2009-09-29

THE TUFTS DAILY

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 13

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CHRISTY MCCUAIG

Daily Editorial Board

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS, TUFTS UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY

The Cummings School introduced earlier this month a new Master’s program in conservation medicine.

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BY JENNY

WHITE

Contributing Writer

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month announced a new Master of Science in Conservation Medicine degree program, which will provide a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to biodiversity.

It will be the first master’s program of its kind in the United States, according to Gretchen Kaufman, director of Tufts’ Center for Conservation Medicine.

The one-year, non-thesis degree aims to broaden the conventional understanding of health and examine the ways humans, animals and the envi-

ronment are interconnected.

“The concept is that there is one health, one world,” said Joann Lindenmayer, a Cummings associate professor of environmental and population health. “The essential piece of that is that humans and animals live in an environment where they impact each other, and impact the environment.”

The new program is expected to be open to students in the fall of either 2010 or 2011, “depending on how quickly things come together,” Kaufman said.

Lindenmayer called the new degree program “a very natural addition” to Cummings. She explained that the program, see CONSERVATION, page 2

Jumbos donate blood to Red Cross BY

ALEXANDRA BOGUS

Daily Editorial Board

Students left Hodgdon Hall yesterday with sugar cookies in their hands, after turning out in droves to donate blood in the first day of a five-day blood drive sponsored by the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS).

Approximately 75 people, including nine Somerville and Medford residents, donated blood yesterday. This was significantly more than in recent years, according to coordinator Chris Perrone, a senior. The event continues daily through the end of the week.

“It’s encouraging,” Perrone said yesterday. “I know it’s the first day of the drive but ... it’s definitely up from the numbers I’m used to seeing.”

He expected a total of 300 donors by the end of the week, a considerable increase from last year’s fall drive, which brought around 250 people to Hodgdon.

LCS is leading the drive, as it has in past years, in conjunction with the American Red Cross. The group generally holds one blood drive in the fall and two in the spring, according to volunteer coordinator Rebecca Sylvetsky, a sophomore.

“It’s such a very important contribution to the community around us,” Sylvetsky said.

In one hour of donating blood, she added, a student can give enough to save three lives. see BLOOD DRIVE, page 2

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is looking to downsize amid financial troubles, and Tufts students could lose their campus post office as a result.

Despite turning over a $213,099 profit during Fiscal Year 2009, Tufts’ USPS branch, located beside the Brown and Brew café in Curtis Hall, is on a list of nine post offices in the Boston metropolitan area in imminent danger of being closed, said Bob Dempsey, vice president and treasurer of the Boston Metro Area Local 100 division of the American Postal Workers Union.

USPS Greater Boston Discontinuance Coordinator Dennis Tarmey, who serves as the postmaster in North Reading, Mass., explained that USPS is considering closing branches like Tufts’ due to severe financial trouble.

“I would like nothing better than to tell you that the Postal Service is a healthy, thriving agency from a financial viewpoint,” he told the Daily in an e-mail. “But it would be irresponsible to do so.”

Tarmey said that for that the Postal Service to remain operational, it must make some unpopular decisions. “The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has placed the USPS on a ‘High Risk’ list as we stand to lose in excess of seven billion dollars this fiscal

year alone, with no turnaround in sight,” he said.

The timeline of the possible closings is unclear, since the USPS has never gone through consolidations of this size. Tarmey said there are over 400 locations nationwide

on the chopping block. Tarmey expects the decision on whether to close the Tufts branch to be made sometime in October by Boston Postmaster James Holland and see POST OFFICE, page 2

YURI CHANG/TUFTS DAILY

The United States Postal Service expects to decide on the future of Tufts’ post office in October.

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CRYSTAL BUI

Contributing Writer

Tufts’ newest Greek addition, Delta Tau Delta (DTD) fraternity, will host one of the lost boys of Sudan tomorrow night in an effort to reach out to the Tufts community in nontraditional ways.

Gabriel Bol Deng, one of the many people displaced by the recent Sudanese civil war, will speak in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday about his experiences in the war-torn nation.

“It’s unbelievable, what he has been through and what he has survived,” DTD philanthropy chair Ben Davis said. “It’s incredibly inspirational.”

Deng is the founder of HOPE for Ariang, a nonprofit organization that works to provide education and health services to people affected by the conflict in Sudan. HOPE stands for Helping Offer Primary Education, and the charity is currently constructing a classroom in Ariang, a village in southern Sudan. The central goal of HOPE is the construction of primary schools, but the organization also works to provide food, clean water and vaccinations to schoolchildren and to promote gender equality through education.

Tomorrow night’s presentation aims to raise awareness and motivate Tufts students to join in DTD’s efforts to fundraise for the charity.

“The reason this event is free and open to everybody is because we thought this would be a great way to generate interest and to

Inside this issue

COURTESY HOPEFORARIANG.ORG

Gabriel Bol Deng will speak tomorrow about his experiences in Sudan. have students see Gabriel’s presentation on our upcoming fundraising efforts throughout the year,” Davis, a sophomore, said.

DTD hopes to have raised over $3,500 for the organization by the time Deng returns to Tufts in March to screen “Rebuilding Hope,” his documentary exploring the connections between the conflicts in southern Sudan and Darfur.

While DTD could have chosen a school closer to Tufts, sponsoring a school in Sudan “was a good fit,” DTD brother junior Han Chen said.

Davis said that his involvement in the student anti-genocide coalition STAND (Students Taking Action Now Darfur) in high school prompted his support for Deng’s cause.

“We didn’t even really consider any other options because this was our idea from the beginning,” Davis said.

Deng visited Tufts last semester to go over the details of the project with DTD brothers.

The brothers on the fraternity’s philanthropy commission took Deng to an informal dinner in Dewick-Macphie dining hall. “We thought he was going to just talk about himself, but he wanted to eat dinner and get to know us,” Davis said.

After dinner, DTD brothers viewed parts of Deng’s presentation in the campus center.

“It was then that we realized this was something we wanted to do,” Davis said.

In conjunction with the presentation, DTD has reached out to clubs and organizations that share an international focus, including STAND, Pangea and the Tisch College of Active Citizenship, to help in fundraising efforts. “[This event is about] Greeks partnering with some of the most motivated students on campus to work together to make life better for those who are most in need,” DTD President Chas Morrison, a junior, said.

Deng’s speech is the first of a multi-part effort by DTD to raise money for the organization.

Later this semester, the fraternity plans see SUDAN, page 2

Today’s Sections

The house — or more accurately, the palace — at 156 Powder House has its inhabitants living like royalty.

The new iPod Nano includes a microphone, video camera and shake-to-shuffle function.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Sports

9 10 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2 Police Briefs

An interactive map with an expanded version of this week’s police briefs is available at tuftsdaily.com

THE GPS SAGA CONTINUES …

WITH A BIKER? Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a report at 9 p.m. on Sept. 21 that the window of a graduate student’s car was smashed and a GPS unit had been taken from the vehicle sometime that day after 4:30 p.m. The car was parked near the intersection of Dearborn Road and College Avenue. Two days later, TUPD received a report of a similar incident in the EliotPearson parking lot. The window of a staff member’s car had been broken sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day, and a GPS unit was missing.

TUPD learned from the Medford Police Department that there have been a number of off-campus GPS thefts. TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy said Medford police had identified “a young guy, literally on a bicycle,” as a possible suspect. But a better description has not been provided and it is possible that more than one person might be stealing the systems, McCarthy said.

‘INSPIRED’ BURRITOS? TUPD officers responded at 8 p.m. on Sept.

24 to a report of a fight taking place in front of Boloco on Boston Avenue. Medford police officers were also dispatched to the scene. When the officers arrived at the eatery, a group of students told them that no fight had taken place, but that a student had fainted outside of the restaurant.

Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS), the Medford Fire Department and Armstrong Ambulance Service arrived to attend to the student, who stated that he had smoked marijuana that may have been laced with

acid or another substance. He was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. “No, it was nothing in the burritos,” McCarthy said.

YOU ARE SO DRUNK. Officers responded at 1:36 a.m. on Sept. 26 to a report of an intoxicated student in Wren Hall. When officers asked the student, who said he had drunk eight to 10 beers, where he was, he said he was in Tilton Hall. “He pointed to the stairwell, and said, ‘That’s my room,’” McCarthy said. The student was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

TUPD, TEMS, the Somerville Fire Department and Cataldo Ambulance Service had also responded at 11:42 p.m. that night to a report of an intoxicated student in Bush Hall.

The student stated that she had drunk four shots of Captain Morgan rum and seven shots of vodka. “When asked where she was, she stated, ‘Dewick,’” McCarthy said.

“When asked what time of the day of it was, she stated, ‘Morning.’” The student was transported to Somerville Hospital.

TO STOP OR NOT TO STOP? TUPD officers noticed over the weekend that three stop signs around campus had been stolen. The signs were located at the intersections of Talbot Avenue and Latin Way; Packard Avenue and Professors Row; and Latin Way and Professors Row. The facilities department was planning to replace the signs yesterday.

— compiled by Ben Gittleson

NEWS

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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continued from page 1

given its location at the veterinary school, will emphasize the study of animal health in particular, but in relation to increasingly prevalent global problems, among them climate change, pandemic infectious disease and pollution as a result of growing world trade.

The degree will blend the traditionally distinct undergraduate and graduate schools at Tufts, enlisting faculty from nearly every corner of the university, including the undergraduate biology department, the School of Engineering, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston in addition to Cummings.

Until recently, the creation of a master’s degree for conservation medicine was more of a nebulous proposal than an imminent reality. A leadership grant received earlier this year from the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation for Animal Welfare in addition to continuous funding from the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation prompted Tufts’ Board of Trustees to approve the program in April, according to Cummings spokesperson Tom Keppeler.

With the funds, “we’re laying the groundwork over the coming year or more and building the curriculum,” Keppeler said.

This groundwork, Keppeler added, includes public announcements in the Boston Globe, the New York Times, local papers and veterinary periodicals.

Kaufman said Cummings representatives will also be networking at national veterinary conferences.

The degree program will complement Cummings’ twelve-year-old Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine. The center,

inaugurated in 1997, was the first in the world to focus on this field of study. Tufts also played an integral role in selecting a name for the science, coining the phrase “conservation medicine.”

Kaufman said she hopes to accept about 10 students into the program. Students with only bachelor’s degrees in science fields will likely not be accepted, she said.

“For the program, we are looking for students who already have some sort of expertise, either a master’s or a Ph.D,” Kaufman said. She explained that the curriculum is designed for students who have completed higher education in a specific field but lack sufficient knowledge in related disciplines essential to the study of conservation medicine.

The eclectic curriculum for the future Master’s students does not have a singular focus, but will teach students to inspect the increasingly interdependent world from a heterogeneous perspective.

With only ten people, most classes will be “very much interactive seminars, working on problems together, and formulating discussions,” Kaufman said. “Every student will have his or her own particular focus to follow the whole year of the program and ... be a leader for a team on an individual project.”

As well as having an opportunity to spearhead projects of their own design, several students in the degree program will be able to join international missions already started by the Center for Conservation Medicine.

Lindenmayer said the university should be proud of its latest interdisciplinary venture.

“Tufts supports this kind of program, and the pieces have been there for a very long time,” she said. “Given all the wonderful resources we have at Tufts, it’s an environment that has allowed this idea to flourish.”

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BLOOD DRIVE

SUDAN

continued from page 1

Perrone attributed the increased turnout to a greater advertising effort. He also said that changing the drive’s date to late September might have motivated more students to participate. In the past, blood drives have been held in mid-October during the height of midterm season.

Audrey Kuan, a sophomore, donated blood to the LCS drive twice last year. She said her goal is to donate blood once or twice every year.

“Why not?” she said yesterday before donating. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Medford resident Maureen Wing, a registered nurse and consistent blood donor, said that blood drives of this sort are important.

