THE TUFTS DAILY
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TUFTSDAILY.COM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009
VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 36
Senior Club Life’s Halloween event marked by less rowdy behavior
Political science dept. settles into new home
BY SAUMYA VAISHAMPAYAN
BY
BRENT YARNELL
Daily Editorial Board
Contributing Writer
A student-run Halloween event for seniors ran smoothly on Wednesday, with few instances of the excessively drunken behavior that marked the semester’s inaugural Senior Pub Night. Halloween Club Night, held at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub in Quincy Market, boasted a larger venue, free gifts and more security personnel, all methods employed by its organizers to decrease the focus on alcohol consumption. “The Class of 2010 has proved that we can have alcohol and have a good time,” said senior Raoul Alwani, one of the event’s coordinators. “It proves that you can have alcohol at events with many people together.” Alwani and fellow senior Kevin Wong created the group Senior Club Life and organized its first event after the Tufts administration threatened to put Senior Pub Nights on hold in response to rowdy, drunken behavior at the semester’s first pub night in September. After Alwani and Wong announced their event, the university decided definitively not to host the initially scheduled Halloween pub night. A combination of clear guidelines and stricter security led to the smooth operation of the event, according to Wong. “We outlined firm policies so that people understood that there are rules, even if they are implicit to some degree,” Wong said. “There cannot be an antagonistic relationship between the organizers and attendees.” To further prevent overly intoxicated behavior, Wednesday’s Halloween Club Night had a security detail on the buses and at the club. Two trained security professionals accompanied each bus to and from Tufts, and Ned Devine’s staff was careful when admitting students.
A crowd of political science enthusiasts, including students, faculty and alumni, gathered outside Packard Hall Friday evening to witness its official re-opening as the new headquarters of the Department of Political Science. The ceremony, hosted by the Department of Political Science and the Office of Alumni Relations, included remarks by University President Lawrence Bacow, University Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha and Political Science Department Chair Robert Devigne.
ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY
Halloween Club Night, held last Wednesday at Ned Devine’s bar and club in Boston for seniors, had few reported cases of excessive drunkenness. “We wanted to attack the problem from different points,” Wong said. Alwani and Wong organized the Halloween event independently of the Senior Class Council, the body that organizes Senior Pub Night. They sold 600 tickets online before the event, and Alwani estimated that the event nearly reached full capacity. The difference in student behavior at Halloween Club Night may be attributed to the uncertain future of Senior Pub Night. The Senior Class Council and the Office of Student Affairs have yet to reach a decision about pub night, according to Wong and Alwani. “The main difference was that a lot of seniors [taking part] in [Wednesday’s event] knew how to behave,” senior Jose Soto said. “I didn’t see that many people drunk in the line outside or escorted out this time, as I did in [Senior Pub Night].”
Alwani and Wong offered a number of benefits to decrease the emphasis on alcohol, including a package of discounts for students to enjoy before Senior Club Night. By showing their tickets, students could receive discounts on purchases from the Garment District and Boston Costume and on dinner from Dick’s Last Resort in Quincy Market, as well as free appetizers from some of the smaller bars in the area. “We wanted to make it a holistic event,” Alwani said. “It shouldn’t just be about transporting people to and from the event. This is to emphasize an evening of activity, as opposed to [an evening of] just drinking.” Complimentary water, candy and pizza were also available on the bus ride back to Tufts. Wong agreed that they offered the additional benefits to provide seniors with not a replacement for but altersee SENIOR NIGHT, page 2
Where You Read It First Est. 1980
“The gods are shining on Tufts, they are shining on Packard Hall, and they are certainly shining on the political science department,” Devigne said in his opening remarks. Packard Hall, built in 1856 as the university’s first dormitory, underwent extensive renovations last year at a total cost of $7.1 million. The Political Science department moved to Packard Hall from its old offices in Eaton Hall early this summer, a transfer that many believe better accommodates the department. “We really did need this space,” Political Science Lecturer see PACKARD, page 2
Fulbright Program applications increase among Tufts students BY
MARTHA SHANAHAN Contributing Writer
Tufts ranked as one of the top producers of Fulbright students among research institutions nationwide this year, reflecting a larger trend of increased interest in the selective international exchange program as students react to an uncertain job market and increased interest in international issues. The Fulbright Program awarded scholarships to eight Tufts students from 47 applications, ranking Tufts as No. 35 among national research institutions, according to an October report in The Chronicle of Higher Education. This year’s numbers reveal a growing interest among Tufts students in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, which offers funding for American graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals to
teach or conduct research abroad for up to a year. It is one category of the Fulbright Program, an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Approximately 1,500 American students receive Fulbright awards each year. “Our applicant pool has increased dramatically in the last three years,” said Laura Doane, Tufts’ program director of advising and scholarship. The official number of recipients does not include two students who applied through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program and were denied grants but received funding from the governments of their countries of interest, according to Doane. Tufts has consistently maintained a “per capita success rate [that] is relatively high” for a school of its size and applicant see FULBRIGHT, page 2
At block party, Greeks reach out to greater student body BY
ELLEN KAN
Daily Editorial Board
The Inter-Greek Council hosted its annual Greek block party on Friday afternoon in an effort to offer the student body an opportunity to interact with Tufts’ sororities and fraternities. Members of various fraternity and sorority houses set up booths and activities along Professors Row. This year’s fall-themed party featured activities such as pumpkin carving hosted by Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity (SigEp) and wing-eating contests organized by the brothers of Delta Tau Delta (DTD). Sophomore Nathan Beaton, a brother in DTD, lauded the event for facilitating interaction between the Greek community and students. “It’s really nice to see the greater Tufts community interact with the Greek community in such a positive way,” Beaton said. Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) brother David Cohen, a junior, agreed that the block party was a beneficial setting in which to promote the Greek community’s image. “It opens up
the Greek community to everyone else,” Cohen said. “The Greek community is not just about parties.” Greek members treated attendees to a wide variety of free food. The brothers of Delta Upsilon (DU) grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, while the sisters of Chi Omega and Alpha Phi offered caramel apples and frozen yogurt, respectively. Junior Alex Ross, president of DU, felt that the event went well and noticed an increase in interest among the student body compared to that generated by last year’s block party. “Last year was successful and it is more successful this year; there are more people,” Ross said. “It’s a chance to give back to the community, the neighborhood and students who support us.” Zeta Psi brother Tyler Krizan felt that the event was key to boosting the Greek community’s presence and standing on campus. “It helps make the Greek system more of a big deal at Tufts,” Krizan, a senior, said. “The school tends to have a negative attitude [toward] the Greek system; it is not men-
Inside this issue
JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY
Tufts’ fraternities and sororities hosted their annual Greek block party on Friday afternoon. tioned in tours and is downplayed.” The block party also provided an opportunity for members of the different Greek houses to come together and interact. “It promotes Greek unity. It’s fun to see all the fraternities and sororities mixing and play-
ing each other’s games,” sophomore Lizzie Sager, a sister in Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), said. Brionna Jimerson, a freshman, apprecisee BLOCK PARTY, page 2
Today’s Sections
The Concords told you they were freaky, but did they warn you their latest release is mediocre?
Tufts’ field hockey team’s offense whipped Wesleyan 2-0 in a playoff game on Bello Field last weekend.
see ARTS, page 5
see SPORTS, back page
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