Last time the Bangles came through these parts (circa 1989), they were soaring from the success of the ballad "Eternal Flame" and were headlining at Great Woods (now the Tweeter Center). As great as life seemed for them, the band was actually as downcast as could be - and if you're even a casual viewer of VH1's Behind The Music series, you shouldn't be surprised.
What would I do if I had a hundred million dollars and a desire to buy a sports franchise? First things first, I wouldn't buy a baseball team. I have a small moral problem with paying a middle reliever $10 million for three years of work (Jeff Nelson, the former New York Yankees reliever just signed a huge contract with the Seattle Mariners). He throws fewer pitches in a season than Pedro Martinez throws in a game, and the majority of them don't matter at all. And forget everybody that says the New York Yankees won because of their superior middle relief. That's a pure lie. They had to bring in a starter to pitch middle relief in one World Series game, and may I remind you that the position of a middle reliever wasn't even around 15 years ago, and teams still figured out a way to win. I don't want a shortstop who wants a bigger office than me (Seattle Mariner Alex Rodriguez wants his own office and a guarantee that he will have the most publicity on the team). Plus, any superstar in baseball is going to want about $200 million, which is twice as much as I just won in my fantasy, so even though it's my fantasy, paying that much money for a guy to hit and throw a ball is out of the question. So I guess I won't invest in a baseball team.I'm not going to buy a football team either. It would be hard to look in the mirror every morning knowing that I'm shelling out $5 million a year to my middle linebacker so that he can hire fancy lawyers to get his murder charge dropped (Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis got off on charges of murder this past offseason). There would only be so many times I could defend my wide receiver who didn't so lucky with the penal system (Carolina Panther Rae Carruth) after he arranged for his pregnant girlfriend to be shot and then hid in the trunk of a car. I would be hard-pressed to give a few million dollars to my tight end (former Green Bay Packer Mark Chmura) who was accused of having sex with his daughter's babysitter, or my outside linebacker (Denver Bronco Bill Romanowski) who got his wife to buy him performance enhancing drugs. Plus, if I were a football owner, I would feel too pressured to follow the lead of my other owners and assume that I know everything about football. I would buy as many big-name players as I could (Washington Redskins' owner Dan Snyder), disregarding any thought to how their arrival could impact the cohesiveness of an already successful group of players. I would probably demand that my coach win a Super Bowl, regardless of whether he likes the moves I've made, and fire him in midseason if it appears that won't happen even if it was my own fault. It appears I'm not cut out to be a football owner. I wouldn't even try my hand at owning an NBA team. Maybe it's the way I was raised, but I just lose a lot of respect for guys that play with emotion and heart in college, then sleepwalk their way through the NBA season (virtually the entire league). I don't know what it is, but I would not be able to look at myself if I gave up my hard earned money to some guy who plays to about half of his potential (Vin Baker), hangs out with his posse after the game (Allen Iverson) instead of his team, smokes weed during the season (Jason Williams), then dogs it the next night (Vin Baker again). Plus, I wouldn't want to raise ticket prices over and over again to the point where the average family can't attend a game. I wouldn't want to own a team where we force some 50-year old who's liked the team for 49 years to stop coming to games. Instead we force him to sit at home, watch the game on TNT and listen to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. I would never do that to anyone, so I won't own a basketball team. My options are running pretty thin here. It can't be that athletes and owners are so detestable these days that I wouldn't want to own any professional team if I fell ass-backwards into money? Well, it's close. There are some redeeming qualities to sports, but it seems like the guys with all the money are trying hard to ruin all that. Since we can't exactly root for players who leave town the next year or entire franchises that threaten to do the same, all we have is the essence of the sport itself, but that's slowly deteriorating. Baseball players don't know how to bunt, wide receivers don't run patterns when they're not the main target, and basketball players can't shoot a 15-foot jumper. I don't know if it's because of our new, hip, get-yours-at-all-costs society, or because ESPN only shows dunks and three-pointers. I don't know why the sports page has turned into the Financial Crimes, or how anyone can hold out because 190 million dollars just isn't enough. But the fact of the matter is that the three major sports have ripped the games away from the fans, and it's about time to rebel. Turn off your TV. Don't buy that new Kobe Bryant jersey. Hand in your season tickets. Players sit out all the time, so let's do it to them. If you're like me, and you're tired of watching athletes half-ass it on the court when you paid 75 dollars to watch them, then stop paying, stop watching. It's not that hard. I've already stopped watching NBA games, and I'm pretty sure I'm better off. Baseball's hard to watch on TV, and it's getting to be a lot like wrestling - you know what's going to happen before it starts. I've only been a sports fan for 20 years, but I'm pretty sick of reading about players and athletes wanting more and more money and not caring at all about what the fan wants. I have no problem with players being compensated for their performance, even if they get paid millions. But can they just show us they care about the game? Can they act like their team or their city matters to them? Is that too much to ask? I don't think so. Until they start to do that, I say we holdout.
A proportionally low number of Spanish professors and limited space in Olin has led to less-than-ideal conditions in Spanish language classes. Research done by both internal and external committees has found that the ratio of students enrolled in Spanish courses to the number of professors teaching these courses is far too high, with one report going so far as to identify a virtual "hole in the department." Efforts are being made by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's Culture Ethnicity and Community Affairs (CECA) committee to promote major changes in the Romance Languages Department. There has been some discussion about the staffing problems among administrators and Department professors during the past year, but growing student discontent finally brought the issue to the forefront this fall. The state of the Spanish program will finally be addressed in a conjunct meeting between members of the administration, the Romance Languages Department, and CECA constituents in early November. Committee co-chair Mernaysa Rivera called this step "a definite sign of progress." There are an especially low number of professors teaching the popular high-level Spanish courses and Latin American Studies courses, especially compared to what the French program offers. "The Romance Language Department prioritizes French classes, even though there is higher demand for Spanish courses," stressed Rivera. A fact sheet was distributed about two weeks ago to both students and administrators, revealing that there are nine full-time professors teaching classes to 1,150 students while the French program employs 12 full-time professors for 539 students. There is a greater amount of part-time professors available for Spanish courses, but part-time faculty tend to teach lower level classes. Higher level literature classes require tenure-track professors, and are in greater demand by students. However, hiring new professors is a lengthy process, according to Chair of the Romance Language Department Isabelle Naginski. "The situation cannot be remedied overnight," she said. Naginski acknowledged that Spanish classes are overcrowded, but said that fixing the problem will be difficult because of space constraints in Olin. The building's architectural design was shrunken thrice during construction due to a limited budget, and class size cannot be increased to more than 20 students because there is no room for desks. "Students are sitting on the floor during Spanish classes and many are not able to get into Latin American Studies courses altogether," Rivera said. She encouraged discontented students to make their professors and administrators aware of their concerns. An external review, which was conducted by professors from Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell Universities last year, made several suggestions for improving the Romance Language Department as a whole. It recommended that part-time teaching staff be "amalgamated into full-time positions" that more Latin American faculty be hired, and that the Romance Languages Department receive increased funds. Growing interest in Spanish courses is be attributed in part to the growing size and influence of the Latino population in the United States, according to the external review. Another important contributor to the increased enrollment is the popularity of the International Relations major at Tufts. The IR program requires students to earn eight foreign language credits and many students double major in IR and a second language. Teresa Howe, Deputy Chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Spanish Professor, accounted for the decrease in Spanish staff by mentioning that one professor was on medical leave, another is taking a semester sabbatical in the spring, and yet another one did not receive a contract renewal. Howe said that the job of contracting new professors lies in the hands of the administration, said that she hopes "they make a choice in our favor." The Romance Languages Department has also been criticized for not offering Portuguese classes at all, a program that has been offered in the past. There have also been numerous requests for the implementation of the Italian major and the reactivation of the Tufts-in-Italy program.
