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Police Briefs | 10/22/2008
October 21Welcome to the Daily's interactive police blotter map. Click each point on the map to learn about the incident that happened there.
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University 'tightening the belt'
October 21As 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.
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Norovirus outbreak plagues Georgetown
October 21Touching 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.
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While still only having a limited share of the market, Apple starts to close the gap
October 21Macintosh 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.
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While prioritizing aid, doubts linger about need-blind policy
October 21The 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.
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Harvard Law adopts pass-fail system
October 20Harvard 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.
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Lost in translation: Foreign essay styles confuse
October 20This 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.
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Jessie Borkan | College Is As College Does
October 20It'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.
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Visiting the Hill this week
October 19MONDAY "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
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If the shirt fits, customize it, order it, wear it
October 19The 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.
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In another setback for Snyder, TCUJ rejects latest appeal
October 19The 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.
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Students flying to southern states to canvass for Obama
October 19With 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.
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Getting it 'write:' Essay styles vary by country, creating difficulties for international students
October 19This 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.
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Cancer Research Day fosters campus dialogue
October 19Professionals 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.
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ZBT gets the ball rolling at charity drive kickoff
October 19The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity inaugurated its Get on the Ball charity drive at a ceremony at the Granoff Family Hillel Center yesterday afternoon. University President and ZBT alum Lawrence Bacow attended. ZBT brothers will roll a six-foot-tall ball around campus for the next week, and for each person who signs it, a number of organizations including the Office for Campus Life and the Hillsides Wine and Liquors store will donate a specified amount to the Children's Hospital Boston.
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Michael Goetzman | Spotlight
October 19Sitting in the admissions office during pre-frosh weekend, Shabazz Stuart, like all fellow pre-frosh, was waiting to meet his host upperclassman. Instead, he was greeted by a spirited admissions officer eager to ingratiate herself with the boy wonder.
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School of Medicine renovates campus center, library in first phase of construction
October 16The Tufts School of Medicine completed the first phase of renovations on its campus center and library this week. A $15 million donation from the Jaharis Family Foundation last fall provided the main funding for the construction of the building, the Arthur M. Sackler Center for Health Communications, and of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, which opened in June. The gift, pledged by Steven Jaharis (M '87) and his father, Michael Jaharis, was the largest in the history of the medical school, which is located in downtown Boston. "We wanted to create more of a sense of community, to create spaces where students could meet," said Marsha Semuels, executive administrative dean of the School of Medicine and a member of the Sackler Renovation Project Steering Committee. In order to provide closer interaction with the administration, the officials' offices are situated in the middle of the building, according to Semeuls. The renovated Sackler Center features new learning communities on the third and fourth floors. These include smaller classrooms, a kitchen and lounges to encourage work in small groups. The renovation also added a fourth-floor café and study space, incorporated into the existing Hirsh Health Sciences Library. "[There] was a small café that had coffee and prepared food, but nothing hot. So we knocked out all of the walls and made it into a big open space," Semuels said. "We worked with faculty and students to create healthy options, and the existing library is merged into it." The second and third phases of construction will produce other amenities, including more offices, a gym and locker rooms. The School of Medicine designed a Web site called "The Big Move" to hear and ameliorate any worries or concerns that students and faculty might have about the center renovations. "Other than [concerns about] some unusual [construction] noises, we haven't had any complaints," said Stephanie Fitzgerald, administrative coordinator for the Hirsh Health Sciences Library. But some students voiced other worries in a questionnaire the medical school put out. Some referred to food choices in the new café and questions about the wireless Internet access that will now extend to the entire building. One student expressed concerns about handicap access during renovation. The administration assured all students that construction would not compromise accessibility and that the work would only be a minor inconvenience. The Clinical Skills and Simulation Center includes 12 exam rooms, three simulation rooms and a 50-person classroom, according to a School of Medicine press release. Students previously had to travel to Brown University in Rhode Island to access the equipment and training that the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center now provides. "I do think we are going to have truly wonderful facilities," Semuels said. "You can already see how excited prospective students are about the space, and it will certainly make the students who are here happier."
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Freston speaks on the birth of MTV
October 16MTV co-founder Tom Freston recounted the evolution of the groundbreaking television station yesterday. He focused on the 1980s media environment into which music videos were thrust and analyzed the network's move away from airing music videos.
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Limited student interest slows influx of local food
October 16This article is the second in a two-part series chronicling the expansion of the local food movement both on a community-wide scale and among Tufts students. Yesterday's installation focused on the Davis Square farmers' market and the efforts of students who promote locally grown food. This piece will address local food in Tufts' dining halls and eateries, as well as the barriers to expanding its presence on campus.
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Interview | Austan Goolsbee
October 16Gearing up for this week's Tufts Daily Radio show, we sat down with Austan Goolsbee, the senior economic advisor to Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign, before he met with Tufts Trustee Alan Solomont's political science class. He blamed many of the country's current economic ills on President George W. Bush's relaxed approach to economic oversight and said adopting Obama's more interventionist strategy would be critical to fostering an environment in which graduating Tufts students and other Americans looking for work can succeed. The following is a partial transcript. To hear more of the interview, listen to this week's radio show on WMFO, 91.5 FM, at 11 a.m. on Sunday or log onto www.TuftsDaily.com next week to download a podcast. Sarah Butrymowicz: Do you think our economy is fundamentally changed forever as a result of this crisis? And if it is, how is it going to be different? If it's not, how long does it take to get back to where we used to be? Austin Goolsbee: Yes, but not in the negative sense of, "Hey, we're in a crisis and will we never get out of it" ... I would anticipate that once we get through this crisis we will fundamentally change the oversight of financial institutions in a pretty substantial way and that will last for a long time ... At the very least, we're on path for a pretty serious recession. If the government takes aggressive steps, my view is it could be fairly short-lived and hopefully nobody will ever really remember it ... If the government sat around and waited too long — which, disturbingly, the Bush administration has kind of taken that as their approach — … or, in the worst-case scenario, if the government started doing things that were counterproductive, it could last for a very long time. SB: The prospect for finding a job after graduation seems more daunting than ever as a result of this. I'm curious as to what an Obama administration would do to create more jobs. AG: There is a direct link between what's happening in this financial crisis and the availability of loans and money to businesses ... Obama's view is on policy grounds — direct tax credits to companies for creating new jobs, direct spending from the government on critical things for the economy — be they investing in the economic infrastructure of the country [or] money for college to help make college more affordable ... In the short run, these key additional stimulus measures — money for infrastructure, money to the states, immediate tax relief for middle-class people — try to prevent an admittedly serious downturn from turning into something a lot worse. SB: I know that at the end of last week [Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.] proposed a plan of investing directly into U.S. banks. What do you think about that plan? AG: Senator Obama has been calling for him to consider such an option from the beginning … The fundamental problem of the current financial crisis is that our banks and financial institutions are under-capitalized. Putting money directly into the banks on a strictly temporary basis is the most direct way to recapitalize banks. You have to be very mindful, [one], that the government is getting its money worth. Two, you've got to make sure that if the government is putting in money, they're not just taking the money and lining their own pockets ... And three, you have to have an orderly plan for the government to get out of that business, because the track record of long-term investing for the government into the banking system is not good. The government ends up steering the loans to places that are more politically palatable rather than profit-making.
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