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The Setonian
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Meditation without calm

March 31

Strike a pose; feet placed shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, tongue touching upper palate, lips closed, eyes gently shut, and a serene expression. This is the stance Falun Gong practitioners for Fozban Quianshou Fa (the buddha showing a thousand hands) achieve. Though a traditional Chinese meditation practice, the calm has lifted for Falun Gong practitioners who have come under attack in their native country for practicing the outlawed exercise. Students at Tufts have been practicing Falun Gong as a group for the past three years. Now, in addition to meditating, they're helping persecuted fellow practitioners overseas. Though the Chinese government supported the introduction of Falun Gong to the public in 1992, the Chinese Communist Party outlawed the practice in 1999, according to Christine Moon, president of the Falun Dafa Association at Tufts (TFDA). Falun Dafa, which incorporates Buddhist and Taoist principles, is the movement which incorporates the exercises of Falun Gong. The movement existed on a small scale before its introduction to the general public. In the early days of Falun Dafa, practitioners demonstrated motivation and better morale in factories and work units, but the Chinese Communist Party declared the meditation practice illegal due to the supposedly threatening presence of 100 million practitioners in over 40 countries, according to Moon. "The [party] embarked on a systematic, brutal campaign against tens of millions of men, women and children of every occupation, social status, and age to eradicate this peaceful practice," Moon said. According to the Falun Dafa Info Center, www.faluninfo.net, 180 people have died as a result of the government's actions against the quash the Falun Gong movement. Worldwide, an appeal has gone out to end persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. "The vicious crackdown of Falun Gong not only severely violates the fundamental freedom of belief, expression, and assembly, but also leads to a growing scourge of torture to innocent people in China," read an appeal to Falun Gong practitioners worldwide. Xiaomei Qi, a member of the Falun Dafa Association, has personal ties to practitioners in China. "Some of my friends are still in jail only because they refused to stop practicing Falun Gong in public and teaching [its] truth," she said. Since Falun Gong is not a political exercise, students say that the government should not persecute practitioners. "The persecution is not understandable because Falun Gong is not an organization, it's just people reading some books and doing a set of exercises," Qi said. "It is just like people learning Chi Ti or Yoga, but it is not just for good health, it is also to be more considerate and [to have] higher moral standards." Falun Gong intends to open energy channels and strengthen cultivation, a term that refers to the concept of transforming body, mind, and soul. Main components include gentle exercises and meditation, the close study of Zhuan Falun, the principle book, and the belief in "truthfulness, benevolence, and forbearance" for self-improvement. Moon was attracted to the exercise for its philosophical possibilities. "Unlike most practitioners, it was not the meditative aspect," she said. "I've been interested since high school in the meaning of life [and figuring out] why am I here." She said she is also interested in understanding why individuals suffer. Jason Pomerleau, the first undergraduate practitioner on campus in 1998, was attracted to Falun Gong by one of it's objectives: "To return to one's true self." Pomerleau hoped to improve himself and to discover his inner sincerity. He found Falun Gong to be so beneficial that he sent Zhuan Falun to his brother in an effort to help him emotionally. Practitioners have found support for the political aspect of the issue even among those who do not practice Falun Gong. "Many people share the same basic principles of truthfulness, benevolence, and forbearance, so they believe that the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Dafa has no basis," she said. Globally, Master Li, the leader of Falun Dafa, received his second consecutive nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. And last semester, TFDA gave presentations to members of Amnesty International and Tufts Coalition for Social Justice and Non-violence on the persecution in China. Such incidents have become a worldwide human rights concern. "[The persecution] is a human rights consideration that needs attention," said Doug Hansen, a member of the Coalition who attended TFDA's presentation. "I'm a strong believer in the ability to express oneself." In February, journalist Danny Schechter participated in the Tufts Institute for Leadership and International Perspective (TILIP) Symposium, "Globalization and China." His documentary, Falun Gong's Challenge to China, has aired on TUTV last month and may be played once more this year. TFDA meets in Davis Square and the Powderhouse Rotary to practice, and holds regular Wednesday meetings on campus. Practitioners are making arguments in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Commission Session to end the turmoil in China. And on March 19, the UN released a press statement addressing the shaky future of Falun Gong. "Will the Chinese regime begin to move towards a more open, civil society, or will it further step up its control and oppression for fear of losing power? In many ways, Falun Gong has become a litmus test of which path China will take," the statement said. TFDA will host an informational workshop on Falun Gong Tuesday, April 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room of the campus center. The group holds regular meetings on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on the lawn across from the campus center and readings in the Schwartz Room of the campus center on Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m.

The Setonian
News

Winter weather wreaks havoc on campus

March 31

The snowstorm that passed through New England this weekend turned Tufts into anything but a winter wonderland, as electrical difficulties plagued the campus on Sunday. Downhill residents spent nine hours without power, and the entire campus experienced a disruption in phone services that was not repaired until yesterday morning. Electricity in the downhill residence halls went off around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday after a malfunction in a feeder panel outside the Michael Chemistry Laboratory. The feeder panel is a device that distributes throughout campus the electricity provided by the electronic company. The problem was contained within Tufts and was not associated with Mass Electric. "We think that the wind forced the snow into that panel," Facilities Director Ron Esposito said. "There's a gasket that should make it weather proof, and somehow that didn't do its job." This is the first time that Tufts has experienced internal electrical difficulties in Esposito's seven-year tenure. But according to Esposito, the outage was unrelated to repairs that were made to the wiring in the Laboratory building last week. Because of the high amount of voltage flowing through the panel, a special crew was called upon to fix the problem. The committee deemed it necessary to turn off electricity in other areas of the campus for a short time. Power was completely restored around 9:45 p.m. Besides lights and electrical outlets, the outage also caused a failure of the entire campus phone system and also affected Ethernet access. The phones lost power when the initial shortage occurred, but were temporarily powered by battery backup. However, the power outage lasted longer than the eight hours supplied by the batteries, leaving no power source for the telephone system. As a result, campus phones stopped working just after 8 p.m., according to Marj Minnigh, Director of Special Projects for Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS). Although the electricity failure was only a minor inconvenience during the day, it became a major concern at night when stairwell lights did not turn on and heat and hot water stopped working in some campus locations. Each dormitory is equipped with emergency lighting, but the batteries that power those systems are designed to work only long enough for people to evacuate the buildings, and therefore also stopped functioning after several hours. "Our emergency lights in Tilton didn't even work - the batteries were burned out," freshman Sabine Jean-Louis said. "I live in Somerville, and I actually went home because they didn't have any problems with their power." Administrators say safety procedures exist so that residents of the community will never be in real danger in crises such as the snow emergency this weekend. Plans were in place to open up the Gantcher Center for downhill students to sleep in if the power was not fixed that evening. Furthermore, the blue-light phones around campus were never out of service because they operate off a different circuit, and dorm proctors' phones remained in service as well. Although the electrical problems were fixed late in the evening, the phones were not completely restored until yesterday morning. TCCS believes that a power surge occurred when the electricity was turned back on, which blew some of the phone circuits. The voicemail system was also inoperable until yesterday morning, but Minnigh said it is fixed and no messages were lost. The outage also caused difficulties for Dining Services, as grills and fryers that require hoods to remove exhaust from the kitchens were rendered inoperable. The Campus Center Commons and Jumbo Express closed not long after the electricity went out, and Dewick-MacPhie and Hotung had to limit their menus to easy-to-prepare items. Dining Services workers were not able to wash dishes because of the power outage, and some employees had to come in early yesterday to deal with the aftermath. However, Director of Dining Services Patti Lee Klos said that the outage was not a major inconvenience and that it was handled smoothly. "Most of the staff has been with us for a while. We have procedures in place and they know what to do and they're able to adapt," she said. "This is a metropolitan area. It's not uncommon to have some type of service interruption, even in your own home. It's just something that we cope with." Esposito said that all the problems have been fixed and that Facilities checked the box again today to ensure that it is now weatherproof. "This is an unfortunate situation that we would prefer never to have happen again," he said. "We spend a lot of time maintaining our high voltage systems, especially in the summer... this is just an odd situation that occurred."

The Setonian
News

South Hall to be accessible with ID cards

March 31

South Hall residents will have one less key to carry next fall as the dorm begins a pilot program in which residents will swipe their identification cards to gain access to the building. The Department of Public Safety is testing the feasibility of ID access to residence halls to determine whether the practice should be implemented campus-wide. Public Safety will evaluate the pilot periodically throughout the semester. "This will help us determine whether or not Public Safety might propose that ID access be used campus-wide," Director of Public Safety John King said. "One of the things we're always trying to evaluate is how to improve security." South Hall was wired with the ID access technology when it was built in 1991. The system was enabled years ago but was shut off because of hardware problems. Since then, Tufts has switched from pouch-type ID cards to digital-imaging ones, which are more compatible with the technology. Implementing ID card access for all residence halls will not be as easy as setting up the South pilot project, however, as the swipe technology would have to be installed in the older dormitories. The ID card system can be more secure than keys, as the cards are difficult to duplicate and distribute to non-residents. If a card is lost or stolen, it can be immediately deactivated so that whoever finds it will not be able to enter the dorm. "It's a good idea because it's not really going to cost anything, and the system is already in place. We can try it for however long, and if the student input is good, we can keep the system. If there's such negative input, we can scrap it," Tufts Community Union Senate Vice President Eric Greenberg said. "It's safer, it's one less key that you have to worry about, and it's a quick and easy swipe." South Hall has a large lounge area, and Greenberg suggested that all students IDs could be programmed so that they could access this space for club meetings and practices. It is possible to give students access to the lounge without letting them into the residence hallways because students in South must enter a second set of doors to get to their rooms. But Public Safety has yet to decide whether Greenberg's suggestion is feasible. Public Safety plans to mail a questionnaire to South Hall residents to gauge their perception of security issues in the building. A similar survey was undertaken when Public Safety revised parking policies with the opening of Dowling Hall, and King said that student opinion proved vital to the success of the changes. A dormitory on the graduate campus in downtown Boston recently began a program for ID access like the one set for South, but it has not been in operation long enough to be evaluated. The issue has come up repeatedly during maintenance and construction projects, and King feels that staff and faculty support the measure. Greenberg, who is a resident advisor in South, said the students he has spoken to are in favor of the program. "When told it's about convenience and security, generally there's been no problem with it," he said. "It will make it easier to get in the dorm, and also safer since it will only let in South Residents, and maybe that will decrease the amount of 'suspicious persons' seen walking the halls of South," freshman South resident Karyn Blaser said. Although the new system is intended to increase security, King said the ID access project for South is not a direct response to the spying incidents reported last December, when a number of South residents reported suspicious persons peering into shower stalls. The advent of ID access will provide increased convenience for students while also elevating their level of security. "I think that it's a good technology, and then we wouldn't have to bother with so many keys. If someone lost their key, we wouldn't have to worry about someone finding it and coming in," Blaser said. Greenberg's only reservation concerning the plan is a fear that the University could act as "big brother," keeping records of its students movements in and out of their dorms. But such monitoring is already possible through the use of ID cards for meals and the library, and Greenberg said Tufts has never misused the technology.

