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THE TUFTS DAILY
TUFTSDAILY.COM
monday, December 3, 2012
VOLUME LXIV, NUMBER 54
Facilities unveils downhill rain garden
UEP collaborates with BC for dual-degree program by Josh
Weiner
Daily Editorial Board
Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily
The construction between Hodgdon and Lewis Halls has finally reached completion, revealing a sustainable rain garden that will serve to purify storm water before it enters the City of Somerville sewer system.
Where You Read It First Est. 1980
The Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) is awaiting approval by the Board of Trustees to introduce a new dual degree master’s program in conjunction with Boston College’s (BC) Carroll School of Management. The program combines the discipline of environmental planning and policy with a business management education, giving graduate students the opportunity to gain expertise in both areas. According to UEP Lecturer Ann Rappaport, the proposal was approved at a recent faculty meeting of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees during its next meeting in February. “I’m really looking forward to getting the program rolling and getting appli-
cants for it,” she said. “It will give both of our schools a competitive edge and is really different from what Tufts has done in the past. If you think of how much interest there is in social entrepreneurship, this [program will be] an ideal background for it.” Rappaport explained that students in this program would earn their Master of Arts from UEP after two years of study and then complete their Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree at the Carroll School after a third year. She noted that this new interschool program would save students time, as pursuing each degree separately takes four years. Jeffrey Ringuest, associate dean for graduate programs at the Carroll School, said he chose to pursue this program after seeing the successful collaboration of Tufts and BC in the past, such as the dual see UEP, page 2
Farm-share program sells out for fall semester by
Lizz Grainger
Daily Editorial Board
This semester, Tufts’ community supported agriculture (CSA) farmshare program, comprised of shares of fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby Enterprise Farm and World PEAS CSA, successfully sold out the 48 shares available to members of the Tufts community. The program, which began last semester and promotes sustainable agricultural practices, provides students, staff and faculty with an alternative and convenient way to buy shares of organic fruits and vegetables. CSA will wrap up its second semester at Tufts with a final delivery of fresh produce on Dec. 5.
“[Enterprise] is really happy with the turnout at Tufts,” Office of Sustainability (OOS) Communications and Outreach Specialist Fannie Koa said. The shares have been delivered each week to the OOS in Miller Hall, where students can pick up their purchases and leave their boxes for the next delivery. “Last spring was the first pilot of the program and not a lot of people knew about it, but we still got a great turnout,” Koa said, noting that the program’s popularity will likely continue to increase. In addition to the year-round academic shares offered by Enterprise Farm located in South Deerfield, Mass., World PEAS distributes shares to the see FARM SHARE, page 2
TCU Senate update
Senate supports need-blind policy The Tufts Community Union Senate began its meeting last night with a question-andanswer session with Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students John Barker. Barker spoke about the need for an extended orientation experience for freshmen that would address issues like wellness, international immersion and civility. Barker also asked the Senate about its support of a separate body of students who would give perspective on large campus changes and issues. Some senators questioned the need for a representative student group that would essentially mimic a Senate without budgetary powers. The Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of need-blind admissions, though it admitted that a need-blind policy is likely unfeasible for the university at this time. The Anime Brigade and the science fiction and fantasy cinema club Beyond the Light were allocated $135 of a $195 request for their first ever Dragon Ball, a dance event. The Tufts Queer Straight Alliance received $1296.90 to send representatives to a confer-
ence. The body allocated $698 to the Tufts chapter of Amnesty International for a letterwriting campaign, an invitation to an offcampus speaker and Jamnesty, a live music event featuring Tufts bands. In addition, the Brasil Club was allocated $483.46 for their Carnaval event. Following the vandalism incident at last spring’s Tufts Dance Collective performance, the Senate distributed $840 to the group for pizza, to be served to performers backstage. The funds come as part of a larger process of reforms intended to avoid future incidents at the show. Student musical theatre group Torn Ticket II received $2,500 to purchase three new microphones for its performers. The body gave $1,056 to the University Wind Ensemble to send the group on its winter trip, which occurs every three years. Finally, the Tufts Global China Connection received $11,432,24 to fund their annual China-U.S. Symposium, a weekend-long event that will include a variety of speakers. —by James Pouliot
Inside this issue
Courtesy Lindsey Wright
The Tufts Debate Society this weekend brought to campus 70 teams from schools across the Northeast region for its annual debate tournament.
Tufts Debate Society hosts annual tournament by Sarah
Zheng
Contributing Writer
The Tufts Debate Society (TDS) held its annual debate tournament on campus over the weekend, hosting teams from universities across the region. 70 teams from about 20 schools across the greater Northeast region, including Boston University, Harvard University and Wellesley College, came to Tufts to compete in the tournament, according to TDS President Noah Kirsch, a sophomore. All participating schools are members of the American Parliamentary Debate Association.
“We have this debate tournament every year on this debate circuit,” TDS Vice President Rajarshi Chatterji, a senior, said. “Every university brings something of its own to the table and Tufts has a pretty big reputation on the circuit. We’re hosting our tournament on the same weekend as Vassar, but we still had a huge turnout.” The tournament was run under a parliamentary debate format, in which two teams are pitted against each other to debate any topic that is proposed, according to Kirsch. see DEBATE, page 2
Today’s sections
Health experts consider the impact of energy drinks and consequent late nights.
Large as the group may be, Tedeschi Trucks Band plays a tight and upbeat set.
see FEATURES, page 2
see ARTS, page 5
News Features Arts & Living Comics
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Editorial | Letters Op-Ed Classifieds Sports
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News
Monday, December 3, 2012
Visiting the Hill this week MONDAY “Climate Change as a Driver of Humanitarian Crises and Response” Details: Peter Walker, director of the Feinstein International Center and Rosenberg professor of nutrition and human security at Tufts, will be speaking. When and Where: 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.; Cabot 702 Sponsors: The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy’s Energy, Climate and Innovation Research Seminar Series WEDNESDAY “Vipassana Meditation: An Ancient Path in the Modern World” Details: Paul Fleischman, psychiatrist and lecturer of meditation, will discuss vipas-
sana meditation and its health benefits. When and Where: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Barnum 008 Sponsors: The Fletcher School’s Office of Student Affairs “Of Love and Loss: On the Road to Peace and Human Dignity” Details: Palestinian author and medical doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish, known as the “Gaza Doctor,” will be speaking about conflict in the Middle East. When and Where: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Braker 001 Sponsors: The Institute for Global Leadership THURSDAY “Sharing the Earth: Speaking Up/ Speaking Out
Enterprise Farm offers winter, spring shares to students FARM SHARE
continued from page 1
Tufts community during the fall and summer seasons. “We have two shares currently, World PEAS and Enterprise,” OOS Intern Dani Jenkins, a senior, said. “Enterprise has an academic share, so that means essentially that during breaks they don’t deliver shares, but every week that Tufts is in session they deliver shares.” The Tufts Sustainability Collective (TSC), along with Tufts Culinary Society and Balance Your Life, collaborated with Enterprise Farm last semester to create an academic share that caters to students’ schedules and the Tufts academic calendar, according to TSC co-director Katie Segal. “We wanted to pair up with Enterprise Farm so people would be more aware of the local food opportunities that were available in the area and partner with the farmers,” Segal, a junior, said. Koa explained that Enterprise Farm is one of the only farms that offers a winter share, and that World PEAS will not resume delivery to campus until next summer. Enterprise Farm is able to sell produce during the winter season because it has access to fruits from states across
the East Coast, including Florida and Georgia, according to Koa. “[Enterprise has] a year-round farm share because they partner with farms in the region and aren’t just limiting themselves to farms in New England or near them,” she said. The OOS is currently gauging interest in a winter share that runs from December through the beginning of May for those who are staying on or near campus during winter break, Koa said, but the introduction of a winter CSA depends on the number of people who sign up for such a service. “Enterprise runs their regular winter share, which is from last week until the beginning of May, so there’s two extra months of vegetables in December and in January,” she said. “For the people who are staying local and not traveling home, they might want to keep getting their vegetables in December and January.” Koa said that sign-ups for the spring academic share are now open and expects the spots to fill up quickly. “The nice thing with the farm-share is you know it’s organic, you know it was grown sustainably, you’re supporting someone’s farm and that’s great, and it’s completely tailored for [Tufts],” she said.
