About 30 students, apparently called into action by an enigmatic mystery organizer, gathered at noon yesterday beneath the largest tree on the President's Lawn to protest what they thought was the administration's decision to cut it down. But the administration says it was never considering removing the tree.
Tufts alum Richard Knecht (LA ‘08) and Geology Lecturer Jake Benner have made national headlines in the last week after happening upon the oldest full-body trace fossil of a flying insect ever found.
Sen. Barack Obama announced earlier this week that he had raised an earth-shattering $150 million for his presidential campaign in September — the newest record in a fundraising effort that has earned the Democratic hopeful over $600 million over the past two years. But according to public campaign financing information, the candidate from Illinois' fundraising dominance has not quite extended to Tufts' left-leaning campus: Federal Election Commission records show that Tufts faculty and staff members gave more to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in his 2004 presidential bid than they have given to Obama in the current election cycle. Through August, the most recent records available publicly, Tufts employees had donated $19,473 to the Obama campaign; through August 2004, Kerry had received $27,400 from the same group. Political Science Professor Kent Portney said the difference could stem from a variety of factors, such as Kerry's local ties as a Massachusetts politician. "I suppose that there are probably a fair number of people at Tufts who have some kind of connection to John Kerry because of his proximity to the university," Portney said. But he also suggested that the long, drawn-out primary battle between
Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) acquired a license last month, certifying the group as a classified ambulance operator in the state of Massachusetts, but its members say the group has no plans to actually obtain an ambulance.
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) extended membership to Chemistry Professor David Walt earlier this year, recognizing his development of specialized sensors that can both capture images and perform biochemical analyses.
Administrators and student leaders hoping to open a dialogue about health and wellness issues at Tufts turned out to be virtually the only people in attendance at last night's Town Meeting. Dean of Arts and Sciences Robert Sternberg, standing, convened a panel of administrators. Representatives from the Tufts Community Union Senate and Tufts Emergency Medical Services were also at the meeting.
Welcome to the Daily's interactive police blotter map. Click each point on the map to learn about the incident that happened there.
As the nation's financial crisis has shaken up Wall Street and hurt Main Street, the downturn is leaving administrators on the Hill with their own issues to confront.
Touching doorknobs, taking a sip from a friend's drink at a party, sharing a pint of ice cream, smoking a friend's cigarette, giving a significant other a kiss — this is the kind of contact that the college experience entails.
Macintosh computers are no longer reserved for the artsy-fartsy type — just walk into a large lecture hall on any college campus to find myriad white apple icons glowing on the back of note-takers' laptops.
The current economic crisis has hit home for many college students on financial aid. But Tufts remains committed to meeting the needs of all students currently receiving aid.
Harvard Law School will abandon traditional letter grades and move to a broad pass-fail system next fall, in an attempt to expand intellectual curiosity and improve student learning. The new method will classify students as "Honors Pass," formerly A+ to A-; "Pass," B+ to B; "Low Pass," B- to D; and "Fail," Law School Dean Elena Kagan announced on Sept. 26 in an e-mail to students. According to the Harvard Crimson, the law school's faculty developed the idea for such a system in the spring and chartered a special committee, formed over the summer. In part, the system is intended to encourage intellectual curiosity. Students are more likely to explore academically, the reasoning goes, if they do not fear the effect it will have on their GPAs. "[Pass-fail] is a good option for a course in an area that's really unfamiliar to you. You might think it would be too hard and you're scared, but you really want to learn something," said Robert Sternberg, Tufts' dean of arts and sciences. The move may also curb competition in one of the most cutthroat learning environments in the nation. "If grades are a scarce resource and people are competing for them, then it fosters a very individualistic approach to learning because someone else's success limits your access to success," Tufts Education Lecturer Laura Rogers said. "But when grades aren't rationed, then the success of others doesn't impinge [on yours]. Instead, it enhances your own learning opportunities." Pass-fail classes also augment learning by allowing students to challenge professors and more thoroughly develop unique thoughts. The Harvard Crimson Staff said in an editorial about the law school's decision that letter grades pressure students "to tailor their comments and papers to satisfy the whims of their evaluators more so than their own intellectual leanings." Harvard's grading system will now mirror those of peer law schools at Stanford University and Yale University. Some fear that the setup will not work as effectively at Harvard because of the school's significantly larger size. In Harvard's case, this may lead to a widely undifferentiated student body in which it is harder for employers to distinguish between applicants. But some say this will simply force students to find other ways to bolster their academic portfolios. "There are lots of ways for people to express their areas of competence, their learning, without having to translate it into a grading system that is defined to differentiate students from each other. Students are going to have to find some other way to characterize their strengths. But then it will be more authentic," Rogers said. Others argue that the departure from a traditional grading system may reduce student motivation. The Harvard Crimson editorial mentioned that grades "provide a clear motivation to attend class, do the readings, and engage with the material." But Rogers disagrees. "A lot of times people who are teaching will say that there are multiple purposes of grades, and one of them is to motivate students. But when you really look into that notion, it often falls apart," she said. In a school as prestigious as Harvard Law, students are presumed to have enough self-motivation to succeed without the pressures of letter grades, according to Sternberg. "At the undergraduate level, [a mandatory pass-fail curriculum] is hurtful to students. But you're talking about graduate school. You're talking about Harvard," he said. Students and faculty members alike are waiting to see what the change will mean for the school. In the meantime, Rogers said the bold move is worth the risk. "If there are any unintended consequences, they'll find out. You have to be willing to make those moves," she said.
