2012-02-17

Showers 49/31

THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

Friday, february 17, 2012

VOLUME LXIII, NUMBER 16

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Davis Square MBTA station sees dramatic surge in crime by

Patrick McGrath

Daily Editorial Board

In a striking rise over 2010 figures, crime rates spiked by 92 percent at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Davis Square station in 2011.

The increase was mostly due to a sharp hike in Part I crimes — which include robbery, homicide, arson, larceny and forcible rape — with 23 crimes reported in 2011, compared to 12 crimes in 2010.

Most of the crimes committed at the Davis Square station between January and December 2011 were larcenies, with 21 out of the 23 incidents falling into that category. Commuters reported one assault and one robbery.

Most of the increase in Part I crimes can be attributed to a rise in bicycle thefts, according to MBTA Deputy Chief of Police Joseph O’Connor.

“Davis Square experienced …[an] increase of number of people utilizing the station to park bicycles, and the vast

majority of larcenies from Davis Square are thefts of bicycles,” O’Connor told the Daily.

Many of the thefts occurred when MBTA commuters left their bicycles unattended at the station when it was closed for multiple days, according to O’Connor. He added that the risk of bicycle thefts would greatly decrease if commuters used better locking devices.

Last year, the MBTA Transit Police Department arrested one individual and identified several others as larceny suspects, according to O’Connor.

The person who was caught was allegedly selling the stolen bicycles on Craigslist, but other individuals have simply abandoned the stolen bicycles, he added.

In order to deal with these increasing crime rates, the MBTA Transit Police Department has teamed up with other local authorities, including the Somerville, Cambridge, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Departments, O’Connor said.

Oliver Porter for the Tufts Daily

Crime rates at the MBTA Davis Square station spiked 92 percent in 2011, which can mostly be attributed to an increase in bike theft.

The MBTA transit police have also taken a number of measures to reduce thefts at the Davis Square station, according to O’Connor.

The department is utilizing increased camera surveillance, high-visibility police patrols and a new “Pedal & Park” system, which was previously

established at the Alewife station and helps secure bicycles, he said. see CRIME, page 3

Judiciary revamps club re-recognition process by

Philippe Maman

Daily Staff Writer

Scott Tingley for the Tufts Daily

Tufts Friends of Israel this week held fundraisers around campus to raise money for the Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) campaign to raise money to improve medical care for children with heart disease in developing countries.

Friends of Israel hosts ‘Save A Child’s Heart’ campaign by

Mahpari Sotoudeh

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts Friends of Israel held fundraisers around campus this week to raise money for the Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) campaign, working in conjunction with Zeta Psi fraternity, Tufts Hillel and the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS).

The goal of the fundraisers was to

raise money to improve medical care for children with heart disease in developing countries. This year, the organizations worked together to host four events for SACH: a bake sale, a Valentine’s Day condom-rose delivery, a raffle and a party tomorrow night at Zeta Psi that will raise money through $2 “automatic entry” tickets and donations at the door. see HEART, page 2

Inside this issue

The Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) on Tuesday finalized details regarding a revamp of the club re-recognition process in order to clarify which student groups are active and to keep all club records up to date.

“The new system will not be an official change in policy, just a revamping of current methods, and it will make the rules describing re-recognition much more firm so that the process will become more effective,” Judiciary Chair Greg Bodwin, a junior who spearheaded the initiative, said.

The revamp will clarify which student groups are still active and which have become dormant over time.

“The re-recognition process will now accomplish one of its primary goals of informing the TCUJ and then the rest of the student body which clubs are active and which are not,” Judiciary New Group Recognition Chair junior Jesse Comak said.

Groups that fall under the Senate’s Allocations Board councils of V through VIII must now fill out an in-depth form in addition to a basic contact information form, according to TCU Treasurer Christie Maciejewski, a sophomore.

“This second form includes a members list, proof of activity describing records of recent activity that group has participated in or initiated, and a myriad of other important details describing the group in question’s operational status,” Comak said.

There are individual numbered councils on the Allocations Board that oversee the various genres of groups, according to Maciejewski.

“The Allocations Board councils I

through IV went through the recognition process last year, and councils V through VIII will go through the process this spring,” Maciejewski said. “All groups, regardless of which council they fall under, must fill out the basic contact information.”

Every two years, each club must go through the process of re-recognition, in which the TCU Senate reviews its membership and objectives.

“Because of these new changes more groups will be recognized, and the TCUJ will have better ability to interact with these groups and publicize them to the Tufts community,” Maciejewski said.

Many of the different clubs’ constitutions were previously not made available to the public, but with the new initiative, the Judiciary’s club records will be kept up to date on its website.

“The impetus behind all this change was poor record keeping in the past, and we are now making a big push to regain all the official records we need to compile a comprehensive list of clubs,” Comak said. “It is now one of our main goals to make all groups’ constitutions available to the public on the TCUJ website.”

“Once the list of club constitutions is compiled, it will need to be edited as some clubs have almost certainly become inactive due to circumstances such as club leaders graduating and their organizations not being carried on by younger members of the student body,” he said.

Another major change in policy affects the re-recognition process of subgroups.

All subgroups must fill out the basic contact information form to continue being a subgroup, according to Bodwin. see CLUBS, page 2

Today’s sections

The Daily takes a look at the biomedical engineering program, known for its rigorous coursework and hands-on approach.

Taipei Tokyo offers an authentic, fast-paced dining experience in the heart of Davis Square.

see FEATURES, page 2

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living

1 2 5

Comics Classifieds Sports

8 11 Back

The Tufts Daily

2

THE TUFTS DAILY Daniel J. Rathman Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Craig Frucht Ethan Sturm Managing Editors Laina Piera Executive News Editor Brionna Jimerson News Editors Elizabeth McKay Mahpari Sotoudeh Jenna Buckle Assistant News Editors Shana Friedman Nina Goldman Lizz Grainger Stephanie Haven Leah Lazer Victoria Leistman Patrick McGrath Melissa Wang Falcon Reese Amelia Quinn Victoria Rathsmill Derek Schlom Hannah Fingerhut Nadezhda Kazakova Matthew Welch Zach Drucker Adam Kulewicz Melissa MacEwen Anna Majeski Joseph Stile Kate Griffiths Alexander Hanno Chris Poldoian

Executive Features Editor Features Editors Assistant Features Editors Executive Arts Editor Arts Editors