This month, the twelfth annual Boston Jewish Film Festival will take the city by storm. The festival, which opened yesterday, runs until Sunday, November 12th. During the course of the event, 48 films from 15 different countries will be shown, each in its native language with English subtitles. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) will host seven of these films from Nov. 2nd to Friday, Nov. 10th. Last night, the MFA had the pleasure of hosting the first night of films, as well as the opening night reception. Among the highlights of the evening was the screening of Borders, a film documenting the story of a family torn apart by the borders of Israel, the Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and the screening of All My Loved Ones, the story of a Czech doctor and his family during the beginnings of the Nazi invasions of World War II. A discussion session with the director Matej Minac and a screening of the animated short Almonds and Wine were also on the schedule. The Boston Jewish Film Festival was founded in 1989 by filmmaker Michael Goldman, and has enjoyed great success since its inception. In its first year, ten films were screened during the festival. Every year since then, that number has gradually risen as the festival has gained popularity. The films being screened at the festival all deal with themes central to the Jewish community: Jewish heritage, history, and culture. They range from narrative documentaries to animated shorts, and most of the films are making their premieres in Boston. Films previously screened in the festival have won a multitude of accolades and awards. The Long Way Home, a film from the 1997 Festival, won the Academy Award for best feature-length documentary. The festival itself has won a fair share of awards as well; last year, the Boston Society of Film Critics named it one of the best festivals in the city. Before a film screening at one of the festival's six locations, the audience receives a program book containing essays written by various authors worldwide. This five-year tradition has become one of the most unique aspects of the Boston Jewish Film Festival, as the essays and films directly relate to one another. Occasionally, the filmmaker will be present to introduce their film, and will respond to questions and comments from the audience following the screening. Tickets to individual screenings at area theaters are priced $9; students receive a one-dollar discount. The MFA will offer a special ticket price for the festive closing night: $20 for general admission, with students receiving a three-dollar discount. Filmgoers can catch the flicks in a variety of locations such as the MFA, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, the Harvard Film Archive in Cambridge, the Hollywood Hits Theatre in Danvers, Hoyts Cinema Eight in Sharon, and National Amusements' Showcase Cinemas in Randolph. For a complete list of films to be screened, their locations, as well as any other information on the Boston Jewish Film Festival, browse the organization's website at www.bjff.org. To learn more about the specific films to be shown at the Museum of Fine Arts, see their site at www.mfa.org/film.
Another distressing weekend for the volleyball team anchored it to 9-9 on the season, as the squad dropped three out of four matches and nine out of 15 games at the highly competitive Bates Invitational. Just like the past weekend, the team opened the weekend by winning its first game Friday, topping Saint Joseph's College, 3-0, before losing later in the afternoon to Springfield College, 1-3. The following day, the women lost the fight to Middlebury, 0-3, and then dropped a tough game to MIT, 2-3. Against Middlebury, the Jumbos could not get anything going, falling in straight games (8-15, 3-15, 8-15). "We were out of sync," coach Kris Herman-Talon said of the loss to Middlebury. "Serving was average, passing was below average, and communication was almost non-existent. We were making many mistakes. We were not generating offense, so it was an easy game for them." No Jumbo had more than four kills or two service aces against the Panthers. Jessica Stewart, who leads the team in kills and played well in other matches over the weekend, had just two kills in all three games against Middlebury. Stewart helped the defense with six digs, while senior Kyre Austin had seven. "There really isn't much to say about the Middlebury game," said junior Sarah Leistikow, who had two kills. "It was not our best game. We weren't playing our game mentally or physically, and it showed. We are working on concentrating on our half of the court and not focusing on factors we can't control." Against MIT later on Saturday, the team went the full five games for just the second time this season. The Jumbos captured the first game, 15-10, but lost the next two, although not without putting some points on the board (13-15 and 5-15). Although Tufts claimed the fourth game by a score of 15-9, the Engineers would come out on top in a tightly contested final game, prevailing over the Brown and Blue, 15-17. Stewart led the offense with 19 kills, and aided the defense with 15 digs. Sophomore Paulette Pacheco helmed the defense with 17 digs, and assisted the offense with three service aces. "Absolutely, no question about it, we should have won," Herman-Talon said. "We got caught up in fear at the end of the match. However, our serving was smarter. We are still finding people to play certain positions, trying to find ways for everyone to play." "In general, I thought we were consistent," Pacheco said. "We were missing people due to injuries, like Bear [Karen Sillers] for example. It was a very exciting match. They were playing well, and we were reacting and playing well ourselves. I think nerves took over, and we couldn't finish it. Serving was consistent. So there were three different players out there, four injured players, and we just clicked out there. Again, it was nerves that got to us." Senior Karen Sillers sat out Saturday's matches with a minor injury, but saw some action on Friday, as the team kicked off the tournament with a win over a weaker St. Joseph's squad in three straight games (15-4, 15-7, 15-7). A new trio of front-row hitters, freshman Amy Cronin, Leistikow, and Pacheco led the offense with eight, six, and six kills, respectively. Pacheco also led the team defensively with five digs, tied with Stewart. "There was no reason that St. Joseph's should have scored significant points against us," Herman-Talon said. "Everybody got a chance to play. There was a different setter for every game, so they were able to gain confidence and experience." "It wasn't a well-matched game," tri-captain Kyre Austin said. "We dominated them. We served really well, which is what we've been concentrating on in practices. I only played the first game, but Lindsey [Moses] set two out of the three matches and she stepped it up. She got a lot of playing time this weekend, and I'm proud of how she did." To finish the first day, the squad faced Springfield College, a team Tufts had lost to the previous weekend. The Jumbos fell to Springfield once again on Friday in four sets (11-15, 15-8, 6-15, 6-15). Passing and setting was better against Springfield than in other games, but not enough to lead the team to victory. The "killer S's" of Stewart and Sillers returned to the top of the stat box during this game, as the two combined for 23 kills. Stewart was on fire, leading the team with three service aces and helping the defense with 12 digs. Junior Megan Pitcavage ran the defense with 18 digs. "We didn't play them all that well, but we did play better than the last time we faced them," Herman-Talon said. "We should have been leading 2-0, but we gave up big leads. Bear played .370 (attacking percentage), which are good numbers. Serving was okay, but not good enough." "This match was not our best match," Sillers said. "It was pretty disappointing. Overall, the team's mentality was not together on that match, we didn't step it up. First two matches were good, we got our confidence back, but we just lost momentum after that." Tufts heads to Wellesley on Thursday night for its next match.
Offense wins games, defense wins championships. This is one team sports adage that the Jumbos hope rings true in the 2000-01 hockey season. "We have two above-average scoring lines," senior tri-captain Natan Obed said. "Our veteran defense will be strong, and [defense] is the key for success."A year ago, this was certainly the case, as Tufts used its defensive prowess to compensate for a somewhat weaker offense. But this time around, with an even stronger defense and an improved offensive attack, coach Brain Murphy believes his team has the ingredients necessary to win the ECAC Northeast after finishing third overall last season. "We expect to do better this year," Murphy said. "We are a lot better defensively at this point in the season than we were last year. Last year we only scored 99 goals, which isn't very many. We won with the defense, and we will score even more this year." A primary element in the Jumbos' defensive success last season was their impressive penalty killing. Tufts surrendered just 20 goals in 115 short-handed situations, good for a .826 penalty killing percentage, and ranking them 21st in all of Division III. The defensive unit itself consists of six returnees and two freshmen, with the line assignments yet to be officially determined. Senior tri-captain Dan Mahoney, senior Justin Picone, and junior Chad Pessini are the veterans, while junior Rob Green and sophomores Dan Reinhard and Chris Martin will be looked upon to take on bigger roles this year. Their two counterparts on the blue line remain undecided. "On defense any of those guys can play at this level," Murphy said. "It will depend on who's healthy and who's playing well." Leading the charge will be Mahoney, a 6'0" 190-lb force who was named to both the All-ECAC and All-New England Northeast All-Star teams as a junior. He ended up sixth overall on the team scoring list, with five goals and 14 assists for 19 points, and to date has tallied 43 career points. He was the only non-senior to be on the Northeast All-Star team last year. "We expect him to be one of the best in the league," Murphy said. Supporting Mahoney will be Picone and Pessini, and both logged significant ice time during the 1999-2000 campaign. Picone is a 5'9" 180-lb bruiser known for his checking ability. Nonetheless, he still managed to rack up seven points (two goals and five assists) last year. Pessini, on the other hand, is a bit more offensive minded. He showcased his playmaking skills last winter, and was credited with 12 assists. "I think we have a solid defensive core," Mahoney said. "A couple of [sophomores] have matured since last year." One of those sophomores is Martin, who saw some minutes as a freshman, appearing in 21 of the team's 24 games and collecting three points (one goal, two assists). At 6'1" and 180 lbs., Martin represents another large defensive presence, as does his classmate Reinhard, who is listed at 6'0" and 195 lbs. Reinhard played in all 24 games but did not register a point. Junior Rob Greene will also be on the ice more this season after getting the call in five contests last