Where You Sunny Read It First 57/46 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVII, NUMBER 50 THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 TUFTSDAILY.COM Tufts develops coding app for children by Yan Zhao several years ago, according Daily Staff Writer to Resnick, the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research The Development Technologies and head of the Lifelong (DevTech) Research Group at Kindergarten group at the MIT Tufts is working to develop an Media Lab. iPad and Android application that "My research group at the MIT teaches young children coding Media Lab developed Scratch to basics. enable young people, ages eight DevTech is working in con- and up, to program their own junction with the MIT Media interactive stories, games and Lab and the Playful Invention animations — and, in the pro- Company (PICO) to create cess, learn to think creatively, the app, ScratchJr, which is reason systematically and work expected to be released in 2014, collaboratively," he said. according to PICO Co-Founder After experiencing success Paula Bonta. with the initial app, Resnick's "We have a long relation- group decided to develop a new ship with the MIT Media Lab, app that would reach an even with Mitchel Resnick's group, younger age. In order to do so, and we have spent many years his lab and PICO teamed up developing digital construction with Marina Bers, the direc- tools for ... very young kids," tor of Tufts' DevTech Research CAROLINE GEILING / THE TUFTS DAILY Bonta said. Group. Senior Anna Troein encourages the audience to only engage in activities in which they are genuinely inter- The idea for ScratchJr came "We believe that learning ested during the annual Tufts Idea Exchange. from the original app, Scratch, which his group developed see SCRATCHJR, page 2 Students host annual Tufts Idea Exchange by Justin Rheingold tance of hip-hop sampling and are not only not literate, they Daily Editorial Board the possibilities of synthetic will never ever have an oppor- biology. tunity [to learn to read]." Seven members of the Tufts The evening began with Wolf explained that she and community, including students, a lecture from Maryanne her team at the Center for a professor and an alumnus, Wolf, a professor in the Eliot- Reading and Language Research delivered short presentations Pearson Department of Child are working to develop a digital on their unique ideas as part of Development, who spoke about learning program that enables the fifth edition of the Tufts Idea her efforts to increase literacy children to learn to read on Exchange (TEX). rates among children around their own and without a human TEX, which is part of the the world. teacher. Institute for Global Leadership's "Most of you take it com- "What we want to do is begin Synaptic Scholars Program, pletely for granted — you think to make templates for people in is based off of the popular that reading is a natural thing," different languages and use it as Technology, Entertainment, Wolf said. "It could not be a way not just to share knowl- COURTESY MARINA BERS Design (TED) conferences. This unnatural ... It is a platform for edge ... but also break down bar- Mitchel Resnick and Marina Bers pose with the ScratchJr app they are year's presentations consisted releasing the potential of chil- riers about who is 'other,'" she developing to help teach children to program. of a vast array of ideas, ranging dren to learn beyond whatever said. "One of the most impor- from the role coffee shops play their backgrounds are ... Yet 72 in our daily lives to the impor- million children in this world see TEX, page 2 TCU Elections Update In an April 9 TCU Elections Jiang and Ece Kocak will serve Update, the Daily listed the on the Committee for Student recently elected Class of 2017 Life and Anna Weissman, Becky Former Ambassador Swanee senators, the new Latino Center Goldberg, Michael Kalmans and Representative, Class of 2015 Jonathan Zfira will serve on the secretary and the new Class of TCU Judiciary. Hunt delivers guest lecture 2017 president. Although pre- Many of the class council posi- viously unreported, freshman tions were also uncontested. For by Justin Rheingold societies, as well as to alleviate story of the Bosnian War, a Shai Slotky was also elected as a the Class of 2015, Julia Stein Daily Editorial Board poverty and human suffering," conflict she worked to resolve senator representing the Class of will serve as Vice President, Adiel Solomont, a former ambassa- through peace conferences in 2017. Pollydore will serve as the mar- Former U.S. Ambassador to dor, explained. Vienna. Numerous other positions keting chair, Mark Bernardo Austria, Swanee Hunt, spoke Hunt, who