Discord in Harvard’s Graduate School of Education
The recent denial of tenure to a prominent Harvard scholar whose work focuses on grass-roots organizing has sparked student protests over the direction of one of the nation’s most influential education schools.
Alec Lai resigns as UA VP-elect
This past Wednesday, Alec C. Lai ’13 submitted a letter to the Undergraduate Association (UA) and undergraduate student body, resigning from his positions as UA secretary general and vice president-elect. Lai expressed general discontent with what he perceived as a lack of respect and cooperation within the student government, particularly aimed at authority figures whom he considered “megalomaniac[al].”
Revere woman free
REVERE — A Brazilian mother in the country illegally says she was detained for seven days by federal immigration officials after a traffic stop in Reading last week, despite her pleas that she be allowed to breast-feed her 13-month-old son.
Cambridge-MIT Exchange shrinks
Along with the rest of the U.K., the Cambridge side of the Cambridge-MIT Exchange (CME) Program is facing financial troubles this year. The number of students that the program can admit this year dropped to 15 each from Cambridge and MIT, down from 20–30 each in past years.
CORRECTIONS
An article published Tuesday incorrectly stated that IDEAS Competition teams competed for $15,000. Any team could receive a maximum of $25,000 through a combination of three types of awards: IDEAS Awards ($5,000, $7,500, or $10,000); Global Challenge Juried Awards ($10,000); and Community Choice Awards ($5,000). Winners will be announced on Monday at 7 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium.
Kendall zoning plan released
Yesterday MIT filed a petition with the City of Cambridge requesting zoning changes for the campus east of Ames Street. MIT proposes to create a new zoning district to support future academic and retail development in the next ten years.
First MIT open house in 30 yrs.
Tens of thousands of the public are expected to descend upon MIT’s campus tomorrow for the Institute’s first open house in over 30 years.
Bomb strikes Moroccan cafe, killing mostly foreigners
A powerful bomb blast in a crowded Moroccan cafe killed at least 14 people, wounded dozens of others, and shattered the relative calm in a corner of the Arab world overwhelmed by uprisings and deadly government crackdowns.
Shorts (right)
LONDON — As last-minute preparations drew to a close, London braced Friday for a royal wedding that promises to be one of the largest and most widely watched events here in recent memory.
Shorts (left)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A day after enduring a terrifying bombardment of storms that killed hundreds across the South and spawned tornadoes that razed neighborhoods and even entire towns, people from Texas to Virginia to Georgia searched through rubble for survivors Thursday and tried to reclaim their own lives.
US envoy says rights in China ‘backslide’
BEIJING — The chief U.S. representative to human rights discussions with China offered a cheerless portrait of those talks after their conclusion Thursday, saying the United States was worried by “a serious backsliding” of freedoms in China and at loggerheads with Beijing officials over many aspects of the issue.
Carter criticizes US for withholding N. Korea aid
SEOUL, South Korea — Former President Jimmy Carter, after a 48-hour visit to North Korea, sharply criticized the United States and South Korea on Thursday for their refusal to send humanitarian assistance to the impoverished North, saying their deliberate withholding of food aid amounted to “a human rights violation.”
More than 270 killed in tornado outbreak
Wednesday, April 27, 2011, now marks the date of the second-deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history, with over 270 confirmed deaths. Two days ago, more than 165 tornadoes were reported across the southeastern U.S. stretching from Alabama to Virginia. The strongest storms impacted Alabama — the death toll in that state alone may soon top 200. This devastating act of nature ranks only second to the “Super Outbreak” of April 3, 1974, in which 310 people lost their lives from 148 tornadoes stretching from Michigan to Alabama.
Florida Republican congressman Allen West gaining star power
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Often, the most interesting thing about a person is the characteristic that lies beneath, that hidden thing that bobs up along the waves of time.
EDITORIAL Resignations warrant UA reform
Leaders of the Undergraduate Association must respond to the resignation of vice president-elect Alec C. Lai ’13 on Wednesday by redoubling their efforts for organizational restructuring. Lai’s letter of criticism (reprinted on p. 5) amplifies previously noted frustrations about undergraduate governance and its leaders, but it does not substantially alter our interpretation of the problems in the UA. It should not derail the new committee on restructuring, which is currently the UA’s best bet for moving beyond their current challenges.
It’s good to be king
In 1999, the Committee on Women Faculty at MIT released a report claiming that there was significant gender bias at MIT. Women made up a minority of the Institute’s professorship, and on average were paid less and allotted less lab space; the report alleged this was due to a “subtle but pervasive bias” against women at the Institute. In response, the administration began a concerted effort to recruit more women and increase the pay of female professors. They succeeded, though at the cost of convincing many that women were being given an unfair advantage.
