THE TUFTS DAILY

Partly Cloudy 64/44

Downhill rain garden nears completion by

Nina Goldman

Daily Editorial Board

Behind the construction fences obscuring the path between Hodgdon and Lewis Halls, a sustainable rain garden designed to naturally filter rainwater will soon be revealed. The garden, which will cleanse storm water of its impurities before it enters the City of Somerville sewer system, should be finished by mid-November, according to Director of Facilities Services Bob Burns. “The reason we’re doing this is it has a sustainability function,” Burns said. “The vegetation will act as a buffering cleaning device.” The practical application of the new garden is important to both Burns and to Tufts as a whole, he said. Storm water regulations have increased in recent years, he noted, and the garden will serve to prevent flooding of the Somerville sewer system. “Sustainability is an important initiative for [University President Anthony Monaco],” Burns said. “Storm water management is one of my job requirements.” The rain garden also serves an educational purpose. Scott Horsley, lecturer in the Department

of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, has been collaborating with the Facilities Services Department to show his students sustainable construction and development at work, according to Burns. “Students can go view that site ... and see one way of trying to improve the environment,” Burns said. When the rain garden is complete, there will be an informational plaque explaining its purpose, he added. Beyond the rain garden’s practical and instructional applications, it is meant to be visually appealing as well. Although Burns is unsure which plants will be included in the garden, it will likely not include vegetables, he said. Facilities has been working with landscapers to choose the appropriate vegetation for the space. “We try to incorporate both the aesthetics and the environment [beyond storm management],” Burns said. “We try to blend all three into a solution that makes sense.” Facilities plans to create similar rain gardens on other parts of campus after the completion of ongoing site improvements. see CONSTRUCTION, page 2

Princeton Review names three Tufts professors among best in country by

Melissa Wang

Daily Editorial Board

Professor of Political Science Robert Devigne, Senior Lecturer of Philosophy David Denby and Senior Lecturer of Mathematics Mary Glaser were listed among the country’s best 300 college professors by the Princeton Review and RateMyProfessors.com earlier this year. The three are featured in the Princeton Review’s first ever “The Best 300 College Professors” book. “All of them seem to have such contagious energy and very clearly are getting so many students excited about those different areas of study, first years through seniors,” Princeton Review Senior Vice President-Publisher Robert Franek, the book’s author, told the Daily. The book profiles professors from 122 colleges across the nation, Franek said. The Princeton Review is a testpreparation and college consulting company that has released more than 165 publications in print and digital formats. RateMyProfessors. com, a website where students can rate American college professors, has accumulated over 13 million professor ratings.

Tufts dedicates new fitness center by

TUFTSDAILY.COM

tuesday, October 23, 2012

VOLUME LXIV, NUMBER 31

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Menghan Liu

Daily Editorial Board

The Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center was officially dedicated at an afternoon ceremony yesterday in the Chase Gym. The event honored Tufts alumnus, New York Giants Chairman and award-winning film producer Steve Tisch (A ’71) and recognized the contributions of various others in the university’s effort to improve Tufts students’ athletic and overall college experiences. “When you’re in beautiful spaces you can do great things,” Dean of Arts and Sciences Joanne Berger-Sweeney said. Provost and Senior Vice President David Harris acted as master of ceremonies and introduced speeches from Tufts administrators, public officials, students and Tisch himself. Harris opened with a few remarks of his own, including an expression of appreciation to Tisch for his ongoing philanthropic commitment to Tufts and the acknowledgement of various guests of honor. Harris then conveyed a note of congratulations from Republican Senator Scott Brown (LA ’81) in honor of the event and thanked the various members of the Medford community in attendance. Berger-Sweeney followed with

Caroline Geiling / the Tufts Daily

see GYM, page 2

The Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center was officially dedicated at a ceremony yesterday afternoon.

Inside this issue

Andrew Morgenthaler / the Tufts Daily Archives

Robert Devigne, professor of political science, was among three faculty members who made the Princeton Review’s list of the best 300 college professors in the nation. According to Franek, the Princeton Review sends out annual surveys to hundreds of thousands of college students across the United States asking them to evaluate their professors. This information was combined with ratings from RateMyProfessors. com to create a smaller list of 1,000 professors and then a final list of 300.

“It’s a crossing of both the information, feedback on a professor and feedback on a student’s overall academic experience,” Franek said. The book aims to provide high school students, their parents and guidance counselors with a guide for choosing a school that fits best, see PROFESSORS, page 2

Debate Coverage

Obama, Romney spar on foreign policy In Pearson Chemical Laboratory and across campus, members of the Tufts community gathered last night to watch the third and final debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in their bid for the election next month. The candidates stated their views on America’s role in the world, the war in Afghanistan, Israel and Iran, the changing Middle East, terrorism and China during the foreign policy debate, which was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS. For 90 minutes, Romney and Obama criticized each other’s approaches to diplomacy. Romney opened the debate by attacking his opponent on his policies in the Middle East. “We can’t kill our way out of this mess,” he said, criticizing Obama for focusing too much on killing America’s enemies in the region and not enough on soft power. Obama defended his administration’s actions in Libya and in the Middle East and cited his diplomatic skills in Israel. “I didn’t take donors,” as Romney did during his visit to Israel, Obama said. The president went on to cite his success in ordering the killing of Osama bin Laden, something he said his administration “moved heaven and Earth” to do. Romney took the chance to emphasize that his plans to increase spending on defense would be

balanced out by reforming domestic entitlement programs as part of a promise to balance the U.S. budget by the end of a second term as president. “I’ll get us on track,” he said. The candidates agreed on the president’s use of drones in the fight against terrorists abroad. On China, the candidates emphasized the danger of a trade imbalance with the country. Romney repeated his promise to label China a “currency manipulator” and said it could be a U.S. partner as long as it followed the rules. He criticized Obama for what he said was a soft position on China’s currency policies. Obama hit back with a zinger referencing Romney’s time at Bain Capital. “You are familiar with shipping jobs overseas because you invested in companies shipping jobs overseas,” Obama told his opponent. The debate came at a particularly tense moment in the election, with voting day just around the corner and many polls showing the two campaigns neck and neck. Jumbos who came to watch the debate together in Pearson stayed after the stage was clear to weigh the results of the election. “It showed that there’s a great deal of consensus on a rather hawkish policy on a number of issues like Iran, Israel… and the drone war,” Mark Rafferty, a senior, said. —by Martha Shanahan

Today’s sections

Our Presidential election coverage continues with a look into the candidates’ economic policies.

Dark Dark Dark headlined a recent concert at Great Scott in Allston.

see FEATURES, page 4

see ARTS, page 7

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 4 7 10

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

11 12 14 Back

The Tufts Daily

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News

Speakers highlight the significance of new gym

Student iPhone repair business takes off Starting this semester, students with broken iPhones may not have to look any further than campus to get their mobile devices fixed. Corey Mason, a junior, has launched a same-day repair service that covers iPhones and iPads. Mason’s enterprise is an independent branch of the global franchise iCracked, which offers do-it-yourself kits and mail-in repairs through local technicians. After having his iPhone repaired by iCracked over the summer, Mason decided to start his own service. “I have my own business and [iCracked] basically provide me with all the parts I need and all the support I need, and I do all of my own finances. I do personal advertising, and I fix phones on my own time and treat it as if it’s my own service completely,” Mason said. Mason can repair more than just a cracked screen — he has worked on malfunctioning speaker and camera functions on the phone, as well as broken “home” buttons. He does not yet have the capability to repair iPhone 5 screens. It takes him between a half hour and 45 minutes to repair a screen, and he has made approximately 73 such repairs since he launched his business in August. Mason’s appeal comes partly from his ability to do repairs quickly and in locations convenient to customers, he noted. “When people text, I usually ask them to come meet me where I’m studying or I’ll go meet them and I can do it that day, right in front of them if they want,”

GYM

continued from page 1

Kyra Sturgill / The Tufts Daily

Junior Corey Mason this semester started a business for students in need of iPhone repairs. Mason said. Most of his business is referred to him through word of mouth. “What I’d rather it be is kind of a Cookie Guy presence, like, the iPhone Guy,” Mason said. “Everyone knows about me, and if you ever break your phone you know who to go to.” The bulk of Mason’s customers have been Tufts students, though area residents drawn by his low prices have also begun to seek his services. “I’d say out of every five repairs, four of them are students and another one is someone from out of town,” Mason said. Emily Caplan, a junior, had her iPhone’s shattered front screen repaired by Mason. “It’s a lot cheaper than getting

Professors adopt diverse teaching styles PROFESSORS

continued from page 1

Franek added. “We wanted to give those collegebound students a resource that can make them more college-savvy,” he said. “We also thought that there wasn’t a great deal of information out there about specific professors who are doing superlative jobs in making their content areas exciting for students. We wanted to highlight those professors.” Devigne, who has taught in the Department of Political Science for 21 years, exposes students to traditions and political theory in western civilization as well as renowned philosophers. His upper-level courses are very debate-driven, he explained. “One, I insist that students root their comments and views based on the material that we’ve read,” he said. “Two, I encourage a lot of debate and even conflict among students around what they interpret.” Devigne noted that part of his teaching style involves questioning students’ interpretations during inclass debates, a technique that he said students have appreciated. “I find that students actually appreciate civil debate over what is right or wrong and better or worse rather than just assuming everybody’s okay and every opinion is fine,” he said. Glaser, who has taught in the Department of Mathematics since 1986, said she strives to make her students feel at ease if they need help. “I like to create the most comfortable atmosphere possible in the classroom because you need to ask questions to understand math,” she said. “Math is a funny thing because it can be scary. You have to take that fear away so people are

