Fall 2011 - Issue 1

sEPTEMBER 26, 2011 voluME CxxIII / IssuE 1

OInsIdE ThE

A conversation with President Monaco

(page 2)

Environmental rebranding at Tufts

(page 6)

ExploringSomerville’s best

(page 24)

TuFTs oBsERvER

Oconnor cunningham

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OThe Observer has been Tufts’ publication of record since 1895. Our dedication to in-depth reporting, journalistic innovation, and honest dialogue has remained intact for over a century. Today, we offer insightful news analysis, cogent and diverse opinion pieces, creative writing, and lively reviews of current arts, entertainment, and culture. Through poignant writing and artistic elegance, we aim to entertain, inform, and above all challenge the Tufts community to effect positive change.

FEATUREIntroducing Tufts’ new president

POETRY & PROSEPoetry by Shir Livne and Anika Ades

ARTS & CULTUREDiscover the joys of umami, the fifth sense

ENVIRONMENTCampus initiatives show a penchant for environmentalism

OPINIONOn the value of unpaid internships

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avery matera

10

2

LouiSe BLavet

8nataLie SeLzer

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BecKy PLantenataSha JeSSen-PeterSen

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ConTEnTs

featureMonaco, by Molly Rubin arts & cultureSummer Favorites: What The Observer Loved This Summer, by Observer Staff

news Trunk: Tufts New Open Source Solution, by Anna Burgess

newsTufts Shows Its Green Side, by Katherine Sawyer

opinionWill Monaco Fit the Mold?, by Cory Desole

opinion‘Ternin Around, by Gene Buonaccorsi

photo insetWhat is the O?

campusSummertime, but is the living easy?, by Kyle Carnes

campus Summer Stories, by Kyle Carnes and Molly Mirhashem

foodUmami, by Luke Pyenson

musicAn Interview With James Vincent McMorrow, by Eliza Mills

off campusThe Best of Somerville, by Nicola Pardy

off campusClub Passim Knew Them Before They Were Cool, by Ellen Mayer

poetry & prose Blank, by Shir Livne

poetry & prose Last Night, by Anika Ades

poetry & prose Last Night, by Anika Ades

Anika AdesKnar BedianGene BuonaccorsiConnor CunninghamCory DesoleLaura Liddell

Shir LivneEllen MayerLuke PyensonAmy ShippLenea Sims

ConTRIBuToRs Since18

September 26, 2011Tufts Observer, Since 1895

Volume CXXIII, Issue 1Tufts’ Student Magazine

95

www.tuftsobserver.org

EdIToRseditor-in-chiefEliza Millsmanaging editorZachary Laub

production directorDavid Schwartz

section editorsEric ArchibaldAnna BurgessKyle CarnesMolly MirhashemCara PaleyNicola PardyMolly RubinKatherine SawyerNatalie SelzerAriana SiegelEvan Tarantino

photography directorCatherine Nakajima

photography editorLouise Blavet

art directorBecky Plante

lead artistNatasha Jessen-Petersen

copy editorsKristen BaroneGracie McKenzieIsobel RedelmeierMichael Rogove

production assistantsPaul ButlerBen KurlandAngelina Rotman

web editorBradley Ooserveld

business managerClaire McCartney

4 TuFTs oBsERvER sEPTEMBER 26, 2011

MONA

COMO

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When the “Tufts Observer” spoke with President Monaco during the first week of classes, we heard the voice of a brilliant biological geneticist, the voices of the fi-nancially minded trustees, the voice of seasoned academic administrator, and the voice of his PR agent—the voice we didn’t hear was our own.

President Monaco didn’t hesitate when asked in what direction he hoped to take Tufts in the years to come. “I’d like to build on the strong foundation that has been laid over the last 10 years,” President Monaco told us. “Teaching is very valued. The research program has grown and a lot more faculty are involved in research. The

research in our schools, particularly our professional schools, is now very much up there in the international rankings. And so I would like to see those two things come together and have a bigger impact on so-ciety.”

One fact is obvious: President Mo-naco is incredibly smart. He speaks with poise and a fierce intellect that is both im-pressive and reassuring. He served as di-rector of Oxford’s Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, where he focused on identifying the biological basis of common human diseases. When asked what his greatest achievement has been thus far, he calmly answered, “Being able to work on a

ALL PHOTOS BY LOUISE BLAVET

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This September, President Anthony Monaco finally became a part of our campus—our weird but awesome

blend of some of the most academically unique and diverse university students in the country. This is our new leader, the man who will be the emblem of everything that Tufts’ amalgamation of student voices seems to say when blended together. So far, all contact between President Monaco and the student body had been through e-mail, newsletters from the presidential search committee and fairly frequent Twitter up-dates, so we were all excited to finally meet the man we’d been hearing about for so long in person.

sEPTEMBER 26, 2011 TuFTs oBsERvER 5

FEaTuREproject everyone thought was impossible. Trying to isolate the first gene for a human inherited disorder when you didn’t know the defective protein…It was not only an intellectual challenge, but a physical one as well.”

“When I first was introduced to neu-roscience, I just thought it was amazing that you could understand human behav-ior and its problems based on an under-standing of the brain and its different parts that each contribute to regulating behav-ior,” President Monaco told us. “To me, that was what was beautiful about neuro-science.

Now, I understand you can’t just be re-ductionist about it. What we’re trying to do is understand molecules and pathways and networks. It’s about how they’re connect-ed. That’s what really fascinated me about neuroscience.” His eyes light up while he is saying this. He is speaking quickly and with a passion that, as an English major, I must admit I don’t understand but can still totally relate to. Maybe we can also look at Tufts as one large brain; we all do different things here and see the world in diverse ways, and, at the end of the day, what is beautiful is what connects us: we are one large, functioning unit working towards a greater goal than our own individual pur-suits. Now that President Monaco has fi-nally assumed his place here, it’s his turn to see how he can connect us all in that same way.

Here is where things get a little slip-pery. Yes, President Monaco is informed and intelligent. Yes, he is a brilliant sci-entist and an able administrator, having served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Planning and Resources at the University of Oxford. He has a clear demonstrated knowledge of what it means to lead an academic institu-tion. What we didn’t gain from the inter-view, however, was a clear concept about his vision for student life and his ideas about the relation between the Office of the President and the Tufts student body. When asked about improvements to un-dergraduate life, he was quick to throw up the “hot button issues” we’ve been hearing about for months.

“I have several priorities for under-graduate life… I feel that we have major issues of diversity to continue to deal with. As you may have seen in my ‘Community

Message,’ I hope to chair a diversity council so that we can bring in views from the dif-ferent schools… and try to come up with some thoughtful recommendations… and let those recommendations be put out for consultation and comment on and try and improve on.

“I’m also concerned with the issues related to alcohol abuse and intoxication in the undergraduate population. As you know, at the Fall Ball we had 11 transports, which is not something that creates a lot of Jumbo Pride for me… I think I’m go-ing to need to put in a lot of energy in this space.”

President Monaco’s head is in the right place. He is concerned with diversifying faculty and bringing the best resources pos-sible to the university in order to improve its international academic reputation. He has a profound respect for the mind and everything it is capable of. However, when it comes to us, the students, he seems to be relatively unenthused.

