2009-12-07

THE TUFTS DAILY

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TUFTSDAILY.COM

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009

VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 58

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Fletcher Dean Bosworth plans to push Roberto to retire after three decades North Korea to return to multilateral talks of work at Tufts BY

BEN GITTLESON

Daily Editorial Board

BY

BETHLEHEM MEBRATU Contributing Writer

After 32 years at Tufts, during which he oversaw the construction of major campus buildings including the Olin Center and Granoff Music Center, Vice President for Operations John Roberto has announced that he plans to retire.

Roberto told the Daily that during his time on the Hill he has sought to “provide an appropriate working environment that supports teaching and scholarship here at the university.”

He has worked at the university since 1978, serving in several jobs before taking on the position of vice president for operations in 1991. His responsibilities include construction projects, campus maintenance and on-campus dining.

“It’s hard to capture 32 years,” he said in trying to sum up his work. “The most visible aspect of my job has been facilities, because you see the buildings every day.”

He added, “It’s been a privilege and an honor to work with such great families, friends and students here at Tufts.”

Jeffrey Zabel, an economics professor and chair of the Campus Planning and Development Committee, has known Roberto for over a decade. He said that Roberto has had a sizable impact on development at Tufts. “[Roberto] has had a large part in overseeing the development from an infrastructure standpoint on the Medford campus,” Zabel said. The two worked together five years ago when Zabel oversaw the rendering of a “master plan” for the Medford/Somerville campus that examined how future expansion and construction on campus buildings might develop over the next 15 to 20 years.

Over the course of his tenure, Roberto directed the construction or renovation of a number of campus buildings. Zabel made particular note of the construction of the Olin Center and Granoff Music Center. More recently, Roberto has overseen the renovations to Packard Hall, completed over the summer; renovations to the Rez in the campus center; and the construction of the Trips Cabin alongside Tufts’ Loj in New Hampshire.

Apart from his construction-related work, Roberto manages the general upkeep of buildings and the deferred maintenance program, which ensures the routine upkeep of university buildings. Roberto is in charge of activities on all three of Tufts’ campuses.

Thanks to the scope of his duties, Roberto has been a large presence on campus, Zabel said. “He has a huge job and oversees an incredible amount of activities,” Zabel said.

Finding a replacement for Roberto is proving challenging because his work spans so many different areas.

“We’re in the process of filling his position and we’re having a hard time finding the right person,” Zabel said.

“The job involves a lot of overseeing and capacities. It’s hard to find a person to maintain all different aspects of the job.”

Roberto has worked closely with the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate

Stephen Bosworth, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, plans to travel to the North Korean capital tomorrow for bilateral discussions aimed at bringing the nation back to six-party talks on its nuclear program.

Bosworth’s visit to Pyongyang marks the highest-level exchange and the first bilateral talks between the United States and North Korea since President Barack Obama assumed office in January.

Bosworth is the United States’ special representative for North Korea policy, a position he took on in February.

Bosworth will meet with the country’s vice foreign minister, Kang Sokju, during his stop in North Korea.

He will remain in the country until Thursday.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported yesterday that it was unclear whether Bosworth would talk with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il or visit Yongbyon, the country’s main nuclear facility.

The secretive communist state requested bilateral talks between itself and the United States months after it pulled out of the six-party talks to protest international criticism of a missile test it conducted last spring.

The United Nations imposed additional sanctions on North Korea after it conducted further nuclear tests in May. North Korea is expected to call for a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War, which took place from 1950 to 1953, before agreeing to return to multilateral talks over the denucle-

arization of the Korean Peninsula.

American officials have maintained that North Korea must return to the framework of the six-party talks before negotiations can begin and South Korea has said that it must be included in any peace treaty. The Korean War, between the North and South, concluded with an armistice. “[The North Koreans’] whole objective is to engage the U.S., and sixparty talks they regard as simply an ornament that we insist upon,” Selig Harrison, director of the Asia Program at the Center for International Policy and a senior scholar of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told the Daily.

U.S. officials have maintained that Bosworth’s visit is aimed at persuading North Korea to return to the sixsee BOSWORTH, page 2

OneWorld hosts first bazaar for global cause BY

KATHRYN OLSON

Contributing Writer

OneWorld, a budding student group at Tufts, hosted a crafts bazaar on Friday, uniting student organizations and international nonprofits in an effort to raise awareness about global poverty and women’s importance to the development of poor regions.

The group brought 12 nonprofit organizations to campus, according to junior Moises Cohen, its founder. The event boasted free food from local, immigrant-owned restaurants; fair trade gifts for purchase; and performances from Colombian musicians and Tufts’ Kiniwe ensemble, a Ghanaian drumming group.

Cohen explained that through selling global, fair trade crafts, OneWorld sought to raise awareness about development solutions and promote student involvement in fighting global poverty.

“We wanted to capitalize on the potential for positive student action and create solutions to poverty, either through on-campus social justice initiatives or off-campus ones,” Cohen said.

Over 30 student groups set up tables at the bazaar, seeking to inform students about their causes and how to get involved. Building Understanding through International Learning and

HELAINA STEIN/TUFTS DAILY

Student group OneWorld hosted its first crafts bazaar in the campus center on Friday.

Development; Conversations, Action, Faith and Education; Tufts’ Arab Student Association; and Engineers without Borders were among the student organizations that participated.

OneWorld will donate all proceeds from the bazaar to Aadhar, a micro-

finance program held under Women for Human Rights ( WHR), a non-governmental organization that works to empower Nepalese women. Aadhar and WHR provide financial support see ONE WORLD, page 2

Tufts to replace Blackboard with online service Moodle by 2011 The university’s Information Technology (IT) Committee has voted to approve a university-wide switch from Blackboard to Moodle, a competing online education service, by fall 2011.

The proposal must be approved by a steering committee before it can be officially implemented.

In last night’s Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate meeting, senator Shawyoun Shaidani, a freshman, told the body that the IT Committee, which is primarily made up of faculty members, approved the switch in a faculty vote on Nov. 23.

The proposal would end the universitywide use of the Blackboard online service, which allows faculty and students to post and submit class documents and assignments.

Shaidani cited operating costs as one reason for switching to Moodle. He added that the service’s open-source nature, which allows for redistribution of material on the site, makes it more flexible and therefore easier for students and teachers to use.

“Moodle is a far better system, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it,” Shaidani said after the meeting.

Shaidani is one of two undergraduate student members of the committee.

Trustee representative Emily Maretsky, a senior who is also a features editor for the Daily, is the other.

Moodle is already in limited use in some Tufts departments, including several engineering classes.

The transition away from Blackboard will affect all of Tufts’ three campuses.

It will be completed in phases, but no timeline has been set for the first implementation of the service.

— by Matt Repka

see ROBERTO, page 2

Inside this issue

Today’s Sections

An MFA exhibit showcases the work of Dürer, a master artist whose work spanned two artistic period.

Tufts’ ice hockey team won its fourth straight game last weekend thanks to an effective defense.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, back page

News Features Arts & Living Comics

1 3 5 7

Editorial | Letters Op-Ed Classifieds Sports

8 9 10 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Monday, December 7, 2009

NEWS

Roberto leaves Tufts after a 32-year-long career ROBERTO continued from page 1

on several projects. TCU Vice President Antonella Scarano said his retirement will be a great loss.

“It’s a shame we’re losing him, but we all wish him luck on his retirement,” she said.

“He has been great to work with and is great with students.”

Scarano has personally felt Roberto’s impact on campus during her years on the TCU Senate. “I know him through the student side. He has always been really receptive to our projects,” she said.

She recounted one instance in which Roberto proved par-

ticularly amenable to meeting student needs.

“I remember even a few years ago I noticed flyering was an issue on campus,” Scarano said.

“There was too much of it almost to a point where it wasn’t aesthetic. A student on Senate told me to contact [Roberto] and he was immediately active about it, telling me who to contact.”

Looking ahead, Roberto feels ready to enjoy retirement. “My immediate plans as I leave the university are to take a vacation with my family and relax in general,” he said. “I have a number of projects at home that have been postponed since I haven’t had time to do them.”

HELAINA STEIN/TUFTS DAILY

Junior Eugenia Lee sold jewelry at the OneWorld bazaar for the nonprofit organization Travel for Change.

OneWorld brings nonprofits to campus to benefit microfinance organization ONE WORLD continued from page 1

for single women seeking to establish their own businesses, according to Cohen.

“We picked WHR because they try to change the infrastructure in Nepal in order to empower women in many ways, one of which is through microfinance, and provide a truly holistic approach to battle an issue” Cohen said.

Tufts’ Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) has pledged to match all of the bazaar’s profits, doubling the amount that will be donated to Aadhar, according to Cohen.

OneWorld on Wednesday night hosted a talk by Tryfan Evans, director of the Omidyar-Tufts Microfinance Fund, as a preface to the bazaar. The bazaar and Evans’ talk mark the first two events the group has ever hosted.

OneWorld was founded earlier this year on the idea of peace and collaboration in a local as well as global context.

Cohen said the importance of having such a group came to light especially after the Mumbai terrorist attacks last November.

“The idea that we live in one world, we are the same and we must collaborate is what our group dedicates itself to,” Cohen said.

Cohen explained that the theme for the bazaar was inspired by an article from New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof on the importance of empowering

women in alleviating global poverty.

O n e Wo r l d member Christine Kim, a senior, felt it was important to unite all of the event’s participants behind a shared goal.

“We wanted a sense of direction, a common theme, and a common cause that would bring student groups together,” Kim said.

“We wanted to capitalize on the potential for positive student action and create solutions to poverty, either through on-campus social justice initiatives or off-campus ones” Moises Cohen junior OneWorld sought to feature nonprofit organizations, such as Voluntour Morocco, that benefit women artisans around the world.

Nabil Slimani BenSalah, founder and executive director of Voluntour Morocco, told the Daily that his goal is to build a “database of honest nonprofits in Morocco” that help women through rural economic development.

BenSalah’s booth on Friday featured paintings by Fatema Mellal, a Moroccan woman

To see a slideshow, visit tuftsdaily.com SEAN SMITH/TUFTS DAILY

who teaches art classes to children who cannot otherwise receive any such education in their local villages.

