Students observed Peace One Day yesterday with a series of events designed to promote a global ceasefire and foster awareness of the global peace movement.
Sporting a healthy budget surplus, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Treasury stands fiscally firm at the start of the academic year, Treasurer Aaron Bartel said Sunday in his State of the Treasury speech.
Junior Samia Zahran has resigned her position in the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, leaving behind an open seat and a special election looming in the near future.
An endowed professorship honoring longtime professor Sol Gittleman will be one step closer to realization if its second phase of fundraising meets a Sept. 30 deadline.
With a weak economy and employment levels at all-time lows, many students from this year's graduating class scrambled to pin down post-college plans. These students weighed the possibilities: Should they try to get a job? Should they apply directly to graduate school? Should they take a year off and just travel? More so than in past years, students had to dig deep and ponder their options for the future.
Bostonians will head to the polls tomorrow to narrow down the city's race for mayor from the four current contenders to two. Calling for a change to Boston's political scene, the three challengers face a steep challenge against incumbent Thomas Menino.
After a year of unpredictable turns in Tufts' financial aid budget that forced the university to suspend its unofficial need-blind policy, admissions officers by early summer found themselves with an unexpected surplus of $500,000 in financial aid funds and a chance to revisit their admissions decisions.
In the once-empty field across from South Hall, an entire building was erected over the summer. It's not hard to miss. On the weekends, people surround the building, moving things around, finishing up the flooring inside or measuring and taking notes on its dimensions.
Wednesday's article "Bacow tells community he is ‘cautiously optimistic' on economic outlook" erroneously stated when Trustee Emeritus Bernard Gordon's $40 million gift to Tufts was announced. The university announced the gift on Sept. 9. Wednesday's article "Renowned physicist Dyson to deliver Snyder lecture" incorrectly stated that Freeman Dyson is employed at Princeton University. He is professor emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he first began teaching in 1953. Although it is located in Princeton, N.J., the institute has no affiliation with Princeton University. Wednesday's article "At forum, freshman TCU hopefuls make pitches" incorrectly stated that freshman Spencer Rubin was disqualified from the election. Rubin did not attend the forum due to a prior commitment and notified the Elections Commission prior to the event. He was not disqualified and was in fact on the ballot in yesterday's election.
Students visiting New Hampshire will soon have extra room to stretch out. After a slight delay, construction of the Trips Cabin, an extra facility alongside the Tufts Mountain Club's (TMC) Loj, is expected to be completed next week. The contractor, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, is now furnishing the cabin with bunk beds. The building will be ready for use once the mattresses arrive and the state fire marshal approves the facility. TMC President Katie Bond, a senior, is pleased with the progress. "Everyone who's seen it, all the people working on the Tufts side of things who have been up there are ecstatic," she said. "It's looking beautiful, and it's exactly what we wanted." Workers began building the cabin in June, with completion slated for August, but an unusually wet summer got in the way. "There was an incredible amount of rain in June and July," said Robert Biswanger, a Tufts Facilities employee managing the construction project. "The 31 days of rain put us behind schedule." But earlier this week, he said that the cabin is "95 percent complete." Biswanger said that aside from the rain delay, the construction went smoothly and the contractors "did a wonderful job." The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate decided in April to allocate $230,000 to the project after a heady, semester-long debate. Although TMC raised $11,854 on its own for the project, most of the funding came from the TCU funds. The Trips Cabin is divided into two sections, designated for accommodation and equipment storage respectively. It has a heating system, sprinkler system and smoke detectors and is designed to be energy efficient. The cabin will be able to sleep 21 people, nearly equal to the Loj's original accommodations. "The capacity has roughly doubled, which is phenomenal as far as hosting more student groups, making more people comfortable there and not intimidating new people who want to go up," Bond said. "We can increase the scale of our events up at the Loj and do a lot more outreach." TCU Senator Dan Pasternack, a junior who initially proposed funding the Trips Cabin project with Senate dollars, was impressed by the swift progress. "I'm glad to see such large change happening so quickly and I think it's just a testament to what we can accomplish," he said. Bond said the new space will better allow TMC to meet student demand and reach out to more individuals. In line with this aim, TMC is launching a campaign this semester to attract students to the Loj. This will include a newcomers' weekend on Sept. 26 and a grand opening party on Oct. 24, according to Bond. TMC is also drafting guides about the Loj and helping students plan trips. TMC continues to grapple with the challenge of transporting students to the Loj, particularly on weekends. "It's something that we as the TMC board really struggle with," Bond said. The group is exploring the possibility of getting a van but has no firm plans in place. The cabin's ultimate cost has not been finalized, as billing is ongoing. Both Bond and Biswanger, however, are certain that the cost will not exceed its $240,000 budget. "Our project manager has been doing a great job of keeping finances in check and finding ways to save money that don't compromise the quality of the building," Bond said. Biswanger said it is possible that the final costs will be well below the budget, in which case the surplus funds will go back to the Senate. Pasternack stands by his original decision to support the project. "It's something that I think students may not see the impact [of] immediately, but as time goes on it will have a big impact on the campus if used properly," he said. Looking back on what was a contentious debate in the Senate, Bond is hopeful that some who disagreed with the allocation will eventually be won over. "When we applied for the funds we really believed in its benefit for the entire Tufts community," she said. "We hope that over time some of the people who were uncomfortable with the allocation will start to see our perspective."
