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tuesday, april 21, 2015

VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 55

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Despite rain, all smiles at finish line

evan Sayles / The Tufts Daily

top: Nicholas Pfosi / The Tufts Daily; bottom: courtesy tufts university

Dozens of Tufts Marathon Team runners took to the streets of Boston yesterday in the 119th Boston Marathon.

Despite chilly and rainy weather that led many participants to sport ponchos and other rain gear, this year’s marathon, which comes two years after the 2013 bombing that killed 3 and injured hundreds, went off without a hitch. According to TMT runner Maddy Ball, a senior, the marathon brought a different crowd and a different challenge at each mile, culminating in a happy and successful finish.

Tesser discusses goals for TCU Presidency

by Roy Yang

Assistant News Editor

For the first time in recent memory, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate presidential election, taking place today, is uncontested. Brian Tesser is the sole candidate running for the position, though students will also have the option of selecting a write-in candidate or abstaining from voting.

Tesser, a junior currently studying abroad in Madrid, says he hopes to tackle pressing issues as TCU President, such as on-campus and off-campus housing and sexual assault policies.

“I want to run for TCU President because I want to help students and have an impact on this campus,” Tesser told the Daily in an email. “Since see TESSER, page 2

Courtesy Becca Leibowitz

Junior Brian Tesser is running uncontested in today’s TCU presidential election.

Inside this issue

Symposium showcases six students’ scholarship in arts

by Arin Kerstein Assistant News Editor

On Friday, April 17, the Student Research Symposium showcased six students’ research works-in-progress, representing a broad range of subjects in the arts. The symposium was held as a part of the firstever Spring Festival for the Arts@Tufts.

Professor of Music Joseph Auner explained that a goal of the symposium was to create an opportunity for students, faculty and alumni from various departments to get a sense of the range of scholarship in the arts.

Auner said he coordinated the symposium with assistance from Art and Art History Department Chair Peter Probst, Director of Dance Renata Celichowska, Drama and Dance Department Chair Heather Nathans and Danna Solomon (LA ’11), a staff assistant in the Department of Music.

“I think people who are not in the arts think of it mainly in terms of performance and concerts, and they don’t realize the research and scholarship that happens in the arts,” Auner stated.

He noted that he and Probst evaluated over a dozen student proposals from multiple departments to select the presenters.

“There was an open call that went to undergraduate and graduate students asking for submissions, and we got a good bunch of submissions, and we decided ones that could fit and would work well as presentations that would be understandable to people in other fields,” he explained.

Seniors Daniel Joseph, Natalie Naor, Grace Hoyt and Scarlett Engle, along with graduate students Paola Page and Thomas Hanslowe were selected to share their research at the symposium. Students had 10 minutes each to present their

research, with additional time allotted for follow-up discussion.

Auner said that he felt the symposium provided audience members as well as presenters the opportunity to learn from one another.

“We hope that people in the audience and the people presenting the papers will get a much better sense of the kinds of issues, methodologies and approaches people are using in other fields,” Auner added.

Naor said she looked forward to this aspect of the symposium, as she said she often feels a divide among students of the arts who have different primary interests.

Naor presented her research on the disconnects between modern readers and medieval readers in terms of medieval leather book bindings. She said that she hopes her research illuminated issues she sees with the way people look at art.

“We need to recognize that the way that we look at art history can maybe be tweaked, and maybe we should be starting from the material level instead of going straight to image and text and consider what [the material] can tell us about the art that we’re studying,” she stated.

Naor noted that presenting at the symposium served as good practice for her future, as she hopes to continue to present academic research as a rare book and manuscript conservator.

“I think that I can get some really good feedback about my project, maybe some directions that I didn’t think of to go that I can go,” she added.

Engle agreed, noting that the discussion and feedback was the best part about the symposium for her as a speaker.

“Having other people critically engage with our work was great to see and gave see RESEARCH, page 2

Today’s sections

At Tufts’ DevTech lab, researchers explore the crossroads of technology and early education.

A depleted men’s crew team had to deal with more than just tough competition this past weekend.

see FEATURES, page 3

see SPORTS, back

News 1 Features 3 Arts & Living 5 Editorial | Letters 10

Op-Ed 11 Comics 14 Sports Back

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The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

News

Visiting the Hill this week TUESDAY “Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series: Social Innovation Forum” Details: Three social entrepreneurs will participate in a panel discussion on business-based social innovation and helping communities through sustainable organizational development. Panelists include Michael Brown, CEO and co-founder of City Year; Abby Falik, founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year and Kirsten Lodal, CEO and co-founder of LIFT. When and Where: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Alumnae Lounge Sponsors: Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts Gordon Institute Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, Tufts Social Impact Network

WEDNESDAY “The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis” Details: The T isch College Distinguished Speaker Series brings former Congressmen Mark Frost (D-Tex.) and Tom Davis (R-Va.) to campus to discuss their recent book, “The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis” (2014). Frost and Davis will discuss their unique perspective on partisan gridlock in Congress from their experience as chairs of their respective parties’ campaign committees.

When and Where: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Ballou Hall Coolidge Room Sponsors: Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Department of Political Science

“Using Behavior Analysis to Benefit Shelter Dogs” Details: Terri Bright, director of behavior at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — Angell Animal Medical Center, will discuss how learning theory and behavioral modification techniques can be used to help shelter dogs shed difficult behaviors and become healthy and happy pets. The results of a research study investigating the success of one of the Center for Shelter Dogs’ programs to improve canine behavior will also be discussed.

When and Where: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Braker Hall 001 Sponsor: The Cummings School of

Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Shelter Dogs THURSDAY “New England Groundfish: A Story About Managing People” Details: Brett Alger, a fishery management specialist at NOAA Fisheries, will discuss the New England groundfish industry, focusing on efforts to manage the stock supply of Atlantic cod and the future of the management of New England groundfish species.

Alger’s lecture is part of the Environmental Studies Lunch and Learn speaker series.

When and Where: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Lincoln Filene Center Rabb Room Sponsor: Environmental Studies Program —by Audrey Michael

Tesser discusses qualifications for position as sole presidential candidate

TESSER

continued from page 1

I came to Tufts, I have seen some of the problems that students here deal with, and I am passionate about reaching out to groups and trying to find solutions to solve problems.”

According to Tesser, the lack of competition in the presidential elections came as a huge surprise, but he reaffirmed that he would remain steadfast in pursuing his original goals.

“I’m not happy that the election is uncontested,” Tesser said. “At a school like Tufts, filled with so many involved, active and vibrant people, I am incredibly surprised that nobody is running against me.

With that said, I don’t think that it changes much about my potential presidency or the way that I plan on tackling the problems at Tufts.”

TCU Parliamentarian Gauri Seth, a supporter of Tesser’s campaign, echoed Tesser’s disappointment in the lack of competition in the presidential race.

“I really wished someone else was running, and I really wish that this student body was more engaged with Senate,” Seth said. “The president of TCU Senate gets to voice their opinion to a lot of different people. They sit in a lot of different meetings with President [Anthony] Monaco, [Director of Campus Life] Joe Golia and all of these people that have big voices on this campus and can really help us make change. So I think it’s crucial that the student body has an idea of what different stances are.”

Tesser said that he will seek achievable goals in bringing transparency to the Senate.

“I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish as president, but I think it’s important to remain realistic about my goals,” Tesser said. “I am going to work at increasing Senate outreach, and along with that, Senate transparency. I think it’s important to keep the students involved in the decisions that we make, and I want to work to increase

our communication with the student body.”

Tesser, who has been involved in Senate since his first year, has served in various positions such as parliamentarian and student outreach chair. Though these positions gave him a sense of the inner workings of the organization, Tesser said he is qualified to be president for different reasons.

“I am not a qualified candidate because I have held these positions,” he said. “I am a qualified candidate because I think that I am in tune to student concerns and I know how to tackle problems in efficiency … I also think that in order to be an effective president, or leader in general, one must know how to work well with other and to value the opinions of others. I think this is something incredibly strong that I will bring to the presidency.”

Kathryn Waymack, Tesser’s campaign manager, said Tesser’s true concern for the wellbeing of students makes

Chi Omega hosts new 'X-Factor' spring philanthropy event Chi Omega (Chi O) hosted its spring philanthropy event, X-Factor, in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall on Friday, April 17. From 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the sorority held a talent show and lip-syncing competition, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to the Massachusetts and Rhode Island chapters of the Make-AWish Foundation, according to their Facebook page.

Chi Omega President Maddy MacDougall, a junior, said that Chi O has raised over $13,600 so far this year, and the organization is close to collecting enough funds to donate another wish to the Make-AWish Foundation. “[Donating a second wish] would be something great for us to do … [it] provides more tangible effects of what we are doing,” MacDougall said.

