2011-3-9

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THE TUFTS DAILY

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

VOLUME LXI, NUMBER 28

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

University this summer to begin process of replacing SIS

Bob Woodward, of Watergate fame, to give this semester’s Snyder Lecture

by

Marissa Gallerani Senior Staff Writer

University Information Technology (UIT) and Student Services staff on July 1 will begin an almost two-year project to create a replacement for the current Student Information System (SIS) in an effort to link Tufts’ campuses under one new uniform technology for functions like class registration, transcript requests and billing.

The project will involve UIT staff and representatives from across the university and necessitate the construction of a temporary building behind Jackson Gym and Pearson Hall to house operations, according to Vice President for Operations Dick Reynolds.

Tufts’ current information system has long been obsolete, according to Executive Director of Planning and Administration Martha Pokras.

“Our current system is outdated and cumbersome and doesn’t interface well with other new modern systems, like the new [online] housing system,” she said.

The system has also been a hindrance to the universitywide consolidation of passwords that will begin this semester alongside the ongoing student and faculty transition to the Microsoft Exchange e-mail platform, according to Director of Communications and Organizational Effectiveness for UIT Dawn Irish.

Pokras said that uniformity across the school’s campuses is the main goal in the push for a new system.

“It is terribly important at a place like Tufts, with a lot of

different schools, to have one system for the whole university,” she said.

Tufts’ peer universities have been updating their student information systems since the first generation of SIS systems became obsolete eight years ago, Irish said, adding that the new system’s developers will be able to learn from other school’s mistakes when upgrading Tufts’ systems.

“We’re trying to see as many bumps as possible so we can avoid them, and one thing that our peer institutions have done has been sharing their experiences with us,” Pokras said. “We’re learning from their successes and mistakes and are going to try very hard to avoid as many mistakes as we can.”

The current SIS has been in use at Tufts for 30 years and the system’s original vendor no longer supports the system, according to Irish. The university will design a replacement system with students’ needs and the need for uniformity in mind.

“A lot has changed in technology in the last thirty years,” she said. “We’re now looking for systems with a lot more functionality and integration between systems.”

“Tufts is a little behind many of our peer institutions in putting in a new student information system,” Pokras added.

“We want to be in a position to provide the students and faculty with the most accurate, timely and secure information.”

In the replacement process’s initial phase, university staff see SIS, page 2

by

Ben Gittleson

Daily Editorial Board

Bob Woodward, part of the pair of reporters who broke the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post in the early 1970s, will next month deliver this semester’s Richard E. Snyder President’s Lecture, according to James Glaser, dean of academic affairs for arts and sciences.

The Snyder lecture series has historically provided a forum for speakers to present provocative viewpoints on significant issues.

Woodward, a prolific journalist and author who is now an associate editor at the Post, will on April 25 give a talk in Cohen Auditorium titled “From Nixon to Obama.”

“He established his career by challenging a president — an administration — and as a result, he changed journalism and he and his partner had a profound impact on the course of history,” Glaser said. “There are very few people out there like that.”

Woodward’s investigative reporting with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal in the 1970s led to the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon and a Pulitzer Prize for the Post.

Since then, Woodward has served in a number of capacities at the newspaper and written numerous bestselling books on American politics.

Woodward and Bernstein’s 1974 book about their role in revealing the Watergate scandal, “All the President’s Men,” was subsequently made into an eponymous feature-length film featuring Robert Redford. Glaser said he hopes to arrange a screening of the award-winning movie the

Leontief Prize awarded to Stern, Weitzman

MCT

Famed journalist Bob Woodward will deliver this semester’s Snyder Lecture with a talk titled “From Nixon to Obama.” week before Woodward’s visit.

The famous investigative reporter’s nonfiction writing has focused in particular on recent U.S. presidents, with four volumes in the last decade about the George W. Bush administration’s foreign policy. His most recent book, “Obama’s Wars” (2010), explores President Barack Obama’s role in

Tralins

Contributing Writer

Ashley Seenauth/Tufts Daily

Inside this issue

see WOODWARD, page 2

Students discuss local policy issues, contribution to Mass2040 Blueprint

by Sarah

Nicholas Stern, of the London School of Economics, right, last night accepted the annual Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought along with fellow winner Martin Weitzman, left, a professor of economics at Harvard University.

Tufts’ Global Development and Environment Institute recognized the two economists’ contributions to the field of study relating to the economic feasibility of reducing greenhouse gases. See full coverage of the event in tomorrow’s Daily.

the war on terror and the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a 2000 book evaluated the impact of the Watergate scandal on the five presidents who followed Nixon.

The sponsor of the lecture series, former Simon and Schuster

Students last night discussed sustainable policy ideas to improve the country in the next 30 years in a forum hosted by the Tufts chapter of the Roosevelt Institute. The ideas sparked by the discussion will later be fleshed out into policy proposals and submitted for inclusion in the Mass2040 Blueprint for the Millennial Massachusetts, a platform that showcases policy issues and facilitates student collaboration on future policy.

The forum was the last of a three-part series sponsored by the Tufts chapter as part of the Think 2040 initiative, a project that aims to foster political dialogue and encourage students to contribute to developing policy in their respective states, according to Roosevelt co-President Regina Smedinghoff, a junior.

The project also provides students with the resources to write policy and promote their ideas on a national level.

The discussion last night focused on students’ desires for policy change in education, energy and equal justice. Students debated what issues to focus on in the Blueprint and

examined what has gone into the Blueprints compiled by other states as part of the national Think2040 campaign.

Smedinghoff and the chapter’s other coPresident Sigourney Norman, a junior, led the discussion.

Freshman Josette West spoke about environmental justice issues in transportation.

She and Norman discussed the environmental implications of subway expansion and the effects it has on surrounding neighborhoods.

West also emphasized the importance of widespread research on environmental policy.

“I think it’s important to really focus on the ideas and not discount anything because it’s too specific,” West said about environmental policy changes. “These are problems to face everywhere.”

In regards to education, the students debated the effectiveness of standardized school funding. Such an approach, according to Smedinghoff, would evenly distribute tax money to public schools all over Massachusetts, rather than the tax money see BLUEPRINT, page 2

Today’s Sections

California natives often have a tough time adapting to East Coast living.

Restaurant Week offers Boston high-end food at not-so-high prices.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts | Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 6

Op-Ed Comics Sports Classifieds

7 8 9 11

The Tufts Daily

2 Police Briefs Punch buggy, no punchbacks A male student at approximately 10:45 p.m. on Feb. 28 reported to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) that while walking on Wallace Street in Somerville, he was approached from behind by a suspect who stated that he was “strapped,� which the student interpreted to mean that the suspect had a weapon.

The suspect told the student to hand over his bag, and when the student turned to face him, the suspect punched him in the eye. The student punched back, and the suspect ran away towards Holland Street.

continued from page 1

will gather input from across the university about what aspects of a new system would be most beneficial, according to Pokras. “To have the flexibility and architecture that we need to support all of our schools well into the future, the first nine months of this project will be getting the different requirements from all of our schools,� she said. “Based on these requirements, we will be designing a new system.�

Approximately 60 UIT and Student Services staff members will then begin

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

See tuftsdaily.com for an interactive map.

This ain’t Australia TUPD officers at 1:45 a.m. on Mar. 6 pulled over a 58-year-old man driving on the wrong side of the road on College Avenue. The officers, smelling alcohol on his breath and seeing that the man’s eyes were bloodshot, asked him to take a sobriety test. The test showed that he was drunk, and the officers arrested him. ——Compiled by Brent Yarnell based on reports from Tufts University Police Department

SIS replacement process requires construction of temporary facility SIS

News

Danai Macridi/Tufts Daily

Juniors Regina Smedinghoff and Sigourney Norman and sophomore Elias Kahan yesterday led a forum to shape Tufts’ contribution to Mass2040 Blueprint.

DREAM Act, environment discussed BLUEPRINT

The forum last night narrowed down policy suggestions from the first two meetings regarding the chapter’s contribution to the Blueprint.

Once the Roosevelt Institute reviews Tufts’ contribution to the Blueprint, it will compile the proposals of participating schools into a final product slated for release in April 2012, according to Smedinghoff.

Smedinghoff said the Think 2040 initiative gives students a chance to contribute to policy discussions at a level not normally accessible to them. “A lot of us are volunteers, campaign workers or are involved in other political factions, but we are not involved in the policy, so this is an opportunity to be more engaged in that way,� Smedinghoff said.

continued from page 1

working on the selection and development of a new system, which will necessitate the construction of a temporary facility to serve as the headquarters for the process, according to Reynolds.

The building will comprise ten modular units, each 700 square feet in size and linked together to form a single building behind Jackson Gym, he added.

Construction on the new facility will begin in May, according to Pokras.

Reynolds said that there are no permanent plans for the project site. “It just seemed a good place to put a relatively short-term project,� he said.

coming from the specific towns. This method, while currently implemented in Vermont, would not be easily adopted in Massachusetts because of the more unequal income distribution, Smedinghoff said.

Attendees also debated the merits of standardized testing in evaluating student performance.

Junior Vittoria Elliott argued against standardized test scores as a measure of success, noting that the approach in Massachusetts’ charter schools has promoted a focus on high scores rather than overall learning.

Other topics included the DREAM Act and the deportation of children of illegal immigrants.

Investigative reporter Bob Woodward to speak on presidencies from Nixon to Obama WOODWARD

continued from page 1

Chairman and CEO Richard Snyder (A ’55), knows Woodward and was instrumental in making Woodward’s visit possible, according to Glaser. Simon and Schuster has pubished many of Woodward’s books.

