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Gore's Tufts speech to focus on community, families

August 31

Former presidential candidate Al Gore will visit Tufts on Sept. 14, conversing with undergraduates and professors as part of a nationwide series of discussions focused on family-centered communities. Though the announcement was greeted with excitement, some students are displeased with the size of the audience, which has been capped at 150 students to encourage substantive interaction with the former vice president. "The forum is being kept small so true discussion can be held among the students and Gore," said Deborah Bobek, managing director of Applied Science Initiatives, one of the departments responsible for bringing Gore to campus. But many students say that Gore's prominence calls for a larger audience. "It's against what Tufts believes in: equal opportunity for everyone," sophomore James Mitchell said. "We should be entitled to the same benefits." At Tufts, Gore will use the conversation to elicit ideas for a masters program curriculum in family-centered community building, which he is developing with a consortium of 19 universities. In addition to Gore's forum with undergraduates, a symposium will be held in Nelson Auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 15 for experts in youth development. The Tufts visit is the first in a series of similar events to be held at consortium schools throughout the academic year. Dean of Natural and Social Sciences Susan Ernst, who is coordinating the event along with child development Professor Richard Lerner, has asked each academic department to recommend five students to attend the speech. From this list, a group of faculty members including Ernst and Lerner will select the final 150 students to attend the event. The committee will look for students with a diversity of academic interests, Ernst said, including those taking courses in departments directly relating to the topic, such as child development and psychology. Tufts Democrats President Sarah Molenkamp said that many students have expressed concern to her about the event. If she were arranging the visit, she said, it would be held in a bigger venue. "This is the former vice president and former presidential candidate coming to Tufts," Molenkamp said. "It's an opportunity that a lot of people could benefit from." But junior Nick Nguyen said that upper classmen selected by their professors would benefit more from such the lecture than would eager freshmen. "If you've been in college for a few more years, you're better equipped to appreciate a speaker of this caliber," he said. Gore taught a course entitled "Family-centered Community Building" at Fisk and Middle Tennessee State universities last semester and invited Tufts child development professor Richard Lerner to speak on youth development in both classes. In his course, Gore addresses the role of family, analyzing "how we can strengthen the lives of families by building communities to support healthy child development," Lerner said. "One of the problems that we've had in our society is that we tend to split off programs for policy from those for kids, from family [policy], from community [policy]," Lerner said. "Mr. Gore has provided a vision for looking at all those levels in an integrated manner." The programs include environmental, fiscal, and social initiatives, Lerner said, such as ensuring that children have a safe place to go after school. Gore is looking into "what is developmentally important for the child, and what resources exist to help families bring up healthy kids," Lerner explained. Since the presidential election, Gore has focused much of his time on teaching. "Gore has been keeping a very low profile both at Columbia and at the two Tennessee universities," said Richard Eichenberg, a political science professor. In his political career, Gore has focused his agenda on family and community building. "Gore was instrumental in pushing federal policy on a variety of initiatives designed to strengthen communities and to build social capital," political science Professor Kent Portney said. Though the Tufts speech will be decidedly apolitical, Eichenberg said that Gore will nonetheless use the occasion to listen to the issues that are important to voters. "He is trying to stay in the background," Eichenberg said. "He certainly hasn't challenged President Bush." "Gore is trying to find his feet in terms of the issues he's going to come back with," Eichenberg said.

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News

Blood drive begins today

August 31

The year's first Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) blood drive begins today and will continue through Wednesday. Coordinators planned the drive well before Sept. 11, but now say they expect a higher turnout because of an outpouring of support since the terrorist attacks. LCS blood drive coordinators sent an e-mail to students on Sept. 13, saying that they had contacted the Red Cross to organize an emergency blood drive. At that time, the Red Cross was overwhelmed with requests and told LCS that the demand for blood would be greater in coming weeks. "The Red Cross told us to keep our blood drive scheduled for around now, because the people in need would still be in need now," said sophomore Dan Keesing, one of the coordinators. Since eligible donors may only give blood once every eight weeks, the blood supply would have been depleted in following months if most willing donors gave blood immediately following Sept. 11. Most people do not donate regularly, Keesing said, but since consistent donors are now most needed, that trend may change. "Because of the tragedy, people really are thinking now how important it really is to be [giving blood] consistently," he said. Junior Devang Dave, who has volunteered at the blood drive for the past two years, said he also expects a higher turnout. "It's been put more in the public spotlight and there's been a lot more education about people donating blood," he said. "I feel like in the past, when the blood drive came around, it was mostly the coordinators and people who volunteered putting out information." As of last night, 281 students had already registered to donate blood. This year, the Red Cross specified the maximum number of donors they could take each day, saying they could handle 320 donors from Tufts over the three-day period. "They don't want to take any more than that because they're afraid that they're going to have an excessive supply and then they won't be able to do anything with the blood," Keesing said. Over 50 LCS volunteers will staff Hodgdon for the first two days and Carmichael for the last. Even so, students who walk in to donate should expect a longer wait. "Right now, we're hoping that the staff can even handle the people who have appointments," Keesing said. "Even those people might have to wait a bit." The coordinators registered donors through Tuftslife.com for the first time this year to streamline the process. Instead of only tabling, coordinators say the new system gives students a better chance to look over their schedules and find the best time to donate. The online method also allows coordinators to send reminder e-mails the day before students are scheduled to donate. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that blood donation levels have risen significantly higher than normal. In the New York metropolitan area, donors can wait for up to eight hours to give blood. Though the number of donors has leveled off to around 10,000 to 12,000 donors weekly, in the seven days following the attacks, 21,000 people gave blood. In a typical week before the attacks, the New York area took in about 7,000 donors. Since red blood cells are perishable, donated blood can only be stored for one month. Matthew Alford and Iris Gelbort are co-coordinating the drive with Keesing. LCS holds three blood drives each year, and this year, coordinators hope to add an extra blood drive for faculty and graduate students. "The way blood drives are run right now is a lot different than in the past, just because of the sudden increase of donors," Keesing said. "Its going to be a new experience for us."

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News

As weather fluctuates, heat turned on in all residences

August 31

After an early bout of wintry weather descended on the hill last week, many Jumbos say they have been left out in the cold. Tufts' residential heating systems - which are traditionally up and running before frosty temperatures set in - were not slated to be fully activated until Monday. Yesterday, however, dorm residents were warmed by news that heat in all of Tufts' residential buildings has been turned on for the winter. Heating systems in most academic buildings have been activated as well, and the rest are slated to be operating by Monday, according to James Pearson, a Facilities Department trade supervisor on the Medford campus. Pearson said he had planned to heat all Tufts buildings by today, but was concerned that there would not be enough time. Fortunately, weekend temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s.The department said it has not received many heat-related complaints thus far. When complaints are received, however, facilities workers go directly to the building in question to ensure that the heat has been turned on and is operating properly. "A lot of times people don't know how to turn the heat on in their rooms, like how to work the thermostat, or they leave a window open - small things like that," Pearson said. Most dorm rooms have individual heat control units so that students can adjust the temperature of their rooms.Though none have registered official complaints, some students have been vocal about the need for heat in the dorms. "The heat's on in the lounge, but I have not felt it on in the room," said freshman Brian Kessler, who lives in South Hall. "In the morning it's freezing here. Yesterday morning I didn't even want to get out of the shower."Residents in Lewis Hall have also complained of the cold, and some are concerned that their heaters will not be adequate when winter settles in for the season."For right now it hasn't been so cold, but when it gets colder I don't think [the heat] is going to be enough," senior Lewis Hall resident Sabri Gmira said. "I put it on maximum to see how warm the room would get, but I didn't notice that much of a difference."But for other University residents, this season's residential heating schedule was of little concern."I'm in the Wren Hall basement, and it's been comfortable thus far," freshman David Turkington said. "We haven't needed heat." Some even thought that it was unseasonably early to turn the heat on. "I don't want the heat to be turned on," sophomore Houston Hall resident Randy Newsom said. "It's still too hot." Each year, the administration establishes a deadline by which all campus heating systems must be activated. Over the last few years the date has been set at Oct. 15th, as temperatures can drop to the low 30s on October nights.The process began with the University's smaller, older houses, and then progressed to the larger residence halls before academic buildings.Recent weather fluctuations have demonstrated the erratic nature of New England weather this time of year. A freeze advisory on Tuesday night contrasted with Wednesday and Thursday temperatures reaching into the 70s. According to Pearson, whose responsibilities include the supervision of electricity, carpentry, heating, air conditioning, and masonry, the gradual process of providing campus-wide heating began around Oct 1. Since then, facilities department boiler mechanics have worked on an average of five to six buildings each day, priming and firing up the boilers.Most residential buildings are run on oil-fired boilers, though a few buildings use natural gas-powered systems. Larger buildings use steam to heat water that radiates throughout the buildings. Before heating systems can be activated, many need to be primed, and have their filters changed and cleaned.Despite the seemingly drastic conditions, TheOld Farmer's Almanac predicts New England's average temperature for this month will be 55 degrees, one degree above the region's October average. Next month is also expected to bring fairly typical temperatures, averaging 41 degrees, one degree lower than usual.

