Campuslink Solves 'Crosstalk' Problem
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THETu FTS Wednesday, October 2, 1996 Volume XXXIII, Number 19 Where You Read It First DAILY 1 Drive to Campuslink solves register ‘crosstalk’ problem voters set by LEAH MASSAR ber of stations on the campus, ContributingWriter that’s within the industry stan- Students who have complained dards for this type of environ- for today this past month about being able ment,” FitzGerald said. to hear other people’s conversa- He explained that the term by LINDA BENTLEY tions when they use their own “industry standards” means that Daily Staffwriter telephone, a condition termed there can only be a certain num- Today, in conjunction with “crosstalk,” should find that the berofproblems for acertain num- National Student Voter Educa- problem no longer exists, accord- ber of station locations, or, in this tion Day, campus groups includ- ing to Tom FitzGerald of case, dorm rooms. “If you are ing the Tufts Community Union Campuslink. within four percent, you’re doing Senate, the Harambee Coalition, The company claims to have a good job,” he said. and Hillel, will hold a voter reg- discovered the source of the Acting Associate Telecommu- istration and awareness campaign crosstalk and will reimburse those nications Director Lesley Nelson outside of the Campus Center students who have registered com- said that the higher incidence of between 1 1 :30 and 3:30 p.m. plaints on the October phone bill. problems with datanetworkscom- “By creating at Tufts an atmo- Other problems students have pared to voice systems can be sphere where voting is consid- experienced with communica- attributed to the greater variabil- ered a valuable act, students are tions, including slow Internet ity ofequipmentwhich individual much more likely to vote,” Sen- access and downed data networks, customers plug into the system. ate President Andi Friedman said. do not fall under the jurisdiction “There’s such a longer period Similar drives will be taking of Campuslink. of time that [phone] technology place at colleges across the coun- According to FitzGerald, who has been around that there is a try today, she said. serves as the Northeast regional level of standardization between Refeking to a recent study on Photo by Gregory Youman operations manager for the telephones. With data net- US Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) speaks with Andrea Stern, LA ’98, voting trends, Friedman said that Campuslink, it was determined works, that’s simply nor true,” people of college age are the de- at a September voter registration drive on the academic quad. after many tests that the crosstalk Nelson said. mographic group least likely to Aliguma Kabadaki, a member a part of the Deans’ Award for was not aresult ofany Campuslink “You can plug in a clone or vote. of the Harambee Coalition who Women in Leadership. She de- misdoings, but was due to prob- what you would think of as a “Get out and vote efforts have has been active in the semester- cided to pursue a voter registra- lems with NYNEX equipment. fairly standard machine, but you been shown to make a differ- long registration effort, was “In our infrastructure, there have to walk down more paths ence,” Friedman said. awarded a grant last semester as see REGISTRATION, page 12 were no problems. What we fi- before you find out what’s intro- nally found out was that there ducing the errors or corruptions was a splice box that serves the of the network.” University that was submerged in Manager of Telecommunica- water,” FitzGerald explained. tions Operations Ken Goodman Even though FitzGerald said said, however, that the equipment the problems were not manufacturer will be at Tufts on CampusLink’s fault, the company Friday to try to diagnose many of is taking action to reimburse stu- the problems which have caused dents who had difficulties due to students to complain. the crosstalk. Despite FitzGerald’s insis- “Any student who had a tence that the system is powerful crosstalk issue reported to me over enough to handle Tufts’ demands, the first couple ofweeks ofschool Goodman pointed out that, since will in fact get a credit, not on the number of ethernet users has their first bill, but on their up- increased by about 15 percent coming bill which will probably since last year, there is more of a come out in mid-October,’’ likelihood for problems. FitzGerald said. Assistant Manager of Tele- Although FitzGerald said he communications Marj Minnigh believes that the crosstalk prob- agreed with FitzGerald in stress- lems experienced by students were ing the importance of students unacceptable, he insists that each keeping Tufts Connect informed line was checked over the sum- ofany difficulties they encounter. mer and that the problems some students experienced at the be- “If there really are problems ginning of the year were unfortu- out there, we would rather have nate but expected. the phone lines flooded than have Jenn Martin and her teammates are still unbeaten. See pg. 7 for details of yesterday’s 7-0 win. “When you look at the number people