TuftsDaily8.28.13

THE TUFTS DAILY

Scattered Storms 74/67

VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 1

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

Wednesday, august 28, 2013

Matriculation Class of 2017

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Campus undergoes significant summer construction

by Josh

Weiner

Daily Editorial Board

The past three months marked a period of substantial construction across Tufts’ campuses, during which the university pursued over 60 projects as part of an annual renovation process.

The largest projects on the Medford/ Somerville campus include renovations to Halligan Hall and Cohen Auditorium, as well as the completion of the Lawrence S. Bacow and Adele Fleet Bacow Sailing Pavilion, according to Director of Project Administration and University Maintenance Rudi Pizzi.

Director of Facilities Services Bob Burns explained that these projects are part of a yearly process and are planned out well in advance.

“We have to do most of the construction during the summer when the students are away,” Burns said. “We begin almost the summer prior, investigating deficiencies in various buildings. Over the winter, we order ... whatever new mate-

rial is needed. After Commencement, we begin the next day.”

A complete refurbishing of Halligan aims to make more efficient use of the building that formerly housed much of the school’s athletics.

“When the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center opened last fall, the Athletics Department moved out of Halligan Hall next door and into the new facility, leaving 10,000 square feet of space for the School of Engineering,” the construction information sheet reads.

“That area is being transformed into classrooms and offices. In addition, the front of Halligan Hall will get new windows, and its masonry will be restored.”

In Cohen Auditorium, workers replaced the ceiling and floor, reapplied wall paint and furnished the building with a new roof, mechanical system, lighting and seating. The renovated seating and stage will be more accessible for people with disabilities. see CONSTRUCTION, page 2

Kappa Alpha Theta to join Greek community by

Elissa Ladwig

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts Greek community will this fall welcome a fourth sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, after years of discussion about bringing a new chapter to campus.

Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Su McGlone explained that the introduction of another society will give women on campus more chances to participate in Greek life.

“The sororities have been ... saying that they’d really like to be able to add another sorority and have more opportunities for women on campus to join and really find their fit,” McGlone said.

McGlone added that the growing size of sororities was another major factor in the decision to establish a new organization. On-campus chapters, which held an average of 129 members this past year, no longer fit the number of recruited students comfortably, she said.

Panhellenic Council (PhC) President Jaime Morgen explained that sororities often struggle to find meeting places on campus that can accommodate the chapters.

“We have an assurance bid program [that ensures that every student who rushes will receive a bid], so we thought that adding a sorority is the best way

to make sure there is a space that is big enough,” Morgen, a senior, said.

Alpha Phi President Madeline Kern hopes the new sorority will create more recruitment opportunities for female students, as there had been three sororities compared to 10 fraternities on campus.

“We’ve been wanting to extend because we want to even [the number of fraternities and sororities] out,” Kern, a junior, said.

In order to choose the new sorority, student representatives from the three active sororities and other campus groups formed an “extension committee” in November, Morgen said.

McGlone said that the committee reached out to the National Panhellenic Conference, an umbrella organization that provides support for sororities, and invited the 26 groups affiliated with the organization to visit Tufts and introduce their society.

Ten national chapters applied and Tufts narrowed it down to four, who gave full-scale presentations about why they would benefit the university.

After discussing the presentations, the committee unanimously voted to bring Kappa Alpha Theta to Tufts.

see SORORITY, page 2

Inside this issue

kyra sturgill / the Tufts Daily

Over the summer, the university carried out more than 60 renovation projects as part of an annual campus maintenance process.

Boloco closes Boston Ave. location by

Daniel Gottfried

Daily Editorial Board

A new restaurant will replace Boloco after the student-frequented burrito chain opted to shut down its Boston Avenue location in May. After years of contemplating an exit from Medford, founder and CEO of Boloco John Pepper decided to close Boloco due to difficulties in branding the restaurant as unique from its local competitors.

“A lot of the reason that we were forced to leave this location is that we didn’t do a good job of differentiating ourselves from our competitors in Davis Square, like Anna’s Taqueria, where they do a unique job of marketing themselves, and Chipotle, where people come from all over the world to attend Tufts and see Chipotle as something familiar to them,” Pepper said.

Tamper, the new restaurant and coffee shop operated by Boloco co-founders Jason Hutchinson and Adam Liebman, will open in early September and offer classic breakfast and lunch options with a specialty in coffee, according to Liebman.

The business will serve customers from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

Liebman expressed excitement about engaging with the local community

through the new business.

“We hope to be very involved in the community of Medford,” Liebman said.

“While we are getting started, we will begin slow, but we hope to increase involvement as we become established.”

According to Pepper, Boloco previously operated in a university-owned space under landlord and Director of Real Property Services Bruce Ketchen, who worked to revive the weakening business.

“Tufts University did a great job of trying to help us stay,” Pepper said.

“Back in 2011, the landlord actually tried to help us out and help us stay by lowering our rent. People just weren’t as excited about Boloco in this location as in our other locations.”

Although Boloco did not attract enough costumers to sustain business, many students expressed disappointment at the news of the chain’s departure from Medford.

“There aren’t many nice places in the Medford area so close to Tufts that offer a nice refreshing break from work like Boloco,” Tammara Gary, a sophomore, said.

Director of Dining and Business Services Patti Klos explained that businesses near the Tufts campus face the see BOLOCO, page 2

Today’s sections

Contests over the summer allow freshman to submit t-shirt, banner designs.

Five orientation shows highlight talented student performers.

see FEATURES, page 5

see ARTS, page 11

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 5 11 16

Op-Ed Comics Sports

17 18 21

The Tufts Daily

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University updates facilities in Cohen, Halligan CONSTRUCTION

continued from page 1

According to the Tufts Technology Services website, renovations for Cohen are scheduled to be completed in early October.

The final major project — to complete the Bacow Sailing Pavilion on Upper Mystic Lake — will provide enhanced equipment and space for members of the Tufts community interested in sailing.

“The [Sailing Pavilion] project will provide space for Tufts’ fleet of 44 boats, a carpenter’s shop, locker rooms for home and visiting teams, a function room for team meetings and an observation deck for viewing practices and regattas,” the information sheet explains.

University employees also began work on several residential buildings, including exterior repairs to Carmichael Hall, landscaping restoration in front of Carmichael and Miller Halls and bathroom renovations inside Haskell and Wren Halls.

Other plans included the completion of numerous two-year projects, such as replacing the exterior sealants of Tisch Library and exchanging the mechanical

systems and windows of the DewickMacPhie Dining Center.

On the Grafton campus, workers established a new sheep barn at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. In downtown Boston, the School of Medicine’s Biomedical Research and Public Health Building is undergoing exterior restoration, on track for completion in November.

Pizzi expressed his satisfaction with the results of the construction and believes that the extensive preparation has paid off visibly.

“Construction progress has been fast paced this summer,” he said. “Many of the challenges were met early on with long-term planning that allowed us to get off to a good start in early May.” Burns stressed the need for the school to sustain construction projects such as these on a regular basis.

“Buildings need to be ‘freshened up,’ if you will,” he said. “Like anything else, you need to put money back into the facilities or else they end up looking tired. We want to have our facilities be in good shape and reflect the standards of a world-class university.”

News

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Sorority leaders welcome new organization to campus SORORITY

continued from page 1

Sarah Gannon, president of the Alpha Omicron Pi chapter on campus, said that Kappa Alpha Theta seemed to be the best fit for the university.

“They had really done their research about how they were going to integrate themselves, not just as Kappa Alpha Theta but as Kappa Alpha Theta at Tufts,” Gannon, a senior, said.

McGlone added that Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropic programs and educational initiatives are different from those of the other sororities on campus.

According to McGlone, two educational leadership consultants (ELCs) — recent college graduates who were active members of Kappa Alpha Theta at their schools — will aid in the formation of the new Kappa Alpha Theta chapter. The ELCs will select around 100 members — all sophomores, juniors and seniors — by the end of September to form the charter class. The newly formed sorority will then take part in formal recruitment in the spring.

“Once they have those [100] people,

they will be educating them on what it means to be Kappa Alpha Theta, what it means to be a sorority and what it means to be a sorority at Tufts,” McGlone said.

Morgen said that the Panhellenic Council will help the ELCs navigate the Tufts community and raise awareness about the new sorority.

Kern and Gannon expressed similar intentions, explaining that all three current chapters plan to aid Kappa Alpha Theta in recruiting new members.

McGlone added that the extension committee has approved Alpha Gamma Delta to come to Tufts in one to three years.

“Our current agreement with them is that we will be assessing our community once a year and that when the Panhellenic Council is ready to support another sorority, they will bring them on campus,” McGlone said.

Morgen was enthusiastic about the new sorority and its potential effect on campus life.

“I’d just like to say how excited all three chapters are to welcome a new group to our organization,” Morgen said.

Boloco co-founders to open new cafe on Boston Avenue BOLOCO

continued from page 1

challenge of bringing in both students and the surrounding community.

“Any of the off-campus eateries that are part of the JumboCash program have to be able to service the broader community and not just the student population,” she said. “Students aren’t here year round, so to be a viable business you have to be able to be of service to people that live in Medford.”

While Pepper regrets having to close Boloco, he feels confident that Tamper

will thrive under the guidance of his coworkers.

“The two men that are taking over are good friends of mine, and both have a lot of raw passion that is really important when you are going to create a business,” he said. “I am optimistic for their success at this location.”

The university is also hopeful for the new business’s success, Klos said. “[Students] are looking for good value, hours that suit their lifestyle and healthy options — even though they don’t choose them every time they go out to eat — and

they want something a little different,” she said. “There is definitely an opportunity to offer something different.”

While the Boloco location on Boston Avenue no longer exists, Pepper intends to continue the chain’s relationship with Tufts in some capacity.

“There are other Boston locations that Tufts students can patronize, and we hope to continue to have events for Tufts students into the fall,” he said. “We are obviously feeling sort of empty about leaving this location. We never want to close a restaurant, but this is what we have to do.”

Kyra Sturgill / the Tufts Daily

Boloco closed its Boston Avenue location in May after years of struggling.

The top headlines of last year by

Abigail Feldman

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts is home to an active and engaged community where ideas are constantly evolving. The following is a summary of the biggest stories of the 2012-2013 academic year.

September Students returned to the Hill in time to learn that the university had received a boost in college rankings. Tufts placed No. 28 on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of “Best National Universities”, up one spot from the previous year, and reached No. 32 on Forbes Magazine’s list of top national universities, seven spots higher than in 2011.

Debate arose when the Department of Public and Environmental Safety (DPES) announced its plan to install a video security system on all three Tufts campuses. Students protested the proposal, arguing that the cameras infringed on campus residents’ privacy. DPES members, however, decided that the new system was important for deterring future crime.

October Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) lost official recognition as a Tufts Community Union (TCU) student group after the TCU Judiciary ruled that TCF’s constitution contained discriminatory clauses.

The incident marked the beginning of a year-long controversy regarding the rights of religious groups to bar homosexuals from leadership positions in their organizations.

The Africana Studies program hosted an inaugural lecture for its new major and minor, following several years of dialogue between students and the administration. The event celebrated the program’s official launch at the beginning of the semester.

November Administrators teamed up with the City of Somerville to improve pedestrian safety on campus after a student was struck by a car and seriously injured. The

meeting was the first of many campuswide movements, including the creation of Safety Awareness Week, to make the area safer for pedestrians and bikers.