year. So with a dominating defense at their back once again, the Jumbos will drop the puck and open the season against Suffolk University at Harvard this Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dan Snyder knew exactly what he was subjecting himself to when he laid out signing bonus after signing bonus to bring high-priced veterans to the Washington Redskins this off-season. He knew that the time would come when people would be calling for his head, when his short-sightedness would be questioned. He just didn't think it would happen ten games into the 2000 season. Snyder threw money at a number of veteran defensive players, like Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, and Mark Carrier, among others, and ignited a quarterback controversy by signing the talented Jeff George to back up Brad Johnson, who played like an MVP in 1999. That, in addition to drafting linebacker LaVar Arrington and tackle Chris Samuels, set expectations sky high for the 'Skins on the heels of a division title last year. While the salary cap would force cuts and hurt the team in the future, the prevailing logic was that by then the Redskins would have at least one Super Bowl under their belt. But the Redskins have turned into a high-budget flop at this point in the season. Things may have hit rock bottom on Sunday. After losing their second Monday night home game of the season, a 27-21 decision against the Tennessee Titans, the Redskins were handed a 16-15 defeat at the hands of a pitiful Arizona Cardinals team. That dropped Washington to 6-4 and a game and a half behind the first place New York Giants. Just as important, the loss made it alarmingly clear that there is no way that this team can just turn it on, as many of its fans have been waiting to see happen all season. If you can't bounce back from a home loss in prime time to beat a bad team, then you're not a real contender. So what exactly is wrong with the 'Skins? In short, as teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers in baseball learned, money can't buy championships. Now, it's Washington's turn to find that out. The main reason for Washington's demise has been the sporadic play of the offense. Johnson has not looked like the quarterback he was last year, and George, who started for the first time last week after Johnson was diagnosed with a knee injury, threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. As a result, the Washington attack has dropped from second overall, behind only the unstoppable St. Louis Rams last year, to seventh. It hasn't been horrible, but without number-one wide receiver Michael Westbrook, who is out for the season, the offense hasn't been the same. The defense, on the other hand, has been good, if not spectacular. While players like Smith and Sanders are not the legends they once were, they have helped give the D a significant upgrade. But against a first-place schedule, a pretty good offense and a pretty good defense will not get it done. Things should not get any better anytime soon for the Redskins. After a bye, a trip to St. Louis looms before home games against the upstart Philadelphia Eagles and Giants. Although the schedule will then lighten up, if the Redskins play like they have in the last two weeks, they may play themselves right out of a division title and any realistic chance at winning the Super Bowl. If that happens, not only will the kicker be axed (as Snyder has done three times this season already), but coach Norv Turner will be gone and the franchise will develop into cellar-dweller for years to come. For those who think the worst is over in Washington, think again.Ross says goodbye to Detroit This must be getting old for Detroit Lions fans. Still recovering almost a year and a half after Barry Sanders unexpectedly walked away from the game, the fans have now watched their coach abandon ship as well. Bobby Ross, with his team at 5-4 and in the thick of the playoff hunt, resigned as head coach in Detroit following his team's 23-8 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The decision seemed to be mostly personal and perhaps fueled by his tremendous disdain for losing, which fueled him to apologize to fans after one loss earlier this year and sound dispirited on Sunday. While the reasons for his resignation are not completely known, the way in which he did it has drawn criticism. Ross did not even attend the press conference in which he quit on Monday, and his abrupt resignation goes against the toughness and discipline he has tried so hard to instill in his players. Replacing Ross is Gary Moeller, the former University of Michigan coach who was fired in 1995 after his arrest following a disturbance in a restaurant near Detroit. He will have a tough task on his hands in trying to get an offense, which has been stagnant all season, to begin generating points. But maybe, just maybe, he could get some help. After all, Sanders retired largely because he did not get along with Ross. Although a return to football now is highly unlikely, it may be time for the rumors to start swirling in Motown.TD back in end zone, MVP form Since Super Bowl XXXIII, about the only times we have seen Terrell Davis looking good on a football field were when he was flanked by his mother in those Campbell's Chunky commercials. He missed most of last year with a torn ACL, and was off to a slow start this year. But that changed on Sunday, when he began to return to his MVP form in a 30-23 Denver Broncos' win over the New York Jets. He looked a step quicker than he has at any point since 1998, rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown. He hadn't had a 100-yard game or a touchdown since the Super Bowl two seasons ago. If he continues to hit the hole as well as he did on Sunday, the Broncos should become a force to be reckoned with. Due to the emergence of Brian Griese as a solid NFL quarterback, the Denver offense is beginning to mirror the John Elway-led machines of 1997 and '98. If everyone stays healthy and the defense doesn't allow any more record-setting rushing totals, Denver could surprise a lot of people from a wild card spot come playoff time.
TCF doesn't scare me - not any more. I survived 13 years in a Midwestern catholic school conveniently named "Catholic Central." Homophobia was an omnipresent fog spread throughout my childhood: a monotone low note that now hums in my memories. I came of age surrounded by a disease: the fear, hatred, and exclusion of queers. A social illness gone unchecked. In the small farming community in which I was born, it spread like wildfire on the prairie, infecting neighbors, relatives, classmates, and friends. Fear and hatred followed me unwaveringly throughout my childhood, pragmatic in its irrationality. I have been raised in a garden of disease, and not granted leave at Tufts. In fact, the TCUJ's recent TCF ruling deemed the homophobia of my small town roots acceptable by Tufts University standards. Now, standing on the brink of womanhood, I find health in my anger and safety in my fight. And the good news is I'm not alone. Lost like a rainbow-striped kernel stuck precariously in my father's golden cornfields, I met violence the moment I stepped off the school bus. From the cool evasiveness of the chitchatting mothers club, to the flex of the football team before breaking the next effeminate freshman boy, violence wove its way through my youth. Negotiating my way between school and survival, I walked stinging, almost electric, through a hailstorm of biblical passages, condemnations to hell, and the legendary dark fates of past gay kids. Quiet in the lunchroom, quiet in class, quiet during the hallway sound eruption after the bell rang; reclusion became my trusted safeguard. As I watched the masculine girls and feminine boys get it, I knew not to spill a word. A hint, a nuance. Keep your mouth shut or lose everything. Question: I, like most queer people, spent some time in hiding, followed by an extraordinarily painful "coming out." Many fear the loss of a home, familial, friendship, and spiritual kinship. Many are pushed into exile. Who can estimate the health of a social rite of passage that often requires complete self-denial and frightened self-disguise? According to TCF, self-loathing is all it takes for a queer Tufts student to be granted a spiritual home. Once that student makes the choice to come out as self-loving, the TCF promises to reject them in the time it takes to read the golden rule. The TCUJ upheld this criterion, hence lending institutional support to a policy that presents Tufts students with two options: hide or stand vulnerable to infinite loss. Tufts University's approval of TCF's discrimination has sent a message loud and clear to all Tufts students: Do not relax and reveal who you are. Watch your back. Hold your breath and you just might be safe. Back at Catholic Central, my face would turn blue by the end of the day. After quietly suffocating in hiding, I would allow myself to exhale, and be myself off school grounds. After withdrawn days (Can anyone tell I'm different? Did they sense it? Do they know!?) spent closely self checked behavior, I road the bus home to the bumble and hum of country roads. I grew relaxed and relieved after each day ended, watching the town-limits gradually forget themselves in the country. The sidewalks slowly became gravel, and open fields stood in the place of residential boulevards. I turned my eyes to the cornfields, ponds and meadows out my window, and felt anonymous and safe. I am I am I am I am. "Dyke!" As if inhaling the secondhand smoke of someone else's disease, violence betrayed my rural anonymity. Someone was found out, pinched, and mortified on the bus. Someone, somewhere, anywhere, me. To the pop of my momentary relax, I reminded myself to watch what I was doing. Don't say a word! Okay, calm down. It wasn't me. They don't know. After a childhood of constant self-checking, they ultimately did know it was me. I chose to end my hiding after the options of sunny depression or non-negotiable self-acceptance became inevitable. Goodbye, Aunt Ruth. Goodbye, high school track team. Goodbye church. Homophobia made you sick and left me in exile. Me standing, shaking, finding the door that you recommend I exit from. And for any queer Christians at Tufts that had a spiritual home in TCF, I meet you in exile. Previously isolated and excluded, we are building a new home. We, not just the gay kids, but also anyone who has ever been kicked out for coming out as equal. I lost my home to homophobia, you to racism, and you to sexism. Together, we are joining the long march in exile to our OWN "righteous kingdom". We are making family where there was not one before. We are healing and growing strong. We will not keep quiet anymore. Oh, and guess what? We are pissed. TCF, you do not scare me. I have scars that run deeper than your disease. I love and accept myself in the face of your social illness. Me, the dyke, faggot, freak, I have spent a lifetime at war with homophobia. And it has left me, and my family of "not-good-enoughs," stronger than you can ever imagine. We are soldiers now. And we will never sit down. Thea Lavin is a senior majoring in history. She is working on a women's center grant for violence against queer women.