spent her lecture "I made probably 25 trips were filled on April 8, although will serve as the finance chair with students and faculty dissecting the reasons why to Bosnia because Vienna no election was held as they were and Grace Michaels will serve as yesterday about the evolving women may be better suited to was the last sane place before uncontested. Michael Maskin, President. For the Class of 2016, role of women in government resolve conflict, explained that you dropped into hell," she Robert Joseph, Andrew Nunez Mauri Honickman will serve as decision making, particularly she has pursued her research explained. "You all are aware and Matthew Roy will represent Vice President, Jason Brillon will in those decisions involving for reasons other than gender of what's happening in Syria the Class of 2015 and Ethan serve as the marketing chair, conflict. equality. ... Bosnia was the Syria of the Finkelstein, Brian Tesser, James Matthew Marber will serve as Hunt, who is current- "I care a lot about women, time. It was a three-and-a-half Golden, Janna Karatas, Adam secretary and Julia Turock will ly the Eleanor Roosevelt but that isn't the most impor- year siege ... We had 40,000 Kochman, Sam Berzok, Sawyer serve as President. For the Class Lecturer in Public Policy at tant driving force for me," she refugees that streamed across Dew and Anna Hymanson will of 2017, Patrick Allen will serve Harvard's Kennedy School said. "I care a lot about pov- the border into Vienna." represent the class of 2016 as Vice President, Anastasia of Government, was intro- erty and people having hope Working to reduce the con- in the Senate. Betty Fong will Antonova will serve as the mar- duced by Associate Professor in their lives and I come to flict, Hunt sought to reduce represent the Asian-American keting chair, Michelle Bornstein of Political Science Richard those issues through the gen- the number of warring parties community, John Kelly will will serve as the finance chair Eichenberg and Dean of the der lens." from three to two by bring- represent the LGBTQ commu- and Katie Waymack will serve as Tisch College Alan Solomont. From 1993 to 1997, Hunt ing the Bosnians and Croats nity and Alison Aaronson will secretary. "Swanee Hunt's mission served as the ambassador to together. During the negotia- represent the Women's Center through life is to achieve Austria, an important time for tions, she noticed a lack of on next year's Senate. Linda —by Justin Rheingold gender parity, especially as a the Baltic States as Yugoslavia means to end war and rebuild was in turmoil. She told the see HUNT, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections Tufts music scene Nalaga’at Theater News 1 Op-Ed 9 explodes with fusion Ensemble movingly groups and eager jam- depicts life for deaf Features 3 Comics 10 ming. and blind. Weekender 5 Classifieds 11 Editorial | Letters 8 Sports Back see WEEKENDER, page 5 see ARTS, page 6 2 THE TUFTS DAILY NEWS Thursday, April 10, 2014 Police Briefs HANDS OFF DANCING IN THE DARK TALKING A BIG GAME the classroom in a suit and tie, placed a Tufts University Police Department Police on April 4 at 11:50 p.m. respond- Police on April 5 at 3:17 a.m. received a raw chicken on the desk, and left the area. (TUPD) on April 4 at 1:15 a.m. were over- ed to a panic alarm set off at 92 Curtis call from the Somerville Police Department Police found the student in Miller Hall. seeing the buses returning students to St. Upon arrival, police discovered a large who had been alerted to a Tufts student When police asked him about his behavior campus after Senior Pub Night. Officers group of people in the house, dancing in trying to force his way into a house on the student was very apologetic, saying it observed two students exiting the bus, the dark. The officers turned on the lights Powder House Blvd., thinking it was Lewis was a misunderstanding and that he just one student supporting the other who and cleared everyone out of the house. Hall. When police asked if the student wanted to give the Wall Street prep class appeared to be intoxicated. As officers They then found many empty beer cans had been drinking, he responded that he the bird and display his middle finger. approached the students to verify this, the and three empty vodka bottles. Police sus- had, saying he had consumed 19 alcoholic student who was supporting the other pect that the panic alarm was triggered by drinks. Later the student changed his state- A VISIT TO REMEMBER told officers that his friend was fine and someone accidentally bumping into it. ment, saying he had "actually maybe had there was no need to call Tufts Emergency five" alcoholic drinks. The student was TUPD on April 6 at 1:02 a.m.