for sinfully beautiful single moments in the middle of a song - the kind that club-heads live for - you might not find enough of them on The New Deal to keep you happy and your dance floor writhing. But if you want something that's solid throughout and will hit you just enough times to make it count, the New Deal would be happy to oblige. With the long bouncy buildups of many of the tracks and the few roaring, beautiful moments, the album does not disappoint.

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News

Housing numbers to be released in January

August 31

The University will release housing lottery numbers six weeks earlier than usual this winter, giving students with low numbers more time to find off-campus accommodations for next year. Sophomores, who are not guaranteed housing for junior year, have complained in recent years that the Office of Residential Life did not give them enough time to find apartments. Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senators Josh Belkin and Jill Bier discovered earlier this year that the numbers could be released earlier, but "no one got around to it," Belkin said. Through meeting with deans and Res Life staff, they prompted the changed in the release date. Information and Technology Services (ITS) makes the assignments by randomly giving numbers to the list of enrolled students generated by the registrar's office. ITS then gives the list to Res Life, which generally publishes the numbers in March. The registrar's office and ITS take their cues from Res Life, which eventually hopes to release numbers before Thanksgiving each year. In a meeting last month, Associate Dean Jean Herbert suggested to Belkin and Bier that Acting Director of Residential Life Lorraine Toppi does not have sufficient support staff to release the numbers in the fall semester. Tufts is currently searching for a permanent residential life director. Toppi has filled in as acting director since former director Anne Gardiner left in the summer of 2000. Many upperclassmen choose to live off campus due to a lack of dorm rooms. The University housed only 24 percent of juniors during the 2000-2001school year. Last year's housing forecast by residential life anticipated that 380 to 400 of 1,257 seniors would live on campus. Rents in areas surrounding Tufts are generally higher than in the rest of Medford and Somerville. But some students prefer to live off campus regardless of their lottery numbers, citing more freedom and independence. Student demand has inflated area rents in recent years, leading some upperclassmen to want to live on campus. As more upperclassmen compete for rooms on campus, the housing lottery carries more weight than ever. Many students begin their search for off-campus housing as early as November, before the new January release date. "It's a step in the right direction, but it's still too late to get a good house," sophomore Wendy Carman said. "It really doesn't do much." Sophomore Chris Carril looks forward to a November release date in the coming year. He said that an early release will "absolutely" help upperclassmen decide if they need to search for off-campus housing. Students who prefer to live on-campus cite the unavailability of moderately-priced apartments in the area and the commute associated with living further away. The University hopes to remedy the housing crunch by building a new dormitory for upperclassmen. Last spring, trustees announced they would finance the new dorm, which is currently in the planning stages and should be built within two or three years. The location, size, and design of the new dorm have not been decided. But Belkin believes that overall progress is being made and will help upperclassmen. The early release of numbers will "empower juniors to get [housing] information sooner to make a stressful decision about housing, [instead of] at the end of the year," he said.

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News

To take or not to take?

August 31

It's always better to get essential vitamins and minerals from varied diet that incorporates all of the food groups, but since it's sometimes hard to eat well, many of us might benefit from certain supplements or multi-vitamins. Calcium and certain antioxidants are nutrients that may be beneficial in supplemental amounts. And, it never hurts to take a multivitamin - given it's a well balanced one. Read on to find out more about these dietary supplements. Antioxidants The 'free radical theory of aging' is based on the notion that 'free radicals' - charged molecules from bodily waste products, toxins, and stresses - build up over time, damage cells, and cause us to age. The theory goes that if you take in enough antioxidants, compounds that eliminate free radicals, then you can slow down the aging process. Whether or not this theory holds out in nature has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, the Nutrition Business Journal estimates that Americans spent 2.3 billion dollars on 'antioxidant' supplements last year. According to Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., an antioxidant researcher at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, the best way to protect yourself from free radicals is to 'build your diet around vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Also, to include red wine and tea, which will provide the greatest diversity of antioxidants.' Dr. Blumberg believes that certain vitamins, such as vitamins C and E, are indeed powerful antioxidants. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols are also antioxidants, which you would get by following his dietary advice. For example, a small apple contains a mere 6 milligrams of vitamin C, but a whopping 433 milligrams of flavonoids and polyphenols. No single antioxidant vitamin can do the job of the hundreds of nutrients that occur in food. The best food sources of antioxidants include prunes, raisins, dark leafy greens (kale and spinach), Brussels sprouts, broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, garlic, and any other fruit or vegetable with bright color. However, some scientists think that there may be some benefit to taking extra vitamin C (up to 1,000 milligrams per day) and vitamin E (up to 800 IU per day) to boost your antioxidant power if your diet is lacking.Remember, that there is such a thing as too much of good thing. How much is too much? Nobody knows. If you're going to take extra, stick to the amounts here that are known to be safe.Calcium Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and teeth; the remaining one percent, circulates throughout the body to help perform essential functions such as facilitating muscle contractions and transmitting messages throughout the nervous system. If you don't get enough calcium in your diet, the calcium is taken out of bones to help your body perform these essential tasks. If your body has to take calcium from your bones on a regular basis, bones become weak and more prone to osteoporosis, which affects up to half of American women past menopause and 5 million American men. The best food sources of calcium include milk and foods made from milk. However, calcium is also found in dark green vegetables, beans, nuts, canned sardines and salmon with the bones, and calcium-fortified orange juice. Still, most Americans fall short of the recommended dietary calcium levels to prevent osteoporosis. Some people think they get enough through their daily multivitamin, but most do not meet calcium requirements - if your diet is low in calcium, a calcium supplement on top of a multivitamin may be beneficial. Calcium supplements in the form of calcium carbonate or calcium citrate are best absorbed if taken with meals. It is best to take calcium twice daily in doses of 500 milligrams because your body can only absorb so much at once. It is recommended that college age women and men get between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium each day.Multivitamins In general, we could all benefit from a daily multivitamin to provide insurance of adequate intake of essential nutrients. Multivitamins are best absorbed and less likely to cause stomach upset if taken with meals. One-a-day type formulas are convenient and safe so long as they are balanced and not too high in any one nutrient. But, not every multivitamin is created equal. Here's what you should look for to get the most out of your multivitamin:Forgo those with a Laundry list of ingredients - many ingredients (ginseng, alfalfa, cayenne to name a few) are added to multivitamins as a marketing tool, but they are added in too small a quantity to work. Look out for long ingredient lists and keep it simple. Avoid those with more than 150 percent of the US RDA of any one nutrient - certain vitamins, particularly vitamin A, build up in the body and become toxic. Others compete with each other for absorption; too much of one can cause deficiency of another. Check the expiration date - make sure it's at least a few months away and throw away when it has passed.Watch out for Missing minerals - many multis have all the vitamins, but they lack all the minerals; minerals are just as essential to good health as vitamins. Look for chromium, copper, magnesium, zinc, and if you're a woman, iron.If it has zinc, it should also have copper - zinc and copper compete for absorption. Zinc supplements (sometimes taken to fight the common cold) can interfere with copper absorption and cause copper deficiency over time. Copper, found in shellfish, nuts, beans, meat, and whole grains, is an essential co-factor for many enzymes and for making red blood cells. Make sure Daily Values are listed - make sure the percent 'Daily Value' or RDA is listed so you know how much of a day's worth you're actually getting.Don't be fooled by a label that claims 'High Potency' - it may have high levels of some nutrients, but can be lacking in others. Many so-called 'high-potency' vitamins have less than 15 percent of the RDA for essential minerals.Don't be fooled by 'specialized formulas' i.e. women's or men's formulas - these claims aren't regulated and they often have no meaning.Watch out for too much iron - iron deficiency remains common in the US while some people get way too much. Young vegetarian women - or dieting women - are particularly prone to iron deficiency due to monthly menstrual losses. Meanwhile, the typical American diet high in red meat can lead to iron overload, which increase the risk for heart disease. If you're a woman and don't eat red meat, it's probably best to get some supplemental iron.Don't worry about Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Iodine, Phosphorous, Manganese, Molybdenum, Chloride, Boron, Nickel, Silicon, Tin, and Vanadium - these nutrients are abundant in the food supply and there's no evidence that getting more from a supplement is better.If you're a very conscientious consumer, here are some other things to keep in mind when considering supplements:Look for vitamin A in the form of mixed carotenoidsand avoid too much - the body converts carotenoids to vitamin A once ingested. Excess vitamin A from supplements can damage the liver and most Americans get enough through diet. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach are all good sources.Watch out for too much vitamin D - more than 50 micrograms or 2000 IU per day of vitamin D can result in kidney damage, weak bones, or even death. Vitamin E should be in the form of d-alpha-tocopherol - the most biologically active form. Up to 800 IU per day of vitamin E is deemed safe and may even ward off disease and boost immunity according to Tufts research. Consider taking extra or eating more almonds if your multivitamin is low in vitamin E.Watch out for too much vitamin B6 - also called pyridoxine, vitamin B6 is important for making red blood cells, metabolizing proteins and fats, and contributing to immune and nervous system function. It has been recommended in high quantities to help with PMS, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sleep problems. Women on the birth-control pill need extra because the pill interferes with vitamin B6 absorption. But, taking high doses for several months can cause permanent nerve damage. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin B6 is 1.3 milligrams per day for college age men and women; women on the pill will need a little more. It is recommended that people take no more than 100 milligrams per day. Vitamin B6 is abundant in meats, fish, poultry, leafy greens, bananas and fortified cereals. Make sure to get your folate - all women of childbearing years should make sure to get enough folate, also called folic acid or folacin. Adequate folate intake in the early stages of pregnancy greatly reduces the risk of neural tube (brain and spine) defects. Too little folate in men and women can cause anemia and may even be a risk factor for heart disease. Leafy greens, beans, broccoli, orange juice, and fortified cereals are good sources of folate, but taking a multivitamin with adequate folate can only help.If you're a vegetarian, make sure to get B12 - only found in animal foods, vitamin B12 is essential for proper nerve function. Luckily, vitamin B12 can be stored in the body for years, but once deficiency develops, irreversible nerve damage may occur. Vegetarians, who only get B12 from eggs or dairy products, often fall short of their daily quota and are advised to get B12 from a supplement. The RDA for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms.If you smoke, get extra C - Cigarette smoke depletes vitamin C. If you smoke regularly or are around people who smoke, you will need more vitamin C than non-smokers. While the RDA for vitamin C is set at 75 milligrams per day, there is debate about whether or not higher levels may be beneficial for optimal health. Up to 1,000 milligrams per day of vitamin C is considered safe and may even be beneficial, but the upper limit is set at 2,000 milligrams because doses this high can cause diarrhea.Get enough chromium, but don't overdo it - Chromium supplements are often targeted toward dieters to help them burn fat. There is no evidence that chromium intake above the recommended safe and adequate intake of 200 micrograms per day will help you burn fat. It is true that a highly refined diet such as that of most Americans is typically deficient in chromium, but high doses of chromium can be toxic over time and the long-term effects are not known.Don't OD on Selenium - many antioxidant supplements now contain high-doses of selenium, an antioxidant mineral with purported anti-cancer properties. Selenium, found in seafood, meats, and whole grains, is very important for protecting cells from oxidative damage, but high doses (more than 1 milligram per day) can cause toxicity symptoms including nerve damage, hair loss, and fatigue.

