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The Setonian
News

Taubman brings his tricks to Tufts

March 31

Last semester, members of the Freshman Class Council attended a conference for programming boards and councils in search of campus entertainment. They sorted through bands and poets, magicians and rappers, and finally settled on a man named Steve Taubman. Taubman, a hypnotist, will entice participants under his control tonight at 9 p.m. in Dewick. If you're interested in getting a taste of what might be in store, he will also be offering a small taste of his act in the dining halls during dinner. For the Council, the choice was an easy one. "He seemed really nice and interesting. We followed up on him and got him to come here," said Courtney Becker, secretary of the Council. He comes armed with no gimmicks - just the tricks of the hypnotist trade that he's picked up in over 15 years of onstage magic and hypnotism. Taubman will work with select audience members to entertain and amaze, in a show where Tufts students and music will be his only props. Oh, and, by the way...he prefers being called Dr. Taubman. Taubman studied at the State University of New York at Albany and graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 1982 as valedictorian of his class. He then established Waterfront Chiropractic Center, and after, Williston Center for Chiropractic and Sportsmedicine. He later served as president of the Vermont Chiropractic Association, while at the same time running holistic health clinic. In 1991 he traded in medicine for magic. Taubman began studying sleight of hand and developed a magic act, which he took to places like Los Angeles, NYC, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, and the New England area. His success led to the establishment of The Entertainment Solution, an entertainment consulting and planning organization that develops programs primarily for corporate audiences, such as trade shows, banquets, holiday parties, and hospitality suites. As it turns out, he had the magic touch - in 1996, Taubman finally sold his chiropractic practice in order to pursue entertainment full-time. A year later, he studied Stage Hypnosis, and became certified as a Master of Demonstrational Hypnosis by the American Board of Hypnotherapy. Since the certification, Dr. Steve Taubman's Hypnosis Extravaganza has played for schools and corporations all over the US. Tufts is one of many stops on an extensive college circuit that's been met with great success. But low ticket sales - largely due to the interruption of Spring Break - might make Taubman's audience tonight slightly smaller than usual. "It's not as speedy as we were expecting," Becker said. "We're expecting to get a lot more before the show."

The Setonian
News

Cruising through college?

March 31

Hitting the Books: Whether beefing up their transcripts or to make mom and dad proud, students worry about school _ their grades, their classes, their workloads. The Daily will investigate academic life during the next three weeks, examining grade inflation, cheating, and academic motivation on campus. For all the stress college students waste on worrying about grades, getting that 4.0 GPA may be easier than it seems. Recent studies show that the most elite US colleges and universities have fallen victim to grade inflation and Tufts, though far from the worst offender, is among them. Interestingly, it appears this trend is most rampant in the Ivy League. Yale University, for example, reports that 80 percent of its student grades are As or Bs. And at Harvard, one professor has become so outraged by grade inflation that he assigns two grades to each student in his government class _ the grade that the student deserves, and a higher grade to be recorded on his or her transcript, which he bases on Harvard's grade inflation system. Here at Tufts, the presence of grade inflation is less traceable. While administrators report that grade inflation does occur, a number of professors deny it is a problem. In addition, some students claim that grade inflation is more prevalent in the humanities departments, where grading depends less on right or wrong, and more on the professor's evaluation of the completed work. Drama Department Chair Downing Cless says that grade inflation is not a problem in his department. He argues that grading in departments like drama, where there are typically no right answers, is not subjective and is no more prone to grade inflation than any other subject area. "In my mind [our grading system] is still objective grading, even though it's not based on right or wrong answers," Cless said. However, Charles Inouye, Dean of the Colleges for Undergraduate Education, paints a different picture of Tufts' grading system. Inouye believes that grade inflation is indeed a problem here, just as at virtually every prestigious institution. According to Inouye, the average GPA of last year's graduating class was 3.38, just under the 3.40 cut-off for cum laude. Of last year's seniors, 25.5 percent graduated with honors, either cum laude, summa, or otherwise. "Some of us in the honors committee think that's a high number," Inouye said. Inouye further explained that, on one hand, inflating grades may encourage to students to enroll in courses taught by professors known for inflation, thereby minimizing the campus' intellectual atmosphere. "If students become too grade conscious, they might be tempted to become less intellectually curious," he said. On the other hand, there would still be a problem if Tufts abolished grade inflation while other top universities failed to do so. "I think we might not be able to win the battle of grade inflation. We would put our students at a disadvantage with [students from other universities]," Inouye said."So maybe a better way to proceed would be to keep our focus on the quality of the experience and also admit that our potential is greater than before." It may be easier to get an A than before, but some educators say that more students receiving As simply means that today, more students deserve As. In most classes, students do not compete against each other but rather hold the same goal of earning a good grade. This means, technically, that each student should be able to receive an A and that professors should feel gratified that all of their students are successful Regardless, an abundance of high grades can have a negative impact because students no longer stand out academically among their peers. This could play a role in graduate school admissions, for example: if all Tufts students applying to graduate or professional school have As and Bs, it may become difficult for those schools to decide who should be accepted. To end the problem of grade inflation, Bradford P. Wilson, Executive Director of the National Association of Scholars, recommends that universities tighten their curricula so that it becomes more difficult for students to choose what he calls "academically inferior courses and programs." In addition, Wilson recommends that colleges limit the number of students who receive academic honors to the top ten percent of the class, as opposed to Tufts' 25.5 percent last year, or Harvard, where it was a whopping 82 percent of the graduating class. As Dean of the Colleges, Inouye has made attempts to reform Tufts' system of grade inflation. In the past, he said that his office sent forms to departments displaying the average grade they distributed. It was Inouye's hope that these forms would encourage the departments who gave out the highest grades to examine their grading process and perhaps adjust their standards. While that didn't prove effective, Inouye maintains that making Tufts courses more rigorous would intensify the intellectual atmosphere and combat grade inflation at the same time. He also encourages professors to urge students to pursue areas of study on a deeper level by giving out more research-oriented assignments and independent projects so that students really earn their As.

The Setonian
News

Ravens D-feat Giants 34-7 in Superbowl XXXV

March 31

Heading into last night, no one doubted that the Baltimore Ravens were the best defensive team in the NFL. But the Ravens took it a step further in Superbowl XXXV, becoming the league's best team overall by putting together a 34-point effort while limiting the New York Giants to just seven. Earlier this season, the Ravens had gone five straight games without a touchdown. Just two weeks ago, Giants quarterback Kerry Collins threw five touchdowns in a 41-0 thrashing of the Minnesota Vikings. But that was all quickly forgotten last night, when the Giants became the latest victim of a stellar Baltimore defense and the Ravens proved they could get the job done offensively when it mattered. A rare touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer to Brandon Stokley eight minutes into the contest put the Ravens up by seven. Defense prevailed for the majority of the half, though, as there were a total of 12 punts in the first 30 minutes of play. Neither quarterback could find a rhythm, and both teams' running games were held in check by the expected aggressive defenses. Heading into the locker room with the Ravens up 10-0, the game seemed destined to be the low-scoring, defense-fueled contest that everyone had expected. The start of the second half was no different, as neither team could muster any sort of scoring drive through the first ten minutes of the third quarter. Ravens defensive back Duane Starks picked off Collins late in the period, however, running it back for a touchdown that would begin a stretch of 36 seconds during which more than half of the game's points were scored. On the ensuing kickoff, Ron Dixon tied his own postseason record with a 97-yard return for a touchdown and breathed life back into New York fans across the country. But the quick pangs of hope for the Giants lasted a mere 17 seconds. Baltimore's Jermaine Lewis reversed the game's momentum while returning the next kickoff, evading numerous tackles, skirting the sidelines, and racing into the Giants' end zone for a touchdown. What began as a defensive struggle quickly became a 24-7 romp, and the Ravens never allowed the Giants to stage a comeback, tightening up their defense and making Collins look like a rookie in his first NFL start. The four interceptions thrown by Collins tied a Superbowl record, shattering any chances for the Giants to pose a threat. Dilfer did not put up impressive numbers either, going 12-25 for 153 yards, but rookie Jamal Lewis picked up the slack with 101 yards rushing and a fourth-quarter touchdown that put the game out of reach. The debatable three-yard effort, in which Lewis lost the ball just after crossing the end zone plane, put the Ravens up 31-7, also making Lewis the only rookie in NFL history to have scored a rushing touchdown in the Superbowl. The hobbled Tiki Barber, with his left arm still in a cast, was unable to put up similar numbers for the Giants, picking up a mere 47 yards on 11 attempts. Barber's efforts epitomized the offensive struggles of the Giants all night, as the record-setting Ravens' defense - led by the volatile Ray Lewis - shut their opponents down on nearly every drive. Lewis, who did not let the persistent media questions affect his game, won the MVP honors. Just one year removed from an offensively dominated Superbowl, the Ravens proved that defense does in fact win championships. But by showing some offensive liveliness as well, they will be looked upon as the team to beat for years to come.

