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The Setonian
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Out of Africa

August 31

I had a chance to fulfill my dream of going to Africa. I spent months arguing with my parents and defending my desire to study in Ghana for spring semester junior year. With the ongoing political unrest in West Africa my parents were concerned for my safety. But I repeatedly assured them that the program was through Tufts, and there was no way that Tufts would send me to a place where I could be placed in danger, right? Well, my parents finally caved in to my persistence and not too long after, I found myself sitting in my dorm room gripping my notification of acceptance in my hands. I was nothing short of ecstatic. I was scheduled to step on a flight with four other Tufts students (one of whom was a close friend) to go study, live, and experience the rich culture of Ghana. I remember wondering to myself how I ever got so lucky. I went to the Ghana information meeting last spring, spoke to a number of faculty involved with the program, and leaped at the opportunity to speak with any student that had ever participated. What I kept on hearing from students was that studying in Ghana was difficult at times due to cross-cultural differences but wonderfully life-changing at the same time. At the Ghana information meeting we were alerted to all these cross-cultural differences, including sexual harassment, but I just kept on shrugging my shoulders. I knew it was not going to be the easiest of journeys, but I honestly felt that the experience would provide me with memories and knowledge of self that I could take with me forever. The thing is, after all that has happened, I still feel that way. It was only this summer that I started to learn a bit more about the program. None of what I am about to say is completely validated. It is only what I have heard. I think that is the disturbing thing about all this, how completely in the dark I and other applicants to the Tufts in Ghana program are about specifics. As cheesy as it may sound, specifics, communication, the truth is all we want. Over the summer, by talking to others who had participated in the program, I first began to hear about numerous allegations of violence, sexual assault, and rape directed at Tufts students in Ghana. I thought to myself, 'no, this could not be true because if it were the subject would have been mentioned at the meetings, by faculty... something.' So I shrugged my shoulders again, and turned my cheek. I think sub-consciously I was hoping it away as well as any other thing that came between me and going to Ghana, my experience yet to happen. I was not about to let anyone take that away from me. It was mid-summer that I heard from another student about the spring '00 Tufts in Ghana students being sent home early due to campus strikes and other "complications." Around that same time I heard through friends that the Fall '00 Tufts in Ghana program was cancelled because of allegations of sexual assault that needed to be looked into. By then I had shrugged my shoulders stiff. I was a bit frustrated to say the least. I withdrew my application. I have (along with three of the other students enrolled to participate in the fall '00 program) yet to receive any sort of a notification or explanation about the fall program being cancelled. If they (I'm not even sure who 'they' are) had only sent me a letter, email, or a fax. A couple sentences are all I ask for; it does not have to be a literary masterpiece. 'We have cancelled the fall '00 program because there are things we need to look into. We will keep you informed with any developments.' That would do. We have received nothing. Only a week ago I spoke to another Tufts student who was scheduled to study in Ghana with me in the spring. She did not even know about the allegations of rape. I was just talking tonight with my friend who was also enrolled to go to Ghana in the spring about how if we had not looked into the program and found out all these things we would still be enrolled to go, completely oblivious. Should the program be cancelled for the spring, we would have most likely been unable to go abroad because we would have missed all the study abroad application deadlines. It is difficult for me not to mention the word "irresponsible" at this point. I still think that Tufts has a wonderful Study Abroad Program that provides students with some of the most irreplaceable experiences of their lives. I am not writing this to point a finger at Tufts' Study Abroad or the Tufts in Ghana faculty advisory committee. I write this for myself and some other students enrolled (some previously enrolled) to study in Ghana. I wanted to go to Ghana. I still want to go to Ghana. But there is a staggering lack of communication that needs to be addressed. I for one would like an explanation. I feel I deserve that much.Sara Matsuzaka is a junior majoring in sociology and will be traveling to Florence, Italy this spring

The Setonian
News

Don't blame A-Rod, blame the business of baseball

August 31

John Rocker took a lot of heat for the nasty comments he made about the seven line of the New York City subway system. Now Alex Rodriguez is hearing similar criticism, apparently because among his contract stipulations to the New York Mets was full ownership of the seven line, with posters of his face strewn across every car on the subway. Baseball is wonderful, and so is money, but aren't things getting just a little out of hand? Mets GM Steve Phillips said last week that A-Rod, in his contract requests, asked for an office at Shea Stadium, billboards, and a private jet, among other perks. Phillips went on to explain that the Mets are a team of 25 players, not 24 plus one, meaning Rodriguez was off his team's shopping list, and likely headed to either Atlanta or Texas. The sad truth is that, while A-Rod deserves blame for some egocentric, ridiculous contract demands, and the Mets equally for failing to nab him and hiding behind a poor excuse, it's the business of baseball as a whole at whom we should point the fingers. Though fans are still tuned in and excited about the sport, the A-Rod scenario sheds some light on why the players and owners are jeopardizing their business by alienating their fans. I'm not totally sure how I feel about a salary cap, or revenue sharing, or any of that, but I do know that things are pretty silly when someone is asking for a private jet as part of a sports contract. Baseball is a business, part of the sports entertainment business, and the Yankees are more entertaining than most teams because they have more money than most teams. I respect this very much, and understand that athletes are paid so damn well because we're willing to pay a lot for tickets, merchandise, and what not. But, to fans, baseball is more than just a business, and it is ironically in the sport's economic interest to keep it this way to some degree. In the long run, baseball can profit more as a business by portraying itself as less of a business, because, if not, fan interest will surely evaporate. The prospect doesn't look good; with salary offers and demands spinning rapidly out of control, it is becoming harder and harder to find even tiny shreds of purity in America's favorite pastime. Both the Mets and A-Rod speak to this lesson. You have a player asking for very, very special treatment, and a team that feels the need to justify why it won't shell out such treatment by exposing the player to public shame. I am sure that Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, hinted at a lot of the things that Phillips alleged. I am also sure that Phillips knows how to exaggerate. "It's about 25 players working as a team. The 24 plus one-man structure really doesn't work," he said. I wonder if he expected to bring some sappy fans to tears with such a beautiful line, or if he was trying to insult our intelligence on purpose. Does Phillips really expect us to believe that the Mets are this extra-special scrupulous organization that puts team welfare and sanity ahead of ticket sales? Such a team doesn't exist. Here's the thing, though ? to an extent, such a team shouldn't exist. Sports are about making money, and contract negotiations are supposed to start out high. Alex Rodriguez should be no less scrupulous than you in working out a contract, and if his business has gotten so out of hand as to lend itself to private jet requests, then more power to him for having the nerve to ask. But more importantly, team image and ticket sales are not so disconnected, and you can even justify the Mets' decision from an economic standpoint: the business of baseball does not want to get to the "A-Rod" point, because fan alienation is surely an economic risk that can potentially offset the benefit of bringing in a Rodriguez. Tons of small-market teams are having a hard time selling tickets because they can't muster up the funds to bring in the big names. Conversely, I'm sure that big-market teams are alienating their fans more and more as each year passes and each buck is spent. I'm not a Yankees fan, thank God, but I think I'd start to lose interest after the third or fourth big name per year brought in for ridiculous prices. This season, they'll lure Manny Ramirez and Mike Mussina, and win again. So, there are problems on both ends. How can you stay interested in a miserable team like the Milwaukee Brewers or a mega-business like the New York Yankees? Alex Rodriguez wants a personal office, and since he's such a businessman, he'll probably need one. He knows very much that his personal success is not unconnected with his public perception, and he wasn't very happy that Phillips leaked word of his contract demands. He tried to play it down and insisted that he didn't request some of the things that Phillips said he did. But you'll probably see his billboards plastered all over some other stadium, where he'll have his own office, his own section, maybe his own train line. A salary cap will help small market teams by allowing them to be more competitive, and would likely bolster the marketability of the game as a whole. But on the flip side, and just as importantly, a cap or some similar solution will prevent astute businessmen like Rodriguez from putting the game at similar risk by asking for too big a piece of the pie.

