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THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

Thursday, November 17, 2011

VOLUME LXII, NUMBER 47

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

MBCR maintenance facility responds to safety violations by

Minyoung Song

Daily Editorial Board

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) this month entered negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to address health and safety violations recently cited against MBCR’s Somerville maintenance facility.

OSHA charged MBCR with 22 “serious” independent offenses concerning workplace practices at the maintenance facility in East Somerville on Oct. 18, according to OSHA spokesman Ted Fitzgerald. The citations earned MBCR a $130,800 fine.

The violations outlined by OSHA’s Citation and Notification of Penalty included improper equipment of abrasive wheel grinders, employee exposure to electrical shock, electrocution and fire hazards and failure to rely on electrical protective equipment and insulated tools when necessary.

OSHA is an agency that enforces safety and health standards in workplaces in both the federal and private sectors.

The safety and health inspections of the Somerville facility, which began in April and concluded in October, were spurred by a complaint of safety hazards from one of the employees working at the branch, Fitzgerald said.

Three of OSHA’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers conducted the onsite inspection, according to OSHA Area Director for Middlesex and Essex Counties Jeffrey Erskine.

“What the inspectors do in general during investigations is physically inspect the workplace and interview [its] workers and management,” Fitzgerald said. “They will review records of documents as necessary and gather whatever information OSHA needs to make a decision.”

He added that the series of unannounced inspections, which entailed see COMMUTER RAIL, page 2

Ashley Seenauth/Tufts Daily

In its first weeks of operation, the shuttle that runs from campus to Porter and Harvard Squares has been prone to overcrowding.

Shuttle faces overcrowding, scheduling irregularities by

Brionna Jimerson

Daily Editorial Board

Oliver Porter/Tufts Daily

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company’s maintenance facility in Somerville was charged with 22 workplace safety violations.

Tufts’ weekend shuttle service between the Medford/Somerville campus and Harvard and Porter Squares, which began running two weeks ago, has been plagued by overcrowding that has resulted in scheduling irregularities and inconvenience to riders.

Joseph’s Transportation on Nov. 5 began operating two shuttles that stop at the Mayer Campus Center and Porter and Harvard Squares every half hour between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The shuttle was created following the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) announcement of its plans to shut down the Red Line between Alewife and Harvard for repairs from this November to March 2012.

“The Operations Division, Director

of Facilities Services Bob Burns and Support Services Manager Sheila Chisholm worked with the Dean of Students Office to get this new shuttle underway once we heard about the closure of the Red Line beyond Harvard Square,” Vice President for Operations Dick Reynolds told the Daily in an email.

The shuttle service has been transporting up to 40 students every half hour, according to Kevin Gibbs, a shuttle operator.

Overcrowding on the shuttles has forced some students to wait for nearly an hour for the next shuttle.

Overcrowding results in shuttles leaving prematurely, which skews the schedule for the entire day, Gibbs added.

“It gets crowded every once in a while, and when it’s crowded, I have to leave the station. I can’t wait,” he said. see SHUTTLE, page 2

Occupiers on panel discuss goals, misconceptions, motivations by

more horizontal and making voices more equal,” Weiss said.

“It’s about social justice and economic justice and having policies that actually cater to the majority of Americans.”

Wolfe explained that the movement was focused on eliminating the social and economic disparities between the upper echelons of society and the rest of the world.

“People talk about things like taking the money out of politics and dissolving corporate personhood and making the inequality gap smaller, and I think that’s all built into the idea of working on bringing the top 1 percent and the 99 percent closer together,” Wolfe said.

Panelists emphasized that their primary frustration is not directed toward specific indi-

Leah Lazer

Contributing Writer

The Junior Class Council last night hosted an “Occupy Boston Discussion Panel,” a forum where panelists discussed the Occupy movement, describing their personal involvement as well as the goals and message of the protests.

The panel featured Professor of Physics Gary Goldstein and graduate student Romina Green as well as five undergraduate students: freshman Spencer Beswick, juniors Anne Wolfe, Rachel Greenspan and Matt Mclaughlin and senior Alex Weiss.

Weiss shared his take on the goals of the Occupy movement with the audience.

“It’s about taking back our democracy and making it

katja torres-ortiz/Tufts Daily

At last night’s panel on the Occupy movement, speakers expressed optimism about the movement’s future.

Inside this issue

see OCCUPY, page 2

Today’s sections

A controversial new website, Dabbut.com, is the talk of the Hill.

An ExCollege course allows students to explore ‘Infinite Jest’ in depth.

see FEATURES, page 3

see WEEKENDER, page 5

News Features Weekender Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 10

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

11 12 15 Back

The Tufts Daily

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News

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Panelists seek to dispel misconceptions about Occupy movement OCCUPY

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viduals holding powerful positions in government and the financial sector, but toward the system that panelists said allows these people to attain such great power and legal immunity.

They listed concerns including military spending, veterans’ benefits, student debt and cutbacks on “safety net” programs like Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare as sources for their frustration with the current government.

Many of the Occupiers’ demands are far from new to the American political scene, Weiss explained.

“Everything that we’re fighting for is really an extension of the battles that have been fought on class lines … since the beginning of this country,” he said, citing labor and civil rights movements as examples.

The key distinction between Occupy and social movements of the past, Greenspan and Weiss said, is that Occupy strikes at the root of the problem, rather than at specific issues that arise from it.

Goldstein views the Occupy movement as long overdue.

“I wondered when the American public would start protesting … why Greeks were out there protesting, and Italians were out there protesting, and nothing was happening in this country that the media noticed,” he said.

Wolfe voiced a desire to dispel misconceptions about the Occupy movement and its participants. Panelists acknowledged that many of the protesters lean toward the liberal end of the political spectrum, but they assert-

katja torres-ortiz/Tufts Daily

Members of the audience engaged panelists in a lively disscussion at last night’s event. ed that this political ideology is not inherent in the goals or structure of the movement but rather a matter of outreach thus far.

“It’s not just a discourse for radicals, or anarchists, or homeless people, or jobless people … It’s a lot of really normal people who are trying to see how they could make this world better,” Wolfe said.

MBCR facility under fire regarding violation charges

COMMUTER RAIL

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multiple visits to the Somerville facility, included both safety and health inspections.

“Safety inspection focuses on conditions that could injure workers, and health inspection focuses on conditions that could make them ill,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald explained that the types of violations that a facility could possibly incur include willful, repeat and serious offenses. All of the citations the Somerville facility received were categorized as “serious.”

“A serious violation can carry a fine as high as $7,000 per violation,” Fitzgerald told the Daily.

MBCR has since modified its practices in response to the citations, according to a Nov. 1 statement from the organization.

“MBCR has worked cooperatively and collaboratively with OSHA over the past six months to address all safety and workplace concerns,” the statement said. “In that period, MBCR has abated or is in the process of addressing all of the issues identified by OSHA. The company

will continue to work closely with OSHA and [the Federal Railroad Association] to ensure the highest possible level of safety for employees and customers.”

MBCR’s management and union officials and OSHA’s two assistant area directors reviewed the citations and brainstormed resolutions to the violations in an informal conference on Nov. 7, according to Erskine.

Fitzgerald expects that the two parties will either arrive at a resolution or proceed to litigation before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

by December of 2011.

“Resolving the matter would involve correcting the hazards, outlining what steps the employer would take to prevent their recurrence and [determining the] payment of the fine,” Fitzgerald said. “Fines are due when the matter is settled.”

Erskine was optimistic that the two parties will be able to reach a settlement. “[MBCR is] taking proactive measures to better protect their employees in the future,” he said.

Members of the movement are trying to bring the messages of the Occupy movement to Tufts, applying its framework to issues within the community, according to Weiss.

“We’re planning on … bringing this horizontal forum to the Tufts community in order to foster a Tufts-wide discussion … about Africana studies, for example, or the controversial issue of potentially

offensive language in the wake of the recent sexual assaults,” he told the Daily via email before the event.

Goldstein expressed optimism regarding the future of the movement, citing recent changes in the public and political discourses and the increased media emphasis on issues of social inequality as reasons for the movement’s positive outlook.

Too soon to gauge shuttle success, Reynolds says SHUTTLE

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The inaccuracy in the schedule, according to Gibbs, often leads to confusion on the part of students about when the shuttle will actually arrive.

“Because we can’t stay at Harvard Square, we’re told to come back to campus, so the schedule isn’t always accurate,” Gibbs said.

So p h o m o re Ka t h l e e n Mathieu missed the shuttle one day when it left before its scheduled time.

“I was there a couple of minutes before the shuttle was supposed to leave and it was already gone,” she said.

“I ended up taking the Joey to Davis and the MBTA shuttle to Harvard and I ended up getting there before the Tufts shuttle.”

The ridership count last weekend reached 1,100 on Saturday and 500 on Sunday, according to Reynolds. On the first weekend of its operation, over 1,200 students used the shuttle on Saturday and 540 rode the bus on Sunday.

Gibbs said that each shuttle can only transport 40 students at a time.

He urged students waiting at Porter Square seeking to travel to campus to take the shuttle even if it is headed in the opposite direction to Harvard Square in order to secure a spot.

“If we get full at Harvard, we have to go right by you,” he said.

The original announcement regarding the new shuttle schedule said that the bus would stop in Davis. This was incorrect; the shuttle actually bypasses Davis on its way from campus to Porter and Harvard Squares, which has been the source of confusion for some students, according to Gibbs.

“We cannot stop in Davis, because the other shuttle, the Joey, runs from campus to Davis Square,” he said.

Sophomore Andrew Kreshtool was under the impression that the shuttle would stop in Davis when he got on it one Saturday morning on his way to receive a quick haircut.

“The Joey was five minutes away, so I thought I would jump on the Harvard shuttle,” he said. “It ended up not stopping [in Davis] so I ended

up taking it all the way into Harvard ... It kind of delayed my Saturday plans.”

Students seeking to travel from Davis Square to Alewife or to Porter or Harvard Squares can utilize extra buses the MBTA has provided as a result of the Red Line weekend shutdown between those stops, Gibbs explained.

Given the shuttle has only been in place for two weekends, it may be too soon to gauge its success, Reynolds noted.

“It’s too soon to have gotten much in the way of response, but the number of students using the service indicates that it’s been appreciated,” he said.

Reynolds said that the Operations Division is paying for the new shuttle service, but that exact costs of the program are still unknown.

“The shuttle is being funded by the Operations Division from our annual budget; final costs won’t be known until we see how often we finally need to meet the demand,” he said.

— Amelie Hecht contributed reporting to this article.

