2011-01-28.pdf

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THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011

VOLUME LXI, NUMBER 4

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

‘trunk’ winner of name contest for Blackboard replacement

BY JENNY

WHITE

Daily Editorial Board

JAMES CHOCA/TUFTS DAILY

This year’s Winter Bash will feature a coat room rather than a coat-check process in response to last year’s debacle.

Winter Bash to feature new coat system tonight

The new university-wide learning management system (LMS) set to replace Blackboard in the fall will be named “trunk,” University Information Technology (UIT) announced Wednesday at an event in Hotung Café.

UIT chose the name from among 285 entries in its Blackboard Replacement Naming Competition, which in November collected suggestions from students, faculty and staff across the university, according to UIT’s Director of Educational Technology Services Gina Siesing.

Juniors Belal Hakim and Adhvait Shah submitted the winning name. Hakim said they defined “trunk” — purposefully left uncapitalized — as an

acronym for “Tufts-run unified network of knowledge.”

Tufts’ new LMS is based on the open-source platform Sakai, which is used internationally by the academic community, according to UIT’s Senior Faculty Development Consultant Rebecca Sholes.

The UIT team implementing the switch from Blackboard organized the contest to give the new system a Tuftsspecific name according to Sholes. Sakai will allow UIT to specially tailor Trunk to Tufts’ diverse needs, she said.

Two committees composed of faculty, administrators and undergraduate students voted on the name, Sholes said. “[ They] selected a name that they felt communicated that this was a next generation learning management system for teaching, learning and

collaboration and something that was expressive of Tufts as an institution,” Sholes said.

Hakim and Shah said they came up with the name “trunk” during a break from studying for a genetics exam.

“We wanted something Tufts could identify with,” Hakim said, which led them to consider Tufts’ mascot, Jumbo.

Hakim said the name “trunk” not only represents the idea that many conduits of information branch from one main system but is also a throwback to the word’s oldtime definition as a communication channel. “‘trunk’ had a particular appeal for us,” Hakim said.

“It’s all about communication coming from many sources.”

While Hakim and Shah see TRUNK, page 3

Organizers respond as last year’s coat check deemed a ‘disaster’ BY

CORINNE SEGAL

Daily Editorial Board

Students attending tonight’s Winter Bash, the annual school-wide event to be held this year at the Copley Place Marriott Hotel, will find some slight changes from last year’s format, according to organizers of the event.

While Winter Bash last year received generally positive reviews from students, the event was the subject of many complaints about its coat-check procedure.

“The process last year was a disaster,” Office for Campus Life (OCL) Director Joe Golia said. “An absolute disaster.”

“It turned out to be a very

chaotic scene, and it didn’t go as smoothly as we thought it would, which was no one’s fault; it was just a logistical nightmare,” Programming Board Co-Chair Adam Fischer, a senior, said.

Golia said this year’s event will feature a modified approach to dealing with attendees’ coats.

The Mariott will provide a large, open space on the third floor of the hotel where students may leave their coats on coat hooks, according to Golia.

“Students will be able to get them when they want to leave and won’t worry about having to go through a coat check,” Golia said.

TIEN TIEN/TUFTS DAILY

see WINTER BASH, page 3

Blackboard will be replaced by a new learning management system, the newly named “trunk,” in the fall.

Obama’s Afghan Review chief discusses Pakistan at Fletcher BY

KATHRYN OLSON

Daily Editorial Board

Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Bruce Riedel, who chaired the 2009 White House review to overhaul U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, spoke Wednesday evening about diplomatic relations between the United States and Pakistan at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Riedel discussed his new book, “Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America, and the Future of the Global Jihad” (2011).

Riedel characterized Pakistani politics as a perpetual struggle between proponents of democracy and backers

of authoritarianism.

“The country currently faces a battle for its soul between those loyal to the vision of democracy and what we could call ‘dark forces’ that use extremism, violence and intimidation to achieve their goals,” he said.

Riedel said that any U.S. efforts to influence the outcome would have a marginal impact and that most of the $10 billion the Bush administration gave to Pakistan in aid is unaccounted for — labeled only “services rendered” in Pentagon records.

“At the end of the day, any aid we give is fungible,” he said. “It’s likely that some of that money has gone to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, although the U.S. is certainly not the only donor.”

When asked about a proposed nat-

Inside this issue

ural-gas pipeline linking Pakistan and Iran, Riedel warned against preoccupation with the Iranian threat at the expense of capitalist development that would, he said, strengthen democracy in the region.

“If there’s any hope in all this, at the end of the day it’s that capitalism will be the engine that brings South Asia together, and the U.S. needs to support that,” he said.

Citing the dictatorships, secret projects and unresolved murders that have marked Pakistan’s history, Riedel said that the international community often overlooks the constant yearning of Pakistan’s civil society for democracy and rule of law.

“Compared to other countries in the Middle East who have suffered under

dictatorships, Pakistan is unique for its constant push back for democracy,” he said, “which is something the U.S. should build upon.”

Riedel said there has been a remarkable degree of bipartisan agreement on U.S. policy toward Pakistan, which has been characterized by both friendship and distrust.

“You could call it a wild love affair, except when the U.S. chooses to chastise Pakistan,” he said. “That love affair resumed after 9/11 when the Bush administration began increasing assistance to Pakistan to assist in the war on terror.”

Citing close links between Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, Intersee RIEDEL, page 3

Today’s Sections

Snooki is hitting the literary circuit with a new novel, and her writing ability is as bad as her tan.