The Setonian
News

Christoudias explodes in second half as Jumbos shut down Lasell

August 31

The women's basketball team may be at a shortage for guards these days, but don't tell that to freshman Maritsa Christoudias. Christoudias scored 21 of her 23 points in the second half on Sunday, leading the Jumbos (2-1) past Lasell College (3-3), 81-53. Tufts, which led by just nine at the half, scored 14 straight points out of the locker room, putting the game out of reach for good. Sophomore center Emily Goodman, who finished with 22 points on 10-17 shooting, started the second half with a three-point play from underneath the basket, putting the Jumbos up 38-26. Christoudias promptly stripped Lasell point guard Ashley Bardin of the ball two plays later, and scored her first points of the half. On the ensuing Lasell inbound, Christoudias again stole the ball and converted two more points, and then hit an open jumper on Tufts' next possession. She added another basket less than a minute later, putting the Jumbos up 47-26. She would hit two straight three pointers later in the half to put Tufts up 59-30, before leaving the game because of foul trouble. "I told her after the first half she had to look for her shots more," Tufts coach Janice Savitz said. "She's capable of doing that in every contest." Christoudias, playing in just her third game in a Tufts uniform, had nine steals on the day, to go along with three assists. She completed ten of her 14 shots, including nine of ten in the second half, and nearly had more points (23) than minutes (24). "Our strategy was to hustle," Christoudias said after the game. "We knew Goodman could score, but we tried to get everybody involved." All nine Jumbos that played scored. Goodman, who had eight rebounds on the day, was the focus in the first half, scoring 15 points and taking advantage of a very small Lasell squad. The Lasers did not have an answer for Goodman early on, and struggled all day on the boards, while six Jumbos racked up five or more rebounds. Junior forward Jayme Busnengo led the team with 12 boards, to go with ten points, while freshman Kate Gluckman added seven. The Jumbos' 52-27 rebounding edge came after they were outdone on the boards, 50-44, in Tuesday's 69-47 loss to Babson College. "The boards have got to be a major point this season," Savitz said. "I hope they understand that it's necessary to be successful." But while the Jumbos were solid defensively and shot an impressive 49.3 percent from the field (including 18-31 in the second half), they struggled to hold on to the ball, committing 30 turnovers. Lasell was even sloppier, giving the ball away 34 times. "We're not taking care of the ball enough," Savitz said, "and we can't afford to do that." The Jumbos are averaging 25 turnovers a contest through the first three games. Part of that might come from players being tired out; sophomore point guard Hillary Dunn had five assists and committed six turnovers, but had to play 37 of the game's 40 minutes. She has missed just six of the team's 120 minutes through the first three games of the season. Junior Katie Kehrberger, a two guard who played the three when Christoudias was in the game, got 33 minutes and had nine assists, while Busnengo played 30 minutes. The minutes problem should change after winter break, with likely at least two of the team's four injured players coming back, including point guard Shira Fishman and two guard Meghann Gill. The question Savitz will be faced with, then, is how to mix the two experienced captains with the youngsters Dunn and Christoudias at guard. But Savitz is looking forward to a healthy squad. "It'll be fun," she said, "but I think that right now, people are getting valuable minutes." "It'll make us twice as strong," Christoudias said. "We have so many young people, and when we get the seniors back we'll definitely improve." Until then, though, Christoudias will continue to take the shots. And if she hits them like she did on Sunday, Savitz' team is in good hands.

The Setonian
News

Tufts loses to White Mules

August 31

The Tufts football team, now so injury depleted it's a shadow of the squad that began the year 2-1, dropped its fourth straight game and fifth overall, 28-14, to the Colby White Mules at home on Saturday. Colby scored on each of its first two possessions and jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead, then withheld a brief Tufts comeback to gain its sixth win of the season. The White Mules are now only one win away from at least a share of the NESCAC title. "They're not 6-1 for no reason," coach Bill Samko said after the game. One got the sense that the Jumbos were facing a championship squad very early, as Colby marched down the field on its first possession. After twice converting on fourth downs, the White Mules scored on a 15-yard connection from sophomore quarterback Pat Conley to junior wide receiver Danny Noyes. The Jumbos appeared to have the drive snuffed at the 30-yard line, but when the White Mules went for it on fourth and seven, Tufts linebacker Dave Supple was called for roughing the passer, thereby extending the drive. On the very next play, Noyes broke free through the middle on a crossing route for the score. Tufts would see a lot of Conley and Noyes all day, as the quarterback finished with 256 yards and three touchdowns, two of them going to Noyes, who ended the afternoon with 160 receiving yards. "We knew Conley was good coming in," Samko said. "They did a lot of play action, which opened up the middle of the field." Tufts could do nothing on its next drive, netting only one first down and then being forced to punt, allowing the White Mules to take over the ball at their own 35-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Supple roughed the quarterback, but legally this time for a seven-yard sack. After a six-yard run by Colby's tailback Joe Murray, Conley found Noyes again. This time, the wide receiver sprung for 66 yards and a score. Two possessions, two scores, and it appeared the rout was on. The Jumbos would get three more possessions before Conley struck again, connecting sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Lee Carlson for 55 yards and another score. Again, Carlson was open across the middle, and after one cutback, he was in the clear. "We thought the middle would be open going into the game," Conley said. "Tufts plays a lot of Cover Three [a defense that leaves the middle susceptible], and the play action froze the linebackers." Colby had scored 21 points in less than 20 minutes of play, and it seemed as though it would be a long day for Samko's squad. However, the team failed to roll over, and sophomore quarterback Todd Scalia, who played the entire game this week, led the team into the endzone on its first possession of the second half. Scalia ran for 22 yards and passed for another 32 on the drive, which was capped off with a Steve Lapham three-yard touchdown reception. Tufts had a little life now, down only two scores, when sophomore cornerback Evan Zupancic picked off his sixth pass of the year on Conley's first throw of the second half. The Brown and Blue could get little accomplished on the ensuing drive, but on its next possession, drove down to the Colby nine-yard line before it faced a fourth down. Samko called for a fake punt, and it appeared that backup quarterback Scott Treacy, the holder on field goals, had an open man in the endzone. The appearance was more of an illusion, though - junior defensive back Patrick Fahey picked off his second pass of the game and returned it 55 yards to the Tufts 42. Colby would score on a Joe Murray one-yard run on the ensuing possession, and the fourteen-point swing would end Tufts' brief comeback hopes. Tufts tacked on another Lapham touchdown, this one coming on a nine-yard pass from Scalia, but that would be the end of the scoring. The Jumbos have had problems all season getting the offense started, and Samko altered the play calling a little bit to allow Scalia to create more on his own. "I liked his scrambling ability," Samko said, who called a number of quarterback draws for the sophomore. "We've lost five offensive linemen this season, so we had to do something to slow down the defense." Samko was pleased with the progress that Scalia is making late in the season, as he went 20 for 42 for 224 yards, two scores and two picks. "He's getting comfortable," Samko said. "He's starting to take steps forward and getting a chance to play." Tufts, plagued by injuries all year, lost its top two receivers in this game, as both freshman Matt Cerne and sophomore Bryan Pitko went down with shoulder injuries. That forced Samko to play two inexperienced receivers for the lion's share of the second half, and his reaction was mixed. Tim Mack, a freshman, and sophomore Joe Orji played the majority of the second half, and helped the Jumbos stage a bit of a comeback. Mack had two catches for 36 yards, getting open over the middle on a few occasions, while Orji had one grab for five yards, but it was his dropped touchdown pass that irked the coach. "I thought Mack did a good job," Samko said. "But Joe dropped that pass. If you get a chance to play and you drop a pass, I was a bit disappointed." On the day, Tufts received another strong performance from senior running back Brian Holmes, who ran for 52 yards and caught for 81. The defense, though, surrendered 367 yards of total offense, 256 of which came from Conley's arm. Conley's 256 yards come as no surprise, as the sophomore signal caller now has 1,746 yards on the season, 730 yards better than the next best NESCAC quarterback, Amherst's Peter Honig. In fact, Conley is only 278 yards shy of the NESCAC single-season passing record, set by Williams' Sean Keenan last year. Keenan became the only player from Williams' storied football history to be invited to the NFL scouting combine. The magic number will certainly not be out of reach for Conley, as the White Mules host 0-7 Bowdoin next week in the season finale, though records won't be the only thing on the sophomore's mind, as Colby will be fighting for the NESCAC championship as well. If Colby, Amherst, and Middlebury - the three teams tied atop the standings at 6-1 - all win, there will be a three-way tie for the champion. However, if just Amherst loses, Colby wins the tie-breaker with Middlebury. But if Middlebury loses, Amherst would win the NESCAC by virtue of it beating Colby earlier in the season. A lot to think about for a sophomore. "Yeah, the record is on the mind because people always talk about it," Conley said. "But we're going out there to get a win." Tufts could be the team to spoil Colby's title hopes, as the Jumbos travel to Middlebury next Saturday for their season finale.

The Setonian
News

The Queen's Foreshadowing

August 31

The Queen of Mean, Anne Gardiner, left Tufts University this summer to take a teaching position at the Tabor Academy in Rhode Island. It was an opportune moment for the departure since few students were around to celebrate her long-awaited exit. This is a shame, because what a celebration there would have been and what a missed opportunity to mark a new era of student services.

