Spring 2013 - Issue 4 by Tufts Observer

TUFTS OBSERVER

March 25th, 2013

VOLUME CXXVI, issue 4

breaking a military glass ceiling ( pag e 6 )

making memories a mile at a time ( pag e 2 4 )

, a cancer survivor s anti-a.c.s. stance ( pag e 2 6 )

2 hapinyc

Will Vaughan

BERNITA LING

Courtesy of K.FLay

MISAKO ONO

bianca Mase

Socially fit by FloWen

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T WORRY, BE HAPI by Nader Salass

K. FLAY by Aaron Langerman

HIT LIST by Lilly Fisher

Charity in the name of Luxury by Leah Muskin-Pierret

The Observer has been Tuftsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; student publication of record since 1895. Our dedication to in-depth reporting, journalistic innovation, and honest dialogue has remained intact for over a century. Today, we offer insightful news analysis, cogent and diverse opinion pieces, creative writing, and lively reviews of current arts, entertainment, and culture. Through poignant writing and artistic elegance, we aim to entertain, inform, and above all challenge the Tufts community to effect positive change.

Editors editor-in-chief Anna Burgess managing editor Kyle Carnes

March 25th, 2013 Volume CXXVI, Issue 4 Tufts Observer, since 1895 Tufts’ Student Magazine

production director Ben Kurland

Table oF contents

section editors Eric Archibald Aaron Langerman Ellen Mayer Claire McCartney Gracie McKenzie Molly Mirhashem Kumar Ramanathan Angelina Rotman David Schwartz Evan Tarantino Megan Wasson

Socially Fit by Flo Wen 2 feature campus In Spring by Aaron Langerman & Gracie McKenzie 5 Tufts Up In Arms by Moira Lavelle 6 news Don’t Worry, Be HaPI: The Future of Stress Management by Nader Salass 8 news & culture K. Flay by Aaron Langerman 10 arts & prose Red by Alex Flores 12 poetry inset Pills 13 photo & prose Hit List by Lilly Fisher 17 poetry & culture Come Real Close by Gene Buonaccorsi 18 arts Charity In the Lap of Luxury by Leah Muskin-Pierret 20 opinion Watching Your Health by Justin Kim 22 opinion Going the Extra Mile by Claire McCartney 24 campus Why This Cancer Survivor Won’t Relay for Life by Stephen Goeman 26 opinion blotter Police Blotter by David Schwartz & Flo Wen 28 police

publicity director Lenea Sims photography director Bernita Ling photography editor Misako Ono art director Flo Wen lead artists Izzie Gall Robert Collins design assistants Moira Lavelle Angie Lou copy editors Liana Abbott Anastasia Mok Sarah Perlman Isobel Redelmeier Josh Sennett staff writers Justin Kim Alison Pinkerton Nader Salass editor emeritus David Schwartz

Contributors Anna Kelly CJ Ghanny Donald Melegey Gene Buonaccorsi

COVER BY: Robert Collins

Griffin Quasebarth Madeline Hall Yuki Tanimoto Bianca Mase

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SociallyFit SociallyFit yFit SociallyFit Socia ciallyFit SociallyFit So SociallyFit SociallyFit yFit SociallyFit Socia ciallyFit SociallyFit So SociallyFit SociallyFit yFit SociallyFit Socia ciallyFit SociallyFit So SociallyFit SociallyFit yFit SociallyFit Socia 12

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besity rates in the U.S. continue to skyrocket; more than a third of Americans are considered clinically obese, and our national waistline keeps on growing. But with these statistics come nationwide changes in fitness trends—perhaps the only positive result of the highest obesity rate we’ve seen yet. More and more people are dedicating their lives to physical fitness education; at the rate we’re going, the number of American fitness instructors and trainers is expected to increase by 24% in the next decade. Gyms, fitness centers, and health clubs are popping up across the country, becoming more prevalent than they’ve ever been. As well as hitting the gym more, American adults are consuming fewer calories. In the last ten years, the average number of calories consumed by Americans has decreased by 74, a 3% drop. This calorie decrease is mostly likely due to a greater national awareness of detrimental sugars and fats. Of course, we cannot generalize a standard fitness trend in a country whose health is somewhat dependent on income and poverty levels. Although wage disparities seem to be closing with time, annual income is inversely related to obesity rates and BMI.:the lower the wages, the higher the chances of becoming obese. In any case, our country seems to be working towards a fitter and healthier lifestyle. Through multi-media advertisements, global campaigns—such as Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move!—and whatever else is catching our attention, increased awareness is doing the trick; we’re fat, but we’re doing something about it. Or trying. It seems that our new outlook on healthy lifestyles is a result of something greater than health awareness alone. Are “healthy lifestyles” becoming “normal lifestyles”—the only ones accepted by our evolving society—at least by those who can afford it? Nowadays, it’s more than simply feeling in shape and looking fit to others. The fitness culture is one that relies on the process as much as it does on the ending result: going to the gym with the squad, sporting the newly trending apparel, eating the same vitamin K-rich greens as fellow dinner-goers. In other words, being physically fit is the primary incentive for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but social fitness adds another layer to the motivation behind stepping on the treadmill. It’s no secret that health-obsessed Americans have been financially fueling the fitness and weight loss industries for quite some time. The weight loss market is expected to reach a 66 billion dollar value this year—a number that is probably based more on consumerism

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Fit SociallyFit SocialallyFit SociallyFit SoociallyFit SociallyFit it SociallyFit SocialallyFit SociallyFit SoociallyFit SociallyFit it SociallyFit SocialallyFit SociallyFit SoociallyFit SociallyFit it SociallyFit SocialallyFit SociallyFit Sothan anything else. The industries call for a social investment in the process of becoming fit, and our society obliges. These social motivations extend further than financially, though. Remember those yellow bracelets that everyone had when we were about 10-yearsold? Sold for one dollar each, Livestrong wristbands were created in 2004 as fundraising items for the Lance Armstrong foundation. They put money towards a good cause, they represented a healthy lifestyle maintained by Armstrong himself, and they were cool to wear. The wristband started as a singular design, but alongside its success grew into a multi-million dollar franchise; the bracelet is now sold in several colors and has inspired knock-offs that are completely unrelated to the foundation. A decade later, we have athletic wristbands—such as the Power Balance bracelets—that have become similarly successful. Power Balance bands might simply be a fad with some arguable physical benefits, but we like them anyway. Whether they are sold as fundraising items or “balance enhancers,” the bracelets ultimately manifest their owners’ association with physical fitness: an indication of being fit, in some sense. Along the same vein are fitness brands such as Nike, Under Armour, and Lululemon. As well as selling rather standard work out clothing for a high price – take any pair of Lululemon leggings— companies such as Nike are incorporating elements of social media into their repertoires. With Nike’s new product, Nike+ FuelBand, users can keep track of how much physical exercise they exert in a day. The band uses an accelerometer to measure movement in “NikeFuel;” users can set daily NikeFuel goals and track their progress using the FuelBand app. On the Nike website, the sell of the product is its “Connect and Go” feature: “See your activity history, stay motivated, and connect with your friends.” The app is linked to Facebook, so users can post how many miles they ran that day to their profiles. Here, “stay[ing] motivated” relies on where users fall on the social media map. Daily exercise inevitably becomes a statement about how fit you are, and how much NikeFuel you exerted in a single day. These consumer products all fall under the same category of social fitness, each fueling a socially approved lifestyle through an association with physical health. Through a narrower lens, Tufts University students are embracing the country’s trend towards a physically fitter standard. Of course, our highly affluent, liberal campus is not an ideal sample pool for national health or fitness. At Tufts, though, the social culture of being in shape takes on a unique persona. A college campus is ultimately a high concentration of young, active, easily-influenced MARCH 25, 2013