We are looking for something con-crete to hold on to. We want to know that our president is out there fighting for us, understanding our problems, and fully enveloping himself in our world. Grant-ed, this was a half-hour interview during the first week of classes, but the lack of warmth or interest in who we are or what we do was a little bit unnerving. Grand and sweeping propositions about “diver-sity councils,” narrowing “gaps in educa-tion,” and bolstering our “international and global perspective through global

leadership” are all great ideas but are a little empty in substance.

What President Monaco failed to show us was an enthusiasm for the student body as a whole. Several times, when asked about how he feels about undergraduate Tufts population, President Monaco used phrases such as “diverse,” “active citizen-ship,” “engaged,” and “high caliber.” These are empty sound bites. We’ve heard these phrases before—many times. What we want to hear is that a real and sincere pas-sion has a place within the Office of the President.

We wanted to see beyond the aca-demic. We wanted to get to know Tony Monaco. What is you greatest fear, we ask, hoping to see the more personal side of this scientific brain. “I guess my greatest fear is that you’re giving a talk somewhere, and you show up, and you try to get the slides loaded, and the whole thing fails, that every single audio-visual just doesn’t work. Everything is a failure, and you’re sitting there frustrated.”

Do you have a favorite writer, we ask. “I haven’t thought about it, to be honest,” he replies. Or a favorite book? No response. What about a favorite scientist, we press further. “I’m just not the type of person that goes around thinking of my favorite things all day,” he replies, frustrated. Just to clarify, we weren’t looking for a list; we aren’t publishing an article titled “President Monaco’s Favorite Things.” We are searching for something within the new president that would illuminate

THE IDEA THAT APATHYCOULD BE COOL JUST

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him beyond the publicity blitz and formal emails. Instead, it was all business.

President Monaco is focused and driven. He is smart and intellectual. He is pragmatic and has a clear idea about what an academic institution needs in order to sustain itself in an ever-chang-ing world. However, in the brief amount of time we spent with him, we got the sense that we were talking to a man who was struggling to relate to the Tufts stu-dent body on any sort of personal level. We know about all the issues. We know about diversity problems, funding diffi-culties, international reputation and aca-demic caliber. We can read about all of these things in an email, or a newsletter, or an article. What we want is the reas-surance that the man at the frontlines of dealing with all of these issues can dis-cuss them with us—openly and candidly. What we need is someone who can talk about his interests and values with the student body he represents.

So here we are in this great big place. Tufts is overflowing with activity. Every-thing is kicking off. Freshman are excited and nervous about entering college, start-ing classes, making friends, discovering who they are. Seniors are anxious and thrilled about what’s to come, the last year of it all, finding a real job, and figuring out exactly what a Tufts degree is going to mean for their future selves. It is precisely in times like these, the times when you aren’t sure what to do or who you are or how a Tufts degree is going to figure into your future sense of identity, that you look

to the person who will come to represent Tufts in years to come. You need to know that person stands with you.

“One of the values of a liberal arts degree is that you understand things in the social sciences, you understand the humanities, you understand communication and media, and you’ve taken some sciences and I think that still a very important skill set,” said President Monaco, discussing what, in fact, that Tufts liberal arts degree really means. “It’s also how to critically analyze things in this area, how to be innova-tive in solutions, how to work together in groups of people to try to get solutions to problems.”

The president of Tufts has the ability to create such a significant impact on our lives during these four short years we spend on this campus. Though the position might seem removed from us at times, that office is a powerful one. Not only does the president of Tufts don the hat of chief fund raiser, public figurehead, and academic visionary, he sets the tone for everything that takes place on this campus—from the deans’ offices, to staff meetings, and academic planning, to social life, parent involvement and alumni support.

As a student-operated and student-focused publication, we had hoped to have a dis-cussion on a different level with the president—one that provided us with a little more insight into the man, rather than the office. We don’t need the sales pitch. We need to be reassured that the man behind the big mahogany desk is someone that can relate to us on the most basic level.

President Monaco is in a unique position at the moment: most of us haven’t met him or heard him speak, and over the course of the next few months, many opinions will be formed around him through his actions and words. We are all expectantly waiting, and excited to let President Monaco show us who he is. We are nothing if not minds to shape and hearts to mold and would love nothing more than to weave the new president into our own Tufts identities. We are Tufts students and we are young and passionate and we are in love with this place. We just want to know who he is and know he’s on our side—that he’s just as in love with Tufts as we are. O

WE NEED TO BE rEASSurED THAT THE MAN BEHIND THE BIg MAHOgANy

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naTIonalSummer Favorites

What the Observer loved this summer

Music:

ElizaMy housemates and I went to Toro during restaurant week and enjoyed some of the best tapas I’ve ever eaten. The menu is inventive and affordable and true to its roots, with new takes on classics and real Spanish staples. Their special, the corn, is amazing. Drinks and desserts are also delicious, and the neighborhood is an interesting place to explore.

Catherine“She Was a Vision” by Active Child

DavidMcleod Ganj in northern India is where the Tibetans live in exile, and it feels entirely different from the rest of the country. Stray dogs roam the streets on this mountaintop city, one so frequented by soul-searching yogis-in-training. Everyone is incredibly friendly to foreigners, many of whom enjoy trekking and feasting on Indian and Tibetan food (I’d kill for a momo right now). I went with friends to hear the Dali Lama speak and then smoked hookah on top of a waterfall sur-rounded by mist and monsoons.

ElizaChicago. Maybe it was the striking architecture, or the river running through the city, or the sprawling botanical gardens, or the bar with 75 board games and even more take-out menus, or... you get the picture.

ArianaNew Orleans is Jazz and Decadence and Humidity and Fried. Bourbon street is mess, drunks sipping and spilling and dipping in and out of bars where people seldom wear shirts. Frenchmen street is music in every room at every hour, old rhythms and new twists under red and blue lights. N’olinz-ers are friendly and wobbly and happy-go-lucky, and tourists are glad to find the mood infectious. Po’boys are piles of meat or fish or shrimp on frenchbread, french like the Gothic ironwork that covers New Orleans’ buildings. New Orleans is one of the best cities I have ever had the pleasure of being hosted in.

EvanFestival Rock-en-Seine, Paris

Odd Future, Cudi, The Hor-rors, The Streets, Eddie Sharpe, Lykke Li: three days of wonderfully talented haze. Tens of thousands show up for the fun and an impressive diversity of ethnic food makes trudging between stages a pleasure. Security couldn’t have been more apathetic. You could feel the bass in your lungs.

Anna“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO

City:

CaraMy favorite restaurants this summer was La Zarza, a small Spanish/Argentinean tapas restaurant in the East Village. I loved the candle-lit atmosphere, the authentic Spanish-decor, and the long rustic tables filled with noisy, sangria-buzzed crowds. Croquetas filled with hot goat cheese, chicken/cheese-stuffed empanadas, chicken skewers, sizzling pael-la platters... It can’t match the tapas in Madrid, but I’d say Zarza is a close second.

Restaurant:

KNAR BEDIAN

aRTsaRTs


BY ANNA BURGESS

This fall, students who open the fa-miliar Tufts University home page will see something a little different.

The “Tool Kit” feature still includes links to Tufts webmail, SIS, and Tufts libraries, but the bar that used to read “Blackboard” now reads “Trunk.” This seems like a very small change, and, to many students, pro-fessors posting information and assign-ments on Trunk instead of Blackboard is probably insignificant. So what, exactly, is the difference between the old Blackboard and the new Trunk? The short answer is that the Tufts Learning Management Sys-tem (LMS) team sees one as an “end-of-life product moving quickly toward dep-recation” and the other as a “professional environment [in which] to experience the most forward-thinking conversations.” The even shorter answer is: open source.