The eight seniors on the women’s swim team will take their last dip in Hamilton Pool this weekend.

see ARTS, page 5

see SPORTS, page 12

News | Features Arts | Living Comics

1 5 7

Classifieds Sports

9 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

THE TUFTS DAILY ALEXANDRA W. BOGUS Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Mick Brinkman Krever Saumya Vaishampayan Managing Editors Martha Shanahan Executive News Editor Michael Del Moro News Editors Nina Ford Ben Gittleson Amsie Hecht Ellen Kan Daphne Kolios Kathryn Olson Matt Repka Corinne Segal Jenny White Brent Yarnell Elizabeth McKay Assistant News Editors Laina Piera Rachel Rampino Minyoung Song Derek Schlom Executive Features Editor Jon Cheng Features Editors Sarah Korones Emilia Luna Romy Oltuski Alexa Sasanow Falcon Reese Assistant Features Editors Angelina Rotman Sarah Strand Amelia Quinn Ben Phelps Executive Arts Editor Emma Bushnell Arts Editors Mitchell Geller Rebecca Santiago Matthew Welch Allison Dempsey Assistant Arts Editors Andrew Padgett Joseph Stile Ashley Wood Rebekah Liebermann Bhushan Deshpande Larissa Gibbs David Kellogg Rachel Oldfield Jeremy Ravinsky Daniel Stock Elaine Sun Devon Colmer Erin Marshall Louie Zong Craig Frucht Ashish Malhotra Josh Molofsky Kerianne Okie Michael Restiano Ben Kochman Philip Dear Lauren Flament Claire Kemp Alex Lach Alex Prewitt Daniel Rathman Noah Schumer Ethan Sturm Matthew Berger Aaron Leibowitz David McIntyre Ann Sloan Meredith Klein Virginia Bledsoe Jodi Bosin Danai Macridi Dilys Ong James Choca Lane Florsheim Meagan Maher Justin McCallum Oliver Porter Ashley Seenauth Aalok Kanani Andrew Morgenthaler

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors

Cartoonists Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

Assistant Sports Editors

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Photo Editors

Staff Photographers

Kristiina Yang Executive New Media Editor

PRODUCTION Andrew Petrone Production Director Sarah Davis Executive Layout Editor Leanne Brotsky Layout Editors Adam Gardner Jason Huang Jennifer Iassogna Sarah Kester Alyssa Kutner Steven Smith Rebecca Alpert Assistant Layout Editors Jennifer Betts Shoshanna Kahne Mackenzie Loy Alexia Moustroufi Emily Rourke Alexandra Husted Executive Copy Editor Sara Eisemann Copy Editors Niki Krieg Andrew Paseltiner Zehava Robbins Elisha Sum Ashley Cheng Assistant Copy Editors Benjamin Considine Linh Dang Patrick Donnelly Lauren Greenberg Drew Lewis Mitchell Mosk Rebecca Raskind Melissa Roberts Alexandra Salerno Alison Williams Stefanie Yeung Darcy Mann Executive Online Editor Emily Denton Online Editors William Wong Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager Michael Vastola Technical Manager

Friday, January 28, 2011

NEWS | FEATURES

Winning essays announced for first-ever MLK Reflections Contest The Africana Center on Wednesday announced the winners of its first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. MLK Reflections Contest in an event leading up to Monday’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Junior Allister Chang won first prize and sophomores Gabrielle Raymond and Groom Dinkneh came in second and third, respectively.

“I feel super honored,” Chang said.

“I really wish I could be at Tufts to attend the event.”

Chang, who is currently studying

abroad, received $250 for first place.

Raymond and Dinkneh also received monetary prizes for their entries, according to Director of the Africana Center Katrina Moore.

Chang, who has the opportunity to read his winning essay aloud at Monday’s celebration, said he will either send in a video or have someone else read it in his place.

Contestants were asked to reflect on the King quote, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and describe how

this relates to contemporary postracial discourse.

“We wanted to focus on something that would address the post-racial discourse discussion today, based on the climate of the country right now and the type of conversations that are happening,” Moore said.

The Africana Center and the Office of Equal Opportunity co-sponsored the contest. Organizers hope that the contest will become an annual event.

—by Rachel Rampino

Yale professor champions Chinese mothers’ strictness, tough love in new book Chua’s ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ perturbs American parents BY

AMELIA QUINN

Daily Editorial Board

` Most American children are encouraged to behave well, succeed in school and develop hobbies and talents outside of the classroom. The typical parental punishment for misbehavior might consist of a time out, a grounding or — worst of all — a suspension of phone or instant-messaging privileges. Is this approach to parenting strict enough?

According to Amy Chua’s recent essay, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” currently a subject of nationwide attention after its publication earlier this month in the Wall Street Journal, the answer is a resounding “no.”

The essay was excerpted from Chua’s latest book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” (2011), a New York Times bestseller in which the Yale law professor and mother of three girls expounds on her parenting methods — namely, never accepting a grade below an A, banning sleepovers and play dates and demanding hours-long daily practice of either the piano or violin. Her punishments are equally harsh, and include food deprivation, threats to burn treasured toys and verbal abuse.

“Parenting is complex, dynamic and driven by varying goals and priorities,” Jayanthi Mistry, associate professor and chair of the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, said. “Take, for example, the value of setting high expectations for children. In deciding how much is too much or too little, it is most critical for parents to understand and know their children … expectations should be just a bit more than where the child is at any point.

“Expectations should not be too far ahead and out of reach, which could lead to children being set up for failure.

This of course means that parents have to recognize and understand all aspects of our children’s development: their academic strengths, their psychological strengths, their interests and passions and so on.”

But Chua’s ideas about expectations are vastly different.

“If a Chinese child gets a B — which would never happen — there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion,” she writes in her book. “The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get them an A. Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe that their child can get them.

If their child doesn’t get them, the Chinese parent assumes it’s because

COURTESY PENGUIN PRESS

In her new book, Chua says that Western parents do not push their children enough. the child didn’t work hard enough.

That’s why the solution to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child.”

Sophomore Kevin Luo, who is Chinese, said that his mother’s approach to parenting in many ways resembled Chua’s, particularly when it came to education.

“At the time, it sucked, but in retrospect I appreciate that I went through that, because if I had not gone through that experience, I would not be at Tufts, and I would not be wanting to go to law school,” he said.

More so than his mother, Luo’s elementary school, in Taiwan, promoted high expectations and dispensed strict penalties for children who failed to meet them, he said.

“In third grade, I went to a local Taiwanese elementary school, and they still practiced physical punishment,” he said. “For math class, they’d take the average for the math test — say the average was a 75 — and for every point you got lower than the average they would hit you with a wooden stick. I remember one time my fingers were swollen and bruised; I couldn’t play the piano for two weeks. I feel like [for me it was] more the school, but I know friends that had parents that did the same thing to them.”

Of course, not all Asian and Chinese parents maintain the same approach

to child-rearing; Alex Chan, a sophomore who moved often while growing up and lived in China for a total of ten years, said that his mother was nothing like Chua’s portrayal of the Chinese mother.

“She did stress working hard and doing well in school, but she was never disappointed with an A-… she’s never really grounded me at all,” he said.

