THE TUFTS DAILY
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VOLUME LXII, NUMBER 53
Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Assembly Row complex to cater to urban residents by
Minyoung Song
Daily Editorial Board
Assembly Row, a new complex in the City of Somerville that will combine retail, office, residential and green space, will feature as many as 50 outlet stores, developers announced earlier this month. Federal Realty Investment Trust is overseeing the development of the $1.5 billion complex, which will form a part of Assembly Square, located approximately 3.5 miles from campus. “It will feature outdoor dining lining the streets, a sense of place unlike any of our peer retail centers and a great experience for shopping, living or working,” Federal Realty Marketing Director Andrea Simpson said. The new retail outlets will join the existing Assembly Square Marketplace, a collection of stores including TJ Maxx, Staples and Sports Authority. Federal Realty has yet to announce the names of which outlets will be part
of the complex, Simpson explained, though they should be ready for release by the end of the calendar year. “As soon as Federal Realty concludes lease negotiations and execute the leases, we will release names,” she said. The project is designed to offer Boston-area shoppers a convenient location for discount shopping. It will primarily appeal to the younger residents of Somerville and nearby cities, but it can also serve the needs of a range of age groups, according to Senior Vice President of Development at Federal Realty Don Briggs. The new complex will deliver the type of positive and affordable shopping experiences shoppers expect lately, according to Simpson. “Shopper mindset has changed since the recession. People want value and want to pay a responsible price for it,” Simpson said. “Everyone is see ASSEMBLY ROW, page 2
Emmanuel Hubrechts/Flickr via Creative Commons
Gov. Patrick signed into law a bill protecting transgender individuals from forms of discrimination.
Massachusetts passes Transgender Equal Rights Bill by
Corinne Segal
Daily Editorial Board
Admissions launches fresh new website, magazine by Jenna
Buckle
Daily Staff Writer
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions earlier this month launched a revamped website and magazine in order to improve communications with prospective students. The redesigned website, planned over an 18-month period, combines traditional admissions information with new multimedia and social media features, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin explained.
“The hope is that students bookmark this page and come back to it regularly because they like the conversation that Tufts is having with them about applying to college,” he said. The reconstructed website is designed to appeal to high school students at each stage of their college search, according to Admissions Counselor Justin Pike. “I think it’s certainly an easier site to navigate,” Pike said. “Visually, it’s see ADMISSIONS, page 2
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick on Nov. 23 signed into law a bill which will protect transgender individuals from discrimination in education, housing, employment and credit. The bill also modified the state’s hate crime laws to protect transgender individuals. The bill was first introduced in the state legislature in 2007 but has not come up for a vote until this year, according to Kara Suffredini, executive director of MassEquality. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary, a committee composed of members of the House and Senate, handled the bill before passing it for a vote in the House, Suffredini told the Daily. Massachusetts State Representatives Byron Rushing (D-Boston) and Carl Sciortino (D-Medford, LA ’00) spon-
sored the bill in the Massachusetts House, where the bill passed 95-58 on Nov. 15. State Senators Ben Downing (D-Pittsfield) and Sonia Chung-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain) sponsored the bill in the Massachusetts Senate, where it passed on Nov. 16 by a voice vote. “I’m really proud to be in a state where, once again, we are supporting equality for all,” Sciortino told the Daily. In previous years, the committee had sent the bill for study, meaning that the legislature and community required more education on the topic before a vote, Suffredini said. During that time, advocacy groups worked to educate the public about transgender issues and the bill. People who are transgender or gender non-conforming experience much higher levels of discrimination and harasssee TRANSGENDER, page 2
Famed professor Noam Chomsky speaks on the Hill by
Patrick McGrath Daily Staff Writer
Daily File Photo
With a brand new website and magazine, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is trying to “keep it real.”
Inside this issue
Institute Professor of Linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Noam Chomsky last night delivered a lecture focused on American foreign policy in light of the recent economic crisis and the decline of America as a global power player. Regarded by many as the “father of modern linguistics” and a renowned academic figure throughout the United States, Chomsky today is known especially for his unique opinions on U.S. foreign policy. Part of the Tufts Faculty Progressive Caucus American Democracy in Crisis Series, Chomsky’s talk, titled “Democracy in America and Abroad,” drew a crowd that filled Cabot Auditorium over capacity. Tufts Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Jerry Meldon introduced Chomsky, praising not only his intellect and myriad accomplishments, but also his ability to offer a truly unique perspective. “There was a need for somebody like him to be critical of what the United States
has done in the world,” Meldon said. Chomsky discussed a variety of social, economic and political issues facing the nation today, including the energy crisis, the American healthcare system, tax reductions and the decline of America. He shared his controversial opinions on these issues and proposed his own solutions to fix some of the most pressing problems. In his discussion of the energy crisis, Chomsky pointed out the sharp increase in energy emissions this year and the lack of an appropriate response in this country. “The U.S. government is also taking steps backwards,” said Chomsky. To cope with the economic recession, he proposed cutbacks in military spending and increasing taxes on the wealthy. He also called for an end to the reduction of health benefits, describing current American healthcare practices a “scandal.” “Corporate profits are the highest they’ve ever been,” Chomsky said. Chomsky went on to discuss the end see CHOMSKY, page 2
Today’s sections
Students of varying Jewish backgrounds gather to meditate and work on the farm.
To audiences’ delight, the Muppets return to the silver screen after a 12-year absence.
see FEATURES, page 3
see ARTS, page 5
News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters
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Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports
9 10 11 Back
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Chomsky speaks of America’s decline as China prospers CHOMSKY
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of American hegemony, which he believes is in part self-inflicted due to the steps taken to prevent the creation of other successful, independent nations. “The American decline is very real,” Chomsky said, noting however that the decline is not a new phenomenon. According to Chomsky, the decline truly began in 1945, a time before which American hegemony went unquestioned. “American decline is [when] we can no longer rule the world totally like we could in this peak of power during the mid-40s,” Chomsky said. American foreign policy around the world has been influenced first and foremost by American business and economic interests, and the United States has operated under the facade of benevo-
Scott Tingley/Tufts Daily
MIT Professor of Linguistics Noam Chomsky discussed the United States’ health care policies, energy crisis and overall decline.
lence, according to Chomsky. The “loss of China” marked one of the most important events in American decline, Chomsky said. China’s ability to exist and function as an independent nation had serious implications for the United States. Chomsky saw ulterior motives operating during the Vietnam War, where he believes that the United States’ primary goal was to avert the threat of an independent and economically successful China. “[The] U.S. actually won a partial victory in Vietnam,” Chomsky said. This threat to become an independent nation-state was identified as a “virus” that the United States felt the need to wipe out to prevent “contagion” in China’s neighboring developing countries, including Indonesia and Japan, according to Chomsky. The theme of identifying a “virus” and eliminating it has been repeated throughout modern American history, Chomsky explained. The United States consistently looks for any way to prevent the development of economically viable countries, even if it becomes necessary to enlist mafia aid or support harsh dictatorships to squash threats of hegemonic competition. Such interventions have brought about negative consequences in the countries in which the United States operates. “Wherever [the] U.S. intervenes, drugs follow,” he said. The corrupt interests of the United States were evident in other conflicts abroad, including those in Guatemala, Indonesia and Cuba, according to Chomsky. Cuba became an issue because it had become an independent national heeding solely its own objectives, Chomsky said. Chomsky closed by reiterating that the American decline could be largely attributed to the faults of the United States by preventing the creation of other legitimate economic entities with which it can interact.