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News

Coalition for Non-Violence members found responsible for harassing student

August 31

The Dean of Students Office announced yesterday that three students were found responsible for harassing, though not assaulting, The Primary Source Editor-in-Chief Sam Dangremond at an incident near the cannon. The three juniors, Elizabeth Monnin, Lou Esparza, and Adam Carlis, had also accused Dangremond of assault, but the Dean of Students Judiciary panel did not find enough evidence to support this claim. The Dean of Students Office would not confirm the names of the students involved, but both parties acknowledged their involvement to the Daily. The facts surrounding the incident, which took place Oct. 2, remain disputed by both sides. Monnin, Esparza, and Carlis allege that Dangremond, when faced with assault charges that carry serious disciplinary consequences, lied to the panel. Dangremond says the same of the trio. "They are lying," Dangremond said last night. "They lied to the panel, and they lying now," he added. "I never initiated physical contact. I yelled at them to stop. I told them the rules governing the cannon, and it didn't do a bit of difference." According to Dean of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter, the impartial panel that heard the case last Friday consisted of two student members of the Tufts Community Union Judiciary and three administrators. A University lawyer, who did not have a vote in the proceedings, was also present. After the panel unanimously found Monnin, Carlis, and Esparza guilty of harassment, the three students were placed on Disciplinary Probation Level I for one year, according to a statement Carter released to the press. The harassment occurred on the night of Oct. 2, when Dangremond was standing guard at the cannon after members of the Source had painted an American flag symbol over it. At 5 a.m., Monnin, Esparza, and Carlis arrived at the cannon with the intent to "paint over the cannon with a different message," according to the statement from the Dean of Students Office. Although Monnin, Esparza, and Carlis are members of the Coalition for Social Justice and Non-Violence, they say they were not participating in an official group activity when the incident occurred. Senior Danika Kleiber, speaking on behalf of her fellow Coalition members, said on Oct. 14 that the students were not trying to paint over the cannon, just "make the American flag more inclusive." "They were not trying to paint over the entire thing," Kleiber said. "They were trying to add to it." Dangremond disagreed, saying he had the right to defend the cannon's original design. The panel agreed with that assertion. According to the Pachyderm, "by tradition the cannon is painted at night... and then guarded until dawn" (emphasis added by Pachyderm). Each party has a different account of the events from this point on, and each paints the other as the instigator. Dangremond said the three members of the Coalition attempted to paint their design on the cannon and then physically restrained him. "I kept telling them to stop, that this was a violation of Tufts Policy," Dangremond said, "Lou and Liz grabbed me and restrained me while Adam painted the cannon." But Monnin said it would have been impossible for she and Lou, who are of slim build, to hold down Dangremond, who is captain of the cycling team. Before heading to the cannon, the students say they practiced non-violent responses, as is the Coalition's practice. At the hearing, Monnin and Esparza tried to explain to the panel the non-violent strategies they used the night of the incident. But the panel, according to a press release, said that the trio should have acted differently, given their prior preparation. "Adam, Lou, and Liz, dressed in hooded sweatshirts and bandanas covering their faces, came to the cannon and began painting over it," Dangremond said. According to Dangremond, Carlis stopped Monnin and Esparza ten minutes into the confrontation. Dangremond went to a nearby emergency phone to call the police and report the assault charges. The Coalition members say that Dangremond repeatedly pushed them down and made verbal threats. The three retreated to the benches near Ballou Hall to decide what to do next. At this point, they say, Dangremond paced around the cannon and left the scene. Because they feared additional Source members would be arrive, they quickly painted their addition to the American flag design and left the scene. Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) logged the incident at 5:24 a.m. Three TUPD officers arrived at the cannon and told the students to vacate the area, which they did. After the hearing, the Source, and The Radix, for which Esparza, Monnin, and Carlis write, made reference to the incident. The Source's latest issue displayed a picture of a trial on its cover with a headline reading "On Trial." Radix, a self-proclaimed liberal publication, also mentioned the incident. In "An Open Letter to The Primary Source," it was written "the last time someone tried to express a view different than yours on the cannon, your editor-in-chief assaulted them." The three Coalition members had not yet decided whether to appeal as of last night. Nicolas Ferre contributed to this report

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News

Playing the fool

August 31

I urge all of us today to seriously consider where the food we eat comes from. We are no longer shielded children. We are now mature enough to realize that food doesn't originate ready-made from the supermarket. We now know that hamburger was not plucked fully packaged from the hamburger vine - its origin was a living animal, just like we are. Using the terminology "meat", "beef" and "steak" instead of "cow," we trick ourselves into disassociating the animal from the food that ends up on our plate. But "beef" means "cow." You say you new that? But do you think about it as you're biting into the hamburger? Of course not. We couldn't handle that. How could we eat decomposing flesh and muscle of an animal we have all seen swishing its tale and roaming green pastures? We can't so we don't. Instead, we convince ourselves we are eating neatly wrapped patty of sanitized substance. "Beef" is a vague idea in our minds of something edible, even tasty, but surely not an animal carcass. I once babysat an eleven-year old girl and sat with my mouth agape, as she, dipping her Chicken McNugget into its sauce, asked with a concerned brow and straight face, "Does chicken come from chickens?" How do I answer a question that is so innocently out of touch with reality and so subtly disturbing? This girl is not just one flaky fifth grader; she represents a whole generation of children who are purposefully taught by the billion dollar meat industry to abandon their natural empathy with animals and eat up. And those children grow up into us - intelligent people who just have no clue that our food comes from a cow who endured years of suffering in cramped "factory farm" stalls, unable to turn around, let alone enjoy those green pastures we imagine her to be in. She is injected with so many hormones and antibiotics that she grows disproportionately large. This unnatural state of being which causes pain and discomfort and leads to an array of illnesses including bone structure problems and udder infections. To say that it is "natural" for humans to eat meat may seem to be an accurate statement, as we as a species have consumed meat for hundreds of years. But this statement does not take into account that the process by which meat is produced today is so perverted from "the natural order of things," that eating meat in our mass-production oriented society can hardly be considered natural. The cows were not raised on bucolic family farms. The animals who were slaughtered are factory-produced in a conveyor-belt setup with no respect or concern for well-being, only quantity and profit. We no longer go out and hang the animal for our own dinner. Ask yourself the simple question, "If I had to kill that cow myself, would I be able to? Am I hiding behind cowardice and letting someone else do what would be unbearable for me to do?" Many people, when finding out that I eat vegetarian, respond with a guilty and sympathetic smile: "Yeah, I know if I saw one picture of a slaughtered animal, I wouldn't be able to eat meat again." We know that the animals don't just go to sleep one night and wake up as happy hamburgers. That's not real life, and that's not how slaughterhouses work. Rreal life is too painful for most normal people to confront, and so we don't. Confronting the reality of the meat industry in this country is too painful. But it is so important to wake up and open our eyes to the suffering of millions of farm animals every day in this country. I know many people will see the horrific images and still not care, but I am imploring everyone to just look at those images anyway. See the world. See our world. This is not some long-ago myth or far-away account-this is here and now. Each person will reach his or her own conclusion about the truths he or she sees. But it is important to look. To know and remember that we are not detached from the natural world, that our actions affect people and animals outside of our direct vision, and that we can control these actions. It may be hard, or it may feel like a waste of time, but sometimes the pleasurable sensation on your palate is not the only thing at stake. Shari is a senior majoring in child development and German Area Studies.