Woodward’s work epitomizes the Snyder lecture series’s emphasis on challenging convential wisdom and taking on sacred cows, Glaser said. “He really does fit perfectly into the theme of the lecture series, so I’m really excited about it,� he said. “I think it’s going

to be great.�

Past Snyder lecturers have included a cofounder of MTV, author Salman Rushdie, physiscist Freeman Dyson and former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers.

Last semester’s lecture brought to cam-

pus Harvard Professor Michael Sandel, a political philosopher, to discuss the meaning of justice in society.

Free tickets for Woodward’s talk will be available at the Dowling Hall Student Services desk in the week before the lecture.

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Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Californians stick out in Jumbo student body

West Coast students clash with New England environment and weather by

Annie Dreyer

Contributing Writer

Amid the snow, argyle sweaters, furhooded anoraks, Sperry Topsiders and pale skin are more than a few students who stick out. They’re the ones who take their North Face fleece jackets out of storage on Oct. 1, the ones disgusted that Boloco has the nerve to list “burritos” on their menu and that there isn’t an authentic Mexican taco stand within walking distance of campus. They can all say they have been under the political leadership of a Governator. This unique species on the Tufts campus is none other than the genus Californian.

More than a tenth of the Class of 2014 calls California home, and other classes boast similar percentages. California is the third-most represented state within the Tufts student body behind Massachusetts and New York, and trends suggest that it could soon take the number-two spot.

There is little question that California natives stick out in New England. To some, the contrast could hardly be starker. Sophomore Samantha Jaffe, a thirdgeneration Californian, wrote a column for the Daily last semester enumerating the differences, from politics to pretension to pico de gallo.

The most obvious difference between California and New England, of course, is weather. A childhood full of sunshine on the West Coast interrupted by seemingly endless months of snow and wind on the East Coast can certainly shake a beach bunny up.

But with winter comes spring and the distinct seasons that many Californians live without.

meredith klein/Tufts Daily

California natives face a difficult transition to the New England lifestyle.

“I love spring,” Jaffe said. “It’s my favorite thing when no one does anything but lay on the quad in shorts once it hits 60 degrees.”

Junior Holly Wilson, a native of Palo Alto, Calif., recalls being excited to experience seasons. She transferred to Tufts after attending the University of California, Davis her freshman year.

“I was bracing myself for mind-numbing cold,” Wilson said. “Last year I didn’t really think it was that bad, but this year I find myself complaining all the time because it’s freezing.”

Climate influences not only mood and comfort, but also style of dress.

Wilson and junior Emily Friedman, both Northern Californian natives, were amazed by how formal everyday dress was in New England.

“I am still amazed when I see people wearing suits for class presentations,” Wilson said. “I didn’t even own any dressy

clothing when I was in California, but here it’s just the standard. Where I’m from, people wear pajamas to class and sweatpants and flip-flops are part of the everyday uniform. But [in New England], button-down oxfords, argyle sweaters and pea coats seem to be the norm.”

For Jaffe, one of the most noticeable differences was male dressing habits.

“I’ve just never seen running shoes with regular clothes before,” Jaffe said with a chuckle. “It’s hilarious.”

But to many, there are differences that go deeper than weather or fashion.

Before moving to New England, Friedman said that she never thought of herself as a particularly casual person; but now, in comparison to her East Coast peers, she considers herself to be rather laid-back. She lived in a suite last year with three girls from Connecticut and see CALIFORNIA, page 4

Status of post office is in flux due to fiscal woes by

Nadezhda Kazakova Contributing Writer

Located in a small storefront on the edge of campus beside the Brown and Brew café in Curtis Hall, Tufts’ United States Postal Service (USPS) branch remains unnoticed by many — but those who do frequent the branch may soon be looking for a new place to buy stamps.

USPS in January announced a costcutting program that would shut down as many as 2,000 post offices after the institution lost nearly $8.5 billion over the course of the 2010 fiscal year.

USPS will additionally review 16,000 underperforming branches across the country. Since current laws prohibit the closure of post offices with mail processing systems and carriers, the first post offices to be targeted will be those that use leased space and do not employ mail carriers.

Tufts’ post office, included on an initial list of Postal Service branches to be identified for full review, could be in as much peril as its rural and underused counter-

parts. And the threat is hardly new — the branch in 2009 was listed as one of nine Boston metropolitan area post offices in immediate danger.

Support Services Manager Sheila Chisholm said she contacted a USPS official upon the discovery of potential branch closure and learned that the online list was unofficial.

Chisholm noted the distinction between Tufts Mail Services and the USPS branch, which is not affiliated with Tufts and is named solely for its proximity to the university.

“Mail Services is not in danger of being closed down,” Chisholm said. “Tufts University and Tufts’ Post Office are absolutely independent of each other.”

USPS Greater Boston Discontinuance Coordinator Dennis Tarmey said there is no active proposal to close the Tufts University Post Office at this time. He did, however, note that the future remains uncertain.

“All options are ‘on the table’ when it comes to addressing the future of the Postal Service, but at the present time the Tufts’ Post Office located on Boston

Virginia bledsoe/Tufts Daily

The post office on Tufts’ campus is once again in danger of closing because of financial issues.

Avenue remains open,” Tarmey told the Daily in an e-mail.

He also assured students that if the situation changes in the future, all options will be considered carefully and the community’s opinion will not be ignored.

“If a proposal is brought forth sometime in the future that calls for the possible discontinuance of this postal outlet, the Tufts University community will be advised and the Postal Service would seek community input prior to taking any formal action to close the post office,” Tarmey said.

In the event of the branch’s closure, customers face the option of taking their business to the West Medford Post Office, the West Somerville Post Office or the Medford Post Office, all of which are located over a mile from campus.

Many of the planned closings are in rural and small urban areas, according to a Jan. 24 Wall Street Journal article.

Freshman Faith Wilson comes from such a place. Wilson hails from East Charleston, Vt., a town of 800 residents in which the post office, along with the church and the general store, constitutes the town’s heart and marks a gathering place for the community.

“When people check their P.O. Boxes every day, the post office becomes a place for them to see each other,” Wilson said.

In East Charleston, it is not uncommon for the elderly in town to leave their house only once every day to go to the post office, Wilson said.

“Taking away this service from them would be cruel,” she said. “It would become even more difficult for these elderly people to keep up with what is happening.”

Wilson doesn’t understand why USPS wants to shut down the individual post offices in rural areas, citing what she claims to be an overabundance of offices in urban settings.

“You don’t really need a post office on every corner in the city,” she said. “They should close down a few of those instead of targeting small communities, which actually count on the mail to stay connected.”

Alanna Tuller | The Archive Addict

Jumbo’s forgotten friends

W

hat I’m about to say might get me labeled as a Jumbo-hater, but I promise I’m not. I love Jumbo and think our pachyderm poster-child is a wonderful mascot. I just think, well, there have been numerous times in Tufts’ history where he has been really overhyped.

Trust me, it was devastating when Jumbo’s stuffed hide burned in the Barnum Hall fire of 1975. A photograph of Jumbo’s remains after the fire shows only a large pile of rubble and ashes that will bring a tear to the eye of any Tufts student with a heart (or some dust in their eye from spending extended periods of time in the archives). And while the loss of Jumbo certainly sent shockwaves through the Tufts community, it’s important to remember that Barnum Hall used to be the Barnum Museum of Natural History, and Jumbo’s stuffed hide was just one of many biological specimens and natural wonders once housed at Tufts.

Barnum Hall’s history dates back to 1883 when P.T. Barnum, circus showman and Tufts College trustee, donated the funds for a museum of natural history. Construction was completed in 1884 and quite soon after, the museum held an eclectic collection of minerals, fossils and biological oddities spread over three floors. As usual, Jumbo was the main attraction, overshadowing a veritable menagerie of other specimens.

One of the first notable non-Jumbo acquisitions arrived in 1888, taking the form of a two-horned “rhinostrich” skeleton. Believing I had stumbled upon a new class of vertebrates, I was disappointed to find out this was just an alternate spelling of rhinoceros, but a rhino was a notable specimen nonetheless. In the same year the museum also received a collection of meteorites, rumored to be the finest in New England. Displays of butterflies and beetles poured in as well, and 1902 saw the arrival of a stuffed camel affectionately known as “Holy Moses.”

Barnum also negotiated with the Smithsonian Institution in 1890 for a group of specimens which included a full-grown whale and the plaster casts of various “marine fauna” from New England. His ties to a circus full of exotic animals also provided “a steady, everexpanding supply of specimens,” as noted rather morbidly by one astute reporter from the Tufts Weekly.

In spite of these fine specimens, I still wonder if our collections were on par with those of other museums nearby. For example, the museum acquired in 1928 plaster casts of “the remains of fossil men,” a perfectly museum-worthy set of specimens, right? But in that same year one Bruce Wetmore of Boston “donated finely mounted heads of Bull Elk and Mountain Sheep recently shot by him in Wyoming,” which leads me to believe we had more of a museum-hunting lodge hybrid.

All kidding aside, it appears the museum actually wasn’t the most organized collection in the Greater Boston area. By 1938, University President Leonard Carmichael and Professor of Zoology Bud Carpenter declared the collection a “hodge-podge” of specimens and proceeded to convert the museum into a shrine for Jumbo and P.T. Barnum, dispersing the rest of the collection to other institutions like the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. Although rejected by the Jumbo cult, the rest of the Barnum collection was actually able to evade the 1975 fire that ravaged Jumbo and Barnum Hall.

Though my research gave me a general notion of what the museum was like, I’m still dying to know what other taxidermied critters used to populate Barnum Hall. Personally, I think it’s about time we storm Harvard’s museum and reclaim what’s rightfully ours.

