Where You Read It First Sunny 41/25 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LIX, NUMBER 3 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2010 TUFTSDAILY.COM Senate survey results highlight student views on campus issues Results raise questions about the alcohol policy BY SAUMYA VAISHAMPAYAN duced last semester, which ally change drinking behavior Daily Editorial Board immediately places students because few messages that on level-one disciplinary pro- go to students or other young Results from the Tufts bation (pro-one) after a first adults have any great impact Community Union (TCU) alcohol offense. because no one likes to be lec- Senate Fall 2009 survey reveal Senators say that the fact tured to,” Reitman said. significant trends in the student that 67.1 percent of survey Another question about the body’s views on current, con- respondents indicated that the alcohol policy ascertained that troversial issues like the univer- new policy has not affected 44.5 percent of students sur- SCOTT TINGLEY/TUFTS DAILY sity’s alcohol policy. their drinking habits lends veyed are less likely to call Tufts The proposed Green Line expansion has raised questions about its impact The Senate collaborated support to the Senate resolu- Emergency Medical Services on local communities. for the first time with Political tion passed last semester out- (TEMS) in an alcohol-related Science Professor Kent Portney lining recommendations for situation because of the policy. and students from the “Political the alcohol policy. Portney, however, is not Green Line expansion Science Public Opinion and These recommendations swayed by this data; he says Survey Research” class to emphasized student safety and that responses could have ensure that their annual survey measures to prevent alcohol been influenced by students’ faces opposition was more professional, accu- abuse over the more punitive attitudes. rate and credible than those of aspects of a drinking policy. “I don’t have any precon- BY AMELIE A. HECHT its full support for the project — years past. “If the policy doesn’t change ceived ideas about whether Daily Editorial Board despite issuing it the Massachusetts “The impetus for a reliable, students’ drinking habits, [the data] indicts or supports Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) more scientifically designed sur- it’s not an effective policy,” the policy … if students really The Massachusetts Bay certificate — and included a stipula- vey stemmed from the desire to Ratain said. hate the policy, they might Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) tion that MassDOT must complete a have data that we can rely upon,” Dean of Student Affairs Bruce say they’re less likely to call plan to extend the Green Line into Final Environmental Impact Report junior Bruce Ratain, chair of the Reitman suggests that a better TEMS,” he said. the Medford and Somerville area, (FEIR) to address many of the issues TCU Senate’s Administration question to ask about the alco- Citing his experience with which includes a proposed stop raised by community members and Policy Committee, said. “I hol policy concerns peer behav- previous survey research, he on the Tufts campus, has elicited before construction begins. have a lot more confidence in ior. He feels that if, under the opposition from several critical The extension project, which this survey and using the results policy, a student is more likely see SURVEY, page 2 community groups. would grant Tufts students and local than in the past.” to prevent a friend from drink- Medford Mayor Michael J. community members easier access The TCU Senate has been ing dangerously, then it is work- Check out tuftsdaily.com McGlynn announced in a Jan. 4 let- to the T, is scheduled for completion seeking a change to the con- ing well. for a slideshow about the ter to the state’s Executive Office of in 2014. Construction on the project troversial new alcohol policy “I think its very hard to Senate survey results. Energy and Environmental Affairs has not yet begun. that the administration intro- find a strategy that will actu- (EEA) Secretary Ian A. Bowles The project will create seven new that he could not approve of the stops in the Medford and Somerville Green Line Extension Project until area, including one on Tufts’ campus the Massachusetts Department of next to Curtis Hall at the intersection Transportation (MassDOT) further of Boston and College Avenues. investigates the expansion’s poten- The initial Green Line DEIR tial impact on Medford residents’ issued in October lacks substantial standard of living. research about the long-term effects McGlynn wrote that “the Green of the project, according to Director Line Draft Environmental Impact of Community Development for the Report (DEIR) does not provide City of Medford Lauren DiLorenzo. [him] with sufficient information on “The societal impacts of the