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

open to learning.” She added that she conveys information in ways that appeal to students’ different learning styles, such as displaying Russian nesting dolls or cutting butternut squash to teach concepts visually. “I’m constantly thinking of ways to present something that will stick in their heads and demonstrate what I’m talking about,” she said. “I try to make it fun too. I could be teaching something very complex and difficult but we’re having fun at the same time.” Denby has been teaching metaphysics, ethics and philosophy at Tufts since 1996. He explained that he steers the learning towards philosophers’ arguments and theories. “I mine the works for their arguments and theories without focusing on who influenced who or the context of the society at the time,” he said. He also described an interactive methodology that he uses in the classroom, which he believes encourages student participation and gives classroom debates staying power. “I usually put arguments on the board and explain them, making sure that the terms are clear and the rationales to the claims are clear,” he said. “Then the students just kind of launch into them, attacking the arguments, and I defend [the arguments] and see how it goes from there.” Devigne, Denby and Glaser all remarked that they were honored to receive the award and highlighted the work of their other Tufts colleagues. “It’s quite nice, and it’s a bit of a surprise. It came completely out of the blue,” Denby said. “It’s nice to get a prize for the department and a prize for Tufts. Tufts deserves it.”

it fixed [by Apple],” Caplan said. “I think it’s a great thing to do in a college, because there [are] so many people that break their phones and don’t want to pay to get it fixed. College students can’t afford to get new phones every time they break them.” Junior Emma Van Lieshout, who had both her front screen and back panel repaired by Mason on separate occasions, said it was a quick and easy process. “[He] has the best prices that I’ve heard for any kind of repair,” Van Lieshout said. “He fixed my back screen within the day. When he fixed my front screen, I brought it to his house and he fixed it right there.” —by Daphne Kolios

a short speech on the new fitness center’s value to undergraduate education. Drawing on a personal anecdote about her own family’s athletic background, Berger-Sweeney illustrated how athletics taught her the importance of integrity in team play. “When we strengthen athletics, we strengthen the student experience here at Tufts University,” Berger-Sweeney said. Stanmar Inc. President Mark Snider, father of Oliver Snider (LA ’10), spoke next on Stanmar’s contribution to the facility’s design. After hearing the opinion of his son, a football player, about Tufts’ dated athletic facilities, Snider began to cooperate with university officials to create a better design. Snider’s inspiration ultimately was crucial to the on-schedule and underbudget completion of the new fitness center. Senior Kate Barnosky, a senior and co-captain of the women’s basketball team, and Nick Cutsumpas, a junior and co-captain of the baseball team, then expressed what the new facilities meant personally for them as Tufts students. Barnosky explained the fitness center represents a way of bringing students together, while Cutsumpas recognized that few Div. III schools are fortunate enough to have facilities of such a caliber. Athletics Director William Gehling affirmed both students’ sentiments, declaring his belief in the value of a university’s athletic experience and his

enthusiasm that Tufts’ athletic facilities are finally beginning to match up with the institution’s overall quality. “This building represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Tufts athletics and in our dreams moving forward,” Gehling said. Chair of the Board of Trustees Jim Stern then thanked President Emeritus Lawrence Bacow and his wife, who were present at the dedication, for directing all gifts made in their name towards Tufts athletics. Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn then made a speech affirming the positive relationship between the city and Tufts, before University President Anthony Monaco took to the microphone to acknowledge the fitness center as the culmination of steady improvements to Tufts athletics under Bacow. “It’s through philanthropy such as this that we can change,” he said, before introducing Tisch. After receiving a standing ovation, Tisch joked, “There’s nothing left to say,” before moving on to close the dedication ceremony. “Raising the bar is really what Tufts is all about,” Tisch said. “The building I am here to dedicate keeps pace with the mission of progress.” Tisch added that the building bears more than just his name, but also embodies his ideal that physical fitness is critical to achieving a worldclass education. “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the future of this school,” Tisch said.

Rain garden to rid storm water of impurity, serve as educational resource CONSTRUCTION

continued from page 1

“The idea of the rain garden is that it will be used as a model,” Burns said. The construction, which began at the start of the school year, blocks the walkway between Hodgdon and Lewis through which students often pass. Kaley Leshem, a sophomore who lives in Hodgdon, said she does not mind that the rain garden’s construction gets in the way of her walking route. “I’m not upset about it

because I’m sure they’re making it better,” Leshem said. “I really appreciate that they’re beautifying our campus.” She is also glad that, as a Hodgdon resident, she will get to see the garden regularly throughout the rest of the year. “I feel like we’ll get to enjoy it all the time,” she said. “I walk past there every day.” However, sophomore Lewis resident Jake DeSousa feels that the extended length of time during which Facilities has been occupying the area is excessive.

“The construction is very inconvenient,” DeSousa said. “It’s a garden. How long can it possibly take?” DeSousa did not share Leshem’s enthusiasm over potential enjoyment of the rain garden, explaining that he would have rather had the resources dedicated to the garden instead delegated to dorm improvements. “I [wouldn’t] care if it were a garden or if it were a chocolate factory. It’s in the way,” he said. “They should have done it during the summer.”

Elaine Bledsoe / The Tufts Daily

The construction between Hodgdon and Lewis Halls, slated for completion in mid-November, will soon unveil a sustainable rain garden.

The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

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Tufts Programs Abroad Upcoming Informational Pizza Parties

Tufts in Madrid:

Tuesday, October 23rd at 6:00pm Dowling Hall 745 A&B

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Wednesday, October 24th at 6:00pm Dowling Hall 745 A

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Thurssday, October 25th at 6:00pm Dowling Hall 745 B Come learn more about our programs! Other Upcoming Tufts Programs Events:

Tufts in Japan: Tues., 10/30 @ 6pm in Dowling 745A Tufts in Ghana: Thurs., 11/1 @ 6 pm in the Africana Center Tufts in Tübingen: Tues., 11/6 @ 6pm in Dowling 745A (*updated!)

Tufts in Paris: Tues., 11/13 @ 6pm in Dowling Library http://uss.tufts.edu/studyabroad

Ever wonder  what  it’s  like  to  be  a  lawyer  or   what  law  school  is  like?  

Alumni Networking  event  with   Tufts  Lawyers  Association  

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Features

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tuftsdaily.com

Economy,

unemployment

polarize candidates, voters as election approaches by

Falcon Reese

Daily Editorial Board

Protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement argue for the redistribution of wealth.

T

wo events of major historical significance defined the year 2008. The first was a recession with a level of severity unmatched by any economic downturn since the Great Depression. The second, the election of the nation’s first black president — a president who was elected at a time when the economy was hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs each month and who has since helmed an economic recovery that, while sluggish and susceptible to criticism, is still inching along.

Despite that progress, President Barack Obama faces the very real prospect of losing his re-election. Poll numbers have the President neck-and-neck with his opposition, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who asserts that his breadth of experience in the economy’s private sector will allow him to steer America’s economy forward. Much of what contributed to the severity of the 2008 recession President Obama inherited was that it was coupled with a financial crisis, according to Assistant Professor of Economics Arthur Chiang. “There’s a lot of evidence that recessions that follow complicated financial crises … tend to take longer to unwind,” he said. “In terms of what [Obama] was dealing with, it’s not your garden variety recession.” To deal with an economy in freefall, Obama’s administration quickly enacted an $825 billion stimulus package, the logic behind which was to invest in projects that would create demand for new jobs, Chiang said. Jobs lead to increased income, which theoretically leads to people spending more money on goods and services, hopefully pulling the economy out of its downward spiral. Similar rationale was the basis for Obama’s 2010 extension of both the Bush tax cuts and of the payroll tax cuts — more disposable income as a result of lower taxes would allow for increased spending, while the payroll tax cuts act as an incentive for hiring, according to Department of Economics Chair Daniel Richards. “The payroll tax is something that employers have to pay when they hire you — they pay you a wage and they pay you a payroll tax,” Richards said. “If they don’t have to pay you a payroll tax, then that makes it a little bit easier for them to hire you.” Richards added, however, that in a recessionary period, the uncertainty of the economy means that people tend to save more and spend less. Therefore, money saved from tax cuts goes into savings accounts, not back into the market. Obama’s economic policies have not been without heavy criticism, most nota-

bly the assertion that they have continued to drive up the federal deficit. This is normal, though, according to Chiang. “It’s sort of by construction that you’d associate a stimulus period with an increase in the deficit,” he said, explaining that increased spending is necessary for growing the economy. “It’s the wrong time to worry about [cutting the deficit] when we’re still roughly in the recovery of a recessionary period,” Chiang said. “You should take care of growing the economy first in terms of jobs and GDP [Gross Domestic Product] and then … once things are really booming, then you have to be responsible.” Other criticisms of Obama, though, hold more weight, Richards said. The administration’s initial predictions for

recovery were far too optimistic and underestimated the severity of the recession, according to Richards. “They made statements during the first year that people could hold them to,” he said. “That was unfortunate, because… the economy that they inherited from the Bush years was in much worse shape than they initially thought.” Richards added that he felt the Obama administration was far more accommodative than it should have been to push the kind of economic policy that was necessary. “It became fairly clear early on that the Republicans were going to block a lot of things, and I think [the administration] should have, instead of trying to appease them, they should’ve said, ‘Okay, nothing we do is going to please them,’ and then just been a bit more bold about what they were going to do,” he said. Chiang agreed that Obama should have been more aggressive in pushing through a more effective stimulus, and added that another critique is that Obama’s priorities have not been as concentrated on the economy as they could have been — focusing on passing healthcare reform

bernita ling for the tufts daily

According to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate — after rising to ten percent in the heart of the recession — declined to 7.8 percent in Sept. 2012. The rate of unemployment specific to college graduates has also decreased since the financial crisis, and recent college graduate — defined as those ages 20 to 24 — unemployment in particular has fallen to 6.3 percent last month, down from 8.3 percent in Sept. 2011 and 9.4 percent in Sept. 2010.

