2008-09-16

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THE TUFTS DAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

VOLUME LVI, NUMBER 8

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Task force drafts declaration on campus speech By Giovanni Russonello Daily Editorial Board

Solar taxi driver stops at Tufts

Swiss schoolteacher discusses worldwide journey in solar-powered car

Rebekah sokol/tufts daily

by

Michael Del Moro Daily Editorial Board

A car powered completely by the sun made a stop at the Fletcher School yesterday during a global tour promoting electric vehicles as a means of alleviating climate change. Louis Palmer, a schoolteacher from Switzerland, has piloted the “solar taxi” through a 15-month voyage that will have spanned 28 countries when it enters Canada at the end of the week,. Palmer called the journey unprecedented. “It’s, in fact, the first time ever in history that a solar-powered car has traveled all around the world,” he said.

Palmer was able to secure two silicon Louis Palmer, a Swiss schoolteacher, made a batteries valued at $15,000 dollars each, stop at Tufts yesterday as part of his world as well as solar panels, thanks to dona- tour in a car powered by solar energy. tions from the manufacturers; the panels were produced by Q-Cells AG. This made on solar power. it possible for Palmer and a team of about The car can travel about 60-66 miles 200 people, including Swiss students, to on “a day with good sunshine,” a distance which Palmer said is adequate considering manufacture the car in about a year. The vehicle uses solar energy directly that the average North American car covers when in drive but can go about 200 miles about 30 miles a day. It uses about 8 to 10 on a full charge of the battery, which it kilowatt-hours of electricity for every 100 relies on when sunlight is unavailable. It kilometers (62 miles) and travels at a top speed of about 55 miles per hour. has never been tested during the winter. Palmer noted that he installed half of Palmer said that his next prototype, the solar panels that he received on the car, which will likely not be produced until the and the other half on the roof of his home. This allows him to charge and run the car see SOLAR, page 2

The Task Force on Freedom of Expression, commissioned by University President Lawrence Bacow to craft a school-wide speech policy in the wake of the Primary Source harassment scandal, released its first public draft yesterday and requested feedback from the Tufts community. The draft outlines “a statement of principle” for the university, not a concrete set of guidelines for dealing with free-speech debates, according to Task Force Chair Jeswald Salacuse. It directs members of the Tufts community “to respect the freedom of other community members to inquire and express themselves freely; … to exercise freedom of expression and inquiry in ways that respect the dignity of others; and … to create a climate that is conducive to learning and in which all community members … are free from various forms of harassment and intimidation.” The draft, which the task force will amend after the community provides feedback, seemed to move away from some of the directives Bacow gave the group in his charge in January of this year. Bacow has indicated his support for guaranteeing all First Amendment rights to everyone on Tufts’ campus. He affirmed this in an e-mail to the Tufts community in the wake of the 2006 Christmas carol parody that ignited concerns about how the university balances freedom of expression with preventing harassment. The Primary Source, Tufts’ conservative magazine, released the carol, which many deemed racist, in December 2006. The magazine then released an article on Islamic fundamentalism in April 2007 that many also found offensive. For these pieces, the Committee on Student Life (CSL) found the Source guilty of harassment and the creation of a hostile environment. The CSL ruled to force the Primary Source to attribute all its articles to authors in the future, but Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser overturned this restriction. He see TASK FORCE, page 2

Alumni Ambassadors Program to double, increase Tufts’ connection with alumni by Sarah

Butrymowicz

Daily Editorial Board

Fresh off a successful launch last year, the University Advancement Division’s Student Ambassadors Program will nearly double in size this year and conduct four times as many alumni interviews. The advancement office employs the student ambassadors to interview alumni about their experiences at Tufts, their perspectives on the university’s direction, and their thoughts about what Tufts could do to help alumni remain connected to the school, according to Chris

Simoneau, the director of central development programs. Last year, eight ambassadors conducted 50 interviews, mostly in the Boston area. This year, the program will hire at least 15 people, and it is aiming to talk to 200 alumni. Simoneau said the interviews’ sole purpose is to allow alumni to connect with students and provide feedback. Ambassadors do not solicit money or propose new projects to the alumni. “The bottom line is we don’t want to dictate to alumni the programs and messag-

es that we want, but [would rather hear] what they want,” Simoneau said. “We’re on a listening tour, so to speak.” According to Simoneau, the program borrows ideas “liberally” from a Georgetown University program by the same name, a part of that school’s overarching alumni outreach program, the Discovery Initiative. Corey Barr and Nancy Gram-olini, co-coordinators of the Tufts program, heard the president of Georgetown speak about the program at a conference and presented the

Inside this issue

idea to the Tufts advancement office. The Georgetown program was created in spring of 2006. “It started because Georgetown, like many schools, was thinking about how we can broaden our base,” said Tim Foley, program manager of the Discovery Initiative. “You have a lot of people that feel positive about Georgetown,” but that don’t necessarily have an ongoing relationship after graduation, he said. The Georgetown program boasts 60 student ambassadors, who conduct interviews

on a part-time basis, and a few recent graduates who interview full time. All together, the ambassadors average about 1,000 interviews per year. Whether Tufts’ program will reach the size of its Georgetown counterpart depends in part on its ability to obtain funding. It is continually seeking to expand, Barr said. “First, we’d like to start meeting with alumni from the different [graduate] schools [and to] expand geographically,” he said. see AMBASSADORS, page 2

Today’s Sections

The Coen Brother’s newest,“Burn After Reading,” succeeds thanks to an all-star cast.

For some Jumbos, alcohol is an integral part of college life. But for others, it is less appealing.

see ARTS, page 5

see FEATURES, page 3

News Features Arts | Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 11 12 Back

The Tufts Daily

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News

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

China is leader in solar energy industry SOLAR

travel 1.4 million miles, provided that the land is covered with solar panels and not corn stalks. After leaving Switzerland, Palmer traveled through Europe, Asia and the United States, hosting personalities ranging from Jay Leno to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his solar-powered car. During his travels, Palmer observed that Germany was the most advanced country in terms of voltaic solar panels that are used for direct electrical energy, while Turkey was the leader in solar thermal panels that are used for heating. Still, Palmer said that China is at the forefront of the nascent solar energy industry, noting a proliferation of new buildings there with solar thermal heating on top. “This is the world leader … for new energies,” he said. China is also the only country to mass produce the silicon batteries needed for solar cars, an undertaking which is essential to bring the price of the batteries down. Japan barred the solar taxi from entering the country because of an unresolved dispute originating in World War II that concerns Swiss-licensed cars, but Palmer said that Japanese car companies are already capable of harvesting the benefits of solar power. “They know how to do it. They don’t have to ask a Swiss schoolteacher how to do it,” he said, adding that increasing demand for electric vehicles among the people is the best way to effect change. “What gives me hope [is that] no matter which country, there’s so much awareness [about] global warming,” he said.

continued from page 1

Rebekah sokol/tufts Daily

School spirit is on display at the University Advancement Division, which sponsors the Student Ambassadors Program.

Simoneau: Alums happy with program AMBASSADOR

continued from page 1

While school is in session, students are limited to interviewing alumni in the Boston area, but Barr hopes they will also be able to conduct interviews while at home on breaks. Junior Adam Frank, who became involved in the program in January after receiving an e-mail from Barr and Gramolini, is a standout among student ambassadors. Frank conducted 40 interviews this summer, most of which took place in Fairfield County, Connecticut. “I really liked meeting a ton of different people,” said Frank, who has interviewed a range of alumni, from the Class of 1945 to the Class 2001. “The experiences are just so different.” This diversity in the range of alumni’s backgrounds bespeaks the systematic formula the University Advancement Division uses in selecting interviewees. Working within geographical constraints, the office targets alumni who have fallen out of communication or who have consistently not responded to invitations to events.

Ambassadors have conducted interviews with 20 percent of the selected alumni, compared to Georgetown’s 15 percent success rate, Barr said. Alumni interviewees first receive a letter inviting them to participate in the program, then a call from an ambassador. “A lot of people I can never contact” due to a wrong number or alumni failing to returning calls, Frank said. For those he does get in touch with, “the reception is good.” Sometimes, alumni will offer very specific suggestions on how they would like to stay connected to the university. “One woman wanted us to form a knitting club,” Simoneau said. Simoneau reports receiving positive feedback from alumni about the Student Ambassadors Program, and about their alma mater. His findings match what other ambassadors have reported. Out of 50 interviews last semester, Simoneau estimates that there were only one or two alumni who had mostly negative thoughts about the school. “We still learned from them,” he added.

end of 2009, should be able to reach speeds of up to 155 miles per hour. This should bolster its chances in a planned aroundthe-world race. Palmer said the car underscores the increasing viability of innovative, clean energies that can help to reverse the effects of climate change. “We have the solutions,” he said. “We can stop [the problem] if we want.” Sarah Hammond Creighton, the program director at Tufts’ Office of Sustainability, said in her introduction to Palmer’s remarks that the vehicle provides a concrete example of energy innovation at work. “The efforts of the solar taxi are a phenomenal way to get people engaged in things,” Creighton said. She pointed to Tufts’ efforts to address climate change with programs such as research on electric cars, an electric lawnmower, and LED lighting systems. She noted that 100 percent of Tufts’ energy comes from natural gas and hydropower, resources that she said cut carbon emissions in half. Had Palmer paid for the car himself, it would have cost him upwards of $60,000 dollars, but if mass-produced, the price to consumers would be much more manageable. The car could potentially be manufactured for $10,000 and have enough electricity to drive 10,000 miles a year, he said. Palmer also said that the same amount of land used to produce ethanol fuel for a car to travel 20,000 miles could collect enough solar power for the same vehicle to



Police Briefs

Laptop vanishes in Tisch A female Tufts student reported a stolen laptop to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) on Sept. 11. The laptop was stolen on Sept. 9 when the individual left a classroom in the Tisch Library. She returned 20 minutes later to find her computer missing. The individual asked the other people in the room, but they said they had not seen anything. She waited a few days to contact the police in case someone she knew had taken the computer and was holding onto it for her, according to TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy. The laptop was worth around $1,000.

