2010-10-28.pdf

THE TUFTS DAILY

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TUFTSDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010

VOLUME LX, NUMBER 35

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Campus Republicans excited for next week’s elections

BY JENNY

WHITE

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts Republicans have high hopes for Tuesday’s midterm elections, though they have found little support from conservatives among their peers.

While the group found itself too small to effectively campaign on the Hill, individual members have been active in gearing up for the upcoming elections and expressed optimism about their party’s chances for success.

Republican students have not encountered much shared support for Republican candidates in the state elections within a largely liberal atmosphere at Tufts, but across other parts of traditionally blue Massachusetts,

more red than in the past is being observed this year.

“Republicans are coming out in bigger numbers this year ... riding off the tailwind of Scott Brown,” Tufts Republicans Vice President Kevin McDonald, a senior, said, referring to Brown’s (LA ’81) upset victory in a Massachusetts special election to the U.S. Senate in January.

“Republicans of Massachusetts have a very good year this year. We have a U.S. senator and two strong candidates for Congress,” McDonald said.

Brown’s victory in a state with a deepseated reputation for voting Democrat captured national attention and reflected an evolving political climate in Massachusetts. see REPUBLICANS, page 2

Students, administrators attend violence forum

VIRGINIA BLEDSOE/TUFTS DAILY

Students have been turning out in force this week for a Leonard Carmichael Societysponsored blood drive in Carmichael Hall. The event continues today.

Blood drive draws large turnout, students’ blood BY

NINA FORD AND MATT REPKA Daily Editorial Board

VIRGINIA BLEDSOE/TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Namratha Rao, left, and senior Hameto Benkreira and sign in at the sexual violence community forum, held in the Metcalf Hall lounge last night. At the forum, attendees shared stories and experiences with sexual violence topics.

Clash of the field hockey titans BY

CLAIRE KEMP

Daily Editorial Board

The national No. 5 field hockey team on Tuesday traveled to Springfield College for its last chance to work out any kinks before tomorrow’s match-up with the undefeated No. 4 Bowdoin Polar Bears. Though the level of play may not have been as high as the team would have liked, the Jumbos walked away with a 4-0 win in which the Pride were denied any shot on goal.

“I don’t think it was our best game,” senior forward Tamara Brown said. “But there were definitely a lot of positives from it, and we had a lot of people in different positions. So, given that, it was a pretty strong performance.”

Despite controlling the pace of play and possession for most of the first period, Tufts was unable to get on the board until less than 30 seconds before the break. As the clock wound down, junior midfielder Lindsay Griffith found herself with the ball on a fast break opportunity. She looked up

and sent a lead pass to Brown, who made quick work of the Springfield defense and drew the Pride’s junior goalkeeper Alison McCarthy to her left. Brown then slid the ball to sophomore Lia Sagerman on the opposite post, who slammed it into the open net for the 1-0 lead.

After the break, the Jumbos picked up where they left off, scoring quickly on a penalty corner opportunity. Brown received the insert and found Griffith in front of the goal for the 2-0 lead, earning Brown her second assist of the game.

Thirteen minutes later, sophomore Missy Karp made it 3-0 on a feed from freshman Chelsea Yogerst. Then, in the closing minutes, sophomore midfielder Kelsey Perkins completed the scoring after receiving an assist from first-year Emily Cannon.

Throughout the game, the defense stood strong, allowing only two shots, neither of which challenged junior keeper see FIELD HOCKEY, page 14

This week’s four-day blood drive, sponsored by the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) in conjunction with the American Red Cross, has met with particularly high student turnout that has overwhelmed shortstaffed Red Cross workers.

Close to 200 students made appointments for the first three days of the blood drive, according to senior Jenna Dargie, one of the drive’s coordinators. She expects approximately 70 more students to turn out for the final portion of the drive, which ends today.

Blood drive volunteers had to turn donors away from scheduled appointments in Carmichael Lounge due to a shortage of Red Cross staff, according to Dargie.

“They were scheduled to work but then they called in sick,” Dargie said. “They were just understaffed.”

“For the most part it has been going well,” sophomore Ashley Seenauth, another coordinator, said. “It was rough on Monday,” she said, but added that the drive had gone more smoothly the rest of the week.

Blood drive organizers said they had received an overwhelmingly positive student response.

“We’ve had record numbers of appointments being made for this drive,” Seenauth, who is also a staff photographer for the Daily, said.

“We always get a really good response from Tufts,” Terri LeSage, a Red Cross supervisor overseeing the event, told the Daily.

The LCS holds three blood drives a year at Tufts, one during the fall semester and two in the spring, according to see DRIVE, page 2

New group highlights Palestinian perspective on Mideast conflict BY

KATHRYN SULLIVAN Contributing Writer

Amid the ongoing IsraeliPalestinian conflict in the Middle East, a new student group, the Tufts chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), hopes to foster discussion and expose students to the Palestinian perspective.

SJP is a nation-wide association of campus chapters that first launched at University of California, Berkeley, to advocate for the Palestinian cause.

Tufts SJP President Jack Irmas founded the group upon his return from studying abroad at Tel Aviv University in Israel last year after finding no campus group existed to address the Palestinian narrative.

“I want to bring in a perspective that Tufts generally doesn’t see and really educate

Inside this issue

JUSTIN MCCALLUM/TUFTS DAILY

Senior Jack Irmas, right, the president of the Tufts chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, with group members in the Mayer Campus Center. people about what they don’t know,” Irmas, a senior, said.

Senior Sean Smith, who studied last year at the

American University of Beirut in Lebanon, said he hopes see SJP, page 2

Today’s Sections

Movements in Boston and on the Hill are pushing for greater access to bicycles via bike-share programs.

The most popular video game character of all time celebrates his silver anniversary.

see FEATURES, page 3

see WEEKENDER, page 5

News Features Weekender Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 10

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

11 13 14 Back

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

Thursday, October 28, 2010

NEWS

Tufts Republicans optimistic about Baker, prospects of midterm elections next week REPUBLICANS continued from page 1

Freshman Brian Yi, a member of the Tufts Republicans, believes that Brown’s support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and other local candidates has the potential to influence voters.

“Massachusetts is more receptive to Brown because he stated he would be an independent, moderate voter, and he’s done what he said he’d do,” Yi said.

“He’s looked at every bill, and he’s voted with Republicans, and he’s voted with Democrats.”

“It takes a certain type of Republican to win in Massachusetts,” McDonald, who has been campaigning for Massachusetts State Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Pembroke), said.

Yi compared Baker’s political ethos to Brown’s, saying that the former’s more moderate stances on social issues can attract independent and Democratic votes.

“Charlie Baker is a very good candidate for Massachusetts,” Yi said.

“He’s not ideologically stagnant and pretty moderate. He’s very electable in Massachusetts.”

Yi has been volunteering for the Baker campaign since last year, largely phone banking at the Boston campaign headquarters. He said Massachusetts voters could be swayed in Baker’s direction on the basis of both the candidate’s own merits and the record of incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

“Patrick has done some very good things, but his record doesn’t say much,” Yi said.

The governor made a campaign promise to increase the number of Massachusetts state troopers but made cuts to the police force when in office, Yi said. He added that Patrick has not sufficiently addressed the state’s economic issues.

McDonald agreed, adding that Massachusetts still has record unemployment rates that need to be addressed.

“We need someone to come into office and get the job done,” McDonald said.

For Yi, Baker offers this hope for economic improvement.

“He became the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim [Health Care] when it was bankrupt, and he turned it around,” Yi said.

“He has private and public sector experience. He has a strong record.”

In conversations with Tufts classmates of various political affiliations about Baker and the elections, Yi said he did not garner much support for the Republican side, but students were mutually respectful about differing opinions.

“People have been receptive when talking about Baker,” Yi said. “They listen to what I have to say, take it into account and decide for themselves whether or not to vote for Baker. Many are ideologically opposed, and that’s fine.”

The Tufts Republicans’ small group size makes it clear that conservatism is not the norm at Tufts, Yi said.

“I do feel like a minority,” Yi said. “Our Republican club is smaller than other Republican clubs at other schools.”

He named Boston College (BC) and Boston University as two local universities with strong Republican constituencies. The Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans (MACR) hosted a rally at BC, at which both Baker and Brown addressed students. Tufts is not a member of the 10 area schools that make up the MACR. Senior Michael Hawley, a former president of the Tufts Republicans, said that while Tufts was barely represented at the MACR rally, the fact that the rally happened is a positive sign that Republicans will be getting a solid turnout of college voters.

“Perhaps Republican candidates are not as used to tapping resources available to them at colleges as Democrats are,” Hawley said. “But I think they’re learning. Republicans will try to pool resources, putting organizations together with conservative leading students involved.”

The Tufts Republicans agreed that Republicans in Massachusetts have managed to make the upcoming elections close contests.

“I think the elections will be closer than people think,” McDonald said.

Based on poll data and his own experiences, Yi called the Republicans’ chances promising.

“Lately we’ve been getting a pretty positive vibe about Charlie, especially among independent voters,” Yi said. “It will be very, very, very close.”

OLIVER PORTER/TUFTS DAILY

Senior Michael Hawley and other Tufts Republicans at a meeting. National political trends indicate that Republicans have reason to be optimistic about next week’s elections.

Tufts SJP chapter aims to educate students about life in Palestine and its history

Blood drive sees no shortage of interested donors

SJP

DRIVE

continued from page 1

the group will help open up a more balanced discussion on campus.

“We’re essentially hoping to expose the Tufts students and community to a more balanced perspective that acknowledges both sides as fundamentally human and fundamentally deserving of human rights,” Smith said.

While the group’s registration remains pending, it has begun to attract interest from the student body, Irmas said.

The first general interest meeting attracted approximately 20 students from diverse backgrounds, according to Irmas.

Earlier this month, the group hosted a screening of the documentary “Occupation 101” (2006), a film depicting life in the Palestinian territories for an American audience, according to Smith. In the group discussion that followed, he noted that an Israeli student felt comfortable enough to participate.

“That’s the kind of dialogue we hope to see in the future,” Smith said.

Smith hopes to organize in December another film screening on the topic of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The group also plans to bring educational speakers and lecturers to campus later this semester.

The group has yet to select

a faculty sponsor and has found it challenging to identify professors who would be willing to argue on behalf of the Palestinian point of view, according to Smith.

“It can be unhelpful in American academia to be outspoken toward Palestine,” he said. “We’re still trying to figure out who would feel comfortable.”

Still, according to Irmas, a few professors have approached the group expressing interest.

The A n t i - De f a m a t i o n League, the organization whose aim, according to its website, is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people ... to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” recently placed the national SJP organization on its list of the top 10 antiIsrael groups in the United States.

“I thank them for putting our name out there,” Irmas said. “I thank them for the publicity they give us for putting us on a list that is so obviously biased.

It doesn’t worry me.”

Irmas hopes to work with other campus groups to educate students about the Middle East conflict and emphasized that students can be sympathetic to both the Israeli and the Palestinian causes.

“It’s funny because I’m not anti-Israel; being pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian are not mutually exclusive,” Irmas

said.

The group plans to reach out to Tufts Friends of Israel, according to Irmas. He believes the groups can work together to bring attention to the issues in the Middle East.

