2010-12-03.pdf

THE TUFTS DAILY

Cloudy 43/30

Student successfully petitions against crated veal

BY JENNY

WHITE

Daily Editorial Board

The town of Brookline, Mass., on Nov. 16 adopted a resolution against the sale and consumption of crated veal, a result of Tufts sophomore Rachel Baras’ efforts to raise awareness of animal cruelty issues surrounding its production.

Formally titled Article 21, the resolution encourages restaurants, food vendors and consumers in Brookline to cease their sale and purchase of crated veal.

Baras, herself a Brookline resident, presented her petition to Brookline’s Town Meeting — the town’s legislature — and the town subsequently voted to adopt the proposed resolution nearly unanimously, voting 163-4, according to Baras.

Crated veal is meat taken from a calf that has been restricted to living inside an isolated crate from birth until slaughter, she said.

Baras said that the resolution, which she authored, is not binding and does not outlaw the sale of crated veal.

“I made it non-binding for a specific reason,” Baras said. “I did not want this to be a burden on food purveyors.”

She felt that taking her cause through the Town Meeting pro-

JODI BOSIN/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Rachel Baras authored a Brookline resolution discouraging the sale of crated veal. cess and implementing an official resolution was the most persuasive means of getting businesses to alter their buying habits.

The process of petitioning the town and then having the town review the petition is multi-faceted and takes several months, according to Brookline Selectman Richard Benka.

Baras said that she initiated her project, called the Brookline Veal Calf Project, in August.

Baras first submitted a citizen’s

petition, which requires at least 10 signatures from registered town voters who support the petition, Benka explained. From there, Baras had to present her petition to the Board of Selectman, then to a sub-committee of the Advisory Board, then to the full Advisory Board and finally at Town Meeting.

“There are now 163 people agreeing with me,” Baras said.

“I can go to businesses and say, there are these people who agree with me in the town. Therefore, it might be helpful to reconsider your sources of veal.”

Baras said the focus on veal over other meats made the resolution more appealing.

“People don’t really eat veal, so it’s easier to cut from the diet,” she said.

Nancy Heller, a member of Brookline’s Advisory Committee, told the Daily that consumers still have options, including veal produced using more humane methods.

“People can still have veal,” Heller said, adding that approximately 500 veal vendors in the United States alone ensure that their veal comes from humanely treated calves.

As part of the resolution, restausee VEAL, page 2

UIT to raise data security awareness BY

DAPHNE KOLIOS

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts’ University Information Technology (UIT) next semester will launch a campaign focused on increasing the security of electronic data, part of broader efforts to ensure the safety of university information.

The goal of the campaign is to highlight practices that guard against security breaches and keep data secure, Dawn Irish, director of communications and organizational effectiveness for UIT, said.

“It can keep people informed of what they can do to protect information, so you know, creating strong passwords, clicking with care, ensuring that they remove or protect sensitive information that might be on their computer, staying up to date with antivirus software, using a firewall,” Irish said.

“Just really basic, easy things that anybody could do that will help protect them personally and also help protect the university.”

The campaign will target faculty, staff and students, according to Irish, and the implementation process will be gradual.

“We’ll probably be putting up about 200 posters over the next three to five months,” Irish said.

The UIT campaign was precipitated by the recent surge in highly publicized security breaches, and a subsequent law put in place to counter these attacks, according to Irish.

“There was a new law that was put into place … about a year and a half ago that requires companies to protect the information of their customers,” Irish said. “In this case, our customers are students, so by law, we must protect students’ data.”

Planning for the campaign began last summer, according to Irish, and is set to begin after the new year.

“It entails a brochure that we created for faculty and staff that gives them practical ideas to safeguard Tufts data,” Irish said. “And it involves an advertising campaign in the Daily that mirrors the posters that we created.”

SeveralsubdivisionsofUITworked on the effort, including Information Security and Communications and Organizational Effectiveness, Irish said.

The endeavor is not the first university effort to emphasize data

security. Last spring, UIT launched a website called “Guard It,” which increased awareness about protecting personal information.

“That was the first iteration of the campaign,” Irish said. “On that site, we have all sorts of little tidbits, interesting information — we have videos, we have games, we have a lot of different things.”

Though the chance of a security breach cannot be completely wiped away, Irish hopes UIT’s advertising efforts will stress to students the importance of protecting their data.

“We’re just coming at it from many different angles, and none of these things will go away — they’ll just all be part of our catalogue of security awareness,” Irish said.

Tufts OnLine, a student-run group that provides computer support services, has a similar ongoing awareness campaign and mission. Approximately a decade ago, it began distributing antivirus software to students, according to Judi Vellucci, supervisor of Tufts OnLine, which is a subgroup of UIT. Since then, the group has extended its outreach into student dormitories,

for the open seat. Senior Ian Hainline’s Nov. 7 resignation from the Senate vacated the seat, which dropped down to the junior class.

Twenty-two percent of the Class of 2012 voted in the election, according to ECOM Chair

Report of gun-wielding individual proves to be false alarm The Tufts University Police Department at approximately 3:50 p.m. issued an e-mail security alert about a man carrying a handgun on Professors Row. The alert, however, turned out to be a false alarm, TUPD said in a followup e-mail to the community.

Immediately after TUPD sent the first security alert about the 2:35 p.m. sighting, a man matching the physical description in the report called TUPD to say that he had been walking down Professors Row with a ratchet wrench at that time.

After meeting the caller, TUPD determined that he matched the description in the first report and confirmed that the ratchet wrench had been mistaken for a revolver, according to the second e-mail sent approximately an hour later.

“The police were able to confirm certain details with him … and that it was all completely innocent behavior,” Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler said.

The person who made the original report to TUPD said there was a clicking sound that “might be the sound of a cylinder in a revolver,” Thurler said. She explained that the man who had been carrying the ratchet wrench had been twirling it, making a similar sound.

After TUPD received the initial report, it conducted a search of the area along with both the Medford

Katherine McManus, a sophomore. Turnout was lower compared to other special elections that have been held this fall, according to McManus.

Inside this issue

—by Matt Repka

and Somerville Police Departments.

The search was negative, according to the first e-mail.

Thurler said that TUPD and Tufts administrators judged that an e-mail alert, rather than a message from the Tufts Emergency Alert System — which notifies students about emergencies via text and voice messages — was the best response to the initial report.

“Tufts University Police, working with senior leadership at the university, considered how best to address this situation,” Thurler said in an e-mail to the Daily.

“They concluded that in this case, an e-mailed safety alert was the appropriate channel, since Tufts had no evidence of any immediate threat to the community and no indication that anyone was planning any violent act.”

Both the Medford and Somerville Police Departments were notified of the false alarm.

“It’s basically a non-event,” Somerville Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Upton said.

Upton said false reports of firearm sightings are fairly common.

“We get these calls a lot more often than not,” he said.

The Medford Police Department had no further information about the report. Calls to TUPD were not immediately returned.

