Archives

News

The Castle' and 'Trippin' strong on humor, weak on story

March 31

It's time for graduation and suddenly the real world is looking scarier than a townie on his bad-ass BMX. There are decisions to be made, employment to be sought, housing to be found, and a diploma to be framed. It seems like all you want to do is sit back, close your eyes, and live in a state of ignorant bliss. That cloudy ecstasy is exactly the world inhabited by the extremely eclectic characters of two recent films. The Castle is an Australian import, about a family who will do anything to save something hardly worth saving, while Trippin' tells the story of a young high school senior who has trouble living his life because he is too busy dreaming about it. The Castle tells the story of the unbelievably happy Kerrigan family, a clan of Australian suburbanites whose lives would seem pitiful and depressing to any one else. But they live day by day, with bright, wide smiles on their faces. Content, they reside in a small cluttered house, under high voltage power lines, on a small piece of land that happens to be at the end of the runway of the largest airport in the region. There's the husband and wife, two sons, a daughter, her husband, and a few dogs. But don't worry about them, their house isn't crowded at all. Actually, it feels empty without their last son. Where's he? Oh, he's in prison, that's all. But the Kerrigans keep on smiling, that is of course, until the government tries to take their home away and build another airport terminal. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, the state pays the family money, they move away, an airport is built, and everyone's happy. This is especially reasonable considering that even an empty hangar would be more aesthetically pleasing than the veritable garage sale in which the Kerrigans live. But this is not the case for Darryl Kerrigan, a middle aged tow-truck driver and his family. They love their home; it is their castle and no one is going to kick them out. The rest of the film follows the Kerrigans' ambitious attempt to protect their home by taking the case to the highest court in the country. The jokes here are silly, simple, and subtle. The audience is forced to laugh at the absurd way the family wades through the mud and muck of reality without hesitation, or even noticing it. There are no worries for them. Innocently and bravely they persist with a stupid look on their face and a naive glint in their eyes. There is no need or want in this family. They have everything. For that we laugh because we wish we had the same. But that's the profound stuff. The Kerrigans are also very ugly, stupid, extremely dorky, and talk silly. For that we also laugh because people like that are funny. In Trippin', our hero, Greg Reed, known to his friends as G, lives in an equally inspiring bliss. He has it all; money, women, fame, women, success, women, and of course, more women. But the only problem is his success is all in his mind. Trippin' is based on a great creative idea. The action of the story shifts back and forth between the real, boring, lazy, intimidating life of our hero G, and the imaginary, crazy, exciting, and hilarious life of his dreams. The concept is ingenious and one expects a goofy version of House Party and Booty Call meet Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Brazil. In that sense, the movie both succeeds and fails. Some of the fantastical skits that G imagines are hysterical. He becomes a famous poet for such lyric works as "Don't Be F--kin' With My S--t." Universities are offering him ready-and-willing girls to satisfy his desires if he attends their school. And he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in defending the nation. Unfortunately, his dreams are much more interesting than real life. Thus, the rest of the movie is dragged down by a lame plot. The story of G's attempt to woo the lady of his dreams sputters and his best friend's run-in with a drug-dealing hoodlum is forced, unreal, and irrelevant. The jokes try too hard and it's a wonder that first-time director David Raym, who has worked with John Singleton and Eddie Murphy in the past, even thought they would get a chuckle. It all builds up into a big confrontation in which we meet a gangster who stutters and his lackey wears leg braces... when will the hilarity end? Please pardon the sarcasm, but it's disappointing when a beautiful idea and several hysterical scenes are weighed down by the stale conventions of sub-par movie making. Nevertheless, certain moments, though few and far between, remain in which the humor is top-notch. Seeing the movie may not be a complete waste, especially for those who enjoy a little daydream themselves. With one's head in the clouds, it's easy to forget your worries, imagine the future, and catch a good movie or two.

---

News

Nine reasons to stop the NATO bombings

March 31

The following letter was forwarded to a professor at Tufts by Professor Ursula Doleschal of the University of Vienna, Austria. There were two other contributors to the letter: Professor Martin Haspelmath from the University of Leipzig, Germany and Professor Davide Ricca from the University of Torino, Italy.Dear colleagues, We are extremely concerned by what has been going on in Yugoslavia during the last few weeks. The world is witnessing a horrible escalation of the war in Yugoslavia which each of us, as citizens of democratic countries belonging to or sympathizing with NATO, is responsible for. The media and leading politicians are almost unanimous in their support for the military escalation. We think the NATO bombings should be stopped immediately, for the following reasons: First, the plight of the ethnic Albanians deteriorated dramatically after the NATO bombings began. That Milosevic would use the strategy of ethnic cleansing after the NATO attacks was predictable from the beginning, because all Albanian civilians are now seen as enemies by the majority of Serbians. Second, since help cannot be sent into Kosovo quickly, there is the imminent danger that all ethnic Albanians will be deported from Kosovo in the coming weeks. Third, as the bombings continue, the refugees cannot be helped effectively either, because the security of the helpers is not guaranteed, and neighboring countries are unable or unwilling to help sufficiently. If the main intention is to avoid a further deterioration of the humanitarian catastrophe, the bombings must be stopped. Fourth, the NATO war has helped Milosevic gain the support of the vast majority of Serbians, even those who regularly participated in demonstrations against his regime until recently. Only by stopping the war can we help the Serbians who oppose Milosevic's criminal regime. Fifth, the Rambouillet Treaty was not fair to Yugoslavia: It required the Yugoslav government to allow NATO not only into Kosovo, but also to allow NATO free access to all military structures in Yugoslavia. The ethnic-Albanian representatives signed the Rambouillet Treaty only after being assured that Belgrade would not sign it. Sixth, Milosevic cannot be compared to Hitler or Saddam: Until the NATO war, Serbia was a civilian society with an opposition media. It was a semi-democracy much like pro-Western countries such as Croatia, Egypt and Colombia. The NATO war is a war not just against the Milosevic regime, but against the whole Serbian people. Seventh, about 200,000 Serbians were driven out of their traditional settlement areas in the Krajina region of Croatia by the Tudjman regime in the early 1990s. The West seems to have forgotten their plight entirely, and Western governments have not put pressure on Croatia to allow the refugees back. It is not surprising that the Serbians feel they are being treated unfairly by NATO. Eighth, we applaud the principle of putting human rights above the sovereign rights of independent states. But military interventions should treat all countries equally. If NATO bombs Yugoslavia, but condones the brutal oppression of ethnic minorities in countries like Sudan, Rwanda, Turkey, Indonesia, Russia and China, then one suspects that NATO has other goals besides the defense of the human rights of ethnic Albanians. Ninth, human rights can be defended all over the world only if there are powerful institutions like the United Nations that are universally accepted. The unilateral NATO bombings in Yugoslavia are doing enormous damage to international law and to the prestige of the United Nations and other truly worldwide institutions. We deplore the fact that the most powerful NATO country, the United States, has repeatedly refused to accept international decisions (such as the banning of land mines), even when they are backed by European NATO countries. If you agree with our position, please communicate this message on to other people in NATO countries and other Western countries. If you don't agree, please take our arguments into account.