Motorcycle damaged TUPD officers responded to a call at 10:40 p.m. on Sept. 13 about four or five white males who had knocked over someone’s motorcycle and damaged the side mirror. A while later, the officers identified two people from the aforementioned group, all of whom were Tufts students. One of the individuals admitted that he had been with the group but said he was only trying to pick up the motorcycle. He supplied the name of the person who allegedly knocked it over. As the incident occurred off campus in the Somerville Police Department’s jurisdiction, all the information, including the individual’s name, was turned over to that department, McCarthy said. —compiled by Sarah Butrymowicz

Some question whether task force’s recommendations are overly broad TASK FORCE

continued from page 1

did not absolve the magazine of its harassment conviction. On Aug. 27, 2007, Bacow sent out an e-mail stating, “The appropriate response to offensive speech is more speech, not less … While Tufts is a private institution and not technically bound by First Amendment guarantees, it is my intention to govern as President as if we were … I will work with the Board of Trustees to formalize this policy.” In his charge to the task force, written in January, Bacow emphasized the need to preserve “freedom of expression in a way that protects unpopular speech and ideas consistent with the First Amendment.” But Salacuse, a professor at the Fletcher School, told the Daily in an interview yesterday that the task force did not believe the First Amendment held total sway on campus. “The First Amendment does not apply to the university. We are a private university. We are a private educational space. What we tried to define is the freedom of expression and inquiry on this campus, keeping in mind that our fun-

damental goal is not a political process, it’s an educational process,” Salacuse said. “We believe that when action takes place that may frustrate the educational process, that’s not a good thing.” Yesterday’s draft declaration states, “In addition [to government legislation], the university establishes rules to ensure the orderly function of the educational enterprise and to protect the rights of each member of the community to participate in and benefit from the discovery and dissemination of knowledge.” In Bacow’s original mission statement to the task force, he wrote, “The Task Force is charged with recommending proposed policy language regarding freedom of expression at Tufts University that can be presented for adoption by the Board of Trustees.” In the interview, Salacuse made clear that the broad statements the task force has put down did not amount to specific laws. “It is not legislation. It’s not rules. That’s not what we were asked to do. What we were asked to do is to draft an individual set of principles. And then individual schools would take that [and make their own

rules],” he said. Phil Primack (A ’70) said that the draft’s unspecific language, which some have assailed as ineffective, “confirms that this is a particular can of worms that would have been better never opening.” Primack is a freelance journalist and Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service affiliate who taught a class called “Media, Law and Ethics” in the Experimental College. “Somebody said it best with, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident,’” he said. “To try to codify policies regarding expression – beyond those already provided by the Constitution and other governing rules – is to bump up against an almost impossible balancing act.” The draft’s language is drawing criticism as being too broad to have a significant impact. “What I honestly believe is the draft is going to have no effect on how we proceed as an organization,” said senior Michael Nachbar, the editorin-chief of the Primary Source. “They wanted to appear that they were doing something. I don’t think this rule can be enforced, but it’s more a rule

[for] decorum.”



“To try to codify policies regarding expression — beyond those already provided by the Constitution and other governing rules — is to bump up against an almost impossible balancing act.” Phil Primack freelance journalist

Primack said he saw the language as overly general and insubstantial. “My broad reaction is, I’m a little puzzled as to why this task force was even created,” Primack said. “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?” Tufts Community Union President Duncan Pickard disagreed, saying that the policy needed to be broad in order to apply to all of Tufts’ undergraduate and graduate schools, but that it would be

useful to have a codified document on which to base freespeech debates. “What it should do is just set ground rules that make this campus a safe space for expression and inquiry,” Pickard said. “I think what’s good about this whole exercise is it will … provide a framework under which these conversations can take place. I don’t think that it exists right now; we don’t have specific language people can point to.” Pickard referred to the harassment case that started the debate over freedom of expression. “With the whole CSL ruling, in the past there wasn’t a standard framework that members of the Tufts community can point to,” Pickard said. “The CSL released a ruling, and I’m not saying it was a bad ruling or a good ruling, but it was an arbitrary ruling. [ With a statement on freedom of expression], who knows if the CSL would have ruled differently?” The task force will eventually submit a final draft to Bacow, who will pitch the language to the Board of Trustees so that it can be instituted as university policy.

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

Jessie Borkan | college is as college does

Midwest Madness

M

Annie Wermiel/Tufts Daily

For some college students, piles of empty liquor bottles after a weekend of partying isn’t appealing.

Some students cringe when others binge Booze-free students join efforts to promote substance-free events by

Robin Carol

Daily Editorial Board

Beer pong, keggers and pub nights are a regular part of campus life for the vast majority of college students. According to a study conducted in 2000 by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 88 percent of college students, including those under the legal drinking age, have consumed alcohol. So what about the measly 12 percent who abstain?

Junior Maris Mann-Stadt said her decision to abstain from alcohol stems from personal preferences. “I don’t really have any interest in it,” Mann-Stadt said. “I don’t like the taste of alcohol, and I don’t see a point in drinking if I don’t like the taste of it. I also don’t like to not be in control of myself, and if I’m under the influence, I have less control over what I do.” Traumatic experiences experimenting with alcohol led junior Melissa Romanus to avoid drinking for several years.

“In my junior year of high school, I got alcohol poisoning the first time I ever drank and almost died,” Romanus said. “I didn’t drink for a very long time and was kind of sickened by the smell and stuff.” For junior Shana Hurley, the reasons are slightly more ideological. “I feel uncomfortable with the binge drinking culture in college because it puts people in situations that they wouldn’t otherwise allow themselves see DRINKING, page 4

Student group Edun LIVE facilitates social justice with style by

Charlotte Steinway Daily Editorial Board

In an age when “green” has transcended the bounds of color, many people now choose services and products solely based on their eco-friendly implications. Edun LIVE on Campus, a socially conscious T-shirt distribution company, paired this knowledge with social justice issues in order to create a student group rooted in conscious consumerism. Edun LIVE on Campus (ELOC) shirts are created, manufactured and packaged in sub-Saharan Africa, providing jobs and economic stability to the region. These sustainable shirts found their way to Tufts when junior Tisch Scholar Sarah Ullman first heard about the organization at the Clinton Global Initiative Conference in New Orleans in March during a session on poverty alleviation. “One of the panelists — aside from President Bacow, actually — was Jackie Roberts, who is the President of Edun LIVE on Campus at their headquarters in Ohio,” Ullman said. “She’s in charge of expansion to new campuses, and she was speaking on social

entrepreneurship — about how students, through their purchasing power, can make a difference.” Ullman was struck by Roberts’ words, but before bringing the group to the campus level, the Tufts junior decided to see how ELOC could play a part in her personal life. “I thought, I’m in the Greek system, I’m involved in a lot of different things, and when I went home this past spring … I realized that I had a zillion different shirts — from events like Spring Fling, Homecoming, NQR, etc. — [which in turn] made me realize [ELOC] is a great opportunity to harness the power of the college market and really put it towards something constructive,” she said. From there, Ullman decided to start a chapter of ELOC at Tufts, hoping to inculcate the group and its cause into life on and off campus. “The structure of [ELOC at Tufts] is a student-run business that’s housed under the Tisch College,” Ullman said. “We’re not housed under another campus group, but ideally we’d like to partner with other student organizations, and we have been doing that.”

Courtesy Edun Live

Edun LIVE organic cotton T-shirts are made by locals in African villages. In addition to provid- been speaking with a lot of ing all of the orientation the offices around campus, shirts for the Class of 2012, and they have showed a lot Ullman claimed that a wide of interest.” range of groups have dis- On-campus projects, like played interest in using the orientation T-shirts, have also incorporated the ELOC’s products. “Currently, we have a cou- community outside Tufts. ple of exciting partnerships, “We partner with a local organization both with student groups on community campus, as well as off campus,” she said. “We’ve also see SHIRTS, page 4

idwest Madness — it’s a phrase we’ve all heard. Used to refer to everything from debilitating snowstorms to swing state election hype, and from baseball to beer festivals, it brazenly lumps together such disparate places as downtown Detroit and rural Kansas. The House race becomes close in Missouri? Midwest Madness. “Basketbrawl” at a Pistons game? Midwest Madness. After years of being thrown into the same category as the likes of “American Top 40” host Casey Kasem, Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams” (1989) and Garth from “Wayne’s World” (1992), I’ve decided to own the term that so deftly generalizes 10 states containing more than 60 million people. I, unmistakably Midwestern and more than a little crazy, am taking Midwest Madness back. I am Midwest Madness. At Tufts, there is a certain dynamic when it comes to divulging one’s hometown. About half (yes, I made up that statistic) of our non-international student body is from New York City, “just outside” New York City (read: any part of New York State), Jersey, California or the all-encompassing Greater Boston Area. In general, these people state where they are from freely with no embarrassment or pretense. They grew up where they grew up, and now they are here, in scenic Medford, Mass. Simple. Not so for the other half of us American-born Jumbos. I hail from Cleveland, Ohio. Population: 438,000. Claims to fame and infamy: LeBron James, Dennis Kucinich, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the spontaneous combustion of the Cuyahoga River and Drew Carey (who, incidentally, falls into the later two categories). When you grew up “elsewhere,” it sometimes feels like you have two choices: You can be overly, defensively, sometimes delusionally proud of where you live (Why not spend two-and-a-half weeks in Kutztown, Penn.!? It’s home to the Pennsylvania Dutch Festival!), or you can debase and denigrate your beloved hometown, trashing your old stomping grounds like you did the unpopular kid that you secretly admired in the second grade. So here I am, trying to find the perfect balance. I’m afraid that, at the outset of my time here, I fell squarely into the first camp. Fiercely proud of the loveable industrial has-been that is Cleveland and armed with the scars inflicted by my out-of-state cousin asking me at age nine if I was Amish, I proceeded to make it clear to everyone that you don’t mess with Cleveland. Yes, I have an accent; yes, my sports teams never quite come through; and yes, if you left my driveway and drove for an hour, you would see cows but not before passing through the projects. What’s it to you? I like to think I’ve calmed down a little (though I still sometimes wear my “Cleveland, You’ve Gotta Be Tough” T-shirt), and I now think of my city as I do my family: with intense, unconditional love but also with an understanding that the rest of humanity does not necessarily, and really has little reason to, share that love. Do I want my friends to meet my family and get to know their endearing eccentricity? Of course. Do I think everyone I know should spend a week with them, getting to know every fact and facet that makes up their beings? God, no. And so it is with Cleveland. To quote Baby from “Dirty Dancing” (1987): “But if you love me, you have to love all the things about me.” So, if you love your friends, love where they’re from, no matter how weird or crazy (or even wholly uninspiring) those places may be; it made them who they are. And come visit me in Cleveland. Y’all have no idea. Jessie Borkan is a junior majoring in clinical psychology. She can be reached at Jessie. [email protected]

The Tufts Daily

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Features

T-shirts allow values to translate into fashion SHIRTS

continued from page 3

located in Somerville, called PNM Designs, which is under Centro Presente,” she said. “They provide local at-risk youth with jobs, job training and leadership opportunities. They screen-print all of our shirts, so this makes [ELOC at Tufts] not only good for communities elsewhere in the world but also for our local community, too.” Although every step of the manufacturing process is fully accounted for in ELOC at Tufts’ designs, the group members do not believe their work is done. “In terms of goals, we are really looking to get our team established,” Ullman said. “Right now we’re looking for a vice president of finance, a sales team, and we’re especially looking for graphic designers interested in working with us.” In addition to seeking individuals interested in becoming part of the ELOC team, Ullman stressed the desire for interested groups, both

on and off campus, to partner with ELOC. “Our whole goal is to move shirts — we want to move as many shirts as much as we possibly can, and we’re looking at doing that in a variety of different ways,” she said. “And what’s especially cool about our mission being simply to move shirts and cover our cost so that we can continue to operate [is that] we can donate the profit of the shirts to another organization. If a charitable group wanted to have a fundraiser with us, we could give the profits directly to the organization.” In the next couple of years, Ullman hopes to spread awareness about ELOC and bring a whole new element to the idea of functional fashion. “People say, ‘you are what you eat,’ but in another way, ‘you are what you wear,’ as well,” she said. “How you represent yourself to the world says a lot about what you believe and who you are — that was kind of the motivating power behind my belief that this could make a difference.”

