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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 55

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

ASAP, QSA push for ‘Rainbow Steps’ name change by

Abigail Feldman

Daily Editorial Board

Members of Tufts Action for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) and Tufts Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) last Sunday laid rainbow bricks along the steps located near Wren Hall, as part of a campaign to change the stairs’ name to the “Rainbow Steps.”

ASAP member Kumar Ramanathan explained that the student groups hoped to take a small step toward ending rape culture on campus by eliminating the steps’ controversial name.

“As we talked more and more about the way in which our culture normalizes rape and sexual assault, it was painfully obvious that this was a very, very obvious example of that on Tufts campus,” Ramanathan, a junior, said.

According to university lore, the steps, commonly referred to as the “Rape Steps,” were engineered to allow women to outrun male pursuers attempting to assault them.

Ramanathan said he first heard of the legend during his first couple weeks at Tufts and since then had continued thinking about the name.

“It was troubling to me, and it seemed to me that it was also troubling to a lot of people,” he said. “But that was just the cultural name.” see RAINBOW, page 2

Sadfie discusses artistic elements of architecture by

Roy Yang

Contributing Writer

As part of the 10th Margaret Henderson Floyd Memorial Lecture, the Department of Art and Art History and the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning last night hosted internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie. Safdie’s lecture, entitled “Humanizing Megascale,” touched on the issues of maintaining the human and artistic aspects of architecture in a world of heavily urbanized metropolises.

Safdie is an Israeli-Canadian urban architect and designer known for his work on the famous Habitat 67, a structure of 354 identical prefabricated concrete blocks arranged in complex ways and designed to retain density for the growing population.

Part of Safdie’s master’s thesis at McGill University, Habitat 67 is still considered ingenious today, he said.

However, the project — which was presented at the World’s Fair in Montreal — failed to see actual production due to what Safdie called “economic realties that surround us.”

Expanding on his first project, Safdie began the lecture by discussing the challenges of modern-day architecture.

The problem today is the extraordinary transformation of cities which has complicated the lives of urban dwellers, he said. Safdie’s central criterion in designing his creations was his idea of the ethic see SAFDIE, page 2

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

The new kosher deli, which officially opened for business yesterday afternoon, provides glatt kosher meal options with traditional New York style deli foods.

New campus kosher deli opens its doors by

Abigail Feldman

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts’ first kosher deli, originally slated for completion last spring, opened yesterday at 11 a.m. in the Jumbo Express storage space near the Mayer Campus Center.

Dining Services last fall announced plans for the take-out eatery, which offers traditional New York-style deli

foods for lunch and dinner.

Ashley Haldane, who manages the kosher program at Tufts, said the deli represents a step toward the expansion of kosher options for students who practice the dietary restriction. Students who keep kosher could previously only receive kosher meals at Tufts Hillel on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

“Tufts has been looking to expand the kosher program for a while, and I know

they’re eventually looking into building a building that’ll have a larger kosher dining variety — more like a dining hall,” Haldane said.

The menu currently contains lunch sandwiches, including pastrami and portabella mushroom, that can be served with a cold side, like potato salad, cole slaw or macaroni salad, Haldane said. see DELI, page 2

TDC rehearses for final performances

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Students in Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) yesterday prepared for their Dec. 7 performances during a dress rehearsal in Cohen Auditorium.

Inside this issue

Today’s sections

Tufts Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship provides a unique space for students to discuss their faiths.

The Daily talks to Will Forte about his new film, ‘Nebraska.’

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Op-Ed

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 11 Back

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News

Deli to accept meal plan for lunch, dinner DELI

continued from page 1

During dinner, students can choose to receive a hot side dish, such as potato latkes, potato knishes, kugal or baked beans, with their sandwich. All meals come with half-sour pickle spears.

“Our dinner menu is a little bit more unique and detailed than our lunch menu because we have different types of slaws and tapenade and purées that we put on top of our sandwiches, since we can’t have any dairy and cheese — anything like that,” Haldane said. “Eventually we want to get into doing more hot dinner entree items, but for now we’re going to stick to the traditional deli.”

Rabbi Avraham Kelman, who was present at the opening, will serve as the mashgiach, providing kosher supervi-

sion and opening and closing the deli each day.

“I just have to make sure that everything that comes in, particularly the meat, is [of ] the highest standard,” he said.

All food sold at the deli is glatt kosher, adhering to the strictest standards of kosher products, Kelman explained.

“We have lots of people here, and we want to be able to satisfy the most demanding kashrus taste,” he said.

The deli will be open this week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, for lunch options, according to Haldane. For the next two weeks before winter break, the eatery will be open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The deli will next semester assume regular hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Haldane noted that students can currently pay with cash and JumboCash, but next semester students will also be able to pay with credit cards or use meal swipes.

The deli held a preliminary opening for a few hours last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for lunch. During that time, deli workers received positive feedback, Haldane said.

“Everybody’s loved it,” she said. “I had one student who came three times in one day, and we were only open for three hours. Everybody seems to be really happy with everything [and] the quality of the meat.”

Sophomore Jason Brillon, who visited the deli yesterday, expressed enthusiasm about the new dining option on campus.

“It’s something that’s been in the works for a while, and it’s nice to see that there’s

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

actually a place on campus now where students can get kosher meat if they want it,” he said.

Although Haldane said that the limited space can be inconvenient, Kelman noted that the kitchen is state-of-the-art.

“This kitchen is a dream,” Kelman said.

“Half the caterers in town would love to have a kitchen like this, even though it’s small.”

Brillon believes the new deli could serve as a unifying dining place, not just amongst students who keep kosher, but for the entire campus.

“There was sort of a degree of separation between people who wanted to be able to eat kosher meat and the rest of the campus,” he said. “This provides an option where everybody, regardless of their limitations on what they can eat, can eat together.”

Rainbow bricks serve as visual cue for name change RAINBOW

continued from page 1

Ramanathan explained that the “Rape Steps” label helps to contribute to rape culture by trivializing experiences of rape and maintaining false perceptions about assault.

“It not only reduces this really real experience into a bad, insensitive joke, but it also erases the experiences that people have,” he said. “It’s tied to the crude social understanding of rape, which is that of male on female stranger rape in a dark alleyway at night.”

Junior Nathaniel Matthews, who is also an ASAP member involved in the project, explained that the idea to lay bricks came about as an alternative to more expensive and time-consuming options.

“First we emailed facilities and asked if we could paint the steps, and they said no because they thought the paint would come off really quickly,” Matthews said. “We asked them if they could build railings that we could paint.

They said no. It would cost way too much money.”

Instead, about fifteen students collaborated to paint and arrange the bricks along the steps. Matthews said that he has received substantial encouragement from current students and alumni after submitting an op-ed to the Daily, published on Monday.

According to Ramanathan, ASAP began talking about changing the name associated with the steps last year, but only this semester had the idea of using a visual element to reinforce the change. Matthews added that the group chose to color the steps like a rainbow because the symbol is prominent and visually appealing.

“We wanted to pick something that we thought would actually catch on,” Matthews said. “If we just put up a plaque or told people to call them the “Wren Steps” or something it wouldn’t be as appealing and as effective.”

Matthews added that the rainbow represented solidarity with the QSA community

and helped to dispel some of the myths perpetuated by the “Rape Steps” story.

“One of the reasons that the legend was so harmful was that it sort of reinforced the idea that rape is always a man raping a woman,” he said. “While that is the most common case, perpetrators and survivors could be of any identity or orientation. It’s especially hard for those people [of different identities] to seek help and resources if they need it.”