“Every show, we try to portray a woman doing extraordinary things in disadvantaged situations. The goal of Voluntour Morocco is to directly connect the people buying these products and the amazing people like Fatima making a difference in their local communities,” BenSalah said.

Cohen said that Voluntour Morocco’s mission reflects OneWorld’s goal of finding creative, multidimensional ways to combat poverty and empower women.

Kim noted that along with raising awareness about innovative development solutions, OneWorld also sought to encourage collaboration between student groups during the bazaar. “We reached out to everyone,” she said.

According to Kim, the group was pleased with the attendance at its first bazaar.

“We are really excited to provide a good opportunity for students to get involved in internships or volunteering aimed at tackling poverty and helping disadvantaged women,” Kim said.

Kim said that OneWorld hopes to make the crafts bazaar an annual event and continue its speaker series.

Fletcher School Dean Stephen Bosworth will travel to North Korea on Tuesday for bilateral discussions.

Bosworth to engage in bilateral talks with North Korea BOSWORTH continued from page 1

party talks. Obama announced the trip last month during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul.

“The U.S. has been pushing North Korea to return to the six-party talks and China has been joining with the U.S. in pushing North Korea to get them back to the six-party talks,” Harrison said. “North Korea’s position has been, ‘We won’t go directly back to the six-party talks, we have to have bilateral talks first.’”

Bosworth could not be reached for comment last week as he was in London for the Fletcher School’s Seventh Annual London Symposium on Thursday, according to Linda Warner, his executive assistant.

His visit has the support of the other countries participating in the six-party talks. These include South Korea, Russia, Japan and China in addition to North Korea and the United States, according to Harrison.

In London Bosworth tried to curtail high expectations about the outcome of his trip last week, according to reports.

“I don’t expect much from the first visit to the North,” he told Yonhap on Thursday.

Yet Bosworth’s visit comes after a period of relatively warm relations with North Korea, according to Jim Walsh, an international security expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“It hasn’t been a particularly combustible time,” Walsh told the Daily, noting the October trip Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao took to North Korea.

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie visited the country two weeks ago.

“Those sorts of visits are most likely associated with some movement of action rather than more of the same,” Walsh said.

Bosworth will land in a North Korea that has reportedly suffered public unrest following the devaluation of its currency last week, a move apparently aimed at curbing inflation and extending the regime’s power.

Strict limits on the amounts of money that can be exchanged for the new currency has effectively knocked out many people’s life savings, according to reports.

Visiting the Hill this week MONDAY “DEMOCRACY AS A MIDDLE GROUND” Details: Anna Larsson of Stockholm University will deliver a lecture on development and political regimes with a particular focus on democracy. Her research focuses on monetary regimes and their political implications.

When and Where: 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.; Braker 001 Sponsors: Economics department, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy “FROM PRE-LAW TO POST-LAW” Details: Two Tufts alumni, Stephen Viegas (A ‘70) and Philip Swain (E ‘80), will dis-

cuss their experience working in law.

When and Where: 6 p.m.; Sophia Gordon multi-purpose room Sponsor: Tufts Pre-Law Society TUESDAY “RESEARCH AT THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY” Details: Glen Miller, professor of organic chemistry at the University of New Hampshire, will give a lecture on the link between chemistry and technology at the molecular level. Refreshments will be available before the lecture.

When and Where: 4:30 p.m.; Pearson 106 Sponsor: Chemistry department

FRIDAY “BORN OF ADAMASTOR: THE WORKS OF DOUGLAS LIVINGSTONE” Details: Kathleen Coleman, a professor of Latin at Harvard University, will present her research on the South African poet Douglas Livingstone and recurring themes in his literature. She will discuss the ways in which Livingstone draws from classical history in his works.

When and Where: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Fung House, 48 Professors Row Sponsor: The Transnational Studies Working Group, Center for Humanities at Tufts

“SENSING AND SIGNALING DNA DAMAGE BY THE CHECKPOINT PATHWAYS” Details: Lee Zou, assistant professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, will give a lecture on his work focusing on genomes and DNA as part of the biology department’s fall seminar series.

When and Where: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Barnum 104 Sponsor: Biology department — compiled by Nina Ford and Tessa Gellerson

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

JESSIE BORKAN | COLLEGE IS AS COLLEGE DOES

What not to wear

I COURTEST HAWLEY SMITH

Student takes year-long tribute journey BY

MAYA KOHLI

Daily Staff Writer

Every year, thousands of adventurous types venture to Tanzania, Africa, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest freestanding mountain at 19,340 feet.

Reaching the top of the mountain is no easy task: For every 10 climbers, only one completes the trek.

This past August, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy student Joshua Newton was able to complete one of his life goals by becoming one of those lucky few to reach Kilimanjaro’s summit.

Newton’s ambitious mountain climb was part of a year-long tribute he has undertaken to honor the memory of his former girlfriend Erica Murray, a fellow Fletcher student who passed away from leukemia in December 2008. Newton and Murray first met at Fletcher in 2006 and began dating in 2007, after her diagnosis.

Their relationship experienced some distance-related strains when Newton returned to Paris, where he had been working for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but the two eventually reunited in late fall 2008. In the reflective period after Murray’s passing, Newton explained that he knew he wanted

to do something to commemorate her life.

“I was looking for something to put my energy and love for her [into]. However, it took two to three months before I figured out exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. “It took a lot of thinking and a lot of time.”

Newton eventually arrived at what he considered an appropriate form of tribute: a year-long homage to Murray’s memory comprised of various activities including climbing Kilimanjaro; raising money for the Asian American Donor Program (AADP), an organization Murray was involved with; increasing awareness about leukemia; and volunteering at local Boston hospitals.

Newton also planned a final objective of climbing to the summit of Argentina’s Mt. Aconcagua, which at 22,481 feet is the tallest mountain in the western hemisphere. Newton plans to end the tribute in Petra, Jordan.

To prepare for his mountain climbs, Newton hiked Vermont’s “Long Trail,” a 273 mile-long trail along the width of the state, which he completed in August. Newton described the tribute as “a way to facilitate the healing process, and basically living, which, being at school, I have gotten away from. It has been wonderful up to this point and has exceeded my expectations.”

While he was scheduled to climb Aconcagua on Dec. 1, Newton eventually decided against it. “[At the mountain] I literally stood there for half an hour, without even taking my pack off, and I just didn’t want to go any further,” he said. “I think I was getting a little tired of being out there on my own — I was getting lonely and wanted to be around friends.”

While he emphasized that it was a very hard decision, Newton ultimately felt it was for the best.

“I don’t have any regrets about it — I think I’m at a point where I’m ready to move on and move forward. When I got to [Aconcagua], I wasn’t having any fun at all, and it’s no way to honor her if I wasn’t having fun doing it. As soon as I made the decision, I felt so much better.”

Such an ambitious journey entails both the possibility of challenges and achievements.

“Each of the steps has presented different challenges,” Newton said. “Even before the whole thing started, finding the right thing that would work for me was difficult. And then it was the weather on the long trail — it rained every day. It was tough some days see NEWTON, page 4

Is it safe to let a Jumbo into your house?

The risks and benefits of subletting prove to be a difficult balance

BY WILLIAM C. WINTER AND WILLIAM K. WINTER

Daily Staff Writers

Better registration times aren’t the only perk that comes with being an upperclassman. Tired of gray concrete walls and spending hours in the gym waiting to choose a future dorm room, many soonto-be juniors look forward to renting off-campus apartments in surrounding communities. But, though they are often forced to sign full-year housing agreements quite early in their sophomore year, many students later decide to study abroad or take a leave of absence due to unforeseen circumstances. To avoid having to pay rent for a place they aren’t living in, some students maintain their lease while subletting their apartment to someone else.

Subletting can benefit a student financially but may be risky if a subletter is irresponsible, as the student who initially signed his or her name on the contract is ultimately responsible for the house.

According to Tufts’ Off-Campus Housing Resource Center, primary renters are responsible for all damages to the residence, even if caused by secondary renters. As a result, most students are very discerning when deciding who will occupy their rooms.

Tufts’ Office of Residential Life encourages students to receive a security deposit

from secondary tenants to cover the cost of any damage done to the property. In an e-mail to the Daily, Yolanda King, director of Residential Life, said that “it is important for students to obtain everything in writing in the format of a smaller version of a lease to avoid any problems.”

Kailah Hayden-Karp, a senior who has both sublet her room and sublet from someone else, suggested that tenants not only require a security deposit but also write a more lengthy contract specifying conditions of the arrangement.

“You don’t want to be in a situation where you don’t have any power,” HaydenKarp said. Examples of such contracts can be found on the Off-Campus Resource Center’s Web site.

Michael Walker, a junior who is transferring to another university at the end of this semester, said his roommates will have to approve a potential subletter before he allows the new occupant to move in.

“My roommates and the [other] people living with them will have the final say,” Walker said.

Walker, however, feels that his residence would lend itself to certain personality type.

“The kind of person that’s going to want to live [in my apartment] isn’t going to be throwing stuff at the walls,” Walker said.

Students interested in subletting should inspect the property they are interested in as thoroughly as if they were preparing to

sign a long-term lease.

“Most important to me are the sanitary conditions in the bathroom and kitchen,” Hiba Zeino, a student at the Fletcher School, said.

Beyond the interior of the residence, location is also important for students.

“I’m very concerned about the neighborhood and the level of safety,” Zeino said.

Some students may be interested in becoming secondary renters because, quite often, they come across an irresistible bargain. According to the Tufts’ Residential Life Web site, the prices of sublets usually decrease as the primary tenants get closer to their move out dates. Several apartments recently available for subletting are listed between $500 and $600 per month for a single bedroom, a couple hundred dollars less than the price primary renters probably pay according to the Off-Campus Housing’ Office’s Web site.

Hayden-Karp was forced to lower her asking price when she faced a scarcity of interested secondary tenants.

“It was a really hard market; I only had one person that was interested, so I had to lower the price. I didn’t really have any other options,” Hayden-Karp said.