Details: Professor of English Elizabeth Ammons and Associate Professor of English Modhumita Roy will be discussing the power of literature in achieving environmental justice. When and Where: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene Center Sponsors: Environmental Studies Program and the Tufts Institute of the Environment “Virtues and Vices of Social Robots” Details: Matthias Scheutz, associate professor of computer science and director of the Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory, will be discussing the potential benefits and dangers of social robots as part of the Knox Lecture Series in Engineering Ethics. When and Where: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 51 Winthrop St. Sponsors: Tufts Gordon Institute
“Gender in Post-Conflict Africa” Details: Amani El Jack, assistant professor of women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will be speaking about the role of gender in postconflict Africa. When and Where: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Cabot 206 Sponsors: The Institute for Global Leadership’s Poverty and Power Research Initiative
—compiled by the Daily News Department
Debate team sees large turnout at Tufts tournament DEBATE
continued from page 1
“Parliamentary style is a highly extemporaneous way of debate,” he said. “The topic changes every debate round, and no pre-gathered evidence is allowed. It’s almost entirely logicbased, and humor is used to make certain points.” “It requires you to have a general knowledge of basically everything in the world,” Chatterji added. The rounds were split into novice teams and varsity teams, with the Harvard Chipoltleaway team winning first place for the novice teams and the Brandeis Navajo Blanket team finishing on top for the varsity teams. Peter Falk from Northeastern University received the highest speaking points for novice speakers, and Reid Bagwell from Columbia University placed first among the varsity speakers. TDS members did not compete in the tournament, instead serving as the judges, Chatterji said. “Judging was definitely different than debating, since we had to evaluate the teams based on their points and see which side outweighs the other,” TDS member Jerry Hu, a freshman, said. “Being a judge can help you know
what the judges are looking for, so after this, I will be more aware of the kinds of things I can focus on in the future.” This year, Chipotle Mexican Grill sponsored the tournament, providing lunch for all the competitors, Kirsch said. Kirsch noted that since the formation of TDS in 2005, the team has continued to grow in size and strength. There are 20 members in the club, each of which was selected from a pool of 37 applicants during tryouts at the beginning of the year, according to Chatterji. “We have a lot of novices, or new recruits, so we’re in training mode for a lot of our team,” Kirsch said. Lack of experience has not held the team back from success, however. “About two weeks back, one of our novice teams was the runner up at the Wesleyan tournament,” Chatterji said. Kirsch and Chatterji encouraged students to try out for TDS next year, regardless of class year or experience level. “We take people of any class, and we don’t actually require people to be good at debate; we just require them to improve as fast as they can,” Chatterji said.
Dual-degree program to merge sustainability, business management UEP
continued from page 1
-degree program between UEP and the BC Law School that was introduced in 2010 for graduate students interested in both law and environmental science. “In terms of forming a joint program
with Tufts, my colleagues over in the law school beat me to it,” he said. Since BC already features a wide variety of dual-degree programs, Ringuest expects that this newest program will be an easy and natural addition for both schools.
With Ringuest’s approval and the pending support of the Tufts Board of Trustees, the program could be ready to accept students as soon as the next academic year, according to Dean of the GSAS Lynn Pepall. “As Dean of the Graduate School, I’m
Sofia Adams for the Tufts Daily
A new master’s dual degree program between the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning and Boston College is slated to accept its first cohort of students by next year.
very interested in creating programs that are on some sort of career trajectory, where students who do them can then continue on for a career,” she said. Pepall said that UEP has been developing this program for about two years, explaining that UEP’s emphasis on environmental science and sustainability, combined with the Carroll School’s focus on business, marketing and project management, will create an ideal program for students eager to explore these areas of social entrepreneurship. “It was kind of like a beautiful epiphany,” she said. “We realized that we each have programs that can benefit members of both constituencies.” “I think it’s a unique and very interesting opportunity for students in each of these two fields to explore their interests,” Ringuest added. “Boston College and Tufts are also a good complement to one another in a lot of different ways.” Ringuest anticipates that the program will stay relatively limited in scope, given that BC already has a small M.B.A. program of around 100 students. According to a proposal issued at the recent GSAS faculty meeting, this will likely be the outcome. “We anticipate that one or two students will enroll in the dual program in the first year, with up to four students enrolled in the program in the future,” the proposal said. Rappaport believes the program will be a chance for students to develop the skills necessary for creating sustainable businesses. “They have management and business, and we have sustainability, justice and equity,” Rappaport said of the Carroll School and UEP. “Bringing these two together, I think, is really exciting.”
Features
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Alanna Tuller | Archive Addict
Library Lore
T
MCT
Though students may increase consumption of energy drinks to stay awake throughout finals this semester, health experts are wary of the toll they may take.
Health experts assess risks of long-term energy drink consumption by Shannon Vavra
Contributing Writer
With finals approaching, more and more students may be turning to energy drinks, which contain significantly higher dosages of caffeine compared to coffee or tea, as study aids. But in the wake of increased media attention on the potential dangers of energy drink consumption, Director of Health Education Ian Wong and Health Educator and Prevention Specialist Beth Farrow expressed concerns about excessive caffeine intake on campus. “In the short term, it can work, but in the long term you’re going to crash somewhere,” Wong said. “In low doses, it does what you want it to. When you have it in high dosages, that’s where you get a problem.” According to Wong, the reasons behind student use of various energy drinks contribute to his caution regarding consumption. “Is it because they’re trying not to sleep because they’re trying to study? Is it because they don’t like the withdrawal symptoms when they start coming down?” Wong asked. “I look at it like any addictive behavior, like anything else you’re taking. Can you put it down, walk away from it and not think twice about coming back to it? When you need another one and you can’t go a day without it, there’s a problem.” Some Tufts students see benefits to energy drinks for the purpose of staying awake to study. “If you’re pulling an all-nighter with a friend and he gives you a Monster drink, you drink it,” freshman Priya Ban said. Beyond the advantages, though, some students have recognized that there exists on campus a culture of energy drink consumption. Freshman Arthur Fields commented on the rows of energy drinks he sees when walking into the bookstore. In light of recent widely circulated reports of deaths connected to energy drink consumption, some students remained unconcerned about potential dangers. “I don’t worry as much about [the deaths] because of the tolerance,” Fields said, though it is unclear whether a lack of caffeine tolerance was connected in any way to the reported deaths. “For me, in order to get to that point, I’d have to have a lot of energy drinks. The amount I would have to drink is ridiculous.” According to Wong and Farrow, the link between energy drink consumption and death is tenuous and unproven at best. “We see it in rare occasions,” Farrow said. “Someone would present it as related to something else, first, in a clinical setting, like sleep disturbances or a rapid heartbeat. We’re looking at an extreme situation and there haven’t been that many cases that have been correlated
with energy drink consumption.” The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency, reported last year that more than 13,000 emergency room visits in 2009 were related to energy drinks. A New York Times article published last month revealed that over the past four years, federal officials have received reports of 13 deaths involving 5-Hour Energy, a caffeinated shot. Furthermore, 5-Hour Energy has been mentioned in 90 filings with the Food and Drug Administration, 30 or more of which involved serious injuries like heart attacks and convulsions. Living Essentials, the distributor of 5-Hour Energy, told The New York Times last month that the product is “safe when used as directed.” According to Farrow, however, it can be difficult to know how to use the energy drinks “as directed” when some companies withhold information about the amount of caffeine in each bottle. “Energy drinks have other substances that are not regulated, which are like caffeine in the body ... We have all these unregulated substances in it that are stimulants,” Farrow said. “The can might tell you what the caffeine content is, but then it lists all the other ingredients that are not saying you’re actually drinking three cups of coffee in one can. That’s the tricky part about energy drinks.” An eight-ounce cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 95 to 200 milligrams of caffeine. A 24-ounce can of Monster contains 80 milligrams of caffeine per eight ounces, or 240 milligrams for the whole drink. For freshman Pooja Sivaraman, energy drinks are an alternative to coffee or tea. “Energy drinks work better,” Sivaraman said. “If I have more than one, I can’t fall asleep ... but without it, I would actually be asleep. It helps me focus more.” Farrow, though, was wary of students substituting hours of sleep with caffeinated drinks. “Energy drinks are not a replacement for sleep,” Farrow said. “Everybody is consciously aware of that, but it’s putting that into practice that is difficult.” Students cited an unmanageable amount of work and activities on campus as influential factors in their decision to consume energy drinks. “There literally wasn’t enough time in the day and energy drinks added time to my day,” Fields said. “I understand it’s unhealthy, but I would argue that the amount of work we get is unhealthy, so maybe it takes unhealthy habits to be able to satisfy that.” Some students, however, feel that their academic performance suffers when consuming energy drinks. “I don’t think energy drinks should be used for studying,” senior Sabienne Brutus said. “When I took [one], I was
just dancing and having laughing attacks because I was so hyper, and my paper was poorly written.” According to Farrow, an underlying rationale seems to contribute to the culture surrounding consumption of energy drinks. “Tufts students believe that if you’re not pushing it to the limit you’re not being a good Tufts student. If you didn’t pull an allnighter, you’re not working like you should be ... We have that culture shift where you say, ‘I can’t go to sleep,’” Farrow said. Students noted that marketing pressures and the availability of energy drinks gear them toward consumption regardless. “[Companies] are good at promoting [energy drinks],” Sivaraman said. “We all got a box of Red Bulls outside of our [dorm rooms] at the beginning of this year.” Farrow agreed that energy drinks are marketed toward a younger population, but that a key concern is also general caffeine consumption. “I’m not so concerned about someone who has one [caffeinated beverage] a day,” Farrow said. “If we’re looking at someone who drinks [them] all day long, or who drinks several at night to stay up all night long for three nights in a row, we’re looking at the behavior and what’s happening to your body in response to all the stimulants.” Wong agreed, noting that getting a little boost when working and studying is fine, especially as finals approach. Still, while Wong and Farrow both said that caffeine can be helpful in the short term, they warned that caffeine can be habitforming to the point where it is no longer a useful study aid. “It’s enough to [drink caffeine] to keep your focus,” Wong said. “When you’re doing it to keep from falling asleep, that’s when you’ve got problems. That’s when you need to sleep.” Some students feel they could do better academically if they altered their sleeping habits and their caffeine consumption. “I didn’t intend for it to be a long-term kind of thing, but I’m realizing that it might be. Am I tired? All the time,” Fields said. “It’s more so the lack of sleep that affects my health and my exercise.” While the short-term benefits may seem worth it, Farrow argued that the health effects on individuals frequently and consistently consuming energy drinks are detrimental. “My concern is overall healthy habits and not so much that there is overuse of energy drinks. Are students eating enough, moving enough, getting enough sleep at night? It is adequate amounts of all those things that make a difference ... It will make you more successful,” Farrow said. “For the short term, [caffeine] might give you a boost and it might let you stay up, but you’re going to crash.”