---

News

Cabaret' comes to the Colonial

March 31

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in Berlin in the 1930s. There is a restless energy running through the city. This is pre-World War II Germany. It is the dawn of Hitler's rise to power - political tensions, scantily clad girls, and nightclubs abound. "Wilkom" to the world of Cabaret. While you're here, let the master of ceremonies show you around. After all, as the famous opening number goes, what good is sitting alone in your room? If any show has ever been a smashing success, it is Cabaret. When it premiered on Broadway in 1967, it won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. The movie version of Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, won eight Academy Awards. Boston has finally been able to play host to the highly acclaimed Broadway production of Cabaret, directed by Sam Mendes, the famous London director. Mendes' reworked New York version of Cabaret has received critical acclaim and recently received four Tonys. Cabaret is based on the book Berlin Stories, which eventually became the play I am a Camera. It tells the story of a young American, Cliff Bradshaw (Rick Holmes) who comes to Berlin to write a novel. He meets the lovely, young Sally Bowles (Teri Hatcher) at a nightclub called the Kit Kat Club. Sally is a flighty Bohemian-type who has trouble settling down. Even though she is a mediocre talent, she dreams of being a big nightclub star. The two settle down together. The play centers around their relationship in the backdrop of the Kit Kat Club. The mysterious master of ceremonies (Norbert Leo Butz) is a continuous presence throughout the evening. There is also a sub-plot that involves Fraulein Schneider (Barbara Andres) and Herr Schultz (Dick Latessa), an elderly couple whose relationship is threatened by Hitler's rise to power. The unusual staging in the show and the wonderful dance numbers are part of what make this production so unique. The orchestra is on stage and is dressed just like the other characters on stage. Walking into the theater, the actors are already on the stage and plunge the audience into their world even before the curtain opens. There are a few tables surrounding the stage to recreate the atmosphere of a nightclub. Little touches throughout the play add to the heightened intensity from the staging of Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider's wedding party to the incredibly shocking and powerful ending. The Roundabout Theater's production of Cabaret seems to like to rely on star power for the role of Sally Bowles. In the recent Broadway production, the film actress Jennifer Jason Leigh took over for Natasha Richardson. In the Boston production, the director has given another famous screen actress, Teri Hatcher, a stab at the part. Many people questioned whether Hatcher (who is known to all of America as Lois from the now-defunct Lois and Clark) could give the part the panache it needs. The answer to their question is a resounding "yes." Hatcher's debut stage performance is one that deserves praise. She is wonderful as Bowles and has a strong and vital stage presence. With her elegant figure and beautiful face, she looks the part one hundred percent. Her voice is a bit rough but carries and she appears to have no trouble singing the songs. Her performance is especially poignant during the second act when she sings "Cabaret." She is quiet and reserved, but is able to convey a great deal of emotional intensity. Leo Butz does a fairly good job playing the Emcee, who serves as the voice of morality and reason for the country. Butz, who is fresh from playing Roger in the Broadway production of Rent, almost looks a little too American and wholesome for the ghoulish Emcee. It takes him a bit of time to warm up to the role. By the time the second act rolls around, he seems more comfortable with the part and starts having fun. He is especially chilling when he sings the song "I Don't Care Much," and is amusing to watch during the comic song, "Two Ladies." Other notable performances are given by Dick Latessa and Barbara Andres, who play Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider respectively. Latessa, a Broadway veteran, has a powerhouse of a voice and sounds like he could be in an opera. His performance is touching and sweet and he has a wonderful chemistry with Andres, who gives an equally poignant and powerful performance. This production of Cabaret is vastly different from what Broadway audiences saw in the 1967 version of the show. The script has been reworked and various new songs have been added to the show, such as "Mein Herr," and "I Don't Care Much." There is also a greater emphasis on Cliff's bisexuality, a part of the story that was not even a part of the original production. Cabaret is sure to be one of the hottest tickets in town. The Kit Kat Club is just waiting to "wilkom" you into its world. After all, life is a cabaret, old chum. Cabaret will be playing at the Colonial Theater through June 6. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster (617) 931-2787 and directly at the Colonial Theater Box Office.

---

News

Clarifying Israel's role in Lebanon

March 31

Recent Letters to the Editor printed in the Daily have compared Israel's role in southern Lebanon to the actions of Serbia in Kosovo and have called for NATO intervention in the conflict. Unlike Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's brutal incursions into Kosovo in an effort to maintain a stronghold on the province, Israel's presence in southern Lebanon is strictly of a peace-keeping nature. The Israel Defense Force (IDF), which sacrifices the lives of its soldiers to protect the civilians of northern Israel from terrorist bombings from southern Lebanon, has no expansionist designs on the land and the Israeli government has never sought to populate this area with its citizens. These distinctions make any comparisons to the Kosovo situation entirely inappropriate. Major conflict arose between Israel and Lebanon in the early '80s when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was forced out of Jordan by the Jordanian monarchy and began to operate in southern Lebanon. At this time, Lebanon was divided by a civil war between Muslims and Christians and the government did not have the resources to control the growing PLO presence. When neighboring Syria sent its army into Lebanon to bring order to the country the PLO was once again ignored. The PLO used its relative autonomy to repeatedly attack the cities and villages in northern Israel, killing increasing numbers of Israeli civilians. Eventually, with the casualties mounting, the Israeli army invaded Lebanon in an attempt to end the terrorist attacks and secure safety for its people. During the IDF's march to Beirut there were unfortunate civilian casualties, but the end of the terrorist bombings had finally given peace to northern Israel. After 300 IDF soldiers had died and international efforts were made to ensure peace between the nations, Israel partially withdrew from Lebanon and has since occupied only a 15-kilometer-wide security zone in southern Lebanon with the cooperation of the Southern Lebanese Army (SLA). The SLA is comprised primarily of Lebanese Christians who oppose the majority Muslim government. Ongoing fighting between religious factions since the civil war has left residual tension and many Christians fear that an Israeli exit from the region would result in violent persecution of the Christian minority by Lebanese Muslims. Israeli military and civilian leadership alike wish to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory. IDF soldiers continue to suffer under attacks from Hizbullah, another terrorist organization. Despite superior technology, the IDF's ability to retaliate is limited. The IDF can discern the origin of Hizbullah bombings but is hesitant to respond because Hizbullah guerrilla fighters are often stationed near civilian institutions such as hospitals and children's nurseries. Approximately 30 Israeli solders die annually in Lebanon and many others return home wounded. During recent weeks, daily skirmishes between the IDF and Hizbullah have resulted in further death and destruction. On May 7, the Hizbullah sent bombs into the Galilee, killing an Israeli farmer in a blatant attack on civilians. Deaths on both sides cause Israel to examine its occupation of southern Lebanon, but the fact remains that there is no guarantee that terrorist attacks will cease following withdrawal. Russia, Iran, and Syria provide the Hizbullah with Katyusha rockets and other munitions and no party has agreed to end the fighting after a full Israeli pull-out. Security assurances and safety for the SLA are the only primary conditions for withdrawal. Nevertheless, neither Lebanon nor the Syrian leadership which controls Lebanon, will negotiate a lasting peace agreement. In fact, when Israel offered full withdrawal, Syria refused to discuss Lebanon-related issues and would not allow Lebanon to negotiate with Israel without the inclusion of talks concerning Israel's return of the Golan Heights to Syria. This strategic area was annexed by Israel following a Syrian invasion of Israel in 1967. The Hizbullah itself has affirmed that it will continue its terrorist war against Israel even after a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Milosevic considers Kosovo a part of Serbia and will stop at nothing to crush the Kosovo independence movement. Israel has no such determination. Instead, with a guarantee of peace, Israel would rejoice in an opportunity to leave Lebanon. This withdrawal cannot take place, however, without a basic assurance that the civilians in the Kibbutzim and villages of northern Israel will be safe from Hizbullah bombs. Any comparison between the fighting in Kosovo and the conflict in northern Israel is unfounded in both historical fact and political reality. To understand the Israel-Lebanon conflict it is vital to recognize that Israel only took action in Lebanon in response to the intolerable killings of its civilians in the north. Additionally, Israel's past and current efforts to leave the region should not be ignored in an academic analysis of the situation. Milosevic has attacked innocent Kosovars and refuses to cede the Kosovo province. In Israel, the army is fighting to protect Israeli woman and children from Hizbullah attacks and, with an offer of security for the region, would eagerly remove all forces from southern Lebanon.

---

News

Fulbright will study Romanian economy

March 31

Every year an average of seven to nine Tufts students receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, but this year has been a record breaker, with 13 students receiving the honor. Among the members of the select group is Gabriel Mozes, an economics major who will delve into economic developments in Romania. Mozes has interest in Romania for a number of reasons. Some of it is rooted in the fact that his family is descended from the region. Both of his parents are from Romania and he speaks the language fluently. The idea for his proposal came when he visited the country last July. He had just been studying economic theory in London for six months and he was starting to question the practicality of economics. However, "when I was able to see the currency devaluation, economic development, and foreign direct investment first hand [in Romania], I felt more accomplished in my major," he said. As Mozes explained, 1999 marks the tenth anniversary of the fall of communism in Romania. For the past ten years, the Romanian government has been trying to "implement massive economic reform to stabilize the economy," Mozes said. But in the course of this action, little has been done to document or probe deeper into these major developments. "There has not been too much literature documenting the successes or short-comings of the program," Mozes said. Disconcerted, Mozes decided that he would propose that a case study be done to evaluate the reform program and to study policy. Mozes' study will take place in Transylvania, the western region of Romania. He will stay in Cluj, which "is the biggest city in the region, and relative to big cities it is relatively small. It's about the size of Somerville," he said. The town has many attractive features, including "relative size, university resources, and recent economic development." It is also, as Mozes stated, "a completely different society and environment." Mozes sees great promise in the research he will conduct thanks to the $15,000 to $20,000 grant he will receive. "I want it to be applied to US policy and policy makers who are researching this kind of information." Right now, Mozes hopes that his research will specifically be applied to US foreign policy direct investment. Mozes came up with his proposal in five minutes, but he almost missed his chance to submit it, as he knew little about the scholarship. While the federal government and various foreign countries found Mozes qualified for a scholarship of this magnitude, Tufts did not; they failed to inform Mozes of the opportunity to apply. "During the summertime, letters are sent out to seniors with high GPAs," Mozes said, "but I didn't get a letter because I was not part of that list." Thus, because Mozes was ousted from the qualified pool, he was left in the dark until a friend told him about the scholarship. It was fortunate that Mozes thought of his proposal quickly because he only had two weeks to write it. "I had just taken my L-SATs and I decided that in case I didn't do well I should apply." Mozes believes that the there should not be a bias against students whose grade point averages are not in the upper echelon. "Everyone should be encouraged to apply," Mozes said. Mozes plans to attend law school following his year of intense research. He is certain that his acquisition of this scholarship will "open doors on my return." The Fulbright Scholarship was established in 1946 to increase mutual understanding between the US and other countries. It has been described as a step towards building an alternative to armed conflict. It is one of the most competitive academic scholarships in the world. The other 12 Tufts students will all venture to different countries. For example, David Megathlin will study the effects of alcohol on twins in Finland. Sarah Ingmanson will head off to Japan to study the effects of the Asian financial crisis on that society. Other students will do equally interesting work. At this point, there is the possibly that more students could be accepted to the program, but Mozes believes that the showing thus far is very satisfactory. He believes that this increase in acceptances could be attributed to the increase in the number of Tufts students studying abroad.