Despite facing tough competition in three separate matches this past week, the women's tennis team was able to come out of the stretch with a 2-1 record, increasing its overall mark to 3-1. The team's only loss came on Sunday to the Williams Purple Cows, a perennial Division III powerhouse. The Jumbos were not satisfied with the loss to Williams but were happy to win two out of the three matches. "We are never happy about a loss," Coach Jim Watson said. "But up until the Williams match we had not given up a set in a singles match, so that is a step in the right direction." After topping Wellesley on Thursday and Colby on Saturday, the Jumbos could not continue their winning ways Sunday, falling to Williams 6-3. The Jumbos remained in contention, however, and had a chance to win the match, trailing just 4-3 at one point. "Williams is one of the top five teams in the nation," Watson said. "They have been beating everyone 9-0 so it was good to be in the match at the end." "I think we gave them a respectable match," freshman Barclay Gang said. The Jumbos did give the Williams a challenge, winning one doubles match and two singles matches. The two singles wins came from junior Erika Lee, who beat Tracy Cheung 6-1, 6-3 and sophomore Iffy Saeed, who topped Tina Howe, 7-6, 6-3. Sophomore Katie Nordstrom and Lee took their doubles match, 8-5, over Cheung and Selma Kikic. Unfortunately, Nordstrom, Gang, and sophomores Emily Warshauer and Rachel Hammerman all lost their matches in straight sets. "They have better skills than we do," Watson said of Williams. "Their volleying skills are better and when you play a team that is that good your weaknesses become very apparent. We have to work on our doubles play but we are getting there." Warshauer was a little more optimistic about the Jumbos' performance against Williams. "We are definitely capable of beating them," she said. "When they bring their A-game, however, they are tough to beat." The Jumbos had a little more luck in their preceding match, a 7-2 win over the Colby White Mules in Medford. The White Mules, easily Tufts' most difficult opponent of the season aside from Williams, took two of the three doubles matches. The first doubles team of Nordstrom and Lee lost a tough 9-7 match to Colby's Britt Palmedo and Jenny Grace, and the third doubles team of Heather Rich and Jen Lai lost to Sabina Warren and Emily Walker, 8-3. The only doubles team that won was that of Gang and Warshauer, topping their opponents 8-0. "After losing two doubles matches in the beginning we were definitely worried," Watson said. "But we are stronger in singles than we are in doubles so we were able to win. We have to work on ourdoubles play." The confidence and support translated into the Jumbos sweeping their singles matches easily without giving up a set. Saturday's win over Colby came on the heels of a convincing victory over a weaker Wellesley squad. The Jumbos picked up where they left off from their season opening win over Smith College by dominating Wellesley at home, 9-0. The three Tufts doubles teams cruised right through their matches, giving up a total of just eight games. The first doubles team of sophomore Nordstrom and junior Lee gave up the most games, topping Wellesley's Mia Pearson and Megan Evans by an 8-6 score. The second doubles team of freshman Gang and Warshauer then won, 8-2, over Malini Sekhar and Elizabeth Okasako. The third doubles team of sophomore Hammerman and junior Daniela Fontecilla hardly broke a sweat in an easy 8-0 victory over their Wellesley opponents. The success in doubles then carried over to the singles matches, where the only challenge came in the second set of Rich's sixth-singles match, in which she was forced to win seven games. The other singles matches were won easily in straight sets. Despite the success of the past week, the Jumbos still have some issues to address in practice this week, among them solidifying both the third doubles and sixth singles spots. Coach Watson will have plenty of time to work on selecting who will fill the spots, with an entire week of practice until the team's next match this Sunday. The third doubles team has seen combinations of five different athletes in the last four matches, and both Rich and Hammerman have occupied the sixth singles spot. Watson has been looking for the best players to fit into those spots and will decide who those players are in practice this week. "The problem is that we have so much depth on this team," he said. "We have to put some closure on the situation, though, and we hope to resolve it this week." Still, the team's depth is certainly not a shortcoming, as was demonstrated in its near-win over Williams on Sunday. "We knew that Williams was going to be tough, but we were happy to get two out of the three matches especially with some tough matches coming up," Warshauer said. The team will take on Middlebury this Sunday, at which point Watson hopes to have remedied the situation at third doubles and sixth singles. Last year, Tufts beat Middlebury, 6-3, after dropping the all three doubles matches. "They have very aggressive doubles and our doubles teams are our weakness so we need to have good doubles on Sunday," Watson said. "They are a tough team, so we can't take them lightly." The Panthers will visit the Voute Courts on Sunday, with the Jumbos' next match tentatively scheduled at Connecticut on Tuesday. "We'll be ready," Warshauer said.
Maurice Greene and his teammates on the US 4x100 meter relay team wowed Sydney by nearly topping the world record in winning gold on Saturday. They followed it up with an embarrassing display of childishness that took all the class and respectability out of their performance, reinforcing the growing belief that athletes to be admired are becoming a dying breed. Greene, veteran Jon Drummond, and some jokesters named Bernard Williams and Brian Lewis stripped off their jerseys and flexed their muscles during the victory lap, continued the muscle display on the medal stand while dancing and making ridiculous faces at each other, and didn't settle down too much during the playing of the National Anthem. Williams couldn't even contain himself when Jim Gray and NBC interviewed Green immediately after the race, distorting his face and bulging his eyebrows at the cameraman, who was forced to pan away from the team shot and focus in on the (comparatively) more respectable Greene. Their unbelievable antics even carried over to the winning performance of Michael Johnson and the 4x400 team, while Williams and company flashed their medals and made faces in the background as Johnson and his mates were interviewed for television. You ever watch on-location news stories and see goofballs in the background trying to get on television by making faces and jumping around? That's what these guys, these Olympic champions looked like on Saturday. You ever dedicate yourself to a team effort only to see your teammates act as if it were a joke when it's all over? That's what Williams' offensive display made America feel like on Saturday. If Williams and his teammates didn't intend to respect the flag and the National Anthem (a rightful prerogative), they should've run on the local high school track and not in the Olympic Games. You can burn flags on your own time, wear flags on boxers on your own time, whatever, but part of the job description for going to the Games is showing respect for one's country - it's your time, but it's first and foremost the country's time. To celebrate like a bunch of jackasses, on camera at that, only serves to alienate yourself from the American fans and to insult your international opponents. There were a lot of good track and field stories at these games, a lot of performances for American fans to be proud of, especially Marion Jones' drive for five and Michael Johnson's Olympic farewell. These athletes know how to win with class and know what's expected of them from their country and their fans. But it's hard to be proud of a runner who does half-naked superman poses and gloats in front of the crowd and his opponents after winning a race. You think some football celebrations are embarrassing? These guys were downright humiliating. They humiliated themselves in front of their fans, and they humiliated their country in front of the world. They also didn't do anything to help the unfortunate stigma of cockiness branded on Americans. "We really didn't mean to offend anyone," Green told Bob Costas in an on-air interview, "during that time anything is possible to happen." That's not an apology; it's an excuse. Likewise, Jon Drummond told the Associated Press, "Jon Drummond never won an Olympic Gold before, so sorry." But Drummond is 32 and has been around professional track and field for some time, and he's also been to the Olympics before. Green won gold just a few days ago in the 100, accepting his medal with grace and even a tear or two while the anthem blared. We all heard the story of him crying in the stands four years ago and vowing to win at the Olympics in '00, and we all got the familiar tingling of the stomach as Green and his coach broke down completely in a post-win embrace while Gray futilely tried to interview the rarely-humble athlete. Up on the stage by himself after winning the hundred, a cheerful yet solemn Green gave us something to be proud of. Up there with his buddies on Saturday, you'd think they were watching the Chris Rock Show instead of winning Olympic Gold. The display was unbearable, excruciating, and sad. So too was Vince Carter's rumble with the Russian squad in basketball last week, and the fact the USA basketball team members are accumulating technical fouls like it's their job. The "Dream Teamers" should have all the more reason to take the court with class and behave themselves - not only are they representing their country, but they can't lose, so they might as well just keep their mouths shut if they can't control their tempers. It's a rare moment when sports are pure and athletes respectable, but the Olympics are supposed to be full of those moments. There's no money involved, there are few scandals involved (but even that is getting tested more and more often), there's little to distract the fans from developing a true appreciation for the athletes. Most professional sports don't engender such respect, and most athletes cannot be looked up to so blindly. But the Games are supposed to provide a forum in which athletes can be admired with relatively few strings attached. We are supposed to look up to Olympic athletes. On Saturday, not only did I not find myself looking up to the men's 4x100 team, I found myself feeling bad for them, feeling superior to them, feeling like they might've taken gold, but they'd lost all my respect. These Americans may have won the race, but their display showed that it didn't have much to do with America. Hell, they didn't even seem to know that it was Henry Kissinger handing them their medals. It was a funny sight, the reserved former Secretary of State delivering prizes to the overly exuberant American runners. You had to feel bad for Kissinger... it was a pretty damn embarrassing combination. But just when all seemed lost, Green and his teammates sung the final verse of the national anthem, reassuring us that, yes, they did know the words. Too bad they belted out the last few lyrics while continuing with their annoying smirks. Too bad that they couldn't let Olympic Gold speak for itself, couldn't act like the winners they seemed to be on the track. But this is sports, and you know the deal, athletes are not role models. Apparently, not even Olympic athletes.