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News

TUTV to air documentary on WTC victim tomorrow night

August 31

TUTV News will air an interview tomorrow night with freshman Arun Gupta, who lives in Battery Park City, only a few blocks away from the fallen towers of the World Trade Center. Gupta lived in the residential building closest to the site about 150 to 200 yards from where the twin towers once stood. "People can't live there," Gupta said. "My parents had to wear gas masks when they went back, the air is so bad." Gupta and his family could once see the World Trade Center from their living room window, and Gupta's senior prom was held in Windows on the World, the restaurant located on the top floor of the north tower. When he went home earlier this month, Gupta had to pass through several checkpoints and show identification to get into his building. He was also required to wear a gas mask the entire time he was in his neighborhood. "It was very weird to have people walking around with all their stuff in shopping carts, getting ready to leave," he said. "I used to think it was one of the nicest neighborhoods in New York and it's really weird to be there now." On the day of the attacks, Gupta was in contact with his father early in the morning but afterwards could not call him for four hours. The apartment was badly damaged. "Our windows exploded and smoke started coming in with burning papers," he said. Gupta's parents and the rest of the apartment building's residents were taken by ferry to New Jersey that day, and their phone lines and cell phones did not work. For now, Gupta's parents are residing at a friend's apartment in Manhattan. If they decide to move back, they will have to wait at least four months.Gupta is not the only member in his family to be featured in a television special on the attacks - in late September, his parents were one of four families in an MSNBC special on residents directly affected by the events of Sept. 11. Gupta said he agreed to do the interview because he finds it therapeutic to discuss the attacks. "I find it really helpful to talk about it, to get feelings out," he said. "I was trying to move on with my everyday life, but it's still something I need to talk about." Freshman Stephanie Leibert, who produced the story, said she hoped the piece would shed a different light on the Sept. 11 attacks. "I wanted to do a really special piece, about someone who was close to the tragedy," she said. Along with telling Gupta's story, TUTV News producers feel that the story will demonstrate improved news quality this year. "This story is really groundbreaking for us," said Adrian Baschuk, TUTV's news director. "We are trying to offer Tufts perspectives on important issues." At the end of the last semester, TUTV received $15,000 in increased funding, including $10,000 for editing equipment alone. The station added graphics, special effects, and "tried to increase the entertainment value of our stories," Baschuk said. But he admits that even with the new money, TUTV News is not perfect. "We are not trying to be the pinnacle of news," he said. "We are not trying to copy what the Daily does, we can't. We are trying to portray an accurate reality of students." Because their staff is small, with only six members, TUTV News has encountered organizational difficulties. "Everyone is expected to produce, write, and edit their own stories," Baschuck said. "But since we're getting bigger, we're starting to get a more organized method." The station's news department was created in the fall of 1998 by Sarah Rosen with a program called "Perspectives." From there, Baschuk said the show has grown significantly. "This is our fourth show in seven weeks, unheard of for a show of this high caliber," he said. However, TUTV News still has to gather awareness on campus before it becomes a daily news source for students. Some said they are not even aware of the program, while others have only heard of it, but never caught an episode. "I've never really watched TUTV," senior Alain Chaglassian said. "I've never heard anything about it, but I suppose I would watch if I knew when it was on." But Baschuk said he is proud of TUTV's productions. "We can actually show you what's going on and that makes the news more interesting," he said. TUTV has been producing shows for about 20 years, but the station's present form is fairly young - in 1997, the station began broadcasting to dorms and last fall, 24-hour programming was implemented.Mary Anne Anderson contributed to this article.

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News

Professors work to create Asian American classes

August 31

Tufts offers a small amount of Asian-American studies courses each semester, but some students and professors say the options aren't sufficient. The Asian-American Curricular Transformation Project, a group of 15 faculty members and one student, met for two weeks in June to work on modifying the existing American studies curriculum to incorporate more Asian-American content. The group hopes that Tufts will offer an Asian-American studies minor by 2006. "There is a wealth of diverse American history we don't learn in high school history classes," said junior Laura Horwitz, who participated in the June workshop. "We don't fully understand everyone's history. It is important for students in the 21st century to be prepared with this knowledge." The summer workshop resulted from the University's 1997 Task Force Report on Race, which concluded that Tufts' Asian-American, Latino, and Native-American programs fell short of those at other universities. It called for the addition of at least three new tenure positions as well as a "three to four-week-long faculty Institute for curricular and pedagogical transformation." Tufts typically offers one or two courses each semester exclusively dealing with Asian-American studies - one in the American studies department and an Asian-American literature class in the English department. The professors who teach these classes are not full-time faculty members. Proposals were made for 15 syllabi at the end of the two-week seminar that called for either the creation of new classes or the modification of existing classes.After attending the conference, English professor Virginia Brereton modified her English 2 class on "Differences" to incorporate Twilight, a book that utilizes different voices, some Asian-American, into her lesson plans."I'm really pleased with the way this is all working out," Brereton said. "The summer seminar has guided this curriculum so that it encourages students to theorize [racial] differences rather than just read literature from different perspectives."Workshop attendees also addressed the need for tenured faculty members who specialize in Asian-American studies. "This disserves the students," said Elizabeth Ammons, a professor of American studies and English who attended the conference. Ammons said that due to the "deep and glaring gap" between Tufts and other colleges, it is important to fill open faculty positions with professors who are experts in their fields. Three speakers from the local area were brought in to the workshop to provide perspectives on history, law, and political science.The professors and students who attended the conference hope that after the 2006 launch date for a minor - too late even for this year's freshman - a major will eventually evolve.In addition to the faculty group, there is a student group campaigning for a similar change. Junior Uyen Tang, Co-President of the Asian Community at Tufts (ACT), said that Tufts should have taken steps in the past since it is far behind other institutions. Boston College has a special five-course cluster sequence that is built into the American Studies program, while Mount Holyoke College has hired three full-time professors who are experts in Asian-American studies. Other students say that it is important to recognize the distinction between Asian studies and Asian-American studies.

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Freshmen class copes with tragedy

August 31

As if living with a complete stranger, choosing classes, and figuring out the difference between Pearson and Bromfield-Pearson weren't enough, this year's freshmen also had to deal with the shock of last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in only their first month away from home. Peter Kracke, a freshman from Chicago, IL, found that simultaneously coping with the Sept. 11 incidents and settling into the college routine were next to impossible. "There was so much going on at once," Kracke said. "It was hard to get to know people and do work when all I wanted to do was watch CNN. It definitely disrupted getting into the swing of classes."Most of Kracke's professors went right back to the scheduled course material soon after the attack. "Most of my professors said that it was important to continue and get on with life, because the terrorists' goal was to interrupt daily activity. In other words, the professors just wanted to stick to their lesson plans," he said. On the morning of the 11th, Kracke sat through an entire Calculus class before he heard anything about the attacks. However, he did say that his English 1 professor facilitated a "very good discussion" in the all-freshman class. Becca Schnitt of Guilford, Connecticut, appreciated President Bacow's email and the University's attention to students' "individual concerns" and found her professors "understanding." Schnitt, like many freshmen, also reached out to new friends in order to cope with the tragic events. "It hit so hard that I didn't even think about being homesick. Being able to discuss [the attacks] with peers was helpful. It was good to be here," she said. "We all brought ourselves together to get through it." New York residents were especially shaken by the attacks. Rochester, NY native Ben Katz was "shocked and in disbelief." As soon as he heard the news, Katz left his early morning English class to check on family. He couldn't reach anyone for a few hours as the phone lines were clogged with calls to the New York area. "I knew my family was in New York City. I was really worried," Katz said. "I was all right with not seeing them in person, but I wanted to talk to them. As soon as I talked to them, being here was okay," Katz said. He later learned that his parents were staying at a hotel near the World Trade Center and had been in one of the WTC buildings just a day before the attacks. Unlike Schnitt, Katz didn't find professors especially sympathetic. "My 'Modern Middle East' professor talked [about the attacks] for about ten minutes, then went back to the syllabus [on the day of the attacks]." However, like most freshmen, he thought that students came together and that "everyone was on the same page." International students were no less troubled by the crisis than Americans. Valerie Chung has lived all over the world, and her family currently resides in Hong Kong. Chung said that her parents were not concerned about her immediate safety, but did worry about violence on campus in the wake of the tragedy. "In Hong Kong, the attacks would have been very distant. I realized that this hit home for a lot of people here, even if it didn't affect me directly." While students' personal and emotional proximity to the devastation of September 11 varied, it is clear that support was available if needed. Freshmen rallied together to mourn and discuss. "People realized that they needed to care more about those around them," Katz said.

