TuftsDaily03-26-2012

THE TUFTS DAILY

Partly Cloudy 44/21

Harvard shuttle to continue service for the semester

by Stephanie

TUFTSDAILY.COM

Monday, march 26, 2012

VOLUME LXIII, NUMBER 36

Haven

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts weekend shuttle service to Harvard, which was announced last semester to compensate for the four-month-long halt in Red Line subway services from Alewife Station to Harvard Square, will continue through the end of the semester due to its popularity, Tufts Administrative Services announced earlier this month.

Even though weekend service on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) Red Line between Alewife Station and Harvard Square reopened on March 10, the shuttle service’s popularity this semester warranted its continuation, at least through the end of this academic year, Vice President for Operations Dick Reynolds said.

“I think we felt that the students had gotten used to it so we didn’t want to just drop it in the middle of the semester,” Reynolds said.

The shuttle runs from the Mayer Campus Center to Porter and Harvard Squares. see SHUTTLE, page 2

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Geology Department changes name to Earth and Ocean Sciences Department by

Leah Lazer

Daily Editorial Board

The Geology Department in the fall will change its name to the Earth and Ocean Sciences Department in an effort to make the focus of the department’s work clearer to the student body, reflecting a trend toward similar renaming at other institutions.

“Principally the name change from [Geology] to Earth and Ocean Sciences is being done to reflect the modernization of the science and better represent the teaching and research that we do at Tufts,” Professor of Geology Grant Garven told the Daily in an email.

“Earth and Ocean Sciences seemed like the perfect name for our department … to reflect the fact that we study things exposed on the land surface, and that may have originally formed in the ocean, as well as processes that go on in the ocean today,” Professor of Geology Jack Ridge told the Daily in an email.

Associate Professor of Geology and Chair of the Geology Department Anne Gardulski said many students may not understand the full concept of the term “geology,” so the name change may allow students a better grasp of the discipline.

MCT

Tufts’ Geology Department is changing its name to the Earth and Ocean Sciences Department to make the focus of the discipline more clear to the student body.

“Many of our courses explicitly incorporate ocean science, so it seemed appropriate to emphasize the integration, importance, and interconnectedness of the marine realm

with Earth systems,” Gardulski told the Daily in an email.

“The old Geology name may have see GEOLOGY, page 2

Visiting the Hill this Week MONDAY “The Arctic: A New Model for Global Cooperation” Details: President of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grímsson, in addition to leaders from other Arctic Council countries, will discuss ways that nations can cooperate to preserve the Arctic’s untapped mineral resources.

When and Where: 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Intercultural Center Sponsor: The Fletcher School

Emma Oppenheim for the tufts daily

The adult trauma service center at Tufts Medical Center is now a Level I trauma center, the highest level possible. To earn that designation, a hospital must treat over 1,200 trauma patients a year and conduct leading research.

Tufts Medical Center named Level I trauma center Patrick McGrath

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts Medical Center announced last month that its adult trauma service center has been designated a Level I trauma center, the highest by

level, by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

This designation is defined by a series of criteria set forth by the American College of Surgeons, which rates trauma centers based on their capabilities to treat serious-

ly injured patients on three levels, according to William Mackey, professor and surgeon-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center.

“We had our site visit

Inside this issue

see MEDICAL, page 2

“Digital Revolution: How a startup online news organization covered the 2011 revolution in Egypt” Details: Charles Sennott, a journalist, author and co-founder of the news company GlobalPost, will talk about the ways traditional journalism has evolved in recent years as well as how the digital news organization GlobalPost has reported on international affairs, especially the Egyptian revolution.

When and Where: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center Sponsor: Tufts Gordon Institute and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Department THURSDAY “Round Table: Religion and Politics in the USA” Details: Professors and lecturers from schools such as Columbia University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, New York

University and Temple University will discuss a variety of topics, including how the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities in the United States view the politics of gender, sexuality and international affairs.

When and Where: 4:00 p.m.; Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center Sponsor: Center for the Humanities at Tufts “Natural Gas: Risks and Opportunities” Details: Susan Tierney, the managing principal of the consulting firm Analysis Group, will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of natural gas, including shale gas and the use of hydraulic fracturing.

When and Where: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Cabot Intercultural Center, Room 206 Sponsor: The Center for International Environment and Resource Policy FRIDAY “Distinguished Writer’s Series: Gary Shteyngart” Details: Gary Shteyngart, the author of three novels including The New York Times bestseller Super Sad True Love Story (2010), will talk about his novels and writing process.

When and Where: 5:00 p.m.; Cabot Auditorium Sponsor: Center for the Humanities at Tufts —by Melissa Wang

Today’s sections

In its 30th year, The Primary Source remains a staple of alternative thought on the Hill.

Taco Loco offers a variety of authentic Mexican dishes rarely found in the Boston area.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Comics

1 3 5 7

Editorial | Letters Op-Ed Classifieds Sports

8 9 11 Back

The Tufts Daily

2

News

Monday, March 26, 2012

Administration to consider continuing Harvard shuttle into fall semester SHUTTLE

continued from page 1

Before Tufts administrators decide to continue the shuttle next fall, Reynolds said that Operations must make sure that students need the service and that there are enough funds in the Operations budget to sustain it.

In the final weekends of the school year, Reynolds said he will gauge student interest in continuing the service vis-avis the number of riders.

“There are only eight weekends left,” he said. “The whole thing is up in the air.”

Although only 800 riders used the bus in the first weekend since the T reopened, the two-day period occurred when students were in the midst of completing midterms and getting ready to leave campus for Spring Break, which may have skewed the regular number of riders, Support Services Manager Sheila Chisholm said.

“We have committed to continuing the shuttle through the end of the year on the weekends. We’ll just decide if it’s one or two buses depending on the ridership,” Reynolds said. “If, in fact, ridership falls off then that’ll tell us we need-

ed it when we needed it, but that it isn’t really necessary in the future.”

While service north of the MBTA Harvard Square station was closed, between 1,200 to 1,500 people used the shuttle service each weekend, with the Tufts community making 14,858 total trips either from Tufts to Harvard or Harvard to Tufts between the weekends of Nov. 5 and Feb. 18, according to Reynolds. “[The shuttle] is a convenient, cheap, fast and easy way to get off-campus and be somewhere interesting,” Jessica Serrino, a freshman and co-chair of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate Services Committee, said. “People should get to know the area in which they live, and the shuttle augments that.”

To continue the free transportation service through this semester, Reynolds said he had used funds from the Operations Division budget that wouldn’t affect the department’s other projects.

Depending on how many riders use the bus in the remainder of the school year, administrators will decide whether or not to continue the service next year, Reynolds

said, especially in light of proposed service cuts that would affect the Tufts Medford/ Somerville campus.

“The MBTA is talking about cutting bus lines and the 96 bus, so we thought we’d run it out through the end of the year, see what happens with the scheduling changes and rethink it over the summer,” Reynolds said. “No promises that it’ll be in place come the fall because everything is still running pretty well and it’s an extra expense, but it’ll give us a chance to think about it.”

The Senate Services Committee has also been active in attempting to reintroduce the Boston bus shuttle to the Medford campus.

“I think that part of what our education is, or at least should be, is exposing students to the local Cambridge/Boston area,” Serrino said. “Students really seem to be using the service, so it should be there for them.”

“I would hope that they also look into adding additional destinations as well,” she added. “Tufts students go more places than just Harvard Square and Porter, and it would be nice if they could extend outreach.”

justin mccallum for the tufts daily

The Tufts weekend shuttle service to Harvard and Porter Squares will continue through the end of the semester, with the possibility of continuing in the fall.

Earth and Ocean Sciences name better represents entirety of field GEOLOGY

continued from page 1

been harder to understand since most geology courses in high school are called Earth science courses,” Ridge added.

This name change had been discussed within the department for several years. Serious discussion began last spring, when the entire faculty agreed on the name Earth and Ocean Sciences during the department’s strategic planning meeting in May, according to Gardulski.

“The Geology faculty were all involved in the decision, which was very important,” Gardulski said. “I wanted to ensure that everyone was comfortable with the new name.”

Once a decision was made, there were a number of administrative steps required to make the change official.

“We sent a letter to [Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger-Sweeney] requesting the change, and then she sent the [request] on to the Provost’s Office with her approval and recom-

mendation,” Gardulski said. “The Provost sent a positive recommendation to the Trustees for vote at their November meeting.”

The Board of Trustees has already approved the request, but the department decided to institute the change next academic year. They hope this will help avoid confusion and allow time for administrative changes in the Bulletin, the Degree Audit Reporting System and websites that must be updated, Gardulski said.