Assistant Arts Editors

Bhushan Deshpande David Kellogg Seth Teleky Ard Ardalan Yiota Kastritis Elayne Stecker Anna Christian Devon Colmer Wes Engel Louie Zong Jonathan Green Elliot Philips Michael Restiano Carter Rogers Jyot Singh Aaron Leibowitz Matthew Berger Lauren Flament Claire Kemp Kate Klots David McIntyre Alex Prewitt Alex Baudoin Zachey Kliger Connor Rose

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors

Justin McCallum Jodi Bosin Will Butt Ashley Seenauth Scott Tingley Caroline Geiling Takuma Koide Misako Ono Oliver Porter Andrew Schneer Kyra Sturgill Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Dilys Ong

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Op-Ed Editors Cartoonists

Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

Assistant Sports Editors

Assistant Photo Editors

Staff Photographers

Ellen Kan New Media Multimedia Editor Saumya Vaishampayan New Media Blog Editor Josh Berlinger New Media Photo Editor

PRODUCTION Adam Gardner

Production Director Jen Betts Executive Layout Editor Jason Huang Layout Editors Shoshanna Kahne Sarah Kester Elliot Philips Emily Rourke Matthew Cardarelli Gabrielle Cella Assistant Layout Editors Sarah Kee Adrian Lo Danny Macdonald Nancy Pritzker Reid Spagna Sara Eisemann Executive Copy Editors Drew Lewis Ashley Cheng Copy Editors Ben Considine Patrick Donnelly Katrina Knisely Niki Krieg George Le Andrew Paseltiner Olivia DelloStritto Joshua Dower Assistant Copy Editors Nina Goldman Adrienne Lange Patrick McGrath Lauren Schonberger Gregory Witz Audrey Kuan Executive Online Editor George Brown Online Editors Andrew Braren Stephanie Haven Quan Lin Darcy Mann Justin Rheingold Ben Schwalb Webmaster Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager Daniel Kotin Technical Manager

BUSINESS Laura Moreno Executive Business Director Simmone Seymour Advertising Director Saanya Gulati Receivables Manager Rhys Evans Sales Director

P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director. A publication schedule and rate card are available upon request.

News & Features

Friday, February 17, 2012

Tufts’ elite biomedical engineering program emphasizes first-hand research

A combination of medical and engineering advancements over the past few decades has given rise to biomedical engineering, a new hybrid field of study that skates at the forefront of scientific advancement. Like many universities, Tufts has embraced this field wholeheartedly, and although its program is relatively new, the faculty, students and research have already established a name for themselves in this cutting-edge field.

Tufts’ Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department was founded in 2002 in response to the increasingly intimate relationship between engineering and the medical sciences. Chair of the BME Department David Kaplan, who provided the impetus for the establishment of a BME program at Tufts, said that he began the graduate program before opening it up to undergraduate students. Since its inception, the undergraduate program has been a resounding success and has gained prestige throughout the academic community for its close-knit, hands-on approach.

“The program attracts students who want to learn how to do research,” Kaplan said. “We bring students into our own labs, where they work side by side with graduate students and post-doctorates.”

The BME program demands six courses of research in addition to a diverse and challenging curriculum.

In addition, because there are only eight faculty members in the BME Department, a maximum of 15 freshmen are accepted to the program annually, based solely on GPA accrued in required science courses taken during their first year at Tufts.

“At many schools, the programs got overrun with students,” Kaplan said.

“The best way to avoid that was to be fair to everyone. It’s a practical limitation.”

Kaplan added that beginning next year, the program hopes to expand and accept 20 students per year.

Though Kaplan readily acknowledged the BME program’s challenges, he noted that its students are at a definite advantage once they gain an undergraduate degree.

“They have a leg up because they’re doing research projects that are already tied into the medical school,” he said.

Senior Brynne Cassidy entered the BME program with only rough postgraduation plans. Though she has no regrets about her decision to enter the program, she admits that isn’t the case for all students.

“Part of it ends up being luck that you end up liking the program,” she said. “A few students end up changing majors, but [the BME program] doesn’t close off any paths.”

Cassidy also felt that the rigorous curriculum of the BME Department was worthwhile for the research opportunities it brought to students. BME students begin laboratory research in their sophomore year, which means they are exposed to myriad different labs before they choose their senior projects. Cassidy especially appreciated the by

Melissa MacEwen

Daily Editorial Board

Clarissa Sosin for the Tufts Daily

Students agree that despite its difficulty, the BME program prepares them for diverse careers. opportunities she had to spend one-onone time with the program’s faculty.

“The faculty is really involved,” Cassidy said. “They make an effort to get to know the students well.”

Direct interaction with faculty also helps students look for internships and jobs outside of school. While the program still has a relatively small alumni network, Cassidy noted that professors are invaluable in helping students find contacts.

In terms of on-campus networking, Tufts’ chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society was recently recognized by the national organization.

Cassidy is the president of the society, and she said that it is planning a number of events for the future.

Though many students leave the BME program hoping to pursue medicine in some capacity, Cassidy is looking into a biotech or biopharmaceutical path. She noted the value of the electives she was able to take through BME, saying they will give her better odds on the job market.

Senior Erin Coonahan came to Tufts planning to study bioengineering, and she panicked when she learned as a freshman that she would have to apply for the program.

“There were 50 or 60 of us for about 15 spots,” she said. “I wish they had told us that.”

Despite the stressful start, Coonahan didn’t feel restricted by choosing her path through college so early on. Still, she noted that the BME program dominates students’ time at Tufts, regardless of their other interests.

“It’s really hard to do anything else,” she said. “You really can’t fit everything into four years. Almost everyone winds up taking summer classes.”

Coonahan added that her time spent studying abroad in Chile made fulfilling the program’s requirements considerably more difficult.

Although she doesn’t regret entering the BME program, Coonahan did say she regrets not having had the

time to take many electives.

“I didn’t get to take the [political science] or IR classes that I wish I had,” she said. “But I think I would do the program again. It gives me so many options.”

Coonahan is still deciding on what she plans to do after college, but she is not worried about being able to find a job after she graduates.

“I’m applying to some jobs in biotech around Boston and California,” she said. “Sometimes I wake up and I want to go to med school. But that’s the good thing about this program — it prepares you and qualifies you for a lot of different options.”

Michael Brown (E ’10) took a somewhat circuitous route to joining the program when he transferred to Tufts from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2007. His dual interests in biology and engineering were solidified after working in a hospital fixing medical devices and then interning at Stryker Orthopaedics, where he worked on custom surgical instruments, Brown said. Tufts’ BME program felt like a natural fit to him.

“You can’t make much of a career path with a biology or biochemistry major unless you get a master’s degree or a Ph.D.,” he said. “I didn’t see either of those in my future. That’s why I took the engineering route.”

