THETUFTS DAILY 1 Where You Read It First Wednesday, January 29,1997 Volume XXXIV, Number 6 I C (2 TBAG Wiring blamed in celebrates off-campus blaze by PETE SA” touched insulation within a wall, epsi’s Daily Editorial Board resulting in the fire. A three-alarm fxe that left eight The senior said that several Tufts students homeless last Oc- teams from the Somerville Fire ctecision tober was caused by faulty electri- Departmentandthe landlord’s in- by PETE SANBOFW cal wiring, not an overturned surance company, State Farm In- Daily Editorial Board candle as fire officials originally surance, investigated the incident, Members of Tufts Burma Ac- believed, one of the residents said each reaching the same conclu- tion Groupcelebratedamajor vic- this week. sion. tory Monday when they received Although Somerville Deputy “It was completely obvious that word that Pepsi had severed all Fire Chief Bill Hurley had said the it was not our fault,” he said. ties with its bottler in Burma. TBAG fire at 87 Electric Ave. resulted Anestimated$lOO,OOOinstruc- had dedicated its resources last from “very careless use of a tural damages and an additional semester to boycotting the major candle,” a further investigation $100,000 in personal damages soft drink company’s products. found otherwise. were caused by the fire. “The TBAG President Kathy Polias “The fire started in acrawl space insurancecompany has been very said, “We are very happy with in the southwest comer of the good about it. None of us has Pepsi’s decision and commend third floor. The candle was sup- huge individual claims,” Cohen them fcr doing the right thing.” posed to be in the northeast cor- said. TBAG member Matt Simon ner,”said Jason Cohen, one ofthe Cohen said the residents of the said, “There’s a lot to be learned students who lived in the house. first floor apartment salvagedmost from TBAG’s experience and I hope “There was a 15- to 1 8-foot sepa- oftheir belongings, except fortheir that the TCU Senate hold back ration between the candle and the furniture, which sustained heavy their cynicism in the future long starting point.” water damage. The residents of enough to allow Tufts students to Cohen noted that the exact the upper floors, however, lost make apositive impact on aglobal cause ofthe blaze remains a mys- most of their possessions. scale.” tery. “The weird thing is that “Wejust made it out with what Saying that she believed Pepsi’s there was no electrical connec- we could,’’ he said. withdrawal would have a direct tion near the wires where the fire All eightresidentsofthehouse effect on Burma, Polias said, Photo by Mike Netio started.” He said a wire with were able to secure housing by “Their decision will discourage A fire at 87 Electric Ave. last semester destroyed students’ home. frayed insulation may have Nov. I, Cohen said. other consumer companies from going into Burma. “Not only is Pepsi’s complete withdrawal goingtohurt [themili- Fraternities welcome pledges to Rush tary junta], it instills hope in the Burmese people.” Party policy to be reviewed as Greek system expects large turnout Accordingtothe senior, TBAG byrnLTW74 chose to focus on Pepsi last se- Senior Staff Writer mester in order to increase interest As SpringRush Week heads into full swing, oncampusaboutthe Burmamove- fraternities and sororities are expecting a large rnent. Last year, Polias said, “We student turnout at their events. During Rush made the mistake of spreading period, lasting from this week into the middle ourselves too thin. of next week, Tufts’ Greek system plans to “Pepsi was a good way to get review policies regarding parties in addition to people interested. People feel di- welcoming prospective pledges. rectly connected to the cause Junior Brian Schneider, president of the when they can change some- Inter-Greek Council, the governing board for thing.” the campus Greek system,said he is optimistic East semester TBAG had pre- about the expected attendance at rush events. pared a letter to University Presi- “The sorority numbers have been quite strong, dent John DiBiaggio calling for stronger than in years past,” he said. “From all Tufts to boycott Pepsi. Eight or- signs, I’m very encouraged by the turnout.” ganizations including the Sophomore David Beck, vice president of Women’s Collective, theVietnam- recruitment at Sigma Phi Epsilon, said he is also ese Club and the Oxfam Collective expecting a good turnout this year. “I think, suppoited the boycott. based on the sorority numbers, that there is a Polias said, “We are truly grate- big Greek sentiment [on campus and] that there ful for all of the support we re- are guys interested in the whole process.” ceived from Tufts students, ad- Schneider,also president of Alpha Epsilon Dai/y file photo ministrators, and faculty in our Pi, said that while it is important for the indi- Delta Tau Delta, Chi Omega, and Delta Upsilon prepare for