This is the first time Chi O has put on the event, according to MacDougall.

X-Factor replaced the organization’s previous fundraiser, Dishes for Wishes, which was not as cost-effective, she said.

MacDougall explained that the sorority hoped to attract different crowds with this new, more accessible event. “[Chi O] has done a lot of revamping with our philanthropy recently,” MacDougall said.

MacDougall explained that one issue the sorority has had to deal with recently is the large size of its chapter.

She said that the planning of X-Factor took a long time because the organization needed to find a space to fit all of its members.

“As the chapter size gets bigger every year, we are trying to find events for 150 girls to be involved in,” MacDougall said.

According to MacDougall, Aislinn Cook and Catherine Caffey, the two philanthropy chairs for Chi O, took the lead on planning the event.

“They’ve been unreal, really planning all of it,” she said.

According to MacDougall, all of the sorority’s members were involved in marketing X-Factor by getting publicity for the event and encouraging friends to sign up for teams.

MacDougall said that the event was inspired by a nation-wide event called “Mr. Fraternity,” but added that Chi Omega modified X-Factor to make it more Tufts-friendly. “[X-Factor] is open to the entire Tufts community,” MacDougall said.

According to MacDougall, teams consisted of three members of any gender instead of one person. “[We] wanted it to be a little … funnier, so you can lip sync,” MacDougall said.

MacDougall explained that members of the teams came from all different groups on campus. “[We had people] on the women’s club soccer team, a couple of fraternities … we’ve also reached out to other organizations on campus [who have signed up],” she said. “We wanted to do something more fun, made more sense, to attract a bigger audience.”

—by Aaron Pomerance

him an ideal candidate. This passion, coupled with his work ethic, has won him support from many students on campus, Waymack said.

“It’s really cool because you can genuinely see how much [Brian] cares about the student body as whole,” Waymack said. “He really wants to unite everyone in a way and have everyone be informed — have everyone’s voices be heard.

Hearing him say it, you can tell he genuinely wants to get that done. I know he’s a very fun person, but he’s also a very hard worker, and working on this campaign with him has shown how much he himself can get done.”

Current TCU President Robert Joseph said he feels confident in Tesser’s capabilities as future president.

“I definitely think he’s prepared,” he said. “I think he’s well connected to a number of different communities on campus that will help him next year. [I’m] hoping that he will connect the student body in various different ways. I think

that’s he’s well equipped to do the job.”

As he steps into his new position next year, Tesser wants to tackle challenges as early as possible. Issues such as the recent controversies surrounding the TCU Senate Treasury are already part of his agenda for next year, and Tesser said he plans to work with both the Treasury and student groups to develop tangible solutions to the problem.

Tesser admitted that Senate work can be frustrating, but despite the criticism and hardships of TCU Senate, he hopes to remain steadfast in overcoming the obstacles he will face.

“Every year comes with its own unique set of challenges,” Tesser said. “In my past three years on Senate, I have seen a full spectrum of problems, and I do not expect next year to be any different. While there will be challenge[s], I think that it’s incredibly important to be proactive and to work to overcome problems early on.”

Departments collaborate for students to present arts RESEARCH

continued from page 1

me some things to think about while completing my independent study [research],” she said.

Naor mentioned that she hopes that this event will be repeated in the future, along with more festivals of the arts because of a current lack of emphasis by the university on the programs of the arts departments.

“I feel like sometimes the arts gets a little bit underrepresented,” she said. “It was really nice to read about an entire weekend dedicated to all of the arts departments on campus.”

The Spring Festival for the Arts@Tufts was collaboratively held by the Department of Art History, the Department of Drama and Dance, the Department of Music, the Communications and Media Studies

Program, Creative Writing, the Experimental College, the Center for the Humanities at Tufts, the Tufts University Art Gallery, the AS&E Diversity Fund and the Dean of Arts and Sciences office.

According to Auner, the festival featured many other events and activities, including a student performance showcase, discussions about arts engagement and activism, faculty and alumni roundtables and a panel on the new film study program.

He said that he hopes the festival provides an opportunity for students, faculty and alumni across disciplines to come together to learn about different perspectives.

“The value of it is that students can get a sense of the broad range of approaches in scholarship on the arts and the relevance and importance of this scholarship,” Auner said.

Emma Kindig / The Tufts Daily

Senior Natalie Naor presents her research in “Touching Skin: A Material Call to Action through the Guise of Leather Bookbindings” on April 17 as part of the Student Research Symposium.

Features

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tuftsdaily.com

Kendall Todd | Culture Shock

Scooter envy

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Courtesy Nicholas Pfosi Photography

A student plays with the KIWI robot from the Tufts DevTech team at the Solemn Schechter Day School on March 18, 2014.

DevTech Lab unites technology, education

by Nicole Brooks Daily Staff Writer

The Tufts-based DevTech Research Group’s lab, located in the EliotPearson Children’s School building on College Ave., is in the business of creating unique learning experiences for kids. Currently, the lab focuses on creating developmentally appropriate technologies for young children. According to Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study Professor Marina Bers, the lab, which came together in 2008, initially focused on designing technologies for adolescents, and it now focuses on young children ages 4-7.

“I created DevTech because I felt that it was important to have a child development department that thinks about children and also thinks about the technologies,” Bers said.

The DevTech team consists of a variety of students — graduate, undergraduate and doctorate — from a number of different majors. They work together in the lab as well as on site and interview educators and students in order to create lesson plans that incorporate the technologies they research into the classroom.

Mentorship is an important component of work in the lab, according to Mollie Elkin, a first-year master’s student who started studying in the lab as an undergraduate during her sophomore year as a child development major and architectural studies minor.

“I love the dynamics in the lab,” said Elkin. “I kind of remember when I was an undergrad and the kind of supports that I really appreciated and things that drive students to be helpful. I try to provide that back to the students that I work with and give them direction as much as possible, but also give as much freedom.”

Several of the students working in DevTech’s lab have taken CD 143: Teaching Robotics in an Urban School. According to Elkin, the class consists of about 28 students who go out to two schools in Central Falls, R.I. to help train teachers on using DevTech’s products, including its interactive robot KIBO. KIBO, which launched last June, is a wheeled robot whose movements students can “program” using wooden blocks. According to Bers, the system gives kids a hands-on experience that lets them think like a programmer in a playful, visual atmosphere.

“We don’t want young children in front of a screen, we want them hav-

ing [the same] experiences as they have in the playroom,” said Bers.

“Talking with others, interacting and playing.”

To direct KIBO’s actions, children put together blocks in a series and use the robot to scan them.

“You put together your wooden blocks and then with your robot you scan the wooden blocks, and now your robot will do whatever,” Bers said. “So it’s similar ideas about logical thinking, problem solving, cause and effect sequencing, competition and thinking, but with a particular platform, a platform that allows for interaction and inclusion of the arts as well as just programming.”

Another project of DevTech’s, called ScratchJr, was released in 2014 as a tablet app to help young children learn how to use an introductory programming language to create their own stories. According to DevTech’s website, the program, developed in conjunction with MIT Media Labs and supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation, was created to help acknowledge programming as a “new type of literacy.”

ScratchJr, a free app, has amassed over 600,000 downloads across the world, a number that’s still increasing, according to Bers.

“It allows very young students to understand coding and apply their coding skills to create stories, to create games … to create anything,” said Bers.

Bers said that she hopes to hold “family days” for DevTech’s products, during which parents and kids can experiment with them together.

“We really want to … provide the resources so these tools are used,” she said. “Creating family days for little kids to come with their parents are some opportunities for helping early childhood educators know how to use robotics.”

DevTech’s ability both to design technologies and carry out research to help improve its products is central to its goal of creating developmentally appropriate products for young children. The implementation of technology in early childhood is something that many students, like junior Danielle DiPaola, are particularly interested in.

“Working toward this idea of integrating technology into education at such an early age is really important.” said DiPaola, an engineering psychology major, engineering education minor and DevTech team member. “I’m an engineering major, and I’d wish that I’d had that kind of intervention … when I was younger.”

According to Bers, one of the main challenges that DevTech faces is working their products into relationships between parents or teachers and kids.

“The challenge that we have is that technology is not enough,” said Bers.

“So we need to train teachers, early childhood teachers and we need to train parents. We need to develop materials and resources for them to be able to work with kids. We want them to use technology in a way that is developmentally appropriate.”

For many team members, the best moments are often when kids finally grasp the concept of a product and solve a problem.

“I feel like when I’m out in the classroom and you’re working with kids and all of a sudden [they] tell that they just got it, that’s always just a really exciting moment,” said Elkin. “You see that progression, and that’s really exciting and what I really like about the hand-on nature of our lab. It’s nice having both in-classroom time and also in-lab time.”

According to DiPaola, one of DevTech’s main aims is the integration of other aspects of education into their products, in order to create a multifaceted learning platform.

