Archives

News

Driving on the Hill

March 31

When people think of college, they dream of independence and freedom. But when some arrive, they often come to question just how independent they can be without a car. At Tufts, many students, divided on the issue, fall into two groups - freeloading pedestrians and the vehicular enabled. And even the latter category, it should be noted, must deal with a set of grievances tacked on to their freedom: parking charges, parking problems, and car troubles are just some of the dilemmas that plague student drivers. Sophomore Lorraine Sensenig said that for her, bringing a car would be more of a hassle than a convenience. "I live too far," the Maryland native said. "It's a pain to have [a car] on campus if it's not used regularly." But Sensenig admits that there are benefits to having a car. "I think there's no need for it now, but it's an advantage because you can get to places quickly and have more options where to go, and you would never feel isolated on campus," she said. "It would be easier to go to the grocery store," Sensenig added. "I'll eventually bring my car up, for when I live off campus." Many students with cars can hardly imagine life without easy transportation. Erika Darling, a senior, loves having a car on campus. "I live 30 minutes away so it's a convenience to be able to go home," she said. But the costs of having a car do add up. Darling estimates that she spends $100 per month on gas, and spent $320 for the Tufts year-long parking permit. On top of this, Darling had an older car last year and had to pay for regular repairs.For the upcoming academic year, parking permit rates will rise to $360 for residential students and $180 for commuting students. Because of limited parking, freshmen are traditionally not allowed to park on campus except for commuting students and those who have a reasonable excuse, such as an off-campus job. Upperclassmen are granted more options. Sophomores are normally limited to overnight parking in the lot across from Cousens gym, but may be allowed to park elsewhere on campus depending on parking demand. Juniors and seniors are allowed to park in marked lots on campus, but not on the residential streets of Medford and Somerville, where the towns require their own residential parking permits. If a student wanted to obtain a Medford permit, he or she would have to go through a process that involves transferring the car's registration to Medford, as well as switching to Massachusetts driver licenses and plates. Parking on non-residential streets (such as Boston Ave.) without going through the transfer process has traditionally been possible, but it is not always a safe bet. The car can be towed during snow emergencies, and students without permits may still be subject to $15 tickets from local police. Yet many students who have cars at school say they can't live without. Chris Lee, a senior who lives off campus, needs his car to drive to a part-time job. "I hardly bring my car on campus, and if I do it's usually at night when they don't ticket. During the day I just walk to class," Lee said. For freshmen and sophomores living on campus, however, cars are not yet a major concern. "It's definitely not my first priority because it's so easy getting around Boston with the T and taxis, which are cheaper," Bjerke said. "It's nice to have, but not necessarily essential."

---

News

And the beat goes on: health, death, and politics 2001

March 31

Political transformation and transition are typically dictated solely by elections. In the wake of the previous election cycle, we know that even this can become unpredictable. But what happens when an elected official suddenly leaves office, not on his own accord, but rather due to the tenuous circumstances surrounding health problems and death? After the senate elections in Missouri, America can humbly acknowledge that tragedy is pervasive in every facet of society, and its intrusion into politics is often magnified. The ramifications of a politician's death often extend beyond the sorrow and grief of the immediate family, and tend to affect the public as a whole, both emotionally and politically. President Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963 caused an extended period of national mourning. Not since the bombing of Pearl Harbor had America been so infused with grief and mourning, and arguably not since have we been so emotionally united as a nation. But aside from the tragic immediate consequences of his death, there were pertinent political questions that remained unanswered. With the sudden strike of a bullet, the nation lost a leader, and suddenly we had a new president, and the world had a new leader. Political vacuums had to be filled; the transition had to be smooth and without fracture. It was a shock to the Washington establishment used to Kennedy's policies and style of governance, and forced the people and politicians alike to find an allegiance to the new president, Lyndon Johnson. Although the assassination of President Kennedy is one the most extreme examples of political turnaround our nation has known, it highlights the essential aspects of any unexpected transition. Recently, health problems have plagued some of America's most respected and venerable politicians. Local US Representative Joe Moakley (D-MA) recently announced that he's been diagnosed with an incurable form of leukemia, and thus will not be running for reelection in 2002. Rudy Guiliani, mayor of New York, withdrew his candidacy for the New York senate seat due to prostate cancer. But possibly the most dynamic area in politics where health could significantly transform the nation's political landscape is in the senate. Split 50-50, attention has been placed on Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC). A presidential candidate in 1948, Thurmond is now 98 and has been in and out of the hospital over the past couple of years with fainting spells and other medical complications. He has already said he will not run for reelection in 2002, and there are some strong hints he may resign beforehand. The political fodder surrounding his health is quite intriguing. Should he retire due to health complications, or pass away, power in the senate could shift from the Republicans to the Democrats. The governor of South Carolina, Jim Hodges, is a Democrat, and would be hard pressed by the Democratic National Committee to appoint a Democrat to the vacated seat. To counter this, Strom Thurmond actually made a video and sent it the Governor's office stating that if he dies, he wanted his wife to be appointed to the seat. The Governor respectfully declined the request. But should he die, there would be a lot of pressure on Hodges from the South Carolina Democratic Party to appoint a Republican. Why? Appoint a Republican who does not wish to run for reelection so that it doesn't seem like the Democrats stole the seat from the Republicans. Thus, if a Democrat were appointed, it may be harder for that Democrat to win the seat in 2002. There are so many variables surrounding Thurmond's seat that it is rumored there are unofficial contingency plans circulating around some Democratic circles outlining what to do should Thurmond pass away or retire. Along with Thurmond, the health of another aged Republican senator, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, has come into question. The 79-year-old senator has been surrounded with rumors of terminal illness for the past years and an impending retirement due to health complications. On Dec. 7, the rumors got so bad that the Senate office of Jesse Helms had to put out the following press release: Senator Helms is not sick. He is not in the hospital. He is not on life support. He does not have terminal prostate cancer. He does not have pancreatic cancer. He is absolutely fine and will (God willing) be around to torment you for a long time to come. (Taken from the official Jesse Helms website at www.senate.gov). Like Thurmond's situation, a Helms death or vacancy could tilt the power balance of the Senate towards the Democrats, with Democratic Governor Michael Easley appointing a Democrat to the seat. But over the past week, the greatest medical attention in DC has been focused on Vice President Dick Cheney, who suffered yet another cardiac complication. This time, it wasn't a heart attack, but a 90-percent narrowing of an artery that's being supported by a small metal stent. He underwent another angioplasty on Monday, and spent the night in the hospital. Cheney suffered his fourth heart attack in November of 2000, and has had chronic cardiac problems. Although he's been exercising of late, losing some weight and cutting back on certain foods, he still had complications. Doctors said that Cheney had an excellent chance of finishing out the term in good health, though there was a 40 percent chance of further arterial narrowing. This brings to light obvious questions of Cheney's ability to maintain his current rigorous schedule (he has offices on Capital Hill and in the Office of the Vice President, he effectively heads all matters on foreign affairs, and has the tie-breaking 101st vote in the Senate) with his health problems. But an even more important question is: "Would Cheney be fit to be president if, God forbid, George W. Bush should be deemed incapable?" I do not doubt his capabilities as an executive, for he appears to be doing a lot of executive work behind the scenes in the White House. But as far as his health goes, it should really be scrutinized whether he can handle such a stressful job. If the vice president is not capable of being president on a moment's notice, he should not be vice president at all. Can the nation, the free world, afford to have a man a heartbeat away from the presidency even though he struggles to have a heartbeat himself? In such an important position, we must ensure that the man or woman serving there can demonstrate that he or she is of sound health. If Cheney were forced to resign from his post due to health problems, the political dynamics would be nothing but extraordinary. Who would have the tie-breaking vote as President Bush searches for a successor? Under the 25th Amendment, Section 2, the president must nominate a vice president, who then must be confirmed by both the House and the Senate. Congress would most likely honor any choice Bush would make. But under the current circumstances, the Senate would be voting essentially on its 101st member, the man with the tie-breaking vote! This, unless of course, Strom Thurmond or Jesse Helms retired or passed away, in which case, the Democrats would control the Senate.Adam Blickstein is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He is the communications director for the Tufts Democrats.