Rush activities. campaign to help the people of vidual fraternities andsororities torecruit new Burma.” members, he feels the focus ofthe Rush should of opportunities to meet new people.” Jan. 24, the committee discussedthe feasibility The boycott of Pepsi products be to “encourage students to break through Cantor, who attended his first Rush event ofhaving a TUPD officer at the door of every has been discontinued by TBAG the fallacies” often attributed to Greek life. Monday evening, said, “I thought there would party at no charge, with a three-house-per- following Pepsi’s divestment, Freshman Jeremy Cantor said he believes bemore peopleattheevent, but itwasmuch less night Iimitbetween Thursdaysand Saturdays. Polias said. “We never had any- that the biggest misconception that pledges serious and competitive than I expected it to be. Noting that this measure has not passed yet, thing against PepsiCo, just what haveabout Greek life isthat “all they do is party.” “Most people were planning on going to Schneider said it would be discussed during a they wcre doing in Burma. But Cantor said that there is much more to Rush events at other frats. They encouraged meeting held last night. He was positive about “While TBAG is happy that fraternity and sorority life than hosting parties. us to go to other houses,” he added. the school’s response to the initiative, saying, PepsiCo has decided to cease According to Cantor, the Rush process Schneider said he wants to work with the “The University has been quite receptive.” business in Burma, we must re- involves getting to know the brothers. Op- faculty Committee on Fraternities and Sorori- Schneider, however, recognizes that “the member that there is still much posed to “expecting the pledges to act like ties in order to increase security at parties. houses might have problems with the sched- work to be done.” someone else,” he said, “[Rush] provides lots During the most recent discussion, held on uling issues.” Following this victory, TBAG plans to focus its energy on anew Central ArteryRunnel Project construction director to speak campaign begun last summer, Polias said. “Wearegoingtopres- The director of construction ofthe Central Arteryflunnel project, structed, A simulationvideo of the building ofthe tunnel under South sure the University to set up a Joe Allegro Jr., will cometo Tuftstospeakabuthowengineersdesign Station, as well as slides of the current construction will be shown. committee on shareholderrespon- infrastructure, specifically focusing on the projects currently under The program which is being co-sponsored by the College of si bi!ity .” construction in Boston. The talk will be held on Wednesday evening Engineering and Residential Life, is part of Lewis Hall’s Tuesday TBAG plans to pressure the at 7 p.m. in Nelson Auditorium. Topics series. Assistant Dean of Engineeringand program co-coordi- Artery project for the past University to use its power as a The opening of the Ted William’s Tunnel last year marked the nator Kim Knox has be development. shareholder to force two compa- completion of the fvst stage of the Central Artery/Tunnel project. Once ten years, and has been in its nies out of Burma. “Consumer the new tunneI is compIeted, the old Central Artery site will be replaced Zev Schuman,an electrical engineeringmajor and co-co boycotts are not an effective tool by a park, allowingBostonians to see &om downtown tothe waterfront spoke of his excitement about hearing Allegro speak, “Mr. in gas adoil companies,” Polias for the first time since the 1960s. giving Tufts students the opportunity to discover Allegro, the son of a Tufts’ graduate, will be speaking about how downtown.” see BURMA, gage 12 the new tunnel was engineered and how the tunnel is being con- age two THETUFTS DAILY January 29,1997 THETUFTS DAILY Letters to the Editor P.O. Box 18, Medford, MA. 02155 (617) 627-3090; Fax: (617) 627-3910, [email protected] Thompson viewpoint “facts” are added together, US News asserts Tufts is - Online: http://www.tufts.edu/as/stu-orgltuftsdaily the better school. I don’t know what facts Thompson not backed by facts is using. w Dan Tobin I am writing in response to the viewpoint written I would even say that Tufts beats Berkeley in Editor-in-Chief by Scott Thompson (“Looking Beyond College undergraduate research. While Berkeley may spend Managing Editor: Karen Epstein Rankings,” 1/2 I). I disagree with him on two points. $30 million on one supercomputer, the average un- Associate Editors: Bill Copeland, Gregory Geiman, Amy Zimmet The first is his argumentagainst the college rankings dergraduate will never see anything more than a $3,000 Pentium. The studentsdeal with large classes NEWSEditor: Pete Sanbom in the US News and WorldReport. The second is his Assistant Editors: John OKeefe, Lauren Heist statement: “Tufts isn’t nearly as great auniversity as and little personal attention.