2009-09-25

Mostly Sunny 63/43

THE TUFTS DAILY

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 11

Letter-writing campaign pushes for Iran sanctions Petraeus speaks at Fletcher

COURTESY MATT HERBERT

General David Petraeus, the commander of American forces in the Middle East, spoke yesterday at the Cabot Intercultural Center during a luncheon sponsored by the International Security Studies Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. A question-and-answer session followed the talk by Petraeus, who commanded Multi-National Force-Iraq for a year and a half ending in September 2008.

Kennedy friend and advisor Kirk appointed as interim senator BY

ALEXANDRA BOGUS

Daily Editorial Board

Gov. Deval Patrick announced his appointment yesterday of Paul Kirk as Massachusetts’ interim senator, filling the recently vacated seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Kirk, a close advisor to Kennedy and longtime family friend, is set to take office today and serve until the Jan. 19 special election for a permanent senator.

“This is a profound honor which I accept with most sin-

cere humility,” Kirk said in a statement. “Senator Kennedy often said that representing the citizens of Massachusetts in the Senate was the highest honor he could ever achieve, and it certainly will be mine.”

Kirk pledged that he would be a “vote and a voice for [Kennedy’s] causes and his constituencies.”

Kirk currently chairs the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, a non-profit organization that supports democracy

worldwide. Kirk served as chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.

At a press conference yesterday, Patrick said that the temporary senator will not seek the open seat in January, but will work to carry on the Kennedy legacy. The late Sen. Kennedy held the seat for 47 years.

“For the next few months, he will carry on the work and the focus of Sen. Kennedy, mindful of his mission and his values and his love of Massachusetts,” see KIRK, page 3

BY

ELLEN KAN

Daily Editorial Board

As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Tufts students were hand-delivering letters to local legislators’ offices, pushing for a stronger stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The campaign is a collaboration between students from Tufts, Harvard, Brown, Brandeis and Boston Universities to push their representatives in Congress to support a bill authorizing the president to levy economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign firms that sell, ship or insure gasoline and diesel fuel to Iran.

Across these New England schools, the organizers rallied students to sign letters addressed to their political representatives. The campaign condemns the Iranian nuclear program and supports the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 (IRPSA) as a means to respond to Ahmadinejad’s speech to the

General Assembly.

A bipartisan group of 27 senators introduced the IRPSA on April 28. The act aims to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions by implementing sanctions on all foreign entities that sell refined petroleum to Iran. A corresponding measure has been introduced in the House.

“In the past, [students] would march and send a delegation to New York, but we wanted to do this letter-writing campaign as an activity with much more visible results,” said sophomore Aaron Tartakovsky, who led the mobilization effort at Tufts.

The chief organizers of the campaign, including Tartakovsky, met over the summer at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C. and stayed in touch afterward.

Last week, they decided to respond to Ahmadinejad’s visit and rapidly mobilized to rally support.

“We wanted to prove that a grassroots organization of students can make a big difference,” Tartakovsky said. see IRAN, page 3

Move to make printers, copiers use JumboCash means no more free print cards BY

NINA FORD

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts will no longer dispense complementary $10 print cards to students, as public printers and copiers on campus transition into exclusively using JumboCash.

Printers across campus now feature touch screens, an update that came about after the university transitioned from old technology over the summer.

The recent modifications allow students to pay with their university identification cards and will eventually eliminate the need

for the system’s previously used Conway print cards.

In addition, Tisch Library has purchased a new color printer.

Together, these changes highlight a major software and hardware overhaul to the campus’ printing and copying system.

“I’m honestly really confident that it will be really easy to use and that users will really like it once it’s set in stone and put in place,” said Christine Kittle, head of library information technology support. see PRINTING, page 2

Jumbos work to educate Boston high schoolers about health BY

AXEL TONCONOGY

Contributing Writer

Recent news headlines have reported global pandemics and national vaccination campaigns.

Despite the grand scale of these problems, the Peer Health Exchange, an organization comprised of altruistic students, is approaching health matters on a much more local level.

The Peer Health Exchange (PHE) began in 1999 when a group of six Yale University students noted the ailing health programs of New Haven public high schools and took it upon themselves to start teaching free workshops to students. As the number of volunteers bal-

looned, this grassroots effort officially became Peer Health Exchange and expanded on a national level to cities such as New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and its newest branch, Los Angeles.

Although PHE has existed in Boston since 2006, the program’s involvement with Tufts only began last year when it sent representatives to recruit volunteers that would provide the foundation for the Tufts division. Once the coordinators were trained, they signed up “basically as many freshman that they could find,” according to Laura Kroart, a sophomore who has been involved with PHE since the fall of 2008 and is now

a co-coordinator.

Last year, 42 students volunteered for the program. By the end of the 2009-10 recruiting session, 10 new handpicked volunteers will swell the ranks of PHE for the current academic year.

PHE handles 10 different workshops dealing with varying issues, ranging from contraception to rape and sexual assault to tobacco use. Each volunteer is trained in one particular workshop to become an expert and is then sent with a fellow PHE volunteer to public schools around Boston to spread their knowledge to ninth grade students.

“They do really intensive train-

MIRIAM ROSS-HIRSCH/TUFTS DAILY

see PEER HEALTH, page 4

Student volunteers discuss how to present high school students with controversial subjects at the Peer Health Exchange.

Inside this issue

Today’s Sections

An exhibit at the MFA brings out some mustsee hidden treasures from the Mexican muralists: their prints.

The field hockey team steamrolled UMass Dartmouth, maintaining its undefeated record.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, back

News | Features Arts & Living

1 5

Comics Sports

8 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

THE TUFTS DAILY

BY

Alexandra Bogus Executive News Editor Nina Ford News Editors Tessa Gellerson Ben Gittleson Christy McCuaig Matt Repka Ellen Kan Assistant News Editors Harrison Jacobs Katherine Sawyer Saumya Vaishampayan

Robin Carol Executive Features Editor Marissa Carberry Features Editors Meredith Hassett Alison Lisnow Emily Maretsky Kerianne Okie Romy Oltuski Christina Pappas Charlotte Steinway Julia Zinberg Sarah Korones Assistant Features Editors Carter Rogers

Jessica Bal Executive Arts Editor Emma Bushnell Arts Editors Matthew DiGirolamo Mitchell Geller Adam Kulewicz Catherine Scott Josh Zeidel Charissa Ng Assistant Arts Editors Benjamin Phelps

Michelle Hochberg Executive Op-Ed Editor

CARTER ROGERS

Daily Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Friday, September 25, 2009

Microsoft offers discount to college students

GIOVANNI J.B. RUSSONELLO Naomi Bryant Managing Editors David Heck

NEWS | FEATURES

Tufts students looking to upgrade to Microsoft’s highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system (OS) are in luck, as Microsoft announced last week that college students will be eligible to purchase the program for $29.99, one quarter of the normal $119.99 minimum recommended selling price. Windows 7, Microsoft’s follow-up to the much-maligned Windows Vista OS, is scheduled to be released on Oct. 22.

Microsoft launched the student discount promotion through the Web site win741. com, designed to promote the OS to college students. Students need only to have a valid .edu e-mail address to be eligible for the reduced price, which will be in effect until Jan. 3, 2010. Once students enter their e-mail address, they will be sent a confirmation e-mail with instructions on how to purchase the OS at a reduced price.

Windows 7 comes in three retail varieties in the United States: Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. College students will be able to purchase either Home Premium or Professional at the discounted price.

Sophomore Walker Holahan, a computer science major who has begun using the new operating system, believes that the upgrade to Windows 7 is a worthwhile purchase — especially if it comes at a reduced price.

MCT

Microsoft will offer college students a discount on its new Windows 7 operating system.

“Basically it strips away all the things about Vista that are bad ... but it also has a lot more features that are more user-friendly than Vista was,” Holahan said. “I think [Microsoft] is really pushing for everyone to go to 7 from XP and Vista,” he said.

Holahan, however, is not sure college

students are the ones Microsoft needs to be targeting with its Windows 7 advertising. “I worked with people who are not as computer literate as college students tend to be this summer, and a lot of them are see MICROSOFT, page 4

Vittoria Elliott Editorialists Ben Walkley Nina Grossman Opinion Editors Andrew Rohrberger Molly Rubin Erin Marshall Editorial Cartoonists Alex Miller Kayla Murdock

Ethan Landy Executive Sports Editor Sapna Bansil Sports Editors Evan Cooper Philip Dear Jeremy Greenhouse Alex Prewitt Michael Spera Alex Lach Assistant Sports Editors Daniel Rathman

Annie Wermiel Executive Photo Editor James Choca Photo Editors Aalok Kanani Danai Macridi Andrew Morgenthaler Josh Berlinger Assistant Photo Editors Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Emily Eisenberg Rebekah Sokol Tien Tien

Arlin Ladue Executive New Media Editor Jessica Bidgood New Media Editors Kyle Chayka

PRODUCTION Karen Blevins

Production Director Steven Smith Executive Layout Editor

Dana Berube Layout Editors Caryn Horowitz Andrew Petrone Amani Smathers Menglu Wang Adam Gardner Assistant Layout Editors Brian Lim

TIEN TIEN/TUFTS DAILY

Printers in Eaton Computer Lab and at other locations across campus accept JumboCash.

