2010-11-02

Sunny 48/29

THE TUFTS DAILY

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

VOLUME LX, NUMBER 37

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010

‘Pepper spray’ incident mars Senior Pub Night

Jumbos in D.C. call for a return to ‘sanity’ at Stewart/Colbert rally

BY

MATT REPKA

Daily Editorial Board

An otherwise uneventful Senior Pub Night came to an unexpected end Thursday night as attendees fled what seemed like a pepper spraylike substance in the air.

The second Senior Pub Night of the semester drew praise from students, administrators and event staff for running smoothly and remaining mostly unmarked by the drunken behavior that has dogged the event’s reputation in past years.

The only hitch in the event occurred shortly after 1 a.m., when dozens of attendees headed for bathrooms and exits in an attempt to get away from some kind of irritant that had apparently been sprayed in the air above the dance floor.

Roughly 700 seniors bought tickets to the event at Tequila Rain, a bar located in the Fenway.

Office for Campus Life (OCL) Director Joe Golia called the event a success.

“We were really pleased,” Golia said. “There’s always individual incidents, like this one. But nothing that we’d label as a problem for the whole class.”

Numerous students standing in close proximity to the dance floor reported a reaction to the spray.

“I was on the dance floor

with a couple of my friends, and immediately, you couldn’t inhale all the way,” senior Elley Rohrer said. “You couldn’t breathe.”

Rohrer said she moved away from the main room to a bathroom in search of clearer air.

“Everyone was drinking water and coughing,” Rohrer said.

“We were just dancing in the middle of the dance floor, and suddenly it was an intense burning sensation in your throat — really bad,” senior Max Pinto said. “It made you cough, but it didn’t burn your eyes. Everyone around me had the same sensation.”

“All of a sudden, everyone started flooding out of the dance floor,” Senior Class Council President Lindsey Rosenbluth said. The venue staff actively tried to clear the room, she said.

OCL Assistant Director David McGraw, who spoke with staff from the bar after the event’s conclusion, said they cleared the dance floor for safety reasons.

“We know what you know,” Golia said. “We were basically told that they labeled it pepper spray and that someone sprayed it in the air.”

Pepper spray is an aerosol designed to cause irritation of the eyes and throat. It is sold at the consumer level as a self-defense product and is widely available. see PUB NIGHT, page 2

BY

ALEXANDRA BOGUS

Daily Editorial Board

Charged with the goal of reviving levelheadedness in politics, a swarm of Tufts students traveled by plane, car and bus to attend a Saturday rally in Washington.

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/ or Fear, hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on the National Mall, was Stewart’s “call to reasonableness,” an effort to stem what he believes is an overly-politicized mainstream media that often succeeds more in fear-mongering than informing the public.

“The country’s 24-hour politicopundit-perpetual-panic ‘conflictinator’ did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder,” Stewart said in remarks at the end of the three-hour rally. “If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.”

He urged Americans to inject reason into discussions of politically charged issues and called for a rejection of the extremes projected through certain media outlets.

“This is not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of activism … or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do,” he said. “But we live now in hard times, not end times.”

In addition to a comedy skit between Colbert and Stewart, the event, which by some estimates drew over 215,000 attendees, featured performances by a number of musicians, including Cat Stevens, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne

AMELIE HECHT/TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students were among the thousands in Washington on Saturday for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. and Sheryl Crow.

Approximately 50 Tufts students traveled by charter bus to the event. Sophomore Simon

Senior Lauren Wielgus honored with $10,000 Astronaut Scholarship award BY

MINYOUNG SONG Senior Staff Writer

Senior Lauren Wielgus on Oct. 22 received an Astronaut Scholarship award in recognition of her achievements in physics.

Former NASA space shuttle commander Rick Hauck (A ’62, H ’07) presented Wielgus with the $10,000 award, given to the top undergraduate science and engineering students from the colleges and universities associated with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), a non-profit organization.

The ASF’s mission is to maintain American leadership in the sciences by giving scholarships to science and engineering students, according to the foundation’s website. The Astronaut Scholarship is the largest national merit-based monetary award given in the sciences at the undergraduate level.

“I was so excited when I was presented with the scholarship,” Wielgus said. She said the scholarship money will be applied toward her Tufts tuition.

At the presentation, Hauck praised Wielgus’ achievements.

Inside this issue

see SANITY, page 2

TUPD investigating sexual assault in fraternity The Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) is investigating a report of a sexual assault that may have occurred in a fraternity house over the weekend, it said in an e-mail to the Tufts community last night.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no suspect has been apprehended, TUPD said in the e-mail.

TUPD declined to provide further information to the Daily.

The presidents of all fraternities on campus individually told the Daily last night that they had no additional knowledge about the incident. Inter-Greek Council President Luke Metcalf and Interfraternity Council President Alex Stein, both juniors, echoed that message.

Some fraternity presidents reiterated their chapter’s stance against sexual assault, and some said they are in the process of trying to ascertain more information from their fraternity brothers.

—by Ben Gittleson and Matt Repka

MEAGAN MAHER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior Lauren Wielgus receives the Astronaut Scholarship Award from former NASA commander Rick Hauck (A ’62, H ’07). Wielgus was recognized for her achievements in undergraduate science.

Metcalf organized the bus ride after surmising that such a route

see SCHOLARSHIP, page 2

Today’s Sections

Some students have started a petition calling for the Joey to service Cousens Gym.

Lewis Hydes makes the case against copyright laws in ‘Common as Air.’

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts | Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 13 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

NEWS

Students make the trip to Washington for ‘sanity’ rally SANITY continued from page 1

COURTESY KELSEY BELL

Seniors wait to board a bus bound for pub night behind the Mayer Campus Center Thursday night.

Coughing fit ends Halloween Senior Pub Night PUB NIGHT continued from page 1

However, Chris Bruno, the general manager of Tequila Rain, told the Daily that he was not aware of any sort of spray-related incident. “The agreement with the promoters was that we would close at 1 o’clock,” Bruno said.

But Rosenbluth said the contract set the closing time at 2 a.m., with the last call at 1:15 a.m.

“As far as we’re concerned, the event went great, and we’ll welcome everyone back,” Bruno said. He declined further comment.

McGraw saw things differently. “Obviously, something did happen, and it was his staff that notified me of it,” he said. McGraw said he had not spoken with Bruno but with

another individual affiliated with the bar.

Golia said OCL staff manned the entrance to the event, helping to manage student entry and ticket checking, but that OCL personnel were not present inside the venue itself.

By the time the incident happened, the event was already beginning to wind down, according to Golia. “At that point, it was almost over anyway,” he said. “They were just about to close down, and a lot of people were leaving.”

“From their standpoint, they were disappointed,” McGraw said of the venue’s staff.

“Overall, the night was going pretty well. For that to happen, it just kind of killed the mood for everyone.”

McGraw said that despite the episode, the Tequila Rain staff was very positive about the outcome of the event. “They were actually really pleased with our group. They said they were one of the best parties they’d had,” McGraw said.

McGraw said the only other issue with the night involved entry to the event itself. “There was an issue at the front door where they had to stop letting people in due to the fact that people were getting trampled,” McGraw said. He urged attendees to come earlier to future events in the future to avoid waiting in line.

Golia said Tequila Rain has invited Tufts back for future pub nights. “They thought it was a great crowd,” Golia said. “When we hear that that’s always good news.”

would be the most efficient way to get to get to the Mall.

Students left campus at 10 p.m. on Friday night and arrived in Washington at 6 a.m., just in time to get front row seats, Metcalf said. They returned to campus at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

Sophomore Joshua Elliott, who traveled on the bus, said that in spite of the long journey to Washington, the rally was worth the ride. Stewart and Colbert, he said, structured their performances tactfully, combining comedy and sincerity to deliver a meaningful message.

“I guess people feared that Jon Stewart would break character as a comedian and go super political,” Elliott said. “He did a good job of not going too far in any one direction.”

A sizeable number of students used other means to join the rally-goers.

Sophomores Beau Coker and Brandon Archambault traveled by plane to Washington.

Archambault was pleased that Stewart maintained a lighthearted, comedic tone throughout the event, even while urging the crowd to remain more coolheaded than the mainstream media.

“If I could sum it all up in a phrase, it seemed to be ‘chill out,’” he said.

In spite of the comedian’s advice, Archambault was skeptical that the rally would have a sizeable effect on the outcome of today’s elections. He believed that most of the people in the crowd already came in with established

political leanings and likely did not support the extreme views that Stewart decried.

“I think it definitely woke up somebody, but I can’t really say it will have a noticeable impact,” he said.

Senior Makiko Harris agreed.

She said that though the rally might not significantly change anyone’s opinions going into the elections, it offered a semblance of unity for attendees.

“Jon Stewart was preaching to the crowd he was always preaching to,” she said. “At the same time, it gives people a sense of solidarity. Just the fact that there were so many people who arrived — it was really sort of uplifting for all those people.”

Harris arrived at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning following a 13-hour car ride from Tufts. Despite the trek, she said, Stewart’s speech was effective and well worth the effort to get there.

“He wasn’t saying that the country doesn’t have threats or serious problems … but there isn’t a need to spread this unneeded, unwarranted fear,” she said.

“When we magnify certain tiny events, it creates this culture of fear that is unnecessary and exacerbates all the problems that we already have.”

Coker believed that the rally might boost enthusiasm among left-leaning individuals, but would not impact voter positions considerably.

“It might motivate more Democratically aligned voters to go to the polls,” he said. “I’m a pretty liberal person, so I hope it will, but I really don’t know.”

AMELIE HECHT/TUFTS DAILY

Despite the rally’s high turnout, some Tufts students questioned its impact.

Wielgus receives scholarship award for accomplishments in science research SCHOLARSHIP continued from page 1

“I am honored to present Lauren with this award, both as an astronaut and a Tufts alumnus,” Hauck said. “She has already excelled in the field of physics at home and abroad.”

Wielgus cited her enthusiasm for engaging in research as a possible reason for her being chosen for the honor.

“I believe part of the criteria for getting the award was having strong interest in research and continuing that in the future,” Wielgus said. “I think my love for doing physics research was a reason why I was a good candidate.”