The Setonian
News

Trios' new menu turns eatery into uphill take-out option

March 31

Dining Services administrators have taken the barbecue out of "Trios Sunset Barbecue," changing the eatery's menu while also creating a takeout option for uphill students. The conversion of the small dining hall into "Trios Down-the-Alley" is Tufts' answer to strong demand for an uphill take-out venue, as well as a lack of popularity of the old setup, Dining Services officials said. The revamped Trios, which opened at the start of the Spring semester, will serve as an uphill alternative to other popular takeout locations such as the Commons, Brown and Brew, and Hodgdon. Students can no longer use meals to purchase food at Trios, and now must pay in points, dining dollars, and cash. There are still tables at which students can eat, though the takeout option is encouraged. The menu of the remade Trios features fruit smoothies, wraps, salads, and a rotating hot meal, with several vegetarian and vegan options. While the new menu moves away from the old meat-heavy options, the concept behind the Sunset Barbeque has not been entirely abandoned. Wings and other popular items from the old Trios many be offered at Hodgdon next year. Given Trios' small size - the dining area is located near the Ginn library in the Fletcher School complex - Dining Services removed the meal option to prevent overcrowding. There were also concerns that if its unpopularity persisted, Trios would become a financial burden. Single service dining options are traditionally more expensive to run than Dewick-MacPhie and Carmichael, which employ efficient, mass-food preparation techniques. A desire to maintain variety between the various campus eateries was another factor in Dining Services' decision. "We didn't want to repeat Hodgdon. We want what we offer in each dining hall to be a little different," Director of Dining Services Patti Lee Klos said. "We also didn't have the space - we needed something to fit the building." Students will be given a chance to sample some of the offerings from the new Trios next Wednesday in Carmichael from 12-1:30 p.m.. In the week since it opened, Trios Down-the-Alley appears to be more popular than the now-defunct Sunset Barbecue. "We had close to 50 people the first night, which is a good number," Lee Klos said. "Trios couldn't handle 300-400 students a day." In the past, an estimated 30-40 people ate dinner at Trios every night, and Klos attributed the relatively small crowds to the limited barbecue menu. "People didn't want barbeque every day," Klos said. The creation of Trios-Down-the-Alley is part of a general process to extend campus dining hours. Takeout at Trios is currently available from 5-8 p.m., but Dining Services may extend the hours until 10 p.m. on an experimental basis. If successful, the hours may later be extended to midnight. "Usually people come in looking for something to drink or snack... we know that students tend to get hungry later at night," Lee Klos said. "We are looking into creating a fourth meal period in the regular dining halls, but we haven't yet worked out the financial implications." Plans to extend the hours of Hotung are also in the works, as long as students are willing to work the later shifts. "We open Brown and Brew until 1 a.m. on weekends, even though there is not a great demand... we still feel that students on campus should have a place like that to go to," Lee Klos said.

The Setonian
News

Baseball sweeps NESCAC opener against Bates

March 31

Sophomore Jon Lee and junior Steve Lapham showed why they are the baseball team's top two arms as the Jumbos completed a sweep of the Bates College Bobcats in Sunday's home opening doubleheader. Helping their team win its first NESCAC games of the season, Lee and Lapham both pitched complete games, and surrendered just three combined earned runs. Lee won the opener, surrendering only five hits, two earned runs, and striking out 13 in Tufts' 4-3 victory. Lapham pitched the nightcap (nine innings, as opposed to the seven-inning opener), allowing one earned run, striking out six, and giving up no free passes in a 6-2 win. The Jumbos improved to 4-5-1 with the wins. "The key to our wins was the pitching," coach John Casey said. "Both guys pitched very well. It was a tough day to play. It was only 33 degrees out there. We were fortunate to get such good efforts." Lee, who improved his mark to 2-0 on the season, already had two solid starts under his belt before yesterday's performance. After pitching a scoreless first, he received an offensive boost when left fielder and co-captain Todd Boutwell smacked a two-run homerun. Bates tied the game on a solo homerun in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth, but Tufts put the game away with RBI singles by second baseman Jon Herbert and right fielder Dan Callahan in the bottom of the fifth. Lapham, the team's preseason ace, had struggled until yesterday. In an important start, he came ready to pitch and was able to earn his first victory of the season after having already dropped two. Again the long ball was the key, as sophomore center fielder Evan Zupancic began the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Bates took a narrow 2-1 lead, with single runs in the third and the fifth, but Tufts sealed the victory with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by Callahan's three-run homer. Also aiding the cause were the top four hitters in the Jumbos' order, who were a combined 9-18 with five runs scored and five batted in. Lapham held the Bobcats scoreless after the fifth, while Tufts tacked on another run in the sixth. "When Steve's on, he's tough," Casey said. "He was 0-2 coming in, but he was throwing the ball really well, really commanding the low part of the zone. He gave up all ground balls, and when he's right, that's how he gets his outs." Casey's main concern continues to be the inconsistent offense, which performed well at times Sunday, but faltered in some key situations. "We are a sporadic offensive club," he said. "We're not really getting big hits so far. We had a couple opportunities on Sunday to really break things open. Baseball is a game you're supposed to play every day, and it's hard to keep hot bats when you're only playing once a week in bad weather." Continuing to impress was freshman Nick Palange, who started both games at third base. Palange, who won the starting job on the team's southern trip over Spring Break, has recorded two hits and 6 putouts over the course of the two games. "It's not rocket science, as long as he continues to perform, he'll be out there, and that goes for everyone," Casey said. "He's a mature kid and he's done a good job for us." Another huge key to Tufts' season is sophomore Brian Shapiro. The NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2000, Shapiro is trying to make the difficult transition from third base to shortstop. "Brian is learning and struggling a bit," Casey said. "It's a tough adjustment, but he'll get there." The Jumbos stampede into action again this afternoon when they host Mass. Maritime, a team that defeated Tufts last season. "This is a big early season game for us," Casey said. "They do a lot of things well. They run very well, and they play good baseball." Sophomore Dave Martin (0-0), the team's third starter, will take the mound for Tufts. "Dave's a key," Casey said. "Having an effective third starter is so important. Dave had a good start and a not so good start down South, so it's a big game for him."

The Setonian
News

Ballet dancers raise money for career transition

March 31

Ballet dancers often seem untouchable on the stage, existing in eternal youth and surrounded by the music of masterful composers. But what happens when these dancers grow older and are replaced by younger, more agile performers? For those who have known little else than their art since birth, resources to assist in pursuing new career fields are often lacking. That's where the Dancers Resource Fund (DRF) at the Boston Ballet comes in. The DRF was founded in 1988 to assist dancers with financial and support services as they pursue new career opportunities."Some dancers know what they want to do and become choreographers," DRF Chairwoman Christina Selearno said, "but some people decide they've closed that chapter of their life and they want to do something else. They can dedicate themselves to something, but [they're] not sure what they want to dedicate themselves to."The DRF - which was recently re-established by ballet members after having been inactive for five years - helps dancers enter into a number of fields, from marketing to catering to choreographing.The latter, according to Selearno, is a particularly appealing option for dancers. "One of the career transition things is having the dancers choreograph. It is important for choreographers to get experience."Tonight and tomorrow, the Boston Ballet Dancers will be presenting "Beyond Boundaries," an evening of new choreography produced and performed in an effort to raise money for the fund. In addition, there will be a silent auction during the Saturday evening performance; items include a day of beauty from Linear Aveda, four tickets to the Ballet, and a haircut and style from Vidal Sassoon Salon.Each dancer in the company is eligible for a portion of the overall income that DRF fund raises.The dances being performed at this weekend's show are an appealing, eclectic mix. Selarno says that two classical pieces, two contemporary pieces, and something "more on the modern side for a ballet company" will be presented. Boston Ballet dancers Viktor Potnikov, Yury Yanowsky, Gianni Di Marco, Simon Ball, and Robert Underwood choreographed the pieces. The Boston Ballet's DRF has very few parallels in other companies across the US.Tickets to the events are $20 each. The performance will take place at the Company's Grand Stuido, located at 19 Clarendon Street in the South End. Call (617) 695-6955 for more info.

