Students’ Subway Security Talk Canceled by Court Order
Three MIT students will not be presenting their security research at the annual DEF CON hacker convention this weekend because of a temporary restraining order filed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on Friday afternoon. The students — legally represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group — are appealing the order.
Public Documents Seem to Show Free T Fare
Documents made public by an MBTA lawsuit against MIT undergraduates show how anyone can get free T fare by copying an existing CharlieTicket or by making their own.
Charges Dropped Against Student Arrested in NW16
Felony charges against Michael P. Short G related to his arrest in the basement of NW16 have been dropped. According to the motion filed by the prosecution on July 18, dropping the charges is “in the interests of justice as discipline proceedings will be conducted by the MIT internal discipline board.”
Congress Acts to Overhaul College Loan Regulations
Congress overwhelmingly approved an overhaul of the nation’s higher education law on July 31, adding dozens of provisions and programs to help families with soaring college costs.
MIT Files Patent Suit Against Biotech Company Affymetrix
MIT filed a lawsuit against biotechnology company Affymetrix last month, alleging the company’s GeneChip technology infringes an existing MIT patent.
Columbia’s Colombo Will Be Dean for Student Life
Costantino “Chris” Colombo, dean for student affairs at Columbia University’s undergraduate schools, was chosen as MIT’s new dean for student life. Colombo, whose appointment is effective beginning Aug. 18, will move into Next House with his family.
Alexander Vladimir d’Arbeloff ’49
Alexander Vladimir d’Arbeloff ’49, a visionary entrepreneur who co-founded Boston-based high-tech company Teradyne before becoming the eighth chairman of the MIT Corporation, died peacefully on Tuesday, July 8, surrounded by family. He was 80.
Missing ’95 Alumna Arrested in Afghanistan
Aafia Siddiqui ’95, missing since 2003, was arrested in Afghanistan and was arraigned Tuesday morning in Federal District Court in New York City. She is accused of picking up an assault rifle and shooting at U.S. personnel when she was in Afghan police custody.
AYCTE Pilot for Simmons Dining Canceled Amid Controversy Over Implementation
Simmons residents were officially informed on Thursday that their dorm would return to an a la carte dining system in the fall, reversing a July 24 announcement that a new trial of the “all you care to eat” buffet system would be tested instead.
Colleges Grow More Earth-Conscious to Lure New Students
Harvard pledged this month to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2016. The University of New Hampshire became the first school in the nation this year to use landfill methane gas as its prime energy source. And the College of the Atlantic in Maine plans to open green dormitories with composting toilets in August.
In Short
CORRECTION TO THIS ARTICLE: The Aug. 8, 2008 In Short section incorrectly named the position that Karl W. Reid ’84, director of the MIT Office of Minority Education, will hold when he leaves MIT and joins the United Negro College Fund of Fairfax. He will hold the position of senior vice president of academic programs and strategic initiatives, not a liaison position.
Charles Yardley Chittick ’22
Charles Yardley Chittick ’22, who was honored this past June as the oldest MIT alumnus, died on Friday, July 18. He was 107.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between July 1, 2008 and Aug. 4, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
Anna Tang’s Motion For More Freedoms Denied Wednesday
A motion to grant Anna L. Tang greater freedoms was denied in a hearing on Wednesday at Middlesex Superior Court. Tang, a former Wellesley College student, is accused of stabbing Wolfe B. Styke ’10 seven times in his Next House residence on Oct. 23, 2007.
News Briefs
Summer residents of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity were relocated after an internal water pipe burst and caused minor water damage to the interior structure of the building.
Coalition Moves to Impeach Musharraf, Raising Fears of Crisis
A move by Pakistan’s usually fractious governing coalition on Thursday to impeach President Pervez Musharraf left the country on the brink of a political crisis that threatened to paralyze the government at a critical moment when the United States is demanding greater action against militants based here.
Separatist Fighting Worsens in Georgia Border Region
Fighting in the border region between the former Soviet republic of Georgia and a breakaway Georgian enclave has reached its highest level in years, with Georgia saying that up to 10 civilians and soldiers had been killed in violence that erupted overnight on Wednesday and lasted throughout the day on Thursday.
Shorts (right)
Americans sought out more bargains and cheaper goods in July, leaving the nation’s biggest retailers bracing for a painful back-to-school shopping season.