However, not all students decide to discount their sublets.

“It seems silly to me because if I’m paying a certain amount for a [bedroom], someone else should too,” Walker said.

t’s 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night. Do you know what your roommates are wearing? If you are in college, chances are it’s a bizarre mix of stripes, spandex and old T-shirts so eccentric hipsters would pay $3.75 for them at the Salvation Army. When I walk into my house, I never know what I’ll find. Sometimes I am greeted by a crowd of classy-looking adults in real pants, shirts that fit and maybe even eyeliner. More often, however, I discover potentially crazy people on the couch, buried under a pile of blankets that I later identify as a combination of oversized sweatshirts, camp T-shirts, thermal leggings, men’s underwear, animal sweaters, headbands and furry socks. I am no exception — once I am in for the night (and sometimes when I’m not) I can usually be found wearing at least three different patterns and often no pants. I put on several of my dad’s old flannels at once plus T-shirts that have never seen the light of day, patterned boxers, striped knee high socks and my footies, which I believe normal people refer to as mukluks.

When we lived in the dorms, things were different — the line between public and private was blurred. We were constantly walking around in half-formulated outfits, running to and from the shower in towels, trading clothes and hanging out in PJs. We treated the hallways as an extension of our homes and several dozen fairly new acquaintances as extensions of our families. After Naked Quad Run hit, we really threw all caution to the wind, becoming exhibitionists of our bodies themselves.

Years after being a freshman, I continue to dress this very same way in my house, purely for comfort and with little concern for appearance. This has resulted in many nights running around the house in nylons and a shirt and hours spent in my towel after a shower. My housemates now have an intense familiarity with my father’s, boyfriend’s and ex-boyfriend’s combined ugly sweater collection. This is hardly a departure from the exhilarating freedom of dress I discovered freshman year, but now that I live off-campus, my threads have taken on a more clandestine feel.

Every time I leave the house, I change into a normal outfit, even as every fiber of my being implores me not to. If I wear leggings out, I make sure that they actually cover my butt, my shirts all fit on me, my colors try their best not to clash, my underwear is on the inside of my clothes and all my buttons are matched up. As I inevitably shed this outfit onto my floor hours later and slip my beloved footies back on, I ask myself: Why all the effort?

Yes, the clothes we wear in this house may be too few or too many and they certainly don’t match or follow any kind of logical (or fashionable) outfit structure, but they feel good. Really good. Like I-could-opena-beer-and-watch-“Friends”-reruns-inthis-outfit-for-the-rest-of-my-life-and-betotally-content good.

As you may have realized at this point, college falls in an oddly placed gray area between two sections of “real life.” My time here in this everywhere-is-your-living-room, young-people’s haven is sadly coming to a close, and I am devastated to realize that this is actually the last time it will be potentially acceptable to leave the house exactly as I am within it. I am wasting an invaluable opportunity every time I attempt to color-coordinate or brush my hair. My last Naked Quad Run is now in sight and I urge everyone to participate, in honor of the fact that college is so crazy that we actually can run around naked by the hundreds. You better believe I will be running my little fashion-challenged heart out, even if it is in front of TUPD and some creepy, middle-aged men. I will put on my fave outfit and it will look horrendous.

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

Borkan@tufts.edu

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

FEATURES

Monday, December 7, 2009

Fletcher student fights to raise leukemia awareness through hiking NEWTON continued from page 3

to be walking when you were completely drenched.”

The debate over whether to climb Aconcagua or not was also extremely challenging for Newton particularly because he felt as though others held expectations of him. “The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint people who have been following me for the past five to six months.”

Fortunately, the reaction was the opposite.

“People said it was brave and courageous of me to make the decision not to go,” he said.

Newton still plans to culminate the tribute in Petra as originally planned.

He documents his travels and activities on a blog, Ericatribute.com, which also has sections for donations and ideas for how to get involved in the fight against leukemia.

Newton added that the moral support provided by the blog has been greatly beneficial during the long tribute process.

“I’ll do an e-mail blast before I start a step of the tribute. When I first launched, I got several hundred responses. It’s nice to know that people are following — it gives me motivation to write for the blog and continue the tribute.”

While the blog is mainly followed by Newton and Murray’s friends and family members, Newton has also been able to connect with strangers he has met along the way.

“When I’m hiking, I carry business cards, and I also have a T-shirt that I wear. I’ve gotten e-mails from strangers and people on the trail. People have been very positive about how [the tribute] has impacted their lives. It’s nice to know that I have reached strangers.”

Along with the mountain summits, Newton added that the blog has been another great achievement, giving him a constant support system as his journey has unfolded.

Fundraising has also been a vital component of the tribute. So far, Newton has raised over $5,000 for the AADP, which is a California-based organization that encourages minorities and people of

mixed races to list themselves on the bone marrow donor registry.

A common treatment for leukemia is a bone marrow transplant, which replaces unhealthy blood-forming cells with healthy ones. Bone marrow transplants, however, are not as simple as blood transfusions — they are ethnically specific, and minority groups are severely lacking from the national bone marrow registry.

Newton explained that the AADP aims to help all minorities in need of bone marrow transplants.

“It’s more difficult to find a bone marrow for a minority or a mixed-race person, because bone marrow follows racial lineage,” he said.

As Murray was of mixed European and Chinese descent, she worked with the AADP during her own period of sickness.

Newton said that the majority of his fundraising targets have been readers of his blog and people he already knew; however, he also praised the Fletcher community. “The community has embraced her cause, and it was amazing the reaction that came out to support her,” he said.

In addition to participating in the Fletcherorganized bone marrow drives, Newton plans to organize his own bone marrow drives at local colleges and universities in the upcoming year.

Throughout the tribute, Newton has constantly emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about leukemia and encouraging people to join the bone marrow registry.

Leukemia, which is characterized by an out-of-control accumulation of blood cells, is a common disease. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, around 45,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year.

Newton ascribed the small amount of donors to general misconceptions about the bone marrow donation process — that it is painful and requires surgery. He noted that with the improvement of medical technology, the process is now simple and straightforward, and he hopes that by raising awareness, more people will be willing to donate and join the fight against leukemia.

Studying abroad spring 2010?

Be prepared for your semester abroad!

Required pre-departure meetings:

Programs Abroad staff and study abroad alumni will go over the pre-departure checklist, discuss health and safety issues, transfer of credit, cultural adaptation and much, much more!

Non-Tufts Programs

Tufts Programs

Non-Tufts Africa/Asia/ Caribbean/Latin America/ Middle East Monday, Dec. 14th @ 10:30 am

Tufts in Hong Kong Monday, Dec. 14th @ 11:00 am

*all meetings in Dowling 745*

Non-Tufts Mainland Europe Monday, Dec. 14th @ 1:30 pm

*all meetings in Tisch 304*

Tufts in Madrid/Paris/Tübingen Monday, Dec. 14th @ 2:00 pm

Non-Tufts UK/Ireland/Australia/ New Zealand Monday, Dec. 14th @ 3:30 pm

*Please note the location of your meeting: Tufts and non-Tufts will be held in different locations.* PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot make your non-Tufts meeting, please attend another non-Tufts meeting. If you cannot make your Tufts meeting, please attend another Tufts meeting.

Meetings are required.

Questions? Call x7-5871.

SANDWICHES WINE & BEER SPECIALTY GROCERY LOCAL PRODUCTS

81 Holland Street Davis Sq. Somerville 617-623-0867 davesfreshpasta.com

Arts & Living

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tuftsdaily.com

CHARLES LAUBACHER | EARS OPEN

GALLERY REVIEW

Dürer show features master work in two styles BY

ANNA MAJESKI

Daily Staff Writer

Albrecht Dürer was arguably the most influential artist of the Northern Renaissance. Born in 1471, Dürer

A

Albrecht Dürer: Virtuoso Printmaker At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Through July 3, 2010 Avenue of the Arts 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 617-267-9300 bridged the gap between the Late Gothic and Renaissance periods in Northern Europe, producing remarkable works in both styles.

Dürer is honored in the Museum of Fine Art’s current exhibit, “Albrecht Dürer: Virtuoso Printmaker.” The MFA has assembled 45 prints and engravings from its extensive collection for the show — including some recent important acquisitions such as the woodcut “Martyrdom of St. Catherine” (1498). Other wellknown images include Dürer’s engraving “Melancholia I” (1514) and the woodcut “The Four Horsemen (Apocalypse)” (149798). The exquisitely executed images are full of detail and dynamism, and they offer an interesting window into the life of one of the Renaissance’s great geniuses.

Dürer lived in Nuremberg, Germany, — which around 1500 was a cultural and artistic center. He started working at a young age in his father’s goldsmith shop, where he first became familiar with the technique of engraving. This medium would be an important one for his work throughout his life. The combination of living in a metropolitan area and the reproducibility SPAIGHTWOODGALLERIES.COM

see DÜRER, page 6

Dürer’s “Resurrection” is the basis for the modern-day “Archie” comic books.

THEATER PREVIEW

THEATER REVIEW

3Ps’ ‘Over the Rainbow’ is a stellar cabaret BY

REBECCA SANTIAGO Daily Staff Writer

of them have not even arrived. As ripples of annoyance and impatience run cross the crowd, the entire cast bursts through the garage door on a sparkly purple Cadillac.

The element of surprise is part of what makes “Best of Both Worlds” work. The production is an exciting musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” (1623), infusing the 17th century story with a musical score of R&B and gospel. Bolstered by an outstanding cast, the result is anything but expected.

The production follows the plot of Shakespeare’s play well, allowing those who aren’t familiar with the original version to enjoy the musical in its own right.

The story centers around Ezekiel

Pen, Paint and Pretzels’ (3Ps) vision of a materialistic Egyptian queen probably wasn’t what Giuseppe Verdi had in mind when he wrote Amneris’ role in the opera “Aida” (1871), but Elton John, co-writer of “Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida” (1998), would likely applaud the group’s more fabulous portrayal of the spoiled royal. A comical cover of Amneris’ “My Strongest Suit” is just one highlight from 3Ps’ “Over the Rainbow,” a gender-bending cabaret, which opens at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the Balch Arena Theater.