The Setonian
News

Is the university policy enough?

March 31

You work together, you laugh together. You meet once or twice a week - maybe more. You see each other in classes, at the Campus Center, and at parties. You're friends, but you're also co-workers. If you participate in a student organization, you know that many friendships develop through common interests and spending a lot of time together. But when it comes to sexual relations, where do you draw the line? Harvard University's daily newspaper, the Crimson, has adopted its own policy on sexual harassment, following such a case on its staff. Matthew MacInnis, president of the Crimson, described the policy as a "too-late reaction to something that had already occurred." He said that, because the Crimson employs three full-time, paid staff members, it is required by law to protect them from sexual harassment. Because it is a volunteer-based organization, they can also extend that policy to the rest of the staff. According to MacInnis, the policy intends to provide a sense of protection for the staff members. Since the adoption of the policy, MacInnis said that the Crimson has not had any sexual harassment incidents. At Tufts, as with most universities, student organizations are covered under the blanket university sexual harassment policy. Before the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate recognizes a group, that group must agree to abide by all policies upheld by the University. "Groups can only be recognized by the [TCU Judiciary] if they agree that they will not interfere with the physical and psychological well-beings of the members," TCU Senate Treasurer Michele Shelton said. Shelton added that, if members of student groups would feel more comfortable adopting their own policy, they should either do so, or propose an amendment to the TCU Senate constitution. "If it's not clear enough, I think that the system can definitely be changed to make it clearer," she said. Shelton mentioned that, since Senate Parliamentarian Ben Lee is working with senators to revise the constitution, this year would be the time to make changes if groups did not feel that certain policies were clear enough. Currently, sexual harassment is not explicitly included in the constitutions of student groups - students are protected under general discrimination policy. Peggy Barrett, director of the Women's Center, feels that the Tufts policy is strong enough to ensure that all students involved in campus organizations should feel protected. "The policy is the same for everyone on campus," she said. "Each student group is already covered and they have to abide by university policy, which is pretty strict." The Crimson's policy identifies two kinds of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and "hostile environment". Quid pro quo involves a person of authority who uses status to make sexual gains, or when the submission to or rejection of unwelcome sexual conduct is used in making decisions regarding an individual's opportunities. "Hostile environment" sexual harassment refers to individuals who create an environment that a "reasonable person" would find intimidating, offensive, or hostile. This policy is specific to the Crimson and states that, because the lines between the undergraduate community and the members of the Crimson staff are often ambiguous, the members of the Crimson must realize that they are still subject to the Harvard University policies and procedures. The nature of student organizations can lead to ambiguity on the social level. Many student groups require a huge time commitment and usually foster strong friendships - even romantic relationships. Junior Erica Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of the Observer, said that with all the time that goes into producing a newspaper, the members of the Observer tend to become friends. But when a hierarchy is involved, lines must be drawn. "If you act one way with a person outside of the newspaper, how do you know if it's okay to act that way inside the newspaper?" Goldberg asked. "Our staff is friendly and open with each other.... We're pretty communicative, so I think that if someone was having a problem, they could speak up about it." But, she added, she's never encountered any problems on this level. Sophomore Elizabeth Monnin, co-chair of the Tufts Feminist Alliance, feels that such a sense of protection should come from the University. "I feel like the University policy should be comprehensive enough to make students in groups feel protected enough," she said. "Ideally, students would feel like the overall policy was strong enough so they didn't have to have a separate policy - but that's not always the case." Monnin added that, in adopting a policy of their own, groups would only serve to strengthen university policy. Goldberg echoed Monnin's sentiments. "Normally, I think that private organizations within the University should rely on University-dictated policy," she said. However, Goldberg added, if an entire group is in agreement that a new policy should be instated, she sees no problem in drafting one for further protection.However, junior Allison Collins, president of Leonard Carmichael Society, doesn't agree. "It would be too confusing," she said. If policy needs to be clarified, she said, it is the responsibility of the administration to make across-the-board changes. According to Barrett, education might be more effective than a new policy. "I would say that it might be important for everyone to agree to abide by the University policy," she said. "It might not be necessary [to adopt new policy], but maybe to reiterate the policy and have everyone understand it." Occasions do arise where members of student groups become uncomfortable due to the behavior of other members. "[Student groups] can be very hostile working environments. A lot of what is called 'fooling around' is actually sexual harassment," Barrett said. "After working long hours, people get tired and lose a sense of what is okay and not okay."

The Setonian
News

Mayor nixes plan to bring professional soccer to Tufts

March 31

Negotiations to host the Boston Breakers of the newly-born Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) at Tufts' Zimman Field collapsed in December when Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay rejected the deal. Kelly Gay said that quality-of-life complaints from local residents offset the potential benefits of bringing the Breakers to Somerville. The mayor, who this month announced her reelection campaign, held two community meetings in December to weigh the ramifications of signing on with the Breakers. After hearing citizen concerns, she wrote a letter to Somerville residents stating that, while a professional soccer team would be a desirable addition to the city, worries over traffic, noise, and pollution were enough to keep the Breakers out of town. "There was a strong faction present both pro and con," mayoral spokesman Sean Fitzgerald said of the meetings. "The mayor analyzed the community benefits package and the costs to the neighborhood carefully. She felt that it would be a great benefit but at too much overall cost to the city." Kelly Gay's rejection came after the Somerville Chamber of Commerce President Steve Mackey presented her and residents with projected statistics that estimated the revenue the Breakers would bring to the community at $1 million. The Breakers' benefits package, outlined by general manager Joe Cummings, included several incentives for the Somerville community, in addition to the national recognition that would be generated from televised games. Cummings and the Breakers offered game-day fundraising opportunities and equipment donations to Somerville Youth Soccer, as well as an annual $500 scholarship fund to a senior high school female soccer player. But Kelly Gay felt the offer was not enough. "Of particular concern was the lack of a strong scholarship fund and the timeline for the team's stay," Fitzgerald said. Kelly Gay felt that the Breakers' time commitment was insufficient. The contract to play in Somerville would have been for a maximum of three years, after which the team would likely move to a permanent venue. With the deal off, the Breakers went in search of a new home, and signed a contract on Jan. 12 to play at Boston University's Nickerson Field. The mayor's rejection was met with criticism from several sources, including University administrators and Somerville Ward 6 Alderman John Connolly. Connolly, who grew up in Somerville, and whose three daughters play soccer in the area, led the fight to host the Breakers. "My heart's broken," Connolly said. "I think it would have been a great chance for the city to sell itself." Connolly said that while traffic concerns were valid, a plan to accommodate the influx of cars and people during the eight games over the summer would have been implemented. According to Connolly, about two-thirds of the residents at the second meeting were in favor of hosting the Breakers, and both Somerville Youth Soccer and Tufts endorsed the deal. "We could have handled this. There were detailed parking arrangements, and the lots on campus would have been used during the summer. It wasn't going to impact neighborhood streets," he said. "A small group of people influenced the mayor... area residents, people who lived nearby, within a block of the campus." Tufts' Athletics Department, along with Facilities, the Tufts University Police Department, and other departments, determined through an internal study that the school could deal with the increase in traffic. "Once we decided that we could accommodate them, we all agreed that it was important that the city be invited to weigh in, because we recognized the challenges," said Barbara Rubel, the community relations director. "It's private property, and you could make an argument that we could have entered into an agreement without the city, but we wouldn't have done that." Athletic Director Bill Gehling, a former Tufts soccer coach, whose strong connections to the women's soccer world were pivotal in opening negations with the Breakers, said he was disappointed that the mayor rejected the plan. "People in my department put a lot of work into it," he said. "I don't think there's any question there would have been traffic issues. Whether the costs outweighed the benefits is another question.... A lot of effort was put into the proposal. In the end, politics won out." University officials were also disheartened by the mayor's decision to nix the Breakers deal. "It's a shame for the kids of Somerville," Provost Sol Gittleman said. "The Youth Soccer League has a wonderful bunch of kids who would have had an opportunity to meet a group of professional athletes."

