TuftsDaily03-05-2013

Partly Cloudy 34/46

THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

VOLUME LXV, NUMBER 28

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Monaco advocates against sequester in Washington by

Daniel Gottfried

Daily Editorial Board

University President Anthony Monaco and Senior Vice President for University Relations Mary Jeka met on Thursday in Washington, D.C. with a delegation of congressional representatives from Massachusetts to discuss the consequences of the sequester on the Commonwealth and the university.

At the meeting, Monaco said he advocated for finding a solution to deficit reduction other than the sequester — a series of automatic spending cuts that went into effect as part of the Budget Control Act last Friday night after Congress was unable to agree upon an alternative method. The sequester will result in significant cuts in Tufts’ financial aid and research funding, Monaco said.

“The sequestration changes the interest rate on government loans and will affect our ability to give financial aid not only to undergraduates, but to graduate students,” Monaco said.

“There are also other more specific grant systems that are under threat, and this will be felt in the pockets of families at Tufts because they will have to make up that difference.”

According to a National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators report, Tufts would expect to have around $84,000 reduced from Federal Work Study in the 2013-2014 school year as a result of sequester.

The university has taken steps to combat the effects of the sequester, including a financial aid initiative that University President Anthony Monaco said he launched this sum-

mer. It aims to raise $25 million, a large portion of which would go towards undergraduate financial aid, Monaco said.

“We were looking for something that would boost our ability to give financial aid to make up for government cuts,” he said. “We’ve been trying to bring in more philanthropy to support our financial aid, and certainly that could help.”

The sequester will lead to cuts across the board for national organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development, National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy — all organizations that fund research in higher education, Monaco said. “[The cuts in funding] are going to make it more difficult for them to award new grants, and some of the agencies are even going to take current grants and cut them by whatever the sequestration percentage is,” Monaco said. “That means we’ll have to curtail some contracts or decide whether we can provide bridge funding, but we can’t provide bridge funding to everyone.”

Members of the Massachusetts delegation urged Monaco and Jeka to explain more publicly how the sequester is going to adversely impact the Tufts community, Jeka said.

“We will go out and talk about the impact on the higher education community and how damaging it will be to our researchers,” she said. “Students across the country are going to have less access to financial aid because of see SEQUESTER, page 2

Japanese Culture Club gathers in tribute to March 2011 earthquake victims

Zhuangchen Zhou / The Tufts Daily

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate last month approved a project by Latino Center Community Representative Marcy Regalado to alter the university’s alcohol policy by adding a Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty clause.

With Senate support, medical amnesty push moves ahead

by Jenna Buckle

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts Community Union ( TCU) Senate at its meeting on Feb. 24 unanimously approved a project to push for the addition of clauses to the university’s alcohol policy eliminating university judicial consequences for students who receive treatment from Tufts Emergency Medical Services ( TEMS) for intoxication and for those who call TEMS. The proposed ‘Good Samaritan’ and ‘Medical Amnesty’ clauses were submitted by Latino Center Community Representative Marcy Regalado, who said she intends with the project to reform the policy to bring it up to date.

“[Tufts’] alcohol culture as a whole needs to get a blast of education, and I feel that with the policy having this Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty clause added in, it’ll give a lot of leeway to having that education,” Regalado, a sophomore, said, noting that institutions like Cornell University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University have successfully implemented Good Samaritan policies.

Tufts’ current alcohol policy, which last underwent major revision in 2011, states that first-time offenders will receive a warning instead of automatically being put on Disciplinary Probation One (pro-one), accordsee AMNESTY, page 2

Dozens participate in Campus Center divestment rally

by Victoria

Leistman

Daily Editorial Board

Misako Ono for the Tufts Daily

Students and members of the Japanese Culture Club gathered on the Tisch Library patio yesterday to make a photo message in tribute to those affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The participants, wearing red and white shirts, were arranged to create the shape of a Japanese flag and spell out TUFTS 3.11.13.

Inside this issue

Members of the Tufts community gathered on the Mayer Campus Center’s lower patio yesterday to support divestment of the university’s endowment from fossil fuel companies with a rally organized by Tufts Divest for Our Future.

The rally was scheduled yesterday to coincide with a National Day of Action and held simultaneously with other pro-divestment events on over 200 college campuses across the country, according to Tufts Divest cofounder Emily Edgerly.

The purpose of the rally, she said, was to demonstrate the urgency of the climate situation and to push the administration to take more direct action following the divestment proposal Tufts Divest submitted to the Board of Trustees in January.

“We’re not trying to antagonize [the Board] by any means,” Edgerly, a sophomore, said. “We just really want to show

you [the Board] can’t just block us. You can’t try to fizzle this out. We’re going to still keep you accountable.”

Freshman Will Pearl, a leader of the Tufts Divest working group, said that the rally was meant to frame the fossil fuel issue as a social justice issue. He noted that the people who will suffer most from the burning of fossil fuels reside in the global south, but have contributed least to the pollution of the Earth.

“Divestment is a tactic,” Pearl, said. “But the goal is justice.”

Just after noon a group of around 40 people, including University President Anthony Monaco, listened to speeches intended to garner divestment support and highlight the other issues involved with the campaign.

Junior Devyn Powell, who helped found Tufts Divest and now serves as the internal communications coordinator for Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF), opened with a speech explaining that the square pins see RALLY, page 2

Today’s sections

Nearly a year old, Tufts Futurism Society ponders the implications of technological advancement.

Lang Lang and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos make a fine pair at the BSO.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 15 Back

2

The Tufts Daily

News

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Students rally, march in support of divestment from fossil fuels RALLY

continued from page 1

of orange felt circulating among participants were a symbol of the campaign’s mission, which extends beyond green initiatives.

“This movement is about so much more than going green,” Powell, a junior, said.

“Climate change is the social issue of our generation. I ask you all [today] to march forth with us for climate justice.”

Executive director of the Better Future Project and co-founder of SJSF Craig Altemose cited three key factors of the movement — that there is a climate crisis, that it is worse than commonly realized and that the attendees of the rally have become actors in the movement to stop this crisis.

Altemose spoke on the dangers of rising temperatures and the fatal implications they hold for humanity.

“It’s selfish of us to say we deserve everything we want because we are too lazy to change,” he said. “Tufts is going to divest because you won’t stop until they do.”

Ben Thompson, the Boston University chair for SJSF, called on younger generations to take control of their choices for the sake of the future.

“We need a call to action like none before in history,” he said.

TCU Senator Logan Cotton closed the speeches by discussing the way the divestment campaign intersects with the drive for social justice. “[It is] a struggle that should talk about gender, race and equality,” Cotton, a senior, said. “I stand with you all and I appreciate everything you have done.”

The rally continued with a procession that turned left on Professors Row, up the presidential lawn staircase and to the front of Ballou Hall.

“We want administration to hear our voices and hear our presence,” Edgerly said. “We want to keep active students engaged, and we want to make our presence loud on campus.”

Drums and picket signs accompanied the rally along with songs and chants led

by Tufts Divest Co-founder Dan Jubelirer, a sophomore.

Justin McCallum / The Tufts Daily

Members of the Tufts community marched from the Mayer Campus Center to Ballou Hall in support of divestment from fossil fuels.

Monaco, Jeka urged to discuss potential effects of sequestration openly SEQUESTER

continued from page 1

the cutbacks in a variety of forms.”

According to Monaco, Tufts can expect to receive lower amounts of research funding during the next two years. The university is taking steps to prevent the severity of those anticipated research cuts, Jeka said.

“We are working hard to get our faculty more involved in federal agencies so they can know of opportunities for federal funding and can know how they

can submit proposals and compete for these opportunities,” she said.

Jeka said that the trip to Washington was one of a few that university officials make annually to meet with the Massachusetts delegation. Last week, Monaco and Jeka met with Senator ElizabethWarren, Congressman Joe Kennedy, Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Ed Markey, Congressman John Tierney and Congressman Mike Capuano, Monaco said.

“We always make sure that we keep in touch with the Massachusetts delega-

tion so that we keep up good relationships with them, in case there are issues that we need to get resolved,” Jeka said.

Monaco said that he shares the frustrations of the Massachusetts delegation over the difficulties of negotiating with sequestration supporters.

“They feel and I feel that [Congress] need[s] to find a better way of reigning in the deficit,” he said. “These types of cuts are not intelligent. This is going to lead to a lost generation of scientists on the side of the research funds and it’s going

to reduce the access to higher education to individuals that need it most.”

Monaco believes that the best way to combat the sequestration is for students and faculty to get involved and tell their personal stories, he said.

“It isn’t only my voice that needs to be heard, but it is the faculty and the students,” he said. “They need to write [to] their Congress and make pressure that these sequestration cuts are not good for higher education, but also the region around Boston.”

Senate project pushes eliminating alcohol disciplinary probation AMNESTY

continued from page 1

ing to Director of Alcohol and Health Education Ian Wong.

Students who fail to meet with Wong and Judicial Affairs Officer Veronica Carter within two weeks of the incident will be placed on pro-one.

Wong said this policy reflects leniency in the system that is complicated by a matter of wording.

