Late night pizza binges, unlimited meal plans and occasional keg stands have long been the scapegoat for college weight gain. On the other hand, between the built-in gym membership and myriad athletic teams, college is also an environment conducive to an active lifestyle. For those students who don't want to commit to a varsity team, there are a dizzying variety of fitness choices.
So, you want to put on a performance at Cohen Auditorium? Great.
Students gathered in the Gantcher Center on Friday for the annual Tufts Career Fair, exploring a broad range of employment, internship and volunteer opportunities.
Parents from around the world will see a greener side of Tufts in two weeks.
Freshman In-Goo Kwak, notorious for posting a controversial flyer that some consider racially insensitive, is one of three students vying for the open seat on the Committee on Student Life (CSL), a body that often has the final world in major university decisions. Next week's special election will decide which student serves on the Committee. Kwak said that he wanted to promote freedom of speech and freedom of the press through the CSL. He said he made the decision to run for the position before the flyer incident occurred. "Some people assumed that I'm running for CSL because I want attention or something along those lines, which isn't true," Kwak said. "The CSL actually has weight in making decisions that ... make a difference on campus. That was what interested me." Senior Alex Daniele and sophomore Chris Walczyszyn are also running for the position. The CSL is made up of approximately 10 members, including student representatives, professors and other Tufts administrators, according to CSL Chair Brandon Sultan, a senior. Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman and Judicial Affairs Officer Veronica Carter are among the administrators serving on the board. The group makes final appeals decisions on disciplinary measures passed down to student groups or individuals typically by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate or TCU Judiciary, Sultan said. The CSL is also charged with approving proposed changes to the TCU Constitution and other university documents. Sultan said that he thought it ironic that Kwak is vying for a role on the CSL, whose role is to serve as an unbiased authority on controversial issues. The administration has not yet put the flyer incident before the CSL, but the body would be charged with hearing the case if it were to come to them. Sultan praised Kwak for running, but said that given the nature of the flyer episode, the freshman may not be prepared to adequately serve in a student government position. "I have much respect for someone who was just given so much attention," he said. "Instead of shying away, he is willing to go out in the public to show his worth. I just don't know if now is his time." Daniele said that he never met Kwak and was not particularly familiar with the flyer situation that has garnered so much attention over the past several weeks. Still, he questioned Kwak's run for the CSL slot in light of the situation. "It seems like he thought it was funny, playing some kind of a joke," Daniele said. "His actions go against everything that the CSL kind of stands for. I don't really agree with that." Walczyszyn similarly said that it was important not to judge the candidate for his previous actions, but added that while Kwak may have intended to be humorous in posting the flyer, he instead reignited the racial issues that rocked the university last semester when a physical altercation ensued between a white student and members of the Korean Students Association. "Too soon, wrong place, wrong time," Walczyszyn said. "We've had a lot of issues with this recently, and it shows a certain level of insensitivity." In an interview with the Daily, Kwak reaffirmed his position, saying that he posted the flyer in an attempt to be funny. If successful in his run for the CSL, he hopes to promote his views on freedom of expression. "My sticking point is freedom of speech, freedom to express views free from fear of disciplinary actions," he said. "I think it's important that on a committee like this that all points of view are expressed." Sultan said that he was aware of no plans by the administration to charge the CSL with hearing a case on the flyer incident, but Kwak seemed to think otherwise. Kwak said that in a meeting with Reitman on Tuesday, the dean told him that the CSL would hear the case at some point, but he offered no timeframe. Sultan said that he did not know how the group would proceed if Kwak won his bid for the CSL and the case came before the body while he served, "To be honest, I hope that doesn't happen," Sultan said. Kwak said that under these circumstances, he would try to find someone who held his views to act in his stead. For the CSL, arguably one of the least known of the three branches of student government — including the Senate and Judiciary — Kwak's run has the potential to gain more publicity for the election. "I think it is going to cause controversy if not more publicity, which I guess could be good for the election," Daniele said. "I just hope it doesn't affect the election in a negative way." Walczyszyn agreed. "I think it'll be a very interesting special election," he said. "I think it will definitely increase voter turnout to a level that hasn't been seen in a while."
In the article "Luers decries Iran sanctions," published on Sept. 30, the Project on Justice in Times of Transition was said to be a Harvard University-affiliated program. In fact, the Project on Justice in Times of Transition is an independent non-profit organization housed on the Tufts campus in the Institute for Global Leadership.
