Joseph F. O'Connor
Joseph F. O'Connor, Draper Laboratory's retired vice president of human resources and administration (1981-1994) and secretary of the Corporation (1994-2005), died June 11 of cancer at the age of 77.
Pritchett Dining Closes, Preferred Dining Fee Is Rolled Back to $300
Pritchett Dining will not reopen this coming fall, according to Richard D. Berlin III, director of Campus Dining. The discontinuation of Pritchett Dining, a response to a student-led plan for improvement of east campus dining options, was announced in conjunction with the decision to rollback the semester fee for Preferred Dining to $300 for the coming fall.
Affiliate Housing Construction Begins; $30 Million Committed
Construction has begun on 303 Third Street near Kendall Square, the site that will house MIT's University Residential Community, the result of over four years of planning by various members of the MIT community to provide affordable housing to those with institutional affiliations close to campus.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between May 21 and June 18, 2007. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, larcenies, or medical shuttles.</i>
Faculty Promotions
The Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation approved the promotion of the following faculty members, effective July 1.
Prof. Sherley Locked Out Of BE Laboratory After June 30 Deadline Passes
James L. Sherley, the African American associate professor who went on a 12-day hunger strike in February to protest his tenure denial, met the end of his appointment last Saturday, June 30. Sherley, who worked for the Biological Engineering Department, faced locked doors when he attempted to work in his laboratory after June 30 in an effort to resist the deadline.
E. Cary Brown
E. Cary Brown, a leading expert on fiscal policy and the economics of taxation and a member of the MIT economics faculty for more than 60 years, passed away on June 8. He was 91.
RIAA Files Lawsuit, Eight Targeted For Infringing Copyright
The Recording Industry Association of America has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against eight defendants at MIT, according to Massachusetts District Court filings.
News Briefs
MIT has formed a new Security & Emergency Management Office, effective this month with the start of the new fiscal year. With a staff of three, the office will coordinate campus security policies as well as provide assistance with security questions and advice on installing security systems.
Palestinian Militants Killed in Gaza During Israeli Incursion
At least 11 Palestinian militants were killed in airstrikes and armed clashes during an Israeli army incursion into central Gaza on Thursday, Palestinian medical officials said. It was one of the bloodiest days for Hamas since it took control of the Gaza Strip three weeks ago.
Health Care Becomes a Major Issue in Presidential Campaigns
There is no better measure of the power of the health care issue than this: Eighteen months before Election Day, presidential candidates in both parties are promising to overhaul the system and cover more — if not all — of the 44.8 million people without insurance.
Domenici Breaks With President, Republican Support For War Fades
Support among Republicans for President Bush's Iraq policy eroded further Thursday as another senior lawmaker, Sen. Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, broke with the White House just as congressional Democrats prepared to renew their challenge to the war.
Four Muslims Convicted After Failed U.K. Terrorist Attempt
Even as investigators tried to untangle the complicated web of connections among the suspects in last week's failed car bombings, four Muslim men were convicted of terrorist offenses in two separate trials in Britain on Thursday.
Shorts (right)
With the parliament and the Cabinet barely able to function, some senior political figures in Iraq's government have begun reaching out to try to address a long-stagnating list of legislation seen as crucial to the country's future.
Shorts (left)
In what may be one of the costliest consumer warranty repairs in history, Microsoft announced Thursday that it would spend up to $1.15 billion to fix failing Xbox 360 game machine consoles.
Get Lucky This Weekend!
While watching fireworks on Wednesday night, the revelry was kept in check by a band of frontal precipitation that passed during the festivities. Now, though, as we head away from the 4th and toward the weekend, the future is bright.
Corrections
The June 15 transcript of President Susan Hockfield's Commencement speech misidentified one of the programs she listed. She said "UPOP" (Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program), not "UROP" (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program).
CONCERT REVIEW How to Beat the Heat at Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is an annual event in Manchester, Tenn. The music in Bonnaroo is divided between six confusingly titled spaces — "What Stage," "Which Stage," "This Tent," "That Tent," "The Other Tent," and "Somethin' Else." What follows are the highlights of the musical experience that is Bonnaroo and some tips in case you might want to attend someday.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ Evan Almighty Pretty Alright(y)
To start, let me just say this: Steve Carell is no Jim Carrey. Whether you think that is a dis or a compliment will determine whether you will like or love the former's latest movie, "Evan Almighty." Of course, there is still a chance you wouldn't enjoy it at all, but that is only if you are the type of person who doesn't really like comedies (or life as far as I'm concerned).
BOOK REVIEW Meg Cabot's Latest a Perfect Beach Read
Meg Cabot, the bestselling author of the <i>Princess Diaries</i> series, has recently released her latest book, <i>Queen of Babble in the Big City,</i> a sequel to her 2006 novel <i>Queen of Babble</i>. It should come as no surprise that both of these novels fall under the "chick lit" category; in fact, if you look up the definition of "chick lit," I wouldn't be surprised if you found a picture of these books.