This is the second article in a two-part series examining the disparities in essay-writing styles in nations around the world. The first installment explored the American model in comparison with those of other countries. This article focuses on how Tufts provides writing support for international students, as well as the difficulties American students who study abroad face when writing.
It's Tuesday afternoon. You're walking across the quad. You see a familiar face, but not that familiar ... oh, wait! It's that friend of a friend (of a friend?) you met last weekend during a rousing game of drinking-Spoons. It's that girl from your freshman year Creative Writing class. It's someone's boyfriend/roommate/secret crush/wilderness freshman for whom you have a secret nickname that has replaced his real name in your brain. Do you say hi? If you go to Tufts, then the answer is probably no.
MONDAY "Gregory Botsaris Lecture" Details: Y.A. Liu, a professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, will lecture on the "Fundamentals and Industrial Practice of Water Reuse and Wastewater Minimization." When & Where: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Room 136, Science and Technology Center "Junot Díaz: ‘The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'" Details: Pulitzer Prize winner Ju not Díaz will speak about his most recent novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" (2007). A book signing will follow. The talk is part of the Women's Center's weeklong series on masculinity, "Man Enough?" When & Where: 5:30 p.m.; Room 104, Pearson Sponsors: Women's Center, Latino Center "Media Literacy and Social Change presents Sandy Kessler of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government" Details: Sandy Kessler will make a guest appearance in Julie Dobrow's Media Literacy and Social Change class. Kessler comes from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is the former brand manager of Proctor and Gamble. When & Where: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene Center Sponsor: Communications and Media Studies Program "An Election of Change" Details: Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute will give a lecture entitled "An Election of Change: How Much, What Kind, What Consequences?" When & Where: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall Sponsors: Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Political Science Department, Pi Sigma Alpha TUESDAY "Men as Allies in the University Women's Center" Details: Jack Kahn, author of an upcoming introductory textbook on masculinity and co-chair of the Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Men Against Sexism, will speak. Lunch will be provided. When & Where: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Women's Center Sponsor: Women's Center "1968: The Year that Shook the World" Details: A panel discussion featuring Political Science Professor Michael Goldman and Tufts alumni will focus on the historical events of 1968 and their impact across the globe and on Tufts' campus. When & Where: 7:30 p.m.; Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall Sponsors: Experimental College, History Department "Reporting a Dangerous World — Dispatches Launch Event" Details: A panel of prominent journalists will speak on redesigning global news coverage for the modern, digital era. Dispatches, a print magazine analyzing current world events, and Global News Enterprise, an online foreign news service, will host the event. When & Where: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center Sponsors: Institute for Global Leadership; Dispatches, Global News Enterprises, Edward R. Murrow Center at the Fletcher School, Communications and Media Studies Program WEDNESDAY "Presidential Decisionmaking: Military Intervention in Iraq" Details: Ambassador Barbara Bodine, the former U.S. deputy Iraq administrator and State Department counterterrorism coordinator, will speak on military intervention in Iraq during a brown bag luncheon. The luncheon is part of a weekly speaker series on U.S. foreign policy hosted by Ambassador John Shattuck. R.S.V.P. to Sarah.Labowitz@tufts.edu. When & Where: 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.; Terrace Room, Paige Hall Sponsor: Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service "Challenges in a Changing World" Details: Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) will speak at the inaugural Fletcher Political Forum, which is meant to address the connections between international affairs and domestic policy. When & Where: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Cohen Auditorium THURSDAY "Decision ‘08: Brown Bag Lunch with Steve Grossman" Details: Steve Grossman, former chairman of National Democratic Committee and of the Massachusetts Democratic Party will discuss the upcoming presidential election during a brown bag luncheon. This lecture is part of a weekly speaker series on the upcoming presidential election hosted by Alan Solomont. Drinks and fruit will be provided. R.S.V.P. to douglas.foote@gmail.com. When & Where: 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.; Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene Center Sponsor: Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service "Computer Science Distinguished Lecture" Details: Jennifer Chayes, managing director of the Microsoft Research New England Lab, will speak on "Epidemics in Technological and Social Networks: The Downside of Six Degrees of Separation" as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series. When & Where: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Room 111A, Halligan Hall Sponsor: Computer Science Department
The new student-run apparel company DNA Productions shares much in common with its namesake — like DNA, the company's products are well-designed, unique and tailored to the individual.
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Judiciary rejected earlier this month a complaint filed by sophomore Chris Snyder concerning three amendments approved by the student body this spring.
With help from the Tufts Democrats, the Harvard College Democrats and a support group abroad, students in the Boston area are campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in several key swing states.
This article is the first part in a two-part series examining the disparities between essay-writing styles in nations around the world. This installment focuses on the American model in comparison with those of other countries and looks at how the differences affect international students' experiences at Tufts. The second will focus on what Tufts does to provide support for these students, as well as how American students who study abroad are faced with similar issues.
Professionals from all three Tufts campuses came together with community members at the School of Medicine on Friday for a day of presentations on cancer research by Tufts professors.
