2010-10-26

Mostly Cloudy 66/60

THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010

VOLUME LX, NUMBER 33

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Tisch Library director Friedman School wins $15 million to retire after 19 years for nutrition programs in Asia, Africa BY

MAHPARI SOTOUDEH Contributing Writer

Director of Tisch Library Jo-Ann Michalak will leave her position this spring after 19 years.

As director, Michalak oversaw the construction and renovation of the Tisch Library and the construction of the Lilly Music Library, as well as the creation of Tisch’s website. During her directorship, survey data has indicated a turnaround in satisfaction with Tufts library services, she said.

Tufts had begun an initiative to expand its library, then known as the Wessell Library, when Michalak arrived at Tufts in 1991.

Surveys at the time showed an overall satisfaction rate below 50 percent, according to Michalak.

Student, faculty and staff feedback has reflected improvement, she said, citing a current overall satisfaction rate with library services at over 95 percent.

Additionally, the university’s senior exit surveys annually report that the library is both the most important and the most highly rated support service, she said.

Michalak said she plans to remain a part of the Tufts community after she leaves her current position.

“It has been my privilege to lead the Tisch Library as it grew into a respected research library, which was not the case 18 years ago, and became a selling point to prospective students and faculty and a research partner while they are here,” she said.

Michalak expressed pride in the library’s development over her tenure as director.

“We didn’t have great resources or collections at the time, and we’ve really worked to change that,” Michalak said. “When Tisch Library was first built, we did not even have the funds to complete the ground level, but that has now been completely renovated.”

A 2003 accreditation noted the library’s progress, stating that the library was no longer a negative aspect for the university, she said.

Tufts’ library resources are now comparable to those of other schools in the greater Boston area, which has decreased students’ need to rely on outside libraries, she said.

“Previously, Tufts was a very active user of the other collections in the Boston area, but now, the strength of our collections can be put up against other library consortiums,” Michalak said.

Michalak contributed to a planning group that converted the then-Wessell Library into the present-day Tisch Library. The renovation project more than doubled the library’s floor space and restructured the building’s layout to accommodate changing student and technological needs, according to Michalak.

Michalak said the process of library improvement is always ongoing.

“The arts and sciences and engineering programs continue

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this month granted Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy two awards totaling $15 million to establish research programs in agriculture, health and nutrition in Asia and Africa.

The Leader with Associates Award establishes Tufts as the principal organizer for two new nutrition Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSP) in Africa and Asia. This marks the first nutrition CRSP that USAID has awarded in 25 years.

The Friedman School will lead a group of U.S.-based institutions and partners in Africa and Asia to implement two five-year programs.

“We want to bridge health, agriculture and nutrition to change the definition of well-being,” Friedman School Professor of Food Policy and Applied Nutrition William Masters, who will lead the CRSP in Africa, said.

Among the partnering institutions are Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard University’s School of Public Health, Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Tuskegee University’s College of Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Sciences.

see MICHALAK, page 2

see FRIEDMAN, page 2

BY

KATHRYN OLSON

Daily Editorial Board

COURTESY TUFTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Friedman School Dean Eileen Kennedy said the school’s strong history working with the U.S. Agency for International Development contributed to its winning $15 million for new food security projects.

Search gets underway for new head of public and environmental safety BY

DAPHNE KOLIOS

Daily Editorial Board

ASHLEY SEENAUTH/TUFTS DAILY

Students bid on dinner dates with Wren RAs in Carmichael Hall to benefit Jumpstart.

Wren RA auction raises $342 for non-profit BY

BIANCA BLAKESLEY

Contributing Writer

Wren Hall residential assistants on Sunday auctioned themselves off as dinner dates at a philanthropic event held in the lobby of Carmichael Hall to benefit Jumpstart, a non-profit that works to prepare preschoolers in low-income communities to enter kindergarten.

Eight RAs participated in the fundraiser for the organization. It was announced at the event that a total of $342 was raised from winning bids and raffle tickets sold during the auction.

Participating students purchased auction paddles for $1, receiving with their paddles a raffle ticket for a simultaneous see AUCTION, page 2

Inside this issue

The search to replace John King, the former Senior Director of Public and Environmental Safety is underway, with a replacement expected by the end of 2010.

King left Tufts in mid-August to become the director of public safety and chief of police at Boston College. Vice President for Operations Dick Reynolds is serving as the interim director until a replacement is named.

The search for King’s successor started last month, and the candidate interview process has just begun, according to Vice President of Human Resources Kathe Cronin.

Reynolds, to whom the new director will report, is heading up the search. He said the search team includes representatives from different departments at Tufts.

“I will certainly be working with Human Resources; we’ll certainly be working with [Executive Vice President] Patricia Campbell,” Reynolds said.

“We will also have some of our clients [involved, as well as] the deans of the various schools.”

An external recruitment firm has been hired to aid in selecting candidates, according to Cronin.

“Human Resources partnered with the VP for Operations to refine the job description and select the search firm,” Cronin said in an e-mail. “HR is collaborating with the search firm in reviewing resumes and selecting candidates to be interviewed.”

Human Resources’ role is to coordinate the interview process, Cronin said.

Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell said that while Tufts has recently begun to emphasize keeping budget restraints in mind while filling open positions, the importance of this role supersedes such considerations.

“We’re clearly not going to leave something as critical as this unfilled — that wouldn’t be wise,” Campbell said. “So we have not approached this any differently because of the economy than we would have at any other time.”

Campbell stressed the importance of the mutual agreeability of a candidate prior to his or her appointment to the position.

“We want that person to get a good sense of Tufts,” she said. “We want someone to know us well so they’re making a good choice, as well as for us to get to know them well so that we’re sure it’s a really good match.” see PUBLIC SAFETY, page 2

Today’s Sections

Local chef Ming Tsai expounds on his rise to culinary stardom.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams competed in thrillers over the weekend.

see FEATURES, page 3

see SPORTS, page 9

News Features Arts | Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 6

Op-Ed Comics Sports Classifieds

7 8 9 10

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

NEWS

University hopes to find new senior director of public and environmental safety by end of year

Friedman leads food security mission in developing countries

PUBLIC SAFETY

FRIEDMAN

continued from page 1

In the initial phases of the search process, the job description had to be altered to better reflect the demands of the position, according to Campbell.

“There were a handful of things that John had taken on over the years that weren’t directly part of public safety,” Campbell said. “[These included] risk management issues … that are a little more of financial and insurance issues, so that role is now part of finance and not in public safety,” Campbell said. “There were a handful of small things like that that we changed, but basically it’s the same role.”

Reynolds said specific work experience in campus safety is a crucial consideration.

“We’re really looking for someone who has experience in campus public safety, because running a university public safety office is very different than municipal police forces,” Reynolds said. “This job will have responsibility for environment health and safety and emergency management, as well as the police force,” he added.

Campbell said a new director should bring experience and strong teamwork skills to the position.

“We want someone who can handle emergencies well, so they have to be really some-

one who has a calm approach and good judgment yet is capable of making quick decisions when they need to be,” she said.

Those involved in the search emphasized the need to conduct a speedy yet thorough process.

“It’s a really important position and we’re hoping as quickly as possible to fill it with someone we think is capable of doing a really terrific job,” Campbell said.

“If we don’t find the right person, we won’t settle,” she added. “We’ll really try to make an excellent appointment, and I think that the market is such that we will attract a number of good candidates.”

continued from page 1

USAID chose the Friedman School to lead the two CRSPs in part due to its successful contributions to the U.S. government and its proven ability to deliver with other USAID initiatives, according to Masters.

“We have established a relationship with USAID that has contributed to U.S. policy-making for over 20 years. Friedman has seen its mission as informing nutrition policy in the U.S. and elsewhere and has [done] that with increasing success,” Masters said. “The number and quality of nutritionrelated researchers and research projects here is second to none.”

Friedman School Dean Eileen Kennedy noted Tufts’ positive reputation as a determining factor in the decision to award the school $15 million.

“The reputation of not only Friedman but Tufts University in general played a role,” Kennedy said. “We have a 30-year track record in developing countries working in food security and 30 years’ experience of faculty working shoulder-to-shoulder with USAID.” CRSPs are funded through USAID with the goal of providing long-term solutions to food security issues in developing countries through collaborative research.

They are traditionally awarded to American universities that receive significant federal funding, Masters said, making the Friedman School one of the first private institutions to receive such an award.

The CRSP grants will financially support the federal Feed the Future Initiative, established in May to encourage new health and agriculture strategies aimed at improving nutrition in developing countries.

“This is a global push by the U.S. to link agriculture, health and nutrition in order to integrate them so they support each other more than in the past,” Friedman School Academic Dean Patrick Webb, who will lead the CRSP Asia program, said.

The previous nutrition CRSP ended 25 years ago, in part due to the foreign aid community’s belief that nutrition and agriculture did not deserve immediate attention in developing countries, according to Masters. Nutrition came back on the agenda, Webb said, during the 2007-2008 global food crisis, in

Michalak helped plan Tisch, build website MICHALAK continued from page 1

to add new areas they want to teach in, and that has service and collection implications for us,” Michalak said. “We talk to the faculty on how they teach and what kind of resources they want to teach their classes, and buy our collections accordingly.”

Michalak’s job involved keeping up with evolving technology and student needs while simultaneously acquiring the funding to achieve this goal, she said.

“There are definitely things we had not anticipated when we planned Tisch, such as geographic information systems, the café, the wireless delivery of information or the huge growth of information that is digital,” Michalak said. “You have to move a lot to just stay even at this job.”

Michalak’s accomplishments also include securing a donor for a planned multimedia-production lab, according to Laura Walters, Tisch’s associate director for teaching, research and information resources.