---

News

Fight the future

March 31

It seems only fitting that I use my last column to take a closer look at the future of the entertainment industry. Things in Tinseltown are definitely shaken, not stirred, at this juncture. The film industry is still facing potential strikes from the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) and the Writer's Guild of America (WGA). Television just experienced a momentous event with the switch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the WB to UPN. Finally, the music industry, as well as the film and video game industries to a lesser extent, is being blasted in a report released yesterday by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). To say that things are tense in the industry would be an understatement. The WGA entered its eighth week of contract negotiation on Monday. The divide between the WGA and the industry is as wide as ever, as both sides have just denied rumors that a settlement is in progress. The WGA's 42 demands include issues regarding creative rights, credit, and residuals. In essence, the WGA wants to increase the writer's scope during the process of making a film and making sure that the writer receives all the profits that he or she would be entitled to, especially down the road when films transfer to video, DVD, and television. With the contract expiring on May 2, things look grim, and the fact that Hollywood is turning on itself does not help. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) is calling the WGA's demands unrealistic, claiming the residuals being asked for are not the "extra" money that the WGA is making it out to be, but that in fact most studios use this residual money to break even or eke out a profit. The Director's Guild of America (DGA) has also launched itself into the fray citing the WGA's creative requests as unacceptable. Among them, that directing credits (usually "A film by") be excised and reworded so as not to imply possession of a film to the director. SAG's requests are much more slanted towards financial matters, with residuals playing a big role in the struggle. SAG's struggle has been two-fold: first negotiating with the industry for their residuals, then allaying public perceptions of greed. It is difficult for the average person to understand why people like Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, or Gwyneth Paltrow might be striking when they earn on average multiple millions per picture. But the reality of the situation is that only a very small percentage of actors make that much. SAG is huge, and Harrison Ford's recent $25 million payday is the exception, not the rule. As someone with some understanding of the financial intricacies of running a successful organization, I empathize with the studios' difficult position. Still, I think that WGA's non-financial demands seem only fair. They aren't asking for more input, just as close to parity as can be managed. SAG's situation is very similar. These strikes are not inevitable, but I think that they will happen. Studios have more than enough product stocked up for release in the interim since both writers and actors have been working overtime to stockpile some savings in case of a strike. Besides, there's always non-scripted, non-acted reality television. Get ready for Temptation Survivor Island Boot Camp. As this is all happening, industry bigwigs keep playing their power games. The latest reached its denouement with the move of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, currently in its fifth season, from Time-Warner's WB network to the equally new netlet, Viacom's UPN. The delicious Buffy is credited with saving the then-struggling WB and initiating its switch to teen-oriented dramas such as Dawson's Creek, Felicity, and Charmed. In fact, after 7th Heaven, Buffy is the WB's highest rated series. This is the first time that a hit series has left its native network. Struggling series such as Sister Sister and Sabrina have made network switches in the past, but no show as successful or critically lauded as Buffy has ever made a similar move. Admittedly, the UPN switch was a surprise to all involved. It was originally believed that Buffy would leap into a FOX lineup since its owner, Twentieth Century Fox, could keep it in-house. A move of that nature would've been huge for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the implication that Twentieth Century Fox would be willing to pull a series once it was a hit. I think FOX would've found it difficult to sell any series if that original plan had been followed through with. At least with the UPN switch, it has become a question of dollars: UPN offered over $2 million per episode; up from the WB's offer of $1.6 million. Last but not least came yesterday's FTC report. It is entitled, "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A Six-Month Follow-Up Review of Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music Recording & Electronic Game Industries." As the title suggests, this report was a response to a previous FTC report released six months ago. That report stated, "[T]he pervasive and aggressive marketing of violent movies, music, and electronic games to children undermines the credibility of the entertainment media industries' parental advisory ratings and labels and frustrates parents' attempts to make informed decisions about their children's exposure to violent content." Yesterday's report actually came out in favor of the motion picture and video game industries. Significant improvements in the advertising practices of both industries were discovered in the FTC's research. For example, R-rated feature film trailers are no longer shown at G- and PG-rated film screenings. Also, violent R-rated films and M-rated (Mature) video games are not being advertised during children's programming and in youth publications, for the most part. There were still some rumblings regarding advertising during programs that have a mostly teen audience but, overall, the report reflected favorably on these two industries. It was the music industry that bore the brunt of the report. The FTC took it to task on its rating system, which is really no more than the black and white parental advisory stickers we've all come to recognize. One thing that the FTC pointed out was that while the movie and video game ratings are almost always visible in their advertising, music advertisements seldom, if at all, feature parental advisory information in ads, both on television and in magazines. Not to mention that albums that feature parental advisory labels are still prominently marketed in youth publications. This report and its implications could become a headache for the entertainment industry. In fact, Premiere magazine recently put out its 2001 Power List and, coming in at number 100 were Senators Joseph Lieberman and John McCain, both of whom are among the more vocal members of the Senate in regards to violence and sex in the media. Lieberman is planning to introduce a bill that will, in essence, make it illegal for studios to advertise R-rated features in magazines read by youths that are not of age. Interestingly enough, Premiere's title for these two men was "The Thought Police." The voluntary ratings systems that the entertainment industry employs serve their purpose - these senators need to be very careful not to cross the line from parental advisory to censorship. Telling a private corporation when and where it can advertise is outside of the realm of their power. Washington and Hollywood should be working together, not duking it out. Then again, if the strikes go through as they seem like they might, Washington might not have to worry about Hollywood that much at all in the coming months.

---

News

Teamwork the key to Jumbo runners' success

March 31

The women's track team squeaked by Middlebury for a third-place finish out of 22 teams at the New England Division III Championship Meet, held this past Saturday at Brandeis University. The Jumbo seniors were instrumental in the result, scoring 40 of the 58 points. Tufts was beaten out by tough competition from Wheaton, the meet's winner (199), and second-place Williams (134), but managed to outdo Middlebury by one point, also finishing ahead of Wesleyan (fifth, 44), Colby (sixth, 43.5), and Amherst (seventh, 40). "It's just exceptionally competitive in New England in track and field," coach Kristen Morwick said. "We were duking it out with the rest of New England for third place." Highlights from the weekend included senior tri-captain Leslie Crofton's first-place run in the 5,000 (17:45.80). Crofton finished nearly 20 seconds ahead of her closest competition, having to keep pace by herself throughout the race. Although not Crofton's best time, the senior is in great shape the remaining postseason meets. "Leslie had no competition," Morwick said. "If she had, she would've run faster." Senior tri-captain Sarah Deeb continues to improve her times on a weekly basis. Saturday, Deeb took home second-place finishes for the Jumbos in both the 400 (57.27) and the 200 (25.94). In the 400, Deeb sped up in the last hundred yards to pass Wheaton's Tenille Johnson (57.89) and nearly caught the winner, Wheaton's Amber James. Deeb fell just two-tenths of a second short of victory. "Sarah was definitely amazing in the 400," freshman Amy Spiker said. "It looked like she was going to pass the girl at the end." "She always races really smart," Mason said. "She's conservative in the first lap, but she just busts it out in the second." Deeb was also part of the women's 4x400 team, and actually topped her individual 400 time with a 56-second split, leaning into the finish past her Williams competition to get the Jumbos the silver medal (4:02.58). Without the .8 second finish ahead of Williams, Tufts' one-point win over Middlebury might have been lost. "That's what clinched the meet for us," Morwick said. Freshman Shushanna Mignott has stepped up over the last few weeks to become one of the team's top , pulling together an important third-place finish in the triple jump (35' 3") this weekend. "Shushanna jumped really well. She's kind of a quiet member of the team," Spiker said. "She's really an awesome performer and an excellent athlete." Senior Folake Aaron, who has already qualified for Nationals, took fourth (8.44) in the highly-competitive 55 hurdles. "It was really intense. It looked like something from the Olympics," Mason said. "They all had this determined look. The gun goes off and everyone focuses on them." Bersin ran her personal best in the 600, taking an impressive seventh (1:40.95). Claudio, who recorded her personal best in the trials for the 55, took ninth in overall in the event. Junior Lauren Esposito was back in form with her close ninth-place finish in the 800 (2:24.46), and junior Colleen Burns managed to pull in a team point with her eighth place in the 1,000 (3:08.23). Junior Sarah Leistikow competed in her first full pentathlon of the season and took fifth after competing in the six separate events. Sophomores Kristen Munson, Trombly, Mary Nodine, and freshman Lauren Caputo managed to take tenth in the distance medley relay (DMR), but are convinced they can do better. "I'm excited for the DMR this weekend because I think we should do well," said sophomore Jess Trombly. She said that the team would hopefully run the DMR at the ECAC Championships in two weeks and attempt to qualify for Nationals. Leistikow and senior Nadia Samadani both picked up team points in the long jump, taking seventh (16' 4.25") and eighth (15' 11.75"), respectively. Spiker sailed through the air to grab an impressive sixth in the high jump (4' 11"). This weekend, Tufts will host the All New England Championships, with about 20 Jumbos competing. With the competition getting fiercer by the week -the All New England meet features Div. I competition - the season nears a close with only two meets left before Nationals. "In New England, we're one of the few teams that has had more than one person qualified for nationals," Morwick said. "Our best kids look great, so I think that's a good sign."