The long answer is somewhat more complicated; there are multiple differenc-es between Blackboard and Trunk, just as there are multiple reasons for the switch. Rebecca Sholes, Senior Faculty Develop-ment Consultant for Trunk, explains, “We had to switch because the version that the school was using was going to be dis-continued.” This explains the LMS team’s branding of Blackboard as an “end of life” product—the program literally was at the end of its life. But there are other, dif-

ferent versions of Blackboard that Tufts could have chosen for its online commu-nication and information sharing system; and yet, the LMS Committee chose to go in a very different direction. This is how Tufts University made the jump into open source.

Open-source systems like Sakai, the one that Trunk is built upon, offer ad-vantages that closed systems like Black-board lack. For a long time, Blackboard had the majority of US universities us-ing their system (66% in 2008, accord-ing to the Campus Computing Proj-ect), but, in recent years, this began to change. An article in a 2008 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education focused on why this shift was taking place. Un-surprisingly, the reasons highlighted in that article are the reasons that, since 2008, open-source systems have grown even more popular.

First, the most obvious benefit of open-source systems is that they are free. When Tufts used Blackboard, the school needed to pay for the licensing for the system. Open-source systems like Sakai, on the other hand, are completely free. This doesn’t mean that transfer-ring information to the system, adapting the system to the university, and pay-ing people to develop and update it, are free. But with Blackboard, those things cost money, and the licensing did, too.

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In the 2008 article, Scott Hardwick, assis-tant director of information-technology services on Louisiana State’s Shreveport campus, explained, “had we continued paying what Blackboard wanted us to pay, it probably would have been $100,000 a year,” but with their open-source system, the school paid only about $5,000 a year. Though the Trunk platform has a lot of special features geared toward Tufts that cost extra to build and maintain, Rebecca Sholes still cites the lower expense as one of the reasons for the switch to the Sakai platform.

Another advantage the university sees to open source is the opportunity for innovation. Sholes explains, “the [Sakai] platform can really be custom-ized to meet the needs of Tufts...the system can be evolved and grow unlike Blackboard, which was a finite, closed system.” This ability to grow and expand is what draws many schools and other organizations to open-source systems. With Sakai, in 10 years Tufts won’t be facing the problem of obsoleteness that it faced after 10 years with Blackboard. The Sakai platform will continue to grow and expand as its thousands of contrib-utors design new codes and share them with one another. Sholes thinks that, “a key piece of Trunk’s functionality is communication, which is going to be very important in the future.”

The LMS Advisory and Core Teams that wrote the strategy for implementing Trunk agree with this focus on the future. “Investing in [Sakai] ensures that we will be able to attract and retain skillful staff to support this service ongoing,” the strat-egy outline reads, “and means that the

staff who work at Tufts will gain and use broadly respected skills, knowledge, and practices.”

In this case, “broadly respected” actually means “respected worldwide.” The Sakai platform is used at over 350 institutions around the world, includ-ing Yale, Oxford, Columbia, Cornell, and schools in Limerick, Cape Town, Toronto, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Glas-gow, Guatemala, Madrid, and Cairo. It is also used by non-educational institu-tions such as the United States Depart-ment of Defense.

Starting this year, the customized version of Sakai known as Trunk will be implemented at the Tufts School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, the Fletcher School, and Tisch College. These schools are the first to use the new system because they were those previously using Blackboard Basic. Other Tufts schools use different systems, so, while their need for change isn’t as imperative, the ultimate goal is to have university-wide use of Trunk by 2014.

While some students and staff may take a while to get adjusted to the new sys-tem, it is easy to recognize all the benefits that the Sakai platform offers. And while that little bar on our homepage that now reads “Trunk” may seem insignificant, it actually represents Tufts embracing the innovation of open source. O

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naTIonalTufts Shows Its

BY KATHERINE SAWYER

As a new year begins at Tufts and we all notice the changes made around campus to the academics,

campus groups, and the buildings them-selves, it might do to take note of another important yet subtle shift on campus: Tufts is working to bring environmental-ism to the forefront of student life.

Major changes have occurred to both campus life and the academic arena to make Tufts a more environmental institution. As we returned to campus, the absence of wa-ter bottles in Hodgdon and the addition of new, free reusable bottles in the Campus Center were very obvious reminders of the impact students can make towards green changes at Tufts. Just as trays and single-sided printing went before, the number of disposable water bottles on campus has been significantly reduced by student ef-forts. Tufts students are increasingly mak-ing their voices heard and demanding a more eco-friendly campus.

Student groups have been making similar strides. The new face of student

environmental organizations, Tufts Sus-tainability Collective (TSC), represents a new model for sustainability at Tufts—one that strives to improve both the ef-ficiency and effectiveness of student environmental action. The umbrella organization, which encompasses Tufts Bikes, Tom Thumb’s Garden, Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF), and the Sustainable Action Squad, aims to “improve synergy between the branches and serve as the center for information about current environmental events on the Tufts campus.” By bringing all the green student organizations together, they work at “fostering a strong green community at Tufts.”

These branches of TSC lend support to the idea that Tufts is in the process of becoming a truly environmental in-stitution. Tufts Bikes, for example, was founded by a group of students who rec-ognized the problem of a lack of green transportation for Tufts students and took action to fill this void. Not only do the bikes provide free, zero-carbon-emission transportation, but their very

public presence demonstrates that Tufts is working to be greener. Tom Thumb’s Garden, the Tufts student garden, sends a similar message. Students wanted a garden, so they created one. They plant, tend to, and teach about the garden, pro-viding a very aesthetically pleasing re-minder of the efforts students can make.

Accompanying these student efforts, Tufts is also becoming a much stronger environmental institution academically. When Colin Orians, a professor of biol-ogy in the School of Arts and Sciences and a professor at Tisch College, was named director of Tufts’ Environmental Studies program in September 2010, he made “building a bigger and better En-vironmental Studies Program (ENVS) community” his top priority.

To this end, the Environmental Studies program has introduced a new Geographic Information Systems (GIS ) course to Tufts this semester. There are also several environmental courses of-fered at the Ex-College, including one on architecture and the environment, and another on sustainable food systems.

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The ENVS program also began a weekly Lunch and Learn program; the universi-ty will invite one professional in an envi-ronmental studies-related field to speak with any interested students and faculty.

The administration is also work-ing to create new green initiatives, such as the Eco-Reps and Eco-Ambassadors programs. The Tufts Eco-Reps program was created in 2006 and was put into ac-tion starting last fall. They are a group of residential students who work to raise awareness about ecological issues, en-courage environmentally responsible be-havior in their hall mates and peers, and plan environmental events and activities. The organization aims to allow students to help “green” student dorm life.

As co-coordinator of the Eco-Reps program, senior Rachael Wolber hopes the program can help “green” the values of Tufts students. “The program was re-instated at Tufts after a hiatus because, al-though there were a lot of environmental groups and projects on campus, it didn’t really feel like environmentalism was one of Tufts’ ‘core values,’ and it wasn’t some-

thing that every student cared about,” she said. “We seek to change that culture by targeting freshmen and sophomores in dorms with events and resources to get them thinking about how the way they live, even in a dorm, can impact the environment.”

