2011-02-03.pdf

Partly Cloudy 27/9

THE TUFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXI, NUMBER 6

Where You Read It First Est. 1980 TUFTSDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011

New Tufts chapter aiming to spark dialogue on drug policy BY

LAINA PIERA

Daily Editorial Board

A Tufts chapter of the international organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), which formed last semester and is holding its first event tonight, aims to raise a debate on the nation’s drug policies and hopes to stoke support for changes to how drug use is perceived and prosecuted at the university, state and even national level.

SSDP provides a forum for students seeking to initiate discussion on drug abuse and propose changes to their community’s existing drug policies.

SSDP at Tufts, like chapters at other schools, will encourage discussion of both national and state drug issues.

It will also address concerns directly affecting the Tufts community, according to Tufts SSDP co-President Alex Baskin, a sophomore.

Senior Greg Beach, policy director for Tufts’ SSDP chapter, hopes that SSDP will eventually become a strong voice on campus to promote dialogue against drug abuse and raise issues

regarding the decriminalization of certain drugs.

“A college campus is where a lot of experimentation and discussion goes on about drugs, and I’d like to take that enthusiasm and use it in a more productive societal way,” Beach said.

“To me, ending the war on drugs is one of the biggest issues of social justice that should be more legitimized.”

Baskin became interested in starting the group after he noticed a lack of discussion at Tufts about how the university handles drug infractions.

“It’s no secret that Tufts has a dangerous drinking culture,” Baskin said.

“Every weekend, we find out about five or 10 kids that get in the hospital for drinking. … There’s far fewer kids who have to go to the hospital on a weekly basis for smoking pot.”

Tufts’ Alcohol and Drug Policy lists both public possession and use of “Illegal Class D Substances (marijuana)” as Level A offenses, along with the underage consumption or possession of alcohol and drinking in public

LAINA PIERA

Daily Editorial Board

Television journalist Lisa Ling advocated for girls’ education and challenged students to leave their comfort zones at the fifth annual installment of the Merrin Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday night.

The theme for this year’s lecture, part of Tufts Hillel’s Moral Voices program, was “Moral Voices on Equity: Raising a Voice for Women Worldwide.”

Ling shared stories from her career, including her reporting on the civil war in Afghanistan and sex trafficking, that she said opened her eyes to issues that many are not aware of.

Ling is best known for her work as a correspondent for the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” a co-host on “The View” and the host of “National Geographic Explorer.”

Ling said that she goes into stories with what she referred to as “American-style glasses,” or preconceived notions from an American perspective about how a story is going to unfold. Yet she has found that situations are often more complex than originally expected.

“As soon as I hit the ground, I realize that there’s no black-and-white story,” she said.

Ling’s lecture focused on her experience reporting on women’s issues, in particular the level of education — or lack thereof — for females in many parts of the world.

If you give a girl the opportunity to get an education, Ling said, she will fight for it. “‘I don’t want to get married. I want an education.’ I hear that all over the world,” she said. “If you’re in America, what do little girls want? They want iPods and iPhones. They want stuff. see LING, page 2

Alcohol-related TEMS calls remain steady in wake of policy changes BY

see SSDP, page 2

Lisa Ling urges students to take global perspective BY

OLIVER PORTER/TUFTS DAILY

Calls to TEMS have remained steady following alcohol policy revisions.

MICHAEL DEL MORO Daily Editorial Board

Tufts Emergency Medical Services ( TEMS) last semester saw little difference in the number of alcohol-related calls received following the university’s switch in September to a more nuanced policy regarding the consequences for alcohol abuse.

Executive Director of TEMS Kayla Murdock, a junior, said TEMS responded to 67 alcohol-related calls this fall, compared with 38 calls in the 2010

spring semester.

The number of alcohol-related incidents in the fall semester accounted for 32 percent of total calls to TEMS, a “very slight” increase from previous semesters that Murdock said is unremarkable when compared to statistics collected from the last seven years.

“We haven’t noticed too much of a difference in the number of alcohol calls in the past seven years so we can’t make any conclusions from see TEMS, page 2

E-mail transition from Webmail to Exchange expected to be completed by June BY

DAPHNE KOLIOS

Daily Editorial Board

MEAGAN MAHER/TUFTS DAILY

Television journalist Lisa Ling spoke Tuesday night at the fifth annual Merrin Distinguished Lecture Series.

Inside this issue

University Information Technology (UIT) will complete the replacement of the Tufts Webmail e-mail system with the Microsoft Exchange platform by June 30, according to the department.

UIT last month began transitioning faculty e-mail accounts to Exchange at the rate of one university department per day, according to Shawn Maloney, assistant director for Information Technology Services (ITS) Outreach. The process began with e-mail accounts associated with departments located in Dowling Hall, Maloney said. Because these offices had been using an older version of the Exchange system since 2003, the switch to the most recent version of Exchange was simply an upgrade, he said.

“We’re hoping to move all faculty and staff by the end of the first week of March,” Maloney said. “Then students … from that point forward.”

Freshman students have been using the new system since Undergraduate Orientation in September.

Sophomores and juniors will begin using Exchange next month, with sophomores transferring first, Maloney said. Seniors will use the Webmail platform through graduation and will not make the transition to Exchange.

“Given the amount of time it’s taken us to do what we’ve done so far, it really seems

that June 30 is a doable date,” Maloney said.

Exchange’s more modern elements distinguished it from the other possibilities UIT considered for the new e-mail platform.

“It has a lot of the features that people expect in an e-mail client these days,” Director of Communications and Organizational Effectiveness for UIT Dawn Irish said.

It also proved relatively easy for Webmail users to adapt to, according to Tufts OnLine Supervisor Judi Vellucci.

“I think it was probably the compatibility with other systems,” Vellucci said. “It integrated into things that were already in our current environment.”

Faculty and staff using Exchange have given positive feedback thus far, particularly with the platform’s ability to be accessed on cell phones, according to Irish.

“They really enjoy it,” she said. “The greatest feedback we get from faculty and staff is the integration with the mobile devices.”

Students who have already transitioned to Exchange have also welcomed the new system, according to Vellucci.

“I think the response from the first-years has been pretty positive,” Vellucci said. “It’s pretty easy to use; it’s kind of intuitive.”

The move to the new e-mail platform precedes the establishment of Microsoft Office Live as the system that will be used to manage all student e-mail accounts and also allow them to share calendars and colsee EXCHANGE, page 2

Today’s Sections

Healthy eating and exercise are a better weight-loss resolution than dieting, health service says.

With the Oscars just around the corner, the Daily takes a look behind the scenes of film awards.

see FEATURES, page 3

see WEEKENDER, page 5

News Features Weekender Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 10

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

11 12 15 Back

2

THE TUFTS DAILY

NEWS

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Number of hospital transports per semester on par with other NESCAC schools; change is not statistically significant from past TEMS continued from page 1

that,” Murdock said.

She added, however, that last semester’s increase in calls may have stemmed from reduced hesitation to call TEMS because of revisions to the university’s alcohol policy.

The revisions created a more lenient approach to alcohol-related offenses, after concerns that a stricter policy enacted in 2009 would deter intoxicated students from seeking medical assistance.

“Obviously, there is always a concern that people will not call for emergency services because they’re afraid of the repercussions,” Murdock said.

Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said September’s revision, which made a distinction between

alcohol violations of varying severity, was written so the fear of severe consequences wouldn’t deter students from calling for medical assistance.

“That rationale would suggest that you would get, if the policy was working, an increase in the number of calls,” he said. “It’s not an amnesty policy, it’s a forgiveness policy.”

Fifty of the alcohol-related calls last semester resulted in hospital transport, a figure that Reitman equated to approximately one percent of the student population. This puts Tufts on par with its peer schools in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, he said.

No conclusions about the effectiveness of the new policy can be drawn from the statistics about the number of hospi-

tal transports, according to Reitman.

“If you look at the numbers across the last eight years, the number of transports at least has been between thirty-five and fifty every year,” Reitman said. “It is not a statistically significant change.”

Reitman said the variability in the number of alcohol-related incidents could be attributed to, in addition to policy changes, student behavior, alcohol safety education and even luck.

Tufts Community Union ( TCU) Senator Yulia Korovikov, a sophomore, last year established a social-norms marketing campaign designed to challenge misconceptions about the prevalence of alcohol consumption on campus and educate students about safe drinking habits. “[The social-norms campaign] isn’t

Ling promotes foreign travel, girls’ education in lecture LING continued from page 1

Anywhere else in the world, girls just want an education. It’s such a powerful resource that a girl can attain.”

Ling said she has throughout her career held a particular interest in stories involving the social treatment and education of young girls.

“I have a particular heart for little girls because they really are the most vulnerable among us, and they’re so marginalized and treated so inhumanely in so much of the world,” she said.

Ling showed video clips from the documentary television series “National Geographic Explorer,” for which she has covered topics such as life in maximum security prisons and the effects of China’s one-child policy. The latter, she noted, was one of the most emotional stories she has reported on.

Ling reacted strongly when she

learned of the millions of Chinese families who abandoned newborn girls in favor of trying to have a boy.

“When I first heard this story, I was aghast,” she said. “I said to myself, ‘How can a culture give up a baby just because she’s a girl?’”

Ling said that in Chinese tradition, families hope for their child to be male because men traditionally do not leave the family when they get married, while married women live with their husband’s family.

Ling noted the male encouragement she has received for her reporting on the role of women around the world. “[They] have said that the women in our countries need a voice and need their stories told,” she said. “I appreciate the courage in these men.”

Tufts Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Jeffrey Summit introduced Ling at the event, praising her journalistic integrity. “[Ling’s] commitment to telling

women’s stories around the world has been marked by passion, conviction and the courage to speak truth to power,” he said.

As part of the lecture, Ling read aloud a poem she wrote about girls who are forced by their culture at a young age to marry and bear children.

To learn how best to solve today’s global issues, Ling advised the audience to travel abroad. She urged students to leave their comfort zone and learn about different parts of the world.

“You will become more conversant, you will become more poised. …

Ultimately, you will become smarter,” she said.

A new show entitled “Our America with Lisa Ling” will premier Feb. 15 on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Ling showed video clips from the show, which she said will expose viewers to controversial contemporary issues in the United States.

to tell you ‘don’t drink,’ it is to say that if you are going to, please be safe about it and don’t let it get to the point where you need to be transported,” she said.

Health Service will later this month circulate a survey seeking responses from students about their drinking habits, according to Korovikov. She expects that the results of the survey will provide an accurate portrayal of the pervasiveness of overdrinking at Tufts.

“Social norming is sort of where the education about substance use and dangerous drinking has evolved,” Reitman said.

He added that the scare tactics, which have often characterized alcohol education programs, were not as effective because they overestimate how many people regularly participate in binge drinking.

June deadline set for Exchange EXCHANGE continued from page 1

laborate on documents with their peers and professors, Irish said.

UIT is in the process of finalizing contractual negotiations with Microsoft concerning the control of security data under Office Live, according to Irish.

Following the transition to the system, all security data will be stored on Microsoft servers instead of being controlled by Tufts, she said.

“We’ve been negotiating that for a couple of months now, and it just takes a little bit of time,” Irish said. “Either way, we’re committed to getting the students into a new e-mail environment by June 30.”

The transition of students’ e-mails accounts from Exchange to Office Live will be “very seamless,” Irish said.

“It’s not like the move from Trumpeter to Exchange, which is a pretty big move,” Irish said.