“I think that my parents have really come to trust me and my work over the years. Ever since middle school they haven’t micromanaged me. They know I’ll do my work, and so they just kind of let me do what I want.”

Chan was astonished to see Chua generalize about Chinese parents, who, Chan explained, have varying parenting methods, just like any culture.

“I find it quite surprising for [Chua] to be so adamant about it in her essay; I think that my mother would read it and be shocked.”

Either way, Chua’s writings have certainly roused readers, who posted over 2,000 comments — ranging from harsh criticism to glowing praise — on the Journal’s website in the first 48 hours after the article was published online.

Chua’s book ends with an acceptance of her second daughter’s aspiration to play tennis, in an attitude she describes as “newly accepting and open-minded.” Still, many believe that her disclaimer about using the terms “Chinese mother” and “Western parents” liberally in order to make a point did not make up for the bold generalizations that fill her pages. “[Chua does] oversimplify and overgeneralize practices and the underlying beliefs,” Mistry said. “I think there is always lots of variation within any cultural community, although there may be some elements of a shared approach: high value for educational achievement as a route to professional success, a strong belief in the investment of effort, etc. But again, I would hesitate to claim that only a particular group shares these values,” she said.

Moreover, Luo said, strict parenting can have a variety of outcomes.

“I feel like I have friends who have Asian mothers who still do horribly in school and friends with really relaxed parents who succeed,” Luo said. “I feel like it goes both ways. If you have really strict parents, you can be driven by it or try to break away, and the same goes for relaxed parents.”

And, just as important, Luo said, such parenting can also detract from a child’s contentment.

“One of my friends actually went to high school with one of [Amy Chua’s] daughters,” he said. “She told me that she was not happy in high school.”

BUSINESS Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Executive Business Director Laura Moreno Advertising Director Dwijo Goswami Receivables Manager P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

Corrections The photo in the Jan. 26 article “Istanbul’lu offers authentic Turkish cuisine in Teele Square” was incorrectly credited to Justin McCallum. The photo should have been credited to Mitchell Geller.

The photo in the Jan. 26 article “Jumbos maintain steady performance at Springfield” was incorrectly credited as a Daily File Photo. In fact, it was provided by the Tufts University Athletics Department.

The photo in the Jan. 26 article “Bowdoin, Colby games put Tufts’ season on thin ice” was incorrectly credited as a courtesy photo from the Athletics Department. In fact, the photo should have been credited as a Daily File Photo.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, January 28, 2011

3

NEWS | FEATURES

Over 2,750 tickets sold for Winter Bash tonight

“trunk” chosen as winner among 285 entries in contest to name new website

WINTER BASH

TRUNK

continued from page 1

Fischer advised students to avoid bringing coats altogether, if possible.

“Students are either encouraged not to bring coats if they don’t want to worry about it or leave it in one of the coat rooms. … We hope that by doing this, we’ll alleviate the chaos that occurred last year,” Fischer said.

Senior Sarah Habib, the other programming board co-chair, agreed. “It’s easier not to bring a coat,” she said.

The busing process from Tufts will also be more streamlined, according to Habib.

Programming Board met with representatives from the bus company running transportation to the Mariott to ensure a more organized boarding process, Habib said.

“They’re really well-aware of the situation and where the buses need to go and how the operation works,” Golia said.

Students will enter through Cohen Auditorium and form a single line in the Aidekman Arts Center at the loading time indicated on their tickets.

Like last year, students must have Tufts identification to gain entry to the Mariott, Fischer said.

Re-entry into the event will not be permitted, according to Golia.

The Sheraton Boston Hotel, the location for last year’s Winter Bash, was unavailable this year due to construction, according to Fischer.

Fischer is satisfied with the new venue, he said.

“The nice thing about this space is once we’re up on the fourth floor, it’s all ours,” Golia

said. This year’s Winter Bash will be the second year the event is held off-campus.

“The space is beautiful. We’re really excited about it,” he said.

“The ballroom is gorgeous.”

The event will this year feature an area in a separate ballroom on the same floor where alcoholic beverages will be served to students carrying a government-issued ID showing that they are over 21, Fischer said.

Tickets were available for online purchase from Jan. 18 to Jan. 23, and all remaining tickets were made available in the information booth in the Mayer Campus Center beginning Monday.

Four hundred more tickets were available online than last year, bringing the number of available online tickets close to 2,000.

2,750 total tickets had been sold as of yesterday afternoon, according to Habib. Ticket sales will continue today until the start of the event, she said.

Fischer and Golia said they hope this year’s event will live up to last year’s success.

“We thought that overall, the event was definitely a success, but there were lessons to be learned, and we think this year’s event will improve that,” Fischer said.

“For us, it was a success, and we just hope that the students help us out again this year and just go and have a great time,” Golia added. “It’s really exciting to be able to bring close to 3,000 students off campus with minimal problems.”

“I do think it’ll be a wonderful evening overall,” Habib said.

continued from page 1

were the first to submit an entry with the name “trunk,” UIT gave honorable mention to six other contestants who had similar entries, according to Sholes.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but we’re really

pleased by the input we got from across the university,” Sholes said.

The work on Blackboard’s replacement platform will now shift to branding for the site, developing the platform and creating training and documentation resources for faculty who will be using Trunk in

the fall, according to Sholes.

“We’re defining the look and feel of the site,” Sholes said, adding that UIT will be seeking student involvement during the branding process.

The final design of the website will be revealed to the Tufts community in April, Sholes said.

Riedel: Pakistan ‘faces a battle for its soul,’ US should focus on Islamabad, not Tehran RIEDEL continued from page 1

Services Intelligence, and a militant Islamist group active in Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Riedel said Pakistan has been both a patron and victim of terrorism.

“The cost to Pakistan has been huge,” he said.

Riedel said that unmanned U.S. aerial drones aimed at Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan add to the hostility toward the U.S. in the region, but conceded that the drones are the United States’ only tool for exerting pressure on al-Qaeda.

“I’m worried that we have become drone-addicted,” he said. “These attacks are tempting because they are quick, but the cost is very hard to calculate.”

Riedel chastised the U.S. media for being “Iranobsessed” and for disregarding more important security challenges in region, such as Pakistan.

“Iran is a nuclear wannabe.

Pakistan has the fifth-largest

Spewing with opinions, but don’t have a forum to air them?

