2011-11-18

Sunny 48/34

THE TUFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXII, NUMBER 48

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

Friday, November 18, 2011

Somerville man arrested in connection with three cases of indecent assault

Virginia Bledsoe/Tufts Daily

The Tufts Community Union Senate is considering sending an occasional newsletter to the student body to keep them up to date on campus happenings.

Senate explores sending periodic newsletter

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on Sunday approved a project to explore the possibility of sending periodic newsletters to students.

TCU Vice President Wyatt Cadley, who is in charge of the project, explained that it is still very much in the developing stages, with questions about opting in or out, distribution methods, frequency of distribution and authors still unanswered.

The body is currently considering sending the newsletter as part of a biweekly or monthly email to all students.

“We’re really just in the developing stages, we just want to get confirmation from Senate that this is something we wanted to pursue,” Cadley, a junior, said.

Senate Executive Board members will meet today with university administrators to discuss plans for the newsletter, he explained.

The idea for a Senate newsletter has been floating around for at least two years, and was part of TCU President Tomas Garcia’s by

Gabrielle Hernandez Daily Editorial Board

platform during campaigning, according to Cadley.

The newsletter will not focus exclusively on updates from the Senate, Cadley explained. It could be used to promote a sports event of the week, notify the student body of any major policy changes, or solicit feedback from students on policy decisions.

“It’s a TCU newsletter, it’s not a TCU Senate newsletter, and it’s meant to serve the entirety of the school,” he said.

He does hope, however, that the newsletter will help shed light on Senate activities for the student body.

“One of the things we want to do is show exactly what Senate does, and I think it might help get people interested in the body; so many of our members are walkons,” Cadley said. “This is what I think to be a new and creative way to address a lot of different campus issues simultaneously.”

He hopes that students will respond to what they read in the newsletter and share

The Somerville Police Department (SPD) last night arrested an individual linked with several of the recent indecent assaults perpetrated against women in the Somerville and Medford area.

Alfredo Romero Posada, a 22-year-old Somerville man, was arrested in connection with three counts of assault with intent to rape and three counts of indecent assault and battery, according to a Nov. 17 SPD press release.

He will be charged in connection with the Sept. 10 incident on Wallace Street, the Sept. 24 incident on College Avenue and the Oct. 22 incident on College Avenue in Medford.

The arrest is the product of a twomonth-long investigation conducted jointly by SPD, the Cambridge, Medford, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and Tufts University Police Departments and

the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force.

A special task force was created to conduct the investigation and used surveillance teams, decoy officers and saturated patrols positioned in the Davis and Porter Square areas.

Posada was first identified as a potential suspect on Oct. 29, when surveillance officers observed him approaching a woman walking alone.

Following further investigations, the Middlesex Grand Jury ordered Posada to appear in a lineup of potential assailants. He was identified by the victims of two indecent assaults that took place in Somerville and one that took place in Medford.

Posada will be arraigned in the Somerville District Court today.

—by Amelie Hecht

Morning explores differing conceptions of race by

Bridget Boyle

Contributing Writer

Associate Professor of Sociology at New York University Ann Morning yesterday delivered the second lecture in a four-part series sponsored by the Transnational Studies Working Group that will bring experts involved with race and ethnic studies in academia to the Hill.

In the lecture titled “The Nature of Race: Exploring Concepts of Human Difference,” Morning discussed the conceptualization of race and shared her research on how different groups put into practice varying definitions of race.

These topics are the central themes of her recent book, “The Nature of Race: How Scientists Think and Teach about Human Difference.”

The lecture, sponsored by a grant from the Office of the Dean of Faculty Arts and Sciences, was organized by Assistant Professor of Sociology Ryan Centner, Assistant Professors of English Ichiro Takayoshi and Radiclani Clytus and Assistant Professor of History Kris Manjapra. These four professors make up the Transnational Studies Working Group.

“We were paying attention to [Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne BergerSweeney’s] new initiative and trying to explore possibilities for a new curriculum related to studies of race and ethnicity,” Centner said. “We thought we can help foster further discussion around that topic by bringing in four speakers who have either some instisee LECTURE, page 2

see NEWSLETTER, page 3

Overcrowding at event at Hotung Café prompts student to question OCL policy by

Gabrielle Hernandez Daily Editorial Board

A recent event held by the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) in Hotung Café raised questions for students about the admittance and capacity policy for on-campus events.

The event, Latinos Take Over Hotung, was held on Oct. 21 and reached Hotung’s maximum capacity of 150 people within an hour and forty-five minutes, according to Tufts Community Union ( TCU) Senator Andrew Núñez, a freshman. After reaching capacity, event staff stopped admitting guests for the remainder of the event, even after it began to empty out, he said.

The Office for Campus Life (OCL) trains event staff to follow fire safety capacity limits for event spaces and does not allow attendees into the venue once it has reached maximum capacity because of the difficulties in managing the space,

according to OCL Director Joe Golia.

Guests and organizers have expressed frustration with this policy.

“They cut my group of friends in half, which was really awkward … as Hotung emptied out, we thought they’d let more people in because there were like 50 people waiting outside, and they didn’t let them in,” ALAS member Ariela Westlake, a sophomore, said. “I understand fire codes, that’s a safety issue. But when an event empties out, and there’s about half the amount of people than there were before, it’s time to let people in.”

ALAS member Amanda Yepez, a senior, said that the policy detracted from her enjoyment of the event, especially as people began to leave.

“I couldn’t have a good time because all my friends were outside,” Yepez said.

“It was depressing; it rained on my parade. After a while I wasn’t having fun

Misako Ono/Tufts Daily

see OCL, page 3

Associate Professor of Sociology at New York University Ann Morning discussed her research on the varying definitions of race.

Inside this issue

Today’s sections

The DTD fraternity invests in their home on Professors Row.