The Setonian
News

Clash for peace

March 31

With the recent events in Israel getting worse with each passing day, I can't help but wonder: Why the bloodshed? There is no doubt that literally thousands of years of contained pressure and prejudice are exploding in the region. Yet, even in the face of severe and alarming terrorist activities, the Israeli government has yielded maximum restraint, and for that I extend my deepest respect and praise. While I do not approve of the escalation in terror and, in turn, the escalation in retaliation, neither can I tolerate the excessive loss of life. My sympathies are not just intended for the Israelis, but the Palestinian and all Intifadah-related volunteers as well. Israel is currently tackling the extremely delicate balance of restoring a sense of security to its citizens, while at the same time maintaining agreements such as the momentous Oslo agreement. However, I have sensed an ever-growing nucleus of anti-Israeli government sentiment in response to the Palestinian terrorist attacks. What this community needs to realize is that one cannot force the American societal acceptances and standards upon other international communities. Sure enough the US was built on a basis of freedom from tyranny, with a remarkable governmental document that has stood the test of time. The vast number of people that make up this country have learned to tolerate, to become familiar with one's differences, and to fulfill the societal make-up of the "melting pot." However, it is very different in the Middle East for obvious reasons. Nowhere else in the world has such commitment to religion and faith been recorded as bringing such unrest and psychological terror. The State of Israel is a young one, and history can remind us that a country in its infancy is susceptible to various degrees of internal and external pressure. I agree that the violence needs to end, and it needs to end quickly in order to restore peace. Nevertheless, I approve of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his policy to restore security to the Israeli people. No matter which way you look at it, the Palestinian uprising is in direct violation of the very peace accords that Arafat and his associates have slaved for. The very ownership of mortars, which has been the weapon of choice to terrorize small Jewish settlements in Israel, is in direct violation of the Oslo agreement. Let us be rational for one moment. Who is to believe that exercising violence, terrorism, and death is going to get you anywhere? Is the goal to instill fear in the very government with which you are negotiating? I understand the concept of standing up for a cause and for what you believe in, but when are the Palestinian people going to understand that the very actions that they are entertaining are only going to make their cause defunct, and bring more hardship and pain upon their people? The continuation of such violence and bloodshed proves to me that some Palestinians are simply not going to pay attention to the societal standards and ideals that are institutionalized in the modern world. Instead, continued violence and disruption of peace will only lead to more precise, and more powerful retaliatory responses. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has proven time and time again that it will not stand idly by and watch as Israeli citizens are terrorized and forced into a state of fear. I do not wish the death of any Palestinian; I do not wish the death of any individual. I truly believe that peace can be established, but it will come with a price. In a survey that was recently conducted by the Jerusalem media, over 80 percent of Palestinians are in favor of continuing the holy war. Some 62 percent are in favor of continuing the armed struggle against the State of Israel. Forty percent believe that the peace process is dead, with only 13 percent believing that the peace process is still alive. What will it take for the two sides to reach towards each other with open hands and a mature conscious? The unnecessary terrorist shelling of Jewish settlements needs to end immediately, for it will only bring more mundane asperity, pain, and suffering. I believe the Israeli people do not want immediate retribution for the uprising. Yet if their sense of security is waived, Prime Minister Sharon will unleash a defense program that will make "pinpoint operations" such as bulldozing evacuated Force 17 headquarters, Palestinian police stations, and other havens that serve the terrorist cause that pale in comparison. I do not intend for this to sound like a threat, only to serve as a potent reminder that the IDF is the most advanced and technologically capable army in the world. It has the will and the means to strike down any further escalation in violence in a swift and decisive manner. Yet I do not agree with to see further military escalation. The proponents of terror need to understand that the Israeli people will not embrace the threat any longer. Yet, I fear this message will only be learned through loss. Sadly, the death of 390 Palestinians, 64 Israeli Jews, and 19 others, 473 in total, have been gravely overlooked. The urging of Palestinian children and adolescents to take to the streets and put themselves at extreme risk do not make logical sense. History has proven to us, and to the world, that the day of armed aggression against a political entity will no longer be tolerated. If the Palestinians are to assure themselves of any political gain, and entertain the notion of a Palestinian state, they need to understand that the Israelis can prove to be both a positive, and a negative influence on their cause. Stop the death. Stop the aggression. Be true to the powers of conscience, to the very core values that we ascertain in life. Learn to engage in the free exchange of words and peace, rather than the exchange of blood and sacrifice. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict stands at a new crossroad in history. One road surrenders the cause and embraces the very evils that prevent compromise. The other extends security and tranquility, and embraces the true reverence for understanding. Let us wait and see.Wes Sandler is a junior majoring in political science.

The Setonian
News

Outwit, outplay, outlast, indeed

March 31

When Survivor debuted this past summer, the executives over at CBS were hurting for a hit. The Eye network was lagging behind the other two "Big Three" (ABC and NBC) in overall viewers, and was getting a significant drumming from FOX and even the WB in the younger demographics that advertisers want to reach. When I heard about Survivor, I knew I'd watch, but I didn't know that I'd become obsessed. I remember thinking that as long as it was over early enough for me to go out, I'd give it a shot. Then Survivor hit and CBS was suddenly sitting pretty _ reality television programming had gone mainstream, and my life would never be the same.Most people think MTV's The Real World was the first coming of modern reality TV (and by modern I'm concentrating on the last decade or so), but that isn't entirely accurate. Significantly before Puck was eating Pedro's peanut butter or Amaya's "twins" hit the scene, Americans were watching what could be considered reality TV's Adam and Eve: the classic game show and the talk show. I use the word "classic" to differentiate shows like The Price is Right and Card Sharks from Survivor. Although the last is frequently called a game show, it most definitely is not. In his best-selling companion book to the show, Survivor's executive producer, Mark Burnett calls it an "adventure show" and "two parts adventure contest and eight parts surviving the peer group," but never a game show. A classic game show is one like those I just mentioned. Judy from Milwaukee and Jeffrey from Fort Lee would be competing for cars, tacky furniture, or the nominal cash prize. The beauty of Judy and Jeffrey was that they were real people. They could be our neighbors, our relatives, or, most enticingly, they could be us. Imagine that! But sadly, in most cases, they weren't us. Try as we might, most of us never got called onstage at The Price Is Right or never made it through to the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? hotline.So what did we do? We went on Ricki. And Montell. And Jerry. And if we were really classy we'd even go on Oprah. Talk shows were like mini-reality series in one-episode bursts. In essence, talk shows are like The Real World with all the boring parts cut out. All that's left are the incredibly entertaining fights (Kevin calls Julie [NYC] a racist! Stephen slaps Irene!). We were again on TV, but it was only our seamy underbelly _ the nastiest, juiciest bits ready for primetime. How wonderful would it be to watch The Real World without the worry of having to sit through Julie (New Orleans) playing her guitar?Unfortunately, talk shows and game shows only captured one part of the television public's fancy. It's true that we enjoy watching people like ourselves on TV (which is why Rosanne did so well), but that sometimes isn't enough. Normal people get a kick out of fantasy. From Xena and Star Trek to Friends (how do they afford those apartments?), the general public likes to leave the dull normalcy of their lives behind occasionally. What would happen if someone were able to combine the "real people" concept with the "fantasy" scenarios? You would have reality TV.People want to see themselves on TV, but they want to see themselves kicking ass or living it up. This desire was finally quenched with the debut of The Real World. The Bunim-Murray Productions show broke ground by placing seven strangers in a beautiful house and videotaping the results. Soon, Bunim-Murray decided to spice up the formula and created Road Rules, a sort of Real World with parachutes. Currently taping its tenth anniversary season in New York City, The Real World is only getting stronger with every passing year. In fact, MTV recently ordered, for the first time, not just one but two seasons of The Real World for this year. As soon as Real World 10 wraps, Bunim-Murray will begin its first ever summer production.I want to see myself on TV kicking ass or living it up. That's why I applied to the Real World three times. My latest submission probably won't matter since the post office screwed up and delivered my overnight package a week late. It's a shame too, because I like to think that this, my third attempt at becoming one of the seven strangers, was rather strong. No, I didn't do anything stupid for my videotape. I just talked. But I did use props. The third time was going to be the charm. It was going to be the solution to my lack of employment right now. What better way to follow up college than spending June to October of this year filming The Real World? But let's not dwell.Survivor was born to be in the tradition of The Real World, but it was going to up the ante by jumping onto network television. History shows that cable, the home of MTV, has always been able to push the envelope when it comes to programming, but the networks pretty much stay on the straight and narrow. Suddenly, all this was altered. Debuted in the middle of rerun-heavy summertime, Survivor challenged network television conventions and scored quite the coup. The travails of Richard, Sue, Colleen (oh-so-cute!), and the rest of the castaways made for fascinating television. So fascinating that it inspired me, the consummate indoor boy, to want to be abandoned in the wilds of Australia for Survivor 2. I went to the website, downloaded the eight-page application, and went to work.They asked questions ranging from "If you could hold any political office, what would it be and why?" to "What would be the craziest, wildest thing you would do for a million dollars?" My answer to the latter was: "I would gladly allow myself to be strapped to a large banner that would be dragged behind a biplane flying up and down the Jersey shore on a hot summer's day wearing nothing but a hot pink tutu (no leotard), black, patent leather platform sneakers, and one of those crowns from Medieval Times (preferably green)." I'd like to think that my application was imaginative, witty, and interesting. Unfortunately, my accompanying video was none of these things. Even with all my Real World video experience, my Survivor tape totally sucked. The problem was that I was used to the generous ten minutes that Bunim-Murray allow for the Real World tapes. Survivor's producers allow only three minutes. What the hell am I supposed to do with three minutes? The sad truth is that I didn't do much. This proved to be problematic as the video is probably used for pre-screening for the application. In other words, if your video sucks, they're not even going to read your questionnaire. That's why my video for Survivor 3 is going to kick ass. Survivor opened the floodgates for a glut of reality programming. In the last few months, FOX began airing the mind-blowingly inappropriate Temptation Island while ABC jumped aboard the reality bandwagon with its pseudo-suspenseful (and mostly crappy) The Mole. In addition, MTV just showed reruns of Bunim-Murray's other big reality show, Making The Band, while the WB is showing their female version, Pop Stars. Meanwhile, the overworked crew over at Bunim-Murray is also putting together a Temptation Island-esque show that will take place on a singles cruise. Still, my money is on CBS, which debuted Survivor 2: The Australian Outback after the Super Bowl and managed to hang on to 78% of that horrible, sports telecast audience. Since then, the first broadcast, Survivor 2 has gone on to win its timeslot against NBC's juggernaut Friends every single week. I can't imagine how high Survivor 3's ratings are going to be when word gets out that I'll be on the show.