And I promise this isn’t because I want to replace Jumbo — far from it!

I just think Holy Moses or an occasional elk head mounted on the wall could really spruce up some of Barnum’s classrooms.

Alanna Tuller is a sophomore majoring in English. She can be reached at Alanna.

Tuller@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

4

Features

Some West Coast natives face jarring lifestyle changes on the East Coast CALIFORNIA

continued from page 3

Massachusetts. “[The East Coast natives] were definitely more conservative and traditional than I am,” Friedman said. “I really felt like I was the hippie of the group, and I am no hippie. They were just so intense.”

Wilson, by contrast, appreciates the intensity of the academic experience.

“At Tufts, everyone is passionate and wants to excel, which is so much more inspiring than California college culture, where everyone is way more laid-back,” she said.

Whether accurate or not, the stereotyping that comes with being from California can become bothersome.

Friedman said that when people hear that she is vegetarian, they often attribute the diet to a “hippie-dippie” Californian attitude rather than her passion for animal rights. Jaffe’s friends from New England commonly credit her idiosyncrasies to her California upbringing, she said.

These differences can often determine whom students choose to befriend at Tufts. Jaffe finds it much easier to hit it off with Californians; lucky for her, there are many to be found on the Hill.

“Even if I wouldn’t necessarily get along with someone, as soon as they mention In-N-Out Burger or I recognize their area code, it’s just a really nice bonding point,” she said. “It’s pretty cool because even though home is so far away from school, when I go home I get to see so many of my friends from school.”

Friedman agreed that it has been easier getting to know fellow-Californians.

“I had to work really hard when I first got to Boston to figure out why people act the way they do,” she said. “Everyone is so much more formal and less open [in New England]. Where I’m from, people wave a lot more and say hi. A lot of people on the East Coast don’t chat. When I’m home and sitting next to a stranger, they’ll chat with me. It’s those little things that

indicate openness or friendliness, and its something I’ve actively tried not to change about myself upon moving [to Boston].”

With all the changes, from climate to khakis, being a Californian in New England can provide the experience of being pushed far out of one’s comfort zone — for better or worse.

“I had a really hard time transitioning to be here,” Jaffe said. “But I think I would have gotten sick of California. I’m really glad I got out and tried something new.”

Wilson said she was also content with her decision to transfer out of UC Davis.

She was considering staying in California and applied to Stanford University, but decided against it.

“I literally grew up on the Stanford campus, so I think I would be missing out on so much if I would have gone there instead of discovering a new world on the East Coast,” she said. “College is the time to go out and explore, see new places, start fresh and let yourself be seen the way you want to be seen. You need to throw yourself into a different environment where you don’t know anyone in order to do that, and choosing a school in an area so completely different from where you are from has a lot to do with that.”

Because Freidman opted to go in a different direction and leave California, she described a change in her outlook and understanding of the world.

“It adds to my ability to interact with people from all places,” she said.

In coming to New England, Wilson not only found a change in environment for four years, but she was so impressed by the amount of opportunities, the landscape, architecture and history in New England that she plans to live in Boston beyond graduation.

“It’s very liberating to go to school across the country and be okay,” Wilson said. “I feel like if I can go to school 3,000 miles away from home, see my family four times a year and still be happy, I can do anything.”

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

TAKE YOUR PROFESSOR TO LUNCH DURING MAJORS WEEK

MARCH 7—11 2011 Ask your favorite or soon to be favorite teacher to lunch at Carmichael or DewickMacPhie Halls and SPIRIT will foot the bill. More information will be provided in an email to all undergraduates.

MAJORS WEEK OPEN HOUSES

March 2

Sociology Department

Reception 12:00-1:20 pm East Hall Lounge

March 8

History Department

March 7

American Studies Major Information Session 12:00-1:00 pm Eaton 202

English Department Meet the faculty 12:00-1:15 pm East Hall Lounge

Geology

Open House Open Block Lane Hall Room 7

German Studies Open House 12:00-1:30 pm German House 21 Whitfield Road

Department of Religion 12:00 pm Eaton Hall, 3rd Floor

Psychology Dept Open House 12:00-1:30pm 1st floor Conf Room 490 Boston Ave Romance Languages Major’s Day Event 12:00-1:30 pm Olin Center, 2nd Floor

12:00-1:15 pm 124 Eaton Hall

Physics Department Open House 7:00 pm Robinson 251

March 9

Chemistry Department

Info Session 12:00-1:15 pm Pearson Chemistry Building Room P112

Breakfast with IR 9:30-10:30 am Cabot Mezzanine

Mathematics Department 4:00-5:00 pm Dept Conference Room Bromfield-Pearson

Political Science Department 12:00 pm Eaton Hall Room 206

March 10

Department of Anthropology 4:30 pm Eaton Hall, 3rd Floor

Community Health Open House 12:00-3:00 pm 112 Packard Avenue

Philosophy 5:45-6:00 pm Miner Hall, 2nd Floor

Wendell Phillips Award Finalist’s Presentations Wednesday, March 16, 2011 11:45 am in the Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts center The presentations are open to the Tufts Community.

All are welcome to attend.

Each Finalist will present a 3-5 minute response to the following topic:

The new documentary film "Waiting for Superman" claims that there is a wide gap between Americans' self-perception of their educational level and the "real" level of their achievement or ability in relation to the rest of the world. Reflect upon an experience you have had while at Tufts that draws attention to a gap between self-perception and assessment (whether personal, social, or institutional). What were the consequences of that gap?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The finalists for the Wendell Phillips Award are:

Nan Lin Michael Hawley Brian Agler Melissa Reifers Tomas Valdes

THE WENDELL PHILLIPS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD The Wendell Phillips Memorial Scholarship is one of two prize scholarships (the other assigned to Harvard College) established in 1896 by the Wendell Phillips Memorial Fund Association, in honor of Boston’s great preacher and orator. The award is given annually to the junior or senior who best demonstrated both marked ability as a speaker and a high sense of public responsibility. Coordinated by the Committee on Student Life

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

Restaurant Week Preview

Boston Restaurant Week heads into full swing Expensive, high-end food offered at more affordable prices by

Zehava Robbins

Daily Editorial Board

If you’re sick of the dining halls and have reached the point when none of the options at the Mayer Campus Center are appealing anymore, the next week and a half before spring break offers a chance to get a taste of something different through Boston Restaurant Week.

The winter session of the biannual event began on Sunday and continues through Friday, March 18, giving Tufts students plenty of time to explore delicious restaurants all around Boston. The 226 participating restaurants offer up to three prix fixe options for dinner, lunch or light lunch, usually allowing diners to choose from a handful of dishes for each course.

Not all restaurants offer all three meals, but the prices are the same across the city, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity. Dinner will get you three courses — an appetizer, entree and dessert — for $33.11, lunch gives you the same three lunch-sized courses for $20.11 and a light lunch consists of two courses — an entree and either an appetizer or a dessert — for $15.11. These prices may seem a little too exorbitant for a broke college student, especially if you were to go every day, but the investment is well worth it for at least a couple of trips.

Even for those who normally swear by sandwiches at Dave’s Fresh Pasta or burritos at Anna’s Taqueria (or Chipotle, if you’re one of those people), Restaurant Week can provide an exciting opportunity to try foods that college students don’t usually get to eat.

Options for high-end food exist for all types of cuisines, from Italian and French to seafood, steak and Contemporary American. Whether it’s just an upscale version of a familiar and beloved dish or a new and exciting gastronomic experience, there are items that will appeal to everyone.

The first difficult choice before even decid-

Ashley Seenauth/Tufts Daily

Davis Square’s Foundry On Elm is offering special-priced meals for Boston Restaurant Week. ing which dishes to order is where to go.

With such an extensive list of restaurants distributed across the Boston metropolitan area — all with great-sounding menus — the possibilities seem endless.

If you are hestitant to leave the Tufts/ Davis Square bubble, the options are more limited, but it is still possible to participate in Restaurant Week by going to lunch or dinner at either the Foundry On Elm or Gargoyles on the Square, both of which are located a couple minutes’ walk from the Joey stop in Davis.

The Foundry is a relatively recent addition to Davis and has quickly become a top choice for 21+ Jumbos in its drink selections. It also boasts a tasty menu of upscale favorites. (The Daily ran a full review of the Foundry on March 1.)

Gargoyles on the Square branches out a little more with its fare, in addition to offering great cocktails and dishes with colorful usage of black truffles. It is home to chef Jason Santos, a finalist on season seven of “Hell’s Kitchen.”

If restaurants with chefs who competed on TV cooking shows are intriguing and you’re willing to venture away from Tufts, also check out Blue Ginger in Wellesley, owned by “The Next Iron Chef” semifinalist Ming Tsai, or Rialto at the Charles Hotel in

Harvard Square, the restaurant of “Top Chef Masters” season two finalist Jody Adams.

Neither should disappoint.

Less publicized, but equally delicious, options include Henrietta’s Table, the downstairs neighbor of Rialto in the Charles Hotel; Grotto, a renowned Italian restaurant in Beacon Hill; and all of the Elephant Walk restaurants, a chain previously featured in an Oct. 4, 2010, Daily article, in which the chefowners shared one of their soup recipes.

All of these options and more can be found at RestaurantWeekBoston.com, which provides users with lunch and dinner menus for each participating restaurant, as well as any additional “good to know” information, such as vegetarian options or weekend-only deals.

There are also handy links for most restaurants on OpenTable.com where you can make reservations for the places that are most appealing. But hurry! Restaurant Week times fill up fast.