‘The Descendants’ is already generating Oscar buzz.

see FEATURES, page 2

see ARTS, page 5

News & Features Comics Arts & Living

1 4 5

Classifieds Sports

7 Back

The Tufts Daily

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THE TUFTS DAILY Carter W. Rogers Editor-in-Chief

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

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors Assistant Op-Ed Editors Cartoonists

Editorialists

Daniel Rathman Executive Sports Editor Matthew Berger Sports Editors Lauren Flament Claire Kemp Ben Kochman Aaron Leibowitz David McIntyre Alex Prewitt Ann Sloan Ethan Sturm Kate Klots Assistant Sports Editors Josh Berlinger Virginia Bledsoe Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Justin McCallum Ashley Seenauth William Butt Lane Florsheim Caroline Geiling Meagan Maher Oliver Porter Scott Tingley Dilys Ong

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Photo Editors

Staff Photographers

Ellen Kan Executive New Media Editor

PRODUCTION Jason Huang

Production Director Alyssa Kutner Executive Layout Editor Rebecca Alpert Layout Editors Jennifer Betts Shoshanna Kahne Sarah Kester Emily Rourke Elliot Philips Assistant Layout Editors Andrew Paseltiner Executive Copy Editor Ben Considine Copy Editors Patrick Donnelly Sara Eisemann Katrina Knisely Drew Lewis Ashley Cheng Assistant Copy Editors Linh Dang Lauren Greenberg George Le Gregory Witz Audrey Kuan Executive Online Editor Darcy Mann Online Editors Ben Schwalb Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager

BUSINESS Laura Moreno Executive Business Director Christine Busaba Advertising Director Saanya Gulati Receivables Manager P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

News & FEATURES

Friday, November 18, 2011

Home, sweet home

DTD brothers settle into new Pro Row digs

by Stephanie

Haven

As senior Andrew Brinson wakes up, the faint jingle of a dog’s collar echoes down the hall. Brinson does not live at home, nor does his family pet live with him on campus.

Instead, when Brinson gets up to a homecooked breakfast, his fraternity brothers and their dog Caroline are there too, settling in to their newly renovated Delta Tau Delta (DTD) house at 98 Professors Row. “Seeing it now and seeing how it started, it’s a night and day difference,” Brinson, the DTD house manager, said. “The house is gorgeous.”

Twenty-five of the DTD brothers moved into the newly renovated house on Oct. 7 after the House Corporation, the fraternity’s alumni organization who owns the lot, decided to revamp the house this summer.

Alpha Epsilon Pi, who had lived in the house since 2007, moved back to their original house at 45 Sawyer Avenue this year.

“The house had just fallen into disrepair over the years,” Brinson said. “No work had been done on the house in years and, as a result, the house just wasn’t in good shape.”

From new hardwood floors and carpeting to new furniture and windows, the House Corporation invested small alumni donations and took out a $400,000 loan to completely renovate the DTD house. While there are still a few things on the exterior of the house that need to be finished, DTD brothers were generally satisfied with the results of the four-month renovation, chapter president Alexander Freiberg, a junior, said.

Using blueprints from the original house and pictures from the early 1950s, the House Corporation designed the renovation to replicate what the original DTD house looked like, Brinson said. There are several modern components of the house, such as a room where brothers sit around a flat-screen television, but Freiberg said the House Corporation’s plan to preserve the original look of the house was successful.

“It’s equally, if not nicer than my home,” Freiberg said. “I was surprised it was done so beautifully. They did a fantastic job and we’re all really happy about it.”

Preservation of the new house was thus its residents’ first priority. When the DTD brothers hosted their first party Nov. 12, they blocked off the television room, living room and piano room on the first level of the house to ensure foot traffic didn’t ruin any of the new floors, carpeting or furniture. The dining room, which guests all walked through, Daily Staff Writer

Virginia Bledsoe/Tufts Daily

Aquariums add a funky touch to the house.

Virginia Bledsoe/Tufts Daily

DTD took out a $400,000 loan to pay for improvements in their house. has spill-proof floors that are easy to clean, Freiberg said.

“We found that the plan of blocking off the very nice rooms made it easy to clean up,” Freiberg said. “It was just a matter of mopping because it was raining out that night as well as wiping some foot and scuff marks off walls.”

Party guests were only allowed into rooms where brothers would’ve been able to easily repair any mess, making clean-up the next day a quick two-hour affair.

Brinson anticipates that the house will remain in top shape.

“It’s tough to put into words how long these guys have waited for this,” Brinson said. “Anytime someone makes a mess, they don’t mind cleaning up after themselves. We haven’t had any issues.”

Aside from the 25 brothers living at 98 Professors Row this semester, the fraternity’s additional 20 members live elsewhere, both in dorms and in off-campus houses. The brothers typically unite during mealtimes, though, when their chef, Elaine Rotondi, serves them breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week. The meals are paid for under the fraternity’s meal plan and, Brinson said, are superb.

“With all due respect to Carmichael and Dewick, I prefer food at the fraternity,” DTD director of communications Jeffrey York, a

sophomore, said. “It’s like a home-cooked meal, [and] it’s nice being able to eat with 40 guys you get along with.”

A 26th resident of the DTD joins the brothers — Caroline, the hound mix who lives in the house, serves as the fraternity’s unofficial mascot, Freiberg said. Last year, before DTD had a house, senior Nathan Beaton bought Caroline from a local pound.

Since then, DTD brothers have fallen in love with her, York said.

“People who walk in are always a little surprised to see her,” Brinson said. “She’s a great dog and I can’t say enough about her, especially because she can put up with 45 guys.”

Caroline and the DTD brothers also share a home with several tropical fish that reside in two tanks embedded in a bar that the brothers built in the house’s basement; Brinson and York claim this their favorite part of the house.

Having home-cooked meals and pets has helped to give their new house a homey feel, York said. Although he doesn’t live at 98 Professors Row this year, York is looking forward to making DTD home in the future.

“After seeing how the house came out, I’m definitely planning on living there next year,” York said. “We’re talking all precautions to make the house stay as beautiful as it is now.

We’re not taking it for granted.”

Morning discusses variances in definition of race LECTURE

continued from page 1

tutional experience related to that, or [whose] research is extremely relevant to race and ethnicity.”

Morning’s research focused on whether Americans’ definitions of race are rooted in biological or socially constructed differences, she explained.

Morning investigated two different definitions of race — “essentialist” definitions, through which races are thought about as biologically distinctive clusters within the species, and “constructivist” notions of race, through which races are considered artificially made groups defined by human beings.

She conducted interviews with biologists and anthropologists to determine how experts define race, she explained.

Morning also analyzed the content of high school biology and social science textbooks and conducted interviews

with college students to learn more about how race is portrayed to the public.

Her research indicated that there remains vast uncertainty about whether race is a biological or ideological phenomenon, she explained.