Tufts’ SSDP chapter aims to end stigma surrounding drug policy discussion SSDP continued from page 1

spaces.

The policy states that the immediate consequence of a first Level A offense violation is placement on Disciplinary Probation One (pro-one).

SSDP plans to submit a petition to the Tufts Community Union ( TCU) Senate suggesting changes in how the university handles marijuana-related infractions, according Baskin.

SSDP, Baskin believes, can provide a forum to better educate students about drug use and abuse.

“We want to get a dialogue going about that — what are the differences between what’s in marijuana and alcohol, and how does one affect the other, and how can we deal with the drinking culture at Tufts in a way that will actually lead to solutions,” Baskin said.

One of the main goals of the Tufts’ SSDP chapter is to frame drug use as a public health issue instead of a criminal one, said the other co-President Matt Kennedy, a sophomore.

“We want to deter the stigma that goes with drug use,” Kennedy said.

“SSDP does not condone drug use, but it also doesn’t judge you if you do, so it’s completely neutral.”

Basking said that the group plans to spread awareness of Massachusetts’ law decriminalizing the personal use of small amounts of marijuana in January 2009, making the possession of an ounce or less of the drug a civil rather than criminal offense, punishable by fine.

“It’s not a crime, so there’s no reason for Tufts to pretend that it is,” Baskin said. “Right now, if you’re caught smoking pot in your room, it’s the exact same penalty as if you’re caught underage drinking, which really makes no sense — one is a crime, and one is not a crime.”

The group started meeting last semester, though it has not yet received

JAMES CHOCA/TUFTS DAILY

A Tufts chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy started last semester. Among its goals, the group hopes to change how the university handles marijuana-related infractions. full recognition from the TCU Judiciary, according to Baskin.

SSDP at Tufts plans to hold events on campus that educate students about the role of drugs in society and the inadequacies of the U.S. government’s policy on drugs, Kennedy said.

The group tonight will host its first event, featuring Jack Cole, a former police officer and the co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an organization composed of current

and former law enforcement workers who propose changes to the nation’s drug policies.

Cole will share with attendees the reasoning behind his belief that the government’s “war on drugs” is ineffective.

“He found that there’s no point in locking people up for harmless acts, that our prison system is completely bursting at the seams and that there’s no reason that we’re wasting time,

money and space on people that harm no one but themselves,” Baskin said.

Beach hopes to expand the efforts Tufts’ SSDP beyond Tufts.

“I would like to develop a political organization that can work on local levels and state levels, like pushing for a legalization of cannabis in 2012 in Massachusetts on the state ballot, as well as making it more of something that people think about and talk about.”

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Weight-loss resolutions can be risky, tough to achieve Dieting for the new year often goes too far, increases risk of developing eating disorders BY

EMILIA LUNA

Daily Editorial Board

Weight-loss efforts, a perennially popular New Year’s resolution, are often in full swing at this time of year. But as with many other personal resolutions, what begins as a wholesome dieting goal can quickly become a dangerous gateway to emotional, academic and health issues.

According to Professor of Psychology Robin Kanarek, the main reason for short-lived dieting resolutions is students are surrounded by food and social activities involving food every day. From going out to dinner to grabbing coffee between classes, it is likely that students will frequently encounter others eating, Kanarek said.

“Certainly people make lots of resolutions, and dieting is one of the hardest,” she said. “Part of the problem is just that food is readily available and that opportunities to eat, particularly under social circumstances, are also readily available.

It is hard to keep [a resolution] no matter where you are, but a college campus has the added effect of social eating.”

Kanarek further explained that on a campus like Tufts, where there are few overweight or obese students, there might be increased social pressure to maintain a trim physique, which in turn leads to unrealistic dieting resolutions destined to end in failure.

“Although obesity is a major problem in this country, if you would walk around the Tufts campus you would not believe it,” Kanarek said. “Almost everybody here, particularly the students,

are in an environment where people are thin.” As a result, some students become concerned by even the slightest increase in pounds.

Weight-loss resolutions can have significant negative consequences, according to Tufts Medical Director Margaret Higham, and people who diet tend to eventually develop disordered eating habits.

“What we call disordered eating means you have abnormal eating habits. This might involve restricting at times, which is then frequently followed by overeating,” she said.

Ninety one percent of female college students have dieted in an attempt to control their weight, and 40 percent have an eating disorder, according to the Massachusetts Eating Disorder Association.

Many students do not understand what constitutes healthy eating, Higham said.

“They stop eating, or they stop eating any fat, or they develop certain food fetishes,” she said. “Healthy eating is being able to eat a wide variety of foods in normal and appropriate amounts and being able to get all the different nutrients, including fat, which you need some of, to stay healthy.”

Higham added that students often try to control their weight by way of restriction, which can paradoxically counteract efforts to curb appetite.

“The more you restrict, the more you will overeat and the more you will change your body’s internal control of its appetite,” she said.

Senior Director of Health and Wellness Services Michelle Bowdler explained that her department does not promote the concept of dieting for these reasons.

“We are more focused on helping students [in] healthy eating,” she said.

“Anybody that worries about their weight can focus on a number or on calories, and then they can get into trouble without even noticing.”

Although not every woman who diets will face extreme health consequences, many do end up developing an eating disorder, Higham said.

“An eating disorder itself means that you have lost a certain amount of weight or that you do a certain amount of purging eating — you vomit or [do] extra exercise,” Higham said.

According to Higham, it is difficult to obtain information about the number of students with eating disorders at Tufts, since Health Service only treats students who seek help. Higham added that Health Service has a commitment to confidentiality when it comes to information about students’ health, particularly about their dieting habits and weight.

“The only time we would violate confidentiality or intervene is if we would think someone was about to die,” Higham said.

Higham stressed that one reason Health Service takes confidentiality so seriously is to foster an environment in which students feel comfortable seeking help or just asking questions.

Still, Higham said, Health Service only helps students who want to be helped and will not try to convince anyone to

seek their medical assistance.

“We are not going to force treatment on students,” she said. “If someone has an eating disorder, they are not going to get over it unless they want to.”

Although college comes with many concerns about weight gain, gaining a few pounds during college is usually a normal thing; in fact, all women gain weight as a part of the normal development of their hormones, Higham said.

“As you get out of your teenage years your body puts on weight as normal preparation for childbearing,” she said.

“The weight you had at 16 is not going to be the same as at age 25.”

According to Kanarek, dieting can also affect a person’s cognitive behavior. Based on her research, people on low-carbohydrate diets tend to be tired, have difficulty maintaining their intellectual ability in the classroom and have more of a tendency to doze off rather than pay attention.

“The brain needs carbohydrates for fuel — the primary fuel of the brain is sugar. If you decrease carbohydrates in some of these diets such as the Atkins or the South Beach diets, what you are doing is you are reducing the amount of energy for the brain,” Kanarek said.

“The body has to start to compensate for that, but this requires more energy and the fuels you are using are not as good as glucose.”

In order to promote health-conscious dieting habits among students, the Department of Health Education see DIETING, page 4

Street Smarts: Tufts’ sartorial scene Ever notice the Jumbos on campus who put more into their wardrobes than a fleeting thought about which pair of sneakers doesn’t clash with their sweatpants? We have, and some of their sartorial styles caught our eye in particular. Patterns seem to be campus fashionistas’ favorite method to fight against the monotony of snow gear right now. And for those to whom that pertains, thank you for not matching your outfits to the apocalypse outside.

COMPILED BY ROMY OLTUSKI PHOTOS BY JUSTIN MCCALLUM

“My look is an intersection of casual mountain-y and plaid and urban hipster.”

—Ellen Mayer, Class of 2014 “The zip-up actually isn’t mine — it’s my boyfriend’s. Other than that, I wear a lot of leggings and oversized sweaters.”

—Lisele Chung, Class of 2011 “I’d say homeless grandpa is what I’m going for.”

—Cat Burke, Class of 2011

See jumboslice.tuftsdaily.com for the full shoot.

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

Thursday, February 3, 2011

FEATURES

Health Service warns against student dieting, encourages healthy eating DIETING continued from page 3

at Tufts, in collaboration with the Friedman School of Nutrition, launched the Balance Your Life campaign last fall.

The initiative, headed by Director of Health Education Ian Wong and graduate student Kathryn Patrick Sweeney of the Friedman School, is designed to encourage students to embrace healthy lifestyles during their college years.

According to Sweeney, the goal of the program is to increase Tufts students’ vegetable consumption and physical activity and provide a resource for students who may have health-related questions.

“It is hard to keep [a resolution] no matter where you are, but a college campus has the added effect of social eating.�

Michelle Bowdler senior director of Health and Wellness Services

The Balance Your Life campaign is focused on healthy living, Bowdler said, which means sleeping sufficiently and getting good nutrients to nourish the body — not restricting food intake. “The word ‘diet’ in terms of watching your weight is not a part of the campaign,� she said.

Balance Your Life is working alongside Tufts Dining Services to help inform students of the nutrients in their food and better understand the dining halls’ options. “The program aims to communicate nutrition messages in clear, easy ways,�

Sweeney said. “We don’t want to focus so much on calories, but talk about eating whole foods and giving students information on where to find things for your diet at Tufts.�

Sophomore Cristina Alvarez said that she finds it easy to maintain a healthy

JODI BOSIN/TUFTS DAILY

Weight loss resolutions often generate unrealistic expectations and dangerous behaviors. lifestyle without dieting. “I go to the gym most days of the week, and I have made it a part of my daily schedule,� she said.

Alvarez also joined Tufts Student Resources Fitness as a substitute instructor to complement her fitness routine.

“It is a great way for any student to make exercising a part of their daily life and to learn nutrition tips that encourage a healthier lifestyle and help you remain fit,� she said.

Bowdler emphasized that there are many better options than dieting when

it comes to health and weight concerns. “Talking about dieting as a concept is very tricky, but I really don’t encourage students to diet and restrict,� she said. “If they have concerns, I would recommend them to talk to a primary health provider before deciding to diet.�

%' # %( &$%%

"

! " !!

FIND YOURSELF ABROAD

Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Science> Engineering

&$$ !

"

!# " !!

$

www.bu.edu/abroad

Financial aid is available.

And the Weekender goes to...

ARTS & LIVING

5

tuftsdaily.com

American film awards and ceremonies a culture unto themselves As the Academy Awards draw near, the Daily looks behind-the-scenes BY

MATTHEW WELCH

Behind-the-scenes maneuvering

Daily Editorial Board

Every year, the whole world is made privy to a series of glamorous rituals in American culture. Elite celebrities get dolled up and stride down red carpets to various glitzy awards ceremonies, hoping to return home with some shiny token commemorating their accomplishments. Awards have been a major component of the American film industry for decades now, generating millions of dollars for nominated movies and creating reputations that can last for entire careers. Even though this award season is limited to film, the ceremonies have farreaching implications in popular culture at large, shaping celebrities’ images and determining the climate in Hollywood for the fiscal year to come.

Shaping celebrity images The glamour of the event is doubtlessly one of the great appeals for audiences. America’s tradition of celebrity fetishism is indulged in full on these nights, with plenty of sound bites and red carpet clips to serve as leftovers for the days to follow. Controversies from events like the Academy Awards can linger for a remarkably long time. Images of Björk’s swan dress will probably follow her to her grave, while Michael Moore’s anti-war tirade will always typify his politically charged eccentricity.

These ceremonies’ capacity to shape public images has made them exceedingly important for most major film celebrities.