New magazine cuts down on frequency of admissions mailings ADMISSIONS
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more compelling.” The website contains Tufts Blogs, a compilation of blog posts from current students about life at Tufts. Roughly 20 student bloggers, differing in age, background and academic interests contribute regularly, Pike said. “Inside Admissions,” a blog boasting posts authored by nine admissions counselors, offers prospective students a look at what goes on behind the closed doors of Bendetson Hall. Another prominent feature of the new site is an interactive virtual tour of the campus, which allows viewers to learn about interesting classes to take, common activities in which to take part and campus locations to visit. Pike noted that this multimedia facet of the website will help fully immerse viewers in the campus environment. “You could make your way to the virtual tour and suddenly find yourself looking at a very rich visual experience,” he said. The remodeled site also allows prospective students to get to know Tufts academia through a series of featured articles highlighting research conducted by professors in a variety of fields. The admissions office also created a new admissions magazine titled Jumbo, which will be published three times a year and mailed to interested students’ homes, according to Coffin. It will also be available to viewers online. Jumbo will replace the Tufts viewbook as the primary publication for prospective students, he said, promising that there will be no other traditional mailings sent to prospective students. The admissions office made the switch in response to their high school focus group research. “Every focus group said the same
thing, that colleges send students too much stuff,” Coffin said. “There’s no reason to develop publications that arrive in someone’s mailbox and then get thrown out.” The magazine will feature content geared specifically toward high school students, Coffin explained. “The idea behind the magazine was to get students information that’s pertinent to them at the time that they’re reading the magazine,” Pike said. Jumbo is designed to give interested students a real feel for life on the Hill, according to Leslie McCracken, one of the nine freshmen hired for the Tufts Undergraduate Admissions Editorial Board. “We really want to show that the Tufts student body is fun, trendy, intellectual, and quirky,” she said. Student involvement has been integral to both the renovation of the website and the creation of Jumbo, according to Pike. “Students are sort of woven into everything we do. They’re the ones that make this whole process authentic,” he said. The student editorial board is largely responsible for generating fresh content for the magazine and the website, Coffin explained. “Our charge to them was, ‘Keep it real,’” he said. Coffin has high hopes that the new magazine and website will help foster constructive dialogue between Tufts and prospective students. “Conversation is really the theme of all these new pieces of communication. It’s not just a one-way dialogue,” Coffin remarked. “We hope it will preserve and enhance the growth we’ve had over the last several years.” —Corinne Segal contributed reporting to this article.
News
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tufts students helped contribute to transgender bill’s passing TRANSGENDER
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ment than people who are not, according to a study released by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force this February. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they had experienced discrimination in employment because of their transgender or gender non-conforming identity, and 26 percent of respondents had lost a job for the same reason. This year was the right time to put the bill up for vote, according to Suffredini. “Lawmakers and the public as a whole have come to know transgender people a lot better over the past five years while we’ve been doing this education,” she said. Four cities — Boston, Cambridge, Amherst and Northampton — had already passed similar anti-discrimination laws to benefit the transgender community before the passage of this bill. Massachusetts joins a number of states and cities in passing a transgender equal rights bill, as well as a number of Massachusetts employers that have already adopted a similar policy toward gender identity and expression, according to a fact sheet released by the Massachusetts Political Transgender Coalition (MPTC). The bill, however, did not pass without contention. House Republicans reportedly expressed concern that the bill would harm small businesses by driving customers away from facilities that employed transgender workers. “It opens the door for social change that would take away the rights of hardworking men and women and parents,” State Rep. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica), told the Associated Press in a Nov. 15 article. “It’s unfortunately an issue that has caused a partisan difference but at the end of the day, I don’t think discrimination or hate crimes should be a party issue,” Sciortino said. The committee removed a portion of the bill forbidding discrimination against transgender people in public accommodations — including but not limited to hotels, public restrooms and restaurants — before passing it to the House for a vote, Suffredini said. Much of the discussion surrounding public accommodations focused on public restrooms, with critics arguing that its inclusion in the bill would pose a safety risk. “It’s a victory for the safety, privacy and modesty of women and children who expect to be safe and secure in public bathrooms in the commonwealth,” Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, told the New American in a Nov. 18 article.
Advocacy groups will work with lawmakers and the public about discrimination in public accommodations over the next year, Suffredini said. “It’s my commitment and the advocates’ commitment to continue to work on this to make sure we address public accommodations in the future,” Sciortino said. The advocacy groups will then introduce a bill to lawmakers outlawing discrimination against transgender individuals in public places in January, Suffredini said. Tufts students contributed to the effort to pass the bill, according to sophomore Megan Berkowitz, the external outreach coordinator for the Interfaith Social Action Group. Berkowitz and another student from the Interfaith Social Action Group met with MassEquality last spring, she said. The two students worked at the MassEquality phone bank, calling Massachusetts’ registered voters to educate them on the bill and encourage them to call their representatives in support of the bill, she added. “It’s just a way to let the congresspeople know that their constituents supported the bill,” she said. The group also created an on-campus phone bank last spring for the same purpose, in which approximately eight students participated, according to Berkowitz. Berkowitz and two other students worked at the MassEquality phone bank the evening the bill came up for a vote in the House, Berkowitz said. “We had something of a sense of urgency because it was the night it was being discussed in the House,” Berkowitz said. “We were able to tell people, it’s really important to call tonight because this is something that’s happening right now.” Tufts had already followed a policy of non-discrimination toward transgender individuals before the bill was passed, according to facts released by the MPTC. The bill will benefit Tufts transgender students as they graduate and enter the workforce, according to Grainne Griffiths, a member of Students Acting for Gender Equality (SAGE). “I think it’s a great step,” Griffiths, a sophomore, said. “I think there are a lot of protections that would really benefit transgender students at Tufts in the workforce.” Tufts can contribute to gender non-discrimination by allowing gender-neutral housing, a goal SAGE has been working toward this year, Griffiths said.
Virginia Bledsoe/Tufts Daily
Fifty new outlet stores will be part of the new Assembly Row complex.
Construction of Assembly Row to break ground soon ASSEMBLY ROW
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expecting a lot more for their dollar.” Work on the complex will likely begin in the coming months and is scheduled for completion by mid-2014, according to Simpson. A new Orange Line Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) T station in Assembly Square is also in the works and on track to open by fall 2014, Simpson explained. It will be located between the Wellington and the Sullivan Square stations on the
Orange Line. Freshman Paige Negoro is supportive of the project, though she hopes that it will be easily accessible using public transportation. “I think students will benefit from it as long as there is an easy way to get there from the T or the bus,” she said. In addition to being accessible by T, the 50-acre complex can be reached via Route 93 and bike and pedestrian paths, Simpson noted. Students can also get to the area by using a combination of MBTA buses.
Features
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tuftsdaily.com
Alison Williams and Sarah Gottlieb | Generation Sex
Razzle dazzle ‘em
S
courtesy charlee corra
On the second annual Hillel-sponsored retreat to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Tufts students, such as sophomore Katie Segal (left) and Junior Leah Effron (right) were able to explore the connection between food and faith.
For the second year, Hillel farm retreat brings faith back to nature by
Lily Sieradzki
Contributing Writer
On a typical weekend, a college student’s schedule would most likely not include milking goats, making sauerkraut or planting garlic. On a retreat through Tufts Hillel earlier this month, however, a group of Jumbos defied convention and got their hands dirty while simultaneously reflecting on Judaism, spirituality and the earth. The Hillel retreat was its second annual trip to the fully operating Jewish organic farm located at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Conn. It functions as an educational center, focusing on environmental issues through a Jewish lens. The farm is maintained by Adamah Fellows, post-college youth who live, learn and work the farm for three months. However, Adamah runs weekend and day programs for all types of groups, including the group of Jewish Tufts students sent by Tufts Hillel. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, the senior Jewish educator at Tufts Hillel, initiated the first Adamah retreat last April after concocting the idea with a close friend, Sarah Chandler, the associate director of the farm. Adamah had never previously hosted a group of college students, Ruttenberg said. “It’s a great chance for students to come and learn and gain this experience, and it’s a way for the farm to share what they’re doing with more people,” Ruttenberg said. “It just seemed like a natural fit.” Ruttenberg spearheaded recruitment for both retreats, encouraging students across the spectrum of Jewish background and who had been involved with Hillel to attend. Both retreats were planned with the help of a dedicated student committee. Sophomore Rhyan Goldman was introduced to the program by Ruttenberg and participated in coor-
dinating the retreat both this year and last year. “Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg is a force to be reckoned with,” Goldman said. “She barely knew me and she told me, ‘Look, I know you well enough to know you’ll love going on this retreat, so you should go.’” Last year’s retreat focused on food justice. This year, the trip took a more spiritual note with the theme “Body and Soul.” Both retreats emphasized the exploration of food, where it comes from and how to consume it mindfully.
