While techno-phobic students often forgo forwarding their college e-mail to a personal account, soon they may have to learn. Many universities across the country are contemplating getting rid of the college-based e-mail address that most students receive upon enrollment to communicate with teachers and other students.
Student activities in the campus center have become especially heated in recent weeks — not due to emotions, but because an outdated heating system is in need of replacement.
Members of the Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) broke into song and dance in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall shortly after 7 p.m. yesterday, performing a choreographed routine to Katy Perry's song "Hot N Cold" as diners looked on. The flash mob of performers entertained students at the downhill eatery to promote TDC's two Dec. 5 shows.
Lee Gelernt (A '84) is the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Immigrants' Rights Project. He will speak tonight at 7 p.m. on his role as a public defender in his talk on Guantanamo, immigration and civil liberties. The Daily sat down with Gelernt to discuss his job defending immigrants. Mick B. Krever: How does the ACLU — and maybe even more broadly, how does U.S. law in general — view immigrants' rights? People who aren't American citizens, how are they treated by the Constitution, by U.S. law? Lee Gelernt: Right, that's a very good question and there's no simple answer. Immigrants are a particularly tricky issue. They are protected by almost all of the major provisions of the Constitution and the reason is that the Constitution uses the word "persons." It says "equal protection of the law for all persons," due process for all persons, and what the Supreme Court has said is that the use of the word persons rather than citizens means that those protections apply to non-citizens. On the other hand, what the courts have said for hundreds of years is though the Constitution may technically apply to non-citizens, it may not apply in the exact same way. So they have diminished constitutional rights. What we do at the ACLU is fight to ensure that [immigrants] have basic constitutional protections. It may be that in certain cases they don't have every right that a citizen has, but we try to ensure that the basic protections of our system apply to non-citizens. As you can imagine, it's very, very controversial. Particularly in times of economic downturn or national security crises, immigrants often become the scapegoat. MBK: It sounds like there's a pretty foggy middle ground. So when you as a lawyer for the ACLU are defending these people, are you trying to get them as full rights as possible, or are you also drawing a line? LG: That's a very good question, and that's one of the things that we are constantly grappling with. We are, generally speaking, trying to get them as full rights as we possibly can. But there are places where we know that they, under the law, will not get full rights. For example, if you're in the country illegally, there's no way we could go into court and demand that you're entitled to all of the health benefits and various other types of benefits that the state and government give out. On the other hand, if someone who was here illegally were pulled off the street and tortured and made to wrongly confess to a burglary he didn't do, we would certainly say that that person has the right to an attorney and a right to a fair trial and cannot be tortured. So those are two ends of a spectrum, but we constantly have to draw lines and the courts constantly have to draw lines. I don't think we've ever taken a position that every immigrant in the country, no matter what their immigration status, is entitled to every right. But we do believe that they're entitled to more rights under the Constitution and federal law than they sometimes receive. And so we are trying to push that to one end of the spectrum. MBK: One of your more high-profile cases was a suit that you filed against former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. LG: Right. That's a case called al-Kidd v. Gonzales, the former attorney general, and also v. Ashcroft, the former attorney general. That is actually on behalf of a ... native-born U.S. citizen, Abdullah al-Kidd, who got caught up in a post-9/11, what we sometimes call a "dragnet," and was erroneously arrested and detained … What we are alleging is that after Sept. 11, a policy was instituted by the government to arrest Muslim and Arab men, who the government were suspicious of but actually had no hard evidence to arrest them on criminal charges. So what the government did, we allege, is that they would say that they need them as witnesses in someone else's case and have them arrested as witnesses, claiming that they wouldn't voluntarily testify, hold them under the guise of needing them as witnesses, but really what the government wanted to do is investigate them. The government knew they couldn't arrest them on criminal charges because they knew they hadn't done anything wrong. So our client was arrested, held under really draconian conditions for a long time, ultimately was never called to testify — even though that was supposedly the reason he was arrested — but never charged with a crime, just so that they could investigate. They held him as a kind of terrorism suspect, but never admitted that's what they were doing. So we have challenged this whole policy and we believe that the former Attorney General, John Ashcroft, is responsible for creating and implementing the policy.
When Anthropology Lecturer Cathy Stanton proposed that students could "tweet" their first paper assignment, she wasn't talking about ornithology. Twitter.com, blogs and wikis are all forms of new media that no longer pertain solely to the realm of social networking — many of these formats, especially at Tufts, are now considered commonplace in an academic setting.