Wielgus is a founder and a current co-editor-in-chief of Breakthrough, a Tufts undergraduate science magazine.

“We try to write about science research going around at Tufts, as well as around the world,” Wielgus said. “We focus on all different branches of science.”

Breakthrough’s first issue of the year will be published this month, Wielgus said.

Twenty universities along with Tufts are associated with the ASF,

including Clemson University, Washington University in St. Louis, Purdue University and the University of Michigan.

Candidates’ academic and research aptitude both inside and outside of the classroom are crucial determinants in the nomination process for Tufts students, Laura Doane, program director for advising and scholarship, said in an e-mail to the Daily. Tufts nominated two students from a pool of 18 applicants for the ASF for review, according to Doane.

“The letters of nomination from faculty members, transcripts … and applicants’ articulation of their educational interests and related career goals are of primary importance,” she said.

Associate Professor of Physics Hugh Gallagher, Wielgus’ current academic and research advisor, was one of the faculty members who produced a letter of recommendation on her behalf.

“I think what makes Lauren unique is that she is not only a great physics student, but that she understands the important

concepts and is able to perform calculations and apply her analytical skills,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher last year worked with Wielgus in a laboratory setting on the Minerva Neutrino experiment, a Summer Scholars Program project.

“That summer, I scanned simulated data in the neutrino to see what you would expect from the interactions of different particles through a detector,” Wielgus said.

Professor of Physics Roger Tobin, the current chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department, praised Wielgus and highlighted her qualities.

“In addition to being academically outstanding in all the aspects that we look for, she is very strong with regards to mathematics and making the connection between mathematics and science,” Tobin said. “Also, she has been a very imaginative and productive researcher.”

Wielgus said she is currently in the process of applying for doctorate programs in physics and hopes to pursue further study in particle astrophysics.

Police Briefs STEALING DOESN’T PAY Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 27 arrested an individual not affiliated with the university on suspicions of theft. The larceny occurred on Oct. 23, when the individual reportedly stole the wallet and several credit cards belonging to a Dining Services employee in Mugar Café. TUPD officers interviewed the suspect at their Boston Avenue station on Oct. 27 and arrested him. The case will go to court, according to TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy.

AT LEAST THEY WEREN’T NAKED Five students went to area hospitals during the night of Oct. 29 for overconsumption of alcohol. Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc. transported three of the students to Somerville Hospital. The remaining two went to Lawrence Memorial

Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

I’M MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! Armstrong Ambulance Service at 10 p.m. on Oct. 30 transported a student to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The student had punched a window at his house on Boston Avenue and cut his forearm.

NO TRICKS OR TREATS HERE Armstrong Ambulance Service at 12:57 a.m. on Oct. 31 transported a student to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for alcohol overconsumption.

—compiled by Alexandra Bogus based on reports from the Tufts University Police Department

See tuftsdaily.com for an interactive map.

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Applicants’ legacy status plays a role in the Tufts admissions process BY

EMILIA LUNA

SAMANTHA JAFFE | EAST COAST, WEST COAST

Dress code

Daily Editorial Board

Elite colleges in the United States have a long-standing tradition of considering legacy in admissions. Today, legacy is still an important part of the admissions process at schools like Tufts. All students are evaluated on the basis of their grade point averages, their standardized testing scores, their essays and their extracurricular activities. Some students, however, benefit from an extra, special asset — legacy. But how much does legacy really matter?

While Tufts does not reveal exact data about legacy admissions rates, Susan Ardizzoni, director of undergraduate admissions at Tufts, said that the university defines legacy as an applicant’s familial relationship to one or more Tufts alumni and that legacy can certainly help an applicant.

“We look at parents, primarily. We also look at siblings and then grandparents, for all the professional schools as well as the undergraduate,” she said.

Many other schools are less discreet about the advantages awarded to legacy applicants.

In an April 2008 ABC News study, several schools, including Princeton University and Dartmouth and Middlebury Colleges, reported their admissions rates for legacy applicants to be as much as double or more than double as for non-legacy applicants.

“What I can tell you is that when we look at students that have legacy with parents, we will look at those students very closely,” Ardizzoni said. “At most colleges or universities in the United States, they look at this tradition. It is important that alumni continue the tradition of support of the university.”

While the topic of legacy admissions is a touchy subject for some universities, there are those, like the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), that are completely open about the matter. UPenn has created the Alumni Council on Admissions (ACA), which provides special guidance to legacy applicants.

E

TIEN TIEN/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Jenna Rennert is proud to be a legacy student at Tufts, her father’s alma mater.

“The ACA provides alumni and prospective legacy applicants with an understanding of the pieces in Penn’s application, how to be a competitive applicant and what it means to apply as a Penn legacy,” according to its website.

Ardizzoni explained that the reason why legacy is a matter of debate at Tufts — even though legacy status is clearly asked about on the application supplement — goes back to the history of higher education. Because legacy is passed down through generations, any inequality that previous generations experienced with regard to college admissions are passed down with it.

“Early in the 20th century, legacy admission was almost a guarantee at places, and

primarily it was fathers because the Ivies were all men,” she said. “For quite a while throughout the middle of the 20th century, that was a big part of the admissions process.

The great portion of people who came to Tufts were white, but today we are looking to create a more diverse population.”

Sophomore Alfonso Enriquez, who is the first in his family to attend college, sees legacy favoritism as potentially unfair but also sees an appropriate place for the consideration of legacy within a prospective student’s application.

“I could see my lack of a legacy being a jeopardizing factor since I was the first see LEGACY, page 4

Students draft petition calling for extension of Joey route to include a stop by Cousens Gym BY

GENE BUONACCORSI Contributing Writer

The Joey, that lovable converted school bus that brings students to and from Davis Square for no charge, is a friend of every student at Tufts.

Currently, its serves five stops — four on campus and one in Davis Square — but certain parts of campus are left uncovered by the shuttle’s route.

Some students are hoping to add a Joey stop at Cousens Gym, and in order to convince administrators that the extension would benefit the Tufts community, a group of students has drafted a petition, which sits at the front security desk of the gym for all those entering to see and sign.

Junior Donald Simmons, the leading force behind the petition, thinks that extending the campus shuttle to Cousens will encourage more students to utilize the gym.

“Students will not second-guess themselves when they want to go down to the gym,” he said. “Knowing that they can catch the Joey down to the gym will increase student morale and create a healthier atmosphere because more students will be working out.”

Many students on campus are involved with athletics through various varsity, intramural and club teams, but for those who do not partake in competitive sports, the distance from classes to the gym can be a deterrent to working out, junior Amanda Parker said. Particularly during the winter months, New England weather makes venturing to the gym less appealing,

Parker, who works as a student monitor at Cousens, said.

“I remember as a freshman my friends and I felt like the gym was really far away from Houston Hall,” she said.

“A lot of people will say ‘it’s too long of a walk’ as an excuse for not going to the gym. It would be especially helpful for students on the far end of campus, students that are just beginning a workout routine and are intimidated by the long walk or students from warmer parts of the country not used to walking in the cold.”

Another motive for the potential Joey extension is to improve student safety. Some students consider the area surrounding Cousens, which is located on College Avenue in Medford, to be among the more dangerous, or at least, less populated, areas of campus. In 2008, a new Cousens security system was put in place, requiring that all gym-goers present their Tufts identification cards upon entry, but prior to the changes, there were reports of individuals not affiliated with Tufts entering and using the gym.

Additionally, in November 2009, a female jogger was attacked and assaulted while running by the Cousens Gym complex. The woman was not a Tufts student, but the event raised concerns for Tufts students and employees who frequent the area.

Parker, who has habitually had to walk home from the gym at night, said that she often feels uncomfortable being in the area on her own.

“Last semester I had a late shift at the gym,” she said. “At times, I felt

unsafe walking from Cousens all the way to Carmichael at 10:30 p.m. My roommates, family and even the security guards at the gym were nervous about me walking alone on Boston Avenue that late.”

The Cousens complex is open until 10:30 p.m. most nights, far past when it gets dark out, and the low lighting on the streets that lead back to campus were a major concern for Parker. A Joey stop by Cousens not only would have gotten her back to campus without worry but would also have made the area seem less deserted, she said.

“Every week I’d either call TUPD for a ride — I often waited almost 20 minutes for them to pick me up — or the head security guard at the gym would drive me home,” Parker said. “It would have been a lot easier and safer if I could have taken the Joey back to Carmichael after my shift.”

Parker hopes that the petition to extend the Joey’s route is successful and will relieve concerns for students who find themselves at the gym late at night in the future.

Even if the petition is submitted to the administration, though, there are many more steps to making the idea a reality, Louis Galvez III, administrative service coordinator for the Department of Public & Environmental Safety, said.

“Once we can look at it, we’re going to have to do a feasibility study,” he said. “If the feasibility exists, and this gives the benefit to the students that see JOEY, page 4

veryone says that when you move from Southern California to the East Coast, the biggest and scariest culture clash is going to be the winter. I cannot disagree more. The biggest adjustment from Los Angeles to Boston?

The way boys dress. No question.

Ask anyone from Southern California if they had seen a guy wearing Topsiders until they moved here. NorCal is a different story as, per usual, the Bay Area is overrun with Sperrys and The North Face; it’s one of the many reasons why Southern and Northern California are significantly closer to being different states than, say, Massachusetts and Connecticut. I can bet that the answer will be no. We’re used to Vans, Converse and the occasional pair of Nike kicks. End of story.

The fact that boys here wear Sperrys and/or running shoes with otherwise normal clothes is a phenomenon that I had never before witnessed. I’ve slowly learned to live with the Sperrys, seeing as they’re as much a part of the culture here as clam chowder, but I will never accept the running shoes. Buy a pair of street shoes. Seriously. You’re killing me — each and every one of you. Vans would be a good choice, if you don’t mind the suggestion.

Incidentally, Vans are an excellent way to spot Californians. The chance that someone wearing them is from the West Coast is high, as Vans apparently haven’t really made it all the way out to Boston. I digress. The point is that the boys from different coasts dress very differently. The standard “bro” uniform on the East Coast is a polo shirt, khaki shorts and Sperrys, and the standard “bro” uniform on the West Coast is a man tank, boardshorts, Vans and crew socks. East Coast guys wear argyle and they are still deemed socially acceptable. If a guy who went to my high school showed up in argyle, he’d have been laughed off the campus.