“Both were really powerful and moving experiences, borderline life-changing.” Charlee Cora Junior
The Jumbos learned and reflected on these issues through handson methods — such as making goat cheese — as well as discussions that appealed to a wide diversity of perspectives. “There were a lot of people that had a lot of Jewish background but didn’t know a lot about the environment, and there were some people who were marginally involved in the Jewish community but were really interested in the food aspect,” sophomore Leah Lazer said. “I thought they did a really good job incorporating both ends of the spectrum.” Both years, the retreat was composed of farm work, discussion-based activities, text study and Jewish celebrations of Shabbat. Meditation and hikes added a spiritual perspective and a space to think. “There’s time for services, there’s time for walks in nature [and] there’s time for these deep, powerful, reflective conversations,” Ruttenberg said.
For the participants, the retreats created a chance to meet a whole new set of people and bond as a group, as well as a refreshing step back from the busy college lifestyle. “They give me a way to escape from all the stress and day-to-day worries that are insignificant compared with the bigger picture,” Charlee Corra, a junior who went on both years of the retreat, said. “We’re in nature and we’re talking about it and learning about it. You’re just completely present and that doesn’t happen that often.” The retreats also provided a unique — and for some, rarely tapped — way of connecting to Judaism. Lazer said she appreciated learning about her faith through a new lens other than typical religious traditions. “It was definitely good to remind myself, and see others learn for the first time, that Judaism has a lot to say about environmental issues and food issues and how you should think about eating,” she said. Ruttenberg said that the most recent trip exceeded her expectations, and she felt as though the participants walked away with an important and enlightening experience. “Both [retreats] were really powerful and moving experiences, borderline life-changing experiences,” Corra added. “Both have been very important to me in terms of how I relate to Judaism and the earth.” The seeds of Adamah have taken root at Tufts, and they have potential to grow and flourish on both the individual and community levels. The participants of the Adamah retreats plan on applying their knowledge by encouraging awareness of the environmental impact of everyday choices. “Hopefully we’ll continue to have retreats and continue to provide a way for people to go away and get a dose of this and come back and infuse it into their lives in all sorts of ways,” Ruttenberg said.
o you’re about to get raunchy. Doing your sexy dance and strippin’ off your sexy pants, and then it hits you: My junk isn’t pretty enough. I must make my junk pretty. Personally, we’ve never dealt with this dilemma, but obviously someone else did. And the result? Vajazzling. “What is vajazzling?,” you might ask. Well, according to Vajazzling.com, the official vajazzling website, vajazzling is “the act of applying glitter and jewels to a woman’s nether regions for aesthetic purposes.” Basically, it’s the newest way to glam up your naughty zone and the newest business opportunity for Swarovski crystals. Yes … Swarovski. Vajazzling isn’t like crystallizing your pink bits. The rhinestones are glued to the pubic area directly after it is waxed or shaved. Interested? Well if you are, here are some things you should know. First of all, this isn’t a joke. People really are doing this and perpetuating this glittering trend. It’s been discussed in the Huffington Post, Time Magazine and other really legit blogs and news sources! It is typically done in a salon that also does waxing so that they can do the prep work, plus they’re already trained to deal with your private area. Just get Googling and you can find spas in your area that will bejewel your bits — or you can buy a DIY home kit! Second, how much does this whole thing cost? The DIY home kits are much cheaper, but then you will have to depend on your own crafting skills to stick the suckers on. At a spa, vajazzling can cost anywhere from the average cost of a waxing to over $100. The quality of crystals, the size of the pattern and the spa you are getting it done at will all factor into the price. Third, once it’s done you have to know how to take care of them. To ensure longevity, make sure they were applied properly on dry, clean skin with skin-safe adhesive. Also, tight clothes will rub the crystals off, so loose pants are recommended to make sure the adhesives last the full few days. And let’s remember, who are you vajazzling for? If it’s for yourself, it’s time to get buck wild in front of the mirror and admire you shimmering shenanigans. If it’s for your partner, it’s time to get buck wild with them and allow them to admire your glowing goodies. And don’t worry, although sexual activities can result in jewels stuck to both partners and generally everywhere, no vajazzling injuries of the partner have been reported … so far. The biggest potential danger would probably just be an allergic reaction to the glue. We asked around campus and have decided to include some of the best student responses to vajazzling: “You put what? Where!? No way … yeah I’d like to see that.” “Oh my God! I didn’t know people knew about it here! I’m from New York City and it’s getting really big there! My mom and I got it done together this summer for bonding!” “No way! I’m not letting anyone do arts and crafts on my tunnel of love!” “I mean, if your junk is that ugly it might be a good distraction. Personally, I think if my girlfriend dropped her panties and I was blinded by sparkles? I’d be a little confused to say the least.” “That should be a booth at WinterFest!” So, enjoy. If you want to try it, go for it. We’re definitely fans of the glitter-free bikini zone, but no judgment from us if you want to give it a shot. After all, we write a sex column. We have no right to judge.
Alison Williams is a sophomore majoring in English, and Sarah Gottlieb is a sophomore majoring in psychology. Williams can be reached at Alison.Williams@tufts. edu, and Gottlieb can be reached at Sarah. Gottlieb@tufts.edu.
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Movie Review
Thanks to Jason Segel and lovable puppets, audiences are sweet on sugarcoated ‘Muppets’ by
Zachary Drucker
Daily Editorial Board
Like a former Hollywood heavyweight who finds himself typecast in made-for-TV movies, the Muppets believed they had lost all
The Muppets Starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper Directed by James Bobin relevancy. Miss Piggy found herself working long hours for French Vogue in Paris, Gonzo gave up his stuntman gig for a corporate office at a plumbing company and Fozzie Bear took his stand-up act to a downtrodden casino in Reno, Nev. But with a little help from funnyman Jason Segel, the Muppets have made a triumphant homecoming to cinema and the public eye. Returning to the silver screen for the first time since “Muppets from Space” (1999), the Muppets franchise — which dates back to the original Jim Henson years in the mid-1950s — is revamped and reinvigorated, while still preserving the syrupy sweetness that originally made its characters so endearing. Co-writer and star Segel creates an engaging testament to Henson’s brainchild, properly initiating the Muppets — whom he worshipped as a kid — into the new world of children’s entertainment. Acute fans should have foreseen Segel’s attempts to insert himself into the storied Muppets franchise after his screenwriting debut, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008), where he starred as an aspiring puppeteer interested in creating a Dracula rock opera on Broadway. In “The Muppets,” however, Segel plays Gary, the human brother of the Muppet idolizer, Walter, who is a puppet himself. During a Los Angeles escapade away from their home in Smalltown, USA, the brothers and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) discover The Muppet Theater deserted and dilapidated. After uncovering the sinister plot of oilman
MCT
The childhood favorite Muppets are back with a star-studded cast. Tex Richman (artfully acted by the always impressive Chris Cooper), Walter, Gary and Mary ask Kermit the Frog to catalyze the reunion of the Muppets for a $10 million telethon to save the theater. Along the way, however, the Muppets have trouble procuring a celebrity guest to host the telethon, Walter battles with stage fright, Gary risks losing Mary and Richman continues to threaten the Muppets’ operations. Infused with catchy, original musical numbers and amusing montages, “The Muppets” is always exciting to watch. Unfortunately, “The Muppets” fails in its triteness; the hackneyed plot forces the film to rely solely on slapstick humor and saccharine one-liners, many of which reflect the characters’ self-awareness. For example, jokes regarding the sum of the movie’s budget and perplexed reactions of average pedestrians who encounter live dance numbers inundate the script. One thing the Muppets franchise is known for is its extensive use of celebrities. Interacting with legendary characters like Kermit and Miss Piggy is a right reserved for the cream of the Hollywood crop, and “The Muppets” is no exception. The film is peppered with hysterical cameos from a range of stars, including Sarah Silverman, Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Alan Arkin, Donald