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Undersized Jumbos attempt to compensate from outside

August 31

The 2001-02 edition of the men's basketball team will open its season today in a non-conference tournament at Swarthmore. Coach Bob Sheldon's squad, which won the ECAC Championship two years ago, is coming off a somewhat disappointing 15-9 campaign in which it failed to qualify for postseason action. This winter, aside from a new parquet floor, the Jumbos will feature some new faces in the lineup to go along with key veterans and a slightly altered game plan. "I think its just going to be exciting to watch," Sheldon said. "We're going to fly up and down, fire the threes, and press a fair amount. It's going to be an up-tempo game. We had a scrimmage the other day and we took 43 threes." Sophomore Phil Barlow's play specifically illuminated the contrast in style to last year's group. "It's definitely going to be a transition year," he said. "Last year, we dumped it in a lot, and this year we will be more on the perimeter, but we are still very confident." With that in mind, here's a closer look at what to expect:BackcourtFor the first time in three years, the Jumbos will start the season with a new floor general. 2001 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Barlow will anchor the backcourt this year, after splitting time with the graduated Bobby Mpuku at the point last winter. Barlow, who started eight games as a freshman, was the team's third leading scorer last year at 11.0 points per game (ppg), while also ranking second to Mpuku in both assists and steals. "This year it's going to be a little bit different for Phil," Sheldon said. "This year, it's his team to run. Last year it was Bobby's team, and Phil knew that. But now it's his team." Despite the big shoes he has to fill - Mpuku ranks sixth on Tufts' all time assist list and was renowned for his Jordan-esque ability to hit game-winning shots - the 5'11", 160-lb. Barlow remains confident. "After a few games into the season, I was doing most of the point guard stuff," he said. "We have a lot of other guys who will be able to handle the ball well, so I don't feel too much pressure." Two of the Jumbos' other skilled ball handlers, junior Brian Shapiro and junior transfer Mike McGlynn, will be joining Barlow in the starting backcourt as part of Sheldon's three-guard set. Shapiro, the 2000 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, is Tufts' leading returning scorer at 15.1 ppg, and also its most frequent three-point shooter. A year ago, he hoisted 157 threes and connected on 33.1 percent, fourth best on the team. According to Sheldon, the 5'11" McGlynn, who transferred from Brandeis but did not play last season, can also do damage from the perimeter. "It's nice to have two guys that really light it up outside," Sheldon said. "And we're certainly not afraid to fire it up."Also seeing time in the backcourt this year will be senior co-captain Bobby MacMannis, juniors Lee Neugebauer and Jim Wilson, and sophomore Erick Mack, who played jayvee last year. "Jimmy Wilson's been playing great," Sheldon said. "He's going to have some real good confidence coming in." MacMannis has seen sporadic minutes since his freshman year and represents an outside shooting threat, while Neugebauer and Wilson each saw their minutes rise as sophomores. "Ball handling is our biggest strength," Sheldon said. "I think our guard play is going to the best around to be honest." Frontcourt Although they lost Fred Pedroletti, a key component of last year's inside game, to graduation, the Jumbos will return the other half of their frontcourt. Junior Kyle Van Natta shifts from the small forward to the power forward slot, after averaging five points and 3.4 rebounds per contest. The 6'5" Van Natta also showed that he can shoot from outside in his first season as a starter, hitting 33.3 percent of his three point attempts. Relieving Van Natta up front will be a trio of youngsters coming off the bench: sophomore Troy Palmer, who played jayvee last year, and a pair of freshman, Craig Coupe and Reggie Stoval. Despite his inexperience, Coupe (6'7", 225 lbs.) has the size and athleticism to make his impression felt early on. Stoval is a bit smaller than Coupe at 6'5" and 215 lbs., but has still managed to hold his own in preseason workouts. Palmer does have some varsity experience under his belt, albeit limited, with nine points to his credit in 19 total minutes. Even so, questions remain about the Jumbos' inside game. "Right now our biggest weaknesses lie in our rebounding and inside defense," Sheldon said. "But those are things that we can do as a team and get better as the season goes on. Then we'll make our run." Center Noticeably absent in the middle will be Dan Flaherty, an All-NESCAC selection and the team's leading scorer and rebounder a season ago who also graduated. Without Flaherty, the Jumbos will lack experience as well as the presence of a "go-to" guy down low. "We don't have a big, go-to guy this year," Sheldon said. "But I think our go-to guys are gonna be Brian [Shapiro] and Mike [McGlynn] on the outside." Flaherty's successor will be 6'5", 215-lb. Colin Wetherhill. Wetherhill averaged just under ten minutes a game last year in a reserve role, to go along with 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds. "Colin's going to start at the five," Sheldon said. "But at 6'5", he's a bit undersized." Coupe will also log minutes in the middle, and could eventually become the starter. "[Coupe] is more athletic than other centers we've had in the past which is a plus," Barlow said. Coach/Intangibles Sheldon is entering his 14th season on the Tufts sidelines, and is already the winningest coach in school history with a 202-120 career record. Since 1990, Sheldon has compiled a 183-98 mark, won an ECAC Championship and produced multiple All-Americans. In light of his recent success, though, Sheldon's goals remain modest for now. "Right now it's just to work hard and come together as a team," he said. "That's our short term goal." Despite the fact that there are only three seniors on the roster, leadership will not be a problem. Co-captains MacMannis and senior Bruce Reese are both four-year veterans of the program, who bring experience and leadership to the floor. "They know their role on the team," Barlow said. "They both have great leadership skills and love the game."

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News

Sound of Sox choking echoes throughout New England

August 31

The sound of coughs echoed through New England this weekend, but it wasn't from children faking illnesses to avoid going back to school. Rather, in what has become an annual event, it was the sound of the Red Sox choking. In the last two weeks, Boston has done an excellent job of proving the validity of Murphy's law - that everything that can go wrong will. The team is muddling through its longest losing streak in seven years, a nine-game stretch. Nomar Garciaparra is back on the disabled list, and Pedro Martinez may miss his next start because of a minor tear in his rotator cuff. Pitching coach John Cumberland is also out of commission - permanently. Red Sox GM Dan Duquette convinced manager Joe Kerrigan to fire Cumberland after just three weeks on the job, even though the pitching squad has only given up x runs in the last five games and the offense has put provided just x runs of support during the same span. As if things weren't bad enough, a media thunderstorm broke early this week after Pedro criticized Duquette for saying that the ace pitcher was healthy and Nomar told the media that "no one wants to play for this organization." Trot Nixon accused Duquette of exercising too much control over the team, and Cumberland trashed management in an interview with the Boston Globe. Unity and optimism carried the injury-plagued Sox earlier this season, but recent days have seen the team fall apart at the seams. In Tuesday night's 8-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians, the lack of enthusiasm from both players and fans was evident. Though 32,000 fans packed Fenway Park, their cheers were half-hearted and quiet, and the game moved slow enough to bore even the most diehard fan. The Red Sox batted around and scored three runs in the second inning, but the offense was silent for most of the game, and the pitching left something to be desired. The Indians got the win thanks to the bat of Jim Thome, who hit his 44th and 45th homers off Boston starter Hideo Nomo. Thome leads the league in round-trippers, and his solo shot in the sixth put the Indians ahead to stay. Juan Gonzalez added to the lead with a two-run double in the seventh, and Bob Wickman pitched the ninth for his 29th save. Boston loaded the bases with no outs against Cleveland starter Bartolo Colon in the second but scored only three runs on singles by Mike Lansing, Jose Offerman, and Scott Hatteberg. They tied the game at four in the fourth inning but failed to comeback when the Indians took control later on.Because the Yankees also lost, the Sox, who were tied for first place in the AL East on July 22, remained nine games back in the division. The gap between the two rivals seemed surmountable a week ago, but Boston's recent slide has left New Englanders wondering how best to spend the money they had put aside for playoff tickets. The Red Sox also lost any shot they might have had at the wild card spot; they now trail Oakland by 8 1-2 games in that race. Boston will finish its season series against Cleveland tonight and then head to New York for four more games against the Yankees. However, if Pedro is unable to make his scheduled start on Friday and the offense continues to struggle, Red Sox nation may find it a little less painful to turn its television sets to college football this weekend.

