Where You Light Rain Read It First 46/34 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 40 FRiday, MARCH 27, 2015 TUFTSDAILY.COM oSTEM hosts guest speakers in efforts to foster a more diverse queer community by Roy Yang which plays a major role in community at Tufts, it’s super Assistant News Editor oSTEM’s efforts to strengthen segregated from science com- the queer STEM communi- munities,” Fowler said. “It Just before spring break, ty and create diversity within used to be that when you out in Science, Technology, that queer community, Fowler, hang out in a queer commu- Engineering and Mathematics a junior, said. nity or the LGBT Center, no (oSTEM) hosted the president “It is uncomfortably true in one did science and most were of the oSTEM National Board, all communities that you get students of humanities or Eric Patridge, who discussed very little diversity even with- social studies. It makes sense the need to build LGBT+ com- in,” Fowler said. “For exam- as these fields relate to the munities within science, tech- ple, we still have the cis gay public policy of [the] queer nology, engineering and math man as the face in the queer movement, and they are great (STEM) fields. community, and so with the and obviously super impor- “[Patridge’s] statistics gave speaker series, we wanted to tant. But seeing these amazing Elyssa HARRIS / THE TUFTS daily a lot of insight as to which change that perspective. We people who have clearly gone Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, who served as the vice chair of this year’s Dietary communities in STEM feel brought in a trans speaker through [this] is really excit- Guidelines Advisory, poses for a portrait in her office at the HNRCA on Mar. 9. most comfortable in queer and a female speaker, and ing, because it’s a face you inclusiveness,” Tufts oSTEM reached [out] to speakers of don’t see that often.” President Julia Fowler said of different orientations.” oSTEM Treasurer Chase Tufts faculty shape US the event. “There was a break- According to Fowler, these Crumbaugh, a junior major- down of who was most likely to guest speakers, who work in ing in computer science, be out in STEM communities, STEM industries, become role said he feels that the STEM nutrition guidelines and how comfortable they are models for STEM students community at Tufts is not as likely to feel in coming out and who identify as queer. diverse as it could be. by Nimarta Narang environment and co-chaired a the issues behind it.” “I think these events are “I feel like many people Contributing Writer committee that looked at added The event was held as part super important because sugars. Dr. Nelson said that the of oSTEM’s speaker series, while there is a huge queer see OSTEM, page 2 Every five years, the DGAC, made up of 14 people, United States Department of was purely volunteer-based Agriculture (USDA) and the and that its members had to Department of Health and get clearance in order to be a Human Services (HHS) issue part of it. the Dietary Guidelines for “We look at the evidence to Americans. The guidelines help inform what the guidelines include updated advice about will be. The guidelines are the calorie consumption and food policy that is implemented with- choices to encourage healthy in federal nutrition assistance diet and physical activity for programs, such as food stamps, Americans. The guidelines are school breakfast and lunch, mainly targeted to those above meals on wheels, senior hous- two years of age. ing, etc.,” explains Dr. Nelson. In order to issue these dietary “We are the technical team, if guidelines, the USDA and HHS you will. We provide guidance must first take scientific evi- and that’s what the report was.” dence into account. This is According to Dr. Nelson, in where the Dietary Guidelines 1977, when the first guidelines Advisory Committee comes in. were being developed, the Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein, a intention behind them was to professor at Tufts’ Friedman get Americans to eat slightly School of Nutrition Science less meat. and Policy, was the vice chair “Lobbying groups for com- on this year’s advisory panel. modities that produced beef “The Dietary Guidelines really lobbied against that, Advisory Committee was just and changed it to eat less what the name implies, it was fat,” Dr. Nelson said. “There a committee convened to sum- were huge ramifications on marize the published evidence the dietary guidelines and it on diet and health outcomes was an example of caving into for presentation to the secre- political pressure.” NICHOLAS PFOSI / TUFTS Daily taries of Health and Human Today, Nelson believes Tufts’ DTZ employees and students protest proposed janitorial cuts as they march from Brown Services and Agriculture,” Dr. that political pressure to influ- and Brew to Ballou Hall. Lichtenstein said in an email ence the guidelines