---

News

Credit the Bush campaign

March 31

Recently reading Adam Blickstein's Viewpoint ("Through the cracks: Gore's Failures, Bush's successes, 1/23), I was quite surprised. Never have I heard such a biased account of the recent election. Blickstein even went so far to say that the presidency of the United States belonged to former Vice President Gore. For the record, no one person in the history of the United States has had any rightful claim to become the president without wining a presidential election. The people must elect a person to this distinguished position. While I agree that it was Al Gore's race to loose, Blickstein did not even give any hint of the fact that President George W. Bush helped his own cause in winning the election. That assumption is completely false and borderline absurd. President Bush did something that had been missing from the Republican Party for quit a while; he united the Republican Party. In the same way that Bill Clinton united the Democrats in his two successful campaigns. While Gore had to fight to keep Democratic strongholds, President Bush inspired and mobilized members of the Republican Party, allowing him to campaign to moderate Americans. Using strong messages and playing off Democratic scandals while downplaying Democratic successes, President Bush successfully clawed his way into the race. George W. Bush was up against a very successful administration - never mind the scandals - that the majority of Americans approved of. However, through determination and solid strategy, President Bush forced Al Gore into mistakes and made the election a race. It may have been Al Gore's to lose, but George W. Bush won the office.Randy Newsom, LA '04

---

News

Jim Lehrer: a poor example

March 31

Wow! Well-known journalist Jim Lehrer is coming to speak at Tufts for graduation. This really is an honor for the entire Tufts community. As a freshman, I have never experienced a commencement here and so, besides much mention of last year's choice of Bill Cosby, I do not know much about the history of Tufts' choice of speakers. However, I would make a guess that the selection committee looks for a speaker who represents the ideals and core values of a Tufts education. Obviously, the speaker does not need to have graduated from Tufts. Clearly, though, the speaker is one who is chosen with pride and honor to bestow his words of wisdom on that particular graduating class. In terms of this year's selection, Tufts has done a fairly good job. Jim Lehrer is an accomplished author of novels and plays, and a world-renowned journalist. His NewsHour with Jim Lehrer is looked to as a primary news source, having interviewed many influential people. He also served our country by joining the Marine Corps. He has covered such diverse stories as Watergate, the Persian Gulf War, and numerous presidential campaigns. He has been awarded many awards for his distinguished journalism. In addition to his day job, he has been a moderator for nine of the presidential debates in the last four presidential campaigns. Clearly, on the surface, he is someone that reflects most of the ideals of the Tufts community. However, while reading his biography on the website for his news show, one thing was clearly missing. Jim Lehrer has never voted in a national political election. For the past two or three decades, there has been a decline in voter turnout for the 18-24 year-old age bracket. This can be attributed to many factors. Most often, young people say that it does not seem like the government is working for them and they just do not care. If we do not care, how can we expect our leaders to care! Voting is one of the single easiest forms of active citizenship that we can practice. In the class "Leadership for Active Citizenship," there has been discussion as to how to increase active citizenship among young people in our society. We have spoken with many prominent people in different fields about their own definition of the term and what they think we can do to increase it. Although people may not always agree on what defines an active citizen, it is clearly every American's civic duty to vote. The Revolutionary War was fought because the opinions of the colonists were being ignored. We fought for freedom, liberty, and the right to avoid oppression. I do not mean to get all misty-eyed and patriotic, but clearly people died for our right to vote and our right to a democratic government. How can we say we are living in a democratic society if a 50 percent voter turnout is impressive? How can we complain about the democratic process and the results of the last presidential election if the majority of citizens are not doing their duty by voting? It is one thing to focus these voting campaigns on the younger sector of the voting population, but is it too much to ask that our civic leaders also display this behavior? Jim Lehrer, who has perhaps influenced our view of presidential candidates in the last four campaigns, does not even vote! As much of a distinguished journalist and public figure as he is, he is not fulfilling his basic civic duty. How can we expect him to speak for the nation when he does not even take part in choosing its representatives? When I first heard that Jim Lehrer has never voted, I must say I was disappointed and shocked. This was a man that merely by profession I had learned to trust as a voice of reason in politics. The political affiliation of our newscasters is supposed to be irrelevant so as not to color our view of the news they report. Clearly, I am not saying that I think Jim Lehrer should announce his political preferences. But not to vote is a different subject. To try to represent your country and to fail to fulfill your one and only true civic duty is a letdown. With Tufts' recent addition of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts' commitment to producing active citizens for the next generation is truly impressive. Indeed, that is one of the reasons I chose to come to Tufts. However, in trying to select a representative of the Tufts ideals, the selection committee has let down the Tufts community by choosing someone who does not even carry out his basic civic responsibility.Emily Rhodes is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

---

---

News

An immodest proposal

March 31

I remember vividly two years ago on April 20 taking the T back from Harvard Square, lying down in a friend's dorm room, and watching the evening news. That was the night of the Columbine High School shooting, in which 14 students and one teacher were killed and 23 other students were wounded. Since then, there have been several additional school shootings and, of course, the continuous though little-noticed bloodshed in poor urban communities. The arguments around gun control are all quite hackneyed by now. The National Rifle Association (NRA) quips, "Guns don't kill people - people kill people". Their opponent, Hand Gun Control Incorporated, retorts, "Guns don't kill people - people with guns kill people," and nobody is any more intelligent or informed than before. I was surprised at how little debate there was after the most recent shootings - it seems as if people are accepting the status quo. Considering this, perhaps we should be more realistic and consider the alternatives to gun control. Here is my proposal: Since many high schools now use magnetometers, perhaps we could extend this to elementary school. Sure, it would slow things down as ten-year-olds have to have their metal lunch boxes searched, but it is a small price to pay for our children's safety. To discourage violence, schools should adopt random searches of clothing and lockers. More laws need to be drafted, lowering the age people can be tried as adults. I suggest we set the new minimum age for felony charges to five. Three for misdemeanors. Stricter punishments should be adopted for parents who fail to lock up their guns. As the deterrent effect of prison is still too abstract, I suggest we cut off the hands of perpetrators (surgically and painlessly, of course, so as not to be cruel or, well... that unusual) as a warning to other careless individuals. Repeat offenders should be castrated to prevent reproduction and further aggressive behavior. Three strikes should be lowered to half-a-strike, and public executions should be brought back. The famed "Old Sparky" could be brought to the center of Times Square, to give as clear a message as possible. The problem with the death penalty nowadays is that it has become too humane. Those who break the law should be drawn and quartered instead. Next, in particularly high-risk schools, students should be issued bulletproof vests, helmets, and dog tags with their textbooks. Teachers should teach safely behind two-inch plexiglass and possess effective riot-control equipment. All students should be trained in the art of self-defense and disarmament techniques to effectively deal with any emergency that arises. Furthermore, thousands of National Guardsmen should be called out of reserve duty to patrol the halls, armed with assault rifles and batons. Anyone appearing suspicious would be subject to immediate apprehension and detention. At the same time, students should be searched for drugs (including a body cavity examination) - a solution that kills two birds with one stone. As a preventative measure, students entering kindergarten should be genetically profiled to identify high-risk cases. Those found to be genetically below par should be taken to special education centers where they will be psychologically conditioned to enter a catatonic state even at the thought of firing a gun. Lastly, all children should be taught how to use firearms (the NRA actually advocates this) and should be issued .22 caliber handguns upon the age of 14. In the same way that the chance of war is reduced if two sides have nuclear weapons, this proposal will certainly make any potential mugger think twice (this argument is tossed around, as well). These measures, though expensive and unprecedented, could very well be the only alternative we have to gun control if we, as a nation, truly believe our homicide rate is unconscionable. Adopting them will be difficult politically and will take time, but they will in no way infringe on the Second Amendment. But wait, gun control does not necessarily infringe on the Second Amendment! According to the text of the Constitution, the Second Amendment provides that a "well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." This wording was interpreted in United States v. Miller (307 U.S. 174, 1939). According to the court, the amendment protects only state-sponsored "well regulated militias." The right to bear arms only applies only to such organizations, not individuals. Former Chief Justice Warren Berger in a 1991 interview called the belief that the Second Amendment provides blanket protection for gun ownership "One of the greatest pieces of fraud - I repeat the word 'fraud' - on the American public by special interest groups that I've seen in my lifetime." Mr. Berger goes on to say, "The real purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that the state armies - the militias - would be maintained for the defense of the state. The very language of the Second Amendment refutes any argument that it was intended to guarantee every citizen an unfettered right to any kind of weapons he or she desires." In other words, maybe it is possible to constitutionally limit gun ownership. Imagine that! But, until we reach the point when Americans end their love affair with guns, I let my proposal stand. Although the NRA talks about gun control as an issue of freedom, I think it is more an issue of fear. Americans have such a profound fear of intruders that they would keep a handgun by their beds and face the greater statistical chance of it being used against their own family than an attacker. Who is more free, someone in the US who owns a gun but lives in fear of being shot or someone in London who does not need to worry about guns at all?

