Amnesty retools board to increase membership

After a change of leadership, the Tufts chapter of Amnesty International will focus its energies this semester on encouraging Turkey to release a prisoner of conscience.

Leyla Zahn is currently in jail for suggesting peaceful negotiations with the Kurds. The Amnesty group is organizing a letter-writing campaign, and it will be holding another "Jamnesty" concert to support the cause.

The group had around 40 members last semester, but member complaints of low visibility on campus and a change of priorities by the co-presidents prompted a change in group leadership.

Sophomore Natawnee Fritz is now the group's president and freshman Allison Bohm is the vice-president. One of last semester's co-presidents is still on the board as the group's treasurer.

The group is also planning to host a kids' day to increase visibility on campus and in the community. "We'll use more flyers and maybe try to use Film Series [advertisements]," Fritz said.

Bohm said the group hopes to "capitalize on the interest" around campus. She said the community would benefit from a more active Amnesty group because "there are enough people who feel they can make a difference."

Fritz said she does not expect to encounter difficulties recruiting new members. However, she said that the number of members is not the most important factor for the group. "If we have 70 members, that's great," she said, "but I'd want at least 40 members who were genuinely interested and wanted to fight, who were dedicated."