still exists to the Daily. “Once that task to a certain extent, but said Second protest of DTZ cuts held before TLC public forum was completed, our commit- that the committee that was tee was disbanded.” formed this year was able to Yesterday, Tufts custo- tors will outline their plan for tion to this efficiency plan since The committee members produce findings that weren’t dial employees, students and the proposed changes. the changes in Tufts’ contract spent two years looking at sci- skewed by it. community members marched This is the second protest with DTZ were first announced in entific evidence and the current “Our committee was awe- from Brown and Brew to Ballou to take place this month in late November last semester. guidelines in order to deter- some,” she said. “I believe that Hall to protest proposed lay- response to proposed cuts in TLC mounted protests mine what could be kept and we spoke with one voice and offs and changes in custodial janitorial services. On March and sit-ins in response and what needed to be changed in there wasn’t a lot of conten- employee schedules. 10, DTZ employees, students signed an agreement with accordance with advances in tion. We are not paid by a com- DTZ, the organization and union representatives Executive Vice President the field. They were put into modity group; we are academ- that manages Tufts’ custodial marched from Brown and Brew Patricia Campbell at the end subcommittees which then ics. We are supposed to look at services, recently proposed 35 to Tufts Facilities Services on of the fall term. As part of shared their work with the full science and be unbiased.” layoffs and 56 job changes in Boston Ave., while Tufts Labor their agreement, administra- committee in order to debate it. This year, the major changes order to comply with the uni- Coalition (TLC) members nego- tors agreed to attend an open Dr. Miriam Nelson, Dr. the advisory committee had versity’s request to streamline tiated the proposed changes forum hosted by TLC in the Lichtenstein’s colleague at proposed included changes on operations. with university and DTZ repre- spring semester. the Friedman School, also the restrictions on fat, choles- Tufts Labor Coalition will be sentatives. served on the Dietary Guidelines terol and added sugar. hosting a public forum today Service Employees International Advisory Committee. She led “Given the lack of a relation- at 2:30 p.m. in Braker Hall Union, which represents the cus- the subcommittee on food safe- ship between total dietary fat 001 to discuss the situation, at todial staff, and students from ty and sustainability, served on which university administra- TLC have voiced their opposi- —by Nicholas Pfosi a committee on food and the see NUTRITION, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections The Daily Arts Section Women’s basketball fol- News 1 Comics 6 reviews Kendrick lowed up its historic Lamar’s new album, 2013-14 run with anoth- Arts & Living 5 Sports Back “To Pimp a Butterfly.” er successful year at the national level. see ARTS, page 5 see SPORTS, back 2 THE TUFTS DAILY NEWS | FEATURES Friday, March 27, 2015 THE TUFTS DAILY Friedman professors work on national health policy Drew Z. Robertson NUTRITION “We saw that coffee, not caffeine, is (R-Texas) said of the recommen- Editor-in-Chief continued from page 1 quite health promoting,” Dr. Nelson dations, “members of the Dietary and health outcomes, the commit- said. “It may reduce risk of heart dis- Guidelines Advisory Committee greatly EditoriaL tee indicated the evidence did not ease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers exceeded their scope.” Jacob Indursky support recommending a target [fat] and potentially Parkinson’s disease.” Dr. Lichtenstein said that along Reena Karasin intake,” explained Dr. Lichtenstein. Before giving college students with the recommendations from the Managing Editors “With respect to type of fat, the com- a chance to rejoice, however, Dr. advisory committee, the USDA and Audrey Michael Executive News Editor mittee indicated that the evidence Nelson was quick to clarify that HSS also look at public comments like Daniel Bottino News Editors supports better health outcomes if moderate amounts of coffee, not these in order to inform their final Jenna Buckle Shana Friedman saturated fat is less than 10 percent five cups or large quantities, would decisions on guidelines. Nina Goldman of calories, when the saturated fat is prove beneficial. “Ultimately, it is important that Stephanie Haven Patrick McGrath replaced with unsaturated fat, par- For the very first time, the commit- dietary recommendations can be Justin Rheingold ticularly polyunsaturated fat, and not tee’s recommendations also take into adapted to personal, cultural and eth- Kathleen Schmidt Jei-Jei-Tan refined carbohydrate.” account the impact of food produc- nic preferences,” she said.