“Over the Rainbow” is an amalgamation of 15 Broadway acts with a twist. In each scene, a role typically played by a man is instead assumed by a woman, and vice versa. Although this role reversal often begets hilarity, the play itself is devoted to the serious purpose of raising AIDS awareness.

Though tickets are free, 3Ps is hosting a semi-formal fundraising reception prior to the show.

All proceeds will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, an organization that uses theater to financially support other institutions involved in the HIV/AIDS

see BEST, page 6

see RAINBOW, page 6

WWW.AMERICANREPERTORYTHEATER.ORG

The American Repetory Theater’s ‘Best of Both Worlds’ will run until Jan. 3.

Shakespeare gets soulful BY

MEAGAN MAHER

Contributing Writer

Rustling in their seats, the audience members anxiously wait for the actors of “Best of Both Worlds.” They were sup-

Best of Both Worlds Written by Randy Weiner Directed by Diane Paulus At the Loeb Drama Center through January 3, 2010 Tickets $20 to $75 posed to be on stage 10 minutes ago. A crew member clad in black appears to announce that the theatre just received a text from the actors — and that some

Couch band new kind of virtual reality has taken the gaming world by storm in the past few years. Long a staple of Japanese arcades, music performance games have become extremely popular stateside. Opinions about the prevalence of these games, such as “Guitar Hero” (2005), “Rock Band” (2007) and the newly released “DJ Hero” (2009), seem to be extremely polarized. Many old-guard musicians lament the growing popularity of these games and see them as affording youth the pleasure of musical performance without actually challenging them to learn a real instrument. Others praise the games, believing they will expose a new generation to classic tunes and spark the excitement of rock ‘n’ roll for future members of garage bands.

I feel rather ambivalent about the whole thing. I have had mixed experiences with these games. The first and only time I played “Guitar Hero,” much later than most, was about two years ago. I began to struggle through an “Easy” rendition of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” (1972). As a guitar player, I thought that I would immediately pick it up.

When the controller behaved nothing like a real guitar, however, I became frustrated and gave up. Instead, I smugly picked up a real guitar, played the guitar riff and felt pretty good about myself.

The only other time I played a music game was at a friend’s graduation party. We played several hours of “Rock Band.” I switched off between vocals and drums. This time, I genuinely enjoyed the experience; I felt like I was really playing an instrument.

Despite my limited experience with these games, I feel I’ve seen the good and bad of them. While playing “Rock Band,” I sort of got it. I did feel a little bit like I was performing in a real band.

Playing “Guitar Hero,” though, I realized that, save perhaps improving your hand-eye coordination, the game does nothing to put you in the realm of the people you are supposedly emulating. I know that video games aren’t meant to be a means of self-improvement, but I’ve always thought that they were supposed to afford us some escapism, the chance to do things we can’t do in real life — like drag-race, steal cars or kill ninjas with six-foot swords.

So why don’t kids instead just pick up a guitar and really learn to play? Well, because it’s a lot harder. It might take hours to master Van Halen’s “Eruption” (1978) on “Expert” mode, but it takes years to learn to shred it on a real guitar.

I know that not every kid who plays “Guitar Hero” would otherwise feel compelled to pick up an instrument, but I worry about the kids who play to indulge their curiosity, their desire to really rock. Some kids may be inspired by the games to start bands. Still, I worry that too many kids, satisfied with the easier thrill, won’t ever feel the need to step outside to the garage and learn to really play.

I see another major problem with these games: Much controversy was raised when a likeness of the late Kurt Cobain appeared in “Guitar Hero 5” (2009), allowing players to use the grunge icon to perform the songs of artists like Bon Jovi. Similarly, vocal opposition was also raised following the release of “The Beatles: Rock Band” (2009). While Paul and Ringo were instrumental in the creation of this game, one wonders what the silent members of the group would have thought. I cannot help but find the exploitation of some of our most cherished musical icons in such a format to be beyond perverse. These musicians stood for something and they should be survived by their own work, not by video game caricatures.

So, are these games good or bad for the future of music? Ultimately, they probably will not have a great impact one way or another.

I do, however, feel they trivialize the artistry behind the music they supposedly advance.

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

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

Monday, December 7, 2009

ARTS & LIVING

Dürer’s work exemplifies shift in artistic styles during the Renaissance period DÜRER continued from page 5

CARTAGE.ORG.LB

Dürer’s “Agony in the Garden” was originally doodled during algebra class.

of his engravings allowed Dürer’s work to be spread throughout Europe, extending the arm of his influence.

Among some of the most interesting pieces of “Albrecht Dürer: Virtuoso Printmaker” is a set of four prints from Dürer’s “The Large Passion,” executed in woodcut. One of the reasons these particular images are so interesting is that they were done at two very different points in the artist’s career. The entire cycle of woodcuts is comprised of 11 pieces, four of which are in the show. Dürer created one portion of the cycle in the years 149798 and the second part of the cycle from 1510-11. In between these two periods, there is a clear alteration in Dürer’s particular artistic interest. The later prints display a keen interest in the geometrically accurate three-dimensional space and precise realism associated with the Renaissance, while the earlier prints display more of an interest in the manipulation of naturalism that was very much part of the Late Gothic period.

Take, for example, the later woodcut “Resurrection,” from 1510. The image depicts Christ resurrected, light shining from his head in a cross formation and a mandorla-shaped cloud surrounding him.

The men guarding the tomb are collapsed on the ground, looking up at Christ. In the image, Durer uses closely placed lines to create the illusion of depth, and he creates texture with the play of light and dark in the image. The facial types are classical in appearance, and the body of Christ is characteristically Greco-Roman.

The image is clearly Dürer’s, but it is also clear that he is playing with the ideas of the Italian Renaissance.

An older woodcut from the cycle, “Agony in the Garden” (Large Passion) from 1497, displays the same flair for

drama as the later woodcut, but the way Dürer achieves the drama is different. The image depicts Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane while three apostles fall asleep in the foreground.

In this woodcut, Dürer is less concerned with perfect perspective. Instead, he has manipulated the landscape; a winding path takes the eye from the apostles to Jesus to the soldiers in the background who have come to arrest him. The landscape bends around the figures, allowing them to interact within the image. The figures are more closely related to conventional facial types of the period and area than the Greco-Roman features of Jesus in the later image.

“ The exquisitely executed images are full of detail and dynamism, and are an interesting window into the life of one of the Renaissance’s great geniuses.”

This cycle of images is an important illustration of the use of different techniques by the same artist to illustrate different interests. Often, there is a classification of Medieval or Gothic artists as less talented or inspired than their later Renaissance counterparts. In Dürer’s work, viewers can clearly see that the stylistic choices of Medieval artists had specific goals and were used to display specific interests, just as the stylistic choices of Renaissance artists illustrated certain themes that they were interested in. Albrecht Dürer is not just a great artist, but one whose work exemplifies a significant aesthetic shift during the Renaissance period.

3Ps takes on genderbending with second annual caberet-style production RAINBOW continued from page 5

cause.

Although this is only 3Ps’ second year performing “Over the Rainbow,” Executive Producer and junior Samantha Kindler hopes to establish the play as an annual tradition.

She explained that this year’s

theme is defying adversity, saying, “Last year we raised money — over 3,000 dollars — and it was great, but what we’re trying to do this year is raise awareness.”

Director Tali Cornblath and musical director Jared Trudeau (both juniors), as well as senior choreographer Becky

SPRING BREAK

Baumwoll, also deserve credit for the performance’s success.

With the assistance of several other organizations, including Torn Ticket II, Health Services, the Leonard Carmichael Society and the Department of Drama and Dance, the talented foursome managed to pull the cabaret together in

approximately three weeks.

The brief rehearsal period doesn’t detract from the quality of the performance or the actors’ experiences. Junior John Sasenick, one of the fantastically flamboyant dancers in “My Strongest Suit,” said that the play is “something really cool that I’m very glad we’ve start-

ed.” “And,” freshman dancer Nadav Hirsh said, “it’s fun.”

The night kicks off at 7:15 p.m. with a Broadway-themed auction and raffle prior to the show. Tufts dance troupes HYPE! and Sarabande will also be performing. Tickets are available at the Balch Arena Theater Box Office.

A strong cast makes for good humor and soulful music BEST continued from page 5

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(Gregg Baker), the king of soul music and ruler of his land, and his queen, Serena (Jeanette Bayardelle). Ezekiel becomes jealous because he thinks Serena is messing around with Maurice (Darius de Haas), a friend and musician who tours with him. He banishes her from his kingdom despite the warning of his mother, Violetta (Mary Bond Davis). In exile, Serena is forbidden to see her son (Sebastien Lucien) and gives birth to a baby girl, Rain (Brianna Horne).

When Serena hears that her son has died, she grows sick with grief and passes away. Violetta prophesizes that Ezekiel will not be happy until Serena returns to his kingdom, but it is too late.

After finding Serena dead, Ezekiel orders his attendant 8-Ball (Lawrence Stallings) to throw her baby in a dumpster. Sweet Daddy (Cleavant Derricks), a homeless man, eventually rescues and cares for the baby girl until happiness is restored in Ezekiel’s kingdom through a series of coincidental events.

The acting is superb throughout “Best of Both Worlds,” as comedic scenes leave the audience laughing and more serious scenes never come off as cheesy. 8-Ball is one of the funnier characters, at one point yelling at the narrator (Cleavant Derricks) when he is called low-class.

Mary Bond Davis, who plays Violetta, also doubles as a hooker in an outrageous scene in the second half of the musical.

She pulls off a Marge Simpson-like wig and a humorously scandalous dress.

The show’s musical score, composed

by Diedre Murray, is its most impressive

WWW.AMERICANREPERTORYTHEATER.ORG

‘Best of Both Worlds’ adapts Shakespeare with soulful R&B and gospel tunes aspect. “It’s gospel inflicted, but not pure gospel,” Murray said in an interview for the A.R.T. guide. “There’s R&B and hip hop, but deep down, the DNA is jazz. But it’s so diffused it won’t sound like jazz.”

