Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Saturday, December 13, 2025
The Print Edition Print Subscription
Donate | About | Join Us
Advertise | Submit a Tip
Subscribe to our newsletters

Archives

The Setonian
News

Business Briefs

March 31

Stocks got a boost on Thursday after Juniper Networks Inc., a networking equipment manufacturer, posted an increase in first quarter earnings due to a rise in revenues. Shares of Juniper rose $2.90 to $45.66 during yesterday's trading session for a gain of nearly seven- percent. Still, stocks opened lower on news that US retail sales fell 0.2 percent in March, to a seasonally adjusted $274.09 billion. "March was not a good month for retailers and the weakness was broad-based," said Michael Niemira, senior economist with Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in New York. "The numbers are showing some wear and tear on the consumer." The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 41.75 points, or 2.20 percent, at 1,940.70 during yesterday's trading session, after falling more than one percent earlier in the day. The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average was up 59.34 points, or 0.59 percent, at 10,072.81. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 11.94 points, or 1.02 percent, at 1,177.83."There has been, at least temporarily, a shift in psychology," James Volk, co-director, institutional trading at D.A. Davidson & Co, said. "This action in the last couple of days is building a base under the perception, real or imagined, that things are going to get better sooner rather than later." Internet media giant Yahoo! reported its first quarterly loss in almost two years on Wednesday and announced it would cut 12 percent of its workforce. Yahoo! plans to expand its profitable adult and erotica online stores to counteract declining advertising revenues. "While we streamlined our business over the second quarter to become more efficient and align our costs with the current market environment," Chairman and CEO Tim Koogle said in a press release, "we remain steadily focused on developing and delivering the essential services that will result in Yahoo! becoming the Internet's leading global consumer and business services company." Shares of Yahoo (YHOO) climbed to $16.25 in after-hours trading, from $15.86 at the close of the regular trading session on Wednesday.The Nasdaq Composite Index rallied 46.92 points, or 2.53 percent, to 1,898.95. The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average fell 89.27 points, or 0.88 percent, to 10,013.47. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index slipped 2.49 points, or 0.21 percent, to 1,165.89.ShittyGift.com is for saleShittyGift.com, the first website to ridicule "crappy" gifts and the people who buy them, is now for sale on eBay. Established in December 2000, ShittyGift.com had over 74,000 visitors in its first month in operation. Lucy Sherriff of TheRegister.co.uk said that, "If this takes off, no one will ever have to suffer the indignity of another pair of unwanted 'novelty' socks or Celine Dion CD from Auntie Doris at Christmas."No one has placed the opening $99,000 bid, but the auction does not end until April 20.The website has been featured in over 50 radio interviews as well as CNN, Salon, CNBC, CNET, Newsbytes, TheRegister, Wired, Media Life, and various local newspapers. Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay Inc., graduated from Tufts in 1988. He now serves as a member of the Tufts University Board of Trustees.GE's first quarter profits rise on record revenue growth General Electric Co. reported a 16 percent rise in first quarter profits. Revenues rose from $29.996 billion a year ago to a record $30.49 billion in the quarter. "The record results for the first quarter once again demonstrate the ability of GE's diverse mix of leading global businesses to deliver earnings growth, increased margins, and strong cash generation despite a challenging economic climate," said John Welch, GE's chairman and chief executive. The company's record revenue growth was carried by its power systems and aircraft segments, which offset slower broadcasting and appliance results. These suffered from a weakening economy. GE's results met Wall Street estimates, as analysts, on average, anticipated earnings of 30 cents per share for the period, according to tracking firm Thomson Financial/First Call. Shares of General Electric (GE), a component of the Dow Jones industrial average, rose 59 cents, or 1.36 percent, to $43.86 in early trade yesterday. "I think [the market] will react well, especially in a period of high uncertainty for a lot of companies and earnings," analyst Edward Jones William Fiala said. "There still is a rather high degree of confidence in GE's ability to deliver strong double-digit earnings growth for the next few quarters."

The Setonian
News

Boston City Councilor hopeful for peace in Middle East

March 31

An engaged group of students received the youngest member of Boston's City Council last Thursday as the fourth speaker in a lecture series sponsored by Tufts' Friends of Israel. Councilor Mike Ross, the first Jewish councilor elected in Boston since 1951, recounted his experience in Israel and commented on its complicated political situation. Traveling to Israel with a group of businessmen and political leaders in January allowed Ross to better understand the Israeli view of the United States and analyze the possibility for peace. One month before Israel's prime ministerial elections, anti-Barak sentiment was visible, Ross said. But besides the shocking sight of 18-year-olds holding machine guns, the councilor said he was most struck by the importance of the outcome of US elections for the people of Israel. Because there had been a general dislike of George Bush senior, Ross observed much skepticism regarding the relationship President George W. Bush would maintain with Israel. Israelis showed warm sentiments towards former President Bill Clinton and the democrats, Ross said. After the peace attempts at Camp David, "Bill Clinton could have walked into Israel and got elected." The councilor, who maintained a casual demeanor throughout his speech, offered an optimistic prediction for the outcome of peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. Though he noted that a perfectly clear comparison can never be made, Ross cited the development of the United States, with its gender and racial conflicts, as an example of a country that struggled in its early development, but later evolved into a peaceful nation. Unanimously, the 11 students in the audience at Barnum 008 raised their hands to support the affirmation that peace would come to Israel in the long term. "It's a question of finding the right solution at the right time," said Debra Steinberg, a double major in international relations and economics. One of the councilor's main messages, which he said he learned while attending a Pro-Israel rally at the Boston Commons, was that people must be responsible for the messages they propagate. "You have to decide what your bumper sticker is in politics," he said. "People draw quick conclusions from messages." Adrian Wilairat, president of Friends of Israel, expressed his satisfaction with the speech and the liveliness of the students who engaged in the question and answer session. "The councilor was extremely interested in listening and wanted to learn about what students had to say about Israel and the American-Israel relationship," he said. Wilairat worked closely with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a private lobby group that promotes Israel's interests in the United States, to bring Ross to Tufts. Friends of Israel is a pro-Israel student organization that works to educate the Tufts community on political and cultural issues related to Israel. In October last year, after the most recent intifadah - a Palestinian uprising - began, the group brought Vice Council General Anat Gilead, a Boston-based Israeli diplomat, to inaugurate the lecture series. Brad Gordon, AIPAC's legislative director, was the second participant in the Friends of Israel series, followed by General Schlomo Gazit, who spoke at Tufts in December and attracted an estimated 50-person audience. Wilairat said his group has tentative plans to bring Steve Emerson, a respected terrorism expert, to Tufts as the series' fifth speaker. Emerson created Jihad in America, a documentary that examined terrorist funding in the United States. He also testified before Congress after the Oklahoma City bombing. Plans to invite Emerson, however, are still "up in the air," Wilairat said.

The Setonian
News

Pro-gay chalking erased by Facilities

March 31

During a time when hundreds of prospective students are visiting the Tufts campus, University Facilities removed chalkings and other decorations promoting the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students. The move has sparked a controversy over students' right to free speech when that speech conflicts with the message the University wants to send its visitors. While Tufts was erasing the chalkings, a number of students repeatedly painted over messages written on the cannon that espoused anti-gay beliefs. A group of 20 students chalked throughout campus on Wednesday night, and placed rainbow ribbons in trees on the academic quad and banners on the quad outside Dewick-MacPhie. The goal of the campaign was to make prospective LGBT students aware of the support system and resources available at Tufts. The ribbons and banners were removed by Facilities after a phone call from an admissions officer. LGBT students have questioned the University's actions, saying that their banners had good intentions. "It was something that was good and welcoming, and there was no reason why it should have been taken down," said Angel Vail, the Tufts Transgenered, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Collective representative to the Tufts Community Union Senate. "We wanted to welcome prospective students, and to let them know that queer students and their allies are welcome here," said Phil Anwar, the manager of the Rainbow House. The request to erase the chalkings was made by admissions Office Manager Mary Grzyb when she arrived at work yesterday morning. "When I put on the lights I saw white chalk all over our red bricks and I thought that it didn't look very nice," she said. "I didn't even see what the message was." Grzyb said she asked Facilities to clean up the chalkings because she thought they worsened the building's appearance during April Open House. "It was just a simple little thing... I didn't realize there was a problem," she said. "It was not intended to be malicious, but it was the wrong thing to do, to change, alter, or erase someone's free speech," Dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs Kristine Dillon said. Reacting to the fast-spreading word that the decision to erase the chalkings came from the University, Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein sent a letter to the editor to The Tufts Daily and apologized to the Tufts community for the action. Dean of Admissions David Cuttino said he supports the students' chalkings because they allow prospective students to get a feel for campus issues. Cuttino said the incident has not had much of an effect on April Open House, but it will likely elicit questions from visiting high school students and their families. "People will wonder what's going on, and we need to be prepared to answer questions for them," he said. "We want people to understand the things that go on on campus." The LGBT community has not decided how it will respond to the removal of the chalkings, and representatives will try to meet with administrators over the next few days.