“I just believe if you can give back, then you should,” Wing said.

“There’s plenty of people who can’t donate who should.”

Sylvetsky said a record number of students volunteered to help with the drive this year. In total, the group had close to 130 volunteers involved, she said. Of these, about 30 students remain active volunteers for all of LCS’ blood drives.

Senior Keith Hofmann is a veteran blood donor. This is his fourth year volunteering at the drive.

“I think it’s such an easy thing to do, something that really makes a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

Volunteer Claire Heinegg, a freshman, said she was pleased with the student showing at yesterday’s drive.

“I’m really excited to watch young people get involved,” she said. “People who start now will do so for the rest of their life.”

AALOK KANANI/TUFTS DAILY

Freshman Michael Geerdes donates blood yesterday.

continued from page 1

to stage dorm wars in which dorms compete to raise money for HOPE for Ariang.

One of DTD’s broader aims this semester is to bridge the gap between Greek and non-Greek organizations at Tufts and to reestablish an active presence on campus. The fraternity returned to campus last spring after a four-year suspension.

“When we came back last semes-

ter, we came back with a very specific mission: to create a new pathway and connection between Greek organizations and other parts of campus that are not traditionally associated with Greek Life,” Morrison said. “We think this is a good way to further that mission.”

Davis drew a clear distinction between HOPE and other nonprofits. “It’s very direct,” Davis said. “This isn’t some big organization we’re just giving money to. We’re giving money

to Gabriel so that he can go to Sudan and build these projects with his own hands,” he said.

Davis is confident the fraternity will reach its fundraising goals. “We don’t think the $3,500 is going to be a problem,” Davis said. “We want to raise a lot more than that to donate to this cause.”

Morrison advised students to come early to hear Deng speak. “It’s going to be a great presentation,” he said.

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POST OFFICE

continued from page 1

Greater Boston District Manager Charles Lynch.

The locally made decision will then be submitted to the postal headquarters for final approval.

The decision could take weeks, according to Tarmey. If USPS decides upon closure, people who use the office will have 60 days to relocate their boxes before the office closes permanently.

According to Tarmey, Tufts post office customers would have to take their business to the West Somerville Post Office, the West Medford Post Office or the Medford Post Office. All three are located over a mile from campus.

Dempsey, the union official, speculates that the USPS might not eliminate the Tufts branch, but hire a contracted company to run it.

“They’re denying that that’s the case, but that’s our suspicion,” Dempsey said.

Tarmey attributed USPS’ substantial losses to the huge change in the way people generally communicate. “During the past several years businesses and customers have increasingly turned to electronic communication alternatives as opposed to traditional mail options and delivery,” he said.

Dempsey said that he did not understand the logic behind the possible closures, adding that of the nine branches in the Boston area slated to close, all but one have produced revenues recently. He said only the Logan Airport branch lost

money last year. “If anything, most people would think that you if have an office generating that type of revenue you’d want to open more of them,” he said. “I absolutely positively don’t understand it.”

But Tarmey offered a different perspective on the branch’s performance.

The USPS temporarily closed the Tufts branch from mid-July through August because fewer student customers were on campus during the summer months.

Tarmey explained that in the 12 months just before the office’s summer closure, the revenue had decreased by 10.9 percent, customer visits had dropped 11.2 percent and the total number of transactions had decreased by 11.9 percent from the preceding year.

While the revenue is still healthy, he said, these losses are why USPS is considering closing the location.

The eight other branches in the Greater Boston area currently on the consideration list for closure are located at MIT, Babson and Boston Colleges, Boston University, Logan Airport, Faneuil Hall, Soldiers Field and Nonantum, Mass.

Tarmey said that postal officials have organized a meeting with administrators of the potentially impacted colleges and that a meeting will be held next week to discuss the future of the college branches.

Tufts students currently have the option to send their outgoing packages through Mail Services and would be able to

continue doing so even if the post office closed, Mail Services support services manager Sheila Chisholm said.

“The students who have used the mail room as a shippingout point have found that it has worked fine,” Chisholm said. Students who send mail from on campus must package their own shipments and then prepay and schedule a pick-up online, using either the United Parcel Service, Federal Express or USPS. But Chisholm added that she would like to see the Boston Avenue post office stay open. “We would oppose the closure,” she said. “We feel that it’s an important service for the students and for the community.”

Dempsey denounced the postal service’s method of soliciting local residents’ opinions through questionnaires available in the post office last week. “They’ve been doing it very secretly, which is a problem for a lot of people,” he said. “If you didn’t go to the post office last week, you didn’t get the chance to fill one out.”

He suggested that there are better ways to gather information. “They should be having a town meeting or something like that,” he said.

The fate of the Tufts branch is still unsure, and Tarmey emphasized that nothing is certain yet.

But when Dempsey was asked if he thought it would close, he said, “It sure sounds like it.”

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

CRIBS

CAMPUS

BY

EMILY MARETSKY | NICE SHOES, LET’S DATE

<"'%'*(%=&One Five Six

I

ALISON LISNOW

Daily Editorial Board

The inhabitants of 156 Powder House Boulevard have done more than rent a house — they have fallen into an inheritance. Seniors Mike Brundage, Alex Nisetich, Ty Burdette, Missy Ricculli, Leah Resneck, Kailah Hayden-Karp, Travis Lowry, Ricky Zimmerman and Ned Berger are living in a two apartment house fit for a king — or in more true-to-life terms, an heiress.

For the past two years, previous owner Sam Bendetson (LA ’09), of the family for which Bendetson Hall was named, lived with only one other friend in the first-floor, four-person apartment.

“Sam had it renovated. She tricked out this entire house, and it’s gorgeous,” Zimmerman said. “Our landlord showed us which rooms were actually bedrooms and then what the other rooms were being used for … I remember that Kailah’s current room just had a giant TV and no seating.”

Now the house is chock full of nine lively seniors who just can’t seem to agree on the house’s best feature. The inhabitants named the whole downstairs kitchen, the whole basement, the speakers built into the ceiling in the basement that no one knew how to use, the dimmers in every room, the wine cooler, the spacious upstairs bedrooms (one even with its own bathroom) and the pool table as the main sources of their bragging rights. And that is just the beginning.

Bendetson was not in favor of the musty, beer-soaked cement basements that seem to be the Medford/ Somerville norm. According to Berger, Bendetson’s father was able to easily renovate the basement, making it nicer than most living rooms in the area because he is a contractor. Now the large space is equipped with brand new carpeting and freshly painted walls — a complete transformation from its original state.

A few other perks were included.

JAMES CHOCA/TUFTS DAILY

The finished basement at 156 Powder House looks more like a living room.

“All these couches our landlord provided,” Berger said. “He keeps calling us [to say] ‘I have another couch for you. I’ll bring it over sometime tomorrow.’”

And, of course, previous owners leave treasures.

“The big screen downstairs was just left here by our subletters,” Nisetich said.

“They just left it here along with other gifts like Cheerios and loose change.”

Burdette added his own little luxuries, replacing regular bulbs with blacklights.

“I have a bubble machine, and I have blacklight-reactant bubbles,” Burdette said. “So it’s like golden orbs that float around in the blacklight; they look like golden snitches.”

The basement also has a small, stateof-the-art bathroom, which is dangerously close to the couches where the housemates hang out.

“If you go in there, you get timed” Ricculli warned.

But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for the residents of 156.

“You have to be a little bit of an exhibitionist to live in this house,” Burdette said. “Very few introverts live here.”

Up one flight of stairs, the first-floor kitchen is worthy of its own special on HGTV. “The kitchen, if I’m not mistaken, see CRIBS, page 4

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EMILY MARETSKY

Daily Editorial Board

As her cake-baking business began piling up the catering orders, Tufts alum Lori Sharton (LA ’92) knew that she either needed to expand her business and open a real bakery or quit while she was ahead and start something new.

Sharton, who graduated from Tufts with a degree in English, had a number of different careers before she started her own baking business — an occupation she had expanded from a hobby of baking for her children. Though her business flourished for a while, she eventually decided it was time for something new.

“I decided that I wanted to move back into a more corporate setting,” Sharton said. “People said when I was first getting out of the cake business that I should find [a] career counselor, and I thought of Tufts, so I figured I would call and see if they had resources for alum[ni] … It’s great to go back to your school for these types of things; there’s a certain level of comfort there.”

As seniors start to trickle in for résumé critiques and graduate school advice with the real world looming just

over the horizon, many alumni have been doing just the same. While Career Services has been open as a resource for Tufts grads for years, career counselors in the department have seen an increase in laid-off alumni looking for advice — likely a result of the country’s recent economic woes.

Tufts Career Services offers alumni the same resources it offers to undergraduates: support for making career decisions, as well as job-hunting and graduate school advice. According to Leslie Warner, associate director of Career Services, she and her colleagues have conducted more than 1,000 individual career consultations over the past year, a “significant increase” from past years.

“Alumni, especially young alumni, often ask how to conduct a job search … One alum called today about advice on how to manage the interview process, asking ‘How do I prepare? When and how do I follow up?’” Warner said. “I also help with grad school decision-making, career decisionmaking, careers assessment and career change.”

One young alumnus, Zach Baker (LA ’05), contacted Career Services for his first job change earlier this year. Baker, who had visited Career Services for lit-

Just do it

tle more than a résumé critique during his undergraduate years, was looking on Career Services’ Web site for cover letter writing tips when he learned that he could schedule an individual appointment for career advice.

Baker was working in Washington D.C. garnering support for sustainable agriculture but was considering a transition to a new job focusing on climate change. With a little help from Warner through a phone appointment and a few e-mail exchanges, Baker landed a job with the National Wildlife Federation working with climate change issues.

“I think Career Services is a great resource; it’s certainly brought me back into thinking about Tufts and appreciating the resources that are available even after you’re gone,” Baker said. “My excitement about Tufts was enhanced knowing that they care about your future even after [you graduate.]”

Warner also said that Career Services has resources for helping alumni with decades of work experience under their belts.

“I find that older alumni just have more complicated lives. They’re often see ALUMNI, page 4

n the wave of dating conversations I’ve had since last week’s column, about 90 percent have ended with me exclaiming, “So why don’t you just ask him/her to grab coffee on Friday and get it out there?” only to stir up a myriad of excuses.

I felt even worse about the dating attitude on campus after a guy friend complained about how he’d never been on a date at college. Why? “I don’t know … It’s Tufts … People don’t really date here,” he said.

Please. You can’t complain about the lack of dating scene when you sit back and just expect to be asked out. Yes, I understand that asking someone out is kind of nerve-wracking, but c’mon Tufts. Why not take a little initiative and just ask?

Let’s take the easiest situation — asking out a new acquaintance. It’s really all about going balls-to-the-wall. Think about it: When are you really going to see this person again?

My favorite example is when I got asked out near the ATMs in the campus center. Randomly. This guy caught my eye as I was walking away from the Rez, said that I looked really familiar, and asked if I had been in New York City that summer.

I hadn’t, but we ended up talking for a few minutes and maybe there was a little chemistry. He asked me for my number at the end, and frankly, why not?

Despite Tufts’ small size, we couldn’t expect to run into each other again soon. If either of us was going to ask the other out, we really only had one chance. I had no reason to turn him down, and theoretically, if I had the chances of an awkward run-in were pretty slim.

Same applies for the cute girl in Tisch, the guy you chatted with on the T or even the girl you just finished hooking up with if you’re interested in seeing her again. Why not just go for it?

It gets more complicated if your love interest is a little more serious, or if you see him or her on a regular basis. Not only does a 10:30 a.m. econ class give you an excuse to put off asking (there’s always Thursday’s lecture), but getting rejected by the girl who sits next to you twice a week can be pretty brutal.

