Citizenship Discussed by Alumni and Faculty Byjenniemlrcier After Graduation.To This End, Foster Opened Citizens

. THEIWhere You Read It First TUFTS Friday, April 16,1999 DAILY Volume XXXVIII, Number 52 I Citizenship discussed by alumni and faculty byJENNIEMlRCIER after graduation.To this end, Foster opened citizens. “Look for ways to praise people can afford. “When you have people having Daily Editorial Board the discussion by asking, “How do you and criticize them as well,” he said. to juggle two jobs, luxuries like reading the What do a lawyer, a businessman, an understand citizenship and democracy, and Johns, a former Tufts admissions asso- paper get pushed back because of time. In educator, and a director have in common? ’ how has your understanding informed your ciate, explained that she felt “lucky to get many people’s lives it’s not a priority, or Citizenship and a devotion to public ser- professional work?’ paid to do non-profit work and enjoy it.” even a possibility,” she said. vice. Last night, a distinguished panel of Bresler, who practices law, said his con- Johns works with Sponsors for Educational During business school at Emory Uni- alumni and faculty convened to discuss the cern forworldcitizenshilpin his life prompted Opportunity (SEO), an organization that versity, Danzig said that he interned with a incorporation of citizenship in professional him to run for a seat on the state legislature encourages students to succeed in school. major business firm that paid well but was and university life. from Newton. “Rather than seeing myself At the same time, SEO finances corporate not personally satisfying. As unorthodox Lincoln-Filene Center (LFC) Director as a citizen, day to day, I see myself as a internships for high achieving students of as it was, he chose to use his business skills Badi Foster moderated the panel madeup of public servant,” he said. color. in anon-profit setting. He remembered be- alumni Kenneth Bresler, Mayer Danzig, and “There’s something very selfish about Johns’ work has led her to the conclu- ing asked, “You want to what with your Karen Johns, and EPIIC director Sherman public service,” he added, “because you do sion that “the intersection of race and class life?’ by his incredulous peers all heading Teichman. it for personal satisfalction; it’s satisfied affectsone’sabilitytoparticipate in democ- to Wall Street. By speaking to the nature of citizenship because it serves others.” racy ... You can’t assume equal footing of During the question and answer ses- in their professional lives, the panelists Bresler said reading a daily paper and access.” sion, Bresler noted that “you don’t have to shed light on the range of options available corresponding with politicians are a few She challenged Bresler’s idea of daily bepartofthe system ... peoplecando things to students interested in pursuing service ways he encouraged everyone to be active citizenship as a luxury that not everyone on your own.” Johns emphasized the importance of bringing minority groups into the center. “If you see yourself as further from the center, Faculty votes form Faecutive Committee it’s easier to turn away from [society],” she to said. ‘What has to happen is to [create] a New plan a major step in drive fior governance deliberatesense ofownership ofthe place.” faculty. Many faculty members Johns went on to describe this as a dual byWILLKINLAW process. “In attempting to bring those on expressed concern that a senate Daily Editorial Board the fringes back in, people in the center wouldcause facultymembers to The struggle between administrative control and faculty inde- need to change the process,” she said. become less involved in faculty pendence is a battle characteristic of almost every college campus Teichman had adifferent view ofoppres- in the nation. The Arts and Sciences faculty took a great leap initiatives and exacerbate the sion. “A lot of it is self-censorship, self- towards a more independent role this Monday when they voted to already low attendance rate at faculty meetings. assumed,” he said. He urged students to change their bylaws to accommodatethe formationof an executive ask themselves, “HOWexpansive can you committee of the faculty. This committee will be responsible for Another faculty member said that she would vote against the make your identity?” Explaining that his designing meeting agendas, overseeing faculty committees, and goal is to “be speckled as possible,” he improving communication between the faculty and the administra- motion because she believed as that it would take senior profes- told students that as you broaden your tion, while de-centralizing the administrative authority over the definition of yourself, “you’ll find a lot of agenda and the conduct of faculty meetings. sors out of the classroom. The proposed senate motion in- linkages to people who seem very unlike The seven-member committee will consist of six elected mem- you.” bers of the full-time faculty of Arts and Sciences as well as Vice cluded a clause that decreased ’ Foster urged students to recognize that President of Arts, Sciences, and Technology Me1 Bernstein. The the amount of time that certain senators would spend in the they need others and to ask themselves, new committee, which will displace the current Faculty Liaison “What is it that 1owe myself, those closest classroom so that their sched- Committee, will also take on many other tasks so as to lighten the Daily file photo to me, and the community that supports load of committee work on the rest of the faculty. ules would be more open for Me1 Bernstein senate business. me?’ Members will be elected to three-year terms, and elections will The other goal of the discussion, ac- There were also concerns about minority representation on the be staggered so that two members come up for election each year. cording to Foster, was to “collectively ar- senate or executive committee and about in-depth discussions of The executive committee will also be responsible for gathering ticulate new and better questions regarding the virtues of both direct and representative democracies. information from the administration as well as keeping administra- the connection between higher education The executive committee motion passed on Monday will form tors informed of faculty business. The executive committee will and civic renewal.” a five-member committee to make the necessary changes to the elect a chair to a term ofone year, who will co-preside over faculty An audience member and employee of faculty bylaws. The motion passed with 63 votes in favor, 13 meetings with Bernstein. the LFC, Traxan Rachell, commented that This motion passed after a more radical motion to form an against, and 13 abstentions. The earlier senate motion failed with while many students see themselves facing 24 in favor, 5 1 against, and 12 abstentions. independent faculty senate was rejected by a majority of the achoice between workand service, it really isn’t a choice. “Hold your employer to service and citizenship,” he said. Math professor sponsors race discussion Bresler extended this responsibility Husband-wife duo speak against racial preference in admissions to other institutions, particularly Tufts. Alluding to the new college of service, by GREGORY PATMKOS Thernstrom believes that African Ameri- he prodded students to demand that Daily Staff Writer can students given preference sometimes “Tufts put its money where its mouth After many forums concerning race and are unable to be dealt with by the higher- is.” He suggested that the University discrimination, mathematics professor Ri- ranked universities. fund service internships and reduce tu- chard Stone was still not entirely satisfied. “Frommyexperiences,[UCLA,Hmard, ition for students committed to careers Inresponse, he invited Stephanand Abigail etc.] are less able to deal with students with in service. Thernstrom to speak to nearly 30 students weaker academic backgrounds than are Foster was pleased with the discussion, this past Wednesday. lower-ranked schools,” Stephan saying that the LFC planned to sponsor The Thernstroms recently published Thernstrom said. many similar forums. Noting the high turn- America in Black and White: One Nation The Thernstroms, who are widely ac- out of students, he said, “Obviously we’re Indivisible, which discusses race-relations, claimed for their use of statistical data and Daily file photo touching a nerve of what interests stu- socialpolicy,andaffmativeaction. Stephan their expertise on the issue, were invited to Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom dents.’’ Thernstrom is the Winthrop Professor of President Clinton’s recent series offorums spoke at pearson on Wednesday. Senior MaiaHeyck-Merlin, whocame to history at Harvard University, and Abigail on race and subsequently met privately see “how people bridge the gap between Thernstrom is a senior fellow at the Man- with the President and Vice President AI ments. Many ofthe contributors disagreed the need to earn a living and desire to do hattan Institute in New York. Gore to discuss related public policy is- with theThernstroms. Specifically, one en- service,” was also pleased with the panel’s What caused the most controversy was sues. gineer pointed out that black students she format. their being against affirmative action and After the lecture, the audience partici- knew who benefitted from preference did “I enjoyed seeing someone from the preference in college admissions. Stephan pated by asking questions andmaking com- not turn out as the Thernstroms predicted. business and political sectors and how “They came here and organized them- they incorporate citizenship in their daily selves into a club and pulled together more lives, seeing how doing good doesn’t have than the rest of us would,” the student said. to be confined to non-profit organizations. Another student from Hartford, Conn., It can infiltrate into other areas too,” Heyck- shared his view that more students should Merlin said. be given the chance for a college education After the discussion, senior Matt Wilkin and argued that it is frustrating that most praised the panelists for “deconstructing college admissions offices turn down stu- the preconceived notion of what commu- dents who are able to succeed.

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