Subra Suresh nominated to lead National Science Foundation
President Barack Obama announced on June 3 that he plans to nominate MIT School of Engineering dean, Subra Suresh ScD ’81, to act as the next director of the National Science Foundation.
Wheeler ensnares campuses with ‘life of deception’
There were, in hindsight, plenty of reasons for the admissions office at Harvard to be suspicious of Adam Wheeler.
Berenson paroled in Peru
Lori Helene Berenson, a former MIT student and political activist imprisoned in Peru, was granted parole on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Berenson, who withdrew from MIT as a sophomore in 1988, has served 15 years out of a 20-year prison sentence for aiding the leftist guerilla group Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, or MRTA (Movimiento Revolucionario Túpac Amaru). She is now 40 years old.
Roche files Supreme Court brief
Biotech company Roche filed its opposition brief last month in <i>Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, et al.</i>, the intellectual property case that Stanford and MIT have both asked the Supreme Court to hear. Download it from our website at <i>http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N23/scotus/05_Roche_Brief_In_Opposition_To_Cert_Petition.pdf</i>.
C-Crete Technologies wins $100K
The winner of this year’s annual MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition was C-Crete Technologies, a team of MIT graduate students and collaborators who nano-engineered a new formula of concrete that would both improve material stability and decrease carbon dioxide emissions and cost.
Chem grad student Yu-Pu shares a capella remakes with growing YouTube fanbase
“If anyone asks us what we’re doing,” said Yu-Pu Wang, a first year graduate student studying chemistry here at MIT, “just tell them the truth.”
Nick Sisler: ‘big brother’
Many MIT students are searching for a way to help others. Nick Sisler ’11, Course II, has discovered how to make a difference in the life of an 11-year old boy. Nick has been a “big brother” to Evan Wilcox for three years, and was recently selected as a finalist for the Massachusetts Bay Big Brother Big Sister of the Year award. The Big Brother Big Sister program pairs children aged 6 through 18 with older mentors to develop “positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people,” according to their website.
Class of 2010 graduates today
MIT’s 143rd graduating class will receive their degrees on Killian Court today. At the commencement ceremony, 912 undergraduate students and 1443 graduate students will graduate.
New plans for dining: Breakfast, <br />more meals, higher price
On May 19, the House Dining Advisory Group (HDAG) released its 4-page final recommendation for House Dining, effective in Fall 2011. The new plan offers all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner seven days a week at the four dorms with dining halls (Baker, McCormick, Next, and Simmons). The final costs will depend on the selected vendor, but are now estimated to be $2,900/year for the cheapest plan and $3,800/year for the most expensive.
IFC hits DTD hard for CPW incident
An investigation by the Interfraternity Council has implicated Delta Tau Delta in the incident of a prospective student who became unconscious after consuming too much alcohol during Campus Preview Weekend. The IFC’s ruling imposes a number of sanctions on DTD, which include a one year ban on alcohol in the DTD house, a one-and-a-half year ban on most social events, restrictions on off-campus trips during next year’s rush, and a ban on hosting prefrosh during next year’s CPW.
Wartman, smiling, goes north
Jed W. Wartman, Assistant Dean for Student Activities, likes to say “yes” to good ideas. In his four years at MIT, he says this attitude is what has characterized his work. It’s an attitude he plans to take to his new position this fall as Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Campus Life at Colby College in Maine.
Opposite N42, a new bakery opens
A new aroma is coming to MIT. It’s the smell of delicious cookies, breads, and pastries from Flour Bakery and Cafe’s newest installation, Flour3. According to the bakery’s website, <i>http://www.</i><i>flourbakery</i><i>.com</i>, the new location hopes to open before the end of June. The new location will be firing up its ovens on 190 Mass Ave., right next to Central Bottle, the new wine store that opened in November, and opposite the Information Services and Technology building.