here are hardly words to describe how elated, ecstatic and enthused I am for finals this semester. Nothing warms my heart on these cold December nights like the thought of hunkering down in Tisch to catch up on an entire semester of readings and to study for my exams (read: fall asleep for a few hours with my face in a book. I like to call it studying by osmosis). Although Tisch seems pretty standard as far as university libraries go these days, Tufts students did not always have the benefit of a first-rate library to supplement their studies. I know it can feel like a drag to spend hours in a study corral breaking your brain over an IR final or slogging your way through postmodern lit, but trust me when I say you have it easy compared to our Jumbo predecessors. As one of the very first Tufts students on the Hill, you might have found yourself studying in front of the university president. Beginning in 1853, President Hosea Ballou II maintained the library in his office on the second floor of Ballou Hall and, in addition to his presidential duties, acted as the university’s librarian. I don’t know how much time I would have wanted to spend studying alongside the president anyway because, frankly, it sounds like he exercised rather totalitarian power as librarian. In the 1860 version of the library’s Reading Room rules, Ballou mandated that “1. This room is held for the purposes exclusively of a Reading Room; i.e: there shall be no conversation in it, no Meetings for business, consultation, or amusement. 2. There shall be no Smoking in the Room. 3. No one shall wear hat, or cap, in the Room.” Seems like a fun guy, doesn’t he? By the 1880s, the library had outgrown the confines of the president’s office and Tufts decided to move the collection to Middle (now Packard) Hall. This new “library” opened in 1887, with quotation marks intentionally employed: Middle Hall housed 20,000 books and 9,000 pamphlets in addition to 26 students and the Tufts groundskeeper and his family. Middle Hall’s success as a library was limited, however. During this time period the library only remained open for one hour on Saturday afternoons so it was rather difficult for students to actually access the library’s growing collections. Furthermore, the multipurpose Middle Hall was not the most sturdily constructed edifice, and by 1901, the university deemed it uninhabitable due to the “potential danger to the library from fires in stoves and fireplaces in the days before central heating.” Essentially, our library’s second incarnation was a literary inferno waiting to happen. In 1908, the university finally got its priorities straight and formally welcomed students, faculty and the public of Medford and Somerville to use the collections in the newly constructed Eaton Memorial Library (now Eaton Hall). Yes, you read that correctly: townies also had full access to our library. When Tufts asked philanthropist Andrew Carnegie if he would donate the $100,000 needed for the library’s construction, Carnegie agreed but with the caveat that the surrounding communities be allowed to utilize the library’s collections as well. Eaton served us well as a library for a few years, but it soon became clear that after its first century as an institution of higher learning, Tufts would need a library for its ever expanding undergraduate population and the Jumbos of the future. The university responded by opening the Nils Yngve Wessell Library in 1964, a $2.9 million dollar project which finally brought Tufts’ library facilities into the 20th century. In 1997, the university funded the construction of Tisch Library, built around the original core of the Wessell Library to become the building we know and love to this day. Well, maybe “love” is a bit of a strong word. Alanna Tuller is a senior majoring in English. She can be reached at Alanna. Tuller@tufts.edu.
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Arts & Living
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Concert Review
Elizabeth Landers | Campus Chic Report
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Interplay between members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band led to a dynamic concert.
Tedeschi Trucks Band rocks House of Blues by
Dan O’Leary
Daily Editorial Board
Bands often seem bloated as they add more members to their groups and suffer a messy or chaotic sound as a result. But on Nov. 29 at Boston’s House of Blues, the 11-piece blues rock group Tedeschi Trucks Band proved to be an exception to that trend. Fronted by husband and wife combo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi — both impressive musicians in their own rights —Tedeschi Trucks Band was formed in 2010 and combined members of both Tedeschi and Trucks’ solo groups. Trucks is a virtuosic slide gui-
tarist best known for being a member of the Allman Brothers Band and the Derek Trucks Band, while Tedeschi is an accomplished blues singer and guitarist. In addition to Tedeschi and Trucks, the band features bassist George Porter Jr., keyboardist Kofi Burbridge, two drummers, two backing vocalists and a threepiece horn section. Despite this rather large number of members, the band was on point from the opening number of the night, a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’.” Trucks’ slide guitar and Tedeschi’s soulful voice immediately became the two lead voices; they skillfully complemented and wove around one another. The
band’s versatility also became quickly apparent as it shifted gears between blues, jazz, funk and soul music all in the span of a few songs. The night’s setlist was comprised of tracks from the band’s debut album “Revelator” (2011) and a mix of creative covers that showcased the band’s talents, such as Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight” and George Harrison’s “Wah Wah.” One of the band’s primary strengths is Tedeschi’s powerful vocals, which are reminiscent of Janis Joplin. They add a layer of emotion to the band’s already stellar playing. Tedeschi’s vocals ranged see TEDESCHI, page 6
Movie Review
‘Killing Them Softly’ hits viewers hard by
Tim Charouk
Contributing Writer
“Killing Them Softly” may be a gritty, violent and overwhelmingly angry gangster flick, but it is beautifully
Killing Them Softly Starring Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins Directed by Andrew Dominik poetic all the same and is almost certainly one of this year’s most thoughtprovoking films. A neo-noir adaptation of the George V. Higgins novel “Cogan’s Trade” (1974), “Killing Them Softly” marks the sophomore collaboration between Brad Pitt and director Andrew Dominik, following their critically acclaimed “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007). In “Killing Them Softly,” Brad Pitt plays a hit man charged with the task of investigating the robbery of a mob-protected poker game. Instead of following Jackie Cogan (Pitt) the entire time, though, Dominik interweaves the robbers’ stories with
those of other mobsters, leaving it to the viewer to decide with whom to sympathize with. The robbers, Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), a young crook recently released from prison and an Australian junkie who sells stolen dogs, respectively, work together in hilarious ways, providing rich, realistic and idiotic dialogue throughout. In that vein, “Killing Them Softly” strays from the format of the typical gangster film: it’s less about the violence — although there is quite a bit — than it is the dialogue. Reminiscent of the classic “Goodfellas” (1990), whose star Ray Liotta also appears in this film, scenes in “Killing Them Softly” often are long, but still manage to create enormous tension between characters through dialogue. Furthering this effect, the dialogue is complimented by tremendous acting. Gangster genre veterans Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini and Vincent Curatola — the latter two hailing from “The Sopranos” (1999-2007) — work alongside new faces, with Pitt serving as a buffer between the two. With this interest in dissimilar generations, and the film’s preoccupation with the failing US economy and America’s false sense of national community, “Killing Them
THEATER PREVIEW
‘Over the Rainbow’ returns to Tufts
Check out Jumbo Slice, the Tufts Daily blog, for an inside look into the fifth annual “Over the Rainbow: Defying Adversity to Benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS” and sneak peek video of students rehearsing for the show. Taking place tomorrow, the cabaret, silent auction and raffle event is sponsored by the Department of Drama and Dance, Health Services, Torn
Ticket II, Pen, Paint and Pretzels, Bare Bodkin and the Leonard Carmichael Society. The auction begins tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. in the Aidekman lobby, followed by the cabaret at 8 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater. Tickets are free, and are available at the Aidekman Box Office. —by Justin McCallum
courtesy of The Weinstein Company/twcpublicity.com
Brad Pitt stars as Jackie Cogan, an emotionally complex hit man struggling to survive the 2008 economy. Softly” frequently focuses on contrasts and ironies. What mostly prevents “Killing Them Softly” from being another mindlessly violent gangster movie is its not-so-subtle subtext of American politics. Political dialogue from President Bush and other governmental figures appears throughsee KILLING, page 6
Thrift Shoppin’