---

News

State of the Senate

March 31

As we come to the end of a successful and challenging year, it is now time to look back on what has been accomplished as well as ahead towards the work that must be continued. I would first like to thank the entire TCU Senate for all their hard work, support, and dedication, and give a very special thanks to Vice President Vivek Ramgopal and TCU Treasurer Larry Harris. I am very proud of the accomplishments and progress that have been made on behalf of the student body this year and feel extremely comfortable leaving at a time when there is so much promise. With a solid core of senators returning to finish what we've started, a fiscal house that is in order, some necessary reforms, and voter turnout finally on the rise, the momentum that has been gathered should usher in an era of unprecedented effectiveness for the TCU Senate. After I was elected TCU President, former TCU President Ancy Verdier advised me that the most important things are follow-through and continuity. Many of the initiatives undertaken this year will take more time to be completed, so I would like to remind the Senate how important it is to follow-through on this year's progress. I was always told to strive to leave something or some place better than I found it, and I know that I have succeeded in doing that at Tufts. Entering this year I outlined two main goals for the Senate and the student body. I wanted to focus on student participation in University governance and I wanted to push Tufts to make its mark. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention the great strides towards increasing Tufts' financial aid packages that were made this year. It gives me great satisfaction that the administration responded to both our internal pressure as well as competitive pressures and committed to achieve a socio-economically diverse student body. The Senate was able to directly address the issue of governance by striving to reform the student-faculty system in order to ensure better representation for students. Stemming from that effort the Senate has received assurances that the student body shall now have a seat on the administration's policy council. Future challenges regarding issues of student participation are three-fold. The promise of Tufts Polls that caused so much frustration within my administration shall soon become a reality. After an unforeseen corporate buyout of the originator of Polls' company and the realization that the prototype was ill-equipped to handle the students' needs, Tufts Computing Services has offered its assistance and is reconstructing a bigger and better system. The next two issues are the Boston-Area College Consortium and strengthening the relationship between the student body and the surrounding communities, specifically with regards to voting and housing issues. The groundwork has been laid this year and the challenge for the next administration will be to capitalize upon it. Additionally, Vice President Ramgopal took the lead on ensuring continued post-season play for our athletes by lobbying NESCAC presidents relentlessly. The second goal I outlined for the year was for Tufts to strive to make its mark. We sought to revive old campus traditions and to begin new ones. As promised, I consulted with leaders of Programming Board, Concert Board, Entertainment Board, Spirit Army, and Lecture Series in an effort to put on more fun events to benefit the entire campus. We succeeded as promised. I met with the aforementioned groups and the result was the first annual Winter Carnival. Hopefully this new event will find its niche as a spring semester kickoff event that entertains and captures the attention of the whole campus. The Senate also held our own pseudo-midnight pancake breakfast in an effort to keep the tradition going. Additionally, the new administration must continue the process of revamping Hotung Cafe to become a center of campus social activity. Finally, senators have been engaged with the recently hired Director of Public Relations to find ways for students to assist in the effort to market Tufts to itself and to the nation. Cindy Pollard has a clear vision through which the perception of Tufts can catch up to its reality, and it is important that students play an integral role in that effort. Before offering a few final thoughts I wanted to highlight some additional accomplishments and undertakings of this year's TCU Senate. Services Chair Moira Poe had a very productive year working to improve some basic quality of life issues for students: Hodgdon takeout hours have been expanded to 10 p.m. An outside consultant will be examining Dining Services this summer. A new and bigger campus shuttle was secured in order to accommodate student needs. The Alumni Summer Network is in the final planning stages and should be functional for the summer of 2000. Services members lobbied Residential Life to install soap and paper towels in the dorm bathrooms, restore cable in the dorm lounges, and change how Buildings and Grounds responds to dormitory problems. Senator Poe has explained that the Dining Services Committee has "laid the groundwork for next year to be the year where massive changes are made." The Education Committee, chaired by Neil Farbman, also had a productive year. The committee published (both in print and on the web) a course evaluation guide at the end of each semester. Chairman Farbman and Senator Jesse Levey, in conjunction with Senator Erin Ross and seniors Haley Stein and Dan Pashman, brought the subject of distribution requirements onto the agenda of the Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee. A proposal that would reduce the number of requirements by two or three is currently under consideration and has the full support of the student representatives to the committee. Senator Dan Zandman, in conjunction with Tufts' Feminist Alliance, authored a resolution advocating a women's studies major. The resolution was unanimously passed by the senate and then approved by the faculty. It will be officially added to Tufts' curriculum in the Fall of 1999. The committee set up a book swap which is available for use by the student body via the new TCU Senate webpage. Senator Tamar Jeknavorian, with the assistance of Senator Maria Speridakos, coordinated the first annual Professor of the Year Award, which was presented to Professor Gerald Gill of the history department. The Administration and Budget Committee sought to research and analyze a variety of issues brought forth by the administration. Some highlights include the Higher Education Initiative, the new fieldhouse, and Senators Levey and Tommy Calvert's Focus 2000+ memorandum. Meetings surrounding the construction of the fieldhouse were unhelpful in terms of crystallizing details and more importantly, having the administration successfully communicate to the student body the specifics and financial tradeoffs inherent in the plans. The committee lobbied the administration to get buses for all potential students for April Open House. Senator Calvert worked to correct problems with Tufts ID cards and also investigated the possibility of new "smart" cards that may provide additional benefits to students. The committee engaged in a "safety walk" around campus with members of TUPD to assess lighting and safety issues on campus. The committee urges next year's senate to remain vigilant in advocating for student parking spaces in safe areas with regards to the construction of the new parking garage. The Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs committee, led by Lory Ivey Alexander and Alethea Pieters, had what can only be described as a breakthrough year. C & E engaged the community and its culture groups in a series of meetings at the culture houses aimed at opening the lines of communication and identifying key issues. After much research, resolutions were introduced and passed regarding the welfare of the Latino, Asian, and Homosexual communities. The committee pressed for administrative accountability with regards to reports by various Task Forces. It is important that the dynamic and engaging nature that characterized this year's committee transfer over to next year as well. There is still much work to be done on these issues. There are several recommendations that I would like to reiterate in my conclusion. I have served as a senator for three years and have found those years to be exciting, rewarding, and extremely educational. However, as with all things, the campus political climate is far from perfect. Substantive improvements can be made in several key areas. As I have previously stated, the system of student-faculty committee representation is in disarray and should be reformed as recommended by the resolution passed by the TCU Senate. Furthermore, in my opinion, the campus could benefit greatly from an improvement in journalistic standards and it is my recommendation that both major publications create the position of "ombudsman," a media critic/ethics officer. This would be a step towards even greater professionalism and integrity for our newspapers. Finally, I am excited to announce the constitutional amendment that I proposed has passed and that the next TCU president will have a cabinet. The president needs more support from individuals directly accountable to the executive in order to successfully undertake a full agenda of macro-level initiatives. The benefits include senators freer to interact with constituents and more focused and comprehensive agendas for progress by the only universally elected senator, the TCU President. It has been a pleasure serving the student body as President this year. I have learned much, am proud of my accomplishments, and feel confident that I leave a better TCU than the one that I inherited. I am well assured that the incoming president will do a fantastic job finishing the work that I have started and guiding the student body into the next century. Good luck, get involved, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to have this incredible experience. Tufts, may the force be with you.