While ASAP and QSA members are unsure if the name will catch on, both Matthews and Ramanathan said they were hopeful the new label will stick.

“I have a selective view from my Facebook page, but there’s been overwhelming support,” Matthews said.

Ramanathan acknowledged that, eventually, the bricks will wear down and lose their coloring.

“We’re still trying to figure out a way to do this in a more permanent fashion but we really wanted to get the point across as soon as possible,” he said. “Every day that we continue to call these steps the ‘Rape Steps’ is just another tiny contribution to the normalizing and desensitizing of rape and sexual assault.”

Matthews added that the groups hope to help end the myth by stopping it at its source.

“As next year roles around, we want to see if we can get in touch with all of the orientation leaders, tour guides and pre-orientation leaders and ... show them the op-ed and say, ‘Most incoming freshmen hear this legend from you.

Can you please not spread it?’” he said.

Ramanathan emphasized the importance of critically examining campus life and challenging norms to overcome rape culture.

“None of us have any presumptions that this will begin the dismantling of rape culture at Tufts as we know it, but I think lots of little changes like this can really help,” he said. “And it’s really important for us to be active in examining the culture around us.”

via Wikimedia Commons

For the 10th Margaret Henderson Floyd Memorial Lecture, architect Moshe Safdie discussed his world renowned Habitat 67 structure, located in Montreal.

Safdie examines ethic of architecture in ‘Humanizing Megascale’ SAFDIE

continued from page 1

Nick Pfosi / The Tufts Daily

In an movement to change the stairs’ name to ‘Rainbow Steps,’ members of Tufts Action for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) and Tufts Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) last Sunday decorated the steps by Wren Hall with rainbow bricks.

of architecture.

“I think there exists the ethic of architecture,” Safdie said. “Some of its components are social art. It has a purpose. You build things for the intention of life in it, whether it’s a school, hospital or a civilian house. The purpose [of these buildings] is to resonate with the life indented in them, and this becomes their measure of success. If it is obvious to its program, then it is due for a short life.”

As Safdie discussed his works — from the titanic Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore to the Holocaust History Museum at Yad Vashem in Israel — he brought the focus back to the question of whether architecture can merge into a place and evolve with it.

Safdie said that architecture is material rather than imagery, adding that it is about tectonics and construction.

“Architecture is about experiencing space with material,” he said. “And this materiality becomes the language of architecture.”

Safdie pointed out that, more than the hilltops of Italy or the simple desert village in Iran, his main architectural inspirations arose from studying design and nature together. His main goal is to integrate the materials with the space given around it.

He then presented a slide of an x-ray of a dove’s wing, explaining that the extraordinary lattice of the wing allows for minimum weight and maximum strength. Safdie said that the interplay between nature’s ruthless selection and the beauty it creates captures his fascination with future architecture.

“The space frame of the dove’s wing, which evolved through fitness and natural selection, is exquisite,” Safdie said.

“Just imagine, architecture that can seasonably transform as plant life [does].

There is extraordinary potential for architecture to be much more responsive and these thoughts are extremely exciting to me in terms of their appreciation of the connection between fitness and beauty.

That connection between fitness and beauty seems to me the final analysis and profound question in architecture.”

Features

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Petar Todorov | Lab Notes

Probing the unknown

O

Shelby Carpenter for the Tufts Daily

Members of the Tufts Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship started meeting informally last spring to hold Bible studies, but now the group plans to enhance its programming to include community service activities.

Tufts Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship connects religion, college experience

by Sophie

Dasinger

Contributing Writer

Many students hope to continue their involvement with faith and fellowship in college, but find it challenging to make the connection between religion and other aspects of their college experience. Tufts Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship, a group geared toward students involved in Greek life or athletics, aims to provide a safe and supportive place for students to discuss religion and build a relationship between their faith and the rest of their experience at Tufts.

Because several other religious groups already exist on campus, however, some have questioned the necessity of a group for only athletes and members of Greek life.

The group, which began meeting last spring, is a relatively new addition to the Tufts community, according to sophomore Miriam Gladstone, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and the Tufts Christian Fellowship ( TCF).

Gladstone and several other members of TCF saw the need for a new place to discuss their faith with their teammates and fellow Greeks.

“A main part of starting the group was to bring some of the conversations and ideas and experiences that we were having within religious groups into our teams and Greek houses,” senior Ellen Gage, who is tri-captain of the swimming team, said. “We try to talk about how our faith affects our lives as Greeks and athletes.”

Oftentimes, a student’s relationships within a religious setting differ from those formed on a sports team or in a sorority or fraternity, according to tri-captain of the cross-country team Abby Barker.

“Coming into school freshman year, being in the [Tufts] Christian Fellowship and also being on the cross-country team ... there’s a lot of differences,” Barker, a senior, said.

“Those communities are very specific in the way you relate to people.”

Through open conversation, mem-

bers of the Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship discuss developing one’s faith while balancing other extracurricular activities. Other student religious groups, such as the Protestant Student Association (PSA), also host activities to develop one’s spirituality, like a Noon Day Prayer Service every Wednesday and a weekly Spiritual Formation group.

The Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship, however, does not cater to a specific denomination, unlike the PSA and the Catholic Community at Tufts. The group includes students of varying denominations, both Christian and non-Christian, according to Gage.

“We try to respect that and really be open to their questions and their perspectives on things,” she said.

As of now, the group is entirely student-run, although they will receive direction and guidance from University Chaplain Gregory McGonigle.

“The other chaplains and I are meeting with and supporting them as they go through this exploratory process,” McGonigle said.

Although the group was originally created with athletes and Greek life in mind, any student interested is welcome to attend meetings. According to Barker, few of the group’s members are exploring religious life elsewhere.

“I would say most of the people in the group are not otherwise involved in religious life,” she said.

Senior Jeremy Ho said that the Greek and Athlete Christian Fellowship aims to provide a tight-knit and welcoming environment that he believes other religious groups might lack.

“Comfort-zone wise, this is just going to a room to talk to other people,” Ho said. “Sometimes it may be a bit uncomfortable to jump into a huge group where you don’t really know a ton of people or you’re unfamiliar with the customs.”

Many members already knew each other because of involvement on sports teams and within Greek life, so the group has maintained a fairly

small membership.

“There’s been a consistent number of anywhere from five to 10 people who come in a given week,”Barker said.

Although it started out last spring as a Bible study, the group has hopes to expand its programming endeavors in the future.

“We ... have been starting to have more social and community-building events this semester,” Gladstone said.

The group recently hosted a brunch for its members and hopes to include community service activities in the future, according Gage.

Most likely, Gladstone said, these activities will occur alongside other student groups.

Meetings are currently held on a biweekly basis on Fridays and Sundays in Eaton Hall. At each meeting, the group discusses a Biblical passage of choice, according to Gage.

The same topics are discussed at both meetings, although students are welcome to attend both.

“We have a number of questions that we usually prepare ahead of time,” Gage said.

Barker pointed out that the group has gotten closer through these discussions.

“As it continues, it’s clear that people get to know each other better,” she said. “It’s been really great to see the discussions be a little more personal, and people feel like they can ask questions because they know everyone else there.”

Gage said that questions only serve as a general guideline for discussion since members also address faith-related questions that they can translate to their Greek and athletic communities.

“People just talk about the passage, whatever catches their eye, and we go from there,” Gage said. “It’s nice to be like, ‘I don’t really know, but we can talk about it.’”

Gladstone noted that the goal of these discussions is to foster a new community on campus.