“They’ve come to us with an interest in speaking to us, and we’re definitely interested in that,” he said.

Tufts Friends of Israel President Daniel Bleiberg said that his group is interested in fostering and engaging in dialogue with SJP. “We have spoken to them, and by all means we are going to continue,” Bleiberg, a sophomore, said. “I do hope we can come to understandings on each other’s narratives.”

Bleiberg hopes the groups can engage in meaningful dialogue rather than heated debate. He noted that Tufts provides an environment that is conducive to these types of discussions.

“What people respect around the country about Tufts is that students can bring out dialogues, and that’s what we’re looking for,” Bleiberg said.

“Both groups have an interest in the region, and that is a commonality that we can definitely exploit to co-sponsor events together and educate people about Israel and Palestine and what is actually going on on the ground there,” Irmas said.

continued from page 1

Seenauth. Dargie said that 187 people donated blood at the LCS’ most recent spring drive.

Students who donated blood said the process was easy and stress-free.

“I was a little bit scared, but not so much now,” freshman Christina Pan, a firsttime blood donor, said before giving blood. Freshman Nathan Lingafelter waited in the Carmichael Lounge to donate blood. “They say it’s the easiest three lives you’ll ever save,” Lingafelter said, adding that he has given blood “quite a bit” in the past.” It’s kind of silly not to do it,” he said. “All you have to do is sit in a chair.”

“This was the first time I didn’t feel like I wanted to die after giving blood,” senior Julie Bloch said. She said workers were processing student donors quickly.

Bloch thought the blood drive could have been better publicized to the student body. “I wish they would send out e-mails” to the entire university, she said.

Blood drive coordinators attempted to make outreach for the event this year more personal, according to Dargie.

“Our goal was to get volunteers more involved in publicity, so we really pushed them to try to make class

announcements,” Dargie said.

“One of the best ways that we think that we really tried to push this year is just getting people to try to talk to their friends,” Dargie said. “People can be afraid of the process if [they don’t understand] what the process is like.”

Dargie said volunteers also hung up posters across campus and created a Facebook event.

Approximately 30 students actively volunteered, according to Dargie.

Blood drive organizers emphasized the importance of holding blood drives at colleges and universities.

“If you get students early in their life, I think they’re more willing to go on and donate” later on, LeSage said.

The New England branch of the Red Cross is in critical need of donations from O negative and B negative blood types, although Tufts’ drive accepts donors of every blood type, LeSage said.

The New England region has need for 15,000 pints of blood a day, according to LeSage.

“Just one donation can be used up to three different times. One person could potentially save three different lives,” Dargie said. “It’s such a simple process, and it has a big impact.”

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Bike share programs are in the works for Boston and, possibly, the Hill

BY VICKY

RATHSMILL

Contributing Writer

Paris, Minneapolis, Denver, Washington, Miami, New York, Hangzhou, China, and now Boston — these are just some of the many cities across the world that have established or are currently planning bike share programs.

It is not uncommon to see myriad bikes and bike stations scattered across European metropolitan areas, and the trend is quickly catching on in the United States. The systems are, for the most part, simple and uniform: For small fees or deposits, bikes can be rented at any station and returned to any other station.

Bike sharing has, in some locations, even been integrated into local public transportation systems.

While bike share proponents note that such programs encourage citizens to ride bikes, reduce the carbon footprint of commuters and provide an affordable way to travel, they also do pose certain obstacles. Since Paris implemented its bike sharing program, Vélib, in 2007, for example, the majority of its 20,000 bikes have needed either replacement or restoration, often due to theft. In response to these issues, some cities use electronic tracking to monitor the bikes and require a credit card for security.

Nonetheless, Boston is getting on board thanks to the $3 million given to the city by the federal government with the goal of implementing a bikesharing program. The Federal Transit Administration chose Boston to receive funds from its $163 million grant program for public transportation. These funds, in addition to money coming from local grants, will be used to finance the program’s first stations and bikes.

David Watson, executive director

H

Upcoming bike-share programs will grant Bostonians and, possibly, Tufts students more access to bicycles. easily see people going to a meeting or meeting somebody for lunch and deciding to hop on a bike instead of walking or taking a cab.”

Watson, an avid biker himself, hopes that the new accessibility of bikes will help Bostonians realize the practicality and ease of cycling.

“What people who already ride know is that it is the fastest way of getting around town. … Most of all, I think it will open up bicycling for a lot of people who do not currently ride.”

This year marks significant progress in other U.S. cities’ bike programs as well.

By the end of October, Washington and nearby Arlington, Va., will have around

1. At least do slutty well. There are always those girls that you pass, wondering why exactly they chose to dress like they did.

If you can’t pull off the slutty look, keep with the funny or classy: Spunky can get attention, too! Sometimes, the slutty bank robber costume actually does turn out just the right amount of classy, but it’s a delicate balance. Also, any fashion malfunctions with barely there fabric can make EC 5 on Monday unbearably awkward. Janet Jackson’s stunt at the Superbowl may have gotten her a lot of publicity, but here in college, a blooper in a basement will likely only be embarrassing — especially if you don’t notice. Use fashion tape and dress securely, or just wear a costume that fits.

see BIKE, page 4

2. Try to be creative. Options are limitless! For guys, age-old classics like Mario and Luigi are always funny, but plenty of goofy and non-flattering costumes are reserved just for you. There are certain costumes and shapes that girls will likely never wear and of which you can take full advantage; sure, women get to be French maids, but you guys can dress up as Tequila bottles, tissue boxes or priests, oh my! Girls also have an abundance of opportunities and are able to dress up as pretty much anything with a basic outfit and the right props. Basically, everyone should know that a funny costume idea will make any Halloween memorable.

JUSTIN MCCALLUM/TUFTS DAILY

of the non-profit bicycle promotion organization MassBike (formally the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition), said that Boston’s bike-share program will hopefully take effect by next spring, with the first rental stations opening in downtown Boston. MassBike plans to tap the new resource to encourage more Bostonians to take up biking, he said.

“They are currently planning to launch the program with around 500 bikes, with 10 bikes per station and 50 stations,” Watson said. “[MassBike] has got a real possibility of transforming the way people get around Boston.

It’s going to create an opportunity for those who aren’t bicyclists to jump on a bike and ride a few minutes to get where they are going. … You could

BEN KOCHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

The day of reckoning for Tufts’ favorite furry icon has come. The campus’s unofficial mascot who scurried around the outskirts of Dewick Dining Hall for years — with its angelic white fur coat on display — is now gone from this Earth.

Yes, the rumors are true. The albino squirrel is dead.

Junior Jake Savage came across the legendary squirrel’s carcass lying under a tree in the grassy area behind Haskell Hall early in August. A devoted admirer of the squirrel, he was devastated to find its dead body.

“Anyone who had lived downhill saw it all the time. My friends and I called it ‘Moby.’ We loved that squirrel,” he said.

Savage was so moved by the death of the beloved furry animal that he resolved to keep the “albino” squirrel’s legacy alive with the help of his housemates. He wrapped the squirrel’s body in a bag, stuffed it into a shoebox and put it in his freezer. The body was in good shape, with no visible cuts or bruises, so Savage figured that he would get it stuffed. But there was one looming problem.

“It was going to cost $175 bucks to get it professionally taxidermied,” Savage said. “And we figured that was a ridiculous sum to pay for, you know, a squirrel.”

The squirrel’s body spent the next few weeks in Savage’s freezer, awaiting its fate. Savage decided to bring it up to the Loj in late August for Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO) leader training, and it was then that he decid-

Halloween: A tricky feat alloween: When you’re little, it’s all about candy. My friends and I would trick-or-treat for hours, rush home and have a huge trade to balance out ratios of Reese’s, Kit Kats and Almond Joys. In high school, Halloween started to become a little crazier — there was still candy, but there were also more suggestive costumes and some underlying tones of vulgarity. However, not until I reached college did obnoxious costumes reach their pinnacle. Fraternity parties and house crawls are plagued by girls and guys dressed to impress in extensive costumes or very little fabric at all — the latter primarily applying to girls. Of course, candy is always delicious and the ratio between chocolate, peanut butter and coconut never stops being important, but there are some rules that can maintain the sanctity of this American tradition while one is in college.

‘Albino’ squirrel to join Jumbo in Tufts’ pantheon of taxidermied animals BY

ANNA CHRISTIAN | THE COLLEGE SURVIVAL GUIDE

ALEX DENNETT/TUFTS DAILY

A second dead ‘albino’ squirrel was found on campus by junior Lily Glidden. ed on a suitable way to preserve Moby for free.

Savage approached junior Lily Glidden, who honed her animal-skinning skills on rabbits, beavers and muskrats as a member of a wilderness-training group based in Ithaca, N.Y., called Primitive Pursuits. Glidden agreed to skin the squirrel’s body so that it could be taxidermied at a later point.

“I decided to skin the squirrel on the porch,” Glidden said. “I was really careful to preserve the facial features.

I wanted it to look nice. The skin was pretty thin, so it wasn’t so difficult.”

Glidden used her hunting knife to cut into the squirrel while Loj-goers stood around observing with various levels of intrigue and disgust.

“It was a little gruesome, and there were some [witnesses] that had to leave, but most of us were excited,” Glidden said.

Savage and his housemates are currently storing the squirrel skin as they decide what to do with the campus’s most popular pelt. Meanwhile, Tufts students are still mourning the tragic news of the squirrel’s death.

“I was horribly depressed when I heard,” sophomore Scott Sugarman said. “I lived uphill last year and never saw it! I feel like these things are rare gifts that the natural world gives us, and I missed out.”

But “albino” squirrel enthusiasts like Sugarman saw a beacon of hope last week when Glidden spotted yet another dead white squirrel, this time lying outside Anderson Hall. Unlike the original white squirrel, whose circumstances of death are shrouded in mystery, the “albino” squirrel Glidden found last week looked as though it suffered a more painful end.

“It’s not in the best shape, and the tail isn’t as furry,” Glidden said. “It probably had a tragic death and was hit by a car or attacked by a hawk.”

Glidden’s newest discovery — that the original “albino” squirrel is not the only one of its kind — sent shockwaves through the squirrel-loving community.

According to Assistant Professor of Biology Mitch McVey, though, the beloved “albino” squirrel is not albino at all. What makes these squirrels’ pelts white is a rare genetic mutation that changes the way the squirrel codes melanin, the chemical that gensee SQUIRREL, page 4

3. Enjoy the irony. I believe Halloween is the only time I’ve seen a stumbling, drunken Pooh Bear or watched Sarah Palin grind with Obama. Yes, I realize it’s what’s on the inside that counts and all that, but on this one specific night, do take in the hilarity of the exterior. Eight Harry Potters walk-of-shaming home Saturday morning? It’s just too funny not to acknowledge. Although it can be embarrassing if you’re on the other side, revel in the fact that you’re entertaining us all. It can be dark in parties and some of these fruitful combinations can go unnoticed, but they can be great, so keep your eyes peeled.