Public printing, copying system receive overhaul

Grace Lamb-Atkinson Executive Copy Editor

PRINTING

Rachel Oldfield Copy Editors Ben Smith Elisha Sum Ricky Zimmerman Sam Connell Assistant Copy Editors Sara Eisemann Katherine Evering-Rowe Ammar Khaku Niki Krieg Luke Morris Lucy Nunn Regina Smedinghoff

continued from page 1

Ben Schwalb Executive Online Editor Christine Jang Online Editor

Michael Vastola Executive Technical Manager Muhammad Qadri Technical Manager

BUSINESS Kahran Singh Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Dwijo Goswami Ally Gimbel

Executive Business Director Advertising Director Billing Manager Outreach Director

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

The changeover eliminated several problems inherent to the old system, including card jamming, said Jeff Weiner, assistant director of instructional services and training for Information Technology Services.

Utilizing the JumboCash debit program, which is run by Tufts Dining Services, allows for a more standardized system of payment across campus. JumboCash is accepted at oncampus eateries, laundry rooms, the bookstore, some off-campus restaurants and other locations.

“We think that it’s certainly more efficient from an administrative standpoint, but we also believe from talking to students that it’s a much more convenient way to approach things,” Director of Dining Services Patti Klos said.

The elimination of the white plastic Conway cards used in years past makes printing and copying more environmentally friendly, according to Kittle.

University visitors as well as students who have yet to activate their JumboCash accounts can purchase $1 JumboCash guest cards for printing and copying.

The university installed five self-service kiosks that dispense JumboCash guest cards — four on the Medford/Somerville

campus and one on the Boston campus. On the Hill, kiosks are located at Tisch Library, Eaton Computer Lab, the Engineering Project Development Center in Anderson Hall and Ginn Library.

Tufts began giving away $10 print cards at the beginning of every semester several years ago. It was meant to ease the original transition to the pay-to-print system, which had been introduced when the university dubbed allowing students to print for free too expensive.

The free print card system was always meant to be temporary, according to Kittle. “It was never intended to go on forever,” she said.

Sophomore Angela Lyonsjustus, who does not have a personal printer at school, said that she depended on her free $10 print card last year.

“Now that they’ve changed the system, it’s not as affordable to not have a printer on campus,” she said.

The majority of student feedback about the new system has been positive, Kittle said. “We’re getting feedback from users on how easy it is to use,” she said, but added that the system is still a work in progress and additional student feedback is key.

To retrieve a job sent to the printer, people must scroll through other users’ print jobs shown on the touch screen, an

annoyance Kittle said staff is currently trying to fix.

The loss of free cards aside, students praised the new system for its convenience.

“I think it’s a change in the right direction to continue to integrate more things into JumboCash and continue to expand the program,” said Tufts Community Union Senator Dan Pasternack, a junior who serves as a student representative to the faculty’s Library Committee.

But senior Nina Foo says that while the new system may be more streamlined, it has created more confusion than convenience because the university did not publicize the changes well enough.

“It’s supposed to be more convenient, but they didn’t explain everything in a way that really translates well for people used to the old system,” Foo said, adding that she did not know the system had switched over until she tried to make a copy for the first time this year.

But senior Mary Sullivan, who works in Eaton Computer Lab, believes the new printing and copying system is an improvement and says it has not generated much misunderstanding.

“It’s actually gone pretty smoothly,” she said. “It’s actually working a lot better than the old system … although there are a lot of people who miss the free $10 print cards.”

THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, September 25, 2009

3

NEWS | FEATURES

Students from Tufts, other schools lead letter-writing campaign for legislation IRAN continued from page 1

Tartakovsky and sophomore Julian Jaeger, who assisted in the effort, delivered the letters on Wednesday to the offices of Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Tartakovsky estimates that they collected more than 200 signatures from Tufts students over three days, while across the involved campuses organizers collected a total of about 2,000 signatures.

The letter to Markey served as a thank you in appreciation of the fact that he had already signed on to the legislation. Junior Hannah Leshin, who also worked on the campaign, felt that the gesture of appreciation was important.

“We are telling congressmen that we do listen and that we do care,” Leshin said. “We are indicating that it is important to us that he signed this bill.”

Markey expressed his support for both the IRPSA and the students’ initiative.

“I commend the students at Tufts University for getting involved in an issue as important as nuclear nonproliferation,” Markey told the Daily in an e-mail. “I have long fought against the spread of nuclear weapons and I believe that [the IRPSA] will help support diplomatic efforts by the United States to put compelling international pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program — a program that is clearly aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability. I sincerely appreciate the students at Tufts for their interest in this critical issue.”

Kerry has yet to throw his support behind the IRPSA, according to Tartakovsky. The letters to him petitioned for his co-sponsorship of the legislation.

“We are showing him that there are concerned Americans and Tufts students who want to work with Congress to ensure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons,” Tartakovsky said. “The substantial number of letters make it clear that there is a very strong voice behind this.

“Whenever a large constituency of students in the region you represent demands action, there’s bound to be a result,” he added.

But senior Alex Akhavan, the vice president of the Persian Students Association, said that he has mixed feelings about the sanctions, especially when he thinks of family members in Iran.

“It’s a tough issue, because, yeah, I do have family in Iran, so I obviously don’t want the whole economy to stumble and affect people that I care about,” Akhavan said. “But I don’t support the regime, and hopefully the silver lining of it could definitely be more pressure on the regime or maybe more people

COURTESY AARON TARTAKOVSKY/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomores Juliam Jaeger, left, and Aaron Tartakovsky, right, hand letters supporting sanctions to curb Iran’s nuclear program to Rocco DiRico, deputy district director for Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). coming out against the regime, basically like what we saw this summer,” he added, referring to the protests that followed Iran’s controversial presidential election in June.

James Kennedy, co-leader of the Institute for Global Leadership’s New Initiative for Middle East Peace, said that sanctions are generally ill-advised and more valuable politically than economically.

“I tend to think that usually Congress passes sanctions for causes like this because of domestic pressure,” said Kennedy, a senior. “Going against Iran is a cause that will sell in a lot of constituencies.”

But even though sanctions will continue to antagonize Iran, Kennedy thinks the IRPSA’s specific approach of attacking foreign businesses that deal with petroleum might prove uncommonly effective.

The organizers of the letter-writing

campaign were motivated by a conviction that an Iran with nuclear arms would pose a great threat to the international community and would disrupt the geopolitical balance.

“It’s a really big deal on an international scale,” Jaeger said. Should an attempt to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons fall through, he said, “it will pose a problem not just to America and Israel, but to all the countries in the region as well.”

Tartakovsky added that the Iranian government’s crackdown on the populace following the country’s June presidential election provided further reason to impose sanctions on the regime.

Leshin, Jaeger and Tartakovsky said they received very encouraging responses as they canvassed for signatures. They also saw their initiative as an opportunity to educate people.

“For the most part there was pretty

Patrick’s appointee to Kennedy’s seat was a close friend, advisor to the senator KIRK continued from page 1

Patrick said.

The Massachusetts legislature on Wednesday approved a bill allowing the governor to appoint a temporary senator.

The Massachusetts House and Senate passed resolutions in line with the bill urging that Patrick’s appointee would not contend for the seat in the general election.

Many began speculating on Wednesday that Kirk would be named to the seat after members of the Kennedy family informed the governor that Kirk was their first choice. Others considered for the position included former governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis and Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree.

“Paul Kirk is the epitome of a citizen-patriot,” Caroline Kennedy said in a statement.

“He is a wonderful friend, and I am thrilled that the citizens

of Massachusetts will benefit from the same extraordinary leadership that he has brought to the Kennedy Library and Foundation.”

Political Science Professor Jeffrey Berry called the appointment unsurprising. “His name was always in the mix because he was close with Senator Kennedy,” Berry said. “It was kind of a sentimental pull.” Kirk was master of ceremonies at Kennedy’s funeral last month.