Michalak also established the Friends of Tufts Libraries, a group that stages events like book discussions and author lectures for students and alumni. The group also organizes fundraising efforts for future renovations. Michalak said she will remain active in the group after the end of her time as director.

Music Librarian Michael Rogan,

DILYS ONG/TUFTS DAILY

Jo-Ann Michalak has presided over many changes at Tisch Library. the head of the Lilly Music Library, credited Michalak with creating the current administrative model, in which one director oversees all areas of the library.

“There have been changes to different types of communication structures so that managers can have more and better communication among themselves, as well as up the administrative chain,” Rogan said.

Michalak worked closely with the university’s Human

Resources department to introduce a staff recognition system that was adopted by the university, Walters said.

“Jo-Ann has always been interested in staff development, and she has worked closely with Human Resources to present many skill development opportunities to the staff,” Walters said. “She introduced the concept of teams to the library and is truly committed to good staff morale.”

Wren RAs conduct charity auction AUCTION continued from page 1

drawing for gift certificates to local restaurants. The RAs took turns presenting their dinner date offer as well as a supplementary activity of their choice.

Bidding was initially set at $10 and was raised in $2 increments. More than 40 people attended the event, and bids ranged between $18 and $66.

All proceeds were collected on-site by a representative from Jumpstart.

“Jumpstart is an organization a lot of people, at least at Tufts, care about,” senior Ekow Essel, a Wren RA, said.

Wren Resident Director Chester Li said the amount of money raised exceeded the original $200 projection for the event.

Essel said the event turnout exceeded his expectations. “[It] was better than I thought,” he said.

Programming Coordinator of Residential Life Keiko Zoll said that the event was held as part of the “major projects” initiative that requires RA duty teams to produce six programs per semester.

“One of those three developmental programs for the semester must be an active citizenship program,” Zoll said, adding that this particular requirement is new this year.

Junior Crystal Bui, a Wren RA, said that the idea for the event was jointly decided on by the RAs. “We think it’s more of an

interactive and unique way to raise money … it’s not what students are used to seeing,” she said.

Bui called the event both a fundraiser and a social opportunity. “Residents get to see RAs in less of a rule-enforcer position,” Bui said.

“We weren’t originally intending to advertise it as a date” Li said.

Eleanor Hofstedt, a sophomore, said the prospect of winning dinner with Essel and step lessons with BlackOut compelled her to participate.

“I just came to watch, but I just had to get a lesson from BlackOut so I bid,” she said. “I was actually pretty surprised I got it for $38. I thought it would be more expensive.”

Other RAs offered supplemental activities like a Boston Duck Tour, swing dance lessons, a trip to the Loj, behind-the-scenes passes to the New England Aquarium and breakfast in bed.

The raffle drawings, held in between auctions, featured prizes of gift cards from event sponsors, including Boston Burger Company, Orleans Restaurant and Bar, Dave’s Fresh Pasta and Snappy Sushi.

Bui said that the idea of the raffle was implemented to give those who are more timid a chance to participate in the event.

The last raffle contained a “wild card,” with which the winner could choose any RA for a dinner without bidding.

Police Briefs HOT SPOT Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) officers at 8:45 p.m. on Oct. 18 found two students behind Lewis Hall smoking marijuana. At 4:15 p.m. the following day, officers found another student smoking marijuana, also behind Lewis. TUPD confiscated and destroyed the substances both times.

GIRLS GONE WILD: TUFTS EDITION A TUPD officer at 10:26 p.m. on Oct. 21 on the corner of Bromfield Road and Dearborn Road was informed of a group of naked girls nearby. Reporting officers found six females in their underwear and bras hiding behind a car while trying to put their clothes back on.

“I have no idea why, I have no idea,” TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy said.

“They put their clothes back on,” he said, “and were sent on their way.”

LITTLE RASCALS TUPD officers at 1 a.m. on Oct. 24 received a call to report to South Hall.

Reporting officers found a group of four juveniles from Medford in front of the dorm cutting bike locks and attempting to steal the bikes. Each

which global food prices rose on average 43 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

“The new CRSP program reflects a new commitment to food security and nutrition,” Webb said.

Masters noted the importance of collaborating with local institutions in Africa and Asia, rather than imposing a specific U.S. policy.

“We are coming with a toolkit, not with a blueprint,” Masters said. “We want to bring our skills and ability to address issues being faced by our partner countries and engage in dialogue with researchers already working there in order to add our toolkit to theirs.”

By identifying partners such as local universities, think tanks, research institutions and policy analysts, they will develop a set of best practices in regards to food security that local institutions can use in the future, Webb said.

“In the short term, we will develop successful programs, but in the long run, we want to build the capacity for local programs to address problems of food security in their region,” Webb said.

The Friedman School expects to identify the two countries — one in Africa and one in Asia, — it will begin working in within the next four to six weeks, according to Kennedy. They will choose from a list of 20 focus countries identified by the Feed the Future Initiative, she said.

Kennedy also noted that although these are only fiveyear programs, these initiatives could stay active for much longer through “buy-in” funding. The $15 million represents core funding, but any interested country or donor could add to that sum in order to take part in the initiative, making it likely that resources will exceed $15 million, according to Webb.

Webb and Kennedy pointed out that the CRSPs bring the potential for large scale Tufts-wide collaboration, identifying the Masters of Public Health program at the Tufts School of Medicine, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Engineering as likely collaborators.

“This is very exciting but also a challenging activity,” Webb said.

“This is not something Tufts has been engaged with in the past.

We are looking forward to lot of collaboration, but it will be a lot of work and is daunting at the same time.”

See tuftsdaily.com for an interactive map. member of the group will be summoned, McCarthy said.

STOP STEALING ALREADY

THE

BOAT

TUPD officers at 3:20 a.m. on Oct. 24 arrested a student on the corner of Professors Row and Curtis Street for disorderly conduct.

The officers had arrived at the area in response to a report that someone might have been attempting to steal the boat in front of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity house at 134 Professors Row. They found the student hiding in the bushes. The officers approached and attempted to speak with him, but the student responded with unruly behavior, so the officers arrested him.The case will go to court, according to McCarthy.

NOSY NEIGHBORS TUPD at 12:20 a.m. on Oct. 25 received a complaint from an individual in Hodgdon Hall who smelled marijuana. Responding officers investigated and found a small amount of the substance in one of the rooms, which they confiscated and destroyed.

—compiled by Alexandra Bogus based on reports from Tufts University Police Department

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

PROFILE

Celebrity chef Ming Tsai lives the dream and adds Western flavor to Eastern dishes

BY JON

CHENG

Daily Editorial Board

The wrinkles have started appearing and the hairline is receding, but 46-year-old celebrity chef Ming Tsai — rated number 16 on People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” list 10 years ago — shows no signs of slowing down his career since his debut to superstardom in 1998.

Tsai, who is the executive chef of the award-winning restaurant Blue Ginger in Wellesley and the host of his two cooking shows, has received more accolades than many chefs of his caliber. He was voted “Chef of the Year” by Esquire in 1998 and won an Emmy Award for his cooking show “East Meets West.”

But Tsai’s current success would not exist without the passion for cooking that was instilled in him by his parents while growing up in Dayton, Ohio.

“Both my parents were great cooks, and I always was around food and eating their food,” Tsai told the Daily. “My mom opened a restaurant [where we lived], so I got the restaurant bug at the early age of 13.”

Tsai cooked alongside his parents at their restaurant, Mandarin Kitchen, for two years before attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. Following in the footsteps of his father, Tsai continued on to Yale University to earn his degree in mechanical engineering. At Yale, however, he realized that science was not his cup of tea.

“There was not one class that interested me, so after graduating I did not venture into any [mechanical engineering] jobs,” Tsai said.

In fact, Tsai said that the only memorable experience he had during his college years was the summer he spent at the prestigious Cordon Bleu cooking

RECIPE | FROM THE KITCHEN OF MING TSAI

Fried duck tossed in ponzu-cranberry sauce Ingredients 1 whole duck, broken down into 8 equal parts (drumsticks, wings, breasts) 2 cups cornstarch 1 bunch scallions, sliced 1 cup cranberries, minced 1 cup hoisin 1/2 cup ponzu 2 tablespoons honey Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper to Canola oil for frying Instructions 1. In a wok, pre-heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a wok to 350 degrees.

2. Season duck with salt and pepper and toss in cornstarch.

3. Shallow fry until golden-brown and delicious; set aside. school in Paris. So it wasn’t difficult for Tsai to figure out where his interests laid. He continued to take more cooking classes and work in kitchens from Tokyo to Paris before returning to the United States to enroll at Cornell University’s College of Hotel Administration. At that point, Tsai began to gather more practical skills that he later used to build up his commercial success.

“There was a great human resource class in the business school about organization behavior which taught [communications] skills,” Tsai said. “That was useful in a sense of learning about how to be nice to people.”

In between filming for his current

4. Carefully dump out oil into heatsafe container and, in same wok, stirfry scallions and cranberries.

5. Add hoisin and stir for 30 seconds to get the raw flavor out.

6. Deglaze with ponzu and add honey.

7. Check for flavor and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

8. Add back the duck and toss well to coat. Serve immediately. cooking shows, “Ming’s Quest” on the Fine Living Network and “Simply Ming” on PBS, running his restaurant and publishing his fourth cookbook, “OnePot Meals” — out this November — Tsai still tries to learn new things every day, a practice which to which he attributes much of his success.

“Just like every other chef, I try to eat a lot of other people’s foods and read literally hundreds and hundreds of cookbooks,” Tsai said. “I also eat in traditional Thai restaurants, which is where I get my inspiration.”