The Setonian
News

Hockey finishes regular season atop conference

March 31

Heading into the final weekend of competition with the entire season on the line, and months worth of skepticism and doubt riding on its shoulders, the men's hockey team emerged as the top seed in the ECAC Northeast after a tie and victory against two of the top teams in the league. Thursday night featured a marquee match between the defending champion Wentworth Leopards, who lead the league in defense, and Tufts, which boasts the most explosive offense. What ensued, however, was the exact opposite, as Wentworth was on the constant attack, but the Jumbos' stalwart defense maintained and was, at times, brilliant in the eventual 2-2 tie. "I think everybody knew it was going to be a big game against Wentworth," senior tri-captain Scott Hayes said. "Both games this weekend were basically must-win situations. Everyone was really focused, and we wanted to come out of the game with at least a point. We weren't looking for a tie, but we knew that they were a really strong team." The first period of the game was rather uneventful as both freshman Ben Crapser of Tufts and freshman Raj Bhangoo of Wentworth were able to fend off any offensive barrages. The Leopards goalkeeper, who has allowed less than two goals per game, also leads the league in save percentage, at .933. Although Wentworth was applying strong pressure in the second period, junior Jordan Karp made a defensive stop, leading to a fast break and a goal by sophomore Rob LaQuaglia. The lead lasted for less than two minutes, though, as a fallen defender left Wentworth's Ivan Fillipov wide open in front of the net for an easy goal. Junior Jason Boudrow, the nation's leading scorer, offered a response later in the period, sending a quick wrist shot to the top left corner of the goal with 5:13 remaining in the period. The Leopards tied up the game in the opening seconds of the third period on an errant bounce off of a defenseman's stick and, despite some of the most intense hockey played all season, the score remained locked for the remainder of the game. "The last goal was a fluke. It was a bad bounce," Hayes said. "We were playing great defense. We didn't give them that many other chances after that." While the quality shots were not there for the Leopards, they maintained constant pressure and unloaded 12 shots on Crapser in the final frame. Any previous struggles the rookie goalie had experienced during the past few weeks we absent, though, as he preserved the tie for the remainder of the game. "He played a great game," Hayes said of Crapser. "They had a lot of shots, even though they weren't all quality shots. Ben wasn't letting up too many rebounds." The final ten minutes of the game were filled with intense hockey on both sides of the puck, as well as some monster hits and very few penalties. With only a combined four powerplays on the game, the lenient referees allowed the two powerful teams to battle it out on the ice. "They let a lot of stuff go. They let us play, and sometimes that's good," Hayes said. "In a good game where it is fast, it is almost better not to call so many penalties." When the five-minute overtime period ended with no changes in the scoreboard, the Jumbos had to let out a sigh of relief, after having been out-shot 37-23 on the night. For a team that lost only one league game this season, however, earning anything less than a win is frustrating. "I think we have played so well this year that we don't expect anything less than a win," Hayes said. Nevertheless, the tie gave the team enough points to claim first place in the league, even before it hit the ice for the final game of the regular season Saturday at MIT against New Hampshire College. The Penmen, who secured first place in the ECAC Northeast Division II, had recently disposed of Wentworth, and gave the Jumbos their money's worth. Out-shooting Tufts 13-5 in the first period, the Penmen found net once on a power-play goal. "We came out a little flat," Hayes said. "We were down, but we stepped it up later in the game." In the second period, senior tri-captain Natan Obed scored a pair of power-play goals, Boudrow added a shorthanded goal, and the Jumbos found themselves in a 3-3 tie entering the final frame. The team hoped to avoid the exhausting marathon game like that against Wentworth two nights before. Hayes was able follow through, ending the contest in regulation as he took a feed from senior Justin Picone, while cutting towards the net. "It was a quick bang-bang play," Hayes said. "Carceo took the puck down the left side, dropped it back to Justin, and I was going to net on the right. He fed the puck to me, and I scored." Crapser again had a monumental game, stopping 19 shots in the final period, for a total of 39 saves on the night. "Ben made some great saves, and a lot of the seniors stepped it up and showed great leadership in the last period of the game," Hayes said. The victory, coupled with Johnson & Wales' loss to Wentworth on Sunday, placed the Jumbos in sole possession of first place in the conference heading into the postseason with a 15-1-1 record. Junior Jason Boudrow, who had three points on the weekend, also sealed up the nation's scoring title as he netted 64 points in 24 games. Seeded first in the conference, the Jumbos will suit up against Salve Regina in the first round, a team the Jumbos have already defeated twice this season. The game will take some place at Boston College on Sunday at 2 p.m. Resting until Wednesday, Tufts will then begin practice looking to defend their number one seed. "We have to take every game seriously in the tournament," Hayes said. "You can't overlook a team because you can lose to anyone. Everybody is feeling pretty good right now and with a couple days off to get healthy, we should be ready to go."

The Setonian
News

Thea Lavin to speak at graduation

March 31

Thea Lavin, an outspoken homosexual senior and former organizer of Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD), will be the only undergraduate student to speak at this May's commencement ceremony. Lavin earned the distinction after winning the final round of the annual Wendell Phillips speech competition on Friday. The noted activist was one of five finalists from a group of 18 applicants chosen to participate in the competition. The other contenders were seniors Rachel Elkinson, Angel Hossain, Greg Propper, and Shou Min Tan. Each was given five minutes to deliver a prepared statement before the Committee on Student Life (CSL), composed of faculty and students. CSL members rated the candidates on a scale of 0-5 on their oral presentation and understanding of civic responsibility. The speech topic reflected both the historic significance of Wendell Phillips and the finalists' personal goals. Contestants were asked to answer the question, "In his own day, Wendell Phillips was a staunch abolitionist who spoke out tirelessly against slavery, an issue that polarized the United States. How would you accomplish your goal of public service without compromising your ideals in the face of a deeply divided nation?" Lavin began her speech by telling the audience a story about a Latino high school friend who could not afford to buy a cap and gown for graduation and about the falling standard of living in most minority communities. She attacked the US political system for letting politics get in the way of progress: "The bipartisan divide dominates more and more of our communities," she said. "I have seen coalition building accomplish our goals. It is time for us to drop our differences." Lavin was one of 20 students who occupied the Bendetson admissions building last November in protest of what they felt was a weak University nondiscrimination policy. Lavin and fellow protesters ended their sit-in after Tufts President John DiBiaggio clarified that the existing policy includes self-acceptance of identity. Trumpeting the merits of community building, Lavin emphasized that community-based action must continue into the future. "Let's use Tufts for a springboard for our work when we graduate," she said. CSL Faculty Chair Peggy Cebe declined to explain why Lavin was chosen over any of the other candidates, and the CSL deliberations were private. She did say, however, that each finalist was top-notch. "All of us were very pleased that we had five excellent talks," she said. Fellow finalist Tan, a resident assistant for the last three years and the former co-coordinator of the Tufts, Transgendered, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC), offered a message similar to Lavin's, but while she focused on general ways to break out of the cycle of divisive politics, Tan zeroed in on the need to safeguard the rights of the LGBT community. "LGBT people are systematically denied equal treatment under the eyes of the law," he said. "We can and must rid homophobia from our society. And we can do it." Tan was not the only finalist to speak primarily about issues that relate to his personal involvement on campus. Elkinson and Propper each described their experiences as campus leaders and the lessons gained from their work. Elkinson was a charter member and co-chair of the Tufts Feminist Alliance (TFA), and Propper is president of the Tufts Democrats as well as the former coordinator of Tufts Choice 2000. Propper used his experience to stress voting and the need for active citizenship. And, like Lavin, he pleaded for the minimization of political conflict. "Every night when we go to sleep and there is a child who is starving, we are facing a great moral crisis," he said. "Young people of this nation can put partisanship aside and work for the common good of our nation." Similar themes were echoed in Hossain's speech, in which she advocated understanding and tolerance as key factors in problem-solving. "Your ideals must be shaped by other people's needs as well. There must be some middle ground," she said. Hossain depicted herself playing "make believe" at a young age, but after describing a potpourri of social problems in today's world, she shed her na??vet?©. Every person has a growing level of social responsibility to remedy these concerns, Hossain said. Elkinson deviated thematically from the other speakers, concentrating on lessons of self-determination and character learned from conflicts the TFA faced while she served as its co-chair. "The gain of our independence and ability to choose our own identity has been immeasurable," she said. Despite the overwhelmingly liberal stance of the finalists chosen by the CSL, few thought it was indicative of any underlying Tufts' philosophy. "I think that there are a lot of opportunities to work for a great social good, which happens to be progressive," Lavin said. "So, a lot of progressive people came out of Tufts." Wendell Phillips was a famed Boston orator from the late 19th century who championed the cause of abolition and women's suffrage. The award was established in his honor in 1896 by a memorial fund association. Harvard University also maintains a endowment to honor Phillips in an annual award ceremony.