“Marina, she’s starting things as early as four, which is unbelievable,” said DiPaola. “She believes that you shouldn’t just put kids in a computer lab and have them learn, but you should have technology integrated in everything that they do.”

DiPaola said that some DevTech projects try to help children look at history and culture through a technological lens, instead of simply focusing on sci/tech.

“One of the projects that I was working on, we went into a classroom that was learning about the [annual Iditarod sled dog] race, and we got to actually make robots that simulated the Iditarod race,” she said. “It was combining history, culture and things that you are learning with robotics. I think that that is the way the world is going, and I think that’s really important to make them fit together.”

As today’s world becomes increasingly tech-centered, Bers and DevTech look to continue preparing young children to thrive in it. “[The] technologies are here,” said Bers. “Like it or not, they are here.

So we better design things that will help children learn in ways that are age appropriate … it’s really using all kinds of things that will help students learn and develop in positive ways.”

hen most people think about popular European modes of transport, a few vehicles come to mind, namely complicated railway systems, tall noisy buses and tiny electric cars that zip around the city with a hum, sometimes even driving on the sidewalks and scattering pedestrians on their way. Well, I’m here to tell you that, while all those vehicles are indeed present in great quantity in Paris, by far the most popular way to get around is in fact not one of them.

It’s a scooter.

You might be picturing one of those mod, brightly-colored Vespas like the ones featured in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003), perfect for romantic afternoons buzzing around to different monuments as poppy ’90s music plays in the background. You would also be wrong. When I say “scooter,” I mean the two-wheeled contraptions of our elementary school days — a Razor scooter, as a matter of fact.

The Parisian propensity for scootering is something, I think, you have to see to believe. It’s certainly a habit that surprised me — I never expected to see so many scooters in such a chic metropole as Paris.

And yet, such is life in the capital of France.

I think it’s brilliant, actually. For the most part, scooters belong to schoolchildren, which makes sense, as in my mind they are directly linked to childhood. Practically every primary school has a row of scooters chained up outside like bicycles, each with a different brightly colored scooter lock preventing scooter thieves from absconding with them. (There’s also no cuter way to almost be pushed into oncoming traffic than by narrowly avoiding collision with a tiny French five-year-old speeding down the sidewalk. Hearing their shouted apologies as they fly by almost makes up for the harrowing brush with death.)

Scooters aren’t solely reserved for those under age 10, however. I’ve seen multiple adults — some even in business attire — scootering across town, looking harried and yet still somehow chic, a combination that could only ever work in Paris, I think.

It’s even come to a point where I want to scoot — honestly, it would make my daily commute to class so much shorter and more fun, too.

I’m definitely wondering how the scooter trend managed to stick in Paris, though.

For me, scooters are inextricably associated with the ’90s — I don’t think I can remember the last time I saw anybody riding one in the United States. I also haven’t worked up the courage to ask my host family about it, either; this strikes me as the kind of cultural oddity they wouldn’t realize is an oddity until I bring it up (like, for example, “Poisson d’Avril,” the French April Fool’s Day tradition that involves sticking paper cut-outs of fish into the backs of unsuspecting friends and teachers. This is something I still don’t entirely understand, so I won’t get into that here. Suffice it to say that, when I asked, my host family was more interested in being surprised that we don’t do Poisson d’Avril in the states than in answering my question).

By far my favorite way I’ve seen anyone use a scooter, though, is to scoot between trains on the metro. I honestly can’t imagine a more convenient way to dodge the ever-present crowds — when you hop off your train, just hop on your scooter and off you go, parting the sea of people as you scoot to catch your connections. Scooter envy is real, you guys. I’m this close to asking my mom to send me mine from childhood, though it probably wouldn’t get here before I leave for summer break. When I get home, though … sidewalk pedestrians, watch out — I’m picking up a tip from the French, and I’ll be scooting.

Kendall Todd is a majoring in international relations and French. She can be reached at kendall.todd@tufts.edu.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

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TODAY April 21 | 5:30 pm Alumnae Lounge Free and open to the public, seating on a first-come basis

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Arts & Living

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TV Review

Daniel Bottino | frost for you

'Game of Thrones' Recap: 'The House of Black and White'

by Grace Segers Arts Editor

The second episode of season five of “Game of Thrones” (2011-present), entitled “The House of Black and White,” was more enjoyable than the first. It had some interesting twists, not to mention a huge shocker: no nudity whatsoever. Take note, HBO: Shows can be good without gratuitous female objectification. Who knew?

There were many new developments across Westeros and Essos.

Here’s what happened in “The House of Black and White:” King’s Landing Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is arguably the most powerful person in Westeros right now. She dominates a Small Council meeting, appointing new members and showing that she’s in charge. Her uncle Kevan (Ian Gelder), however, refuses to acknowledge Cersei’s authority, and tells her that he will not return to Casterly Rock until the actual king summons him.

Meanwhile, after receiving a threatening message from Dorne regarding her daughter, Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), Cersei requests that her brother/baby-daddy Jaime (Nikolaj CosterWaldau) man up and protect their daughter. Jaime tells her that he will go to Dorne to retrieve Myrcella. He then meets up with Bronn ( Jerome Flynn), the mercenary who taught him how to fight after he lost his sword hand.

Presumably, the two will begin their journey to Dorne in next week’s epi-

HBO via MCT Direct

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) struggles to retain her power in the second episode of season five of “Game of Thrones.” sode, and “Game of Thrones” will have yet another dynamic road trip duo.

Dorne Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma), paramour of deceased Dornish Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), tells the leader of Dorne, Prince Doran (Alexander Siddig), that she isn’t happy with his passive response to his brother, Oberyn’s, death. He tells her that he will not start a war out of vengeance. Siddig is perfect as Doran,

playing the aging monarch with elegance. While the scene is short, it’s incredibly engaging, adding a new location with surprising delicacy.

The Wall Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) wants Jon Snow (Kit Harington) to become Lord of Winterfell. But Jon turns down the proposition, noting that his loyalty to the Night’s Watch see GOT, page 6

TV Review

Restaurant Review

Season five premiere of 'Game of Thrones' fails to impress

Rose's serves up best Chinese food near campus

by Grace Segers Arts Editor

“Game of Thrones” (2011-present) returned on April 12 with an episode which largely emphasized exposition

Game of Thrones Starring Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington

Airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO

over action. The fifth season premiere seemed to serve mainly as a prologue for upcoming activity; the episode was aptly titled “The Wars to Come,” and focused more on building drama than actually showing it. Despite its slower pace and limited action, the first episode of the fifth season engaged viewers once more in the tangled web of politics in Westeros.

“Game of Thrones” has always relied on its large scale. Each episode has a multi-million dollar budsee THRONES, page 6

HBO via MCT Direct

While Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister masterfully, the season premiere of “Game of Thrones” served to set up the season rather than provide exciting action.

by Josh Podolsky Assistant Arts Editor

Down at the bottom of the hill and just one door over from the shrine of late-night food and regrets, also

Rose’s Restaurant 321 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155

(781) 395-8882 $ known as Helen’s, is Rose’s Chinese Restaurant. For all intents and purposes, the inside is a carbon copy of Helen’s with an open kitchen in the back and tables arranged in columns in the front. The only real difference is that Rose’s has a sushi bar where Helen’s would have its third column of tables. Where Rose’s most similarly rivals Helen’s, however, is as a place for college students to get a cheap, quick meal.

Rose’s is run as an “eat-in & takeout” place, according to its website; all of its utensils, plates and bowls are disposable. Food is brought to your table, but only after it is ordered at the counter. Rose’s wastes no time giving you your food — often, it feels like it arrives practically still in the pan. One order of egg drop soup was so hot when it arrived that it was untouchable until the meal was practically over; at that point, there were legitimate concerns that the soup had melted its plastic container. The wait, or see ROSE’S, page 6

'The Tuft of Flowers'

D

on’t mow the bluets!” my dad always cautions me before I mow the backyard, a necessary and frequent summer task for me.

The grass grows swiftly under the hot summer sun, requiring at least weekly trimming. But it is not only grass that flourishes in my backyard: Interspersed among the lush greenery are bright patches of sky blue flowers, small and delicate. These wild bluets, growing of their own accord in our lawn, have always seemed to both me and my dad to be worthy of special care and consideration.

Yes, the grass needs to be cut, but it would be a terrible shame to mar the subtle beauty of the scattered tufts of bluets flourishing in our lawn. And so I pay careful attention to their preservation, guiding the lawnmower carefully around their blooms, making sure that the deadly whirling blades spare the bluets from a violent decapitation.