’m digging, I’m digging, I’m searching right through that luggage/ One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come up.” Macklemore’s self-deprecating humor is spot on in his hit “Thrift Shop,” in which he raps for an entire three minutes and 55 seconds about the art of thrifting and sifting through piles of old clothes for the Velcro sneakers or fox fur coat he might discover there. Some frequent thrift shops on Friday afternoons, right before a themed party. For others, thrifting is an economical, standard way to shop for clothes. Environmentally speaking, thrift shopping grants a consumer the thrill of getting something “new” without the guilt that accompanies an immense carbon footprint, fast-fashion labor or non-recyclable materials. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it became cool to spend hours in a Goodwill, but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that in the past three and a half years since I arrived at Tufts, Davis Square has witnessed its own come-up in the thrift shop vein. What started as a consignment shop called Poor Little Rich Girl, which sported a selection of college-friendly styles like Zara and J.Crew, changed to Found a little more than a year ago. It might be easy to think that the store underwent a makeover, but in fact, Found is an entirely new store with different owners and a radically different offering of clothes. I find Found to be a curious place. The display table models YSL taboo pumps and the front racks feature Chanel tweeds and silk blouses to the tune of $1200 and $250, respectively. All the designer mainstays like Prada, Gucci and Burberry are present, as are slightly quirkier European designers like Dries Van Noten. Not only are the items extremely expensive, especially by a college-budget standard, but they’re also very high fashion and perhaps less than Somerville practical. I seriously wonder who here would buy a pink studded Versace gown, circa the Giani days. There are a few items mixed in that would appeal to a 20-something’s taste, but not too many. Re-wearing exorbitantly expensive designer threads is laudable, but this store caters more to either a working woman or man who makes the trek from Boston to check out the impressive selection, or a Somerville local who has a honed eye for design. Of course, the Buffalo Exchange that opened up across the street has found instant fandom amongst Tufts students. Another consignment store, Buffalo Exchange falls more in the thrift shop vein than does Found, and it hovers around a much more affordable price point. And trust me, there’s some serious digging to be had, what with the racks upon racks of tees, skirts and dresses in the multi level store. I was shocked to find a pair of Agent Provacteur red patent leather pumps — from the extremely expensive, fetishistic lingerie line — for $30. Other finds were Lilly Pulitzer silk tops and BCBG knit dresses. There’s a wide selection of menswear here, but the womenswear still takes up most of the floor space. There are no fur coats in sight, but a pretty impressive array of weird sunglasses in every shape and color makes for a cheap thrill. And then we arrive at the Mecca of thrifting for a Davis Square frequenter: Goodwill. Filled to the brim with stuff — I say stuff because it’s not just clothes we’re talking about here — there is a sheer abundance of anything you could ever need. The floor space is enormous with two full levels of merchandise, all for dirtcheap prices. You can find any brand under the sun here, and unlike the repetitive monotony of mall-shops, what you’re going to find is usually one-of-a-kind. As Macklemore points out in his song, there is something extremely gratifying about sorting through a rack of unsightly velour sweaters to come across a diamond in the rough — a vintage tee shirt or the perfect ugly Christmas sweater. If our generation appreciates anything about clothes, it’s usually the grungy cool irony in them. Thrifting screams, “I have time to find a good bargain while still looking fly. Plus, I’m not ruining the environment while I’m at it.”
Elizabeth Landers is a senior majoring in political science. She can be reached at Elizabeth.Landers@tufts.edu
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6
Arts & Living
Monday, December 3, 2012
Restaurant Review
Algiers Coffee House remains idyllic off-campus eatery by
Melissa MacEwen
Daily Editorial Board
Looking for a new off-campus draw? Well, you just might find it in Cambridge’s Algiers Coffee House. Located at 40
Algiers Coffee House 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 492-1557 Price Range: $$ Brattle Street just a block or two from Harvard Square, Algiers exudes Old World, Bohemian charm that hearkens back to Cambridge’s days of yore. And this is no act of imitation — Algiers has been a local hot spot for more than 40 years, giving it plenty of time to cultivate its reputation. Algiers’ is a perfect cross between a cafe and a full-fledged restaurant. You can come for a meal — and can even rent out the top floor for events — or you can just as easily install yourself at a table for an afternoon study marathon. Either way, the menu’s versatility and the building’s atmosphere lend themselves to any occasion. Though its facade is modest, Algiers is positively lush on the inside. The two-story building has been gracefully decorated with a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flair. Tiny octagonal tables fill the roughly tiled floor, while paintings, etchings and mirrors line the vibrant red and goldenrod yellow walls. Hookahs are proudly
Sushiesque via Flickr Creative Commons
Falafel with fries is one of Algiers’ signature dishes.
Courtney Greene via Flickr Creative Commons
Algiers’ Middle Eastern ambiance makes for a cozy meeting spot. on display, and the upper level features a surprisingly complete selection of books. There is even a small open-air patio that looks out over the Brattle Street side. The focal point, however, is a gorgeous chandelier that hangs from the second story’s ceiling all the way down to the first level through a hole in the floor. Once you take a seat, the mystique continues. The Zagat rated food generally isn’t too expensive, but do be careful what you order — pricey drinks and side dishes can easily push a bill higher than you might expect. Still, it’s worth it. Algiers serves a full continental breakfast all day long that includes eggs, fresh juice, bagels, yogurt and croissants, but its more traditional Mediterranean food is definitely the main draw. The fresh lentil soup with its accompanying lemon wedge and basket of pita slices is a highlight, as is the falafel found under the “Specialties” section, which comes with
Tedeschi Trucks Band wows Boston TEDESCHI
continued from page 5
from soulful on her touching rendition of “Angel from Montgomery” to howling and full of fury on the fiery cover of Bobby Bland’s “That Did It.” The latter song also showcased her skills as a guitar player when she took a solo that culminated in a fierce flurry of notes, proving she wasn’t going to quietly sit back and let Trucks provide all the band’s guitar firepower. However, Tedeschi Trucks Band’s secret weapon is slide guitarist Derek
Dan O’Leary / The Tufts Daily
Derek Trucks’ slide guitar playing was a marvel to behold.
Trucks, who remained humble on stage but wowed the near-capacity crowd with incendiary solos. Trucks’ guitar playing is a marvel to behold. He incorporates numerous styles into his own while contributing lyrical guitar lines that blend flawlessly with Tedeschi’s vocals. Trucks is by no means a showy player, and he remained part of the background for many songs while other members got their turn to be highlighted. But when his time came, the stoic guitarist would stand nearly still while he unleashed aweinspiring solos that seemed to soar over the music, resulting in a huge ovation from the crowd after each one. Trucks’ humility is an important reason as to why this band works so well, since his guitar is never the dominant aspect of the concert. During Thursday’s performance, the band came across as a cohesive unit, rather than a superstar duo (Tedeschi and Trucks) with backing musicians. Trucks’ leadership and willingness to give each member equal opportunities to solo almost gave the sense that he was directing a jazz ensemble. This variety paid off and gave the concert a dynamic feel, with the onstage configuration changing often between songs and various members getting the chance to front the band for a bit. One particular highlight was when bassist George Porter Jr. took a turn at lead vocals, ripping the band through a funk-filled cover of The Meters’ “Ain’t No Use” that led to one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night. The interplay between members of the band was a joy to watch throughout the night as members traded riffs and passed around solos. After finishing with a joyful finale of “Sweet Inspiration,” the band left the crowd in high spirits and eagerly anticipating what the future will bring for the rising Tedeschi Trucks Band.
an array of accompaniments, a salad and a side of fries. The falafel sandwich is a treat as well, to be sure, but serving just the falafel on a platter gives the customer more of an opportunity to mix and match sides. Besbousa, a Middle Eastern dessert composed of a sweet cake soaked in syrup, is one of the stronger dessert options, along with Algiers’ fresh, tangy baklava. Besbousa, which can be ordered either a la carte or from Algiers’ pastry case on the first floor, is syrupy-sweet, belying the fact that it’s little more than farina and sugar. Still, drinks are by far the coffee house’s strongest menu point, probably due to the eatery’s pressure to maintain its reputation as a laid-back meeting spot. Algiers has a wide variety of both expected and surprising coffee shop drinks, including hot chocolate with whipped cream, frappes and iced drinks and assorted teas by the pot. The deliciously bold Arabic
coffee is of particular note; it arrives piping hot in a kanata and is prepared with cardamom for a spicy bite. Algiers also features six varieties of syrup-based Italian sodas, ranging from tried-and-true Grenadine to Tamarindo (tamarind) and Orzata (almond). Finally, the restaurant sells a small selection of alcoholic beverages, including red and white wines, beer, port, sherry, vermouth and champagne. Open every day from 8 a.m. to midnight, Algiers is a mere two T stops away from campus. Perfect as a study spot, or for the starting or ending point of an evening, the coffee house’s casual charm makes it an ideal off-campus eatery. Though service can be a bit hit-or-miss with a handful of rather unfriendly staff, whether you go there to work, to grab a drink before a show or to enjoy the atmosphere and eat some falafel, Algiers is bound to have something to satisfy you.