Many students that don’t drink still support lower drinking age DRINKING

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to be in. While I respect other people’s choice to do that, and I don’t disrespect them, it’s just not for me,” she said. Hurley explained that her attitude toward alcohol also stemmed from her connection to straight-edge culture. Straight edge, a term originally coined by 1980s punk band Minor Threat, refers to a lifestyle whose adherents don’t drink, smoke or have promiscuous sex. “I like straight edge hardcore,” she said. “At an important age in my life, I found a community of people who didn’t drink or do drugs and found a niche with people who felt the way I did.” Finding an alcohol-free niche on campus manifests itself in different ways for different students. Junior Ben Smith, who is also a copy editor for the Daily, requested a Healthy Living floor for his freshman year and has lived in substance-free housing ever since.

“Three of my good friends have a bounty on my head that whoever gets me trashed first will win money. It’s a joke, and they respect my decision; it’s never serious.” Shana Hurley junior

T h e

F a r e s C e n t e r f o r E a s t e r n M e d i t e r r a n e a n S t u d i e s P r e s e n t s

“The Resurgence of Tribalism in the Middle East and the Implications for Democracy” Andrea B. Rugh

Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute, Washington DC Dr. Andrea Rugh has been a technical advisor for USAID development projects in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. She was a research associate for the Harvard Institute of International Development from 1987 to 1994, and later worked for Save the Children and UNICEF in Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1998 to 2002. Over a period of 40 years residence and work in countries of the Arab World, she researched and wrote several books on Middle Eastern culture and society. Her books include Family in Contemporary Egypt (Syracuse University Press 1984), Reveal and Conceal: Dress in Contemporary Egypt (Syracuse Univ. Press 1986), Within the Circle: Parents and Children in an Arab Village (Columbia Univ. Press, 1997), and two translated books Daughter of Damascus (Siham Tergeman, Univ. of Texas Press, 1994), and Folktales of Syria (Samir Tahhan, Univ. of Texas Press 2004). Her latest book is The Political Culture of Leadership in the United Arab Emirates (Palgrave-Macmillan 2007). Dr. Rugh received her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from American University in Washington, DC and a B.A. in Psychology from Oberlin College. She is currently an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 5:30PM Cabot 7th Floor - Tufts University Open to the Public Cabot Intercultural Center 160 Packard Avenue Medford, Massachusetts 02155

http://farescenter.tufts.edu For more information contact: Omar Dauhajre @ 617-627-6560

“You get a real community on Healthy Living that you don’t get on other floors,” Smith said. “You can have a great party and hang out with friends without being drunk.” Romanus found similarminded people through the Tufts Alternatives e-list during her freshman year, which sent out weekly suggestions of alternative activities to drinking. Then, she, along with fellow junior Gabrielle Green, began maintaining a Tufts Alternatives blog, which received school funding until recently. Because of their current lack of funding, the two students are in the process of reconstructing the blog. “Gabrielle and I wanted to keep it up as a thing for kids to do that doesn’t involve drinking. It had cool things happening around the area that people might not know about,” Romanus said. “In talking to people, a lot of times they don’t know how to get around and do things off campus. [The blog had] alternatives if you don’t drink and if you don’t want to go out and party on the weekends.” Both Hurley and Mann-Stadt said they regularly attend parties with friends who drink. “I go to parties a lot, almost every weekend. I like to joke that I’m never drunk enough for sticky, sweaty frat parties, but I think that people who do drink feel that way sometimes too,” Hurley said. “Whenever I’m with my friends who are drinking, I’m still having fun because I’m with my friends.” While Smith said he attends large events on campus such as Fall Ball, he tends to avoid parties where alcohol is the main focus, which can sometimes be a tough task. “There are very few parties that don’t involve alcohol, but I think a lot of the people who

don’t drink aren’t big partiers anyway,” he said. Smith said that because he lives on a Healthy Living floor, many of his friends do not drink. “It’s definitely a mix of people. I don’t really hold [drinking] against other people in terms of friendships, but because I live near people who don’t drink, that’s the majority [of my friends],” he said. Still, pressure from friends who do drink can be a challenge in the college setting. “Three of my good friends have a bounty on my head that whoever gets me trashed first will win money. It’s a joke, and they respect my decision; it’s never serious,” Hurley said. “Freshman year, people were like, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to drink?’ It has petered off though,” Mann-Stadt said. “You have to have a sense of humor about it, and you can’t get angry every time people do it.” Even though Hurley doesn’t mind when her peers drink — “I don’t have a stick up my butt about it” — she did express some frustration at the lack of alternatives to the social scene. “I’ll be careful with my words. I wish there were more things to do that didn’t involve alcohol, but I don’t wish to say there should be more programming without alcohol. The school and student organizations do a good job making sure there’s stuff to do on campus; it’s just usually over by 11,” she said. “It’s more, to me, that Boston as a city isn’t that conducive to not drinking. I love going to straight edge hardcore shows; you can go to concerts, but in New York you can just go out, walk around, and there’s something open 24 hours. In Boston, the city doesn’t lend itself to that.” Recently, college drinking has been in the news with the announcement of the Amethyst Initiative, whose members — over 100 college presidents, including Tufts president Larry Bacow — are calling for greater discussion on whether to reduce the drinking age from 21 to 18. Students who currently don’t drink at college offered unique perspectives on this idea. “My objection with drinking has a lot to do with binge drinking and social culture, so if lowering the age would help people become more normalized towards drinking and that’s what the inquiry is about in the first place, then I think it’s a good idea,” Hurley said. Taking the rebellion out of drinking could be a positive step, Smith said. “Generally, I think lowering the drinking age would be a good idea,” he said. “It would reduce the impetus to drink underage. When you get to college, you can break the law and go wild, and that’s exciting to people.” Mann-Stadt said, “I think it’s a good idea. I don’t know how well it would happen, but it would be interesting to try.” Hurley said for those who do drink and for those who choose not to, it is important to respect the choices that people make. “I think there’s a contingency of people who don’t drink, but they spend a lot of time being judgmental of those who do and don’t leave their room much,” she said. “You have to learn how to be responsible and respectful. On one hand that means [if you drink], not drinking so much that you get TEMS’d or you get belligerent or aggressive. [If you don’t drink], that means letting your guard down to go to a party.”

Arts & Living

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Movie Review

A-list cast saves ‘Burn After Reading’ from self-destruction by

Ayda Wondemu

Contributing Writer

Only a year after their highly acclaimed “No Country for Old Men” (2007), the Coen brothers return to

Burn After Reading

Starring John Malkovich, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen big-screen success with “Burn After Reading,” a hilarious spy spoof that satirizes the political landscape of the modern day. While the various features of “Burn After Reading” make it worthwhile to watch, it is not quite up to par with their other, more memorable’ efforts. The story, set in Washington, D.C., is centered on various colorful characters that come from all walks of life. The Coen brothers wanted no mistakes in conveying that this is indeed a spy spoof. Thus they begin the film with an aerial map shot that zooms in until it focuses on CIA headquarters, where CIA operative Osborne Cox (played by John Malkovich) is fired from his job due to his drinking and subsequently decides to write his memoir. When the disc containing his memoir is found in the Hard Bodies fitness center, two employees, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), decide to return the disc in exchange for a “Good Samaritan” tax. Meanwhile Cox’s wife ( Tilda Swinton) is cheating on him with Harry (George Clooney), who is also cheating on his wife. As

imdb.com

During an astonishing “Tomb Raider” (2001) flashback, Angelina kicks Brad in the face. So much for Brangelina — doesn’t look like he’s taking it well. events transpire, the plot thickens and characters are drawn into each other’s lives, weaving a tangled, comic web of destruction and downfall. The strength of the movie lies in its

the A-list cast. Malkovich is engaging as an ex-CIA agent with an anger problem, which he counters with a drinking see BURN, page 7

TV Review

‘Do Not Disturb’ your night by watching this mediocre, stereotypical office sex sitcom by

Catherine Scott

Daily Editorial Board

This year, FOX chose to premiere its new TV shows earlier than the other major networks, in part due to its need

Do Not Disturb Starring Jerry O’Connell, Niecy Nash, Molly Stanton, Jesse Tyler Ferguson Airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on FOX to make up the most ground against its competitors. Most new offerings won’t stand a chance against big-time shows like “Lost” and “Heroes.” FOX’s new sitcom, “Do Not Disturb,” falls into this category of “almosts,” unable to keep up with not only the other sitcoms, but also the plethora of “dramadies” that have become so popular, or at least prevalent, in recent years. The pilot episode is entitled “Work Sex” and sets the tone for what will most likely be the recurring motif of the show: relationships and hook-ups between employees at a hotel. The action focuses mainly on the hotel’s general manager, Neal (played by Jerry O’Connell). O’Connell is the big name behind the show, but his mediocre acting proves yet again that television makes people famous, not the other way around — think Jennifer Aniston

comedycentric.com

Niecy Nash puts her “Reno 911” skills to work — this time in sex investigations. on “Friends” or George Clooney on “ER.” Neal has a serious problem with romancing and bedding his employees, and his Human Resources director Rhonda (Niecy Nash) decides that his all-play, no-work attitude must be put to a stop. She holds a “sex in the work-

place” seminar for all hotel employees and shames Neal into avoiding going too far with the cute desk girl, Tasha ( Taylor Cole). Rhonda feels pretty pleased with herself, until the sexy security guy coerces her into getting see DISTURB, page 7