Halloween is a great weekend. In college, it’s a holiday that calls for an event-stuffed Thursday to Sunday without all the expectations and inevitable let-downs of New Year’s Eve. Everyone’s out looking to have a good time, and even the authorities understand its sacredness and tend to go easier on people. Just remember to try to keep it classy and fitted, creative and festive. Halloween parties in college are great: a chance to dress up in something crazy/slutty/silly just because you can. They’re probably the most traditionally non-wholesome way to celebrate the autumnal equinox. In my book, though, you’re never too old to stuff yourself sick with candy — it’s still arguably the best part of the day.

Anna Christian is a junior majoring in psychology. She can be reached at Anna.

Christian@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

4

Proposed bike share program garners interest on the Hill BIKE continued from page 3

100 bicycle stations and 1,100 bikes; in April, Denver made 425 bikes available for use; in June, Minneapolis launched its Nice Ride program with 700 bikes and more than 60 stations; New York is now considering a bike-sharing program of 30,000 bikes; Miami is gearing up for a program of its own.

But bike sharing is not limited to large cities, and the Tufts campus, following other universities’ footsteps, is planning a campus-based program of its own, led by independent student group Tufts Bike Share. “We were inspired to start the project partly by other schools and cities who have similar projects,� senior Sally Sharrow, a member of the Tufts Bike Share group, said. “Most of the organizers of the project are cyclists or just people who see cycling as an important and empowering mode of transportation, access to which is generally lacking for many people on campus.�

The club is currently writing a proposal for the Tufts Community Union

Tufts Department of Drama and Dance presents

Senate’s surplus grant program and developing an idea of how such a system would work at Tufts, Sharrow said.

Freshman Tori Perrakis said that for students like herself who love to bike but do not have access to a bike on campus, a Tufts-based bike share program would be extremely useful. “I don’t have a bike on campus now, but if there was a bike share available to Tufts students, I would definitely use it,� she said.

According to Sharrow, this sentiment is common among Tufts students, and many students have expressed informal and formal interest in a bike share program on the Hill. Now, she said, is the perfect time for a bike shake on campus to actually become a reality. “Bike sharing is an idea that has been floating around campus for a while, but I think right now enough factors are converging — available funding from the Senate, increasing interest in cycling on campus and focus on improving cycling infrastructure around the city and the country — which will help it take off this year.�

AUDITIONS FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

By Oscar Wilde Directed by Sheriden Thomas

Auditions: Sunday & Monday, October 31 & November 1

Callbacks:

Tufts animal lovers take squirrel’s legacy into their own hands SQUIRREL continued from page 3

erates pigment, he said. Tufts students’ labeling of the squirrel as albino is actually a misnomer, as these squirrels’ eyes are not red, indicating that, unlike albinos’, their irises are able to produce pigment.

The “albino� squirrel is actually a white squirrel with an albinism limited to its coat — a condition that is rare but not unheard of, according to McVey. As of yet, there have been no reports of a third “albino� squirrel at Tufts,

Thursday, October 28, 2010

FEATURES

though students have noticed a black squirrel roaming around campus.

Glidden is currently storing the newest dead white squirrel in her freezer and is deciding whether to skin it before a live audience tonight during a Wilderness Survival Lecture co-sponsored by Tufts Mountain Club and Tufts Institute of the Environment that will be held in Braker 001 at 8 p.m. “She’s quite the talented skinner, and given that she plans to skin it at some point, [tonight’s] lecture seems like an ideal time,� Savage said.

Tuesday, November 2 All audition info and sign up times are posted on the callboard in the Balch Arena Theater lobby, Aidekman Arts Center.

Questions? contact Balch Arena Theater Box Office at X7-3493.

ADVERTISEMENT

TCU Senate Bulletin

TCU Surplus Grants Every year comes with its own unique set of challenges; however this year has been marked by a particularly tricky one: the spending down of the almost $350,000.00 surplus.

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5

DESIGN BY LEANNE BROTSKY

WEEKENDER FEATURE

Nintendo celebrates a quarter century of Mario while continuing its trailblazing innovation BY

MITCHELL GELLER

Daily Editorial Board

Twenty-five years ago this month, a small Japanese playing card company changed the world forever.

October of 1985 saw the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the United States, and American youth hasn’t been the same since.

The system, which had been on the market in Japan since 1983, was released first in New York City as a test market, with a nationwide rollout occurring in the latter half of ’86. There were 17 launch titles for the New York test, some of which have been long since forgotten — “Donkey Kong Jr. Math,” “Wrecking Crew” — while others, such as “Duck Hunt,” “Kung Fu,” “Ice Climber,” “Excitebike” and “Baseball” have gone on to become classics, sure to be included, should a videogame canon ever be created.

Before the NES, the home-video game market had been in a slump since the early 1980s; the Atari 2600 was seen as a mere novelty, and the other systems available at the time — Mattel’s now-forgotten Intellivision and the semi-defunct Coleco’s ColecoVision being the two biggest alternatives — didn’t have the necessary appeal to pick up the market. Despite the NES’s

high price — it retailed for around $200, or roughly $400 today — it was a hit.

Where other consoles attempted to recreate the arcade experience at home, Nintendo tried to distance itself from the world of “video games” — or at the very least from the term — marketing their console as an “entertainment system.” The company was, in essence, creating a new market that now sees revenue in the realm of billions of dollars per year.

But it wasn’t “Duck Hunt” or “Baseball” that ultimately gave Nintendo the industry-leading clout it has held for the past two decades.

It was an excitable little Italian man.

Birth of a plumber Shigeru Miyamoto is something of a god in the world of videogames. He’s the man who created and brought to life some of the most famous video game characters: Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud, Link and one very important guy who likes to jump around. While Nintendo had the equipment, it was Miyamoto who had the ideas for the games that would ultimately sell it.

Miyamoto’s first major contri-

bution to the world of games came in 1981 with “Donkey Kong.” The game, which is now the stuff of legend, features Donkey Kong, a giant gorilla with a penchant for kidnapping and throwing barrels; Pauline, a woman with a penchant for being helpless and getting kidnapped; and Jumpman, a little carpenter with a hat (in interviews, Miyamoto has claimed that he couldn’t think of a good hairstyle and that it was too hard to animate hair anyway) who likes to jump over said barrels and save Pauline.

Soon after, Miyamoto revisited his Jumpman character, then known in Japan as Mr. Video, and re-envisioned him as the star of a new adventure game. When the game was localized for America, the character needed a less generic name, and when the landlord who owned Nintendo of America’s warehouse in Seattle, Mario Segale, came around demanding back rent, the Nintendo of America employees decided that Mario was the perfect fit. Soon enough, Mario had a brother (Luigi), a new profession (plumber) and a new game, “Mario Bros.,” which arrived in arcades in 1983.

The first game featuring Mario and Luigi, “Mario Bros.” is a simple arcade game where the goal

is to clear all of the enemies from each level or “phase.” It bears little resemblance to the prototypical Mario adventure games that gained popularity with the NES and its descendants — Mario, for example, can’t jump on enemies, but rather he has to stun them, run up to them and kick them — but it introduced the world to Mario nonetheless.

Two years later, Miyamoto would work his magic yet again, this time creating what is undeniably one of the most important, most beloved video games of all time: “Super Mario Bros.” While the general idea of Mario existed since 1983, it wasn’t until ’85 that he became a fully formed pop-culture icon, introducing the world to the wonders of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The story line is simple and echoes that of “Donkey Kong”: Mario — a simple plumber who lives in a world of monsters, bottomless pits, randomly scattered bricks and pipes, moving platforms, strange plants and gold coins — must save the helpless Princess Peach from the evil Bowser, a giant turtle monster-thing.

The adventure spans eight worlds, each with multiple levels.

It’s short by today’s standards but holds infinite replay value. Hidden areas, shortcuts and secret items

abound and compel replay after replay. And who can forget the theme song — which has become one of the most popular ringtones of all time — that’s been stuck in our collective head since the ’80s?

“Super Mario Bros.” would go on to sell over 40 million units on the NES and helped skyrocket the NES to its current spot as one of the top five best-selling home video game consoles (not including handhelds) of all time, selling over 61 million units.

25 and going strong Over the past two and a half decades, Mario has appeared, in some form or other, in more than an astonishing 200 video games with sales of over 240 million units, making it the best-selling video game series of all time. He has inspired a television show, a live action movie, a series of books and all varieties of officially licensed merchandise imaginable.

And he isn’t showing any signs of letting up.

To celebrate their star’s silver anniversary, Nintendo will be releasing a number of unique bundles for their current systems — the Wii and the DS — in early November. The Wii bundle features see Mario, page 8

THE TUFTS DAILY

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

WEEKENDER

ALBUM REVIEW

LIZPHAIR.COM

Apparently, Liz Phair likes Apple’s Photo Booth as much as all college freshmen.

Phair’s sixth LP marks a comeback to artistic achievement BY

CAROLINE WELCH

Contributing Writer

The genre of “Funstyle,” the latest release from alternative-rock veteran Liz Phair, is impossible to identify. Simply put, it’s a hodgepodge of musi-

Funstyle Liz Phair

Rocket Science Records

cal miscellany that pushes both limits and buttons. Like that ingredient-filled casserole you indulge in every now and then, the sheer variety of flavors can be a bit overwhelming, yet the dish is ultimately a nice diversion from the ordinary.

With “Funstyle,” Phair refuses to adhere to conventionality, opting for originality over the cliched and stale material so many of her contemporaries create.

Phair began her career in the early ’90s, recording songs as

Girly Sound for her first album, “Exile in Guyville” (1993).

The album earned her critical acclaim and recognition in the indie-rock community, and served as a jumping-off point for notice from publications like Rolling Stone.

After her third album with Matador Records, Phair switched labels and received a fair dose of criticism for “selling out.” Now with her sixth LP, Phair has moved on to Rocket Science Records and returned to her wacky, Girly Sound origins.

THEATER PREVIEW

Department of Drama and Dance seeks to lay on laughs with first show of the semester BY

Tonight at 8 p.m. in the Balch Arena Theater, the Tufts Department of Drama and Dance

The Alchemist Written by Ben Johnson Directed by Laurence Senelick At the Balch Arena Theater through Oct. 6 Tickets $7 to $12 COURTESY TUFTS DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA AND DANCE

Senior Andrew Kluger stars as Face in the drama department’s production of ‘The Alchemist.’ wild promises to their customers in exchange for cash. Fool’s gold takes on a whole new significance as the greed of both the conmen and the conned men escalates.

“The Alchemist” is the culmination of six weeks of rehearsal for the cast, which is composed entirely of Tufts undergraduate students. These actors depict an assortment of unsavory characters, including avaricious impersonators, prostitutes and gam-

blers. “[The characters are a] rogues’ gallery of types, ranging from hypocritical puritans to sexcrazed aristocrats,” Senelick said.

Because the characters transition from one role to another in a rapid frenzy, an impressive degree of flexibility is demanded of the actors. For each performer, these metamorphoses involve exterior alterations, like the donsee ALCHEMIST, page 7

behind her words. Similarly, on “Beat Is Up” and “U Hate It,” she incorporates different narratives patched together like a collage, overlapping and underlying one another.

The voices Phair includes in her songs aren’t merely there for effect. They often serve as a feisty, light-hearted commentary on deeper issues, particularly to present Phair’s opinions on the music industry. In “Smoke,” listeners are hit with a barrage of see FUNSTYLE, page 8

What’s up this weekend Looking to make your weekend artsy? Check out these events!