The Setonian
News

Somerville mayor launches re-election campaign

March 31

Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay announced early this month that she intends to run for a second term in office this fall. Although only a handful of Tufts students will vote in the election, its outcome will affect the University, as Somerville politics have a great impact on the interactions between Tufts and its surrounding community. Kelly Gay received much praise from University administrators during her first year as mayor, though her December decision not to allow the Boston Breakers women's soccer team to play at Tufts created some tension. The Breakers offered a generous package to the city and a vast majority of Somerville residents approved of the proposal, but Kelly Gay decided against the plan because of concerns over bureaucratic costs and the short duration of the team's stay in the city. Kelly Gay, an Irish immigrant, came into office with an ambitious platform in May of 1999 and has worked toward many of her goals during her first year in office. To date, she is the only person running for the mayoral post. Because members of the Tufts community spend significant amounts of time and money in Somerville, town-gown relations play an influential role in local politics. "It's the nature of colleges," Provost Sol Gittleman said. "Relations with the community always range through a whole spectrum, but they are as good now as they've ever been." The last mayor of Somerville served five consecutive terms, so it early to evaluate Kelly Gay's relationship with Tufts. Kelly Gay spent much of her first term dealing with town issues that did not relate directly to the University, according to Tufts Community Relations Director Barbara Rubel. "We had a lot more time to develop a relationship with them, so it's not possible, and probably unfair, to try and make a comparison [to the previous mayors] at this point," she said. Even though Boston Breakers games would have benefited Tufts by providing an opportunity to upgrade facilities at Ellis Oval, Rubel said the matter was not critical to the University. However, there are important Tufts-Somerville issues currently being discussed. One important matter under negotiation is an agreement wherein Tufts will lease room in the Tufts Administrative Building (TAB) on Holland Avenue to the city. "We have responded positively to her about the lease at the TAB and hope that our responsiveness will be reciprocated," Rubel said. Besides legislative matters, Kelly Gay has had contact with the University's student population, particularly with the Tufts Democrats group. The group is working with the Mayor's Office and the Board of Aldermen to plan an open forum where student involvement in local issues would be discussed. "I have felt that the relationship has been much less strained with Mayor Kelly Gay than it was with Mayor Capuano," Tufts Democrats President Greg Propper said. The purpose of the forum is to increase student participation in local politics by making students aware of the impact the community has on Tufts. "I would place a portion of the blame over what happened with the soccer stadium on Tufts students. We are not nearly as involved or active in local politics as we should be," Propper said. Although the consensus among both students and administrators is that Kelly Gay has dealt fairly and openly with the University, there are some local politicians who have expressed discontent with her decisions and leadership style. "Kelly Gay has a cut-down and dictatorial management style," Somerville Alderman at Large Denise Provost said. Provost was displeased with the selection of various government officials for the town. In her estimation, Kelly Gay has chosen unwisely, specifically in the cases of the new Chief of Information Officer and the replacement for the dismissed Director of Youth Services. Members of the Mayor's Office were not available for comment.

The Setonian
News

Jumbos end "Corsair curse" with 4-3 victory

March 31

For the second consecutive week, the ice hockey team defeated a school for the first time in program history. On its 17th attempt, Tufts finally ended the "Corsair curse," defeating the UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs 4-3 on Saturday night. The Jumbos' fifth straight conference victory put Tufts at 13-1 in ECAC Northeast play, in a three-way tie with Johnson and Wales (a team the Jumbos defeated earlier in the season) and 13-2 Wentworth. "It was a great win for us," senior tri-captain Natan Obed said. "It wasn't as big as the Fitchburg win [last weekend], because Fitchburg is a dirtier team. UMass Dartmouth is a talented and tough squad - they played really well." While the final score may have hinted at an even match, the first half of the game felt more like a blowout. Four unanswered goals by Tufts in the first 30 minutes was a characteristic show by the powerhouse Jumbo offense, which has carried the team all season. Sophomore defenseman Chris Martin found the net first, with a goal that was assisted by Obed and sophomore Tim Havern. "We had a few of our lines going really well. We had a couple big goals in the first half," Obed said. "Chris Martin's goal was huge to start off the game. When we get off to an early lead we are pretty confident." The nation's Division III leading scorer, junior Jason Boudrow, was the second Jumbo to light the lamp, scoring with two minutes to go in the first period. While his scoring has tapered off slightly as of late, Boudrow maintains a three points per game average, and with 60 points on the season, stands four points ahead of RIT's sophomore Mike Bournazakis in the national Division III scoring race. Sophomores Rob LaQuaglia and Mike Carceo scored in the second period to extend the lead to 4-0. But the Corsairs would not resign to defeat, beginning a full-scale assault on freshman goalkeeper Ben Crapser. In each period, the Corsairs shot total increased, and midway through the second period its efforts were finally rewarded as Chris Dussalt scored. In the third period, Dussalt and Chris Anderton each added a goal for UMass-Dartmouth. "We still had our chances in the second half, but their goalie was playing a little better," Obed said. "They battled hard, but we were in control of the game from the start to the end. There weren't any letdowns on our part. We just didn't capitalize on all of our chances." Crapser held strong in goal for the final ten minutes, and the Jumbos emerged victorious against Umass-Dartmouth for the first time in 17 years. While they had tied in their last two meetings, the Jumbos owned a lowly 0-13-4 franchise record against its rival before last night's triumph. On Thursday night, the Jumbos headed west on I-90 to play Framingham State, a struggling conference rival. Senior Alex Scerbo, replacing Crapser, made his first start of the season in goal, and recorded 26 saves. "We play so many games in a row, it's tough for a goalie to play all the time," Obed said. "Alex Scerbo deserved a start, and he played really well. It was a solid game for us, but they weren't a very good team." Tufts jumped to a 3-1 lead after a strong first period with goals by freshmen Pat Byrne and Timm Schatz, and sophomore Mike Carceo. The Rams battled back in the second period though, eventually tying up the score at four goals apiece with two minutes left in the period. Rising to the challenge, the Jumbos put the Rams away in the third, as Boudrow, Carceo, and freshman Matt Spang all scored goals. Spang's goal was the first of his collegiate career, and he had also racked up an assist earlier in the game. Screbo made nine saves in the final frame, and the Jumbos breathed a collective sigh of relief. With one week to go in regular season play, the Jumbos have three pivotal games remaining on the schedule. Winning all three would land them the top seed in the upcoming ECAC tournament, but sweeping the games will be no easy feat. On Thursday night, they will square off against defending ECAC Northeast champion Wentworth. "That's a huge game for us," Obed said. "We are confident going into that game. We have been beating the teams that we have been unable to beat in the past, so I am confident that we can beat Wentworth this year."

