Tufts Alumna Meredith Vieira to Speak at Commencement

'Today Show' host Vieira to deliver Commencement address

It's A Small World After All

My Op-Ed, published in The Tufts Daily today:
Remembering Japanese internment will help stop future prejudice

Back in August, I began writing an American Studies Senior Honors Thesis on the importance of multicultural children's literature. Since then, it's shifted focus to the representation of the Japanese American internment experience in illustrated children's books--a publishing trend that has emerged only within the past 20 years.

So, two weeks ago, in the midst of drafting 100 pages, I'm elbow-deep in highlighters and history books when I pick up the Tufts Daily and notice an ad for an upcoming event. Amy Lee-Tai, who graduated with a degree in Psychology from Tufts in 1989, is coming to campus to speak in honor of the National Day of Remembrance of Japanese American Internment. Her mother and grandparents were interned at the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. Two years ago, she wrote a fictional multilingual children's book, "A Place Where Sunflowers Grow," based on their experience.I contacted Linell Yugawa, the Director of the Asian American Center at Tufts, and she forwarded me Ms. Lee-Tai's contact information. We've since corresponded, and, not only will I attend her presentation and honorary dinner tomorrow, but I'll definitely include her work in my thesis!

When I began my thesis, I had no idea that my research topic correlated with the creative output of a recent Tufts grad. And that's another reason why I love this school: you're always discovering that you share obscure academic and personal interests with others. Random alumni connections and networking can aid you in ways you never thought possible.

Student Profile: Kristen Dorsey

In their information sessions, Tufts admissions officers drive home the point that students here utilize their knowledge and interests to make a difference in the world. It sounds abstract and somewhat cliched, but, honestly, it's the truth. Take, for example, Kristen Dorsey, a fellow American Studies major. Originally from CA, she is currently completing the 5 year dual-degree program with Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She's incredibly talented--you can check out her work at neriadesigns.com or purchase pieces at boutiques in Boston and CA--and The Tufts Daily published a profile on her today!



However, in addition to being an accomplished artist, Kristen is also an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. At Tufts, she applied for and was the recipent of an American Studies Ted Shapiro Award, which enabled her to spend a summer in Oklahoma, researching her tribal heritage and creating jewelry inspired by ancient Southeastern indigenous motifs and materials.

This year, for her American Studies Thesis, she combined her interest in art and Chickasaw identity. She's writing a paper that traces the history of the Chickasaw culture, the development of the Native American Art Movement in the Southwest, and the economic concerns of the Chickasaw Nation today. Kristen has developed a business plan for burgeoning artists within the tribal nation.

She has analyzed ways in which their art could be encouraged, produced, and marketed to global consumers. In detail, she has outlined the phases of apprenticeship and initial investment that will ultimately behoove Chickasaw artists and help to solidify cultural identity.


Kristen isn't just writing a paper for a graduation requirement; she's genuinely committed to using her background as an artist to foster economic and artistic growth within the Chickasaw Nation. She fully intends to implement her business model upon graduation.

To read more about Kristen:
media.www.tuftsdaily.com/media/storage/paper856/news/2008/02/14/Weekender/Tufts.Junior.Adorns.Boston.Residents.With.Original.Jewelry-3210234.shtml

To view some of her work:
neriadesigns.com

Like Bow Wow Wow Said: I Want Candy

Happy Valentine's Day! I was born and raised in Hershey, PA. My dad's office is located on West Chocolate Avenue--at the intersection with Cocoa Avenue--so I'm pretty much obsessed with all things caloric and sugary.

As you rachet up your saccharine intake today, consider the following Boston candy-related fun facts:

1) Those ubiquitous Sweethearts Conversation Hearts pictured above are manufactured in Massachussetts. They are the #1 selling non-chocolate Valentine's Day candy. "NECCO" Hearts stand for the New England Confectionery Company, located in Revere, a few miles from Tufts.

2) According to the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bostonians consume more ice cream per capita than residents of any other urban area in the country. J.P. Licks in Davis Square serves up a mean scoop--my favorite flavor is coffee oreo, if you're feeling philanthropic!

3) When you drive across the Tobin Bridge from Boston to Medford, you'll notice a neon pink sign spelling out "Schrafft's" on your right. This is a famous Boston landmark and the former site of the Schrafft's candy and chocolate company.

4) Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth while visiting Tufts? I recommend the Danish Pastry House, located at the corner of Boston Avenue and Winthrop Street. Kathleen Flahive graduated from Tufts in 2004 and is the co-owner of this authentic European boutique bakery. I even ran into Davin Bergquist and Dan Grayson, two admissions officers, the last time I was there!

