2009-11-2

THE TUFTS DAILY

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TUFTSDAILY.COM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009

VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 36

Senior Club Life’s Halloween event marked by less rowdy behavior

Political science dept. settles into new home

BY SAUMYA VAISHAMPAYAN

BY

BRENT YARNELL

Daily Editorial Board

Contributing Writer

A student-run Halloween event for seniors ran smoothly on Wednesday, with few instances of the excessively drunken behavior that marked the semester’s inaugural Senior Pub Night.

Halloween Club Night, held at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub in Quincy Market, boasted a larger venue, free gifts and more security personnel, all methods employed by its organizers to decrease the focus on alcohol consumption.

“The Class of 2010 has proved that we can have alcohol and have a good time,” said senior Raoul Alwani, one of the event’s coordinators. “It proves that you can have alcohol at events with many people together.”

Alwani and fellow senior Kevin Wong created the group Senior Club Life and organized its first event after the Tufts administration threatened to put Senior Pub Nights on hold in response to rowdy, drunken behavior at the semester’s first pub night in September. After Alwani and Wong announced their event, the university decided definitively not to host the initially scheduled Halloween pub night.

A combination of clear guidelines and stricter security led to the smooth operation of the event, according to Wong.

“We outlined firm policies so that people understood that there are rules, even if they are implicit to some degree,” Wong said. “There cannot be an antagonistic relationship between the organizers and attendees.”

To further prevent overly intoxicated behavior, Wednesday’s Halloween Club Night had a security detail on the buses and at the club.

Two trained security professionals accompanied each bus to and from Tufts, and Ned Devine’s staff was careful when admitting students.

A crowd of political science enthusiasts, including students, faculty and alumni, gathered outside Packard Hall Friday evening to witness its official re-opening as the new headquarters of the Department of Political Science.

The ceremony, hosted by the Department of Political Science and the Office of Alumni Relations, included remarks by University President Lawrence Bacow, University Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha and Political Science Department Chair Robert Devigne.

ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY

Halloween Club Night, held last Wednesday at Ned Devine’s bar and club in Boston for seniors, had few reported cases of excessive drunkenness.

“We wanted to attack the problem from different points,” Wong said.

Alwani and Wong organized the Halloween event independently of the Senior Class Council, the body that organizes Senior Pub Night.

They sold 600 tickets online before the event, and Alwani estimated that the event nearly reached full capacity.

The difference in student behavior at Halloween Club Night may be attributed to the uncertain future of Senior Pub Night. The Senior Class Council and the Office of Student Affairs have yet to reach a decision about pub night, according to Wong and Alwani.

“The main difference was that a lot of seniors [taking part] in [Wednesday’s event] knew how to behave,” senior Jose Soto said. “I didn’t see that many people drunk in the line outside or escorted out this time, as I did in [Senior Pub Night].”

Alwani and Wong offered a number of benefits to decrease the emphasis on alcohol, including a package of discounts for students to enjoy before Senior Club Night.

By showing their tickets, students could receive discounts on purchases from the Garment District and Boston Costume and on dinner from Dick’s Last Resort in Quincy Market, as well as free appetizers from some of the smaller bars in the area.

“We wanted to make it a holistic event,” Alwani said. “It shouldn’t just be about transporting people to and from the event. This is to emphasize an evening of activity, as opposed to [an evening of] just drinking.”

Complimentary water, candy and pizza were also available on the bus ride back to Tufts.

Wong agreed that they offered the additional benefits to provide seniors with not a replacement for but altersee SENIOR NIGHT, page 2

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

“The gods are shining on Tufts, they are shining on Packard Hall, and they are certainly shining on the political science department,” Devigne said in his opening remarks.

Packard Hall, built in 1856 as the university’s first dormitory, underwent extensive renovations last year at a total cost of $7.1 million. The Political Science department moved to Packard Hall from its old offices in Eaton Hall early this summer, a transfer that many believe better accommodates the department.

“We really did need this space,” Political Science Lecturer see PACKARD, page 2

Fulbright Program applications increase among Tufts students BY

MARTHA SHANAHAN Contributing Writer

Tufts ranked as one of the top producers of Fulbright students among research institutions nationwide this year, reflecting a larger trend of increased interest in the selective international exchange program as students react to an uncertain job market and increased interest in international issues.

The Fulbright Program awarded scholarships to eight Tufts students from 47 applications, ranking Tufts as No. 35 among national research institutions, according to an October report in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

This year’s numbers reveal a growing interest among Tufts students in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, which offers funding for American graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals to

teach or conduct research abroad for up to a year. It is one category of the Fulbright Program, an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Approximately 1,500 American students receive Fulbright awards each year.

“Our applicant pool has increased dramatically in the last three years,” said Laura Doane, Tufts’ program director of advising and scholarship.

The official number of recipients does not include two students who applied through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program and were denied grants but received funding from the governments of their countries of interest, according to Doane.

Tufts has consistently maintained a “per capita success rate [that] is relatively high” for a school of its size and applicant see FULBRIGHT, page 2

At block party, Greeks reach out to greater student body BY

ELLEN KAN

Daily Editorial Board

The Inter-Greek Council hosted its annual Greek block party on Friday afternoon in an effort to offer the student body an opportunity to interact with Tufts’ sororities and fraternities.

Members of various fraternity and sorority houses set up booths and activities along Professors Row. This year’s fall-themed party featured activities such as pumpkin carving hosted by Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity (SigEp) and wing-eating contests organized by the brothers of Delta Tau Delta (DTD).

Sophomore Nathan Beaton, a brother in DTD, lauded the event for facilitating interaction between the Greek community and students. “It’s really nice to see the greater Tufts community interact with the Greek community in such a positive way,” Beaton said.

Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) brother David Cohen, a junior, agreed that the block party was a beneficial setting in which to promote the Greek community’s image. “It opens up

the Greek community to everyone else,” Cohen said. “The Greek community is not just about parties.”

Greek members treated attendees to a wide variety of free food. The brothers of Delta Upsilon (DU) grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, while the sisters of Chi Omega and Alpha Phi offered caramel apples and frozen yogurt, respectively.

Junior Alex Ross, president of DU, felt that the event went well and noticed an increase in interest among the student body compared to that generated by last year’s block party.

“Last year was successful and it is more successful this year; there are more people,” Ross said. “It’s a chance to give back to the community, the neighborhood and students who support us.”

Zeta Psi brother Tyler Krizan felt that the event was key to boosting the Greek community’s presence and standing on campus.

“It helps make the Greek system more of a big deal at Tufts,” Krizan, a senior, said. “The school tends to have a negative attitude [toward] the Greek system; it is not men-

Inside this issue

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

Tufts’ fraternities and sororities hosted their annual Greek block party on Friday afternoon. tioned in tours and is downplayed.”

The block party also provided an opportunity for members of the different Greek houses to come together and interact. “It promotes Greek unity. It’s fun to see all the fraternities and sororities mixing and play-

ing each other’s games,” sophomore Lizzie Sager, a sister in Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), said.

Brionna Jimerson, a freshman, apprecisee BLOCK PARTY, page 2

Today’s Sections

The Concords told you they were freaky, but did they warn you their latest release is mediocre?

Tufts’ field hockey team’s offense whipped Wesleyan 2-0 in a playoff game on Bello Field last weekend.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, back page

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 12 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Monday, November 2, 2009

NEWS

Tufts’ Fulbright advising to adapt to rising numbers

Students, staff say new Packard Hall atmosphere is conducive to interaction

FULBRIGHT

PACKARD

continued from page 1

rate, Doane said, which she attributed to the university’s internationally focused student body.

Patrick Roath (LA ’09) received a Fulbright grant to travel to Malaysia this January to teach English and do research. He explained that the uncertainty in the job market and the instability of the economic climate have contributed to an increased interest among undergraduate students in applying for grants to travel abroad.

“The market for ‘real’ jobs has not been ideal,” Roath said. “The lack of job opportunities after graduation has cast a wide net for people looking for other options.”

David Comp, senior advisor for international initiatives at the University of Chicago, agreed that the tight economy may have prompted some to seek out the Fulbright Program. “[Students] have a concern for the unknown and what the economy and job market will be like when they get out [of school],” Comp told the Daily.

The University of Chicago came in as the second-highest producer of Fulbright students, with 31 scholarships awarded from a pool of 128 applicants.

Northwestern University took the top spot, with 32 of its 109 applicants receiving scholarships.

Comp cited growing international awareness as a reason for the mounting interest in international study grants.

“In the last four or five years, there has been more interest in international [study],” Comp said, noting a “nationwide trend to … be globally competent.”

Brooke Noonan, the University of Chicago’s director of the Office of Graduate Affairs and the Fulbright Program adviser for graduate students, credited the university’s high numbers of Fulbright appli-

cants and award recipients to its refined advising system.

“What makes us unique is our pretty intensive one-on-one sessions. When advising students who want to apply, we spend time with them going over the ins and outs of the application process,” Noonan told the Daily.

As Tufts reaches an unprecedented number of Fulbright applicants, the university is undertaking similar efforts to provide help in the application process for interested students.

“The process that worked for 36 people last year works well, but not as well, for 47 [this year],” Doane said. “We want to make sure that as soon as people want to get into the [application] process, they have support and receive comprehensive feedback,” she said.

Doane said that the administration plans to revise its approach to answer the increase in interest in international study grants. “We haven’t had time to realign and reassess [yet],” she said, but added that Tufts is hoping to bolster its advising strategies for students.

“We are looking at ways to have other people be involved in addition, so that [the applicants] have more than one person looking at their application and the support system is even more comprehensive,” she said.

Roath was happy with the support system he encountered as an applicant. “They put us through a rigorous application process and my application was stronger as a result,” he said.

According to Doane, students who wish to apply for a Fulbright grant are provided with an interview with faculty members as a preliminary assessment of their application and have access to a writing consultant through the Academic Resource Center for the duration of the process.

continued from page 1

Michael Goldman said.

The departments of religion and anthropology moved into the third floor of Eaton, previously home to the political science staff.

“Political science is a pretty huge department on Tufts’ campus, so they should have a bigger space to accommodate the students,” junior Ariana McLean said.

The limited space in Eaton failed to comfortably house the department, and students often packed the hallways outside professors’ offices, Bharucha said.

The department has among the highest number of majors on campus and additionally serves many international relations majors.

“This is a wonderful department; it has been for a long time,” Bacow said in his speech during the event. “We were really pleased to be able to help make this happen.”

When the university first approved the Packard Hall renovations, it originally intended the building to host administrative offices. However, administrators decided the renovations would better serve an academic department, Bharucha said in an interview during the event.

“For a building right on the quad, there should be priority given to an academic program,” Bharucha said.

Walter Wright (A ’79), who worked with Tufts political science professors during his successful race for the school committee in Needham, Mass., said that the move to Packard was crucial for a department that emphasizes interaction between students and professors. On a

BLOCK PARTY continued from page 1

ated the chance to interact with the Greek community. “I think it’s a safe way for Tufts to learn about Greek life here,” Jimerson said.

“There’s no pressure, it’s completely safe and fun.”

Freshman Xiachong Yao said

she enjoyed herself at the block party. “They’ve got good food and it’s pretty fun,” Yao said.

Freshmen Kaitlyn Leidl and Yulia Korovikov said that their favorite was the caramel apple booth, while freshman Kerry McGinn enjoyed Sigma Nu’s tiedye booth.

personal note, he emphasized how this interaction can extend beyond a student’s undergraduate years.

“The department played a helping role in my life,” Wright said.

The department’s new conference room, which includes office chairs and a round table, has served to foster more interaction, and faculty members are already noticing a difference.

“Students are showing up to class early to get the good chairs,” Associate Professor of Political Science Deborah Schildkraut said.

Tomas Valdes, a junior majoring in political science, said that the new building also improves students’ experiences outside the classroom, creating an environment that is productive for studying and meeting with other students.

The renovations have also proved valuable for professors, who now have their own offices. In Eaton, it was not uncommon to see three or four professors crammed into the same office. There was little space for books, which often had to be stacked in the hallways.

“It couldn’t have been safe from a fire-hazard perspective,” Schildkraut said.

Though the move to Packard has proved successful for the political science staff, Bharucha said that other departments experiencing growing pains are also in need of new offices.

“We have a serious space problem at Tufts,” Bharucha said.

“There are many departments who are sorely in need of space, and we recognize that. We just have to do it one at a time.”

With extra safety measures, larger venue, Halloween event for seniors runs smoothly SENIOR NIGHT

Greek block party brings students together

AALOK KANANI/TUFTS DAILY

University President Lawrence Bacow spoke outside of Packard Hall on Friday during the official unveiling of the building as the political science department’s new home.

continued from page 1

native to drinking during the night.

“We didn’t want to eliminate any aspects,” Wong said. “We could work with the event by including other things that deemphasize the negative aspects of alcohol rather than decreasing the fun.”

