2009-11-03

Partly Cloudy 53/34

THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009

VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 37

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Flu spike taxes health care providers Tufts celebrates Black Solidarity Day BY

ELLEN KAN

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts has seen an increasing number of students with influenza-like illness (ILI), particularly on the Medford/Somerville campus, over the last few weeks.

Health Service has seen a dramatic increase in cases of ILI, which progressed from 22 to 55 and 66 new cases each week in the first three weeks of October, according to Director of Health Service Margaret Higham.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said that it is unnecessary to test every patient with flu-like symptoms for H1N1 influenza, or swine flu. As a result, it remains unknown how many cases of ILI are actually the H1N1 virus.

But signs indicate that most of these cases are probably swine flu.

Health Service sends two samples a week for testing and, two weeks ago, both samples tested positive. Meanwhile, many rapid flu tests, used to confirm influenza with same-day results, have come up positive for type-A flu, a category into which the H1N1 virus

MIRIAM ROSS-HIRSCH/TUFTS DAILY

An increase in influenza-like illness struck Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus last month. falls, Higham said.

This volume of flu cases matches or surpasses that of the typical winter flu seasons, which generally start in January.

“This is a sign of a pandemic: a new strain of flu that hasn’t been around for a long time and can start at any time of the year,” Higham said. “Flu cases are now as high or higher than they’ve been at the peak of any winter season I’ve experienced in the last 10 years.”

The rapid rise in cases has mainly occurred on Tufts’ undergraduate campus, according to Kanchan Ganda, a member of the university-wide Task Force on Pandemic Planning.

“The undergrad campus has a larger student body and this is an infection that gets transmitted very easily,” said Ganda, a professor at the School of Dental Medicine.

Preexisting sanitation protocol has helped contain the number of cases at the dental school, according to Ganda.

“We have a lot of infection control protocol for patient: care masks, goggles, gloves. Our numbers are less for that reason,” Ganda said.

This increase mirrors trends across other college campuses and Massachusetts in general. The Centers for Disease Control and

BY SAUMYA VAISHAMPAYAN

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts students and faculty gathered yesterday morning at the campus center’s lower patio to celebrate Black Solidarity Day, an annual day of reflection that aims to unite the African American community around a set of goals.

“Let’s make today the day when we get involved, honor our purpose [and] revive black solidarity on this campus,” junior Matthew Kincaid said in a student address during the two-hour event. “The only way we will ever truly have black solidarity is if we come together.” see SOLIDARITY, page 2

AALOK KANANI/TUFTS DAILY

History Professor Peniel Joseph yesterday delivered the keynote address for Black Solidarity Day.

see H1N1, page 2

Senate trustee representatives switch positions

VIRGINIA BLEDSOE/TUFTS DAILY

The TCU Senate is considering offering community representatives in the body full voting rights.

TCU Senate community reps hope to gain vote BY

EMMA GOLDSTEIN

Contributing Writer

Not all members of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate have the same rights, and some senators are trying to change that.

Community representatives are currently allowed to vote on all TCU Senate issues except financial matters. Some say this restriction lowers the status of community representatives on the body, inspiring them to push to expand the powers of the representatives to effectively make them full members of the Senate.

“I think it’s causing a serious rift on the body,” TCU Vice President Antonella Scarano said at the Sunday, Oct. 25 Senate meeting, referencing the voting gap for these students.

Community representatives are members of TCU-recognized student groups which stand for their respective constituencies on the Senate.

There are four student organizations that have community representatives on the body: the Asian-American Alliance, Queer Straight Alliance, Pan-African Alliance and Association of Latin American Students.

Representatives are elected in internal elections run by the Elections Commission.

Those representatives do not have strictly defined roles, according to Scarano, a senior.

“Right now, people don’t know that they exist and that they are sitting members of the body,” she told the Daily on Saturday. “At times it’s a bit unclear.”

Opponents of the measure counter that the extension of full voting rights would lead to potential conflicts of interest and the problem of giving some students disprosee COMMUNITY REPS, page 2

Inside this issue

Two trustee representatives on the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate have traded committees with each other.

Senior Duncan Pickard is now the representative to the Board of Trustees’ Administration and Finance Committee. Pickard inherits the seat from senior Adam Weldai, who has taken Pickard’s place as the representative to the University Advancement Committee.

The third TCU Senate trustee representative, senior Emily Maretsky, who is a columnist and editor for the Daily, remains in her role as academic affairs representative.

The Senate assigned Weldai and Pickard to their original positions at the beginning of the semester; the two did not choose their assignments. In a meeting with Secretary of the Corporation Linda Dixon, the two quickly discovered that they would be much more suited to each other’s positions.

“When trustee representatives are selected

by Senate, they tend to have a particular issue that they’re especially interested in … It just turns out that the issue Duncan was most interested in didn’t fall under the purview of the committee that he was assigned to,” Dixon said. “The same was true of Adam.”

“It was one of those funny moments where the light bulb just goes on,” Weldai said.

Such a switch is not unprecedented. It’s hap-

pened “once or twice” in the past, Dixon said.

Pickard said that the switch does not change his or Weldai’s goals or ideas, but the respective committees are a “better fit” for both of them.

“I’m really excited to talk to a committee that’s more relevant to the projects I’m working on,” Pickard said.

Pickard said that his main priority as trustee representative is to move forward on renovations and improvements to the campus center. Administration and Finance oversees expenditures for facilities, so any campus center projects would fall under its purview, according to Dixon.

Weldai said his main focus is on improving Tufts’ community relations and the university’s relationship with the surrounding areas of Medford and Somerville, which made him a good candidate for the University Advancement committee position.

“Adam is very interested in community relations at the grassroots level,” Dixon said.

Each trustee representative will have the opportunity to make half-hour presentations to his committee during a series of trustee meetings in February, Dixon said. Both Weldai and Pickard said they are looking forward to making the addresses.

— by Matt Repka

Web site to offer advising center for students BY

CARA PALEY

Contributing Writer

The Education Committee of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate is looking to create a Web site to facilitate the advising process and create a resource that students can use to learn more about prospective faculty advisors.

The Web site would offer extensive information on the specialties and research initiatives of the advisors within each department on campus, according to TCU Senator Nunu Luo, a sophomore and chair of the Education Committee.

“The process is too all over the place now,” Luo said. “We’re trying to consoli-

date this information. The Web site would be an advising center for Tufts students.”

Luo said that the advising process currently caters to students looking for advisors in Tufts’ largest and most popular departments, including international relations (IR) and history, for which information on professors is readily available on department Web sites, according to Luo. “The history department Web site was redesigned so that the faculty members each have a biography, awards and major publications section,” history professor Jeanne Penvenne said. “We have worked towards making sure that what’s on the see ADVISING, page 2

Today’s Sections

Sufjan Steven’s latest release defies classification, mixing instruments and genres to varied succeeds.

The volleyball team saw split results last weekend, losing to Trinity but still winning the right to host NESCAC Tournament.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, back page

News Features Arts & Living Comics

1 3 5 7

Editorial | Letters Op-Ed Classifieds Sports

8 9 10 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

NEWS

Senate contemplates changes to community representatives’ role COMMUNITY REPS continued from page 1

portionate representation — or, in effect, two representative votes in matters before the Senate.

At an informal meeting on Sunday, senators, community representatives and a member of the Committee on Student Life (CSL) evaluated the rights designated to community representatives. They considered five proposals centered on these students’ role in the body, including one that allowed full voting rights and another that proposed completely eliminating community representatives from the Senate.

Other proposals dealt with the committees they are allowed to sit on. The TCU Constitution currently prohibits representatives from sitting on any Senate committees other than the Culture, Ethnicity and Community Affairs Committee (CECA), which is mandatory for all community representatives.

One proposed idea is that they be provided full voting privileges and allowed to join committees in addition to CECA, not including the Senate’s Executive Board or Allocations Board.

The discussion comes as Senate members reevaluate the role of these students on the body.

“The answer’s not to definitely give [community representatives] the vote, but to change the definition of community representatives on Senate,” said Nedghie Adrien, a junior and the chair of CECA. “As a community representative, people often are in an awkward place.”

Marie Murphy, the community representative for the Pan-African Alliance, thinks that a lack of full voting rights exists as a major impediment to allowing her and the other representatives to serve effectively.

“It’s really important to have voting privileges because we are just sort of sitting ducks,” said Murphy, a sophomore. At the meeting and in interviews, those involved in the discussion acknowledged potential representational problems with expanding voting rights.

Students who elect community representatives would essentially have both their class senators and their community representative acting on their behalf in the Senate. This would give them disproportionately high representation compared to

that of a student not electing a community representative.

“For the most part the ideology behind it is a conflict of interest, because they are essentially doublecounting the vote,” Scarano said. “I know that Senate is all about involving them more for sure, but a lot of people have concerns about the actual legality of it.”

Junior Christopher Snyder, who has been intimately involved with the discussions, encouraged a wider debate.

“It’s an issue that has to be approached with care,” Snyder said.

“That is because there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue and it would be counterproductive to force one opinion through. Any change to the status quo should be preceded by discussion, by looking carefully at the current system versus the effect of changing the current system.”

The TCU Constitution allows any TCU-recognized group to acquire 250 student signatures and petition for a community representative seat. The petition is subject to a student-body-wide election and requires a simple majority to pass.

The seat must be confirmed by a campus-wide vote every four years.

Since the creation of the precursors to community representatives in 1981, no additional groups have been able to create a new spot.

Originally called culture representatives, three original seats represented the current groups or their forerunners. A representative of the queer community was added in 1996, and in 2003 the positions changed names and became open to any student organization.

Three student organizations — Environmental Consciousness Outreach, the International Club and Tufts Feminist Alliance — are considering petitioning for a position this year, according to Manuel Guzman, a former senator and a CSL member who organized Sunday’s meeting.

Guzman expressed concern that an extension of voting rights would make the seats more attractive to groups and lead to a drastic increase in community representatives on Senate.

“If we don’t deal with [the growth], in maybe 10 years there will be more community repre-

sentatives than senators,” said Guzman, a sophomore.

Meanwhile, Lisnerva Nuez, the community representative for the Association of Latin American Students, proposed a slightly different change.

Nuez, a sophomore, suggested calling community representatives “senators of diversity,” in order to emphasize the students’ role on the Senate Senior Robert Siy, the community representative for the AsianAmerican Alliance, said that representatives of specific constituencies are key.

“I believe community representatives have a very special role on Senate,” Siy said. “It’s important to have them there. They represent communities whose interests may not be represented in the most eloquent manner.”

If the Senate decides on a proposal, it can move to put it on a student-body-wide ballot, which could take place at the time of the TCU presidential elections in the spring. Any change to the community representative role must occur as a constitutional amendment.

