Where You Sunny Read It First 53/32 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LVII, NUMBER 57 THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009 TUFTSDAILY.COM BY BEN GI ttl ESON Freshmen Elliott McCarthy and voting ended in each contest. Daily Editorial Board Manuel Guzman, who both ECOM nullified the original served as senators this year, did election, which took place last For-profit After three elections for the same not win reelection. Wednesday, after receiving a com- seven Tufts Community Union The election proceeded smoothly plaint alleging candidates urged nonprofits? Freshmen(TCU) Senate seats, the freshman finally throughout the dayget with no glitches,their their peerssenators to exploit a perceived class finally has its representatives. according to Elections Commission technological glitch in the voting Freshmen Aaron Bartel, Danielle (ECOM) Chair Adam Weldai. software and cast a second ballot. Cotter, Jon Danzig, Kate de Klerk, “This was ... incredibly clean and The Commission then voided Tomas Garcia, Joel Greenberg and functioned perfectly,” said Weldai, a the results of the second election, Nunu Luo emerged victorious in senior. “There was literally nothing held Monday, after a technological yesterday’s vote for the Class of that went wrong.” malfunction in the voting software 2012 Senate seats. The vote was the third for the prevented freshmen from voting for Bartel, Cotter and de Klerk seats in eight days, as ECOM invali- served on Senate this past year. dated the first two immediately after see ELECTION, page 2 Senate provides funds to begin plans for campus center upgrades BY TOKA BEECH Daily Staff Writer The campus center this month came one step closer ALISON MEHLSAK/TUFTS DAILY to being renovated when the Author Dan Pallotta, author of the book “Unforgiven,” spoke in Tufts Community Union (TCU) Pearson Hall on Tuesday about his thoughts on and experiences with Senate allocated $20,560 for the charity world. In “Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits architectural plans to revamp Undermine Their Potential,” published by Tufts University Press in the center. December, Pallotta argues that a for-profit model to charity work The funds will go toward hir- can be a successful approach; he founded the for-profit company ing an architect who, according Pallotta TeamWorks, which designs charity events. to TCU senator and outgoing historian Antonella Scarano, will focus on furniture, carpet- ing, painting and lighting, a MEFA receives boost in funding project that will be completed during the summer. BY LES L IE OGDEN of parent borrowing, MEFA is The architect, Brooke Trivas, Daily Editorial Board a nonprofit state enterprise will develop a design that will that provides private non- be presented at an April 30 Gov. Deval Patrick government loans, according meeting of the committee announced on April 1 that the to Reilly. overseeing the upgrades; that Massachusetts Educational “Instead of issuing profits to group includes Scarano and Financing Authority (MEFA) shareholders like Sallie Mae … representatives from various would make $300 million MEFA takes any profits it gen- university projects. A contrac- in fixed-rate student loans erates after operating expens- tor will be able to use the com- available to undergraduate es, and uses that to reduce pleted drawings to actually and graduate students who the interest rates for students begin work on the center. live in or attend school in borrowing loans,” Christopher Construction, assuming Massachusetts. Penn, a spokesperson for the funding is obtained, could take The new initiative comes as Student Loan Network, a stu- place this summer, Scarano, a part of Patrick’s Massachusetts dent loan provider and source junior, said. Funding will likely Recovery Plan, and MEFA is of information on student come from both private donors already seeing results. loans, told the Daily. and the administration, she “Ever since the announce- The MEFA rate jumped explained. ment was made by the gover- slightly from the 2007-2008 “In order to fix the cam- AALOK KANANI/TUFTS DAILY nor, we’ve had a really good academic year rate of 6.39 Renovations to the campus center will likely occur this summer, according response of people applying percent. see CAMPUS CENTER, page 2 to outgoing Tufts Community Union Historian Antonella Scarano. and getting accepted,” MEFA Yet despite the jump, MEFA’s spokesperson Jessica Belt told standard interest rate of 7.75 the Daily. percent remains lower than MEFA, the state’s largest the standard federal student student-loan company, will loan rates. Somerville aldermen consider also receive $270 million in “Two years ago, the rate was tax-exempt bonds for future much better [than other loan education loans. It will provide issuers], and we had a lot of resolution supporting local police undergraduate students loans MEFA borrowers,” Reilly said. at a 7.75-percent