The show’s cast is full of amazing singers who bring powerful musical performances to the play. One song that left the audience cheering for quite some time was a moving and emotional performance by Jeanette Bayardelle as Serena lamenting how she loved Ezekiel and was hurt by his suspicions.

Since “Best of Both Worlds” is a musical, dancing is included — but it is not the show’s main focus. When it comes to dancing, the spotlight is often on

Sebastien Lucien, who plays Serena and Ezekiel’s son. Lucien steals the stage with his dance moves, even throwing in a back flip or two into his performance.

“Best of Both Worlds” is Shakespeare with a twist. The show successfully blends classic theatre with a musical score rich in R&B and gospel, creating a performance which appeals to a wide audience.

“Best of Both Worlds” is running at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square until Jan. 3. Tickets cost between $25 and $75, but can be purchased via student rush for $20. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 617-547-8300 or online at www.

AmericanRepertoryTheater.org.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, December 7, 2009

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FRIDAY’S SOLUTION

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

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Monday, December 7, 2009

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

EDITORIAL

A mandate for no mandate “Mandate” — it is a word that has been tossed around frequently as of late by everyone from pundits to politicians to news anchors and analysts. Every public opinion poll result, election or protest seems to somehow be a political mandate for one party or the other, justifying that party’s actions and ideologies. While it is true that votes are one of the clearest ways to quantify support, one would be remiss to draw the conclusion that because people vote for a particular candidate or support certain aspects of an ideology, their views line up entirely with those of one political party.

In a time of increasing homogeneity among American political parties — a phenomenon largely brought on by the increased influence of special interest groups — the concept of the mandate seems to be indicative of a greater problem: that operating on an inflexible set of party ideals alienates the many diverse people and opinions that make up our country.

In the wake of President Obama’s victory last year, there was a general frenzy to declare a political imperative. Political pundits interpreted the vote as a mandate for everything he and the Democratic Party stood for — from universal health care to ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Yet here we stand, over a year later, in a world that, for better or worse, is not quite what those talking heads envisioned. Indeed, news of Obama’s political mandate did not seem to reach the ears of the Blue Dog Democrats, many of whom chose to vote against the health care bill in the House of

Representatives. It seems as though the socalled “mandate” never existed.

With the recent triumphs of Chris Christie in New Jersey and Bob McDonnell in Virginia in the 2009 gubernatorial elections, there was another explosion. Politicians and media organizations claimed that their elections were mandates for a conservative agenda, again ignoring any individual merits or viewpoints Christie and McDonnell may have represented that deviate from the Republican agenda. Both the Democrats and the Republicans have almost completely discarded any acknowledgement of these variations in their constituencies.

While it is undoubtedly true that many people vote along party lines, there are also a great many people who vote candidate by candidate, election by election. The idea that a vote for a candidate of a certain party is a vote for the ideals of the whole party ignores the importance of a particular politician’s individual strengths, views and qualifications — often the most important factors to many voters.

The Republican Party in particular has consolidated its strength around a fiercely conservative base, forcing all candidates and constituents to conform to a strict party line lest they lose the financial backing of the GOP organization and the powerful lobbies that fund it. This tendency has made it even more difficult for politicians like Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) to break with party ranks and vote according to the desires of the people they represent and what they believe to be

best for the country as a whole.

A politician’s sole purpose is not to vote in line with the people that elected her to office.

But it is a politician’s job to make informed decisions and work to move the country forward. It is difficult to make independent and informed choices when there is immense pressure and expectation to vote along the party lines that lobbies and inside-the-Beltway advisors have outlined.

For example, 176 of 177 Republicans in the House supported the infamous StupakPitts amendment to the body’s health care bill — an amendment that would limit payments to abortions. This was despite the fact that nearly half of all Americans consider themselves pro-choice, according to a recent Gallup poll. Perhaps the disparity comes in part because, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, these politicians have raised a combined $1.2 million since 1989 from ideological groups and donors that oppose abortion rights -- and (more importantly) it might have something to do with all of the money that pro-life groups give to the Republican Party to make sure its representatives remain strongly against abortion rights.

In recent years especially, being a national Republican politician has become virtually synonymous with being pro-life. This has a lot to do with money — and not too much to do with democracy.

All parties should reconsider the emphasis they place on conformity. Diversity of values is one of our nation’s greatest strengths, and letting our politicians embrace it would help to reinvigorate America’s two-party system.

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BY

MOLLY FITZPATRICK

The Harvard Crimson

For me, fixing a cup of coffee is a private matter. From years of practice, I’ve learned to furtively palm sweetener packets and hold them tightly together, tearing them as one, so it’s impossible for a casual observer to tell how many I actually use. Why? Well, I use a lot. And I mean a lot.

My father recently offered to pick me up a coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, but he almost refused when I told him what I wanted. To him, ordering my coffee — with skim milk and five Splendas — was as embarrassing as if I’d asked him to buy a jumbo box of tampons.

My friends regularly tease me about how sweet I like coffee, yet I find myself judging those with tastes even more indulgent than mine — O ye lowly disciples of the white chocolate mocha and bottled Starbucks Frappuccino! But why? We’d never criticize someone for a preference for seafood,

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.

Russian dressing or whole wheat bread.

There’s no reason why one’s choice of drink should be conflated with a character flaw.

At this point, there are now a million permutations of “coffee.” The barista culture has risen around (and fueled) our natural predisposition for finickiness. From an elegant cappuccino to some New Jersey diner mug-tar, there’s a coffee out there for everyone. You may add or subtract espresso shots, foam, ice, soymilk and sugar-free hazelnut syrup as you see fit; you are free to project our personalities onto our drink to whatever extent you choose.

People who drink black coffee do so with a certain macho pride, as if it were a feat of strength. In pop culture, black coffee has become a meme. It’s the John Wayne of caffeinated beverages — a metonym of stoicism, intensity and general bada**ery.

Every hack screenwriter knows that the fastest way to toughen up a character is to have him or her order a cup of black coffee. In

the same way, its converse is a ready-brew instant joke. On “The Office,” Michael Scott drinks milk and sugar (hold the coffee); on “Parks and Recreation,” Leslie Knope likes hers smothered in whipped cream. The difference between black and instant coffee has become as vast as the difference between scotch rocks and appletinis.

While there’s an argument to be made for appreciating coffee’s natural flavor, as a utilitarian drinker, I don’t find it too compelling. I know, I know, there’s Jamaican Blue Mountain, there’s Tanzanian Peaberry — there are plenty of obscure beans to delight the connoisseur. After all, coffee is an acquired taste. But so is anything, I would imagine, if you work hard enough at acquiring it.

When it comes to coffee, I say: to each his own. It should be an unalienable human right to enjoy what you eat and drink. Anyway, under the anonymity of the lid, who can tell the difference?

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OP-ED

The market for humanitarianism BY

MICHAEL BENDETSON

It is David vs. Goliath. It is corporate America vs. small business. It is the ongoing struggle between One Laptop per Child (OLPC) and Intel. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Nicholas Negroponte founded OLPC as a non-profit organization in the hopes of expanding educational opportunities through the spread of personal computers to children in the world’s poorest countries.

Running operations out of its small MIT headquarters, OLPC managed to create a cheap, durable and effective computer, the XO-1.

The goal was to distribute this computer to as many underprivileged children in the world as possible. Initially, the product proved to be a global success as orders were placed from Uruguay to Ghana. Seizing on OLPC success and an untapped market for sales, Intel introduced its own netbook. Its Classmate PC has become OLPC’s largest competitor in these poorer countries and can now be considered the industry leader.

Anyone examining the OLPC computer would have to be pretty impressed. For a mere $188, the computer proves ideal in meeting the needs of poorer children living in rugged regions. The designers built the XO-1 with this difficult environment in mind. The XO-1 is immune to water, dust and being dropped.

In addition, the computer is equipped with a solar panel to recharge the battery. However, it is what is on the XO-1 that makes it an optimal computer for children. The computer has a wireless connection to the Internet, which can provide students with instant access to knowledge previously unimagined. The XO-1 also has a built-in camera, which allows users to communicate with students from other countries and continents. Finally, the computer can hold thousands of e-books that, in conjunction with teachers, can be used to expand students’ educational curricula.

With such captivating features, the XO-1 appeared to be a perfect fit for poorer countries attempting to enhance the education of their young ones. After its release in the beginning of 2006, sales for the laptop soared. In 2007 and early 2008, orders for the computer were placed from Uruguay, Peru, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Cambodia. However, OLPC success was halted with the introduction of Intel’s Classmate to the world market. Recently, Intel has completed deals with Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Brazil and Mexico — all countries in which OLPC was heavily invested. Many of the governments that opted for the Classmate cited their desire to deal with a name brand like Intel, as opposed to the less well-established OLPC. The competition between the two companies can politely be referred to as intense.

Intel places a strong marketing effort not only in countries in which OLPC is campaigning, but also in countries that have signed agreements with OLPC. As a result, many OLPC projects were delayed or later negated. In 2007, Libya

DESIGN BY EMILY COHANE-MANN

reneged on an earlier deal with OLPC to purchase 1.2 million computers and instead opted to purchase a pilot program of 150,000 Classmates. In addition,

there were numerous instances in which Intel would engage in predatory pricing. While the Classmate is more expensive, Intel would be involved in aggressive pricing up front that would not hold in the long run. This tactic would allow Intel to hold an advantage over the Cambridge firm and thus seize a particular market.

While the two products are rivals in an everexpanding market, Intel and OLPC have not always been in competition with each other.

In 2007, Intel joined the OLPC board in the hopes of collaborating to distribute computers to the world’s poorest children. Both parties promised not to criticize the other’s product.

However, tensions resumed as OLPC discovered Intel’s continued effort to derail OLPC. Intel resigned from OLPC in 2008 and cited its desire to expand its Classmate marketing campaign. The president of OLPC, Chuck Kane, summarized the situation: “The two entities could not work together. Intel was more driven by sales, and in this market it is hard to control sales. On the other hand, OLPC was not receiving the development help that it wanted from Intel. As a result, the deal fell through.”