MCT

while simultaneously dealing with nine to ten percent unemployment, for example. “It’s kind of like putting out the fire before you work on building an extension to your house,” he said. Despite criticisms, the economy is moving forward — unemployment dropped to 7.8 percent nationally last month from a high of ten percent in Oct. 2009 — and Obama’s stimulus package has had a major effect on that, according to Max and Herta Neubauer Chair and Professor of Economics Yannis Ioannides. “The [only other option] would have been to have the economy languish for years and years, just as Japan has for the last nearly 20 years or so, unable to get out of it,” Ionnides said. “But the United States’ economy is moving, the unemployment is going down.” Although the economy is showing slow signs of growth, there are outcries for a new fiscal policy that immediately addresses the still high unemployment rate and creates more growth, faster. Romney has outlined a five-part plan — addressing energy independence, trade, the deficit, small business creation and investment in skilled workers — which he says will be responsible for the creation of 12 million new jobs. One of the cornerstone’s of Romney’s economic policy is a 20 percent cut of the marginal tax rates across the board, the idea being to free up money that can be used to encourage entrepreneurship, according to Richards. “In their view, if I’m a businessman, and I’m going to go into business, and I’m going to get taxed 35 percent at the margin, then that’s going to be a discouragement for me to earn any income,” he said. “[If I] only get to keep two-thirds of it at the margin ... I won’t go in ... and start a new business and hire new people.” This stands in contrast to Obama’s tax plan, which promises to keep tax rates the same on the lowest four income tax brackets, while raising the marginal rates on the highest earners in the top two brackets. “The Obama administration has said we would like to see any spending cuts accompanied by some tax increase, and in particular, tax increases on the wealthiest because the wealthy have done extraordinarily well over the last 20 or 30 years,” Richards said. Richards foresees several problems with Romney’s plan. “Unless it spurs an enormous amount of hiring and growth … the conventional

The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 estimates suggest that by 2015, it’ll be losing about $480 billion a year in tax revenue,” he said. “If we just have the kind of growth that we think we’re going to have, we’ll be taxing that

income at a lot lower rate, and there will be a much bigger hole in the deficit.” Although the Romney campaign has promised to both cut the deficit and cut taxes, it is still unclear how Romney will implement both in an economically sound fashion. “I actually agree … that we have to bring the taxes down,” Ioannides said. “But it’s very difficult to reduce taxes at a time that you need tax revenue to sustain the economy.” Richards added that to counterbalance the loss of tax revenue, Romney would have to eliminate a significant amount of tax deductions. “Romney has not specified which [reductions] he would eliminate, but you have to eliminate a lot to cover the $5 trillion deficit [that will be the result of his tax cuts],” he said. “That’s been some of the criticism, because [Romney] hasn’t specified which ones.” Another point of criticism with

“

The president has a lot less control over the economy than either side would like to admit.

”

Arthur Chiang, Assistant Professor of Economics

Romney’s tax plan is its skew in benefitting the upper income tax brackets. Although everyone will receive a 20 percent cut under his plan, 20 percent back of a 35 percent tax rate in the highest bracket equates to a lot more than 20

percent back of 10 percent in the lowest. “If you give them [20 percent back], for those people [earning] over $390,000, you’re talking about a lot of money,” Richards said. “Someone in the top income tax bracket, the average person might make $4 or 5 million a year. They might get back something like $200,000.” A commonality between the two candidates’ economic plans, however, is a long-term investment in skilled labor.

Ioannides stressed the importance of doing so as well as investing in education and research and development. “That’s what is going to put us back, keep us actually at the forefront of the international division of labor,” he said. “Being able to train the best people, the best engineers, the best computer scientists, the best doctors — this is what keeps the U.S. economy what it is.” He added that Obama has advocated for skill development and research, but needs to begin to more effectively implement his ideas if re-elected. “I think [Obama] needs to translate into policy all of these ideas about access to education, access to financing of education, access of firms to high technology products, investment of high technology industries, including investment in environment-related industries and energy-related industries,” Ioannides said. No matter who is elected in November, though, it is unlikely that either of the candidates’ individual plans will have a substantial negative impact on the economy. “My guess is the economy is in recovery now and barring a dramatic shock … the economy is going to stay in recovery no matter who is elected,” Richards said. “The president has a lot less control over the economy than either side would like to admit,” Chiang added.

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Features

As the economy continues to recover and more jobs open up, recent college grads will look to fill them. In fact, employers expect to hire 13 percent more college graduates from the Class of 2013 than from the Class of 2012, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Furthermore, the national unemployment rate for recent college graduates, defined as those between the ages of 20 to 24, has, along with the overall unemployment rate, dropped to 6.3 percent last month, down from 8.3 percent in Sept. 2011, and 9.4 percent in Sept. 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite the positive outlook, Director of Career Services Jean Papalia warned that finding a job in a still-recovering economy will not be easy, and that students should concentrate on differentiating themselves in the job market. “By gaining experience through internships, research, campus activities, jobs and volunteer work,

bernita ling for the tufts daily

students can hone in on their career interests and develop marketable skills along the way,” Papalia told the Daily in an email. “Tufts students, in particular, understand the value of internships as a differentiator in a job search.” Ioannides emphasized that those who are well educated and highly skilled will always find it easier to navigate in a job market that rewards a broad skill set. “The employers I talk to admire most in … our graduates that they have … analytical skills, writing skills, quantitative skills,” he said. “They are open to capturing a problem, translating it into writing, presenting it in front of people. All of these skills are extremely important in the labor market.” Chiang added that college graduates’ individual economic situations — as well as that of well educated workers in the labor force — will always win out over the nation’s overall economic health. “If you’re a person who’s highly skilled, well educated and has personal skills and attributes that are employable and productive, you’ll do well in terms of the job market, even if the overall job market is depressed,” he said.

bernita ling for the tufts daily

According to information gathered from CNNMoney’s Sept. 2012 analysis of the candidates’ tax rate proposals, Obama would uphold the Bush tax cuts — the current tax rates for the six income brackets — for the lower income brackets, and raise the tax rate for the upper two brackets. Romney’s proposal calls for a 20-percent cut in tax rates across the board.

Yuri Chang | I hate you, but I love you

How photogenic is your calzone?

A

s an Asian American female college student, I think I can safely say that I fall under every demographic of people who are most likely to take pictures of food. I have the Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds to prove it. Every time I log in, I can guarantee that there will be a profusion of photographs of meals just waiting to be viewed. Let’s dissect this a bit further: according to data charted by Facebook, people between the ages of 18 and 35 are the largest age group of Facebook users in the United States. Furthermore, women have uploaded and have been tagged in twice as many photos as men. To prove my point to you not so quantitatively, the tumblr AsiansTakingPicturesofFood is both highly entertaining and effective in pointing out a trend within the Asian community. Despite the fact that I fall under these categories and should therefore be a frequent food-uploader, I have to restrain from rolling my eyes each time I see an Instagrammed photo of a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. I spent many a night pondering why people would feel compelled to upload such photos, and have come up with several theories to explain possible causes. First, we have the Cultural Capital Theory, also known as the “Aren’t you jealous of this meal I just consumed?” hypothesis. These food photos are perceived as assets to one’s image just like intellect or style of speech and dress. People like to post photos of the fresh oysters that they had at Tom Colicchio’s newest restaurant just as people take photos in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. We’ve all seen her portrait a million times before, but your photo serves as proof that you were there and saw it with your own eyes — or in this case, ate it. Next is the Proud Mom Theory, which is when people upload photos that display their own culinary creations. After you’ve spent five hours slaving over that pumpkin pie you made from scratch, you want to show off your work like the proud mama who birthed you and watched you grow up and go to college. You glow at the Facebook comments that come in with encouraging words such as “Looks delicious!” or “Drooooool” or my personal favorite, “NOM NOM NOM.” And finally, we have the I Just Really, Really Love Food Theory. Food has been universally celebrated and cherished for centuries, and we can’t help but associate our loved ones with fond food memories. It’s natural that people would want to share their special food experiences with the rest of their friends, and social media makes it that much easier. Noticing the growing trend of food photography, camera companies such as Nikon and Sony have even gone so far to include a special “food” setting on their latest lines of cameras. Camera-users can now capture every bit of oozing Gruyere cheese and drizzled balsamic vinegar reduction in 10.2 megapixel macro-precision. But of course, not every meal is worthy of an upload. Standards must be upheld, which is why one should first ruminate, “How photogenic is this burrito that I’m about to eat?” Is it special enough to be worth posting to the interwebs? Will it garner the comments expressing jealousy and hunger that one hopes to receive in such an upload? Whichever theory you may fall under, I resign myself to the inevitability that food will continue being a presence on my Facebook newsfeed. As a self-proclaimed foodie I probably love to eat more than the average person, which is why if I had my way, I would mandate this compromise: that each person be allowed two — and only two — food uploads a month. That’s right, pumpkin-spice-latte-girl. I’m looking at you. Yuri Chang is a senior majoring in international relations. She can be reached at Yuri. Chang@tufts.edu.