Whether going with a friend or a date, and regardless of ultimate destination, keep in mind the primary benefits of Restaurant Week. Try to have each person order different dishes so that you can try as many different foods as possible. You won’t regret it, and you’ll find yourself counting down the days until the next Restaurant Week in the fall.

Theater Review

Greek mythology latest subject for the A.R.T.

by Esti Bernstein

Contributing Writer

This isn’t your parents’ Greek mythology. The American Repertory Theater’s (A.R.T.) production of “Prometheus

Prometheus Bound Written by Steven Sater Musical Score by Serj Tankian Directed by Diane Paulus At OBERON through April 2 Tickets $25 to $75 Bound,” a new rock musical adapted from the Greek myth of the titan Prometheus, challenges notions of traditional musical theater, storytelling and social justice.

The Prometheus Project, a partnership between the A.R.T. and Amnesty International to bring theater arts to the service of human rights advocacy, incorporates conscience into performance.

The production hails Prometheus, an activist and martyr imprisoned for opposing tyrannical authority, as the original prisoner of conscience. Following the classic myth, Prometheus delivers fire to humans and enrages Zeus, who orders him to be bound to a cliff where an eagle eats his liver eternally.

The Prometheus Project is upfront about its promotion of Amnesty International. The nonprofit’s volunteers fill the lobby, informing the audience about Amnesty’s work and presenting petitions. The Prometheus Project additionally dedicates “Prometheus Bound” to current prisoners of conscience. The dialogue speaks directly of morality, power and punishment such that, out of

context, the actors could be addressing today’s rebellions in the Middle East.

“Prometheus Bound” revives its ancient message with a modern aesthetic. OBERON, a small club that functions as the A.R.T.’s second stage, feels comfortably casual and Kevin Adams’ lighting design appropriately incorporates club lights into a theater setting.

Emily Rebholz’s costumes, characterized by studded belts and excessive eyeliner, turn the Greek chorus into a group of rebellious, subversive teenagers.

Modern interpretations of traditional elements transform ensemble members into characters with distinct personalities. Hermes’ winged sandals in this production become golden winged hightop sneakers.

Although Prometheus is physically bound, the actors and the audience explore the space freely. Riccardo Hernandez’s sparse set features moving platforms, which direct the audience’s attention around the room. The OBERON consists almost entirely of standing room, so the audience easily clogs the dance floor. The actors dance, climb ladders, stand on tables and occasionally occupy a small stage. Like Prometheus, the stagehands hide nothing: As integral members of the performance, they wear dark clothing to fit the show’s aesthetic, rather than to become invisible.

Composer Serj Tankian’s music contrasts Prometheus’ struggles; his six-piece band stretches the definitions of rock and musical theater with instruments ranging from the guitar to the sitar. Tankian’s score is appropriately diverse and avoids repetition by exploring ska, string ensemble and wind arrangements.

The lyrics, unfortunately, fall short and are consistently underwhelming.

Writer and lyricist Steven Sater of “Spring Awakening” (2006) conveys little in his lyrics, at least not when they’re audible.

Granted, “Prometheus Bound” is a rock musical and the volume is accordingly loud, but even less-than-pithy lyrics should be discernible. Although the lyrics don’t detract from the story, they leave the audience hungry for stronger writing.

Gavin Creel (who received a Tony nomination in 2009 for his role as Claude in “Hair”) consistently impresses as the imprisoned Prometheus. The role, however, hinders Creel’s emotional range, granting him almost solely angst and rage-filled lyrics. While he executes these emotions excellently, in speaking and singing, the writing does Creel a disservice and robs him of a potentially dynamic role.

Several ensemble members stand out in addition to Creel. Uzo Aduba, who plays Io, one of Zeus’ love interests, emotionally grips the audience as she shifts from storyteller to confused victim. Gabriel Ebert as both Hephaistos, the crippled blacksmith, and Hermes, the cheeky Olympian messenger, transitions seamlessly from chorus member to character. The actors’ fluidity as they shift characters contributes to the venue’s anything-goes aesthetic.

“Prometheus Bound” is a worthwhile musical theater experience, challenging both notions of social justice and theater. While the lyrics lack power, the cast and creative team excellently execute the material. Allowing actors, audience and stagehands to roam freely adds a sense of lawlessness to the production.

For an open-minded theater enthusiast, this project provides an unconventional theater experience and plenty of food for thought.

Emily Balk | Whisk-y Business

Code Red

W

hen I discovered that Jade Garden was hiding things from me, I was upset. The nowdefunct Chinese restaurant next to my neighborhood in St. Louis had two menus: one for people like me who don’t know Chinese, and therefore couldn’t possibly want traditional preparations, and one for those who do. When my dad asked what a passing entree was, we awkwardly found out that it wasn’t on our menu, which was loaded with typical fried chicken a la General Tso-type items.

Some wheedling ensued and the super special secret menu was translated to us.

I’ll grant that some of the items were a bit beyond even my adventurous palate, like the jellyfish, but to find that I’d been missing years of fragrant lemongrass duck was dismaying.

Traditional or home-style Chinese dishes can be difficult to find in many American Chinese restaurants, which is really a shame.

I do love me some sesame tofu and crab rangoon (really, what is a rangoon?), but sometimes I want food that is authentic and not coated in shiny candy goo.

Yet I never felt totally deprived of that taste of China I so craved because of a cookbook my dad had, Beverly Lee’s “The Easy Way to Chinese Cooking,” published in 1963. It came from the days before cookbooks had big fancy pictures arranged by food stylists and before celebrity chefs had really hit the cookbook scene. The recipes were the true stars.

My favorite recipe from this book is ubiquitous in China, and, fun fact, was Mao Zedong’s favorite dish. The technique I’m talking about is called “red cooking,” or “red braising,” which refers to the reddish-brown color food takes on after a long sit in a spiceinfused sauce bath, typically soy sauce. Mao liked red-cooked fatty pork belly* (he died several days after a heart attack. Figures.), but I prefer it with chicken.

Whatever you choose to braise in the cooking liquid becomes aromatic and deeply flavorful and makes mysteriously incredible leftovers. Red cooking is also great because the liquid can be frozen and used to braise more of your chosen protein in the future.

Each time this “master sauce” is used, it takes on the flavor of what you cook in it. If you are using chicken on the bone, for example, it may even develop the kind of rich body found in high quality, long-simmered chicken stock. I recommend steamed vegetables and rice as sides with which to consume more sauce. It’s less embarrassing than getting caught drinking it straight.

Ingredients: A bunch of chicken pieces. I like dark meat because you pretty much can’t overcook it.

Feel free to substitute in any other meat or even tofu. Just use your judgment regarding appropriate cooking time.

A few slices of ginger, smashed 3 cloves garlic, smashed (the original recipe only calls for one. Ha.) 4 tablespoons sugar 1 star anise 2 teaspoons rice wine or dry sherry 1 cup light soy sauce 1 cup dark soy sauce 1 cup water Bring all ingredients, except the chicken, to a boil in a large pot, then add chicken.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for one hour, 20 minutes, flipping chicken every 20 minutes or so and basting frequently. Remove chicken and serve with vegetables and rice, extra sauce to pour over everything. *Those who wish to dine like Mao can actually order this version from Qingdao Garden on Mass. Ave., but they might adamantly refuse to deliver to the dorms. I know because I tried.

Emily Balk is a senior majoring in biopsychology. She can be reached at Emily.Balk@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY Alexandra W. Bogus Editor-in-Chief

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Editorial | Letters

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Editorial

Guantanamo about-face a necessary concession

President Barack Obama on Monday rescinded his two-year-old directive banning military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. In a new executive order, Obama clears the way for resuming military trials at the naval base.

This is regrettable, considering the president campaigned on — and committed to, once taking office — closing Guantanamo within a year of his inauguration. Still, the concession is a prudent one. Guantanamo is a nearly impossible issue, one that may be blackand-white in moral terms but is very gray in practice, and the reforms that the president has included in his most recent order alleviate much of what Americans have found so distasteful regarding the military base.

In order to deal with the 172 prisoners currently detained at the naval base, the new executive order reinstates a system allowing prisoners to be tried by military courts.

Numerous obstacles have stood in the way of trying prisoners in civilian court and have forced them into legal limbo and indeterminate detention. The new executive order remedies this by allowing prisoners either to be tried on-site by a military tribunal or to make a plea bargain.

Because many of the detainees were tor-

tured in an effort to obtain information, evidence gained from such tactics would be thrown out in court, weakening the prospect of conviction. The new order attempts to solve this problem by requiring compliance with international treaties barring inhumane treatment. But a fundamental problem remains: Because evidence obtained under duress is inadmissible — even in these military tribunals — the government faces a “Sophie’s choice” between releasing or illegally detaining people it reasonably believes to be terrorist threats to the United States. This is the fundamental problem of Guantanamo, and the Daily does not profess to have a ready solution.

Perhaps most important of all, the order establishes a process of periodic review by several federal agencies of the prisoners’ threat to our security. This will decide whether prisoners should be tried, released or transferred to a third-party country. Reviews of each detainee must occur within one year of this order and at least once every three years after that. In the sea of difficult options the administration faces, this step is laudable in that it gives detainees at least some framework for legal recourse.

Nonetheless, the new executive order fails to address many core issues pertaining to Guantanamo. The reinstatement of military tribunals merely reopens an avenue that is widely considered less desirable than civilian trials. Administration officials have insisted that the president remains committed to closing the base in the near future, but the order sheds little light on when that will be.

And because Obama made it clear that the order only applies to current and not future detainees, it is unclear how the base will be used in coming years.