Who cares who makes the computers as long as everyone gets one? Kane could not agree more, but he cautions, “It matters only if [children] are getting the computer that will not break down.” There have been many head-tohead matchups between the two computers.

OLPC confidently notes that its computer is simply a better fit for the organization’s objective. The XO-1 is rugged and the Classmate simply is not. The price of the Classmate is 35 percent higher than that of the XO-1. In addition, the Classmate uses a processor chip that requires a fan to prevent the product from overheating. As a result, the Classmate requires significantly more energy to run than the XO-1. Finally, the fan also provides an opening for dust or moisture that could destroy the machine relatively quickly. Kane simply notes, “In a developing world the machine would not last.”

OLPC is not by any means going quietly into the night in the face of stiff competition. The company just completed the distribution of the XO-1 to 415,000 elementary schools in Uruguay. In addition, OLPC recently inked deals with Rwanda for 120,000 computers and Peru for 294,000 computers. In just three short years, OLPC has managed to sell over a million computers to some 31 countries. Kane proudly notes, “Indeed if a company would build a netbook that would have our qualities of low power and ruggedness, we would love to be out of the hardware business. We would love to have someone providing that machine at the right price point.” Yet it remains clear to Kane and his company that the XO-1 is still the only product suitable for meeting the needs of early childhood education in poorer countries.

Michael Bendetson is a sophomore majoring in political science.

FROM THE PUBLIC EDITOR

On campus: Why we should lose our national focus BY

DUNCAN PICKARD

The cover story of the Nov. 9 issue of the Tufts Observer was a feature called the “Future of Health Care in America.”

The article was three pages long. On the table of contents, the next four stories were slugged “national” or “international,” and save one article, the page numbers to the left of the titles for the rest of the issue incremented by no more than two at a time.

The Observer’s new, fresh layout and clean graphics impress me. But how can any article on as broad a topic as health care make a significant contribution in three pages?

And how many of us turn to a campus publication for expert commentary on national or international issues?

My concern is not over page length. Rather, I question why the Observer, the Tufts Roundtable, the Primary Source and other publications often rely heavily on issues beyond the scope of campus to fill their pages. Campus publications should stick to news on campus, or else they become just a poor Newsweek.

I understand the temptation to cover off-campus issues.

They make easy editorials, there is abundant information and there is inspiration from national columnists for ideas.

The Daily often prints great stories that relate national or international issues to campus, such as its Nov. 23 article

on the financial aid committee in Somerville, and I would just as quickly criticize publications that are myopic and don’t see how big issues affect Tufts students. I just want to challenge campus editors to try a little harder to explore important issues at Tufts instead of jumping to off-campus issues to fill pages.

Perhaps one cause of this problem at the Observer is the size of the magazine. The page count recently increased from 24 to 32 pages, and maybe this is too much to fill on a bi-weekly basis. I know the editorial board knows more about this than I do, but it might be valuable to reduce the page count and petition for a little more student activities money to print in all color.

It is very important for student journalists to get experience covering national and international news; I just don’t think the campus is the right place to do it. There are plenty of other opportunities to do this.

GlobalPost, a new international newswire based in Boston, has a study abroad program in which students can work with professional editors and get their work published online. Students file reports from all around the world: www.globalpost.com/home/study-abroad.

The Communication and Media Studies (CMS) program here at Tufts also offers winternships, short internships over winter break in cities across the United States: ase. tufts.edu/cms/winternships.html. I had a wonderful expe-

rience covering the 2008 New Hampshire primary with WBUR, Boston’s NPR station, through this program.

There are other well-known internship opportunities through national publications that CMS can help with and provide credit for. But also don’t forgot your local newspapers and magazines — some of the best help with reporting and writing that I’ve received was at my home paper, the Martha’s Vineyard Times. It was fun to report in a community I knew well, see my name in print every week and develop a wonderful relationship with an editor.

Home papers can be a great way to gain experience and earn money in an environment that’s less competitive than a national internship program.

I’ve often heard comparisons made between the federal government and campus politics, or between Tufts and national media. The comparison is meaningless given the vast differences in scale and issues we deal with. We are not national organizations, and we should limit our scope to campus.

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.

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

THE TUFTS DAILY

10 Housing

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Two three brds, Two four brds Available Available for next years school year. June 2010 to May 2011. Shop now and get what you want. Very convenient to school. Call for appt now 617-448-6233

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Jumbos lethal from beyond the arc, lead in first half for easy win WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

the Chargers’ miscues, and second-chance points, outscoring Colby-Sawyer 14-5 in the category.

“We’ve really put more emphasis on defense and everyone’s grown into their roles,” Barnosky said.

Three-pointers were a big contribution to the Jumbos’ win, as they shot 10 of 22 goals from behind the arc. Hart contributed five of those successful three-pointers, all in the first half. She now sports an impressive .512 season average from beyond the arc on the season and finished with a game-high 20 points and five assists to go along with 7 rebounds. Kornegay was also instrumental in the victory, tallying 18 points for the Jumbos, who dropped the Chargers to 2-4

continued from page 12

was a challenge. The Chargers fought back, scoring 32 points in the latter period compared to the Jumbos’ 34. This marked the fourth time in the last five games that the Jumbos have jumped ahead in the first half by at least 18 points but fared poorer in the second half, either being matched or outscored in that period.

“We need to put two halves together,” sophomore forward Kate Barnosky said.

“We’ve been predominantly a first-half team this year and we need to start keeping our focus throughout both halves.”

The Tufts team solidified its win by capitalizing on turnovers, scoring 20 points off

after their third consecutive loss.

“We know what other teams are like and what to expect, and from there we are able to build our game,” Kornegay said. “We need to play hard, come out and finish strong, and stay consistent.”

Kornegay dominated the offense for Tufts in the second half, scoring 14 points.

Senior forward Julia Baily tallied another double-double, her fifth in the Jumbos’ six games thus far, with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while junior Vanessa Miller contributed seven points and four assists.

Freshman Cailin Bullett led the Chargers through the second half, scoring 13 of her total 17 points in the last 20 minutes on 5 for 7 shooting. The Jumbos’ defense limited

the Chargers to 18 for 57 shooting and outrebounded them 45-34.

“People didn’t expect us to be as good of a team because of how small we are,” Barnosky said. “We are trying to work harder than ever before and prove a lot of people wrong and get some good wins.”

Tufts will look to extend its winning streak to six games as it faces Wheaton on Monday at 7:00 p.m., wrapping up a four-game road trip before participating in two tournaments, the Regis College Tournament and the Land of Magic Classic in Florida over the winter break. The Jumbos have beaten the 2-4 Wheaton Lyons two times in their past four meetings.

Tufts goes perfect 12 for 12 on penalty kill in two wins

Jumbos must shake off championship loss

ICE HOCKEY

gave a 37-35 lead, but Anderson answered by scoring on two free throws before the Judges went on to put away the slowing Jumbos.

Tufts was plagued by poor shooting in the second half, as the Jumbos were just 4-22 from the field, or 18.2 percent, in the last 20 minutes.

“Brandeis is just a really great team,” Cook said. “They’re explosive. Maybe we were a little tired and that hurt us. But more so, they play in spurts and we didn’t answer their spurt in the second half.”

“Their guys are really fast and scrappy,” Cook continued. “I got some good looks from going inside and coming out from Jon, but penetration today was tough. They collapsed really well so we couldn’t get a lot going in terms of going to the hoop and that hurt us.”

The previous night was a happier story for Tufts, as the Jumbos led from the opening minute and shot 47.5 percent and saw Pierce, Beyel and Cook all score in the double digits. Cook, who hit a three to start the game, nailed four from longrange in the half to help the Jumbos build a 34-19 lead at intermission.

In the second half, Tufts was able to finish off the struggling Beavers, who shot at 26.2 percent from the floor and were only six for 15 from the free throw line. The Jumbos also were dominant on the glass, with sophomore forward James Long leading the 55-36 team margin with

continued from page 12

Friday’s game at New England College saw more than half an hour of scoreless play before senior Doug Wilson broke the deadlock, beating Pilgrims junior goalie Aaron Harvey on the power play to take a 1-0 lead. After two periods of play, the Jumbos only managed to put 12 shots on net, whereas the Pilgrims had already taken 40 shots, 27 of those coming in the second period.

Six minutes into the third period, Cooper laced a pass to freshman Trevor John, setting the defenseman up for his third goal of the season and second point of the game.

With the Jumbos’ lead already at 2-0, Metcalfe potted his first of the season to put Tufts ahead 3-0 with half a period left to play.

Barchard’s spotless performance was sullied by the Pilgrims’ Geoff Shewmake, who slid a shot past the Jumbos’ goaltender to end his shutout with 3:46 to play.

However, despite allowing 53 shots on goal, Tufts was able to hold on for the 3-1 victory against conference foe NEC. “Part of it is the way our system is, we’re going give up a

MEN’S BASKETBALL continued from page 12

lot of shots,” Antonelli noted.

“When we play on the road, the shot numbers are going to be a little bit inflated though.

Scottie has played great, and he definitely helped us out a lot this weekend.”

The Jumbos’ perfect fivefor-five day on the penalty kill helped bring Tufts’ current PK percentage up to a pristine 85.7. But Barchard’s play was undoubtedly the story of the weekend, as he stopped 115 of the 119 shots he saw at NEC and Saint Anselm. Barchard’s stellar .953 save percentage this season ties him for best in the NESCAC and for second overall in all of Div. III. On the other side of the puck, Antonelli credits the Jumbos’ offensive success to their depth.

“All the guys are chipping in and making big plays for us,” Antonelli said.

The Jumbos will face their travel partner Conn. College on Saturday at the Valley Forum. But Tufts will be riding its four-game win streak as well as a five-game unbeaten streak in overtime games. And with the Camels at 1-5 overall, the Jumbos are primed to head into the winter break on the heels of a fifth straight victory.

STATISTICS | STANDINGS

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior guard co-captain Dan Cook hit four of five three-pointers in Saturday’s win over Babson in the first round of the inaugural Big Four Challenge. put a team away when we’re up by nine of his own.

