A runner to remember
In the past few months, Jacqueline M. Wentz ’10 has completed a dizzying journey – from finishing up finals at MIT, where she graduated and double-majored in Physics and Biological Engineering, to competing in the finals of the 3000-meter women’s steeplechase at the USA Track and Field (USATF) National Championships.
Senior spotlight: Exceptional student-athletes
In the spirit of today’s commencement, the sports section has chosen to spotlight a smattering of MIT’s graduating student-athletes. It is a testament to the strength of the Institute’s athletic program that we do not have space to feature all of the seniors, though we tip our caps to every student who balanced the time commitment that a varsity sport requires with some of the nation’s most rigorous academics.
Juicers Should All ’Fess Up Or Else Risk Destroying Baseball
“I would suggest everybody get tested, not random, everybody. You go team by team. You test everybody three, four times a year and that’s about it,” Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said back in February. Asked what should happen to players who tested positive, Ortiz responded, “Ban ‘em for the whole year.”
Men’s Basketball Cements Legacy with Historic Run
Four years ago, MIT basketball players planned to make history. This year, they made it.
Never Say That Again
Ever heard a phrase that made you absolutely cringe inside? The most obvious offender this week was “Asante Samuel signs with Eagles,” but there are far more. Think of anything that Howard Stern says, most of what President Bush says, some of what your parents say, and a little of what your “over-sharing” friends say. Here, for your reading pleasure, is a list of the phrases that have come up in conversations in the past seven days that I really wish hadn’t. If you have ever used these phrases, please, please, PLEASE never say them again.
Woes of Urgent Care
Students enrolled at MIT are guaranteed free access to help at Urgent Care, regardless of whether they use the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan or an outside provider. Sounds great, right? Free round-the-clock coverage for problems such as strep throat or headache, conveniently located right on campus.
Tom Brady’s Injury Brings Out Ill Will, Inappropriate Response
Cheering against teams is a part of sports. So is cheering against individual players, whether you think that the player is dirty, arrogant, or disloyal to former teams (see: Damon, Johnny). But cheering because a player is seriously injured? No true sports fan does that.
Panel Studies MIT’s Divestment Process
A five-person panel is in the process of reconsidering how the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility “can be most helpful to the Corporation and the community in general,” Kirk D. Kolenbrander, Vice President of Institute Affairs and Secretary of the Corporation, said on Tuesday.
‘Baseball’ Exhibit Shows That Baseball Mirrors Everyday Life
Sport and society are often linked, whether by a fan’s comparison between a game-winning goal and real-life heroics or a journalist’s association between performance-enhancing drugs and rampant dishonesty in American politics. Such comparisons are primed for aggrandizement: caught up in the moment, we often forget that the realm of sports does not always equal the realm of the real world. Based on its name alone, the traveling Baseball as America exhibit seems likely to fall under this category of distorted reality.
The Dilemma: Supporting Your Fantasy Team or Favorite Team
March Madness has ended and baseball season has just begun, prompting plenty of trash-talking about brackets and fantasy teams. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Duke basketball (relatives live near there) and Boston Red Sox (family grew up here) fan. You can imagine my chagrin, then, when I objectively picked the University of North Carolina to win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament rather than my beloved Duke. It’s the same feeling that I had last year when several groups of my friends asked me to join their fantasy baseball leagues, and I ended up with several Yankees players, including Alex Rodriguez.
Women’s Volleyball Reaches NCAA Sweet 16
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is widely accepted as a scholastic superpower, producing some of the world’s greatest mathematicians and scientists. Unsurprisingly, its athletic program — though distinguished in its own right — has consistently been an afterthought in a discussion of MIT’s virtues.
Cowboys’ WR Owens Models the Hypocrisy In Sports
Consider the following scenarios: Quarterback A vomits during the last drive of a game during a playoff loss, causing people to question his fitness. Quarterback B vacations in Mexico with his famous girlfriend prior to a playoff loss, causing people to question his focus.
Patriots’ Likeability Should Not Affect Appreciation of Their Skills
If you follow football, you should be quite familiar with the saga of the 2007 New England Patriots. That is, the 16-0 Patriots, directed by Coach of the Year Bill Belichick and star-studded with players such as National Football League Most Valuable Player Tom Brady (all-time NFL record of 50 touchdown passes) and Randy Moss (all-time NFL record of 23 touchdown receptions).
MIT Weighs in With Only 2 Wins in Dual Match Loss to Colby
The 22nd-ranked MIT men’s tennis team fell to unranked Colby College 7–2 in Sunday’s dual match. Thomas H. Dohlman ’07 earned a point for the Engineers at first singles, while the second doubles team of Peden P. Nichols ’09 and Mark D. Egan ’07 recorded the lone doubles win.