Do we have an idea for you!

nuclear arsenal with more terrorists per square meter than anywhere in the world

besides the Gaza Strip,” he said. “Where do you think our focus should be?”

DANAI MACRIDI/TUFTS DAILY

Former CIA officer and Brookings Institution Fellow Bruce Riedel spoke Wednesday on US-Pakistani relations.

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Friday, January 28, 2011

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

OSCAR NOMINATIONS

83rd Oscar nominations offer a number of surprises

BY JOSEPH STILE

Daily Editorial Board

The list of nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards, released on Tuesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was filled with a number of surprising snubs and inclusions. The nominations have shaken up several of the categories, setting the stage for many interesting races over the next month.

Leading the pack this year is Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech,” which received a total of 12 nominations — just a few short of the all-time record of 14, which only “All About Eve” (1950) and “Titanic” (1997) have reached.

Simply having this many nominations solidifies “The King’s Speech” as a strong contender for Best Picture.

Of the films released this year, “The King’s Speech” is one of the most academy-friendly with its British pedigree and solid performances from a well-respected cast, including Best Actor frontrunner Colin Firth. The film should do very well at the February awards, especially when contrasted with the many violent or controversial films in contention for Oscars this year.

David Fincher’s “The Social Network” also had a strong showing Tuesday morning, earning eight nominations, including one of the ten Best Picture slots, as well as Best Director for Fincher

himself. Though “The Social Network” did get many nods, it received far fewer than had been expected.

The exclusion of Andrew Garfield in the Best Supporting Actor field came as a particular shock. Garfield, who will be playing Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot, probably lost out on a nomination because of vote-splitting among the other strong supporting actors in the film, including Armie Hammer and pop superstar Justin Timberlake, who were also in contention for the nod.

The most glaring omission was Christopher Nolan, who did not receive a Best Director nomination for “Inception.” The film was one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters, earning more than 800 million at the box office worldwide. Critics and audiences alike lauded the film, yet Nolan did not receive a nomination.

“Inception” was highly ambitious and required a strong director, and the only thing more puzzling than some of the film’s plot developments is how the Academy could leave Nolan off the final list.

This is not the first time the Academy has snubbed Nolan. He did not receive a Best Director nomination for his massively successful film, “The Dark Knight” (2008), or for his intricate thriller, “Memento” (1999). While critics and audiences love Nolan’s pictures,

BOOK REVIEW

Snooki’s book, much like her height, falls short BY

MCT

Summer blockbuster “Inception” received a nomination for Best Picture on Tuesday. the Academy has been much less kind toward the British filmmaker.

Historically, five films have been nominated each year for Best Picture, but in 2009, the Academy announced the field would increase to 10. This year, continuing that trend, the body nominated 10 films, allowing for a number of smaller,

Greg Fitzsimmons brings his comedy act to Boston LORRAYNE SHEN

Daily Editorial Board

Senior Staff Writer

“Life was hard. But a pouf? That should be easy.”

The Daily recently had the chance to speak with comedy do-it-all Greg Fitzsimmons, who will be performing a show at the Wilbur Theatre tomorrow. Fitzsimmons has had a successful career as a stand-up comedian and radio and podcast host (Fitzdog Radio) and is an Emmy award-winning writer and producer for his work on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He recently added a memoir, titled “Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons,” to his roster of achievements.

A Shore Thing Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

Gallery Thus begins Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s foray into the literary genre. Made famous on MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” Snooki captivated the world with her diminutive stature, her towering hairdos and her penchant for gorilla juiceheads. Having thoroughly exhausted the world of television, she attempts to broaden her horizons by venturing into the world of authorship. Her pioneer effort, “A Shore Thing,” currently sits at number 24 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Contrary to popular belief, “A Shore Thing” is not, in fact, an autobiography of forays at the Jersey Shore or otherwise. But the protagonist, Giovanna “Gia” Spumanti, does bear a striking similarity to the author in personality, interests and exploits. The premise of the novel is Gia’s summer in Seaside Heights with her cousin, Isabella “Bella” Rizzoli. The two guidettes set out to accomplish the three D’s: drinking, dancing and “duh”: finding hot guidos with whom to bide their time.

Summer in Seaside Heights, however, is not all fun and games. The girls must work in order to be able to pay for their tequila shots, tanning sessions and mistakes. Gia gets a job at the Tantastic Tanning Salon and befriends Maria, a cougar with an inclination for doing body shots out of the belly buttons of rhinestone-clad guys half her age. Bella is hired at a gym by Tony “Trouble” Troublino, with whom she ultimately begins a romantic relationship.

Gia is not lacking in romantic pursuits either. She spends the first part of the book crashing and burning with the boyfriend of her high school nemesis, a hippie and roided-up juicehead whom she calls “Hulk.”

Some girls might be deterred by such trials and tribulations, but not Gia. As the narrator

OSCAR, page 6

INTERVIEW | GREG FITZSIMMONS

BY

ALLISON DEMPSEY

independent films, like “The Kids Are All Right” and “Winter’s Bone,” to sneak into the Best Picture race. “Toy Story 3,” the universally acclaimed Pixar film that would normally only fall into the Best Animated Feature category, also ben-

Lorrayne Shen: What was the most influential thing that got you started as a comic?

Greg Fitzsimmons: Syndrome.

Fetal

Alcohol

comics I learned from, it’s been a long time since I performed here. I used to do college campuses basically, and it means a lot to me to be in Boston again. I know I’m not going to want it to end once I’m on stage. I really hope to sell it out because I really want to come back. These are my people.

LS: You’ve had a long and successful career as a comedian. ... Do you have a weirdest experience as a comic?

GF: A weirdest experience? Probably I’d have to say hosting the porn awards two years ago. The AVN [Adult Video News] Awards — I hosted their 25th anniversary. It was telecasted on Showtime and there were 7,000 porn stars in the audience. I had to open up the show with about 15 minutes of stand-up and it was, uh … the most interesting thing I had ever experienced.

LS: Uh ... do you want to expand?

LS: Were they a good audience?

AMAZON.COM

The author’s famous poof takes up the majority of the cover of ‘A Shore Thing’ clearly states, “Gia loved penises. She couldn’t go through life without them. If only penises weren’t attached to their jerkoff hosts, the world would be a better place.”