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Students react to Bush's war on terrorism

August 31

In wake of the devastating terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11, NATO invoked Article 5 of its charter for the first time in its 52-year history. The article declares that an attack on any member state is an attack on all, and implies full European backing for any US retaliation. Foreign support is encouraging to many at Tufts who favor military retaliation for the attacks. Students and professors had an opportunity to share their views at a Sept. 25 Colloquium on the implications of an American war on terrorism in Nelson Auditorium. While some supported broad, unilateral retaliation by the US, others advocated a more cautious approach."The US is the world's only superpower... [but] we are not invulnerable and we cannot afford to alienate other countries," political science professor Jeffrey Taliaferro said at the colloquium.Freshman Brian Kessler views these foreign policy dilemmas as a challenge to Bush's leadership."This is a good test for President Bush. There is a lot of public opinion swirling around, from racism to revenge. The course of action that Bush chooses could not only determine the direction of his presidency, but also the direction of the world," Kessler said. Freshman Jay Kim also sounded off in support of the President's proposals. "I believe Bush's 'War Against Terrorism' is an appropriate step to take after what took place on Sept. 11," he said. "However, I think that there needs to be a clear-cut target. Before attacking, American military should seek a way to just punish the Taliban and bin Laden... It would be ironic to kill Afghan civilians to seek revenge for death of thousands of [US] civilians."While many students and professors support a robust military response, others are more critical, asserting that the President has yet to outline a specific plan of action. A group of Tufts professors held a Teach-In on the roof of Tisch library Friday, discouraging American's from giving President Bush a "blank check" for military action.By invoking Article 5, NATO has committed each of its members to "restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area", even if it means using armed force, according to CNN. Some call this promise of support a purely symbolic gesture, but under contingency plans being prepared, an assault would involve tens of thousands of ground troops. This is equivalent to the scale of the force deployed in Kosovo.Over 6,000 victims of the attacks were killed or are missing and presumed dead, but the bloodshed will only continue if the US uses force to cripple Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist network, NATO defense sources say. Representatives have also said that any multinational offensive would almost certainly involve British forces and would require the active support of Russia. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that Washington wants to build a "global coalition" to fight terrorism. Already, leaders from around the world have pledged their support and dedication for the fight against terrorism. Many at Tufts favoring military action appreciate the support of other nations.President Bush has warned Americans that they may face a long, hard struggle against terrorist enemies, but also promised that the country would not stand alone. Bush says that his administration will "rally the world."Freshman Stephanie Leibert also agreed that the US needs to retaliate. "Although the thought of war frightens me, being a native New Yorker who was in every way affected by this tragedy, I feel as if there needs to be some definite retaliation on our part and the US cannot take the Taliban's refusal to hand over Bin Ladin," Leibert said. "We need to do whatever we can to support and fight for the United States".President Bush pledged Saturday that the US would use all weapons at its disposal - military, diplomatic, financial and legal - to crush terrorism worldwide, but said "the patience and resolve of the American people" would ensure a US victory.Junior Devang Dave doesn't necessarily believe in Bush's methods during the aftermath of the tragedy, but he stands by him anyway."Even though I don't think very highly of President Bush, at a time like this, I think we have to come together and put faith in whoever is in office. If there's no unity in our own country, then we have little chance of succeeding elsewhere in the world," Dave said.Senior Lori Kessler, though, is certainly worried about what Bush's decisions might be over the next few weeks. "Terrorism can go two ways. We shouldn't stoop down to their level and in turn kill more innocent people," Kessler said. Other students are unsure of what role they want the government to take. "I don't necessarily advocate war, nor support Bush", freshman Lauren Fleisher said. "[But] with events such as these I feel war might be the only way to handle the horrific events that our country was subjected to." Freshman Annie Atkinson agrees, but stresses that Bush needs to keep the nation informed."Because the situation can change so much... we need to know if we are going to go to war or drop bombs. That's not something we want to be surprised about," Atkinson said. As we watch and wait, Americans will wonder what their part in the big picture will be. Senior Lindsay Braun expressed her belief for the goal of current US foreign policy."We're living in a new world now. It's important that we don't give the terrorists what they want," Braun said.

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News

Tufts ignores Asian-American studies

August 31

Last Wednesday's article, "University Working to Create Asian American Courses," presented some inaccurate information on the status of Asian-American curriculum development at Tufts that we would like to help clarify. Unfortunately, an Asian-American program does not currently exist at this institution. Right now, Tufts offers only two courses devoted to the study of Asian-American content, which hardly constitutes a program in this field. In addition, the University has not hired any permanent faculty to teach in this field. Because the two Asian-American courses are not grounded into the Tufts curriculum by full-time staff, there remains a sense of insecurity on the status of even our existing courses. Over the years, both students and faculty have made arduous efforts to increase the number of Asian American courses and faculty on campus without success. In recent years, Tufts has fallen behind neighboring institutions in the availability of Asian American resources. The University's Task Force on Race released a report in 1998 pointing out gaps and disparities in our curriculum in the area of Asian-American studies, along with Latino and Native American Studies. Students who have taken both Asian-American courses wonder why there are not more courses devoted to this vast field including perspectives which are not traditionally covered in high- school curricula. Tufts even lags behind smaller schools like Mount Holyoke, which has three hired full-time professors trained to teach Asian American Studies. While Tufts has long been proud of its program in international relations and its promotion of international diversity, we often ignore the issues of domestic relations and domestic diversity on campus. Professor Chaterjee claims that the university is trying to create more room for Asian-American faculty, yet we have not seen any steps taken toward this effort. Although Professor Chaterjee taught an Asian-American drama course last semester, he has not worked as extensively on curricular transformation as the twelve professors who participated in this summer's workshop. Moreover, it is important to note that merely hiring more ethnic Asian-American faculty does not necessarily mean the growth of Asian-American studies at Tufts. It is equally important that the new faculty be properly trained and educated to teach these courses. Oftentimes Asian-American studies is confused with the field of Asian studies. Asian-American studies is rooted in the study of American society and culture. Asian Americans have been part of the historical, literary and social landscape of America for over 150 years, yet our curriculum fails to address and recognize this reality. Asian studies, while a wonderful resource for those interested in the study of Asia, does not aim to educate the student body about the Asian-American experience and is therefore an entirely separate field. The comparison between Asian and Asian-American studies is analogous to one studying the history, literature, and culture of Italy and presuming to understand the experiences of Italian Americans, or those of White Americans in general. Similarly, studying America without examining acts of resistance and contributions made to society by Asian Americans, and other racial and ethnic groups, paints an incomplete picture of American society. Our present curriculum omits various instances of Asian-American influence in the structural makeup of our country, thus rendering Asian Americans invisible. he decline in Asian-African student enrollment is a completely separate issue from the current state of the curriculum. Regardless of the number of Asian-American students on campus, Tufts still needs to greatly bolster its Asian-American curriculum in order to truly educate critical thinkers who understand the past and present diversity of American society. This omission in Tufts' curriculum maintains and perpetuates systematic racism and other forms of oppression.Uyen Tang, LA '03, Co-President of the Asian Community at TuftsLaura Horwitz, LA '03, Student Assistant for the Asian-American CurriculumTransformation ProjectDavid Wu, LA '04, Asian American Cultural Representative to the TCUCecelia Chen, LA '04, Treasurer of the Asian Community at TuftsCecelia Almazan, LA '03, vice president of Association of Latin American StudentsAaron Chiu, LA '03, Asian-American activistFelicia Chao, LA '02, Tufts Representative for the East Coast Asian Students Union Tufts Representative and the Boston Inter-Collegiate Taiwanese Student AssociationAaron Chiu is a junior majoring in international relations.