She found that varying conceptions existed not only between biologists and anthropologists, but also among experts within the same discipline.

“Within each of these disciplinary groupings there is a lot of disagreement, a lot of confusion, a lot of debate about how to best understand race,” she said. “This is variation that is intradisciplinary.”

Morning explained that this divide exists even though constructivists have countered essentialist arguments with biological evidence that there is at least as much biological variation within racial groups as there is between

groups.

The way people view race impacts their actions, she explained, citing evidence from social psychologists that people who employ a biological lens to view race generally have more negative attitudes toward members of other racial groups.

“The ways in which people think differences are manifested affects the kinds of practices we put into place,” she said.

She emphasized the importance of defining what race truly is in order to facilitate better dialogue about race relations.

“We study things other than people’s definitions or concepts of race,” she said. “We pay attention to race relations; we care a lot about racial attitudes and racism. In the midst of all this, we haven’t stopped to ask ourselves what race is.”

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.

Friday, November 18, 2011

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3

News & FEATURES

OCL does not plan to change event policy despite frustrations OCL

continued from page 1

anymore.”

While Núñez said the event was initially a “huge success,” he felt that the policy was responsible for ending the evening on a bad note.

“I felt that … event staff’s unwillingness to let people in, even though there was more than enough room inside … directly led to the downfall of the event that students had been working for months to prepare,” Núñez said.

This prompted Núñez to speak with OCL staff, including Golia, concerning a solution to similar problems in the future.

“If I had a choice to pick a policy, I’d love to see a one in one out method put in Hotung, but Mr. Golia said that isn’t feasible for event staff to do that, though I’m not sure why, since frats are able to do this every event weekend, and event staff is trained and paid to do their jobs,” Núñez said.

Golia agreed to work with event staff to better judge situations in which guests can continue to be let in after capacity has been reached if significant

crowds leave, but the two parted ways with different understandings of the agreements reached in the meeting, according to Núñez.

Golia acknowledged that admittance policy posed a problem at the ALAS event, but felt that it was an isolated incident.

“That was a one-time event, we usually don’t have this problem,” Golia said.

Going forward, he said, these issues will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis with common sense, rather than a strict policy change.

“We’re not changing any policy, or putting this in words, it’s basically common sense,” Golia said. “In a situation like this where a large group leaves all at once, if it goes from 150 to 60 people inside, you can see that. As long as everything is OK and noticeably a lot people have left, we can let more people in.”

Núñez, who believed Golia had agreed to change the wording of admission policy, was frustrated to hear that there was no official policy change.

“I thought this was a done deal, and I’d just talk to him in a couple weeks to check up on the policy change, but I’m going to continue to make sure that this issue is

resolved in a way that benefits both the students and the event staff,” he said. “I think I’m asking for such a minute change in the wording, that event staff would still be able to do their job, and it wouldn’t be a big deal at all.”

Both Núñez and Golia recognized the need for flexibility in the policy to allow event staff to exercise their judgment at each event.

“Event staff has to review each situation. They have a very difficult job, it’s managing the building, the space, but we will work with them regularly,” Golia said.

Golia said that OCL is looking for ways to maximize attendance at student events. Recent reconstruction in the Mayer Campus Center, which included raising the floor in the Commons Deli & Grill area, allowed the fire marshal to reassess the maximum capacity of the space at 385, up 35 from its previous capacity, according to Golia.

Golia doesn’t believe admittance problems will be a recurring issue in the future, and noted that they demonstrate the events’ success.

“We’re really flexible,” Golia said.

“Capacity [policies] are a necessity, and

Senate newsletter proposal elicits mixed reactions NEWSLETTER

continued from page 1

their views with their representatives.

“When Senate was first deciding how to spend the surplus from the embezzled funds in 2009, there was a lot of controversy and outrage when the Senate decided to fund the Trips Cabin in New Hampshire,” Cadley said. “If this newsletter had existed, the TCU could have solicited feedback from students.”

TCU Senator Yulia Korovikov, a junior, thinks the newsletter will successfully help bridge the gap between senators and their constituents.

“I think Senate has a hard time reaching out to students about what we’re doing,” she said. “Usually … I get opinions about things

after we’ve decided to do them, by which point it’s too late. If we have a newsletter, we can bring up things that will come up in next week’s meeting, making it so that people will be able to tell us what they want.”

The Senate is still considering whether to allow students to subscribe to the newsletter themselves, or automatically subscribe the whole student body while allowing students to opt out by pressing an “unsubscribe” button.

“I’ve spoken to many of my fellow nonSenate students, and not a single one has supported being automatically enrolled in an email that they’d have to unsubscribe for,” TCU Senator Jonathan Danzig, a senior, said.

TCU Senator Ard Ardalan, a junior, expects

students to react negatively to being automatically enrolled in the distribution list.

“One of the arguments they put forward is that this new system would be a means for them to solicit feedback,” Ardalan said. “The feedback they’re going to get is ‘don’t send me emails.’”

While the project is still in basic planning stages, the proposal has already sparked some negative backlash from students.

Senior Jimmy Zuniga feels that the newsletter will serve as an unbalanced self-promotional tool for the Senate.

“I think it’s pointless, and just another way that Senate tries to reinforce its selfimportance on this campus for themselves and for the rest of the student body,” Zuniga said.

Daily File Photo

Events at Hotung have attracted large crowds. we have to abide by them, but it’s a nice problem to have because your venues are full and your events are full, and it shows the university as a whole that we need bigger spaces.”

Senior Eric Sinski suspects that students are unlikely to read another Tufts-related email.

“To be honest, Tufts students have so much email in their inboxes already, I can only see it taking up more space. It’s kind of imposing,” he said.

Senior Katie Riker, however, supports the idea, and believes the newsletter will provide students an effective means of staying up to date on campus happenings.

“Since I live off-campus, I don’t manage to pick up the Daily every day to find out what Senate’s been doing,” Riker said. “I think having a monthly email would allow people like me to keep informed about TCU policies efficiently and allow for more public discourse.”

FIND YOURSELF ABROAD Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Science> Engineering

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Comics

Friday, November 18, 2011

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

by

Wiley

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Breaking the 100,000-calorie barrier

Late Night at the Daily Thursday’s Solution

Andrew: “Cyborgs are part biological, part robotic, and androids are completely robotic, but look human.”