Health Service strained by flu cases

Election proof of change, speaker says

H1N1

SOLIDARITY

continued from page 1

Prevention upgraded the level of flu activity in Massachusetts to “widespread” from “regional” two weeks ago.

“There is a steady increase, which I think is being seen at other universities around the greater New England area for sure,” Higham said.

This increase in patient volume has strained Health Service and diverted resources away from routine patient care.

Higham said it is more difficult for students to book regular appointments.

“We’ve never had as many sick visits on a daily basis as we are now having … It has had an impact on us,” Higham said. “We need all our staff to see sick students and don’t have all our staff to do all our routine stuff that we spend most of our time doing.”

Sophomore Jess Kulig, who is going on the Tufts-sponsored Ghana Gold trip, said the increase in H1N1 patients impacted his travel medication procedures.

“I think in past years [Health Service has] called each person individually to set up appointments to talk about the different vaccinations and medications to take while in Ghana,” Kulig said. “This year since they’ve had so many people coming in with flu-like symptoms … they want us to go to doctors outside of Tufts.”

Health care providers outside of Tufts have also been considerably taxed with the rise in flu cases. CNN reported that the Children’s Hospital Boston had a 40 percent hike in emergency patients last week and set up a conference room as an H1N1 triage center.

David Rosenthal, director of Harvard University’s Health Services, said that his staff has seen a hike in flu cases as well,

though it has not affected the center’s operations. “There are a significant number of undergraduates afflicted with ILI, but to date, so far so good — we haven’t had to suspend day-to-day operations,” he told the Daily.

Some have remained relatively unscathed. Hallmark Health Systems, which includes Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford, remains unaffected, according to spokesperson Jesse Kawa.

“We have not seen a major increase in volume in our emergency departments as a result of the flu,” Kawa told the Daily in an e-mail.

Despite the spike in cases, Director of Public Safety John King, who chairs the university-wide Task Force on Pandemic Planning, feels that the impact has been kept minimal at Tufts.

“I don’t believe there’s a disruptive effect [on] the university’s operations,” King said.

“We have been planning for a pandemic for the last three years … there are lots of plans and efforts underway to help the university through.”

Ganda agreed that the situation has mostly been kept under control. “I think we are keeping a check on things and not allowing it to become monstrous,” she said.

Higham indicated that Tufts is waiting to receive supplies of the H1N1 vaccine from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which reported a delay in shipments and does not know when vaccines will be available to students.

“We have no idea,” Higham said, in reference to the arrival of the vaccine.

“Massachusetts is getting the vaccine slower than other states, none of it is coming to universities yet, [and] the public health department can’t tell us when we can get it.”

continued from page 1

Each year, on the Monday before the elections, members of the black community abstain from purchasing goods and attending classes as a way to emphasize the collective economic power and presence of African Americans.

First celebrated in 1969, Black Solidarity Day grew from a need to show the influence of the black community in America. Its proponents call it a cohesive, peaceful form of opposition to social, political and economic injustices in American society.

Although the significance of the event has changed over the years, its fundamental principles of uniting the people of the African Diaspora remain strong.

“Solidarity means unity, togetherness, oneness,” said sophomore Kristen Johnson, the president of the Pan-African Alliance. “[It is] really about bringing all these people together because we’re all from the same heritage.”

The theme of Tufts’ celebration this year —“Revitalize, Educate, Celebrate and Empower” — emphasized the importance of working with those outside of the black community for the advancement of America as a whole. The program included a performance by the all-female step team ENVY, student reflections and a moment of silence.

Professor of History Peniel Joseph delivered the event’s keynote address, entitled, “From Black Power to Barack Obama.” Joseph highlighted the role of the black power movement, which is often stereotyped as violent and extreme, in creating racial change in America.

“Black solidarity is an outgrowth of the black power movement, the universal call for the transformation of all kinds of economic [and] social repression in America,” Joseph said.

It is because of the black power movement,

according to Joseph, that institutions like black studies departments and Tufts’ Africana Center exist at universities today.

Joseph emphasized that while the election of Obama was a momentous event in American history, the black [community’s unity] cannot be expected to dissolve. “Just because we have a black president doesn’t mean we can stop black solidarity,” Joseph said. “It’s not the end of black politics; it’s the evolution of black politics.”

But Johnson added that the realization of black solidarity cannot be achieved without the involvement of other communities.

“All the speeches [at the event] are about empowering the community and everybody at Tufts celebrating Black Solidarity Day,” Johnson said. “The campus has to be with us as well. It is a day to challenge the community and reenergize the notion of black solidarity.”

Sophomore Marie Murphy, the Pan-African Alliance’s community representative to the Tufts Community Union Senate, agreed with Johnson, adding that the support of other communities has been invaluable in the progress of the black community.

“The black people in this country could not have come to where they are now without the help of other communities,” Murphy said. “[Black Solidarity Day is] more about solidarity between different communities and how we support each other to grow and prosper.”

A distinguishing feature of this year’s Black Solidarity Day, according to Johnson, was Joseph’s presence. The history department had lacked a black voice since the death of Professor Gerald Gill in 2007.

“We’ve gone two years without having a black history professor, so it is really monumental to have [Joseph] here,” Johnson said. “He is the new generation of black studies at Tufts.”

Web site addresses shortage of faculty information for smaller departments ADVISING continued from page 1

Web site is current and good.”

Members of the Education Committee expressed concern that this sort of information is not made available to students seeking advisors in Tufts’ smaller departments. “Tufts is completely departmentalized,” Luo said.

“Big departments do have good advising stuff on their Web site, but smaller departments don’t have a lot of resources.”

Luo explained that she was encouraged to pursue the project after witnessing sophomore classmates who have been overwhelmed by the stress of the advising process.

“It was conversations like, ‘I don’t know how to find an advisor. What should I do?

Who should I ask?’” Luo said.

“This Web site would provide

the means for students to learn more about the process, learn more about professors and narrow down their choices.”

The Web site is designed not only to alleviate stress for students but also to broaden the number of professors students will seek out. Professors who teach courses geared toward underclassmen often have a disproportionate amount of advisees, Luo said.

“I’ve heard professors talk about how there is an unequal distribution because the teachers who teach intro courses get all of the students, as a student is more likely to go to a teacher they’ve had,” Luo said. “It’s hard for a professor to direct a student they don’t know well.”

The advising Web site will aim to improve student-faculty interaction by providing

students with the resources to choose the advisor that is the best fit for them.

“If you build a strong foundation with the professor that you want to be an advisor, the rest of your undergraduate experience at Tufts will be better,” Luo explained. “You’ll always have a mentor figure to look up to.”

The possibility of a consolidated advising resource has been long considered by the administration, according to Jeanne Dillon, an associate dean of undergraduate education. “We have been thinking about this very thing a lot and would like to have it done.”

While in support of the Senate’s proposal, Dillon emphasizes the importance of assuring the Web site’s upkeep.

“It would have to be solid, current information,” Dillon

said. “The database would have to be monitored weekly and monthly.”

Penvenne warned against a complete reconstruction project when many of the facts already exist on department Web sites.

Rather than restate information, she suggested that this new resource provide direct links to existing department pages dedicated to advising.

“We should think about how we can best respond to this perceived need without reinventing the need,” said Penvenne. “We should take advantage of what’s already out there, then try to direct some resources towards those departments that seem under-resourced.”

There is no definite deadline for when the project will be completed, according to Luo. The Education Committee is in the

process of promoting the initiative to faculty and administrators and has experienced positive feedback thus far. The committee plans to e-mail advisors once the project has been established to solicit their information.

“We’ve spoken to a variety of department heads, including [those in] engineering, IR and English,” Luo said. “The faculty members definitely support it.”

Penvenne supported the initiative as a helpful aid for students.

“I think that anything that students would find helpful, we should certainly move ahead on,” she said. “I have always trusted student initiatives.”

“The student-advisor relationships should endure beyond Tufts,” Luo said. “An advisor that fits the word ‘mentor’— that is what I want advising at Tufts to be.”

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Requirement keeps students on campus BY

ROBIN CAROL

Daily Editorial Board

Think that all it takes to graduate is 34 credits? Think again.

In addition to completing their majors and racking up enough courses, Tufts students must fulfill the “residency requirement,” involving eight semesters of full-time study. In order to graduate in seven semesters, a student needs a total of five credits from either pre-matriculation courses, such as Advanced Placement classes, or Tufts summer school. To graduate a full year early, a student needs nine such credits.

The policy further states that all students must complete at least four semesters at Tufts or on Tufts programs abroad. Once a student enters the university, no more than two semesters may be spent at other schools or abroad programs.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Jean Herbert said that these requirements are meant to enhance students’ time at college.

“There is a feeling that the intellectual experience involves not just a matter of racking up classes, but as residential colleges, there is so much more outside the classroom,” Herbert said. “We didn’t want students overloading to get the credits done to graduate sooner.”

Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser similarly stated that eliminating the residency requirement could leave some students feeling pressured to fulfill their credits quickly, compromising both academic quality and the general college experience.

“Our sense is that an undergraduate education requires a certain amount of time to take advantage of the academic and extracurricular opportunities. We don’t want students to rush through their education, and we don’t want to create incentives for parents to rush their children through their education,” he said.

“You would require students to take six credits or seven credits a semester, and to maximize the number of credits that you accumulated to leave the university early. If you do that, you’re not giving full attention to your classes, you’re not maximizing the

W ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY

Students who want to skip the cap and gown by graduating early must fulfill not just credits, but a university “residency requirement.” likelihood of success and you’re giving up something, because education is outside the classroom as well.”

Although only a small percentage of students choose to accelerate their graduation each year, Herbert said she has seen a rise in the number of students exploring the option and attributed this increase to one reason.

“I’m sure it’s the economy,” she said.

Some students looking to save money are frustrated that fulfilling the required number of credits is not enough to graduate early.

Senior Martina Santarsieri, who plans on graduating a semester early, said the policy was an annoyance, and speculated that Tufts implemented it to avoid losing money.

“I got really mad about it because I could have graduated even sooner. I definitely would have graduated a year early if there was no residency requirement. This semester, I’m taking classes just to fulfill the requirement. I had finished my major requirements.

They want me on campus. It’s basically that [Tufts] just want[s] your money and that’s not really fair,” she said.

“I mean, I like being on campus and hang-

ing out with my friends and I do like the classes I’m taking this semester, but I don’t think it’s worth $27,000.”

While Glaser emphasized that Tufts employs the policy primarily with students’ experiences in mind, he acknowledged that it played an important role in helping the university manage its accounts.

“It’s not so much that we’re trying to grab every nickel. We need there to be a predictable flow of resources into the university,” Glaser said.

Senior Stephanie Balitzer said that while the economy may make early graduation more appealing to students, she feels the university is right to maintain the residency policy.