My theory is that the root of these marked differences in dress code lies in a marked difference in bro culture on the two coasts. My guy friends at home all surfed. Bros here play LAX. And LAXbros and the West Coast version are incredibly dissimilar animals. Until I came to Tufts, I thought swag was the free stuff you got if you went to an award show dinner and that flow had something to do with rap.

Now I know better. A true LAXbro has both swag and flow and an ego too big to allow him to fit through doors. To be fair, West Coast bros share the ego; they just leave the swag and flow at home in favor of a tan, an eight-pack and a surfboard rack on top of the beat-up SUV they inherited from their parents.

Another serious difference between the coastal dress codes: West Coast indie kids and East Coast hipsters. My stupid hipster roommate and half of my best friends here are in the latter category, and while I love them all to death, I have to say that we are significantly more hardcore over there on the best coast. High-waisted shorts, a flannel and riding boots? Yes, that may make you a hipster here in Boston, but back in Los Angeles, that’s nothing. Unless there’s lipstick, fur and multiple layers of thriftstore finds involved, it’s not indie. Even the bros in California wear flannel. Nice try.

The thing is, I love getting made fun of for looking Californian. I love the faces I get when I wear Vans with crew socks.

I love the reactions knee-high moccasin boots elicit. I also love that none of these rules are hard and fast. I’m proud to share my love of Vans with my aforementioned hipster roommate, who rocks yellow laceups with the best of them.

Samantha Jaffe is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Samantha.Jaffe@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

FEATURES

At Tufts, Jumbo legacy plays a role in the admissions process LEGACY continued from page 3

person in my family to ever attend college.

[But] I never thought that it was an issue that hindered my acceptance into Tufts,” he said. “There are plenty of students who have just the same right to be accepted even if they don’t have the legacy to prove it. If the student has excelled in high school and his legacy shows that his family did well in college, I think it should be acknowledged.”

Ardizzoni stressed that even though legacy is considered as part of a prospective student’s application, legacy students must demonstrate the same intellectual capability as any other Jumbo in order to be admitted to Tufts.

“In the end, in the admissions office, one of our responsibilities to the university is that we are confident that the students that we admit are going to be successful at Tufts and will be able to graduate,” she said.

Ardizzoni also pointed out that while legacy has been linked to inequality and white privilege, maintaining legacies at universities can prove useful to both the university and its students.

“Certainly the financial part of it is important. Every place relies upon its alumni to help support the programs that they are taking part in, so that legacy base is important,” Ardizzoni said. “But it’s not just financially.”

Through the legacies Tufts has established, alumni become important resources for students both during the application process and after they graduate, she said.

“The career network, students would agree, is very important and it can be a very helpful part of their experience transitioning from the undergraduate life to the work life,” Ardizzoni said. “There is work that alumni interviewers do representing Tufts in their communities because we can’t go every place in the United States and abroad.”

Having legacy connections can also impact prospective students’ decisions to apply to a certain school, most likely in a positive way.

For sophomore Andre Nolop, having sibling legacy was the reason why he applied early decision to Tufts.

“I’d go so far as to say that him being here was the reason I came to Tufts,” Nolop said.

“During my brother’s freshman year at Tufts, I visited him during Spring Fling. I was able to live in a freshmen dorm with my brother and that weekend I decided that I would apply early to Tufts … and so here I am.”

Similarly, sophomore Jenna Rennert said that Tufts being her father’s alma mater was a major factor contributing to her decision to apply.

“I absolutely think I made the right choice.

Tufts was such a big part of my upbringing, and hearing such good things about the school, I decided I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “There wasn’t pressure, but I decided that it was the right choice for me. Hopefully my sister, applying this year, will make the same one.”

Rennert sees nothing unfair about giving an advantage to legacy applicants. “It creates a strong sense of community between the generations and binds them together,” she said.

Enriquez believes that legacy should only play a role in admissions if it does not give an advantage to applicants from specific socioeconomic backgrounds.

“Unless the system is used to provide a filter to differentiate between two similar applicants, the legacy system could be beneficent,” he said. “But if the system is giving an unfair advantage to wealthier students, this can create [a] larger gap between social classes. Then the legacy system should cease to be considered.”

Ardizzoni explained that there are other groups of applicants — like low-income applicants, minorities and applicants who would be in the first generation of their families to attend college — that receive special attention.

Considering those students with less access to higher education is an important part of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ work, she said.

“Part of it is that first-generation students, those with socio-economic diversity and students of color are the students that have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education,” she said.

OLIVER PORTER/TUFTS DAILY

If a student petition is successful, the Joey, pictured here outside the Olin Center, one of its four on-campus stops, will stop at Cousens Gym.

Students push for extension of Joey shuttle route to Cousens Gym JOEY continued from page 3

we’re looking to give, then everybody is going to want that. Everybody wants to make the experience for the students the best it can be.”

But there are a number of factors involved in the decision, Galvez said, some of which are not within the Tufts administration’s control.

“We’re going to have to take a lot into consideration. That’s not our street, so we could want to do something but Medford could say no,” Galvez said.

“I’m in no way saying that this is a reason not to do it, but there’s already discussion that the Joey takes too long to get there. So if we do add a new stop and the new stop stretches us out, we have to consider if this new stop is going to make the Joey less convenient.”

Joseph’s Limousine and Transportation, which provides the

service, however, has no problem with a proposed extension to Cousens.

“We would be willing to do anything that Tufts asks from us to help provide convenient service for the students,” Joseph Albano IV, director of customer relations at Joseph’s Limousine and Transportation, said.

Now that the ball is rolling on the project, Simmons is remaining positive about its success despite potential logistical obstacles.

“If the students want to make a change and they are willingly stepping up by signing a petition, then I believe that the administration will come through,” he said.

Galvez, too, thinks that the project could succeed.

“If it’s possible and the benefits outweigh the negatives, there would be no reason not to,” Galvez said. “We just have to find out what the benefits are and what the disadvantages are.”

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Arts & Living

5

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BOOK REVIEW

Lewis Hyde’s ‘Common as Air’ explores the case for a cultural commons BY

MADELINE HALL | THE TASTEFUL AND THE TASTELESS

Animal antagonism

ROMY OLTUSKI

Daily Editorial Board

I

The history of copyright law is not on the top of most people’s beach read hierarchies, but Lewis Hyde’s newest

Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership Lewis Hyde Farrar, Straus and Giroux book, “Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership,” chronicles copyright development in a way that’s both gripping and accessible. With the help of the Founding Fathers — heavy on the Franklin, who gets his very own chapter — as well as a series of modern-day cases of copyright exploitation, Hyde makes a compelling case for a cultural commons within our copyright-happy society.

He presents the idea not as a radical, new one but as a return to the way things were, shedding light on the complicated fact that intellectual property is not — as is it is so easy to believe — a tenet of our civilization, but rather an aberration from a long-

LEWISHYDE.COM

Lewis Hyde is the author of ‘Common as Air.’ standing Western tradition of a shared commons — a history Americans mysteriously seem not to remember.

But how can we remember, Hyde

asks, when those who stand to profit from status quo copyright laws — see COMMON, page 6

MOVIE REVIEW

ALBUM REVIEW

Sequel to ‘Paranormal Activity’ is more normal than paranormal

Swift brings more of the same in ‘Speak’

BY

DAVID GITTESS

Contributing Writer

Haunted houses are scary. There’s something deeply primal about the sanctity of a house — it is a source of

Paranormal Activity 2 Starring Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim, Sprague Grayden Directed by Tod Williams strength against the evil outside. Often, horror movies play off this idea, with the main characters either being stalked by something external in their own house or being treated as the intruder in someone or something else’s home.

“Paranormal Activity” (nationally released in 2009) used the idea of an intruded-upon haunted house, scaring audiences across the nation with fakedocumentary, cinema-verite flourish.

What made it different from other movies of the genre, such as “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), lay in the placing of the camera. While movies such as “Blair Witch” often used the personal camera technique to avoid having to show (and pay for) an actual monster or effects, “Paranormal’s” fixed camera forced the viewer to watch the terror commence in unrelenting clarity.

It was a neat little trick, and it worked well. The problem with neat little tricks is that they only really work well once, and “Paranormal Activity 2” is no exception.

“Paranormal 2” takes place before, during and after the first movie, focusing on Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden), the sister of Katie (Katie Featherston) from the first movie. Kristi, her husband (Brian Boland), their teenage step-daughter (Molly Ephraim) and their newborn son have just moved into an idyllic home near Katie and Micah’s see PARANORMAL, page 6

BY SAMUEL

ZUCKERT

Contributing Writer

Taylor Swift has had a lot going on in her life since she released her last album, “Fearless” (2008). She gained

Speak Now Taylor Swift Big Machine a devoted — maybe even obsessed — fan following, released three Top 10 Billboard singles, became the youngest artist ever to win the Country Music Association Award for artist of the year, made her major motion picture debut, dated a werewolf and a Jonas and, of course, sent Kanye West into a media life/death spiral by beating out Beyoncé to win the Video Music Award for best Female Video.

After accomplishing all of this, Swift is back to making music and, with her new album, “Speak Now,” she’s bringing back tons of the youthful country-pop that got Kanye so mad in the first place.

Swift has an undeniable gift for pop-country ballads, which is what has launched her into the national spotlight. She has a knack for making catchy songs that actually feel like they’re about something, but when one listens to her album all the way through, most of the songs sound very similar.

The songs essentially fall into two categories: the country-pop power ballad that starts softly and then bursts open in the emotional but fun chorus like “Mine” or “Sparks Fly,” or the soft, mellow song like “Dear John” that delivers her message in a sweeter, sadder way. In fact, when listening to her

EW.COM

’Paranormal Activity 2’ falls prey to the classic sequel curse.

see SWIFT, page 6

f you happen to be taking any classes at Tufts — and I’m assuming some of you might be — the past month has been somewhat unkind to you.

