TuftsDaily09.16.13

THE TUFTS DAILY

Showers 64/48

TUFTSDAILY.COM

monday, September 16, 2013

VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 7

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Pinkberry opens Davis Square location by

Daniel Bottino

Daily Editorial Board

After multiple failed attempts to secure a permit for the location, frozen yogurt franchise Pinkberry on Sept. 6 opened a new branch in Davis Square, joining two other frozen yogurt restaurants in the vicinity.

The dessert chain marked its grand opening by passing out seven hundred free frozen yogurts to customers on its first day of business, according to CEO of the New England Pinkberry franchise Ted Davis.

Davis said the company is extremely happy to have moved into the Davis Square area.

“We love to be affiliated with a university environment,” he said. “Tufts is close, and we felt it was a natural fit.”

A national chain founded in 2005, Pinkberry has expanded into New England from its original California home. Fourteen locations fall under Davis’ jurisdiction, and 20 locations exist in the region, Davis said. Davis credits Pinkberry’s popularity and success to the quality of its products and attention to cleanliness.

“Pinkberry is an upscale yogurt bar ... well known for its frozen yogurt flavors,” Davis said, adding that the

restaurant also offers Greek yogurt, smoothies and shakes. “The product that you receive is always healthy, fresh and delicious.”

The news of Pinkberry’s move into Davis Square provoked mild controversy during the winter of 2013, as the area is already home to two other frozen yogurt establishments. Twice before, the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals denied the frozen yogurt chain a permit due to the concern that large chains would take over Davis Square.

Frozen yogurt shops iYO and Orange Leaf are situated within 320 feet of Pinkberry’s address at 263 Elm Street.

Several online petitions circulated earlier this year, framing the debate around the issue. A Change.org petition that gained almost 40 signatures aimed to deny Pinkberry a reapplication permit, citing the already limited parking in the area. Another petition from iPetitions.com garnered 184 signatures in support of the new Pinkberry location. The company itself collected 200 signatures from passersby in the square.

Davis dismissed complaints that Pinkberry’s addition to the Davis Square frozen yogurt scene is supersee PINKBERRY, page 2

Meredith Klein / Tufts Daily Archives

Bruce Reitman took the position of Dean of Campus Life and Student Leadership on July 1.

Reitman assumes new dean position

Bruce Reitman (A ’72, AG ’83), who has been in the Tufts community for 30 years, began the transition into a new position as the first dean of campus life and student leadership on July 1, after serving as the dean of student affairs since 2001.

In this new senior level administrative position, Reitman will continue his work with professional staff to resolve emerging judicial affairs, health emergencies, interventions and other matters related to campus climate, according to Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students John Barker. As dean of campus life and student leadership, though, Reitman will focus particularly on improving communication among students, faculty and staff.

“We hope to proactively foster communication among campus constituencies ... particularly around the sometimes difficult

by Sarah

Zheng

Daily Editorial Board

TCU Senate update

Senate appoints trustee representatives at first meeting The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate last night assembled for the first time of the academic year.

TCU President Joe Thibodeau, a senior, began by announcing a series of policies that had been instituted since the last assembly, including the suspension of a poster delivery system with Gnomon Copy and the denial of summertime funding for on-campus organizations. Several senators were nominated for the role of historian, with junior Bradley Friedman accepting the position.

Friedman also unveiled the new TCU website, which he said features “a simpler, more user-friendly layout” when compared to previous versions.

The Senate then heard from six students running for three open positions as senate trustee representatives to the board. Freshman Justine Epiney, sophomore Christopher Gambro, junior Enxhi Popa and seniors Rose Mendelsohn, Fiona Weeks and Lia Weintraub listed their qualifications for this non-voting TCU senate position and fielded questions from current senators.

Each of the candidates promoted an individual characteristic or project that they would pursue as a trustee representative.

Epiney spoke of her leadership experience in high school and her eagerness to commit to the positon.

Popa intends to help students with their personal financial management skills, which she said could be achieved by hiring financial advisors to teach students about financial loans.

In his speech, Gambro focussed on the necessity of improving facilities and campus security, such as installing a functioning streetlights on Boston Avenue.

Mendelsohn highlighted her leadership roles on campus, such as her position as a Tufts Wilderness Orientation leader.

Next, Weintraub emphasized the importance of improving access to internships, given that 85 percent of students partake in an internship during their undergraduate careers. She expressed the importance of an alumni network to help students find positions and suggested ways to expand on the current listing of internships through the Tufts Career Services page.

Weeks outlined her goals for making advisors available to students conducting academic research projects, citing the benefits of enhanced student-faculty interaction.

Thibodeau expressed optimism for the year ahead.

“I think we have a really great, energetic group of people who are ready to tackle a lot of important issues on campus,” he said. “It’s a very positive thing for Tufts, and I hope the energy and momentum carries out throughout the year.”

— by Josh Weiner

Inside this issue

ethical dilemmas that are naturally a part of the campus dialogue,” Barker told the Daily in an email. “In our discussions, we determined that the best way to achieve this was to dedicate an experienced dean to focus on and lead that effort.”

Barker said that a national search for the next dean of student affairs will begin soon and that Reitman will continue to serve as an acting dean until a successor is chosen. Areas that the new dean of student affairs will focus on include campus climate and inclusion, the student judicial process and programs on ongoing issues like alcohol abuse and sexual assault, according to an email Barker sent to the Tufts community on June 14.

As dean of student affairs, Reitman led communicative relations among the Office of Campus Life, Office of Residential Life and Learning, fraternity and sorority affairs, the Group of Six organizations, the see REITMAN, page 2

Tufts Labor Coalition rallies for adjunct faculty

As polls for a union of adjunct professors opened last Thursday, members of Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) celebrated Button Up Day to show support for the union’s creation.

TLC members distributed pamphlets and buttons in the Mayer Campus Center and in Dewick-MacPhie and Carmichael Dining Halls to advocate for Adjunct Action, a nation-wide campaign by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that aims to improve benefits, job security and pay for adjunct professors at universities.

According to the Adjunct Action website, approximately 70 percent of by

Abigail Feldman

Daily Editorial Board

faculty members at higher education institutions work on a contingent basis.

Seventy-nine percent of adjuncts, however, do not receive health insurance at their college, and 86 percent do not get retirement benefits.

Although adjunct faculty at Tufts receive better benefits than those at many other universities, they still lack many important job qualities, TLC Co-Chair Rae Axner said.

“A lot of the part-time professors have little to no job security,” she said. “If their classes are cancelled, they don’t get paid, and they’re making poverty level wages.

This is just to give them more resources to do their job.” see BUTTON, page 2

Today’s sections

Students are taking advantage of ways to save money on expensive textbooks.

Alt-J brought its unconventional artrock style to Boston Friday night.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 11 Back

The Tufts Daily

2

News

Monday, September 16, 2013

Pinkberry becomes third frozen yogurt shop in Davis PINKBERRY

continued from page 1

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Pinkberry earlier this month opened its doors in Davis Square. It is the third frozen yogurt franchise in the area.

fluous, noting that Pinkberry differs from competitors with its full-service rather than self-serve environment.

He added that although gaining the board’s approval was a difficult process, the franchise was overwhelmingly successful in the end.

“We passed the zoning board with a 100 percent approval,” he said.

Despite the chain’s confidence that its move into Somerville was appropriate, some students remain skeptical. Senior Rebecca Raskind does not believe that Pinkberry fits in with

the atmosphere of Davis Square.

“It just feels like a chain, doesn’t feel very personal,” she said. “iYO has much more the feel of a cafe that happens to have [frozen yogurt], while Pinkberry is just pure chain, pure commercial.”

Raskind also took issue with Pinkberry’s decision to move into an area that already contains two established frozen yogurt restaurants.

“I think it’s pretty unnecessary, to be honest,” she said.

“I think particularly, as it fits into Davis, the local businesses are better. I’d rather give [Orange Leaf and iYO] my business.”

Adjunct faculty union polls to close next week BUTTON

continued from page 1

An election poll among adjunct faculty on the decision to create a union began on Button Up Day — Sept. 12 — and will remain open until Sept. 25, TLC member and junior Spencer Beswick said. The results will be announced on Sept. 26, wherein if there is enough support for a union, the adjunct faculty members will enter negotiations with administrators about their new contract.

Axner explained that the point of the Button Up Day campaign was not to sway part-time faculty members, but to gain student support and awareness about the issue. “[The adjunct professors are] very hopeful that the union drive will go through, and the fact that we’re here getting support for it is more about getting a base of students when the adjuncts go into negotiations with the administration,” she said.

The movement began on campus after a number of students and faculty members attended the “Adjunct Faculty Symposium” hosted by SEIU last spring, according to Beswick. Faculty members from over 20 Massachusetts colleges and universities attended the kick-off event held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

“There were 10 or 15 Tufts professors there who engaged in dialogue with organizers at SEIU, as well as adjunct professors from around the Boston area, and that seemed to be when people really started to seriously consider the possibility of getting a union,” Beswick said. “They worked a lot over the summer talking to their colleagues, and they found out that they had enough support to call a vote right now and hopefully win the union.”