The administration faces only bad options when it comes to the detention camp, and it is commendable that Obama has acknowledged his mistake in prematurely steering away from military tribunals. Nonetheless, the new decision has left the long-term plans for Guantanamo up in the air. We do not hold the answer. But if it is indeed Obama’s intention to close Guantanamo, we can only hope that his administration devises a wellthought-out plan of action before making yet another promise to the American public.

Commendable as this executive order is, it is far from resolving an issue that has remained a sore point in the United States for years.

Alex Miller

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Off the Hill | University of Michigan

Not quite open enough Staff Photographers

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The Michigan Daily The Michigan Daily

Kristiina Yang Executive New Media Editor

PRODUCTION Andrew Petrone Production Director Sarah Davis Executive Layout Editor Leanne Brotsky Layout Editors Adam Gardner Jason Huang Jennifer Iassogna Sarah Kester Alyssa Kutner Steven Smith Rebecca Alpert Assistant Layout Editors Jennifer Betts Shoshanna Kahne Mackenzie Loy Alexia Moustroufi Emily Rourke Alexandra Husted Executive Copy Editor Sara Eisemann Copy Editors Niki Krieg Andrew Paseltiner Zehava Robbins Elisha Sum Ashley Cheng Assistant Copy Editors Benjamin Considine Linh Dang Patrick Donnelly Lauren Greenberg Drew Lewis Rebecca Raskind Melissa Roberts Alexandra Salerno Alison Williams Stefanie Yeung Darcy Mann Executive Online Editor Emily Denton Online Editors William Wong Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager Michael Vastola Technical Manager

BUSINESS Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Executive Business Director Laura Moreno Advertising Director Dwijo Goswami Receivables Manager P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

Before students left for Spring Break, progress was made toward enacting Open Housing at the University [of Michigan].

The Michigan Student Assembly and supporters of the Open Housing Initiative have worked hard to motivate the [u]niversity to implement this policy. And the [u]niversity has worked hard to compromise on, rather than completely enact, this initiative.

At a Feb. 23 round table, the [u]niversity announced its plans to allow students who openly identify themselves as transgender to have roommates of their identified gender. While this proposed plan is progressive, it is far from complete. The [university] needs to allow gender-neutral housing for all University [of Michigan] students, not just transgender students.

According to a Feb. 24 Michigan Daily article, “Harper talks details of gender-neutral housing,” the proposed policy is currently being drafted and is expected to take effect this fall. This decision represents progress.

Members of the LGBTQ community need to feel comfortable and safe in their living environments, and the quicker this plan is

put into place, the better. But this policy only protects a portion of the student community. And as [Michigan Student Assembly] President Chris Armstrong said in the article, the plan is “a departure” from “the comprehensive gender-neutral housing policy the Open Housing Initiative requested.”

Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clement wasn’t a transgender student, but he took his life last September as a result of being victimized by his roommate because of his sexual orientation. As a response to this event, Rutgers University announced last week that it’s going to allow genderneutral housing in some of its dormitories, according to a March 1 USAToday.com article. Beginning this fall, three dormitories on Rutgers’ campus will allow students of any identified gender to live together in gender-neutral rooms.

According to an article in the Daily Targum — Rutgers University’s student newspaper — the only concern the university expressed with the new program is that if a student moves out of his or her room, it may be more difficult to fill that space. The university needs to realize that while this could be a problem, students who switch dorm rooms is an issue in university housing regardless of

the gender of the roommates. And Rutgers’ policy was created so that both students have to agree to live together in gender-neutral housing, which would decrease the instances of students moving rooms.

It’s important the University of Michigan ensures that all students feel comfortable in their housing — including students in the LGBTQ community. The [university], including students and faculty, took a strong stance when former [Michigan] [A]ssistant [A]ttorney [G]eneral Andrew Shirvell accused Armstrong of promoting a “radical homosexual agenda” on his blog this fall. While support from campus was positive, the University [of Michigan] needs to ensure that it’s not just protecting the needs of LGBTQ students after they’ve been victimized, but also working to prevent problems before they arise.

No student should be forced into a living situation that they’re uncomfortable with because of their identified gender or sexual orientation. The [u]niversity has made progress in a policy for open housing for transgender students. But it needs to make sure that all students’ needs are being considered as administrators move forward with the implementation of this policy.

Corrections

Yesterday’s article “Worked up over workouts: Treadmill lines frustrate students” incorrectly stated that the Lunder Fitness Center was located in the Gantcher Center. In fact, the fitness center is located in the Cousens Gym Complex, which includes Gantcher as well.

Yesterday’s gallery review, “ICA features emerging artist Mark Bradford’s ‘found art’” erroneously implies that Mark Bradford’s work was part of the “found art” category of art. In fact, though Bradford does use materials he has found in his art, he does not classify his work under this category.

Both of these errors were made during the editing process and were not the fault of the writers.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Op-Ed

Gospels and geology books by

Mark Rafferty

For most students who were raised in religious households, arriving at Tufts represents a unique fork in the road. Gone are the watchful eyes of parents and the familial pressure to attend religious services and live devoutly. We are left with a newfound freedom in which we encounter troves of new ideas and new people. We can abandon the ideas we grew up with if we come to the conclusion that they were imposed on us. On the other hand, some of us might realize at college that our faiths are more than just rituals and we might become more interested in deepening our understanding. Students who don’t come from religious backgrounds might find that college raises a new set of questions about life, and they too might be interested in exploring faith.

It can seem a bit unprogressive to deepen our faiths at Tufts. How can we learn about neurology, the laws of physics and chemistry and the religious conflicts burning around the globe, and not become disillusioned with seemingly outmoded religious myths? Whether we are philosophy students or engineers-to-be, we’re here to learn about knowledge, not about superstition.

There seems to be a contradiction in carrying both a Bible and a biology textbook in the same backpack.

Many solve this dilemma by putting academics and religious beliefs in different halves of their brains.

Sunday mornings may be time to pray but Monday mornings are time to study the real world. For students who find inherent contradictions between academia and faith, this compartmentalization may be the only way to retain both. But, in my opinion, to see such a dichotomy between religious faith and “real knowledge” misses the essence of both.

For me, knowledge about the world and religious faith go hand in hand because both are based on our intellects and observations from life experience. The 4.6 billion-year history of the Earth is explained by geology, and economics and sociology offer compelling explanations of human interactions. But underneath all of those answers lie more unsatisfied questions, most of which begin with “Why?” Why did history happen the way it did? Why do humans make the same mistakes over and over again? Why do money and power leave people perpetually unsatisfied? Why did time begin anyway?

Of course, the sciences have their own theories to answer these questions, but for me, it’s hard to find convincing answers that do not involve God (or a god) and His relationship to humankind. But God is not just an idea used to plug metaphysical gaps. Instead, the concept of God is a lens through which the entire world is transformed. Suddenly molecular biology becomes a fantastic display of unfathomable genius.

History becomes the narrative of inherently good people who are lost and searching for fulfillment. For me, faith in God does what no science can do: It takes the vast wealth of information and facts in the universe and makes them intensely personal. It turns the story of the world — with its physical machinations

Danai Macridi/Tufts Daily

and social structures — into the story of humanity. My story. Our story. A story that predicts a mind-boggling ending in which justice, goodness and love prevail.

It is also important to let our academic knowledge inform our faiths. When reading a religious text, it is crucial to understand the historical and social context of its writing — otherwise it’s true meaning will be lost. We can compare different belief systems around the world, observe their commonalities and challenge ourselves to expand the horizons of our beliefs. If we take the time to study the awful mistakes made by religious leaders in the past, we can look more critically at our own faith communities and resolve to transform them into agents of peace and justice.

I’m glad that dialogues about such issues already abound here on campus and I’m excited about two events being held this week. Tufts’ Freethought Society ( TFS) tonight will host its Humanist Forum in which a panel of representatives from TFS and different campus faith communities will address state regulation of religious traditions. The Tufts Christian Fellowship on Thursday will host a forum on human rights in a pluralistic society, in which Sri

Lankan activist Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra and Political Science Lecturer Katrina Swett will come together to discuss ethical issues around the world. I hope the dialogues will be engaging, fruitful and challenging.

Most of us came to Tufts because we wanted to learn how to think and how to develop a worldview.

The worldview that I’d like to develop is an integrated and coherent one; that is, one in which all my beliefs support each other in some way and there is no need for compartmentalization. Critical thinking means connecting ideas in my head and rigorously testing each one. If I ever come to a point where I learn uncontestable facts about the world that are incompatible with my religious beliefs, I’ll have to let go of those beliefs. But I’m not expecting that to happen. I’m confident that like many other students here, I’ll continue to be able to draw wisdom from my faith that gives true meaning and depth to what I learn in the classroom.

Mark Rafferty is a sophomore majoring in international relations and Arabic.

Advocacy through the arts more important than ever by

Alanna Tuller, Kris Coombs, Jr. and Katie Quackenbush

As Tufts students we understand that it is possible to feel overwhelmed with the sense of obligation to actively support social justice issues and how difficult it can be to find an issue which truly resonates with you. Whether you believe there are too many causes to choose from or not enough that align with your values, it can be difficult to find ways to meaningfully dedicate your time to a cause you truly care about. Although we don’t purport to have the ability to solve this problem entirely, the Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative (SJAI) is actively seeking a solution through Issue as Muse, an event designed to bring local and international issues to the awareness of Tufts students through the performing arts.

Even if there is a social justice issue you are passionate about, it can be difficult to connect with others who are successfully working to support the issue.

Issue as Muse is a unique event in that it combines performances with a nonprofit fair, providing students the opportunity to network with a variety of organizations representing the spectrum of social justice issues.

Nonprofit organizations will address local and global social issues, such as worker’s rights and education for at-risk girls, as well as environmental issues such as the creation of sustainable communities.