Perhaps this is why the most recent Golden Globes ceremony, hosted by a vitriolic Ricky Gervais, was so cringe-inducingly satisfying.

Throughout the show, Gervais shamelessly mocked countless members of his audience, taking stabs at almost every presenter he introduced. Nothing was sacred for Gervais as he derided the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which produces the event. He even joked about the age of the Association’s president, saying that he had to “help him off the toilet and pop his teeth back in” before the show.

As uncomfortable as the silence after many of Gervais’ jokes was, many viewers couldn’t help but enjoy seeing celebrities placed in such an unusually awkward situation. How often does Johnny Depp ever have to laugh off an internationally broadcast insult? For once, the pampered elite of Hollywood got roasted at one of their own events. The fact that these events usually present celebrities with a cushy ride and a raucous afterparty made their experience even more humorous. A few celebrities were more accepting of Gervais’ insults. Numerous cuts to a hysterically laughing Robert DeNiro showed that even the highest members of Hollywood culture could laugh at their own expense.

ROLEXBLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM PICASAWEB.GOOGLE.COM DESIGN BY LEANNE BROTSKY

Despite our society’s obsession with these awards, very few people look at the mechanics of the ceremonies and what goes into making an award-worthy film. The months that precede the Academy Awards are accompanied by a flurry of frantic marketing campaigns, back-room lobbying and ritzy parties. The country’s biggest film producers and studios gear themselves toward bringing home any and as many awards as they can muster.

Although reputations aren’t always on the line, many studios feel tons of pressure to produce Oscar-winning films on a regular basis. Studios like Columbia, however, have not taken home a best picture award for over 20 years. Their best shot, “The Social Network” (2010), has doubtlessly been flaunted and promoted by a slew of elite publicists.

With all of this extreme competition, things get hairy. Oscar lobbying has driven some publicists to commit heinous acts. The most famous of these offenders is Harvey Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company and one of the Hollywood’s biggest producers. He won a best picture Oscar for his role as a producer of “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), but he is also one of the most dogged lobbyists and promoters in the industry.

Over his time in Hollywood, Weinstein has been accused of everything from harassment to blatantly lying in his efforts to secure awards. Some of his more notable offenses include spreading rumors accusing John Nash of anti-Semitism in an effort to knock “A Beautiful Mind” (2001) out of the Oscar race, remorselessly pestering Sydney Pollack about the release date of “The Reader” (2008) even as he was dying of stomach cancer and fighting the extradition from Switzerland of convicted sex offender Roman Polanski.

How much does quality actually matter?

The mini-industry that has formed around film promotion during awards season has led many to view the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the other guild awards with a more critical eye. After all, when so much money and work has been funneled into the promotion of these movies, how much room is left for judging merit? Several notable members of the film industry like Marlon Brando and George C. Scott have, over the years, renounced the Academy Awards and refused to accept Oscars that they’ve won. Many film critics in the past several decades have derided the Oscars and similar ceremonies for valuing slick marketing and formulaic plots over genuine innovation.

However, the past two winners of the

Best Picture category have defied these conventions: Both “The Hurt Locker” (2008) and “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) were originally produced by independent film companies. Even though the later film became an international sensation that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, “The Hurt Locker” was a box office failure in the U.S. Whether these recent wins reflect a new acceptance of smaller films or merely illustrate a contrived effort to improve the Academy’s image is unknown, but many critics and viewers are happy to see smaller films being given recognition.

Though the Academy appears to be broadening its horizons, many people have qualms about the Oscars’ track record with films. Many critics have been quick to point out the films now considered classics that were snubbed by the Academy in favor of movies that have not aged nearly as well. “Citizen Kane” (1941) lost out to “How Green Was My Valley” (1941), just as “Taxi Driver” (1976) was beaten by “Rocky” (1976) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979) lost to “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979). While these are only a handful of films, enough critics have noticed this pattern to make the Academy’s selections a source of persistent critical scrutiny and controversy. Of course people will always voice their rejection of perceived snubs, but the Academy failed to identify a good number of classic movies when they were first released.

Something for everyone One of the greatest appeals of award ceremonies is, after all, how divisive they can be.

Both critics and viewers love to bicker about everything, starting before the ceremonies as they try to guess likely winners and holding grudges for years afterward based on whom they perceive to have been snubbed. Awards give anyone who’s been to any recent movies an opportunity to discuss the year’s selections.

Critics, too, must love the Oscars and the Golden Globes for giving them such a formidable arena for debate and voicing their opinions. Almost every major publication features several hefty articles analyzing the Oscar race and weighing in on the most important factors of the year. Even opponents of the Oscars love having a system to rail against.

Whether you love or hate America’s film awards, you can’t debate their massive impact on Hollywood and the global movie industry. Whole subcultures have cropped up around promoting and lobbying films for Oscars, involving thousands of people, from publicists and critics to directors and editors. Many film studios have organized their output around Oscarcontending films. Arguments can be made on the positive and negative sides regarding the impact of these awards, but few people can legitimately doubt their significance. With tens of millions of viewers every year, the Oscars and their counterparts are certainly here to stay.

THE TUFTS DAILY

6

Thursday, February 3, 2011

WEEKENDER

MOVIE REVIEW

Nature takes the starring role in ‘The Way Back’

Aesthetics and complexity make Weir’s epic trek a must-see, despite lack of Oscar buzz

BY JOHN-MICHAEL SEQUEIRA

Contributing Writer

Outside their trappings as the premier awards ceremony for American film, the Oscars are still governed by the same

The Way Back Starring Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Dragos Bucur Directed by Peter Weir idiosyncratic, unwritten rules as any other industry fixture: If you’re the Coen Brothers, you get a nomination. If you’ve filmed a sobering drama featuring the Holocaust, you get a nomination. And if you don’t get your film released in time to get on board the train of media buzz, you go home empty-handed.

Such is the case for Peter Weir’s unfortunately timed “The Way Back.”

This brilliant film will likely be shut out at February’s Academy Awards — not because of its content, but because it showed up too late to the game.

Awards-season contenders were already crystallizing when the film rolled into theaters Dec. 29. The outcome: one sole nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup. It’s a shame, too, because Weir’s work here outclasses a clear half of this year’s best-picture nominees.

This tale, set on the brink of World War II, is one that distills “man vs. nature” down to its very bones. A band of political prisoners ( Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell among others), deemed enemies of communist Russia and exiled to Siberia, decide to take back their freedom by literally walking

THEWAYBACKTHEMOVIE.COM

Though ‘The Way Back’ does not want for complex characters, nature is the real star in this haunting film. to it, traversing thousands of miles on foot to the Mongolian border.

Unlike the claustrophobic, earthhewn prison portrayed in Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours” (2010) — a film that played the Oscar game more successfully — nature here is a vast, desolate expanse that kills slowly.

The Asiatic terrain poses a challenge not only for the cast but for the

filmmakers, too: Even with constantly changing locales, how can Weir keep things interesting, especially when the actors are just walking?

Fortunately for the director, and his audience, the trek incorporates dark and engaging themes. Slowly degrading health, starvation, dehydration and eroding faith — both in one another and the goal of reaching freedom — are

TV REVIEW

BY

EMILY POOLE

What do you get if you mix a skateboarding dog and Dave Navarro — the guitarist from

One Tree Hill Starring Sophia Bush, Moira Kelly, James Lafferty, Jana Kramer Airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW Jane’s Addiction — with a wild bachelorette party? Well, if you’re watching “One Tree Hill,” you inevitably get a lesson about love, family and the importance of friendship. Returning in the middle of its eighth season on The CW, “One Tree Hill” is continuing to do what it does best: combining melodramatic characters with unrealistic plotlines to create an emotionally charged show that’s horribly addictive.

“One Tree Hill” follows the evolving relationships of a group of friends living in a small town in North Carolina, detailing their romantic pursuits and personal struggles as young professionals.

The second half of the season kicks off in true “OTH”style with Brooke’s (Sophia Bush) bachelorette party — or more accurately, the day after the party, as Brooke, Alex (Jana Kramer), Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) and Millie (Lisa Goldstein) fight through hangovers to piece together their wild night and find Brooke’s lost engagement ring.

If you haven’t noticed, it has been snowing a lot lately. A lot. Like a snowpocalypse or something. So the Tufts Daily Arts Department got to thinking, what would we rather have falling from the sky instead of snow? Here are our Top 10 picks:

While the episode, fittingly titled “The Drinks We Drank Last Night,” focused on the show’s female cast, Nathan (James Lafferty) and Julian (Austin Nichols) were present in their roles as supportive significant others. Filling the void of departed show veterans Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton, who left after the sixth season, the show has replenished its main cast with several new characters, such as those played by Kramer and VanSanten, who now, a season and a half later, are finally beginning to feel like a real part of the “One Tree Hill” family.

The episode alternates between flashbacks of the women’s “Girls Gone Wild”-style shenanigans and the cold water of the next morning, mixing funny moments (impulsive tattoos, mechanical bulls and throwing water-filled condoms at Dave Navarro) with serious ones (confrontations with the mother-inlaw, confessions of love and everconsiderate fiances).

Such a combination certainly showcases “One Tree Hill’s” unfailing ability to produce episodes that include anything a fan could ever want in a CW dramedy — or a daytime soap opera.

Viewers laugh while watching the girls start to remember their dirty deeds, in a way that would have made SOAPnet proud.

Nonetheless, the episode was able to offer a heartfelt ending that reinforced the show’s lessons of love and friendship.

What sets “One Tree Hill” apart from its CW siblings is its unashamed fearlessness. The show is the consistent underdog

10) Meatballs: Who wouldn’t want to see their vegetarian friends in catatonic states?

9) Verizon iPhone: Awesome technology falling from the sky? We bet there’s an app for that.

8) Confetti: It’s as close as we’ll get to Mardi Gras.

7) Not Trash: We are so sick of Ke$ha falling from the sky.

6) Piñatas: They’re easier to beat to death than humans.

5) Bieber: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: Bieber hits the ground; the ground hits Bieber, if you know what we mean.

4) Owls: They’re cute, cuddly and useful night hunters. That’s three times better than snow.

3) Men: They’re easier to pick up than snow. Plus, then you could change the lyrics and make a hilarious play off “It’s Raining Men” (1982).

2) Conversation hearts: With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is in the air. But what if it were actually in the air, pelting you with the romantic reminder that “UR A QT”? Who would even need a real valentine then?

1) Not snow: Do we really need to explain this? We don’t want it to snow anymore.

We’re sick of it.

CWTV.COM

see HILL, page 7

see WAY BACK, page 8

TOP TEN | THINGS WE WISH WERE FALLING FROM THE SKY INSTEAD OF SNOW

‘One Tree Hill’ continues to deliver wild plotlines, twists in its eighth season Contributing Writer

the dramatic currents that underpin the seemingly eternal trek.

Though a 90-minute film would seemingly have done a grave disservice to this unbelievable journey, the movie is only a test of endurance for its characters, not its viewers.

The film does an excellent job of fea-

Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols in ‘One Tree Hill.’

—compiled by the Daily Arts Department

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 2011

7

WEEKENDER

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE TUFTS DAILY Dear Charlie Sheen, A lot of people are mad at you, and just as many — if not more — are very worried about you. We would just like to say that we understand, and we’re behind you. You’ve been having a rough time for a while: All that sex, drugs and starring in “Two and a Half Men” will take it out of a guy.

Especially when he’s a pirate.