Beswick added that part-time fac-

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Students tabled in the Dewick-MacPhie and Carmichael Dining Halls to gain support for an adjunct faculty union on Button Up Day last Thursday. ulty from a number of schools, including American University, George Washington University and Georgetown University, have already unionized under SEIU. Both Axner and Beswick believe that the election will result in a union on campus.

“There’s definitely majority support for it among adjuncts,” Beswick said. “They see the benefits of it, so I do think it’s going to happen.”

Despite confidence in the union’s for-

Visiting the Hill this Week TUESDAY “A Discussion with Ken Burns regarding the documentary ‘The Central Park Five’ (Constitution Day event)” Details: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will take part in a discussion about the Central Park Five and his upcoming documentary on the subject. The event will be seen via live webcast from Washington, D.C. When and Where: 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall Sponsor: The Office of the President, the Office of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, the Department

of Political Science and the Communications and Media Studies Program, in conjunction with The Constitution Project.

FRIDAY “A Fireside Chat with Bijan Sabet” Details: Bijan Sabet, partner at Spark Capital, will be interviewed by Walter Frick of Harvard Business Review in a fireside chat.

When and Where: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Barnum 008 Sponsor: Tufts Entrepreneurs Society and Tufts Venture Fund

—compiled by Daniel Bottino

mation, Axner fears that the adjunct faculty members will face obstacles from university officials.

“The administration has spoken out against it,” she said. “They’re sort of using threats of increases in tuition and also saying that it would divide the community.

Both of those things are not true.”

To the assertion that a union would divide faculty, Axner pointed out that a SEIU union already exists on campus for the janitorial staff.

“[Supporting the union is] supporting our faculty as a whole, more than dividing people,” she said.

Regarding tuition hikes, Axner believes they are due to an allocation problem rather than a lack of resources. She noted that pay for adjunct faculty has already been frozen for the last several years.

“We pay a lot of money to go here, and we as students should demand that our money is going to professors,” she said.

“That’s the reason that we’re here.”

Search for new dean of student affairs begins reitman

continued from page 1

student judicial process, mental health and health interventions and the after-hours on-call system, as well as a number of other departments and programs.

Reitman said he wants to act more on a concept of involvement management to engender working relationships among undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff and all other groups on campus in his new position.

“It is my hope that I can broaden that kind of conversation when tenets that we simultaneously hold dear, like freedom of expression and being a welcoming community, clash,” he said. “There are many times that issues arrive that I suppose are synonymous of the complex world we live in ... I think that some things don’t have answers, don’t have resolutions — they can only be managed.”

Barker said he made the decision

to create the new role collaboratively with Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger-Sweeney and Dean of Engineering Linda Abriola.

With more than 30 years of experience handling community issues and engaging with campus groups, student leaders and student government, Reitman was the natural choice for the new dean position, Barker explained.

“We are fortunate that Bruce has experience bringing people together in common purpose,” Barker said.

“His skills will be especially helpful as we strive to create and maintain a dialogue about issues that can divide us.”

The new position will allow Reitman to dedicate attention to improving the functions and relations among Tufts’ population, particularly in a campus setting, he said. The experience of participating with others and using those interactions to locate oneself among a community is what makes

campus life important.

“I have a real enthusiasm about that and my background in mediation, and it’s facilitating conversation and agendas among parties that are sometimes in disagreement,” Reitman said. “I love that stuff. I can’t wait to have the time to do that.”

Reitman and Barker both said that the new position will bring focus to Tufts as a learning community that is constantly absorbed in dialogues that engage different groups.

“These useful exchanges are at the heart of what it means to be a community — but they don’t happen on their own,” Barker said.

According to Reitman, issues often don’t have a concrete answer and need to be addressed in a manner that accepts that clear solutions are not always possible.

“I certainly hope to be involved in a lot of those major discussions about life in this community, the values of this community, who we are,” he said.

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

As textbook prices skyrocket, students look to alternatives by

Charlotte Gilliland Daily Editorial Board

There’s no doubt that Tufts is expensive. More than 40 percent of the undergraduate student body makes use of Tufts’ financial aid grants, loans and workstudy options, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Even beyond the high cost of tuition, another stipulation for good performance in classes burns a hole in your pocket: textbooks.

Textbooks cost about $900 a year, according to a July 2005 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. An article published in 2008 in the Wall Street Journal added that some universities are profiting from these sales by creating “custom” versions of their textbooks.

The article reported that the University of Alabama forced freshmen to buy a custom composition textbook for $59.35. This textbook is almost identical to the non-custom version available new for about $54; the only addition is a 32-page description of the school’s writing department, which is available for free on the school’s website.

The University of Alabama’s English Department receives a $3 royalty on about 4,000 copies sold each year from the publisher of the textbook, Bedford/ St. Martin’s, according to the Wall Street Journal. In addition, the university bookstore does not buy back the used copies, forcing students to buy them new. These custom versions of textbooks are one way for publishers to fight the sales of used textbooks, which cut into their profits.

Professors use custom versions of textbooks for many introductory courses at Tufts, including Biology 13.

According to Carolyn LaQuaglia (LA ’03), manager of the Tufts University Bookstore on the Medford and Somerville campus, the university does not make additional profit from selling custom versions of textbooks.

“The faculty member likes a specific book but wants to cater it more to Tufts and then the publisher says, ‘Oh, we can do that,’” LaQuaglia said. “And they work with the faculty member on how they want to put it together. Depending on what’s included, they can come up with special pricing.”

While the Biology 13 textbook, bundled with the Mastering Biology access code, may seem unusually costly (priced new at $221.80), LaQuaglia begged to differ.

“Actually that package is probably our best priced package in the store,” she said. “You get the most bang for your buck because the individual books and the access code will easily equate to double what we sell it for if you buy it [separately].”

Some custom versions at Tufts may help students out with costs, but other textbooks from certain publishers do not allow for any price negotiation.

One example is the textbook for the Principles of Economics (EC 5) course, priced new with the MyEconLab access code at $292.20.

“When you attach an e-book to any access code, it will shoot the price up.

That’s the trouble with the EC 5 package,” LaQuaglia said. “It’s sad, it pains me. I know it’s a $300 package, but because that e-book comes with the access code, you’re pretty much paying for the book twice ... We tried to have [the publisher] work with us, but it didn’t happen.”

LaQuaglia has worked at the Tufts bookstore for 12 years, and has been manager for the past five and a half years — but as an alumna of Tufts, she knows both the experiences that sellers have with textbooks and the student perspective.

“There’s a lot of things that the average person doesn’t understand about

Wan Jing LEE / The Tufts Daily

Students look to both the bookstore and outside sellers for cheaper textbook options. textbooks that I didn’t when I was a student,” she said, “But now being on the other side, I get it. It’s a very unique business with a lot of weird ins-andouts, and it has to do with relationships with publishers.”

To combat high prices, students have created their own resources to facilitate the buying and selling of used books.

Many sales occur between students simply through Facebook and TuftsLife. A few students, though, have taken the process of finding the cheapest books a step further.

James Roseman, a junior studying computer science, teamed up with juniors Tony Cannistra and Edward Bell to create Tufts Text, a website that directs students to the cheapest provider to get their textbooks. The site, officially released in January, was launched as a continuation of Getchabooks, another Tufts student venture that ended its operations on Jan. 10.

“I think that [Tufts Text] has gained a lot more popularity than we thought it would,” Roseman said. “Last spring we saw pretty good traffic ... [For] Amazon alone, there were 154 orders ordered through Tufts. This year we’ve had over 1,100 in this semester already.”

The bookstore has tried to lower prices for students, too, by offering rental textbooks.

“We have over 2,400 different titles that we carry and for the first time this semester over 2,200 were rentable,” LaQuaglia said. “Last year it was about 1,400.”

With rentals, students can save up to between 70 and 80 percent of the new price when renting used textbooks and 35 to 50 percent when renting new books, according to LaQuaglia. She proposed this alternative as the most costeffective for students.

“When you buy a book, if it’s only for one semester, you’re probably not going to keep it,” she said. “You’re basically getting that savings up front instead of holding on to it and risking that it becomes an old edition or that the professor doesn’t want it anymore.”

Despite these efforts, the high costs are often unavoidable, especially when custom textbooks are required.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Carol Baffi-Dugan does not see the same level of profit-earning from these sales at Tufts.

“I think we could perhaps be more proactive than we are, but I can’t imagine anything like that ever happening at Tufts,” she said of the University of Alabama’s profits.

Baffi-Dugan made it clear that to aid students with textbook costs, Tufts encourages its faculty to make the lists of textbooks for classes available far in advance.

“If you know ahead of time, you can shop around, and you can save money,” she said.

The administration also offers some support to students who cannot afford the price of textbooks.

“For financial aid students who are having trouble paying for their textbooks, we can sometimes help them borrow [a] student loan to cover the cost of their books,” Patricia Reilly, director of financial aid, told the Daily in an e-mail. “We encourage students who are experiencing difficulty in paying for their books to come and talk with their financial aid counselor about their options.”