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News

Colloquium discusses American war on terrorism

August 31

Students who found themselves struggling to comprehend the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 were given an opportunity to learn about the history behind these events yesterday and their possible repercussions. An informative panel of four speakers presented the "Colloquium on Regional Repercussions of an American War on Terrorism" Tuesday afternoon in Nelson Auditorium. Tufts professors Jeffrey Taliaferro from political science and Ayesha Jalal from history were joined by Professor Thomas Barfield from the department of anthropology at Boston University and Professor Thomas Phillip, faculty of political science at the University of Erlangen in Germany. Taliaferro spoke about the national security implications for the US in the aftermath of the attacks. This "war" is different than any other America has fought, he said, because there is "no defined enemy." Taliaferro noted that the US would have a "hard time sending ground troops" into Afghanistan, as the country is land-locked and mountainous. In terms of other major world powers, Taliaferro said that China is extremely anxious about an American military presence in Central Asia, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to "cooperate with the US and allow them to use [Russia's] airbases." But Taliaferro sees "potential friction" with Russia, as Russia has disagreed with a few recent US policies like NATO expansion and a missile defense system. Although the Europe-US NATO treaty implies that "an attack on one is an attack on all," Taliaferro is unsure of a French, German, or British ground-troop presence in Afghanistan. But, he believes the British navy may get involved. Taliaferro stated that the main risk in this situation is the lack of "unanimity on using military force against Afghanistan or any other state." In the short run, the US can use its power to coerce its allies into helping militarily; but in the long run, "belligerent diplomacy" is a bad idea. Barfield gave a short synopsis of Afghanistan's difficult history, from British and Russian occupations of the country, militant religious factions, to the more than ten years of civil war before the Taliban government came to power during anarchy in 1996. Soon after, the government alienated all its surrounding countries in various ways. Taliban's control is based on "an unstable alliance- people [of Afghanistan] look out for self-interest, not ideolgy," Barfield said. Jalal presented Pakistan's role in the crisis as a "quandary." She discussed Pakistan's "precarious relationship with the US," religious extremism, and refugee problem. The US has historically "distanced itself" from Pakistan, although Pakistani President Musharraf has "pledged support of the US" at this point. This move has angered the ulema, or religious leaders, in Pakistan, who say "the US can't use Pakistan to get to bin Laden." bin Laden is a "hero to some" in the country who "don't want the US in the Middle East and South Asia." There are also currently "2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan," according to Jalal, and "1.5 million Afghan child refugees will be in danger [of starvation] as the winter approaches." Jalal concluded by saying that the militant factions in Pakistan are certainly deserving of our attention, but "just as dangerous are those [members of society] who silently harbor doubts and suspicions about the US" Phillip, who is currently a visiting professor of international politics at the Fletcher School, discussed "Arabic Perspectives" but touched mainly on the fact that the world, and the US in particular, now regard the militant factions as "religious," when the keyword used to be "Arab fanaticism." He pointed out that this new term is advantageous for terrorists, as "you can use religion as a weapon [for anything]. In the last twenty years [religion] has become an excuse for terrorism." At the end of the presentations, faculty and students were given time for questions. Taliaferro summed up the complexity and difficulty of the situation when he responded to a student by saying that the US is not at war with another country, but "with a person, and with radical terrorism." The colloquium was sponsored by the International Relations program, the Middle Eastern Studies program, and the Center for South Asia.

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News

Women's cross country finishes tenth at New Englands

August 31

The women's cross country team traveled to Westfield State Saturday hoping to qualify for the NCAA championships. Despite strong individual efforts, the team finished tenth out of 35 teams, thus ending its season. Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst had dominated meets all year, so the rest of the 35-team field was seemingly shooting for the fourth and final team qualifying spot. However, the quest to have an individual runner named to the All-New England team by placing in the top 35 was wide open for Tufts. As expected, Middlebury finished first with 65 points, Williams was second with 76, and Amherst was third with 86 points. In the battle for the fourth and final spot, Brandeis edged Trinity by scoring 163 points to their 169. The Jumbos finished tenth overall with 299 points, beating conference foe Colby by 13 points. "We finished about what we should have - top ten. It is where we were ranked all season," coach Kristen Morwick said. "Everyone ran a personal best." Junior Aly White continued to show vast improvement and was the first Jumbo to cross the finish line, placing 44th with a time of 18:55. White missed All-New England status by a mere nine places and only ten seconds. This was an incredible race for White, considering that she fell down in the first mile of the race. White "has been on the climb all year, she has been looking better every week," Morwick said. "If we had more races, she would continue to do well." Sophomore standout Lauren Caputo (18:58) was only three seconds off of White's pace, as she finished 47th overall. Caputo had been the first Jumbo to cross the finish line in each of the last three races she was in, and her time this Saturday was a personal best. "It was about what she had been doing," Morwick said. A little off White and Caputo's pace was sophomore Katie Mason, who finished 66th with a time of 19:24. Mason, who usually does not place in the top five for Tufts, raced her way into the top three of the team's finishers. "Katie ran a good race, she continues to improve," Morwick said. Senior Heather Ballantyne and sophomore Lauren Dunn finished the race neck and neck. Ballantyne finished 73rd and Dunn 74th, both with a time of 19:31. "If Heather was not sick, she would have been right there with," White, Caputo, and Mason, Morwick said. The course is very narrow and easy to get caught up in, which adversely affected Dunn. "Dunn got caught up in packs and couldn't feel her way through the course like she wanted to," Morwick said. Finishing sixth and seventh for Tufts were junior Heidi Tyson and freshman Rachel Brandenburg. They were 81st and 82nd overall with times of 19:37 and 19:38 respectively. The two did not break strategy and continued to run in a pack. Because the team did not finish in the top four, this was the last meet for it. Overall, the coach felt that the team did a good job overcoming early injuries and setbacks and finished on track. "This was a rebuilding year, but we ran well," Morwick said. The team's core is young, only losing one runner in the top five to graduation, Heather Ballantyne. "Mary Nodine and Rachel Brandenburg are going to be healthy next year," Morwick. "The team will be a whole lot better next year and years to come."