December The Primary Source, a former conservative publication on campus, incited outrage after publishing a “Christmas carol” that satirized a sexual violence awareness event. The incident came six years after the publication faced harassment charges for releasing a carol that ridiculed affirmative action by implying that minorities were unqualified for Tufts academics. The TCU Judiciary later derecognized The Source due to the journal’s low membership and inactivity.

The Committee on Student Life (CSL) introduced a policy that allows student religious groups, such as TCF, to request exemption from the university’s nondiscrimination policy when applying for TCU recognition. Although TCF later declined the opportunity to reapply for recognition, Tufts’ Seventh-day Adventist organization, Campus HOPE, in May announced its decision to apply for the exemption.

January Two Tufts students, along with six others unaffiliated with the university, were arrested after staging a sitin protest against the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. The protesters, who gathered at a TransCanada office in Westborough, Mass., reportedly shackled their ankles to furniture in an act of civil disobedience.

A couple weeks later, student group Tufts Divest For Our Future met with the Board of Trustees to present a plan for the university to divest from fossil fuels.

February Administrators convened to review Winter Bash policy as a result of alcohol-related student misconduct during the event. University members expected major logistical changes to the annual celebration after event supervisors reported instances of public uri-

sofia adams / the Tufts Daily

Student group Tufts Divest For Our Future made headlines last spring after protesting the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. nation and the hospitalization of over 15 students.

The Tufts Confessions Facebook page, an online location for students to submit anonymous confessions, swiftly garnered popularity on campus. Only a week after its creation by a then-sophomore student, more than 900 students had “liked” the page.

March Administrators introduced the Integrated Student Information System (iSIS) to the Tufts community as the new program for recording student information. Faculty members explained that iSIS, which replaced Student Information System (SIS), was intended to streamline course registration.

April The Office of Residential Life and Learning announced a new rule that prohibits Residential Assistants (RAs) from dating other residents in their

building. The rule was approved to become effective this year, despite students’ objections that the policy unnecessarily monitors the personal lives of RAs. Then-junior Joe Thibodeau, who ran for TCU president on a platform of furthering student representation, won the election over candidates Joe Donenfeld and Christie Maciejewski.

Voter turnout increased from 49.79 percent, during the 2012 election, to 57.5 percent.

Members of Tufts Divest drew criticism from fellow students after Tufts Divest activists, posing as prospective students, attended an information session in an effort to draw administrative attention to their cause and spread their message to incoming freshmen. An online video of the incident shows Tufts Divest members asking an admissions officer questions regarding the university’s divestment policy, as well as the audience’s backlash against the questions.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

Class of 2017 student narratives embody “Tufts-y” qualities by

Emily Bartlett

Daily Editorial Board

The Class of 2017 has been breaking records from the beginning, and the statistics will prove it. This year, Tufts admissions officers saw the largest applicant pool, lowest acceptance rate and largest yield on record. You can’t argue with the numbers, which show an 11 percent increase in applicants — to a total of 18,420 — and the lowest-ever acceptance rate of 18.7 percent.

Now that the incoming freshman class is on campus, though, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin said that there is

still much to be excited about — beyond statistics — when it comes to the next four years.

“I’m always struck, in August when I review the class one last time, by the student narrative, what comes through the files again,” he said. “It’s the sparkle of the people, which is harder to capture in a data point set. In all of those measurable, institutional areas, the class of 2017 is terrific.”

Coffin went on to pinpoint what it is that we truly care about when it comes to incoming students each year.

“We’re in this rhythm of matriculating people who are very ‘Tufts-y,’ and who embody all the attributes that we love

about this place,” Coffin said.

So what are the attributes that make the student body “Tufts-y?” It comes down to how these 1,318 incoming students were chosen once academic requirements had already been taken into account.

“They’re people who are engaged, engaging, and they’re not bystanders ... there’s a spirit of being ... [willingness] to stand up and get involved. Whether that’s in science or politics or activism or the arts — you see students with an openness to being engaged and to being part of a community that’s got a global view,” Coffin said. see ADMISSIONS, page 6

Tufts Glossary

A

lex’s Place: The library roof, dedicated to a former Tufts student, Alex Mendell. Go here for a stellar view of Boston’s skyline for a photo opportunity. You can even use it as a place to study when the sun is out since it has outlets.

B

rown and Blue: Perhaps one of the most unfortunate combinations of colors a school could have. Legend has it that students were given the freedom to choose Tufts’ colors and since they thought it was a joke, they selected this odd combination of sky and mud. Maybe it means that Tufts kids are down to earth?

B

ubs: Short for the Beelzebubs, the all-male a capella group on campus. Correct pronunciation: Bee-el-zuh-bubs, emphasis on the ‘el.’

B C

oston accent: When losing your khakis really sounds like you lost your car keys.

ookie Guy: John Piermarini, founder of Sweet Idea. Those people riding around campus in orange jumpsuits are, in fact, selling cookies — until 3 a.m. Your mouth will be watering for more once you try the snickerdoodle, and you can even order them for delivery by texting 424-241-2825.

What a sweet idea.

D

aily: The independent studentnewspaperthatisranked No. 12 college newspaper in the nation by the Princeton Review.

Tufts is the smallest research university to have a daily newspaper.

E

x-College: Where all the interdisciplinary classes are organized if they are not under the umbrella of a major ... yet. Topics of upcoming classes this semester range from Harry Potter to rape aggression defense to marketing.

G

oSafe: The system that allows you to call campus police if you’re feeling unsafe late at night and want a walk or ride back to your dorm. Call 617-6273030 and leave your information.

H i

ill Hall: So uphill, it’s downhill. You’ll get it soon, especially if you live there.

SIS: The Integrated Student Information System, launched earlier this year, supposed to streamline all student information for every Tufts school. Easily register for classes view your schedule or bills at this online portal. Or, not so easily. You decide.

courtesy undergraduate orientation office

This year’s winning shirt was designed by freshman Ben Averill.

T-shirt, banner contest make for immediate class bonding

by Victoria

Rathsmill

Daily Editorial Board

Walking around campus, it is nearly impossible to miss students wearing their freshman orientation T-shirts. One student in each class gets to wear the shirt that represents not only his or her class, but design as well.

Director of the Office for Campus Life Joe Golia

explained that the orientation T-shirt design contest is a long-standing tradition dating back to before he began working at Tufts in 2008.

This year’s shirt was designed by freshman Ben Averill, with the words “Tufts University” bending into the shape of an elephant’s head and “Class of 2017” spanning the trunk.

Seniors Mitch Mosk and

CJ Graham, Undergraduate Orientation coordinators, sent a notice to the Tufts Orientation Facebook group in June asking incoming freshmen to submit designs for their orientation T-shirt.

The designs had to include the Tufts University logo and class year, and a maximum of three colors. see T-SHIRT, page 6

J

umbo: Tufts’ mascot, Jumbo the elephant, is the only mascot to appear in Webster’s Dictionary.

Jumbo was a male African elephant that belonged to P.T. Barnum.

When a train hit Jumbo in Ontario, Canada, Barnum donated the elephant’s hide, which was eventually put on display in the Barnum Museum of Natural History (now Barnum Hall). After a fire at Barnum Hall in 1975, Jumbo’s ashes were put in a peanut butter jar, and athletes have been rubbing the container for good luck since 1975.

J

oey: Short for Joseph’s Transportation, the buses that run from Davis Square and back to campus. Seldom on time, but extremely useful when you need to get off campus in a hurry ... or if you’re lazy and don’t want to walk uphill.

L

CS: Short for the Leonard Carmichael Society, the umbrella organization for community service at Tufts.

With 32 different programs and approximately 1200 volunteers annually, you’ll be able to find your niche here.

M

oe’s: The popular spot for a quick late-night bite on weekends, “Moe’s BBQ Trolly” at the corner of Professor’s Row and Packard Avenue, serves burgers, hot dogs and so much more.

P

urple Hallway: A popular meeting spot in Tisch Library — just walk past the initial reference books and the first few hallways of fourperson tables. No promises about how much studying you will get done here.

R

ape Steps. The steps at the intersection of Winthrop Street and Capen Street.

Legend has it that there was a competition for the engineers on campus to design a set of steps for this hill so that women could use the stairs to get back on campus more easily than men could, thereby avoiding harassment.

T

EMS: Tufts Emergency Medical Services, providing prompt and emergency medical attention to the Tufts community since 1985. Students can become a member of the team once certified as Emergency Medical Technicians. How does one use it in a sentence? “She got TEMSed, dude!”

T

rick turn: Head over to Hodgdon Hall and down the stairs to Hodgdon Good-to-Go to get free snacks (for those of you with unlimited meal plans) after you swipe in for a meal at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center or Carmichael Dining Center. Yum.

T U V

UPD: Tufts University Police Department. Yes, we have our own!

ltimate: Ultimate Frisbee.

Join the team, or throw around with your friends on the quad. arsity athletics: Is that something that exists here? Yes! The softball and field hockey teams both won the NCAA Divison III Championship this year.

W

alnut Hill: In other words, the hill you climb up and down all day on campus ... Get used to it, even though nobody uses its actual name.

Y

OLO: You Only Live Once. The Admissions Department has a brand new supplement question for Class of 2018: What does #YOLO mean to you?

Z

ip code: Campus is split into two zip codes. Depending on where you are you could be in 02155 or 02144. Pay attention if you really do want to get those care packages from home!

Editor’s note: This article contains information used in previous Matriculation issues.

—compiled by Shannon Vavra

The Tufts Daily

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Features

Freshman partake in traditions before arrival

T-SHIRT

continued from page 5

They received 17 designs, a similar number as in past years, Graham said. Graham and Mosk were responsible for choosing the winners, and they recruited the help of some friends to decide.

“We had a lot of great submissions this year,” Graham said. “We choose our top four designs, and we ended up getting a lot of different people’s opinions [and] ranking them, and [then] we went with the one that was the most popular.”

Averill, who won the competition, said that he was happy just to participate.

“I like art a lot, but I never really had time to do it during the school year. I was just excited to enter,” Averill said.

According to Golia, social media has made it much easier

to get students’ attention over the summer months.

Another way of increasing enthusiasm among incoming freshman during the summer is through the class banner design contest. Class banners have been hanging in the Mayer Campus Center since 1998, but the design contest for the banners is only in its third year, according to Golia.

“It used to be that the class was responsible for getting the design and the banner done,” Golia said.

“One of the problems in the past was that the freshman class council wouldn’t do it immediately, so sometimes the banner wouldn’t be ready until their sophomore or junior year.”

The new system lets freshman design banner options over the summer before arriving on campus so the class vote can take place during orientation.

The banner can then be up by

October or November of their freshman year.

The submissions will be on display for a vote during the Jumbolicious Carnival event during orientation week. Golia said that there have been around five or six submissions in the past couple of years.

Students from last year’s graduating class combined these two traditions, Golia said, something he now wants to make a Senior Week tradition. Independently, students of the class of 2013 created a T-shirt modeled after their class banner to be sold during Senior Week.

Golia believes traditions like these, especially the T-shirt design contest, help to facilitate class unity.

“It’s immediate bonding,” Golia said. “They all have something the same, [and] you see them all over, especially that first week.”

kyra sturgill / the tufts daily

Freshmen will vote on the banners designed by their peers during orientation.