David Holzman Lecture Demo: The Department of Music hosts Grammynominated pianist David Holzman for a performance of 20th-century masterworks to kick off the Tufts Composers’ New at Noon series for 20102011. A discussion will follow the performance. (Tomorrow at noon in Distler Performance Hall. Admission is free; no tickets required.)

REBECCA SANTIAGO

Daily Editorial Board

will present “The Alchemist,” its first show of the season. Laurence Senelick, the Fletcher Professor of Drama and Oratory, directs Barry Edelstein’s adaptation of Ben Jonson’s 1610 comedy.

Senelick explained that the play is about self-assured “tricksters pulling the wool over the eyes of a number of fools and knaves and lechers by going for the very things they want the most.” In the play, a trio of con artists, Subtle (freshman Adam Bangser), Face (senior Andrew Kluger) and Dol Common (senior Lara Vancans) feign necromantic ability, making

From the first track, it’s clear that “Funstyle” is definitely a wayward venture from Phair’s previous style. The leadoff track, “Smoke,” begins with a strange assortment of different voices that are speaking instead of singing. It’s more of a story than a song, with a catchy, almost western-twang refrain.

Many of her tracks include this use of speech amid a background of beats and melodies.

On “Bollywood,” Phair essentially raps the lyrics while an Indian rhythm is layered

GoreFest VIII: Cirque Du Slaughté: ImprovBoston’s production of GoreFest VIII is light on taste and heavy on red corn syrup. Come out for a slasher comedy featuring a doomed circus and a tale of man, beast and obsessive parenting. (Tonight at 8 p.m.; tomorrow and Saturday at 8 and 10 p.m.; and Sunday at 8 p.m. at ImprovBoston in Cambridge. Tickets are $22 and, for students, $19.)

Market of the Living Dead: The SoWa open market is hosting its 7th Annual Costume Contest, and this year’s theme is zombies. Come dressed in

costume and have a chance to win up to $250. There will be live music, free treats and over 130 vendors. (Check-in Sunday between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at 460 Harrison Ave., Boston.

Judging starts at 2 p.m. sharp.

Admission is free.)

Tufts Wind Ensemble: The Tufts Wind Ensemble presents a special Halloween performance with a program that includes Richard Strauss’ “Allerseelen” and Daniel Montoya’s “Voodoo,” as well as favorites by Mussorgsky and Berlioz.

(Sunday at 3 p.m. in Distler Performance Hall. Admission is free; no tickets required.)

Florence and the Machine: British pop artist Florence Welch, along with her “Machine” of backing vocalists and musicians, arrives in Boston just in time for Halloween. The show is presented by WFNX and also features The Smith Westerns and Hanni El Khatib. (Sunday; doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Boston. Tickets $25-$35.)

—compiled by the Daily Arts Department

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Despite its age, ‘The Alchemist’ is a relevant tale of con men and the conned ALCHEMIST continued from page 6

ning of increasingly ridiculous costumes, as well as tweaking mannerisms and accents to match the personality of his or her new role-within-a-role.

Though “The Alchemist” dates back to Shakespearean England and is written in Early Modern English, the production crew promises that the play is as lively, captivating and relevant as ever.

Sound designer Nathan Leigh described “The Alchemist” as a live-action cartoon filled with “a lot of one-off gags and zany energy.”

Senelick reinforced Leigh’s praise, deeming the piece a play that speaks well to contemporary audiences due to the selfishness found in modern society.

Judging by their commendations, this play has celebrated its fourth centennial birthday more gracefully than most of us mark our 30th.

Senelick described “The Alchemist” as a “very elaborate” and “extremely physical” production. From the ornate costumes to the gripping swordfights, which were choreographed by a fight director, the performance is both aesthetically pleasing and sensually engrossing.

“I think the audience will appreciate the lavishness of the costumes and the monumentality of the set,” Senelick said.

This strikingly furnished set is also historically accurate, which is unusual, according to set designer Ted Simpson.

“Frequently when you do period shows like this, the director wants to change the period or get conceptual about it … but in this particular case, [Senelick] seemed to think there was a lot of value in doing it straight,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun, because as a designer, you rarely design in this period because there wasn’t a lot written in this period.”

7

WEEKENDER

THEATER PREVIEW

According to Leigh, the energetic and gag-filled nature of “The Alchemist” ensures audiences will have as much fun watching the show as Simpson had designing it.

Senelick agreed that the show is a good time for theatergoers, specifically citing the rapid costume changes as a fountain for viewer entertainment.

“The play is perfect for Halloween because it’s full of disguises. The characters are always pretending to be other people than they actually are,” Senelick said, remarking on the seasonal appropriateness of the show.

“The Alchemist” is running at the Balch Arena Theater at 8 p.m. from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30 and from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $7 for students, senior citizens and those with a valid Tufts ID. Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more.

COURTESY TUFTS DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA AND DANCE

The cast of ‘The Alchemist’ brings a still-relevant classic to life.

‘There’s a Meeting Here Tonight’ weaves story of 19th-century singing group The Revels Repertory Company (Revels Rep) will perform “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight” on Saturday in Cohen Auditorium, telling the story of the Hutchinson Family Singers, a famous 19th-century American singing group.

Kay Dunlap, the Revels Rep director, will give a free pre-performance talk at 7 p.m., ahead of the 7:30 p.m. performance.

In their show, the Revels Rep will recreate a postCivil War Hutchinson family reunion in which the family members convene in their Milford, N.H., home to share stories and experiences.

The real Hutchinson quartet used its fame and music to advance social causes (move over, Bono), and the actors, too, perform songs about topical issues of the (19th-century) day, such as emancipation, women’s suffrage and temperance. They also sing spirituals, songs about the Civil War and numbers by popular composers like Stephen Foster.

Though the meeting is a family affair, a hodgepodge of interesting and well-known historical figures show up at this jovial gathering.

Frederick Douglass, played

by Milton Wright, joins the family in its night of storytelling and song. The famous freed slave, who lived down

the street from a store run by some of the Hutchinsons, recalls his appearances with the singers at rallies and reenactments of one of his anti-slavery speeches.

Another person of note in attendance is P.T. Barnum (Walter Locke), the celebrated showman and, more relevantly, a founding trustee of Tufts University and owner of the original Jumbo.

Barnum is the master of ceremonies for the evening and ensures the crowd’s entertainment by toting his latest attraction, “The Phenomenon” (Len Solomon).

This one-man band and juggler hails from New York and promises to delight audiences with his skillful antics.

But the most exciting members of the Hutchinson family reunion’s guest list will come from the audience. Those who intend to sit back, relax and enjoy the show, beware: The Revels Rep fully intends to incorporate theatergoers into the lively, musical evening.

“There’s a Meeting Here Tonight” is appropriate for adults and children ages six and up. Tickets are $12 for children and Tufts students and $20 for adults. They can be purchased online at revels. org.

—by Rebecca Santiago

Architectural Studies Informational Meeting Monday, November 1, 2010 5:00—5:45pm Department of Art and Art History 11 Talbot Ave. Lounge Open to all Students (Encouraged for Architectural studies majors and minors) Learn About:

SANDWICHES WINE & BEER SPECIALTY GROCERY LOCAL PRODUCTS

► Architectural Studies majors and minors for Liberal Arts and Engineering students. ► Architectural Studies Courses ► Study Abroad ► Internships ► Graduate School ► Professional Careers ► Boston Area Opportunities For information: ase.tufts.edu/art/architecture/

81 Holland Street Davis Sq. Somerville 617-623-0867 davesfreshpasta.com

Questions? Contact Daniel Abramson, Director of Architectural Studies, 617-627-2015, or daniel.abramson@tufts.edu

THE TUFTS DAILY

8

Thursday, October 28, 2010

WEEKENDER

Since the pixelated ’80s, a small Italian plumber has become the most iconic and best-selling video game character of all time MARIO

showing any signs of stagnation.

continued from page 5

a limited-edition red Wii console, a copy each of “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” and “Wii Sports” — the only video game to sell more copies than the original “Super Mario Bros.” — and will retail for $199.

The DS bundle features the DSi XL system in red, adorned with the Mario series’ famous power-ups — the Starman, the Fire Flower and Super Mushroom that give Mario and Luigi their powers — and a copy of “Mario Kart DS.” It will retail for $179.

It’s impossible to overstate Mario’s importance to pop culture over the past 25 years. He’s changed the way we think of video games and, in turn, our culture in general. In a quarter of a century, Mario has gone from an unknown collection of pixels to one of the most recognizable fictional characters of all time.

Luckily for us, video games aren’t

Looking toward the future Since the Mario we know today debuted back in 1985, dozens of other high-profile characters have appeared on the scene. From “Tomb Raider’s” Lara Croft to “Halo’s” Master Chief, “Half-Life’s” Gordon Freeman, “Final Fantasy VII’s” Cloud Strife and “Pokemon’s” Pikachu, the video game scene is constantly evolving and changing — not just in graphic capability and the number of buttons on a controller — but in terms of what video games can be.

The most recent Mario games for the Nintendo Wii, the “Super Mario Galaxy” series, feature 3-D physics, with Mario traversing spherical platforms (planetoids in outer space), constrained by realistic gravity, taking full advantage of the Wii’s unique motion controls.

But now that Microsoft and

Sony have both jumped on the motion sensor technology (Xbox 360’s “Kinect” and the “PlayStation Move” ), the world looks to Nintendo for yet another gamechanger, and Nintendo, as usual, never fails to amaze: Their next innovation is 3-D gaming without glasses.

The upcoming Nintendo 3DS will offer full 3-D in the palm of your hand without the need for special eyewear. How they did it is sort of a mystery too complicated for the layman. For all it matters, they might as well be doing it with magic.

But it’s Nintendo that we’re talking about, the company that made a little ethnic workman into one of the most important figures in popular culture; the company that made it socially acceptable to live in a fantasy world; the company that, for all intents and purposes, is video games.

In some ways, it really is magic.

TOP TEN | NAKED THINGS This week, 17-year-old “Gossip Girl” star and rocker of The Pretty Reckless, Taylor Momsen, flashed her hoohas onstage at a show. She then asked people not to take pictures or videos — because that’s not right! In honor of Momsen’s girls, the Daily Arts Department presents our top 10 favorite naked things.

10. Janet Jackson’s right boob: Making a surprise guest appearance that thrilled parents everywhere, Janet’s boob rocked way harder than Justin Timberlake.

9. Donald Duck: Have you ever noticed that Donald Duck

doesn’t wear pants? He doesn’t, and it’s creepy, and you will never be the same again.

8. Us under our clothes: Look at the person to your left. Now look to your right. And then your head exploded.

5. NQR: It’s always as to who enjoys it plastered, disrobed or the sketchy locals to spectate.

a mystery more: the freshmen who come

7. Owls: Yes, they are.

4. Naked Fruit Juice: The only naked thing on this list that you can drink. Plus, there’s no added sugar or preservatives!

6. Rufus, naked mole rat: Who needs a Labrador retriever when you have a shriveled, hairless rodent who can help you foil the plots of Dr. Drakken?

