Veritas Forum Elicits Views on Work
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Map of universe explores Stolen Valor Act endangers MOSAIC illuminates gender the mysteries of space • A4 freedom of speech • A6 issues on campus • B8 SCITECH FORUM PILLBOX thetartan.org @thetartan February 27, 2012 Volume 106, Issue 20 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906 CMU architects Veritas Forum elicits views on work MADELYN GLYMOUR make virtual view News Editor JACKSON LANE you’ll see what you would see Three Carnegie Mellon Staffwriter if you were looking out the professors met in Rangos Hall actual building.” on Saturday night to discuss “Bring the restaurant out Rapoport is also making “work, the universe, and ev- further,” said David Bear, a space in the building for oth- erything.” fellow at Carnegie Mellon’s er, more interactive features, The professors — com- Studio for Creative Inquiry, such as guided tours, virtual puter science professor David gesturing to a virtual dining restaurants and meals, art Kosbie, information systems area on the computer screen. shows, and stage perfor- and marketing professor Mi- “We’re going to need more mances. chael Smith, and anthropol- room for the kitchen.” “There’s going be a large ogy professor Marie Norman As fourth-year architec- triangular stage here,” Rapo- — are a practical humanist, ture major Dan Rapoport port said, pointing out an a Christian, and an agnos- moved virtual objects around outdoor theater on the com- tic, respectively. They met as the screen, Bear explained, puter screen. “There will be part of the Veritas Forum, a “Not only do you need to some doors for the actors and Christian organization that serve the bar, the restau- actresses to come out of, and hosts panels with Christians rant, and the cafeteria, but this part will act as a curtain. and non-Christians on college if there’s an event upstairs, We’ll have dressing rooms for campuses. Veritas Forums you’re going to need [space the actors back here.” have featured panelists such in the kitchen] for catering.” “We’re going to have the as author Madeleine L’Engle Bear is leading the High virtual place for several years and atheist activist Christo- Point Park Investigation, a before the real place is built, pher Hitchens. proposal to build an environ- and our intention is to take The theme of Saturday’s mentally friendly and pub- advantage of that virtual ven- forum was work. Kosbie, licly accessible facility on the ue and to have events, music, Smith, and Norman shared roof of the U.S. Steel Tower, plays, and things that will at- their personal and philosophi- downtown Pittsburgh’s tall- tract visitors,” Bear said. “And cal experiences with the sub- est skyscraper. then there’s no reason not ject. Each panelist delivered Although a real-life facil- to continue it after the real an eight-minute introductory ity is still being reviewed and place is built.” speech. Then the moderator, considered by the city and The team expects to re- music history professor Paul potential financial backers, lease a prototype for feed- Johnston, prompted them teams from the School of Ar- back and public beta testing with questions from himself chitecture and the Entertain- in early March. By the end of and the audience about how ment Technology Center are the semester, the group plans Courtesy of Allison Huang and why we work. Audience members at the Veritas Forum reacts to a panelist’s joke. The forum, held on Saturday night, drew a building a detailed virtual to have a single-user simula- crowd of several hundred students, faculty, and staff to listen to three Carnegie Mellon professors share their replica of the facility so that tion online. See VERITAS, A3 views on how and why we should work. Afterward, audience members broke into discussion groups. online users can get a feel for The Entertainment Tech- what it would be like when nology Center team’s pro- built. ducer, Sean McChesney, said “The goal is to make this that the project is starting out as realistic a virtual experi- small given tight time con- Refugee counselors speak to FORGE ence as possible,” Bear said. straints. COURTNEY WITTEKIND ing to resettle in the United family. “For me, the tips given said. “It may seem like a small “We perceive the virtual des- “Guests will not see other Contributing Editor States. on how to stimulate conver- thing, but it can make the tination as in itself something real visitors, but will be able In their talk, they offered sations with our family were difference for these individu- that’s unique and worth visit- to see NPCs, non-player char- The International Rescue advice relevant to students particularly helpful,” Feenstra als who have already been ing.” acters, that will be animated Committee (IRC) spoke to stu- currently volunteering with said. through so much.” High Point Park started and speak to give a sense dents on campus this week, local refugee