Catastrophe aside, consider this: Are you ever going to think of that chem lab partner as … just a lab partner? Would you rather secretly harbor that crush on your best friend, instead of risking some awkwardness but finally getting it out there?

Best case, maybe you’ll find yourself in a blossoming relationship. Absolute worst case is losing a friendship that you always wanted more from anyway.

And to be honest, rejection stings but it’s not the worst thing ever. The first time I asked someone out, well, let’s just say that it didn’t end too well. It didn’t matter that I stammered a bit while asking or that I didn’t have a pen to write down his number. It was just a rejection in the worst sense: long, drawn out and ended up turning into a pity AFD (Awkward Friend Date) at the Commons.

Seeing as he worked at the Rez every Tuesday, and I couldn’t survive my 9:00 a.m. lab without a double espresso, yeah, it was a little weird afterward. But hey, I was able to laugh it off with a few female interviewers a week later, when they asked, “When was the last time you really took a chance and put yourself out there?” I always would have wondered “what if,” if I hadn’t. No regrets.

A good date is worth the risk.

Emily Maretsky is a senior majoring in engineering psychology. She can be reached at Emily.Maretsky@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

FEATURES

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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continued from page 3

balancing family needs, and their career questions are often a little more complicated,” Warner said. “Career questions have more facets to them when you’ve been working for 10 years or so, for example.”

Sharton, who has changed careers four times and is a self-proclaimed “big user” of Career Services, is one such alum with a multi-faceted job history. In early 2004, as she was struggling with her decision about moving on from her cake business, she talked with Warner for advice.

“There’s nothing worse than feeling alone in this process, and when there’s a community out there for support, it opens doors that wouldn’t necessarily have been open before.”

Lori Sharton LA ‘92

JAMES CHOCA/TUFTS DAILY

The roomy kitchen boasts black granite countertops and state-of-the-art appliances.

9:;#-/72</"$7#125/#$(/#(2'(#128/ CRIBS

continued from page 3

was redone three years ago, so it’s got all these really nice granite countertops [including] an island in the middle. There’s more counter space than I know what to do with,” Zimmerman said. “My mom saw it and she was like, ‘I don’t know if I have this much counter space at home!’ That’s funny that my kitchen at school is nicer than my one at home.”

There’s more to the kitchen than just the sprawling black granite, the jumbosized refrigerator, the island with stools for three and the massive size in general. The previous and present owners have kept the cabinets well stocked with a variety of extremely necessary appliances.

“All of the appliances are brand new,” Nisetich said. “Our appliances include a blender, a food processor, a sandwich press, an ice cream machine, three coffee-makers, a waffle-maker and a quesadilla-maker. The quesadilla-maker makes fantastic quesadillas! I didn’t know that I needed a quesadilla maker till I had one.”

Most of the inhabitants love to cook, but more importantly they love how food brings them together.

“One thing we miss about living in dorms is the brunches in Dewick and Carmichael on weekends,” Ricculli said.

“Especially on Sunday mornings when everyone has those stories to tell,” Resneck added.

They make each other French toast and eggs as they try to recreate the postfrat party morning. In fact, most of the residents at 156 have known each other since freshman year. During their sophomore year, Burdette, Berger, Ricculli and Hayden-Karp decided they wanted to live together. Their senior year, that dream became a reality.

“The four of us sat down one afternoon at the beginning of summer and made a draft of people [we wanted to live with]” Burdette said. “[ We] crossed off people that were dramatic or awkward or high maintenance. Then we started making calls to see who could come.”

So far, they seem to have picked the perfect group.

“I hear horror stories of houses [in which] people are fighting and … don’t want to live there,” Berger said. “We have a really good dynamic, and there are no issues. There’s always a dance party happening. It’s always lively. There’s never a

dull moment. [And] everyone here is so down to earth and drama-free that it has just been great.”

“Except for Mike,” Nisetich joked.

“He’s such a diva!”

In the top apartment, Burdette has upgraded from the basic television to a 72-inch screen, equipped with a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3.

But Zimmerman was quick to add that readers shouldn’t get any ideas about sneaking in and enjoying the lavish house for themselves. “[The house] has also got an alarm system,” Zimmerman warned.

Besides, Burdette mostly found his finds on the free section of CraigsList.com.

“The trick to CraigsList free section is that you want to look by the area [the stuff is] coming from, and you want to look for Brookline, Allston or Back Bay,” Burdette said. “You want to look for the most yuppie areas because it’s normally 28 to 32 year-olds who are like, ‘Oh I got a job in another city, and [I don’t want to move] all my nice furniture that I just bought from Pottery Barn last year … so take it.’”

Berger’s bedroom is right off the living room, but it is nothing like a typical college crash pad.

“My room was the library, which has since been transformed into a bedroom.

It has a lofted bed … and my desk is under it. It’s such a great place to study or work because you feel like you’re in [a library] … not just a regular library but the Fletcher Library,” Berger said. “It’s completely dark wood and it has all this shelving … there’s so much space. And it has a balcony.”

Sprinkled throughout the rest of the house are other final touches that set 156 Powder House apart.

“I … really like the unnecessary touches of our house,” Burdette said. “Having a touch-screen washer and dryer is really good. It’s not helpful at all; it just looks cool and is there.”

The inhabitants of 156 are a sundry bunch of kids who have come together over pool, quesadillas and big-screen TVs. The range of personalities makes for a living environment that is always engaging and vivacious.

“There are a lot of good arguments, in the sense [that there are] different belief systems,” Resneck said. “Such as if ‘dolt’ is a word. It is. In case you’re wondering.”

If you have or know of a sweet campus crib, email Alison Lisnow at alison.lisnow@tufts.edu.

“I said ‘Look, this is what I’ve been doing, and I need some help figuring out what direction I want to go in next,’” Sharton recalled. “Leslie helped me figure out what I liked from my previous jobs, even from before I got my master’s degree, and how to use that to focus my job search.”

Not long after her first Career Services consultation, Sharton found a job as a director of marketing. However, like many others in the weakened economy, she was laid off after budget cuts at the beginning of 2009 and once again faced

the next decision in her career path.

“I had been kind of discontented [with my job] over the last few months, and I knew things weren’t doing well, so I had kept in touch with Leslie,” Sharton said. “I was looking at other jobs [before I was laid off ] and checking in with Leslie, talking about concrete questions, for example, about commuting to Providence.”

Warner noted that while Career Services has received more requests for appointments from alumni in the past few months, not all consultations come from alumni who have lost their jobs.

“Certainly more people are experiencing layoffs, but it’s not everybody.

Some people are still doing regular job and career changes. Someone may have also experienced a layoff when they were looking for a job change anyway — it’s kind of a nudge,” she said.

Regardless of what provokes a job change, both Warner and Sharton emphasized the value of the Tufts Career Network, the university’s online alumni listing. The network serves as a community through which both students and alumni can find others in a certain industry and connect for advice and networking. And as networking is a two-way street, students and alumni give and receive advice and other assistance. Warner said that joining the Career Network and keeping an updated profile is one of the easiest and best ways to help out. Even young alumni working their first jobs can give advice in their fields.

“Even if you get a job out of college, you don’t know what’s going to happen in three or four years,” Sharton said.

“There’s nothing worse than feeling alone in this process, and when there’s a community out there for support, it opens doors that wouldn’t necessarily have been open before.”

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Arts & Living

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GADGET REVIEW

DEREK SCHLOM | I BLAME POP CULTURE

Forgiving John Phillips

I

CULTOFMAC.COM

Finally, a portable wide-screen TV.

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MITCHELL GELLER

Daily Editorial Board

When it seems everyone has an MP3 player of some sort, it’s difficult for a new product to stand out from the pack. With the introduction of Apple’s fifth generation iPod Nano, however, the company has truly made its mark.

The first generation Nano was intro-

duced in 2005 to replace the iPod Mini.

Since then, each model has included new features and designs. The fifth generation brings drastic changes to the Nano feature-wise, while only altering the design slightly.

Retaining the classic rectangular frame, the tiny Nano shares the same dimensions as its fourth generation sibling — an economical 3.6 inches

tall by 1.5 inches wide with a depth of 0.24 inches — although it is 0.02 ounces lighter (1.28 versus the fourth generations 1.3 ounces) and its 2.2 inch screen is also a miniscule (though noticeable) improvement over the last generation’s 2 inches.

The new Nano comes in nine bright see NANO, page 6

MOVIE REVIEW

GALLERY REVIEW

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MFA exhibition reinterprets Persian paintings

BY

CATHERINE SCOTT

Daily Editorial Board

When Christopher Gore’s “Fame” premiered in 1980, it garnered massive critical acclaim, winning two Oscars for its

Fame

BY

Size isn’t everything — even when it comes to visual art. But sometimes blowing things up doesn’t hurt either.

Starring Kay Panabaker, Walter Perez, Naturi Naughton Directed by Kevin Tancharoen depiction of the cutthroat world of young students in the performing arts. Almost 30 years later, the movie industry has decided that it is time to take advantage of dancing reality shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” (2005), and has updated “Fame” for a modern audience. Where the old “Fame” pushed the boundaries by exploring the darker side of life as an artist, the new remake sweetens that world up until it’s a giant ball of cotton candy — candied fluff with little substance that gets boring after the first couple of bites.

“Fame” (2009), directed by Kevin Tancharoen, follows several students — including a wannabe actress, her boyfriend, a classical pianist searching for meaning, a rapper from a low-income community and a naive filmmaker — through their entire four years at a per-

ANNA MAJESKI

Daily Staff Writer

Glorious Beasts in Persian Painting

ROTTENTOMATOES.COM

His many talents include awkward dance moves.

In the Islamic Corridor, through April 11 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Avenue of the Arts 465 Huntington Avenue 617-267-9300

forming arts high school. All are looking for some way to share their work with a broader audience.

There is no unified, coherent plot, as each student has his or her own separate story. One girl copes with disappointing

The American painter Conley Harris took this philosophy to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) recently, using the museum’s collection of traditional Persian miniature paintings as inspiration for a new series of his own works.

A new MFA show, “Glorious Beasts in Persian Painting,” displays the fruits of

see FAME, page 7

see PAINTING, page 6

haven’t eaten in nine hours, and it’s got me thinking.

During this writing I’m fasting and thus technically observing Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement (though I’m skipping services to take a French quiz, so I guess I already have sins to repent for next year). The themes of the day are forgiveness and penance, and it provides an opportunity to cleanse oneself of the stereotypical guilt that plagues me and the rest of the Chosen People.

But the transgressions of the famous (notably, Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski and the late John Phillips of the iconic 1960s band The Mamas and the Papas) are on my mind as much as my own.

Polanski was arrested Saturday by Swiss police and faces possible extradition back to the United States for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 (he fled the country prior to sentencing and has been living and working in France ever since). And last Tuesday, Phillips’ daughter Mackenzie published a book in which she claims that she and her father engaged in a long-term incestuous relationship that began when he raped her. All of this led up to Yom Kippur, the day to reflect and ask God for exoneration. Talk about timing.

From the years in which I slept through Hebrew School, I remember that the Yom Kippur prayers refer to guilt in a plural rather than singular form — we, as a people, have sinned and are sorry. As we ask God to forgive “us,” what to think of Polanski and Phillips?

Where does Phillips fit among the ranks of artists like Michael Jackson and Chris Brown? Are the undeniable merits of their work now marred by their disgusting crimes (or, in Jackson’s case, alleged misdeeds)? Are we granting them forgiveness by listening to their music and watching their movies, or is it besides the point?

I felt physically ill when I listened to “California Dreamin’” a few days after learning the news about Phillips. I shouldn’t support him, I told myself. The song’s gorgeous harmonies felt haunting rather than soothing.