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beings in an isolated community. Thus, we tend not to rely on outside sources such as pricey health clubs or Whole Foods Markets to maintain our health—neither physically nor socially. Instead, we rely on each other. Surrounded by our peers at all hours of the day, we naturally influence each other’s food selections, clothing styles, work out choices, sleeping habits, etc. Due to an inevitable social influence on our lifestyle choices, are young college students such as ourselves fundamentally changing fitness in America? We exercise amongst our peers, we sleep amongst our peers, and, of course, we eat amongst our peers. Especially for freshmen and sophomores—the lucky ones who only need a swipe to eat—most meals become social events. Dining at Dewick is as much a time to impress as any other, as far as a Tufts freshman is concerned. Any two people across the dining hall table are united by the food that lies between them. Thus, decisions about what to put on those plates might very well vary according to the relationship between meal-goers. “Social eating has a huge impact on the choices students make in the dining halls,” said student manager at Carmichael dining center Paige Lucas. “It’s like anything in life; it’s usually easier to go along with what others are doing.” Of course, students might not think twice about the foods they’re eating amongst good friends. But how many students want to be the only one without something green in front of his or her plate? “There is definitely a big health culture at Tufts, and it shows in the dining halls,” said Lucas. “I see kids taking vegetables and salads all the time.” That’s exactly what it is: the ability to see our peers making the choices that ultimately characterize the way they are living. The fishbowl that is college—especially during its early years— inevitably affects the nature of the decisions as basic as what to have for lunch. Sweaty faces and swinging ponytails are ubiquitous across the Tufts campus on any given day. Now more than ever, the Tufts campus is crawling with gym-rats . The fall opening of the new gym, The Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, has undeniably ignited students’ motivation to hit the gym more. There has been a recent increase of participation in the health programs offered by

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the fitness center. One such program is Tufts Personalized Performance Program (TP3), created to strengthen the awareness of health and fitness on campus. The program offers one-on-one training sessions to students and faculty by undergraduate and postgraduate trainers. The program was implemented long before the new gym opened, but it has recently been soaring with popularity— for both trainers and clients. The “waiting list” to meet with the trainers gets longer as more people sign up to participate, creating a need for more trainers. According to sophomore Abigail Cohen, a trainer for TP3, more and more students become interested in the program when they have friends who are TP3 trainers. “It’s through a social circle that people hear about the program,” Cohen said, “and I think that social circle is only going to grow. When I applied as a freshman, none of my friends knew about it. Now, everyone knows about the program and wants to become a trainer.” This “social circle” is one that is expanding beyond the TP3 program. The gym is a social circle of its own, a hub of some of the fittest students at the university. According to Dan Kopcso, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and manager of TP3, the busiest times at the gym are the middle of the afternoon and the early evening. During those times, the lines are longer for the machines, but the space is filled to the brim with familiar athletes and gym-goers. They might not be your friends, but they see you every day at the next bench over; the relationship creates a camaraderie unique to the gym culture. And, during the period of interim between treadmill and elliptical, there’s even a moment to catch up—to socialize, to be in the same boat of being momentarily denied the ability to exercise. Kopcso noted clothing trends he’s seen in recent years at the gym: “The major trends in apparel are the lack of cotton tees which have been replaced by ‘tech tees’ and the appearance in the last year of fluorescence.” Kopcso alludes to the neon colors speckling the gym, vibrant shades of yellow and blue that dominate its dress

code. This eye-catching apparel has always been loosely associated with exercise (we can thank the 80s for that). The vibrant work out gear is visually bold, standing out in a sea of brown and blue sweatshirts. It makes an overt statement: I’m going to the gym! Gym clothes scream gym, and gym screams fitness. Our clothing choices on campus work like our NikeFuel trackers on

A college campus is ultimately a high concentration of young, active, easily-influenced beings in an isolated community. Facebook—publically and loudly identifying us as physically fit human beings. Ultimately, students want to appear to be making healthy choices as well as actually making those choices. They want to fully embrace the lifestyle that is becoming a societal norm. The social implications of maintaining healthy lifestyles do wonders for individual motivation, especially in a small community such as Tufts. There is no denying that our relationships with our peers drive us in a way that nothing else can. But being recognized for maintaining a healthy way of life detracts nothing from the lifestyle itself—especially when that recognition fuels the fire to keep going. But relying so heavily on each other to influence our lifestyles comes with consequences; we begin to solidify our social circles even further through common activity and common lifestyle. On a national level, judgments of those who aren’t physically fit increase as the country becomes more health conscious. In a concentrated community like Tufts, differences in lifestyle are highlighted by the close quarters in which we live; those disparities manifest themselves in the dining halls, at the gym, at parties on the weekends. As much as health and fitness unite our community, they inevitably divide the student body both physically and socially. Our health habits are heading in a productive direction, but keeping our minds open to a variety of lifestyles is the healthiest of tendencies in our microcosm.

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TUFTS in SPRING Aaron Langerman & Gracie McKenzie

For months, Tufts students have endured the cold. This winter kept us shivering in our rooms, occasionally venturing out to trudge through the snow to classes. But with the end of the sub-30 degree days drawing near, there’s a sense of excitement in the air about the possibilities of spring on campus. The coming months will bring fewer layers of clothing and countless hours of chilling on the Prez Lawn—especially on a certain day in mid-April. There may still be a terrifyingly slick layer of black ice around campus, but the Observer staff is getting excited about spring. O

Jumbo Fun.

I Like Bikes.

NQR may be outlawed, but that hasn’t stopped Tufts kids from, well, being Tufts kids. School-sanctioned nudity is no longer an option but that’s only one way of expressing school spirit. It may surprise you to discover that we are a collegiate institution with athletics to support, and their spring games/matches/tournaments are an excuse to spend even more time outside. But if sports aren’t really your scene, there are concerts and plays to attend, an art gallery to explore, and, above all, a crafts center to make your domain. Find the hidden secrets of Tufts’ campus—they’re out there, we promise.