One of your … “friends” recently reported that your teeth are gold and that you

try to hide this in public with some sort of fancy teeth-hiding device. At first, we thought that maybe you were a rapper, but then we did a bit of research and some quite reliable sources — both Google and Bing, Microsoft’s decision engine — told us that you’re not, in fact, a rapper. We were pretty sure that you were one of the Baja Men, but that was actually Nehemiah Hield. Easy mistake.

Since you’re not a rapper, the only other possibility is that you’re a pirate.

This would explain the wild lifestyle — the

adventure, the debauchery, the associations with wenches and, most importantly, the gold teeth.

You don’t need rehab; you need the wind in your hair, a patch on your eye, a parrot on your shoulder and a sword between your teeth! Take to the seas, Captain Sheen!

A pirate’s life is clearly the only thing for you. There’ll be swordfights, rum, gold (teeth), skeletons all over the place rather than in your closet (with porn stars) and you’ll never have to appear on “Two and a Half Men” again!

And if you need a crew to help with the partying and pillaging, we, the Tufts Daily Arts Department, volunteer to help you swab the poop deck, raise the sails and drink heavily on a boat. (We do not, however, volunteer to shiver your timbers.)

So bust out, steal a ship and start making a name for yourself on the high seas!

Aaargh!

Best, The Tufts Daily Arts Department

‘Hill’ consistently features unbelievable plotlines, but developed characters HILL continued from page 6

of the network, and it is always a gamble as to whether or not the show will be renewed for another season, leading “One Tree Hill’s” creator, Mark Schwahn, to treat each season as if it’s the last.

Consequently, “One Tree Hill” can sometimes seem like the writers are trying to cross off every item on their bucket list for the show. Throughout the past eight years, fans have accepted kidnapping nannies, murders, shootings, pregnancies, weddings and random celebrity cameos as just part of the show’s commitment to being as theatrical as possible.

While other shows might just get old after so many seasons, this tendency to rely on unbelievable plotlines has played to “One Tree Hill’s” advantage. Anyone still watching the show after eight years has obviously proved his or her loyalty, and the show’s writers seem to count on the fact that fans have grown to expect the unexpected. The possibility that each season might be the last forces the show to stay on its toes, and, after over 150 episodes, the writers resort to ever more unbelievable storylines to maintain the

show’s energy and momentum.

In all likelihood, “One Tree Hill” is never going to win an Emmy — its writing rarely rises above mediocre, and the acting (excepting the occasional impressive performance by Sophia Bush) is usually melodramatic, like cliches come to life.

So why watch “One Tree Hill”?

The main reason is the characters. Throughout the years, fans have watched the group of friends endure just about everything; the protagonists have developed complex backgrounds that render them deeper and more interesting with each passing season. In eight years, Brooke, Nathan, Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) and their friends have become adults, transforming “One Tree Hill” from a teen drama into an engaging show about a group of people that fans have grown to know and love.

“One Tree Hill” has certainly explored its strengths and weaknesses, and this eighth season has so far displayed a show that has finally found its place. Whether or not the show will be renewed for a ninth season is anybody’s guess. But if fans have managed to stick with the show this long, they certainly won’t be disappointed by this season.

CWTV.COM

Sharon Lawrence and Austin Nichols star in the eighth season of ‘One Tree Hill.’

The Daily wants to hear from YOU.

Have a problem with our coverage?

Upset about something happening at Tufts or in the community?

The Daily welcomes thoughts, opinions and complaints from all readers — have your voice heard!

Send op-ed submissions, 600-1,200 words, to oped@tuftsdaily.com. Send letters to the editor to editor@tuftsdaily.com.

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

Thursday, February 3, 2011

WEEKENDER

THEWAYBACKTHEMOVIE.COM

Colin Farrell has fun with the role of Valka, an off-kilter Russian career criminal.

Weir’s new film, with or without an Oscar, is well worth watching WAY BACK continued from page 6

turing the majesty of natural landscapes.

The cinematography showcases a splendor in nature that’s matched in intensity only by its cruelty to this band of men. Ermine snow, gritty sand and lush wilderness are as beautiful as they are brutal. And as colors change with the seasons, each scene takes on a new life and hue, avoiding the trap of things becoming too static or bleak.

It’s a superb reminder that, of all things, a film cannot afford to ignore aesthetics, especially when they play such a key role for both the characters and the story. With the focus so squarely pinned on nature, the actors face the considerable charge of asserting their roles against their overpowering backdrop. They take to the task admirably, adding true emotion to what would otherwise be a gorgeous but plot-less National Geographic travelogue.

Harris, portraying the sole American, turns in a remarkably sensitive performance, tweaking a bit of the hardedged role he is most often typecast into. His performance is rivaled by lead Sturgess, who offers up a committed,

believable portrayal of a Polish man betrayed by the woman closest to him.

Farrell, meanwhile, appears to be having the time of his life playing a debtridden, knife-toting Russian career criminal — imagine a slightly more addled and gleeful off-kilter version of Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises” (2007).

These broad characterizations aside, the personalities of these walking wounded remain understated yet complex, suggesting that Weir has enough faith in his viewers not to sledgehammer them with acting for acting’s sake.

If anything, the product is indicative of an agenda that does not cater to the Hollywood standard.

This isn’t a film calling out for attention like Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” (2010), nor is it ticking off awardsseason contender boxes like “The King’s Speech” (2010). Is it a better film than those because of it? Well, it’s certainly more genuine.

So when the awards roll out with the red carpet later this month and you see “The Way Back” coming up empty, remember — that gold statue isn’t everything.

Now accepting JumboCash

What’s Up This Weekend Looking to make your weekend artsy?

Check out these events!

“Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958-1968” Reception: In honor of the opening of the new Tufts Art Gallery exhibit, this reception will feature 1960s-style food and drinks, episodes of “Mad Men,” an open bar and, most importantly, over 60 pieces of artwork created by women involved in the pop art movement.

(Today, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Tufts Art Gallery in the Aidekman Arts Center. Admission is free.)

Rooftop Comedy National College Comedy Competition presented by TBS: In a nationwide search for America’s funniest college students, student comedians will perform three-minute sets in the hopes of the audience voting them onto the Tufts team — eight will make it — and potentially winning it all, including the chance to perform at “Just for Laughs Chicago,” presented by Twix.

(Friday at 9:30 p.m. in Dewick MacPhie Dining Center. Admission is free and open to all students.)

Frances Fitch: 300 Years of Harpsichord: Join music faculty member Frances Fitch as she explores 300 years of music written for one of

Western music’s oldest instruments: the harpsichord. Fitch will select pieces from the instrument’s massive repertoire and perform in two different tuning systems. (Sunday at 3 p.m. in Distler Performance Hall in the Granoff Music Building. Admission is free.)

LaserLab at the Museum of Science: Did you know that LASER is actually an acronym? Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Light Amplification

by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) at Boston’s Museum of Science. You can play laser football and learn how to operate a laser through a maze. (Through April 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Boston Museum of Science. Included with Museum of Science admission.)

“Greetings from Boston”: The Boston Public Library is hosting an exhibition of vintage postcards sent from Boston in the early 20th century. Check out unique historical artifacts and see how the artistic representations of Boston have changed throughout the years. (Through March 31, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Boston Public Library.

Admission is free.)

—compiled by the Daily Arts Department

Medford’s Best Italian Food and Grocery Delicious Subs and Sandwiches On Main St. close to the Alumni Fields Store Hours: Sunday 8-7 Monday-Thursday 9-8 Friday-Saturday 8-8 324 Main Street Medford, MA 02155

Phone number: 781-395-0400

Website: www.bobsfood.com

Thursday, February 3, 2011

THE TUFTS DAILY

9

ADVERTISEMENT

GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM 12

months / 3 continents / 1 focus

“Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) stands out on your rĂŠsumĂŠ.

The ability to work in and lead diverse teams was particularly attractive. I plan to work with international clients and senior leadership at an accelerated pace as a result of my GEP experience.� — samantha o’keeffe m’10 / deloitte consulting, london

#

1

RANKED #1 IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP U.S.News & World Report, Financial Times, The Princeton Review

Live, learn, and work in France, China, and the U.S. with this unique MS in Management degree, with a concentration in Global Entrepreneurship, offered by Babson College, EMLYON Business School (France), and Zhejiang University (China).

information session

register today

Saturday, February 26 / 9–11:30 a.m.

Babson College, Wellesley, MA

www.facebook.com/BabsonGEP 1-800-488-4512

f.w. olin graduate school of business www.babson.edu/gep

" # " & & %

" # "! # & ! $ "! % " " $

# !(' ( * " + )

! & # " # " " " # "& "

THE TUFTS DAILY

10

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

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors

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 Photo Editor Photo Editors

Thursday, February 3, 2011

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

EDITORIAL

University mishandled response to snow Though university closings due to snow may mean little more than surprise leisure time for students who live on campus, for many students and employees who live far away, they are an essential safety precaution.

Tufts on Tuesday issued first a conditional early release for employees after 3 p.m. and later a canceling of late-afternoon and evening classes. Although the early release may have stopped some students from heading to campus and allowed employees to get a small jump on the evening commute, the release came too late to really serve its purpose of ensuring the safety of students and staff during Tuesday’s storm.

Students who cannot afford to live on or very near to campus — or choose not to for other reasons — still had to make the trek to Tufts for their morning and early afternoon classes while Tuesday’s storm was in full force. All Tufts employees, most of whom commute to work, had to travel Tuesday morning and make their way home Tuesday afternoon in some of the most dangerous travel conditions Massachusetts will see this winter. The university administrators must have known early in the day that the storm was predicted to occur, yet they required employees to commute to work Tuesday morning

regardless. By the time the early release was announced, travel conditions were already highly unsafe. Letting employees leave at 3 p.m. was hardly an assurance of safety, and this risk could have been prevented.

The e-mails that the university sent regarding the early release were also confusing. The subject of the first e-mail regarding early release said, “Early release on Feb. 1 due to weather,” but the e-mail went on to say that the release was conditional and only applied to employees. The next e-mail, which said that classes after 3 p.m. would be cancelled, was not sent to students until 3:14 p.m. Students who were off campus Tuesday morning working at jobs and internships may have rushed back for their afternoon classes unaware that they were cancelled.

These students may have waited out the storm or driven back more slowly if they had known ahead of time that they did not need to hurry back for school, and those students who do not own cell phones with internet access may have not had a chance to learn about the campus closing until after they had arrived on campus.

If the university does decide to close campus somewhat last-minute, administrators should consider using the campus’ safety alert system to notify students of

these changes. While a campus closing may not be an emergency, it is unfair that students who do not have immediate internet access should not hear of campus closings before traveling to make it back for class.

If students had received text messages or phone calls telling them of the campus closing, it may have prevented them from making a dangerous drive only to arrive at an empty classroom.

The Daily understands that the university was well-intentioned in trying to respect professors and maintain its high academic standards, and we do not propose that students should be exempt from classes simply because it is unpleasant to walk outside. In fact, the majority of students live on or very near to campus; it makes sense that Tufts would hold classes in inclement weather, since most students could make it without putting themselves in danger.

But when it is clear that a storm of such magnitude is going to occur, the safety of all students and employees should take priority, and those who do commute to campus for work or school should not have to put themselves in danger. In the future, Tufts should have the foresight to close the university before, and not after, travel conditions have already become hazardous.

The success of the Swiss program has inspired heroin-maintenance pilot projects in Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations of addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without the advertising.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as cartels control distribu-

tion, marijuana consumers will come into contact with sellers of addictive drugs like cocaine. This “gateway” is a direct result of marijuana prohibition. Students who want to help reform harmful drug laws should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at schoolsnotprisons.com.