The Setonian
News

Hussein is no reason to maintain sanctions on Iraq

March 31

Iraq is and will be in the headlines in future weeks. This issue has been out of the media headlines for some time but is slowly returning to the forefront: Iraq will be an important focus for the new Bush administration. The administration will use Iraq as the prime example of how it will conduct its US-Middle East foreign policy, especially in light of the Ariel Sharon victory. Plus, let it not be forgotten that Colin Powell and others still have scores to settle with Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein. I went back to Iraq for the first time in ten years on Jan. 13, 2000 staying in Baghdad, the city in which I was born, for about a week. I did not go for leisure or vacation; hardly anyone goes to Iraq for that purpose. I joined a group of about 30 Americans on the first American civilian flight into Baghdad since 1990. Many of you may not even know that since Jan. 17, 1991, Iraq, with a population of more than 22 million people, has not had a functioning airport due to the economics sanctions still in place, backed now only by the US and Britain. Ten years! If you go to the most remote and isolated region in the world, you can pretty much bet there will be a functioning airport. And many of you may not even know that the US forbids Americans to travel into Iraq, unless they get State Department approval (which is almost impossible to obtain). Violators are subject to a $500,000 fine for traveling to this country. Nonetheless, despite the risks, I went on this journey. I applied to join the delegation headed by Dr. Jim Jennings who is the founder of the non-governmental organization (NGO), Conscience International. I had many reasons for wanting to go - I desperately wanted to be reunited with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and old elementary school friends from whom I had been separated. I went to visit this land that had given me life and to see the situation for myself. Also, as an international relations and Middle Eastern studies major, I went because of my academic interest in Iraq. What I saw was very startling. It cannot be denied that the sanctions have crippled the Iraqi people, especially the most vulnerable. The economy is in shambles. Before the Gulf War, an Iraqi dinar was worth about three dollars. Today one dollar is equal to about 1800 Iraqi dinars. People walk around with boxes or bags full of money to make their daily purchases, that is if they have any money at all. A teacher I met gets paid about $15 a month. This is not at all sufficient to fulfill her monthly needs for one trip to the market - a look at the prices clearly proves that. There is massive unemployment. People have been forced to many levels of desperation simply to survive under such conditions. You see many bazaars where people come to sell off their belongings, their rugs, refrigerators, books etc. You see beggars of all ages on the streets. I went to visit hospitals with the delegation. Since I could hardly handle the things I saw while just walking down the street, I had an extremely difficult time at the hospitals. So, I stayed crouched outside the patient rooms as delegation members were shown around. I closed my eyes so as not to see anything and even blocked my ears. But I would sometimes hear a doctor say the names of the disease the patients had and the prognosis. There were a lot of cancer cases, especially concerning children. Many of the patients' futures seemed uncertain since either equipment or the proper medicine was absent. The UN Oil-for-Food Program, which grants Iraq permission to buy food and medicine in place of its oil sales, has not been successful at providing the desperately needed medicines and equipment to Iraq. Most people do not know that this program is not only very inefficient, but also has put on hold millions if not billions of dollars worth of Iraqi orders some of which include medicines needed for chemotherapy. The economic sanctions also forbid Iraq to import morphine, leaving cancer sufferers at the mercy of pain. A visit to the UN in Baghdad, where my aunt works for Oil-for-Food, allowed me to view these backed up orders. In one case, a water purifier has taken more than two years since it was ordered to get approval before finally arriving in Iraq. When I was in school, Iraq was taking huge leaps in regards to its educational system. There were always massive literacy and reading campaigns launched by the government. I often went to book readings put in place by the Iraq ministry of education where we were given free books printed and written in Iraq. Now many children have just stopped going to school. As I took a walk one day with another delegation member in the streets of Baghdad, an 8-year-old child began speaking with us. I knew it was time for mid-term exams and I asked him how he did. He responded to me by telling me that he had quit school. His father who was educated did not see that it was worth it. In Iraq, there is a severe lack of new textbooks, desks, blackboards, never mind computers or the internet. This reality pained me more than anything else. Iraq has always invested and prided itself in its educated citizens. As a child, my parents always pushed education more than anything else. Across the Arab world there is a saying, "Egypt writes, Lebanon publishes and Iraq reads." These economic sanctions do more than starve the Iraqi people physically. To me it is even a bigger crime to deny one the book. Iraq is the cradle of civilization, and this is where the written word was first invented! And what about Saddam Hussein? He has suffocating control over Iraq. I could feel the grip of his power everywhere that I went. The sanctions have strengthened Saddam's elite and actually helped increase the Baathi regime's control. Certainly, Saddam Hussein is a huge contributor to the suffering of the Iraqi people. I will not lie to you about that. But he uses the sanctions to achieve his own ends just as the US does. And he can do so and not take the blame since he can demonize the United States and point the finger at them. After all, if there is no medicine in Iraq, he can say it is not because he is a ruthless dictator, but instead that the economic sanctions simply do not allow him access to it. Both sides, Saddam's and the US', have dirtied their hands with innocent people's blood. Many people continue to be silent and no one speaks on behalf of these forgotten victims. As both an American and an Iraqi, as well as a citizen of this world, I want to break the silence and speak on their behalf. All of us have a responsibility now, as the focus is shifted to Iraq, to use public pressure to influence future US policy regarding Iraq.Rana Abdul-Aziz is a sophomore majoring in international relations and Middle Eastern studies.

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Student Services website helps students carpool

March 31

Student Services launched the Share a Ride service before winter break to provide students with the ability to find or offer a ride home. While a limited students number took advantage of Share a Ride this semester, Manager of Student Services JoAnn Smith is confident that the service will become more popular once with more publicity. A link on the Student Services website enabled students to submit requests or offers, which were then posted on a bulletin board in Dowling Hall. No one knows, however, if additional students got connections after seeing the bulletin board and bypassing the online request form. Overall, 37 students used the service, but there was no way to calculate how many were able to arrange carpools since they were left on their own to contact each other. The disproportion between the number of students offering and seeking a ride - only six drivers posted on the website - may have posed an obstacle to users. "I think once students are more aware of our commitment to provide all kinds of services to the students and that we listen to their suggestions, [then] this service could be successful," Smith said. The idea for Share a Ride board came from a request of a student to Dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs Kristine Dillon. Student Services then worked with a technology team to get the service accessible to students via their website. "We thought if we could make it easier for students to indicate their willingness to either provide a ride or need a ride then that's very much in line with what we are trying to do - facilitate an improved environment," Dillon said. The Share a Ride service will be offered for spring break, as well as for students leaving for summer recess.

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Friends for life... or bitter enemies?