Caryn Horowitz | The Cultural Culinarian

The celebrity chef

A

nthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay, Tom Colicchio, Mario Batali, Paula Deen, Alain Ducasse, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Rachael Ray. To some people these 10 individuals are household names, while to others they are virtually unknown. Without a doubt, there is one person who knows each of them all too well: their investment banker. These are the recently crowned “Ten Top-Earning Celebrity Chefs,” in ascending order, according to Forbes Magazine. Yes, Forbes. The realm of the chef has grown so large that even the nation’s financial industry has been forced to take note. If you would have told a Forbes editor 20 years ago that he would be publishing this list, he would have looked at you like you were chugging the cooking sherry. And if you had told him that the woman on top of the list would be pulling in over $18 million a year, he probably would grab the bottle and take a swig himself. The people on this list come from various aspects of the food industry — some are restaurateurs, some are television personalities, some are both. All of them, except for one, are actually chefs, meaning that they have some form of professional culinary training. Rachael Freaking Ray is not a chef, and she openly admits this. Yet, somehow she sits on top of this list with almost $16 million a year more than Bourdain. Don’t feel too bad for the guy — he’ll drown his sorrows while he’s off trekking in Malaysia or Morocco. How is that possible? The answer is simple: Being a celebrity chef has less to do with being an actual chef than you would think. Celebrity chef-dom is about branding, marketing and personality. The celebrity part of the equation is slowly taking over the chef half of it. Most of these 10 probably don’t spend much time cooking in an actual kitchen unless it’s on the set of one of their numerous television shows. They do, however, spend a lot of time with their respective marketing teams, creating new brands of cookware that they can sell to the masses. Cynicism aside, I have a tremendous amount of respect for these chefs. People like Puck, Flay and Matsuhisa (co-owner of the celebrity-magnet Nobu restaurants) have spent years building vast culinary empires based on their number one talent: They can cook damn good food. Other celebrity chefs not on this list, such as Ferran Adrià and Wylie Dufresne, are internationally known for their daring and innovative forays into molecular gastronomy. Then, there is the other part of the celebrity chef community — Deen, Sandra Lee and Rachael Freaking Ray. Do they cook? Sure — although Lee’s “Cocktail Time” is another story. Are they breaking the mold with their cooking? No. But are they really entertaining to most of the country? Absolutely. Ray is on top of this list because (for some reason that I just don’t get) people like to watch her talk show. And her four Food Network shows. And buy her cookware. And subscribe to her magazines. People also love to eat Ducasse’s elegant food and watch Batali win on “Iron Chef America.” Ultimately, these 10 are where they are today because they were able to capitalize on the things that we as a society love to do — eat, shop, watch TV, read, etc. — and because they are really good at doing it. As a result, they are also really good at spreading an appreciation and love for all things culinary, which for me, should be the end goal. They just so happen to also be really good at making bank.

Caryn Horowitz is a junior majoring in history. She can be reached at Caryn. [email protected].

The Tufts Daily

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Arts & Living

ONLINE @ tuftsdaily.com

Arts and music at Tufts and beyond

The Scene | Anthony Green rocks Harpers Ferry Last Thursday Anthony Green, the lead singer of groups such as Saosin (before Cove Rebber) and Circa Survive, gave audiences a solo show they will never forget. Green was joined by bands Person L and Good Old War at Harper’s Ferry in Allston, Mass. After stumbling through the streets of Allston, finding Harper’s Ferry was an easy task; the sidewalk was filled with scenesters, hipsters, emo kids and drunk adults all waiting to get into the venue. The line wrapped around the street corner, and it took upwards of 30 minutes to get inside. Two girls were kicked out of line because they were drinking something out of a coke bottle that wasn’t soda… Visit our brand-new Arts & Living blog online to read more. Also be sure to check out our monthly Arts Editors’ Mixtape, available to listen to and download.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Album Review

Gym Class Heroes stitch a complex patchwork with ‘The Quilt’ by Josh

Zeidel

Contributing Writer

What happens when an underground live hip-hop band hits the big time? What

The Quilt

Gym Class Heroes Decaydence/ Fueled By Ramen

Are You Studying or Do You Speak Arabic? Would you like an all expense paid summer in the nation’s capital, including travel to Washington, D.C., transferable college credits, full room and board at The George Washington University and an internship at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or FBI Headquarters? Would you like to fast track an exciting career with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the FBI?

happens when the frontman of Fall Out Boy starts producing emo-rap tracks? Throw in some catchy hooks, appearances by Daryl Hall, Estelle, The-Dream and Busta Rhymes and guest production by Cool & Dre and out comes “The Quilt,” the latest full-length studio album from Gym Class Heroes (GCH). This genre-melding, emo hip-hop group has come a long way from playing local festivals and graduation parties in its upstate New York hometown of Geneva. The band made its debut in 2001 with the independently-released “… For the Kids,” an album they promoted by playing at the 2003 and 2004 Warped Tours. GCH’s sophomore effort, “The Papercut Chronicles” (2005) featured an engaging instrumental backing to MC Travis “Schleprok” McCoy’s intricately woven word play. The song “Taxi Driver” from that album drew the attention of Fall Out Boy member Patrick Stump, and he was later featured on the GCH’s criticallyacclaimed 2006 follow-up, “As Cruel As School Children,” on which the band headed for a more production-layered pop sound. For the band’s most recent album, Stump rejoined the band in the studio, playing the role of principal producer. The album has an upbeat start with the horn-driven, piano-infused “Guilty as Charged,” featuring British singer Estelle on the hook and a confident Travis McCoy boasting that he’s “guilty on all charges for the dopest album of the year.” This is followed up by the reggaeinfluenced “Drnk Txt Rmeo” and the defiant McCoy-Busta Rhymes duet “Peace Sign/Index Down,” giving the disk a solid opening lineup of tracks. Unfortunately, the momentum dies promptly with the uninspired slow jam “Like Father, Like Son (Papa’s Song),” a track that combines overtly Kanye-esque piano backing with weakly

sentimental and ironic lyrics. Though the pumped-up reggae/ska “Blinded By the Sun” lifts the mood briefly with its shout-out to the oft-sampled “Sunglasses at Night,” the album takes an abrupt turn for the cheesy and uninteresting with the ambiguously themed “Catch Me If You Can.” And don’t even bother with “Cookie Jar,” the club-intended single featuring The-Dream; odds are good that this over-synthesized drivel will receive far too much radio play like an irritating cross between the Black-Eyed Peas’ “My Humps” and Gym Class Heroes’ own “Cupid’s Chokehold.” Ironically, it is the band members that stand behind frontman McCoy who truly shine on this album. For the first time, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo’s lyrics and vocals are featured prominently, in addition to his incendiary guitar work, notably on the pop ballad “Live a Little” and the guitar-driven “No Place to Run.” His guitar work on the instrumental introduction to “Home” demonstrates that he’s just as fast and comfortable on the fretboard as many a classic rock or metal shred-master. Drummer Matt McGinley shows off his versatility as both a rock and hip-hop drummer, incorporating intense syncopation and super-fast, tight beats, owing a lot to Questlove of preeminent live hip-hop band The Roots. The favorable likeness breaks down, however, as soon as Travis McCoy begins to rap — with vocals and lyrics far closer to a nerdy, emo Eminem than a younger Black Thought. Gym Class Heroes ultimately suffer on some tracks from McCoy’s too-often repeated themes of infidelity, relationship struggles and his upbringing. On the whole, however, “The Quilt” showcases a diverse and entertaining patchwork of talents. Everything is there, from the stereotypical instrumentally-absent club track to the unforeseen foray into piano and guitar rock devoid of rapped lyrics. The production for the majority of the album is not nearly as obtrusive as that of the group’s last album, and there is a definite sense of a return to what made Gym Class Heroes popular to begin with: an especially tight instrumental core to back up an energetic, wise-cracking and occasionally insightful MC.

An intensive nine-week, full immersion summer program that combines Arabic language, Arab Film & Cultural Studies, National Security Seminars, & an internship at DHS or FBI Apply Today at www.nationalsecurityinternship.com Application Deadline September 30th National Security Internship at The George Washington University www.nationalsecurityinternship.com

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This “Quilt” is about as comforting as a Parental Advisory sticker.

The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

7

Arts & Living

Coen brothers up the machismo, lower the maturity in their newest flick BURN

continued from page 5

problem, while Tilda Swinton is a marvelously cold Mrs. Cox. Clooney does what he does best as Harry, a dim U.S. Marshal who seems to have sex on his mind 24/7. McDormand as Litzke is both stupidly selfish and selfishly stupid as she tries to find happiness and fulfillment in her life. Pitt, who naively supports her mindless pursuit, is fantastic. He slips into this role so naturally that you’d think he has been portraying flaming idiots all his life. There are also other minor characters such as the CIA director ( J.K. Simmons) and the Hard Bodies manager (Richard Jenkins) who contribute immensely to the ensemble. After the dark and foreboding adaptation of “No Country for Old Men,” the Coen brothers deliberately decided to take a step away from seriousness and opt for a more whimsical endeavor. Indeed, they seem to be having fun with the comparably light “Burn After Reading.” Filled with witty dialogue and impeccable timing, the film possesses the dark and twisted humor that has become the brothers’ trademark. The slapstick style, dim-witted characters and bizarre connections are reminiscent of “Raising Arizona” (1987) and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000). Yet even as they lead audiences through this farce in which hilarity ensues in such a nihilistic fashion, the brothers make a strong statement

imdb.com

“No way in hell is Christian Bale a better Batman than me!” about the shape of modern politics and, as Simmons puts it, “The Idiocy of Today.” Throughout the film, the score by Carter Burwell results in a feeling of paranoia permeating everywhere, even as

Harry goes out for a simple run or Cox goes sailing with his father. Yet you can never tell whether the paranoia is justified or not. The thought that top officials are spurred by intense stupidity is also

incredibly scary as it touches so close to home. While “Burn After Reading” has many aspects that make it worth watching (if nothing else just to see Pitt dance to his iPod with a Gatorade in

hand) it lacks a certain comedic maturity that prevents it from becoming an instant classic. However, for fans of the Coens, there are multiple facets to “Burn After Reading” that make it a must-watch.

‘Disturb’ proves that no one can touch Steve Carell’s comedic boss-man role DISTURB

continued from page 5

down and dirty behind the desk. When Neal discovers her secret, the two hash it out about the importance of retaining professionalism in the workplace. The attempts at subplots rely heavily on the supporting cast of other employees including Nicole (Molly Stanton), a model working at the hotel while her career is on a downturn, Larry ( Jesse Tyler Ferguson), a gay man who has lost his sexual energy after being in a committed relationship for five years, Gus (Dave Franco), a cute bellboy whose character doesn’t really have a point yet, and Molly ( Jolene Purdy), a plus-size model with a lot of bubbling personality. Their subplots have not truly developed since the characters are being introduced in the pilot, but as of yet none of them possess any originality or flair.