Members of the senior class noted that the spacious venue was helpful in dealing with intoxicated behavior.

“I definitely had a lot more fun at [Wednesday’s] club night because there was more space,” senior Courtney Morrissey said. “I wasn’t

bumping against other students.

The lack of space was a bigger deal than misbehavior at Senior Pub Night. I just thought the fact that we were able to spread out more was really helpful.”

Senior John Meyers agreed, adding that the extra space changed the atmosphere of the event. “The venue was bigger and it had a different feel … It didn’t seem as out of control,” Meyers said.

Others commended Senior Club Life’s ticketing procedure.

Senior Alexandra Leonard said she enjoyed both Senior Pub Night

in September and Halloween Club Night but felt the ticketing process for the Senior Club Life event was easier to use.

“The different ticketing system for Wednesday was much more efficient because it was online and very professional,” Leonard said. “[For] Senior Pub Night it was inconvenient to come to the campus center, and it was sort of a competition about who would get there first.”

The staff and management at Ned Devine’s were happy with students’ overall behavior and filed no complaints, according to Wong.

Visiting the Hill this week TUESDAY “WHAT IS A RECORD? TAMIL SCRIBES IN EARLY COLONIAL MADRAS” Details: Princeton University History Professor Bhavani Raman will discuss early records from Tamil scribes.

When and Where: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Fung House, 48 Professors Row Sponsors: Center for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies “WANT TO GO TO A TOP LAW SCHOOL?” Details: Author Richard Montauk will discuss his book “How to Get into the Top Law Schools” and discuss the rigorous selection process behind law school admissions.

When and Where: 7:30 p.m.; Terrace Room, Paige Hall Sponsor: Tufts Pre-Law Society

national finance systems from terrorist risks as part of a lecture/lunch program.

Registration in Cabot 603 is required to attend.

When and Where: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Cabot 702 Sponsor: Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization (SWAIC) Program “HOW IS PRESIDENT OBAMA DOING IN THE MIDDLE EAST?” Details: Robert Pelletreau, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, will speak on the impact of Obama’s actions in the Middle East as part of the fall 2009 Fares Lecture Series.

When and Where: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Cabot 702 Sponsors: Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Department of Political Science

and prospects for the future as part of the International Business Center Global Speaker Series.

When and Where: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Cabot 205 Sponsor: International Business Center at the Fletcher School “GODDARD CHAPEL FORUM ON RELIGION AND MEDIA” Details: Rev. Scotty McLennan, dean for religious life at Stanford University, will speak about his most recent book, “Jesus was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All.” His lecture will discuss the representation of religious books on radio and television from his perspective as an author.

When and Where: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Goddard Chapel Sponsor: Office of the University Chaplain THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY “SAFEGUARDING KEY RESOURCES FROM GEOPOLITICS RISKS” Details: Celina Realuyo, assistant professor of counterterrorism at the National Defense University, will speak on safeguarding inter-

“THE EUROPEAN UNION’S RESPONSE TO THE FINANCIAL CRISIS” Details: Philippe Maystadt, president of the European Investment Bank, will give a lecture on how European countries have weathered the economic downturn

“THE HUMANITIES AND THE BODY” Details: Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University; Melvin Konner, professor of anthropology at Emory University; and author Noga Arikha will hold a panel discussion on “The New Biology

and The Self” in the final installment of The Humanities and The Body Series. Religion Department Chair and English Professor Kevin Dunn will moderate the discussion.

When and Where: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Aidekman Arts Center, Alumnae Lounge Sponsor: Center for the Humanities at Tufts FRIDAY “COMMUNITY ORGANIZING: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE” Details: A panel will discuss the evolution of community organization. Specifically, the talk will center on the future of the field and youth’s role. Panel members include Cheryl Andes, organizer of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, author Sanford Horwitt and Danny LeBlanc, CEO of Somerville Community Corporation, among others.

When and Where: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Crane Room, Paige Hall Sponsor: Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service compiled by Nina Ford and Tessa Gellerson

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

The ‘F-word’ isn’t dirty, but challenges persist Despite widespread feminist work, discrepancies in workforce remain BY

ALEXA SASANOW

Contributing Writer

Much has changed for women since Sept. 16, 1910, the day that Bessica Raiche, a 1903 graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and one of the first female OB/ GYN specialists in the United States, went down in history.

That day, she became the first American woman to pilot and crash a solo flight. The number of female pilots has stayed about the same since that time, however, reflecting some of the gender discrepancies that still exist in the American workforce.

Since Raiche’s time, women have come to make up half of the American workforce. America now has a female Secretary of State and a female Speaker of the House.

According to the 2009 Shriver report, in nearly 40 percent of families women are the breadwinners, and, in 24 percent of families, women are co-breadwinners.

For every empowering statistic, however, there is another that proves there is still much ground for working women to cover.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 2.6 percent of pilots in 2008 were female, not too different from the percentage of female pilots in Raiche and Amelia Earhart’s days. Furthermore, American women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.

Though the number of working women has increased, the workforce is gender-segregated, with men dominating the professional fields. The most prevalent occupation for a woman in 2008 was secretary or administrative assistant, followed by other positions in the “lower-paid echelons” of social services, said Bettina Aptheker, professor of feminist studies and history at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“Gender segregation in the workplace is old news,” Aptheker said. Discrepancies are glaringly obvious in some areas.

For example, less than 10 percent of construction workers are female, even though the field of consturction requires a comprable amount of education and training to that required of fields dominated by women.

“In the late 19th century, when the typewriter was first invented, all clerical workers were men,” Aptheker said. “Typewriters were considered too complicated a

ADAM ARONOW

Contributing Writer

Before high-rises and Citgo signs peppered Boston’s skyline, Prospect Hill offered an unparalleled view of the city. Though Prospect Hill’s importance has dimmed in recent years, it now overlooks another bustling urban area: Union Square.

Located in Somerville at the intersection of Somerville Avenue, Washington Street and Prospect Street, Union Square offers an exciting alternative to Davis Square. The main attractions of the Square — vibrant diversity, independent shops and an active arts and music scene — are evident simply by walking through it. A mural covers the wall next to Oath, an independent bike store. A Shepard Fairey mural is pasted on the side of a building. Statues by local artists decorate the bench area of the Square.

Union Square is bohemian Somerville in that it represents the rainbow of ethnicities active in the community.

There is a Brazilian bakery, a GreekAmerican club, an Indian grocery store, an organic market, a classic New England bar and a Caribbean store, just to name a few.

Junior Matthew Erle said he came to Union for the “good ethnic food.”

“I love Machu Picchu, the Peruvian restaurant,” Erle said.

Swine flu, graduation, my future, oh my!

T

COURTESY HENRY A. LIESE COLLECTION

Although women have made considerable strides since Bessica Raiche made history in the early 1900s, gender discrepancies are still readily apparent in the American workforce. machine for women to use. It used to be considered an entry point … you could get to be a banker from there. For women now, it’s just a nine-to-five thing that you do.”

These days, most women don’t end work after five p.m. They go home to what sociologist Arlie Hochschild calls the “second shift” in her book of the same title — an evening full of the domestic work still primarily performed by women.

“They come home from work; that’s one shift and they still have everything left to do,” said sophomore Cory Faragon, cochair of the Tufts Feminist Alliance (TFA).

“It’s very rare that a man does an equal share of the housework.”

According to Desole, TFA is planning a panel discussion for later this year about working women and the challenges they face in balancing their double shifts.

“It’s about juggling, about agreements

they have with their partner — who cooks dinner, who takes care of the kids, who cleans up — these are important questions,” Faragon said. “Most work traditionally done by women is completely undervalued.”

Shari Cantor faced this type of challenge before she was elected to town council in West Hartford, Conn. After giving birth to her fourth son, she left her job as a certified public accountant to become what her son, freshman Sam Cantor, refers to as “the most active anti-homemaker homemaker.”

“They appointed her partly because women and especially women with children are underrepresented in the council,” he said. “It’s important to have people like my mom in the government. A man cannot know the values that mothers hold to the see FEMINISM, page 4

Vibrant Union Square boasts array of shops BY

JESSIE BORKAN | COLLEGE IS AS COLLEGE DOES

Dipoti Mistri, proprietor of the Little India, the Indian grocery store, said that because Indian food is popular among many groups, her clientele includes Indians who know what they want as well as Tufts students and the 20-something crowd, who are looking to experiment.

“Different people want to come, Brazil, India … all kinds of international [people],” Mistri said. “Indian food is good for all. Indians know it, [and the] U.S. will learn it.”

Joshua Kampa, owner of the independent bike store Oath, said that Union Square has a unique, artsy atmosphere.

“It’s the Brooklyn of Boston,” Kampa said. “It’s open to possibilities, parties, art … You can get away with murder.”

Kampa is a producer of the Bicycle Film Festival, and Oath is one of the many new stores to grace Union.

Besides being a full-service bike shop, it also has a gallery that showcases local art every month. The next exhibition opens to the public on Nov. 14 with local artist Clark Filio.

Adam Lantheaume, who owns the bartending store The Boston Shaker, described Union Square as “less polished. Hip, upcoming, quirky, funny, raw.” Though Lantheaume is moving his store to Davis Square, Lantheaume said that he was going to miss the Union Square neighborhood. “[There are] lots of great bars, lots

of live music, lot of new music, new businesses,” Lantheaume said. “At this point, early on in gentrification, it’s not all immigrants, not all yuppies — a wonderful mix.”

Part of the reason that the atmosphere of Union Square is so alluring, according to artist Filio, is that it is “off the main grid of mass transit. It keeps it cool.”

Jess Willis, a manager at the Independent, a Union Square bar, said that he believes Tufts students don’t come to the neighborhood because it is less accessible.

“It’s off the beaten path, i.e. hard to find,” Willis said.

According to Jodi Malone, manager at the organic foods market Sherman Market, Union Square flies even more under the radar than it did before.

“This used to be a huge Somerville hub,” Malone said. “It isn’t anymore. [It’s a] little pocket of unknown Somerville.

If you live around here, you know how great of a place this is.”

With no T stop in the square, buses, cars and bikes are the only means to get there. In some ways, this has served to preserve its identity. Gravitating toward the low rent, immigrants and young professionals move to the area. According to Jordan Voelker, a musician who lives in the Union Square neighborhood with her see UNION SQUARE, page 4

his weekend I found myself celebrating the last Halloween of my college career and I don’t know what was scarier: swine flu or the prospect of (not) finding a job.

I receive e-mails nearly every day concerning both of them: from Tufts, from my mom, from my friends — all admonishing me to wash my hands, buy a suit, avoid sharing drinks and network. My everyday conversations are suddenly peppered with news of which fortunate souls have been recruited, and which unfortunate ones have come down with the infamous H1N1, as well as who took the LSATs out of sheer desperation and who has the vague and mysterious “ILI.” It seems no one is safe. Why? Unemployment might not be as contagious as the dreaded swine, but sensationalism definitely is, and I see it infecting Tufts.

I work at an OCD clinic, where people with obsessions and subsequently, compulsive behavior (rituals) go to regain control, escape constant fear and recover their peace of mind.

I spend my days convincing people that touching doorknobs and then not washing their hands before lunch will not, in fact, kill them. Try telling this to my roommates, who, thanks to Tufts’ helpful reminders that they have zero new information for us but want to let us know that it is still possible we will all get the swine flu and die, have succumbed to the very OCD symptoms I try to eliminate in patients: excessive hand washing, undue fear of sniffly people, and the superfluous rule of 12. This rule consists of the (dubious) conviction that contamination can be transferred up to 12 times and still be dangerous, and I have seen it in action: shoes touch the floor and then a chair which touches pants which touch the couch which touches a face and BAM. That’s only five — you’re definitely done for.

The terrifying notions of “our future” and “next year” are little different. We obsess over jobs and applications and networking sites.

(Hello? Just last semester you were using those to post black-out pictures of your friends with Sharpie on their faces.) We ritualize our quest for a livelihood after college, checking and rechecking, displaying shocking levels of perfectionism, scrupulosity and self-doubt.

We spend hours a day on these things in an attempt to extinguish our perpetual anxiety over the possibility of joblessness, but the fear remains. We just can’t handle the uncertainty.

This is textbook OCD. I’m not saying our entire campus has a clinical psychiatric diagnosis — this campus is home to approximately 36,829,457 active student organizations. I’m pretty sure most of us are more than functional. We study, we leave the house, we have friends, we feed ourselves.

We’ll be OK. This notion, however, is actually what I think we need to internalize even more as a campus — We. Will. Be. OK. The terrain of our future, and apparently, our health, looks pretty rugged from here; we have suddenly found ourselves without the vaccines and foresight that have always served us so well.

Finding a job might be hard. So might be finding a passion or a place to live (especially if you have swine flu). But we chose a major, chose a college, figured out how to pay for it and how to survive it — we will do this, and something tells me we will do it well.