‘Killing Them Softly’ polarizes KILLING
continued from page 5
out the film as background noise, popping up on the radio and on TV. Setting the film during the 2008 elections gives Dominik numerous opportunities to criticize American politics by juxtaposing snippets of the candidates’ platforms and violent scenes of greed. While most gangster films inject these themes simply by showing violence in America, Dominik leaves no room for doubt, and it sometimes feels a bit forced. This overt reference to American politics was not in the original novel, but was added in by Dominik who, perhaps, felt it was a necessary addition after the 2012 elections. Thankfully, this does not distract from the enjoyable story and great character interactions. Thus, Dominik also makes the film accessible to those viewers who may not have picked up on its critical analysis of modern politics, however blatant this analysis may have been. That said, the violence in “Killing Them Softly” is grittily realistic, and it is also
darn entertaining. The sound effects of punches and crunching bones are unlike anything other films have offered, and it seems as if Dominik has found the best way to audibly convey these actions onscreen. One scene is particularly entrancing in its violence and beauty. In it, two “musclemen” interrogate Markie (Liotta) about his involvement with the robbery, giving him a good beating as well. The dynamic camera movement, the light reflecting off the rain to form cords of light suspended in mid-air and the sound of fists hitting a face create something exquisitely horrendous. Furthermore, the cinematography is spot-on throughout the entire film, much like last year’s gangster neonoir film “Drive” (2011). Both of these stunning films are rich in dialogue and extremely violent when they need to be. Much like “Drive,” “Killing Them Softly” is also likely to polarize its audience. For some it will be too slow-paced, too violent or too political, but for others it will be realistic, necessarily violent and overall a great cinematic experience.
courtesy of The Weinstein Company / twcpublicity.com
Newcomers Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn provide some of the film’s powerful, humorous dialogue.
The Tufts Daily
Monday, December 3, 2012
Doonesbury
by
Garry Trudeau
Non Sequitur
by
7
Comics Crossword
Wiley
friday’s Solution
Married to the Sea
www.marriedtothesea.com
SUDOKU Level: Seeing someone you know at Tisch
Late Night at the Daily Friday’s Solution
Falcon: “Nina, do you just get a good deal for chipper on Amazon or something?”
Please recycle this Daily.
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Editorial | Letters
Monday, December 3, 2012
Editorial
Athletics not root of Armstrong’s honorary degree
After a recent report from the U.S Anti-Doping Agency all but confirmed that champion cyclist and testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong engaged in illegal doping during his run of seven Tour de France titles — titles that were subsequently voided — many of his former sponsors have distanced themselves from an athlete who, for over a decade, was a role model worldwide. Now Tufts has joined the mass exodus of former Armstrong supporters. In late November, the university announced that its Honorary Degree Committee, with unanimous support from the Board of Trustees, had revoked the Doctor of Humane Letters degree Armstrong received at Tufts’ Commencement ceremony in 2006. “The Board concluded that ... Mr. Armstrong’s actions as an athlete are inconsistent with the values of Tufts University,” wrote University President Anthony Monaco in an e-mail sent to the Tufts community on Nov. 19. The university’s decision to strip Armstrong of his honorary degree is understandable from a public relations
standpoint. And the Board of Trustees is right to say that Armstrong’s actions as an athlete conflict with Tufts’ values. But the decision to strip Armstrong of his degree based on his actions as an athlete is inconsistent with the reason the cyclist received his honorary degree from Tufts in the first place — at least according to what then-University President Lawrence Bacow said in his speech introducing Armstrong at Commencement in 2006. According to Bacow, the reasons Tufts was giving the cyclist an honorary degree had very little to do with Armstrong’s performance on a bicycle. “Your candor about your fight to overcome cancer elevates awareness, inspires important research, and unites a legion of band-wearing LIVESTRONG believers who share your conviction that cancer can and will be beaten,” Bacow said. The most inspiring aspect of Armstrong’s career was his message of perseverance. And although this message of overcoming cancer to become an athletic champion has become tainted by the mounting evidence that
the cyclist doped during his career, the inspiration and influence Armstrong has been a part of lives on. Through the LIVESTRONG Foundation (formerly the Lance Armstrong Foundation), Armstrong has raised millions of dollars for cancer research, pushed through many cancer research bills and grants and served as a hero for survivors and those battling cancer. Regardless of the vacated Tour de France titles, the evidence of doping or Armstrong’s tenuous future as an influential figure, these contributions remain significant. It is impossible to know whether Armstrong would have achieved nearly as much of a profound impact on the cancer community had he not doped during his career. But, regardless, his Tufts degree was not awarded for his accomplishments as an athlete. The honorary degree was given because of Armstrong’s legacy of inspiration, because of the research he’s catalyzed and the money he has raised for care and support — all values that are absolutely consistent with the values of Tufts University.
Jehan Madhani
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Off the Hill | University of South Florida
Political differences must be settled before fiscal cliff by
The Oracle Editorial Board The Oracle
As the year comes to an end and the holidays quickly approach, there is a lingering shadow over the cheer and jolly that has reinstated the political banter of election campaigning. The shadow is the upcoming “fiscal cliff” that will follow the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year’s Day. Unless both sides of the political aisle can agree on a deficit plan to prevent the federal government from going over the metaphorical cliff, the country will face automatic budget cuts to the defense budget and programs such as Medicare and the Federal Pell Grant Program — an important issue for students to pay attention to. These changes are a direct result of the Budget Control Act of 2011 going into effect — the
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.
congressional response to the country nearing the debt ceiling and not coming to a compromise on whether to raise it or not — and the expiration of tax cuts passed during George W. Bush’s time in office. Just as tempers raged in the months leading up to the election, lawmakers continue to prove that bipartisan antics hindering productivity have just as much of a stronghold on the political landscape afterward — even in the face of economic turmoil. The primary issue is how the government plans to raise revenue, and definitions of revenue generation differ across the political spectrum. To do this, our lawmakers are faced with a choice. On one side, the tax rates can be raised for those who make more than $250,000, and tax loopholes can be closed to increase revenue, leaving the amount of spending the same.
On the other side is the notion that cutting spending on government programs and extending Bush-era tax cuts would be the best solution. Both of the ideologies make logical sense. The only question is which plan is easier for the United States to predict the turnout of after it is implemented. Lawmakers should be working together to find a solution, instead of making “Taxpayer Protection Pledges” not to raise rates, a tactic spearheaded by conservative figure Grover Norquist. This pledge is a childish way for legislators to go about avoiding a compromise. Regardless, the fate of the country’s economy and the lives of students relies on the ability of Congress and the president to come to a compromise, which is literally impossible if the climate of bipartisan arguing continues.