ERIN MARSHALL

Cartoonists Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

Assistant Sports 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

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Regarding Gregory Beach’s Feb. 1 op-ed “The war on drugs is a failure”: There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland’s heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users. Providing addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting eliminates many of the problems associated with illicit heroin use.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

Sincerely, Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy

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.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 2011

11

OP-ED

FROM THE PUBLIC EDITOR

Stay angry: keep Wrenchgate alive

BY JACOB

KREIMER

This week marks two months since the Tufts community received an e-mail with the subject, “Safety alert: suspicious person reported with a handgun.” Generally, campus reaction came in stages: shock, then humor — certainly I wasn’t the only one to chuckle at the absurdity of the mix-up between a ratchet wrench and the supposed gun — followed by the rapid deployment of wrench/gun posters, then other posters which reacted to the first round of posters. By some accounts, there was even third round of posters plastered around campus, reacting to reactive posters themselves. For many, these posters had a sobering effect: Suddenly the ludicrous, if not comical, scenario of assuming a black man was handling a gun turned into a pointed critique of the reality of race on campus. Without a doubt, the incident got people talking, and the provocative posters helped to this end.

The students who put them up deserve to be commended for bringing the conversation beyond e-mails and articles to a public space impossible to miss. Yet perhaps most frustrating of the wrench/gun incident is how quickly it faded from the campus consciousness. Two months later, is anyone thinking about the fallout?

From Facebook statuses to a run of news articles and op-eds that filled the pages of the Tufts Daily nearly every day for a week, “Wrenchgate,” as named by an op-ed contributor, senior Gregory Beach, was a big deal. For many, it was the wake-up call we needed to look at the issue of race at Tufts dead-on and publicly. For others, it was just

the latest bias-free incident blown out of proportion. Both voices deserved a place at the table, and both deserved to be heard.

I appreciate the Daily for publishing relatively balanced op-eds and was excited to see how the campus would grow as a result of this. It seemed that we had the perfect example of “good speech” in action: the idea that speech and media can be used to elevate campus discussion and result in meaningful exchanges without low, personal blows. For the first time in a long time it seemed that students outside of the American Studies program and the Group of Six were presented with an issue of race at Tufts that they couldn’t ignore. Better yet, we were doing it in a civil, respectful way. It was a moment of light on the Hill.

Unfortunately, the honeymoon was short-lived. We must sadly recognize that the potential positive discourse from Wrenchgate was born with an expiration date, as with previous bias-related events at Tufts. In recent memory, the spring 2009 Korean Students Association incident and the Tufts Community Union referendum on Community Representatives last spring (whose implementation remains in seemingly indefinite TCU Senate limbo, despite last semester’s re-vote) come to mind as examples.

First, an event takes place late in the semester, followed by a brief flurry of reaction and activity. The string of end-ofsemester obligations and papers creates a pressure-cooker environment where students could use a distraction from their work and an outlet for their general frustrations. For many students of color these issues are compounded by constant aware-

ness of their minority status and perceptions of subtle, daily discrimination that takes place even at a place like Tufts. By the end of the semester, the campus is ripe to be worked up by an event like Wrenchgate.

Within a few days, however, the academic challenges of the end of the semester have a stifling, chilling effect on campus conversation. Even the most passionate students on the issue at hand must stop in their tracks to devote time to studying — after all, we are paying an absurd amount to take these exams. With the gun/wrench mix-up taking place a week and a half before finals last semester, there was only a small window before Tufts students had to put the nose to the grindstone and abandon non-academic pursuits. By the time the Daily stopped publishing and finals started, the book might as well have been closed. There has yet to be a single Daily op-ed regarding Wrenchgate this semester.

This article is a call to fight this postbreak complacency. We must get beyond letting finals schedules dictate what matters to us and for how long it does so. I too am guilty of this — this article should have come out in December, and I apologize to the readership for that. But like so many of us, finals followed by winter break plans took our focus away from the incredible potential of that moment two months ago. We had the momentum and inertia to face and publically discuss an issue that is all too frequently pushed to the margins.

In our attempts to smooth over the lessthan-perfect attributes of Tufts by ignoring them, we stifle the very conversations and interactions that would make them better.

Indeed, we deceive ourselves into believing

our future is disconnected from our past.

Now is our time to turn over a new leaf. We must continue to express the frustrations, angers and opinions inspired by a pair of police reports last semester. Clearly this isn’t just about the police reports anymore.

My fear is that like in the past, the event will simply be swept under the rug without any significant or meaningful conversation. We’ll march on like nothing happened, simply setting the stage for another outburst. Those hurt or frustrated will continue to harbor grudges, while their counterparts will never have had the opportunity to hear them out fully. No side will feel understood, lapsing again into silence and frustration.

The public editor position was created, I believe, to see media conversations through to progress and understanding, not just equal-opportunity soapboxing.

Wrenchgate has offered Tufts an opportunity to do something, and we need to seize that opportunity. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that the event is firmly in the past. Without a doubt it has stayed alive but become invisible. Events like Wrenchgate provide critical periods of cross-campus interest, and we must capitalize on this chance to shake up the status quo. If you’re wondering how we can change things at Tufts, media can play a critical role. Don’t stop the conversation.

Don’t bottle your frustration up. Don’t be afraid to publish your view.

Stay angry … because this still matters.

Jacob Kreimer is a senior majoring in political science. He is this year’s public editor.

Putting a human face on the Israeli-Arab conflict BY

MICHAEL KREMER

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict often seems intractable. The two sides have tussled over a plot of land slightly larger than the State of New Jersey for more than 60 years. Both sides’ arguments are as old as the conflict itself. Most Israelis say that they support peace and a two-state solution, but that neither of those can be achieved while Israel’s neighbors pose a military threat and rockets from Gaza keep hitting Israeli towns.

Palestinians, with the support of much of the Arab world, insist that they have at least as much of a right to the land as the Israelis do, if not more. They maintain that there is no hope for peace so long as Israel’s aggressive settlement building and harsh security measures continue to affect hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The protests that have swept through the Arab world in the past few weeks further complicate the situation. Israel faces the stark reality that political changes in Egypt and Jordan may upset the fragile peace that it has made with those two countries.

The vagaries of international politics aside, I have had the unique opportunity to see the conflict from both sides firsthand.

I spent a semester abroad in Alexandria, Egypt, and I just returned from a ten-day Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel. While I certainly do not claim to have a solution for the struggle, I have come away from those two experiences with guarded optimism for the future.

I’ve heard firsthand what both sides have to say. My Egyptian friends invariably sided with the Palestinians. I listened to dozens of arguments decrying the perceived injustices — historical and current — that the Israeli government perpetrated against Palestinians. “Our government may have made peace with Israel,” they would say, “but that does not mean that we like Israel.”

My Israeli friends, on the other hand, routinely speak of their Palestinian adversaries as “terrorists” — a word that in and of itself precludes any hope of peaceful negotiation. Many of them were convinced that the other side had nothing but bad intentions. One friend expressed his belief that, were Israel to give the Golan Heights back to Syria (a return to pre-1967

COURTESY MICHAEL KREMER

borders) as part of a peace deal, Syria and other Arab states would become emboldened and proceed to sweep through the rest of the country.

The real tragedy, however, is that my friends on both sides form their opinions in an echo chamber. My Egyptian friends have never traveled to Israel and have never met an Israeli. Likewise, my Israeli friends have little contact with Palestinians and steer clear of their neighborhoods in Israeli cities.

None of the Egyptians I met knew Hebrew, and the Israelis didn’t have the option of learning Arabic until high school (many don’t know the language at all).

Nonetheless, I came away from the trip heartened by the belief that my Egyptian and Israeli friends would take an instant liking to each other if they met. They listen to similar types of music, have the same types of conversations about their latest love interests, follow the news closely and, despite

the fact that the Egyptians are Muslim and the Israelis are Jewish, grapple with similar religious questions. The idea that there is some fundamental incompatibility between Arabs and Israelis is simply not true.

But the fact remains that there are seemingly insurmountable barriers between the two peoples. The challenge for both sides — one that neither side has met — is to move past the stereotypes and acknowledge the humanity and sincerity of the other. My Egyptian friends would have a much harder time supporting the random shelling emanating from Gaza if they knew some of my Israeli friends whose homes are within the rockets’ range. And my Israeli friends would likely change their views of Arabs if they learned Arabic and had the opportunity to genuinely connect with Palestinians and other Arabs in their native language.

I cannot predict if we will live to see a

political solution to this problem. But even if the two sides do reach an agreement, the only way to consolidate peace in the long term is for Israelis and Arabs to make a genuine effort to get to know each other and be able to stand in each other’s shoes.

As I am happy to report from my experiences in Egypt and Israel, such progress is possible. The vast majority of people on both sides want peace. But instead of simply talking past each other about their specific ideas of how to achieve that peace, a good first step for people on both sides would be to sit down with their counterparts, share a meal and start chatting. Both sides would soon realize that they have much more in common than they might have assumed.

Michael Kremer is a senior majoring in International Relations.

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

12 CROSSWORD

COMICS

Thursday, February 3, 2011

DOONESBURY

BY

NON SEQUITUR

GARRY TRUDEAU

BY

WILEY

TUESDAY’S SOLUTION

MARRIED TO THE SEA

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Walking up a sheet of ice

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Tuesday’s Solution

Kochman: “Sometimes I say my name is Gael.

Because at Starbucks, you can be anyone you want to be.”

Please recycle this Daily.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 2011

NEED A JOB? WANT TO GET PAID TO ATTEND EVENTS? NEED WORK EXPERIENCE?

ADVERTISEMENT

Massachusetts General Hospital Research Study 14-21 year old females (athletes and healthy volunteers) Bone Density and Fitness Testing

APPLY TO WORK FOR EVENT STAFF!

Payment for participation up to $450 Call Dr. Misra at 617.724.5602

The Office for Campus Life is hiring event staff for Spring 2011.

For job description visit ocl.tufts.edu To Apply:

Visit our Website: www.sportsendocrineresearch.com

ͲSubmit a cover letter stating why you would be good for the position ͲSubmit a resume ͲBring these materials to the Office for Campus Life located in the Mayer Campus Center.

For questions email: brian.foley@tufts.edu

Want the most current campus news?

Follow us on Twitter! To stay in the know, follow @TuftsDaily and @TuftsDailySport

13

THE TUFTS DAILY

14

ADVERTISEMENT

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Join the

Spanish or French House!

Improve your language skills in an informal setting!

Applications to live in the Spanish or French Houses are now being accepted.

To apply, please contact: FRENCH HOUSE Professor Anne Poncet-Montange anne.poncet@tufts.edu SPANISH HOUSE Professor Marta Rosso-O’Laughlin marta.rosso-olaughlin@tufts.edu

Experience the joys of international living without ever having to leave campus!

The International House (13 Sawyer Ave.) has openings for Academic year 2011-2012: 3 Doubles, 1 Triple and 7 singles available.

U.S. and international students are welcome to apply!

Applications are available at the International Center 20 Sawyer Ave. or on our website (http://ase.tufts.edu/icenter/default.htm)

Application Deadline: Monday, February 7, 2011 Group Interviews take place Feb. 8th, 9th, 10th, & 11th Please come in to schedule an interview.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 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. 617-627-3458.