The descendant of German-Jewish parents and Eastern European grandparents, I'm still a bit hazy on a few parts of the Thanksgiving narrative. I can't really tell the difference between a Puritan and a Pilgrim, and I'm not sure when Native Americans and Pilgrims went from hating each other to spending the holidays together.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor … delivery people?
As employment options continue to shrink for recent college graduates, two Tufts alums are among nine recent graduates this year taking advantage of the Compton Mentor Fellowship program.
For most students, studying abroad is an oportunity to explore a new culture and city. However, senior Jorel Roth, an international student at Tufts, did something unique with his time abroad. He spent a year in his home city of Paris with his own mom as his host mother.
Members of the Alcohol Task Force are moving closer to recommending a policy to prohibit students from carrying alcohol onto the President's Lawn during next semester's Spring Fling, according to members of the task force. Task force discussions have occurred behind closed doors, a practice the group agreed upon by consensus in an effort to encourage honest conversation and prevent false rumors about the task force's plans from spreading, according to Director of Health Education Ian Wong, chair of the task force. The task force, comprised of students, administrators and staff, is comprehensively examining current alcohol policy. One of the group's three subcommittees focuses on how to manage major on-campus events like Spring Fling. The task force aims to offer recommendations to a policy-setting steering committee on alcohol policy by winter break. The task force plans on publicizing information as soon as it has a draft proposal, which could be as soon as today, according to Wong. Following its release, the proposal will be made public for student input, Wong said. "We'll go back and we'll try to seek an open conversation with the complete student body," he said. Several task force members told the Daily that the body was considering a proposal to ban alcohol from being carried into the grounds of Spring Fling. The members requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about task force discussions. In past years, official policy has permitted of-age students to bring a limited quantity of alcoholic beverages onto the event grounds. But last year's celebration was marked by an unusually large number of students seeking medical attention for alcohol-related issues, causing a mass-casualty incident when the number of students needing medical attention exceeded the capacity of health personnel on hand. In an attempt to prevent dangerous levels of alcohol consumption among students, task force members have suggested creating a pub section for of-age students on the President's Lawn, in a setup similar to that of the annual Winter Bash dance, according to task force members. While a number of the members told the Daily that various proposals remain under consideration, some said that this approach is gaining momentum. One member said the proposal "has seemed almost inevitable from the very beginning" of the task force's deliberations. Several other members who were contacted declined to comment on the record regarding the matter, citing confidentiality concerns. Since the group's formation earlier in the semester, the discussions and meetings of the body have been closed to the public. Minutes are kept private and members are discouraged from speaking publicly about task force proceedings. Most task force members interviewed for this article defended the group's confidential nature as important to creating an honest discussion. They said it was not a concerted effort to withhold information. "It's not that we don't want information to get out," Wong said. "It's just; how can we have a very tough discussion about a very tough issue in an open and honest way?" Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Brandon Rattiner, a senior and the only person on both the task force and the steering committee, agreed. "I think it's critical to its effectiveness," he said of the task force's closed-door policy. He added that if task force members did not have the guarantee of confidentiality, they would be unable to amend positions they had previously taken. "Nothing would be discussed in honesty," Rattiner said. But others took issue with some aspects of the body's lack of transparency. "It seems very odd that they wouldn't publicize it more and get student opinions, since ultimately they're the ones affected by the policy," senior Tom Bennet said. Task force member Kevin Wong, who has no relation to Ian Wong, said that the secretive nature of the body has limited students' access to information. He distinguished between publicizing the information up for discussion and attributing that information to individuals. "I think it would be helpful for people to know what issues and strategies we are discussing," said Kevin Wong, a senior. "I understand that attributing suggestions to specific people might cause restraint during discourse, but publicizing the content could prove very enlightening." Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said the number of students on the task force — 16 of its 24 members are students — and the many demographics they represent have made the group successful in garnering a variety of ideas and feedback. "The reason why there are so many students on the task force and it was structured that way … was to have a broad student opinion and perspective," Reitman said. "It's probably the most effective way to get the student input and, from what I understand, it's an active and lively conversation." Reitman is not a member of the task force, but he sits on the steering committee. He emphasized that while students might not be aware of the task force recommendations now, they will learn about its work eventually. TCU Senator Bruce Ratain is a member of the task force and the chair of the Senate's Administration and Policy Committee, which authored the resolution on alcohol policy that the Senate passed on Sunday. He said that the goal of preventing rumors through confidentiality was logical. "There are a lot of very legitimate issues being discussed, so to have misinformation out there is dangerous," said Ratain, a junior. The tendency toward privacy caused confusion last month, when Kevin Wong sent an e-mail to hundreds of undergraduates suggesting that the task force was considering canceling Spring Fling outright or banning alcohol at the event. Task force members were quick to deny these allegations, but at the time did not counter them with details of the body's discussions. Rattiner noted that students do not need access to task force discussions to stay engaged in the debate, citing the "town meeting" to be hosted by Dean of Arts and Sciences Robert Sternberg tonight as one avenue of involvement. The town meeting, entitled "Changing the Alcohol Culture at Tufts," will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Remis Sculpture Court. The event is open to the Tufts community. Reitman sent an e-mail last week urging task force and steering committee members to attend. He told the Daily yesterday that the forum could be seen as an "open meeting" of the task force and steering committee.
