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Can you hear me now?

September 19

When Salman Rushdie comes to Tufts next Tuesday, the number of students who will be able to see him is far less than the number of students who should have such an opportunity. As an internationally renowned novelist and activist his views and opinions should be disseminated as widely as possible. It runs parallel to much of the work Rushdie has done for the advancement of literature and promotion of literary fellowship. Space has always been a constraint for Tufts, from housing pressures to limited availability of classrooms during peak blocks. Room reservation for speakers is no exception. Tufts has 4,843 undergraduates. Many of them are bright, worldly students who would be interested in hearing a noted author and thinker such as Rushdie. The University made only 400 student tickets available for the event. Demand quickly swamped supply. Tickets were exhausted within 30 minutes of being on sale, leaving more than 90% of Tufts undergraduates in the cold. The number of students who were turned away or frustrated by an impossible hope of receiving tickets is impossible to determine. But if we realize that a ticket was allocated every four and a half seconds after the gates opened, there is clearly a significant interest. Few events on the hill can draw this many students - Tufts must be accommodating on these occasions. Events leading up the Rushdie event show the University has been lagging in this regard. Rapid distribution of tickets occurred after only brief notice. Only 17 hours passed between the ticket sale announcement from Dean Glaser and the beginning of distribution at 10:30 a.m. the next morning. Tufts students may be addicted to e-mail, but this leaves little time for coordinating and planning between students. Students with 10:30 a.m. classes are equal to those with no class before 1:30 p.m. on a Friday. Amidst the numerous errors in planning related to the Rushdie event, there emerges one question: why can't more people listen to Rushdie speak? Tufts is able to accommodate a significant number of students each year for the Fares lecture. There were 2,600 student tickets available for the Hillary Clinton speech last fall, more than half the Medford student population. While regulations and red tape with the town of Medford mean a change of venue might not be possible, the University should figure out a way for large crowds to see significant speakers on campus. The only reasonable possibility to accomplish this goal is a simulcast. Dean Glaser should organize a second seating room. Given the predictably high demand for Rushdie why was this not pre-arranged? Lecture Series President Ethan Stillman said this would be easy to coordinate. For the Spike Lee program, there were no additional fees or legal issues involved in establishing a closed circuit broadcast in Jackson Gym. The cost of bringing Rushdie to additional students is the setup fees for the simulcast. This is a negligible cost compared to the price of a speaker. It is their obligation both to the students and speakers to ensure all who want to hear Rushdie are able.

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News

Tilton bathrooms now transgender-friendly

September 18

The bathrooms in Tilton Hall were modified this summer to better accommodate transgender students. The bathrooms are now neither exclusively for men or women. The changes were proposed by Dona Yarbrough, the director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Center, as part of a series of issues relating to transgender students. The new bathrooms are now similar to the ones in South and Bush Halls. "The University has been looking at ways to make restrooms more accommodating to a number of groups, including transgender people, people with disabilities and families," Yarbrough said. The bathrooms are designed to provide a more secure environment for transgender students, who consider themselves members of the opposite sex. The bathrooms are now divided into two rooms. When students enter the bathroom from the hallway, they see a sink and a stall with a toilet. A second door in this room opens to a shower. The door to the shower locks, but the outside door from the hallway does not lock. The outside doors in South and Bush Halls lock. Yarbrough said the renovations are partially in response to the discrimination transgender students face around the country. "[Transgender people] have been harassed, arrested and beaten by people who think they are using the 'wrong' bathroom," she said. According to the University's Bias Intervention Team, there were two reported gender incidents and eight incidents regarding sexual orientation last year. In addition to being more comfortable for transgender students, Yarbrough said the unisex bathrooms will help parents accompany their small children to the bathroom. People with disabilities will now be able to receive help more easily by someone of the other gender. Yarbrough said she also expects the unisex bathrooms to cut down on waiting time. "How many times have you seen a line of women waiting to get into a women's restroom while the men's restroom remains empty?" she asked. Freshman Ted McMahan, who lives in Tilton Hall, said he is comfortable sharing individual bathrooms with female students. Students of the opposite sex can be in the sink section of the bathroom while another student is in the shower. McMahan said he was sometimes embarrassed to groom himself in front of female students, but this was outweighed by the ease of not having male or female-only bathrooms. He said when walking into a bathroom, he did not want to have to be concerned with whether someone of the opposite gender was inside. "You don't want to have to worry about whether that stick figure is wearing a dress or not," he said. But McMahan is not uncomfortable sharing the restroom with the females in his dorm. "I grew up in a house where people walked in on each other in the bathroom," he said. No more unisex dorm bathrooms are expected in the near future. According to Yarbrough, there are also no plans for coed, multi-stall dorm bathroooms.

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News

Inside the Red Sox | Ortiz and his supporting cast help maintain Boston's lead thus far

September 18

If there is one player that has been indispensable to the Boston Red Sox this season, it has been designated hitter David Ortiz. Ortiz sports a .999 OPS, has clubbed 43 home runs so far, and has earned his status as one of the greatest clutch hitters in Red Sox history. He has also delivered time and again in many of Boston's games this month with late-inning heroics. "Big Papi" will likely get serious Most Valuable Player award consideration, but he will be hurt by the fact that he is a designated hitter and that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is putting up another monster season. In the past, other Sox stars have siphoned off MVP votes from Ortiz, but he shouldn't have that problem with his teammates this season. Ortiz has managed to become the most feared hitter on the team, stealing the mantle from outfielder Manny Ramirez. In Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics, A's manager Ken Macha elected to intentionally walk Ortiz in a tie game, with runners on first and third with one out. Macha chose to face Ramirez with the bases loaded instead. Ramirez was hit by a pitch, giving Boston the win in the tenth inning. That situation shows how far Ortiz's star his risen, and to a lesser degree how much Ramirez's has fallen. Manny's 35 home runs and 123 RBI are impressive, but his .939 OPS is the lowest of any full season he has had in his career. Ramirez may just be having a bit of a down year, or perhaps his age (33) is catching up with him. One thing is for sure, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein will at least explore the possibility of trading Ramirez this off-season. In addition to the magnificent play of Big Papi, Boston has gotten key contributions recently from less heralded players. Tim Wakefield has pitched 26 innings combined in his last three starts and allowed just five runs. David Wells has been solid all season long, going 13-7 with a 4.35 ERA. That ERA is also inflated by two starts where Wells first injured his ankle and then came back too early (he gave up 13 runs in six combined innings in those two starts). Rookie Jon Papelbon has continued to be a savior for Boston out of the pen, posting a 2.77 ERA, while striking out 24 batters in 26 innings. Mike Timlin has also done as well as could be expected stabilizing the back of the relief core. On the offensive side, two of Epstein's in-season acquisitions have proven to be major upgrades. First baseman John Olerud has helped mitigate the impact of Kevin Millar's down season by posting a .865 OPS and providing steady defense. Though Olerud's age and lack of speed make his base-running painful to watch, he has still been a big part of Boston's success in June, August and September. Second baseman Tony Graffanino has provided a big lift in the aftermath of Mark Bellhorn's implosion. Graffanino has now appeared in 41 games for the Sox and put up a solid .818 OPS. He also appears to have more regular hygiene habits than his predecessor. Despite Ortiz's heroics and the unexpected contributions of players like Olerud, Boston remains just one game ahead of the Yankees in the loss column of the Eastern Division. The Sox have looked tired and lethargic recently. They are just 9-7 in September and have had little time off since Aug. 22. Although a month ago it looked like Boston's place in the post-season was assured, the Cleveland Indians have been so hot recently that it remains questionable whether Boston could even win the wildcard. For the moment, Boston is ahead of both New York and Cleveland, albeit by small margins. One positive note for Boston is that its remaining schedule, with the exception of three games against the Yankees at Fenway Park, contains only the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.