“We come from our own individual communities but we’re trying to build one together,” she said.

n a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I visited the Library of Congress.

The interior lobby of the building is painted with various muses and inscriptions representing the categories of knowledge aggregated and maintained by the institution. One quote caught my eye: “Science is organized knowledge.” In the context of a library, cataloging and organizing research may be the goal of science. This is the case in most science classes at Tufts, where the products of a few 100 years of research are delivered in one semester. I’ve certainly subscribed to the protocol while writing a column for the Daily over the past couple of months — I organized the facts and distilled them to deliver the main point of esoteric concepts.

I also believe, however, that there is more to science than accumulating facts, laws and theories like a library. Science is about rationally probing the unknown; it is about research and, hopefully, discovery. Over the last five years I have worked on various research projects spanning biophysics, chemistry and synthetic biology. To me, the act of gathering data and exploring something new is much more exciting than reading a book or watching a documentary about it.

Tufts has been a phenomenal environment for this, and I believe more undergraduates should try it out. Our campus is full of accomplished and emerging investigators who are bound to leave a mark on humanity’s knowledge and understanding of nature. Cutting edge discoveries in drug delivery, long-term vaccine storage and metabolic engineering have emerged from David Kaplan, Fiorenzo Omenetto and Kyongbum Lee in the Biomedical, Chemical and Biological Engineering Departments.

The technology underpinning modern day genomic sequencing got its start in the Department of Chemistry in David Walt’s group. Work done in Mike Levin’s laboratory in the Department of Biology has pioneered the study of electricity and its importance to embryonic development. (I add that this is just a handful of examples. It is neither an exhaustive list of the amazing faculty here, nor an endorsement of the ones listed.)

So, how can one get started on research? If you’re interested in a particular field of study, getting in touch with the scientists working on that topic is the best and most direct way. Most researchers love to talk about their experiments and why they matter since the chance to speak to someone who isn’t involved in academia on these topics is not that common.

Emailing or dropping in during office hours is an excellent way to meet an investigator and get to know him or her. If you don’t have a particular direction, Tufts researchers occasionally give talks about their work, and all of their groups have websites that aim to present the big picture. Finally, a good way to find opportunities that are immediately available is to check TuftsLife postings.

What should an undergraduate expect to gain from their research experience? Prepare for failure. Science is about probing the unknown; it is navigation into uncharted seas, not a pleasant sail in littoral waters. Three out of the four projects I have worked on did not proceed as planned. Future work, however, did build on knowing what not to do. In my opinion, the most important lesson, which translates beyond the lab bench, is the analytical thought process and deep attention to detail that science demands from all investigators. This will remain long after one forgets how to set up a specific instrument and can apply to fields beyond research. With a liberal arts education, the sharp divide between science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors and other students should be blurred: Engineers could benefit from an arts history course, and philosophers could get to probe the world firsthand.

Petar Todorov is a senior who is majoring in chemistry. He can be reached at Petar.

Todorov@tufts.edu.

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Movie Review

‘Nebraska’ is beautiful yet flawed portrait of Midwestern family by

Timothy Charouk Daily Staff Writer

With the holiday season upon us, Alexander Payne’s new film “Nebraska” reminds us that family comes first, no

Nebraska Directed by Alexander Payne Starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenrirk, Stacy Keach matter what. Following his previously successful films “Sideways” (2004) and “The Descendants” (2011), Payne returns with his passion for character driven storylines, this time focusing on a modern day Midwestern family.

“Nebraska” follows the story of the Grant clan. Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) learns that he has won $1 million in an advertising sweepstakes scheme intended to gain more magazine subscribers. Instead of mailing in his winning ticket, he decides to walk all the way from Montana to Lincoln, Nebr., himself to turn it in. The film’s opening scene shows a hitchhiking Woody being picked up, yet again, by the local police department. Later, Woody’s son David Grant (Will Forte), is roped into his journey. Woody, too unreasonable and stubborn to give up, and David,

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

Will Forte’s performance in his first dramatic role is one of the shortcomings of ‘Nebraska.’ too kind to refuse, finally end up on the road on their way to Nebraska.

Payne’s fascination with the American landscape shines through in this film, as it did in “Sideways.” The road trip plot allows for some truly breathtaking shots of the Midwest.

Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael creates another character through his lens — America. It follows the charac-

Interview | Will Forte

Will Forte talks auditions, ‘SNL’ comparisons Timothy Charouk

While promoting his new film “Nebraska,” Will Forte took some time to sit down with the Daily and answer questions about the new Alexander Payne drama. by

Daily Staff Writer

The Tufts Daily: Can you talk a little bit about your first reaction to Bob Nelson’s script and then the audition process?

Will Forte: I loved the script. It read to me more as a drama than a comedy, so I was really surprised at all these comedic moments that Alexander found, and it made me go back to the script and go, “How did I not know that this was funny, this area right here?” The script was just wonderful.

The character that I was auditioning for — I just felt a connection — so I figured, why not send in a tape of me doing the scenes, knowing that I had no shot of realistically getting it?

I just really loved the script, so I figured, what the heck? It was like buying a lottery ticket — you just know you have no chance.

TD: Was it more exciting to get the “SNL” call or this one?

WF: They’re very similar calls to get.

They’re so exciting, but because of the way my brain works, I can’t savor that moment for very long before the fear sets in. I remember wanting that period between getting the job and starting [the job] to never end. My brain gets nervous about things and goes to worst-case scenarios. The difference [with] “SNL” — when I went into comedy — was that that was my ultimate goal. It was terrifying for me to go into it worrying that you might

ters on their journey and evolves with them, from depressing and desolate to powerful and proud. This portrait of Middle America is endearing and, more importantly, relevant and applicable to most viewers. Despite the very specific location and characters, Payne has created a universal family — one see NEBRASKA, page 6

TV Review

suck at your dream. This job, however, I would never put on a dream list — it wasn’t even a possibility. It was every bit as intimidating, but it came out of nowhere. It’s a rare experience for any actor, let alone some s***head coming from comedy.

TD: You said you felt a connection to the role. Can you elaborate on whether that made it easier when you went to prepare?

WF: Preparation-wise, it was just about being comfortable with the script, getting to know it. This character was very close to who I am in real life, so you’re comfortable because you know what you should be doing, but you’re uncomfortable because you’re very vulnerable in a way you don’t [usually] feel when you’re playing characters. Things that are more embarrassing, you can just blame on the character. This felt much closer to home and [was also more] revealing. It was terrifying in a way, but also thrilling. By the way, I wasn’t terrified throughout the whole thing, even though I’m making it sound that way. They were very good about making me feel comfortable. We had this week before shooting where we all got together and got to know each other. That was wonderful because by the time we started working, all these things I was worried about — the fear of the unknown — became known.

Eva Rinaldi via Wikimedia Commons

Karl Urban plays detective John Kennex.

Urban, Ealy shine in ‘Almost Human’ by

Grace Segers

Contributing Writer

“Almost Human,” FOX’s new show starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, is an intriguing mix between

Almost Human Starring Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, Lili Taylor, Mackenzie Crook

Airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX

WF: He’s an incredibly confident person — very smart [and] knows exactly

science fiction and procedural crime drama. In the year 2048, detectives are paired with robots with human appearances, known as androids, to combat increased criminal threat. Urban plays the damaged John Kennex, a detective with a dark past. Kennex’s new partner is the android Dorian, who is different from the standard model of robot because he was designed to have emotions and empathize.

see FORTE, page 6

see HUMAN, page 6

TD: Can you talk a little bit about Alexander Payne on set? He’s definitely known as an actor’s director.