The writing ranges from bad to atrocious, making use of many clichés, including but not limited to the gay guy hitting shamelessly on anything that walks. For the most part, the action of the show focuses on O’Connell’s character, but his limited acting range and lack of comedic timing cannot support a 30-minute sitcom. In other words, he is no Steve Carell. To be fair, O’Connell does have many successful TV credits under his belt, such as “My Secret Identity,” “Sliders” and “Crossing Jordan,” which leads one to believe that it is the structure of the show and not necessarily O’Connell that facilitates this banal, unfunny half hour. All in all, the format of “The Office” in a swanky hotel does not work. The acting is mediocre at best — even with O’Connell falling flat on his face. The writing ranges from bad to atrocious, making use of clichés, including but not limited to the gay guy

comedycentric.com

Want to see these people have sex? Watch FOX! hitting shamelessly on anything that walks and the pretty model girl being a dumb, self-involved harlot. The show even tries to bring back the dead-andburied laugh track. In the 30 minutes that the show ran, there were probably only about two

lines that were laugh-worthy, and both came from the character of Gus. To give all of the funny lines to a side character that has no real position in the show’s trajectory does not make for a successful sitcom. If the show wants to keep up with power shows, such as “The

Office,” it needs to establish some kind of originality in the characters and plot development. Or maybe director Jason Bateman should just come around to the other side of the camera once or twice to appease the thousands of disillusioned “Arrested Development”

The Tufts Daily

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THE TUFTS DAILY Robert S. Silverblatt Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Rachel Dolin Kristin Gorman

Managing Editors

Jacob Maccoby Editorial Page Editors Jason Richards Giovanni Russonello Executive News Editor Sarah Butrymowicz News Editors Pranai Cheroo Michael Del Moro Nina Ford Ben Gittleson Gillian Javetski Jeremy White Alex Bogus Assistant News Editor Carrie Battan Executive Features Editor Jessica Bidgood Features Editors Robin Carol Kerianne Okie Charlotte Steinway Sarah Bliss Assistant Features Editors Meghan Pesch Mike Adams Executive Arts Editor Jessica Bal Arts Editors Grant Beighley Sarah Cowan Catherine Scott Emma Bushnell Assistant Arts Editors Matthew DiGirolamo

Editorial | Letters

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

EDITORIAL

A watered-down response to on-campus speech Yesterday, the Task Force on Freedom of Expression released its long-awaited draft to the Tufts community. The document, largely devoid of substance, was focused primarily on pinning down a working definition of the respect Tufts students owe to one another. As members of the Daily, we are not entirely displeased with the decision. The First Amendment received its due as a governing principle. No journalistic freedoms were seriously curtailed and no new oversight was proposed. Concrete policy was, in fact, entirely absent from the statement. From the standpoint of journalism at Tufts, the report will ruffle very few feathers. That said, the student body as a whole should have some concerns with this statement. There is the same ambiguity as before in university policy concerning the relationship between First Amendment rights and the protection of students’ general well-being. Nothing was really clarified, and no big changes in regulation will likely result. It is disappointing and unfortunate, therefore, that the task force, created almost entirely as

part of the administration’s response to hateful speech on campus, has yielded what seems more like a press release than a substantive prelude to useful policy. This should not be read entirely as an indictment of the task force itself, of course, nor of its members or its methodology. The group members deliberated for nine months, had over 20 meetings with members of the campus community and redrafted their statement numerous times in order to incorporate as much feedback as possible. Even now that the draft has been made public, its members are encouraging students to read the statement and send in their comments so they can be considered before the final document is sent to University President Lawrence Bacow. The task force has been diligent and forthright with its duties and its purpose since its inception. The problem, perhaps, is that the task before it was somewhat ambiguous in the first place. Bacow charged the group with “recommending proposed policy language regarding freedom of expression at Tufts University that can be presented for adoption by the

Board of Trustees.” Whether they were supposed to emerge with suggestions for workable guidelines or a simple definition of freedom of speech as it pertains to Tufts is unclear. Indeed, the fact that two people can reasonably disagree about the group’s purpose is a problem, because it ensures that everyone will be at least somewhat disappointed with the outcome. Anything more specific, of course, would have come under fire regardless of its viewpoint. A more policy-oriented response would have drawn criticism either for being too circumscriptive of First Amendment rights or for allowing the verbal and emotional abuse of students. There was no easy solution. But the task force was established in response to a particular set of incidents and events, and its members were — at least ostensibly — charged with crafting an actual response. In the end, they punted. This simply is not the constructive resolution that students were hoping for. So after nine months and all those meetings with community members, nothing at all has changed. That, undoubtedly, is what should disappoint the most.

Nate Beeler

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Off the Hill | Vanderbilt University

Public education fails low-income students by

Carolyn Pippen

Vanderbilt Hustler

In 2006, former Vice President Al Gore snagged himself a Nobel Peace Prize for calling to our attention what he called an “inconvenient truth.” Another colossal threat, however, is developing as we speak — and not among the ice caps of Antarctica or in an elusive hole somewhere in our planet’s atmosphere, but in cities across the United States — that is severely damaging our nation’s most precious resource: our children. You have heard the stats before: Fourth graders in low-income schools are on average three grade levels behind their higher income peers, and only 50 percent of them will graduate high school by the age of 18. But I think it’s rare for students to truly grasp what these numbers mean. Imagine if in your preppy suburban elementary school, old Mrs. Humperdink had taken four full years to teach you what all the other kids learned in the first grade. Or, in your high school class, only the half with the highest annual income had been allowed to graduate. I bet you would have felt significantly cheated, and I guarantee your mother would have raised some serious hell at the PTA meetings that year. The bottom line is that public educa-

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials that appear on this page are written by the Editorial Page editors, and individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of the Tufts Daily. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Tufts Daily editorial board.

tion in our country is failing miserably, and this should come as no surprise to anyone. Education reform, however, is by no means the sexiest of headlines, and politicians continue to discuss it in an obligatory manner, as a placeholder to appease American mothers before moving on to the more pressing issues of congressional sex scandals and the color of lipstick worn by Sarah Palin’s pet pig. Well-intentioned but insufficient legislative actions such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have made steps towards raising national awareness, but it is obvious the impetus to reverse this horrifying trend must come from within the system. An excellent example of the measures needed has emerged through the work of Michelle Rhee, the chancellor of D.C. public schools. In her first year, she managed to close 23 of the district’s schools, firing 36 principals and over 100 from her central office staff. This radical overturning of the system has brought chaos and controversy to her jurisdiction, but it has also brought an urgency



and accountability to those floating along next to the sinking boat of D.C. public education. These problems do not merely exist in faroff Washington or at the bottom of the CNN ticker, however. The public schools of metro Nashville are currently under corrective action after failing to meet the standards set by NCLB, and the Tennessee Department of Education has set into motion a series of hirings and firings and an innovative restructuring of the system in its attempt to bring our city’s children up to par with the rest of the nation. “Well, what the hell do you expect me to do about it?” you may be wondering. I am not asking every student to run out and transfer to Peabody or drive down to Maplewood High School and adopt the first struggling kid you see. The most anyone can ask for at this point is awareness, and in five or 10 or 50 years when you find yourself, as you will, in a position of influence in the world, then you can do something about it. And we must do something about it.

Correction In yesterday’s paper, there was an unsigned letter to the editor. It was written by senior Matthew Diamante.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted by 4 p.m. and should be handed into the Daily office or sent to [email protected]. All letters must be word processed and include the writer’s name and telephone number. There is a 350-word limit and letters must be verified. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Tufts Daily

9

Op-Ed

The Democratic energy fumble by

Evan Lacher

In this election of “hope” and “change,” it is easy to believe the Democrats’ energy policy is the right solution for our country. But is it possible that the Republicans, the party so many have grown to despise, could actually have the right energy policy? And if so, would people be too caught up in “change” to acknowledge that the Democrats have become too idealistic? The Republicans have crafted an energy policy that deals with both supply and demand — drilling and alternate fuels — while the Democrats have stubbornly refused to acknowledge the realities of the world we live in. Let me first refute some basic stereotypes that have clogged this debate. I support drilling; however, I care greatly about the environment, I support alternative fuels, and I completely agree that we need to drastically decrease our need of oil. On too many accounts people have tried to counter my energy policies with the above statements in the belief that I am a cruel, heartless, oil-loving guy. Take my word for it (or ask my friends), I’m not. This image stems from the Democratic slogan that the Republicans and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) only seek to “drill our way out of the energy problem.” Such could not be further from the truth. Drilling is not the solution but part of a solution that first aims to make us energy independent and then, eventually over time, completely take us off oil. The arguments against drilling follow: It will take five to 10 years to make a difference, it is bad for the environment, “Big Oil” is corrupt and steals money from ordinary citizens, and it prolongs the inevitable need to switch from oil. All of these arguments stem from the public’s false image of the Republicans and their energy plan. Yes, drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf will not make much of an impact for some years (no energy plan will), but when did we, as a society, forget to plan for the future? We have gotten so caught up in seeking independence from oil that we have forgotten to ask ourselves when we will actually get off oil. The answer is not pretty. Ninety-seven percent of our transportation energy is based on petroleum, and thus, it is naïve to believe we will be off oil in 10 years, let alone 30. Changing a country’s entire energy infrastructure overnight is not possible, and so it is easy to see that even in 10, 20 and 30 years, despite substantially lowering demand, we will still need oil. Why then should we not drill for something that we need? Over the past 30 years, countries like Iran, Russia, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia have created state-owned companies that we depend on. Our American “Big Oil” companies now produce less than 13 percent of the world’s oil. In terms of national security, it is imperative that we drill, as we cannot rely on rogue states in an unforeseen future. Furthermore, drilling creates jobs and would eventually keep billions of dollars within our borders, thereby strengthening the dollar. Drilling will strengthen national security, help the economy and put us on a path towards energy independence. And all of this will come from the pocketbooks of “Big Oil.” At the same time, the government will lower demand and help spur alternative fuels. As for the environment, while it is important to be cautious, we must be realistic at the same time. Drilling technology has greatly changed over the years and has become very safe and clean. For example, during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there was hardly any spillage because of the technology advancement. Nowadays, almost all oil spills result from transportation, not drilling. There is no dispute that oil adds to global warming, but if we have a demand for oil, I would much rather supply that demand with American oil. The goal of achieving oil independence is independent of whether or not we are drilling within our borders. Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) and the Democrats have recently tried to tie John McCain to “Corrupt Big Oil.” It is an easy accusation with the recent profits by

MCT

Exxon; however, it is never mentioned that 15 percent of the cost of gas goes to taxes, while only four percent goes to oil company profits. The reason “Big Oil” is making record-breaking profits is a result of the oil industry’s need to supply the global energy demand. Oil companies are not stealing money from us; rather, they are just smart enough to supply an energy source that the whole world demands. Furthermore, Obama’s accusation that McCain will give a tax break specifically to the oil industry is not true. McCain has proposed a tax cut to all companies (including the oil industry) that encourages more corporate investments in new technology and infrastructure. Obama’s windfall tax goes completely against the capitalist society we have built and was used roughly 30 years ago, only resulting in higher gas prices. Rising taxes solely targeting the oil industry for the better of individuals is an outright oxymoron. All of our families, in some way or another, own part of the oil industry. With mutual funds, private investors, pension funds and IRAs, only 1.5 percent of oil stocks are actually owned by corporate management. Many people do not support drilling

because they see it as preventing a spur of innovation. I respect such an argument but disagree. High energy prices are here to stay, regardless of whether or not we drill. Thus, the economic and environmental incentives to develop greener cars and alternate fuels are independent of “Big Oil.” As I sat in the Senate gallery this summer, I watched as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) denied votes on 38 Republican amendments, all for the reason of protecting Sen. Obama. At the time, Sen. Obama opposed drilling, and as roughly half of the amendments dealt with drilling, a successful vote on a drilling measure (which would have happened) would have left Obama out to dry. Nevertheless, the other half of the amendments dealt with lowering demand and alternative fuels, but those too were denied votes. Thus, the Democratic stubbornness to allow any Republican input into an energy bill put Congress into recess with no energy solution. House Republicans stayed on the floor for weeks demanding a vote while Obama, on the day Congress went into recess, stated that he would now allow compromise. Such per-

fect timing allowed Obama to appear as the great bipartisan leader when, in fact, his politics prohibited an energy plan for the past two months. The Democratic stance to now allow some drilling is more rhetoric than an actual compromise. What we need is an “all of the above approach” that increases supply, lowers demand and invests in alternative energies. As we seek energy independence, we must diversify our energy sources, and that includes drilling, nuclear power, solar power and wind power. The Democrats have done a great job of promoting the environment and alternative energies that has now carried over to Republican policy; however, Democrats have failed to acknowledge that oil will still play a major role in energy policy for many years to come. This failure has allowed the Republicans to craft a policy that acknowledges and deals with environmental concerns and at the same time, incorporates realistic goals. Evan Lacher is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He is also the co-head of Tufts for McCain.