The Setonian
News

After fast start, Jumbos dropped the ball

March 31

For the men's basketball team, it was a Jekyll and Hyde sort of season. After exploding to a 12-2 start, with a NESCAC Tournament berth all but a certainty, and an NCAA Tournament invitation a real possibility, the Jumbos season turned sour. Tufts went into a tailspin, dropping seven of its last ten games to finish 15-9 (3-6 in NESCAC) and as a result of that lethal plunge, failed to qualify for the playoffs. "Everything was going right," senior co-captain Dan Flaherty said of the Jumbos first 14 games. "We were kind of clicking. We had two tough losses to two tough teams (Salem State and Hamilton). Both games could have gone either way. We were gelling and it looked pretty promising," After losing on opening night to perennial powerhouse Salem State, the second-ranked team in the Northeast region of Division III basketball as of Feb. 20, Tufts went 12-1 in its next 13 games. The only loss came in a double-overtime thriller against the Hamilton Continentals. The Continentals' Jimmy Driggs drained four consecutive free throws at the end of the second overtime to lead his squad to victory. Following that heartbreaking loss, the Jumbos bounced back with an eight-game winning streak. The team was soaring heading into a battle against UMass-Dartmouth on Jan. 24, ranked number one in the Northeast Region all year. Unfortunately for Tufts, ranked number three at that point, this showdown became a breakdown, as the Jumbos lost the game 87-72 after going into the half down by only four. More painful then losing the game, however was losing their second leading scorer, sophomore Brain Shapiro (15.1 ppg). The UMass-Dartmouth game was the first of three contests in a four-day period that ravished the Jumbos' season. "The turning point of the season was definitely the UMass-Dartmouth game, when Brian went down with a sprained ankle," Flaherty said. "That was a Wednesday night and then we played Trinity and Amherst [that weekend]. It got us out of our rhythm." Senior Fred Pedroletti agreed. "I thought we were really hot going into that game," he said. "They were first in the region, and we were third and we were going there to prove something. They were a good team but they were struggling to get over the hump. Having lost that game when so much was at stake, so early in the season was a downer for us." With Shapiro relegated to cheering from the sidelines, the Jumbos managed to narrowly beat Trinity 79-77 on Friday night, Jan. 26. The depleted Tufts squad was down 77-70 before a 9-0 run in the last 4:15 of regulation, sparked by three pointers from senior co-captain Bobby Mpuku and freshman Phil Barlow, brought the Jumbos within one with 2:58 remaining. Senior Tom Bernier wrapped up the comeback for Tufts, connecting on each of two attempts from the charity stripe with 2:24 left. The win improved the Jumbos NESCAC record to 2-0 and overall the team upped its season mark to 13-3. Shapiro's absence paved the way for Barlow's first collegiate start and the freshman shined, scoring 17 points and dishing out six assists. "We won that game against Trinity and then it was downhill from there," Pedroletti said. "We struggled against Trinity and we were a much better team and we should have won by more." If the showdown versus UMass-Dartmouth was the raising of the guillotine on the Jumbos season, the Saturday match-up against Amherst was the virtual decapitation. With Shapiro still on the bench nursing his injured ankle, Barlow and Mpuku were once again forced to play significant minutes in his place. After shining the night before, fatigue began to set in as the duo combined to shoot 2-16 from the field for a collective total of only five points, and Tufts fell 72-60. "I thought Amherst was the next best team in the conference behind us," Pedroletti said. "If we had won that game I think we would have been fine. The three games were tough to swallow and we never recuperated." The fatigue-factor which was apparent in the loss against Amherst became key to the Jumbo's demise in the second half of the season. "We might have been fatigued," Flaherty said about his team's second half. "I think we might have just run out of gas or got a little ahead of ourselves, thinking we were better than we were." "I think we just kind of burnt out as a team," Pedroletti said. "Our talent was definitely always there. It was a little mix of mental and physical. It was more physical that we were tired. We just ran out. It really drained on us after that loss [to UMass-Dartmouth]. We were bothered that we really could have made noise and maybe been ranked in the top 25 in the country. We just dwelled on it too much." Following the loss to Amherst, the Jumbos would win only two more games during the remainder of the season, only one of which was a NESCAC game, a lucky 87-85 victory over Bowdoin on Feb. 3. Barlow was the highlight of that game as the freshman scored a career-high 26 points on 8-15 shooting, including 9-9 from the free throw line. Tufts found itself down by 12 with 9:20 remaining in the game, but the Jumbos went on a 12-2 run to even the score at 64 apiece. After that point neither team managed to take a lead greater than four. The Jumbos win improved their record to 3-2 in NESCAC play and it still appeared that, despite their slump, they were still a shoe-in for the NESCAC Tournament. Unfortunately, it was not to be for Tufts. The team ended its season on a four-game losing streak, all against NESCAC foes. After dropping tough games to Williams and Middlebury on Feb.9 and 10, the Jumbos went into the final weekend of the season with a 3-4 NESCAC record, but still in control of their own destiny. Shapiro did his best to alter fate. After starting off the season red-hot, the sophomore struggled for much of the second half. Luckily for the Jumbos, Shapiro regained his touch when his teammates needed him the most. Just as Barlow covered for Shapiro when he went down earlier in the season with an ankle sprain, Shapiro helped fill in for Barlow in the team's final hour. Barlow had injured his shoulder and slammed his finger in a door in the week leading up to the Jumbos' final two games. But despite 24 points from Shapiro on Feb. 16 against Wesleyan, the Jumbos fell in a 94-91 thriller, after managing to comeback from a 49-38 halftime deficit. The losing continued the next afternoon, in a game against the Conn. College Camels, with an eerily familiar story line. Once again, Shapiro caught fire putting in 28 points on 11-18 shooting, including 5-10 from downtown. But Shapiro's efforts were not enough, as it appeared that a higher power came into play. With the Jumbos holding a tenuous 84-83 lead, Conn. College's junior guard Isaiah Curtis threw up a prayer from the three-point line that was way off. Junior forward Rich Futia propelled himself high above everyone else on the court to tip in the miss and end the Jumbo's season. "It is a little disappointing just because this was definitely the most talented team that I have been on at Tufts and to have it finish the exact opposite of the way we expected to finish is disappointing," Pedroletti said. "But I don't hold any regrets. I guess it was supposed to happen the way it did. Give us a few bounces here and there and we are right where we want to be." With five graduating seniors (Flaherty, Pedroletti, Mpuku, Brandon McKenzie, and Tom Bernier) the Jumbos are losing both size and experience. With Mpuku, a point guard, as the lone exception, the rest of the graduating class are all bruising forwards or centers, who keyed Tufts' inside-outside offense. Without their size, the Jumbos will have to switch to a more speed oriented, run-and-gun offense. "The focus I think will definitely be Brian and Phil," Flaherty said. "They need some big guys to step in. I think Colin [Wetherill] will step in well. Troy [Palmer] could come off and play well. I think the focus will definitely be a guard oriented team." "I think the players who are coming back [the guards] are small but really quick and they can all put the ball in the basket," Pedroletti said. "You can do a 1-4 and play around the perimeter and penetrate all the time. I really don't see them struggling. It's just going to be a completely different look. It might be more fun to watch."

The Setonian
News

New style, same great terror

March 31

The master of horror. The lord of frighteners. He has many names, yet only one seems most fitting: the King of terror. He is none other than Stephen King, author of more than 20 national bestsellers, and one of the few modern professional writers in America to achieve the superstar fame usually reserved for big screen actors. And once again, King has graced the American public with another work of suspense and fright. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, recently released in paperback by Simon and Schuster, strays from King's normal focus on the supernatural. Like its predecessor, Hearts in Atlantis, the new book is very dissimilar to his early work, but still has all the elements that make a King novel a masterwork of pulp fiction. Pulp fiction is, quite frankly, the best classification for King's horror. Many critics of his work claim that they are nothing but trash, and, in prefaces to many of his novels, King claims that his own mother would refer to them as "trash." Instead of relying upon intellectual rhetoric and artistic wordcraft, King falls back on a very basic, often vulgar use of the vernacular. Then again, so did Dante. It is King's use of vulgar argot that makes his work so amazingly clear and realistic, and it is his strongest point. In The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, King manages not only to write in the common tongue of the average American reader, but to write in the tongue of the average middle school child.The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon centers around Trisha, a nine-year-old girl who has somehow managed to become lost in the woods and is attempting to survive in the Maine wilderness without her mother and brother, with only her walkman (tuned to a Boston Red Sox game) and her fantasies about pitcher Tom Gordon, her personal hero and first celebrity crush. It's a very rare thing to find a book that manages to paint a child so realistically; in fact, most modern writers seem to avoid trying altogether. King, however, has found great success with children as main characters, such as his band of "losers" in his early '80s masterpiece, It. King's use of younger characters does not at all hinder his ability to paint individuals so realistic that the reader has no choice but to develop a strong relationship with them. Another thing that makes King's novels so wonderful is that they all express the horrible "what if" that is needed to give a horror novel true impact. In The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, the fact that every single possible death that little Trisha is faced with could happen to any child, or any person lost in the woods, only adds to the mounting terror. King's vivid imagination paints each of her fears wonderfully, and readers are left on the edge of their seats, with images of small children torn to bits in ravines haunting their thoughts as well as their dreams for days to come. With his usual sixth-grade reading level, and without his usual tangential descriptions, King manages to make The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon one of the quickest reads available, good or bad. His ability to paint characters as realistically as possible is at its peak, and never before has his skill been so apparent. This latest offering from King is a wonderful example of his maturation as a writer in which he manages to retain his perfectly honed skills of expressing terror and realism.