The Setonian
News

Studying a case of the fake people

August 31

"Maybe she won't see me," you think, closing your eyes, willing yourself invisible. Slowly opening your eyes, you see her - much to your dismay - waving at you furiously. As she walks over, you feel your stomach drop, and, just as you want to retch at the thought of talking to her... "Hey! How are you doing? It's so nice to see you!" The words escape your lips before you even have time to think. Suddenly, you find yourself deep in conversation with someone you can hardly stand and all you can think is: "How did that just happen?" Okay, so maybe your aversion to undesirables isn't quite that severe. But we all have those people in our lives: the people we'd rather not associate with, but just can't seem to get rid of ? probably because they don't know our true feelings. So why do we pretend to like these people? Why not just tell them politely ? or not so politely ? to get lost? Freshman Alex Madva admitted that he, like many of us, isn't always completely open about his feelings. "I definitely pretend ? I don't have the guts to hurt people's feelings," he said. Freshman Nick Salvado agreed. "I can be fake out of kindness to people ? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings," he said. Lauren, a freshman who asked only to be identified by her first name, felt similarly. "I'm definitely more likely to be nice to someone ? I wouldn't have the guts to go up to someone and be like, 'I hate you,'" she said. "I know people who are brutally honest with people to the point of hurting their feelings, and they think that that's better, but I don't." In this context, Lauren didn't think that "fake" was quite the right word - it carries more of a negative connotation than the action implies. "Sometimes it's not a matter of being fake, it's a matter of being mature and being able to deal with people."To be real Life wasn't always so complicated, according to some students, who point out that children tend not to worry about hurting the feelings of people they don't like. Most students agreed that people begin stifling their dislike for others during those turbulent pubescent years - all in the interest of keeping up newly acquired social graces. "Little kids are more likely just to blurt stuff out, but as you get older, you realize it's just not appropriate," Lauren said. "It definitely starts in middle school, because [that's] when you begin to really want to conform," Madva explained. In middle school, kids also tend to feel self-conscious because of the changing nature of their new relationships. Child development Professor David Elkind, in his book All Grown Up and No Place To Go, addressed this phenomenon. "[In young adolescence] peer group acceptance becomes all important when you are rejecting your familial base of security and acceptance... because young adolescents are relatively inexperienced in these more intimate relationships, they often get hurt. They discover that some of the young men and women whom they regarded as trusted friends could turn on them or exploit the relationship," he wrote. "Middle school is definitely the most awkward transition period," sophomore Angela Lepore said. "You're just trying to fit in with everyone else, so you don't want to make any enemies by telling people that you don't like them. But that stage lasts a long time," she said with a laugh. Lepore's roommate, sophomore Erika Robbins, agreed. "I'm definitely still in that stage. I'm only starting to become more comfortable with myself," she said. Freshman Andrew Rivnak feels that students in his class monitor their behavior more carefully than do upperclassmen. He believes that this will change once his classmates become more accustomed to living at school. "I think if you give it time, people will be more open," he said. Both Lepore and Robbins agreed that most people probably outgrow "fakeness" with age. The only question: At what age? "I feel like a big reason why we don't want to offend people is because we're still at a point in our lives when we want to have a big group of friends," Robbins said. Lepore agreed. "When you get older, you're not really looking to make new friends ? you're just looking to strengthen friendships that you've made through the years," she said. Because of this, older people seem more likely to voice their opinions about others. "Maybe when you become more comfortable with yourself and you don't care how people view you, you become more open about your feelings," Lepore said. "It also has a lot to do with your personality type. Some people are more reserved than others. They would never say certain things to people, no matter what age they were." Reasons for fakeness Lepore and Robbins have discussed the issue of "fakeness" together many times before. In their eyes, little can be gained by revealing distaste for someone. "What's the point of being rude to someone? It's better to be neutral," Lepore said. Robbins thinks that letting someone know how you feel doesn't simply affect the person ? it affects you, too. "I think it's a two-fold thing," she said. "I know for me, I'd feel really bad if someone knew that I didn't like them. And I think that for them, why does a person need to know that another person doesn't like them?" "All it's going to do is make them feel bad that you don't like them, and make you feel bad that they know that you don't like them," Lepore said, elaborating on her roommate's thoughts. "It also has a negative effect on how people view you. You get that reputation of being a bitch." Madya also thinks that feigning fondness is not always a bad thing. "It's funny because you always think that it's bad to be fake," he said. "But everyone does it. I've never met anyone who was totally straightforward about how they felt all the time ? [they] would be an a--hole." But Robbins also acknowledges the value of unqualified honesty. "As much as I hate it when someone tells me that they don't like me, when someone is that honest, you have to respect them. It sucks, but at least you know where you stand with them," she said. Lepore believed that societal standards cause this behavior. "Just from society, I think that's why we hold in our feelings if we don't like someone," she said. "In our society, that kind of honesty is considered rude." Madva pointed out that many people will act fake not just to spare the feelings of others, but also for more self-serving, ulterior motives. "I think there can be a lot of reasons why people would act fake. Number one, you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings," he said. "Number two, a lot of times people are nice to other people just to get stuff. Essentially, they are using them to get play or alcohol or whatever." On the flip side, Rivnak considers himself more up front than most people. "I'm pretty straightforward, I think," he said. However, his friends called him out, questioning the validity of the statement. Rivnak reluctantly admitted that he hasn't been completely honest with some of the people he's met at Tufts. "College is a huge connection, and, especially if you're a freshman, you don't want to segregate yourself from anyone," he said, jumping to his own defense. But who's to say that a little artificiality here and there is such a bad thing? Maybe people just need a break from the all-too-often-harsh reality of today's world. Besides, as Salvado points out, it's not so bad having a few "fake" friends. For him, fakeness is a necessary part of everyday life. "I don't see the harm in fake people, as long as they're not your close friends. And your close friends probably aren't going to be fake to you anyway," he said. "It's kind of nice to have [fake people] around because they are nice to you on the surface."

The Setonian
News

October movies nothing but eye-candy

August 31

That's entertainment, folks. This Friday, Hollywood offers a little something for almost everybody. Well, everybody who likes fluff, that is. With an action flick, a comedy, and some anime, you've got even more excuses to put off that paper or studying for that exam. Escapists beware: this week's for you. Get Carter Directed by: Stephen T. Ray Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Miranda Richardson, Michael Caine Though the original version of Get Carter made in 1971 still holds its own, the remake claims to put a new spin on the Carter character. That spin is Sly. Stallone plays Jack Carter, a mob enforcer who flies home to Los Angeles after his brother's accidental death. While reuniting with lost family, he realizes that his brother's death was (aren't all deaths in mob families) actually a murder. Vowing vengeance, Carter sets out to kill those responsible for his brother's death.

The Setonian
News

Lindy lands silver medal in World Championships of Crew

August 31

At the beginning of this summer, senior Jeff Lindy was planning to take a little break from crew. As the varsity men's coxswain for the past three years, Lindy had dedicated six straight semesters to the grueling sport that he loved but was anticipating a relaxing summer in Boston. As fate would have it though, the doors of opportunity opened over and over again for the coxswain, and he returned to Boston with a silver medal from the World Championship race in Croatia. During the spring, Lindy tried out for the Nations Cup squad, a championship boat for rowers under the age of 23, but was disappointed when he heard no reply from the coach. Assuming he was not going to be rowing during the summer, Lindy moved into a Medford apartment and began a summer job. However, it took less than two weeks before Lindy's luck began to change. "The second week of my job, I got an e-mail at about 2:45 p.m. saying that I should get on over to Ithaca to try out, that they'd expect me at practice the next afternoon," Lindy remembered. "So, by 3:30, I'd quit my job, started packing my car up, blasted off on the six-hour drive to Ithaca." Giving up his relaxing summer in Boston, Lindy had no regrets about moving on to pursue his dream of practicing with the best rowers and coxswains in the country. The daily double sessions were a change from the typical Tufts' crew practices, and Lindy never quite found his groove. "Ithaca was a lot of fun, but I wasn't really doing well," Lindy said. "I screwed up very frequently in practice, like it was my job. So, after a month of trying out, I wasn't surprised that I was cut." A door may have slammed in Lindy's face, but it did not take long for another window to open for the perseverant coxswain. "After I was cut, the coach came up to me and the other cox who'd been cut," Lindy said. "[He] said that they were shorthanded down in Princeton, which is where the men's national training center is for the senior national team. They were getting together a light eight for the World Championships, and they needed someone to steer it." Without missing a second, Lindy hopped into car and began a late night road trip to New Jersey. Crashing on the floor of a lightweight rower for the first few nights, Lindy wasted no time getting in the middle of the action. "At first, I was steering boats for the lightweights, which was a real pressure cooker," Lindy said. "The final stages of selection for the lightweight four, which is an Olympic boat, were going on. There were ten guys in final contention for just four plane tickets to Sydney, so the practices where I worked with them were intense." After the rigorous tryouts, Lindy was given another dose of bad news: he had just missed the cut...again. Realizing that Lindy was an accomplished coxswain though, lightweight coach Joe Murtaugh invited him to stay and practice with the heavyweight boats, in the hopes that he might try out again next year. "Since I'd already quit my job and crammed all my worldly belongings into the back of my car, I figured, 'Why not?' There wasn't really much to go back to in Boston," Lindy said. With the pressure off, Lindy was more relaxed and simply enjoyed his time coxing the elite heavyweight rowers. As time went on though, he noticed he was at the helm of the heavyweight four boat on a regular basis. "After a week or two of practicing with the Four, Gavin White (the Four's coach), asked me, 'You doing anything in the next few weeks? Can you come to Europe with us," Lindy said. "It was sort of a stealth tryout, and I wasn't told about it. After being cut twice, I was in the right place at the right time." In the blink of an eye, Lindy had just been offered the opportunity of his lifetime, and he took his new role quite seriously. During the last few practices in America, he perfected many of his skills, including steering in the straightest possible line, correcting for wind and water conditions, calling an aggressive race, and memorizing the game plan for the World Championship. The small-framed coxswain was also responsible for motivating a boat with 200-pound, 6'5" grown men. "They've postponed an ordinary, adult life in order to have a chance to compete against the best rowers in the world. If the little college punk steering the shell screws up, they're just going to tear him apart," Lindy recalled. On July 25, the team hopped on a plane and embarked on a plane to Zagreb, Croatia, where they were able to practice on the 2000-meter course for a week, before the finals on Aug. 6. Lindy's summer rowing saga could not have ended on a much higher note, as his boat captured the silver medal in the grand finals. Lindy was truly amazed at the whirlwind of events which left him with the most prized medal in his collection. "Being on a national team, competing with the best, had been a far-out pipe dream of mine for the past four or five years," Lindy said. "Actually winning a silver medal at the World Championships, that's so far out I never even really thought about it." Lindy returned to earth after this monumental accomplishment and finds himself in his senior year and back in the boat as captain of the men's crew team. Utilizing his summer experiences, Lindy hopes to jump start a team that which could be headed into a rebuilding year. "I learned to be very critical of myself and my performance on the water, and I would like to carry with me at Tufts the standards that I had to live up to with the national squad," Lindy said.