Tsai uses traditional Asian recipes as a starting point for many of his dishes see CHEF, page 4

In the aftermath of recent suicides, Tufts LGBT community leaders reflect on bullying problems

BY SARAH

KORONES

Daily Editorial Board

Under cloudless blue skies on Oct. 13, the Tufts community celebrated National Coming Out Day. Students, faculty members and friends crowded the Mayer Campus Center patio with rainbow-colored pins on their backpacks and pride flags poking out of their pockets. They listened, watched and cheered as speakers from across the Tufts community spoke about the importance of the day on campus.

Amid the excitement and cries for tolerance and acceptance, however, a somberness pervaded the air, for this year’s event was not just about support and community for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) on campus but also about memorializing those who had taken their own lives because they felt they were lacking that support system.

Led by LGBT Center Director Tom Bourdon, rally-goers participated in a moment of silence for three recent suicide victims: Seth Walsh, a 13-year old boy who was relentlessly bullied about his sexuality and died in late September; Asher Brown, a young boy from Texas who fatally shot himself after taunting from his classmates; and Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers freshmen who committed suicide after his roommate publicly humiliated him by posting an intimate video on the Internet.

In the face of reports of anti-gay bullying and a series of highly publicized suicides, Americans have been forced to confront the question of just how much is being done to achieve tolerance toward the LGBT community and to prevent bullying. People are beginning to recognize anti-gay taunts not as childhood acts of

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

Websites like CollegeACB.com have changed the nature of bullying. immaturity but as means of inflicting serious psychological harm.

Junior Kate Salwen, a member of Queer Peers, believes that at Tufts, the problem is less a matter of blatant hatred and outright LGBT bullying and more an issue of slips of the tongue and insensitive remarks. Queer Peers, a student organization based out of the LGBT Center, consists of a network of student to serve as resources on issues relateds to sexuality for the Tufts community.

“People don’t understand that when

they drunkenly write ‘faggot’ on the door in a residence hall and a student has to walk by it every day, no matter how much they feel loved and no matter how comfortable they are with their own sexuality … it still stings,” Salwen said.

“Unfortunately, that might be all it takes to send someone over the edge.”

It is in these possibly unintentional acts of intolerance that real wounds begin to form, Salwen said. see BULLYING, page 4

SAMANTHA JAFFE | EAST COAST, WEST COAST

CA diction

A

n oft-heard refrain my freshman year: “Don’t mind Sam. She only talks like that because she’s from California.”

I will admit there is some truth to it. We Californians do have a distinct difference in diction compared to the East Coasters.

For example, we get stoked or psyched or (occasionally) pumped. We say “like” more often per sentence than the average New Englander. And nothing we do is ever “wicked.” Ever.

When I first came to Tufts, I couldn’t believe people actually said “wicked pissah.” I thought that it was a joke, something all the Mass. kids were doing to play a prank on all the transplants. Turns out, “wicked” is a way of life. According to UrbanDictionary.com — the obvious expert resource on the subject — “wicked” is “New England slang that adds emphasis. Synonymous with really, very and hella.” Furthermore, it allegedly originated in Boston and has since spread like wildfire throughout New England.

Now, being from L.A., I’m clearly no expert on “wicked.” But I will say that it is at least as ridiculous and cliche to hear Mass. kids saying, “it’s wicked hawt outside,” as it is to hear me saying, “I’m so stoked that it isn’t snowing yet.”

While we’re on the subject of diction, there are a few things I’d like to clear up on behalf of all Californians. Firstly, and most importantly, I’m from California.

I’m not from Cali. If you call it Cali, you’re clearly not from there. It would be like calling Vermont “Verm.” It’s a no-no.

Secondly, NorCal and SoCal have less in common than Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Kids from Mass. and from N.H. both say “wicked” like it’s their job, but no one from south of Santa Cruz has or will ever say “hella.” And there is very little that offends someone from SoCal as much as being asked by some unsuspecting East Coaster whether they say “hella” a lot. We don’t. That would be like someone from Florida saying “wicked.”

It goes against the natural order of just about everything.

The next order of business is this “California accent” nonsense. I come home from summer break, and all my friends are wigging out over my “accent.”

Once and for all, Californians don’t have accents. There is a Boston accent.

There is a New England accent. There is a New York accent and a New Jersey accent. There is a Southern accent and a Midwestern accent. But Californians do not have accents.

Sure, some of us — particularly those from L.A., like me — may talk faster than the average individual. Some of us — particularly those from SoCal, specifically Santa Barbara or L.A. — describe things as “gnarly” or use “sauce” as a suffix — something REALLY gnarly is “gnar-sauce” — but that does not an accent make! And while Midwesterners drink “pop” and Bostonians drink “tonic,” we Californians drink plain ol’ soda.

Sure, we have valley girls. But how many of those attend Tufts University, honestly? Not many. They all stay in California and keep their “Ohmigod like the other night I like died like it was so funny!”-isms with them.

In short, my message is simple: Live and let live. I won’t bash your ridiculous idiomatic expressions if you afford the same courtesy to mine. After all, we need all types — the die-hard New Englanders who “pahk their cars in Havahd Yahd,” the Californians who get “stoked for gnarly waves over Thanksgiving break, man” and everything in between.

Samantha Jaffe is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Samantha.Jaffe@tufts.edu.

4

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

FEATURES

Wellesley’s Ming Tsai brings Asian Fusion to Wellesley and national TV

LGBT bullying is on Americans’ minds after series of suicides

CHEF

BULLYING

continued from page 3

and redefines them with a Western twist. At Blue Ginger, for example, some of his signature dishes include foie gras-shiitake shumai in sauternesshallot broth and tea-smoked salmon and beef Carpaccio with avocado-jicama salad and fresh wasabi emulsion.

He also gives classic Caesar salad “the Ming treatment:” dressed with sesame and topped with Chinese cruller croutons.

Although the popularity of the fusionstyle marriage of Eastern and Western flavors has dwindled since its height in the ’90s, Blue Ginger has continued its success, winning an Ivy Award from Restaurants & Institutions in 2007 and a Best of Boston award by Boston Magazine in 2008. Recently, Tsai also competed in “Iron Chef America,” beating Iron Chef Bobby Flay in “Battle

Duck.” His surprise victory against the world-famous chef is also why he is currently now a contestant on the Food Network’s third season of “The Next Iron Chef.”

With a promising career still underway, Tsai is still humble about what he hopes to achieve.

“The most important thing for me is just sound business that continues to do well; I’m surrounded by 90 employees that are amazing and reliable,” Tsai said.

“That satisfaction I get is more than when I get a golden statue or a guest appearance or a prestigious title.”

Tsai believes that anyone can achieve similar success in the culinary world through hard work.

“If you finally get the opportunity, like I did, you must knock it out of the park,” Tsai said. “Just remind yourself that you get one chance, and this is not a dress rehearsal.”

COURTESY MING TSAI

Ming Tsai is the executive chef at Blue Ginger in Wellesley and will compete on the Food Network’s ‘The Next Iron Chef’ this season.

continued from page 3

“I think everyone knows that when you taunt a person for any aspect of their personality, it is incredibly harmful, but I don’t think everyone knows that when you repeatedly make side remarks referencing some aspect of a person as being different and outside of the norm it can have an even stronger effect, especially if it is someone close to you,” she said.

Senior Simon Katz, co-president of Tufts’ Queer Straight Alliance, agreed that while direct name-calling and teasing about sexual preference or identity are not widespread problems at Tufts, other forms of insensitivity should still be taken seriously.

“I think that most of the problems at Tufts are more subtle than outright bullying,” he said. “The issue is, how do you define bullying? I think people often say things that are homophobic or transphobic — negative or diminishing toward transsexual or transgendered people — without realizing it, and when someone who is LGBT or questioning their identity overhears those things, it’s almost as detrimental as being directly confrontational.”

Among the most discussed current issues concerning bullying for today’s youth is the rise of social networks, tools that allow for bullying to extend past the playgrounds of elementary school children and onto the computer screens in high schools and colleges. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter allow for the rapid dissemination of rumors and gossip, while websites such as CollegeACB. com, the College Anonymous Confession Board, allow users to post disparaging remarks about their peers while hiding behind anonymity.

Bourdon regards these acts as particularly harmful due to their anonymous nature.

“We are seeing most of the targeted bullying taking place in cyberspace, and it’s ugly out there,” he said. “Even more scary, as we’ve entered this new frontier, it is currently next to impossible to figure

out how to make it stop when you don’t even know who is saying it in the first place.”

Bourdon explained that the Internet has changed the face of bullying for today’s generation.

“Bullying has always been a big problem, but one thing that has changed is that it has become something you now almost can’t escape,” he said. “Even in the safety of your own home, you can still be targeted by texts, e-mails, Facebook messages, web posts, and you might not even know who is doing the bullying.

It’s 24/7 harassment, and because of the shame that can go along with it, no one else might even know what is going on.”

Katz agreed that the Internet has made the process of bullying much more tempting for some to partake in.

“Social media has made it easier for people to be bullied,” he said. “I really think that a huge part of it here at Tufts comes from websites like CollegeACB.” So how does one address the problem of bullying when the bullies themselves are relatively unknown? According to Bourdon, it is a complicated but necessary process.

“Sadly, I think this problem won’t ever go away completely,” Bourdon said. “One of the most important things we can do is simply to encourage people to be civil to one another, to not attack in such cruel and immature ways, to avoid websites which are breeding grounds for cyber-bullying and to speak out against bullying when you see it taking place.”

For Katz, dealing with bullying comes down to relying on an individual support network.

“I have had things shouted at me from time to time, and it really makes me feel self-conscious and hyper-aware of the differences that separate me from other people. However, I’ve never felt like I didn’t have anyone to talk to about those times or been unable to handle it,” he said. “That makes me lucky, really.”