But I grew up hearing about Polanski’s crime, which he happened to commit mere blocks from my childhood home, and it never influenced my appreciation of his magnificent “Chinatown” (1974). The Hollywood community, essentially, has gotten over it too — he won the Academy Award for Best Director seven years ago. And Michael Jackson’s molestation allegations seemed a mere footnote in stories of his death this past June, many of which focused on his lasting legacy as a performer.

“P.Y.T.” makes me smile every time I hear it. In both circumstances, their extraordinary work has transcended their personal blemishes.

Maybe it’s a case of a time healing all wounds. I wasn’t alive when Polanski was arrested, and I don’t have any particularly vivid memories of Michael Jackson’s abuse allegations, but I would imagine that, other than a select few indulging some morbid fascination, people weren’t exactly rushing out to purchase their work.

But the question I keep asking myself is: By continuing to listen to The Mamas and the Papas, am I in some way granting John Phillips a measure of forgiveness? Is my affection for his music separate from my horror at what he did? For me, right now, the answer is no. But, if Polanski and Jackson are any indication, that may change.

Rappers like T.I. gain street cred (and popularity) in jail. But Polanski and Jackson and Brown and Phillips are different; their grotesque crimes were against women (Brown), children (Jackson) or both (Phillips and Polanski). Theirs are deeds we consider unforgivable when committed by people who didn’t sing “Beat It.” In a few days or weeks or months, I’ll try to listen to “Monday, Monday” by The Mamas and Papas and see how I feel. Maybe my Yom Kippur prayers for collective forgiveness will make some sort of subconscious impact, and I’ll be ready to move on. For the moment, though, the actions surpass the art.

Derek Schlom is a fresman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Derek.

Schlom@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

ARTS & LIVING

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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continued from page 5

his labor. It sets up Harris’s interpretations of pieces from the 15th, 16th and 17th century beside the ancestors on which he modeled them. In many instances, Harris draws directly on the motifs and styles of the miniatures, and reinterprets them in larger, more dynamic paintings. The result is a large-scale examination of the artistic elements that make the original pieces so intriguing.

“Harris focuses on certain elements of each image, manipulating them to create a painting that is more an exploration of the techniques used to construct it than a replication of the original.”

One comparison is between a late 16th century ink drawing from the Safavid period entitled “Young Bears in a Landscape,” and an image by Harris entitled “A Layering of Visions.” At first, the similarities of the images seem limited to three bears depicted in similar styles. At the center of Harris’ work are the same three bears present in the ink drawing, but in varying levels of completion and in a much larger, loosely-drawn style that starkly contrasts with the precise representation of the originals.

Upon closer inspection, these figures are not the only similarity. Harris also draws from the original color palette, but while the pigments are rather muted in “Young Bears in a Landscape,” Harris punches those colors up and makes them a focal point of the image. He swathes the three bears in bright colors, as opposed to surrounding them with an exactingly drawn landscape. Harris focuses on certain elements of each image, manipulating them to create a painting that is more an exploration of the techniques used to construct the original than a replication of it.

A painting by Harris entitled “Shepard’s Pet” and its accompanying Safavid piece from 1675 called “A Goatherd” also offer visitors an interesting comparison. Harris reexamines this painting in a number of ways. First, he

IPCONTEMPORARY.COM

Conley Harris’ expressive paintings, like “The Archer” found in the Indar Pasricha Gallery, offer a unique reinterpretation of the older works upon which they are based. shifts the focus from the goatherd to the goat.

Second, he places a blown-up, watercolor version of the original animal at the center of his image. This he combines with a replication of an exquisite oak tree from “A Goatherd,” as well as a playful use of pooled watercolor.

Harris’ composition is an open discussion between the goat’s head, the technical use of watercolor and the precise execution of the tree, as in the original image. Harris has put all of these elements together in a slightly haphazard assemblage that nonetheless enables the viewer to focus on the

dynamic, multi-faceted execution of the original painting. The unfinished quality of Harris’ piece calls attention to each individual elements he is using in “A Goatherd.”

In “Glorious Beasts in Persian Painting,” Harris beclouds the intensively-drawn Persian miniatures of the 16th and 17th century, teasing out a softer and more impressionistic feel even as he revels in the Persian artists’ emphasis on technical skill.

Harris’ interest in Persian art from this period stems from a background of extensive world travel, as well as an artistic interest

in the fine draftsmanship so characteristic of the period’s work.

Harris’ work is an exploration of the elements of Persian miniature painting, as opposed to an effort to duplicate them.

This allows for a better examination of the beauty and skillful execution of the artwork of which he is so fond. Harris’ work emphasizes beautiful techniques that can be hard to spot in the swirl and concentrated lines of the miniatures. His work allows viewers to better appreciate the quality of art they examine.

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continued from page 5

colors (although two, the red and the yellow, are only available at the Apple Store) and sports a polished aluminum finish instead of the previous matte metal.

The new features of the iPod Nano are what really set it apart from the rest of the competition. Most notably, the Nano now sports a camera that captures full color video at up to 30 frames per second. This may seem unnecessary, as most cell phones and digital cameras already have

“For those with no mp3 player, or at the very least no iPod, the fifth generation iPod Nano is a great place to enter the world of digital music.” video recording capabilities, but after experimenting with the iPod’s camera, it makes perfect sense.

Users can record many hours of video on the device and quickly and easily upload them to websites with user-generated content, such as Facebook. com or YouTube.com. Bundled with the camera are 15 special effects filters, from faux-thermal vision to sepia tones, black and white and classic film grain

WAXAFIX.COM

“Ooooooh, SHINY!” — all a lot of fun.

While the video is good, the built-in microphone only captures audio with any quality at close range. This means the iPod can double as a fantastic voice recorder for interviews and memos, but could prove useless for long-range functions, such as recording concerts or class lectures.

The Nano comes in two sizes, eight gigabytes (GB) and 16 GB. The eight GB version runs $149, while the 16 comes in at $179, making it a much better deal: double the storage space for $30 more? It’s a no-brainer.

Also new with this version of the device is a built-in fitness program that links to the Nike+iPod website, and

a pedometer that can count steps whether the iPod is powered on or off.

The iPod Nano is, and remains, the gym enthusiast’s device of choice. Unlike its larger cousins, the iPod Classic and iPod Touch, the Nano uses a solid-state drive (as opposed to a hard drive), which means that it can be shaken without

any damage. To cash in on this feature, the new iPod includes a shuffle function: just shake the iPod and it automatically — with a cool sound accompaniment — shuffles to a random song. This can be irritating if the user doesn’t lock the iPod while it’s engaged, as a sudden stop or jump can make it change songs.

In case a one’s personal music library gets boring, those in possession of this version have access to the radio. The latest iPod features an FM radio with DVR-like capabilities, meaning that one can rewind and pause live radio for up to 15 minutes.

The radio is a nice feature, but the pausing and iTunes tagging — the ability to save a song’s information so one can purchase it from iTunes later — are somewhat superfluous.

Since Apple comes out with new generations of products every year, it’s difficult to decide which ones are worth purchasing. The most recent incarnation of the iPod Nano may initially seem gratuitous, but in hand its appeal becomes very clear: the fifth generation iPod Nano is simply a lot of fun. The camera is entertaining, the radio is cool, the shake-to-shuffle interaction feels good and the device itself is very, very shiny.

For those with no MP3 player, the fifth generation iPod Nano is a great way to enter the world of digital music. For all of those who already own an iPod, $180 is a small price to pay for a new 16 GB backup device.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

!"#$%"&'(&)*$#"+&,%-./,&0'1/.'2".,-$3& -,,4",&/5$/&#$6"&'.-7-1$3&,'&0'#8"33-17& FAME

continued from page 5

her parents by choosing to embark on a singing career. She aspires to be the next Alicia Keys rather than follow the classical music track that is expected of her. Another student struggles with his inability to keep up with the talent in his ballet class.

With this approach to a moive, the filmmaker has to tie each distinct plot into a coherent whole, something that never happens. The only scenes the stories have in common are the musical numbers.

Storylines are chopped up and then music and dance scenes are interspersed seemingly at random in a failed attempt to connect characters to each other.

All of the actors who play students are unknowns, but the teachers offer a couple of notable cameo roles, including Megan Mullally as a voice coach and Kelsey Grammer as a music teacher. Using unknowns would have been a brilliant decision, except that none of the young actors have any talent or pizzazz. This is especially ironic as both are usually required to achieve fame.

The one exception is Naturi Naughton, playing Denise, who has an amazing voice but isn’t onscreen enough for her performance to save the movie. Mullally also has a movie-stealing scene in which she sings karaoke to the old Rodgers and Hart song “You Took Advantage of Me.” The rest of the movie, despite the singing and dancing in fabulous costumes, is boring enough to make viewers leave the theater.

The musical numbers are the only interesting part of the movie, but even these moments are less than satisfactory because there’s no motivation behind them. These kids live in a fantasy world where they think all of their dreams will come true just by singing and dancing.

This sort of cloyingly sweet bubblegum take might have worked if the first “Fame” hadn’t been so heavily laden with serious discussion about the perils of seeking fame. The original “Fame” touched on drug abuse, sexual activity and preg-

ARTS & LIVING

Tufts University Counseling and Mental Health Service Free and Confidential Groups Fall 2009 Groups Begin in October Questioning and/ or Coming Out? (co-led with Tufts LGBT Center director) Thoughts and feelings about sexuality and the possibility of coming out can feel challenging, confusing, and possibly even exhilarating. This support group offers an opportunity to talk with a small group of your peers about sexuality and the coming out journey in a confidential setting.

For more information, email or call Tom at tom.bourdon@tufts.edu / 617-627-5770 or email or call Allyson at allyson.livingstone@tufts.edu / 617-627-3360

______________________________________________________________ Relationship Dynamics This is a confidential group in which students will discuss relationships with family, friends, significant others, and the Tufts community. The group will help students build stronger, healthier relationships and increase their understanding of themselves in relationship to others. Students will work towards feeling more empowered in relationships and realizing their social potential.

For more information email or call Elizabeth at elizabeth.varney@tufts.edu / 617-627-3360

______________________________________________________________ ROTTENTOMATOES.COM

No, it’s cool, they didn’t totally rip off those iPod ads for the movie poster. nancy, abortion, suicide, failed careers and homosexuality. The remake seems content to present viewers with a sappy, Disney-ized rendition of the artistic lifestyle and each artist’s quest for celebrity.

The darkest moments in this new rendition are when a young man gets swindled out of $5,000 and a ballet dancer contemplates suicide after being told he will never reach a professional level. Yet these somewhat traumatizing occurrences are a breeze; both teenagers move on with their lives. The movie makes no serious attempt to explore how failure and the harshness of society affect young artists.

This remake ultimately fails to live up to its predecessor. There’s no contemplation of what it means to want to become famous, and there’s no emotion attached to any of the characters. This is what makes “Fame” so forgettable.

Mindfulness and Meditation for Stress Reduction Meditation and mindfulness have been practiced for millennia to train and calm the mind, body and spirit. More recently, research has proven the efficacy of these practices for mental health and physical health, as well as boosting academic and athletic performance. Learn a range of techniques to help your concentration, creativity, and manage your stress.

For more information send an email to mindfulness@tufts.edu / 617-627-3360

______________________________________________________________ Healing from Loss This is a confidential support group for students who have experienced the death of an important person in their life. This group offers the space to talk with others in a safe, supportive environment.

For more information email or call Deborah at deborah.forman@tufts.edu / 617-627-3360

______________________________________________________________ For general group information, send an email to groups-cmhs@tufts.edu .

For information about other Counseling and Mental Health Service offerings including individual counseling, couples counseling, psychiatric services, emergency coverage, stress management, and consultation, please visit our website http://ase.tufts.edu/counseling or call 617-627-3360.