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News

Teaching and research assistants to unionize

August 31

The majority of the University's teaching and research assistants (TAs and RAs) will file a petition today with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Boston requesting union representation. The move toward unionization of Tufts' TAs and RAs (not to be confused with resident assistants) began at the beginning of this semester. Eighty to 90 percent of the graduate assistants on campus have been contacted and support unionization, according to English TA James McCrea. An estimated 400 to 500 graduate students work as teaching or research assistants at Tufts. But Provost Sol Gittleman said he has received calls from some graduate students who were confused about what they were signing. "A couple of grad students called and said that they didn't understand what was happening," he said. "They have no idea what all the implications are." He said that it seemed like organizers avoided contacting natural science graduates, as they have been averse to these sorts of actions at other institutions. For example, Chemistry Graduate student Jason Epstein wrote a Daily viewpoint yesterday criticizing the unionization efforts. The Tufts union - to be called the Association of Student Employees at Tufts (ASET) - will organize under the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). UAW also represents graduate employees at Columbia, the University of Massachusetts system, the University of California system, New York University, and the University of Washington. The same union will represent Brown's TAs and RAs, who began voting on unionization yesterday. Tufts administrators will be officially informed of the unionization efforts through a letter after the petition is filed today. Once filed for recognition, the union will hold an election and decide what negotiations and benefits to pursue. Some ideas under consideration include health and dental coverage, childcare, and higher wages, McCrea said. The TAs and RAs decided to pursue unionization because of a perceived lack of input in the administration. "There is no real representation to discuss matters of being a department assistant," Computer Science TA Eduardo Calvillo said. "Stipends from each department and the workloads from each department vary." The union will represent the greater concerns of graduate workers from all University departments. "We as workers can have a voice in our conditions," McCrea said. "There is a representative group of people from various departments who are involved." "The union will bargain and negotiate in good faith to look at improving the lot of people who work hard and contribute a lot to the University," he said. The Tufts union will become part of a larger trend among public and private institutions nationwide. Although unions have inhabited public universities for decades, according to McCrea, private schools have only begun unionizing on a larger scale during the past few years. "I think there's a general awareness and there has been quite a lot of coverage on issues of unionizing," he said. The TAs and RAs contribute significantly to the University, McCrea said, and should be able to work together to lobby the administration for their concerns. "A lot of TAs and RAs run labs and teach classes that are essential," he said. McCrea also said that if the union decides to pursue higher wages, the University could benefit because graduate students choose to study at schools with higher stipends.

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News

Halfway home

August 31

Nearly halfway through what has been a kooky NFL season, only one team - the Oakland Raiders - possesses more than a one game lead in their division, meaning things should only get crazier in the second half. In that spirit, the following is an All-Star team of surprise players. Don't look for Marshall Faulk, Rod Smith, or Peyton Manning - they are Pro-Bowlers that already receive all the hype. These are the athletes that may have slipped in fantasy football drafts because they weren't given the respect they deserved. Now they're earning it. Quarterback Rich Gannon, of the Raiders, might not belong on this list, because he's already viewed as a top flight quarterback. But he certainly was ranked below Manning, Kurt Warner, Dante Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Brian Griese, and Jeff Garcia at the beginning of the season. Well, he has a quarterback rating higher than all of them. His 98.3 rating tops the NFL, and though he's thrown for fewer yards and touchdowns than some of the other top QB's, he completes 66 percent of his passes and has only been intercepted once. More importantly, he's the quarterback of the best team in football, and right now, no one is doing a better job of running an offense than Gannon. Running Backs Guess who has the second most rushing yards in the NFL? Priest Holmes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Sure, his team has been awful, but he has become a legitimate weapon as both a runner and a receiver. He has run for five touchdowns this year and has caught another one. The back is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 8.0 yards per reception. If only the rest of the 2-5 team could figure out how to create some offense, the Chiefs might be dangerous. A little further down on the statistics chart is a running back playing in Chicago. It's not Walter Payton and it's not Gale Sayers, but rookie Anthony Thomas is giving the Chicago Bears their first reliable running back since the 1980's. The rookie has 535 yards and four touchdowns on the year for the 6-1 Bears, but more importantly, his stats in the past three games - since he has become the featured back in the offense - are among the best in the league. In the last three weeks, he is averaging 137 yards and one touchdown. Everyone had the San Diego Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson pegged as the offensive Rookie of the Year, but Thomas is going to make it an interesting race.Receivers Two years ago, Cleveland Browns wideout Kevin Johnson looked to have a bright future. Last year, he was almost invisible in the Cleveland offense. But in his third season, Johnson has developed an on-field relationship with quarterback Tim Couch, and it has paid off to the tune of 494 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Johnson's improvement from last year, when he finished with 669 yards and zero touchdowns, is one of the major reasons the Browns are 4-3 and in the hunt for the AFC Central crown. When New England Patriots wide receiver Terry Glenn missed most of last season, Troy Brown stepped up as Drew Bledsoe's primary target. Now with Bledsoe injured, Brown has become quarterback Tom Brady's favorite receiver. Brown is second in the league in receptions (53), third in yards (678), and tied for seventh in touchdowns (four). Brown's play is a major reason his team has surpassed expectations and is 4-4.Tight EndGreen Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks is fourth in the NFL in receiving touchdowns - not fourth amongst tight ends, but fourth overall. Though the second-year man out of the University of Miami doesn't touch the ball much in the offense, when he does, it's normally in the endzone. He already has six touchdowns on the year, helping to make the Packers offense eighth best in the league. Offensive line The San Francisco 49ers offensive line rarely gets mentioned as among the best in the league, but by the numbers, it should be. The Niners accrue the second most rushing yards per game in the NFL, and have allowed a miniscule 11 sacks on quarterback Jeff Garcia - an impressive number considering Garcia is tenth in the league is pass attempts. And if you want obscure, how does this starting unit sound - Dedrick Deese, Ray Brown, Jeremy Newberry, Dave Fiore, and Scott Gragg. Defense Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia, they're supposed to have good defenses. Guess who's allowed the fourth fewest points in the league? The Green Bay Packers. The secret to yielding just 15 points per game is the Packers' stingy run defense, which gives up 97.3 yards per outing. Green Bay also has the second best pass defense, allowing just 156.3 per contest. Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, a second-year man from San Diego State, is second in the NFL with ten sacks, while linebacker Bernardo Harris leads the team in tackles.The good If it's better to be lucky than good, the Chicago Bears are in great shape. Down by 14 points against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday with around 30 seconds to play, quarterback Shane Matthews throws a touchdown pass to receiver Marty Booker. The Bears recover the onside kick, and with time expiring, throw a Hail Mary to the endzone. The ball gets batted backwards, but right before it lands, backup running back James Allen, who had been trailing the play out of the backfield, dove in and caught it, tying the game. In overtime, the Bears get the ball first, but are forced to punt. On the Browns' ensuing third down, Couch's pass gets batted in the air, whereupon Chicago safety Mike Brown catches it and runs into the endzone for the game-winning score. The kicker? The week before against the 49ers, Brown intercepted a Jeff Garcia pass off of a wacky deflection and ran it back for the game-winning score. It is the first time in NFL history that the same player intercepted passes and returned them for touchdowns to win overtime games in two consecutive weeks. Quite a record.The bad Your team is on the two-yard line at the end with a chance to win the game. An opposing player grabs your quarterback's face mask, so you decide to absolutely lose it. You attack him and everyone in the surrounding area before ripping off your opponents helmet and hurling it in the air. Of course, you get called for a 15-yard penalty, and your team loses. But at least you've protected the honor of your quarterback. If you missed it, the player was the New Orleans Saints' Kyle Turley against the New York Jets last Sunday. Very bad.The ugly The legal bills Dallas Cowboys guard Nate Newton will pile up trying to defend himself after getting caught with over 220 pounds of marijuana in his home. Well, that may not be as ugly as the Cowboys starting Ryan Leaf at quarterback this Sunday.

