John Jackson
A strange thing happened Oct. 19 at MIT’s Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house: The pilot light on the main Vulcan stove in the kitchen where John Jackson had cooked for half a century suddenly went out. About the same time, current cook Tom Egan, who had been baking pizzas, said he received a phone call from an alumnus telling him of Mr. Jackson’s death.
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.
MIT Car Places Fourth in DARPA Challenge
After months of planning, building, coding, and troubleshooting, Team MIT arrived with its autonomous car at the finals of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 5 as one of 11 teams out of the original field of 89. The car — pushed to its limits — finished the race alongside only five of its competitors.
Senior Gift Aims for 55 Percent Donation Level
The Senior Gift campaign kicked off last night, challenging seniors to donate to MIT and reach 55 percent participation rate. This year’s senior project, a fund for students taking unpaid externships over the Independent Activities Period, was also unveiled.
In Short
The Committee on Race and Diversity has been formed to advance race relations within the community. The new committee, which absorbed the Campus Committee on Race Relations and the MLK Celebrations Committee, will administer grants managed by the CCRR and will sponsor the MLK Breakfast in February. Faculty race and diversity issues remain under the provost’s race initiative.
News Briefs
Anna Tang, the Wellesley College junior accused of stabbing Next House resident Wolfe B. Styke ’10, was ordered held without bail on probable cause in a Nov. 7 dangerousness hearing. Tang, who pleaded not guilty to charges of home invasion and armed assault with intent to murder, was not present at the Cambridge District Court hearing.
Shorts (left)
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, Pa., has agreed to pay $3 million to a man who said that as a teenager he was sexually abused by one of its priests.
Democrats Tie Iraq Spending Measure to Troop Reductions
Congressional Democrats renewed their challenge to President Bush’s Iraq war policy on Thursday, offering $50 billion in interim spending for combat operations coupled to a goal of pulling out most troops within a year.
Egypt Accused of Complacency in Hamas Weapon, Money Smuggling
Israel says Egypt is doing far too little to stop the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, from smuggling weapons, militants and cash into the area from Egypt, and is appealing to Cairo to do more.
Shorts (right)
Ben S. Bernanke PhD ’79, chairman of the Federal Reserve, told Congress on Thursday that the economy is going to get worse before it gets better, a message that got a chilly reception from both Wall Street and politicians.
Congress Overrides Bush Veto 79-14 To Pass $23 Bil. Water Resources Bill
The Senate on Thursday dealt President Bush the first veto override of his presidency, with a resounding bipartisan vote to adopt a $23.2 billion water resources bill that authorizes popular projects across the country.
Saakashvili Calls for Election Amidst Rioting, Police Clashes
The president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday called for a special presidential election on Jan. 5, saying he would test whether he retained a mandate a day after a police crackdown and clashes with opposition demonstrators led the government to declare a state of emergency.
Niger’s Oil-Rich Delta Plagued By Gang Shootings and Violence
Rosemary Douglas has no connection to the oil business that pumps more than 2 million barrels of crude a day from beneath the swampy Niger Delta. But the violence surrounding it pierced her home in September anyway, when a bullet shattered her upper left arm as she napped with her 2-year-old daughter.
It’s Beginning to Feel Like Winter
Temperatures over the next few days will continue to be below average for a change. The month of October saw temperatures average more then five degrees above normal for Boston, mainly thanks to a dry high pressure pattern. That’s all a distant memory as far as the near-term weather is concerned. A low pressure system will be redeveloping off the mid-Atlantic coast today and track northeastward out to sea, although it will still provide us a chance of light precipitation Friday night and Saturday morning. If any precipitation does fall, it will likely be of the liquid variety, although temperatures may be marginal enough to have a few flakes mixed in as well. After the storm scrapes by us on Saturday, high pressure will settle into New England, yielding pleasant and sunny conditions for Sunday and the early part of next week. Enjoy the holiday!
Letters to the Editor
In his recent letter (“On Intellectual Imprisonment,” Nov. 2, 2007), Ali S. Wyne ’08 argued that James Watson’s resignation from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory signaled the triumph of “political correctness” over fruitful discourse in America. However, Watson’s comments fall far from just socially-unacceptable intellectual curiosity. They are blatantly racist.
Corrections
In the Oct. 30, 2007 In Short section on page 1, the charges listed for Star A. Simpson ’10 were inaccurate. Simpson was charged with possession of a hoax device, not with disorderly conduct.
CONCERT LISTINGS November Concerts
Some great (and cheap) concerts coming to you in the Boston area this November. Special interest shows are noted with stars. Send listing suggestions for this month and the future to <i>arts@tech.mit.edu</i>.
THEATER REVIEW High School Nostalgia, Disney Style
Imagine a mishmash of every teenage chick flick comedy you have ever seen, throw in some singing and dancing, and<i> BAM!</i> you’ve got the live stage version of “High School Musical.”
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ 1/2 Life in a Box
John Cusack is one of those actors who doesn’t quite fit in with Hollywood. And that’s a good thing. Getting his start as a teen actor in movies like “Sixteen Candles” and “Say Anything,” he transitioned into adult roles without a sex scandal or a stint in rehab. Even more impressive, he has continued to choose projects where he plays quirky, off-beat characters who are more lovable because of their flaws. In “Martian Child,” Cusack follows this trend with an emotional performance that had me laughing, crying, and just plain rooting for him in the theater.
THEATER REVIEW A Night at the Opera
La bohème” can perhaps be described as a simple love story, set in the romantic world of bohemian Paris. The poet Rodolfo and the painter Marcello are two of your quintessential starving artists. When their neighbor, the beautiful Mimì, comes in to borrow a light for her candle, she and Rodolfo fall in love. Meanwhile, Marcello’s former lover Musetta decides to leave her current man (a wealthy older gentleman) to return to Marcello. However, all does not go smoothly for the lovers as jealousy abounds, and Mimì’s increasingly ill health gets in the way of happiness.
Sports Shorts
MIT men’s soccer player Christian W. Therkelsen ’11 garnered First Team All-Conference honors in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. Defender Nitin Perumbeti ’09 earned a spot on the Second Team.