Megan Clark | Where’s the Craic?

‘Some Mother’s Son’

S

ome Mother’s Son” (1996), co-written by Terry George and Jim Sheridan, tells the story of the IRA prison hunger strikes of 1981. The film is unique in that it shifts the primary focus from the hunger strikers themselves to two of their mothers, played by Helen Mirren and Fionnula Flanagan. This is an unusual tack in Irish political docudramas, and it is incredibly refreshing to see a movie that focuses on family members and those on the outside of the IRA. “Some Mother’s Son” is about choices and who has the power to make certain choices based on individual circumstances and familial histories.

The two mothers in the film, Kathleen Quigley (Mirren) and Annie Higgins (Flanagan), come from very different backgrounds, a fact that is established quickly but not heavy-handedly. Kathleen is a Catholic schoolteacher, unaware of her son’s IRA involvement and decidedly anti-violence.

Annie is a small-scale farmer who actively supports the IRA and her son’s relatively high position in the hierarchy. These women are thrown together when their sons are both arrested on Christmas Eve and sent to the infamous Prison Maze. While the film is based on historical reality and includes real life characters such as Bobby Sands, Kathleen and Annie are fictional creations. Nonetheless, their unlikely friendship is just that — unlikely, but not unbelievable.

Kathleen and Annie begin as reluctant supporters of one another. While their political and personal convictions are often at odds, they do not have anyone else to turn to.

Eventually, they develop true respect and love for one another. After their sons join the hunger strike, Kathleen and Annie channel their differing ideologies into unified political action. While still opposed to violence, Kathleen becomes a crusader for basic human rights in the prisons.

The second half of the film is an examination of choice and free will. During a meeting with British officials, Kathleen and Annie are told that they have more control over their sons’ fates than they realize. If their sons fall into comas, they will be allowed to take them off the hunger strike and have them fed intravenously. Through strong writing and Mirren’s and Flanagan’s superb acting, the film conveys the helplessness and inner turmoil of the prisoners’ family members. These prisoners made the choice to join the IRA, but their family members have been catapulted into this situation by others’ choices. Much of this choice differential is gendered, and the film compassionately depicts what happens to these women when their sons, husbands and brothers decide to go on hunger strike.

Kathleen and Annie also have different choices available to them. Annie comes from an IRA family and has already lost one son to the Troubles. For her, intervention is not an option. The last third of the film, then, is devoted to Kathleen and what decision she will ultimately make. In actual historical reality, the families of several hunger strikers did intervene, putting pressure on the IRA leaders to agree to British offers regarding treatment of IRA prisoners.

Like other Jim Sheridan films, “Some Mother’s Son” has a clear middle-ground message. It sympathizes with low-ranking IRA foot soldiers, criticizes British policy and practice in Ireland and condemns IRA violence.

Compared to such artful films as “Hunger” (2008), which takes a more psychologically intimate look at the hunger strikes, and “In the Name of the Father” (1993), Sheridan’s masterpiece following the false imprisonment of the Conlon family, the script and supporting cast of “Some Mother’s Son” are just not as impressive. Regardless, “Some Mother’s Son” still shines as a moving portrait of strong women in crisis.

Megan Clark is a senior who is majoring in English and history. She can be reached at Megan.Clark@tufts.edu.

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Arts & Living

Certain technical aspects hold ‘Nebraska’ back NEBRASKA

continued from page 5

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

Director Alexander Payne has created a beautiful and honest depiction of a Midwestern family in ‘Nebraska.’

anyone can relate to. The family has its quirky characters, its levelheaded members, its turmoil, its triumphs — in short, the Grants are the perfectly imperfect family.

Despite all its strengths — the beautifully low-key story, its compelling portrayal of a family and its intricately crafted shots — the film fails on a more basic level: as a technical work of art. “Nebraska” is in black and white, which isn’t an issue in and of itself, but there doesn’t seem to be a sufficient reason to justify this artistic decision. In fact, the road trip aspect could have actually benefited from being

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

in color. Even if some of the shots still featured grey scenery, it would have allowed the audience to actually see the grey in the landscape.

Unfortunately, the film also suffers due to the acting. Will Forte just isn’t able to hold his own in his first dramatic role, following his more typical goofball parts on “30 Rock” (20062013) and “Saturday Night Live” (1975-present). He simply doesn’t command any respect on screen alongside veteran actors Bruce Dern, Stacy Keach and June Squibb.

His performance feels unnatural, with his delivery of lines often coming off as forced.

Forte seems out of place on screen, and as one of the lead-

ing characters, this ultimately undermines the rest of the film.

Along with the choice to set it in black and white, this will make viewers very aware that they are watching a film. Instead of getting lost in the story, the portrait Payne spent so long creating falls apart.

Despite its shortcomings, audiences are sure to relate to this beautifully honest representation of a family in need of repair.

The film has its endearing moments, and Bob Odenkirk as Ross Grant, Woody’s other son, is extremely entertaining. Compared to Payne’s terrific road movie “Sideways,” however, “Nebraska” just won’t hold up.

Wyatt, Abrams struggle to give substance to ‘Almost Human’ HUMAN

continued from page 5

“Almost Human” was created by J.H. Wyman, the executive producer of “Fringe” (2008-2013), and is produced

by J.J. Abrams of “Lost” (2004-2010) and “Star Trek” fame.

The show therefore comes with high expectations — both of these men are experts in the field of well-written science fiction entertainment. But in this latest endeavor, it is clear that Wyman and Abrams are struggling to establish “Almost Human” as fundamentally different from other shows on television.

They are successful to an extent: The show is good, but it ultimately tries too hard. Unfortunately, by striving to be simultaneously mainstream and unique, the show lacks the edgy, genuine feel of some of their previous successes, like “Fringe.”

The series — which essentially follows a standard crime show narrative — attempts to distinguish itself with nifty gadgets and interesting special effects. The procedural elements of the show are definitely entertaining.

Criminals spray masks on their faces to hide from security cameras and drop bombs filled with the DNA of different people over a crime scene to cover any evidence they may have left behind.

While these gimmicks make the conflicts more visually engaging, it is the dynamic between the main characters that really carries the show.

Kennex’s character is basically a mash-up of every tough cop trope used in television. However, Karl Urban — perhaps best known for playing Bones in the “Star Trek” films — is committed to the role and brings a sense of comedic awareness to what could very easily be a dull part.

Instead of lazily playing yet another emotionally damaged detective, Urban seems determined to make Kennex memorable. It is an admirable effort,

Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Producer J.H. Wyman, known for ‘Fringe’ (2008-2013) is the creator of new sci-fi show ‘Almost Human.’ and he especially succeeds in scenes with Michael Ealy’s Dorian. However, it is Ealy who is the real star of the

show, adding depth and emotion to every scene. As Dorian wrestles with the nature of life and death, the view-

er begins to do the same. Can artificial intelligence ever be considered human? It is Dorian who elevates “Almost Human” into more than just another standard crime show.

The performances of the other actors in the show are solid, but not nearly at the level of the two leads. Mackenzie Crook gives the best portrayal of all the supporting characters as android technician Rudy.

Though Rudy lacks substance, Crook brings nuanced tics and expressions to the role, making him more compelling. Lili Taylor is entertaining enough as the no-nonsense police chief, but her character has yet to rise above the archetype.

Minka Kelly gives a bland, if pretty, performance as Detective Valerie Stahl.

While the viewer is assured often that Stahl is competent and intelligent, she has little purpose other than to walk around the police station and look good in loose T-shirts.