It is this preservation of beauty in the face of destruction that forms the heart of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Tuft of Flowers” (1913). The narrator begins with a reflection on the state of a recently mowed field, where he now has been given the task of turning the newly mown grass. But as he works, the only sign of the mower is the evidence of the destruction he has wrought earlier in the morning: “I went to turn the grass once after one / Who mowed it in the dew before the sun / The dew was gone that made his blade so keen / Before I came to view the leveled scene.”

This “leveled scene” of the mown field is a lonely and inhospitable vista: It seems that all the former beauty of this field has been destroyed by the unknown, absent mower, who has left the sad wreck of the field to the attentions of the narrator. This tragedy becomes emphasized by the sad plight of a confused butterfly, searching for the now mown flowers: “Swift there passed by / On noiseless wing a bewildered butterfly / Seeking with memories grown dim o’er night / Some resting flower of yesterday’s delight.”

This butterfly’s sad flight arouses anger in the speaker at the person who mowed the field: What kind of monster would destroy the field’s flowers, depriving the butterfly of its necessary nutriment and the reader of this precious evidence of nature’s beauty? As the butterfly desperately hovers over the withered remains of cut flowers, the narrator longs to provide the insect with the object of its search.

And then, the reader and speaker experience a revelation, for not all of nature’s beauty has been destroyed: “But [the butterfly] turned first, and led my eye to look / At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook, / A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared / Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared.”

Just as I spare my bluets, so has the unknown mower here spared a tuft of flowers from his blade, leaving a small patch of beauty amidst the field’s desolation. Both Frost’s narrator and the butterfly are overjoyed, and their joy is eminently understandable. Mowing may be an essential chore, but compromises can still be made. We must consider the needs of all, from the lowliest butterfly to the most exalted king. And this does not just apply to mowing: Think of urban sprawl.

Perhaps not every square inch of land need be converted into office space and pavement. Let us save some space for a park, a refuge in the city for tired humans and animals alike. Think, also, of Tufts’ campus, a small patch of green in the busy suburbia of Medford/Somerville.

And so I will continue to spare my bluets while I mow, thankful for their enduring beauty and vitality.

Daniel Bottino is a senior majoring in psychology. He can be reached at daniel. bottino@tufts.edu.

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The Tufts Daily

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Arts & Living

After using first episode to set its stories’ wheels in motion, ‘Game of Thrones’ is firing on all cylinders GOT

continued from page 5

precludes him from assuming that mantle.

Later, there is the election for Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Sam ( John Bradley) nominates Jon for the position, who then wins by a single vote. In the span of an episode, Jon went from possible Lord of Winterfell to definite Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. It will be interesting to see where his new position of power takes him.

Road trip across Westeros In a twist of fate, Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Podrick (Daniel Portman) meet Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) in a pub.

Brienne tells Sansa that, by oath to her late mother, she is sworn to protect the Stark daughters. Sansa rebuffs Brienne, and Littlefinger sets his men on the knight and her squire. Brienne and Pod outmaneuver these enemies, however, and resolve to follow Sansa and Petyr on their journey.

Road trip across Essos Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Varys (Conleth Hill) are stuck in a carriage together, and they are getting really sick of each other. Tyrion is becoming increasingly nihilistic and drunk, and Varys is clearly annoyed

with him. They discuss the nature of their exile in a brief yet engaging scene.

While they appeared only briefly in this episode, Hill and Dinklage brought further exposition and entertainment to an already engaging episode.

Braavos Finally, the audience gets to see Arya (Maisie Williams). After arriving in Braavos, Arya goes to the House of Black and White, a place shrouded in mystery. At first, she is barred from entering, but after a few days on the street she is allowed to return.

The presumed proprietor of the house assumes the face of Jaqen H’ghar ( Tom Wlaschiha), the man who originally gave her the Braavosi coin. They enter the house together, and Arya’s mysterious new life begins.

Meereen Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is struggling to maintain power in Meereen.

After her forces find a member of the Sons of the Harpy, she agrees to give him a trial. One of her advisers murders him, however, and so in turn she decides to kill her adviser publicly. This execution does not go well, and results in a riot by the former slaves of Meereen. At the end of the rough day, she sees her third dragon, Drogon. Drogon is realistic and terrifying, a testament to the show’s visual

HBO via MCT Direct

Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who was absent from the season five premiere, returned in the second episode of the season, “The House of Black and White.” effects team. The dragon flies away and Daenerys ends the episode alone.

“The House of Black and White” was far better than “The Wars to Come.” It was more action-packed, and certainly more engaging.

However, it did raise a few questions: What is Arya going to do in Braavos? Will Sansa

ever trust Brienne? Can Daenerys maintain control of Meereen? Can Cersei maintain control of King’s Landing?

These questions may be answered in next week’s episode, “High Sparrow,” which will air on HBO at 9:00 p.m. next Sunday.

New season of ‘Game of Thrones’ offers sharp dialogue, lackluster plotting THRONES

continued from page 5

get, which allows for special effects including fire-breathing dragons and gorgeous digitally created backgrounds.

Furthermore, the show is filmed in several locations, including Northern Ireland, Croatia, Morocco and Spain.

In previous seasons, these grandiose elements enhanced the series, offering a highly detailed and visually engaging portrait of a fantasy world. But by the fifth season, the world of Westeros has become familiar to viewers, and the settings and effects — while stunning — sometimes fail to fully impress. Future episodes will introduce the region of Dorne, and perhaps the new location will offer a fresh perspective on a show that is beginning to grow tired.

Visual appeal aside, the dialogue and acting in the fifth season’s premiere was as sharp as ever, featuring especially engaging performances

by Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey.

Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister, the scorned youngest son of a prideful family. Tyrion is first seen, literally, in a box, as he is smuggled out of the city of King’s Landing after killing his father Tywin in last season’s finale. Dinklage has always brought tenderness to the role of Tyrion, an emotional undercurrent that is now tinged with desperation as his character struggles with his slipping morality. Headey’s Cersei Lannister, Tyrion’s older sister, is far less concerned with the nature of good and evil — she seeks only to keep her children safe and retain power. Headey’s excellent

performance in “The Wars to Come” is hopefully an indicator of Cersei’s prominent role in future episodes of the fifth season.

“Game of Thrones” has numerous skilled actors, but unfortunately there is never enough time to give each of them their due. “Game of Thrones” has

HBO via MCT Direct

In its fifth season, “Game of Thrones” has created too many characters and plotlines, making it difficult for the viewer to be invested.

similar issues with its cast of characters as it does with its locations; the story is simply becoming too vast, and the characters too varied and difficult to sympathize with all at once. There are so many separate plotlines occurring that not every character can be seen in every episode. The first episode was missing Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and the new characters in Dorne. Some characters were even pushed out of the fifth season, notably Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright). While the epic scale of “Game of Thrones” has long been a selling point for the series, it is now beginning to distract rather than enhance. As a myriad of characters with unpronounceable names make increasingly bad choices, the audience may begin to lose focus and interest.

This season will be further frustrating for readers of the book series written

by George R. R. Martin, upon which the television show is based. The fifth season is inspired by the events of the fourth and fifth books in the saga, but executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have confirmed that the new episodes in the show will diverge from the novels. It may be interesting to see the alternate paths that the television series takes, but these differences will no doubt be a source of anxiety for book readers who like knowing the plot in advance.

If the premiere is any indicator, the fifth season of “Game of Thrones” may be unlike anything viewers have ever seen before, increasing in scale and in original content. Only time, and more episodes, will tell if these changes will be a boon for overall plot development.

Rose’s dishes out classic take-out fair at reasonable prices, has inconsistencies

ROSE’S

continued from page 5

the burned tongue, is always worth it, though. For a slightly less scalding, but just as excellent option, the hot and sour soup packs the perfect punch. The soup is loaded with enough ginger to open up the most allergy clogged sinuses and features the perfect ratio of broth to tofu, along with other goodies like mushrooms and julienned ginger. Perhaps most impressive is Rose’s ability to get food delivered nearly as fast as they bring it out at the restaurant, with the food hardly a degree cooler than it would have been ordered at the counter.

The menu has the usual Chinese take-out classics and favorites: sweet

& sour chicken, lo mein, fried rice and whatever else might be found in a Jewish home during Christmas.

Unfortunately, though, Rose’s is incredibly, bafflingly, aggravatingly inconsistent. The same dish can be either wonderful or unpalatable depending on who happens to be in the kitchen. For example, on most nights, the chicken with broccoli ranges from good to great, but on one night it arrived as a pile of blanched chicken and vegetables sans sauce and seasoning, setting it squarely as one of the most disappointing dishes ever passed off as restaurant food. Other dishes, such as the beef with string beans, have been far more consistent.

The orange sesame chicken (usually two separate dishes, but at Rose’s

combined into one) is one of the standouts on the menu, and it has never deviated outside of its uppertier range. On the best nights, the orange sesame chicken is borderline heavenly: The juicy, succulent chicken is just barely coated in a scant layer of breading with a sweet and tangy sauce. The only place that can match Rose’s orange sesame chicken at its best is La Caridad in New York (a Cantonese-Cuban restaurant on the upper west side).