We hope that bringing these nonprofits to Tufts will foster dialogue about a variety of social justice issues and provide students with the opportunity to connect to others who are working successfully to achieve social justice. We selected these nonprofit organizations because they represent both local and international issues and focus on both people and the environment.

Sometimes it is possible to feel as if we live in the “Tufts

bubble,” isolated from any of the issues addressed by social justice movements. However, such organizations as Groundwork Somerville, which addresses environmental issues through community-based youth programs, and Not For Sale, which works to prevent human trafficking, work in and around Boston, demonstrating our ability to make a difference in our own community. With the presence of so many nonprofit organizations nearby, it would seem relatively simple to become involved with any number of social justice causes. However, we at SJAI realize that there needs to be a deeper connection to social justice that humanizes the issues and allows us to relate to them on a deeper level. The arts provide an excellent platform to establish that deeper connection to social justice issues.

The performances at Issue as Muse will use various types of performing arts — song, dance and spoken word — to highlight social justice issues that don’t always receive a lot of media attention. Although we might not be as personally familiar with certain issues, such as worker’s rights or HIV/AIDS, nonprofits like Jobs for Justice and the AIDS Action Committee will be there to provide information about their own particular specialties, and we hope performers will create an emotional connection to these lesser-known issues. Many of these nonprofits in Boston have a huge impact both globally and locally, even though these subjects are not frequently discussed by the media.

We often hear about larger, better-known organizations and one-time disasters that need immediate aid.

However, there are many long-term causes that need our attention as well. We hope that that the organizations and performers at Issue as Muse will help raise awareness about these equally important matters of social justice.

Part of the problem with the way we address many social justice issues is that many have been normalized and rationalized in our society. For example, the non-

profit organization Not For Sale works to stop children from being forced into sex slavery. This traumatic experience is often far more severe than any punishment an adult may face for soliciting sex from these young victims. Although the legal system’s punishments for these crimes can reflect a calculated ignorance toward these issues, it is also a problem that society turns a blind eye to these social injustices — many of which occur in its very own communities.

We realize it can be difficult to discuss issues such as urban violence, sex trafficking and alcohol and drug abuse, but it is possible through performance art to change the conversation and look at these difficult issues through a new perspective. We hope that all of our performers will act as role models, demonstrating the possibility of using one’s artistic or other talents to raise awareness about any number of social justice issues.

We realize that not every issue represented will appeal to everyone who attends the event, but we do encourage you to come and learn about the variety of social justice issues that will be represented and to look at these topics through an artistic lens you may not have considered in the past.

As Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” So let this event be one that opens the doors for better communication, better collaboration and better exploration, such that we can continue to work for a better world.

Alanna Tuller is a sophomore and a member of SJAI. She is currently a columnist for the Daily. Kris Coombs, Jr., a graduate student in the Department of Child Development, and Katie Quackenbush, a sophomore, are both board members of SJAI.

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

The Tufts Daily

8

Comics

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

by

Wiley

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Not getting thirsty after eating pretzels

Late Night at the Daily Tuesday’s Solution

Saumya: “Do you think we’re all going to come down with some horrible disease in 10 years for spending so much time in this office?”

Please recycle this Daily

Sports

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tuftsdaily.com

Men’s Lacrosse

No. 1 Tufts prepares to defend NESCAC, NCAA titles Led by Hessler and Molloy, experienced offense will spark 2011 Jumbos by

Claire Kemp

Daily Editorial Board

The quest to repeat history will begin Saturday, when the men’s lacrosse team’s campaign, arguably the most anticipated for any Tufts sport ever, kicks off at home against Amherst.

Ranked No. 1 heading into the season, the Jumbos have a lot to prove after a 20-1 season that last year culminated in a 9-6 win over Salisbury in the national championship game in May. This will be the first time the team has played with a national target on its back, and with six of last year’s wins coming by only one goal, there will be no room for error.

Despite some losses to graduation, the Jumbos seem to have everything they need to do it again — and hush the naysayers who see 2010 as a fluke.

The first key component in Tufts’ quest for back-to-back titles is excel-

Virginia Bledsoe/ Tufts Daily

Junior midfielder Nick Rhoads’, left, ability to win groundballs will be huge this season. lent leadership. The team’s four seniorquad captains, attackmen D.J. Hessler and Ryan Molloy, midfielder Matt Witko and longstick midfielder Alec Bialosky,

were leaders on both ends of the field last season. All four boast preseason AllAmerican nods and will set the tone for the Jumbos.

In their final season, the captains have a do-or-die sense of urgency.

“Our team is just really confident in all our players but obviously adding those four guys out there … it’s definitely an advantage to have four strong senior captains,” junior midfielder George Shafer said.

One reason for optimism is that almost the entire offense from last year is returning. Hessler — the reigning Div. III Player of the Year — and fellow seniors Witko and Molloy will fuel the offense with help from junior midfielder Kevin McCormick and junior attackman Sean Kirwan. These five dominated the scoring last season in the NESCAC. Hessler in 2010 registered 54 assists, the most in Div. III and second only to Div. I Player of the Year Ned Crotty from Duke. see MEN’S LACROSSE, page 11

NESCAC men’s lacrosse

Top to bottom NESCAC: The definition of parity by

Philip Dear

Daily Editorial Board

In the past four NESCAC men’s lacrosse championships, four different teams have emerged victorious. And in each of those four championships, the No. 1 seed in the tournament has been knocked out before even reaching the title game.

Suffice it to say, NESCAC men’s lacrosse is the most competitive sport in the most competitive conference in Div. III athletics. Vegas lines don’t stand a chance here, but that’s okay. The Daily will break down the squads for you so you can make your own intelligent,

thoroughly researched pick for which team will reign supreme over the rest come early May: The contenders: Tufts Jumbos: They’re the reigning NESCAC and national champs and current national No. 1 — a blessing or a curse?

The intensity of Tufts’ schedule will probably stay the same.

The Jumbos will have the same difficulty getting through an increasingly tough conference as they ever have — the heated rivalries within the NESCAC are always thriving. With the level of competition always so high, the experience the Jumbos acquired from the postseason heroics of 2010 will undoubtedly help.

A slew of returning starters from last year’s squad, particularly on the offensive side of the ball with the senior quadcaptain duo of D.J. Hessler and Ryan Molloy leading things, puts the Jumbos in a very good place. Bear in mind, Hessler, Molloy and junior Sean Kirwan — the third of the three returning starting attackmen — were the top three scorers in the NESCAC last season.

Junior faceoff specialist Nick Rhoads will surely continue to dominate at the X, giving the Jumbos the possessions they need to light up the scoreboard. Of course, the addition of a strong recruiting class will

make an already deep roster noticeably stronger on both ends of the field.

Middlebury Panthers: The Jumbos feel that the only team that can beat them is themselves, and while that may be true, the national No. 7 Panthers would probably beg to differ. It stings to lose three times in one season to the same team, let alone losing to the eventual national champions in both the NESCAC Championship game and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament by one and two goals, respectively.

Middlebury suffered that fate at the hands of Tufts last season and will seek revenge.

Middlebury’s top two goal scorers from 2010 — the attacking tandem of senior David Hild and junior Tim Cahill — will return for the Panthers.

Hild is a natural finisher while Cahill is a lefty gunslinger with a lightning-fast wrist-y shot.

Any team that can keep these attackmen in check and put the pressure on less experienced scorers has a chance of taking down the NESCAC’s most decorated men’s lacrosse program, but that’s much easier said than done.

Bowdoin Polar Bears: The national No. 18 Polar Bears see NESCAC MEN’S LACROSSE, page 10

Men’s Lacrosse

Inside the MLB

Five tips for a solid How the Jumbos can stay on top fantasy baseball draft The keys to Tufts lax keeping its No. 1 ranking by

by

Daniel Rathman

Daily Editorial Board

There are two kinds of March Madness — the kind that will take place in college basketball over the next few weeks and the kind that ensues when a fantasy baseball owner selects Jonathan Papelbon in the third round.

But fear not; the Daily is here to help you develop a method to the aforementioned madness and avoid such blunders as you prepare for your upcoming draft.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when you’re on the clock so that your turn doesn’t end with your league-mates making fun of you about the player you chose.

1. Consider position scarcity.

Since fantasy baseball is oriented on offense rather than defense, and the majority of baseball’s best hitters play either first base or the outfield, some positions are harder to fill than others. Second base and shortstop are notoriously shallow — because major league teams place a premium on fielding in the middle infield — so it’s worth considering filling them early. Wait too long, and you’ll be left to decide between Erick Aybar and Asdrubal Cabrera, whose superior defensive talents don’t translate well to fantasy.

One position you don’t have to

worry about this year is catcher, where an influx of youngsters, led by Buster Posey and Carlos Santana, has vastly increased the pool of quality contributors. It’s less important this year to nab Victor Martinez or Brian McCann in the early rounds, because you can get comparable power from Jorge Posada or Chris Iannetta significantly later in the draft and compensate for their batting average woes at other spots.

2. Prioritize certain players. Staring at a list of 30 players and choosing just one can be a daunting task, so in addition to your draft board, bringing a list of players you want to prioritize is a good idea.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on a player you really like, just because he’s 15 spots lower on whatever ranking system you are using.

Owners who plucked Carlos Gonzalez in the sixth round last year were rewarded with one of the top 10 fantasy players. Those who thought he’d be around in the eighth or ninth round sorely missed out.