Op-ed Policy The Op-Ed section of the Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. Op-Ed welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 800 to 1,200 words in length. Editorial cartoons and Op-Eds in the form of cartoons are also welcome. All material is subject to editorial discretion, and is not guaranteed to appear in the Tufts Daily. All material should be submitted by no later than 1 p.m. on the day prior to the desired day of publication. Material must be submitted via e-mail ([email protected]) attached in .doc or .docx format. Questions and concerns should be directed to the Op-Ed editors. The opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Tufts Daily itself.

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Tufts takes four of top nine spots on Grafton course at Jumbo Invitational on Saturday WOMEN’S XC

continued from page 16

think she was really burned out from high school — she did way too much racing. “She’s definitely in a much better place, and she’s where she should be,” Morwick continued. “I think maybe at some point, she’ll be running a lot closer to Steph. Her attitude is awesome — she’s running great workouts, and I think it’s only going to get better for her. I’m really psyched with how well she’s improved.” Leading a thus-far impressive freshman class was Anya Price (20:23.24), who finished third for the Jumbos and seventh overall. Senior Amy Hopkins (20:35.25) and junior Lisa Picasia (21:05.13) rounded out the scoring for Tufts, taking ninth and 17th, respectively. “The freshmen are doing excellent right now,” Wilfert said. “There are definitely a few frontrunners, but they’re very close and they all have a lot of potential, so they should be showing us a lot in the next few weeks.” “There’s a whole pack of them that I think we are still adjusting to training and not knowing the courses,” Morwick said. “Some of them didn’t run on a lot of

hills in high school, and our past two courses were really hilly. It’s a huge class, and they’re working hard and have great attitudes. I think by the end of the season, you’ll probably see even more from that group of girls.”

“Grafton is a very challenging course. There are a lot of hills that can sneak up on you, so you have to be careful not to go out too hard the first mile. You obviously want to stay with the lead pack but try not to blow past too quickly — just be patient and move up later in the race.” Amy Wilfert sophomore While the team was pleased with its efforts, there are some aspects of its racing that could still use some fine-tuning.

One item on the agenda is the Jumbos’ pack running strategy, which suffered this week due to illness and injury that sidelined some of their No. 6 and No. 7 candidates. “I think there are gaps that we need to address,” Morwick said. “One through four looks pretty good — there’s a little drop off after four, and a big drop after five — that’s really where we need to make the improvement ... We had a few people not race or drop out that will be in there in the next few weeks, and that could help address the gap, but that’s something we’re going to need improvement on.” “We’re definitely still going to be working on pack running,” Wilfert said. “[Morwick] really wants to work on that next weekend. I think all of the freshmen may run the JV race so they can start working together and getting used to pack running.” Next up for the Jumbos is Saturday’s UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, which features a flat, fast 5k course. Morwick said she expects to rest many of her top runners in preparation for the Conn. College Invitational Sept. 27, which will be the team’s first 6k competition of the season.

Laura Schultz/Tufts Daily

Freshman Anya Price finished third for Tufts and seventh overall to help the squad capture first out of nine teams at Saturday’s Jumbo Invitational in Grafton, Mass.

   

  

 

The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

13

Sports

Lack of production from Cano, young players raise questions, cloud Yanks’ future MLB

continued from page 15

Yankees, is another example. The most recent case came on Sept. 5, when Seattle Mariners starter Brandon Morrow came within four outs of no-hitting the Yankees in his first big

Knowing their team was trying to rebuild and win at the same time, Yankee fans may have been willing to trade a title run in 2008 for some sign of progress from the team’s young players. Instead, with Cano struggling mightily, cen-

year, $30 million extension in the offseason, 25-year-old Robinson Cano is hitting 40 points below his career batting average, and his .294 on-base percentage is the second-worst among major league second basemen with at least 500 at-bats.

league start. On one hand, it’s easy to attribute the offense’s gross underperformance to its aging, plodding veterans. But the few young players in the Bombers’ lineup didn’t exactly help the cause either. Fresh off signing a four-

ter fielder Melky Cabrera earning a mid-August demotion and Hughes and Kennedy each posting winless seasons, the Yankees endured the worst of both worlds: a disappointing season and a great deal of uncertainty about their future.

Jumbos jump out to 5-0 start with four weekend wins, take floor again tonight VOLLEYBALL

really helps in practice because the people who are starting wouldn’t be so good if all the other players weren’t pushing them.” Day two of tournament play Saturday saw the Jumbos pick up right where they left off, routing the Smith Pioneers by marks of 25-11, 25-16 and 25-18. Helgeson led the team’s offense, netting 12 kills, and Filocco proved her versatility by racking up eight kills, 14 digs and 15 successful passes. Junior Dena Feiger also showed her prowess as a setter, notching 29 assists in the victory, a performance she would better later in the day against Williams with 41. In their final match of the tournament, the Jumbos took on the reigning NESCAC champion Williams, which swept Tufts twice last year, including in the conference semis. The team remained unfazed, though, and avenged last season’s defeats, downing the champs in straight sets, 25-22, 25-11 and 28-26. Tufts ran an efficient offense throughout the match, finishing with a .319 hitting percentage. Offensive standouts were once again Updike with 13 kills, Helgeson with 10

continued from page 16

“We are really deep this year,” Filocco said. “There was a lot of contribution from the freshmen, and all 15 players contributed well all weekend.” One of the younger contributing players was sophomore Caitlin Updike, who tallied 14 kills against Babson. “I was injured last year, so I really wanted to play and just worked hard,” Updike said. “I needed to prove that I could produce offensively.” Updike was not the only underclassman to come up big in the tournament. Freshman Lexi Nicholas proved herself a force with six blocks against RIC and seven kills against Babson. Classmates Audrey Kuan and Cara Spieler also stepped up on the court defensively, tallying 15 and 14 digs respectively in the match versus Babson. “We have a lot of young players that contribute a lot,” Updike said. “Everyone on the bench could play a match, and it is awesome that we have so many people. It

Freshmen fitting in quickly MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY continued from page 16

will have a chance to run the 8k this weekend. We try to ease them into it because the transition can be tough, but so far they’ve been adapting really well.” “It’s really tough adjusting to the terrain around here,” Frey said. “I come from a flat state and our courses here are really hilly. It’s not necessarily a lot of mileage but we run a lot faster ... Grafton is a tough course. The hills make you feel deceivingly tired or deceivingly not tired, depending if you’re going uphill or downhill.” “It’s really hilly and muddy, and the footing is terrible,” said freshman Phillip Grannan, who has noticed that the training at Tufts includes more mileage compared to high school. Both Frey and Grannan said they are adjusting well to the transition from high school to college. “So far this experience has been better than I could have ever dreamed,” Grannan said. “I really like the team. It is a group of interesting and diverse people.”

and Denniston with nine. Denniston attributed much of this offensive production to the team’s efforts on defense. “We had really good sets, and the defense helped a lot,” she said. “It helped us become more efficient on offense.” “We have been working on defense the past couple of weeks almost exclusively,” Filocco said. “We have a lot of hitters and are really deep, but the defense really pulls everything together.” Exceeding her 10-dig performances against RIC and Smith, senior tri-captain Natalie Goldstein came up with 16 digs in the final match, as well as one of the team’s six service aces. “Especially versus Williams, defense was key,” Goldstein said. “Williams is an incredibly scrappy team that never lets a ball drop. We had extremely long rallies with them, and our defense was able to continue them.” Goldstein was by no means alone on the defensive end, as Filocco and senior Maya

Ripecky each added another 11 digs. After opening their initial match of the year with a first set loss against the Stonehill Skyhawks Sept. 9, the Jumbos have not surrendered a set since. They went on to overcome Stonehill in four sets and have only improved with each match played. Any preseason nerves that they may have had seem to be all but gone now. “We had an epic preseason,” Goldstein said. “We took that entire time to prepare for one match, and we built up a lot of excitement and nerves. This weekend we got more comfortable with each other and playing as a team. Getting more comfortable with each other and learning how everyone works is why we are getting better and better.” “Each game we stepped it up a level, which will really help in the future,” Denniston said. The Jumbos will put their perfect record on the line tonight in Cousens Gym when they take on the 5-4 Gordon College Fighting Scots at 7 p.m.

SCHEDULE | Sept. 16 - Sept. 22 Tue

“For me, I love running with people and not alone,” Frey said. “I definitely run better with teammates. It’s cool always having someone to run with, whether it’s a long or a short run. It’s great having the upperclassmen to navigate us through the runs.” Having competed in three races across two meets so far and with the UMass Dartmouth Invitational coming up Saturday, the rest of the season looks promising, Carberry said. “In general, we are a young team,” he said. “We have one senior in our top 15, so I think a lot of people look at us as having a rebuilding year; but in my opinion, I think we will surprise people. The season is slowly shaping up. Especially with young athletes, it takes a while to adjust.” “The team is looking really good,” Welch said. “This year really came down to younger guys stepping up because we are a young team. It is still really early in the season, but so far the sort of progress we hoped to see from last year is coming along really well.”

Wed

Thu

Fri

sat

vs. Conn. College 1 p.m.

at Babson 6 p.m.

Field Hockey

Cross Country

at UMass Dartmouth Invit. 10:30 a.m.

Women’s Soccer

vs. Conn. College 11 a.m. vs. Conn. College 1:30 p.m.

at New England Coll. 4 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

vs. Gordon 7 p.m.

at Bates 8 p.m.

vs. Bowdoin (at Bates) 12 p.m. at Williams Invitational 12 p.m.

Golf

JumboCast

mon

vs. Wesleyan 1 p.m.

Football

Volleyball

sun

.

at Williams Invitational 12 p.m.