---

News

Lakers, Blazers struggling to fight implosion

March 31

Just as the Eastern Conference is exploding with excitement because of the return (and possible return) of former stars, the Western Conference finds itself in the sad position of having to say goodbye - to troubled players. These sendoffs may have significant implications on the impending playoffs. Everyone knows that Michael Jordan is allegedly contemplating yet another comeback, this time with the Washington Wizards. This call is questionable because, even if he does return, he may not be the Jordan of old. Still, talk of a Jordan comeback has sparked interest in the NBA for all the right reasons - because of what he can do on the court and for a team. Similarly, the Miami Heat's Alonzo Mourning is back on the basketball court after missing most of the season fighting a degenerative kidney condition. Mourning is now on medication, which seems to have the disease under control, and he is playing basketball again because of his love of the game. While perhaps not quite as talented as Jordan or Mourning, there is no denying the skills of the Portland Trailblazers' Shawn Kemp and the Los Angeles Lakers' J.R. Rider. However, both players have checkered pasts and, in recent days, their problems have come to the forefront of the NBA. These are just the latest problems for the two teams most NBA experts expected to battle for the Western Conference title - as they did in last year's epic seven-game battle in the Western Conference Finals. Since his trade from the Seattle Supersonics to the Cleveland Cavaliers after the 1996-97 season, Kemp has gone from being a high-flying, above-the-rim player who epitomized a graceful dunker, to an overweight and inconsistent forward. Despite his increased weight, however, Kemp has managed to average 18.0, 20.5, and 17.8 points per game in his three seasons in Cleveland. Kemp returned to the West Coast this off-season when the Cavs traded him to the Blazers. Portland coach Mike Dunleavy expected Kemp to be a key contributor in the Blazers' run for a title after falling just short of making it to the NBA Finals last year. Instead, in 68 games, Kemp has contributed only 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a night. The Kemp tragedy continued last week when the beleaguered star checked himself into a drug rehabilitation center for cocaine abuse, and he will miss the rest of the season. The disclosure comes at a terrible time for the Blazers, as they have struggled in the past few weeks, dropping from the potential number one seed in the playoffs to the sixth spot (if the playoffs were to start today). To top it all off for the Blazers, the team's third leading scorer, Bonzi Wells, is officially out for the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the second quarter of Portland's win over Golden State on Friday. It's not much better in Los Angeles, where Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neil continue to feud, and coach Phil Jackson's comments about Kobe only add fuel to the fire. While Bryant has missed all but 11 minutes of the Lakers' last ten games due to an ankle injury, the guard hoped to return to action last night. If the Kobe, Shaq, Phil drama was not enough for the Lakers, it appears that the team may release problem child J.R. Rider. The Lakers were supposedly set to let go of the shooting guard on Monday, before Rider pleaded with Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak to give him one last chance. Rather than releasing him, management decided to put him on the injured list, and could activate him during the playoffs if they need more depth. Rider, the man who was expected to help replace Glen Rice's scoring punch, has averaged just 7.6 points per contest, continually has complained about lack of playing time, and has been perennially late for games and practices throughout the season. Rider's biggest behavioral problem occurred in early March when the league suspended him for five games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. With the near crisis situations in both Portland and Los Angeles, it is looking more and more likely that neither of the two preseason Western Conference favorites will end up in the NBA Finals. Rather, the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings, the one and two teams in the West, appear to be on course for a meeting in the Western Conference Finals.

---

News

Stevens (physically) knocks out 'Canes; Blues gain revenge

March 31

Seeded first in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils pulled out the series victory over the Carolina Hurricanes with Sunday's 5-1 win. The physical six-game series saw Devils captain Scott Stevens knock out two Carolina players in successive games, making him the Hurricanes' target throughout the series. Game Two featured a hard blow by Stevens to Shane Willis, giving the rookie a concussion that kept him out of the following game. In Game Three, Stevens leveled Ron Francis early on, leaving the Carolina captain in a confused state and on the bench for the rest of the game. Carolina spent the duration of the contest seeking revenge on Stevens - the game almost spun out of control when three Hurricanes cornered Stevens, who was saved only by the quick response of his teammates. With Carolina's energy misplaced, the Devils took a 3-0 lead in the series and were looking to deliver the final blow in Game Four. The fourth and fifth meetings, though, turned into redemption for the embarrassed Hurricanes. Willis and Francis remained out of commission, but Carolina was able to take advantage of the Devils' mistakes to pull out an overtime win in Game Four. Game Five featured Carolina goalie Artus Irbe, who saved 37 shots. His phenomenal play earned the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory on the road and shifted all the momentum in their direction. But Game Six ended the same way the first three had, as the Devils returned to form and won 5-1. Jersey will now advance and play the Toronto Maple Leafs, who also come off an exciting first round. Many thought Toronto would serve as a mere tune-up for Ottawa in preparation for later rounds - especially since the Senators had swept the five-game season series. But the Maple Leafs surprised the second-ranked Senators with a three-game sweep, outscoring the Senators 10-3 in the series. The Leafs moved to the next round in large part because of goaltender Curtis Joseph, who compiled a 0.71 goals against average and a.976 save percentage. This solid play in the back - combined with the team's offensive attack - gives the Leafs a chance to upset New Jersey. But Toronto will have to survive the physically dominant play of Stevens and the Devils.The Wild West The Saint Louis Blues did it. They avenged last year's upset loss to the San Jose Sharks by winning this year's series 4-2. Blues goalie Roman Turek had been blasted for his poor play in last season's playoff series - this year, though, he was stamped as the hero, managing a .932 save percentage during the series. The contests featured a highly potent Sharks attack, led by captain Owen Nolan and forwards Teemu Selane and Vinny Damphousse. But Turek was able to smother the unit, saving 150 shots over the six games and 30 alone in the final contest. Offensively, the Blues were able to accomplish just enough to beat the Sharks. Pierre Turgeon's nine points and Dallas Drake's four goals led the team. The turning point came in Game Five, with the teams even after having traded victories in the first four games. With under three minutes to play in regulation, Drake scored to even it up at two, forcing overtime. In the overtime period, Saint Louis scored on a controversial play. After Turgeon won a face-off in the Sharks zone, he sent the puck to rookie defenseman Bryce Salavador, whose slapshot goal ended the game and brought the Blues to within one win of taking the series. But San Jose claimed the puck never hit the ice before Turgeon touched it. Regardless, Game Six in San Jose went to the Blues, 2-1, putting an end to the series. The Blues are hoping to carry momentum into the second round and erase any doubts left over from last year's stunning upset to the Sharks. If Turek continues to impress and captain Keith Pronger can keep the offense flowing, St. Louis's second round matchup should prove competitive at the least.

