Blurred vision
In reflection of MIT’s 160th birthday approaching this Saturday, I have been pondering what has become of the school founded by a slaveholder in 1861. Thus, I have been pondering this plan.
African-American fiction
In the United States, de jure (and subsequent de facto) prohibition of teaching both reading and writing to its enslaved population (called ‘Black’) was both ubiquitous and fatally enforced. This inhumane (and racist) practice resulted in many unwritten stories and silenced voices of the enslaved African population.
The cloak of racism
Just because it takes critical thinking to use language which adequately reaches for the truth, does not mean we should give up or sacrifice the right words for a sound bite or quick answer.
Petition for opt-in commencement ceremony is exclusive and misguided
There are students in the Class of 2021 who are unable to fly themselves or their families into Boston, whether because of international travel restrictions, financial circumstances, or being at high risk for COVID-19.
MIT should guarantee funding for graduate students amid the pandemic
Now, the pandemic is exacerbating these long-running financial pain points. Before COVID-19, degree timelines were already crunched. Now, with pandemic delays, students face even more time before completion, with even less financial support from MIT.
Silencing
Understanding the way silencing happens is paramount if we are to move toward unity, justice, and appreciation of the critical insights we all bring to bear in the advancement of the spaces we have been gifted to occupy.
MIT leadership needs to restore students’ trust; until then, student leaders must step up to save our semester
The question is: how do we avoid further escalation of noncompliance, which could result in more cases of COVID infections and ultimately lead to undergraduate residence halls depopulated — again?
The friend of racism
Almost every day at MIT, I hear the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” or DEI. What becomes apparent is that we do not know anymore what we are saying and where we are going. Language should not stop at halfway attempts to capture an idea. Justice is the goal.
The climate is changing, and so must MIT
The 2021 CAP must contain ambitious, appropriate goals that align with current climate science and include clearly defined actionables. Our responsibility is to talk, sing, write, protest, and ultimately encourage MIT to descend from its perch of privileged ignorance, open its eyes to this accelerating, alarming crisis, and act.
Climate Action Plan: Why you need to care and the importance of student voices
A number of steps are being taken by student leaders to advance the conversation and consideration of the student proposals, as well as to educate and consider the broader student body.
Reimagining our MIT curriculum
Each year, hundreds of MIT students graduate lacking a fundamental understanding of the effects that anti-Black racism and other systems of oppression have on our present-day technologies, even our own decision-making.
Don’t be surprised by the administration’s decision on Seth Lloyd
The clear conspiracy on all levels of the Institute to knowingly accept money from a child sex trafficker has been justified and downplayed in a variety of ways.
Undergraduates must follow MIT’s COVID-19 policies
Breaking self-quarantine to gather in person both puts MIT community members in danger and shows a concerning disregard for publicly available health guidelines.
How merit-based raises hurt DEI
While this announcement is a relief for staff who are feeling the pain of increased economic insecurity, it comes with some restrictions and raises important questions around the nature of merit-based raises in the first place.
New year, new MITIMCo: MIT’s chance to lead in socially responsible investing
Unlike its peer institutions, the MIT Corporation does not have a permanent framework to address sustainable investing issues.
Elitist and racist egg donation ads have no place in student newspapers
These advertisements that individually target young Asian women at MIT do not properly disclose sufficient information about the process and offer vast financial compensation, making them both racist and dangerous.
MIT’s proposal for a new graduate dorm on Vassar should include ground-floor public space
The Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association (CNA) submitted this letter to President Reif and the MIT Campus Planning team Dec. 7, 2020.
Reporting on rising food insecurity, unemployment, and infection: local organizations confront American maladies
“There are so many fallouts that are going to hit the people who are always hit hardest, even harder,” says Cauble-Johnson. “The chickens have come home to roost here.”
Donald Trump is who he said he was
The 2020 Olympics may have been postponed, but that hasn’t stopped the mental gymnastics of many former Trump-backers as they bend backwards to save their reputations from sinking along with the now-disgraced administration.
Making a better world? Define better.
We believe there needs to be fundamental change to address ethics and the social implications of science and technology in everything we do at MIT. Leadership statements are a start, but not nearly enough.