Eight fresh faces will join Tufts Community Union (TCU) leaders after winning spots in yesterday's elections.
There is some bad news for incoming English majors hoping that Advanced Placement (AP) scores might add up to an exemption from college math courses, or pre-med students who hoped never to take another social science class: Under a policy introduced this semester, no more than one AP credit can be counted toward a particular distribution area. Despite some student opposition, the Educational Policy Committee (EPC) voted in April to overhaul the school's handling of AP credits. The EPC capped the number of pre-matriculation credits that Arts and Sciences students can put toward their degrees at five; for School of Engineering students, the number was limited to eight. Before the EPC vote, there had been no limit on the number of AP credits on which students could draw. Pre-matriculation credits are earned from scores on AP and SAT II exams, as well as international baccalaureate credits and those earned from some college courses taken before entering Tufts. In making the change, the EPC argued that AP courses do not always meet the standards of rigidity set by supposedly comparable Tufts courses. As a result, students who received credit for introductory-level courses and skipped to higher-level classes were often ill-prepared for the jump, according to EPC Chair Jack Ridge. The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate in February passed a resolution expressing concern about changing the AP policy. The resolution discouraging change passed 15-5 with two abstentions. But the two TCU senators serving on the EPC last year voted in favor of the policy change when the proposal came before the EPC. Senator Edward Chao, who co-sponsored the Senate resolution and was not on the EPC, expressed his disappointment with the committee's decision. "The new policy penalizes students who had achieved," said Chao, a junior and the chair of the Senate's Student Outreach Committee. "Students shouldn't have to retake courses." Ridge, a professor of geology, said classes taught in high schools often cannot match the rigor of Tufts courses, even if they are APs. "The AP credit is a little bit misleading in terms of … what the standard was going to be like in a college course versus what they had in high school," said Ridge. The EPC also noted in its resolution that, on average, students with higher financial aid packages matriculate with half a credit fewer than other students, putting them at a disadvantage. Tufts has granted 32 percent more AP credit in the past five years due to a rising number of students taking the test and the variety of tests now offered by the College Board, the non-profit organization that administers the AP exams, according to the EPC resolution. While some exams such as AP Calculus are generally seen as matching the rigor of college-level material, other tests such as those in U.S. history and biology are often harder to equate to a Tufts class, Ridge said. Last year, students in the School of Arts and Sciences could fulfill the entire math requirement if they received a score of five on the AP Calculus BC exam. Others were able to evade two semesters of introductory English courses with a five on either the AP Literature or Language exam. The EPC's decision did not reflect the feelings of the student body, according to Chao. "We agreed this wasn't right," he said. But Ridge said the problem lies in the quality of AP testing itself. "Fundamentally, most faculty have a problem with it," he said. "Regardless of what kind of course a student had in high school, the AP exam is not an indicator of how well they performed in that subject area." The Class of 2013 is the first to be held to these new standards, and a majority of the 10 freshmen interviewed for this article expressed frustration with the credit limits. While some were irritated with the new limitations, other students were unconcerned about the matter. Some said they had only taken three or four AP classes and would not be greatly affected by the changes.