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Monday, December 3, 2012
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Op-Ed
Off the Hill | Harvard University
Neena Kapur | The IT Ambassador
Achieving an AIDS-free Generation
by
Aleeza H. Hashmi Harvard Crimson
Imagine an AIDS-free generation. This could happen, but only if we take the necessary steps at this moment. This summer, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed that the United States would maintain its commitment to provide the funding and resources needed to achieve this historic milestone at the 2012 International AIDS Conference. Dec. 1 marks the 34th World AIDS Day. Although it is important to commemorate the millions of lives that have been lost to HIV/AIDS, it is even more crucial to recognize that this single day represents a greater movement to eventually end AIDS altogether. Impending sequestration cuts that could be enacted in January threaten the possibility of an AIDS-free generation. Despite challenges combating a disease that continuously changes and adapts within the host cells of patients, recent research indicates that it may be possible to control the transmission of HIV. The HPTN 052 study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used a randomized clinical trial to understand whether antiretroviral treatment, a combination of drugs already used to treat HIV, could prevent sexual transmission of HIV among couples in which one member was HIV-positive. Remarkably, the study
demonstrated that ATRVs as a form of treatment is actually a form of prevention: The uninfected partner does not contract the virus. By providing patients with treatment, transmission of the virus can be stopped. As a result of Congress’ failed attempt to come up with a fiscal solution to last year’s debt-ceiling crisis, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was enacted to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion in the next decade (starting this January). Different sectors will be impacted differently by the cuts, but all will be hurt, and small programs will get hit the hardest. For example, sequestration will be disastrous to health research, an area that already struggles with receiving adequate funding. A 7.8 percent sequester is to be enacted for agencies such as the National Institute of Health, which will lose $2.4 billion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ($444 million), and the National Science Foundation ($538 million). On the whole, discretionary funding is projected to decline by $39 billion. In addition, global health funding will be slashed by 8.4 percent across the board. This reduction is estimated to result in an increase of global AIDS-related deaths by more than 60,000. Nearly 275,000 people will be left without AIDS treatment and services. Although the Budget Control Act was presented last year, there is still the possibility for Congress to enact another
solution by January — a solution that would not put lives at risk. The fight against HIV/AIDS is perhaps the single bipartisan issue of our time. Lauded by Bill Clinton as a legacy of the Bush administration, U.S. efforts to combat AIDS both at home and abroad must continue, even in the most pressing of economic times. Congress should take decisive steps to ensure that the United States remains an undisputed leader in the fight against AIDS. The fiscal challenge cannot be used as an excuse to slash domestic and global programs that are keeping patients alive. In the United States alone, the onslaught of devastating sequestration would bring life-saving research to a halt and leave thousands of people without the medicine they depend on for survival. The time to fight the AIDS epidemic is now. In recent years, tremendous progress has resulted from research, prevention, and treatment initiatives funded by the federal budget. These allowances comprise a tiny portion of the federal budget relative to defense spending and tax breaks. As of Sept. 30, the U.S. directly supported nearly 5.1 million people on antiretroviral treatment through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. This is a three-fold increase in four years, up from 1.7 million in 2008. We cannot afford to undercut this progress by defunding domestic and global programs.
Off the Hill | University of Missouri
Pink unicorns are real, Mr. Norquist
by
Ben Turner
The Maneater
In 1954, while recovering from back surgery, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy began to write a book. It was a study of eight U.S. senators and their thenunpopular decisions that they thought were right for America. It won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize and helped raise Kennedy’s national profile. The book began with a quote from English statesman Edmund Burke: “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” Today, there is an epidemic of lawmakers sacrificing their judgment not to public opinion, but only one man: Grover Norquist. You may be asking yourself, as President George H.W. Bush did in an interview with Parade Magazine, “Who the hell is Grover Norquist, anyway?” He is a colorful anti-tax crusader whose group Americans for Tax Reform maintains a “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” Washington’s version of a blood oath. Any politician who signs it risks the wrath of Norquist and his extensive network of allies if he votes to raise tax rates or eliminate deductions at all for the rest of his career. It sounds more like a mafia hit list than a tool for tax reform. After decades of skulking in the back alleys of Washington with shady characters like lobbyist Jack Abramoff, he burst on the national stage with the debt-ceiling crisis last year. His pact, signed by almost every Republican in Congress, almost prevented the United States from paying their debts. Now he’s back in the spotlight again with the coming “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and spending cuts, which is about to hit the economy hard. His obstruction of a potential deal has brought anti-Norquist sentiment to a head. Former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson said he wanted Norquist to drown in a bathtub. That’s a reference to Norquist’s idea that government should be “down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.” Peter King, one of the Republicans who has denounced the pledge, said this of Norquist in response to his insults
MCT
against King’s wife: “He better hope he doesn’t [meet my wife]. She’ll knock his head off.” Clearly, things are getting ugly. Amidst all the ugliness, Republicans are slowly beginning to back away from Norquist and his ilk. They do this despite the threat of being “primaried” by more conservative opponents and the all-powerful Norquist. Seven prominent congressional Republicans — Sens. Tom Coburn, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham and Lamar Alexander, and Reps. Peter King and Tom Cole, among others — have come out against the pledge in recent days. They offer a modern-day profile in courage, willing to stand up against their party and this hooligan and do the right thing for the country. Norquist maintains that he’s not worried. After all, he’s been Washington’s chief obstructionist for
20 years and has a pretty good success rate. Take his response to Lindsey Graham: “If you had a pink unicorn, how many dollars in taxes would you raise to trade for the pink unicorn? Since pink unicorns do not exist in the real world, it’s never occurred to me to worry about the senator from South Carolina.” These courageous congressmen can’t do it alone. Neither can President Barack Obama, who said on Wednesday: “I can only do it with the help of the American people ... Do what it takes to communicate a sense of urgency.” He requested that people call their congressman, just as they did last summer. Let’s get on it. Let’s mobilize in support of these profiles in courage and show Mr. Norquist that he should be really worried. Let’s show him pink unicorns are real.
Stop the net grab
T
oday, Dec. 3, marks the beginning of the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12), convened by the International Telecommunications Unions (ITU) of the United Nations. And, though this conference may seem like just another UN meeting, there is a lot at stake. The future of the Internet as a global entity is being debated, and many negative ramifications could result. In the crosstalk leading up to the conference, several concerning features of the conference were highlighted, and various countries, as well as members of the private sector, have openly expressed their disapproval of the topics being discussed. In November, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) launched a “Stop the Net Grab” campaign to bring attention to the troubling matters at hand and to alert the UN General Secretary to a number of risks. The first concern is the nature of the conference itself. Because decisions regarding the Internet have always followed a multistakeholder approach — where businesses, governments, researchers and non-governmental organizations participate in dialogue about Internet-related issues — any change to the Internet affects the public sector, private sector and the general public. However, the conference is operating under a troubling lack of transparency, and is not allowing voices from any civil society engagements to be heard. This means that big players in Internet allocation and regulation, such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the Number Resource Organization, will not be included in this decision-making process. Not only is this straying from the inclusive, multi-stakeholder path of the UN that its Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon established, but it also creates an unsettling closed-door environment in a supposedly multilateral organization. The second concerning aspect of the conference is the fact that the current, decentralized and multi-stakeholder approach to regulating the Internet will be contested. The purpose of the conference is to revise the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), which is a binding global treaty that previously established principles of global interconnectedness through the Internet. According to the ITUC official website, the following changes to the ITRs would occur if the new regime, proposed by the ITU, is adopted: Government restriction of information distributed throughout the Internet; creation of a global regime to monitor Internet communications; requirement that the Internet be only used in a “rational” way; and the governmental capability to shut down the Internet if there is a belief that the internal affairs of the state are at risk. Though, as primary opposition to the WCIT, the ITUC may have exaggerated these changes, the overarching themes are that the Internet will not longer be controlled through a multi-stakeholder model, and governments will play a much more significant role in Internet regulation. There are merits to the proposal, as it makes an effort to address the increasing threat cyber attacks pose for a country’s internal grid system, but it does not do an effective job in maintaining freedoms while making necessary security changes. The US Department of Commerce released a statement on Friday advocating against the ITU agenda: “We have and will continue to advocate for an Internet that is not dominated by any one player of group of players, and one that is free from bureaucratic layers that cannot keep up with the pace of change.” The WCIT’s confused agenda and closeddoor nature poses a serious problem to the future of Internet regulation. A multi-stakeholder approach has enabled the Internet to succeed as a medium of communication and information sharing, and this inclusive and transparent approach should not be changed under any circumstance. Stop the net grab, ITU, and preserve the Internet. Neena Kapur is a sophomore majoring in international relations and computer science. She can be reached at Neena.Kapur@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.
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For Rent - 6 Room 4 Bedroom Apartment. Walk across the street to campus. Washer, dryer and internet. Call 617-625-3021. Avail June 2013
4 bedroom apartment available June 2013. Parking, yard, laundry & huge basement. $3000.00/month. Located on Chetwynd Street - 2 minute walk to campus. Call 617666-1318 or email natalie@gpmanagement.com
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Hu and Dubois lead way for Jumbos
Jumbos take fourth at highly competitive meet
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING continued from back
swimmers are at the peak of their first cycle of training hard and then shaving and tapering, whereas the Tufts swimmers will only be able to go through the cycle once — right before NESCACs. Both the Engineers and the Owls have strong teams and high caliber swimmers, and the Tufts swimmers welcomed the chance to race against stiffer competition. “It’s good for us to be around strong teams in a championship-like setting,” senior cocaptain Amelia Rapisarda said. “It’s a good experience.” The Jumbos were pleased with the outcome of the meet, especially on the heels of the strong meet against Wellesley. “We did very well, considering we had such a great meet with Wellesley, Bigelow said. “It’s hard to be on with two meets so close together.” The Jumbos are also hoping to carry the momentum from the two recent meets into their winter training program and into the heart of the season next semester. “We have a lot of work to do but a lot of potential for next semester,” Rapisarda said. “We had a good start to the season, though, in terms of both times and spirit.”