(Warning: Real naked mole rats are almost completely blind and do not eat nachos.)

3. Pre-lapsarian Adam and Eve: A paradise where you could frolic around without pants on? Screw enlightenment, the real reason mankind should be pissed at these biblical screw-ups is the loss of a divine state of nudity.

2. Rose in “Titanic” (1997), aka the first boobies you ever saw: Kate Winslet’s topless scene in the second highest-grossing movie of all time is a nudie milestone for basically everyone born in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

The CW also renewed all of its new shows this season, but in this case, “all” just means two: cheerleading-centric “Hellcats” and sexy spy-drama “Nikita.” The network also gave a full-season order to long-running “One Tree Hill.”

The notable absence of a pickup for “Life Unexpected” probably means the series’s current sophomore season will be its last.

ABC rounded out the pickup notices on Monday by announcing full seasons of “No Ordinary Family” and “Better with You.” “Detroit 1-8-7” also received an order for five additional episodes, and veteran series “Brothers & Sisters” got bumped from 18 to 22 episodes.

ABC couldn’t claim a perfect season, though, as it later announced that courtroom drama “The Whole Truth” was effectively canceled and would only be producing its originally ordered 13 episodes.

FUNSTYLE continued from page 6

1. Barenaked Ladies: They said it themselves in “One Week” (1998): “I have the tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve/I have a history of taking off my shirt.”

If BNL ever did make that million dollars, it was probably all in singles. Ow oww.

—compiled by the Daily Arts Department

Week in Review | TV After NBC made a slew of pickups last week, CBS, The CW and ABC shortly followed suit, giving full-season orders to many of their shows and at least ordering additional scripts for the rest.

CBS kicked things off last Thursday by announcing full season pickups of all five of its freshman series: “Mike & Molly,” “The Defenders,” “$#*! My Dad Says,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “Blue Bloods.” The network has a perfect record this season extending all of its new shows. Yet one or more are unlikely to make it to a second season, since something will have to get the axe in order for CBS to have space for new material next year. It’s certainly an enviable position to be in, though — NBC, in comparison, has had to renew even some of its poorest performers, like “Chase,” just to keep timeslots full.

Liz Phair’s ‘Funstyle’ is exciting

In non-pickup-related news, I just got caught up on FX’s “Terriers,” and it’s terrific. Contrary to popular belief, it is not, in fact, about dogs. Instead, Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James play private investigators who have a knack for getting knee-deep into trouble but, like the titular canines, never give up.

The two leads have stellar chemistry, and the supporting cast is compelling. The cases each week vary in how engaging they are, but the character work is always top-notch. It would be a shame if the series didn’t get a second season, but based on current ratings, that’s the direction in which things are heading. So watch: Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

—by Ben Phelps

people questioning, “Hey Liz, what’s in the box?” as she replies calmly, “It’s my little voice of self-doubt.”

She explains her qualms about the success of the album, which she later brushes off in “U Hate It.” The intro begins, “‘Hey so I got the new Liz track/Have you heard it?

Do you like it?’/‘No, I hate it,’” to which she blatantly responds, “No wonder that you hate it, ’cause it’s all about you/Funny you should say that, ’cause it hates you, too.”

Her snarky disposition and inyour-face attitude make her songs more meaningful and highly entertaining.

Yet not every element of her album is as experimental or unorthodox as the rest.

“You Should Know Me” is a light, poignant ballad about a relationship: a much more reserved rendition than many of her others. “Satisfied” is another love-themed composition, melodic and earpleasing, which highlights Phair’s vocals instead of her personality.

Her fifth track, “My My,” is a funk-driven tune, dominated by bass and trumpet instrumentals. While still reflecting her edgy persona with lyrics like, “Could’ve been a good girl, but I’m not/Little attitude is what I got,” it’s more appealing to the mainstream music listener than her previous tracks. “And He Slayed Her” is, despite its ominous title, a feel-good piece accentuated by tambourine and piano notes alongside echoing vocals.

“Funstyle” does require a couple of plays for a listener to get accustomed to it. Yet after the initial shock subsides, the audience will appreciate Phair’s adventurous endeavor and eclectic fusion of sound.

Although the album contains no real common thread and the songs don’t necessarily coalesce well, it’s a relief to hear something that defies modern musical standards and moves away from the norm. Even after being in the business for almost 20 years, Phair still knows how to keep it fresh with “Funstyle.”

Thursday, October 28, 2010

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THE TUFTS DAILY BENJAMIN D. GITTLESON Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Managing Editors

Ellen Kan Carter Rogers Matt Repka Executive News Editor Alexandra Bogus News Editors Michael Del Moro Nina Ford Amelie Hecht Corinne Segal Martha Shanahan Brent Yarnell Jenny White Daphne Kolios Assistant News Editors Kathryn Olson Romy Oltuski Executive Features Editor Sarah Korones Features Editors Alison Lisnow Emilia Luna Alexa Sasanow Derek Schlom Jon Cheng Assistant Features Editors Maya Kohli Amelia Quinn Emma Bushnell Executive Arts Editor Zach Drucker Arts Editors Mitchell Geller Rebecca Goldberg Ben Phelps Anna Majeski Assistant Arts Editors Rebecca Santiago Matthew Welch Rachel Oldfield Larissa Gibbs Elaine Sun Seth Teleky Devon Colmer Erin Marshall Lorrayne Shen Louie Zong Rebekah Liebermann Ashish Malhotra Josh Molofsky Alexandra Siegel

Executive Op-Ed Editor Assistant Op-Ed Editors Cartoonists

Thursday, October 28, 2010

EDITORIAL | LETTERS

EDITORIAL

Keep the Mass. sales tax: Vote no on 3 The Daily examined on Tuesday the merits of the first two Massachusetts ballot initiatives, which deal with the taxation of alcohol and permits to build low to moderate-income housing, respectively. We now turn to Question 3, which concerns the state sales tax.

Question 3 proposes lowering the Massachusetts state sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent with the aim of stimulating the state’s economy. If it passes, the 3 percent rate will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2011. If the motion is rejected, the sales tax will remain at 6.25 percent.

We strongly oppose this measure, as its passage would throw Massachusetts’ already treacherous budget situation into chaos.

The prospect of lower taxes is always enticing, especially during a time when so many people are struggling and desperate for extra cash. But voters must be careful not to let the temptation of slightly lower prices lead them to act impulsively and against their own interests.

Massachusetts is already facing a budget deficit of $2 billion. An analysis by the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Association found that reducing the sales tax to 3 percent would cost the state an additional $2.5 billion in revenue, bringing the total deficit to a staggering $4.5 billion dollars.

The Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, the sponsor of the measure, answers that this

potential budget shortfall could be paid for by “cutting government waste.”

The fact is, there is not enough “waste” in the state budget to pay for even a fraction of the $2.5 billion in lost revenue, on top of the $2 billion deficit that already exists.

Instead, the government will be forced to cut funding for several indispensable and already struggling programs, including those relating to health care, veterans’ benefits, infrastructure and public education.

This is not government waste — these are critical programs on which residents of Massachusetts depend every day.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Association also reported that the drop in the sales tax would force the state’s public university system to lay off faculty and cut course offerings and would lead to a sharp increase in tuition.

To illustrate how radical the proposed measure is, all four Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates oppose it — even the Republican Charlie Baker, who favors tax and spending cuts, has denounced the measure as too extreme.

The revenue lost from slashing the sales tax in half cannot be recouped just with more frugal government spending. The measure can only be paid for with cuts to critical programs, and even several prominent Republicans acknowledge this.

The Alliance claims that the measure would boost private-sector spending,

resulting in 33,000 new private-sector jobs. This claim lacks substantiation from any credible source. Instead, the consensus among lawmakers and nonpartisan analysts is that such an extreme loss in government revenue would result in layoffs for thousands of government workers; thousands of teachers, policemen, firefighters, hospital workers and other government employees would lose their jobs.

To help close the gaping hole the measure would punch in the budget, the state government would have to drastically cut the amount of aid it gives to cities and towns for locally run programs.

Local government budgets are currently pinched throughout Massachusetts because the state government has already had to cut local aid in order to combat the current budget crisis.

If Question 3 passed, individual cities and towns would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in local aid, which — in addition to the job losses — would result in more crowded schools and less effective police and firefighting units.

It is imperative that voters take heed of what the passage of this ballot initiative would entail for Massachusetts. They must not allow the allure of a tax cut sway them toward a measure that would devastate the Commonwealth’s already anemic financial condition.

LORRAYNE SHEN Editorialists

Philip Dear Executive Sports Editor Lauren Flament Sports Editors Jeremy Greenhouse Claire Kemp Ben Kochman Alex Lach Alex Prewitt Daniel Rathman Noah Schumer Ethan Sturm Assistant Sports Editor Aalok Kanani Meredith Klein Danai Macridi Andrew Morgenthaler Tien Tien Josh Berlinger Virginia Bledsoe Kristen Collins Alex Dennett Emily Eisenberg Dilys Ong Jodi Bosin Jenna Liang Meagan Maher Ashley Seenauth

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Photo Editors

Staff Photographers

Mick B. Krever Executive New Media Editor James Choca New Media Editors Kerianne Okie

PRODUCTION Leanne Brotsky Production Director Andrew Petrone Executive Layout Editor Sarah Davis Layout Editors Adam Gardner Jason Huang Jennifer Iassogna Alyssa Kutner Steven Smith Sarah Kester Assistant Layout Editor Zehava Robbins Executive Copy Editor Alexandra Husted Copy Editors Isabel Leon Vivien Lim Linh Dang Assistant Copy Editors Andrew Paseltiner Melissa Roberts Elisha Sum

Darcy Mann Executive Online Editor Audrey Kuan Online Editors Ann Sloan Ammar Khaku Executive Technical Manager Michael Vastola Technical Manager

BUSINESS Benjamin Hubbell-Engler Executive Business Director Laura Moreno Advertising Director Dwijo Goswami Receivables Manager The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

OFF THE HILL | UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Weight shouldn’t predict wage ranges BY

CINDY LUO

The Daily Campus

Just when it seemed you couldn’t be judged more by your physical appearance, a recent study shows that women who have a significantly lower than average weight also make significantly higher than average money. Men, on the other hand, make less money as they weigh less, and more money as they weigh more, up until the brink of obesity.

Timothy A. Judge, of [the University of ] Florida, tested the effect of weight on salary for men and women for 12,686 U.S. residents.

The average woman in this study weighed 147 pounds and the average man weighed 182 pounds, which is less than the national average weight for adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

The average measurements for adults 20 years and older are about 5 feet 9 inches and 195 pounds for a man, and 5 feet 4 inches and 165 pounds for a woman.

Even after adjusting for factors such as height, age, job complexity, industry and childhood socioeconomic status, the study found that women who weighed 25 pounds less than the group average earned an average of $15,572 more

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials that appear on this page are written by the editorialists, and 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.

every year, whereas a woman who was 25 pounds heavier than the average weight earned an average of $13,847 less per year than a woman of average weight.

For men, being 25 pounds under the average study weight led to earning $8,437 less annually. Their wages actually increased [with weight] — in one of the studies, the peak earning was at 207 pounds.