With job-hunting season just around the corner, many seniors dread what comes next: spending countless hours surfing Monstertrak and Careerbuilder.com, filling out time-consuming job applications and giving up the cushy student lifestyle.
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate selected three new trustee representatives in closed-door elections held Sunday night.
Many Tufts students have difficulty tearing themselves away from the Internet to do homework, but for those truly addicted to online media, a new clinic in Redmond, Wash. claims to have the answer. The clinic's existence highlights the complex issues associated with the growing problem of Internet addiction.
Reactions to the restrictions on Friday's Fall Ball have been mixed, but one thing is for sure: This dance was different from those of past years.
This piece is the second in a two-part series examining the history behind Shepard Fairey's work on the Tufts campus.
The famous artist Andy Warhol once said that "in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." Many students may roll their eyes at the popular saying, resigned to spending the next few years in the obscurity of Tisch Library, but for one Tufts senior, fame is just a spin of a wheel away. Senior Peter O'Regan unknowingly signed up for his time in the limelight while playing a game of online "Wheel of Fortune" one evening last winter. A link by the computer screen's edge caught his eye, and, without any real hope of success, O'Regan signed up to be thrown in with thousands of prospective contestants, all eager to win a spot on the show. "I had actually forgotten about it until I got the e-mail for the group audition," O'Regan said. Five months after signing up, O'Regan was called to audition with a relatively small pool of entrants. He was then chosen to represent Tufts University in the second round of the "Wheel of Fortune" College Week special, taped in the Boston Convention Center and set to air on Nov. 10. The format of the College Week edition is largely indistinguishable from the show's standard daily episodes, but several key alterations were made to accommodate the week's theme. The taping location was moved from the show's usual home — Los Angeles — to Boston, arguably America's greatest college town. With it came a full-sized traveling Wheel of Fortune wheel and a stage set that consisted of a mostly accurate, slightly undersized cardboard New England street. On the set, a projector screen played a looping video montage of scenes from various competing schools, including live footage of Tufts' very own West and Eaton Halls. Boston University's cheerleaders egged on the audience and helped announce co-hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White, and Boston foodie group The Phantom Gourmet helped Charlie O'Donnell entertain the audience during the show's opening. Over the nearly three decades of its existence, Wheel of Fortune has integrated several similarly planned themes to honor specific events and boost viewership. One of its most successful themes in recent years has been the NFL Players Week, in which the game show competitors are exclusively NFL athletes, according to Sajak in a behind-the-scenes interview with the Daily. In addition to attracting spectators, themed weeks create a unique atmosphere behind the wheel and in the audience. College Week in particular stands out because of the sense of partnership it consistently builds between competing players. "There's a level of camaraderie any time, but it's always interesting with the college students; there's such a camaraderie since they're all in the same point in life," Cassandra Thompson, the Wheel of Fortune contestant coordinator, said. "Everyone roots for everybody, and they're excited for each other because you can have three big winners every show. I've seen people come away in third place with $25,000, so there's no need to have that competition. You can all come away with so much." The contestants' politeness seems antithetical to the theme and its accompanying setting: university students, often representing rival colleges, competing with one another to win the largest sum of money. But when plucked out of their cutthroat classrooms, the students seem to bond over their shared nervousness and pride. Despite the obvious sweating and breath-holding every time O'Regan or one of his competitors from Georgetown University or the University of Maryland spun the wheel, by the end of the day, contestants had already planned to make a Facebook group and keep in touch, O'Regan said. It is obvious to viewers that Wheel of Fortune is not simply about the money, but also about puzzles, ambiance and humor. According to co-host White, this has allowed it to outlast many other game shows with easier puzzles and larger cash prizes. "It goes back to that old game of solving the puzzle. You walk by the TV, and if there's a half puzzle showing, you want to solve it," White said. "People like the game no matter how much money we're giving away," Sajak added. "The idea is not necessarily to solve the puzzle quickest. It's to solve the puzzle and amass money, and the puzzle is up there a long time. The way it's designed, more often than not, you have it at home before anyone solves it in the studio, so you also feel pretty superior to those people. That's probably part of it." There is also the comfort