“I think Tufts tries to discourage people from graduating early but I don’t think it has to do with tuition,” Balitzer said. “Some people think it’s a Tufts conspiracy to get tuition, but I think they think that in order to have a full education and to earn the degree you should be here for four years, see RESIDENCY, page 4

‘Battle of the Brains’ competition puts programmers to the test ARIANA SIEGEL

Contributing Writer

During the power outage of parents’ weekend, while many Tufts students scrambled to find flashlights, the students in the Tufts chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) had other concerns. Tufts was supposed to host the Regional portion of the annual ACM Intercollegiate computer programming contest on Oct. 18, but due to the blackout, there were no working computers.

This was only the third year that Tufts participated in the ACM contest; the university had hosted the contests previously, but had only recently begun to send teams to compete. Dr. Judith Stafford, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, got the Tufts ACM chapter involved in the contest three years ago.

“I thought it would be an interesting thing to introduce at Tufts, so I contacted the person who hosts the Boston preliminary and offered Tufts as a site, and then I encouraged computer science students to join,” Stafford said. “The contest really contributes to creating a sense of community; that was my impetus for getting involved in the first place. Programming can be a solitary activity for some people, and I thought it would be nice to give the students a way to work together.”

The competition begins at a regional level, with Tufts’ local competition including students from MIT and Harvard, where the event was hosted this year due to the power outage. Students work in teams of three,

Course dateabase hether it’s a first date or a typical Friday evening with your significant other, it’s often hard to think of original plans for a night (or day) out.

While dinner-and-a-movie is always an option, there are so many other alternatives to take advantage of in Boston as well — even for the typical car-deprived, underage college student with a borderline bank account balance. Take advantage of your liberal arts repertoire and explore the real world:

Association for Computing Machinery at Tufts pushes forward despite blackout BY

EMILY MARETSKY | NICE SHOES, LET’S DATE

and are given five hours to solve seven realworld programming problems. Tufts sent two teams this year, with a total of six people.

Senior Melissa Romanus, the president of the Tufts ACM chapter, described the process.

“It is a timed competition, meaning your score is based upon how many problems you solve, and how quickly you solve them,” Romanus said in an e-mail to the Daily.

“Students sit at a UNIX terminal and code in either Java, C++, C, or LISP. They then submit their code to an ‘electronic judge’ which runs test input (created by the human judges) and generates a score of ‘correct, incorrect output, timed out, etc.’ based on the results of the electronic judging. This is then verified by a human judge.”

Qualifying teams move on to the New England regional competition, and 100 three-person teams are accepted into the World Finals which will be held on February 5, 2010, in Harbin, China.

According to the official competition factsheet, the first Finals competition was held at the 1977 ACM computer science conference, and has since expanded into a global network of universities hosting regional competitions that advance teams to the ACM-ICPC World Finals. Teams come from regions all over the world — from Moscow, Russia to Waterloo, Canada. The competition has been dubbed by some the “Battle of the Brains,” as it recruits some of the finest young computer-oriented minds in the world.

Tufts students prepare for the competition far in advance, training their minds to overcome the programming obstacles they will face. Senior Jessie Berlin, the president of the programming team, is in

charge of preparations.

“At the beginning of the year I have professors tell computer science students about the competition and we assemble a team,” Berlin said. “Then we hold weekly practices where we get together to look at practice problems or problems from other years. It’s fun to play around with the problems and try to figure them out.”

The Tufts team faced several challenges this year, including Stafford’s inability to attend the competition, several students finding out last-minute that they were not available to compete and, finally, the power outage. In the end, however, the “battle of the brains” did go on. Tufts did not place into the New England level this year, but team members saw the competition as an overall success.

“Students measure their success not just by winning, but by the number of problems they solve,” Stafford said. “It’s not unusual for teams to be unable to solve any problem.

They feel good if they get one or two; really good if they get three or four, which is very rare. But they also measure their success from how much they enjoy the activity. They have fun doing the problems, and also learn a lot because they’re practicing programming quite a bit.”

Ultimately, Berlin said, the hope is to build a community of Tufts students interested in computer science. Berlin is also involved in the Association for Computing Machinery Committee on Women (ACMCW), a group for women in computer science, and hopes the sense of camaraderie among ACMCW see COMPUTING, page 4

Intro to Art History: In an informal poll of Tufts students (read: nine random people I stopped in Tisch Library), 78 percent still haven’t taken advantage of our free admission to the MFA with a Tufts ID. Done deal.

Alternatively, the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) is free on Thursdays and within a long-conversation-length walk from the North End, the ultimate dinner date locale.

And if those two options don’t satisfy your weird art fix, the Museum of Bad Art (MoBA) in the Somerville Theatre is pretty entertaining and entrance is included when you buy a movie ticket.

Wanderers in Space: Maybe that natural “science” requirement will actually come in handy: Here’s your chance to impress your date with your knowledge of the stars.

Boston University’s observatory is open to the public for free on Wednesday evenings, Harvard’s is open on the third Thursday of each month and the Gilliland telescope at the Museum of Science is open on Fridays.

And if you’re looking to stick a little closer to campus, I hear the Robinson roof has a pretty good view on a clear night.

Plants and Humanity: Tufts tour guides report that students take advantage of our quick 30 minute commute into the city, but did you know that you can escape to a number of natural refuges in about the same time? Take your scruffy, Nalgene-toting, Tufts Mountain Club date out hiking at the Fells. Explore the relaxing, gorgeous Arnold Arboretum, but make sure you’re conversation-comfortable enough with your date for a long stroll in the park, plus transportation time (disclaimer: Orange Line). If you’ve got bikes, pack a picnic lunch and tackle the bike path behind the Davis T stop to take a ride into the ‘burbs.

BIO 13: The aquarium. Enough said.

Gourmet Engineering: I know, I know, the last thing you’d want to do on a Friday or Saturday night after a long week of classes is attend umm, more class… But I promise these lessons don’t assign homework and have much tastier results than concoctions in chem lab. The Cambridge Center for Adult Education offers a bunch of different one-time cooking lessons (Friday nights are especially good) and they’re some of the cheaper ones that I’ve found (although still on the expensive side). There are plenty of other cooking courses in Boston as well, and my cousin who goes to Tufts said that a cooking class in the North End was the best date he’d ever been on.

Revolutionary America, 1763-1815: I’ve heard so many suggestions to “act like a tourist for a day” in order to have good date.

Despite the fact that I’ve really never been to half of the tourist spots in Boston, I can’t imagine taking a date on a Duck Tour (or paying $30 each on top of it). Still, walking the Freedom Trail on your own can be interesting and low-key enough. Plus, after a little stroll, you can veer off the path for a picnic around the Boston Harbor.

P.E. Independent Study: Ice-skating on Frog Pond in Boston Common is a well-known classic, but Kendall Square also offers skatsee MARETSKY, page 4

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

Students surprised by residency requirement RESIDENCY continued from page 3

you should study abroad and have the full experience.”

Often, the students who have the biggest problem with the residency requirement are those who do not find out that it exists until late in their college careers. Glaser said that one of his main goals has been to publicize the policy so that students can plan accordingly.

“We want them to know about it from the moment they set foot here so they can plan what’s right for them,” he said. “This year we sent a message to all families. It’s in the Bulletin and it’s very clear but we want to make sure incoming families know about [the possibility of graduating early] if it’s something they want to take advantage of.”

But some students do not feel the policy is common knowledge.

Sophomore Manuel Guzman agreed that those familiar with the residency requirement are mainly students who were already interested in graduating in less than eight semesters.

“It’s not super visible and it’s not advertised in any way. But it is in the Pachyderm and it is clearly written. It’s a question of whether you’re interested in the informa-

tion. There are ways of finding it,” Guzman said.

“I don’t know that they make that specific policy altogether explicit, but there’s not a [large] desire on campus or push to graduate early,” senior Abby Marion said.

Santarsieri argued that with more publicity, the option of graduating early might become more popular.

“I don’t think it’s made well known. It could be made more clear and it does save you a lot of money.

It’s a good option for people if they can do it and it’s not really well publicized,” she said.

Guzman said that part of the reason for the requirement has to do with peer institutions that also require a certain number of semesters of study. For example, both Harvard University and Amherst College require eight semesters of study, with early graduation only approved in special cases.

“At most selective colleges and universities, there is a residency requirement,” Herbert said, adding that Tufts is less strict than other colleges and calling this an indicator that the school is not simply trying to make a profit.

“I’m in the academic realm, not the financial realm, but I think the university is losing money by

allowing the combination of APs and summer classes. They could be saying ‘no.’ Some schools do that, where you have to do eight academic semesters. We don’t do that; we allow this option.”

Additionally, Glaser recently reformed the requirements in order to be more accommodating to students.

Before Fall 2007, in order to earn a semester’s worth of credit one needed either four Tufts summer school credits or four pre-matriculation credits; blending the two types was not permitted. “That seemed silly and was much more restrictive,” Herbert said.

So the school changed the policy.

“I believe [the move has] been very welcomed by students and their families,” Glaser said.

Even with these changes, the residency requirement undeniably succeeds in doing one thing: keeping students on campus.

“The value of the Tufts diploma means something from the institution. If you strip semesters from that diploma, you devalue it in a significant way. If you graduate from Tufts without being at Tufts for a long time then, yes, you’re a Tufts student, but not really, because you haven’t experienced the full Tufts experience,” Guzman said.

Team doesn’t advance, but is satisfied with results COMPUTING continued from page 3

members will be echoed in ACM. “[ACMCW has] held interview and networking events in the past, and [holds] an event to preview courses,” Berlin said. “It provides a place where there are people you can go to with questions, and where we can broadcast opportunities for women in computer science.”

One of the main issues the ACM programming team faces is simply

getting people involved. Stafford hopes that by sending teams from Tufts to such a prestigious global competition, more Tufts students will be excited about opportunities presented in the world of computer science. Doug Heintzman, a director of strategy for IBM Software Group, which co-sponsors the competition, noted in a press release that such contests are crucial to cultivating some of the world’s best problems solvers.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

FEATURES

“The world faces many daunting problems such as pandemic diseases, climate change, water pollution, food safety, finite energy resources, as well as issues with urban management and mass transportation,” Heintzman said in the press release. “We believe we have a responsibility to help develop the next generation of technology leaders, help them to understand and tackle these complex business issues.”

Maretsky makes dating classy MARETSKY continued from page 3

ing for when it’s really cold out (and an excuse to get closer to stay warm … OK, major cliché).

And although it’s not exactly the most affordable date and more for the (really) adventurous types, the Boston Trapeze School offers flying trapeze lessons, which just seems like the coolest idea ever (but hey, maybe that’s just me).

Intro to Western Music: Honestly, dressing up for an orchestra concert in the city always seemed like a pretty formal date to me. But after buying Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) tickets on a whim with a guy from Intro to Western Music, the two of us had a relaxed and classy Thursday night in the city. Although a symphony concert might be intense for any random first date, an upcoming all-Mozart performance can make for a pretty convenient “field trip” with that girl or guy in your MUS 08 class. The BSO offers $20 tickets for the underforty crowd, but if your boyfriend or girlfriend is a music major or symphony-lover, the BSO College Card, $25 for up to 25 concerts, might make a good investment.

