Sal Khan to deliver 2012 address
MIT’s 146th Commencement exercises will take place this morning on Killian Court, where more than 2,400 graduating students will receive about 3,200 degrees.
Why exactly do MIT students believe in a god?
What does Professor Alex Byrne, who teaches 24.503, Topics in Philosophy of Religion, have to say about faith at MIT?
What the heck is TGBSM?!
Have you ever wondered where those “TGBSM” and “Corkfessions” posters came from?
Student leaders sound off on religion
With nearly 30 ASA-recognized religious student groups on campus, the MIT community is teeming with religious diversity. But, most of these groups have less than 30 members who regularly attend their events, and some groups are no longer active on campus or are not ASA-recognized. According to Robert M. Randolph, Chaplain to the Institute, their presence on campus has been generally consistent. With so many groups, however, it is difficult to talk to everyone, and a number of groups did not respond to requests from The Tech.
A chat with Bob Randolph
Chaplain Robert M. Randolph came to MIT in 1979 as an ordained minister and former chaplain at Dana Hall School in Wellesley. He served as an associate dean working as the head of counseling programs until he was appointed as Chaplain to the Institute in 2007. The Tech had a chance to sit down with Dean Randolph to discuss religion at MIT.
Athletes and allies
We are athletes. We are teammates. We are allies. April 20, also known as the Day of Silence, is the national day to take a stand against homophobic bullying, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) would like to take a moment to say why it’s important to have allies in athletics.
Burton-Conner housemasters step down after eight years
Burton-Conner housemasters Merritt Roe Smith and Bronwyn M. Mellquist announced that they will be stepping down as housemasters in an email to the dorm on Feb. 24.
Being a first generation student
Last Monday, a group of about 40 students gathered in Twenty Chimneys for a seemingly normal evening meal. From the outside, it looked like any other student group event with free food. In reality, these students shared one very personal experience: they were first-generation (FG) students.
Niehuus ’07 qualifies for Olympic Marathon Trials
On Dec. 4, Rachel M. Niehuus ’07, a member of the elite San Francisco-based Impala Racing Team, qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials with her 2:44:58 finish at the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, Calif.
MIT remembers sacrifices made on September 11
This is the second segment in a two-part series on MIT’s response to the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Ten years ago
Today’s MIT undergraduate population was at a delicate age on Sept. 11, 2001. Spanning the boundary between elementary school and junior high, we were old enough to understand what physically happened but far too young to fully comprehend the political and international significance of the attacks.
New Course X major allows concentration in ChemEng fields
A new flexible Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering as recommended by the chemical engineering department was approved during Wednesday’s faculty meeting. According to Course 10 Executive Officer Paula T. Hammond ’84, the new 10-ENG degree was designed over the past 2.5 years to allow students to focus on a sub-topic in chemical engineering.
Japan in crisis, MIT reacts
It was supposed to be a routine visit to Japan for MISTI staff to meet with host companies and university contacts about upcoming summer internship programs. Michelle L. Kern, program coordinator for MISTI Japan, and Patricia E. Gercik, managing director of MISTI Japan, arrived in Tokyo on March 10, and started with the usual meetings the next day — the day of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that destroyed the northeast coast.
Say hello to our newest dormitory
Last Saturday, the doors to Maseeh Hall finally opened for students — but only if they wore safety gear.
Dining ignites campus controversy
Few topics caused as much tension on campus in 2010 as the ever-changing House Dining Plan, scheduled to go into effect Fall 2011. In March 2010, the Division of Student Life (DSL) formed the House Dining Advisory Group (HDAG), committed to the creation of a new dining plan with the hope to eliminate the $600,000 deficit from House Dining and to offer more options for student dining.