With the snow melting, it’s time to stop relying on the bike machines in Tisch Sports Center and start heading to the library for your athletics. As of February 21, Tufts Bikes is once again providing bikes to rent for free at Tisch. Cycle around campus, or fill your basket at Shaw’s, or even venture down the Charles River—the opportunities are endless. As their website explains, “Cycling is a perfect way for students to explore the community, meet their transportation needs, reduce their environmental impact, and enjoy an opportunity for fun and healthy exercise.” All this, for free: What’s not to love?

Don’t Stop the Music.

Sporting Life.

Clearly Nelly, Yeasayer, and 5 And A Dime coming to the Hill for Spring Fling will be a highlight of the season. Who doesn’t love day drinking and jams like “Hot in Herre”? Beyond that, upcoming concerts on campus include Battle of the Bands. But many of Boston’s 51 other colleges host annual spring concerts, some of which are definitely worth crashing. We’re not disclosing where we’ll be heading undercover, but we encourage you to do some research. Finally, while we may be out in the ‘burbs, Boston’s music scene is just a T ride away.

Intramural sports are a great way for anybody to get a group of friends organized and motivated to play outside together. For spring, the available intramural sports are 3-on-3 basketball, dodgeball, lacrosse, and indoor soccer. Find easy to follow instructions for sign up at gotuftsjumbos.com. In addition, after a successful fall season, the Quidditch team is bringing its own student-run intramural program back. If you’re looking for a way to play sports but don’t want the huge commitment that being a varsity athlete entails, then these intramural options are for you.

Kindergarten 2.0

The Great Outdoors.

We’re not six years old anymore, but that doesn’t have to stop us from doing the same activities we used to love in elementary school. Go climb some trees around campus. Set up a game of foursquare on the library roof. Grab a Frisbee and toss it around with your friends on the field by the track. Hula-hoop with some friends outside the Campus Center. Get colorful with chalk on sidewalks around campus. Play at the Tot Lot if you’re feeling particularly exuberant. Drinking and partying may still be the popular nighttime weekend activities, but that doesn’t mean your day-to-day escapades need to be dull.

So maybe your idea of an outdoor adventure is walking to Davis instead of taking the Joey. But if you’re feeling a little more daring, the Tufts Mountain Club is always doing something, from slacklining on the Academic Quad to road tripping to the Loj for a weekend of shenanigans. Join their e-list for weekly updates on activities like kayaking, hiking, climbing, and more. You could also find your one friend who has a car, and do your best to convince them that they really do want to pretend they’re Thoreau at Walden Pond. If you’re unsuccessful, some of Boston’s beaches are accessible by T, commuter rail, or ferry.

icons by creative commons via the noun project

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Up In ArmS Equal Opportunity for Women in the Military

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Izzie Gall

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By Moira Lavelle

n January 23rd of this year, United State defense secretary Leon E. Panetta repealed the ban on women serving in combat positions in the military. This was a milestone for the U.S., which joined dozens of other countries that allow women in their combat forces. This specific ban dates back to 1994 when the Pentagon ruled that women could not serve in combat roles such as the artillery, armor, or infantry. The reality is that women have been unofficially serving in combat roles for a long time. Women have been intelligence officers, lead combat medics, and accompanied infantry troops. They have been allowed to serve as machine gunners on specific types of vehicles, and shoot longrange artillery but not short-range. In all these positions, women have fallen under the line of fire. Over 800 women have been injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and over 150 have been killed. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have especially lead to more women in combat instances than ever before. In wars without a specific frontline, fought in alleys and public spaces, it is hard to define when something becomes “combat.” Loopholes have been found when more able-bodied people are needed on the ground: women were frequently listed as “attached” to a unit on paper or listed in a different noncombatant unit all together rather than being “assigned.” Additionally, in these wars women have proved particularly useful in searching Afghan and Iraqi women for weapons, a duty that the civilians would have deemed inappropriate for a man to conduct. The problem with these unofficial combatant roles is that women, until now, have not been able to advance in the military ranks as far as men. Despite great acts

of valor and medals won, a woman couldn’t receive higher positions or training without “combat experience.” This created a very solid glass ceiling for women in the military, making it impossible for women’s careers to advance as far as those of their male comrades. The January 3rd decision to lift this ban was seen as a great victory for many women’s rights groups. The decision did not require support from Congress or the White House. In fact, some White House staff expressed surprise at the decision, indicating that the initiative likely didn’t undergo a thorough review in the executive branch before being passed. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, stated: “The time has come to rescind the direct combat exclusion rule for women and to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based barriers to service.” But why is the time now? Why has it taken so long for women to be officially allowed in combat roles when they have long since found their place in formerly maledominated fields such as law or medicine? One argument is that Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy hindered women as well as homosexuals in the military. The same problems were foreseen in the inclusion of both groups into the military: there was talk of the complications that would arise from possible romantic relationships amongst soldiers in psychological and physical health capacities. Women could not be allowed in combat until homosexuals were allowed in combat. Therefore, when Obama repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in July of 2011, he showed that he considered these arguments invalid, and perhaps paved the way for women to be allowed onto the front lines. Another explanation for the decision’s timing is the large number of impending

lawsuits. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit in November 2012 against the ban. The case was on behalf of four women who had been in combat situations but were not permitted to apply for combat leadership positions because they had technically never had combat roles. Other court cases like this were underway and putting large pressure on the federal government to lift the ban. Additionally, women are and have been viewed as equal in most other parts of the military for years, and can advance their careers in many branches that are not combative. Last year, Ann E. Dunwoody became the first woman to achieve the highest rank in today’s military: a four-star Army general. A freshman at West Point Military Academy, when asked if she ever faced any difficulties as a woman at a military facility responded: “Definitely not—West Point does a great job not allowing any unfair discrimination or unfair treatment based on sex.” She explained that, in her experience, the main qualms that had existed about women being in combat zones were questions of physical strength. She explained: “There’s a lot of stories of females in the front line as medics not getting the credit they deserve, and they deserve the credit, but you have to be able to carry your own weight and drag a body back to the field and I do think that’s important.” The growing reality on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated that women were needed and could act in combat positions. And by and large the lifting of the ban has been met with good reception from civilians and military personnel alike. Women can finally be listed as “assigned” to a combat position and combat career opportunities have finally opened up, shattering one more glass ceiling. O

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Get HaPI The Future of Stress Management

By Nader Salass

t shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that many college students suffer from social media addictions, truncated attention spans, high-stress lifestyles, and problematic Adderall habits. College campuses are small, interactive environments where all of these issues feed into each other to magnify stress levels. Though extreme stress often remains unnoticed and untreated on college campuses, one organization is working toward a solution. Health and Performance International (HaPI), a group of Manhattan-based doctors, research specialists, and sport psychologists, has engineered a sleek therapeutic pod, the ORRB, which promises valuable development in attention, stress, and cognitive rehabilitation. The ORRB pod is a specialized relaxation space where users train their cognitive abilities and respiratory habits to reduce stress, increase attention span, and reach consistent levels of peak mental performance.

