Changes to draft of new UA structure
After a week of deliberation, the Undergraduate Association Ad-Hoc Committee on Restructuring presented several changes to bill 42 UAS 14.2, UA President Vrajesh Y. Modi ’11’s proposed overhaul of the UA governing structure. The most significant change is the expansion of the proposed Council of Representatives — which would replace the UA Senate should 14.2 be approved — from 16 to 20 members, adding three additional representatives from the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and one additional representative from the Panhellenic Association (Panhel). According to Committee Chair Timothy R. Jenks ’13, current senator of fraternities, the additional members were added in response to Committee concerns of underrepresentation of affiliated Greek students on the Council.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK Professors speak on worldviews at Veritas Forum
Life, the universe, and MIT — how do these relate? At this year’s annual MIT Veritas Forum, four MIT professors answered this question and shared their views on religion. Approximately 550 people gathered in Kresge Auditorium last Saturday to attend the event, jointly sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, the Large Event Fund, and the MIT United Christian Organization. In welcoming the speakers and audience to the forum, Anna Fung ’11 — a member of the Veritas planning committee — said that the hope was to “hear more of a personal, philosophical side of professors.” Moderated by Rosalind W. Picard ScD ’91, founder and director of the Affective Computing Group at the Media Lab, the forum opened with each of the professors briefly sharing their views on life at MIT, religion, and life’s meaning.
City picks Kendall study firm
Cambridge City Council yesterday selected Goody Clancy & Associates, a Boston architecture and planning firm, as consultants for the forthcoming study on the future of urban development in the area between Kendall and Central Squares. The study will define processes and implement changes that account for “missed opportunities” between the squares and bring together the wide array of existing plans and zoning change proposals that are in progress in the area.
Big Screw nominations and Monday totals
The Institute Screw Contest, commonly known as the Big Screw, is an annual charity fundraiser hosted by Alpha Chi Omega that raises money for a variety of causes. Faculty or staff who “screw” over students can be nominated by anyone and select their favorite charity that students donate to as a “vote” for that particular professor. One cent is equal to one vote. So far, the Big Screw has received $235.79 total with Pavel Etingof, Professor of Mathematics, in the lead with $107.78 for the American Cancer Society.
Student center repairs to be finished by end of April
MIT Facilities Manager of Communications Ruth T. Davis said that renovation outside W20 is expected to be finished by the end of April. The project, which began in March and is scheduled to be completed in time for the MIT150 Open House on April 30, is repairing areas “damaged from storms and vehicular activity,” according to Davis. According to the MIT Facilities website (), construction will be taking place Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with additional work on Saturdays.
Former security guard replies to lawsuit
Russell J. Novello, the former Next House security guard who is being sued by Wolfe B. Styke G, submitted his response to the lawsuit last week on Tuesday. Novello was the security guard who provided Anna L. Tang access to Styke’s room, which enabled her to stab Styke in his sleep in October 2007.
Shorts (right)
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday nominated a lesbian who is married to her partner to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
Raped Libyan woman gets support through TV network
TRIPOLI, Libya — Eman al-Obeidy says the government of Moammar Gadhafi victimized her twice. First members of his militia kidnapped and repeatedly raped her. Then his state television network attacked her as a thief and a prostitute.
Google bids $900 million for all patents of Nortel Networks
SAN FRANCISCO — Google has bid $900 million for the patent portfolio of Nortel Networks, the Canadian telecom equipment maker, as part of a strategy to defend itself against patent litigation.
Shorts (left)
TOKYO — Tokyo Electric Power Co. began dumping more than 11,000 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Monday, mostly to make room in storage containers for increasing amounts of far more contaminated runoff.
Wild weather
Tornadoes were reported in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky yesterday as the eastern half of the U.S. experienced some exceptional weather. A strong cold front extending from Louisiana to Ohio brought heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hail to more than 15 states.
Old Boeing 737s to be taken out of sky to inspect for cracks and holes in hulls
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it would require extensive inspections of some older-model Boeing 737s for cracks in the planes’ fragile skin that can be caused by pressurization and depressurization of the cabin over tens of thousands of takeoffs and landings.
Verizon, MetroPCS challenge to net neutrality shot down by court
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Monday rejected as “premature” a lawsuit by Verizon and MetroPCS challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s pending rules aimed at keeping Internet service providers from blocking access to certain websites or applications.
Japan business conditions sink as post-disaster devastation remains
HONG KONG — The devastating natural disasters that struck Japan last month have caused widespread concern about business conditions in coming months among Japanese companies, according to survey results released Monday by the Japanese central bank.