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News

Features Special Report | In Schiavo's place, what would you have wanted?

September 18

"It was a case," Ex College Professor Ronnee Yashon said contemplatively, "that brought this issue to life." Yashon's word choice is striking, given that the issue in question centers on the end of life - specifically, the end of the life of Terri Schiavo, whose media-drenched case prompted members of the college-age population to think seriously about what they would want if they were in Schiavo's situation. "Some of my students talked to their boyfriends about this," added Yashon, who teaches Tufts' "Genetics, Ethics and the Law" course. "They said, 'What would you want?' and talked about it - and that's good enough [to constitute a living will] in most states!" "It was in the news all the time," said junior Greg Mehdi, who discussed the case both in class and with his friends. "If I were in Schiavo's situation, I would totally want the plug pulled." For the college crowd, confronting death might seem like an unnecessarily morbid pursuit. But students' young age doesn't guarantee them distance from end-of-life issues, according to Tufts affiliate Alissa Spielberg, who taught an Ex College course last spring called "Sex, Drugs, and Personal Rights: The Frontiers of Law, Medicine and Society," and who is currently teaching a course in the community health program called "Health, Ethics and Policy." "Many of these cases tend to occur with young people, because the older people are often more prepared [for death]," Spielberg said, adding that Schiavo was only in her 20s when she entered a persistent vegetative state (see box). "It's not just, 'Oh, what do we do for Grandma with end-stage cancer?' The Schiavo case really did bring the point home." It certainly did for Mehdi. "When they started talking about living wills and health proxies [on the news], they would always mention the young people, in terms of, 'Well, the old people have usually taken care of things. This kind of controversy happens more with the young people who, like, fall off a ladder and enter a coma,'" he recalled. "There are so many ways in which these issues can come up: somebody could go to a party and get alcohol poisoning and go into shock; someone could trip and fall and go into a coma," Spielberg concurred. And should that happen while you're living in Massachusetts, there's only one way to make sure that the treatment you receive is the treatment you'd want to receive: having a designated health care proxy - someone whom you've granted the authority to make medical decisions on your behalf. Living wills, sets of instructions for how you'd like to be treated if incapacitated, aren't officially recognized in Massachusetts. In cases where individuals leave no written instructions, some states allow word-of-mouth to stand as a living will. "The principle goes back to the landmark Cruzan case, which allowed states to rely on 'clear and convincing evidence' in the absence of a written directive," Spielberg said. Missouri resident Nancy Cruzan sustained permanent brain damage in a car accident in 1983 at age 25. Her parents, citing comments made by their daughter, requested that her feeding tube be removed in accordance with her wishes. The hospital refused to comply. After many court battles, it was ultimately ruled that Cruzan's comments were "clear and convincing evidence" of her wishes, and her tube was removed in 1990. "So, it's not that an oral directive is valid in itself, just that it may be valid if its existence and force are determined to be clear and convincing through an evidentiary process," Spielberg added. "In essence, since it requires this kind of proof," Spielberg added, "it's not really an effective or efficient method of leaving advanced care directives" - something the Schiavo case proved. In that case, the major point of contention was whether or not Schiavo had told her husband her end-of-life wishes - in effect, creating a living will. "She supposedly told her husband once or even twice that she didn't want [to be kept alive on a respirator], but no one else could verify it," Yashon said. Sophomore Erica Lee finds letting word-of-mouth stand as a living will to be problematic, especially in cases involving young people. "Schiavo was young, and at that age, we all have tendencies to say, in passing, 'I never want to live my life like that' or 'I never want to get old,' but we don't really mean it," Lee said, adding that "for some comment like that to be carried over and have real consequences is not something we really want to think about." Problems of another sort may arise when a person's living will is contested - or when medical professionals cannot find it or refuse to follow it. "My mother had a living will: it said she didn't want to be resuscitated," Yashon said. "When she died, the paramedics were there, and they were resuscitating her." Though Yashon told the paramedics that according to her mother's living will, they should stop, they wouldn't do so until they physically saw the document. "They wanted to see it before they would stop, because if they stop, then they're liable," she explained. "Well, we had the living will right in her house, so they did stop," she added. Having a designated health care proxy eliminates some of the problems associated with living wills. "The health care proxy has taken the place of the living will, at least in Massachusetts," Spielberg said. "If you have a living will, you're giving somebody instructions for a situation that you might not be able to completely anticipate, whereas if you give somebody a health care proxy, the proxy gets to talk to your physician, hear what all the experts say, and try to make a decision that comports with what you would do." Most college students are older than 18, and are therefore able to designate a health care proxy under Massachusetts law. For individuals under 18, though, "unless there's some sort of court-appointed situation, it's automatically your parents or guardians" who make medical decisions on your behalf should you become unable to, Spielberg said. "If you're under 18, I don't care what your boyfriend says, it's not going to make any difference - your parents have a right to do whatever," said Yashon, referring to cases in which the significant others of comatose patients without written living wills have contested the patients' parents' wishes for their children. It's natural, Yashon said, for parents put in such situations to want to keep their children alive. "You can understand how, if someone's in an accident when they're 19, 20, their parents don't want to shut them off - they're hoping beyond hope," she said, adding that, as the Schiavo case illustrated, "once somebody is hooked to a respirator, it becomes unbelievably complex to shut them off." Unbelievable complexity, it seems, is a hallmark of end-of-life issues - and both Spielberg and Yashon feel that the images of Schiavo that flooded the media muddied the waters further. "The press fueled this by showing the pictures of her with her eyes open," Yashon said. "We think of coma patients as lying on their beds with their eyes closed, but that isn't necessarily the way things are." "It's not clear to me that she - given what we were told about her, that she was somebody who was concerned about how she looked and how she appeared - would have wanted to have her face plastered all over the media outlets in that condition," Spielberg said of Schiavo, who was reportedly bulimic. "On the other hand," Spielberg added, "the images did raise awareness" - an awareness that, for college students, may be an uncomfortable one. "It's very tough, because this age group tends to believe it's invincible, and that these things happen to other people," Spielberg said. Lee and Mehdi's words substantiate Spielberg's assertion. "It's hard for people our age to believe that at some point an event might make a decision like that necessary," Lee said. "When you're young, you're not thinking about [death] - there's that 'I'm an invincible young person' thing," Mehdi agreed. "But maybe," he added, "people just need to get over the morbidity of it. The idea of being in a position where you're unable to refuse a treatment because you're unconscious..." He trailed off. "It's not right. You have the right to refuse treatment [under Massachusetts law], and it's sad that, if you go into a coma before telling anybody your wishes, nobody's gonna unplug you." Mehdi clearly has strong feelings on the subject - and as such, is the kind of individual Spielberg recommends think seriously about designating a health proxy. "If you strongly feel, 'I'm the kind of person who wants everything done [to save me], no matter what,' or 'I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to be hooked up to machines' - then yeah, maybe it is the time," she said. Spielberg recognizes, however, that not every college-age student is psychologically prepared to take that step. "If the idea is difficult for you to actually approach, then maybe you don't want to do it," she said. But she adds that discussion of living wills and health care proxies within the college age bracket is by no means purely theoretical. "I had a student last year who had a number of disabilities," Spielberg remembered. "She talked about having a health care proxy, because she was told repeatedly over the years that she might not make it, and so she wanted to be clear about what she wanted."