The Eco-Ambassadors Program, which boasts a similar mission state-ment, trains faculty and staff on how to better bring environmentalism to the workplace. The program exists to help these staff members make their work-places more sustainable and to serve as sustainability resources within their of-fices or departments. The Eco-Ambas-sadors learn about the many different ways to “green” their offices and form a network of Tufts employees committed to green work environments.

Tina Woolston, the director of the Office of Sustainability and Coordina-tor of the Eco-Ambassadors Program, believes that these types of programs are helping to institutionalize environmen-talism. The Tufts administration’s master plan is also calling more attention toward

environmental efforts, and Woolston be-lieves the future of environmentalism at Tufts is bright. “I think it’ll be larger,” she said. “The students coming into Tufts have more interest [in environmental-ism] and the younger professors do as well.”

The administration has also made some symbolic efforts to highlight envi-ronmentalism, making way for a “Tufts Gets Green” session during freshman orientation and creating an environ-mental panel led by President Monaco. Hopefully these new outlets will become an institutionalized part of Tufts com-mitment to the environment.

Environmentalism at Tufts is in a period of change, seemingly for the bet-ter. As Wolber said, “I think that it is changing from something that only cer-tain groups think about and act upon, to something that the entire body is conscious of, and I think the university is actively working to create that shift.” If this current trend continues, we can hope that Tufts has a very bright (and green) future ahead. O

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The narrative that first comes to mind is a vital and per-sistent one about institutionalized racism and sexism and the preponderance of such attitudes among certain segments of the student body. The Primary Source’s Christmas carol debacle and their resultant obstinacy; the famed bias incident of 2009; the repugnant flares of sexism during Lauren Levine’s presidential campaign; the needless ugliness surrounding the debate over minority representation on the TCU Senate this past year; the long overdue reworking of a sexual assault policy, arguably at odds with Massachusetts state law-these are the public exam-ples that epitomize the countless instances of racism, sexism, and sexual assault that occur all around us. So, for those of us who have felt that the last five years at Tufts have been tainted

by these issues, the presidential search was cast as a chance at institutional reparation.

The hope was that, if we couldn’t at least expect a candidate whose identity would signal progressive intentions for the uni-versity, our next president would at least have demonstrated en-gagement with the issue of diversity, whatever that might mean for her or him. The increasingly fractured nature of the student body, along increasingly touchy fault lines, should have suggested that any decision made without sufficient attention to these issues might imperil our sense of community. Committed members of the Tufts women’s community, in collaboration with others, wrote to the search committee a brilliant open letter whose eloquence was matched only by its sense of immediacy. It bears mentioning

The first thing that could be said about Tony Monaco is that nobody could have expected him. This is not a comment on Tony Monaco the person, who seems sin-

gularly brilliant and accomplished from any angle. Rather, the selection of a white male scientist from the UK just doesn’t seem to fit in the narrative about what we feel Tufts represents.

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I feel that our most pressing contemporary issues require not ad-ministrative or budget-ary skills, but a leader-ship whose direction can compel a sense of rejuvenation.. ”

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at this point that Tufts has not had a female student body president in almost two de-cades. It also bears repeating, though we are all well aware of this, that the university itself has never had a female president or a president of color.

What we got, in the end, was an ex-ceptionally accomplished and special-ized academic whose 44 page curriculum vitae-the bulk of which is incompre-hensible to anyone without advanced training in neurobiology and genetics-demonstrates an astonishing body of work. But at the same time, it evinces less than half a decade’s worth of direct central administrative experience, and includes no mention of a personal com-mitment to diversity of any sort. Press coverage following the announcement made much of his cutting-edge work in genetics, but, for those of us in the be-leaguered humanities departments of an institution that is forever insisting that it can be both a liberal arts college and a research university, the news wasn’t quite as meaningful.

It is too early to judge Monaco’s ac-complishments, or capacity for accom-plishment, at Tufts, but I believe we do have a sense of his style at this point. What, perhaps above all, has emerged to charac-

terize this style is a focus on social media, specifically his conspicuous presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Tony Monaco, we may be assured, will tweet back as we welcome him, and vouch for our resumés on LinkedIn. Typing his name into the search bar, you will find that “An-thony Monaco Twitter” is number three on Google’s suggested searches, followed by “Anthony Monaco CV” and “Anthony Monaco Facebook.” The first question this raises, at least for me, is whether we want our university president to be primarily distinguished by his use of Twitter. Or, more to the point, how much time do we want our university president to spend adding us on Facebook and tweeting us notes? What seems a novel way to engage with students could just as well foreclose the possibility of deep engagement and understanding, which would be rather hard to fit into 140 characters.

Yet this outward sociability belies a personal reserve that might go unnoticed in the United Kingdom but in the North-east suggests a dearth of charisma. I feel that our most pressing contemporary is-sues require not administrative or budget-ary skills but a leadership whose direction can compel a sense of rejuvenation. Having spent a year abroad at the university Mo-

naco hails from, I feel that the orientation of Oxford towards its students-a hands-off attitude towards student welfare coupled with an institutional conservatism and ri-gidity- slightly contradicts Tufts’ long-held values. This is of course not to say that Mo-naco will necessarily align himself with any of these positions, but I would urge that he be as conscious as possible of where he is coming from and where he is now. The is-sue of charisma is far more important than it might at first seem.

I remain optimistic, though; Tony Monaco may yet be the president we’ve been waiting for. He has already demon-strated a willingness to take on some of the challenges I have noted. His recent e-mail to the student body shows, in print at least, a pledge to act on the issue of diversity, and his near-ubiquity on campus in the past few weeks suggests a geniune desire to engage with the student body. The chal-lenges he faces are sizable, and we have every reason to believe from his past ex-perience that he is aware of this and has a sense of how to move forward. Most of all, I think, the success of his presidency will depend upon his commitment to ap-proach us with a candid and open under-standing of our desires and our concerns. We shouldn’t accept anything less. O

WillMonacoFit theMold?

BY CORY DESOLE


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Mike spent his vacation leading kayak trips in Minnesota.

Taylor and Josh traveled to France with Tufts in Talloires. How did I spend my summer va-cation? Sitting in a sticky Staples office chair, staring at a computer screen full of endless data about the music industry. Every Tuesday and Thursday, I rode my bike to Davis Square to work a 10-5 shift at The Echo Nest, a self-proclaimed “music intelligence company that powers smarter music applications.” As a ris-ing junior, I had decided that my summers spent as a lifeguard should become a thing of the past.

Advisors, parents, and the motivational staff at Career Services insisted that I gain workplace experience and career connec-tions that would help me enter my industry of choice. But when it came down to choosing my internship, I couldn’t help but consider other, more personal factors. Despite the ob-vious importance of choosing an internship that was practical for the near-distant future, I couldn’t help but consider the immediate draw of a personally stimulating and fulfill-ing work environment. Despite the fact that it was unpaid, The Echo Nest promised this.

However, after a month of sitting in a stuffy cubicle for hours on end, researching everything from the length of Metallica’s ca-

reer to the tempo of “Thriller,” I began to wonder:

were the benefits of my unpaid intern-ship worth the sacrifices.