—by Nina Ford and Brent Yarnell

TIEN TIEN/TUFTS DAILY

Meditation, practiced by senior Jenna Dargie, is shown to have many mental and physical health benefits.

Psychologist, students: Meditation an effective path to stress-relief BY

see SECURITY, page 3

Sandiford wins junior Senate seat in special election Junior Jibade Sandiford won a special election to fill a vacant Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate seat, the Elections Commission (ECOM) announced this morning.

Sandiford beat out his lone opponent, junior Jonathan Danzig,

TUFTSDAILY.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010

VOLUME LX, NUMBER 56

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

EMILIA LUNA

Daily Editorial Board

College students turn to a long list of activities to relax and blow off steam — working out, socializing, playing sports — the list goes on. But Christopher Willard, staff psychologist at Counseling and Mental Health Service (CMHS) and member of the board of directors at Boston’s Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, recommends they add another,

more exotic activity to that list: meditation.

The practice of meditation, according to Willard, can be quite simple, though not always easy.

“Meditation is essentially just paying attention to what is happening in the present moment and deliberately avoiding distraction,” he said. “When I say paying attention to what is happening, that can mean what is happensee MEDITATION, page 2

Today’s Sections

Thoreau’s ‘Walden’ features in an unexpected place — the Annual Fall Dance Concert.

Tufts comes from behind to win Tuesday’s game against Salem State.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, back

News | Features Comics Arts | Living

1 4 5

Classifieds Sports

7 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

THE TUFTS DAILY

BY

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 Ben Phelps Anna Majeski Assistant Arts Editors Rebecca Santiago Matthew Welch Rachel Oldfield Bhushan Deshpande Larissa Gibbs Dave Kellog Kevin Luo Jeremy Ravinsky Daniel Stock Elaine Sun Devon Colmer Erin Marshall Lorrayne Shen Louie Zong Craig Frucht Rebekah Liebermann Ashish Malhotra Josh Molofsky Michael Restiano Alexandra Siegel

Executive Op-Ed Editor Assistant Op-Ed Editors

As the new documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’” — which argues for the need for public school reform in the United States — continues to draw national attention, Medford High School (MHS) seems to be bucking the national trend of student dropouts.

According to a report released in June by Education Week Magazine, an average of three out of 10 students in U.S. public high schools fail to earn a diploma. But MHS boasted a graduation rate of 83.6 percent for the class of 2009, according to Medford High School Guidance Director Frank Howard.

“The top kids [in Medford] can compete with anybody,” Howard told the Daily. He argued that the diversity within MHS allows students to gain beneficial exposure to a variety of viewpoints and opinions.

“Students come from very different backgrounds and upbringings,” Howard said.

Tufts freshman and MHS graduate Sarah Mason stressed diversity as another one of her alma mater’s strong suits.

“People from all backgrounds attend Medford High School, which made for a really fulfilling experience and enhanced

continued from page 1 Cartoonists

Editorialists

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Photo Editors

rants and food purveyors will be informed about alternative veal options, according to Benka.

“When the town sends out license renewals to restaurants and to food vendors, it will include information about this resolution and contacts for individuals or companies that produce veal in a more humane fashion,” he said.

Heller saw Article 21 as a way to encourage Brookline residents to modify their food-buying habits, promoting interest in humanely produced veal, similar to selecting free-range chickens or cage-free eggs.

Baras said that The Humane Society of the United States has also worked with several other Massachusetts towns to implement bans against crated veal. Five states have already passed legislation concerning animal confinement practices in

Mick B. Krever Executive New Media Editor James Choca New Media Editors Kerianne Okie

PRODUCTION Leanne Brotsky Production Director Andrew Petrone Executive Layout Editor Sarah Davis Layout Editors Adam Gardner Jason Huang Jennifer Iassogna Alyssa Kutner Steven Smith Sarah Kester Assistant Layout Editor Zehava Robbins Executive Copy Editor Alexandra Husted Copy Editors Isabel Leon Vivien Lim Linh Dang Assistant Copy Editors Andrew Paseltiner Melissa Roberts Elisha Sum Darcy Mann Executive Online Editor Audrey Kuan Online Editors Ann Sloan Emily Denton Assistant Online Editors William Wong Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager Michael Vastola Technical Manager

BUSINESS Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Executive Business Director Laura Moreno Advertising Director Dwijo Goswami Receivables Manager The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

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

of other cultures, races, sexual orientations and socioeconomic levels,” she said. Ingram added that, as a result, public schools give their students increased “social capital,” or exposure to others who have differing backgrounds, giving them increased tolerance and sensitivity toward others.

As for where MHS graduates matriculate, Howard said, many choose to join the military or enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

“An advantage of public high school is that [we] prepare students to go out into society and the real world,” Howard said.

According to Professor of Education David Hammer, the success of the public education system is crucial for America’s future.

“We live in a democratic society, and we need a population who can make a decision, who can be informed,” Hammer said, adding that public schools haven’t been given the public attention they deserve.

“I think that [the public thinks] of teaching and of education in very simplistic ways,” Hammer said. “It’s a much more subtle and challenging enterprise, and people look for quick, politically expedient answers. I often compare thinking about education today to what people thought about medicine 200 years ago.”

the meat industry, with more bills pending in both New York and Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts bill, filed in 2009, includes prohibition on the sale of crated veal, according to Heller, who said that the European Union has already adopted bans on crated veal.

“Our hats are off to Rachel to doing something like this and attempting to educate the town about something she is very passionate about,” Heller said.

Baras called Article 21 a starting point for larger action on not only crated veal, but also other important animal rights issues. She limited her petition to crated veal because she saw the issue as one of the most excessively cruel violations of animal rights.

The crating procedure separates veal calves from their mother almost immediately after birth so that the mother can continue to lactate and produce milk, Baras said. After being taken, calves are

usually put in very tiny crates in which they can barely move. Baras said that many of them become very sick, usually from anemia and malnourishment.

In the past, consumers have wanted crated veal because the meat is particularly tender, a result of calves’ inability to move their muscles over a period of months, Heller explained. She mentioned that crated calves are intentionally deprived of iron, such as from their mother’s milk, in order to produce meat that is as pale as possible.

The Advisory Committee and Board of Selectmen were also concerned about the effects of the consumption of crated veal on human health. Brookline Health Director Alan Balsam told Advisory Committee members prior to the Town Meeting that crated veal calves are given many antibiotics to treat their illnesses, which can be passed on to consumers of the meat, according to Benka and Heller.

Stop stressing and start breathing, Tufts psychologist says MEDITATION

Staff Photographers

class discussions since there were so many perspectives,” Mason said. “The one downside may be that Medford High School does not have as many resources as schools in other, more affluent communities have.”

A consequence of diversity of academic talent, according to Howard, is that administrators can’t necessarily provide the same level of instruction and guidance to each student.

“We meet the needs of the majority and cater to all students,” he said.

Graduate student of education Daynel Ingram, who studies education in Medford, explained that being part of a diverse student body also has significant benefits for students.

