Majority Vote on GIRs Isn’t Good Enough at Special Faculty Mtg.
The faculty defeated a motion to revise the General Institute Requirements on Wednesday. The vote, 81 to 69 in favor of the motion, lacked the three-fifths majority required to amend the rules and regulations of the faculty, which govern the current GIRs.
ATO Departs MacGregor, Repairs To Their House Not Yet Finished
The Alpha Tau Omega house, damaged last summer from a pipe leak, has completed repairs and is undergoing inspections. ATO plans to move into the house in late March to early April, pending housing approval by the Cambridge Licensing Commission.
MIT Senior Bartolotta, Star Basketball Player, Plans to Play Pro Ball
At first, Jimmy Bartolotta laughed at the thought of bringing his considerable basketball skills to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, envisioning a comical scene of ball-playing nerds, the rocket scientists of tomorrow, being stomped game after game by teams filled with dumb jocks. But he wound up there anyway, where he leads his team and his conference in scoring and now wants to destroy the myth that eggheads can’t play.
News Briefs
According to one of its owners, the popular Goosebeary’s food truck will return to its familiar location next to MIT Medical next week, ending an approximately 4-week hiatus. Members of the MIT community were baffled by the disappearance.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Oct. 24, 2008 and Jan. 15, 2009. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
Proportion of African- American Students Who Pass A.P. Exams Low
More than 15 percent of the three million students who graduated from public high schools last year passed at least one Advanced Placement exam, the College Board said Wednesday, but African-American students were still far less likely to have passed, or to even have taken, an A.P. exam than white, Hispanic or Asian students.
Somali Pirates Get Ransom And Begin to Leave Ship
The saga over the Ukrainian arms freighter hijacked off Somalia’s coast more than four months ago drew to a close on Thursday almost exactly the way the pirates had predicted: with the booty.
Shorts (right)
There was a time — was it only two months ago? — when people would have been proud to be on a list of Bernard L. Madoff’s customers. They had made the cut, and their money was getting the Madoff touch, growing steadily and solidly in good times and bad.
Women Set to Surpass Men In Labor Force
With the recession on the brink of becoming the longest in the postwar era, a milestone may be at hand: Women are poised to surpass men on the nation’s payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in American history.
Al-Maliki’s Party Wins in Iraq, But Will Need to Form Coalitions
The Dawa Party of Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki was the overwhelming winner of Iraq’s provincial elections, the first official results show. But while candidates in the slate backed by Dawa garnered the most votes of any party in nine of Iraq’s provinces, the party fell short of being able to operate without coalition-building. The initial results reflect a vast majority, but not all, of the votes.
Shorts (left)
President Obama signed an executive order on Thursday to create a revamped White House office for religion-based and neighborhood programs, expanding an initiative started by the Bush administration that provides government support — and financing — to religious and charitable organizations that deliver social services.
Scientists Study Possible Link Between Dam, Quake in China
Nearly nine months after a devastating earthquake in Sichuan province, China, left 80,000 people dead or missing, a growing number of American and Chinese scientists are suggesting that the calamity was triggered by a 4-year-old reservoir built close to the earthquake’s geological fault line.
Caterpillars Infest West Africa, Menacing Crops
A bizarre swarm of caterpillars is munching its way through the forests, cocoa and coffee fields of Liberia, threatening crops and forcing thousands to leave their homes because the bugs have contaminated the drinking water from rivers and lakes.
Chilly Ring Premiere, Weekend Warm-Up
Sophomores waiting in line for the Class of 2011 Ring Premiere tonight will have to endure cold temperatures as the chilly weather the region has experienced this week continues. While continued high pressure will present clear, sunny skies, the high temperature this afternoon will reach only the mid 20s˚F and proceed to fall to around 16˚F overnight. However, a relative improvement in conditions can be expected over the weekend, as sunny skies will persist with temperatures rising steadily through Saturday and Sunday. Highs in the low to mid 40s˚F can be expected for Saturday, while Sunday could see highs nearing 50˚F. Don’t get too comfortable, however, as temperatures will drop below freezing once again when school resumes on Monday.
Keeping Students’ (and Stomachs’) Interests in Mind
Two weeks ago, when a mass e-mail announced the commencement of campus shuttle service to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, students cheered. For the health-conscious, the gourmand, or the simple eater alike, improved accessibility to these popular grocery markets is certainly a win.
Screw Bipartisanship
When it comes to health care policy, two viable economic theories are battling it out across the left-right spectrum.
INTERVIEW From The UK to the US
In 2008, Los Campesinos! burst onto the indie rock scene with the release of their debut album, the critically acclaimed <i>Hold on Now, Youngster</i>. Their latest effort, the equally praised <i>We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed</i> hit stores last November. The Septet from Cardiff, Wales is currently on an extended American tour that takes them to the Paradise Lounge in Boston next Friday the 13th. Singer Gareth Campesino took time to talk to <i>The Tech</i> ahead of a show in Lawrence, Kansas.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Good for a Romantic Date Or Monday Night Foodie Fun
With Valentine’s Day looming around the corner, I thought I would try some restaurants that hopefully won’t break the bank while still maintaining a high level of quality. Sibling Rivalry, a self-proclaimed “modern American restaurant,” does just that. As you may surmise from its name, the restaurant is run by two siblings, Chefs David and Bob Kinkead, and each offers his own unique culinary creations on the menu. To add to the brotherly competition, they offer a special deal on Monday nights, two separate prix-fixe three-course menus for $35 each. The opportunity to be a judge, Iron-Chef-style, for a night? Sounds like my type of fun.
CD REVIEW This Album Brings Me Down… In a Good Way
Chicago-based songwriter and indie superstar Andrew Bird garnered peculiar amounts of attention after his 2005 release of <i>The Mysterious Production of Eggs</i>. Since then a relentless schedule of gigs, a successful album and EP release, and spots at larger festivals like Chicago’s Lollapalooza have driven Bird to surpass his contemporaries. Add on top of that success a writing gig at the <i>New York Times</i> and you’ll wonder how Bird does it all.
THEATER REVIEW Vietnam: In Your Face
Last season’s production of David Rabe’s classic 1970s play, <i>Streamers</i>, gives new meaning to the power of theatre. Executed by the Roundabout Theatre Company at Laura Pels Theatre in New York City, the performance included a cast of seasoned actors who brought an eerie realism to the tale of young soldiers awaiting deployment to Vietnam.
Sports Shorts
Double-digit attack efforts by Eric R. Reuland ’10, T. Scott Pollom ’09, Michael Demyttenaere ’10, and Garrett L. Winther ’11 would not be enough as nationally-ranked No. 7 Newbury College defeated MIT, 30-32, 30-28, 30-18, 30-20, on Tuesday. With the loss, the Engineers’ record moved to 4-6 overall and 3-2 in NECVA New England Division action.
Steelers Top Cardinals in Super Bowl, Win Sixth Championship
Last Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII, held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, to win their sixth title in franchise history. Although the result was anything but unexpected — with Pittsburgh being the heavy favorites to win — the final score does not reveal the suspense, dramatic turns, and big plays throughout the three hour, thirty-eight minute masterpiece.
GAME OF THE WEEK Men’s Swimming Ends Its Season Undefeated
MIT men’s swimming and diving, which is ranked No. 11 in the latest Division III national poll, claimed its first undefeated regular season in program history with a convincing victory at No. 19 Amherst College. Paced by two pool records, the Engineers topped the Lord Jeffs, 172-119, while closing out the regular portion of their slate with an 8-0 record.