So what, exactly, do these numbers amount to? It’s not a matter of health, at any rate. According to the CDC, a healthy BMI is within the range of 18.5 to 24.9.

Although the number for a BMI is far from being set in stone as an indicator of health, a woman who is around 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 6 inches and weighs around 147 pounds is well within the boundaries of a “normal” BMI, as is a woman who weighs 25 pounds fewer.

Oddly enough, for a man between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 11 inches, 195 pounds is firmly rooted in the “overweight” category, and even 170 pounds is at the upper level for “normal” weight.

The studies seem to indicate that there is still bias when it comes to people’s weight and physical appearance. For women, the standard is thinness that is difficult to attain healthily; for men, the standard is more questionable. Weighing 170 pounds is still considered “overweight” category

for a man who is 5 feet 9 inches and on the higher end of “normal” for a man who is 5 feet 10 inches or 5 feet 11 inches. So why is there a discrepancy when it comes to earnings for an “overweight” man versus an “overweight” woman?

If weight gain is punished by society because of health, why is it that only heavier women bear the brunt of lower wages? Why not heavier men? A separate study by the George Washington [University] Department of Health Policy found that the overall, tangible costs of obesity are $4,879 for a woman, and $2,646 for a man. This only includes health, work and fuel-related costs, not other lifestyle arrangements that might cost an obese individual more. Again, obese women are more severely penalized than obese men.

Ultimately, weight should not be an issue when it comes to salary. If it’s a matter of performance, perhaps we should stop stigmatizing people based on their physical appearance. After all, performance is tied in with self-esteem, and society has always done little to enhance the self-esteem of people outside of our standardized weight paradigm. Maybe if we stopped fat shaming, if we stopped setting impossible weight standards, we could eradicate this egregious pay inequality.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Abuse isn’t just physical BY

ALANNA TULLER

Around midnight a few nights ago, I decided I was bored of sitting in my dorm room and wanted to take a walk to the library roof. I invited my friends who were in my room to come along, but the response I received was, “Well, we’ll come if you don’t want to go by yourself and get raped and killed.” Out of context, this might sound like a totally morbid comment, but my friends and I have often talked about rape in a joking manner and as a remote possibility that could never actually happen to us.

As we near the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, I have realized two major problems with the way my friends responded to my question. First, those of us who have not been directly affected by domestic abuse find it too easy to make light of an issue that hurts thousands of Americans each year. Second, when we think of “domestic abuse,” sexual or physical assaults are the first forms of abuse that come to mind. Domestic abuse can be both physical and psychological, and it occurs in a variety of relationships in numerous settings.

While providing resources to victims and highlighting their stories are certainly important parts of raising awareness about domestic abuse, we often fail to discuss the characteristics and actions of abusers. Emphasizing preventative measures to identify abusers early on should be an equally important goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

You may have seen posters around campus or comics in the Daily that posed the question: “Do you know Alex?” “Alex” is the Social Justice Arts Initiative’s version of the average college student, represented by an amorphous, gender-neutral form. It’s difficult to identify Alex with a

specific gender, religion, sexual orientation or political belief because domestic abuse can affect anybody as a result of any of these identifications. We also tried to place Alex in a variety of social situations to dispel the myth that domestic abuse necessarily indicates sexual abuse or violence between romantic partners.

Although psychological abuse does not leave physical wounds or scars, the emotional effects stay with the victim much longer than a cut or a bruise.

While taking advantage of a kind friend, abusing the trust in a romantic relationship or intentionally damaging a friend’s self-esteem are milder forms of psychological abuse than what we normally think of, they are still considered abusive behavior.

Among women, it is estimated that 75 percent of physical assaults and 50 percent of instances of stalking by intimate partners are not reported to the police.

Increased awareness about the various manifestations of domestic abuse could allow more victims to realize that they have, in fact, been treated in an abusive manner and that they should seek out helpful resources.

It’s also worth noting that peer pressure qualifies as a form of domestic abuse. Approximately 55 percent of college students experience hazing in clubs, teams and organizations on their college campuses. I certainly feel as if I can attest to this fact, both from my own experiences and from friends who have quit sports teams or clubs because of peer pressure to drink or to spend most of their free time with the other members at the risk of exclusion.

While peer pressure brings domestic abuse into a public setting, these issues exist in the privacy of our homes and dorm rooms as well. Continuous physical and verbal fights occur not only between

romantic partners but between parents and children and among friends and roommates. Although the wide scope of “domestic abuse” could make it difficult to raise awareness about every single abusive behavior, we hope that these examples will provide a starting point for you to examine the specific relationships in your life for any elements of abuse.

The purpose of our Alex campaign is not only to ask, “Do you know Alex?” but also, “Are you Alex?”, “Do you know Alex’s abuser?” and, “Are you Alex’s abuser?” Because domestic abuse can take so many forms and affect even the most common types of relationships, I think it would be difficult to answer “no” to all of these questions. We all have a friend whose significant other threatens a break-up if activity X isn’t performed, a friend who constantly attacks another friend’s self-esteem or a friend who was victimized by a co-worker at their last job. And perhaps in examining the dynamics between yourself and your friends, your family, your coworkers or your romantic partner, you’ve come to realize that you are an abuser.

Once initiated, the cycle of abuse is difficult to break. The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 2005 saw an average of over three women and nearly one man murdered every day in an act of domestic abuse by an intimate partner. Our hope is that by raising awareness through the Alex campaign, we can stop this cycle of abuse before it begins. We hope you will become more aware of the many different forms of domestic abuse and, in the process, provide support to an Alex in your life.

Alanna Tuller is a sophomore majoring in English. She is a member of the Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative.

CAMPUS CANVAS | ALANNA TULLER, MIRIAM ROSS-HIRSCH, TAN YEE AHI

October is a month dedicated to many things, including domestic abuse awareness. Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative is a studentrun group that seeks to use as many artistic media as possible to address issues of social justice. This comic is the third and final one in a series by the Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative starring “Alex.”

This series running throughout October has addressed the issue of domestic abuse outside of its traditional definition of only occurring between two individuals in some sort of “romantic” relationship.

11

OP-ED

Alanna Tuller is a sophomore majoring in English, and Tan Yee Ahi is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. They are both members of Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative. Miriam Ross-Hirsch is a sophomore and a combined degree student with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts who has not yet declared a major.

She is a publicist for Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative.

JOSHUA YOUNER | CONSCIENTIOUS AND CONTENTIOUS

Principles and pragmatism

T

his is a response to the op-ed “On the presidency, politics and foreign policy” that appeared in the Daily on Oct. 26.

That piece was at once an articulate yet irrelevant critique of the United States’ modern political system. While the author, Stephanos Karavas, made some idealistically important arguments, he failed to take into account the true nature of politics in its current form.

According to Karavas, the president’s only duties are to strictly adhere to the Constitution and otherwise “submit his free will to that of the American public.”

Indeed, in affirming the presidential oath of office, presidents vow to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” to the best of their ability. This is not to say that anything not specifically enumerated by the Constitution should be ignored.

On the contrary, the president has many responsibilities that the founding fathers could not possibly have foreseen.

It’s clear that the world has drastically changed since 1789, and thus it would be counterproductive to simply ignore these changes and revert solely to past practices.

I certainly admit that the principles of the Constitution themselves provide much guidance for all to live by and have allowed the United States to become the great nation it is today. However, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. … [W]ith the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.”

Thus, according to Jefferson, the Constitution is a living document that should evolve with the progress of our society. This allows for changes that will inevitably occur over time, while still preserving its core principles. There are far more complications in the world now than there were in 1789, and as the world becomes increasingly interdependent, adaptation to such changes becomes more crucial. Since the president is constitutionally both the head of state and the head of government, it has become his job to be a leader in world affairs.

Karavas states that a presidential candidate should not express to the electorate his vision for a more perfect union, equating this to “snubbing” the Constitution. This is constitutionally invalid, according to the author.

However, I believe that the purpose of a representative democracy is to have the people decide which candidate fits their own vision of a better, more prosperous nation. Outlining a platform and having voters accept or reject it is, in effect, keeping the “republic.”

On the subject of political parties and their supposed corruption of the political culture of our country, the author highlights one of George Washington’s most discussed admonitions. The argument that political parties only lead to an oligarchy of elitists, as Washington warns, is at least partially valid.

However, Washington himself was an elite — born into a rich, slave-owning, tobaccofarming family that gave him the opportunity to become educated and thus successful on and off the battlefield, he was eventually propelled into the presidency. It would conceal the true nature of our government not to recognize that even since the time of the founding fathers, all our leaders have been of similarly high status. This is an unfortunate reality in a representative democracy.

Today’s system is by no means the “antithesis” of what Washington envisioned it to be. Our country has continued down the path set out by Washington while evolving along the way. Chief Justice John Marshall, in interpreting the Constitution, asserted that it was “intended to endure for ages to come, and consequently, to be adapted to the various crises of human affairs.” We must look at the world as it really is; combining principles championed in the past with the realities of the present will lead to a prosperous United States.

Joshua Youner is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Joshua.Youner@tufts.edu.

OP-ED POLICY The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than 12 p.m. 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.

12

THE TUFTS DAILY

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

13

COMICS CROSSWORD

SUDOKU Level: Pulling off a sexy Tetris block costume

SOLUTIONS TO TUESDAY’S PUZZLE

WEDNESDAY’S SOLUTION

Wednesday’s Solution

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

Romy: “Glidden used her hunting knife to enter the squirrel’s flesh at its easiest entry point: the anus.”

Carter: “We can’t print that!”

Please recycle this Daily.

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pen to the public Free of charge 617.627.2785 www.ase.tufts.edu/art Davis Square T 88, 94, 96 MBTA buses

Parking available: 419 Boston Avenue Maps and directions: campusmaps.tufts.edu/medford For more information, contact amy.west@tufts.edu

Sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History, School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University

This colloquium opens up to the Boston-area art history community the opportunity to explore together common areas of current interest in how to integrate concepts of the global into the research, teaching, and disciplinary identities of art history departments.

We seek not a definition of global art history, but rather an exploration of the concept’s boundaries, benefits, and limits, as well as emergent problems and promises. s

How does the study of art, architecture, and visual culture relate to globalization, as processes of development, and to globalism, as conditions of existence under globalization?

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

SPORTS

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

Rugby team’s depth paying off

Field hockey squad beats Springfield 4-0

MEN’S RUGBY

FIELD HOCKEY

continued from page 16

nals, where it fell to Keene State.

With the success the Jumbos have enjoyed so far this fall, they have high hopes as they enter the championship season.

“On last year’s team, some people started to get a little tired, and their commitment was waning near the end of the season in the playoffs,” Menning said. “I don’t think that will happen this year. If anything, I think people will be more excited going to the playoffs and extending the season a few weeks.”

The Jumbos have a history of placing high in the NERFU Championships, having placed first or second six times between 1994 and 2004. Their most recent championship came in 2001.

The main strength of this year’s program comes from a new attitude that has fostered a more cohesive and dedicated team.

“In previous years, we’ve had a different mentality,” Perrone said. “We were more lackadaisical, and we acted more like a club sport, so I think kids didn’t take it that seriously, but this year, we’re taking it a lot more seriously.”