---

---

News

Alumnus provides internships at Columbia Tri-Star

March 31

Two years ago, Natice Rice was a sophomore looking for an internship in the entertainment industry. Sifting through files at the development office she discovered Eric Tannenbaum, a graduate of the class of 1985 and the president of Columbia Tri-Star. A division of Sony Pictures, Columbia Tri-Star is responsible for such television shows as Dawson's Creek, Party of Five, The Nanny, Mad About You, Days of our Lives, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and other popular programs. Rice, who is graduating this year, is an economics major and a communication media studies (CMS) minor, and found the internship independently. This year CMS made the most out of the connection and secured internships for eight Tufts students. Cindy Chen, Alexandra Franklin, Josh Friedman, Mike Glassman, Heidi Hertel, James Lubin, Angela Paradise, and Jason Wang will be working in the comedy, drama, and programming departments, as well as working in Tannenbaum's office. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our students, all of whom will be getting academic credit," said Susan Eisenhauer, assistant director of CMS. She expressed the value of interning, a major focus of the CMS minor and an interesting addition to any college career. "We encourage our minors to include at least one internship," Eisenhauer said, reporting that, "we have between 50 and 100 students who intern for academic credit." Approximately 25 students, not all of them CMS minors, intern over the summer for academic credit. "It's a marvelous opportunity," Eisenhauer said of the Columbia internship. She added that while there are a lot of students with communication internships this summer, this is the most in one office. Originally Tannenbaum had offered two positions but Eisenhauer got such a strong student response that she asked him if he could take more students. Every time she called, he agreed to take on more interns. Soon they were spread throughout the company. Eisenhauer credits the success of acquiring so many internships at Columbia to the fact that Tannenbaum is an alumnus. Sophomore Jason Wang agreed that alums are wonderful resources for students looking for internships. "If we didn't go here we wouldn't be working there," he said. "I have so much faith in Tufts, now," sophomore Mike Glassman said. "And the alum," added Wang. Glassman has taken advantage of Tufts' links to the entertainment world before. Last summer he interned at Dateline NBC with alum Neil Shapiro, the show's producer. "All I had to do was write a letter," Glassman said. He learned of Shapiro when CMS brought the alum to campus to speak about his career. Glassman also interned with a local filmmaker who only hires Tufts students. Paradise will be interning at Channel Four this fall through a similar connection. Rice also noted an additional benefit to working for an alumnus. "It's a nice connection to have with someone," she said. "You have a connection, some common ground. That's a nice thing to have when you go to work for - and learn from - someone." That initial bond allowed Rice to develop a strong working relationship with Tannenbaum. "I was really lucky to find Eric Tannenbaum," she said. "He's a really great guy. He taught me a lot; I had a wonderful experience there." Rice said that Tannenbaum, who was a member of the Tufts football team and was involved in drama, has fond memories of Tufts. "He really likes Tufts. He had a good time here," she reported. Rice was one of two interns at Columbia and worked directly in the president's office. Her job included doing script coverage - TV lingo for reading a script and summarizing it for someone who doesn't have time to read it in its entirety. She also watched the fall pilots, worked briefly in the development office, and attended development meetings. "I was able to take initiative," Rice said. "And of course there was the stuff you have to do as an intern, but you can learn from everything you do." When working in the entertainment industry, even the more menial work can be exciting. "I never got coffee," Rice said, "but I got Mexican food for Whoopi Goldberg." There were fewer famous faces in the files of Columbia, but Rice claimed that doing the grunt work of sorting through them was still part of the learning experience. "If you take it in stride, you can learn a lot from what you're filing," she said of the typically dreaded task. Through filing, Rice said that she learned how contracts are written, which "helped put the puzzle together." As an economics major and a CMS minor, the pieces of the puzzle that is television development and production are important to Rice. The internship allowed Rice to combine her major with her minor. Upon returning to Tufts, Rice used her industry experience to bring a new level of professionalism to TUTV, where she served as the station manager. "It all fit together like a puzzle," she said of her experiences at Columbia and TUTV. "The most important thing about the internship was that it showed me what I like. It introduced me to something I really love. There's no doubt that I learned a lot," Rice concluded about her experience. "It's an internship where you learn on the job," Rice said. That's exactly what the eight students are hoping to do this summer. Her internship opened the door for the other eight students. Not all of the eight are CMS minors, but they are all interested in the entertainment industry. The group represents a wide variety of interests and talents. Lubin, who claims to "make a damn good cup of coffee," is a fan of Saturday Night Live and "I want to do a show like that," he said. Paradise is thinking about pursuing a career in broadcast news. She will be working in current programming at Columbia. "Between [the internship at Channel Four] and this summer, I should have a pretty good idea of what I want to do," she said. "I want to put Spielberg out of business and take his place," Glassman said. This summer he will be working in the drama department. Working in President Tannebaum's office will expose Wang to his area of interest: the business end of television. Chen, an IR major, hopes that the internship will expose her to the intricacies of the entertainment industry. "I find it really interesting but I don't really know much about it, so I want to see if I like it," she said. Chen will be working with Lubin in comedy. The other interns will be spread throughout the president's office, programming, and the comedy and drama departments. The group will all be working together and some will even be living together. Glassman, Wang, and Lubin, who all know each other from classes and extra-curricular activities, are driving cross-country together and will be living at a fraternity house at UCLA. The arrangements, made by Paradise, were just finalized a few weeks ago. "We were joking around that we were going to have to live in the car," Paradise said of the last minute plans. "I tried to convince them to live on the beach," Lubin said. "I thought that would be a romantic notion.' Paradise and Hertel, best friends, will also be sharing an apartment. The students are all excited about the opportunity to learn about the television industry and spend the summer in sunny Los Angeles. Lubin commented that he was most interested in learning the process that goes into making a show. "There's a lot of stuff you don't know when you watch a show," he noted, adding, "I also hope to work on my surfing skill." Paradise, who will be a senior next year, is also looking beyond the scope of the internship and into her future. "I've never been to California before and I'm thinking in terms of graduate school. This is the best time for me to get out there and see if it's where I want to be." Rice noted that LA is, besides New York, the only place to be to work in the television industry. She searched for her internship independently because the CMS and Career Center databases focus on the East Coast. "Career Services needs to try and expand to the West Coast, not only for the entertainment industry, but all industries," she said. "There are a lot of students from western states who want to move back and a lot who've always lived in the north east who want to move west." No matter where the internship is, the learning experience is invaluable. According to Eisenhauer, internships allow students a chance to "network with professionals and learn what other skills they need to pick up to be a qualified applicant." "So many people want to do what we want to do so it's better, so it's better to start now," Wang added. "Plus, it sounds like fun."

---

News

American rhetoric, Palestinian rights

March 31

Alex Shalom gave the following speech to win the Wendell Phillip's Award and the opportunity to be today's commencement speaker. Shalom is a graduating senior majoring in political science.When I told my father that I wanted to give this speech on the role the United States has played in the Israeli settlement of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, I could see that he thought it was a bad idea. He probably remembers when the magazine Jewish Frontier reported that a Jewish scholar who criticized Israel was driven by "deep-rooted urges of sadism, masochism, cannibalism (of both mother and father), and fratricide." More generally, my dad knows that when Jews criticize the actions of the State of Israel, they are often called everything from self-hating Jews to anti-Semites. On the contrary, I'd argue that Jews have a special obligation to speak up against injustices committed by Israel - just as men must fight sexism, straight people must be particularly active against homophobia, white people must work to eliminate racism, and gentiles should be especially concerned about anti-Semitism. Wendell Phillips argued that "the agitator must stand outside of the organization, with no bread to earn, no candidate to elect, no party to save, no object but the truth." Indeed, we must put truth above national or ethnic agendas and certainly above political popularity. With that in mind, allow me a few minutes to shed some light on the current situation in the Middle East. I spent part of last Spring living with a pharmacist named Yousef Hassan and his family in the Palestinian village of Burka Ramallah. I can't begin to retell the stories of subjugation, oppression, and repression which I heard from the Hassans and other Palestinians I met on my trip - there are simply too many. All I can tell you in my brief time is that despite seemingly confrontational rhetoric, the United States supports the continued occupation of Palestinian territories through its tacit approval of Israeli settlers' presence there. A little history: almost immediately following Israel's victory in the 1967 War, it began to create settlements in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The United States joined the international community in condemning the practice - referring to Israeli settlements as "an obstacle to peace." Recently the Clinton administration expressed the continuity of the American position on settlements when US envoy Dennis Ross called Israeli settlements "very destructive to the pursuit of peace." Rhetoric is one thing, however, action is another. As you will see, the US pays to entrench settlers and displace Palestinians. In 1993, when the Oslo Accords were signed, the decisions on several contentious issues were designated to be postponed until final status negotiations - among these topics was the question of settlements. The Israeli government argued that though they needed no assurances about the permanence of the settlements, they needed to be assured that settlers would be able to travel safely to and from Jerusalem. Fair enough, one might think. The problem, however, with the Israeli proposal - which has been accepted and funded by the Clinton administration - was that it called for the laying of several permanent, multi-lane highways, through Palestinian lands. Palestinian property was confiscated, crops uprooted, and houses demolished to ensure the safe passage of settlers. While the Oslo Agreements declared that the question of settlements would not be decided until the final status agreements, there are now a few thousand tons of asphalt that make me think that the Israeli government believes that question to be moot. The total American tab: $660 million, at last count. Needless to say, none of those funds went toward compensating Palestinians for lost land, crops, or homes. It is not just via funding that the United States signals its support for Israeli settlements. Look, for example at American voting on United Nations Security Council resolutions condemning the settlement policy. In March, 1980 the US cast its only vote against Israeli settlements. A few days later, it disavowed its vote. That's hardly a scathing condemnation. The US talks a big game. But a wink here, a nod there, and bypass roads everywhere and we see the real agenda of the United States. To those who argue that exposing the truth about the American role in Israeli settlements is harmful to the Jewish State, I respond with Wendell Phillips' own words: "Only by unintermitted agitation can a people be kept sufficiently awake to principle not to let liberty be smothered." I'm proud to be part of that tradition of agitation.