“They have learned an incredible amount of resilience having experienced insane amounts of adversity,” she said.

“They have to fill in the gap that the school [doesn’t] provide [them] with.”

Speaking as a former public school student coming from a low-income background, Ingram added that learning how to overcome such obstacles and face adversity head-on is a skill that is necessary to be successful in college and beyond.

“I think it helps to make them more well-rounded, interacting and being aware

Tufts student’s resolution addresses animal rights VEAL

Philip Dear Executive Sports Editor Lauren Flament Sports Editors Jeremy Greenhouse Claire Kemp Ben Kochman Alex Lach Alex Prewitt Daniel Rathman Noah Schumer Ethan Sturm Assistant Sports Editor Aalok Kanani Meredith Klein Danai Macridi Andrew Morgenthaler Tien Tien Josh Berlinger Virginia Bledsoe Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Emily Eisenberg Dilys Ong Jodi Bosin Jenna Liang Meagan Maher Ashley Seenauth

PATRICK DONNELLY Contributing Writer

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors

Friday, December 3, 2010

MHS credits high graduation rate to diversity

BENJAMIN D. GITTLESON EDITORIAL

NEWS | FEATURES

continued from page 1

ing internally in our minds and bodies or to objects and events around us.”

Meditation involves paying attention to one’s breathing and trying to keep that breath constant even if one’s mind starts to wander, Willard said.

“In this way, we build concentration and also start to get to know our minds better as we start to see the patterns of where our attention tends to wander — for some of us, it’s the past; for some it’s the future or [a] certain situation — and gradually see these patterns that get us stuck and then start to change them,” Willard said.

Although the personal benefits of meditation vary from person to person, studies have proven meditation to be healing for both the mind and body, Willard said.

In particular, he said, research has shown meditation helpful with trauma, depression and insomnia, along with other physical disorders, including immune system functioning, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and addictions.

Beyond physical ailments, meditating can also improve athletic performance, creativity and concentration, Willard said.

While many students do not suffer from specific conditions they are looking to treat with meditation, anyone can achieve a greater state of calmness by practicing it, according to Willard.

“What people find is that they stop having to believe their thoughts so much; they don’t believe the worried thoughts that tell them they will fail the test or the depressed thoughts that tell them they are unlovable or give in to the impulsive thoughts that tell them to snap at their friend, go on an eating binge or cut themselves,” Willard said. “People come to realize that these are just thoughts and feelings, not facts that are true or inevitable.”

Despite its restorative qualities, Willard said the practice isn’t without its draw-

backs. Beginners often struggle with making the time to meditate and sometimes find the process harder than expected.

Additionally, some use meditation as a way to escape from reality, which may be problematic.

“It is true that for some people, they try to use meditation as an escape from what they really need to be doing — dealing with work, studies or important relationships,” Willard said.

Meditation is an accessible practice to pick up, Willard said; anyone interested in starting can try it in his or her dorm room or house and can easily establish a short, regular meditation time of five minutes or so. Integrating the practice into one’s daily routine is crucial for its effectiveness, he said.

Graduate student Nicholas Matiasz, leader of the Buddhist Sangha group at Tufts, said that meditation has become an important aspect of his life.

For Matiasz, meditation is a route to finding happiness and pleasure on a consistent basis.

“Meditation helps me in answering the question, ‘Can we find happiness from the very nature of the awareness we bring to the world, rather than always expecting something from the world?’” he said.

Meditation has now become a part of Matiasz’s daily routine, even though his schedule does not always easily lend itself to such a habit.

“I think of it as a form of mental hygiene — like I wouldn’t skip a shower, I try not to skip meditation,” Matiasz said. “[However], it is difficult to be a student and lead a contemplative practice as well.”

Sophomore Thomas Eley, a member of the Buddhist Sangha and a new meditation enthusiast, said that the practice has helped him see the world in a more balanced way.

“For me, it is a way of being more aware of my environment and a time to relax,” he said. “It makes things clear; it is a time where everything sort of goes away.”

Eley, introduced to the practice in high school, found his way to meditation through art.

“Art is similar in that you are only making one thing, and you are in an extreme focus that is similar,” he said. “I was meditating without realizing because when you are in your space doing art, it’s you and whatever you are creating.”

Meditation can often accompany other personal, mental and spiritual journeys, Willard said.

“For some people, meditation can be the start of a spiritual journey as well, though not necessarily,” Willard said.

“Some people just do a brief meditation before they start studying or writing, or for others they learn some techniques that help them on the playing field or in the performance hall. Others find that it is the start of a creative journey of selfimprovement.”

At the same time, Matiasz believed many people misperceive the actual meaning of meditation, sometimes conflating it with religious ideas.

Though meditation does exist as a secular practice, Willard said it is also an integral part of many religions, both ancient and modern.

“Judaism, Islam and Christianity all have wonderful, deep meditation traditions that have gone through historical periods where they are emphasized more or less or perhaps have been more emphasized in a monastic setting than for later practitioners,” he said.

Despite its benefits, Eley stressed that mediation may not be for every college student, especially if they fear solitude.

“It is a solitary activity, but those that are not scared of being alone could definitely benefit from it. It is a time to really center yourself and see things more clearly,” he said. “It is very important to incorporate it in your life because it keeps your mind fresh.”

Friday, December 3, 2010

THE TUFTS DAILY

UIT urges students to exercise more caution with personal information SECURITY continued from page 1

where Vellucci places posters that bring attention to personal security.

“Antivirus and personal security — that tends to be where I focus,” Vellucci said. More posters targeted directly to students will go up before winter break, according to Vellucci.

Vellucci, citing an increase in compromised computers over the years, echoed the importance of conscientious student practices online to ensure safe computers and guard against viruses.

In the past month, about 26 percent of the student computers brought to Tufts OnLine were for virus issues. Tufts OnLine reported that another 10 percent of student computers brought in were affected by spyware, according to Vellucci.

Technology, however, is not the only aspect of data protection.

“A lot of people think that data protection

is an IT problem,” Irish said. “It’s not really an IT problem, although there are some IT components to it. It’s really a business process as much as anything. It’s about having policies and procedures that help keep information safe.”

Each Tufts school has appointed so-called information stewards who are responsible for ensuring that policies supporting data security are implemented and followed, according to Marc Miller, an information steward for the School of Arts and Sciences and the director of administration and finance for the School of Arts and Sciences.

The Information Stewards program began in 2009, according to University Records Manager Eliot Wilczek.

“In a general sense, it was in response to the recognition that we’re an institution that has a lot … of personal info that presents a nontrivial risk to the university,” Wilczek said. “We need to make sure that we’re protecting it well.”

3

NEWS | FEATURES

Studying abroad spring 2011?

Be prepared for your semester abroad!