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Stress hormone secretion produces a range of harmful reactions: shorter attention spans, anxiety, and thoughts of fear, shame, and insecurity. HaPI hopes to reduce such reactions in high-stress and physically demanding professions. Over the past three years, they have sold and leased their product to several corporate businesses, sports franchises, medical facilities, firefighting departments, and most recently, the US military. Their Chief Science Officer, Dr. James Thompson, developed a wireless headset for the ORRB that performs cognitive function assessments (EEGs) during pod usage. In addition to EEG measurement, the pod measures Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and evaluates users against statistical margins of relaxation. “Breathing correctly can normalize HRV to optimal levels,” Program Coordinator Dr. Steven Kahan affirms. He emphasizes that taking six deep breaths per minute, for a total of five minutes, balances HRV and also decreases stress hormone secretion significantly.

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HaPI’s goal, Kahan says, is to “help people learn the techniques to be able to reduce their stress hormone secretion in 16 seconds at any given moment.” The real role of the pod environment is to “facilitate biofeedback mediation,” he says. “But what is most important is that users learn the stress-reduction techniques.” HaPI hopes to expand the ORRB pods to college campuses where there is a definite need for stress reduction. Dr. Kahan contends that “the rigor and constant activity at universities” makes it difficult for “students and faculty to be aware of the importance of frequently regulating stress.” He certainly has a point. Over the past decade, the amount of college students reporting emotional health levels below average has risen to 53%, according to a 2010 survey performed by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. Because of stress and constant technological stimuli, students’ attention spans are also declining. The average college class is about an hour long, and the average attention span of college students is less than 15 minutes. The pod could, therefore, prove to be an extremely valuable on-campus resource for lengthening attention spans. However, convenience of location is key if the ORRB pod is to have a real effect on college campuses. While many colleges, Tufts included, have relaxation rooms with biofeedback technology, they do not see heavy use. This may be because these

rooms are not visible to every student on a daily basis. According to Dr. Kahan, the ORRB is “sexy” and undoubtedly “leaves people with an impressive visual impact that encourages them to use it.” Therefore at universities, placement in high traffic areas, such as libraries and campus centers, is important to the pod’s impact. If the pod is heavily marketed, free, and easily accessible, then it could dramatically improve the mental health and academic ability of the student body. The ORRB pod includes important services beyond helping patients reduce their stress levels and reach optimal cognitive function. The brain activity assessment headsets within the pod can also detect Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), which often go unnoticed. These injuries mostly occur from sports-related collisions, car accidents, falls, and other physical blows to the brain. They lead to increased stress, decreased cognitive function, diminished attention, anxiety, and in some cases, clinical depression. Almost 3.8 million TBIs occur annually due to sports-related incidents, and extreme TBIs cause 50,000 deaths annually. The severity of permanent damage from TBIs varies, but, in some cases, it can lead to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Extending the range and consistent usage of the pod could help diagnose the damage from otherwise undetected TBIs.

Earlier this year, HaPI moved two of their ORRB pods into the Department of Traumatic Brain Injury at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The head of the department, clinical and experimental neuropsychologist, Dr. Louis French will be overseeing the results of the ORRB pod treatment on 120 U.S. military veterans suffering from TBIs and PTSD. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan caused more than 30% of American soldiers at the center to develop brain injuries. The ORRB pod not only detects various types of brain injuries but will also help “treat a population that really needs it,” Kahan says. This fills a necessary gap in the military’s much-needed brain and cognitive therapy programs. HaPI hopes that their technology and the techniques that it teaches will help people stay lighter in heart and quieter in thought. Stress is rarely discussed as a serious cognitive and social issue, which may explain why some people underestimate the importance of the ORRB pod. HaPI is working to re-frame the discourse, pushing us to understand stress as not only an issue with harmful biological ramifications but also as a frequent agent of social tension. If HaPI’s reach begins to extend internationally, perhaps its new technology could bring about individual cognitive improvement and eventual social progress worldwide. O

ORRB Pod Beta

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K.Flay: Rap's latest lady wields beats, guitar, and a dual degree from Stanford

by aaron langerman Photos courtesy of k.flay

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rap beats. Few rappers control so many aspects of their songs in such versatile ways and even fewer of those rappers are female Stanford graduates. The content of her music is a refreshing break from the mainstream rap scene. When it comes to content, K.flay sticks to what she knows: the angst of college life, partying and hook-up culture, the death of her father, and psychological disorders. “I'm 24, so my music, I hope, encapsulates this stage of life for me and I think for a lot of people in their early-to-mid 20s just gone to that time of reckoning, not being a kid anymore, not an adult,” K.flay explains. The tension between youthful angst and mature, biting cynicism are characteristic of her music. The lyrics in the song “Fleas Navidad” on her new album West Ghost, looped over an energetic dubstep-esque beat, are a telling example of K.flay’s style: “Same scene, nothing new, America make a buck or two/Common people like prostitutes/ They fucked their style cause they wanted to/So all my neighbors buying diapers at the Save-On/Can’t help but wish life was just a little like a Drake song.” Making fun of the largely fictitious representation of life that’s often portrayed in mainstream rap, K.flay’s tongue-in-cheek humor gives her work a level of satirical maturity that is too often missing in mainstream hiphop.

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.flay—real name Kristine Flaherty— redefines what it means to be a hip-hop artist. A double major in psychology and sociology while at Stanford, last year K.flay signed with RCA Records and moved to Brooklyn to focus on producing. Although she’s originally from Illinois, she identifies the Bay Area as her home. Her music finds a balance of genre-bending sounds and intellectually stimulating lyrics. In K.flay’s words, “My music is a version of indie hip-hop, mixed with electronics, mixed with me head banging.” This eclectic mix of sound has added to her increased popularity and has helped her become more prolific over the past few years. K.flay readily acknowledges her musical style as unique. “One of the things that's important to me is to represent someone who's doing something that's a little bit different,” she explained in an interview with Spinner magazine. “When you ask people if they can think of a female producer, people have a hard time doing that because there aren't a lot of super prominent well-known female producers.” What makes K.flay an impressive artist isn’t just that she’s a female rapper, she also produces her own beats, plays guitar during live sets, and sings. Her live sets feature everything from heavily distorted guitars to slow indie melodies and fresh

K.flay was raised in suburban Wilmette, Illinois outside of Chicago. She admits she was a childhood tomboy, wearing “ridiculously baggy attire" and "avoiding all things girly.” Her parents divorced when she was seven years old, and her father died when she was 14—a hardship many of her songs address. For example, the song “Danger Starts” is a tribute to her father, with the lyrics reflecting her feelings of uncertainty towards him: “Did you care about family, did you wish you’d abandoned me? /Now you can’t see what I became, too weak to try to change.” This ambivalence towards her father, and towards life in general, colors the tone of many of K.flay’s songs. It was while at Stanford that K.flay came to love the Bay Area and opened up to making music. “I was in a room by myself being like ‘I really wanna say a bunch of stuff, I like rapping, and I can talk really fast, so this is happening!'" she said. “I started thinking about how I could write to a certain formula, using my own background, being, demographically, who I am. Have my own authentic voice.” In creating an authentic voice, K.flay has succeeded. She’s one of the only rappers who makes her beats live on stage, looping different sounds over each other, playing guitar, and singing. She keeps a rap style that is uniquely youthful, angst-ridden, mature, and decidedly female. O

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RED BY alex flores

Red. Seeing red. 1 Seeing red everywhere. Seeing red circles everywhere. Seeing little red circles everywhere. Seeing little fucking red circles everywhere. Seeing little fucking red circles fucking everywhere. Seeing little fucking red circles with numbers in them fucking everywhere. Seeing little fucking red circles with fucking numbers in them fucking everywhere. Fuck off little fucking red circles with fucking numbers in them fucking everywhere. Fuck off little fucking red circles with numbers in them fucking everywhere. Fuck off little fucking red circles fucking everywhere. Fuck off little fucking red circles everywhere. Fuck off little fucking red circles. Fuck off little red circles. Fuck off little red. Fuck off red. Fuck off. Off.

