THE TUFTS DAILY Est

Where You Partly Cloudy Read It First 34/2 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 2 FRiday, JANUARY 16, 2015 TUFTSDAILY.COM Shehadi selected as new Fares Center director by Aaron Pomerance through studying relationships Assistant News Editor between the groups involved in Middle Eastern conflicts. The Fletcher School of Law and Shehadi will “take Tufts a Diplomacy announced the selec- step higher,” Fawaz said. She tion of Nadim Shehadi as the new hopes that as director of the director of the Fares Center for program Shehadi will contin- Eastern Mediterranean Studies ue to develop the Fares Center last month. as a largely student-run, discus- Shehadi previously served sion-based organization, that as the director of Lebanese includes the Mediterranean Club. studies at St. Antony’s College, Student participation and Oxford, and worked for the research are important to the European Union writing for- Mediterranean Club at the eign policy and creating Fares Center, according to strategies for relations with Fawaz. She said she believes NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY the Middle East and North that open discussion and Students listen to Tufts senior John Kelly speak during the Enough Is Enough Rally for Trans Rights on the Africa. Shehadi will continue diversity of opinion are what Lower Campus Center Patio on Jan. 14. to serve as an associate fel- make the Fares Center suc- low of the Chatham House cessful, and that Shehadi will in London, where he is the continue to develop the center director of a program focused according to these values. Students rally against transphobia, on Palestinian refugees in the Ian Johnstone, academic Middle East. dean and professor of inter- “[Shehadi] was a very good national law at the Fletcher declare 'enough is enough' choice,” Leila Fawaz, the Issam School, also explained that M. Fares professor of Lebanese Shehadi’s experience direct- by Emma Steiner awareness about the transphobia simply going through this process and Eastern Mediterranean ing research programs and Daily Staff Writer that occurs on the Tufts campus. can be very stressful, adding that Studies and founding director working as a policymaker “Transphobia exists here. It there is no distinct procedure for of the Fares Center, said. Fawaz and advisor made him a good Tufts students gathered at the isn’t isolated to the Bible Belt or changing pronouns throughout led the Fares Center as found- choice for the role. Shehadi Mayer Campus Center’s lower some random town in the mid- all of Tufts’ systems. ing director from its inaugura- has also served as a commen- patio on Wednesday to speak out dle of nowhere, it’s happening “On one hand, purposely mis- tion in 2001 until 2012. tator on Middle Eastern affairs against transphobia, conversion on our campus, it’s happening gendering someone and referring Fawaz added that a goal of for various media outlets, therapy, gay/trans panic defense to people here and it’s really rel- to them with the wrong pronouns the Fares Center is to “bring including CNN and Al Jazeera. and institutionalized hatred. evant,” she said. is a form of harassment, but at together different viewpoints” Johnstone, who was also The rally, titled “Enough Strelevitz, Hyde and senior the same time there is no way in order to communicate an one of the members of the is Enough: Rally for Trans John Kelly, all of whom spoke to specify the right pronouns understanding of the Middle Rights,” was sparked by the sui- at the rally, discussed their after you have matriculated,” East to students, notably see SHEHADI, page 2 cide of transgender teen Leelah own experiences with name- they said. Alcorn in December, Jaquelyn calling and gender-related Strelevitz emphasized Hyde, a first-year who organized slurs on campus. the necessity of improving Tufts’ the rally, said. “I don’t walk down ability to support transgender Several students, as well as [Professor’s] Row anymore,” Kelly students by offering adequate Tufts Debate shows Director of the Lesbian, Gay, said, “which makes it hard to get medical services, recognizing Bisexual and Transgender to Medical Services.” preferred gender pronouns and (LGBT) Center Nino Testa, shared Health Services is one of a providing ubiquitous gender rapid growth statements about their experi- number of obstacles that trans- neutral housing and bathrooms. ences as LGBT or gender non- gender students face at Tufts, “What’s especially upsetting by Sophie Dasinger experience from high school. conforming students. Hyde explained. According to is that Tufts had been lauded as Features Editor “What got me interested was Rally organizer Taylor Strelevitz Hyde, almost no gender surger- one of the best in terms of trans- the fact that … debate was the explained that sharing personal ies are covered by the health care friendly