Required pre-departure meetings:

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

Non-Tufts Programs

Tufts Programs

*all meetings in Braker Hall 001*

*all meetings in Braker Hall 001*

Non-Tufts Africa/Asia/ Caribbean/Latin America/ Middle East

Tufts in Madrid/Paris/Tübingen

Monday, Dec. 13th @ 1:30 pm

Monday, Dec. 13th @ 10:30 am

Tufts in Hong Kong Tuesday, Dec. 14th @ 1:30 pm

Non-Tufts Mainland Europe Monday, Dec. 13th @ 3:30 pm Adult Women, ages 18 to 45 years old, with ANOREXIA NERVOSA or Severe Weight Loss are needed for a research study looking at the role of a natural hormone on depression, anxiety and symptoms of AN. The study includes outpatient visits at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Participants will receive a physical examination, nutritional and hormonal evaluations. Up to $750 payment for participation and parking / transportation expenses offered. For more information, please contact Meghan Sullivan at 617-724-7129 or msullivan49@partners.org.

Non-Tufts UK/Ireland/Australia/ New Zealand Tuesday, Dec. 14th @ 10:30 am

PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot make your non-Tufts meeting, please attend another non-Tufts meeting.

If you cannot make your Tufts meeting, please attend another Tufts meeting.

Partners Human Research Committee APPROVAL Effective Date August 03, 2010

Meetings are required.

Questions? Call x7-5871.

THE TUFTS DAILY

4 CROSSWORD

COMICS

Friday, December 3, 2010

SUDOKU Level: Lighting a menorah or putting up Christmas lights without violating dorm fire codes

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

Thursday’s Solution

Zehava: “There isn’t really a word for f--- in Latin. Not in the sense that we use it. It’s more like, ‘Let’s make love to Wu Tang Clan.’”

Please recycle this Daily.

THE GREEN LINE IS COMING TO CAMPUS! Do you have a design concept for the College Ave. Station?

Then attend a Station Walk Through this Saturday.

It is time to begin station planning and design. The Community Corridor Planning Project (CCP) with participation of members of the Green Line Extension Community Design Working Group is holding a College Avenue Green Line Station Walk Through to hear community members’ opinions/ideas about how to make the station work.

WHEN: Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Meet on the bridge at College Avenue for the station walk.

Make suggestions about pedestrian, bicycle & bus access to the station, safety, lighting, station design, comfort, signs & area maps.

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

BOOK REVIEW

Jay-Z ventures into the literary world BY

MITCHELL GELLER

Daily Editorial Board

The cover of “Decoded,” JayZ’s new book, is Andy Warhol’s “Rorschach” (1984), printed in

Decoded Jay-Z

Spiegel & Grau gold foil on a stark white background. The striking image underlines that the rapper-cummogul’s book, like the original Rorschach test, will decode JayZ’s world for his audience, creating order out of the chaos of a decade-long career.

After the initial shock wears off — the moment of “Jay-Z wrote a book?” — taking the book in hand and leafing through it gives a sense of the sheer magnitude of the project. This isn’t a quickly tossed-off gimmick. Jay-Z is not in this simply to make money, although that’s obviously part of the plan: As he puts it in 2003’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”: “I’m a hustler, homie” — he’s in it to tell his story, help build his aura and shape his image.

As soon as Jay-Z made the leap from rapper to superstar, his aura — a concept of artistic uniqueness introduced by theorist Walter Benjamin — began to wane. To be unique, to be the one-and-only Jay-Z, world superstar, he needed to get a grasp on his aura. “Decoded” brings Jay-Z to us while keeping him at arm’s length.

With the book, hip-hop’s elder statesman manages to tell his story, discuss and, in many ways, explain his work. “Decoded” offers both a new way to see Jay-Z as an artist, figure and person and a way to view hip-hop in a whole new light.

The book begins as a memoir, starting with the star’s youth in the Marcy Houses housing project in Brooklyn, N.Y. while he was still Sean Carter, following his growth from young kid, to rapper, to drug dealer and sometimes-rapper, to

full-fledged superstar.

Fans of Jay-Z’s work will know most of the story already, as many of his songs are highly autobiographical — notably “Momma Loves Me,” “99 Problems,” “Coming of Age” and “Public Service Announcement” — but having it all laid out in book form, presented as truth, separating rap-persona from “real” person, is refreshing.

Throughout the book, Jay-Z discusses influences, muses on issues that are important to his life, business and outlook and relates anecdotes about being Jay-Z. One chapter, for example, starts with the sentence, “I met Bono years ago, in the cigar room of a bar in London with Quincy Jones and Bobby Shriver.” The superstar tries to pass himself off as a normal guy, but it’s lines like this that remind us that we are, after all, reading a book that Jay-Z wrote.

The prose in the book is well written, and Jay-Z’s persona is expertly crafted and presented. His slang and voice come across well, and the book doesn’t feel forced. The text was ghostwritten by Dream Hampton, a noted hip-hop journalist and the first female editor at hip-hop magazine “The Source.”

It’s unclear how much of an influence she was, although hopefully she merely helped Jay-Z put his thoughts on paper. Additionally, it’s unclear how much here is fictionalized, which is a risk encountered with any memoir.

While the autobiographical

AMAZON.COM

Andy Warhol’s ‘Rorschach’ emblazons the cover of Jay-Z’s ‘Decoded.’

elements make the book worth picking up on its own, it is not, strictly speaking, the main draw of “Decoded.” First and foremost, the book is being billed as a guide to Jay-Z’s lyrics. His tracks, though they top the charts, are some of the densest, most convoluted songs out there.

Jay-Z makes the argument that good hip-hop has to be listened to over and over again, worked with and meditated on in order to be understood. His songs definitely fit the bill, often hiding meaning until they have been heard dozens of times.

“Decoded” is somewhere between a list of superstar anecdotes and a personal tell-all. Jay-Z acts as our Sherpa for his music, “decoding” many of his tracks, from the aforementioned “Public Service Announcement,” to the lesser-known “D’Evils” (a personal favorite), to “Big Pimpin’” and dozens in between, spanning his entire discography. He unravels his clever wordplay, which is sometimes too clever, explains anecdotes behind baffling lyrics — on “99 Problems” the line is, in fact, “Finish your breakfast” — and outlines what he hoped to accomplish through each song.

As he goes off on a sizeable discussion of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an inspiration for the song “Most Kingz,” it’s clear that Jay-Z, much like his protege Kanye West, considers himself to be an artist. This is a somewhat startling, if not refreshing and exciting, new trend in hip-hop. It’s unclear if Jay-Z’s mainstream success in any way impacts his position as an artist, but he gives it his best shot and pulls it off pretty well.

“Decoded” is, ultimately, an art book.

Many coffee tables will soon find themselves the new homes of Jay-Z’s tome, a roughly 300-page work printed on heavy-stock glossy paper. Each page is stunningly laid out with beautiful illustrations and photographs. This isn’t just any book, just as Kanye’s “Runaway” was not just any music video: This is an art book by an artist.

Or, at the very least, by the best hustler around.

DANCE CONCERT PREVIEW

XINNAN LI/TUFTS DAILY

The concert takes inspiration from the ‘Renovating Walden’ exhibit.