Housing 4 BR APT 4 Bedroom Apartment located at 35 Teele Ave between Packard Ave and Curtis St. It is available June 1st to May 31st. The apartment is fully furnished with washer and dryer. It is walking distance to campus. I am asking $650 per room per month.

First month, last month and security deposit required. If interested contact Tim at (617)448-5626.

53 Curtis Ave 6 Room 4 Bedroom Full bathroom, large living room, large eat-in kitchen, two porches

Housing

Housing

(front/back), new energy efficient windows, all metal doors w/ deadbolts+locks, parking for 2 cars, laundry system, brand new energy eff gas heating system. $2400+utilities. Avail: June 1 2011 call Russ (978) 663-6370

energy efficient gas heating system. $1900+utilities. Avail: June 1 2011 call Russ (978) 663-6370

53 Curtis Ave 5 Room 3 Bedroom Full bathroom, large living room, large eat-in kitchen, two porches (front/back), new energy efficient windows, all metal doors w/ deadbolts+locks, parking for 2 cars, laundry system, brand new

FENCING

Tufts hopes to foil two opponents this weekend BY

HARRY POTTER

Daily Staff Writer

Over the course of every season, teams develop methods to cope with distractions and frequent competitions and practices. The women’s fencing team is keeping its plan simple: Stay focused and keep your head down.

After numerous practices and meets, the team is hoping that some of its members will qualify for an NCAA regional tournament berth. With bouts against NYU on Saturday and Wellesley on Sunday, the Jumbos are in a position to solidify these berths. The team competed in the Wellesley Invitational last weekend against UMass-Amherst, Dartmouth, Wellesley and Smith. Only the bout with Wellesley had NCAA implications, so the team was able to play some backups and take stock of their ability in match play.

“Our strategy [going into the weekend] was to use our non-starters to gain experience. The points don’t count under NCAA rules and it doesn’t matter for qualifying for regionals,” senior quad-captain Georgia Ranes said.

The team is optimistic about what it saw, including strong performances from many of the members who aren’t used to fencing competitively.

“The team did really well. They stayed calm, kept their head, didn’t crumble under pressure and it showed in their fencing,” Ranes said.

Senior quad-captain Coryn Wolk agreed that the team’s weekend performance bodes well for upcoming play.

“For the most part people fenced well,”

Wolk said. “It was a good opportunity to prepare for future events. The epee squad has a lot of potential and we’re looking forward to them developing.”

The captains were quick to mention that many of the girls who fenced the past weekend had very little prior experience. Wolk and Ranes mentioned freshman Pattra Audcharevorakul in particular as a newbie who has stood out in the team.

“Pattra ... only starting fencing a few months ago and it looks as though she’s been fencing for years,” Ranes said.

Senior quad-captain Magdalena Kwieciszewska similarly said that the squad has improved a lot since the beginning of the season.

“Many of the girls will be great assets in the future,” she said.

Yet the team doesn’t want to dwell too much on the developments from the weekend, as it looks forward to the meets coming up later in the season.

“The meet gave us a chance to check out Wellesley,” Ranes said. “We’re neck and neck with them. [The meet] allowed us to get an idea on how to approach the bout next week.”

Before facing Wellesley, however, Tufts will take on NYU on Saturday.

The visiting Violets come to Medford with a 6-8 record and will give Tufts a good warmup leading up to Sunday’s bout against Wellesley.

“We have a meet against NYU on Saturday, a tradition every year,” Ranes said. “It’s always a very friendly meet, just the two of us. We hang out and chat; it’s always relaxed, an afternoon to spend with another team.”

Two wins on the road will clinch playoff spot for first time since 2006 MEN’S BASKETBALL continued from page 20

that in a while. We were able to stop their ball screens, and once we were able to stop that we were really able to shut them down in the offensive end.”

In the first half alone, which ended with the Jumbos up 28-11, the Beacons committed 16 turnovers and had the ball stolen 11 times. Meanwhile, the Jumbos’ defense held the Beacons to just 5-for-19 shooting in the period.

Neither Tufts nor UMass-Boston looked any different after the intermission. Seemingly rattled by Tufts’ aggressive defense, the visitors gave up the ball another six times and had it stolen on three occasions for 11 more free points.

“We played good team defense for two halves,” Galvin said of the win. “It was nice to see everyone contribute.”

The Jumbos refused to play down to UMass-Boston, and played one of their best and most consistent games yet on both sides of the ball. They shot a solid 45 percent, had three different players with at least six rebounds and received points from all 12 players who played. Tufts’ men’s basketball delivered and stayed out of foul trouble, with Orchowski and sophomore center Matt Lanchantin both chipping in 12 points with their six rebounds. Tricaptain forward James Long, a junior, completed the rebounding trio with six of his own.

15

SPORTS

“I think some people that came off the bench brought a lot of energy,” Orchowski said. “And there was really no gap from the bench to the kids on the floor … everyone was just able to play good defense.”

On Friday, Tufts will look to continue this momentum with a game against Amherst, the only undefeated team left in the NESCAC, trying for another thrilling upset like their 69-68 win at home last year.

Looking beyond a potentially conference-rattling win over Amherst, a battle with NESCAC 2-3 Trinity awaits on Saturday. The Beacons’ two conference losses have come to Wesleyan and Bowdoin, two teams the Jumbos have already put away. Barring some mental fatigue over a potential Friday night thriller with Amherst, a focused Tufts squad should have no problem handling Trinity and solidifying its place above the Beacons in the standings.

A 2-0 weekend will clinch a tournament spot, which has eluded the Jumbos since 2006. Yet a loss to Trinity could put that spot in jeopardy and make any chance of hosting a playoff game as one of the conference’s top four seeds doubtful.

“We are looking to keep things rolling,” Galvin said. “If we can play great D for forty minutes we will put ourselves in a position to come back with some wins. … We want to get that home playoff game.”

Wanted

4,6 and 10 BR units next to Tufts Next to Campus! Will not last 4, 6 and 10 BR units Great condition! Free washer/dryer! Great condition. Sunny!

Avail 6/1/11 to 5/31/12 call or text 617 217 1239.

-

$$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Become a California Cryobank donor and earn up to $1,200/month, receive free health and infectious disease testing, and help people fulfill their dreams of starting a family. Convenient Cambridge location.

Apply online: SPERMBANK.com

CLASSIFIEDS POLICY All Tufts students must submit classifieds in person, prepaid with check, money order or exact cash only.

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

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS AND BE A LEADER! BE A HOST ADVISOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ORIENTATION (I.O.)!

Help new International and American students get adjusted to life at Tufts and in the U.S. at International Orientation (I.O.) from Aug. 28 - Aug. 30, 2011 ANYONE CAN BE A HOST ADVISOR YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TO BE INVOLVED WITH I.O.

Applications are now available at the International Center Applications due Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Mandatory Information Sessions to be held February 2, 2011- February 18, 2011

Stop by the I-Center (20 Sawyer Ave) or Call I-Center (7-3458) for info session dates and times

$PHULFDQ 5HG &URVV

%ORRG 'ULYH

February 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 2011 th

th

th

th

th

Carmichael Hall Lounge Monday, 2/7

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m

Tuesday, 2/8

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m

Wednesday, 2/9 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m Thursday, 2/10 Friday, 2/11

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m 1 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Schedule an appointment TODAY: www.Tuftslife.com *Positive ID Required*Drop-ins are welcome!*Free food!

While the Leonard Carmichael Society fully supports blood donation, we do not condone the FDA's policy barring blood donations from men who have had sex with another man. We acknowledge that this policy discriminates against gay and bisexual members of the Tufts community.

16

THE TUFTS DAILY

SPORTS

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Attention

Student Organizations!

Please review and adhere to the Campus Posting Policy!

Posting Amounts and Authorized Posting Areas Include: i No more than (6) Six total flyers (maximum size of 11 x 17) will be allowed per event on the two primary outdoor posting locations which include the Campus Center Breezeway between Bookstore and Mayer campus Center and the walls along the Tisch Libray steps. (See Notes Below) i Note: Posters are not permitted on the Bookstore or Campus Center doors, the walls facing Professor's Row or Talbot Avenue, and the walls around the Jumbo Express entrance. i Note: Posters are not permitted on the walls located in or around plant beds, the walls around the chapel patio, and the walls around the library patio. i On all other approved indoor and outdoor posting spaces groups are allowed (1) One flyer (maximum size of 11 x 17) per event.

Unauthorized Locations Include: i Interior or exterior walls of all buildings and columns. i Walls in or along stairs (except for Library Steps) i On fences, trees, patios, pavement or sidewalks, the Memorial Steps, on stakes in the ground, on handrails, light posts, trash cans, and any glass surfaces.

Chalking: One of the reasons that the university permits the use of chalk is that it does not become a permanent part of the campus. Therefore, chalking is permissible in outdoor, public areas - chalking is not permitted in areas inaccessible to rain, such as the walkway between the Campus Center and the Bookstore or any vertical surface; and there is to be no use of materials other than water soluble sidewalk brand stick chalk. NO SPRAY CHALK OF ANY KIND IS ALLOWED! Banners: No banners may be posted on the exterior of any university buildings, including residence halls and fraternities and sororities, No banners may be hung of draped on trees, lampposts, or other structures, including stakes in the ground. Banners or placards may be held by those participating in an event, rally, or demonstration. Banners may be put out on tables to advertise while tabling at approved campus tabling locations.

Violation of Posting/Chalking Policy for Student Organizations: In addition to being charged for clean-up or removal, depending on the posting violation, student organizations are subject to the following fines. i a warning after their 1st violation; i a $50.00 fine after their 2nd violation; i a $100.00 fine after their 3rd violation; i and after their 4th violation, the group will be fined $150.00 and may suffer revocation of organizational privileges including the use of campus facilities.

Complete University Posting Policy, including posting guidelines for the Campus Center and Residence Halls can be found at Office for Campus Life Website, ocl.tufts.edu.

Questions, please contact the Office for Campus Life at ocl@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 2011

17

SPORTS

WOMEN’S SQUASH

Tufts falls to 5-10 after consecutive losses to Bowdoin, Colby With six straight losses, Jumbos to face Wesleyan on Friday in first NESCAC round BY

ANN SLOAN

Daily Editorial Board

The No. 24 Jumbos continued their losing streak this weekend, falling 8-1 on Saturday against No. 21 Bowdoin and 5-4 in a nail biter on Friday against No. 20 Colby. Their sixth straight loss brings Tufts’ record to 5-10 on the season.

Junior co-captain Mercedes Barba, playing in the No.3 spot, had the sole victory Saturday against the Polar Bears, beating Bowdoin sophomore Monica Wlodarczyk in three close games. Barba boasts a 9-6 record for the season.

“Since coming back early [at the end of winter break], everyone’s shots have been really improving,” Barba said. “Everyone’s getting the confidence to play their game, and not their opponent’s game, which is a really easy thing to end up doing.”

Senior co-captain Valerie Koo won the first and fourth games in her five-game match at the No. 2 spot, but lost 11-4 in the final game against Polar Bear junior Elizabeth Warner. Tufts sophomore Jessica Rubine and junior Alyse Vinoski each fell 3-1.

Tufts put up more of a fight on Friday in its 5-4 loss against Colby. The middle of the Jumbos’ ladder shined, with wins coming from the third through sixth spots. Barba won in a back-andforth five-game match, finishing with an 11-5 win in the last game.

The No. 1 and No. 2 players, junior Alix Michael and Koo, each fell in three games. At the No. 4 and No. 6 spots, Rubine and sophomore Ushashi Basu each lost their first two games before

turning it around and winning the last three to clinch the victory.