interest rate “This year, their rate is closer for the 2009-2010 academic to the other alternatives … The Wording and timing of resolution called into question year. MEFA rate is slightly lower, but BY AL EXANDRA BOGUS came after the Somerville Eight of the 11 Board mem- While these loans are not their fee is slightly higher.” Daily Editorial Board Journal reported earlier last bers signed the document. part of the Tufts financial aid Last year, many students month that Somerville police Some of those who refused to package, they provide viable were forced to look for loans The Somerville Board of had allegedly harassed six sign took issue with the timing options for families looking to elsewhere after discovering Aldermen recently considered Latino high school students of the resolution. finance tuition. that their MEFA loan applica- a resolution expressing sup- by calling them gang mem- Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz “When we do financial aid, tions would not be accepted port for the Somerville Police bers and bashing some of their (Ward 6), who did not sign it, there is almost always a par- until mid-September due to a Department, tabling the mea- heads against a cruiser. said that she did not want to ents’ contribution, and parents delay in funding. sure amid criticism that it both The resolution maintains undermine the integrity of the will be able to use those loan Due in part to a recovering came at an inappropriate time full-fledged support for the police investigation. funds to pay for their contribu- market, however, the nonprofit and limited its coverage to just police department, even as a “The resolution expresses tion,” Director of Financial Aid state authority was able this “citizens.” police investigation into the unequivocal support regardless Patricia Reilly said. month able to attain funding, The Board of Aldermen actions of the officers who the of the circumstances — at least Unlike Federal Parent PLUS decided at a meeting on March Somerville teens accused of Loans that are a major source see MEFA, page 2 26 to table the resolution, which racial profiling continues. see RESOLUTION, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s Sections Sales of some consumer The Independent Film goods, including con- Festival of Boston pres- News 1 Op-Ed 11 doms and video games, ents over 100 films in Features 3 Comics 12 are growing in demand theaters across the city, Weekender 5Classifieds 14 despite the recession. beginning next week. Editorial | Letters 10 Sports Back see FEATURES, page 3 see WEEKENDER, page 5 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS Thursday, April 16, 2009 Police Briefs Architect designs campus center upgrades CAMPUS CENTER ter lighting and furniture that university should work with BEST WAY TO QUIET an Easter basket, a Global continued from page 1 doesn’t look so outdated.” what it has. YOUR CO DETECTOR? Positioning System and golf pus center, we’re not moving The recent allocation comes “When I first joined Senate, clubs were missing from his car walls or anything,” outgoing as a result of longstanding everyone was talking about At 11:41 p.m. on April 2, Tufts around 2 p.m. on April 11. The TCU Treasurer Matt Shapanka efforts to improve the campus the campus center,” she said. University Police Department car, which was parked in the said. “But we need to figure center. “They’ve all been waiting for (TUPD) officers were dis- Cousens Gym parking lot, was out what we can change, and The Tufts Board of Trustees the campus center to be torn patched to 92 Professors Row, found unlocked, contrary to the it costs money to bring in an in February expressed an inter- down and reconstructed. But the Sigma Nu fraternity house, student’s recollection. architect and take a look at the est in improving the campus … it’s not going to be torn because the carbon monoxide place.” center, approving the creation down any time soon.” detector had gone off. Upon AND FIDO SAVES THE The extent to which the of the committee that will soon Shapanka stressed that the entering the house, the offi- DAY! university carries out Trivas’ review the architectural plans. Senate would not fund the cers witnessed a male student recommendations depends on Senior Laura Herman, the out- entire renovation project. breaking the security panel On April 11 at 11:23 p.m., stu- future funding that has not going liaison between the stu- “We’ll have Senate pay for with his fist. The student, who dents living on Sawyer Avenue. yet been secured. This funding dent body and the trustees’ the architect and take it from ran away, was identified as a called TUPD on report of a sus- may come from donors to the Administration and Finance there,” Shapanka said. “But we Sigma Nu brother. A report was picious person trying to enter university, Scarano said. Committee, had suggested want to get the ball rolling, sent to the Office of the Dean their residence.