Kirk’s appointment could possibly give the Senate the 60th vote needed for the Democratic caucus to pass legislation on health-care reform and avoid a Republican filibuster.

Berry, however, said the temporary addition to the Senate would not address a more immediate issue in the healthcare debate: negotiations. “[The appointment] will have no effect, other than that he’s one vote, in terms of negotiation of finding a solution to

what seems like an impasse,” the professor said.

The Democratic contenders in the upcoming special election include State Attorney General Martha Coakley and U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, whose district includes Somerville. State Senator Scott Brown (LA ’81) is the front-runner among Republicans.

Democrat Alan Khazei, cofounder of the service-oriented City Year program, announced his candidacy for the January election yesterday.

Coakley declined to comment yesterday on Kirk’s appointment, and Capuano’s office did not return a request for comment by press time.

Brown issued a statement on the appointment: “My hope is Paul Kirk goes to Washington with the view that he represents the people of Massachusetts and not the interests of the White House or Deval Patrick,” he said.

widespread support for it,” Tartakovsky said.

The three Tufts organizers considered the campaign a success, pointing to media coverage — on college campuses and abroad — and the sheer number of signatures collected.

“I think it’s a great outcome,” Leshin said. “Students want to see Congress stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

Thousands of letters were signed, which is not something that happens every day. It will have a significant impact.”

The trio hopes that the campaign will have served as an example of how students can exert influence on lawmakers.

“People are proud to support a grassroots campaign when they see how even as students we can have such a great impact at such a high level,” Jaeger said. “We are giving people a voice and a chance to make a difference. Even if they don’t know much, they are very happy to learn about it.”

Menino, Flaherty finish on top in preliminary Boston mayoral race Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and City Councilorat-Large Michael Flaherty Jr. knocked out two other contenders in Boston’s preliminary mayoral race on Tuesday, with Menino grabbing more than 50 percent of the vote.

Menino took 50.5 percent of ballots cast, more than twice the number of votes in Flaherty’s favor. With 24 percent, Flaherty narrowly beat out City Councilor-at-Large Sam Yoon and real estate developer Kevin McCrea, who received 21 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

The two winners have now turned their attention to the Nov. 3 election, with Menino seeking to extend his 16-year-long mayoral career by another four-year term. The Boston native is the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history.

“We’re going to engage in a positive campaign about the future of the city,” Menino said Tuesday night, The Boston Globe reported. “Come join us.

Together, we will continue to move Boston forward.”

Flaherty has advocated refocusing Boston politics in light of a changing population.

“It’s time for us. It’s time for each and every one of you in your neighborhoods.

It’s time for you to put that mayor behind the empty desk,” Flaherty told supporters Tuesday, according to WBUR. Turnout in the preliminary election, at 23 percent, was higher than expected.

The public is now waiting to see if Yoon and McCrea will announce endorsements as the six-week race gets underway.

— by Ben Gittleson

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

Windows 7 discount looks to attract college-student buyers MICROSOFT continued from page 2

still using XP ... because they had a very hard time switching from XP to Vista,� Holahan said.

Jeff Bertolucci, a writer for the information technology Web site CIO.com, argues that if Microsoft is truly driven to get XP and Vista users to upgrade, it should make the reduced price universally available. “If you’re runningVista on a home PC, you’d really have to loathe your operating system to shell out $120 for Windows 7. I suspect that most consumers won’t bother. As usual, they’ll wait until they buy a new PC before upgrading to the newest version of Windows,� Bertolucci wrote in a blog entry.

Even though Microsoft would likely make less money selling Windows 7 at $30 in the short term, he wrote, “the positive buzz generated by a low-cost upgrade would help in the long run ... Good PR could go a long way.�

Microsoft is not the first software company that has offered a considerable discount to college students. Adobe offers large student discounts on all its Creative Suite 4 (CS4) products, such as Flash, Photoshop and InDesign. Students can also find smaller discounts on computer hardware from the likes of Dell, HP and Apple.

Some believe that Microsoft’s reduced price for college students is an attempt to match the price of Apple’s popular new 10.6 OS, Snow Leopard. According to the NPD Group, a retail sales tracking firm, Snow Leopard sold twice as many copies as Apple’s 10.5 Leopard OS and four times as many as its 10.4 Tiger OS during their respective first two weeks on store shelves.

A large part of the brisk sales can be attributed to the fact that

Snow Leopard launched at an unprecedented low price of $29 for a single user pack and $49 for a five-user family pack. Previous Mac operating system upgrades had been priced at $129.

One has only to look at any gathering place on campus to see that Apple computers are more popular among Tufts students than their worldwide market share of about three percent would suggest. According to a 2008 report by Investment Bank Morgan Stanley (now Morgan Stanley Smith Barney), 40 percent of students polled said that their next computer purchase would be a Mac. Aside from similarities in price point, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard are both seen as relatively minor upgrades to their predecessors — their main selling points are improvements to performance and usability. Still, Preston Gralla, a writer for ComputerWorld.com, points out that Microsoft and Apple have taken different approaches to their new operating systems. “[Microsoft] didn’t dramatically change the under-the-hood plumbing in Windows 7; however, significant interface changes and features were added,� Gralla said in an article comparing the two operating systems. “Apple, on the other hand, focused its efforts largely on internal plumbing.�

Students — and all other consumers — who purchased a Windows PC after June 26 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7 on Oct. 22. Microsoft also offered a $50 pre-order promotion during the summer.

Students who use the promotion, however, will not be refunded the $20 difference. Even so, deciding whether or not to upgrade from Windows XP or Vista has a new factor to consider.

Friday, September 25, 2009

NEWS | FEATURES

Students teach health in Boston public schools PEER HEALTH continued from page 1

ing — they make you teach to a video camera and then make you watch yourself, and do it again ‌ which is really embarrassing!� said sophomore Jenna Strauss, a leadership council member who teaches an alcohol workshop.

No strangers to shocking statistics, PHE is attempting to improve the current ratio of 60,000 students in the city to 11 health teachers. Currently 3,000 students out of the 6,000 in the downtown Boston area — the battleground of PHE — are being reached by the program. “[It is a] really positive experience; the kids are great,� said sophomore Emma Yudelman, a co-coordinator. “[It is] challenging at times because you have to wake up on Friday mornings.

But it’s OK because you feel like you’re making a difference.�

Volunteers follow a specific curriculum issued by the organization. Every year revisions are made with the advice of professionals, and the program of study is assembled in a manner that will make it accessible to the target group of high school freshmen. Certain workshops may not initially appear engaging to young teenagers, and the teachers must frequently use new methods to gain students’ attention, according to Kroart, who taught a workshop on healthy relationships last year. “As soon as you start applying it and playing games, anything can be fun,� she said.

One of the maxims of PHE workshops is to avoid pontificating about what students should or should not do. Rather, the emphasis is placed on decision making and the particular goals of each student. Those goals are then placed in the

context of possible hazardous behaviors and how they might ultimately fail if hindered by drug use or a teenage pregnancy, for example. “It’s really wonderful to be able to go to classrooms and talk to kids and give them information about things they wouldn’t normally get. Unless they were experiencing it firsthand — and often in unsafe environments — most of the things we teach they don’t learn them anywhere else,� senior Lauren Gluck said. “We hope that we’re giving them the tools to learn what to do in those situations whatever their decision may be.�

PHE tried to espouse thoughtful decision making in the past through a model of “values.� The group, however, found this template to be unsuccessful as it became moralistic and even religious at times, failing to cause the desired impact on teenagers.

Eventually the current model of “goals� was adopted, based on positive decision making to allow those goals to thrive.

Gluck, a leadership council member who leads the nutrition and physical activities workshops, said that this method has made an impact. “Some of the kids would call me over and timidly say something about ‘my friend is thinking about quitting cigarettes, but he doesn’t know what to do ‌ Do you think that’s a good idea?’ I’m really excited that they would take something away from it, because it’s not the first time they’ve heard ‘smoking is bad for you.’â€?

Volunteers of PHE are discouraged from sharing personal experiences in classes and giving individual advice to students due to their lack of formal

medical training. Instead, small resource cards are handed out containing a listing of health centers and active hotlines that students can contact for specific problems.

Despite the gravity of the issues at hand, the volunteers still find time to enjoy the amusement and social awakenings of working with high school students who are, in many cases, quite different from themselves. Kroart recalled one instance in which her group gave a presentation to students who only spoke Cape Verdean Creole. “It’s weird to be saying something important enough to be translated,� Kroart said.

This sentiment — the feeling associated with being involved in an honorable pursuit — is what drives the students behind the program.

