Where You Showers Read It First 70/53 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 38 FRiday, NOVEMBER 1, 2013 TUFTSDAILY.COM Professor provides literacy education with tablets BY DANA GUTH organization founded by Massachusetts Daily Staff Writer Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Nicholas Negroponte. Maryanne Wolf, director of the Tufts “We made an ‘app map’ based on [the University Center for Reading and Language human brain],” Wolf said. “To get people Research and professor in the Eliot-Pearson involved, we’re teaching a course in technol- Department of Child Development, is ogy and literacy between Tufts, MIT and the combining neuroscience and education to Rochester Institute of Technology, and we develop solar-powered tablets that will help have people to help build more apps.” improve the literacy of children in remote The work has been a collaborative Ethiopian villages. effort involving researchers from the The tablets are part of the Global Tufts University Center for Reading and Literacy Project, a nonprofit organiza- Language Research, MIT Media Lab and tion that teaches the basics of literacy to Georgia State University. those with no access to formal education, Stephanie Gottwald, research coordina- according to Wolf. tor at the Center for Reading and Language Wolf described the tablet-based system Research, expressed excitement about the COURTESY KYRA STURGILL as a digital learning experience by which project’s potential to make a difference in The Tufts European Center in Talloires, France was recently ranked one of the best branch children with virtually no literate people Ethiopian communities. campuses in the nation. in their own communities can learn with- “This is a really ambitious project,” out teachers or instructions. The project Gottwald said. “It’s invigorating to think that, began one year ago after the Ethiopian through the collaboration of these amazing government suggested the idea. people, we could have such a huge impact Talloires program ranked “If we were successful and could reach within our lifetimes.” 100 million children, we would change the Wolf described one young boy who, after face of world poverty by 12 percent,” she losing his family, used his new technological among best branch campuses said. “That’s as big of a goal as I could have skills to find his place in the community. BY ABIGAIL FEL D MAN Program Coordinator at the Center in a lifetime.” “He was able to turn the Motorola Xoom Daily Editorial Board David Baum (LA ’09) explained that According to Wolf, the project currently [an Android-based tablet computer] on in the center in Talloires is meant to focuses on two impoverished communi- four minutes time, and then teach every- The Tufts European Center in provide students with a multicultural ties in Ethiopia — Wonchi and Wolonchete. body else,” she said. “He has a lot of sad- Talloires, France was this year perspective. About 40 children, all of whom have little to ness in his family, and through this experi- named one of the top branch cam- “[The campus] was given to Tufts to no access to water or school supplies, live in ence, he’s the village hero. He’s completely puses by the National Association of bring people together and to promote these two villages. transformed his life.” Branch Campus Administrators and international exchange,” Baum said. “These kids have never seen electric- The program’s biggest hurdle has been TheBestColleges.org. The Talloires program is so suc- ity, paper, nothing,” Wolf said. “They can a lack of funding, Wolf explained. The According to a Jan. 3 post on cessful because of the values and his- write on a tablet, but they’ve never had team, however, has successfully over- TheBestColleges.org, which ranked the tory associated with the priory itself, a pencil ... Still, they aren’t literate yet. come other challenges, such as handling Talloires program No. 6 among branch according to Administrative Director They’re just learning.” the children’s unfamiliarity with elec- campuses, the program provides qual- of the European Center Gabriella Wolf’s involvement with the program tronics, accommodating for their native ity cultural exploration and education- Goldstein. began with the development of tablet al opportunities, as well as a beautiful apps for One Laptop Per Child, a nonprofit see TABLET, page 2 setting in a former Benedictine priory. see TALLOIRES, page 2 Student groups SWAT, Parnassus strive to amp up literary scene on campus BY SOPHIE LAIN G Malleck, a sophomore, said. “So we want to Contributing Writer hold workshops, story slams, chalking about our favorite literature.” The Spoken Word Alliance at Tufts (SWAT) This Wednesday evening, Parnassus and Parnassus, a recently formed literary members “chalked” in their favorite quotes, magazine, have joined the literary scene on lyrics or phrases on Tisch