English 1: It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can embrace a little of your inner nerd, bookstores can make for interesting dates and can provide a little personal insight upon finding out your date’s genre preference (Um, so he’s into alien science fiction?). If you’re planning to make a bookstore a destination rather than a layover after digesting dinner, I’d recommend going on an event night (for an author lecture, book signing, etc.). Harvard Square is great for a number of bookshops that offer events, not to mention that Finale, Herrell’s Ice Cream and Burdick are conveniently nearby for dessert.

These ideas are just a start — you can find out a lot more by doing a little research online.

Boston hosts tons of weekend events too that are worth checking out. My favorite sources are Boston.com, bostonmagazine. com, dailycandy.com, somervillescout.com, thephoenix.com and a couple of Boston events’ Twitter.com accounts.

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

NOVEMBER 5, 2009 GODDARD CHAPEL NOONTIME CONCERT – 12:30 PM Todd Beckham, organ CHAPLAIN’S TABLE – “LIVING FAITH AT TUFTS” MacPhie Conf. Room - 5-7 PM Hindu Student Councel - Priyanka Kancherla, LA’12

Asian American Month 2009

Tuesday, November 3 7:00pm, Sophia Gordon Featuring FACULTY contestants: (who will play on teams with students)

Ryan Centner—Sociology Ben Hescott—Computer Science Ruben SalinasStern—Latino Center with

Calvin Gidney—Child Development as our “Alex Trebek” Sponsored by Asian American Center For questions: asianamcenter@tufts.edu

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

ALBUM REVIEW

Sufjan Stevens surprises with ‘The BQE’ BY

DEREK SCHLOM | I BLAME POP CULTURE

Putting Britney on trial

CORINNE SEGAL

Daily Staff Writer

Sufjan Stevens released “The BQE,” a symphonic soundtrack for a film of the same name, on Oct. 20. The album

T

The BQE Sufjan Stevens defies expectations at every turn, using classical and contemporary influenc-

Asthmatic Kitty Records es in a multi-layered symphony that describes the frustrations and glories of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in New York City.

Stevens has continually frustrated music critics and gained a cult following by resisting classification. He produces albums with styles varying from electronica to lo-fi rock to sparse folk melodies. After “Michigan” (2003) and “Illinois” (2005), conceptual albums that examine life in individual states, were released, critics struggled to pinpoint a theme in either work. Fans claimed that Stevens planned to create an album for each of the 50 states, focusing next on New York, California or Kentucky.

While the truth of this rumor is up in the air, one thing is certain: Stevens continues to be unpredictable. With “The BQE,” Stevens creates a romanticized image of New York City’s most infuriating, congested highway — an unlikely musical subject. The album originally served as the score for “The BQE,” a silent film focusing on the trials and tribula-

PITCHFORK.COM

Hula-hooping was an essential part of the live performance of “The BQE.” tions that occur on the Expressway. The symphony was first performed during a screening of the film by a live 36-piece orchestra at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Nov. 1, 2007.

Most of the pieces lack a definitive melody, and instead depend on the musical texture of each instrument in the orchestra to bring them to life.

Stevens leaps from one mood to the

TV REVIEW

next, asking the listener to trust him as he explores the abyss between tranquility and chaos. If listeners can take that leap of faith, Stevens presents them with something entirely thrilling and magical.

The volatility of the album can be a bit overwhelming for those not acquainted see BQE, page 6

GALLERY REVIEW

‘White Collar’ avoids stiff Exhibit probes Western art character stereotypes

BY SAMANTHA

CONNELL

BY

Daily Editorial Board

Viewers might be reluctant to stay in on a Friday night to watch USA’s new show “White Collar,” but the criminal-

Harvard’s Fogg and Busch-Reisinger museums may be closed for renovations, but the Arthur M. Sackler Museum

White Collar

Western Art: 1900 Through Antiquity

Starring Matthew Bomer, Tim DeKay Airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on USA turned-cop story might just be engaging enough to beat out going to a frat party.

“White Collar” revolves around Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer), a former counterfeiter helping FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), who works in New York City’s white collar crime unit, catch some of Caffrey’s more elusive peers. Caffrey falls into the FBI aide position after he escapes from prison a few months before the end of his sentence and is caught, for the second time, by Agent Burke.

Faced with four more years in the big house, Caffrey comes up with a proposition for his old adversary: He’ll help the agent find the bad guys in exchange for supervised freedom — in the form of a tracking bracelet that restricts him to a two-mile radius. Supporting actors rounding out the cast include Tiffani Thiessen of “Saved by the Bell” as DeKay’s supportive wife Elizabeth and Willie Garson as Caffrey’s buddy from his pre-FBI days.

The concept — recruiting a criminal to help out the good guys — is familiar.

The characters in “White Collar” do follow some archetypes: among them, the smooth operating conman and the hardworking, beleaguered civil servant. The show’s strengths lie in its playfulness.

Bomer and DeKay have a fun rapport and the makings of an odd-couple, buddy-cop dynamic. Their witty banter makes for memorable moments. DeKay’s Burke comments on the Canadian government officials response to a coun-

ANNA MAJESKI

Daily Staff Writer

At the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, through Jan. 17, 2010 Harvard Art Museum 32 Quincy St., Cambridge 617-495-9400

terfeiting attempt, saying they are “very upset ... or as upset as Canadians get.”

At one point, Bomer tells Burke to look menacing: “No, Peter, menacing — you look like your kid just struck out.” Fun exchanges between the duo lighten what is otherwise a dark, sinister mood.

Mysteries abound in “White Collar.”

For television puzzle solvers, “White Collar” is a fine addition to the roster.

Caffrey has a criminal mastermind to outwit in each episode, but he also has to solve the overarching mystery of his girlfriend’s disappearance. Caffrey had hatched his prison escape plans after she broke up with him, only to find that by the time he made it out, she had flown the coop as well. Caffrey uses his new liberty to secretly puzzle through his exgirlfriend’s departure.

While the series does seem to be set on showing Caffrey’s romantic, sensitive side — the bad boy with a big heart,

remains open. It now houses some of the most important pieces from all three collections. The Sackler’s fourth floor highlights Western art from antiquity through 1900 as a part of “Re-View,” a survey of the Harvard Art Museum collections. Art from around the world is shown next to GrecoRoman and European art, illustrating how Western art has drawn inspiration from other cultures.

The exhibit is organized in chronological order, starting from antiquity and traveling through Impressionism. This order is broken only when pieces are placed next to another for comparison. For example, a Lucanian Red-figure Nestoris from 340320 B.C.E. is juxtaposed with “Diana on a Chase,” an oil painting from 1805 by Washington Alston, emphasizing Alston’s reference to a common Greek myth. These sorts of pairings can be found throughout the gallery, and placing objects from different areas — or eras — next to Western pieces highlights continuities between objects of Western art and that of other cultures as well as between different time periods.

One such comparison is made between a wooden statue called “St. Anthony” by a follower of Tilman Riemenschneider in 1510 and a marble statue by Arnolfo di Cambio entitled “Censing Angel” from

see WHITE COLLAR, page 6

see SACKLER, page 6

USANETWORKS.COM

“Why yes, as a matter of fact, I did steal this entire wardrobe from John Malkovich.

How did you know?”

his has been an extremely emotional week for me, but I think that I have gathered enough strength due to the kindness and support of family and friends to retell my story with composure.

I was recently attacked. Ring the alarm.

Call TUPD. I’d like to press charges against an entertainer named Britney Jean Spears for assaulting my sensibilities and crossing all boundaries of taste.

Here’s what happened, for the official police record. I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so, like the nose-picking fool I am, I heard that the erstwhile teen sensation was releasing a new single from her upcoming greatest hits record and felt like reliving my prepubescent glory days. My acne-less self associated Britney with coy comeons and subtle double-entendres, and I’d been following her various brushes with insanity, back-up dancers, pregnancy and lecherous creeps ever since the early days of her career.

She once pulled up next to me in a white Mercedes convertible at a gas station wearing a brown wig, a see-through wife-beater worn as a dress and thighhigh boots. She looked like she needed a hug, but because her bodyguard was a rather large and mean-looking individual, I managed to refrain.

I can’t say I’m a fan of her music, but there’s a place for the girl in my bleeding heart, so I downloaded “3” (2009), her new song, and promptly began to listen to the track in earnest. The familiar Auto-Tuned whimpers began: “One, two, three/ Not only you and me/ Got 180 degrees/ And I’m caught in between.” I was mostly confused. I’m not much of a math whiz, so it took me a second or two to recall that 180 degrees is a half-circle. What does geometry have to do with this? “Countin’ one, two, three/ Peter, Paul and Mary…” Oh, how sweet, I thought. She’s name-checking one of the all-time great folk trios.

Perhaps she is a fan, or paying tribute to the recently deceased Mary Travers.

Maybe this song will be about peace, love, harmony and the answers blowing in the wind. “…gettin’ down with 3P, everybody loves…” Huh? At this point, a thumping beat sets in, and Spears overtly asks someone over and over again if he would like to engage in some sort of sexual encounter involving three people. Shoot me dead. What happened to the schoolgirl hanging out with her buds in the gymnasium?

It’s not that I’m prudish; I have a bit of a cussing habit and I do love a certain explicit Ying Yang Twins jam. But, in my delusion, I expected more from the woman single-handedly responsible for at least a quarter of the songs I have ever heard at a Bar Mitzvah. Like Michael Jackson and The Beatles, Britney is one of those artists to whom I’ve attached memories and feelings. Somehow, I thought that she was still singing about her love for music, dancing and her burgeoning sensuality in the vaguest possible terms as in videos I watched on “TRL” when I got home from middle school. “3” shocked me back to reality.

Apparently, this is hardly the worst of her musical transgressions. According to several people to whom I relayed my harrowing tale, I had somehow managed to gloss over a little ditty she released last year called “If You Seek Amy.” I was told to say the title ten times fast. I did this. I was not amused.

So, Ms. Spears, I will see you in court.

I expect you to be formally charged with murdering my innocence and perception of you. Please leave the midriff-baring shirt at home.

Derek Schlom is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Derek.Schlom@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

ARTS & LIVING

Stevens draws on contemporary and classical influences

Greco-Roman style at the forefront in Sackler exhibition at Harvard

BQE

SACKLER

continued from page 5

with Stevens’ previous works. The pieces themselves abound with untamed abandon — from delicate piano chords to bursts of fanfare, whirling woodwind and random chimes.

The instrumental variation alone can be overpowering to a casual listener.

Stevens showed his love for instrumental experimentation in “Illinois,” in which he personally played and recorded over 60 different instruments.