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News

Theater Review | 'Our Country's Good' requires a critical mind

September 18

The Somerville-based Theatre Cooperative's production of "Our Country's Good" has a tall task in front of itself. Simultaneously, the show tackles ideas about justice, human nature, love, and human dignity. Surprisingly, despite the somewhat amateur actors, the production addresses these issues admirably. The script, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker, is truly extraordinary, deftly weaving words together in poignant and often funny ways. Sometimes ironic and usually gritty, the script, which has won the Olivier Award for Play of the Year, certainly deserves its accolades. The story, about a penal colony in Australia, focuses on the gross mistreatment of the convicts. Arthur Phillip (Austin de Besche), a sympathetic officer, subscribes to the Socratic idea that these convicts are innately good and seeks a way to redeem them. With the help of fellow soldier Ralph Clark (Seth Holbrook), Phillip encourages the inmates and guards to put on a play, and the lines between life and imagination are instantly blurred. Convicts play soldiers, prostitutes play ladies, and the soldiers work with the convicts as equals. The cast is large and works well together. Each actor plays multiple parts and demonstrates his ability to adopt a variety of characters. The ease with which an actor plays a convict in one scene and a captain in another strengthens the notion that societal distinctions are very fine and easily transcended. Serah Rose Roth is wonderful as Liz Morden, a dangerous and unpredictable convict whom everyone fears. Roth demonstrates incredible subtlety in the part; her facial expressions flicker delicately, conveying unspoken emotion. Liz Morden's trial is a particularly tense sequence in the play when Roth's abilities truly shine. Here the long silences, rather than the lines in the scene, create a taut and powerful moment. At the other end of the emotional spectrum is Mary Brenham (Erin Scalon). She, too, demonstrates a remarkable range of emotions and is both convincing and an excellent companion to anyone onstage with her. Her scene with John Arscott (Ian G. Byrd), which deals with the nature of words and their meanings, is both sweet and moving. A talented crew of supporting actors round out the cast. Mary's loudmouthed friend Dabby Bryant (Nany Hoffman) provides an outstanding foil to Mary's shyness. Hoffman is confident and wholly becomes her part. Zofia Goszczynka plays Duckling Smith, a soldier's (Nate Connors) lover. She is a little over-the-top and doesn't have the same emotional fluidity as her fellow actors. Her intensity is extremely powerful at times, however. As Harry lies dying, her exclamations over the body are particularly moving. One of the most enjoyable characters to watch is Kevin Ashworth as Sideway. Ashworth. A committed thespian, Ashworth steals many of his scenes, especially the rehearsals of the convicts' play. It is a part that prone to being overdone, but Ashworth manages Sideway skillfully and remains entirely convincing. Michael Avellar played two opposing parts: Watkin Tench (a belligerent soldier) and Ketch Freeman (a particularly nervous convict). Avellar's ability to deftly switch between extremes bodes well for his future as an actor. With a little refinement to his skill, Avellar has a good deal of potential. Seth Holbrook, as soldier Ralph Clark, delivers some of the most provocative lines in the play, yet he has difficultly interacting with other actors onstage. Nonetheless, his soliloquies are excellent. The play itself has the potential for continued success. This particular production conveys the complexity of the issues at hand. For one thing, the theatre seats only 45, and this intimacy adds to the effect. The overall impression is amateur, but in a comfortable way. Despite the size of the theater it is sometimes difficult to understand the actors' lines. The set is likewise simple and the costumes unremarkable. It is impossible to walk away from the show without serious thought for the issues it deals with. If someone commits a crime, are they necessarily a criminal? Are humans innately good? Can one be redeemed? Another significant question addressed by the play is the role of theatre. The story demonstrates how one can flee the direst circumstances in the form of dramatic escapism. It is an experiment in the power of redemption and a remarkable one at that. The show is well worth seeing for the script alone. The Theatre Cooperative states that its goal is to engage audiences in dialogue about social issues of the time, and this goal is undeniably accomplished. Attend this show with a critical mind and prepare to be challenged.

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News

Concert Preview and CD Review | White Stripes ready to retro-rock out the Opera House