Please recycle this Daily.

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

TV Review

‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ returns addictive as ever by

Brionna Jimerson

Daily Editorial Board

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (RHoA) women are no strangers to new money. With the exception of Grammy

The Real Housewives of Atlanta Starring NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, Shereé Whitfield Airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on Bravo winner Kandi Burruss, it seems that the other women are living Bravo paycheck to Bravo paycheck. With Birkin bags, one-hit wonders and catch phrases galore — my personal favorite is Sheree Whitfield’s season two “who go’n checks me, boo?” — this season featuring Georgia’s ripest peaches started as juicy as ever.

The usual suspects are back for the fun: Kim Zolciak, who infamously dated the verymarried multi-millionaire Lee Najjar, aka “Big Papa,” only to settle down with Atlanta Falcons player Kroy Biermann. On the premiere episode, a very pregnant Kim praises her relationship and newfound joy at the hands of her fiance Kroy, who is seven years her junior, as Kroy moves Big K’s belongings out of storage and into her dream mansion.

It seems that life post-NeNe Leakes is going along swimmingly for Kim. Next, we run into NeNe Leakes, fresh off NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” and probably just back from the bank. Did you know NeNe was paid to be on “Celebrity Apprentice”? Did you know she has been making money off her appearance as what Sheree calls “an irate b---h”? Did you know NeNe can afford to buy a car with “cash money”? Did you know NeNe is rich? Yes? OK, just checking, because if you did not know, she will remind you — over and over and over again.

Yes, NeNe is as new money as they come, emphasis on the “new.” With estranged

bravotv.com

The ladies from ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ are up to their usual antics in the newest season. husband Greg out of the picture and an immature 21-year-old son — for whom she purchased the aforementioned car — tucked neatly under her wing, NeNe spent the better part of the new season’s first two episodes reiterating that her bank account is no longer in the red.

NeNe’s attitude definitely contributed to the episode-one smackdown ending — why does it seem that all seasons of RHoA either begin or end with Sheree and Nene bumping heads? — in which Sheree brought up how NeNe tried to weasel her way into a press appearance in Philadelphia. The “she-said-she-said theparty-promoter-said” routine is getting a little old, ladies. How about some handto-hand combat next time, like you all are always threatening? Please?

Sheree spent most of the first two epi-

sodes chatting up her gal-pal Lawrence and trying to coax her adolescent son out of his shell. The discomfort onscreen was palpable — the young man was practically screaming for paternal involvement. That makes sense enough, as Sheree’s ex, NFL player Bob Whitfield, appears to be missing in action in the lives of his children.

Meanwhile, in Relatively Functional Land, everything seems to be coming up roses for ex-supermodel Cynthia Bailey.

In episode one, she seems content to play on the sidelines, allowing more vocal cast members to take center stage — and make fools of themselves in the process. Classy move, Cynthia. We see Cynthia starting up a modeling agency meets modeling school, with the help of her uber-fabulous friend J. “Miss J.” Alexander, of “America’s Next Top Model” fame.

Aforementioned Grammy-winning super songwriter and performer, Kandi, is creating a literal hum around Atlanta with her budding sex-toy venture. For a single mother, Kandi is far from worried about living a sexless life. She invited co-star and high-powered attorney Phaedra Parks and Sheree to … sample … some buzzworthy items from Kandi’s upcoming line.

Because when you are getting it on — well, off — you want to think of Kandi Burruss.

Thanks, girl.

And then there is Phaedra. Oh, Phaedra.

As if having a real career, a toddler and a husband were not work enough, we find her considering a venture into mortuary science. That is correct: Homegirl wants a funeral home. In a never-ending quest to remain relevant, it seems that Mrs. Parks believes that in death, she will be immortal.

Dream big, honey.

After only two episodes, the ladies leave viewers exhausted, but optimistic. With a confirmation that Kim and Kroy have their own wedding spin-off coming up, a la “Bethenny Getting Married” (2010), there is more than enough nouveau riche to go around in the coming months. All the players are back at their games of shameless self-involvement, self-promotion and selfesteem boosting.

However, every shtick has its stale point.

After four seasons of NeNe’s obvious dissatisfaction with her marriage, will we finally see a divorce or be forced to toe the line of “blah” with her throughout the season?

And what of Phaedra’s impending entrepreneurial venture? Is it just her postpartum finally kicking in, or an attempt to remain film-worthy?

The Atlanta ladies should take a page from the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” playbook and remember that no personality is too small or too big to be replaced — hi, Danielle Staub and Dina Manzo. Hopefully, the glow of financial independence and Louboutin flaunting wears dim for these women so they can get back to entertaining the voracious masses.

Movie Review

Alexander Payne’s latest film falls short of its potential by

Tori Elliott

Senior Staff Writer

Like the Oscar-winning “Sideways” (2004), director Alexander Payne’s newest film, “The Descendants,” is both humorous

The Descendants Starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller Directed by Alexander Payne and more moving than one might expect.

The film might not necessarily meet the lofty standards set by its predecessor — it is certainly hampered by mediocre writing, and much of its strength derives from the actors’ sound performances — but it’s worth a trip to the theater.

The plot centers on Matt King (George Clooney), a successful Honolulu lawyer and heir to a vast tract of virgin land on the island of Kuai. A boating accident leaves his wife in a permanent vegetative state, and the film

follows the week after the accident, as Matt struggles to rebuild his relationship with his two daughters: the rebellious, 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and 10-yearold Scottie (Amara Miller).

As Matt begins to prepare his family and friends for his wife’s impending death, he is thrown for a loop when Alexandra reveals that her mother had been having an affair before the accident. Matt and his daughters, as well as Alexandra’s friend Sid (Nick Krause), embark on a journey to find his wife’s lover so he may say his final goodbyes.

Meanwhile, Matt debates whether to sell his family’s ancestral land.

The beginning of the film is arguably its weakest point. The opening is peppered with a heavy voiceover by Matt, in which he introduces the state of his relationship with his family and his dilemma with his family’s land trust. This, in conjunction with decidedly unremarkable dialogue, threatens to bench the film altogether in its first 20 minutes.

“The Descendants” manages to recover from its lackluster beginning as it introduces

Matt’s oldest daughter, Alexandra, and Sid, a surfer bum who functions as a catalyst for comic relief throughout much of the film.