Do you care about how sexual violence is handled on our campus?

4th Annual Sexual Violence Community Forum Discuss our new university wide and judicial policy with panel including Dean Reitman, and Veronica Carter

Wednesday 10/27 @7:30 Metcalf Hall Lounge Bring your friends. Your opinions. Your questions.

The panel: Dean Bruce Reitman, Judicial Affairs Officer: Veronica Carter, Director of Health and Wellness: Michelle Bowdler, Sexual Assault Clinician: Susan Mahoney, Captain of TUPD: Mark Keith.

Discussion moderated by the Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator, Elaine.Theodore@tufts.edu

This forum is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month: JUST ASK.

Sponsored by the Department of Health Education, PACT and SAFER. Event followed by Take Back The Night March

Arts & Living

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tuftsdaily.com

THEATER REVIEW

‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ puts the drama classroom in center stage BY

LAURA MORENO

Daily Editorial Board

“Circle Mirror Transformation,” the first of a three-play series by Annie Baker, is an unusual play that manages to invoke in the

Written by Annie Baker Directed by Melia Bensussen At the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA through November 14 Tickets $25 to $89

PLAYBILL.COM

‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ examines the main characters’ trials and tribulations through the lens of their local drama class. nudity was common at the Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market.

All of these facts allow us to construct an image of Baker as a person and of what she is trying to achieve as she places five uniquely memorable characters in a windowless dance studio in Shirley. Nevertheless, the focus of “Circle Mirror Transformation” is the characters themselves, who, like the town, are incredibly complex.

As the play advances, the true nature of the characters is revealed, and our impression of each slowly shifts. Through this evolution, Baker successfully mirrors everyday experiences with first impressions and incorrect assumptions with which the audience is undoubtedly familiar.

The jolly and engaging drama teacher, Maddy, is middle-aged and happily married to James, who is taking the class himself.

Schultz is a 48-year-old carpenter who is still coping with a recent divorce. Theresa is the young, pretty and outgoing newcomer to Shirley, hailing from New York City. And Lauren is a confused, mumbling and sulking 16-year-old with colorful socks who happens to be an aspiring actress.

As the play slowly advances, the characters prove to be multilayered and engaging. The comprehensive development of the characters quickly transforms the play into a fantastic myriad of poignancy, humor and love.

The theater fanatics in the audience will enjoy the play’s use of familiar acting games such as Word-at-a-Time, Gibberish with a Past Incident, and of course, Circle, Mirror, Transformation as the catalyst for the characters’ development.

Baker wrote the play in an attempt to perform an experiment in which characters were revealed through carefully scripted formal exercises and typical games of a beginner drama class, Charles Haugland, literary associate for the Huntington Theatre Company, wrote in Huntington’s “Cell Phone Playbill.”

In fact, each night that the play is performed one of these games will be played unscripted by the playwright, a real-time revelation of their “characters” to the audience.

“Circle Mirror Transformation” is a unique play in which human nature is intensively explored. This portrait of five complex yet familiar characters by Annie Baker is not to be missed.

ALBUM REVIEW

Tricky’s latest disappoints, frustrates BY

MATTHEW WELCH

Daily Editorial Board

Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, who performs as Tricky, has always been interested in the swankier side of trip-hop.

Mixed Race Tricky Domino When Portishead, one of the best-known acts in this little-known genre, was first delving into the hazy jazz inflections that would shape trip-hop, Tricky was finding sultriness in darker places.

His debut album “Maxinquaye” (1995) deftly mixed the foreboding with the sensual.

Humid, layered samples gelled perfectly with vocalist Martina Topley-Bird’s voluptuous voice, producing a dark and alluring record.

Tricky’s best albums since his debut have cashed in on the artist’s keen ear for compatible textures and tones. Even when Tricky ventured beyond his earlier sound on albums like “Blowback” (2001), the upbeat character never infringed on his meticulous aesthetic.

With these standards in mind, Tricky’s latest effort, “Mixed Race,” is a complete disappointment. The strongest elements of Tricky’s sound are hardly displayed, leaving the listener with an itch for his earlier albums.

Where is the dense, atmospheric sampling?

Mixing and matching

T

Circle Mirror Transformation

audience the same feelings of uneasiness and nervous expectation experienced by its characters as they set out to immerse themselves in the uninhibited world of acting.

It is clever and profound, funny and heartwrenching and terrifically realistic.

Currently showing at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, “Circle Mirror Transformation” is part of the “Shirley, VT Plays” Festival, an event created to celebrate Baker’s work. The play is set in the small fictional town of Shirley, Vt., and introduces its five main characters as they take part in six beginner adult drama lessons.

The show, which runs for close to two hours without an intermission, is a wellpaced examination of five adults who are all going through difficult experiences ranging from divorce to a recent move to a new town.

The audience gets to know the characters while they get to know one another through the class’s theater games and breaks, as well as the emerging love affairs, conflicts and secrets that are revealed. The audience is introduced to the characters not by how they represent themselves, but by how they perceive their classmates as well as portray them — it is a drama class, after all.

Playwright Baker creates an enticing and original background in the fictional town of Shirley, where the plot unfolds. Shirley is a small town, a quirky and intricate setting complete with a brook and the Vermont Gourd Festival. It is much more than your typical small town; Baker’s imagination creates a place where, up until 2008, public

MADELINE HALL | THE TASTEFUL AND THE TASTELESS

The sultry vocal work? There are hints of Tricky’s skills on tracks like “Every Day” and “Ghetto Stars,” but the rest of the album feels cobbled together from incongruous parts.

Tricky’s earlier albums sampled tribal drumming and Smashing Pumpkins with equal zeal, but “Mixed Race” seems hardly capable of such diverse juxtapositions. The acoustic guitar and flanged Arabic vocals on “Hakim” feel forced, as if Tricky was more interested in promoting his eclecticism than writing a genuine song with Middle Eastern influences. Similarly, the surf guitar riff on “Murder Weapon” sounds stilted and overly deliberate, like Tricky just wanted to get another genre under his belt. In its efforts to synthesize different kinds of music, “Mixed Race” often produces caricatures of the styles it references.

Thankfully, however, this is not true for every track on the album. The opening track, “Every Day,” shows how cleverly Tricky can incorporate bluesy sounds into his oeuvre.

While the song is a far cry from a strict blues piece, the influence mixes seamlessly with Tricky’s own aesthetic, creating a moody, affecting introduction to the album. Tricky’s successful efforts on “Mixed Race” make the flops all the more frustrating, since the listener can see how his talent could have been applied.

Vocal redundancy is one of the most pressing issues on the album. Tricky’s distinctive mixture between sung and spoken- word delivery always complemented

his guest vocalists. On previous albums, singers like Alison Goldfrapp and Stephanie McKay provided the music’s melodies, while Tricky’s rap singing offered a gritty contrast. On “Mixed Race,” Tricky favors his own vocals too much to keep the songs interesting. Even though his vocal style is distinctive, it’s hardly versatile enough to sing lead on over half the album.

Songs like “Early Bird” skirt a satisfying vocal climax, but Tricky’s subdued delivery keeps the melodies from reaching the intensity they need. Even though his duets with various contributors keep the songs interesting, Tricky’s vocals often feel like an impediment to his partner, who must lower her own volume to accommodate him. While this approach could work for a few songs to vary up the album’s flow, its use throughout the entire record makes “Mixed Race” less dynamic and fulfilling.

By the conclusion of the album it is clear that “Mixed Race” is far less cohesive than most of Tricky’s catalogue. For all their eclecticism, “Maxinquaye” and “Blowback” felt like they were drawing from a common musical idea. In this sense, “Mixed Race” feels centerless. Each track tries so hard to be its own musical unit, making the album inconsistent and patchy. The exotically tinged “Hakim” doesn’t sit comfortably with the ’80s aesthetic of “Ghetto Stars” or the rockabilly clap-along on “Come to Me.” Hopefully, Tricky’s next effort won’t compromise quality for variety.

he words “hopeless” and “romantic” are far too often paired together.

Should someone be asked about their views on love, frequently the response is something along the lines of, “Oh, I’m just a hopeless romantic; I love that goopy, goofy stuff.” Aside from my immediate reaction to gag, such a declaration suggests to me a self-defeating proclamation, resembling the sentiment of, “I believe in love, but I’m not too optimistic.”

What causes this hopelessness? Is it heartbreak and fear of rejection? Is it a lack of appealing members of the desired sex?

Perhaps. Actually, I can fully attest to the truth of the latter proposition. Step up the game, dudes.

I maintain rational hope, though, and advise you, disillusioned Tufts dater, to do the same, if for only one reason: the magical powers of a mixtape.

Don’t scoff: I’m not living in the 1980s, nor do I generally harbor delusions (aside from my long-held childhood fantasy that I am, in fact, Matilda). I believe wholeheartedly in the ability to generate love and spark interest in the form of a musical exchange first known in ancient times as the mixtape. A compilation of songs arranged in a way that demonstrates the innermost feelings of the giver, the mixtape allows us to use the voices of other, more musically inclined individuals to sing our souls. It is so simple, and so widely used even to this day, though rarely given the credit it is due.

Nothing I could ever write could rival the honesty embodied by Elliott Smith’s songs or accurately describe the simple yet complicated act of falling in love quite like The Beatles could.

That cultural tendency to explain ourselves through music is sometimes impossible for those of us who can’t create original music. Instead, we sample the great work of others in an attempt to show just how we feel, and throw it all together on a mixtape. I have seen a fair few fellas and females melt at the hidden messages within their significant others’ musical selections.

Romantic, without the goop.

But what of the evolution of the mixtape?