Adults learners resume education at Tufts by

Charlotte Gilliland Daily Editorial Board

Scan the crowd filled with fellow members of the class of 2017 at Matriculation, and you’ll find about 1,300 other students anxious to join the Tufts community. High school and some gap years completed, many are living away from home for the first time.

Eight of the new students matriculating today, though, have a different story to tell.

These eight students are adults resuming their education this fall through the Resumed Education for Adult Learning (REAL) program, which has enrolled students since 1970.

Although many universities place their adult students in extension programs that are separate from undergraduates, Tufts REAL program offers the complete undergraduate experience to adult students, including resources like financial aid and the Tufts Educational Day Care Center for those students with children.

“This is a special program because Tufts recognizes that we have a great education to offer talented adults,” Jean Herbert, director of the REAL program and associate dean for the School of Arts and Sciences, told the Daily in an e-mail. “Any returning student might go to a state school, for example, but those who want to be challenged with the kind of education a selective college can offer have few choices.”

Antonia Chayes, currently a professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, founded the REAL program in

1970 when she was a dean of Jackson College, Herbert said.

It was created for women who were unable to go to college, or who had to put their education on hold for their families. In 1976, the program was opened to male students.

“Tufts was ahead of other schools in its commitment to this kind of program, especially by offering financial aid,” Herbert said. “I would guess that the percentage [of financial aid rewarded] is quite high since we do not ask for parental contributions for these adult students.”

Bobbie Knable, former director of the REAL program, wrote about the opportunities that enrollment at Tufts offers adult learners for the program’s 20th anniversary in 1990.

“In the sixties, when Americans saw education as a means to economic and social mobility, we discovered that access was limited for large segments of the population: some were too poor even for the public institutions, and entrance requirements to the most selective colleges excluded most of those capable of doing the work but not conventionally prepared,” Knable said.

Today, the REAL program is open to adults 24 and older with some college experience who are looking to complete their bachelor’s degree. The program currently has 36 students enrolled, including the eight beginning this fall, and the Admissions Office provides support to these students throughout their time see REAL, page 8

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Kindness the common trait across student body ADMISSIONS

continued from page 5

The Class of 2017 is hardly lacking in global voices.

Applications from international students were also at a record high this year, with a total of 171 incoming students who live abroad, representing 47 countries.

“Thirteen percent are from international backgrounds — 10 percent are foreigners and another three percent are Americans abroad,” Coffin said. “The largest single group is from China, followed by India, Hong Kong, Singapore and then Canada and Turkey are tied for 5th.”

One of these students in particular, Coffin pointed out, is another record-breaker.

“As far as I can tell, he’s our first student from Bosnia,” Coffin said. “He’s the son of a beekeeper, and he wants to be a bio major so he can help his father increase the honey yield on the hives.”

This is an example of another “Tufts-y” quality — the Class of 2017 creates a community of students who can learn from one another.

“What I always think is important about Tufts is that people break the stereotypes about things that would typically go together in high school,” Coffin said. “So you have an artistic athlete ... People often do one or the other, but [it’s about] finding that mixture. Many of [the students] are more open to going down paths that are unexpected,” Coffin said.

Notable Tufts alumni

Jumbos have gone on to do great things armed with a Tufts degree, whether it’s winning an Olympic medal or founding a Fortune 500 company. This list is not all-inclusive, but here’s a quick look at what you can accomplish with a Tufts education.

Barbara Delinsky: Earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1967 and went on to write 19 New York Times bestsellers.

David Costabile: The actor graduated in 1989 and has played supporting roles in more than 20 television shows. He plays Gale on “Breaking Bad” and Daniel Hardman on “Suits.”

Dov Charney: Legend has it that the founder and CEO of American Apparel started the retail business out of his dorm room at Tufts.

Ellen Kullman: The former director of General Motors graduated in 1978 with a degree in mechanical engineering and currently serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.

Gregory Maguire: Received his Ph.D in English and American literature from Tufts and went on to publish “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” (1995), upon which the Broadway musical is based.

Leslie Gelb: President emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization that specializes in foreign policy and international affairs.

Michelle Kwan: An Olympic figure skater who took the silver medal in 1998 and bronze in 2002. She graduated from Fletcher in 2011.

Peter Gallagher: The actor, appearing in the TV series “Covert Affairs” and “The OC,” graduated from in 1977 after having been a part of the Beelzebubs on campus.

Peter Roth: As the president and chief content officer of Warner Brothers Television, he helped develop the TV drama “The West Wing” after graduating in 1972.

Pierre Omidyar: The founder and chairman of eBay graduated in 1988 with a degree in computer science.

Rick Hauck: The former fighter pilot and NASA astronaut received his degree in physics from Tufts in 1962, where he participated

In preparing for his traditional matriculation speech, Coffin reviewed applications and found individuals who were interested in cost effective arrow gels, the effects of pollution on lichen, the Aztec language, Henry VIII and his six wives, silk-derived proteins, election statistics, marriage equality, mica, Lincoln and Tolstoy.

Amongst all the varied academic interests, though, is a fundamental trait that Coffin stressed: kindness.

“It’s a fair characterization of the student body we’re trying to build,” he said. “We value people who are kind, and who are balanced. [Those] who have an optimistic way of looking at themselves and their friends and communities.”

This kindness, in conjunction with the diverse backgrounds of the Tufts student population, is what creates the campus atmosphere that Tufts students love, according to Coffin. With an engineer who has a passion for the American Revolution and another student whose life goal is to make the perfect oboe reed, the incoming class is a group bound to be a part of the “Tufts-y” vibe.

“I see a playfulness at Tufts. It’s a university that is serious in its academics but doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Coffin said. “That liveliness makes up Tufts. I hear applicants say ... that they don’t pick that vibe up everywhere.”

in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Roderick MacKinnon: The School of Medicine graduate won a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2003 for visualizing the opening and closing of potassium ion channels in cell membranes.

Roy Raymond: The founder of Victoria’s Secret graduated from Tufts and within the first five years of business made a gross profit of $6 million per year.

Tracy Chapman: The four-time Grammy award winning singersongwriter graduated in 1987.

William Moulton Marston: A comic-book writer and creator of the character Wonder Woman.

Zander Kirkland: Carried the flag for Bermuda in the 2012 Olympics. An All-American sailor at Tufts, he and his brother were the first Bermudan skiff sailors to qualify for the Olympics.

—compiled by Julia McDaniel and Shannon Vavra

Hank Azaria: Frequented the Balch Arena Theater on campus during his time here and has since won four Emmy awards for his voiceovers on Fox’s “The Simpsons” as Moe Szyslak and Chief Clancy Wiggum.

Kostas Karamanlis: The former prime minister of Greece earned his master’s degree and Ph.D MCT MCT from the Fletcher School of Law Michelle Kwan graduated from Hank Azaria, a former Tufts stuand Diplomacy. dent, has won four Emmy awards.

Fletcher in 2011.

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REAL students confront challenges REAL

continued from page 6

MCT

Members of the Tisch family have funded Tisch Library, the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service.

The ties between Tufts and the Tisches

by Julia

McDaniel

Daily Editorial Board

While exploring the Hill for these first few weeks on campus, new students will notice that the name Tisch is thrown around quite a bit. There’s the Tisch Library, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and even the new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center. Students take advantage of these establishments so frequently that it begs the question: Why are so many buildings named after members of the Tisch family?

The Tisch family’s connection to Tufts began when brothers Steve (A ’71) and Jonathan Tisch (A ’76) attended Tufts as undergraduate students and later decided to give back to their alma mater in the form of an athletic center and a college for leadership. However, Steve and Jonathan were not the first in their family to be philanthropists. Starting with Laurence and Robert Preston “Bob” Tisch, the brothers’ uncle and father, respectively — the Tisches initially focused on investments unrelated to higher education.

Laurence used a seed fund to begin investing, and Bob joined him to invest in hotels, eventually gaining control of the Loews cinema company and investing in tobacco, insurance and offshore drilling. As a result, the Tisches are well known for their contributions to the Tisch Hospital at New York University (NYU) and the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Before contributing funds to open a new athletic center at Tufts, Bob’s son Steve established a career in the film industry after first being exposed to the discipline at Tufts.

“I think the first film course I took was probably in 1970, and it wasn’t formally part of the Tufts curriculum,” Steve told the Daily in a 2012 interview. “It was more of an experimental film course.”

Steve began working with Columbia Pictures after graduating from Tufts, most notably producing the film “Risky Business” (1983), which gave actor Tom Cruise his first starring role. Since then, Steve has worked on a number of successful films, including “Forrest Gump,” (1994) “American History X” (1998) and “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006).

“I was able to sort of stitch together, with a lot of encouragement and help from Sol Gittleman, an area of interest that was almost personally designed,” Steve said. “It included film, literature, working very closely with Dr. Gittleman and all of the courses he was teaching.”

In addition to his experience in the film industry, Steve serves as the chairman and executive vice president of the New York Giants football team, which is co-owned within the Tisch family. This involvement in professional sports prompted Steve’s donation to Tufts for the athletics center.

“When I found myself, after my father passed away, getting much more involved with the New York Giants and becoming the

team’s chairman, it seemed like it was finally an opportunity to connect the dots between my involvement in professional sports and my alma mater,” Steve told the Daily on the day the fitness center opened. “I did some due diligence, and there seemed to be a real need ... that it should be in the area of sports, specifically with a new facility.”

Steve contributed $13 million to construct the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, putting up a $3 million matching challenge to inspire other donors. Although varsity athletes continue to use the Cousens Gym and the Ames Human Performance Center, which features the Lunder Fitness Center, non-varsity students have had the opportunity to use the equipment, indoor track and pool in the newer fitness center since last September.

Steve’s younger brother Jonathan followed in the family’s footsteps and became a businessman as well. He is chairman of Loews Hotels and co-chairman of its parent company Loews Corporation, one of the largest diversified financial holdings companies in the United States. He is also co-owner and treasurer of the New York Giants and a trustee at Tufts.

After authoring three best-selling books detailing his active citizenship philosophy, he decided to give back to Tufts with a contribution of $40 million in 2006, funding the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service.

This college, previously known as the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, encourages students to put their education to good use by serving the community.

“I remember sitting there, thinking that this is a remarkable concept and an important idea that Tufts should embrace,” Jonathan told the Daily in a 2006 interview.

Philanthropy is second nature to the Tisch family, he noted at the ceremony commemorating his donation.

Tisch College has since offered the Tisch Scholars Program, which takes a select number of students and helps them develop leadership and community service skills.

The Tisch family also made possible the 1996 opening of Tisch Library on the Medford/Somerville campus. Students use the library so frequently that it is known, simply, as Tisch. Students have Bob and Joan Tisch — Steve and Jonathan’s parents — to thank for the donation that spurred the construction of Tisch.

Whether students are at the fitness center pumping iron, holed up in the basement of Tisch cramming for finals or applying to the Tisch Scholars Program through Tisch College, the Tisch family legacy lives on every day on the Medford/Somerville campus. The familiar name that students use to describe the library highlights how indispensable the Tisch’s donations have been to the Tufts community, and the location of Tisch at the heart of campus represents the central role it plays in students’ daily lives.

at Tufts.

Herbert acts as the academic dean for all the students in the program, along with Kim Knox, associate dean for the School of Engineering, who works with engineering students. Many REAL students have said that professors also offer a great deal of attention.

“The professors are unbelievable.

They really are great,” REAL student David Romano said. “They bend over backwards to help. Whenever I send them an e-mail, they shoot one back to me within less than a day.”