At the same time, being a member of PHE has its share of taxing experiences. According to Kroart, troubled students on the verge of dropping out are generally placed in the same classroom, making it difficult for the PHE students to get their message across. “You initially get frustrated [in complicated classrooms], but then feel bad for the kids because the teachers are the ones who aren’t doing a good job,� Yudelman said. “They are really, really hard to get through to, and it’s hard to command any respect,� Kroart said. Nonetheless, this does not discourage the PHE leaders; it merely adds a layer of experience and motivates them to do even more. “PHE opened me up to the possibility of teaching in the future. The program affected me in a way that I never expected,� Strauss said.

TCU Special Elections!

ATTN: All Students There are two available seats on the TCU:

• 2010 Senate • Committee for Student Life (students from all classes may run)

ase.tufts.edu/ecom

ecom@tufts.edu

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

MOVIE REVIEW

REBECCA GOLDBERG | ABROADWAY

Welcome to the jungle

‘The Informant!’ knows the secret to comedy Matt Damon fattens up to play bumbling idiot in corrupt corporation BY

LAUREN HERSTIK Daily Staff Writer

D

There’s nothing inherently funny about corporate scandal and price fixing in agribusiness. That’s why Steven

The Informant!

Starring Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula Directed by Steven Soderbergh Soderbergh has to pull out all the stops to craft a side-splitting comedy from some fairly dry, raw material Soderbergh is already popular among audiences for crowd favorites like “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004) and “Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007), and his film on the seedy underbelly of the corporate world, “Erin Brockovich” (2000).

MOVIES.ABOUT.COM

see INFORMANT, page 7

Nice mustache, Matt Damon.

GALLERY REVIEW

‘Vida y Drama’ takes a lively look at Mexico MFA exhibit highlights another side of famous Mexican muralists BY

LILLY BOGIS

Contributing Writer

They had a constitution, but, of course, not consensus. The Mexican Revolution was sputtering out, the

Vida y Drama: Modern Mexican Prints At the Clementine Haas Michel Brown Gallery, through Nov. 2 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 465 Huntington Avenue 617-267-9300 occasional last peal of war still shaking the run-down walls of buildings across the country. A small collective

of artists saw an opportunity — many opportunities, really: coat these walls, enliven a nation of stagnated artistic thought and sustain progressive social fervor as the revolution faded.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s (MFA) new exhibition, “Vida y Drama: Modern Mexican Prints,” explores the politics of early 20th century Mexico through the lens of various artists and genres and is roughly organized into three parts: prints in the artistic tradition of muralism, politicized posters produced in the wake of World War II and portraiture. The exhibition departs from its artists’ most well-known medium, murals, but the immediate necessity that comes peeling off the wall in their biggest works shows up with equal potency in these prints.

The exhibit opens with a collection of prints made in the aftermath of the Mexican revolution by artists including “los tres grandes,” or “the big three” muralists — Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Through varying stylistic modes, each artist comments on the state of Mexico in the wake of political upheaval.

One work in the exhibition, Rivera’s “Open Air School” (1932), tackles the social challenge of widespread illiteracy that Mexico faced with an image of hope. In the print, Rivera depicts a group of women gathered around in a field, reading from a book.

He renders them in soft, muted grays and in a style influenced by the see VIDA, page 6

CONCERT REVIEW

Spektor plays coy and confident on stage

BY STEPHANIE

CALNAN

Contributing Writer

“Lovely people, lovely places/ I can’t remember names and I can’t remember faces/ Someone next door’s f—king to one of my songs.” Regina Spektor’s lyrics, like these from “Bobbing for Apples,” are a little eccentric, but her originality and unique, rich voice brought devoted fans flocking to the House of Blues in Boston on Monday night.

Regina is on tour promoting her newest album, “Far,” which was released in late June.

The concert opened with Little Joy, a mellow group from Los Angeles, made up of five guys and one girl. Wearing a sundress and exuding a low-key vibe, the female lead singer unleashed her golden, un-brushed locks and drank white wine in between songs.

Another band member, decked out in his skinny denim jeans and T-shirt, slightly resembled Napoleon Dynamite (although his huge mustache might make him more of a mix between Napoleon and Pedro). Little Joy performed songs off of their self-titled album, and they were an excellent — no, a perfect — complement to Regina’s concert.

After a lengthy transition from Little Joy to the main act, Regina finally appeared on stage clad in a black burlap sack cinched at the waist with a belt. Most would resemble a monk with this ensemble, but Regina was absolutely chic. Consistent with the natural, no-frills ambience of the concert, Regina wore no make-up (besides her signature red lipstick) and let her unruly mane loose. She looked like she had just frolicked through a

LAST.FM

Regina Spektor was self-assured during her performance, singing and playing a variety of musical instruments. meadow before appearing on stage.

Not one to aggressively promote her music, Regina focused on her new album “Far” but gave fair attention to older songs like “Ode to Divorce,” “Hotel Song,” “That Time” and her famous, semi-pop number “Fidelity.”

Regina was accompanied by a cellist, violinist and drummer for the first half of her concert. Unlike some ruder artists recently mentioned in the press (Kanye West), Regina see REGINA, page 6

uring my sophomore spring at Tufts, there was one question on everyone’s lips: “Are you going abroad?” My best friends were on their way to exotic places like Chile, Egypt and Australia; they had chores like visa paperwork and updating their passports. I just sat and watched them all freak out.

“Am I going abroad?” I said. “No. Well, kind of. I’m going to L.A.” Because I want to sit around in the sun on the beach all day? Because I’m hoping to get a glimpse of my favorite celebrities? Because I’m lazy and all of that leaving-the-country paperwork looked pretty daunting?

No, not quite.

See, I want to work in TV. I want to go to meetings and give script notes and hear pitches and then be mean about them later. I want to have a hand in deciding what everyone else will watch.

But I go to Tufts, where discussion of the impact of the media is analytical and theoretical. Here in L.A., everything is so very real. I could touch it ... if I weren’t just a lowly intern.

As an abroad experience, it’s kind of a cop-out. I was born here and didn’t move east until I was five. But Los Angeles as I’m experiencing it now feels totally different from my first home. And my experiences and impressions here could determine the course of my life — both in terms of my career and my home — after graduation.

So I’m taking a few Hollywood career-focused classes through Boston University and then working almost full-time during the day at two different internships. One of them is in a department I very well may want to work in one day: comedy development at 20th Century Fox Television.

It seems like a boring office, but in the half-hour I was there for my interview, I saw framed photos of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997) on the walls and heard an upcoming episode of the brand-new show “Glee” blasting from an office. The potent air of the real center of the television world gave me a little shiver of excitement. I’m that kind of nerd.

My other job is one part education, one part for fun, and three parts dreamcome-true: I’m the only intern for one of my favorite TV shows, CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother.” Like everyone working in this town, I got the job because I knew somebody on the show already. But it’s easy to shrug off the guilt brought on by nepotism when you’re sitting at a desk with the clear view of the robot prop from your favorite episode. And then, when someone asks you to go down to set to ask the director what she wants for lunch (“And the actors, too, but only if they approach you first!”), that guilt is all but forgotten.

Everything about that job — even the downtime at my desk, frantically reloading Facebook and Google reader so I can find something to read — is either surreal or sublime, and it’s usually both at once. And doesn’t that, in a way, make it a microcosm of L.A.? A place where so many things that seem real turn out not to be. A place where the highest reverence is reserved for actors and writers. A place where hard work is balanced by fun.

Ah, but now I’m profiling the city. Are the things everyone knows about L.A. actually true? The beautiful people, the stars, the superficiality? I don’t know; I’ve only been here three weeks. I guess that’s what the rest of this semester is for.

As they say in the movies: Bring it on.

Rebecca Goldberg is a junior majoring in American studies. She can be reached at Rebecca.Goldberg@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

Friday, September 25, 2009

ARTS & LIVING

What’s Up This Weekend Want to make your weekend artsy? Check out these events!

What the Fluff? Festival:

Phantom Gourmet Food Festival:

Get sticky and sweet at an annual celebration of Marshmallow Fluff, which was invented locally in Union Square in 1917. Expect performances, plenty of treats and silly shenanigans like “Blind Man’s Fluff,” “Fluff Fear Factor” and the “Fluff Lick Off.” (Saturday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. in Union Square)

Treat yourself to a taste of Boston dining and wineing in the Fenway area with a sampling of 80 of Phantom Gourmet’s favorites. Tickets are only for people older than 21. They cost $40 in advance and $50 at the event.

(Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the corner of Lansdowne and Ipswich Streets)

Boston Fashion Week: Who says New York gets to have all the style fun? Check Bostonfashionweek. com for a listing of events this weekend, from punk fashion shows to discussion panels to sample sales.