It is easy to argue that few carry boomboxes or keep tapes to pop in their tape deck, so the original form of musical aphrodisiac has changed. Our generation witnessed the surge in burned CDs as the optimal form of media exchange. Most angst-ridden middle school students had a stack of scratched up CDs emblazoned with scrawled permanent marker proclaiming “BEST MIX EVER 4 LYFE” or “TO MY BFF — OUR SONGS LOL” as tokens of fast friendships and, better yet, budding romances.

Our tastes might have evolved from that developmental age — I admittedly no longer swoon at the sound of Good Charlotte — but the sentiments behind the CD remain. Sure, some tech-savvy Casanovas opt for flash drives or online sharing sites to demonstrate their interest, but regardless of what form the “tape” takes, the idea is there: This is me! My music is me! Like my music, and like me!

Love can spring from this honest exchange. The simplicity is enough to restore hope in the search for the perfect match, even in the hardest of hearts.

So give it a try! Load up that flash drive with some of your sexier songs and woo that special someone with some sweet crooning. Upload a mix to RapidShare and envision your sweetie falling in love with you through your musical taste. Just be sure not to include any Ruben Studdard.

That kind of stuff just doesn’t go over well these days, and the explanation just isn’t worth your time.

Madeline Hall is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Madeline.Hall@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

THE TUFTS DAILY BENJAMIN D. GITTLESON Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Managing Editors

Ellen Kan Carter Rogers Matt Repka Executive News Editor Alexandra Bogus News Editors Michael Del Moro Nina Ford Amelie Hecht Corinne Segal Martha Shanahan Brent Yarnell Jenny White Daphne Kolios Assistant News Editors Kathryn Olson Romy Oltuski Executive Features Editor Sarah Korones Features Editors Alison Lisnow Emilia Luna Alexa Sasanow Derek Schlom Jon Cheng Assistant Features Editors Maya Kohli Amelia Quinn Emma Bushnell Executive Arts Editor Zach Drucker Arts Editors Mitchell Geller Rebecca Goldberg Benjamin Phelps Anna Majeski Assistant Arts Editors Rebecca Santiago Matthew Welch Rachel Oldfield Larissa Gibbs Elaine Sun Seth Teleky Devon Colmer Erin Marshall Lorrayne Shen Louie Zong Rebekah Liebermann Ashish Malhotra Josh Molofsky Alexandra Siegel

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

EDITORIAL

Vote no on Massachusetts’ Questions 1 and 2 A week from today, voters throughout Massachusetts will decide on three referendum ballot initiatives.

The questions deal with taxing alcohol, permits to build low- to moderate-income housing and the state sales tax. Today, the Daily will examine Questions 1 and 2, and later this week we will cover the controversial Question 3.

Question 1 is a motion to repeal the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol and spirits, which came back into place last year and falls on top of a pre-existing excise tax. If passed, there would no longer be a sales tax on beer, wine and liquor, similar to New Hampshire (New Hampshire, it should be noted, does not have a general sales tax in place). If the motion is rejected, the tax would remain in place and nothing would change.

While passage of the referendum would most likely lead liquor store owners and binge-drinking college students across the state to rejoice at the opportunity to sell and buy even cheaper Natty Light and Rubinoff, passing Question 1 is a bad idea. Repealing the state tax on alcohol would make a sizable dent in the state’s revenue.

Less money to the Commonwealth means cutbacks on government-fund-

ed services at a tough time for state finances. Those prospects are definitely not worth cheaper booze.

Proponents of Question 1 argue that placing the sales tax on top of an excise tax unfairly targets alcohol products twice. Yet the state only grants sales tax exemptions for necessities like food and clothing. Alcohol definitely does not fall into that category, and the liquor industry should not receive a tax break.

No matter how annoying it is to watch the price of a 30-rack increase by 6.25 percent at the register, it’s not worth more cutbacks. The long-term effects are just simply not worth the convenience of cheaper spirits.

Question 2 is a motion to repeal the Massachusetts state law statute Chapter 40B, a four-decade-old law which allows developers to build lowand moderate-income housing with only a single comprehensive permit.

A yes vote for the motion would repeal the law, while a no vote would keep it in place.

Proponents of repealing Chapter 40B say the law allows developers to bypass a lot of local restrictions, giving the developers too much power.

As a result, they argue, local authorities do not have the ability to plan

their own growth.

Those opposed to the initiative — including a broad coalition of hundreds of civic, religious, business and municipal leaders and organizations — say that repealing the law would result in less low- and moderate-income housing for citizens across the state. While the law is not perfect, many argue, it has resulted in the creation of 58,000 homes and ensures that cheaper housing is available in areas of the state where it would likely not otherwise exist.

Repealing the law would leave no effective state policy on affordable housing. All four candidates running for governor oppose Question 2’s passage; Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) reportedly said in a recent statement, “We are committed to reforms that can make the law more transparent and have instituted some already, but cannot support an outright repeal.”

We, too, oppose Question 2. The Commonwealth is currently going through some very tough economic times, and the need for affordable housing is especially important. If Question 2 passes, it will most likely result in developers building fewer affordable homes that residents desperately need.

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OFF THE HILL | WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

No such thing as ‘bad words’

BY JUSTIN

RASTELLI

The Daily Evergreen

I, like most of you, speak fluent sailor.

Words with four letters will often be used to express my feelings on various day-today topics. These words add emphasis to my emotions yet some still argue these words are “bad words.” As if these four letter words have been in timeout since that first English speaker stubbed his toe.

Moms and schoolteachers have cast them away, convincing us as kids that these words would corrupt our souls. Swear words: the original gateway drug. These words are just that, words, and should not be demonized for simply existing.

It is impossible for words to be inherently evil. Only their usage can be judged as moral or immoral. The only bad words are those that are used to demean and belittle others. Admittedly, swear words can and are used maliciously but so can every word in this column. To pretend like those “bad words” should be exiled for simply being used with a negative meaning is ludicrous.

South Albany High School in Oregon

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials that appear on this page are written by the editorialists, 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.

has recently instituted a policy which inflicts harsh punishment upon students who use swear [words, ranging] from a warning for just slightly off color language to suspensions for true emotional outbursts. The goal of the policy is to teach students how to behave once they reach the real world.

Imagine, if you would, this policy being instituted at Washington State [University]. Sure there would be less swearing, but the five people left on campus would be really lonely.

Swearing is the spice we add to conversation. It puts a little bit of “oomph” behind the things we really feel passionate about. But like all spices, too much can ruin a dish. Saying the same thing every other word in a sentence truly shows the world your intelligence level. Swear words, like most other words, should be used sparingly. This practice adds emphasis to your ideas and emotions.

The principal of South Albany High School argues the [role] of high school is to prepare kids for future careers. Going on to suggest that most work environments frown upon and waggle a finger at

people who let a swear word slip. These students are effectively being taught to hide their emotions to fit into pre-established molds. They are being told to restrict every emotional impulse so as to not upset the current system. Heaven forbid they say something that offends another person. We should be teaching these kids to embrace their emotions and use that energy creatively, not stifle it and hide it away. There are more important things we should be teaching kids [than] to walk in line without ever offending anyone.

Swear words can only carry the meaning that is assigned to them. Like all words, they can be used to tear people down. The effort against swearing should be focused more on respecting others rather than the vocabulary of students.

Thinking the removal of words will also remove negative feelings is ridiculous.

Schools should be trying to instill students with a sense of respect towards their fellow man, as opposed to spinning their wheels on prohibiting swearing.

Improving behavior is more important than improving vocabulary.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted by 4 p.m. and should be handed into the Daily office or sent to letters@tuftsdaily.com. All letters must be word processed and include the writer’s name and telephone number. There is a 450-word limit and letters must be verified. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length.

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

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

THE TUFTS DAILY

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OP-ED ELISHA SUM | OUR GENDERATION

Virility is viral

T

MCT

On the presidency, politics and foreign policy

BY STEPHANOS

KARAVAS

Representative Mike Pence (R-Ind.) gave a brilliant speech at Hillsdale College on Sept. 20 on the subject of the presidency of the United States. Its brilliance lies not in its creativity or innovation — he offered none — but rather his genius was that it was a humble reaffirmation of past ideas, a reaffirmation of the importance of the constitution.

In a day and age where the word “progress” has been equated with “change”, it comes as no surprise that Rep. Pence’s speech didn’t makes headlines; but the wisdom of Leonardo Da Vinci’s words cannot be understated when discussing the present state of the U.S. government: “simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

We are very quick to deify the founding fathers of the United States on an individual level, as the autobiographies of the likes of Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson are seldom absent from bestseller lists. Yet our government is quick to discard the value of the fruit of their collaboration: the Constitution of the United States.

The people of the United States are equally quick to endorse the government’s snub of the Constitution by electing to office individuals such as former President George Bush and President Barack Obama and all others who seem to believe that each has the best vision for the future of the United States. What all of these misled men and women seem to omit from their platforms is that the best vision for this nation is on display in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. The president is not a leader; he is a servant among many other servants in the three branches. Equally important is his role as a steward. His job is not to tell America how he plans to change the country. His duty, rather, is to submit his free will to that of the American public. If we recall the request of Franklin, “keeping a republic” implies limitation through self-restraint. The state of affairs in our governments of recent history reflects the opposite because, over the generations, the three branches have metamorphosed into an oligarchy of mostly self-interested individuals who have turned their office into a career and their campaigns into popularity contests. As Rep. Pence phrased it, “the political class… [is] mistakenly assuming that to exercise power is by default to do good.”

A man who embodied the principles of the Constitution and whose presidency ought to be epitomized by all future holders was George Washington. He refused to serve more than two terms, an act of self-restraint that set the prec-

edent for service as the head of the executive in the time leading up to the 22nd Amendment. He refused his salary, thus practicing by his actions (and not merely his words) the notion of servitude.

