Editorial
March 2
It's not often that one of the countless acronyms that circulates around the Tufts campus gathers such a following, but each year EPIIC manages to garner a fair share of the limelight. These five letters can often become all-consuming for the cohort of students involved in the program each year; however, while EPIIC is publicized to the entire Tufts community, its offerings can sometimes be passed over by those who are not a part of the program. This inconsistency raises a few questions: What exactly is EPIIC? Who should be paying attention to it and why?
EPIIC, or "Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship," takes center stage each year with its annual symposium, a four or five-day public forum that brings international figures and speakers to cam- pus. These experts, activists, academics and journalists lead presentations, panels, dis- cussions and workshops, stitching together a compelling and educationally valuable
conglomerate perspective on the sympo- sium's chosen topic. This year, the 29th annual EPIIC symposium was held from Wednesday, Feb. 26 to Sunday, Mar. 2, and featured presentations about "The Future of the Middle East and North Africa."
But EPIIC does not begin nor end with the symposium. At the heart of EPIIC is a year-long, intensive and multidisciplinary course that prepares approximately 50 students to think critically and analytically about global issues. This year's roster of students, who went through an applica- tion process and round of interviews in order to gain admission into the course, included a diverse set of perspectives, with some students having studied the Middle East for their entire Tufts career and others having little academic experi- ence with the region.
The class, which meets twice a week for two and half hours each, hears from dif- ferent speakers each session. In order for
the students to be able to participate in discussions with the presenters, they are assigned extensive readings each week and are tested via three comprehensive exams. At the time of the symposium, students are asked to play key roles in committees, sometimes preparing short speeches and presenting awards to featured speakers.
EPIIC, which is a rigorous and excep- tional program, deserves all of the atten- tion it gets - and then some more. While the audience typically consists of a mixture of students, faculty and other academics, the symposium should be piquing the interest of the entire student body, not just the International Relations majors. EPIIC is an invaluable resource that provides eye-opening perspectives for all those who desire to be an active citizen, and everyone should be taking advantage of it - even if it's only by asking to hear about all of the hard work and dedication that our peers have put in.