In the meantime, I think the present state of everyone’s lives might be improved if we just relax. Read the e-mails if you must; explore your options for next year and perhaps stick to your own Solo-cup for the rest of the semester. Wash your hands and clean up your resume. Do what you have to do, but don’t fret! This is not scary. “Paranormal Activity” was scary. This is exciting! Things have a way of working out, and if they don’t, then you were probably just destined for failure. Kidding! But seriously, take my word on this one: everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

Jessie Borkan is a senior majoring in psychology. She can be reached at Jessie.

Borkan@tufts.edu

THE TUFTS DAILY

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FEATURES

Monday, November 2, 2009

Group works to educate students about gender gap FEMINISM continued from page 3

extent that they think they can or say they can. Mothers shape societies. Fathers do as well, but mothers are a vital component in shaping a society.”

Aptheker sees the influence of secondwave feminist mothers on this generation of students in each of her classes.

“I have found among my male students here a greater openness to feminism than some of my female students,” she said. “[The male students] were raised by feminist mothers and have an attachment to the movement, and have much less hesitancy to call themselves feminists.”

Despite openness to feminism, however, a Gallup/USA Today poll in September 2008 found that only 30 percent of Americans would call themselves feminists. In fact, TFA hosted a panel last year titled “The F-Word,” noting the hesitancy of women to associate themselves with radical bra burners and of men to call themselves feminists “because that’s not a usual label for a dude,” Sam Cantor said.

He believes that feminism is based on experience, not on the label.

“I think you learn about feminism more by experience than anything else,” Sam Cantor said. “I don’t think I ever heard my mom say she was a feminist. She always taught me to respect women, but I don’t think she ever used the word to describe herself.”

Aptheker attributes to self-image the caution that young women exercise with regards to feminism. The connotation of feminists as angry and unreasonable is unattractive, especially when one “wants to be able to have relationships with men,” Aptheker said.

“But the thing is that we don’t make up the statistics,” she added. “It’s going to catch up to these young women. At some point, everybody has to deal with that. It’s better to deal with it with your eyes open than to get to some horrific situation and not know how to handle it.”

COURTESY MARIAN DÖRK

An ethnically diverse community lends a unique atmosphere to Union Square.

Old and new traditions give Union Square its dynamism UNION SQUARE continued from page 3

young family, 20-somethings come to the neighborhood but leave the community when they have families due to the bad reputations of the schools.

Meg Luthin (LA ’07) is one such 20-something. Luthin said that she likes living in the neighborhood.

“There’s a nice sense of community,” Luthin said.

But according to Sandra Fails, as people are increasingly discovering the neighborhood, rent is rising. Fails’ store Hope & Glory Vintage is about to close its doors due to the high cost of

rent.

Ricky DiGiovanni has been at Union Square for 20 years as owner of Ricky’s Flower Market. Unlike Fails, DiGiovanni doesn’t think that Union Square has noticeably changed, though his clientele is perhaps more diverse. He says that, as opposed to Davis, Union Square is much the same as it was when he first set up shop. “[Union Square] hasn’t changed that much; [there’s been] a little expansion,” he said, adding that his clientele ranges from a “guy just getting on the soil to third or fourth generation in the U.S.”

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

Lantheaume said that one great aspect of Union Square is the community-based events, like the Fluff Festival and the weekly Saturday farmer’s market.

Willis said that she enjoys the local music at P.A.’s Lounge. P.A., standing for Portuguese-American, is another combination of the old with the new.

“It’s an old-school bar” with the music drawing in “hipsters, musicians, young kids [and] college students,” Willis said.

With these varied crowds, Union Square’s less accessible location shouldn’t deter Tufts students from visiting.

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

ALBUM REVIEW

CHARLES LAUBACHER | EARS OPEN

Rock’s double standard

I

HBO.COM

With distracting pictures of us flying, no one will notice how lame our album is!

Conchords take a dive on sophomore album

BY SCOTT SUGARMAN

Contributing Writer

Flight of the Conchords’ 2008 selftitled debut album presented a collection of songs that adeptly combined witty humor with memorable, catchy arrangements. Only slightly over a year later, the duo is back with their follow-up album, “I Told You I Was Freaky.” This time, New Zealand’s self-appointed fourth-most-popular,

guitar-based, digi-bongo, a cappellarap-funk-comedy, folk duo fails to impress.

The Conchords, made up of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, is a come-

I Told You I Was Freaky Flight of the Conchords

dic musical group. They parody everything from folk to hip-hop to rock and have starred in their own HBO TV series. “I Told You I Was Freaky” culls 13 selections from the show’s second season, all of which focus on McKenzie and Clement’s vocal exchanges.

Many of the songs’ weaknesses stem from the lyrics. Throughout the album, the pair relies on repetition

Sub Pop Records

see CONCHORDS, page 6

MOVIE REVIEW

GALLERY REVIEW

Sending up our conception of the instrument BY

MEAGAN MAHER

Contributing Writer

A video playing on a wall might seem out of place in a collegiate institution.

Even more so when the institution is MIT,

Ear to the Ground At the Media Test Wall through November 29 MIT’s Whitaker Building Building 56, MIT ROTTENTOMATOES.COM

Hilary Swank can’t keep this one from going down in flames.

‘Amelia’ crashes and burns amid poor plot development BY

ZACH DRUCKER

Daily Staff Writer

The classic holiday fruitcake combines ingredients like dried fruits, nuts and sugar. Alone, these items are tasty treats, but when mixed together to form a fruitcake, the seemingly scrumptious ingredients typically make for a clustered, unpleasant mess.

Director Mira Nair’s latest film, “Amelia” (2009), a biographical flick about American aviatrix Amelia Earhart,

and the video isn’t about nuclear fission or astrophysics, but music.

The short film “Ear to the Ground” see EAR, page 7

Amelia Starring Hillary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor Directed by Mira Nair blends a story about a global icon with a two-time Academy Award winner, two

VANTIEGHEM.COM

see AMELIA, page 6

”Ear to the Ground” challenges viewers’ notions of music.

remember an argument that I had with a somewhat thickheaded friend from high school: He tried to argue that women were inherently unable to rock as hard as their male counterparts. While it is true that notable female figures have been conspicuously absent from the history of rock n’ roll, I don’t think this is the result of women having an inherent predisposition not to rock, but rather the result of the culture that surrounds the music industry. In order to change my friend’s mind, I directed him to check out one Miss Brody Dalle, then of the punk band The Distillers.

The punk scene of the early 2000s looked relatively barren. As plastic-wrapped pop punk conquered the airwaves, many lamented what appeared to be the ultimate commercialization of punk-rock. The war cry of the anti-social underground was lost amid the whine of bratty teenage angst. The Distillers were among a precious few bands that still seemed to embody the true spirit of punk.

Lead singer Brody Dalle was a force to be reckoned with. Her biting vocals, delivered with a vicious, Elvis-lipped snarl, defined the hard hitting sound of the band. Dalle was without a doubt one of the most compelling female figures to emerge on the rock scene in years.

Of course, Brody’s persona came with its measure of sex-appeal: tattooed and with Statue-of-Liberty-spiked hair, clad in skintight leather pants and a leopard print corset, Dalle no doubt played a role in the nighttime fantasies of punk rock boys and girls.

Fast-forward a few years. The Distillers broke up. Dalle married Josh Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stone Age, had a daughter and began work on a new project, Spinnerette, resulting in a June 2009 album.

Dalle’s new project unveiled a more spacey, production-heavy sound. Spinnerette’s eponymous debut album showcased catchy tracks with Dalle’s characteristically biting lyrics.

Though somewhat less heavy than her work with Distillers, “Spinnerette” is inventive and well-executed. Despite showcasing artistic growth and garnering positive reviews, Dalle’s latest efforts were met with little fanfare. Many wrote off her new sound as being the result of her husband’s musical influence. The music industry that had so readily embraced her a few years earlier didn’t care to give her the time of day.

I cannot help but wonder how much the lack of enthusiasm for Dalle’s new project is due to the fact that she no longer fits so neatly the image of the punk-rock sex kitten that has been ascribed to her. Dalle is no longer a young girl; she looks more like a woman now.

Despite this fact, the album cover boasts, on its front and back, the respective sides of a svelte young pelvis clad in transparent lace panties.

This body part probably does not belong to Brody, but it is hard to believe that, because it is so consistent with her Distillers-era image, it is not meant to give this impression. One telling review, from Brittan’s NME, reflecting on Dalle’s earlier work, cited not her prowess as powerhouse front woman, but rather her place in the “forefront of wet dreams.”

Dalle and the case of Spinerette reveal an unfortunate double standard in the music industry that I believe to be at the root of why we see so few females playing rock n’ roll.

While we can easily disassociate the unfortunate mug of Chad Kroeger from multi-platinum Nickelback records, we cannot seem to accept the musical contribution of a woman unless they come with a sexualized image.

Hard as it is to recall women who have made waves in the world of rock n’ roll, it is harder still to recall those who weren’t also sexsymbols. I’d like to hope that we will begin to value female artists’ work independently of how they fit into our idea of beauty and sex appeal, but I fear that in our celebrityobsessed culture of botox and boob jobs it may only get worse.

Charles Luabacher is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Charles.Laubacher@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

Monday, November 2, 2009

ARTS & LIVING

Repetition and forced lyrics keep Concords from taking flight CONCHORDS continued from page 5

rather than wordplay to drive their jokes. For example, album opener “Hurt Feelings” features the unwieldy lyric, “I call my friends to say let’s go to town/ But they’re all to busy to go into town/ So I go by myself, I go into town/ Then I see my friends, they’re all in town.”

At other times, McKenzie and Clement grope desperately for any possible rhymes, as in the title track: “Let’s take a photo of a goat in a boat/ and then we can float in a moat and be freaky.” With such forced writing, Flight of the Conchords crosses the line from their previous likeable awkwardness to perplexing clumsiness.

McKenzie and Clement forsake their folk roots in many songs, opting for more hip-hop or rap parodies, and the acoustic guitar accompaniments that were at the core of the duo’s sound only appear in a handful of tracks.

Throughout the album, uncomfortably forced rapping fails to make up for the lack of solid melodies.

Mickey Petralia’s production and programming only serve to accentuate Flight of the Conchords’ lack of creativity. His simple beats on “Sugalumps” and “We’re Both in Love with a Sexy Lady” are unimaginative replacements for the duo’s typical upbeat guitar work. Overproduction ruins “Petrov, Yelyena and Me,” obscuring the story of a cannibalistic journey at sea with layers of keyboards and bizarre vocal overdubs. “Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)” comes off as annoying due to its heavy reliance on auto-tune,

not to mention its juvenile subject matter.

Elsewhere, songs like “Demon Woman,” “Rambling Through the Avenues of Time” and “Angels” are pure filler, containing no potential for jokes or good songwriting.

The album does, however, pick up a bit on the second half. “Fashion Is Danger” is wonderfully ’80s, boasting grooving synthesizers and stuttering, cut-up vocals over a simple yet effective dance beat. “You Don’t Have to Be a Prostitute” is a convincing parody of The Police, and “Friends” is a pleasant a cappella ode to the joys of companionship.

The best song by far on “I Told You I Was Freaky” is “Carol Brown.” Boasting the album’s only true guitar hook, a steady piano rhythm and female guest vocals, it returns the Flight of the Conchords’ former charm for a fleeting moment. Backed by a sunny accompaniment, Clement sings clever rhymes about ex-girlfriends like, “Flo had to go, I couldn’t go with the flow.” “Carol Brown” holds its own in comparison to any of the songs off the Conchords’ self-titled debut.

Unfortunately, these few bright moments are unable to save a largely dull and uninspired album. Faced with the pressure of creating a second season’s worth of songs, McKenzie and Clement fall back on cheap jokes, inane repetition and strings of random words. Unlike the songs on the duo’s first album, the majority of the cuts on “I Told You I Was Freaky” make little sense when taken out of the context of the TV show episodes. Fans would be

BUZZGRINDER.COM

We told you we were freaky. We didn’t tell you this album is dull. better off simply picking up the “Flight of the Conchords” second season DVD than buying these tracks; this collec-

tion fails as a stand-alone work. The Flight of the Conchords may be freaky, but they certainly aren’t funny.

While aesthetically pleasing, ‘Amelia’ fails to entertain AMELIA continued from page 5

prominent leading men and a $40 million budget, to make … well, a fruitcake. The film features poor individual performances with a boring, disjointed script, resulting in a weak tribute to Earhart’s legacy.

Riding the coattails of successful biopics like “Ray” (2004), “Walk the Line” (2005) and “Public Enemies” (2009), “Amelia” was expected to hit theaters with a bang. The film follows the life of Earhart, the Kansas native who gained celebrity status after becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928. It stars Hillary Swank in the title role, Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor.