Heard of midterms? Probably. October tends to devolve into a month-long slew of tests, evaluations and papers that promise sleepless nights and endless conversations dominated by challenges to one another’s workloads. You claim you had two exams on the same day? I see your two exams and raise you an oral presentation and a 12-page research paper!

Faced with this kind of academic stress, what did the student body as a whole choose as the best kind of coping mechanism?

Adorable animal videos.

Don’t deny it. I saw you in Tisch watching hedgehogs eat carrots instead of memorizing the orbital paths of planets for Astronomy 10. Definitions of “studying hard” in the Rez resembled something closer to “hardly studying” while watching videos of puppies fall asleep. It is a justifiable escape from the horrors of academia because, quite honestly, baby animals feed the soul in a way that multivariable calculus never will.

The more pressing topic, though, is the increasing number of videos featuring animals doing things better than humans can.

Born into some kind of egotistical, humancentric mindset, I am alarmed by the impressive and tremendous talent exhibited by animals of all kinds now surfacing on the Internet. I watch these rival species, and I am convinced that we will see a societal backlash against our human-dominated culture, spearheaded by the most organized nonhuman organisms.

Doubt my claim? Direct your attention to YouTube and feel the fear most readily generated by the following videos: While Willow Smith’s song “Whip My Hair” gained immediate Internet recognition with her colorful music video and suave dance moves, her parrot counterpart earned similar fame for obvious reasons. Any 10-year-old girl with an ounce of creativity can drop a single that lands at the top of music charts across the country. It takes an especially talented parrot, however, to match the dancing prowess of this young singer. Parrots are not born with rhythm, but this little guy made it look like he was hair whippin’ in the egg.

Parrot beats Willow by a long shot.

Though a monster is arguably not classified as an animal, Grover’s “Sesame Street” remake of the famous Old Spice commercials is arguably more skillfully executed and impressive than the original. True, Grover’s Muppet body in a towel is less attractive than those of the men featured in the original advertisements, but his klutzy charm and educational goals make his rendition all the more enjoyable. What’s more, his art is pure — he doesn’t muddy his performance with the underlying goal of selling body wash.

Grover is a true artist of dizzying ability.

Serving as the crown jewel in the pantheon of animal talent, the dancing Merengue dog has no competition in her arena. Executing the moves of a merengue with the ease of a classically trained ballroom dancer, our canine friend puts all human dancers to shame. This dog overcomes evolutionary boundaries — namely, the tendency to walk on all fours — to leap across the crowded parking lot to the beat of the song. She even goes so far as to disguise herself as a human with her sparkly dress. This promises an inter-species confrontation!

Perhaps my certainty in this cultural revolution spearheaded by able animals is a product of my own post-midterm malaise, but the threat is there. We as humans are increasingly outperformed by the “lesser species” of our world, and our culture is suffering as a result. Let’s just hope Willow has what it takes to bring us a victory.

Madeline Hall is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Madeline.Hall@tufts.edu.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY

ARTS & LIVING

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Though incomplete, Hyde’s book presents much food for thought COMMON

TAYLORSWIFT.COM

Swift takes a few risks in her lyrics, writing about Kanye West’s infamous rant at the 2009 VMAs.

Swift delivers fan-friendly new album SWIFT continued from page 5

first single off “Speak Now,” “Mine,” I did a double take to make sure I was listening to the right song because it sounds so similar to “Love Story.”

It’s not that the album is bad, it’s just extremely repetitive — so many of the songs follow the same formula that they start to blend together. Most of them start with a twang-y guitar riff and a soft beat that Swift croons over until the drums pick up. A few more layers are added and she belts out the chorus, a verse, one more chorus, throw in a dramatic bridge, back to the chorus and you’ve got a solid half of the album. It can be a winning formula for singles, but the songs lose a lot of their impact when you hear six of these tracks in a row.

The lyrics are honest and real, and Swift excels at making soft and sweet yet catchy country-pop. “Mine” is a sweet story of a difficult relationship that will get a lot of radio play, and “Innocent” is gentle, yet tough as Swift sings about the Kanye West VMA incident of 2009 like only she can — in fact, with lines like “It’s OK, life is a tough crowd/32 and still growing up now,” Swift may have recorded the first known country-pop diss track.

Though Swift doesn’t take many risks musically, she does venture off the beaten path lyrically. Most people are used to the good girl Taylor Swift who sings about her broken heart and love, but she brings a new angry attitude to some of her songs.

In the song “Mean,” she expresses her feelings toward a boy who has clearly not been nice — with lines like “All you are is mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life and mean/And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean,” apparently she means it.

The problem with this album doesn’t lie with the songs, but with the album format as a whole. Right now, the way to be “successful” in the music industry is to make great singles and give your fan base what they want, and as a result, pop albums as a whole are almost obsolete. So in that respect, Swift has succeeded with this album. It will almost certainly spawn multiple hit singles — “Mine” is already number three on the Billboard Hot 100 — and her fans will love it, but as an album, a cohesive piece of art, it is disappointing.

For a pop album, it is above average, but if you weren’t already a fan of Swift, it is unlikely that “Speak Now” will draw you in. Swift fans, however, should be satisfied by this addition to their idol’s canon.

‘Paranormal 2’ beats a dead horse PARANORMAL continued from page 5

(Micah Sloat). Everything is peaches and cream until one day when someone breaks in and trashes the place, instigating the placement of five security cameras around the house. These cameras provide the trademark cinema that the franchise is known for.

From here, the story is nothing special. Of course, things start to go wrong, and Kristi becomes increasingly concerned for the safety of her young son.

Her husband is skeptical of her obsession with the supernatural, her daughter is initially relaxed about it but grows to believe, and the stereotypical Latino housekeeper frequently waves candles in the air making crosses. In all fairness, the story does an incredible job tying together both movies: The timeline neatly and efficiently places the first “Paranormal’s” storyline in step with that of “Paranormal 2.”

The failing of “Paranormal 2” comes with a failing of the idea itself.

The first “Paranormal” was a movie with an abundance of thoughtfully suspenseful ideas. The nights were subtly terrifying, with Katie behaving in unexplainable ways. She would stand over Micah for hours, walk outside in the middle of the night or disappear out of the room only to appear later as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t until the chilling vision of footprints in baby powder that the existence of something supernatural became clear.

Of course, “Paranormal 2” can’t handle the slow, compounding realization of the demon’s presence like its predecessor did. Having seen the first movie, the audience is already aware of the demon. But almost no attempt is given toward crafting any particularly noteworthy scares — instead, the movie

jumps between loud noises, things falling and dogs barking to startle the viewer.

Horror is all about suspense, but the relentless jump-out scares show an incredible lack of consideration as to what is truly frightening about something going bump in the night. The novelty is almost completely gone.

But the worst directorial decision is committed halfway through the movie, when it’s explained exactly what the demon wants. Part of what made “Paranormal” so terrifying was that the demon seemed to be hunting Katie for no reason other than a personal vendetta or the perverse desire to drive a human being literally insane. In other words, there was no reason why the demon couldn’t have just as easily chosen to torment someone else.

“Paranormal 2,” on the other hand, gives a clear motive, shattering any sense of supernatural mischief and removing the audience from the “reality” that this could happen to us, too.

The characters also don’t help the story, with the husband in particular remaining skeptical despite having clearly seen supernatural behavior on his security cameras. His ignorance is comical given the context, inspiring in the viewer a desire to punish him as viscerally as possible for his stupidity.

This is quite a lot of criticism to level against “Paranormal Activity 2,” and for what it’s worth, the movie is not bad. It’s a dead-end road that does not come close to the novelty of the first “Paranormal,” but it will still shock and surprise, especially when it comes to tying Katie/Micah with the entire cast of the second movie. It’s enjoyable but ultimately forgettable, and you certainly won’t regret missing it this Halloween season.

continued from page 5 read: the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) — in partnership with the federal government, take strides to overwrite history with copyright as though it were the 11th commandment?

The current generation’s classrooms have altered their rhetoric from sharing means caring to sharing means stealing, Hyde argues. Since 2006, California teachers have been required to educate students about the hazards of peer-to-peer file sharing, although they aren’t required to review any of its potentially positive uses.

Meanwhile, outside of the classroom, Boy Scouts are awarded “Respect Copyright” badges for demonstrating an understanding that people who download media illegally are sabotaging the honest hard work of actors, musicians and producers.

We are trained to believe that what is legal is natural and what is profitable is ethically correct, Hyde writes.

Perhaps Hyde’s most successful accomplishment in “Common as Air” is his delicate rebuttal to machines like the MPAA. His most convincing demonstration of the overlooked artificiality of intellectual property comes in the form of a sample of its misuses, which he chooses carefully and to effect: Thanks to copyright law, the U.S. government cannot cap prices for an AIDS medication in Thailand which is costing local victims more than their annual incomes; farmers in the U.S. who purchase genetically modified seeds are required to disregard the seeds’ natural reproductive abilities and buy them anew each year; anyone who has requested permission to reprint text by James Joyce knows that the tightfisted heirs to his estate seem to want — more than any high school student assigned to read “Finnegans Wake” (1939) — the Irish master’s work to fall into cultural oblivion. The examples are plentiful.

Hyde’s manifesto is not flawless, though, and his largest problem is

simultaneously his second greatest feat. Hyde calls upon the 18th-century philosophers, including some of our Founding Fathers, to prove that a primary intent of original property rights was to preserve what was held in common, not to eradicate it — an idea held dear by the first copyright statute in 1710, but which dates back to the Commons of feudal England.

Hyde convincingly argues that these philosophers anticipated nothing of the stringent intellectual property laws we’ve since derived from them.

But in doing so, he also proves their irrelevance to a modern-day issue surrounding technological complexities they couldn’t have imagined and thereby undoes his own argument.

It is anachronistic for a book that concerns itself with peer-to-peer file sharing and the Human Genome Project to build its argument on a set of murky quotations from the authors of our Constitution and to feature as its protagonist Benjamin Franklin, who theorized about property long before Al Gore ever dreamt about the Internet.

A more frustrating shortcoming, though in no way unique to his work, is that Hyde’s argument is descriptive rather than prescriptive. He presents a thorough account of copyright history and rages, tactfully, against its manipulative power, but he never quite gets around to the part of his argument that deals with what comes next. Instead, he leaves readers to craft any semblance of hope for feasible policy change or come to terms with a perpetual standstill.