“The BQE” is no exception: Stevens calls upon every imaginable type of brass, strings, woodwind and keys to keep the score in constant motion.

Stevens’ influences range far and wide from contemporary Philip Glasslike minimalism to Debussy’s passionate piano movements. “Movement I: In the Countenance of Kings” relies on a fragile piano melody touched by string harmonies and hearty trumpets.

Stevens’ pieces are never understated, but instead occur on a grand scale of emotion. “Movement II: Sleeping Invader” places the listener in a Rogers-and-Hammerstein-esque Broadway musical, interspersing a delicate flow of piano chords with a melancholy violin and trumpet line. In contrast, “Movement V: Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns” and “Interlude III: Invisible Accidents” are both driven by jazzy chords and rhythm.

It is important to remember that the

music is not necessarily meant to stand alone — it was created as a complement to the images in the eponymous film, which range from tranquil shots of Brooklyn-Queens architecture to images of road-raging drivers caught in traffic.

“Interlude I: Dream Sequence In Subi Circumnavigation” is one piece that is less enjoyable when unaccompanied by the film — its mixture of a ghostly chorus and high-pitched strings seems grating at times. Stevens loses the listener as the piece disintegrates into a discordant cacophony of instruments, though the music works in the film as an effective description of drivers’ anxiety.

“Movement IV: Traffic Shock” is also difficult to tolerate; it sounds as if Stevens layered every possible jarring electronica beat without any regard for their overall sound. The piece recalls Stevens’ work with electronica in “Enjoy Your Rabbit!” (2001) but fails to maintain any aural appeal.

A word of warning: this album does not serve well as a casual introduction to Stevens. Those hoping to acquaint themselves with his music should turn to previous albums for an overall sense of his style. More seasoned Stevens fans will applaud the madcap creativity and broad scope of “The BQE.” Like New York itself, the album exists in a state of unrelenting motion; it is powerful, vulnerable and, above all, unstoppable.

continued from page 5 1294-1302 C.E. The sculpture of St. Anthony is carved in Linden wood and the thin, vertical grain of the wood complements the lean form of the saint, who is depicted with a full beard and robes. The sculpture is deeply carved, but its shallow back suggests that at one point it was part of an altarpiece.

The piece by di Cambio is rendered in marble and it too was once part of an altarpiece in the Florence Cathedral; it would have been facing an image of the Virgin and Child. Di Cambio’s work is naturalistic in style, contrasting with the more gaunt, vertical depiction of St. Anthony. Both images indicate the artists’ interest in the depiction of the human form, but St. Anthony’s robes take on a life of their own and are almost a substitute for his body. This ethereal quality is found in the angel as well, but achieved through the delicate rendering of the form and the paleness of the stone. These two pieces complement one another and explore the portrayal of divinity in art.

A marble Palmyran funerary relief from 150 C.E. and a marble sarcophagus depicting an Amazonomachy from 175-225 C.E also make for an interesting comparison.

The Palmyran relief depicts a woman from the waist up. Her face and body are deeply carved with large eyes and she wears a veil which she touches with her right hand. Over either of her shoulders are small figures, a young boy and girl who may represent her children. The woman’s eyes are emphasized, rendered in a linear fashion akin to the treat-

ment of eyes in Mesopotamian art. Her robe too is draw with an emphasis on line.

This relief is placed next to an intricately-carved sarcophagus portraying a battle between the mythical Amazons and the Greeks. It is writhing with figures, its emphasis clearly on the action of the battle. The figures are rendered naturalistically, but an element of the linear treatment used in the Palmyran relief is also evident.

Echoes of the same themes in each work are unsurprising since they were both made during the Roman Empire. Though there are clearly parallels between the two works, the labels under each piece seem to heavily favor the technique of the sarcophagus.

Unfortunately, this leads to more of a contrast than a comparison; more effort is invested in citing the differences between the works than drawing attention to their similarities.

Harvard’s collection of Western art from antiquity through 1900 is impressive. It includes pieces by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt von Rijn and John Singer Sargent as well as examples of Persian and Old Kingdom Egyptian art. Unfortunately, the collection’s emphasis on Greco-Roman style as the superior form of Western art seems one-sided. Though there are certainly instances in which the exhibit successfully points to bridges between different forms of Western art, at times the exhibit falls short of truly recognizing the dynamic formation of the Western tradition. There are many facets to the Western tradition, and the collection would benefit from a more diversified view of its development.

White collar crime pairs cop with convict in new comedic drama WHITE COLLAR continued from page 5

a theme played up more in the show’s weaker second episode than in its pilot — the guy is still as slick as oil. While his crafty, sly maneuvers baffle Agent Burke at every turn, the agent takes each curveball thrown at him with aplomb and, often, amusement.

Bomer glides through the episodes with Rat Pack cool; with help from a new wardrobe his character manages to charm an old widow who lets him stay in her prime digs with an amazing view of the city.

Part of the success of “White Collar” comes from its setting.

Where other New York detec-

tive or crime shows capitalize on Gotham-style grit and dark alleys, “White Collar” presents a backdrop of shiny skyscrapers, beautiful parks and luxurious roof gardens. The series uses the City to its advantage, showing off glitz and sunshine, a fitting counterpart to the show’s flashy, felonious protagonist.

Explore the origins and mechanisms of volcanic activity around the world and around the solar system!

Geology 192-04 Ring of Fire: Volcanoes A new introductory course!

E+ Block: (10:30 - 11:45 AM Monday and Wednesday) taught by Prof. Molly McCanta

and CVO

This new course will introduce you to volcanic processes: causes and types of volcanic activity, volcanic features on landscapes, and effects of volcanism on human institutions

. . .

There are no prerequisites for this course. see http://ase.tufts.edu/geology/GEO_Spring2010.pdf

Professor McCanta’s research includes work on volcanoes on Earth and on other planets, as well as on meteorites.

The show does stretch itself at times. Are viewers really supposed to believe that a prisoner can get a security guard uniform delivered to his cell thanks to online shopping? That Fashion Week dresses are being used to smuggle counterfeiting technology into the United States? Still, while it’s hard to believe that a

man could recognize a small fiber on a suit jacket as one used in Canadian currency, it is fun to suspend disbelief.

“White Collar” is playful and intriguing, a charming combination that, despite its flaws, makes it a fun watch. Turns out white collar crime isn’t as white-bread boring as one might think.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

DOONESBURY

NON SEQUITUR

THE TUFTS DAILY BY

GARRY TRUDEAU

BY

7

COMICS CROSSWORD

WILEY

MONDAY’S SOLUTION

MARRIED TO THE SEA

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Sending in your absentee ballot on time

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Monday’s Solution

Gio: “I’m kind of a slut when it comes to tomato sauce.”

Please recycle this Daily

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

THE TUFTS DAILY

EDITORIAL

Representation, not token inclusion

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 Mitchell Geller Adam Kulewicz Catherine Scott Josh Zeidel Charissa Ng Assistant Arts Editors Benjamin Phelps

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

Ask any high school senior to talk about diversity at the colleges she is applying to and she could list some pretty accurate percentages on ethnic groups. Many colleges, including Tufts, are able to boast some attractive numbers in terms of diversity. But community representatives serving on the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate are feeling unheard and unsure of their role in the body. There is concern over how to attain a sensitive balance between adequately representing student groups in the Senate while still ensuring that those groups do not override Senate members who are meant to stand for a broader constituency of students.

Currently, there are four community representatives serving on the Senate, one each on behalf of the Asian-American Alliance, Queer Straight Alliance, Pan-African Alliance and Association of Latin American Students. These members, who vote on Senate decisions that do not involve the allocation of funds, go through a different selection process than that of those who are elected by their classes.

In order to send a community representative to the Senate, a group must collect 250 signatures from members of the TCU — essentially, all undergraduates. If the petition is successful, TCU members then vote on the petition through an election conducted by the Elections Comission; a majority in an election with at least 25 percent voting is enough to earn a spot. After that initial victory, the student group must only hold annual internal elections to decide who will represent it in the Senate from year to year; no more campus-wide votes are required.

One problem with the current system is this election process. The number of TCU members who actually vote for the community representatives is very small, and the election does not follow the same process as those of typical senators. If campus groups want to have meaningful voices in decisions about student life, the best way to ensure this is to work to achieve the same level of visibility and breadth of support that senators do — out of necessity — when they

campaign for votes every year.

Another issue is that only four groups currently have community representatives. Most of Tufts’ highly visible student organizations committed to promoting diversity are spoken for, but the ranks of the community representatives in the Senate are few.

By expanding the variety of groups represented, diversity organizations’ stock in student government could rise without a serious change in the machinery of how senators and community representatives interact.

If Tufts is to do justice to its flattering diversity numbers, the school should be giving its minority populations not just token representation but, if anything, a microphone. As we were reminded on Black Solidarity Day yesterday, there is much work to be done before many American minority groups will be on equal educational and financial footing with whites.

Elite universities have a disproportionate opportunity — and duty — to further this goal, and they can start by listening hard for students’ voices.

DEVON COLMER

Michelle Hochberg Executive Op-Ed Editor Vittoria Elliott Editorialists 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

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

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

PRODUCTION Karen Blevins

Production Director Steven Smith Executive Layout Editor

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

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

Ben Schwalb Executive Online Editor Christine Jang Online Editor

Michael Vastola Executive Technical Manager Muhammad Qadri Technical Manager

BUSINESS Kahran Singh

Executive Business Director

Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Brenna Duncan Dwijo Goswami Ally Gimbel

Advertising Director Online Advertising Manager Billing Manager Outreach Director

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

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

EDITORIAL

Tufts supports students through major decisions As Tufts sophomores begin to contemplate declaring a major, many struggle to find a faculty advisor. With only two full semesters of courses behind them, sophomores have limited experience talking to professors, and only a fraction of the professors they have taken classes with would qualify as potential advisors for their major. Many students find themselves at a loss as to whom they can ask, and they often are in the somewhat uncomfortable position of sending an e-mail to a professor whom they have never met in person.

Tufts provides various resources, however, to assist students in this important and sometimes stressful process. The Education Committee of the Tufts Community Union ( TCU) Senate is working to create a Web site that will help students choose the right advisor. With information about the interests and research projects of faculty in all departments, students would be able to “shop” for a professor whose expertise aligns with

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.

their academic and career goals. The Web site would consolidate faculty information, allowing students to easily narrow down their search to a few professors with advisor potential.

However, identifying an individual with similar interests in the right department is only the first step in choosing the right advisor. Students need to do more than simply look up facts about professors online. Advisors should serve as mentors to their advisees, meaning that students should meet and interact with prospective advisors face-to-face before making a final decision.

Students should be aware that Tufts provides plenty of ways to get to know faculty members. For example, this Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Department of Undergraduate Education is hosting a Majors Fair. At this event, students are invited to talk to program coordinators from various departments about majors and advising.