In the end, buying and selling textbooks is all business. While the industry is continually evolving with additions of products like access codes and e-textbooks, the goal of publishers will always be to maximize profit. Tufts holds a special contract with Barnes & Noble that stipulates it as the exclusive bookseller on campus. The contract is set to expire June 30, 2014.

“Basically we are a for-profit, but because of our contract with the school there is a percentage that goes back to the school from our sales,” said LaQuaglia. “In terms of textbooks, when you go into any retail location a standard mark-up for a store is anywhere between 50 and 100 percent. Textbooks are significantly lower than that.”

This mark-up is much less than it would be on a product like clothing, according to LaQuaglia. Nevertheless, she believes that the future of textbook pricing does not look promising, a conviction that Roseman endorsed.

“I think that as it becomes easier and easier to circumvent purchasing a textbook [by] getting an email from a friend with the whole PDF ... as that [activity] becomes more rampant, I think that prices will steadily increase to make up the loss until something changes,” Roseman said. “I think that this system, as it stands, is a huge profit for these companies like Barnes & Noble and all these education companies, so I don’t see it changing anytime soon.”

The administration, however, does not appear to have concrete plans in place to help fight the rising costs of textbooks.

“The effort of the administration is to get the information out to students early enough,” Baffi-Dugan said. “The cost of textbooks [is] going to keep rising.”

Roseman called for a longer-term solution to the issue.

“I think that if you are in the situation where there are people who cannot afford books for a class, the proper response should be, ‘Let’s take a look at this situation as its stands’ not ‘Let’s try to fix this one instance.’”

Lex Erath | Sugar and Spice

On Mass. drivers

P

eople generally feel one of two ways about generalizations: either they’re completely right or completely wrong (see what I did there?). For that reason, I’d like to add in here a disclaimer for all local Massachusetts kids — you can try to deny what I’m about to say, but you know there’s more than a grain of truth in the particular stereotype I’m about to divulge. Besides, I still hate the Yankees, so I clearly know something.

Massachusetts residents are known for many things, like their loyalties to Boston sports teams, specialty beers and clam chowdah. They’re often described as tough (“Boston Strong”) and fiercely loyal (wear a Yankees hat to a sports bar and you’re just asking for it). But there’s one characteristic they’re known for above all else: their driving skills — or, more accurately, their lack thereof.

As a homegrown MA girl myself, I’m going to let all of you out-ofstate foreigners in on a little secret.

Massachusetts teenagers take a driving test just like all other licensed drivers (shocking, I know!), but they’re given extra points the closer they can drive to things without actually hitting them, and double points for every extra five mph over the speed limit.

In this way, the necessary driving skills of fearlessness and aggressiveness are instilled in us baby drivers early on.

For example, I failed the parallel parking part of my driving test, but I managed to pop a small child’s balloon with my side mirror, so of course I passed with flying colors. Similarly, my best friend can’t do a three-point turn to save his life but has a knack for squeezing through yellow lights, so he earned his license with no trouble.

Although other MA drivers might denounce me as a traitor to my kind, I feel it’s my duty to warn you, because as Tufts students, our lives are in constant jeopardy thanks to the maniacs whizzing around and through our campus 24/7. Mass. drivers take special joy in flaunting their disregard for the handsat-ten-and-two rule (but seriously, who does that?) and derive an excessive amount of entertainment from scaring the sh*t out of pedestrians. So, fellow students: constant vigilance. While I admit that it will undoubtedly ruin an MA driver’s day to actually run a student over (legal fees! A dirty windshield!), you can’t dispute the fact that in a fight between you and a Boston driver, you will lose, whether they’re behind the wheel or not.

Yet as frightening as it may be to walk the sidewalk when these terrors are loose on the road, believe me when I tell you it’s even worse to actually be driving with them. Nothing makes a Massachusetts driver happier than cutting off the guy in the lane next to him, preferably without the use of a turn signal (blinkers are for weenies and Yankees fans). It is a common view that turn signals “take the fun out of it,” as they “give away,” where you’re about to drive. Don’t bother swearing angrily, leaning on your horn, or flipping them off — it will only add to their enjoyment.

Jumbos, I implore you — don’t bite off more than you can chew with these wannabe-NASCAR racers. Should the time come (and pray it doesn’t) when you yourself are required to get behind the wheel and join the traffic yourself, your best bet is to ensure your will is up to date, slap on an anti-Yankees bumper sticker, and maybe take the subway instead anyway.

Lex Erath is a sophomore who has yet to declare her major. She can be reached at Alexandra.Erath@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

4

advertisement

Study Abroad Fair Mark your calendars now!

Wednesday, Sept. 18th

11:30 am-2:00 pm Dowling Hall Room 745 Representatives from over twenty-five programs will be in attendance.

All majors and class years welcome!

Sponsored by the Office of Programs Abroad Find out more at: http://uss.tufts.edu/studyabroad

Tufts Career Fair Friday, September 27

12:30 - 3:30 PM Gantcher Center

Prepare for the Fair Dowling 745 Thursday, September 19 (5-6 PM) Learn how to make the most of the Career Fair.

Guest speaker: Jennifer Rose ‘09, EnerNOC

Resume Critique Days Dowling Hall Library Wednesday, Sept. 18 (12 - 3 PM) Monday, Sept. 23 (4 - 7 PM) Tuesday, Sept. 24 (1 - 4 PM) Have your resume reviewed before the fair!

Bring 2 copies of your resume.

No appointment needed.

Who Should Attend?

All class years and all majors.

Meet 100+ organizations to learn about full-time jobs and internships in marketing, communications, engineering, finance, government, non-profits, education, computer science, business, consulting, environmental industries, social services, and more.

Sponsored by

More information

careers.tufts.edu

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

Concert Review

Ryan Buell | This Week in Hip-Hop

Alt-J showcases musical prowess and energy in live show

Looking ahead

A

by Sedef Seker

Contributing Writer

Despite the fact that Alt-J, or ∆, is new to the music scene, the band’s breakout was remarkable due to its unconventional genre, originality and unique sound. The newly emerging British alternative art-rock band Alt-J has already attained considerable success merely months after the release of its first album. After playing at several high-profile music festivals this year, including Lollapalooza and Reading and Leeds, Alt-J began an intense U.S. tour. Passing through various cities across the country, the band finally made it to Boston, playing a concert at the Bank of America Pavilion on Sept. 13.

The recently formed indie-folk group Lord Huron opened the show.

Though they have a very different style from Alt-J, Lord Huron emphasized its sound with heavy reliance on percussion, adequately preparing the audience for the main act. Despite a fairly long set, Lord Huron maintained a high level of energy during its performance, leaving the audience enthusiastic and fully ready for Alt-J. During the show, the order of AltJ’s set list was noteworthy. After setting the mood with the song “Intro,” the band moved onto its famous hit “Fitzpleasure,” which generated even more excitement among the crowd

Courtesy NRK P3 via Flickr Creative Commons

Lead singer of Alt-J Joe Newman reproduces intense electronic sounds and vocals in the band’s live show. with its upbeat tempo and innovative structure. The lighting and stage effects were outstanding, merging perfectly with the beat and creating hypnotic visuals for concertgoers to enjoy. Then, the band played another of its top hits, “Tessellate,” which also garnered a positive response since

TV Review

almost everyone knew the song wordfor-word.

After their powerful, lively start, Alt-J later chose to focus on slower songs, including “Matilda,” “Buffalo” and “Interlude I.” Remarkably, although see ALT-J, page 6

Theater Review

‘The Libertine’ goes too far by

Drew Robertson

Daily Editorial Board

the show will be able to return to its once outstanding form.

The show revolves around a group of friends in a fantasy football league: the everyman Kevin (Stephen Rannazzisi), his competitive wife Jenny (Katie Aselton), his perpetually unemployed brother Taco (Jon Lajoie), his slacker best friend Pete (Mark Duplass), the paranoid and ruthless Rodney Ruxin (Nick Kroll) and the wannabe-artsy surgeon, Andre (Paul Scheer). Also Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas), Ruxin’s certified crazy brother-in-law, shows up once in a while to spice things up. They all compete in a fantasy league, hoping to win the highly coveted “Shiva” trophy, and desperately trying not to win “The Sacko” — the trophy for the lastplace finisher. Along the way, the friends verbally and mentally abuse their fellow league members and generally stab each other in the back in order to get the upper hand. The plot makes for great dialogue between char-

“Equal parts gritty, funny, sexy, dark and moving,” according to the Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company website, the Boston premiere of “The Libertine” (1994) certainly sets out to accomplish a lot. Produced in collaboration with New York-based theater company Playhouse Creatures and the Bridge Repertory of Boston (new to the local theater scene), “The Libertine” is the first production of the Bridge Rep’s first full season. Perhaps the added pressure of being the new kid on the block helps explain the very high expectations surrounding “The Libertine” — and maybe even a few of its bungles. Regardless, “The Libertine” can in no way be called a modest production.