of Sajak and White, who have co-hosted the show since its syndication on primetime television in 1983 and who now have their schtick down to a T. White has never repeated gowns (and has even changed between half-hour episodes taped on the same day), her record for claps averages 720 per episode, and Sajak's interactions with the contestants have become familiar to three generations of American television viewers. The show's light humor also keeps audiences coming back for more; it is cheerful, homey and sometimes even scandalous. "Do you want to speak into my chest?" Sajak offered to White after her microphone malfunctioned several times. "Do you want to speak into mine?" White replied. "I can just imagine the echo," Sajak hit back, resulting in gasps and laughter from the audience. From a participant's perspective, Wheel of Fortune rolls by quickly. "It was exciting. It was just fast," according to O'Regan, who was still blushing with excitement as he walked through the curtains separating the glitzy stage set from the vastness of the convention center's open space. But while fifteen minutes of fame is not much time in the limelight, sometimes one can take something from the time into the future. The cash prize O'Regan proudly took home to Tufts was one such souvenir. The amount will be revealed on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., when he is allowed to discuss the puzzles and prizes with others. More significant, though, is the fleeting experience of stepping out of normal life — in O'Regan's case, one of chemical engineering, being a Wren Ram and heading up the Tufts Energy Forum — and stealing a moment in the spotlight. The beauty tips from the show's makeup crew weren't bad, either. "I look good," O'Regan said, smoothing a hand over his recently airbrushed cheek. "I like this. You girls have the right idea."
The Department of Political Science now has a new home, as completed renovations to Packard Hall early this summer have allowed faculty and staff, previously located in Eaton Hall, to move into the building on time. Construction began just over a year ago in June 2008, and the total renovation cost was $7.1 million. Administrators within the School of Arts and Sciences originally planned to occupy Packard when Tufts' Board of Trustees approved $6.9 million in 2008 for the overhaul of the building. After construction began, however, a reevaluation of the Eaton Hall space prompted them to redirect the building to the political science department, and the trustees authorized an additional $200,000 to better suit the department's needs. The office space allotted in Eaton was "substandard" for political science members, Vice President of Operations John Roberto said. "It was a department whose needs were well known." Political Science Professor Jeffrey Berry agreed that it was time for the department to move. "The old office was not very welcoming," he said. "It was cramped, at best. Students were sitting on the floor." Department Chair Robert Devigne said that the staff needed more space based on the number of students the department advises. "We were overrun by political science students, and we advise more international [relations major] students than any other department," he said. The religion and anthropology departments will now occupy Eaton's offices, according to Devigne. Packard Hall was previously home to the university advancement office and has in its long history served the university as a residence hall, dining hall and library. The Linbeck Company conducted the renovations to the building. Linbeck was also responsible for the construction of Sophia Gordon Hall and the Granoff Music Center, according to Director of Construction Management Mitch Bodnarchuk. "They have a good track record on campus," Bodnarchuk said of the company. Bodnarchuk said that the project was on time and made budget even after the plans changed to prepare Packard for political science faculty rather than administrators. The change in intended use for the building required repartitioning the Packard offices. Larger rooms designed for deans were broken down to fit the faculty members, according to Bodnarchuk. The renovation in general, Bodnarchuk said, involved "a lot of demolition and restructuring" due to the building's old age. Linbeck added a second set of stairs, an elevator, a sprinkler system and an entrance ramp for handicap accessibility to the building. A number of other renovations occurred over the summer in addition to Packard's revamping. Eaton itself was re-carpeted and re-painted, while ceiling tiles and air conditioning units in the building were also replaced. Carmichael Hall's corridors, laundry room and common room were re-painted, and the building is also sporting new carpeting. Bathrooms on the first floor were made handicap-accessible, as were 12 first-floor rooms. The plaza in front of Carmichael was also redone, removing vegetation to make it feel "light and airy," Bodnarchuk said. Finally, the basketball and volleyball court inside Cousens Gym was rotated and extended to comply with NCAA regulations. A new hardwood floor, collapsible bleachers and a new sound system were also installed for the court. Though all of these renovations were performed this summer, none interfered with summer programs on campus. "Everything we do, we coordinate with summer school folks," Bodnarchuk said.