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Jumbos halt curse against Fitchburg State

March 31

For the first time in school history, Tufts defeated long-time rival Fitchburg State, ending the Jumbos longtime curse. In senior Justin Picone's opinion, Fitchburg's own athletic director, may have ended his school reign of dominance. "In every home game, their athletic director, who is sitting in the stands, gets up and sings the national anthem," Picone explained. "It is really bizarre. For some reason he did not sing it this time, there was pandemonium, and the curse was lifted." For a more tenable reason, look no further than the fact that the Jumbos are finally the better team. Many argued that after coming back from a two-goal deficit to tie the playoff semi-final game 3-3, last year, the Jumbos deserved to win. But as fate is not always kind, and the Falcons ended the sudden death period with a score, ending Tufts' season. "We came in really hungry. This was a vengeance game for us," senior tri-captain Natan Obed said. "Last year they had a couple of great senior players who graduated. They are still a good team this year, though." It took only 31 seconds for Tufts to get on the scoreboard, as Picone lit the lamp, on what turned out to be the game-winning goal. Interestingly, when Tufts scores first, they are 10-0 this year. "If we score early it give us an advantage," Obed said. "Our offense thrives on confidence." Notorious for their school spirit and ruthless heckling, the Fitchburg State fans are some of the most feared in the league. Shutting them down is usually just as important as shutting down the Falcons offense. "We took the crowd out pretty early with the two quick goals," Obed said. "Since we shut them down in the defensive zone, the crowd didn't have much to cheer about all night." When scoring goals did not work, the Falcons tried to score some punches, as the game turned into a melee in the second period. "After they got down three or four they decided to fight us instead of beat us," Obed said. "We don't need to get involved in that to win. We are not going to instigate fighting majors or misconducts. We try to defend ourselves, but not take stupid penalties." Not distracted by the penalties and constant fighting, the Jumbos continued to run their offensive and defensive systems, scoring goal after goal. "We kept taking it to them. Every goal we scored, we pushed ourselves further away from them," Hayes said. They have a good crowd. It's a tough place to play, but we went in scored right away, and that got our confidence up." In their record-breaking season, the Jumbos have finally hurdled one of their biggest obstacles, and now own bragging rights over Fitchburg State. "Fitchburg has been one of our toughest rivals since I have been here," Obed said. "It is a great accomplishment to finally beat them in my senior year."

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Got Whole Grains?

March 31

Grains have received bad press recently, with many articles warning that they cause weight gain, increase hunger, and sabotage diets. But only claims that refer to refined grains - those that make up the 'typical' American diet - can be considered true. When you're talking about whole grains, it's a whole different story.Most grain products in the American diet are heavily refined - that is, their outer parts have been removed during milling to make them easier to use in cooking. But the process of milling leads to the stripping of many vitamins, minerals, and other disease-fighting components.All whole grains have bran, endosperm, and germ layers. During the milling process, the bran and germ parts are removed. The bran is the outer coating or "shell" of the grain, which is high in B vitamins, trace minerals such as copper and zinc, and fiber. The germ is the part that would grow into a new wheat plant if sown; it is also known as the embryo. The germ is a rich source of B vitamins and vitamin E.The endosperm is the middle of the grain and the part that remains after the bran and germ have been removed. The endosperm, which is high in starch, but relatively low in vitamins and fiber, is then ground up and made into flour. Examples of refined grain products made with flour include white breads and other baked goods, pasta, crackers, and white rice - the majority of a 'typical' American diet.Not only is a refined grain devoid of several beneficial nutrients, but its glycemic index is increased. The glycemic index measures the rate at which carbohydrates break down into sugar once they are eaten. When you eat a food with a high glycemic index, you will feel less full than if you ate a food with a lower glycemic index.But not all grain products have a high-glycemic index. Whole grain products, and other high-fiber foods, have low-glycemic indexes, whereas refined grains - grains that are stripped of fiber - have high-glycemic indexes. When grains get 'bad press,' it is based on the premise that they have a high-glycemic index.Do not be fooled by 'enriched' grain products; enrichment replaces most of the B vitamins like thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin, but it does not replace any of the fiber, vitamin E, or trace minerals from the bran, lost in the milling process.Eating a variety of plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is an important part of a healthy diet and offers numerous health benefits. According to the Food and Nutrition Board, when trying to maintain variety in your diet, you should focus on the grain, vegetable, and fruit groups to ensure adequate intakes of substances known to minimize the risk of disease.Unfortunately, people tend to think of a grain as a grain, rather than a refined one versus a whole grain. And since supermarkets are teeming with processed foods, whole grains are not commonly incorporated into the daily American diet. But by omitting them from the diet, you could be missing out on some enormous health benefits. Health benefits of whole grains( Whole grains, as well as plant foods in general, can reduce the symptoms of chronic constipation, diverticular disease, and hemorrhoids. ( Whole grains are a good source of cholesterol-lowering and cancer-fighting components.( Whole grains take longer to digest, which allows more nutrients to be broken down and absorbed into the blood stream.( Whole grains help regulate blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of complex carbohydrates into sugar. In fact, low-glycemic index foods such as whole grains reduce hunger and can help to control weight, according to scientists at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts.( Whole grains are a concentrated source of protective antioxidants and other phytochemicals.Whole grainsWe all know about whole oats and brown rice, but there are many more whole grains out there that you may not have considered. These are easy to prepare and can be included in a variety of tasty recipes.Here are a few examples of exotic grains that are quick and easy to prepare, and contain far more vitamins and minerals than their more commonly eaten processed counterparts.MILLETThis grain is packed with B vitamins, and is also a source of copper and iron. These tiny yellow to reddish beads far outdo whole wheat as a source of B vitamins, and are so mild in taste they can be combined with any flavor. Millets' versatility is boundless; it can be made as a hot cereal, used in casseroles, and substituted for rice in any recipe. QUINOA (pronounced keen-wah) Quinoa can be termed the 'super grain' because it is overflowing with nutrients and has multiple uses. Quinoa has a very mild taste and a light, non-sticky texture with a pleasant crunch, which comes from its external germ layer. Quinoa is higher in iron than other grains and is a good source of many other key nutrients like folate, zinc, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and phosphorous. It can be used as rice is, but with many more nutrients and the same taste.AMARANTHThis whole grain is high in calcium, folate, iron, and soluble fiber. Amaranth is another good alternative to rice with a sweet, nutty flavor. Like quinoa, amaranth could also be considered a supergrain with its abundance of nutrients. Amaranth's high content of soluble fiber gives the added bonus of helping to lower cholesterol levels.WHOLE-WHEATWhole-wheat comes in many different forms: bulgur, cracked wheat, and wheat berries, among others. Despite their varying shapes and sizes, all of these wheat products are chock-full of insoluble fiber, which may help prevent colon cancer. They are also good sources of the B vitamins and minerals.Bulgur: whole-wheat kernels that have been cracked into different-size granules. Cracked Wheat: whole-wheat kernels that have been ground into different granulations for quicker cooking. Wheat berries: another name for whole-wheat kernels in their unprocessed state.