Sophomore Risa Meyers at the No. 8 spot, on the other hand, won the first two games before Colby senior Penny Kagan managed to take the final three.

Meyers’ hard-fought match, unfortunately for Tufts, proved to be the tipping point.

“If we get another chance to play Colby, and hopefully we will, I think it could go our way,” Barba said. “We’ve gotten a lot better in terms of our confidence. You can see that with [Basu] and [Rubine] who came back after being down, which was really impressive.”

Prior to playing Tufts, Bowdoin on Jan. 27 upset No. 20 Colby 6-3, which will most likely force a change in the rankings.

This weekend, Tufts will play Wesleyan at Trinity in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. If Tufts wins in the first round, they will move on to play Williams in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Jumbos lost 9-0 to the Cardinals earlier this season on Dec. 3. The Jumbos’ previous defeat, however, isn’t deterring them. In the Dec. 3 matchup, Tufts forced three five-game matches in the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 spots and were missing Meyers at No. 8.

“We’re looking to show this weekend how we’ve improved over the past couple of months,” Basu said. “We saw this weekend that it’s really about winning for the team, and that’s something we’re focusing on. Each player needs to come out every day and play to win.”

COURTESY VALERIE KOO

Senior co-captain Valerie Koo will help lead the Jumbos tomorrow in their first-round NESCAC bout against Wesleyan.

NESCAC Men’s Squash Tournament

NESCAC Women’s Squash Tournament

Championship Bracket - at Trinity College

Championship Bracket - at Trinity College

Feb. 4 First Round

Feb. 5

Feb. 5

Feb. 6

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Championship

Feb. 4 First Round

9 Colby 12:00 p.m.

5 Amherst

6:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

6 Bowdoin

10 Tufts 5:00 p.m.

7 Wesleyan

11 Conn. College

Champion 1:30 a.m.

3 Bates

1:30 p.m.

9:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m.

4 Amherst 1:30 p.m.

2 Williams

Championship

5 Bates

12:00 p.m.

4 Middlebury 11 Conn. College

Feb. 6

Semifinals

7:00 p.m.

8 Bowdoin

7:00 p.m.

8 Colby

Feb. 5

Quarterfinals

1 Trinity

1 Trinity 9 Hamilton

Feb. 5

7:00 p.m.

6 Hamilton

7:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m. Champion 10:30 a.m.

3 Middlebury 2 Williams

10 Tufts 5:00 p.m.

7 Wesleyan

10:30 a.m.

4:30 p.m.

THE TUFTS DAILY

18

Thursday, February 3, 2011

SPORTS

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW Aaron Rodgers EDITORS’ CHALLENGE: XLV EDITION Name (Season Record)

WINNER

SCORE

MVP

Aaron L. (N/A)

27-24

Greg Jennings

Alex L. (155-101)

27-24

Aaron Rodgers

Alex P. (161-95)

22-18

Rashard Mendenhall

Annie S. (N/A)

24-21

Ben Roethlisberger

Ben K. (139-117)

27-24

Troy Polamalu

Claire K. (145-111)

22-18

Troy Polamalu

Daniel R. (154-102)

24-19

LaMarr Woodley

David M. (N/A)

23-20

Aaron Rodgers

Ethan S. (160-96)

24-14

Aaron Rodgers

Lauren F. (145-111)

24-21

Aaron Rodgers

Matt B. (N/A)

27-20

Aaron Rodgers

Noah S. (155-101)

24-17

Clay Matthews

Phil D. (148-108)

24-17

Aaron Rodgers

Steve S. (169-87)

27-23

Aaron Rodgers

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

MCT

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers looks to stay hot this weekend against a tenacious Steeler defense.

Chess match: Rodgers vs. Polamalu BY

ETHAN STURM

Daily Editorial Board

MCT

A win on Sunday would be Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s third Super Bowl title in the last six years.

Heath Miller vs.

Green Bay secondary BY

ALEX ARTHUR

Daily Staff Writer

Since entering the league in 2005, Heath Miller has been one of the most consistent, yet underrated, tight ends in football.

Having missed only four games in his entire career, Miller has quickly developed into one of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets. But not all of Miller’s contributions show up on stat sheets. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the Steelers lie in his ability to run and pass block. Miller’s numbers dipped slightly this season as he was called on to block even more frequently because of injuries to the Steelers’ offensive line. In Sunday’s AFC Championship against the Jets, Miller was used 15 times in three-tight-end formations.

In Sunday’s Super Bowl, however, look for Roethlisberger to find Miller early and often. This season, the Packers’ pass defense ranked in the top five against wide receivers, yet it ranked only 22nd against tight ends.

Green Bay cornerback/safety Charles Woodson is frequently used in blitzes, usually leaving only one safety in deep coverage. This allows tight ends to get into that vacated seam in the middle of the Green Bay defense.

Heath Miller showed his capability in exploiting the chink in the Green Bay defensive armor with his performance in last season’s Week 15 matchup against the Packers. Miller had 7 catches for 118 yards then, including a 30-yard catch on 3rd and 15 on the Steelers’ gamewinning drive.

Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming one of the league’s most deadly postseason quarterbacks, posting an average QB rating of 109.0 in his four career playoff games. But he will be facing a unique opponent Sunday in the form of NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, a strong safety who finished tied for second in the league with seven interceptions this season despite missing two games.

What makes Polamalu so dangerous is his ability to be everywhere on the field at once. He can set up at the line of scrimmage and make a play 30 yards deep, or he can look like he

is dropping into zone and seconds later be in a quarterback’s face.

Rodgers cannot let Polamalu take away an entire side of the field from him. Early in the game, Rodgers needs to stand up to the Pittsburgh blitz and take his shots downfield in order to force the Steelers back into coverage. If he can get a deep ball to Jennings — who averages 16.6 yards per catch — over the top of Polamalu early in the game, he may be able to open up the field more by forcing Polamalu deeper.

On the other hand, if Polamalu is able to take Jennings out of the game, it could be a long day for Rodgers. Even though he struggled two Sundays ago in Chicago, totaling only 244 yards passing and

two picks, he still managed to find Jennings for big plays. Without him, Rodgers will be forced to look for shorter routes, allowing the Steelers defense to jam the Packers’ receivers at the line and blitz Rodgers all day.

When these two teams met up last season, Rodgers was in total control of the game, torching a Steelers defense that was without Polamalu for 383 yards and three touchdowns.

This Sunday, Polamalu will be back running the show. He will be the one dictating where on the field it is safe to go with the ball, and it is up to Rodgers to figure that out quickly enough. If Rodgers can solve the Polamalu puzzle, the Packers should lift their fourth Lombardi trophy.

SUPER BOWL

X Factors: Two off-the-radar things to watch for on Sunday Aaron Rodgers’ Durability The Packers’ success Sunday will begin and end with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. While he has shown this year why he should be considered one of the top five quarterbacks in the league, he also was sidelined by two concussions this season and got hit hard during the NFC Championship Game, leading to speculation that he might be concussed again. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ defense is one of the hardest-hitting in the NFL, with linebacker James Harrison

having been fined $100,000 over the course of the season for illegal hits. Expect the Steelers to come after Rodgers hard; if he goes down, it will be a long day for the Packers.

The Kicking Situation Midway through the regular season, the Steelers cut their longtime, erratic kicker Jeff Reed, replacing him with Shaun Suisham, who himself is a journeyman kicker who got cut twice in the preseason (by the Browns and

Rams). Suisham is an average kicker at best, and his ability to make critical, long-range kicks should be seriously questioned, given his history, which includes 48- and 49-yard misses in the playoffs with the Cowboys in 2010. If the game lives up to expectations and is close all the way to the end, expect Suisham to play a major role. And if he gets the call in crunch time, expect Steelers fans to be watching with their hearts in their throats.

—by David McIntyre

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, February 3, 2011 SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Five reasons why the Steelers will win Super Bowl XLV on Sunday BY

DANIEL RATHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

For the third time in the last six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin’s team won the big game in its past two trips, beating the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.

Here are five reasons to believe that the Steelers will bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Pittsburgh again on Sunday.

1. Experience While only two of the Green Bay Packers — cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Ryan Pickett — have ever been played in the Super Bowl, the Steelers roster shares a combined 54 championship rings. (Ironically, the only Packers player with a Super Bowl ring is running back John Kuhn, who was on Pittsburgh’s practice squad in 2005-2006.) With over 5,000 media members and the entire country’s attention descending on Dallas, the more level-headed team should prevail.

2. Troy Polamalu If you believe the adage, “defense wins championships,” then having the Defensive Player of the Year certainly can’t hurt. When healthy, Polamalu is a premier playmaker at the safety position, with the ability to turn a game on its head at any time. Polamalu had seven interceptions, a forced fumble and a

touchdown return this season, and the Steelers have not lost a game he played in since Week 10.

3. The Ground Game The biggest difference between these two teams isn’t the quarterbacks, the defenses or the special teams. Rather, it comes down to one position: running back. The Packers will continue to rely on rookie James Starks, who has shown flashes of brilliance in the playoffs, but has also failed to convert in key shortyardage situations. The Steelers, on the other hand, have Rashard Mendenhall, who scored 13 touchdowns this season and rushed for 121 yards on 27 carries against the New York Jets to propel his team to victory in the AFC Championship Game.

19

SPORTS

down is another matter entirely.

5. Pass Rush The Packers’ pass rush may get more press, but don’t forget that the Steelers have the league’s best group of linebackers, including LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison, who had 10 and 10.5 sacks, respectively, during the regular season. They’ll match up against Green Bay’s shaky offensive tackles, including declining veteran Chad Clifton and mercurial rookie Bryan Bulaga.

Advantage Pittsburgh.

Green Bay Packers versus Pittsburgh Steelers For two of the NFL’s most historic squads, Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup in Arlington, Texas, will provide the ultimate opportunity to settle the score. As the NFC’s sixth seed in the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers defeated three top seeds on the road — the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles — to reach the Super Bowl, becoming the first team to do that since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005. On the other side of the ball, Ben Roethlisberger looks to become just the fifth quarterback in league history with at least three titles. In a game showcasing two of the NFL’s top defenses — the Packers are led by a star-studded linebacking unit, while the Steelers counter with AP Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu — points will be at a premium. In prepraration, the Daily breaks down the two sides.

—by Alex Prewitt

TEAM HISTORY

4. Sack … or Not There’s no denying that the

Steelers’ injury-ravaged offensive line is a concern, but Ben Roethlisberger’s size and agility offer a remedy to what would otherwise be a crippling problem.

Big Ben was sacked just 32 times this season because, more often then not, he was able to shed the defenders that had him in their grasp. Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji and Charles Woodson will get their fair share of shots at Roethlisberger, but whether they’re able bring him

Super Bowl record since 1970

3-1

6-1

Playoff appearances since 1970

15

25

All-time head-to-head wins

18

14

SEASON STATISTICS Yards allowed per game (NFL rank)

309.1 (5th)

276.8 (2nd)

Points allowed per game (NFL rank)

15.0 (2nd)

14.5 (1st)

Regular-season record

10-6

12-4

Rushing TDs allowed (NFL rank)

6 (3rd)

5 (T-1st)

Record vs. common opponents

3-3

4-2

Total offense (NFL rank)

358.1 (9th)

345.3 (14th)

Points scored per game (NFL rank)

24.3 (10th)

23.4 (12th)

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Five reasons why the Packers will win Super Bowl XLV on Sunday BY

PHIL DEAR

Daily Editorial Board

Rathman, you make good points, but you should stick to baseball.