Written by Stephen Jeffreys, the play itself is bawdy. “The Libertine” follows the decline of 17th century poet John Wilmot, played here by Joseph W. Rodriguez. An alcoholic, a cynic and an epic philanderer, Wilmot frequents the whorehouse and favors offcolor humor. The musical number that opens the second act, entitled “Signior Dildo,” sums it up. The guide on this descent into debauchery, Wilmot gives the audience two direct warnings in the first lines of the play: First, he claims that he is always ready for sex and that in due course, everyone in the room will be attracted to him. Then, as if to clear the air, he explains, “I do not want you to like me.”

Needless to say, no faithful production of “The Libertine” could be

see LEAGUE, page 6

see LIBERTINE, page 6

Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Paul Scheer stars in semi-improvised fantasy football comedy ‘The League.’

‘The League’ delivers mediocre episodes by

Carter Thallon

Contributing Writer

“The League” (2009-present) has just started its fifth season on a new network, the FX-owned FXX. Unfortunately, it appears

The League Starring Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Jonathan Lajoie

Airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on FXX that though the network has changed, the series has not. After a somewhat stale fourth season, “The League” is in need of a shakeup. Many of the jokes are getting old and the dynamic between the characters has barely changed over the last four years. Yet the show still has extremely funny moments (especially amusing to new viewers) that give “The League” hope — maybe, just maybe,

s the school year picks up again, it’s easy to lose touch with the music world. Keeping up with the newest albums and latest hits quickly loses priority against that eightpage research paper you were assigned in the first week, attending GIMs for every club imaginable, the two chapters of reading from a book that you haven’t even purchased and the unending procrastinatecram-party cycle. With all that’s going on in the average college student’s life, how is there possibly time even to know about — let alone listen to — the newest album releases? But do not fear: I, Ryan Buell, am here to bring you the latest in hip-hop news and music, along with occasional theories, opinions and reactions to the happenings in hip-hop culture. To start off, I’ll be going through some of the most anticipated (at least my personally most anticipated) album releases for the rest of 2013.

I’d be remiss if I did not start off with Drake’s upcoming album, “Nothing Was the Same.” Slated for a Sept. 24 release, the buzz around Drizzy’s album is reaching astronomical levels. Riding off the success of the single “Started from the Bottom” and non-album cut “5 AM in Toronto,” “Nothing Was the Same” is sure to be one of the biggest releases of the year. The release of the controversially titled song “Wu-Tang Forever” on Sept. 12 only fueled the hype.

My own sentiments towards Drake notwithstanding, I have relatively high expectations for this release. It seems like Drake is aiming to bring a slightly more aggressive vibe to this album, without losing touch with what made him a rap superstar. So mark the date, because you’re going to be hearing Drizzy Drake everywhere you go come Sept. 24.

One of the few rappers out there right now more famous than Drake is Eminem, who, lo and behold, is also preparing for a new album release, currently scheduled for Nov. 5. An Em’ album is always a major event given his prominence in the rap game and the relative rarity of his releases (only four solo albums in the last decade), but this upcoming project has a special feel about it. Named “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” the album is clearly a throwback to days gone by. Reviving the title of his classic 2000 album is a bold move for Eminem, and it says something about his intentions for the project. The lead single “Berzerk,” with its old-school feel and throwback music video, makes it apparent that Eminem is attempting to recapture the eardrum-assaulting rawness that thrust him into the spotlight back in the early ’00s. If “MMLP2” is anything like its predecessor, listeners can get ready for greatness.

Moving away from the biggest names in hip-hop, ScHoolboy Q’s upcoming album “Oxymoron” has me more excited than any other impending release. Considering the dominance displayed as of late by Q and his label mates at Top Dawg Entertainment (comprising Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock), I feel safe in predicting a hit album for ScHoolboy. Lead single “Collard Greens,” featuring Lamar, charted as high as 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, a big step for a relatively underground rapper. The album, which has no set release date as of yet, will reportedly feature guest spots from 50 Cent, A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown and Raekwon, among others. The rappers at TDE know how to take the time to craft an album with a strong narrative and meaning, without sacrificing dopeness. I expect nothing less from this latest album.

2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year for disproving those who claim “hiphop is dead.” Keep it locked throughout the year for the latest news, music and events in hip-hop culture. I look forward to sharing my passion for music and culture with the Tufts student body.

Ryan Buell is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Ryan.Buell@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

6

Arts & Living

Big risks fail to produce big results in ‘The Libertine’

Drew Robertson / The Tufts Daily

‘The Libertine’ will play at 527 Tremont Street until Sept. 22.

LIBERTINE

continued from page 5

demure, nor should it be. The play is an example of shock theatre, a genre that intentionally challenges and even offends the viewer’s sensibilities. The success of a vibrant and mixed-genre work like “The Libertine” hinges on preserving both raucous humor and bitter poignancy, as well as ensuring that these opposites complement rather than overwhelm each other. Sadly, this

production of “The Libertine,” directed by Eric Tucker, too often fails to achieve this delicate balance.

Clumsily dampening humor with melancholy, or else undermining potentially profound moments with the strained delivery of a crude joke (or several), the production fails to achieve the comedy or the drama it strives for. Selfconscious, melodramatic and heavy background music does not connect with the produc-

tion’s other playful and upbeat numbers (see: “Signior Dildo”).

Although a few failed jokes would not be catastrophes on their own, “The Libertine” tries to be everything at the same time, which was the confusing nail in the coffin.

In one particular instance of this strained tendency, the costumes and set design created visual inconsistencies that detracted from their overall effect. Designed by Angela Huff, the costumes followed a more-is-more philosophy.

Long, curly wigs, brightly colored coats and dresses, plumed hats and even a dab of bling (a sparkly earring on Harris, Wilmot’s most youthful crony, played by Daniel Duque-Estrada), were luxuriously over the top.

These elaborate costumes overwhelmed the minimalistic set, which consisted of a few wallpapered planks, a table and chairs. Wheels attached to the bottom of the furniture — a modern touch clearly added for convenience — destroyed the period setting. Because of this, a setting that might have otherwise appeared elegantly simple became a sloppy example of economic efficiency.

If there was one place where “The Libertine” shone, it was in the performances of the cast.

Sarah Koestner was wonderfully genuine in her role as Wilmot’s devoted-but-conflicted wife.

Richard Wayne and Eric Doss were both effortless and funny in their roles as King Charles II and servant Alcock, respectively. Romantic leads Rodriguez and Olivia D’Ambrosio, playing Wilmot’s lover and actress Elizabeth Barry, had believable chemistry on stage, albeit with a few regrettable instances of over-acting.

Although the Playhouse Creatures and the Boston Rep’s production of “The Libertine”

Monday, September 16, 2013

is far from perfect, it definitely takes some risks. In the theater, that’s good; risk is oftentimes necessary. By offering a hefty student discount — student tickets were $30 as opposed to $40 or more — hopefully the Boston Rep will continue to use its boundary-pushing theater to attract young audiences throughout the rest of the season. “The Libertine” will play at 527 Tremont Street until Sept. 22, and tickets can be purchased online at bostontheatrescene.com or by calling (617) 933-8600.

Courtesy Mark J. Franklin

Great acting in ‘The Libertine’ was overshadowed by poor directing and a melodramatic interpretation.

Stale jokes hamper ‘The League’ season premiere

LEAGUE

continued from page 5

Courtesy xtof via Flickr Creative Commons

Drummer Thom Green uses electronic percussion on stage, preserving the sounds on Alt-J’s debut album ‘An Awesome Wave’ for live audiences.

New British band excites audiences, leaves them wanting more ALT-J

continued from page 5

these selections were quite different from the opening numbers, the ambience during the show remained more or less the same. The band closed its act with the upbeat “Taro,” and after it was over, the audience immediately called the band back for an encore. Alt-J played two more songs, ending with its hit song “Breezeblocks.”

It is important to note that it is more challenging for Alt-J to play live because their sound is typically easier to create in the studio.

Drummer Thom Green delivered an exceptional performance, using a tambourine and cowbell instead of cymbals to produce electronicsounding beats. Overall, Alt-J

refused to simplify any song arrangements, which made listeners feel like they were listening to the actual record.

The audience got to hear even the most complex parts of songs, including three-voice a capella harmonies. The downside, however, was that the band added nothing new to the recorded versions of the songs — there was no room for improvisation or different arrangements.

The concert’s main flaw was its length: It was far too short.

Since Alt-J has only one studio album released, it would have been unrealistic for fans to expect a longer show. Still, Alt-J didn’t even play its whole album — nor did they play any cover songs, which would have been easy additions to the set list. Because of this, the

audience ultimately left feeling dissatisfied.

Alt-J’s live performances have received some negative reviews due to the immobility of the members on the stage and the brevity of their concerts. Sometimes compared to famous names like Radiohead, Alt-J has been criticized for not living up to these respected and established groups. But critics must keep in mind that Alt-J is only now gaining widespread success; it is not fair to compare them to bands that were on the music scene long before they were. Alt-J is definitely one of the most inventive and original bands right now. Considering the success it has already achieved, we can certainly expect a promising musical presence in the future from Alt-J.

acters, which is often improvised by the actors themselves (the show is only semi-scripted).