Gia eventually begins to see beyond the jerks and embarks on a real relationship with a local firefighter named Frankie. As she travels down the road of commitment, she shows everything she’s learned along the way, dispensing romantic advice to the readers.

“How hard could it be,” she asks, “to show the person you loved that you cared? All you had to do was smush every chance you got and treat them with kindness and respect. Easy.”

One other piece of advice she offers?

Before a hot date, Gia applies strokes of dark blush to her cleavage, “to make her boobies look even bigger.”

The plot of “A Shore Thing” is, as one might expect, filled with all sorts of holes and inconsistencies. There are two “preppies” from Connecticut, Bender and Ed, who see SHORE, page 6

GF: Well, I think when you come from an Irish family, it starts in the uterus. I think it’s in your DNA. I think it’s in the fact that everything is ok as long as you can make your family laugh, so I think you learn to get out of trouble with a sense of humor.

LS: What, as college students, can we learn from a memoir such as “Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons?”

GF: Don’t take any of your grades too seriously. Don’t sweat about your major. Just don’t lose yourself along the way. The whole world is a giant cookie cutter, and the best part of the cookie is using the part on the inside. Be the batter.

LS: Be the batter, not the cookie?

GF: They actually were! I didn’t think they wouldn’t be, but I didn’t think they would be, either. I prepared for what would be a tough show. I worked really hard on material that I thought would be specific to them, that I thought would be honoring them for their work. I didn’t want to seem judgmental. And it ended up being a really great night and now I understand a lot about that world now. …

LS: And was that in 2008, with Sasha Grey as the Best New Starlet?

GF: Uh that was in … well I did it twice, but the last time I did it, [it] was a big deal because it was the 25th anniversary. I don’t remember the specific winners, but they’re all winners, right? …

GF: Be the batter, not the cookie.

LS: So, are you excited for your show at the Wilbur this Saturday? Have you ever performed there before?

GF: Unbelievably excited. I don’t usually get as geared up for one particular show because I’m on the road so much, but having started in Boston, and having found respect for the comedy scene in Boston [and] the great

LS: So I was Googling you and came across your Twitter.… Are you following any other comedians or celebrities? Who are you following on Twitter?

GF: Well I do follow Sasha Grey. I like Sasha Grey.

For the complete interview transcript, visit tuftsdaily.com.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

ARTS & LIVING

Friday, January 28, 2011

Snooki’s ‘Shore Thing’ sure boring SHORE continued from page 5

take it upon themselves to play a manipulative game with the women of Seaside Heights and attempt to bed them without moral restrictions. Bella nearly falls victim to their creepy charms. Gia’s former-friendsnow-enemies from high school, Linda and Janey, wage an epic war on the two cousins, including but not limited to slipping laxatives into Jell-O shots and spray-tanning all sorts of insults onto each other’s bodies. Clearly, these antagonistic characters are there to keep the plot twisting, but they are lackluster and uninspired.

A strong point of the novel is the sheer frequency and diversity of the metaphors and similes Snooki uses to convey her points.

Linda and Janey compare Gia to a chronic sexually transmitted disease, returning to Seaside Heights at an inopportune time. When Gia and Frankie kiss for the first time, she “was like a stick of butter on a subway rail.” When Bella and Gia get into a fight, their friendship “dis-

FINAL ROUND of SENIOR PORTRAITS February 2 – February 8 Room 112 Campus Center

solved faster than Alka-Seltzer.” These analogies serve to bolster an otherwise weak and unconvincing writing style, peppered with phrases like, “I’m not a dudette, I’m a guidette” and “Don’t eat me, bitch.”

Another definite shortcoming of the book lies in the poor copyediting. There are only so many times an educated reader can handle “your” instead of “you’re.” The poor proofreading skills, however, do provide some entertainment when, during an evening out, Bella is wearing a “red crotched bikini top.”

Or maybe that’s not a typo at all.

Ultimately, “A Shore Thing” is a quick read and measures up nearly perfectly to what one should expect of a book both starring and written by a pickle-loving, tanning-addicted, dance-floor maniac who wears T-shirts with sayings like “Orgasm Donor” emblazoned across the front.

Snooki’s fame as a successful author will be forever immortalized in the tweet announcing her achievement: “OMG I’m a New York Times Best Selling Author!!!”

Some surprises in 2010 nominations OSCAR continued from page 5

efited from the expanded field.

There is always speculation as to whether or not the Academy, which is mostly made up of older voters, will be responsive and accepting of some of the more daring and ambitious pictures like “The Social Network,” “Inception” and “Black Swan” or if they would favor more traditional stories and approaches, like “True Grit” and “The King’s Speech.”

After seeing the nominations, however, it is clear that the Academy is not that out of touch with audiences and is willing to acknowledge some of the more audacious films of the year.

While some categories seem to have a sure winner already, a lot can — and most likely will — change between now and the Oscar ceremony on Feb. 27, as the nominees go out and campaign to take home that golden statue.

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IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY & BLACK HISTORY MONTH We are pleased to present . . .

ARCHDIOCESAN BLACK CATHOLIC CHOIR Sunday January 30, 2011 3 PM GODDARD CHAPEL

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Colin Firth received a Best Actor nomination for the second straight year.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, January 28, 2011 CROSSWORD

7

COMICS

SUDOKU Level: Finding your coat at Winter Bash

WEDNESDAY’S SOLUTION

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

(12:34 a.m. via text-message) Mick’s mom: “Why on Earth do folks give a thumbs-up to a story in Jumbo about flood in cafe?”

Please recycle this Daily.

Wednesday’s Solution

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Friday, January 28, 2011 Around Campus Anyone can be a Host Advisor!

Help new International and American students get adjusted to life at Tufts and in the US at International Orientation (I.O.), August 28-August 30, 2011! You don’t have to be international to participate in I.O. Applications due Tuesday, February 22nd.

Mandatory info session. Sponsor: International Center, 20 Sawyer Ave., Medford Campus. 617-6273458.

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Alberto Contador stripped of Tour de France title; suspended for one year CYCLING continued from page 11

reported it was 400 times below the usual detection amount — it was still there.

From the outset, Contador has claimed that the presence of the substance was the result of contaminated meat from Spain. While it is scientifically possible for the result to have come about from contaminated meat, the possibility was debated and later dismissed as highly improbable.

Since the results of the drug test were announced, Contador’s fate has hung in precarious balance, much like the state of the sport itself. The case was taken through various bodies of the cycling infrastructure and it was finally left to the Spanish Cycling Federation to pass judgment.