health services in terms The Tufts Debate Society, the most focused on reasoning and stories was an important way to plan Tufts offers to students, and of college campuses, and then only official student-run com- your logic and critical thinking, raise awareness. hormones are only covered in to hear a story like [Hyde’s] just petitive debate team at Tufts, is which I thought was important in “The statements were intend- very specific situations. They also shows how low the bar has been coming off a strong semes- general,” Sharma said. ed to share a breadth of differ- said that the policy regarding set,” Strelevitz said. ter in which it hosted a tour- Although everyone is welcome ent experiences and to really gender surgery was unclear. Beyond Tufts, Strelevitz and nament and competed at the to try out and join the team, cer- be an opportunity for people to “I sent some emails back and Hyde hope to see an end to con- World Universities Debating tain majors are more prevalent. use those experiences to inform forth to the office. What I got version therapy, gay/trans panic Championship. According to “I’d say most people on the and contextualize Leelah’s death back was … ‘just type into the defense and LGBT hatred, as senior Noah Kirsch, the team’s team do something in philosophy and then use that to fuel further website “gender surgery” and see well as a changed attitude about president, the team’s member- or social sciences,” Latimer said. action,” Strelevitz, a senior, said. what you can find.’ I’m not really transgender and gender non- ship and skill have grown consid- According to Sharma, prac- Though prompted by Alcorn’s sure how to describe that kind conforming people. erably in just a few short years. tices are held every Tuesday and suicide, Hyde explained that of response beyond, I suppose, According to Hyde and “When I was a freshman three Thursday. Members of the team the rally was meant to bring to crass and dismissive,” Hyde said. Strelevitz, changing day-to-day years ago, we had about seven are encouraged to bring poten- light the many forms of violence, On a more day-to-day level, interactions is essential to ending active members and a very tial debate topics to practic- including conversion therapy, Hyde said that changing pre- transphobia. These changes in limited tryout process,” Kirsch es. Latimer explained that many that have caused Alcorn and ferred pronouns within Tufts’ sys- attitude go beyond simply being said. “Today, after our most com- of these stem from current events. many other transgender peo- tems is extremely difficult, which aware of preferred pronouns, petitive tryouts ever, we have “Every individual thinks ple to end their lives. can lead to some uncomfortable Hyde explained; they include almost 30 members, and are about topics that are interesting In his speech, Testa situations in the classroom. eliminating assumptions about now ranked as one of the top 20 to them and does research, and described such forms of violence “Its difficult to inform your gender, combating heteronorma- debate teams in the country.” then before a debate round they as “terrorism” because they cause professor ahead of time what tive stereotypes and changing According to Vice President present the topic, give a little members of the LGBT com- pronouns you want them to use, beauty standards for women and Drew Latimer, the team saw its bit of background information munity to feel extreme fear and but at the same time you can’t trans women alike. largest first-year class ever this [and] both teams are able to ask shame in their own communities. exactly comfortably raise your “Being a good ally is far past fall. First-year Nihaarika questions,” Latimer said. “Leelah is not just a figure, a hand in the middle of a class of beyond the step of correcting Sharma was one of these new Sharma attests that these prac- trope, an icon; she was a person, 200-some-odd people and say pronoun usage and not being members. tices are critical in gaining expe- and we failed her,” Testa told the ‘excuse me, you just referred to directly transphobic,” Strelevitz After attending a number of rience for the actual debates. crowd. “We didn’t offer her the me with the wrong pronouns,’” said. “It’s volunteering for general interest meetings for “The more [practices] you world she deserved, and we will they said. organizations, it’s putting your various student organizations, go to, the better you get,” never know what she could have Hyde explained that in order money where your mouth is she elected to participate in Sharma said. “[The instruc- offered us. It is necessary to sit to avoid this situation, students and donating, it’s being there the debate team despite enter- tors] give us tips on different with the discomfort of the loss.” must go to 200 Boston Ave.

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