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Women's cross-country has weekend of rest

August 31

Just like teams from the professional sports world, the women's cross country squad had this weekend off, as the Dartmouth Invitational was cancelled in light of last Tuesday's attacks. While the men's team was able to beg its way into the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational at the last minute, coach Kristin Morwick's team welcomed the weekend off. "It was a real tough week," the coach said. "Mentally and physically, it was probably better not to run this weekend." As was the trend with most teams, the squad gathered last Tuesday to talk rather than practice. Two runners' brothers work in the World Trade Center, so the first order of business for Morwick was to make sure that no one on the team was missing a family member. Fortunately both men were accounted for, and the women suffered no other personal losses. "First we wanted to make sure no one was directly affected," Morwick. "Then we just sat around and talked. I let them vent their feelings." About ten team members wanted to go for a run that day, so Morwick led an extremely light workout. However, training for the week was thrown off kilter because of the events, which meant that the heavy workout was completed on Thursday - later in the week than normal. "By Thursday, they were ready to not think about things," Morwick said. Because of a difficult workout so late in the week, though, competing would have been difficult physically as well as emotionally. "I just didn't feel like competing against someone else," she said. A weekend off should have been the perfect remedy to get the practice schedule back on pace, but this week will also be out of whack, as many runners will miss Tuesday and/or Wednesday practice because of the Jewish New Year. In Morwick's opinion, this additional time off could hurt some runners, but it will also give a chance to other racers who have yet to run this year. "This will give people the opportunity to open up their season, and they're looking forward to that," Morwick said. Veteran runners are looking forward to this weekend's meet, the Codfish Bowl, because it is run on a flat, fast-paced, Franklin Park course. It is the same course that the women will compete on later in the season at the New England Championships, a race against all teams in New England, including Division I schools. While running there early in the season will provide the Jumbos with no real tactical advantage at the New England Championships, it will allow them to compare their times from the beginning and the end of the year. Morwick is not optimistic for strong results this coming weekend, as the team is viewing the race as more of a training session than a serious competition. "It's early in the season, and we're not the team we're going to be later," Morwick said. "This race will be a gauge, a measuring stick for us to see where we are." The Jumbos will have a chance to measure their capabilities this weekend against conference rivals, as Amherst, Conn. College, and Bates will be in attendance, among others. "Amherst and Conn. College were strong last year, and Bates is much improved, but this is still going to be pretty low key," Morwick said. "It should give us a decent idea of the work we have to do." The coach still cautions against any high expectations for this season, as the team lost graduates Leslie Crofton and Jen Edelmann, two of the top runners last year, and will require some time to bounce back. "This is a serious rebuilding year," Morwick said.

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Gittleman ending love-affair with Tufts

August 31

When Provost Sol Gittleman came to Tufts, the bookstore was housed in the admissions office, South Hall and the campus center didn't exist, the dorms did not have Internet, and Dewick and Macphie were separate buildings. Gittleman has seen great changes and worked under numerous presidents during his 37-year tenure as professor, and when he steps down from his role at the end of the year, the administration will lose a provost who has served longer in one position than anyone in recent higher education. Gittleman has served as a professor, department chair, and provost of Tufts, has been awarded many accolades, both on and off campus, and published numerous books. His work has garnered praise from administrators, faculty, and students alike, and he has the same sentiments about the Tufts community. Tufts "is everything that we wanted. [My wife and I] wanted Boston; we wanted a small university where teaching was very important, and I could do my publishing the way I wanted," Gittleman said. A New Jersey native and the son of immigrant parents, Gittleman has accomplished much in his career as both a student and an educator. He received a B.A from Drew University, a M.A. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D from the University of Michigan, and has been awarded honorary degrees from Hebrew College and Stonehill College. Gittleman has also taught at numerous universities but ultimately made Tufts his home in 1964. Gittleman started off at the University of Michigan but decided he did not like being at a research university. After contacting 21 schools, he was offered a position as assistant professor of German at Mount Holyoke College. His time there, however, was short lived. "Within a year, we knew it was too small and the wrong location," Gittleman said. He left Mount Holyoke for Tufts after two years there. "We came here, thinking we would be here for a couple of years and it turned out to be 37," Gittleman said. After a short stint as associate professor of German, Gittleman was promoted to chairman of the department of German and Russian. When first approached with the idea of department chairmanship, Gittleman was taken aback. "I was 31 years old, I wouldn't have known what to do if I fell over a hole," he said. As one of the youngest members in a maturing department, Gittleman seized the opportunity to strengthen the program. "I had a major influence in the department, just in bringing Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Hebrew to the curriculum. Those were very exciting things to do," he said. Gittleman sees his time as departmental chair as crucial to the development of a strong "second banana" language program. "I'm very proud of that - personally one of my greatest accomplishments," Gittleman said. The fruits of his labor are apparent in the current strength of the German, Russian, and Asian Languages department. After a 15-year tenure at a "very fulfilling" and "rewarding" departmental chair position, Gittleman was appointed provost and academic vice president by Jean Meyer in 1981. Though, at the time, Gittleman admitted that he barely knew what a "provost" was. As provost, Gittleman is responsible for overseeing seven different Tufts schools, including the dental and medical schools in downtown Boston. All government-sponsored research activities and inter-school programs of the University are under Gittleman's watch. Gittleman plays many roles as administrator, grant writer, and spokesman in various situations, including alumni relations and the Board of Trustees. "The job is only 50 years old about and was created when the presidency got too complicated outside," he said. "It is probably the most recent position in American higher education." Gittleman has seen many changes at Tufts, including its elevation in rank and reputation. "When I came here in 1964, it was good. It was not, in my views, of any particular academic distinction. That has changed dramatically," Gittleman said. Gittleman's role goes well beyond his duties as provost. He teaches the freshman-only English 2 class "Writing About Baseball," a course in which he is able to personally interact with students and teach them not only about the sport, but its relevance to life. In the past he has also taught classes ranging in topics from Hitler to Yiddish culture. Gittleman feels that this immersion in the everyday academia of the University is just another way in which he can stay in touch with every aspect of Tufts life. "The faculty doesn't want administrators who just administer, the faculty wants administrators that do the same thing that they do and I knew that," Gittleman said. "When I took this job, I told President Meyer only if I can continue teaching - that will be the only way the faculty will respect me." Gittleman reaches out to the student body out of the classroom and in his own home. For the past 19 years he has traditionally hosted Vienna tables in his home for the departing senior class - although this tradition may be put aside this year in order to allow President Bacow to host more senior events. The Gittleman family also hosts numerous other University events in their campus home, which is located adjacent to the bookstore. "We have receptions in the house, we house guests in the house, trustees sometimes live in the house, so we use it as a University facility," Gittleman said. Although Gittleman will no longer be an administrator, his relationship with Tufts will not end. "Why would I give up my classes now that I have given up this [the position of [provost]? As long as I know I'm teaching well, I will continue teaching," Gittleman said. While he plans continues to teach at the University, Gittleman does not have plans to return to administrative work.

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News

Climbing the hill

August 31

Toward the end of the summer my friends were already talking about their freshmen orientations. They shared registration stories, compared their course loads for the coming year, and even helped one another pick majors. They were all going to large state schools like OU or University of Michigan, and had been assigned to huge orientation programs over the summer. By August, they knew practically everything about their upcoming year, and I couldn't help feeling left out. My answer to questions like, "What's your major going to be?" or "What classes are you taking?" and even "What's your e-mail address?" was always an unfailing "I don't know." For a while, I thought I might not be going to the right school. I couldn't have been more wrong. Tufts has truly gone all out in welcoming its class of 2005. I was one of about 250 freshmen who decided to participate in the Tufts Wilderness Orientation. As soon as I walked in the door I knew I was in the right place. The support staff lined the stairway to Jackson Gym and cheered my every step. I later realized that this was something they did for everyone, but that was okay; I still felt special. It was obvious people were working hard to make me feel at home. Two days later, trudging up the slope of Mt. Lafayette in New Hampshire with 50 pounds strapped to my back, I felt somewhat less at home. But, as is often the case, the view from the peak made all the work worth the climb. A lot of planning has gone into making us feel welcome. Even before we'd arrived on campus many of us had chatted online thanks to the Connection 2005 website, a group of message boards where freshmen discussed topics of interest and posted personal information. The first person I met at Wilderness Orientation had read my postings and even recognized me from the picture I posted. Obviously, this was great way to put us in touch with each other before arriving on campus. It was nice to think that although I drove two days to get here, I already had friends. I've been at Tufts for less than a week, and I already feel completely at home. In the past couple of days, I've relocated my life to a new part of the country, met more people than I can remember, attended more programs than I can count, and generally have had a great time doing it. I've also yet to meet a person I genuinely dislike. Tufts students are intelligent, interesting, kind, as well as diverse and ready to explore new opportunities and activities. It is clear that we're all thrilled to be here! I remember that feeling I had at the top of Mt. Lafayette and feel that my whole college process is analogous to that climb. After nearly two years in the college admissions process it feels as though all my hard work is finally paying off. I am on cloud nine. Over the last couple months, Tufts has been congratulating us on our decision and welcoming us to our new school. Which is why I'd like to say, on behalf of the freshman class, "Thank you, Tufts. It's nice to finally be here."