The Obama administration agreed with my mid-summer crisis. Last spring the state department announced that they would be investigating unpaid summer internships for wage law violations, a course of action spurred by the inevitably changing nature of summer internships. In the wake of today’s struggling economy, rarely are current internships ac-tually direct paths to employment. Instead, as paid internships become increasingly less attainable, unpaid summer internships have become a common way for college students to pad a resume and become competitive candi-dates in the impending job hunt . The result? A willingness to do what may be considered free labor in exchange for the mere privilege of saying you have relevant experience under your belt. The Obama Administration is seek-ing to check private-sector companies who it feels are exploiting the enthusiasm and ambi-tion of college students for their own gain.

So when I found myself feeling drained after two weeks at The Echo Nest, I began to realize that the practical rewards I had shied away from might have been a little too impor-tant to ignore. The work became repetitive, the spreadsheets felt mundane, and I realized that my impressive Tufts education and aca-demic skills had little significance in my day-

to-day work tasks. A pat on the back from the company’s CEO seemed like chump change for the hard work I was putting in. I was left to wonder: had I accepted an unpaid position

too willingly? Was it all worth it, knowing that a paycheck, or at least a potential long-term job offer, wasn’t waiting for

me at the end of the day?But in time, I began to realize that the

questions I was asking were all the wrong ones. Regardless of what the counselors at Career Services (who are some of the unsung heroes of this campus) or the tangible rewards my parents told me that I should gain my in-ternship, what I chose to take away from the experience was far more important. While the work felt a bit dull at times, I soon real-ized that the company was using my number-compiling and online research to pioneer large projects that were nationally recognized. The line on my resume doesn’t mean much to me right now, but knowing that I helped create the database Clear Channel uses for their iheartradio service? That means a lot. Regardless of the fact that I didn’t make a cent, I would choose The Echo Nest again in a second. I don’t feel that way because of the re-sume boost or the contact e-mail addresses I acquired but because I had the unique oppor-tunity to join an exciting, fast-paced company that resonated with my personal interests and encouraged me to grow. Worrying about la-bor laws or selecting an internship based on a hefty paycheck can hinder the possibility of an engaging, personally rewarding internship experience.

So no, I didn’t get anything concrete out of working at The Echo Nest. Instead I got the chance to actively participate in a completely new, innovative work environment and see what it had to offer. I didn’t make any money and they didn’t offer me a job, but it sure as hell beat sitting in a lifeguard chair all day. O

BECKY PLANTE

by gene buoncaccorsi

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ternin’ aroundWhat is the Observer?

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organized chaOs


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a collage of text and photographs

drawings and doodles

poetry & prosearts & culture

love and happiness

a lOt of wordsopinions

Off campus

tufts stuffinterviews

campus newsworld issues

ahead of the curve

voices and expression

many letters

O stuff

organized chaOs


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naTIon- alTuFTs

BY KYLE CARNES

At Tufts University, the student pop-ulation is unique, diverse, and im-pressive. At the end of each school

year, students begin a three-month absence from the structured rigors of college to per-form a range of jobs, internships, research, and everything in between. Tufts students run the gamut on summer activities, and it seems that many students share similar end goals and simply have differing approaches as a way to achieve them. After conducting

interviews of a cross-section of the Tufts population, (see their stories on pages 18-19) one re-curring theme became evident: Tufts students are interested in becoming more competitive to the job or graduate school mar-ket, while also seeking a means

to confirm their perceived career interests or values. There is a con-

stant push for students to have experience in their fields of interest, which can usually only be gained from competitive, and often unpaid, internships.

Times have changed; the days of re-laxing and enjoying a quiet summer have given way to a drive for more competitive, relevant, and frequently expensive summer opportunities. Students are forced to make the tough decision between making money at a traditional summer job at a movie the-ater or café, for example seeking internships or overseas experience. It is common that these internships or experiential programs are unpaid or come with large price tags. But for what reasons are students moving away from traditional summer employment? In

the current job market, where new hires must stand out among similarly qualified candidates, there is an ever-pressing need for summer employment and activities that are more applicable to one’s career choices. Whether it means taking summer classes, studying a language abroad, or interning in a particular industry, unique and field-ap-propriate experiences hone valuable skills that can be applied to a future career. All in all, the summer has become a time to get ahead.

When speaking with current Tufts stu-dents, many expressed the perceived need to either finish a class that they couldn’t fit in during a standard year or build up their resumes as quickly as possible. At the same time, students try to maintain some vaca-tion free time and still find a means of earn-ing money. Invariably, some students choose (or are forced to take) traditional jobs over the summer while their peers participate in any number of other pursuits. The out-comes, however, indicate a reality that does not always sync with the current movement towards internships or non-traditional ex-perience.

One student felt that she had gained more valuable life experience from work-ing at a restaurant than she had at a govern-ment non-profit. Another, felt that his work at a financial firm was very limiting and that he gained little real-world work under-standing. Yet, when building a resume, our instinct is to shy away from non-industry affiliated work, such as spending the sum-mer at a restaurant, and focus on interning at a relevant business. This trend has major repercussions for those students who may not be able to afford an unpaid internship or summer classes or who must work dur-ing the summer. It is possible that these students may be losing a competitive edge on paper, even though traditional summer employment offers valuable working skills.

Taking advantage of summer opportu-nities is, above all, about bettering oneself. Taking classes, learning a foreign language, working, or interning all enrich the college experience in different ways, while also pro-viding valuable life skills. In the competi-tive and constantly changing environment that is the graduate school and job market, students must realize that all their choices, decisions, and sacrifices have future impli-cations. O

Summertime, But is the Living Easy?

NATASHA JESSEN-PETERSEN

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This summer, Chris Baumohl (‘14) spent seven weeks working as a senior counselor at Serendipity Day Camp, a sum-mer camp for middle-school students in Pennsylvania. He spent many hours rally-ing kids together, planning games, and lead-ing various activities. While at first glance, Chris’ summer job may seem ordinary, the experiences he took away from it are ones he wouldn’t trade for anything else. “A job like this one,” he said, “provides the people skills that you need in any field.” Aside from learning how to effectively communicate

with children, Chris also formed very close bonds with his co-counselors, as they were required to live together in the apartments at Haverford College. “Living with the other counselors really helped our chemistry dur-ing the camp day,” he said. Chris doesn’t plan to work with children as an eventual career goal, but he has always loved work-ing with kids. He tutored children while in high school but acknowledged that see-ing his campers on a daily basis brought a whole new level of closeness than tutoring a student once a week. Despite all he gained from working with children, he found the greatest value in something else: “One of the biggest things that I took from this,” he said, “was [being] in an environment where everyone loves what they do”. Next summer, Chris hopes to spend part of his time work-ing an internship in his field, and return to Serendipity for the remainder of his time.

BY MOLLY MIRHASHEM AND KYLE CARNES

Luke Maher (‘13) spent two months of his summer in the small Kenyan village of Iten. His trip had multiple objectives. In part, he was getting in high-altitude training for his upcoming cross country and track sea-sons with the Tufts team. At the same time, he was leading a group of American high-school students through a program called STRIVE. Over the course of two sessions, Luke led the students both in training as well

as in community service projects. Together they taught English classes in the local pri-mary school, constructed an additional classroom, and interacted with children in a nearby orphanage in the town of Eldoret.