---

News

Celts, Bucks heating up at midseason

March 31

Boston Celtics fans finally have something to cheer about. Heading into the 2001 all-star break, they may finally be able to stop longing for the days of McHale, Bird, and Parish. Despite the Celtics' mediocre 21-27 record, they are cruising into the break on the heels of an impressive 7-3 showing in their last ten games. The swing was highlighted by a six-game winning streak, led by the team's tandem of young stars, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. Walker and Pierce have stepped up their games this year, averaging 22.6 and 24.5 points per game, respectively. Pierce has been an inspiration for his team, Boston fans, and NBA fans everywhere, surviving a pre-season stabbing and coming back to have a breakout year. The Celtics' new head coach, former assistant Jim O'Brien, is hoping his team will continue to follow the lead of his two young stars. While much has been made of the Walker/Pierce duo keying the Celts turnaround, O'Brien has also impressed since taking over the Celts on January 8th, after Rick Pitino ended his tumultuous three-and-a-half seasons with the green and white. Pitino had previously coached the New York Knicks from1987-1989, and then led the University of Kentucky Wildcats for over six seasons. He became legendary for revamping a troubled program and topped it off by winning the national championship in 1996. While Pitino's style didn't always fit with the "me first" attitude of today's NBA, the Celtics appear to be in good hands with Jim O'Brien and are steadily improving. In the watered-down Eastern Conference, Boston now lies only a half-game outside the final playoff spot currently held by the Indiana Pacers. With Pierce and Walker among the league leaders in scoring, look for the Celtics to make a surge towards the playoffs and sneak in to the seventh or eighth spot. While the Celtics seem to be on the right track, the real Cinderella team so far has been the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have relied on spectacular coaching and balanced scoring to get them a 28-17 record, good enough for second in the east, behind the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bucks, who started off the season by going 6-9 in November, have rebounded back to the top of the Central division, sporting an 8-2 record over their last ten contests. The team's starting five are all averaging double digits in points. The unquestioned leaders of the team are All-Stars Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen. Both are having stellar seasons, averaging over 21 points a game. In addition, the acquisition of guard Lindsey Hunter from the Detroit Pistons is also paying off, as the eight-year veteran is averaging 11 points a game. Sam Cassell has provided the team with leadership at the point guard spot while averaging 17 points per game, and some view his omission from this year's All-Star team as a snub. Despite quality players throughout the starting lineup, the anchor of the team is coach George Karl, who despite never having won a title has guided his teams into the playoffs in every full season he has coached. After some clashes with the Seattle Supersonics' front office in 1997, Karl was fired. He landed the Bucks' head coaching job for the strike shortened 1998-1999 season, leading the team to an impressive 28-22 record, its first winning season in seven years. Last year, the Bucks nearly knocked off the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Pacers, in a tough five-game first round playoff battle. With Karl's leadership and the blossoming of young talent, the Bucks should lock up the two or three spot in the East and could be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. While the Celtics and Bucks are on the rise, a team that appeared to be on a similar path before tumbling back into reality is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs jumped out to a 5-1 record, and appeared to be in good hands with solid contributions from their starting five. But the season quickly turned ugly, and since that point, the Cavs are a startling 15-25 and have lost big man Zydrunas Illgauskas for the year. Illgausksas was in the midst of a solid season, averaging 11 points per game, and his loss hurts the Cavs up front. Also on the injured list is forward Matt Harpring and his 11 points a night. The losses of Illgausksas and Harping have magnified the off-season trade of big man Sean Kemp to Portland. Although the Cavs do have a bright future with sophomore Andre Miller at the point, they need some help in the frontcourt to become a solid competitor. Look for Cleveland to finish at the 9th or 10th spot, a few games out of the playoffs.

---

News

Women's fencing beats three of four opponents

March 31

Following a somewhat discouraging outcome at its last meet in mid-November, the women's fencing team bounced back very well with a 3-1 finish last weekend. The Jumbos took on some challenging competition in the form of Fairleigh Dickinson, Drew, James Madison, and perennial fencing powerhouse Temple. The team rolled over Drew by a score of 22-5, and topped Fairleigh Dickinson and James Madison by 15-12 counts. Though not able to pull out a win against Temple, the Jumbos and coach Jason Sachs were encouraged by the 18-9 defeat. "They're a great team," Sachs said of Temple. "They typically send upwards of four fencers to nationals." Each competition features nine bouts for each of three groups, epee, foil and sabre with a total of 27 points up for grabs. Whichever squad nets the majority of the points, wins. Also encouraging to the team was its ability to maintain composure through somewhat of a meltdown midway through the competition, when the epee team fell into a fighting funk. To a novice fencing viewer, the epee's struggles might seem unjustified as the unit boasts the Jumbos' best overall performer in senior Amy Dickinson. However, the rest of the epee squad is comprised of the inexperienced sophomores Frances Harper and Kasha Oska along with freshmen Michelle Lee, Amanda Haley and Diedre Brown. While the epee crew stumbled, the foil and sabre teams picked up the slack. "With our foil squad we have fencers with more experience, and our sabre team has just started because [until recently] sabre had just been a men's weapon," Dickinson said. "It's harder to be good with the epee."Possibly even more heartening than the team result was the performance of certain individuals. Dickinson, helped herself in her goal to qualify for the national meet by going 11-1 overall at the competition, including 2-1 against Temple in some of her toughest competition of the year. To qualify for the national meet one must boast both a strong season record as well as a high finish in the regional meet at the end of the season."I fenced really well at regionals last year and took seventh out of close to 50 [competitor]," Dickinson said. "I was disappointed that I didn't qualify for nationals because my record was not as good as I would have hoped." Other solid bouts came from sophomore Lisa Gruender, who finished the meet with a 10-2 record, going 1-2 against Temple competition. Among those falling to Gruender was Temple's Amy Beacher, a former national qualifier. Before the winter break the team also performed impressively at the Junior Olympic Qualifying meet. The Jumbos saw sophomore Diana Deluca and freshman Kasara Williams both qualify in the sabre competition, as well as freshman Emily Finn in the foil. Both Deluca and Williams plan to attend the Junior Olympics later this year, though Finn remains undecided. The Jumbos will continue their intense schedule in the upcoming weeks with matches against some of the country's top fencing programs in Rutgers, University of North Carolina, Cornell, and UPenn. They will also face developing rival Boston College, whom the Jumbos beat earlier in the season for the first time.The team does not expect to win all of its competitions, but hopes to use the coming meets to train for the New England Regional meet on Feb. 24. Tufts took second place at regionals last season."Things are really looking up for the season," Sachs said. "We're really beginning to gel as a team. It's getting easier and easier to coach them." He notes the improvement of the sophomores and freshmen as key to the success this late in the season. The great camaraderie among the team members is also a large reason for the team's success. The fencers are very supportive of each other, and are very unified as a team."It's unlike soccer where people know the sport," Dickinson said. "In fencing you start from scratch, and to have fun encourages people to stick with it, even though it is frustrating at first."

---

News

ResLife limits singles for sophomores

March 31

Both Residential Life and students are making plans for the housing lottery, which starts this Tuesday when the first rising sophomores make their picks. But these students will find that their options have been slightly limited, as the number of singles available for members of the Class of 2004 to live in next year was reduced to 20 rooms in Wren and Haskell Halls. According to Residential Life, the decision was made because there are enough doubles on campus to house almost all of next year's sophomore class, as well as the incoming freshman class. That opens up more singles for juniors and seniors, though it remains to be seen whether this will help alleviate the housing crunch, since ResLife cannot predict how many upperclassmen will want rooms on campus. ResLife is attempting to fill all available spaces in doubles with freshmen and sophomores, and will give singles to any remaining sophomores only as a last resort, with the exception of the 20 allotted rooms. The freshman class, at 1,183 students, will not be the first to experience troubles in acquiring singles for sophomore housing. Still, this year's sophomore class sized in at 1,347, a large number that helped many sophomores obtain singles in more popular dorms. Several freshman have expressed concern about this year's circumstances because those hoping to live in singles must take the risk of attending their lottery appointments without a roommate. If all available singles are taken, they will not be permitted to choose a room until the end of the selection process. Many also feel that ResLife has not outwardly advertised the dearth of singles. "They did [this] without consulting any students - elected representatives and the student body in general were left out of the decision-making process," Tufts Community Union (TCU) President David Moon said. "Nor did they bother to tell anyone that this was going to be the case... instead, they tried to do it all clandestine-like." But acting Director of Residential Life Lorraine Toppi said that ResLife has made every effort to inform students about the inner workings of the housing lottery by hosting information sessions and posting information on its website. "We have answered a lot of personal e-mails and have spoken personally to every student that has come to the office," she said. "I have told the sophomore-to-be class from the beginning that the only singles to be given out this year will be in Wren and Haskell." ResLife's website says that there are "a limited number of singles" for members of the Class of 2004. Specific room allocations have not yet been listed and will most likely appear today. Upperclassmen say that room choices have been posted earlier in the past, and the fact that they are not yet available is frustrating. However, Toppi says this is not the case, and the nature of the lottery process makes it difficult to gauge any predictions about housing until immediately before selection begins. "We cannot and will not give out specific room information until the lottery process actually starts," she said. "Posting the room listing is a manual process and we would prefer to be accurate. It has never been posted earlier." Moon said that, while ResLife's services have been improving, signs of regression are becoming apparent. "Since when did they just make decisions without student input?" he asked. "[Until now] they had been doing well this year by not doing that." Though temporarily alleviated by the addition of South Hall in 1991, Tufts' housing crisis has worsened in recent years due to the rise of off-campus rent prices and the growth of the size of incoming classes. While allotting singles previously designated for sophomores to upperclassmen is a step towards eliminating the shortage, ResLife still anticipates that only a small percentage of next year's junior class will receive on-campus housing.