5) You can't visit Boston's historic North End without eating decadent cannoli. It's a heated debate: Mike's Pastry is probably the most famous purveyor of the ricotta roll, but some say Modern Pastry (located both across the street from Mike's and at a second location on Main Street in Medford) is the real deal. My parents, sister and I did the cannoli taste test challenge this past summer. We agreed on a winner...but I'll challenge you to arrive at the delicious conclusion on your own!

Just remember: After consuming all that high fructose corn syrup, be sure to brush your teeth at the end of the day. You don't want to wind up with a cavity at the Tufts School of Dental Medecine.

Sticks And Stones Can Break My Bones

So the Tufts memory I shared last night at Gifford House dates way back to freshman year. I was rushed to the ER my first week at college and spent the night in a Medford hospital...but, contrary to what you might think, it had nothing to do with underage drinking or raucous behavior.

I've dislocated my knee 4 times in 5 years. So, on the very first day of class--History 22, Renaissance and Reformation, to be exact--I'm walking out of the classroom and all of a sudden my kneecap pops out and I flail to the ground. I watch my terrified professor's eyes roll to the back of his head before he quietly walks backward out of the room and runs far, far away. Luckily, Liz, one of the girls I had just met during Freshman Orientation, takes control of the situation and calls the Tufts Police, the Medford Firefighters, and TEMS--the student EMT's.

I ride in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, and Liz arranges for my friends Ashley and Rachael to come meet me there. (Mind you, I've known all these girls for about 72 hours, so I'm incredibly thankful they kept me company!) Crutches in tow, I head back to Tufts and recuperate in the sanctity of my dorm, Houston Hall.

My professors are incredibly patient when I'm on crutches. Political Science Professor Deborah Schildkraut, a fellow Tufts grad, wrote me empathetic emails about the difficulty of scaling the Hill while disabled. Strangers opened doors for me, and the Tufts Police drove me to my classes.

So I'm all well and healed...and then, a month later, walking down the Houston Hall corridor, my knee dislocates AGAIN. Repeat TEMS, Police, Firefighters, ER, hospital. This time, my friends Katherine and Jessie join me at 4 AM at the Winchester Hospital and we spend the night watching infomercials while I'm on a morphine drip.

The entire zany situation illustrated to me that, even in a foreign environment during my first few weeks of school, Tufts individuals were willing to go out of their way to help. I'm still close friends with the girls who kept hospital bedside vigil. Four years later, when I run into Tufts Police officers on the street, they still ask me, "Yo, how's your knee?"

Last summer, the orthopaedic surgeon who performed arthroscopic surgery on my knee went on one of my admissions tours. His son was considering Tufts.

Senior Dinner at Gifford House

As I've often said, one of my favorite aspects of Tufts is that no student falls through the insitutional cracks--i.e., everyone has the opportunity to feel welcomed into an inclusive community.

Each spring, President Lawrence Bacow and his wife, Adele Fleet Bacow, invite seniors to dine with them at their residence, Gifford House. On eight separate nights, they open up their home to graduating students and active Tufts alumni and trustees, encouraging individuals to break bread, network, and share their fondest college memories.

I've trekked up Packard Ave past Gifford House myriad times over the past four years, but tonight was the first time I crossed the threshold. My friends and I had been looking forward to Senior Dinners ever since we were freshmen. If Tufts were Disney World, Gifford House would be the equivalent of Cinderella's Castle. It's that hallowed and imposing!

So we signed up for the same Senior Dinner night and spent several hours eating falafel and baklava, chatting up recent successful alums, and remembering the wonderful times we've had at Tufts.

On several occasions, I spoke with President Bacow. At one point, he gave me a mini tour of the considerable art collection housed onsite. The Tufts University Permanent Art Collection at Gifford House includes works by Joan Miro, John Singer Sargent, Grant Wood, Henry Moore, Helen Frankenthaler, and Auguste Rodin, to name a few artists!

The Bacows spoke at the podium before inviting several recent alums to briefly speak about their careers and what Tufts has taught them. Following this, seniors were invited to espouse their favorite memories. The anecdotes were funny, inspiring, and as varied as the speakers themselves. I even worked up the courage to share a Tufts story from freshman year!

As we headed back to the coatroom, we were handed pamphlets about how to become active Tufts alumni and the contact information for the professionals with whom we had networked. In all, it was a really enjoyable evening that lived up to the high expectations I had had for the past four years!

Most of all, I loved that I was able to share it with friends whom I have known since my first semester at Tufts!

It's Snowing!

The weather outside is frightful, but our Valentine's-themed February Pub Night for seniors 21+ at the Harp in Boston is sure to be delightful!

Super Duper Blogday

One of the most innovative things here at Tufts is something called the Experimental College, or ExCollege. The ExCollege basically serves as a venue for interdisciplinary, experiential classes that fall outside the realm of more traditional academics. These classes can include anything from Genetics, Ethics and Law to Rape Aggression Defense, and can count towards requirements, certain majors, and the credits required for graduation. Faculty members, community leaders and even students can apply to teach an ExCollege class, and a panel of faculty and students work together to select each semester's offerings. More information, including course listings, can be found on the ExCollege's website.