The Setonian
News

Sweep Away Some of These First Rounders - Part Two of the NHL Playoffs

March 31

As of last night, all but one first round series in the NHL playoffs was underway. If the opening games are any indication of how the other rounds will play out, this postseason should prove among the most exciting ever. A look at some of the match-ups: The Colorado Avalanche are ranked number one in the league and expected to win the Stanley Cup. After dominating opponents throughout the year, the Avalanche strengthened their squad even more by adding All-Star Los Angeles Kings defenseman Rob Blake near the trading deadline. The Avalanche opened up their 2001 playoff run last night against the eighth-seeded Vancouver Canucks, who don't appear primed for an upset. The Canucks backed into the playoffs, winning only two of their last 17 games. During this skid, they were passed by the Kings in the standings and almost lost the last seed to the Phoenix Coyotes. This drought was partially due to the ankle injury that sidelined the teams' second-leading scorer, Andrew Cassels, for the final few weeks of the season. Cassels tried to work out on Tuesday and though he hoped to be back for the playoffs, he has now pushed his return back to Game Three. Colorado excels in all aspects of the game. Starting in the back, the Avalanche arguably have the league's best and most feared goalie, Patrick Roy. Though his statistics have taken a small dip from past years, his name alone brings anxiety to opposing teams. He has manned the net for 40 of Colorado's 52 wins, second-best among goalies this year. Roy also has a formidable supporting cast, including seasoned veteran Ray Bourque, who joined Colorado last year after a storied 20-year career with the Boston Bruins. Bourque is struggling with lower back pains, but is probable for Game One.Prediction: Boasting such offensive talent as Joe Sakic, second in total points in the NHL with 118, Peter Forsberg, and Milan Hejduk, Colorado looks to steam roll through the Canucks on their way to the finals. Colorado in four. The New Jersey Devils, the number one team in the East, started their series with the Carolina Hurricanes last night. The Hurricanes should be accustomed to the playoff atmosphere after their fierce battle with the Bruins for the final playoff spot. Carolina is a strong squad that lacks any standout athletes - and the team functions best when it keeps that in mind and works together. The Hurricanes are not a scoring team, ranking last among playoff contenders in goals scored, meaning they often must rely on limiting their opponents' offensive production. This places much of the pressure on goalie Arturs Irbe, who will have the duty of stopping the Devil's effective starting line of Jason Arnott, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. This group has produced a total of 232 points, 96 of which come from Elias. Add this output to that of second-liner Alexander Mogilny and New Jersey appears to be able to score at will. In the net, the Devils have Martin Brodeur - a consistent nine-year veteran who has missed only ten games this season. Brodeur gives up only 2.32 goals per game, which spells trouble for Carolina. In front of Brodeur, the Devils also have experienced, talented defensemen Scott Niedermayer and his +14 plus/minus ratio.Prediction: The Devils are the defending champs, and played just as strongly this season as they finished off last year. They are the heavy favorite to face Colorado in the finals, and the Hurricanes should not pose any threat in knocking off the number one seed in the east. Devils in four. The Pittsburgh Penguins finished the year with 42 wins and 96 points. The Washington Capitals had 41 wins and 96 points. Yet, the Capitals achieved the third seed in the East by winning the Southeast Division, the weakest division in the league. In a tougher division, the Penguins had to settle for third place and a sixth seed. The Penguins started the year slowly, but Mario Lemieux's return from retirement sparked them to 25 wins and 14 losses in 43 games, plus some momentum heading into the playoffs. Lemieux was also reunited with his long time partner-in-scoring, Jaromir Jagr, who won his fourth consecutive Art Ross Trophy, given to the player with the most points. The Capitals' front line includes high scorers Adam Oates and Peter Bondra, who rank 16th and 17th, respectively, in total points. With evenly matched, high-scoring first lines, the winner of this series could be the team with the stronger second line. That distinction belongs to the Penguins, who have Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev, and Robert Lang, all potential goal creators. In the nets, Washington will be starting Olaf Kolzig, a fairly consistent goalie who has won 37 games in his 72 starts. The Penguins, meanwhile have taken a different route in the goaltending department. They have started four different goalies over the year and are hoping that Johan Hedberg - who has only played in nine games - can stabilize their goaltending.Prediction: Even with the goaltending advantage going to Washington, the Penguins have the Super Mario factor. This should be a high-scoring series and, in the end, even Hedberg's consistency will not be enough to stop the Penguins' attack. Pittsburgh in six. The Ottawa Senators finished close behind the Devils in the Eastern Conference and face the seventh-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs. The two teams faced off to finish the regular season on Saturday, and Ottawa took the victory. More than that, the Senators won all of five of their games against the Maple Leafs this season. Ottawa outscored Toronto in 20-10 in the season series and, in their final match, the Senators were playing without the services of nine players. Swedish center Mats Sundin and goalie Curtis Jones appear to be the only bright spots for the Maple Leafs. Sundin, a 30-year old veteran, has scored a team-leading 74 points, ensuring throughout the season that the Leafs did not stray from the playoff path. The Senators enter the playoffs with a 9-2-1-1 record over their last 13 games. They also won the Northeast Division by 11 points over the Buffalo Sabres and finished 13 points ahead of the Capitals, the Southeast Division champions. The Senators are led by forwards Alexei Yashin, Marian Hossa, Shawn Mceachern, and Daniel Alfredsson, all of whom have 70 points or more. Along with their offensive talent, the Senators start Patrick Lalime in the net. Lalime was an unproven goalie going into this year, but posted impressive numbers which should continue into the playoffs.Prediction: Most of the Senators' injured players will be back for the series, and the Leafs' mediocre play will not be enough to handle the all the power Ottawa will bring at them. The playoff series will end much like the regular season did, in a sweep for the Senators. Ottawa in four.

The Setonian
News

The Right to Marry?

March 31

National Freedom to Marry Day demonstrates how thoughtful people are advancing the civil rights of lesbian and gay couples to marry. Civil marriage is a gateway to equality, involving the right to medical decision-making for a loved one, parenting rights, access to insurance, inheritance protections, immigration rights, and hundreds of other legal protections and responsibilities. The act of getting married is invested with public, historical, and spiritual significance, and is emotionally charged for the individuals involved, as well as for society. Until lesbian and gay couples have the freedom to marry, discrimination in civil marriage will remain a profound barrier to achieving complete equality. Look how far we've come. Considering it took until 1967 for the United States Supreme Court to finally overturn state bans on interracial marriage, it has been just a historical blink of the eye since a Hawaii court found that there is no good reason to ban gay people from civil marriage, thus opening this national dialogue. Since then, a majority of the public has told national pollsters that it supports extending to lesbian and gay couples the same protections and benefits already given to married couples. Last year, Vermont made history by instituting civil unions for lesbian and gay couples, offering state-level protections parallel to marriage (though separate and unequal). Such progress, however, occurs against a backdrop in which the far right continues to try to shut down this crucial discussion with pre-emptive discriminatory laws and ballot measures. Anti-gay efforts on state ballots this past November included an extremist measure in Nebraska to ban all family protections as well as any future legal marriages for gay couples, and a measure in Nevada to change the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. These measures are often couched in deceptive rhetoric and given titles like the "Defense of Marriage Act." These laws don't "defend" marriage, they merely serve to deny loving gay couples the rights and benefits they deserve. Yes, civil unions are a step in the right direction, but they are to the gay community what segregated schools were once to the African-American community. As long as we are denied access to full marriage, we will live as second-class citizens with our separate but unequal civil unions. Imagine how degrading it would be for you if the holy bond between you and your loved one were not recognized by the state because of your race or religion. Imagine not being able to call your sacred ceremony a marriage. We cannot allow such an absurd perversion of the American ideal of equality to continue. Ironically, the religious right calls gay marriage a "special right," not a civil right. The only special right I see here is that heterosexuals are allowed exclusive access to the institution of marriage. The discussion about marriage needs to move forward rather than be shut down, which right-wing groups and legislators have tried to do. More Americans need to talk over these issues with families, friends, and even those with whom they disagree. When they do, they will see - as courts in Hawaii and Vermont have - that there is no good reason for denying lesbian and gay couples the commitment, protections, and responsibilities of civil marriage.Michael Lambert is a sophomore majoring in political science.