---

News

Murphy's Law in Kosovo

March 31

In the face of war, faltering negotiations, failed diplomacy, and suffering civilians, I now turn to Murphy's Law to help explain the latest mishap to redden the face of Uncle Sam in the increasingly messy conflict in the Balkans. Murphy's Law 4: "If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then." Indeed, Murphy seems to be the only one on the ball these days. At a critical juncture in formulating a diplomatic solution to the Kosovo crisis, the United States made an appallingly tragic oversight and bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, causing an uproar in China that culminated in a massive nationwide protest sanctioned by the government. Even our European allies are beginning to express some "deep dissatisfaction" (to use the oh-so moving and expressive language of diplomats) at the grave error. At the most fundamental level, it is time for some serious self-reflection on the part of the United States. It was only last week that Russia finally reached an agreement with the US and its allies on a plan for peace that included an international security force in Kosovo to implement precautionary measures against further conflict and to guide the return of displaced Albanian refugees. More importantly, it was decided that this force would be mandated by the UN Security Council, not only to provide credibility to the effort, but to assuage any fears of Western troops blanketing Yugoslav soil. Enter the Big Mistake. The Chinese government may well use its veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council and block any resolution supporting the force. One could argue that the possibility seems relatively remote, considering that the heightened tensions brought on by the incident should die down by the time the Council brings in such a resolution, not to mention the fact that China would hesitate to veto such a resolution that was backed by Russia. However, this does not take away from the fact that the US has some serious explaining to do to the Chinese people, who are now being led into a nationalistic frenzy by a government desperate to push aside its concerns of a slumping economy, increasing unemployment rates, and government corruption. This is the perfect opportunity to rally the people against the evil Americans, and pass out government produced-signs saying "Kill the Americans" and "Clinton is a Nazi." So much for American diplomacy abroad. While explaining to the Chinese people how the most powerful nation in the world with the most advanced techniques in intelligence and surveillance could make such a gross mistake, one that led to the deaths of three Chinese journalists, the US also should start owning up to its allies in Europe. They are beginning to wonder if they are investing a bit too much of themselves in an what amounts to an air war largely conducted by the US military. Both Germany and Italy, key partners in NATO, have publicly expressed concern that the Europeans have allowed the United States to adopt too much power in the campaign against Yugoslavia. European officials seem to be justified in questioning the ability - actually the eyesight - of the Americans, considering that the CIA apparently has issues distinguishing between a huge, marble structure with blue mirrored glass and flying Chinese flags (the embassy) and a concrete building known as the Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement (the Yugoslav arms agency that was the intended target). So the question poses itself: should we be not only ashamed with the irresponsibility of our government, but perhaps frightened at the reality of the situation? We now are aware that this sort of thing can happen at any moment, even during the most crucial moments of a conflict. The government apologizes, expressing "deep regret at the loss of innocent life," and yet I must ask, where is the accountability here? Will we ever take responsibility for our actions? "Oh, but it was a mistake," says Mr./Ms. Government Official, and Americans pat themselves on the back for a job well done in defending human rights and promoting democracy and the American way in the Balkans. Meanwhile, we, as American citizens, must question the nature of this mistake and its consequences. This sort of carelessness in war games will continue unless we demand that our own government be held responsible and not be allowed to politely excuse their actions as an inevitable consequence of their bravery. The US, very early on, refused to place ground troops in the conflict because it apparently spends obscene amounts of money on building up the military just to project an image of the most powerful nation on the planet. (When it comes time to defend its ideals, we have all the strength of Boy Scouts) And yet, the government can somehow justify how it killed three people - not soldiers, but journalists. This is indeed a frightening reality. Is this enough to make people demand answers, or will we continue accepting rhetoric? Sarada Peri is a sophomore majoring in political science.

---

News

Last class of the 20th century

March 31

As we, the Class of 1999, say goodbye to Tufts, it is hard not to reflect back on the last four years. We came in as unknowing, yet eager freshmen, sitting on the chairs in front of Ballou Hall wondering what would be in store for the future. Little did we know that we would sit here again, remembering the varied achievements which, taken together, have formed what is now the legacy of the Class of 1999. Our class is filled with activists, actors, and athletes - people from all walks of life who have left their own footsteps on the Hill. Ours is the first class to see Tufts launched into the top 25 of the US News and World Report rankings. We are the last class to remember the old Wessell Library and its new incarnation, Tisch. During our tenure, Brown and Brew took over Curtis Hall, Sweet Hall was demolished, and construction began on a new fieldhouse. The years were not without controversy. Freshman year we protested CampusLink and took over the Tufts Community Union Senate, beginning a long tradition of activism for the Class of 1999 at Tufts. Later, we raised our voices in concern when the Senate spent $100,000 for the construction of the new patio behind the campus center. When the UNICCO janitors were fired, we stormed Ballou; when Todd McFadden resigned as head of the African American Center, we did it again. And when Jack Schnirman ran against Josh Goldenberg, some of us supported a block of wood. The Class of '99 has also witnessed some of the greatest moments in the history of Tufts' athletics. We were sophomores on the 1997 men's basketball team which had no freshmen, making us the last remnants of a dramatic run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Over 600 Jumbos, clad in brown and blue, stood screaming in the stands, and Tufts history was made. Life repeated itself this year, as the football team packed Ellis Oval for its Homecoming game against Williams. Some of our best memories, of course, are not the ones that the entire school has enjoyed, but rather those late nights hanging out with friends when we realized we had met people that had changed our lives. The stresses of classes, exams, and papers, and the inevitable relationship problems sometimes made us wish we were anywhere but Medford, but looking back at it now, we know everything was worth it. We, the class of 1999, are leaving behind our comfortable home and venturing out into the world for a whole new set of experiences. Tufts has given us memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives, and we are already counting down the days to Homecoming.

---

News

Valued members of faculty to leave Tufts

March 31

Tufts will lose many valued faculty members at the end of this academic year, as numerous professors, department heads, and administrators step down from their positions. At a May 17 faculty meeting, the retirements of Hugo Bedau, Rocco Carzo, Sylvia Feinburg, Martine Loutfi, Charles Nelson, and James William (Bill) Schlesinger were announced. A champagne toast was held in their honor at the end of the meeting. In an unexpected move, Walter Swapp, Dean of the Colleges, announced that he will resign at the end of this calendar year. Swapp will take a year off, during which time he will complete his book on neuroscience, When Sparks Fly, and begin work on another. Swapp will return to Tufts in 2001 as a professor of psychology. "It's really a question of returning to what I do, which is psychology research," Swapp said. No replacement has been named yet. Dean of Students Bobbie Knable, who announced her retirement at an April 30 press conference, was also mentioned at the faculty meeting. She will be replaced next fall by Associate Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, but she will not resign from the University. There is no replacement in line for Reitman's position. Hugo Bedau, philosophy professor for 33 years, will not return in the fall and expects to pursue other interests. (see accompanying article.) Former Tufts' football coach and current Athletic Director Rocco (Rocky) Carzo announced his resignation earlier in the year. He will continue to lead Commencement planning and work on documenting the history of athletics at Tufts. Sylvia Feinburg, professor of child development and long-time associate of the Eliot Pearson School since its inception, will be leaving Tufts this spring after 32 years. Feinburg, who was originally trained as an artist and art educator, twice served as the chair of the child development department. She spent a good portion of the past three decades working to further the role of art in evaluating early childhood development. Feinburg was described by a colleague as "a brilliant, original, and truly inspired teacher as it should be, but often is not, for those who are training our future teachers." In Feinberg's retirement, her collegaue said the Eliot Pearson school will "lose a major source of the heart and soul of this department." A fund is being created in Feinburg's honor. French Professor Martine Loutfi will also be retiring at the end of the year. Loutfi, who has spent 26 years at Tufts, taught French film, culture, and literature, and worked at the Tufts European Center in Talloires. Loutfi made an impact on students and faculty members alike. "She brought fresh air on all of our lives," one colleague said. Another faculty member whose absence will be noted next year is Charles Nelson, German professor, former chair of both the German and the art history departments, and former dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Nelson served in the 87th infantry division in World War II and fought in the famed Battle of the Bulge. After serving time as an American civil servant in Germany and Austria, Nelson returned to the United States to raise three young sons. Provost Sol Gittleman, who studied with Nelson at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, praised Nelson's lifetime accomplishments. "He is our Captain Kirk, going where others fear to go," he said. Mathematics professor James William (Bill) Schlesinger will be retiring after 40 years of teaching at Tufts. Schlesinger served as the department chair from 1969 until 1973. He was instrumental in introducing the computer science department and was, for many years, Tufts' "computer guru," according to a colleague.