Restaurant Review
Journeyman bites off more than it can chew by
Chris Poldoian
Senior Staff Writer
Is cooking an art? To many Tufts students, a meal is nothing more than sustenance. Sure, there’s skill required in rolling a super burrito
Journeyman 9 Sanborn Ct. Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 718-2333 $$$$ from Anna’s Taqueria, but that doesn’t make the kitchen staff artists or storytellers. Anyone who doubts the artistic merits of food preparation need only to visit Journeyman, a relatively new restaurant tucked inside humble and under-explored Union Square. Conceived by a husband-andwife pair with no prior gastronomic experience, Journeyman’s eccentricity is at times off-putting — for better or worse, a meal at Journeyman is an exceptional experience. Tse Wei Lim and Diana Kudayarova traded in their respective careers as a sociologist and a historian in order follow their passion for food. Undaunted by their lack of professional experience and the recession, Lim and Kudayarova built a restaurant that delivers an experience that feels both effortlessly organic
and painstakingly deliberate. “We wanted to create a restaurant that we would want to eat at,” chef and co-owner Kudayarova said. The duo’s personal culinary preferences lead to inventive yet idiosyncratic dishes. A visit to Journeyman consists of a three-, five- or seven-course prix-fixe dinner. Guests select one of the three preset meals and surrender themselves to the whims of the kitchen staff. “I hate looking at menus and having to pick,” Kudayarova said. “Here we make a meal that makes sense and tells a story — it has a beginning, middle and end.” While the menu officially changes once a week, various courses are continuously altered or swapped out according to the seasonality of the ingredients and restlessness of the chefs. Instead of clinging to signature dishes, Journeyman will ditch even the most successful of ideas. “We’ve been serving this cheese tortellini with coffee, hazelnut and sweet potato,” Kudayarova said. “It’s fantastic, but it’s been there for three weeks so now it’s on the butcher’s block.” The dishes appear on the menu as illusions rather than as descriptions. Forgoing the traditional laundry list of ingredients and preparative techniques, the courses are enumerated by only one or two of its components. This coyness was entirely intentional, according to Kudayarova. “We wanted a surprise that gives guests just an see JOURNEYMAN, page 6
Glover and Dave Grohl, to name a few. These cameos serve as stimulants of laughter and sources of familiarity, juxtaposing America’s favorite puppets with some of America’s most-celebrated personalities. Yet, the film is oversaturated with these stars and puppets, forming a bloated ensemble that is difficult to monitor and balance. By reuniting the entirety of the Muppets, director James Bobin attempts to account for too many characters and, thus, neglects some beloved Muppets — such as Pepe the King Prawn and Rizzo the Rat — while overemphasizing the importance of others, such as Camilla the Chicken. In the end, though, the heartfelt tone and the message of the film overcome any nitpicky, negative aspects. “The Muppets” preaches happiness and clean fun in a world overrun by disturbing humor and valueless children’s programming. The happy-golucky feel of the film can be disorienting, but it must be embraced and enjoyed. Ultimately, the Muppets simply want to spread joy and acceptance into the hearts and minds of the young. For nostalgic, reflective students who yearn to relive their carefree youths, “The Muppets” is a welcome change of pace from the dark, ominous realities seen on the evening news and the front page.
Album Review
‘Talk That Talk’ never quite walks the walk by
Matthew Welch
Daily Editorial Board
Sex sells. Even the faint whiff of sex sells, and celebrities have known this for a long time.
Talk That Talk Rihanna
Def Jam After listening to Rihanna’s latest album, “Talk That Talk,” it’s pretty clear that she’s hopped onto the sexy pop star bandwagon, but with mixed results. “Talk That Talk” is a slick pop record that glows with high production values and catchy synth hooks, but its content leaves a bit to be desired. There is little doubt that Rihanna is aiming below the belt on “Talk That Talk.” She makes this goal pretty obvious on tracks like “Cockiness (Love It),” which contains lyrics like “Suck my cockiness/ Lick my persuasion” and “I love it, I love it/ I love it when you eat it.” Double entensee RIHANNA, page 6
Jordan Teicher | The Independent
Holiday cheer
I
did not get to write a typical holiday column last week giving thanks to all of the great movies out in theaters. With class canceled on Wednesday, I was more concerned with recovering from the traffic I encountered on my way back to New Jersey than putting together 600 words for The Daily. I had almost forgotten how awful it is to drive in and out of Massachusetts. New Jersey drivers are not perfect, but drivers from Massachusetts are by far the worst I’ve come up against, and criticizing them in a public forum is pleasantly cathartic. Despite the awfulness that is the Massachusetts Turnpike, I am almost relieved I didn’t have to write a column last week. Fandango is full of show times for remarkable crap. Adam Sandler in drag? Team Edward or Team Jacob? I am one Nicolas Cage sighting away from choosing Team Prozac. We have officially hit the preChristmas lull. Luckily for you, there is a light at the end of the “Twilight” tunnel. Listed below are five upcoming releases to look forward to in December in order of importance: 5. “Shame” comes out in a limited release this Friday, equipped with an NC-17 rating and the alluring Michael Fassbender in the lead role. Fassbender is the new Christian Bale: mysteriously handsome, edgy and very skilled. To further the comparison, GQ recently selected Fassbender for their “Men of the Year” issue and described his performance as “Patrick Bateman in a minor key.” The film is about a young and successful New Yorker who struggles to contain his extreme sexual urges. “Shame” has received critical acclaim since the Venice Film Festival. Oh, yeah, and watch out for Fassbender’s fassbender, because there’s supposed to be plenty of full-frontal in this one. 4. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is the film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s literary hit from 2005. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, John Goodman and James Gandolfini. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter Eric Roth have seven Oscar nominations and one win between them — Roth won Best Adapted Screenplay for “Forrest Gump” (1994). The film comes out Christmas Day, but it has the potential to flop with a Sept. 11 comingof-age story about a young boy who tries to cope with the death of his father. 3. “War Horse” also premieres Dec. 25. Steven Spielberg’s return to live-action movies is an epic about a horse’s journey during World War I. This film will attract viewers of all ages and might as well be nominated for a half-dozen Oscars already. I would be shocked if this one doesn’t destroy all boxoffice competition. 2. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” hits theaters four days before “War Horse” and has the luxury of appealing to the zillions of people worldwide who read the book. Director David Fincher comes back a year after being robbed of his Oscar statue for “The Social Network” (2010), and this time, he gets to team up with Daniel Craig. Check out the almost-four-minute trailer on YouTube; it is magnificently dark and almost as long as a typical “Entourage” (2004-2011) episode. Fincher probably won’t win his Oscar, but don’t be surprised if “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is the best movie of the year. 1. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” will probably be worse than its predecessor. The trailer makes this film look like a 19thcentury version of the “Die Hard” franchise, which is not a good thing. But “A Game of Shadows” is number one on my list, because the extended trailer for “The Dark Knight Rises” is attached to this movie — and even though it is the most anti-indie movie ever, it will be the gravitational center of the movie business in 2012. Can’t wait. Jordan Teicher is a senior majoring in English. He can be reached at Jordan. Teicher@tufts.edu.
The Tufts Daily
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Arts & Living
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
ASHLEY SEENAUTH/Tufts Daily
Journeyman’s dishes — prepared by a husband and wife duo — are overly eccentric.
Busy dishes plague Journeyman JOURNEYMAN
continued from page 5
Wikimedia Commons
‘Talk That Talk’ is a fun album, but it lacks originality.