In the meantime, many have criticized UCI for releasing the results of the test well before a verdict had been reached. Even if Contador had been declared innocent, his reputation would have been irreparably damaged regardless.

And now, even though Contador has been sanctioned, the UCI is still under fire for the way it handled the case and the virtual press fiasco it created. Of course, there is also the damage caused by the loss of one of cycling’s more revered personalities.

In the off-season, Contador had signed with Danish team Saxo Bank and con-

tinued to train with his new team; team director Bjarne Riis expressed complete confidence in his new rider. Now, it seems that Contador will be left watching from the roadside and cycling will be without its great champion. This case is yet another black eye, a figurative flat tire, for all.

With Contador stripped of the Tour title, the de facto winner is now Schleck. This is the second time that the maillot jaune has been belatedly awarded to the secondplace finisher in the past five years, the last being 2006 when Floyd Landis ceded his title to Oscar Pereiro after a positive test for synthetic testosterone.

For the unversed, this is the equivalent of the Boston Red Sox having their curseending championship title stripped after it was learned that David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon were all on the juice. (And there is good evidence that at least one may have been.)

Contador will make a press statement from Majorca this week indicating his plan of action from here on out. He has until Feb. 9 to appeal the case before the decision is made official.

While it is difficult to put a positive spin on this, it seems the best we can hope for is that he will do the honorable thing, come clean and provide information to help the sport continue to clean up in the future. Meanwhile, we will need to find a new horse to root for in 2011. But who can we trust?

9

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All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $15 per week or $4 per day with Tufts ID or $30 per week or $8 per day without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

Freshmen to play big role this weekend WOMEN’S SWIM continued from page 12

turns really well, we’ve practiced time and time again off these blocks and I think other schools are intimidated when they walk into this building.”

Hamilton Pool may prove just the ticket for taking the meet, Kono said.

“It’s incredible,” Kono added. “With such a compact facility, it feels like everyone’s

crowded in on you, and it’s easy to feed off all the energy of your friends and family.”

Win or lose, it will be a bittersweet moment after the final relay.

“It’s sad to think how fast the past few years have gone by,” Lueders said. “We definitely want to win in front of our fans, but if there was ever a meet to take a step back and enjoy what Tufts has given us over the past four years it would be this one.”

Rood receives NESCAC Performer of the Week award after meets against MIT, BC MEN’S SWIM continued from page 12

After tomorrow, only next weekend’s Wheaton Invitational remains before the NESCAC Championships, which will be held at Bowdoin from Feb. 25-27.

Twenty-three swimmers will compete at the Invitational while the remaining 23 begin preparing for the final conference meet. Coach Adam Hoyt will also select one additional swimmer to join the NESCAC-tourney squad based on the performances at Wheaton.

Though the focus tomorrow will be on the seniors, one swimmer to watch is junior Owen Rood, who received the latest NESCAC Performer of the Week award for his performances against MIT and BC.

Rood had an astounding four first-place finishes against BC — in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay. He also had three second-place finishes at MIT, earning a seasonbest time in the 200-yard freestyle, anchoring the 200-yard medley relay and swimming in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Rood has earned All-Conference times in four events at the NESCAC Championships and will be a key factor in the Jumbos’ late-season meets.

With the seniors excited for their last chance to swim in Hamilton Pool, and the underclassmen — who contributed to Tufts’ ranking as the third most-improved team in Div. III college swimming — looking to finish strong, the Jumbos are well prepared to send their soon-to-be graduates off with a win.

Rooney’s injury leaves room for Berbatov to step in as leader for United INT’L SOCCER continued from page 11

hat trick, including a wild bicycle kick surely be among the candidates for goal of the season. He also scored a remarkable five goals against Blackburn Rovers in a 7-1 thrashing, becoming just the fourth player in Premier League history to accomplish that feat.

In a season in which United has yet to lose a game, Berbatov has put the team on his shoulders and has helped

pull United to the top of the table. While he has had help from young Mexican striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Portuguese winger Nani, who each have contributed seven goals, Berbatov has been the catalyst for the United attack. With a busy schedule of Premier League fixtures, and the knockout stages of the Champions League looming in February, the Red Devils will be counting on Berbatov’s scoring prowess to help them contend for trophies this season.

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After a disappointing last season, Berbatov, left, has since proved himself to be a consistent offensive attacker, leading the team with 19 goals.

THE TUFTS DAILY

10

Friday, January 28, 2011

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THE TUFTS DAILY

Friday, January 28, 2011

11

SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jumbos look to maintain streak this weekend BY

CLAIRE KEMP

Daily Editorial Board

The men’s basketball team is on fire.

It is riding a three-game winning streak, shooting well and is sitting at its highest NESCAC standing in half a decade.

The Jumbos are showing roster depth unheard of in recent program history.

A pair of wins against the conference’s bottom two this weekend will put them in a commanding position to clinch a bid to the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2007, barring a complete late-season collapse.

Tonight, Conn. College will come to Cousens Gym looking for its first league win of the season. At 0-4 in the conference and 9-9 overall, the Camels don’t pose a major threat to the Jumbos on paper.

Tufts has a bad habit, however, of letting up when it gets a comfortable lead and will need to focus on pressing the team from the get-go and maintaining its effort throughout the game.

“Our main focus is coming out with energy,” sophomore guard Alex Goldfarb said. “We can’t come out flat.

Using Wheaton as an example, we came out flat against them and had to play the whole game coming from behind.

The NESCAC is too competitive to spot teams 10- or 12-point leads. We’re going to have to play smart for a full 40 minutes instead of taking plays off like we’ve done in the past.”

If the Jumbos play to their potential, the game should be a cakewalk. The Camels hold the highest turnover rate in the NESCAC, while Tufts is atop the conference in steals, led by junior guard Amauris Quezada who averages 2.71 per game. The Camels also sit second-to-last in another Tufts-led category: offensive rebounding.

Getting more offense in the paint will be a big factor for the Jumbos here, as they can ill afford to rely on what has been a gaudy 3-point percentage in recent games, especially by Goldfarb

and freshman Oliver Cohen. The Jumbos aim to get their bigs established early in both games this weekend.

“We have to take our time running plays, executing and really looking to get our first and second options instead of letting the plays break down,” Quezada said.