“We really do have an amnesty policy,” he said. “I just don’t like the term ‘amnesty’ because ‘amnesty’ always sounds like nothing’s ever going happen — that it’s a clean slate.” That’s not the case of typical policies that allow for amnesty, he said.

“The other schools [with amnesty policies] are tracking you too. We’re just being a little bit more honest. In reality, the technical term for what we do is ‘diversion.’”

Multiple offenses can result in a mandatory yearlong medical leave from Tufts, which students often mistake for suspension or expulsion, Wong said.

“No one gets suspended or expelled for their alcohol use, but they could [be suspended] for their behavior while they’re drinking,” he said.

Regalado said that the Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty clauses would not shield students from dis-

ciplinary repercussions for other violations committed while intoxicated, such as property damage and disorderly conduct.

“If you are under the influence and you broke a window, you won’t get in trouble for the drinking part, but you’ll still get in trouble for the breaking a window portion,” she said.

Relgado added that the current policy is too severe for offenders who may be educated about alcohol abuse but get into trouble due to bad luck.

“If it’s people that forget to count one or two times throughout the school year, and they have the unfortunate event of getting TEMSed, but they’re educated [about alcohol use], I don’t think it’s fair for someone to get in trouble for that,” she said.

Wong emphasized that the current warning system helps the school recognize if a student has a substance abuse disorder that must be treated.

“How do you look at a parent and say, ‘We knew this happened before, but everyone gets a free try the first time, and unfortunately the second time your daughter didn’t make it’?” he said.

“If we know all this stuff, we need to do something to help those people with a problem,” Wong added.

The university is open to hearing students’ proposals for medical amnesty proposals if the policy meets federal

and state guidelines and adheres to the goal of lowering the binge drinking rate on campus, Wong said.

“We would consider anything,” he said. “The big thing we’re looking at is how to reduce the rates of binge drinking and how to help people with substance abuse disorder.”

A student group called Medical Amnesty Policy at Tufts (MAPAT ), an offshoot of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), has also been advocating for implementation of such a policy.

The group last month sent out an online survey to gauge student interest in medical amnesty, according to MAPAT leader and SSDP secretary Carolyn Flax.

The survey has received 567 responses as of press time, Flax said, with 93.55 percent of respondents in support of a medical amnesty policy and 94.21 percent answering that they would be more likely to call TEMS for alcoholrelated issues if such a policy existed.

“All we’re looking to change is that we want to take the disciplinary probation side out of the equation,” Flax, a sophomore, said.

“Other than that, we really want to educate people about the policy and the symptoms of alcohol poisoning.”

MAPAT members last Friday met with the administration to present the

results of the survey and explore medical amnesty as an option, Flax said.

The ideal policy would still require students to meet with Wong for an alcohol screening after each offense, but would eliminate disciplinary probation as a punishment unless the student does not attend the meeting, she explained.

“They’re receptive and they want to do what we want as long as it’s not a ridiculous quest,” Flax said.

“There’s this whole imagined dichotomy between the student body and the administration. They’re really not out to get us.”

Regalado also plans to discuss her project with members of the administration in the coming weeks and to submit a resolution to the Senate after spring break.

She hopes to increase the university’s alcohol education efforts, adding that this is an issue that affects every Tufts student regardless of whether or not they drink.

“I don’t know if there’s enough education that’s happening on campus for students to understand that after four drinks in an hour, anything more than that is binge drinking,” Regalado said.

“They’re endangering themselves, their friends, and anybody that’s surrounding them when they’re partaking in these kinds of activities.”

Features

3

tuftsdaily.com

Falcon Reese | Tongues Tied

Bite your tongue

L

Nick Pfosi / Tufts Daily

Fleig-Goldstein and Schneider, pictured above with sophomore Kumar Ramanathan, founded the Tufts Futurism Society last spring.

Tufts Futurism Society debates moral, ethical issues of advanced technology by

Derek Schlom

Daily Editorial Board

What if you could live to be 200 years old? What if you could increase your IQ by 300 points? What if you could live with a new colony of humans in space?

To the members of the Futurism Society at Tufts, these prospects aren’t just flights of fancy — they’re the starting points of lively weekly discussions.

The Futurism Society, now nearly a year old, was born out of a meeting of the Tufts Freethought Society last spring during which the topic of space colonization was broached, according to sophomore co-founders Brendan FleigGoldstein and Michael Schneider.

“The speaker for that day’s planned talk was sick, so I suggested [that the group talk about space colonization] off the cuff,” Schneider said.

“It was clear that a lot of people though of NASA as a gutted, has-been, ghost agency,” Fleig-Goldstein said. “I think private corporations are ultimately going to pull most of the weight when it comes to moving our species off the terrestrial floor, but NASA . . . is [still] doing very important work.”

This misinformation, according to Fleig-Goldstein, lit a fire under himself and Schneider. “[We] decided we thought it as worthwhile to spread information and generally advocate for our country’s investment in space,” Fleig-Goldstein said.

“It turns out [that] a fair amount of us had a blast talking about it, so [FleigGoldstein] and I walked out talking about starting something more regular,” Schneider added.

Schneider defines futurism as a merger between “future studies,” or futurology, and the concepts of ethics and decision-making.

“Whereas futurology is just about predictions and extrapolations, futurism adds a normative blend — what sorts of things would we want to see in the future, what are the possible problems that will emerge between now and then, and what sort of problems might we imagine once there,” he said.

Fleig-Goldstein calls futurism, simply, “an activity that futurists do.”

“Futurists are interested in problems that don’t exist today, but will exist

tomorrow,” he said. “We aren’t interested in predicting the future as much as we are interested in the emergent ethical issues that will come with technological advances.”

Some advances Fleig-Goldstein cited include the aforementioned prospects of extreme life extension or intelligence increase, either of which could sound to modern humans like a blessing or a curse.

Futurists, however, take neither stance.

“We don’t take technological developments to be good or bad,” Fleig-Goldstein said. “[Instead] we want to understand the proper usage of technology [when] integrated into an advanced society.”

As far-off — in terms of both time and plausibility — as these ideas may sound, much of the Futurism Society’s discussion topics are rooted in fundamentally current ideas, Fleig-Goldstein said. “[We] consider . . . important ways in which science and technology will change society,” he said. These ways include vertical farming, or cultivating crops on skyscrapers or other vertical surfaces, and the mechanization of various jobs previously held by humans.

As such, Schneider sees futurism as a concept with broad appeal.

“We are digesting really cool and bizarre science fiction topics in a way that critically judges [their] social, ethical and practical limitations. That’s naturally going to appeal to pretty much anyone raised on science fiction or speculative fiction or pop-science magazines,” Schneider said.

“Whenever you might have rolled your eyes at the preposterous claims of some writer, [futurists put] words to those eye rolls and are building more reasonable paths toward those . . . ideas.”

“Besides, I think most people, if they have some free time, would enjoy listening to the kind of ethical and scientific conversations we have,” he added.

Fleig-Goldstein’s own interest in futurism was sparked by science fiction.

“When I was little, I was interested in the natural sciences, and eventually I was introduced to Star Wars. Science fiction is a gateway drug,” he said. “Many of the great science fiction writers know a lot about the actual science and technology behind the ideas they incorporated into their stories.”

It’s from authors Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein that Fleig-Goldstein

learned about the feasibility behind social developments like space colonization, resulting in a keen interest in current events regarding the space industry, he said.

Tufts is a breeding ground for individuals interested in futurism and its implications on the ethical and scientific fronts, according to Schneider and Fleig-Goldstein.

“There are a lot of students [here] who are interested in ideas for the sake of the idea itself,” Schneider said. “We like circling around an image and exploring the social and ethical and scientific inconsistencies that the image might have hidden in it, [so] Tufts students . . . are a perfect avenue to get good discussion going.”

“Most people at Tufts want to make the world a better place in new and interesting ways,” Fleig-Goldstein added.

Fleig-Goldstein and Schneider also operate a website for the club, futurismsociety.org, as well as a Facebook page with 85 current members and a Twitter account with 129 followers at time of press. Each provides links, resources and original content related to futurism, much of it generated or curated by Schneider and Fleig-Goldstein.

The future of the Futurism Society is clear, at least to Schneider and FleigGoldstein. If the club grows beyond its current regular attendance of about 15 students, Schneider foresees the addition of an arm that engages in public outreach and education to encourage speculation about science and the future and to foster awareness of what Schneider calls “futurist optimism and scientific literacy.”

“As we get more comfortable as an active presence [on campus], we hope to have a greater public persona [here] and in the local communities,” Schneider said. “Starting next year we will hopefully be contacting local schools and getting involved in science fairs.”

The Futurism Society’s most ambitious upcoming effort, however, is their plan to generate visibility for the club by placing Fleig-Goldstein in a cardboard rocket ship at a yet-to-be-determined location on campus. According to Schneider, the goal is to mimic current scientific studies on the effects of isolation in small quarters for extended periods of time, a concern in space colonization projects.

ast week’s column ended with a linguistic treatise on how to deal with people who need to be slapped in the face. The first option was, obviously, to slap them in the face — certainly a more cathartic choice. Option two was to glare at the offender until the laser beams of hate shooting out of your eyes melt them into a puddle of protoplasm. Or reduce them to tears. I didn’t, however, mention option three — biting your tongue.