Hyde’s argument is an important, if incomplete, one for anyone who is to become, as he puts it, a cultural citizen. At best, his book is the access key to the complicated legal discussion of copyright. At worst, it’s a hotbed for dinner party conversations; even if his thread of quotations and tangents does not manage to educate you into a political stand, they are thoughtprovoking enough in their own right.

Borrow a copy — he won’t mind.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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EDITORIAL

A plea for sanity

BENJAMIN D. GITTLESON Editor-in-Chief

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

At a rally last week for Kentucky Republican senatorial candidate Rand Paul, a protestor had her face and neck stomped on by a Paul supporter.

A month earlier, New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino and a New York Post reporter had to be physically separated during a shouting match after Paladino threatened to “take out” the Post reporter. Then, in a smear campaign intended to imply that his Democratic opponent Andrew Cuomo was involved in extramarital affairs, Paladino declared that Cuomo’s sexual “prowess is legendary” and later criticized Cuomo for attending a gay pride parade with his young daughters.

These are not isolated incidents common to any election season — this kind of ugliness has come to define the 2010 election cycle.

Much of the blame lies with the Tea Party movement, which champions voter anger and anti-incumbent fervor without laying out any coherent plan for how the next Congress should do a better job than the current one.

Along with any pretense to moderation or civility, the issues have this year taken a backseat to spectacle and personal attacks.

In times of crisis, the American people need practical solutions. We need new economic policies; we need rational, innovative, levelheaded leadership — we do not need decade-old clips of

Delaware Republican senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell talking about witchcraft or a detailed account of candidates’ sexual histories.

What America needs is sanity — and few in the media are providing it.

On the left is Keith Olbermann, who spends his nightly talk show on MSNBC explaining why various Republicans are the “worst persons in the world.”

On the right is Glenn Beck, echoing the cries of the Tea Party Movement to “restore honor” to America and “put government back on the side of the people,” without any concrete suggestions as to how Americans can accomplish such lofty goals, other than to take the first step of booting every single Democrat from political office.

Objective news outlets like the Associated Press are similarly guilty for feeding into the current climate of anger. The operative verb in most political AP headlines these days seems to be the word “slam,” as illustrated in the Oct. 26 story, “Ben Stein slams Joe Miller, calls Alaska Senate hopeful ‘dangerous, stupid clown.’” Rather than giving coverage to the political agendas candidates will take with them to Washington, the media focuses its attention on reporting the personal insults, witty one-liners and character assassinations that candidates fling at each other.

Perhaps this is the way it’s always been. That the mainstream media is more concerned with sound bites and

fanfare has for years been a constant refrain among its critics.

But amid this climate of desperation and frustration, the power of the media to distract and infuriate voters is even more dangerous.

In the current divisive political environment — and with the media exacerbating voter divisions — an unlikely source has emerged to espouse the virtues of moderation and compromise: a political satirist from Comedy Central, Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show.”

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear should be a reminder to the American people, their media and, particularly, their representatives, that, as Stewart said, “if we amplify everything, we hear nothing.” The American people must not allow anger and frustration to demonize their political opponents, and the media must avoid deepening political divisions in the name of sensationalism.

“Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done — not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done,” Stuart said at the rally.

To get anything done, our representatives must look beyond political divisions to craft policies that are in accord with our values and principles as Americans. More obstructionism and more character assassinations will only result in another political stalemate. As we have seen this election cycle, division will only breed more division.

LORRAYNE SHEN

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OFF THE HILL | HARVARD UNIVERSITY

U.S. must not give aid to countries with child soldiers BY

THE HARVARD CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD The Harvard Crimson

Despite its early remonstrance of perceived human-rights violations ranging from the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to Central Intelligence Agency detention centers around the world, the Obama administration took a step backward last week by issuing a waiver that will allow the continuation of military aid to four countries that openly employ child soldiers. The decision waives, in part, the 2008 Child Soldiers [Prevention] Act, which prohibits the U.S. from giving military aid to countries with child soldiers unless the money will professionalize the armies and directly address the use of child soldiers — two stipulations that will not be followed, given the waiver. Administering aid to these countries was a hypocritical and harmful decision that will only perpetuate a cycle of continued human rights violations and irresponsibility.

The four nations that will continue to receive aid due to the waiver — Yemen, Sudan, Chad, and the Democratic Republic

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials that appear on this page are written by the editorialists, and individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

of Congo — all employ child soldiers, some as young as 14. Although the argument was made in a State Department memorandum that the waiver was in “the national interest” and would lead to stability in the nations, there are limited benefits in this decision for the U.S. In reality, ripping families apart to recruit child soldiers only destabilizes countries further, creating resentment and tearing apart the societal fabric. All four nations are in undoubtedly treacherous situations right now, but allowing them to go forward and continue to use child soldiers will only render them even more unstable.

In defending the decision, the White House said that the intention was to allow the U.S. to work with these nations for another year before completely cutting off aid. Pushing back the deadline for these nations to comply with human rights regulations for even one year is, at this point, irresponsible. The administration has had ample time since it came into office over 20 months ago to push its partner nations to fix the problem of child soldiers in their armies.

Taking another year to act on the issue means only delaying and excusing what

should have happened already. By failing to enforce the deadline, the administration is demonstrating a weakness in upholding its commitments.

Furthermore, it is uncertain that the military aid will bring about the intended benefits for the nations. Oftentimes, we assume that aid will help prop up governments and weaken opposition forces, yet the results are not always as expected. It is likely that we are overly optimistic in our evaluation of the benefits of military aid and the likelihood that countries direct aid exactly where the U.S. intends it to go. In particular, it is unacceptable that even a single U.S. tax dollar might go to funding child soldiers — but it is quite possible.

The Obama administration’s decision was quite hypocritical and violates some of the basic tenets of American values, as well as many of Obama’s campaign promises.

Although we understand that international affairs are a complicated network of decisions, upholding American values and the law in this situation would be beneficial both to upholding our moral integrity and to producing long-term stability worldwide.

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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9

OP-ED

Are you smarter than a faculty member?

BY

BENJI COHEN

For those seniors who were abroad in the spring or those freshmen that were relishing the final months of high school, allow me to paint you a picture from earlier this year. Imagine six of Tufts’ most popular (and intelligent) professors hunched over a table in Hotung Café desperately trying to correctly spell the name of the erupting Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull.

While they repeatedly scribbled and erased futile guesses, over 200 students jammed into tables, booths, second-level chairs and staircases and crouched on the floor, eagerly attempting to accomplish the same task.

That remarkable evening was the inaugural Experimental College “Are You Smarter than a Faculty Member?”

Trivia Night. With a lavish grand-prize package and school-wide bragging rights up for grabs, students challenged the elite squad of professors for the title of trivia champion (a team of students won). That was then, this is now.

The Exper imental College (ExCollege) brings you “Are You Smarter than a Faculty Member?”

Trivia Night: Decision 2010 Edition.

The ExCollege’s mission is to fill in programming holes where they exist.

The midterm elections will affect all of us, and as “active citizens” it is our duty to be aware of the results.

By holding this event, the ExCollege fulfills its duty to supplement the conventional curriculum while also supplying a fun, informative atmosphere in which students can live up to their own Tufts-made expectations of engagement.

No matter your political leanings, these midterms will have a profound impact. Therefore, it is important for

DAILY FILE PHOTO

everyone to be aware of their outcomes and what they will mean for our country. The accomplishments of the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency hang in the balance as they could face a dismantling by a potentially Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Thus, this trivia night is more than just a good time. At its core, the event tonight is about acknowledging the importance of the election and its educational value while encouraging students to engage and pay attention through friendly competition. After the game’s conclusion, students can remain and listen to a panel of political experts discuss what’s happening across the country, analyze results as they pour in and predict what lies down the road ahead for Democrats, Republicans, the Tea Party movement and the United States.

The ExCollege prides itself on fostering interaction between students

BY RACHEL WINNALL AND KATE CARPENITO

friends, etc. who have survived cancer or have not been so fortunate.”

Every year, hundreds of Tufts students forgo a typical Friday night and come together to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. Relay For Life is a 12-hour overnight event held to celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer and to unite a community in the fight against cancer. As members of the Tufts Relay for Life Committee, we want to remind you why Relay For Life is so important. Below are the stories of your fellow Jumbos on why they Relay.

Their names have been withheld to protect their privacy.

Senior: “I Relay because when I was 15 my dad died of bladder cancer. My dad was one of the most upbeat and positive people I have ever known, and throughout his treatment he continued to look on the bright side of life. I try to model myself after that outlook, celebrating his life and doing as much as I can to make sure no one has to suffer like he did. I Relay so no one has to watch his or her parent die and wish his or her loved one was around to go through life with them. I find Relay for Life to be one of the best things to help me heal and honor my dad’s life, which is why I continue to do it, year after year.”

Sophomore: “I Relay because my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in sixth grade, and she survived.

She did as much as she could to hide her suffering from me and my three siblings and keep our lives normal, never letting us get scared, and she never once wavered as a great mother throughout her radiation and chemotherapy or during her years of painful medication afterward. She has since run two marathons, and her strength and selflessness inspire me every day.

I Relay to honor her and all the other mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,

Body politics

T

and faculty — tonight is about coming together as a university community, and, in the process, eating free food, winning cool prizes, learning about different political races and, hopefully, watching the country avoid going to hell. Our expert panelists have the intellect and experience to explain precisely what has happened and to predict what might happen in the unclear future.

Please join us at 8 p.m. in Hotung on this critically important election night.

Ignore the pundits and the partisan hacks who have predicted and re-predicted the day’s outcomes for months.

The only way to really know what’s going on is to wait and see, and there is no better place to do that than with hundreds of your classmates and teachers.

Benji Cohen is a senior majoring in history. He is on the board of the Experimental College.

Why I Relay

Sophomore: “Ever since I began doing Relay four years ago, I have never left the event without being inspired by the commitment and the stories of those around me. Since that time, I have lost friends and family members to cancer, long before they should have left us.