Tufts tomorrow will welcome a more formidable challenger in Wesleyan.

The Cardinals (1-3 NESCAC, 9-9 overall) stole a NESCAC opener win from Trinity, but have since fallen to the league’s powerhouse three — Middlebury, Amherst and Williams — in conference play. Wesleyan only lost by four to Williams earlier in the season and lost to undefeated Middlebury last weekend by just eight.

But Wesleyan’s loss to Wheaton is a testament to its tendency to play to its opponent — for better or for worse.

The Cardinals boast a skilled line of guards that will challenge the Jumbos’ defensive unit, which has been known to struggle against a tough fast break.

“The most important thing against Wesleyan is going to be containing dribble penetration and keeping their guards out of the lane,” Goldfarb said.

“If we can force them to take outside shots instead of slashing and sending them to the free throw line we should be in really good shape.”

Wins in both games would be a huge morale boost heading into the second half of the NESCAC schedule. Tufts has the skill and focus to go 2-0 and all but lock up a playoff berth, but it will need to keep the ball in possession, keep its opponents off the boards and stay out of foul trouble.

Both home contests should excite as Tufts looks to continue its explosive play and chase for that elusive conference tournament bid.

“I think these are two pretty good teams, but if we run our stuff and stick to what we do best, we shouldn’t have too big a problem,” Quezada said.

VIRGINIA BLEDSOE/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore guard Alex Goldfarb, coming off his 13-point performance against Wheaton, will look to continue his strong shooting against NESCAC bottom-dwellers Conn. College and Wesleyan.

INSIDE CYCLING

INSIDE INTERNATIONAL SOCCER

Dimitar Berbatov finally shines at Man. United

BY JESSE

WEINBERG

Senior Staff Writer

MCT

Alberto Contador, left, is the latest Tour de France champ to be dethroned after a drug investigation.

Contador guilty of doping; title lost BY

EVAN COOPER

Senior Staff Writer

Cycling received another major blow this week when the Spanish Cycling Federation announced its verdict on the recent case against three-time and reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador. The verdict: guilty. The punishment: a one-year ban and the loss of his 2010 title.

Before getting into the implications of this revelation, we need to rewind a little bit. Last summer, Contador, celebrated by many as the most talented cyclist of the latest crop of competitors, rode to his third Tour

de France victory and his fifth victory in a Grand Tour.

After a dramatic three weeks through high mountain passes and narrow lanes with crashes and various mishaps, Contador finally emerged victorious, edging out Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck by a mere 39 seconds. It was a great race by any standards, but was a particularly important one for those fighting to prove the sport was on its way to cleaning up its act. Then came this.

In September, the Union of International Cycling (UCI) announced that one of Contador’s blood samples from the July 21 rest day in Pau tested

positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Clenbuterol is a drug typically used by people with breathing difficulties. More recently, it has also been linked to use as a weightloss aid and aerobic capacity enhancer because of its ability to increase oxygen transportation in the blood. While its effectiveness is not entirely proven, its use has been linked to other athletes, many of whom have also been duly sanctioned.

And though the amount of the drug found in Contador’s blood sample was miniscule — the UCI see CYCLING, page 9

He is one of the most enigmatic players in soccer — a player capable of brilliance. But at the most crucial moments, he can seem to disappear. But this year, Manchester United’s Bulgarian superstar, Dimitar Berbatov, has finally put it all together, leading the team and the English Premier League with 19 goals.

Berbatov started his career in his native Bulgaria at the age of 17 for the powerhouse CSKA Sofia, where his play earned praise. Eventually he was transferred to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and it was at Leverkusen that Berbatov truly made a name for himself, as a member of the team that made it to the 2002 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid. He went on to score 69 goals for the German giants, leading to intense interest from top clubs in England and Spain.

Ultimately, Berbatov moved to Tottenham Hotspur, for £10.9 million ($17.3 million). At Spurs, Berbatov netted 27 goals in two seasons, leading to more intense speculation that he would move, this time to Manchester United.

Berbatov finally joined his current club at the beginning of the 2008 season. At the time, the Red Devils had an extremely powerful strike force with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet Berbatov struggled, lead-

ing to much criticism from the United fan base.

Furthermore, manager Sir Alex Ferguson benched Berbatov for the Champions League final, electing to start Cristiano Ronaldo at forward instead.

Berbatov eventually entered the game in the second half, but his efforts were in vain — United fell to Barcelona 2-0.

With Ronaldo sold to Real Madrid, United expected Berbatov to fill the shoes of their departed Portuguese superstar, but the Bulgarian disappointed in his second season, as Wayne Rooney emerged from under Ronaldo’s shadow and put in a career year. Rooney netted 26 goals, while Berbatov lagged behind with 12 and routinely looked out of sorts on the field, seeming slow, lackadaisical and uninterested.

This season, though, Berbatov has made a 180-degree turn and become arguably United’s best and most consistent attacking option. Coming off a miserable World Cup, Wayne Rooney struggled with fitness problems, tabloid investigations into his private life and a public dispute with Ferguson over his contract, all of which required him to miss time.

Rooney’s struggles have paved the way for Berbatov to lead United. His talents were particularly on show against hated rivals Liverpool this season, where he gave his team a 3-2 win with a spectacular see INT’L SOCCER, page 9

Sports

12

INSIDE Men’s Basketball 11 Cycling 11 Inside International Soccer 11

tuftsdaily.com

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Eight seniors to take last lap in Hamilton Pool for challenging meet against Wheaton BY

ZACHEY KLIGER

Contributing Writer

Tomorrow afternoon, there will be a few things on the line for the women’s swim team. As they drop into Hamilton Pool shortly after noon against Wheaton, the Jumbos will look to even out their subpar record (currently 3-4), improve their position in the NESCAC standings and perhaps break personal bests.

But putting aside the statistics, records and standings, tomorrow’s meet carries a much deeper significance for a handful of swimmers on the team. For the eight seniors on the squad, the meet marks the last time they will race competitively in their home pool.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” senior captain Megan Kono said.

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s hit a lot of the seniors yet. Since training camp, the focus has been on gearing up for conference [meets] and putting ourselves in a competitive position down the stretch.

We plan to take one more step in that direction on Saturday.”

But winning tomorrow won’t come easily. Tufts will be taking on a potent squad from Wheaton, which has posted an impressive 8-4 record in dual meets thus far.