Luke has a strong passion for East Africa and has traveled to Kenya a total of six times. “The most valuable part of this experience for me,” he said, “was exposing American students to an entirely different way of life than what they’re used to and letting them see that there’s another part of the world.” He also added that being able to share his love of Kenya with the students was a highlight of his experience. “Just being there and feeling like you’re a part of a community so differ-ent from your own,” he said, “is a valuable experience [in itself].” Luke has no hesitance about returning to Iten next summer, and hopes to either work or live in East Africa in the future, following his graduation.

There is a large range of summer ex-periences among the student body at Tufts. Molly Mirhashem (‘14) opted out of the summer classes route, and chose instead to work as a hostess for a newly-opened restaurant while also interning with a non-profit in her home state of New Hampshire. Beginning work as the restaurant was just opening, Molly encountered a fast-paced and hectic work environment where she took on much more responsibility than just mere hospitality. Aside from her intensive restaurant schedule, she worked at a non-profit political organization advocating in the state capital, where she experienced much of the standard intern treatment of any government agency: copying, synthe-sizing news, event planning, etc.

Similar to many Tufts students, Molly

had to choose between making money or taking a non-paying internship and work-ing for experience. In the end, she chose both, and worked under a very demanding schedule for the entire summer.

An interesting outcome of Molly’s summer was her takeaway from the in-dividual jobs themselves. On paper, her work at the non-profit will receive the most praise and be a positive resume builder. In actuality, she gained a great deal of very valuable experience working at the brand-new restaurant, honing her time manage-ment and interpersonal skills, and learn-ing to work with a variety of people. All of these experiences are invaluable to Molly’s future career goals in communications.

Asked about doing it again, she ex-pressed regret at having very little “down” time, but found the experience valuable enough to make it all worthwhile.

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For the first half of the summer, Caroline Chen (‘13) organized an MRI study looking at how recent Chinese-immigrants perceive certain social situ-ations compared to the perceptions of native-born Chinese Americans. After finishing her research for the Tufts psy-chology department, she began to take organic chemistry at Harvard College, as is typical of many other pre-med stu-dents who do not have the time to take the intensive course during the actual school year.

While doing research, she not only recorded data but also leveraged her skills to find study participants, created relevant questions to obtain the optimal results, and wrote the computer pro-grams to administer the tests.

She was motivated to do research and take summer classes over other more relaxing options by her interest in cognitive brain science and the need to have a relevant psychology background to complete a senior thesis and research study. Additionally, Caroline feels that research experience makes her stand out in a large field of her pre-med peers and will strengthen her ability to suc-cessfully complete the intensive re-quirements of her major. Caroline also said that spending the time to do the research in a previously unknown field confirmed her interest in psychology and cemented her desire to conduct fu-ture research.

Asked if she would do it again, Car-oline replied, “It was a very productive summer and not too stressful, so why not?”

Kyle Carnes (‘13) brought both his academic specialties together this summer through his internship in the United Arab Emirates. Kyle is an international relations and economics double major, and from May to August, he worked as a security consul-tant in Abu Dhabi. This position was perfect for Kyle; combining his interests in foreign affairs and economics, he gained valuable experience in many different spheres. His in-ternship acted as a study abroad experience, as well as a general learning experience, and a source of income. “It was all about making myself more competitive in the job market against my peers,” said Kyle. “Work experi-ence abroad is really, really positive on a re-sume.”

But looking back on his experience, Kyle found himself left with much more than a

stellar addition to his employment qualifica-tions. He discovered that simply working in an office environment proved to be equally beneficial, or perhaps more so, than the act of working from a foreign country. He quickly learned how much more serious the corpo-rate world is compared to the protection of a collegiate environment. “College prepares you for being academic and working hard, but it doesn’t really prepare you for working at a job,” he said. “If I don’t turn in an assign-ment, I just get knocked off points. But if I don’t turn in something at work, I get fired. That [difference] is one of the main things I walked away with.”

Kyle expressed that, while he would be hesitant to return to the same company and lose a chance to diversify his work experi-ence, he would gladly work a similar intern-ship again in the future. After all, as he put it: “I had the most incredible time of my life.”

Natasha Jessen-Petersen (‘12) split her time this summer traveling through both Japan and Denmark, as well as working at Amnesty International in Washington, DC. Natasha, from Japanese and Danish ances-try, traveled with her parents throughout southern Japan, to places such as Nagasaki and Ashima. Prior to starting her work in DC, she ventured to Denmark to explore the other part of her heritage. For many Tufts students, traveling is a worthwhile summer experience, and Natasha attests to the fact that she had a great time abroad.

After her time overseas, Natasha came back to the United States and began her work with Amnesty International. She was predominantly involved with the Individu-als at Risk Campaign, in the Urgent Actions section. There, she would go to work, review

the requests for urgent actions abroad, and send the requests to the appropriate parties who are interested in helping give a voice to those people seeking aid.

Natasha’s interest in getting involved with Amnesty International stemmed from multiple sources. These included her previ-ous non-profit work, during the summer of her sophomore year, as well as the unspo-ken urge to “get serious” about working and school. Natasha feels that her work with Amnesty International fits in perfectly with her IR major, and her hands-on experience was infinitely valuable, given her upcoming graduation.

When asked about the difficulties of working an unpaid internship for the sum-mer, she replied, “With the work we do, it seems unfair to ask for money when we have so much. It makes the sacrifices un-doubtedly worth it.” O


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We have a lot of really fun Japanese loanwords in the English language. Zen. Kamikaze. Bukkake. One Japa-nese loanword in particular, though, governs my wak-

ing (and sometimes non-waking) life: umami. The omnipresent yet elusive “fifth taste,” umami is difficult to nail down in exact English terms. Some say “savory,” some say “meaty,” but why mess around with imprecise anglicisms when you can just call it like it is— umami.

Thanks to the magic of science, we know that umami refers specifically to a taste sensation produced by certain glutamates, a variety of amino acid. The word “glutamate” might recall the more familiar “monosodium glutamate,” or MSG, the granddad-dy of umami. MSG was isolated in the early 1900s by a Japanese chemist. Plenty of other glutamates occur in nature—in kombu (the variety of seaweed that goes into a Japanese dashi, or broth), in shiitake mushrooms, even in tomatoes. In the meat and cheese worlds, certain products, Parmigiano-Reggiano specifically, are umami as hell. Don’t even get me started on prosciutto, speck, and the like.

This summer, I discovered an ingredient that I really ought to have started using earlier in life. I came late to this party, and I’ll never forgive myself: miso. Miso is Japanese, fermented, soybean paste, and the myriad varieties can be confusing to the first-time buyer. Different kinds of miso are classified by color (shiro, white, and aka, red, being the two main umbrella varieties), which de-notes pungency. Shiro miso is a good entry-level miso, and it’s what I started with.

Though I had eaten miso before, I had never cooked with it, and my first experience using it this summer was a transformative one. On a trip to my local Barnes & Noble to pick up New York City chef David Chang’s new food publication Lucky Peach (buy this now), I tempted fate by sauntering into the cookbook section and picked up the cookbook from Mr. Chang’s restaurant mini-empire, Momofuku. The book compiles recipes from his first three outstandingly successful ventures in New York City—Noodle Bar, Ssam Bar, and Ko. I flipped right to a page with a recipe called “roasted sweet summer corn, miso butter, bacon, and roasted on-ions.” The miso butter was frozen and then grated onto the corn. That’s so cool and so smart. I bought the book.