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Getting the best out of Boston

August 31

Many students come to Tufts to experience the wonders of Boston like the North End, clubbing, shopping, museums, and historical sites. Some Tufts students are also attracted to the university by the prospect of meeting students from other Boston area schools. Although Boston is a very college-friendly city--its population increases by the thousands each fall as students arrive on college campuses-many Tufts students do not consider themselves part of the intercollegiate Boston scene. At first glance, cross-registration seems to be one of the easiest ways for Tufts students to meet other Boston-area students. According to the 2000-2001 Bulletin of Tufts University, "up to twenty course enrollments are available at Boston College, Brandeis University, and Boston University" each semester for full-time undergraduates. However, Tufts students can only enroll in a total of two courses at the aforementioned schools, and these courses must be in "departments for which there is no Tufts equivalent," like business. Despite the information about cross-registration published in the Bulletin, some Tufts students are unaware of the option. Senior transfer student Tamar Jeknavorian said, "I was never informed that we could cross-register." Other students are aware of the cross-registration option but don't know much about it. Sophomore Maggie Pastuszak said she remembered hearing about cross-registration but never received specific information about it. "It was probably in something I read about the school," she said. Lack of information is not the only factor that hinders Tufts students from cross registering. Tufts'unique block schedule system is different from other schools' systems so it is difficult for Tufts students to fit cross-registered classes into their schedule. Also, according to Senior Class Dean Jeanne Dillon, Tufts students "don't really need to" cross-register. "They pretty much find everything they need here," she said. However, she added that cross-registration is "wonderful to have" because it allows students to reinforce their studies at Tufts with unique courses at other schools. In addition to cross-registering at BC, BU, and Brandeis, Tufts students may also enroll in art courses at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. This semester, sophomore Irina Rozovsky is taking a Super 8 filmmaking class at the Museum School. She said she enrolled in the course because she "wanted to take filmmaking but they don't offer anything like that at Tufts." Although she hasn't made many close Museum School friends--many Museum School students take day classes, so mostly Tufts and other non-Museum School students are in her night class--she has enjoyed the class thus far. She said it has allowed her to experience learning in a different environment. "It's really nice to get off campus and branch out," she said. However, she admitted that transportation time between Tufts and the Museum School can be a hassle. Depending on the Tufts shuttle and the T, it can take an hour or longer to commute. Last year, sophomore Chris Cao registered for a Children's Book Workshop at the Museum School, but dropped it after the first session. Like Rozovsky, he said the commuting time between Tufts and the Museum School was frustrating. "With transportation, a three-hour class turned into a five-hour class," he said. Tufts students can also experience the intercollegiate scene through student organizations. Junior Jamie Crawford is involved with the Intercollegiate Literary Society (ILS), an organization she founded in November 1999 as a forum for student writers. Although the group has already facilitated activities between Tufts, MIT, Harvard, and BU students, Crawford said it is difficult to keep a multi-school organization thriving. "Geographical separation makes it hard to interact," she said. Also, since many schools value a close-knit university community, students interested in ILS are often already very involved with literary groups at their home school and don't have time to coordinate intercollegiate events. Crawford said one possible way to improve ILS would be to establish a virtual, online literary community. "It's been really frustrating this year because we don't have any really good means of communication," she said. Although coordinating ILS events has not been smooth sailing, Crawford that her involvement with students and professors from other Boston-area schools has shown her that "the literary world outside the university is thriving." Other student groups have also been involved in intercollegiate events. Jeknavorian said, "The Armenian club here has done things with other Armenian clubs in the area," such as dances and board meetings. A capella groups also participate in concerts with other schools in the Boston area and beyond. According to sophomore Erin Turner, a member of the Jackson Jills, this year the group has performed with other a capella groups from Haverford, Johns Hopkins, Brandeis, Amherst, and SUNY Buffalo. She said she enjoys visiting differents kinds of schools and different areas of the country. "It's good to get off campus," she said. Some Tufts students also meet other Boston-area students through the club scene. "Clubs are good to meet people from other schools, but you find it's hard to meet with them on a regular basis," said sophomore Sarah Brasslett. She said most people she meets at clubs "aren't interested in relationships." Although she has met students from Harvard, Brandeis, and Wentworth there, she has found that she is usually too busy with activities and classes at Tufts to keep in touch with them. However, sophomore Kevin Coyne said he has been able to maintain friendships with people he has met at Boston clubs. "I have a good deal of friends from surrounding colleges," he said.

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Safety escort service hires student guards

August 31

The rise in hate crimes on campus this semester has induced feelings of insecurity, and Public Safety officials and concerned students are working to remedy the problem by developing a student-operated escort system. Both hope that a new student-run escort system will be more popular and expect that hired students will attract more "customers." "One goal is obviously to improve the escort service, but also improve the publicity because many people don't know an escort system exists," said Margery Yeager, the co-chair of the Tufts Community Union Senate's Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs committee. Yeager has been working with Public Safety official Sonia Rodriguez to establish the service. The logistics of the system are not etched in stone, but the current plan is that there will be two students on call each night - one stationed at Dowling Hall and another at the Campus Center. The individual who is closest to the student requesting assistance will be signaled via walkie-talkie. Many students believe the new system will serve the community well, especially in light of the numerous hate crimes that have occurred this semester. "In guaranteeing students an available escort, I think tragedy can be more easily averted," said Michael Shoenfeld, who was a victim of an ethnic-related crime. "Personally, I generally feel pretty safe walking around this campus, but since the hate crimes have happened, I definitely do think twice about walking alone at night," sophomore Laura Horwitz said. However, there are some students who feel that the new escort service will not improve the perceptions of safety on campus because few will take advantage of it. "I don't think the enactment of a student-escort system will make a difference one way or the other," Mihran Yenikomshian said. Yeager said that the escorts would be easily identifiable on campus and that the application process, which is just beginning, will be strenuous. "The people will be screened so they won't be random people," she said. "There will be a screening process and a criminal background check by the police." The wage paid to students who serve in this position will be greater than the campus minimum wage, but a precise amount has not been determined. In the past, students earned as much as $10 an hour for providing a related service for the Tufts community. Most likely, the service will be funded within the existing Public Safety budget and, if needed, officials said they are willing to cut excess costs in order to provide the necessary funds. In order to guarantee a sufficient student labor force to enact this newly proposed system, Director of Public Safety John King has expressed a willingness to pay students a liberal sum of money. "A lot of schools around the country already have [voluntary] student-escort systems," he said. "You wonder what would happen if the students were paid."