Annual Fall Dance Concert gets innovative, transcendental It’s reasonable for a Tufts student to expect to encounter Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” in an English class. But what about on the dance floor?

This year, the annual Tufts Fall Dance Concert, dubbed “out in front (a little to the left),” explores dance through a Transcendentalist lens. The performance, which draws inspiration from the recent Tufts University Art Gallery exhibit “Renovating Walden,” will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday and at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Jackson Dance Lab. Senior Lecturer of Dance Daniel McCusker, who oversees and sequences the student-choreographed dances, said that the concert is an outgrowth of the Tufts Dance Ensemble course.

“It’s an opportunity for students with dance experience to experiment with new ways to generate dance material,” McCusker said.

“Walden” may seem an unusual muse for dancers, but somehow, in this concert, it works. McCusker said, “It kind of demonstrates that almost anything could lend itself to dance, if you think about it.”

The four pieces in “out in front” were innovatively envisioned and choreographed.

Throughout the semester, the dancers explored several different mediums connecting “Walden” with movement. Sensory photographs, a list of vocabulary words from the first chapter of “Walden” and the physical navigation of the “Renovating Walden” exhibit have all played a role in shaping the students’ dances, McCusker said.

“This [process] is really kind of creative problem solving. … They are really using their imaginations,” he said, referring to the dancers.

This experimental approach has forced the dancers to carefully consider the use of their bodies in the performance, and to positive ends.

In this concert, dancers serve as both the stars and the backdrop.

“I think some of my favorites of these segments are the ones where we did the choreography in the Walden exhibit, which translated into using other dancers or other bodies to recreate spaces,” senior Chartise Clark said. “There’s one [dance] in which I was dancing behind a block of wood, so I’m behind a wall of dancers to recreate the way [the audience] can’t see me.”

Collaboration between dancers is another noteworthy aspect of this performance. Because the dancers come from varying dance backgrounds, juxtaposition and compromise were two major challenges while choreographing. However, those obstacles have been surmounted, and students reflected positively on the experience.

“My favorite part of [the concert] is working with a partner so we choreograph some of the stuff with someone else,” junior Anna Chatillon said. “I really like the collaborative part of that.”

McCusker shared Chatillon’s sentiments, emphasizing the value of teamwork. “We could all use a little more collaboration in the world,” he said.

—by Rebecca Santiago

MOVIE REVIEW

Aguilera makes ‘Burlesque’ sheer glittery, gaudy fun BY

ERIC BERG

Daily Staff Writer

“Burlesque” is not a good movie, but it makes for a fantastic extended music video.

Burlesque Starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell Directed by Steve Antin It’s certainly less pretentious than Kanye West’s recent long-form video “Runaway,” although no one could wonder if “Burlesque” is art. Pure entertainment is the goal of this film, and past the glitz and trivial plot, great vocals deliver that in full.

One doesn’t even have to see “Burlesque” to know its basic story by heart. A generic small-town girl — in this case, her name is Ali (Christina Aguilera) — goes to the big

city to get her big break. Along the way, she must come to terms with the big matriarchal boss (Cher), fight the big rival (Kristen Bell) and get the big love interest (Cam Gigandet).

The plot does the same old song and dance, the audience sings along by heart and fakes a nice, big gasp when appropriate, and in the last 10 minutes or so, everything falls into place for a big happy ending to the movie.

But watching this movie for the plot or the writing is a big mistake. “Burlesque,” like most guilty pleasures, is not about such trivialities. Whatever portion of the budget went to the writing was hopefully seethrough small, because there isn’t a single line that doesn’t feel like it was stolen from some other script — and a bad script, at that.

But that’s all right — “Burlesque” doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a vehicle for its starring singers, Aguilera and Cher, and hey, a plot like

this is cheaper than popcorn.

An unexpected treat, given the quality of the dialogue, is the strength of the supporting cast. The love interest, Gigandet, has genuinely good on-screen chemistry with Aguilera, and their interactions mark some of the few points where the inexperienced Aguilera shows any potential for, well, acting. To be fair to Aguilera, though, the dialogue allowed her little chance to prove herself.

Stanley Tucci, meanwhile, absolutely kills every scene he is given, despite his highly cliched role as stage manager and sassy gay friend. It’s a shame that the script could not make more of his obvious talent, but it shows his strength as an actor that he could transform the little he had to work with into something delightful.

But really, this movie should be watched for one thing and one thing only: the music.

Aguilera’s superior vocals are the reason Cher, whose the-

atrical performance at times reaches actual emotional poignancy, is not the star of this show. This will most likely disappoint Cher fans, despite the power of two original numbers she does have. “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” in particular, is a particularly striking power ballad.

How one feels about Aguilera is what really makes or breaks this movie. Aguilera’s soulful voice is the crux of “Burlesque,” and all the skimping done on the story is repaid tenfold to bolster her numbers.

“Express,” in particular, is a fierce song in which Aguilera’s full range is displayed; it is enhanced by wonderful choreography. Just as great, if not greater, is “But I Am a Good Girl,” in which the influence of “Cabaret” (1972) can be heard and seen.

The whole production certainly owes a great deal to “Cabaret,” but is considerably tamer than its predecessor. “Burlesque” has no edge of

the sort that makes “Cabaret” a masterpiece. It earns its PG-13 rating not just for its sophomoric sophistication, but also for its vanilla visuals. The film tones down the definition of burlesque to keep itself planted well away from movies like “Showgirls” (1995).

What all this amounts to, then, is a movie that simply doesn’t take any risks.

Compared to contemporary musical films such as “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) or “Chicago” (2002), it can’t compete.

Taken just as it is, however, it becomes difficult not to like.

It demands nothing more than an audience who will sit back, take its heartwarming story and maybe chuckle at Tucci’s performance now and again.

If you do that, “Burlesque” is basically a two-hour Christina Aguilera concert, with a bit of Cher for good measure. If all you expect is entertainment, then “Burlesque” is an excellent way to sing away stress as finals approach.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

Friday, December 3, 2010

ADVERTISEMENT

;]fl]j ^gj Kgml` 9kaYf Yf\ Af\aYf G[]Yf Klm\a]k hj]k]flk

Re-Mapping South Asia: <Z[hm 0ma _ehhk% ?e^m\a^k L\ahhe h_ EZp Zg] =biehfZ\r% Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr hf -3))&-3*.if Hi^gbg` k^fZkdl

>j a \ Y q < ] [ ] e Z ] j +$ *()(

BYek`]\ :`Yjm[`Y Ikhohlm% Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr 9q]k`Y BYdYd Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr

Space -3*.&/3*.if IZg^e B

=bl\nllZgm3 BgfYl`Yf K`Yhajg 9fbYjaY !;Zk] <hee^`^" Fh]^kZmhk3 Km_YlY :gk] !AZkoZk] Ngbo^klbmr"