Brown was quick to note the immense territory covered by the field of biomedical engineering. This, he argued, was a good reason to pursue a general science degree before actually working in a biomedical engineering capacity.

“Biomedical engineering can be prosthetics, which is mostly mechanical engineering. Or it can be antibodies on a silk screen,” he said.

Brown is currently finishing a fellowship with the Department of Defense, but he looks forward to continuing medical research after 2013. With his BME background, he doubts that finding a job and jumpstarting his career will be difficult.

‘Save A Child’s Heart’ fundraiser aims to raise $1500 HEART

continued from page 1

“We thought last year was positive and we could only improve on it,” Friends of Israel co-President Erica Feldman, a sophomore, said. “It was one of the best events Friends of Israel has ever put on.”

Aliza Shapiro, Friends of Israel’s cultural chair, explained that one of the keys to last year’s successful campaign was that the goals of SACH have universal appeal.

“It’s a cause that people can relate to and care about,” Shapiro, a freshman, said. “Free heart surgery is something no one can really argue against.”

Another aspect of the fundraiser’s

success last year stemmed from Tufts’ prioritization of active citizenship, according to Friends of Israel co-President Shira Shamir.

“When you explain [SACH] to the people who are passing by, they immediately come over,” Shamir, a sophomore, said. “Tufts is the perfect campus for a campaign like this because we have a large community of people who aspire to make a difference and aspire to make a contribution. That is exactly what this organization does.”

Last year, Friends of Israel raised $1,400 for SACH, and they hope to raise at least $1,500 this year, according to Feldman.

The joint efforts of the other organiza-

tions has made a big difference, she said.

“Last year it was just Friends of Israel doing this, but this year Zeta Psi and LCS are involved and have been really great to us,” Feldman said. “LCS helped us set up the raffle, they gave us a prompt to call the businesses and places that usually donate, and they helped us make the posters.”

Zeta Psi decided to become more involved with the SACH effort this year because of last year’s success, Zeta Psi Social Chair Matthew Freedman said.

“Last year, our party benefited the SACH campaign, and this year we thought we should definitely do it again but put in even more of an effort,” Freedman, a sophomore, said.

The Tufts Daily

Friday, February 17, 2012

3

News & Features

Club re-recognition process revamp helps keep records up to date CLUBS

continued from page 1

Subgroups wishing to upgrade their status to an official club can fill out the second form, Bodwin said.

“In the past, subgroups have not been subject to the re-recognition process at all, and the TCUJ is trying to change that,” Bodwin said. “They will now go through at least the basic recognition process, which every group needs to do. This just involves making sure we have all of the necessary contact information and constitutions for each subgroup in addition to our records of full-fledged clubs.”

Comak said that changes were considered because the previous process made keeping comprehensive records difficult.

“A move to new offices resulted in a loss of many of those existing records,” he said. “We as a group decided to bring about some change.”

The new process for re-registering a pre-existing club will be in effect for the next series of registrations.

“These changes will not take effect immediately, as the process of collecting a comprehensive list of all club constitutions will take some time to complete

and edit, but the necessary information will eventually be readily available,” Comak said.

Bodwin said that the Judiciary this year intends to begin advertising in the Daily and on TuftsLife to notify clubs of the process and requirements to be recognized or re-recognized as an official club on campus.

The new system’s ability to track the activity level of clubs on campus will allow the Judiciary to help active clubs on campus with the new process.

“Our first step after a club does not successfully go through the recognition process would be to speak directly to the club and work out a solution,” Bodwin said. “It would be our last resort to de-recognize a club if it is having any issues.”

Despite the unlikelihood of becoming de-recognized, active groups face serious consequences if they fail to get recognized by the Judiciary.

“If a group is not re-recognized by the TCUJ, it will lose its budget,” Maciejewski said. “Providing the necessary information should not be a problem for subgroups and clubs at Tufts. There is no foreseeable downside to the new system.”

Clarissa Sosin for the Tufts Daily

The Tufts Community Union Judiciary on Tuesday finalized details regarding a revamp to the club re-recognition process, which will take effect in the next round of registrations.

MBTA transit police attribute rise in Davis Square crime to bicycle thefts

CRIME

continued from page 1

O’Connor added that there does not appear to be any correlation between the construction at the Davis Square station and increasing crime rates, but the increase appears to have occurred due to the growing number of bicycle commuters.

“What we’ve seen throughout our system is an explosion in the number of bikes that people are taking to stations, and there’s really been

a change in mindset among the public utilizing bikes to travel to stations instead of taking cars and parking nearby or walking,” O’Connor said.

“Bikes are convenient for people, particularly the improvements that are coming with bike paths and so forth in Somerville,” he said. “We expect a continued growth in the number of people that use bikes to get to the MBTA.” Difficulties in returning lost bicycles to their owners have arisen from the lack of legiti-

mate records of bicycle owners, but MBTA transit police officers have begun an effort to change this, according to O’Connor.

“We’ve done an education piece where we’ve been handing out pamphlets to people at selected locations and trying to educate people to get the information on their bike — know the brand, know the model and know the serial number — so, should we recover it, that we can get it back to them,” he said.

Some students expressed concern over the surge in Crime at the Davis Square station.

“I’m not sure why they have so many incidents,” Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy first-year student Shashank Pasrija said. “It’s certainly something to be concerned about.”

Others said they are not worried about crime in Somerville despite the increase.

“I actually feel very safe here,” a Somerville resident who wished to remain anony-

mous told the Daily. “It has to do with common sense. I have never had any problems.”

Although O’Connor said it is still too soon to tell, he hopes the MBTA Transit Police Department’s efforts will reduce the number of crimes at the Davis Square station in 2012.

“The most important thing is that people need to use good locking devices, and, if they can use more than one on their bicycles to secure tires and secure their bikes, they should do so,” he said.

The NESCAC Tournament comes to Cousens on Saturday!

Women’s Basketball vs. Conn. College @ 2:00 pm Men’s Basketball vs. Bates @ 4:00 pm

4

The Tufts Daily

Advertisement

Friday, February 17, 2012

JUMBO WANTS YOU TO JOIN THE TUFTS DAILY! Potential writers, editors, photographers, graphic designers and technology experts welcome! Just email daily@tuftsdaily.com

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

Restaurant Review

Taipei Tokyo offers array of fresh fusion dishes

by Sonja

Kyotmaa

Contributing Writer

Having a hard time deciding which of the many Japanese restaurants in Davis Square you should visit to satisfy

Taipei Tokyo Cafe 7 Holland St. Somerville, MA 02144 617-625-6666 $8-$25 that Friday night sushi or Chinese food craving? Look no further than Taipei Tokyo Cafe, located right across the street from the T stop in the heart of Davis. Taipei Tokyo is a welcoming Asian fusion restaurant that juxtaposes fine Chinese dishes with a Japaneseinspired sushi bar to provide American diners with myriad choices.