Police Briefs Hide your cars on Capen Street At 11:40 a.m. on Nov. 10, the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a call that a car was broken into on Capen St. Extension. The thief smashed the window of the locked car with a rock and stole a GPS. This is the second time in the past month that a thief has broken a car window on the Capen St. Extension, but TUPD has no further leads.

The sun set early on this party At 12:50 a.m. on Nov. 13, TUPD

arrived at a party on Sunset Avenue.

The officers broke up the 80-person gathering, and the party’s hosts helped clear the house.

Not-so-healthy living At 1:17 a.m. on Nov. 13, TUPD received a call from an individual in Hill Hall about the sighting of a beer funnel. The beer funnel in question had six tubes attached to a large funnel at the top of a six-foot-tall metal shaft.

Each tube had a valve to turn the flow of beer on and off. The elaborate beer funnel was confiscated by TUPD. “I would put it in the evidence locker, but it’s too big,” TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy said.

It wasn’t us!

At 3:18 a.m. on Nov. 13, TUPD received a call about an intoxicated student at 100 Packard Ave., the house belonging to the Theta Chi fraternity. Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc. transported the student to Somerville Hospital. Residents of the house said they did not believe she had been drinking at their house.

Paraphernalia Hill

on

the

At 10:26 p.m. on Nov. 13, TUPD received another call from an individual in Hill Hall, this time reporting the smell of marijuana. They knocked on the

door outside which the smell seemed the strongest, and the students inside readily admitted to smoking marijuana.

They were in possession of a batterypowered vaporizer and a small medicine bottle of the drug, both of which fit into the evidence locker at TUPD headquarters.

‘Tis the season for pot At 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, TUPD received a call reporting the smell of marijuana coming from a room in Bush Hall. The people in the room outside which the smell was the strongest admitted to smoking. Their large electric vaporizer, Mason jar of marijuana and two grinders were confiscated.

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

Chelsea Stevens | Loud Noises

Registration woes

U

Scott Tingley/Tufts Daily

Student-created Dabbut.com, intended to be an alternative to other online social media, has raised privacy concerns among members of the Tufts community.

Dabbut.com: The next new thing?

Students express concern over the new social media site aimed at Jumbos

by Victoria Rathsmill and Amelia Quinn

Daily Editorial Board

When junior Albert Nichols last year created his website, Dabbut. com, he intended it to be a new, more truthful alternative to forums such as CollegeACB and JuicyCampus.

However, Dabbut presents a host of potential privacy and cyber bullying-related issues that concern some Jumbos.

As a website, Dabbut.com is meant to be used solely by Tufts students.

They can comment about students and groups, and others vote the comments as “true” or “false.” If others

vote a comment as true, that commenter’s future judgments will have more weight. However, if a comment is voted false or rude, that person’s vote will have less weight in the future.

The site compiles information from across the Internet — including from Facebook and other sources — using an automated search function. Many students do not realize that Dabbut has posted their name or a picture and made their profile available for other people’s comments.

In order to comment on others’ profiles, Dabbut users must verify their status as a student either by being a part of the Tufts network on Facebook or by confirming that they have a

Tufts email address.

Nichols said the site has garnered both positive and negative responses.

“It’s all about lowering the threshold to get involved with things — whether it’s a person or a group,” he said. “What’s on Dabbut is decided by its users, so we hope that the entire community will contribute to the site, voice their opinion and make Tufts a more open, accessible place for people to get information,” Nichols said.

“The goal is to create a tool for people to find what they don’t know now.

Nine times out of 10, there is someone who knows something you don’t — we see DABBUT, page 4

Street Smarts: Tufts’ Sartorial Scene

As college students, getting up “early” means rolling out of bed any time before 10 a.m. And with a decent amount of classes occurring at 10:30, we don’t all have the time to pick out a show-stopping outfit. Mostly, we want something easy and comfortable while still looking presentable. The simplest way to solve this problem is to pick out a unique, fun accessory that adds punch to an otherwise lowkey sweater or clean-cut button-down. This week, we searched out Jumbos who have mastered this method and found students who incorporated exceptional accessories with a classic wardrobe.

Compiled by Ashley Wood and Justin McCallum Photos by Justin McCallum

“My personal style is highlow; I love to mix my grandmother’s vintage with stuff I find in Paris. I love this sweater: It’s actually from a really cool brand in Paris, Zadig & Voltaire. I think the epaulets are cool. I’m trying to dress less preppy.”

—Elizabeth Landers, junior

“I found my necklace on Gilt Groupe for $10. It was a total steal. I have another in a similar color, and I think they’re cool and easy to wear.”

—Danya Al-Qattan, sophomore

“I’m getting my senior portrait done, so I was told to wear a matching shirt and tie. I chose the bowtie ‘cause I can rock it.

Usually I dress in just jeans and a shirt, throwing on a sweatshirt or jacket.”

—Matt McGowen, senior

“I prefer this style. I have been wearing more formal attire for a long time. It seems normal, but I enjoy dressing up, and it’s fun and doing that every day is nice. I’ve had this hat for a while. A bowler is very distinctive for my style, and I just like the look of it.”

—Teddy Wing, senior

nless you’re an engineer or one of the few seniors who get into Math of Social Choice, you probably wouldn’t consider registration “fun,” per se. A new social order was established a few weeks ago when the registration times were released: Those with 8 a.m. registration times were the monarchs; 9-10:30 a.m. times characterized the nobles and gentry; knights and vassals occupied the 10:45 to noon slots, while the humble merchants and craftsmen shuffled in from 12:15 to 2 p.m.; finally, after 2 p.m., the serfs and peasants were allowed to scavenge what they could.

The monarchs pranced about campus as if their registration times were bequeathed to them through divine right, while the less-fortunate wallowed in self-pity. Both these schools of people suck, and their antics shouldn’t be tolerated.

As a gift for my fourth semester at Tufts, I actually got the half-decent time of 11 a.m. On Monday, I kept an eye on the 15-person sophomore seminar I was trying to get into and there were, miraculously, four spots left when, during Western Political Thought, the clock struck 11 and I logged in. Much to my dismay, this did not go smoothly; I didn’t have approval from my adviser.

Naturally, panic ensued. After nearly pulling out my hair and causing a scene, I hastily emailed my adviser with the subject PLEASE URGENT and desperately explained my plight. About 20 seconds thereafter — when the remaining slots in the seminar slipped to two — I concluded that I needed a better strategy and made the decision to run to the psych building to see if my adviser was there.

My first challenge was slipping out of class without looking like a complete jackass. Unfortunately I was sitting in the middle of Cabot Auditorium and had to subtly climb over what were surely four of the longest femurs in the room to get to the exit — an arduous task, to say the least.

After making a fool of myself and leaving my classmates wondering what immediate family member’s death must have caused my untimely exit, I made my way across the Academic Quad with an almost painful power-walk. I felt somewhat compelled to burst into a primitive run, but no one wants to be the goon running with a backpack, so I reluctantly settled for a stride that was half brisk trot, half awkward waddle. Despite almost being hit by cars on both College Avenue and Boston Avenue, I safely arrived at my adviser’s office … to find the door locked. There was one spot left in the seminar.

Handily, having amazing composure under pressure and thinking quickly on my toes, I learned from WebCenter that my adviser was teaching a class in Barnum Hall that would get out at 11:45 a.m. It was 11:15 so I headed to Barnum to orchestrate a stake-out until his class got out.

It was at this point that some heavenly spirit descended on my soul and rewarded me for the karma-bolstering, altruistic deeds I’ve been sprinkling into my lifestyle, foolishly hoping that they would somehow bring me good fortune in exams. My adviser let his class out 20 minutes early, and I was teeming with excitement and angst as I dashed into the auditorium. Although he was talking to other students, he looked right at me and informed me that he had gotten my email just seconds before and approved me.

So everything worked out. I know a lot of people didn’t get the classes they wanted, so I really can’t complain. Missing half a lecture, suffering an extended bout of anxiety and having to change my shirt after drenching it with sweat from my combined stress and power-walking ended up being a small price to pay.

Chelsea Stevens is a sophomore majoring in psychology. She can be reached at Chelsea.Stevens@tufts.edu.

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Features

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dabbut introduced to Tufts community but sparks questions, concerns

DABBUT

continued from page 3

wanted to create something that allows them to share that with you and get some reward for it,” he said.

Senior Erica Spurlock first discovered Dabbut last spring when a friend from her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, sent an email to the sorority e-list about the website.

“Immediately I realized the problems that this website had, and as vice president in charge of public relations and communications, I took it upon myself to make sure that me and everyone in my sorority was removed,” Spurlock said.

Their worries were assuaged when Nichols disabled the site because of expected usage dips during the final exam period.

“We did not expect as much traffic as we got and we were unable to keep the site running correctly,” Nichols said in an email to the Daily.

When Nichols reinstated the site this semester, Spurlock made an appointment with Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman.

“We discussed options and he absolutely agreed that the site was potentially dangerous, but from a legal standpoint his hands were tied,” Spurlock said.

Nichols said he sought out professional resources to ensure the site’s legality.

Despite the site being sound from a legal standpoint, though, Spurlock said she still has major concerns about privacy issues relating to the site.

“My first immediate thought was, ‘I am applying to law school right now, and I can’t have something like this up and available for people to see.’ Obviously that sentiment extended for anyone applying for jobs, internships, etc. or anyone who wants to have control over how they are portrayed on the Internet.

It’s not fair to have lies people anonymously post about you to be available to anyone who looks,” she said.

While Nichols says the site has good intentions, he has received feedback from students who are worried about the opportunity it gives users to write rude or baseless remarks. Nichols anticipated this concern when he was creating Dabbut and said that the site has a built-in monitoring system for limiting this type of behavior.

“In an online environment, there is always the opportunity for that.

Making the site, we created the opportunity for users to tag things as untrue and inappropriate, and if enough people do this, they are removed from the site immediately,” Nichols said. “In terms of accountability, the whole site is orientated toward everybody having a say … We basically want to value the opinion of everybody, and if people say something is false or rude, we will

remove it from the site, and hold that person accountable.”

In addition to her worries about privacy, Spurlock raised concerns about the type of cyber bullying Dabbut could allow.

“What is especially problematic is how easily someone can [post on Dabbut.com]. Everyone is subject to rude comments of people…It didn’t seem right that being a student at Tufts automatically made you a victim on the site,” Spurlock said.

Other students also share this concern over the site turning into a forum for rude campus gossip.