“US Engagement with Iran”

with

Amb. William Luers TONIGHT, Tuesday, September 29, 8:00pm, Barnum 008 Ambassador William Luers is a 31-year veteran of the US Foreign Service and the former President of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA). He served as US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1983-1986) and Venezuela (19781982) and held numerous posts in Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, and in the Department of State, where he was the !"#$%&'())*)%+,%'-"./"%+/&'01'-%+%"'10/'2$/0#"'34566745689'+,:'10/';,%"/7(<"/*.+,'(=+*/)'3456>745669?'(<@?'A$"/)'B+)' been a visiting lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Amb. Luers is also the former President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. C*)'+/"+)'01'"D#"/%*)"'*,.E$:"F'G-'H0/"*I,'J0E*.&'+,:';,%"/,+%*0,+E'(=+*/)K'LB"'G,*%":'M+%*0,)K'N$))*+'+,:'2+)%"/,'2$/0#"K' A+%*,'(<"/*.+K'G-'+,:';/+,K'+,:';,%"/,+%*0,+E'O$E%$/+E'N"E+%*0,)? ;,'+'.0EE+@0/+%*0,'@"%P"",'%B"'J/0Q".%'0,'R$)%*."'*,'L*<")'01'L/+,)*%*0,K'%B"';,)%*%$%"'10/'SE0@+E'A"+:"/)B*#K'+,:'%B"'2D#"/*<",%+E'O0EE"I"K'(<@?'A$"/)'*)'%"+.B*,I'+'.0$/)"'+%'L$1%)'%B*)')"<")%"/'0,'TL+EU*,I'P*%B'%B"'2,"<&?V

For more information: www.tuftsgloballeadership.org or x73314

7

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

THE TUFTS DAILY GIOVANNI J.B. RUSSONELLO Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Naomi Bryant Managing Editors David Heck 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

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

EDITORIAL

Obama, advisor should rethink Sudan policy

Since word of genocidal conflict first broke out in 2003, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the entire country’s identity have become inextricably tied to one conflict-embroiled region: Darfur. While organizations such as STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition and the Enough Project have been calling for foreign intervention, the leaders of the developed world have, for the most part, remained silent.

During his campaign last year, President Obama emphasized the need for the United States to address the crisis in Darfur head-on, and harshly chastised President George W. Bush’s administration for not taking more action to condemn the Sudanese government and aid its victimized population. But despite that opportune rhetoric, it seems that the current president and his administration are content to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. The political status quo is to acknowledge the word of a criminal government rather than the cries of a brutalized people, and to tread softly around an issue that, as Obama himself has declared, “offends the standards of our common humanity.”

Appointing Maj. Gen. Scott Gration

as special envoy to Sudan is the latest and most gratuitous indication of the administration’s negligence toward the civil war-torn country. Although Obama has criticized the Bush administration’s continued engagement of al-Bashir, Gration emphasizes the need to trust the Sudanese government, even after its slew of broken promises to both its people and other nations. Gration says the United States must believe that after fostering ethnic warfare that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, al-Bashir is being earnest when he says he wants to change his approach — although the Sudanese ruler’s details remain in short supply.

Gration’s rhetoric sounds strangely similar to that of the Bush administration. Instead of pressuring the Sudanese government, Gration wants to bargain with its leader, al-Bashir — a man who is now confronted with war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Gration’s immediate plan includes easing economic sanctions against the Sudanese government and strengthening diplomatic ties with alBashir. Gration has completely disregarded the near-unanimous warnings of humanitarian group leaders who

specialize in dealing with the genocide in Darfur and the Sudanese government. John Prendergrast, co-founder of the Enough Project, and Adam Mudawi, a human rights activist who works in Sudan, see Gration’s plans as naïve and doomed to fail. Gration and the Obama administration are seeking to negotiate with al-Bashir despite the strong feelings of experts, ample although not sufficient documentation of horrendous atrocities in Sudan and the recent indictment of al-Bashir by the ICC. During his campaign, when asked about his stance on the Darfur crisis, Obama stated, “As President of the United States, I don’t intend to abandon people or turn a blind eye to slaughter.”

Yet by agreeing to Gration’s proposal of conciliation, Obama is turning that blind eye. Though Obama preached placing human rights over politics, his current direction suggests the opposite.

Like his predecessor, Obama likely sees the political benefits of dealing with al-Bashir as a head of state, not as a criminal. Obama must reconsider his mission to form a cordial relationship with al-Bashir or risk failing the stricken people of Darfur and the voters who believed he would make a real change.

ERIN MARSHALL

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

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

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OFF THE HILL | UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Trends fade, but individual style is eternal

BY ALEXANDRA ESPOSITO The University Daily Kansan

Remember gaucho pants? You know, those pants that made wearers risk looking like a hippie or a pirate. The must-have piece in the ‘70s somehow made its way back into fashion a few years ago. They were all the rage circa 2005, despite that they didn’t look good on most everyone.

The world of fashion is a complicated one. The industry can be broken down into facets such as designers, manufacturers, buyers, seamstresses, marketers and, of course, fashionistas who allow the industry to thrive. But there is a dark side to the world of fashion: the only goal is to sell, and sell as much as they can. They are the mass marketers who produce trends.

Each season a few designs are chosen to be mass-produced must haves, only to be kicked out of the style world faster than last year’s Jimmy Choos.

Trends are designed for the now and

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials that appear on this page are written by the Editorial Page editors, 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.

are not designed to stay in style for long, forcing consumers to buy new trend pieces every year.

It’s easy to fall for a trend. When an article of clothing has been mass produced to appear in every store, it seems logical to own it. And now that the fashion merchandising industry tells you what to wear, it’s so convenient to just pick it up and put it on.

The concept of trends is flawed because it’s impossible to design something that will look good on every body type. Trends are expected to be worn by the masses, but, like all clothing styles, they don’t look good on everyone. If you wear something that doesn’t work for your body type, it’s not going to look right just because everyone else is wearing it.

Think before you buy. Before spending your money ask yourself, “Will this trend last?” Think scrunchies. Yes, it’s fun to match your hair to your shirt, but they don’t hold hair well and are a little obnoxious. It’s okay; I miss them too.

Timelessness, versatility and functionality are characteristics of trends that last. When celebrities arrived at the 2006 Academy Awards in gowns with pockets, many viewers did not approve.

But once the convenience of putting your cell phone and lip gloss in a pocket instead of having to carry around a clutch was noted, pockets began and continue to appear on everything from sun dresses to formal skirts.

Think carpenter jeans. Sure, they’re convenient if you’re working on a construction site. But other than that, what’s the point?

Don’t underestimate the power of a trend. Slap a trusted brand name on the most obscure thing and it will somehow find its way into your closet (I bet you never thought fanny packs would make a comeback). Don’t buy something just because it’s all the rage — your money is better spent on something you actually like. Never be afraid to go against the trends; individuality is always in style.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted by 4 p.m. and should be handed into the Daily office or sent to letters@tuftsdaily.com. All letters must be word processed and include the writer’s name and telephone number. There is a 350-word limit and letters must be verified. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length.

ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director. A publication schedule and rate card are available upon request.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

9

OP-ED

OFF THE HILL| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Iran’s nuclear movement concerning for all

BY COLLEEN GARTNER The Daily Toreador

Nuclear weapons are scary. The purpose of obliterating anything at any time anywhere makes me feel like I am a target. Rightfully so; the United States should feel threatened by unfriendly countries or even countries with extremist views that have been gradually obtaining this weapon technology.

Last week, the U.N.-based International Atomic Energy Agency leaked a report that churned the idea Iran has the technology to make a nuclear bomb and may be developing nuclear missiles covertly. Although the report has not been confirmed, it has riled up both sides of the issue.

Of course, just because a country has the ability to make a bomb does not mean it will. However, Iran’s strong move toward “nuclear energy” raises questions. Iran has been on an alternating offensive/defensive front the last two years in an increased effort to build nuclear power plants before they are rejected by its global peers.

Although it is easy to understand the region’s need for more energy, the risk associated with placing a nuclear power plant there is beyond comprehension. Iran is next to Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of course, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday in an AP conference that Iran has no need for nuclear weapons, but refused to rule out Tehran, the capital of Iran, would obtain such arms in the future.

Such advanced weaponry would bring the Middle Eastern conflict to a whole new level. As if the Crusades were not enough, Middle Eastern countries today fight among themselves for land by using religion as a basis for ownership, with the Gaza Strip and West Bank along the Mediterranean having the most long-term violence. This area is already sprinkled with accords, armistices, broken promises, oil greed and clashes.

To think it only takes a single drop from a plane to exponentially increase the destruction occurring in the region is downright surreal. It is bad when the nerd blogospheres and defense industry Web sites across the Internet are debating whose missile is better on makeshift comparison charts.

We must realize, however, any leader from any nuclear country could press that big “Easy Button.”

Therefore, the United States must approach the spread of nuclear technology cautiously. That does not mean we should lie down and take it. It takes an enormous amount of cooperation to prevent or stop the leakage of scientific information, and past proactive efforts have had mixed

results. Remember the CIA reports concerning weapons of mass destruction?

It is not just the fact these countries are getting this technology that is worrisome. A majority of the time, preliminary tests are done on a country’s own soil and its own people. Even the United States is guilty of it. Many weapons were tested in the mid-1940s and late 1950s in Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi and several Pacific islands.

One of the most well known of these is Bikini Atoll where there was an unexpected yield produced; the natives are no longer allowed to live there. Of course, tests still occur in the southwest today, but much more consideration is taken than it was way back when. (I am sure Indiana Jones will attest to that.)

Then there’s the international side of it all. Saddam Hussein tested gasses on small villages in order to prepare for the Gulf War in 1991. At least the United States had an excuse of inexperience; Saddam knew exactly what he was doing. As for Kim Jong-Il, his decision to test

MCT

underground affected China, South Korea and Japan. Not surprisingly, those infamous six-party talks are still going in six different directions.

It is not hard to see the black market for nuclear arms is as alive as it has ever been before, and everyone is to blame for giving in to it. Indeed, it is not too hard to get around U.N. sanctions these days, particularly when neighboring countries are not with the United Nations.

Additionally, the United States and Russia have interests across the globe and will continue to fight for those outposts under different motivations.

The larger countries in particular try to make room for upgraded weapons by clearing out war chests to sell to smaller countries. Still, others just want to be noticed by the major players on the international stage. Whatever the motivation, it is important to keep a keen eye on countries interested in stockpiling.

After all, it only takes one press of a button to change history.

OFF THE HILL| EMORY UNIVERSITY

We are young, but not invincible

BY AARON COLLETT The Emory Wheel

One misstep put my life in danger when I stepped out onto a busy street in downtown Bali after dinner with my family. A motorcycle whizzed by and crashed into me, dragging me eight meters down the street. As the crowds gathered around, my family rushed to where I laid bloodied on the street to discover my leg bone protruding from the side of my shin. I was rushed to the nearest emergency room and by the morning had been evacuated by plane to a hospital in Singapore. For nearly a year I had to endure physical therapy and follow-up surgeries before I could walk confidently on a healed, metal-free leg. If I hadn’t had medical insurance, the cost of my misstep would have been of phenomenal proportions.

With health care at the top of America’s agenda at the moment, debates have been raging about Americans’ right to coverage. While town hall meetings are filled with elderly individuals pointing out their inability to afford care and while middleto-late-aged politicians are debating the topic on the Senate floor, today’s youth seem to be underrepresented in the discussion. Dubbed as “young invincibles,” people seem to assume that health care isn’t as pressing a concern for today’s youth. However, with nearly 14 million people in that age group uninsured, young

invincibles represent the largest age group of uninsured individuals in America and, thus, will be the most affected by the legislation that is currently being debated. It’s time for us to get more involved.

Today’s youth needs to be more concerned about health and the legislation targeted at preserving it. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed to growing health concerns amongst young populations. In the study, the CDC pointed out that among the young invincibles, onethird are smokers, a quarter are obese and two-thirds don’t include regular physical activity in their leisure time. Consequently, disease is more prevalent among the youth than it has been before. As health analyst Jennifer Shu pointed out in a CNN interview in February: “Diabetes and heart disease start at much earlier ages now.”