The cafe’s prime location is one of the many factors that contribute to its lively atmosphere. It also makes the trip incredibly convenient for Tufts students and those willing to follow the Red Line. It is small and almost always crowded (especially on a Friday or Saturday night) — for good reason — but this can result in a bit of a wait

to get seated, so be sure to call ahead or set aside sufficient time. Impatient diners may find the wait irksome, but it is worthwhile once the food arrives.

After the diner is seated, the flavorful food is served fresh and fast. The waitsaff constantly speeds about, probably to avoid torturing patrons who cannot help but watch the rolls being prepared in the open kitchen.

Unfortunately, Taipei Tokyo is not an ideal location for intimate conversations, since the close proximity of the tables means that whoever is sitting next to you can’t help but overhear. On the other hand, the crowd of people adds to the energy of the atmosphere and definitely brings a lot of life to the dining experience. It is the perfect place for a night of laughter, fun and accidental eavesdropping over some delicious sushi rolls. This casual, bustling effect is also enhanced by the simple, bright decor.

The cheerful spirit is kept strong through the creative, whimsical names given to the menu items. Ranging from the “Davis Square Box” and “Sexy Girl Maki” to the “James Bond 007 Maki” and the “Batman Roll,” the menu is peppered with items that are sure to bring a smile to your face, even if the connection between moniker and menu item is not always clear. The quirkiness of the names is also reflected in the ingredients

Music Review

themselves. With unusual sushi fillings — such as pineapple, mango and cream cheese — no diner’s mouth will ever get bored.

The staples of Japanese and Chinese dining can also be found along with these eccentric options. The miso soup, a must-have in any sushi joint, was flawless. Everything was fresh and well-prepared, from the broth to the tofu squares that give the soup its familiar texture.

That being said, even the seemingly odd components of certain rolls are paired thoughtfully. This makes experimentation and a divergence from your typical roll of choice highly recommended.

Cost is obviously a major factor in dining decisions for college students.

Not to worry: practically every item on the menu is under $20, making it a rather wallet-friendly choice as far as sushi is concerned. Great Chinese lunch specials, with meals starting at $6.55, provide an even more economical dining option, though portions tend to be on the smaller side so plan to order at least two dishes.

On the bright side, these little servings will help you avoid the nearly impossible task of choosing a single thing to order.

Taipei Tokyo has very little working against it. With its incredibly handy location, cheerful vibe and seemingly endless variety of deliciously prepared food

‘Our Class’ presents moving examination of Holocaust Kate Griffiths

Daily Editorial Board

Wikimedia Commons

The album is a soundtrack to a 1902 film of the same title, which explores space travel.

Air’s latest is lacking without accompanying film Melissa MacEwen

Daily Editorial Board

In 1902, French writer and director Georges Méliès produced a 14-minute jewel of a silent film, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune,” that

Le Voyage Dans La Lune Air Virgin Records was sold in both a hand-colored and a black-and-white version.

More than 100 years later, the French duo Air crafted a soundtrack for the restored, colored film that was shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Now released as a 31-minute album, the score to “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” is technically Air’s second soundtrack.

To evaluate the soundtrack as another Air album would be doing the band a disservice. Though the duo has said in interviews

options, it is well worth a visit (or two).

As the very enthusiastic fellow sitting at the table next to me said, Taipei Tokyo is truly “foodgasmic.”

Theater Preview

by

by

Ashley Seenauth for the Tufts Daily

Cheerful atmosphere and creative dishes make Taipei Tokyo a fusion success.

that “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” is an albumturned-soundtrack project that developed holistically during their month of songwriting before the Cannes festival — Air took the soundtrack-writing assignment on extremely short notice — the musicians have also emphasized how carefully they structured each song to reflect the goings-on in the film. With music standing in for dialogue, the score necessarily mirrors the film’s plot.

Given its accordance with plot twists and scene changes, the music often changes on a dime. Dreamy musical wanderings are suddenly interrupted with trills of excitement, or a low-key song appropriately spirals into a psychedelic solo.

The score’s synchronicity with the film is truly staggering. Despite the success of the film/music pairing, once the Technicolor wilderness is removed, the music often seems one -dimensional and repetitive. “Sonic Armada,” for example, makes much better sense as the see AIR, page 6

The Tufts University Department of Drama and Dance is hosting the New England premiere of Tadeusz Slobodzianek’s “Our Class: A History in XIV Lessons,” and the director, Tufts Professor of Drama Barbara Grossman, is ready to provoke conversation.

The play’s basic plot is centered on an ensemble of 10 classmates who live in Jedwabne, Poland. The narrative follows them from when they are children in elementary school through the massacre of hundreds of Jews on July 10, 1941 and onward to the repercussions of the event as viewed through the eyes of this select group of students.

When asked why she chose this play, Professor Grossman responded, “What drew me to it was that it’s a Holocaustrelated play that deals with Polish anti-

Semitism, contested memory and legacy of trauma. I feel it asks important questions and deals with relevant ones that we still deal with today and the moral choices we may make.”

Professor Grossman teaches a course called “Imagining the Holocaust,” and a previous student recommended the play as one that Tufts should attempt to produce.

“Our Class” had its world premiere at the National Theater in London in 2009 and since then has opened in Toronto and Philadelphia, inspiring conversation wherever it has been performed.

The controversy involves the debate over who was to blame for the atrocities committed in Jedwabne. The act of violence was first attributed to the Nazis, but in 2000, a book written by Princeton historian Jan Gross alleged see CLASS, page 6

courtesy Ted Simpson

The cast of Tufts’ production of “Our Class” takes audiences back to 1940s Poland.

6

The Tufts Daily

Arts & Living

Friday, February 17, 2012

Sharply honed characters, minimal set design define ‘Our Class’ CLASS

continued from page 5

that the massacre was perpetrated by Poles who turned on their neighbors.

The cast and crew aim to hold a conversation after each performance, encouraging audience members to ask questions and discuss the subject matter of the piece. There will also be a panel discussion following the matinee performance on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. Any performance relating to the Holocaust or other violent crimes on this magnitude naturally provokes conversation, and “Our Class” is no different.