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Movie Review

‘Sinister’ is wicked scary, despite flaws Soundscapes, eerie visuals sustain viewers’ anxiety by

Joe Stile | BASSic

Tobie Reeuwijk

Contributing Writer

Are you a celluloid film buff? Do you enjoy feeling uncomfortable in the safety of your own home? Do

Sinister Starring Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone Directed by Scott Derrickson metaphysics and the supernatural turn you on? If you answered yes to any of these, then “Sinister” is a film you will enjoy. Initially, “Sinister” made some waves with the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and boasted a short-lived 100% “fresh” approval rating. Many critics are still calling it the best horror film of 2012, though this isn’t really saying much when the recent contenders like “House at the End of the Street” and “Silent House” fall flat on their faces. Fear is definitely not the only emotion evoked during the course of “Sinister.” There are plenty of moments when the audience was called to “insert nervous laughter here” to release some pent-up anxiety and keep the plot chugging along. Superlative performances from Ethan Hawke and supporting actor James Ransone provide timely moments of humor between the creepiness and carnage. The film’s narrative follows the investigative process of author Ellison Oswalt (Hawke), a true-crime novelist, after he discovers footage related to murders that took place in the new home into which he has just moved with his family. As Oswalt delves deeper into the gruesome matter, supernatural events begin to plague his entire family. He also discovers a trove of Super 8 footage cataloging the series of murders he has been tracking for his novel. The use of this footage as a plot

courtesy Phil Caruso / Summit Entertainment

Use of Super 8 footage adds an eerie element to ‘Sinister’ device works surprisingly well and it adds greatly to the fear factor of the film. All the footage is first person and is exceedingly creepy when combined with the chilling soundtrack. It’s grainy and dimly lit, and its disorienting, intense sequences are almost as scary as reading the “Goosebumps” series (1992-1997) alone in candle-lit darkness. The Super 8 footage sequences are definitely some of the most disturbing cinematic images of the year.

TV Review

Fourth season of ‘Modern Family’ still tugs heartstrings by Joe Stile

Daily Editorial Board

ABC’s ensemble comedy “Modern Family” occupies the rare cultural space where critics praise it, awards are dumped on it and it also

Modern Family Starring Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell Airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC has a huge viewership. As recent shows like “Girls” have proven, this kind of universal acclaim usually leads to a vicious backlash from cynical reviewers. Despite the instinct to hate on the show, the series’ fourth season proves that “Modern Family” is still a funny and amusing sitcom.

The key to “Modern Family’s” success is its exceptional, believable cast. While all the characters are stock “types,” the actors find ways to make them human and incredibly funny. And even though all of the actors are top-notch, two in particular stick out for their ability to overshadow the rest. Emmy-winner Ty Burrell is wonderful as goofball Phil Dunphy. He could easily fall into the stock “useless dad character,” but Burrell’s timing is effortlessly perfect. Any fan knows that in most episodes, Phil is going to say something that has a second, dirtier meaning that flies right over his head. This shtick should theoretically become boring and stale after so many seasons, but it still works because of Burrell’s sincerity and honest delivery. Burrell makes it clear that Phil means well even if his actions are often embarrassing and a little misguided. This keeps him from see MODERN, page 8

The film’s soundscape takes the footage to a level of horror ad absurdum. There is a chamber choir quality to the sounds of the murders, which evokes a reflective mood during the P.O.V. killing. The editing of the sounds and the silent portions of the film generate so much fear and tension that the audience almost wants to laugh aloud after brief moments see SINISTER, page 8

Concert Review

Dark Dark Dark delivers jazzy Great Scott set by

Travis Petersen

Contributing Writer

Set the scene: in the back of a bar stands a small stage. The lights are low, and they give the brick walls and red leather barstools a warm tone. The names of bands that have played here are scribbled on most of the bricks. Five people and their instruments fill the small stage. The venue is Great Scott and the show is Dark Dark Dark, with openers Emily Wells and Boston locals, The Novel Ideas. Dark Dark Dark had two hard acts to follow after solid performances from the two openers, but the band did well with its unique folk music. With its Eastern European and jazz influences, Dark Dark Dark stole the show back from Wells’ engaging performance. The band’s five members, most of whom played several instruments, sometimes had a hard time fitting on the stage, but they did not suffer because of it. They opened with “The Great Mistake,” combining mournful keys and trumpet with tight, impressive vocal harmonies. The audience loosely filled the stage room and stretched back into the bar, with

Wikimedia Commons

Heartfelt ‘Modern Family’ still appeals to a broad range of ages and backgrounds

see DARK, page 8

T

A girl named Lucky

aylor Swift’s fourth studio album, “Red,” was officially released yesterday. While fans are busy exploring the entire record, I’m going to take some time to talk about one of the deep cuts that deserves a little extra attention: “The Lucky One.” The magic of Taylor Swift’s songs is her ability to tell a compelling and relatable story through tiny, telling details. Many of her lines and deliveries sound so personal and intimate that they could only have come from Swift. They give a small window into her experiences and privileged position as one of the world’s biggest stars. “The Lucky One” is only four minutes long, yet it is able to tell two parallel tales. One is of Swift becoming a star and realizing that there are some major downfalls to having your name in lights, while the other concerns an unnamed celebrity who similarly moved from the bottom to the top, only to walk away from it all to keep her dignity intact. After the listener hears the first two verses, the unnamed starlet sounds like a Marilyn Monroe-esque figure. The woman changed her name and appearance to become a beautiful starlet, yet she found no real solace in the extravagant lifestyle or in how uncomfortably public her whole life became. While Monroe has become an archetype for this tale, it’s the same story that hundreds of young women can relate to after they’ve chased their Hollywood dreams and been disappointed by the resulting hollow outcome. In “The Lucky One,” this tale has an unusually cheerful ending, as the unnamed woman gives up all the shallowness and simply walks away to live a happier life. This unintentionally becomes a slightly sadder ending though, as it makes the listener try to think of anyone who walked away from the peak of fame with his or her self-respect in tow. With all the pathetic “comeback” attempts and all the sleazy VH1 reality-shows filled with washed up celebrities willing to do anything just to have anyone look at them again, it seems like that kind of happy ending could only exist in a T-Swift song. I racked my brain for a while before one name finally hit me: Lauryn Hill. Her debut album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, sold over nineteen million copies and was hailed as a masterpiece from the second it was released. In that moment, Hill couldn’t have been any bigger, and yet she chose to step out of the limelight because she didn’t like how she was being treated. While millions lamented her decision and many accused her of being mentally ill, Hill kept her dignity and lived a quiet life away from the superstardom she had rightfully earned. Unfortunately, her ending is an extremely rare one. Details in the song suggest that Swift has at least fantasized about taking a similar step. There’s a slight, defeated anger coursing through Swift’s voice when she sings, “And they tell you that you’re lucky/But you’re so confused,/Cause you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used.” While celebrities are often praised for being beautiful, young female stars are also frequently exploited and objectified. It only makes sense that despite the compliments, Swift has ended up only feeling “used.” The anger spills out when Swift gets to the line, “How you took the money and your dignity, and got the hell out.” Her delivery implies that she’s had enough and that leaving with any sort of self-respect would be a relief. While I don’t think Taylor Swift is seriously considering walking away from music, I do think this song hints that there are some consequences to living the visible lifestyle she does and that there is more to her than just awards and love stories.

Joe Stile is a senior majoring in political science. He can be reached at Joseph.Stile@ tufts.edu.

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The Tufts Daily

Arts & Living

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Minneapolis natives reinvigorated jazz fusion at recent show DARK

continued from page 7

the introspective style of Dark Dark Dark promoting thinking rather than dancing. The venue is possibly the best you could get for this style of music, with the close proximity creating an intimate environment with the performers. The feel of the concert did suffer slightly from lack of abundant seating, however. Dark Dark Dark’s quiet music is better suited to moments of selfreflection and thought than to several hours of standing. They are wonderful musicians regardless of the venue, and their mid-set performance of “Without You” was a great example of this. “Without you, I am a river, my love/Without you I lose what is good to the sea,” crooned frontwoman Nona Invie over a waltzing bass line and minimal, yet essential percussion that was overlain with both her voice and an accordian. With this, Dark Dark Dark managed to create a complex, yet minimal song of beauty. The audience had waned by the end of this headlining set, but those who stayed after were treated to several crowd pleasers off of the band’s first album, “Snow Magic” (2008). The evening’s show began with an engaging performance by The Novel Ideas. Featuring a pedal steel guitar and trumpet among more standard fare, the group plays music that is more similar to folk in composition, but faster, with the twang from the pedal steel giving its music country and rock undertones. Although the crowd was small when they played, they seemed to be well received. The band ended its set with a cover of Fleet Foxes’ “Ragged Wood,” which was greatly appreciated by all. The lovely Emily Wells came next, immediately grabbing the audience’s attention. She opened with a solo on the violin, looping multiple riffs of plucking and bowing over one other, before

Travis Petersen / the Tufts Daily

Dark Dark Dark’s accordion added a haunting element to the band’s performance. adding the combination of vocals and drums that created an atmospheric web of sound you could lose yourself in. Throughout her performance, she elegantly combined classical, gospel and electronic sounds, switching seamlessly between violin, keys and drums. The Texan native further surprised the audience by bringing a special guest on stage: King Sage. With a hat emblazoned with the word “Sage” wearing a crown,