March 31

Do you smoke? Are you a morning person? Do you need complete silence while studying? Think way back _ to the summer before freshman year. At some point, you received a piece of mail containing a sheet of paper asking some of these questions, and maybe a couple more. The questionnaire was supposed to ensure that your roommate for the coming year would be someone you could live with peaceably. So why is the freshman roommate horror story such a familiar one? Maybe it wasn't (or isn't, for those freshmen) so bad. You had your share of arguments _ whose turn it was to fill the Brita, who left the wet towel on your bed, who tracked mud across the carpet _ but in general, you got along. You laughed, you cried, you watched out for each other. But when the time came to decide on housing for sophomore year, it never even occurred to either of you to live together again. One female sophomore 'got along' with her roommate, but the two weren't exactly best friends. "In general, we were very different in terms of personalities and backgrounds," she said. "We tolerated each other." Entering a new environment, sometimes very far away from home, college freshmen usually look to their roommates for some level of comfort or a sense of home. It's nice when roommates get along with each other, but most hope to develop real friendships. The sophomore wishes she and her roommate had been able to develop a closer friendship, something beyond mere 'tolerance.' "I'm fairly tolerant of people, but it would have been nice to have someone closer to me in terms of personality _ it would have made my freshman year a whole lot nicer," she said. Sophomore Eva Guy and her freshman roommate shared many of the same interests and took some of the same classes, which might have led to a potential overload, but she insists that they didn't get sick of each other. "We weren't around each other all the time," she said. "We were really considerate of each other and we didn't have any major problems." The two were also lucky that they shared similar bedtimes. Unlike many college students, Guy said that she and her roommate both went to bed around 11:30 p.m. most nights. "That's pretty early for a college student, and it's rare to find someone else that goes to bed that early," Guy said. Although the two got along pretty well, they decided against rooming together this year. On the other hand, sophomore Matt Alford had such a positive experience with his freshman year roommate that they decided to live together again. "I feel really lucky that I got a roommate that I'm so compatible with," he said. "But part of the reason we get along so well is because, in some ways, we're very different people, in personality aspects." Beyond just "getting along," the two became good friends during their freshman year, developing the same group of friends. "We both had similar social expectations from college," Alford said, describing their similar stances on partying and social lives. After a pleasant year, the two returned to campus last fall to share a room once again. "Halfway through second semester last year, we just kind of decided since we had something that worked, why change it?" he said. Realizing that freshmen must share a very cramped space with a stranger for nine months, colleges try to pair up students with compatibility in mind. But does Tufts do enough to try to make sure that its first-year students will enjoy an amicable living situation? When sophomore Jeremy White received the roommate survey the summer before his freshman year, it wasn't exactly what he envisioned. "I was amazed that that was all they asked; that they matched people up based on that," he said. Although he thought that the questions asked were important ones, he didn't feel that the questionnaire was sufficient. Luckily, he and his roommate had a pretty easy time together last year. "We got along with each other," White said. "We both really tried not to step on each other's feet." For one transfer student, the survey didn't help at all. The sophomore arrived last fall to meet her new roommate, another transfer student, and found they had irreconcilable differences that the survey should have prevented. "We had completely different schedules, and she was a smoker and I wasn't," she said. "I guess they didn't even look at the surveys." Three weeks into the semester, the sophomore and her new roommate switched spaces with a couple of girls down the hall. Although they decided to swap rooms, she said that the two parted on good terms. "We got along, and we were friends and everything. We just both knew that it wasn't going to work out for either of us," she said. And as for the survey? "I think the questions are enough, but they have to actually look at them," the sophomore said, laughing. "It's really hard to place people exactly where they want to be." "I think it's a hit-or-miss situation," Guy said. "The big things, like smoking and sleeping habits, they already ask about, but in terms of personality, you can't really tell." Although Alford had a more positive freshman-roommate experiences, he thinks the survey needs to be amended. "I think it needs to be more detailed," he said. He suggested questions that cover study and lifestyle habits more thoroughly. "There's more dynamics to a roommate relationship than whether or not you smoke or stay up late," he pointed out.

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Newbury Street turns into a haven of traditional and contemporary art

March 31

Take four eclectic artists and squeeze their wildly varying visions of 18th-century Spain, landscapes, inked wire creations, and household objects into two Newbury Street museums, and what you get is a Groundhog's Day weekend filled with brand new art to help brighten up the dreary weather.Let's begin our weekend art excursion at the Chase Gallery, which features the new works of Francisco Benítez and Allen Whiting through Feb. 27. Benítez' far-flung life - which has included stints in New York City, France, Spain, and a Native American Reservation - is the main inspiration for his richly colorful and intense work. He takes the training he gained at the classically oriented St. John's College and the Art Students League in New York, and infuses it with intense lighting, elegance, and a uniquely contemporary edge. Consider it an homage to history, art, and creativity all in one.Whiting, a Martha's Vineyard native, gives new meaning to the typical landscape work by using the vibrant color and unique light of his own home. For those that have never been to the Vineyard, Whiting's paintings offer a personal insight from a man who knows it better than most. If you're not convinced, check out the list of big names who have picked up the artist's work - it ranges from James Taylor to Diane Sawyer to Martha's Vineyard's second biggest fan, former president Bill Clinton. And the Chase Gallery appreciates his work as well - this will be Whiting's ninth show there.Next stop: Gallery NAGA, just down the road, where the art is a bit more contemporary and a bit less rooted in tradition. Here you'll find new bodies of work from Yizhak Elyashiv and Stuart Ober, featured until Feb. 24.Elyashiv is used to working on a rather large format - his six-by-ten-foot prints have been collected by major museums for a while now. The work featured at Gallery NAGA, however, brings down the girth by nine-tenths to make an innovative new form of expression. The final product includes images formed by inked expanses of wire pressed down upon a field of precise lines. It sounds confusing - and it is - but there's a message behind the madness. It's a mixture of spontaneity and rigidity, of haphazardness with the ordinary... and is a sight to behold. The exhibit is worth checking out, if only to decipher the meaning for yourself.Ober, a self-taught artist, deals with subjects that aren't quite as abstract at first glance. A well-known painter of household objects in less-than-normal circumstances, Ober's latest works feature unplugged lamps emanating light, comfy armchairs atop dining tables, and vegetables scattered upon an ornamental mantle. It's quirkiness mixed with delicate strokes and soft, simple color - fun and art in a blissful combination. A reception for both artists and the public will be held tonight, from 6 to 8 p.m.The Chase Gallery is located at 129 Newbury Street. The Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call 617-859-7222 for more information. Gallery NAGA Fine Art, Inc. is located at 67 Newbury Street. Gallery NAGA is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 617-267-9060 for information.

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Popping pills or peeling bananas?

March 31

For the general public, keeping healthy means popping pills, not eating right. Rather than maintaining a healthy diet and staying fit, most people want to know which supplements and vitamins to take. The numbers tell a similar story - 50 percent of adults take a vitamin or mineral supplement everyday, while only 24 percent eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The general public has added a new food group - dietary supplements - to "a well-balanced diet." The fact is, Americans much prefer popping pills to peeling bananas. But there is sound reasoning why experts have not created a supplement food group and why no such category exists in the Food Guide Pyramid. "Dietary supplements are just what they say they are... they are supplements to, not substitutes for, a healthy diet," said Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, associate director of the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. A principle concern is the safety of supplements, which is determined by the manufacturers, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no power under current regulations to control what goes on store shelves. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), dietary supplement manufacturers can market an unlimited number of health products equipped with optimistic labels that promise consumers better health, without ever to proving scientifically their effectiveness. Since DSHEA, countless products have hit the market and will remain in pharmacies and supermarkets until the FDA garners sufficient evidence to prove the product unsafe. In other words, they are innocent until proven guilty, safe until proven harmful. Unfortunately, with limited staff and resources at the FDA, careful oversight rarely occurs, and products that may be dangerous remain in stores indefinitely. While over-the-counter drugs are subject to stringent testing to prove their safety and efficacy, dietary supplements, often used in the same manner and for the same purposes, are not subject to any of these mandatory tests, according to DSHEA. Although the FDA does not allow supplement labels to bear claims of preventing, curing, or mitigating disease, they are allowed to make so-called "structure/function" assertions without any government approval. There is fine line between a structure/function claim and a health claim, and the public often cannot discern the difference. For example, a structure/function claim may state that a supplement "helps maintain a healthy immune system," whereas a health claim would say, "strengthens your immune system." The difference lies in the words maintains versus strengthens, but most consumers don't pick up on such subtleties. In February 2000, the FDA issued a new ruling stating that common conditions, such as aging and pregnancy, will be classified as normal life stages, not diseases, and as such are allowed to be included on labels of dietary supplements without prior approval. Furthermore, supplement labels are not required to show the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of each nutrient contained in the product. Additionally, the upper intake limit - the greatest amount of a particular nutrient that is considered safe to ingest each day - is also left off supplement labels. Some dietary supplements may contain three times the RDA of a particular vitamin or mineral, which could lead to toxicity in the body. Because Americans are inclined to seek the quick fix - a super pill or food that will protect them from all of life's ills and/or extend their lives - supplements become a popular health threat. Theoretically, it would be great if a pill could do all of this. But in reality, the best way to fight cancer and ward off heart disease and other ailments is through healthy foods and an active lifestyle. Even with today's science and technology, researchers cannot conclusively say that any individual vitamin or mineral can cure or treat a disease. What they can say; however, is that by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and your level of physical activity, you can cut your risk of disease dramatically. Food is the best source of vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds to help you stay healthy and fight disease, nutrition experts say. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain a multitude of essential and non-essential nutrients - in the amounts that nature intended. The right foods are just about the closest thing we can get to the magic bullet for health. It never hurts to take a multivitamin, but for optimal health our bodies need over 40 essential nutrients. Eating a wide variety of foods from each of the food groups ensures getting the necessary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as other substances called phytochemicals, which have disease-fighting abilities. The option is yours. Either drop $20 on a bottle of expensive pills that probably won't stand up to its claims or stop by your local grocer and pay 50 cents for a piece of fruit that will live up to its health benefits.Elizabeth Gilbert is a graduate student studying nutrition communication at Tufts' School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

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Comedies, tragedies... vaginas?