Everything is reasonably priced at Rose’s, although only combos come with rice. Portions are generous, too.

Even the sushi is cheap, undercutting Yoshi’s on price (sometimes cheap is too cheap, however, so patrons may be warned to err away from the

sushi menu). Diners should definitely expect a difficult time walking back up the Hill after a full helping of Rose’s — the best strategy may be to roll oneself back up to campus.

In the grand scheme of things, and compared to the other food options around campus, is Rose’s amazing?

No, but it sure beats other options for Chinese food near campus (if anything, it trounces Golden Light, which may be damning with faint praise).

Rose’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 3 p.m. through 11 p.m. on Sunday. You can find it at 321 Boston Ave, Medford Mass., 02155, right next to Helen’s.

Take-out orders from Rose’s can be placed via phone at (781) 395-8885, (781) 395-8882 or online.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

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THE TUFTS DAILY Drew Z. Robertson Editor-in-Chief

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Legalize marijuana, but don’t forget those left behind in drug war

This past Monday, many Tufts students were celebrating more than just Patriot’s Day and the Boston Marathon. April 20, or “4/20”, has been a national “holiday” for a range of marijuana smokers in the United States since the ’70s. This day, dedicated to the consumption of cannabis and its associated subcultures, draws national attention to the legality of marijuana in the United States every year. As these conversations about legalization become increasingly mainstream, however, it is essential that we take measures to address the racist legacy of the drug war and its lasting, destructive impact.

This year, arguably for the first time in American history, a repeal of federal marijuana prohibition is finally starting to look like an eventual possibility, and indeed an eventual inevitability.

Arguments for legalization have been taken up by extremely influential sources, including the Editorial Board of the New York Times.

More importantly, the tide of public opinion is slowly beginning to turn on this issue. According to surveys conducted this March by Pew Research Center, 53 percent of all Americans and 68 percent of millennials support the legalization of marijuana use. This change is being reflected in state legislation as well: Colorado, Washington, Oregon,

Alaska and the District of Columbia have “passed measures to legalize marijuana use,” 14 other states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana to varying extents and 23 states along with the District of Columbia currently allow for the medical use of marijuana.

Marijuana should be legalized on a national scale, and it is no longer foolishly optimistic to hope that this will happen within the coming decades.

Whether it be state-by-state or a federal law, the end is nearing for this second prohibition. The conversation surrounding legalization must be a nuanced one; these hard-fought battles are about so much more than simply allowing those over 21 to enjoy a recreational joint every once in a while. Legalization efforts should be focused primarily on righting the wrongs of the war on drugs, particularly those committed against black and Latino communities.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and many of these incarcerations are due to nonviolent drug charges (including marijuana law violations as basic as simple drug possession). Authorities disproportionately target people who are black and Latino to be punished for these crimes, even though “these groups use and sell drugs at similar rates as whites,” accord-

ing to the pro-reform group Drug Policy Alliance. To put it plainly, the current criminal status of marijuana is rooted in a racist system.

Unfortunately, legalization efforts in many states have largely ignored this fact, and those formerly convicted of marijuana offenses will have a difficult time getting these unfair charges expunged from their records. In fact, as news site Mic reports, the United States “is one of just 22 countries in the world that does not guarantee ‘retroactive ameliorative relief,’ or a relaxation of sentences, for those convicted of a crime for which punishments are later eased.”

What we have on our hands is a push for legalization, which will ultimately turn marijuana into a regulated industry that benefits the government, without any mechanism in place to attempt to make up for what has been done to people who have had their lives destroyed by these racist laws.

Sadly, though the gradual legalization of marijuana is something many of us are eager to celebrate, it will require a much greater effort to undo the deeply racist effects of its long-lasting criminalization.

Any discussion or attempt at legalization that does not address these crucial issues will be a woefully simplistic one and should not happen.

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Letter to the Editor

Leftism is the dangerous precedent

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to a Tufts Daily Editorial published on April 7, entitled “‘Feticide’ case sets dangerous precedent.”

I comment with respect on a difficult and complex, but very important topic. Whatever your ideas are on the appropriate definition of marriage, this Indiana issue is not about that. It’s about human and American freedom. Based on your ideas about religious freedom, your editorial board has absorbed well the most vibrant religious system in the world today: leftism. You’ve absorbed the anti-American, ill-liberal idea that discrimination is bad and equality is good. How un-self-aware you are. Tufts University powerfully discriminated against stupid people and accepted you in to study so our society can have the best chance of reaping excellence from your work. You were not treated equal to the stupid guy and should not have been. Those with intact American values understand good discrimination is wonderful. We understand equality was never a core American value except for the fact that in essence we are all equal in God’s eyes. We are wonderfully unequal in almost all other ways — good and bad folks, talented and untalented folks, motivated and lazy folks.

In your editorial, instead of embracing core basic American values like freedom of conscience and religion, you speak of Indiana’s law as “anti-LGBTQ legislation.” So lets see how this plays out in your “no discrimination” and “all is equal” world of values. Now, in a world that holds your view, an honest, hardworking, devout American Christian, Jew or Muslim who believes what all of humanity

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

has believed for millennia — that the best for children and society is to organize families around a single unit of a mother and father — will be highly discriminated against and be treated very unequally. He will be fined or jailed if he declines to participate in an event that celebrates what goes against his basic beliefs. The state will demand he enter the hall, walk in, carry his goods and participate in such celebration. Even though the couple getting married has the choice of many businessmen that will serve them, and even though the non-supporting business man will be a good, kind, moral American and serve any gay, Wiccan, leftist or Tea Party man or woman in his private store, you will still demand, still command, the state to coerce and threaten him if he does not comply. On that score, I also presume that if a family member of such a marrying couple declines to attend for religious reasons, then they too should be highly discriminated against, fined or jailed for their action. Right?

And by the way, I then also presume you will fine or jail the pro-abortion American. Let’s say there is a big pro-life convention. In the hall are splayed ultrasound videos playing our fellow human babies violently killed in high definition, 1080p resolution on 120-inch diameter flat screen TVs. In the hall are also large posters of the effects of such an abortion on a human child. I presume with your fine liberal progressive values you will also compel by force such a pro-abortion pizza maker to come inside, head up, smile on his face, set up and distribute their piping hot Neapolitan slices. Right?

Let’s summarize then. You are really not liberal, because you disdain freedom of reli-

gion and conscience. You are not against discrimination because you discriminate powerfully against people with whom you disagree and who claim legitimate fundamental rights to express themselves. All in all, you reject American values and embrace the control-loving and freedom-crushing values of leftism. Such values should be rejected for the sake of us all: all of our children growing in the womb or those that escape the abortionist knife outside the womb, all of our gay and straight and religious and non-religious Americans.

And by the way, as I presume you do not know, all of these laws just give standing in court for a man to argue his religious claims in front of an impartial judge. They do not give such claims carte-blanche effect. That standing I presume you wish crushed too.

You on the left will question why a man can come and be heard to defend his God given rights to religious freedom. Tyranny is in the DNA of leftism. That’s reason No. 16,567 why leftism is so destructive here in America. It’s why we now have about a million pages of federal laws governing every part of our lives.

And that’s what “hope” and “change” is all about, right?

Maybe check out the great Prager University five-minute videos on the web.

There are great scholars speaking about American versus leftist values.

—Avrum Hirsh Avrum Hirsh is a reader of the Daily and can be reached at avrumhirsh@gmail.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

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Op-Ed

Adam Kaminski | The Cool Column Op-Ed

Why I trust Tesser

by Gauri Seth

I would not and could not start this op-ed without addressing the elephant in the room. Yes, Brian Tesser is running unopposed. As a member of his campaign, the TCU Senate and our student body, this truly saddens me. However, the disappointment of an uncontested election should not undermine the incredible impact Brian will have on our school as TCU president. Despite the lack of opposition, Brian remains an extraordinary leader who will lead the TCU Senate and the student body it serves in the right direction. As his leadership will impact us all, it is important to take this election as an opportunity to know who your potential president is, what they care about and the capacity and dedication they have to making your voices heard.

I first met Brian Tesser on Sept. 19, 2013, the day I was elected to the TCU Senate. Since then, not only has Brian become a wonderful friend, but also a role model. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working alongside him in many different facets of Senate. His dedication to the TCU Senate and to this student body is nothing short of inspiring. His passion aside, Brian is highly qualified to do the job at hand. He served as the TCU parliamentarian his sophomore year, handling all matters pertaining to resolutions, Senate’s bylaws and the TCU Constitution. Brian also served as the Outreach Committee chair in the fall of his junior year. I have seen Brian’s connection to this student body shine through during his work in each of these positions.