You’re horribly wrong on this one.

It’s time to get on the Green Bay bandwagon, America. Here’s why Aaron Rodgers and company will win come Sunday: 1. The Packers secondary: Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams will quiet the Steelers’ receiving corps. Hines Ward and Mike Wallace will be rendered useless by the impressive Green Bay tag-team that racked up eight interceptions and 149 tackles this season.

Pressure will therefore be put on lessexperienced Pittsburgh receivers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be at the top of his game. Another problem for Pittsburgh is that even if (and this is a big if) Ward and Wallace can break free of Woodson and Williams, the Packers have one of the most athletic corners in the league in Sam Shields, as well as talented safety Nick Collins, there to help. The Packers’ secondary — a large part of the overall team defense which ranked fifth in the league this season in passing yards allowed — will simply be too much for the Steelers.

2. The Rise of Aaron Rodgers: If he wins, Rodgers might soon be as beloved as the future Hall of Fame “No. 4,” who won only one Super Bowl himself in the Packer green and yellow. Rodgers has got a chip on his shoulder the size of a wedge of cheese. Fortunately, he has one of the best receiving corps in the game to help out, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Rodgers’ passing

will be crucial because of the blitz frenzy that is the Pittsburgh defense.

Yet even Troy Polamalu in the secondary can’t be everywhere at once.

There are enough quality Green Bay receivers to basically ensure that someone will be open.

3. Clay Matthews: With 14 sacks this season — just two behind the Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware for the league lead — and in only his second year in the NFL, Matthews is an absolute beast. He’s a gamechanger for the Packers. If he can slice through the Steelers’ offensive line and get to Roethlisberger, cutting down on the amount of time Big Ben has to find his receivers, it’s going to be virtually impossible for the Steelers to convert big plays in the air. Matthews will help stop the running game too, and Pittsburgh’s running attack isn’t exactly top-ofthe-line, at 11th in the league with approximately 120 yards per game.

4. They’re a nonprofit organization: Is it honorable?

Is it impressive? Whatever it is, it works. The Packers are the only nonprofit, community-owned professional sports organization in the major American sports. So Lambeau lovers don’t just root for their team because of the pretty colors, cute quarterbacks or because Daddy said so. They actually have a stake in the team. It’s a really cool idea, and it makes the Packers more loveable because you know there isn’t a Steinbrenner-esque moneygrubbing big man running the show. Will it make a difference in the game? Who knows, but it sure seems

from “Media Day” that the Packers are playing for their fans more than themselves, and that’s always something to root for.

5. Fate: It’s simple. Fate wants the Packers to win. Fate wanted the Saints to win last year for the sake of New Orleans. Fate — and the 1972 Miami Dolphins — wanted the Giants to prevent the Patriots from having a perfect season. This year, fate wants the Lombardi Trophy to return to its original home. Fate doesn’t want the Steelers to have seven titles when dynasty teams such as the 49ers and Cowboys only have five. And most of all, fate doesn’t want a man allegedly associated with two rapes to be champion.

HEAD COACHES: Mike McCarthy vs. Mike Tomlin Age

47

38

Regular-season record with team

48-32

43-21

Postseason record with team

4-2

5-1

MISCELLANEOUS Hair endorsement deals of star defensive player Ketchup-related stadium names Composition of heads

Suave

Head & Shoulders

0

1

Cheese

Steel

Sports

20

INSIDE Super Bowl Preview 18-19 Women’s Squash 17 Fencing 15

tuftsdaily.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Key conference weekend features matchup with No. 2 Amherst BY

ETHAN STURM

Daily Editorial Board

In what may be the biggest weekend of the team’s season, the 15-3 (4-2 NESCAC) Jumbos will head to western Massachusetts Friday for a matchup with No. 2 Amherst before traveling to Connecticut for a critical Saturday afternoon game against Trinity.

The Lord Jeffs are undoubtedly the cream of the crop in the NESCAC. The team did not graduate a single player from the group that made the NCAA Div. III Final Four in 2010. If anything, Amherst got even stronger with the return of senior co-captain Jaci Daigneault, who struggled with an injury for much of last season but is now second in the NESCAC in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.

There is no easy answer for stopping Amherst; the team has seven players averaging at least 7.5 points per game. All of them can get hot at any time, making any double team — specifically in the post — a risky proposition.

“As anyone that has played against Amherst knows, any single one of them can have a career day on any single day,” said senior guard Vanessa Miller, the only member of the team around for the last victory over the Lord Jeffs, in 2007. “I’m going into this with the mindset that we aren’t thinking about stopping one person, we are thinking about the entire team defense that we can play and the energy we need to bring in.”

Amherst’s only loss this season came in overtime on the road against No. 3 Kean University, the team that knocked the Jumbos out of the NCAA tournament last season. But otherwise, the Lord Jeffs have cruised, winning every game this season by double figures and beating six opponents — including Wesleyan — by more than 40.

“A couple of us went and watched

them play Williams this year,” Miller said.

“Everyone is very fundamentally solid, from the top of their team to the bottom. They are very patient offensively and will use the entire shot clock and make the people defending them play perfect defense the entire time. On defense they do the same, exploiting any mistake you might make.”

But there is definite hope for the Jumbos, who match up well with the Lord Jeffs and led them by six points at halftime in 2010. Amherst has no players above six feet, which is an advantage for the undersized Tufts side. Also, Miller, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Week, is playing some of the best basketball of her career at exactly the right time, while sophomore Bre Dufault and freshman Liz Moynihan are on form as well.

“We can win this game if we bring energy and focus from the first minute to the last minute, if we limit our turnovers and if we are constantly communicating on defense,” Miller said. “I think that has been our Achilles’ heel. We are undersized, so we try to help our post players defensively, and that requires good help rotation. But Amherst will exploit any mistakes we make in the rotation.”

The game may come down to who can hold onto the ball better, with both teams possessing extremely high turnover margins. The Jumbos average 21 takeaways to 12 giveaways, while the Lord Jeffs average 25 and 16.

Unfortunately for Tufts, senior guard Colleen Hart remains questionable for Friday’s game with a sprained ankle. Her return would obviously be a major spark to the team’s offense, but the Jumbos will be prepared one way or the other.

If Tufts cannot pull the upset Friday, Saturday’s game against Trinity will be crucial for both the team’s NESCAC positioning

ANDREW MORGENTHALER/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore forward Bre Dufault will help lead the Jumbos’ charge this weekend against Amherst with senior guard Colleen Hart on the sidelines due to an ankle injury. and NCAA tournament hopes. The Bantams have struggled of late, dropping four of their last five games, but still pose a threat, especially against a team that will still be recovering from what is sure to be a hard-fought game against Amherst.

“The last two years we have been lucky enough to play Amherst second, allowing us to rest our starters a bit in the Trinity game,” Miller said. “But having Amherst first, in order to play with them and maybe pull out the win, it is going to take a lot of effort from a lot of people.”

The Bantams are led by junior guards Kaitlin Ciarleglio and Michelle Royals, who average 10.8 and 8.8 points per game, respectively. While their guard play is strong,

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tufts crushes UMass Boston 69-39 BY

CLAIRE KEMP

Daily Editorial Board

The men’s basketball team may be sitting in the middle of the pack at 3-3 in the NESCAC, but after back-to-back double-digit wins, they’re riding high. On Tuesday night, Tufts welcomed UMass-Boston to Cousens Gymnasium for one of its last non-league matchups of the season. And while everything outside the gym was freezing, the Jumbos were heating up inside. After giving up just 11 points in the first half, the team went on to dominate the Beacons 69-39 and bolster any confidence that had wavered after going 1-1 the previous weekend.

The game belonged to Tufts from the start. Five minutes before halftime, the Jumbos stretched their lead to double digits after tri-captain guard Matt Galvin, a senior, found himself with an open lane to the hoop for a lay-up. Two minutes into the second half, the lead reached 20 on a threepoint play from junior guard Amauris Quezada. From there, the Jumbos slowly stretched the margin until freshman forward Tom Folliard made it 30 with 4:33 left to play. The Tufts defense held up the huge lead until the buzzer sounded with Tufts on top 69-39.

“I think the key to shutting them out and sealing the game was our defense,” junior forward Alex Orchowski said. “We haven’t played defense like

WILLIAM H. BUTT V/TUFTS DAILY

see MEN’S BASKETBALL, page 15

Sophomore guard Alex Goldfarb, who had a team-high 16 points against Wesleyan on Saturday, will lead the Jumbos in weekend NESCAC games.

they lack much of a post presence, which plays right into the hands of the Jumbos.

If they can put pressure on the Bantam shooters, the Jumbos should be able to shut down the conference’s third-worst-scoring offense and walk away with the victory.

It will be a make or break weekend for Tufts, who currently sit in a tie for third place in the conference with Bates. The Jumbos and Bobcats will play each other on the final weekend of the regular season, and getting at least one win this weekend will put Tufts in position to take the No. 3 seed in the NESCAC championship tournament — a valuable spot given that the Amherst team that looms on the other side of the bracket.

MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Final spot on NESCAC Championships roster at stake for Jumbos In basketball, there’s the sixth man who comes off the bench.

In football, there’s the 12th man in the stands. And for Tufts swimming, there’s the 24th man who gets to join the conference team.

The NESCAC Championships are less than a month away, and 23 of the spots on the squad have already been determined. But with the Wheaton Invitational coming up this weekend, one spot is still up for grabs.

“I feel strongly that everyone deserves a chance to show their best,” Coach Adam Hoyt said.

“This weekend will be an opportunity for all the guys who are rested to do that, and it allows us to make sure we have the most competitive team possible at our conference championships.”

Hoyt will evaluate the performances of the 23 swimmers not currently on the conference roster and decide who best fills any gaps in the lineup.

“Our team certainly has different needs,” he said. “We’re deeper in some events rather than others, so it might be more competitive to earn a spot on our team in certain events. A lot of emphasis will be based on the times that they swim this weekend, because most likely they’ll be the fastest times that they’ve swum throughout the season.”

Last year’s 24th man was Beckett Linn, a sprint swimmer who is now a sophomore. He was selected after his performance at last year’s Wheaton Invitational, where he placed first in a 50-yard time trial, second in the 100-yard butterfly and first, second and third in three

relay events. Linn validated his role on the team, making his presence known at the championships when he placed seventh out of 39 in the 50-yard butterfly.

“I try to keep a very open mind when selecting a candidate to join us at the championships — someone who’s deserving of that spot from a performance and attitude standpoint and a work ethic standpoint,” Hoyt said. “All the guys have been working really hard, and I expect them to perform really well this weekend and probably make it pretty hard on me.”

The Jumbos placed second at the conference meet last year, and they are poised to make another strong showing with a deep, talented group of swimmers.

The Wheaton Invitational will be a good test for the team, which went 5-3 this season and placed third at the MIT Invitational.

MIT, which defeated Tufts both at the MIT Invitational and in a dual meet, will once again pose tough competition this weekend.

“It’s a great finale for our swimmers, and for those guys going on to conference champs, it’s a great precursor for what’s to come,” Hoyt said. “It really gives them a sense of how the hard work is going to pay off for them when they get a little bit of rest and head up to Bowdoin College for conference championships.”

The Wheaton Invitational will be held tomorrow and Saturday, and the NESCAC Championships will take place from Feb. 25-27.

—Aaron Leibowitz