“It seemed best to wait rather than change in the middle of the school year,” Gardulski said. “[The] registrar’s office had been extremely helpful in this process, but it takes some time and effort to locate all those places and make the changes.”

For now, the names of the two majors offered by the department, Geological Sciences and Geology, will remain the same but that may change in the future, Gardulski said, because the department will begin a search for

a new faculty member next year.

“We are delighted to be part of the Environmental Studies cluster hire initiated by Dean Berger-Sweeney, and will be searching for a professor in climate change who can provide teaching and scholarship in the science of Earth’s climate and climate history,” she said.

“The new person will bring an exciting new suite of courses and research to Tufts,” Gardulski said. “And we will have to see how his or her contributions fit in the curriculum — it is possible that we might change the names of our major programs in a few years to reflect this new dimension.”

The renaming of the Tufts Geology department reflects a nationwide trend away from the name “geology” toward a more explicit, accessible title.

“It seems there is a sense that the word geology seems narrow, or even outdated, although the word truly does encompass the whole of the Earth,” Gardulski said. “Even the scholarly

journals seem to be migrating their names to exclude the word geology … and emphasizing the word Earth in their titles.”

“Many universities have Earth Science or Earth and Planetary Science departments,” Ridge said. Some universities also call the field of study “Earth and Environmental Science,” according to Gardulski.

The faculty hopes that the name Earth and Ocean Sciences emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of their teaching and research, Ridge said.

“Earth and Ocean Sciences also includes a broader spectrum of fields and overlaps more with other disciplines than just geology, which gives the false impression that all we study is ‘rocks,’” Ridge said. “Our faculty are constantly applying other natural sciences and mathematics to the study of earth and ocean processes … [This research has] great societal impacts on how we protect natural systems and manage natural resources.”

Tufts Medical can now treat emergency patients without hospital association MEDICAL

continued from page 1

from the American College of Surgeons last year,” Mackey said. “They assessed our program — they found no deficiencies at all and granted us Level I status — and we just found out about that now a little over a month ago.”

“It’s a big step for us: It’ll mean increased volume, it’ll mean increased severity, it’s great teaching for medical students and residents,” Mackey added. “It just opens up a whole new area of interest and excitement for us. Also another benefit is that it really upgrades all of the hospital’s services.”

To become a Level I trauma center, a hospital must treat over 1,200 trauma patients per year and conduct leading research.

“We have to build infrastructure for meeting all the requirements set forth by the American College of Surgeons, which means the clinical infrastructure and the research infrastructure, and there are many components associated

with these,” Reuven Rabinovici, professor and chief of the division of trauma and acute care surgery at Tufts Medical, said.

Tufts Medical had been designated as a Level II trauma center since 2009.

Rabinovici explained that there are a number of advantages that come with upgrading the hospital and that the speed necessitated by urgent trauma care improves efficiency and punctuality in all aspects of care. In addition, this new designation will enable Tufts Medical to more comprehensively train residents, fellows and nurses and better serve the community, he said.

“Many times we know, before we were a Level I trauma center, that even if other hospitals tried to transfer patients to other Level I trauma centers, many times they were basically fully booked, had no capacity and rejected the transfers,” Rabinovici said. “So I think it adds capacity and expedites care of some of patients in the area.”

“The criteria that differen-

tiate a Level II from a Level I [trauma center] are primarily two different things: One is volume — volume of trauma patients — and the other is research activities,” Brien Barnewolt, medical director and emergency physician-inchief at Tufts Medical, said.

“So a Level II trauma center does not necessarily have to participate in research activities. We always have [participated in research] because we’re an academic medical center,” Barnewolt said.

“Patients who are injured in our immediate vicinity and who require the assets of a trauma center will no longer be driven past our medical center to some place that is actually more distant as has been in the past,” Barnewolt said.

Barnewolt explained that it was natural for the Medical Center to seek this designation as it developed and progressed as an institution.

“As the volume grows, it makes sense to obtain the highest designation that you possibly can, and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.

The original motivation to increase the Medical Center’s trauma level ranking was encouragement from former President and CEO of Tufts Medical Ellen Zane, but this initiative was continued by current President and CEO Eric Beyer, Barnewolt added.

Mackey said that this new designation — which also required confirmation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — was opposed by other institutions that were previously Level I trauma centers and were seeking to prevent a decrease in the number of trauma patients they saw.

“For us, we weren’t really thinking about what the other hospitals or the city would gain,” Mackey said. “We were thinking about making ourselves a better hospital and that clearly by going after this designation it makes us a better hospital.”

In addition, Tufts Medical is already an approved Level I pediatric trauma center and is the oldest pediatric trauma center in the country. This new designation will allow families

that are seriously injured to be treated in the same hospital, according to Mackey.

“This is a major achievement for the hospital because, to become a Level I trauma center, you need to have a Level I hospital,” Rabinovici said.

After the Commonwealth approved Tufts Medical as a Level I trauma center, Tufts Medical became part of the rotation of local Level I trauma centers that offer immediate care and transportation to seriously injured patients, according to Mackey.

The other adult Level I trauma centers in Boston are Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

“Patients who are not already associated with a hospital … who are injured on the highway or in some kind of accident are taken to the five now adult Level I trauma centers in the city on a rotation basis, and we now have access to those patients as well,” Mackey said.

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

As The Primary Source turns 30, editors take stock of its place on the Hill

by Victoria

Alyson Yee | Odd Jobs

Tangled

Rathsmill

Tufts may or may not actually have the predominantly liberal student body its stereotypes often note, but right-ofcenter views are hardly invisible on campus and have been prominent for some time — at least on paper. This year, after decades of ebbs and flows in controversy and popularity, The Primary Source, Tufts’ self-proclaimed “journal of conservative thought,” turns 30.

Sophomore Christopher Piraino, the publication’s managing editor, explained that the conservative nature of The Primary Source is a boon for students who may feel isolated among liberal peers and professors.

“The Primary Source is really just another campus publication, focusing mostly on politics and international affairs. Being ‘the journal of conservative thought,’ it does have a conservative slant to it, which I feel offers even more to Tufts students, since they are not generally exposed to that side of political thought as much,” Piraino said.

According to sophomore Austin Berg, the business manager for The Source, the journal also offers a space for opinions that often do not fit those of a typical Tufts student.

“The Source, nominally, is a ‘journal of conservative thought,’ but I think it’s opened up to serve as more of an outlet for political discourse which is outside the Tufts student body’s typical political frame, which is one I would describe as fairly narrow,” Berg said.

The editor-in-chief of The Primary Source, senior Brianna Smith, said that the publication regularly features opinion pieces, original research, humor sections and letters to the editor, as well as anonymous commentary from members of the Tufts community.

“If you have an opinion and describe yourself as somewhere right of a typical Tufts student, we will probably print your article,” Smith said.

“Most of [the articles] center around some current event topic happening around the time of publication. Usually we try for an even mix of campus, national and international news,” Piraino said.

Although The Source’s published views may veer right from those of many Tufts students, Piraino said the journal has gradually become more moderate.

“As a whole, while The Source is definitely right-leaning, we are nowhere near as conservative as it has been in the past,” he said. “I think for most of us, and at least for me, our conservative nature shows mainly in the economic realm with beliefs in the free market and smaller government.”

Smith explained that the political views of the students who are involved with The Primary Source actually vary greatly.

“I describe myself as moderate to conservative on fiscal issues, and traditionally conservative on social issues … We have at least three people writing for us who call themselves anarchists, we have libertarians and two or three involved with Tufts Republicans,” Smith said. “Some of our support staff, including the student who does the cover art, [is] liberal.”

“It took me a while to realize this, but I seriously think that The Source is the most politically diverse of any campus organization,” Berg said. “On a true spectrum of political ideology, which would be total state control on one extreme and anarchy on the other, we’ve got writers all over the map. If you’re thinking in terms of the two parties … many of the people who write and run this publication would fall under ‘Republican,’ but we really only have maybe one or two contributors that would describe themselves as ‘socially conservative.’”

If anything, Berg added, most of The Primary Source’s staffers resist typical political classifications.

“I think many of us would have trouble defining our views within a modern ‘left Daily Editorial Board

Jodi Bosin For The Tufts Daily

Now in its 30th year, The Primary Source continues to offer provocative opinions to students on the Hill. and right’ political spectrum,” he said.

Although Smith said she has received a generally positive response about The Source from students this year, she has encountered some animosity.

