Letter from the Editor
To begin, I would like to thank you for helping us carry out a mission that was laid out so long ago: to serve the MIT community.
An active winter weather pattern
Today, parts of Massachusetts will likely pick up over one foot of snow as a low pressure system passes to our southeast. Accordingly, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the area until later this evening. For Boston, snowfall should increase through the morning, with the brunt of the snow occurring in the late morning and early afternoon. Most weather models have accumulated snow totals of 9-13 inches in Boston by early evening, after which snowfall begins to taper off. Snow cover, combined with colder and drier air behind the departing low, will set the stage for single digit temperatures tomorrow morning. After today’s system, Boston has a chance for lighter snowfall early Saturday morning in the form of snow showers. A third system approaches New England on Sunday, bringing another opportunity for rain and snow.
Editor’s note
In 2016, MIT turned its focus outward, developing new ways to take action on research, elaborating on the part of the Institute’s mission that commits it to “bring knowledge to bear on the world’s greatest challenges.” Within MIT, students took action to engage the administration on issues of identity, politics, and student life.
News editor’s note
It’s been an event-filled year at the Institute, and it promises to be no less so in the coming year as we gaze ahead toward changes in dorms new and old, continuing talk on various aspects of student life and health, and more MIT-led initiatives as the Institute swells its influence across Cambridge and the rest of the world.
Immigration order blocks two from campus
Two undergraduates are unable to return to campus after an executive order issued Jan. 27 by President Donald J. Trump barred nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
Executive order won’t change admissions process
Mahmoud Hassan, a Syrian student admitted to the class of 2021, told CNN he is worried that the order will prevent him from attending MIT this fall.
Students react to executive order
The Tech interviewed students and staff in Lobby 10 Wednesday afternoon to gauge campus reaction to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on immigration.
Hundreds gather in Lobby 7 before Copley protest
Several hundred MIT community members met in Lobby 7 Sunday before participating in a larger protest in Copley Square against the ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Admins race to respond to EO within court's window
MIT President L. Rafael Reif called Friday’s executive order on immigration “a stunning violation of our deepest American values.”
Colder weather ahead
The low pressure system which brought snow to the area earlier this week continues to move off to the northeast. Behind the system, colder air from central Canada will filter in, bringing drier conditions and mostly sunny skies to Boston. This weekend, a colder plume of Arctic air will swing through New England. As the air mass settles in, highs will sit around the freezing mark and lows should dip below 20°F (-7°C).
Trump blocks student’s return to MIT
MIT undergraduate Niki Mossafer Rahmati ’18 was denied re-entry to the United States because she is an Iranian citizen.
Students protest in D.C. on inauguration weekend
Standing on the National Mall on Friday, I was immersed in a crowd of red ‘Make America Great Again’ caps and fuzzy gray ‘Trump’ beanies. Mist condensed into light rain as Donald J. Trump began his inaugural address.
Seeking balance in The Tech
In this issue of The Tech, you’ll find coverage of marches that took place over the weekend, protesting the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. The perspectives shared through these articles are largely Democratic, largely liberal. We, The Tech, have consistently attempted to provide balanced coverage of political events at MIT, reaching out to conservative students and groups on campus. However, we have not been able to get a Republican to go on the record due to fears of personal, academic, and professional repercussions.
Facilities will preserve hacker murals in Building 9
MIT Facilities will protect hacker murals in the sub-basement of Building 9, and DSL plans to capture high-resolution photos of the murals to post online.
More than 100 MIT community members attend Boston Women's March
Over 100 members of the MIT community attended the Women’s March in Boston on Jan. 21, the day following President Trump’s inauguration.
Handful of students to protest Trump's inauguration in D.C.
At least a dozen MIT students are getting ready to protest the inauguration of President-Elect Donald J. Trump in Washington, D.C. this Friday.
Corrections
An article published Oct. 19 incorrectly stated Ru Mehendale’s class year. Mehendale is in the class of 2017, not the class of 2020.
Dropping classes, an integration bee, and a final deadline
Choose to Reuse will take place today on the first floor of the Stata Center. Drop-off begins at 8 a.m. An MIT ID is required to attend.
MIT signs agreement to redevelop 14 acres in Kendall Square
MIT and the U.S. General Services Administration finalized a $750 million agreement on Wednesday that will give the Institute access to a 14-acre parcel of land near Kendall Square. In exchange, MIT will construct a federal building on the land.
Death and Mayhem wins Mystery Hunt
MIT’s annual Mystery Hunt, a puzzle-solving competition, took place over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Ninety-seven registered teams competed to solve puzzles in order to find a coin hidden on campus.