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News

Dream is destiny

August 31

This is one for the dreamers. Waking Life, in theaters today, satiates a mental hunger for humankind's big questions. With innovative filming techniques anda large and talented cast, the movie tackles concepts like the origins of man, free will, and collective intelligence. Director Richard Linklater, who also wrote the script, has successfully achieved the near impossible task of expanding the already broad spectrum of filmmaking techniques. The film flows like a moving painting, with a revolutionary form of artistry that may take viewers a few minutes to adjust to. But when the story comes into focus, you'll realize the main concept of the film - there are different ways of perceiving life. Wiley Wiggins (Dazed and Confused) wanders about a surreal dream world in search of... well, that's kind of up to you. The plot of Waking Life is amorphous. The scenes are connected by the narrator's (Wiggins) quest to understand the dream world in which he finds himself. The film is relentless - before you can make sense of one philosophy, the next has already been introduced. Most of the characters reveal themselves in conversation with the narrator, and there are constant uninterrupted rants that lend a feeling of authority and trustworthiness that simple dialogue does not. The spectacular visual effects in Waking Life are the film's most impressive feature. The footage is mostly shot by Linklater himself on digital video, and then converted to animation with an apparatus called a Wacom tablet. The process, designed by animation director Bob Sabiston, is called rotoscoping, and it creates a hallucinatory appearance in which images rest on different planes that float freely. For example, the man driving the boat-shaped car is wearing a Hawaiian shirt. When the car moves to the left, the man's body may not. And if the man and his shirt go with the flow of the car, it doesn't mean the flowers on his shirt do.The visually pleasing animation allows for a method of storytelling that live action can't achieve. Impressionist backgrounds draw attention to characters, who are works of art themselves. And Waking Life was constructed by a number of different animators, so each scene has its own personal feel. Some characters look like painted representations of reality, while other characters take on an impressionist look evoking the emotions and ideas that they discuss.The soundtrack is the perfect companion to the animation, containing original music by newcomer composer Glover Gill. It's a hauntingly appropriate score, capturing moments of apprehension, danger, sensuality, and curiosity.Ultimately, Waking Life is the narrator's quest to understand his dream world. At first, he is disoriented by his surreal environment and inability to escape from it. He cannot figure out when he is dreaming and when he is awake, but the characters in his dream world slowly begin to clarify the rules of his environment. It soon becomes easier for him to control the conversations and locations in which he finds himself. It's an interesting concept, since it's the narrator who creates these characters and "rules" in the first place.The essence of Waking Life is captured by Sartre's philosophy that we exist because we believe we do. The film alludes to the philosopher's theory that the key to our existence lies within the belief that we can create our own existence. Add to that the concept of creating our own destinies, and the goal of the film's narrator becomes clear. Waking Life is an exploration of how we might create our own destinies by thinking in a dream world that has no boundaries. If this sounds like a bit much to swallow, it's probably because it is. The film isn't trying to prove anything - it just wants to remind us not to ignore the things we don't understand.

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Dear family...

August 31

Yesterday I saw the most horrendous thing I've ever seen. The most horrendous thing anyone in my generation has ever seen. It has affected our way of life forever...it has affected our freedom. More people are dead than I could ever fathom. The newscaster read a list of those dead from the airplanes - not even a complete list - and it went on for at least ten minutes. The kid next door to me has not yet heard from his father who was in New York yesterday morning. That's almost 60 hours of limbo - not knowing if his father is dead or alive, if his mother no longer has a husband, if his children will ever meet their grandfather. I cannot fathom how he is dealing with this. How can anybody function in that state of uncertainty? It is awful. I am so lucky that my family is alive and well. The pain doesn't stop after the demise of the World Trade Center yesterday. One of my friends left an away message on his Instant Messenger referring to "sand niggers." It might have been his way of expressing the anger that runs through us all, but it makes me so angry that that type of ignorance still exists. There have been reports of Arab Americans being slandered, beaten, and raped around New York, Boston and Washington, DC. I replied with my own away message: "My thoughts and prayers are with those families and friends of the deceased. But I can't stand idly by when I hear racist comments and read racist messages going around. Those who acted are not the same people as those who share their nationality. Remember that. Ignorance and generalizations only lead to more senseless violence." I saw images of the Hilton Hotel raid today in Copley square in Boston- which really frightened me because I live about six subway stops away. In fact, I have stood on that exact spot. Tonight, in vast contrast with the most horrendous things my eyes have ever seen, my heart has ever bared, I saw one of the most beautiful things. I wasn't planning on going tonight; but at dusk I found myself outside the library with more than 1,000 of my fellow students for a candle light vigil. The greatest thing about this vigil was that it was a sign that our community is working together more than ever before. So many groups joined together to sponsor the event. Here's a list of some of the participating groups: The Coalition for Social Justice and Nonviolence, The Senate, The Dean of Students Office, The Hawaii Club, The Tri-Services Organization (Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force ROTC Cadets at Tufts), the Association of Latin American Students, Acapella Groups, Fraternities, Athletic clubs and mathematics clubs. The vigil was so beautiful - we listened to some student leaders speak, not to mention Father O'Leary and Rabbi Summit. At the end, we all lit candles and walked in silence around the academic quad. I looked all around me, and could see a snake of fire. Some people were crying, some were angry, others were just stunned, but we were all in it together. I wasn't worried if the wind was going to blow my candle out because there were people all around me to help me rekindle. I saw normally drunken Frat boys light Senate members' candles. I saw cheerleaders light "nerds'" candles. I saw black, white, Asian, Middle-Eastern, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim students all passing their flames from candle to candle. In my 40 minute walk, I had a lot of time to think over the events of the past 48 hours. I thought about how much it burned when the candle wax boiled on my hand and how little that pain compared to the deeper pain that we are all feeling. I thought about how much the dripping wax resembled tears. I thought about how my flame was like the American spirit and how if mine went out then all I'd need to do was get help from a neighbor. I thought about how there were so many people in that long procession- I was surrounded by people I'd never seen before. I thought about how that same group isn't even ten percent of the number of people who died. I thought that every person at Tufts wouldn't even equal the amount of people in one tower of the World Trade Center. I thought about my family again, and how lucky we are to be unharmed. I thought about how much I missed my mom and dad - how all I wanted was a mushy hug from mom and an itchy kiss from dad to let me know that everything was going to be alright. I just wanted to sit in one room with all of my siblings and joke and play. I thought about how lost I'd be in this world if any one of them were gone forever. After the procession we went to the library roof. In the horizon lay a solemn downtown Boston, sparkling as if nothing had happened. And we all sat there in silence as our candles burned down to nothing. But I kept my wax to remind me of how I felt to see people overcoming their differences and coming together for one silent hour to express their shared distress and grief. That was comforting to me, and was truly one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. As Jess, Justine, and I filed off the library roof, we walked along side a girl who was walking slowly and crying. As I walked alongside her, I decided to say something, anything. I put my hand on her shoulder and I looked at her. I was thinking 'everything is gonna be alright,' but I never said it. She said, "Thank you." I asked if she had any family in New York, as I have been asking nearly everyone I had encountered for the past week. She told me that she was from New York, but that her family was safe. I smiled and said "Good to hear," and we went our separate ways. As I walked away, I wondered if there was anything else I could have said to her, something to ease her pain. I'm sorry this letter is so long, you don't have to read it if you don't want to. I just wanted to let you guys know about the dichotomy of ugliness and beauty I've witnessed in the past couple of days. I just wanted to tell my family what I was feeling and thinking and how much I love everyone.I love you guys so much.AaronAaron Weinstein is a sophomore who has not yet decided on a major.

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News

Break up the Skins

August 31

What a difference five weeks (and a bye) make. On Oct. 15, the 0-4 Washington Redskins faced the 0-4 Dallas Cowboys in a Monday night football game that, surprisingly, received higher ratings than the New York Yankees vs. Oakland A's playoff game. The Cowboys won the stinker 9-7, sending the Redskins to 0-5. A month and a half later, the Redskins are the only team not to have lost since Oct.15, and now the 5-5 Redskins face off on Sunday against the 2-8 Cowboys.Okay, six weeks didn't do much for the Cowboys, but it has given the Skins new life. In fact, they have so much new life that Washington is now in second place in the NFC East, only a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that Washington disposed of last Sunday, 13-3. Apparently Donovan McNabb hasn't been eating his chunky soup. Better tell his mom about that. Washington held Philly's versatile quarterback to 97 yards passing and 39 yards rushing. Additionally, Eagles' running backs Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter were limited to a combined 55 yards on 19 carries. Don't tell the Skins, but Philly and the New York Giants are supposed to have the best defenses in the East. And with the Giants in the midst of a five-game nose dive, the Redskins have a legitimate chance to win the division. The Redskins sit one game back of the Eagles, but Philadelphia still has one more matchup with Washington this year. Working in the Skins' favor is the fact that when they play on December 16, in what could determine the divisional champ, it will on their home turf.So how come the team with the most offensive nickname in sports has undergone a revival? No other team in NFL history has started the season 0-5 only to win their next five games. The NFL community is abuzz about this turnaround, but before you get too excited, remember that the Skins should have been 5-5 at this point in the season. Running back Stephen Davis is amongst the best running backs in the league, and if he doesn't get into the end zone as much as other top backs, he is consistently around the 85-90 yard mark. Wide receiver Michael Westbrook may not be in the top flight of NFL receivers (in order, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, and Rod Smith), but he's as good as anyone else. Don't forget that this is a high-priced defense, as well. Cornerback Deion Sanders is in the CBS studio - doing a surprisingly good job, by the way - but there are still a number of high draft picks in the defensive huddle. Defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson was the first player selected in the 1994 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. His linemate, Kenard Lang, was a first round pick in 1997 out of the University of Miami. Cornerback Champ Bailey was the seventh man taken overall in 1999, while his secondary partner Fred Smoot was taken high in the second round in 2001. And don't be fooled by the foolish free agent spending owner Dan Snyder did last year. The heart of this team was built through the draft. Other than the blue chip defenders previously mentioned tight end Stephen Alexander was drafted in the second round in 1998. Offensive guard Jon Jansen was taken in the late rounds in 1999, while Davis was selected in the fourth round in 1996. But the biggest move the Redskins made all season, and for this give credit to coach Marty Schottenheimer, was to bench Snyder's chosen quarterback Jeff George in favor of Tony Banks. No one is going to mistake Banks for Joe Montana, or Tony Eason for that matter, but he's gotten the job done. In fact, this whole winning streak is a testament to Schottenheimer, who refused to deviate from his system when the going got tough. But a message of warning to the optimistic Skins fans out there - Schottenheimer's system has gotten many a team to the playoffs, but it usually comes up a few points short of a Super Bowl. The goodThe decision by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichek can be described, extremely mildly, as good. Belichek announced last week that second-year man Tom Brady would be his starting quarterback the rest of the season. It wasn't a completely shocking announcement, considering Brady took over an 0-2 team and lead them, like Lazarus, to a 6-5 record and back into the playoff hunt. However, Belichek does have a former Pro-Bowl quarterback on the sidelines, who is healthy now, and is making a lot more money than the coach, so benching him took some - pardon my Yiddish - chutzpah. Brady made his coach look good, though, on Sunday, as he tore apart a solid New Orleans Saints defense. The Michigan grad threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns, putting to rest the quarterback controversy, at least for another week. The badJust a few weeks ago, St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner became the fastest quarterback in league history to throw for 10,000 yards. So how did he get into the bad category so quickly?Easy. Turnovers. In the past five games, the Rams have 22 turnovers. The Rams haven't had to look over their shoulder in the standings too much this season, and in a sense, they still don't need to. Instead, they should look to the side, where they will see the mistake-free San Francisco 49ers tied for the division lead. For Warner's sake, when the two teams play in a few weeks, let's hope he doesn't turn over the division lead.The uglyThere's a list of them this week. The Eagle's offense, Nebraska's run defense, LaVarr Arrington's helmet toss (fiery, but not original), or the hair tossed on Bud Selig's head - take your pick.