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Jumbos 'Cruz' to victory at ECAC finals

August 31

The men's cross country team bounced back from a dismal showing at the NESCAC championships last weekend to win the ECACs on Saturday. Junior J.R. Cruz highlighted the Jumbos' victory winning his first individual championship in a sparkling time of 26:10. "Before the race I didn't actually feel that great," Cruz said. "But the race went out really fast, and I found myself in the front. The first mile I didn't feel that good, and then I just got rolling." The victory was especially rewarding for Cruz, who missed the NESCAC championships because of inflammation in his left knee. With his injury heeled, Cruz dominated the field, which consisted of 241 runners from 33 different schools. "It was good to get a solid victory," senior co-captain Adrian Wilairat said. "The victory gives us a lot of confidence going into the New England [Regional] Championships." The meet also marked the impressive return of junior Justin Lewis, who also missed the previous race. Only minutes before Saturday's meet, Lewis' status was still up in the air. Finally, after discussing it with coach Connie Putnam, Lewis decided to compete.Coming off a quadricep injury that had hampered him in past weeks, Lewis pulled off a shocking tenth place finish (third on team, 27:19.6), almost 40 seconds better than his prior career best at Grafton. "[Cruz] ran strong, smart, and he couldn't have run a better race," Wilairat said. "This bodes well for next weekend. [Lewis] ran even better than he thought he was going to run. His quad was sore but he ran really well in the second half [of the race]." "[Lewis] has been going through a period of staleness from over-training," Putnam said. "He was a little ambivalent about running [before the race]." After the race it was clear that Lewis is no longer a question mark. "[Lewis] was awesome," Cruz said. "He's back." Junior Jason Mann proved that he has returned to championship condition, after struggling for weeks to adjust to running with a cast on his right arm. He finished fifth overall (27:19.6). Sophomore Adam Sharp, who placed 22nd (27.59.9) and Wilairat, 33rd (28.22.6), rounded out the Jumbos' top five. While Tufts dominated the race, beating New England powerhouses Williams and Keene State, the Jumbos' win came with an asterisk. The victory was somewhat misleading as most teams rested the majority of their top seven runners in preparation for the Regional Championships this weekend at UMASS Dartmouth. "Traditionally ECACs is a time for resting," Cruz said. "[Williams and Keene State] didn't run their top seven, but it is nice see [us beat them] on paper. But we know for a fact they didn't run their top seven." "Beating [Williams and Keene State] at ECACs is not an indication of how we will do against them this weekend," Wilairat said. "They were resting their top runners. The teams that Keene State and Williams field will be much different." "I don't think in any sense of the word that we avenged [our losses to Williams and Keene State]," Putnam said. The Jumbos will be much stronger next weekend with the return of senior co-captain, Dave Patterson, junior Ben Smith, and freshman James Lamoureux, who all took the weekend off in preparation for the important meet on Saturday. How Tufts runs will determine whether or not it qualifies for the National Championships in Washington. After an easy week of light practices, the team heads to Dartmouth, where they will stay in a hotel on Friday night. "It's going to be a wild and crazy race," Wilairat said. "It's going to be tough. We expect to run at Nationals but in order to do that we have to qualify. The two races we focus on all year are Regionals and Nationals." To ready themselves for next weekend's race, the Jumbos practiced on the Dartmouth course on Sunday afternoon. While the course is in good condition, the start has the potential to be very hazardous for the runners. Approximately 150 meters from the starting line, runners have to go around a sharp turn where there will be a lot of jockeying for position. If the Jumbos expect to compete for the championship, a quick start is imperative. "[The race] is going to be fast so [we] have to go out hard," Wilairat said. "Anything can happen in a race like this." The Jumbos will consider anything less than earning one of New England's five spots in the national championship race a disappointment. "We expect to qualify [for Nationals]," Cruz said. "We expect to have a great race against Keene State and Williams and [hopefully] avenge our losses against them. As long as we are on that plane [to Nationals], we'll be happy." "If we run well we could beat MIT and be the third team [of five to qualify for nationals]," Putnam said. "If we run out of our minds we could give Williams a good test."

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Jumbos tie Pathers in overtime in long-anticipated matchup

August 31

The Tufts men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 overtime stalemate in a highly anticipated matchup against NESCAC rival Middlebury this past weekend in Vermont, preserving the Jumbos' undefeated record in the process. Tufts has had Middlebury's number the past two years, surprising the Panthers in each of the last two regular season finales.

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Gore gives real answers not rhetoric

August 31

Is anyone else getting very scared for Election Day? My nerves make themselves quite known every time I think about the upcoming presidential contest. As I looked over my Colorado absentee ballot this past week, permitting medical use of marijuana and funding a new library seemed insignificant. The list of presidential candidates this year is ten persons long - Al Gore, George Bush, Ralph Nader, along with little known candidates like the Socialist Party's David McReynolds. But when it comes down to it, we only hear about the choice between Gore and Bush. Almost everyone these days, from newspapers across the country, to columns in Time magazine, has concluded that the choice for president in the 2000 election is a choice for the lesser evil. There are few people I know who are absolutely enthralled with one candidate or the other. Perhaps George W. Bush comes across as personable and wants us all to love each other and our government's policies, but when it comes down to it, his experience level does not approach that of Vice President Gore's. Bush supporters scare me to death (to be perfectly honest), and his plans with what to do with government money (I.e. the surplus, taxes, and Medicare) do no add up. In sum, my vote will be for Al Gore, and I feel the reasons I have support my decision well. Gore has been in the White House for eight years. Granted, the Clinton administration had some flaws, but good things have happened in this country since Clinton and Gore took office. With things like a woman's right to choose and gun laws (or lack thereof) at stake, I know I have to stand firm on the issues I believe in and stand by, or at least vote for, the man who supports those issues. I do not believe that Gore can do harm to this country, but I cannot say the same for George W. Bush. Perhaps Gore would be somewhat passive, but I believe that when it comes down to it, he is much more capable of making the right decisions. Here's another scary thought, in the presidential election, the popular vote does not really matter. Now, I am NOT saying, don't go out and vote, I believe everyone should, but truth be told, when it comes to the presidential election, the electoral college has the final say. The members of the college are supposed to vote in the way and for the party that they were elected to (by popular vote), but this does not always happen. In 1888, Benjamin Harrison became president, beating out Grover Cleveland, even though Cleveland had many more popular votes. Some speculate that if the same thing happened this year, Bush would win the popular vote and Gore would win the electoral vote, meaning that Gore would be president, but would have some limitations on his power. With around 200 electoral votes still up for grabs, you can bet that the candidates are doing their best now to not appeal to the American people, as much as they are trying to capture every last electoral vote they can. With Election Day creeping up, I believe it is our duty, as educated Americans, to cast a vote for the next leader of our country. With this duty though, comes a responsibility to do what is right for you, for me, for our grandparents and for the ill. Not everyone in this country makes $100,000 a year. Not everyone has access to good medical care. Not everyone was raised to believe that guns in the wrong hands are bad. And not everyone needs to be a "nice guy."Lindsay Reder is a junior majoring in biology-psychology. Reder is a production manager for The Tufts Daily.

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Record-breaking season will be tough to repeat

