Email hoax Wednesday causes stir
A fake email that appeared to be sent by President L. Rafael Reif addressing all of MIT was sent to all MIT dorms around 1 a.m. early Wednesday morning, announcing that all classes would be cancelled that day, due to “threatening requests” regarding the Swartz case. The email followed a letter from Reif on Tuesday to the MIT community laying out the Institute’s plans for releasing evidence from the Swartz case.
Three dorms open for summer housing
Planning on staying on-campus this summer? Three dorms — East Campus (East Parallel), MacGregor, and Senior House — will house undergraduates this summer. Two of them, MacGregor and Senior House, also housed undergraduate students last summer.
CoD releases stats for 2011-12 annual report
At the faculty meeting on February 20, the MIT Committee on Discipline (CoD) gave its annual report for 2011-2012, presented by former chair Prof. Robert P. Redwine.
Deadline for MIT Kendall plan looms
MIT’s Kendall upzoning petition to Cambridge, which would allow for the construction of new commercial and residential towers on the east side of campus, expires on April 15. As that deadline nears, executives of MIT and the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo) have been eager to see the City Council approve the petition, even as the conversation within MIT has exposed a rift between the proposal’s supporters and opponents.
Random needs repairs
Loose bricks on Random Hall’s exterior were discovered in a recent inspection of the dormitory, raising safety concerns.
Breezy conditions and seasonal temperatures
An area of low pressure just offshore will slowly drift away today, allowing for clear skies to overspread our region. The low pressure brought some snow yesterday and slick conditions in areas closer to Cape Cod. Any chances for light snow will occur early this morning. By afternoon and evening, skies should become partly cloudy and winds will increase.
Shorts (right)
NEW YORK — A man who prosecutors said was an overseas operative of al-Qaida during the years following the Sept. 11 attacks was charged in Brooklyn with a host of terrorism charges, in the latest example of a foreigner accused of acts of terrorism abroad being extradited to American courts.
Cyberattacks freeze South Korean computer networks
SEOUL, South Korea — Computer networks running three major South Korean banks and the country’s two largest broadcasters were paralyzed Wednesday in attacks that some experts suspected originated in North Korea, which has consistently threatened to cripple its far richer neighbor.
Shorts (left)
SYDNEY — The embattled prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, was fighting for her political life Thursday after she accepted a public demand for a leadership ballot put forward by a senior lawmaker from her ruling Labor Party, who said that the party’s only hope of prevailing in upcoming elections was to return to office the man Gillard deposed in a 2010 party coup.
Document shows Abbas’ desire to resume Israeli talks
CAIRO — President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority is so eager to return to peace talks with the Israelis that he may soften his demand that Israel’s president publicly pledge to halt construction of new settlements on Palestinian land before such negotiations can resume.
Fed to maintain stimulus efforts despite jobs growth
WASHINGTON — Employment has been increasing at a healthy clip for the last few months, but the Federal Reserve is not ready to relax just yet.
Obama warns Syrians on use of chemical weapons
JERUSALEM — Showing solidarity with Israel’s growing concern about chemical weapons in neighboring Syria, President Barack Obama stated bluntly Wednesday that if an investigation he had ordered found proof that the Syrian military had used such weapons it would be a “game changer” in U.S. involvement in the civil war there.
MIT 2030: voice your concerns
MIT and the city of Cambridge, we like to think, generally have a beneficial effect on one another, and this happens best when we all work together. The Cambridge City Council is currently considering a re-zoning proposal presented by the MIT Investment Management Company that has the potential to transform Kendall Square more than any other project in decades. If done well, with a sensitivity to the various groups that will be affected, both in the neighborhoods and on your campus, this could be a terrific addition to the city and to the Institute.
“Have you no decency sir?!” I mean, ma’am
I found myself reading March 15, 2013 issue of The Tech (15 March, 2013), and I found yet another life-altering piece by my absolute favorite columnist, Ms. Rachel Bandler. At first I thought that Ms. Bandler had branched out and decided to explore the world of kinky sex in her article — “BDS — a new name for an old tactic” — but I quickly realized that she was far more than just one “M” away from her constant, illogical diatribes (which inevitably result in veiled racism) about the never-ending Arab/Zionist conflict.
“Operation Epsilon” — Ten scientists, one stage
It’s the close of World War II. The British and Americans have imprisoned Germany’s top ten nuclear scientists in a lavish English estate, Farm Hall. Every room in the house, from the piano room to the parlor, is bugged. The Allies listen to the scientists’ conversations to determine how close Nazi Germany is to building an atomic bomb.
A story of loyalty, honor and deception
The MIT Shakespeare Ensemble’s production of “Julius Caesar” premiered last Friday, with over twenty-five MIT students contributing to the show as either cast or crew. The story is about the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, and his assassination in 44 BC. Although it is a historical play, “Julius Caesar” does not focus significantly on the facts and logistics of the conspiracy, but instead illuminates the psychological basis and internal struggles of the characters in the play.
Seeking freedom from reality
This is not the movie you expect it to be. You will see a more-than-adequate amount of scantily clad coeds and parties where someone ends up with a raw chicken on their head, but you will also experience discomfort at the sheer strangeness of the film and the message it thrusts in your face by constant voiceover repetition. The plot is simple enough: four girls rob a diner to afford a spring break trip, and people die (insert meme).
Songs to welcome the spring
We might not want to admit it, but there is certainly a gender bias when it comes to music tastes. It is quite rare to hear someone label music as “too manly”, but it is not so uncommon to hear it called “too girly” in one way or another. For example, the singer might be too showy, the video’s choreography might be too bombastic, the song might be too cheesy, or it might just have “too much pop” to handle.
Olympus: Disappointing to its genre
With spring break around the corner, many of you may be wondering whether there are any good movies to catch. Featured prominently in recent advertisements is Olympus Has Fallen, so you may be tempted to give it a try.
History of a fascination
Be it pre-WWI and flapper gowns in Downton Abbey, or the green halter dress that Keira Knightley donned in Atonement, costume drama (post-Victorian costume drama, in particular) continually draws us in. Last month, Jacqueline Durran won the Oscar for Best Costume for her work in Anna Karenina — a strikingly modern production not just because Keira Knightley practically drips vintage-style Chanel jewelry, but also because the story, set in the late 19th century, was purposefully presented with a good measure of 1950s couture tailoring. What is it about 20th century fashion that fascinates us so much?
SPORTS SHORT
Following a pair of outstanding performances, Laura M. Wacker ’13 of the MIT women’s lacrosse team was named Offensive Player of the Week by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference on Monday. In a 2-0 week for the Engineers, she compiled 11 goals, five groundballs, a caused turnover, and was 6-of-8 in free-position shots.
IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME: Walking for a cause at Relay
On March 9, the Johnson track filled with participants in the third Relay For Life held on MIT’s campus. Relay For Life is a 12-hour overnight event, where teams raise money and then come to support the fight against cancer by walking around the track throughout the night. The night consists of ceremonies, such as the luminaria ceremony, to honor survivors, caregivers, and all those who have battled cancer, in addition to performances by MIT dance and a cappella groups, workshops like zumba, and other games that get participants involved throughout the night.