This was in August, and local corn was just getting really sweet and perfect. Roasting in the summer didn’t appeal to me, but I figured I could grill it, and, in fact, Chang says this was the second permutation of that recipe—a sort of Asian take on the popular Mexican street food “elote,” grilled corn with mayon-naise, cotija, lime juice, and chili. Noodle Bar never put it on the menu though, he said, for fear that people would want only that. I can’t blame them.

One night in the late summer, I came into the possession of beautiful local corn; I had untapped shiro miso ready in my fridge. I made the miso butter, froze it, grilled the corn, and then the moment of truth arrived. As the caramel-colored strands cas-caded from my microplane onto the hot corn, adhering to it like an umami blanket, all my dreams were realized. It’s like I could al-ready taste it. Then when I actually did taste it, it was really good.

mamiULuke Pyenson talks food

the fifth taste

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David Chang’s Grilled Corn with Miso ButterEssentially taken from the Momo-fuku cookbook

Begin by preparing your miso but-ter a good 4-5 hours before you’re gonna use it. Add equal parts shiro miso to room temperature unsalt-ed butter and mix until combined. You can do this in a food proces-sor, but that’s not necessary. Wrap in cling wrap, form into a log, and set in the freezer to freeze. Slick up your ears of fresh corn with a bit of neutral oil. Grill until golden-brown and a little charred. This shouldn’t take too long, prob-ably 10-15 minutes. When the corn is ready, get out your miso butter and grate it onto the hot corn, spinning the corn around to ensure that every square inch of corn gets a bit of the butter. A microplane is the best for this, but any grater will do. Not a box grater, though. A sprinkling of chili flake at the end doesn’t hurt; I used togarashi, a Japanese spice blend that also includes dried seaweed and black sesame seeds. Chang suggests Korean chili flake. Enjoy. O

Recipe:

LUKE PYENSON sEPTEMBER 26, 2011 TuFTs oBsERvER 23

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I can hear the harmonies before the heavy doors of Brighton Music creak open. James Vincent McMorrow and his band are doing a sound check, and the music is bouncing off the brick

walls and slipping out the door, where a jealous looking couple listening outside asks, “Who is that?” as I walk inside. The venue is completely empty except for the band and the sound engineer—a collection of ooohs, aaaahs, and check, checks, fill the room. The band members tune their instruments: two guitars, acoustic and electric, a bass, two pianos, and a mandolin. James asks the en-gineer to turn up the drums, and a heavy thump echoes through the hall.

My first experiences listening to James were solitary; his mu-sic calls up memories of walks in the hills and train rides past thick forests. The band breaks into a test run of “Sparrow & the Wolf,” and the audience of two is flooded with high harmony and soaring melody. Later, when they play the same song to a crowd of two hundred, it will be just as quiet, the crowd just as reverent. James’ songs are striking, they demand a sort of hushed listening.

James is predictably soft-spoken and unpredictably funny. “Do your best Jagger!” he jokes with his bassist before climbing the stairs to his dressing room. Did he always want to be a musi-cian? “I was shit at everything else,” he says.

James grew up playing the drums, surrounded by music and musician friends. Eventually, he learned piano and guitar and taught himself to sing. The transition from drummer to lyricist and singer was a part of James’ musical growing-up.

“I wanted to wait until I had something to write about,” he says, “a lot of young musicians start up and they have nothing to say…I wanted to make something with resonance.”

James’ debut album, Early In The Morning was recorded in an isolated house by the Irish sea on a single microphone. The album

An Interview with

James Vincentmcmorrow

PHOTOS BY LAURA LIDDEL

//by eliza mills


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is very intimate, evocative of nature and a homey familiarity, but James is quick to note that his style is not limited to the sound from his first record.

“People call this folk music, and I love folk music,” he notes. “I love The Beach Boys and four part harmonies…but my favor-ite record this year was the Jay-Z and Kanye album [Watch The Throne].”

Though James says he has no plans to make a hip-hop album, his next project will be more rhythmic., and involve collaborations with his band’s drummer. James is adamant about the importance of change in his music. When asked who his influences have been he cites Steinbeck and Faulkner but says that just because he was reading those authors when he made his first album, doesn’t mean his inspiration will stay the same. Lately, he’s been listening to Wye Oak, Twin Shadow, and The Antlers.

“I don’t really go into the album with an idea in mind… in that sense the songs do write themselves,” he says.

Though a serious songwriter with an album he professes to being “eternally proud of,” James has room for humor in his music. His cover of Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” blew up on YouTube after he recorded it as a joke for a radio station back in Ireland.

James also recorded a quiet, slowed down version of Steve Winwood’s ’80s pop hit “Higher Love” for a charity album, but in-sists that this was not at all comic. Although the original could not

be more different from James’ cover, which is chock-full of synth and horns, he says “Higher Love” is one of his favorite songs. Dur-ing the show his band leaves the stage for the Higher Love, and James sits alone at the piano. The crowd is virtually silent through the piece, but when it ends, the applause is outrageous.

James’ solo presence onstage is captivating, but his band’s stage presence adds something exciting to the live show. They’re completely in sync, and the extent of the band’s work is clear in concert. The recorded versions of these songs are salient and stunning, but the music is brought to life by performance; a pal-pably uplifting tone colors some of the less obvious songs from the album. “And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” and “This Old Dark Machine,” two songs that I’d neglected prior to the show, were transformed by the band’s onstage energy. The audi-ence was entirely enthralled, breaking its entranced gaze only to sing along. James and his band put on a fun show— just loud and wild enough, but still somehow beautiful in a way that is true to his music and style.

During the interview and the concert, it became clear that James is a storyteller and a poet. His songs come from imagina-tion and experience—they leave listeners reeling, wanting more. If you haven’t heard it yet, check out Early In The Morning, and if you’re lucky enough to be in the vicinity of a show, go. James Vincent McMorrow’s voice is one that demands listening, and his story is one worth hearing. O

What’s your favorite instrument to play? Drums to listen to? piano if you haD to listen to one song forever? “to Be alone With you” sufjan stevens Will you go out With us? on a Date? sure.

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CluB Passimkne w • t hem

BEFOREt he y • w er e • co ol

P O

Google “Club Passim” and you will quickly unearth accounts of its il-lustrious history at the vanguard

of ‘60s folk music, playing host to legends like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Joni Mitchell, and Mother Maybelle Cart-er. Fifty years after folk’s heyday it is easy to think of Club Passim as a relic, valu-able as a slice of Boston culture and music history. But hip? Cutting edge? Surely not. Look beyond the Wikipedia page, how-ever, and you’ll find that the club never stopped spring-boarding careers.

Tucked away in a basement behind the Harvard COOP, Passim is usually easy to miss. Three weekends a year, however, loudspeakers on Palmer Street broadcast the club’s music to passersby, tempting them to come inside and en-joy a folk music festival known as the Campfire.

Passim’s manager, Matt Smith, found-ed the Campfire in 1999 as a way to salvage Labor Day, an otherwise bum weekend for music booking. He had been booking an event called Songwriters in the Square, a night featuring three or four perform-ers performing in the round. It was an opportunity to feature artists who hadn’t individually built the audience to head-line a show, and it was a fun way to en-

courage improvisation between artists.“It was supposed to be collaborative,” says Smith. “That’s why you put people in the round. Hoping that there will be some sort of spark or that someone will start singing a harmony or someone will start playing a guitar part.” Smith took the Songwriters in the Square concept and turned it into the tri-annual weekend-long festival that Campfire has become.