Brian will also help us celebrate our successes as a student body. Even though it was over a year ago, I still clearly remember talking to Brian after our final meet-

ing of my first year. He made it a point to make sure to tell me and the other first-year students that he was proud of us for speaking up, voicing our opinions and working to better this student body.

It was a two-minute conversation that Brian probably doesn’t even remember, but it was a conversation that meant so much to me and the other first-year students on the body at that time. This is the kind of leadership that the TCU Senate needs — someone who can help us to strive to for excellence and encourage us to better this student body, while ensuring that people are applauded for their successes.

I was sitting down in the Campus Center on Saturday night talking to someone about Brian, and she said that the one reason Brian is so incredible is that he connects with so many people and works to support everyone. I really can’t stress how true this is. Anyone and everyone who’s friends with Brian knows he’ll always be there. That’s what this student body needs. Someone who truly cares and someone who will always be there for us.

One of Brian’s top priorities as TCU President is to increase transparency and further integrate the student body into the affairs of senate. Having served as the Outreach Chair of the TCU Senate, he is more than well equipped to do so. The TCU Senate is largely seen as a body that allocates funds to student group. While this is an integral function of the Senate, Brian recognizes that Senate also plays a key role in shaping the policies of this university and thus we must increase student participation if we wish to continue moving forward and serve the student body. Brian says it perfectly in his platform when he says, “All students should have a relevant stake in the issues preva-

lent on our campus, and all voices should be heard in the decision making process.”

Tufts, just like numerous universities all across the country, is facing serious issues around sexual assault on campus.

It is at the forefront of Brian’s agenda to address these problems. His belief that the culture surrounding sexual assault on our campus needs to be everyone’s problem, not just the problem of survivors, is the approach we need from our TCU president. We all must be concerned by the fact that yes, steps have been taken, but they do not go far enough.

Brian will give a voice to those hit the hardest by the housing crisis, caused by the new ordinance being put in place

by Somerville and the enforcement of the old housing ordinance, and make sure the administration hears those voices. Of course, what we need from our president is more than just making sure our voices are heard. They must also make sure that action is taken. I support Brian because he will do both of these things. He has concrete plans, such as creating an off-campus housing database, to take steps to solve this and many other issues.

So, when you see people walking around wearing Tesser for Tufts T-shirts today, stop us and ask us about Brian.

Ask us why we’re proud to wear that shirt even though he’s 3,410 miles away in Madrid. Ask us how Brian’s inclusive and loving energy has inspired us to do better work and be better people. Ask us how Brian’s inspiring leadership as TCU President can help us all make Tufts a better home.

Gauri Seth is a sophomore majoring in economics. Gauri can be reached at Gauri.

Seth@tufts.edu

OFF THE HILL | Oklahoma University

Can the Greek system play a role in eliminating racism?

by Edward Correia et. al.

The Oklahoma Daily

The recent incident with Sigma Alpha Epsilon involving the racist song sung by its members is a reminder not only of the continued existence of racism in America, but also of the particular racism that flows from the largely segregated living pattern of fraternities and sororities on American campuses. There are few data points available on diversity within the Greek system, but clearly many sororities and fraternities have few minority members. A 2010 study of eight mostly white Greek chapters on three East Coast campuses found that the average non-white membership was 3.8 percent. No doubt, the same or lower percentages can be found elsewhere.

The struggle to integrate the Greek system at Oklahoma University is a long-standing one. The undersigned were involved in an effort in 1967 to integrate Delta Tau Delta, a fraternity on the OU campus. At the time, by conventional standards, it was a very successful fraternity: high grade points, extensive participation in campus activities, successful intramural athletic teams and a generally high “desirability” rating within the university community. However, like every other fraternity and sorority at OU at the time, it was not racially integrated.

Because of the social and cultural forces at the time — it was the ’60s, after all — a group of us decided that it was the time to integrate our fraternity. We asked a black person who was in the President’s Leadership Class, Tony Gilkey from Pawhuska, Okla., to consider pledging. He had all the attributes of an outstanding pledge and future fraternity brother. He was a natural candidate, and he decided to go through rush.

The first problem was that, at that time, fraternity rules allowed a single person to veto any new member. The second prob-

lem was that the fraternity was on the verge of financing a new house and the alums, although they disclaimed any racist motive, said that pledging a black man would create such a financial risk that they could not guarantee financing for the new house.

We solved the first problem by changing the rules to allow 80 percent of the members to approve a new pledge. But the financing problem was harder. We took our case to the new president of OU, Herbert Holloman, who in turn asked the outgoing president, George Cross, for assistance.

Within a few days, Holloman reported to us that an Oklahoma City businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, would help us. If we pledged Tony — and if we needed it — the businessman would cosign the note for a new house, an obligation that would have exceeded a million dollars.

In the end, our fraternity failed to pledge Tony. After a heated meeting that lasted over three hours, the vote, by the almost 100 members, fell one vote short of approving him for membership. That was our failing, no one else’s. In protest, about 15 current and prospective members either resigned or declined membership in the local Norman chapter, the undersigned included. Our chapter president also raised this issue at the fraternity’s national convention in New York in 1968. It was to no avail. As a result, he also resigned and received several threatening phone calls.

That year, Tony pledged Delta Upsilon.

He went on to have an extremely successful professional and personal life as a radiologist and banker before passing far too early in 2003, at age 53. Thus, Delta Upsilon and Tony Gilkey broke the racial barrier in OU’s greek system — 10 years after President Cross, Bud Wilkinson and Prentice Gautt courageously broke the race barrier in football at OU. They all gracefully but forcefully refused to back down when anti-integra-

tion emotions and hateful actions were plentiful at OU and throughout Oklahoma.

The authors of this op-ed piece have never forgotten the support of an unknown businessperson and the OU administration.

That tradition lives on with the leadership of President David Boren, who has spoken out forcefully against the SAE’s racist conduct.

Today, things are better at OU. Delta Tau Delta has pledged several black members. Phi Delta Phi has black members and a black president. Other fraternities and sororities have also integrated, including Phi Delta Theta, OU’s fourth largest fraternity, which also has a black president and two other executive officers who are black. But the Greek system still is largely segregated.

The Greek system can play a role in moving our society forward toward tolerance and diversity. That role is to help the university to become a racially and culturally diverse and integrated institution. Why should this happen? The first reason is that for the few years of their undergraduate university experiences, the collective lives of racially mixed fraternity and sorority members would be infinitely richer if they can learn to live together and share their views and experiences. This learning experience will stay with them throughout their lives. The second reason is that this kind of diversity can be a much-needed model for the rest of the nation.

The Greek system is called “Greek” because classic Greek civilizations promoted the highest values — courage, honor, the willingness to sacrifice for others and the quest for knowledge. In theory, fraternities and sororities are founded on those ideals. What if more of today’s Greek organizations promoted the idea that people ought to relate to one another because of who they are (human beings), not because of their skin color or other divisive characteristics? That would be a contribution truly worthy of the classic Greek tradition.

Psy-ence

P

sychology is about as old as my greatgrandparents, experimenting with their emotions, upsetting their mothers and coming of age in the years preceding the turn of the 20th century. But whereas my great grandparents have long matured (and deceased), the field of psychology is neither mature nor deceased. One might accredit this to the insatiable drive to uncover the human mind, coupled with its inherent difficulty.

“Psychology Comes To Halt As Weary Researchers Say The Mind Cannot Possibly Study Itself,” reads one headline of a particularly reputable news source. Clue: it rhymes with “The Funyun.”

As satirical as the headline is, it’s actually not too far from the truth. The mind can’t really study itself … at least not scientifically, and at least not yet. Psychology exists on an ambiguous intersection between science and the humanities, and it is really a “pre-scientific” field. Or rather, to put it in perspective with other sciences (physics, astronomy, biology, etc.), it’s really “pre-Galileo.”

Dating back to the scientific revolution of the Renaissance, during which time Galileo Galilei transformed observational astronomy and physics, the “birth of modern science” is nearly 400 years old, making science the older, bully sibling of psychology. “Academia likes me better!” it might taunt, and with some truth, but what would an American Barnes & Noble be without a psychology and self-help section?

Although psychology adheres to the scientific method as it attempts to organize behaviors and the mind, skepticism, data, observations and experiments aren’t quite sufficient to categorize something as a science.

Components of “scientific thinking” can be applied to any subject (the “science of criminology,” for instance), but a scientific perspective doesn’t make a scientific subject.

Instead, science constitutes a systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world. Science boils down to universal laws that explain the physical and natural world. Psychology doesn’t, yet.

This isn’t to say, however, that psychology will never be worth more than a self help section — it is already.

