THE TUFTS DAILY Est

Where You Sunny Read It First 54/34 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LVII, NUMBER 45 TUEsday, MARCH 31, 2009 TUFTSDAILY.COM Horowitz criticizes liberal professors Committee rescinds BY EMILY MAR E TSKY Daily Editorial Board informal invitation to David Horowitz, a conservative writer and activist, spoke last night in Barnum Hall about academic freedom and liberal biases in higher BY ROB SILV E RBLATT essary in order to avoid the education, telling an audience of Daily Editorial Board appearance of impropriety, around 40 that liberal professors their decision has prompt- across the country are indoctrinat- The organizer for a Tufts ed doubts about the limits ing students with their ideology. conference on medical of administrators’ freedom Horowitz is the founder and stafferresearch ethics has for recused Sen.since the blanketGrassley ban would president of the David Horowitz himself from planning the prevent even those adminis- Freedom Center, which publishes event after his committee trators who wanted to par- FrontPage Magazine, a conservative rescinded an informal invita- ticipate from speaking at the online news and political journal. tion to a congressional staffer symposium. His lecture, sponsored by over a potential conflict of “It basically raises the ques- the Tufts Republicans, centered interest. tion of, ‘What kind of aca- around many themes from his Professor Sheldon Krimsky demic freedom do the admin- book “One-Party Classroom: How decided to remove himself istrators have?’” Krimsky said. Radical Professors at America’s Top DILYS ONG/TUFTS DAILY from the event after the uni- “In the faculty, a diversity of Colleges Indoctrinate Students and David Horowitz, founder of the David Horowitze Freedom Center, speaks on versity-wide Committee on ideas is considered to be a Undermine Our Democracy,” pub- the issues of academic freedom. Ethics backed away from its plus; it may not be the case lished earlier this month. plan to invite Paul Thacker, for administrators.” In collecting research for his are taught by leftist faculty members demic class,” he said, arguing that an investigator for U.S. Sen. Krimsky, the co-chair of book, Horowitz said, he identified who espouse only their liberal ide- the course did not teach about Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), to the ethics committee and a and studied 150 so-called “indoc- ologies to students. types of revolutions, their benefits speak at the May symposium. professor of urban and envi- trination courses” at 12 universities “You can’t get a good education or their costs. “It doesn’t examine The committee, which ronmental policy and plan- across the country. if you’re only hearing half the story,” the subject.” is sponsoring the sympo- ning, initially got a green light These classes, he said, present he said. “Students who suffer most Horowitz also referenced for- sium, made its decision after from fellow planners to pur- opinions as if they were scientific are liberal or left-wing; they don’t mer Harvard University President university officials, citing sue Thacker, but Grassley’s facts. challenge their beliefs … If you’re Lawrence Summers’ resignation Grassley’s investigation into announcement last month “Until 30 years ago, education not liberal and speak out in class, after making two remarks that a Tufts researcher, informed that he was investigating a was driven by teachers who were you had better be able to defend clashed with liberal ideology. the body that they would not Tufts researcher interrupted driven to teach [students] how to yourself.” According to Horowitz, Summers’ allow administrators to par- the process. think, instead of what to think,” Horowitz offered an example statement that women have lower ticipate in the event should After learning about the Horowitz said. “It used to be that of a class taught at the University mathematical ability than men was Thacker attend. university’s position, the eth- you were taught how to formulate of California, Santa Cruz about a perfectly intellectual statement “I felt that my position as an ics committee voted to take an argument and left on your own how to organize an anti-capitalist backed up by research, and it only organizer was compromised,” back its informal arrange- [to make] opinions.” revolution. Krimsky told the Daily. “[It] ment with Thacker in favor of Horowitz said that many classes “This is not a legitimate aca- see HOROWITZ, page 2 put me in a really awkward having administrators speak position, and I thought the at the symposium. best thing to do was to with- Although Tufts officials draw from organizing.” forced the committee to Students on housing waitlist While Tufts officials main- tain that the move was nec- see ETHICS, page 2 The Office of Residential Life and and closing the lottery, a student According to King, the