The Setonian
News

Jumbos to clash with Chieftains tonight

March 31

Revenge will be on the mind of the hockey team this evening at the Malden Forum when it hosts non-conference opponent Stonehill College. The Chieftans, who enter tonight's game at 5-3 on the wings of a four-game winning streak, thumped the Jumbos 7-4 in the championship game of the Coca-Cola Thanksgiving Shootout on Nov. 25. Tufts had previously defeated Stonehill in each of the two teams' last seven meetings. "[Revenge] is definitely on our minds," sophomore forward Pat Byrne said. "I think we're a better team than them, we just had a bad game last time. If we can play our game within our system, then we should win." The Jumbos (3-2), will be looking to improve their record at the newly opened Forum to 2-0, after defeating conference rival Conn. College, 5-4, in the venue's premiere on Friday. Junior tri-captain Mike Carceo scored the game winner on a power play with 12:25 to go in the contest as Tufts picked up its second league win of the year in the highly competitive NESCAC/East Division. Carceo has been on a tear as of late. Against the Camels, he racked up his second four-point game (one goal, three assists) in the last eight days and extended his goal-scoring streak to five games. Carceo recorded his first four-point game of the season (also one goal and three assists) in the Jumbos' 8-3 win over Framingham State in the opening round of the Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 25. He currently leads the Jumbos with 13 points (five goals, eight assists). "He's probably the best player on the team," Byrne said. "And he's one of our captains, so he leads by example. If he goes out an plays well, everyone else will too." Byrne, who has recorded at least one point in each of the team's five games as well, is next with 12 points (four goals, eight assists). A trio of freshmen forwards - Gino Rotundi (4-5-9), Shawn Sullivan (3-6-9), and John Hurd (5-2-7) - have also played a big role in the Jumbo offense. Hurd has scored in four of the team's five games, including the last three straight. Overall, the Jumbos have recorded 25 goals to date, an average of five per outing. Stonehill's offense, on the other hand, is equally as explosive, having registered 31 goals during its four game win streak. The unit is led by junior forward Brendan Fleming (9-5-14), who scored four goals in the win against Tufts, and sophomore forward Rob Pascale (5-9-14). Senior forward Jeff Rowe (5-7-12), who lead the Chieftains with 42 points last year, and junior forward Mike Ryan (5-7-12) are next on the scoring list. On defense, the Chieftains boast a pair of experienced blue liners in senior captain Derek McTomney and junior Mike Weiand. Junior goaltender Phil Graves, who stopped the Jumbos 15 times in the last game, is 3-1-0 overall with a 3.82 GAA and a .867 save percentage. For the Jumbos, a pair of tri-captains, junior Chris Martin (1-2-3) and senior Rob Greene anchor the defense, which has been especially effective in the third period so far this season. In fact, the squad has held its opponents to just five goals in the third stanza, while scoring 14 of its own. "I think [the stat] shows a lot of determination and character, and that we can come from behind," Byrne said. "Especially playing against these better teams this year, that's important. It also shows that the freshmen and younger players have adapted to our system of play quickly." Senior Ian Kell (1-1) will make his third start of the season in goal for the Jumbos, after sophomore Ben Crapser (2-1) took his turn and earned the win against Conn. College with 23 saves. Kell also sports an .861 save percentage. The Jumbos and Chieftains will faceoff beginning at 8 p.m. tonight at Malden Forum.

The Setonian
News

Hobbled tennis team has 1-2 week against tough opponents

March 31

The tennis team lost two difficult matches to MIT and Amherst this past week, but was able to give Wesleyan its annual thrashing. On Tuesday, the Jumbos traveled to Cambridge, MA to take on a formidable MIT team that finished the 2000 season ranked sixth in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). "We expected to have a very tough match," head coach Jim Watson said. A tough match is exactly what Tufts got and the Jumbos fell 4-2 to the Engineers. Tufts' only wins came at the hands of sophomore star David Ruttenberg, who whipped MIT's Jeff Augustyn 6-1, 6-,1 and freshman John Bram, who continues to assert his value to this team, defeating Anish Parikh 6-3, 6-2. "David just keeps rolling along," Watson said of his number one player. Ruttenberg has been battling bronchitis all season, but that hasn't stopped him from proving himself to be one of the nation's most dominant players. Bram too has had a strong start and has really impressed his teammates with his play. "We have a strong player in Jon Bram," co-captain senior Adam Scott said. Scott and his fellow co-captain, junior Mark Fitzgerald, also put up noteworthy performances, though they were not able to come away with victories. Scott, who has been hampered by a pulled hamstring, won the first set 6-2, before dropping the second and third sets 6-2 and 6-4, respectively. "I don't know how Adam played so well," Watson said, referring to Scott's injury. Fitzgerald lost two hard fought sets, 7-5, 6-4, to MIT's Marco Hernandez. "They were a little tougher than us," Watson said. But considering MIT's national ranking, the Jumbos were not overly discouraged by the loss. The match against Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon was a completely different story for the Jumbos. "As long as I have been here, we have never lost to Wesleyan," said Watson, who took over the reigns of the tennis program in 1981. The Jumbos didn't fall into the trap of underestimating their opponents and were able to secure a 6-0 win. With Ruttenberg suffering from bronchitis and the competition not especially strong, Watson let Ruttenberg rest and added freshman Sonny Kathpalia as the sixth player on the team. Kathpalia responded well to his first official collegiate match notching a 6-2, 6-2 win. Since Ruttenberg did not play, the most impressive match of the day was won by Adam Scott who filled Ruttenberg's large shoes and beat Wesleyan's Alex Wong in a long three set thriller 4-6,7-5, 7-6 (10-7). But the most important match for the Jumbos last week was its meeting with the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Last year, the Jumbos were able to top the Lord Jeffs for the first time in five years. Amherst, however, followed the loss with a string of impressive victories and finished the season nationally ranked 12th by the ITA. Ruttenberg took the courts first and had no problem with his opponent, dispensing of Amherst's Bryan Wexler 6-1, 6-4. Sophomore Danny Lang's match was the second one to end, and although he was able to push his opponent to a third and deciding set, he fell 6-1 in the third. Sophomore Brian Brendell had a golden opportunity to put the Jumbos up 2-1 when he was two points away from victory late in the second set. But Brendell let the second set slip away in a tiebreaker and couldn't recover, dropping the third set 6-3. Brendell's sore ankle was a major factor in his third set collapse. "Brian's coming of age," Watson said. "He was controlling the match but couldn't put the kid away." Fitzgerald tried to tie up the match but lost two tough sets 7-5, 7-5. With Fitzgerald's loss, Bram had the unenviable task of trying to postpone defeat, but he just couldn't top his opponent, losing 6-2 in the third set. "It was a very hard fought match," Watson said, but he couldn't help but resent the advantage that Amherst had playing on its own unique courts. Amherst's "courts are very fast. You can't get used to something like that in a ten minute warm-up," Watson said. The disadvantage stacked the decks against the Jumbos. "If the match was played on neutral courts, we might have won," Watson said. Despite the two losses this week, Watson said that he was "proud of the team." "We are playing good tennis," he said. If there is one thing that Tufts can do to pull out the close matches it has been losing, Watson said the team must "take advantage of situations to press and attack. We need to put our opponents away when we have the openings." Although four of the six Jumbo starters, Ruttenberg, Scott, Bram, and Brendell, have either injuries or illnesses, there is no time to rest with matches against Middlebury and Williams coming up this week. Middlebury will come to Medford on Friday and coach Watson and company expect a tough match. "Middlebury is very solid," said Watson. After the Panthers, Tufts will be pitted against a Williams squad that finished the 2000 season ranked fourth by the ITA.

The Setonian
News

My ballot

March 31

This column is for all the critics who complain that I am neither optimistic nor carefree enough in my writings. It's my one attempt at humor, so enjoy, but don't hold your breath for the second installment.Today, the Daily publishes its third annual Best of Tufts, so here are some of my picks for the most important categories. By choosing the best, I am inherently including much positive material in this piece. So no complaints, please, the weather put even me in a good mood.Best Club: The committee putting together joint TCF/TTLGBC events, because on college campuses differences are tough to overcome. Paragon, the group that brought Tommy Hilfiger and not much else, ranks a close second. Some people will gripe that this is an unfair analysis because I'm Paragon's vice president. Oh, well... that's the only reason it didn't win.Best Place to Eat. The patio. Hey, any seating area worth more than $100,000 has to be the best.Best Performance Group: This one has to go to the Bendetson activists who, in order to be considered for this category, played drums and rock music upon overtaking the admissions office. Their "sleepover" skit was dramatic, erotic, and rather suspenseful, making them the runaway victors in the Best of Tufts. Oh, come on Adam, you've earned it.Best Study Spot: Gifford House. It's quiet, and the president is somewhat hip. Tisch Library would have been the safe pick, but the e-mail police, oppressive food and drink policy, incessant drilling during the day, and super shady bathrooms have taken it out of contention for this year.Best Date Restaurant: People here date? I thought they just "watch movies."Best Student Actor: Hands down, Jesse Levey for his work on the TUTV show Jumbo Love Match. What makes this award his? He pretends to know something about dating. Jesse actually pulls it off quite well, perhaps after getting advice from the show's resident sexpert Tommy Calvert (a close runner up in this category).Best Classroom: A tie between three rooms: Robinson 253, Cabot Auditorium, and Braker 001. How easy is it to do the crossword puzzle without getting caught in these expansive rooms? I'm not sure what other factors one could possibly use in evaluating this category.Best Place to Pick Someone Up: Tisch Library main floor, the site of the nightly Greek system mixers. If you're looking for it, just follow the ringing cell phones and loud gib-gab. You won't miss it, but if you do, I hear the Tisch first floor bathroom is a hot spot and has video dating.Best Thing at Jumbo Express: Jelly beans, because the prophylactics that you're forced to request from the student worker would be too damn easy!Best Place for Employment: Um, Jumbo Express, so you can shoot congratulatory looks at those with the courage to ask you for the condoms on the shelf behind the register.Best Class: Massage Therapy, an Ex College gem. Any class where relaxation is encouraged through coed touching is worthy of accolade, especially if one doesn't have to buy his partner dinner first. If only this class were featured in the Tufts viewbook, applications would continue to rise. My Tae-kwon-do physical education class ranks a close second. I sweat; I grunt; I look like an idiot; I don't wear khakis, nor shoes, nor socks. How bad could it be? Even I can do it.Best class to take if you want to get an 'A': Not sure, but it seems that anything outside of the natural sciences, math, or engineering is a good bet. Perhaps a class with soon to be Tufts' newest University president, Bill Clinton (that's why the search is so secret, right?), because anything is for sale with that guy.Best Professor: This category is nearly impossible to do publicly, so lacking the courage, I won't reveal too much. But in order to avoid excoriation in my next Jewish Fiction class, Prof. Jonathan Wilson, who mentioned these awards last class as a hint to Daily folk, will get a mention here. So even though Prof. Wilson assigns a journal - for which I made a futile attempt - his neat accent, command of the course material, and sharp wit (plus a little fear on my part) earn him a nod. Is that worth any extra points, sir?Best Place to Live: If co-ed housing was an option, it would certainly be here as the winner. But since it's not, they're all the same to me.Best Fraternity. Tufts Men Against Violence, which oddly enough fits the traditional definition of fraternity: "a group of men joined together by common interests." For TMAV, this is its first win and nomination in this category. I just hope the label doesn't offend them.Best WMFO/TUTV Show: Quite obviously the show that Dave Moon and I do on Thursday nights for WMFO. 7 p.m. Who cares that no one listens? Dave and I are out of people's hair for a full half hour each week. And please listen to the show, or Dave will continue to nag me about doing more advertising. So why care what I have to say about who should have won the Best of Tufts competition? Well don't. Just be thankful that I spared you a boring - and possibly negative - column about the proposed TCU constitution. The real Craig Waldman, however, will be back next week.

