News Briefs
MIT will no longer consult students before releasing their birth dates or information about their awards or honors, though it will not publish this information in directories, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75 announced in an e-mail to students on Aug. 25.
Sororities Get Forty Fewer Members, Pi Beta Phi Still To Bid
Sorority recruitment wrapped up Wednesday night, bringing in approximately forty fewer members than last year. Recruitment this year was marked by the presence of the new sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and keeping the move from fall to spring recruitment that began last year.
Google Maps Now Has Georgia
Two weeks ago, <i>The Tech</i> reported that in Google Maps, the country of Georgia was a blank slate. As of Wednesday, Sept. 3, Google has added cities for the countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Eric Sollee
Fencing came so easily to Eric Sollee that he was elected captain of Harvard’s freshman squad not long after picking up the sport, and went on to become an All-American, placing fifth in the NCAA championships in 1952.
Refusing Strip Searches, Siddiqui Denied Visitors and Calls, Misses Her Indictment
The MIT alumna arrested mid-July in Afghanistan failed to appear for her indictment in federal court in Manhattan yesterday. Aafia Siddiqui ’95, refuses to be strip-searched, so she cannot make court appearances, receive visitors, or use the telephone. She has had minimal contact with her lawyers since mid-August.
The Tech’s Summer News Recap
<i>Compiled by Arkajit Dey, Natasha Plotkin, and Marissa Vogt.</i>
Broad Receives $400 Million Endowment Donation
Eli and Edythe Broad, who are giving away a multibillion-dollar fortune made in real estate and insurance, announced on Thursday their biggest gift so far, a $400 million donation to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
Student Loan Art Program Opens At the MIT List Visual Arts Center
Want art? For free? If your bare, ugly walls are driving you up the wall, you can come by the List Visual Arts Center between now and Sept. 14 to enter a lottery for a piece of art for your dorm room this year.
Old Ashdown Closed For Renovations and Repairs
Building W1, formerly Ashdown House, closed on August 15 as workers prepared to renovate it into an undergraduate dormitory. Actual construction will not begin until the building is inspected and cleaned up, according to Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75.
Dow Slides 345 Points Amid Gloomy Economic Reports
The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 345 points on Thursday on a confluence of poor news about the economy, although investors could not pin the drop on any overriding reason.
Shorts (left)
A Chinese government committee said Thursday that a rush to build schools during the country’s recent economic boom might have led to shoddy construction that resulted in the deaths of thousands of students during a devastating earthquake in May.
Shorts (right)
Vice President Dick Cheney flew here on Thursday to deliver a forceful American pledge to rebuild Georgia and its economy, to preserve its sovereignty and its territory and to bring it into the NATO alliance in defiance of Russia.
McCain Sets Course in RNC Speech, Vows to End ‘Rancor’
Sen. John McCain, the former prisoner of war whose bid for the White House appeared in complete collapse just one year ago, accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday with a pledge to move the nation beyond “partisan rancor” and narrow self-interest. His speech came at the end of a convention marked by some blistering attacks on his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama.
Hanna is Coming
Flourishing tropical activity in the Atlantic basin over the past week has yielded a trio of storms: Tropical Storm Hanna, poised to become a hurricane and affect Boston Saturday night into Sunday, category 4 Hurricane Ike over the central Atlantic, and minimal Tropical Storm Josephine over the eastern Atlantic. Ike could potentially affect the east coast of the U.S. sometime during the middle of next week, but the main story right now is Hanna, packing sustained winds of up to 70 mph. Its projected path and intensity has the storm grazing the Carolinas as a category 1 hurricane early Saturday and potentially making a second landfall over southern New England as a tropical storm early Sunday morning.
Detroit’s Kilpatrick Will Resign And Serve Short Prison Term
Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to felony charges here on Thursday and agreed to resign from office and serve 120 days in jail, ending eight months of political turmoil but also sparking a new era of uncertainty for the city.
Lobbyist Abramoff Sentenced To Four Years in Prison
Jack Abramoff, the onetime flamboyant lobbyist who amassed a fortune by showering gifts on congressional and executive branch officials while bilking Indian tribes of millions of dollars, was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison.
Grand New Party
On August 29th, in a historic move that surprised pundits, Senator John McCain announced his selection of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin (pronounced PAY-lin, not PAH-lin) for his vice presidential running mate. The reaction from the left was immediate and visceral; feminists claimed the choice was patronizing, liberal bloggers sardonically thanked McCain for the giving them the election and the Obama campaign lashed out, calling the governor inexperienced and a pawn of Big Oil.
Decidedly Entertaining Forestal Adventure
While the age of fairy tales is all but a distant memory for most of us, the lure of the “happily ever-after” lands is all too strong to resist, irrespective of age. Add in some exquisitely crafted music and a few moralizing twists, and there is no wonder why Stephen Sondheim’s highly acclaimed musical “Into the Woods” never fails to deliver unforgettable experiences for audiences of all ages. After spending most of the summer working on this exciting yet challenging musical, MTG is ready bedazzle you with a journey “Into the Woods” that will surely meet all expectations.
Men’s Soccer Captures Victory Over Endicott
The MIT men’s soccer team secured a 4-1 victory over the host Endicott College Gulls on Tuesday night thanks to a trio of second-half goals. Zachary E. Kabelac ’12 paced the Engineers’ balanced attack with two assists while four different players found the back of the net to score. Thomas S. Caldwell ’09 collected three saves in goal.
Women’s Volleyball Takes First At Gordon College Invitational
For the seventh year in a row, the MIT women’s volleyball team kicked off its season by winning the Gordon College Invitational. The Engineers defeated the host Fighting Scots (25-17, 19-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-13), Keene State College (25-13, 19-25, 25-21, 25-15), and Endicott College (25-22, 25-16, 25-19) to begin their campaign with a 3-0 record. Alexandra T. May ’10 was named the Tournament MVP while Lindsay E. Hunting ’09 was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Women’s Soccer Falls to Brandeis 4-0, Rebounds to Defeat Simmons College
MIT earned its first win of the campaign with a 1-0 decision over Simmons College. Edith R. Reshef ’11 provided the lone marker in Wednesday’s non-conference match as the Engineers rebounded from their 4-0 defeat by Brandeis University on Saturday.
Field Hockey Falls to NEC In Non-Conference Contest On Saturday, Outscored 5-1
The New England College Pilgrims defeated MIT 5-1 in non-conference field hockey action on Saturday as Jodie Dresser led a balanced scoring attack. Virginia L. Nicholson ’12 provided the lone goal for the Engineers in her intercollegiate debut.