August 31

With a final record of 18-4-1, and a second-place finish in the NCAA Tournament, the 2000 women's soccer team put together one of the best years in Tufts sports history. The season, which ended on a last-second goal by The College of New Jersey in the Division III NCAA Finals, was easily the most successful the program has seen, surpassing the 1998 team's record-setting 12-3-2 mark by six wins. "I don't think that I really thought about it when the season started - about that game," coach Martha Whiting said of her team's march through the NCAA Tournament. "But I think that if I did, I might have said, 'Yeah, we have a chance at the Final Four.'" Although the team will lose just three seniors to graduation this year, their absence will have a strong effect both on and off the field. Goalkeeper Randee McArdle, defensive back Carmen Mikacenic, and midfielder Sara Yeatman served as the team's three captains this season, and provided emotional leadership as well as outstanding play all year long. "We're losing three really important players - we're going to miss them a lot," Whiting said. "They're just such awesome players and awesome people that they're irreplaceable. We definitely have players who are going to be able to step in, but it's going to be different because the players who played there before were the leaders on the team. Leadership is such a big part of the success of the team, and the leaders were great." McArdle, who set the Tufts record for most career shutouts this season, rounds out her career with a 36-12-4 record, including her 24 shutouts, a .68 GAA, and a save percentage of 86. Junior Mara Schanfield will take over in net next season. She has performed well when needed, filling in for McArdle over the last two seasons. She has allowed just three goals in 451 minutes, a .60 GAA, and boasts an 87.5 save percentage. "Mara has been around for a lot of years, and she's a very good goalkeeper," Whiting said. "She just hasn't gotten her chance yet because Randee did so well." Mikacenic, who has been the heart of the defense since the graduation of All-Star defensive backs Erin Hennessy and Dana Delegianis (LA '99), anchored a backfield that allowed just 16 goals in 23 games. She has also contributed on the offensive end, tallying 14 points on six goals and two assists, and her presence in transition has created a number of other scoring opportunities. In addition, she has also been an asset in penalty kick situations, including netting the winning kick in 1998's regional final against Wellesley. The defense will remain strong despite Mikacenic's departure, with junior Katie Ruddy, sophomores Cara Glassanos and Brenna O'Rourke, and freshman Jessie Lovitz forming the team's back line. Yeatman led the team on offense for most of the year, racking up 25 points on 11 goals and three assists, more than doubling her combined goal total from her first three years. She was also pivotal in controlling the play for the Jumbos, consistently winning balls and maintaining position from her center-mid position. Tufts will retain most of its offensive firepower, however, with junior Lynn Cooper leading the way. Cooper, who contributed 11 goals and six assists this season, has 76 points in her career, including 30 goals and 16 assists. She will play alongside NESCAC Rookie of the Year Jess Trombly, who was third on the team with six goals and eight assists, and often provided the spark for the Tufts offense. In addition, juniors Becky Mann, Sara Standish, and Katie Kehrberger and sophomores Adie Sherwood, Alle Sharlip, and Elizabeth Tooley will help generate goals for the 2001 Jumbos. Whiting, only the second women's soccer coach in Tufts' history, has compiled a 27-9-2 through her first two years, and hopes to continue the success of a program that has seen only one losing season in 21 years. "Definitely, your second year at something, you're always a little more confident, and I'm sure that next year will be even better. I was a little bit nervous my first year just because everything was so new, but having a year under my belt definitely helped." The strength of the soccer program continues to grow, as has been reflected in the team's increasing success over the past few years. Whiting attributes much of the program's success to the team's mental attitude, which kept the players focused on getting the job done. In addition, she points to the team's ability to set high goals for itself as being crucial to its performance. "We have the potential to be good for a while, we just have to get it done. The mental toughness is key; it's all about expecting a lot out of your players and setting your goals really high," she said. "That's what we started to do over the last five or six years. Sometimes it's just not enough and you have to dig down deeper and suck it up. And that's the bottom the line right there - higher expectations and higher goals." The Jumbos, however, will be hindered by a new NESCAC policy, scheduled to go into effect next season. The policy will limit the number of teams from the conference going to the postseason to one, eliminating NCAA at-large bids and ECAC berths for all team sports. "It's more pressure, not just on us, but more pressure to want to get really good players to make you number one," Whiting said. "It's just too bad that a lot of good teams won't get to go - it kind of waters down the whole tournament. I feel like the competition won't be there until the later rounds. We just have to deal with it - if that's what it's going to be, then that's what it's going to be. The policy is doubly influential, since the NESCAC is one of the most competitive conferences in the nation, receiving two of the six NCAA at-large bids this year, in addition to the automatic qualifier. Also, three NESCAC teams made the ECAC Tournament, with Amherst defeating Bates 3-2 in the final. "We play in a conference where a lot of other teams are good, and they're going to be good for a while, too," Whiting said. "You have a great year and you hope you can continue it, but you never know how the other teams are going to come back. We have to enjoy our success now while we can, because next year's going to come fast." With the team's success over the last three years, Tufts has begun to gain recognition nationally as a strong program. That recognition will help the program grow, as the success will cause better players to begin to consider Tufts. "It's interesting to see how many more phone calls, letters, and e-mails we've gotten since the tournament started," Whiting said. "I don't think it's going to be a huge difference, but it'll play a role. The type of kids who look here are looking for a great school [academically] first, which we are. But if it's between a couple good schools, and the soccer program here is really good, I think that's what may help us." The national recognition will also affect Tufts as the team moves into next season. The Jumbos will most likely begin the year near the top of the rankings, which will put added pressure on the players and make the team a target on opponents' schedules. "It's good because you like the recognition when you do well," Whiting said. "But it can also put pressure on players. And every single game next year, people are going to want to beat us." Whiting feels that the pressure will turn into a positive thing for Tufts, however, since the team has already established its right to be considered one of the best in the country. "We made it to the National Finals, what do we have to prove to other people?" Whiting said. "We just have to maintain our high level of intensity and our high work rate, and we'll be ok. It puts some pressure on us, but it's all about responding to the pressure. Are you going to let it get you down, or are you going to be tough and let it challenge you?" Tufts began the year winning seven of its first eight games, with a 1-0 decision at Middlebury the only early-season loss. After losing 4-1 to Bowdoin, the Jumbos turned up the heat, winning their next seven games, including the first Tufts victory over Williams in over ten years. The streak was capped off by a 3-1 win over Bowdoin in the semi-finals of the NESCAC Tournament. Although Tufts lost 2-0 to Middlebury in the finals, the team earned its second NCAA berth in three years. The Jumbos' postseason performance exceeded that of the 1998 team, which won the New England Region in Tufts' first visit to the NCAA Tournament. That trip helped the Jumbos in this year's tournament campaign, as the team's experience kept it composed despite the heightened pressure. "The fact that quite a few players had experience in the NCAA Tournament was really important," Whiting said. "It's kind of awe-inspiring the first time you go because it's just so different. But so many people on this team had been there two years ago. They understood what was going to happen and what the whole thing was all about. Just having the experience of being there was a good thing in terms of keeping calm and composed." One of the team's strongest assets this season was the intensity it was able to play with day in and day out, which carried the Jumbos through a number of close games. No matter the opponent, the score, or the importance of the game, the Jumbos approached every situation with the same tough mental attitude. "They couldn't care less about the other team - whether they were the best team in the world or the worst team in the world, they were just going to go out there and do it," Whiting said. "It was a 'shut up and play' type of thing with this team. The mental toughness of this team really surprised me. They really never got rattled. We were down against Colby, Simmons, and New Jersey, and we came back." Another key factor for Tufts this year was its ability to stay healthy. Last year's 9-5-1 team experienced a number of setbacks and struggled to play consistently. This year, however, the team suffered only a few minor injuries, with the notable exception of junior midfielder Sara Standish, who missed the second half of the season with a torn ACL. Because of this, the team was able to take advantage of its depth, outplaying teams down the stretch. "We were really, really lucky in terms of injuries," Whiting said. "I can't remember a year that we were so injury-free. If we had had injuries, we might not have done so well, just because we wouldn't have been as deep, but the people on the bench could have stepped in and done a fine job. There's not a player on the team that I would have felt uncomfortable playing."

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Save Ferris is 'still cooking'

August 31

As summer's intense heat gradually gives way to the cool, crisp air of a New England autumn, Fall Fest will arrive on the Residential Quad this weekend. Headliners Save Ferris promise to put on an energetic set, and according to frontwoman Monique Powell, the band is more than ready to do so. "We're really excited. I love Boston, always have," she says over the phone from her home in Los Angeles. "If there were three places I'd live outside of L.A., they'd be Seattle, London, or Boston." The band, usually recognized as a prominent ska outfit, put out three albums in the '90s. But since their last album, Modified, things have begun to change. "We're just writing a lot of songs that don't require horns," Powell says. As a result, two of the band's seven founding members are no longer officially in Save Ferris. "We miss them; we're still friends," she says with a dash of pathos in her ebulliently youthful voice. Saturday's set, however, will feature a guest trumpeter. Currently, the band is working on demos for its fourth album. So, has Save Ferris traded in its trademark horns for a more straightforward rock sound? "There's so much more to it than that," says Powell. "And that's so f---- Spinal Tap to say, but I think every musician understands that at some point. There's a lot of rock and pop and punk." Still, she insists that the band's new material is "still cooking," and that Saturday's show will mainly feature songs from the group's first three albums. The band just finished touring the US on the annual Van's Warped Tour and spent time this year in Southeast Asia. It's also been cleared to play in China, which Powell says may afford the group some interesting possibilities in the near future. While Save Ferris is looking into the possibility of playing more college shows, Powell is being careful about that. "Do I have to watch my language?" she asks cautiously. On a college tour a few years ago, Save Ferris stirred up the ire of several religious colleges by using colorful language on stage. "It wasn't even profanity, it was just the word 'vagina.' I had the crowd chanting 'Vagina!' Is that so bad?" Perhaps we'll find out Saturday.