(Various locations and times)

Boston Center for the Arts Drawing Show: AMAZON.COM

Regina Spektor played songs from her new album “Far” at the House of Blues.

Vocalist connects with audience REGINA continued from page 5

introduced, thanked and interacted with her band members throughout the night.

Regina played the piano during most of her sets, but also dabbled with the keyboard, a robin-egg blue electric guitar and her infamous wooden chair. To clarify, for the song “Poor Little Rich Boy,” Regina simultaneously played the piano with one hand and drummed away at a wooden chair with the other. She passionately referred to her chair as “he” and revealed that “he” has always traveled with her.

When Regina sang, she was an elegant, confident artist commanding each and every note. But when talking to the crowd, she transformed into a shy and humble girl, sweetly giggling “thank you” between songs.

In addition to the long wait between performances, there was a technological malfunction that interrupted the concert when the speakers stopped picking up the piano. Regina felt so bad that she

couldn’t help but apologize to the audience at every opportunity.

During the technical malfunction, someone called out for Regina to tell a story.

Regina smiled, and instead chose to perform an a capella song about eye color. She effectively turned the malfunction into a welcome interruption.

As the night continued, Regina became more confident and interactive with the crowd. By the end of the concert, she had completely unleashed her quirky side as she played a horn that her brother had just been given for Rosh Hashanah.

After her courageous performance with the horn, she said, “And what do you do after that? Play a country song.”

And that she did.

Ultimately, Regina’s concert at the House of Blues was a refreshing, genuine performance. In a time when Britney Spears is considered an artist, Regina’s wholesome voice is a gentle reminder of what music really is.

DANISH PASTRY HOUSE NOW SERVING THE BEST BRUNCH IN TOWN SUNDAYS (ONE BLOCK FROM CHARMICHAEL HALL- UPPER CAMPUS) 330 BOSTON AVENUE ALL YOU CAN EAT - BOUNTIFUL BRUNCH BUFFET Our brunch buffet features hot and cold selections including homemade breads, artisan cheeses, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, coffee, tea and seasonal selections 14.99 DPH Fruit Salad

Kathleen’s Quiche B.E.L.T. Crepe Suite French Toast Birkemuesli DPH Granola Norwegian Salmon Meat Lovers Veggie Friendly Northern Shore Chevre & Herb SIDES DPH Pastries Bacon or Sausage Bagel Orange juice Eggs your way

HOUSE SPECIALS Served with tangy lemon cream and fresh mint A new creation each week, served with salad greens Crispy bacon, egg, lettuce & tomato sandwich Two delicious crepes – one savory and one sweet With fresh berries, maple syrup, and whipped cream Our Swiss baker’s special homemade whole grain & fruit muesli Homemade healthy whole grain goodness served with seasonal fruit and milk or creamy yogurt On a fresh bagel with cream cheese, capers & seasonal garnish Omelet with bacon and ham - a hearty Sunday pick-me-up Omelet with roasted herbed vegetables and cheese Omelet with smoked salmon & red onion Omelet with creamy goat cheese and fresh local herbs Our outstanding homemade croissants, muffins, & scones Crispy bacon or savory sausage made to order Crusty hearth-baked bagel with homemade whipped cream cheese or cinnamon sugar butter Freshly Squeezed – the real thing Fried, scrambled or hardboiled

Running until Oct. 25, this exhibit features a number of artists and their preparatory work, showcasing the steps of the creative process.

(Boston Center for the Arts at 529 Tremont St.)

SoWa Open Market: Artists, craftsmen and farmers gather in the South End to show off their wares.

A recurring Sunday staple, the market features over 85 vendors this weekend.

(Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the South End)

The Great Lake Swimmers at the Middle East: A Canadian folk band chosen for the Short List of the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, the Swimmers might be an up-and-coming group to watch. Wade through the crowd at the Middle East to check them out.

(Friday at 8 p.m. at Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge) — Compiled by Jessica Bal

Emotional, vivid imagery brings the politics of ‘Vida y Drama’ to life VIDA continued from page 5

indigenous roots of rural Mexico. The image expresses the need to improve literacy, but does so without words, and Rivera draws the viewer’s attention to the didactic function of visual imagery and its power to transcend language.

Orozco’s images, on the other hand, express the steep human toll paid in war. Orozco’s “Rear Guard” (1929) illustrates a group of “soldaderas” -— women of the revolution who traveled in support of and often fought alongside the men. The rounded shoulders of the figures’ dark forms appear tired and worn as the group treks through the countryside. Orozco employs darkly saturated ink and sharp contrast to heighten the gravity of the scene.

The hats of the countless figures tip downward at the angle of their heads, perhaps in grief for those who were lost or in sheer exhaustion. The rifles slung across their backs seem to pierce the grey sky above them, echoing the violence of the war. For all their wearied vitality, the figures are all faceless, not representing a particular group or family but rather all of those affected by the war.

Other images of note are Rivera’s “Zapata” (1932), which the MFA declares the most famous Mexican print, and Orozco’s “The Masses” (1935). The exhibit’s title image, Alberto Beltrán’s “Vida y Drama de México” (1957), is a preparatory drawing for a poster that advertised a collection of prints made by a workshop of artists in response to

Mexico’s political and economic failures of the time.

The exhibit includes both the sketch for the poster and the poster itself, which depicts a pair of artist’s hands in the process of making a print. One notable revision that Beltrán made in the final image is the placement of the hands. In the original drawing, the hands appear to project from the depth of the picture space, as though the viewer is facing the person to whom they belong. But in the final poster, the hands have been repositioned as though they belong to the viewer herself. This imagery forces the person in front of it to participate in the poster, and calls for the viewer to become involved in the political message of the exhibit.

“Vida y Drama” is inherently international, as the images are in dialogue with global politics and artistic movements.

Portraits by American photographer Edward Weston are sprinkled in with the exhibition’s other works. Weston’s portrait of Orozco depicts the artist in close proximity and casts a focus on his illuminated, round glasses. Weston was interested in photographing everyday sights so as to highlight their essential geometric forms and reduce them to pure shapes, and in doing so, Weston compels the viewer to observe the surrounding world in a new way.

These photographs also provide a link to the neighboring exhibit, “Viva Mexico! Edward Weston and His Contemporaries,” located in the Herb Ritts Gallery, which nicely complements “Vida y Drama.”

6.00 8.00 5.50 9.00 7.00 6.00 6.50 4.00 9.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 2.50 3.50 2.25 2.50 1.25

EVERY SUNDAY BRUNCH 9:00am- 1:00pm

COURTESY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

Alberto Beltrán’s expressive “Vida y Drama de México” (1957) characterizes the MFA’s new exhibition examining 20th century Mexican prints.

Friday, September 25, 2009

THE TUFTS DAILY

7

ARTS & LIVING

Corny music provides ironic, absurd backtrack to ‘The Informant!’

INFORMANT continued from page 5

Confidence in the director, combined with the magnetism of a fat Matt Damon with a mustache, makes “The Informant!” enticingly attractive.

The film is billed as a comedy, but its method — a super-slow version of comedic timing — means that the film doesn’t hit its stride until halfway through. At an easy one-hour and 45 minutes, though, that’s forgivable.

Mark Whitacre (played by Matt Damon) is a high-level executive at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), an enormous Midwestern corporation dealing in corn byproducts.

But all is not as it seems, as ADM is secretly involved in a multi-national price-fixing scheme with its competitors, and Whitacre is in the perfect position to reveal the scam. He becomes an informant, agreeing to cooperate with the FBI and wear a wire to work.

Whitacre takes everyone for a ride, as it turns out he might not be the best man for the FBI’s inside job. The movie’s pace quickens, and Whitacre, the FBI and the audience all find themselves in a quagmire of absurdity. Whitacre is a liar and a thief, but it’s hard to tell if he’s lying about being a thief because Damon plays him with such sincerity.

Damon’s performance makes the movie.

Anyone else would make the role of Mark Whitacre seem outright villainous. Damon, however, infuses him with a homegrown, boyish charm. Everyone does trust him — ADM, the FBI, his wife Ginger. But here’s the crushing realization: maybe they shouldn’t.

Soderbergh carefully considers every element of his work, including the score.

He did much the same thing with the music in the “Ocean’s” series, in which David Holmes’ compositions, which played on the hip jazz of the mid ’60s, solidified the ambiance of those films. In this case, Marvin Hamlisch’s kitschy, tonguein-cheek score functions similarly.