The fifth season picks up several months after season four ended, and Andre is getting married. The California wedding, though, is undermined by the league’s draft on the same weekend. Andre insists that they can’t do it during his wedding weekend, as his bride doesn’t want fantasy football to ruin her special day, but as usual the sports-obsessed group holds the draft anyways. Meanwhile, Ruxin has been kicked out of the league because he doesn’t fulfill his Sacko punishments, various embarrassing tasks given out to the winner of the Sacko.

Overall, the first episode was poorly done, something that did not bode well for the rest of the season. Despite the improv style of the show, the jokes were far from fresh — most were just repackaged versions of old bits. The worst of these were the jokes making fun of Andre or his ignorant, unfunny discussion of homoeroticism. While

there were a few good moments, the season five premiere was disappointingly reminiscent of several dreadful season four episodes.

That being said, the second episode was much better than the first.

With Andre’s wedding potentially serving as a catalyst for change, the second episode set up this season for some much needed adjustments. To keep things interesting, “The League” needs to modify the group dynamic this year: guest star JJ Watt was hilarious in the first two episodes of season five, and hopefully the show will continue to feature him in future episodes.

With a solid second episode, the show might be able to break its current streak of dullness. But it’s still early — “The League” could revert to relying on the same tired jokes. With just two episodes so far — one of them poor and the other above average — it’s hard to say which way this season will go. The next couple of episodes will be telling of the direction the show will take.

Hopefully, this season makes sure to stay fresh for its dedicated viewers.

Vanessa Lua via Wikimedia Commons

Mark Duplass rehashes old jokes as slacker Pete on ‘The League.’

The Tufts Daily

Monday, September 16, 2013

Portfolio Design Workshop 2013 Saturdays, September 21 & 28, 1pm – 4pm Tufts University, Medford Campus

Presented by Nathan Fash, Visiting Faculty Co-Sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History and the Tufts Career Center This two-day workshop is intended for Tufts students and alumni who may be seeking employment or applying to graduate school programs requiring a portfolio.

A well-crafted portfolio is a central component of any graduate school application in design fields, and an essential vehicle for demonstrating one's abilities and accomplishments in a variety of professional settings.While its primary purpose is to present the creative visual work within, whatever form the portfolio takes -- be itphysical as a set of spiral bound pages or hardcover book, or purely digital as a single portable file or presentation on the web -- it serves as an aesthetic piece in and of itself. In the end, a successful portfoliotells the story of the work while also offering some understanding of its author. It reveals characteristics of the unique individual while simultaneously displaying his/her skills and creativity.

During the first Saturdaysession we will explore different ways of thinking about the portfolio, look at strengths and weaknesses in a selection of portfolios created in the past, and highlight the importance of developing a strong personal vision for the project. Because realizing that vision requires some fundamental technical abilities, the secondSaturdaywill demonstrate a workflow from digital photography to digital editing to printing, thereby covering basic yet criticaltechniques and technology used to capture, organize, design, and output the portfolio. Participants should attend both sessions.

Imaginingthe portfolio

Saturday, Sept. 21, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm 11 Talbot Ave, Seminar Room

Digital Capture & Editing Tutorial

Saturday, Sept. 28, 1:00pm – 4:00 pm Tisch Library, Mark Computer Lab

Registration Required, Space Limited: Sign-up by Sept. 17 at the Dept. of Art and Art History, 11 Talbot Ave., M-F, 9-5. A $25 refundable registration deposit required, which will be returned when you attend the workshops. Alumni, send contact information with checks made out to ‘Trustees of Tufts College’ c/o Rosalie Bruno, Dept. of Art and Art History, Tufts U., 11 Talbot Ave. Medford, MA 02155.

Direct Questions to: Prof. Daniel Abramson, director of architectural studies, daniel.abramson@tufts.edu, 617.627.2015 Nathan Fash is a designer at the architectural firm of Machado & Silvetti Associates in Boston, and visiting architectural design studio instructor at Tufts / SMFA. He has also taught architecture design studios at Harvard's Career Discovery Program, and Boston Architectural College, and been a guest critic at Northeastern University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He holds a Masters of Architecture with Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design as well as a BA in Architectural Studies and BFA in Studio Art from Tufts University and the SMFA.

7

advertisement

NOW HIRING! Office for Campus Life EVENT STAFF! The Office for Campus Life is now accepting applications for Event Staff for the 2013-2014 academic year. Flexible Hours Great pay, $10 hr. Staff major campus events Please send Cover Letter & Resume to Courtland.James@tufts.edu or submit to the OCL Office in the Mayer Campus Center.

Application deadline is Friday, September 20th at NOON. For additional information and job description, please visit ocl.tufts.edu or contact any current Event Staff members.

Superman works for a daily paper. You could, too!

The Tufts Daily

8

THE TUFTS DAILY Hannah R. Fingerhut Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Jenna Buckle Melissa Wang Managing Editors Abigail Feldman Executive News Editor Daniel Gottfried News Editors Victoria Leistman Menghan Liu Melissa Mandelbaum Elizabeth McKay Annabelle Roberts Mahpari Sotoudeh Josh Weiner Sarah Zheng Daniel Bottino Assistant News Editors Alexa Horwitz Elissa Ladwig Hunter Ryan Denali Tietjen Shannon Vavra Executive Features Editor Lily Sieradzki Features Editors Charlotte Gilliland Emily Bartlett Vicky Rathsmill Caitlin McClure Assistant Features Editors Sabrina McMillin Julia McDaniel Caroline Welch Executive Arts Editor Dan O’Leary Arts Editors Veronica Little Drew Robertson Assistant Arts Editors Brendan Donohue Lancy Downs Grace Hoyt

Editorial | Letters

Monday, September 16, 2013

editorial

Dean’s new position needs clarification Over the summer, Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Dean of Engineering Linda Abriola and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students John Barker appointed Bruce Reitman as dean of campus life and student leadership. A new senior level administrative position, this dean will act as a campus mediator, facilitating conversation among students, faculty and staff to address conflicts and improve communications.

Barker, in an email to the Tufts community, also indicated that the creation of this new role leaves room to refocus the responsibilities associated with the dean of student affairs, the position that Reitman has held since 2001. Once a new dean is chosen, he or she will concentrate on the student judicial process, issues surrounding alcohol and sexual abuse and the rep-

resentation of first-generation or lowincome students.

Reitman has had three decades in the Tufts community to inform his future work engaging all corners of the university. As Barker told the Daily in an interview last week, there is really no one better to fill the position.

However, the line between the responsibilities of the two deans seems blurred. These issues — ones that the new dean of student affairs will be responsible for — seem entangled with the dialogue and interactions that the dean of campus life and student leadership will look to foster.

We are grateful that the university is conscientious in addressing recurring issues that have pervaded the Tufts campus the past several years.

Though it makes sense to appoint a separate faculty member to focus

on these issues that deserve the university’s full attention, it is unclear how exactly the newly crafted position will redefine the level of communication among students, faculty and the administration.

For a position that boasts increased communication between students, faculty and administration, we would just like to learn more about exactly what Reitman strives to achieve in his new role and how it will extend beyond his previous duties and accomplishments. The Tufts community has yet to hear concrete details as to what Reitman will do. We are looking forward to hearing how he will go about achieving his goals as dean of campus life and student leadership, as well as how these two deans will work together and separately to improve student life on campus.

Tufts in “Straight Out of the Bible.”

Columnists in Arts take on music, food and culture. Ryan Buell gives his rundown on “This Week in Hip Hop.” With “Where’s the Craic,” Megan Clark returns for her second semester as a columnist relating Irish film to culture and history. Nimarta Narang says “Hello USA” in her column about American culture from an international student’s perspective. On Thursdays, Susie Church’s “Food Fight” pins two restaurants or food vendors against each other to tell Tufts who’s better.

“Show Me the Money!” is where returning columnist Walt LawsMcDonald explains the economy in layman’s terms, and Eloise Libre keeps things whimsical in “Frankly Candid.”

While Bhushan Deshpande, an opinion editor, records the goings-on at Tufts from a senior’s perspective in “Words of Wisdom,” Adam Kaminski writes on becoming acquainted with Tufts as a freshman on campus.

In Sports, columnists take on both

personal and professional athletics.

On Tuesdays, Jordan Bean’s “Sacked” challenges fans, players and teams to live up to the standards of the sporting world. Aaron Leibowitz, a sports editor, returns with “The Fan” on Wednesdays to relay his experience as an aficionado of all things sports.

Three other sports editors round out the week: Tyler Maher offers a “Beantown Beat” on Thursdays, and Ross Dember and Alex Schroeder stir up memories of their sports-playing pasts on Fridays.

Contact information for each columnist will be included below their columns each week, so make sure you connect with them.

As always, reach out to us with your thoughts as well at daily@tuftsdaily. com. We’re looking forward to hearing what you think.