Rihanna’s sexier image does not translate to uniqueness RIHANNA
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dres and nuanced ways of referencing oral sex have certainly been conceived in the past, but subtlety is not an aim in “Talk That Talk,” be it musically or lyrically. Yet, when it comes to the hooks and overall feel of the album, this is hardly a bad thing. “Talk That Talk” is an ebullient, fun album that plays from beginning to end without a hitch. For those who want to relive the ’90s trance and electro movements, Rihanna’s latest has more than enough synth washes and drum breaks to satisfy. The problem with the album is that it doles out relatively few moments of purely pleasurable music and it’s often repetitive. If the synth-hook breakdown of “Where Have You Been” gets you going, chances are you will experience the same sensation during a nearly identical breakdown on “We Found Love.” Rihanna’s vocals are given similar treatment on most songs, as her solos give way to a crowd of overdubbed vocals to intensify each chorus. That’s not to say this is a bad tactic — just about every genre of vocal music uses it — but it runs out of fuel when you hear it for the umpteenth time by the album’s conclusion. Even though the sound of the pop diva genre is pretty well defined by now, that hardly means there isn’t room for imagination, and that’s where “Talk That Talk” is severely
lacking. The producers and writers of the music feel more comfortable working squarely within the confines of the diva sound rather than shifting or even playing with its basic principles. Rihanna has received some criticism for sounding too similar to Beyoncé, and one can hardly ignore that critique when comparing recent music from the two artists. Originality is only one criterion for artistic merit, but it’s a pretty important one. Grumbling aside, “Talk That Talk” is still a fun album. Even though the lyrics are pretty in-your-face about Rihanna’s sexuality, there is just enough tongue-in-cheek humor to keep things from getting stale. It’s always fun to see how pop stars change their image to get wider audiences, and “Talk That Talk” is an interesting example of this phenomenon. The music itself is lively and pretty much carefree, with the exception of more sentimental tunes like “We All Want Love,” which dampen the upbeat tone of the album. All in all, “Talk That Talk” is a nice piece of pop music: light-hearted, fun and easily digested. Rihanna has achieved phenomenal success following the model that has been set out for her by her writers and producers — let’s just hope she can keep the gravy train rolling in the future. Will things get sexier? Less sexy? Maintain sexiness? Only time will tell, but you can bet plenty of people will be paying attention.
WANTED: Student RepS
idea and lets the food speak for itself.” An example would be my first course, described merely as “Salad.” What came to my table was in fact a collage of legumes, vegetables and fruit of various textures. The bright yellow of baby beets, the vibrant green of the pea tendrils and the deep ruby of the fig against the stark white plate was reminiscent of playfully colorful art of Joan Miró. This deconstructed salad typifies Journeyman’s element of surprise, as well as the restaurant’s artful execution. The kitchen also incorporates technological ingredients and techniques to achieve unique textures and flavors. “We don’t incorporate technology for the sake of technology. We’re not whiz bang,” Kudayarova said. My meal began with a tomato foam amusebouche — a complementary bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that precedes the appetizer — punctuated by a palate cleansing digestif that contained a gin gelee. The main course’s lamb was prepared two different ways. First, the lamb was braised in a toasted barley-infused milk, which lent a faint nuttiness to the meat. The secondary cut was cooked sous-vide, a technique popularized by
chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Thomas Keller that involves cooking food in a vacuumsealed bag in a temperature-controlled water bath for long periods of time. This process evenly cooks the meat while also retaining the juices that normally escape during traditional cooking methods. The menu is scattered with a variety of different ideas, flavors and techniques competing for dominance. At best, the resulting meal is overly ambitious; at worst, it feels busy and half-baked. The dishes rarely exceeded the sum of their parts. The fish course incorporated plump oysters, a sweet Japanese broth, perfectly cooked fish and chorizo gnudi. At first glance, this seemed like a lovely reimagining of the Catalan “mar i mutanya” cuisine with farreaching ingredients. The gnudi, however, was too tough. I ended up eating all of the ingredients separately and leaving the gnudi behind. Even a slight disappointment like the gnudi stings, especially given the three-figure bill. I should be clear: The food at Journeyman is good — even better than good. Journeyman spares no expense in using the best ingredients and the newest techniques. Ultimately, Lim and Kudayarova are taking risks as all good artists do, but they simply fall short in their efforts.
FIND YOURSELF ABROAD Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Science> Engineering
for the president’s Sustainability Council Do you have an interest in helping Tufts shape its waste, water and energy policies and plans? Would you like to be involved in a high-level committee to determine new campus sustainability goals? The Sustainability Council is starting up this fall and is looking for
undergraduate and graduate student representatives for the main council and each of the three working groups: Water Waste Energy & Emissions
4bu.edu/abroad
If you are interested in being a student representative on one of these committees, please write a short, 200-word letter explaining your interest and what knowledge or skills you will bring to the group. Attach a resume if you like, but it is not required. Email your application to tina.woolston@tufts.edu by December 1st.
Financial aid is available.
An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.
sustainability.tufts.edu * sites.tufts.edu/tuftsgetsgreen
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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advertisement
Facing AIDS Wed. Nov. 30th Hotung 9:00 pm Cafe AIDS knows no
face, no race Open Mic, Envy, Over the Rainbow, Dirty River String Band & More $1 Raffle Tickets benefiting Youth on Fire & Free Treats
lcs.hivaidsinitiative@gmail.com
(HIV/AIDS Initiative, African Students Organization)
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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
Editorial | Letters
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Editorial
Transgender rights bill should have gone further Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, which outlaws discrimination against transgender individuals in education, housing, employment and credit. The law also updates the language of the state’s hate crime laws to protect transgender individuals. The bill originally included language against discrimination in what are defined as “public accommodations,” including hospitals, hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, stores, gas stations, recreation facilities and parks. Before the vote on the bill, though, lawmakers removed this provision. The revised, passed and signed version of the bill fails to give transgender people the full rights they deserve. Transgender individuals no doubt should be protected from discrimination in places defined as public accommodations. After long fights, people of various races, religions and sexual orientations have legal protec-
tion from discrimination in Massachusetts when they shop for their groceries and eat in restaurants, and transgender people deserve the same peace of mind and civil liberties. Even though significant progress has been made in the fight for transgender rights, these individuals can still be subject to expulsion from public places based on their gender identity; this discrimination remains legally permissible. The wording of the provision in question, before it was cut, read that “sexsegregated facilities” would have to grant admission to people based on gender identity rather than biological sex. Due to this provision, opponents called the bill “the bathroom bill” arguing that it would allow biologically male individuals, transgender or not, to access women’s restrooms and locker rooms. The Daily recognizes the potential discomfort to some that the bill’s coverage of restrooms and locker rooms could have caused and recognizes that removing the
language may have been essential in getting the bill passed before the winter recess. Why, then, did concerned lawmakers not simply clarify that, for the time being, this law would not apply to restrooms and locker rooms, rather than places that happen to have such facilities available? Last time we checked, restaurants, parks and stores aren’t segregated by gender. That’s not to say we don’t commend members of the state legislature and Patrick for fighting for and passing this bill. The state’s estimated 33,000 transgender individuals have long reported high rates of discrimination in employment and occurrences of hate crimes. Fighting this discrimination is an essential component of the overall struggle for universal civil rights, and this bill is a step in the right direction. The Daily hopes that Patrick will live up to his promise to “come back around to public accommodations,” and that transgender individuals are granted full anti-discrimination rights in the near future.
devon colmer
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Off the Hill | North Carolina State University
Adderall use in college by
Chelsey Francis The Technician
With finals and papers looming, it may seem like the right time to make a decision: Will you or won’t you allow chemicals to alter your brain make-up so that you can do better on a paper or final? Research on Adderall quickly reveals it is considered a highly addictive medication. Typically Adderall is given for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. However, the same chemicals in Adderall are also in a medication for narcolepsy. These chemicals — dextroamphetamine and amphetamine — work by changing the amounts of certain chemicals in the brain to produce a different result. Adderall is a stimulant. Although Adderall increases attentiveness, it also increases heart rate, sometimes at a rate too high to be safe. Other side effects of Adderall abuse are: development of sleeping and eating disorders, dry mouth, mood swings and higher blood pressure. Although there are no real statistics to show how prevalent the use of Adderall and similar medications is on college campuses, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009 revealed that full-time college stu-
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.
