THE TUFTS DAILY Est
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Where You Read It First Partly Sunny 64/48 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LVIII, NUMBER 5 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 TUFTSDAILY.COM Renowned physicist Dyson Dershowitz offers personal take on Israeli issues to deliver Snyder Lecture Speaker challenges climate change orthodoxy BY TESSA GELLERSON of global climate change. Daily Editorial Board The selection of Dyson follows the tradition of past Snyder lectures. World-renowned physicist and glob- Started in 2004 thanks to a donation al warming skeptic Freeman Dyson from Richard E. Snyder (A ’55), the will deliver this semester’s Richard E. series aims to attract prominent fig- Snyder Presidential Lecture. Dyson ures who break with the conventional will give his lecture, entitled “Nukes wisdom in their fields and raise contro- and Genomes: Two Genies out of the versial viewpoints. Bottle,” on Oct. 1. “This is a university, an institute Dyson, 85, has long been one of the of higher learning; students benefit most celebrated figures in the inter- from hearing different views,” Dean of national scientific community. Dyson’s Undergraduate Education James Glaser work, which spans many scientific dis- said. Past guest lecturers have ciplines, has won him acclaim, but he included former President of Harvard has more recently come under fire for University Lawrence Summers; Michael seeming to downplay the implications Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s JOSH BERLINGER/TUFTS DAILY Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, an outspoken supporter of Israel, presented Meals;” and prominent evolutionary the film “The Case for Israel,” based on a book he authored of the same name, to a biologist Lynn Margulis. packed crowd in Cabot Auditorium last night. After the screening, he and the film’s Many accomplishments highlight director, Gloria Greenfeld, fielded unscreened questions on Israeli and Palestinian Freeman Dyson’s long scientific career. issues. To see a video of Dershowitz’ responses, visit tuftsdaily.com. He has served as a physics professor at Princeton University for most of his life and has authored many books, includ- ing “Origins of Life,” “Disturbing the Universe” and “Weapons and Hope,” a From the outside looking in, treatise on the nature and implications of nuclear weapons. “He’s interdisciplinary and he’s able Tufts alum Brown sees a path to work in a wide spectrum of sci- ences,” said Physics Professor Eric Chaisson, director of Tufts’ science and to Kennedy’s Senate seat technology Dudley Wright Center and a personal friend and mentee of Dyson. BY SAUMYA VAISHAMPAYAN résumé as a leader in Boston and “His mind’s moving so rapidly, it’s just Daily Editorial Board beyond, and a strong candidate for unbelievable.” Senate,” Massachusetts Republican Physics Professor Roger Tobin also spoke As a Republican candidate in a heav- Party spokesperson Tarah Donoghue to Dyson’s innovative work. “He’s become ily Democratic state, U.S. Senate hope- told the Daily. known as one of the foremost great think- ful Scott Brown (LA ’81) is casting him- State Senate Minority Leader Richard ers of science,” Tobin said. “He takes on big self as an independent thinker and a Tisei lauded Brown’s service to his questions and thinks about them deeply political outsider. constituency and to Massachusetts at COURTESY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES and often very provocatively.” In a speech on Saturday announc- large. “Scott is dedicated to public ser- Distinguished scientist Freeman Dyson But it was a March 25 New York Times ing his candidacy, State Sen. Brown vice and is involved with government will deliver this semester’s Snyder Lecture emphasized his distance from what he for all the right reasons, [specifically] on Oct. 1. see DYSON, page 2 called “the Beacon Hill insider club” the genuine desire to serve the public,” and promised that his commitment to Tisei told the Daily. “He is somebody his constituents would trump any ties who has done a great job for his district to his political party or outside inter- and for the state.” Bacow tells community he is ‘cautiously ests if he won the upcoming election. Brown represents the towns of “As your U.S. Senator, I still won’t take Wellesley, Needham and Franklin, optimistic’ on economic outlook my orders from the special interests or among others. from Washington politicians who think Brown outlined his core beliefs in BY TESSA GELLERSON they know better than us what’s good his candidacy speech, but in subse- AND ALEXANDRA BOGUS for Massachusetts,” Brown said. “I do quent interviews he has not elaborated Daily Editorial Board not want to go to Washington to serve on controversial issues. He denounces the interests of government. I want what he calls Congress’ “out-of-con- While Tufts continues to tighten its to serve the interests of the people of trol” spending, tax increases