House Dining Membership Plan Extended During IAP
Students who paid half price for meals at dining halls during the fall will also pay half price during the Independent Activities Period. MIT Campus Dining has extended the duration of the House Dining Membership, formerly known as Preferred Dining, at no additional cost to members.
In Annual Hunt, Murder Mystery Challenges Institute Puzzle Buffs
Hordes of people gathered in Lobby 7 at noon on Friday for the start of the 29th annual Mystery Hunt, when teams were handed a piece of paper entitled “Puzzle Zero.” It became quite clear over the next arduous 56 hours that this puzzle had absolutely nothing to do with the Hunt, as teams of students, alumni, and others toiled through what even the organizers — collectively named “Palindrome” — admit was a very difficult edition of MIT’s annual Hunt.
RIAA Sends Institute 19 Settlement Letters Alleging Infringement
Nineteen members of the MIT community have been asked by the recording industry to preemptively settle lawsuits for allegedly downloading music illegally on peer-to-peer networks, according to a Jan. 10 Recording Industry Association of America press release.
Kenneth A. Wright ’47
Kenneth A. Wright ’47, a physicist who spent more than 60 years at MIT researching the effects of radiation, died Jan. 7. He was 88.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Dec. 3, 2007 and Jan. 9, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, larcenies, or medical shuttles.</i>
Amended Motion Proposed at Dec. 19 Faculty Meeting
In light of the Star Simpson event, we, the MIT faculty, wish that the MIT administration had refrained from making its statement about her behavior.
MIT’s Sept. 21, 2007 Press Release
MIT is cooperating fully with the State Police in the investigation of an incident at Logan Airport this morning involving Star Simpson, a sophomore at MIT. As reported to us by authorities, Ms. Simpson’s actions were reckless and understandably created alarm at the airport.
Gray to Step Down From HST Leadership Position
Martha L. Gray PhD ’86, director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, announced in November that she will leave the position at the end of the academic year.
Sloan Students Hunt for Jobs In California ‘Valley Tech Trek’
The annual mating ritual between elite business schools and the talent-hungry technology industry this year lured a record 115 master of business administration candidates from MIT’s Sloan School of Management in Cambridge to the hillside campus of VMware Inc., one of Silicon Valley’s hottest companies.
Student Center Thefts on the Rise; Dozens of Steelcase Chairs Stolen
Frustrated by a rash of thefts in the Student Center throughout the fall semester, especially the loss of $20,000 worth of chairs, Campus Activities Complex Director Phillip J. Walsh said he is facing a new problem of physical security.
Yale to Reduce Tuition Growth, Increase Undergraduate Finaid
Yale said Monday that it would sharply increase financial aid for undergraduates, including those from families with annual incomes up to $200,000, in a bid to ease costs for a broad swath of students.
News Briefs
The Committee on Curricula unanimously voted yesterday to approve Comparative Media Studies as an official undergraduate degree program. COC approval was the “second step in the review of the major,” said Leila W. Kinney, CMS administrator for academic programs.
Motion Presented at Oct. 17 and Dec. 19 Faculty Meetings
In light of the Star Simpson event, we, the MIT faculty, request that the MIT administration refrain from making public statements that characterize or otherwise interpret — through news office releases, legal agents, or any other means — the behavior and motives of members of the MIT community whose actions are the subject (real or potential) of pending criminal investigation. We offer this resolution to foster mutual trust within the MIT community and to promote due process for all.
Amended Motion Presented at Dec. 19 Faculty Meeting
In light of the Star Simpson event and in the interest of more effective communication, we, the MIT faculty, request that the MIT administration consider the following principles when making public statements that might characterize or otherwise interpret — through news office releases, legal agents, or any other means — the behavior and motives of members of the MIT community
Ward, Longtime Administrator, Leaves SAO
Laurie Ward, financial administrator of the Student Activities Office since 2000, has moved to an administrative position in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. At the SAO, Ward managed the financial accounts of hundreds of student groups, processing deposits, reimbursements, and other expenses.
At Meeting, Faculty Vote Not to Restrain MIT Press Releases
Over 200 people attended the Dec. 19 faculty meeting to discuss a motion that asked MIT to limit its public statements about community members facing criminal investigations. The original motion was sparked by an MIT press release, calling Star A. Simpson ’10 “reckless” on the day of her Sept. 21, 2007 arrest at Logan Airport.
New Discovery Could Lead To Bird Flu Early Warning
For a decade, disease trackers have watched anxiously as avian influenza has migrated from Asia to Europe and on to Africa, devastating poultry flocks and wild birds. To humans, it has proved — so far — less of a widespread peril, lacking the genetic machinery necessary for efficient person-to-person transmission. Just 348 people have been infected worldwide since 2003.
Reactor Cited for Minor Violations By Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory was cited by federal officials for violating regulations because a worker was exposed to nearly a year’s worth of radiation in just one day.
Colleges Build Interactive Web Sites to Lure the Class of 2012
Once dominated by glossy brochures, college fairs, and campus tours, the college admissions landscape is rapidly shifting toward online social media, as schools blanket the Internet with podcasts, blogs, and videos to recruit wired high school students.