Well of course I didn’t mention it! What fun is biting your tongue?

But how often are you having a conversation with a friend, talking about some schmuck you had to deal with who was a) driving you up a wall, b) being unnecessarily rude to you, and/or c) needed to be put in their place? So you say to your friend, “And then I was like, [insert here perfectly worded tirade with just the right amount of sass and wit to demonstrate that you do in fact have a backbone and don’t take crap from anybody].”

But you weren’t “like” anything, were you? That was just what you hypothetically would have said had social standards not advised against pitching a fit and instead dictated that you put up a façade of politesse while quietly grinding your molars to nubs.

There are the rare few who will speak their mind in any and all situations — respect, yo. But I think it’s fair to say that most of us are choosier about picking our battles and more often than not, we’ll bow out with a grimace. That difference is the difference between the two Japanese words “honne” and “tatemae.”

The former translates to “true intention” and the latter to “façade,” and they refer to our actual feelings and what we actually think versus the face that we show the public and how we act.

This duality is forcefully ingrained in the Japanese cultural identity. As a collectivist culture rather than an individualistic one, the Japanese traditionally prize “wa,” or “harmony.” In practice, this translates to group loyalty over individual consideration — or as Spock would say: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” In Japanese culture, even when you don’t agree, you shut up and go along with the group for the sake of maintaining “wa.”

The difference between biting your tongue in America and biting your tongue in Japan, though, is that it’s expected in Japan. In America, when you smile and compliment someone’s atrocious new haircut, the default assumption is that you’re being genuine. In Japan, the default assumption isn’t necessarily that you’re not being genuine, but it is assumed that you’re saying what’s polite — genuine or not.

I mean, this is a culture so polite that it speaks a language with a dozen different ways to conjugate a single verb, only to result in an identical translation. The only difference between them all is the social situation in which you’d use them — a phenomenon called “keigo,” or “respectful language.” When I was studying for Japanese exams, this manic adherence to politeness was enough to make me want to tell my professors to shove their language up their — Oh. Wait. No. Tatemae. I love Japanese, quirks and all.

Despite that, I’m somewhat ambivalent on the issue of “honne” versus “tatemae.” On the one hand, it would be nice to live without guilt for being anything less than being completely honest with someone. On the other hand, when I do pick my battles, it’s more than a little satisfying to see that schmuck choke on their own words.

Falcon Reese is a junior majoring in sociology. He can be reached at Falcon.

Reese@tufts.edu.

4

The Tufts Daily

advertisement

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Arts & Living

5

tuftsdaily.com

Album Review

Electronic newcomer Kavinsky displays promise on debut album

by Veronica

Little

Daily Editorial Board

Steeped in the nostalgic synth of the 1980s and peppered with more modern departures, “Outrun” — the debut

Outrun Kavinsky Republic Records album of Kavinsky, French house music producer Vincent Belogray — seems strangely both familiar and new at the same time. Even the name of the album, “Outrun,” was named after a Sega Golden Joystick Award-winning racing and arcade game that was released in 1986. Kavinsky is best known for his collaboration with Lovefoxxx on a song called “Nightfall” that was featured in the film “Drive” (2011). The themes that permeated the film are the same themes that are prevalent throughout Kavinsky’s debut: fast cars, music, sensual electro-synth and sentimental throwbacks to the golden days of the ‘80s. Although many artists fall victim to the expectations that a popular single can elicit when it comes to a full length-album, Kavinsky manages to dodge that bullet.

Those who enjoyed Kavinsky’s track “Nightfall” will find similar reasons to love “Outrun.” The concept behind “Outrun,” however — one in which a zombie turns into a car that makes electronic music — is decidedly obscure, and this obscurity finds its way into some of the tracks on Kavinsky’s first showing. Despite this haziness, though, Kavinsky manages to bring something new to the table of electronic music.

We have entered a period in which music, art, film and fashion are becoming defined by vintage trends and nostalgic regressions. As with many trends, these iterations of what it means to be cool or relevant often feel inauthentic and forced. However, not only does Kavinsky with “Outrun” showcase genuine respect and reverence for the 1980’s, he creates a sound that is cer-

Delrem via Wikimedia Commons

French house music producer Kavinsky is best known for his contribution to the soundtrack for the 2011 film “Drive.” tainly derivative but entirely interesting and fresh.

The record, comprised of fourteen tracks, imparts a strange feeling onto the listener; the tracks, which are new

to you, feel familiar and important, as if they were songs that you once loved and then slowly forgot. “Outrun” allows see KAVINSKY, page 6

Concert Review

Lang Lang and Frühbeck teach old warhorse new tricks

Hung-Ho Vergil Yu via Flickr Creative Commons

Famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang gave an original performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 with the BSO. by

Panharith Chhum Daily Staff Writer

On March 1, a man wearing a casual v-neck t-shirt underneath a blazer strolled onto the stage of a packed Symphony Hall.

He was immediately received with thun-

derous applause anticipating the upcoming performance. This man was none other than pianist Lang Lang, who at the age of 30 has become the most famous classical musician alive.

To enumerate his recognitions and achievements would spare no room for

review of the concert. He is perhaps the only pianist capable of performing a sold out concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London — which has a capacity of approximately 5,544 people.

In a profession that calls for undivided dedication and instinctive talent, the lot of performing concert pianists already consists of, to put it tactfully, rather unique people. Still, to call Lang Lang eccentric would be an understatement. His superfluous hand gestures, body movement and facial expressions have been a target for critics all over the world. Luckily, his performance shall be the topic of review today.

In a program consisting of Hindemith’s “Konzertmusik” for Strings and Brass op.

50, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, op. 15 and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, the Boston Symphony managed to sandwich Rachmaninoff’s warhorse between two much less frequently-heard pieces.

At the start of the performance, guest conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos hobbled onto the stage and sat on a swivel chair resting on the conductor’s podium.

Whatever physiological age he exhibited walking to the podium was immediately see LANG, page 6

Rebecca Santiago | Is So Vain

Heavyduty face shellac

A

mere week after making my ‘Year of Awesome Skin’ proclamation, I’m typing this column on a Saturday night with an alluring purplish rash on my chin. This is not necessarily because I am the worst beauty columnist in the world, although, well, maybe.

No, it’s because I decided to get experimental and try an earthy-crunchy, Whole Foods-y peanut butter today — you know, the kind you, like, stir. Even though Skippy and its uber-processed ilk have been working just fine for me so far, I decided, Hey, why not go for something healthier? To better to my body. My soul, even. And this is what I get.

I could, of course, acknowledge that I ate something I’m allergic to and, you know, not eat it again. But instead, I’m going to fall back on my absolute favorite coping mechanism: denial.

See, I find it terribly unjust that I cannot eat the things I want to eat. I am allergic to apples, for god’s sake! So, I’m just going to ignore my body’s very clear revolt and slap shellac on my face until it’s all “rash? What rash?” And for that, I need the very best foundations and concealers that money can buy.

Side note: Whatever gender you identify as, you should feel cool using these products.

Makeup and gender performance is complicated, but this stuff just makes your skin look like your skin, only nicer. So, if you’re hung up on the makeup thing, get over yourself and help me help you fix your face.

Now! These products are so hot-ifying that you could, in fact, go out on a Saturday night with a horribly disfigured chin, and no one would be any the wiser. It’s true! I’m only staying in because I’m committed to you fools. All right, enough preamble. The stuff: 1. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream ($8.99, CVS). How I love a BB cream. If you, like I, consume fashion magazines like a crack fiend consumes ... crack, then you’ll know that “BB” stands for “blemish balm” or “beauty balm,” depending on the company. It’s supposed to be one hell of a multi-tasker — a sunscreen, acne-blaster, moisturizer and makeup product, all in one tube. I’m not sure if they live up to the hype, but they are, at the very least, gorgeous on the skin.

A bunch of companies have them, but I like Maybelline’s because it goes above and beyond its drugstore price tag. Also, these come in five shades, which may not sound like a lot of variety, but trust, it is. What I’m trying to say is, these aren’t just for white people! Woo! 2. Make Up For Ever High Definition Foundation ($42, Sephora.com). God, this brand is so French. Its name alone makes me crave croissants. Anyway, this foundation is pricey because it blends into your skin perfectly, mattifying the oily bits and moisturizing the drier areas. I use a sponge to apply mine over my BB cream in problem areas. The foundation spans a gazillion shades, so, like the Maybelline BB, it works on anyone. Also, it’s is non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores or cause acne. Duh, margarine-y makeup is pas chic du tout!

3. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer ($33, Sephora.com). Last step! Dab this buttersmooth, non-comedogenic concealer directly onto zits, dark under-eye bags, horrible chin rashes, what-have-you. Use your finger to blend it with foundation if it looks too greasy, or the BB if it looks too stark.