March 31

The Balch Arena Theater and Cohen Auditorium are among the busiest locations on campus, all due to the creative efforts of both the drama department and various student-run performance groups. This semester will be no different, with scheduled productions ranging from Greek tragedies to timeless musicals. Here's a quick glance at each of the upcoming productions:Crazed Women (The Bakkhai of Euripides) Translated and Directed by: Laurence Senelick When: Feb. 15-17 and Feb. 22-24, 2001 The drama department opens its Spring 2001 season with this classic Greek tragedy. The play explores atheism through the arrival of the Son of God and the messages he brings to the mortals. Although he is fervently embraced by a group of women, the authorities seek to put an end to what they believe are his insurgent teachings. This, of course, is easier said than done, and the conflict leaves the town forever changed.The Vagina Monologues Written by: Eve Ensler When: Feb. 18, 2001 The theatre community has been buzzing about The Vagina Monologues since its Off-Broadway debut in 1999. This semester, the controversial yet comedic production comes to Tufts for a day. The play consists of a series of interviews with a diverse group of women concerning their vaginas. The result is a new outlook on both life and the world that surrounds us - thanks to women who, rather than keeping quiet, raised their voices, made some noise, and let everyone know what it means to be female. On The Verge Written by: Eric Overmyer Directed by: Paula T. Alekson When: Mar. 8-9, 2001 Pen, Paint, and Pretzels, Tufts' all-encompassing theater group, is out to tickle your funny bone and stimulate your brain cells this semester. Overmyer has been hailed as a brilliant playwright, and On The Verge is one of the greatest examples of his talent. In this play, the audience witnesses the journey of three Victorian women through jungles, space, and time. They conquer every hardship and survive every bump in the road, making the audience laugh along the way. West Side Story Music and Lyrics by: Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim Directed by: Kalinda Vazquez When: Apr. 12-14 West Side Story is perhaps one of the most cherished and familiar of modern love stories, thanks to countless performances of the musical and the ever-popular movie version released in 1961. Torn Ticket II brings this modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in 1950s New York City to life. With gang rivalry, fated love, and Bernstein's magical music, West Side Story has a little something for everyone. Tales of the Lost Formicans Written by: Constance Congdon Directed by: Barbara W. Grossman When: April 17-22, 2001 Spring 2001 will go out with a bang when local talent comes to Tufts with this drama department production. An awarding-winning Massachusetts playwright, Congdon uses a blend of sci-fi and dark comedy to bring to life the nature of modern American angst. Aliens, the American dream, and family crisis collide in a way that will ultimately force you to question the meaning and importance of your own life yet still make you laugh along the way. What about everyone's favorite children's theatre group, Traveling Treasure Trunk? In addition to making its usual rounds at local hospitals and schools, you'll be able to find the group at the Leonard Carmichael Society's "Faculty Waits on You" dinner on Feb. 21 and "Kid's Day" on Apr. 7. A spring break road trip is in the works, and keep an eye out for the group's end-of-semester on-campus show in April or May.

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Akouk to serve 40-45 years for BU rape

March 31

Abdelmajid Akouk was found guilty last Friday of raping a former Boston University (BU) student in her dormitory in September, 1999. Suffolk Superior Court Judge James McDaniel sentenced Akouk to 40-45 years in prison after his conviction on the six charges brought against him. After more than two days of deliberations, the jury of seven women and five men found the 33-year old South Boston resident guilty of two counts of aggravated rape, threatening, kidnapping, and home invasion. They also convicted him for indecent assault and battery against a 19-year old Emmanuel College student from a separate incident the morning after the rape. Both the rape victim and Emmanuel College student who was groped by Akouk while walking with friends along Ipswich Street took the stand one last time during the sentencing hearing on Friday. "I feel as if I have lived life ten times to see all the pain and hurt there is in the world," said the rape victim, who is now a sophomore at the University of Buffalo. "It's all written in my heart and in my mind. No amount of tears can wash it away." The Emmanuel student said she was lucky compared to Akouk's other victim. "Although I was not physically hurt by the defendant, I was violated," she said. "For what the defendant, did he should serve the maximum sentence. His actions will not be forgotten." The prosecution, led by Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, sought two consecutive life sentences for the two counts of rape, and an additional 33-40 years for the remaining offenses. Zabin cited the violent nature of the crimes and the potential for Akouk to strike again as reasons that the conviction warranted the maximum sentence. The defense suggested that the sentences be served concurrently for a total of 20 years, citing Akouk's clean record as well as his good reputation - as evidenced in letters from his co-workers - as reasons to lessen the punishment. Members of the BU community seemed satisfied with the jury's verdict and Akouk's sentence, and were confident that the evidence in the case clearly proved Akouk's guilt. "We as a university are very pleased with the verdict and the outstanding job of the patrol officers, from the apprehension and arrest to the subsequent investigation that led to a successful prosecution," said BU Assistant Director of Public Relations Colin Riley. "Justice was served in this case and we commend the victim who stayed strong throughout this terrible situation." "The evidence was clear," freshman Sunita Khosa told the BU Daily Free Press. "If he walked up to her, it's not like she was going to say 'Oh yeah, let's go back to my room and have sex.' I don't think that would happen."