Stahl very well may become a future love interest for Kennex, but, right now, it seems as if the writers have no idea what to do with her. Hopefully, they’ll realize that a pretty female character can have more than just a romantic role and develop her role in the future.

Regardless of minor character arcs, it is clearly Kennex and Dorian’s show.

Urban and Ealy have chemistry and easy rapport, making the relationship between Kennex and Dorian believable and easy to watch. Their scenes of one-on-one banter are the highlight of every episode.

If the writers can forget about trying to please the viewer with fancy special effects and focus instead on the complexities of each character and plotline, it could be a great show. Right now, it’s merely a good one. If “Almost Human” is to remain relevant, it needs to show more substance.

Will Forte praises Alexander Payne’s direction FORTE

continued from page 5

what he wants — so he’s very relaxed on set, and everyone is then relaxed.

He creates a very welcoming set, which helped me a lot.

He gets to a point where the scripts are in such good shape by the time you’re working that you know what is expected of you. There is a feeling of security because you trust him, and you know he’s not going to finish a scene before he has exactly what he wants.

That was something I had to get used to, because I would feel insecure about the way I did something, but he would assure me that we would not be moving on otherwise.

The way he talks to actors differs in every scenario. Sometimes he’ll be very hands-on and detailed in explanations, and other times he’ll just chat with you.

TD: Can you talk a little bit about working with Bruce Dern, June Squibb and Stacy Keach?

WF: It was the best. Those three people have had such amazing careers and worked with so many amazing people, so it terrified me, but they were such wonderful people. They were such great actors. Bruce was nothing like the character you see in the movie.

He was talkative and vibrant, and tells these long stories about Alfred Hitchcock. Then, the cameras would turn on, and he would morph into this man of few words, gruff. It was amazing to watch. June is the same way. She’s very different [from] her character.

She’s very sweet. It was a great learning experience to see them change.

And Stacy is just the ultimate cool person. He’s super mellow, always wearing a Kangol.

David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons

Actor Will Forte discusses his role in ‘Nebraska.’

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

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Editorial

Editorial Jenna Buckle Melissa Wang Managing Editors Abigail Feldman Executive News Editor Daniel Gottfried News Editors Victoria Leistman Menghan Liu Melissa Mandelbaum Annabelle Roberts Mahpari Sotoudeh Josh Weiner Sarah Zheng Daniel Bottino Assistant News Editors Alexa Horwitz Denali Tietjen

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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Acknowledging class councils’ work

Hannah R. Fingerhut Editor-in-Chief

Editorial | Letters

This semester, Tufts’ four class councils have done a commendable job reaching out to the student body, organizing events and publicizing these events across campus.

Each council has had a lot on its plate.

The Freshman Class Council will host the springtime Tuftonia’s Day, while the Sophomore Class Council is in charge of the upcoming winter event that will replace Winter Bash. The Junior Class Council was responsible for the highly praised Fall Gala, and the Senior Class Council organized similarly successful Homecoming celebrations.

These big-ticket events are in addition to the councils’ normal fare — events ranging from Senior Pub Nights, to the Study Abroad Fair, to Ice Cream with Jumbo.

Smaller events have also been more frequent this semester, including ice-skating at Kendall Square, the Junior Send Off and a movie marathon for freshmen.

While this semester’s events been very well-received, one of the greatest successes of the councils is their advertising and communication with the student body as a whole: From creating Facebook events, to chalking, to word-of-mouth advertising, the council members have done an extraordinary job of connecting with their peers. They should be lauded for these efforts to engage the entire undergraduate community and ensure that everyone is aware of the programming they have planned.

In light of the bad press Tufts has received for Winter Bash and the cancellation of Fall Ball, it is encouraging to see that the councils are taking into consideration the administration’s concerns and student input to create safe and enjoyable events. Staff and students alike seem pleased with the revamping of school-wide events, and this can be attributed in large part to the class councils’ willingness to open up discussion and dedicate the necessary time to planning these activities.

Hopefully, the increased communication and inspired event planning will continue into the spring semester to create even better events than in years prior.

jehan Madhani

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Off the Hill | University of Houston

Students better off being indecisive at first rather than choosing a major just for money by

Katie Wian

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A surprising new study performed on ACT test-takers has determined that only a fraction of teen college students choose a major that is actually relevant to their interests.

The study is based on the ACT’s Interest Inventory section, which attempts to determine career paths in which the student might excel. The findings are astounding. Of the 80 percent of test-takers who knew what they would major in, only 36 percent chose a major related to their personal interests.

This finding is particularly problematic, because those who do not select a major in which they are truly interested are far less likely to finish their degree successfully or on time.

The low percentage is unsurprising, however, according to Beth Heaton, senior director of consulting at College Coach. “The vast majority of them have no idea what they really want to do when they grow up. Even

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.

the ones who claim that they do,” Heaton said. “How can you know? If you’re 16, 17, 18, you know so little of the world.”

It would seem that many students are choosing their paths based on the money they think they are going to make rather than seeking to do what they love. Not only is this a quick way to make life dutiful and miserable, but it also means they may not have a clear idea of the work that is going to be required of them in their erroneously chosen field.

It is advisable that students who are unsure of their plans gain some experience in their prospective field, be it in the form of volunteer work or an entry-level job.

The important thing is to get an idea of the absolute worst aspects of a job in order to determine whether it’s suitable.

Another option is to delay declaring a major for a couple of semesters in order to get a feel for the required classes of a major.

If a student is truly examining all of his or her career possibilities, there should be no possible reason to experience difficulty or delay in finishing a degree.

If a person is spending their life working at something for which they have a true passion, everything else will fall into place. Sure, a wedding planner can make a ton of money, but only if they’re extremely good at what they do, truly gifted in the arts of organization and delegation and capable of calmly dealing with bridezillas. It’s not for everybody.

It requires some serious soul-searching for a person to locate his true talents, but when he does, the money will come.

Other people will recognize these special abilities, and they will want to put them to use.

There’s no better place for one to get to know oneself than in college. In such a diverse and stimulating environment, true colors are able to shine. If you’re unsure about your current course selection and the direction in which your life is headed, this is your wake-up call. Do some serious re-evaluation about what you (not anybody else) want out of life, and take the first steps to making it yours.

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Op-Ed

Off the Hill | Colorado State University

Eloise Libre | Frankly Candid

Our language shouldn’t make light of mental illness

Tufts neighborhoods deciphered

by

Geneva Mueller

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

“Hey, man. How are things with Jonie?”

“I don’t know, man. She just went crazy last week.”

Regardless of popular culture and the colloquialisms of our day and age, “going crazy” isn’t really possible, “insane” isn’t a synonym for awesome and something being “nuts” doesn’t describe the out-ofcontrol rager you went to last night.

Or at least it shouldn’t. Because all of these terms have their roots in valid mental health issues.

Let’s look to history. Although in modern vernacular, we use the word “crazy” to denote anything from a wild night to someone who is just a little strange, the word “crazy” has its origins in the 1570s, originally meaning “diseased’ or “sickly.”

The word “insane” originated in the 1550s and was applied to people “not well” or “not healthy.” In the German language tradition, the word insane comes from their verb for “to displace” and, according to an etymological dictionary, is said to have been applied to the human brain “as to a clock that is out of order.”

Clearly, words transcend the time periods from which they came. They transform to reflect dialects, cultural and generational shifts and the social, political and economic paradigms of the time. But I think it’s really important to recognize

that our linguistic choices act as a vehicle for our beliefs and values: in selecting the words that escape our mouths, we display to whoever may be listening what we stand for.