“I think that this year has been good for us. I have had a lot of people say to me that they are really glad that The Source is here, and they like what we are doing with it this year,” she said. “However, in years past, and even this year, I have had people be upset with me for being the editor of The Source.”

Piraino also noted the inherent difficulties in working on a conservative publication in Tufts’ political climate.

“The Source is definitely not the most well-liked publication on campus, and that does come across sometimes,” he said. “I think in general the student body is supportive of our publication, but I rarely tell people that I work for The Source because I find that it has a negative connotation from either past incidents or just general dislike that The Source does not deserve.”

Like Berg, Piraino refuses to define himself according to others’ perceptions of his political views.

“My main problem with people’s reactions is that I am automatically pigeonholed into this stereotypically Republican conservative archetype when I am anything but,” he said.

Berg also commented on peer reaction to his participation in the publication.

“I don’t really think I’m affected in any negative way because of my writing or association with The Source. If I tell other kids that I’m involved there’s an initial negative reaction, but once I have a chance to explain my views I can’t really recall a time when that negativity persisted,” he said.

“My statist or progressive friends read my stuff all the time and I feel supported by that, but I don’t think anyone’s going out of their way to pat me on the back, I guess.”

The Primary Source’s motto since its founding in 1982 is Veritas Sine Dolo, which means “truth without sorrow,” and the provocative, unapologetic stances

often taken by writers and staffers may explain in part some students’ hostility toward the journal.

Controversy has long dogged The Primary Source — and its critics. University administrators imposed sanctions on the publication during the 2006-2007 academic year for content deemed harassing and hostility-creating, a decision later cited by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education officials last year when naming Tufts among the worst offenders of student rights and free speech.

Both Piraino and Smith said a major value of The Primary Source is that it offers commentary and perspectives not normally expressed within the Tufts community.

“It is vital to have a vehicle for different opinions … I think often at Tufts it’s easy for minority opinions to get lost in the general consensus, and it’s important for them to be visible,” Smith said. “In The Source we often have discussions and debates, and it’s important to show even within one paper there can be disagreements.”

“I think The Source is important because it offers viewpoints that are not usually seen at Tufts,” Piraino said. “Beyond being a conservative publication, I think The Source’s most valuable offering is that we continuously question the actions of the administration and students instead of just going along with the tide.”

“The Source is definitely not afraid to publish differing opinions on issues as long as there is a cogent argument to be had,” he added.

For Berg, The Primary Source provides a way to escape from the stringency of mainstream American politics, he said.

“Frankly, it offers an outlet for people who are tired of the bulls--t dichotomy of American politics and refuse to be filed into one of those camps. I think that this mentality is what makes for what I would argue is the most critical, unbiased political writing at Tufts,” Berg said. “That’s why I write for it, at least. I would go crazy if I couldn’t vent my frustration through my writing for this publication.”

B

ecause they’re often targeted at children too young to appreciate art, animated movies can be undervalued. Big productions like “Avatar” (2009) get lots of coverage because of advances in computer graphics and special effects, but let’s step back from the blue alien life forms and the fantastical battle scenes for a moment. Consider what makes a cartoon seem lifelike. There are all of the details of facial expressions and synchronizing mouth movements to voice tracks.

Animators have to deal with hands, which are notoriously troublesome to render, and prevent gestures from being choppy and awkward. And then there’s hair: a universal mammalian characteristic.

As anyone with long locks can tell you, hair has a life of its own. It has a particular affinity for wind and gum. It’s weird because it’s attached to your head and it’s growing out of your body, but compared to your other extremities you have relatively little control over it. It goes through mood swings (good and bad) and gets reshaped by humidity (good and bad). How then do you capture the intricacies of hair?

With all of the work that goes into producing a movie, it’s not surprising that every detail is given careful consideration. In liveaction films, a single actor can have an entire staff of stylists devoted solely to his hairdo. It’s the same for animated characters. Welcome to the world of hair simulation specialists, a particular subset of computer animators devoted to bringing the texture, density and color of hair to life.

Simulating human hair is widely recognized as one of the most difficult types of animation, along with simulating fabric.

Indeed, the two disciplines share some of their complex computer algorithms. Both hair and fabric are solids and cannot be modeled in the same way that fluids can be, but they move in flowing patterns and have unique properties of elasticity. Computer scientists take an academic approach, presenting at conferences and in scientific journals about the equations needed to model hair motion. They’ve thought of hair strand by strand, as a classical massspring system or as chains of rigid bodies.

One group in France recently published an algorithm for different variations of hair, assuming each resembles a superhelix structure. Their work is more versatile for wavy, curly, straight and wispy hair.

Hair animators got their moment in the spotlight with Disney’s “Tangled” (2010), a retelling of Rapunzel that emphasizes the personality of her magnificent mane.

According to the animators, Rapunzel’s hair is an estimated 70 feet long and over 100,000 strands thick. It would probably weigh more than 10 pounds! (But let’s suspend our disbelief — the fact that she can keep her neck straight is perhaps the least magical trick in the movie.)

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, hair simulation supervisors earn a median wage of $70,000 annually in the motion picture and video industry. This figure depends on whether they are full-time or on contract.

Hours vary considerably, too. In terms of future job outlook, the field of animation is growing faster than most sectors in art.

Tufts students tend to have a diverse array of interests, balancing arts with sciences. Animation seems like a prime opportunity for computer geeks to show off their aesthetic sides. (Especially if they’ve always had a penchant for cosmetology.) If you find yourself in Halligan late into the evening, but you also happen to be your dorm’s resident pre-Winter Bash stylist, perhaps hair simulation is your calling. Movies like “Tangled” aren’t just for kids, just as hair animation isn’t child’s play.

Alyson Yee is a senior majoring in biology and French. She can be reached at Alyson.

Yee@tufts.edu.

4

The Tufts Daily

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Monday, March 26, 2012

Distinguished Writers Series

Zadie Smith

Tuesday, March 27 5:30 pm

Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall Q&A and Reception to follow

Co-Sponsored by the Toupin-Bolwell Fund and the Diversity Fund Zadie Smith is the author of three novels, White Teeth (2000), which won the Guardian First Book Award, the Whitbread First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Writers Prize, and the Orange Prize for

Fiction; The Autograph Man (2002); and On Beauty (2005). Her essays, collected in Changing My Mind:

Occasional Essays (2009), have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, Harpers, and The Believer.

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

Restaurant Review

Taco Loco brings Mexican cuisine to East Somerville by

JACOB passy and alex kaufman | Sassy Cinema

Alec Schilling

Daily Staff Writer

Whether it’s the scent of cannolis wafting from the North End, the boisterous pubs in Southie or the abundance

Taco Loco 44 Broadway Somerville, MA 02145 (617) 625-3830 Price Range $5-$10 of Thai and Indian restaurants dotting Back Bay, one never goes hungry in Boston. The food is diverse, plentiful and often delicious, but chow-seekers from heavily Mexican-populated states like California or Texas often find their beloved burritos lacking. Without ragging on any particular locale, let it be acknowledged that Mexican restaurants in Boston are quite often subpar. Due to Boston’s comparatively small native population, the food is often inauthentic or flavorless, and many have succumbed to despair.

Fear not, for Taco Loco will revive your spirit. Although it is almost impossible to recreate the delectable morsels found in San Diego or the Mission District of San Francisco, Taco Loco is a more than acceptable venue to tide hungry students over between trips to the West Coast.

Located on Broadway St. in East Somerville, the restaurant does not have a particularly reassuring exterior. A sign

tacolocomexican.com

The nachos at Taco Loco are great to share with friends. reading, “Yes … we are OPEN” hangs perpetually askew on the side of a plainlooking brown building. The interior is small and provides limited seating, with telenovelas playing in the background.

The menu offers a wide selection that some may find daunting, but after one visit, many students will find the large menu a reason to return again and again. Unlike many Mexican restaurants that stick to quesadillas and burritos, Taco Loco offers a more comprehensive selection of authentic dishes.

There are breakfast items for those rough weekend mornings, including omelets and variations on huevos rancheros, a few soups and salads for the

light eaters and of course, the main dishes. Burritos can be vegetarian or stuffed with chicken, carne asada (steak) or adobado (pork), all of which are tender and delicious and come chock-full of beans, rice, guacamole and cheesy goodness. The best part about the burritos: Once they’re stuffed and rolled, they toss them back on the grill so the tortilla gets just a little crispy and even more irresistible. The contrast between the crunchier outside and the meat and cheese is one of the most satisfying parts of Taco Loco’s burritos.