The film delves into Earhart’s acquaintance with George P. Putnam (Gere), a publisher and Earhart’s future husband, who sponsors her transatlantic flight in order to provide a story for a book he can later publish. Earhart is only a passenger during her first transatlantic flight, as two male copilots control the plane. Upon returning to America, Earhart dedicates her time to delivering speeches and breaking barriers for female pilots as she works towards her goal of a solo flight across the Atlantic.

Earhart’s relationship with Putnam escalates quite quickly and expediently in the film, but the focus is mainly on Earhart’s professional goals.

After completing a solo flight across the Atlantic, Earhart attempts her ultimate objective, a flight around the world.

She takes off with her navigator, Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston), though her dreams come to a mysterious and heartbreaking end.

Splicing vignettes of her childhood into the larger story of her attempt at a flight around the world, “Amelia” is a visual masterpiece. Shots of Earhart’s Electra airplane soaring over stunning mountaintops and rolling desert plains are a high-

ROTTENTOMATOES.COM

According to our charts, “Amelia” is a failure. light of the film. Aside from its aesthetically pleasing scenes, though, the film fails to entertain audiences and it needlessly idealizes Earhart.

In biographical films, viewers thirst for dark secrets to be revealed, for characters to be humanized. In the successful “Ray,” fans got a snapshot of Ray Charles’ personal life, including the death of his brother and his drug addiction. “Amelia,” though it includes several scenes centering on Earhart’s extramarital relationship with Gene Vidal (McGregor), does

not depart from the perspective of the tabloids as they portrayed her back in the 1930s — as an eternally cheery and moral individual. Swank keeps a gaping smile plastered to her face throughout the film, and her character’s affair with Vidal is downplayed.

Swank gives a forgettable performance. She has an uncomfortable southern drawl and has not looked this androgynous since her Academy Award-winning performance in “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999). Gere and McGregor are solid as always, but the script

fails to provide their respective characters with much substance.

The entire film feels like a series of events rather than a collective, coherent story.

“Amelia” leaves audiences yearning for more drama.

While there is opportunity for suspense in the scene leading up to Earhart’s mysterious disappearance at sea, it is frittered away by a lengthy back-andforth between Earhart and air traffic controllers at Howler’s Island. Aside from a scene or two alluding to Earhart’s alcoholic father and subsequent

disdain for drunkards, the film does not cut to the core of Earhart’s personal character.

When a film is concentrated on one individual, it must develop that individual’s character rather than merely recount a series of events in that person’s life. “Amelia” is overly ornate and is ultimately tedious. For a salute to the legacy of American heroine Amelia Earhart, viewers are better off watching Amy Adams’ performance in “Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian” (2009) than heading to theaters to see “Amelia.”

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dusting off an old masterpiece, MIT shows NYC as musical playground EAR continued from page 5

(1982) centers on artist David Van Tieghem making music in Manhattan. Dressed in a suit and tie and topped with a fedora hat, Van Tieghem moves down the sidewalks, streets and alleyways of the city armed with a mallet in each hand, drumming on everything in sight.

“Ear to the Ground” reminds viewers that traditional instruments are not the only instruments that can or should be played; the sounds of everyday life should also be unleashed.

Sight trumps sound in Van Tieghem’s video. The real reason to view “Ear to the Ground” is to watch the drummer in action.

Van Tieghem is a master of improvising beats and instruments. He jumps so that his mallets hit a high street sign and hunches over to experiment with the musical potential of the sidewalk and the litter that adorns it. Nothing is off limits.

During the video, Van Tieghem drums on some of the more obvious “instruments” in the city, including empty trash cans, but he also challenges viewers’ notions of what an instrument is. He impressively drums on shards of glass through a wrought-iron fence and leaps up onto a loading dock to beat on a bunch of cardboard boxes. There is an element of suspense to this musical exodus; clever close-up shots give the viewer only a hint of what Van Tieghem might play next, keeping audiences engaged in his urban musical journey.

At the end of the video, the sound of mallets hitting the pavement is drowned out by the other sounds of the city, mainly car horns. The cacophony of the urban landscape becomes

part of Van Teighem’s performance. Running down the middle of the street, the drummer stops here and there to beat on the road. Van Tieghem then runs off into the sunset, clicking his heels. A rewind sound brings the viewer back to brief clips of previous scenes before the film ends. The spacious skyline at the end of “Ear to the Ground” seems to suggest that music is truly everywhere, even in the middle of a big, busy city.

While Van Tieghem is obviously the driving innovator behind the project, producer Kit Fitzgerald and director John Sanborn deserve credit for artful and visually appealing cinematography. In some shots, the camera focuses on the corner of a building and waits for the musician to come around the corner. When he rounds the corner, hands flying, the effect is comically dramatic.

By using the streets of Manhattan as a musical instrument, Van Tieghem changes the conventional understanding of what it means to make music. His form of performance brings music out of the auditorium and into the world. “Ear to the Ground” reminds viewers that traditional instruments are not the only instruments that can or should be played; the sounds of everyday life should also be unleashed.

Performance art was introduced in the 1970s and has been popular ever since. Blue Man Group and STOMP are two of the many contemporary groups that were inspired by artists like Van Tieghem. The difference between these modern groups and Van Tieghem is that Van Tieghem improvises as he travels, emphasizing that music is something that can be taken anywhere. For Van Tieghem, life is a musical journey.

“Ear to the Ground” clocks in at just under four and a half minutes before repeating itself. It is so visually and sonically entertaining that a curious passerby could easily stop to watch for a moment and end up viewing the entire video two or three times.

“Ear to the Ground” is playing until Nov. 29, 2009 on the Media Test Wall in MIT’s Whitaker Building (Building 56 on an MIT map).

7

ARTS & LIVING

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YOU ARE INVITED to the

Anne E. Borghesani Symposium Monday, November 9, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm Chase Faculty Dining Room, behind Carmichael Hall

Tufts Programs Abroad Upcoming InformationAL Pizza Parties

LISTEN to former Borghesani winners share wonderful experiences from their research and travels abroad

LEARN how you can receive support from a Borghesani Prize

Tufts in Tübingen:

(grants range from $1000-$3000)

Monday, 11/2 at 6:00 pm Dowling Hall 745B

TASTE food from India, Italy, and Bolivia

Tufts in Japan:

Don’t miss this special (and delicious) annual event!

Wednesday, 11/4 at 6:00 pm Dowling Hall 745B

Tufts in Madrid: ALL Tufts students are encouraged to apply for this incredible grant opportunity and gain exposure to international issues, foreign cultures, and NGOs. **The Anne E. Borghesani Prize was created to memorialize former Tufts student Anne E. Borghesani and inspire personal and intellectual growth, increase understanding of all peoples, and encourage a commitment to community** For more information: contact Moira Todd at moira.todd@tufts.edu or visit our web site: http://ase.tufts.edu/ir/researchOpportunities.htm

Monday, 11/9 at 6:00 pm Dowling Hall 745B

Come learn more about our programs! http://uss.tufts.edu/studyabroad

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

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

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

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

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

Monday, November 2, 2009

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

EDITORIAL

Relieved, if not impressed In the wake of the disaster that was this fall’s inaugural Senior Pub Night, many were skeptical about the decision to schedule a similar event last week. Halloween Club Night, however, defied expectations as a showcase of exemplary behavior — on the part of college students, at least.

Instead of being characterized by the conduct of a rowdy, belligerent, disrespectful and overly intoxicated contingency, Halloween Club Night demonstrated that the Class of 2010 — and perhaps the Tufts student body as a whole — may have recognized one important fact: being destructively drunk was becoming known as a hallmark of students’ behavior, and this must be stopped.

Unlike Senior Pub Night, Halloween Club Night was organized independently of the Senior Class Council and therefore included some additional security and safety measures that were absent during Senior Pub Night. Seniors Kevin Wong and Raoul Alwani, the event’s organizers, went out of their way to provide — and require attendees to read — a clear set of guidelines governing behavior at the event.

Additionally, to further ensure that students maintained appropriate conduct, security officers were hired for the rides to and from Ned Divine’s Irish

Pub. The bigger space and classier atmosphere of the venue must also have inspired a sense of decorum in those attending. And, of course, after innumerable attacks from the administration, fellow students and even the Daily for misbehavior at Senior Pub Night, the attendees had extra incentive to be on their best behavior.

The relative smoothness of Halloween Club Night has hopefully given the naysayers, especially those in the administration, something to mull over. While one instance of good manners might not be enough to change Tufts’ new alcohol policy or allay all concerns about pub nights, it does do some justice to the argument that Tufts students are responsible enough to be involved in the policy-making process and don’t need constant babysitting or punishment to act like adults. Additionally, for the success of Halloween Club Night to carry over into other events, the Senior Class Council should consider adopting the methods of Wong and Alwani, putting more emphasis on atmosphere, security and guidelines.

It should be noted, however, that while the Daily is thrilled to be able to commend good behavior, the responsible, level-headed and respectful con-

duct that made Halloween Club Night such a success should not be so noteworthy. It is not unreasonable for the university, Senior Class Council or fellow students to require respectfulness, no matter what the event. And while Wong and Alwani’s emphasis on concrete rules (such as, “If you are deemed unfit for [the return trip on] the official shuttles, you are required to leave the vicinity of the venue and find your own way home at your own cost,” and, “Bus marshals may also stop the bus mid-journey and eject you if they feel you are compromising the safety of other passengers”) represents a wise and responsible move, one cannot help but feel a bit disheartened that, after numerous pub nights in recent years turned into melees, it finally came to this level of regulation.

While the impact of Halloween Club Night on future events remains uncertain, it can safely be assumed that the surest and safest way to advocate for pub nights’ continuance is by acting like responsible adults — by proving, as Wong and Alwani said in an e-mail to attendees, “that we are indeed capable of having a good time while not creating the circumstances that gave the administration the excuses to treat us like kids.”

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OFF THE HILL | BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Reefer madness BY

LAUREN RODRIGUE

The Daily Free Press

The introduction of a bill to legalize the sale of cannabis in Massachusetts sparks debates about the effect this type of legislation would have on existing users and non-users alike. Following last year’s successful decriminalization legislation, the legalization bill would give the government the responsibility to regulate and tax the cultivation, sale and usage of marijuana. Revenue from this tax would ease the state’s deficit, in a time of economic downturn when creative sources of government income are essential.

Aside from being a legitimate source of revenue — up to $250 per ounce, depending on the amount of THC in the product, according to the report [of the bill hearing’s proceedings] — cannabis legalization would also free up the exorbitant amount of state funds and energies put into trying to stop mari-

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.

juana sale and consumption. Especially after decriminalization, society is now readier than ever to properly adapt to legalization of the drug, which many believe is wrongly tabooed and should be placed into the same category as alcohol and cigarettes. Skeptics of the passage of the legalization bill worry that it will encourage non-users to try it or will open doors to casual users and increase abuse of the drug.

But regardless of its legal stance, marijuana has been prevalent in American society, albeit hidden, for half a century.

It isn’t unlikely that those who would take advantage of the legalization of the drug have been using all along, and those who have abstained from it would continue to do so. Like alcohol and tobacco, cannabis would become a personal choice. People who would be of legal age for selling and using — those 21 or older, as defined in the bill — would be well aware of the physiological effects of the drug and how they may impair judg-

ment and influence the user’s health and safety. Aside from education, just as they educate people about alcohol and tobacco, the government would then have no other task but to regulate and collect tax revenue, while the public would be free to make their own choices with a substance that is no more harmful than those formerly mentioned.

As the mainstream becomes younger and more progressive, its government must adjust itself to stay in step with it.

Legalization of marijuana would remove the Reefer Madness-esque stigma from the drug and put an end to wasted public resources aimed at prevention.

People are going to get high, whether the drug is forbidden, decriminalized or legalized, and the government would do well to take advantage of this and make a decision that would benefit its budget. This is a time of progress in society where morals are changing and legislation should change with them, or else regulation efforts will end up in smoke.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

THE TUFTS DAILY

9

OP-ED

FROM THE PUBLIC EDITOR

Going too fast? Blogging and the 24-hour campus news cycle BY

DUNCAN PICKARD

As if I didn’t need another reason to procrastinate. Between The Hill (the Daily’s blog) and The Quad (at Tufts Roundtable) -- in addition to online content from other campus media sources and other blogs I don’t even know about — there is every excuse to hit refresh just one more time before starting that problem set.

When did Tufts enter a 24-hour news cycle?

I have written in the past about the benefits and challenges of campus media in the digital age. They allows more content to go online, and user comments allow us to participate actively in e-debates about current events. News blogs are another opportunity, and they are are seen nationally as the current edge of reporting that could eventually replace some written content.

Blogs are additionally important in disseminating critical information. Sometimes there are pieces of information that just can’t wait, such as why the entire campus doesn’t have power.

But it is important that, at many newspapers such as The New York Times, blogs are held to the same editorial standards as content on the printed page. Just because it is easier to change a story online than to change a story in print doesn’t mean writers and editors can scrutinize less closely. The writing style might be different, but the ethics are the same.

