Protest against MIT’s role in the war in Yemen held during xFair
The protest called out Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and General Atomics for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In particular, Lockheed Martin produced a bomb that was used by the Saudi-led coalition in an airstrike on a school bus in Yemen that killed more than 40 children in August 2018.
Hayden Library to undergo renovations in 2020
Hayden Library is set to undergo renovations, with construction expected to begin in January 2020. The library will close at the end of the fall 2019 semester and reopen in fall 2020.
Dorm presidents respond to room assignment design exercise
As the process of reassessing dorms’ room assignment and move-in procedures continues, The Tech reached out to presidents and other leaders in each of MIT’s ten dorms to ask about their current procedures and how potential changes would affect their communities.
Student Center card-access hours cutoff is 9 p.m. over IAP
This IAP, the Student Center is card-access-only from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. This is a pilot by the Campus Activities Complex that moves up the cutoff for card-access hours from 11 p.m. during the semester to 9 p.m. during holidays, breaks, and IAP, according to Michael Foley, director of the CAC, in a statement emailed to The Tech.
Athena lounge on fifth floor of Student Center closed for renovations
In the meantime, the Coffeehouse Lounge located on the third floor has new printers and is open to students as a study space (card access is required). The color printer that was in the Athena lounge is now on the first floor of the Student Center.
Met warehouse to house SA+P and makerspace
“We [SA+P] do not own the ground floor anywhere on campus except at the Media Lab. This makes us invisible to anyone navigating through MIT, and almost impossible to find,” Dean Sarkis wrote.
MIT Museum to relocate to Kendall Square and open in new location in 2021
MIT determined the capital cost of the new museum to be $111 million. The museum has to raise half of that amount.
MIT professors spearhead petition in support of Microsoft employees protesting contract with ICE
Microsoft's contract provides ICE with cloud-based services, which would enable the agency to “process data on edge devices or utilize deep learning capabilities to accelerate facial recognition and identification.”
New Parental Leave policy allows one month leave for foster, surrogate, birth, and non-birth parents
Students will be paid while on Parental Leave if they are supported by an RA, TA, or fellowship.
Three assault incidents reported via ‘timely warning’ emails in May
According to the MIT Police, there is no information to indicate that these three incidents are in any way connected.
Junot Díaz accused of misconduct by several women
“Both accusers and the accused have rights and protections within the process we follow — and we strive to protect the privacy of all parties involved,” MIT said in a statement.
INSPIRE humanities research competition to have last competition in the fall, run by SAO
MIT INSPIRE, a national high school research competition in the arts, humanities, and social sciences run by a group of MIT students, will not continue next year.
Former MIT student who assaulted woman in her dorm room pleads guilty, avoids prison
Former MIT student Samson Donick will not serve prison time for a sexual assault case that he was implicated in, although Judge Janet Sanders said that the case "cries out for jail time," according to CBS Boston.
Tuition and fees to increase to $51,832 for the upcoming academic year
Tuition for the 2018-19 academic year will increase by 3.9 percent, while financial aid will increase by 9.6 percent.
An inside look at the spring dorm transfer process
The low number of people who request dorm transfers “speaks highly of the process in the previous spring and fall, especially for incoming students,” the DSL director of communications said.
Government shutdown affects Course 1 IAP research class in Hawaii national park
Due to ongoing eruption at certain parts of Kilauea Volcano and the lapse in government funding, portions of Volcanoes National Park were closed for visitor safety. MIT students who were there had to relocate.
MIT janitor Francisco Rodriguez released from ICE detainment after five months
“We are presenting some new facts as part of the motion to reopen the case,” John Bennett, a member of Rodriguez's legal team, said.
Remembering Kate Hunter
Katherine “Kate” Hunter ’20 died unexpectedly after a brief illness Dec. 31 in Arizona surrounded by family. Friends share warm memories of the sophomore.
Burton Conner heads of house stepping down
History Professor Anne McCants and her husband, William McCants, will be stepping down as Heads of House of Burton Conner at the end of this academic year, according to an email Prof. McCants sent to Burton-Conner residents Jan. 9.
Burglary reported in Building 3
An office on the third floor of Building 3 was burglarized Jan. 9 between noon and 1:45 p.m., according to a timely warning email issued by MIT police yesterday.
Jaden Smith not a member of Class of 2022
The 19-year-old son of actor and rapper Will Smith is not a member of MIT’s Class of 2022, despite an anonymous post by the Facebook page “MIT Confessions” claiming he is.
Fall Career Fair organizers look to increase company diversity
MIT students and organizations are looking at making changes to Fall Career Fair, an annual student-organized campus recruiting event, including increasing diversity of companies at the fair, as well as changing the career fair revenue structure. In this feature, we look at the history of the career fair and the long-standing concerns that has led to the current push for reform.
Turnout at MIT precinct increases in Cambridge elections
MIT’s precinct 2-2 had a 252.8% voter increase from 2015 to 2017, according to Cambridge Election Commission data.
Students, faculty discuss hate crime prevention after swastika found in Simmons
Simmons residents found a swastika drawn in chalk on a fifth floor hallway wall Oct. 25. MIT campus police classified the incident as a hate crime.
Graduate students rally for more on-campus housing
The student and community affiliate group Graduate Student Apartments Now (GSAN) held a rally in front of 77 Mass Ave and marched to Cambridge City Hall for an Ordinance Committee hearing on Oct. 12 to demand that MIT build new graduate housing units as a condition of the commercial redevelopment of MIT’s recently purchased Volpe parcel in Kendall Square.
One in ten MIT undergrads can’t afford food, survey finds
The survey focused on how students’ socioeconomic status affected other aspects of their lives, like affording certain expenses, major choice, and reasons for working.
Course 1-ENG now ABET-accredited
Course 1-ENG has a flexible curriculum that allows students to combine Course 1 foundational courses with one of three core subject areas: mechanics and materials, environmental engineering science, and systems.
Jaden Smith attends 3.091, speaks with MIT department heads
The son of Will Smith was spotted on campus last Monday. Drew FitzGerald, the creative director of CEE, coordinated Smith’s day-long visit.
Students, faculty respond to DACA rescission with disappointment, outcry
MIT Associate Professors Roger Levy and Tamar Schapiro were arrested at a Sept. 7 protest in Harvard Square denouncing the repeal.