Romano, 32, is in his third semester at Tufts, although he began the process of going back to school at Bunker Hill Community College. In addition to taking a full course load here, he works full-time as a hairstylist and cares for his daughter.

“I love what I do and am not sure if I want to make a huge change in my life or career, but I have an eight-year-old daughter,” Romano said. “She is with me full time and I wanted to set a good example for her. So I started that process at Bunker Hill [by] slowly taking two to three classes a semester.”

Many other REAL students also began their education at community college before acceptance into the program at Tufts. Some, like Romano, are merely looking to continue their education, while others are looking for a drastic career change.

Hudson Gloria, a 34 year-old musician from Brazil, will begin his second semester at Tufts this fall studying chemical engineering. After working in the music industry for more than 10 years, he enrolled in the REAL program.

“There came a moment where I had to make a choice. Music was too [many] ups and downs, and being away from home,” Gloria said. “After I got married, it was not fun anymore to be away for a month. I had to at least know how to do something else.”

Tufts provides financial aid for REAL students that are eligible, although affording tuition to a high-cost school remains a burden to some, including Gloria. He said that he received very little financial aid from Tufts’ needbased assessment.

“It is financially difficult for me. I had a career before; we had a life before,“ Gloria said. “Luckily I’m getting a degree that I can do something with.”

Though the REAL program offers many accommodations for its students, those in the program say they still face significant challenges. For example, managing a home, working and commuting prove difficult, particularly for those children. Helen

Achwei, who has a six-year-old son and is studying biomedical engineering, knows that strain well.

“When I got to Tufts, it was quite a challenge. I would be in school for a long time and when I got home, my son would be ready to go to bed,” Achwei said. “I didn’t have time for him. There are days I would take two hours to get home.”

Achwei says her family now takes things day-by-day and must always plan ahead to balance out family time.

These and other complications are ones that most undergraduate students do not have to deal with.

“Because of living far from school, you don’t have people or friends to study with. Being in the sciences, it doesn’t help studying alone,” Achwei said. “You need someone to study with, but we don’t have peers to work with.

We are running home to take care of family, it’s hard.”

Although full integration with the Tufts undergraduate community in class causes some unease among REAL students, Romano said his experience has been a positive one.

“I think every single student I’ve encountered has been really, really nice and helpful,” Romano said. “I’ve had a few people that I’ve exchanged phone numbers with, and we keep in touch.”

The lack of awareness of the REAL program among many Tufts undergraduates, though, can also lead to uncomfortable situations, Achwei said.

“When I was at a community college, there were a lot of people my age.

I didn’t really feel any different,” Achwei said. “At Tufts, I felt it was quite difficult to make friends. I think they look at us with a different perspective. A lot of them feel that we are graduate students.

They kind of shied away from us.”

Achwei said that an increased understanding of the program and background of adult learners could help alleviate some discomfort.

“A lot of students don’t know about the [REAL] program,” she said. “I don’t think [the university] really can do anything other than putting the program out there so students know about it.”

Many REAL students have high aspirations for after graduation.

Some, like Gloria, plan on immediately entering their chosen career field, while others plan on attending graduate school or building a family.

No matter their plans after graduation, many REAL students, as Achwei said, feel thankful for the opportunity to study at Tufts.

“I didn’t even think of Tufts as an option,” Achwei said. “Getting into the REAL program and having the privilege of going to school at Tufts, I feel really lucky for that.”

Tufts Tips So you just got to campus, and you don’t quite know your way around yet.

Well, your fellow Jumbos have come together to give you some advice and insider tips on how to survive your first year here.

1. Your meal plan really is unlimited. So yes, you can swipe into Dewick for a glass of water.

2. Exchange numbers with people in your classes: You will have homework questions, and you will want to work together on occasion — when appropriate. Make sure your collaboration is within acceptable limits for the class. When time to cram for finals rolls around, you’ll be glad you have people you can work with.

3. Everyone says Dewick is the best dining hall, but Carmichael has a certain charm.

With themed dinners and natural lighting, Carm is preferred by many.

4. Get creative in the dining halls.

5. Be sure to be stealthy when stealing five pieces of fruit from the dining hall.

Sometimes they really do notice.

6. Don’t be too offended when you break a plate in Dewick and the whole room claps for you. It happens to everybody, we promise.

7. Get to class early.

8. The number of pizza restaurants to order from can be overwhelming when making that clutch late night

call, but there is a simple formula: If you’re feeling a calzone, always go with Helen’s Roast Beef. If you’re with a big group looking for pizza, go to Pizza Days and remember to ask for the complimentary socks.

9. But those late night Pizza Days orders add up. Be careful — the Freshman 15 is not a joke!

10. Don’t be afraid to explore new classes. You’ve only got four years, so make the best of it.

11. Support your fellow Jumbos at sports games.

12. Make an effort to explore Davis Square and Boston.

13. Eat lunch with a professor at least once.

14. Try to knock out core requirements early. In the process, you will discover your interests. It’s an easy way to kill two birds with one stone.

15. Try to get some sleep, and take the roommate contract seriously.

16. Get out of your comfort zone. High school is behind you, and you have no reputation to live up to.

17. If you wish for the Joey, say it out loud. It will appear for you. This only works once.

—compiled by Caitlin McClure, Charlotte Gilliland and Shannon Vavra

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TV Preview

Fall television season promises mix of old and new New series to compete with returning favorites by

Lancy Downs

Daily Editorial Board

The arrival of September brings fresh notebooks, back-to-school jitters and, most importantly, the start of the fall television season. This year, as series old and new hit the small screen (or Hulu), there is a diverse mix of shows to choose from. Here is a quick look at a few noteworthy comedies and dramas airing this fall.

The Blacklist (NBC, premieres Sept. 23) This new, high-concept show revolves around Raymond “Red” Reddington (James

Spader), a former government official and now one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives, who turns himself in and offers to help track down various criminals and terrorists. The catch: He mysteriously refuses to speak to anyone besides newly minted agent Elizabeth Keene (Megan Boone). Spader’s most recent foray into television came on season eight of “The Office” (2005-2013) as crazed boss Robert California; without an established ensemble cast to compete with, Spader has the space he needs to let Red flourish as a character. With early positive reviews, “The Blacklist” could potentially be Courtesy Justin McCallum

see FALL TV, page 14

Five separate O-Shows will introduce freshmen to a variety student performance groups.

Orientation shows to feature wide range of talents O-Shows highlight student performance groups by

Brendan Donohue

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts Undergraduate Orientation Shows, which exhibit some of the many talented student groups on campus, will include even more talent this year. Beginning today, five shows held at separate venues will each display the expertise of a broad range of performance groups on campus.

On the first night of orientation, incoming freshmen will be treated to an assortment of vocal, comedy and dance performances on the President’s Lawn. A second show on Saturday will focus purely on comedy, and on Sunday, new students will have the opportunity to view two productions put on by some of the acting troupes on campus. Finally, on Monday night, an a capella concert will highlight one of Tufts oldest and proudest traditions.

Zuko1312 via Flickr Creative Commons

Joss Whedon’s ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ has garnered much attention thanks to its continuity with Marvel Studios films.

The performers for today’s opening show will represent the vast array of performance art at Tufts. One of the featured groups is Spirit of Color (SoC), a dance collective that incorporates multiple genres in their productions, including hip-hop, jazz, contemporary dance and even step. But not all groups are as broad: Tufts Bhangra, another student dance team, brings a very specific cultural dance from the Punjab region of India to the stage.

Saturday’s Comedy O-Show may come as a welcome relief after a week filled with ice breakers and ice cream socials. Tufts groups will perform in standup, sketch and improvisational comedy.

This performance will provide a more involved and personal setting than any of see SHOW, page 12

A guide to the Museum Summer movie season of Fine Arts, Boston underwhelms with few surprises Movie Review

by

Grace Hoyt

Daily Editorial Board

As an incoming Tufts student, you’re likely looking forward to having access to all that Boston has to offer. With the excitement of orientation and starting classes, it’s easy to forget that we have the entire city in our backyard. One of the greatest opportunities that all students should take advantage of is access to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston.

With a Tufts ID, students can visit the museum for free (as opposed to the typical $23 entrance fee) and attend film showings for just $5. Each admission ticket includes free, guided museum tours and gallery talks.

The MFA is open seven days a week, ideal for scheduling a trip during free time on weekends or after classes.

Tufts has a unique dual-degree, five-year Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts program in conjunction with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), Boston. A shuttle runs Monday through Friday from the Aidekman Arts Center on the Medford/Somerville campus to the SMFA, which is conveniently located right next to the MFA. With the shuttle schedule available on the Tufts Administrative Services website, any student can visit the MFA

without having to navigate public transportation.

Since the shuttle only runs on weekdays, a weekend trip to the MFA would require a subway trip into the city. Starting from Davis Square, students should take the Red Line inbound to Park Street. At Park Street, transfer to the E train on the Green Line towards Heath Street Medical Center, and get off at the MFA stop right after Northeastern. The trip takes about 50 minutes in total but is definitely worth the time; a visit to the MFA is a great way to learn how to use the T or to explore different neighborhoods near the museum like Back Bay. Once you arrive at the museum, there is so much to explore.

Two must-see rooms are the temporary exhibitions in the Gund Gallery and the Torf Gallery.

For instance, from now through November, the Torf Gallery has a colorful fashion exhibit called “Hippie Chic” that highlights the style of the Woodstock generation and includes over 54 psychedelic ensembles. Because these galleries usually change every few months, it’s a good idea to check the MFA website for information before visiting.

Another highlight includes the newly renovated Art of the see MFA, page 14

by

Dan O’Leary

Daily Editorial Board

There’s no denying that when it comes to summer movie season, there will inevitably be some duds. After all, with so many movies competing for precious few weekends and consumer dollars, not all of them can be great.

But moviegoers hold out hope that for every abomination that comes around, like “Battleship” (2012), there will also be an intelligent franchise film, such as “The Avengers” (2012), or a creative, conversation-starting movie, like “Inception” (2010). Sadly, the 2013

summer movie season offered little in innovation. It instead produced mostly standard fare with only the occasional gem sprinkled in, leaving blockbuster lovers looking forward to 2014.

Most Surprising Film: Easily the most surprising movie of summer 2013 was the Brad Pitt-led “World War Z,” which astounded audiences by actually being pleasantly entertaining (with only some occasionally bland moments). For a movie that had the buzzards circling it for a year and garnered nothing but bad publicity up until its

release, that’s no small feat. News of the troubled “World War Z” production had been circulating on the Internet for months, thanks to reports of reshoots and a completely rewritten third act to the movie. The final product is a respectable thriller with a unique take on the zombie genre (hint: they’re not slow), as viewers watch Pitt’s ex-U.N. employee race around the globe in search of the source of the zombie epidemic. Yet, the film’s innovative action sequences are surrounded by somewhat underwhelming character development and one can sense that there was potential for a much more innovative film.

Nonetheless, “World War Z” was a decently entertaining alternative to typical summer films.