The film’s somewhat unexpected and selfeffacing humor is one of its stronger points.

This lightheartedness allows the characters to become much more accessible and entertaining, and the deliberate and moderate use of humor keeps the inherent seriousness of the plot intact.

Though the writing does not necessarily improve, the actors, especially Woodley and Clooney, still manage to deliver admirable and touching performances.

While both Matt and Alexandra are explored thoroughly as characters, Matt’s younger daughter, Scottie, remains largely one-dimensional. Early scenes in the film indicate she is having social issues at school, but this point goes largely untouched throughout the rest of the story. Scottie’s exclusion from much of the meaningful dialogue in the film is somewhat excused by Alexandra and Matt’s desire to protect her from the truth of her mother’s infidelity and approaching death, but as a result, Scottie’s

Fox Searchlight

George Clooney stars in the highly anticipated ‘The Descendants,’ which is already gaining some early Oscar buzz.

character is left in limbo.

The film places great emphasis on its Hawaiian setting, which, like Matt’s wife, almost acts as a silent character in itself.

In the beginning narration, Matt suggests that outsiders assume Hawaii to be a sort of utopia, whose residents don’t have the same problems as those of the outside world. The film then proceeds to contest this assumption. However, it’s worth noting that while the islands provide a beautiful backdrop — and fodder for tension between idyllic vistas and Matt’s less-than-idyllic family situation — the story of a family struggling with death and coping with change could be equally meaningful in an entirely different setting.

Although the movie struggles in places, it succeeds in being poignant, if somewhat flippant. The relationships between the characters are overall honest, genuine and relatable, and the humor offsets some of the more contrived dialogue. Though it may leave those waiting anxiously for a film comparable with “Sideways” and “Election” (1999) a bit disappointed, “The Descendants” is still worth seeing.

Fox Searchlight

The Tufts Daily

6

Jumbos travel to Wellesley for season opener tonight Women’s Squash continued from page 8

lineup.

The theme for the coming season will thus be revitalization, and the team currently boasts an impressive 16 players, excluding Doherty and Basu.

The increased depth is chiefly due to word of mouth and encouragement from the current players, as well as recruitment efforts by head coach Belkys Velez, who is in her second year at the helm.

“Belkys did a really great job her first year as a coach, and she built up a reputation as a great coach and she did some recruiting,” junior Madison Newbound said. “When a team does well and the players get along really well, more people want to join.”

Six of the players — and two of the probable top five in the ladder — are freshmen. Paige Dahlman and Ann Bellinger will likely be Nos. 3 and 4 in the lineup, respectively. Even with all of the new faces, the team is very confident in the competitiveness of its roster.

“Last year, you knew who was going to beat who. But this year, there’s a lot of good competition in that you don’t know what will happen when any two people play each other, especially 1-5,” junior Jess Rubine said. “If we have another challenge match, there could be a lot of movement in the ladder.

It could go either way with a lot of matches.”

The Jumbos are hoping to take advantage of their strengths up and down the ladder.

“Our ladder is a lot tighter than it’s been in the past. Usually there have been big gaps between the top three, middle three and bottom three,” Newbound said. “We were astounded at how competitive they were. It will really help us, because if we play teams with gaps in the ladder, we’ll do well.”

Rubine, who played at the No. 4 spot last season, has worked hard to improve, moving up to the No. 1 spot this fall. Meanwhile, former No. 3 senior co-captain Mercedes Barba will likely play at No. 2.

Classmate and fellow co-captain Alyse Vinoski will round out the top five.

The team’s increased numbers have also enhanced its chemistry. Practices have been shifted from the evenings to the mornings, helping to accommodate the players’ night classes, and enabling the team to train together.

“In the morning, everyone can come to practice, which is great,” Rubine said. “Everyone is able to play against everyone else, no matter the level. It’s a really good experience for everyone at the bottom.

“It feels more like a community now that we have more people. Our team is really strong this year. I’ve been really impressed with all of the new people.

What’s really good about our team is that No. 16 is working just as hard as No. 1.”

Unlike last season, when many of the starting players were new to squash, most of the competing players now have at least some experience with the sport.

Senior Jennifer LaCara, however, is a player with no squash experience who is nonetheless expected to be a key contributor.

LaCara was a member of the women’s tennis team the past three years, and even served as tri-captain last year. Her natural athletic abilities have likely earned her a spot in the lineup.

“She’s incredible, especially since she just started playing a couple of months ago,” Newbound said. “She’s going to be a huge asset to the team and we didn’t even know that was a possibility. So it’s very exciting. She’s just a great athlete.”

No. 21 Tufts starts its season off tonight when they face No. 26 Wellesley.

They play No. 13 Mount Holyoke and No. 25 Smith tomorrow.

After beating both Wellesley and Smith last season, the Jumbos are confident heading into the weekend.

The team is especially excited because today’s match marks the first collegiate competition ever for many of the players.

“We’ve had lots of team games already, and though it is different and nerve-wracking in competitive matches, the team all knows what to expect,” Barba said. “Everyone’s excited to play.

We are looking forward to seeing where we stand.”

Sports

Top-ranked Tar Heels, Wildcats meet on Dec. 3 INSIDE NCAA BASKETBALL continued from page 7

in Hawaii. After leading the Huskies to the 2011 National Championship about four months later, Walker was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

So who will emerge as this season’s UConn? Which traditional heavyweights have looked most impressive early on? Not surprisingly, North Carolina and Kentucky sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the Div. I rankings. Together, they currently make up the clear top tier of college basketball. Both the Tar Heels and Wildcats look poised for excellent regular seasons and deep runs come March Madness.

Kentucky and North Carolina are both coming off excellent 2010-2011 campaigns. Kentucky went 29-9 overall, won the SEC Tournament and earned non-conference wins over top programs like Notre Dame, Indiana and Louisville. After earning a No. 4 seed in the East regional, the Wildcats won four straight tournament games before being bounced in the Final Four by UConn.

The Tar Heels were also strong, going 29-8 last season and finishing with a No. 7 ranking. The second seed in the East regional, UNC, advanced to the Elite Eight with wins over Long Island, Washington and Marquette.

In the Elite Eight, North Carolina trailed Kentucky by eight, but made a strong second half push to tie the game late. The Wildcats’ then-freshman guard Brandon Knight was too tough for the Tar Heels, however, as his late three-pointer put Kentucky ahead for good.