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Livin' in the past

August 31

Call me old-fashioned. Maybe it's just that I like tall guys in short shorts. I like to say that I'm old school. Especially when it comes to basketball.Well, I'm as old school as a 20-year old kid can be. I like basketball from the '80s and early '90s. So maybe I'm not that old school, but I say it beats the hell out of what we have to watch today. When it comes to the NBA, I'll take ESPN Classic clips of the Lakers and the Pistons and Celtics over the NBA on TNT any day of the week, and every time we're forced to watch a triple-header in one night. It's tempting to write a column about how weak the NBA is right now. I could probably write a few columns about it, but the fact is, I kind of like this year's league. I was more excited for the start of this season than I have been for the last few. I think teams might consistently start scoring in the 70-point range, and shooting percentages should climb above the 25 percent clip. There are a lot of positive things about the NBA in 2000, but none of them stack up to the NBA of ten or 15 years ago. Take a trip back to my childhood with me, for a minute, if you will. It's cool to watch Shaq dunk the ball, his defender, and Jack Nicholson through the hoop in the same kind of dominating way that it would be cool to watch Goliath slay David over and over. But I'll take the grace and beauty of a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky-hook, thank you. And I don't mind watching Allen Iverson come down on a fast break, ignore the two open teammates he has, break his defender's ankles, and hit a reverse layup. But I much prefer watching Magic Johnson lead his team in a fast break where the ball never hits the ground. Sure it's great to watch the Cavaliers and Nets tough it out through an 86-82 battle where Stephon Marbury, the Nets' best player and point guard, goes 3-17 from the field. But it was much better to watch those teams play in the early '90s, when the Cavs had Larry Nance, Craig Ehlo, and Mark Price (a point guard who passed first, shot second), and the score would have been the same, at the end of the third quarter. One thing that was great about the '80s was that all five guys on the court got to touch the ball. It may sound odd, but they didn't used to draw up offenses where one guy sets a pick, one guy dribbles a lot, and the other three compare stock portfolios. Yeah, it's funny that Iverson and Sam Perkins have corn rows, but it was funnier when the whole front line for the Lakers (Kareem, James Worthy, and Kurt Rambis) wore goggles. Oh, and another thing, nicknames these days are weak compared to ten years ago. Now each team may have one guy with a nickname. The Spurs have the Admiral, the Raptors have Air Canada, and the Sonics have the Glove. It used to be whole teams had nicknames. Take the Pistons, they had the Worm, the Spider, Buddha, and the Microwave all on the court at one time. What it boils down to, though, is there is a lot of individual talent in the league right now. But there were better basketball players in the '80s. Just for fun, think of a mock game between Team Short Shorts (all '80s) and Team Range Rover (2000). We'll leave out Jordan, as he would throw off the competitive balance. But for my Team Short Shorts starting five, I would take Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with James Worthy, Karl Malone, and Isiah Thomas coming off the bench. For fun, we'll have Chuck Daly manning the sidelines with Frank Layden and Pat Riley as his assistants. For Team Range Rover, we've got Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal, with Gary Payton, Allen Iverson, and Tim Duncan coming off the bench. They've got Scott Skiles, Byron Scott, and Isiah Thomas coaching (he can coach one team and play for another, it's my game). There may be a little more individual talent on Team Range Rover, but you've got to wonder how they decide who gets the ball. For Team Short Shorts, Magic's distributing the ball everywhere, they're playing help defense, and rebounding as a team. They don't wave off picks, they hold jerseys without being caught, and they talk better trash. In the end, I see the game tied with about 30 seconds to play. Team Range Rover inbounds the ball to Kobe, who can't decide whether to drive the lane and shoot, dribble for a while and then shoot, or shoot a quick, wild three-pointer. Before he can make up his mind, Clyde the Glide steals the ball to start a fast break. He finds Magic on the outlet, who brings it down and makes a no-look pass to Larry Legend. He hits the Round Mound of Rebound with a touch pass, who drops it off to his trailer, Kareem, who dunks it as the clock expires.See what I was saying about better nicknames.

The Setonian
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Tennis team notches sixth straight win

August 31

The women's tennis team showed no signs of weakness in the past week, defeating all three of its opponents in dominating fashion. The Jumbos defeated UConn 6-3 last Monday, Trinity 8-1 last Saturday, and Wesleyan 9-0 last Thursday. Tufts started its match on Monday at a disadvantage since the number one singles player, sophomore Katie Nordstrom, was out sick and the number two singles player, junior Erika Lee had academic obligations. This pair usually comprises the Jumbos' number one doubles team as well. Without these two key players, though, the Jumbos were able to step up and pull out the win against a Division I UConn team. "This was a real big win for us," junior Heather Rich said. "Everybody stepped up and played well. We didn't want to lose to them because we haven't lost to them in a while. This match shows the depth that we have on this team." The beginning of the match did not look good as the doubles team of freshman Barclay Gang and sophomore Emily Warshauer was defeated by Trinell Russell and Colleen Connors 8-4. However, the next two doubles teams picked up the slack by winning both of their matches convincingly. Sophomore Iffy Saeed and Rich dominated Ann Dewberry and Christine Vorvis 8-1, and sophomore Rachel Hammerman and senior Jen Lai out-played Katie Olsen and Laurel Lebby 8-3. In the singles portion of the match, Gang faced her toughest competition of the year, playing first singles for the first time this season. Russell defeated Gang in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. The depth of the Jumbos became apparent when sophomore Iffy Saeed convincingly won her match over Connors. Saeed was put into in the second singles spot moving her up two spots from her usual fourth singles spot, and she pulled out a 6-2, 6-0 win. Warshauer put up a fight, but unfortunately relinquished the first two sets to Ann Dewberry 6-4, 6-3 in the third singles spots. The final three singles matches went very well for the Jumbos and allowed them to take the match. In the fourth singles spot Hammerman beat Vorvis 6-0, 7-6. Lai, who was playing in the last fall home match of her Tufts career, dominated Mel Polanco 6-0, 6-3. Finally, Courtney Adair, who has not played in a match yet this year, was victorious in the sixth singles spot 7-5, 6-1 over Olsen. The Jumbos put up another win last Saturday against a tough Trinity College team. Although Tufts won the match 8-1, it was not quite the lopsided performance that the score indicated. Three of the six singles matches went to three sets. The Jumbos have struggled in doubles this year but showed no signs of it in this match. Nordstrom and Lee beat Courtney Sargeant and Becky Mate 8-5 in the first doubles spot. Gang and Warshauer were challenged but came up with the victory over Olga Bogatyrenko and Mimi Krueger 8-6 in the second doubles spot. Finally, Saeed and Rich took their doubles match 8-3 over Diana Goldman and Karen Huebner. The only blemish on the scoreboard for the Jumbos in this match came at the first singles spot, in which Nordstrom lost the first set 7-6, and was then forced to retire from the match because of sickness. Lee was victorious over Sargeant with a score of 7-6, 6-2 in the second doubles spot. Gang was also able to defeat Mate in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 in her third singles match. After Gang's match, the Jumbos began to be challenged. Saeed won her first set 6-4 over Bogatyrenko, only to lose a close second set, 6-5. Fortunately, she was able to rebound and took the third set 6-2 to win her fourth singles match. Warshauer was given a scare by Huebner in the first set of her fifth singles match, which she lost 6-3. She woke up, though, and won her last two sets 6-4, 6-3. Rich also relinquished her first set to Krueger 7-5 but was able to come back in the final two frames, winning 6-3, 6-3. If the Jumbos were challenged on Saturday by Trinity, they hardly broke a sweat last Thursday against Wesleyan. Tufts shut out Wesleyan 9-0 and not one Jumbo gave up a set. In the first doubles match, Nordstrom and Lee beat Rachel Sigman and Dina Guth 8-5. Gang and Warshauer defeated Nina Zeitlin and Tarsah Dale 8-6 in their second doubles match. Rich and junior Daniella Fontecilla completed the sweep of doubles by winning their match over Allison Rovner and Kelly Schunk to the tune of 8-5. Tufts won their singles matches in similar dominating fashion. Nordstrom won her first singles match 6-4, 6-0 over Zeitlin. In second singles Lee took her match 6-0, 6-4 from Rovner. Gang won the third singles match convincingly by a score of 6-1, 6-1 over Dale. Saeed did her job in the fourth singles spot, beating Schunk 6-2, 6-2. Warshauer won the closest match all day by defeating Guth 6-2, 7-6. Finally, Hammerman completed the sweep with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Sigman. The Trinity match showed the improvement that the Jumbos are making on their doubles play. "I think we have improved doubles," Rich said. "We are still switching around the third doubles spot a lot but each match we get better." The improved doubles play combined with Tufts' already strong singles play will help the Jumbos as they enter the New England Championships this weekend. Last year, Tufts took fourth in this tournament that brings together all the small colleges in New England. The Jumbos hope to better that mark this year. "We are feeling pretty confident right now because we are playing well," Rich said. "We want to do better than our fourth place finish last year. It is going to be tough because Williams and Amherst will be there and they are good teams, but I think that we are definitely in the running." The Championships will be played this Friday through Sunday and will be a good chance for Tufts to see where it stands in New England. This will give the team a better idea about its chances in the NCAA tournament that will take place in the spring.