The Cheney Room: MIT’s hidden gem
On any given day, the Margaret Cheney Room, a lounge designated exclusively for female students at MIT, is peacefully quiet. In this hidden campus gem, flyers are plastered on the walls, with topics ranging from UROPs to body image. Posters proclaim Martha Stewart-esque guidelines: “Exercise every day.” “Learn to Prioritize.” “Avoid people who are complainers or who stress you out.” “Relax.” Beds, puzzles, a piano, showers — the room has everything for the exhausted female student to relax.
New toolkit a Rosetta stone for MIT’s vernacular
Who was MIT’s president during World War I? How many graduate resident tutors (GRTs) are there? What’s the difference between “Course” and “course”? What are the Pantone colors for the MIT red and gray logo?
After 10 years, Clay bows out
Chancellor Philip L. Clay Ph.D. ’75 will be stepping down from his role as Chancellor, President Susan Hockfield announced on Wednesday in an e-mail to the MIT community. Clay, a professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, has been the Chancellor since 2001. He plans to go on a one-year sabbatical, and then resume his professorship.
UA seeks to halt new dining plan process In emergency session, students express dissatisfaction at mandatory dining
At an emergency meeting Wednesday night, the Undergraduate Association (UA) unanimously passed a bill urging Chancellor Phillip Clay “to intervene by halting” the approval process for the new dining plan. The bill, 42 U.A.S E1.1, argued that the process by which the plan was developed was not transparent, respectful, thorough, or fair.
Is Boston a hotspot for bank theft?
According to <i>The Town</i>, the Ben Affleck crime drama released in theaters today, there are over 300 bank robberies in Boston each year. The movie poster portrays masked robbers wielding weapons in nun costumes with the tagline, “Welcome to the Bank Robbery Capital of America,” hanging ominously above them.
Wartman, smiling, goes north
Jed W. Wartman, Assistant Dean for Student Activities, likes to say “yes” to good ideas. In his four years at MIT, he says this attitude is what has characterized his work. It’s an attitude he plans to take to his new position this fall as Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Campus Life at Colby College in Maine.
New plans for dining: Breakfast, <br />more meals, higher price
On May 19, the House Dining Advisory Group (HDAG) released its 4-page final recommendation for House Dining, effective in Fall 2011. The new plan offers all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner seven days a week at the four dorms with dining halls (Baker, McCormick, Next, and Simmons). The final costs will depend on the selected vendor, but are now estimated to be $2,900/year for the cheapest plan and $3,800/year for the most expensive.
Will HDAG hear student voices?
As the Division of Student Life prepares to eliminate the house dining system’s $600,000 annual deficit, some undergraduates worry that the newest dining committee will neglect students’ opinions.
Senators investigating Gruber ask for Hockfield’s assistance
Two U.S. Senators, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), have asked MIT President Susan J. Hockfield to act as a mediator in an investigation of an MIT economics professor who failed to disclose financial support.
Storm floods dorms
After heavy winds and unrelenting rain this past weekend, several residential and academic buildings on campus had leaks.
Pres. candidate loses Senate seat
At 9 p.m. last night, UA presidential candidate Ian P. Tracy ’11 was officially removed from his seat in the UA Senate for lack of attendance at Senate meetings, according to Senate speaker Tim Stumbaugh ’12.
Pike fraternity hopes to restart MIT chapter
Yet another fraternity may be returning to MIT. Representatives of the Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) fraternity, which has not had a chapter at MIT since 1980, are on campus this week to talk to unaffiliated men in the MIT community as the fraternity attempts to reestablish an MIT chapter.
Economic Crisis Hits MIT, Necessitates Budget Cuts Throughout the Institute
This past year, MIT saw sweeping budget cuts in response to the national economic crisis. One-fourth of the General Institute Budget is funded by MIT’s endowment, which saw a 20.7 percent decline in value during FY2009 from slightly over $10 billion to $8 billion. The original proposal to avoid a major Institute deficit was to reduce expenses by up to $150 million over two to three years, but this plan was changed to up to $130 million over the next two fiscal years. Through immediate cuts, such as DAPER’s cut of eight varsity sports and the closing of two libraries, the FY2010 budget was reduced by $58 million on a goal of $50 million.