This season, North Carolina returns a ton of talent from last year’s team.

Senior center Tyler Zeller, junior forward John Henson and sophomore forward Harrison Barnes all tested the NBA Draft waters but decided to return to Chapel Hill for another season, enabling the Tar Heels to bring back their seven leading scorers and four leading rebounders from 20102011.

Expect last year’s inconsistent play to be diminished by the return of so many veteran superstars.

The rich only got richer in the offseason, too, as coach Roy Williams

Optimism abounds for Harvard Round Robin MEN’S SQUASH

continued from page 8

paign ranked 27th by the College Squash Association, the same rank with which they concluded last season. They will look to improve upon their disappointing 1-6 conference record, as well as their 4-12 mark at neutral sites, which is particularly relevant given Tufts’ inability to host matches.

Tufts will immediately face stiff competition, with No. 18 Bowdoin and No. 25 Stanford on the docket at the Harvard Round Robin on Saturday. Later in the season, on Jan. 27, the Jumbos will take on Bates and George Washington, which are ranked successively at 16th and 17th, in preparation for the NESCAC tournament.

“We have not been able to beat Bowdoin since I’ve been on the team, but we’ve been told a bunch of their guys are abroad, so this could be a huge opportunity for us to jump up in the rankings,” Miller said. “We are expecting to beat BU … [but] Stanford is another huge match for us. We lost to them last year in a close match, and they are ranked two spots above us.”

Although it’s the players’ responsibility to mesh and put in the practice hours necessary to attain success, they believe that Coach Eng has played a pivotal role in fostering their development.

Alex Dennett/Tufts Daily

Christopher Stoj is one of three seniors on a Jumbos team that will be freshman-heavy this season.

“Coach Eng is a brilliant guy who knows a ton about squash and especially physical training,” Kardon said. “I am confident that his leadership combined with the leadership of our captain, Henry Miller, will help us win some key matches.”

This freshman cadre and its gung-ho coach have both voiced their optimism, but they’re not the only ones.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The same spirit dispensed by Coach Eng to his younger players has, in turn, trickled up to the upperclassmen.

“We’re focusing all of our attention on this upcoming weekend,” Miller said. “We’re hoping to get some revenge on our ‘home courts.’”

Accordingly, Coach Eng put forth his mantra for this year: “Hard work, great attitude and never say die.”

added five incoming players to the roster. The class is highlighted by guard P.J. Hairston, who Rivals.com ranked as the 13th best incoming freshman in the nation, and forward James McAdoo, who checked in at No. 8 nationally.

One of the few programs to outdo UNC in its recruiting efforts this off-season was Kentucky. Coach John Calipari, who has consistently brought top classes to Lexington, has one of his best groups of freshmen this season. It is headlined by monstrous 6-foot-10 power forward Anthony Davis, who committed to Kentucky along with forwards Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltger and guard Marquis Teague, the younger brother of Jeff Teague, who starred at Wake Forest before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2009. They are joined by sophomore guard Ryan Harrow, who transferred to Kentucky from NC State.

Although Kentucky will rely heavily on its freshmen, the Wildcats still bring back several key contributors from last season. Sophomore forward Terrence Jones averaged 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a freshman and is one of the country’s toughest defenders in the paint.

On the perimeter, Kentucky returns sophomore guard Doron Lamb and senior guard Darius Miller, who both averaged double figures in scoring last season.

Like last year’s Huskies, the Tar Heels and Wildcats have both passed difficult tests at the beginning of the season.

In one of the most bizarre college basketball games ever played, UNC topped Michigan State, 67-55, while playing on a makeshift court on an aircraft carrier in San Diego. The Wildcats have also looked good, beating Kansas 75-65 on Tuesday night in the Basketball Hall of Fame TipOff Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

If both teams remain perfect, expect the debate between North Carolina and Kentucky to rage until Dec. 3 the day the Tar Heels travel to Lexington to face off against Kentucky in what should be a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.

Football

Defense, special teams represent Jumbos on All-NESCAC squad Despite a winless record, four members of the football team earned some well-deserved NESCAC recognition. Senior linebacker Zack Skarzynski, junior safety Sam Diss, senior kicker Adam Auerbach and junior special teams standout Dylan Hass were all named to the All-Conference Second Team yesterday.

Skarzynski led the NESCAC in tackles this season with 97, including 5.5 for a loss. During the six-week heart of the season, Skarzynski posted doubledigit stops in every game. He peaked with 18 against Trinity in front of Tufts’ Homecoming crowd to help hold the visiting Bantams to just nine points — their lowest point total on the season by 11. Despite a knee injury during Saturday’s season finale against Middlebury, holding him to just five tackles in that game, Skarzynski finished his senior season averaging 12.1 per contest.

Diss — also a 2010 AllNESCAC Second Team selection and the reigning Rudolph J. Fobert Award (multi-sport athlete) winner — continued to succeed in the defensive

backfield this season after a move from cornerback to safety. Diss tied for second on the team with 52 tackles, of which 40 were solo efforts. He also posted one interception, deflected two passes and one forced and recovered fumble.

Auerbach was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals this fall, with three coming from more than 30 yards out. He posted two touchbacks on kickoffs, the second best total in the league. And, with Saturday’s 24-yard boot — the 22nd of his career — Auerbach became Tufts’ all-time leading field goal kicker.

Haas joined Skarzynski on the NESCAC leaderboards, topping the league with a 22.4-yard kick return average.

Hass brought back 13 kickoffs for a total of 291 yards this fall, the only category in which Tufts led the league.

His 729 all-purpose yards — highlighted by a 48-yard return against Bowdoin and a 43-yarder against Colby — were the highest total for the Jumbos this season.

—by Claire Kemp

The Tufts Daily

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Available June 2012. Call (781)-9836398 or email cyndie@hotmail.com

Four bedroom apartment on Ossipee Road. Available June 1, 2012. Great condition. Call Maria (781)-942-7625

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.

David McIntyre | The Beautiful Game

INSIDE NCAA BASKETBALL

Tar Heels, Wildcats pulling away early

Addicted to Football Manager

Elite freshman classes lead to embarrassment of riches by

Matt Berger

Daily Editorial Board

More than in most other sports, the top college basketball teams usually reveal themselves early in the season due to the ever-increasing number of premier non-conference matchups that occur before Christmas. The teams that survive these early tests make a strong statement of their intentions to advance to the late stages of the NCAA Tournament.