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Ben Harper burns one down

March 31

Thousands lined up outside of Brandeis University's Shapiro Gym, seeking refuge from the below-freezing air. Others wandered around in desperate search of tickets, blatantly ignoring the handmade "SOLD OUT" signs taped to the gym's walls. Amidst the promise of ensuing mayhem, human rights protestors handed out cherry lollipops, buttons, and cups of matzoh ball soup. The chaos would soon be silenced by the astonishing talent of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, the four-piece soul-folk-rock outfit that has astonished both critics and fans for years. First, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson warmed up the crowd. Both his vocal and guitar styles were sincere, but Johnson's drummer overplayed his role. Bassist Merlo used a unique style of playing high on the bass's neck, an octave above its normal range. Johnson included songs from his recent debut, Brushfire Fairytales, as well as the hit "Rodeo Clowns," which he "wrote with [his] friend, G. Love." This more familiar number got the crowd dancing. The Innocent Criminals took the stage shortly after 9 p.m. Each member brought his own unique persona to the group's undeniably powerful stage presence. Bassist Juan Nelson trundled onstage. A short, stocky African-American man who weighs about 300 pounds and sports an enormous afro, Nelson evokes comparisons to Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor. His constant hip-shaking and intense facial expressions add credence to the comparison; Nelson knows how to use his personality and appearance to wake up a crowd. But his incomparable skill on the five-string bass is what any concert-goer will remember about him. Drummer Dean Butterworth climbed up behind his tremendous drum kit. Wearing his long black hair under a headband, he waved to the crowd from between rows of shimmering cymbals. Butterworth never comes onstage wearing a shirt. In fact, his incredibly muscular body and decorative tattoos make him look more like a porn star than a drummer. Like Nelson, however, it is Butterworth's phenomenal drumming ability that replaces any preconceptions the audience may have had. David Leach waved to the already-charged crowd and joined his incomprehensibly large array of percussive instruments: cowbells, cymbals, wind chimes, steel drums, a strap-on conga, and more. Wearing a bright red T-shirt, eyeglasses, and his hair in dreadlocks that reached down to his chest, Leach looked like a Rastafarian preacher. For the two-hour set, Leach's accessory percussion added punctuation to the group's songs, while helping to power Butterworth's drum solos. Once the talented band had assembled onstage, the group's true star emerged. Wearing his puffy hair in a red, white, and blue headband, Ben Harper smilingly walked onto stage in a 1970s vintage American Basketball Association T-shirt. Though he had not yet played a single note, the crowd roared deafeningly. He laughed and waved, climbed up onto his signature chair-on-a-platform, and launched into the first part of his two hour set. Early on, Harper included an extended version of "Burn One Down." The screaming crowd sung along to every word. Teary-eyed fans shouted and jumped against the steel barricades that held them back from the stage. After the ending of this mellow number, Harper traded in his acoustic guitar for a double-necked Gibson SG. He played an amazing slide-guitar intro on the top neck, then launched into his smash hit "Burn To Shine" using the lower neck. The Shapiro Gym, filled with a mix of college students from local schools as well as a considerable number of older fans, ignited. Concert-goers screamed, shouted, jumped, and sang, only to find their intense energy level matched by the performers onstage. Harper interrupted his set when an inflatable penguin hovering above the heads in the crowd caught his eye. He requested that the penguin be passed forward to him, then told the crowd a story about being repeatedly nibbled on by a penguin while swimming in Australia. "He was a cheeky little bastard; he kept coming back," Harper said. As much as he appreciated the inflatable gift, he humorously made sure that he remained the center of attention: "I'm not gonna let the penguin steal the show; I'm not gonna put it up on the amp or anything." After the penguin episode, the band launched back into its electric set, which culminated with "I'll Rise." The powerful number included a joint solo by Butterworth and Leach. As Leach demonstrated a deep-rooted knowledge of his instruments, Leach utilized his double-bass pedal to fill the Shapiro Gym with a thumping rhythm. Everyone in the building felt the aural pummeling in their chests, and Butterworth's steadiness on the bass drum remained steadfast even as he completed incomprehensibly fast rolls on the toms and snare. Suddenly, strobe lights began to flash in sync with Butterworth's beat. Just when the multi-sensory assault began to disorient the crowd, the band launched back into the song. Harper's down-tuned lap steel and Nelson's five-string bass resumed their rumbling, almost heavy metal melody. Suddenly, Harper put down his lap steel and stood up, his right fist clenched and extended into the air. He incited the crowd to chant "I'll rise" with him. After a minute or so of chanting, the band left the stage amidst a wall of feedback. Without waiting ten seconds, the crowd began pounding the gym's floor, desperate for more. Harper came onstage alone and picked up an acoustic guitar. He played a 25-minute acoustic set that included a handful of his more delicate love songs, as well as "Indifference" by Pearl Jam. The crowd remained silent and still for each acoustic song, then roared when Harper finished playing them. "You guys are the best; I'm just gonna keep playing," Harper said. However, he left shortly thereafter. The house lights didn't go on, and the audience knew it was in for an incredible finale. Soon, the Innocent Criminals joined Harper on stage. Leach and Butterworth laid down the beat for smash hit "Steal My Kisses," and Nelson, using the palm of his hand on the strings of his bass, mimicked turntable scratching. Harper joined his rhythm section, but it was Nelson's bass solo that stole the show. He demonstrated every single bass technique - from slapping and popping to bending and sliding - with the utmost expertise. Knowing he had the crowd's full attention, Harper then articulated his views concerning the spiritual side of his songs. "There's one voice I answer to, and that's God," he said. "There's no one denomination, no religion, no race, no gender. I'm down with Judaism, I'm down with Buddhism, I'm down with Catholicism, I'm down with Christianity." Musicians often become bombastic and arrogant when addressing their audiences, but Harper's brief speech was heartfelt, even moving. For the show's finale, Harper pulled out an electric lap steel and launched into "Faded," a rollicking hard rock number. In the middle of this song he inserted his now-famous cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Harper slapped and pounded the strings on his instrument as he played every note of Jimmy Page's challenging guitar solo. He even went so far as to include a verse from obscure Led Zeppelin song "Hats Off To Harper" before returning to the last verse of "Faded." Clutching a watercolor portrait of himself that an audience member had given to him, Harper left the stage, seemingly oblivious to the ear-splitting roar of the audience and his still-screaming lap steel. The Innocent Criminals walked across the stage, tossing out drumsticks and towels to the waiting crowd. After pounding the gong on Leach's percussion set, Nelson was the last to walk offstage. The stunned, sweaty crowd, now sure that the performance had finally concluded, filed out into the cold of the February night.

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Scared of the opera?

March 31

There's something so enchanting about an opera - the lavish costumes, the immense sets, the dramatic music, the spectacle of it all - that draws the audience in by attracting all the senses. But opera, when performed as a form of high art at venues such as the Met in New York or the Bastille Opera House in Paris, can be daunting for first-timers. Even the Met's production of Hansel and Gretel, intended for children, came off as intimidatingly artistic and cultured. Fear not, Bostonians, for we have our own solution to this problem - the Boston Lyric Opera. The beauty of the BLO is that it presents to its audience well-known operas in an easy-to-swallow form. Though not necessarily on par with the level of haute-couture one might find in operas elsewhere, it is precisely this lack of pretension that makes the BLO's performances so accessible. You might not be moved to tears like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, but you may be inspired to offer a standing ovation in homage to the pool of talent from which the BLO draws. This is especially true for its newest production of Gaetano Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment. The production lacks the sheer size one usually associates with opera - the sets are impressive, but not as imposing as they might be on a larger stage, and the chorus is often drowned out by the orchestra at key dramatic points. However, this opera comique does not require the massive emotions of a work like Carmen, and goes well with the BLO's cast and the modest Schubert Theatre. One of the major inhibitors to layman's appreciation of opera is the language barrier. Most operas are written in Italian or French, and often, even when translated into English are difficult to understand. Most opera houses are now equipped with teleprompters projecting subtitles toward the audience for their edification, and the Shubert is no exception. The BLO, however, has gone an extra step by not only performing an English translation of the French opera, but also by eliminating most of the libretto in favor of unaccompanied spoken word. The result is a much clearer presentation, though some of the dreamy "operatic" experience is lost. The spoken lines - combined with the fact that Daughter of the Regiment is a comedy - make this production more similar to a Gilbert and Sullivan piece or a Broadway musical than a bona fide opera. Just as every firehouse has its dalmatian, so the Twenty-First regiment has its daughter, Marie. In Daughter of the Regiment, the "Bad News Bears" of Napoleon's troops adopt orphaned Marie, played by soprano Tracy Dahl, and raise her in the manner befitting a soldier: she drinks, burps, swears, and sings just like all of her fathers. When a peasant in the Tyrolean Alps of Bavaria saves her from a perilous fall, she stumbles into love and vows to marry Tonio, her savior, played by tenor Theodore Green. As there would be no drama without conflict, their budding romance is met by the resistance of an army of Marie's fathers, who claim that Army regulation forbids Marie from marrying outside the Twenty-First. As to the fact that the arrangement implies marriage to one of her fathers, the commander of the regiment, Sargeant Sulpice, played by bass-baritone Donald Sherrill, claims they haven't quite worked that part out yet. But it seems as if Tonio has, and he readily enlists in the undefeated Twenty-First as a grenadier and prepares to take Marie for his wife. However, circumstances reveal that Marie is related to The Marquise of Berkenfeld, played by mezzo-soprano Dorothy Byrne, a local noblewoman who insists on saving Marie from the disrespectful life of an army-brat and bringing the young girl back to her castle where she will be married to a suitable nobleman. Just before Marie is to sign the marriage contract that will end her life as she knows it and renew the fortune of the old maid Marquise, Tonio rallies the troops to interrupt the introduction and convince the Marquise that true love is more important than social class. Moved, the Marquise reveals that she is Marie's mother. When she mets Marie's father, a grenadier in the Twenty-First, she fell for him and learned the importance of true love - they sincerely meant to marry, but she recalls that it just kept slipping their minds. So she allows Marie and Tonio to marry, and they all live happily ever after. Dahl's spunky and spoiled Marie shines in the spotlight, with a rich and light soprano that lends itself to both dynamic duets with Sulpice and dramatic arias in which she laments her tumultuous love. Green plays Tonio equally as well, particularly in his duets with Marie. He sings in an almost forced and staid manner, mocking both the genre and his character while still remaining true to the text. The two share lilting duets and do so with the same self-conscious sense of humor that pervades the rest of the opera. The youthfulness of the production allows for a certain degree of self-consciousness through which Daughter of the Regiment almost makes fun of itself. With an energetic and enthusiastic cast, pastel Easter egg-colored costumes, humorous songs and entertaining choreography, BLO's production of Daughter of the Regiment is a great opera for first-timers, or those who prefer to avoid the stuffier venues.