And, voila! You’re ready to face the light of day. Or, you know, to hide in your bedroom and write 600 words about how awesome your fake face looks. Whatever.

Rebecca Santiago is a senior majoring in English. She can be reached at rebecca.santiago@tufts.edu, or on Twitter @rebsanti.

The Tufts Daily

6

Arts & Living

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Pianist Lang Lang wows crowd with the BSO LANG

continued from page 5

Beatpole via Flickr Creative Commons

Kavinsky’s debut album features interesting electronic tangents and lyrical experiments.

Newcomer Kavinsky presents both familiar, new-sounding material on ‘Outrun’ KAVINSKY

continued from page 5

the listener to access a timeperiod that seems both recent and distant, and experience the textures of that time effortlessly.

Where “Outrun” seems to fall short is in completely formulating and solidifying the themes within it. Although there are some clear musical influences like Daft Punk and Justice, “Outrun” generally sounds muddled and unsure of its place. The music is not exactly dance music or synthrock. Instead, the tracks have the feeling of vague inclinations and lazy deliberations.

If anything, this album would be most comfortable in the

medium that gave Kavinsky his notoriety — as a soundtrack.

Kavinsky seems to draw inspiration not quite from contemporary electronic musicians, but rather from other forms of media like TV, film and video games. This inspiration is simultaneously a positive and negative aspect of the album.

Kavinsky bravely ventured into a specific genre of electronica that has been left stagnant for years and has created a unique and enticing sound. This sound is only half-baked, however, and may be too simplistic and uncertain to be germane.

Despite the various objections that can be raised against Kavinsky and his lack of mastery, one fact still remains —

the album is good. Replete with interesting electronic tangents and lyrical experiments, “Outrun” is worth a few attentive listens. Those that find themselves wishing for a return to arcade games, neon lights and fast cars will find themselves in love with this album. Kavinsky is plucky in his debut — he refuses to change his style to agree with the current interpretation of nostalgia and instead opts for his own loving homage to the decade of the 80s. With shiny synth, strong bass — much like those of Daft Punk — along with lyrical experimentation, Kavinsky successfullypresents “Outrun” in a framework of his own construction.

masked by the vitality with which he was able to conduct the Boston Symphony for the difficult but powerful “Konzertmusik.”

The “Konzertmusik” was scored for four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, a tuba and strings.

It opened with a full-on display of brass, as if to greet the audience. The strings quickly leapt and danced over a radiant brass section.

With strategic swiveling action, Frühbeck and the orchestra handled this devilishly difficult piece with finesse. Frühbeck’s conducting was sharp. To see such a frantic and virtuoso piece performed in so unified a manner was impressive for a conductor of any age.

The performance was remarkably expressive to boot. At the end of the first movement, the performers were able to capture a slithering string theme that was downright sinister. Then, at a moment’s notice, the mood changed. The evil theme was directly followed by a hastening second movement that quickly emerged as a crisp fugue. The unpredictable interplay between brass and strings made the piece exciting and interesting to listen to. In all, there was little room for criticism in Frühbeck’s performance of the Hindemith with the Boston Symphony.

Lang Lang did not disappoint either. He gave an imaginative interpretation of the often heard second Piano Concerto. He used quite a bit of rubato and varied the tempo greatly. At times, it may have been difficult for the orchestra to follow his irregular pace.

Most times though, Frühbeck followed Lang Lang well, even during quick changes in dynamics.

Lang Lang also made it a point to

hammer out the bass. In the piano’s opening arpeggios that accompany the main theme that is presented by the orchestra, the bass rung through the entire orchestra. With every classical pianist having his own recording of the 2nd piano concerto, that frankly is not usually too different from one another, Lang Lang’s performance added a new dimension.

The haunting second movement had but one issue. Though the hammering of the bass was welcome in the first movement, the excessive use of bass in the second movement distracted the music from the oboe and flute melody. Left hand aside, Lang Lang performed a lyrical 2nd movement with the piano resembling an opera singer singing an aria at times.

The virtuoso 3rd movement presented little challenge for the chops of Lang Lang. Again, his phrasing was unique. In the tender second theme, Lang Lang wrought a heartbreaking melody. His treatment of the theme was exceptional.

Lang Lang’s generous use of rubato made it seem almost improvisational. The famous return of this theme concluded the piece in an enormous orchestral tutti where the pianist is asked to play over the orchestra. Rachmaninoff himself was famous for being able to do this. The acoustics of Symphony Hall helped Lang Lang in this manner as the cadence brought the audience to its feet.

Lang Lang can be showy, bold — maybe even risky. He is, however, never boring in his playing.

Though not without its problems, his performance of the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto with conductor Frühbeck was original and moving.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Tufts Daily

advertisement

7

The Tufts Daily

8

THE TUFTS DAILY Martha E. Shanahan Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Nina Goldman Brionna Jimerson Managing Editors Melissa Wang Executive News Editor Jenna Buckle News Editors Lizz Grainger Stephanie Haven Amelie Hecht Victoria Leistman Patrick McGrath Audrey Michael James Pouliot Abigail Feldman Assistant News Editors Daniel Gottfried Xander Landen Justin Rheingold Annabelle Roberts Sarah Zheng Lily Sieradzki Executive Features Editor Jon Cheng Features Editors Hannah Fingerhut Jacob Passy Amelia Quinn Falcon Reese Derek Schlom Charlotte Gilliland Assistant Features Editors Jessica Mow Shannon Vavra Melissa MacEwen Executive Arts Editor Dan O’Leary Arts Editors Rebecca Santiago Claire Felter Assistant Arts Editors Elizabeth Landers Veronica Little Jacqueline Noack Akshita Vaidyanathan Elayne Stecher Bhushan Deshpande David Kellogg Seth Teleky Peter Sheffer Denise Amisial Jehan Madhani Louie Zong Keran Chen Nicholas Golden Scott Geldzahler

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editors

Cartoonists

Editorialists

Marcus Budline Executive Sports Editor Alex Baudoin Sports Editors Jake Indursky Kate Klots Ben Kochman Ethan Sturm Andy Wong Sam Gold Assistant Sports Editors Andy Linder Alex Schroeder Claire Sleigh Oliver Porter Sofia Adams Caroline Geiling Nick Pfosi Gabriela Ros Courtney Chiu Clarissa Sosin Zhuangchen Zhou Lane Florsheim Meagan Maher Ashley Seenauth

Executive Photo Editor Photo Editors

Assistant Photo Editors Staff Photographers

Justin McCallum Executive New Media Editors Virginia Bledsoe New Media Editors Jodi Bosin Stephanie Haven Alex Kaufman Mitchell Carey Assistant New Media Editors Jake Hellman

PRODUCTION Sarah Kester

Production Director Adrian Lo Executive Layout Editor Sarah Davis Layout Editors Shoshanna Kahne Alyssa Kutner Daniel McDonald Elliot Philips Emily Rourke Reid Spagna Emma Arnesty-Good Assistant Layout Editors Sabrina McMillin Montana Miller Falcon Reese Andrew Stephens Chelsea Stevens Lauren Greenberg Emma Arnesty-Good Vidya Srinivasan Adrienne Lange Drew Lewis Patrick McGrath Kyle Allen Evan Balmuth Shreya Bhandari Meredith Braunstein Anna Haugen Jamie Hoagland Grace Hoyt Annaick Miller Emily Naito Tori Porter Julia Russell Marina Shtyrkov

Executive Copy Editor Senior Copy Editors Copy Editors Assistant Copy Editors

George Brown Executive Online Editor

Editorial | Letters

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

editorial

Time to reconsider university’s alcohol policy

The Tufts Community Union Senate’s unanimous vote last week to add a Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty Clause to the university’s alcohol policy confirms the sentiments of the vast majority of students on this campus. Such a clause would effect a much-needed change in drinking culture and better-enable community members who need help to receive it.

Though the university’s current policy was revised in 2011, it should be reconsidered. At the moment, students who require treatment from Tufts Emergency Medical Services will receive a warning for their first offense, and will not face disciplinary probation until further incidents.

Repeat offenders are subject to more stringent punishment, with the potential for Disciplinary Probation Levels I or II or a year-long medical leave from Tufts.

As a general rule in dealing with alcohol-related issues, rehabilitation is always preferable to punitive action.

Alcohol abuse at universities is rampant, as is an overall lack of education

about its detrimental effects. It’s inevitable that some students, particularly those with less exposure to college life, are going to drink beyond their limits and require medical attention on occasion. The university should therefore make it a priority to help them work through the problem rather than punishing. The current policy therefore needs to be updated to include more steps between receiving a warning and probation: Expanding the warning phase beyond the first offense and emphasizing substance education would help to stem any future problems by better informing students of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.

Medical amnesty should not be unrestrained, however. A lack of meaningful consequences of any sort could backfire, encouraging even more students to drink in excess and exacerbate the problem. There gets to be a point when educational measures no longer have the desired effects, and more direct action, such as disciplinary probation, is necessary to force students to re-evaluate their drinking

habits. Amnesty should not be interpreted as a boundless “get-out-of-jail” free card.