Tacos have essentially the same fillsee TACO, page 6

Theater Review

‘Recent Tragic Events’ gives a personal look at the aftermath of Sept. 11

by Ingrid

Hagele

Contributing Writer

Do you remember what you did on Sept. 11, 2001? Do you remember having the TV running nonstop the following days, watching the Twin Towers falling again and again while struggling to comprehend what had happened? How long does it take to resume a normal life after such a catastrophe?

Craig Wright’s tragicomedy “Recent Tragic Events” tells the story of two Americans on the day following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The play opens with Andrew (Alejandro Simoes), an airport bookstore employee in Minneapolis, knocking at Waverly’s (Aimee Rose Ranger) door. They have arranged a blind date with each other and have decided to meet despite the terrible events the day before. But how do you behave on a date after such a traumatic event?

From the moment Andrew enters the door, he is visibly nervous. He simply does not know how to handle himself. In the background of the action, a TV is constantly running countless news reports. It feels as if the falling of the Twin Towers is repeating again and again in Waverly’s living room, grabbing their attention and disrupting their thoughts. They refer to the attacks as “the thing,” and can barely speak of them. The normal conversations one expects from a first date — questions such as what books do you like or where do you work — only seem to happen in between the TV news reports.

This tragicomedy does a very good

Courtesy of Whistler in the Dark Theatre Company

Joyce Carol Oates is portrayed by a puppet, which emphasizes the absence of free will. job of taking us think back to the day after Sept. 11. The auditorium of the Factory Theater is small; it has 49 seats, which are arranged in a horseshoe around the stage. It is a cozy theater that seems familiar and reminds people of a typical living room. Before the first act starts, the house manager Jen comes to the fore and explains to the audience that a volunteer has

to flip a coin. The side on which the coin lands will determine the way the play will continue. Whenever a signal sounds, which happens pretty often during the first act, the actors improvise due to the version the coin flipping determined.

This element underlines the theme see EVENTS, page 6

T

HP vs.

HG

he Hunger Games” (2012) went down in the history books this weekend with the highest opening weekend earnings for a non-sequel film, bringing in over $155 million in ticket sales. While it ultimately did not outperform “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” (2011), comparisons are being drawn left and right between the franchises.

Since debuting, “The Hunger Games” has been hailed as a skilled and truthful re-envisioning of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel.

This week, we decided to look at what made “The Hunger Games” such a successful adaptation, particularly compared to the Harry Potter franchise, the standard to which all franchises are compared. We at Sassy Cinema aren’t trying to ruffle any feathers — we are Potterheads through and through. Generally, we feel that the team at Lionsgate knew what to improve on when making their film, largely due to the example set by the Potter series.

Among the many challenges faced by book adaptations, taking hundreds of pages and reworking it into a roughly two-hour film is paramount. Suzanne Collins’ presence as a screenwriter certainly helped make the transition a smooth one. Conversely, the HP franchise often failed to navigate the series’ complicated plot, leaving fans disappointed and newcomers confused. Perhaps with J.K. Rowling at the helm, this could have been avoided.

Additionally, “The Hunger Games” was cast flawlessly. Having demonstrated homespun strength and vitality in her Oscar-nominated performance in “Winter’s Bone” (2010), Jennifer Lawrence was the perfect choice for the fiery main character of Katniss. However, the excellent casting extended beyond the film’s leads. For instance, the casting director expertly picked Isabelle Fuhrman of “Orphan” (2009) fame to play Clove, one of the film’s most terrifying characters. It’s these little details that make this film great.

HP’s filmmakers definitely cast certain parts right — we can’t think of a better choice for Professor McGonagall than Maggie Smith. But they also faced enormous challenges that led to less-than-perfect decisions. Namely, their actors aged. Emma Watson may have been a bushy-headed, toothsome Hermione when she was cast at age 11, but she was too pretty for the role when the last movie debuted 10 years later. For “The Hunger Games,” the filmmakers were lucky to have older actors at their disposal, leaving less to chance.

Director Gary Ross took more care when selecting actors for cameo appearances.

Notably, the choice for Prim (Willow Shields), Katniss’ younger sister, was a smart one. For a newcomer, Shields packed an emotional punch and will surely do well when it comes to the final film, in which she’ll likely play a larger role given the plot of “Mockingjay” (2010).

But above all else, “The Hunger Games” worked because of pacing. The editing team of Stephen Mirrione and Juliette Welfling made the two-and-a-half hours spent in the theater feel like the blink of an eye. The combination of quick cuts and handheld filming made for a dizzying experience, but also one that reflected that gravity of the material that Collins originally produced.

The third film aside, the HP franchise took little risk when it came to elements such as cinematography and editing. While there were many moments throughout “The Hunger Games” where the action ebbed, the pacing rarely dragged. For a long film, we were still left wanting more.

All in all, “The Hunger Games” was not a perfect adaptation. To keep the movie to a PG-13 rating, director Gary Ross glossed over the book’s guts and gore. While we may have missed little moments here and there, like we did when we watched the eight HP films, we were left satisfied. And honestly, isn’t that what you want from a film adaptation?

Jacob Passy is a junior majoring in international relations. He can be reached at Jacob.Passy@tufts.edu. Alex Kaufman is a sophomore majoring in sociology. He can be reached at Alexander.Kaufman@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

6

Arts & Living

Monday, March 26, 2012

‘Tragic Events’ looks at the effects of national tragedy EVENTS

continued from page 5

of chance that runs through the work.

“That could happen tomorrow somewhere else, and the next day and the next day. I feel very unsafe,” Waverly tells Andrew. The randomness reflects the persistent helplessness and uncertainty of these days. This is the crowning achievement of Wright’s play, as it shows the audience the interaction between average people and a large historical event over which they have no control.

The play also offers a certain sense of humor and entertainment thanks to the provoking relationships that develop between the characters.

While the first act is pretty straight forward while remaining interesting to watch, the second act tries to evolve a debate about free will and fate. It captures the helplessness of the victims of these types of events.

In the play, author Joyce Carol Oates, Waverly’s great-aunt, comes to visit.

She is played by Meg Taintor, who plays Nancy while using a hand puppet to represent Oates. This demonstration begs the question of whether free will exists or if human beings are only puppets in a play which is already predetermined and written by someone else. Together with Ron (Nathaniel Gundy) and Andrew, the hand puppet encourages thoughts about freedom, predetermination and our choices in life. While Ron and Andrew are skeptical and confused by the actual events, Oates defends the idea of free will.

“Recent Tragic Events” is an interesting play that asks many large and hard-hitting questions of its audiences without giving simple answers. It is the type of theater that is likely to generate much discussion after the show is over.

tacolocomexican.com

Fresh ingredients and diverse flavors enhance the various taco and burrito offerings at Taco Loco.

Taco Loco brings needed flavor to Boston’s Mexican cuisine TACO

continued from page 5

ings as burritos but are smaller. If you’re maximizing your eating experience, this is a good way to try a few of the different fillings at once. Tacos also have a few more options, including chicharron (fried pork rinds) or tender lengua (beef tongue).

Before you get grossed out, do yourself a favor and try it. Cheesy quesadillas come in meat-filled or vegetarian versions, with crispy exteriors and melt-in-your-mouth insides. Nachos are a particularly excellent

option for friends to share, even though burritos and tacos each come with chips and salsa on the side.

The establishment also boasts some seriously delicious and creamy horchata (cinnamon rice milk) and various-flavored aguas frescas that are a must to round out the meal. For dessert, platanos fritos (fried, ripe plantains) are a sweet and gooey way to end a gorging session. You can also opt for the flan, a traditional Spanish sweet custard, or one of the untested items on the menu

like empanadas, platanos or yuca frita.

Although it is admittedly a bit of a jaunt from campus (just catch the 89 bus from Powderhouse Square), Taco Loco provides the flavorful and delicious Mexican cuisine tragically lacking in most of Boston. It is well worth a visit for the platanos fritos alone, but you will find yourself gorging on a burrito (or two) while you’re there. The authentic atmosphere and the wafting scents of marinating meat and sizzling vegetables will make you glad you came.

TUFTS SUMMER SESSION 2012 PREPARE. EXPAND. DEVELOP.

School of Arts and Sciences | School of Engineering

THREE SESSIONS: MAY 23–JUNE 29 | JULY 3–AUGUST 10 | MAY 23–AUGUST 10

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Over 250 Courses Offering Online Courses Day & Evening Classes Affordable Tuition Outstanding Tufts Faculty Convenient Subway Access

The Tufts Daily

Monday, March 26, 2012

7

Comics

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

by

Wiley

sUNday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Getting a friend to sit on a whoopee cushion

Late Night at the Daily

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Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Ethan: “It’d be hard to convince your mom you’re pregnant.”