The victory was the second win 15 or 20. With that knowledge, we at home for the Jumbos and argu- just got to get our energy up and ably displayed their best play on come into games knowing we can both sides of the ball thus far in beat teams and not just hoping the season. Team members will that we’re going to. We need to go in have to put the championship loss there and get our shots and do our out of their minds and focus on jobs. We did not do our jobs against the positives from the weekend as Brandeis.”

“Tomorrow we’re just going to go they prepare for their third game in four days: Tuesday’s match versus over their stuff,” Cook added. “We just have to make sure we come out Plymouth State.

“Thursday and Saturday’s games with mental toughness. It’s been a were first steps in learning how to long stretch and we have to come win and how to hold a team off out fired up one more time and when they’re making a run,” Beyel head into winter break on a good said. “We also found our ability to note. That’s it.”

SCHEDULE | Dec. 7 - Dec. 11 MON

Men's Basketball

Women's Basketball

Ice Hockey

(2-5, 0-0 NESCAC)

(5-1, 0-0 NESCAC)

(4-2-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC/ECAC East)

NESCAC

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

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OVERALL

W 4 5 4 6 2 7 3 2 3 6

L 1 2 1 0 4 0 3 5 3 0

Individual Statistics PPG RPG Jon Pierce 16.6 7.7 Dave Beyel 15.1 5.1 Dan Cook 8 2.9 4 S. Anderson 8 Alex Goldfarb 3.9 2.4 Matt Galvin 2.6 2 James Long 2.1 3.9 Sam Mason 2.1 3.3 Tom Selby 2.1 2.9 Bryan Lowry 1.3 1.6 Reed Morgan 1 0.3 M. Lanchant. 0.8 1.3 Team

APG 1.1 1.1 0.3 0.4 1.3 4.9 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.1 0.7 0

62.9 39.6 11.3

NESCAC

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

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

NESCAC

OVERALL

W 6 5 5 4 3 3 4 5 2 6

L 0 2 0 1 3 3 2 1 2 1

Individual Statistics RPG 5 11.2 6.3 6.8 3 1 1 0.8 1 1.2 1.5 1.6

APG 2.8 0.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 0.7 0 0 0 0.4 0.3 0.8

Colleen Hart Julia Baily T. Kornegay Kate Barnosky Vanessa Miller Lindsay Weiner S. Robinson Sarah Nolet D. Collins Katie Wholey Bre Dufault Samantha Tye

PPG 18 17.7 11.2 9.3 6 3.3 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.6 1 0.8

Team

72.3 42.5 13.2

W Bowdoin 4 Williams 4 Middlebury 2 Trinity 2 Tufts 2 Amherst 2 Colby 2 Hamilton 2 Conn. Coll. 1 Wesleyan 1

L 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3

TUE

WED

at Plymouth St. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

OVERALL

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

Individual Statistics Tom Derosa Zach Diaco Dylan Cooper Trevor John Matt Amico Dylan Plimmer Mike Vitale Lindsay Walker Doug Wilson Conor Pieri Team Goalkeeping Scott Barchard

A G 7 1 2 4 1 4 2 3 3 2 3 2 4 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 23 41 S GA 322 16

Team

322

Pts. 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 64 S% .953

17 .950

Women’s Basketball

at Wheaton 7:00 p.m.

Ice Hockey Men’s Swimming and Diving Women’s Swimming and Diving Men’s Indoor Track and Field Women’s Indoor Track and Field Men’s Squash

Women’s Squash

vs. Wellesley (at Dana Hall) 7 p.m.

vs. Cornell (at Harvard) 2:00 p.m.

THU

FRI

THE TUFTS DAILY

Monday, December 7, 2009

11

SPORTS

INSIDE THE NBA

DAVID HECK | THE SAUCE

‘The Answer’ is back in Philly for 76ers BY

The next Jordan

ALEX SCAROS

Senior Staff Writer

Two weeks removed from announcing his retirement from the NBA, Allen Iverson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, the same team that drafted him 13 years ago. Since entering the NBA after playing two years under John Thompson at Georgetown, Iverson has been in the headlines, both on and off the court, as much as any other player.

Despite his age (34) and relentless criticism from the media, the 76ers are willing to take a chance on the man who brought them to their last NBA finals in 2001.

In 2006, the 76ers organization practically ran Iverson out of the city, citing his selfishness and off-court antics as detrimental to the franchise’s progression. This offseason, Iverson signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in a marriage that was doomed from the start.

Unhappy with his role as a bench player, Iverson took a leave of absence to attend to “personal matters” after playing just three games with the team. The two parties agreed to part ways and Iverson was waived into free agency.

Throughout his career, Iverson has been an enigma and certainly a polarizing figure for fans. Over 10-plus seasons with the 76ers Iverson posted a scoring average of 28.1 points per game, good enough to win him four scoring titles, seven All-Star selections and two All-Star game MVPs. His 27.02 career points per game places him 6th on the all-time list and gives him status as the most prolific scorer in NBA history under 6-feet.

Off the court, Iverson has been chastised more than any player in the last 25 years. Whether it was his infamous “Practice?-We’re-talking-aboutpractice!” speech, arriving at games late or missing corporate-sponsored and charity events, his behavior reached a tipping point for the 76ers years ago. Ultimately, management in Philadelphia felt it was time to give its franchise a new face. Although the 76ers made the playoffs last season led by emerging swingman Andre Iguodala, the team has been struggling mightily of late, beginning the season 5-15.

The 76ers are in the midst of a ninegame losing streak and coach Eddie Jordan hopes that Iverson can provide a much-needed spark for his team. The 76ers are 19th in the NBA in scoring at 97.6 points per game and are 28th in the league in total defense. Iverson, though slowed by injuries and age, is a future Hall-of-Famer because of his skills on both ends of the court.

He currently ranks 13th all-time with

W

MCT

Point guard Allen Iverson’s return to the Philadelphia 76ers brought the 10-time All Star to tears.

1,965 career steals along with his prolific scoring averages.

There is no doubt that the 76ers are young and talented. Iguodala, one of the league’s most athletic shooting guards, is the team’s leader in points and assists, averaging 19.0 and 6.0 a game to go along with 6.9 rebounds in almost 40 minutes per game. Lou Williams and former Georgia Tech star Thaddeus Young have been doing an admirable job shouldering the offensive load so far, averaging 17.4 and 15.5 points per game, respectively.

But with Williams expected to miss two months because of a broken jaw, the Sixers clearly need a player to handle a large portion of the scoring load and Iverson can certainly be that player. Although he was never a true point guard, Iverson’s scoring ability and quickness to the basket will attract defenders every time down the court.

This should relieve a lot of the pressure off of Iguodala and allow him to take better on the perimeter.

Elton Brand, signed to a five year deal worth nearly $80 million in 2008,

was expected to give the Sixers an AllStar caliber forward down-low. When healthy, he was considered one of the best post players in the NBA. But Brand had a disappointing inaugural season with the Sixers, ending with seasonending shoulder surgery in February after averaging a then career low 13.8 points per game. This season Brand has been even more disappointing, averaging career lows in points (12.3) and rebounds (6.7). A near-career 20 and 10 player (19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds), a Brand resurgence coupled with the addition of Iverson has the potential to save the 76ers’ season.

The 76ers chose to bring Iverson back to the place where his career started in the hope that it would not only light a spark under the franchise but also under Iverson, who hopes to elevate his game one more time in the twilight of his career. In his tear-filled press conference after signing with the Sixers, Iverson thanked the organization for giving him another chance.

This chance will mark Iverson’s attempt at redemption in Philadelphia.

Athletes of the Week SCOTT BARCHARD, ICE HOCKEY In this weekend’s slate of games, Barchard’s prowess in net broke records and helped Tufts stay hot.

On Saturday’s matchup against the Saint Anselm Hawks, Barchard made history with 63 saves on 66 Saint Anselm shots across the 4-3 overtime victory for Tufts. Notching the team’s fourth consecutive win, Barchard captured the school’s all-time most saves in a game from James Kalec, who made 60 saves in a January 2005 game against Colby.

Against conference rival New England College Friday, the Jumbos faced a potent offensive attack from the Pilgrims, who put up 53 shots on goal overall, but it wasn’t enough to win in the 3-1 decision.

Barchard’s near shutout performance limited NEC to just one goal, which was scored with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

In all, Barchard made 115 saves in two games over the weekend and is now tied for the conference lead with a .953 save percentage. He has more than 40 saves in six of the seven contests that Tufts has played this season.

ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

Athletes of the Week COLLEEN HART, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Junior point guard Colleen Hart scored 20 points in just 27 minutes of play in the Jumbos’ fifth straight win on Saturday afternoon, a 74-48 drubbing of Colby-Sawyer. Hart also led the team in assists with five and collected seven rebounds on the day.

The Jumbos jumped ahead 40-16 over Colby-Sawyer before halftime. Hart went 5-9 from beyond the arc in the first half, upping her three-point percentage to .512 on the year, good enough for fifth best in the NESCAC. She scored 17 points in 17 first-half minutes, and her 18 points per game ranks her third in the conference as well as raises her average six point higher from 12 last year.

Along with her 18 points per game, she’s tallied five rebounds, three assists, and four threes per game. She leads the conference with 22 made three-pointers throughout the year.

The Jumbos’ lone loss came in their season opener against SUNY New Paltz, a game in which Hart scored 31 points. Since then, Tufts has won all five games played by an average margin of 16.8 points, upping its record to 5-1 on the season heading into tonight’s contest versus Wheaton.

SCOTT TINGLEY/TUFTS DAILY

hen Michael Jordan retired in 1999 (his second retirement out of three), everyone in the game was asking one question: When are we going to see the next MJ? Since then, we’ve been looking for any signs that a player is as talented and ruthless as Air Jordan. Most would say that LeBron has come the closest to matching Jordan, but few think that the title has already been taken.

It has. And it belongs to Kobe Bryant.

Jordan will be remembered for a lot of things (foray into baseball, anyone?), but mostly he will always be known for his ability to score from anywhere, for his ultra-competitiveness and team leadership and for his dominance and tenacity on defense. Oh, and also for the six championships, five MVPs, six finals MVPs, 14 All-Star selections, 10 scoring titles, two gold medals … I could go on.