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Women's basketball overcomes first half woes to defeat Brandeis

March 31

The Tufts women's basketball team survived a poor first half to beat the Brandeis Judges 53-47 last night at home in Cousens Gym. Trailing by seven at the half, the Jumbos rallied late in the second period to hand the Judges their seventh straight loss. Tufts remains undefeated at home (4-0) and improves its overall record to 8-2. Brandeis drops to 3-9 as the Judges head out to the midwest to play Washington University and the University of Chicago this weekend. Tufts controlled the game early on, leading 13-6 with 11 minutes to go in the first half. The Jumbos then committed six consecutive turnovers, on the way to a first half total of 11, allowing the Judges back into the game. Two free throws by Brandeis junior Jen Curran gave the Judges the lead for the first time with just over six minutes remaining. The Judges outscored the Jumbos 14-8 during the rest of the half. "We played terrible in the first half," coach Janice Savitz said. "The shooting was woeful." The Jumbos shot a stone-cold 22 percent from the floor before halftime, and sophomore center Emily Goodman, Tufts leading scorer, was held to only four points in the first half. "Emily can beat anybody one-on-one," sophomore guard Hillary Dunn said, "but we weren't giving her the opportunities." Brandeis, however, made almost as many mistakes as the Jumbos did in the first half, shooting 33 percent from the floor and committing ten turnovers, allowing Tufts to remain within striking distance. "We were forcing things, trying to throw over them instead of bounce passing. We were just beating ourselves," Tufts captain, senior Shira Fishman said. "That's why we weren't too discouraged at halftime, because we knew we wouldn't do that in the second half. We had to get our heads back in it and work together." Tufts made some defensive alterations for the second half, switching to a zone defense and intermittently employing a full-court press. The Jumbos came out of the locker room and quickly cut the Brandeis lead to four when Tufts forward Erin Harrington hit the first of her three three-pointers 1:30 into the second half. After Tufts closed the gap to two, Curran scored five straight points to give Brandeis its seven point advantage back with 11:55 remaining. It was then when Goodman broke out of her scoring slump, converting a nice pass from Dunn and following with a short jumper to slice the Brandeis lead to 38-35. Freshman guard Maritsa Christoudias hit two three-pointers over the next 37 seconds to put the Jumbos within one point, at 42-41. It took another putback by Goodman, another Harrington three pointer, and finally, two points from guard Fishman to nudge the Jumbos past the Judges for good. Tufts would hold off Brandeis for the remaining 3:20 with a long two-pointer from Dunn, a converted technical by Harrinton, and two free throws from Shira Fishman. "We were down seven at the half and won by six, which shows that we have a lot of character," Savitz said. "I was proud of the effort in the second half. We hit some big threes and we had some defensive stops that allowed us to tie the score." During the interminable final 30 seconds of the game, play was stopped five times for free throws. With 24 seconds to go, a foul was called that sent Brandeis coach Carol Simon to the table screaming. Simon pounded both the table and the basketball, earning a technical for her efforts. Harrington hit one of the two free throws awarded, effectively putting the game out of reach at 51-46. While the referee declined to comment on the incident, Tufts assistant coach Mike Murray pegged the foul "a good call". The problems that led to the first half slump were noticeably absent from the Jumbos second half play. In the second frame, the Jumbos committed only five turnovers, and shot 40 percent from the field. Tufts is in the midst of five consecutive home games and will take on MIT on Thursday night before beginning their NESCAC schedule against the Bates Bobcats on Saturday.

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Sassy ladies of 'Monologues' give new meaning to the word vagina

March 31

I walk behind a guy and a girl as the crowd slowly shuffles its way toward the exit after the Vagina Monologues have ended. She turns to him curiously."So what'd you think?" He pauses. "Well.... I thought it was kind of overdone..." "What??" "Nothing, nothing" "No, what did you say?" "Never mind."Nothing less should be expected from a production portraying vaginas in all their glory - vagina shape, vagina love, vagina exploration, vagina exploitation, and everything around and in-between. The recent buzz surrounding Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues - a play that stems from her interviews with over 200 women regarding the forbidden topic of "down there" - climaxed on Sunday night as producer Lisa Goodman and directors Erin Dwyer and Rah-nee Kelly led a cast of women in Tufts' version of the show at Cohen Auditorium.The show left nothing uncovered, so to speak, providing a bonding session for the estrogen-blessed, while giving those without the night's celebrated genitalia a lot to swallow. Call it overkill, call it unnecessary, call it propaganda - whatever it was, it was a good time had by all.Guys and girls alike screamed "cunt" with all their might.Orgasms were had. Multiple orgasms.A cast member's mother won a vibrator. But the best part about The Vagina Monologues wasn't the in-your-face imagery, nor was it the notion of anything taboo being thrown out the window.What the play set out to do, and what it did do masterfully, was entertain while at the same time being thoroughly engaging. It engaged females by speaking of topics, ailments, and worries all too familiar. It engaged males who were either curious or clueless - or, if not, they learned a lot more about menstruation than they ever cared to.The Monologues were just those - a series of monologues presented one at a time by women aching to share the vagina-related business teeming up inside them. Against a simple backdrop of a white sheet, the cast, clad in black, transformed itself into an array of women - aged six to 72 - that shared coming-of-age stories with poise, power, and best of all, humor. "We are worried about vaginas." Thea Lavin began the night's rap session, joining the entire cast onstage to introduce the evening's topic of conversation. Lavin served wonderfully as the night's comic centerpiece, whether offering up a "Happy Vagina Fact" (The clit has twice the number of nerve fibers than the penis - 'Who needs a handgun when you've got a semi-automatic?'), or wondering what a vagina would say if it could talk - in two words ('Yum Yum'? 'Lick me'?). She represented the comic, campy, direct side of vaginas with relish. Other highlights included Ariana Wohl as the old woman who kept her "cellar" locked up after an incident involving her first sexual experience and her boyfriend's brand new car. Soon after their first kiss, the woman explained, her "floodgates" of passion literally opened all over the car. Passion left the new car and the woman's life after her beloved called her a "stinky, weird girl." Wohl shared the woman's experience of humiliation with the perfect combination of comedy and tenderness, making us both laugh at her, with her, and have hope for her future vagina exploration.Kim Harbin was captivating in "The Little Coochi Snotcher That Could," in which she wove a tale that led from shame to a fascinating twist on a young girl's sexual liberation. She sat simply in a chair throughout the whole monologue, calmly and fluidly telling her story, expressing every detail with just the right infliction. It was simple, understated, and one of the best performances of the night.That's not to say that subtlety prevailed. Ann Maurer's character in "Because He Liked to Look at It" (introduced as "A woman who had a good experience with a man. They do exist.") spoke of an ordinary, boring man named Bob. Bob was bland. Bob was vanilla. But Bob loved vaginas. And Bob loved her vagina. And that was all she needed.The female audience reaction to Maurer's performance outdid the male, as it also did when Zo? Hastings brought vagina-related frustration to the stage with "My Angry Vagina." "My vagina is not going away. It is pissed off, and it is staying right here," she proclaimed. In a murderous tirade, she blasphemed man-made oppositions to the vagina - tampons, gynecological exams, thongs - while embracing foreplay and going au natural.One that everyone could enjoy (and oh, they did) was "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy." Sarah Berger was positively sizzling as a woman who gave up the lifestyle of a corporate lawyer to become a dominatrix. Apparently, there was no dark, mysterious foreplay or moaning involved in the former. And so she made moaning and pleasing women a career. Berger treated the audience to renditions of her favorite moans, full out. Unabashed. We saw and heard, among others, The Clit Moan. The Grace Slick Moan. The Elegant Moan. The Uninhibited, Militant, Bi-Sexual Moan. And last but not least, the Surprise Triple Orgasm Moan. Use your imagination.It was as good for them as it was for her.Despite recent criticism surrounding The Vagina Monologues, it was not a production that used vulgarity and explicitness simply for shock value. It wasn't a night about exclusion, and it wasn't about female domination over the male. The play and its performers were aware of their audience, and spoke for it and to it in an open dialogue, explaining, sharing, and relating so that people would listen.And the audience did at least listen, if not relate, no matter what lie between their legs. The cast was so powerful, and the subject matter so intriguing, that they simply had to. And they did at least listen, if not relate, no matter what lie between their legs. Whether you were a feminist who celebrated the vagina's glory, an anti-feminist with a vagina who found something familiar to hold on to, or a male who was a tad overwhelmed, you reacted. The cast was so powerful, and the subject matter was so intriguing, that you simply had to.

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The true cost of the FTAA

March 31

A friend of mine was murdered yesterday. She was in Haiti, working in an orphanage for 18 months. She went to the bank to withdraw some money but forgot her passport, so she stepped outside and headed back to her room to fetch it. Someone asked her for money as she was leaving, and when she honestly denied having any, she was shot. I'm struggling to deal with my emotions and I am looking for those ever coveted but elusive answers. With my grief comes the certainty that there is more to this incident than a misguided attempt at mugging. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. Its people, desperately seeking an escape from poverty, sometimes resort to violence. Theirs is a desperation far different than anything we could understand, and unfortunately it usually isn't until a tragedy occurs that we even pay attention. The man who killed Maureen was a victim himself. He was driven to commit a crime because the system wasn't working. Society failed him. We failed him. Currently, in the Americas, more and more people find themselves unable to provide the basic necessities for their families. Our leaders, in pursuit of a more efficient and productive society, support neo-liberalism and free trade, claiming the model will bring economic growth. The North American Free Trade Agreement's (NAFTA) six-year history proves that free trade does allow growth - the bank accounts of the country's elite sure do expand. At the same time, though, it gives the poor majority fewer options for survival. Most small farmers lose their business to competition from huge international producers. Since the enactment of NAFTA, one million Mexican farmers have lost their jobs and in many cases their land, too, all in the name of the elimination of trade barriers. And Mexico, before its free trade endeavor, was in relatively good shape compared to many of its neighbors. The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is the proposed agreement that will be further negotiated during next month's Summit of the Americas and will expand on NAFTA to include Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Those already struggling to make ends meet in poor nations like Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic will face an even more hostile environment as state-owned industries are privatized and purchasing power and wages decrease. The quality of health care and education in these countries will likely worsen, as the owners take less interest in the population for which they provide services and more interest in yielding a profit for stockholders. When domestic industries fall victim to transnational corporations, the unemployment and underemployment rates will skyrocket, as they did in Mexico. After the implementation of NAFTA, the only sector of the economy that experienced significant growth was export processing, a.k.a. the maquiladora industry. Sweatshops fall into this category. The number of sweatshop employees in Mexico has more than doubled in the past six years. Free trade is robbing peasants of land, decent jobs, and even clean air. Economic gains and profits are the first priorities for corporations and sadly for many of our lawmakers as well. I attribute a great deal of environmental destruction to this greedy attitude. Under NAFTA, corporations are rarely held accountable for violations of laws that protect the environment. Each nation has the right to sue any other member nation for monetary compensation if environmental laws inhibit trade in any way and prevent someone somewhere from earning money. A US corporation sued a smallMexican state after its governor decided to disallow the construction of a hazardous waste site on property which the corporation owned. The NAFTA tribunal ruled in favor of the corporation and forced the state to pay $16.7 million to compensate for lost business. This is not an isolated incident; the tribunal has yet to deliver one verdict in favor of a community's right to a healthy environment. In short, the neo-liberalization trend has already exploited the world's poor, and it is doubtful they can sustain the intensified abuses that will come with the FTAA. This is a critical time for oppressed people to take a stand against their oppressors. Maureen's killer most likely reacted to the institutionalized violence of which he is a victim and lashed out at a random target in anger and frustration. Regrettably, the woman he chose was not the enemy. She was doing something positive; she was dedicated to the struggle for social justice and was fighting in the most honorable way imaginable. Her passion and unwavering commitment to peace earned my intense admiration and I refuse to compromise her integrity by placing blame on the man who pulled the trigger. The 34 heads of states who are meeting up in Quebec in April are at fault. They are making the conscious decision to oppress the very people they're supposed to represent. Instead of designing a more egalitarian society, they are choosing to create a few new billionaires and let the rest of the world scramble for their crumbs. It is our responsibility to change this; we must take care of our poorest neighbors and ensure their survival. Like Maureen, who died while caring for orphaned children of this hemisphere's poorest nation, we must try to deconstruct our inherently violent economic policies and promote peace, at whatever cost.Emily Good is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