This Labor Day weekend the Campfire lineup was diverse, featuring singer-song-writers, bluegrass bands, Berklee students, and crusty old timers. Many were young up-and-comers who play other small ven-ues in Boston and surrounding environs. Dietrich Straus, for example, regularly plays his heart-wrenchingly sweet folk songs at local venues like Toad and Lizard Lounge. Ana Mallozzi, a Providence local with indie style, a banjo, and a huge voice, sings about liking boys who like dinosaurs. She also plays around Providence with an all-girl folk band called The Sugar Honey Iced Tea. Then there are the local heroes, like Lori McKenna. A mother of five, McKenna just happens to have worked with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Around these parts, she sells out venues with her very personal hoke-free brand of country music.

These artists may be unfamiliar to the average college student, but, in the back-log of Campfire line-ups, open mics, and tribute nights, there are some names that might ring a bell. The Weepies? They owe their musical success and marital bliss to Club Passim. How about Josh Ritter? After graduating from Oberlin, Ritter launched his career at Passim. Now he’s a critic’s dar-ling and one of the most established voices in modern folk music. More popular still, Regina Spektor played the Campfire multi-ple times when she was still the weird Rus-sian girl playing her crazy songs in New York City bars. Then, all of a sudden, she was on tour with The Strokes.

“That’s the kind of stuff you can catch every night at Passim,” says Smith who is constantly booking interesting new artists. “The overnight success, 90% of the time is a complete myth. People don’t often know where those artists start. They came from somewhere. A lot of times they came right out of our basement.” O

Club Passim is located at 47 Palmer Street. The Campfire occurs every Labor Day weekend, President’s Day weekend, and Memorial Day weekend and is $10 per day. How can you say no to that kind of deal?

b y e l l e n M ay e R

eeeeeART BY NATASHA JESSEN-PETERSEN

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2FLATBREAD COMPANY45 Day Street, Somerville MA 02144

This eco-conscious pizza nook offers a selection of

clay-oven-fired flatbreads with local organic top-

pings. The restaurant has its own candlepin bowling

alley and bar, so the weekend dinner crowd ranges

from eclectic bar hoppers to young Somerville

families. If you plan on going with a large group,

make sure to reserve a table and bowling slot ahead

of time—the venue tends to stay busy from six

o’clock onwards.

N.B. Flatbread’s classic chocolate brownie with

vanilla ice cream is arguably the best dessert within

a 10-mile radius of the Tufts campus. At all costs, try

this delectable creation. But seriously.

The O’s favorite selection of cafes, restaurants, and other local gems—all no further than a Joey or bike ride away from campus.

BY NICOLA PARDY

3JP LICKS36 Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144

A Tufts favorite, JP Licks is located in the heart of

Davis Square and attracts sweet-toothed Jumbos all

year round. For the warmer months, JP Licks offers

an extensive array of ice cream and frozen yogurt

flavors like Kowla Brownie, Pineapple Sherbet, and

Butter Almond. For the good part of the academic

year though, hot fudge sundaes and JP Licks’ own

Brew Coffee may serve as more warming sweet-

treat choices for the frostbitten Tufts student.

54DIESEL COFFEE257 Elm Street, Somerville MA 02144

Formerly a car repair garage, Diesel Café

has incorporated an auto-inspired theme

into its coffeehouse concept, taking the

space’s original purpose to heart. Diesel’s

relaxed atmosphere, free WiFi access, and

delicious baked goods, sandwiches, teas,

and coffees make it an ideal off-campus

study spot. Also, be sure to check out the

café’s pool tables and vintage black-and-

white photo booth.

SNAPPY SUSHI420 Highland Ave, Somerville MA 02144

Of the several pan-Asian hotspots in Davis

Square, S.S. approaches the art of sushi with the

most creativity. Its modern boutique feel and

avant-garde menu (which offers rolls like the

Newbury Fashion Roll) puts an American twist on

traditional Japanese cuisine. And did we mention

that every roll off the fancy roll menu is work

of art? Aesthetically pleasing and scrumptious

sushi—what’s not to love? O

1DAVE’S FRESH PASTA81 Holland Street, Somerville MA 01244

Simply put, Dave’s is the king of comfort food.

Though branded as a specialty neighborhood grocer,

to most Tufts students, Dave’s is fondly known as

the best lunch joint in the area. The deli offers every

kind of sandwich, wrap, and panini imaginable, as well

as an impressive selection of specialty drinks and

side items to complete the meal. The grocery sec-

tion also has a variety of homemade soups, cheeses,

and, of course, pastas available to buy and take back

to the dorm mini-fridge.

Beware: Dave’s is closed on Sundays. Keep this in

mind to avoid the heart-wrenching disappointment

of facing a cruel “Sorry, We’re Closed” sign after

you’ve eagerly walked all the way from Tisch’s silent

study room. Consider yourself warned!

O

BECK

Y PL

ANTE

The Best of

SomervilleoFF

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by Shir Livneyou’ve dug a little hole in my head to stay. let cider fingers pace down nerves like cut wire. no, i don’t really know what I’m talking about. but i can’t close my eyes anymore.

Amy Shipp

PoETRY


naTIonal

Last night, I sat under the starsand ate a rotisserie chickenon the highway boundarywith my best friend, Max.In between biteswe discussed the stars and the wind,Trying to tell the difference betweenthe satellites and shooting stars.We bit through tendon,catching our molars and chipping boneswe talked until it was justfor the sake of helping our teeth move.Discarding the pieces like our fading footstepswe jumped the fenceone toe-heel at a time,landing quietly in the grasswet blades, cold and cuttingdamp corduroys.If our sneakers came untiedthey dragged and we tripped,eyes trailing the comets,the moon,our reflection in the Milky Way.

Last

Night

by Anika

Ades

Conn

or Cun

nigh

am

PoETRY


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what do YOU see?

Cut out the frame and show us what you see. Send it to [email protected] or @tufts_observer.

ThurSday, SepTemBer 8, 9:50 pmA male student was stopped in front of Miller Hall by Tufts Police for having an open bottle of beer. The student insisted that he was drinking root beer, but on further investigation, it was established that it was, in fact, actual beer. The beer was disposed of, and the student was released.

Friday, SepTemBer 9 Police responded to a call about an intoxicated female student. When asked how many drinks she’d had, she told them, “92 drinks... no, no... 91 drinks.” Sounds like someone has low tolerance for counting... or an INCREDIBLY high tolerance for alcohol.

Sunday, SepTemBer 11, midnighTSomerville and Tufts cops were called to break up a house party on Boston Ave. When they arrived, 25 to 30 individuals were in line to get inside, and about 250 people were already in the house. Thanks for inviting me, guys.

POLICE BLOTTER

illustrated and compiled by Becky Plante


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KNAR BEDIAN


TuFTs oBsERvERsInCE 1895

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PlEasE RECYClE

Are you in love? Hating on love? Looking for love? We want to hear about it. Tell us your best love stories: your hook-ups, your break-ups,

your walks of shame, and everything in between.

What does love mean for you incollege in the 21st century?

Email submissions to [email protected]’ll publish our favorites in the next issue.

We’re having a modern Love contest!

Documents

Fall 2011 - Issue 1