By following the tragedies that plague the characters from childhood to disillusioned adulthood, Slobodzianek creates a story that is deeply rooted in both history and fact. Professor Grossman added that the English translation by Ryan Craig omitted the subtitle of the play — translated as “A History in Fourteen Lessons” — which she found odd.

“The subtitle is significant because the playwright is using this work as a window into history, but also as a teaching tool, and the sense of history is vivid, palpable and contemporary,” she said.

“Our Class” is an extremely focused play. The characters are on stage for the entire production and the audience sees their lives unfold. Since there are so few characters and their presence is constant throughout the play, the tragedies that touch each person become all the more palpable.

“During the course of the action, a couple of them become victims, some perpetrators, a couple are rescued. It touches on a lot of the Holocaust experience,” Professor Grossman said. None of the characters escape untouched by the trauma — that is one of many reasons that makes “Our Class” a compelling, rich play.

The play was also written with no stage directions, and therefore the department created all the scenic treatment. “Our Class” clearly was meant to be a stark, basic interpretation of the

courtesy Ted Simpson

The Holocaust is viewed through the eyes of a handful of tautly written characters. events, and those involved in crafting the Tufts production of the play have attempted to stay as close as possible to the true nature of the script while also making their own inferences.

More than a year of planning has gone into creating the production, although

rehearsals only started last semester.

The sheer fact that the play is being performed so early in the spring is a testament to the tight planning and scheduling that all of the students and faculty involved have contributed.

Performances will be held in Balch

Arena Theater, from Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25 at 8 p.m., with a matinee performance on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Aidekman Box Office, which can be reached by phone at (617) 627-3493, and cost $12 ($7 for Tufts students) and $1 on Feb. 23.

International Orientation 2012 Wikimedia Commons

Air’s concert performances are far more energetic than their latest album.

Successful soundtrack fails to impress without movie visuals AIR

continued from page 5

backdrop to a psychedelic lunar kidnapping than it does on its own. It is tempting, but misguided, to compare this album with Air’s soundtrack for “The Virgin Suicides” (1999).

While “The Virgin Suicides” used a themed score that was manipulated and arranged throughout the movie, the silent film of “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” needed a more elaborate accompaniment. Rather than just accentuating a scene as with “The Virgin Suicides,” “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” portrays the film’s emotional core. The frenzied energy of “Sonic Armada” grates on the ears of the casual headphones listener, but it gracefully raises the pulses of its engrossed viewers during the movie.

That said, Air doesn’t entirely desert its listeners for the sake of cinema. “Seven Stars,” released as a single in January of this year, shows Air’s evolution from their last studio album, “Love 2” (2009). The single’s stripped down astral dreaminess is a noticeable shift from the bland peppinessof this earlier album, which will certainly bode well for fans of seminal Air tracks like “La Femme d’Argent” and “All I Need.”

Air collaborated with Victoria Legrand of Beach House for the single, which explains the track’s driving drumming.

“Parade” also fares reasonably well outside the context of the film. The song alternates between two unusually paired sections — one bubbly and victorious, the other turbulent and dark. Like many of the songs, it is somewhat formulaic, but its energy helps it stand out against the sea of minimalist piano, guitar and electronica.

“Le Voyage Dans La Lune” holds its own as a soundtrack during the film, and Air clearly appreciates the open-endedness of their assignment. Musically, though, the album frequently lacks direction and focus. The songs themselves rarely evolve, and their occasional variety only helps illustrate shifts in the plot.

Air’s artistic freedom shows, but so too does the album’s emptiness.

Only a small handful of songs remain memorable after a cursory listen, as monotonous song structures abound and vocals are absent on nearly every track.

Sadly, the album works best as background music. Whether that is Air’s intention or simply the result of a premature deadline is up for interpretation.

The I-Center is looking for undergrads who are...

Enthusiastic Outgoing & Interested in intercultural experiences!

Is this you?! YES! Then,

Apply to be a Host Advisor for IO 2012!

Host Advisors help acclimate new students to life at Tufts, Boston and the U.S. all while building leadership skills and relationships with fellow Tufts students!

Mandatory Information Sessions Starting Feb. 13 & Ending Feb. 23rd

We encourage all undergrads (US & International) to apply!

Sign up for info sessions at http://ase.tufts.edu/icenter/eventSignup.aspx

Application Deadline: Thursday, February 23, 2012 If you have additional questions, please contact the I-Center by email: internationalcenter@tufts.edu or phone: 7-3458.

JUMBO The Tufts Daily

Friday, February 17, 2012

7

ADVERTISEment

pix

TUFTSDAILY.COM click on

TUFTS DAILY

PHOTOGRAPHY

JUMBOPIX

TS DAIL F U

Y

T

YOUR CHANCE TO SUPPORT THE DAILY* BY VIEWING & PURCHASING PHOTOS FROM TUFTS EVENTS

FOLLOW US // @ JUMBOPIX

EMAIL US // JUMBOPIX@GMAIL.COM LIKE US // FACEBOOK.COM/JUMBOPIX J

X I P BO

!

UM

*

the Tufts Daily does not receive funding from Tufts University

The Tufts Daily

8

Comics

Friday, February 17, 2012

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Always loving you

Late Night at the Daily Thursday’s Solution

Sara: “Well, it’s one thing to pee in the shower...”

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Tufts Daily

Advertisement

Write to Us!

We want to hear from you! Send an Op-Ed of 800 to 1,200 words in length to oped@tuftsdaily.com and/or a Letter to the Editor at letters@tuftsdaily.com

My Op-Ed

All of my thoughts on the important issues on campus, like Dewick’s

9

The Tufts Daily

10 SCHEDULE | Feb. 17 - Feb. 21 FRI Men’s Basketball

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

continued from Back

vs. Conn.

College 2 p.m. vs. Bowdoin 7 p.m.

Ice Hockey

vs. Colby 4:15 p.m.

Men’s Swimming Women’s Swimming

NESCAC NESCAC NESCAC Championships Championships Championships at Williams at Williams at Williams

Men’s Track & Field

Div. III New Englands at Springfield

Div. III New Englands at Springfield

Women’s Track & Field

Div. III New Englands at Smith

Div. III New Englands at Smith

Men’s Squash

Nine-Man Nationals at Princeton

Nine-Man Nationals at Princeton

Women’s Squash

vs. Wellesley at Belmont Hill

Nine-Man Nationals at Princeton

Jumbos have depth advantage in first-round playoff matchup

MEN’S BASKETBALL continued from Back

Still, even if Bates does manage to limit Tufts in the paint, the Jumbos have the depth advantage over the Bobcats. If Bates decides to commit extra defenders to the big men, it could work to the Jumbos’ advantage, opening up the floor for outside scoring from sophomore forward Tom Folliard and freshman guard C.J. Moss as well as drives to the hoop from Firempong and freshman guard Ben Ferris.