families. In “It helped me get a bet- Feenstra asserted that she in 2010, when students and of liveliness to the space,” disseminating information re- particular, they offered a list ter understanding of the the also benefits from the time faculty from Carnegie Mel- McChesney said. “The sheer garding refugee resettlement of seven “best practices” for refugee resettlement process,” she volunteers to work with lon participated in a sketch amount of work involved, and encouraging students to working with refugee fami- said sophomore art and global her refugee family. “I think design competition for ways coupled with our 15-week become active in the local and lies, which included things studies double major Jenny working with a refugee fam- to use the approximately one time frame and a four-man national support systems that like “know when to make a Soracco, who tutors a Bhuta- ily has been the best experi- acre of space at the top of the team, will not allow us to cre- constitute the resettlement referral” and “be aware of cul- nese family through FORGE. ence possible to get out of my U.S. Steel Tower. ate a multi-user experience, process. tural differences.” “I was able to see a better own ethnic-socioeconomic- “We generated a lot of but we have documentation The IRC is an international “The IRC’s refugee resettle- picture of where my family is national bubble,” she said. “To ideas and creativity, but not on how to create such an ex- organization that responds to ment agency is heavily related now, and what process they’ve recognize and connect with a lot of it was really action- perience that we will hope- humanitarian emergencies as to what FORGE does. We gone through so far. They also people who have struggled able,” Bear said. “We needed fully get to pass along to the they emerge across the globe. thought it would be a good presented pertinent infor- and endured through so much to figure out what could be next contingent of students in At work in over 40 countries opportunity to learn more mation regarding what can introduces a whole new per- done, and that suggested to order to realize this goal.” and in 22 U.S. cities, the IRC about the situation and how be difficult for these refugee spective to our daily struggles us the notion of a virtual ar- As the man responsible works to restore stability to we can help,” said Nikhil Bikh- families now that they may and gives me great humility.” chitectural workshop. When I for implementing all of the those uprooted or struggling chandani, current president of not feel comfortable voicing Students interested in join- became familiar with the ca- features proposed by Rapo- as a result of crises. FORGE and sophomore elec- to me.” ing efforts to facilitate refugee pabilities of [computer-aided port and Bear, McChesney While the IRC has recently trical and computer engineer- Whether sharing commu- resettlement efforts can con- design] and what they were knows the project’s scope worked on many relief-based ing major. nication techniques or best tact FORGE to join its tutoring doing down at the Entertain- well. “It is ambitious for a efforts — including providing Emily Feenstra, a junior de- practices, IRC representatives program or find volunteer op- ment Technology Center ... mere demonstration, but we food to East Africans, rebuild- cision science major in the Sci- encouraged FORGE members, portunities directly with sev- we really allowed our collec- are making much more than ing infrastructure after the ence and Humanities Scholars and other students in atten- eral local Pittsburgh agencies, tive imaginations to soar.” that,” McChesney said. “This flooding in Pakistan, and aid program and current co-vice dance, to work in whatever including the Jewish Family Rapoport is a member of is designed to be a simulation for victims of the Japanese president of FORGE, found ways possible to provide local & Children’s Service of Pitts- the team designing the vir- like no other that is currently tsunami and earthquake — the event useful for providing solutions to humanitarian is- burgh, the Greater Pittsburgh tual facility. “The primary fo- available. The simulation the organization also focuses simple strategies to integrate sues that exist globally. “What Literacy Council, and Catholic cus will be the view,” he said. is built to give the guests a on providing assistance and into her time with her refugee you do is crucial,” Rehberg Charities of Pittsburgh. “We’ve taken this Gigapan unique experience and op- organizing resettlement for photograph from the roof of portunity to visit a location refugees worldwide. Interven- the building, and when you to which only a few people in ing in all aspects of the pro- look out any of the windows, the world have access.” cess, from immediate relief efforts to the resettlement of displaced populations in the United States, IRC members “lead the way from harm to home,” as their slogan says.