Craig: “No, it wouldn’t.”

Daniel: “It would in Ethan’s case.”

Craig: “I could do it.”

Please recycle this Daily.

Friday’s Solution

The Tufts Daily

8

THE TUFTS DAILY

Editorial | Letters

Monday, March 26, 2012

Louie Zong

Daniel J. Rathman Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Craig Frucht Ethan Sturm Managing Editors Laina Piera Brionna Jimerson Elizabeth McKay Mahpari Sotoudeh Jenna Buckle 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 Lily Sieradzki

Executive News Editor News Editors Assistant News Editors

Executive Features Editor Features Editors Assistant Features Editors

Matthew Welch Executive Arts Editor Zach Drucker Arts Editors Adam Kulewicz Melissa MacEwen Anna Majeski Assistant Arts Editors Joseph Stile Kate Griffiths Alexander Hanno Chris Poldoian Bhushan Deshpande David Kellogg Seth Teleky Ard Ardalan Yiota Kastritis Elayne Stecker Devon Colmer Wes Engel Louie Zong Jonathan Green Elliot Philips Michael Restiano Carter Rogers Jyot Singh

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

Aaron Leibowitz Executive Sports Editor Matthew Berger Sports Editors Lauren Flament Claire Kemp Kate Klots David McIntyre Alex Prewitt Alex Baudoin Assistant Sports Editors Zachey Kliger Connor Rose Justin McCallum Jodi Bosin William Butt Ashley Seenauth Scott Tingley Caroline Geiling Takuma Koide Misako Ono Oliver Porter Andrew Schneer Kyra Sturgill Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Dilys Ong

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Staff Photographers

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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

Dear Editor, In response to the news article in the March 14 Daily regarding the forum held by the Jumbo Janitors Alliance (JJA), I feel it is important to point out what we believe are inaccuracies.

While Mr. Aramayo commented on the “anti-union rhetoric often surrounding unionizing efforts at Tufts,” the University has been working with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as the union representing the custodial workers for many years. Further, as The Daily has previously reported, Tufts insisted that any contractor responding to our request for proposal last year must respect the contract with SEIU and hire any worker at the University who reapplied and met federal documentation

requirements. Our new contractor, UGL Unicco, has met those requirements.

The comment was made that “about 60 of those workers didn’t pass the hiring process.” It is my understanding that fewer than 30 employees of the prior contractor either didn’t reapply or were unable to provide the necessary documentation despite being given 90 days to do so.

Another question was “I don’t know why the subcontractors for janitorial service are changing so often.” The prior contractor, ISS/OneSource/American Building Maintenance (ABM), had been under contract starting in 1997 until the re-bidding of the service last year.

During those 14 years, ISS split its operations with the United States business,

becoming OneSource, which was later purchased by ABM. Finally, although apparently not discussed at the forum, we are pleased that a disagreement regarding staffing shortly after the new contract was put in place has been resolved. Following discussions between SEIU and UGL the union has agreed to withdraw their grievance alleging that UGL failed to appropriately post available positions at Tufts University.

I remain, as previously discussed with the JJA, available to meet to discuss whatever issues they have in an effort to be transparent.

temporary, as it is easy for us to overturn it by talking about race. Daniel cautions us to never speak of cultural, racial or ethnic issues, lest we become racist again. This got me thinking: What other things must we ignore and sweep under the proverbial rug so as to sidestep their wrath? It’s a given that discussion will only lead to harm; the question is, to what else may we apply this principle?

I am reminded of the Great Banishing of 1902, performed by Thu’um Wonderbeard, Supreme Warlock.

Dragons once plagued our fine university; roaring and soaring through the sky, they would rain hellfire onto the helpless citizenry below. Buildings burned to the ground. Freshmen were immolated in a bizarre fire-sacrifice to appease the beasts. Hundreds more students fell under the supernaturally hot flames before Thu’um descended

from the High Place to send the dragons back to their realm.

Gentle reader, I am not familiar with the deep sorcery required to banish the dragons back to the Reach; those spell books have been lost to time. Wonderbeard was very explicit in the temporary nature of his work, however. “Do with these memories of dragons as you do with icky emotions,” he bellowed, “and never speak of them.”

The dragons can — and will — return if we think about them. It is for this reason that we must never, ever mention their scales, or their claws or their soulless eyes. Oh God. What have I done? NO!

Sincerely, Dick Reynolds Vice President of Operations

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, On Wednesday, March 13, sophomore Samuel Daniel courageously declared, “No one at this school is racist,” thereby making it so. You see, Daniel was born with a special power: Everything he writes immediately becomes true.

Though his words are thinly veiled under the guise of an “opinion piece,” we must remember that Daniel is speaking for everyone of all backgrounds at all times. His word is law.

Personally, if I had been given his gift, I would’ve aimed a bit higher: “No one on Earth has cancer,” say, or if I’m forced to limit the scope of my comments, “Everyone at Tufts will reach the goals to which he or she aspires, provided they are not racist goals, as we are notoriously racist.” I’d like to take a moment to thank Daniel for cleansing us of our plague.

Alas, Daniel’s proclamation is but

Watch the skies, Ian Donovan TCU Senator Class of 2012

Corrections P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

The photo caption accompanying the March 16 men’s swimming article “Jumbos to send six to NCAA tournament next week” incorrectly stated that the athlete pictured was sophomore Johann Schmidt. In fact, it was senior co-captain Owen Rood.

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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Monday, March 26, 2012

The Tufts Daily

9

Op-Ed

The difference between criticism and attack by

Maura Sunkel

There is an importance difference between informed, constructive criticism and insulting, inflammatory critique of personal religious beliefs. In his response to Tim Lesinski’s critique of his op-ed regarding contraception and the Catholic Church, John Lapin writes, “I want to make explicit from the start that I have no animosity for anyone who has chosen to find comfort or community in the form of religion.” Unfortunately, both his original op-ed, “Get your rosaries off our ovaries,” and his response, “Defense of the indefensible,” use provocative language to articulate what does feel like animosity to some of us who practice the religion he criticizes.

I must make clear that I agree with Lapin’s original, basic argument: Women should have access to birth control, and employers should be required to provide insurance that covers it at no cost, regardless of their religious affiliation. I, too, am shocked that access to contraception actually dominated political discourse in this country in 2012. It is not necessary to repeat the statistics regarding the number of American women, not to mention American Catholic women, who use birth control, statistics that demonstrate how non-controversial birth control truly is in this country.

As Lapin explains in his initial op-ed, a compromise was reached last month that effectively ended the contraception debate in the political sphere; religious institutions will not have to pay directly for the provision of medical services they object to on religious grounds, but insurance companies will be required to cover those costs. Because birth control is preventive health care, this measure saves money, and most everyone walked away

satisfied. Everyone, that is, except Catholic bishops — because it is their job to say that artificial birth control is wrong. How can Lapin be surprised that Catholic bishops continue to assert the position that they are required to uphold, since he himself explained this traditional belief? If you want to condemn a group of men, please choose the political leaders who used the bishops in order to legislate their own personal beliefs.

It is at this point — when political debate moved on from contraception to a new controversy — that Lapin failed to understand the difference between participating in legitimate political discourse and writing what can only be described as an insensitive, overly-inflammatory critique of an institution to which millions of Americans belong.

There is no doubt that the Church, even subtracting transgressions of centuries past, is responsible for an incalculable amount of pain and suffering. It is struggling, somewhat unsuccessfully (at least if you’ve been paying attention to my home diocese, Kansas CitySt. Joseph) to reform itself. The Church is not above the law, but its leaders may still be coming to terms with that reality.

So yes, we have problems. There is a reason that the second largest “church” in this country is composed of former Catholics. It is my personal belief that women should be allowed to be priests and that gay members of our community should be allowed to be married within the Church. Obviously, not all Catholics feel the same, but it is our right, as members of a religious community, to grapple with these issues ourselves. I don’t understand why Lapin claims that the Church is imposing its views on all women, when the compromise negotiated by the Obama administration effectively guaranteed that women will

not be denied birth control based on their employer’s religious beliefs. As it stands, only Catholic women are affected by the Church’s views on birth control, and we choose to be members of the Catholic Church. To suggest otherwise — that we are being oppressed and manipulated and simply ignoring it — is insulting our intelligence.

Lapin’s critique paints the Church with one brush, and his main point doesn’t seem to be the identification of inequality within the Church (which many before him have done in a much more articulate and much less offensive way), but to demonstrate his own moral and intellectual superiority. If I wanted to be snarky, I would note that Lapin’s choice of vocabulary merits a critique once leveled at the Church: that it used language its people couldn’t easily understand as a symbol of its own importance.