Touching cast performances keep ‘Modern Family’ popular MODERN

continued from page 7

becoming the typical “dumb character” that most shows have. Burrell’s honesty makes it easy for “Modern Family” to showcase its sentimental plotlines alongside its zanier ones. The other star of the series is the beautiful Sofia Vergara. It would be very easy to brush off Vergara because of her perfect features, but underneath her flawless exterior is a very talented actress and comedian. She brings an appealing naivete and hidden rage to her character that makes her an absolute scenestealer. From her frequent mispronunciations to her sudden bursts of anger, she keeps the audience laughing even when the material isn’t of the highest caliber. What gives “Modern Family” its wide appeal is how clean and generally relatable its humor and stories are. While most current shows are cynical and mean, “Modern Family” isn’t afraid to be sentimental and interested in just how much the family members love each other. Most of the humor stems from awkward but mostly innocent situations, and episodes generally end with heart tugging lessons and the characters knowing that they all still care about each other. This premise might sound slightly obnoxious, but the actors sell the emotions well enough that they make the show’s outcomes and the audience’s reactions feel authentic. A major flaw that’s plagued both this season and previous seasons is the writ-

ers’ attempts to balance a large cast. Most episodes get divided into three separate storylines that become connected or come together by the end. With run times of only about twenty-one minutes per episode after commercials are factored out, that only gives each storyline about seven minutes to create a problem, deal with it and find a solution. Some plots feel either minor or rushed because of this time crunch. The show would benefit from having a few episodes focus more closely on fewer characters, or from having more episodes that bring all the characters together throughout the episode. The current season of “Modern Family” has seen some major shifts to the show’s structure. After a time lapse, Gloria is visibly pregnant, Mitch and Cameron have gotten a new cat and now Haley is off to college. These little changes work because they open up the characters to plenty of new plotlines. There is a comedic goldmine of possibilities of what to do with Gloria and how she is adjusting to being pregnant with her second child. The same can be said of Haley leaving home, as there are numerous situations that could stem from this, including how her family will deal with, or revel in, her absence. “Modern Family” is currently one of the biggest shows on television. While the show might not deserve such its acclaim, it does have an excellent cast that makes the characters both funny and real.

Wikimedia Commons

The “Modern Family” cast has won numerous awards over the show’s four seasons.

the African rapper — who now lives in the United States — made a striking impression on stage. Wells laid down a beat and sang, trading off verses with King Sage, who free-styled in French. He left after one song and though his appearance was brief, he made quite an impression on the crowd. One of Wells’ later songs began with melancholic gospel keys and vocals, and then used mixed electronic beats and

see-sawing fiddle, to create a wonderfully complex love song. To end her set, Wells chose to do a cover of the classic “Fever,” using her unique voice to complement her music. Overall, both of the bigger acts, Emily Wells and Dark Dark Dark, gave stellar performances in their own styles, though The Novel Ideas shone in their own right and showed the crowd what talent a posse of locals has to offer.

Poor characterization holds back ‘Sinister’ SINISTER

continued from page 7

of release. The evanescent, modulated sounds and gothic, diminished chords of the soundtrack provide all that is necessary to mimic metaphysical and supernatural forces. The pacing and quality of the sound are key, and they create a few moments during those Super 8 sequences that viewers will be hard pressed to erase from memory. After Oswalt’s first few viewings and deeper analyses of the murder footage, his son (Michael Hall D’Addario) begins channeling negative energies. He also starts having intense night terrors that are reminiscent of “The Exorcist” (1973). The portrayal of night terrors to represent anxiety and the reflection of negative energies is a great idea, when it is used sparingly. Although it is a useful theme in the film, it’s a bit overdone. Oswalt is for the most part numb to the condition and emotions of his family, and he uses alcohol as a crutch to distance himself from this insufficiency. Oswalt has a whole slew of character

flaws and continues to make horrible decisions that are fueled by his selfdoubt, careless family practice and his alcoholism, all of which eat away at his reality. This is where the film begins to lose steam, and where it is harder to believe the lengths to which Oswalt will go to finish his book. Oswalt’s lack of a conscience leads him to make terrible decisions that make a mockery of his character. He has no real saving grace, which makes it hard to empathize with him. “Sinister” transforms into a portrayal of Oswalt’s battle with himself, despite the supernatural that surrounds him. “Sinister” does provide some moments of intense anxiety, given Ethan Hawke’s haunting performance, the soundscape and the Super 8 footage, though the narrative begins to lose its metaphysical luster as the same contrived plot devices fail to suspend disbelief. The film is so close to being a perfect score, but the narrative takes too much of a supernatural route without including enough substance to back it up.

courtesy Phil Caruso / Summit Entertainment

Ethan Hawke delivers a haunting performance in “Sinister.”

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

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Editorial | Letters

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Editorial

Somerville development chance for engagement It is in our best interest as Tufts students to be engaged in the development of our surrounding communities of Somerville and Medford. With this in mind, news that two community sites just a few blocks from campus, a school on Powderhouse Road near Teele Square and a parking lot near the Davis Square T stop, may be in the process of being redeveloped is an exciting opportunity. Tufts students should take note of Somerville Director of Planning George Porakis’s announcement at a public neighborhood meeting last Thursday, as reported first by Somerville Patch, of the town’s intention to request proposals for the redevelopment of the Powder House School near Teele Square, which has been vacant since 2003. The town intends to entertain a

number of ideas for the lot, including uses ranging from residences to offices and retail. Somerville’s government officials have also been considering this fall the possibility of attracting a hotel to develop space at the intersection of Day and Herbert Streets in Davis Square, according to another Patch report. The area currently is used as parking space, and hosts the weekly Davis Square Farmer’s Market. The debate over how these areas are to be changed offers Tufts students a chance to voice their opinions. The town has hosted public neighborhood meetings on similar issues in the past, and will surely do so again in the coming months. Though most of us will only be on campus for four years, this should not

be a limit on our ability to participate. Somerville in particular has seen a great deal of change over the last few decades, as new businesses and uses for space have revitalized both Davis and Teele Squares. As participants in community discussions, Tufts students should be part of this continued development. Students in fields ranging from economics to political science to urban planning and development to community health all likely have diverse and creative ideas, and should use the opportunity at town meetings to bring their ideas about what the town should do with these two sites to the forefront. We may only be around individually for four years, but our influence on the continued changes in our community can last for far longer.

use the Tufts name, their access to funding through the TCU Treasury, and their ability to reserve space through a spacereservation account system provided by the Office for Campus Life (OCL) to individual TCU recognized groups. The reasons behind TCF’s de-recognition are unrelated to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. TCF was derecognized because their constitution codified a requirement that its leadership board hold certain religious beliefs.  The TCUJ held this to be in violation of the non-discrimination clause of the TCU Constitution, which states that: “All members of the TCU shall be entitled to: Participate in any TCUrecognized organization without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or an individual’s previous affiliations in criteria for membership, assignment of voting privileges, or rank, except as otherwise provided by federal or state law or university policy” (Article 1, Section D, Subsection 2). TCF was given the opportunity to decodify this requirement and again become a TCU recognized organiza-

tion, even if the personal decisions of their members when engaging in the process of electing leaders reflected the sentiments expressed by the would-be-former requirement. Since no agreement could be reached, TCF was derecognized. TCF’s derecognition was not triggered by a third-party complaint. Though a complaint against TCF was filed in the ‘11-’12 academic year, it was withdrawn before coming to fruition and had no bearing whatsoever on the Judiciary’s decision in this matter. The process that has now concluded in TCF’s de-recognition began at the end of the ‘11-’12 academic year when TCF submitted a constitutional amendment for approval by the TCUJ, which drew the TCUJ’s attention to the offending sections of their constitution. We hope these points clarify all and any misunderstandings within the TCU and community at large, and we welcome all questions, which should be addressed to the Chair of the TCUJ, Adam Sax, at adam.sax@tufts.edu.

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Dear Editor, members of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) and all other concerned individuals, We, the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ), would first like to thank Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) for writing what we felt was an honest assessment of the process they have gone through with us. This letter is not written to argue against points made in the TCF op-ed published in the Tufts Daily  yesterday, but rather to quell rumors and misinformation that has seemed to emerge from misinterpretations of the many articles and ideas being presented on- and off-campus about the matters surrounding the derecognition of TCF by the TCUJ. The following are the key points we as a Judiciary would like to clarify and feel have been misunderstood: TCF has not been banned from the Tufts campus by the TCUJ.   TCF is still welcome to meet on campus, and, as we understand it from our conversations with TCF, they maintain an affiliation with the Chaplaincy, which may choose to reserve space for TCF on campus through their space-reservation account. TCF has, however, lost the permission to

Sincerely, The Tufts Community Union Judiciary

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

In the News article “TCF loses official TCUJ recognition, plans to appeal” published on Oct. 22, it was incorrectly stated that Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) excludes students from applying to leadership positions based on their beliefs. In fact, any member of TCF can apply to leadership positions, but TCF’s constitution can be interpreted in a way that excludes members from attaining those leadership positions.

