Food-themed projects take Kresge
As a large clock counted down from two minutes, the excitement of the crowd in the nearly packed Kresge Auditorium reached fever pitch. Students, faculty, and friends gathered to see the results of months of labor from the students of 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes), who were tasked with designing a food-themed product.
Xerox CEO Ursula M. Burns to speak at Commencement
Ursula M. Burns, chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox Corporation, has been named the keynote speaker for the 145th Commencement on Friday, Jun. 3. This year’s speaker announcement comes at its earliest in more than 30 years. Commencement weekend will mark the conclusion of MIT’s 150-day celebration marking its 150th anniversary.
Dalai Lama Shares His Wisdom, Humor in Kresge Auditorium
For the second time in six years, the Dalai Lama spoke at MIT. But while last time he was a visiting guest, yesterday he was speaking to inaugurate a new center at MIT, the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values.
Life Placed On Hold: Visa Delays Present New Hurdles for International Students
When Shuo Chen applied for a new U.S. visa from her home country on Dec. 18, she was expecting to receive it in time to return to MIT at the beginning of January. However, after turning in her application to the U.S. embassy in China, she was told that her application could take up to eight weeks.
Tuition Increase is Lowest in 8 Yrs, High Relative to Inflation
Chancellor Philip L. Clay PhD ’75 announced at Wednesday’s faculty meeting that tuition and fees will increase from $36,390 to $37,782 for the 2009-2010 academic year, marking the lowest percentage increase in eight years. But with respect to the inflation rate of 0.09% over the last year, the 3.83% increase in tuition represents a greater financial burden on families as an MIT education is now more expensive relative to family income.
Denoncourt Says Dining Committee Will Report Back Soon
The Blue Ribbon Committee on Dining has been given until April to release final recommendations for dining at MIT reported Donna M. Denoncourt, associate dean for residential life, at last night’s Undergraduate Association Senate meeting.
Bareilles, Hotel Lights To Open for Ben Folds at Spring Weekend Concert
Sara Bareilles will open this year’s Spring Weekend concert, which will be headlined by Ben Folds. Folds will be bringing along the indie band Hotel Lights.
New Building Process Worries Local Board; Traffic is Major Issue
MIT is meeting resistance from neighborhood residents as it hopes to construct a new building at 650 Main Street, a parking lot diagonally across from Tech Square. The 400,000-square-foot project will come before the Cambridge Planning Board on Tuesday, Mar. 3, amidst concerns from the Area 4 Neighborhood Coalition (A4NC) that it will bring additional vehicular traffic to the area and integrate poorly with the neighborhood.
Ben Folds to Perform for Spring Weekend
Twenty students in conjunction with the Student Activities Office have selected Ben Folds to headline this year’s Spring Weekend concert on Saturday, Apr. 25. Leading up to the main event will be a new festival and a series of events coordinated by student groups.
Chomsky Condemns U.S. and Israel For Civilian Deaths in Gaza Strip
At a talk last night about the current situation in Gaza, Professor of Linguistics Noam A. Chomsky came down hard on Israel for its frequent violence against Palestinian civilians and chastised the United States for enabling the Jewish state to carry out these actions with impunity. He also used the opportunity to touch upon broader issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The talk, which took place at Sloan’s Wong Auditorium, was part of the Center of International Studies’ Starr Forum lecture series
MIT Medical Works to Identify, Address Causes of Suicide
It’s a question that lurks in the minds of many admitted students (and their parents): Is MIT safe for me?
DiFava, Pierce Discuss Hacking At EC
Last night, MIT Director of Facilities and Security John DiFava and Captain Albert F. Pierce Jr. met with about sixty students in East Campus’ Talbot Lounge for an hour-long question and answer session on hacking. DiFava suggested that his top priority is keeping hackers safe, but ultimately said that the MIT community needs to have a large discussion about how hacking should be addressed on campus.
Graduate Student Faces Charges for Assaulting an Officer, Resisting Arrest
A graduate student is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4, 2008, facing four charges stemming from an incident that occurred at the List Visual Arts Center last October.
Concourse Instructor Jim Bredt Wins APO’s ‘Big Screw’ Contest
Last week, Alpha Phi Omega held its annual Big Screw competition. On April 14, James “Jim” Bredt ’82 was crowned the winner, having received $699.29 in monetary votes. All the proceeds from the event, which topped $1500, will be given to the Environmental Working Group, a charity chosen by Bredt.
MIT to Select Founders Group for W1
This fall, about 50 undergraduates will live in the new graduate dormitory NW35 in advance of moving into a renovated W1, currently called Ashdown House, when it reopens in fall 2010.
Most Undergrads Pay Less Tuition Despite Increases, MIT Says
What should you make of MIT’s voluminous response to the Senate Finance Committee, which asked it to explain exorbitant tuition costs in light of a sixth-in-the-nation endowment?
Alumni Pool Introduces Single-Sex Swim Hours
The Alumni Pool next to the Stata Center will be open two extra hours each week to accommodate a single-gender swimming program from now until June 5.
Housing Sees Ashdown, Next House Changes in 2007
As construction on new graduate dormitory NW35 continued throughout the year, MIT Housing decided on the fate of Building W1, opened a new cultural house, and extended Residence Exploration to freshmen placed in Next House.
In Annual Hunt, Murder Mystery Challenges Institute Puzzle Buffs
Hordes of people gathered in Lobby 7 at noon on Friday for the start of the 29th annual Mystery Hunt, when teams were handed a piece of paper entitled “Puzzle Zero.” It became quite clear over the next arduous 56 hours that this puzzle had absolutely nothing to do with the Hunt, as teams of students, alumni, and others toiled through what even the organizers — collectively named “Palindrome” — admit was a very difficult edition of MIT’s annual Hunt.
Make a Splash: ESP Encourages Students To Dive and Explore
Hundreds of middle and high school students arrived at MIT last weekend to participate in the Educational Studies Program’s annual Splash weekend event.
APO Holds Unholiest Human Competition
The Unholiest huMan on Campus (UMOC) competition, the latest descendant of the annual Ugliest Man on Campus event, is being held this week. Members of the MIT community can vote for their favorite candidates by placing money in the candidates’ respective jars in Lobby 10. At the end of the event, which concludes on Friday, November 2, all proceeds will be given to the charity of the winner’s choice.