“I think it will be a lot harder to keep Dabbut from being offensive as it becomes more widely known,” junior Adrienne Dreyfus said. “One good thing about it as opposed to CollegeACB is that [Nichols] tried to tackle the issue of people making bad comments without any sort of retribution … but at the same time, I don’t think that even [he] can prevent some people from being offended,” she said.

“I think his idea is that if you get a mass opinion, you get an honest one,” Dreyfus said. “People take everything on the Internet as the honest truth and that’s just not true. When you’re applying it to people, I think that people might just use it for the wrong reasons.

Sometimes you don’t actually want to know an accurate portrayal of a person.

At that point you can’t really choose.”

Dreyfus and Nichols have both said that they haven’t observed students using the site to post negative comments, and there have been no major issues thus far. If the site ever did become a forum for cyber bullying, Nichols said, he would take action.

“If it becomes anything like CollegeACB, a purely negative or bad representation of who people are and what groups are, I will take it down immediately. Obviously our intentions are good — there is no pride in making a website that hurts people,” Nichols said.

Nichols hopes that Dabbut will become a useful tool for the Tufts community and suggests that if students are concerned with privacy issues relating to the site or cyber bullying, they should go on the site and experiment.

“I built this for Tufts,” he said. “I want people to have the ability to know people they don’t know, and to find out about groups they are interested in. For example, if you’re a freshman and want to dance at Tufts, you can type in TDC [Tufts Dance Collective], and find out about [it]. It gives people at Tufts an easier way to access and to enter things they’re interested in,” Nichols added.

“The reason why there may be controversy is because it’s a new concept and it’s pushing the limits. It’s something that hasn’t been brought online before, and it will happen.”

Weekender

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Arts & Living

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Weekender Feature

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLA BATHE VIA FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

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Reading ‘Infinite Jest’ fills void for contemporary literature courses

O’Dell’s course creatively tackles an understudied text by

B

Matthew Welch

Daily Editorial Board

ooks can be difficult to teach for several reasons. They can be too stuffy, profane, archaic, mundane or pretentious.

There are many students who would happily banish novels like these from their classrooms, but there exists a whole category of books that aren’t regularly taught for a simple logistical reason: they are too long.

This is not to say they aren’t good — some of the most praised novels of the century clock in above 700 pages, but teaching Thomas Pynchon’s “Gravity’s Rainbow” (1973), William Gaddis’ “The Recognitions” (1955) or Don DeLillo’s “Underworld” (1997) is pretty tough. With these novels, it’s not just the sheer amount of reading required, but also the diversity of themes, characters and plots that present a unique challenge to the reader and professor.

No novel from the past 20 years tackles the difficulties of modern American life with more scope and compassion than David Foster Wallace’s “Infinite Jest” (1996), a sprawling text that chronicles the lives of elite tennis players, recovering drug addicts, Canadian terrorists and a bevy of other characters over the span of 1,079 pages. Students who have longed to cover writers like Wallace and novels like “Infinite Jest” in a more formal academic setting have had few options at Tufts until now.

“Reading Infinite Jest: David Foster Wallace and the Future of the Novel,” a course currently being offered through the Tufts Experimental College (ExCollege), tackles this mammoth novel and its myriad of quirky challenges through a suitably unconventional approach.

Jacqueline O’Dell, a Tufts graduate student in the English Department, is teaching the course using a combination of typical and innovative methods. O’Dell has taught English 1 and 2 at Tufts but

wanted to cover a different topic with a fresh approach. The freeform nature of the ExCollege gave O’Dell the freedom she was looking for.

“Presumably, you can teach any [genre of] literature at the ExCollege, which is great for this book,” she told the Daily.

Despite the daunting nature of “Infinite Jest” and the two-and-a-half hour class length, students have flocked to the course, giving it an attendance level on par with most traditional English classes.

“It’s supposed to be a discussion class; we tried to form a circle in the class but we couldn’t all fit,” O’Dell said.

Given the demanding nature of the course and its topic, the students who have attended are all seriously interested and the discussions have been enthusiastic. O’Dell said, “It hasn’t been a challenge to get everyone involved, the great news is everyone is into it and everyone likes the book.”

Part of the appeal of “Infinite Jest” for students is how directly its themes apply to people of our generation, particularly Tufts students. Many of the novel’s characters — like many Tufts students — are youths who have grown up with material comfort and ample educational opportunities. Wallace examines how people can become depressed despite fulfilling all of the ostensible criteria for happiness: being well educated, having meaningful relationships, enjoying financial stability, etc.

Wallace’s exceptional ability to connect his characters’ conflicted inner lives with the greater society they inhabit makes the novel particularly compelling and relevant to readers of our generation.

The despair that permeates “Infinite Jest” comes largely from the hollowness of the culture it depicts, in which videophones and home entertainment have displaced personal interaction and genuine life experiences. Though Wallace drives the eccentricities of American culture to often parodic heights, the novel reads as a mordant depiction of modern life as it exists for many Americans.

Students in the class also pointed to the allure of communal reading as one of the greatest assets of the course.

“I really wanted to read the book and have meaningful discussions about it, and this [class] was the best way to have that — to read the book with other people reading the book and talk about it with other people. I feel like it’s better when you read with other people,” said Kelly Zhang, a senior and English major taking the class.

The English department’s relative lack of courses on contemporary authors and post-’60s literary movements, such as post-modernism, has given O’Dell’s course a unique foothold on that aspect of American literature. This allows students who would ordinarily do the reading on their own the opportunity to do it within an academic setting. This fact doubtlessly contributes to the high enrollment in the class.

The format of “Reading Infinite Jest” matches itself to the unique structure of the novel, the fractured narrative of which eschews linear storytelling and forces readers to constantly re-orient themselves and their interpretations.

“In some ways, the course takes a cue from the novel and is always asking students to question the reading strategies they’ve grown accustomed to,” O’Dell said.

While the class features standard English fare like analytical papers, these assignments form the backbone for more creative projects later in the semester. Discussions are bolstered by blog contributions, while the final exams for the class are designed by the students themselves. All of these guidelines give the course a more collaborative element than most traditional academic offerings.

“As students have read more, the course has been looking to them to guide it,” O’Dell said.

During a visit to the class, I saw students addressing the themes of their traditional essays through a wide range of approaches. One group broadcasted their

own version of a radio show from the novel, complete with surreal narration and a homemade soundtrack. Another group addressed social networking, one of the cultural trends “Infinite Jest” failed to predict, by transplanting several characters from the novel onto Twitter, sending out tweets as their literary alter egos to explore how the personas of the novel would adapt to a new medium. All of these creative approaches to the novel give students a new perspective for analyzing “Infinite Jest.”

“We do discussions and talk about passages like you would in a regular class, but the creative assignments are important because we get to look at the book in the same way Wallace did. Instead of close reading all the time, we can just step back and take a look at the creative process in general,” said Zhang.

These experimental projects allow students to elaborate on ideas they have solidified through discussions and their own readings, all the while contributing to a class atmosphere that fosters a wider range of student input.

Classes like “Reading Infinite Jest: David Foster Wallace and the Future of the Novel” depict the ExCollege’s critical role in expanding the scope of the Tufts education. While there is no reason why courses like this one can’t be taught outside the ExCollege, such a free-form environment invites innovation and experimentation in a way that regular classes do not.

This intellectual flexibility becomes particularly useful for classes on single books whose reputations have not been fully established. While teaching a whole course on a classic like James Joyce’s “Ulysses” (1922) is a pretty easy sell, specifically focusing on a recent book like “Infinite Jest” is riskier. Thankfully, the ExCollege gives teachers and students the leeway to take risks on less established topics and methods, providing a testing ground for new courses and pedagogical approaches for students and faculty alike.

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

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WEEKENDER

Gallery Review

Piene’s ‘Lichtballett’ stuns with hypnotic beauty by

Anna Majeski

Daily Editorial Board

Since the middle of the 20th century, art and artists have rejected the canvas and brush as the sole tools of their trade. Unexpected

Otto Piene: Lichtballett At the MIT List Visual Arts Center, through Dec. 31 20 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02142 617-253-4680 materials and performance art have toppled the hegemony of conventional mediums and ushered in an era which questions the stuff of art as much as its content. The work of Otto Piene epitomizes this norm-defying movement, as he substitutes light for paint and transforms art from a single static moment into a veritable ballet of ephemeral form.

Piene, whose work “Lichtballett” is now on display at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology List Visual Arts Center, was a founding member of ZERO, an influential artistic group/movement. Piene and fellow artist Heinz Mack led ZERO in a backlash against the contemporary dominance of Abstract Expressionism as they chose instead to produce kinetic works which favored light and movement.

Piene’s work exemplifies this experimentation. Taking light as his artistic medium, Piene’s work is as much performance as it is artwork. Set up in a single darkened room in the List Center, “Lichtballett” is composed of

Courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology List Visual Arts Center

‘Lichtballett’ uses light as an artistic medium. eight of Piene’s sculptures: six from Piene’s earlier production in the ’60s and ’70s and two new installations. The term “sculpture” is only loosely applicable to these works, however, which are essentially vehicles for the patterns of light that they project onto the walls of the gallery space.

Take, for instance, the work “Hängende Lichtkugel” (1972), a low-hung sphere in the center of the gallery space. The piece features a chrome-plated brass ball with a perforated surface that allows its central light source to shine through. At a particular moment, the light at the center comes on, and the sphere rotates to cast elaborate

moving shadows on the walls of the gallery.

One’s eyes are immediately drawn away from the circulating sphere and toward the gallery walls, where spider-like organic shapes crawl across the bare space. The sphere itself becomes an afterthought, important only insofar as it helps to create the ecstatic forms created out of light.

Crucial to the success of “Lichtballett” is the variety of forms created through the sculptures. One of Piene’s newer creations, “One Cubic Meter of Light Black” (20102011), is a black cube, again perforated across see LICHTBALLETT, page 8

Album Review

Drake’s new album probes emotional depths by

Marcus Budline

Contributing Writer

For some reason, it has become cool to hate Drake. The common wisdom on the Toronto-born rapper is that he’s the “softest

Take Care Drake Young Money Records rapper in the game,” in Kanye West’s words — a weak phony who represents everything that’s wrong with the rap industry.

Maybe it’s because of his dichotomous obsession with his love of money and hatred of fame. Or maybe it’s the fact that his career started earlier this decade on “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” in which he played the wheelchair-bound Jimmy on the Nickelodeon tween melodrama.

