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Where You Mostly Sunny Read It First 63/42 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 57 WEDNEsday, APRIL 22, 2015 TUFTSDAILY.COM Tesser wins election for TCU President Tufts celebrates Holi Junior Brian Tesser has won the team for all of the hard work election for TCU President. He and dedication that they put in,” received 67 percent of yesterday’s Tesser said in an email. “At this eligible votes, according to Tufts point, what is important to me Elections Commission (ECOM) is to start implementing my plat- Chair Paige Newman, a junior. form ideas and to prepare for According to Newman, 386 an exciting year to come. I think students voted for Tesser. A total that I have a lot of ideas that will of 193 students selected a vari- really help to improve the Tufts ety of write-in options, and 92 community and I am absolutely students chose to abstain from ready to get started.” voting; The abstention votes While Tesser’s campaign man- were not counted toward the ager Katie Waymack was disap- final tally. Overall turnout was pointed that the election was 11.65 percent of the student uncontested, she is still proud body, a figure with which ECOM of Tesser’s electoral success. is pleased, Newman said. “Despite being uncontested, “Given the fact that this was I am still proud of the work an uncontested election, voter that the campaign team put in turnout was expected to be to make the student body … lower than past presidential elec- informed of Brian’s platform tions,” Newman said in an email because I believe that it is crucial to the Daily. that the student body be aware Tesser expressed his gratitude of what Brian hopes to accom- for his campaign team’s hard work plish,” Waymack said. and said he looks forward to pur- suing his presidential platform. EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY “I am incredibly thankful to Hindu Student Council hosted Holi, the spring festival also known as the “Festival of Colors” honoring the members of my campaign -Audrey Michael the triumph of good over evil on April 19. University releases sexual conduct Student groups host survey, student activists voice concerns gardening event by Sophie Lehrenbaum conduct and sexual assault and Evaluation in coop- by Meagan Adler This past weekend’s event was Assistant News Editor at Tufts while also convey- eration with the Sexual Assistant News Editor the first time the GreECO Reps ing resources and support,” Misconduct Prevention Task and Tom Thumb’s Student On April 13, the Office Zellmer said. “Our intention Force, which was created by Tufts GreECO Reps and Tom Garden worked together to plan of Equal Opportunity is to enhance our response University President Anthony Thumb’s Student Garden host- a service event together, accord- (OEO) sent out an email to all and prevention efforts around Monaco in September 2013. ed an instructional garden- ing to Dorian, a junior. He added students with a survey titled sexual misconduct with what The task force consists of both ing event titled “Corn Hole that he was happy to have col- “Tufts Attitudes About Sexual we hope to learn from the students and faculty. A 2014 and Gardening” on Saturday, laborated with the GreECO Reps. Conduct Survey” (TASCS), results of the survey. The more progress report released by April 18, at which participants “I was so pleased that the which is intended to provide students complete the survey, the task force recommended worked together on projects GreECO Reps reached out,” he said. administrators with informa- the more information we will the implementation of such in the garden by South Hall. Participants used raised bed tion that will allow them to have to inform future efforts.” a survey as one of many tac- Senior and Founder of gardening to revitalize the gar- combat sexual misconduct According to Zellmer, this tics to institutionalize sexual Tufts GreECO Reps Ellen den after the winter, according more effectively and gain a is the first sexual conduct cli- misconduct awareness, edu- Osborn explained that she orga- to Dorian. He explained that this better understanding of what mate survey that Tufts has cation and support. nized the event with Tom Thumb’s type of gardening technique is resources and support could conducted, and many other Each email includes a Student Garden President popular because the beds are 12 be offered to help address universities across the coun- unique link that only per- Nicholas Dorian, noting that inches off the ground. Students the issue of on-campus sex- try are conducting similar mits students to take the sur- the two on-campus groups part- are thus able to have the access ual assault, according to OEO surveys in light of new sug- vey once, but the results are nered a few