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News

Women's squash off to slow start

August 31

The women's squash team is off to a rough start this season, as coach Doug Eng's team has lost all four of its matches thus far, losing to Vassar 3-6, William Smith 4-5, St. Lawrence 0-9, and most recently, 0-9 to Wellsley. The Jumbos were outmatched by an experienced Wellsley lineup, as only sophomore A.J. Crane managed to win a game, losing in the six spot to Lila Lee, 10-8, 1-9, 2-9, 1-9. "We have a bunch of novice players," said freshman Nicole Arens, who played in the number-two slot, losing 5-9, 2-9, 4-9 to Laura Tillsley. Senior co-captain Anne Montesano, playing in the top position, lost in straight games, 9-0, 9-2, and 9-4. Her loss was indicative of the entire team's performance. In fact, the closest another Jumbo came to winning a game was senior co-captain Justine Kurland, who lost 10-8 in the third game of the third match. Host Wellesley ran away with the rest of the matches, as the bottom three Tufts players won a combined five games. Despite the team's early shortcomings, coach Doug Eng remains optimistic and refuses to call this a rebuilding season. "My philosophy is that every season is a building season," he said. The coach preaches "attitude" and "work ethic" to his players and the message seems to have gotten through. "We are really motivated to play," Montesano said. "We are working hard." Still, the team knows it has the potential to perform better than it did yesterday at Wellsley. "I was a little disappointed," Kurland said. "Hopefully we will show improvement." Because of the absence of several players from last year's team, much of the team has been forced into higher slots than they are accustomed to. Freshman Nicole Arens, for instance, has been bumped up all the way to the second slot. "I'm happy to be playing the number two," Arens said. "But it puts a lot of pressure on me." Though Arens has dropped the first four matches of her college career, she has improved since her debut. And though the team hasn't been successful in the win column this year, its commitment to improvement is not lacking. "Our attitude is solid on and off the court," Montesano said. "People are doing their best." Eng feels that the strength of this team will come from the middle of lineup - the 3-6 players. Eng mentions the noteworthy improvement of sophomore Leigh Checchino in the fourth spot. "Leigh has had steady improvement in her year and a half with the team," Eng said. "She should have won her match against Vassar." Against Vassar, a meet the team lost 6-3, Checchino lost in five games. Eng also recognized the "110 percent effort" given by freshman Eliza Drachman-Jones in the eight spot. Eng also expects a big year from junior Eileen Connors. "She has improved a lot," Eng said. "She has won two of her first four matches and was up 2-1 in games against St. Lawrence before losing. She wants to step forward and is doing it really well." The team next plays on Sunday in the Wesleyan Invitational. "Right now the best thing is preparing a game plan to deal with different kinds of players," Arens said. "To adapt to different settings and players, we need to be more accurate and consistent." "Individually we are all pretty strong," Montesano said. "It's a question of filling the roles we need to on the team." At Wesleyan the team hopes that its continued hard work and dedication will result in a much-needed win.

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News

After three decades, professor leaves Tufts with profound changes

August 31

One of the first things that strikes you about Howard Solomon's office is the light and airy quality of the room. Two wall-size posters celebrating the millenium in French hang there, books are opened all over the round table in the middle of the room, and hanging plants and stained glass adorn the area in front of the windows. The shelves are lined with history books, and behind the desk hangs a framed certificate of recognition from the LGBT center for, "speaking up, speaking out, being creative, and just being fabulous!" The certificate frames Solomon's long and distinguished career at Tufts. Professors laud him as "a model of professionalism," and students appreciate his emphasis on promoting "good class discussions." Solomon was born into a working-class family in Newcastle, PA, where his father worked as a kosher butcher. His family was among a handful of Jewish families amid "subtle, but real" anti-Semitism. Solomon calls it the world of "Ozzy and Harriet" with typical '40s and '50s values. He was the first member of his family to go to college. Soloman, however, won't take credit for his achievement, instead dismissing his success by placing himself in the generation that benefited from a boom in American education and corresponding increase in graduate grants. The money was not just used to send scientists to study biology and physics, but for students to study language and culture. For Soloman, education was a way to escape. "I was a double minority, in a time when there were no words for 'gay' and 'coming out,'" Solomon said. He immersed himself at the University of Pittsburgh, studying, of all things, the Court of Louis the 14th. The subject had nothing to do with his upbringing or personality, but "there are no accidents," Solomon said. It was as far away as he could travel from both himself and his upbringing. Solomon's identity was the fount for the classes he teaches at Tufts. He always wanted to teach, and began instructing classes that stressed the nature of working people, sexual identity, and new perspectives on history. "His lectures emphasize that history is not merely just events, a country's government or nominal facts about a nation's military or economy, but how the events of the past have affected real working people both in the past and present," said Rishi Gandhi, a student in Solomon's Europe Old Regime class. "Overall, he is an engaging person to talk to, and he is very concerned with student's overall learning progress." After getting his undergraduate and graduate degrees in 17th century French history, Solomon began teaching at NYU in what he calls "the world's greatest job." Solomon was in Manhattan during one of New York City's most exciting eras, a time when Greenwich Village was the place to be for intellectual radicals - the sister city of San Francisco during the '60s and early '70s. But after being mugged three times in four months, Solomon took it as a bad omen. When a position opened up at Tufts in October 1971, he grabbed it. Solomon's accomplishments during his years on the Hill read as an impressive resum?©: He was dean of undergraduate studies and academic affairs from 1976 to 1982, chairman of the history department from 1983 to 1988, academic dean of Talloires for one summer, and creator of the LGFaculty and "Writing Across the Curriculum" programs. Solomon helped run and direct the University Symposium on the Millenium and Y2K during the late '90s, and for five years lobbied for the Faculty-Executive Committee, a liaison between faculty and administration, for which he served as its first chair. There is more to the laundry list of accomplishments than meets the eye. With a mischievous grin, Solomon tells about his first week as the dean of undergraduate studies. "Up until this time, there were separate files for the women in Jackson College and the men at Tufts University," Solomon said. "I made the radical act of taking the women's files from one room and putting them in the other room along with the men's files," he said, adding that the position gave him a chance to shape Tufts undergraduate experience and counsel students. Solomon came out as a homosexual in 1982 and helped create the first queer history courses, such as a class about social marginality in Western Europe. He co-chaired the LGFaculty, of which he is immensely proud, helping the body lobby for partners' health benefits, the University's anti-discrimination policy, and Judith Brown's position as LGBT center coordinator. Tufts was one of the first schools across the country to have this position. Leila Fawaz, professor of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean studies and director for Eastern Mediterranean studies, says the University Symposium on the Millenium was one Solomon's most successful initiatives. "He did a superb job with it," she said. Fawaz not only calls Solomon "wonderful, humane, caring, and knowledgeable," but says he's a person that can "get things done" creatively, with wit and intuition. History Professor George Marcopoulos agrees, citing Solomon's "empathy for others, his erudition, his superb teaching, and his fine sense of humor." Solomon, Marcopoulos says, has been a wonderful colleague. Professor Jeanne Penvenne, a fellow historian, agrees. Solomon, she says, is also "wonderfully funny and mischievous." "If I sit near him at almost any function I begin to remember the wonders of being a child in church - everything struck us funny and we weren't supposed to laugh," Penvenne said. "He never fails to crack me up, whether with his notorious jokes or his dry wit." Solomon has also received praise from his students. Matt Malatesta, a student in the Europe Old Regime course, says that from the first day Solomon has made him feel at ease. Solomon "immediately made me feel at home in the class, made me feel comfortable to voice my opinion on the material," he said. "He interacts with us and brings the subject to life. He doesn't just mindlessly lecture." As Tufts students and faculty members love Solomon, he loves Tufts back. In fact, Solomon couldn't imagine a better place to be. So why is he leaving while still in his teaching prime? Solomon's answer is simple: He lives in Maine. Solomon moved to northern New England with his partner in 1987 and made the decision to stay. When he decided to stop commuting to Tufts, he was lucky to find a job in his new state. In Maine, Solomon will compile the LGBT archives as a scholar-in-residence and adjunct professor at the University of Maine. The adjunct professor position was offered just weeks after he made the decision to leave Tufts. "It was a certain blessing, the wearing commute. It's very comfortable to stay as a teacher, and it was a risk financially to leave, especially with the stock market as it is," Solomon said. But the scholar-in-residence and adjunct professor position provides him with an opportunity to do something new, Solomon says. He describes the new project as a "creative way to break the double silence [of homosexuals] and write down their histories." "Traditionally it's said that there is no life except in cities," Solomon adds. "I want to show how there has been an LGBT presence in small communities." Solomon looks forward to the upcoming year, when he will be on the MA Turnpike and 495, traveling and interviewing people. Before he leaves Tufts, Solomon says he has a message for young Jumbos: "Don't double-major. Take classes across the board," he said. "Don't get stuck needing to take a course and not being able to take that really juicy one, one that appeals to you."