But if self-interest is not enough to motivate us, we should be worried about our health for the sake of others. In a recent interview, former President Bill Clinton pointed to the audience and noted, “If one of these young people out here doesn’t have health insurance, they’ll still get health care, but it’ll be too late, too expensive in the emergency room, and then their costs will be passed along to everybody else.” The CDC’s report supported this claim, noting that young adults have the highest rate of injury-related emergency department visits of all age groups.

For a group that seemingly exists outside the realm of the health-care debate, our actions have a profound effect on the current American health-care costs.

A lack of health insurance is also pushing young people further and further into debt. With one-third of people between ages 20 and 24 uninsured, college-age students often fall into debt when confronted with health issues. As Dr. Todd Callahan of Vanderbilt suggests, “When a youth reaches their 20s, they’re in a vulnerable time.

The social supports for adolescents fall by the wayside, become discontinuous.”

Left without the safety net of their family health insurance plan and not yet in a job that offers health benefits, many college grads decide to remain uninsured. For many, this risk doesn’t pay off. According to a recent study by the Commonwealth Fund, nearly half of new college grads without insurance have difficulty paying medical bills and more than a third are in medical debt.

Fortunately, in some areas around the country, young invincibles are mobilizing in support of increased health coverage. A recent segment of PBS’s “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” focused on the issue and profiled Young Invincibles, an organization determined to represent the interests of the demographic their name suggests. The founders, two law students at Georgetown University, created the organization after working on

President Obama’s campaign and developing an interest in having young people represented in debates of health care. The group’s Web site documents the struggle of many young invincibles in an attempt to prove that the label is a misnomer.

Even the administration recognizes the need to include young people in the health care debate. Speaking last week at College Park in Maryland, President Barack Obama showed that young invincibles are still on the government’s radar.

However, with health care reform facing tough opposition and proposals moving farther and farther away from the ideal of universal health care, the youth cannot take anything for granted. Without more vocal groups like Young Invincibles speaking up about the issue, politicians could easily compromise on important aspects of the legislation when faced with the apathy of our age group.

Young Invincibles should be the ones campaigning most for the legislation to pass. Unlike older generations, today’s youth is not ingrained in political path dependence and does not yet feel disempowered by past failings of health care reform. Even those who are blessed with good health should be aware that today’s legislation could be the solution to future health woes — preventative medicine, so to speak. But above all, today’s youth should act because one fact is undeniable: No one is invincible.

!"#$#%"$&'()*+$,-./$/%'#$('##"0+$#.$1.*2 #34$.56"7$849:;<=$<>$:34$?@;ABC$@=$<54=$><DEF$><D$9@F5E8$47;:<D;@A$9<FF4=:@DBC$;8$5D;=:47$(<=7@B$:3D<EG3$ #3ED87@B2$+EHF;88;<=8$@D4$I4A9<F4$>D<F$@AA$F4FH4D8$<>$:34$#E>:8$9<FFE=;:B2$/4$@9945:$<5;=;<=$@D:;9A48$<=$@=B$ @8549:$<>$9@F5E8$A;>4C$@8$I4AA$@8$@D:;9A48$<=$=@:;<=@A$<D$;=:4D=@:;<=@A$=4I82$.5;=;<=$5;4948$83<EA7$H4$H4:I44=$JKK$ @=7$LCMKK$I<D782$)A4@84$84=7$8EHF;88;<=8C$I;:3$@$9<=:@9:$=EFH4DC$:<$<547N:E>:87@;AB29<F2$O44A$>D44$:<$46F@;A$E8$ I;:3$@=B$PE48:;<=82 OP-ED POLICY The Op-Ed section of the Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. Op-Ed welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. All material is subject to editorial discretion, and is not guaranteed to appear in The Tufts Daily. All material should be submitted by no later than 1 p.m. on the day prior to the desired day of publication. Material must be submitted via e-mail (oped@tuftsdaily.com) attached in .doc or .docx format. Questions and concerns should be directed to the Op-Ed editors. The opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Tufts Daily itself.

THE TUFTS DAILY

10 CROSSWORD

COMICS

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

DOONESBURY

BY

GARRY TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR

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SOLUTIONS TO MONDAY’S PUZZLE

MARRIED TO THE SEA

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SUDOKU Level: Doing laundry with a touch-screen washer

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Solution to Monday's puzzle

Dave: “I know my HGTV.”

Please recycle this Daily

WILEY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

THE TUFTS DAILY

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NOTICE Tufts Health Service Flu shot clinic update for Students Only Student flu clinics held in mid-September had unprecedented demand, and over 2,000 students have already been vaccinated. This exceeds last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total by several hundred students.

We plan to hold additional seasonal flu clinics when vaccine becomes available. As recent news articles indicate, many manufacturers have had to delay distribution of seasonal flu vaccine in order to get the H1N1 vaccine ready as soon as possible.

We anticipate receiving more seasonal flu vaccine in one to two months (late October to mid November), and we will advertise additional student clinics then. Seasonal flu does not usually hit until January or February, and we anticipate being able to vaccinate students well before then.

H1N1 Flu Vaccine Clinicsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;H1N1 Vaccine is being manufactured and will be distributed by the Federal Government for administration to high priority groups. It is estimated that vaccine will be available in late fall to early winter. Healthy college students are currently in the second tier of priority. Once clinics are scheduled, we will post dates here and advertise widely.

H1N1 Influenza and Health Service Appointments If illness volume increases rapidly from H1N1 flu, we may need to curtail appointments for nonurgent matters, for a period of time. All students should have a thermometer so they can check their temperature if they become ill.

STAY HEALTHY THIS YEAR! EVERYONE CAN HELP!

Frequent Hand washing Cough into sleeve/elbow Avoid touching nose, eyes, mouth Stay away from ill people Stay home when ill with fever

11

12

THE TUFTS DAILY

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

FREEMAN DYSON

NUKES AND GENOMES : TWO GENIES OUT OF THE BOTTLE

The twentieth century was the century of physics

and the twenty-first century

will be the century of biology.

T H U R S D AY , O C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 0 9 LECTURE 4:30–6:00 P. M .

RECEPTION T O F OLLOW ASEAN AUDITORIUM CABOT INTERCULT URAL CENTER PACKARD AVENUE MEDFORD / SOMERVILLE CAMPUS T U F TS U N I VE RSI TY Freeman Dyson is professor emeritus of physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

A graduate of Cambridge University with a B.A. in mathematics, he came to Cornell University as a graduate student in 1947. Among his most notable contributions to science was the unification of the three versions of quantum electrodynamics invented by Feynman, Schwinger, andTomonaga. He subsequently worked on nuclear reactors, solid-state physics, ferromagnetism, astrophysics, and biology, looking for problems where elegant mathematics could be usefully applied.

Dyson has written a number of books about science for the general public, including Disturbing the Universe (1979), a portrait gallery of people he has known during his career as a scientist, Weapons and Hope (1984), a study of the ethical problems of war and peace, Origins of Life (1986), a study of one of the major unsolved problems of science, and The Sun, the Genome and the Internet (1999), an inquiry into whether modern technology could be used to narrow the gap between rich and poor. Dyson is a fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the Royal Society of London. In 2000 he was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Richard E. Snyder PRESIDENT ’S LECTURE SERIES

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

13

SPORTS

!"#$%&#'(%)*+,%-"./0#*'("#0%&"#$1%)#21,%3.04+,1(%51617%-+0%4#4$1 INSIDE GOLF

continued from page 15

Six weeks later, his mother was diagnosed with it as well. Consequently, Mickelson played in only two tournaments between May 10 and Aug. 6. It was a trying year for the man known as “Lefty,” and no one would have blamed him for not returning at all.

As the middle of the season rolled around, these early distractions took their toll on both Woods’ and Mickelson’s performances in majors.

At the Masters, neither one managed to break the top four. At the British Open, in which Mickelson did not participate, Woods missed the cut for the first time since the 2006 U.S. Open, which took place shortly after the passing of his father. But perhaps the most shocking occurrence was Woods’ final-round collapse in the

PGA Championship.

Woods held both the 36- and 54-hole leads, which he had never blown at a major in his career. He was paired up on Sunday with Y.E. Yang, a littleknown Korean player who had won his first PGA Tour event in March.

While the world expected to see “Sunday Tiger” aggressively protect his two-stroke lead, it instead watched him shoot a three-over 75 in the final round and lose to Yang by three strokes. Even his trusty putter let him down, as he missed a vital eight-foot putt late in the final round. For the first time in his career, Woods failed to deliver the clutch Sunday shots with which he has made his name.

Still, despite their difficulties, Woods and Mickelson both had strong years.

Woods won six tournaments and finished in the top two in eight of his last

11 events. Phil finished second to Tiger in Tour wins, recording three of his own, and he finished in a tie for second at the U.S. Open. Woods is still No. 1 in the world rankings and will most likely be Player of the Year, while Mickelson has reclaimed his No. 2 spot in the rankings behind Tiger.

The year’s final competition, the Tour Championship, seemed to be a microcosm of both players’ tumultuous but successful seasons. Mickelson struggled early with a first-round 73, while Tiger’s putter continued to abandon him. In the second round, Woods jumped out to a lead over Padraig Harrington and had consecutive fourfoot birdie putt opportunities on the 15th and 16th holes — the type of situation that Tiger has capitalized on so many times over the past decade.

However, Woods could not sink

either, marking only his eighth and ninth misses from five feet or less all year. The trend continued on Saturday, when Tiger missed six putts shorter than 15 feet.

But when Sunday came around, the two showed they were the cream of the crop yet again. Mickelson shot one of only eight under-par rounds in the field to jump into the lead, while Tiger hung around with a string of 11 straight pars and made big shots down the stretch to finish in second.

With players such as Harrington and Steve Stricker — who would have won the FedEx Cup if he had finished above Woods Sunday — nipping at their heels, Tiger and Phil will need to continue to play at their best to stay at the top. But for one more day, and one more year, the rest of the PGA is still looking up at golf ’s biggest names.

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MEN’S TENNIS

continued from page 16

sophomore Neall Oliver in a come-frombehind victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. In the second round, Victoria faced the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Amherst sophomore Austin Chafetz. The upset task was too tall an order, as Victoria lost 6-2, 6-0.

After his impressive debut at Salve Regina last week, freshman Andrew Lutz continued to display strong potential, but he was dropped 7-6 (4), 6-2 in a competitive first-round match versus Middlebury sophomore Eric Vehovec.

On the doubles side of the tournament, both the Jumbos’ teams were unable to advance beyond their opening matches. Pitted against the tournament’s No. 1 seeded team, Victoria and freshman Ben Barad lost to the Bowdoin tandem of senior Jamie Neely and sophomore Oscar Pena 8-3.

The Tufts duo also came up short in Saturday’s consolation play, losing a closer 9-8 match against sophomore Phillip Zunshine and freshman Dan Freeman of Colby. The pairing of Lutz

and sophomore Morrie Bossen also lost in the first round, falling 8-4 to Amherst freshman Alex Kim and senior Dan Kim. Though the team did not advance to the last day of the tournament, this weekend provided a good overview of the competition the Jumbos will face for the rest of the season.

“We have a nice base so far, and we know how our conference is and what we have to do to get better for the rest of the fall and spring seasons,” Lutz said.

Senior Dan Landers added that the team also sent many young players to the tournament.

“Hopefully the underclassmen learned a lot and gained some experience,” Landers said. “I don’t think the results matter all that much, because it’s what they take from the match that’s important.”

With three matches left in the brief fall season, the team looks to improve as much as possible in practice over the coming weeks, particularly in doubles.