President Washington’s Farewell Address captures in its conciseness the vision of the American republic according to the Constitution. He pointedly — and almost prophetically — warned the nation he presided over to be wary of many evils, two of which included political parties and foreign entanglements. In these respects among many others, the United States of today is the antithesis of what George Washington envisioned upon his departure from the presidency.

Even a cursory glance at the United States’ history will offer one affirmation of the previous statement. The accountability of politicians to the people seems to escape the public’s consciousness as soon as election seasons end. Why? Political parties have turned elections into a circus of fanfare and statements of impossible promises. For a citizen to ascend to the prominence necessary in order to run for a given office, he needs the financial and political endorsement of a party — unless you happen to be a billionaire like Ross Perot.

While it can successfully be argued that political parties help strengthen government, political ascendancy through a party in contemporary America demands but one virtue: conformity. And, as the Gospel according to St. Matthew states, “No man can serve two masters.”

Either one must serve the party or the Constitution, because the interests of the two do not necessarily run parallel.

The choice of servitude American politicians have made is evident in the government’s great departure from the wisdom of Washington. Hence, the use of the word “oligarchy”: Candidates must emerge from the filter of the Republican and Democratic parties prior to their selection by the American people — ultimately, we, the public, are spoon-fed the garbage we must eat while spending four or more years digesting it.

On the subject of foreign policy, it seems clear the governments of past and present have chosen to strive to contradict George Washington’s advice as much as possible by engaging in frequent warfare abroad.

If age were a measure of wisdom, then the republic of present is arguably more foolish than the republic of the past, as the United States is sending its troops to die in two different wars it has instigated — by unilaterally declaring war on Iraq and by funding the Afghan Mujahedeen during the Soviet occupation of the country. It is both a shame and hypocrisy that a nation such as the United States that prides itself

so greatly on its duty to bequeath the utmost security and liberty to its citizens is so eager to violate its own providence and principles, sending its sons to have their blood shed fighting, oftentimes for reasons that are obscure to the soldiers themselves. Communism? Imperialism?

It ought to be evident to anyone that time is the worst enemy of any form of authoritarianism: Few governments that have discarded their sense of accountability to their people have stood the test of time.

When a state like the United States presents them with an external threat such as invasion, they provide these authoritarian regimes with the legitimacy and unity needed to increase their longevity. Most would agree that terrorism requires a military response, but how many rational people seriously believe that invading, occupying and re-establishing another nation-state is the best way to wage unconventional warfare?

Leaving aside the immeasurable human cost to both sides of a war, the United States simply betrays its own code of laws — moral and constitutional — by its alacrity to resort to warfare abroad.

It ought to be clear to anyone who does not suffer from self-imposed delusion that the government of the United States has chosen to ignore both its own constitution and the advice of the contemporaries who authored it or participated in the effort to establish it.

Not only has the position of the presidency been transformed from an office of humble public servitude to one of arrogant elitist leadership, but the internal politics and foreign policy of the United States have both degenerated into games which are played by the few; political parties have redirected the loyalty of politicians while the pursuing of “interests” abroad in the guise of aloof ideologies has characterized the conduct of foreign policy. The republic of Turkey recently put forth a referendum to its people on its constitution; when was the last time American politicians were concerned enough about the people’s views on major debates — such health care — to put forth a similar referendum?

Submission and obedience to the Constitution ought to be the virtues practiced by all members of government, most prominently in the presidency, and it has been done before — simply emulate the example of George Washington in a 21st-century context. None of the views expressed in this op-ed are new or “progressive.” They are merely reaffirmations of the preexisting wisdom of the founders of the American Republic to be found in the Constitution.

Stephanos Karavas is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

ori Amos once sang, “But virgins always get backstage, no matter what they’ve got to say.”

As a disclaimer that I should have made from the beginning, all my claims speak to a larger, systemic structuring of society and should not be taken to explain each individual male experience. I am still learning and may unintentionally ignore — and probably have — other masculinities while focusing solely on a concept of white masculinity instead.

A gender identity can be a precarious position to occupy, and, for the purposes of this column, we can say that it is an unstable facet of the self, specifically for men. Even after conventional phenotypic expressions of XY succeed in asserting maleness, masculinity must still be proven and stabilized by being taken from the realm of construction and abstraction and subsequently being grounded in performance and concrete behavior. Males prove their possession of a penis in various ways, which brings us to the focus of today’s column: sexual prowess and conquest.

Jack & Jones, a European menswear company, has a new advertisement in which a man complains about being used by women only for sex, calling them pigs at the end. It is amusing in its subversion but lacking in its transgressive impact. It does, however, aptly point out the gendered divide in sex/romance and the power of the male/genderless narrator. (Seen as standard, men can escape being gendered.)

The commercial may be taken as lighthearted, amusing and even heartwarming to a limited degree, simply due to the male narration. Were a woman to narrate, the effect would without a doubt be different.

Additionally, the commercial, of course, only casts white people. Were the man a person of color — say Asian, black or Latino — the story couldn’t continue as envisioned.

The man would represent too much of a threat or would result in a lack of credibility.

Generally, black and Latino men are hypersexualized, while Asians are desexualized.

In this spectrum of sexual appetite, white men occupy the middle “just right” space; their penises are neither too “hung” nor too miniscule — size does matter, right? In this way, within the context of the commercial, the white male effectively navigates the narrative to express the intended message.

According to our social codes, men should want sex, be ready for it at any moment and never fail to rise to the occasion. Even the suggestion of “getting some” boosts male status and reifies masculinity.

Any slip from the “no homo” realm can immediately undo any work put into the performance of masculinity, much in the same way that the failure to get an erection destabilizes and questions maleness.

Good thing we have Viagra to ensure performance like the Energizer Bunny, so we can keep going and going.

The one-minute man often features as the punch line for jokes among men and women. However, the discourse surrounding these magic-man pills focuses excessively on getting and maintaining the erection, because performance is key and pleasure is nothing but a nice corollary. Viagra and other similar products are not there for the purposes of reproduction or pleasure; they exist to help men live up to the societal expectations of masculinity.

The measure of man should involve more than the insistence on sexual conquests and the need to surpass the oneminute man or any behavior that distances him from effeminacy and queerness.

The Atlantic problematically reported in its summer issue that “The End of Men” is here. If that means a goodbye to the constructions of old and the welcoming of “Men’s Lib[eration]” from a normative construction of masculinity, as Newsweek suggested in September, we’re on the way to reframing virility and maleness in a positive way.

Elisha Sum is a senior majoring in English and French. He can be reached at Elisha.

Sum@tufts.edu.

OP-ED POLICY The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than 12 p.m. on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

COMICS

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

DOONESBURY

CROSSWORD

BY

NON SEQUITUR

GARRY TRUDEAU

BY

WILEY

MONDAY’S SOLUTION

MARRIED TO THE SEA

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Pulling off a sexy Sarah Palin costume

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Monday’s Solution

Ben: “That’s from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Romy: “For some reason I thought you were going to say Ministry of Magic.”

Please recycle this Daily.

Sports

9

tuftsdaily.com

WOMEN’S CREW

Despite improvements, Jumbos fall short on the Charles BY

AARON LEIBOWITZ Daily Staff Writer

The women’s crew team competed against rowers from around the world this weekend at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, racing a Club Four and a Collegiate Four on Saturday and a Collegiate Eight and a Lightweight Four on Sunday.

The Jumbos hoped to finish in the top half of each race in order to secure spots in next year’s Head of the Charles, but there were simply too many powerful, experienced teams standing in their way.

“Honestly, it’s a little upsetting that we didn’t regain any of our bids for next year,” senior tri-captain Bianca Velayo said.

“Everyone was really working together, and everyone’s timing was fantastic. This is a really tough event — it’s the most difficult course in the world.”

Tufts’ first race was the Club Fours, in which the Jumbos started in bow 26 out of 51 and finished 29th with a time of 21:47. Tufts placed 10th out of 17 collegiate teams, with St. Mary’s College of California and Villanova University the only colleges in the top 10.

In the Collegiate Fours, the Jumbos accomplished their goal of maintaining their starting spot, starting and finishing 18th out of 30 with a 22:07 time, though the time was again not fast enough to qualify for next year’s race. Emory University took first place, finishing in 20:34.

On Sunday, an interference penalty spoiled Tufts’ effort in the Collegiate Eights, causing the Jumbos to slide from their starting spot of 25th to 31st out of 31 boats. The boat had a new rudder to help execute tight turns, but after a smooth start, the Jumbos were unable to sidestep a collision at a tight turn at Weeks Bridge as they battled Mercyhurst College

COURTESY BIANCA VELAYO

The Head of the Charles Regatta’s course is known for being merciless.

(Pa.) for position. It was determined that Tufts failed to yield to the Mercyhurst boat, and therefore one minute was added to their 18:42 finish time.

“It was kind of a stunning moment in the race,” senior tri-captain Rachel Steward said.

“Everything slowed down, and we tried to

pull ourselves back together and get back in the race, but we didn’t quite get back into things until we had gone past the Eliot Bridge and were in the last 750 meters.

“Crashes happen, and I think that we did well to recover from what can be really shocking to a lot of crews,” she added.

MEN’S SOCCER

“I think this is just going to help us move toward understanding that we have a lot of work to do over the winter, and hopefully, this will be one thing that pushes us to work harder.” see WOMEN’S CREW, page 11

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Tufts gets thrilling draw against No. 13 Williams BY

ETHAN STURM

Daily Editorial Board

A packed Parents Weekend crowd this Saturday was treated to a barnburner, as the womWOMEN’S SOCCER (5-1-2 NESCAC, 7-2-3 OVERALL) at Kraft Field, Saturday OT OT2 Williams 0 0 0 0 — 0 Tufts 0 0 0 0 — 0

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Junior keeper Alan Bernstein made eight saves on Saturday against a persistent offense, keeping Williams scoreless at the end of regulation play.

