Where You Partly Cloudy Read It First 70/54 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXV, NUMBER 55 FRiday, APRIL 19, 2013 TUFTSDAILY.COM TEX talks discuss topics from Nickelback to social media BY ANNA KELLY cal engineer who spoke about natural and Contributing Writer sustainable medical materials. During her talk, Bhatia argued that the western world How would you design the social struc- has to rethink its relationship with medicine ture of a colony on Mars? How can social in developing countries. media define a company, and how does it “People in developing countries are smart define you? Are you a music snob? and want to use the resources they have to These were just a few of the questions address medical issues,” she said. posed to audience members by the speak- Bhatia went on to discuss the possible ers at last week’s Tufts Idea Exchange (TEX) intersection of agriculture and medicine if event. Inspired by TED, the nonprofit organi- these new medical materials were intro- zations that coordinates conferences devot- duced because materials needed to treat ed to the spread of ideas, TEX was founded those who were ill could be grown in devel- in 2011 to create a forum for Tufts students oping countries and be utilized there. to share their own original and thought pro- The first student to speak, junior Michael voking ideas through ten minute speeches. Grant, began his talk with a confession. Each year, the event is co-sponsored by the “I actually listened to an entire Nickelback Institute for Global Leadership and Synaptic CD,” he said. Scholars program. He went on to discuss the cultural impli- The original TED talks started in California cations of music taste, and how what is as a way for innovative thinkers to share their determined “good” or “bad” music has more ideas in a concise and creative format. TED to do with social norms than the quality stands for Technology, Entertainment and of the music. Grant played clips of Justin Design, but since the creation of the event in Bieber and Radiohead, pointing out similar OLIVER PORTER / THE TUFTS DAILY 1984, the talks have expanded to a wider set elements in seemingly opposite songs with The three candidates for Tufts Community Union President — juniors Joe Donenfeld, Christie of subjects. Although the official annual TED the purpose of encouraging the audience Maciejewski and Joe Thibodeau — answered questions about their past experiences and conference takes place in California, there to remain open-minded to music that is future goals at a debate last night hosted by the Pan-African Alliance’s. have been a series of “TEDx” talks in many deemed bad. places around the world that address issues The event continued with senior Molly and ideas pertaining to certain areas. Wallace, who spoke about the lack of culture TCU presidential candidates For example, Somerville hosted a TED- on campus. She described how Tufts police style conference with local professors and had shut down multiple music performanc- intellectuals. Sam Sommers, associate pro- es and lamented the disappearance of liter- debate diversity, CSL policy fessor of psychology at Tufts and a speaker ary publications. She urged the audience to at the second TEX, spoke at TEDxSomerville put the “arts” back in liberal arts. BY AU D REY MICHAEL abroad in Madrid, attended the debate about his book “Situations Matter” (2011), The next talk discussed a subject that the Daily Editorial Board via Skype. a behavioral science book that shows how audience was likely unfamiliar with: the pos- Moderators Adam Sax, a senior, and Andrew human experience and behavior are depen- sibility of human civilization on Mars. The three candidates in the race for Tufts Nu a sophomore, introduced the candidates, dent on their context. “Right now, the only people that are Community Union (TCU) president field- who then delivered their opening statements “It seemed like a good opportunity to addressing this problem are scientists and ed questions on a range of topics, from and fielded questions about their past records introduce the thoughts behind my book technicians,” senior Mark Rafferty said. financial aid and activities funding to social on Senate. to a different audience,” Sommers said. He considered the imminent coloniza- justice issues, in a debate sponsored by Maciejewski discussed her successful “We love teaching you guys and talking to tion of Mars and the danger of viewing the the Pan-African Alliance (PAA) last night in efforts to lower the student activities fee. academics. But it’s an opportunity to talk accomplishment as a simply scientific one. Pearson Hall. “When I realized we had a $400,000 sur- about what social psychologists do to a For example, Rafferty pointed to the new Juniors Joe Donenfeld, Christie plus, and hundreds of thousands of dollars broader audience.” and different problems that civilization Maciejewski and Joe Thibodeau offi- in surplus