weeks ago. and flexibility to design exact- Director Jill Zellmer. gestions by the Office for Civil anonymous, Zellmer noted. “Our hope is that we collect Rights (OCR). “It’s important that students information about students’ She explained that TASCS understand that … [their perceptions, attitudes and was developed by sur- identities cannot] be traced opinions about social behav- vey experts from the Office ior related to sexual mis- of Institutional Research see SURVEY, page 2 All Tufts Marathon Team members by Safiya Nanji in 2003, it has raised more associated with TMT. This Assistant News Editor than $4,554,711.00. year marks the first time ever According to TMT Coach that all Tufts runners wearing On April 20, also known as Don Megerle, 100 runners a yellow singlet finished the NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY Marathon Monday, the Tufts were chosen for TMT from marathon — an extraordinary Tom Thumb’s Student Garden on April 21. finishMarathon Team this (TMT) par year's- over 400 rainyregistered run race- achievement, Megerle noted. ticipated in the 119th annual ners. The selected group of “Approximately 125 runners The Tufts GreECO Reps are ly the garden that they want. Boston Marathon. The course runners was comprised of wore the coveted TMT yellow sin- a group of representatives Dorian added that they used started on Main Street in 70 undergraduate and grad- glet,” Megerle told the Daily in an from each Greek chapter on five to seven inches of new soil, Hopkinton and stretched 26.2 uate students from several email. “The additional 25 [run- campus that helps Tufts meet fertilizer and compost to bring miles, ending on Boylston Tufts schools, 20 alumni, five ners] were qualified runners; … its sustainability goals, accord- the garden back to life. Street in Boston. “friends of Tufts” and five runners who received a number ing to the group’s Facebook According to Osborn, a junior, Accordingto TMT’s Crowdrise staff members, Megerle said. from another charity and chose page. Tom Thumb’s Student approximately 50 students came fundraising page, the group Megerle has been coaching to wear a Tufts singlet.” Garden is part of the Tufts to the event. raised $405,698.00 this year. at Tufts for 44 years, and for Sustainability Collective, Since the team’s inception 11 of those years he has been see MARATHON, page 2 according to its website. see GARDEN, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections On their newest release, The women’s crew News 1 Op-Ed 9 Death Grips returns to team defended the their former glory, bal- Brown Cup by defeat- Features 3 Sports Back ancing shrill sounds with ing WPI. Arts & Living 5 newfound elegance. Editorial | Letters 8 see ARTS, page 5 see SPORTS, back 2 THE TUFTS DAILY NEWS Wednesday, April 22, 2015 Student activists identify shortcomings of survey, hope campus sexual climate improves SURVEY resources working group on the presi- mate is positive and that the preven- Blackburn added that the university continued from page 1 dent’s Task Force on Sexual Misconduct tion and education work is effective,” only released the survey after previ- through the survey link,” she said. “The Prevention and Education, echoed Bausk said. ously being found non-compliant with survey is intended to provide students Bausk’s sentiments and noted addition- Bausk also stated that the survey Title IX. Blackburn explained that as with an opportunity to provide infor- al deficiencies she saw in TASCS. skated over pertinent issues, such as a result of being found non-compli- mation anonymously. Students can take “The survey didn’t allow non-cis whether or not students ask for or ant, Tufts was required to release the a break or skip questions at any time … people to accurately identify them- know how to ask for consent or wheth- survey as part of a Voluntary Resolution and the entire survey should take about selves, which has been a problem er they maintain victim-blaming and Agreement (VRA) in order to contin- 10-15 minutes to complete.” that students have noted in prior sur- slut-shaming beliefs. ue receiving federal funding. Many student activists involved in veys and have advocated to change,” Bausk also felt bystander interven- At the same time, Blackburn said sexual assault prevention groups have Blackburn, a sophomore, said. “The tion was over-emphasized in the sur- that the university’s manner of han- taken issue with several aspects of the survey also focused on one type of vey, and that Tufts should focus more dling cases of sexual misconduct has survey. Junior Bruce Bausk, a member experience with sexual violence and on fostering a campus culture that improved over the past several years. of both Tufts Action for Sexual Assault one narrative about it … I wish more emphasizes consent.