Denise Amisial

Alexander Schroeder Executive Sports Editor Marcus Budline Sports Editors Aaron Leibowitz David McIntyre Zachey Kliger Jake Indursky Claire Sleigh Kate Klots Matthew Berger Tyler Maher Assistant Sports Editors Ross Dember Jason Schneiderman Alex Connors Elayne Stecher Bhushan Deshpande Tom Chalmers Matthew Crane Nick Golden Jehan Madhani Keran Chen Denise Amisial Benjamin Boventer Scott Geldzahler Drew Lewis

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors

Cartoonists

Editorialists

Kyra Sturgill Executive Photo Editor Caroline Geiling Photo Editors John Hampson Wan Jing Lee Simone Backer Nick Pfosi Staff Photographers Zhuangchen Zhou Courtney Chiu Sofia Adams Alexander Kaufman Executive New Media Editor Oliver Porter Phuong Ta Jake Hellman New Media Editor Barton Liang Assistant New Media Editor

PRODUCTION Elliot Philips

Production Director Emily Rourke Adrian Lo Emma Arnesty-Good Jen Betts Shoshanna Kahne Daniel MacDonald Montana Miller Falcon Reese Reid Spagna Andrew Stephens Chelsea Stevens Maura McQuade

Executive Layout Editor Senior Layout Editor Layout Editors

Assistant Layout Editor

Jamie Hoagland Executive Copy Editors Julia Russell Emma Arnesty-Good Copy Editors Anna Haugen Adrienne Lange Drew Lewis Annaick Miller Vidya Srinivasan Marina Shtyrkov Hadley Gibson Assistant Copy Editors Patrick Schulman Rachel Salzberg Tori Porter

Hamid Mansoor Executive Online Editor

BUSINESS Daphne Wu Executive Business Director Li Liang Receivables Manager P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

Letter from the Editor Dear readers, It’s the most wonderful time of the semester — the temperatures are cooling, leaves are reddening and the Daily is daily again! That means you’ll get your news, concert reviews, sports scorecards and yes, a Sudoku, every day this week and every week hereafter.

Even more exciting, the Daily is now chock full of columns. Out of 15 this fall, you’re sure to find one or two — or seven — that you’ll come back for week after week.

First up, in Features, we have Lex Erath, tackling the everyday challenges of being a young adult at a Massachusetts university in “Sugar and Spice.” On Tuesdays, Petar Todarov looks at developments in technology and how Tufts fits into the ever-changing picture. Joining them is Lily Sieradzki, a features editor, writing “Media Junky” about life in the digital age. And Ben Zuckert, a senior, relates his class on the Hebrew Bible to his undergraduate experience at

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.

Sincerely, Hannah Fingerhut Editor-in-Chief

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted by 2 p.m. and should be handed into the Daily office or sent to letters@tuftsdaily.com.

All letters must be word processed and include the writer’s name and telephone number. There is a 450-word limit and letters must be verified.

The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length.

ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editorin-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director. A publication schedule and rate card are available upon request.

Monday, September 16, 2013

The Tufts Daily

9

Op-Ed

op-ed

Walt Laws-MacDonald | Show Me the Money

Repent or play by

Tentatively recovering

Nicole Blank

On the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, I must compete in a NESCAC soccer game. While I do not consider myself a devout Jew, my Jewish identity has been solidified throughout my time at Tufts University.

I regularly attend Reform services at Hillel, converse with my rabbi and take Judaic Studies classes. On campus, it is apparent that Tufts is a university with a large Jewish population (around 30 percent). Hillel, Chabbad and Meor are popular organizations on campus, and Judaic Studies is one of the most popular cultural departments. Without the Jewishness of Tufts even in question, I find it disturbing that a NESCAC soccer game has been scheduled for the holiest day of the year three years running (and I assume in years past). On a day of repentance, I am requested to run.

On a day of fasting, I am expected to be fast. On a day of atonement, I am asked to attack.

When I brought this issue to the attention of my coach, she was extremely helpful and supportive in trying to change the date of the game.

While I am appreciative of the effort put into a schedule change, this should be a non-issue from the start. There is even a weekend without a game this year, yet year after year our schedule is released and there is a conflict. Why is Yom Kippur such an afterthought? How can it be that a league so dedicated to academics is so ignorant to the beliefs of its players? Would a basketball game ever be scheduled on Christmas? A lacrosse game on Easter?

The very notion of playing a team sport on a day of self-reflection and forgiveness is sinful. This day is set aside, once a year, as a day of repentance. I am torn by the commitment I made to my team and my religious duty as a Jew. The traditions of Yom Kippur state that there is to be no eating or drinking after sunset. Yet I

I

Oliver Porter / The Tufts Daily

must fill myself with carbs and protein the night before my game, I must eat a hearty breakfast before my game, drink water throughout the game, and replenish my body afterwards as well.

Under Jewish law I am not permitted to wear leather shoes on this holy day, yet I must fill my leather cleats, lace them up and compete. There is to be no bathing or washing on Yom Kippur, yet after ninety minutes of play a shower feels necessary. Anointing oneself with perfume or lotion is forbidden on Yom Kippur, yet I must lather my body in sunscreen and Icy Hot for protection and relief.

So why not sit out, you might suggest? If the handful of Jews on the team were to sit out, we would lose a group of vital players. In a 14-game season every game counts, and missing a game seems sacrilege. When faced with the conflict of observing Yom Kippur

or pitching the first game of the 1965 World Series, Sandy Koufax chose not to pitch.

The NESCAC’s core values pride themselves on diversity and respect.

As an athlete I should not have to make the decision between honoring my commitment to my team and honoring my religious duty. These core values include a commitment to “providing equitable and fair competition among members of the conference, and to observing the highest ethical standards in conduct of Conference business and in the interactions among member institutions.” Scheduling a game on the holiest day of the year for a group of student athletes seems wrong. The three activities that are allowed by Jewish law on Yom Kippur are to pray, to repent and to give to others. But the NESCAC has other plans for my Saturday.

Op-ed

Good reasons why union is not a good idea

by Joanne

Berger-Sweeney and James Glaser

A recent op-ed in the Daily (“Adjunct action: Tufts should support adjunct professors,” Sept. 11, 2013) called attention to an important decision now facing part-time lecturers within the School of Arts and Sciences: whether to unionize.

This decision affects not only the part-time lecturers but also the students they teach. We want to take this opportunity to provide further information about the upcoming election and the important role of part-time lecturers in the School of Arts and Sciences.

Tufts recognizes the right of our parttime lecturers to decide whether to unionize, and we will respect the outcome of this election. But there are good reasons why we don’t think unionization is in anyone’s best interest.

At the heart of the discussion is whether it will benefit part-time lecturers to give the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) the exclusive right to represent them in negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions as part of the collective bargaining process.

The generic information that SEIU has shared about low course rates and minimal benefits for part-time lecturers does not reflect realities at Tufts or the School of Arts and Sciences.

We have worked to treat our part-time faculty with respect and concern. We demonstrate this respect by offering highly competitive per-course rates, as well as health insurance, pension contributions and many other ben-

efits to faculty who work at least half time — which is 46 percent of our part-time lecturers.

A concrete example of this commitment is health insurance. The university contribution (between 60 and 75 percent of the premium) is the same for both half-time and full-time faculty. There is no waiting period — coverage begins on the date of hire — and benefits are available to the employee, the spouse/same-sex domestic partner and/or eligible dependents.

Tufts’ per-course rates are comparable to, and often higher than, rates at other local and national institutions — including those that are unionized — based on figures reported by SEIU and the American Association of University Professors. Most recently, we implemented a new compensation plan that increases pay for part-time lecturers as their years of service to Tufts increase and also offers bonuses for exceptional teaching. Rates can be adjusted as market rates change.

In summary, we have worked to make Tufts an employer of choice for part-time faculty. And we have done so without a union.

So, what is really at stake? The ability of faculty and the administration to deal directly with one another.

Under the terms of collective bargaining, the SEIU would be certified as the only entity authorized to deal with the university on terms and conditions of employment. For example, in addition to obvious areas such as salary and benefits — which are already above average — unions may negotiate assignment and appoint-

ment procedures, including when courses are offered and who teaches them. Department chairs currently put significant thought and time into matching lecturers and courses, ensuring that the most appropriate instructor teaches each class. This flexibility, which benefits students and lecturers, could be lost if decisions had to be made under a rigid, one-size-fits-all formula. And this is only one example.

We recognize the valuable contributions of our part-time faculty to the rich academic environment at Tufts, as well as the many ways in which supporting them benefits our entire community. There is very little turnover in our part-time faculty ranks, due in large part because Tufts provides competitive course rates and benefits superior to those at other Boston-area institutions. More can always be done.

We continue to evaluate what we provide to all our employees, including part-time faculty, within university budget constraints. But we believe that a collegial approach works better at Tufts than the adversarial process of collective bargaining.

The National Labor Relations Board has mailed ballots to all eligible lecturers, and we urge everyone to exercise his or her right to vote. Results will be binding on all part-time lecturers, regardless of how many votes are cast. To keep members of the Tufts community informed, we have created an information resource at as.tufts.edu/union. We also invite you to call, email or visit our offices if you’d like to talk further.

f I could sum up the financial and economic news of this summer in one word, it would be “tentative.” “S&P makes tentative gains.” “ECB officials speak tentatively of recovery.” “Traders tentative of Fed taper.”