September 18

After the success of 2003's "Elephant," the normally introverted Jack White, frontman of The White Stripes, had a brief fling with celebrity. He dated Ren?©? Zellweger, appeared in "People Magazine," and crashed his 'Vette. All he needed was to check into rehab to complete the "Dumb Things Celebrities Gotta Do" checklist. But don't get the wrong idea; you're not going to see Jack White partying with Paris Hilton anytime soon. In fact, that probably couldn't be further from the truth. Give The White Stripes new album, "Get Behind Me Satan," one listen and you'll see that this band just wasn't made for these times. The first thing you notice when listening to "Get Behind Me Satan" is the relatively sparse use of Jack's trademark electric guitar. The Stripes have filled the void left by the guitar with an eclectic mix of instruments, including piano, marimba, tom-tom drums, and acoustic guitar. In some ways the album sounds like an attempt to weed out real fans from the "You know, I really like 'Seven Nation Army,' but dude, what's with all this blues?" fan. This new expanded set of instruments and musical experimentation probably has driven away many bandwagon jumpers, but it's also expanded the Stripes' sound. Normally, when critics talk about maturing sounds, they mean futuristic, Radiohead-like excursions. The White Stripes have done the opposite; they've traveled to the past. "Little Ghost" is a bluegrass number that sounds like it was first played on a porch in Appalachia. The girl Jack is singing to on songs like "White Moon" and "Take, Take, Take" is not his ex Ren?©?¬ like some might think, but Rita Hayworth, the 1940s starlet. "My Doorbell" is probably the most delightful and giddy song they have recorded. It is pretty much Meg pounding on her drums and Jack pounding on his piano and asking why you won't ring his doorbell. The video to "My Doorbell," a black-and-white clip, shows Jack and Meg performing for an audience of little kids in an old Victorian house. The innocence of the song and the video capture what The White Stripes love about the past, a time when things were simple, innocent, and nothing mattered but the music. Of course, you could argue that this version of the past never existed, but why would you want to ruin all their fun? These songs don't belong in a capacity-filled stadium; they are at home on an old dusty vaudeville stage. Luckily for Boston fans of the band, the White Stripes will have a chance to play in their natural habitat for three shows this week at the Boston Opera House. The opulent theater, built in 1928, was constructed as a tribute to American vaudeville, a type of theater that included a variety of acts, from magic to music to comedy. The building, which had fallen into disrepair after closing in 1990, was recently renovated and re-opened after being added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's register. When the theater was renovated, they made a special effort to uncover and restore as many of the original ornate fixtures and murals as possible. These lengths make stepping inside the gilded lobby of the Opera House like being transported back to the early part of the last century. The White Stripes will be the second band to play the Opera House since its re-opening (Sigur Ros played there on September 15). Jack and Meg promise to do more than just play their songs; they want to put on a full-blown show. Their live act has a spontaneity lacking in most modern rock concerts. In fact, the duo do not use set lists. Instead, Jack shouts out songs as he sees fit and Meg follows along. They also have a reputation for improvisation; a song will sound different every time it's performed. The White Stripes want to bring the audience into their world where there's nothing to worry about except what's happening on stage. When they play the Opera House, the White Stripes want to bring the audience back to when we were all little kids and the only thing we cared about was the two grown-ups playing their instruments. On his Web site, Jack White worried, "I know I wouldn't be able to decide whether to spend my money on tickets to the White Stripes show in town, or tickets to the 'Dukes of Hazzard' movie starring Jessica Simpson, so I surely don't know how you kids do." Jack shouldn't worry, it's an easy decision.

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News

Orientation groups get on campus free

September 18

Student groups invited back to campus early this year for orientation were given free housing and food, but groups not associated with orientation were charged $75 per person for housing alone. The official move-in period began Sunday, Sept. 4, but before that day, between 350 and 400 students associated with student groups, including residential assistants, had moved into their on-campus rooms. The Orientation Committee invited many student groups, 21 of which had members who live on campus, according to Shawn Harmon, the Coordinator for Programs and Special Projects in the Dean of Students Office. These groups were not charged for moving in early, and their members who live on campus were provided with three meals each day, Harmon said. Harmon helped oversee the two student orientation coordinators, in addition to the orientation events, programs and logistics. Eight of the groups invited by the Orientation Committee performed at the Welcome Ceremony in the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center on the evening of matriculation day. Six groups not invited by the Orientation Committee had students move into their on-campus rooms early this year. These groups operated under a system the Office of Student Activities calls "Pay As You Go." According to Director of Student Activities Jodie Nealley, about 12 students fell into this category. These students were charged $75 for moving in three days early, and they were not provided with a meal plan. About seven members of the a capella group The Beelzebubs moved into their on-campus rooms early, according to business manager senior Doug Terry. The group was invited by the Orientation Committee and performed at the Welcome Ceremony. Terry said the Office of Student Activities arranged the details of the members' move-in. The members picked up their keys and moved in on Sunday, Aug. 28. The members who live on campus were given a meal plan. "Everything was taken care of by them," Terry said. The group was not charged because it performed during orientation. "It really never came up," Terry said. "It's always been understood that we're going to put in ten hours a day to put on a good show for the freshmen." Terry described the free early move-in for group members as "payback." Nealley said before she instituted the "Pay As You Go" system five years ago, "no student organizations were allowed to return early other than those working for orientation." The Catholic Community at Tufts (CCT) is one of the student groups that was not invited by the Orientation Committee. This year, one of the CCT leaders lives on campus and moved in early. Senior Annah Jones, the CCT president, said she had to provide Jodie Nealley with a reason the group wanted to return early and how the group planned to pay for the early move-in. The group's leaders bake cookies for an incoming freshman barbeque on the Sunday during orientation and prepare for the first Mass. The group included the early move-in expense in their budget for this year. Four CCT students moved in early last year, when the "Pay As You Go" price was $60, so the group budgeted for the same expense this year. "I was a little bit relieved," Jones said, because only one member moved in early this year at the increased price. "It wound up being very cheap." Jones said she understood why her group was not among those invited by the Orientation Committee. CCT is not "involved directly with orientation itself," she said. "We are more of a supplement." Some individual students, not associated with groups or with orientation, also moved into their on-campus rooms early. According to Director of Residential Life Yolanda King, some students requested to move in early because the official period began during the Labor Day holiday weekend. "We worked with students and family members case by case according to their individual circumstances," she said. The Office of Residential Life made exceptions for students who had international flights, jobs starting early, standardized tests on set dates, and summer leases that were expiring. These students were charged $25 per day. Junior Abe Gissen, who is from Nevada, had an airplane reservation for Aug. 31 that he could not change. He moved into his on-campus room early, but he was not charged. King said students' "personal circumstances" dictated whether or not they were charged for moving in early. "We made decisions in a fair and consistent manner based on what information students and their family members were providing."

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News

Ross exceptional in victory over Panthers

September 18

Middlebury hadn't lost a NESCAC regular season game since 2003. Coming off a 5-0 drubbing of Norwich, the Panthers came into the game ranked second in the region and 15th in the country, boasting one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. Apparently, someone forgot to tell all of this to Tufts junior keeper Annie Ross. Ross played her most impressive game as a Jumbo, shutting out the potent Panther attack en route to a 3-0 Tufts victory on Saturday afternoon at Kraft Field. "I had been telling everybody else, but I finally sat down with Annie last week and told her how good she is," Coach Martha Whiting said. "She's playing great right now, and the more she plays, the more confidence she gets. Soon she'll be unstoppable." Ross disrupted the Panther offense by attacking balls outside the 18, and staying low to avoid opportunities off the rebound. Playing on Saturday's muddy, wet field, staying down on the ball in goal was crucial, and Ross did so flawlessly. "It felt great today," she said. "The defense was very good, they shifted well and moved as a unit, really executing what we've been working on in practice. They made my job easy." The Panthers had opportunities on corner and direct kicks all day long, but Ross' aggressive play in goal kept the shutout in tact. Middlebury also had two golden opportunities with under five minutes left. Ross challenged both breakaways and cut off the angle to the goal, however, causing both shots to sail wide left. One unique advantage that Ross possesses over other goalies stems from the fact that the Newton, Mass. native also doubles as the starting center fielder for the Jumbo softball team. Her softball experience helps her to get good reads on high, lofted shots towards the goal, allowing her to catch balls rather than having to scramble to deflect them away and risk dangerous rebounds. "While there are differences between the ball coming off the bat and off a foot, there's also definitely a little bit of an advantage," she said. "I'd like to think that if there was a ball over my head I'd know what to do with it, but hopefully it won't come to the situation."- Aman Gupta