---

News

Help kick butts before they kick you

March 31

As many as 28.5 percent of US college students reported smoking a tobacco product in the past year, according to a recent Harvard study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Therefore, a campus of 5,000 (approximately the size of Tufts University) would typically have 1,425 smokers. Because 33 percent of smokers eventually die from tobacco use, a full 470 Tufts University students - nearly ten percent of the total - will die prematurely because of an addiction that took root during their college years.My brother began to smoke while he was in high school because his friends did it. It was one of those I-want-to-be-cool things. By the time he went to college he was smoking a pack a day. When I asked him why he continued to smoke, he told me that it seemed like everyone was smoking, so he never really felt the need to quit. He would tell me that he could quit if he wanted to, you know, just smoke at night or when he had a drink. He stopped buying cigarettes but began to bum them from his friends. I never understood why he smoked when he knew all the risks involved. When I arrived at Tufts, I realized that there were hundreds of people just like my brother. Now I am almost finished with college, a non-smoker; I wish my brother and more people like him could say the same. Smoking brings about health risks that are not limited exclusively to smokers themselves. Secondhand smoke is a Class A carcinogen, just like asbestos. It has been shown to cause respiratory problems, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and many other health-related problems. Half of the college students surveyed in the Harvard study said that they had tried to quit several times in the previous year, suggesting that more aggressive and comprehensive "smoke free" policies would be effective on campuses. Universities that allow smoking in dormitories are putting students, especially non-smokers living with smokers, in a harmful environment. Attempts to eradicate exposure to secondhand smoke through limiting smoking to enclosed spaces is also ineffective because smoke can travel through open doorframes, heating vents, and easily travels outside the established boundary. In addition, smoking indoors poses a serious fire hazard. Because of these dangers, Tufts University should take the initiative to provide a smoke-free environment for its staff and the entire student body. This would entail turning all buildings on campus, including dorms, into smoke-free areas. For students who smoke and would like to quit, the school should provide a user-friendly program in which they can get the help needed to become smoke-free. Tufts University should provide free, accessible tobacco treatment on campus and should publicize its availability. Because it has been found that students want to quit, easily accessible information and medical treatment provided by the University may both increase the enthusiasm of those trying to quit and may increase the number of students that do quit for good. Many schools are working to implement the tobacco-free policies, while others have already taken partial steps. The University of New Hampshire has banned smoking in all of its 26 residence halls. In the fall of 1998, smoking became prohibited in all of Harvard's residential houses as well as freshman dormitories. Also, Boston University's dining facilities are smoke free. Do we want to come back to our class reunion ten years from now and hear that some of our classmates have had to deal with debilitating health problems that they could have avoided with the help of the university? I don't want to. That is why Tufts should follow this lead to actively protect the health of its students and staff. I urge not only the administration, but students as well, to examine existing "smoke-free" universities and take the initiative to begin implementing a policy at Tufts University.Cecilia Meijer is a senior majoring in sociology and international relations.

---

News

Before Night Falls' worth a search

March 31

How do you compare rural Cuba with New York City? Is it possible to find similarities at all? In Before Night Falls, director Julian Schnabel (Basquait) assures us there are, and quite convincingly at that. Loneliness, discrimination, and pain fail to cease even when towering trees are replaced with skyscrapers and villages are substituted by a metropolis.

---

News

Campus outage leaves students without power for over an hour

March 31

Although it was April Fool's Day, the blackout on Sunday evening from 8:45 to 10 p.m. was hardly a practical joke. All of Tufts' dorms and academic buildings went black, while many of the houses on the perimeter of campus, as well as Health Services and several fraternities, experienced no disruption in service. The blackout was a result of a cable failure "on Mass. Electric side," according to a Residential Facilities spokesman. The Massachusetts Electric Company is Tufts' supplier of electricity, and also serves many homes and businesses in the area. As of yesterday, it was still unclear why only Tufts was affected by the outage. Many students were inconvenienced and frustrated by the inescapable darkness, and camped out under generator-powered emergency lights in their dorms to continue studying. "I had little light, but I got by until the emergency lights went out as well," said freshman Marlon Thomas, a resident of Haskell Hall. Students were forced to pull out their flashlights, as candles are not permitted in dorms. But several resident assistants (RAs) reported that students in Tufts' dorms lit candles to compensate for the power outage. The RAs urged residents to purchase a flashlight and store it in an easily accessible location. Tisch Library was also powerless to evade the blackout, which aggravated students, especially those studying for Monday exams. Soon after the lights went out, Tisch received numerous calls asking if the library had power. Eventually, library employees altered their phone answering script: "Tisch Library circulation desk. We have no electricity. How many I help you?" The library has a policy of evacuating everyone when the power goes out. "It was pretty busy when the lights went out," Director of Administration for Tisch Library and ITS Paul Stanton said. "This is our busy season, leading up to exams." The problems experienced were not just academic related. While the phone service was never disrupted, many students with only portable phones found themselves without any way to communicate. "My phone did not work, but luckily I had a cell phone to be able to reach people," freshman Ben Hsu said. Other students said they were inconvenienced by their inability to watch their favorite weekly television programs. "While I did get to watch The Simpsons, and it was awful, I missed the X-Files," said freshman Mindy Nollett. "It was an important episode." Dewick and Carmichael were already closed for the night when the campus went black, but Hotung Caf?© and Brown and Brew were open until the power went out. Events in the campus center were cancelled as well when the building closed. The a cappella group Essence had to relocate its practice to Wilson House, one of the few spots on campus that had electricity. Despite the frustration, many students did not mind the hour of darkness, some taking the opportunity to play games in the dark. "It was cool to look out my window at the Bayit and see a completely black campus," said Ari Weissman, a resident of the Jewish culture house.

---

News

TSO and guests play Cousens

March 31

Cousens Gym was transformed into a symphony hall on Sunday, when the Tufts, Brandeis, and Wellesley University orchestras and the choirs of Tufts, Brandeis, and MIT, performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in C minor - Resurrection. Conducted by Malka Sverdlov Yaacobi, the 80-minute piece took the audience on a dramatic roller coaster. The first and last movements were the most powerful. Unknown to many, Mahler needed seven years to complete the piece, his second symphonic work. The feelings, images, and spirituality with which he infused the five movements came through in the work of the musicians and their conductor. And despite the warm conditions and relatively poor acoustics of Cousens, the combined orchestras and choirs succeeded in performing the many rhythm, key, and dynamic changes of Resurrection with ease and fluidity. In the first movement, allegro maestoso, Mahler places the audience at the coffin of a beloved man. His life, struggles, passions, and aspirations are brought forth through the sounds of the cellos, basses, and percussion in deep, dramatic form. Crescendos mark the peak moments of the man's life. Flutes, bassoons and horns play the lighter, more dreamlike sections. At times, there were too many crescendos and fortes played at once, making the movement lose some of its musicality and neatness. The movement as a whole was also slow, making it feel longer than it really was. But it was evident that it was calling the audience to experience the life and death of a man. The second movement, andante moderato, is a mix of lively and mellow music intended to recreate the happy moments from the life of the departed and the sad recollection of his youth and lost innocence. This section of the symphony is meant to convey a sense of urgency but not necessarily the same drama of the previous movement. The cellos are softer, the strings shorter and more playful. Rather than being put on edge, the audience is allowed to sit back and take in the lightness and peacefulness of the music. In the third movement, In ruhig flie?Ÿender Bewegung, the trumpets and horns are given a chance to shine. Introduced by the crashing sounds of the timpani, this waltz transformed Cousens into a Viennese ballroom. Ironic as it may seem, Mahler's intentions for this movement were to convey a spirit of unbelief, presumption, and despair of God. None of these emotions are clear to the audience, however, until midway through the movement.The entrance of the two vocal soloists at the conclusion of the movement signals a turning point in the performance. Marion Dry's contralto was resonant but not as powerful as it could have been. Accompanied by the orchestra, she set the tone for the mellow, reflective, and solemn sounds of the fourth movement, Ulricht. The words of this movement ask God to grant strength and light. It is a realization that when a man is born, he is put on earth by God and in death, will return to his maker: "I am of God, and desire to return to God! God will give me a lamp, will light me unto the life of eternal bliss!" The fifth and final movement involved all the musicians and singers. Participation by the full orchestra and chorus ended this colossal work on the same dramatic note on which it began. There is no other way to describe the emotions conveyed in this movement except to say that all hell breaks loose and the Apocalypse arrives. "The earth trembles, graves burst open, the dead arise and step forth in endless files... the 'great summons' is heard." There were moments here - as in the first movement - when there was noise and too little musicality as everyone played at their loudest and most powerful.The fanfare performed by several musicians on the balcony of the gym added an interesting effect to the overall sound. The end of the symphony brings the coming of God's glory and the end of judgment. The rousing and powerful voices of the chorus combined with the orchestra truly convey the arrival of God and his dominion over all the earth - similar to the emotions conveyed by Handel's Alleluja - and brought a stunning close to an ultimately impressive concert.