There are a number of false stories that have festered in the national blogosphere before they were retracted. One of my favorites is when a man dressed up in a suit, created a fake news splash screen and legitimized a rumor that Sarah Palin thinks Africa is a country by pretending to be the source. The sheer number of blogs that picked up this story made the rumor appear to be true.

I don’t think such distortion will proliferate the blogs ar Tufts, but the basic issues of misinformation are the same.

News blogs — with formal names and fancy layouts — look authoritative, and what’s reported there can spread. As editorial boards put more content online, as new editors create their own blogs and as we consume news from these sources, it is important for us to be rigorous in questioning how facts are gathered and checked.

The Daily often does this very well. I mentioned in a previous column a strange use of the online comment feature on the Daily’s Web site in which students posted their version of the bias incident against members of the Korean Students Association last semester. The details of the incident were revealed later in an edited column, and the Daily waited until it could collect and check information before printing it. Perhaps this process could have been more efficient to serve people looking for facts immediately, but given the choice between speed and accuracy, we should always choose the latter.

But there are other examples of news getting out there too

quickly. At The Quad, junior Christopher Snyder has amassed an impressive number of informative news posts and, may I add, scoops of Daily front-page stories. (He nailed several in his Aug. 31 post, "Headlines You'll Probably See in Wednesday's Tufts Daily.”) But he’s the only contributing writer and editor that I can see. Where’s the editing process? How is news vetted at The Quad? If this blog aspires to be a competitive, authoritative news source, it needs the help of more than one person, no matter how talented or driven.

In a way, the campus community serves as a kind of editor for The Quad. When facts are reported incorrectly, someone sends Snyder an e-mail, and the post is promptly and appropriately edited, with a helpful note detailing how the report has changed over time. But someone reading The Quad might mistakenly believe that the Institute for Global Leadership is part of the Tisch College, as Snyder reported via Twitter.com on Oct. 25, before that error was corrected.

This is a trivial example. But it exposes what could become a larger problem with Tufts’ new 24-hour news cycle.

Duncan Pickard is a senior majoring in history. He is the Public Editor of the Media Advocacy Board and his opinions are strictly his own. He can be reached at tuftspubliceditor@gmail.com or through his blog at www. tuftsroundtable.org/publiceditor.

OFF THE HILL | HARVARD UNIVERSITY

The Nuclear Option BY

EDITORIAL BOARD

The Harvard Crimson

Speaking at MIT on [Oct. 23], President Obama besought MIT students and students at colleges all across America to tackle the “challenge of their generation” by pursuing research in alternative fuel sources and technologies and other methods of combating climate change and obtaining independence from foreign sources of oil.

We appreciate the president’s calling upon young people to engage the critical issue of energy independence and hope that students at MIT and other universities answer this call. We also endorse the current effort on Capitol Hill to pass climatechange legislation. However, we urge lawmakers not to resort to the specious and politically convenient answers of ethanol and clean coal, the inefficient and experimental favorites of special interests, and recognize that nuclear power must be an integral part of any comprehensive solution to this crisis.

Since the infamous Three Mile Island incident in 1979, there has been a de facto moratorium on the construction of new nuclear plants in the United States. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently reviewing applications for 26 new reactors, none of which would be constructed before 2016.

Hurdles include draconian environmental regulations, a shortage in the supply of nuclear components and qualified personnel, and the lack of willing investors.

This status quo is unacceptable. Nuclear energy is far and away one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal for cutting emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, constructing 180 new reactors would cut emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Even Energy Secretary Steven Chu has also expressed support, even if somewhat lukewarm, for the nuclear approach, endorsing in September additional loanguarantee authority for nuclear power and saying that, “If you really want to restart the American nuclear energy industry in a serious way ... we [need to] send signals to the industry that the U.S. is serious about investing in nuclear power plants.”

Fears about the safety of nuclear power are outdated; since the Three Mile Island incident, there have been no new major accidents either here or in France, whose 59 nuclear reactors provide 90 percent of its power. Furthermore, the security concerns are more than balanced by the enormous benefits in terms of the jobs that would be created through the construction and maintenance of these reactors, the improvements in our energy efficiency as a nation, the ensuing energy independence and the enormous progress in lowering emissions and combating climate change that would result.

Few other energy sources have so much potential to become the silver bullet to our energy woes. Wind and solar power together could not provide 90 percent of France’s electricity, as nuclear power does, nor could they allow the country to become the largest exporter of electricity in the world, as it currently is. Even in the United States, 104 nuclear reactors in 31 states already provide a fifth of our electricity and 70 percent of all our non-carbon-emitting power.

Yet even if one remains hesitant about nuclear technol-

MCT

ogy in principle, there remains political reality to consider. On June 26, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Clean Energy Security Act, which creates a “cap and trade” system to establish an economic disincentive for carbon emission by requiring polluters to pay a fine to the government or to other smaller polluters should they pass a certain emissions benchmark.

As soon as the votes were finished being counted in the House, conventional wisdom declared the bill dead in the Senate, where it faces overwhelming opposition by Republicans and considerable opposition by Democrats hailing from coalproducing states. Among the latter is Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who said, “We cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change but we also cannot afford the unmitigated effects of legislation.”

Recently, however, prospects for the Senate climate-change bill written by Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Barbara Boxer have improved. The reason, no doubt, has been a compromise over nuclear power in which key Democrats have agreed to offer it as a concession to court the votes of Republicans, including John McCain, George Voinovich, Lisa Murkowski, Lamar Alexander, Richard Burr and Lindsey Graham.

Graham co-wrote an article in The New York Times Oct. 10 with Sen. John Kerry endorsing a climate-change initiative in

the Senate, and in the article both senators made clear their support for the inclusion of a nuclear component in their comprehensive climate change strategy, writing, “We need to jettison cumbersome regulations that have stalled the construction of nuclear plants in favor of a streamlined permit system that maintains vigorous safeguards while allowing utilities to secure financing for more plants. We must also do more to encourage serious investment in research and development to find solutions to our nuclear waste problem.”

It is clear that a number of these senators will only vote for the bill should a concession for nuclear energy be included.

McCain, who championed nuclear power during his failed presidential bid, put it rather bluntly: “I can’t negotiate without a robust nuclear provision.” Murkowski, likewise, said, “The only way we get there ... is if we really ramp up nuclear.”

Climate change is too urgent an issue to allow opposition to nuclear power to derail the Boxer-Kerry Bill, likely to be the only legislation comprehensive enough to tackle the issue that we will see for many years. The McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act of 2005 was defeated 60-38 in the Senate by senators like Boxer who voted against it due to its nuclear provisions. Now is not the time for a repeat of this embarrassing setback, without which we would have been tackling the climate crisis head on for the last four years.

LET THE CAMPUS KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO YOU. The Op-Ed section of the Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. Submissions are welcome from all members of the Tufts community. We accept opinion articles on any aspect of campus life, as well as articles on national or international news. Opinion pieces should be between 600 and 1,200 words. Please send submissions, with a contact number, to oped@tuftsdaily.com. Feel free to e-mail us with any questions.

OP-ED POLICY The Op-Ed section of the Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. Op-Ed welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. All material is subject to editorial discretion, and is not guaranteed to appear in The Tufts Daily. All material should be submitted by no later than 1 p.m. on the day prior to the desired day of publication. Material must be submitted via e-mail (oped@tuftsdaily.com) attached in .doc or .docx format. Questions and concerns should be directed to the Op-Ed editors. The opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Tufts Daily itself.

THE TUFTS DAILY

10 CROSSWORD

COMICS

Monday, November 2, 2009

DOONESBURY

BY

NON SEQUITUR

GARRY TRUDEAU

BY

WILEY

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION

MARRIED TO THE SEA

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Ignoring non-presidential elections

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Thursday’s Solution

Please recycle this Daily

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, November 2, 2009

11

ADVERTISEMENT

Asian American Month Tufts University 2009

Sunday, November 1

Wednesday, November 18

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What are taboos in Asian America surrounding being queer? How do these identities intersect and interact?

Join us for a viewing and discussion of Margaret Cho’s hilarious standup routine about Asian American sexualities that promises to be fascinating, over-the-top, and even a bit shocking. Delicious dinner provided.

Sponsored by Asian American House, Asian American Center, and LGBT Center

LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) Documentary Screening - Seoul Train 8:00-10:00pm, Sophia Gordon

Tuesday, November 3

Kick-off Event - Asian Hydration 12:00-2:00pm, Campus Center Sponsored by Asian Students Union

Asian American Jeopardy 7:00-8:30pm, Sophia Gordon

Pre-game show, GAME SHOW, Dinner Come and test your knowledge on Asian and Asian American topics!

Sponsored by Asian American Center

Thursday, November 5

Student Faculty Dinner 6:00pm, Chase Center (Carmichael Hall) For questions, jennifer.duong@tufts.edu Sponsored by Asian American Alliance

Saturday, November 7

Performances - Kamayan 7:00-9:00pm Blackman Auditorium, Northeastern Annual celebration of Filipino culture with New England schools Sponsored by Filipino Cultural Society

Tuesday, November 10

Talk - Campus Guide: How to Spot a Stereotype With Ryan Takamiya, Speaker/Writer/Activist 8:00pm, Pearson 104 Sponsored by the Asian Students Union

Wednesday, November 11

Film and Discussion - Chutney Popcorn 9:00-11:00pm, Pearson 106

Come watch this award-winning film about how a woman’s sexual orientation affects her familial relationships. Discussion following.

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Two young children living outside Boston are left to fend for themselves when their mother gets embroiled in a pyramid scheme and disappears.

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Tuesday, November 17

Talk/Discussion - Mixed and Asian: Identity, Assumptions, and Politics With Jen Chau, Founder/Exec. Dir., Swirl, Inc. 6:00pm, Pearson 104

Discussion - Notorious C.H.O. 8:00pm, Start House

Thursday, November 19

Make Your Own Banh Mi 8:00-9:00pm, Campus Center

Come and make your own banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches). Ingredients provided.

Sponsored by Vietnamese Students Club

Concert - Voices 9:00pm, Hotung Cafe

Coffeehouse concert featuring Asian American artists and an opening act by Tufts bands.

Sponsored by Asian American Alliance

Friday, November 20

Kimbab and Film - My Father 5:30-8:00pm, Pearson 104

Come roll your own kimbab to eat and watch ‘My Father’ with us. This film about a Korean adoptee who finds his birth father in Korea on death row for murder is a true story of unconditional love that overcomes all obstacles.

Sponsored by Korean Students Association and Asian American Center

TAST Idol 8:00-11:00pm, Crane Room (Paige Hall)

Show us what you got!

Sponsored by Taiwanese Association of Students at Tufts

Tournament/Game Night 10:00pm-1:00am, Hotung and Campus Center

Super Smash Brothers tournament, board games & food.

To register for the tournament, email jonathan.loh@ tufts.edu.

Sponsored by Filipino Cultural Society

Saturday, November 21

Atrium Charity Ball - Shanghai Nights 9:00pm-12:00am, Cabot 7th Floor

Semi-formal fundraiser for Chinacare. Refreshments. $5 donation.

Sponsored by Chinese Students Association

King’s Cup Soccer Tournament 10:00am, Gantcher

10th annual charity soccer tournament. Contact tuftsthaiclub@gmail.com for more info.

Sponsored by Thai Club

Saturday, December 5 Festival - Matsuri 9:00pm-12am, Sophia Gordon Sponsored by Japanese Culture Club

Dinner reception following talk Sponsored by Asian American Center

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12 Housing

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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

Housing

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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

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Monday, November 2, 2009

SPORTS Housing

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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’ depleted offensive line falters against Amherst in home game FOOTBALL continued from page 16

The Lord Jeffs, who are ranked first in Div. III for rushing defense and sacks per game, got the Jumbos 15 times behind the line of scrimmage, thanks to an all-around team effort that Mills praised.

“Last year, they did a really nice job [running the] play-action … so I felt that was what they wanted to do again,” he said. “We’re tough to block — that was obviously real important to pressure those guys, and we were able to do that.”

Amherst used two short field goals from sophomore kicker Matt Rawson to win the game, both of which came on the heels of short drives directed by sophomore backup quarterback Brian McMahon.

McMahon, who Mills said normally plays at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters as a run-and-gun change of pace to pocket-poised junior Alex Vetras, led the Lord Jeffs with 39 rushing yards, only erring on Amherst’s final drive of the fourth quarter when senior quad-captain Alex Perry forced a fumble. “[Vetras] is our quarterback, but [McMahon] is a very good backup,” Mills said. “He has great quickness, giving us a different dimension. Typically, we haven’t been as consistent offensively, but we take advantage of field position, just put together a couple of good drives. That was really the difference today.”

Yet the Jumbos’ defense held Vetras, the conference’s most efficient passer, to his lowest offensive output of the year. Amherst’s signal-caller threw for only 74 yards and was intercepted once by senior Andrew Elfman.