But what is conveniently ignored in the discussions about Drake’s softness is the fluidity and depth to his music, as well as the genuine self-awareness in the songs he produces. The title of his nearly-20-track sophomore effort, “Take Care,” intends to reflect the time and effort Drake directed into making the album that he wanted — not what the music industry wanted. As

Wikimedia Commons

‘Take Care’ is a mix of emotional musings. a result, “Take Care” stands as a beacon of smoothness and completeness that not many others can create.

The album begins with a melodic track, “Over My Dead Body,” that features a haunting hook from fellow Canadian Chantal Kreviazuk and sets the tone for the rest of the album. Drake raps, “Nowadays it’s six figures when they tax me/ Oh well, guess

you lose some and win some/ Long as the outcome is income,” and “Red wine over Fed time” in the song, portraying his revenue-focused mindset.

Sounding a little like “The Wire’s” (20022008) Stringer Bell, Drake is more interested in the cash flow than in the fakegangster lifestyle that fellow Young Money Entertainment superstars ascribe to. It’s this notion that’s the most important aspect of the new, self-aware Drake that we see now. He just wants to be loved, make a little money and get back to Canada.

Many more strong tracks follow, including the now-ubiquitously heard “Headlines,” which still holds up as the best song on the album. These impressive songs epitomize Drake’s rapping and singing and showcase the impressive production of his longtime sidekick Noah “40” Shebib.

“Take Care,” a booming and poppy singsong track, will without a doubt be the next song coming from every hit-music radio station in the country. Drake and his exlover, Rihanna, trade verses about romance, drinking and weed — which very well may be Drake’s favorite three things in the world.

The result is a catchy, palatable song for every listener.

Drake and 40 also coax the best out of a number of guest rappers, including Nicki see DRAKE, page 8

The Artsy Jumbo

Bowe finds solace in music and memories What was your most recent excuse for missing school? Maybe a cold? Maybe a hangover? Maybe sheer laziness? Unlike senior English major Justine Bowe, you probably couldn’t claim to be polishing off your first studio-recorded album.

Though she took last semester off for a variety of reasons, Bowe also used that time to finish making her first five-track album under the name photocomfort. A melodious mix of electronica and orchestration, the album cleverly reflects some of Bowe’s favorite musicians — Simon and Garfunkel and Grizzly Bear. When asked about her moniker, Bowe replied that it references her tendency to withdraw into herself in times of stress.

“I can comfort myself with solitude and images of childhood, things that I find comforting or solitude. It’s all about that retreat before I can re-enter the

Ashley Seenauth/Tufts Daily

world,” she said.

Bowe would love the opportunity to explore her music for a few years after graduation, but she still doesn’t think she could make it a permanent lifestyle choice.

“That kind of lifestyle … is incredibly taxing, physically and emotionally. I

don’t think I have a high threshold for that,” Bowe said.

Bowe has been involved with music throughout her life, and distinctly remembers owning Weezer’s “Blue” album (1994) in elementary school. She has also always prized her own individuality, and readily accepted that many of her tastes — musical and otherwise — did not overlap with others’ tastes. This same philosophy helps explain how Bowe is able to balance her musical passions with her studies.

“What I try to do is make sure that my academics are … as appealing as my music. Right now, it’s about balancing things that I actually want to pursue. It’s not so hard when you actually want to do it,” she said.

There’s definitely a lesson to be learned in there.

—by Melissa MacEwen

Tai Frater | Chewing the Fat

Of tofu, couches and potatoes

G

iven my enthusiasm for food and my lack of shame in dropping obvious hints, I get invited to some amazing dinner parties.

Last week, I received such an invitation: My classmate, Andrew, was throwing a party to thank his host family for its hospitality. Andrew had met the couple in question through CouchSurfing.org, and they had put him up when he first arrived from Taiwan.

For the uninitiated, CouchSurfing.org is an online phenomenon through which people offer a sleeping space in their home — for free — to a stranger. If time permits, the hosts often induct their guest into some cultural experiences. Hosts then take on and stay with other surfers, and surfers themselves may become hosts in time. The whole system is fueled by tremendous amounts of goodwill, so I was eager to meet the couple that had graciously hosted Andrew on his arrival.

Upon arriving promptly at 6:30 p.m., the kitchen was calm and organized, and many dishes already adorned the table. I was impressed both with how amazing the food looked and smelled, and also with the punctuality and calm in the kitchen.

When I host a dinner party, my trademark state when guests arrive is to have a half-full wine glass in hand, apron on, hair wet from the shower and dinner only half-prepared. I had thought it was standard to hand over the cooking to your guests while disappearing for half an hour to finish getting ready. Not so at Andrew’s place. He was willingly assisted by his two commis chefs/roommates, and everything was ready bang on time.

And what a feast! Andrew had prepared two huge steaming pots, one with chicken and mushrooms, and a tofu assortment for the vegetarians in the other. In addition, there was hot-andsour soup, Taiwanese omelets, green vegetables, chicken with a spicy sauce and a dish consisting of firm white strips with red sauce and tofu. This last dish puzzled us Westerners. While it seemed familiar, we could not put our fingers on what it was, but we agreed it was some sort of root vegetable. Finally, Andrew made the great reveal — it was potatoes.

I love being surprised like this, when a familiar ingredient is prepared in such an unusual way that it is unrecognizable yet still delicious.

The food was outstanding and infused with wonderful flavors, despite being altogether less spicy than I was expecting. I was also impressed with the use of tofu in the dishes. Tofu is one of those ingredients that I have always found a bit intimidating to cook with. I know it is very good for you and delicious, if prepared in the right way, but I don’t know where to start with preparing it myself. However, Andrew’s tofu was so delicious that I’m inspired to try cooking with tofu myself. I also fully intend to start dropping hints now to acquire some Taiwanese cooking lessons.

And what of the couch-surfing veterans? It turns out Andrew’s host family was an interesting, traveled and professional grown-up couple. It was interesting to hear their take on economics, life, culture and travel. Indeed, the assorted company from four separate continents provided a rich discussion on subjects from Taiwanese literature to economics to healthcare to where to live in America.

I now know that the Chinese character for “risk” is a combination of those for danger and opportunity, that it is not easy to cycle in the Gobi Desert and that local beer is always best — well, I already knew that last one.

I felt that this sort of discussion and gathering is exactly the sort of cultural exchange that the founders of couch surfing envisioned. I am inspired and will be opening up my London couch on my return next May. Potential surfers who can cook great food are especially welcome.

Tai Frater is a graduate student studying occupational therapy. She can be reached at Tai.Frater@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

8

weekender

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Light leaps and waltzes in Piene’s exhibit

Theater Preview

Religion and sexuality collide in ‘Next Fall’ by

Alexander Kaufman Daily Staff Writer

The Daily earlier this semester reviewed the Speakeasy Stage Company production of “Next Fall.” This is a preview of the on-campus production of the same play.

This Thursday evening ushers in the premiere of Pen, Paint and Pretzels’ (3Ps) “Next Fall” at Balch Arena Theater. This piece is a relatable, comedic and touching drama about religion and relationships, friends and lovers and everything in between.

Senior Ann Noling directs 3Ps’ major production of Geoffrey Nauffts’ Tony-nominated play. “Next Fall” examines tensions that arise from being both religious and gay and casts new light on how relationships can endure in spite of differences. The play attempts to answer the questions “What do you do when crisis hits you? What do you do when you don’t have a plan?” in a courageous, yet modest, manner.

The play centers on Luke (senior Kevin McDonald) and Adam (senior Kyle Cherry), a gay couple that has been living together for five years in present day New York. Luke is an actor and a devout Christian, while Adam is a staunch atheist. Despite this fundamental difference, their relationship has survived and flourished.

“Next Fall” begins after Luke is hit by a taxicab and has fallen into a coma, as his friends and family wait in the hospital for news about his state. The audience is introduced to a host of Luke’s friends and family, including Luke’s well-meaning boss, Holly (freshman Claire Fey), the slightly uptight, Bible-clutching Brandon (junior Zach Gillette), his overly chatty mother, Arlene (senior Alexa Chryssos), and Luke’s homophobic — and aptly named — father, Butch (freshman Andy De Leon). Finally, Adam arrives at the hospital to find Luke’s parents, who are completely unaware of

Justin mccallum/Tufts Daily

Religious differences affect a couple, played by seniors Kevin McDonald and Kyle Cherry. their son’s sexuality and love life, already waiting.

“Next Fall” travels back and forth between the hospital of the present and scenes from Luke and Adam’s past, depicting their relationship as it grew. Their relationship begins with a flirtatious rooftop meeting before the two spend the night together. The following morning, they have a conversation about Luke’s faith in Adam’s apartment. Luke says that he, like everyone else, is a sinner, and that being gay is his sin.

Adam hones in on this declaration, and after many pointed questions about God, Luke reluctantly admits that if the killers of Matthew Shepard — who was tortured and murdered in a 1998 due to his sexual orientation — had asked Jesus for forgiveness, they would go to heaven, while if Matthew himself had done the same, he would not.

While Adam may have won this ideological battle, it’s fair to say that Luke wins his fair share of arguments as well. This conversation repeats and expands, changing shape and form throughout the play. Noling said that, although the play is not a perfect representation of religion, “it portrays an intelligent conversation about religion and what it means to be faithful in the modern world.”

These issues of faith are not only relevant

Drake’s latest proves him underrated DRAKE

continued from page 7

Minaj on the track “Make Me Proud.” Minaj spits her best verse in a long while, using different voices and evoking her verse on Kanye’s “Monster” (2010) from nearly a year ago. Drake raps a tightly-wound verse full of in-line rhymes and adds a well-sung hook before Minaj comes in and kills a verse of her own.

In addition, good ol’ Rick Ross makes an appearance on “Lord Knows,” a religioussounding track on which Drake displays bravado infrequently heard on the rest of the album. The Teflon Don’s harshness contrasts with Drake’s musing that “showin’ emotion don’t ever mean I’m a p---y.”

Unfortunately, there are a couple of obligatory Lil’ Wayne and Birdman features that add little to the album as a whole. At this point, Drake is rising quickly while Weezy and Birdman continue to fall, and their appearances on “HYFR” and “We’ll be Fine,” respec-

tively, show just how far Drake has come and how much more impressive he is than his mentors. The two sound as if they are grasping for straws, while Drake remains confident and hungry for more success.

But, of course, Drake does get a little emo from time to time on “Take Care,” whining about his fame and sounding like a desperate lover on a number of different occasions. The most obvious example of this comes through on the pre-released “Marvin’s Room,” a whiny drunk dial of a song in which Drake raps about “having a hard time adjusting to fame.”