Given the overwhelming student response, doing nothing to modify the current policy is not a reasonable option. The reality is it has created on campus a culture that discourages students from seeking medical attention for fear of disciplinary consequences. In some cases, this mindset might be the difference between life and death. All alcohol-induced medical complications are immeasurably worse than any disciplinary action, so we should avoid this hypothetical entirely by refining the university s responses accordingly.

Regardless of what changes the university actually implements, any update of the alcohol policy should address the general lack of information available to students about their rights when it comes to disciplinary matters. The university needs to do a better job of informing students about its expectations and consequences, and make this information easily accessible to those who need it.

of the ad based on these criteria simply didn’t happen. This is due, in part, to the lack of a defined protocol in the case that we receive ads that contain content of questionable acceptability.

It’s rare that a hateful organization like the David Horowitz Freedom Center requests that the Daily place an ad promoting its views in the paper. We receive and print several external ads in each issue of the paper and most of them are purchased by local and national businesses, or Tufts academic departments or student groups seeking to advertise events or classes.

In the handful of instances that this organization and others like it have approached the Daily in the past, we have refused their requests to purchase an ad on the grounds that they were blatantly defamatory and simply not suitable for publication in a newspaper that serves a community like Tufts, which will not tolerate hate speech. This criteria applies to the ad in today’s paper as well. The fact that this ad was considered acceptable for publication when the Daily received the request, let alone left in place through multiple rounds of edits was, in short, irresponsible. It’s not fitting of the Daily’s commitment to holding the position as this campus’s primary source of news and discourse in a socially and appropriate manner.

Precedent doesn’t excuse the oversight that led to this happening even one time. In light of this mistake, it will from now on be required that each business department staff member be given strict and explicit guidelines for thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewing each ad that is submitted to the Daily. This begins with considering whether the ad’s buyer is a person or organization whose values and intentions align with those of the Daily, a criteria this ad and the organization did not and do not meet.

The responsibility for this ad appearing in the Daily doesn’t end with the Daily’s business department, however.

After an ad is placed it is incorporated into the digital document on which the paper gets created and its content edited. Each page of the paper is printed out and reviewed by multiple members of the Daily’s editing staff and at least one member of the paper’s managing board.

Clearly, we as editors are guilty of lapses in judgement and a failure on multiple

levels to process advertizing content with the same conscientiousness we process Daily-produced content. A similar reevaluation to the one the business department will undergo will also apply apply to each of the editors responsible for looking over the paper, ads and all, before it goes to print.

I want to be clear: in publishing this ad, and in every piece of content that appears under the Daily’s name, discrimination was not our intent. Promoting the opinions of organizations that are guilty of hate speech was not our intent.

Alienating Muslim students at Tufts was not our intent. Our intent was to complete a financial transaction that happens multiple times a day between the Daily and those who buy ads with us.

But doing so in blatant disregard of the implication that this particular ad’s content would have for those who read it was careless. It was irresponsible, and it gave voice to a party whose voice does not belong at Tufts. It indicates a need for the Daily to seriously reconsider how we vet those who wish to advertise with us and the ads they submit.

I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the Tufts community who have reached out to me and the Daily in protest of our publication of the ad. It shouldn’t be up to you to keep hurtful material out of the Daily, that job is ours, but it’s heartening that we serve a community if students that has the best interest of their classmates at heart and the conviction to hold the Daily accountable for our actions.

While it’s my hope that Tufts and the pages of the Daily remain a place where free speech and contesting viewpoints can see light in the interest of productive conversation on controversial issues, this aim must be conducted within the realm of responsibility and civility. In granting legitimacy to those whose goals are to create dissension and promote hate, we went beyond that realm, and for that I apologize. The Daily does not support the message of the ad or the organization that purchased it, and a reevaluation of our ad placement and editing processes will certainly take into consideration the hurtful impacts this kind of language has.

Sincerely, Martha Shanahan Editor-in-chief , The Tufts Daily

To prove his point of just how closedminded the Tufts student body is, he states Mr. Martin was “murdered” without having let the judicial process decide the veracity of its legality, as “murder” by definition is an unlawful killing.

I applaud Mr. Bristol’s courage to

both point out a problem and then use himself to illustrate just how ingrained the problem truly is.

Respectfully,

Letter from the Editor In addressing the paid advertisement entitled ‘Faces of Islamic Apartheid’ that appeared in today’s issue of the Daily, I’d like to clarify and apologize on behalf of the Daily for the editorial oversight that led to the ad’s publication. It should be made clear that any ads that run in the Daily, including this one, do not in any way reflect the views of the paper, nor do they reflect the views of any member of the paper’s masthead. On a personal level, I would be deeply disappointed if anyone at Tufts truly supported the Islamophobic and violently offensive ideas this ad and the organization that purchased it promote.

While the Daily reserves the right to sell ad space to any organization that agrees to pay the posted fee, our collective failure to thoroughly vet the origins and content of this particular ad was indicative of a deep dysfunction in the way our system works. Our readers deserve better than a faulty system, and so effective immediately the Daily will begin a thorough reevaluation of how requests for our paid ads are vetted.

The Daily retains its editorial independence from the university and the Tufts Community Union government by relying solely on advertising revenue from organizations both external and Tufts-affiliated that agree to pay our posted rates. Every ad that appears in the paper originates with an email from the advertiser to a representative from the Daily’s business staff, whose positions are far removed from the content decisions made by the Daily’s editorial staff. Members of the business department process each ad and the corresponding payment from the organization purchasing it. It is at this stage that the content and origin of an ad should first be evaluated for accuracy and fairness, and accepted or rejected based on whether it achieves the overall level of discourse that the Daily hopes to achieve with all of our content, paid or otherwise, as the newspaper of record serving the Tufts community.

In this case, the ad was sent by a representative of the Horowitz Freedom Center, an organization whose advertisements in other publications have drawn similar reactions to the ones I have heard from multiple students reponding to today’s ad in the Daily. It’s obvious that a clearheaded evaluation

Daniel Kotin Executive Technical Manager

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

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I wholeheartedly agree with Walker Bristol’s Op-Ed. Mr. Bristol implies that Tufts, as an institution as well as the student body, is closed-minded due to its inability to understand and identify racial and sexual discrimination within its borders.

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.

Morgan C. Lerette

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Tufts Daily

9

Op-Ed

Op-Ed

Craig Frucht | Axes to grind

Privileging Balance over Truth Dylan Saba

Growing up, I paid little attention to what was happening in the Middle East. I was born the year the Oslo Accords were signed, and to this day, my mom has the newspaper from 1993 with Arafat and Rabin shaking hands. I was seven when the second Intifada began. By that point it had been told to me, as a fact, that my heritage was special. I embraced it in about the same manner I embraced being left-handed—I never thought about it unless someone asked me to define myself.

I’m definitely Jewish. I can get my way through most of some of the prayers, I could probably recite to you an abridged Passover Seder, and though I wasn’t Bar Mitzvah’d myself, I’ve been to enough to know how they work. Obviously this alone does not make me Jewish, nor is it any large feat. I bring it up simply to refute the notion that I’m a ‘Jew in name only,’ an allegation I have more than once received. I am by no means religious, but I was raised, in part, in an environment of cultural Judaism by my Jewish mother.

Every now and again, my father would ask me what my opinions were about what was going on in the Middle East. This started when I was around 10, and continued until I was 17.

Embarrassingly, my answers did not improve much over that time span.

I would either deflect the question or (in the later years) mumble something about a two-state solution. I was much more concerned with domestic politics anyway.

I always knew the stories: my aunt born in Gaza during the Six Day War, my great grandfather coming to the States from Poland fleeing persecution, my father spending the better part of a year in a bomb shelter during the Lebanese Civil War, my grandfather walking to school every by

day as his peers hurled insults at him, my background would come to define calling him a “dirty Jew.” To a lesser me. Or perhaps I needed for my own extent, I carried with me the collec- sake to sort out my complicated tive history of each community: the identity. Somewhere along the way, I history of anti-Semitism in Europe began to realize that in an effort to be and the history of Orientalism in the above the fray of vitriol and conflict, of the incorrigible stubbornness of Arab world.

As a privileged white kid growing ideologues, I had been masking my up in the Bay Area, this was easy to ignorance with what I thought was ignore. I did not want some ancient balance. I had been, in the words (so it seemed) history to define who of Rick Perlstein, “privileging balI was, and furthermore, what did I ance over truth.” Instead of gathering information and applying my own know about persecution?

Throughout high school, my under- moral lens, I was falsely assuming standing became a bit more devel- that for every analysis of fact there oped. Terms like terrorism, birthright, was an equally legitimate opposite settlements and occupy began to enter analysis. I began to ask myself impormy lexicon. I was very much a liberal tant questions: to what am I applying (read: Democrat) at that time, and balance? If I give equal weight to two would fervently debate my conserva- parts of an unbalanced system, am I being just? It is one thing to consider tive peers.