patio. Parnassus campus this semester. also collaborated with SWAT to hand out The Canon, the Tufts literary journal, printouts of free poems in Dewick-MacPhie wrote on its website that Tufts lacks a literary Dining Center. scene. The two newly formed groups, how- “It’s very much about including the entire ever, aim to build up that very presence. community in arts and writing,” Malleck said. Junior Ethan Wise, who acts as producer Malleck said that she expected more in of SWAT, elaborated on the sparse literary terms of literary outlets at a university like scene on campus. Tufts and that these types of events will “I guess what I would say is that I’ve yet to hopefully change that for the better. notice its presence, which is maybe indica- Despite the recent upswing in the activity tive of its presence,” Wise said. related to publications on campus, Leonna Publications currently on campus that Hill, a junior majoring in English, said that feature student-produced work include the the literary scene is still pretty quiet. Canon, Tufts Observer, Tufts Public Journal “To be honest I don’t think there is a and the Daily, among others. After los- big presence,” she said. “I’m an English ing its Tufts Community Union Judiciary major, and I don’t see English book clubs (TCUJ) recognition this spring, the Primary around campus as much as I see activism Source has recently returned to campus. clubs around.” Parnassus publishes poetry, fiction, non- Michael Downing, a lecturer in the fiction and photography. Department of English, said that hav- JADE CHAN FOR THE TUFTS DAILY Wise explained that the goal of SWAT is ing an active print publication commu- Students and members of SWAT gathered last Thursday in Crafts House for its inaugural to facilitate more literary events on cam- nity can be difficult in general, since open mic event, an evening of slam poetry. pus. Julia Malleck, founder of Parnassus, such publications have been suffering added that Parnassus will provide new in recent years due to competition with of all kinds right now. ... Having time to Sophomore Moira Lavelle, however, programming around campus as well. online literary outlets. produce it and then having some way of said the literary scene at Tufts is partly “We are aiming to be a literary magazine, “I think these things are very hard to making people think they are supposed why she made the decision to come here. but we also want to create a larger sort of lit- make a go of,” Downing said. “I think to be interested in the print version of erary and arts community surrounded by it,” the world is really hard on print material it — it’s a challenge.” see LITERARY, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections News | Features 1 Classifieds 7 The Daily speaks with Fitz and the Tantrums Aziz Ansari about life disappoint at the Arts & Living 3 Sports Back as a comedian. House of Blues. Comics 5 see ARTS, page 3 see ARTS, page 3 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS | FeatURES Friday, November 1, 2013 THE TUFTS DAILY Students aim to increase literary Talloires campus HANNA H R. FINGE rh UT Editor-in-Chief presence on campus broadens academ- EditoriaL LITERARY Lavelle sees room for improvement in continued from page 1 the linkages among groups on campus. ic experiences Jenna Buckle “When I was talking to my parents about “The Observer’s part is very different Melissa Wang my choices, I argued that we had the Daily, from the Canon’s part, and it’s very differ- TALLOIRES Managing Editors and the Observer, the Public Journal and ent from spoken word or from anything continued from page 1 the Canon and we had so many differ- else, and I think that is where our strength “It’s a different kind of place,” Abigail Feldman Executive News Editor Daniel Gottfried News Editors ent outlets,” Lavelle, a news writer for the is and where our potential lies in Tufts’ Goldstein said. “It’s an 11th century Victoria Leistman literary scene,” Lavalle said. “We have so Menghan Liu Observer, said. “And that was one of my old building that was given to Tufts Melissa Mandelbaum reasons for coming here.” many different outlets that if we all came with a very special purpose — to use Annabelle Roberts Mahpari Sotoudeh Although Lavelle thinks the literary scene together it could be even stronger.” it to make a better society ... It’s not Josh Weiner is visible, she also pointed out how it is not Senior Austin Berg, editor-in-chief of just the stones, the bricks. It has its Sarah Zheng Daniel Bottino Assistant News Editors yet a concrete and unified community. the Primary Source, disagreed, noting history, and it has its beautiful ideas Alexa Horwitz “I think [the literary scene] is very that there are multiple sides to every [and] messages, and we should use Hunter Ryan Denali Tietjen much alive but still struggling to attain issue that should be represented in print.