But Relay remains a part of my life, and I know that I honor their spirit by returning until the day that it’s no longer necessary.”

ELISHA SUM | OUR GENDERATION

Sophomore: “I Relay because I lost my grandfather to cancer, and I never want anyone else to have to lose a special person the way I did. I Relay because I never want to see a family torn up in sorrow like mine was. I Relay because I want to help the victims of cancer. I Relay because I want to make a difference.”

Sophomore: “I Relay for my grandfather. After a life of surviving hardships — he was interned in a JapaneseAmerican internment camp as a young man and then served in World War II — his strong will was finally overcome by lung cancer. I was never able to hear his stories, because for much of the 16 years he fought cancer he was not able to speak. I Relay to honor his fighting spirit and to help ensure that no one has to lose a battle with cancer.”

Senior: “My grandmother died of breast cancer at age 35 leaving my 12-year-old

dad without a mom. He will never forget being in summer camp on that July 3 when my grandfather drove up to bring him home for the funeral. I Relay so that no child has to endure this kind of news and spend a lifetime of Fourth of Julys mourning the death of his or her mother.”

Senior: “I started Relaying six years ago in honor of my cousin Sarah ,who lost her life to brain cancer. She died when she was just 12 years old, and I was never able to know her. I Relay in her honor so that all young people can meet their cousins, sisters, brothers, parents and grandparents. Since I started Relaying, I have met countless incredible cancer survivors, many of them Tufts students. Getting to know these classmates has inspired me to continue Relaying, both in celebration of their lives and in remembrance of my cousin Sarah. Relay For Life is an incredible community experience that brings the Tufts community together to celebrate survivors, remember those we’ve lost and fight back against cancer.”

Tomorrow from 8 to 10 p.m. in Hotung Café marks the kickoff of Tufts Relay For Life. Come listen to the Jackson Jills and sophomore soloist Katja Torres, watch La Salsa, eat free food and sign up for Relay, which will be held April 15, 2011.

Rachel Winnall is a senior majoring in International Relations. She is a chair of a subcommittee of the Tufts Relay for Life Committee. Kate Carpenito is a senior majoring in International Relations. She is a chair of the Tufts Relay for Life Committee.

ori Amos once sang, “You’re only popular with anorexia.”

Last week, the Rocky Horror “Glee” episode addressed the issue of male body image, and this week, I’m doing the same. To generalize and simplify, the intersection of the male body and consumer culture has “feminized” the male, cisgendered experience in terms of increased anxiety over appearance. A shift has occurred in the conception of the ideal male body. The quintessence of attractiveness and masculinity now equals an intense musculature.

Underwear ads, for example, exclusively display muscled men, while magazines like Men’s Health teach us “The easy way to hard abs” and how to “Fight fat & win!”

The media bombard us with images of ideal masculinity as manifested in the chiseled and sculpted bodies of valorized men.

Even the toy industry has responded accordingly. Much in the same that the Barbie’s measurements fail to represent realistic female bodies, G.I. Joe has bulked up over the years to unconceivable proportions. In this way, the male body has joined the sphere of the female one, which has been historically under scrutiny and policing.

Our current society favoring the younger, the fitter and the beefier has exaggerated a male vanity from which several industries profit. Sectors like the diet industry that have historically catered to the female market are now reaching out to the male population.

So now, vampiric consumerism, preying on men’s insecurities just as it once mainly targeted those of women, extracts money from the rich reserve of consumers in the market for products that control and augment the male body.

This cultural atmosphere most likely plays a role in the increase of disorders dealing with body image in men. According to the 1997 American Journal of Psychiatry, men account for 10 to 15 percent of those with anorexia or bulimia. Women are still much more likely to develop these types of disorders, though.

The 1995 journal reports the highest mortality rate among individuals with eating disorders in comparison to those with any other mental illness. Other literature from the ’90s reports that as many as 10 million females and one million males had an eating disorder at that time.

However, in the case of muscle dysmorphia, also called reverse anorexia, mostly males suffer from this type of body dysmorphic disorder. These individuals perceive their bodies as too small and lacking in muscle. Muscle dysmorphics may take steroids and incessantly over-exercise to gain muscle. Recently, the United Kingdom’s media spotlight dealing with the condition has been on rugby players, who face intense pressure to bulk up in order to get on a team. Because of the pressures on the body, male and female athletes alike are likely to develop muscle dysmorphia.

Yet the literature has overlooked the realm of disorders related to male body image, as these problems have been gendered as women’s issues. This problematic gendering occurs throughout the field of medicine — the male body studied as the norm is rarely criticized or addressed although people insist upon biological differences — and results in a stigma that makes men disinclined to seek help or realize they may need help. Also, the male world in general mediates an individualistic attitude, a reluctance to seek help.

Furthermore, the gendering silences discussion among men and even between men and their doctors, who are less likely to diagnose body dysmorphic disorders in men.

Therefore, males suffering from any of the above-mentioned conditions often have to navigate through a lack of support and care. These problems with body image cross gender lines just as traits of conventional constructions of masculinity and femininity overlap across the gender spectrum. A commitment to a gender binary, problematic in and of itself, should not blind us from properly addressing issues, particularly body dysmorphic disorders in men.

Elisha Sum is a senior majoring in English and French. He can be reached at Elisha.

Sum@tufts.edu.

OP-ED POLICY The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than 12 p.m. on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.

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10

COMICS

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

DOONESBURY

CROSSWORD

BY

GARRY TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR

BY

MONDAY’S SOLUTION

MARRIED TO THE SEA

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Getting annoyed when you find the Media Center at Tisch is closed at 6 p.m.

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Monday’s Solution

Alexandra: “I’m Gonna Git U Sucka.”

Please recycle this Daily.

WILEY

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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MEET THE MAJORS FAIR! Freshmen, Sophomores, Still Undecided?

Wondering about— What courses to take?

What career to follow?

Come to the Liberal Arts Majors Fair and get insider’s tips from seniors from a variety of majors!

Also, speak to representatives from: Programs Abroad, Academic Resource Center, & Career Services Wednesday, November 3rd Noon – 2 pm 51 Winthrop St. Sponsored by Office of Undergraduate Education, Dowling Hall

GODDARD CHAPEL FORUM RELIGION IN AMERICA November 3, 2010 6 PM Professor Brian Hatcher Department of Religion “Stopping by the Temple: Thoughts on Hinduism in America” Cosponsored by The Chaplain’s Office, the Fletcher School, and The International Center Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 – (617) 627-3427 Website: www.tufts.edu/chaplaincy

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Men’s soccer’s season ends with shutout at the hands of Middlebury MEN’S SOCCER continued from page 16

complexity of our strategy, because now we have to come out and play from behind from the start,” senior quad-captain Josh Molofsky, who is also an editorialist for the Daily, said.

“I don’t think it was a trend in our season — I think it was something that happened a few times, and we dismissed it by shutting down early on and being careful out of the back.

But in this game, I don’t think it was the fault of mentality or strategy, but sometimes these things just happen and you have to move on and push through it.”

Middlebury had no intention of stopping after one goal, however, and the first half provided evidence as to why the Panthers were the third seed in the tournament with 2.33 goals per game.

In the 16th minute, Brett Brazier scored his second of the year as he beat Bernstein on a second header attempt off a Panther corner kick.

Then, the battering continued at 24:15 when Macnee struck again with his head, this time off a cross from senior tri-captain Carson Cornbrooks, to put Tufts in a 3-0 hole from which there seemed to be no escape.

Tufts managed to balance the game heading into halftime and came out of the break with more confidence. The Jumbos managed their two best chances early in the second half off the foot of sophomore forward Kieran Lewis.

Lewis first sent one high over

the crossbar at 46:30, but followed the attempt with a shot on target. Unfortunately for the scrambling Jumbos, junior keeper Tim Cahill denied Lewis’s 15-yard blast.

“The way we responded in the second half speaks to our character,” Molofsky said.

“We came out and fought for a game that we thought wasn’t over.”

In the end, however, Tufts was plagued by the same offensive inconsistencies that have hurt them all season and was shut out for a seventh time — the second time

by Middlebury, which blanked the Jumbos 1-0 in the seasonopener. This time, Tufts finished with only four shots, compared to Middlebury’s 11, and the Jumbos forced Cahill to make only one save in his ninth shutout of the season.

“Middlebury is a team that plays deep and compact in their own end, and part of their strategy is to let us come at them and get a lot of numbers behind the ball,” Molofsky said. “Most of the season, we play with the intention of getting fast players behind the defense, but when Middlebury sits so many guys in and makes us play in front of them, it makes it tougher to generate chances.”

The 3-0 loss to Middlebury marked only the second loss of the Tufts season by more than one goal, an indication that perhaps the Jumbos’ final performance of the season was not indicative of the campaign as a whole.

On Friday afternoon, Tufts hosted Bowdoin for Senior Day, as the six Jumbos seniors said farewell in their last home game at Kraft Field. The Polar Bears ruined the moment, however, and earned a 1-0 victory behind junior Nick Powell’s goal with just over 35 minutes to play in the second half — a win that gave Bowdoin the No. 1 seed in the impending NESCAC tournament.

“For the seniors it was an emotional game, and to lose on a run-of-play goal was frustrating,” Molofsky said.

The Jumbos finished the season with a 5-8-2 record overall and a 3-4-2 record in conference play in their first year under head coach Josh Shapiro.

On the whole, 2010 showed marked improvement from last year’s 2-10-2 overall and 0-8-1 NESCAC records. There is a consensus among the team that its play was certainly a step up from last year across the board.

“I think team mentality has improved tremendously,” Molofsky said. “I think the spirit and the strategy with which we play has also gotten better. In past years, where defeats spurred more defeats and finger-pointing, I thought the response this year was much more positive. Having a smaller unit without a JV program makes the team tighter, gets everyone involved and creates a more cohesive unit.

That team mentality and that positive attitude really contributed to our success.”

“It’s the belief and the passion that Coach brings every day, whether it’s a practice or a game or just a team meeting, that’s very inspiring,” Flaherty said.

The team probably made the biggest strides on the defensive end, in large part to the play of goalkeeper Bernstein.