Courtesy of Clay Enos/Warner Brothers Pictures

Most Improved Sequel: Another happy surprise of the summer was James Mangold’s “The Wolverine,” which featured Hugh Jackman returning for his fifth performance as the troubled mutant. For anyone who sat through the complete and utter mess that was “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” back in 2009 – to say that expectations were low for this sequel is an understatement. Based on the popular Marvel comic book storyline, the film followed Jackman’s Logan as

Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ was a disappointing take on the classic Superman story.

see MOVIES, page 14

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Orientation shows planned to entertain, recruit freshmen SHOW

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the other orientation shows. Sophomore Michele Herzog, a member of the improv comedy troupe, Cheap Sox, said this unique atmosphere benefits both the freshmen and the student performers.

“Everyone is right in your face,” she said.

“It’s the best way for freshmen to dive into the comedy scene at Tufts, or even just sample it. The entire subtext of the show is ‘Hey! Look at us! You could do this, too.’”

The Comedy O-Show will take place in the Balch Arena Theater at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Tufts’ theater groups will hold performances on both Sunday and Monday. On Sunday night, freshmen can see “[title of show]” presented by Torn Ticket II. The first showing of “[title of show]” will take place on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater, with a repeat performance on Monday at 2:00 p.m.

Pen, Paint and Pretzels (3Ps), Tufts’ oldest student theater organization, will present “All in the Timing,” by David Ives, on Sunday at 7:00 p.m., with a repeat performance on Monday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

In the final orientation performance, the O-Show a capella concert, students will get to see performances from Tufts eight a capella groups. The concert will be held on Monday, Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in Distler Auditorium.

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Torn Ticket II, Tufts’ musical theater group, will perform on both Sunday and Monday.

Captured: Performances

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Courtesy Justin McCallum

Courtesy Justin McCallum

Courtesy Justin McCallum

Courtesy Justin McCallum

Courtesy Justin McCallum

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

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New exhibits, film screenings available at MFA MFA

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Americas Wing, which contains 53 galleries across four floors and more than 5,000 works ranging from the pre-Columbian era through the third quarter of the 20th century. The rooms progress chronologically from the ground level to the top floor, making it easy to navigate the wing.

The revamped Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art is another notable section of the MFA. The museum’s Department of Contemporary Art was established in 1971, and since 1992 it has focused on showcasing works from 1955 onward. With work by artists including El Anatsui, Jenny Holzer, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol, there is never a dull moment in this part of the museum.

The Contemporary Wing is also home to Remis Auditorium, the main museum bookstore and a small cafe.

Remis hosts movie screenings and film festivals throughout the year, to which students can buy tickets ahead of time by checking the film program online.

This summer, the MFA held its 18th

Annual Boston French Film Festival, where it screened some of the best French films of the past year. This November, the MFA will host its 25th Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival to showcase some of the world’s most innovative Jewish-themed films. The movies at the MFA are sure to entertain any movie buff who wants to try something more adventurous than a typical trip to Dave’s Fresh Pasta or J.P. Licks.

Other noteworthy aspects of the museum include the impressionist collection in Art of Europe and the Art of the Ancient World collection, which includes an extensive set of Egyptian art and mummies, along with precious Greek and Roman artifacts.

Though it may seem daunting at first, by utilizing the museum’s website for current information and Tufts resources for transportation, visiting the MFA can be a worthwhile trip for any student.

Whether you’re a serious art scholar or just looking to be exposed to the best of Boston, the MFA is an incredible experience for those who choose to take advantage of it.

Wikimedia Commons

The MFA in Boston, one of the most comprehensive museums in the world, houses over 400,000 works of art.

Standard summer fare at theaters offers some hidden gems MOVIES

continued from page 11

he travels to Japan after the events of the “X-Men” trilogy and becomes entangled with the dealings of a powerful Japanese family. “The Wolverine” featured Jackman’s best performance of the character to date, as he portrayed a tortured Logan grappling with the demons that come with immortality. Surrounded by an engaging supporting cast and exhilarating action set pieces (until the film descends into third act silliness), Jackman helped make “The Wolverine” a thoughtful superhero movie and a strong start to the summer movie season.

Most Disappointing Film: Not including this summer’s movies that looked like trouble from their first teaser trailers (i.e. “The Lone Ranger” and “R.I.P.D.”), the most disappointing movie of the season was “Man of Steel.” Featuring a supporting cast stacked with Oscar winners and nominees, along with trailers evoking a sense of gravitas on par with Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, “Man of Steel” had audiences believing that director Zack Snyder could deliver an engaging Superman film. While the movie was commercially successful enough for Warner Brothers to green-

light a sequel, the rest of the film was a massive squandering of potential. Henry Cavill turned in a fine performance as the titular hero, but he and the rest of the impressive

cast couldn’t do much with a weak script that stayed within generic blockbuster territory. While the main complaint with the last Superman movie, “Superman Returns”

Courtesy of Ben Rothstein/Twentieth Century Fox

Hugh Jackman shines as a torn and troubled Logan in “The Wolverine”.

(2006), was that it was light on action and slow moving, the exact opposite was true for “Man of Steel.” Snyder did deliver some stunning action sequences while achieving a level of destruction that would make Michael Bay blush, but this came at the cost of barreling through more than two hours of running time while avoiding much real character development. Hopefully Snyder will be able to redeem the character in the 2015 sequel, which will include Ben Affleck as Batman.

Strongest Film: While it was a strong entry in the continued reboot of the longstanding “Star Trek” franchise, a five word review of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek Into Darkness” could sum it up: Not spectacular, but good enough. The “Star Trek” sequel found Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and company squared off against famed villain Khan, portrayed by a chilling Benedict Cumberbatch. While the movie does suffer from some plot holes and script issues, it succeeds primarily due to fantastic action sequences and a phenomenal performance

by Cumberbatch. By delivering a new spin on the Khan character, Cumberbatch created a memorable performance in a summer movie season devoid of many.

Hot new shows slated for fall primetime FALL TV

continued from page 11

a much-needed hit for the ratingspoor NBC. Homeland (Showtime, premieres Sept. 29)

Fresh off of big Emmy wins for stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, “Homeland” returns this September to intense speculation about the fates of Carrie Mathison, Nicholas Brody, Saul (Mandy Patinkin) and the entire Brody family in the aftermath of the terrorist attack that closed out the season two finale. A recent trailer gave fans a brief look at what’s in store for their favorite characters, including Dana (Morgan Saylor) taking nude photos of herself, Carrie making a return to the hospital, Brody sporting a new bald look and Saul going to Capitol Hill to testify before congressional committees. One thing we know for sure? Showrunner Alex Gansa confirmed at the Television Critics Association press tour that Brody will not be appearing in the season’s first two episodes, though he would not comment on when exactly the accused Marine will be back.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, premieres Sept. 24) The title may be a mouthful, but this new drama by “The Avengers” (2012) director Joss Whedon has already received considerable attention – and not just for its long name.

The show itself (which is consistent with previous Marvel Studios films) follows fan-favorite Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) in a post-Avengers world as he teams up with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to, according to the show’s website, “investigate the new, the strange and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.” Notably, “S.H.I.E.L.D.” marks Whedon’s return to television; the director-producer-writer – beloved by fans for his shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1996-2003) and cult favorite “Firefly”(2002-2003) – has been focusing on his many film projects for the past several years.

With a rabid fan base already established thanks to both Whedon and Marvel’s previously successful ventures, as well as hype from a San Diego Comic Con screening, the show seems poised to rake in high ratings during its first season.

Mom (CBS, premieres Sept. 23) A new show from well-known producer Chuck Lorre of “Two and a Half Men” (2003–) and “The Big Bang Theory” (2007–), “Mom” stars comedy darling Anna Faris as Christy, a newly sober single mother working at a restaurant. In addition to dealing with her boy-crazy daughter and zany colleagues, Christy’s life is further complicated by the return of her estranged mother Bonnie (Allison Janney). Lorre’s shows, which often garner big ratings, are not known for their nuanced humor, aiming

instead for broad, perhaps obvious, comedy. “Mom” seems no different; a TVLine.com critic said, “All the bawdy boxes get checked, including vivid sex jokes and rather specific drug humor.” The chemistry between Faris and Janney, however, has the potential to make or break the show. Both women are talented (Janney was a scene stealer as a boozy mother in this summer’s “The Way Way Back”), but whether they can make this show work is to be determined.

Parks and Recreation (NBC, premieres Sept. 26) “Parks and Rec” fans were the recipients of some unfortunate news this summer: Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe, who play Anne Perkins and Chris Traeger respectively, will leave the series after the 13th episode of the show’s upcoming sixth season. Executive producer Michael Schur told Entertainment Weekly what this season will look like for Anne and Chris: “Their main thrust for the first chunk of episodes is just being a couple and dating – and also obviously, trying to have a baby,” he said. In the meantime, fans can look forward to a season premiere set in London and a slew of guest stars, including “Orphan Black” actress Tatiana Maslany as a love interest for wannabe-playboy Tom Haverford.

Heidi Klum, Kristen Bell and Henry Winkler will also be appearing at various points in the season.

AcuraNews via Flickr Creative Commons

Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe are leaving NBC’s returning favorite, ‘Parks and Rec,’ midway through the upcoming season.

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Superman works for a daily paper.

You could, too!

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THE TUFTS DAILY

It’s okay to fall on your face

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

If you’re on campus right now, you’ve already been inundated with reassurances and advice from parents, students, faculty and anyone else you’ve bumped into who happened to overhear that you’re entering your first year of college and somehow knows that “you’ll have such a great time.” It probably seems like everyone has something to say about maximizing your Tufts experience, and you’re expected to listen to and absorb all of the recollections and cliches and well-meaning-but-still-annoying reminders from your mother that you can stomach.

You are matriculating at Tufts.

You’re here because you are an intelligent, driven person. Despite the fact that everyone around you is too, there’s something unique about you that made someone in Dowling take a second look at your application.

The (divisive) new “YOLO” admis-

denise amisial

sions essay question emphasizes the fact that the Tufts community wants Jumbos with passion, purpose and imagination — not just that 4.0 GPA and National Honor Society membership. We want new lights on the Hill that burn and fizzle and pop and don’t necessarily follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.

So, maybe the thing to do is to excuse yourself from the next conversation with your mom about separating your whites and your colors and to start finding the things at Tufts that really speak to the person you wrote about in your application.

That may mean doing the open dance with Spirit of Color and twisting your ankle, or trying out for B.E.A.T.s and realizing you have a passion for hitting objects with other objects. It may mean writing something for one of Tufts many publications, despite

the fact that your high school journalism teacher told you to give it up. It could even include strapping on snowshoes for the first time with Tufts Mountain Club and trudging through five feet of snow in the New Hampshire mountains.

Scariest of all, it might mean you don’t even recognize yourself in the mirror sometimes (which has nothing to do with the pink shirt you’re wearing that was white before those Pizza Days socks got sorted into the wrong pile). The cookie-cutter advice that you’ve been getting is utterly useless because you need to make mistakes, make your parents question your sanity and rise to the occasions you never thought you would. It’s okay to be afraid. Look back at what you wrote about yourself in your Tufts supplement, but also look ahead to the next four years with an open mind.

A New Freshman Class Joins the Hill

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

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

editorial

Hannah R. Fingerhut Editorial

Editorial | Letters

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors Cartoonists Editorialists

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

PRODUCTION Elliot Philips

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

Executive Layout Editor Senior Layout Editor Layout Editors

from the editor-in-chief Assistant Layout Editors

Jamie Hoagland Executive Copy Editors Julia Russell Emma Arnesty-Good Copy Editors Shreya Bhandari Anna Haugen Grace Hoyt Adrienne Lange Drew Lewis Annaick Miller Kyle Allen Vidya Srinivasan Marina Shtyrkov Hadley Gibson Assistant Copy Editors Elissa Ladwig Patrick Schulman Emily Naito Rachel Salzberg Tori Porter

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

The news is in your hands 2017 seems far away, doesn’t it? By then, we’ll have elected a new president (and you’ll vote in that election too), Blue Ivy Carter will have entered kindergarten and Google Glass will have made surfing the Internet in class that much easier.