Mark Whitacre is introduced with his own theme song, a refrain heard throughout the film. It’s like an updated version of the “Leave It to Beaver” (1957) theme. The rest of the score is equally schmaltzy. Out of

context, it sounds like an episode of “Match Game” (1977). The upbeat, cornball music starkly contrasts with the deathly serious events onscreen, and it heightens the film’s sense of absurdity until it’s truly funny. For example, Whitacre takes a lie detector test to the tune of a country hoedown. The FBI conducts a raid on white-collar criminals as a 1970s-style talk show theme song plays in the background.

The supporting cast is also pretty funny.

Just ask them; they’d probably say so themselves. Soderbergh found a pack of recognizable comedians, dressed them up in suits and called them lawyers, FBI agents, corporate bigwigs and representatives from the Justice Department. Joel McHale, Paul F. Tompkins, Patton Oswalt, Tony Hale and, surprisingly, the Smothers Brothers all make appearances. It’s a clever trick, packing the cast with people who are already considered funny. These are faces with histories of hilarity that trigger a kind of, “Hah! That guy!” reaction, complete with a laugh.

There is an overarching theme of incongruity throughout the film that contributes to its humor. This is best exemplified by Mark Whitacre’s inner monologue. The movie opens with a voiceover as Whitacre meditates on the implications of corporate food production. Since ADM produces the corn products that show up in everything, “Everyone in this country is a victim of corporate crime by the time they finish breakfast.” That’s about as relevant as Whitacre’s thoughts get. Mostly they’re just a stream-of-consciousness rant, unrelated to anything happening onscreen: ideas for TV shows, musings about ties, polar bears and frequent-flier miles. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, and instead of distracting and detracting from the film’s action, the voiceover complements it.

“The Informant!” is an unusual addition to the world of film comedy because FBI investigations into high-level corporate fraud don’t necessarily engender the kind of laugh-out-loud humor that an overt comedy like “The Hangover” (2009) does. The laughs are not served up on that obvious silver platter of pratfalls and poop jokes.

In the end, it is precisely this break with norms of comedy that makes this

MOVIES.ABOUT.COM

“I’m with the fun police. You’re under arrest.”

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COMICS

DOONESBURY

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GARRY TRUDEAU

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SOLUTIONS TO THURSDAY’S PUZZLE

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Caryn: “Did you play anus?”

Please recycle this Daily

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Friday, September 25, 2009

SPORTS

Tufts’ depth key in draw versus Springfield MEN’S SOCCER continued from page 12

LAURA SCHULTZ/TUFTS DAILY

Senior co-captain Amanda Russo played an integral role in Tufts’ scoring drives against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs Wednesday. Russo recorded her first two assists of the season, to help the Jumbos move to 4-0.

Tufts dominates UMass Dartmouth on both ends FIELD HOCKEY continued from page 12

margin if it were not for the disciplined UMass senior goalie Seana Golden, who fended off the Tufts offense with 17 saves on the day.

Despite earning a shutout victory, the Jumbos acknowledge that there is always room for improvement.

“The pattern we’re seeing over the last four games is that we are getting a lot of shots on goal, but they’re not ending in goals,” Brown explained. “This problem lies in being able to connect with other players, but hopefully that will come with time and practice.

“UMass’ goalie was really good,” she continued. “Even though not all our shots ended in goals, it’s great that we have a strong enough offense to be able to have that many shots in the first place, and it’s something we can improve on over the course of the season.”

Behind the successful offense was an equally tenacious defense.

Led by sophomore keeper Marianna Zak in the first half and junior goalie Katie Hyder in the second, the Tufts squad limited the Corsairs’ offensive options, holding them to two shots on goal. In all, Zak and Hyder made a save apiece, with Hyder making

her first appearance of the season in the net.

“UMass Dartmouth had really good players individually,” Scholtes said. “They like to play long balls, so we had to adjust defensively, shifting our line back 10 to 15 yards to make sure we didn’t let them get behind us. They were relentless, so we had to be alert; they never backed down.”

Holding the Corsairs to just two penalty corners on the day, a season best, the Jumbos contained UMass’ scoring opportunities from inside the circle. For a team that has seen games decided on penalty corners in past seasons, the Jumbos know the importance of keeping their opponents at bay by playing a clean game.

“Defensively, we were really strong, and we allowed just a few defensive corners against us,” Scholtes said. “We’ve focused on that a lot this season, limiting defensive corner opportunities for our opponents, because those corners can lead to goals. Basically, our defenders made sure to keep the ball on their stick so that UMass’ defense would have to start hacking for the ball, in which case a foul would be called against them.”

As just one of three conference teams ranked within the top 10 of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Coaches Poll — and the top-ranked among the pack — the Jumbos have distinguished themselves as a NESCAC frontrunner this season. With a blend of non-conference and relatively weak NESCAC opponents ahead in the weeks to come, Tufts’ schedule doesn’t pose much of a threat to its record or ranking.

Traveling to Middletown, Conn. on Saturday to cross sticks with the 1-2 Wesleyan Cardinals, the Jumbos hold a number of advantages. Most notably, in their 2008 season-opener against Wesleyan, the Jumbos recorded the most goals in a game in program history by clobbering the Cardinals 10-1. Nevertheless, the Tufts team is going into the match open-minded with just one expectation: Anything can happen.

“Every game counts,” Brown said. “Wesleyan may not be one of our biggest NESCAC opponents, but games are full of surprises. Our main focus is to build on what we’ve accomplished, but in doing so we have to keep an eye on the game we’re playing so as not to get ahead of ourselves.”

Four minutes later, junior midfielder Ron Coleman sent the ball along the end line to Blumenthal who was again open, but Blumenthal’s shot hit the crossbar in the final scoring opportunity of the game.

The Pride had taken the lead in the 36th minute of play when they converted on a corner kick. Sophomore forward Eric Stalsburg headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net off a pass from junior midfielder Joe Baia. After going down 1-0, the Jumbos were determined not to let another close game slip through their fingers. Coming back with a newfound intensity in the second half, the Jumbos outshot the Pride 5-3 and started dictating the pace of play.

Despite not being wholly satisfied with a draw, it was a step in the right direction for Tufts as it prepares to play Wesleyan, a weaker NESCAC team than its previous conference opponents. The team was also happy to welcome back senior tri-captain Bear Duker, who had been recovering from a meniscus tear.

“It was nice having Bear back controlling the center of the midfield,” Coleman said.

“This was the first game we dominated both sides of the ball. Everything just clicked.”

On defense, Tufts’ senior goalkeeper Pat Tonelli only had to make three saves on the day, as the Jumbos’ back line showed a marked improvement from its play on Saturday versus Amherst. On the other side, eight different players took shots for Tufts and forced Springfield’s freshman goalkeeper Chris Walton to make six saves.

“We played with a lot more composure on offense today,” Coleman said. “We’re definitely proud of how we played.”

Although Tufts may have been composed, intensity was still high as four players received yellow cards in the game.

Defensively, the Jumbos

displayed their depth as they held strong despite losing starting junior defenseman Josh Molofsky to a knee injury in the first period of play, forcing junior defenseman Alex Hart to take control of the position. In the face of their fair share of injuries, the Jumbos remain confident as they look ahead to their weekend match in Middletown, Conn.

The winless Tufts squad faces a 2-0-2 Wesleyan Cardinals unit that currently ranks seventh regionally and sits fourth in the NESCAC. The Cardinals’ undefeated record includes a win over Springfield Wednesday, Sept 16. While the Jumbos may be an underdog based on their record, Wesleyan would be remiss to forget the 2-1 comeback loss they suffered against the Jumbos last year.

“Our biggest advantage at this point is that we are surprising teams who have seen our first few results,” Molofsky said. “We’re flying under the radar.”

However, in 2008 the Cardinals outshot the Jumbos 12-7 and received 11 corner kicks compared to Tufts’ three. Depth will be important as the Jumbos have played two double overtime games in the past week and a half. Meanwhile, Wesleyan’s last match was on Sunday, so fatigue has the potential to be a factor.

While an 0-2 conference record on the surface indicates a team in turmoil, the record holds little weight when Tufts’ past opponents are taken into account.

Playing against the NESCAC’s strongest teams, Amherst and Middlebury, the Jumbos faced an uphill battle to begin their season. But Wesleyan, which finished with a 3-4-2 record last year, may give Tufts more scoring opportunities than it got against its two previous nationally-ranked conference opponents.

“We got our hardest games out of the way,” Molofsky said. “We’re feeling no pressure right now. Hopefully we’ll run the table with our next few NESCAC games.”

Editors' Challenge | Week 3 Following an outstanding opening round in which no editor picked fewer than 11 correct games, the Daily Sports staff fell back to reality in Week Two, succumbing to a week of injuries, upsets and general Titan ineptitude.