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News

New federal holiday forces University to get constitutional

September 18

A small group of professors and students gathered on Friday to discuss the Constitution of the United States of America. The discussion was mandated under a new law requiring any American school receiving federal funding to teach about the Constitution on the anniversary of its signing. The Constitution was signed Sept. 17, 1787. The law was inserted into a federal spending bill last December by Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.V. Last week was the first observance of the new holiday, Constitution Day. Political Science Professor Marylin Glater spoke about the constitutionality of the new holiday. She said the federal government was unlikely to enforce the law by observing the teaching sessions. "The meeting probably wasn't monitored by the government because it may be called unconstitutional," she said. Glater said she supported educating students about the Constitution, but felt uncomfortable with the federal government mandating her curriculum. "What will be next, will they tell us what to teach too?" she asked. Another professor in the political science department, Phillip Munoz discussed the history of the document and its writers' intent during the discussion. The Constitution generally outlines "what the government can and can't do," Munoz said. He said it was an extension of the principles established eleven years earlier in the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution was a controversial document, and was passed narrowly passed in some states. New York ratified the document by a 30-27 vote and Massachusetts approved it 186-167, but Connecticut overwhelmingly voted 128-40. The problem "in forming a republic is that certain states were worried that they would be corrupted," Munoz said. Issues that worried some Northern states, Munoz said, were the relationship with the Church of England, slavery, and the differences in climate from the South. The end of the discussion in the Rabb Room of the Lincoln-Filene Center focused more on current issues, including how a 218-year-old document should be interpreted today and how the American experience affects other countries' constitutional processes. Professor Bruce Hitchner, the chairman of the Dayton Peace Accords Project, which helped mediate peace in the Balkans in the 1990s, addressed the likelihood that an Iraqi constitution would solve the country's internal tensions. "They may get something, but it will be a long process to get something stable due to the country's complexity," he said. "The Bosnian Constitution was a very American product" Hitchner said. The constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina was written by State Department Lawyer James O'Brien. As a result, many Bosnians complain that the Constitution is a foreign document, while others view it as a temporary fix to ethnic divisions. "All Constitutions are dependent on faith," Hitchner said. They are "dependent on whether the people believe in it." Munoz and Hitchner agreed making a constitution and getting the country's citizens to follow the constitution's norms is a difficult task. "The same problems that occurred in Bosnia happened in the American Constitution structure throughout its history" Hitchner said. Munoz said leaders play an important role in implementing a constitution. "Great individuals were the key to success," he said. "Without characters like Washington we wouldn't have the Constitution, and without leaders like Lincoln we wouldn't have maintained the Union."

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News

Arts Briefs

September 18

Taming the 'girls gone wild'Feminism took a bashing during the PC-backlash of the 1980s, and it doesn't seem to have recovered: thongs are now manufactured in sizes meant for nine-year-olds, and the modern interpretation of "empowerment" evokes the freedom to bare one's breasts on "Girls Gone Wild." Writer Ariel Levy tries to make sense of our culture's post-feminist funk at the Harvard Coop this week, as she discusses her wickedly witty first book, "Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture." Levy, a contributing editor at "New York Magazine," examines the reasons why many women have internalized sexual stereotypes, sabotaging their own hopes of being taken seriously by believing that they must rely on their sexuality object to attain power. "Sex is one of the most interesting things we as humans have to play with and we've reduced it to polyester underpants and implants," she writes. "This is a book about why we've done this and why we ought to stop." The reading is free and begins at 7 p.m. this Wednesday night.

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News

One is the loneliest number

September 18

(Anjali Nirmalan/Tufts Daily)Few students attended the Benefit Bash, held last Friday, Sept. 16 in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall to support victims of Hurricane Katrina. The event was sponsored by the Leonard Carmichael Society and the Office of Student Activities. Organizers hope for a bigger turnout at Tuesday's LCS Benefit Bash in Cohen Auditorium. Click photo to enlarge

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News

Sept. 11, 2001: Forgotten in 2005

September 18

It was a beautifully clear and sunny September morning, classes had just begun and everything seemed right with the world. People sunbathed on the grassy knolls of Tufts University and wondered when all that reading was going to get done on this picturesque day. This scene could have been taken from this day in 2005 or very likely on the very same day, four years ago in 2001. The only difference is four years ago, the World Trade Center towers still stood, and people's loved ones were still commuting to work at the Pentagon and downtown Manhattan. Four years ago, America was still innocent and carefree, and we had reason to be. Classes, friends and sports are all normal things that we should concern ourselves with, but they should by no means be the only ones. It has only been four short years since we all lived through the harrowing experience of Sept. 11, 2001. We should never forget how we felt that day. We should never forget the victims, their orphaned children, or their widowed spouses. We should never forget the selfless honor with which firemen and women displayed in climbing the stairs of the towers to rescue others before they fell. We should never forget; and yet it seems that it only takes a few short years and our own small lives to distract us. Amidst the comings and goings of this vibrant campus, I must admit that the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 snuck up on me rather quietly. I did not miss, however, the fact that the campus was virtually devoid of any remembrances or memorial services to those who lost their lives or their loved ones in the attacks. While I am sure that memorials and discussion forums happened in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, we cannot turn numb to the fact that time has not alleviated the danger we still find ourselves in, and it never will if we choose to ignore the past. Attending a church service the evening of Sept. 11, 2005, in which I hoped would focus on finding spiritual solace after such brutal trauma, I was amazed at how brief and off-handed the references were to those who were murdered. The clergyman continued to speak in general terms about the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness, in its most pure and meaningful manifestation, for those who have wronged beyond repayment. This would have been the perfect opportunity to grapple with the sensitive issue of how to understand and deal with the people who feel such an animosity towards our country and our ideals. Rather than using military might to exert our dominance over an already depressed area, why not discuss the reasons and conditions under which such hatred and fanaticism is bred? I am shocked and appalled that a university and a student body that prides itself so much on open discussion, activism, and internationality could so easily overlook such a necessary forum. Certainly students of our caliber, who find energy to play on varsity sports teams, sing in a myriad of choruses and take organic chemistry all at the same time, can find the time and creativity within us to gather as a student body in a display of unity to remember those who we lost on that September day. To open our minds and our mouths to discuss why terrorism is still rampant in this world, and what we, (especially the so-called International Relations majors) propose to do to cultivate peace from the ground up. While our student body certainly did not mobilize its energies to the fullest extent this year, hopefully by this time next year we will not be jaded simply because a buffer of time has passed. Perhaps next year we will take pause to reflect and remember. Or perhaps we will, as Tufts students should, not need to wait until next year to open our hearts, our minds and our mouths. Olivia is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.