grumbling to themselves,” of no dial tones for the total num- Minnigh said. Supreme Court takes cases on doctor-assisted suicide Los Angeles Times-Washington constitutional right to end a pregnancy, Post News Service making abortion legal nationwide. Court to decide on required drug testing WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court While the physicians and patients in- Los Angeles Times-Washington Tuesday entered the emotional debate over volved in the new cases argue that the court PostNews Service physician-assisted suicide, taking two cases should find a fundamental right to physi- WASHINGTON -The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether a state that could fundamentally alter the way the cian-assisted suicide, such a move could may require candidates for governor, attorney general and other high state office to legal system recognizes the right to die in put the court again in the position of undergo drug testing before they can get on the ballot. America. eclipsing state legislative action. Thecase involves aGeorgia law that keepsanyone who refusesto submit toor fails Physician-assisted suicide has gained Indeed, in their petitions to the Su- a drug test from holding office. The law has been challenged by the Libertarian Party, wide public attention not only because of preme Court, New York and Washington which claims the measure is a violation of political candidates’ Fourth Amendment the lower-court rulings in the New York state officials protested that the lower courts protection against unreasonable searches, their First Amendment right of political and Washington state cases that the high have usurped state powers. speech and the voters’ First Amendment right to choose their own officials. court agreed to hear Tuesday, but because “The interests at stake are critical,” State officials defend the law as crucial to their ability to ensure that elected ofthe notoriety Jack Kevorkian has gained New York Attorney General Dennis C. officials are drug free. for reportedly assisting in more than 40 Vacco told the justices. “On an individual The new case, Chandler v. Miller, invites the justices to revisit the issue of suicides over the past several years. level, an erroneous decision by a physician mandatory drug testing that they took up in 1989 rulings upholding the use of such In many ways the court’s decision to in the course of assisting a suicide simply tests for certain US Customs Service employees and railroad workers. take up the right-to-die issue has notable is not susceptible (to) correction. On a In taking the case, the court also will determine how far government may go in parallels to the role the court ended up broader societal level, the outcome in this requirng people to submit to drug tests when there is no particular suspicion of playing in the morally contentious abor- case will have enormous influence on individual wrongdoing. tion dilemma that began in the 1970s. whether assisted suicide becomes a stan- Thejustices officially open their 1996-97 term next Monday, but Tuesday they got In 1973, when states themselves were dard part ofour nation’s medical practice, an early start by adding this and seven other new cases to their calendar. Combined still struggling with abortion regulations, and on what will occur in hospitals, clinics with the cases carried over from last term, the justices have 59 disputes before them. the court moved out in front by finding a and doctors’ offices around the country.” >agetwo THE TUFTS DAILY Wednesday, October 2,1996 rHE TUFTSDAILE Letters to the Editor John B. O’Keefe with the column’s main point: Professor extra mile as a teacher to make his classes Editor-in-Chief Trout worthy of Trout is an extremely valuable member of interesting as well as(always) academically the Tufts faculty and more than deserves challenging and worthwhile. For all these Managing Editor: DanTobin receiving tenure reasons and more, he has earned the re- Associate Editors:Bill Copeland, Karen Epstein tenure. Production Managers: Pratiksha Thakkar, To the Editor: He is extremely knowledgeable in his spect of his students and of his colleagues. Raquel Almeida, Karen Thompson A recent column (“The politics of ten- field and is always eager to encourage and I strongly urge that the decision to deny ure,” 9/26/96) reported that Professor Den- guide student scholarship. Further, he is tenure will be rescinded. NEWS nis Trout has sadly been denied tenure. friendly and approachable, and takes care Editors: Gregory Geirnan, Pete Sanborn Without getting into the campus-politics to be available on campus to meet with VIEWPOINTS aspects ofthat column, I would like to agree students. More than once he has gone the Leslie DesMarteau LA’97 Editor: Amy Zimmet Assistant Editor:Jason Cohen FEATURES Editors: Annie Risbridger,Micol Ostow, Clinton lawyer refuses to give memos Merredith Portsmore Los Angeles Times-Washington White House supervision of the travel of- lege, which protects the confidentiality of ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Post News Service fice and FBI files.