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Finding the perfect classes

March 31

In a little over a week, registration for fall classes will begin, and the familiar printed course listings have already popped up all around campus. Attempting to draw up a schedule that fits the block schedule and does not overlap classes is hard enough, but students also have to search for the right courses and professors. Which professor grades the hardest, which classes are easy, and what topics are fun or boring? For those trying to decide which classes to take, The Primary Source and the Senate hope to answer these questions with their course guides, though who gives the evaluations and what they consist of are rather different.The Primary Source Guide began a few years ago, but this year the guide will constitute an entirely separate issue from the regularly scheduled bi-weekly magazine. In the beginning, only staff members published comments on courses, but the Source decided to solicit other students' comments three years ago, hoping to broaden the spectrum of reviewed classes. The Source has been chalking, postering, and e-mailing to encourage students to submit to the course guide. The Source publishes written comments from students, unlike the Senate's course guide, which only publishes numerical ranks. "Reviews in the Source are in plain English - it's the most open student-to-student dialogue on courses," said Alyssa Heumann, production publication manager at the Source. Comments range from 50 to 250 words and remain unedited, with the exception of correcting grammatical errors. If comments are similar, submissions may be combined to form a single perspective on a course. However, if personal opinions diverge and a class has both positive and negative observations, the Source publishes both, according to Heumann. The Source guide covers ten to 12 pages, and covered the highest number of classes last year. This year's edition will be out in the middle of next week. Although the Source course guide is only published once a year, the Senate's Online Course Evaluation Guide comes out biannually. The Senate had intended to publish evaluations by April 16, since the Academic Calendar predicted registration for April 24. However, with registration moved up, members will try to finish the guide before April 9, when registration begins. The guide publishes the numerical averages obtained from the course evaluations completed at the end of every semester. Written comments in the evaluations are kept confidential despite last year's plea by Dan Zandman, the former chair of the Senate's education committee, to print them. Department chairs made a joint decision to exclude student comments, according to Stephen Levine, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "There was a concern that quotes would represent extreme opinions either favorable or not," Levine said. Since student quotes range from overly enthusiastic to strongly negative opinions, professors are concerned that the opinions would not be representative. And besides, "it would be too labor intensive to put [written comments] up," Abbey Wilson, present chair for the Education Committee, pointed out. Instead, an interactive forum on the web provides students the opportunity to exchange information about courses person-to-person. Senior Nancy Phear believes that numerical values can be more helpful, while comments are personal. "It is important to have both. Numerical values grade overall and student comments entail a personal aspect [of the evaluation], but you don't know whom the comment is from and everyone has their personal experience," she said. Other students opt for written comments. "It's difficult to equate numbers across the board," senior Emily Dasilva said about the numerical evaluations. Dasilva added that the Source evaluations seem more candid and meaningful than the numerical guide, but she would rather ask friends for opinions on classes. Elsewhere in Boston, students also provide other students with information on classes. Boston University, like Tufts, offers course evaluations towards the end of each semester that assess both the course and the instructor numerically. Unlike Tufts, BU includes student comments in the guide, with five to 15 student evaluations for each class. A group of students work on what is called the Source Guide. "[The staff] pulls those [quotes] that represent the general consensus," said BU sophomore Raquel Kohl, a member of the Source Guide staff. Their guide expanded in 1998, when a new group of students decided to augment the number of classes evaluated and the quality of the evaluation. The guide presently covers over 200 courses and was put up on the Web this semester. Unlike Tufts, Harvard publishes course guides in specialized areas, such as Latin American Studies. The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University publishes a yearly guide to courses in Latin American, Latin, and Iberian Studies, grouping information on courses across these departments. "When course guides present information from each specialized area of a university, they simultaneously bridge the existing departmental gaps for the course guide user, and allow her or him to plot the best-suited course of study," said Harvard sophomore Carla Denny Martin, an undergraduate intern for the Rockefeller Center. Although they appear in different formats from separate organizations, Zandman finds it helpful to make both student observations and numerical averages available. "I think the Primary Source Guide and the Senate Guide work together in a helpful way," he said. "I don't think the Source Guide has affected [the Senate guide's] readership. The fact that the site has received over 29,000 hits in it's short existence is testament to that." On the other hand, Heumann wishes to improve the dynamic of both course guides. "In the future, I'd love to see [The Primary Source Guide] expand, maybe in coordination with the Senate, and have a forum where [comments] could be posted offering advice," she said.

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Panelists criticize US voting system

March 31

Emotional and intellectual vigor pervaded Barnum 008 last Wednesday as over 100 students, faculty, and community members gathered for a round table panel discussion about the role of race in American politics. The "Dream Deferred" panel, sponsored by Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC), was a preliminary kick-off to EPIIC's international symposium. The symposium officially begins this Thursday. The panel addressed an array of complex issues dealing with race relations and US politics in light of the recent presidential election. Tufts history Professor Gerald Gill moderated the two-and-a-half hour discussion, which featured six professors from Tufts, Harvard, UMass Boston, and Dartmouth. In a series of presentations, panelists called for active citizens to express their moral outrage against racial and social injustice. "I believe that democracy in America is in serious trouble," Harvard University Professor Lawrence Bobo said in a presentation that provoked a dramatic response from the audience. "Racism remains close to the heart of American politics," he said. "This cries out for a sense of moral outrage and steady contestation." Bobo was vocal in his anti-Bush sentiments, particularly in a discussion of the president's appointment of John Ashcroft as attorney general. He also took shots at the Secretary of State Colin Powell's appointment. Powell, he said, is "the black face legitimizing the Bush presidency." "I am proud of the African-American community for never being firm believers in Bush," Bobo said. His remark sparked a round of applause from the audience. Professor James Glaser, chair of Tufts' political science department, focused on the electoral system and the Florida election debacle. Glaser, the sole Caucasian panelist, said the nation's voting regulations lead to systematic biases. "What the election of 2000 showed us is that this highly decentralized system is still full of problems.... What is most troubling is that the same kinds of people are being excluded," he said referring to reports that some election officials in Florida prohibited citizens of color from voting. The panelists were critical of the mishandling of the election recount and said that President Bush's appointment of a number of minorities to his cabinet did little to mitigate their concerns. The success of token minority politicians such as Powell and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chow does not erase concerns of racism in American society, they said. "This is a problem that cannot be hidden by a few black faces in a few high places," Bobo said. Professor James Jennings, who teaches urban and environmental policy at Tufts, expressed disappointment in today's African-American leaders. "I think that black leadership has a lot to account for in this 'deferred dream' that is in our midst," he said. Jennings pointed to four problems for which he feels black leaders are responsible: The failure to challenge poverty at its structural roots, the failure to build progressive politics with other minority groups, the failure of black leaders to move away from their role as "cheerleaders for the democratic party," and the failure to address socioeconomic problems in the international arena. The panel energized both audience members and the panelists themselves, who represented a multitude of racial backgrounds. Dartmouth Professor of Sociology Christina Gomez focused her five-minute talk on the challenges faced by Latinos in the US and promoted a pan-Latino political agenda. "Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez may represent the 'latinization' of America, but in terms of politics, there is still very little representation," Gomez said. The Asian-American voice was represented by panelists Paul Watanabe, a political science professor at UMass Boston, and Tufts Professor Jean Wu, who teaches a popular American Studies course called "Race and America." Watanabe, who spoke at Tufts last semester about the racialization of Asian Americans, criticized the US voting registration process. He also spoke about the difficulties Asian Americans encounter in pinpointing their role and identity in American society, and emphasized the importance of education in promoting positive interactions between various racial groups. "To me, the hope lies in the education piece," Wu said. She lamented the fact that very few minority groups, particularly Asian Americans, feel a strong connection with their own racial history and evolution as US citizens. "When you have a younger generation who has so little knowledge on how the system works, it's important to get basic education in order to get closer to a point where you can act," Wu said after the discussion. The intellectually charged setting prompted passionate discourse during the question and answer session, when both panelists and audience members called for increased awareness and involvement on the local level. "Angry people get off their butts and angry people participate," said Glaser, who called himself the optimist among the panelists. In response to questions about the role of students in bridging the nation's social gaps, Bobo told the audience not to "wait for the adults." "You students are the connecting tissue," he said. Gill, who inspired a few laughs from the audience when he apologized for breaking his role as moderator, responded to one student's inquiry as to why there has not been a unified student movement since the '60s. "There are student movements," Gill said. Though today's movements may be different in thrust, community outreach groups such as the Leonard Carmichael Society and Headstart programs are student movements that should not go unrecognized, he said. The evening's panel was called a success by audience members who appreciated the opportunity to gain an academic perspective on the nation's racial issues. "We had an incredible group of people raising questions and 'thinking out of the box,'" EPIIC participant Ariana Wohl said. "The panel brought to light a lot of issues that have come up both on campus and around the US," sophomore Meena Jagannath said. "Race issues are often brushed under the rug because America is supposed to be a herald for democracy, but politics are plagued with race issues." Some audience members recognized that the evening's discussion might have made conservatives uncomfortable. "I understand that there may have been some conservatives in the audience who disagreed with some of anti-Republican sentiments, but people need to be shaken up sometimes," junior Doug Hansen said. "Innocence can't be claimed if you don't want to face the facts, so I think it's important to be informed." EPIIC Director Sherman Teichman applauded the panel for demonstrating the importance of addressing racial issues and their affect on politics. "To me the vigor is self-evident," he said. "It has the kind of integrity and is the kind of education that this kind of program is all about."