---

News

An action in the Tufts tradition

March 31

"Once the rockets go up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department. Says Werner von Braun." - from the song "Werner von Braun" by Tom Lehrer. I recently found in my campus mail a letter asking that I support those graduating seniors who will be taking a "...pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job [they] consider or any organization for which [they] work." This seemed reasonable, if innocuous, to me since the document added that "students may define for themselves what they believe to be socially and environmentally responsible." But as I continued to think about the pressures that young people face as they seek work and try to balance ideals against money or other attractions, I decided that a consistent adherence to a pledge even this mild might demand considerable sacrifice. So I thought that those signing it might like to hear, and perhaps gain inspiration from, a Tufts graduate who, in a different time and under (superficially) different circumstances took a similar pledge. It is a story which should be better known at this school. Norbert Wiener was a child prodigy. Intensively trained by his demanding father, he entered Tufts at the age of nine in 1906, graduated three years later, received a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1913, and, after further study in Europe, took a position in the mathematics department at MIT in 1919. He remained there until his death in 1964 doing basic work in many fields and gaining for himself (and MIT) world fame. His physical appearance - rotund, myopic, frequently puffing on a large cigar - fit the public stereotype of the "absent-minded professor" perfectly. He was always interested in applications of mathematics. During World War II, he helped to design tracking mechanisms for anti-aircraft guns. This led him to formulate a mathematical description of what we now call "feedback loops" where the information that a mechanism receives changes its actions, which in turn changes the further information it gets. He recognized this phenomenon as one which is wide-spread in organisms and in cooperation with biologists elaborated this insight into a field called "cybernetics." In the years which followed the war, Wiener wrote books such as The Human Use of Human Beings and God and Golem (in the Tufts library) in which he attempted to explain to the public some of the potential consequences of technologies (such as the computer) which the war had spawned. He was so concerned by what he foresaw would be the job-loss created by factory automation that he wrote to Waiter Reuther, head of the United Automobile Workers offering to advise him on the matter. For, he pointed out, "any labor which is in competition with slave labor, whether the slaves are human or mechanical, must accept the conditions of slave labor." The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seems to have appalled Wiener and to have strengthened his pacifist leanings. In 1946 he received a letter from an engineer working on missiles for Boeing who asked for a copy of one of his papers. Wiener's reply, which he published in the January 1947 issue of the Atlantic Monthly, is remarkable for its contemporary relevance: "...It is perfectly clear also that to disseminate information about a weapon in the present state of our civilization is to make practically certain that weapon will be used... The practical use of guided missiles can only be to kill foreign civilians indiscriminately, and it furnishes no protection whatever to civilians in this country. If, therefore, I do not desire to participate in the bombing or poisoning of defenseless peoples - and I most certainly do not - I must take a serious responsibility as to those to whom I disclose my scientific ideas." Wiener did not send the paper and from that time until his death did not (knowingly) do any war-related research. His continued writing about the social responsibility of scientists drew considerable ill-will towards him from the Cold Warriors of the day. Today's graduates may not be called upon to design new weapons (although that is still a growth industry), but they will face ethical choices in abundance. Wiener, I think, would be proud if he knew that, a century after he graduated from Tufts, there would be new graduates who also cared "where their rockets came down."

---

News

Just Rocky

March 31

"If Rocky is remembered as Rocky, then that's okay. When you come in here, you should know that you can count on me. If you need help and I can give it, I will. That's the way Rocky is." That was the answer that Rocky Carzo, Tufts' athletic director for the past 26 years, gave me when I asked him how he wanted to be remembered when he steps down from his post this summer. I thought about it, and at first I wasn't too pleased with the answer, as I was looking for something profound to include in my column. But then I looked back and thought to myself, "After working with and developing a relationship with Rocky for three years, what comes to mind when I think of him?' Well, he's just Rocky - someone who, through his sports stories, has instilled in me the three things that he preaches: always have a positive attitude, work hard, and learn from your mistakes. More often than not, Rocky conveys his messages using sports analogies. The first thing he talked to me about last week was his three keys to coming out on top as a person. "So many times you win when you don't deserve to win, or win by accident," Rocky said. "Other times you lose when you shouldn't lose. Whether it's because of chance, accident, the ball bouncing the wrong way, whatever you want to call it, you can't control everything that happens. "Some days you have good days, and some days you have bad days. How can you put it all into perspective and not drive yourself crazy trying to win with all those factors? That's the way life is. Sometimes, even if you work as hard as you can and do everything possible, things won't go as planned. "So what perspective do you place on winning? You have to make sure if you lose, you didn't go in there with a lousy attitude, poor work ethic, and didn't make the same mistakes that you did before. That's how you avoid having any residual guilt from things not coming out the way you planned. You can't complain about anything if you go in there with a positive attitude, bust your ass, and avoid the same mistakes. There are some things that you just can't control, but you can hold yourself accountable for making sure you do those three things. There is a difference between getting beaten and losing. That carries over to everything you do in life." Rocky firmly believes in everything that he said there, and that is what he has tried to develop within the Tufts community. He take pride in all of the on-field recognition that Tufts has received, but he is prouder of the attitudes that the athletes and people within the department develop, and how the students turn out after graduation. "There is a saying that your trophies are under your roof," said Rocky. "That means a lot to me - the trophies and the accomplishments. But the people that work here like the coaches are the ones that I think are under my roof and part of the family. I don't think that I could've done any better in bringing good people to Tufts. If you bring in good people, they perpetuate the values - the values and traditions from one generation to the next. This doesn't come just from the coaching staff, but it's the entire community we have built here." Rocky spent the past 43 years as a coach and administrator. He had previously served as the offensive coordinator at the University of California under NFL Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy. He earned the head coaching position at Tufts in 1966 and was promoted to athletic director in 1973. Rocky also served in various national positions, including Vice President of the NCAA from 1989-1991. Meanwhile, Rocky opted to remain at Tufts over the lure of Division I schools, and even turned down coaching offers from the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. "The thing that I love about Tufts is that Rocky can be Rocky. I can be just what I am. People at Tufts consider athletics part of the whole scheme, not just an appendage. If I was at a Division I school, I would have to run a Division I-A business. I don't want to run a business. In Division I, entertainment is an extremely important ingredient, and it almost overshadows the educational aspect of a school. Our situation is just the opposite. So, we don't have to make compromises about what is right and what is wrong, like with admitting an athlete who doesn't belong. "I like being part of the campus here. I love being a professor, going to faculty meetings, and just doing all the things I do here. I need a lot of different things to do, and I have it here." As he completes his last days as athletic director, even a tough football guy named Rocky admits that it has been an emotional time for him. Rocky also said that the response he has gotten from the department, students, and school has been overwhelming. But of course, nobody will be able to keep Rocky away from Tufts, as he is working on several projects, including some research on leadership in sports. Through information from former athletes, coaches, and even Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, Rocky has been essentially trying to get a better answer to, "What is leadership?" He found that it all ties back into hard work and can be applied to life itself. "In the research that I've been conducting, a lot of former athletes have said to me, 'When I thought I was working hard, I didn't even scratch the surface. It wasn't my coach. It was me. I was the one with the lousy attitude. The coach was the one trying to make me do better,'" Rocky said. Tying it back to students, Rocky said, "The same thing goes with a professor. Maybe you don't like him, but he's the boss or the coach. He's just trying to make you do better." It seems that whenever Rocky is giving me an interview, speaking with me when we bumped into each other, or just talking up a storm at a reception, he is always trying to teach both me and the others around him about life; always trying to help. And as I walked out of his office last week, he offered his help in any way that he could through my senior year, job hunt, and after graduation. And you know what went through my head? That's just Rocky being Rocky.