So let’s take a minute to think about how we actually use these words: crazy, insane and the like. Personally, when I use these kinds of words, I’m usually describing events, maybe a concert that was really awesome or an extremely difficult workout. But I sometimes apply them to people, generally for hyperbolic purposes, to describe someone who really rubs me the wrong way or did something uncharacteristic or just plain strange.

But if you really think about it, these kinds of words are used to describe a genuine health issue. People with mental health issues aren’t “crazy” or “insane” in the way that modern language defines them. And using these words in such a way redefines and, quite frankly, makes a mockery of the true issue. By throwing around such vernacular, we indoctrinate and circumscribe their meaning in the context of our generation. And by doing so, we simultaneously and subconsciously redefine the true issue that they represent — that of mental health.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, only 33.8 percent of the American population with anorexia is actually receiving treatment; 50.9 percent for mood disorders; 39 percent for

personality disorders. 13.4 percent of the total U.S. adult population is receiving mental health service or treatment.

By no means do I care to imply that mental health issues are caused by our word choices. But perhaps if our culture provided a more accepting and understanding culture, the 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and over with a diagnosable mental illness would feel more comforted and willing to ask for the help that they need.

We have got to take care of one another. It is in our human nature to be empathetic, and according to the aforementioned statistics, it’s just a fact that you aren’t alone. One in four Americans have some type of mental health related illness; chances are whoever you choose to talk to is either going through something similar, or knows someone who has.

We have the responsibility to create a community that promotes longevity and happiness in all aspects of life. And if making a simple change in the vocabulary that we use can make a difference in that regard, then I think that’s something that we can all commit to.

Language is a social construction. And along with its classification as such comes the fact that words are imbued with the power that we give them. The more times we use terms such as “crazy” and “insane,” the more we are endorsing a culture that makes light of mental illness.

Off the Hill | University of Minnesota

When are conversations private? by

Trent M. Kays

The Minnesota Daily

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” Hester Prynne has an affair and births a child. As a result, she must wear a large red “A” on her clothing so that all will know of her adultery. Hawthorne’s work is an excellent commentary on the role of shaming in society.

In “The Scarlet Letter,” a community comes together to shame a woman for her non-normative behavior. Today, social media does the same thing at lightning speed for a global audience.

On Thanksgiving, “The Bachelor” producer Elan Gale live-tweeted a war of words between him and an airline passenger named Diane.

Gale felt inspired to initiate the passiveaggressive debate because a flight delay exasperated Diane.

The conversation made national headlines — from publications like the Huffington Post to the U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail.

Gale tweeted out every message he sent Diane and showed the responses he received. Gale’s behavior toward Diane was far from polite.

Gale’s act of shaming Diane is problematic. Did Gale have the right to tweet what he heard and saw on an airplane to his more than 160,000 followers?

I would say he did. There is no expectation of privacy on an airplane, and if Diane was being obnoxious, Gale could share what he heard.

However, Gale’s actions cloud any potential for understanding this event positively.

Instead, Gale’s actions teach us that prigs can have the loudest mouths.

Social media shaming and the dilemma of public versus private continue to codify public behavior.

Despite the perceived justice Gale served through his tweets, social media’s prevalence shouldn’t mean more public shaming.

In many ways, it is a classic computermediated communication problem: Some social media users forget that real humans exist and that those real humans communicate with other real humans via a network. If the person isn’t in front of us, we often have trouble empathizing with them.

Even children aren’t immune from social media shaming.

Early in November, a mother discovered a Facebook group that existed solely for the

via wikimedia commons

purpose of posting pictures of ugly babies.

Adults posted comments on pictures of infants, chastising children for being ugly.

Babies have no control over their appearance, and adults should know better than to deride the helpless.

This means there are some people so degraded that they consider mocking a baby an acceptable behavior. These people clearly have the right to free speech; however, even if we choose to shame people unable to feel offense, our actions can still hurt others. Some, like the media and parenting blogs, for example, retaliated against the Facebook group.

Once again, these acts took place in a public space, and thus, the baby-shaming adults’ speech is worthy of critique. They are entitled to free speech, but those who would call out their behavior are equally entitled.

Still, I struggle to understand how any person could make fun of an innocent child.

It almost pains me to know that such people exist and took pleasure in their acts.

Of course, we see the public nature of some conversation as a good thing, even if conversing may have a shaming effect.

In October, former Huffington Post reporter Tom Matzzie tweeted a phone conversation he heard former NSA Director Michael Hayden having on a train. Instead of criticizing his actions, readers and commenters praised them. Is it OK because Matzzie gave a

Hayden a taste of his own medicine? Would it have been OK if it were someone who wasn’t a public figure?

The dichotomy of public versus private is a tired subject. Gale’s shaming of Diane, social media users’ shaming of ugly babies and Matzzie’s potential shaming of Hayden all happened in public social media spaces, yet some still argue that we should respect each other’s privacy. Why? When did we start accepting the privacy of conversation in public? If you wish to have an exclusively private conversation these days, you shouldn’t converse in a public space.

I doubt that true privacy actually exists.

The act of shaming transcends the publicprivate binary. For example, even our intimate conversations between family members in public spaces could lead to shaming.

However, like the cases in this column, shaming in public often occurs between people who don’t know each other. As with the case of “The Scarlet Letter,” public shaming is problematic and powerful. With social media in our hands, we have the power to shame each other in unethical ways.

Just like Hester Prynne, Diane and others don’t always deserve to be singled out for their behavior. Instead, we should understand how social media can limit our empathy, and we should choose not to publicly shame others.

M

ost upperclassmen, and maybe even some freshmen, have woken up to the reality that is off-campus living. Early on during sophomore year, it comes time to make a careful decision about who to live with and where. Things to consider include the number of bedrooms available for various apartments, rent prices, how much you trust your friends and who of your peers are most likely to clean the bathroom using anything more disinfectant than warm water.

I already provided my best tip for seeking an off-campus apartment (see previous column “Check the Basement”), but now I will bestow upon you, dear readers, my best wisdom about choice housing locations for off-campus living.

I’ll start with the Bromfield-PearsonDearborn neighborhood, otherwise known as Engineer City. Engineers, math majors and jocks often inhabit this area because of its proximity to Anderson, Halligan and Gantcher. In my experience, residents of this neighborhood are generally close friends, standing in solidarity against the Somerville arsonist.

Moving down towards Davis Square, we conduct an examination of the Ossipee and its environs. For all intents and purposes, I’ll include in everything south of Ossipee Road — Ware Street, Electric Avenue and Whitman Street to name a few. These roads are not too far from campus, but definitely a trek if you are trying to get to the gym; bikes required. Earlier this fall, I came across a flyer advertising a block party hosted by the Ossipee residents, unclear whether by students or real adults. Either way, this neighborhood has been known to throw a good party from time to time.

As we loop back around towards campus, we approach a neighborhood that I consider particularly underrated. Teele Avenue, Whitfield Road and Sawyer Avenue lie sandwiched between Pro Row and Powderhouse; an ideal location, especially if you like the people living in Lewis Hall or enjoy a good show of the Theta Chi renovations. This neighborhood is super close to campus and especially ideal if you don’t have a meal plan because you can easily run back home for lunch in the middle of the day.

Then we approach the Chetwynd, Sunset and Upland neighborhood. Also a notably social region, this chunk of MedfordSomerville produces residents who often frequent Ginn because Tisch and the Campus Center are too far a trek. This neighborhood is somewhat awkwardly “middle ground” between the Boston Avenue hubbub and Davis; I’d imagine that anyone living here would be rather in shape because, of most off-campus living, these streets are furthest from any convenience stores or bus stops.