dents between the ages of 18 and 22 are twice as likely as their counterparts who are not full-time college students to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year. Any medication, legal or illegal, altering the chemicals in your brain should be carefully considered before being taken. This semester Duke University’s Community Standard was updated to include the unauthorized use of prescription medicine in the definition of cheating. Although University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill doesn’t include unauthorized use of prescription medicine in its community standard, according to an article published in the Daily Tar Heel, the student attorney general for UNC’s honor system said it might be included before long. With other local universities taking the step towards lowering the use of Adderall as a study aid, it’s time for N.C. State to do the same. Although our Student Code of Conduct includes various methods of cheating that are, unfortunately, still utilized by students, Adderall should be included. If a student uses Adderall and ends up with a 96 percent on a test, it’s very likely that he or she wouldn’t have gotten the
same score had they not used Adderall. The Adderall made it possible to significantly increase the amount of time spent studying as well as the attentiveness to the material. When said like this, using Adderall sounds highly beneficial, but the fact still stands that it alters the chemicals in a user’s brain. I for one am not a fan of the fact that a medication can change the chemicals in my brain. Even if I don’t graduate from college with a 4.0, the fact that I’ll have made it through college without taking Adderall or a stimulant to make myself study more will mean more to me than would earning a 4.0 with Adderall. Although I’ve never taken Adderall, it would seem to me that although the material could be retained for the test or final, the material wouldn’t be retained after that. What we learn in college is supposed to help us for the rest of our lives. If we learn the material just for the test, it’s not going to help us ever again. I hope the University will at least consider including Adderall use in the Student Code of Conduct. Using mindaltering substances is not something that shows we are an institution of higher learning, as the administrators like to remind us that we are.
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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Op-Ed Amanda Johnson | Senior Moments
Selective recollections of home
S
this quilt, which is part of The NAMES Project Foundation remembrance for those who have lost their lives to the epidemic. Founded in 1987, the AIDS Memorial Quilt project is a collection of panels that continues to grow and has been displayed all over the world. In 1996, there were enough panels to cover the entire National Mall in Washington, D.C. This past week, campus groups at Tufts have been making their own panels, which will be displayed in the Remis Sculpture Court on Thursday. What else can you do to help? Know your status. AIDS knows no face, no race, no limits and no exceptions. Health Service is offering free HIV testing on Thursday, Dec. 1 from 9-11:30 a.m. This confidential rapid HIV test involves a short, private, informative session in the Health Service facilities. Although on World AIDS Day this testing will be free to anyone and everyone, the testing is available year-round with Tufts Student Health Insurance on specified dates and times at Health Service. Though you might think you are exempt from the reaches of AIDS, no one can be sure until he or she is tested. Be responsible and know your status: get tested! We encourage everyone to get involved in this week’s activities for World AIDS Day. Every event helps to raise awareness, whether it’s by sharing your thoughts for a minute, listening to a speaker, purchasing a $1 raffle ticket, making a quilt panel or getting tested. With everyone working together to maximize awareness and knowledge, we can regain control from this worldwide epidemic one person at a time. HIV/AIDS Initiative, the African Students Organization, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Center, the International Center, GlobeMed, Over the Rainbow, Tufts Voices for Choice ( VOX), the Women’s Center, Health Service and the Crafts Center have worked hard to put on this week’s events. See you tonight!
ince the smoldering hues of October’s leaves grayed into the monotony of November, I’ve been craving Thanksgiving break. It’s not so much about the very brief pause in classes (but really, why can’t we just have a week?). My mother’s stuffing, though constantly “evolving,” is not what lures my mind away from endless readings on the Cold War, and if I’m being completely honest and objective, my bed on Winthrop Street is cozier than the one to which I return. It is instead an ethereal yearning for “going home” that brings giddy eagerness to the insipidity of the midsemester lag. Home for me has become emblematic of everything my current life lacks. It is a mystical place frozen into flawless wonder, an alternate reality where my intellect is crisper, my smile is brighter and my idiosyncrasies are charming: this world that knows none of the imperfections that speckle my college life and overlooks the dysfunction and blemishes of any genuine past. A disappointing test, a botched attempt at flirtatious banter, a lackluster Saturday night and the Hot Vermont Cereal mornings at Carmichael — all these pains find a simple solace in daydreams of a boundlessly blissful home. I know a lot of people that don’t feel this way. Many find themselves liberated by the ability to detach from their past worlds, blazing new trails and crafting fresh identities. Rendering your former self as an artifact of the past seems to be the code to enter into the club of adulthood and success — after all, there’s nothing sadder than the 30-something who still relishes in the glories of high school, or the aging parents who keep sultry teenage photos on the mantle. Popular culture depicts life as dictated by an inevitable pendulum of luck, and everyone hopes the peak of its swing is still to come. The alluring underdog narrative, after all, begins with a melancholy adolescence. Even for those who occupy a healthier middle ground on the nostalgic spectrum, returning home forces one to stand squarely with a past largely constructed by our self-selected memories, and it shakes the identity we’ve made for ourselves since our departure. As it turns out, it is neither eternally radiant nor perpetually storming in our real hometown, and the cracks in our seamless adaptation of the past threaten to rupture at any moment. Likewise, we gracefully tumble back into our role as the youngest child, the eccentric musician, the domineering friend … no matter how differently we may introduce ourselves on the Hill. Of course, Thanksgiving is often quick enough to glide over a lot of this. The euphoria of reunions and home-cooked meals can endure for an extended weekend and provide enough exhilaration to glaze over the fault lines of a fabricated memory. Our selective remembrance of home as emerald and enchanted just may persevere through finals because we were too busy devouring turkey to pay any attention to that mediocre man behind the curtain. The painful brevity of Thanksgiving break may force us to travel on the worst days of the year, but perhaps Tufts had our best interests in mind after all.
Priya Larson is a senior who is majoring in economics. Sonali Varhade is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.
Amanda Johnson is a senior who is majoring in international relations. She can be reached at Amanda.Johnson@tufts.edu.
Josh Berlinger/Tufts Daily
No face, no race by
Priya Larson and Sonali Varhade
Although significant steps have been taken in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, the disease maintains its status as a worldwide epidemic. This week, in commemoration of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, a variety of Tufts groups are hosting events. As co-leaders of the HIV/AIDS Initiative, a Leonard Carmichael Society group, we will focus our efforts on the impact of HIV/AIDS in our own neighborhood. Although the disease seems to be a distant and irrelevant issue, Tufts students might be surprised to learn that HIV/AIDS is present in our own community. The epidemic is not limited by geographical or social boundaries, and this week’s events serve as acknowledgement of this fact. As stated by our posters around campus, “AIDS knows no face, no race.” Advancements in research and medicine have facilitated much progress in the treatment of HIV/ AIDS. Given access and affordability of proper care, a positive status is no longer a death sentence. Global humanitarian endeavors seek to provide such care to populations that would otherwise have none, and thus prevention has increased considerably. A recent UNAIDS report revealed that the world’s AIDS prevalence has reached a plateau of annual new infections; however, that plateau is at a staggering 2.7 million new infections each year. The majority of those infected with HIV/AIDS do not have accessible or affordable care. In fact, only half the people who need immediate treatment receive it. Furthermore, donor funds drop as our economic crisis deepens. The HIV/AIDS epidemic infiltrates all corners of the world and is present in the most unexpected of places. We assume that here at Tufts, in Massachusetts, or in America, we might be immune from the reaches of HIV/AIDS. However, our goal is to raise awareness of the true and extensive prevalence of the disease in society, community, and school. This is not to instill fear, but rather to increase understanding and establish control.