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Just a hop, skip and jump away

March 31

Valentine's Day may be over, but that doesn't mean its too late to hit town for some dinner. And by town, we don't mean Boston. Between here and Harvard Square, there's a multitude of eating options from which to choose. We took a night out to explore four of them: Stepping off Harvard Square's Eliot Street and in through the doors of Tanjore, we were hit by an intoxicating and spicy aroma. As we moved under the hanging blue curtain, the lack of a wait to get seated at this popular Indian restaurant came as a pleasant surprise. Although two-seat tables lined the window, and there were plenty of bar stools, our group decided to take a larger table in the smaller of the two rooms that comprise the restaurant.We began our meal with potato and pea-filled Samosas ($3.50). Delicate and crispy, they were accompanied by the "most-excellent" plum sauce, into which members of our group eagerly dipped everything. Forks were not necessary! The Naan, served either plain ($2.50), or with onion, garlic, or potatoes ($2.95), eliminated any need for utensils. The Lamb Vindaloo ($11.95), a hot and spicy red curry dish with chilies, garam masala, ginger, and garlic laced with vinegar, was deliciously tender and tangy.If you are looking for a fun and unique dish, order the Masala Dosa ($7.50). Rolled with potatoes and herbs, these surprisingly long crepes are crispy with an outside reminiscent of Munchos Potato chips. Don't forget to pour the accompanying Sambhar (lentil stew) onto the crepe. Otherwise, it's like eating a bowl of "blah."Those with a sweet tooth who still want something substantial will love the Bhel ($5.50), a crunchy blend of puffed rice, gram flour sev, crushed tomatoes, and onions, mixed with sweet and tangy sauces. While a light and satisfying entree, it can probably double as a perfect breakfast. Mango Lassi ($3.50) gives a new meaning to "plain old yogurt" and has a similar taste to plum sauce.Moving closer to Tufts, we stumbled upon Kaya, a Japanese-Korean restaurant, located in Porter on Mass Ave. Put simply, the wooden, airy architecture, and rice-paper window-divided booth-style sitting were the restaurant's only redeeming qualities. Dinner was rather bland to the taste buds and "interesting" due to the odd service. The waitress materialized out of nowhere to refill our water glasses after we had taken only three sips of water. This high-maintenance water service lasted throughout the whole dinner. To the other extreme, however, we had to request napkins and utensils at least three times. The best part: after receiving our entrees with a side bowl of rice, our waitress decided we were not worthy, and took them back. After protesting, she unwillingly surrendered them.Sticking with vegetarian dishes, we ordered the Vegetable Yakisoba ($11.95) and the Farmer's Stir-Fry ($10.95). These two entrees differed only in their accompaniments - rice or ramen noodles. Thank goodness for soy sauce! We did, however, enjoy the miso soup, with its funky spoons, and the tasty chocolate-filled mints.Hidden under Blockbuster in the Porter Square Galleria lies Anna's Taqueria, serving a variety of burritos and tacos for take-out or sit-in. Most importantly, know that you may be standing and waiting for a table for an extended period of time. But it's worth the wait.One can happily try their Super Burritos ($3.75 or less) filled with chicken, carnitas, steak, grilled veggies or beans and rice, or Mexican Plates ($3.95) of rice topped with various meats or vegetables. Several additions - salsa, hot sauce, black or brown beans, cheese, corn tortillas, and guacamole - help spice up each dish. If you are out on a date, watch out for major burrito drippage!Hopefully, by this point in the year you have already discovered our favorite of these four restaurants -Mr. Crepe, on Holland Street in Davis Square. Small and steamy, Mr. Crepe whips up the best dinner crepes this side of Boston. Full of roasted bell peppers, fresh spinach, caramelized onions, fresh basil, and herbed feta-goat cheese, this Vegetarian Supercrepe ($6.50) is scrumptiously satisfying. Because you have the opportunity to build your own crepe, you can take advantage of the myriad cheeses, vegetables, meats, and relishes/sauces Mr. Crepe has to offer. Sadly, we were too stuffed to try any of the tempting dessert crepes. But you can't go wrong with dark Belgian chocolate, banana, and coconut!

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Men's volleyball can't spike Bulldogs

March 31

The men's club volleyball team played in its first interdivisional tournament this past Saturday at Yale University in New Haven, CT and despite arriving only five minutes before the competition started, the team still managed to make it to the final match before losing to Yale. "The final match wasn't pretty," senior captain Adam Goldfarb said. "We just were not playing with the intensity we needed." The team beat the Yale Bulldogs in the first match of the tournament but could not pull off a second win in the finals. "Yale is a good team. They are probably in the top ten in the league," Goldfarb said. "We should've beaten them again but we just couldn't come together." The defeat came after a fairly easy win in the semi-final match against Dartmouth. The Jumbos beat the Big Green in two consecutive games, 25-15 and 25-12. "We really hurt them, and the whole team had fun," Goldfarb said. "They talked some smack, but we just kept coming." Before the playoff matches, Tufts went 3-0, claiming the top spot in its pool. Without warming up adequately after a two-and-a-half hour drive, the team was still able to defeat Yale - taking the first and third games of the match. The Jumbos next breezed by Albany and Gordon College, enabling them to advance to the next round of play. Gordon and Albany were "not very good teams," Goldfarb said. "We pounded on both of them." This solid tournament performance came after an important rematch against MIT, here at Tufts last Thursday, when Tufts lost the best of five matches, three games to one. The first two games were close with Tufts losing 25-21 and 25-22. In the third game, the Jumbos beat the MIT squad pretty handily, 25-15. In the fourth game after being up 24-21, the Jumbos lost five straight points and the game 26-24. "It was a tough match, and I still feel we could've beaten them," Goldfarb said. "We lacked intensity when it was needed. It was definitely not a question of talent." For now the team has its sights on a big game against Boston College, which will be held here at Tufts next Tuesday at the Chase gym. The BC game will be Tufts' last home game of the year.

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Women's sailing breezes to win Duplin Trophy

March 31

Tufts sailing continued its solid start to the spring 2001 season as both the coed and women's teams put in solid performances at this past weekend's regattas. On the women's side, Tufts took first place and won the Duplin Trophy at home on Mystic Lake. The coed team could not duplicate that success, but did manage to finish sixth overall in the Boston Dinghy Cup at MIT and Harvard. Coach Ken Legler's women's squad defended its home water Saturday behind the efforts of senior Lee Icyda and sophomore Clare Dooley, as well as freshmen AJ Krane and sophomore Taylor Fallon. Icyda and Dooley raced to a second place finish in the A-Division, while the younger team of Krane and Fallon helped solidify the victory for Tufts with a second place finish in the B-Division. On the coed-side, Legler's squad traveled to nearby MIT and Harvard to sail in a four-division, four-fleet race on the Charles River. The structure of the regatta pitted the sailors against each other in a two-day regatta, which featured divisions A through D and four different types of boats - FJ's, Larks, InnerClubs and Pech Dinghys. The four-boat format added a special feature to the race, also increasing its difficulty. "Everyone sails four races in each of the four boats, which makes it a difficult race," sophomore Pete Levesque said. "The Larks and the FJ's are more modern, high performance boats, and the other two [boats] are older and more bathtub-like, so you have to adjust." The necessary adjustments came fairly easily for the Jumbos, and the four teams that competed in the four divisions managed to secure an overall third-place finish. Levesque and fellow sophomore Caroline Hall sailed competitively in the A-division, finishing third overall. The pair, who started sailing in the A-division on the coed team in the middle of the 2000 fall season, trailed five other teams coming in to the final two races. "Our last set was a good one," Levesque said. "We finished second and third, which made up a lot of points for us." Tufts also received strong performances from seniors Adam Deermount and Lisa Keith. The pair sailed to individual victory in the B-Division and their performance was a major factor in Tufts' overall team finish. The C-division team of seniors Jen Provane and Laurin Manning took third in their division, as the D-division pair of Thomas Zanios and his partner Laurel Snetsinger finished fourth to round out the regatta for Tufts. With its celebrated history of consistent success, the sailing team almost always contends for a first place finish. But team members were relatively pleased with their lower finish because of the high caliber of opponents. "Harvard was really solid in all four divisions and did well," senior Lisa Keith said. "We were pretty close to Dartmouth, which was good because we were without [injured] John Birkett. That is about where we expected to finish, but we could have beaten Dartmouth." "I though we were fairly consistent. We started quickly and had pretty good boat speed," Deermount said. "We did a fairly good job at being consistent across all four boats, which was key." Despite its solid performance, however, the team will not rest for long before it heads back out for Mystic Lake practices. That's also where the Jumbos will be next weekend, when Legler and his team host the Friss Cup, one of the most important regattas of the season. "The [Friss] regatta is our biggest home regatta of the season," Levesque said. "It is designed for spectators, which Mystic Lake also is great for, due to its small size and the fact that spectators can watch from the hills surrounding it." Deermount agreed, and is hoping that a strong performance by Tufts over the upcoming weekend will be matched by a strong spectator showing at Mystic Lake. "The commentary is done by our coach, and it has been in the past a relatively large spectator event," he said.