But the beauty of Drake lies in the eloquent way he manages to pull off these crooning, softie pieces of work. His melodic and depressed voice mixes right in with tight rhymes, and there is no one who oohs and ahs better than the man who once played Jimmy.

If you listen just to the sounds and the wailing he can’t help himself from incorporating, Drake is a softie. But in reality, these

10. Bacardi 151: If it seems aggressive to start with this notorious blackout potion, just remember — there’s family involved.

9. Hard cider: Rep’ it old school with the Puritans’ favorite party drink (probably).

8. Wild Turkey Bourbon: On this most sacred of feasts, basted beats wasted.

7. Pumpkin beer: Because all that Halloween-themed beer hasn’t gone bad yet!

6. Smashing Pumpkin: Party like it’s “1979” with equal parts Goldschläger, Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlúa, with added dashes of pumpkin spice syrup and cinnamon.

LICHTBALLETT

continued from page 7

its surface. When the light within the cube turns on and rotates at the center, tutu-like forms dance around the gallery, shifting beautifully as they make their way across their four-sided stage.

The exhibit’s titular piece takes up an entire wall. “Lichtballett” (2011) is composed of concentric circles of perforations in the wall. Behind these circles of perforations, shifting lights rotate and project rotating circles of spots into the gallery.

Each of the five works assembled in the gallery is alternately turned on according to a timed cycle. Like a dancer performing a solo, each of the sculptures eventually fades out and allows a different piece to take center stage in the mechanized ballet of light Piene has orchestrated for the viewer. Sometimes a single piece is turned on, forming a solitary voice in the semidarkness of the gallery. Most beautiful, however, is when a number of these lightsculptures come on at once: The resultant mixture of lights and forms does full justice to the aptly named installation, whose English translation is “light ballet.”

The power of the installation comes from Piene’s apt manipulation of his medium; the lights cast on the gallery walls are more than just rotating, circular dots — they are as varied as different strokes of paint.

That said, there are certain sculptures that feel out of place amid the otherwise spectacular performance of light. “Little Black Lighthouse” (1965) and “Electric Anaconda” (1965) are both composed of stacked black spheres; they resemble a fairly awkward pile of bowling balls miraculously glued one on top of the other. At the center of each individual sphere is a light bulb, orange in “Lighthouse” and purple in “Anaconda.” These feebly flick on one after another, until the row of spheres is all lit up; the stacks then go dark. They cast almost no light at all and are hardly noticeable amidst the kinetic and energetic play of light emanating from the other sculptures.

While the other sculptures are composed out of the light they direct and create, these two sculptures are stunted by their inability to transform or contribute anything to the optic dance. Although “Lighthouse” and “Anaconda” may be more impressive on their own terms, the aim of the installation is really not to look at each sculpture individually, but rather to appreciate what each contributes to Piene’s ballet of light.

Beyond these two minor slip-ups, “Lichtballett” is a wonderful exhibit. Piene’s rejection of paint and brush in favor of light transforms the conventional artistic viewing process into an immersive experience. As sculptural form fades into the background and light takes center stage, you disappear into an alternative universe ruled by light, shadow and dancing form.

croons are just a man coming to terms with his newfound fame, unaware how to handle it just as almost any 25-year-old would be.

Rather than pretending he has a hold on his popularity and rapping about his love of life, Drake gives insight into what goes into his music and how he just wants to be loved by the city he grew up in while maintaining his ever-swelling bank account.

“Take Care” summarizes Drake’s emotional coordinates at this point in his life. Some may take sport in laughing at his trivial moans, but the quality of the music is far too high to let that stand in its way. From the beginning to the end, Drake bombards the listener with everything he has, exposing himself in a manner that places him alongside some of the best artists in the game right now. He puts his whole mind into the album, and out of his endeavor comes a sensitive, sensual and sensible record full of songs suited for pop radio, wild parties, depressed nights alone and everything in between.

What’s Up This Weekend

Top Ten | Dranksgiving Cocktails The minute your last class gets out next week, we know what you’re going to want to do — no, not spend time with your family. You’re going to want to drink.

And what better way to do so than with some holiday-themed beverages? Get in the Dranksgiving spirit with some, um, Dranksgiving spirits. It’ll make talking to Aunt Marge a hell of a lot easier.

to gay couples, but to all couples. Noling’s direction presents the themes and questions of “Next Fall” for a night of thoughtful, intellectual drama. The skillful execution of the play allows its themes to leave the context of the stage and pervade the viewer’s mind.

As a testament to each of the actors’ authentic portrayals of their characters, audience members will see pieces of themselves in each character in ways that are sometimes unnerving and uncomfortable.

“No matter what people think about the characters or their beliefs, people will end up talking about the issues that it raises,” producer Lina Stolyar, a senior, said.

More importantly, the 3Ps decided to perform “Next Fall” this semester because it relates closely to the Tufts community. Noling said she was motivated to direct this particular piece because it “is a community with many gay members, and to do a show that presents that on stage is very exciting.”

“Next Fall” is a play that questions sexuality, asks difficult questions of religion and deals with differences in relationships in a tasteful and realistic way without the rigidity of formal debate. Though Tufts students may confront the above issues on a regular basis, “Next Fall” poses these tough queries skillfully and wittily, and presents them to viewers to genuinely contemplate.

Though this play probes themes of religion and faith, it also champions the importance of faith, and, maybe even more so, the importance of acceptance. Noling wrote in her director’s note, “No one’s the devil here, we’re all just trying to get along.” Though the characters differ dramatically from one another, they prove that there is always a shared common ground between family, friends and lovers. Though that shared ground is occasionally obscured by differences, “Next Fall” under Noling’s direction proves that it’s there — it just may take some time to discover. “As sad as the play is, it’s also filled with hope,”Chryssos said.

5. Apple pie-tini: Take a slice of this all-American drink, starring equal parts Baileys Irish Cream, green apple vodka and applesauce, with a dash of caramel syrup.

4. Cranberry vodka: Drink straight to get sauced.

3. Harvest Sensation: Get your sweet potato fix with equal parts Bénédictine liqueur, sweet potato au jus and a splash of heavy cream.

2. Scottish Gravy: Yes, there’s actually such a thing as a gravy cocktail. Mix one part sweet vermouth, one part Drambuie and a teaspoon of gravy. We’d save this for later in the night.

Looking to make your weekend artsy?

Check out these events!

$7 and can be purchased by calling 617627-3679.

“Next Fall”: Tufts’ Pen, Paint & Pretzels presents Geoffrey Nauffts’ play, which examines the relationship of a gay couple in New York in the aftermath of a tragic taxi accident. Tonight, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater. Tickets cost $7 and can be purchased at the Balch Arena Box Office.

Boston International Fine Art Show: Fine food, wine and art steal the stage at the Cyclorama for the 15th year in a row this weekend. Friday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cyclorama. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at the door and at FineArtBoston.com.

1. Cornucopia shots: Introducing Thanksgiving leftovers with a twist: Toss all remaining alcohol into a bowl, toss it back and try not to toss your cookies.

“Another Angle”: Sarabande presents its semesterly show. Stop by to check out some impressive moves, courtesy of Sarabande and several other dance groups, and to donate to the nonprofit Strong Women Strong Girls. Tonight at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets are free with a Tufts ID and are available at the Aidekman Box Office.

—compiled by the Daily Arts Department

Gospel Choir Fall Concert: The 220 singers of Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir present their fall concert. Friday at 8 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets cost

Chinese Student Association (CSA) presents The Forbidden City: Slip into your finest and sip some mocktails with the CSA at its annual charity semi-formal dance atrium. All ticket sale proceeds will be donated to the China Care Foundation.

Saturday from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. on the 7th floor of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Mayer Campus Center Info Booth.s —compiled by the Daily Arts Department

Thursday, November 17, 2011

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THE TUFTS DAILY

Editorial

Editorial Niki Krieg Adam Kulewicz Managing Editors Amelie Hecht Executive News Editor Elizabeth McKay News Editors Kathryn Olson Laina Piera Corinne Segal Saumya Vaishampayan Bianca Blakesley Assistant News Editors Gabrielle Hernandez Brionna Jimerson Marie Schow Minyoung Song Mahpari Sotoudeh Martha Shanahan Executive Features Editor Jon Cheng Features Editors Maya Kohli Amelia Quinn Falcon Reese Derek Schlom Victoria Rathsmill Assistant Features Editors Margaret Young Rebecca Santiago Executive Arts Editor Zach Drucker Arts Editors Anna Majeski Charissa Ng Joseph Stile Matthew Welch Ashley Wood Melissa MacEwen Assistant Arts Editors David Kellogg Bhushan Deshpande Seth Teleky Anna Christian Devon Colmer Westley Engel Louie Zong Craig Frucht Jonathan Green Michael Restiano Jyot Singh

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Editorialists

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Poorly written prohibition

Carter W. Rogers Editor-in-Chief

Editorial | Letters

Administrators have done everything they can to show they’re serious about enforcing the ban on the Naked Quad Run (NQR).

Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman yesterday sent out an email to the student body — and, to our chagrin, parents and guardians — informing them that anyone who attempted to run NQR in violation of the ban would face a one-semester suspension from the university.

If the university is set on wiping out NQR once and for all, the threat of a one-semester suspension is all the deterrent it needs.

The poorly articulated list of NQR-related offenses that falls under the overly broad purview of the student Code of Conduct’s new amendment is unnecessary. In its effort to close all the loopholes, the Committee on Student Life (CSL) wrote a policy that is both too vague and too broad, and which could open the door to excessive punishments for offenses that have little to do with students’ participation in NQR. Any student “who claims to have run in defiance of the ban” is now subject to a one-semester suspension. What exactly would constitute such a claim? Does that include Facebook statuses and Tweets? If a student is overheard in the dining hall bragging that he stripped off his clothes and surreptitiously sprinted around the campus, shall we assume he won’t be returning for the spring semester? Given the severity of

the punishment, the CSL should at least be clear about what sort of “claims” can land students in trouble.

There’s also something about prosecuting students for rules they claim to have broken that seems rather Orwellian. The university doesn’t discipline students who claim to have smoked marijuana or ticket students who claim they parked in a faculty parking space. That would be ridiculous.

So is this.

By creating a rule against even talking about running NQR, it seems like administrators are determined not only to put an end to the event, but also to prevent discussion of the event. That’s the only logical reason for punishing students’ claims about having run NQR, because if the administrators didn’t already have evidence that such claims had a basis in reality, then presumably there would be no need for them to take action because no damage occurred.