After seeing only limited time last season, Bernstein emerged as the starter out of training camp, and was in net for every conference match-up. Overall, Bernstein allowed 12 goals in 11 starts and recorded an impressive .855 save percentage. He was even better in conference play, where he allowed only six goals in nine games and made 56 saves, good for a .903 save percentage.

“Bernstein kept us in a few really tight NESCAC games, which made all the difference come the end-of-the-year standings,” Molofsky said.

“More often than not he was the reason that we came out on top of the scoreline.”

The team also made huge improvements in what could have been one of its biggest weaknesses: defending set pieces. Though the Jumbos had a smaller backline than almost any team in the NESCAC, goals off corner or free kicks were rare against them. Over the course of the season, players have described how, as long as they defend tenaciously and focus on beating attackers to the ball, they can overcome any size difference. And with the exception of Middlebury’s first goal on Sunday, Tufts

managed to keep opponents off the board from set pieces nearly the entire season.

Offensively, the team never found a consistent pattern of play and struggled to connect passes and hold together. At times, they showed creativity and prowess on the ball, but for many of the conference games, good chances on net were hard to come by.

Still, many believe the team played with more purpose than it did a year ago, and while the goals didn’t add up as much as the Jumbos would have liked, the team attacked with more organization.

“We generated chances pretty well, but we didn’t always finish them when we should have,” Molofsky said.

While the 2010 season may have ended on Sunday, Shapiro’s tenure at Tufts is just beginning. The results of his coaching are visible both in the statistics — including a three-win increase in NESCAC play — and in some of the intangibles: The team showed heart, determination and focus throughout the season.

With a slew of young players gaining considerable minutes during the season, the future looks bright for the Jumbos.

“I’ve seen all these guys in practice, and even players that didn’t get onto the field are very capable,” Molofsky said. “We’re going to see more young talent as Coach’s first recruiting class comes in. The numbers and energy with which this program has gathered this past year will only pick up steam.”

Athletes of the week TAMARA BROWN, FIELD HOCKEY It may not be surprising, but that doesn’t make senior forward Tamara Brown’s second NESCAC field hockey Player of the Week award of this season any less impressive. After posting the lone goal in the No. 5 Jumbos’ 1-0 win over a previously undefeated No. 4 Bowdoin squad to capture the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament on Friday night, Brown notched her third hat trick of 2010 in the team’s 4-1 quarterfinal win over Bates on Sunday.

The reigning NESCAC Player of the Year, Brown leads the league in scoring with 23 goals — five short of breaking her single-season record of 28, which she posted in 2008 during the Jumbos’ 21-game winning streak leading up to the national championship final. Brown has the most game-winners in the conference as well.

She’ll look to lead the Jumbos’ to a NESCAC crown this weekend.

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

ANTHONY FUCILLO, FOOTBALL Senior quarterback and tri-captain Anthony Fucillo threw for 503 yards and three touchdowns in the Jumbos’ 70-49 loss to Amherst on Saturday. Fucillo smashed his own passing record of 356 yards, set against Bowdoin earlier this season and became the program’s new leader in single season yardage with 1,880, breaking a record that has stood since 1982. The 503 yards made him the new holder of the single game passing record in the NESCAC. His 522 yards of total offense was a new NESCAC and Tufts record.

Fucillo also rushed for two touchdowns on Saturday, contributing to the team score of 49, their highest point total all season, which did not prove to be enough against Bowdoin’s 70 points. The Jumbos will try to get their defense in check with just two games remaining this season, against NESCAC foes Colby and Middlebury.

VIRGINIA BLEDSOE/TUFTS DAILY

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14

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

MICHAEL J. SANDEL JUSTICE: WHAT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

Moral reflection

is not a solitary pursuit

but a public endeavor.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010 4:30-6:00 P.M. RECEPTION TO FOLLOW ASEAN AUDITORIUM CABOT INTERCULTURAL CENTER 160 PACKARD AVENUE MEDFORD / SOMERVILLE CAMPUS Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University. His recent book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, a New York Times bestseller, relates the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of our time.

Sandel’s other books include Liberalism and the Limits of Justice, Democracy’s Discontent, Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics, and The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering. His work has been translated into fifteen foreign languages. His undergraduate course “Justice” has enrolled over 15,000 students.

A recipient of the Harvard-Radcliffe Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize, Sandel has lectured throughout North America, Europe, Japan, China, India, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. He has been a visiting professor at the Sorbonne (Paris), delivered the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Oxford University, and served on the President’s Council on Bioethics, a national body appointed by the President to examine the ethical implications of new biomedical technologies. The recipient of three honorary degrees, Sandel is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations. A summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brandeis University (1975), Sandel received his doctorate from Oxford University (D.Phil.,1981), where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Richard E.Snyder PHOTO: KIKU ADATTO

PRESIDENT’S LECTURE SERIES

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AT 617.627.4239

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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15

SPORTS

ALEX PREWITT | LIVE FROM MUDVILLE

Jones-ing for an answer

O

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

Junior Audrey Kuan, who is an online editor for the Daily, was selected to the All-Tournament team at this weekend’s Judges’ Classic after serving six aces and posting 13 digs in the volleyball team’s straight-set win over Brandeis.

Tufts to face Conn. College in NESCAC quarterfinal matchup VOLLEYBALL continued from page 16

“We were very balanced in the game,” Updike said. “It was fun to play so well.

No one player was more influential than any other. We really did this as a team.”

The lone set Tufts dropped in its three games at the tournament came Friday night against Clarkson, when it lost the third set 25-23. But in Saturday’s semifinals and finals, the team went 6-0 in sets — a hot streak that it hopes to continue in this weekend’s NESCAC Tournament.

“It was huge for us,” Shrodes said. “It sends the message to New England that we’ve figured things out.”

The team on Monday took a break from practice in order to rest up for what will be an intense week that culminates in the NESCAC Tournament hosted by Amherst. Updike especially needs the rest, as she is still struggling with swelling in her left ankle due to an

injury she suffered three weeks ago at Middlebury.

“This weekend I struggled a bit on Saturday with swelling, but I’m just trying not to think about it,” Updike said.

“It’s something that won’t completely heal until I don’t play for a while, but I’m so excited to play this weekend.”

Tufts is the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament and will face NESCAC No. 5 Conn. College on Friday afternoon in the first round. The Jumbos crushed the Camels in straight sets in the one previous meeting between the two teams this season, but Conn. College has an ace in the hole — junior Amy Newman, who leads the rest of the conference by leaps and bounds in kills per set this year.

Tufts will work on its blocking in practice this week to deal with the league’s biggest offensive threat, as well as some other tough hitters like Amherst’s senior duo of Jackie Berkley and Laura Hyman,

who are No. 1 and No. 2 in individual NESCAC hit percentage, respectively.

“A lot of NESCAC teams have talented hitting and our block is our first line of defense,” Updike said. “Of course, we’ll also be working on serve-receiving and serving, which is always important.”

Tufts will need to run the table in the conference tournament — something they have not done since 1996 — to make the NCAA Tournament as an automatic bid. But after beating UMass Boston — a team that finished just outside the top 25 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association national rankings — this weekend, the Jumbos like their chances to advance.

“The [Camels will] have their big hitter back and it should be a more competitive match this time around,” Shrodes said. “It’s the NESCAC Tournament, so everyone will be fighting hard. But I know that we can and we will do well.”

Soccer team’s six goals allowed tied for NESCAC’s all-time best WOMEN’S SOCCER continued from page 16

Love-Nichols found some space to send a chance toward goal. But Burns, in an effort eerily similar to her penalty kick stop later in the match, extended to her left and got a hand on the shot.

Throughout the rest of regulation time, the Jumbos found success through the air, but every header seemed to end up in Burns’ lap. Freshman forward Sophie Wojtasinski had one of the best chances late in the first half, while Nolet had a few of her own throughout regulation and extra minutes.

“I give a lot of credit to their goalie, but there is no excuse for us not scoring,” senior co-captain Carrie Wilson said. “We had a lot of opportunities and we were clearly the better team. We can’t make any excuses for why we didn’t score. I wish more than anything that we could play this game over.”

Though the Jumbos struggled offensively, their defense was as impenetrable as ever, restricting the Bobcats to just four shots on goal. The team earned its ninth shutout of the season and has only allowed a single regulation goal since September. This year’s squad tied the 2007 Williams Ephs for the fewest goals conceded in NESCAC history.

“I was telling [coach Martha Whiting] today that I wish they could send you to the NCAA tournament based on goals against,” Nolet said. “But we win and we lose as a team and we missed a lot of opportunities.”

Yet Sunday’s loss also earned the team some less desirable points of notice. The team now joins the 2010 Conn. College men’s lacrosse team as the only two NESCAC one seeds ever to fall to an eight seed in the conference tournament.

But there is a silver lining for Jumbo fans.

The Camels made the NCAA tournament last spring, a feat that Tufts hopes to replicate in 2010. Tufts sits currently in eighth in the regional rankings and Middlebury set the precedent of a NESCAC at-large bid last season. But the Jumbos will need teams above them in the regional rankings to win their conference tournaments, keeping more at-large spots available.

“We are planning on practicing this week because if a couple things fall where they need to, we can still get an at-large bid,” Nolet said. “It really just depends on where we end up and what everyone else does. It’s hard to say for now.”

If the loss to Bates does mark the end of the team’s season, it has plenty to be proud of. After a slow start that saw the Jumbos go 1-2-2 in their first five games, Tufts reeled off six straight victories, including five straight shutouts. During the stretch, the Jumbos benefited from goals by seven different players, with only Love-Nichols scoring more than once. Three freshmen forwards each had a goal, as did two defenders. Time after time, Tufts found creative ways to win.

“If you look at the beginning of our season, we really weren’t getting the results we wanted,” Wilson said. “But we really pulled things around and came together as a team. It wasn’t always pretty, but we got the job done.”

After a draw with national No. 14 Williams, the Jumbos found themselves tied for the top spot in the conference with one game to play. Tufts then rallied and beat Bowdoin.

The team watched with bated breath as the final minutes of Amherst’s loss to Trinity ticked off the clock, which clinched Tufts’ first regular-season NESCAC women’s soccer title since 2005.