Many individual departments also host informal meet-and-greet gather-

ings to give students an opportunity to talk to professors in their major.

All undergraduate majors also have program directors who help students coordinate their course of study.

Students can take advantage of these program directors’ office hours to talk to them about choosing the right advisor. Also, students often find it helpful to first e-mail the program director of their prospective major before they send a blind e-mail to an unknown professor.

The advising Web site that the TCU Education Committee is currently developing would be a great first resource for students when they begin their search for an advisor. However, taking advantage of opportunities to meet with and talk to professors in person is an even better way of ensuring that the student-advisor relationship will be a positive one. Tufts’ academic departments and program administrators are excellent and arguably underused resources for students seeking out an advisor.

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, November 3, 2009

9

OP-ED

On the road to a better Venezuela BY

DANIELA RAMIREZ

On Saturday, Oct. 10, while most students were attending Homecoming weekend celebrations at Tufts, getting ready to go out in the city or taking part in the HONK! Festival Parade and Oktoberfest in Davis and Harvard Squares, a group of students found themselves in a conference room celebrating the second meeting of Estudiantes Venezolanos en Boston ( Venezuelan students in Boston).

Venezuela has been plagued by innumerable political, social and economic problems in recent years.

President Hugo Chávez has been at the center of intellectual discussions worldwide and the country has been struggling under very controversial political circumstances. However, there has not been a clear candidate to oppose the current president and offer Venezuelans an alternative to the current climate. Opposing parties have proved to be highly disorganized to say the least, and those who disagree with the current regime lack a unified group to represent their viewpoints.

Fed up college students took a stand in 2007 and began the Movimiento Estudiantil Venezolano ( Venezuelan student movement), which arguably has been given the highest approval rate by the population out of any other political movement or party apart from Chávez’s in recent years. The Movimiento Estudiantil Venezolano has proven to have the strength to bring the population together to do anything from rejecting the 2007 Constitutional Referendum to demanding the release of political prisoners.

A new education law, Ley Organica Estudiantil, was passed this summer; it restructures the educational system to promote the current government’s socialist projects. As Jacqueline Farias, a high-ranking government official, has said, the new law seeks to create the Chávez’s of the future.

College students outside of Venezuela have not played a role in the movement up until now, but Tufts junior Joanna Hausmann’s initiative to bring a group of students together to fight for their country may just change that. The founder and president of Estudiantes Venezolanos en Boston, Hausmann summoned a group of her friends, all students from Tufts University, Brown University, Babson College, Boston College, Brandeis University and Bard College, to meet, to voice their concerns about Venezuela and to look for possible ways to help the country.

Students in the group acknowledge that Chávez has put Venezuela on the map, but most agree it has been for all the wrong reasons. Internationally, he has managed to promote a positive image that contradicts the negative thoughts and feelings that many Venezuelan students have about him and his government.

The members of Estudiantes Venezolanos en Boston decided that one of the group’s main goals is to inform the participating students and others about what is really happening in Venezuela. With the help of several Venezuelan professors in the area, the group hopes to create a symposium that address-

MCT

es the core problems affecting the country and gives students the chance to voice their concerns to more knowledgeable individuals.

The group had the opportunity to meet two Venezuelan students from the Movimiento Estudiantil Venezolano who happened to be in the area during that weekend in October. This meeting allowed students in Boston to share their thoughts about what is happening in Venezuela as well as offer suggestions about what can be done to steer the country in a better direction. In exchange, the students from the movement shared how it organizes itself and explained the movement’s hopes for the future.

Students want to see a better Venezuela in years to come. They do not see a change in regime as the final goal but, rather, as an obstacle that must be overcome in order to lead the country towards a better future. The group looks forward to bringing about non-violent protests, which can be seen as a passiveaggressive strategy. They are also exploring ways in which they could help send groups of students to

popular sectors of the country in order to attend to the citizens’ needs, as well as creating groups to serve as witnesses and defend the votes of the population in the upcoming elections in December 2010.

Discussions are still in a preliminary stage, but the group seems highly driven and energetic. One thing is certain: Students in the Boston area may no longer be residing in Venezuela for various reasons, but they have pressing concerns for their country and are willing to fight for the place where they grew up.

Hopefully, Estudiantes Venezolanos en Boston will be able to change the country’s current reputation for being politically controversial and make it known for its natural resources, the beauty of its landscape, the warmth of its people and the many other reasons why, time and again, natives and immigrants have fallen in love with Venezuela.

Daniela Ramirez is a sophomore majoring in economics and international relations.

OFF THE HILL | BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Cougar tales

BY SAMANTHA

FRIEDMAN

The Daily Free Press

For those of you who have found yourself exiled from a relationship, beware of the cougar within. Rather recently, the two-year relationship I had with my boyfriend came to halt. After realizing that college was a place for experimental promiscuity, my boyfriend decided to ditch his domesticated significant other, yours truly. But what happens when a tamed feline is suddenly unleashed? The wildcat forgets her litter box and catnip and leaps into the wild. And so I did.

A week after my break up, I left for vacation with my family — considerably pissed off and undoubtedly not in the mood for a weekend of sand in my bikini bottoms and frizzy beach hair. Nonetheless, I sucked up my complaints and voyaged off to Montauk.

Upon our arrival, my family and I trekked out to the beach. The crashing waves were not as irritating as I had imagined they would be, and the sand wedgies were ... well, still prevalent.

Surprisingly, my new state of singleness was not life-shattering. As the day shifted to night, I felt recharged and enthusiastic about the vacation. My sister and I wandered the city nightlife, only to discover packs of high-school teenage boys surrounding us. Tall ones, short ones, blonde ones, brunette ones — every shape, size and color of the male race was at our fingertips.

The hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood upright. My back arched, and I licked my lips to reveal my fang-like teeth. My breathing rapidly increased, as

a slow purr forced itself from my mouth. I was a cat on the prowl, and these boys didn't know it, but they were my prey.

Keep in mind readers, that it is very common for women leaving a relationship to seek an instant fix. Now, cougar hunting may not heal the soul, but it does temporarily distract from the heartache.

However, cougar hunting is a practice to be utilized with great caution.

As I scanned my potential dinner for the night, my eyes settled on a young surfer boy. He was devastatingly attractive, charismatic and apparently interested, when he started walking my way. We chatted, just long enough for me to learn that I was three years his senior, and to get invited to the beach party the following night.

As we parted separate ways, my ex-boyfriend was the furthest thing from my mind. While I was slightly hesitant to pursue a 16-year-old, I decided to focus on the more important factor at hand: He was hot.

The next evening, we met up at the party, and I soon realized the benefits to our age gap. Since I was a college student, high schoolers were infatuated by me. I could say anything, do anything, wear anything — it didn't matter. I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We spent the entire night together talking, but I began to wonder, when is this kid going to make a move? As the night came to an end, he walked me to my car. But rather than leaning in for a kiss, or even a hug, he looked down at the ground and motioned a cowardly wave goodbye.

This was going to be tougher than I thought.

Although my age was appealing to the young prey, it was clearly equally intimidating.

As 10:30 p.m. rolled around the next night, I approached the second party ready to pounce. But as the clock struck 11, I began to doubt if he was going to even show at all. Was this feline out of line?

Suddenly, my cell phone rang. "My parents are being gay," he said. "They won't let me out of the house. Do you think you can come pick me up? I'm not really allowed to drive after 9 p.m. anyways."

Let's count the red flags of the conversation: 1. If your potential playmate calls his parents gay, or anyone gay for that matter, move on. He's not only too young ... but too ... unfortunate.

2. If your potential playmate has a curfew, you may as well consider your time with him babysitting. Set a fee per hour, collect your cash and split.

3. If your potential playmate asks you to become his taxi driver, you've just been bumped to the mommy mobile. Move on before he asks you to drive him to soccer practice.

4. If your potential playmate has driving limitations for reasons other than too many license points from speeding, you've aimed too young. If he has to resort to driving his bicycle so he can meet you after 9 p.m., you've stooped from cougar hunting to cradle robbing.

When hunting for a male playfellow, age is only a number. However, if you ask your boy toy if "he's packin' it" and he responds with, "No, I buy my lunch at school," I'd say it's time you re-evaluate.

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 Housing 6 Bedroom Apt. Available June 1, 2010 Bright and spacious 2nd floor 6 bedroom with large closets, 2 bathrooms. Excellent condition, off Capen St., 7 minute walk to campus.

Large front porch, living room, large kitchen with island, new windows, dishwasher, refrigerator, hardwood floors, tiled baths and kitchen, deck and backyard, 1 driveway spot. Free washer and dryer. Gas heat with new furnace. $3600 per month plus utilities. Call Carole at 781-608-0251 or email: carole.lubin@tufts.edu

Housing 5 Bedroom Apt. Available June 1, 2010 Spacious 1st floor 5 bedroom with large closets, 2 full bathrooms and finished basement. Excellent condition, off Capen St., 7 minute walk to campus. Large front porch, living room, modern kitchen, new windows, dishwasher, refrigerator, hardwood floors, tiled baths and kitchen, nice large deck and backyard, 1 driveway spot.

Free washer and dryer. Gas heat with new furnace. $2800 per month plus utilities. Call Carole at 781-608-0251 or email: carole.lubin@tufts.edu

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

SPORTS

Housing

Housing

4 Bedroom Apt. Somerville, Teele Ave. 4 Bedroom Apt. Across the street from campus. Available June 1, 2010. $2400.

Plus utilities. 617-625-3021

Apartments for Rent 4 Bedroom College Ave, 4 Bedroom Teele Ave. June 2010May 2011. Call Bob at (508) 8871010. fourbtrust@comcast.net

Apartments for rent on Ossipee 2 and 4 bedroom apts. for rent on Ossipee Road. Excellent Condition. Available June 1st 2010.

Call Maria at 781-942-7625 for more information.

Housing

Three to Seven Bedrooms Available!

Available for next year`s school year, June 2010-May 2011. Shop now and get what you want. Very convenient to school. Call for appointment now: (617) 448-6233

Across from Professors Row! (2) 6 bedroom, 2 bathroom Apts. w/ living room, hardwood floors throughout, ceramic tile eat-in-kitchen, dishwasher, refridgerator, washer/dryer, front and rear porches, 4 car off street parking for each apt. $4650/mo incl. heat and hot water.

Avail 9/1/10. Call (781) 249-1677

Around Campus Goddard Chapel Noontime Concert November 5th 12:30 PM. Goddard Chapel Todd Beckham, organ.

Living Faith at Tufts Macphie Conference Room/ Dewick Dining Hall. November 5th 5 to 7 PM. Hindu Student Council.