Tufts should refrain from policing student speech. It’s demeaning, it’s antithetical to the university’s alleged commitment to free expression, and it’s pointless, since the threat of a one-semester suspension is almost certainly enough to prevent NQR from continuing.

The policy also states that “public intoxication” will also qualify as defiance of the ban and is punishable by a one-semester suspension. Public intoxication happens

every weekend of the semester. Are we to believe, then, that any student who is cited for public intoxication can now technically be suspended from the university? Or does the rule only refer to mass public intoxication that occurs on the last night of fall semester classes? The policy doesn’t make any distinction.

Likewise, the policy prohibits anyone from attempting to “organize an activity in defiance of the ban.” But what activities exactly qualify as “defiance” is never spelled out. Would the planned “Excessively Overdressed Quad Stroll” (EOQE) be construed as “defiance” on the part of the students? Or are only “activities” that involve nudity or semi-nudity punishable under the ban? What if some of the students participating in the EOQE are publicly intoxicated? Is drunkenly stumbling around the Res Quad in a tuxedo is sufficiently disruptive that it now merits suspension from the university?

Some might argue that these questions are ludicrous, that we should be able to intuit what activities the CSL means when it refers to “defiance of the ban.” But that isn’t good enough, not when the activities in question can have such serious consequences.

The one-semester suspension for running NQR is enough to seal its fate. NQR is finished. The rest of the policy is a pile-on and a poorly written one at that.

anna christian

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Off the Hill | West Virginia University

Shopping locally will improve economy

by The Daily Athenaeum Editorial Board

The Daily Athenaeum

The economic challenges Americans face today are comparable to those during the Great Depression. Unemployment is around 9 percent and the uncertainty of college students finding their dream jobs after graduation is another harsh reality. Even though the recession that began in 2008 is technically over, the aftereffects remain prominent.

For Americans to get back on their feet, they must invest in their local economies.

Small-business owners are the core of the American dream. It would be to the benefit of everyone within the Morgantown community to invest in locally owned businesses.

Instead of eating dinner at a corporate restaurant, go somewhere locally owned such as Tailpipes on High Street. If you’d rather dine in, buy goods at the Morgantown Farmers’ Market (when in season) or reach out to

local farms for produce instead of your local “mega mart” chain.

Not only do these changes boost local moral, but when money stays in circulation within a smaller area, the local economy will receive a similar stimulation.

Many argue that shopping at corporate stores such as Wal-Mart or Target is cheaper and more efficient for the consumer — an argument that may be valid to an extent.

But when you invest in the local economy, the end result outweighs paying a little more money. When money is spent at one particular locally owned business, there is a large chance that the business will purchase its goods from a local business as well — thus keeping the local economy strong.

Another reason to buy locally is the better service the customer will receive. Business owners and their employees will appreciate your business much more than the clerks serving corporate America and therefore will

offer services that surpass those of its competitors. Furthermore, small-business owners are more likely to hire those who are familiar with the wants and needs of local consumers and will thus better accommodate their individual needs.

Corporate stores have the same products nationwide, which is why they can sell them at lower prices. Also for this reason, their products will not reflect the individuals in the local community.

If more people concentrated on buying from local stores, there would eventually be a variety of specialty shops accommodating peoples’ needs.

Each of the successes of these smaller shops would feed on one another, creating a domino effect and causing the local economy to thrive.

Invest in the future of your community by making locally based purchases: The Morgantown economy may depend on it.

Corrections The Nov. 9 article “Holocaust survivor shares story of escaping concentration camps” incorrectly stated that John Saunders was liberated from Auschwitz. He was actually liberated by the U.S. Army on May 5, 1945 from Mauthausen-Gusen I concentration camp. His liberation by the 11th Armored Division of the U.S. Army prompted him to join the U.S. Air Force and fight during the Korean War. The Nov. 16 ice hockey preview incorrectly stated that junior Trevor John will be on the team during the upcoming season. In fact, John is not on the team’s roster for 2011-2012.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. 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.

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Tufts Daily

11

Op-Ed Angad Bagai | Whole New World

Wanna be my Chamak Challo?

B

Daily File Photo

With empathy and perspective for us all by

Emily Cox

When I first read the Nov. 1 op-ed entitled “What happens when integration and assimilation fail?” I was upset and puzzled by some of the questions and intense statements, but I decided that it was a legitimate attempt to stir up campus debate on the subject of race. However, after the second Nov. 8 op-ed, “Empathy + assimilation = fail!”, I cannot help feeling that Samuel Murray has started to take things to an unproductive place. I would like to start out by asking Samuel, genuinely, about his “cordial” invitation to the next meeting of the Association of Latin American Students. I am truly curious as to what kind of reception I, as a member of the so-called “majority,” would receive should I choose to accept this invitation, because, to be frank, the language in Samuel’s articles has been neither cordial nor inviting.

Why is it that he wishes ostracism upon me because of the color of my skin?

Interestingly Samuel chose to close his first article with Martin Luther King, Jr. saying he dreamed of a land “where men no longer argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character,” yet Samuel has passed judgment on the majority of the individuals on this campus based on the color of their skin.

When I first read “What happens when integration and assimilation fail?”, what intrigued me most was that one line, buried amongst all of his other inflammatory language, where he claims that he has been “perceived as a lesser individual because of [his] socioeconomic status.” Since Samuel had just previously spent a great deal of time and ink railing against racism at Tufts, I had to ask if he was claiming that only minorities are of a lower socioeconomic status here at Tufts, a connection that left me flabbergasted.

In his second article, he backtracks quickly, claiming he never meant that all “minority individuals grow up impoverished,” and he even goes on to attack white students for “claiming they can relate to minorities because … they grew up impoverished.” I just want to point out that it was Samuel himself who first made that ludicrous connection between race and lower economic class. I, for one, was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on that slip-up because I was so relieved that someone was finally going to start talking about the realities of socioeconomic discrimination here at

Tufts. As a member of the only current Tufts class to be admitted totally “need blind,” financial discrimination has been the elephant in the room for my entire Tufts career. (I suppose this is the point in the op-ed where I am required to own up to my own identifiers that are apparently relevant to any discussion about race, class or gender.

Therefore: I am a white woman, from a less financially privileged, though comfortable, background.)

However, that is not where Samuel went. Instead Samuel asked for empathy and perspective (“So to my fellow peers, I ask that you challenge yourself to not just empathize with us, but to take on a new perspective”), yet showed neither himself. He decried ignorance, yet he himself was ignorant. He challenged all of us to take on a new perspective and yet did not face that challenge himself. I stand with Sarah Tralins in asking Samuel to see that the road to empathy is a two-way street, and I stand by the idea that empathy is the first, and most important, step towards any sort of integration or human connection.

More importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to ask Samuel, and all of you, a question: Why is it, exactly, that his oppression as a man of color is somehow more valid and worthy of a voice than my oppression as a woman?

My white skin has not granted me “immunity” from fear of sexual assault.

Perhaps he should think of this the next time he walks home alone after dark. Perhaps he should think of this the next time he doesn’t have to think about what time he’ll be coming home from class when he gets dressed in the morning, as his choice of dress won’t make him a more appealing victim.

And while he is attacking my “white privilege” perhaps he should take a step back and think about the privileges that being male affords him. Interestingly, he makes no mention of the doors that his gender will open for him.

Samuel spoke of an “ominous, omniscient oppression… in the atmosphere,” and all I have to say is: welcome to life in the patriarchy! Samuel claims that he is “systematically denied opportunities and acceptance that [he] so rightly deserve[s].” I think he should know that even with the wage-gap closing, economists predict that in the year 2031 he, as a man, will be earning 22 percent more per year than I will as a woman, for no reason other than our different genders.

Samuel says, “Too often have I heard defamatory racial slurs used by majority individuals without repercussions or reprimands.” I ask him: when was the last time you called, or heard someone else call, someone a b---h, a p---y or a c--t, “but didn’t mean it like that”? Samuel lumped in the Women’s Center when he listed the places that Sarah could show her support, yet in the same way that I will “never understand” his racial oppression, how dare he casually claim to speak for me as a woman?

Personally, I don’t believe that Samuel and I will never be able to empathize with each other. In fact, I think that we are in a unique position to understand one another. I was angry once, just like Samuel is, but then one day I realized that by saying “you’ll never be able to understand” I was burning a bridge when I should have been building one. The danger in continuing the “who has been more oppressed” competition that I may have just inadvertently started is that all of us have our own stories, whether it’s Samuel struggling with exclusion, Sarah losing her father or women being victimized because of their sex.

If Samuel was in favor of true integration for everyone, if he truly stood by his idea of being accepted with open arms, he would be able to see that the world is a rough place, in one way or another, for most of us. I would like to add an MLK quote of my own: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Perhaps, instead of ranting and raving in the Daily, Samuel should take the aforementioned advice of Martin Luther King, Jr. I would be more than willing to support a fair, open and real dialogue about race or gender or class. However, when I am having an “injustice” shoved down my throat, and someone else is telling me, without ever having met me, that his or her oppression has somehow been greater than mine, it does nothing but make me defensive and angry. I think Mr. Murray has done a great disservice to our campus community with the tone of his op-eds, and I would strongly suggest he take some of his own advice and find some empathy and perspective before he continues to spout his accusations.

Emily Cox is a senior who is majoring in English.

oy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy loses girl. Boy comes up with a way to get girl back. They get married in a huge, lavish ceremony. In between, there’s a trip to Europe or South America and about five or six songs with dance numbers, which often involve going round and round a tree. This is the cliched description of what a Bollywood film is comprised of, and it certainly is the case for a number of movies. Regardless of this, Bollywood is the main cinema watched in India, and the love and the worship the actors receive is unparalleled.

If one were to ask a random person on the street to name a person from India, I can assure you that the name you’d be most likely to hear (aside from maybe Gandhi) is Shah Rukh Khan.

If we want to look at the stark differences between Bollywood and Hollywood, or at least what these differences used to be or were assumed to be, the first thing we’d look at would be the dances. A movie with people randomly breaking out into song and dance is either categorized specifically as a musical or as a Disney movie like “High School Musical” (2006). Due to the high incidence of musical numbers in Bollywood movies, many people believe they are all about them. While they are definitely important and are used to express feelings and emotions through a different medium, they do not define Bollywood.