“I definitely think this is the best team we have had in four years,” Nolet said.

“We were all talking today about how there was just something there this season that really felt like we could do big things.

It just seems really unfair that it was just snatched out of our grasp.”

While the team had a great year allaround, the Jumbos would not have hosted the NESCACs without the stellar play of their veteran backline. Nolet and Wilson were stalwarts at center back, while senior Audrey Almy and juniors Cleo Hirsch and Laney Siegner were topclass all season.

This made life easier for Wright and sophomore keeper Phoebe Hanley, a pair of young goalies who were thrust into the starting role this season. They responded by combining for a .910 save percentage, allowing only .40 goals per game. Wright was also honored with a NESCAC Player of the Week award.

Offensively, the team has a lot to look forward to, with Love-Nichols and a handful of freshman forwards, including stand-out Maeve Stewart, due to return next season.

Michael will also be back to run the offense from the midfield, where she was a constant threat to opposing defenses in 2010.

The Jumbos may end up short of their ultimate goal of making the NCAA Tournament, but regardless, this season was one of the strongest in recent memory.

“I am so proud of my team,” Wilson said. “I love my team to death. I think that soccer and this team is the best part of Tufts for me, and I am so happy that I am a member of it. I think it was a great season, and I hope that it’s not over. I wouldn’t count us out yet.”

ne of my favorite lines from Adam Sandler’s 1998 film, “The Waterboy” — you know, back when Sandler was actually able to make an audience laugh consistently for a full-length movie — is when, at a postgame party, he orders a “scotch and a water, hold the scotch.”

That quote immediately came to mind while I was watching the Cowboys’ absolute debacle of a loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. And although Dallas fans may need a few glasses of Johnnie Walker after watching their team drop to 1-6 on the season, I was referring more to the fact that the Cowboys’ season is serving up a heaping order of “the good, the bad and the ugly … hold the good.”

Now, all the apologies in the world won’t be able to dig the Cowboys out of this selfinflicted chasm of a season.

After the 35-17 loss — Dallas’s fourth in a row and the fifth game in which the team’s given up at least 24 points — owner Jerry Jones shouldered the blame, asking for forgiveness from the fans. Talking about how “embarrassed” he was after the game, he said he plans to “take the ultimate, ultimate responsibility.” Oh, and he also said that he was “dumbfounded that we are 1-7.”

Save the fact that the owner of the Cowboys has no idea what their record is — probably because he spent the entire game thinking about how the Lord could let what has been described as “God’s team” allow David Garrard to throw four touchdown passes — the irony of Jones’ statements is that they only exacerbate the problem and draw attention to his own shortcomings as an owner.

Like with rectangles and squares, not all excuses are apologies, but all apologies are certainly excuses. Begging forgiveness has subservient implications attached and, in this case, fans will see Jones’ apology as an acceptance of mediocrity. Rather than do something about the situation, like actively search for an answer, Jones instead hoisted up his white flag and threw up his hands in bewilderment.

Of course, this is the only possible solution for a man so infatuated with himself that he essentially erected a billion-dollar shrine to his Texan empire. Stepping down, which would please more than a few fans of both the Cowboys and football in general, is clearly out of the question. So too is firing Wade Phillips in the middle of the season, something Jones promised he wouldn’t do.

The end result has almost become monotonously routine: Cowboys lose on Sunday afternoon. Jones steps in front of the microphone Sunday night, accepting full responsibility and lamenting about his embarrassment and how he’s let Dallas’s fans down. And then no substantial changes are made throughout the week.

Rinse and repeat.

Maybe this would work in a city forever content with perennial mediocrity, but not in Dallas. The Cowboys are America’s Team, a notion that seems drastically out-of-date, especially given that almost a third of NFL teams have won a Super Bowl since Big D last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

Becoming the American embodiment of a sport doesn’t happen overnight and, as it seems, cannot be lost in that short time span either. But just like Notre Dame has fallen out of favor in recent years as fans have begun to realize that the Fighting Irish will never, in the near future, venture back into the glory days, so, too, must Dallas fans accept the harsh, biting reality.

Remember in the preseason, when the Cowboys were the trendy pick to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl that its hometown was hosting? Remember when we laughed off the Dez Bryant-Roy Williams pad incident, saying that it would only make this team stronger? Along with Tony Romo’s season and dignity, those days are gone.

All we’re left with, then, is a babbling, apologetic owner blinded by ambition and potential, unable to gain perspective and make a tough decision to benefit the future.

Alex Prewitt is a junior majoring in English and religion. He can be reached on his blog at livefrommudville.blogspot.com or followed on Twitter at @Alex_Prewitt.

Sports

16

INSIDE Athletes of the Week 13

tuftsdaily.com

MEN’S SOCCER

Tufts gives up 3 goals, fails to come back against Middlebury BY

ALEX LACH

Daily Editorial Board

Midway through its 2010 campaign, the men’s soccer team went on its longest losing MEN’S SOCCER (3-4-2 NESCAC, 5-8-2 OVERALL) NESCAC QUARTERFINALS at Middlebury, Vt., Sunday Tufts Middlebury

0 3

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Kraft Field, Friday Bowdoin Tufts

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streak of the season — three games — due in large part to an unfortunate propensity to give up early goals. The team eventually righted the ship, solidified the defense into one of the conference’s best and punched its ticket to the NESCAC Championship.

In the quarterfinals of the tournament on Sunday, though, those same early lapses reared

their ugly heads. Middlebury, with a goal in the 7th minute and two more away before 25 minutes were up, secured a 3-0 victory and a spot in the semifinals, effectively ending Tufts’ season.

“It’s kind of the story of the two teams,” senior quadcaptain Chris Flaherty said.

“Middlebury won the National Championship a few years ago, and they’re a perennial powerhouse in the tournament. We are an up-and-coming program and we made it a long way, but we need to learn how to handle ourselves in big games. … We can’t afford to fall asleep.”

The Panthers wasted no time getting on the board, with junior forward Tyler Macnee netting the first goal just 6:23 past the starting whistle. Off a restart in Tufts territory, junior Robbie Redmond served a ball into the box and Macnee redirected a header with his own head past Tufts junior goalie Alan Bernstein.

“When a goal happens early in the game, it changes the

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

see MEN’S SOCCER, page 13

Forward Ron Coleman was one of the seniors honored in the men’s soccer team’s last home game against Bowdoin on Friday.

VOLLEYBALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Jumbos light up Beacons for 20th win BY

BEN KOCHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

The volleyball team ended its regular season on a strong note by winning the Judges Classic at Brandeis this weekend.

VOLLEYBALL (7-3 NESCAC, 20-9 OVERALL) at Waltham, Mass., Saturday Tufts 25 Brandeis 13

25 19

25 — 3 8 — 0

Tufts 25 25 25 — 3 UMass-Boston 16 11 22 — 0 ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

Junior Lauren O’Connor, above in the Homecoming game against Bates, was one of only two Tufts players to convert on a penalty kick as the first-seeded Jumbos fell to No. 8 seed Bates in a NESCAC quarterfinal shootout on Sunday.

Bates haunts Tufts, put women’s soccer team’s season on life support BY

ETHAN STURM

Daily Editorial Board

On a chilly Halloween afternoon, the Bates Bobcats once again were the women’s soccer team’s boogeyman.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (6-1-2 NESCAC, 8-2-4 OVERALL) NESCAC Quarterfinals Bello Field, Sunday OT1 OT2 Bates 0 0 0 0 — 0 Tufts 0 0 0 0 — 0 Bates wins shootout 3-2 Kraft Field, Friday Bowdoin Tufts

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For the third time in the past five years, the Bobcats knocked the Jumbos out of the NESCAC Tournament in extra time.

This year, a 0-0 match on Kraft Field was decided by a Bates 3-2 penalty shot win, which knocked Tufts out of a tournament it entered as the host and No.1 seed.

Tufts has now been eliminated from the NESCACs in shootouts in three of the past four years. The Jumbos have a historical 0-4 record in NESCAC Tournament shootouts.

“Knowing our team’s history, we’ve been doing [penalty kick] shootouts everyday for the past two weeks, and I personally have been taking 20 or 30 a week,” senior co-captain Sarah Nolet said. “[Bates junior keeper Annie] Burns came up really big and it’s really impressive for anyone to save three [shots in the shootout], but it’s really on us.

We should have done better.”

Each team converted its first attempt in the shootout, but Burns denied Nolet, Tufts’ second shooter, putting the Bobcats ahead

at Waltham, Mass., Friday Tufts Clarkson

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2-1. The score was quickly evened in the third round, when Bates junior forward Tina Tobin ricocheted her shot off the post.

After both teams failed to score in the fourth round, Burns made the save of the match, diving to her left to deflect a shot from Tufts junior midfielder Alix Michael that was headed just inside the post.

Bates senior midfielder Meredith Poore then stepped up without hesitation and put the match away with one last wellplaced kick past freshman goalie Kristin Wright. The Bobcats were through to the semifinals.

As expected of the No. 1 seed, the Jumbos had the majority of the opportunities over the course of the game. Just eight minutes in, Michael sent a shot in with a lot of pace and Burns just barely managed to tip it over the bar. Then, in the 23rd minute, Tufts junior forward Jamie

And in Saturday afternoon’s final, the Jumbos throttled a team that had beaten them earlier in the season — the No. 2 team in New England, UMass Boston.

The Jumbos lost to the Beacons on Sept. 28 in straight sets on the road. But this Saturday, when playing on a neutral floor, Tufts dominated, taking the match 25-16, 25-11, 25-22.

“We came out ready to play on Saturday,” senior quad-captain Nancy Shrodes said. “We had a lack of focus when we played them the first time, but now we’re gelling as a team. We had solid passing and adjusted our block to their hitting. We showed them Tufts volleyball.”

The Jumbos offense was in tune against the Beacons, hitting at a .307 percentage. Two Jumbos — senior quadcaptain Caitlin Updike and junior Cara Spieler — reached double digits in kills.

On defense, junior Audrey Kuan, who is also an online editor for the Daily, led the team with 13 digs.

see WOMEN’S SOCCER, page 15

see VOLLEYBALL, page 15