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PILLS

photos by M i sako Ono desi gned by Ber ni t a L i ng

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improves red blood cell formation

ibuprofen

iron tylenol 500 muscle pain and fever relief

tylenol 325

pain relief

aleve

dayquil nyquil azithromycin vitam

antibiotic to prevent bacterial infections 14

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helps build strong bones and teeth

melatonin Ca Mg Zn zinc benadryl lactase advil

enzyme supplement

pain reliever and fever reducer

vitamin D gingko midol

amin C

improves memory and concentration

advil

TUFTS OBSERVER DISCLAIMER: Our descriptions of these medicines and supplements are not exhaustive,MARCH please do25, your2013 own research before taking any of 15 them.

TUFTS OBSERVER

MARCH 25, 2013

PO RY ET

it H t s Li She’s like a super model with the hair like that Jesus this one’s face is gross it’s so shiny But those legs go up to her fucking neck, I guess I’ll leave it tagged. The faces next to my face— Nostalgic vignettes with made-up resolutions and the Allstate commercial in a different tab plays wrap-up music Me or Alec Baldwin, I’m not sure who’s my better friend.

and up and up, Compulsion, Explode that red box Devour people I’ve met gnawing at their limbs and at their faces Come back red box Talk to me faces Show me your guts or I’ll use my teeth again

y ll r li he by fis

Conversations I can’t have with people who don’t exist and my thumb keeps going up

Pawing at a virtual magazine «Fall colors: Bulky Sweater» and «Lazy, Hazy Summer» A flat face reflected back into my face Shadowy outline lurking behind warm catalog scenes of christmas parties and awards ceremonies Never shut the machine down The black refelction of some gruesome stalker My lonesome gaze and no eyeliner on

M isa ko On o

MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

ic mus

Come Come Rea Rea From punk rock roots to mariachi, L.A. band the

Griffin Quasebarth

t’s been a long, weird road for California band The Bronx. Hailing from Los Angeles, the hardcore punk and mariachi band formed in 2002 and have been together ever since. Three of the five current members were original founders, including Matt Caughthran on vocals, Joby Ford on vocals and guitar, and Jorma Vik on drums. Six self-titled albums, two completely different genres, and countless tour dates have created a story for them unlike any other. Their latest release, The Bronx IV, showcases a band more than a decade into its career, still gaining momentum. While the chords are simple and the rhythms are strong, there is more to this hype-free beast of a band than meets the eye. On record, The Bronx sound intimidating to say the least. The five-piece punk band relies on razor sharp guitar chords to cut the way for vocals that berate the listener, pausing only for brief breaths and crashing interludes. Their first three albums saw them refine their style, from the unbridled energy of The Bronx I to the swagger and boisterousness of The Bronx II and finally to the charging precision of The Bronx III in 2008. Now, almost five years since their last eponymous release, The Bronx IV is another beast itself. In drawing on each of their past albums, it seems triumphant—a celebration of every step they have taken along the way. And the path they took to get there was unconventional, to say the least. 18

TUFTS OBSERVER

MARCH 25, 2013

In the years between III and IV, the band re-invented themselves as Mariachi El Bronx, and tried their hand at the traditional Mexican genre. After releasing Mariachi El Bronx I on the heels of The Bronx III they continued to engage listeners and confused the extensive musical database Gracenote with their second mariachi release – Mariachi El Bronx II. The implications of this career decision speak to the band’s aesthetic. The rule-less, defiant tone of their music is echoed by their actions, following their desires rather than external expectations. At first listen it is clear that their Mariachi El Bronx identities are no gimmick. There is no pretense in the smooth sounds of guitar, trumpet and percussion. Caughthran cites the band’s distaste for rock sounds played on acoustic instruments as the impetus for their alter egos. The band approaches their mariachi music with the same rigid authenticity that they bring to their albums as The Bronx. Caughthran’s throaty shout becomes a smooth croon and Vik’s drumming becomes muted and calculated, allowing the more prominent instruments of the style to shine. With help from multi-instrumentalists Vincent Hidalgo and Ray Suen, the band filled out their sound on Mariachi El Bronx II, drawing praise for their improvement between albums. Simply put, their work as a mariachi group is no marketing tactic or ironic gesture, just damn good music.

mus

al al Close Close

he Bronx adds a new chapter to its unique story

by gene buonaccorsi So where does that leave them on The Bronx IV? In the shining expression of their mariachi talents it is easy to forget that the band made their name playing loud, fast and angry. To some extent those elements continue to define the punk stylings of the group, but as with their first three albums, they seem uniquely inspired on IV. On opener “The Unholy Hand, ” Caughthran hints at a struggle for security and search for identity, shouting a chorus of, “Are you the antichrist or the holy ghost? / Do you want to die or just come real close?” The lines are triumphant, rather than frightening – as if Caughthran is proud to propose that there is a line to toe. The band always seems a step from the edge, one inch from pushing themselves too far. Yet they always spring back to their feet and deliver challenging new music. They don’t want to die, just to come real close. If there is one lyrical theme that pervades The Bronx IV, it’s that of impending destiny – almost as if Caughthran is preparing for closure. His lyrics toy with different definitions of the band’s status. At times he is defiant, singing “This spirit world is upside down and inside out / we’ve come too far, we’re too pissed off to turn back now” on the chorus of “Style Over Everything.” On “Torches” he is as poignant as ever, starting the song off with the lines, “You cannot change the life you’re born to live / as you play your part the world will take and give.” All the while the mu-

sicians—Vik, guitarists Joby Ford and Ken Horne, and bassist Brad Magers—crash through a wild set of tracks. The energy of their early releases shines strong on “Under the Rabbit” and “Too Many Devils,” while the calculated swagger that they adopted as they grew is never more evident than on the soaring “Valley Heat.” On IV, the band flexes every muscle that it has built. The familiarity and predictable strengths of their latest album begs the question of how they can develop from here. With two successful personas and six albums under their belt, they are masters of their craft—existing outside of the temporality of the popular music realm. Where other bands would spin wheels in place, The Bronx are constantly pushing the envelope. On “Life Less Ordinary,” IV’s most restrained, toneddown track,Caughthran sings “Some might say there’s a price I’ve paid / for a life less ordinary / welcome to my masquerade.” The band’s career continues to play out like an unpredictable work of performance art. The feeling of an approaching conflict that Caughthran hints at on IV plays more like an invitation. It’s as if the band is welcoming a new challenge and a blank slate to try their hand at. If their aesthetic makes one thing clear, it’s that even if they don’t succeed, they’ll go down swinging. O MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