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING continued from page 12
Scott Tingley / Tufts Daily Archives
Senior KJ Kroetch helped the 400-yard medley relay team finish eighth as Tufts finished second at MIT amid tough competition.
formance by Tufts’ swimmers. Though the meet was filled with strong teams, Tufts still managed to finish above Wheaton, Bowdoin and Colby. “The swims this weekend were some of the fastest I’ve seen in my three years at Tufts,” junior Kyle Savidge said. “And the season is only halfway done.” Host MIT took first place with 1,445 points, with Keene St. and Harvard finishing out the top three. Tufts also benefited from the performances of several other underclassmen, as well as the times of the various relay teams. In fact, freshman Michael Winget captured the only other top-five finish on the weekend when he took fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.87. “I was really excited to swim at this meet,” Winget said. “The team has been training very hard and we all knew we were going to swim at our best. During the meet, I saw all of my teammates swimming their hardest, and that really motivated me to swim my best.” In the relays, Winget and
DeBenedetto combined with junior Drew Berman and sophomore John Devine to finish fifth in the 400-yard medley relay, while Berman, Wignet, Devine and junior Eric Douglas finished fourth in the 200-yard medley relay. “At the meet, whenever anyone swam fast it really motivated me to swim fast as well, especially on the relays which were really big for us at this meet,” Winget said. “It was a fast, competitive meet and I believe everyone really stepped up and performed.” In diving, defending national champion junior Johann Schmidt came in second to Harvard senior Michael Stanton in both the one- and ghthree-meter dives, marking a rare loss for the veteran. The result was even more surprising considering that Stanton only placed third at the Ivy League Championships last year and did not challenge for the NCAA title. The MIT Invitational was the last meet for the men’s team this semester, and the team will now go through its annual winter break training trip. They will return to action on Jan. 19 when they head back to MIT.
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Monday, December 3, 2012
The Tufts Daily
11
Sports Jordan Bean | Sacked
Who’s really to blame?
A
Josh Berlinger / Tufts Daily Archives
Sophomore guard C.J. Moss had 19 points on the weekend, but the Jumbos suffered two stinging defeats at the Lopata Classic in St.
Late-game comebacks hand Jumbos two losses MEN’S BASKETBALL continued from back
good team,” senior co-captain forward Scott Anderson said. “We knew we had to come out of half time and hit them in the face first.” Four 3-pointers from sophomore guard Ben Ferris, along with six points and six rebounds from Anderson in the second half was the momentum behind a powerful punch from the Jumbos. After a jumper from Folliard with seven minutes to go, Tufts had its largest lead of the game, 56-48. From there though, they were unable to stave off the Titans counterattack. They went on an 11-3 run to tie the game with three minutes to go, and even tough a three from Ferris put Tufts back on top 62-59, three free throws from the Titans tied the game back up with two minutes to play. Finally, a layup from senior center Kevin Reed with a little over one minute to go put the Titans up, and from there they cruised to a 72-61 win. As the clock wound down, head coach Bob Sheldon was given back to back technical foul calls and was ejected with 26.9 seconds left to play. “Once they got a couple buckets, we got nervous,” Moss said. “Once we got
nervous, we stopped playing our defense, and then they started scoring. And once they started scoring, we started rushing things on offense, and then they just jumped on us and really killed us.” With the loss, Tufts was relegated to the consolation game on Saturday, and a matchup with Wilmington College. However, the energy for the team was not quite the same. “[Our morale] was lowered, to be honest,” Anderson said. “We thought we deserved that win and we let it slip away. No one wants to play in a consolation game.” Wilmington was able to take advantage of a frustrated Tufts’ team and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. However, Tufts stormed right back with seven points of their own, and the teams spent the rest of the first half going back and forth, with a buzzer beater putting Wilmington up 31-30 to end the half. The second half, for the first nine minutes, looked the same as the first, with the score tied 44-44 with 11 minutes to go. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Moss put Tufts up 4, and the Jumbos continued to cling to a slim lead until a lay-up put the Quakers up 1, 60-59 with under three minutes to play. However, Moss returned the favor
to give the Jumbos the lead. But in the last two minutes, Wilmington rattled off seven straight points to give them a 67-61 win, and send the Jumbos home with the weight of two blown leads. “Once again, we played well for a good 35 minutes, and then the last five minutes of the game we just choked,” Moss said. “It was tough. We really need to buckle down and play even more disciplined at the end of the game,” Anderson added. “Instead, we tend to get flustered. We need to learn to settle down, play our game and trust in our teammates and the system.” Despite now riding a three-game losing streak, there is still cause for optimism, as two of those losses have come against top-10 teams, and no loss has been by more than 10 points. The team is focusing now on how to close out games late, as they know that each of their losses has been decided by a couple of missed plays at the end of games. “Late in the game, whether we’re up by eight or down by eight, everybody needs to step up,” Moss said. “Individuals just need to execute the offense, play tough defense, whatever it is, they just have to do it to the best of their abilities.”
Dominant post play sends Tufts to easy victory WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued from back
lar was really killing us. We figured it out, but that first half wasn’t our best defense.” Despite the early struggles, the Jumbos were well aware of what needed to change in the second half, even before coach Carla Berube talked to them in the halftime locker room. “There wasn’t much to say — we knew what we were doing wrong,” Rocchi said. “We were kind of sluggish, we weren’t doing much with our defense, and our defense really feeds into our offense.” The result was two halves that ended up looking like night and day. After shooting 36.4 percent in the first half, the Pride managed just 26.9 percent from the field in the second half. Marro was held to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting, and Tufts gave up just six offensive rebounds on 22 opportunities. Tufts was also able to accomplish more on offense in the second half, as the team slowly figured out the Regis zone defense. Up three with a little over 15 minutes to go, the Jumbos began to utilize an inside-out game to create opportunities. Sophomore guard Hannah Foley and junior guard Liz Moynihan hit shots to stretch the lead to eight, and then graduate student Kate Barnosky — who struggled for much of the day — created a mini run of her own, hitting two 3-pointers in quick succession to stretch the lead to 14.
“Just figuring out where the weaknesses in the zone were took awhile,” sophomore forward Hayley Kanner said. “We had a huge height advantage, so once we put it into the post more, it would open up our shooters, and we were able to move the ball around a lot more.” From there, the result was never again in doubt. Tufts dominated the boards and was able to use that to consistently create enough points on offense to hold off Regis. The Jumbos had nine offensive rebounds and a plus-five rebound margin after the break. Tufts was capable of controlling the game due to a large size advantage. Highlighted by the 6-foot-2 Kanner, the Jumbos are currently starting a lineup with four players that are at least 5-foot-9, one of the team’s tallest in recent years. Foley continued her breakout sophomore campaign with 15 points and eight rebounds, but Kanner was the difference maker on Saturday, with 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Kanner proved she was a defensive force last year, leading the NESCAC in blocks per game, but struggled at times on the offensive side, averaging only five points. This year, she seems to have figured it out, setting a career high on Saturday while scoring in double digits for the second straight game. “I worked on my offense in the offseason, but I think, much like the team, my energy comes when I’m playing great defense,” Kanner said. “My teammates are
great about finding me in the post when I’m open, but what I think is great about our offense this year is how versatile we are both in the post and with shooters. It’s really whatever’s open, and yesterday we had the height advantage.” Rocchi also appears to be looking more comfortable after returning from a seasonlong knee injury last year. In just 14 minutes on the floor, she compiled seven points and seven rebounds, many of which came during Tufts’ key second-half run. “It takes some time to get adjusted, and playing on a team like ours definitely helps,” Rocchi said. “When there are great athletes surrounding you, it makes you want to get better. Over time, the team as a whole is just going to keep getting better.” With the victory, the Jumbos improve to a perfect 6-0 to start the season. They conclude their pre-winter break schedule with a busy week that includes games on Tuesday at Emerson College, Thursday at home to UMass-Boston and Saturday away to Bridgewater State. If Tufts can sweep the three, it will be the first time the team enters winter break undefeated since the 20072008 season, when the Jumbos made a run all the way to the Elite Eight. “I think non-conference games are a huge part of the season,” Rocchi said. “They bring us into winter break and are a chance for a big statement. A lot of these teams are inregion, and just because they aren’t ranked doesn’t mean they aren’t good.”