While in past years, the squad has taken for granted early leads in games and eased up on their opponents, this year’s squad has

worked on its finishing ability, fighting until the final whistle.

“I’d attribute our success to two different things,” Menning said. “A lot of the younger kids have been able to step up; a lot of holes we were worried about last year have been filled really well.

“The other thing is, we have really tight team cohesion,” he continued. “Everyone gets along really well, and everyone is pretty committed this year. … That’s kind of been our theme for the whole season, just finishing every game. We want to come in with a lot of intensity and never let up.”

With a roster of approximately 35, the team’s depth is a huge advantage. The squad draws many new athletes who pick up the sport as freshmen and gain experience before earning the starting positions that are held mostly by upperclassmen.

In a sport plagued with injuries, however, some freshmen have a chance to prove themselves on the field and make an impact on the squad.

“It’s been a lot of scoring and winning, which makes it fun, and there’s been relatively few injuries,” Menning said. “I feel like if we hadn’t had that Colby game, there wouldn’t be any blemishes.

On the whole, it’s been a really fun and really upbeat season.”

continued from page 1

Marianna Zak. But the offense was not as composed, often finding itself disorganized due FIELD HOCKEY (7-1 NESCAC, 12-1 OVERALL) at Springfield, Mass., Tuesday Tufts Springfield

1 0

3 0

— 4 — 0

to the forced shuffling of positions. Starting senior forward Melissa Burke was sidelined with muscle issues, so the rest of the team was forced to try and fill the gap. The rest will hopefully benefit Burke, whose speed and hard outside shots will be vital against Bowdoin.

At 5 p.m. tomorrow, Tufts will welcome Bowdoin to Bello Field for the first time since the 2008 NESCAC Championship.

The Jumbos will have no room for error against the Polar Bears, who currently sit at fourth in the national rankings and own the only undefeated record in Div. III. The game will not only be a battle for national standing but will also determine the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC tournament, which begins Sunday.

“I think Bowdoin is a very defensively oriented team, so

you’ll see them win a lot of their games 1-0 or 2-0,” Brown said. “It’s going to have to be a major team effort from both the offense and defense because they don’t have many weaknesses.”

“I think we’ve been working a lot on communicating as a defensive unit,” senior co-captain Jess Perkins said. “Starting from the back, we’ve been talking a lot to make sure everyone is in a good position to come up with the ball. [Tomorrow] we’re going to have to continue to work on that communication inside of our defensive [25-yard- line] and especially in our defensive circle, because we haven’t had as much pressure there.”

In recent years, the rivalry between these two teams has been intense. Last year, Bowdoin, then the two-time defending champion, was in a rebuilding year after graduating NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year Lindsay McNamara in 2009. But two years ago, the Polar Bears handed the Jumbos their only two losses — in the NESCAC Championship, as well as a 3-2 double-overtime loss in the National Championship. And in 2007, Bowdoin edged out Tufts for the top spot in the league standings on its way to a national title.

This year, Tufts will take on a Bowdoin squad that seems to be

as good as it was in 2008 when it escaped with the NCAA crown.

The Jumbos know they will need to play their best game of the season if they hope to hand the Polar Bears their first loss.

“I think we’re just really excited to play on our field since … we’ve had to travel to Bowdoin for this Friday night game since 2008,” Perkins said. “It’s going to be nice to play in front of our fans and on our turf — which is different than the kind of turf that Bowdoin plays on. We match up really well with them, so we’re prepared for it to be a battle. So we’re excited to have home-field advantage for that.”

“I think we’ve put ourselves in a really good position and we’re really proud to have this opportunity,” Brown said. “So far this season, I don’t think we have played our best hockey for a full 70 minutes, and I think [tomorrow] needs to be that day because we have a lot on the line.”

With both teams being so highly skilled, the game will come down to a few moments of execution. And with such parity between the squads, an exciting, hard-fought clash of these field hockey titans is inevitable.

“I don’t think anyone feels nervous,” Perkins said, “just excited and ready for a battle.”

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

THE TUFTS DAILY

15

SPORTS

INSIDE THE NBA

Celtics extinguish Heat in season opener BY

ALEX LACH

Daily Editorial Board

Despite all the talk during the offseason about the potential dominance of Miami’s three superstars, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh look like little more than three incredibly talented players trying to figure out how they can compliment each other’s skills — for the moment, at least.

For most of the first half of the team’s 88-80 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, it appeared that each of the three were out to prove their selflessness, with none of them appearing to want to take command of the game.

Wade looked hampered by the hamstring injury that kept him out of almost the entire preseason, and his rust was evident not just in his ugly 4-16 shooting display but also in several traveling violations. Bosh fared no better in the shooting department, hitting just three of 11 shots from the floor.

Throughout the game it appeared that of the three, Bosh had the hardest time finding an offensive rhythm, as the ball almost always seemed to find itself in the hands of James and Wade.

James’ second-half performance was one of the few redeeming qualities of the Heat’s opening-night loss.

It was at that point that he decided to start doing things that only he can, like step-back three pointers and unique drives to the hoop. Thanks to LeBron, the Heat was able to briefly climb back into the game.

Overall, though, the team’s performance was indicative of what many believe will be early setbacks for the talented squad. The offense struggled to find a rhythm, the team often looked disorganized, and the bench was not able to contribute much. While it was only the first game of the season, fans in Miami have to feel a little disappointed as their counterparts in Cleveland are surely mustering the little energy they have left to have a bitter laugh at their ex-star.

On the Celtics’ side, the seasonopening win over Miami was driven by the same factors that brought the Green within six minutes of a title a year ago: a stifling, relentless defense and a timely offense.

Boston and the TD Garden crowd were clearly treating the opening game like the playoffs. The energized fans spent

MCT

The Big Three looked dejected after their 88-80 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night. a bulk of their time standing, and the Celtics starters, especially Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, spent a large amount of time on the court for a regular season game. These substitution patterns — along with a postseason-like intensity — made it clear that the Celtics wanted to start the season with a statement.

Rajon Rondo led the team with a quintessential Rondo game: four points, five rebounds and 17 assists.

Yes, 17 assists. Rondo was everywhere on the court Tuesday night, and when the Heat looked to restrict his movement, he would simply penetrate, shift the defense and find the open man.

Allen was the main benefactor of this drive-and-kick offense, leading the Celtics with 20 points, including five three-pointers. Rondo did a fantastic job of getting everyone involved early, especially the newest member of the squad, the Harvard Square statue himself, Shaquille O’Neal.

After lighting up the faces of passersby last week in Cambridge’s most famous intersection, O’Neal provided 325 pounds of momentum for the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Early in the first quarter, O’Neal shook the foundation of the Garden

when he trailed a fast break down the lane, took a pass from Rondo and slammed the ball down. But the cheers were equally as loud for his first trip to the charity stripe when the notoriously poor free-throw shooter knocked down his first two attempts.

As the oldest active player in the NBA at 38 years of age, O’Neal seems to have led a resurgence of energy for the Boston squad — an energy that was palpable on Tuesday night.

But it was not all peaches and cream for the Celtics.

Last season’s struggles with turnovers and closing out opponents reared their ugly heads, but in the end, it was the energy that proved to be the difference between Boston and Miami. The Celtics were expressive and enthusiastic, displaying constant chatter that extended from those on the court to coach Doc Rivers and the bench players. Members of the Heat, for all their talent, were stoic, reserved and seemingly unsure of their own abilities.

There is no doubt that Miami will improve, but on the opening night of the season, the Celtics proved once again that they are still the team to beat in the East.

NFL RedZone is a high-scoring affair BY

ETHAN STURM

Not to cross over the border into the Arts & Living section or anything, but there’s a TV program on Sundays that stands head and shoulders above the rest: NFL RedZone.

The show, which runs from kickoff of the 1 o’clock games straight through the final whistle of the 4 o’clock games, has more action, drama and excitement than anything else on television.

More importantly, it is the perfect NFL viewing experience.

NFL RedZone, which premiered last season, is a station that advertises itself as showing, “Every Touchdown. From Every Game. All in One Channel.” True to its slogan, the channel does not miss a single score all afternoon. What happens if two happen simultaneously?

Well, RedZone simply goes into split screen and makes sure you see both.

So why watch RedZone instead of Fox or CBS for your weekly dosage of gridiron madness? Listing off the reasons could take longer than Brett Favre making a decision.

First, in today’s ADD-driven culture, RedZone is the ultimate channel.

Those who want to follow their fantasy team will be able to see every big play. Those who find the ins and outs of the game boring can now watch only the most exciting parts.

True lovers of the game will not miss a key play all afternoon and will have plenty to talk about around the water

The dark side of cricket

I

INSIDE THE NFL

Daily Editorial Board

AVINASH ASTHANA | SWITCH HIT

cooler on Monday. And for those forced to be far away from their home squad, well, at least they can see a good part of their game instead of watching Tom Bieber (or “Brady,” if you are to believe the Patriots) play.

No matter your preferences, if you enjoy football, you will love RedZone.

To make things even better, unlike other channels, RedZone has no commercial breaks. As the anchor of the show often says, “They will be going to commercial break, but we don’t do that.”

You no longer have to watch the Budweiser Clydesdale or a Danica Patrick striptease 30 times every Sunday.

Instead, you get to watch football, football and more football. When action is slow, you will still be watching whichever game is the closest or the most important, even if no one is anywhere close to scoring.

What truly makes NFL RedZone shine is that in today’s digital world, viewers of the channel are constantly up to date. No amount of picture-inpicture or channel flipping can give you the same effect that RedZone does.

It lets you see more hits than a Bears quarterback and more action than Favre’s cell phone.

If there is a key injury that could change the playoff picture, you are watching. A record-breaking pass, you are there. The only way to get the same kind of coverage is to watch ESPN’s SportsCenter the next morning.

Earlier this year, Chargers fans realized just how valuable the station is when their game against the

Jaguars was blacked out. The game was exciting and high-scoring, and RedZone had every score, as well as every momentum-swinging play, in the team’s 38-13 victory.

While RedZone may not make up for the experience of watching your favorite team’s entire game, it can do just about everything else. There is really no better way to enjoy America’s most popular sport.

Unfortunately, NFL RedZone is not a part of the Tufts cable package. But there are still plenty of ways to enjoy.

Those living off campus can easily subscribe to it, as it is available through Cox Communications, Dish Network, AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FiOs, among other services. For on-campus Jumbos, a quick Google search can easily locate a free online stream to enjoy.

While it would be easy to go on all day about just how incredible RedZone is, no one could do the channel more justice than Sports Illustrated’s Phil Taylor, who talked about the station shortly after it arrived on the scene.

“If you have not yet discovered the little piece of paradise that is the NFL Network’s new RedZone channel … you might argue with my contention that it is the greatest invention in the history of mankind,” Taylor wrote. “To which I say, name a more significant boon to civilization. Fire? Overrated.

Put on another sweater. The wheel?

Sure, it makes transportation easier, but who wants to go anywhere when RedZone is on?”

Amen to that.

will start off with updates from the spot-fixing scandal that I mentioned in my last column. The three Pakistani players suspected to be a part of the scandal have been temporarily suspended from playing cricket by International Cricket Council (ICC). Two of them have appealed the ban, and the investigations should be completed within a month.