n io pi n o

Charity in the

lap of luxury by leah muskin-pierret

TUFTS OBSERVER

MARCH 25, 2013

Yuki Tanimoto

Indonesia and the Philippines. And Marc Jacobs, featured in multiple past LUX shows, faced public criticism last year for, of all things, not paying their runway models. It makes sense that the issue of Chinese orphans must be made accessible for the shallow, attention-deficit college crowd. But does the glorification of one form of injustice justify the amelioration of another? While I absolutely commend the efforts of hundreds of student to look outward from Tufts to cause change, it is equally important to question the practices of our own institution. The institution often seeks to ignore vital issues including the unacceptable prevalence of sexual assault and the institutionalization of islamophobia and racism, forcing an important burden of skepticism onto our shoulders. As Tufts students, we are all complicit in the actions of our institution, yet should first act as responsible, analytical citizens, spreading justice within our college community, and ultimately affecting change within our world’s neighborhood. O

“The most effective forms of philanthropy are not always the ones that generate the greatest revenue, or the greatest audience - they are the ones that originate from a real understanding of a deplorable social condition, and reflect those realities in their philanthropic endeavors. The work of the LUX fashion show seems hollow and shallow when juxtaposed with the existences of the children it aims to serve.” Certainly some creators behind the event care first to provide medical care to these children; Neville, for example, showed a deep passion for the cause while also admitting she was disinterested in the fashion and ran the show only because it existed before her time. However, for many, LUX creates the pedestal to project their own egoism, while justifying their ostentatious show with only a footnote of paternalistic “save the children” rhetoric. Beyond the ethical implications of the show’s approach lies the broader issue that it also feeds the very same fire that it claims to rescue these Chinese orphans from. Nicholas Kristof, founder of the Half the Sky movement, which fights to end female oppression, said, “The simplest way to help the poorest Asians would be to buy more from sweatshops, not less” in his article Two Cheers for Sweatshops. While it’s true that sweatshops provide employment opportunities in developing countries, the question must be begged: who really profits? Too often the answer is simply “the poor.” In fact, it is the multinational corporations who seek to exploit one populace to provide quality goods at low cost for another populace, and equally complicit are the traffickers in host countries who are selling other people into labor or host government officials whom are bribed to turn a blind eye. That Tufts China Care has chosen the fashion industry, which has fueled much of the sweatshop phenomenon in China, to raise awareness for its own issue of poverty is curious. In fact, some of the brands featured in LUX’s shows have faced direct criticism for their labor practices in recent years. J. Crew, featured in LUX’s 2010 show, has been the defendant of multiple suits involving their contingent factories’ union busting and unsatisfactory wages. Calvin Klein, also featured in 2010, has used sweatshop labor from factories in

he LUX Fashion Show plays on numerous hypocrisies at the intersection of justice and narcissism. The promotion and presentation of the fashion show clearly emphasizes self-promotion over genuine philanthropy. Moreover, LUX promotes sweatshop clothing, the production of which is intricately linked to systemic poverty in China. This poverty is a root cause of inequity in health care access, the problem that LUX’s fundraising then seeks to alleviate. Let me make it absolutely clear that I do not mean to mount a personal attack on any member of LUX or the Tufts community; rather, I seek to highlight the problem of insincere charity crafted around the giver rather than the receiver of the aid, a harmful phenomenon that is endemic to the largely privileged community of Tufts. It is a trend that can be seen across the global upper echelon in glamorous Hollywood fundraisers, egoistic philanthropy organizations, and white savior complex activism. I focus on LUX to highlight the careful skepticism we should all practice within our communities. Crafting charitable actions around the emotional needs of the providers, rather than the real needs of the recipients, is not only morally questionable, but inevitably challenges the effectiveness of the organization. Sarah Neville, the coPresident of China Care and director of the LUX fashion show, says that, “usually the draw for the models is the idea of being in a fashion show.” This focus becomes painfully clear after examining the promotional material for the show. Creative director Michael Kareff cast the show’s image as a decidedly philanthropic one, saying, “Through ads and other promotional activities we share our passion for helping these kids with the Tufts community.” These words stand in contrast to the promotional video for the 2012 show, which was composed of three minutes of glamorous model shots with only one fleeting and vague reference to philanthropic intention, with the word ‘charity’ appearing in the last three seconds of the video. This problematic approach has not gone unnoticed; Senior Madeline Hall, described the crux of the issue eloquently,

Contributions by cj Ghanny and madeline hall

Crafting charitable actions around the emotional needs of the providers, rather than the real needs of the recipients, is not only morally questionable, but inevitably challenges the effectiveness of the organization.

MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

n io pi n o

Watching Your Health Shortcomings within the TV-Fitness Movement

by Justin Kim

he notion of celebrity has transcended movie stars and musicians. Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, fashion models such as Heidi Klum, and entrepreneurs like Mark Cuban have spearheaded immensely successful programs that have created a whole new sector of alternative programming in television for networks to perpetually expand. It is easy to see that these shows, and their accompanying celebrity experts, are forms and figures of entertainment—as the word “celebrity” would traditionally imply. Celebrity doctors, on the other hand, are a different story. Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of the daytime talk show “The Dr. Oz Show,” is a highly accomplished and qualified surgeon with an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a joint MBA and MD degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a professor at Columbia University and the director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Integrative Medicine Program at the esteemed New YorkPresbyterian Hospital, performing approximately 250 operations 22

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MARCH 25, 2013

each year. Deemed “America’s doctor” by Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Oz discusses medical issues from obesity to cancer and provides tips on improving personal health, from improving your diet to increasing the number of orgasms you have each year. I have no doubt that Dr. Oz is a highly effective and capable doctor in the operating room, and for certain segments of his program, he seems to be exactly that. One of Dr. Oz’s favorite topics of discussion is heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control. He offers beneficial tips for a decidedly relevant problem that can help transform an unhealthy lifestyle, reshaping poor eating habits, exercise, and sleep. But other aspects of “The Dr. Oz Show” are emblematic of why these celebrity medical shows may do more harm than good. The program attracts almost four million viewers a day, which makes it one of the most popular daytime programs currently on the air. This popularity has made Dr. Oz, a celebrity,