You have just spent an entire Matriculation ceremony scanning the crowd of your fellow classmates. You have just said goodbye to your parents (promising you’ll call later that night).

And it is just sinking in that you’ll have to walk up and down the Hill a thousand times in the next four years.

Honestly, I think it gets better with each semester, mostly because of the new personalities you get to meet. But beyond the students in your classes and the professors you see two or three times a week, there are so many other members of the Tufts community you haven’t crossed paths with yet.

I have been writing for the Daily since my first semester here, and I have had the opportunity to talk to people from just about all walks of life — Tufts Community Union presidents, female computer science majors making strides in the start-up community, students

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.

fighting for an Africana studies program, Tufts University Police Department Sergeant Robert McCarthy, University President Anthony Monaco and, in one of my favorite interviews, former Senator Scott Brown (LA ‘81).

Lucky for you, if you take the time to interact with those around you, you will also have the chance (many times over) to meet more than a handful of the 5,255 undergraduates on campus who are all doing compelling and passion-driven things. Learn from them.

I also expect that we’ll be able to help you keep tabs on the Tufts community. More than 150 students on campus contribute to the Daily — ranked by Princeton Review as the 12th best college newspaper in the country, might I add.

Turn to our News section for a breakdown of ongoing campus and community happenings, to Features for indepth snapshots of issues that impact students, to Arts & Living for a taste of the culture and creativity on- and offcampus, to Sports for all things Jumbos.

Feel free to spend some time reading the comics or doing the Sudoku, but also make sure to check out our Op-Ed

and editorial page. If you haven’t had the chance to talk to everyone on campus just yet, why not see what views are relayed here? Be intrigued, be outraged, be indifferent. But be supportive.

And submit your own opinions as well, whether they follow a similar train of thought or the polar opposite of what you see here.

Find us online — on our website, our blog Jumbo Slice, or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We, like most other publications, have been fast and furious in expanding our multimedia content, and we bet you’ll find something to like, share or retweet.

But more importantly, stop by. We’re down in the basement of Curtis Hall, and we love good company and new faces. Whether you’d like to comment, offer constructive criticism, join our team or just read, you are a part of the process. We want to learn from you, and we hope you’ll learn something from us too.

So, welcome 2017. Take it all in.

Most sincerely, Hannah Fingerhut Editor-in-Chief

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Tufts Daily

17

Op-Ed

Welcome to Tufts, Class of 2017

by Joe

Thibodeau

Greetings, Class of 2017, and welcome to Tufts! My name is Joe Thibodeau and I will be serving as your student body president this year. On behalf of all the undergraduate students here at Tufts, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to each and every one of you — we are so happy and excited to welcome you to the Hill. Amidst all the pomp of Matriculation day and the ensuing craziness of orientation week (be prepared — I’m warning you now), I encourage you to step back and try to appreciate this moment for all it’s worth. At last, all of those zany essay questions and YouTube videos, miserable early morning SATs and many endless months of nervous waiting are finally over! Your years of hard work, determination and perseverance have finally paid off, and now that distant dream of life as a college student has actually become a reality. (It’s official now, I promise.) Today, you each stand in a uniquely special position — one that, in all honesty, I often wish I could return to and experience once more. As you finish hanging up your posters and unpacking that massive suitcase (or at least try to), you begin a remarkably short four-year journey of growth, frustration, joy, invention, confusion, angst, adventure, friendship, love and immense opportunity. So, as you prepare to spend this week registering for classes, getting to know your roommate and exploring virtually every nook and cranny of this beautiful campus, I ask, “How will you leave your own special mark on this incredible community?”

If you were to ask 200 seniors to name their absolute favorite thing about Tufts, I’m almost certain you would receive 200 different answers — some funny, some intellectual and some inspiring — yet each tailored to that person’s unique lived experience on this campus. The truth is, though we embrace a sense of Jumbo pride as a community, we are all very different people who view the world in distinctly different ways. We hail from all corners of the globe and bring to this hilltop a multitude of languages, histories and cultural heritages. Each of our lives is separately marked by lived experiences of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, age, citizenship status and religion, and the intertwining

Courtesy Joe Thibodeau

and intersecting of each of our identities has and will continue to present complexities of privilege and oppression in our everyday lives. We pursue varied interests and passions, from the pre-med varsity swimmer, to the actor majoring in chemistry, to the professed “history nerd” who dabbles in Quidditch on the weekends. Although we are incredibly diverse in thought, identity and experience, we together take a leap of faith and enter into this great social experiment of creating a community on this small campus in Medford, Mass. As we spend the years eating together, laughing together

and sharing rooms together, we begin to realize that despite the complexities of our world and the lives that we live, we are all scared, anxious and hopeful young people yearning to discover our destined paths in life.

As you launch into your years here at Tufts, you stand upon the shoulders of thousands of former students long since graduated, whose insatiable intellectual curiosities and passions for justice and equity have shaped this place into the community you see today. Just the same, your presence and actions here will pave the way for countless other generations

of Jumbos to come. As you begin to settle into freshman year, challenge yourself to become vulnerable, step outside of your comfort zone and try something crazy, exciting and new. Take a class or join a club that forces you to tap into a skill set or knowledge base you never knew you possessed — how about water polo, radio DJing or juggling, for starters? Learn about the complicated history of Tufts, from our early days as the land of a slave plantation (you can still visit the slave quarters on nearby George Street in Medford) to a modern-day community of heated activism and debate, from anti-apartheid rallies in the 1990s to ongoing protests for students’ rights to nondiscrimination protections on campus. Engage your peers, listen to their stories and continuously question your own pre-conceived notions and beliefs.

Challenge your own sense of self, and don’t necessarily expect to end up as the same person you’re starting as today.

Class of 2017, your entire Tufts career lies untouched before you, waiting for you to dive in headfirst. At the end of the day, there is no way of knowing what you will do, whom you will meet and where you will go over the next four years. Perhaps you shall discover some groundbreaking scientific discovery or write an award-winning thesis. Maybe you will lead one of our sports teams to victory, meet your future spouse or visit Europe for the first time. Still, your biggest impact on this community may manifest itself in the smallest yet most important of ways — reluctantly attending every one of your friends’ a cappella concerts (but secretly loving each minute of them), comforting a classmate struggling with homesickness or encouraging your roommate the night before a big exam. This is your opportunity to shine, live your life as you want and seek the truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth) about the world around you. This is now your home, as it has been mine for the past three years, and as such, it is now your opportunity and responsibility to shape it and change it for the better. Congratulations, once again.

Welcome home. Go get ‘em!

Joe Thibodeau is a senior majoring in international relations and American studies.

He is the Tufts Community Union (TCU) President and can be reached at Joseph.

Thibodeau@tufts.edu.

Things everyone should do at Tufts (but doesn’t)

by Sam

Chapin

During my time at Tufts, I had some of my best experiences and some of my most stressful ones. Here are a few tips on how to increase the former and help avoid the latter. Everything I talk about, I, or someone I knew closely, experienced.

First, don’t procrastinate when you have something big due. This was my biggest weakness while at Tufts. I was constantly telling myself I would do the reading later or start that paper tomorrow. Did I? No. Instead I would do it at the last stress-filled minute. If you can schedule your time so that you space work out, or find a way that will motivate you to get your work done early, I highly advise it. When I really needed to get something done ahead of time, I told myself I wouldn’t go out or play video games or whatever it was I wanted to do that night until I had accomplished the goal I had set — even if it was just an outline, some research or an intro paragraph.

Second, use some form of contraceptive if you’re going to have sex. It’s all fun and games until someone gets pregnant or your genitals start itching.

Unless you know your partner really well, assume that they aren’t using anything, and protect yourself accordingly. Guys, by not using protection,

you’re playing Russian roulette with something that could alter your life.

Ladies, insist that your partner use a condom. No matter your gender, initiating a conversation to find out if that person you hooked up with a month ago is pro-life or pro-choice is not a fun time.

Third, I have some advice for freshmen. Alcohol is a part of the social scene at Tufts, but if you choose to imbibe, don’t figure out what your tolerance is by getting blackout drunk the first time you go out. Pounding shots is a good way to go to the hospital, whether you’re an experienced drinker or it’s your first time. Some nights I can drink enough liquor to put down a small pony, and other times I have had four drinks put me on my ass. Your tolerance depends on what you have eaten recently, how hydrated you are, your size, what kind of mood you are in and a variety of other factors. Don’t gamble with your health or feel pressured to drink more than you are comfortable with. If I were a betting man, I would put good money on the fact that 90 percent of behavior that gets people in trouble involves alcohol in some way. Alcohol is a social lubricant that can make you feel more comfortable and allow you to blow off some steam, but it is also used by predators to put people in sit-

uations that they would not otherwise be in. Also, don’t bring your fake to Hillside Wine & Spirits; they require a Tufts ID with out-of-state licenses, so you’ll probably get that sweet fake ID that you got for 50 bucks taken away from you.

Fourth, (this is for majors in the humanities fields), don’t skip class and then think you can do the readings and be caught up. In general, professors will go over whatever you are going to be tested on in class. If you have to choose between doing the reading or going to class, attend class and take copious notes. I have heard that it is the opposite for STEM majors, but I have no experience with that. Try to avoid bringing your laptop to class unless you are very disciplined. I found that I would just surf the Internet even when I meant to pay attention.

Fifth, and also for humanities people: Be proactive about finding a job. You’re impacted by the recovering economy and the fact that there are a lot of unemployed college graduates. Oftentimes it’s less about what you know than who you know. Fair or unfair, you have to deal with it and start making connections in the real world.

Sixth, take advantage of the gym and fitness facilities. Find out when everyone else goes to the gym and then go at a different time because you will be

waiting more than working out if you try to go at peak hours, like right after class at 4:30 p.m.

Seventh, if you really want to take a certain class and it’s at 8:00 a.m., just take it. It’s not going to kill you.

However, if you are someone who has trouble getting up in the morning, the temptation to skip it will probably overcome you, so be smart.

Eighth, Dewick and Carmichael serve the same food. Stop arguing about which is better. It’s annoying.

Ninth, if you want to expand your social circle, join a team or get involved in Greek life. It’s the best way to start finding people you share interests with and weren’t just shoved together with through housing.

Finally, keep an open mind and have fun. Don’t let stereotypes about certain groups or organizations keep you from doing something that you want to do.

College is a great time to learn and have fun. Don’t waste it. You (probably your parents) are paying for Tufts. If you don’t like something, change it. Tufts belongs to you, not to the alumni or even the administrators, so make your experience what you want it to be.

Sam Chapin graduated as a member of the Class of 2013. He can be reached at Samuel.

Chapin@tufts.edu.

Op-ed Policy The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than noon on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.

The Tufts Daily

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Comics

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Tuesday’s Solution

Look for the solution in the first regular issue of the Daily on September 3rd!

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Remembering the name of the fellow classmate you just met.

Late Night at the Daily

Jamie: “To twerk or not to twerk?”

Want more late-night laughs?

Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Tufts Daily

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The Tufts Daily

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Sports

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tuftsdaily.com

Sports ABCs

Year in Review

Itching to get out to the field and show your school spirit for the brown and blue?

The Daily provides you with a comprehensive guide to Tufts sports, past and present.

A

shes: In 1885, circus showman P.T. Barnum donated $50,000 and the stuffed hide of Jumbo after the famed elephant was killed by a train in Ontario, Canada. The animal hide was destroyed in a fire in 1975, but some of the ashes are housed in a peanut butter jar in the athletic department.

B sofia adams / the Tufts Daily

Tufts teams look to follow up on last year’s success with another round of championships.

Tough act to follow: Jumbos have titles to defend by

Aaron Leibowitz

Daily Editorial Board

Class of 2017: Before you go memorizing the names, hometowns and zodiac signs of every Beelzebub, there are a few other names that deserve your attention.

Bri Keenan. Allyson Fournier. Jo Clair.

Hannah Park.

Those four helped Tufts capture its first two NCAA women’s team titles last year, raising the school’s all-time team total to three. (Men’s lacrosse won in 2010; sailing has also won numerous national events, though the team is not NCAA affiliated.) Now, for the first time ever, a pair of defending NCAA champs — field hockey and softball — will roam the Hill.

Keenan, a junior field hockey goalie and softball left fielder, is Tufts’ lone two-time champion — and she did it all in one academic year. Last fall, she won the starting goalkeeper job and allowed less than a goal per game, recording six shutouts and making five saves in the NCAA title game, a 2-1 victory over Montclair State. Then, in the spring, she hit .348, stole a team-high 12 bases and played sparkling defense en route to another ring.

“There are still some days where I’m like, ‘I can’t believe that happened,’” Keenan said earlier this month of her

two championships. “It’s something that’s really hard to do no matter how talented your team is, and it requires a little bit of luck.”

Fournier, meanwhile, is one of the most dominant athletes ever to wear the brown and blue. The right-hander was named the NCAA Division III Athlete of the Year in June after going 25-1 with a national-best 0.59 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 154 innings. And she’s only a junior.

Clair, Fournier’s battery mate, is Tufts’ home run queen. The senior has hit 43 homers in her first three seasons, 11 more than the previous record holder, Lis Drake (LA ’03). Clair drove in a teamhigh 51 runs last year, pulling within 15 of the school RBI record. Expect her to shatter it in the spring.

And Park, a 5’1” sophomore field hockey forward, earned her place in Tufts lore with a heroic performance in the national championship game.

Park came off the bench all season and had just three goals entering the final. But she scored both goals in the Jumbos’ come-from-behind win against the Red Hawks.

Last year’s championships came shortly after the opening of the 42,000square foot Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, a $16.6 million project see REVIEW, page 22

Jumbos crack top 10 in Directors’ Cup standings for second straight year

After finishing the 2011-12 season ranked seventh in the Div. III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, which awards points based on performance in NCAA events, Tufts has kept a tight grip on its top-10 ranking after a breakout 2012-13 year, falling only one spot to No. 8.

The Jumbos’ No. 8 ranking is fourth among the 11 NESCAC schools, with Williams at No. 1 for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons, Middlebury at No. 3 and Amherst at No. 6. The NESCAC finished with five teams in the top 20, the most out of any Div. III conference.

By the end of the fall season, Tufts had fallen to No. 16 in the rankings, despite field hockey’s national championship that garnered 100 points for the brown and blue. Men’s cross country also earned 72 points in the fall, while men’s soccer tacked on 25 by earning its first NCAA tournament berth since 1996.

In the winter, women’s basketball reached the third round of the NCAA

tournament (64 points) and men’s track and field placed 14th at Nationals (58.5). The Jumbos were able to gain their footing in the standings before the last leg of the academic year began in March.

The spring season once again carried Tufts into the top 10. Softball brought home 100 points and a national championship, men’s lacrosse came away with 70 points after its run into the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and women’s tennis came in right behind with 64 points after reaching the third round of the tournament.

The NESCAC champion men’s track and field team added 49.5 points, and women’s track and field earned 51.5.

Tufts came away with 335 points in the spring after earning 220 in the winter and 197 in the fall.

—by Alex Schroeder

M

arathon: Started by former President Lawrence Bacow in 2003 with 25 runners, the President’s Marathon Challenge team boasts over 100 runners each year who complete the Boston Marathon.

N

ESCAC: The New England Small College Athletic Association is home to the Lord Jeffs, Camels, Ephs and most importantly the Jumbos, among others, making it one of the top athletic (and academic) conferences in Div. III sports.

O

rown, Scott: Former Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) earned the nickname “Downtown Scotty Brown” as an outside shooting specialist on the men’s basketball team. Also a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity, Brown made 422 of his 853 career field goal attempts and was a captain during the 1980-81 season.

lympics: Three Jumbos competed in the most recent Olympics in London.

Sailors Zander Kirkland (LA ’07) and Mark Mendelblatt (LA ’95) represented Bermuda and the United States, respectively, while Tufts School of Medicine student Gevvie Stone, of the United States, placed seventh in the women’s single sculls competition.

C

P

D

uinsigamond: The lake is home to many of the men’s and women’s crew teams’ regattas. Each year it hosts the New England Rowing Championships.

ousens Gymnasium: Home to the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball team, Cousens, located on College Avenue, recently adjoined with the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, which opened at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. irectors’ Cup: The national trophy that is awarded to the Div. III athletic program with the greatest success aggregated across all sports. In 2012-2013, Tufts ranked eighth out of 330 schools, with NESCAC-rival Williams finishing first.

E

llis Oval: The school’s oldest athletic facility, Ellis was named after Fred “Fish” Ellis (LA ’29), a four-sport athlete for the Jumbos. The complex houses the Tufts football team, which plays home games on Zimman Field, as well as outdoor track and field meets.

F

ournier, Allyson: The junior pitcher on the softball team who might be the most accomplished athlete at Tufts.

Last season, Fournier led the Jumbos to the NCAA Div. III national championship with a 25-1 record and an ERA of just 0.59.

She was recently honored with the Honda Sports Award, which is given to the Div. III female Athlete of the Year. Fournier also competes on the women’s swimming and diving team at Tufts.

G

ehling, William “Bill”: The director of athletics since 1999, Gehling (LA ’74) co-captained a 10-2 men’s soccer team in 1973. Prior to his current position, he also coached the women’s soccer team for 20 years.

H

ockey (Field): The field hockey team won the first women’s team title in Tufts history in 2012 with a 2-1 victory over Montclair State. Sophomore Hannah Park scored both goals in the final and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

I

ntercollegiate Football: Director of Athletics Emeritus Rocky Carzo has long contended that Tufts competed against Harvard in the first U.S. college football game in 1875. Most historians, however, argue that an 1869 contest between Princeton and Rutgers gave birth to the sport at the collegiate level.

J

ohann Schmidt: The senior diver has been named to five All-American teams and has won one national championship.

With one more year of competition left, he looks to further cement his status as one of the best Tufts athletes of all time.

K

raft family: Best known for owning the NFL team the New England Patriots, this family’s name is all over Tufts athletics — from the soccer field to the atrium in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center — as a result of their support of the university.

L

acrosse: Men’s lacrosse was the first Tufts’ team to win an NCAA championship in 2010 and has made the national quarterfinals in each of the past four seasons.

hineas T. Barnum: The former Tufts trustee is responsible for the school’s Jumbo nickname. After Jumbo tragically died while saving a smaller elephant from an oncoming train, Barnum donated the animal’s stuffed remains to the university.

Q R

ichardson, Bill: Before he was the governor of New Mexico and one-time presidential hopeful, Richardson was a hard-throwing right-hander for the Tufts baseball team from 1968-1970. He currently sits 15th on the school’s all-time strikeout list.

S

oftball: The Jumbos went 46-3 on their way to winning the 2013 NCAA Div. III championship last spring, bringing home the softball program’s first-ever national championship. The title winners were honored at Fenway Park this summer, and with all but three players returning in the spring, Tufts is poised to repeat.

T U

able Tennis: Love ping pong? Then this club sport is for you. If you don’t like it enough to join the team, there’s a table in the Campus Center with your name on it.

ltimate Frisbee: This ultra-competitive club sport has a men’s and a women’s team, both of which perform at the highest level. Last season, the women’s team placed fifth in the country at College Nationals.

V

olleyball: The women’s team ranked near the top of the NESCAC last year, finishing fourth with a 6-4 conference record (13-13 overall). There’s a men’s club team, too.

W

inter Skiing: Tufts hits the slopes with a co-ed Alpine ski racing team that competes in the U.S. College Ski Association Thompson division in the Eastern Region. During the cold winter months, Jumbo skiers practice two times per week on local hills such as Pat’s Peak, then go on to compete in 12 races on nearby mountains in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

X

C: Don’t let the name fool you — Jumbos are fast runners. The men’s cross country team placed seventh at the 2012 Nationals, and the women’s team ranked sixth out of 51 at the NCAA New England Regional Championship.

Y

oga and Yogalates: A.k.a. PE 0006, this course offered by the Physical Education Department teaches students to unwind with meditation and relaxation exercises.

Z

imman Field: Tufts’ football field, named after Harold O. Zimman in 1987.

Zimman, a member of the Class of 1938, played offensive line for the Jumbos and later served on the board of directors of the United States Olympic Committee.

―—Compiled by Matthew Berger, Ross Dember and Tyler Maher

The Tufts Daily

22

SPORTS

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Boston Sports

Beantown Breakdown: a guide to Boston sports by

David McIntyre

Daily Editorial Board

The debate on campus over professional sports teams is intense year round, as fan loyalties lie with popular student hometowns in New York, Pennsylvania and California, in addition to Massachusetts.

But love ‘em or hate ‘em, any sports fan must admit that Boston is home to some of the most legendary players, teams and moments in sports history.

In recent years, the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots have been some of the most successful professional sports franchises in the country. Here’s the Daily’s breakdown on pro sports in the Boston area:

Boston Red Sox Venue: Fenway Park Public Transportation: Subway — Green Line, Kenmore Stop There may not be a more storied American stadium than Fenway Park.

Though the stadium ranks fourth to last in terms of seating capacity, it remains one of the best places to watch America’s pastime and has rightfully earned its nickname “the cathedral of baseball.”

If you have never been before, make sure to get to the area early for a chance to soak up the history. The streets around Fenway transform into a pedestrian mall on game days, so eat at one of the many local sports bars or shop for souvenirs on Yawkey Way and Landsdowne Street. Once inside the park, make sure to check out the autograph-laden Pesky Pole and the most famous wall west of Berlin, the Green Monster.

While Yankees-Red Sox might be the premier rivalry in all of American sports, a ticket to this spectacle will take quite a toll on your cash-strapped collegiate wallet. Other regular season games, specifically those against struggling teams, are much more manageable.

Be aware that because Fenway was built in 1912, the ballpark has a number of interesting sight lines that can make it difficult to get a clear view of the action from some sections. However, the stadium is so small that nearly any seat will give you a great baseball experience.

The Red Sox are once again almost certainly playoff-bound and will be looking to win their third World Series since 2004 in October. The team’s final home stand of the regular season is Sept. 13-22.