After surging into first place at a blistering 15-1 Week One clip, defending champion Phil “Manningite” Dear went 9-7, only remaining in first place thanks to acrossthe-board mediocrity. Stevie “Wonder” Smith joins Dear atop the leader board, going 10-6 in the second week, one of only three to score double-digit victories.

Dave “Honey and Vinegar” Heck did his best Kurt Warner impression, proving that high marks can be set at old age amidst a league of youngsters. Heck, who rang in with the week’s best record at 11-5, and Sapna “OMG <3 Bono” Bansil, who scored a paltry 9-7, are both tied for third place at 23-9.

With a logjam of three rookies and one executive in fifth place, the upcoming

week should prove crucial in determining little else but bragging rights. Alex “Book of” Prewitt, Ethan “Michael Scott” Landy and Evan“Rainbow Road” Cooper are each tied at 21-11, going 9-7, 8-8 and 7-9, respectively, in their Week Two picks.

Though Jeremy “Week Two Super Bowl” Greenhouse is also at 21-11, he remains one of three competitors to have accumulated at least 10 wins in both weeks of play after going 11-5 in Week One and 10-6 in his ensuing picks. Mike “Big Moose” Spera brings up the rear with a 20-12 record after going 7-9 in Week Two. His hot start in Week One kept him from falling too far behind the pack, as he is only four games back.

Continuing the unbearable barrage of former Daily veterans in the ninth slot, Rachel “Too Bad I Can’t Copy Clinchy” Dolin, last year’s runner-up, returns to the Challenge to lend her wise and thesis-free picks.

OVERALL RECORD LAST WEEK

Phil 24-8 9-7

Steve 24-8 10-6

Dave 23-9 11-5

Sapna 23-9 9-7

Alex 21-11 9-7

Ethan 21-11 8-8

Evan 21-11 7-9

Jeremy 21-11 10-6

MIke 20-12 7-9

GUEST Rachel Dolin

Washington at Detroit Green Bay at St. Louis San Francisco at Minnesota Atlanta at New England NY Jets at Tennessee Kansas City at Philadelphia NY Giants at Tampa Bay Cleveland at Baltimore Jacksonville at Houston Chicago at Seattle New Orleans at Buffalo Pittsburgh at Cincinnati Denver at Oakland Miami at San Diego Indianapolis at Arizona Carolina at Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England Tennessee Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

Detroit Green Bay Minnesota Atlanta Tennessee Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Oakland San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

Detroit Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Arizona Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Arizona Dallas

Detroit Green Bay Minnesota New England Tennessee Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Oakland San Diego Arizona Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Jacksonville Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

Washington Green Bay Minnesota New England NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago Buffalo Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Arizona Dallas

Detroit Green Bay Minnesota Atlanta NY Jets Philadelphia NY Giants Baltimore Houston Chicago New Orleans Pittsburgh Denver San Diego Indianapolis Dallas

THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, September 25, 2009

11

SPORTS ETHAN FRIGON | THE BEARD ABIDES

The Blount Truth

I

COURTESY ALFONSO JIMENEZ, CC

Forward Carlos Tevez was one of a number of high profile signings that Manchester City made in this summer’s transfer market.

Manchester City looking to qualify for Champion’s League PREMIER LEAGUE

also happens to be the most prestigious trophy in the game for club teams.

Manchester City currently is in that coveted No. 4 spot, but it is still early, as it has played in just five Premier League games. The odd team out, for now, is Arsenal, which sits in seventh place thanks to a slow start that featured two losses in its first five games.

If City can maintain its footing in the Premier League race, the prospect of playing at the highest level in European football should be one more reason that some of the top players in the world will want to come to Eastlands.

the massive spending that occurred after the takeover, Chelsea purchased players that have now become household names to any soccer fan, including Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Ballack.

It is possible that Manchester City might follow the same path, but if it does crack the Big Four of the English Premier League, it will be at the expense of one of the Big Four’s most storied clubs. And what the other teams will lose is a place in the Champion’s League, soccer’s annual competition to crown the best club in Europe, which

continued from page 12

games, including a 4-2 victory against Arsenal. The team finally fell for the first time this weekend to Manchester United, but by a very respectable 4-3 score.

It remains to be seen if City can continue its fast start, but wealthy owners with cash to spend have turned other perennial underachievers into champions. Chelsea had not won a Premier League crown in 50 years before its takeover by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. But with

SCHEDULE | Sept. 24 - Sept. 30 FRI

SAT

SUN

MON

TUES

WED

THURS

at Wesleyan 12:30 p.m.

Football

Field Hockey

Endicott 4:00 p.m.

at Wesleyan 12 p.m.

at Conn. Coll. Invite

Cross Country

Women’s Soccer

at Wesleyan 12:00 p.m.

at Babson 4:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

at Wesleyan 2:30 p.m.

Suffolk 7:00 p.m.

at MIT Tournament

UMass Boston 7:00 p.m.

Springfield 6:00 p.m.

(MIT Tournament)

Volleyball

at Duke Nelson Invitational (at Middlebury)

Golf

JumboCast

at Duke Nelson Invitational (at Middlebury)

Volleyball

STATISTICS | STANDINGS Field Hockey (4-0, 2-0 NESCAC) NESCAC

W 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0

L W 0 5 0 4 0 2 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 0

T. Brown T. Guttadauro A. Russo M. Burke J. Perkins L. Griffith K. Eaton M. Scholtes L. Sagerman Totals Goalkeeping M. Zak K. Hyder

G 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 11 GA 2 0

Trinity Tufts Williams Amherst Bowdoin Colby Conn. Coll.

Middlebury Wesleyan Bates

Volleyball

Women's Soccer

(7-1, 2-0 NESCAC)

(2-2-0, 0-2-0 NESCAC)

NESCAC OVERALL

OVERALL

L 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 4

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A Pts 9 1 4 0 4 2 3 1 3 1 2 0 2 0 1 1 1 1 7 29 S S% 8 .800 1 1.00

Amherst Trinity Tufts Williams Bowdoin Conn. Coll.

Middlebury Hamilton Bates Colby Wesleyan

W 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

L W L 0 6 1 0 5 2 0 7 1 0 5 3 1 5 2 1 6 2 0 5 1 1 2 12 2 5 2 2 4 4 2 1 6

Offensive C. Updike D. Joyce-Mendive B. Helgeson E. Lokken L. Nicholas K. Ellefsen D. Feiger Defensive A. Kuan C. Updike K. Engelking D. Feiger B. Helgeson N. Shrodes

Kills SA 89 7 75 0 65 3 41 6 20 0 20 0 14 5 B Digs 0 97 3 46 0 42 16 42 7 36 2 35

Men's Soccer (0-3-1, 0-2-0 NESCAC)

NESCAC OVERALL

W 2 Amherst Middlebury 2 2 Williams 1 Bates 1 Bowdoin 1 Wesleyan 0 Colby 0 Trinity Conn. Coll 0 0 Tufts

L 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

A. Maxwell C. Cadigan S. Nolet A. Michael J. Love-Nichols W. Hardy F. Gamal B. Morgan O. Rowse Totals

G 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

W 3 3 6 2 2 3 1 0 3 2 A 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3

L 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0

Pts 4 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 13

Goalkeeping GA S S% K. Minnehan 3 18 .857

NESCAC

W 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2

A. Lach R. Coleman S. Saropoulos D. Schoening B. Green P. Tonelli M. Blumenthal M. Fitzgerald J. Lewis Totals

G 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3

Amherst Middlebury Trinity Wesleyan Williams Bowdoin Conn. Coll.

Bates Colby Tufts

T 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 A 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3

OVERALL

W 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 1 1 0

L 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 3 Pts 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 9

Goalkeeping GA S S% 9 14 .609 P. Tonelli

T 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 1

t seems pretty difficult to portray a guy who threw a sucker punch as the victim. University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount is clearly not blameless in the fracas that ensued at the end of the Oregon-Boise State game three weeks ago, which opened the college football season on an undoubtedly sour, disconcerting note. Nevertheless, you’ve got to feel bad for a guy who had his whole season taken away from him for losing his cool for five seconds following a tough defeat.

So, if I want to shift some blame away from Blount, then who’s next in line? The first and obvious choice is Boise State defensive end Byron Hout, the recipient of Blount’s blow. If you watch the video of the incident, you’ll see that Hout, entirely unprovoked, came up from behind Blount, tapped him on the shoulder and hurled a few choice profanities at the Ducks’ running back.

Not to completely excuse Blount’s reaction, but come on. You taunt a guy after a tough loss and there’s a significant chance that he’s going to take exception to your behavior and show some animosity in return.