The Setonian
News

Get on the bandwagon early

March 31

You've never heard of Artful Dodger, but you do know where it might find a home, even if you don't know that you know it. Look for houses with tarps over rattling windows and the glow of a blacklight or the blink of a strobe under the door (telltales signs that any dance-party stalker should identify two blocks away). By the spring, all of these houses will have at least tried a fling with Artful Dodger, or a similar group, if they're anywhere near as cutting-edge as they insist they are. Artful Dodger works in the genre called by turns both "two step" and "UK garage," and is a highly danceable variation on the European electronica that has already migrated to the States. Europe is the international superpower of the dance world, and the United Kingdom has long been the capital and breeding ground for innovators and experimenters in electronic music.Re-Rewind, released last month, collects new tracks as well as songs that may be familiar to patrons of Southampton dance clubs, but all of it sounds fresh to the American ear. Artful Dodger has remixed songs by artists as far apart as All Saints and Sisqo, and its performance overseas - with two number-two hits - speaks to the well-deserved buzz around Re-Rewind. Despite the fast, reliable beats that watermark the album as a large dance piece, there are plenty of R&B-style vocals and melodies on Re-Rewind. As opposed to foundation-rocking bass groups that are great to dance to and unbearable to stop and listen to, Artful Dodger maintains a musical sensibility that keeps the floor solid and the listener engaged. Many dance albums flow so seamlessly through their entire length that there's nothing actually memorable about them. Re-Rewind, however, demonstrates a rare feat: recognizable individual tracks. Each track is less like a new verse to a familiar tune and more like the spontaneous choice of a live concert. The action never stops, but it doesn't flat-line, either. Of course, some of the album's melodic qualities have to be credited to the original artists, as only three tracks are pure Artful Dodger. There's also the occasional irritating sample that keeps snagging in the ear. One set of notes that recurs in at least two tracks has the same tinny, artificial quality as the "Tetris" theme music. Even if you're dancing, it's hard to keep from laughing when you hear something that can only be described as a beep. Despite the occasional disconcerting moment, though, Re-Rewind is strong enough that the album by itself can get a dance party going, and varied enough to play in its entirety. It's up to you to keep things running after the disc runs out, however, because everyone will notice when this one starts to repeat. Impress your friends, impress strangers, impress the police, but have another album ready to go when these 69 minutes are up.

The Setonian
News

Similar platforms blur lines between TCU presidential candidates

March 31

The election for president of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate looms less than two weeks away, and the candidates are readying their campaigns, codifying their messages, and getting ready to debate the issues so the student body can make an educated choice. But wait, what issues? Very little substantive differences exist between presidential hopefuls Treasurer Michele Shelton and Vice President Eric Greenberg. Perennial gripes such as a shortage of student parking and the housing crunch are no longer viable, thanks to the construction of Dowling Hall and the February decision to build a new dormitory. Neither of the candidates can argue that they are "outsiders" or that they hope to storm in and fight the administration, as current Senate President David Moon did last year - both are well-known as high-up Senate insiders and both value the good relationships they have forged with administrators. The candidates have managed to defuse any threat of controversy even on the few contentious issues up for debate. Two proposed amendments to the Senate constitution will likely stir up some debate between now and election day. One amendment would give culture group representatives full voting rights on the Senate, and the other would prohibit student groups from discriminating on the basis of one's self-acceptance of a belief, a result of the year-long Tufts Christian Fellowship debate. But the candidates have both come out strongly in favor of the amendments, killing any chance for debate, or for groups of supporters and opponents to coalesce around either of them. The same goes with the issue of revising the block schedule. Each candidate says that there are problems with the current schedule, but the proposal floated by Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein is not the solution; neither candidate, however, has offered their own fix. But, say many students, this lack of issues or strong, defined platforms simply doesn't matter. According to several prospective voters, it's all about who reaches out and takes the time to listen. "If I actually met one of them, and saw them getting around and making an effort to talk to people about the issues and the job, that would definitely swing my vote," freshman Nick Sabloff said. "I don't want them to just put up fliers. If they want it that much, they should do some legwork for it." Others, like sophomore Arun Lamba, feel much the same way. Lamba has not decided whether or not he will vote this year, because he's not sure if the candidates will really make an effort to get to know his needs. But he had no intention of voting last year, either, and then a little grassroots campaigning changed his mind. "Dave Moon knocked on my door, came to my room, and we had a 20-minute conversation about issues and his plans. I went out and voted for him, because I felt like he cared what I thought." There are others who care about the issues, yet have no choice but to vote on the basis of personality and which candidate comes to knock on their door. Take sophomore Erika Amir-Denton, for instance. Denton is strongly in favor of the block schedule change - "I'm pretty concerned about them changing it," she says - but since neither candidate supports her point of view, she's going to go with the candidate who makes a better effort to get to know her. "I'm always more attracted to the candidate who treats people better, who's genuinely interested in student life, who isn't just in it for the politics of it. I want someone who will make an effort to know what I'm talking about," said. Sophomore Himanshu Verma is in a similar situation. A member of Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA), he doesn't care about whether the candidates are good speakers, or whether they come by to say hello - he wants whoever comes out hardest for the culture representative amendment. "Hey, any group that I'm a part of, I think more representation is good for. I can see how some people wouldn't like it, though. I'd definitely probably vote for the candidate who pushed that stronger," he said. Verma's suitemate, however, had the opposite reaction - and no candidate to rally his opposition behind. "It's ridiculous, that's totally unfair," said junior Colin O'Higgins of the proposed amendment. "Why do some groups deserve double representation?" While many students say they paid little attention to what the candidates have done during their time in the Senate, some more involved voters look to put more emphasis on what the candidates have accomplished in their three years on campus. "I think it's going to be a tough race," sophomore Sarah Stroback said. "They're both so involved - especially for Michele, being treasurer is like a full-time job, there's so much responsibility. "To me, what matters is their level of participation. It would depend on the range of their activities. I judge them by what they've done in the past, not just by what they say." The likely race between Greenberg and Shelton is a campus election, though, and the electorate is small enough that candidates often don't need a good sales pitch, a spotless record, or a coherent platform. Sometimes, it's enough to simply have sat next to your potential future president in a freshman seminar. "All I know is that I had a class with Eric Greenberg, and we did a project together, and he did most of the work. So he definitely gets my vote," junior Mark Fitzgerald said. "I don't think many people form their votes based on issues. It's who they're friends with, or which candidate they dislike more," he said.

