John Jackson
A strange thing happened Oct. 19 at MIT’s Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house: The pilot light on the main Vulcan stove in the kitchen where John Jackson had cooked for half a century suddenly went out. About the same time, current cook Tom Egan, who had been baking pizzas, said he received a phone call from an alumnus telling him of Mr. Jackson’s death.
MIT Sues Gehry Firm Over Stata Problems
MIT has filed a lawsuit against Frank O. Gehry, the architect of the Ray and Maria Stata Center, and Skanska USA Building Inc., the construction company that built the Stata Center. MIT alleges that Gehry was negligent in designing the building and that both Gehry and Skanska breached their contractual obligations.
MIT Car Places Fourth in DARPA Challenge
After months of planning, building, coding, and troubleshooting, Team MIT arrived with its autonomous car at the finals of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 5 as one of 11 teams out of the original field of 89. The car — pushed to its limits — finished the race alongside only five of its competitors.
Senior Gift Aims for 55 Percent Donation Level
The Senior Gift campaign kicked off last night, challenging seniors to donate to MIT and reach 55 percent participation rate. This year’s senior project, a fund for students taking unpaid externships over the Independent Activities Period, was also unveiled.
In Short
The Committee on Race and Diversity has been formed to advance race relations within the community. The new committee, which absorbed the Campus Committee on Race Relations and the MLK Celebrations Committee, will administer grants managed by the CCRR and will sponsor the MLK Breakfast in February. Faculty race and diversity issues remain under the provost’s race initiative.
News Briefs
Anna Tang, the Wellesley College junior accused of stabbing Next House resident Wolfe B. Styke ’10, was ordered held without bail on probable cause in a Nov. 7 dangerousness hearing. Tang, who pleaded not guilty to charges of home invasion and armed assault with intent to murder, was not present at the Cambridge District Court hearing.
Simpson Hearing for Motion to Dismiss Scheduled Dec. 3
Star A. Simpson ’10 attended a status hearing at East Boston District Court yesterday morning. At the courthouse, a hearing for motion to dismiss was scheduled for Dec. 3. Simpson is charged with possession of a hoax device for appearing at Logan International Airport wearing a circuit board with light-emitting diodes that was mistaken for a bomb.
Endowment Reaches Nearly $10 Billion, Rises 19 Percent in 2007
MIT’s endowment increased by $1.6 billion, or 19.3 percent, during the 2007 fiscal year, reaching a total of $9.98 billion. The increase resulted primarily from investment returns of 22.1 percent, as reported by the MIT Investment Management Company.
Solar Decathlon Places 13th in DOE Competition To Build a Solar Home
The MIT Solar Decathlon team placed 13th out of 20 teams in the Department of Energy competition to build a practical solar home. MIT’s entry, a house called “Solar 7,” earned top marks for its efficient use of solar energy but lost points in architecture and market viability. MIT competed in the competition for the first time this year.
Popularity in Brain Science Grows As More Students Join Course IX
In recent years, the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences has seen increases in size and renown. Situated at the corner of Vassar and Main Streets, the glass-paneled building, which houses the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, is also home to both the graduate and undergraduate Course IX programs.
News Briefs
Anna L. Tang, the Wellesley College junior accused of stabbing Next House resident and ex-boyfriend Wolfe B. Styke ’10, remains in prison pending a continuation of her dangerousness hearing, or bail review.
IS&T Considers Upgrading E-Mail
Information Services and Technology is considering revamping the MIT e-mail system to include calendaring. IS&T is also considering changing the mail system’s infrastructure to include commercial products like Microsoft’s Exchange server, even while expressing serious concern that those products may not scale to function adequately in MIT’s demanding e-mail environment. Currently, the mail system is based on open source software, though it includes commercial devices for spam filtering.
Hello, India? I Need Help in Math
Adrianne Yamaki, a 32-year-old management consultant in New York, travels constantly and logs 80-hour workweeks. So to eke out more time for herself, she routinely farms out the administrative chores of her life — making travel arrangements, hair appointments and restaurant reservations and buying theater tickets — to a personal assistant service, in India.
You May Be On Tape
If you walk around public areas of the Institute, there may be cameras recording you.
266 Freshmen Get Fifth-Week Warnings; Flags Increase From Last Year
Fifth-week flags have been sent to 233 freshmen who may be in danger of failing a class. This 21.8 percent warning rate is an increase from 17.5 percent in Fall 2006 and 18.3 percent in Fall 2005. About six percent, or 66 students, received more than one flag.