Distinguished physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson yesterday urged openness and cooperation in nuclear disarmament and genetic advancements, calling for scientists to continue in their pursuit of knowledge even though such attempts may cause controversy. "A more open world is a safer world. Openness rather than secrecy is our best defense," he told a packed crowd in Cabot Auditorium as he delivered this semester's Richard E. Snyder Presidential Lecture, which aims to bring figures that hold viewpoints that are contrary to conventional thought to campus. Dyson, professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., is noted for his work in solid-state physics, quantum field theory and nuclear engineering. He has more recently attracted attention for his unconventional views on climate change, but his lectured focused instead on nuclear issues. In his speech entitled "Nukes and Genomes: Two Genies out of the Bottle," Dyson argued against nuclear weapons, voicing his belief that the greatest threat to nuclear stability in the present day is not the weapons belonging to "rogue" nations such as Iran, North Korea and Pakistan, but the United States' own arms stockpile. "These are more dangerous to the world and to us than the small numbers belonging to Iran or Pakistan," Dyson said of the roughly 10,000 nuclear weapons the United States now holds. Dyson urged American leaders to reduce or destroy their nuclear stockpiles. "The removal of our weapons would make the world a lot safer, even if other countries kept some of theirs," he said, stating that this would reduce the risk of a nuclear war. The scientist cited several accounts of nuclear disarmament to support his view that unilateral action was the most effective way to successfully ridding the world of nuclear weapons. He referred to Richard Nixon's independent decision in 1969 to ban the use of biological weapons of warfare, which, though not entirely effective in prompting Soviet Russia's disarmament, did reduce the risk of a biological weapon crisis, he said. Similarly, he referenced George H. W. Bush's decision in 1991 to disarm the U.S. Navy surface areas, submarines and aircraft as an example of how nuclear disarmament is better achieved through individual rather than group negotiation. Then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev responded with similar steps toward disarmament after Bush's decision. Dyson said that information and new technology have the potential to cause harm but ultimately must be explored cautiously in order to make progress. He urged scientists to pursue research openly for the safety and development of the planet. "We can never know in advance what dangers new knowledge will bring," he said. Dyson highlighted the possibilities that have become available through biotechnology, a field commonly known for its development of genetic engineering. He spoke on advancement within the biotechnology industry, calling it a "new revolution in human society" and positing that "designing genomes will be a new art form, as creative as painting and sculpting." He raised concerns that apply to both nuclear armament and the biotechnology industry, asking whether such advancements, which many consider dangerous, should be stopped. "What are the limits?" he asked. "How are they decided and enforced?" Dyson said that scientists cannot stop pursuing scientific knowledge but must be cautious with their findings. "The magic of genes will be available to those with the will and imagination to use it," he said, referencing the fact that biotechnology allows silicon-leaved plants to produce 10 to 15 percent more chemical energy than regular plants and decrease the total area necessary for crop land. Biotechnology has the ability to "solve immediate social problems and alleviate the human condition," he said. He illustrated this principle by focusing on the jobs and opportunities green technology could provide for the developing world. "Rural poverty is one of the great evils of the modern world," he said. People migrate into cities due to lack of opportunity in the rural communities, he said, and the "world needs technology that attacks poverty by creating industry and jobs in the villages." His "dream of resurgent green technology" would allow for more rural industry because, he said, green technology uses land and sunlight as its primary resources. The speaker pointed out that tropical areas, which receive the most sunlight, are also typically some of the poorest in the world. This technology could bring jobs to the rural poor of these tropical countries.
Renowned scientist Freeman Dyson, who delivered this semester's Richard E. Snyder Presidential Lecture yesterday, is professor emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he first began teaching in 1953. Dyson has attracted attention recently for his challenges to traditional thought on climate change and global warming. Among a swath of scientific accomplishments in his decades-long career, the physicist is arguably best known for his work on nuclear reactors and quantum electrodynamics, a field in physics centered on electrically charged particles. Dyson has authored a number of books, including "Disturbing the Universe" (1979), "Origins of Life" (1986) and "Weapons and Hope" (1984) a study on the implications of nuclear weapons for war and peace. The Daily sat down with Dyson hours before he spoke yesterday. Tessa Gellerson: I just wanted to start on a more personal note, if you can tell me a little bit about your life and what it's taken for you to get where you are today? Freeman Dyson: I started life in England ... My basic skill is mathematics; I was a mathematician. On the other hand, I don't find it interesting to spend my whole life doing mathematics, and so my tastes always were perpendicular to my skills, so it's a problem of how you'd handle that. So I tried to find important and interesting problems where mathematics would be useful, so that sort of line, my strategy as far as I had a strategy. So I got involved in all sorts of different ... activities, in physics and engineering, a little bit in biology, and I also started climate, and I was doing climate 30 years ago internationally ... Of course, my main characteristic is that I have a rather short attention span. I get involved in something very intensely for six months and then, when the job is either done or not