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News

A transfer student's turmoil

August 31

As a transfer student, I have a unique perspective on life on the Tufts campus, specifically what it means to be an upperclassman thrust back into the freshman world of the unknown. One of the hardest things about entering a new school is the fear and anxiety that all of the work you had already accomplished at the other school will be ignored. Transferring classes is not an experience that I would recommend to anyone, or at least anyone who cares about their sanity. While Tufts offers a plethora of opportunities for students, the transfer of credit process is daunting, to say the least. Not only am I at a new school, but I also must attempt to explain why I should receive credit for classes that I had already taken. It was further frustrating because I was not sure which courses I had to register for. Ideally, the most successful transfer students would have spoken with all of the professors for every class. I, for one, still have two classes that I need to have approved, so I am setting up my schedule based on the assumption that I will receive credit for those classes. However, what happens if I do not? This frustration is not limited exclusively to transfer students; those students who study abroad run into the same obstacles when they return. Part of my decision to transfer to a different school rested on which classes would count towards graduation. I was accepted into another university, and had found out which credits would transfer there before I had even heard from Tufts admissions. I went through the entire summer with people asking me, "How many credits transferred?" and only being able to respond, "I don't know, I guess they will eventually tell me." I understand that students should not necessarily be consumed with credit issues, but credits are both a necessary and integral part of graduating. For some students it plays a major role in which school they choose to attend, or which program they attend overseas. Tufts is the only university I know of that requires students to speak with actual department chairs regarding their transfer of credit. It is also one of the few schools that requests that transfer students bring their syllabi with them. I personally had all of my syllabi, but I saw students who had not brought them participating in arguments, trying to get credit for classes that they had taken at other institutions. Tufts also has a transfer of credit limit that is not widely advertised, which has both positive and negative aspects to it. I, for instance, had a double major and therefore had more credits than were allowed by Tufts' limit. In other words, I basically took a few classes for nothing other than their intrinsic value. This process is not especially beneficial to non-transfer students, either. If transfers have reached the maximum number of transfer credits permitted, and then attend a study-abroad program not sponsored specifically by Tufts, then their classes will not count. I understand why the limit was established in the first place. However, I think there are certain aspects that should be reviewed and perhaps even revised so that the rules do not limit a student from truly utilizing all of the opportunities Tufts has to offer - opportunities that played a role in the transfer student's decision to come to Tufts in the first place. Another problem for first-year transfers is orientation week. Overall, orientation was wonderful; but speaking from the perspective of a junior transfer, it was not quite so great. Speaking on behalf of many transfer students who have expressed similar concerns, it was frustrating to be constantly lumped in with freshmen. I am a junior who is thinking about graduate schools, which is not on the forefront of most freshmen minds. While having a completely separate orientation is not feasible, it would have been nice to have dinner with all the other transfer students as a way to meet one another and talk about our own experiences. While transferring has been a relatively painless process, it has been an exceptionally tedious one. There are certain aspects that could be made to accommodate students better and that would end up helping the University as well.Elizabeth Hockmeyer is a junior majoring in English and political science.

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News

AOL demands anti-spam limitation on Tufts network

August 31

Tufts has restricted off-campus access to the University's e-mail system after America Online (AOL) threatened to block all e-mail messages sent from Tufts accounts to AOL accounts. According to University IT Support Director Dan Weir, AOL users were being flooded with mass e-mails - or "spam" - sent illicitly through a security loophole in Tufts' network. Off-campus students who attempted to use popular Microsoft Outlook and Netscape Messenger e-mail clients may have noticed that they can no longer send mail to non-Tufts accounts. A group of online service providers, including AOL, cited potential security holes that allowed unauthorized users to use Tufts' e-mail servers as a portal for sending spam. This has created headaches for students using an e-mail program such as Outlook who wish to e-mail friends and family outside of the Tufts community. It has long been University policy that off-campus students are not permitted to use Tufts servers to send e-mail. But it was only recently that off-campus residents were blocked from Tufts' servers. AOL told Tufts that it would no longer accept e-mail from any Tufts address unless the University implemented these policies. "It is ironic that AOL forced us to require user identification when they are the reason we had left [the server] open," said Dan Weir, director of University IT Support Services. Tufts Computing and Communication Services (TCCS) had allowed off-campus access, Weir said, so that students using AOL and other services during vacations could still read their e-mail. Weir said that Tufts complied with AOL's request because TCCS was worried that students would not be able to communicate with friends and family who only have AOL accounts. "We were concerned that our students, faculty, and staff would not be able to send e-mail home to anyone that had an aol.com address," Weir said. "We are confident that we can help our community address the change, but we would not be able to get around the AOL block." Tufts had little choice but to act quickly to ensure that e-mail could be delivered promptly. Tufts asked for more time so that the transition could be gradual, but AOL did not respond. This change will be permanent, but TCCS is working to add authenticated service, which would allow users to access the Tufts server with a user name and ID. Off-campus students may still send e-mail using SecureCRT software.Internet upgrade 50 percent completeTufts Computing and Communication Services (TCCS) is forced to adapt the University's computing infrastructure as the information superhighway evolves. Most recently, Tufts implemented restrictions to off-campus e-mail access and upgraded the University's Internet connections. While the outgoing e-mail adjustment might be a source of frustration, TCCS is hoping to please students and faculty by increasing the speed and quality of the University's Internet connection. The implementation of the new network, known as Internet2, is a four-year process run by TCCS, and is expected to be complete in 2003. Internet2 is a national consortium of the 187 largest research institutions in the country. Along with government and industry partners, the consortium is working to develop untra-high-speed networks, according to its website, www.internet2.edu. This system will help connect Tufts students to information at the other Universities in the consortium at high speeds via Internet2's high-performance network, known as Abilene. Annual subscription fees paid by members of the consortium fund the network.Membership in the consortium requires that schools upgrade their campus network to allow high-speed access to the Abilene network. This upgrade will greatly increase the speed at which students access the Internet. The Tufts Trustees created a fund for this purpose in 1999, and raised millions of dollars. Additional funding has come from the National Science Foundation, who has provided funding to all universities in the consortium. Other members include Harvard, Princeton, and Boston University."Every building on campus will have its network wiring and electronics replaced or upgraded; this work is approximately 50 percent complete," said Lesley Tolman, director of networking and telecommunications at TCCS.TCCS has labeled this project the Advanced Networking Initiative because it sees the potential for a variety of uses other than the linking of universities. "Over the course of the next few years, we expect to see new uses of networking at Tufts in support of both instruction and research activities," Tolman said.

