The Communications and Media Studies program yesterday evening hosted a panel discussion with representatives from several publishing companies who discussed how book publishing has changed in the digital age.
Tufts Student Services in a Feb. 19 email announced that students will be able make advance reservations for group study rooms in Tisch Library. Through the Tufts Space and Resource Reservation System, groups of two or more may reserve one of the 11 group study rooms for a minimum of one hour and a maximum of three hours per day from now through the end of the semester, according to the email.
After Hamilton Pool closed at the beginning of this semester, many students were concerned: Would the pool ever reopen its door? Would the university be forced to build a new facility? Neither. Following a successful repair to a crack in its structure, the pool reopens today with regular hours.
For a second meeting in a row, the Tufts Community Union Senate analyzed a resolution proposing a one-year pilot program that would give Tufts students a MBTA discount pass, allowing them to use the Boston-area transportation services at a reduced price. The resolution references a survey indicating that 95 percent of polled students supported such a program. The Senate passed the resolution in a 20-0-1 vote. It will be presented to the school administration for approval.
For a second meeting in a row, the Tufts Community Union Senate analyzed a resolution proposing a one-year pilot program that would give Tufts students a MBTA discount pass, allowing them to use the Boston-area transportation services at a reduced price. The resolution references a survey indicating that 95 percent of polled students supported such a program. The Senate passed the resolution in a 20-0-1 vote. It will be presented to the school administration for approval.
The ninth annual Tufts Energy Conference , to be held on March 8 and 9, will address pressing energy issues in developing markets, according to its website.
The homepage for Sound of Boston, a recently established online music publication, provides a modern, professional introduction to the local Boston music scene. Featuring concert and album reviews, interviews with local artists and venue descriptions, the site explores the music culture of Boston. The publication, in fact, has a special connection to the university.Sound of Boston was founded in the fall of 2013 by seniors Jonah Ollman and Knar Bedian, who shared a passion for music and the desire to increase awareness of Boston-based artists.If someone wants to hear about shows, learn about the citys scene, or find new local music to hear, we want them to come to us, Ollman, editor-in-chief of the site, told the Daily in an email. We are hoping to make our site a one-stop shop for all things Boston music related.According to Ollman, the pair wanted to create a comprehensive music site that featured wide-ranging content, from articles on where to find the most charismatic record shop to new videos from local bands. To raise the profiles of local bands and artists, the site includes a Local Spotlight section, in which readers can explore a range of local artists that otherwise may not be on their music radar.The creation of Sound of Boston was rooted in Bedian and Ollmans previous work in different music scenes. Since his freshman year, Ollman has kept his own blog called Write to the Beat, which has garnered a significant following, even overseas. The founder of a site called Sound of Aarhus in Denmark contacted Ollman, and from there idea of the Boston music blog was formed.One day last summer, after posting about a Danish artist, I got a message from the founder of Sound of Aarhus, a Danish local music website from a city I had actually visited about a year before while [I was] abroad, Ollman said. We got to talking, and we decided that I should start an equivalent site in Boston.Meanwhile, Bedian, who acts as managing editor and photo editor for Sound of Boston, was working for Timbre, a concert finding app. The job required her to attend many local music shows: A few weeks later, Bedian and Ollman met at a concert and decided to start a Sound of Boston Tumblr site together. I had the more visual and writing element, and he had a lot more of the exposure to the actual music industry, Bedian said. It was just a good combination of what you need.We then slowly started writing reviews, worked on the site and got more and more people interested in contributing, Ollman said. By advertising through TuftsLife and recruiting people from other nearby schools such as Boston University, Bedian and Ollman quickly pulled together a team of writers and editors to help maintain a steady flow of quality content onto the site, which now has a new post almost every day.One such recruit is freshman Nitesh Gupta, the current local editor and main curator of the Local Spotlight section of Sound of Boston. Each week Gupta, who is also the executive online editor for the Tufts Daily, attends concerts, writes subsequent reviews and edits other writers pieces. He also coordinates personal interviews with local artists who are happy to share their life stories a practice which has become one of Guptas favorite aspects of the blog.Its really inspiring on a daily basis to talk to people who have been able to succeed in expressing themselves in a certain way, even if theyre not famous, Gupta said.While sections like Local Spotlight have seen much growth, the Sound of Boston team is constantly working to improve the site, and Bedian and Ollman have many plans for future development. Currently, the site focuses on the indie rock genre, but is aiming to incorporate more music styles, like punk or rap, that will appeal to a broader array of music tastes, according to Bedian. Another recent development for Sound of Boston is the new Neighborhood Sessions section where local artists are filmed and interviewed performing in small venues, according to Bedian.Its hard to talk about [a groups] music without actually having an idea of what they sound like, Bedian said.This new component will allow site visitors to watch artists tell their stories and give performances, while simultaneously including a review about the performer by a Sound of Boston writer, creating a comprehensive image of the artists and their unique style.We are also putting out a downloadable mix, so that you can download the songs from any of the people that weve talked about before and see if you really like them, Bedian said.12