---

News

Redefining Race

March 31

What's in a name? In a time of increased recognition of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in our society, university culture centers strive to find names that speak to a broad range of the population they serve. On the Tufts campus, both the Latino Center and the African American Center have gone through - and are still going through - the process of changing their names to foster more inclusive, welcoming environments. Most recently, the African American Center, located in the Capen House on the corner of Professor's Row and College Avenue, has begun the process of changing its name to the Africana Center. The name change "began as a discussion among some of the students last year," said Lisa Coleman, the director of the African American Center. "Ultimately this year it came up again with the undergraduate student population." Since initial discussions concerning the name change began, other representatives of the Tufts community, including faculty and staff members, joined the dialogue. Coleman said the name change is important because it reflects the student population that most often interacts with the center. "We work with students who are living in the US at this time," Coleman said, which includes both American and international students of African descent. "We have such a diverse population," she added. In recent years, the term "Africana" has become a popular way to describe people of African descent; its users say "Africana" is an inclusive word more appropriate than "African American." According to Coleman, the term "African American" became popular in the past century to describe people of African descent who are also American citizens - a term that restricts its members to "people who are born in the US or whose parents were born in the US." In contrast, "Africana" refers to people of African descent, no matter where they currently live. "I think it reflects people of African descent all across the globe, in diaspora," said Coleman. In addition, she suggested that "Africana" can also describe "people of African descent who are multiracial." Coleman said that the newly renamed African American Center will project a greater sense of inclusiveness for Tufts' African and African-American population. "Given that we're working with a student population, depth and breadth are important. [The new name] is to ensure that the way we represent ourselves is the most inclusive that we can be," Coleman said. Although the new name will not officially go into effect until next semester, Coleman said that brochures directed to Tufts' class of 2005 will feature the new name: "In the very beginning of the year, I will have a series of receptions for students and parents," Coleman added. The receptions, a yearly tradition, will celebrate the center's new name and renewed sense of inclusiveness. Ruben Salinas Stern, director of the Latino Center, along with Tufts' Latino population, went through a similar name-changing process a few years ago. In December of 1998, the Hispanic American Center was renanmed the Latino Center, a name that Stern, like Coleman, says helps foster a welcoming sense of openness. "The whole idea of 'Hispanic' came about in the '70s for the census," Stern said. "It's a term that's really just about the US. It's not used anywhere else. 'Hispanic' has a much [greater sense] of assimilation, acceptance. It was never a term that the people used themselves." Stern said that "Latino," in addition to being a term that Latin Americans prefer, is a term that includes Latin-American people across the hemisphere. "Latinos usually identify with their country," he said. "Latino" is a term that allows diverse groups of Latin Americans - from Mexicans to Puerto Ricans to Cubans - to speak of themselves in reference to the greater Latin American population. Stern emphasized the importance of the center's name to the Latino student population it serves. The Latino Center interacts, on the most part, with Latino students who grew up in the United States. International Latino students often feel more comfortable within Tufts' international community. In the November/December 1998 Latino Center newsletter, Stern wrote that "the term Hispanic was initially chosen for the center in order to make a distinction between the Latino students who grew up in this country and the international students who live in Latin America." Stern said the distinction between these two Latino populations is significant because Latino students from the US often come from different socio-economic backgrounds and have different experiences than international Latino students. In using the term "Latino" instead of "Hispanic" for Latino students from the US, the differences between Latino populations are de-emphasized, allowing for a greater sense of inclusiveness. Overall, Stern said that the change from the Hispanic American Center to the Latino Center fostered a greater sense of authenticity. "I wanted it to be a term that's much more used by the people, with much more connections with Latin America," he said. "I think it's to try to be more accurate, more inclusive." Many students say they appreciate the University's commitment to fostering a sense of community within Tufts' diverse student population. "I think anything that recognizes the diversity of the Tufts population is welcome and appreciated," said sophomore Therese del Rosario.

---

News

The Daily talks to Ed Harris

March 31

By the end of this year, 50 year-old Ed Harris will have acted in 51 films. You may know some of his best-known roles - intense characters in such films as The Right Stuff, The Abyss, Glengarry Glen Ross, Apollo 13, The Rock, and The Truman Show. Now, Harris has been nominated for an Academy Award for his lead role in Pollock, a biography of artist Jackson Pollock which also marks his directorial debut.But while you likely recognize Harris the actor, what you may not know is that he was actually a ghostly Tufts student for one semester in the early seventies "I got accepted to Tufts, and I actually got in the mail a first semester report card with a couple of grades for two different classes, and I had never gone there. They weren't great grades but they were all right. It was really odd." Soon after this, Harris made a conscious decision to look into acting. "Between my freshman and sophomore years at Columbia I became interested in acting as something I should check out, not as a career but just as something I should investigate." He transferred to and graduated from Oklahoma University before completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts. Soon, Harris landed small roles in several films and later made his mark on the stage, winning a 1983 Obie Award for his work in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love." As for Pollock, Harris says he first became interested in the artist about ten years ago. "I really didn't know anything about him. My dad just gave me a biography about him and I got interested in him." Through the years, Pollock's intense devotion to art, his conflicting personality traits, and his inability to cope well with life would continue to intrigue him. "During the years I spent [time] reading and thinking and feeling about Pollock, and I spent time painting and trying to understand emotionally what it is to be a painter - I had to trust that something had seeped into my bones that would allow me to portray Pollock honestly... This man could not stand being a human being... By the end of his life Pollack was in bad shape psychologically and physically." It intrigued Harris that "normally people try not to be too confident, too happy, too angry, too out of control, too sad, but Pollock went to the wall on all of those." "I've never been interested in exploiting Pollock," he said. "In fact, there were times I would say to myself, 'Why are you making a movie about this guy? Let him rest in peace.' But then I realized that was only a desire to leave myself in peace." In scenes depicting the artist at work throughout the film, Harris vividly channels the beast that was Pollock. "Whenever there is painting in the film I am the one doing it... but when there are [completed] paintings around they are done by other painters who made incredible reproductions... I like painting, I hadn't done it previously [to learning about Pollock] but I enjoy it." Last week, Harris received the Best Actor nomination. Pollock co-star Marcia Gay Harden, who portrayed Pollock's wife Lee Krasden, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Prior to hearing of his nomination, however, Harris was skeptical about his chances. "I'd like to be nominated. I'm not even sure if I'll be invited. The Oscars, for me, are more annoying than anything else because I can understand with something like football or throwing discus that there are winners and losers, but with acting that's not what it's about. But, I guess, it would be great [to be nominated] to help the movie." After spending years thinking about Pollock and making a film about the man, Harris says he's happy with the outcome. Though his directorial debut turned out well, Harris has a few ideas about why other films he has been involved with over the years have not met with such success. "[There are] a variety of reasons. You know how directors are out there, and they don't have final cut. And sometimes, the producers come in and mess around with it. It becomes filmmaking by committee... I think that editing is such an important part of the filmmaking process. Sometimes the film is rushed out too quickly before it's done or someone just doesn't cut it well.... Or sometimes an idea that a director or writer set out to implement just doesn't work. [Similarly] you might have someone who writes a novel who looks at it and says 'Well, this paragraph is good and this chapter is good but it just doesn't work.' It's the same with film, painting, or writing: sometimes it doesn't work out." "The first thing I do when I get a script is see how long it is. And, usually, if it's 90 pages I think, 'This could be good' cause the writer is more likely to have known what they wanted to do. For Pollock, the script was 110 pages but only about 90 pages are in the film."As for future directing plans, Harris says, "I may direct something ... but not for a few more years. Maybe if some idea captured my interest and starts germinating... I probably won't direct and act because that's a lot of work."

