Senate Asks MIT, Others For Information About Endowment and Tuition
The Senate Finance Committee, increasingly concerned about the rising cost of higher education, demanded detailed information last Thursday from the nation’s 136 wealthiest colleges and universities on how they raised tuition over the last decade, gave out financial aid, and managed and spent their endowments.
As Federal Research Funds Decrease, More Scientists Leave U.S. to Work Overseas
Increased competition and diminished federal funding have made it tougher for scientists to rely on the grants that once generously supported labs, research and training of future scientists. The shortage comes at a time when corporate research facilities, such as Bell Labs, have largely disappeared. The stagnant, and in some cases, dwindling money pool has forced many scientists to bid the profession goodbye. Growing numbers are joining the flight overseas to more “research-friendly” countries such as China, South Korea, Singapore, and India.
MIT Arab Students Speak in Jerusalem, Promote Education
The two MIT students stood in the austere surroundings of a 130-year-old high school in the historic Old City of Jerusalem, pitching a high-tech future that reached across cultural and national boundaries.
A Novel IAP Goal: Facial Hair
It’s hard to think of anything that has twisted in the winds of pop culture quite like the great American mustache. Commonly praised and parodied, what was once the crown jewel of the ’70s and the favored scion of Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds is today a kitschy-creepy accessory that may or may not be making a comeback.
With Supporters’ Help, Tosci’s Reopens
Beloved neighborhood ice cream store Toscanini’s is back in business as of Friday, Jan. 25 after paying off part of its $167,000 tax debt and making a schedule to repay the rest. Much of the money came from donations made by loyal customers — a situation one tax official called “unusual to the point of unprecedented.”
News Briefs
MIT will increase the size of Athena disk quotas from 1 gigabyte to 1.5 gigabytes on Tuesday, Feb. 5, said Garry P. Zacheiss ’00, Information Services & Technology team leader, in an e-mail.
Athena Quotas Over Time
The Athena disk quota is set to increase by 50 percent from 1 gigabyte to 1.5 gigabytes on Feb. 5, 2008. After the increase takes effect next Tuesday, the quota will be 1,250 times its size 19 years ago.
Warm vs. Cold
As is frequent this time of the year, there can be a considerable difference in temperature over a short distance, i.e. a large temperature gradient. Fronts are usually responsible for these gradients, while the fronts are associated with low-pressure systems. One such low-pressure system located over the northern Great Lakes region yesterday sent a cold front plunging down into the Plains and Midwest. On the east side of the front, temperatures were generally in the 50s and 60s°F (10–20°C), whereas on the back side temperatures plunged as low as -30°F (-35°C)!
Shorts (right)
This spring, Bostjan Troha and 50 of his friends from across the former Yugoslavia plan to celebrate the official 116th birthday of the former dictator Josip Broz Tito with a pilgrimage in boxy Yugoslav-era Fico cars to Tito’s Croatian birthplace and his marble tomb in Belgrade.
McCain Beats Out Romney in Florida, Giuliani Distant Third
Sen. John McCain edged out Mitt Romney to win the delegate-rich Florida primary on Tuesday night, solidifying his transformation from left-for-dead candidate to a front-runner and dealing a devastating blow to the presidential hopes of Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose distant finish here threatened to doom his candidacy.
China Cracks Down on Dissidents As 2008 Olympic Games Approach
When state security agents burst into his apartment on Dec. 27, Hu Jia was chatting on Skype, the Internet-based telephone system. Hu’s computer was his most potent tool. He disseminated information about human rights cases, peasant protests, and other politically touchy topics even though he often lived under de facto house arrest.
White House Reconsiders Plan To Reduce Troop Levels in Iraq
Four months after announcing troop reductions in Iraq, President Bush is now sending signals that the cuts may not continue past this summer, a development likely to infuriate Democrats and renew concerns among military planners about strains on the force.