This was not just for fun or intellec- and be sympathetic to multiple narratual exercise; I truly felt the morality tives and perspectives. It is another to of my positions and my arguments, assume that morality is equally divisparticularly those involving gay rights ible, especially when power so clearly and American foreign policy. However, is not. Once I rid myself of the strict when it came to discussing Israel/ dichotomy that had been limiting my Palestine, my stance would be much views, it was very easy to proceed on more tempered, moderate, neutral. At my own moral footing. the time, I thought that I was being Needless to say, I decided I needed mature and wise, as if no one had ever to take a stand. I joined SJP and haven’t looked back since. I recognize considered peace before.

When I arrived at Tufts last year, that not everyone will share this same curiosity brought me to the Students personal journey, and this is certainly for Justice in Palestine General Interest not an appeal for you to join SJP. Meeting. There was talk of protests, Rather, I seek to target the commonly apartheid, and boycotting. It wasn’t held belief that neutrality or balance that I disagreed with the opinions is an admirable political opinion. In being shared — by that point I had fact, being neutral essentially guarsome understanding of the conflict antees legitimating a morally repreand would have classified myself as hensible view, as conflicts are almost ‘pro-Palestinian’— but I found the never characterized completely by morally righteous positions. It is not aggressive mindset discomforting.

I felt morally superior, free of a acceptable to shield ignorance with closed-minded dogma, an omniscient claims of disinterest. force for compromise, understanding I am not asking you to pick a side. I am asking you to have an opinion. and peace.

I didn’t attend many SJP meetings that first semester, but I began to Dylan Saba is a sophomore who has not read. Perhaps I was finally beginning yet declared a major. He can be reached at to realize that despite my best efforts, Dylan.Saba@tufts.edu

Op-Ed

Explorations and Perspectives: Keep a great tradition alive

by Samantha

Tye, Madeline Hall and Howard Woolf

While many schools “talk the talk” about being student centered, here at Tufts through the ExCollege’s Explorations and Perspectives programs we do, in fact, walk the walk.

For over 40 years, Tufts juniors and seniors have teamed up to teach seminars of their own design for a small group of entering students. This doesn’t happen at Harvard. It doesn’t happen at Yale. It certainly doesn’t happen at Williams, or Amherst, or Wesleyan. Why has this been going on for so long?

The first reason is that Tufts students, over the years, have shared both a sense of self-reliance and a sense of community. The seminar leaders in Explorations and Perspectives embrace the challenge of teaching, and they give back by mentoring the entering students.

The second reason is that it works.

In the past, data collected by the Tufts Office of Institutional Planning have shown that the first-year students in Explorations and Perspectives have an easier time adjusting to college life and do better academically over their four years.

It’s a tradition all our own. And it’s one that renews itself every year, in March, right now.

With such varied topics as Harry

Potter, climate change, sports and society and bio-ethics, to name a very few, Explorations can be about anything you can analyze.

But if movies are your passion, then Perspectives is where you can teach your own film course.

Interested? I want to tell you a secret. Yes, the first-year students gain a great deal from Explorations and Perspectives. But the juniors and seniors who create and lead the seminars gain even more.

They’ve tested themselves and discovered that they can handle an incredible amount of responsibility. In addition, they’ve honed their organizational and time-management skills, learned how to lead a group, and acquired invaluable insight into who they are.

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what a few of last fall’s Explorations and Perspectives leaders have to say about their experience.

From Samantha Tye and Sofi Shield, the leaders of a Perspectives seminar on Films about Genocide: It is hard to say what my favorite part of each week’s class was. Even as the semester went on, our freshmen never ceased to amaze us with their insight and perspective on the films we watched. They expressed wonderful commentary about portraying genocide through film and thoughtfully spoke about ethical dilemmas within the genre. I truly believe that

I learned as much as the students did about genocide films. Sofi and I learned even more about being leaders, working with others and conducting a class.

From Madeline Hall, whose Exploration centered on John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath: As the semester passed and the students consumed the book . . . I understood that they were as new to college as I was to instruction, and that our respective efforts had brought us together in this class. I knew the book, knew my own passions and abilities, knew the worth of the course; all it took was the introduction of the students, eager and incredibly bright, to turn this knowledge into true belief in myself.

So. Are you going to be a junior or senior next fall? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of entering students and your own life as well?

Then it’s your turn to keep the tradition alive.

There’s still time. Check it out at excollege.tufts.edu/studentFirstyear.asp.

Samantha Tye is a senior majoring in psychology. She can be reached at Samantha.

Tye@tufts.edu. Madeline Hall is a senior majoring in international relations. She can be reached at Madeline.Hall@tufts. edu. Howard Woolf is the Assistant Director of the ExCollege. He can be reached at howard.woolf@tufts.edu.

The President’s dirty hands

P

resident Obama, who came to Washington vowing to change the “inside baseball” nature of our political system, more often than not finds himself mired in it instead. “Washington,” he confessed last summer, “feels as broken as it did four years ago.”

If anything it’s more broken. In 2008, the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision had not yet multiplied the already-excessive political power of corporations and wealthy donors to its current, nauseating level.

Super PACs — independent-expenditures committees that may, thanks to Citizens United, raise unlimited donations from individuals and corporations — give Republicans a crucial advantage over Democrats in electoral politics, since Republicans enjoy stronger support from deep-pocketed industries like oil and finance. But the advantage isn’t just electoral: Super PACs can also use the threat of an onslaught of negative advertising to intimidate career-conscious lawmakers into voting their way on key issues. They are yet another mechanism through which the desires of the privileged eclipse the needs of ordinary Americans.

And now Obama himself has embraced Super PACs. The president’s new non-profit advocacy organization, Organizing for Action, intends to court six-figure checks from wealthy donors, which it will use to promote Obama’s agenda and exert pressure on Congress.

When liberals talk about their disappointment with Obama, this is exactly what they mean. The same president who once denounced the concept of Super PACs as undemocratic has now himself entered the business of pandering to special interests in exchange for unlimited donations. Obama, his critics argue, should take the high road and shun Super PAC funds even as his opponents embrace them.

But these criticisms ignore the reality of what is truly a desperate political situation for Obama. Despite Obama’s re-election, House Republicans have little incentive to approve anything he proposes. Any Republican who strikes a conciliatory tone must fear becoming the target of avalanche spending by conservative Super PACs during the 2014 primary elections.

No comparable threat exists on the other side of the aisle, and Organizing for America is the best chance for Obama to establish one. The New York Times accuses Obama of being a “defeatist,” and having an “if you can’t beat them, join them” philosophy. Well, yeah.

Obama can’t control what types of campaign contributions the Supreme Court arbitrarily decides constitute “free speech”, or stop the Koch Brothers from spending hundreds of millions of dollars to obstruct his presidency. He can either compete or let his opponents have one of the most powerful tools in American politics all to themselves. If Obama wants to implement any of his agenda, then House Republicans must fear for their seats if they refuse to cooperate with him.

Obama’s attachment to the moral high ground cost him dearly during his first term.

His refusal to use the weight of his office to pressure his opponents helped bring about historic Tea Party victories in 2010 and a debtceiling deal so disastrous in 2011 that the economy is still feeling the burden of it.

Liberals — including the ones in charge of the Times’ editorial page — gripe endlessly about how groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) use their financial muscle to gain favor in Congress. Only now that leading Democratic politicians like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg [Bloomberg is independent and was a Republican until 2008] are establishing their own Super PACs to counter the NRA, is there any hope of convincing lawmakers to adopt meaningful gun control reforms?

It’s unfortunate, but money is a supremely important factor in American politics, and Obama must match his opponents’ financial clout if his second term is to succeed. The future of gun control, clean energy and immigration reform are all on the line here, and that means a lot more to the future of the country than the president’s high-minded idealism.

Craig Frucht is a senior majoring in psychology and political science. 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.

The Tufts Daily

10

Comics

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Monday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Painting it black

Late Night at the Daily

Monday’s Solution

Emma: “I feel like when I’m tired, I no longer know who I am.”

Want more late-night laughs?

Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Please recycle this Daily.

by

Wiley

The Tufts Daily

advertisement

11

12

The Tufts Daily

advertisement

The Daily wants to hear from YOU. Have a problem with our coverage? Upset about something happening at Tufts or in the community?

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

Send op-ed submissions, 800-1200 words, to oped@tuftsdaily.com. Send letters to the editor to editor@tuftsdaily.com.

The Tufts Daily

advertisment

13

The Tufts Daily

14

Sports

Women’s squash

Rubine falls short in championships

Advani takes opening round win at Individual Nationals

Alex Dennett / The Tufts Daily

The College Squash Association Individual Nationals finished off the season for the Jumbos this weekend, as senior Jessica Rubine fell in the first round. by

Tyler Maher

Daily Staff Writer

Women’s squash co-captain Jessica Rubine represented Tufts at the 2013 CSA individual championships on Friday at Trinity College, competing in the Holleran (B) division to close out the Jumbos’ season.

In the opening round, Rubine squared off with Columbia freshman Reyna Pacheco.

Rubine battled Pacheco through three hard fought matches but came up empty-handed, losing by scores of 11-7, 11-2, and 11-4.