Enter artist, tall but slouchy, lifting his debonair train over the threshold. I'm thinking: it's him. It's Ellis Paul. I feel the carpet beneath my feet turn red. I'm overeager in the face of nonchalance. Although he seems to be having a tricky time juggling a cell phone and a newspaper in his arms, his poise is noteworthy. Calmly, he shuts off the phone and shakes my hand. We sit down at the table. He begins, "Ok, I'm just going to get comfortable." Off comes his jacket and up go his sleeves. With his elbows resting on the table and slightly hovered shoulders, Ellis Paul relaxes the setting. Someday Caf?© is still boisterous, music booming, espresso machine screeching. But our table is like aspirin to a headache. This palliative effect carries into his music. It's soothing, intimate. No wonder he has a cult of fans following at his heels. His lyrics, which he writes himself, have a way of disclosing 'big ideas with incidental moments.' It's as though he's trusting you with the small details of his life. It's as though, in his raspy, soft spoken voice, he's leaning over and telling you a secret:DP: You're a songwriter, poet, musician. And this is your full-time job. Tell me a bit about how and when you decided that this was your true calling.EP: Well, there is no specific moment, but I do remember hearing a Dylan album when I was in college and I was hit by how great he sounded. I dove into his song catalogue and got sucked up into what folk music is, especially Dylan's earlier albums. And that's when I got interested and started to play the guitar. My ex-girlfriend's sister got me a classical guitar, and then I switched to steel string when I graduated from college (Ellis Paul graduated from Boston College as an English major).DP: The Performing Songwriter Magazine actually puts you right on the shelf alongside him, saying that you "combine the sensibilities of Bob Dylan" in your songwriting. And this comes with more acclaim and praise - how does this recognition affect you and your music?EP: Well, the recognition is good. You know everyone sort of stands in the shadow of some... you know, the Beatles, or Dylan. They're referenced to frequently in a lot of people's press because they're held up, like gold posts, and if you're going to be compared to them, you have to be good. So there's a lot of cool stuff attached to that.DP: With recognition comes a bit more scrutiny. Do you feel like you have a moral/social responsibility as an artist of the time?EP: Naw. That's more outsiders looking in. I'm not trying to cure anything. I'm trying to write about what I'm interested in. I don't feel any moral responsibility to make the world a better place. I'm into just trying to make sure that I enjoy my time in the 70, 80, or 40 years, whatever it's going to be, that I'm here. I just want to make sure that I'm living right and doing things that I care about, hanging out with people I care about, writing about things that I care about. And the kind of impact I have on the world - well, that's up to the people. I just want to be me. They'd get bored, you know, if you aren't. They'd think you were just pandering to them, they don't want you to do that. They just want you to be you.DP: You mention writing about what you care about, and I listened to the lyrics in your songs. Tell me a bit about the songwriting process. Where do you gather inspiration from, from whom, and how prolific do you consider yourself?EP: I have a pretty large grab-bag of knowledge from all the stuff I read in college and then afterwards. And you almost try not to go to it all the time. It's a vault you want to own but you don't actually want to access, you just want to be more on the surface and run spontaneously with things. And not to think about why you're choosing words and where they're coming from... so I'm at the point where I'm actually trying to 'unlearn' in a way. I'm trying to find that Zen-space where I'm just letting whatever comes out of my mouth come out of my mouth. I guess songs, well, I can overwrite them. I think that has a lot to do with my English degree. I'm constantly writing. I'm constantly flexing that muscle. I'm generally carrying four or five song ideas - that I tweak as time goes on. So my friends who are songwriters think that I am very prolific, and I think that I am compared to them. But I'm not as prolific as Dylan or Guthrie were - their minds were just actively working faster than a normal human being's. (Due to drugs and dementia, he observes.)DP: So there's a huge correlation between poetry and music for you. If you bring poetry to the surface in your music, which poet brings music to the surface in their prose?EP: Well there are a few liquid poets, people who write beautifully like Pablo Neruda. But you know, really the difference between a poet and a folk musician is really just the time period. If Dylan was born in the 1700s, he would have hung out with Byron and Shelley and Keats. He'd be a writer. And if those guys were born in the 20th century, they'd be Paul Simon and James Taylor. Poetry and lyrics are two different things. Poetry is meant to be re-read, pulled apart like a puzzle. Lyrics are supposed to be heard and understood like a conversation. You know, I feel like there's a little bit of a journalist in me, a bit of a poet, a bit of a storyteller. The combination has gotten me as far as I've gotten.DP: "A bit of a journalist in you"- does this mean that you take on social and political issues in your songs, reporting the times?EP: Actually, the journalist is the person looking out the window and writing about what is really happening. I'm not really an issue writer. But I'm writing about the time that I'm living in. Whatever you want, it could be political, social, sexual, comedian... whatever you want it to be. You have to write about the time you're living in. It's what makes Ani DiFranco current and what made Bob Dylan current for his period of time. Ani is writing about being a woman and a feminist and bisexual. And she can because she can be open about it and she can press buttons if she wants to. Dylan was writing protest songs, Guthrie was writing union songs in a time when union issues were almost as important as war issues. I write about love... about whatever inspires me, and I make sure it's real. I don't want to fictionalize about things that I haven't witnessed. That makes for a kind of B-song. You're inventing events, when you really should be drawing from things that you saw.DP: It's good that you can stay true to your music amidst the increasing limelight. For example, I read that one of your songs, 'The World Ain't Slowin' Down,' was included in the soundtrack for the blockbuster hit Me,Myself and Irene. Can you tell me a bit about this?EP: It was really cool. It's a big moment in the film and my music is the backdrop. So it really took my breath away. But then they closed the moment with a close up of Jim Carrey with flies all over his face because he is riding on a motorcycle... it's a comedy, so there was a lot of humor involved in how they used the song. But it was cool. They used it four times in the movie. Once I said 'yes' they could use it however they wanted. It was a nice break for me.DP: What kind of audience do you attract?EP: It's a broad age range. I have a lot of people who bring in their parents. Their kids might be 20 and they're like 50 and I'm the link between the two generations for them, one of a few acts that they both like musically. You know your parents might hate Radiohead but they might like me because I remind them of the '70s, more of what they grew up with. DP: What would you say to the aspiring musicians and artists at Tufts University? Tell me how you came to be where you are now and how you were able to maintain optimism.EP: It took about six years of dabbling before I dove in. That was when I was about 27, and I put out my first album and started becoming a road musician full-time. Up until that point I was a social worker in Boston for five years. I was going to open-mic nights and meeting other songwriters who had similar goals and dreams. I got enough feedback coming from the right sources that I knew that I could trust each additional step that I took deeper into it. Like the 'Capricorn method,' taking it inch by inch, you know you gain a grasp on reality at every juncture so you don't fall on your face. If you really love it you'll spend your free time doing it, and then the free time will start eating into your work time 'til it drives you crazy and you have to quit because you know you can't do anything else. If it's a calling then you get sucked into hearing that little internal voice that says 'WRITE' or 'SWIM' or 'RUN' or 'PLAY' or whatever and that is what you have to do. Don't think you have to live your life by the blueprint that everyone else does, or that your parents want you to (laughs). DP: What does the music industry look like from where you are standing? How do you feel about the upsurge in bubble gum boy groups and teeny bopper girl groups? Or about the censorship and explicit lyric scandals? Napster?EP: Things like Napster take the power away from the artist. I'm hoping that legislation will protect us a little bit better than it has in the past and just let us do what we do. And about those groups... well, it's almost like a production of cartoon characters. Make sure they all look like models, make sure they can dance. You know, if you want to sell five million records the easiest way to do it is, you know, by getting a pair of breast implants, learning how to dance, and by singing a song that has the words 'Hit me baby one more time' in them. So there are compromises you have to make. I'm sure that if she keeps her head and heart on she'll survive it all. I don't know, I feel right now that [Britney Spears'] like a Lolita that's being used by the record label. Then you have your Eminems. I think it's the consumer's responsibility to recognize bullshit when it's being served to them on a platter. I don't believe in censorship. You should be able to write about whatever you want. I just wish the consumer could recognize when they were being had. DP: What kind of music are you listening to now? EP: I like David Gray's album. I listen to Patty Griffen's and Dar William's new record. That's the stuff I listen to. No music that you can get at a drive thru at McDonald's... that stuff is available free on Napster. That kind of music should be... (leaning over into the tape recorder with a smirk-grin): and that's what I said! That music should be free! And on that note: don't be afraid to shell out a few bucks for his concert at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square this Saturday night. His music is infused with passion, honesty, and charisma - much like the man himself. It's a good time, guaranteed.Ellis Paul will play at Somerville Theater this Saturday. The show starts at 8 p.m. with opening act Christopher Williams. Tickets are range from $16-$20. Call the box office for details at 931-2000.