This week’s events provide the opportunity to raise this awareness. Tonight at 9 p.m. in Hotung Café, we invite you to share your own experiences or opinions concerning HIV/ AIDS at our open mic event, “Facing AIDS,” which you can check out on Facebook. We encourage all students to participate in hopes of initiating discussion about and further increasing awareness of our community’s relation to this epidemic, as well as to eradicate negative stigma associated with a positive status. Enjoy desserts, games and performances by Envy, Over the Rainbow, Dirty River String Band and more. Facing AIDS also serves as a fundraiser for Youth on Fire, a Cambridgebased organization that provides a safe space and shelter for homeless and street-involved youth and promotes HIV prevention, testing, and care. Tufts’ HIV/AIDS Initiative has taken a vested interested in providing as many funds and goods for Youth on Fire as possible. After delivering clothes and goods from our donation drive last year, we were amazed by the influence the organization exhibited on Cambridge area youth. These youth were so excited to receive something as small as a backpack, and this excitement made the donation especially gratifying. This year Youth on Fire was struggling to provide meals. We hope the Facing AIDS fundraiser can help the organization in any way possible. $1 buys a raffle ticket to win Somerville Theater passes, a dozen Kickass cupcakes, and gift cards to J.P. Licks, Namaskar and True Bistro. Join HIV/AIDS Initiative, GlobeMed, and Vox, for games, free giveaways, and to buy raffle tickets. We will be tabling today, Wednesday Nov. 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mayer Campus Center and from 5 to 7 p.m. in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall. On Thursday, Dec.1, World AIDS Day, Lecturer of Community Health Kevin Irwin will be discussing “The Medicalization of HIV/AIDS: Prospects and Consequences.” Head down to the Remis Sculpture Court in Aidekman at 12 p.m. to hear Irwin speak and to see a panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt! It is truly an honor for Tufts to host
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.
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Comics
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Doonesbury
Crossword
by
Garry Trudeau
Non Sequitur
Married to the Sea
www.marriedtothesea.com
SUDOKU Level: Finding out who’s naughty and nice
Late Night at the Daily Tuesday’s Solution
Alyssa: “I was the most adorable baby.” Josh: “What happened?”
Please recycle this Daily.
by
Wiley
The Tufts Daily
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Wanted
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Four bedroom apartment on Ossipee Road. Available June 1, 2012. Great condition. Call Maria (781)-942-7625
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Inside the NFL
Handicapping the NFL Defensive Player of the Year hopefuls by
Alex Arthur
DPOY, he needs to be more consistent on a weekly basis.
Senior Staff Writer
Predicting the winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is always more challenging than guessing who will be awarded the Most Valuable Player. Each year, the MVP is awarded to someone from a playoff-bound team who is either the most impressive quarterback of the season, or to a running back whose statistics are record-breaking and whose overall play was transcendent. To put this into perspective, the last player to win the award who wasn’t a QB or RB was linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986. On the defensive side of the ball it appears that there is much more parity, at least across positions. Defensive backs, linebackers, and defensive linemen have won the award almost equally. Players from teams that did not make the playoffs have been recognized as well. However, a deeper look into the past 10 DPOY winners reveals an outline with which we can handicap this year’s candidates’ chances of winning. From 2001 to 2010, seven of the 10 winners came from playoff-bound teams whose team defense ranked in the top three in the league. The remaining three winners came from teams that did not make the playoffs and that finished outside of the top three defensively. The three outliers occurred because of spectacular individual efforts coupled with a lack of superstar performances from other individual players from that year’s top units. In 2001, New York Giants (7-9) defensive end Michael Strahan set the record for sacks with 22.5. In 2004, Baltimore Ravens (9-7) safety Ed Reed led the league with nine interceptions, while setting the NFL record with 358 INT return yards, including a 106-yard pick six. In 2006, Miami Dolphins (6-10) defensive end Jason Taylor produced one of the most statistically well-rounded seasons of the past few decades. Taylor recorded 13.5 sacks, two INTs, two touchdowns, and nine forced fumbles. Fast-forwarding to this season, let’s review the candidates in accordance with the pattern of the past 10 seasons. First, let’s look at candidates from the league’s top defenses. The top four, in order of points allowed per game, are the San Francisco 49ers, the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
MCT
Patrick Willis and the hard-hitting 49ers defense have led the team to a 9-2 start and a chance to clinch the NFC West on Sunday. defense. While Willis is projected to finish outside of the top five in tackles — a key statistical indicator for middle linebackers — like Urlacher, who finished 13th, he makes up for it in other areas, namely forced fumbles, where Willis is second in the league with four. Additionally, one of Urlacher’s greatest intangible traits was pure intimidation, which Willis certainly deploys being one of the hardest hitting linebackers in football. Pitfall: MLBs tend to be overlooked for the award. Only Urlacher and the Ravens’ Ray Lewis (2000, 2003) have won in the past 15 seasons, and Lewis’ and Urlacher’s individual and team performances were more impressive than Willis and the 49ers so far this season. Texans: After losing star DE Mario Williams to injury early in the season, the Texans’ defense was written off. However, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has schemed admirably, and the Texans are shutting teams down as a defensive unit, holding opponents to 16.3 PPG. Nonetheless, there isn’t a star player here who warrants consideration. Ravens: OLB/DE Terrell Suggs Potential Historical Comparison: James Harrison, 2008. Suggs in 2011 and Harrison in 2008 both exploded out of the gates by recording three sacks in their first game. With Ray Lewis slowed by age and injury, Suggs has taken over as the leader of the Ravens defense, coming up big when it counts. In the Ravens’ two games against Pittsburgh this season, Suggs has accumulated three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Additionally, Suggs notched three sacks and a forced fumble on Thanksgiving night to help defeat the previously 9-1 49ers. Pitfall: While Suggs has been omnipresent in the spotlight, he has been equally absent in just as many games. Apart from his threesack efforts against the Steelers and 49ers, Suggs has just three total sacks in the other eight Baltimore games. If Suggs is to win the
49ers: MLB Patrick Willis Potential Historical Comparison: Brian Urlacher, 2005. Urlacher was one of only two middle linebackers since 2001 to win the award. Like Urlacher in 2005, Willis is the unquestioned leader of the league’s most dominant
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Steelers: OLB Lamarr Woodley Woodley was having a breakout year through eight weeks before injury caused him to miss the last three games. Leading the Steelers with nine sacks, Woodley was developing into a star. However, considering the time missed, and with his status for Week 13 in doubt, Woodley’s chances at DPOY have all but vanished.
While there have been impressive performances from members of the league’s top four defenses, there are two players who qualify as serious outlier contenders, because their individual performance has been immaculate. Vikings: DE Jared Allen Potential Historical Comparison: Jason Taylor, 2006. Allen, like Taylor in 2006, is having a monster season beyond just the sack numbers. While Allen has already matched Taylor’s production of 13.5 sacks, it is the variety of ways in which Allen disrupts an offense that mirrors Taylor. Allen is the only player in the top five in sacks who has an interception, and he is tied for the lead in forced fumbles — three — with anyone in the top 10 in sacks. Additionally, he is playing for a Vikings team that ranks 30th in in scoring defense at 26.8 PPG. If Allen had a sliver of the help defensively like Willis or Suggs do, his numbers would be even more prolific. The
Vikings lost Allen’s bookend lineman, Ray Edwards, to free agency. Now, Edwards — who earned himself a large contract this offseason with the Falcons — is struggling to rush the passer after enjoying success playing opposite Allen, drawing one-onone matchups. Pitfall: As brilliant as Allen has been, the Vikings are currently 2-9 with the league’s third-to-worst defense. Allen might have to break Strahan’s sack record to be considered for the award, given his team’s struggles. Cowboys: OLB DeMarcus Ware Potential Historical Comparison: Michael Strahan, 2001. Ware began 2011 by recording 12 sacks through just seven games, on pace to break Strahan’s 2001 record. Since his hot start, Ware has slowed down and has just two sacks in his last four games. While Ware does not fill the stat sheet like Allen, he does benefit from playing for a team that is currently in first place in its division, at 7-4, and that ranks 12th in defense. If Ware can pick up his sack rate to anything close to the start of the year, he will be the front-runner for DPOY. In an outlier season where the top defenses lack outstanding individual performances, Ware’s production could be rewarded. Pitfall: Ware has been pegged as a onedimensional sack artist during his career, highlighted in 2008 when he recorded 20 sacks and finished a distant second in the DPOY voting. While this year he does not have as stiff as competition as in 2008 with Harrison, if he does not continue to record sacks, he’ll be overlooked again.