The word speaks to the sort of nervous, half-hopeful, half-hesitant feeling about the state of the U.S. — and global — economy.

These weeks mark the five-year anniversary of the most tumultuous time in American finance since the Great Depression. Rewind one more year to 2006, and everything looks fine — a cooling but still scorching housing market, record bank profits and a bullish tear in the stock market all point to confidence.

And then things started to really slow down. First went Bear Stearns, an 85-year old investment bank snatched up for pennies on the dollar. Down goes Merrill. Down goes Lehman. Down go Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Wall Street, the beacon of brash capitalism, appeared on the verge of collapse.

But Wall Street’s fall did not occur in a vacuum — instead, it sucked down the country’s economy into a black hole of debt and default.

With a little — well, if you call a few trillion dollars “little” — help from the Federal Reserve and the American taxpayer, Wall Street seems to be back on track.

But five years later, investors still treat the financial markets with a newfound wariness. From police officers investing in pension plans and 401ks, to hardened hedge fund managers with billions of dollars in assets, no one seems to really believe that the good times are all that good.

We cheer the declining unemployment rate while millions of Americans still cannot find a job. We cheer the stock market when the Fed continues to push forward with $85 billion of bond buying every single month.

The recovery feels unnaturally engineered, bolstered by a government that can barely pay the interest on its own debt. Just like David after the dentist, investors continue to ask themselves: “Is this real life? Is it going to be this way forever?”

According to the Fed, the answer — at least to the second question — is no. The Fed has promised to cut back its bond-buying program in the coming months, though they have yet to set a hard and fast date. I will explain the mechanics of this program in a later column, but for now understand that the Fed essentially buys bonds to raise their price. Rather than “cut back,” however, the Fed has chosen to use the word “taper,” further highlighting how intensely Wall Street examines the wording of every policy move.

And so this tentativeness continues to permeate the investing philosophy of the world. It’s like Wall Street really likes this girl named Recovery. She’s incredibly attractive, makes him happy and always manages to find a way to make things work. But Wall Street is nervous and afraid that if he really goes for it, things between him and Recovery will be weird. So, he waits for the right sign.

Maybe it’s that perfect non-farm payroll number or an amazing Core CPI increase.

Eventually he’ll make a move, but until then he remains tentative.

Sometime later this year, the Fed will drop Wall Street off for its first day of school. Wall Street will be nervous, likely ill-prepared and filled with awkward excitement. It’s been there before — only to drop out and be home schooled by its over-bearing parents for a few years. Whether it can survive on its own, pack its own lunch, make friends and for god’s sake stop trading grossly leveraged mortgage-backed securities will take some time to figure out.

Walt Laws-MacDonald is a junior majoring in quantitative economics. He can be reached at Walt.Laws_Macdonald@tufts. edu.

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

Comics

Monday, September 16, 2013

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Hearing Breaking Bad’s Jesse call someone a bitch.

Late Night at the Daily

Thursday’s Solution

Shoshanna: “I did buy fat pants, but I think they’re too fat. Like a giant diaper of denim.”

Want more late-night laughs?

Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

The Tufts Daily

Monday, September 16, 2013 Wanted These 2 Champion Sired, AKC Registered puppies will be ready for a new home We have 1 males and 1 females,if interested kindly contact the James family: jamestore01ltd@ gmail.com

Services

11

Sports

-

-

-

-

Sonny’s Barber Shop. Look Good – Best Haircuts Around! 5 Minutes from TUFTS – 282a Main st.

Medford. MA. See Joe Jr. Walk in’s always Welcome! Check us out on Facebook! Open Tuesday- Saturday (617) 515. 2955 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.

Jumbos held opponents scoreless through three games SOCCER

continued from back

Oliver Porter / The Tufts Daily

The Tufts football team has thus far kept all focus internal for the fall, in hopes of being in top form for the upcoming season opener against Wesleyan.

Tight end Kenyon healthy in full-pad return FOOTBALL

continued from back

also caught a handful of passes, mostly screens, and junior Greg Lanzillo, who caught just six passes last year, made a couple of acrobatic plays and ran a slant route for a touchdown.

Fifth-year tight end Nick Kenyon was cleared to play in full pads last week after spending much of the preseason doing ladder drills on the sideline. On Friday he lined up out wide and moved well, making a few catches including a shoestring grab in the end zone.

“He’s a good receiver and can be a threat in a couple

different ways,” Civetti said.

“Whether he’s on the outside or whether he’s on the inside, it’s nice to be able to have that 6-foot-5, 245-pound receiver.”

Despite the Jumbos’ pass-first inclination and their emerging threats at wide receiver, junior tailback Zack Trause has a chance to become the centerpiece of the offense. Trause has played in just 10 games in his first two seasons due to injury, but he continues to showcase his ability to be a dual-threat back who breaks tackles and battles for extra yards.

“Just got to keep him healthy,” Civetti said. “That’s the reason that his name isn’t

all over the place — because he’s been hurt.”

Friday’s scrimmage was played in lieu of the Jumbos’ annual preseason scrimmage against Bowdoin, which Tufts won last year, 7-0. Civetti wanted to keep the focus on his own team, for the moment.

“I feel like the less distractions we have, the better,” he said. “This was just another day of work, and I think that’s been the mindset.”

Still, at the end of the night on Friday, the Jumbos rehearsed a play they hope to break out against NESCAC opponents: the QB kneel — also known as victory formation.

Jumbos handle Mules and Beavers with ease FIELD HOCKEY

continued from back

Just a minute later, Tufts doubled its advantage on a strike from senior cocaptain forward Chelsea Yogerst to take a 2-0 lead going into the half. “[Sophomore midfielder] Rachel Terveer took the ball down the left side of the field and passed it to me a little left of the goal,” Yogerst said. “I received the pass with my back to the cage, turned around and shot to the left of the goalie.”

The score held for nearly 20 minutes into the second period until Sikes-Keilp notched a goal of her own. In the 65th minute of play, sophomore Allison Rolfe pushed the ball to Sikes-Keilp who finished with a reverse chip to find the boards and put the Jumbos up 3-0.

Tufts finished the day with a 38 to nine advantage in shots and earned 29 penalty corner opportunities compared to Colby’s one. While Evans was forced to make 18 saves for the Mules, her team never pieced together a real challenge at the other end of the field.

“We worked very hard even though Colby kept putting immense pressure on us throughout the entire game,” Cannon said. “Their pressure and energy forced us to play even better. We were very determined to not let our intensity waver, and we kept pushing upfield and towards the goal as much as we could to earn those corner opportunities.”

Last Tuesday, the Jumbos’ contest with Babson seemed at times much more evenhanded than either of their NESCAC games thus far. Despite the up-and-down pace of the game, however, coach Tina McDavitt’s squad continued to dominate the box score, outshooting Babson 30 to eight and earning 11 penalty corners compared to the visitors’ three.

Sikes-Keilp led the day for the Jumbos, earning her first collegiate hat trick.

Meanwhile, Babson senior keeper Kayla Florence posted a 17-save effort to keep her team in contention for the majority of the game.

“Babson was definitely doing a good job of keeping the pressure on our forwards, especially in the circle, but there were a few opportunities that we should have been able to capitalize on,” Yogerst said.

After a flurry of up-and-down rushes by both teams, Babson first-year midfielder Victoria Spofford took the ball at full speed, beating Cannon and sophomore midfielder Alexandra Jamison in transition.

Driving into the 16-meter circle, Spofford’s shot was tipped several times until the Beavers were awarded a costly penalty stroke. Senior forward Morgan Lockwood took the stroke and beat Tufts junior keeper Bri Keenan, launching a shot high-left into the cage to give the visitors a one-goal advantage.

The Jumbos, however, refused to give up easily. Norfleet worked the ball into

hard and dig in, so we knew we had to get that first goal,” Blumenthal said. “Last year, we just couldn’t score, so we wanted to be really urgent the entire time. Getting that first half goal was big.”

The Jumbos finally got the chance they were waiting for in the 39th minute, when junior tri-captain forward Max Hoppenot sent in a cross to sophomore forward Tal Smith, who put the ball in the back of the net with a nifty back heel.

“Max [Hoppenot] and [junior midfielder] Kyle Volpe did some great work on the left side of the field, and I just had a feeling Max was going to beat his defender, and I streaked into the box and he played in a great ball,” Smith said. “I actually ended up a little bit in front of the ball, and I just did my best to wrap my back foot around the ball and luckily it worked.”

The goal by Smith, a transfer from Howard University, was his third through three games, tying him with Hoppenot for first on the team in both goals and points. The emergence of Smith as a reliable scorer off the bench has given the Jumbos another weapon in an already dynamic attack.

“I was welcomed into the team immediately, and it’s a really great group of guys,” Smith said of his ability to make such a quick impact. “There’s such a positive attitude on this team that I feel like I’ve been able to fit in pretty seamlessly from the start. With how great the other players are on the field, and how deep we are with talent, it’s hard not to be playing

the circle and earned a penalty corner for Tufts. Cannon got a stick on the insert and moved the ball to Sikes-Keilp, who hammered a hard shot straight into the back of the boards, pulling the Jumbos even with the Beavers.