New England Patriots Venue: Gillette Stadium Public Transportation: Commuter Rail — Franklin Line, Foxboro Stop While not technically a Boston sports team, the Patriots have the support of nearly every football-loving person in the region despite playing in the small town of Foxboro, which is located about 30 miles southwest of downtown Boston. Luckily, public transportation is available by means of a train station open only on game days, bringing you right into the stadium’s parking lot.

There is not much to do in Foxboro, but Gillette has you covered with Patriot Place, a 1.3 million-square-foot center of food, shopping and entertainment built in 2007 that’s a stone’s throw away from the stadium. Get to the game early or stay after to make it a full-day event.

During the Tom Brady era, the Patriots have consistently been a powerhouse, only missing the postseason twice in 12 seasons, though they have not won a Super Bowl since 2004.

New England opens at home Sept.

12 against the New York Jets, a division rival. Other important home games for the Patriots include their matchups with the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 27 and the Denver Broncos on Nov. 24.

Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins Venue: TD Garden Public Transportation: Subway — Green or Orange Line, North Station Located close to Faneuil Hall and other historic downtown landmarks, the TD Garden is certainly one of Boston’s most prominent venues and home to two of its best sports teams.

The arena itself is actually quite new, completed in 1995 to replace the aging, original Boston Garden. With a capacity ranging from 17,565 for hockey to 18,264 for basketball, the arena has also hosted many other famous events such as the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the annual Beanpot hockey tournament between Harvard, Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern.

The real attractions, though, are the arena’s regular residents, starting with the Boston Celtics, arguably the most successful franchise in NBA history. The C’s boast 17 NBA titles and some of the greatest players in league history, such as Larry Bird and Bill Russell. Though currently entering a rebuilding phase after trading away franchise players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the team’s historic rivalry with the Lakers is still considered one of the best in professional basketball.

Meanwhile, the Garden’s other resident, the Boston Bruins, were one of the NHL’s Original Six teams. Although they have six all-time Stanley Cups, the Bruins had not won the league championship since 197172 until the 2010-11 season, when heroic performances from goalie Tim Thomas and defenseman Zdeno Chara propelled the squad to another title.

Last season, the core group from their championship-winning squad almost pulled it off again, only to lose in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Without a doubt, the B’s are one of the most physical and exciting teams in the league and their games are great entertainment for everyone from hockey newbies to the most experienced observers.

Editor’s Note: This article contains information used in previous Matriculation issues.

MCT

Designated hitter David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox looks to add to the celebrated history of Boston professional sports.

wikimedia commons

Located in Boston’s West End, TD Garden is the home stadium of both the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics.

National championships likely to breed continued success REVIEW

continued from page 21

funded mostly by Tisch (LA ‘71) himself.

The timing may seem coincidental, but the new facility and the results on the field have much to do with one another.

“These national championships didn’t just come out of nowhere,” Director of Athletics Bill Gehling (LA ’74) said, noting the significance of the new athletics center. “They are the result of an awful lot of hard work over many years by our entire department, and certainly by those two programs.”

Medford/Somerville may not quite be Titletown(s), but in recent years Tufts has made a name for itself in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference), the most competitive conference in Div. III. “I definitely think that [the champi-

onships] put Tufts higher on the map for athletic credibility,” Keenan said. “A lot of people don’t think of Tufts as an athletic school; they think of us mostly for our academics. It showed the country that our athletic program is actually very good.”

Tufts ranked eighth for the 2012-13 academic year in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, which award points based on performance in NCAA events. The biggest point scorers, of course, were the two national championship teams, but there were other highlights.

Men’s cross country placed seventh at NCAAs. Women’s basketball reached its second straight Sweet 16. Women’s tennis made the third round of the NCAA tournament. Both outdoor track squads tied for 22nd nationally, and men’s indoor

track tied for 14th. Men’s swimming and diving placed 27th.

Men’s lacrosse reached the quarterfinals, the worst result since 2009 for a team that has become a perennial contender. Men’s soccer, a program on the rise under coach Josh Shapiro, clinched an NCAA tournament berth for the first time in over a decade.

What it all means is that, in the landscape of Div. III sports, Tufts is among the best. The Jumbos have earned five top-10 finishes in the Directors’ Cup in the last eight years. (The most recent standings included 444 schools.)

In the NESCAC, Tufts is still playing catch-up with Williams — which ranked first for the 16th time in 18 years — and its archrival Amherst (6th), as well as faux-rival Middlebury (3rd). (For more on that artificial rivalry, see the Nov. 30, 2011

column by Ben Kochman, LA ‘13.)

Field hockey and softball may not repeat, although they certainly have a shot. Field hockey will return four of its top six point scorers, and softball lost just three seniors and one positional starter to graduation.

But they don’t have to repeat to make the impact of their feats felt. National championships lead to national recognition, which in turn leads to increased interest from talented recruits.

“Terrific student athletes are attracted to becoming a part of programs that are successful, and there’s no doubt that winning national championships ... there’s a level of attention that brings,” Gehling said.

For that, he has Keenan and her teammates in field hockey and softball to thank.

The Tufts Daily

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

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SPORTS

The NESCAC map

Welcome to the New England Small College Athletic Conference, an elite group of Div. III sports teams more commonly referred to as the NESCAC. In the 2012-13 season, NESCAC teams combined for seven NCAA Championships ― Williams men’s and women’s tennis and women’s rowing, Trinity men’s squash, Amherst men’s basketball, and Tufts field hockey and softball. The NESCAC also holds four of the top 10 spots in the Directors’ Cup standings — Williams (1st), Middlebury (3rd), Amherst (6th), and Tufts (8th). In preparation for another promising year of competition, the Daily presents the NESCAC.

Middlebury Panthers

Bowdoin Polar Bears

Colby Mules

Location: Middlebury, Vermont On the Field: Middlebury teams have won 31 national championships since 1993, including 21 in hockey and lacrosse. The women’s lacrosse team made a bid to add to that total last season, but fell in the Final Four of the NCAA Div. III tournament. Although the Panthers haven’t won a national team title since 2010, they do boast the current NCAA Div. III women’s tennis singles champion.

Mascot Madness: With similar colors and logo to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, hopefully Middlebury students won’t show up to football games expecting to see Cam Newton. They will be disappointed.

Location: Brunswick, Maine On the Field: Not to be outdone by swimmers Basyl Stuyvesant and Teri Faller, who each set team records in the 100 backstroke, Bowdoin Professor of Economics David Vail set a national record (1:14) in the same event for the 70-74 age group at the National Senior Games in Cleveland this summer. Bowdoin’s two NESCAC titles last year came in men’s and women’s ice hockey.

Mascot Madness: A polar bear seems a fitting mascot for Bowdoin.

Its fur most resembles the clothing needed to survive winter in Maine.

On a separate note, the Princeton Review recently gave Bowdoin its “top college food” award. We imagine the students look a lot like 1,000pound bears, walking around campus wrapped in fur after loading up on salmon quesadillas.

Location: Waterville, Maine On the Field: Not exactly known for its athletic prowess, Colby hasn’t had much success to speak of. A cool bit of trivia, however: Eric DeCosta, the captain of Mules football in 1993, is now the Director of Player Personnel for the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

Mascot Madness: The mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, the infertile offspring of two species that are not meant to breed. The symbolism here is uncanny. Bowdoin is the large majestic horse, and Bates is the smaller but very useful donkey. And then there are the Colby Mules.

Hamilton Continentals Location: Clinton, New York On the Field: Hamilton hasn’t had a top-two finish in the NESCAC in any sport since men’s golf was the runner-up in 2008. Granted, not all of Hamilton’s teams have always competed in the NESCAC, but since the Continentals fully joined the conference in 2011, they haven’t seen much success.

Mascot Madness: The college’s true mascot is the Continental, a reference to the Revolutionary War and school namesake Alexander Hamilton. But at sporting events, rather than have a student wearing a continental soldier costume, the school is represented by a pig named “Al-Ham” (get it?) dressed in Hamilton athletic gear.

Bates Bobcats Location:Lewiston, Maine On the Field: Bates has just one NESCAC championship to its name, courtesy of the 2012 men’s track and field team. The Bobcats finished second in men’s track and field and women’s rowing last year.

Mascot Madness: Bobcats are fast, agile, athletic — and boring. In a league that features polar bears, purple cows and the guy with the smallpox blankets, Bates comes up short on creativity.

Williams Ephs Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts On the Field: Williams dominated the NESCAC last year, winning the conference title in eight sports and finishing runner-up in another seven. The women’s track and field team won 12 straight NESCAC titles from 2001-12 and has taken 18 of the last 20. This past spring, the Jumbos shocked the world (or at least the ‘CAC) by winning both the men’s and women’s track and field crowns.

Mascot Madness: The Williams mascot is a purple cow. Need we say more? In the words of poet Gelett Burgess, “I never saw a Purple Cow / I never hope to see one / But I can tell you, anyhow / I’d rather see than be one.”

Amherst Lord Jeffs Location: Amherst, Massachusetts On the Field: Amherst boasts the oldest college athletics program in the country, dating back to 1860. The Lord Jeffs have won nine NCAA Div. III Championships, six of which have come in the past seven years — the most recent of which came in men’s basketball last season.

Mascot Madness: Named after the school’s benefactor, Lord Jeffery Amherst, “Lord Jeff” is the most controversial mascot in the NESCAC. That’s because Mr. Amherst may or may not have approved a plan in 1763 to give blankets infected with smallpox to Native Americans. (Spoiler alert: He did, in fact, do that.)

Trinity Bantams Location: Hartford, Connecticut On the Field: Trinity finally earned another NESCAC title in football in 2012 after finishing runner-up for the three previous years. That marked the sixth conference championship for Bantams football, on top of one in 2008 and four in a row from 2002-2005.

But where the Bantams truly dominate is on the squash court. The men’s team didn’t lose a match from 1998 to 2012, building a 252match winning streak that is the longest in the history of intercollegiate athletics, in any sport. The team has won 14 national squash titles in the last 15 seasons.

Mascot Madness: The Trinity Bantam is the least intimidating mascot in the NESCAC. A bantam is a particularly small breed of chicken, named after an Indonesian city to which it is native. Why would a college in Connecticut choose the bantam as its mascot? Allegedly, an alumnus described Trinity in a speech as a proud rooster, compared to the big shots of the ‘collegiate barnyard.’

Wesleyan Cardinals

Connecticut College Camels

Location: Middletown, Connecticut On the Field: Wesleyan’s most recent NESCAC championship was in softball in 2010, although it did earn two second-place finishes in baseball and men’s lacrosse last year. The Cardinals’ baseball team played in the NCAA Div. III Championship game — in 1994.

More importantly, Wesleyan has probably graduated more influential sports figures than any other NESCAC school.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, former Jets head coach and current ESPN analyst Eric Mangini and Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer are all Wesleyan alums.

Mascot Madness: Living in the shadows of the St. Louis, Arizona and Louisville Cardinals has likely stunted the growth of Wesleyan’s athletics program.

Location: New London, Connecticut On the Field: The most notable endeavor at Conn. College in a long time was the men’s club soccer team’s release of a nude calendar for a fundraiser in 2012. Oh, right — the volleyball team was runner-up in the NESCAC Championship.

Mascot Madness: On the college’s 99th birthday in 2010, Conn. College revealed a new — and improved? — camel mascot. Search “Introducing the New Camel” on YouTube. It’s worth the 45 seconds.

Editor’s Note: This article contains information used in past Matriculation issues.

— compiled by the Tufts Daily Sports department

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The Tufts Daily

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013