Sunday mornings keynote address on American Policy and the Arab Revolutions featured R. Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Burns, a professor at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government, stressed his respect for President Obama and explained the difficult foreign policy balance that he must maintain. Obama is trying to juggle two competing American interests, Burns said. On one hand, he is continuing the great tradition of our foreign policy to support people beyond our shores who want to struggle for freedom and democracy ... and trying to uphold what is the essence of American foreign policy: democratic policy. On the other hand, the U.S. has a history of [playing] a role in the Middle East and Obama need[s] to secure the security interests of the U.S. Burns cited the contrast of the U.S. support of the Egyptian uprising in Cairos Tahrir Square, but the lack of support of the protesters in Bahrains Pearl Square, as an example. He explained that while it appears the U.S. is acting hypocritically in its support for democratic uprisings, it is in the countrys best interest due to the complex conflict in the Middle East. Many people thought that it was a hopeful time for the Arab people, Burns said. We need to keep that image because when you think about our time now, were really looking at a burning Middle East theres really no way else to put it. With the possible exception of Morocco and Tunisia, Burns said, very few of the 22 countries in the Middle East are better off today in terms of stability than they were three years ago. Burns also spoke about the situations in Syria and Iran, and what is currently unfolding in Ukraine. Active American leadership is needed in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad and his regimes use of chemical weaponry, Burns said. We cant be the worlds policeman, but when 9.3 million of the 22.4 million people in Syria are refugees, its everyones concern, Burns said. Its a problem that the U.S. needs to turn and face. Burns also complimented Obama for his work toward an interim nuclear agreement with Iran, the first diplomatic talks between the two nations in 34 years. Our first impulse has to be diplomacy, not the use of force, Burns said. We need to exhaust the use of diplomacy. With regard to the unfolding situation in Ukraine, Burns said that it would be irrational for the U.S. to employ military force against Putin, especially because America has no security commitment to Ukraine. It would be catastrophic it would be a war of two nuclear powers, he said. There will be not a military counterpunch to Putins land grab in Crimea. However, he suggested that economic sanctions would likely be employed and that Obama should not attend the G8 summit scheduled to take place in June in Sochi. Its time to expel Russia from the G8, Burns said. We cant have a country there who is abusing sovereignty and territorial integrity of the other countries.
After multiple incidents of vandalism, workers yesterday removed the easily recognizable ostrich sculpture that was installed near Tisch Library.
The International Relations (IR) Programs Directors Leadership Council continued its crash course lecture series last night, with a commemorative event entitled, Nelson Mandelas Legacy and the Future of South African Politics. Associate Professor of Political Science Pearl Robinson and Associate Professor of History Jeanne Penvenne spoke at the event, moderated by Director of Africana Studies H. Adlai Murdoch.
In our first Top Ten since 2013, the Daily Arts Department would like to honor the pageantry and glamour of the upcoming Academy Awards. This year, Ellen DeGeneres will be hosting the show. Though DeGeneres is a fan-favorite, we all pray for the day that Amy Poehler and Tina Fey host every event ever. However, since the planets have not aligned to that end just yet, wed thought wed share our master list of ten better hosts for the 2014 Oscars.
An engineering student and a volunteer for the Leonard Carmichael Society, freshman Josh Brown is also the co-founder and drummer of an up-and-coming band on campus, Like Wolves.
Mary Pat McMahon, currently the associate dean of student affairs at Bowdoin College, will become Tufts new dean of student affairs on April 1.
The Department of Romance Languages hosted a talk yesterday evening by Alberto Vasallo III, the President and CEO of Boston-based newspaper El Mundo. The discussion, which took place in Barnum 008, addressed Vasallos activism for the local Latino community.
The International Relations (IR) Program's Director's Leadership Council continued its crash course lecture series last night, with a commemorative event entitled, "Nelson Mandela's Legacy and the Future of South African Politics." Associate Professor of Political Science Pearl Robinson and Associate Professor of History Jeanne Penvenne spoke at the event, moderated by Director of Africana Studies H. Adlai Murdoch.