main Learning’s (ResLife) claim that it was came in seeking housing. This was reason that students end up on the able to fully meet student demand the first student put on the waitlist. waitlist is because their plans for at the lottery earlier this month was The waitlist was about 20 stu- off-campus housing fall through, met with contention after several dents long last week, according to at which point they turn to ResLife students reported they were wait- King, and that number has since for on-campus options. Students listed for housing. grown to about 25 and could away from campus on personal or ResLife Director Yolanda King increase still. medical leave also occasionally seek told the Daily last week that her Even so, this year’s numbers still housing after the lottery. office was able accommodate all bode better for students than in King anticipates that her office will housing applicants during the lot- prior lotteries, since it is “small be able to empty the waitlist after tery, which ran from March 3-5 in list compared to years past,” King students who will study abroad next the Gantcher Center, but this week said. The housing waitlist is usually year cancel their housing, which they said that since then, a waitlist has about 50 to 75 students long, and must do by April 30. sprung up. in the past, a lengthy list has often Just as ResLife was packing up formed at the lottery itself. —by Carter Rogers BY AL E XANDRA BOGUS AND Community Union (TCU) President familiar to individual students.” DAVID ST E RN Duncan Pickard. The centerpiece of the week’s Daily Editorial Board “We really wanted to … address programming will be Dean of Arts Class Week, LCS eventsclass from to a takenumber placeof different over and Sciencesnext Robertfew Sternberg’sdays Tufts’ first-ever Class Week is angles,” Pickard said. “Class is some- town hall forum on socioeconomic taking place this week with events thing that we as a society don’t talk class at Tufts. The forum, which designed to provoke discussion on about and certainly that manifests will take place on Wednesday, will socioeconomically charged issues itself on campus.” feature professors, administrators that affect student life both on and Pickard said the programming and students. off campus. is particularly timely in light of the Freshman senator Jimmy Zuniga, The programming will look to increasing financial difficulties stu- one of the forum’s student panel- link economic phenomena with dents and families are facing during ists, hopes the event will help break social matters such as gender, edu- the economic crisis. As a result, he down barriers. Stonyfield Farm CEO visits Tufts cation and political stereotypes, and is seeking to tailor the events to stu- “I know that class is often will kick off today with a speech dent interest. uncomfortable to talk about, but EMILY EISENBERG/TUFTS DAILY by Education Lecturer Steve Cohen “I hope that the campus will just what is always surprising is how Hillel’s Moral Voices brought Gary Hirshberg, who serves as the at noon in Braker 222. Cohen will be more aware of the way that class unwilling so many people are to president, chairman and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, to campus talk about the role of social class in functions in our society and on talk about these things,” he said. “I last night. Hirshberg talked about corporate responsibility and influencing the type of education campus specifically,” Pickard said. think the benefits outweigh the dis- brought along free samples from his company, which produces students receive. “The purpose of each event is to try comfort … and from discussion we organic yogurt. Class Week is part of the Class to address those issues in a way that Project, an initiative headed by Tufts is most interesting, comfortable and see THEMED WEEKS, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s Sections Senior Sofia Nelson The women’s tennis works to promote and team sailed past two News 1 Op-Ed 9 help educate others on NESCAC opponents in Features 3 Comics 10 transgender issues on its first home matches Arts & Living 5Classifieds 11 campus. of the spring season. Editorial | Letters 8 Sports Back see FEATURES, page 3 see SPORTS, back page 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Police Briefs Crime wave sweeps off-campus houses BY DAVE STERN male with curly hair and of medi- please take a moment to review EYE SPY had been removed from her Daily Editorial Board um height. suggested safety tips to help pre- purse. She was missing credit TUPD Sgt. Robert McCarthy vent the occurrence of future Tufts University Police cards, an ID card and $30. As part of the latest wave of confirmed that this was one opportunities for criminal activ- Department (TUPD) received a thefts, Tufts University Police of several recent accounts of ity,” the e-mail read.

Load more