Regardless of the Bobcats’ approach, the ticket to the semifinals is the Jumbos’ to lose. They have the higher seed and

the edge in almost every category, and they have already proven themselves in the head-to-head this season.

For the seniors, the game will be a culmination of their efforts not just this season but over the past four years, as they try to carry the program to its highest point since 2006.

“This is definitely a huge game for the upperclassmen,” Long said of what will likely be his home career finale.

“We’ve seen where this program has been, and we know where it’s going.

That being said, we aren’t here to be a part of the rebuilding process. We want to win now.”

Friday, February 17, 2012

Relay teams, divers must lead the way for Jumbos at NESCACS WOMEN’S SWIMMING

vs. Bates 4 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Sports

“Williams has such a strong team because they have a lot of depth,” sophomore Emma Van Lieshout said. “They have a few incredibly fast stand-out swimmers, but they also have a lot of really good swimmers who can place fourth, fifth and sixth in their events in finals this weekend, which is really essential to [scoring points].”

For the past three seasons, Amherst College has been able to lock up second place. At last year’s conference championships, the Lord Jeffs amassed just over 1,600 points, the highest second-place total in the history of the meet.

This weekend, Amherst will be without the services of three-time Swimmer of the Meet Kendra Stern. Stern has finished first in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle races in each of the last three seasons, and her absence will make defending second place a bit more difficult for the Lord Jeffs.

Upending the Ephs may be a tall order for the Jumbos — or other any team in the NESCAC — but Tufts can certainly contend for a top-three finish. The Jumbos’ main competitors for the number three spot will be Conn. College and Middlebury. Tufts competed against the Camels and Panthers in a tri-meet at the beginning of the season.

The meet, which took place at Middlebury in November, featured hotly contested races and a close result — Tufts lost to Middlebury, 152-148, but edged Conn. College, 150-147.

A lot can change over the course of a season, but if the November meet is any indication, the race for third will be a tight one. Middlebury, which was marred by a hazing incident last year, will likely be back with a vengeance.

“Our major competition will be Middlebury,” Van Lieshout said. “Their upperclassmen didn’t get a chance to compete at NESCACs last season, so they’re really fired up and ready to prove themselves. They also have a really strong group of freshmen, but so do we. They’re going to be strongest in the backstroke and breaststroke events; they have the top seed for those events going into the weekend.”

The Jumbos have several swimmers and divers in contention to place or make the final heat. In the butterfly events, sophomore Mia Greenwald is a swimmer to watch.

Greenwald has won at least one butterfly event at every meet this season, and accordingly is among the favorites in the 50-, 100and 200-yard butterfly.

Greenwald’s main competition will be senior Logan Todhunter of Williams. At NESCACs in 2011, Todhunter placed first in the 50- and 100-yard fly for the third straight year and just missed placing first in the 200yard fly. Greenwald enters the conference championships with the best 50-yard butterfly time, and she is ranked second and fifth in the 100- and 200-yard fly, respectively.

Senior Valerie Eacret is another contender in the butterfly races for the Jumbos, and, like Greenwald, she specializes in the sprints.

In the breaststroke races, the sophomore tandem of Jenny Hu and Ellen Gage are hopefuls to make the final heat. Hu is tied for the third-fastest time in the 50-yard breaststroke, making her a serious threat to challenge Middlebury’s Jamie Hillas for first place.

The Jumbos are led by a pair of freshmen, Kathryn Coniglio and Sam Sliwinski, in the backstroke races. Both had strong firstyear campaigns for coach Nancy Bigelow, though they will need to improve upon their season bests to qualify for the final heat in the 50- and 100-yard backstroke.

Junior K.J. Kroetch will join them in contention for the 50-yard backstroke.

“We’ve had so many underclassmen step up this year; it’s been a really great feeling,” senior co-captain Courtney Adams said. “It’s going to be hard to leave the team [after this season], being so invested in it, but it’s good to know that they are going to work to continue to improve and get better.”

The freestyle sprints, meanwhile, are expected to be hotly contested. Several Jumbos could make their way into the final heat, including Coniglio, Sliwinski and Adams.

In the diving portion of the meet, sophomore Sami Bloom and senior Kelly Flanagan hold the two highest scores in the conference in the one-meter dive. They have combined for several sweeps this year in the one- and three-meter dives and have the potential to place near the top in both events.

The Jumbos have received some huge individual contributions this season, but their relay teams will likely rack up the most points for them this weekend. The foursome of Adams, Coniglio, Sliwinski and senior Paulina Ziolek recorded the second-fastest 200-yard freestyle relay time in the NESCAC. Tufts also has top-four times in the 800-yard freestyle and the 200-yard medley relays.

“Our relays have been a strong point all season,” Adams said. “We should be able to score a lot of points from our relay teams alone at NESCACs.”

1137 BROADWAY, SOMERVILLE 617-776-2800 EXPIRES MARCH 13TH, 2012

The Tufts Daily

Friday, February 17, 2012 Housing

Housing

7 bedrooms- $4,900 Located on Boston Avenue. Steps to campus.

Includes 2 baths, eat-in kitchen to be renovated w/ all new appliances & cabinets. Hardwood floors throughout rest of apt. to be newly finished. Non Coin-op laundry in basement. NO FEES, $4,900. Avail 6/1/12. Call Angela @617-852-2215 or e-mail: angelam@kssrealtypartners.com

Two newly rebuilt apartments, four beautiful bedrooms each. Large kitchens with granite countertops, new stoves dishwashers, microwaves, and refrigerator. Washers, dryers, and off street parking, disposal and a large living room.

Please call George at 617-407-1114 or Danny at 781-396-0303.

11

Sports

Housing

Housing

Wanted

4 Bedroom, 2 Bath Apartment Amazing Location – 2 Blocks to Tufts, Newly Renovated, Stunningly Beautiful. Huge Sunny Rooms, New: Bathrooms, Hardwood, Designer Windows, Heating, Electric, Kitchen. Parking negotiable. Available 09/01/12. $2,500. No Fees. (781) 396-4675

Gorgeous 3 Bed Apartment. 2 Blocks to Tufts, Large Sunny Rooms, Cathedral Ceilings, Hardwood, Huge Windows, Sky Light, French Doors, Beautiful!

Parking negotiable. 09/01/12. Amazing!

No Fees. $2,000. (781) 396-4675

Housing

$$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program.