proj- issues critical to the quality of life of ect had not been properly inves- Medford residents to support the tigated,” DiLorenzo told the Daily. project without reservation.” The EEA has also withheld see GREEN LINE, page 2 Northeastern implements new four-year co-op program BY CARA PALEY response to students who choose Daily Staff Writer to graduate in four years and as a ALEXANDRA LACAYO/TUFTS DAILY result only manage to complete Three Chilean political activists met with CIRCLE Director Peter Levine to discuss political participation. Northeastern University’s at most one co-op. He believes introduction of a new four-year that the four-year plan will allow Tufts hosts Chilean political activists studying option to supplement its tradi- all Northeastern students to tional five-year cooperative edu- benefit fully from its co-op tradi- youth civic engagement cation, or co-op, program has tion. been met with mixed reactions “As we saw more students BY CORINNE SEGAL States and other countries. master of arts candidate at the from the student body. interested in a four-year degree, Daily Editorial Board The three visitors — some of University of Chile who recent- The co-op program allows stu- we took steps to make sure that whom were students and some ly ended his term as president dents to enhance their learning if they were going to do that, A group of three Chilean citi- of whom were recent gradu- of the university’s Students’ experience by working full-time it would be with two full co- zens on Monday visited Tufts to ates — were chosen to partici- Federation, said. in place of taking classes during ops,” Armini told the Daily. “To learn from the Tisch College of pate in the program because of He added that now is a par- certain academic semesters. some extent, we are responding Citizenship and Public Service’s their heavy involvement in stu- ticularly interesting time to be Under the new four-year pro- to student desire for flexibility, research on youth political par- dent government and politics learning about American soci- gram starting next fall, students but doing it in a way to make ticipation. in Chile. Throughout the trip, ety and politics. will complete two full co-op sure co-op is at the center of our The visit was part of a they will make official visits to Tufts was one of the group’s periods instead of the tradi- educational model.” country-wide trip to study political institutions and also stops, where they discussed tional three and will enroll in Students graduating in four American political process- participate in more informal Chilean and U.S. political sys- more online courses, accord- years will take a number of es and civil society under experiences like home visits. tems and methods for engag- ing to Mike Armini, senior vice online courses while on co-op the auspices of the State “This program is intended in ing youth with Peter Levine, president of external affairs at in order to squeeze in gradua- Department’s International order that we can get to know director of the Center for Northeastern. tion requirements. “We have a Visitor Leadership Program, how North American society Information and Research Armini explained that the which seeks to promote under- works,” one of the visitors, option was introduced in see NORTHEASTERN, page 2 standing between the United Federico Huneeus Lagos, a see CHILE, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s Sections University admissions Women’s track and field News 1 Op-Ed 11 looks to allow for more continues strong start creativity in applica- at weekend’s Wheaton Features 3 Comics 13 tion process. Invitational. Arts & Living 7 Sports 15 Editorial | Letters 10 Classifieds 19 see FEATURES, page 4 see SPORTS, page 15 2 THE TUFTS DAILY NEWS Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Survey covers Greek life, TEMS Northeastern’s reform of co-op SURVEY continued from page 1 program draws conflicting responses said that when faced with the actual situ- NORTHEASTERN fact that the four-year graduation rate is ation, students might respond differently continued from page 1 very low because of the co-op,” she said. than in the hypothetical situation posed fairly significant online educational set “They want to improve it by increasing in the survey. of options,” Armini said. “[Courses] will our four-year graduation rate.” The Daily reported last October that the have efficiencies that will give students Lieb also criticized the program’s number of calls made to TEMS had not more flexibility.” usage of extra online courses. “It’s totally changed since the implementation of the Discussions about starting a four-year impersonal,” she said. “I know if I were new policy. Reitman said there were indi- program have been ongoing over the to do online courses, I wouldn’t put as cations that the calls were on the rise. past couple of years, and the possibility much effort into it.