If you are in the mood for a good laugh tonight, you should consider heading down to Balch Arena Theater for the opening night of The 39 Steps (2005). One of the minor productions developed this semester by Pen, Paint and Pretzels (3Ps), the student-run musical theater group on campus, The 39 Steps uses spies, murder, intrigue and romance to win hearts and create humor. The story follows Richard Hannay, a dashing bachelor living in London who goes to the theater one night and witnesses a murder. When Hannay is persuaded to help the murderess, he becomes entangled in an elaborate plot.
The women's squash team this past weekend earned the third spot in the D Division and a No. 27 national ranking, after Tufts beat William Smith College in the consolation round of the CSA Team Championships in Princeton, N.J.
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and Director of Google Ideas Jared Cohen spoke about technological advancements and the increasing importance of Internet connectivity during a discussion in Cohen Auditorium yesterday as part of The Fletcher Schools Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs Speaker Series.
The Tufts Wellness Center opened last year to provide free health services and consultations to university employees. Founded last May, the center partners with Marathon Health, a company that works with employers to provide affordable healthcare for their staff. This [program] is very new and unique, and it is kind of revolutionizing health care, Wellness Center Director Karam Yoo, who also works as a nurse practitioner, said. Its really about having healthy and happy employees, and also making them productive because theyre happier and healthier.On the Medford/Somerville campus, the Wellness Center is located inside the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center. Comprised of a reception area, staff offices, a conference room and two examination rooms, the Wellness Center provides Tufts employees with immediate, convenient health care that is highly accessible. The first [benefit for employees] is that theres no copay to see us, Yoo said. Second, all of the health visits here are confidential. That means we cant share any health information with anybody without there being written consent. Third, these benefits are not only available to the employees, but also to their spouses and their same-sex domestic partners, regardless of insurance status.According to the Wellness Center website, Tufts provides this health care without employee copays because the university sees the center as an investment to the community, and in the long run, it will reduce the cost of health care.According to Mercy Bashir, nurse practitioner at the Wellness Center, employees can use the center for both urgent and primary care. For the short period of time we have been here ... we average approximately 107 patients [per] month, Bashir told the Daily in an email.The majority of the services offered are intended to check for and track health problems that may be overlooked at regular medical checkups or appointments, according to Yoo. A typical employee who comes in for either a checkup or health concern is first examined for his or her overall health status through biometric screening.[We get a] snapshot of somebodys health, Yoo said. We get a total cholesterol, height, weight, body mass index and also a waist circumference.The center also offers health coaching to all Tufts employees, according to Carine Corsaro, a registered nurse who works as the main health coach on the Medford/Somerville campus. Health coaching is used to inspire people to make changes in their life by offering support, guidance and resources, Corsaro told the Daily in an email. This is achieved by having the patient identify what changes they want to make and what is realistic given their current work and life responsibilities. The program works to improve a variety of health habits with staff members. Coaching services are offered weekly on the Boston and Grafton campuses, and daily on the Medford/Somerville campus. Health coaching is successfully used to help with weight management, smoking cessation, stress management, fitness programs, illness and conditions of a chronic nature and other lifestyle-related issues that may negatively impact your health, Corsaro said.Yoo also noted that the center is able to treat patients quickly. She said that each acute care visit, an appointment to receive short-term treatment, lasts about 15 minutes, while a physical lasts no longer than a half-hour. We really can dedicate the time to speaking with our patients and to gauge our patients, and they can come as frequently as they want, Yoo said.According to Yoo, the development of the Wellness Center moved quickly. Since its opening, the center has initiated programs focused on weight management and healthy living. Their primary weight loss plan, which is offered on all three campuses, is called Winning at Losing. Its just a support group for an hour during lunch, Yoo said. People come together theres a voluntary weigh-in, and staff will review any topics the participants wish to learn more about.The Wellness Center also focuses on day-to-day programming and spreading knowledge through informative seminars. We have a walk in weigh-in, walk -in blood pressure check ... We have a mindfulness meditation and a walking group, as well, Yoo said. These are helpful on a day-to-day basis, but we also have seminars that we do periodically.Yoo said that the feedback from employees about the center has been overwhelmingly positive. In just over nine months, the Wellness Center has seen 642 employees for health checkups and specialty programs, according to Yoo. Ive heard a lot of people say that, since we started, the people who really utilize our services are happier, and they feel healthier knowing that theres somewhere to go, Yoo said.Yoo also noted that there is no difference between benefits of full-time and part-time employees anyone can use the center as long as they are Tufts employees, in addition to their spouses or same-sex domestic partners. She said she hopes to spread the benefits to employees who arent conscious of the centers presence.12
The womens squash team this past weekend earned the third spot in the D Division and a No. 27 national ranking, after Tufts beat William Smith College in the consolation round of the CSA Team Championships in Princeton, N.J.