Convenient Cambridge location.

Apply online: SPERMBANK.com

3 & 4 Bedroom Apartments Both Beautiful Apartments have been completely refinished. Entire House Rebuilt. Stunning. Great Location super close to Main Campus. Parking available. $1,900

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

All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $15 per week or $4 per day with Tufts ID or $30 per week or $8 per day without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

NESCAC Roundup Each week, the staff at NESCAC Insider, the Tufts Daily’s NESCAC blog, will compile a roundup of the top news throughout Div. III’s top conference. For more up-to-the-minute analysis and comprehensive coverage of the NESCAC, visit blogs.tuftsdaily.com/nescacinsider or follow on Twitter @ NESCACInsider.

Men’s Lacrosse | Div. III preseason coaches poll released

Consecutive national championship appearances would ordinarily be grounds for a high ranking heading into the next season, but a small buzz has been created surrounding Tufts’ placement in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Div. III preseason coaches poll.

The Jumbos, who won the 2010 NCAA title before getting drubbed by Salisbury last

season, are ranked third in the poll and received one firstplace vote, stripping the No. 1 Sea Gulls of a unanimous choice for the top spot.

A discrepancy exists between the USILA poll and the LaxPower Div. III forum poll, where Tufts is ranked sixth, well behind No. 4 Amherst. The Lord Jeffs return attackman Devin Acton (39 goals, 18 assists), 2011’s NESCAC Rookie of the Year, as well as seniors Alex Fox and Evan Redwood, were both AllNESCAC second team selections. Amherst reached the NCAA quarterfinals before losing to RIT and is ranked sixth in the USILA poll, just five points behind No. 5 Cortland.

Other NESCAC teams ranked in the USILA top-20 include Middlebury (10th), Trinity (16th) and Bowdoin (18th). Wesleyan and Colby also received votes.

Men’s Basketball | NESCAC gears up for Linsanity

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more-hyped openinground NESCAC tournament basketball game between a No. 1 and a No. 8 seed than Saturday’s matchup between Amherst and Hamilton.

In its first season in the NESCAC, Hamilton officially clinched its first-ever conference tournament bid after Trinity lost to Williams on Saturday and honored their seniors by taking down Bates in front of a crowd that gathered in Margaret Bundy Scott Field House to get their own taste of Linsanity.

Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, who’s enjoyed a flurry of national attention due to his recent success, is the brother of Continentals freshman Joseph Lin. Rumors are floating that the elder Lin will be in attendance when Hamilton visits

Amherst this weekend to take on the No. 4-ranked Lord Jeffs.

The Knicks play at home against the Hornets on Friday night and host the Mavericks on Sunday, but they have Saturday off.

As far as the game goes, Amherst is riding a wave of momentum after an overtime win against Middlebury and a buzzer-beater from sophomore Aaron Toomey that caused court-storming in consecutive games at Lefrak Gym last weekend. But Hamilton has its own streak going: the Continentals were 1-5 in NESCAC play two weeks ago but have won three out of four since.

Baseball | Lord Jeffs will rule the NESCAC in 2012 New England Div. III baseball writer Tristan Hobbes released his 2012 NESCAC predictions on his blog last week and pegged Amherst as the team

to beat in the conference this season. In the West Division, the Lord Jeffs return reigning NESCAC Player of the Year Mike Samela, as well as Kevin Heller and Thomas Wheeler.

Hobbes has Trinity returning to dominance in the East Division after Tufts won consecutive conference crowns; the Bantams missed the playoffs last season but return their top five hitters and top five pitchers, led by All-New England first baseman Kevin Mortimer.

As far as underdogs go, don’t count out Tufts — which returns arguably the conference’s best one-two pitching punch in Dave Ryan and Kevin Gilchrist, as well as All-NESCAC third baseman Sam Sager — or Bowdoin, which has stalwarts Christian Martin, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and lanky flamethrower Oliver Van Zant on the mound.

—by Alex Prewitt

Camels come to Cousens as underdogs Women’s basketball

continued from Back

19 turnovers per contest.

Although the Jumbos’ lack of height was expected to be a major obstacle at the start of the season, their stifling team defense coupled with the emergence of freshman center Hayley Kanner — who leads the NESCAC with almost two blocks per game — helped them become a defensive force to be reckoned with.

Offensively, the Jumbos maintain a balanced scoring unit that features eight players who averaged six or more points per game.

On Saturday, it will be crucial for the Jumbos to bring the same energy they did in their first matchup with the Camels.

“I think we just need to come out just as intense as we did last time,” Barnosky said. “We need to continue to execute in our offensive system and attack a lot.”

Another key for the Jumbos will be their ability to contain Conn.

College’s inside-out combination of sophomore forward Tara Gabelman and senior guard Jenn Shinall. The two stars rank second and third in the NESCAC in scoring, averaging a combined 29.1 points per game.

In January, the Jumbos did a remarkable job shutting the pair down, holding the duo to 12 total points. Kornegay was phenomenal, holding Shinall to four points and three turnovers on 12.5 percent shooting.

“We were able to shut down Shinall, and [Kate Barnosky] did a great job on Gabelman,” junior co-captain guard Bre Dufault said. “We need to avoid any breakdowns and continue to play hard this game too.”

The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the semifinals against the winner of the first-round matchup between Bowdoin and Wesleyan. In the regular season, the Jumbos suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss against the Polar Bears, and Carla Berube’s squad is eager to get a second chance against Bowdoin — not to mention another crack at undefeated No. 1 Amherst, a team Tufts could meet in the finals.

For now, though, they must focus on beating the Camels.

“We need to come in and play hard,” Dufault said. “This is their first NESCAC tournament game, so they are going to come in with a lot of fire, and we need to be ready to fight right from the beginning.”

scott tingley / Tufts Daily

Senior Tiffany Kornegay will try to shut down the Camels’ Jenn Shinall tomorrow, just as she did when the Jumbos and Camels met in January.

NESCAC STANDINGS Women's Basketball

Men's Basketball

NESCAC

Amherst Middlebury Wesleyan Tufts Bates Bowdoin Williams Hamilton Trinity Colby Conn. Coll.

W 10 9 7 6 5 5 5 4 2 1 1

L 0 1 3 4 5 5 5 6 8 9 9

Ice Hockey

(19-5, 8-2 NESCAC)

(16-8, 6-4 NESCAC)

NESCAC

OVERALL

W 22 22 19 16 12 17 17 15 10 8 7

L 2 2 5 8 12 7 7 9 14 16 17

Amherst Tufts Bowdoin Colby Williams Wesleyan Conn. Coll.

