Robots labor to stanch flow of oil in Gulf of Mexico
NEW ORLEANS — Oil continued to pour into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday as the authorities waited to see if the quickest possible method of stopping the leaks would bring an end to what was threatening to become an environmental disaster.
Union strike hits Shaw’s
For the past two months, over 300 Shaw’s workers have been on strike at Shaw’s warehouse 30 miles away in Methuen. This weekend, the protest came to the MIT Shaw’s on Sidney Street. Picketers in Cambridge handed out flyers in front of the store and asked patrons to boycott Shaw’s until the strike is resolved.
Confronting the ‘elephant in the room’
Sexual Assault Awareness Week started yesterday in Stata, when around two dozen students gathered to share private stories about sexual violence. The event, called Take Back the Night, began a week of activities intended to bring talk of sexual assault into the open, as the first step toward ending it.
MIT News Office may win Webby
The MIT News Office is winning a close race for its first Webby People’s Voice Award. As of Monday April 26, the News Office leads the pack in the category for best school/university website, topping Wheaton College (30 percent), The University of Puget Sound (15 percent), Bucknell University (14 percent), and Point Park University (8 percent).
Shorts (right)
The Federal Trade Commission Monday accused the Hingham clothing retailer of making at least 3.4 million telemarketing calls in 2009 for its Talbots and J. Jill brands that violated federal law intended to protect consumers against intrusive telemarketing.
A republican mainstay for the White House? Maybe not
WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham makes no pretense about it. He wants to be where the action is.
After polls, Iraqi court begins to disqualify candidates
BAGHDAD – Seven weeks after Iraqis went to the polls, a special elections court disqualified a winning parliamentary candidate, most likely reversing the narrow defeat of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition and possibly allowing him the first chance to form a new coalition government.
Shorts (left)
The Globe’s daily circulation fell 23.2 percent to 232,432 in the six-month period that ended in March, compared to the same period a year ago, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Globe’s Sunday circulation dropped 18.8 percent to 378,949. Weekday circulation at the Herald fell 12 percent to 132,551, while Sunday declined 4.6 percent to 91,040.
Off Wall Street, companies worry about financial bill
WASHINGTON – Mars, the maker of M&M’s and Snickers, wants to make sure it can continue dabbling in the derivatives market to protect the price of sugar and chocolate for its candies.
Future Pope attempted to get fuller inquiry in abuse case
VIENNA – As Pope Benedict XVI has come under scrutiny for his handling of sexual abuse cases, both his supporters and his critics have paid fresh attention to the way he responded to a sexual abuse scandal in Austria in the 1990s, one of the most damaging to confront the church in Europe.
South Korean Defense Minister cites torpedo attack in warship sinking
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s defense minister on Sunday said a torpedo attack was the most likely cause for the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed at least 40 sailors last month, a statement that inched the country closer to placing blame on North Korea and added urgency to the question of how the South might respond.
April showers please bring the weekend
The same low pressure system that caused a deadly tornado outbreak in the southeastern United States over this past weekend is responsible for the presence of rain showers in the Boston area this morning. While this storm is not expected to cause severe weather this far north, it will leave clouds and rain hanging around until a cold front sweeps through the area later today. The frontal passage will lead to windy conditions and plummeting temperatures this evening as it ushers in a mass of cold Canadian air. However, the cold spell will be short-lived, as sunshine will return for the end of the week, returning springlike temperatures in time for the upcoming weekend.
The invisible
When we think of leaders, we frequently think of those most visible transformational figures whose foresight, charisma, and bravado forever shaped the world. However, this view is simplistic, and simply not sufficient to capture the full meaning of leadership. Like the “great men/women theory” of history, which attributes the chronology of the past to the actions of a few, this perspective on leadership ignores one of its most important characteristics — the fact that leadership is a collective phenomenon. The great man/woman does not exist without need, cannot function without support, and cannot succeed without belief. And so this article is for you, the oft-forgotten many whose desires and actions set the stage for the so-called great men and women.
Corrections
A story last Friday about the Boston Marathon gave the incorrect middle initial for Jared J. Markowitz G, who placed 47th. His middle initial is J, not M.
Breaking the silence
Rewind forty years and a few days to the very first Earth Day in 1970. One topic was on everybody’s mind: the growing human population. Scientists and environmentalists, eyeing exponentially increasing numbers, made dire predictions about mass famine and warfare as humanity outstripped the planet’s ability to provide space and resources.
Mr. Obama, tear down this wall
It is popular wisdom that immigrants are a drain upon our country. They’re stereotyped as either violent criminals, diseased, or wards of the state. We’re told that they steal American jobs, put a strain on our natural resources, and fail to integrate into our society. As immigration reform begins working its way through Congress, (and as Arizona goes insane), it is important to set the record straight and review the reasons why expanding legal immigration is in the interests of the United States.
Scoreboard
Baseball Friday, April 23 at U.S. Coast Guard AcademyL 7-6 Men’s Lacrosse Saturday, April 24 at Babson CollegeL 15-9 Women’s Lacrosse Saturday, April 24 at Wellesley CollegeL 14-7 Men’s Tennis Saturday, April 24 vs. Babson CollegeW 5-0 vs. Babson CollegeW 5-0 Men’s Track and Field Saturday, April 24 NEWMAC Championshhips1st of 6 Women’s Track and Field Saturday, April 24 NEWMAC Championshhips1st of 8
ATHLETES’ CORNER
The MIT Shotokan Karate Club sent four competitors to the Battle for Boston 2010 competition on Sunday, April 18. Vazrik Chiloyan ’11, a purple belt, won first place in intermediate kumite (sparring) against fierce competition in a large field of competitors, winning gold for MIT in his event.
Upcoming Home Events
Tuesday, April 27 Baseball vs. Newbury College 4 p.m., Briggs Field Wednesday, April 28 Men’s lacrosse vs. Norwich University 4 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Tuesday, April 27 Baseball vs. UMass-Bsoton 4 p.m., Briggs Field Sailing: Midweek Tech Invite 4 p.m., Charles River
Sports Shorts
The men’s and women’s track and field teams both defended their NEWMAC Championship titles last weekend at Springfield College. The men won their tenth straight title, and eleventh in twelve years, and the women won for the third time in the last four years.
Cinema in the Third Dimension
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the resurgence of feature films being presented in 3-D. On the one hand, it’s probably the most sensible response to the demand by moviegoers for novel and interesting cinema experiences, as the witty dialogue and compelling character-driven narrative of films like <i>Bounty Hunter</i> (unfortunately not the Boba Fett biopic I was hoping for) doesn’t seem to be cutting it, for some reason. On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed being removed from the cinema experience — not in the sense of being kicked out by ushers, but of being an impartial observer who can relate to the characters on the screen (sometimes) without having to inhabit their world. <i>300</i> was cool, but I think I’d feel a self-conscious need to work out more (or at least shower) if I saw Gerard Butler’s sweaty pecs popping out of the screen at me.