This brings me to the king of off-campus housing regions: Boston Ave. With big living rooms, cheap rent, and free parking (except during snow storms! Beware of aggressive ticketing and towing), this neighborhood features students from all walks of life looking to have a good time. The plethora of vicinity shops has everything you might need: Dunkin Donuts, convenience store, ATM and the mysterious cafe that replaced Boloco. For any retail needs beyond those, the 96 bus conveniently stops directly across the street from Espresso Pizza — also delicious, I might add.

There are perks and disadvantages to each neighborhood, mostly having to do with location and proximity to campus/civilization. Still, there will always be one detail about Tufts neighborhoods that confuses me: why would anyone other than Tufts students choose to live so close to campus? While we appreciate your company, I cannot imagine that you enjoy listening to our 3 a.m. bursts of academic frustration, watching the degeneration of our curb appeal or overhearing the occasional basement shenanigan. I tip my hat to any non-students in the area for putting up with us.

Eloise Libre is a senior who is majoring in history. She can be reached at Eloise.Libre@ 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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Comics

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Outrunning a zombie that has a bad limp.

Late Night at the Daily

Monday’s Solution

Jamie: “There’s no crying in home dentistry.”

Want more late-night laughs?

Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, December 3, 2013 Housing

Housing

4 bedrooms - $3,600 Located on Boston Avenue (corner of Bellvue Ave & across from Wren Hall). 4 bed/1 bath apartment. New modern eat-in kitchen with full size refrigerator, dishwasher & gas stove.

Hardwood floor throughout apartment. 2 off street parking spaces included. Non Coin-op Laundry in basement. NO FEE, $3,600. Avail 6/1/14 Call Angela – 617-852-2215 or e-mail: angelam@kssrealtypartners.com

7 bedrooms-Located on Boston Avenue (corner of Bellvue Ave & across from Wren Hall). Includes 2 baths & 2 living rooms, New modern eat-in kitchen with 2 refrigerators, dishwasher & gas stove. Newly finished hardwood floors throughout apartment. Large outdoor deck. 4 off street parking spaces included. Non Coin-op Laundry in basement. NO FEE, $6,000. Avail 6/1/14 Call Angela – 617-852-2215 or e-mail:angelam@ kssrealtypartners.com

11

Sports

Housing

Wanted

4 Bedrooms - $3,400 Located on College Avenue at Powder House Circle (corner of Warner Street) Steps to campus. 4 bed.1 bath apartment with updated eat-in kitchen with full size refrigerator, gas stove & dishwasher. Hardwood floors throughout. Non coin op washer/ dryer in basement. $3,400. Off street parking included. Avail. 6/1/14 Call Angela @ 617-852-2215 or e-mail: angelam@kssrealtypartners.com.

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

Convenient Cambridge location.

Apply online: SPERMBANK.COM

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Tufts to continue focus on defensive expertise WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued from back

“I think we did a really good job, especially in the second half, of bringing the energy and trying to get a lot of offensive rebounds, especially since our shots weren’t falling,” McClure said. “We kept with it and tried to find other ways to score.”

Led by three players scoring in double digits, freshman Aretha Sullivan with 12 points, senior Ashleigh Condon with 11 points and senior Emily Reilly with 10 points, the Cougars twice came within three points of the Jumbos in the first half, 16-13 with 10:45 left on the clock and 18-15 at the 9:04 mark. With less than five minutes left in the half, the Jumbos went on a 12-3 run against the Cougars, building up a 14-point advantage to lead 38-24.

The Jumbos’ focus on defense was best displayed at the start of the second half, with the team holding Clark scoreless until Condon’s jumper at 15:22 made the score 43-26. This 17-point deficit would be the closest the Cougars would get for the rest of the game, with the largest lead held by the Jumbos extended to 28 points three times in the last half.

This defensive emphasis is something Tufts will continue working on as the season progresses.

“I would definitely say that our defense still needs a bit more working on. We hold ourselves to a really high standard so I wouldn’t say that we’re quite there yet,” Morehead said.

Tufts Center for the Study of Race and Democracy presents...

Michelle Alexander The award winning author of the bestselling The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness will deliver the 2013 Gerald Gill keynote lecture.

December 5, 2013 7:00pm – lecture 7:45pm – Q&A and book signing Cohen Auditorium Tufts University The event is free and open to the public. For tickets, please visit or call the Aidekman Box Office at 617.627.3493.

For questions, contact Theresa Sullivan: theresa.sullivan@tufts.edu

Center for the Study of Race and Democracy

Following her 19-point performance against Brandeis, Kanner’s playing time was limited to 21 minutes on Sunday due to foul trouble. She finished the game with four personal fouls.

“I’ve been having trouble with [fouls] this year. I’m adjusting to the new rule,” she said. “That’s just on me to be more conscious of what I’m doing and not do it.”

The Jumbos have increased their national prominence in recent years with coach Carla Berube featured in SLAM magazine earlier this year and the team reaching the Sweet 16 stage of the Div. III NCAA Championship for two years running. D3hoops.com ranked the Tufts women’s basketball team 10th nationally before the season started. The team, however, is intent on staying focused on its game and not letting this extra attention serve as a distraction.

“We’re going to have the exact same practice whether or not we’re ranked No. 10 or we’re completely unranked, and I think that’s an awesome testament to the coaching staff — that they’re able to tap this mentality in our heads,” Kanner said.

“Whatever ranking we are, we’re going to come and play exactly the same, focus on the exact same principles and concepts.

We’re not going to let the rankings define who we are as a team.”

The win against Clark kicks off a busy fourgame week for the Jumbos, with the team hosting Salem State on Tuesday 7 p.m., Fitchburg State on Thursday 7 p.m. and Conn. College at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Sports

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tuftsdaily.com

Women’s Basketball

Jumbos top Cougars, remain undefeated by

Alison Kuah

Daily Staff Writer

Returning from Thanksgiving break, the No. 9 ranked Tufts women’s basketball team chalked up a 76-50 win over

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (5-0 Overall, 0-0 NESCAC) at Cousens Gymnasium, Sunday Clark Tufts

24 38

26 38

— —

50 76

Clark University on Sunday to continue its undefeated start to the season. With the win, the Jumbos move to 5-0, with Clark dropping to 3-3. Sophomore Emma Roberson led all scorers with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, making 2 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Four Jumbos scored in double figures on the day: Roberson with 16 points, junior Hayley Kanner with 12 points, senior tricaptain Caitlin McClure with 11 points and junior Hannah Foley with 10 points.

“It was a real team effort, everyone played, which is always really fun, and everyone contributed, whether it was with points or off rebounding, offensively or defensively,” McClure, who is also an assistant features editor, said.

Junior Kelsey Morehead, who chipped in three assists and six rebounds on the day, pointed to the team’s depth to explain its continued success.

“What’s really special about our team is that on any given day, I know someone will step up and play well. In almost every game it’s been someone different,” she said.

Foley finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points and racking up 11 rebounds, leading Tufts’ dominance on the boards, as the Jumbos outrebounded the Cougars 49-36. “[Foley] came out with a huge doubledouble, and for a guard to get that many

Nick Pfosi / The Tufts Daily

Junior Hannah Foley posted a double-double for the Jumbos in their win over the Clark University Cougars, compiling 10 points and 11 rebounds. rebounds is awesome, and really shows the strength of our team,” Kanner said.

