Today: Cloudy THE TUFTS High 50 Low 36 Tufts’ Student Tomorrow: Newspaper AM Rain Since 1980 High 45 Low 32 VOLU M E LV, NU M BER 38 DAILY FRIDAY , MARCH 14, 2008 Renovations will New building to integrate biology, engineering improve bathrooms BY NI N A FORD The biology department has been We don’t have a single open laboratory.” Daily Editorial Board battling with space constraints for over Some professors have even had to in Metcalf and West a decade, according to Juliet Fuhrman, sacrifice their research rooms. “Right Tufts plans to completely rebuild all of Tufts will build an integrated biology the department chair. “I got here in now many of our senior faculty have the common-area bathrooms in West and and engineering building in an attempt 1991, and even then we knew that the actually given up their laboratory space Metcalf Halls this summer as part of a larger to facilitate greater multidisciplinary biology program was being squeezed,” so that younger faculty members can program of campus renovations. collaboration and remedy the current she said. have a space where they can get their The renovations will begin directly after space deficiency in both departments. The lack of classroom and research research started,” Fuhrman said. commencement, when there will be a The project is still in its planning stag- space for students and professors in Provost Jamshed Bharucha, a major “demolition of all the common-area toilets,” es and is not expected to begin soon. both disciplines has become more pro- proponent of the new building, agreed. Vice President for Operations John Roberto The building is tentatively planned to be nounced in recent years. “Right now we “The space that [the integrated lab] said. built on or near Boston Avenue, close to wouldn’t be able to hire anybody new,” Tufts will install “new lights, ceilings, toilet the Science and Technology Center. Fuhrman said. “We are absolutely full. see LAB, page 2 fixtures, toilet partitions, flooring material [and] showers,” Roberto said. “This is part of a multi-year program to renovate the bathrooms,” Roberto said. West and Metcalf represent the first in a list of halls Bridge Program attracts few males for next year that will receive bathroom overhauls in the BY ALEXA N DRA BOGUS coming years. The renovations should be Daily Staff Writer complete before students return for the fall semester, Roberto said. For the first time in its 14 years, Roberto said that the programs that are the Bridge Program attracted only two active on campus over the summer, such as males for next year. Summer School and the Conference Bureau, The interactive program offers week- have been notified of the planned construc- ly discussions on world affairs between tion and have planned their use of the build- faculty and students in Metcalf Hall. ings accordingly. Three of the roughly 30 appli- Roberto said that Metcalf and West housed cants who requested to be placed the bathrooms most in need of renovations. in Metcalf next year as part of the Plans are not yet set for which bathrooms Bridge Program were males, and two will be renovated after Metcalf and West. “I of these men accepted their room don’t have ... what’s planned for the follow- assignments, Director of Residential ing summer, but this is first of a multi-year Life Yolanda King said in an e-mail. plan to renovate the toilets in all of the major This tally does not include incoming residence halls,” Roberto said. freshmen, who have not yet submit- He said that upcoming renovations to ted housing applications. Tufts’ athletic facilities and the new lab build- Each student must go through an ing are still distant. application process and receive fac- “We’re not starting construction on either ulty referral to be accepted into the of those buildings [this summer],” Roberto program. said. “We’re a ways off from construction.” ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY —by Marysa Lin see BRIDGE, page 2 Few male students have applied to participate in Metcalf Hall’s Bridge Program. West Medford and Arlington elect Distinction Awards to recognize Tufts employees 23-year-old state representative BY DA N PASTER N ACK said. “He’s been a primary driver While the awards are open to Daily Editorial Board behind the program.” faculty and staff members, not BY GILLIA N JA V ETSKI to bring people together than Cronin said that the Tufts everyone is eligible. Only full-time Daily Editorial Board on my age, and I think that I The university has already Distinction Awards will be the employees may receive the honor. proved correct in that assess- received a number of nomina- first university-wide recognition Members of the selection commit- Voters in West Medford and ment. Public service is not a tions for its new Tufts Distinction program, unlike similar ones that tee are also excluded from receiving Arlington sent out a powerful closed occupation.” Awards, a new series of prizes have developed on a campus-by- an award. message last week, despite Garballey believes that his that will recognize staff and fac- campus basis. Each award is accompanied by low turnout, when they chose five years of local political ulty members who give back to the The 15-member selection a $1,000 stipend. The money from Sean Garballey, a 23-year-old experience are enough for Tufts community. committee incorporates repre- these awards comes from the uni- graduate student at Suffolk the job. When Garballey was The nomination process, which sentatives that Bacow personally versity’s administrative budget, University, as their state rep- 18, he was elected to become opened with a letter from University selected from a number of dif- according to Baenen. resentative. a member of the Arlington President Lawrence Bacow, will ferent departments, including the The committee will determine Winning 67 percent of Town Meeting, and two years close March 31. Both students and School of Arts and Sciences and the exact number of awards that the vote in a special elec- later he ran for and won a employees are encouraged to sub- the Jean Mayer U.S. Department it will give this year after review- tion, the Democrat beat out seat on the Arlington School mit nominations. of Agriculture Human Nutrition ing the applications. At least one Republican John Worden and Committee. According to Kathe Cronin, vice Research Center on Aging. award will be given for each of the Independent Robert Valeri for Having already assumed president of Human Resources, “The goal was to come up with four categories, which are dedi- the 23rd Middlesex District the office he won last week, while many nominations have a selection committee that was cated to honoring the following: seat vacated by Jim Marzilli. Garballey is excited to com- been received, there is always diverse and represented the [range] Those who have shown outstand- In the Democratic primary municate what he considers room for more. of work done at the university,” said ing public service; those who have in February, Garballey beat the most pressing political “We’ve been getting good nomi- Michael Baenen, Bacow’s chief of helped others to excel; those who out Andrew O’Brien and fel- priorities. At the top of his nations,” she said. “We would love staff. “We tried to get a mix because have created new opportunities for low school committee mem- list is the need to replenish to see more.” we don’t want this to be something innovation; and those who have ber Jeff Thielman, taking his district’s local aid funds. Bacow said the awards will offer centered on Medford and the cen- simply gone above and beyond in 47 percent of the votes to He said it has taken a $30 recognition to Tufts employees who tral administration.” everyday activities. Thielman’s 43 and O’Brien’s million hit since 2002. go above and beyond in areas other David Garman was chosen as Award recipients will be hon- 10. “It’s become a problem than teaching and research. the representative of the School of ored at a ceremony in the Distler Garballey attributes his that the other 351 cities “Our staff and faculty bring enor- Arts and Sciences faculty. He is an Performance Hall of Granoff Music victory to his commitment to in the Commonwealth [of mous talent and dedication to the associate professor of economics Center on June 2. The event will public service, his progres- Massachusetts] are experi- work of the university,” Bacow said who specializes in the economics of be open to the entire community, sive values and a district- encing,” Garballey said. “Our in a letter announcing the awards. higher education. including students. wide need for “a new way to revenue is not nearly being “Thanks to their efforts, Tufts is a Garman is enthusiastic about the Anyone may nominate either look at things.” generated at the same rate place of excellence where students creation of the awards. “I’ve been an individual or a team by access- “At first, I wasn’t sure if as our costs, and local aid is thrive and new ideas flourish.” at Tufts about 25 years, and over 25 ing the program’s Web site. people would resonate with always the first thing to go Bacow conceptualized the years I’ve seen a lot of faculty and Nominations involve writing an a 23-year-old,” Garballey told away.” awards himself, according to staff that do much more than their overview, answering several ques- the Daily. “But in the end, I Along with replenishing Cronin. “I would give Bacow credit job requires,” he said.