done, I quit and do something else. It's been an interesting life. I've done nothing very great but a lot of things that were fun. TG: From the reading I've done so far, it seems like you have a reputation within the scientific community for being a skeptic of conventional wisdom, perhaps most prominently for your views on global warming. I'm wondering how that's shaped your career, or if it's ever been difficult to face the criticism that that solicited? FD: Not at all, no. In fact, what amazes me is that so many people agree with me but won't come out in public, and I think that's really sad. Almost all my friends sort of agree with me that skepticism is the right attitude and that scientists should be skeptical, that's why we're here ... Yet in this climate, it's become a kind of religion where people are afraid to speak up. I'm lucky I'm retired; I can say what I please ... I have never really encountered any problems. People are always friendly and polite. TG: Would you say there's been one experience in your life that's had the most profound impact on your career? FD: Oh, well I don't know. There [are] so many different things. One thing which I'm very proud of is designing a nuclear reactor, which is also politically incorrect in some circles, but I had a great time actually designing a reactor. Nuclear energy is a still a great thing, and it will be. It's not the answer to all our prayers, but it still does a lot of a good. This reactor — we built it in San Diego [in] California. At that time, you could build, you could design a reactor — first of all invent it, then design it, then build it and then license it and sell it — all within two years. And that was wonderful, a great ride for us and also for the company. The company that built it actually made money ... These reactors, many of them are still running, they've never given any trouble. So, I'm proud of that, and I find it very sad that in today's world you can't do that. If you imagine doing that in today's world it would take you 20 years and not two years, because there are so many regulations, obstacles you'd have to jump over. I find that troublesome, that new technologies are so very, very hard to get going just because of this hostility that society has created. So, I mentioned that because to some extent it's not only a problem for nuclear power, but it's a problem for many other technologies, particularly bioengineering, all of which are immensely dangerous and you could easily invent all sorts of disasters, but still it's much better to make mistakes early and learn from the mistakes than to try not to have mistakes at all. If you don't allow people to make mistakes, then you don't allow anything new.
A college degree is generally associated with a better chance of career success in the United States, but, while U.S. high-schoolers contribute to a very high rate of enrollment in higher education programs, now more than ever they are failing to stick to the plan and complete their college degrees.
Boston Conservatory's Zack Box Theater is a classic black box. Tolerably comfortable plastic chairs face a dark, small and versatile stage for intimate theater viewing.
Gabriel Bol Deng, who was displaced by the Sudanese civil war, last night delivered a motivational speech in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room. Deng founded the non-profit organization HOPE for Ariang, which provides education and health services to people affected by the conflict in Sudan. Delta Tau Delta fraternity sponsored the talk.
Tisch Library recently compiled a series of research guides aimed at assisting students and faculty in conducting credible and scholarly research on a collegiate level. The project intends to make research a less daunting task for students — particularly freshmen who may be unfamiliar with the process — by collecting all relevant information in one place, hopefully ending the fruitless Internet searches so many embark on when faced with a paper or research project.
1. Frequent the farmer's market: Davis Square hosts a farmer's market every Wednesday until Thanksgiving. The Boston area has markets every day of the week. Find one at www.massfarmersmarkets.org. 2. Dine at Dewick (or Carmichael): Though the pickings are scarcer during the winter months, Dining Services has a select number of products that they buy locally all year round. "Local apples we supply throughout the year, and winter squash. We buy greenhouse-grown tomatoes from Maine, called Backyard Beauties, that we source all year round," Tufts Nutritionist Julie Lampie said.
First-year students attending Tufts may find the number of security alerts and tests already issued this year by the Department of Public Safety a bit shocking; but for upperclassmen, it is almost commonplace to receive e-mails about attacks and muggings near campus. Security alerts issued to students have seen an increase in the last five years but, contrary to what some students may believe, this increase does not represent an actual rise in campus crime.
A new program headed by the dean of Tufts' nutrition school that grades the health value of food products has drawn severe criticism for its ties to members of the food industry and for endorsing what many experts call unhealthy eating choices.
This election season, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg faces a serious challenger for his job: Tufts alum Bill Thompson.
The inhabitants of 156 Powder House Boulevard have done more than rent a house — they have fallen into an inheritance. Seniors Mike Brundage, Alex Nisetich, Ty Burdette, Missy Ricculli, Leah Resneck, Kailah Hayden-Karp, Travis Lowry, Ricky Zimmerman and Ned Berger are living in a two apartment house fit for a king — or in more true-to-life terms, an heiress.
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month announced a new Master of Science in Conservation Medicine degree program, which will provide a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to biodiversity.
Chi Omega sisters and basketball enthusiasts came together on Saturday in Gantcher Center to participate in the annual Swishes for Wishes basketball tournament. The tournament, which benefits the Make-A-Wish foundation, is one of Chi Omega's biggest fundraisers.
The newly renovated building at 51 Winthrop Street is already attracting attention from student groups looking for space to host events and student-led activities.