After 100 minutes of deadlock, Williams breaks through in OT BY

ALEX LACH

Daily Editorial Board

For nearly 100 minutes on Saturday, the men’s soccer team withstood every shot, cross and half-chance Williams threw its way.

MEN’S SOCCER (3-3-2 NESCAC, 5-6-2 OVERALL) at Kraft Field, Saturday OT Williams 0 0 1 — 1 Tufts 0 0 0 — 0

It was in that 100th minute, however, that the Ephs finally broke through, netting a goal to earn a 1-0 victory in front of hundreds of Jumbo parents in town for the weekend.

“They’re a dangerous attacking team, and we played well defensively, but if you give up chance after chance, eventually they’re going to get one,” senior quad-captain midfielder Chris Flaherty said.

With less than a minute remaining in the first overtime period, Williams senior co-captain Gaston

Kelly received a ball from the right side near the 25-yard line, turned on his man and hit a blur of a shot that didn’t stop until it hit the back of the Tufts net. It was the sixth goal of the season for Kelly, who ranks among the top of the league in scoring and points.

“I couldn’t see the play develop too well, but their player made a great early turn and was able to hook an excellent shot inside the left post,” Tufts junior goalkeeper see MEN’S SOCCER, page 11

en’s soccer team played host to national No. 13 Williams. The game was full of fast-paced play and ample opportunities, but after 110 minutes of action, each team earned a well-deserved point in a 0-0 draw.

“Any other day, we would be pretty unhappy with a draw,” senior co-captain Sarah Nolet said. “I think we are a better team than they are. But looking back on how we played on Saturday, I think we were lucky to get the draw. They put a lot of pressure on us, and I don’t think we played very well.”

While each team had its chances, the Ephs earned the lion’s share of the scoring opportunities. But luckily for the Jumbos, freshman keeper Kristin Wright was up to the task, making nine saves in arguably the best performance of her young career.

“Kristin easily had the best game of any goalie I have played with at Tufts,” Nolet said. “It was a real breakout game for her. We’ve seen some of that type of stuff at practice, but she just hasn’t needed to do that in games. We haven’t been tested like we were on Saturday, and she came up huge.”

The match was bereft of action early with Williams owning much of the possession in the first 15 minutes. But the Ephs found themselves unable to pick apart the experienced Tufts backline.

Eventually, the Ephs began to find some chances, largely on the back of senior forward Annelise Snyder. In one of the Ephs’ best scoring opportunities, Snyder worked the ball down to the end line before sending a low cross to the left of Wright, forcing the goalie to come diving off her line to fall on it.

Then, just five minutes later, Snyder was flicked in behind the defense at the top of the box.

She sent a shot back across the goal that beat a diving Wright but continued wide of the post as the Jumbos let out a sigh of relief.

The break could not come soon enough for Tufts, which desperately needed to regroup.

“We did well to generate offense in the first 30 minutes, and then I think we got a little panicked and got pulled out of formation,” junior forward Jamie Love-Nichols said. “I think if we just calm down and have more confidence we will get better results.”

The team came out reenergized and almost took the lead in the 52nd minute. A ball in the box fell to freshman Maeve Stewart, but she was unable to gain control and volleyed it over the crossbar.

The half continued with even play much of the way, but the Ephs looked to win it with one final chance in the 90th minute. A well-timed through-pass see WOMEN’S SOCCER, page 10

THE TUFTS DAILY

10 Event

Event

CHAPLAIN`S TABLE - ``A Look at Dealing with Loss`` Thursday 10/28. Professor Adriana Zavala, Associate Professor Art History Department ``Discussion of Dia de Muertos -Day of the Dead`` 5-7PM at Dewick Dining/MacPhie Conference Room

NOONTIME CONCERTS AT GODDARD CHAPEL Thursday 10/28 12:30 pm.

Leonardo Ciampa on organ.

All are welcome; this is a free event.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

SPORTS

Housing

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Across from Professors Row 6 BR, 2 bath w livingroom, hardwood floors throughout, ceramic tile eat in kitchen, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer/dryer, front/ rear porches, 4 car off st parking. $4650/mo incl heat and hot water.

Avail 9/1/11. Call Bunny (954) 9424848

Going Fast-Apartments One 3 BR, Two 4 BR, One 5 BR .

Available June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012. Very convenient to school. Call (617) 448-6233.

-

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College Ave 5 BR Apt 2 1/2 Baths, kitchen, living room, off-street parking, w/d basement.

Available June 1, 2011. Rent: $3250. First and last month rent required. Tenants pay utilities.

Larger apts available. Call Guy (617) 590-7656.

$$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Become a California Cryobank donor and earn up to $1,200/ month, receive free health and infectious disease testing, and help people fulfill their dreams of starting a family. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.com

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY All Tufts students must submit classifieds in person, prepaid with check, money order, or exact cash only.

All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $15 per week or $4 per day with Tufts ID or $30 per week or $8 per day without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature, or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

Keeper Wright’s infallible effort protects women’s soccer shutout WOMEN’S SOCCER continued from page 9

looked as though it was going to play to a Williams’ forward, but Wright raced off her line, beating the Ephs to the ball and absorbing the collision that came moments later.

In the overtime periods, the match continued to offer its fair share of drama. In the 97th minute, junior midfielder Alix Michael found space down the right side and sent in a cross towards sophomore midfielder Rachel Aronchick. A Williams defender seemingly tackled Aronchick to the ground as the ball was headed towards them, but the referee didn’t touch his whistle, letting the Ephs off the hook.

“I don’t hold it against the refs,” Nolet said. “I think they called a good game. A call like that would have changed the outcome of the game, so it’s a tough call to make. I think in an overtime 0-0 game, that’s not a call you make.”

The game remained in the balance until the very last minute, when the Ephs found numbers on the attack and slotted it out to junior forward Brett Eisenhart on the left side of the box. Her shot had pace, but Wright came through for her final save of the game, preserving the shutout and the draw.

“Those defensive letdowns are not okay and we really need to fix that,” Nolet said. “It was scary, but I trust Kristin behind us.”

The match was the first time Tufts had earned any points against Williams since

2006. It was also the seventh shutout of the year for a defensive unit that was reunited with the return of Nolet, who was serving a one-game suspension for a red card she picked up the previous weekend.

The Jumbos do not have a weekday game this week, giving them a muchneeded rest after their overtime thriller.

It is also the first couple of days off from practice the team has had since before the season started.

“I think that it will be good to recover, especially with having to go to overtime [Saturday],” Love-Nichols said. “It was a pretty tiring game.”

Friday brings the regular season finale for Tufts, as Bowdoin comes to town. A win or draw against the Polar Bears will clinch a top-two finish in the NESCAC, while any result better than Amherst’s against Trinity that same day will earn Tufts the top spot. It also potentially serves as a preview of Sunday’s NESCAC first round match-up, as Tufts and Bowdoin are currently second and seventh in the conference standings.

But despite the variety of potential playoff scenarios hinging on the game, the Jumbos plan to simply go out and play the same way they have from the beginning of the season.

“There are definitely still some bugs we need to fix, and a win Saturday would have been huge,” Nolet said. “But I think in terms of players and ability and potential for the rest of the season, we are in good shape, and I’m really excited.”

JUSTIN MCCALLUM/TUFTS DAILY

Freshman goalie Kristin Wright on Saturday makes one of her nine saves against a tough Williams offense.

THE FARES CENTER FOR EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN STUDIES

Tufts Department of Drama and Dance presents

Invites you to a Roundtable Discussion

Moderated by Professor Leila Fawaz

AUDITIONS FOR

“The Eastern Mediterranean and the Making of Global Radicalism, 1860-1914”

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Associate Professor of Middle East and World history at Northeastern University

Auditions: Sunday & Monday, October 31 & November 1

Callbacks: Tuesday, November 2 All audition info and sign up times are posted on the callboard in the Balch Arena Theater lobby, Aidekman Arts Center.

Questions? contact Balch Arena Theater Box Office at X7-3493.

FARES CENTER ROUNDTABLES

By Oscar Wilde Directed by Sheriden Thomas

Ilham Khuri-Makdisi Ilham Khuri-Makdisi is Associate Professor of Middle East and World history at Northeastern University. Her book, The Eastern Mediterranean and the Making of Global Radicalism 1860-1914 (University of California Press), sheds light on the various networks of intellectuals, dramatists, and workers circulating in the Eastern Mediterranean and articulating radical leftist ideas in the late 19th century.

Khuri-Makdisi received her Ph.D. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.

Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:30-2:00 pm Fares Center Conference Room (Mugar 129) Lunch will be provided RSVP by Tuesday, October 26 at Noon

For more information & to RSVP contact: The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies Cabot Intercultural Center 160 Packard Avenue Medford, Massachusetts 02155 http://farescenter.tufts.edu Chris Zymaris christopher.zymaris@tufts.edu

THE TUFTS DAILY

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

11

SPORTS

Women’s crew posts strong times but fails to earn future bids WOMEN’S CREW continued from page 9

Last up for Tufts was the Lightweight Four, for which the team had high expectations despite limited knowledge of what their competition would be. As it turned out, the field was incredibly strong, and three boats broke the Charles’s Women’s Lightweight Fours record that had stood since 1992. Yet Tufts still had an excellent showing, easily beating their 2009 time of 21 minutes with a 19:19 mark, finishing fourth out of six college squads.

“We obviously wanted to place, and that didn’t happen, but another one of our goals was to break 20 minutes, and we shattered that goal,” junior tri-captain Kathleen Holec said. “The field was just particularly fast this year, but there was nothing that we did wrong.”