o n Green coffee beans, supplements that supposedly were just as effective as raspberry ketones in stimulating weight loss, also received major publicity through a spot on the program. However, the study cited by Dr. Oz backing these claims turned out to be funded by Applied Food Sciences, a company that makes these same green coffee bean supplements. Such a glaring conflict of interest would be a deal breaker in the scientific community, but not in the entertainment industry. Networks place a premium on marketability, and nothing drives ratings like controversy. The fact that Dr. Oz has become “America’s doctor” has alarming implications. He is a decorated doctor and a calming presence in a landscape filled with obnoxious personalities, so naturally people perceive his program to be different. It comes off as professional. But while this may be true to some degree, it is still a show on television that depends on ratings for survival. Dr. Oz has been portrayed as an authority on anything related to health, and deservedly so given his career accomplishments. Nonetheless he and all other doctors on television have an obligation to constantly ensure that everything they put on the air is accurate, constructive, and not corrupted by bias and embellishment. There lies a certain deception behind the fitness-TV phenomenon that must constantly be questioned. O

one with screaming fans attending each taping, a feat that used to be reserved exclusively for George Clooney or Justin Timberlake. He is a very public voice that people trust and rely on. Dr. Oz claims that his program’s sole objective is to present the viewers with options for a healthier way of life, not to make decisions for them. While this may indeed be his intention, the reality is that people listen to what he says on the air and he has a dangerous inclination to be hyperbolic. Adjectives like “miraculous” or “revolutionary” are normally reserved for scams in the medical community, but the fact that Dr. Oz’s platform is television allows him to use these words with no confines whatsoever. The entertainment industry doesn’t do normal; it craves superlatives and exaggeration. Dr. Oz also has a tendency to prominently feature “alternative medicine” on his program. The problem with the nature of “alternative medicine” is that it is not scientifically sound and lacks concrete evidence. For example, Dr. Oz gave a glowing review of the supplement raspberry ketones, and claimed that it ”helps your body burn fat faster.” While this endorsement precipitated a buying frenzy across America, it turned out that studies that served as the basis for Dr. Oz’s claims were done on laboratory rats, not humans.

Anna Kelly

MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

Cam

pus

Donald Melegey

Going the Extra Mile. 24

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MARCH 25, 2013

am C pus

Claire McCartney

The Tufts Marathon Team sacrifices time, sleep, & calories to race 26.2 miles together Early on a chilly Sunday March morning, while many Tufts students were still recovering from their Saturday nights— including one of the biggest fraternity parties of the year—a dedicated team of runners was traversing a twenty-mile course through Boston. This is the Tufts Marathon Team (TMT), a collection of 100 Tufts undergrads, graduate students, and alumni. For many of the team members, including senior Sarah Halloran, that Sunday—March 10—marked the most miles they’d ever run. “I just followed one girl the entire time, and anytime I thought I was going to pass out or not make it I just stopped thinking about it and focused on the goal,” Halloran said. “It was actually insane. I hit mile nine (the turn around point) and I just thought I wasn’t going to make it back. When I finished, I was so dead, part of me doesn’t think I can do it again.” With only 34 days left until the Boston Marathon, the team is revving up for the day it has been training for since September. As the largest known collegiate marathon program in the United States, the team has raised over $3 million since it was founded in 2003. Money raised by the team benefits the Trustees of Tufts College, and generally goes towards Tufts research and programs related to nutrition and fitness. Runners do fundraising on their own throughout the course of the training period, asking friends and family to donate to their cause. Senior Caroline Geiger draws motivation from this support. “It is definitely difficult to get up and run when the weather is bad or there is snow on the ground,” she acknowledged. “However, especially now that so many friends and family have shown their support and donated to the cause, it is exciting to get up and run and to know that I have so many people behind me.” The 100 official members of the team are generally selected based on seniority, though many runners get their start training with the team on and off over the course of their four years. Halloran ran with the team a few times during her sophomore

year when a friend asked her to join, but did not become an official team member until this year. For many of the members of the TMT, this April 15th will mark the first marathon they’ve ever run. “I first heard about the team my freshman year, when a Tufts senior who went to my high school and was on the Tufts Marathon Team told me he was running thirteen miles that Sunday,” Geiger explained. “I was shocked and seriously worried for his health, but after he assured me that it was very normal to run that far and that he really enjoyed the experience, I realized it was a challenge I wanted to take on my senior year.”

“It is exciting to get up and run and to know that I have so many people behind me.” Though it’s senior Patricia Moncure’s first marathon, she does have some running experience. She said, “The motivation to get up and run is really rooted in my passion for running itself. I can’t say that every day I run it is enjoyable, but some runs are so phenomenal, they provide mental endurance to keep going.” Leading the team is coach Donald Melegey, known affectionately for his “Melegey magic” and inspirational attitude. Melegey coached the Tufts Varsity Swim Team for 33 years before being asked to coach the TMT in 2004. The seven-time NESCAC Coach of the Year has also won the Tufts University Distinguished Service Award since taking over the team. In spite of personally preparing post-run snacks and compiling a thick

booklet for his runners called “Running and Training Smarter” that contains sections like, “Mental Warrior,” “Marathon Tips” and “Team Quotes,” Melegey claimed he does not try to motivate his team. Rather, he clarified, “If they want to run the marathon—which they do—I will get them there.” He explained that like many things in life, running marathons can have more to do with mental discipline than pure physical strength. He compared running a marathon to the difference between walking on a plank of wood on the ground and then trying to walk on that same plank of wood—now 50 feet up in the air. “It’s all a mental game,” he concluded. According to Melegey, though some runners have to stop training due to common running injuries like stress fractures, the team has an overall 99.8% success rate. Despite the difficulties of training, including freezing temperatures, outside distractions, the physical and mental endurance needed and the personal discipline to show up each week, every year a new team of runners continues to make its way across the finish line on Marathon Monday. Melegey said that the Tufts Marathon Team should be a requirement for all Tufts students. “If it’s your first time and you complete the marathon, you feel you can literally do anything else in the world,” he said excitedly. He suggested that the most obvious challenge of the marathon—its length— is also its greatest reward. “It’s a long time to spend running; people don’t realize when you’re out there by yourself for 4 to 6 hours, a lot of things go through your mind,” he said. The longest run ever completed by one of Melegey’s team members during the marathon was nearly twelve hours long—the Tufts student started her run at 10 in the morning and didn’t finish until 9:45 that night. “I stood at the finish line waiting for her of course,” Melegey said, and when she finally crossed the line he was there to celebrate with her. “As far as she was concerned,” he said, “she won the Boston Marathon.” O MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