Just take a look at last year’s national champion, UConn. The Huskies came out red hot, winning 10 straight games against non-conference opponents.

Of course, some of these wins were expected. UConn smacked hapless Farleigh Dickinson of the Northeast Conference 78-54 on Dec. 8 and then beat Harvard by 29 points on Dec. 22.

Neither of these results sent shockwaves through the college basketball world.

But the Huskies looked very impressive against strong competition when they flew west to compete in the Maui Invitational. UConn beat Wichita State and Michigan State in the first two rounds of the event on Nov. 22-23.

The next day, the Huskies played some of their best basketball of the season in an 84-67 win over a very talented Kentucky team.

Then-junior guard Kemba Walker emerged as the tournament’s MVP and instantly became one of the favorites for National Player of the Year after averaging 30 points in three games see INSIDE NCAA BASKETBALL, page 6

MCT

Sophomore Doron Lamb (middle) is an elite perimeter shooter, and one of many scoring options in Kentucky’s dynamic offense.

Field Hockey

Four Jumbos earn All-Region honors On Wednesday, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) named four members of the No. 16 Tufts squad to its All-New England West Region Teams.

Senior co-captains defenseman Taylor Dyer and midfielder Lindsay Griffith were named to the NFHCA’s First Team, while junior forward Lia Sagerman and sophomore midfielder Emily Cannon were named to the Second Team.

Last week, Dyer, Griffith and Sagerman were all recognized as All-NESCAC players.

This marked Dyer’s second consecutive election to the NFHCA’s All-New England First Team. Throughout the season, Dyer — who started every game in her four-year career with the Jumbos — helped Tufts record New England’s third-lowest goals against average, and she proved her versatility on both ends of the field.

She notched six goals and three assists, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort on penalty strokes, this past fall.

Griffith, who improved upon her NFHCA Second Team selection last season, led the Jumbos in scoring with 10 goals and three assists. She posted a solid .511 shots-on-goal rate and commanded the Jumbos’ transition game and offensive pieces. Griffith was essential to the Jumbos’ success within

I

the NESCAC, tallying five scores over the course of 10 conference showdowns and helping the team net 3.42 goals per game, fourth-best in New England.

Sagerman, who will likely be one of the Jumbos’ key leaders next season, was the team’s second-leading scorer.

This fall, Sagerman tallied 10 goals and a single assist to lift the Jumbos over opponents at crucial moments. In games the Jumbos dominated, Sagerman helped keep the pressure on weaker opponents; during their Sept. 21 matchup with UMass Dartmouth, the junior led the way with a hat trick en route to a 6-0 shutout.

Cannon did everything she could to prove that there is no such thing as a sophomore slump.

Her five assists were good for second best on the squad, and her ability to set up teammates for quick strikes and tap-ins was crucial in games where the Jumbos faced defensive pressure.

Behind No. 1 Bowdoin and No. 10 Amherst, Tufts earned the third-most All-New England selections.

The Jumbos went 11-4 on the season and 7-3 in conference play, before losing in double overtime to the Polar Bears in the NESCAC quarterfinals.

—by Kate Klots

K.C. Hambleton/Tufts Daily

Senior co-captain Lindsay Griffith (No. 7) was one of two Jumbos named to the All-New England First Team.

n my Sept. 30 column, I extolled the virtues of the new soccer video game, FIFA ’12 and shared my excitement as I got ready to play my first game on the new version. And don’t get me wrong — FIFA has proven to be a great game during these last few months, and my friends and I have gotten hours of enjoyment from it. But there was an even better game released on Oct. 21 that is even more realistic, dramatic and addicting than FIFA: Its name is Football Manager 2012.

First of all, I know that if you’re reading my column and grew up in the United States, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Sold in the United States as Worldwide Soccer Manager, the Football Manager series has never gained much of a foothold stateside; indeed, despite a new version coming out every year since 2005, I’ve never met an American that had heard of the game before I told them about it.

Consider this your indoctrination, then, as I bring you into the world of the most addicting game I’ve ever played. The concept is as simple as the title: You are the manager of a club team in world football.

You can choose any club you want, from Manchester United down to FC United of Manchester, in almost any country on Earth. Like real life, there is no difficulty setting, and you are thrown off the deep end as soon as you start the game.

I’m not kidding; you have control of everything, from every player’s training to player acquisitions to tactics, scheduling friendlies and firing and hiring staff. Every action you take has a direct influence on your team’s success — if you exceed expectations, you are lauded as a hero, and if not, you find yourself in the fast lane to unemployment.

Sounds great, right? It might be the most realistic simulation of real-life events in the video game world. There’s just one “catch:” Unlike FIFA, you can’t control the players. Just like a real manager, once a match starts, all you can do is watch and adjust the tactics. You can’t score stunners with a few clever mouse clicks or enter cheat codes to get super speed; your fate as a manager in the game truly rests with your players.

If you’ve stuck with my column to this point, you must be having the reaction now that most of my friends have when I tell them about the game or they see me playing it; how boring! Why would anyone sit through hours (all right, I admit it, I spend a lot of time playing this game) looking at a computer screen, meticulously preparing and adjusting hundreds of different elements, just to sit back and have to watch a few simulated people run around with no control over what they are doing?

I have to admit, it sounded like a dumb concept when I first started playing it.

The game is almost the antithesis of FIFA, because it is a highly controlled simulation of the management side of soccer (which FIFA is definitely not) and an uncontrollable simulation of the actual games. But once I started getting into it, and I learned how to play the game, it is just incredibly addicting. I can’t put it any more simply than that.

But don’t just take my word for it; go on the Internet. IGN.com gave Football Manager 2012 a 9.0/10 rating (an “amazing” classification). There are hundreds of websites dedicated to the game; one of my favorites is Fm-base.co.uk. Take five minutes and check it out, because I’m determined to get at least one person from the United States to embrace “the greatest job on Earth.”

David McIntyre is a sophomore who is majoring in political science. He can be reached at David.McIntyre@tufts.edu.