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News

Tufts grad Cora Thompson promoted to head volleyball coach

August 31

The Athletic Department announced on Thursday that Tufts graduate Cora Thompson (LA '99) will succeed Kris Talon as women's volleyball coach. Thompson had previously served as a graduate assistant for both the volleyball and softball teams for two years, before deciding to stay on this fall as an assistant coach. Talon, who is also the softball coach, held the post for seven years. On four of those teams, Thompson was a member - as a defensive specialist who played an integral role on the 1996 squad that qualified for the NCAA Tournament. She also was a four-year starter at shortstop for the softball team, and made another three NCAA Tournament appearances with Talon as her coach. Then, after graduating from Tufts in 1999, Thompson stayed in Medford to earn her Master's degree in education. Thompson inherits a program that has enjoyed success in the recent past, as evidenced by Tufts' four postseason berths in the last seven seasons. Talon compiled a 125-92 record during her tenure, and was recognized by both the NESCAC and the New England Volleyball Association as Coach of the Year in 1996. Overall, the squad is 384-225-1 in 21 seasons of competition. This fall, the Jumbos went 20-12 (7-3 NESCAC), and will graduate just two seniors. Thompson is the ninth Tufts alum to join the Athletic Department, along with baseball coach John Casey ('80); squash coach Doug Eng ('84); Talon ('86); fencing coach Jason Sachs ('93); women's soccer coach Martha Whiting ('93); hockey coach Brian Murphy ('95); men's lacrosse coach Mike Daly ('95); and athletic director Bill Gehling ('74).

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News

Source' mars first amendment

August 31

The Committee on Student Life (CSL) ruled with swift sagacity on Monday when it dismissed senior Iris Halpern's sexual harassment complaint against The Primary Source. The Source argued that the questionable material was not directed at Halpern, and the CSL was correct to give the magazine the benefit of the doubt. At the hearing, Dangremond argued that the Source illustration was a parody of an Observer cartoon, and that the "oh-so-tight tank tops" comment satirized the Student Labor Action Movement 's use of clothing to promote its cause. By focusing his defense on the claim that the offensive material was not directed at Halpern, Dangremond did not address the issue of free speech as directly as he did in a surprisingly eloquent Source column last week. The Source, displaying little sensitivity and even less journalistic integrity, in all likelihood did direct the attacks at Halpern's breasts. Dangremond was brave enough to cite Supreme Court cases at his hearing, but instead of relying on the First Amendment, he allowed for the defense that the attacks were impersonal, giving the CSL a loophole on which to acquit the magazine while making no truly meaningful statement about free speech. If Dangremond was the constitutional crusader he claims to be, he could have said that the material was directed at Halpern and asserted that the magazine had a right to publish the attacks. Had Dangremond told the CSL that the attacks were aimed at Halpern, this page would still have argued that her case was not compelling enough to merit punishment. But this strategy would have put his magazine in serious jeopardy, as Tufts has historically erred on the side of protecting students at the expense of the Constitution. Perhaps Dangremond did not use the First Amendment as his only defense because he recognized that the Source's material was dangerously close to deserving rebuke and understood that free speech ends where harassment begins. The Source should not push the limits of the First Amendment to publish sophomoric invective that bares no relation to a student's political agenda. The Source's reckless disregard for decency will only damage students' right to expression, creating enemies to free speech.

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News

Campus recognized as environmentally friendly

August 31

Tufts has been recognized for its environmentally-friendly initiatives in a National Wildlife Foundation (NWF) survey of college campuses. The University was included in a list of 30 colleges "especially committed to energy conservation" in the NWF's report, The State of the Campus Environment, which detailed the survey's findings. NWF gauged the recycling and energy conservation policies of almost 900 colleges and universities around the country. The organization considers college campuses, often on the cutting edge environmental change, particularly important to its cause.The Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI), founded in 1998 to promote environmental awareness, is behind many of the improvements responsible for the University's high ranking in the survey. Sarah Hammond Creighton, TCI project manager, says she is pleased with the findings."Tufts has been a leader for 12 years in this issue," she said, adding that Tufts was the first university in the country to implement an environmental policy. "I'm satisfied with how we are doing, but I hope that we can improve."TCI's initial goal was to meet the standards set by the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When then-president Bill Clinton signed on to the protocol in 1998, the nation agreed to reduce greenhouse emissions by seven percent below 1990 levels.In 1999, then-University president John DiBiaggio announced that Tufts would meet and beat the standards set by the protocol. Doing so would require the University to slash carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent before 2012. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of transportation, heat, and energy consumption.According to the TCI, however, current carbon dioxide emissions at Tufts are on the rise, and the University must first slow growth of carbon dioxide emissions before it can hope actually begin to reduce them. Creighton added that she is pleased by Tufts' progress and confident that the University will reach its goal.Creighton is also certain that TCI's initiatives will receive the support of the University's new president, Larry Bacow.Most of TCI's work takes place in the University's buildings. Facilities assists TCI in implementing energy efficient systems and renovating the boilers, lights, heating, or insulation systems of existing buildings to spend less energy while conserving a healthy environment. TCI has a silver gas-electric hybrid car which emits less carbon dioxide than a regular car. Driven by the University's grounds manager, the car runs well on electricity over short distances and uses gasoline for long trips.Another TCI initiative on campus is the motion-detecting vending machines that turn on only when someone approaches them, sometimes scaring people with sudden noises and flashing lights. Occupancy sensors inside the vending machines detect motion and turn on the machine for someone to purchase a drink. But the most effective energy saving initiative is student awareness, not motion detectors, say TCI organizers. According to TCI, if all students turned off their computers for six hours each night, the University's annual carbon dioxide emissions would decrease by 572 tons. This does not include the reduction of electricity costs, which TCI said would amount to $87,000 every year in savings.

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News

The wide world of working out

August 31

What are giant sets, and how can I apply them to my workout? Giant sets are an intense training technique and should be performed sparingly. Using giant sets for a workout more than once a month will probably lead to over-training. That said, a giant set is pretty much what the name implies: it is a continuous set of three to five exercises for the same body part. But it is not as simple as randomly picking back exercises and throwing them together, then performing them in sequence. It is a strategic method of training, designed to maximize muscle fiber recruitment, as well as tire the muscle to extreme levels. A good example of a giant set for chest might be as follows: Start off with incline barbell presses. Use a generous amount of weight, working in the ten to twelve rep range. Immediately strip about 50-60 percent of the weight off the bar. Next, move to a flat bench and go into dumbbell flyes, using about 60 percent of you usual working weight. As soon as you begin to fatigue, go into flat dumbbell presses using the weights you have in you hands. After you reach failure, run over to the incline press and bang out as many reps as you can. At this point, your chest will be just about shot, so make sure you have a spotter for this last set. Repeat if you have the energy. Giant sets are, as I said before, extremely intense, so they should be used sparingly in a workout. For instance, if I did a giant set workout on Tuesday for chest, then I would probably wait three or four weeks until attempting it again. More often, giant sets are used to add variation to a routine. They are a great way to shock the muscle to new growth, as well as get in a quick, intense workout when time is a factor. The giant set technique of training can be applied to most muscle groups.What is creatine and how does it work? Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body, also found in red meat. When used in supplement form, it has been proven to increase power, stamina, and strength. It also has mass-building effects. Creatine has been in use since the 1970s, when German athletes first experimented with it. Creatine has been the subject of a great deal of controversy over the years. Some say it damages the liver, others say it leads to side effects similar to those of steroids. Fortunately, we know that these claims are, for the most part, false. Creatine works by forcing water into muscle cells. This leads to a "voluminization" effect, giving larger muscles and gains in mass. Many people on creatine also claim to experience a better pump. It comes in many forms, from effervescent capsules, pills, powder, and liquids. Side effects are minimal, but can include upset stomach, diarrhea, muscle cramping, and dehydration. Although NOT a steroid, creatine is typically used in cycles. This means using it for a period, say two to three months, then getting off it for a period, maybe a month or two. Since it occurs naturally in the body, this technique allows the body to replenish its own levels of creatine. Creatine is usually taken post-workout, though there are some forms available that include pre-workout formulas. Whether or not you should take it is a personal choice. If you're looking for a creatine supplement to help you succeed in the weight room, you must choose based on that supplement's particular effects on you. After all, every body is different, and will be affected differently by alternate brands of creatine. When using a creatine supplement, one should drink plenty of water (half to a gallon a day) to avoid dehydration and cramps. Also, try to consume extra calories to keep the mass gained during the creatine cycle. Otherwise, a lot of the mass will be lost in the form of water weight. Those general rules aside, experiment with brands and cycles to figure out what method of creatine use works best for you.