Many perceive Bollywood movies to be simple, un-thought-provoking, sappy love stories, yet this is not necessarily the case anymore. With recent movies such as “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” (2001) — which concerns the land taxes of the British Raj framed through the device of a cricket match “Rang De Basanti” (2006) — which recounts the story of Bhagat Singh and remarks on the revolutionary potential of the youth today; and many regarding the sensitive political issue of Sept. 11 like “New York” (2009), “Kurbaan” (2009) and “My Name is Khan” (2010), Bollywood is truly coming into the 21st century with more serious films. These movies may have the same songs and dances that older ones did, but they still deal with serious issues quite ably.

In the past, Hollywood and Bollywood were two rather mutually exclusive industries. Bollywood was only Indian and only featured Indian actors and actresses, Indian playback singers and Indian directors. Hollywood, while being more open, did not necessarily cast Indians in roles that they’d be remembered for.

It’s been hard to find Indians who are widely known in the United States due to Hollywood, with some notable exceptions like that of Kal Penn. But that’s changed as time has passed. Former Miss World 1994, Aishwarya Rai, has become known around the world, and not just because of her good looks; her work in movies like “Mistress of Spices” (2005) and “Pink Panther 2” (2009) was watched by viewers around the world — not just the Indian communities of New York or New Jersey.

Movies in Hollywood have been made about India as well, most notably the 2009 multiple-Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire.” However this crossover works both ways — there has been a lot of English talent, both from movies and the music industry, utilized in Bollywood in the last few years. Starting with Snoop Dogg, who recorded the title song for “Singh is Kinng” (2008), various other entertainers have been involved, such as Kylie Minogue and, more recently, Akon. It’s certainly strange to hear him crooning, in his ridiculously high voice, “Do you wanna be my Chamak Challo?” (a phrase that comes across as “sexy girl” to some, and a more abusive phrase to others). It’s strange but definitely satisfying to see the gap between the two industries finally being bridged.

Angad Bagai is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Angad.Bagai@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 noon 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

12

Comics

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Putting the five birds inside and sewing the pig shut

Late Night at the Daily Wednesday’s Solution

Alyssa: “She bedazzled all of her clothes...

I wish I were that cool.”

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

Thursday, November 17, 2011

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

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

All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $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.

Women’s Swimming and Diving

With strong swimmers returning, Jumbos look to build off promising 2010-2011 season by

Zach McGowan

With a strong core of swimmers returning, the women’s swimming and diving team has high expectations for its 20112012 campaign. Now, after several weeks of intense practices, the Jumbos will start their season this Saturday at Middlebury in a tri-meet with NESCAC rivals Conn. College and hosting Panthers.

The Jumbos are looking to build off a strong finish at last year’s conference championships, where they placed third and posted 1,192 points, their highest total in the 11 years the meet has been held. It was also only the second time in the NESCAC Championship era that they placed as high as third, with the other coming in 2009.

Five members of the team earned All-NESCAC honors, and four of those five are back this year.

“We have a lot of strong swimmers returning from last season, and a lot of talented freshmen filling holes [in our lineup],” sophomore Emma Van Lieshout said. “We are much more focused coming into this season, and practices are much harder, which will help.”

Among the returning AllNESCAC performers is senior Courtney Adams, who was a Daily Staff Writer

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Sophomore Ellen Gage was part of a 200-yard medley relay team that topped both Conn. College and Middlebury in the team’s first tri-meet last season. key part of the 200-yard medley relay team that finished third in the conference and broke the school record. Sophomore Mia Greenwald was also a part of that 200-yard medley relay squad and placed third in the 100-yard butterfly, breaking the school record.

Junior K.J. Kroetch and sophomore Jenny Hu complete the list of returning AllNESCAC swimmers. Kroetch broke her own school record in the 50-yard backstroke, finishing with a time of 28.17 seconds, and Hu placed third in the 50-meter breaststroke and second in the 100-meter breaststroke, where she holds

the fastest time in Tufts history.

The only all-conference swimmer the Jumbos graduated is former tri-captain and threetime NCAA Championship competitor Megan Kono (LA ’11). Kono was the squad’s lone representative at the national meet in March, when she broke a 22-year school record in the 200-yard freestyle. She also narrowly missed All-American honors in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

But what matters now is that most of head coach Nancy Bigelow’s team is back, and 11 new freshmen have come to the Hill ready to contribute. After posting a 4-4 record last season and going 3-3 against NESCAC

opponents, the Jumbos believe they are poised for a breakout this winter.

“We have a lot of new talented freshmen coming in,” Greenwald said. “Some of the better teams, such as Amherst, lost some of their better swimmers from last season. This year the NESCAC is going to be much more of a toss-up. I expect us to at least match last year’s performance.”

Both Middlebury and Conn.

College swept Tufts during the 2010-11 regular season, so Saturday’s matchups in Vermont will immediately pose a challenge for the Jumbos. However, momentum may be on the Jumbos’ side, since they later outperformed the Panthers and Camels at the NESCAC championship meet.

Middlebury, in particular, will likely be back with a vengeance.

“All of the upperclassmen swimmers for Middlebury didn’t get to swim in the NESCAC Championship last year because of NESCAC violations, so they’ll be fired up for this meet,” Van Lieshout said. “It is going to be one of the biggest meets of the year [for us]. Middlebury and Connecticut College are two of our biggest competitors.”

On Sunday, the Jumbos have their home opener against Keene State. That meet begins at 1 p.m. in Hamilton Pool.

Rinciari: Tufts to be future contender in the NESCAC FOOTBALL

continued from page 16

and quarterback Johnny Lindquist (1,147 passing yards, six touchdowns), a solid core still remains for 2012.

Juniors Dylan Haas and Sam Diss will return as the Jumbos’ top two playmakers, the former leading the team with 38 receptions and 436 yards this season, and the latter ranking second on the team in tackles as the secondary’s anchor, while also seeing time on offense in the Wildcat formation.

Running back Ryan Pollock also came on strong toward the end of his sopho-

more season, posting his first career 100-yard rushing game against the Panthers. Junior Nick Kenyon, fresh off an ACL injury that kept him out last fall, was a force at tight end, bookending his campaign with touchdown receptions against Hamilton and Middlebury.

Internal improvements can only go so far, and that’s where recruiting comes in. The Jumbos have reportedly been staring down powerhouses Amherst, Williams and Trinity for incoming freshmen, and unprecedented numbers of high school recruits have been seen on the sidelines during home games.

Camaraderie key to team’s success MEN’S SWIMMING continued from page 16

mers looking to prove themselves.

“I think the one thing that people forget about when you lose such a solid class like last year’s is that that leaves a lot of people hungry to fill their spots,” Rood said. “Some guys have been waiting for a couple years, and some are freshmen who are trying to step up for the first time.”

After just over two weeks of official team practices, it is clear that those freshmen will have an immediate impact.

“The freshman class is a strong class of swimmers with great personality and work ethic,” Hoyt said. “I’ve been very impressed with the level of commitment that they’ve shown to their team and their teammates.”

The squad will consist of 13 freshmen, 12 sophomores, four juniors — several juniors will miss the season due to study abroad and other commitments, Rood said — and 12 seniors. For the Jumbos to thrive, they will need everyone to contribute, not just a few stars.

“It’s exciting for me knowing that we need every single person on our team to do their absolute best day in and day out to ensure that we have another successful season,” Hoyt said.

The squad’s personality is conducive to this approach.

“This is not a team of huge egos,” McLoughlin said. “It’s a team that encourages cooperation between ourselves and dependence on each other.

Everyone on the team has a place and has a way to pull us up.”

The idea of needing a full team effort to succeed is consistent with the Jumbos’ philosophy that they must support one another in practices and at meets — and that they must always make more noise than their competitors. Over the years, the Jumbos have gained a reputation for their loudness and intensity.

“Every swim meet we go to, we’re the loudest team, we’re the team cheering each other on the most,” McLoughlin said. “That really carries the team to reach places that

The lasting legacy of the 16 graduating seniors, then, will come not from the 1-15 combined record over the past two seasons, but from the change in attitude exemplified since the offseason to whatever success exists in years to come.

“Now that that mentality and thought process has been established, now we can judge execution and set expectations because the base has been built,” Civetti said. “Thirty years from now?

0-8 will be an afterthought. What will be clear is that determination and hard work and effort will get you the results you need.”

we never would have been able to otherwise. I wholeheartedly believe that we do that better than any other team — probably in all of Division III.” The team got a head start on its noisemaking this fall, attending many Tufts athletics events while spearheading an effort to get more students to cheer on Tufts athletes. That spirit and energy is a crucial part of the men’s swimming and diving program.

“It’s our belief in the swimming program that if they’re coming in with the right attitude, and if we have the right environment, then we have the best chance to reach our fullest potential,” Hoyt said. “There’s a sense you get as a coach when the team is connected, on the same page, and pushing itself to be better than its ever been. That’s our constant goal.”

The Jumbos begin their season this weekend with a tri-meet at Middlebury with Conn. College on Saturday, followed by a dual meet Sunday against Keene State at 1 p.m. at Hamilton Pool.

Ben Kochman | The Wackness

Drink the hater-ade

T

hose who hate on Tufts sports usually don’t know what the heck they are talking about. They say things like “No one cares about our football team,” or “I just don’t like sports, but did you hear the new Neon Indian album?”

The problem with Tufts sporting events isn’t that nobody cares. Our football team just finished an historic 0-8 season, and still there were over 100 people at every home game when it didn’t pour during the second half.

It’s also not that Tufts kids disproportionately don’t like sports. Yankees and Red Sox caps litter our campus. And those folks who aren’t sports fans will still go to a game if it becomes an “event” — see Homecoming, for example.

Attendance at games here really isn’t so bad, from my experience as a reporter.

The issue is the breakdown of the crowd: Parents, other athletes and reporters from the Daily make up over three-fourths of our fans, by my count. The other fourth is people who are good friends with one of the players.

And that’s not such a bad thing — the swim team’s fan section at volleyball games is electric, for example, and I’ve still enjoyed nearly every sporting event I’ve been to here, especially last year’s epic basketball win over Bates in the season finale, when screaming fans packed Cousens Gym. But if we want to make Tufts sports more fun, and more relevant to the student body, everybody needs to be in the stands.

So how do we go about making Tufts games “events?” Giveaways and promotions help, but most college kids need a better motivation than that to wake up at noon on a Saturday and go to a Tufts game. The thing is, there are so many other ways that we can spend that time.

We can eat a two-hour brunch at Dewick, or watch Season 2 of “Mad Men” or sit in our rooms masturbating.

A start would be to have fraternities host more pre-game and post-game parties, which is what happened last spring at Zeta Psi before the basketball game on Senior Day. But I have another plan, and it revolves around this principle: Hate in sports is good.

