Univ. of Kentucky Is Struggling to Squelch Net Rumors
Prof. Jeremy D. Popkin returned to his office at the University of Kentucky on Feb. 19 after teaching a lesson about Vichy France in his course on the Holocaust. During its 30 years on the curriculum, the class has grown perpetually popular, with 60 applicants vying for half as many seats. The university has even created a Judaic Studies program.
J. Mark Schuster PhD ’79
J. Mark Schuster PhD ’79, a professor of urban studies and planning who helped develop the field of urban cultural policy and who earned the respect of his peers, died on Feb. 25 as a result of complications from melanoma, according to the MIT News Office. He was 57.
Random Hall Celebrates Its 40th Birthday With an Eclectic Party
If the candles on the dome didn’t make it obvious: Random Hall is officially over-the-hill.
Differences Between East and West Discovered in People’s Brain Activity
East is East and West is West, and the difference between them is starting to turn up even on brain scanners.
Robert M. Wells ’08 Dies After Fall From Delta Upsilon Room
Robert M. Wells ’08 died Saturday morning after a five-story fall from the Delta Upsilon fraternity house. His death, which has been characterized as accidental by friends and family, is under investigation. Wells was 22.
Good News or Not, Companies in U.S. Are Saving Piles of Cash
At least someone knows how to fill a piggy bank.
Investors’ Flight to Oil Pushes Price to a Record
Capping a relentless rise in recent years, oil prices hit an all-time high during the day on Monday, then pulled back to close below the record.
Security Council Votes for New Sanctions Against Iran
The Security Council on Monday adopted its third resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its refusal to cease enriching uranium, an activity that the West suspects Iran may be using to create fuel for a nuclear weapon.
Shorts (left)
American naval forces fired missiles into southern Somalia on Monday, aiming at what the Defense Department called terrorist targets.
Shorts (right)
Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi stepped up his attacks Monday on Governor Deval Patrick’s proposal to license three resort casinos in Massachusetts, accusing the governor and his staff of failing to do their homework and calling Patrick’s prediction that it would generate 30,000 new construction jobs “absurd.”
Last-Minute Politicking Before Texas and Ohio
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama battled over national security and trade in a frantic burst of last-minute campaigning on Monday as Clinton accused Obama of deception and new evidence of discord surfaced within her own camp.
Hamas Celebrates as Israeli Ground Forces Leave Gaza
As Israel withdrew its forces from the northern Gaza Strip on Monday after a two-day assault on Hamas militants, and as Palestinians emerged from their houses to inspect the damage, Hamas leaders seemed to be following the playbook of their Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, in its 2006 war with Israel.
Rain Tuesday and Wednesday
An intensifying low pressure system moving into our area from the Ohio Valley will bring numerous rain showers, possibly heavy at times, Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon. The storm center is predicted to track to our west, which means we will experience relatively warm air.
Records Fall as Men’s Swimming And Diving Team Places Second
The men’s swimming and diving team placed second at this year’s New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend, held at MIT’s Zesiger Pool. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy pulled away from the pack to win their third consecutive title, finishing the meet with a staggering 991 points, outdistancing runner-up MIT (868) and third-place finisher Springfield College (741).
Women’s Tennis Team Sweeps Bates College
The women’s tennis team swept Bates College 9-0 in their first match of the spring season last Saturday, bringing their overall record to 9-3. The team came into the match ranked 23rd in the nation.
The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Jimmy Bartolotta ’09
MIT guard James M. “Jimmy” Bartolotta ’09 has been named Academic All-America First Team in men’s basketball in the 2008 ESPN The Magazine, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Bartolotta was the only junior selected to the college division first team. The announcement came after Bartolotta was selected as a finalist for the Jostens Trophy.
No Soup For You!
I can’t be the only one who’s noticed the absence of the formerly-famous clam chowder that used to be served in on-campus eateries every Friday. I can’t be the only one who came back from winter break aching for some proper clam chowder only to find that it’s nowhere to be found on campus. So where has it gone?
Give Me Back My Glove
My glove is lonely. I put him and his brother in my coat pocket when I threw my coat into the room with all the other coats. When I came back, I no longer had a pair of gloves. I had a glove. Uno. One. Singular. Sensation. This is not OK. I am devastated and I blame you for my catastrophic loss. Why?
Never Say That Again
Ever heard a phrase that made you absolutely cringe inside? The most obvious offender this week was “Asante Samuel signs with Eagles,” but there are far more. Think of anything that Howard Stern says, most of what President Bush says, some of what your parents say, and a little of what your “over-sharing” friends say. Here, for your reading pleasure, is a list of the phrases that have come up in conversations in the past seven days that I really wish hadn’t. If you have ever used these phrases, please, please, PLEASE never say them again.
Not Even Fit For a Last Meal
MIT food is a lot like Michael Bolton’s music — it’s kind of funny how bad it is at first, but after an extremely short while it gets old and eventually kills you. While part of this is due to the unavoidable nature of college food, MIT is noticeably lacking in one department: real, all-you-can-eat dining halls.
Woes of a Premed
This past December, on a lonely afternoon in the building 12 Athena Cluster, I finally decided what I wanted to do with my life. I filled out my Prehealth Advisor Request Form, available as a PDF on the Careers Office Web page. “The MIT Careers Office (MITCO) is now accepting prehealth advisor requests for individuals wishing to enter medical or other health profession schools in Fall 2009,” the Web site stated. Perfect, I thought, this is when I’m planning on entering! I spent two days writing eight essays for the application — not an invigorating experience, considering it was winter break. I filled out the GPA and course requirements form, and indicated I was interested in applying to MD/PhD programs. Then I addressed the envelope, sealed it with love, and placed it in the mailbox. (There’s no way to apply online).
Campus Life Special Edition: Rants and Raves
Let’s be honest, February sucked. Here at MIT, we were subjected to absolutely miserable weather and the resumption of hell, which the administration innocently refers to as “classes.” In the real world, or at least the world outside MIT, we witnessed nightmares such as the Patriots losing the Super Bowl, Britney and Jamie Lynne spiraling downward faster than anyone thought possible, and, oh yeah — numerous foreign and domestic government issues. We can’t remember a time when the collective student body sported more frowns or played more emo music, and included in this sad state of affairs is <i>The Tech</i>’s staff.