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News

Newly-found inside game key for Jumbos

August 31

The men's basketball team started its 2001-02 season in a hole. Not only did it lose one of the most talented classes in recent memory to graduation, but that class was one of the biggest. Three of last year's five seniors were listed at 6'5" or above, and all played an important role on the floor. Their graduation left the Jumbos coming into this season without much experience in the paint and not much more in other places. The plan was to ignore the gaping hole in the middle of the floor - stay on the outside, rely on a stacked backcourt, and put up a lot of threes - until a suitable replacement could be found. As last night's 84-77 come-from-behind win over the visiting MIT Engineers showed, Tufts may not have to do much more looking. Freshman Craig Coupe, who had 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the win, has filled that hole. Through the first seven games of the season, the 6'7" center has emerged as one of Tufts' top scoring threats and has helped Tufts secure a three-rebound-per-game advantage over its opponents, leading the team with 42 boards. What started as a perimeter-based offense has slowly shifted towards a more balanced approach as the team has begun to take advantage of Coupe's inside presence. Having an option down low gives Tufts the ability to take higher percentage shots, and opponents can no longer just concentrate on taking away the three. "I think teams are really going to try to take our three-point shots away, and because of that we've got to go back-door, and we've got to go inside," coach Bob Sheldon said. "[MIT] did a good job of taking it away, but we got 41 points in the first half, so I thought we did a good job adjusting to that." With the emergence of Tufts' frontcourt, the outside game has diminished slightly. Although guards Phil Barlow and Brian Shapiro continue to lead the team on the floor, the Jumbos attempted just 16 three pointers last night, the lowest total of the season - Tufts came in averaging 24.7 attempts per game - and well below Sheldon's preseason prediction of 30-35 a night. The Jumbos went to their inside game to keep up with the undefeated Engineers late in the second half, looking to Coupe and junior forward Kyle Van Natta instead of relying solely on perimeter play. "We're not really shifting, we're trying to balance," Sheldon said. "Part of that was that we didn't really know how good [Coupe] was going to be. Now we know how good he is, and it's just gonna make us better in the long run." Coupe proved to be invaluable down the stretch, scoring seven of his career-high 16 points in overtime to help Tufts pull away. The Jumbos fed the ball in to the freshman repeatedly, going to him on consecutive trips down the court a number of times in the game's closing minutes and turning the same play to him five times. "We went to [Coupe] in overtime and down the stretch, and he produced," Sheldon said. "It's nice to see that from a freshman. When he gets bigger and improves his footwork a little bit, he'll be unstoppable." Junior transfer Mike McGlynn, Tufts other stand-out newcomer, has helped fill another gap in the lineup, providing the team with some of the valuable collegiate floor experience it lost. With McGlynn joining up with Shapiro and Barlow, Tufts possesses the strongest back court it has seen in years. Against MIT, the three combined for 46 of the team's 69 shots, and 53.6 percent of the overall offense. McGlynn is currently second on the team in scoring with just under 14 points per game. After Saturday's game against Wheaton, the Jumbos will be off for three weeks over winter break. Usually, a large break in the middle of a season can be disastrous to a team that has spent the past few weeks trying to build up momentum. The 1998-99 squad started off 5-2, but could never get things going in the spring semester and lost its last nine games to finish at a disappointing 9-15. But this year's team should benefit from the time off and will use the break as an opportunity to adjust its game plan and fully incorporate its new weapons. "We have three weeks off, so as a staff and as a team, we're going to look at tape, and we're going to make some adjustments," Sheldon said. "[We want to] get more balance going, go inside, maybe set up some more plays to get the ball inside. Tweak things a little bit and adjust it so we do go in and get more balance."

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News

Tips on muscling up, slimming down, or improving your workout

August 31

At one point or another, it seems that almost everybody has thought about dieting or taking a supplement to build muscle or lose weight. With advertisements that promise miraculous results - within 30 days or your money back - many people are tempted to give it a shot. Read on to find out how you can protect yourself from wasting valuable cash, or even worse, combining supplements that could actually be harmful to your health.Protein is overrated Should athletes take in more protein than the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)? Contrary to popular belief, the answer to this question is "no." While it is true that endurance training and weight lifting call for slight increases in daily protein intake, the standard recommended diet is more than adequate for most athletes. Even the most hardcore bodybuilders cannot utilize more than 0.82 grams of protein per pound of body weight in a day (from 98 grams for a 120-pound woman or 205 grams for a 250-pound bodybuilder). In fact, some experts are concerned that these recommended amounts may be too high - many people who eat more protein in hopes of building muscle discover that the extra calories actually add body fat. Muscles are primarily fueled by carbohydrates, which help them repair and rebuild after a hard workout. Therefore a workout followed by a meal high in carbohydrates and only moderate in protein is the best way to increase muscle mass. A perfect choice would be vegetable stir-fry with a small amount of meat or tofu over whole-grain pilaf and a glass of juice. The Real Way to Burn Fat The popular myth is that low-intensity aerobic exercise is the only real way to reduce body fat. While it is true that low-intensity exercises use more fat energy than high-intensity interval training or weight lifting, this does not mean that this is the best way to lose weight. Regardless of what your body burns during exercise - fat, proteins, or carbohydrates - burning calories is the key to losing excess body fat. It may actually be more efficient to perform higher-intensity exercises for a shorter period of time than it is to perform lower-intensity exercises for a longer period of time. This is because high-intensity exercises such as weight training increase muscle density, revving up your overall metabolism and burning extra calories all day. On the other hand, low-intensity exercises increase calorie burn for only the period in which they are performed, and have very little effect on overall metabolism. The same basic principle applies to fat taken in from food. A calorie is a calorie - whether it comes from fat, protein, or carbohydrate - and will be either burned for energy or stored as fat. Eating a moderate amount of fat can actually help weight-loss by staving off hunger. Fuel for Life Carbohydrates are the fuel for most activities. If you're physically active, you will need a diet at least moderately high in carbohydrates. In fact, low-carbohydrate diets can actually hinder weight-loss by preventing your muscles from operating at their optimal level, slowing down your metabolism. Endurance athletes such as swimmers and long-distance runners may benefit from carbohydrate-rich drinks during their training because they provide muscles with a source of energy when their own stores run out. Remember that experts now recommend a base nutrition pyramid consisting of whole grains such as wheat, millet, quinoa, or brown rice and refined grains or products made of white flour such as white bread and pasta.The Key to Recoup and Rebuild Exercise increases the amount of oxygen delivered to cells. It also accelerates "oxidative stress," or the oxygen-related cell damage that results from normal body functions. An antioxidant-rich diet may help slow cellular damage and speed up muscle repair. If diets are low in high-antioxidant foods such as fruits and vegetables, it may take longer for muscles to recover gain strength. One study from Tufts found that extra vitamin E intake (up to 800 IU/day) sped up post-workout recovery and increased strength over a shorter period of time than those who consumed lower levels of the vitamin. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E (almonds are best), and don't worry about their fat content - a number of studies show that the fat in nuts may be good for your heart. That doesn't mean you should eat a can of peanuts a day, but take heart in the studies suggesting that adding calories to your diet with a handful of nuts won't cause any weight gain.The Bottom LineThe only thing that will help you to burn more fat or build bigger muscles is you. If you work hard, you'll see results. Hard work and a nutrient-rich diet are the key to attaining your physical goals, not miracle pills. Guaranteed or your money back!

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