This leads directly into the second target for blame-shifting, the omnipresent evil that is “the media.” By portraying Blount’s swing as a sucker punch, the media completely condemned him in the eyes of the world. This is pretty far off from the reality of the situation, but once the impression was made, there was just no turning back.

If you were to Google “LeGarrette Blount punch” immediately after the fact, the headline of the first result would have read “LeGarrette Blount Just Sucker Punched His Way Out of College Football.” Perception is reality. Blount unfortunately now carries the weight of being That Football Player Who Sucker Punched Himself to His Grave. Ask Kermit Washington how that one feels.

The media is also culpable in a more passive way. Blount chose basically the worst possible moment to throw his punch.

It was the first night of the season, just after a game between two top-25 teams that was nationally televised on ESPN. Punching the Pope on Easter wouldn’t have gotten him worse publicity.

Let’s face it, if this had been a Week Five game televised on Fox Sports West, like the majority of Oregon’s games are, there would have been maybe a quarter of the uproar. The local papers would have treated it as a big story, but the general public probably would not have known about it or cared that much.

Instead, ESPN.com, a full week after the punch, published a column by Gene Wojciechowski that referred to the incident as Blount having “used his gloved right fist as a numbing agent for Byron Hout’s jaw” and a sign of the continued “punkification” of major college football.

Cut the kid some slack. He lost his cool; his swing was symptomatic of nothing more than human emotion. We all get angry sometimes. Most of us just handle it a little bit better.

Worsening Blount’s situation was the fact that this was Oregon coach Chip Kelly’s first game, and pressure was on him to make a ‘statement,’ especially following an ugly loss. So he suspended Blount for the remainder of the season, effectively ending his college career.

However, Kelly emphasized that Blount was still a member of the team — he’s still listed on the roster on the team’s official Web site — and that he would remain on scholarship for the rest of the year.

Kelly seemed to understand what, sadly, few others did. Namely, that Blount is a good kid who made a mistake and was put through the ringer as a result of circumstance. What he did was far from permissible, but a threeto-six-week suspension would have fit the crime much better than ending the guy’s collegiate career.

Ethan Frigon is a junior majoring in economics and International Relations. He can be reached at Ethan.Frigon@tufts.edu.

Sports

12

INSIDE The Beard Abides 11 Eds’ Challenge 10

tuftsdaily.com

FIELD HOCKEY

Undefeated Jumbos blank Corsairs in most lopsided win of year BY

MICHAEL SPERA

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts field hockey team routed the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs, stepping off Bello Field Wednesday with its undefeated FIELD HOCKEY (4-0, 2-0 NESCAC) Bello Field, Wednesday UMass Dartmouth Tufts

0 3

0 1

— —

0 4

record intact — and recording its second shutout in a row with a 4-0 win, its greatest margin of victory in the still-young season.

Going head-to-head with their unranked non-conference foe, the nationally ranked No. 3 Jumbos faced little difficulty in dismantling a lackluster offensive team. The Corsairs, who have gone 1-3 on the road this season, were seemingly easy pickings for the undefeated Tufts squad. Capitalizing on the Corsairs’ unfamiliarity with playing on artificial turf, the Jumbos immediately took control of the pace of play while UMass Dartmouth scrambled to adjust to the field.

“UMass played their last three games on grass, and this was their first time in a while playing on turf,” junior midfielder Tamara Brown said. “We took advantage of that, and we controlled the pace of the game and made plays inside the circle which all contributed to the shutout.”

With much of the first half played deep inside Corsair territory, the Tufts offensive unit fired off an impressive 24 shots, more than its total number of first-half shots in matches against Middlebury and Amherst combined.

While the Jumbo offense didn’t cash in on every subsequent shot opportunity, it didn’t take long for Brown to put Tufts on the board, scoring on the first shot of the game just over a minute into play off of a feed from senior co-captain Amanda Russo. Accounting for

ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

Junior midfielder Tamara Brown racked up five points in the 4-0 shutout victory against UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday to rise to second place on the Tufts all-time list of career points leaders. roughly a quarter of Tufts’ shots by the final whistle, Brown notched a second goal 25 minutes later with help coming from Russo once again.

Thanks to the two scoring drives, Brown ascended to second in program history with 80 career points. Though acknowledging the gravity of the distinction, Brown remains teamoriented in viewing her individual success.

“It’s cool, but I care much more about the team,” said Brown, who set Tufts’ singleseason scoring record last year. “Without the team, I wouldn’t be here. As long as

we’re winning and all playing our best, I’m happy, and the individual accomplishments become secondary.”

By controlling possession for the remainder of the match, the Tufts squad was able to showcase its breadth of talent, ranging from first-year forwards to its veteran offensive playmakers. With minutes remaining in the first half, Brown connected with junior Melissa Burke to mark her first goal of the season. Following several substitutions, freshman forward Kerry Eaton scored on a solo effort to put the Corsairs on ice with less

MEN’S SOCCER

Aggressive play gives previously 0-3-0 Jumbos first tie of season BY

CLAIRE KEMP

than three minutes left in regulation. The goal represents the first of the season from the freshman class.

“Our offensive line clicked today,” senior co-captain Margi Scholtes said. “Our passes connected and communication was open across the field. We had scorers from across the lineup, which reflects our depth and what we are capable of doing on the field.”

In all, Tufts outshot UMass by a margin of 42-6. The Jumbos may have led by a wider

INSIDE INTERNATIONAL SOCCER

Impact of new owners has Manchester City talking title

BY JESSE

WEINBERG

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Just when it looked liked the men’s soccer team would end its latest matchup with another loss, sophomore defender Stratos Saropoulos saved the day.

MEN’S SOCCER (0-3-1, 0-2 NESCAC) at Springfield, Mass., Wednesday OT 2OT Tufts 0 1 0 0 — 1 Springfield 1 0 0 0 — 1 In the double overtime, nonconference face-off against the Springfield Pride (2-4-1), the officials called it a night with the score knotted at one, helping Tufts improve its record to 0-3-1 on the year.

It wasn’t until 2:10 was left in regulation that Tufts notched the tying goal off of the foot of Saropoulos, who had controlled a header from senior forward Dan Schoening after a Pride miscue on the defense.

The goal extended the game into overtime, in which neither team could convert on a series of solid opportunities.

With one minute remaining in the first overtime period, Springfield freshman Cody Kaczetow almost ended Tufts’ efforts with a blast that went just wide to the right.

The Jumbos were undeterred, however, as sophomore

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Despite an injury to junior defenseman Josh Molofsky in the first half, his replacement, junior Alex Hart, and the Tufts back line held strong, allowing Springfield just one goal. midfielder Matt Blumenthal saw the two best chances to win the game in the second period of overtime.

With seven minutes of play remaining, Blumenthal had a look at the goal from the

top of the penalty box, but Springfield freshman midfielder David Chessen came up with arguably the biggest defensive stop of the match. see MEN’S SOCCER, page 10

see FIELD HOCKEY, page 10

The English Premier League has long been dominated by the established powers of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, the so-called “Big Four” of English football. But this Premier League season could signal the end of their dominance, with the rise of the other team from “Cottonopolis:” Manchester City.

Long derided as the “small team” of Manchester and cast in the shadow of their giant neighbors, Manchester City’s new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, have pushed the squad to new heights. For a club that only 10 years ago spent a season in the English league’s third tier, the new wealth that has been brougth

by City’s owners has firmly entrenched it as a team to be reckoned with.

Manchester City first raised eyebrows by breaking the British transfer record to sign Brazilian star Robinho for £32.5 million ($52.7 million), outbidding Chelsea, which thought it was assured of his signing. This summer, City continued the trend, snapping up star players for large sums at the same that time other clubs have been scaling back their transfer budgets due to the global recession.

This has led many soccer experts to call out Manchester

City for inflating the transfer market and driving up the prices and wage demands of players. During the summer, City and the Abu Dhabi United Group signed Arsenal’s star forward Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure, Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, Blackburn Rovers’ striker Roque Santa Cruz and Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez. In the process, the private equity firm from the United Arab Emirates spent over £100 million ($162 million).

But it was the capture of Tevez that generated the most headlines. Tevez decided to sign with City after negotiations with Manchester United fell through, and his signature led to a war of words between the two Manchester clubs.

The argument culminated in legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s derision of City as a “small club with a small mentality.”

While Ferguson did say in a later interview that he would be “foolish to ignore developments at [City’s stadium] Eastlands,” most soccer analysts believe that City has the resources and the cash to mount a serious title challenge, a worrying prospect for the entrenched Big Four. City’s new players have already made a world of difference for the club, which won its first four see PREMIER LEAGUE, page 11