Government Declares Some Grad Students Are ‘Security Threats’
Eight MIT graduate students with student visas were denied a key credential by the Department of Homeland Security. After their department appealed the decisions on their behalf, the DHS declared at least two of the students “security threats.”
Mass. State Considers Taking 2.5% Of University Endowments
Massachusetts lawmakers desperate for additional revenue are eyeing the endowments of deep-pocketed private colleges to bolster the state’s coffers by more than $1 billion a year, asserting that the schools’ rising fortunes undercut their nonprofit status.
Robert I. Hulsizer Jr. PhD ’48
Professor of Physics Emeritus Robert I. Hulsizer Jr. PhD ’48, a former chairman of the faculty and expert on elementary particle physics whose zeal for teaching science made him a student favorite at MIT, died on April 30 of complications from Alzheimer’s. He was 88.
Head of Mechanical Engineering Dept. Will Leave His Post in July
On July 1, Mary C. Boyce PhD ’87 will become chair of the Mechanical Engineering department. She will be the first female department head within the School of Engineering.
Russian Parliament Overwhelmingly Approves Putin As Prime Minister
Russia’s Parliament overwhelmingly confirmed Vladimir V. Putin as prime minister on Thursday, completing his managed departure from the presidency in a manner that left him the country’s dominant politician, with a firm grip on power.
Shorts (left)
The general manager and possibly other senior staff at the Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington, Utah, where nine miners died last August, hid information from federal officials that could have prevented the disaster and should face criminal charges, the chairman of a House investigation said Thursday.
Obama Returns to Capitol and Tries to Rally Democrats
Sen. Barack Obama began trying to rally the Democratic Party around him on Thursday. He struck a tougher tone against Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was “losing his bearings” in his pursuit of the presidency.
Myanmar’s Biggest City Still Paralyzed, Days After Storm
Five days after the powerful cyclone struck, this city, Myanmar’s commercial capital and until Saturday a verdant oasis of wide avenues, was far from back to normal on Thursday.
North Korea Opens Documents On Its Nuclear Programs
North Korea has turned over to the United States 18,000 pages of documents related to its plutonium program dating from 1990, in an effort to resolve remaining differences in a pending agreement meant to begin the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Bush administration officials said Thursday.
Shorts (right)
A team of climbers on a mission from China carried the Olympic torch to the summit of Mt. Everest on Thursday, fulfilling a long-held goal of Chinese government to have the Olympic flame lit atop the world’s highest mountain.
Volcano Eruption in South America
Volcanic eruptions are natural phenomena ever present in the Earth’s history, although not in our minds most of the time. However, they are critical to the history and evolution of the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere of the Earth before life had a similar composition to modern volcanic outgassing (mainly CO2, water and nitrogen), and all the water present in the oceans as well as most of the atmosphere is thought to have a volcanic origin. Volcanoes can influence climate in shorter time scales by injecting reflective sulfate aerosols and can also modify the chemical composition of the stratosphere influencing ozone depletion. The most spectacular case of volcanic eruption during the past century was the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, that is believed to have cooled the planet by about 0.5 C, an amount similar in magnitude to the accumulated trend in warming during the last 100 years.
Tensions Rise in Lebanon As Telecom Network is Shut Down
The decision by the Lebanese government to shut down a private telephone network operated by the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah was an act of war and Hezbollah would defend itself, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, said Thursday.
Letters to the Editor
In the last issue of the Tech, Miguel Valença Pires G has labeled the response of the MIT Chinese student community to recent cartoons as “a type of attack,” raising a question “what chance do more basic human rights stand?” However, the author misunderstands the response of Chinese students and I do not agree that it is a type of attack. Moreover, I doubt that the author even knows what <i>basic</i> human rights means, especially to people living in China.
Foreign Policy Principles for the Next Administration
Restoring America’s standing in the world must surely rank as the next administration’s foremost priority. Unfortunately, the three remaining presidential candidates have yet to articulate a clear strategy for achieving this (admittedly daunting) objective. Whoever prevails in November should ground their strategy in seven principles and policies. I do not regard the first three as particularly controversial — the experiences of the past decade or so yield them quite naturally — and, as such, I present them without comment:
ALBUM REVIEW Fripp Flubs Latest Crimson Release
It’s that time of year again: Robert Fripp and co. have reached a lull, anticipating their end-of-summer tour, and the only way to put food on the table (and promote the shows) is to release a blindly hand-picked bootleg from the King Crimson archive. And thank goodness they picked a decent show.
FESTIVAL REVIEW Alternatives to ‘Iron Man’
The sixth installment of the annual Boston Independent Film Festival took place a couple weeks ago from April 23rd to 28th. Over 90 films were screened over seven days at the Somerville Theatre, the Brattle, and Coolidge Corner. In case you missed the action, here are some highlights and lowlights so you can start getting excited for next year’s festival.
Despite New Sparring Format, Sport Taekwondo Wins Nationals
The MIT Sport Taekwondo Club competed at Stanford University in the 33rd National Collegiate Taekwondo Association Championships on April 25–26. The team of 39 competitors from MIT claimed first place by a wide margin in both the Novice (color belt) and Overall Divisions. Tied for second place overall were the University of Califoria-Los Angeles, and UC-Berkeley.
Women Place Third at New England Div. IIIs As Men Claim Second
One week after securing an unexpected team title at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championship, the men’s track and field team finished second at the New England Division III Championship last weekend. MIT secured just enough points to keep U.S. Coast Guard Academy at bay while Williams College pulled away for first place. The women’s track and field team finished third behind national powers Williams College and Amherst College.
Men’s Heavyweight Crew Holds On For First Victory Over BU in Fifteen Years
The men’s heavyweight crew moved up in the Eastern Sprints poll after defeating Charles River rival Boston University last Sunday morning. MIT competed as a guest in the race for the Jablonic Cup between the University of Wisconsin and Boston University.
Sailing Team Finishes Eight as Reed, Hass, And Field Named to All New England Team
The MIT sailing team finished eighth out of 12 teams at the Fowle Trophy New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association Team Race Championships hosted by Brown University this past weekend. MIT finished the event with a record of 2-12, while Boston College won with a record of 16-3.
Squid vs. Whale
It’s around this time of year that American Idol starts to really bug me. Now it’s not ‘cause of the contestants, Simon, or Paula’s every slipping grip on reality, it’s mainly Seacrest. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against Ryan Seacrest. I think he’s an affable guy and an all-right TV host. It’s simply the idea of Seacrest that bothers me.
Ramblings From Hell
It occurred to me after the fifth straight day of clouds and cold rain last week that the magic in my life has disappeared. Maybe it’s because it’s finals time and I’m stressed, or because there’s always more work to be done, or even simply because it’s raining. I have a sense, though, that it’s more than just the rain and the homework and the exams. I think the magic is just gone.