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News

Priorities

September 18

Last April, in a very public yet largely ignored extension of the middle finger to lower class consumers, the Bankruptcy and Consumer Protection Act was pushed through Congress by the credit card industry, Republicans, and a disappointingly high number of unprincipled Democrats. In an especially heinous display of compassionate conservatism, an amendment which would have protected victims of natural disasters from the more stringent bankruptcy provisions was defeated in a party-line vote. Ignoring data which shows the leading cause of personal bankruptcy to be health care costs, champions of the bill claimed a great victory in the war on irresponsibility and sloth. Large corporations and the extremely wealthy silently thanked the American people for studiously ignoring how the bill laid primary responsibility for bankruptcy abuse squarely on the shoulders of the average consumer, while allowing the aforementioned large corporations and extremely wealthy people to continue using loopholes and tax shelters to protect themselves from the consequences of unforeseen tragedies, like being indicted for accounting fraud. As search-and-rescue operations along the Gulf Coast give way to reconstruction of both physical infrastructure and people's lives, it would be understandable for the reader to think that Republican leaders would reconsider their position and adopt some form of bankruptcy relief for hurricane victims. The reader, unfortunately, would be mistaken. Four Democratic House members have proposed legislation delaying the application of the Bankruptcy and Consumer Protection Act to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and chairman of the Judiciary Committee said last week he will not allow a hearing on bankruptcy relief. Sensenbrenner and other Republicans must be too busy pursuing other facets of the compassionate conservative agenda to be bothered with poor, bankrupt Louisianans. One item that is at the very top of this agenda is a repeal of the estate tax, which would benefit only the richest one percent of the population. In fairness to the GOP, making a repeal of the estate tax seem like a good idea at a time of national tragedy requires a Herculean effort. Republican lawmakers are up to the task though, as seen through the efforts of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL). In a message left on the voicemail of estate tax law expert Harold Apolinsky, Sessions voiced the idea of turning Hurricane Katrina fatalities into political weapons. "If we knew anybody that owned a business that lost life in the storm," he opined, "that would be something we could push back with." Sessions and Apolinsky are still looking for that perfect poster boy for hurricane relief through large tax cuts concentrated at the top of the economic food chain. Hurricane Katrina has laid bare the priorities of the American ruling majority. The compassionate fa?§?¤e was swept away by 20 foot storm surges and 140 mph winds. While everyone in government should be working together to alleviate the suffering of displaced Gulf Coast residents, the Republican Party is busy giving away massive rebuilding contracts to Halliburton and searching Internet lists of hurricane deaths for potential political tools. At last, Americans see the true face of conservatism. All it took was the destruction of a city.

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Technology guru offers tips for the Internet

September 15

The year is 2014, and the press as we know it has ceased to exist. The transformation began in 1989 with Tim Berners-Lee's creation of the World Wide Web. As Amazon, Google, Tivo and Friendster hit the technology scene during the '90s, the public was given further access to a plethora of information. Then began the buyouts: in 2008, Googlezon was created with the merger of Google and Amazon. Two years later, the news wars arose, concluding with the Supreme Court's decision favoring Googlezon over the New York Times. The once reputable newspaper became a mere newsletter for the elderly and the elite, leaving the general public with no choice but to turn to EPIC. Created in 2014, EPIC (the Evolving Personalized Information Construct) provided narrow, shallow and sensational news. But this is what the world wanted; this is what they chose. This scenario unfolded on Wednesday night, when students and faculty sat in Pearson 104, watching an eight-minute-long, fantastical-but-foreboding video on the dangers of media monopolies. It was given as the opening to Sree Sreenivasan's lecture on how to effectively use the Web. Sreenivasan, the Dean of Students at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, is the host of WABC-TV's "Tech Guru" in New York City and a weekly columnist for Poynter.org. Aside from his academic and professional responsibilities, Sreenivasan leads worldwide workshops providing internet information to people of all ages. Once contacted by Tufts Communications and Mass Media Studies program, Sreenivasan said he jumped at the chance to speak at Tufts, which he said he believes to be "one of the world's greatest learning institutions." During his one-night visit to Boston, Sreenivasan commenced his lecture with reference to "migratory patterns." He said that the majority of Web users constantly return to the same Web sites out of comfort, and that it is possible for them to broaden their "journeys." In keeping with his introductory movie, Sreenivasan said that dangers arise when one company owns everything. Although he is a Google fan, he warned against monopolization's extremes, referring to a lecture he gave to sixth graders who believed "if it's not on Google, it doesn't exist." He supplied his audience with Web sites to broaden their Internet searches, giving the example of MammaHealth.com, a search engine owned by Intasys Corp. that redeveloped into a deeper search engine specifically for health issues. On the site, Sreenivasan typed in "potty training," a problem he and his wife are currently encountering with their twins. Instead of the extensive sites provided by Google, MammaHealth only displayed useful articles written by reputable authors. Sreenivasan also displayed HousingMaps.com, an alternative to Mapquest.com. HousingMaps, the marriage of Google and Craigslist, allows home-seekers to find available real estate on one side of the screen, and on the other, to view a map comparing the actual locations and proximity of that listing. In addition to illustrating the vastness of the information available on the Web, Sreenivasan lectured on the Web's dangers -- such as loss of privacy. Once something is on the Internet, it cannot be erased. It is even ineffective, he said, to delete e-mails. Sreenivasan warned the audience to be skeptical when adding information to the Internet. When writing e-mails, one should double and triple check everything, he said, adding, "There's no anonymity on the Web." While he is a strong advocate of Internet use, Sreenivasan also stressed the importance of traditional sources of information, like books. His father bought him an encyclopedia the day he was born, and since then he has continuously read the hard copy as a source of further knowledge. Many people, he said, believe that the Internet is a place containing all the answers. "But it's not," he said. "It's a place filled with clues to the answers." Sreenivasan showed the example of an article on the Web entitled "Feline Reactions to Bearded Men." In the satirical report, cats' reactions to photographs of bearded men were presented as studies by a scientist. At first glance, the evidence seems believable. But as one scrolls down the page, it is evident on the site's bibliography that the site is a sham: it is not probable that Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote the article, "A Study of How Cats Respond to Body Hair." The humorous case highlighted the dangers of always trusting information found on the Internet. Sreenivasan emphasized that while the Web is exceedingly helpful, sources are not always accurate. To compensate, he supplied various reputable Web sites aimed at providing factual materials. Google Scholar, for example, narrows search engines to focus on specified academic journals. For more help on finding quality Web sites, Sreenivasan urged students to look at his personal favorites on www.sree.net.

