Louis Menand III
Even among college professors and the politically passionate, Louis Menand III was notably unabashed.
Removing Pass/NR Improved Freshman Grades, CUP Reports
Freshman grades have improved since the change from pass/no record grading to A/B/C/no record grading in the spring term, according to a report released last month by the Committee on the Undergraduate Program. But sophomore grade point averages for both fall and spring terms have remained constant since the change.
Third Eye Blind Set to Rock At Spring Weekend Concert
Third Eye Blind will be the main act in the Spring Weekend Concert to be held on April 25 in the Johnson Athletic Center. The alternative rock band was the favorite choice in a survey of over one thousand undergraduates, garnering a 76 percent approval rating. Jimmy Eat World and Akon ranked second and third, respectively.
MIT to Select Founders Group for W1
This fall, about 50 undergraduates will live in the new graduate dormitory NW35 in advance of moving into a renovated W1, currently called Ashdown House, when it reopens in fall 2010.
Kerberos, Tunnel Map, Hidden ‘143’ Appear on 2010 Class Ring
A streamlined Brass Rat, featuring clear lettering and winks at Harry Potter and last year’s fire truck hack, was the star at a ceremony last night in Kresge Auditorium where the 2010 Ring Committee presented their design.
Shorts (left)
The Kennedy assassination — a defining moment in American history and a never-ending topic of debate among conspiracy theorists — re-entered the spotlight for a moment Monday, after the Dallas district attorney unveiled the contents of a safe that had been secret for more than 40 years.
Shorts (right)
When former President George Bush stood beside Sen. John McCain here Monday and gave him a Presidents Day endorsement, it was just the latest chapter in the sometimes-tangled saga of the Bush and the McCain dynasties.
Middle-Age Suicide Rate Increase Leaves Health Experts at a Loss
Shannon Neal can instantly tell you the best night of her life: Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003, the Hinsdale Academy debutante ball. Her father, Steven Neal, a 54-year-old political columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, was in his tux, white gloves and tie. “My dad walked me down and took a little bow,” she said, and then the two of them goofed it up on the dance floor as they laughed and laughed.
In Independence, Kosovo Finds Mix of Recognition, Rejection
Kosovo won the recognition of the United States and its biggest Western European allies on Monday, while earning rebukes and rejections from Serbia, Russia and a disparate mix of states the world over that face their own separatist movements at home.
Princeton to Offer Entering Students A Year Abroad Doing Social Service
Seizing on students’ desire for a year off before college, Princeton University is working to create a program to send a tenth or more of its newly admitted students to a year of social service work in a foreign country before they set foot on campus as freshmen.
Facing Recession, Clinton and Obama Push Populist Projects
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y, and Barack Obama, D-Ill., intensified their populist appeals on Monday, responding to widespread economic anxiety and pushing the Democratic Party further from the business-friendly posture once championed by Bill Clinton.
Musharraf Receives Strong Rebuke in Pakistan Elections
They arrived in small groups over the course of the day, defying religious militants who say Pakistani women should not be allowed to vote.
Sunny Today But Wet Pattern to Continue
After yesterday’s rain storm, Boston is now over three inches above the normal liquid precipitation (3.3”) for all of February. Last year, there were only 2.2” for the whole month and only four cloudy days. This year, there have already been seven cloudy days. So what’s causing this unpleasant stretch of weather?
Letters to the Editor
Historically, MIT’s role in promoting science policy is unparalleled. Vannevar Bush EGD ’16 had a key role in the massive mobilization of the science community during World War II. But even in peacetime, he lobbied for the creation of the National Science Foundation. MIT Presidents Karl T. Compton and James R. Killian Jr. ’26 also helped shape U.S. science policy in this era.
Corrections
The Feb. 12, 2008 article “Green Hall Residents Will Leave In Fall and Thetas Will Move In” incorrectly stated that fewer beds will be available to undergraduates in fall 2008 after Senior Segue ends. In fact, the same number of beds will be available. Though 103 fewer beds in graduate dormitories will be offered to undergraduates, Green Hall will provide housing for 46 Kappa Alpha Theta members, and 57 spaces have been reserved in new graduate dormitory NW35 for students who will eventually occupy W1 when it becomes an undergraduate residence.
Student Living Demands Student Input
As we students enjoy a passing resemblance to having lives and would be delighted to contribute meaningfully to MIT’s decisions regarding how students live — that is to say, regarding housing — we are continually dismayed at how little attention the administration pays to student input. But are we surprised? A reading of <i>The Tech</i>’s archives suggests that even “ten-yeared” students should be anything but.
Baseball Has Lost Focus: It’s Time To Talk About Policy, Not Clemens
Why is it that baseball fans care more about finding truth in the past than building trust for the future? Will accomplishing the former really help the latter, or is this constant questioning of history purely driven from the anger caused by one of our heroes (potentially) cheating?
The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Timothy F. Pier ’08
Timothy F. Pier ’08 clinched an individual spot in the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Eastern Regional Championship this weekend with his performance at the Boston College Carnival on Feb. 9–10. Pier entered the competition only a single point ahead of his nearest competitor, but secured his spot by finishing seventh in the slalom (1:35.35) and ninth on the second day (1:31.88).
It’s a Big, Big World
Here is a list of phrases that I wrote to describe Bangalore immediately after returning to the United States: meandering cows, trash, spit bins, extended families, the head nod with multiple meanings, auto rickshaws, colorful saris, noise, outdoor eating, markets, no maps, two wheelers, temples, men holding hands, <i>masala dosas</i> (a Southern Indian omelet), spices, bucket showers, squat toilets, hard mattresses, crazy traffic with underutilized lanes, broken infrastructure, and learning to cross the street without getting killed.
Brouhaha Rhythm
There are an awful lot of student organizations available at MIT, but for a school as unusual as ours, they start to seem a little boilerplate. I suppose I’m not really an authority on student clubs here, since the only thing I’m a card-carrying member of is Blockbuster, but even so, I can’t help but feel like we could be weirder and more distinctive — no offense meant to the Tiddlywinks team.