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News

Students consider revamped substance abuse policy

August 31

New substance abuse regulations set in place over the summer are starting to be felt in Tufts dormitories. Since September, first-time substance abuse offenders have been managed by the Office of Residential Life, as opposed to the Office of Judicial Affairs. For some students, the policy is comforting, in that it allows them the opportunity to defend themselves in front of peers instead of a Judicial Affairs Board. A first violation requires a meeting with the Residential Judiciary Board (RJB), which is composed of one Proctor, one Resident Assistant (RA), and three student board members. The decision made by the board is binding, but may be appealed. With alcohol policy in the hands of ResLife, some say they feel more relieved that a mistake will not necessarily hamper their Tufts career. "The new policy is better because I felt much more comfortable talking to my proctor than to a dean that doesn't know me or understand me as well," one sophomore said. Further changes were made to the University's probation policy. Disciplinary probation is a warning that a student's behavior has violated the standards of the University community, according to Residential Life guidelines, and subsequent violations during the probationary period are likely to lead to more serious disciplinary action. Currently, if a student is on Probation 1, no written statement is listed on a his or her transcript. And under the new policy, students on Probation 1 are still considered to be in "good standing" with the University. These students are not prohibited from rushing fraternities. "I messed up the first week of school, but thankfully, because of the new Probation 1 policy, I am being punished only in moderation," said one female freshman. "I can still rush a Greek organization, and I can still study abroad my junior year. These are the opportunities and benefits that I would have hated to miss." Dean of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter and Dean of Students Bruce Reitman were instrumental in the reorganization of the policy. Neither administrator would comment on the changes at this time. The Office of Residential Life also declined to comment. While the new policies continue to be monitored, students and RAs seem pleased for now. And some say that the new policy generates a greater respect between residents and RAs. "Students are learning to be more respectful and aware of what they are doing in the dorms, and in turn, we have earned a greater respect for the residents," one male RA said. "The new policy has helped to build community and respect for one another," another male RA said. "If the residents behave maturely, the policy gives them more power and leniency. I think that in general, students are content with the less severe policy."

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News

Only in New York

August 31

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Counterfeit FDNY hats: $5. Inkjet printouts of the Twin Towers: $3. Cheaply made American flags: $2. These are among the offerings that sidewalk vendors are selling to the gawking crowds at New York City's newest tourist attraction: the multi-acre graveyard known as Ground Zero where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Although metal police barricades keep pedestrians several blocks from the site, thousands of tourists flock to the adjacent streets on any given day, paying homage to those who perished, witnessing history in the making, and, in many cases, searching for a souvenir to take home. German and Japanese mingle with English, Spanish, and other foreign tongues. Police officers and National Guardsmen shout at the crowds, attempting to keep streets and intersections open to vehicular traffic. Amateur photographers armed with street maps and telephoto lenses climb signposts, hoping to capture images of the smoke that continues to rise. Proselytizers set up prayer booths and distribute religious pamphlets to potential converts. And vendors, using everything from shopping carts to storefronts, sell souvenirs of the disaster. "It's worse on Saturdays," said Alicia Milograno, a Voter Registration Coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group. Unlike many tourists, Milograno doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to seeing Ground Zero: her office is just three blocks away. Yet until Oct. 11, Milograno was not allowed back to work until Oct. 11, a full month after the disaster. "I think that a lot of people are there because they're already in New York, why not go see it?" she said. But like many New Yorkers, Milograno says she is offended by the commercialization of the disaster. "They're selling a lot of pictures, pins, and American flag paraphernalia," she said. And just as out-of-towners are hungry for souvenirs of the disaster site, they also want to leave their mark on the city. "A lot of people who come in big groups wearing the same T-shirt or the same hat or something put up banners from their hometown to show support, to show where they're from," Milograno said. Thus far, the City of New York has made no official comment on the vendors' presence, and the mayor's press office did not respond to inquiries for this story. "The cops are standing there every day, doing their shifts right alongside the vendors," Milograno said. Although Milograno acknowledges the possibility that the crowds may have come to join the city in its mourning process, she said she questions why visitors would want to see the disaster site itself. For her, one of the hardest things about being so close to Ground Zero is enduring the ever-present cloud of acrid smoke that hangs over Lower Manhattan. "Right now, I'm in one of the back rooms of our office, and we have a direct ventilation system to the outside air," she said. "Today is one of the worst days." Milograno is beginning to feel displaced by the tourists' presence. During her morning commute from Brooklyn's Prospect Heights, thousands of office workers arrive at the nearby subway station - one of the few still open in the neighborhood. The tourists are already there, blocking the exit stairways and making it impossible to walk on the sidewalks. "It seems very unnecessary to me - sometimes we have to have police escorts to get here," she said. "We have to show our IDs to get to work. We can all accept those things, but when you have a hoard of people getting in the way, it makes things a lot more difficult," Milograno said. "They're making it more work for the police, more work for the military, and adding that much more confusion," she said. For Brooklyn's Tom Jones and his wife, Sonya Baehr, visiting the former site of the towers was an integral part of the mourning process. Jones, father of Tufts sophomore Vanessa Baehr-Jones, is an education administrator on Long Island. His fascination with the site began on his daily commute. On his eastward trek, he drives along an elevated section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from which "a panoramic view of Manhattan, all the way up to the Bronx," is visible. "For a number of days, I'd seen the smoke coming from the site, the absence of the twin towers," Jones said. Less than a week after watching the towers collapse on television, he decided to journey as close as possible to the site itself. "My wife and I went over the Sunday after the attack and I think part of it was - it seems very odd in a way - but I think one of our reasons was to verify what it was, what it looked like," Jones said. "Somehow we wanted to be down closer to it. Maybe it was morbid. I don't think so. Maybe it was to get a sense of the enormity of it... [an act of] mourning for me and my wife and an acknowledgement of what really happened." At that time, however, the heaviest recovery and cleanup efforts were still underway, and the NYPD would not allow pedestrians south of Canal Street, roughly half a mile to the north. "We couldn't get very close, but that was enough for me," Jones said. After her initial visit to the site, Baehr took family friends to see the wreckage during Columbus Day weekend. "Sonya took them over Sunday morning," he said. "They got out of the subway on the Brooklyn side and got up on the Brooklyn Bridge... and they found the smell of the site was very strong, very pungent... it was the smell of death," Jones said. "As they went across the bridge it kept getting stronger and stronger. They were very somber after the experience." Junior Katie Finkelstein found herself among the thousands who arrived at the site that same weekend - albeit accidentally. Like Milograno and Baehr, Finkelstein was overcome by the pungent smell of smoke emanating from the ruins of the Twin Towers. "We were actually going to SoHo, which is pretty close, so when we got out of the subway at that station... we sort of just ended up there," she said. Finkelstein, who said she was surprised to recognize the smell immediately upon leaving the subway station, walked a half-mile south with her friends. At the site, she was shocked to find thousands of tourists crowding the streets. "I thought there were a lot of tourists there, just to see the site, which I thought was sort of sickening," she said. Once there, she couldn't help but notice the active business in which souvenir vendors were engaged. "There was so much," she said. "Everybody was selling flags and signs." Jones, who has not been to the site since his initial visit, was shocked to learn of the boundless commercialism that has sprung up in the streets around the site of the worst terrorist attack in US history. Chalking it up to New York's "crazy mix of the modern and very primitive," Jones said "the idea of it as an image to be recorded, a souvenir to be bought, a profit to be made adds to the sadness." Trading disaster souvenirs had briefly become a national phenomenon, with widespread rumors of actual rubble and other paraphernalia available at online auction marketplaces. "Past experience tells me that any time an event becomes a center of media attention, some items - sometimes figments of people's imagination - find their way to eBay," said Kevin Pursglove, senior director of corporate communication at eBay Inc., a San Jose, CA-based online auction site. "One of the issues we were concerned with was anybody trying to exploit the tragedy of Sept. 11," Pursglove said. "That's why at the end of that day we'd put in a temporary ban on any items related to the Twin Towers and the Pentagon," he said. During the week following the attacks, eBay's Customer Service Department removed "several hundred" fictitious or offensive listings. While eBay has started a charity action program and has kept a close eye on the listings its users post, the souvenir trade continues - seemingly uncontrolled - in the streets of New York. "Less scrupulous individuals will try to exploit a disaster," Pursglove said. "I guess when you meditate on it, you won't be surprised at all," Jones said. "It's New York, it's an incredibly corrupt, complex place."