---

News

To 'Infinity' and beyond: Beelzebubs new release shines

March 31

Tufts' own all-male a capella group, the Beezlebubs, has released a new album entitled Infinity. Despite a few slow moments, the Bubs come off with a cohesion and vitality that remind us why their concerts are arguably the most well-attended on campus. "That's the Way I Like It/Get Down Tonight," by K.C. and the Sunshine Band starts the album on an upbeat note. Soloist Jeremy Cramer's tenor voice is irrepressibly full of life, and the arrangement melding the two songs together is well done. "It Ain't Over 'Til it's Over" by Lenny Kravitz is done in a mediocre fashion. Despite parts in which members of the group are forced into a squeaky falsetto, Oliver Wong does a nice job of mimicking Kravitz's voice, blending well with the background throughout the song. "All I Want is You," falls victim to the same problem at one or two points, where the falsettos of the group do not blend particularly well. Despite beautiful background vocals, the chord changes are simply too tedious and repetitive to retain interest. Both background vocals and falsettos are particularly strong in "She's Always a Woman," a Billy Joel favorite. The dynamics of the song are conducted with a wonderful perceptiveness. Another slow but feeling song is "Washing of the Water," in which Wong and Alex Rappaport make a song that could become tedious actually worth listening to. Always a favorite during concert performances, "Stay (Wasting Time)" by Dave Matthews is one of the stronger pieces on the album. Part of this is due to the fact that the chord changes in the original were beautiful even before their rearrangement on Infinity. Credit must be given to the Bubs, however, who are incredibly cohesive during this song, from beginning to end. The polyrhythm is wonderfully done and the bass- line is good and strong - a necessity for the song. "All Night Long," is an unexpected piece for a cappella translation, but again, due to a strong bass-line and well-conducted dynamics it comes off well. The arrangement is unusual and the non-English instrumental is gorgeous. The arrangement of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered - I'm Yours," by Stevie Wonder is similarly out of the ordinary, and just as strong. Also unlikely pieces for an a cappella album are "Loungin'" by LL Cool J, "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix, and "No Diggity," by Blackstreet. The first and the last are usually considered "rap" by the music industry. The background, mostly percussion and bass are nice, but rap comes off as somewhat strange when done in a cappella style. Still, because the arrangement is somewhat minimal to begin with, the songs translate fairly well, especially "No Diggity" on which Sam Hanson's solo is particularly strong. "Fire" uses microphone effects to mimic Hendrix's electric sound. Though an interesting experiment, it is not what the Bubs do best. The group shows off their percussive skills with "You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)," by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Though the song does not quite replicate swing quality, the voices of the group blend especially well with near-perfectly executed background vocals and an instrumental that puts actual wind instruments to shame. Arguably, though, the best song on Infinity is Sting's "Why Should I Cry for You." Not only are the chord changes excellent, but the group's voices blend seamlessly and the sound carries with it a haunting quality. Jack Maynard's solo is the highlight of the album, as he sings with a cleanness and clarity that shows not only a wonderful talent, but an ear for the bittersweetness in the song. Overall, Infinity is one of the Bubs' better endeavors. "Brothers, Sing On!" the group's song, and the last one of the album is an unfortunate exercise in self-indulgence. But with a group that does so well most of the time, we allow them their faults. The album overcomes weaknesses with a vengeance, and displays the group's talents as best it can out of the live-performance venue, which is usually the Bubs' greatest strength.

---

News

Star Wars Episode I &#150 The Phantom Menace

March 31

Mixed reviews in papers around the country did not stop die-hard Star Wars fans from waiting on line for days in some cities for Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The film opened this past Wednesday to one of the biggest box offices in movie history. The general consensus seems to be that his royal digital genuis himself, George Lucas, has used a few too many special effects in the latest installment of his sci-fi brainchild. The fact that Lucas uses digital work in 95 percent of the frames of the film awe-inspiring, but it is said that he relies too heavily on the computer to create his alternate reality. Still, reviews have been positive for the cast which includes the likes of Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and Liam Neeson, who has received extremely good feedback nationwide. In addition, as New York Daily News reviewer Jack Mathews said, no matter what, "Children under 12 will love it. Old Star Wars fans, having waited 18 years will likely embrace it." What the second installment of trilogies does is bring Star Wars into the collective consciousness of another generation of young dreamers, too often inundated with the blockbuster rot of movies like Independence Day and Armageddon. Star Wars is science fiction mainstreamed for both boys and girls, adults and children. It captures the struggle between good and evil as no other series has been able to do since, and its recreation of a galaxy long ago and far away, makes willing suspension of disbelief a pleasurable task. It creates heroes, tears down enemies, and builds new worlds. Movie magic has never looked so good.

---

News

Milk moustache' campaign pays off, Tufts students win

March 31

Last March, four Tufts students launched a campaign to promote milk consumption on campus. Their effort, inspired by a contest sponsored by Rolling Stone and the milk industry, was successful as the Tufts team won, beating out teams from other schools across the country. "We're really excited about it," victorious senior Maral Jeknavorian said. For the milk campaign, Jeknavorian and the other participants from Tufts, sophomores Gabrielle Grode, Christina Luongo, and Amy Metzger, kept records of the consumption of milk in the dining halls on campus. The object of the campaign was to spread information about the benefits of milk and related topics like calcium and osteoporosis around campus. The group put out a series of milk moustache ads featuring campus celebrities. To try to increase the milk consumption, they also supplied students with flavored powders to put into their milk since many students choose not to drink milk because they claim not to like the taste. The final project the group submitted included a comprehensive account of their campaign at Tufts. Teams from all the universities participating in the contest sent in a report after the campaign was finished. This showed how long the campaign was, what they did, how they reached the target audience, and if there were sustainable results of the campaign's efforts. Jeknavorian said that their report was set up like a regular campaign that would be presented to an advertising agency. It included visuals, graphs, and charts displaying the results from Tufts. Nationwide, there were four teams which qualified as winners. Stephanie Miness, the representative from Rolling Stone who contacted the group, could not tell them how many other students entered the contest. However, she said that the students presented an excellent campaign and that they should be proud. The Tufts students found that their campaign increased milk consumption on campus by 25 percent. "The students left comments about how happy and pleased they were with the campaign and how much they really appreciated the information," Jeknavorian said. "We got a good response." The prize for the contest is an internship for two months during June and July at Rolling Stone. Winners also get an apartment in New York City to share and a $200 stipend each week to cover the cost of food and entertainment. For the first week of the internship, the students will go to an advertising agency where they will learn about the business. After that they will work at Rolling Stone and US magazines to learn various aspects of advertising, including promotion and editing. The only downside is that just one of the students from Tufts is allowed to take the internship. Out of the four Tufts students, one is going to Talloires and the other is applying to dental school, so they were already unable to go. The other two students had to flip a coin to choose. Amy Metzger will take the internship in New York City. Most likely, her picture will appear in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone. "This was a really great idea that the milk industry had. It gave students on campus the impetus to run a campaign like this and it's really important," Jeknavorian said. Jeknavorian also commented on the impact of the campaign on the health of Tufts students. "I hope that this encouraged other students on campus to get involved with other health prevention campaigns."

---

News

Bang for our bucks

March 31

"This is what we get for $30,000 a year?!" So begins the tired refrain I have heard too many times during my four years here. Tufts students have convinced themselves that they are being cheated by the school, that the administration is holding back, and that they aren't getting enough in exchange for their investment. However, students who hold this opinion are simply looking for their returns in the wrong places. The reason that Tufts' dorms may not look as luxurious as the dorms at other schools, or why the athletic facilities may not seem so impressive, is simple: Tufts just doesn't have enough money. Tufts has amazingly managed to vault itself into the upper echelon of American universities in spite of an alumni giving rate and endowment that, though slowly improving, still pale in comparison to those of many of our competitors. Tufts administrators chase nickels and dimes around the budget, attempting to make the most out of the little money they have to work with. What many Tufts students fail to realize though is that $30,000 a year times 4,500 students is still not very much money when it comes to funding a major university and trying to compete with the best schools in the nation. Those students who quip that they will not donate money to Tufts because Tufts did not spend any money on them are being both unfair and immature. There is no secret slush fund, no hidden stockpile of money - Tufts spends all it has. Because past students have left with that attitude, there isn't nearly as much as administrators and students want. After graduation, we can choose to leave future students to contend with the same difficulties of the past, or we can decide that we want Tuftonians of the future to have more than previous generations. As it is now, in spite of our lack of funding and consequent high tuition, Tufts remains a bargain for those students with the right priorities. Too many students seem to think that all of Tufts' positives are commonplace, while all of our negatives exist only here. They harp on our weaknesses, while taking our strengths for granted, never once stopping to think that perhaps the grass isn't greener on the other side. What truly sets Tufts apart is very difficult to put into words, though I will try. It is the tenor, the atmosphere - something so basic and so fundamental to our community that it usually goes unnoticed. It is intangible, a strength that cannot be seen in a new dorm or fresh coat of paint, a strength that cannot be bought by even the largest endowment. There are numerous aspects of Tufts that contribute to its tenor, the first being its size. Tufts is one of only ten or 12 schools in the country with approximately 4,500 undergraduates - not a fact to be taken lightly. The unique size of the undergraduate population allows us to support a wide selection of courses, a major concert for Spring Fling, 150 or so student organizations, and much more, while at the same time fitting most of the administration into one building. Professors teach classes and keep regular office hours, and anybody can make an appointment to see the president, but even as a second semester senior, I am still meeting classmates for the first time. Tufts' size allows it to be varied without ever being overwhelming. A friend of mine who attends Yale took a course with Professor Harold Bloom, one of the world's leading biblical scholars. However, when he wanted to meet with Bloom, he had to make a day trip to Yale over Christmas break, because it was the only time Bloom was available. This is a problem few students have ever experienced at Tufts. The contact that Tufts students are able to have with administrators and professors may exist at some small colleges, and not enough students here appreciate that. Still, though, I feel that the tenor of Tufts means much more than its unique size. It also has to do with the students, both the way they approach academics, and the way they relate to each other. Last year, some friends and I went out to Boston College for a change of pace on a Saturday night. I was amazed by the dorms at BC - each one looked newer than the next, and they all made Haskell Hall look like a shanty town. But when we tried to enter parties, we were not allowed in because there was someone at the door each time who asked bluntly, "Who do you know?" Since we didn't know anybody throwing the party, we were not allowed in. We left the BC campus in shock, unable to recall ever being treated in such a manner at Tufts. In this respect, Tufts students really need to give themselves a little more credit - we're a pretty cool bunch of people, and trust me, they aren't so cool everywhere else. I give tours here, and I remember that the first time a parent asked me how much pressure and competition there is among students, I was taken aback. The idea of intense pressure and competition at Tufts seemed foreign to me, but at many other top schools, students are suffocated by an overbearing pressure to excel. Tufts students work very hard and want to do well, but come Friday night, they know how to put down their books and have a good time. Such a balance between academics and social life is rarely achieved at top universities. While I hope that all of these examples help to illuminate what sets Tufts apart, I fear they still fall short. Perhaps in the end, there is no statistic or anecdote to fully explain what makes the Tufts community special - you just have to take a step back and look around. Tufts' greatest strength has been staring you in the face, surrounding you, ever since the moment you became a Jumbo, and don't ever make the mistake of thinking that it exists anywhere else. It is true that Tufts is in some ways lacking, but our deficiencies are problems that can be fixed, especially if today's Tuftonians make better alumni than our predecessors. Community and tenor though, are much harder and take much longer to change. So the next time you think that Tufts is ripping you off, think again. For $30,000 a year, you could be living in a beautiful dorm at a pretentious, pressure-filled school, where professors don't teach classes because they are on their book tours, deans are too busy and too important to know your name, and the food is terrible - it's called Harvard. For my money, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Tufts.