The investigation team has been looking into games played by Pakistan prior to the game against England, with one test match against Australia last year under particularly intense scrutiny.

The reaction of the the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been particularly disappointing. Instead of trying to internally reflect on what has gone wrong in the system, they have lashed out at the ICC. They have called it a “conspiracy” against Pakistan Cricket, and board president Ijaz Butt absurdly suggested that it was the English players who had thrown away a game for money.

The ICC has now set out a set of guidelines that the PCB has to implement; if it fails to do so, it will be temporarily banned from playing cricket. The PCB, despite being abjectly humiliated by the ICC, has still maintained its stubborn stance. It should have implemented these steps 20 years ago when cricket first faced the match-fixing scandal. A few Pakistani cricketers had been implicated in “matchfixing,” a graver form of spot-fixing where the entire result of a match is manipulated to line the pockets of a greedy few.

Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, a Pakistani judge, formulated a set of guidelines in 2000 to be implemented in order to ensure that Pakistani cricket never suffered the same humiliation again. He also handed out very harsh punishments to act as a deterrent to the cricketers of future generations.

Unfortunately, the PCB did not implement the orders at the time, and the appalling result is there for all to see. This ultimatum issued by the ICC is the final nail in the coffin for the PCB, and if it does not get its act together, it might be a while before we get to see a Pakistani team in action again.

The most shocking match-fixing incident in cricket history was the Hansie Cronje scandal. Hansie Cronje was a former captain of the South African team.

He led South Africa to an aura of respectability in international cricket and was revered all over the world. Then, a shocking expose by the New Delhi police in 2000 destroyed the citadel that Cronje built for himself.

Cronje tried to fix matches and encouraged his teammates do the same for a mere total of $65,000. The national hero was shamed as he tearfully admitted his guilt in front of a stunned congregation of media and fans.

As an excitable 10-year-old at the time — waving my plastic bat around to imitate Sachin Tendulkar’s shot that I would see on TV — I was naive in my belief that cricketers played cricket for the love of the game. I could not believe that Cronje was not playing to see his country’s flag waving proudly among the other cricketing nations. I doubt Cronje himself could believe that he had thrown away a legacy for a sum of money. Sadly, Cronje died two years after the admission in a plane crash, ending a career that promised so much yet faltered when its integrity was questioned.

Even as a Liverpool FC hater, I really admire former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly’s quote: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. ... I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” Cricket is also a way of life and the only means of joy for countless people around the world, where some starve themselves for a day just so they can buy a ticket to watch their team play.

Cricketers have a duty to be faithful to those fans and, more importantly, to be true to themselves.

Avinash Asthana is a junior majoring in computer science. He can be reached at Avinash.Asthana@tufts.edu.

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tuftsdaily.com

MEN’S RUGBY

Jumbos sit atop conference heading into season’s end BY

LAUREN FLAMENT

Daily Editorial Board

In recent years, the Tufts University Rugby Football Club (TURFC) has established itself as one of the top teams in the region. This year has proven to be no different.

With only one loss on the year, Tufts sits at the top of the Div. III North Conference for the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU), tied with rival UMass Lowell, a team it dominated 34-0 back in September.

Tufts’ only loss came at the hands of Colby, which edged out the Jumbos 25-17 two weekends ago. The Mules are currently third in the conference.

“We just came unprepared [to the Colby game],” junior co-captain Gabe Perrone said.

“We hadn’t allowed a point all year … but in the first two minutes, they scored against us and we were shell-shocked. We didn’t know how to rebound. I don’t think they were better than us. We just didn’t know how to respond.

We’re not used to playing from behind.”

“I think it was almost a good thing to lose to Colby, because in the first four games we hadn’t had a point against us, so we thought we were invincible, so that was a wake up call,” TURFC President Matt Menning, a senior, added.

In Tufts’ six matchups so far, it has only allowed two of its opponents to put a score on

JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY

The men’s rugby team’s staunch defense has allowed just 32 points this season, less than half the total of the next-best team in the conference. the board — Colby and Wentworth Institute.

The points Wentworth scored, however, hardly made the match a nail-biter. Tufts notched its highest point total of the season, 46, towering over Wentworth’s mere seven on Saturday.

Tufts leads the conference in points by nearly 40, having put 185 on the scoreboard this season. The squad also has allowed 35 fewer points than any other team in the

East conference — and the NERFU, for that matter — with only 32 points scored against them as they enter their final regular season game. This point total is the lowest among all 32 teams in the NERFU. The final matchup for Tufts pits the team against Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine, this Saturday afternoon. The Polar Bears have split their games so far this season, sitting fourth in the conference with a 3-3 record.

This weekend’s contests will determine whether the Jumbos are able to reclaim the conference crown, which the squad earned in 2008. The team will have to do as well as or better than UMass Lowell’s performance against Bates to seal the title. Since the Jumbos defeated the River Hawks earlier in the season, a tie in the standings would go to the Jumbos.

If UMass Lowell’s performance bests Tufts’, the Jumbos will match their 2009 result when they finished in the runner-up position.

Along with the conference championship, a victory over Bowdoin on Saturday would guarantee Tufts a home game and the No. 1 seed for the first round of the playoffs of the NERFU Championships.

“The goals going into this weekend are to win and stomp on Bowdoin,” Perrone said. “It would boost our confidence, and it would earn us a home game for the opening round of playoffs. At home, we’ve allowed seven points and scored over 100, so I like our odds at home.”

No matter the outcome of this weekend’s matches, the squad has clinched its spot in the championship. The top two teams from each of the four conferences advance to this threeround tournament, through which one squad will emerge as the top team in the region. In 2009, the Tufts squad advanced to the semifisee MEN’S RUGBY, page 14

WOMEN’S RUGBY

League’s top defense propels Jumbos to 4-1 mark Tufts finishes second in division, but is ousted in first round of playoffs BY

BEN KOCHMAN

Daily Editorial Board

The women’s rugby team had a stellar Fall 2010 season, going 4-1 in the regular season and giving up the fewest points of any team in its division. The team finished in second place behind MIT in the Eastern Division of the New England Rugby Football Union but was ultimately bested in the national quarterfinals by St. Michael’s College.

“We improved so much from last year,” junior Rachael Beekman said. “We went from practicing twice a week to almost five times a week, and fitness workouts became mandatory instead

of optional. We became so much more aggressive as a team.”

After losing its first match of the season to MIT, Tufts reeled off four consecutive wins, including a 19-12 win over Bates, which was playing its first year in Div. III after dropping down from Div. II. The win over the Bobcats was a testament to the Jumbos’ tough defense — which only gave up 28 points this year, best in the Eastern Division and fourth nationally — and newfound sense of confidence.

“The best moment of the year was definitely when we beat Bates,” Beekman said. “They had been bragging all week on their Facebook page, talking about how they were going to crush us. No

one was expecting us to win. But we dominated them and were pretty much on offense for the whole game.”

The win over Bates brought Tufts’ record to 4-1 and moved the Jumbos one point ahead of the Bobcats in the division standings.

“We gave them our all and beat them in energy level,” senior co-captain Katy Simon said. “It showed the extent of our abilities to play as a team, to have a unified front and back line.”

But St. Michael’s stymied Tufts’ momentum in the playoffs, as the Jumbos lost the match by one try, 15-10. The team drove up to Burlington, Vt., for the quarterfinals on Parents

Weekend and didn’t have many back-ups available for support against a team that in the regular season had the best defense in the nation. For Tufts, the loss was a tough way to end a fruitful 2010 campaign.

“It was really disheartening because we weren’t playing as a team like we needed to be,” Simon said. “I think that we were more skilled and fit than them, but we couldn’t get our act together and beat them.”

Losing stalwart performers like Simon and fellow captain Rebecca Achey will be tough to swallow next season, but the future looks bright for the women’s rugby team. The second-place fin-

ish in the Eastern Division will, because of the bizarre rules of New England rugby, give the team a better seed in next fall’s national playoff tournament. Moreover, the seniors were very impressed with the contributions of the rookies on the team, many of whom were playing rugby for the first time in their lives.

“We had a really, really good group of new people,” Beekman said. “A lot of them didn’t know the rules at the start, but they were still able to contribute.”

“When I came in as a freshman, I was immediately hooked,” Simon said. “One of our goals is to make sure that the new players learn, and we definitely succeeded.”

Editors' Challenge | Week 8 Spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky sluts!

It’s that time of the year again, folks — that glorious occasion when everyone trots out in their creative costumes and carves up those scary pumpkins for all to see. But before we start munching on Snickers bars and get pissed off at the old guy down the street who gives you a quarter or a raisin — seriously, what’s up with him? He pulls that stunt EVERY SINGLE YEAR — it’s time to check out how the esteemed sports editors of the Daily have been doing as we head into the Week 8 installment of the Editors’ Challenge — and what they plan to dress up as, come Sunday.

After a short stint atop the leader board, Ethan “Slutty Neville Longbottom” Sturm now has company in first place. Though he didn’t necessarily falter after a 9-5 Week 7, 10-4 marks by both Jeremy “Slutty Dave Heck” Greenhouse and Steve “Slutty That Guy Who’s Too Cool to Wear a Costume” Smith created a logjam in first with frighteningly good showings.

The trio has now built up a comfortable lead in first as Alex “Slutty Dude in a Big Solo Cup” Lach is hardly within one-week striking distance, sitting three games back from first place at 62-42 overall. Ringing in at 61-43 is Alex “Slutty Japanese Schoolgirl” Prewitt, whose week-worst 7-7 mark — thanks to a terrible gamble on the NY GiantsDallas debacle — puts him four games out.

OVERALL RECORD LAST WEEK

Barely cracking the 60-win plateau on the season was Phil “Slutty Bro Who Likes Sluts” Dear, who sits all alone in sixth place. Right behind him, however, in a threeway tie for seventh place, are Claire “Jenn Sterger” Kemp, Noah “Slutty Mummy” Schumer and Lauren “Slutty Caster Semenya” Flament. The three sit at 59-45 and will look to slowly make up the six-game difference between them and first place in the upcoming weeks.

And now we arrive at the Eds’ Challenge basement, that scary place no one hopes to end up in because some creepy guy with an axe will probably sneak up on you from behind while the ominous music plays in the background. You know, the music that goes, “dun...dun...dun...DUN...DUN...DUN...DUN,” before he chops your head off.

In 10th place is Daniel “Slutty Brian Wilson’s Beard” Rathman, who escaped last place thanks to an 8-6 Week 7, barely beating out Ben “Slutty Street-Walker” Kochman, who is still four games above .500 for the year.

Graciously guest-picking this week is Tufts running back Pat “The Only One Whose Costume Isn’t Slutty Because He Plays Football and We’re Scared That If We Call Him Slutty the Football Team Will Beat Us Up Because They’re Much Bigger” Bailey.

Ethan

Jeremy

Steve

Alex L.

Alex P.

Phil

Claire

Lauren

Noah

Daniel

Ben

65-39 9-5

65-39 10-4

65-39 10-4

62-42 8-6

61-43 7-7

60-44 7-7

59-45 7-7

59-45 9-5

59-45 8-6

55-49 8-6

54-50 7-7

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GUEST Pat Bailey

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