3. Sleepers and breakout candidates. Most baseball cliches are the result of meaningless babbling from broadcasters like Tim see INSIDE MLB, page 11

Kate Klots

Daily Staff Writer

Last season, the men’s lacrosse team powered its way to an impressive 20-1 record and pocketed the school’s first NCAA Div. III National Championship. This year, coach Mike Daly and his team are ranked No. 1 in the country and head into this weekend’s opener with a target on their backs. After graduating several crucial players, the Jumbos must ignore the hype and focus on fundamentals. By reconstructing their defense, maintaining last year’s offensive gains, perfecting the basics and staying healthy, the Jumbos have the potential to reproduce last year’s successes. Here are five key areas for them to focus on.

1. Keeping the defense strong.

A young Tufts defense must step up to fill the shoes left by last year’s seniors. Last spring, Tufts graduated tri-captain Eytan Saperstein (LA ’10), a gritty defenseman who, with 90 ground balls, consistently forced turnovers and set the pace for the Jumbos’ defense.

His departure leaves a void that the Jumbos’ younger defensemen must fill. Senior quad-captain Alec Bialosky, who racked in 69 ground balls last season, leads a capable defensive squad.

Sophomore Matt Callahan, a transfer from Div. I Fairfield, will be an essential component of

Virginia Bledsoe/Tufts Daily

Tufts needs to work on its fundamentals in order to repeat as national champions. To help meet that goal, the team participated in the second annual “Judgment Day,” a military training session, this past weekend. the Jumbos’ new defensive unit.

Sophomores Sam Gardner and John Heard, who both gained critical in-game experience last season, are expected to step up as well, and keep up last year’s pace of holding opponents to a .211 conversion percentage in man-up situations.

2. Amping up the attack. As opposed to the defensive unit, the Jumbos are returning with the entire starting attacking group from a year ago. Last season, Tufts’ offensive leaders dominated opponents,

gaining nationwide recognition.

Senior quad-captain D.J. Hessler, who tied for the most points scored in the NESCAC, tallied 37 goals and was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s All-American team.

Fellow senior and quad-captain Ryan Molloy was quick on his heels with 36 goals. Hessler and Molloy also led the team with 54 and 29 assists, respectively. see FIVE KEYS, page 11

The Tufts Daily

10 Brian Rowe | Calls the Shots

A fresh take

S

o on Friday night at the Garden, the Boston Celtics played the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics won 107-103, Monta Ellis put up 41 and Rajon Rondo dished out 16 dimes. Your basic game with a championship-caliber squad playing at home against an inferior, sub-.500 team, right? Wrong. One big difference: I was there.

For those of you expecting a Bill Simmons-style retro diary, sorry to disappoint, but I’m going to have to hold off on that until ESPN comes calling.

In the meantime, this will be about the experience of being at a Celtics game and why everyone should take one in during their time at Tufts.

Now, I’ve been to several games at the Garden, but this time I happened to be attending with a few others who had never witnessed a professional basketball game before, much less knew anything about the players or season-long plotlines. This made for some interesting trends throughout the night that I had not necessarily anticipated — for example, one of them was wearing a Paul Pierce jersey, and she demanded that I point out whenever he was on the floor so she could “cheer for myself.”

Ah, to be a novice fan again and toss on the jersey of one we temporarily adore for really no good reason.

Pregame introductions complete (are they as exciting for everybody else every single time? AT POWER FORWARD, NUMBER FIVE, KEVIN GAARRRRNNEETTTT!!!!!! Makes me wish I had an air horn to blow), Boston rolled out to a quick 30-20 lead, much to the chagrin of the Golden State fan responsible for my ticket. Yes, he would like to remind everyone that there are Golden State fans out there. But really, go to a basketball game with an opposing fan sometime. They might point out things like the fact that Stephen Curry plays defense about as well as the French.

Soon enough, at the urging of my less basketball-oriented friends, the score fell by the wayside, and we were caught up in activities such as laughing while the 87-year-old man shown on the JumboTron refused to acknowledge the rest of us hollering at him, noticing how many times the cheerleaders changed outfits (four) and deciding whether the fight that broke out a few seats away from us would net any casualties.

Halftime involved cheering/heckling the little kid on a tricycle who somehow managed to knock over every single cone that he was supposed to maneuver around, watching the guy chosen to take foul shots for money air ball two out of four and wondering why the guy in the full-body green suit across the aisle from us refused to take it off.

The second half was more of the same, until we did the non-basketballfan version of striking gold: We got on the JumboTron. And by got on the JumboTron, I mean there were seven middle-school girls sitting in front of us who refused to stop screaming at the top of their high-pitched lungs until they were shown, with us being the innocent bystanders in the background. Of course, my friends decided this warranted a flurry of texting other non-basketball fans, because obviously this turned the entire night into a rousing success.

The Warriors rallied a little in the closing minutes, making me pay attention for a bit, but I spent most of the game not too worried about all the little things on the court. To be totally honest, I had to look in the box score for everything in that opening paragraph. And you know what? It was a great night. Now it’s time to have a similar one at Fenway.

Brian Rowe is a senior majoring in economics. He can be reached at B.Rowe@ tufts.edu.

Sports

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Three teams, three new coaches hope to unseat Jumbos NESCAC MEN’S LACROSSE continued from page 9

have one of the most experienced rosters in the league. On attack, there’s senior Russell Halliday, who has garnered a considerable amount of field time and a hefty number of goals as a starter in his three previous seasons.

All-American Honorable Mention and NESCAC First-Teamer Owen Smith, a senior midfielder, will lead the explosive offense as well.

Bowdoin’s biggest weakness might be its defense, which graduated several key players and was already the second-worst team in the league in goals against average. In order for Bowdoin to limit the damage and give the powerful offense a chance to win, young defenders will need to step up and the team will need consistently strong performances from its goaltenders. The Polar Bears have several phenomenal goalies in senior Jake McCampbell, who recorded the best save percentage in the NESCAC in 2009 and earned two NESCAC Player of the Week awards in that year, as well as junior Christopher Williamson, who saw significant playing time last season.

Conn. College Camels: The regular-season NESCAC champs from last year were the only team to beat the Jumbos all season, but an early exit to Wesleyan in the conference tournament and to Rochester Institute of Technology in the NCAA tournament quickly tarnished a stellar regular season campaign. Unfortunately for the national No. 10 Camels, the graduation of constant scoring threat Steve Dachille leaves big shoes to be filled.

That burden will likely fall to senior attackman Ryan Hayes, the team’s third-highest scorer last season, as well as a slew of skilled underclassmen. While the team may not have the same veteran leadership as it had last year, this is a team on the rise, and the team has a solid recruiting class to show it. It’s safe to say that the Camels — and the rest of the league — expect big things this season.

On the Brink Wesleyan Cardinals: The Cardinals won the 2009 NESCAC Tournament title but failed to win the big games last season. That said, they were in somewhat of a regrouping phase after the graduation of key offensive staples in ’09 and still managed to beat Conn.

College in the NESCAC Quarterfinals and then get within a goal of Tufts in the semis in ’10. The talent is in place to reclaim NESCAC glory, and with another year under its belts, the senior class has a better understanding of what it will take to win again.

So far, Wesleyan is off to the right start after beating Salve Regina 13-8 on Saturday. While Salve Regina certainly isn’t one of the top programs the Cardinals will play this season, a win is a win, and it’s important to get the jitters out early. Whether or not they can thrive in the NESCAC will depend on their ability to pull out close games — an area in which the team lacked proficiency last season during their 3-6 conference campaign.

Colby Mules: The man who made it all happen for the Mules’ last season — attackman Whit McCarthy (33 goals, 11 assists) — graduated.

Sophomore midfielder Ian Deveau, last year’s NESCAC Freshman of the Year and the team’s second-leading scorer, will need to be spectacular to keep his team in contention. His feeding abilities and field vision are topnotch, but the Mules lack the sure-fire finisher that they had last season in McCarthy. Still, this team has tons of potential with solid returning starters in all positions that first-year coach Justin Domingos will look to turn into a bounty of wins. NESCAC FirstTeam faceoff specialist Craig Bunker, a senior, will give his team a good chance to win if he continues to play at a high level at the X. Williams Ephs: Last season, the Ephs caused more hair loss in their fans than any other team in the NESCAC. They endured a frustrating 5-10 season and went 4-5 in the league. But the records don’t tell the whole story. Ten of the team’s 15 games were decided by three goals or less. They lost four games by a single goal and only two of their 10 losses were by more than four goals.

This year, the Ephs are determined to be on the winning end of those games. The problem is, they were the lowest-scoring team in the NESCAC last season, and that’s not likely to turn around in a year. They relied on a strong defense, led by then-seniors and NESCAC First-Teamers Stephen Vrla in goal and Andrew D’Ambrosio on defense. Both of them have gradu-

ated, leaving a void in Williams’ defensive end. So unless they can really pull together and scrape out some tough close games, the Ephs will struggle to get over the hump.

Amherst Lord Jeffs: The Lord Jeffs had a solid 5-4 NESCAC record last season, including victories over Bowdoin, Trinity and Colby, but much like their western Mass. counterpart Williams, Amherst couldn’t win the big games.

Not much is likely to change for the Lord Jeffs. They have the talent to win tight games against equally good teams, but probably won’t be able to outdo stronger teams like Tufts or Middlebury.

First-year coach Jon Thompson, who led the Colby program for the past two years, has his work cut out for him. He has been given a solid squad and knows how to win, but if there’s any sort of adjustment period between him and his new players, this team on the brink will fall short.

Maybe, but not likely Trinity Bantams: Following a strong 2009 campaign, the Bantams fell off the map in 2010 with a 2-7 NESCAC record and missed out on the conference tournament.