Football, Field Hockey

StatISTICS | Standings Field Hockey

Women's Soccer

(3-0, 2-0 NESCAC) NESCAC

W 2 Tufts 1 Bowdoin 1 Colby MIddlebury 1 1 Trinity 1 Williams 0 Amherst 0 Bates 0 Colby Conn. Coll. 0 Wesleyan 0 T. Brown M. Kelly A. Russo B. Holiday I. Lewnard L. Griffith M. Scholtes M. Kutcher

L W 0 3 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 G 7 5 1 2 2 2 1 1

Goalkeeping GA M. Zak 0 K. Hyder 2

(1-0-0, 1-0-0 NESCAC)

OVERALL

L 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 2

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A 0 1 5 1 0 0 1 1

Pts 14 11 7 5 4 4 3 3

S 4 2

S% 1.00 .500

NESCAC OVERALL

W 1 Amherst 1 Tufts 1 Williams 0 Bowdoin Wesleyan 0 Conn. Coll 0 0 Trinity 0 Bates 0 Colby Middlebury 0

C. Cadigan C. Hirsch S. Nolet W. Hardy F. Gamal B. Morgan O. Rowse A. Almy G. DeGregorio

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

G 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

T 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

W 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 0 2 0

L 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3

T 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pts 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Goalkeeping GA S S% 0 1 1.00 H. Jacobs K. Minnehan 0 0

Volleyball

Men's Soccer NESCAC

W Colby 1 Conn. Coll 1 Middlebury 1 Wesleyan 1 Williams 1 Tufts 0 Amherst 0 Bates 0 Bowdoin 0 Trinity 0 D. Schoening M. Fitzgerald P. Doherty R. Coleman B. Green N. Muakkassa J. Molofsky A. Kobren M. Blumenthal R. Ramos-Meyer

L 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 G 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OVERALL

W 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 A 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

L 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pts 3 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0

Goalkeeping GA Svs Sv% D. McKeon 2 21 .913

NESCAC OVERALL

L 4 0 1 4 1 2 4 2 2 2 5

W Williams 1 Tufts 0 Amherst 0 Bates 0 Bowdoin 0 Coiby 0 Conn. Coll. 0 Middlebury 0 Trinity 0 Wesleyan 0 Hamilton 0

L W 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 2 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 4 0 3 1 4

Offensive S. Filocco C. Updike B. Helgeson K. Denniston L. Nicholas C. Spieler D. JoyceMendive Defensive N. Goldstein S. Filocco M. Ripecky C. Spieler D. Feiger A. Kuan

Kills SA 47 6 32 3 29 0 25 6 17 0 13 4 13 0 B 0 6 0 2 5 0

NCAA Div. III Field Hockey

NCAA Div. III Women's XC

Points (First-place votes) 1. Bowdoin, 855 (35) 2. TCNJ, 769 (2) 3. Salisbury, 747 (3) 4. Messiah, 672 (1) 5. Lebanon Valley, 656 (1) 6. Middlebury, 642 7. Ursinus, 607 8. SUNY Cortland, 549 (1) 9. Rowan, 498 (1) 14. Tufts, 258

1. Amherst, 280 2. Calvin, 266 3. Wisconsin Eau Claire, 262 4. Luther, 258 5. Washington, 243 6. SUNY Genesco), 239 7. Depauw, 237 8. Williams, 223 9. Wisconsin-Platteville, 215 10. Case Western Reserve, 205 11. Colby, 204 12. Wartburg, 193 13. Ithaca, 191 14. Middlebury, 172 15. TCNJ, 169 16. Wisconsin-La Crosse, 156 17. Johns Hopkins, 153 18. Williamette, 147 19. Emory, 131 20. Wisconisn-Oshkosh, 123 21. St. Thomas, 122 22. Loras, 109 23. MIT, 101 24. SUNY Cortland, 100 35. Tufts, 16

(Aug. 26, 2008)

(5-0, 0-0 NESCAC)

(2-1-0, 0-1-0 NESCAC)

Digs 53 47 35 33 27 15

N.E. Div. III Women's Soccer

(Sept. 9, 2008) 1. Williams 2. Wheaton 3. Western Conn. State 4. Springfield 5. Tufts 6. Bowdoin 7. Worcester State 8. Middlebury 9. Brandeis 10. Eastern Conn. State

(Sept. 14, 2008)

14

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

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Sports

Inside MLB

Injured arms, anemic bats leave big-budget Yankees in fourth place in AL East race by Sapna

Jeremy Greenhouse | Follow the Money

Rays on the rise

Bansil

Daily Editorial Board

Just how long has it been since the New York Yankees failed to reach the postseason? You’d have to go all the way back to 1993, a time when the highest paid baseball player was making $6.2 million, when there were zero Japaneseborn players in the majors and where Derek Jeter was at the ripe old age of 19. But as they sit eight and a half games back in the wild card race with two weeks to play, the Yankees will, in all likelihood, suffer through a time warp and miss out on October baseball for the first time in 15 years. They’ll finish behind the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, two teams whose combined payrolls still fall $31 million shy of New York’s, and they will have to overtake the Toronto Blue Jays just to finish in third place. So who’s to blame for the Yankees’ colossally disappointing season? At first glance, it might be the pitching staff. Four-fifths of New York’s Opening Day starting rotation has been plagued either by injuries (Chien-Ming Wang), ineffectiveness (Andy Pettitte and Ian Kennedy) or both (Phil Hughes), forcing the Yankees to lean heavily on the likes of Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson and Carl Pavano. But even if they had something vastly superior to their patchwork rotation, the Yankees would not have been able to overcome what was the biggest culprit for their failed season: the offense. A team that entered the season with the reigning league MVP in Alex Rodriguez at third base and that had acquired midseason reinforcements in the outfield and at catcher has somehow managed just 723 runs, eighth in the American League. Stunningly, the Yankees have been held to fewer than three runs in 47 out of 150 games this season. As always, fans will reserve much of their criticism for Rodriguez. They will argue that even though he may very well finish as the American League’s home run leader for the second year in a row — that, too, after spending the early part of May on the disabled list — Rodriguez still crumbled when his team needed him the most. It’s not an entirely invalid argu-

MCT

Second baseman Robinson Cano, boasting a paltry .294 on-base percentage, is just one of many Yankees to disappoint this season. Thanks to the subpar efforts of Cano and other position players, the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993. ment. With the Yankees just 1.5 games off the wild card pace entering August, Rodriguez had one of the worst months of his career, striking out 30 times and grounding into 11 double plays. Thanks in large part to the failures of its $300 million man, New York suffered through its first losing August since 1996 and fell out of playoff contention. But Rodriguez doesn’t deserve all the blame for the Yankees’ hitting woes. The offense as a whole has consistently failed to produce, particularly with men on base. The Bombers have the fourth fewest sacrifice flies and the fifth most dou-

ble plays in the majors, and their .262 average with runners in scoring position ranks in the bottom five in the American League. Another baffling characteristic of the Yankees’ offense is its consistent inability to hit inferior pitching. Take Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett, for instance, who is sporting a 1.78 ERA against New York compared to 4.60 against the rest of the league. Baltimore Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera, who has recorded three of his eight victories against the see MLB, page 13

Top Ten | Luckiest People in Sports Let’s get this straight. The Denver Broncos, after scoring in the final seconds of their Week 2 matchup with the San Diego Chargers, just one extra point away from forcing overtime in a 38-37 game, did what? Yes, they did. They went for two, gambling to win the game right there, rather than prolong the game and put the Chargers away in overtime. Coach Mike Shanahan, the savvy 16-year veteran that he is, expressed no remorse after the fact, simply saying that “sometimes, you have to go with your gut.” Perhaps that’s because it worked. In honor of Mr. Shanahan, here are 10 more of the sports world’s biggest “luckboxes.” 10. Matt Cassel. Wanted: one quarterback to inherit the defense, special teams, offensive line and ridiculous receiving core of the NFL’s best team. High school diploma preferred. No experience necessary. Really. Absolutely none. 9. Francisco Rodriguez. He should probably send Mike Scioscia a Christmas card. Or, rather, 58 of them. 8. Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver, John Kruk, Jeff Van Gundy, John Madden, Skip Bayless, Woody Paige and Stephen A. Smith (eight-way tie). This is what counts as an “analyst” these days? How do they get these jobs? Are they just handing them out on the street or something? 7. Ned Colletti. This is the man who looked at his 54-54 Dodgers team at the trading deadline and said to himself, “Yes, mortgaging my team’s future for two-month rentals of Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake just to

get swept by the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs does look like a good idea.” And he comes off looking like a genius! 6. Danny Ainge. Which award sounds catchier -— NBA Executive of the Year, or NBA Guy Who Answers the Phone, Listens to an Offer of Kevin Garnett for Six Nobodies, Shrugs, Says Okay, and Wins a Ring … of the Year? We guess it’s the first one. 5. David Beckham. What does the aging English soccer legend do when he starts to, well, age? Oh, he just hops over the pond and lands in Hollywood. Did you say the L.A. Galaxy want to pay me $250 million to play in the vastly underwhelming MLS? Of course! 4. Anna Kournikova. Hmm, why do we get the feeling that Ms. Kournikova doesn’t exactly deserve all the attention she receives? Perhaps, it’s because the only Grand Slam titles she can call her own aren’t really her own. Martina Hingis helped Anna snatch up her only two big-time wins, at the Australian Open in doubles play in 1999 and 2002, and I’m more inclined to believe that certain other “assets” may be to blame for Kournikova’s ridiculously high number of Google hits. 3. The U.S. 4x200 Olympic relay team (the members not named Michael Phelps). We know Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay are Olympic gold medalists, but let us not forget that the final piece of the Beijing quartet has a knack for winning the gold. Phelps finished a full second better than anyone else on the team and, ahem, sort of carried them to victory.