before, I said we need to lower that This year’s installment of TEX began with would face on Mars and the necessity for cially declared their candidacies for fee,” she said. “I think we need to cut the costs a talk by Professor of the Practice Sujata TCU President Wednesday night. Bhatia, a physician, bioengineer and chemi- see TEX, page 2 Thibodeau, who is currently studying see DEBATE, page 2 New symposium to celebrate, promote social entrepreneurship BY DENALI TIE T JEN The event will begin with keynote Daily Staff Writer addresses by Tisch College Director and Associate Dean Nancy Wilson and head Students interested in entrepreneurship of the Global Entrepreneurship Program and its social impact will gather Sunday for the (GEP) at the U.S. Department of State first annual Social Innovations Symposium, Steven Koltai (A’76) and will be followed by hosted by the Tufts Empower Program for a series of panels relating to the entrepre- Social Entrepreneurship (EMPOWER) and neurial process, according to Goldbaum. the Tufts Compass Fellowship. Koltai’s entrepreneurial experiences The full-day event will address top- include the co-founding of SES-Astra, the ics for entrepreneurs like turning an idea largest private global television system, with into an enterprise, according to Christina a market capitalization of $85 billion, and Goldbaum, the undergraduate coordinator founding of Event411, an event planning for EMPOWER and coordinator of the event. website for which he raised $40 million, “It’s a good opportunity to bring all of the according to his profile on the Tufts Gordon students at Tufts together for one day of con- Institute website. versation,” Goldbaum, a junior, said. “We’re hoping to make [the panels] inti- The Compass Fellowship and EMPOWER mate,” Goldbaum said. “They’re kind of TED- programs created the symposium to cel- style 10- to 15 minute talks with two or three ebrate Tufts’ active citizenship and positive speakers followed by a conversation with the social impact, Goldbaum explained. audience. They should be personal.” “There are a lot of Boston and New England Event organizer Morgan Babbs said that schools that have conferences about general a majority of the panelists are Tufts alumni social entrepreneurship, but we thought that and non-Tufts affiliated Boston entrepre- in the Boston area, Tufts kind of fills the niche neurs, but the event will also feature the for social entrepreneurship,” Goldbaum said. finalists from the Gordon Institute’s Tufts “But since Tufts has such an emphasis on the $100K Business Plan Competition, an annu- CAROLINE GEILING / THE TUFTS DAILY active citizen, we thought this would be a al contest that awards cash and advisory On Sunday, the Empower Program for Social Entrepreneurship and Tufts Compass Fellowship good opportunity to label Tufts as the social will present the first Social Innovations Symposium in ASEAN Auditorium. entrepreneurship school of Boston.” see SYMPOSIUM, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections “Disconnect” weaves The Daily breaks News/Features 1 Comics 12 together stories of navi- down the first-round gating a murky online NBA playoffs before Arts & Living 7Sports Back world. postseason begins Saturday. see ARTS, page 7 see SPORTS, page 10 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS | Features Friday, April 19, 2013 THE TUFTS DAILY Inspired by TED talks, TEX student presenters share ideas MARTHA E. SHANAHAN TEX Editor-in-Chief continued from page 1 EditoriaL careful selection of those who would be the first to move to Mars to establish a colony. Nina Goldman “I’m willing to bet that everyone in this Brionna Jimerson room should see a counselor,” senior Mary Managing Editors Sypek said at the beginning of her talk, which addressed how the world would change if Melissa Wang Executive News Editor education programs worked to “de-stigma- Jenna Buckle News Editors tize mental health.” She spoke about her Lizz Grainger Stephanie Haven belief that if kids were taught to understand Amelie Hecht Victoria Leistman that mental health was a necessary part of Patrick McGrath their wellbeing, they would live happier lives Audrey Michael James Pouliot and raise happier children themselves. Abigail Feldman Assistant News Editors Senior David Schwartz said his goal was Daniel Gottfried Xander Landen to“redesign” the audience’s idea of design. Justin Rheingold He argued that design is not just organiza- Annabelle Roberts EMMA BOYD FOR THE TUFTS DAILY Sarah Zheng tion of objects in space, but a way of think- ing. Design, Schwartz said, is the concept of Junior Michael Grant presented at this year’s TEX talks about what determines the quality of music. Lily Sieradzki Executive Features Editor perfecting a technique or a process through on their proposal, and we work for three Although this was only the fourth TEX, Jon Cheng Features Editors Hannah Fingerhut trial and reconstruction.