MasteringPhysics copiers are more likely to fail 8.01T
Males and potential business majors at MIT are more likely to cheat on MasteringPhysics, and cheaters tend to do worse on the physics final and are more likely to fail, according to a study published yesterday.
Bennie, Delano Elected as Next UA President, Vice President
Michael A. Bennie ’10 and Margaret K. Delano ’10 were elected Undergraduate Association president and vice-president, respectively, in a landslide victory last week. Bennie and Delano garnered just under half of all first-place votes, nearly tripling the vote count of runner-up Ryan W. Jackson ’10 and Thomas W. Hay ’10.
Bennie, Delano Elected UA President, VP
Michael A. Bennie ’10 and Margaret K. Delano ’10 were elected Undergraduate Association president and vice-president, respectively, in a landslide victory last week. Bennie and Delano garnered 919 first-place votes, nearly tripling the first-place vote count of runners-up Ryan W. Jackson ’10 and Thomas W. Hay ’10.
Ten Percent Admitted to Class of 2013
In the wake of a 17 percent increase in applications, MIT’s admit rate plummeted to a record low 10 percent this year. Only 1,597 students out of 15,661 applicants were admitted to the class of 2013. Forty-eight percent are women and nearly a quarter are underrepresented minorities in an admitted class that spans all fifty states and sixty foreign countries.
MIT Libraries Lays Off Staff, Plans to Close Two Branches
Facing Institute-mandated budget cuts, the MIT Libraries are planning to close two branch libraries, Lindgren Library, which serves the Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Department, and the Aeronautics and Astronautics Library. Some staff have received advance notice of layoffs or hour reductions that will take effect at the end of the fiscal year.
Number of Applicants Increases; Acceptance Rate Is Record 10.2%
The number of students applying to MIT increased by the largest margin in recent memory, thanks in part to a new partnership with a non-profit admissions organization and deteriorating economic conditions. As a result, the acceptance rate plummeted to a record-low 10.2 percent, a substantial decrease from the Class of 2012’s 11.6 percent acceptance rate. Waitlist spots were offered to 454 applicants.
Spammers Compromise MIT Users’ Accounts Using Phishing E-Mails
Throughout March, spammers sent a wave of fraudulent e-mail messages claiming to be the “Mit Webmail team” and requesting recipients to “comfirm” their accounts by replying with their passwords. About a half-dozen people have sent their passwords to the attackers after each e-mail, said Jeffrey I. Schiller ’79, MIT Network Manager.
Non-Profit Connects Low-Income Applicants With MIT
The number of early applications increased by approximately 25 percent this year, partly as a result of MIT’s new partnership with QuestBridge, a non-profit organization that connects low-income students with top colleges.
MIT Hopes Two-Thirds of Seniors Will Give to Class Gift, OCW Fund
The Senior Gift Campaign announced an ambitious 65 percent participation rate target as they unveiled their project of developing an MIT OpenCourseWare Fund. The proceeds of the senior gift will go towards updating the video and lecture content for 5.111 Principles of Chemical Science.
ASA Will Propose to Lower Threshold for Group Recognition
Groups of students who want access to certain resources controlled by the Association of Student Activities would have an easier time getting them, under a proposal being presented by the ASA’s executive board to all student groups at a Monday general body meeting.
An Increase in Female Applicants Seen for Class of 2012 Admissions
In a college admissions cycle that saw major changes in financial aid and early application programs, the final admissions statistics and profile for the Class of 2012 remained comparable to previous years with the only sizable effect being an increase in female applicants to MIT.
66 Percent Accept MIT’s Offer Of Admission; May Admit Off Waitlist
Two-thirds of the 1,554 students admitted to the Class of 2012 have accepted MIT’s offer of admission. This year’s 66 percent yield is the third highest in MIT’s history, and only a slight drop from last year’s record high 69 percent yield.
Sarah Palin = Dolores Umbridge
This will be the first year in over a decade to not have a new Harry Potter book or movie released. If you’re suffering from Harry withdrawal, this election season has the perfect fix for you. You thought the magical world was the only one with a young hero who must save the world from an evil Dark Lord; a failed lame duck Minister of Magic; an old, grizzled Auror promising to make a clean break from said Minister; a pretty blonde reporter with a penchant for stretching the truth; and a Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) professor with a “personality like poisoned honey”? We muggles are not to be so easily outdone. Enter Sarah Palin who quite nicely completes this Harry Potter Election cycle.
Hockfield Asks Gov’t To Triple Energy Funding
President Susan Hockfield testified before a House of Representatives committee on energy on Wednesday, making the case for tripling federal funding of energy research.
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.
10-250 Upgrades to Be Completed by Fall With New Seating, Audiovisual Equipment
Lecture hall 10-250, closed for renovations in the spring, will be bigger and brighter when it reopens for the first day of classes in the fall.
DormCon President- Elect Discusses W1 Integration, Dining
Last night, the Dormitory Council, which represents residents from undergraduate dormitories, elected next year’s officers. In the upcoming year, DormCon may be at the forefront of many important decisions, including the development of W1 and continuing debate over mandatory dining plans.