The Setonian
News

Campus news takes to the airwaves

March 31

Want to do more than read the news? Thanks to WMFO's new program, you can now passively take in campus and national happenings without lifting a finger. According to Mike Dupuy, WMFO's general manager, the half-hour show, airing at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on 91.5 FM, aims to provide more "continuity" to the freeform station. The format for the news program, though, is still in transition. "It's much less pre-produced," said Dupuy, which is to say that it is essentially the opposite of pre-written broadcasts on programs such as National Public Radio (NPR). News director Martin Voelker said that, for now, the format of the show is left up to the producer for the night. "We give the people in charge of a particular night their discretion to decide the slant of the night's show - whether they want to use more pre-produced material or make it more of a talk show format," he said. Dupuy believes that the more "conversational" tone of the show will interest listeners. Despite its packaging, the news will still be as real as you would get from any other media source. "Our goal is to try to balance Tufts news with more national and international news," Dupuy said. But how successful will the WMFO news show be with campus news publications potentially competing for the spotlight? According to Dupuy, the key is in the presentation. More specifically, he and WMFO aim to take an "alternative media stance." For example, Tufts Community Union (TCU) President David Moon co-hosts the show one night a week. Dupuy claims that this offers a more direct link to campus news figures than the Daily or other publications might provide. "As opposed to having journalists interview and report about the people in the news, we bring these people straight [to the listeners]," he said. And the idea behind WMFO News is not just to include Tufts students. Two out of the five weekly shows are live broadcasts from sporting events that students from other colleges enjoy, as well as Tufts students. "This show contributes to community outreach - it delivers something to both the Tufts community and the general community," said Voelker. In the future, Voelker said that WMFO hopes to go even further in including the outside community. "The hope is that we could include other communities than Tufts - maybe even going as far to report on local politics," he said. He cited such issues as the election of local governmental figures, oil prices, and local construction as possible topics. While the number of staff for the show isn't as large as Dupuy would like, he envisions two or more people supporting the five different shows (each weekday evening), complete with "roving reporters" and sound bytes. Voelker agreed that the lack of staff was a problem for the news show in the past. Though the students have had such a news show in mind for a few years, they have never been able to launch it due to lack of numbers. "If you want to produce something five days a week that's going to be up-to-date, you can't do it with three people," he said. "You have to have a host of people who can be on-call or assigned to a particular night. It's just too much work for a handful of people."

The Setonian
News

Worlds apart

March 31

It's midnight and you and your friends are leaving to check out the local bars and hopefully meet some good looking strangers - just a typical night for a student abroad, whether it be in London, Israel, or Australia. It's seems like harmless fun, but for the many students struggling to remain faithful to the boyfriends or girlfriends they left behind, this nighttime scenario can be a dangerous game of temptation. While some couples fight to stay together, others choose to avoid the heartache altogether. Stephanie and Ben, both juniors, decided to stay on campus because they didn't want to separate - the couple was used to seeing each other every day. "I'm not good at the long distance thing," Stephanie said. "I couldn't stand summers apart from Ben. I was scared that we would leave and grow away from each other." But now that their opportunity to study abroad has passed and their relationship has matured, they both regret the decision. Stephanie admits that she tends to stifle Ben's decisions, and adds that if they had gone abroad, the couple would have had a chance to challenge their relationship and see if it survived. "It's hard to be independent when you spend all of your time together," Stephanie said. "You should be able to explore who you are away from your significant other." Instead of exploring their relationship apart, Rebecca and her boyfriend John, both seniors that had dated for a year and a half, decided to break up a few months before Rebecca left to study abroad. "I wasn't sure he was 'the one' and I wanted to use the time abroad to focus on myself and be independent," Rebecca said. "I did not want the obligation of calling him all the time and checking up." Another junior decided to break up with her boyfriend, a sophomore, when she left to study in Australia. "I didn't want to feel held back by having a commitment to someone back home," said the junior, who is still in Australia this semester. Although she thinks that she made a practical decision, her ex-boyfriend doesn't want to feel like the past semester - and their time together - was a waste. "It's really rough," she said. "He misses me and wishes we could still be together and wants to know that I will be faithful. This makes me feel guilty, and I have warned him that if I feel guilty for my experiences abroad, I will resent him for making me feel like I have to apologize for my time in Australia." Sometimes, though, things just work out. One couple, both seniors, were only dating for two months before they went abroad to different locales. Although they originally decided to have an open relationship, they actually ended up staying faithful. "It was easier because we both went abroad," said the unnamed female. Her boyfriend added: "I missed her but it wasn't unbearable. I knew I would be with her soon, so I took advantage of what I was doing then." The least attractive but most dedicated option is staying together. While she was abroad, senior Amanda decided to stay with her boyfriend senior Shawn, though they had only been dating for four months when she left. When she asked Shawn if they should just be friends or stay together during her trip to Tel Aviv, "he said the right thing," Amanda said. "He told me, 'you're worth waiting for'." Being apart, Amanda said, actually made their relationship stronger. "We could only communicate by talking, instead of touching or seeing each other, so we got to know each other even better," she said. Although their relationship remained strong while they were apart, Amanda felt that she had to sacrifice part of her abroad experience. "Most of the time I was thinking about how much I missed him and when I would get to see him again, which made me feel down when I probably should have been enjoying myself more," she said. For at least one couple that decided to stay together while one of them studied abroad, the ending wasn't so happy. The couple couldn't survive the transition from being apart for several months to being together again. "We both had these big expectations and wanted everything to be the same as it was before, but it wasn't the same," said the senior. "We didn't give ourselves any leeway for adjustment before we broke up. Looking back at it now, I wish we had been a little more patient with each other." Though studying abroad can make or break a relationship, the overriding consensus that it's worth it. "Going abroad can challenge a couple, but neither person should stand in the way of the other's opportunities," Stephanie said.

The Setonian
News

A whole Other Music experience

March 31

Tired of walking into every music store and coming across the exact same ten albums at the doors? Tired of trying to drone out 'N SYNC and Christina Aguilera serenading you as you pace up and down the aisles, searching for something, anything, new and different? If not, then don't read on - the average music store is probably just right for you. But if you are desperate to break from the mainstream, maybe it's time you tried some Other place.Other Music opened in November in Harvard Square next door to the House of Blues. Though the store is new to Boston, it is going on its sixth year in New York City. In 1995, Jeff Gibson opened the store because he believed that even in the East Village, where underground music flows like Slurpees, there was still a large marketing void that needed to be filled with a store that could provide cutting-edge selection from around the world. And he was right. The Manhattan location is always packed and constantly receives orders from around the globe. Management decided to open the next store in Harvard Square because of its history of hosting successful record stores. Unlike most independent stores, Other Music is not limited by any particular genre, and thus, the selection is outstandingly diverse. The store is divided into categories, but not in a way you've ever seen before. Upon entering the store, figuring out just how the albums are organized may be a challenge for newcomers. Rather than seeing "Country," "Pop/Rock," and "Soundtracks," as one would expect, the main section listings at Other Music are "Electronica," "Psychedelia," "Hip Hop," "Groove," and "Krautrock" - yes, an entire section is dedicated to '70s German experimental music. Puzzling. In addition to these classifications, throughout the store are sections titled "In" and "Out" - "In" being rock and folk-like music, and "Out" being more on the experimental, minimal, and noisy side. General Manager David Day says that one of the most frequently asked questions is how the albums are classified (many people think that "Out" refers to openly gay artists), second only to, "Are you hiring?" These main sections seem to cover it all, but in case they don't, there is always a home for a genre-less album, because the store also has areas devoted to specific labels, where misfit styles can have company. And if you happen to have a particular affinity for Matador records, among others, you will find their sampler along with a selection from their bands all in one section. If you're one to look for Top Tens, rather than flipping through the rack at the front of HMV, why not try the staff picks at Other Music? Every staff member has a list of his or her top ten favorite albums available on the store's website. There, you can also find sounds files, a complete listing of music available, and an email list which you can subscribe to for updates. These lists are obviously not as restrictive as those at HMV or Tower Records. Staff picks range in style and mood from the sweet sounds of Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor's album, Appalachian Trail, to the sounds of Sonic Youth's 2000 album, NYC Ghosts and Flowers. In addition to individual top ten lists, there is a list of the store's favorite 30 albums of the week, and a list of Other Music's top 30 albums of the year. On cards taped to albums around the store, there are a few sentences about the music and the band, which make it easy for customers to find out quick biographical information about bands that they may never have heard of. There is hardly any shelf space that does not have a little hand or typewritten card taped to it. The reviews are either written by customers, or staff members eager to get the word out about their favorite albums.The fact that the many staff pick lists are so diverse is a testament to the large knowledge base of the Other Music staff. Upon entering the store, you immediately hear a great song playing that always subsides to something new and equally exciting. Have no fear, Other Music keeps you well posted as to what you're hearing in case you like it - or hate it. The store is well-staffed, with enthusiastic and musically knowledgeable people. Just being in the store for a short while, you'll notice staffers fully engrossed in conversation with customers, debating their favorite bands and their favorite bands' best albums, and stopping other passersby just to tell them that they couldn't help but notice the CD they just picked up - "What a great choice!"The staff's great diversity of knowledge makes it easy to get to know the many obscure bands represented in the store. According to Day, good customer service is necessary since much of what they stock is practically unheard of. Besides a great selection of CDs, Other Music also has a decent selection of LPs for all you vinyl lovers. The store is also starting a small section of used CDs and LPs where you can buy or trade your old ones - that is, if they are worthy of Other Music status. But Other Music is not just a record store. It also hosts live music events, like Yo La Tengo shortly after its opening. Unfortunately, there is nothing on the calendar for any time soon yet. "We are a different type of record store... not just an 'other' music store to serve a different type of student," Day said.Other Music has earned a "Best Of" title in CitySearch.com, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Spin, and others, and certainly deserves a chance to fill your own "Best Of" slot.