“I think that we had enough trust and confidence in [our] abilities to know that we still had a chance to win if we remained calm and continued to play our game without becoming frantic,” Yogerst said.

“That first goal also provided us with even more motivation to put the pressure on offensively.”

After freshman midfielder Annie Artz earned a penalty corner, Tufts was able to push itself into the lead. Sikes-Keilp received the insert and finished off her second goal of the day, striking a shot past Florence.

Seconds later, Sikes-Keilp completed her hat trick, taking advantage of an exhausted Babson defense to direct a ball from Artz past Florence for a 3-1 Tufts lead. Four minutes later, Yogerst finally found the boards as the co-captain finished a feed from Cannon to put Tufts up 4-1 going into halftime.

In the second half, Babson turned the pressure on, and after two corner opportunities, the Beavers eventually broke through. Several Babson forwards lured Keenan out of the cage, and sophomore forward Elizabeth Holmes sent a shot into the boards, pulling her team within two.

well right now.”

Smith also credits both the team for maintaining a high standard of play and the defense for giving players like Smith, Hoppenot and Blumenthal space to operate up front.

That defense came up big again Saturday, as Tufts was allowed to press the Mules, outshooting them 16-3, without worrying about the opposition doing any damage.

“One of the biggest things defensively, as a team that we want to focus on, is going for a shutout every single game,” Blumenthal said. “Amherst won the NESCAC and gave up something like two goals the whole season, and if you look at the stats, it’s the teams that give up the least goals that are usually the first and second teams in the conference.”

With the win, the Jumbos move into a three-way tie with Amherst and Trinity atop the NESCAC and are the only team remaining in the conference to not allow a goal this season. However, the team, which will face its toughest test of the season tomorrow afternoon against Wesleyan, is trying to stay within itself.

“We can’t complain about a 3-0 start, but we’re trying to stay very modest,” Blumenthal said. “Last year we had a good start as well, and we ended up ranked in the top 25 in the country, got way too excited about that and let it go to our head. That ended up costing us some big games in the middle of the season, so this year we are very conscious of that.

[We understand] that [having] three wins is good, but it’s not going to get us to where we want to be.”

Tufts continued to push, however, as Sikes-Keilp and sophomore forward Hannah Park worked to earn several penalty corner opportunities for the Jumbos.

Cannon nearly buried a goal of her own, but her shot sailed wide of the pipes.

As the clock wound down, Tufts came close to scoring several times. Park nearly finished a goal of her own but got caught up with Florence in front of the cage. Although Babson possessed at the end of the game, the two-goal deficit proved too large to overcome, and Jamison and Terveer played solidly in defense and transitioned to keep the Beavers from really threatening the opposite end of the field.

“Babson came out with a lot of fire, and that gave them the ability to go up 1-0 on us,” Cannon said. “Then again, that lit a fire in us that remained for the rest of the game. That showed in [SikesKeilp’s] hat trick and her two goals that came just a few seconds from each other.

But really through our whole game and the fact that we never gave up until that final whistle.”

The Jumbos, who dropped to No. 2 in the NFHCA poll behind No. 1 Montclair State University last week, continue their season on Tuesday as they take on a fellow NESCAC squad, the Wesleyan Cardinals.

“Every NESCAC game is a big game for us,” Cannon said. “So this Tuesday we’re really looking to take another step forward with our team dynamic.”

Sports

12

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s Soccer

Jumbos down Mules as team improves to 3-0

by Jake Indursky

Daily Editorial Board

Given that last season was one of its most successful campaigns in recent memory, the men’s soccer team wanted to

MEN’S SOCCER (3-0 Overall, 2-0 NESCAC) at Kraft Field, Saturday Colby Tufts

0 1

0 0

— —

0 1

start this year with a bang and prove that a winning culture has been permanently established on Kraft Field.

And with an emphatic 1-0 win over Colby at home on Saturday, Tufts has now equaled its record from last year of winning the first three games of the season.

Even more impressively, the Jumbos have yet to allow a goal this season, tying the longest period the team has not conceded a score since 2001.

The Jumbos also had some added motivation heading into the game, as they not only were playing their first home game in over a year, but also were seeking to defeat a Mules team that spoiled Tufts’ first NESCAC home game last year with a 0-0 draw.

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

Sophomore Tal Smith has led the Jumbos offensively thus far, scoring a back heel against Colby Saturday to bring his total to three goals on the season.

“We were just building up from our last two games, and it’s been almost a year since our last home game,” senior tri-captain forward Scott Blumenthal said. “We all love playing at home, especially against Colby last year, because we tied them in

front of our home crowd.”

However, the Mules, who came in seeking their first conference win of the season, started strongly. Colby matched Tufts shot for shot in the first 20 minutes and forced Tufts freshman goalie Scott Greenwood

Field Hockey

into a sliding save in the 14th minute. But it was the Jumbos who were determined to strike first.

“They’re a great team, they really work

Football

Defense wins the day at second intrasquad scrimmage by

Aaron Leibowitz

Daily Editorial Board

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

Junior Colleen Golja helped Tufts goalkeeper junior Bri Keenan keep a shutout with a defensive save against Colby.

Jumbos go 2-0 over weekend by

Kate Klots

Daily Editorial Board

The No. 2 field hockey team notched two more victories last week, extending its home

FIELD HOCKEY (3-0 Overall, 2-0 NESCAC) at Bello Field, Saturday Colby Tufts

0 2

0 1

— —

0 3

at Bello Field, Tuesday Babson Tufts

1 4

see SOCCER, page 11

1 0

— —

2 4

winning streak to 11 as the Jumbos soundly defeated the visiting Babson Beavers 4-2 on Tuesday before finishing off conference rival Colby in a 3-0 decision Saturday.

The win over the Mules was a special one for the Jumbos, as Saturday marked the team’s alumni weekend and was preceded by a special banner raising in honor of Tufts’ National Championship last season.

“I think it really helped that the alumni were there because they gave us the extra motivation to know that the program has come so far,” senior midfielder Emily Cannon said. “We want to keep working every day in order

to keep improving and making our team better.”

Just over 20 minutes into the contest, Cannon got the scoring started for the Jumbos. On a penalty corner opportunity, Cannon scooped the ball from sophomore midfielder Dakota Sikes-Keilp, firing it past Colby goalie Sarah Evans. “[ Junior forward Brittany Norfleet] had a really great insert,” Cannon said. “Dakota took the time to draw the fly and get a really good pass, and I wanted to move the ball in and get it on cage so that someone could tip or rebound it, but it happened to go in on its own.” see FIELD HOCKEY, page 11

Depending on which player you ask about the Jumbos’ intrasquad scrimmage on Bello Field Friday, you might hear that it started out great or that it started out ugly.

Both would be correct.

It was great for the defense: Three different players snared an interception in the early going. It was ugly for the offense: Three different quarterbacks threw a pick.

Unlike the Jumbos’ first intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday, Friday’s matchup was played under the lights on the Bello turf and was mediated by a referee crew.

But the basic premise was the same: defense versus offense with points earned, somewhat arbitrarily, for various achievements.

Last weekend, the offense earned itself a later treatment time and an extra hour of sleep. This time, the offensive players walked off the field carrying their counterparts’ pads.

“Defensively, I thought we did some great things,” head coach Jay Civetti said. “Three picks early, which is great.

Obviously, from an offensive mindset, that’s frustrating.”

The offense looked stagnant and sloppy on the first few possessions. There were dropped passes, sacks and underthrown balls, as well as the three picks. Freshmen Alex Snyder and Liam O’Neil each threw one apiece, while junior Jack Doll was picked off once as well. Sophomore Drew Burnett also threw an interception later on.

Civetti confirmed yesterday that Doll will start the season opener at Wesleyan on Saturday.

While the offense strug-

gled, the coach was encouraged by the tenacious effort of his defensive players.

“When you turn the ball over three times, it’s difficult to get momentum,” Civetti said. “But I think the defense played really well. I think some guys made some great plays.”

In an intrasquad scrimmage, there’s always a flip side. On Friday, the offense’s struggles came at the hands of a defense that looked fast and physical.

“Any time you turn the lights on, I think they’ve got a little bit more energy, a little bit more emotion,” defensive coordinator Kevin Farr said. “We fell into some good spots, and we got some good pass rush and put some good pressure on the quarterback.

Guys made plays when they had a chance.”

The performance was encouraging from a defensive unit that is inexperienced, except at linebacker. Farr has tweaked some things from last season, but the first-year defensive coordinator is trying to keep it simple.

“Our goal is to play fast, so there’s not a whole lot of wholesale changes,” he said.

“We’re young, so we want all the guys to run around and make plays and not overthink things.”

Farr and his defense were likely aided on Friday by their knowledge of the Jumbos’ passheavy attack, but the offense did manage to make adjustments and find some success in the middle of the field.

Freshman running back Chance Brady was arguably the offensive MVP, gaining chunks of yardage on screens, flat routes and handoffs up the middle. Firstyear slot receiver Ben Berey see FOOTBALL, page 11