THEWhere You Read It First Tu Monday, Septembers 13,1999 DAILY Volume XXXIX, Number 4 Residential life boos ts forced triples to ac conimod .ate clasS by JEREMY WANGIVERSON tration found ev- Daily Editorial Board eryone places to University President John live. DiBiaggiotoldtheNew York Times “It was re- in Junethat 90 more accepted fresh- solved by acombi- men chose to attend Tufts than nation of forced expected. While certainly a posi- triples and reduc- tive statistic, it carries with it the tion in size of the unfortunate by-product of leav- transfer class,’’ ing the administration with the Gardiner said. She problem of finding these people booked 25 forced places to sleep. triples this year, a Due to this element of uncer- 500 percent in- Photo by Jeremy Wang-lverson tainty in selecting members of a crease from five Freshman Robert Menn has little private time class, University Provost Sol last Year. This isthe in his Hill forced triple. Gittleman considers admissions first vear transfer “an art,” and Director of Residen- students are living in Carmichael twice the trouble, as coordinating tial Life Anne Gardiner describes and Lewis as opposed to Wilson everything from sleep schedules herjob offindingpeopleplacesto House. Ironically, the switch was to electrical outlets to wardrobe live is an endless quest to “predict made in part to accommodate a containment becomes far more the unpredictable.” Gardiner ex- larger class of transfer students, difficult when there’s one extra plained how she and the adminis- but the number was kept low to person to accommodate. Opening balance out the extra freshmen. the initial mailing and seeing two Gardiner also said transfer stu- names increases the apprehension Tufts Online fights laptop theft dents didn’t like the seclusion of and anxietyamong incomingfresh- Wilson house, whereas under- men who were already nervous. Tufts Online, TUPD, and Health Services team up graduates looking to get some- “My biggest concern about col- what off-campus could find the lege was having aroommate, then by GREGORY PA’ITAKOS Kathleen O’Dea and Kathy Sav- makes it much easierto re-connect 50-person occupancy of Wilson, I got two,”.said triple resident Rich Senior Staff Writer age of Health Services at an April a computer or connect one for the Sullivan. Due to their small size and high Open House event. They decided firsttime. Some students didn’t even price tags, it is hardly surprising to not only help students get con- “Within five minutes, students know forced triples existed until that laptops have traditionally been nected but also “get protected” at were online this year, and that they learned they would be a part one ofthe most attractive items to thesametime, by includingabooth showed because ofone. “I was confused; I thought thieves plaguing the Tufts cam- where Health Serviceswouldgive wehadalot fewer it was a mistake,” Angela pus. On Friday, however, the Tufis out condoms and information on Charubinn said, “but I’d stay, I University Police Department, mostly sex-related issues. The lems,” Rennie would not want to leavemy room- along with Tufts Onlinezwd44ealth- event will be repeated for those mates.” With their large second Services, took a step towards halt- living downhill this coming Friday floor Hill triple, Charubinnand her ing this trend by holding an event in South Hall. roommates were able to avoid inthe Carmichael loungeallowing “SO far this year this is our bunking the beds and still navi- students to bring in their laptops second booth, along with one in been ap- gate the room comfortably. to have them electronically the Campus Center last Tuesday proximately 2,300 students con- While a triple increases the bugged. where we gave out apples and nected in their dorms out of a pos- number ofresidents by 50 percent, According to Tufts Online Su- condoms,” said Kathleen O’Dea. sible 3-to-4,000 offered room data the floor area does not receive the pervisor of Telecommunications The event on Friday is not the connections. This is also the first same proportional increase. The Judi Rennie, the laptops can be only step Tufts Online is taking time that it is possible for students Hill rooms, while the biggest tracked almost anywhere using a towards what they hope will be a to take their laptops along with doubles on campus, don’t pro- special hardware code. Specifics better system, however. them and connect to the Internet Anne Gardiner vide the quality triples that Hous- of this mechanism were kept se- “This year, a new version of from a different room than their ton boasts. Many of the Houston cret to prevent future thieves from DHCP(theprotoco1computers use own. near fraternity row on Curtis Ave, triples were converted from large bypassing the security system. to access the network) has been “If you want to go to your