The defeat dropped Rubine into the first round consolation bracket, where she then lost to Williams College’s Alyssa Northrop 11-6, 11-8 and 11-2.

Despite the losses, Rubine is proud of how she fared in the final match of her season and collegiate career.

“While I didn’t get the upsets I was hoping for, I played to the best of my abilities and I can end my Tufts squash career with my head held high,” she said. “It was a great

experience to be in the mix with the best college squash players in the country, and I am glad to have been able to end another season representing Tufts at the individuals.”

With that, the Jumbos closed the book on a trying season during which they struggled to fill out their young roster, let alone win.

Several players who committed to being on the team ended up not following through, resulting in the team being shorthanded for many of its matches. The Jumbos persevered but settled for a 5-13 record.

Rubine described the experience as a transition year.

“We started the season with a new head coach (Joe McManus) and had to recruit some players both at the beginning of the season and also when we came back from winter break,” she said. “We definitely had our ups and downs. We had important wins at nationals against Rochester and Cal Berkley, but then couldn’t pull off the win in the finals against Haverford.”

Every team faces its share of obstacles, and

the Jumbos were no exception. Adjusting to a new coach is hard enough, so adding lineup instability and inconsistent play to the mix proved to be a frustrating combination over the course of a long season.

“It was tough, especially for the seniors,” she conceded. “While the seniors are proud of what we have accomplished over the last four years, we were hoping to finish our Tufts careers with more success.”

Though the team did not score as high as she had hoped, Rubine is not disappointed with how her final season turned out. She was pleased to see her teammates gain experience and improve as the season progressed and impressed with how they overcame adversity and met every challenge.

“We all knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” she said, “but we had nine committed players that gave it their all from captain’s practices in September all the way through nationals in February. I am proud and thankful for the players who stuck with it this season.”

Tufts freshman Aditya Advani concluded the men’s squash season this weekend at Trinity College, representing the Jumbos in the College Squash Association Individual Champions this past weekend at Trinity College.

After an impressive first season, marked by his ascension to the No. 1 position of Tufts squash and inclusion on the All-NESCAC second team, Advani was able to put his skills to the test against some of the best collegiate squash competition.

Competing in the Molloy (B) division, which includes the 33rd to 64th ranked individual collegiate players in the country, Advani put in a strong showing, winning his opening match against Dartmouth College’s Christopher Jung, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8.

Advani then moved on to the round of 32, in which he played another highly contested match, this time against top seeded Abdel Maksoud from Columbia. After losing the first two sets 11-7, and 14-12, Advani came back to win the third set 9-11, before eventually falling in the fourth set 12-10.

This loss put Advani into the second round consolation, in which all sixteen second round losers were put into a new bracket. Against the lesser opponents, the freshman put on two consecutive impressive displays.

First against Princeton’s David Hoffman, Advani breezed to a four set victory, winning 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8. Then facing Middlebury’s Jay Dolan in the consolation quarterfinals, Advani won again, taking down the senior 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8.

Advani’s run came to an end in the consolation semifinals, losing to eventual winner Zeyad Elshorfy, a member of the Trinity College national championship winning squad. Advani was able to take one set, but eventually fell in four, 12-10, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5.

The loss ended Advani’s highly successful season, in which he finished with a 19-7 record, the highlight of an otherwise disappointing 8-14 record for Tufts men’s squash.

—by Jason Schneiderman

The Tufts Daily Housing 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS (781) 863-0440 No Fees, Prices Starting at $595/BR Clean modern Apartments near Tufts.

Laundry facility.

Large kitchens with new refrigerators, dishwashers. Bathrooms remodeled.

Newly refinished hardwood floors, Porches, Off Street parking in Garages Photos at http://picasaweb.google. com/NCA.Associates

Housing More information or appointment contact John at NCA.Associates@ gmail.com

Housing 4 Bedroom, 3 Bdrm & 1 Bdrm Apartments 3 Beautiful Apartments. Completely refinished. Entire House Rebuilt. Stunning. Great Location very close to Main Campus. Parking available. One Bed $1,100. Three Bed $1,900. Four Bed $2,600.

Available 09/01/13. 781526-8471.

-

-

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD continued from page 16

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Nevertheless, the athletes competing understood the importance of the day.

“My thought process was to go big or go home and leave everything on the table,” freshman pole-vaulter Emily Smithwick said.

“You take the week before the meet pretty easy,” senior quad-captain Alyssa Corrigan added.

For the Jumbos, a lot of attention was placed on the 4x400 meter relay team, as they looked to be able to break into the top 10 and qualify for nationals.

But seniors Sam Bissonnette and Alyssa Corrigan, junior Jana Hieber and freshman Marilyn Allen finished the race in a time of 3:55.03, which landed them 12th in the nation, just missing the cutoff for the NCAA Championships.

The time was good enough to place fourth at the meet and was the second fastest 4x400 meter time in Tufts history.

“We prepared ourselves to give it

Ethan Sturm | Rules of the Game

Confessions of a whiny Yankee fan

I

Virginia Bledsoe / The Tufts Daily

Junior Graham Beutler and the rest of the Distance Medley Relay ran a 9:58.30 at Saturday’s Last Chance Meet, propelling them to the NCAA Championships next weekend.

Senior tri-captain Curtis Yancy finished third in the weight throw with his heave of 56 feet six and three quarter inches. Though it was not his furthest distance thus far, his seasonbest, a school record-tying throw of 61 feet eight and a half inches, has him in

seventh place in the nation.

Yancy will head to nationals at North Central College, a Division III powerhouse, in Naperville, IL, and joining him will be Ajayi, the DMR squad, Black in the 800, and senior Mike Blair in the heptathlon.

Allen, Brutus, Oyekunle dominate once again continued from page 16

-

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

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

Yancy heads into Nationals ranked No. 7 in country Senior Jeff Marvel ran a swift first leg, emerging near the head of the pack before handing off to junior Graham Beutler. Beutler himself ran an impressive second leg and handed off to freshman upstart Mitchell Black, who passed to the foursome’s anchor, Jamie Norton. Over the last 1,600 meters, Norton clocked a time of 4:12 to earn the Jumbos a tie for second place with Bates.

Geneseo State won the event in a time of 9:56.22, the fastest time in the country this year. Tufts and Bates tied for second with a time of 9:58.30, and in a tie for third nationally.

The other relay team attempting to qualify was not as successful but turned in a solid time nonetheless.

Beutler, Black, senior Vinnie Lee and freshman Alex Kasemir recorded a time of 3:20.82 for second place, a mere two seconds slower than Williams’.

Their time was the 23rd best in the country, but it was far from cracking the top-10 teams who are selected for nationals.

Tufts fared pretty well in the individual track events. Senior Matt Rand earned a third place finish in the 5,000 with his time of 14:53.10. Not far behind him was junior Ben Wallis, who recorded a time of 14:55.46 to finish in fourth. Senior Tyler Andrews also ducked under the 15-minute barrier, completing the race in 14:58.76 to place ninth.

“The pacers took the race out at 14:30 pace because that’s what we thought we needed for nationals,” Rand said. “Unfortunately, none of us could hold that pace [during] the second half of the race.”

Off the track, Nakanishi, putting his body to the test with a second consecutive day of pole-vaulting, came up short yet again, unable to register a clean vault.

“I tried a second time within 24 hours at hitting a traveling mark in the pole vault,” Nakanishi said, attributing his performance in part to the physical strain he endured. “I had great warm-ups but couldn’t carry the same technique into the competition with a bar up. Again, this meet was another step in the right direction with the 15-foot seven-inch poles despite the results, numerically speaking.”

15

Sports

everything and be proud of the race no matter what the outcome was” Corrigan said. “We absolutely did that.”

Although the team did not qualify for the National Championship, Corrigan has chosen to stay positive.

Freshman Emily Smithwick finished her impressive first year by taking 4th place in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet and one quarter inches.

Although this wasn’t enough to qualify for NCAAs, Smithwick is proud of her performance.

“I was trying to qualify for the Championships like many people at the meet,” she said. “Although I didn’t perform as well as I wanted and I didn’t qualify, I feel like I did everything I could, so I have no regrets.”

Another freshman finishing her stellar first season was 5000-meter runner Audrey Gould. Her time of 17:29.32 placed seventh at the meet and 21st in the nation, but fourth in the country for freshman runners.

The senior throwing trio of Kelly Allen, Ronke Oyekunle and Sabienne Brutus dominated the meet once

again for the Jumbos.

Allen won the shot put with a throw of 45 feet six and one quarter inches, placing her 11th in the country and improving on her own school record.

She also placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 57 feet, a distance that ranks ninth in the country.

Oyekunle placed second behind Allen in shot put with a throw of 43 feet seven and one quarter inches, and Brutus finished third behind Allen in weight throw with a toss of 56 feet four and three quarter inches.

Oyekunle ranks 13th in the nation in shot put and 12th in weight throw, while Brutus ranks sixth nationally in weight throw.

All three women will represent the Jumbos at the NCAA Division III National Championship meet at North Central College on Mar. 8 and 9. They will be joined by Jana Hieber, who ranks 12th nationally in the pentathlon.