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Women's Soccer Sidebar | Jumbos look to upset reigning NESCAC Champ

September 15

Having already knocked off New England's top team this week, a victory tomorrow over Middlebury, last year's NESCAC Champion and New England's second-ranked team, would cap off a memorable week for the women's soccer team. "We feel like we can beat anybody now," coach Martha Whiting said. "We can breathe a little sigh of relief that we're not 0-2 and can really focus on Middlebury." The squad would to the services of three important but injured players: senior center midfielder Lydia Claudio, junior center fullback Jen Fratto and sophomore forward Lauren Fedore. Defense will be critical against the high-powered Middlebury offense. There is some good news, as Middlebury's top two scorers from last season, Brittany Cronin and Mayo Fujii, both graduated last spring. Middlebury's offense, led by freshman forward Ashley Pfaff and juniors Erin Oliver and Erin Pittenger, is still one of the strongest in the conference and is coming off a 5-0 midweek thrashing of non-conference Norwich. Tufts senior tri-captains Ariel Samuelson and Sarah Callaghan will look to exploit the inexperience of Panther freshman keeper Adele Plunkett, whose lone NESCAC victory this season came at the hands of the mediocre Conn. College Camels last weekend. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. on Kraft Field.-Aman Gupta

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Inside the NBA | Pathway to finals will run through defending champions San Antonio

September 15

The NBA offseason featured its typical flurry of trades and free-agent signings as several big name players found new homes. Few of last season's underachievers made big acquisitions, however. This offseason saw the league's heavyweights tweaking their respective rosters in an effort to become even stronger, and while the balance of power in the league hasn't changed much, several teams made compelling personnel moves. The defending champion San Antonio Spurs reaffirmed their status as the team to beat, adding veteran scorers Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel to a team whose only flaw was, at times, an inconsistent offense. Finley, highly coveted after the Dallas Mavericks released him, came to San Antonio despite being offered much more money by the Miami Heat. The Spurs also re-signed Big Shot Bob Horry, a key to their championship run and among the most clutch players in league history. Since they retained their key players, the road to the title will probably once again go through San Antonio. Some of the Spurs' fiercest competitors upgraded as well. Their Western Conference Finals opponent, the Phoenix Suns, shuffled their roster significantly in an effort to triumph in the West this season. They traded two starters, swingman Quentin Richardson and guard Joe Johnson, to the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. While Richardson is replaceable, the same can't be said for Johnson, who appeared to be emerging as a star alongside Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion. Phoenix's most intriguing acquisition was Kurt Thomas, who came from the Knicks and will give the Suns some much-needed front court help. If he adapts well to the Suns' fast-break offense, he will prove to be a valuable player - perhaps most importantly allowing Marion to move back to the small forward position. A rotating cast of players, including Jim Jackson, Raja Bell and Eddie House, will replace Johnson. The Heat was the most active team in the offseason. In addition to re-signing center Shaquille O'Neal and forward Udonis Haslem, Miami was one of the major players in the biggest trade in NBA history. The five-team, 13-player deal involved Miami, the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, and Utah Jazz. While Miami lost Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler and Qyntel Woods in the deal, they were also the biggest benefactors, acquiring Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey, Andre Emmett and Roberto Duanes. Walker and Williams should be helpful primarily on offense, while Posey's impact will be felt on both ends of the floor. These players only strengthen a team that many argue would have made the NBA Finals last year had Dwayne Wade not been injured in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons made few rosters changes, signing veteran forward Dale Davis and Maurice Evans. Flip Saunders has taken over for Larry Brown as head coach, however, and it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the team's performance. But with key players returning, Detroit should still be among the top in the East. The team that made the most strides toward becoming a contender was definitely the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have finally surrounded King James with teammates capable of making an impact. Although they lost out on the Michael Redd sweepstakes, they signed a long-term deal with guard Larry Hughes, who was coming off a career year with the Washington Wizards. They re-signed center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and acquired Donyell Marshall, who was playing well on a struggling Toronto Raptors squad last season, to help him in the frontcourt. A team that failed to upgrade was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yet again, the Wolves refused to give Kevin Garnett any help on the floor. While ridding itself of the big contracts of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, Minnesota lost out on Finley and Redd, among others, and look destined for mediocrity for another year. One team that few are talking about that made some improvements for the upcoming season is the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks were able to retain star guard Redd, signing him to a six-year extension. In addition, they picked up unheralded swingman Bobby Simmons, the NBA's 2004-05 Most Improved Player. In the end, it seems all but certain that San Antonio and Phoenix will be fighting it out for supremacy in the Western Conference once again. Tim Duncan and company have perhaps as good a Spurs squad since Duncan has arrived, and will be the team to beat this season.

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News

Seven freshman senators elected in close vote

September 15

Seven freshmen were elected Wednesday, Sept. 14 to become Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators. Pooja Chokshi, Neil DiBiase, Justin Feldman, Aliza Lailari, Andrew Lee, London Moore, and Padden Murphy were chosen from 22 candidates in an online election. Freshman Daniel Halper defeated fellow freshman Allison Sorkin for the only open TCU Judiciary seat. Freshman Vanessa White ran uncontested for the Committee on Student Life. According to the Elections Board, which ran Wednesday's elections, Lee received eight percent of the votes, Lailari and Murphy each received seven percent, and Chokshi, DiBiase, Feldman, and Moore received six percent. A total of 1,217 students voted in all races. Total voters for each race were not available, and Election Board bylaws forbid releasing individual candidate vote totals. The Senate candidates spoke at a forum Tuesday, Sept. 13 in Hotung Caf?©® They were each asked three questions by current senators. They were given 30 seconds to explain their platform, another 30 seconds to say what they would discuss with President Lawrence Bacow over dinner, and a final 30 seconds to propose ways to generate student feedback and opinions. Lailari, Lee, and Murphy campaigned as a group with Kris Coomb, who was not elected. The group, which called itself 4PlayforSenate, had a platform that included ensuring a steady supply of soap in dormitory bathroom. Murphy said Dining Dollars, Points Plus, and Vending Points should be combined and students should be able to add money online. "There's no reason why you should have to manually put money on ID cards," he said. The three senators pushed for the beautification of the Medford campus. "It's an oxymoron having Jumbo be so little, when the actual elephant was a lot bigger," Murphy said. Their platform also suggested increased University presence in Davis Square. The three winning 4PlayforSenate candidates were the top three vote-getters in the election. Other winning candidates focused on campus student relations. "I want to be a linking mechanism between our class and the rest of the school," Moore said. DiBiase said there should be more communication between the Senate and the student body. "We need to improve transparency," he said. "Students need to know, what does TCU mean?" Chokski's suggestion to improve student life was to install an air hockey table in her dorm's common room Feldman simply listed his personal attributes. "I'm really passionate and dedicated," he said. "I'm a pretty approachable guy."