We need a rival. It’s that simple. If we had a school to superficially devote our hate to, fans would flood Cousens Gym and Bello Field.

Tufts kids love competing with each other to see who is more clever — that’s why all of these costume parties with punny names happen every weekend. Now imagine all of that ingenuity applied to making fun of the Conn. College Camels.

“We will, we will, smoke you!”

Harvard would be a good rival, since Harvard kids are clearly a bunch of smug bozos who take cabs here when they visit.

But our rival needs to be a team that we play every year, so they need to be in the NESCAC. Amherst and Williams have each other as partners already, so they’re out of the picture.

Hamilton, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates are super far away, so let’s get rid of them too.

That leaves Wesleyan, Middlebury, Trinity and Conn. College as contenders to be Tufts’ new rival. Now it’s up to you guys to help me out. Send me an e-mail or tweet me @ benkochman with suggestions. I’ll also be asking around various Tufts teams this week to get their input.

After my research is complete, I will then devote an edition of this column to mercilessly making fun of our new rival. Let the hate begin!

Ben Kochman is a junior majoring in English. He can be reached at bkoch.tufts@ gmail.com or on Twitter @benkochman.

Sports

16

INSIDE Women’s Swimming 15

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s Swimming and Diving

Football

Jumbos arm for the future after winless season by

Alex Prewitt

Daily Editorial Board

Daily File Photo

Senior E.J. Testa is one of three 2010 All-Americans returning to the team this season.

Jumbos gear up for another strong season in the pool Aaron Leibowitz

Every year, you can expect three things from the men’s swimming and diving team: energy, depth and a top-three finish in the NESCAC. This year is no exception, and although the Jumbos lost eight members of their squad to graduation, including four AllAmericans, they believe they have enough strength throughout their lineup to succeed.

Tufts finished third behind Williams and AmherstatFebruary’s NESCAC Championships, marking the first time since 2007 that the team had not placed second.

However, the result was more a reflection of the improvement of the conference than of a Tufts decline. At March’s Div. III NCAA Championships, where Tufts finished 20th, Amherst, Williams and Middlebury all placed in the top 10 and Conn. College cracked the top by

Daily Editorial Board

25, suggesting that the NESCAC may be the strongest Div. III swimming conference in the nation.

“It’s always tough in the NESCAC, and we know it,” Adam Hoyt, who is starting his eighth season as Tufts’ head coach, said.

“It’s kind of part of the fun having a challenge like that every year, competing in a conference that has some of the best teams in the country. I think our team knows that they have the ability to compete well with the others in the NESCAC.” The Jumbos worked hard in the offseason to ensure they will be up to the task, holding fall captains’ practices and completing a summer weightlifting program.

“I think a larger majority of the team than in the past stayed in the pool, stayed in the weight room and kept themselves active,” senior co-captain Owen Rood said.

“That definitely showed up in the preseason at lifting and captains’

practices, and I think it’s showing up now.”

The team will be without four of last year’s All-Americans — Michael Del Moro, Gordy Jenkins, Zed Debbaut and David Meyers (all LA ’11) — but will return three others in seniors E.J. Testa and co-captain Owen Rood and sophomore diver Johann Schmidt, who won both the 1-meter and 3-meter NESCAC diving titles as a freshman. The Jumbos also have two new divers to help fill the gap left by Trevor Stack (E ’11).

“Last year, we lost a very, very strong senior class,” senior cocaptain Joe McLoughlin said. “But this year, especially with the new freshmen, I think we’re going to stay very competitive within the conference and nationally within Division III.” In addition, losing so many key pieces may help motivate swimsee MEN’S SWIMMING, page 15

Jay Civetti knows the football team could have given up. The towel could have been thrown in at some point during the winless season, the white flag raised up on Zimman Field in response to the struggles and frustration.

That the Jumbos didn’t says it all.

“The bottom line is that they could have given up and chosen the easy route,” said Civetti, who just completed his inaugural season as Tufts’ head coach after taking over the program in January. “But instead it reinvigorated them to leave a lasting legacy on this program. And the fact that a 21- or 22-year-old guy can see the value of the program, they can see what the future is going to be here, gives incredible validation to me and the staff, because those kids believe in what we’re selling.”

On the menu is a healthy dose of dedication and hard work, perhaps masked on the surface by an 0-8 record, the Jumbos’ first winless season since 1984.

Then again, Tufts enjoyed its fair share of near-misses. They held Middlebury’s NESCAC-leading offense scoreless through three quarters and led up until the final two seconds, when Remi Ashkar plowed in with a deflating touchdown to end the game 19-17 Middlebury. Trinity only mustered nine points all game and three in the second half on Oct. 15, while Williams traded blows into the second quarter before a 77-yard punt return spelled doom for Tufts.

But for every missed opportunity, for every chance to put a notch in that win column, there

were the struggles, like the 30-0 blowout against Amherst or the 28-9 loss versus Bates on Oct. 1.

“You know, a lot of people outside the program would look at our season and say, ‘Wow, really rough year, nothing went right,’” senior J.T. Rinciari said.

“But with coach Civetti now our permanent head coach, looking forward, the future is very bright. All the players have a lot of confidence in him and the coaching staff, and it’s up to the players who are on the team next year to really work their asses off and get Tufts back to the top where it belongs.”

The season’s over, likely long since faded into oblivion for a team that’s been forced — over the past few campaigns — to develop ephemeral memories.

It’s done; every member of the team echoes that sentiment.

What’s important is the future, for Civetti’s mark on the program is only starting to become clear.

“It might take some time, but Tufts will be a major contender in the NESCAC,” Rinciari said.

“I don’t know how long it’ll take, but we know coach Civetti and the rest of the coaching staff will take the program to the next level, through better recruiting, greater attention to detail. We never gave in or quit this year.

I think that’s something we can all appreciate.”

Though Tufts will graduate Zack Skarzynski, the NESCAC’s leading tackler, all of its tricaptains — Rinciari, fellow linebacker Nick Falk and offensive lineman Luke Lamothe — as well as kicker Adam Auerbach, who set the program’s all-time field goals record this season see FOOTBALL, page 15

Editors' Challenge | Week 11 Every day, when you’re walking down the street, everybody that you meet has an original point of view. And I say, “Hey! Hey! What a wonderful kind of day!” Where you can pick a bunch of football games and get along with each other. Listen to your heart, listen to the beat, listen to the rhythm — the rhythm of the street. Open up your eyes, open up your ears, get together and have a little friendly competition in the latest edition of the Tufts Daily Sports Eds Challenge. It’s a simple message and it comes from the heart: Believe in yourself, because if you don’t, you’ll end up on the bottom rungs of the standings, forever the mockery of the rest of the section.

Week 11 in Elwood City sees, yet again, our super-cool hero Daniel “Buster Baxter” Rathman atop the standings at 101-45 overall following a 10-6 week. Rathman has hopped his way to a five-game cushion and became the first editor to crack triple digits. The asthma hasn’t slowed this fast-mover down, and any postcards from Rathman would probably be titled, “How’s the view from down there?”

Up next, five games behind Rathman, is Kate “D.W. Read” Klots, whose young age hasn’t stopped her from standing alone in second place at 96-50 overall despite an average 8-8 showing in Week 10. She may succumb to some short-lived obsessions and the occasional tantrum or two, but Klots is undeniably one of the strongest editors, even if she’s like that little sister who annoys everyone.

Nipping at Klots’ heels, just one game behind her, are Lauren “Bionic Bunny” Flament, the resident superhero of the group, and David “George Lundgren” McIntyre, a moose of OVERALL RECORD LAST WEEK

Daniel 101-45 10-6

Kate 96-50 8-8

Lauren 95-51 10-6

David 95-51 7-9

Aaron 93-53 7-9

a man in his own right. Both trail Rathman by six games at 95-51 overall, and McIntyre slid out of a tie with Klots thanks to an abysmal 7-9 effort.

Aaron “Arthur Timothy Read” Leibowitz, clearly the protagonist of the bunch and the title character if we ever had one, sits alone in fifth at 93-53 overall. Just behind, locked in a two-way tie, are Ethan “The Brain” Sturm, a biopsych major who also excels in the various “sports” that he plays, and Alex “Nigel Charles Ratburn” Prewitt, the elder statesman of the group who might as well just be that stupidly annoying teacher everyone loathes. Both Sturm and Prewitt went 10-6 last week to move up to 92-54 overall.

Shy as she may be, Annie “Fern Walters” Sloan hasn’t really succumbed to any pressures of sports picking; she’s in eighth after an 8-8 week, and is tied with Matt “Binky Barnes” Berger, the terrifying-but-soft-on-the-inside bully of the sports section, at 89-57 overall.

Further down the list, in the bowels of animated purgatory, is Ben “The Tibble Twins” Kochman, a raucous heck-raiser in his own right who clearly seems to be spending more time annoying everyone than actually learning how to correctly pick football games, as evidenced by his 2010-esque 6-10 week. Kochman is one game behind Sloan and Berger at 88-58 overall, but is still ahead of Claire “Muffy Crosswire” Kemp, who might want to use some of daddy’s money to buy herself some wins.

Guest-picking this week is the Daily’s resident FIT lady, Alex “Francine Frensky” Dennett, whose competitiveness will ensure that there will be no monkey business going on anymore.

Ethan 92-54 10-6

Alex 92-54 10-6

NY Jets at Denver NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets Dallas at Washington Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Jacksonville at Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Jacksonville Jacksonville Jacksonville Jacksonville Jacksonville Oakland at Minnesota Oakland Minnesota Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Buffalo at Miami Miami Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Miami Miami Buffalo Carolina at Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Tampa Bay at Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Cincinnati at Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Arizona at San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco Seattle at St. Louis Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle Tennessee at Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Tennessee Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta San Diego at Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Philadelphia at NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants Kansas City at N. England New England New England New England New England New England New England New England

Annie 89-57 8-8 NY Jets Washington Jacksonville Oakland Buffalo Detroit Green Bay Baltimore San Francisco Seattle Tennessee Chicago NY Giants New England

Matt 89-57 9-7

Ben 88-58 6-10

Claire 86-60 9-7

GUEST Alex Dennett

NY Jets NY Jets NY Jets Denver Washington Dallas Dallas Dallas Cleveland Jacksonville Cleveland Cleveland Minnesota Oakland Oakland Oakland Miami Miami Miami Buffalo Carolina Detroit Detroit Detroit Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Arizona San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco St. Louis St. Louis Seattle Seattle Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Tennessee San Diego Chicago San Diego Chicago NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants NY Giants New England New England New England New England