Since the Jumbos last week were able to row on the Head of the Charles course, which is known for being merciless, they had a leg up this weekend.

“I think our coxswains knew where they were going and were more comfortable than other crews overall, because while we were racing we knew where we were and how much we had left in the race,” Holec said.

But even with the added experience, the Jumbos were not able to ensure any bids for the 2011 race.

continued from page 9

Alan Bernstein said. “The way the game was going, you could tell it was going to take a special piece of attacking quality from either team to win the game. Unfortunately for us, they were able to do so. I think we certainly deserved a point, but that’s soccer for you.”

Williams maintained possession for most of the game, with the run of play consistently staying within Tufts’ half of the field. The Ephs came in averaging over two goals per game and, with the striking duo of Kelly and fellow senior Charles Romero, the Jumbos had their hands full from the get-go.

Williams hit 15 shots towards the Tufts net, with nine finding their way on frame.

“They pair well together,” Flaherty said of Williams’ front line. “One’s a big athletic player and the other is very good on the ball.

They’re very dangerous to play against.”

For the entirety of regulation and into overtime the Tufts defense and Bernstein were up to the challenge. Bernstein made eight saves on the afternoon, several of which denied what seemed to be certain goals. The best may have come in the 33rd minute, when Bernstein leapt to parry a shot from Williams’ senior Alex Johnson and was able to just get a fingertip to the ball to deflect it off the crossbar and away from danger. The Jumbo goalie also made a fantastic save on a cross late in the second

The plight of the masses

L

COURTESY BIANCA VELAYO

The women’s crew team’s Collegiate Four took 18th among 30 colleges in its race on Saturday. It was the only Jumbos squad to match its starting position.

Jumbos will return to sculling (rowing with two oars) next weekend as they hope to close out their fall season in style at the Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“Everyone is still feeling very positive, and I think this is a really good showing of the direction the program is heading in,” Velayo said of the team’s performance this weekend.

Men’s soccer loses out on chance for home playoff game MEN’S SOCCER

ALEX PREWITT | LIVE FROM MUDVILLE

half, punching the ball clear as two Williams forwards streaked through the box.

“Bernstein’s been getting better as the season’s gone along and I think this has been his best game,” Flaherty said. “He was coming off his line well and he made some huge saves and really kept us in the game.”

Tufts was also able to contain Williams on set pieces, a facet of the game where the Ephs looked to take advantage of their sizable height advantage. Williams had seven corner kicks in the game, as well as a number of free kicks inside the Tufts half that put the pressure on the Jumbos. The visiting side also benefited from the long throw-in of sophomore Doug Weinrib, who turned almost any Williams throw on the Tufts half into a chance on net. But the Jumbos played beyond their size behind Bernstein’s aggressiveness and sophomore center back Michael Walker’s presence to keep Williams off the board.

“Williams was a pretty big team, but the truth about defending is that smaller guys can cover bigger guys on set pieces if they have the right aggressive mentality,” Bernstein said. “On Saturday, we swarmed their tall guys and did an outstanding job on set pieces and throw-ins to take away their ability to flick the ball on toward goal.”

While the defense proved sturdy for Tufts, it was on the offensive end where they faltered. The Jumbos struggled to connect passes and keep possession, managing only

two shots on the day with just one of them being on target.

“Williams played very direct and we fell into their style instead of playing our passing, building game,” Flaherty said. “We’re getting there, but we really need to start connecting the first two passes and the rest will come.”

In the end, however, the Tufts defense could only withstand so much pressure from a relentless Williams attack. After Bernstein made a pair of point-blank saves in overtime to keep Tufts’ hopes alive, the Ephs finally broke through with Kelly’s goal.

Seconds after the ball hit the net, a number of Jumbos, from a mix of exhaustion and despair, collapsed to the ground.

With the loss, the Jumbos (5-6-2, 3-3-2 NESCAC, 11 points) no longer have a chance to secure a home playoff game, but they remain focused on closing out the regular season with a win against Bowdoin on Friday to head into the playoffs with positive momentum.

“I think we’ll try to continue our commitment to keeping our shape and defending hard,” Bernstein said. “But I think we would like to see that commitment extend to keeping possession of the ball so we can press numbers forward into the attacking half. We fear no team in this league and we look forward to our final regular season game this Friday.”

Athletes of the week KRISTIN WRIGHT, WOMEN’S SOCCER Freshman goalkeeper Kristin Wright proved to be the difference-maker in the women’s soccer team’s clash with national No. 13 Williams on Saturday. Matching her career high of nine saves, Wright preserved the teams’ double-overtime shutout despite the Ephs’ relentless offensive efforts. Williams outshot Tufts 17-7 on the day, but Wright was up to the task, preventing several close calls off her line — including twice in the second overtime period.

Wright has only recently assumed the starting role for the Jumbos following an injury to sophomore Phoebe Hanley. But the rookie has not disappointed, quickly becoming an integral part of Tufts’ talented defensive unit, which, with Saturday’s tie, has seven shutouts on the season, tied for the most in the league.

Wright, who now boasts a .925 save percentage, has moved into second place in the NESCAC in that category.

JUSTIN MCCALLUM/TUFTS DAILY

SAM DISS, FOOTBALL

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

The football team may have blown a 24-14 lead against Williams on Saturday but lost in the Parents Weekend defeat was the show put on by sophomore cornerback Sam Diss, who has Jumbo fans excited for the defense’s future.

Late in the first half, with the Jumbos down 14-10, Diss made his third interception of the season — good for second in the NESCAC — which sparked a lengthy Jumbo touchdown drive to put Tufts ahead 17-14 at the half. Early in the second half, Diss recovered a Williams fumble and returned it 35 yards for a score — his second defensive touchdown of the season.

Diss was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts and is currently third in the NESCAC with seven passes defended. He also contributes on special teams, averaging a gaudy 19.2 yards on kickoff returns, including six returns for 128 yards on Saturday.

ast week, I asked my readers — all eight of them — for their most legendary fantasy football stories. I wanted to hear the best and the worst of them, from reckless picks to dramatic, come-from-behind victories. This was your chance to shine, to tell the world of your tales.

And readers, you didn’t disappoint.

Take Rhett Umphress of Muncie, Ind., for example. The Ball State graduate student won a key game in 2008 when DeSean Jackson prematurely celebrated all over the 1-yard line, promptly fumbling and allowing Brian Westbrook, who was on Umphress’ team, to poach the touchdown.

Even better, the players in his league came up with a moniker for this phenomenon of losing in heartbreaking fashion on Monday Night Football: “Hank’d,” named for the singer of the telecast’s ubiquitous theme song.

Consider this my official endorsement of that term. Congratulations, Rhett, your league has now made it to the big time — not really.

Cornell University’s Will Gunn was thoroughly “Hank’d” way back in 2007. Losing heading into Monday night, Gunn needed a combined four points from the Steelers’ Nate Washington and Jeff Reed. The end result?

A 3-0 Pittsburgh win in which Reed stuck a 24-yarder and Washington had one catch for 6 yards. Bummer, bro. At least you have a sweet last name.

In order to find the best “Hank’d” story I received, we have to head to my hometown of Falls Church, Va., where Jason Wippich, longtime commissioner of a league now in its 14th season, won on the “Miracle of 2007.”

Undefeated and stuck on a cruise ship with shoddy Internet, Wippich frantically picked up the first kicker he could: Rob Bironas.

When Wippich’s star player, Ronnie Brown, tore his ACL, Bironas responded with eight field goals. But on Sunday night, Wippich’s opponent scored five touchdowns to snatch the lead. With just Dallas Clark left on Monday Night Football, four minutes remaining in the game and the Colts up 15 points in garbage time, Peyton Manning suddenly found Clark for a wide-open, 35-yard TD pass to gloriously give Wippich the five-point victory.

“Hank’d” stories aside, other readers sent in stories of pure, unadulterated luck only possible in fantasy football.

Arin Karimian of McLean, Va. sent in a throwback story from 2001. Needing a QB for the championship game, Karimian picked up Trent Dilfer, who was backing up Matt Hasselbeck at the time and hadn’t played since Week 8. Dilfer, however, stepped in, threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns and failed to turnover both of his fumbles. Karimian won his first championship 130-129.

Matt Geurtsen of Fredricksburg, Va., once lost by one point after the Bengals defense recorded -2 points. Ramsey Kincannon of Wooster, Ohio, needed Randy Moss to get one point on Monday. The Patriots didn’t throw to Moss, promptly traded him three days later and forced Kincannon to metaphorically smooch his sister for the week.

But perhaps the best — and certainly the most original — fantasy football story had nothing to do with specific games, but rather a time-honored tradition born out of the desire to humiliate one another. Senior Jake Kastan and the 13 other Tufts friends in his league are involved in what he calls “the most committed, obsessive, consuming and prestigious fantasy football league on campus.” This year’s draft featured, among others, business attire, a trophy presentation and a unified singing of the National Anthem.

What sets this league apart, though, is what happens every Tuesday. The unfortunate player who lost by the most points that week has to wear, throughout the day, a bright pink, oversized t-shirt that proclaims, “I AM THE TOYOTA BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK.” “By telling our league tradition, perhaps it will help confused Tufts students understand when they see an upperclassman shamefully walking around campus in a huge pink t-shirt on Tuesdays this fall,” Kastan wrote.

Given that I just dropped to 0-7 in my big-money league, perhaps I need my own embarrassing T-shirt to inform everyone just how pathetic I actually am at this game.

Alex Prewitt is a junior majoring in English and religion. He can be reached on his blog at http://livefrommudville.blogspot.com or followed on Twitter at @Alex_Prewitt.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010