The realm of psychology has a lot to teach us about our own species. Consider Steven Pinker, a linguist, evolutionary psychologist and academic celebrity who recently published a rather lengthy book entitled “The Better Angels of Our Nature.” In this book he explains that, all things considered, the human species has become increasingly civilized and non-violent throughout the 50,000 years of its existence. Although a controversial study not without criticism, he cites the number of state-based armed conflicts, the rate of deaths in genocide, the global homicide rate, the U.S. execution rate and the rate of forcible rape as figures that have all shown steady decline.

Behavioral science statistics are like measuring instruments, however; homicide statistics may give the homicide “temperature” in a particular place at a particular time, but to fully understand what these statistics mean, knowledge of neural circuits and other complexities (of molecules and of heat, to extend the analogy) is necessary. Pinker uses behavior to study humanity’s global trends. This might be akin to explaining climate change in terms of steady and exorbitant carbon dioxide emissions. It’s right, basically, but is it really scientific if you’re not talking about the ozone, about the atmosphere or about the molecular consequences of carbon dioxide emissions?

Noting interactions is not the same as illustrating causations.

Noam Chomsky, public intellectual number one, makes a similar point: “Any sort of principles that enable you to construct a rich theory on the basis of limited data, also is likely to limit the class of possible theories that you can attain,” he says. In other words, the deeper the wells of information, the more refreshing the theories will be. Psychology hasn’t by a long shot struck the bottom of its well, but it’s making progress.

Adam Kaminski is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at adam.kaminski@tufts.edu.

Op-ed Policy The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than noon on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

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ACROSS 1 Stick (out) 4 Chocolate syrup choice 9 Call to mind 14 Self-image 15 Chipmunk’s morsel 16 “America by Heart” author Sarah 17 Good name for a tree-lined street 18 Controversial coal-extraction process 20 Long gun 22 Really mad 23 __-Loompa: fictional chocolate factory worker 26 Bagpiper, often 27 Buy lots of presents for 33 “2001” computer 34 Cinematic shootout time 35 Monica of tennis 36 Allowed to ripen, as cheddar 38 Kind of card or drive 41 Senate slot 42 Rose (up) on hind legs, to a cowhand 44 Beat to a froth 46 Doctor’s org.

47 Wry wit 51 “¿Qué __?”

52 Jazz singer Krall 53 Curse-inflicting stare 56 Some Balkanites 59 Opera house section 62 Kit __: candy bar 63 Everglades wader 64 Pro basketball player, briefly 65 H-like letter 66 “Think again!”

67 Decent chaps 68 “Give __ thoughts no tongue”: “Hamlet”

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(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: WHEEL PERKY SOOTHE SONATA Answer: They would let her open her birthday gifts after everyone — WAS PRESENT

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Harrison, Allen lead Tufts at UMass Lowell WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD continued from back

ran well in the 800, as Smith took fourth in 2:16.98 (one of the fastest times of her career), and Gormer ran 2:19.47. Both seem to be in great shape, and will be a legitimate threat for some important points next weekend at NESCACs. In the 1,500, first-year Margot Rashba took sixth, winning her heat in a new personal best of 4:58.91, while sophomore Sophie Passacantando took eighth in 5:07.08. In the rarely run 3,000, sophomore Olivia Dehm, who has been having a great outdoor campaign, broke 11 minutes for the first time in her career, running 10:58.67. In the 3000-meter steeplechase, in which only Tufts athletes ran, sophomore Lindsay Atkeson just missed her personal record, taking the victory in 11:31.95. Skufca also set a per-

sonal best in the event, running 12:14.98 to qualify for Div. III New Englands.

“I was satisfied with my race,” Skufca said. “Although it wasn’t quite the day I wanted, it was good to get any final kinks out before championship season.”

In the field events, the women showed they were truly ready for NESCACs. Harrison came back in the high jump, crossing over the bar at 4’11”, and leaping 17’2.25” in the long jump, a new season best.

Sophomore Keren Hendel led the way in the pole vault, crossing the bar at 10’11.75” for fifth overall. In the triple jump, Tufts took second, third and fourth, as DeBari, senior Mary Ellen Caruso and firstyear Toluwa Akinyemi bounded out to marks of 34’4.75”, 34’2” and 33’9.25” respectively.

In the shot put, sophomore Bailey Conner led the

way, setting a new season best of 42’5.5”. First-year Jennifer Sherwill continued her domination in the discus, taking the victory in 114’9”. First-year Amylee Anyoha and Conner took first and second in the hammer throw, as Anyoha heaved the standard 135’10”, with Conner just an inch behind at 135’9”. Sherwill also competed in the javelin, taking sixth in 112’.

“The weather was absolutely perfect for throwing,” Anyoha said. “Although conditions were ideal, I wasn’t very pleased with how I did in the discus since it’s my favorite event.”

Tufts has a very formidable throws squad this year, with multiple first years stepping up and scoring key points at meets.

This group will be crucial to Tufts’ team effort at NESCACs, as they will be looking to score serious points.

Sam Gold | The Gold Standard “I think we all need to get out of our heads and just throw far next week.” Anyoha said.

“We’ve been drilling technique and form into our heads this entire season. Now, it’s just about pumping each other up and having strong desires to perform well.”

Next weekend, the women will travel to Williams College for the NESCAC Championships.

Williams is the heavy favorite, but with weather forecasts predicting rain and cold temperatures, anything can happen on meet day.

“As a team, the goal is to win,” Skufca said. “The NESCAC has some very solid teams but we as a team are definitely capable of performing at that level and have been working hard all season to do just that. Together, we will be putting our best foot forward and aiming for the highest results.”

Jumbos compete in one last meet before NESCACs MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD continued from back

people just had to accept it. Just because the times weren’t great because of the weather doesn’t mean we didn’t run well.”

Though the forecast isn’t looking great for the NESCAC Championships this weekend, the team has had more than enough practice with the wind and is looking forward to giving it their all.

The most impressive performance of the weekend didn’t take place with the rest of the team, as NCAA Div. III indoor 800 champion, junior Mitch Black, traveled to compete in the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton. There he competed in the 800-meter run, in which he ran 1:50.00 for both a new school record and the top time among Div. III athletes this spring. He placed 11th out of 98 competitors, finishing ahead of all Div. II and Div. III runners in the event.

As many look forward to the postseason, Adams looked back on the season as a whole, and how much the team has grown this year.

“Coming off of indoors, we weren’t doing as well as we’d hoped as a team,” Adams

Annie Levine / The Tufts Daily

The Jumbos had four top-seven finishers in the 3000-meter steeplechase on Saturday. explained. “The focus is always to win NESCACs in the spring, but more importantly, we wanted to be a whole team and support each other during the outdoor session, and I think we improved a lot this year.”

For many team members, the NESCAC Championships next week are the moment they have been working toward all season.

“We’re all looking forward to the championship,” McLaughlin said. “It’s not going

Jumbos face tough battle on, off water MEN’S CREW

continued from back

race against Middlebury on Saturday on the Malden River marked the first time Wanner coached against the team he used to helm.

Now with Tufts, Wanner has definitively won over the rowers.

“I feel the biggest improvement is the tenacity [with] which we approached winter training and the improvement the coaching staff has had on our technique,” junior tri-captain Jonathan Lapadula said.

“There has been a definite change in how people approach each practice.”

Without first-year Andrew MacMillen, sophomore Doug Burt and senior tri-captain Peter Estes in the first boat, the reshuffled lineup came just seven seconds shy of pulling off the victory.

The Jumbos’ time of 6:05.1 was just seven hundredths of a second off their time from last week when they took down the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Tufts would not end the day empty hand-

ed; despite losing the varsity four-man race 7:00.27:03.00, the second varsity boat had the largest victory of the day for a varsity boat, defeating its Middlebury counterpart 6:29.9-6:39.6 to take the program’s lone win.

With Sunday’s race signaling the end of the regular season, all sights are turned to New Englands.

The Jumbos will be off next week, and although they will surely enjoy Kesha’s presence on campus, the emphasis is on putting on

to be an easy day — the weather isn’t looking great — but this is what we’ve been preparing for. The consistent practice and consistent training we’ve had this season [are] really going to help us next weekend.”

the best performance as the races get bigger.

So far, this season has proved to be enigmatic, with no team in the field dominating the rest of the competition.

“We are in a better position than we have [been] for longer than people can remember,” Danielowitz said. “[This season’s] results don’t really make sense, so it’s really interesting since everyone is really close; this wasn’t always true in the past. We are going to be in the running for the top spots in New England.”

A fitting finale

N

assau Coliseum might look on the verge of being condemned, but the New York Islanders are still alive — and kicking.

First, it was a proposed rehabilitation project that never got off the ground, then the specter of a cross-country resettlement in Kansas City. For the past decade, Islanders fans have become experts in disappointment.