The Setonian
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Senate selects new student trustee representatives

August 31

Three students were elected on Sunday night to serve as liaisons between Tufts' undergraduate student body and the Board of Trustees, the governing body of the University. Juniors Jesse Levey and Alethea Pieters, along with sophomore Adam Carlis, were chosen from a field of six candidates by the Tufts Community Union senate to be this year's trustee representatives. The issue of student representation to the Board of Trustees is especially pertinent in light of University President John DiBiaggio's recent announcement that he will be retiring by the end of 2002. The Board of Trustees is now faced with choosing Tufts' next president, and the three students elected Sunday night will represent the undergraduate voice in that discussion. In their five-minute presentations, and during a question and answer session that followed, the representatives emphasized a host of other issues, including the need for more housing on campus. "The Trustees are focused on selecting a new president, but we must show them that there are other issues to deal with too," Levey said The lack of campus housing is perceived as the biggest area of student discontent in recent years, with sophomores and juniors facing the annual decision of whether to roll the dice with Residential Life or fork over the cash and move off campus. An attempt was made last year to deal with this problem by then-trustee representative Tommy Calvert, who presented a proposal to the Board of Trustees in February that detailed student opinion on the housing crisis, and suggested that a new dorm be built and existing ones be renovated. However, no drastic moves have been made to address the issue since then. "We need continuity from last year and bring the housing issue back to the table," TCU Senate President David Moon said. "All three [representatives] will do a good job." Levey believes the first step in making progress on the housing issue is to coordinate those who have proposed solutions to the problem to work together with the Board of Trustees. "We need to get everyone on the same page. We need a new dorm," he said. "Long term, Haskell and Wren need to be demolished. They are virtually unlivable." "People can't study and learn if they have to worry about where they are going to live," Carlis concurred. In addition to housing, Carlis stressed the importance of addressing the issue of diversity. He perceives a growing intolerance on campus and hopes to push for an increase in the number of multi-ethnic groups and programs. Pieters emphasized improving Tufts by augmenting the size of its endowment. "There are holes or problems we could patch to make Tufts a better place," she said. "Harvard gets more alumni giving, and makes it better for current students." In their presentations, the candidates all stressed the qualities that they posses that will make them effective in their role as trustee representative. Levey cited his previous Senate experience and capability to work well with administrators, while both Carlis and Pieters stressed their abilities to be good listeners as well as communicators. "We must keep the lines of communication open and keep the students feeling empowered," Carlis said. These skills are important because, according to Secretary of the Trustees Linda Dixon, the trustee representatives must earn the respect of the Board of Trustees so that their opinions and input are given serious consideration. "[One must be] not afraid to speak up, but in a tactful manner, and be able to establish a rapport with the Trustees." Also seeking the position of trustee representative were senior Dan Landmann, junior Doug Hansen, and freshman James Christian Blockwood. The selection of the representatives was overseen by Elections Board Chair Bruce Kessler. After the election, Senators commented that the leadership skills that the candidates conveyed during their presentations was the main factor in determining their vote. "Candidates seemed to have a grasp of the important issues, but their difference in approach made all the difference," freshman Nick Abraham said. "Each person talked of some of there goals including work towards a new dorm, greater diversity in faculty and the student body, and improving alumni relations. I believe that these three will do an excellent job on these issues which are not something that can not be taken care of overnight," Parliamentarian Ben Lee said. "The framework was built last year for many of these topics and our new trustee reps. will do an excellent job building upon that." Each representative was placed onto a Trustees committee. Pieters will serve on the Academic Affairs Committee, Levey will sit on the Development Committee, and Carlis will be on the Administration and Finance Committee. Each representative will serve a one-year term.

The Setonian
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The Break-Up Mix

August 31

We've all been through it. Whether you're the dumper or the dumpee, misery loves company, and this tape is here to help you overcome even the worst of broken hearts. Post break-up emotions typically come in two flavors, the "please come back to me, I can't live without you" type and the "get the *&%@ out of here you *$%* lying, *&@#$ cheating *%@" kind. This tape is designed to accommodate both of those emotions: Side A for all you melancholy weepers out there, and Side B for those of you who believe you are too damn good for your ex.Side A The Magnetic Fields, "I Don't Want To Get Over You" Moby, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" The Velvet Underground, "Who Loves the Sun" Santana and Mana, "Coraz??n Espinado" Ben Harper, "Walk Away" Led Zeppelin, "Tangerine" Counting Crows, "Amy Hit the Atmosphere" Belle and Sebastian, "Seeing Other People" Guster, "Either Way" Elliot Smith, "Say Yes" Frente!, "Bizarre Love Triangle" Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Nobody's Baby Now" Pansy Division, "A Song of Remembrance for Old Boyfriends"Side B Bis, "Kill Your Boyfriend" Eminem, "Kim" Paul Simon, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" No Doubt, "Don't Speak" Violent Femmes, "Kiss Off" Bessie Smith, "Lost Your Head Blues" Phish, "Poor Heart" Tracy Chapman, "Give Me One Reason" Lenny Kravitz, "American Woman" Rent by Jonathan Larson, "Take Me or Leave Me" Adam Sandler, "Somebody Kill Me Please" Gloria Gaynor, "I Will Survive"

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Ineffective offense leads to 8-0 shutout by Amherst

August 31

The only solace the Jumbos can take in losing 8-0 to the Amherst Lord Jeffs on Saturday is that Amherst had already blanked two other opponents this season, and has held the opposition to a league-low 6.3 points per game. "They were really strong defensively," sophomore quarterback Todd Scalia said. "I think we went in with the same game plan though." The usual game plan was not enough to generate a win though, as a couple of missed opportunities and a hurting offense continue to plague the now 2-4 Jumbos, who failed to score a point for the first time this season. Amherst, meanwhile, moved to 5-1 and stayed atop the NESCAC, knotted in a three-way tie with Colby and Middlebury. The Jumbos, who generated only 189 yards of total offense in the loss, had a chance to even the game in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, beginning a drive from the Amherst 38-yard line with a 13-yard pass from Scalia to Bryan Pitko. Scalia found Tim Mack ten yards downfield a couple of plays later, and Tufts had a first down on the Amherst 14 with just over a minute to play. Scalia then hit senior running back Brian Holmes and freshman wideout Matt Cerne on consecutive short passes, moving the Jumbos to the Lord Jeff five with 46 seconds on the clock. On third down, Scalia's pass to Cerne went incomplete. Holmes got the fourth-down carry, but was stopped by Amherst defensive lineman Ted Hollo, who tackled him for a four-yard loss to end the Jumbos' hopes of tying things up. "It was a typical toss play," Hollo said in a press release. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time on fourth down." The opening drive for the Jumbos also included two injuries to the left side of the offensive line, as one lineman left the game with a sprained knee, and the other with a sprained ankle. This did not make the attack against a stringent Amherst defense any easier. "Amherst is the best team in the NESCAC," McGraw said. "There are always things we could do better. We lost the left side of our line early on in the same play. We had two guys who stepped in and did a great job though." Amherst put two points on the board early in the game, after Lord Jeffs kicker Geoff Bough sent the Jumbos deep into their own territory with a 42-yard punt midway through the first quarter. Starting from the Tufts two-yard line, Chuck McGraw rushed for no gain and, on second down, Amherst linebacker Kenn Barrington broke through the Jumbo defense and tackled Holmes in the endzone for a safety, giving the Lord Jeffs a 2-0 lead. The Jumbo defense, led by ten tackles apiece from Evan Zupancic and Scott Mitenthal, held the Lord Jeffs scoreless through the second and third quarters, but couldn't stop junior running back Okey Ugwonali in the final frame. Ugwonali, who finished with 151 yards rushing, capped an 11-play, 79-yard drive at the start of the fourth quarter with a lunge into the end zone for the game's only touchdown. Ogwanali had nine carries for 58 yards on the drive alone. It was the second straight week that the Jumbos struggled against one of the league's better rushers, as Tufts couldn't stop Williams freshman running back Mike Hackett last week. Hackett rushed for 148 against Tufts, but it was Ugwonali on Saturday who had the most success of any back the Jumbos have seen this season. What started out as a scary run defense for the Jumbos this year has now been abused badly in each of the last two weeks. It was the passing game that the Jumbos did a good job limiting this weekend, however, holding Amherst quarterback Peter Honig to 78 yards on 12 completions. But Scalia could only manage 68 yards passing of his own, going 10-23. It was the second time this season that he has played the entire game. Saclia's targets were varied on Saturday, as five different Jumbos caught passes, but none totaled more than 21 yards. No Jumbo receiver has had a 100-yard passing game this season. Brian Holmes again led the ground attack, this time with 93 yards on 36 carries. "We did better this week, we've improved offensively," McGraw said. "We didn't turn the ball over once this game, which is a huge improvement. We need to be more efficient and run our routes better to improve the passing game." Things will not get much easier for Tufts from here on in: after losing to Amherst, the Jumbos will close out the season against the other two teams atop the conference, Colby and Middlebury. Having scored 125 and 124 points, respectively, the White Mules and Panthers bring the two league's top two offenses to the field. Neither team is shabby on defense, either - Colby's 12.2 points allowed per game is fifth in the conference, while Middlebury's 7.5 per game is second. The White mules come to Medford for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, marking the final home game for 17 seniors. Luckily for the Jumbos, it's their young offense that will not lose many players, meaning they can at the least chalk 2000 up to experience.

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