Working Group Says: Relocate Drop Date, Cut Athena Clusters
The Education Working Group of the Institute-Wide Planning Task Force released its final report on December 16. Its cost-cutting recommendations include modifications to Add and Drop Date, an increase to the number of undergraduates, and the elimination of Athena computers.
Institute-Wide Planning Task Force Releases Its Final Report
The Institute-Wide Planning Task Force released its final report on December 16 after nine months of collaboration among approximately 200 students, faculty, administration, and staff within the task force. The 88-page document, which was originally scheduled to be released in November, compiles the reports from nine Working Groups and organizes them into five themes.
UA Demands Official Statement On the State of Dining Reform
Last night, the Undergraduate Association demanded that the Division of Student Life release a statement describing its current work on dining reform and its plans for next semester.
BC, Fraternities Are Evacuated After Construction-Related Fire
A cloud of black smoke towered above the former Alpha Tau Omega fraternity on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out at around 8:15 a.m. in a construction trench, according to the MIT News Office.
Beloved Breakfast Joint Finds Itself Sunny-Side Down in Economic Jam
The Friendly Toast has fallen into some unfriendly circumstances.
Feeling Sick? You’re Not Alone. Just Skip Classes and Order In
Michelle I. Slosberg ’12 first realized she was sick at the T station last Sunday.
Saferide Changed Routes Due to Neighborhood Noise Complaints
Some MIT shuttle services have changed their services this year in response to neighborhood complaints of disruptions along shuttle routes. Amidst neighborhood complaints and new funding, various MIT shuttle services have seen a change in routes this year: the Boston West Saferide is running smaller buses, and the Star Market grocery shuttle is running during later hours on Saturday.
Dining Plans Awaiting Task Force;Dean Says No Changes This Year
Changes to MIT’s dining system will have to wait another few months—at least. Competing proposals released last spring from the Blue Ribbon Dining Committee and the UA Dining committee await the final report from the Institute-wide Planning Task Force before discussions concerning them can continue.
Dome Cocoon Comes Down in Dec. Media Lab E14 Move-In by October
Construction to make the Building 10 dome weathertight continues through December, while the new Media Lab Extension prepares for new occupants in October, according to MIT Facilities.
MIT ROTC Students Train to Be Leaders In Both the Military and Civilian Worlds
The Combat Water Survival Test is a training exercise for MIT’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets that includes a three-meter blind drop, an equipment ditch, where cadets must jump in and remove all their tangled equipment before surfacing, and a 15-meter swim in a heavy uniform while holding a dummy rifle aloft.
Chorallaries’ ‘Concert in Bad Taste’ Features Comedic, Bawdy Songs
Chances are, if you’re Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, or just a member of the MIT community, you got offended by the a cappella group the Chorallaries (or the “Whore-allaries,” as they called themselves) at the <i>n</i>th Annual Concert in Bad Taste last Saturday night.
Mingling Wit with Wisdom, Ninja Motivator’ Teaches
Josh Shipp is in your face, but on your side. Last Sunday evening, the twenty-something “motivational ninja” spoke at Kresge Auditorium to a crowd of about 200, pausing in between wisecracks to encourage students to make positive choices.
Brass Rat Unveiled;LHC, Koch Highlight New Additions to Ring
Unveiled amid laughter and hijinx at Kresge Auditorium last Friday, the Class of 2011 Brass Rat features a forward-facing beaver and all the usual winks and nods, this year depicting the goddess Athena, hackers on the Dome, and a salute to the newly-completed Large Hadron Collider.
Experts Teach MIT Students How To ‘Dress for Success’ Over IAP
I am not the fashionable type. Sure, I wear decent clothes that match, but there’s a difference between wearing clothes that match and wearing clothes that coordinate.