Intelligence variability is not gender-dependent
It is certainly understandable that many men feel that they must go on the defensive in the ostensible intellectual battle of the sexes. After all, we have been hearing for years about women surpassing men in college graduation rates, mean GPA, and income. Wait, one of those doesn’t belong, does it?
GUEST COLUMN Why I’m resigning
The Undergraduate Association (UA) is currently in a state of turmoil and change. Internal conflicts have hindered the UA from performing at its full capacity. Recently, the UA decided to focus on governmental restructuring, convinced that the current structure is the root of the problem. That, however, is not the main issue that the UA faces. The following casts light on the psychosocial situation.
CONCERT REVIEW Mellow, folksy, hypnotic
The Low Anthem. Iron and Wine. This was quite the contrast to the other concerts I attended over this long weekend. Think Random Hall versus Baker — that’s how radically different Iron and Wine is from both the metal/hardcore festival I attended on Saturday and the electro-reggae Major Lazer concert I attended on Sunday at Wellesley. Tuesday night was a prelude to getting focused again, musically pre-gaming for the days ahead, prepping for the return from the four-day weekend. The concert whispered to me, telling me that this was the final moment of relaxation before I had to head back to the slave camp that had already consumed some of my friends for the whole long weekend.
THEATER REVIEW A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
The MIT Musical Theater Guild is performing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as their spring show, and this production is nothing short of phenomenal. Wisecracks about the unwieldy name aside, the Guild has put their best foot forward with Spelling Bee, and the result is a must-see.
CONCERT REVIEW West Campus goes hardcore
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival: A three-day event designed for only the most HxC (“hardcore”) individuals. The NEMHF has occurred annually in Worcester, Mass., at the Palladium ever since the festival’s inception in 1999.
CONCERT REVIEW Fresh sound, stale performance
This is TV on the Radio, one of a kind: wind chimes attached to the guitar. Whistling and clapping. And a rotating siren light.
ARTS ON CAMPUS Not your typical East Asian festival
Last Saturday, the MIT Asian Dance Team (ADT) hosted Inspirasian, the inaugural Boston Asian Performing Arts Festival. The festival, held at Kresge Auditorium, featured performing groups from throughout the Greater Boston Area and included performances that represented both East and South Asia.
MIT triathlon team competes at USAT Nationals
On April 9, 12 of MIT’s triathletes traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to participate in the USA Triathlon (USAT) Collegiate National Championship against triathlon teams from all over the country. The Olympic-distance triathlon consisted of a 1,500-meter swim in the Black Warrior River, a 40-kilometer bike, and a 10-kilometer run near the University of Alabama’s campus. The MIT women’s delegation was led by Shaena R. Berlin ’13, who finished with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, 45 seconds. Only three spots behind her was Diana Siegel G with a time of 2:40:25. The team MVP award was given to Matthieu J. Talpe ’11, who finished the course with a blistering time of 2:14:30, the best time on the MIT team.
Lacrosse clinches playoff spot
The MIT Women’s Lacrosse team beat Wheaton 14-10 on Monday in a pivotal match on Roberts Field. The Engineers dominated in the first half, with only three turnovers and a total of 21 shots to Wheaton’s 10. Kathleen M. Kauffman ’12 and Laura M. Wacker ’13 scored MIT’s first five goals, with Wheaton’s Tess Meyer and Katie Powers each finding the goal for a 5-2 score to begin the game. However, Wheaton was then unable to respond, and the Engineers brought the half to an end with five unanswered goals and a 10-2 score.
Colorful characters unite at Anime Boston 2011
Last weekend, I returned to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) for my second convention of the year, after the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in March. As I stepped from the cab so graciously paid for by The Tech, I was surprised to see no one outside the building in costume or actually, anybody at all. I approached the doors and peered inside to see … no one.
Melody Ball proof that even nerds care to dance
Every year, Anime Boston hosts a costume ballroom formal. This year’s event was called the Melody Ball, and it was the highlight of my Anime Boston, as always. The Melody Ball enforces a formal dress code and plays almost exclusively ballroom music, which makes it the ideal event for tuxedo enthusiasts, amateur ballroom dancers, and Disney fairy tale cosplayers — all of whom, as it happens, were in attendance.
Convention dos and don’ts, from your friendly campus newspaper
Preregister for tickets so you pay less.