“Especially against some of the good teams, the difference-maker always

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seems to be doubles,” Lutz said. “Being up 3-0 in the match versus being down 0-3 is a big difference, both in confidence and the score. So doubles is definitely the key to getting ahead.”

“Hopefully the underclassmen learned a lot and gained some experience ... I don’t think the results matter all that much, because it’s what they take from the match that’s important.”

Dan Landers senior

With this in mind, the team has been working on finding effective doubles pairings, placing emphasis on consistency, communication, aggression and

technique.

On Saturday, the Jumbos will travel to Babson to take on the host Beavers in the morning and the MIT Engineers in the afternoon.

“While you can never underestimate a team, Babson isn’t as strong as any of the NESCAC teams,” Lutz said. “We hope to win a convincing match without too much pressure, so we’ll work hard this week to ensure that we can do that.”

MIT, however, should provide a much greater challenge. At the end of last season, MIT beat Tufts to drop the Jumbos out of the 30th spot in the national rankings. While Tufts hopes to exact revenge on Saturday, it knows MIT will have a competitive set of singles players. As a result, the Jumbos are counting on their doubles tandems — and especially the younger members of the team — to establish an early lead.

“MIT has some strong recruits and overall a very strong team,” said Landers. “Hopefully our freshmen come through and we get a good win.”

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Pre-Law Advising Event September 30, 2009 4:30-6:00 pm Dowling 754 A/B

Considering Pre-law, a discussion on being a pre-law student at Tufts.

Sponsored by Tufts Pre-law Advising.

THE TUFTS DAILY

14

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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so it’s important to gauge yourself off teammates. We hope that we can help each other, and we’ll see what it’s like running among crowds. It should be a great opportunity to work on packrunning in a shorter race.”

Kass also emphasized the strategic part of racing, especially with regards to more competitive contests.

“The more you race, the better you do,” Kass said. “You learn more about your own tactics and how quick you are in certain aspects. You know whether you want to go all out in first mile.

“All-New Englands is a fast race, and there are so many great runners from all over the place, it’s important to know how you fare against stronger runners and how to work off people,” she continued. “There are a lot of opportunities to experiment and go out harder or to go out slower and try to pick up the pace later.”

If Price and Kass are able to work together and run as well as they did Saturday, both have a chance to improve on their respective 127th and 188th places from last year and vault into the top 100.

“When it comes down to it, you know how you’ll do when the race starts,” Kass said. “So I just want to compete with this group. I want to challenge myself and come over the line knowing I couldn’t have tried any harder.”

continued from page 16

the All-New England Championship at Franklin Park in Boston, in which dozens of schools from all three divisions compete on a 5K course.

The Jumbos, who competed in only two September races this year compared to four last year, plan on using the time off between now and then to their advantage.

“We’re using time off to get in some extra workouts since we don’t have as many meets this year,” Price said. “We have more opportunities to get our packrunning together and get more workouts in than we normally do.”

Last year at All-New Englands, McNamara finished sixth while Wilfert came in 21st out of 301 runners; they were the only Jumbos to place in the top 100, leading the squad to a 14thplace finish out of 45 teams. In one of the most crowded and competitive races of the year, Price hopes to continue to run alongside Kass so that the duo can better its performances in its second go-round.

“This is such a huge race this year, so I’m mainly trying to gauge myself off of my teammate Bryn Kass,” Price said. “We want to work with each other and move up in pack together instead of last race where we ran close but apart. And there are so many people,

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LAURA SCHULTZ/TUFTS DAILY

Junior Amy Wilfert’s second place finish at the Conn. College Invitational on Saturday helped Tufts to a fifth-place finish overall.

SCHEDULE | Sept. 29 - Oct. 5 TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

Football

SUN

MON

at Bates 1:00 p.m.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY continued from page 16

vs. Endicott 4:00p.m.

Field Hockey

Brandeis,” Ragazzini said. “Brandeis held back two of [its] top five, but I think we were very happy with how we held up with them, coming away with a win from those two teams.”

“I thought the competition was good for a meet this early in the season — competitive, but not over our heads,” Faller added.

The Jumbos will next travel to Franklin Park in Boston for the All-New England Championship on Oct. 10. “[All-New England’s] will be a very different style of racing, because the field will be enormous and Div. I runners will be there, but it will be a chance to get accustomed to much bigger and much faster races,” Ragazzini said.

Faller took sixth in the meet last year, leading Tufts to a 19th place finish out of 47 New England schools from all three divisions.

“It gives us a good look at other Div. III teams that we’ll be racing later on in the season,” Faller said. “I think finishing as high as I did last year was exciting, and if I can match last year’s performance, I would be thrilled.”

at Bates 12:00p.m.

vs. MIT 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

vs. Suffolk 7:00p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

at Bates 2:30 p.m. at Bates 12:00 p.m.

at Babson 4:00 p.m. vs. UMass Boston 7:00 p.m.

Volleyball

Tufts Invitational 5:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

at MIT 4:00 p.m.

JumboCast

Volleyball

Tufts Invitational 12:00 p.m. vs. Babson 10:00 a.m.

Volleyball

STATISTICS | STANDINGS Field Hockey

Women's Soccer

(5-0, 3-0 NESCAC) NESCAC

Trinity Tufts Williams Conn. Coll.

Amherst Bowdoin Colby Middlebury Wesleyan Bates

W 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 0 0

T. Brown A. Russo M. Burke T. Guttadauro J. Perkins M. Kelly L. Griffith K. Eaton M. Scholtes

L W 0 6 0 5 0 3 1 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 1 4 1 G 5 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 0

Goalkeeping GA M. Zak 3 K. Hyder 0

(3-2-0, 1-2-0 NESCAC)

L 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 5

A 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 1

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pts 11 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

S S% 12 .800 1 1.00

NESCAC

NESCAC OVERALL

OVERALL

Amherst Middlebury Williams Trinity Bates Bowdoin Tufts Wesleyan Colby Conn. Coll.

W 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0

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

L 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 G 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

T 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0

W 4 4 7 2 2 2 3 3 1 3

L 1 0 0 1 2 3 2 2 3 3

T 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0

A 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

Pts 4 3 3 2 2 1 0 0 0

Goalkeeping GA S S% K. Minnehan 3 24 .889

Volleyball

Men's Soccer

(11-1, 2-0 NESCAC)

(0-4-1, 0-3-0 NESCAC)

Trinity Wesleyan Williams Bowdoin Amherst Conn. Coll.

Middlebury Bates Tufts Colby

W 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 0 0 0

A. Lach R. Coleman S. Saropoulos D. Schoening B. Green P. Tonelli Blumenthal N. Muakkassa M. Fitzgerald

L 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 G 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

T 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

OVERALL

W 4 3 5 5 3 3 3 1 0 1 A 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 4 4 4

T 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1

Pts 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0

Goalkeeping GA S S% P. Tonelli 11 16 .593

NESCAC OVERALL

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

L W L 0 8 2 0 6 3 0 11 1 0 8 4 1 1 1 1 9 3 0 7 2 1 3 15 2 7 2 2 4 7 2 3 8

Offensive C. Updike Joyce-Mendive B. Helgeson E. Lokken L. Nicholas K. Ellefsen B. Neff

Kills SA 124 41 110 33 106 38 50 35 47 31 29 11 19 18

Amherst Trinity Tufts Williams Bowdoin Conn. Coll.

Middlebury Hamilton Bates Colby Wesleyan

Defensive A. Kuan D. Feiger C. Updike B. Helgeson N. Shrodes K. Engelking

B 0 5 7 2 1 0

Digs 174 81 78 77 69 59

Football

NCAA Div. III Field Hockey

(0-1, 0-1 NESCAC) W 1 Amherst 1 Bowdoin 1 Trinity 1 Wesleyan 1 Williams 0 Bates 0 Colby 0 Hamilton Middlebury 0 0 Tufts

L 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

PF 21 50 35 7 23 14 19 12 35 3

(Sept. 22, 2009)

PA 12 35 14 3 19 35 23 21 50 7

Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. D. Ferguson 14 47 3.4 P. Bailey 10 29 2.9 G. Stewart 2 15 7.5

Points (First-place votes) 1. Messiah, 1112 (51) 2. Salisbury, 1018 3. Tufts, 966 (5) 4. TCNJ, 908 5. Ursinus, 815 6. SUNY Cortland, 802 7. Johns Hopkins, 650 8. Lebanon Valley, 606 9. Bowdoin, 537

TD 0 0 0

Passing Pct. Yds TD INT McManama 39.0 133 0 0 Receiving P. Bailey O. Gray

No. Yds Avg. TD 6 52 52 0 1 17 17 0

Defense M. Murray T. Tassinari D. Simmons

Tack INT Sack 0 10.0 0 0 9.0 0 0 7.0 0

N.E. Div. III Women's Soccer

(Sept. 22, 2009) 1. Williams 2. Wheaton 3. Amherst 4. Springfield 5. Middlebury 6. Babson 7. Brandeis 8. Eastern Conn.

9. Husson 10. Western Conn.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

15

SPORTS

INSIDE THE PGA TOUR

ALEX PREWITT | LIVE FROM MUDVILLE

Yes We Ovech-Can

H

MCT

Though Tiger Woods finished second at the Tour Championship this past weekend, he still was able to win the $10 million FedEx Cup.

!"#$%&"'()*"+,)#'-.+/#-%$#0'1,,/#'.(/' 2%34"5#,('6%(%#-'7".+',('&,$',8'9,58':,+5/ BY

ETHAN STURM

Contributing Writer

Another Sunday afternoon, another golf tournament dominated by the duo of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

That’s what golf fans watched this past weekend, as Mickelson shot an impressive final-round 65 to defeat Tiger Woods by three strokes at the Tour Championship, the concluding tournament of the PGA Tour’s playoff system known as the FedEx Cup. However, Mickelson’s victory only moved him up to second place in

the Cup standings; it was not enough to pass Woods, who won the Cup by over 1,000 points after dominating the regular season.

On top of the $810,000 he won for four days of work (a measly $202,500 per day), Woods also collected a lucrative $10 million check that came along with the Cup victory. For his stellar play on Sunday, Mickelson took home $1.35 million. Ultimately, like so many others this decade, the 2009 year ended with Woods and Mickelson on top.

But that doesn’t mean anybody is

getting bored, as this year’s trip to the top was as atypical as any in recent memory. The season opened on a rough note for both golfers; Woods had undergone season-ending knee surgery after the U.S. Open last summer and was trying to find his game after a long hiatus, while Mickelson was looking to get his life back in order after significant family adversity.

In mid-May, Mickelson’s wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. see INSIDE GOLF, page 13

DAILY DIGITS

19 First half yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 24-0 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. The Giants dominated in all facets of the game and sent the Bucs to 0-3 on the season. In addition to its low yardage totals, Tampa Bay did not record a first down until late in the third quarter and finished with only nine more plays on offense than their counterparts had first downs.

32 Seconds the Tufts women’s soccer team needed to score the only goal of the game Saturday in its 1-0 win over Wesleyan. The win, Tufts’ first in the NESCAC this season, moved Tufts to 3-2 on the season and finally gave the team a victory in a one-goal game after two straight losses. The Jumbos have won three of their last four games and will look to keep the momentum going with two games coming up this week.

7 Matches that the Tufts volleyball team has won in straight sets, 3-0. The Jumbos, who are on an 11 game winning streak, won four matches this past weekend to earn their second straight MIT Invitational win. The victory included wins over NESCAC foes Conn.

College and Williams in the semi-finals and finals, respectively.

16 Games since the Tufts football team last scored less than 13 points, a streak that was snapped in Saturday’s 7-3 loss at Wesleyan. The Jumbos’ three-point total was their lowest output since they were shut out in the last game of the 2006 season at Middlebury. Tufts will look to kickstart its offense at Bates on Saturday.