I've taken a number of ExCollege classes during my time here. From my freshmen advising seminar ("Presidential Elections" during the 2004 Kerry-Bush race) and "Israeli Foreign Policy and National Security" (taught by a former Israeli intelligence officer and based on many in-class simulations), to "Marketing for Social Change" and my current "Politics and the Blogosphere" class, the ExCollege has definitely provided me with the opportunity to infuse my education with some hands-on learning.

My current class, Politics and the Blogosphere, is taught by former Massachusetts legislator Peter Morin. Students from all backgrounds -- be it political science or computer science -- are not only learning about the blogosphere's influence on our political system, but also getting the opportunity to become bloggers ourselves. Appropriately titled Jumbo Pundits, our blog focuses on Election 2008 and has been garnering readership from not only all over the US, but also in places as far as Turkey, Columbia, Italy, France, Portugal, Sweden and Spain!

I encourage you all to not only check out the blog, but also to contribute your own two cents in the comments section. You can find it at tuftsclass.blogspot.com.

PS -- While the Republicans' mascot is the elephant, I think it's pretty safe to say that our Jumbo is bipartisan.

Reasons to Celebrate

1) It's Mardi Gras! Jocelyn, my housemate, just returned from New Orleans last night. I've yet to hear her about her exploits but she better have procured some beads...2) ...so, in honor of gluttony, I'm currently eating Dunkin Donuts in the basement of the Eaton Computer Lab instead of writing my Senior Honors Thesis.3) Super Tuesday. Barack Obama and John McCain visited Boston yesterday; Hillary Clinton (whom I saw speak at Tufts when I was a freshman) spoke in Worcester and Dorchester, MA. Mitt Romney hails from Belmont, MA (also home to the aforementioned Jocelyn). For many Tufts students, it's our first or second presidential primary as eligible voters, and the campus is buzzing with heated political debate.4) Super Bowl/Tufts alum connections. It was pretty quiet in Boston after the Giants upset the Patriots, but I maintain my Jumbo pride: after all, Tufts alumni own both teams.

Daniel Kraft, A'87, is a Director of the Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots. His father, Robert, is the Chairman and Owner. Kraft Field, home of the Tufts soccer team, was a gift to the university from the Kraft family.

Jonathan Tisch, A'76, is Chairman and CEO of of Loews Hotels. He is on the Board and is the Treasurer of the New York Giants. In the early 1990's, a $10 million gift from the Tisch family supported the expansion and renovation of Tufts' Tisch Library. In 2006, he gave an endowed gift of $40 million dollars to fund the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts.

Steve Tisch A’71, Academy Award-winning film producer and Chairman and Executive Vice President of the Giants, has recently made a commitment of $10 million to support Tufts’ planned $30-million athletics and fitness facilities expansion and renovation. Tufts will name the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center in recognition of his generous support.

Both Daniel Kraft and Jonathan Tisch currently serve on the Tufts University Board of Trustees.
5) Let's not forget about those all-important Super Bowl ads! The SoBe Life Water spot featuring Naomi Campbell and lizards dancing to "Thriller" was considered to be among the best of the bunch.

John Bello, A'68, is the Co-Founder and former CEO of the South Beach Beverage Co--best known for marketing products under the brand name SoBe. In 2004, he and his wife, Nancy, A'69, provided a $1 million naming gift to complete construction of an artificial turf field for Tufts athletics. Today, Bello Field is home to the field hockey and lacrosse teams.

Pachyderm Plans

My friends Christina and Chloe (who, alliteratively, were also freshman year roommates in Carmichael Hall) have both pointed out to me on separate occasions that I have neglected this blog. My apologies...I'm a deadbeat blogger.

However, Amy, Matt, Nate, and I have been feverishly working to prepare for April Open House (AOH), to be held on Friday, 4/18, Thursday, 4/24, and Friday, 4/25. On these dates, the university invites accepted students to visit the Hill, meet current students and faculty members, and attend various events and lectures. Essentially, it provides admitted students with an intro to Tufts. Whether you're still deciding among schools or already planning to matriculate at Tufts, it's a really fun and exciting day!

In total, over 500 current Tufts students volunteer in some capacity with AOH. If you register early, you have the option of staying overnight in a dorm with a freshman or sophomore host. Who knows--you might even meet the "prefrosh" who will wind up being your freshman roommate!

From planning the mock classes to selecting the students who will speak on panels to painting the cannon to inflating myriad brown and blue balloons, we interns will be swamped with work in preparation for AOH. Still, we do it because we all had positive AOH experiences ourselves--and we hope you do as well!