Ex-Bin Laden Aid Sentenced To Five and a Half Years
Rejecting a prosecution request for a severe sentence, a panel of military officers on Thursday sentenced a former driver for Osama bin Laden convicted of a war crimes charge to five and a half years in prison. The sentence means that the first detainee convicted after a war crimes trial here could complete his punishment by the end of this year.
Shorts (left)
The Environmental Protection Agency rejected on Thursday a request to cut the federal government’s quota for the use of ethanol in cars, concluding, at least for now, that the national goal of reducing oil use trumps any effect on food prices from making fuel from corn.
Unlikely Partners Produce Olympic Spectacle
For much of the past quarter century, the Chinese director Zhang Yimou made films that showcased his country’s struggle against poverty, war and political misrule to the outside world — films that Chinese, for the most part, never saw.
Cool Pattern Continues
Those without air conditioning may rejoice — high temperatures for this weekend and next week look to remain near or below the average high of 80°F for this time of year. Today, the wind continues to blow from the east, bringing cold air from above the ocean. Temperatures will top out in the low 70s, accompanied by clouds and a chance for more thunderstorms. Saturday looks to be quite pleasant, as winds change to westerly and we get the warmer inland air. We should finally get some sunshine, as well as lower dew points (the dew point is a measure of the absolute moisture content of the air). The chance for thunderstorms returns Sunday night, with a chance of showers each day next week.
From Helper to Top Suspect In Anthrax Case
In December 2002, federal investigators scoured an icy pond on a snow-covered mountain near Frederick, Md., hunting for clues that would lead to the anthrax killer.
Sustainable Transportation Should Be a Priority
The administration made a wise move last week in deciding to take proactive steps to more explicitly encourage the use of public transportation by campus commuters. The recent change included an expansion of the commuter rail pass subsidy to 50 percent for all zones and the decision to provide free transit passes for the month of September to employees who currently park on campus. By making it easier for MIT faculty and staff to utilize the Boston metropolitan area’s comprehensive transit system, the administration’s efforts can go a long way towards decreasing the impact of rising fuel costs on our community and reducing our collective carbon footprint.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ 1/2 Bring on the Guilty Pleasure
In the last few years, musicals have been created by compiling multiple songs from popular artists to tell a story. One of the first, and most successful, of these musicals is <i>Mamma Mia!</i> which uses songs from the palindromic Swedish pop group ABBA. It comes as no surprise that Hollywood has decided to make a movie of this long-running musical.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ 1/2 Career Change With a Bang
Much like a music video by Shakira, <i>Wanted</i> is living, breathing proof that entertainment and quality are often wholly uncorrelated phenomena. At approximately three parts Mortal Kombat fatality and one part Maxim cover, you would be hard pressed to find a more perfect summer blockbuster.
INTERNET REVIEW The Dr. Horrible Internet Spectacular
Don’t make the same mistake I did; at least wait for the singing to start. It is, after all, a sing-along.
World’s Top Athletes Converge on Beijing For Olympic Games
The lead-up to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, which begin today in Beijing, has been marked by controversy. Widespread opposition to the policies of the Chinese government inflamed demonstrations that disrupted the international legs of the Olympic torch’s journey last spring. Internet censorship, although slightly relaxed from a week earlier, continues to be a point of argument for the media covering the events.
Wellesley’s Sonia Raman Named New Head Coach of Women’s Basketball
Sonia Raman, who has served as an assistant coach at Wellesley College for the past six years, has been named head coach of MIT women’s basketball, as announced by Director of Athletics Julie Soriero.
Bennett Crosses English Channel In Grueling 21-Mile, 11-Hour Swim
On July 28, and after an 11-hour battle from Dover, England to Cap Griz Nez, France, Clara S. Bennett ’10 joined an elite group by swimming across the English Channel. Bennett became the third MIT student-athlete to successfully complete the grueling, 21-mile swim.
Talk Nerdy to Me
Each year, MIT sends out convenient fliers to incoming freshmen with all the “important” dates listed. However, they leave off the most important date — the day you “break up with your high school relationship.” Maybe it’s because this date varies for each individual. For some freshmen, they covered this months ago. If you haven’t covered it yet, mark your calendar; the days are limited.
Life’s Lemmas
For the second time in as many weeks, we awoke to the sound of a female voice. Normally one would embrace such a welcome. Not today.