very appealing. study rooms and closets and desks The system was developed at used which has made things a lot friend’s room to study and there’s The forcedtriple problem, how- fit with plenty of space to spare. Southwestern University and was easier,” Rennie said. She reported an available dataport, you can use ever, has yet to be resolved. Both “We’resupposedly ‘stuck in here,’ Gardiner and Gittleman indicated and with the [high] lotterynumber given to Tufts free of charge. The far fewer requests for technical it to connect your laptop,”~. Rennie idea originated when Rennie met help because the new system said. thatforcedtriplesare implemented [next year], it’s like two straight only as a last resort. Gardiner is years of good dorms,” said Mike currently waiting to know with Benes, a Houston triple resident. Freshman class candidates debate issues certainty how many students will Provost Sol Gittleman re- counted a time in which the hous- Eleven freshmen candidates, their supporters, and many oftheir peers will cram into Hotung Cafe at be on campus fbr the year, since a 7:30 p.m. tonight to listen to the annual Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate freshmen candidates’ few students will transferor leave ing crisis was much worse, when debate. early, andsome simply nevercome the former President Jean Mayer The candidates will be vying for one of the seven spots granted to freshman senators each year, plus in the first place. Gardiner could firsttookoffice in 1978. “We had an extra 300-400 stu- the two spots vacated by Senators who resigned over the summer. not predict how many “no- The freshman candidates, a part of the Tufts community for only two weeks, will be given the shows,” are expected, but for ev- dents,” Gittleman said. “We had kids at the Sheraton Hotel in opportunity to make a personal statement and discuss what they can contribute to both their class and ery one there could be a forced Harvard Square,” he explained, the community at large. Following the personal statements, the floor will be open for questions from the triple that to be broken up, if the adding that students were bused audience. The debate is not expected to last more than an hour. residents so choose. Last year to and from campus. Though the The freshman candidates are Kenny Berlin, Sarah Sandison, Isaac Dole, Melinda Coolidge, Emily Jerez, Gardiner gave all forced triples the Carl Jackson, Howard Lien, Sagar Patel, Debbie Chu, Ben Bauer, and Andrew Potts. option of moving into doubles, rooms were nicer, Gittleman said The candidate turnout for this year’s election is a steep drop from last year’s 23 freshman candidates though nqne took her up on the students didn’t like being so far vying for seven spots. Elections Board Chair Sarah Molenkamp attributed the low number of candidates offer. from campus. This year UMASS is booking students in hotels as they to the timing of this year’s election. “I think that a lot of it is just that we didn’t have a lot of opportunity One ofthe perks for forced triple undergo a similarly severe hous- to advertise,” she said. residents, and a way of assuaging “Part of it is that the freshmen class is sort ofthrown in and still trying to get adjusted to being at school.” possible disappointment, is a let- ing crisis. Gardiner said demographers Wednesday’s election is almost two weeks earlier than it was last year. ter Gardiner enclosed with their have told her that the majority of An election for upperclassmen was also scheduled for Wednesday, but only three students, residential information that ex- sophomores Ashley Wegner, Eric Greenberg and Beth Anne Katzpetitioned to run in the election for the plains they would get the first children of the baby boom are reaching college age, thus increas- five available upperclassman spots. The three new Senators fill some of the spots by departed Senators choices at dorms their second year. AlexaEnglander, Allocations Board Council Chair AlyssaHeumann, Historian Ralan Hill, Special Projects “It’s nice the University is com- ing the number of applicants. In Chair Kristi Tough, and Vice President Vivek Ramgopal. pensating, us but it would have the aforementioned New York Molenkamp said she hopes the debate will be an enlightening event for all who attend. “The debate been betterto not have the triple in Times article quoting DiBiaggio, is to educate the members of the freshmen class who generally do not know anybody well and to help the first place,” said sophomore the writer cites other reasons for the increase in applicants. Accord- them get to know the candidates.” Justin Golub, a current West Hall Only freshmen are allowed to vote in Wednesday’s election. Voting will be held in Dewick and resident. “Once you’ve settled in, ing to the article, college counse- Carmichael from 1 1:30a.m.