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Journalist assails U.S. foreign policy, bemoans timid media

September 15

A Jordanian journalist spoke to students on Tuesday, Sept. 13 about the role and perception of the United States in the Middle East. Salameh Nematt, the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper, was invited by Tufts' chapter of Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID). This is the first year that the University has had such a chapter. "The reason why there is vicious anti-Americanism in the Middle East is that the U.S. is perceived as this big evil," Nematt said. He said the U.S. often tolerates corrupt regimes if they fall in line with American foreign policy. He pointed to the relaxation of U.S. pressure on Libya after its leader, Moammar Qaddafi, admitted having a nuclear weapons program last year. Nematt also discussed the role Middle Eastern oil plays in U.S. policy. "For a country that consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, you cannot ignore that part of the world," he said. He said oil "carries the lifeline of the Western economy, particularly the U.S." The U.S. imports about 60 percent of its oil. One-third of these imports come from the Middle East. Nematt, who also reports for LBC, a Lebanon-based satellite channel, addressed how U.S. policy in the Middle East is covered by regional media, and how Middle East issues are covered in American media. Much of the media in the Middle East is "controlled by dictatorships," he said. "The truth has become the victim. We are not having a real debate about America's status as super power." Nematt said U.S. media tend to sensationalize events in the Middle East. "You only have crisis coverage of Middle Eastern affairs," he said. "The U.S. could play a major role in portraying the corruption and the tyranny of these regimes." He also gave his perspective of political bias. "The U.S. media is divided along political lines," he said. "Most of the media is either aligned with the conservative right or the liberal left, and there is no middle ground." A study released in June by the Pew Research Center found similar feelings among U.S. citizens. In the nationwide poll of about 1,500 adults, 60 percent of respondents said the American media is politically biased. Senior Jessica Harris, one of the founders of the Tufts AID chapter, said the group plans to expand their programming to include Medford and Somerville residents. The national organization, founded three years ago by a former Princeton University student, is organizing town hall meetings with prominent Arabs and U.S. policy-makers across the country. Harris said the group is designed to educate Americans about foreign policy. AID "tries to foster understanding both in America and abroad," she said. The group is also working on issues such as global development, the environment, and the re-building effort after last year's Asian tsunami.

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News

The truth behind 'The Story'

September 15

Once again, the Zeitgeist Stage Company has done a tremendous job of bringing to the stage a very accurate portrayal of the current state of race relations - this time through the lens of life in the ghetto and racial inequality within the world of journalism. "The Story" raises points about how far our society has come in terms of racism, and how far we still have to go. The drama is based on the true story of black reporter Janet Cooke, who, to gain employment by the Washington Post, fabricated her resume and wrote a fictitious story about an eight-year-old girl turned heroin addict. Written by Tracey Scott Wilson, the play has already received many awards, mostly for its insights into race relations. In Wilson's interpretation of the story, Yvonne, a young African-American newspaper reporter played by Nydia Cal??®¬ investigates the murder of a young billionaire turned teacher. Carried away by ambition, she embellishes the story, endangering the future of her paper. The victim of this misunderstanding is young Latisha, played by Chantel Nicole Bibb, who pays too hard for an innocent and childish mistake. At the end of the play, we discover that Latisha is a young version of Yvonne. "The Story" portrays racism towards African-Americans and exposes the types of reverse racism encountered within black society. Pat, the lead editor of the reporter's paper, emphasizes how blacks are especially perceived by what they say, stressing the importance of words. An interesting feature of the plot is its evolution of the interracial romance between the young reporter, Yvonne, and the head of the paper, Jeff. Yvonne constantly worries that she's not "black enough" to be accepted by the African American culture, and that her hardworking sense of responsibility is perceived as "white" behavior. David Miller, the stage designer and director, does a superb job of maximizing the stage space. Despite the fact that it's a smaller-than-usual theater and that the audience is practically on top of the actors, the scene design was well-thought-out and flowed seamlessly with the plot. The set is creatively adorned with laminated newspapers, and created an "official" feel that resonated throughout the piece. The scenes themselves are fascinatingly constructed; as one character tells a story, he or she jumps from telling the story to actually acting out what occurred. This works to further enhance an already gripping dramatic plot. The acting is all fairly solid, though the casting could have used some work. Despite Nydia Calon's powerful performance as Yvonne, the actress's Hispanic accent is very noticeable and impedes her character's believability. Michelle Dowd plays Pat brilliantly and is able to instill in the audience her sense of assurance, confidence and leadership. Likewise, Gabriel Field tackles, and mainly succeeds at, the challenge of playing two parts, although at times the characters' similarities become disorienting. Keedar Whittle is an especially effective Neil with a powerful and passionate stage presence, and Caryn Lindsey plays a strong and somber Jessica Dunn despite her small part. "The Story" is a riveting drama which attracts a more diverse audience than do most theater pieces. It is an eyebrow raising drama which brings together an interesting dialogue, a brilliant plot which features current affairs as its main story line, and a talented collection of actors who work with the drama to keep the audience thinking.

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Cronicas' takes an old story and asks new questions

September 15

A high-suspense thriller set in an Ecuadorian village, "Cronicas" is, at first glance, far removed from our day-to-day lives on a campus in a suburb of Boston. The movie hits closer to home than one might think, however, raising relevant questions about journalism and the power of the media in general. As you sit through the roller coaster of events, some of which are much more disturbing than others, you hardly realize the ethical questions sneaking up on you. How far should a journalist go in order to get a story? Is a carefully constructed story really the truth? Just how powerful is the media? The work of the producers of 2001's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" "Cronicas" follows a TV tabloid journalist, Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo), as he travels to Ecuador to film a story about a serial killer, the "Monster of Babahoyo." Soon after arriving, Manolo and his crew witness a local man, Vinicio Cepeda (Damian Alcazar), accidentally run over a child and subsequently get attacked by a mob led by the boy's father. Both are arrested and Manolo, relentless journalist that he is, interviews them, leading to a potentially huge revelation about the "Monster." Personal ambition, secrets and lies intertwine as the situation spirals dangerously out of control. As with any suspense thriller, the success of the movie rests largely with the actors. John Leguizamo, best known for his comedic roles, is great as the convincing cutthroat journalist, eager to get to the top of his profession. As the movie goes on, the internal struggle between career and basic human instinct becomes more pronounced. With so much at stake for his career, Manolo has to decide where the line between good journalism and manipulation of the truth lies. Manolo's crew, Marisa (Leonor Watling) and Ivan (Jos?© ?ar?­? Yazpik), go through this struggle as well. Watling and Yazpik play excellent supporting characters to Leguizamo's Manolo as the crew experiences the tumultuous events. Even more intense than the moments between the crew are those between Manolo and Vinicio. It is these brilliantly-acted scenes that form the backbone of the story. Damian Alc????r brings a certain chilling, haunting quality to Vinicio - he has created a deep, complex character with an impressive range that makes viewers root for him one moment and detest him the next. Unfortunately, the film does have its downsides. Some side stories, such as an affair between Manolo and Marisa, seem to lack direction. The strong central plot, while much more focused than the side stories, is nothing exceptionally original and the ending is fairly predictable. Still, the film's strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The main story may not be innovative itself, but raises issues in an original way. The tagline, "If it's on TV, it must be the truth," sarcastically sums up the media-related issues raised. "Cr??®©?as" leaves you thinking about ethics in journalism and the effect they have on news viewers. How much of what is viewed on TV and read in newspapers is real and how much of it is carefully constructed for a story? What are the rules for reporting a story and how much can they be bent? This is a film that leaves many questions and no easy answers.

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