Star Simpson Receives Pretrial Probation
Star A. Simpson ’10 was sentenced Monday to one year of supervised pretrial probation on a charge of disorderly conduct. The charge stems from a Sept. 2007 incident when she was arrested at gunpoint at Logan International after airport personnel mistook a circuit board on her sweatshirt for a bomb. The incident — and MIT’s public relations — incited national and local controversy.
Biodiesel Team Considers NW14 Location
The mission may not be over after all for the Biodiesel@MIT team, which three weeks ago was prepared to abandon its two-year project in the face of insurmountably high costs.
Despite a Weak Economy, Job Situation Is OK for Graduates
Given that the economy is flagging, this would seem an inauspicious time to be graduating from college and looking for full-time employment.
Counterpoint Will Become Wellesley-Only Publication
<i>Counterpoint</i>, the monthly magazine which aimed to chronicle campus life at MIT and Wellesley College, will resume publication in September as a Wellesley-only publication, the publication’s co-editor announced in May’s issue.
Yunus to Give 2008 Commencement Address
Ten thousand people are expected to attend this morning’s Commencement exercises, at which a Nobel laureate will speak and about 2,300 students will receive almost 2,600 degrees.
New OLPC Laptop Will Open Like a Book, Have Two Screens
One Laptop Per Child unveiled the next generation of its XO laptop last month. The new machine is smaller, cheaper, and will open like a book to reveal two touch-sensitive displays.
In Between Class, Students Blow Glass
On a Sunday afternoon in April, Brendon Edwards plunges a blow pipe into a furnace hot enough to burn flesh from bone. Edwards, an advanced glassblower and instructor, is trying to make a glass bulb at the end of his pipe by rolling the pipe through the pool of clear molten glass.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between April 4, 2008 and June 3, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
Next House’s Housemaster Search Will Continue in September
The search for a new Next House housemaster will continue into the fall because this spring’s search yielded only one candidate, Professor Robert C. Berwick PhD ’82. Berwick will continue to be a candidate in the fall.
Zimbabwean Opposition Leader Detained by Police
The Zimbabwean opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and other party officials were detained by police while campaigning on Wednesday and were taken into custody, his party said.
The Days After Tomorrow
My fellow members of the MIT Class of 2008, I know that this Commencement ceremony fills you with a variety of emotions, including happiness, excitement, nostalgia, and uncertainty. The same thoughts and questions are running through all of our heads: Is it June already? What am I going to do with my life? Can I really make the world a better place? Will anyone actually read my thesis? I spent a lot of time writing it.
Shorts (right)
Antoin Rezko, a once-powerful fundraiser who helped propel the career of Sen. Barack Obama, was found guilty on Wednesday by a federal jury of 16 criminal counts, including fraud, money-laundering and bribery in an influence-peddling scheme that touched the highest levels of the administration of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois.
Clinton Ready to End Bid and Endorse Obama, Aides Say
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will endorse Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday, bringing a close to her 17-month campaign for the White House, aides said. Her decision came after Democrats urged her Wednesday to leave the race and allow the party to coalesce around Obama.
Scientists Say China Disregarded Warnings on Earthquake Risk
Chinese scientists say that even before a final accounting can be made in last month’s earthquake in Sichuan Province, one thing is painfully evident: The huge death toll stems partly from a failure to heed clear warnings of a devastating earthquake in the area.
Shorts (left)
In its first substantial move since taking power, the main political party in Pakistan has proposed sweeping constitutional changes designed to limit the authority of President Pervez Musharraf.
Palestinian Leader Urges Talk With Hamas
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called unexpectedly on Wednesday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move that could herald a breakdown of his peace talks with Israel.
Letters to the Editor
As one of the steering committee members of the Israel@60 week at MIT, I was perplexed and bothered by the placement of a blatantly anti-Israel ad in the Tuesday, May 13 edition of <i>The Tech</i>. The events we coordinated were designed to celebrate Israeli culture and the contributions of Israeli society with a general good will toward sections of the student demographic that may share divergent attitudes toward Israel. The week was explicitly non-political, non-propagandistic, and strictly NOT anti-Palestinian/Arab.
The Graduate Student Council: A Year Ahead
It is well-known that MIT is unique in its path-shaping commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and in the translation of cutting-edge research into the practical realm. Less well-known is that MIT is unique, compared to other major universities, in having graduate students make up a significant majority of our 10,000-strong student body.
Corrections
Because of an editing error, the article “Head of Mechanical Engineering Dept. Will Leave His Post in July” (Friday, May 9) implied that outgoing department chair Rohan Abeyaratne said he wanted to hire more energy researchers working on “micro and nanotechnology.” While he said the lab should continue to increase its energy research, he has actually already hired “micro and nanotechnology” faculty experts during his tenure as department chair; he did not say that the department should hire more.
MAIL REVIEW The Best of the Bin
You have no idea how much mail we get daily at <i>The Tech. </i>Seriously. If you try to guess, you’ll come up short.
EXHIBIT REVIEW A Dark Trip Between TV Sets
The first installation in Chantal Akerman’s new exhibition in the List Visual Arts Center presents an imposing blockade of television screens: placed in triptychs throughout the room, one has to weave and sidestep between the televisions to get through.
INTERVIEW In the Sandbox: An Interview With Junot Díaz
Junot Díaz is a writing professor at MIT. His new novel, published last year, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. <i>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i> is the story of a fat Dominican “ghetto-nerd,” who loves science fiction and fantasy genre more than life, and loves women even more than genre. He’s born and raised in New Jersey, but only finds true fulfillment when he returns home to the Dominican Republic to face the demons of his family’s history.
THEATER REVIEW Still Relevant and Consistently ‘Earnest’
Has Victorian humor survived the past century?
MIT Sailing Team Finishes Sixth in Competitive ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship
The MIT sailing team finished sixth this week in the ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship. Senior co-captains John M. “Jack” Field ’08 and Julie C. Arsenault ’08 sailed in the B division boat, while Brooks L. Reed ’09 was the skipper for the A division boat with Elizabeth A. Hass ’10 on crew. Gabriel B. Cira ’08 also crewed with
Men’s Lightweight Crew Finish Strong at EARC SprintsWomen’s Novice Lightweights Take Bronze at Eastern SprintsHansen Goes 1-1 at NCAA Championship
For the first time in over 10 years, both the varsity and freshman eights of the men’s lightweight crew team finished in the top 10 in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges Rowing Championships. The team sent three boats to the competition, which took place on Lake Quinsigamond on May 18.
Cheering Against Boston Sports Is Fun, Believe Me
What's the easiest way to have more fun than you ever thought possible while watching sports in Boston? Start cheering against the Boston teams. Seriously.
Team Time Trials Set Pace as Cycling Wins Div. II National Title
The MIT Cycling Team won the 2008 Division II National Championship at the USA Cycling Collegiate Championships help in Fort Collins, Colo. on May 11. The MIT team seized an early lead in the opening event, the team time trial, and built their advantage throughout the weekend to take a surprise victory.
All-Americans Thomas, Stephens Lead MIT at NCAA Championship
Donning the Cardinal and Gray for the last time, Aline Thomas ’08 and Omari Stephens ’08 (also a <i>Tech</i> senior editor) accounted for all of MIT’s scoring at the pinnacle event in Division III track and field, the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh from May 22–24, the pair earned All-American accolades.