T★eater Review Three Nights of One-Act Plays Delight Audience
Adult confusion gave way to youthful exuberance, followed by acknowledged vices and finishing with emerging disillusionment, in Dramashop’s annual student-written, student-directed One Acts. Even with a minimalist approach to scenery and costumes, the actors and directors created a memorable atmosphere that was at times ethereal, at others bizarre, and always mysterious.
Obama Holds Rally In Boston; Gains Patrick’s Endorsement
The buzzwords were health care, education, and Iraq, and the 9,500-person crowd swarming the Boston Common was all ears at last Tuesday evening’s rally with Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick for Barack H. Obama’s Democratic presidential campaign.
Tech Women Pound Tufts in Final Match Of MIT Invitational
The MIT women’s volleyball team won its home tournament for the third consecutive year, defeating Tufts University in the championship match by a score of 30-25, 30-18, 30-20. Along the way, Tech (14-1) also bested Bowdoin and Wesleyan in pool play and Williams in the semifinals during last Friday and Saturday’s MIT Women’s Volleyball Invitational, held in Rockwell Cage.
Spying Debacle Leads to Questions About Belichick’s Unwise Actions
Two weeks after the Bill Belichick spying debacle, in which league officials caught Patriots video assistant Matthew Estrella filming Jets defensive signals, the New England Patriots’ record stands at 3-0. When the Pats destroyed the New York Jets 38-14 on Sept. 9 in their season-opener, no one thought that the focus of the game would be a video camera instead of the superior New England offense. When the National Football League released schedules, the San Francisco Chargers-Pats game promised to be one of the premier American Football Conference matchups; instead, it was another 38-14 blowout. This past Sunday, the Patriots were favored by 16.5 points against the Buffalo Bills; the final score of 38-7 actually eclipsed the already-outlandish line.
MIT Can Be Hell, But the Pro Sports Scene Is Heaven
Welcome to MIT, a place often described by its students as challenging, rewarding, and, to put it politely, hell on earth. Don’t be discouraged, though — for one thing, upperclassmen love complaining about MIT, even though we wouldn’t have it any other way. For another, MIT is a sports fan’s heaven: there are 41 varsity sports, 30 club sports, and countless intramurals for those interested in working off academic stress. Look for preview articles and spotlights of these sports in upcoming issues. Right now, however, I’m going to concentrate on the professional sports scene surrounding MIT.
Torre’s Tenure in NY Should Not Hinge on One Division Series
I may be a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, but I am first a fan of quality baseball. (Though I will never — that’s right, never — cheer a play by Derek Jeter. Or Johnny Damon. Or Roger Clemens. The list could continue … oh, right, Alex Rodriguez.)
News Sites Must Find Balance in Sports Reporting
Usually, I open Mozilla Firefox and expect to find typical sporting news on ESPN.com: the Red Sox won; the Yankees lost; Mark Cuban complained about X, Y, and Z; Scott Boras’ clients are holding out for more money; another Cincinnati Bengal was arrested; Shaquille O’Neal said something profound; the Celtics’ front office did something horrifying. In other words, I expect to find news causing the average fan to smile a little wider or groan a little louder.
Ludlum’s Goal Leads MIT to Shutout Win
The MIT women’s soccer team defeated Clark University 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Steinbrenner Stadium, scoring its only goal on an Amy S. Ludlum ’08 shot just 31 seconds into the game. Though the statistics sheet credited Jean E. “Liz” Theurer ’10 as providing the only assist, Ludlum also received a boost from a strong wind that fortified her 35-yard shot. What looked to be an easy save for Cougars goalkeeper Joanna Clark turned into an unexpected game-winner.
MIT Students Should Support Peers at Home Sporting Events
<i>I’m a beaver. You’re a beaver. We are beavers all. And when we get together, we do the beaver call! E to the u, du dx, e to the x, dx. Cosine, secant, tangent, sine, 3.14159. Integral, radical, mu, dv. Slipstick, sliderule, MIT!</i><i></i>
MIT Sports Fans Must Consider Others’ Expectations
<i>Ring, ring</i>. “Oh, that’s another friend calling about our Sunday fantasy football draft. Oh right, you guys probably don’t follow fantasy football at MIT, do you?”
Statistics Say Sox Will Weather Yankees’ Hot Streak
What would you sacrifice for Red Sox-Yankees tickets at Fenway Park? A kidney, a 5.0 GPA, an advance copy of <i>Harry Potter</i>?
Spring Break at NCAA Tourney A Great Choice For Sports Fans
Tired of sunburns, mosquito bites, and long plane rides? Regretting those eight margaritas you downed in Miami Beach, Honolulu, or Cancún? Perhaps you're just eager to gain respite from the dimly lit lecture halls affectionately called the gates of hell.
NCAA Regionals Provide Drama, Entertainment Behind the Scenes
The NCAA basketball championships involve more than Florida's quest for a repeat title or Ohio State's 19-year-old center, Greg Oden, who looks old enough to run for president.