Sports

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INSIDE Football 7 Field Hockey 6 Inside NCAA Basketball 6

tuftsdaily.com

Volleyball

Jumbos reach conference semifinals, NCAA second round Rookie of the Year Kuhel one of many promising freshmen by

Alex Baudoin

Daily Staff Writer

Led by a group of first-years who complemented a core of upperclassmen, the volleyball team reached the semifinals of the NESCAC Championships and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where a four-set loss to the Springfield College Pride ended their season.

“They were a great team and played on a high level, but I’m proud of the way we played as a team. We never stopped working hard,” senior tri-captain Cara Spieler said.

After being eliminated from the tournament, the Jumbos finished the season with an overall record of 26-6, including a stellar 9-1 mark in conference play. The team graduates three seniors — Spieler, Lexi Nicholas and Audrey Kuan, who is also the executive online editor of the Daily — who have been a major part of the team’s success for the past four seasons. All three also proved to be valuable leaders, serving as tri-captains on a team whose roster was mostly made up of younger players.

“This was one of the most cohesive teams I have been on in the last four years here,” Nicholas said. “I am proud of the way we finished and that we never stopped fighting.”

Kuan, Spieler and NESCAC Rookie of the Year Isabel Kuhel, a freshman, were all recognized for their extraordinary playing this season with selections to the AllNESCAC Second Team. Kuan and NESCAC Co-Player of the Year and All-Conference junior setter Kendall Lord were also named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-New England Region team.

Lord led the conference with 1,256 assists, an astounding 189 more than the second place finisher, Sophia Cornew of Bowdoin, while Kuan finished fifth in the NESCAC with 543 digs.

Although the Jumbos fell early in the NCAAs, they had many significant accomplishments during the season. Before entering postseason play, the Jumbos

Scott Tingley/Tufts Daily

Senior tri-captain Cara Spieler ranked second on the team and sixth in the conference with 331 kills this season.

Women’s Squash

New players give Jumbos new hope Veterans, rookies prepare for opening match at Wellesley by

Ann Sloan

Daily Editorial Board

With many of the women’s squash team’s key contributors from last season abroad and graduated, the future of the squad was up in the air at the beginning of the school year.

But a strong influx of new players has given the team new life.

During the 2010-11 season, the team had just 11 players, and a number of them were new to the sport.

This year, the team is missing its top two players from last year. No. 2 Valerie Koo (LA ’11), who earned AllNESCAC honors two years in a row, graduated last spring, and the team’s No. 1 player, senior Alix Michael — also a member of the women’s soccer squad — decided not to play squash this season for personal reasons.

Juniors Ushashi Basu and Caitlin Doherty, Nos. 6 and 9, respectively, are abroad this fall and senior Xiaomeng Wang is no longer playing. These losses left the Jumbos direly needing to replenish their see WOMEN’S SQUASH, page 6

Alex Dennett/Tufts Daily

Senior co-captain Mercedes Barba is expected to jump to the No. 2 spot in the Jumbos’ ladder this season.

strung together 16 wins in 17 matches, including a stretch of eight straight. That impressive run included a first-place finish in the Hall of Fame Tournament hosted by Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges. The Jumbos also earned an inspired sweep of Amherst and Middlebury over Parents Weekend in front of many of the program’s alumni at Cousens Gym. “It was a great experience playing in front of and meeting some of the volleyball alumni,” Spieler said. “It was a lot of fun.”

One of the major storylines of this season was the successful contribution of the class of 2015. After graduating three key seniors in 2011, Tufts entered the season with eight freshmen, and many doubted that the team could succeed while integrating so many new players into head coach Cora Thompson’s system.

The freshmen put to bed any doubts skeptics had, quickly becoming an integral part of the team’s success. In particular, Kuhel and outside hitters Kelly Brennan and Hayley Hopper stepped up as very valuable players for the Jumbos. Kuhel, a middle blocker, finished the season leading the conference with 134 blocks. Hopper and Brennan both landed in the top 10 in the conferences in kills per game, recording 3.08 and 3.0, respectively.

“We had a very young team, but the freshmen were incredible,” Spieler said.

Looking ahead to next fall, the Jumbos have the potential to be even more successful than they were this season. Graduating only three seniors, Tufts will return 12 players, many of whom were key contributors to the team’s success this year.

“I think they are going to have a great team,” Spieler said. “The freshmen will continue to grow and the upcoming seniors will be great leaders. The team chemistry was so good this year and will continue to be so good in the future.”

“They will pick up where we left off,” Nicholas added. “They have the potential to go very far. I will be cheering them on the whole time.”

Men’s Squash

New freshmen could surprise opponents

by Samuel

Gold

Contributing Writer

After losing its No. 1, 2 and 4 starters to graduation on the heels of a subpar 9-16 season, the men’s squash team’s prospects might look bleak. But with the right mix of returning talent and young freshmen looking to prove themselves, the Jumbos hope they can turn things around this winter.

The newly christened veteran core will have to assume great responsibility, aiding in the transition of the newcomers, and the team will need to learn to coalesce. Despite the tough road ahead, however, head coach Doug Eng is bullish on his squad’s future.

“Our basic skills are better this year than last year,” Eng said. “So we could upset some higher-ranked teams.”

Even without Alex Gross (LA ’11) — a three-time AllNESCAC selection — at the one spot and Ben Rind (LA ’11) at the two, the Jumbos’ lineup is formidable thanks to an outstanding class of recruits. Freshman standouts Alex Nalle and Zach Schweitzer will likely take the reins at the one and two spots, respectively, with classmate Gordon

Silverman solidifying the middle of the pack, and fellow first-years Hugo Meggitt and Elliot Kardon rounding out the starting lineup — a grand total of five rookie starters.

This influx of fresh talent marks the dawn of a new era for Tufts men’s squash. Coach Eng believes that the Jumbos’ potential will allow them to grow quickly and exploit unprepared opponents.

“Take advantage of youth and energy, to work hard and improve fast,” said Eng, when asked about the keys to the season. “We can have a high learning curve and … have a surprise party for [our] opponents.”

The new talent also may bring a change in reputation, as Tufts looks to build a program that is hampered by the lack of regulation squash courts on campus.

“If Doug can keep bringing in this type of talent for the next few years, the team will jump way up in the rankings,” senior captain Henry Miller said. “[We can] easily break into the top 20, where we have not been for a few years.”

The Jumbos begin their camsee MEN’S SQUASH, page 6