Lobby 7 gathering highlights hope, provides outlet for fears after election
U.S. presidents may come and go, but MIT will always be a place where people “work together to make a better world,” President L. Rafael Reif wrote in an email to the MIT community yesterday night.
Anti-Trump demonstrators take to the streets in several U.S. cities
It was a rough night for number crunchers. And for the faith that people in every field — business, politics, sports and academia — have increasingly placed in the power of data.
New House to undergo two years of renovation with a staggered schedule
Planners from the Office of Campus Planning and MIT Capital Projects groups have recommended that MIT fully renovate and repair New House instead of rebuilding it, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 and Vice President of Student Life Suzy Nelson informed New House residents in an email Sunday.
Clear and cold weather during the weekend
A cold front swept through the area on Wednesday, and it will be followed by high pressure and mostly clear skies on Thursday. The high pressure system over Montana and low pressure system over southern Hudson Bay will both shift east during Veterans Day, and the cyclonic flow from the low pressure system will bring us cold air from the northwest. This cold front is expected to pass through the area on Friday evening and give us temperatures close to freezing on Friday night, and low temperatures on Saturday. The southeastward-moving high pressure system will build up during its passage over the Great Lakes early Saturday, and the westerly flow caused by it will bring dry, warmer air into the area on Sunday. Expect mostly clear skies throughout the weekend. The dry air and clear skies are expected to persist through Tuesday. Except for Friday night and Saturday, the temperatures are normal for this time of year: climatological mean high and low temperatures are 53°F and 40°F, respectively. While we experienced more rain than usual in October, the yearly accumulation is significantly lower than climatology: 27 compared to 37 inches. This is still far from the lowest recorded precipitation accumulation at this time of year, which was 20.27 inches in 1965.
Respecting the process, opposing the outcome
Americans voted in a legitimate election Tuesday, and the result was that Donald J. Trump will serve as the 45th president of the United States.
Love still trumps hate
Most of America fears Donald Trump. Exit polls show fifty-eight percent of voters were concerned or scared by the prospect of a Trump presidency. Millions feared Donald Trump, yet voted for him anyway.
Long term solution needed for MIT campus waste disposal
Approximately 100 billion pounds of food are thrown out every year, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of the available food supply. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food accounts for 21 percent of the waste sent to landfills and incinerators, the largest percentage for any single material in the waste stream.
Tiger Style follows two siblings as they explore their identites
The myth of the “tiger mom” took flight in the American imagination with the publication of Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, which sparked a nationwide controversy about the merits of Asian vs. Western parenting styles. Playwright Mike Lew “felt that it wasn’t being represented [fairly] in the media,” so he decided to write a play about it. He explores not only the myth of tiger parents and the question of what happens after the alleged Carnegie Hall recitals and Ivy League college graduations, but also the identity conundrum that faces Asian-Americans in the 21st century.
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
As the lights dim in La Sala on the second floor of the Stud, the spotlight focuses on a quiet scene in fair Verona (crafted by set designer Jakob Weisblat ‘18), where the age-old tragedy of star-crossed lovers is about to unfold. With their rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble brings forth the time-worn themes of fate and free will, love and lust, that Shakespeare introduced in theaters centuries ago. The famed tragedy, directed by long-time theater veteran Francine Davis, brings the audience many laughs, tears, and the entire spectrum between the two.
Thuggery takes the stage and refuses to give it up
In this telling of political thuggery, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is injected with humor in a way that makes it easy to forget the seriousness and wrongness of what is unfolding in the play.
Mel Gibson’s graphic yet moving tribute to the sacrifices of war
Blood, death, dirt, flames, and shattered bodies arc across the screen in a depraved, slow-motion waltz of wartime gore that is sickeningly captivating.
Humorous yet poignant, Imogen Cooper delivers a charming performance
An evening listening to a solo piano recital by internationally renowned pianist Imogen Cooper is therapeutic for the soul. Cooper stepped out onto the stage, greeted warmly by applause. Her first piece, “The Virgin of Frydek” by Leoš Janáček, was performed with sublime tenderness, a sensitivity that is carried through her performance.
The American impressionist you’ve never heard of
William Merritt Chase — does the name sound familiar? A late 19th century American impressionist, Chase painted everything from portraits to still life to landscapes. Right now, a collection of his work is on display at the Museum of Fine Art (MFA), and it has been over three decades since a collection of his work of this size has been presented.
Our cool history professors
Both Minhaj and Wood agree that since we have a “comedian” running (in reference to Donald Trump), their comedy has been affected. Minhaj commented that political culture has become popular culture, saying that the “GOP ran the election like a high school election.” Wood said that as a comedian, you have to “cook with the ingredients you have,” and that the personal attacks that Clinton and Trump sling at each other provides them “ammunition.”
Vertigo Dance Company bestows Boston with its brilliance for the first time
The dancers were often full of life, bounding around the stage, rolling and leaping in synchrony. Other times, some dancers became inanimate. When they did, they became mere puppets — puppets "of the universe, of life and the audience," as Noa said.
An American in Paris dazzles Boston
An American in Paris nearly had me in tears. Not just once, or twice, or three times — I was continually overwhelmed with a range of ineffably blissful emotions. I'd be taking in the iconic music, the flawless dancing, the set, the acting, the story… and I'd be overcome with such an appreciation for being alive, in that theatre, sitting in that seat, experiencing such a beautiful performance.
A neo-Luddite manifesto?
The ambitious title of Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How would suggest that Theodore Kaczynski (the "Unabomber"), after years of deliberating in prison, has found and published the solution to the uncertainty of a technological future. The solution he proposes in this work, however, is not so clear-cut.
Several teams see NEWMAC wins
Women's soccer lost to hosts WPI 3-1 in the NEWMAC championship final. Allie Werner '20 helped half WPI's lead before the hosts scored a third to thwart MIT's comeback.
McCandless ’20 is NEWMAC runner of the year
Megan McCandless ’20 has made a tremendous start to her career as a student-athlete at MIT. She led a group of five Engineers who swept the top five positions in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) cross country championship, earning her both the NEWMAC rookie and runner of the year accolades.
Women’s volleyball wins NEWMAC championship
This past weekend, MIT’s women’s volleyball team won the NEWMAC championship for the fifth time in program history. As the top seed, the Engineers played both the semifinal and the championship games at home and were able to beat Babson College and Clark University to claim the title. Both games finished 3-1 and MIT truly displayed the dominance they’ve sustained all season long. They will look to continue their success going into the NCAA tournament.
Field hockey narrowly loses NEWMAC championship final
The MIT field hockey team ended it’s exciting run at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship this Sunday with a 1-0 loss against Babson College. MIT defeated Springfield College last Tuesday with a score of 4-2 to advance to a semifinal game against Smith College on Saturday.
I can see Russia from my lab
I spent my summer at the National Nuclear Research University MEPhI in the southern outskirts of Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin was just barely visible across Kolomenskoe Park on a clear day.