The Setonian
News

Forming a sisterhood

March 31

As a freshman, junior Erin Blum didn't intend to join a sorority. However, she decided to give Greek life a try and rushed to meet some new people. The now-president of Alpha Omicron Pi (AOPi) ended up loving it."When I came to college, it was the last thing on my mind. I didn't know if I wanted to be a sorority girl," she said. "But we did a lot of really fun things and I decided I really liked it."This semester, over 100 girls expect to wear some ridiculous outfits, possibly make a scene or two, form close ties, and make a decision which will affect the rest of their college careers. They are the new sorority rushees and they entered rush this past Sunday. This year's rush will take new measures to recruit pledges, in order to raise the number of students in the system. In order to give every house a fair shot at garnering interest among rushees, the Pan-Hellenic Council made a few changes to rush this year, creating a more neutral, less competitive process. "We're trying to maintain neutrality from every house...and not talk up any house more than any other," said sophomore Andrea Perry, president of Alpha Phi. One of these changes occurred on Pan-Hellenic Day two days ago, during which representatives of the houses didn't actually discuss which house they were in. Except for the presidents of each house, the sisters will not reveal that information for as long as possible. This system, sophomore Carrie Gagel, president of Chi Omega, said is "probably a very good idea...so no rushees will get ideas of the houses before they've met all the sisters." The number of rushees, Perry said, is a concern for all of the sororities. "Possibly sorority life in general might be less of an interest," Perry said, though she added that "we've actually had more rushees register this year...than we've had in a while." Some freshman rushees acknowledge that they have heard some negative opinions and rumors about the Greek system, but that their contact with sisters has always been positive. Freshman Allison Cohen, who is rushing to meet new people, said that the sorority system seems more casual than other schools' systems. "[The system] seems a little low-key. I like that better," she said, adding that she doesn't see "the stereotypical sorority girl" at Tufts. "The girls seem pretty nice," she said. Freshman Amanda Selden's cousin was in a sorority during her four years at Tufts, and found the experience exciting and rewarding, though Selden has also heard the opposite. "I've heard different things. People who are in [sororities] all love it, but other people stereotype it as a bad thing," she said. Other freshman rushees have found that everyone seems to have a different story about the Greek system. "What I've heard is [the sorority system] is a conformist system. I haven't heard too many good things," said freshman Lisa Sahegian, a rushee. "It really depends who I talk to. People who have actually been in [sororities] say good things and seem to have a more positive opinion." Gagel doesn't think these stereotypes actually deter rushees too much. "I think it does" have a slightly negative affect, she said, "but once [the rushees] get a chance to meet everyone, they know that the stereotypes are just that - stereotypes - and they realize that we're real people." Blum has found that these stereotypes circulate because of bad press from other schools. "At schools where the Greek system is really a big thing, [when] there is something big in the news about Greeks, it is something bad," Blum said. "[Media] never put in when a sorority does something good." Stories like these then affect other schools' systems, she said. "[Bad press] hurts the Greek system as a whole in the nation. It's rubbing off a little everywhere," Blum added. In order to combat negativity, the sororities are working together as a close group. The stereotypes about and divisions between specific houses are not really noticeable or true, Perry said. "When I was outside the system, I couldn't tell one house from another," she said. Once she officially entered the system, she did start to see those differences, but now as president, "the stereotypes are beginning to fade away. We're all pretty similar...that's how I felt in the beginning." Blum voices a similar perception of the sorority scene. "I think there's definitely more of a emphasis on a cohesive unit at Tufts than other campuses. We all try to maintain unity," she said. "We steer away from [having] competition among the three houses. There's distinctions among the houses, but we all have the same interests and want to do the same things," Blum added.

The Setonian
News

Another look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

March 31

As a parent of a Tufts undergraduate, I must say that I have been increasingly troubled by the anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic rhetoric of the recent months. There has been an abundance of slanted reporting and many misleading news reports, and many Tufts students have been taken in by these accounts. First, I think that we need to gain a true historical perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. It is named over 700 times in the Tanakh, while not even one time is it mentioned in the Koran, nor did Mohammed ever visit Jerusalem. In fact, Jews pray facing Jerusalem, while Muslims pray facing toward Mecca. While East Jerusalem was under Arab control, Jews were not even allowed to visit this most holy place to them. In contrast, Israel has never denied any religion the right to visit their holy sites. Israel has shown its interest in forging a peace at many times in history. Although goaded more than once into a war that it did not provoke, Israel has given much of the land seized, such as the Sinai Peninsula, back to the Arabs. How many nations engaged similarly in such a war have ever done the same?All that being said, it is understandable that the Arabs would like to remain in the land where they have lived for so long. If that is the case, why did over 600,000 Palestinians flee the newly formed state in 1948? In that year, David Ben-Gurion reached out to what was to be a Palestinian state. However, not only did Arab leaders encourage these refugees to leave, but they sent soldiers to crush Israel. The Palestinian refugees were persuaded to leave by their leaders, with promises of being able to return after Israel was defeated. And by the way, why hasn't even one of the surrounding eight Arab countries ever offered to take in these refugees? Could it be that they serve more political use by being intentionally allowed to remain in refugee camps? In contrast, a similar number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands have been absorbed and welcomed into Israel. These Jewish refugees were not encouraged to leave their native countries with promises of being able to return at some future date when the government would be given over to them. Rather, they were forced out because of brutal and tyrannical leadership. And while we are on the subject of brutality, the news media are vastly slanted. With even just the phrase "hard-liner Sharon," the bias is apparent. How has he shown himself to be a hard-liner since the election? If anything, he has shown immeasurable restraint. Not once has the Israeli army, unlike the Arabs, set their sights on ordinary citizens, infants, or children. Many innocent people have been intentionally targeted by Arab murderers, like the Israeli mother and doctor who were killed or the young schoolchildren who lost their legs when their school bus was attacked. Their only crime was to be traveling back and forth to their homes in Hebron. Or what about the fifteen-month and ten-month-old babies who were purposely killed by snipers? And the religious students standing and waiting for a bus who were killed and maimed? Their only crime was to be visibly Jewish and waiting to travel to their places of study. In contrast, Israeli soldiers have only responded when attacked or have ruined facilities where weapons were being produced.And how about the media who show Arab children throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers? Do they show the adults who, in such a spineless manner, are standing behind these children with guns? Very often, these cowards plant themselves in front of places of worship or schools so as to give the impression that the Israeli soldiers are firing on these buildings. And by the way, what kind of parents would allow their children to throw rocks at soldiers, anyway? And why aren't these children in school? And speaking of schools, many Americans do not realize that Arab textbooks themselves call for the destruction of Israel, while Israeli textbooks have been revised to make them more sensitive to the plight of the Palestinians. How can children brought up with this kind of hatred and prejudice ever even begin to think about living in peace with their Jewish neighbors?I am beginning to come to the sad conclusion that the Palestinian leadership does not truly want peace. What other inference can I make? When Ehud Barak was ready to give up more than most ever dreamed Israel would concede, and his offers were turned down by Yassar Arafat, what other assumption can I make? When faced with a reality of peace, Arafat knew that the fanatics in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) would never agree to any concessions, so what did he do? He used the excuse of Ariel Sharon walking, yes, only walking, on the Temple Mount to launch his newest intifada. Now the Israelis, who at one time had so much hope for peace, have turned away from these blanket concessions given with no Arab assurances, and have turned to Sharon with the hope that he can stop the bloodshed. Mothers are tired of seeing their sons killed and maimed.Yes, the Israelis want to live in peace, as do many of the Palestinians, too, I am sure. However, not until the Arab leaders end the wanton bloodshed, the manipulation of their own people, and remove from the PLO charter the destruction of the state of Israel can they demonstrate that they truly want peace. And not until then can it happen.Ellen Metzger is the parent of a Tufts undergradaute.

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