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

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

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Op-Ed

Elizabeth Warren deserves the student vote by

Craig Frucht | Road to November

A tale of one city

Taylor J. Barnard

We’re coming down to the wire. Election Day is just around the corner. It’s no secret that voters cast their ballots according to their interests. So it’s okay to look at the political landscape, see what the candidates are offering — or not — and ask, “What’s in it for me?” Issues important to students have been a central part of the Massachusetts senate race and the choice couldn’t be clearer. Elizabeth Warren, if elected, will fight tirelessly for students to make sure they can attend school without graduating under a mountain of debt. Senator Scott Brown, however, has decided that students are important only when it’s politically convenient. He’s thrown our education system under the bus time and time again in order to remain in the good graces of the Republican leadership. Elizabeth Warren has become a rock star among Tufts students as well as with students across the Commonwealth — and for good reason. During debates and on the campaign trail, Scott Brown has attempted to belittle Warren by giving her the unusual epithet of “professor.” This should come as no surprise. It shows how little regard he has for students and teachers. Of course, from a college student’s perspective, having a professor in the United States Senate might bring a new perspective to the debate over higher education. Though she certainly has the political and legal know-how to draft effective public policy, Warren also has a unique understanding of the problems confronting our nation’s colleges. Personally, I’m glad to have a professor running for United States Senate. My professors at Tufts and Utah State have been inspiring, caring and intelligent. I have no doubt that Warren will be on the front lines fighting for students. I recently had the unique opportunity to join other Tufts students in meeting with Elizabeth Warren to discuss the challenges facing students and increasing education costs. She genuinely cares about this issue and will work for us every single day. Unfortunately, Senator Brown doesn’t share Elizabeth Warren’s views on student issues. It’s true that he’ll say again and again that he supports students, but when

O

MCT

deciding whether to vote for an incumbent, the best we can do is examine his record. And Scott Brown’s record says it all. Scott Brown, who attended Tufts with financial assistance, isn’t willing to pay it back. Instead of standing up for students he’s decided that Wall Street, Big Oil and Mitch McConnell are more important. Throughout his time in the Senate, Scott Brown has voted against increasing the maximum Pell Grant awarded to college students. Even worse, he’s voted to cut the average Massachusetts student’s Pell Grant by $700. Further examination of his voting record shows more disregard for students. Brown has voted against student loan reform by opposing legislation that would increase support for federal student loan programs. When it was proposed that the government be the sole originator of student loans, thus lowering interest rates and costs for students, Senator Brown again voted in opposition. Scott Brown has shown an unwillingness to increase financial aid and streamline student loans. Brown has turned his back on the very programs — and principles — that allowed him to attend Tufts many years ago. Students need a fighter in the United States Senate, and Scott Brown is not that person.

The division between the two Senate candidates on student issues is crystal clear. Of course, there are numerous other reasons to vote for Elizabeth Warren, including her genuine support for women’s rights and fierce advocacy for the middle class. But whether you are at Tufts on full financial aid and working multiple jobs, whether your parents are able to pay for your entire education or whether you are somewhere in between, this issue affects all of us. Each of us has a friend who wouldn’t be able to receive a Tufts education if it wasn’t for Pell Grants, work-study or low interest rates on student loans. So when you go to vote on Nov. 6, consider Senator Brown’s record and ask yourself if he really represents you. Massachusetts voters deserve someone who represents our values. So as a student, a Bay Stater and conscientious citizen, I’ll be casting my vote for Elizabeth Warren. We simply cannot afford to keep politicians in office who refuse to stand up for students. Taylor J. Barnard is a junior majoring in political science. He can be reached at Taylor.Barnard_Hawkins@tufts.edu.

Off the Hill | Dartmouth College

Antagonists Anonymous by

Lorelei Yang

The Dartmouth

On Oct. 12, Gawker writer Adrian Chen published a lengthy article outing 49-yearold Michael Brutsch as the infamous Reddit troll and moderator Violentacrez, who created, contributed to or moderated threads such as “Chokeabitch,” “Rapebait,” “Hitler,” “Jewmerica,” “Beatingwomen” and “Jailbait.” The last of these threads, which Brutsch and thousands of others used to share provocative photographs of underage girls, drew so much criticism last year that Reddit was forced to shut it down. As the self-described “creepy uncle of Reddit,” Violentacrez used anonymity and “free speech” to promote racism, sexism, violence and myriad other things offensive to the general public. The massive fallout from Chen’s article included Reddit’s institution of a site-wide ban on Gawker links (although this was later revoked), Brutsch’s termination from his job and Brutsch giving a disturbingly detached interview in which he expressed little remorse for his actions on “Anderson Cooper 360.” The closest that Brutsch comes to expressing regret is noting that his “sort of gallows humor,” which he said played to the “college kids” who frequented Reddit two years ago at the height of his Reddit activity, is no longer appreciated. Summing up the interview, Cooper noted that Brutsch only seemed concerned about his outing’s consequences for himself. This month has been tough for the hyper-anonymous Internet as a whole. In the same week that Chen outed Brutsch, Jezebel lauded the efforts of a female

Redditor who is fighting back against “Creepshots,” a Reddit thread on which anonymous users post photos of women alongside lascivious comments about their bodies, by outing its users. Outing’s effectiveness is proven by the examples of Christopher Bailey, a 35-year-old substitute teacher and CreepShots user in Ohio, and Kody Maxson, a man who harassed 15-year-old Amanda Todd to the point of committing suicide in Vancouver, Canada. Now that their real world identities have been linked to their virtual misdeeds, both men are facing potential legal consequences for their online antics. It turns out that users’ content can be tracked back to them, and ill-advised virtual words and actions can have real-world consequences. These events in the wider world are an opportune moment to consider users’ personal responsibilities in the context of our own Dartmouth-specific Reddit: Bored@ Baker. While Bored@Baker’s hyper-anonymous format affords users near-unlimited liberty to troll and eviscerate others, it might be an interesting thought experiment to consider how others’ opinions of you might change if the rest of campus knew the content of your Bored@Baker posts. Could you still look certain people in the eye if they knew the thoughts you’d expressed under the veil of anonymity? And, more importantly, how would you feel about yourself? Anonymity allows people to give voice to thoughts and opinions that they might not otherwise have the courage to bring into a public forum. The idea that anonymity offers people the comfort to admit and overcome personal shortcomings

was the initial rationale for Alcoholics Anonymous’ adoption of anonymity. In some cases, anonymity is a valuable asset that empowers individuals and enriches public discourse. However, the theory of de-individuation, by which individuals lose self-awareness in groups, applies to an extreme in anonymous group situations. To some people, spaces like Reddit are virtual repositories for a stream of vitriolic, tasteless and borderline illegal content to which they would never put their names in public spaces. In these cases, the separation of words from personalities is tremendously problematic when it allows faceless personas to disseminate material that violates good taste or endangers others. In these cases, it is imperative and necessary to take the comfort of anonymity away from these trolls and virtual menaces when their virtual actions cross the line into having realworld impact on the women — and, in Bailey’s case, underage students — whose photos they post online. Sadly, while the revelations of these particular men’s identities are victories for their victims, these men are mere drops in the bucket. Given the breadth of the Internet, it would be impossible to monitor all of its content. Moreover, as many Redditors have pointed out in the wake of Brutsch’s outing, the revelation of anonymous users’ identities is both inflammatory and potentially detrimental to their real-world lives. Ultimately, it is only personal responsibility for and awareness of the impact of one’s virtual words that can make the Internet as a whole better for its inhabitants.

n a night in which both candidates repeatedly bucked the topic at hand to jam in their own talking points, one topic was notably absent from yesterday’s debate stage: Benghazi. It’s astonishing that over the course of such a tight race, Mitt Romney has failed so mightily to take President Obama to task for last month’s terrorist attack on the American consulate there. Where did this dreary saga begin? Immediately after the attacks occurred on Sept. 11, Romney publicly criticized the Obama administration for “apologizing” to the nation’s enemies. Predictably, Romney was denounced for a horrifyingly transparent attempt to politicize an American tragedy abroad, and his election prospects started to look truly dire. Then Romney pulled off a spectacular comeback in the first debate, helped along by a barely conscious Obama, and had the wind at his back coming into the second debate, his September of Horrors now a distant memory. It was a perfect opportunity to draw blood on a crucial subject in which he’d shot himself in the foot a month earlier. Instead, he flung himself right into a rhetorical trap. He unwisely tried to criticize Obama for attending a campaign rally the day after the consulate attack, and he ended up the recipient of a memorable dressingdown from his opponent that left Romney looking feeble and callous. Then, clearly off guard, he tried to stammer his way through an off-the-cuff rebuttal — but ended up getting fact-checked by the moderator and returning to his seat in a huff. Fortunately, perhaps, for Romney, this wasn’t the most talked-about moment after the second debate. But only because it was overshadowed by a bewildering string of comments in which he answered a question about equal pay by boasting that, as governor of Massachusetts, he had once perused “binders full of women.” It will forever be a mystery what led Romney to utter these words in front of a national audience. Surely they weren’t focus-group tested. Perhaps he believed he could narrow the race’s yawning gender gap by appealing to women’s natural affection for secretarial work. Or else, he was trying to shift the conversation away from the rocky waters of women’s rights to the familiar territory of office supplies. If nothing else, we learned a valuable public speaking lesson from Romney’s performance: If you ever find yourself talking about binders, folders, desk drawers, attache cases or any other kind of paper storage equipment for longer than ten seconds, you probably aren’t connecting with your audience. Which brings us to last night: the foreign policy debate, Romney’s best and last chance to score points on an issue on that he presumably could easily portray as an Obama administration security failure. Instead, he spent most of the night agreeing with Obama on everything from his intervention in Libya to his decision to set a timetable to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Occasionally, Romney tried to shift the discussion to economic issues, but his attacks never hit home, and repeated the same monologue about unemployment numbers twice, almost verbatim, in the span of 45 minutes. Mostly, however, he demurred to Obama, who drew much harsher distinctions between himself and his opponent. It was a curious strategy for Romney, who seemed content to fight the debate to a draw. A draw only helps you when you’re ahead, which Romney isn’t. Tight though the race is, Obama still has leads in enough swing states — including almighty Ohio — to most likely pull out a victory. It was Romney, not Obama, who needed to a win last night, and he didn’t get one. Obama enters the home stretch of the campaign on track for a narrow victory. And they don’t call it the home stretch for nothing. Craig Frucht is a senior majoring in political science and psychology. He can be reached at Craig.Frucht@tufts.edu