Take a long look at Kobe. He’s got all the attributes; he’s ultra-competitive, he plays tenacious defense (perhaps not quite up to Jordan’s level, but still within the realm of reasonable comparability) and, most importantly, he can make any shot. Any. Shot.

Get fouled in mid-air as you drive to the basket? Make a no-look shot over your head. Get hip checked out of bounds on the baseline? Make a shot over the backboard for the and-one.

Getting suffocated by a double team in the final seconds of a two-point game? Make the three-pointer off the backboard for the win. Kobe’s done all of those things — you’re welcome to check on Youtube.com if you don’t believe me — and those are just a few recent ones.

Kobe isn’t the most liked guy in the NBA. Things really turned for the worse after the rape allegations (a surprise, right?) and that, combined with his messy divorce from Shaq, wounded Kobe’s public image. Kobe’s also been criticized for his supposedly faux leadership (just putting on a show for the cameras) and his alleged propensity to hog the ball.

I’ll admit that Kobe might not have the world’s greatest character. But at the same time, it’s important to note that the rape charges were thrown out and that Shaq has had messy divorces from two more teams in the past few years. Plus, what’s really wrong with wanting the ball? When it comes down to the final shot, you know Kobe’s going to take it and that’s how it should be — that’s certainly the way it was with MJ. How can a guy be a leader if he’s scared of the big moment?

The fact that Kobe can come off as a jerk only furthers the Jordan similarities. Did you hear MJ’s Hall of Fame speech? He was not the nicest guy himself — no John Stockton, to say the least — because it’s hard to be nice and have the killer instinct necessary to step on another team’s throat. People seem to put Jordan up on a pedestal (what I like to call the “Space Jam” effect), but he is a flawed individual.

Kobe won’t equal all of Jordan’s awards and accolades, but, at 31 years old, he’s still got some time left. Six MVPs will never happen (blame Steve Nash and a voting bias towards Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system), but Kobe already has four rings and he’s arguably playing on his most talented team ever. It’s not a stretch to say that he may in fact end up with more titles than Jordan.

Is Kobe the best player in the NBA? Honestly, I think that honor goes to LeBron. But James is a different animal, a guy who will use his absurd physicality to get what he wants, an advantage that Kobe doesn’t have and Jordan didn’t have. And he’s got a long way to go before approaching Kobe’s career numbers.

Look up some old tapes of Jordan and then watch Kobe play. They are nearly the same player. Perhaps it’s time we began to appreciate that.

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

Sports

12

INSIDE Athletes of the week 11 The Sauce11 Inside the NBA 11

tuftsdaily.com

ICE HOCKEY

Barchard helps Jumbos win fourth straight game BY

ADAM PARDES

Contributing Writer

Sophomore Scott Barchard has been a stalwart in net for the ice hockey team ever since earning the starting job as MEN’S HOCKEY (4-2-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC/ECAC East) at Manchester, NH, Saturday Tufts Saint Anselm

3 0 0 1 — 4 0 0 3 0 — 3

at Henniker, NH, Friday Tufts NE College 0

0 1 2 — 3 0 0 1 — 1

a freshman last season. So even his record-setting weekend, which featured 52- and 63-save performances, should not have come as too much of a surprise to opposing teams.

Barchard helped the Jumbos dispatch New England College (NEC) 3-1 and Saint Anselm College 4-3 this weekend, stretching their current winning streak to four games in the process.

On Saturday, Tufts faced a tough conference opponent in Saint Anselm. In a wild game that featured seven goals, a hat trick and an overtime period, Barchard’s program-record 63 saves played a big part in lifting the Jumbos to their fourth straight victory.

Tufts jumped out to a 3-0 lead, with Barchard a stone wall in net for much of the game. After making 58 saves, the sophomore was finally beaten when

Coleman Noonan scored a shorthanded goal with just less than six minutes to play in the third, making the game 3-1. Sullivan Arena cheered as Noonan cashed in two more times to tie the game at 3-3 with 1:20 left to go.

Senior tri-captain Dave Antonelli gave the Hawks credit for their miraculous comeback but attributed some of the blame to defensive breakdowns and fatigued players. Antonelli felt that the puck was pinned in the Jumbos’ end for too much of the game, as evidenced by Saint Anselm’s 66 shots on goal compared to Tufts’ 29 — including a 26-9 disparity in the third period.

While defensive lapses may have led to overtime, the Jumbos quickly put the game to rest. Two minutes into the extra stanza, junior Zach Diaco silenced the Hawks’ comeback with a blazing slap shot from the blue line to secure Tufts the overtime victory. Assisting on the overtime winner was senior Cory Korchin.

“Four points is a great weekend, especially with two hard-fought games like that,” Korchin said. “There are some things we need to work on, but overall you can’t ask for more than two road wins.”

Junior tri-captain Dylan Cooper started the scoring for Tufts just 33 seconds into the contest on a nice feed by fellow junior forward Mike Vitale. Less than three minutes later, senior forward Mike Fitoussi deflected first-year Nick Metcalfe’s slap shot from the point to increase the Jumbos’ lead to 2-0. Tufts chased Hawks junior goaltender Alex Wyse from between the pipes, forcing

ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

Junior forward Zach Diaco scored the game-winning goal less than two minutes into overtime against St. Anselm on Saturday, giving the Jumbos a 4-3 victory. The Jumbos went 2-0 on the weekend and extended their winning streak to four games. fellow junior Kevin Fairweather to play in relief. With only a couple of minutes left to play in the first stanza, freshman Dylan Plimmer added his second goal of the year to give the Jumbos a 3-0 lead going into the first intermission.

Despite Saint Anselm’s late come-

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

back, the Jumbos again nullified their opponent’s man-advantage time, going seven for seven on the penalty kill on Saturday to bring their weekend numbers to a perfect 12 for 12 on the PK. see ICE HOCKEY, page 10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jumbos dominate over Chargers with Tufts falls short in first Big Four Challenge focused defense, brilliant first half

BY SARAH

NASSER

BY

For the third straight season, the Tufts women’s basketball team defeated the Colby-Sawyer

After winning two games in a row, the men’s basketball team felt a turn-around was beginning in a

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (5-1, 0-0 NESCAC) at New London, NH, Saturday Tufts 40 Colby-Sawyer 16

MEN’S BASKETBALL (5-1, 0-0 NESCAC) at Cousens Gym, Sunday

34 — 74 32 — 48

Chargers by over 20 points, this time with a final score of 74-48 on Saturday. Despite a seasonopening loss, the Jumbos have raised the bar for themselves and have beaten four consecutive opponents by double digit margins, with Saturday’s 26 point win being the largest of the season.

“In our first regular season game, a lot of us were really nervous,” said sophomore Tiffany Kornegay, who put up 18 points on the day. “But we’ve learned from that experience and have increased our level of intensity.”

The win against the Chargers brings the Jumbos’ record up to 5-1. Though the team came into the season with some question marks, particularly in the post, any reservations have been largely forgotten thanks to its recent dominance.

“We’re very proud of the win; we spent a lot of time preparing for Colby-Sawyer and we feel really good about how well we played against them,” Kornegay said.

Though both teams came out strong in the first quarter, Tufts quickly pulled away after 13 minutes of play. Already ten points ahead, the Jumbos ended the second quarter on a 21-7 run,

CLAIRE KEMP

Daily Staff Writer

Contributing Writer

Babson Tufts

29 23

25 — 54 18 — 41

at Cousens Gym, Saturday Babson Tufts

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Junior guard Vanessa Miller had seven points and four assists in Saturday’s victory over Colby-Sawyer. The win marked Tufts’ fifth straight after starting the season with an overtime loss at SUNY New Paltz. led by 11 points from junior guard Colleen Hart, who scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. The run gave the Jumbos a 40-16 cushion at the end of the half.

Although the Jumbos easily took control of the floor during the first half, maintaining their energy through the second half see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 10

19 34

26 — 45 32 — 66

season which started out 0-4. The Jumbos headed into the championship game of the inaugural New England Big Four Challenge yesterday on the heels of an easy win over the Babson Beavers 66-45 Saturday afternoon. But the D3Hoops.com No. 23 Brandeis Judges dashed the team’s hopes of winning the tournament and keeping its streak alive by defeating the Jumbos in a low-scoring battle 54-41.

It all came down to the last nine minutes, when the two teams were deadlocked at 37 points.

But the exciting finale featured a 11-0 run by the Judges. Brandeis’ senior guard Kenny Small, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, had six points during the stretch and went on to help keep the Jumbos no closer than eight points behind for the remainder of the game.

With Tufts only shooting at 31.1 percent from the floor and only 18.8 percent, three for 16, from

three-point range, the Jumbos didn’t see big numbers from their go-to shooters. Despite making the All-Tournament team, senior forward Dave Beyel and senior tri-captain forward Jon Pierce netted only eight and seven points respectively on the night. Freshman forward Scott Anderson was the team’s leading scorer with ten points, while Pierce led in rebounds with nine and Beyel added five boards.

The Judges came out firing early against the sluggish Jumbos squad and quickly went up 7-0. They held the lead halfway through the period at 16-8 after a three-pointer from Small. Tufts then found a spark on offense and went on a run of its own to tie the score at 23 with 2:53 until the half on a pair of free throws from Pierce, which capped a 15-7 run.

Small proved to be the difference, however, as he scored six unanswered points to send the teams to the locker room with Brandeis up 29-23.

“Offensively I think we lost a little bit of confidence that we had coming into the game,” Beyel said. “And the energy wasn’t where it needed to be. We didn’t come out with the same intensity that we did Thursday and Saturday.”

After the break, the Jumbos came out with a newfound zeal and captured a 35-33 lead on a layup by Beyel. Senior tri-captain guard Dan Cook drained two three-pointers to help fuel the 15-4 run.

Then both offenses went quiet with only two Brandeis points being scored in the next five minutes. A jumper from Brandeis junior forward Christian Yemga see MEN’S BASKETBALL, page 10