On Saturday the Turkish parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a measure to change the constitution to guarantee that all citizens may go to college regardless of their apparel. Since the late 1990s, women at universities have been banned from wearing head scarves, because authorities said the increasing number of covered women threatened secularism, according to The New York Times. The Saturday reversal must first be approved by the president and published in the official state newspaper before groups can take the amendments to the pro-secular Constitutional Court, which is predicted to overturn it. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a proponent of lifting the ban on head scarves, and some worry that he and the Justice and Development Party will impose conservative values on Turkey. Some worry that the lifted ban on head scarves could evolve into a ban on uncovered hair.
LOCAL Pyschology professor has a new approach to emotions Recently featured in Pyschology Today, Boston College psychology professor Lisa Barrett has created a new conceptual-act model of emotion that challenges years of traditional psychological thinking. Unlike the former model, which says that people have a standard set of emotions corresponding to a specific brain activity pattern and behavior, Barrett argues that individuals also distinguish emotions based on experience and context. Barrett, who won a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2007 for work, suggests that people expand their emotional vocabulary and avoid generalized statements in order to better understand their feelings.
Clark sets example for Allston-Brighton and universities A number of residents of Allston-Brighton met with community development professionals, Harvard Univerity officials and those heading their planned expansions, and Boston City Councilor Mark Ciommo on an organized bus trip to Clark University and its surrounding neighborhood. Clark Vice President Jack Foley gave a presentation regarding the university's effort to improve the surrounding area and work with the community to their mutual benefit, including building affordable housing, giving full scholarships to neighborhood residents accepted to Clark, and founding a public school. The trip was meant to serve as an example of how universities such as Boston College and Harvard could work in partnership with local communities.
UNIVERSITIES Delays in alert messaging system of U. of Kentucky The alert system at the University of Kentucky was activated on Thursday morning regarding a shooting that occurred in an off-campus apartment. The incident was first reported at 7:37 p.m. on Wednesday, and the Office of Emergency Management sent its first alerts at 12:34 a.m. The delay was attributed to a number of factors, including conflicting accounts initially received by the police and that it was determined to be an isolated incident, UK spokesman Jay Blanton told reporters. Blanton said the police and university wanted a more complete account before notifying students.
UNDER REPORTED The stereotypical 'criminal' outfit is so overrated anyway Authorities in Portland, Maine, are searching for a cross-dressing motorist who pulls in front of female drivers and then jumps out of his vehicle. There have been six reports since last spring regarding the perpetrator, who is described as a man with a mustache, wearing women's underwear, a garter belt, and black high heels. The most recent incident occurred last week. Cumberland County's Sheriff Mark Dion told reporters that while the man's choice of apparel is not criminal, there is still cause for concern, as the man is apparently targeting women who are alone and could potentially cause accidents by jumping out in the middle of the road.
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