"We're going to have to meet late," Jen Dodge (LA '00) says on the phone. "I have to work late." It's understandable, the election is only five weeks away, so it's crunch time for Dodge, the political organizer for Massachusetts National Abortion and Reproduction Rights Action League (Mass NARAL). "Honestly, I don't remember the last time I left work at 5 p.m.," she said, sliding into the seat at Diesel Cafe in Davis Square at 9 p.m. "But I love it. I really love what I do." Dodge has been working for Mass. NARAL since June, but she has been campaigning for women's rights for many years. At Tufts, Dodge was a prominent activist for women's and gay rights. She was involved in Team Q (the Tufts Queer Speakers Bureau) and the Tufts Transgendered, Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC). She also served on the board of the Women's Center and co-founded the Tufts Feminist Alliance (TFA) during her sophomore year. She describes her leadership of the Alliance as the most rewarding of her activities at Tufts. "It was really hard in the beginning, and it wasn't until later that I realized what a great experience it had been in terms of the people I had met," she said. "It wasn't just a resume builder, it really taught me about what I do now." As political organizer, Dodge is responsible for promoting Mass. NARAL's political agenda. She is a registered lobbyist at the state house lobbying on behalf of pro-choice legislation. "I strategize with legislators about how to get bills through," she said. The other part of her job is to get pro-choice candidates into office. That's why this time of year is so hectic for Dodge. "I basically do whatever they need," she says of her campaign work. In terms of running a grassroots campaign, that means doing everything. "But I'm definitely not complaining," she added. "I'm very excited. There's so much going on and it's really rewarding work." By the time she started applying for jobs, Dodge knew that she wanted to pursue a career in activism. But her path wasn't always that clear. "I didn't think you could make a living at it," she admits. "I thought I'd be in publishing, and it just bored the hell out of me." She credits her involvement with the TFA for turning her attentions back to organizing. "I have done this all my life," she said, "my mom had me stuffing envelopes when I was eight years old." But somehow she got away from it and didn't get back until she started the Alliance. "I realized that I could be really happy doing this," she says. Dodge says she also feels obligated to give back to society. "I felt like my education would be wasted on one person. You can't get an education and hog it all for yourself. You have to go out and use it for the betterment of others," she said. "You have no excuse." With that in mind, Dodge began to search for jobs involving the issues about which she feels most passionately: gay rights and choice. "These are the issues I'd go to work and die for," she said. "I knew it had to be something I felt strongly about." Another factor Dodge considered in her job search was location. "I was thinking about moving to San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, but, truth be told, I just got scared," she said of her decision to stay in Boston. "I couldn't move to a new place where I didn't know anyone and start a new job the first year out of college." Dodge is living in Somerville. Davis Square is still her stomping ground. At Diesel, an old classmate stops by the table to say hi and they chat for a minute. She is definitely still in her element. "My friends from Tufts are still my support system and base," she says. "That's changing; I'm meeting people at work, people with similar interests." She is discovering more of Boston, too, because her office is in Downtown Crossing. "I love Somerville... it is a great place to start," she adds. Tufts was a great place to start, too. Dodge says that she felt very prepared to enter the work force as an activist. Dodge graduated with an English major and a women's studies minor. She draws on experiences from class and also her extra-curricular activities in her job. "I don't think I could be doing this work without a background in women's studies. It helped me define my view of the world and my place in it," she said. But Dodge was careful not to put too much emphasis on academics. "I consider a substantial portion of my education as not in the classroom. If you don't do anything but go to class, you don't get half of what you should get out of college." She also noted that she doesn't have much time for reading and writing - standards of college life. "No more theory, no more novels, it's all grunt work now," she said. "I miss academics. I miss reading and writing. I loved college," she said. "But I think I like this better."
Each year, the Tufts Community Union Senate is given the arduous task of funding student organizations through allocation of the student activities fee, and most groups clamor for far more of the almost $1 million than they actually end up needing. At the end of the year, the money that groups failed to spend comes back to the Senate to create a budgetary surplus, which in recent years has been in excess of $100,000. In recent years, and the Senate Treasury moved these funds to Citizens Bank this fall in hopes of increasing the amount of money available to the various student organizations on campus. The surplus funds were recently switched from a standard University account at Fleet Bank to an interest-bearing one at Citizens Bank. The extra interest earned will increase various funds made up of money coming from the surplus, and will help enhance the financial resources available to various clubs and organizations. The switch in banks will have an impact on student organizations because it will increase the pool of money set aside for uses and situations not anticipated during the budgeting process. These include Capital Expenditures, a fund for "one-time-only" purchases of major items with a value of over $100. "This is used if a group needs something like a computer, or a printer, or a storage closet," Senate Treasurer Michelle Shelton said. The Buffer Fund will also benefit from the newly gained interest. This fund comes from money set aside out of surplus, and is used as an emergency reserve for unexpected expenses that student organizations may have during the fiscal year, as well as for the funding of new organizations. A separate New Group Fund gives the opportunity to apply for a start-up fund of $1,000 in order to give them a chance to launch a group and gain membership. When clubs need to use this extra money, they make a proposal to the Allocations Board (ALBO). Appointed signatories in organizations meet with ALBO council chairs, and they negotiate and review the case until a final decision is reached. Because the newly earned interest will go to surplus funds like the New Group Fund, this switch in bank accounts could alleviate the difficulties in budgeting money for new groups. This will help to make the process of allocating money to various clubs and organizations much easier. The Senate Allocations Board (ALBO) is responsible for distributing the pool of money created by the student activities fee, which was $188 this year. There are nine ALBO councils, each of which is in charge of budget for different types of clubs on campus, such as religious groups or sports groups. At the beginning of the second semester, organizations create their own budgets and submit them to their ALBO chairs. ALBO then negotiates with each club, and the two design a final budget that is voted upon by the Senate. Student organizations have had extraordinary spending in the past two years, a fact that Shelton noted in her Oct. 5 State of the Treasury Address. "For this reason, our surplus has not grown from last year. However, with last year's budgeting being nearly perfect, the surplus now has the potential to grow," she said. The surplus currently amounts to approximately $65,000, and because the return on the account is a substantial 5.3 percent, this figure will be able to grow by nearly $3,000 a month just by sitting in the bank. The new bank account is known as a sweep account, which has become popular because it maximizes returns for the account holder, while also giving the banks an advantage. "We wanted to move our surplus into an interest-bearing account because it previously just sat in a university account without doing anything. In this new account, it has the ability to move," Shelton said. Since the change has only been in effect for about two months, there have not been any major increases in the amount of money that has become available. However, Shelton did note that the account records show that the TCU treasury has been earning more in interest. "There really aren't any major short- term effects, but I think it will help students in the long-run," she said. Shelton hopes that the switch in banks will help the Senate to budget exactly the Student Activities Fee in order to permanently eliminate deficit spending. Because of this, the Senate is being very cautious about how much money it allocates to the many organizations through the various mechanisms of surplus. The vote to provide funding for the new group Paragon during the Nov. 5 Senate meetingis an example of this vigilance in action. "They argued for two hours over 40 bucks, which is nothingin the scope of $900,000," one observer said. The student activities fee, paid annually by each student, increases by an average of four percent per year to account for general inflation, but even with this increase, the Senate still must compensate for the growing needs of the students. The Arts and Sciences administration decides the amount each student must pay towards student activities.
Former Massachusetts Governor and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis made an unpublicized visit to Tufts on Monday, speaking to a small group of freshman enrolled in first-semester advising groups that discuss the American political process. Close to 40 students sat in on the conversational meeting organized by seniors Greg Propper and Megan Dooley for their explorations advising class, "The Making of a President: the 2000 Election." Students from two other explorations classes also attended, but Propper did not advertise the visit because he wanted to be able to maintain the conversational atmosphere afforded by a small group. A self-proclaimed "grassroots politician," Dukakis criticised the current candidates for ignoring door-to-door campaigning in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 7 election. "I had volunteers knocking on doors and handing out pamphlets," he said. "Because of that grassroots campaigning, there has been a higher voter turnout since the 1988 election." Dukakis also said Al Gore's campaign failed to remind Americans about "what it was like in 1992." He described many of George W. Bush's policies as "warmed-over Reaganism," though he credited the candidate with focusing on specific issues that concern voters. There was also no shortage of praise for Bill Clinton, who Dukakis said was one of the few politicians who had successfully connected with voters through mass media. "Giving people a real sense of who you are on television is very difficult," he said. "Bob Dole is the funniest, wittiest guy I've ever met. But on TV, he looked like an undertaker." Dukakis also fielded student questions ranging from the future of third parties to the abolition of the Electoral College system. "It's not all that often that you get to have a small group discussion with a presidential candidate," said Matt Cravens, a sophomore who sat in on the session. Many students said that Dukakis was not only an interesting person to meet, but that he also taught them about politics. "If anything, it was a neat experience and informative. Seeing a politician in person is always more personal than on television," said freshman Adam Blickstein, who commented that he admired Dukakis' ability to laugh at himself. "He was very personable and had great insight into political life." Dukakis, who teaches at Northeastern University and the University of California, Los Angeles, frequently speaks at colleges for his crusade to get youth interested and active in politics. He said young people were always an integral part of his campaigns, and suggested getting involved in a campaign as the best way to get into politics. "This is where the kids are that are going to get involved in this," he said. "I hope they see that politics is not a big, bad thing." Dukakis has been involved in the Massachusetts political scene since 1959, when he was elected to a small local office while still at Harvard Law School. He later served as the state's governor from 1975-1979 and again from 1983 until 1991. He announced his bid for the presidency in 1987, but lost to George Bush Sr. in the general election. The former governor attributed his loss in part to his campaign's failure to respond to personal attack ads launched by the Bush camp. "There's nothing that compares with running for president," he said. "Candidates are subject to a level of scrutiny found nowhere else in politics." Despite Dukakis' national stature, Propper and Dooley had no trouble luring him to campus. "He was unbelievably approachable," said Dooley, who picked up Dukakis in Boston and brought him to campus in her car. While seemingly surprising, Dukakis has made a reputation about being down-to-earth. As governor, he continued to live at his Brookline home (the state does not have a Governor's mansion) and ride the T. "I also did my shopping at the local Stop & Shop and bought my suits at Filene's Basement," he said. "I refused to be walled in from my constituents." Propper and Dooley's explorations class also hosted Jim Shannon, chairman of Democrat Bill Bradley's Massachusetts primary campaign and Jean Inman, who spearheaded Republican John McCain's efforts in the state. Matthew Bai (LA '90), a national political correspondent for Newsweek and former editor of The Observer, also addressed the class.