In his response to Lesinski, Lapin argues in favor of public discourse on religion, stating that we should debate religious beliefs in this country the way we debate political beliefs. I must admit complete shock. Why? What is the purpose of debating other people’s faith, their personal, private beliefs? First of all, given the context of the contraception debate, I think it’s clear that much of our political discourse is indeed already grounded in religious debate.

I realize that Lapin is arguing for a more reasoned, rational exploration of religious beliefs.

Again, I ask, “Why?” What is the value of this proposed discourse? Is it to allow Lapin equal opportunity to offend people of all religious backgrounds? If Lapin would really like the chance to learn more about the various religious beliefs Americans hold, I suggest he take a trip over to the religion department. Before he does so, however, he might want to work on using a more neutral and less incendiary tone.

I choose to practice Catholicism, despite the fact that I am not viewed as equal to the men who stand next to me at Mass by Church hierarchy. If Lapin attempted to learn about the reality of being a young, liberal, Catholic woman in 2012, I think he would find a reality very different from his black-and-white depiction. I invite him to Mass at Goddard when he returns to campus.

Ultimately, Lapin’s commentary is guilty of the same transgression of which he accuses (perhaps not incorrectly) my Church: treating me like I’m not smart enough to figure this issue out for myself. As Lapin himself has pointed out, almost 100 percent of sexually active American Catholic women have used birth control at some point in their lives. If the Church is trying to suppress that right, it’s certainly not doing a very good job. American Catholic women seem to be figuring birth control out just fine for themselves, without the help of their bishops and certainly without Lapin’s help.

If Lapin would like to discuss actual suppression of women’s rights, I suggest he start with a real issue very much in the public, political sphere: legislation that mandates medically unnecessary ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion. Here is legislation that treats women like they’re too stupid to understand what it means to be pregnant and then attempts to shame them out of getting an abortion. I hope he can discuss the real, tangible consequences of this legislation and refrain from attacking the personal beliefs of others, regardless of whether those values are based in religious teaching.

Maura Sunkel is a senior majoring in international relations.

What’s the hype about hygge? A study abroad reflection by

Amelia Wellers

In a spontaneous moment of homesickness for the fast-paced, corporate-focused, blizzard-friendly, J.P. licking world of Boston, I take a moment or two to reflect on the act of “studying abroad.” No doubt that for the Americans who have never left the country, the idea of uprooting your studies is a fantasy opportunity, or perhaps just a frightening one, or simply requires too much effort. Of the study abroad alumni, many will come back toting Italian leather shoes and a closet of black clothes, or perhaps every coconut you could find on that southern-hemisphere beach where, honestly, you spent most of your time. For the international students, what’s the big deal?

Been there and totally done that.

I want to dispel a myth about studying abroad. The country in which you study will not be responsible for changing your world.

You will not have the best time of your life simply because you are in an exotic place.

You are still you, and your surroundings are a reflection of how you want to act upon and perceive your world. It’s not about where you study, but how you study ... and I’m not talking about reading textbooks.

It’s not that studying abroad is a bad thing.

I’m all for it — I’m actually writing this at my host family’s breakfast table in Copenhagen, Denmark. Being in this new environment is stimulating and exciting. You probably won’t know anyone as well as you do your friends at home. This forces you to get out and meet people, do things, see sights or just explore on your own. But doesn’t that seem a lot like your freshman year of high school? It is almost exactly the same thing.

And surely the place where you chose to live reflects your efforts to branch out in different ways. For example, I’m taking a Danish language class that is completely useless in Denmark. It has sadly come to the point where I don’t feel awkward or even foreign when I respond in English to a Danish question. In France, however, this lack of effort to learn the native language would come off as downright rude.

A heightened awareness being an outsider keeps you on your toes, and depending on the culture in which you have immersed yourself, shapes how you perceive yourself

Jodi Bosin for the Tufts Daily

and your surroundings.

The simple act of uprooting does not begin a domino effect of fun and games and life-changing experiences. I have too often heard my American classmates lamenting over the lack of Hulu, Netflix, and peanut butter, and very few Americans here have tried Danish licorice or liverpostej more than once. Others have become nocturnal, frequenting the clubs and raves until the sun rises and sleeping through morning classes. Others can’t escape their own obsessive work ethic. Some even play cards in their dorm rooms until midnight. Not that much has really changed.

At my first lecture about living with a host

family in Copenhagen, they told us to make sure to not seclude ourselves in our rooms for more than a few hours at a time. Danes perceive that as antisocial and anti-hygge (look it up!), and some have questioned whether their American students were suicidal. We were asked to actively step outside of the comfort zone and change our American habits- or at least to try. Many of these changes are subconscious, but others are just plain difficult. I often wonder if stepping outside of my comfort zone makes me more flexible or just further cements me in my own comfortable ways.

I have found that studying abroad serves as a vehicle to change one’s own habits,

or just squeegee the unique gems within each person that had been hidden beneath dust from the Tisch Library. As the study abroad student becomes increasingly comfortable with his or her own identity in an incongruent world (to further the metaphor, “learns to squeegee their own gem”) life goals become clearer, bucket lists shorter or longer, and stronger friendships forged.

In order to experience something lifechanging, we need to actively change the way we live, not just where we live.

Amelia Wellers is a junior majoring in music.

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

10

Sports

Monday, March 26, 2012

SPRING BREAK RESULTS | March 16 - March 26 FRI

Softball

Baseball

W, 9-4 vs.

Lynchburg

Women’s Lacrosse

W, 18-6 at Babson

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

W, 2-1 vs. St. Thomas W, 6-2 vs. Hope

L, 9-3 vs. Kean W, 1-0 vs.

Wis.-Eau Claire

W, 7-2 vs.

St. Catherine W, 4-2 vs.

Eastern Conn. St.

W, 7-5 vs. Frostburg St. W, 4-1 vs. Elmhurst

W, 18-4 at Wash. & Lee

W, 24-6 at Guilford

L, 10-9 at Averett

Men’s Lacrosse

L, 9-0 at Middlebury

continued from page 12

The weekend’s events were Rood’s last as a collegiate swimmer, and he wanted to make sure he soaked in the experience.

During training for Nationals with head coach Adam Hoyt, Rood found a balance between hard work and fun.

“Coach has worked with me very closely over the past two weeks, and it has been a really great way to end my career,” Rood said. “We have had a lot of time to focus on details and mess around with some fun training. We’ve swum short and

W, 14-1 at Methodist

L, 1-0 at N.C. Wesleyan

L, 5-4 vs. Carleton W, 9-0 vs.

Frostburg St.

SAT

L, 3-1 vs. Ramapo

W, 8-3 vs. Williams

W, 12-4 vs.

Oneonta St.

L, 4-1 vs. Chicago

SUN

W, 8-5 at Apprentice School L, 9-4 at Christopher W, 8-2 at Apprentice Newport School

L, 11-10 vs. Colby

MON

W, 18-3 at Va. Wesleyan

L, 16-5 vs.

Middlebury

W, 13-9 at Western New England

L, 6-3 at Wash & Lee

L, 8-1 vs. Chicago L, 5-4 vs. College of Coastal Georgia

fast; it’s been great.”

As the only two representatives of the Tufts men’s team, Rood and Schmidt mostly concentrated on their individual performances. Still, they combined for 35 points and placed 23rd overall as a team. In the previous two years, the Jumbos finished in the top 20 at nationals, but with only two competitors this year, that streak was bound to come to an end.

Meanwhile, Denison University edged out conference rival Kenyon College to win its second consecutive national team title.

FRI

W, 9-4 vs. Colby

L, 8-1 at Johns Hopkins

Sophomore is program’s first national champion in 30 years MEN’S SWIMMING

W, 12-4 vs.

Concordia (Wis.) W, 11-8 vs.

Buffalo St.

L, 9-5 at Stevenson

W, 9-0 at Washington College

Men’s Tennis

THU

W, 17-3 vs.

Western Conn. St.

W, 14-12 at Stevens

Women’s Tennis

WED

W, 8-1 vs.

Graceland

After strong start, Jumbos fall to pair of top-10 teams on spring trip WOMEN’S TENNIS

continued from page 12

matches and got the rest of the team fired up,” Gann said. “After their wins, three of the remaining four singles matches were in a third set, but unfortunately we didn’t come away with the two wins needed to take the match.”