---

News

Tufts students to appear on Letterman

March 31

And the number one reason to watch The Late Show with David Letterman on May 21 is to see over 50 Tufts students in the audience (and maybe even a cameo appearance by Jumbo.) The Late Show will fly in an entire audience of 451 people from Boston on May 20 to tape the last of its four city-specific episodes. The three previous installments of the series featured audiences from Miami, Philadelphia, and Nashville. According to Rob Burnett, Letterman's executive producer and a graduate of Tufts' Class of '84, the show will be tailored to the Boston audience with a special Top Ten List and numerous Beantown references. He added that there will be "a lot of surprises, which is another way of saying that there will be even more ways to get Boston involved that we haven't even thought about yet." Tufts' public relations office received a phone call from the show three weeks ago, and assumed the task of picking the volunteers from the student body. Some of the lucky students include TCU President Larry Harris, former Daily Editor-in-Chief Pete Sanborn, and the Student Alumni Relations Committee chair Scott Nussbaum. Also heading to New York for the taping will be the Tufts Beelzebubs. Even though they are not scheduled to perform, the singers are hoping that they can seize this opportunity for exposure. "It would be awesome if during a commercial we could break out into a tune to get noticed," said Jeremy Cramer, the group's president. "It would be great if we could get permission for that. We'll figure something out, but it'll be a fun surprise for all of us." Nussbaum and Sanborn, who work for Cindy Pollard in the Public Relations Office, essentially served as the coordinators for this event and took the responsibility of finding the students over a two-day period. "It's really cool," Sanborn said. "It's great to have an opportunity to do this. Seeing Tufts in the audience is a great way to gain visibility, but it's even more fun that we get the chance. It definitely means a lot that [the producers] chose us too." Sanborn added that the Tufts contingent would be doing a lot to be conspicuous. "We've been figuring out ways to make ourselves visible. We're bringing down the Jumbo suit, and are making sure that everyone has Tufts clothing on." Other guests on the show include Natalie Portman, who stars in the new Star Wars movie, and Boston native and actor Tom Everett Scott. While Burnett would not confirm this, the Boston Globe reported that Red Sox All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and future Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk would also appear on the show. "It's a unique opportunity," Nussbaum said. "We are really fortunate to be able to take advantage of it."

---

News

Both men's and women's crews struggle at New England finals

March 31

While everyone else on campus was enjoying the Spring Fling festivities on May 1, the Tufts crew was on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, battling the top teams in New England for the right to go on to Nationals. Overall, it was a disappointing day for Tufts, as both the men's and women's squads failed to overcome the difficulties that had been plaguing them all season. For some rowers, the regatta marked the last race of the season and, for the seniors, the last race of their college careers. On the women's side of the New England tournament, the varsity boats rowed hard in their heats, but their results were sub-par. Tufts came in fifth out of six boats, with a time of 7:17.83, edged out by UConn, who finished only a couple of seconds ahead. The boat did not make it to the final heats. "It wasn't because we didn't put in the effort," senior captain Jessica Normand said. Normand is one of seven seniors on the team. She has rowed all four of her years at Tufts, and was part of an undefeated novice eight boat that won the New England tournament her freshman year. This boat also included senior Erin Byrnes. "[She is] one of the pillars on the team," sophomore Sam Minc said. Byrnes did not row her sophomore year, but returned her junior and senior years to become one of the strongest rowers in the varsity program. Normand, Byrnes and some of the other varsity eight rowers will be going to England this summer to row at Henley. The two had gone as freshman, so it is appropriate that their college crew careers have come full circle. The second varsity eight boat has had to overcome many losses and injuries this season. Going into New Englands, the boat changed seatings and rowers so many times that it was hard for the squad to really come together and be competitive in the tournament. The boat came in last in the heat, ten seconds behind Wellesley. However, the loss was not entirely disappointing. "The second varsity boat rowed hard and did well, considering the adversity the rowers had to overcome," coach Gary Caldwell said. Seniors Aimee Parow, Kristy Teele, and Aubrey Troutman all rowed in the second varsity boat. "The seniors showed incredible fortitude, juggling academics and work, and still finding time to help try to make a boat go fast," Caldwell said. "They will be sorely missed," junior Emily Balough added. The varsity lightweight boat was one of the brightest spots for Tufts this season. It rowed in the heavyweight heats in New Englands as a second varsity boat, and did very well against competition that was bigger and stronger. The boat came in third out of five in the petit finals, and will head back to Worcester this weekend for the National tournament. The captain of the lightweight squad, senior Jill Mather, will be difficult to replace. Starting as a coxswain for the men's program her freshman year, Mather has worked hard all four years to make sure that she and her team performs at the highest capacity. "She has become a real role model for her team members," Caldwell said. Many rowers from the novice squads will be rowing in the varsity boats come next year, and taking the place of the seniors who left. The women's novice team performed well all year, but had a disappointing showing at New Englands. The first boat came in fifth out of six boats, while the second boat (which includes senior Nancy Potvin) came in third out of six in its heat. Overall, the women's program could have done better this season, but with strong rowers coming up from the novice boats and an improved team attitude, things look good for next season. "This season we felt really prepared physically, but mentally it wasn't all there," Minc said. "Next year will be different." The men's program showed astounding physical and mental toughness this season. The New Englands were, disappointing on the whole for these squads as well, but the strong novice boats look to pick up where they left off this season. The varsity eight crew came in last out of four boats in the preliminary heat, four seconds behind Connecticut College. The boat then rowed in the petit final and beat Mass Maritime and Amherst, and barely missed the Camels again, this time losing by only a second. The boat rowed hard all season to make up for its small size, when compared to the rowers in other New England heavyweight programs. The seniors in the varsity eight boat, Pete Babaian, Jeff Marois, Dan Zox and captain Jeff Pakuska, worked hard all four years to help build up a program that had hardly been competitive when they started rowing. "The senior men's rowers showed remarkable resiliency in sticking with boats that weren't strong, but had potential," Caldwell said. "They always put the team first." "This season, we worked hard and learned something from race to race," Babaian said, glad to end his Tufts rowing career on a high note. Babaian believes that the team did not meet all of its expectations, but that the program should remain competitive in the years to come. Another senior in the program, Mike Bennett, rowed in the varsity four boat this season. His crew rowed well in New Englands, but, like the varsity eight boat, was not as strong as some of the other New England fours. The future looks bright for the varsity men's program, however. This was Ted Benford's first year coaching the squad, and he has already improved the overall performance of his boats from a year ago (last year, the varsity men's program could not even row in the tournament). He has brought patience and a healthy attitude to a program that needed such qualities. The novice men's team looked strong this year and ended the season in style. The novice eight boat came in fourth out of six boats in the grand finals, with a time of 6.37.31, just two seconds behind third place UMass-Amherst. It will row this Sunday in Worcester in the Nationals with the women's lightweight boat.

---