“Defensively, we need to get some more

turnovers,” Perry said. “We got three, but we need to get more to give the offense good field position. We played our heart out, but unfortunately the scoreboard didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”

Vetras’ lone touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter when, under heavy pressure from a Jumbo blitz, he rifled a pass to the back of the end zone to senior receiver Brandon Bullock. The play was bad news for the Jumbos in more way than one, as senior safety and quad-captain Tom Tassinari injured his left knee. Tassinari, Tufts’ leading tackler, sat out the rest of the game. The extent of his injury is uncertain. Altogether, Tufts forced three turnovers, three times as many as it had in its first five games. But even with optimal field position — Rawson averaged just 29 yards per punt — the Jumbo offense was unable to find the elusive end zone.

“There’s no magic. If there was magic, we’d do it,” Samko said. We’re trying to be creative in some way, just manage the game better.

Our defense is pretty good, so as long as we stay in the game and create a big play in the second half, we’ll be fine.”

“We definitely made some strides today and were able to move it a little bit more effectively,” junior Pat Bailey added. “But in the end, we just had problems punching it into the end zone.”

McManama finished with 82 yards through the air and was the team’s leading receiver after hauling in a 26-yard pass on a trick play from senior wideout Tim Puopolo. Yet after the long gain — Tufts’ longest play of the afternoon — a 15-yard penalty knocked the Jumbos back to first and 25, pushing them out of field goal range. Additionally, Bailey, who

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ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior cornerback Andrew Elfman intercepted a pass and helped the Jumbos hold 6-0 Amherst to 248 yards of total offense in Tufts’ 13-3 loss Saturday at home. entered the game ranked third in the conference in all-purpose yardage, had just 17 yards rushing and 15 yards through the air on four receptions.

With Trinity falling to Middlebury on the road 31-24, Amherst moved into sole possession of first place in the NESCAC. At 2-4, with three losses coming by 10 points or fewer, the Jumbos sit in a tie for seventh place with

Bowdoin. But with a road matchup versus 3-3 Colby looming next Saturday, Tufts has little time to dwell on the loss to the Lord Jeffs.

“You have to put confidence in these guys; we can’t give up on the season,” Perry said.

“We have to keep battling. You really find out what you’re made of when you’re 2-4, just trying to get back to .500 with two games left. It’s a big test for us.”

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, November 2, 2009

13

SPORTS

After last weekend’s success, Jumbos face undefeated Williams on Saturday WOMEN’S SOCCER continued from page 16

over Trinity junior goalkeeper Emily Weedon to put the Jumbos ahead 2-0.

“It felt great to do something so important for my team and to see all of their reactions,” Jamison said of her first goal of the season. “I’ve played forward for a long time, and ultimately your job is to score goals. It’s obviously difficult, but when you do it’s rewarding, especially when you get one that’s so important.”

Just twelve seconds later, though, and with just 30 seconds remaining, Trinity answered with its first tally to make it a one-goal game once again. Taking the kickoff and dribbling through a few Tufts defenders, Trinity sophomore forward Leigh Howard took a shot from 30 yards out that dipped under Tufts’ senior goalie Kate Minnehan. Tufts’ bench and the crowd, who were still celebrating Jamison’s goal, stood in disbelief.

“We were super excited about scoring our second goal,” head coach Martha Whiting said.

“Jesslyn is one of our seniors and [hadn’t] scored yet this year, and we were all excited that she scored and maybe too excited. We had to go back on our heels after their goal.

[Howard] is good and she dribbled at us. I don’t think we were really ready for it.”

The 30 seconds between the Bantams’ goal and the final whistle were more nervewracking than Tufts would have liked, but the Jumbos stayed calm and Trinity’s comeback ran out of time.

“We sort of stopped playing, but even with their goal we still knew that we had won and

that with 30 seconds left there wasn’t much that they could do,” sophomore defender Cleo Hirsch said. “The goal got us back into game mode and we made sure we did what we had to do to win.”

Up until Trinity’s goal, the game — and especially the second half — was dominated by a Tufts team that was able to keep possession through the midfield. The Jumbos were calm with the ball at their feet and took advantage of the time and space with which they often found themselves. In contrast, the Bantams seemed frantic when they received the ball and were constantly under pressure from Tufts defenders.

“In the second half, I thought we possessed very well,” Whiting said. “We work a lot in practice on possessing the ball. We tend to have numbers with our three center midfielders and we were able to play the ball through [sophomore] Lauren O’Connor, our holding midfielder, very well. Towards the end of the first half and through the second half, our outside backs were able to win balls a little bit higher, and it’s really important to get them involved on that side of the field.”

But for all of Tufts’ dominance in possession, the scoreboard still showed zeroes at the end of the first half, and it was difficult not to remember the regularseason matchup between the two teams. In that game, played just two weeks ago, Tufts ended in a 1-1 draw after the Jumbos generally controlled play but could not find the net in either overtime period.

“It was really frustrating because we had gone five full halves without having scored

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

The Jumbos kept their cool against Trinity, maintaining possession of the ball for the majority of the game and ultimately winning 2-1. The team goes up against Williams next Saturday.

Jumbos 1-0. Having played them tough a week ago, the Jumbos believe they can battle with the 15-0-0 regular season champions.

“We played them last week and we played them very evenly, and I think that gives our team a lot of confidence,” Whiting said. “I think we need to keep doing what we’re doing and continue to have a good attacking mindset; we have to be willing to do whatever it takes in both [of the 18-yard boxes].”

a well-weighted through-ball to senior forward Ali Maxwell, who chipped the ball from the right side of the box to a streaking Gamal. The senior put Tufts on the board by heading the ball past the goalie’s right side.

Following the win, Tufts advances to the NESCAC Tournament semifinals with the hopes of winning its first conference title since 2002.

The Jumbos will travel to Williamstown, Mass. to take on the top-seeded Williams Ephs, who defeated Colby 4-0 on Sunday. Last Saturday, Williams scored with under five minutes left to defeat the

a goal, and that’s over three hours of soccer without putting the ball in the net,” Whiting said of her team’s being shut out in the past two games, first against Williams and then against Bowdoin. “But we were primed, we were ready and we were getting chances.”

In the 57th minute, senior midfielder Fanna Gamal put an end to the frustration by finishing one of those chances. The Jumbos switched the ball on the ground across midfield, and it reached sophomore midfielder Alix Michael on the right wing. After beating a defender, Michael slotted

David Heck contributed reporting to this article.

Stellar defensive effort can’t keep Jumbos from finishing without a win MEN’S SOCCER continued from page 15

Bears a 2-0 advantage that the Jumbos could not overcome in the remaining 29 minutes of the match.

“At the time of the goals, we already had a lot of freshmen in, hoping to get them some playing time,” junior tri-captain Naji Muakkasssa said. “But at the same time, we already had our heads down a little bit because we couldn’t make the playoffs, and it was tough to be scored on twice that quickly.”

Nevertheless, the Jumbos were determined to avoid their sixth shutout loss of the season. They had few looks at the Bowdoin goal during the game,

but they finally cashed in on one with just over three minutes to go. Flaherty picked up his first goal of the year, firing an unassisted shot past Bowdoin’s junior keeper Dan Hicks to cut the deficit in half.

“We didn’t give up even when they went up 2-0, because it was an even game and we thought we still had a chance to win as we have all year,” Flaherty said. “I was glad I could get us one back, but again, the ball just didn’t bounce our way in the end.”

The Polar Bears replaced Hicks with senior Garrick Sheldon immediately following Flaherty’s goal, but the Jumbos were unable to gain an extended possession of the ball in the remaining 3:20 of the game, sealing the

victory for Bowdoin.

Things could have gone much worse for the Jumbos, though, were it not for the stellar defensive efforts of junior Alex Hart. Just minutes into the match, Hart, diving and kicking the ball out of the reach of Bowdoin’s freshman forward Michael Gale, bailed out Tonelli on a blunder that left the ball trickling toward Tufts’ end line. He would make another fine play in the early minutes of the second half, deflecting yet another ball that was headed toward an open net.

“Alex Hart has stepped in after not playing a couple of games and played great,” Flaherty said. “He’s a great player for us to be able to put back there if guys get hurt or if we just need a lift on

defense.”

Still, the loss was a tough one for Tufts to swallow, as it left the Jumbos mired in the NESCAC cellar without a conference win to show for their efforts. Tufts was defeated in its last four games of the season, managing just two goals during that span, and the Jumbos’ inability to take down a league opponent resulted in their elimination from playoff contention prior to Friday’s game.

“The ball really never bounced our way this season, but we can take some positives out of it, and we have a solid core group for next season,” Muakkassa said. “There’s no point in being disappointed and upset about it now, but it was definitely a frustrating season.”

STATISTICS | STANDINGS Field Hockey

Women's Soccer

Men's Soccer

Volleyball

Football

NCAA Div. III Field Hockey

(14-1, 8-1 NESCAC)

(8-6-1, 4-4-1 NESCAC)

(2-10-2, 0-8-1 NESCAC)

(26-3, 8-2 NESCAC)

(2-4, 2-4 NESCAC)

(Oct. 27, 2009)

NESCAC

NESCAC

OVERALL

W L T 14 1 0 14 1 0 11 4 0 11 4 0 6 9 0 10 5 0 8 7 0 5 10 0 6 8 0 1 12 0

W Trinity 8 Tufts 8 Amherst 6 Middlebury 6 Williams 5 Bowdoin 4 Wesleyan 3 Conn. Coll. 3 Colby 2 Bates 0

L 1 1 3 3 4 5 6 6 7 9

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

G 19 11 8 6 5 3 2 3 2

A 9 5 5 4 1 3 4 1 0

Goalkeeping M. Zak K. Hyder

GA 5 2

S S% 26 .839 10 .833

Pts 47 27 21 16 11 9 8 7 4

W 9 Williams 7 Amherst Middlebury 7 4 Tufts 3 Trinity 4 Bowdoin Wesleyan 4 2 Colby 2 Bates Conn. Coll. 0

W. Hardy C. Cadigan A. Michael A. Maxwell S. Nolet F. Gamal B. Morgan J. Jamison L. O’Connor

L 0 1 2 4 3 5 5 6 7 9 G 7 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 0

T 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0

OVERALL

W L 15 0 12 2 11 2 8 6 5 5 8 7 8 6 6 8 5 8 4 10 A 0 4 1 2 1 2 0 0 2

Pts 14 10 7 6 5 4 2 2 2

Goalkeeping GA S S% K. Minnehan 10 58 .853

T 0 0 2 1 4 0 1 1 1 0

NESCAC

W Wesleyan 6 Williams 6 Amherst 6 Bowdoin 5 Trinity 5 Middlebury 4 Conn. Coll. 5 Colby 2 Bates 0 Tufts 0

L 0 2 2 3 3 3 4 6 8 8

Blumenthal B. Duker D. Schoening S. Saropoulos R. Coleman A. Lach F. Silva C. Flaherty K. Maxham

G 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

T 3 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 1

OVERALL

W L 11 0 12 2 11 3 11 3 10 4 9 4 8 6 5 8 3 9 2 10 A 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

T 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2

Pts 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

Goalkeeping GA S S% 23 61 .726 P. Tonelli 2 10 .833 A. Bernstein

NESCAC OVERALL

Tufts Williams Conn. Coll.

Middlebury Amherst Trinity Bowdoin Wesleyan Bates Colby Hamilton

W 8 8 8 7 6 6 5 4 2 1 0

L 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 8 9 10

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

W 26 18 21 20 19 13 19 13 16 10 5

L 3 8 5 5 7 9 10 13 9 18 29

Kills SA 345 29 336 0 255 16 119 1 78 17 78 10 38 11 B Digs 0 455 16 249 34 239 36 233 3 118 1 99

Amherst Trinity Williams Colby Middlebury Wesleyan Bowdoin Tufts Hamilton Bates

W 6 5 5 3 3 3 2 2 1 0

L 0 1 1 3 3 3 4 4 5 6

PF 113 178 184 98 176 105 175 56 53 93

PA 50 108 86 131 149 127 168 89 153 171

Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. P. Bailey 83 271 3.3 D. Ferguson 39 88 2.3 T. Puopolo 6 59 9.8

TD 1 0 0

Passing Pct. Yds TD INT McManama 47.4 690 4 2 Receiving P. Bailey B. Mahler

No. Yds Avg. TD 20 264 13.2 2 10 108 10.8 0

Defense T. Tassinari M. Murray A. Perry

Tack INT Sack 0 57 0 2 46 0 1 42 0

Points (First-place votes) 1. Messiah, 995 (46) 2. Salisbury, 923 3. Ursinus, 876 4. Trinity College, 844 (4) 5. Tufts, 752 6. SUNY Cortland, 749 7. Lebanon Valley, 673 8. Lynchburg, 592 9. Rowan, 586 10. Middlebury, 555

N.E. Div. III Volleyball (Oct. 18, 2009) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Tufts UMass-Boston Williams Conn. College Amherst Springfield MIddlebury MIT

THE TUFTS DAILY

14

Monday, November 2, 2009

SPORTS

Write to Us! We want to hear from you. Send an Op-Ed of 800 to 1,200 words to oped@tuftsdaily.com and/or a brief Letter to the Editor tuftsdaily.com to letters@tuftsdaily.com THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

13

OP-ED

Bare feet: just watch what yo ou eat NADIA DI MARCO I am currently sitting in the Tower Café mortified and surrounded by bare feet.