Although the team returned sophomore Shelci Bowman to the No. 2 singles position, the rest of the Tufts players were unable to take advantage of playing a spot lower than they had in the previous two matches, while Bowman dropped a

close contest, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Despite the Jumbos’ pair of losses over break, the trip provided them with a chance to not only test their toughness against some stiff competition, but also to come together as a team — the squad stayed at two of the players’ houses last week.

“Our closeness off the court will only help us progress through the spring schedule,” Gann said.

In addition, Katz believes the team’s 1-2 record does not indicate how well they played.

“Going into break, we were

just excited to start matches and get back to work,” Katz said in an email. “At the end of the week, I think the final results didn’t reflect how we did. We played a lot of teams whose seasons are winding down, while ours is just getting started. We played a lot of close matches that we think could have gone our way if we just had a little more experience. Overall, we are really optimistic about how the season is going to go.”

Tufts will begin conference play this upcoming Saturday when the team hosts Colby at 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 19, 2012 5:30-7:30pm, Alumnae Lounge Detailed Information about the awards available at: OCL.Tufts.Edu To nominate an organization, e-mail OCL@Tufts.edu with Your Name, Class Year, E-Mail address Organization Name or Person the You are Nominating Award for Which You are Nominating Written Nomination (250 Words or Less) Nomination Deadline: Monday, March 26, 2012

Awards Include: Mount Olympus Award (Greek Chapter of the Year), Herald Award (Publicity of the Year), Jumbo Award (Campus Community Award), New Organization of the Year, Standing Room Only Award (Program of the Year), Imagination Award (Innovation and Creativity Award), Synergy Award (Co-Sponsored Program of the Year), Student Organization of the Year Award, The Dorothy McAveeney Legacy Award.

The Tufts Daily

Monday, March 26, 2012 Wanted

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Sports -

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Women’s Swimming and Diving

Women’s swimming sends four first-timers to Indianapolis for nationals by

Andy Wong

Daily Staff Writer

This past week, four qualifying members of the women’s swimming and diving team represented Tufts in the NCAA Div. III Championships hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). In a meet that spanned four days, from March 21-24, the Jumbos ultimately placed 28th as a team and earned several All-American honorable mentions despite a lack of national tournament experience.

“Overall, it was a great experience for us. It was really nice to see our threeand-a-half weeks of extra work pay off,” senior co-captain Courtney Adams said.

“It was really fun, and ultimately we swam really well.”

“It was really humbling to be competing at such a fast meet with such talented swimmers,” sophomore Jenny Hu added.

On day one of the meet, Adams, Hu, freshman Samantha Sliwinski and sophomore Mia Greenwald finished 14th in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:47.04 after placing 11th in the preliminary round. Each member of the foursome earned honorable mention All-American honors, and after the first day Jumbos were tied for 19th place with six points.

Day two was highlighted by another round of All-American honorable mentions as well as Greenwald’s individual perfor-

mance. Entering the morning preliminary round of the 100-yard butterfly as the 26th seed, Greenwald finished 16th in 56.47 seconds, good for a spot in the consolation finals and a personal best, surpassing her previous mark of 57.44 seconds and her school record of 56.95 seconds from last season. In the consolation finals, Greenwald bested herself again with a time of 55.33 seconds, earning ninth place overall, the victory in the consolation round and her second All-American honorable mention.

The foursome of Sliwinski, Hu, Greenwald and Adams then teamed up in the 400-yard medley relay. Despite entering as the 23rd seed, the Jumbos broke the previous school record of 3:55.22 by tying for 13th in the preliminary round with a time of 3:55.06, good for a spot in the consolation finals. In the next round, they set a school record again by placing 14th with a time of 3:54.60, marking the second All-American honorable mention for the team and the third for Greenwald.

In addition, the foursome participated in the 200-yard freestyle relay preliminaries earlier in the day, finishing 24th with a time of 1:38.68. Through day two, the Jumbos held onto 17th place as a team with 21 points.

The action slowed down for the Jumbos during the latter half of the meet. On Friday, Hu entered the 100-yard breaststroke, placing 27th in the preliminary round with a

time of 1:07.20. Through the third day of competition, the Jumbos were tied for 21st.

The women completed their NCAA experience on Saturday, participating as a group in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The foursome finished with a time of 3:36.99, good for 25th place.

With 21 total points, the Jumbos finished the championship tournament with a final team ranking of 28th, tied with Clark University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. They earned an impressive total of nine All-American honorable mentions — three for Greenwald and two each for Sliwinski, Hu and Adams — despite all four members competing at NCAAs for the first time.

“This was the best season that I’ve been a part of in my four years, and I think [our performance] carries over to our whole team,” Adams said.

While the Tufts men’s squad has had participants at nationals for several consecutive years, this was the first time in recent seasons that the women’s squad sent swimmers thanks to a successful showing at this year’s NESCAC meet, which included honors for seven swimmers and a Coach of the Year Award for head coach Nancy Bigelow.

“I have so much confidence in our team and I know that we are only getting stronger,” Hu said. “Hopefully, next year, we’ll send even more girls.”

Tufts finishes spring break strong with win over Graceland MEN’S TENNIS

continued from page 12

matches — they lost two in three sets — and were unable to secure the win.

Blau and Laber won in the No. 2 and No. 4 spots, respectively, the latter earning the victory when his opponent was forced to retire. But the Jumbos wavered after that, dropping the other four matches and losing once again in come-from-behind fashion.

“We had many opportunities to win that match,” Blau said.

Tufts dropped a third straight match two days later, which perhaps was to be expected against 27th-ranked University of Chicago.

Barad was the lone bright spot that day, taking his match at first singles, 6-2, 2-6, 10-6, after the Maroons had already clinched the victory.

The Jumbos bounced back in their final match of spring break on Friday, thumping Graceland University by a score of 8-1 while surpassing the .500 mark to move to 5-4 overall between the fall and spring seasons.

Aside from losing the No. 1 doubles matchup, the Jumbos were in complete control. Freshman Brian Tan lost just one game in his match in the No. 4 singles spot, as did No. 3 Pataro. The doubles team of Bossen and junior Mark Westerfield blanked their opponent, while Tan played third doubles with Blau and dominated, 8-1.

For all the ups and downs they experienced over break, the Jumbos took a great deal away from the experience and know what they need to do to prepare for a couple of crucial NESCAC battles.

“Maintaining the high level of energy over break and fine tuning small things in practice [will be important],” Bossen said. “We are all looking forward to our home matches against Conn. College on Thursday and against Wesleyan on Sunday.”

Zach Drucker | The Loser

Broadway Tim?

J

ust as the Mayans predicted, the 2012 apocalypse is finally upon us: The New York Jets have signed Tim Tebow. Upon snagging Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos began furiously shopping Tebow to potential suitors, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and the Jets.

Eventually, the Jets won the Tebow sweepstakes, a meager consolation prize that followed Manning’s rebuffing of their advances.

So the football ignorant can understand this — though I cannot picture many NFL neophytes reading this erratic dribble — imagine vying for the adorable, giant, stuffed monkey at the carnival, only to lose and receive the tiny, one-eyed Scooby Doo with the ripped seams. Not nearly as satisfying, nor cuddly.

Obviously, the addition of Tebow to Gang Green has provoked outrage among the Jets faithful, who see the move as a sales ploy.

Owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum are notorious for signing larger-than-life players to larger-than-theGDP-of-a-small-country contracts, even when they do not really suit the franchise’s scheme.

I’m looking at you, Plaxico Burress.

Let me admit, I don’t like Tim Tebow.

Religious proselytizing should never enter the world of sports, and his anti-abortion Super Bowl ad in 2010 for Focus on the Family rubbed me the wrong way. But this time, I think Woody and Mike may have done their homework.

First of all, Tebow wanted New York over Jacksonville. The Jets sacrificed a fourth-round pick and $2.53 million for Tebow. The Jaguars offered the Broncos more money and a fourthround pick with better value. Yet, the Broncos, who graciously allowed Tebow’s input in the trading process, sent “Broadway Tim” to the Big Apple, thereby uniting the real Tebow with the “Asian Tebow,” Jeremy Lin. Jets fans must respect Tebow’s resolve in opting for New York, especially considering that Jacksonville promised a solid chance at a starting job — Blaine Gabbert looked lost as a rookie last season — and a captive, adoring audience — Tebow’s alma mater, the University of Florida, is a 90-minute drive from Jacksonville.

Plus, Tebow expands Gang Green’s offense in a way few players can. For years, weathered fans have groaned about the conservative, predictable offense the Jets run game after game. Tebow endows a yawn-inducing playbook with flair. He can orchestrate the wildcat with running backs Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight, run the option, be a special teams whiz and perhaps even learn to line up in the slot. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano will have a field day coming up with new ways to feature him.