“I am so proud of the athletes that did qualify,” Smithwick said. “We have an amazing team.”

’ll preface this column by clarifying that I’m currently a grumpy Yankees fan. I’ve followed the team since I was born, and I honestly can’t remember when they weren’t good. I’ve been treated to five World Series titles, some of the greatest moments in baseball history, and never had to sit through a bad summer.

This year, though, the Bombers are more like bygones, and they can’t do anything about it, because they have more money invested in these old limbs than the GDP of some small countries.

So, maybe it’s awfully convenient that it’s now, as my favorite team, goes into what’s sure to be its worst season in nearly 20 years,that I chose to argue for the advent of such a cap.

But I’m not doing it for selfish reasons the Yankees are already ruined, and no major rules changes are going to fix that. I’m doing it to save those teams who are following them down the same destructive path.

In a cap-less league, the players hold all of the power, which may explain why Major League Baseball seems to be the only professional league capable of avoiding labor issues because, let’s be honest, it’s not Bud Selig. As the revenue sharing and TV contracts continue to grow, stars can ask for fatter and longer contracts, always knowing someone in the league is going to give them one.

The results have been some of the most outrageous contracts in sports history.

Alex Rodriguez got the ball rolling with his 10-year, 275-million dollar contract, which will keep him comfortably employed through his 40th birthday. Now, his contract along with that of Mark Teixiera have become untenable, locking up all fluidity the team has in making moves.

The Red Sox tried to copy their division rivals, with Carl Crawford getting seven years and 142 million dollars and Adrian Gonzalez getting seven years and 154 million. Boston has already blown up that core, trading it all to the Dodgers in a desperate attempt to not become what the Yankees are now.

The teams from Los Angeles have become Yankees west. Albert Pujols got his golden ticket in the form of a 10 year, 240-million dollar contract from the Angels last year, while Josh Hamilton will join him in Anaheim this year for five years and 125 million. Add that to the ex-Red Sox deals across the city and the 160 million going to career scatterbrain Zach Grienke, and you can’t help but to think that the City of Angels has picked up the halo as big spenders after the Bronx finally stopped burning.

Well, Los Angeles baseball fans, I implore you to proceed with caution. The first few years might go well, but things will get ugly quickly. An injury or a steroids investigation or a lack of clutch performance will claim your golden boy’s career, and you’ll be stuck with Juan Rivera in left field because the team has nothing more in the coffers.

A salary cap would be the magic pill for fixing the contract length and size inflation in the sport. Big markets could no longer be forced into franchise destroying deals, while small market teams may actually be able to hold on to the stars they worked so hard to develop. Competitive advantages would be based on strong scouting and development, not who was lucky enough to get the one star whose body didn’t break down at 40.

It’s time for the owners to push harder on one of the biggest issues in sports. Please, fix the game, and make no one suffer the pain that we whiny Yankees fans are currently going through.

Ethan Sturm is a senior who is majoring in biopsychology. He can be reached at Ethan.

Sturm@tufts.edu or @esturm90.

Sports

16

INSIDE Track and Field 14 Squash 14

tuftsdaily.com

Diving

Johann Schmidt heads to Nationals after back-toback diving wins, prepares for NCAAs by

Claire Sleigh

Daily Editorial Board

Junior Johann Schmidt, 2012 national champion on the 1-meter board, will return to nationals this year with wins on both boards at this weekend’s zone qualifying meet. Schmidt won both the 1 and 3-meter competitions by margins greater than 35 points and will continue onto the NCAA National Championships in Shenandoah, Texas on March 20-23.

The back-to-back wins this weekend will be a confidence boost for Schmidt as he continues to train for nationals.

“Johann is just starting to distance himself from the competition,” coach Brad Snodgrass said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to win every meet, but he has the tools to do it.”

Last weekend at the NESCACs, Schmidt fell short of his usual performance when he placed second in the 1-meter board for the first time in his career at Tufts. This weekend reaffirmed Schmidt’s talent as a diver, as he beat Amherst’s Colin White by more than 100 points on the 1-meter dive after White knocked him out last weekend.

Schmidt’s top competition came from Springfield senior Kenny Pancoast who he outpaced 588 to 549 on the 3-meter and 543 to 506 on the 1-meter.

Schmidt got off to a shaky start on his first dive of the day on Friday after losing focus during warm-ups, but quickly

Courtesy Johann Schmidt

Junior Johann Schmidt qualified for nationals in both the 1- and 3-meter competitions, and he will defend his titles at the NCAAs in Texas this March. regained his poise. He went from placing third on the first dive to winning the third by 12 points. He went on to win three of the next eight dives, and placed near the top in all of his other ones.

According to Snodgrass, however, Schmidt has stayed humble and focused as he turns his attention to the NCAAs. Nationals will be the true test of the season so

far for Schmidt, and it really comes down to what he does on that day.

“He knows that anybody can win this, that’s the reason we compete each time,” Snodgrass said. “NESCACs was a good reminder — even if you are better than the pack on most days, someone can have a really good day. In the end, you can only control what you do.

Most days that will put him out

Women’s track and field

Jumbos finish season at Last Chance Meet, lose out on NCAA Championships

Justin Mccallum / The Tufts Daily

Senior Sam Bissonette and her 4 x 400 meter relay team narrowly missed the cutoff for the NCAA Championships at Saturday’s Last Chance Meet. by

Alex Connors

Daily Staff Writer

Tufts women’s track and field hosted the Last Chance Meet on Saturday at the Gantcher Center for athletes attempting to secure a

spot at the NCAA Division III the National Championship National Championships next meet, individuals need to rank 15th or better in the country, weekend.

The meet did not have and relay teams need to rank team scoring because all of 10th or better. the focus was on individual performances. To qualify for see WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, page 15

on top, but it helps him put the focus on himself.”

Junior Sami Bloom competed as well but did not qualify for the NCAAs. She finished 19th out of 27 divers on the 1-meter and 19th out of 26 divers on the 3-meter. Still, Bloom felt that it was a strong end to what has been a successful albeit short season.

Snodgrass is hopeful that with a full season of training

next year, Bloom will be able to come back and place higher than she did this weekend.

“I think she knows what she needs to do to be competitive next year,” Snodgrass said.

“We’ll have her for the whole year next year so certainly be shooting for that.”

According to Schmidt, the meet ended up being relaxing once he got into the rhythm of his dives.

“Brad told me to relax and have confidence, and after that it was easy going and I had fun,” he said.

Snodgrass plans on taking the next couple of practices to work on basics with Schmidt so that he can feel in control of every dive. Getting a set rhythm will hopefully keep Schmidt from getting nervous when he’s up on the board.

“We’re going to go back to basics a little bit,” Snodgrass said. “If he can improve his timing and board work his dives will look and feel a lot easier.”

After some days of technique work, Schmidt will turn to working on his voluntary dives to keep them as consistent as they have been in the past. Schmidt’s dive list is considerably more challenging than last year’s, said Snodgrass, but he’s going to stick with it.

“He’s still challenged sometimes with the degree of difficulty, but he’s solid in that list and hopefully can do as well as he’s done lately,” Snodgrass said.

Men’s Track and Field

Distance Medley Relay joins other Jumbos headed to Nationals

With the Tufts Men’s Track and Field athletes granted one final opportunity to springboard to nationals, the Jumbos split up this past weekend in the hope of improving everyone’s chances of qualification. The ECAC Division III Championships at the Armory in New York City started off the pressure-filled weekend on Friday, followed on Saturday by the Last Chance Meet held in the Gantcher Center at Tufts.

Senior Gbola Ajayi kicked off the mad pursuit of qualifying marks in style on Friday when he improved on his distance in the triple jump, one that was already good enough for a spot at nationals.

On his fourth jump, Ajayi leapt 48 feet one and one-quarter inches to boost his national ranking to 10th. He placed second in the event, finishing less than eight inches behind sophomore Jamie Ruginski of Southern Maine.

“Some of the things we worked on in practice last week really paid dividends,” Ajayi said “[I] finally had some consistency, so I was happy about that, but there is definitely more in the tank.”

He was accompanied by senior tri-captain Brad Nakanishi, who tied for fifth in

by Sam

Gold

Daily Editorial Board

the pole vault with his effort of 15 feet three and three quarter inches. That clearance fell just short of his season-best mark of 15 feet five inches.

“For me personally, Friday was definitely a step forward,” Nakanishi said. “I started working my top on the 15-foot seven-inch poles, but it was not a large enough step forward to get me over a bar higher than 4.67 meters.”

Although the Jumbos sent only two participants to the Armory on the first day of the meet, the two combined for 11 points, which left the Jumbos tied for fifth. Ajayi and Nakanishi headed back up to Tufts after their respective events, however, leaving the Jumbos without any competitors for the second day of competition.

The majority of those in contention competed on Saturday at the Last Chance Meet, with Nakanishi joining them to try to best his performance from the prior day.

The Distance Medley Relay team assembled for the occasion, the first true ‘A’ squad of the season, and ran a particularly fast race to win all the way into a tie for the third spot in the country this year. see MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, page 15