N IO PI N O

Why This Cancer Survivor Won’t Relay For Life by Stephen Goeman

TUFTS OBSERVER

MARCH 25, 2013

very Spring, Tufts plays host to one of the most well-attended philanthropic activities many of us will see in our entire undergraduate career. Relay for Life, an event put on by the American Cancer Society (ACS), draws hundreds of participants. As a cancer survivor, this should be heartwarming to me. However, as many impartial charity watchdog sources have reported, the ACS cannot be confidently seen to represent its noble goal of advocating for a world without cancer. Rather than advancing the cause of cancer research, ACS operates in a way that is at best ineffective and at worst manipulative. While I criticize the actions and philosophy of the ACS, it must be understood that these criticisms do not extend to the students organizing Tufts Relay for Life. These individuals have devoted large quantities of time to support what is, in their view, an effective way to fund cancer research and provide communal support for individuals whose lives have been affected by the disease. It is all the more unfortunate that their good intentions have been hijacked by a profit-driven corporation whose efficacy and discretion are highly dubious. Let’s be clear: the American Cancer Society is a definitely-for-profit nonprofit organization. While ACS functions on a volunteer-based model, the CEO still received a $2.2 million salary in 2011. In this same year, the organization reported $1.3 million in net assets despite widespread cuts to their programs. Because of this, both the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Watch have given the ACS a “C” rating for efficiency while the Chronicle of Philanthropy has stated that the organization is “more interested in accumulating wealth than saving lives.” ACS takes a severely troubling stance on cancer prevention. Dr. Samuel Epstein of the Cancer Prevention Coalition alleges that the organization "is fixated on damage control...diagnosis and treatment...with indifference or even hostility to cancer prevention." ACS adopts a hard stance requiring “unequivocal human evidence on carcinogenicity” and has actively ignored the scientific consensus on the issue. Since the early 90s, ACS has opposed the notion

‘‘

IO N

fective, and survivors of childhood cancer face an increased risk of premature death. Cancer simply affects children differently than adults and has long-term effects not present in adult forms. Research is desperately needed here, and to neglect this concern under the faulty rationale that adultcentric research encompasses childhood cancer is simply to be in denial of scientific reality. ACS is happy to use the images and stories of children with cancer while championing itself as the “Official Sponsor of Birthdays,” despite allocating almost nothing on this front. Though donors may want to, they cannot request that their donations go towards childhood cancer research either. This highlights a serious problem with how ACS treats cancer: all funds go into one large pot rather than being focused towards any one of the over 200 cancers we know about. But cancer is not a monolith. ACS and Relay for Life’s choice of language is also damaging. Sexual wordplay almost always accompanies cancer awareness campaigns. If you want to show you support curing breast cancer, you have your choice of “I <3 Boobies,” “Save The Ta-Tas,” and even “Save Second Base” wristbands. At best, the slogans sound like they were drafted by a third-grader clumsily expecting a laugh for mentioning something dirty; at worst, the slogans are severely disconnected with those whom breast cancer actually affects. It’s not clear why we’d want to sexualize a cancer whose median age of diagnosis is around 61. Though ACS is not responsible for these thoughtless slogans, they

(which has been proven in federal studies) that certain pesticide additives lead to the development of cancer. ACS is exclusively concerned with the prevention of lung cancer, but their advocacy takes the form of promoting abstinence from smoking. ACS CMO Otis Brawley has stated that lung cancer is the only cancer for which “there is a cause,” referring to smoking. Brawley asserts this despite the fact that non-smokers comprise about 15% of all lung cancer patients. Their remarks are made all the more confusing when they themselves report that if non-smokers with lung cancer had their own type distinction, this group would still be among America’s top ten fatal cancers. Yet, ACS continues to use its status as the most visible cancer nonprofit organization to spread falsehoods, which lead to the stigmatization of all lung cancer patients who are seen as deserving their disease. In 2011, the National Lung Screening Trial showed that tens of thousands of former smokers, who comprise about 50% of lung cancer diagnoses, could be cured with preventative screening. ACS continues to be silent about this. ACS’ focus on treatment is also detrimental in that it is entirely centered on cancer in adults. In 2010, the ACS reported that only 1% of their expenses are allocated to childhood cancer (that is, each and every form of cancer which might occur in a child). This is a problem because adult cancers do not evenly map onto their childhood correlates; many adult cancers do not exist in children. The standard treatment for childhood cancer is to use lower doses of adult treatments; this is not always ef-

Let’s be clear: the American Cancer Society is a definitely-for -profit nonprofit organization.

’’

aren’t immune to the tendency to sexualize cancer. At Tufts, past Relay slogans include: “We go all night so you don’t have to beat it alone” and “Are you DTF [Down To Fight]?” where DTF commonly stands for “Down To Fuck.” While this sexual branding might elicit a minor giggle from a sexually awkward freshman, it just insults those of us who have lived through super-sexy cancer. The nonsexual language we use to describe cancer and its victims also carries significant consequences. When we talk about “beating” and “fighting” cancer, we are ascribing a level of control to cancer patients that simply isn’t there. In 1978, Susan Sontag wrote in Illness as Metaphor that while we portray cancer as an evil to be fought, …it is also the cancer patient who is made culpable. Widely believed psychological theories of disease assign to the luckless ill the ultimate responsibility both for falling ill and for getting well. And conventions of treating cancer as no mere disease but a demonic enemy make cancer not just a lethal disease but a shameful one. Given ACS’ failure to adhere to even minimal principles for philanthropic outreach, it is distressing that so many of my peers believe they are doing good by participating in Relay. If you’re looking to effectively aid cancer patients and survivors, The Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge are just a few local philanthropic activities with a history of transparency and tact. We don’t need to settle for Relay for Life. O

MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER

Ex tras

By Flo Wen and David Schwartz

Police Blotter

BAD VIBRATIONS

SMOKESHOW

Friday, March 1, 10:00 PM

Sunday, March 3, 1:02 AM

ON ASSERTING MASCULINITY

DO THE MATH

Officers spoke to a student in the campus center who was tabling for an organization related to sexuality. The student reported that one of the sexual devices on display had been stolen. The perpetrator remains unknown, the investigation continues, and campus is abuzz.

Friday, March 1, 11:30 PM

Officers were dispatched to South Hall for a complaint about the scent of burnt marijuana. Along with the RAs, the officers knocked on the door to the room it was coming from, coughing from the smell. No one answered. Eventually the officers unlocked the room to find an open window, a blowing fan, bottles of alcohol on the dresser, and a rubber swimming cap covering the smoke detector. They deduced the culprit was either a Tufts swimmer or a 73-year-old local recreation center swimmer.

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MARCH 25, 2013

When officers responded to a call about a fight outside of a Latin Way dormitory, they found seven intoxicated males in front of E-tower. One of the men had a tiny split lip and was being held back from hitting another male, stating that his opponent had been flirting with his girlfriend. The boyfriend asked him to stop, at which point he was gently pushed by the other guy. The boyfriend then tried to fight him, and everyone was surprised that dudes at Tufts were physically asserting themselves.

Friday, March 8, 12:52 PM

TUPD responded to a call about a break-in on College Ave. When the officers arrived, they determined that a door had been left unlocked during the night. The residents reported the robbery of three laptops, 100 dollars in cash, and a calculator. The investigation is still underway, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that the culprit was a Tufts student who is bad at math but good at thievery.

MARCH 25, 2013

TUFTS OBSERVER 7 ALISON GRAHAM

TUFTS OBSERVER SINCE 1895

www.tuftsobserver.org observer@tufts.edu @tuftsobserver

ple a se recycle