Where You Mostly Sunny Read It First 67/52 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LVI, NUMBER 24 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008 TUFTSDAILY.COM After cancellation, Kaplan discusses art and minorities shuttle to return BY SARAH BUTRYMOWICZ Daily Editorial Board The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate may restart the on-again, off- again Boston Bus Shuttle as soon as Oct. 17, if contract negotiations pan out. But the service could disappear again quickly if students are not careful. Peter Pan Bus Lines terminated its contract with the Senate in April, saying that drivers felt uneasy porting the high volume of intoxicated stu- dents that took the shuttle. This semester, the Senate is working out a contract with Joseph’s Limousine and Transportation, but Senator Sam Wallis stressed that the change in com- panies does not equal a change in stan- dards. “We have to be appropriate on the bus,” Wallis said. The talks with Joseph’s are close to yielding results. “We’re 90 percent of the way there,” said Wallis, a sophomore. “We’re going to have the service, but TIM STRAUB/TUFTS DAILY we’re still working on the contract.” SUNY, Purchase Professor Paul Kaplan gave a lecture last night entitled “Jewish Artist and Black Africans in Renaissance Art.” He spoke Barring any unexpected road bumps, about the presence and representation of these minorities, citing examples such as the poor treatment of Jews in Venice. He profiled the Senate will sign an agreement with one talented Jewish artist, Moisè dal Castellazzo, and described how he gained special privileges due to the popularity of his works. For more information, see Arts, page 5. see SHUTTLE, page 2 Massachusetts residents to vote on whether to keep income tax Obama, McCain spar on economy BY GIOVANNI RU ss ONELLO cut plan is wiser and whether consumer protections. Let the BY BEN GITTLE S ON cent in January 2009 and com- Daily Editorial Board health care should be consid- market run wild and prosper- Daily Editorial Board pletely do away with it in January ered a right or an individual ity would rain down on all of 2010. John McCain got what he responsibility. us.” What would happen if the This tax accounts for roughly wanted last night: a town hall- Tom Brokaw moderated the In his response, McCain first Massachusetts income tax were 40 percent of the state budget, style debate. debate, but many of the ques- turned the focus to lowering abolished? or about $12.7 billion per year. The question is whether it tions came directly from mem- taxes and energy indepen- A proposal on the state ballot The average taxpayer would save was enough bers of the audience. dence, two themes he would in the upcoming Nov. 4 election around $3,600 annually if it is to stem his Obama once again sought to return to later in the night. “I suggests doing just that. Its pro- repealed. rival’s grow- tie McCain to President George have a plan to fix this problem, ponents say that such a measure Members of the Committee for ing tide, W. Bush’s economic policies. and it has got to do with energy would drastically diminish gov- Small Government, the group that e s p e c i a l l y “I think everybody knows independence,” he said. “We’ve ernment waste and give money collected the 11,000 signatures considering now we are in the worst finan- got to stop sending $700 bil- back to taxpayers. needed to put the question on the its primary cial crisis since the Great lion a year to countries that Those opposed to Question 1, a ballot, say the proposal would cre- focus on the Depression,” he said. “And I don’t … like us very much. We binding proposal that would elim- ate thousands of jobs by moving s t r u g g l i n g believe this is a final verdict on have to keep Americans’ taxes inate the commonwealth’s existing millions of dollars to the private economy, one of Sen. McCain’s the failed economic policies of low — all Americans’ taxes low. 5.3-percent income tax, claim that sector each year and would force (R-Ariz.) weak points. the last eight years, strongly Let’s not raise taxes on any- the change would cripple state the state legislature to become McCain and Sen. Barack promoted by President Bush body today.” and local government. more accountable to voters. Obama (D-Ill.) squared off on and supported by Sen. McCain, McCain has seen a dip in If passed, Question 1 would who is best qualified to oversee that essentially said that we lower the income tax to 2.65 per- see TAX, page 2 private industry, whose tax- should strip away regulations, see DEBATE, page 2 Senate to focus on health issues BY BEN GITTLE S ON President Duncan Pickard. Daily Editorial Board “The whole point is first to spread information that we don’t Tufts Community Union think is out there, but also to (TCU) senators Sunday night make it more accessible to stu- toyed with the dents,” Pickard, a junior, said. idea of creating At their weekly meeting, the online avenues to senators discussed one proposal respond to stu- that includes working with Tufts dents’ frequently Emergency Medical Services asked questions (TEMS) and Health Service to about issues relat- ensure that students clearly ing to student understand the institutions’ medical services. methods of handling alcohol- The Senate will most likely abuse cases. work with different campus TEMS Executive Director groups to publish the informa- Jonathan Nadler, a senior, tion on its Web site, in the form said that despite Operation of easily readable summaries Awareness, an informational and links to other university ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY Web pages, according to TCU see SENATE, page 2 Senior Eric Weber gets into a TEMS truck. The Senate is looking to better inform students about emergency treatment. Inside this issue Today’s Sections Some students make The women’s crew a habit of pilfering team will take the News 1 Comics 9 items from Tufts’ din- water for the first time Features 3 Classifieds 11 ing halls. this season on Sunday. Arts | Living 5Sports Back Editorial | Letters 8 see FEATURES, page 3 see SPORTS, back page 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Wong to look for feedback during meeting today policies, I think I would not what we need to do a better job SENATE be as clear on them, because at is really going that next step TAX Champion said. continued from page 1 at times they are not as clear and … saying, ‘How can we continued from page 1 In addition to higher property program included in freshman as they should be,” Johannsen prevent some of the problems “Ending the income tax takes taxes, opponents cite cuts to basic orientation, and the high rate of said. “I think there’s very little we see on campus?’” [billionsEffect of dollars] on out of thebusinesses hands services such is as publicunclear schools, student participation in TEMS attempt to educate the stu- To that extent, Wong said of the politicians on Beacon Hill sanitation services and public safe- on campus, most students are dent body outside of an initial that he would be soliciting … and puts [them] back into the ty programs as possible effects of a uninformed about the medical crash course when you show comments from students in a hands of the men and women who large drop in state revenue. service. up here.” meeting today with the Student earned that money,” Carla Howell, But Howell explained that the “All the freshmen should Johannsen said the Senate’s Health Advisory Board on a new the coalition’s chair and a former government severely lacks trans- know the current way that we Web site could prove beneficial poster campaign that will aim to Libertarian candidate for governor, parency in what she described as a operate,” he said. “But I have for many students. The Web enable students to “[reach] out told the Daily. “It will force the leg- convoluted and confusing budget heard a lot of people with incor- site, which received an over- to other students and [talk] to islature to streamline and cut the process that the average taxpayer is rect information.” haul this summer, is becoming [them] about alcohol in a posi- waste of big government.” hard-pressed to understand. Both Nadler and Director a centerpiece in the Senate’s tive way.” He hopes that he can But the loss of revenue would Advocates of the ballot measure of Health Education Ian Wong efforts to improve communica- work with students to prevent strike a “devastating blow” to state also maintain that scrapping the said that they had heard of the tion with students. substance abuse from occur- and local governments, said Stephen income tax would enable a smaller Senate’s plans, but that no one Health Service already pro- ring in the first place, rather Crawford, spokesperson for the number of government programs from the body had contacted vides information about alco- than addressing its causes after Coalition for Our Communities, a to meet citizens’ needs more effec- them directly. hol and drug use prevention the fact. group opposed to Question 1. tively, cutting down on unnecessary Junior Brendan Johannsen on its Web site, and, according Pickard stressed that the State aid accounts for a great spending. said that while he felt he is to Wong, it is actively work- project is still in its initial stag- deal of local governments’ budgets.