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Phone home... or not?

March 31

College students are using their computers for a whole lot more than downloading MP3s and chatting with their friends on AOL Instant Messenger. Much to the delight of many parents, students are actually employing technology to stay in closer touch with their families. Unlike a long distance phone call, e-mails and instant messages home do not cost a cent. And with e-mails, students and their parents do not need to be free at the same time in order to communicate with each other. "I think that e-mail is a much more convenient way to keep in touch," sophomore Diana Fischmann said. "It allows me to sit down and write my parents when I have the time, and the same goes for them. We are not usually free to talk at the same time." Fischmann e-mails her parents almost every day, and in addition talks to them on the phone about two or three times a week. She said that her emails home are generally to inform her parents of her everyday activities, including details she might forget to mention over the phone. "I usually tell them what I've done since the last time I wrote them an e-mail, and I tell them how classes are going," Fischmann said. "But I don't really e-mail them about any serious issues." While Fischmann does not talk to her parents on Instant Messenger, sophomore Traci Lee opts to talk to her father a few times a week through the chat program. The two have rarely talked on the phone since Instant Messenger replaced phone calls as a cheaper and more convenient method of communication. Like Fischmann's e-mails home, Lee's instant messages do not tend to touch on very serious issues. "Usually it's just shooting the breeze," Lee said. Still, Lee thinks using Instant Messenger to communicate with her family is worthwhile. "This saves him the trouble of having to call me back if I call him and leave a message, and it saves me the trouble of having to call him back if he calls me and leaves a message. We don't have to worry about whether we're both home at the same time to talk, because if we're both online and we're both active we can just instant message each other at no cost, and we can talk for as long as we want." Lee talks to her mother on the phone at least once a week; the phone calls are supplemented by an e-mail every week or so. Lee does not use e-mail that often because her mother does not check her e-mail account very frequently. "My mom's not up on the whole technology bit yet," Lee said. Given time, though, that will probably change. More and more students and parents are using e-mail or Instant Messenger to communicate, and some students are even chatting with their technology-savvy grandparents online. Many students say that e-mail and instant message communication with their parents enables them to talk more frequently, though the quality of computer communication remains debatable. Students typically just report on their days, saving any important questions for phone calls home. One problem that junior Jason Dowling sees with online communication is its potential for excessiveness. Dowling never e-mails his parents because he lives nearby, so unlike many other students he is able to call home for free. He does, however, talk to his mother on Instant Messenger. "I don't like it because I like to set my computer so people can see how long I've been idle for, so that my friends know where I am," Dowling said. "Then my mom will call me on a Sunday and ask why I went to bed at 5 am, since she can see how long I've been idle as well." Still, Dowling does think that Internet usage as a whole is making it a lot easier for students - especially those who live far from home - to stay in close touch with their parents. "It's a much cheaper way to communicate," Dowling said. "For me it does not make much of a difference, except in talking to my friends who don't go to school in the area. But for those students who are not from around here, it makes a lot of sense to talk to their parents online."

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Hockey closes out successful season, but playoff loss will linger

March 31

Four days removed from a stunning overtime loss in the first round of the ECAC Northeast playoffs, questions still pervade, plaguing the members of the men's ice hockey team. Regardless of situation, playoff losses always feel like a slap in the face, but when you are marched through the league schedule with only one loss and one tie, hold home ice throughout, and have the league's best forward and best defenseman wearing your jersey, the slap feels more like a titanic thump to the gut. Such was the feeling in every Jumbos' belly immediately after an overtime shot by Salve Regina freshman Ryan Park deflected off a Tufts defender, then bounced off of Salve Regina senior Chris Pisani and past Jumbo goalie Ben Crapser to end both the game and the season for Tufts. Such is the feeling still. "We are still disappointed, bitterly disappointed," coach Brian Murphy said. "It's a game, and it's only a game, and life goes on, but this is not one you get over easily." "This is the type of the game that sticks with you," said senior tri-captain Natan Obed, who finished up his stellar career for the Brown and Blue. "I replay it in my head constantly. It's so disappointing." Dan Mahoney, another senior tri-captain, agreed. "At first there's a lot of anger, a lot of frustration. Eventually, and this is starting now, you can start to put the great season we had in some perspective." And a great season it was for Tufts. The Jumbos stampeded through the ECAC with a nearly perfect 15-1-1 mark, good enough to win the league outright by two points. All the seniors agreed that this was, by far, the best team of which they had been a part during their tenures at Tufts. "I think what made the year so amazing was the closeness on the team," Mahoney said. "We were a really tight group off the ice, and it really translated." But the frustration lingers. After outscoring Salve Regina 13-4 in two regular season games, Tufts dominated the third match-up, peppering an unprecedented 65 shots against goalie Chris Burns. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, the Seahawk goalie stood on his head, allowing only five of those shots to light the lamp. "We played a great game," Mahoney said. "We did everything we could. We were all over them, but their goalie was hot. We were all shocked. Things started to get a little tense when we realized how well he was playing." "In all my years of playing hockey, I have seen a few goalies play as well as [Burns]," Obed said. "But there have not been many, not many at all." But as the curtain closed on the highly successful season, some individual accolades illuminated the somber ending. Obed, whose career was in jeopardy after back surgery before he ever suited up for the Brown and Blue, scored his 100th point. "Natan's achievement is a highlight," coach Murphy said. "It's significant because it's a great number to reach. He's had an amazing career here. Also, he's missed a lot of time with some bad injuries, and when he first came here, he played defense, so it's great for him." "It capped off a great time here at Tufts," Obed said of his accomplishment. "To be able to contribute despite tearing my MCL and separating my shoulder while here was great." Junior Jason Boudrow finished the year as the leading scorer in all of Division III. "Jason is hands down the best offensive player in this league," Murphy said. "He is so skilled, so talented." Dan Mahoney became the leading scoring defenseman in Tufts history, surpassing none other than his coach, Brian Murphy. "Dan's been a great player since he got here," Murphy said. "He's one of the best players in the history of the program. His work ethic, his leadership, his personality, his skills, his raw talent _ it's unprecedented to have all that in one player." "I feel good about my career," said Mahoney, an All-ECAC Northeast and All-New England selection last year. "The program wasn't great when we seniors came in. The way we've improved and built helps to get over a tough loss like this one. On a personal note, I'm just happy I stayed injury free and could contribute." As all eyes turn to next season, and the disappointing ending to a fantastic season is buried away in memory, a new challenge awaits: The NESCAC, perhaps the best Division III hockey league in the country. "It's a whole new ballgame," Murphy said. "We'll be the team needing some bounces. What I want is the best program possible, and the move helps us achieve that. We'll play at better facilities, against better teams, and schools similar to us. It will be a great challenge."

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Finding home

March 31

March 9 - As of today I have been in London for a total of 149 days, which have whizzed by in a haze of faces, essays, clubs, beer, noise, and motion. Suddenly, I stop and realize I have a part-time job, am interning at a publishing company, and know a good portion of the subway system by heart. And wasn't it only last week that I thought I could never get to the end of this year? Time plays games in my head, condensing months into moments - nights when I toiled in English literature or days when my unruly umbrella carried me away like Mary Poppins. It expands spectacular days into weeks - when I traveled across Great Britain or showed my boyfriend around London.When I applied to go abroad, a year away seemed insurmountable. Now I sit at my computer in a city that feels like home, reminiscing about my boyfriend's visit that ended only yesterday, and realizing that in one week, I shared 149 days with him. This city holds nearly half a year of my life. Spending a week with a familiar visitor from abroad revealed how long I have actually lived here, and how comfortable I have become.When I left London on a train to Scotland in October (scared for my life due to railroad fiascoes in Britain), I realized that in returning home, I would be returning to London. At moments on the trip back, I was convinced that the train would glide into Boston, and I had to snap my mind back to reality.Five months later, with my boyfriend's inevitable return to Boston, I begin to uncover the magnitude of being here. I have worked so hard trying to find a niche. And then I turn to look ahead and see what I have left to travel, and how much of my time here remains.Will the next three months flood by in a flash of European cities and train windows, or will the pace slow down enough to let me at least consume some of this newness around me? It has been six months, but it has also only been a day, and I continue to be surprised.Last week I danced in the University College London Dance Society's annual show. It was called "NRG" (get it?). I rehearsed for two months with a hip-hop group, walking each Tuesday night through London to a dingy gymnasium to dance. As I walked to and from rehearsals, I couldn't help but muse over the fact that I had auditioned for a show in London, got in, and stuck with it. The show ran for three nights, and after performing, I walked home in the quiet after the noise of the crowd. Weeks of work ended in what passed like seconds of bright lights and loud voices.And time continued to pass. After an amazing week with my boyfriend, he left and I continue muddling over time and distance, and kicking myself for not truly relishing the time I have spent here. In three weeks I leave for Easter holiday. As of now, the plans consist of visiting Budapest, Prague, and Vienna, then to Barcelona to celebrate a friend's 21st birthday, then to Italy, and finally to Greece. It seems too much to cram into one month, but I doubt I will ever again run away to Europe, in search of starvation and subsequent artistic inspiration. And I won't ever be willing to avoid responsibility so wholeheartedly again.So off I go, with a few precious articles of clothing - basically my home, in my pack - and trek over unfamiliar ground. In contemplating the coming weeks, I'm recognizing that home is transient, and time has a tendency to pass quicker than it should, but I can plot the trail as I choose. The obstacles have been numerous - the language barrier, the American stereotype, the exchange rate, and lately, Socialist income taxes - but these trials make my willingness to continue and my dread to leave even more exciting.

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