The Bantams need to regroup from the ground up. And first-year coach Michael Higgins, a former Tufts defensive coordinator and All-American at Hobart, knows how to do it: start with the defense. Junior goalie Peter Johnson will provide the stalwart presence needed to lift a team’s energy. The problem for the team will be bringing the defensive energy into the other side of the field and using it to score goals, which is something the team struggled to do last year, when the Bantams averaged a paltry six goals per game.

Bates Bobcats: After an 0-9 NESCAC performance last season, one thing is for sure: It won’t get any worse for Bates. The Bobcats played several very close games last season and were just a half-step behind even the best teams in the conference. Chances are they will be able to push some of those narrow losses into the win column, though some of their quality players have left the program, including junior Tim Delaney, who headed to Div. I Georgetown after the season. Sentiments are up in Lewiston, Maine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will change.

Elephants in the Room Charlie Sheen is...

Lena Cantone Junior infielder Softball

I don’t care

Bri Cilley Junior outfielder Softball

Matt Collins Junior catcher Baseball

Ian Goldberg Senior outfielder Baseball

Last movie I saw in theaters

I do my laundry...

Who would star in a movie about my life

Favorite type of cheese

“Black Swan” When I run out of clean clothes (2010)

Marissa Miller

I’m lactose intolerant

Even more of a creep than he is on “Two and a Half Men”

“The Fighter” (2010)

Whenever I feel like hauling it to 21 Capen

Me, who else?

Gouda but I get the brie joke

The man

“The Town” (2010)

Twice a month

Josh Hartnett

American

The man

“Hall Pass” (2011) When I run out of Jonathan Taylor Thomas clothes

Cheddar

all photos courtesy tufts athletics

The Tufts Daily

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 Around Campus THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2011 MONTHLY INTERFAITH CONVERSATIONS Interfaith Center - 58 Winthrop St. 12 - 1:15 PM Baha`i Student Association “Religion for a Changing World” Light lunch will be provided.

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Sports

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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.

Snyder, Matusz among this year’s sleepers INSIDE MLB

continued from page 9

McCarver and Joe Morgan, but the fantasy adage, “Your draft will be won in the middle and late rounds,” is actually true. Assuming you aren’t lucky enough to land Albert Pujols, your first-round pick is unlikely to set your team apart. Landing this year’s Jose Bautista, Joey Votto or Clay Buchholz in the second half of the draft, on the other hand, will make a much bigger difference.

On the offensive side, Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa has an intriguing upside. The 23-year-old rookie offers a power-speed combination that resulted in 22 homers and 25 steals in the upper minors last season, so while he may struggle in the batting average department, he should be valuable in the counting statistics that are hard to collect from middle infielders.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider may be your best bet among the late-round power threats, as his 2010 pace suggests that he has 30 dinger potential over a full season. And if you’re hunting for last minute steals, don’t sleep on second year Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson, who is unlikely to hit near .300 again but should be

good for at least 25 swipes.

Colorado Rockies righty Jhoulys Chacin and Baltimore Orioles lefty Brian Matusz are two starting pitchers to remember as you’re rounding out your staff. Chacin won just nine games last year, but he whiffed more than a batter per inning and logged a 3.28 ERA, portending much greater things.

Matusz’s finesse style isn’t likely to produce many strikeouts, but he went 7-3 with a 3.63 ERA after the All-Star Break in 2010, proving that he has what it takes to succeed in the AL East.

Lastly, don’t make the mistake of drafting relief pitchers too high.

Florida Marlins’ Leo Nunez and the Blue Jays’ Frank Francisco will offer the saves you need much later in the draft.

4. Spring training statistics are meaningless, but injuries are not.

Diehard New York Yankees fans may be fretting over CC Sabathia’s 9.64 ERA. The folks in Texas may be wondering why Josh Hamilton hasn’t homered or driven in a run in 19 at-bats. The important thing to remember is that in spring training, players are focused on staying healthy and conditioning themselves for the regular season.

Come Opening Day, all of them

will have a clean slate — except those who are on the disabled list.

The tendinitis in Chase Utley’s knee and Zack Greinke’s fractured rib should worry you much more than any numbers you see during the next three weeks. And pay attention on draft day; you don’t want to be “the one” who drafts Adam Wainwright and then remembers 10 seconds later that he’s out for the season after Tommy John surgery.

5. The waiver wire is your friend.

There will be 750 players on Major League rosters on Opening Day. In standard, 10-team fantasy leagues, no more than a third of them will be owned. That means even if you’re disappointed with your draft, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to alter your roster once the season starts.

Last year, Bautista — the league’s eventual home run king — went undrafted in virtually every league.

Jaime Garcia, a 13-game winner who ranked sixth in the majors with a 2.70 ERA, was also available well into the season. Checking the headlines and scouring the waiver wire daily for players who are poised to go on a hot streak will give you a significant leg-up on owners who merely set their lineups and hope for the best.

Team’s focus remains on Amherst; Tufts out to prove 2010 was not a fluke MEN’S LACROSSE continued from page 9

The Jumbos can breathe easily, knowing their championship-winning combination is nothing but one year better. The only potential downfall to the deadly five-some is the fact that their opponents — especially in the NESCAC — have learned to key in on Hessler and try to force one-on-ones.

By the end of last season, however, Tufts’ go-to man was hardly a secret and the Jumbos still had no problem scoring in the clutch.

“It definitely helps to have all that experience coming back here in terms of knowing what we want to do out on the field [and] also in terms of chemistry,” Hessler said. “I’ve been playing with Ryan since my freshman year and we all had a whole year to play together as a unit last year … It’s good to know we’re all on the same page when we’re on the field.”

But the team’s offense is not Tufts’ sole scoring threat. Thanks to Bialosky’s experience as an attackman, the unit’s defense is consistently aggressive. The defense’s commitment to pressure the ball may rack up penalty minutes (a category in which Tufts led the NESCAC last year), but it also led them to defense-driven, mandown goals (a category the Jumbos also topped).

This group also practices against the most active offense in the league each day. The Jumbos’ attack in 2010 took 126 more shots than any other NESCAC team and was the most accurate with these shots as well. Though this year’s defensive unit will be almost completely different from last season’s senior-packed squad, new talent — freshman Dan Alles and Div. I transfer Matt Callahan — and off season improvements have already shown that any uncertainties in the backfield have been handled.

“I think they all fit in,” Hessler said.

“Yeah, we have new starters but also a bunch of guys who played and are familiar with the way we play … [our style] is always attacking, so you not only need the skill but the conditioning … and although we’re going to have missed possessions, we’re also going to get goals you don’t expect.”

A dominant team is nothing if it doesn’t have the ball, however. That’s where junior midfielder Nick Rhoads comes in. The returning league leader in ground balls, Rhoads has proved to be a huge asset in high-stakes situations. Last year’s one-goal wins could have easily gone the wrong way for the Jumbos had they not kept possession in the final minutes. This season, more pressure than ever will be on Rhoads to do what he does best: control possession out of the face-off.

Another factor that should help the Jumbos is their depth in goal. Junior keeper Steven Foglietta will return in all his final-seconds-save-againstCortland glory, but the team has other talented goalies as well, which could make a difference later in the season.

Sophomore Tyler Page and freshman Patton Watkins both bring unique styles and skills to the table.

Tufts has all the trappings of a top NESCAC and Div. III team this season.

But there will be several tests along the way. The crucial matchups this season will come against teams that the Jumbos were only able to edge out by one goal last season — Colby on March 19, Williams on March 26, Wesleyan on April 2, Middlebury on April 23 and Bowdoin on April 29 — and the one team that Tufts failed to defeat in 2010: Connecticut College on April 16.

The Jumbos will have to prove they can beat any NESCAC team on any given day if they hope to keep their dream of a repeat title alive. For now, that team is Amherst and the day is Saturday at 1 p.m on Bello Field.

Maintaining focus, health is key FIVE KEYS

continued from page 9

While the Jumbos outscored opponents 268 to 174 last season, it is even more notable that only 103 of their goals were unassisted. This statistic speaks to the Jumbos’ ability to work together in a team-oriented offensive strategy. Junior Sean Kirwan, who led the team with 49 goals, also returns as a formidable threat.

Tufts must look for continued offensive dominance from these players and must continue to pressure defenses even when shorthanded, something they did last season, when the Jumbos scored six man-down goals.

3. Maintaining focus. Another key this season will be the degree to which the unit can ignore the hype of its top ranking. Not only does a No. 1-preseason ranking bring increased pressure and scrutiny to a team, it also warrants attention and challenges from rivals. With threatening teams like No. 2 ranked Stevenson on its schedule, the Jumbos must keep their noses to the grindstone, allowing neither expectation nor intimidation to affect their performance.

4. Mechanics Last season, Tufts

was the most penalized team in the NESCAC, posting an in-conference-penalties-per-game-average of 5.11. It would be wise for the Jumbos to clean up their fundamentals in order to reduce the number of man-down scenarios their young defense must face.

The area in which the Jumbos dominated opponents last year was groundballs, scooping up 829 to opponents’ 691. By maintaining this margin and controlling the ball, Tufts can severely limit the time of possession for other teams. The defense and midfield must force turnovers and capitalize on these opportunities, in order to give a skilled and experienced offense the opportunity to do what it does best.

5. Staying Healthy Facing several preseason injuries to key players, the Jumbos must stay healthy throughout the season.

Kirwan is currently out with a broken hand, and senior attacker Brian Donovan is rehabilitating after undergoing knee surgery.

Callahan, who has a bruised rib, is out for now but expected to return soon. If Tufts returns these players and stays healthy this spring, it has all the tools necessary to keep that No. 1 ranking all year long.

12

The Tufts Daily

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