The Good, the Bad, and the Strange Wars
Back in February 2009, I wrote a piece for this newspaper asking President Obama to take a moment and decide whether he was an idealist or a realist in the world of foreign policy. Failure to answer this question, I warned, would lead him into many of the situations his predecessor had found himself in.
BETH STAVELY ‘11 Flying, soaring, and winning
Elizabeth L. “Beth” Stavely ’11, who was named an All-American diver this year at the NCAA Division III championship, enjoys falling from great heights. Before coming to MIT, Beth completed a skydiving course and earned her “A” license, which allows her to jump from an airplane alone. She has also been honing her daredevil skills by taking classes at a trapeze school in Reading, Mass., since the summer. This love for falling and soaring through the air may have begun in her early years when she started gymnastics at age 4. A competitive gymnast since elementary school, Beth continued with the sport here at MIT.
Women’s Tennis plays in Wellesley Invitational
This past weekend MIT Women’s Tennis played in the Wellesley Invitational. In the first match they played SUNY New Paltz. The doubles matches went quickly. The number one team of Lauren C. Quisenberry ’14 and Candace L. Wu ’14 and the number two team of Julia C. Hsu ’14 and Bianca M. Dumitrascu ’13 both defeated their opponents with a decisive score of 8-1. At number three Melissa A. Diskin ’11 and Katharine A. O’Neal ’14 defeated their opponents 8-3. During the doubles matches, Jenny C. Dohlman ’11 played an exhibition match at seven singles and completed her match quickly, defeating her opponent 8-0, hardly losing a point. Overall, MIT went into the singles matches ahead 3-0.
SPORTS SHORTS
The MIT Women’s Openweight Crew team competed this past weekend against Boston College in the Inaugural Cup. This was the first race of the season.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MIT Not your typical spring break
Spring break is always a highly anticipated time, and this year’s break could not have had a better start: record-high temperatures and beautiful sunny weather. But like any break from classes, spring break is tragically ephemeral, and like any weather system in New England, the spring weather is not here to stay. So why not live vicariously through various MIT courses and student groups who used the week off as an opportunity for fieldwork and service projects? The Tech profiled seven MIT students representing five MIT groups that traveled off campus over spring break.
MAY CONTAIN NUTS How to save a life
If you’ve ever seen Mrs. Doubtfire, you will understand why I love the movie so much — after all, a man dressed as an endearing old lady … what’s not to love? But when I saw the movie for the 30th time, I realized that it was also instructional. In a pivotal scene, Robin Williams’s character — disguised as the congenial Mrs. Doubtfire — saves his ex-wife’s lover from choking on a horrible piece of chicken by using the Heimlich maneuver. Though “Mrs. Doubtfire” reveals his true identity in the process, the scene demonstrates the importance of knowing basic life support techniques.
Events: Apr. 5 - Apr. 11
Events Apr. 5 – Apr. 11 Tuesday (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) Brain and Cognitive Sciences Undergraduate Poster Session — Building 46, third floor atrium (1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.) Empowering Women: How to Impress when Interviewing and Networking — 4-231 (3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) Science, Technology and the Future of International Development: A Conversation With USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah — 10-250 (3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) CSAIL Research Information Session. Learn about summer UROP opportunities — 32-G449 (Stata Center, Kiva Conference Room) Wednesday (5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Free Russian Folk Puppet Show — 36-156 Thursday (9:00 a.m.) CPW registration begins — Student Center (W20), La Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center second floor) (9:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.) CPW Welcome Festival — Johnson Athletics Center Friday (10:00 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.) CPW’s President’s Welcome and Featured Faculty Speakers — Kresge Auditorium (3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) The Tech invites prefrosh to interview Chancellor W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80 in a Q&A that will be printed in next Tuesday’s issue of The Tech — W20-483 (8:00 p.m.) LSC shows Good Will Hunting — 26-100 Saturday (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) MIT Recreational Sports Annual Dodgeball Tournament — duPont Basketball Courts (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) CPW Student Activities Fair — Johnson Athletics Center (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) CPW Closing Remarks and Variety Show — Kresge Auditorium Sunday (2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Next Century Convocation — Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (transportation provided from Audrey Street, Ashdown House, and Hayward Street) Monday (3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Contemporary East Asia: A Roundtable Discussion with former UK Foreign Secretary David W. Miliband SM ’90 — E40-496 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Two Sense, a cello/piano duo featuring Ashley Bathgate and Lisa Moore, perform — Killian Hall Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Gotta be fresh…which room do you pick?
With over 1000 bathrooms on campus to explore, The Tech went out of its way to show you the best of the best. From antibacterial flushers to Dyson Airblades and automatic doors, MIT hosts a cornucopia of places to do your business.