IZi^k Ik^l^gm^kl

?heehp^] [r k^\^imbhg

K]]eY 9dYna !=^eab Ngbo^klbmr" Ebmme^ F^g [^mp^^g ;b` >fibk^l3 <k^Zmbg` Z Fnlebf <hlfhihebmZgblf bg ma^ *2ma \^gmnkr Kmfad 9ejal` !;bkd[^\d <hee^`^% Ehg]hg" ;Zr h_ ;^g`Ze3 Ablmhkb^l Zg] >\heh`b^l h_ Fb`kZmbhg A^l]c`Yj AiZYd !Ngbo^klbmr h_ =aZdZ" Ma^ LiZ\^ [^mp^^g ma^ GZmbhg Zg] ma^ >fibk^3 *2). Zg] MkZgl&k^`bhgZe MkZc^\mhkb^l bg Ghkma^Zlm^kg Bg]bZ% ;nkfZ Zg] Lhnmap^lm^kg <abgZ

Time

KY lm j \ Y q < ] [ ] e Z ] j ,$ *()(

*)&*+if IZg^e BB IZi^k Ik^l^gm^kl >YjafY Eaj !Ngbo^klbmr h_ Fb\ab`Zg&:gg :k[hk" Ma^ FZdbg` h_ Z K^`bhgZe Ebm^kZmnk^3 Ma^ >Zker Fh]^kg ?hng]Zmbhgl h_ Fh]^kg IngcZ[b Ebm^kZkr <nemnk^

=bl\nllZgml3 9&J& N]fcYlY[`YdYhYl`q !FZ]kZl Bglmbmnm^ h_ =^o^ehif^gm Lmn]b^l" F]ad]k` :gk] !Ngbo^klbmr h_ Ghkma^kg M^qZl" Fh]^kZmhk3 9q]k`Y BYdYd !Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr"

;`aljYd]c`Y Rmlk`a !<hee^`^ h_ PbeebZf Zg] FZkr" H_ PZm^k ;hkg3 EZg]l\Zi^ Zg] Ablmhkr bg DZlafbkb AZ`bh`kZiab\Ze GZkkZmbo^l Eja\m JYa !Mkbgbmr <hee^`^% =n[ebg" Pa^g @h] <aZlmbl^l3 Ma^ ;baZk >ZkmajnZd^ h_ *2,- Zg] ma^ K^fZdbg` h_ Z Lh\bZe Hk]^k

Method +&-if IZg^e BBB IZi^k Ik^l^gm^kl

*+&+if Eng\a

=bl\nllZgml3 9f\j]o KYjlgja !G^p Rhkd Ngbo^klbmr" Kq]\ 9cZYj @q\]j !Ngbo^klbmr h_ M^qZl Zm :nlmbg" Fh]^kZmhk3 Cjak EYfbYhjY !Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr"

MdcY 9fbYjaY !;kZg]^bl Ngbo^klbmr" Li^\mZ\e^ Zg] ma^ Lrg\akhgb\bmr h_ Mbf^ bg ma^ Ablmhkb\Ze Gho^e 9ejalY :Ykm !:fa^klm <hee^`^" Ng;hng]bg` =bl\biebgZkr Dghpe^]`^ hg >magb\ <hg_eb\m KYjYfaf\jYfYl` LY_gj] !GZmbhgZe Ngbo^klbmr h_ Lbg`Zihk^" LiZ\^ Zg] ma^ Ihllb[bebmr h_ <hlfhihebmZg Ablmhkr

-&.if <hg\en]bg` =bl\nllbhg

<h&Lihglhk^] [r Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr :L > =bo^klbmr ?ng] Mn_ml Ngbo^klbmr Ikhohlm l H__b\^ Mn_ml Ablmhkr =^iZkmf^gm Ma^ Lhnma :lbZ BgbmbZmbo^ Zm AZkoZk]

THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, December 3, 2010 Housing

Housing

10 Bedroom One 10 BR well located. Will not last. Also can use as 4 BR and a 6 BR. Available 6/1/11 to 5/31/12. Call (617) 448-6233 4 Bedroom 4 BR very convenient to school.

Available 6/1/11 to 5/30/12. Great condition on Fairmount Ave. Call (617) 448-6233

139 College Avenue - 4 BR At Powderhouse Circle and Warner Street. It has hardwood floors throughout the apartment, along with a new fully appliance kitchen.

Non-coin-op laundry and additional storage in basement. Off-street parking included. $2,800/month.

Available June 1, 2011. Call Angela at 617-852-2215 or e-mail: angelam@darinassociates.com

7

SPORTS

Housing

Housing

Apt. for Rent Medford - 2 Bedrooms, Lg Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room & Ceramic Bathroom. Apt all renovated. Must be seen. Plenty off-street parking. Great Location, 5 min. to Tufts, Rt. 93, Rt. 16. No Laundry - Laundry Mart 1 Block away. No smoking. No pets. Available now. $1200/mo. Call (781)507-6351 or after 5pm (781)395-9096

SOMERVILLE UPLAND RD 2 APT AVAILABLE 1st Fl. 3 Br. modern eat in kitchen, with dishwasher, modern bath, hardwood floors, new windows.

2nd Fl. sunny and spacious, 4 Br. modern eat in kitchen, 1 1/2 modern bath, hardwood floors, new windows. Both apts have front and rear porches, shared coin opp washer and dryer, shared yard, parking for 3 cars each unit. No smoking, no pets, rent is $720

Housing

Wanted

(cont’d) per person, not incl. utilities.

First and last and security required.

Contact Nick (617)863-5306 or email nickkondilis@yahoo.com 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.

Grueling three-session meets supported by deep roster MEN’S SWIMMING continued from page 8

Rood and Testa his year will join senior quad-captains Jenkins and Michael Del Moro, who is also a news editor for the Daily, in the 200-yard medley. They will also race with Del Moro and senior Zed Debbaut in the 400-yard medley.

Senior Trevor Stack also had a strong performance in 2009, placing third out of 10 in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.

While the Jumbos certainly have some star swimmers, they believe their success has and will continue to come from the collective spirit and effort of all 46 team members.

“The whole big-team atmosphere is kind of overpowering and intimidating for other teams when they see just how big we are,” Jenkins said. “Especially on Saturday night when everyone’s tired, when they see us all getting loud and together for a big-team, ‘Big Brown’ warm-up, it’s definitely to our advantage.”

Jenkins added that, though three-session meets are exhausting for everyone, having such a large team allows people to get a bit more rest than they otherwise would.

“We have the liberty to put people in relays, then give them rest in individual events, and so on, so that’s going to be a huge advantage,” he said.

MIT Invitational is early challenge WOMEN’S SWIMMING continued from page 8

DAILY FILE PHOTO

The Jumbos hope that the size and depth of the team will help them endure the grueling, threesession MIT Invitational. Above, senior quad-captain Gordy Jenkins during the last winter season.

Still, a rest from racing is no excuse for a lapse in focus.

“It’s really important in these types of meets, which are very long, to keep up the intensity in and out of the pool,” Canter said.

“That means putting forth your best effort in

HOCKEY FAN BUS! SUPPORT THE JUMBOS!