Priyanka Kancherla LA 12

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY All Tufts students must submit classifieds in person, prepaid with check, money order, or exact cash only. All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $10 per week with Tufts ID or $20 per week without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature, or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

Jumbos prep for nationals with ECAC meet next weekend WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY continued from page 12

ing kick too soon,” Wilfert said. “If I had sat and waited longer, I maybe could have made up those two seconds — I maybe would have had a little bit left in my legs.

“But I’m happy with the results,” she continued. “I had nothing left in me when I finished, so there’s basically nothing more you can do. Maybe not having gotten impatient would have helped, but in the end you don’t know.”

The time was a personal record, according to Wilfert, who says she is still hoping to peak at upcoming races, including the NCAA New England Championships in two weeks.

In a field of 11 teams and 121 runners, four competitors separated themselves from the pack. Middlebury’s top runner, junior Claire McIlvennie, fell back from the top three toward the end and ultimately finished in fourth place, separated from the third- and fifth-placed runners by over 15 seconds. Winning the race came down to a sprint between Wilfert, Galleher and Neville.

“We stayed together the entire race, and it was different from what I’m used to,” Wilfert said.

This was the fourth consecutive year Tufts had a runner finish in the top three at NESCACs. Last season, junior Stephanie McNamara, who is not competing this season due to injury, was the runner-up.

Overall, Tufts finished seventh with 177 points. Middlebury, with four of its five scoring runners placing in the top ten, won the championship, edging out second-place Williams by 10 points.

“Coming in we thought on a good day we could take fourth and a bad day we might finish ninth,” Wilfert said. “Seventh wasn’t unexpected, just disappointing.”

“As a team I know we can do better than seventh,” sophomore Anya Price added.

“There were a lot of factors that went into our performance today. Some people were feeling under the weather.”

Price followed Wilfert as the next Tufts runner to finish, coming in 39th place in a time of 23:21. The third Tufts scorer was freshman

Grace Hafner, who was followed by sophomore Sadie Lansdale.

“Sadie Lansdale had a great [personal record],” Price said. “She [beat her personal record] by 40 seconds in the 6K, and on such a hilly course that’s a big accomplishment.

She’s just stepping into the varsity crew this year, and it’s been a great improvement from last year.”

However, Lansdale’s success came at the expense of a couple of Jumbos who have been accustomed to finishing near the front of the pack — in particular, sophomore Bryn Kass. Kass and Price have perennially been the No. 2 and No. 3 runners for Tufts behind Wilfert this year. But Kass, battling health problems, finished seventh for Tufts and 83rd overall in 24:56, well off her usual pace. Kass’ classmate, sophomore Kelsey Picciuto, finished two seconds behind Lansdale to round out the Tufts top five.

Tufts had only run one previous race of at least six kilometers — the Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 26. That course, however, was flatter than the steep one at Trinity, which

Price called the most difficult of the year due to the rolling hills and mud.

“I ran a strong race and was able to take advantage of the downhills,” she said.

“Generally hills tend to be a weaker area for me. But taking advantage of the downhills proved to pay off for me at the end … It was a good meet to get under our belts and get used to the terrain before Regionals.”

Next week, Tufts heads to Williams for the ECAC Championship before the regional NCAA New England Championship at the University of Southern Maine. Wilfert said that her goal is to earn another top-five finish at Regionals and to place in the top ten at Nationals. Meanwhile, as a team, Tufts will have to improve on its showing at the conference championship if it has any hope of advancing to the NCAA Championship in Cleveland on Nov. 21.

“We’re hoping to go to Nationals, which just eluded us the past two years,” Price said. “We finished sixth at Regionals last year, and the top five teams go to Nationals. If everybody is able to step it up, I think we can get there.”

Tufts looks to win first title since 1996 VOLLEYBALL continued from page 12

year has been the percentage of kill chances converted into points by Joyce-Mendive and Updike, which is in turn an indicator of the efficiency of the team’s ball control.

The team finishes the regular season with a record of 26-3, and hopes to maintain its undefeated record in Cousens Gymnasium on Friday when it faces the No. 8 seed Wesleyan Cardinals in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC Tournament. While the Cardinals are the lowest seed in the tournament, a win is by no means assured as Wesleyan has pushed seven of its ten conference opponents to five sets.

While the Jumbos easily dispatched the Cardinals in the teams’ previous matchup in September, the Cardinals have shown signs of improvement. Last weekend No. 3 seed Conn. College needed five sets to defeat the battle-tested Cardinals.

“Wesleyan is a different-looking team than the team we saw two months ago,”

Brown garners first NESCAC award for field hockey Despite winning its first 10 games of the season and 14 of their first 15, the field hockey team did not snag a NESCAC Player of the Week award until junior forward Tamara Brown won the honor for her contributions last week. Brown’s continued dominance on offense helped the Jumbos secure the No. 2 seed in the conference and earn a first-round victory over Wesleyan in the NESCAC Tournament.

Brown’s efforts were key in the Jumbos’ victories over Bowdoin and Wesleyan, as she netted the first goal in Tufts’ 2-0 victory over the Polar Bears and both of Tufts’ tallies in a 2-0 win versus the Cardinals.

The 2008 All-American now has six gamewinning goals this season and a remarkable 15 in her collegiate career.

This is the third Player of the Week award that Brown has been awarded in her three years at Tufts; she earned both of her previous honors last season. She has been the most dangerous player in the conference on the attacking end this season, amassing 47 points on 19 goals and nine assists.

— by Daniel Rathman

Thomson said. “We know that even if we get a 2-0 jump on them, if we are not fully focused at the end it can slip away.”

The Cardinals are the only team in this year’s tournament with a conference record below .500, in what has been a remarkably even season within the NESCAC. This year is the first since 2004 that all eight teams in the tournament have entered with at least four wins on the season. Five out of the top eight teams in the Division III New England rankings are from the NESCAC and will be battling it out in Cousens for post-season supremacy.

“This season shows how strong every team in the NESCAC is, and speaks well for our overall dominance,” Feiger said. “It shows how great the tournament this weekend will be.”

And if this year’s Jumbo team can emerge from the tournament with three hard-fought victories, it will achieve what no Tufts volleyball team has done since 1996: bring home the NESCAC tournament title.

GODDARD CHAPEL FORUM ON RELIGION & THE MEDIA November 4, 2009 - 6 PM Goddard Chapel

Rev. Scotty McLennan Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University Author of “Jesus was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All” Discussing:

“How Religious Books Get Framed on Radio and T.V. – An Author’s Tale” Cosponsored by The Chaplain’s Office, the Fletcher School, and The International Center Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 – (617) 627-3427 Website: www.tufts.edu/chaplaincy

Athletes of the Week JESSLYN JAMISON, WOMEN’S SOCCER In Sunday’s first-round NESCAC Tournament nail-biter against the No. 5-seeded Trinity Bantams, the No. 4-seeded women’s soccer team looked to senior forward Jesslyn Jamison to keep its conference championship hopes alive.

The game stayed scoreless into the second half, but the Jumbos took a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute on a goal from senior midfielder Fanna Gamal. After a second-half dry spell on both sides, a furious last-minute showdown occurred on Kraft Field. With 48 seconds remaining, Jamison stole the ball from Trinity’s last defender and chipped one over junior keeper Emily Weedon for her first goal of the season, giving the Jumbos a crucial bit of insurance. Just 15 seconds later, Trinity countered with a goal from sophomore forward Leigh Howard to get on the board, cutting the Tufts lead to 2-1.

The Jumbos will hope to ride the momentum from Jamison’s game-winning goal in the NESCAC semifinals against Williams on Saturday.

ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY

KYLE MARKS AND MATT RAND, MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Freshmen Kyle Marks and Matt Rand finished second and third, respectively, for the men’s cross country team at the NESCAC Championships yesterday. The Jumbos placed third overall in the event, the first championship race of Marks’ and Rand’s collegiate career.

This season, the first-years have stepped in as the No. 2 and 3 Tufts runners behind senior Jesse Faller. Marks’ time of 27:15, a pace of 5:27 per mile, was good for 16th overall, while Rand came in five seconds behind Marks and 18th overall. The contributions from the freshmen gave the Jumbos their best finish at NESCACs in four years.

Tufts had solid showings across the board, as the top five finishers all placed 32nd or better in the field of 121 competitors. Marks and Rand were the only freshmen to finish inside the top 20.

The Jumbos hope to continue their success at the ECAC Championships next week at Williams.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

11

SPORTS

ALEX PREWITT | LIVE FROM MUDVILLE

J.Jay-Z

T

MCT

New Jersey Devils goalie Yann Danis had 31 saves in his first start of the season against the Boston Bruins last Thursday after coming over from the New York Islanders this past summer.

Bruins mix and match goalies, look for wins INSIDE NHL continued from page 12

So, when the rare opportunity arises for the Devils’ backup goalkeepers to vacate their spots on the bench, it isn’t always easy for them to be sharp.

When New Jersey squared off against the Boston Bruins last Thursday, it was announced that Yann Danis would be making his first start since last April as a member of the New York Islanders, and his first ever as a Devil.

Danis proved more than up to the task, racking up 31 saves as the Devils topped the Bruins 2-1.

“I was waiting for this one for a while,” Danis said in an interview with the Daily.

“You know, you think about it and it’s definitely good to get the first one out of the way. The only way to stay sharp is to work hard in practice and try to approach practices the same as games. You want to make sure you keep that edge so when I do get the start that I’m ready.”

Danis’ first start of the year served as a perfect contrast to the goaltending situation in Boston, where Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask have split the time on the ice

a little more evenly. Whereas Brodeur had played in every game for the Devils up to Thursday night’s showdown at the TD Garden, it was just Thomas’ eighth of the season. On Saturday, Rask was back in the net to face the Edmonton Oilers, pitching a shutout as the Bruins collected their sixth win of the season 2-0.

“I think that he has played well, especially after that game in Philadelphia,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said in a press conference after the win over Edmonton.

“He deserved another start. It was a good chance to do that today. We are in New York tomorrow. With having back-to-back games there was an opportunity to give Tuukka a start.

“We feel confident with him in net,” he continued. “He has matured so much in the three years that I have seen him here.

He is committed to doing the job well.”

Thomas was back in the net on Sunday, when the Bruins fell 1-0 to the New York Rangers. With a 22-save effort, though, Thomas definitely looked sharp, proving that Julien’s strategy of using both of his goaltenders regularly is, at least for the time being, paying off. After a slow start

to the season for Thomas, Rask and the entire Bruins squad, Boston’s goaltenders have improved their save percentages to .910 and .915 respectively, and the Bruins have climbed to within four points of the division lead.

The Bruins may not have all the kinks worked out just yet, but they have proved that having a goalie whom you can trust — no matter who it is — is crucial to the success of any team. Simply knowing that the player between the pipes is going to get the job done provides a huge boost of confidence to the rest of the squad, which clearly shows in the rest of its play. When a goalie — or goalies — is performing poorly, the adjustments that a team might try to make to compensate often result in disappointing losses.