Trinity Bates Hamilton Middlebury

W 10 8 7 7 6 5 5 3 3 1 0

L 0 2 3 3 4 5 5 7 7 9 10

(11-9-2, 8-7-1 NESCAC)

OVERALL

W 24 19 18 18 19 14 16 10 11 8 7

L 0 5 6 6 5 8 6 13 13 15 17

NESCAC

Amherst Bowdoin Middlebury Tufts Williams Wesleyan Trinity Conn. Coll.

Hamilton Colby

W 15 10 10 8 7 6 5 4 4 3

L 1 3 5 7 7 8 9 10 10 12

OVERALL

T 0 3 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1

W 18 13 8 11 10 11 8 6 8 6

L 3 5 8 9 7 9 11 13 11 14

T 1 3 3 2 5 2 2 3 3 1

Sports

12

INSIDE Sport 1 00 Sport 2 00 Sport 3 00

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s Basketball

Fourth-seeded Jumbos to host fifth-seeded Bobcats in first home NESCAC playoff game since 2006 by

Claire Kemp

Daily Editorial Board

The men’s basketball team will take to the court tomorrow with a clean slate. Memories of their three losses to close out the regular season — and of last year’s quarterfinal debacle — will be in the rear-view mirror, and the Jumbos will have a chance to hush those doubting their ability to make a deep postseason run.

Signs may point to the Jumbos as a team on the decline, but they have had four days of focused practice and are ready to make a statement in Cousens Gym for most likely the last time this season and to reach the NESCAC semifinals for the first time in six years.

“We’re very hungry,” said sophomore guard Kwame Firempong of the Jumbos’ desire for redemption after last winter’s 70-47 first-round defeat.

“Last year against Trinity, we didn’t start the game off with any energy and dug ourselves a big hole that we never found a way to get out of. This year, with the combination of our talent and experience, we should be able to come in on Saturday with the right mindset and do the things offensively and defensively that we know we’re capable of doing.”

Standing in fourth-seeded Tufts’ way to the second round is fifth-seeded Bates, a scrappy team with more playoff experience, but arguably less talent, than Tufts this season. In a Jan. 28 contest against the Bobcats, the Jumbos came out firing on all cylinders, with four players posting doubledigit points while Bobcats shot just over 30 percent from the field.

Since then, though, Tufts has gone 2-3 and is winless since Feb. 3, with both wins coming as a result of lastsecond heroics despite their opponents shooting over 40 percent.

Fortunately for the Jumbos, the Bobcats have had an equally disappointing late-season slide. Bates has have gone 2-4 since its last trip to Medford and has won just one NESCAC match — a 60-59 defeat over Trinity thanks to six consecutive points from senior captain John Squires. Squires, who is the Bobcats’ go-to man,with averages of 12.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, dominated the boards against the Jumbos last time with 16, overpowering senior forward Alex Orchowski on the defensive end. Squires is complemented by junior guard Mark Brust, who dropped 29 on the Jumbos last time and will need to be controlled from the outside.

“I don’t think we are going to change our plan or scheme or anything like that.

We just need to do a better job,” senior tri-captain forward James Long said. “We need to keep Squires off the offensive glass, and we definitely can’t let Brust go for 29 again … Focus this week has been getting back to basics and trying to get back to the things we do well. It’s been a good week of practice so far.”

On the offensive end, something will need to click for Tufts that hasn’t in over a week. The Jumbos’ scoring leaders, Orchowski and junior forward tricaptain Scott Anderson, have dropped out of the league’s top 10, and Orchowski posted just 11 total points in the team’s last two losses. The Jumbos will have to find a way to utilize the inside tandem of Orchowski and Anderson that carried them early in the season.

“We have to get our big guys the ball early and often,” Firempong said. “In order for us to be effective, we have to go inside. I think that approach will make the game easier and open up more opportunities for our guards to make plays.”

Will Butt / Tufts daily

see MEN’S BASKETBALL, page 10

After three consecutive losses to finish out the regular season, the Jumbos will look to redeem themselves against the Bobcats in their first home NESCAC playoff game since 2006.

Women’s Swimming & Diving

Women’s Basketball

Jumbos look to spoil Camels’ tourney debut by

Alex Baudoin

Daily Editorial Board

Scott tingley / Tufts Daily

Sophomore Jenny Hu is tied for the third-fastest 50-yard breaststroke time heading into this weekend’s NESCAC Championships, which will be hosted by 11-time champion Williams College.

Tufts shooting for top-three finish at NESCACs this weekend

The women’s swimming and diving team will be aiming to place in the top three for a second straight year among a tough field of competition at this year’s by

Zach McGowan

Daily Editorial Board

NESCAC Swimming and Diving Championships. The event will be hosted by Williams College starting today and continuing through the weekend.

Williams has won all 11 conference titles in the NESCAC championship era and seems poised for

another title. Last year marked the second straight year in which the Ephs scored over 1,900 points — a remarkable feat — and this year they return many of their talented swimmers from last season. see WOMEN’S SWIMMING, page 10

The women’s basketball team will host Conn. College tomorrow afternoon in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. The Jumbos finished the regular season with records of 19-5 overall and 8-2 in conference, earning the second seed in the tournament and the home-court advantage through at least the semifinals.

The Camels will be making their first-ever tournament appearance, and they enter the contest having lost their last two games of the regular season to drop their final record to 16-6 and 5-5 in conference.

The last time these two squads squared off on Jan. 21, the Jumbos dominated the Camels 51-21, allowing their lowest point total since 2002 in one of their finest defensive performances of the year. Tufts held Conn. College to just 12.8 percent shooting from the field and forced 24 turnovers.

“We went into the last Conn.

College game really fired up and we really wanted to focus on our defense,” said senior co-captain forward Kate

Barnosky, who led Tufts in the regular season with nine points per game. “We set the tone right from the start.”

Leading the way for the Jumbos during the regular season were their two seniors: Barnosky and guard Tiffany Kornegay. Kornegay, a favorite to win the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year award, is third in the conference in rebounds, averaging 8.5 per game. She also averages nearly eight points, three assists, and two steals per game. Barnosky has also been versatile, averaging nine points, six rebounds, and two assists during the regular season while successfully defending much taller players in the paint.

While the Jumbos have had many great individual performances throughout the season, it is their teamwork, both offensively and defensively, that has been the key to success. It begins on the defensive end, where Tufts has held opponents to 45.4 points per game — just 0.4 points off of Amherst’s conference-leading mark — while forcing teams to commit almost see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 11