If you're expecting another film like The Replacements with this Friday's release of Remember the Titans, think again. Titans is definitely a football movie - dare I say, even a good football movie - but its primary focus is not, well, football. If you like football, or Denzel Washington, this movie is for you. If you don't know football, though, you can still enjoy it, and if you don't know Washington... well, that's all right, I don't know him personally either. However, there is much more to the movie than football or a big name. Much of the story line of Remember the Titans was left out of television advertisements, and while that often can be the warning sign of a bad movie, in this case it illustrates how much of Titans lies beneath the surface. Based on a true story, Remember the Titans takes place amid much opposition in 1971 Alexandria, Virginia, where the public school system has been recently desegregated. Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is a black football coach who is brought in as a sap to affirmative action to coach the newly diversified T. C. Williams High School football team. He has to deal with the prejudices of his players, of other coaches, of parents, and even of the school board who hired him in order to put together a winning team. Directed by Boaz Yakin (Fresh, A Price Above Rubies), Remember the Titans contains many of the feel-good elements one has come to expect of a Disney movie, but also refuses to flinch away from harsh issues. The first film produced by Technical Black, a division of Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Titans is Denzel Washington's (The Hurricane) second movie in a row that addresses the civil rights movement. The feel and look of the turbulent times color every aspect of this film. Scenes of demure-looking white girls yelling and grappling with police officers to get at scared-looking black students outside a school building are extremely reminiscent of photos from the '60s of the civil rights movement, showing the first day of school at newly desegregated schools in the South. Remember the Titans dips into other contemporary issues as well, including affirmative action and homophobia, without belaboring points or bogging down the story. Washington makes a charming and entirely believable tough-guy football coach who cares deeply about his family and his players. He is a proud, intelligent, caring black man living and working in a white world and refusing to take guff from anybody. At the beginning of his team's preseason camp, he tells his players, "This is not a democracy. This is a dictatorship. And I am the law." He demands "perfection" from his players, but, more than that, he demands that they accept each other and work together as a team, regardless of race. While his players grapple with acceptance, Boone must as well. He has to prove himself to a hostile white community and to his white assistant coach, Bill Yoast (Will Patton), the former Titans coach. Washington's character asks no quarter and gives none; when his home is attacked in a racial incident while Yoast's daughter is a guest, Yoast tries to convince Boone to be less confrontational in his relations with the town. Boone asks if he is blaming the incident on him. Patton replies that when his daughter is involved, it's his problem; but Washington says, "She just got a taste of what my daughter goes through every day. Welcome to my world." One of the more difficult flaws to overlook in Titans is incomplete character development. Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) goes from being the most bigoted player on the football team to being a general civil rights champion and best friend of black Big Julius (Wood Harris) in an incredibly short amount of time. The regards of other white townspeople in Alexandria are similarly dumbed-down and condensed to fit the story line of the movie, without regard for how such sudden reversals affect the characters. Even this flaw, however, fails to ruin the impact of the film.Remember the Titans is a drama, with all the prerequisite slow motion football tackles and melodramatic musical scores one has come to expect of sports flicks that try to get across a deeper message. Still, Titans is much more than a hackneyed imitation of what has gone before. Moments of racial tension are interspersed with humorous interludes (including a memorable "Who's your Daddy" dialogue by Washington), which succeed in keeping the film moving. During a hilarious locker room scene, one player says, "This is too much male bonding for me." Although Titans deals with serious issues and does not take them lightly, it isn't afraid to laugh at the stereotypes a bit, either. A standout comic performance from Ethan Suplee - playing overweight offensive linesman Lewis Lastic - helps lighten the mood considerably. However, Titans isn't upbeat just because of its one-liners. The underlying theme of the movie is not just one of struggle, but of triumph over opposition. Each time the Titan football team beats an all-white team, it is subtly chalked up as another victory against racism. In the end, the football team's season is a metaphor for the struggle (and, we hope, eventual victory) of the civil rights movement. Remember the Titans is a supremely touching, entertaining movie that addresses serious issues like racism and bigotry, but remembers that the same characters who wrestle with these issues are human as well. The viewer forgives some small weaknesses (and they are small) because the overall message of the film is exactly on target. It is a moving narrative of the struggle to come to terms with racial issues and with life's unfairness; by turns humorous and very sad, angry and deceptively tranquil, it is a tribute to all those who truly care and who continue to fight today.
Janet Jackson's 1989 hit album, Rhythm Nation, is best defined as pop music with a message. The album begins with a pledge of unity: "We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines." Okay, so the lyrics may be a bit cheesy, but if anything, Rhythm Nation is an upbeat blend of jazz-funk and spirited hip-hop that captures the artist's earlier, more innocent work. The album's 12 songs are interspersed with various spoken interludes - a style that was revisited in Janet's 1997 Velvet Rope album. Although the first three songs feature themes on social injustice and bigotry, songs such as "Escapade," "Miss You Much," and "Alright" offer a more light-hearted mix by taking on a carefree girl-next-door type of approach. It is therefore appropriate that once the more serious songs calling for social change and acceptance are over with, Janet busts out with, "Get the point? Good, now let's dance." Indeed, no Janet Jackson experience would be complete without pumping up the dance numbers, and the whole idea of this album was, after all, the use of music and dance to bring about one united nation - a Rhythm Nation, if you will. One highlight of this collection is that the songs explore a variety of themes - from prejudice to relationships to friendship. Although these themes fall under the umbrella of harmony among individuals, it is comforting to know that not all '80s music was bubble gum pop, and that it is possible to communicate the significance of hard-hitting social problems through such a tacky decade's popular music.The album's final three songs, including "Lonely" and "Someday Is Tonight," provide a glimpse into the sultry style of music that would be seen in the artist's later releases. Though these sexier pieces offer a prelude to Jackson's later work, they are still tame compared to sordid songs like "Rope Burn" on Velvet Rope. Many of the songs on Rhythm Nation still retain their flair after over a decade of newer, less utopian pop music. This album is a perfect balance between sugar-coated pop music and hardcore hip-hop. It's no Britney, but it's no DMX, either - it's distinctly Janet. Though the Jackson family has been riddled with scandal and controversy over the years, many would argue that their legacy lies more in their incredible song and dance talents. This early album certainly reflects that talent, while addressing deep-rooted social and racial issues that remain all-too-prevalent today.
Famed stand-up comedian Jay Mohr will headline this year's fall Comedy Show, to be held on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 9:30 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tufts' improv comedy group Cheap Sox and mime troupe HYPE! will also be featured performers. The event is sponsored by the Entertainment Board, and event organizers are excited to have such a talented performer as the main act. "We definitely hope it will sell out," Entertainment Board co-chair Anna Sommer said. "We're really lucky to have him. He would be out of our budget, but we were able to get him to come because he is performing at Boston's Comedy Connection around the same time." Mohr's agent, Matthew Frost, touted Mohr's show as a must-see. "It's more than a comedy show, it's like going to a comedy concert," he said. Mohr gained national attention from his appearances on "Saturday Night Live," and is currently working in Pluto Nash with Eddie Murphy and Speaking of Sex with Bill Murray, both due out next year. The 30-year-old artist's credentials include roles in Jerry Maguire, 200 cigarettes, Pay it forward, Picture Perfect, Go, Suicide Kings, and Playing by Heart. He was awarded the "2000 Golden Satellite Award" for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Series" and his show "Action" was nominated for the "Outstanding TV Comedy Series" category of the 2000 GLAAD Media Award. Frost also said Mohr is very enthusiastic about performing on campus. "Jay loves performing stand-up at colleges," he said. "He's been doing it for years. He loves giving back to the students. It's his favorite audience." Over 550 tickets for the show will go on sale on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the Cohen Auditorium Box Office for $5 each. One ticket will be given per Tufts ID, and purchasers may present two ID cards. Mohr will also be performing at the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall Thursday, Nov. 16 through Saturday, Nov. 18
The Smashing Pumpkins have had a history of pioneering new styles of music: pushing the envelope and taking chances for the sake of art and their fans. In 1995, the group effectively changed the face of alternative rock music with the double-disc album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Now, in the twilight of their existence as a group, the Smashing Pumpkins have come through once again in the face of adversity. Yet unlike past victories, this time the band delivers not to record companies, not to music as an art, but only to its fans - the people who have made the Smashing Pumpkins into a success story. The embodiment of this devotion comes in a not-so-small package called Friends and Enemies of Modern Music (known also as Machina II), a follow-up to this past February's Machina/The Machines of God.