---

News

Health Services says it won't distribute RU-486

March 31

While the drug Mifeprex (also known as RU-486) won its first battle in September when it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a new stream of controversy has sprung up over its use at universities. Many college health service centers, including Tufts', do not have the full-range facilities mandated by the FDA for distribution of the drug, and have opted to direct students seeking to terminate a pregnancy to outside sources. The FDA's restrictions on the drug's distribution reflect the health complications that sometimes accompany medically induced abortions. The pill is not available through a regular prescription, and its usage requires up to three doctor visits _ two for distribution and one follow-up. The procedure has two phases: The first step lowers the patient's progesterone levels to stop embryonic growth. Next, the uterus contracts, essentially forcing a miscarriage. RU-486 can only be administered in the first five weeks following a woman's last menstrual period, and most campus health providers say they lack the costly ultrasound equipment that is necessary to determine an exact date of conception. "I think it was pretty tough getting it past the FDA," Tufts Health Services Medical Director Margaret Higham said. Tufts will offer the drug on campus because the Health Services facility does not meet even the most minimal of the FDA's requirements. "We don't have ultrasound or gynecology," Higham said. "We will refer students to outside sources for surgical or medical termination." Instead, Health Services will refer students to the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Boston for medically induced abortions in the same way that it currently refers students seeking surgical abortions. Tufts will continue to provide counseling to pregnant students. "Our responsibility is to help them understand their choices, and to work with them as they evaluate their choice within the parameters of their own belief system," Higham said. "We then direct our patients to the best source of care to carry out the treatments they choose." Members of the Tufts community who frequently advocate women's rights on campus say that Health Services made the right decision, given the resources it offers. Others aren't sure that Tufts should even consider distributing the drug, claiming it promotes unprotected sex. "While I support RU-486 100 percent, I am weary of its distribution in the college sense," Tufts Feminist Alliance co-chair Abby Moffat said. "If a college student were to get pregnant, the means by which she could receive a medical abortion are out there _ but to offer it so close to home could easily appear an encouragement for unsafe sex." Harvard University opted not to offer Mifeprex through its health services, though its facilities do meet some of the FDA's specifications. According to Harvard officials, there have been documented cases when the pill was ineffective, forcing practitioners to perform emergency surgical abortion procedures. The FDA does not require that surgeons be available where RU-486 is distributed, but employees at Harvard's health services said that the doctor who dispenses RU-486 should, if necessary, be the one to perform the surgical abortion. Professional abortion counselors say that political, rather than medical, reasons may be behind colleges' hesitancy toward distributing the drug. "There are a lot of politics around the drug being available," said Shateia Whitney, a counselor from Daybreak Pregnancy Resource Center. "[Offering it] forces a school or university to take a political stand, and maybe they're trying not to do that." Harvard's decision sparked disagreement among various segments of the university. An editorial last week in the Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper, argued against the school's judgement. "The benefits of RU-486 lie in its flexibility and privacy, but the restrictions on its distribution limit what the community can gain from the new drug," the paper wrote. "A reversal of Harvard's decision not to offer RU-486 in Holyoke Center would grant students additional privacy and one more avenue through which they can choose to have an abortion." Barrett said she understands why Harvard students are upset about the unavailability of the drug on campus, if in fact, the lack of surgical abortion services is the reason why the university is holding back. "I would be upset, too _ I see no reason not to offer it if they could. To make them go to outside clinics would be difficult." Yale University has long offered surgical abortions on campus, though it has never advertised the procedure. In the near future, Yale will begin dispensing RU-486 at its campus health center. But most college campuses will likely follow policies similar to those at Tufts and Harvard and refer students to local Planned Parenthood clinics. "I can see why a university wouldn't want to offer yet; they may just not feel comfortable," Whitney said. "It's wise for them to be cautious _ when they refer they're not taking full responsibility" for medical complications. Most campuses offer the "morning-after pill" as an emergency contraceptive, which Higham joked "should be over the counter." Whitney said she anticipates that more campuses will soon offer RU-486 through their health centers. "The drug is still very new, maybe they're saying 'no' for now, but they're also saying 'wait'." Though Tufts will not offer Mifeprex on campus, Higham said she is curious to observe its lasting effects. "It's a good alternative," she said. "I'm interested to see how it plays out medically."

---

News

UCCPS increasing public service career opportunities

March 31

Over 80 non-profit organizations will crowd Cousens gym this Friday as University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) will be co-sponsoring a non-profit Career Fair. The UCCPS has been offering new opportunities for students this semester through the career fair, and will provide a new paid internship program this summer geared toward community involvement. Student desire to become involved in careers in public service and non-profit sectors has increased over the past few years, but students have complained about the difficulties in contacting active members of the field. Both the career fair and the internship program, Active Citizenship Summers, are attempts to remedy the problem and give interested students the chance to experience the field before they graduate. Idealist.Org, a California-based online non-profit career center, has been working with the UCCPS and other local organizations to organize this fair. The event is one of five that will be held this year, with others taking place in Denver, Austin, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. Over 1,000 people are expected to attend the fair, which will boast an informal atmosphere where non-profit recruiters can meet students. Job seekers can distribute resumes and speak with organizational representatives about employment options and internship opportunities. "The idea of these fairs is to really show people the depth and diversity of the sector and the variety of opportunities that are out there for people who want to get involved. Our organization is really about trying to connect people who want to get involved with people who are involved," said Dan Kessler, the Idealist.Org career fair coordinator. Among the 80 organizations that have registered for the fair are Teach for America, The New England Center for Children, Peace Corps New England Regional, the American Cancer Society, and Elderhostel (Boston). During the fair, which is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Friday, additional workshops will feature a variety of nationally recognized speakers in the non-profit sector, such Tufts alumna and New Profit, Inc. founder Vanessa Kirsch. The workshops will range in topics from environmental non-profit organizations and technology careers in the non-profit sector to careers in public interest law. While Idealist.Org was the first to approach Tufts about hosting the career fair, UCCPS administrators have seen a growing student demand for fairs like this over the past few years. "The demand for career guidance about specific public service-oriented career options is high and growing," UCCPS Dean Rob Hollister said. "What currently is available and provided by the University is terrific, but as a higher percentage of students Tufts is attracting expect public service work to be a significant part of their Tufts experience, the changing profile of student interests asks for more." This type of career fair is also part of UCCPS's overall objectives, according to UCCPS student development coordinator Mayuri Guntupalli. "One of [UCCPS's] goals is to educate Tufts students for a lifetime of active citizenship, and a lot of students have indicated to us that they feel like they don't have very many public service opportunities here," she said. "Generally, career fairs on the Tufts campus include for-profit consulting firms. We're trying to make non-profit organizations and other public service organizations available." While the career fair is geared toward students who will soon enter the job market, Active Citizenship Summers is offering the chance for students to get involved in the public service sector before they graduate. Many students would like to obtain public-service experience in the summer, but this is often difficult for students who need to save money because many of these jobs are unpaid. The UCCPS is hoping to combat this problem by offering the ten-week paid internship program, which gives students the opportunity to earn up to $4,000 while working in the public service sector. Students will be able to participate in prearranged internships in the Boston area, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Washington DC, or propose their own location. The internships will take place in a variety of organizations from non-profits to governmental organizations, corporations, and other institutions that are working on societal issues. "The goal of the program is to provide more students with opportunities to do something public service related during the summer, expose students to different fields and sectors, and to get students job skills for once they leave college," Guntupalli said. "It also helps build partnerships with organizations that Tufts works with in the Medford, Somerville, and Chinatown communities." Students who participate in the program will be asked to attend a workshop when they return to campus in the fall and remain involved in UCCPS activities throughout the year. Students like senior Greg Propper, who has been involved in UCCPS throughout the year, feel that this internship program is fulfilling a great student desire. "I wish it had started four years ago when I was a freshman, because there have been many occasions in the summer and the semester where there were opportunities I wanted to pursue, but I was unable to participate because of financial considerations," he said. The UCCPS, which has been working on the career fair and internship programs with other organizations on and off campus, like Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) and Career Services, Boston Cares, and Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, Inc., hopes that this event becomes the first part of a continued process to increase student opportunities for non-profit careers. "There continues to be an important need to provide information about non-profit careers and to provide internships in the public arena," Hollister said. "What Tufts is trying to emphasize is that instead of viewing community work as a kind of separate bubble, or as something that people in business and other non-service realms would do after hours, we can find ways to integrate those values and activities into work regardless of what our occupations are."

---