There is a girl to the left of me bobbing her head to the music surrounding her ears. She is completely oblivious to the fact that her bare, wiggling toes are less than two feet away from my face.

She’s not even comfortable. She keeps adjusting, readjusting and moving around.

Perhaps it’s a new trend? To my right there is another young girl resting her bare feet on the marble table.

On the table.

The very same table upon which this girl’s feet are splayed is one where I ate many a time last semester. I’m not alone in my repulsion; I see the girl sitting next to her eyeing her feet as well, but she’s just oblivious. That’s two people in a five-foot radius with zero consideration for their fellow neighbors.

When I sit on an airplane and the person (usually a kid) next to me has his or her bare feet on the tray table, I get the same feeling of disgust. I don’t understand why anyone

Ob (vice SEAN O’LOUGHLIN On Monday, Will Ehre voiced his support for Barack Obama in the c Presidential campaign (“O for president”, Sept. 10). I one point, supported Oba his bid for the White House an intelligent, charismatic whose greatest political a indeed his criticism of th from the start. And he m the harbinger of great cha Washington. That’s why h a great vice president fo Joseph Biden.

I wouldn’t be surpris learn that many people a familiar with Sen. Biden; I wouldn’t be surprised to that many people are not iar with most presidential dates, Democrat and Repub The media, in their attem focus on Obama, Sen. H Clinton, former Mass. Gov Mitt Romney and former York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have allowed candidates such as Sens. Biden, Christopher Dodd, Sam Brownback, and former Ark. Governor Mike Huckabee to fall through the cracks. However, attention needs to be paid to these “also-rans,” because among them lies the best man to lead our country.

It is true, Biden did vote to authorize the war in 2002. When asked about this vote, Biden says that, as President, he too would have asked for the authority to go into Iraq. He simply would not have used it. It is also true that he voted for the special funding bill earlier this year, while Obama and Clinton did not. He explained this in a debate soon after, saying that he “knew the right political vote.” But he also knew that a large portion of that funding would be going to better equipment for our soldiers.

Biden is the only candidate with a viable, possible plan for post-Bush Iraq. N. M. Governor Bill Richardson wants to leave within 6 months of being inaugurated. Unfortunately, that’s physically impossible. There are simply too many men to be withdrawn in 6 months. If all of the troops are withdrawn right now, as soon as possible, we’re going

would think that it is okay to throw th heir feet about in public.

Do people like the thought of lickin ng other’s people feet? (Let’s leave kinky casses out of this.) How about the thought of sm melling other people’s feet? No, no, no! In ou ur society, feet are known to be dirty, smellly and unpleasant; I mean come on, I don n’t even want to be close to my own feet.

By the way, as I type, the girl nextt to me just moved her foot even closer to me e!

Why don’t people get it? It is jusst plain common sense! You would think atttending Tufts University would be enough to o figure out that being barefoot in a café is not only rude, it’s despicable. It says, “I don n’t care about anyone but me and my own n comfort.”

Imagine going into work and puttin ng your bare feet on your desk or going to o a client’s job site, or anywhere else professsional.

Imagine walking into your dean’s offiice and he or she has his or her bare feet on th he desk.

It would never happen, because it’s i not okay.

We are here to get ready for the reall world.

Speaking from experience as a Re esumed Education for Adult Learners studen nt, you

can trust me, people: No one will ll ta t ke o off of fff h hiis or her shoes in a professio onal attm mos o phe ph here. he re..

My rampage has turned in nto t con oncer c n; n tthe th h he hese ese se kids need to understand it i s not it’ ott oka o y. ok y. Whe hen h their rude habits leave Tu Tuf ufts, u s th hey ey’ y’re in in fo fo for orr a big surprise.

Is it that unreasonab ble to o ask k th hat pe peo p eople keep their shoes on in n obviious p pllace lac ace ces ce es? s? T Tak ake ‘em off at the beach, att home home m or or in i a Japa apanes apanes esse restaurant — I don n’t care! car a e! e! But Bu utt pl p pleas leas ase keep as ep p them on when you’r u’r u ’re nex ex to ext o th t e poo oor gi girl rl o on n the couch trying g to to cconc o ent on ntrat rate. e And for cryin ng outt lo oud, ud pl plea ease ke eep e th hem off the table!!

I came in here jjus usst tto o eat ea my my lun lu unch and un d read som me books ks fo for classs, bu but u I got go ot tto oo oo distracte ed by dissgu ust. To vent nt, I decid nt nt, cid ded ed to to write this piec e e. ec e. I’m m no not the h typ typ pe of pe ersson o to say, “Can yo ou plea ease eg get et y yo ourr fee ee et out of o my perssonal spa p ce? ce e?”” II’m ’m m shy, shy hy, hate ate e contr cco ontr ntro oversy an nd I can an a an’ n’t g go o ar arround aro u te t lling everyo yone yo ne e I see wiith ba are r fe eet tha ha at they are rude a and inconside dera derat de ate. e. I see e eno eno oug gh people reading the pap pe err th t at at I figu gu g ure iff my y rampage does get pub bl she bl bli sh he h ed, the h ba he bare rre e ffee et peop p le e mig m ht read an nd und un nderrs rstan ta and wh hat at a tth they h are re do doing oing g wrong..

And ju ustt in i ca cas ase you u are so omeo eo one e who ho h o

ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTTS DAILY ILL

doesn’tt noti tiice e the barefoot problem, be aware the they y are re out there, so think twice before eating on a table on campus.

Nad N a ia C. Di Marco is a sophomore majoring in cli linicall p psy sycholog ogy. og

Get your thoughts on this page.

The Biden plan is simple.

Imagine a country with a national government, but also with distinct regions, each with certain jurisdiction, that is complementary to, yet still subordinate to the national government. If this sounds familiar, you may live in the United States of America. This is also what it says in the Iraqi constitution. The Bush administration has said that for the Iraqi constitution to be implemented, the national government needs to be strong enough to enforce security throughout the country.

But as the success of al-Anbar province has shown us, security is built from the ground up, not the top down. The Biden plan does just that.

Biden was elected senator in 1972. He has served as chair of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. What our country needs most right now is foreign relations experience, and Biden’s got it. He is the best man, Democrat or Republican or Green or Bloomberg, to sit in the Oval Office.

For more info, please visit joebiden.com.

Sean O’Loughlin is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

forgotten the courage, values and resolve that propelled our country to greatness.

Even worse, we have betrayed our forefathers’ confidence in the righteousness of fighting on freedom’s behalf — a confidence that once instilled courage in the hearts of American revolutionaries despite the seeming impossibility of victory and later invigorated Allied forces fighting fascist enemies in Europe and Asia.

We are assured of America’s defeat daily in Iraq, not by our enemies on the battlefield, but by a growing contingent within the Democratic Party. It is this lot — led by Sen. Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. John Murtha and the party’s presidential candidates — who insist on the futility of U.S. military and Iraqi political efforts alike.

They insist on the rapid withdrawal of troops from battle.

They insist that staying in Iraq to fight extremism, to deter Iranian interference, to run with the current wave of military momentum and to build on popular uprisings against alQaeda throughout the country (or, what residents of the now famous Anbar province call the “Great Awakening”) is contrary to American security interests.

insignificantly on the conscience of Sen. Obama, who indulgently lauds himself as a champion of hope. His hope is an audacious brand indeed.

The reality is that we are in the midst of the first great war of the 21st century. It is a war of ideology as much as it is a contest to be won on the battlefield. And whereas Iraq may not have been the frontline of this struggle in 2003, it is the theater of the conflict today.

On one end of the spectrum is the United States, defending the rights of ordinary Iraqis and committed to the creation of a stable ally in a region otherwise defined by dysfunctional government. While American-style democracy may never take root, Iraq still clings to the prospect of representative politics.

Amazingly, after four years of devastating violence, Iraqis continue to show resolve and an admirable determination to emerge from the shadows of despotism and terror.

At the other end of this spectrum are the existential enemies of human progress. Peddling an antiquated ideology of extreme Islam and preaching a virulent message of hatred, the warriors of Islamism draw on a totalitar-

jihad and e vision of societal order that at its most basic level, a fany. Their unrelenting pursuit of ong-dead caliphate is glaring in denial of modern political reals and the overwhelming power the Western world. However, s delusional ideology sanitizes discriminate violence and bruty, deeming them obligatory hin a framework of “defensive” ad against Islam’s enemies. n fomenting civil war in Iraq, Qaeda and its proxies seek to gender despair, inefficiency, ecurity and resentment — the to their militant fire. We must lize the simple truth that just Iraq is our frontline against ror, so too is it the terrorist’s ainst Western civilization.

After turning back the “effemie superpower,” their next step cleansing the Holy Lands of del blood and ousting a Saudi ime that is, unbelievably, inaduately Islamic. From Mecca to ypt to Jerusalem and beyond, caliphate is to be extended and its enemies destroyed. Thus, looking to those among us who frown at American military gains and find a perverse vindication of their anti-war politics in every truck-bomb that claims innocent Iraqi lives, we find a segment of our country definitively unprepared to face civilization’s enemies.

It is true that our predicament is a frightening one. Armed with a dangerous irrationality and a passion for martyrdom, the jihadists are decisive and resolute. There is no appeasing this enemy. There is no reasoning with it. There is no compromising and there is no coexistence.

Surrender or Persevere.

These are the only options and the choice is ours to make.

In choosing the path to victory, however, one thing has become increasingly clear. In November 2008, American voters will have to send the Democrats the very same message that must thunder in the ears of those extremists who dare to wage war against the United States of America: “You cannot win and you will not prevail!”

Matthew Ladner is a junior majoring in international relations.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, November 2, 2009

15

SPORTS

MEN’S SOCCER

Jumbos finish winless in NESCAC after loss Alex Hart’s heroics preserve close game against Bowdoin BY

DANIEL RATHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

MEN’S SOCCER (2-19-2, 0-8-1 NESCAC) Brunswick, Maine, Friday 1 --2 ---

1 2

cer team hoped to upset a Polar Bears team which was looking to secure the No. 4 seed in the NESCAC Tournament.

The Jumbos kept things close for 60 minutes, but a pair of rapid-fire Bears goals in the second half buried Tufts, which lost 2-1 and finished its season 2-10-2 (0-8-1 in NESCAC play).

The loss was especially painful for the team’s five seniors, who were playing the last match of their collegiate careers. A victory in the finale would have ended a down year on a high note for the graduating class.

“We wanted to get a win for the seniors,” junior midfielder Chris Flaherty said. “We haven’t had the results we wanted this year, and we wanted to win a hard-fought NESCAC game to end on a good note.”

A recurring difficulty for the Jumbos throughout the season was their inability to score first, and although they kept the Polar Bears off the board for two thirds of the match, Tufts eventually fell behind 1-0 once again.

Bowdoin’s opening tally came at the 60:19 mark, when senior midfielder Carl Woock sent a cross to sophomore

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Junior midfielder Chris Flaherty scored Tufts’ lone goal as the Jumbos’ season ended with a 2-1 loss Friday at Bowdoin. forward Peter Kelley, who drilled it into the top-left corner of the net, past Tufts’ sophomore goalkeeper Alan Bernstein.

“It’s tough to play from behind,” Flaherty said. “We didn’t allow a goal in the first half of this game, but it’s still somewhat of a letdown to have the other team score, especially if you feel like you’re playing as well as they are.”

Bernstein replaced Tufts’ starting netminder, senior Pat Tonelli, in the 48th minute. Tonelli, who had a fine

season amid the Jumbos’ struggles, left his final game as a Jumbo with four saves and no goals allowed. Bernstein had not allowed a goal prior to Friday’s game, but he would be beaten once more just 86 seconds after surrendering the first.

Bowdoin’s second goal of the game was notched by sophomore midfielder Nick Powell, who took advantage of another well-executed cross by Woock.

The insurance tally gave the Polar see MEN’S SOCCER, page 13

Challenges part of tumultuous day of tournament action FIELD HOCKEY continued from page 16

coach Tina McDavitt said. “She was fantastic and just so athletic. She did a great job getting to balls that other women’s goalies wouldn’t get to.”

But while the Jumbos were quick to credit their opponent, they also lamented their missed chances to put the game on ice.

“We need to capitalize on our opportunities or it’s going to come back to bite us,” McDavitt said. “We talked about that and just making sure that when you’re getting a rebound or you’re getting on the post that you make sure the ball is in the net.”