First year Michaela North added to the rebound total with 10 rebounds in 10 minutes. Tufts’ ability to collect missed shots

and make second-chance baskets kept them in control despite shooting under 40 percent from the field for the game. see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 11

Women’s Squash

Tufts loses to Bowdoin, Brown, then upsets B.C. by

Chris Warren

Daily Staff Writer

The women’s squash team played a doubleheader matchup on Nov. 23 — first as the home team against Bowdoin and later as the away team against Brown.

In the afternoon, the Jumbos traveled to Brown University to face off against the Bears, but were swept, losing 9-0. Brown completely dominated visiting Tufts, as the Bears won each of the nine games in three sets.

Sophomore Paget Stanco was the top scorer for the Jumbos in the first position, but lost, 11-4, 11-5 and 11-9, to clinch the point for the Bears.

First year Lynn Cheng, the Jumbos’ No. 2 player, was able to score 13 total points against her opponent — the second most for the Jumbos on the day — but she was also defeated in three straight sets, 11-5, 11-6, 11-2.

Earlier in the day, Bowdoin traveled to Tufts’ home courts in Cambridge and also defeated the Jumbos in nine sets. Stanco was defeated by Bowdoin’s No. 1 Rachel Barnes in four sets, 4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-9, after winning the first set. Freshman Anna Bezahler, senior Caroline Howe and junior Ellie Monroe all took their matches to four sets as well, but Bowdoin overmatched the Tufts squad and swept the Jumbos.

The closest match of the day came from junior Sally Pratt in the No. 7 spot, who went five sets with her opponent. She won the first set 14-12, but proceeded to lose the next two sets 11-9 and 11-1. She rallied in the fourth set and won, 11-8, but eventually fell in the fifth set, 11-5.

“The losses taught us that we need to improve our mental mindset, because

after oftentimes leading in a match, we would lose our mental focus and would ultimately lose,” said sophomore Tammara Gary, who plays in the No. 3 spot for the Jumbos. “We needed to realize that we are just as good as the teams we play.”

Pratt also commented on where she believes the team can improve.

“We definitely need to be focusing more in practice and learning from mistakes,” she said. “We need to use our matches against better squads as a learning experience to see what we can work towards.”

The team had better luck a few days later, as it hosted local rival No. 28 Boston College at the Belmont Hill School on Nov. 25, and came out on top in a hotly contested match with a final score of 5-4. Despite playing short-handed without Stanco, the No. 33 Jumbos were able to pick up the upset win.

Gary, playing in the second position, made quick work of her opponent, as she was able to defeat Boston College’s Cassandre Burke in 3 sets, by scores of 11-7, 11-4 and 11-6, respectively.

In the No. 3 position, junior Ann Bellinger dueled it out with her opponent in a second game that went to 17 points. However, she was able to pick up the second point for the Jumbos by winning in three sets, 11-6, 17-15 and 11-8.

Bezahler, playing in the fourth position, picked up a third key point for the Jumbos as she, like Gary, also made quick work of her opponent, winning in straight sets 11-5, 11-6 and 11-9.

After close losses by Howe and Pratt in the fifth and sixth positions, respectively, the score was knotted at 3-3.

Sophomore Sophie Laing, in the No. 9 spot, scored the fourth point for

the Jumbos with her victory in three sets, 11-7, 11-6 and 11-4, over Boston College’s Nora Elson.

The No. 7 spot, however, won the match of the day as Monroe went to five sets and extra points with her opponent with the score tied up at 4-4. She won the first, third and fifth sets, dropping the second and fourth in between. The fifth set went all the way to 17 points, as Monroe was able to pull off the 17-15 victory for Tufts.

“We were very nervous before B.C, but when coach gave us a speech about mental preparation and how we were just as good as any other team in the region, we were all pumped to play.”

Gary said. “Our confidence and motivation shot up, which definitely helped us win the match.”

Gary added that she believed Monroe’s performance was the best on the day.

“Ellie [Monroe] had an incredible match,” she said. “She won the game for us in the fifth set, which is like our overtime period. It was so awesome.”

At this point in the season, Pratt believes the team is where it needs to be.

“Team chemistry this season has really been incredible. We have a lot of new players who have been integrated into the team,” Pratt said. “We spend a lot of time bonding together, and we work with the men’s team a lot, so we definitely think we’re a cohesive unit.”

As for the future, the team has only three more matches this semester. They will be up against NESCAC rivals Bates and Middlebury, as well as Bard College, starting Saturday against the Bobcats.

“Bates and Middlebury are awesome teams,” Pratt said. “We are going to work hard for those this week and are going to give it our all so we can end the semester on a high note.”

Aaron Leibowitz | The Fan

‘Oh my God!’

A

s I watched Chris Davis of Auburn streak down the sideline to defeat Alabama on Saturday, I had a glorious moment of affirmation. In one breathtaking moment, I was reminded of the unrivaled awesomeness of sports.

I had no rooting interest in the game.

I had no firsthand understanding of the rivalry’s magnitude. And yet, watching the final play, I found myself overcome with shock and exhilaration and even pure joy.

Davis caught a 56-yard, game-winning field goal try in the back of the end zone with no time left and returned it 109 yards to the opposite end zone. It was the most amazing sports finish I have ever witnessed in real time. It was the climax to one of the greatest games in college football history.

At their core, sports are about the moments that induce explosions of emotion. We can understand that it’s only a game; that it doesn’t really “matter;” that sports are tarnished by social and political conflict. But for a few seconds, those realities can disappear, and sports can suddenly transcend politics and business and everyday life.

After the Auburn-Alabama game, CBS aired the Auburn radio call of the final play. First, the play-by-play man, Rod Bramblett, began describing the situation: “It does not have the legs.

Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone.” Then he started to chronicle Davis’s path: “He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25-30, 35-40, 45-50, 45.”

Eventually, it became clear that Davis was going to score a touchdown and Auburn was going to win the most important Iron Bowl ever, defeat the No. 1 ranked team in the nation and play for the SEC championship.

“There goes Davis!” Bramblett wailed.

Then came the greatest moment of all.

As Davis was crossing Alabama’s 30-yard line, the color commentator, Stan White, spoke for the first time. He said three words that I will never forget.

“Oh my God!” In his voice you could hear astonishment and ecstasy and utter disbelief.

You could hear that explosion of emotion. If you haven’t heard it yet, search “Auburn radio call 2013 Iron Bowl” on YouTube. I’ve watched it about 30 times, and it keeps getting better.

The end of Saturday’s game belongs to Chris Davis, his teammates, his family and the Auburn community. But it also belongs to us. It belongs to me. Wherever I go, I now carry Davis’s 109-yard return with me, just as I carry David Tyree’s helmet-catch, and Robin Ventura’s grandslam single, and Johan Santana’s nohitter, with me. I carry at least a piece of the unbridled joy I felt witnessing those moments. The beauty of sports is not only in the bursts of emotion, but also in the eternal memories.

If you put in your time as a sports fan, you will be rewarded with some of those incredible moments. If you root for the Mets, Knicks, Giants and Rangers, you will have to search long and hard for the great ones. But if you watch and attend enough games — and if you never, ever turn off the TV too soon or leave those games early — once in a while, a moment will take your breath away.

As someone who watches sports incessantly, I sometimes wonder if I’m really making good use of my time.

Probably not. But I keep playing that 109-yard return over and over in my head. As long as moments like that are possible, I’ll never stop watching.

Aaron Leibowitz is a senior who is majoring in American studies. He can be reached at Aaron.Leibowitz@tufts.edu.