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News

Giants, Eagles stand tall in weak division

August 31

Philadelphia EaglesAfter years of mediocrity, the Eagles emerged last season going 11-5, with second-year quarterback Donovan McNabb carrying the team into round two of the playoffs. With running back Duce Staley recovering from a foot injury and the off-season acquisitions of receivers James Thrash and rookie Freddie Mitchell, McNabb will finally have a few offensive options aside from his own legs, which served him in numerous quarterback scrambles last year. The biggest question mark for the Eagles will be whether the young McNabb can withstand the constant media attention and high expectations associated with being an MVP runner up. Coach Andy Reid should not expect McNabb to come close to matching last year's numbers. McNabb accounted for a staggering 75 percent of the Eagles total offense, but the new acquisitions will most likely take much of that load off his back. Playing in Philadelphia is no easy task - fans are fervent and fickle, not to mention violent - but the city has embraced this Eagles squad, and McNabb is second only to a certain 5'11" point guard as a fan favorite. If the Eagles' newcomers live up to expectations they won't have to rely on another one-man-show to make it deep into the playoffs. New York GiantsThe Giants' demolition of the favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game turned some heads. Although no one questioned the team's skill - the team was fueled by the thunder and lightning running back tandem of Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber, who combined for 1776 rushing yards - most didn't think they were a Superbowl caliber team. The Baltimore Ravens confirmed this suspicion, dominating the G-men from the opening kickoff. This year the Giants should again be solid, with a lineup similar to the one that quarterback Kerry Collins guided to a 12-4 record. The Giants bolstered their already tenacious defense by adding Kenny Holmes, who had a breakthrough year with the Tennessee Titans recording 36 tackles and eight sacks. One uncertainty will be the availability of Barber, who has missed the preseason due to a broken arm. Expectations will be high as the team tries to prove to the country that its playoff run was no fluke, and it will have an immediate opportunity to do so - hosting the first Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 10.Washington RedskinsLast season was a debacle for the Skins. The preseason Superbowl favorites fell on their faces, staggering to an embarrassing 8-8 record. During the offseason the team shed much of its payroll. The quarterback controversy between Jeff George and Brad Johnson was eliminated, with Johnson being shipped off to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For George, who has played on four different teams in the last four years, this new stability may increase his productivity. The fickle quarterback will have to rely on a hodgepodge of veterans and rookies to get the job done, but with such low expectations, the squad may actually prosper under the supervision of new coach Marty Schottenheimer. Running back Stephen Davis had an exceptional season last year, running for 1318 yards, and Michael Westbrook should perform well in the top receiver role. The Skins are also fortunate to have landed the easiest schedule in the league. Arizona CardinalsQuarterback Jake Plummer's stock has plummeted drastically in the last two seasons, lacking a support staff and suffering from some bad luck. In 1998 Plummer led his team to a surprising playoff victory - a far cry from last year's 3-13 record where he chalked up 21 interceptions to only 13 touchdown passes. Free from injury, Plummer should help pull the Cardinals out of the cellar and to a more lofty status - mediocrity. A healthy and larger offensive line should give Plummer some more time to throw, and receiver Rob Moore back from an ACL injury should give the QB a much more reliable option. The most gaping hole for Arizona this year will again be the young, weak defensive line, which finished last in the NFL in sacks (with 25), total defense (358.6 yards per game), rushing defense (163.1 yards per game), and scoring defense (443 points) last year.Dallas CowboysWith the Cardinals out of the NFC East's cellar, "America's team" should quickly replace them as cellar dwellers. The end of the Troy Aikman era has left rookie Quincy Carter as the starting QB. The only big name player left in Dallas is Emmitt Smith, whose running ability has become meaningless without anyone to create holes for him. Offensively the Cowboys will struggle to put points on the board, but that will pale in comparison to their unstable defense. Last year the defense was tied for last in sacks and was the worst in preventing the run. To make matters worse, that unit's three best defensive players from last year - Chad Hennings, Leon Lett, Alonzo Spellman - have all left.

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News

Spring 2002 deadline set for new music building

August 31

Plans for a new music building at Tufts have been delayed and changed countless times over the past three years, but a start date may finally loom on the horizon. The University has set a tentative spring 2002 groundbreaking, and explored plans to build a new house for the Zeta Psi fraternity, which will be displaced by the new building. In collaboration with an outside architect, a four-member faculty committee has narrowed its building options to six or seven blueprints. The administration then imposed fundraising deadlines and is currently completing the building's design phase. "We are tentatively picking up the design process within the next month, and groundbreaking [will be] after commencement of 2002," Vice President of Operations John Roberto said. But music department chair John McDonald said the groundbreaking ceremony will likely take place in April 2002. The University had originally slated a summer 2003 start date in May. The project, which has been hindered at every turn by funding shortages and resistance from Zeta Psi, is expected to cost from $22 to $25 million, with two stages of construction. In a July meeting, the committee met with executive administrators and set an Oct. 1 2001 deadline to raise the $10 million needed for Phase I of the project. University officials are expecting a significant fundraising effort to near completion by the end of the month. "In pledges and confirmed pledges, $8 million has been raised so far," McDonald said, adding that the additional $2 million must be raised in the next two weeks. A Jan. 1, 2002 deadline was set for raising a total of $13 million, and McDonald said he and the rest of the music department expect to reach this goal. The University has paid an architectural firm, DTS Shaw, to begin more advanced design phases. According to trustee policies, the University cannot break ground until all funding is secured for Phase I. "Once we're able to start the project, we'll have an ongoing project, and that might make fundraising for Phase II a bit easier," Roberto said last year. "Prospective donors would be able to see the project taking place." Regardless of fundraising accomplishments, the University cannot begin construction until it honors its contract to first build Zeta Psi a new fraternity house on Professors Row. The University agreed to purchase the land plot and house, appraised last year at $1.5 million, that Zeta Psi currently owns. The fraternity brothers are creating designs for a location yet to be determined. A new house must be completed before the current house is demolished so that brothers are not displaced. "We are not totally convinced that this will happen... because the timeline is not firm," said John Sunkin, former president of Zeta Psi. Sunkin is "confident that the house at 80 Professors Row will be there for a time... because I am not convinced that the University has its act together on it." But McDonald said that construction will begin soon. "We are encouraged that this really seems like it's becoming a reality," he said, adding that he is pleased with President Larry Bacow's enthusiasm for the new building. The building, a 33,000-square-foot, three-floor complex, will be located at 80 Professors Row, replacing the former Academic Resource Center and the 150-year old Zeta Psi fraternity house. The new building will alleviate current strains on limited rehearsal, teaching, office, and practice space and allow for expansion of the music library. McDonald said that building size, the amount of available land, operational costs, and fundraising were all considered in the design plans. Phase I includes the demolition of the current site and building the center's shell, while Phase II will involve constructing classroom, office, and rehearsal spaces, and a new music library. The concert hall, judged to be the most pressing need, will be available for student use once it is completed, though no date has been set for completing either phase. The music department will still make use of the Aidekman Arts Center; Cohen auditorium will still be used for larger concerts, even after the new building is completed. Performance groups will also continue to use the Gantcher gymnasium when collaborating with other schools' groups, while the new building's 300-seat recital hall will hold smaller concerts because of its limited seating capacity. The New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall may also be used for performances demanding more seating. "We have been fitting all our needs and hence the students' needs into building," McDonald said. "Our goal is to be able to get as much of our function into the building as we can." The building will include three rehearsal spaces and four classrooms of varying sizes. The music department may rent out its recital hall to private individuals or local groups, as other schools do. While this option would bring in additional revenue and students could attend concerts on an almost daily basis, it would also necessitate a Recital Hall Manager position, raising operational costs.

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