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Friday, December 2, 6:00 pm Interfaith Center (Winthrop St) Sponsored by the Catholic Commuity at Tufts
Sports
12
INSIDE Inside the NFL 11
tuftsdaily.com
Men’s Track & Field
Ethan Sturm | Rules of the Game
Full of experience, Jumbos to open indoor season Saturday by
Lauren Flament
Daily Editorial Board
After boasting a young, deep squad last winter, the men’s track and field team returns this season mostly intact and with a year of experience to build on its 2010-2011 successes. Last year’s indoor season concluded with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Div. III New England championships and two individuals traveling to NCAAs to compete in the 800meter race on the national scene. Many other athletes hit NCAA provisional qualifiers. “We are definitely looking to improve on last year’s finish at New Englands. Our team is deeper and stronger across the board in every event group so I think that’s a very realistic goal,” assistant coach Nick Welch (LA ’10) said. “One thing we did well last year was being consistent throughout indoor and all the way through the outdoor season, and when you can do that, that’s when you really progress as an athlete and as a program. I hope we can do that even better this year.” After finishing ninth at the NCAA Div. III cross country national championships this fall, the distance crew will look to bring that momentum onto the indoor track, where they will combine forces with the other event groups who have been preparing throughout the fall. “[The fall training group] is in great shape. They’ve been champing at the bit to get into a meet and show what they can do,” Welch said. “I’ve never seen the fall track guys be as organized and disciplined as they were this fall and for me that is a huge predictor of what we will see from them throughout this indoor season.” The team will be led this winter by senior tri-captains Adam Aronson, Connor Rose and Scott McArthur, along with a strong cast of coaches. “We really have had great coaching this
Daily File Photo
Senior Scott McArthur will join classmate Erik Antokal as a co-captain of this year’s squad. year, between Ethan Barron, Nick Welch and Dan Murner really holding it down with cross country and then Dan Kopcso holding it down in the weight room, along with some of our other coaches, Ed Arcaro, Jeremy Arak and Chris Combs,” Aronson said. “They’ve really done a fantastic job for us.” The Jumbos did not graduate a single scorer at the Div. III New England Championships last winter, a promising note for this season. During the outdoor season, Tufts improved to a fifth-place finish in the region, a performance in which only four of 46.5 total points were scored by a graduating senior. “With another year under everybody’s belt, we’re going to walk into the season with more maturity, more stamina, and hopefully we’ll have strong finishes come April and May,” Aronson said. The Jumbos return Rose and junior Jeff
Marvel, who competed in the 800-meter event at NCAAs last winter, along with junior Matt Rand, an All-American 10,000-meter runner during the 2011 outdoor season who also earned All-American honors at cross country nationals on Nov. 19. “We also have returners in every other event group that are just a few steps away from being at nationals themselves — [junior] Mike Blair in the high jump, [junior] Brad Nakanishi in the pole vault, [junior] Gbola Ajayi, in the triple jump, Adam Aronson in the throws, and [sophomore] Graham Beutler in the 400,” Welch said. “Those guys will be huge contributors for us, and that’s not to mention our freshmen, who are easily one of the strongest incoming classes we’ve had.” Northeastern’s Husky Invite on Saturday kicks off the 2011-2012 season for the squad, giving it an early chance to showcase its fall training. For many athletes, this will be their first competition since the outdoor season ended in May. Most of the fall training group will suit up this weekend, along with a handful of varsity cross country athletes, looking to ride their peaks and get qualifiers for the championship season out of the way early. “I’m just looking to see people run well. It’s the first meet of the year, and it’s December so we have to pace ourselves,” Aronson said. “I’d like to see the freshmen have some fun in their first college meet. There should be a lot of good schools there, and I have a feeling that we’re going to see some great times out of them. They’re a great class and they work very hard.” Over a month later, the Dartmouth Relays will offer a chance for athletes to compete against top schools ranging across all divisions on Jan. 6 and 8, while the full team will return to campus for training in time for the first full-squad meet, Tufts Invitational I on Jan 14.
Elephants in the Room Dream vacation spot
Jessica Rubine Junior Women’s Squash
Joe McLoughlin Senior Men’s Swimming
Lydia Jessup Junior Women’s XC
Scott Anderson Junior Forward Men’s Basketball
Atlantis, because Mary-Kate and Ashley went there
Ireland
Mount Elbrus, Russia
Estoril, Portugal
Favorite YouTube video
The dancing Indian boy to “Club Can’t Handle Me”
Greg Jennings’ “I Put the Team On My Back”
“Men’s TUXC Lactic Threshold Workout”
TUBESTEAK HATES ON THE BOONDOCKS ALL THE RAGE AND ARRON MCGRUDER
I could _____ all day and never get bored
Watch “Friends” (1994-2004) — the TV show, not my friends
Swim
Tim Tebow is____
Clutch
The luckiest quarterback I have ever seen
Read my book
Who is that?
Eat Boston cream pie
Not a virgin
all photos courtesy tufts athletics
Thanksgiving football rules
M
y Thanksgiving consisted of the typical American plate of food, family and football. But this year, I may have gone overboard on the football part. Thursday was NFL games from when I stumbled out of bed to when I stumbled back in, much more tired and much fuller. Friday was built around LSU vs. Arkansas and the weirdness of the Big East race, Saturday was college football all day, and soon I was watching the NFL again back in Boston. While I doubt any of you care about my Thanksgiving weekend — you’ve probably already had that conversation with 100 Tufts students that you don’t really have anything to talk about with — I do have a point. Time and again this weekend I was reminded that while the college and professional games are similar, the rules have key differences. Each has its pros and cons, and it can be hard to argue one over the other. We’ll start with the elephant in the room: overtime. The NFL uses a suddendeath system; the first team that scores wins. Conversely, the college game gives each team a possession on the opponent’s 25-yard line and continues until one outscores the other. If this repeats more than twice, teams are forced to go for a twopoint conversion after touchdowns. I’m strongly in favor of the college version, as I feel it brings about the most exciting and fair game. In the NFL, teams that win the overtime coin flip and get the ball first win nearly 60 percent of games. A sport at its highest level should not be decided by chance but by skill on the field. That’s why penalty kick shootouts in soccer are so unpopular. The NFL overtime rules also make for anticlimactic conclusions. Some of the greatest college games, such as the 2003 and 2007 Fiesta Bowls, had dramatic overtimes. But in the NFL, few of the classic games have involved it, and games that did — such as the 2007 NFC Championship Game — were not made exciting because of the overtime format. Another key rule difference that was on display this weekend is the defensive pass interference foul. In college, it is a standard 15-yard penalty, while in the NFL the penalty is assessed at the spot committed. This difference is what gave the Ravens 50 yards on a soft foul, handing them a serious leg-up in a defensive battle that was then tied 3-3. But the college ruling has its faults as well, since a cornerback decidedly beaten by a wide receiver down the field can just take him down, only conceding 15 yards instead of 50. This loophole is what the NFL hoped to avoid. I believe that neither rule is sufficient, as each falls short of fairness. With new hit rules already limiting defensive backs in the NFL, it seems better to change the DPI penalty into two separate fouls, one a 15-yarder and the other a spot of the foul infraction, based on the refs’ judgment. This way, a ref can make a call without having to give a team half of the field with a penalty. The final salient difference is the game clock. In the NFL, the clock only stops on incomplete passes and when players run out of bounds, while in college the clock also stops on first downs. With football games as long as they are and the scores of college contests starting to resemble basketball totals, it’s time for the NCAA to nod to the pros and get rid of those extra stoppages, which give teams far too much time and take the precise skill of the twominute drill away. Trust me, those waiting on me for turkey dinner will be glad. Ethan Sturm is a junior majoring in biopsychology. He can be reached at Ethan. Sturm@tufts.edu.