14 Wins in the last 16 games for the red-hot Atlanta Braves, who suddenly are alive in the race for the NL Wild Card spot. The Braves, who went six-for-six on their recent road trip, are only two and a half games behind the wild-card-leading Colorado Rockies in the race for the Senior Circuit’s final playoff spot. With just seven games remaining on their schedule, the Braves will still need some luck to cap off their improbable run.

5 New teams in the top 10 of the AP college football poll after a series of upsets this weekend. The only spots in the top 10 of the rankings that did not change were the top three, but slipups by a number of teams underneath the trio of Florida, Texas and Alabama led to a shakeup in the polls. One-loss teams Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma and Ohio State have returned to the top of the standings in the 6-9 positions, while Cincinnati joins them as the class of the Big East.

ockey. A sport usually reserved for toothless, bearded men whacking each other with sticks and clumsily ripping off their shirts for the amusement of the 100-or-so fans in the stands. But now, it seems that followers of hockey in my hometown of Washington D.C. have multiplied like bunnies. My theory for such a spike in Capitals followers and attendance?

Not failed birth control. Alex Ovechkin.

Forget Chuck Norris. Forget Tim Tebow.

Ovechkin is the new chief on the block.

Sure, it may have something to do with the fact that the Washington Nationals charge $35 for a guaranteed loss and a bad hot dog and that the Wizards can’t seem to string together an injury-free season. The Redskins just lost to the Detroit Lions, so that train is officially derailed. Soccer hasn’t fully engulfed the country yet, effectively eliminating the D.C. United. And the Washington Mystics? Please.

Maybe the fans of our nation’s capital had no other sport to love, no team to passionately follow and live for. Or maybe Ovechkin saved a dying sport at the right time in a city with very little else to brag about.

Beginning on Sept. 16, 2004, a 310-day NHL lockout resulted in the cancellation of the league’s 88th season, making it the first time since 1919 that the Stanley Cup was not awarded. The Capitals were hit especially hard, ultimately holding a fire-sale for superstars Jaromir Jagr, Sergei Gonchar and Robert Lang. Trading Lang marked the first time in league history that the top scorer was dealt midseason — not exactly the right message to send to a diminishing fan base.

Not to make him the Messiah or anything, but Ovechkin turned the Capitals from the definition of suck into a perennial contender.

More importantly, he helped bring in dedicated fans. Despite the Capitals’ finishing in the basement of the Southeastern Division in Ovechkin’s first year, the rookie won the Calder Memorial Trophy by ranking third in the NHL in goals.

Less than three years later, the Caps won the Southeast. An ESPN article said that “Obama and McCain can only hope to change Washington the way Ovechkin has.” A truer statement has never been uttered.

So what did Ovechkin do to so drastically change the way Washingtonians view hockey? Netting 163 goals in three seasons and winning the division sure helped. But at least half of his success is due to his infectious spirit and outgoing personality that energized the franchise.

Two examples highlight my point.

On Sept. 9, Ovechkin stopped traffic on Manhattan’s Sixth Avenue so he could drive a Zamboni down the middle of the street. Not a bass-thumping, rim-studded Hummer or a limo with tinted windows, but a Zamboni. What a champion.

And where was he going in this ultrapimp mobile? To the NHL Store to play some Wii, because sometimes you just need to roll up to a video game demonstration for 2K Sports’ NHL in style.

Second, in an interview with Russia Today, when asked how he prepares for the game, Ovechkin responded “sex really helps.” When asked if it was before or after the match that he sacks up, the Capital said “before and after.”

Besides the obvious charisma Ovechkin exhibits, I bring these examples up to contrast him with Washington’s other prominent sports figureheads. Dan Snyder is about as interesting as a moldy bagel. And the supposed savior of the Nationals, Stephen Strasburg, is a manchild quieter than a deserted museum.

But Ovechkin? He’ll flat out tell you he’s ugly and that he still gets into bed. He’s the Russian Hugh Hefner, gliding on an ice rink instead of bathing in a grotto. He has the talent of Wayne Gretzky, the ability to turn a franchise around like Michael Jordan and the teeth — or lack thereof — of a newborn.

When speaking to students at Moscow’s New Economic School this July, President Barack Obama said “As a resident of Washington, D.C., I continue to benefit from the contributions of Russians — specifically, from Alexander Ovechkin.”

Don’t we all?

Alex Prewitt is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Alexander.Prewitt@tufts.edu

Sports

16

INSIDE Inside the PGA Tour 15 Live from Mudville 15

tuftsdaily.com

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

!"##$%&'"($)&*+,-.)&/.&01%)/&21(/.%3&.4&/5$&)$").6 BY

LAUREN FLAMENT Senior Staff Writer

The men’s cross country team took home first place at the Conn.

College Invitational on Saturday, with senior Jesse Faller leading the way.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Conn. College Invitational Waterford, Conn., Saturday 1st out of 16 teams (8K) 1.

5.

9.

15.

16.

Jesse Faller, 25:17 Nick Welch, 25:34 Jeffrey Ragazzini, 25:41 Matt Rand, 25:56 Kyle Marks, 26:01

The Jumbos posted a team score of 46 points to lead the 16 teams participating in the event.

In a field of 214 athletes, Tufts’ top five runners all finished in the top 16, with the top seven Jumbos placing amongst the top 28.

Faller outpaced junior Joseph Poulsen of Southern Connecticut State by three seconds, crossing the finish line at 25:17 to take first in the 8,000-meter race.

“I was very encouraged with how I ran,” Faller said. “That’s a good time for me early in the season. It gives me a good indication of what kind of shape I’m in.

It was also a good platform for improvement, because I think I have the potential to improve a lot over the season, so this weekend was kind of a watermark of where my fitness is.”

Senior captain Nick Welch followed 17 seconds behind Faller to claim fifth with a time of 25:34, while junior Jeff Ragazzini came

in just seven seconds later — running a personal best time that was more than a minute lower than his previous record — to earn ninth place.

“I was really happy with my race,” Ragazzini said. “It’s the first time I’ve really put myself out there as a cross country runner, instead of track, so it was good to get that off my chest finally.

“I wanted to stay as relaxed as I could for the first three miles, because it was the first five-mile race of the year, and then after the first three miles, [to] not be afraid of anything and just throw as much coal on the fire as I could,” Ragazzini continued.

Freshmen Matt Rand and Kyle Marks showed some impressive pack-running by finishing 15th and 16th with times of 25:56 and 26:01, respectively. Both were competing in their first collegiate 8K race, and they proved that their strong showings at the Trinity Invitational two weeks ago were no flukes.

“I was pretty pleased with it as my first 8K,” Marks said. “My legs definitely felt the longer distance, but I was really happy with both my performance and the team’s performance ... I tried to stay in a pack with myself, [sophomore] Connor Rose and Matt Rand, and I thought that if I could stay with them, then I’d be in a pretty good place both in terms of the team and time-wise, and then at the end I just held on and kicked.”

Rose followed just three seconds behind Marks to claim 19th place in 26:04. The Jumbos’ top seven was rounded out by senior Ryan Lena, who came in 28th with a time of 26:22.

“I thought the team ran excel-

lently,” Faller said. “A lot of people had PRs and finished high in the standings. It was certainly exciting to finish first as a team.

I thought the freshmen had, on the whole, a solid showing in their first 8K. We had two freshmen at or below 26 minutes, which is an example of our team’s depth.”

“We showed incredible depth,” Ragazzini added. “We’ve never had a team that was this deep before. We had two freshmen run unbelievably well — Rand and Marks — both in our top five.”

To put the performances of Rand and Marks in perspective, Faller — a two-time All-American and the team’s unquestioned No. 1 runner — finished in 60th place at the Conn. College Invitational his freshman year. But even with their early success at the collegiate level, the two first-years are still not satisfied. “[Rand has] definitely motivated me and pushed me in all the races so far to try to be better, and I really hope that we can feed off each other and get better,” Marks said. “Hopefully with some more endurance training and just getting a feel for the race as a whole, I’ll know sort of what my body can take and have a better strategy.”

The field of teams present Saturday included fellow NESCAC schools Bowdoin and Conn.

College, as well as New England competitor Brandeis. Bowdoin finished second with a score of 66 and Brandeis claimed third with 111 points.

“We saw a few of our New England rivals in Bowdoin and see MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, page 14

MEN’S TENNIS

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Senior Jesse Faller won the Conn. College Invitational on Saturday, as the Jumbos placed first among 16 teams in the race.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

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BY JEREMY

GREENHOUSE

Daily Editorial Board

Junior Amy Wilfert proved her first ever victory just over two weeks ago was not a mirage, coming through WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Conn. College Invitational Waterford, Conn., Saturday 5th out of 15 teams (6K)

ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Kai Victoria came back to win his first-round match over Wheaton’s Neall Oliver before falling in the second round of the ITA Regional Championships.

;+4/)&<"16)&2"#+"-#$&$='$%1$6($& "/&>;?&@5",'1.6)51') BY

REBECCA DIBIASE

Contributing Writer

After sweeping Salve Regina last week in its opening match of the season, the Tufts men’s tennis team faced its first NESCAC competition of the year at the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) New England Championships at Williams College on Saturday. While no player or doubles team advanced past the second round, the Jumbos felt positive about the results, especially as they had come up against formidable conference opposition.

“The NESCAC teams were very

strong,” freshman Andrew Lutz said.

“They had well-seasoned players in both singles and doubles, and this weekend we got a taste of just how good they are.”

The Jumbos had two first-round match winners. Sophomore Sam Laber beat Bates sophomore Jeff Beaton in a 6-2, 6-2 straight set victory before falling in the second round to Middlebury junior Andy Peters, 6-2, 6-3.

Sophomore Kai Victoria also had a solid performance, winning his first round match against Wheaton College see MEN’S TENNIS, page 13

2.

12.

13.

35.

39.

Amy Wilfert 22:16 Bryn Kass, 23:14 Anya Price, 23:19 Kelsey Picciuto, 24:19 Jen Yih, 24:26

with a second place showing at the Conn. College Invitational to help Tufts finish fifth out of 15 teams.

Wilfert, who won the 2009 Trinity College Invitational on Sept. 12, finished with a time of 22:16 in the team’s first 6K race of the season, 27 seconds behind Div. II Southern Connecticut State senior Laura Brustolon.

Brandeis won the meet with 56 points, well ahead of the pack. Tufts, which totaled 101 points, finished only 11 points behind second-place RPI. The top five Jumbos all finished in the top 40, including the sophomore tandem of Bryn Kass and Anya Price, who came in 12th and 13th, respectively.

“I was happy with the results,” Price said. “It’s a nice time, and it was a good course for ... [our] first 6k race.”

While Wilfert paced the Jumbos, her teammates also showed great improvement in their second race of the year. Price, who finished ninth at Trinity, upped her pace from a 6:22 mile in the first race to a 6:16 mark Saturday on a course that was two kilometers longer.

“I think I [set a personal record] by a minute and a half,” Kass said. “[Price and I] have been working out and strategizing together, so it was really exciting to see her right there and knowing we’ll be able to work off each other in coming races.”

Following Price, the rest of the Jumbos’ top seven runners all finished between 35th and 42nd. Sophomore Kelsey Picciuto led the pack with a time of 24:19, while freshman Julia Hajnoczky rounded out the group with a time of 24:34 — an impressive mark for the first race of her collegiate career.

“Kelsey came out of nowhere and surprised us,” Kass said. “We’re excited to see where she goes from here.”

“Kelsey had a great race,” Price said.

“Fourth was the highest she’s placed on the team. And Julia contributed in her first cross country race, let alone 6K.” Wilfert has taken over for classmate Steph McNamara as the team’s top runner, as McNamara is likely to be out for the season with a hip injury.

Wilfert again proved herself to be one of the top runners in the region on Saturday, but she will see her greatest test on Oct. 10 at Tufts’ next race, see WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, page 14