s I was scrolling through ESPN. com on Friday afternoon getting my daily sports fix, I stumbled upon a headline that said “David Stern: Sanctions Coming.” I rattled my brain trying to think of who deserved to be penalized based on recent activities, but could not come up with anything. The Celtics and Nets players involved in the brawl two days prior had already been reprimanded and there had, I thought, been no other major issues. Intrigued by the headline, I clicked. I spent the next five minutes reading through the column by Heat beat writer Brian Windhorst. The article was written on Stern’s comments regarding the San Antonio Spurs, who the previous night had sent three starters and a significant bench player back to San Antonio on a commercial flight before tip-off in Miami. The commissioner was quoted saying, “This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.” Personally, I fail to see which part of this decision was unacceptable. Was it that Gregg Popovich sent three of his aging stars home before their fourth game in five nights and sixth game of the road trip? On top of that, they had been scheduled to play a total of eleven away games in the month of November. It was announced later on Friday that the organization would be fined $250,000 by the league. The reasoning was that the Spurs had done a disservice to the league and acted in a way that was contrary to the best interests of the NBA. On a broader scale it may appear as though these allegations are true. Was it in the best interest of the NBA to have a marquee matchup in prime time devalued as it was? No, of course not. Television companies such as TNT pay good money to the league to broadcast these games. Fans at the game felt cheated because they paid a higher price for the showdown between these two top teams. But who’s really to blame for giving the players a night off? The NBA is not like Major League Baseball where a team spends multiple nights in one city before departing for the next. The NBA is a one-and-done league where, after completing one game, a team is shipped off to the next city. Instead of blaming Popovich for his actions, Stern should re-evaluate the scheduling of his league. Is it fair to ask a team to travel to four different cities in five nights and, each night, expect that the players are physically and mentally able to give the effort needed to win a professional basketball game? Popovich, in defense of his actions, said in his postgame press conference that the best interest of his team was his priority and he would make decisions that reflected this. The Spurs coach, in my opinion, has his priorities in the right place. I’ve heard before that if a coach starts managing like a fan, he will become one. Coaches are paid to make decisions that best allow their teams to compete for championships and, ultimately, this was Popovich’s motive. With a matchup looming against the league-leading Memphis Grizzlies at home, he wanted to ensure that his team would be fully prepared. It should be noted as well that the game was not lacking entertainment. It was startlingly close given the situation, with Miami ultimately prevailing 105-100. David Stern has set a dangerous precedent with this ruling. It is not his job to coach a basketball team. His title is commissioner, not coach. In the long run, a Thursday night matchup against the Heat in an 82-game season is trivial at best. Keep doing your job, David Stern, and let the coaches do theirs. Until then — you’re sacked!
Jordan Bean is a freshman who has yet to declare a major. He can be reached at Jordan.Bean@tufts.edu.
Sports
12
tuftsdaily.com
Women’s Basketball
Jumbos pull away from Regis to stay undefeated by
Ethan Sturm
Daily Editorial Board
After a weak first half, the No. 12 women’s basketball team found a rhythm late at home, outscoring WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (6-0, 0-0 NESCAC)
Men’s Basketball
Tufts loses weekend games in St. Louis by Jake Indursky
Daily Editorial Board
The focus for the men’s basketball coming out of last week’s showdown against top-ranked
Cousens Gym, Saturday
MEN’S BASKETBALL (3-5, 0-0 NESCAC) Lopata Classic at St. Louis, Mo., Saturday
Regis Tufts
Tufts 25 37 Ill. Wesleyan 29 42
28 23 29 44
— 51 — 73
Regis College by 21 points in the second half and earning its sixth straight victory, 73-51. The Jumbos’ typically elite defense struggled in the first half on Saturday. Regis’ sophomore guard Emilee Marro had her way with the home team early, shooting 4-for-9 from the field in the first half while getting to the foul line for another six free throws, all of which she converted. The end result was a 16-point, four-rebound half for Marro and just a one-point lead for Tufts at the break. When Regis scored to open the second half, it was the first time Tufts had trailed after halftime this year. “Our defense is our go-to, and it really wasn’t there yesterday in the first half,” junior forward Ali Rocchi said. “We usually hold teams to low scoring, and they were really getting a lot of shots off. One girl in particu-
Scott Tingley / Tufts Daily Archives
see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 11
Sophomore forward Hayley Kanner dominated the post on Saturday as Tufts used an inside-out attack to push past Regis in the second half.
— 62 — 71
at St. Louis, Mo., Friday Tufts 30 31 Wilmington 31 36
Women’s Swimming and Diving
— 61 — 67
MIT was on staying focused for a full 40 minutes of gametime. Apparently, though, that message has yet to hit home. After blowing two late leads in both their games in the Lopata Classic in St. Louis this past weekend, the men’s basketball team is sitting at a disappointing 3-5 on the year. The weekend started off with a game against No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan, who provided the Jumbos with their second straight challenge from a top10 team. Though the Jumbos have not had such a tough nonconference schedule in years past, facing top competition is starting to become the norm for the team.
“We knew we could compete with them, because we had just played with the best team in the country,” sophomore guard C.J. Moss said. “Our main thing for this game was just to play as hard as we could for all 40 minutes of the game.” Against MIT, the Jumbos allowed the opposition to get out to a quick start, and were forced to play catch-up the rest of the game. Friday was a different story, as Tufts kept the game close all the way through the first half. The Jumbos countered every Illinois Wesleyan basket with one of their own. With eight minutes to play in the first half, the Titans went on a 10-5 run to push their lead up to nine. However, the Jumbos, behind five points from junior forward Tommy Folliard, went on a 7-2 run of their own to close out the half and keep the game close. “When we played well, we did a lot of things right,” Moss said. “We held on to the ball, we executed well, defensively we got stops, we boxed out and we got rebounds.” Coming into the second half, the Jumbos refused to take their foot of the pedal. “We were all excited [in the locker room], but we didn’t forget that there was still a lot of time left and they were a very see MEN’S BASKETBALL, page 11
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Jumbos come in second Underclassmen step up for men’s at MIT Invitational swimming and diving team by
Claire Sleigh
Contributing Writer
Women’s swimming and diving finished off the semester strongly with a second-place result at this weekend’s MIT Invitational, improving on last year’s third-place showing. The Engineers captured a solid home victory at the tournament with a score of 1,347 — far ahead of Jumbos’ 647-point second-place finish. Keene State came in third, and Wheaton, Bowdoin, Colby and the Harvard diving squads also competed. Several swimmers posted personal-best times during the meet, and coach Nancy Bigelow was happy with the team’s performance. “I think people really surprised themselves,” Bigelow said. “People just said ‘go for it and see what happens,’ and people really did go for it.” The Jumbos remained strong in the breaststroke events, with junior Jenny Hu posting the highest Tufts finish with a second place in the 100-yard breaststroke. In fact, of the top 16 finishers in the 200-yard breaststroke, eight were Tufts swimmers. Bigelow highlighted junior Simonne Dubois, who dropped almost eight seconds off her time in the 200-yard breaststroke and was a motivation to the team throughout the meet. This is Dubois’ last meet for the year because she is going abroad next semester, and Bigelow was impressed with
the junior’s effort. “Everyone learned something positive from this weekend,” Bigelow said. “It’s just what Simone taught everyone, that if you continue working hard and believe in yourself, anything is possible.” The Jumbos also showed depth in the distance events, although less so than usual, possibly due to the fact that Tufts had just come off of a meet against Wellesley last Wednesday. Senior co-captain Christine Garvey came in fifth in the 1650-yard freestyle, her second of two top-five finishes. Sophomore Kathryn Coniglio posted her best time in the 100yard freestyle, which puts her in a good position going into the NESCAC championship season, according to Hu. Meanwhile, senior Ali Maycranz performed well on the 3-meter dive with a score of 201.20. She came in fifth place behind three Harvard divers. The women also had strong results compared to the two other NESCAC schools, Bowdoin and Colby. Bigelow stressed that Tufts’ performance among non-NESCAC schools should be analyzed differently at the beginning of the season. Because of strict NESCAC regulations, the Jumbos were unable to start official practice until Nov. 1, months after their rivals had begun practicing. Many of the MIT and Keene St. see WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING, page 10
by
G.J. Vitale
Daily Staff Writer
The men’s swimming and diving team finished in the middle of the field at this weekend’s MIT Invitational, taking fourth place out of seven teams, the same finish the team achieved at the event last season. But the story of the day was undoubtedly the performance of freshman Anthony DeBenedetto, who continued his strong start to the season and broke a seven-year-old team record in the 200-yard butterfly. “It had been a goal of mine to break the record by the end of the season,” DeBenedetto said. “But since I had been swimming pretty well this weekend, I decided to go for it.” DeBenedetto’s NCAA “B” qualifying mark of 1:52.09 was only good for fourth place at the invitational, but blew the previous Tufts mark of 1:54.27 out of the water. “Normally I don’t swim this well in-season, and I don’t usually come anywhere near my best times until my championship meet,” DeBenedetto said. “Coach Hoyt’s training is different from what I’m used to, but it’s definitely working for me, and allowed me to get personal life-time records in three individual events this weekend.” DeBenedetto’s performance belied a generally positive persee MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING, page 10
Scott Tingley / Tufts Daily Archives
Junior Kyle Savidge was a part of the sixth-placed 800-yard freestyle relay team as Tufts finished fourth at the MIT Invitational.