and big belt as it weathers the economic storm, Massachusetts.” government, while warning against University President Lawrence Bacow But Political Science Professor Jeffrey domination of a system by one party, remains “cautiously optimistic” that the Berry said Brown would do well to specifically that of the Democrats in worst of the recession’s impact on the shift gears and focus on his platform Massachusetts. Hill is over. rather than his outsider status as a On the hot-button subject of health In an e-mail sent to the Tufts com- Republican. care, Brown rides the fence. “I believe munity yesterday, Bacow said that while “Brown is emphasizing the fact that that all Americans deserve health it is too soon to declare the crisis over, the state has a complete, 100-percent care, but we shouldn’t have to create Tufts’ outlook for the 2009-10 academic Democratic contingent in Congress a new government option to provide year is clearer than it has ever been and telling voters we need diversity it,” he said. in the past 12 months. “Despite the of thought in Washington,” Berry said. Berry said that Brown must solidify extremely difficult environment, Tufts “Most people want to vote for people his position on health care before he ended the fiscal year in relatively good that believe in what they believe in.” can hope to sway Massachusetts’ many shape,” he said, noting the university’s Brown is one of several candidates — liberal voters. success in balancing the budget for most of the Democrats — vying for the “He hasn’t forcefully articulat- fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The univer- seat vacated when Sen. Ted Kennedy ed the Republican alternative to the sity’s budget absorbed the full extent passed away last month after occupy- Democratic program in Washington, of the 25 percent decline in its endow- ing it for 47 years. and he needs to do so before it will ment, whereas peer institutions often Brown has already won the backing have an effect,” Berry said. opt to deal with such drastic losses over of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Massachusetts last elected a a period of years. Many of its members have commend- Republican to the Senate in 1972. Maintaining a cautiously positive ed his government service and tough Berry believes that another obstacle tone, Bacow highlighted several ele- ANNIE WERMIEL/TUFTS DAILY stance against tax increases. for Brown is name recognition. In order Lawrence Bacow said Tufts has fought the “I would call Brown an experienced see ECONOMY, page 2 recession effectively, but it has paid a price. and qualified individual with a great see BROWN, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s Sections A small coffee shop in After again missing out News 1 Op-Ed 13 Arlington is turning on the No. 1 spot in the the art of brewing into national rankings, the Features 3 Comics 14 a science. field hockey team beat Arts & Living 7Sports Back Babson 2-1 on Tuesday. Editorial | Letters 12 see ARTS, page 7 see SPORTS, page 20 2 THE TUFTS DAILY NEWS Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Senate elects student Trustee representatives Bacow: Tufts has weathered The Tufts Community Union the Daily, will serve as represen- TCU President Brandon Rattiner, (TCU) Senate selected three new tative to the Academic Affairs a senior, called the field of can- the storm, but clouds have trustee representatives in closed- Committee. didates very strong. “I thought door elections held Sunday night. Trustee representatives serve all of [the candidates] were not disappeared yet Former TCU President as official liaisons of the Senate immensely talented,” he said. Duncan Pickard, Adam Weldai to the trustee committees. They TCU Historian Tomas Valdes, a ECONOMY less than the school received and Emily Maretsky, all seniors, sit on the Senate but do not have junior, was pleased with the out- continued from page 1 last year. will serve as representatives a vote in Senate decisions. come of the elections. “As [they ments that have put the univer- “We of course were very from the Senate to three trust- Each candidate prepared a are] extremely qualified people, I sity in a relatively solid finan- hopeful to secure $5.5 million ee committees. brief statement and answered have full confidence that all three cial position. Tufts’ annual for state appropriation from Pickard will serve on the questions from senators. will be excellent representatives fund is up by 6 percent this the Massachusetts legislature,” University Advancement Following their statements, the to the trustees,” Valdes said. year. The Beyond Boundaries Cummings spokesperson Tom Committee. He had previously Senate discussed the candidates Rattiner agreed. “The three of capital campaign, which Keppeler said, adding that declared his intention to run and cast their votes in a closed- them showed exceptional skills includes the annual fund, administrators are working to for the position in April while door meeting.