GSC Officers Elected
The Graduate Student Council elected Oaz Nir, a third-year PhD student and the current editor of the <i>Graduate Student News</i>, as its new president for the 2007–2008 school year on Wednesday.
Third Eye Blind Set to Rock At Spring Weekend Concert
Third Eye Blind will be the main act in the Spring Weekend Concert to be held on April 25 in the Johnson Athletic Center. The alternative rock band was the favorite choice in a survey of over one thousand undergraduates, garnering a 76 percent approval rating. Jimmy Eat World and Akon ranked second and third, respectively.
Reading Room Chairs Still Missing; Criminal Charges May Be Filed
Five of the 46 chairs stolen from the Student Center Reading Room have been returned, and two more have disappeared, during an “amnesty” period declared by the Campus Activities Complex. The CAC has bought replacements and plans to implement a security system to keep more chairs from disappearing.
A Record Number of Students Attend Campus Preview Weekend
A record number of prospective freshmen — 1021 — have descended upon MIT for this year’s Campus Preview Weekend, according to Ben Jones, Associate Director of Admissions. The event, which ten years ago was meant to attract women and minority students to MIT, is now open to all admitted freshmen. CPW has grown explosively since then, increasing from 974 last year and 868 the year before.
1,554 Accepted Into Class of 2012; Admit Rate is Lowest Ever
MIT released admissions decisions for the class of 2012 on Saturday; 1,554 students, or a record-low 11.6 percent of 13,396 applicants, were admitted. This year’s round of admissions saw an increase in applications from women, under-represented minorities, and international students, said Stuart Schmill ’86, Interim Director of Admissions. There was an overall 8 percent increase in the number of applications from 12,443 last year.
$30,000 Awarded to Graduate Student for Bacterial Innovation
Timothy K. Lu G is a prize-winning killer. To be more precise, on Wednesday, he won the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for Inventiveness for developing methods to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The prize will support research that aims to contain one of the deadliest threats known to biologists.
Tang to Be Released On $10,000 Bail, Kept Under House Arrest
Anna L. Tang, who allegedly stabbed her ex-boyfriend Wolfe B. Styke ’10 multiple times in his Next House room in October, will be released today after a $10,000 cash bail is posted on her behalf. By the terms of her release, she will be under house arrest and must wear a GPS bracelet that tracks her location. She has been detained since her Oct. 23 arrest.
10-250 Renovations to Begin During IAP
The lecture hall 10-250 will be closed for renovation during January’s Independent Activities Period and the spring semester. Large classes traditionally held in 10-250 will move to other venues for the spring.
Chain Acquires Hotel@MIT From Institute
The Hotel@MIT is being sold for an undisclosed price by the partnership of MIT and Forest City Enterprises to HEI Cambridge LLC, an affiliate of HEI Hotels & Resorts. The sale is expected to close by Dec. 5.
Course VI Eliminates Popular 6.170, Lab in Software Engineering
The Laboratory in Software Engineering class, 6.170, was offered for the last time this term and will not be offered in any subsequent terms.
Freshmen In Next House Can Take Part In REX
Beginning next fall, freshmen placed in Next House during the summer will be able to participate in Residence Exploration and enter the Housing Readjustment Lottery. McCormick Hall was not included in the change.
MIT Early Applicants Increase As Harvard Stops Its Program
Early applications increased by 13 percent this year, to a total of 3,937 applicants. The increase comes as Harvard and Princeton Universities eliminated their early admissions programs. The rise, however, falls far short of increases at other competitive institutions such as Yale University.
UA, GSC Pass Resolutions, Bills Aimed at Improving Student Life
The Undergraduate Association and Graduate Student Council are moving forward on a number of resolutions and programs aimed at improving student life and addressing student concerns, including a new UA fund to support student initiatives and a large-scale GSC survey which will assess graduate student needs and cost of living.
Two Dollar Tuesdays Provide Grad Students With Social Dining Event
Oct. 9 marked the beginning of a series of dining events for graduate students known as Two Dollar Tuesdays, sponsored by the Graduate Student Council and the Large Event Fund. 125 students out of the 150 who bought tickets attended the sold-out event, which was intended to give graduate students an opportunity to socialize over dinner.
Two Nobel Prize Winners MIT-Affiliated
Former MIT economics professor Eric S. Maskin and former graduate student Mario R. Capecchi were among the recipients of the Nobel Prizes in Economics and Medicine this year, respectively.
Free Wireless Access Points Placed Across Cambridge
Wireless access points have been deployed in parts of Cambridge, Mass., as part of the experimental stage of the Cambridge Public Network, a project which started a couple of years ago to provide the entire city with free wireless Internet access. The initial access points are set up in areas including Harvard Square and NewTown Court on the corner of Windsor Street and Mass. Ave.
‘Genius Grants’ Provide Two Alums $500,000 to Pursue Dream Projects
Two MIT alumni were awarded “genius grants” by the MacArthur Foundation last week. The fellows, Saul T. Griffith PhD ’04 and Yoky Matsuoka PhD ’98, will receive a stipend of $500,000 over the course of five years that may be spent however they wish. Griffith and Matsuoka are among 24 recipients this year.