Smile, MIT! You’re on the Mood Meter
Are MIT students happier on Fridays? Do midterms prevent students from smiling? Does the weather influence the mood of the campus?
T stop’s Pythagoras is back
The familiar sound of bells has been resurrected at the Kendall T Station after a 13-month restoration effort of Pythagoras by the MIT Kendall Band Preservation Society. The swinging set of aluminum chimes — controlled via handles mounted on the walls of the station — was created by local artist Paul Matisse for the station 23 years ago. It deteriorated to the point where the platform controls became dysfunctional in 2007 due to wear and tear.
Engagement on Walker continues
The relationship between student groups in Walker Memorial and the administration has improved in the past few months with the formation of the Walker Memorial Assessment Team. In late March, the Graduate Student Council Task Force on Walker Memorial formally joined with the administration to form the team, chaired by Associate Provost Martin A. Schmidt PhD ’88. Representatives from the Undergraduate Association, the Music and Theater Arts faculty, Dean of Student Life Costantino Colombo, Dean of Graduate Student Education Christine Ortiz, and several faculty support staff are also part of the coalition.
Fervor roils markets as IPO backlog builds
Companies are lining up to go public. Market conditions are favorable. Investor appetite is strong.
CORRECTIONS
A sports article published last Tuesday incorrectly stated that the MIT baseball team would be playing in the NEWMAC conference tournament this weekend. MIT competed in the tournament last weekend, on April 30.
End-of-term regulations remain unchanged
A motion to bring end-of-term academic regulations for graduate courses in line with those for undergraduate course was voted down at the April 20 faculty meeting. The motion proposed changes to Sections 2.52, 2.53, and 2.54 of the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty, which address regulations for final examinations and assignments after the last class date. Sections 2.53 and 2.54 differentiate between undergraduate and graduate coursework regulations, respectively. The motion was sponsored by Adam Albright, chair of the Committee on Curricula; Stephen C. Graves, chair of the Committee on Graduate Programs; and Steven R. Hall ’80, chair of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program.
IN SHORT
Today is the last day for tests in all undergraduate classes. It is also the last day for assignments and tests in all classes with final exams. End-of-term regulations can be found at http://web.mit.edu/faculty/teaching/termregs.html; violations can be reported at http://violations.mit.edu/.
Stem cells still alive
Human embryonic stem cell researchers — at MIT and elsewhere — can rest easy … at least for now.
First open house in over 30 years draws 20,000
To the outside world, MIT can be an intimidating place. Films like Good Will Hunting and 21 have portrayed the Institute as an exclusive — and sometimes snobbish — club of scientists and engineers. Last Saturday, MIT set out to change all that by hosting its first open house in more than 30 years, dubbed “Under the Dome.”
A gift to MIT from an alumnus raises questions
The founder of the Bose Corp., a privately held company that makes high-end audio products, has donated the majority of the company to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the university said last Friday.
Maseeh to have binding lottery
Students moving into Maseeh Hall next term will not be able to enter the re-adjustment lottery. Maseeh Hall is an RBA dorm, and like McCormick, students who place in Maseeh in the summer lottery will have to live in that dorm. Virginia L. Nicholson ’12, Phoenix Group president, confirms that Maseeh will still participate in REX, but students will not have the option to move into Maseeh in the re-adjustment lottery — which about a third of incoming freshmen enter. The dorm will still hold events open to the entire campus.
MIT now the new majority owner of Bose Corporation
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has just gone into the consumer electronics business — as the new majority owner of Framingham audio equipment maker Bose Corp.
Two groups apply for MEF
Emily Zhao ’12, UA Finance Board chair, reported yesterday to the UA Senate that two groups asked for funding from the new Medium Events Fund (MEF), Finboard’s newest allocation fund. The MEF was created earlier this semester with the intent of funding events that were too small for the Large Event Fund (LEF) and too expensive for student groups to fund on their own.
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.