Their owner, Charles Wang, has been at once stingy and profligate, scrimping on muchneeded talent while green-lighting obscene contract extensions (we haven’t forgotten you, Rick DiPietro). It was this miasma, which stuck to the franchise like glue, that spawned the idea of relocation, and, on the part of some especially colorful fans, suicide.

After an acrimonious debate pitting public officials, team officials, Nassau County constituents and Islanders fans all against each other, it was decided that the Islanders would relocate to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the 2015-16 season. Fans, many of whom hail from the boonies out in Suffolk County, were despondent, unable to block the move.

Yet they sublimated their anger and sadness and frustration into feverish, wholehearted support for their soon-to-be uprooted team, and in doing so they jelled into the most boisterous cheering section the Coliseum has seen in years. So says John Tavares, anyway. “[Nick] Leddy a shot … oh … directed on goal … SCORE! TAVARES!” That was the brainchild of discombobulated play-by-play announcer Howie Rose, his eyes trailing the puck as it pinballed every which way before finding the net. Not that he should have expected things to unfold that way, or called it coherently — the goal came just 15 seconds into overtime. Tavares, a former No. 1 draft pick and current team captain, let his momentum carry him past the goal, where he swerved left toward the arcing section of the boards, cathartically cocking and pumping his fist. His teammates mobbed him. The Coliseum was delirious.

Not since Shawn Bates beat Curtis Joseph stick-side in a shootout in the 2001-02 playoffs has the Coliseum rocked like that.

I should know — I was there. To this day, it is the single greatest sporting event I’ve ever attended. A tense quietude hung in the air for the split-second after the puck whizzed past CuJo, then, as if on cue, Bates’ teammates dogpiled on top of him at center ice while we all went ballistic. I was eight years old.

The significance of Tavares’ goal — the build-up, the execution, the revelation, the raucous celebration — cannot be overstated, though Tavares himself, a whiz both on and off the puck, is as understated a star as you’ll find in all of sports. It sealed the game, which the Islanders almost lost after dominating virtually the whole way. They are now up two-games-toone against the Washington Capitals, poised to proceed to the conference semi-finals, something they haven’t done since the 1992-93 season. In fact, the Islanders have failed to make it beyond the first round in their last six playoff appearances, spanning more than 20 years.

This is heady stuff. The Islanders are led by a cadre of young talent — Tavares and compatriot Ryan Strome, Nick Leddy and Brock Nelson, to name a few — with room to grow. To be sure, they are underdogs this postseason; however, even if they don’t make it to the promised land this go-round, the future looks bright.

The future looks bright. As I write these words, I’m chuckling to myself; we’re talking about the Islanders after all. But it’s true: In their final season at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders will have gone out with a bang.

Brooklyn will be different — hipsters, better food, a turf war with the Rangers, not Uniondale. Despite all its aesthetic deficiencies, the Coliseum is festooned above center ice with banners denoting a proud and storied history. Here’s hoping the Barclays Center bears witness, too.

Sam Gold is a senior majoring in religion. He can be reached at samuel_l.gold@tufts.edu.

Sports

16

tuftsdaily.com

Crew

Tufts has two weeks to prepare for New Englands

by Ross Dember

Executive Sports Editor

The men’s crew team entered the weekend on a bit of a hot streak. Seeing the results of new coach Noel Wanner’s training in action, the team won three of its first four races and looked to be coming into form on the water.

There proved to be one opponent that was still able to make a dent to the program. The stomach virus that has spread throughout the campus hit the Jumbos hard, sidelining three first-boat rowers for Saturday’s loss to the Middlebury Panthers and weakening them for a third-place finish in a seven-team race on Sunday.

Regardless of the finish, the team showed an impressive ability to adapt to last-minute changes in personnel.

“Our first and second boats have both been coached very similarly, so it was very easy to substitute guys into the first boat,” senior tri-captain Krzysztof Danielowitz said. “It was a little rough, but overall, it went pretty well.”

In the seven-team race on Sunday, Tufts (6:07.56) fell behind winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute (6:03.5) and second-place finisher Washington College (6:05.51). The loss to the WPI Engineers was the toughest result of the day. With the victory, WPI took the Baker Cup for the 10th straight year.

This was the first time the Jumbos were competing away from their home course on the Malden River in the spring. Racing for the first time all year on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., the team got a glimpse at the

Courtesy Anna Lindgren-Streicher

Tufts, shown here in its race against Amherst last week, had its last race of the season on the Malden River this weekend. course it will compete on for the New England Championship in two weeks.

“At the Malden River, we have this little advantage in knowing all the turns, and mentally, it is easier since you know the course markers,” Danielowitz said. “At Worcester,

we don’t have that, and it was the first time this season racing when it’s just a straight route.”

There were two other varsity races on the day. The second boat also lost to both WPI and Washington College, while the third came in second between the two teams.

Track and Field

WPI swept all three of the varsity races.

Despite the WPI-Tufts rivalry for the Baker Cup headlining the weekend, the day before featured a matchup between two teams with a new strong bond. The see MEN’S CREW, page 15

Track and Field

Throwers could prove to be key Jumbos one week away from NESCAC at NESCACs Championships

by Chris Warren Sports Editor

As a final tuneup for next weekend’s NESCAC Championships, the women’s track and field team competed in a small trimeet against Dartmouth College and UMass Lowell at the George Davis Invitational, held at UMass Lowell on Saturday. The meet was unscored, but Tufts, led by its sprinters, impressed nonetheless.

Junior Marilyn Allen improved her personal best in the 100-meter hurdles to 14.43 seconds and took first place in the event. Her time places her sixth overall nationally and is likely to get her to Div.

III Nationals later in the season.

She also managed a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, setting a personal record by running 64.00 seconds, good enough for 24th nationally.

Her classmate, Alexis Harrison, is rounding into late-season form very well, as she set a season best in the 100-meter dash by running 12.35 seconds for second place.

In other sprint action, senior Christina Harvey nabbed a season best in the 100, running 12.78 seconds for seventh place overall. First-year Annalisa DeBari also demonstrated late season improvement in the 100-meter hurdles, setting a new college per-

sonal record of 15.64 seconds. Her classmate, Julia Prusaczyk, took seventh in the 400-meter hurdles, running 67.98 seconds. Earlier in the day, the 4×100-meter team of Allen, DeBari, Harvey and Harrison teamed up to run 48.92 seconds.

“Alexis [Harrison] had a great day, as did Marilyn [Allen],” first-year Danielle Skufca said.

“Many others also had great days as well.”

On the distance side, the women impressed as well. Junior Sydney Smith and senior Lauren Gormer see WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, page 15

Matthew Schreiber / Tufts Daily

Lindsay Atkeson, pictured here in an indoor meet from last year, won the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday.

by Eddie Samuels Daily Staff Writer

This week marked the last meet of the regular season for the men’s track and field team, as most of the team traveled to UMass Lowell to compete in the annual George Davis Invitational.

It also was the last week for team members to qualify for the NESCAC Championships.

The Jumbos impressed the most on the field, as the team earned a handful of strong performances.

Senior co-captain Brian Williamson continued his string of strong performances as he placed fourth in the hammer throw with his best throw of the season (165’ 1”), and third in the shot-put (49’ 5”), while sophomore Tom Wang claimed fourth in high jump, clearing 5’ 10.50”.

In the long jump, junior Bryson Hoover-Hankerson notched the only first-place finish for the Jumbos with his jump of 21’ 1.25”. He was followed by senior Allan Yau (20’ 6.50”) and junior Alex Karys (20’ 4.25”), both multi-event athletes, in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Yau and Karys also tied for second in the pole vault, as both cleared 11’ 5.75”. First-year Stefan Duvivier, a basketball transplant who has made a phenomenal impact this outdoor season, leapt 42’ in the triple jump.

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, first-year Ty Enos (10:04.14), sophomore Bobby McLaughlin (10:19.07), junior Nick Adams (10:23.76) and senior Joe Poupard (10:37.12) finished second, third, fourth and fifth respectively.

In the 4×400-meter relay, juniors Francis Goins and Alex Kasemir, sophomore Nick Usoff and first-year Andrew Dimaiti claimed first place with a time of 3:23.90.

Dimaiti also took second place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.37.

In the 800-meter run, junior Alex Apostolides (1:57.72), senior Alex Sheltzer (1:57.92) and first-year Peter McCawley (1:58.67) took fifth, sixth and seventh respectively. All had their best 800 races of the season.

The story for much of this season has been the weather. The cold, snow and wind have made it difficult for the Jumbos to put up their best times while trying to qualify for the postseason, but this weekend was a fortunate break from the dismal weather that has plagued the year thus far.

“You could tell that people were frustrated,” Adams said. “It was so windy that it was difficult to move on the stretch, but over time see MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, page 15