TUFTS vs NE College Friday December 3rd

each race, and also standing up on deck and cheering on your teammates, keeping that energy going throughout the course of the long weekend. It can be draining and it can be tiring, but you have to fight through those tough moments and keep persevering.”

“It was a really well-rounded performance for us,” Kono said. “I can’t pick out a single class because lots of people did well. The freshmen stepped up for us once again, and our sophomores, juniors and seniors all did great too.”

The team’s balance and depth should lead to improved results at this weekend’s MIT Invitational — the final meet of the fall semester, and one of Tufts’ biggest events of the season. It begins Friday night at 7 p.m., and continues with two sessions on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The Jumbos are at a disadvantage in the MIT Invitational, because many of the non-NESCAC schools that participate have been practicing since the beginning of the academic year. NESCAC rules prevent Tufts coach Nancy Bigelow from holding official practices until Nov. 1.

“There are one or two meets every season where teams are fully rested, and this is one of those for teams like MIT and Harvard, who use it to make cuts and determine who gets to compete in nationals,” Kono said. “For us, it means we have to learn how to swim tired and really have the endurance to keep up with those other schools.”

Fencers flourish under new coach FENCING continued from page 8

Div. III school. Ranes mentioned herself, fellow senior tri-captain Coryn Wolk and Hisey as fencers who hope to qualify.

Thus far, Tufts fencers have done well both at the Big One Invitational at Smith College earlier this month and at a home meet on Nov. 21, when they beat up on Yeshiva 21-6 but fell to Stevens Tech 16-11 and the Wellesley Blue 14-13. Wellesley avenged the 14-13 loss it suffered against Tufts at February’s conference meet.

“Wellesley was interesting, having another women’s-only team,” Klinkov said. “It was a really tight match, and we have a much less experienced squad. But despite that, it [was] a one-bout loss. I think with one more year of training we can win that.”

Tufts continued its season yesterday on

the road against a tough Harvard team, losing 20-7 to the likes of defending national champion Caroline Vloka. It was the team’s final matchup before winter break.

Hisey said that she felt out of shape at the Big One but was able to rebound at the home meet, sweeping her bouts against Yeshiva and Wellesley in front of a raucous crowd.

“Everyone was way more supportive at Tufts than at high school,” Hisey said.

“When the whole team was cheering, Ariana said, ‘This is way different,’ and I knew what she meant.”

The meet was supposed to be held in Carzo Cage but was moved to Jackson Gym, where the team trains.

“For a meet of that size, it was quite challenging,” Klinkov said. “For team practices, it’s great. Yeshiva and Stevens say it’s bigger than anything they have.”

Freshmen Moynihan and Rocchi impress WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued from page 8

MEN’S HOCKEY Bus Leaves: From: To: Game Time:

6:45pm Campus Center Malden Forum 7:15pm

Invite your friends for a FUN evening.

Bring your Tufts ID for entrance to the game.

No drink containers allowed on the bus.

Hart once again led the team, playing all 40 minutes and tallying 23 points, while junior guard Tiffany Kornegay added 14 points and seven boards. It was also a breakout game for Moynihan, who, after taking the role of the unsung hero in the Brandeis matchup, exploded for 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals Tuesday.

“Liz had a big game, and it was nice to see her step up,” Hart said. “She’s a good player and she understands the game, so I think she will continue to get better.”

Freshman Ali Rocchi also stepped up, leading the team with eight rebounds.

Tufts knows that the development of its young players will be key moving forward — performances like this have the team confident for the future.

But despite all of Tuesday’s success, the team is still frustrated with its firsthalf play. The Jumbos have led only one of their four games at halftime, and have twice shot below 25 percent in the opening 20 minutes. While the team has been

able to rally late, it knows that it can only put together wins this way for so long.

“We have sort of become a second-half team, and all of us are dissatisfied with that,” Moynihan said. “We all feel like we have to come out with high intensity. We don’t want to make the games so close and nerve-racking all the way to the very end. We want to make a name for ourselves by blowing teams out.”

Tufts will have the opportunity to improve in a trio of non-conference games before taking a break for the holiday season. The eight-day, three-game stretch kicks off tomorrow at 2 p.m., with the Jumbos playing host to Colby-Sawyer.

The Jumbos handled the Chargers with ease in 2009-10, winning 74-48 behind Hart’s 20 points and Kornegay’s 18.

“Coach [Carla Berube] said from the start that after we started 1-1 there was no reason we couldn’t go 6-1,” Hart said. “We are going to continue to improve and continue to get better. Knowing we can still win even if we aren’t feeling our best is a good thing. Hopefully, we can end on a winning streak and feeling great about our game.”

Sports

8

tuftsdaily.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tufts once again stampedes to victory in second half BY

ETHAN STURM

Daily Editorial Board

If games were decided only in the final 20 minutes, the women’s basketball team might be the best in the country.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (3-1, 0-0 NESCAC) Salem, Mass., Tuesday Tufts 23 36 Salem State 23 26

— 59 — 49

For the second time in three days, the Jumbos trailed for much of the first half. But much like in the team’s 54-51 victory over Brandeis on Sunday, Tufts dominated the game down the stretch, outscoring Salem State by double digits in the second frame. The result was a 59-49 win on Tuesday that gives a young squad serious momentum heading into the heart of their season.

The Jumbos, now at 3-1 on the season, came out of the gate slowly Tuesday. After making only seven of its first 27 shots, Tufts was down 23-16 with just over four minutes

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior tri-captain Colleen Hart, above in a game against Amherst last season, scored 23 points in Tuesday’s win over Salem State, coming within 51 points of the Tufts all-time scoring record. left in the first half. But senior tri-captain Colleen Hart scored the next five points to reduce the lead to two before Jumbo freshman Liz Moynihan forced a turnover and went coast-to-coast, laying it up to complete a 7-0 run and send the teams into the locker room tied at 23.

“We have a lot of determination,” Moynihan

said. “We don’t like to be losing and when we are losing everyone picks each other up. When we make good defensive plays, we run on offense and we build on the points we get.”

After the break, the Jumbos and Vikings exchanged baskets and left the game tied at 39 with just under eight minutes to play. But from there, Tufts took control. Tufts, capital-

izing on a tired Salem squad, dominated the boards in the closing minutes and turned 10 offensive rebounds into six second-chance points. Tufts outscored the Vikings 20-10 in the second frame, with all five starters contributing points.

“We have a lot of heart, and that is going to take us even farther than our skill would,” Hart, who moved within 51 points of Tufts’ all-time scoring record on Tuesday, said.

“You can see everyone come together and just want to win. Yesterday was an ugly game, but a win is a win, and we’ll take it.”

The Jumbos shot 34.9 percent from the field — their best output since their opening game. They also continued to demonstrate their physicality, out-rebounding the opposition for the fourth straight game and dominating points in the paint by a margin of 22-6.