People say that college is the best time of your life. What they neglect to tell you is that it is also the most dangerous. No, I am not referring to binge drinking, date rape, dining hall food, or any other traditional scourges of college campuses. What I am thinking of is a far more realistic and fearful phenomenon: walking into people. Do you have any idea how many college students literally bump into each other every day? 3,455. Ok, so I made that number up, the real figure is 2,433. Half of those are actually human-canine collisions (don't laugh, I once was slammed in the knee by a dog that was trying to chase another breed across the street). Regardless of the correct figures, walking collisions happen to me quite often; therefore it is a problem sufficient for me to rant about. Walking collisions are a display of sheer stupidity. This is best illustrated by analyzing the moment immediately preceding impact. At that instance your consciousness grinds to a halt, presence of mind is replaced by panic. Reflexes slow to molasses; you feel like you do when trying to balance yourself on a curb, and, recognizing that you are slowly falling off, you cannot seem to rectify the situation. You lean left and then right, but to no avail. Luckily, impact in walking collisions typically occurs at low speeds, thereby cutting down on injuries, but making things quite awkward. This is especially true if it is an opposite sex collision. It has been scientifically proven by fraternity scientists that most male college freshmen get their action by "accidentally" walking into people and then groping around for a better sense of "balance." With the recent arrival of cold weather at Tufts, walking collisions have become more common, as people bundled up in nuclear protective coats with vision-impairing hats bump into that weird guy who insists on wearing shorts into January. Cold weather walking collisions also carry an extra threat: static shock. This past week we had an extremely dry air mass in place over campus, thus making conditions perfect for static shocks. I had the misfortune to get a static shock on my right butt cheek as I sat down in history class. While that sensation may have been oddly pleasant, there is always the threat of a destructive high voltage person-to-person static shock during a walking collision. The panic of a walking collision is unique. Panic comes in many forms; for example, the walking-collision strain is far removed from the panic that a doomed airline passenger is stricken with, or the panic suffered by someone whose career has completely tanked, such as the actor Steve Guttenberg. Walking-collision-induced panic is a laughable type of panic. It is best equated with the bristling sensation everyone has experienced when leaning back too far in a chair. The two essential ingredients that the walking-collision panic brew are danger and stupidity. Falling off a chair during a lecture is stupid, but it is also dangerous. Millions die every year from such chair-related injuries, at least according to a statistical source that I completely made up. The proliferation of college students on college campuses has transformed a walk across the quad into a lesson in traffic management. The failure of most people to steer clear of others has resulted in a significant reduction of the comfort level of many students. Tufts' Ears for Peers help line has been flooded with phone calls by students who are afraid to walk around campus. "I am scared to walk to class. I might bump into someone again. My shoulder is still bruised from yesterday's journey to the cafeteria," one student reportedly said. "I came around the corner of Eaton and then... oh... it was just awful," another student lamented. The need for walking safety legislation has recently gained momentum after the tragic beheading of one MIT student by what was described as "another MIT student who was humming the Pythagorean Theorem." This event offers a valuable case study of walking collisions. The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) report on the incident fails to provide concrete answers, but it does shed insight into the final thoughts of the victim. To come to think of it, that is all the NTSB reports are really good for anyway: enabling the people who were not involved in the accident to say, "Damn, that must have sucked. I can only imagine what that must have been like. Well, time to watch some TV." Anyway, the data recorder from the academic quad on that fateful day divulges the following: Student 1: "A squared plus B squared equals C squared, bop shubop, shamma-lamma-ding-dong, squared, fared, bared, dared, cared, A squared plus B squared equals C squared, yah, who's your daddy?" Student 2: "That guy is coming right at me. Maybe if I go this way..." Student 1: "A squared plus B squared equals the base. Wait a minute, that doesn't work. Dammit! What the [expletive deleted]? Oh my God!" [Sound of impact... Crunch!] [Sound of beheading] Despite the slow speeds involved at the moment of impact, the mathematically inclined student's backpack - filled with a calculus textbook, a linear algebra textbook, and a steel statue of Stephen Hawking - slid off of his shoulders and knocked the victim's neck off balance. According to the report, the two students saw each other from 2.5 miles away. Their failure to come to an amicable passing agreement demonstrates the sorry walking skills of college students today. What does this say about negotiations in the Middle East? What does this bode for the Walk for Hunger? Should college students be banned from such charitable events? I think so. Most of all, what message does the failure to walk without collisions send to the children? Think of the children! The theory that I postulate here is that people lack the cognitive skills to enable them to avoid walking into each other. I propose that, because humans have only recently (in geologic time) begun living in densely populated areas, the genetic code has yet to conform to the challenges posed by walking. Humans have just not adapted to the modern walking reality. The realization that you are going to cross paths with someone else is not accompanied by the logical thought of "I better get out of the way." Instead it is cruelly mated with the unproductive thought: "I think I might hit that person. Maybe if I go this way... no, what about that way.... No..." [Sound of impact]. Either we wait for survival of the fittest to take over, or we investigate the only other possibility: we are composed of magnets instead of water. This theory explains why I seem to repel women, so it holds some promise. Regardless of the cause, it is clear that we need collision avoidance systems like the ones on airplanes. The government should mandate that all walkers are equipped with collision avoidance systems. Otherwise, in the words of whoever said it, "These boots are not made for walking." The police should also get involved and start citing people for CWW, "Colliding While Walking."Adapted from sixdegrees.com
A new political science course to be offered this spring will give Tufts students a new perspective on international relations by connecting them to two universities in Africa. Political Science Professor Pearl Robinson will be teaching PS178A, "Regionalism in African International Relations," as part of a collaboration designed to foster dialogue among students at Tufts and African students studying similar subjects. The course grew out of a partnership between Tufts, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Makerere University in Uganda fostered by Robinson since last year. Students in the University of Dar es Salaam's "Regional Integration" class and Makerere University's IR course will share their perspectives on African issues with the 25 students who will be enrolled in Robinson's class at Tufts through a special website. "This system allows a student to send a mass e-mail to reach others that may help obtain information needed for research or a paper," Robinson said. "This sharing of information will provide new and personal insights on issues, will save time for the African students who have limited access to the Internet, and will allow the students to become involved in getting new data." PS178A is described as "an examination of how the regional scope of political issues in Africa affects processes and prospects for democratization," according to the department handbook. The program will focus on five issues - Globalization/Regionalism Debate, Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region, African Feminism, Environmental Regulatory Regimes, and the African Crisis Response Initiative. Although each university's course will be designed differently, 25 percent of the reading for each will be the same. The sharing of resources between the three schools will be mutually beneficial, as it will allow Tufts students access to rare resources and provide funding to the African schools that will give them better access to educational tools such as books and software. "Books are filtered through the US publishing system and it is rare for Tufts students to read books published in Africa and to have unfiltered access to the analytical forms in order to study about Africa," Robinson said. "The course is designed in a way to improve instruction in all universities." Robinson thought of the Curriculum Co-Development Project idea while teaching and assisting at both the University of Dar es Salaam and Makerere University last year. While the program is receiving some startup money from Tufts, its major source of funding is the Ford Foundation's Nairobi office. The budget for the first year of the project is $240,000, according to Robinson. "I chose Africa as the area of interest because I had colleagues at the universities and understood the constraints and potential there," Robinson said. "I feel it is a version of how international relations education ought to be done. This course is a chance to study a region of the world and interact with teachers and students from there." The project was kicked off in September when two political science professors and one information technology person from each school gathered at Tufts for a weeklong workshop. A $22,000 grant from the US-AID's Leland Initiative helped support the project. In order to make the computer interaction between the three schools possible, all the universities need access to a computer lab. Tufts and the University of Dar es Salaam already had such facilities, but a majority of the funds from the Ford Foundation went to the construction of a computer lab at Makerere University's Faculty of Social Sciences. On the course website, there will be an integrated student roster with the students' names and school emblems beside it. Each student will have a homepage with some biographical information. The website will feature a boot-up trip to each university and will have designs by two Ghanian artists on the site. The collaboration between Tufts and the two African schools will not be limited to this one course, and Robinson said she is committed to the partnership for the next five to ten years. The Ford Foundation is helping to develop a model that can be replicated at other universities. "If it works, it will be a new way of working a class," Robinson said. "[The students'] perspectives and interpretations of the same subjects will be different. The course will let students appreciate variations on perspectives in the world. It allows students to come to an understanding."