Considering Tufts’ recent form, however, the meet is likely to be a back-and forth battle.

In its past three events, the team beat Wesleyan, took MIT’s squad to the very last relay before falling just a bit short and lost to the Ephs — widely considered the best team in the conference.

The past two events have seen freshman Jenny Hu take a pair of third-place finishes in the 200-yard breaststroke, while freshman Sami Bloom posted a couple of third-place marks herself off the diving board. There is no doubt that the team will need similar contributions from across the roster if they hope to hold their own against the Lyons come tomorrow.

“We have really fast girls all around, and going into championship races, you really want to have a number of different girls who you can confidently rely on,” senior Meghan Lueders said.

“We definitely have that with this year’s team.”

Competing at home has also proven to be an advantage for the team, as Tufts has won its previous two home meets against Bates and Wellesley.

“We take a lot of pride in swimming at home,” Kono said.

“There’s always that desire to defend what’s yours and not allow opponents to come into your house and beat you. We know the

DAILY FILE PHOTO

see WOMEN’S SWIM, page 9

Junior Paulina Ziolek and the rest of the underclassmen on the women’s swimming and diving team will look to send their senior teammates out on a high note with a win in their last home meet against Wheaton tomorrow.

MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Still without Hart, Tufts enters ‘must-sweep’ weekend against Wesleyan and Conn. College

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Eddie Mayerson is one of 11 seniors who will swim in Hamilton Pool for the last time tomorrow.

Jumbos set to honor seniors before tomorrow’s meet BY

AARON LEIBOWITZ

Daily Editorial Board

The men’s swimming and diving team tomorrow will recognize 11 seniors at Hamilton Pool before its final home meet of the season, a dual contest against Wheaton.

No. 16-ranked Tufts lost hard-fought contests to MIT and Boston College last weekend, slipping to 4-3. Now, the team will try to salvage one last home victory for its senior members.

Before the meet, there will be a ceremony to honor the seniors’ dedication and achievement during their four years at Tufts. Afterward, the team will attend a dinner organized by the seniors’ parents, most of whom are making the trip to Medford to watch the meet. The women’s team, which is also hosting Wheaton tomorrow and recognizing its seniors, will attend the dinner as well.

“The day should be for the seniors and all they’ve done over the four years because they really are the leadership of the team,” senior quad-captain Joe Lessard said. “There are the coaches, and after that, there are the captains and the seniors who really guide the team and set the example for the younger guys.”

During the dinner, the parents and athletes

will watch a slideshow that includes pictures of the seniors both during their time at Tufts and as little kids.

“It’s kind of just an opportunity for the seniors to reflect,” Lessard said. “Out of 21, 22 years most of us have been swimming 15-plus years, since we were old enough to get put in the pool by our parents. [This event] should be a culmination of all of that.”

The meet itself will conclude with the unconventional 100-yard individual medley, a tradition where all the seniors pick their own events and race each other for fun.

“It’s one last chance to race at Hamilton Pool, one last chance to race in front of the home crowd,” Lessard said. “It really is just another meet, but it’s going to be a lot of fun diving in for one last time, and I can guarantee you that last relay we have at the end of the meet is going to be something special.”

But senior Brian Canter is keeping his eyes on the big picture.

“It’s a nice and nostalgic touch to have a ceremony with our parents there, but it’s also important preparation for our other last meets of the season,” Canter said. “We still have to focus on reaching our end goal times.” see MEN’S SWIM, page 9

After a stretch of games on the road, the women’s basketball team returns to Cousens Gym this weekend for a NESCAC doubleheader, playing Conn.

College on Friday night and Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.

In the 2009-2010 season, the Jumbos were able to notch victories against both Conn. College and Wesleyan with a decisive win over the Camels and a come-from-behind effort against the Cardinals. As with every NESCAC opponent, both teams present perennial challenges.

“Last year the Wesleyan game was a really difficult game for us,” said sophomore forward Bre Dufault. “We were losing to Wesleyan the whole first half of the game, but in the second half we were able to go on a run and pull off a win.

Now we’re 2-2 in the NESCAC, so this weekend’s games are must-wins for us.”

Over the past week the Jumbos have been struggling to regain their footing after losing senior tri-captain guard Colleen Hart to an ankle injury. Hart has been the anchor of the Tufts offense and an undeniable impetus on the court for much of her four years on the team.

The Jumbos will again be without their star this weekend.

“Both games will be tough without Colleen,” said Dufault. “She’s a huge part of our offense, obviously in her scoring ability, but also in her presence on the court. It’s a whole different dynamic having a different point guard out there.”

The last two games, against Colby and Emmanuel, have been challenging for the Jumbos without Hart. Against Colby, for example, Tufts was down only 30-27 at the half, but then watched the Mules slowly pull away to a 67-54 win.

Tufts’ midweek game at Emmanuel was yet another close call, but the Jumbos this time ultimately managed

to come away with a 63-56 victory over their non-conference opponent.

“Emmanuel is a scrappy team,” said Dufault, “So if we aren’t fundamentally sound they can take advantage of that and go on a run. That’s what happened on Tuesday.”

Still, the Jumbos are resilient, and the younger players are stepping up to fill the scoring void. The team is now looking to this weekend as an opportunity to really hit its stride.

“It’s been difficult finding that flow in our offense in the past few games,” Dufault said. “But [junior guard] Tiffany [Kornegay] and [senior guard] Vanessa [Miller] are really stepping up and doing a great job.”

Back-to-back NESCAC games mean even more of a challenge in terms of endurance, especially with one player out with an injury. Fortunately for the Jumbos, the depth of the Tufts bench has allowed for players to rest frequently, avoiding the burden of fatigue.

“Coach [Berube] does a great job subbing and getting us in and out if we’re tired or need a break,” Dufault said. “Double headers aren’t too exhausting for us because she’s been really on top of that, and we’re a wellconditioned team.”

Tufts is using the recent setbacks as motivation to get its conference record back on track. Though neither the Camels nor the Cardinals have been considered rivals for the Jumbos in recent years, the extreme parity in the NESCAC means that every conference game is a big game. And with two wins, the Jumbos can prove what the rest of the conference fears: that they can still win without Hart.

“We know we can do it,” said Dufault, “But we need the same intensity as we have against Williams or Bowdoin. It’s all mental.”