Tebow’s skills will make him a particularly valuable threat on the third-and-short situations where the Jets seek vast improvement — they converted under 35 percent of their third downs last season, 22nd in the league.

The Jets have not seen a talent like Tebow since Brad Smith, the wily wide receiver/ quarterback who is now mournfully underutilized in Buffalo. As Jets fans have seen with Smith, a veritable playmaker can spring a touchdown from anywhere on the field.

Last season, the Jets averaged 23.6 points per game, while forfeiting 22.7 points, making their margin of victory less than one point.

I’m no mathematician, but those statistics suggest that a single, momentous play could spell the difference between a win and a loss.

Tebow can execute that one special play whenever he touches the football. After all, he led an injury-ridden, middling Broncos team to a division title and a first-round victory over a potential Super Bowl contender in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While most liberal New York fans are chagrined by the thought of Tebow sporting green and white, Broadway Tim may have a future complementing Mark Sanchez.

Zach Drucker is a senior majoring in international relations and Spanish. He can be reached at Zachary.Drucker@tufts.edu.

Sports

12

INSIDE Women’s Swimming 11

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s Swimming and Diving

Schmidt wins Div. III title in one-meter dive by

G.J. Vitale

Daily Staff Writer

Coming into this past weekend’s NCAA Div. III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Johann Schmidt had already proven his talent to the diving world. He had won four NESCAC titles in four tries, and as a freshman he placed sixth and 12th in his two events at Nationals. Now, though, the sophomore is more than just king of his conference, and more than just an All-American.

Johann Schmidt is a national champion.

No member of the Tufts men’s swimming and diving program has been able to say that since 1982, when Keith Miller (LA ’82) won the three-meter dive and Jim Lilley (LA ’82) took home the Div. III title in the 100-meter butterfly.

Schmidt’s teammates knew he was capable of making history.

“He definitely has the potential to win,” said senior co-captain Owen Rood, the lone member of the men’s team to join Schmidt at Nationals, before the meet last week.

Sure enough, Rood’s premonition was legitimate, as Schmidt posted the highest preliminary score in the one-meter on Friday morning before recording the first-place total of 527.35 points later that evening.

In his other event, the three-meter dive, Schmidt placed fifth to earn the third All-American honor of his young

career. He had his best showing last year in the three-meter, and he made an incredible improvement from his 2011 effort in the one-meter event. Schmidt’s past experience on the national stage proved invaluable.

“Last year, I placed sixth on threemeter and 12th on one-meter,” Schmidt said. “Having last year’s experience is extremely beneficial in terms of confidence, expectations of the competition, and how to stay healthy and energized throughout the week.”

Schmidt’s mindset may have been as crucial to his victory as his physical improvement.

“The key to my success was having fun and diving with passion,” he said.

“When I put too much pressure on myself I do not do well. I have learned a lot about confidence and motivation this season, and I want to thank my coaches for pushing me past my limits and fulfilling my potential. Also, I want to thank my teammates who are always there for me and help every day during practices and meets.”

While Schmidt stole the show, Rood finished his outstanding collegiate career by competing in three events. His most notable performance came on Saturday, when he earned his 10th honorable mention All-American award as a collegiate athlete for his 16th-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle.

On Wednesday, Rood was snuffed from the 50-yard freestyle finals by just 0.01 seconds, finishing in 17th place with a

scott tingley / the Tufts Daily

Sophomore Johann Schmidt won the one-meter diving competition at Div. III Nationals this past weekend to become Tufts men’s swimming and diving’s first national champion since 1982. time of 20.67. But Rood was quick to turn the page, and Friday marked a new milestone in his illustrious career: He swam in a non-freestyle event at the NCAA tournament for the first time. Rood competed in

Women’s Tennis

Women’s tennis takes one of three down south

the 100-yard breaststroke, placing 22nd with a time of 57.57 seconds, a 1.25 second improvement on his qualifying time. see MEN’S SWIMMING, page 10

Men’s Tennis

by Jake Indursky

Daily Staff Writer

The women’s tennis team began its spring season in Maryland last week, taking on Washington College on Monday and Johns Hopkins Tuesday before heading to Virginia to compete against Washington and Lee in the annual Fab Five Tournament on Thursday.

The Jumbos, who were ranked seventh in the ITA Div. III national rankings before the trip began, got off to a great start, running away with a 9-0 victory at Washington College. But they struggled against two top-10 opponents in No. 10 Johns Hopkins and No. 3 Washington and Lee, losing 8-1 and 6-3, respectively.

In the opening contest against Washington College last Monday, junior Lindsay Katz had her work cut out for her in the No. 1 spots in both singles and doubles. But the captain held her own, winning her singles match 6-2, 4-6, 10-7, and taking her doubles match, 9-7, along with partner sophomore Eliza Flynn.

Outside of Katz’s two tight wins, the Jumbos cruised to the rest of their victories.

Junior Janice Lam and senior Nat Schils didn’t lose a game at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, while sophomore Samantha Gann won her No. 3 singles match, 6-3, 6-1, and combined with Lam to not lose a game in No. 2 doubles.

The latter part of the trip did not go as well for the Jumbos, who won only one match against Johns Hopkins on Tuesday. The lone victory for Tufts was recorded by Gann,

Lane florsheim / the Tufts Daily archives

Junior Mark Westerfield played No. 2 doubles with senior co-captain Morrie Bossen on the Jumbos’ spring break trip to Hilton Head, S.C., where Tufts went 2-3 in five matches.

Tufts endures streaky spring break trip

by Sam

Gold

Daily Staff Writer

joshua berlinger / The tufts Daily

Senior Nat Schils didn’t drop a game in her No. 6 singles match against Washington and Lee last Tuesday, as the Jumbos cruised to a 9-0 victory. who won a marathon battle in the No. 3 singles spot that was decided by a tiebreaker that Gann took, 15-13.

“I was nervous to play the No. 3 singles position against Hopkins — one that I am unaccustomed to — and was personally satisfied to come away with a win against an excellent opponent,” Gann told the Daily in an email. “Having said that, I feel I am very focused on improving with each match that we play, and will continue to concentrate on stepping in to take the ball earlier and on my net game.”

The rest of the team faltered against a Hopkins squad that appeared to be in top form.

Tufts’ No. 3 doubles team, made up of freshman Sophie Schonfield and sophomore

Rebecca Kimmel, put up the toughest fight for the Jumbos before falling, 9-7.

Tufts finished up its spring break against third-ranked Washington and Lee on Thursday. The match was hard-fought from the start, but Washington and Lee ultimately pulled out the victory, 6-3.

Katz and sophomore Eliza Flynn both had big wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 singles spots, respectively. Katz won 6-3, 6-4, while Flynn took her match 6-3, 5-7, 6-0. Katz and Flynn led the way in doubles as well, securing the only doubles win for the team in the No. 2 spot, 8-6.

“Lindsay and Eliza played amazing singles and doubles see WOMEN’S TENNIS, page 10

After suffering a 9-0 defeat at the hands of No. 7 Middlebury in their spring season opener on March 16, the Jumbos wiped the slate clean and headed down to Hilton Head, S.C., where they went 2-3 in five matches.

The Jumbos began the trip on March 19 with a blowout victory of their own, defeating Frostburg State 9-0 without dropping a single set.

They set the tone right away, sweeping the six singles and three doubles matches with ease and conceding just 17 games over the course of the contest — an average of less than two games per match.

Among the day’s many highlights were the performances of sophomore Jake Lazarus, who surrendered only two games in his match, and classmate Matt Pataro, who lost a combined three games in his singles and doubles matches.

Not to be outdone, sophomore Austin Blau and the doubles pair of juniors Jeff Taylor

and Andrew McHugh each shut out their opponents.

In their second contest of the day, the Jumbos lost a close one to Carleton College, 5-4. They grabbed the lead initially, taking two of three doubles matches, but the Knights won the second through fifth singles matches for a come-from-behind victory.

While the loss was a tough one to swallow for the Jumbos, who believed the win was well within their reach, the individual tenacity displayed in defeat did not go unnoticed.

“Watching Matt Pataro against Carleton … fight through cramps showed how tough [he is],” senior co-captain Morrie Bossen said.

The Jumbos’ contest the following day would prove no kinder, as the College of Coastal Georgia handed them their second consecutive 5-4 defeat. Tufts nearly swept the doubles portion, but Pataro and senior co-captain Sam Laber lost a heartbreaker, 9-8. The Jumbos couldn’t get a firm enough grasp on the singles see MEN’S TENNIS, page 11