“We missed a ton of balls in the post, and there’s no excuse for that,” she continued. “We just need to find that fire within ourselves to make sure that we’re in the right spot and getting the job done.”

However, Tufts’ stifling defense made its inefficiencies on offense irrelevant. Wesleyan managed just three shots in the direction of sophomore goalkeeper Marianna Zak the

entire game, none on goal.

Brown added some insurance 17:38 into the second half, cleaning up a scrum in front of the cage for her NESCACleading 19th goal of the season.

The Jumbos’ narrow victory was part of a topsy-turvy day of tournament action, headlined by upset road victories by fifth-seeded Williams and sixth-seeded Bowdoin. Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Conn. College jumped out to an early 1-0 lead against topseeded and national No. 4 Trinity before the Bantams rebounded for a 2-1 win.

When the NESCAC Tournament shifts to Trinity next weekend for the semifinals and finals, two of the bottom four seeds will be in action for just the second time in tournament history.

“In years past, you’ve just seen a couple powerhouse teams, and this year it’s much more evenly spread,” junior defender Amanda Roberts said.

“Teams are winning close games, and lower seeds are giving higher seeds a good fight. I think that it’s great that

the level of competition is so high, obviously. No one is going into games thinking they’re going to win or that they’re going to be favored, so I think it’ll spark some good competition for the postseason.” “[In] any given day in the NESCAC,” McDavitt added, “the difference between No. 1 and No. 8 is so small that it’s like you have to be on, you have to have a good game, and it just comes down to doing the little things well. Crazy stuff happens.”

When they take the field against the Ephs next weekend, the Jumbos will be making their fourth consecutive semifinals appearance. With a 13-1 regular season now very much in the rear-view mirror, Tufts has its sights set on claiming the program’s first NESCAC title.

“This is what we play for,” Roberts said. “It’s just a completely new season. From here on out, the competition gets better for every game, and it’s do or die. We really thrive in those situations, and everyone’s just really excited.”

SCHEDULE | Nov. 2 - Nov. 8 MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

Football

at Colby 12:30 p.m.

Field Hockey

vs. Williams NESCAC Tournament tba

NESCAC Tournament tba

NESCAC Tournament tba

NESCAC Tournament tba

ECAC Championship 12 p.m.

Cross Country

JumboCast

SUN

vs. Williams NESCAC Tournament tba

Women’s Soccer

Volleyball

A meth-od to the madness

D

Taking the field Friday afternoon at Bowdoin for the final game of a disappointing season, the men’s soc-

Tufts 0 Bowdoin 0

DAVID HECK | THE SAUCE

Volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball

erek Jeter took steroids.”

“Tiger Woods is a robot.”

“Shaquille O’Neal lost 200 pounds.”

These are statements that would shock me more than the recent revelation that Andre Agassi used crystal meth. (Well, except for the one about Tiger. I bet that one’s true.)

In an excerpt from his autobiography, which is to be released on Nov. 9 (reserve your copy now!), Agassi admits that he experimented with crystal meth back in 1997 and that he lied to the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour after failing a drug test and persuaded it to dismiss the case against him.

The backlash from the news was understandably harsh. The International Tennis Association said it was “surprised and disappointed.”

Roger Federer was embarrassed for the integrity of his sport. Martina Navratilova even went so far as the compare Agassi to Roger Clemens.

“Shocking,” she told ESPN.com. “Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn’t own up to it. He’s up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I’m concerned. He owned up to it [in the book], but it doesn’t help now.”

What bothers me the most, though, is not that Agassi used the drug and lied about it — though in no way am I condoning those actions — but rather the way in which all of this information has come out.

Agassi said that he wanted to come clean and to help any others that might experience similar struggles. Excuse me for being cynical, but it doesn’t seem that the incentive to release this information is quite that good-natured.

Tell-all books like this one are generally published with one motivating factor in mind: money. I don’t know what Agassi’s financial situation is these days; maybe he’s blown all his tennis winnings and endorsement money or maybe his bank account is as big as ever. But you’d be hard-pressed to convince me that the prospect of a nice big payday was not the reason that Agassi finally decided to reveal the truth.

We’ve all seen this act before. After Pete Rose gambled away all his money (shocking, I know), he finally wrote an autobiography and admitted that he wagered on ball games in which he managed (Pete Rose bet on baseball?! Get out of here!). For 20 years, nothing could motivate Rose to admit his mistakes — not the pleas of his fans, not the decrees from the commissioner’s office and not even the prospect of getting into the Hall of Fame.

But once he needed the cash, he suddenly felt compelled to clear his conscience.

Agassi’s appears to be a similar case.

Perhaps the whole story has been a burden to him over the past 12 years, perhaps he just wanted to get it off his chest and perhaps he thought he would be helping others by doing so.

But what exactly about this book is going to move people to live a clean life? Agassi suffered no ill consequences from his misdeeds; he lied to the Tour, got away with it and continued to play professional tennis as a fan favorite for another decade (oh, and he won five majors along the way).

Agassi doesn’t seem as though he is admitting his mistakes and begging for forgiveness. Instead, it seems like he simply wants to brag about all that he’s gotten away with in his career — and sell a few books while he’s at it.

Rafael Nadal recently summarized the bizarre nature of these admissions and their timing quite well: “To me it seems terrible. Why is he saying this now that he has retired? It’s a way of damaging the sport that makes no sense.”

No, Rafa, it doesn’t make any sense.

But something tells me it will make quite a few dollars.

David Heck is a senior majoring in philosophy. He can be reached at David.Heck@ tufts.edu.

Sports

16

INSIDE Men’s Soccer 15 The Sauce 15 Statistics 16

tuftsdaily.com

FIELD HOCKEY

Tufts overcomes Wesleyan’s goalkeeping in playoff opener

BY SAPNA

BANSIL

Daily Editorial Board

On a day in which the upset bug spread around the NESCAC, the field hockey FIELD HOCKEY (14-1, 8-1 NESCAC) Bello Field, Sunday Wesleyan 0 Tufts 1

0 1

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0 2

Brunswick, Maine, Friday Tufts 0 Bowdoin 0

2 0

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2 0

team survived its own challenge from an upstart conference rival.

Se c o n d - s e e d e d Tu f t s recorded a 2-0 victory over seventh-seeded Wesleyan in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament yesterday afternoon on Bello Field. With the victory, the Jumbos advanced to a conference semifinal showdown against fifth-seeded Williams next weekend in Hartford, Conn.

Though No. 7 seeds are

only 1-9 all-time in the conference tournament, a matchup against Wesleyan wasn’t expected to be a cakewalk for even the nation’s fifth-ranked Tufts team. The Cardinals were coming off their first winning regular season since 2005, having taken league champion Trinity to overtime on Oct. 2 and defeated two-time defending national champion Bowdoin on Oct. 10.

But Wesleyan’s attempt to threaten another conference heavyweight was thwarted in the third minute, when junior forward Tamara Brown finished off a nice feed from senior co-captain Amanda Russo and gave Tufts a quick 1-0 lead. The early tally swung the momentum in the Jumbos’ favor.

“They’re a really great team, and they’re definitely one of the toughest first round games we could have had,” Russo said. “They came out strong like we knew they would, but luckily we scored a goal in the first couple minutes, which we held on to for the rest of the game.”

After that first goal, however, Tufts had trouble putting Wesleyan away, despite holding a 35-3 edge in shots

JAMES CHOCA/TUFTS DAILY

Junior Tamara Brown tallied two goals to help the fifth-ranked Jumbos roll over Wesleyan 2-0 in the first round of the NESCAC tournament Sunday. and a 10-0 advantage in penalty corners. Part of the reason was the play of freshman goalkeeper Tori Redding, whose 20 saves kept the Cardinals within

reach. In two career matchups against the Jumbos, Redding has stopped 37 of 42 shots and significantly improved a Wesleyan defense that yielded

Jumbo offense stifled by Amherst in 13-3 home loss BY

ALEX PREWITT

Daily Editorial Board

Things are starting to become a bit repetitive for the football team.

The Jumbos were held to a single field FOOTBALL (2-4 NESCAC) Zimman Field, Saturday ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior Fanna Gamal headed in Tufts’ first goal in the Jumbos’ 2-1 win Sunday over Trinity in the opening round of the NESCAC Tournament.

Tufts dominates Trinity, advances to NESCAC semis ALEX LACH

Daily Editorial Board

For the first 60 minutes of Sunday’s first-round playoff matchup with the Trinity Bantams, the women’s soccer team experienced a high level of frusWOMEN’S SOCCER (8-6-1, 5-4-1 NESCAC) Kraft Field, Sunday Trinity Tufts

0 0

1 2

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1 2

Brunswick, Maine, Friday Tufts Bowdoin

0 1

see FIELD HOCKEY, page 15

FOOTBALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER

BY

10 goals to Tufts during last year’s season opener.

“Their goalie’s amazing,”

0 0

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tration. For the last 30 seconds, they experienced a higher level of anxiety.

The Jumbos, the fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament, defeated Trinity 2-1, but a game that seemed destined for an uneventful ending was turned on its head in the final minute.

With the game’s finish nearing, Tufts led 1-0 and was dominating possession in Trinity’s half, keeping the ball in the corner and not allowing a chance at the comeback. With just under a minute left, junior defender Audrey Almy sent a high clearance into the Trinity half that turned the last Trinity defender towards her own net to give chase. Sprinting from behind her, however, was Tufts senior forward Jesslyn Jamison, who surged in front of Trinity’s defender to win the ball and then volleyed a shot see WOMEN’S SOCCER, page 13

Amherst 0 3 0 10 --- 13 Tufts 3 0 0 0 --- 3

goal offensively for the third time this season on Saturday, spoiling a solid defensive effort and falling to undefeated NESCAC rival Amherst 13-3 at Zimman Field.

Amherst, which moved to 6-0 for the first time since 2001, limited Tufts’ stagnant offense to 93 total offensive yards, including holding the Jumbos’ rushing game to negative 15 yards — the second time in as many years that the Lord Jeffs have held Tufts to negative ground yards.

“Tufts is a good football team — defensively especially, they are very good,” Amherst coach E.J. Mills said. “With the wind I knew it wasn’t going to be a high-scoring game, and early on they got some good field positions, so I was pretty nervous. But we have a good defense who played extremely well. It was simply a great football game.”

Tufts senior quarterback Tom McManama felt the Amherst pressure throughout the game, taking eight sacks for a total loss of 60 yards. The depleted Jumbo offensive line currently has just two of five Week 1 starters healthy.

“We’re struggling,” Tufts coach Bill Samko

said. “We need to score some more points somehow, some way. We have to play better, but they’re good. That’s why their record is what it is. It’s even-steven at the half, but they played better in the second half. I can make a bazillion excuses, but we were playing against a very good defensive team.”

Tufts was unable to start anything productive offensively, going three-and-out six times and recording drives of negative yardage on four occasions, entering the second half knotted at 3-3. The Jumbos’ lone score — a 44-yard field goal by sophomore Adam Auerbach, the longest of his career — came early in the first quarter after an Amherst punt gave Tufts the ball on the Lord Jeffs’ 48. Still, despite the optimal field position, the Jumbos only managed 22 yards on nine plays in the drive, settling for Auerbach’s booming, wind-aided kick.

Tufts’ only other opportunity to score came on its first drive of the game. On the opening play from scrimmage, junior linebacker Matt Murray recovered a fumble set up by sophomore end Donnie Simmons, who penetrated the line on a draw play, giving Tufts the ball 14 seconds into the contest at the Amherst 32-yard line. After a gutsy fourth-down pass from McManama to senior fullback Noah Hatfield-Biondo set up first down at the Amherst 20, Auerbach’s 31-yard field goal was blocked.

From there, a dominating Amherst defense took over, led by senior linebacker Mike Taylor, who forced two fumbles, recovered one, sacked McManama twice and recorded 16 tackles, three of which went for a loss. On Sunday, Taylor was named the NESCAC Defensive Co-Player of the Week for his efforts, his second such award of the year. see FOOTBALL, page 12

FIELD HOCKEY (NESCAC TOURNAMENT): TRI 2, CON 1 - TUF 2, WES 0 - BOW 3, AMH 0 - WIL 2, MID 1 MEN’S SOCCER (NESCAC TOURNAMENT): WES 5, COL 0 - WIL 3, CON 0 - MID 2, AMH 1 - WES 0, AMH 1 - BOW 3, TRI 0 - WOMEN’S SOCCER (NESCAC TOURNAMENT): WIL 4, COL 0 - AMH 2, WES 1 - MID 1, BOW 0 - TUF 2, TRI 1 - VOLLEYBALL: TRI 3, TUF 2 - TUF 3, AMH 1 - WIL 3, BAT 0 - WIL 3, COL 0 - CON 3, WES 2 - MID 3, COL 0 - MID 3, BAT 1 - AMH 0, BOW 3 - TRI 3, BOW 1 - BAT 3, HAM 0 - COL 3, HAM 1