Most importantly, Tufts put in another dominant defensive performance. The Jumbos allowed the Vikings only 49 points on 30.9 percent shooting, and turned 11 steals into 19 points. The squad has yet to allow more than 60 points this season. see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 7

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tufts wins 15 of 19 events in big win over Wellesley BY

DANIEL RATHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

A grueling start to the season left the women’s swimming and diving team gasping for air when the WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING (2-2, 1-2 NESCAC) Hamilton Pool, Wednesday Wellesley Tufts

117 172

Jumbos left campus forThanksgiving last week. They returned well rested for Wednesday’s home meet against Wellesley, and it showed in a 172117 victory over the Blue.

Tufts kicked off the evening with a stellar performance in the 200-yard medley relay, winning the event with a time of 1:52.84.

Freshmen Jen Konick, Jenny Hu and Mia Greenwald joined senior

Maureen O’Neill — who will graduate at the end of this semester — in starting the meet off on a high note for the Jumbos.

From there, the Jumbos didn’t look back, placing first in 15 of the 19 events, including all but one of the swimming races.

“We had a really, really good meet,” senior tri-captain Megan Kono, who won the 1000-yard freestyle by almost 20 seconds, said.

“Wellesley has been one of our main competitors the past couple of years, and we beat them in a really smooth meet today, which is a great sign for us.

“We also had a lot of support from our teammates on the deck, which is really important especially in events like the 1000, where you rely on their energy to keep you going,” she added.

The Jumbos set a number of personal and school records in the meet. One of those came in

the aforementioned relay, during which Konick completed her 50-yard backstroke portion in 28.63 seconds, the best time ever recorded in Hamilton Pool.

Freshman Ellen Gage finished the 50-yard breaststroke — her only event of the evening — in 31.98 seconds, more than 1.5 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, junior teammate Maren Frisell. That time was a lifetime best for Gage, and she believes it’s a promising omen for the future.

“The 50-yard breast is specifically a NESCAC meet [event], so I didn’t swim it in high school and I don’t swim it every time,” Gage said. “But this was a long-term record for me and I’m excited because it’s a good sign not only for that event, but also for relays.”

Tufts enjoyed first- and secondplace finishes in eight events, including the 200-yard breaststroke, where the Jumbos swept the top three

MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Sophomore Christine Garvey, above during the last winter season, won both the 200-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle in Wednesday’s meet. spots. Sophomore Kathryn Sullivan won the event with a time of 2:34.84, followed by classmate Lauren Quan at 2:37.49 and freshman Emma Van Lieshout at 2:42.35.

The only victory for the Blue came in the 100-yard freestyle, as first-year Mariam Amirkhanashvili touched the wall at 56.15 seconds, six-tenths of a second ahead of Jumbos sophomore Aiai Ren.

First-year Sami Bloom rounded out the night by giving the Jumbos a win in the 1-meter dive with a score of 232.20 points. Bloom’s 267.74 points off the 3-meter board was also the highest mark in the meet, but it counted only as an exhibition because the Jumbos had discontinued their scoring by that point. see WOMEN’S SWIMMING, page 7

WOMEN’S FENCING

Klinkov brings new level of Tufts looks for strong showing at MIT Invitational dedication as fencing coach BY

AARON LEIBOWITZ Senior Staff Writer

After opening its season with three conference victories, the men’s swimming and diving team hopes to keep the win train rolling today and tomorrow at the MIT Invitational.

The invitational — which features NESCAC schools Bowdoin and Colby in addition to MIT, NYU, Wheaton College and members of the Harvard women’s team — begins tonight at 6:30 p.m., continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. and will conclude later in the evening with a 5:30 p.m. session.

Tufts has excelled at the MIT Invitational in recent years, placing second in 2009 and 2007 and third in 2008. While they realize that there is some tough competition and that winning may be a long shot, the Jumbos this weekend hope to make a strong statement.

“The goal of the weekend is to show the other teams at the invitational — MIT, NYU, some of the best Div. III swimming schools in the country — what Tufts swimming is all about,” senior quad-captain Brian Canter said.

MIT, which in March finished eighth at the Div. III National Championships, has been dominant at its invitational in recent

years. The Engineers won 17 of 20 events at last year’s event and are in search of a fourth consecutive first-place finish.

MIT has kept up its stellar swims this season as well, dominating Bowdoin and Babson on Nov. 20 by scores of 217-77 and 226-60, respectively. Tufts, which finished tied for 18th at the NCAAs, got a taste of what the MIT squad has to offer on Nov. 6 at the Batterman Relays at Wheaton, where the Engineers won eight out of nine men’s races and finished one-two with Tufts in five events.

Several Tufts swimmers saw success at the MIT Invitational in 2009. The team of then-juniors Andrew Altman, Gordy Jenkins and David Meyer and then-sophomore Owen Rood finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay and third in the 400-yard freestyle relay, and this year will race together in the same two events.

Altman, Jenkins and Rood also placed in the top 10 out of 57 competitors in the 50-yard freestyle. Rood teamed up with then-sophomore EJ Testa and two seniors to come in second in the 200yard medley relay and third in the 400yard medley relay. see MEN’S SWIMMING, page 7

BY JEREMY

GREENHOUSE

Daily Editorial Board

Normally, the college coach is supposed to recruit the high school athlete. But when a vacancy arose at the coaching spot for the Tufts fencing team last year, Julia Hisey, then an incoming freshman, turned to her high school and club coach Ariana Klinkov.

“When I heard there was no coach, I told her to apply, and when I found out she got the job, it was pretty exciting,” Hisey said.

“I was sort of fortuitous,” Klinkov, the coach of the Concord-Carlisle High School fencing team for the last five years, said.

“Julia had been with me for four years before she came to Tufts. So when last year’s coach left, she and her father approached me about the job. I thought it would be a new and interesting challenge, so I decided to apply, and it’s been going great.”

Last year, Tufts went 4-8 in Northeast Fencing Conference competitions and sent four athletes to the NCAA Regional Championships. Coach Jason Sachs left, but the team remained committed to improving for the 2010-2011 winter season and feels positive about the job Klinkov has done so far.

“Without these girls, I wouldn’t have been

able to step in and have anywhere near this much success,” Klinkov said. “They helped me learn the ropes and have gone out of their way to be team leaders, work hard and motivate others.”

“We’re really excited about Ariana,” senior tri-captain Georgia Ranes said. “She’s really experienced in the sport and has been extremely successful in the past, not only as a competitor and referee but as a coach.”

Sachs had a full-time job in addition to coaching part-time, but fencing is Klinkov’s sole focus. During the first semester of Klinkov’s tenure, significant changes have already been made. The new coach flew to Milwaukee to scout and wants to give her fencers the best chance possible to make the national tournament.

“I know that this team has been a really good Div. III team, but they’ve suffered because they haven’t had good cohesion or meet schedules to enable qualifications to the NCAA championships,” Klinkov said.

“My goal is to change the meet schedule to allow girls to perform at their highest level.”

Ranes said that one of the team’s goals this year was to send at least one person to the NCAAs in the spring, a difficult task for a see FENCING, page 7