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

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Comics

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

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Wins show Tufts’ offensive dominance

Stone competes in world’s largest fall regatta CREW

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and the chance to shout down to crews rowing below them. According to Gevvie Stone, Olympic athlete and current Tufts Medical student, the noise was so loud going under some of the bridges that she could barely hear her coxswain, even from stroke seat. This was Stone’s 27th time attending the Head of the Charles and her tenth year racing. She started attending the event as a child with her parents, who met on the US national team and remain involved in rowing to this day. Her father, Gregg Stone, came in second in the Grand Masters single event, and her mother coaches at Winsor School. Stone grew up in a world of rowing and carried her childhood experiences at the Head of the Charles to Princeton University and two bids for the Olympic team, the second of which ended with her winning the “B� final in London in 2012. This fall, Stone had to cut her practice schedule to four days a week to make room for medical school. Despite the decrease in training, Stone was able to capture her fourth win in a single in what she described as the best course she has ever steered. Stone recognizes the power of rowing as a communal event, both within her family and in the broader world of rowing. Stone sat in stroke seat of the Great Eight and used an oar with the US national team blade design. Behind her sat seven other women, all with their own countries’ designs on the blades, to create an international boat joined together by, as Stone put it, a desire to win. Despite the differences in culture and training, these eight women were able to hop into a boat together for the Head of the

VOLLEYBALL

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josh berlinger / the tufts daily archives

The Head of the Charles gave Tufts rowers, including Olympian and Tufts Medical School student Gevvie Stone, the chance to race in front of thousands of screaming fans. Charles and post a time that was the second fastest in the women’s championship eight event, only behind the United States’ gold medal winning crew. According to Stone, the experience of rowing in a boat with eight women from around the world showed what all rowers share. “It was really incredible [that] you really share so much in common with one another,� Stone said. “We all dedicated our lives to rowing.� The Great Eight was one of the most highly anticipated boats because it showcases the entirety of rowing. For Martin, seeing the Great Eight in action was one of the high-

lights of racing this weekend. “We have rowed against some talented and impressive teams before, but none compare to being five feet from Olympic rowers,� she said. For spectators, the Head of the Charles offers a glimpse into the world of rowing and an appreciation that athletes can continue to row and excel their whole lives. For Stone, the event is something to look forward to every year. “It’s so fun, and I’ve thought it was fun since I was little,� she said. “It’s a combination of sport, competition, reunion and fall weather.�

performances by sophomore outside hitter Haley Hopper and Kuhel, along with an outstanding 45-assist performance by senior tricaptain Kendall Lord, led the Jumbos to a strong victory. Tufts followed its win with another straightset victory over Bridgewater State to end the weekend on a positive note. Again, Kuhel had a breakout game, tying with Brennan for the team-high of 11 kills. “We were really consistent in the next games,� Kuhel said. “We had a lot of fire from the match against Bowdoin; it got out competitive spirit going again and helped us compete all the way through to the last game.� Kuhel was a star performer for the Jumbos this weekend as she was selected to the AllTournament team. Tufts now enter its last weekend of regular season and conference play, as they travel to play Williams on Friday and Middlebury on Saturday. The Jumbos are currently 13-10 overall and sit in fourth place in the NESCAC at 6-2. The next two games of this regular season will prove crucial to the start of their postseason play, and they feel poised to take on that challenge after such a strong weekend. “This was a huge accomplishment to show off what we are capable of,� Ellefsen said. “We came out strong in the first sets of the last two matches. I’m really looking forward to taking that new attitude and running with it.�

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The Tufts Daily

Men’s Tennis

Tufts sends Coast Guard out to sea by

Andy Linder

Contributing Writer

This Saturday, in a day of both firsts and lasts, the men’s tennis team came out strong against the Coast Guard Academy MEN’S TENNIS (1-0 Overall, 0-0 NESCAC) at Voute Courts, Saturday Coast Guard Tufts

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in its only dual match of the fall season, which also happened to be the last action the team will see until the spring. The Jumbos sealed a 9-0 victory, as both upperclassmen and freshmen shone in front of friends and family who came to celebrate Parents’ Weekend. The Jumbos solidified an excellent showing early, as all three doubles teams got into a groove and won their matches easily. In fact, with each pairing having one upperclassman and one freshman, Tufts dropped a total of just eight games combined between all three eight-game pro-set matchups as the pairs won 8-2, 8-4 and 8-2, respectively. Freshman Jay Glickman, one of coach Jaime Kenney’s top recruits this year, was excited to showcase his talents in his first career home match for the Jumbos. Paired with junior Austin Blau at the No. 3 spot, Glickman and Blau routed Coast Guard’s Andrew Bryson and Robert Renfrow. The freshman cited teamwork as the key to the duo’s success. “While [Blau] and I came out a little slowly, we certainly found our rhythm and played a lot better and more in tune with each other following the first couple games,” Glickman said. “In the end, we communicated well and got the job done.” Meanwhile, freshman Rob Jacobson, who played with senior Ben Barad at No. 1, was thrilled about what the strong result could mean for the spring season. “All in all, it’s really exciting,” Jacobson said. “This is what I’ve been working toward my whole junior career, and it was definitely a great experience to play with [Barad]. I’ll definitely keep working hard this offseason, and hopefully it’ll pay off come spring.” Following a sweep of the doubles matches, the Jumbos continued to roll in the best-of-three-set singles matchups. All six Tufts starters cruised to straight set victories, with no one dropping more than three games in a single set. According to senior tri-captain Andrew Lutz, who played No. 3 for the Jumbos and won by a score of 6-2, 6-2, the team was well prepared and did not underestimate Coast Guard. “Coming into the match, we knew we were facing a tough Coast Guard team

scott tingley / Tufts Daily archives

The men’s tennis team dominated the Coast because we saw them at ITAs,” said Lutz, referring to the tournament that the Jumbos played earlier in the fall. “We didn’t take them lightly, and I’m glad we sealed a great victory as we head into the offseason. I’m proud that everyone came together even with a freshman playing on every doubles team.” Other notable singles victories included a 6-1, 6-2 win by No. 1 seed Barad, a 6-0, 6-0 win from No. 6 Jacobson and a 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Coast Guard’s Blake Maurer by No. 2 Glickman. “I came out fired up for the first dual match and was excited to get out there for the crowd,” said Glickman, following

Guard Academy on Saturday. his singles win. “I stayed calm, played comfortably and played with the same intensity as in practice so I could do my part to help the team.” The dual match culminates the fall season for the Jumbos. Coach Kenney believes her team can carry the momentum into the winter when they will begin getting ready for the spring season. “Everyone prepared really well for this one and had a great understanding of what they needed to do,” Kenney said. “I’m extremely excited that dual matches have begun because that’s what it is all about. We’re a team above all else, and we definitely showed that today.”

Victory sets up crucial midweek game with Bowdoin FIELD HOCKEY

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The Jumbos continued to force the ball into the circle, and amidst several scrambling bodies, Park finally connected, receiving a feed from sophomore midfielder Maggie Chapman and finishing it past Trentini. “I received a pass and was able to beat a defender and get a fast break,” Park said. “I was able to dodge the goalie, but my shot was a little outside the cage. I was disappointed that I did not score because I knew we needed that goal, but later in the half I was able to run the ball down to the baseline, pass the ball to Lia, and I got a rebound for a goal.” The Jumbos led 2-1 at halftime but emerged from intermission discontent with a slim one-goal lead. “After being down in the first half, we knew that we had to take the game into our hands,” Park said. “Our captains told us that during halftime that it was our game and we were there to prove what Tufts field hockey is. After that, our whole team was ready to play the way we know how.” In the 39th minute, Cannon notched her only goal of the game, cashing in on a penalty stroke to put the Jumbos up 3-1. “We transitioned out of the back and up to the forwards very fast,” Cannon

said. “Lia got a breakaway, and the goalie took her out even though the ball wasn’t near her. If a goalie slides, they have to make an effort for the ball, so the referee awarded us a stroke.” Meanwhile, the second half marked a total domination for the Tufts defense, as for the entire period, Hamilton failed to register a single shot on goal. At the other end, the Jumbos launched 22 shots at Trentini, finally cashing in with just 20 seconds remaining on a strike from Chapman for a 4-1 advantage that held out as the final seconds ticked off the clock. “For the rest of the game we played really well as a team and focused on keeping our energy up and not relenting,” Cannon said. “[Chapman’s] goal at the end of the game is a representation of our team as a whole. We don’t worry about anything but playing the game to the best of our ability for a full 70 minutes and not ever backing down until the final whistle. [Senior forward] Missy Karp did a great job of collecting her own rebound and moving the goalie, shooting far-post where [Chapman] was able to tap it home.” The win kept Tufts in a tie with No. 3 Bowdoin for second place in the NESCAC standings, with a head-to-head matchup between the two looming on Wednesday

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Sports

afternoon. The Jumbos will control its own destiny heading into the conference tournament and can clinch the No. 2 seed with a win over the Polar Bears. To say the two teams are familiar with one another would be an understatement, and the Polar Bears have proven to be stiff competition in years past. In 2010, the Jumbos narrowly defeated the Polar Bears 1-0 in their last regular season game before falling to Bowdoin 3-0 in a tough NESCAC championship game the next weekend. Last season Tufts fell 1-0 at the hands of head coach Nicky Pearson’s squad before exiting the conference tournament in a first-round game. And it was just four years ago that Tufts suffered a bitter double overtime defeat against Bowdoin in the NCAA semifinals. Wednesday, however, Tufts will keep the storied rivalry in the back of their minds, as they hope to put Bowdoin on the losing end. “We know our history with Bowdoin and that it’s always a great game, but at the same time, we have to think about the present and playing our game to the best of our ability,” Cannon said. “We can’t let past years influence what we do. We are going to come out with fire and intensity, play as a team and battle for the full 70 minutes.”