The Setonian
News

Upcoming NESCAC weekend could be turning point of season

March 31

While the women's basketball team has proved itself to be utterly dominant over non-conference rivals like Gordon and Lasell, the days of Scots and Lasers are over. The team is in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season, a five-game road trip that includes four NESCAC rivals. Their 1-2 record thus far in conference play has created a pressing need for NESCAC wins as the season winds down. Last weekend, the Jumbos split their two weekend games, defeating Trinity but falling to Amherst the following day. This weekend the task gets even more daunting. Tomorrow, the team will head up to Waterville, ME to take on the 4-2 Colby Mules. NESCAC player of the week, sophomore Sarah Walsh, averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last week in wins over Williams and Middlebury. She is currently seventh in the NESCAC in points, third in rebounding, and fifth in blocks. The biggest outside threat may well be sophomore sharpshooter Jasmine Ashe, who leads the NESCAC in three-point field goal percentage, at 38.7. Last year the Jumbos were edged by the Mules 66-60 in Cousens Gym, the most recent of five consecutive defeats at the hooves of the Mules. At 2 p.m. the following afternoon, Tufts will head to Brunswick, ME to face the 4-0 Bowdoin Polar Bears. Last week, the Polar Bears racked up huge wins against Williams, Bates, and Middlebury. They are led by forward Kristi Royer and guard Lora Trenkle, who average 14.2 and 14.1 points, respectively. Bowdoin's strongest point is their shooting. They lead the NESCAC in shooting percentage, with 42.8, compared to 39.6 for the Jumbos. Royer led her Polar Bears to a 76-66 win over Tufts last year with a 16-point performance in the final game of the season. Despite their records and previous success, the team will not enter the two games intimidated, and is looking forward to the increased competitiveness. "We're looking forward to playing it because it's a conference game we have to raise our level of play," coach Janice Savitz said. "They are undefeated but not invincible." Any success in this Maine weekend will hinge upon strong shooting and the ability to avoid turnovers, two categories which have varied widely all season for Tufts. In all five of the Jumbos' losses, they have never shot above 40 percent from the field, averaging a lowly 33.2 percent. On the other hand, when victorious, the Jumbos are averaging 43.7 percent from the field. In all but one of the team's losses, they have committed over 16 turnovers, and when committing less than 16, they are 5-1 on the season. The five-game road stretch, which finishes up this weekend, is by far the most difficult part of their season. Bowdoin and Colby have combined 12-4 records at home, with Colby's only NESCAC loss coming at the hands of Bowdoin two weeks ago. If the team could split the weekend series or find a way to win both games, they would find themselves in an auspicious position heading down the stretch. The last four games of the season, which begin on Friday, Feb. 9, will all be played in Cousens Gymnasium, and all four will be against NESCAC teams. With the fight for the seven playoff spots heating up, the Jumbos could either break .500 in conference play this weekend, or find themselves at 1-4, struggling for the final playoff spot.

The Setonian
News

A season to remember

March 31

The grueling 82 game season has finally come to a close, and the playoffs have arrived to carry NBA junkies through mid-June. After a regular season to remember, predicting this year's league champion is not, like in years past, such a no-brainer.The 2000-2001 year in the NBA will be remembered for its tremendous parity. Of eight playoff teams in the Western Conference, seven put together 50-win seasons, and no two of them were separated by more than three games in the final standings. But it doesn't stop there. Ten teams in the West finished above .500, and the Houston Rockets and Seattle Supersonics are sitting at home despite strong seasons. At the top of the conference were the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs remedied last year's backcourt issues, stayed healthy, and ended the season with the league's best record. The team's leader, post man Tim Duncan, will garner a great deal of attention when the MVP ballots are cast. Duncan was solid in nearly every dimension of the game, averaging 22.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest, and shooting 49.9% from the floor while blocking 2.3 shots per game on the defensive end. Duncan will have competition for the MVP award from the usual suspects, however. Last year's most valuable player, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, didn't exactly slow down much. O'Neal bettered Duncan in most categories, posting a stat-line that includes averages of 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.76 blocks, all while shooting 57.2 percent from the field. If O'Neal loses to Duncan in the competition for individual accolades, you can attribute it to Los Angeles' chemistry issues.This season was further defined by the rise of two teams to the competitive ranks. Both the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks improved dramatically from last year.The Kings were last season's eighth seed, but with polish, chemistry, and an up-tempo style, Sacramento finished only one game out of first in the Pacific division this season, and three behind the Spurs.Unfortunately, the playoffs may be the last we see of this brand of Kings basketball. At season's end, power forward Chris Webber, an MVP candidate in his own right, will be a free agent, and Webber has given all indications that he will not be returning to Sacramento.The Mavericks went from lottery regulars to one of the most exciting teams in basketball, finishing this year fifth in the conference. But it didn't happen overnight for the Mavericks. A series of effective front office moves brought together a nucleus of guards Michael Finley and Steve Nash, do- everything forward Dirk Nowitzki, and the recently-acquired Juwan Howard to play small forward. This off-season, leading scorer Finley will be a free agent. Deep-pocketed owner Mark Cuban will do everything possible to convince Finley to make his home in Dallas and remain part of one of the best cores in basketball. If that happens, we could be talking about this Mavericks team for years to come. On the flip side are the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers were less than a quarter away from a trip to the NBA finals last year before imploding and giving way to the Lakers. Returning most of their players and making some off-season moves in attempt to bolster the roster, the Blazers entered the year with great expectations.All was well in Portland for a while. At one point in February, the Blazers sat at the top of the Western Conference. But a dismal finish to the season (the Blazers won only eight of their last 22 games) left one of the league's highest payrolls with a only a seven seed to show for all the free spending. If the Blazers don't make a miraculous turnaround in the playoffs - they already dropped the first game of their first round series to the Lakers - head coach Mike Dunleavy's job will be in serious jeopardy. Another team that put together an impressive season, the Utah Jazz, led by the aging combination of Karl Malone and John Stockton, refused to fade away. By adding small forward Donyell Marshall, the Jazz finally found someone else to score and rebound, taking pressure off Malone. Despite these changes and another good year, it seems the Stockton-Malone Jazz will never realize their championship hopes. The Phoenix Suns made strides this season. With point guard Jason Kidd finally looking to score more and Shawn Marion emerging as a key contributor, the Suns overcame the loss of Penny Hardaway - who missed the entire season - to finish with a six seed.The MinnesotaTimberwolves also emerged as a team that can play with the best in the league, rounding out the Western Conference's playoff bracket as the eight seed. The T-Wolves were great at times and just average at others. While it looks like yet another first round exit for Minnesota, the T-Wolves are young enough to bounce back when a few more pieces are in place.This past season epitomizes an era of transition in the NBA. As Michael Jordan debates a comeback, the league has not yet sorted out the aftermath of his reign. In this year's NBA, no superstar has truly dominated above all others, and no team has proven far and away better than the next. As the playoffs march on, fans should appreciate the days where just about anyone really can win.

The Setonian
News

Nomadic computing wanders into Tisch

March 31

The long reach of the Internet will go a little farther now that Tisch Library administrators have activated Internet ports in select study carrels around the library. This technological step forward, called nomadic computing, allows individuals to use their own computers to connect to the Web. Twenty-eight ports on the main level of the library were activated last Monday. To log on to the Internet, students must have a laptop with an Ethernet card and plug in a cable from the computer to the yellow-labeled jack in the carrel. Cables will be available for check-out at the Tisch circulation desk. Once they are connected, students will have full access to all the resources that they normally utilize from their personal computers. Although the library already features computers with access to the Internet, in addition to eight "e-mail only" stations, library administrators say the new Internet connections will be a great convenience to students. "This gives students who have portable PCs more flexibility," Tisch Library Director Jo-Ann Michalak said. Students may now use a word-processing program while doing research on the Web and save their work to their hard drives. The implementation of nomadic computing has been in the works for years. When Tisch was constructed in 1996, the building was wired to accommodate Internet connections in study carrels. But due to procedural and security concerns, the ports were never activated. Library administrators worked with Information Technology Services (ITS) and Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS) Telecom to put security measures in place. Computers must be registered with the campus network in order to access the Internet from Tisch, which ensures that the Internet access will only be utilized by members of the Tufts community. Students who are connected to the Internet from on-campus housing and are registered to use the campus network from their dorm rooms should be able to access the Internet in Tisch immediately. Students living off campus can register by going to Eaton computer lab. This semester will be a test period for nomadic computing and, if it proves successful, the technology could be expanded in the future.

Trending
The Tufts Daily Crossword with an image of a crossword puzzle
The Print Edition
Tufts Daily front page