In Bipartisan Move, Economic Stimulus Deal Passed in House
The House on Tuesday voted to approve a $146 billion fiscal stimulus package, hoping to seal a fast-paced deal with President Bush on a combination of tax rebates and business incentives aimed at jolting the economy with new spending.
Shorts (left)
Senior politicians here increased calls for the resignation of top executives at Societe Generale, ahead of the board’s regular meeting, scheduled for early Wednesday.
Letters to the Editor
Natasha Plotkin’s article (“RIAA Sends Institute 19 Settlement Letters Alleging Infringement,” Jan. 23, 2008) mentions that one of the 23 letters sent by the RIAA in May 2007 was unable to be tied to an individual student. This could be improved to 23 of 23 if Information Services & Technology purged DHCP logs frequently, quicker than the time required to execute a subpoena.
CONCERT LISTINGS Twenty-Nine Days Means Fewer Days for Concerts
This February will be a slow month in Boston, that’s for sure. Many of you are returning to school after fabulous vacations, and even if I’ve picked a poor adjective, just about anything beats the constant churn of formulas and papers this new semester signifies. While you acclimate to the returning workload, here are the few selections that caught my eye for the month of February. They may be slim, but they’re mighty, so load up!
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ And You Thought Your Bridesmaid Dress Was Bad?
Romantic comedies may be formulaic, and they may not bring anything new to the art of cinema. The plots may be contrived, and the people in them may be so good-looking that even if the plot were realistic, you would know it is still a fantasy world. And all of life’s major moments may be compressed into a two-minute montage set to pop music. But at the end of the day, romantic comedies can be entertaining. Sure, I like it when a film makes me think and contributes to my understanding of the world, but I’m also perfectly happy when a film entertains. Just like people watching sports want to see others fulfill their dreams in an amusing manner, romantic comedies are a girl’s (and sometimes a guy’s) dream romance played out on the big screen. “27 Dresses” is certainly entertaining.
Patriots Face Final Challenge In Giants on Road to Perfection
Whether you’re interested in football or not, you’ll be watching Sunday night as the New England Patriots face off against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Not because you think it’ll be a close football game (which it will be), and not because of the commercials (which always disappoint).
Game of the Week: 15th Ranked Men, Despite Youth, Hold Off Tufts
MIT’s 15th-ranked men’s swimming and diving team improved its dual meet record to 6-1 Saturday afternoon, as the visiting Engineers edged past Tufts University, 154-144. Laurent Charpentier ’09, Luke R. Cummings ’10, Rastislav Racz ’10, and Toomas R. Sepp ’11 were each a part of three victories to help lead MIT against the Jumbos, who fell to 4-2 after their second consecutive loss.
The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Kimberly E. Soo Hoo ’08
Women’s basketball senior captain Kimberly E. Soo Hoo ’08 set the Institute record for assists in a career after dishing out seven assists in MIT’s 59-49 victory over Mount Holyoke College on Saturday. The previous career record was 349.
Brouhaha Rhythm
I feel sort of weird wearing a Hawaiian shirt in the middle of a raging snowstorm, but college has an interesting way of economizing one’s wardrobe, or at least my wardrobe. I can only store so many clothes in my dresser (meaning, on my floor), I can only afford to do so many loads of laundry, and I can only hang so many clothes in my cubicle — I mean, my dorm room. Yes, I hang dry my clothes, and unless you have frequent company that might be put off by damp unmentionables dangling from the ceiling, I will gladly explain the merits of hang drying if you ask me. Go ahead, ask.
Squid vs. Whale
So it turns out MIT gives you four weeks in January to “improve yourself.” Well, ain’t that nice. This year, I wanted to do something really special with my Independent Activities Period (other than go skiing). I wasn’t about to learn Java or take a house course; instead, I wanted to do something really memorable. I wanted to tackle my fears head on and put myself out on a limb. Mainly, I wanted to do something outrageous enough that I’d never get taken seriously again in my life. At first I was thinking ice SCUBA diving.