Aaron Leibowitz | The Fan

The great divide

O

n Sept. 29, 2011, one day after the Boston Red Sox completed one of the most epic collapses in baseball history, Adrian Gonzalez sat in front of his locker and reflected on what had gone wrong. “I’m a firm believer that God has a plan, and it wasn’t in his plan for us to move forward,” he said. “God didn’t have it in the cards for us.” Seriously? You let down all of Red Sox Nation, crushing the souls of millions of New England children, and that’s what you say? Forget the fact that you just assigned God a male gender identity — you have failed to take responsibility for your team’s utter incompetence. Now, it would be understandable — logical, even — for a fan to hear Gonzalez’s quote and think, “No wonder the Sox collapsed with that type of attitude.” But here’s the thing: On the field, Adrian Gonzalez was not the source of the team’s problems. Not only did he have an MVP-caliber season, but in September he had a .455 on-base percentage and 14 RBIs. You know who seemed much more remorseful, much more pissed off, than Gonzalez after the collapse? Carl Crawford, he of the .295 OBP and .440 slugging percentage in September. There are a few takeaways here. One is that what athletes say about sports has little to nothing to do with how well they actually play them. But more importantly, the lesson is that athletes don’t think about sports the way you and I think about sports. Fans want them to and journalists press them to, but more often than not, they don’t. Take Eli Manning. Twice, he has engineered game-winning touchdown drives in the Super Bowl. In both cases, millions upon millions of people were watching, and the pressure was unimaginable. In both cases, I could barely stand to watch. If Eli thought the way I think, he would have been engaging in the following inner dialogue in the fourth quarter: “Holy crap. Ho-ly CRAP. There are people in 228 countries watching me right now. What I do in the next few minutes is going to determine how I’m perceived by the entire world for the rest of my life. Please, don’t let me throw an interception.” Evidently, I don’t have the head, let alone the arm, to be an NFL quarterback. To succeed under pressure, an athlete has to put the magnitude of the moment aside and focus on the task at hand. Now, consider again the case of Adrian Gonzalez. On the one hand, his comments were infuriating to fans who had paid to see him play. On the other hand, maybe “leaving it up to God” is Gonzalez’s way of taking pressure off himself on the field. It is, of course, impossible to know exactly what goes on inside an athlete’s head. What is clear, though, is that the formula for optimal athletic success is to put aside outside factors: statistics, standings and stakes. Think about all the cliches athletes use that drive us to insanity: We just have to take it one game at a time. We can only control how we play. It’s gonna come down to who wants it more. Any team can win on any day. They are who we thought they were. Okay, maybe not that last one. As silly and obvious as these comments may seem, they do not indicate that athletes are simple, thickheaded people. What they indicate is that, in the heat of battle, complex thoughts are counterproductive. The result is the occasional quote that is baffling to the average, logical observer. My take? Having athletes and fans see eye to eye was not a part of God’s plan.

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

Sports

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INSIDE Men’s Tennis 15

tuftsdaily.com

Field hockey

Jumbos roll over Continentals for 12th straight win by

Kate Klots

Daily Editorial Board

For the second time this season, the No. 8 field hockey team faced an early deficit. On Saturday, the visiting Hamilton FIELD HOCKEY (12-1 Overall, 8-1 NESCAC) at Bello Field, Saturday Hamilton Tufts

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Continentals, who at game time had not yet seen a NESCAC victory, gained an early advantage to put the host Jumbos down 1-0. Tufts, however, rebounded for a decisive 4-1 victory, ultimately notching its 12th straight win with one crucial contest remaining. In the end, the Jumbos put experience and cool-headedness on display. After the early Hamilton goal put Tufts in a hole, coach Tina McDavitt’s squad roared back to take the lead, eventually extending its advantage to a three-goal margin. The win marked the Jumbos’ second consecutive win decided by more than one goal, sending a message to competitors that Tufts can not only win the close games, but also dominate the box score. From the first whistle, the Jumbos controlled possession and saw several opportunities to score, as senior co-captain Lia Sagerman and junior midfielder Emily Cannon each took whacks at the cage. Hamilton’s Katey Hopper, however, was first to strike, sending a rocket past sophomore goalkeeper Brianna Keenan to seize a one-goal lead and put the Jumbos on their heels. “I think being in similar pressured situations before, we knew that we could come back,” freshman forward Hannah Park said. “We knew that we were still in the

kc hambleton for the Tufts Daily

Junior forward Chelsea Yogerst scored a goal as Tufts continued its domination of NESCAC opponents by beating Hamilton. game and that we had to keep composure in order to play to our best ability.” In the following minutes, Tufts pushed the ball on offense and launched a barrage of shots at Hamilton keeper Victoria Trentini in an effort to equalize. Their efforts paid off when forward Chelsea

Yogerst received a ball in transition and used her speed to blow past Hamilton’s defenders. The junior buried a tough shot past Trentini just as her angle disappeared to tie things up at 1-1. A minute later, the Jumbo defense made a stand, blocking a shot by Hamilton’s

Volleyball

Jumbos rebound from tough Bowdoin loss to finish 2-1 at Mount Holyoke by

Alex Schroeder

Daily Staff Writer

The volleyball team had been waiting nearly two weeks for another shot at Bowdoin, after losing a thrilling match in five VOLLEYBALL (13-10 Overall, 6-2 NESCAC) at South Hadley, Mass., Saturday Tufts Bridgewater St.

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Tufts Swarthmore

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at South Hadley, Mass., Friday Tufts Bowdoin

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sets against the Polar Bears in Maine on Oct. 6. This weekend, Tufts finally got its opportunity to settle the score at the Hall of Fame tournament hosted by Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges. The team understood what was riding on this game, with an opportunity not only to beat a strong Bowdoin squad, but also to avenge the tough loss from earlier in the year. “I think we all wanted it so badly after [the] last game [against Bowdoin],” senior tri-captain outside hitter Kiersten Ellefsen said. “We came into the game with a lot of intensity. Our goal in practice was to continue to play loosely and relaxed.” But despite a focused week of practice and strong performances in the rest of the tournament, the Jumbos could not gain serious momentum to take control of Friday’s

Sophomore middle blocker Isabel Kuhel was the outstanding performer for Tufts this weekend and ended up being named to the All-Tournament team at the Hall of Fame Tournament. game. Bowdoin dominated the first set, win- up squad ready to take on Swarthmore and ning 25-9 and then were able to lock down Bridgewater State, two squads that it had the following two sets 25-21 and 25-22. The not yet seen. team-high 10 kills for sophomore outside hit- “We had never played these other teams ter Kelly Brennan and team-high 11 digs for like Swarthmore, or at least I haven’t in my junior libero Virginia Clay were not enough four years,” Ellefsen said. “It was refreshing to lift Tufts in a match in which Bowdoin was to have teams we knew nothing about. We able to halt any offensive momentum that could just play our game at our level and just have fun with it. We didn’t have to worry the Jumbos generated. “I think we played very well; they are a about who they were.” really, really good team,” sophomore middle The Jumbos jumped on the opportunity blocker Isabel Kuhel said. “We might get a to display their ability to the new opponents, lead, but then they don’t back down — they starting with a straight-set win over a very fight to the very end. Our mental game broke talented Swarthmore team. The third set came down to a close 29-27 down and we let them go on runs.” The Bowdoin game, however, undeniably win for the Jumbos, as standout offensive served as a wake-up call for Tufts. The next day of play showed a totally different, firedsee VOLLEYBALL, page 14

Martha Geyer to preserve the tie. After four minutes of up and down play, the Jumbos pushed the ball upfield, and Park attempted to beat her defenders into the circle, but narrowly missed the back of the cage. see FIELD HOCKEY, page 15

Crew

Head of the Charles draws athletes of all ages and places by

Claire Sleigh

Contributing Writer

All was quiet and serene on the banks of the Charles River at one of the three-mile course’s few straight and bridge-free spots. That is, until the next wave of doubles rowed by, and a coach biked past on the road, trailing his boat and shouting encouragements. When the boats raced under the final bridge with 500 meters to go, there was an eruption of noise, no matter whether the rowers were high school and college eights, Grand Masters, singles and doubles or the Great Eight — the elite women’s boat with eight of the top scullers in the world. The Head of the Charles is the biggest fall regatta in the world, with almost 9,000 athletes competing in 55 events that range from the high school and collegiate level to elite rowers and veterans who have rowed the course for over 30 years. The banks of the Charles are transformed with tents, docks and viewing areas to accommodate the 1,900 boats and 300,000 spectators. For the Tufts rowers involved in the event, that atmosphere makes for a special rowing environment. “Pretty much at every major obstacle we had fans and friends — it was invaluable,” senior tri-captain Mariah Martin, who finished 20th in women’s doubles while rowing with classmate Sarah Camitta, said. “To go from having fans for the last ten seconds to having them the whole time was nice. Just knowing that mentally it is such a rough race getting people to pump up was awesome.” In addition to Martin and Camitta, junior Ginny Trumble and senior Sheila Dave managed an 18th place finish. With six bridges to choose from, spectators were packed threedeep to take advantage of the bird’s eye views see CREW, page 14