Regardless of whether it is Brodeur, Thomas or any combination of goaltenders shouldering the workload, it is absolutely imperative that teams have a reliable goaltending situation if they hope to be contenders. Just as great pitching is said to win the World Series, so too can great goaltending single-handedly win the Stanley Cup.

SCHEDULE | Nov. 3 - Nov. 9 TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

Football

at Colby 12:30 p.m.

Field Hockey

vs. Williams NESCAC Tournament tba vs. Williams NESCAC Tournament tba

Women’s Soccer

Volleyball

NESCAC Tournament tba

NESCAC Tournament tba

NESCAC Tournament tba

ECAC Championship 12 p.m.

Cross Country

JumboCast

SUN

Volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball

MON

here are some acts that simply should not be done by certain people. Lactoseintolerant individuals should avoid ice cream sundaes. Alex Rodriguez should pass on those tic-tacs. Are you Albus Dumbledore? Stay away from Snape. But all of these examples pale in comparison to what Orlando Magic sharpshooter J.J. Redick announced on Thursday.

Redick, better known for coming off screens and nailing three-pointers at Duke, said that he’s part of an unnamed “rap supergroup,” due to release its single in the near future. Redick listed a number of potential names for his new rap crew, including “Sub-par,” “Afterthought” and “No-Profits.” Interestingly enough, all aptly describe Redick’s NBA career.

While other basketball players who have released rap albums — Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal — are sure to avoid Redick’s “supergroup” like H1N1, the verdict is still out on who might be in it.

Listed below are some potential members, none of whom have been confirmed by Redick himself, but all of whom would be incredibly awesome to hear drop a beat, singing about how life inexplicably relates to “hoes,” “haters” or “ballin’.”

10. Ray Allen: The Celtics guard, were he to come out with a rap album, would be the NBA’s equivalent of Will Smith. This is a man whose favorite movie is “Schindler’s List” and whose performance in the 1998 film “He Got Game” earned him the nickname “Jesus.” So, simply going off his life experience, Allen would be dropping a cuss-free beat about Jesus Christ saving Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his Christianity factories. In the end, a certain moral lesson about being good to your mother or always doing your homework is sure to surface.

9. Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming: Two massive centers with an aggregate height of 14 feet, six inches and with about as much street credibility as hermit crabs. You do the math on whether or not this would be awesome.

8. Derrick Rose: Writing raps with a Duke University grad requires a certain SAT score to participate. Well, maybe Rose could get a friend to compose the rhymes for him.

7. Matt Bonner: He has way too much red hair to be putting out a rap single.

6. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: Where to begin with this one. Aside from the obvious problem of his name being unable to fit on the cover of a CD, Mbah a Moute, a 6-foot-8 forward from Cameroon, is actually African royalty. No, seriously. He’s a prince in his native village of Bia Messe.

5. Tyler Hansbrough: If Hansbrough ever got into a rap studio, the second he touched the microphone, he would flop on the ground and scream for a foul. Plus, the dynamics between the Duke alumnus Redick and UNC’s Hansbrough would implode faster than D4L. 4. Shane Battier: The clean-shaven, sweet-talking, defensive-minded Houston Rockets forward is probably too teamcentric to be rapping. “’Dem hoes always be approachin me/Sayin ‘Hey what’s your name’/But I’ll go ahead and share them/ Cause that’s part of my game.”

3. Grant Hill: Just released! The 37-yearold Phoenix Suns guard’s first album will be entitled “B-Ball, Tylenol and Not Being Able to Get it Up at All.” 2. Tim Duncan: Has he ever said more than four words strung together at a given time, let alone bust out a spontaneous rhyme?

Duncan, arguably the best post player of this generation, admits to shying away from the spotlight, certainly not a characteristic of a high-profile rapper. But, what more could Redick want than a partner who enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and boasts a 13th-level lawful evil sorcerer named Merlin with 98 hit points, an armor class of two and a charisma of 21? Can’t you just picture his opening line now? “I hate being famous/I’m not all whistles and bells/I drop trey balls/Like Merlin drops spells.”

1. Phil Jackson: The only non-player on this list is too good to pass up. The hidden bonus track featuring the Zen Master would just be three minutes of him chanting. No raps. No rhymes. Just mustaches, triangle offenses and Buddhist chants.

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

Sports

12

INSIDE Live from Mudville 11 Athletes of the Week 10

tuftsdaily.com

VOLLEYBALL

Despite loss, Jumbos still clinch regular-season title BY

BEN KOCHMAN

Contributing Writer

After spending nearly a month on the road facing stiff NESCAC opposition, the Tufts volleyball team is finally coming home VOLLEYBALL (26-3, 8-2 NESCAC) at Amherst, Mass., Saturday Tufts Amherst

25 20 16 25

25 26 — 3 16 24 — 1

at Amherst, Mass., Friday Tufts Trinity

22 25 25 14

18 25

25 8 — 2 11 15 — 3

after clinching its second consecutive regular-season NESCAC championship.

The Jumbos split a two-game set at Amherst last weekend, losing Friday’s match-up to Trinity in five sets. Then, with the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament hanging in the balance, the team regained its composure to defeat Amherst.

To host the NESCAC postseason tournament, the Jumbos needed to dispatch the Lord Jeffs on Saturday afternoon. With their 3-1 victory in this match, Tufts finished the season in a three-way tie with 8-2 with Williams and Connecticut College for first place in the NESCAC standings. Because the Jumbos own the head-to-head tiebreaker against both of these teams, the postseason tournament will take place at Tufts for the second year in a row.

In the Amherst game on Saturday, the Jumbo offense functioned like a well-oiled machine. Junior Dawson Joyce-Mendive totaled 19 kills with only 3 errors on 35 attempts — an astounding season-high .457 kill percentage. Fellow outside hitter junior Caitlin Updike contributed a team-high of 22 kills, while on the defensive end sophomore libero Audrey Kuan stymied the Lord Jeff attack with 29 digs.

“On Saturday we came in with more focus, did more things right, executed a lot

better, talked more, put more balls away,” Updike said. “We were doing all of the things that make us a great team.”

In the game against Trinity, the Jumbos were inconsistent offensively, converting only 15.7 percent of their kill opportunities.

The game featured various shifts of momentum. Tufts dominated the second and fourth sets, outscoring Trinity 50-25 in those two contests, but the Bantams were able to excel in the pivotal moments, squeaking out the victory 15-8 in the fifth.

“Trinity is a very good team that has gotten better and better as the season has gone on,” senior co-captain Dena Feiger said. “They have a lot of potential, and they proved it to us. They played a great game.”

The game on Friday was Tufts’ first encounter this season with the Bantams, a team that features a lot of young talent that has gained experience over the course of the season. The victory makes Trinity a dangerous opponent, and the dark horse contender in this weekend’s post-season tournament.

“Trinity played out of their minds,” senior co-captain Brogie Helgeson said. “That’s what happens — we have a bullseye on our backs and people play harder against us.

They have nothing to lose.”

The Tufts offense sputtered against a large Trinity block on Friday, struggling to control the ball and execute its attack.

While Feiger did have 50 assists in the contest, no Tufts player converted more than 26.7 percent of her kill attempts into scores.

Joyce-Mendive and Updike, the Jumbos’ two leading offensive presences this season, combined for 30 kills on 112 attempts, both performing under their season averages in kill percentage.

“Trinity didn’t make many errors, and they did a good job of controlling the ball,” coach Cora Thomson said. “They forced us to earn our points. It was clear that we [had to] work harder.”

In the Jumbos’ three losses this season, Joyce-Mendive has converted only 7.5, 11.4 and 11.4 percent of her kill opportunities. A good measure of the Jumbos’ success this

SCOTT TINGLEY /TUFTS DAILY

see VOLLEYBALL, page 10

Sophomore libero Audrey Kuan led the Tufts’ defensive effort with 29 digs as the Jumbos clinched the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage in the NESCAC Championship.

INSIDE NHL

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Wilfert two seconds from winning The men behind the mask: NHL goaltending NESCAC Championship

BY JEREMY

GREENHOUSE

BY

EVAN COOPER

Daily Editorial Board

Daily Editorial Board

Sometimes in cross country, two seconds make all the difference in the world.

In hockey, there’s just something about the goalie mask that lends itself to a very different personality than that of any other position on the ice.

Over the years, a slew of quirky athletes who would probably be out of place anywhere else in the sport have proven simply remarkable between the pipes.

Names like Ron Hextall and Billy Smith come to mind when discussing the odd habits — and sometimes even odder personalities — of those who have flourished in the net. Whether these quirks are coping mechanisms for dealing with the job or simply the nature of the position, one thing is for certain: goalies are just different than other players in the NHL. In comparison to other hockey stars, who are constantly rotating on and off the ice in 30 to 60-second shifts, the goaltender is responsible for manning his post from start to finish — assuming nothing goes terribly wrong. Unlike in baseball, there is no bullpen to come in and clean up his mess. More than anyone else on the ice, the goalie is a lone soldier, anchored as the last line of defense.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NESCAC Championships Manchester, Conn., Sunday 7th out of 11 teams (6k) 3.

39.

55.

61.

62.

Amy Wilfert 21:41 Anya Price, 23:21 Grace Hafner, 24:01 Sadie Lansdale, 24:07 Kelsey Picciuto, 24:09

Such was the case for junior Amy Wilfert at Sunday’s NESCAC Championship, as she was edged out at the finish line and ultimately finished in third place — just two seconds behind the eventual champion, Amherst senior Sophia Galleher.

Galleher won the 6 kilometer race at Trinity’s Wickham Park with a time of 21:39, while Wilfert, with a at a 5:43 mile pace, crossed the line at the 21:41 mark — one second behind runner-up senior Ravenna Neville of Wesleyan.

“I got impatient in the last 800 meters or so, so I started my finishsee WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY, page 10

LAURA SCHULTZ /TUFTS DAILY

Junior Amy Wilfert narrowly missed winning the individual NESCAC Championship on Sunday, coming in third and finishing only two seconds out of the top spot.

The psychological pressure that accompanies the position wears greatly on goalies over the course of a long season. This hardship combined with the physical demands of defending the twine means that the bulk of goaltenders will only start 50 to 60 of the 82 games in a season.

This trend makes a netminder like the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur an invaluable asset. The all-time leader in career wins, Brodeur played in 70 or more games in every season since 1997 until the first major injury of his 15-year career caused him to miss the bulk of last year’s season. Brodeur annually ranks among the top of the list in games played, and he is now fewer than 20 games away from surpassing Patrick Roy for the most overall.

Brodeur, though, is the exception to the rule. Many clubs choose to platoon two men in the net, either because neither is obviously better than the other or simply to keep both goaltenders fresh for the stretch run and the playoffs. Both situations can be nerve-wracking for a goalie since he doesn’t know exactly when his next start is going to come. see INSIDE NHL, page 11