MCT

Overtime is for sissies, right Mike? 2. Carl Pavano. For a man that once gave up six earned runs on six hits in zero innings against the Red Sox in ‘03, it is hard to believe we call this man lucky. Yet he did impress the Yankees enough to earn a ludicrous four-year, $40 million deal. Twenty-six appearances later, Pavano still hasn’t earned anything he’s being paid for. May we all be as lucky as Mr. Pavano. 1. David Eckstein. Wait, so all I have to do is hit .285 for my career, with no power, no speed and average defense, and I can be a two-time All-Star and a World Series MVP? And people will think I’m gritty, scrappy and smart when I’m really just short, white and funny-looking? Awesome! Where do I sign up? -—by Evans Clinchy and Scott Janes

T

he Tampa Bay Rays have a chance to become the first team in major league history to go from worst to first in consecutive seasons. All year long, teams in the larger markets — such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York — have been chasing the 88-60 Rays. So how does such a young, inexperienced, cheap team come from nowhere and overtake the Evil Empire and Red Sox Nation? The answer isn’t that the Rays win in spite of their age and low payroll. They win because of it. The Rays nearly doubled their payroll this year, jumping from $24 to $44 million, but still remained the second most frugal team in the majors, behind only the notoriously stingy Florida Marlins. For the Rays, limits on spending cause management to rely on young players, many of whom play for the league minimum salary of around $400,000. It takes three years of major league experience before a player is eligible for arbitration — a period during which many players earn far below their market value — and then a wait of three more years to qualify for free agency. During these six years, players will almost inevitably reach their peaks, which generally occur between the ages of 26 and 30. The fiscally savvy Andrew Friedman took over the then-Devil Rays in 2005. Since then, he has changed the face, the name and the talent of the organization. Friedman entered baseball with a Wall Street background, having been an analyst with Bear Stearns. When he stepped in, the Rays had already assembled some strong young talent, including starting pitcher James Shields and outfield studs Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli. Friedman also walked in on the heist of the decade, as former Devil Rays brass swung a deal for lefty starting pitcher Scott Kazmir from the New York Mets. Friedman recognized where his team could improve and made the necessary changes at no cost. He saw the statistic of run prevention as an exploitable market inefficiency and traded the ubertalented outfielder Delmon Young for strikeout artist Matt Garza and defensivespecialist shortstop Jason Bartlett. Last year, Friedman shrewdly acquired first baseman Carlos Pena, who the Yankees and Sox had both released. Not only is Pena a defensive whiz who boasts an OPS higher than that of David Ortiz, but he is also the highest-paid player on the team at a meager $6 million. Friedman knew coming into the season that prospect Evan Longoria would man the hot corner, and he has proven to be one of the top defensive third basemen in the league. Because of that, the Rays were also able to upgrade at other positions by sliding Akinori Iwamura to second base and shifting B.J. Upton to center field. The Rays’ Defensive Efficiency Rating, a statistic that measures the percentage of balls in play that a team’s defense converts into outs, has shot from a deplorable .662 to a league-leading .717, marking the biggest jump from one season to the next in baseball history. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff features nothing but young talent as well, headed by Shields, Kazmir and Garza. After that, the Rays turn the ball over to their tremendously improved bullpen, led by Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell. But that’s not all. Believe it or not, this is the worst team the Rays will assemble for years to come. They have a stacked farm system and hold several of the biggest assets in all of baseball in Longoria and Upton, whose salaries are cost-controlled for the foreseeable future. Also, prolonged winning raises attendance and revenue without fail. People may write off the Rays this year for their inexperience. People may label them a fluke. But next year they’ll be even better and more experienced. And the best part is, they won’t have to spend a dollar to improve. Jeremy Greenhouse is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at [email protected].

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Volleyball

Jumbos trample four opponents in weekend tournament at Brandeis by

Evan Cooper

Contributing Writer

While it did not fully make up for last year’s season-ending loss to Williams in the NESCAC VOLLEYBALL (5-0, 0-0 NESCAC) Brandeis Invitational, Saturday Tufts Smith

25 25 25 — 3 11 16 18 — 0

Tufts Williams

25 25 28 — 3 22 11 15 — 1

25 25 25 — 3 16 13 16 — 0

Tufts Babson

25 25 25 — 3 23 19 14 — 0

Tournament semifinals, the volleyball team exercised a measure of vengeance against the 2007 conference champions at this weekend’s Brandeis Invitational. The Jumbos swept the Ephs Saturday afternoon, an appropriate cap to a weekend full of sweeps as Tufts rolled over all four of its opponents without dropping a single set, improving its record on the season to 5-0. Play commenced Friday evening, with Tufts taking on the Anchorwomen of Rhode Island College and winning in straight sets, 25-16, 25-13 and 25-16. Tufts was led offensively by senior tri-captain Kate Denniston and

McNamara, Tufts two-for-two after Jumbo Invitational win by

Carly Helfand

Daily Editorial Board

After a blowout win at Sept. 6’s Trinity Invitational behind Stephanie McNamara’s firstWOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Jumbo Invitational, Saturday 1st out of 9 teams 1. Stephanie McNamara (19:24) 3. Amy Wilfert (19:58) 7. Anya Price (20:23) 9. Amy Hopkins (20:35) 17. Lisa Picascia (21:05)

Brandeis Invitational, Friday Tufts RIC

Women’s Cross Country

Laura Schultz/Tufts Daily

Tufts senior Kate Denniston, left, and sophomore Dawson Joyce-Mendive attempt a block in Tufts’ victory over Stonehill Sept. 9. The Jumbos sit at 5-0 after posting four sweeps over the weekend at the Brandeis Invitational. junior Brogie Helgeson, who each notched seven kills in the match. Denniston, who would later be named to the All-Tournament team, also contributed to the team’s efficient service game, coming up with four aces in addition to the three notched by fellow senior tri-captain Stacy Filocco. “We have been working on serving a lot in practice,” Denniston said. “It helped mentally having fewer unforced errors.” Their service game proved to be a strength throughout the tournament, as Tufts went

Denniston, Brown each earn shares of NESCAC awards The NESCAC honored two Jumbos yesterday who have helped their respective teams get off to flying starts. The volleyball team’s senior tri-captain Kate Denniston and the field hockey team’s sophomore forward Tamara Brown each picked up conference Co-Player of the Week honors. Each is a first-time recipient of the award. Denniston helped her team post an unbeaten 4-0 mark at the Brandeis Invitational this weekend, making just one error in 43 attempts and earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. In the squad’s final matchup of the weekend, a critical early-season test against defending NESCAC champion Williams, Denniston recorded nine kills on 13 attempts as Tufts cruised to a 3-0 victory. Buoyed by Denniston’s performances, the Jumbos improved to 5-0 on the season. Brown, meanwhile, continued her impressive recovery from ACL surgery, notching her second hat trick in three games during the field hockey team’s 5-0 victory over Colby on Bello Field Saturday. With a team-leading seven goals through the first three games of the season, Brown has already surpassed her points total through 13 games last year. With the victory, the Jumbos are off to their first 3-0 start since coach Tina McDavitt took the helm in 2004. —by Sapna Bansil

on to tally 20 service aces over the duration of the tournament and fewer than six service errors per match. The Jumbos kept the momentum going in their next match against Babson, once again winning in straight sets 25-23, 25-19 and 25-14. In this match, the squad revealed its depth, mixing up the lineup and putting a number of underclassmen on the court, all of whom stepped up to perform. see VOLLEYBALL, page 13

place finish, Tufts once again relied on the sophomore who locked up first place Saturday, as the women’s cross country team smoked the competition at the annual Jumbo Invitational. Tufts more than held its own at its only home meet of the season on the Tufts Veterinary School’s campus in Grafton, Mass., tallying 37 points — 33 points lower than runner-up Conn. College — and placing four runners in the top 10. McNamara’s own mark, a 19:24.39 on the 5k Farm Course, paced the field by 25 seconds. While McNamara ran a solid time, a comparatively weak field may have been to her detriment. Most notably missing from the Bowdoin lineup was 2007 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Yasmine White, who decided not to run cross country this season. “[McNamara] didn’t end

up having a ton of competition, which was too bad,” coach Kristin Morwick said. “The last two weeks, she could have run faster. Steph hasn’t raced the top kids in the conference yet and probably won’t see anyone until the All-New England Championships at Franklin Park [in Boston], which are just under a month away.” Following up her performance at Trinity, sophomore Amy Wilfert again placed second for the Jumbos, clocking a 19:58.83. The time was good for third overall, with Wilfert less than 10 seconds behind Bowdoin senior co-captain Annie Monjar, who captured second place. “Grafton is a very challenging course,” Wilfert said. “There are a lot of hills that can sneak up on you, so you have to be careful not to go out too hard the first mile. You obviously want to stay with the lead pack but try not to blow past too quickly — just be patient and move up later in the race.” After steadily improving over the course of her freshman campaign, Wilfert has seamlessly moved into the No. 2 spot for Tufts this season. “Amy came in last season and hadn’t done much running over the summer, so I think she’s a ton more fit than she was a year ago,” Morwick said. “She was one of the top distance recruits that we’ve had, and I think over the course of last year, she finally got herself back into shape. I see WOMEN’S XC, page 12

Men’s Cross Country

Welch, six others post perfect score in 5k sweep

Laura Schultz/Tufts Daily

Tufts runners lead the pack during the 5k portion of the Jumbo Invitational Saturday in Grafton, Mass.. The squad would go on to post a perfect 15 in the race, taking the top five finishing spots. by

Lauren Flament

Contributing Writer

Sometimes diversifying your assets is the best route to success. MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Jumbo Invitational, Saturday 1st out of 3 teams - 5k 1. Nick Welch (16:44) 2. Ryan Lena (17:09) 3. Jeff Ragazzini (17:13) 4. Chris Brunquell (17:20) 5. Henry Frey (17:56) 7th out of 10 teams - 8k 23. Dave Tilton (28:39) 48. Andrew Lee (30:48) 50. Andrew Bellet (30:52) 59. Sam Hutchinson (31:38) 62. Anthony Pellitieri (31:49) The men’s cross country team did its best to divide and conquer this weekend, taking first

place in the 5,000-meter race and seventh in the 8k at the Jumbo Invitational Saturday at its home course in Grafton, Mass. Despite resting some runners in order to preserve them for later in the season, the Jumbos swept the top five spots of the 5k race, led by junior co-captain Nick Welch, who won with a time of 16:44.58. Welch received support from junior Ryan Lena, sophomores Jeff Ragazzini and Chris Brunnquell and freshman Henry Frey. The team tallied a perfect score of 15, with Bates taking second with 50 and Anna Maria College taking third with 80. “In comparison to previous years, it was overall a good effort and it was a good meet for some of the younger guys to get some experience under their belt,” Welch said. Augsburg College junior Brent Haglund won the 8k race with a time of 26:42.76. Leading the Jumbos was senior co-captain Dave Tilton, who placed 23rd overall with a time of 28:39.83. Bowdoin won the overall team race with 38 points and Tufts took seventh with 194 points. “I think it was pretty comparable [to last year],” assistant coach Mark Carberry said. “Our competition was a little varied from pre-

vious years. We were looking for our top guys to have more of a workout out of it, so we ended up holding out some of our varsity members.” “This year was a little bit different because we had two men’s races, the 5k and the 8k,” Welch said. “Overall, the competition was a little spread out over the two races. The advantage was it gave us two distances to put the guys in. Those who were better suited to run an 8k this weekend ran the 8k.” Ten Tufts runners competed in the 5k race, made up of a total of 28 runners, while six Tufts runners competed in the 8k, which featured a total field of 84. “The decision [of who ran in which race] was really based on whose season is going to be done earlier rather than later,” Carberry said. “Running an extra 3,000 meters takes a toll on your body, so we had the guys who were planning on peaking later run the 5k.” “All of our freshmen did the 5k,” Welch said. “So far, they are doing really well. We have now had three races that are the 5k distance, which is what they ran in high school, but they see MEN’S XC, page 13