When I went home a few weekends ago, I felt overwhelmed by college application déjà vu as my little brother spent his Saturday afternoon writing essays and bookmarking pages in the dozens of college guidebooks scattered across the living room. After some requisite big sister teasing, I grabbed "The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2009" that was lying on the kitchen table and flipped though to see what it had to say about a certain university that I hold near and dear to my heart.
Students and administrators met in Dowling Hall this Saturday for Social Justice 101, a new diversity training session in which participants discussed issues of personal identity and social justice leadership.
College students will inevitably answer one question more times than they can count: What is your major? But minors get much less attention. From architectural studies to ethnic groups in America, the range of minors offered at Tufts is often overlooked.
Grieving processes and rituals have perpetuated throughout vastly different cultures for thousands of years. But in today's age of technology, some aspects of dealing with death have taken an unexpected turn. With the use of social networking sites and other innovations, people can now keep their loved ones present online long after they have passed away.
This year's Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate student survey, administered today, differs substantially from past surveys thanks to the work of political science Professor Kent Portney and his class. Portney and his students helped design and analyze the survey using professional research methods.
MONDAY "Costa Rica's Vision on Sustainable Development and Climate Change" Details: Ambassador Jairo Hernandez Milian (F '90), permanent representative of Costa Rica to the UN, will discuss Costa Rica's goals for international environmental policy. When and Where: 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.; Cabot 206 Sponsored by: Tufts Energy and Climate Forum, the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, Tufts Institute of the Environment, Department of Economics TUESDAY "Word or Image: Lexicography, Factography and the Visual Culture of Stalinism" Details: Anna Wexler Katsnelson (LA ‘99), a Mellon postdoctoral fellow, will speak about her research on Stalin. When and Where: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Center for the Humanities, 48 Professors Row Sponsors: Center for the Humanities at Tufts "Mixed and Asian - A discussion about identity, assumptions and all of the politics" Details: Jen Chau, founder of Swirl, Inc., an organization that confronts society's ideas about race, will speak about multi-racial identities. The event is followed by a free reception dinner at the Start House. When and Where: 6 p.m. to7 p.m.; Pearson 104 Sponsored by: Asian American Center WEDNESDAY "Can President Obama Avoid War with Iran?" Details: Juan R. I. Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan, who has worked for years chronicling the relationship between the West and the Muslim world, will speak about the future of relations between the United States and Iran. When and Where: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; ASEAN Auditorium Sponsors: The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, the International Security Studies Program "Guantanamo Bay, National Security and Immigration in the Courts" Details: Lee Gelernt, (LA ‘84), deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, will speak about the changing role of a public defender in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and his time as a public defender at the ACLU. When and Where: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Braker 001. Sponsors: Experimental College, Peace and Justice Studies Program, Department of History, International Relations Program THURSDAY "Sixth Annual Debate on Energy and Climate" Details: William Moomaw, professor of international environmental policy, and Bruce Everett, adjunct associate professor of international business, will discuss climate change and clean energy in an annual debate. When and Where: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; ASEAN auditorium Sponsors: Center for International Environment and Resource Policy
For many Jumbos, throwing roaring parties in the absence of vigilant resident assistants (RAs) marks the transition to off-campus housing. Gone are the days when hosts kept the music down and stood on the lookout for RAs.
While the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is internationally known for educating scientists, engineers and mathematicians, the university hopes to add one more title to that list: leader.
This year's Winter Bash will barely resemble the crowded Gantcher Center event of years past.