UA Finboard Releases Summer/Fall 2010 Funding Results
Group Req.Operations AllocationOperations Req.Capital AllocatedCapital Req.Events AllocatedEvents Req.P&P AllocatedP&P TotalReq. TotalAlloc. %Alloc. Active Minds at MIT $900 $600 $1,700 $200 $2,600 $800 31% African Students Association $4,932 $1,800 $338 $200 $5,270 $2,000 38% Alpha Phi Omega $200 $200 $200 $200 100% Alternative Spring Break $50 $50 $195 $195 $30 $30 $275 $275 100% MIT American Medical Students’ Association $300 $1,225 $600 $60 $60 $1,585 $660 42% American Red Cross Team and Network $1,324 $1,324 $90 $70 $1,460 $660 $132 $132 $3,006 $2,186 73% Anime Club, MIT $2,200 $700 $740 $740 $202 $202 $3,142 $1,642 52% Asian American Association $200 $100 $100 $100 $1,530 $1,460 $200 $200 $2,030 $1,860 92% Asian Baptist Student Koinonia $550 $220 $830 $580 $175 $150 $1,555 $950 61% Asian Christian Fellowship $500 $180 $220 $200 $200 $125 $25 $1,045 $405 39% MIT Assassins’ Guild $380 $380 $295 $120 $900 $900 $230 $230 $1,805 $1,630 90% Association of International Relations and Model United Nations $945 $1,150 $400 $390 $100 $2,485 $500 20% Association of Puerto Rican Students $300 $365 $170 $6,335 $2,000 $78 $78 $7,078 $2,248 32% Association of Taiwanese Students $235 $160 $2,240 $2,010 $100 $100 $2,575 $2,270 88% Asymptones $100 $50 $100 $50 50% Baptist Student Fellowship $750 $350 $50 $50 $800 $400 50% Best Buddies $320 $320 $80 $80 $400 $400 100% MIT Bhangra $3,850 $950 $425 $250 $4,275 $1,200 28% Biological Engineering - Biomedical Engineering Society (BE-BMES) $1,625 $1,350 $345 $170 $1,970 $1,520 77% Black Students’ Union $2,950 $2,000 $180 $180 $3,130 $2,180 70% Black Women’s Alliance $3,075 $1,800 $250 $250 $3,325 $2,050 62% Brain and Cognitive Sciences Society $544 $444 $6 $6 $550 $450 82% Brain Trust $55 $55 $1,257 $1,227 $108 $108 $1,420 $1,390 98% Campus Crusade for Christ $860 $2,800 $1,400 $210 $80 $3,870 $1,480 38% Campus Crusade for Cthulhu, MIT $200 $200 $675 $675 $150 $150 $1,025 $1,025 100% MIT Casino Rueda Group $850 $850 $275 $75 $440 $440 $50 $50 $1,615 $1,415 88% Caving Club $675 $675 $1,449 $390 $250 $250 $40 $40 $2,414 $1,355 56% MIT Chamak $185 $195 $330 $250 $60 $30 $575 $475 83% MIT Chess Club $230 $230 $280 $150 $510 $380 75% China Care $554 $1,800 $750 $100 $100 $2,454 $850 35% MIT Chinese Ensemble $147 $147 $230 $170 $50 $50 $427 $367 86% Chinese Students’ Club $270 $100 $560 $360 $10,380 $1,700 $200 $200 $11,410 $2,360 21% The Chorallaries of MIT $1,000 $150 $150 $150 $1,150 $300 26% Colleges Against Cancer $350 $350 $30 $30 $380 $380 100% Concert Band $200 $200 $1,100 $1,100 $700 $400 $215 $215 $2,215 $1,915 86% Cross Products $105 $105 $70 $70 $104 $105 $279 $280 100% Curling Club $300 $300 $150 $150 $20 $20 $470 $470 100% Dance Troupe $1,000 $250 $2,000 $2,000 $400 $200 $3,400 $2,450 72% MIT Debate Team $3,100 $1,500 $3,100 $1,500 48% MIT-EMS $460 $150 $900 $100 $1,000 $150 $630 $400 $2,990 $800 27% Engineers Without Borders - MIT $250 $250 $500 $500 $345 $200 $1,095 $950 87% MIT Fillipino Students Association $1,750 $1,100 $50 $50 $1,800 $1,150 64% GaMIT $1,150 $950 $35 $35 $1,185 $985 83% Gilbert and Sullivan Players $1,000 $300 $480 $480 $1,480 $780 53% Global Poverty Initiative $820 $820 $150 $150 $970 $970 100% MIT Go Club $200 $200 $225 $180 $155 $155 $580 $535 92% MIT Gospel Choir $1,260 $300 $50 $1,965 $1,315 $270 $270 $3,545 $1,885 53% Habitat for Humanity $2,800 $1,000 $2,270 $300 $300 $5,370 $1,300 24% MIT Hapa $1,150 $1,150 $20 $20 $1,170 $1,170 100% MIT Hawaii Club $560 $300 $100 $100 $1,000 $800 $200 $1,660 $1,400 84% MIT Hillel $650 $450 $475 $4,505 $325 $150 $5,955 $600 10% Hindu Students Council $125 $100 $90 $40 $1,925 $1,500 $205 $205 $2,345 $1,845 79% Hong Kong Student Society $1,150 $950 $100 $100 $1,250 $1,050 84% Imobilare $150 $150 $50 $50 $200 $200 100% Komaza $2,300 $2,300 $2,300 $2,300 100% Korean Students’ Association $60 $300 $100 $1,700 $600 $250 $250 $2,310 $950 41% La Union Por Chicano Atzlan $950 $750 $1,070 $800 $130 $130 $2,150 $1,680 78% Lab for Chocolate Science $200 $200 $1,050 $650 $50 $50 $1,300 $900 69% LDSSA (Latter-Day Saint Student Association) $120 $120 $528 $528 $100 $100 $748 $748 100% Lecture Series Committee $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 100% MIT Lion Dance Club $10 $10 $10 $10 $350 $350 $5 $5 $375 $375 100% MIT Live Music Connection $720 $720 $350 $300 $1,070 $1,020 95% MIT Logarhythms $500 $500 $180 $180 $1,100 $150 $203 $203 $1,983 $1,033 52% MAES $85 $1,623 $528 $150 $150 $1,858 $678 36% MIT Marching Band $100 $100 $375 $225 $70 $70 $545 $395 72% MentorConnection $450 $900 $300 $50 $50 $950 $800 84% mitBEEF $400 $100 $1,450 $1,200 $150 $150 $2,000 $1,450 73% MITraas $650 $1,565 $80 $2,295 0% Mocha Moves $170 $170 $502 $452 $100 $100 $772 $722 94% Movements in Time $400 $30 $30 $430 $30 7% Mujeres Latinas $150 $150 $2,375 $1,500 $250 $225 $2,775 $1,875 68% MIT Muses $100 $100 $1,000 $350 $150 $100 $100 $1,550 $350 23% Musical Theatre Guild $1,058 $818 $1,800 $1,100 $2,858 $1,918 67% National Society of Black Engineers $500 $500 $1,810 $1,310 $70 $70 $2,380 $1,880 79% National Society of Collegiate Scholars $204 $54 $1,215 $1,473 0% MIT Natya $825 $825 $100 $100 $925 $925 100% Network of Sloan Undergraduate Women $1,210 $960 $390 $390 $1,600 $1,350 84% Nigerian Students Association $600 $600 $100 $100 $700 $700 100% NOBCChE-MIT $2,025 $400 $70 $70 $2,095 $470 22% Oori $300 $300 $300 $300 100% OrigaMIT $150 $150 $129 $129 $335 $335 $30 $30 $644 $644 100% PaksMIT $2,210 $650 $180 $100 $2,390 $750 31% Pershing Rifles $300 $300 $895 $605 $1,195 $905 76% MIT Pro Life $180 $140 $273 $63 $453 $203 45% MIT Quidditch Team $200 $200 $530 $250 $400 $400 $75 $75 $1,205 $925 77% RecycleMania $500 $200 $200 $200 $700 $400 57% Resonance $20 $20 $1,200 $350 $850 $150 $2,070 $520 25% Ridonkulous $905 $300 $1,000 $175 $2,380 0% Science Fiction Society, MIT $3,000 $1,000 $3,000 $1,000 33% SEALNet@MIT $349 $110 $778 $778 $70 $70 $1,197 $958 80% Shakespeare Ensemble $940 $240 $400 $400 $50 $50 $1,390 $690 50% Sloan Undergraduate Management Association $30 $130 $130 $1,600 $1,000 $240 $240 $2,000 $1,370 69% Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers $700 $500 $130 $30 $830 $530 64% South Asian American Students $45 $45 $1,835 $1,035 $245 $230 $2,125 $1,310 62% Stand Up Comedy Club $350 $200 $290 $290 $50 $50 $690 $540 78% Strategic Games Society $200 $200 $150 $150 $10 $5 $360 $355 99% Student Juggling Club $265 $75 $75 $25 $25 $365 $100 27% MITSI - MIT Students for Israel $1,700 $100 $1,800 0% Students for the Exploration and Development of Space $400 $400 $200 $200 $700 $500 $100 $100 $1,400 $1,200 86% Sustainability@MIT $900 $5,500 $500 $100 $100 $6,500 $600 9% MIT Swara $3,300 $1,500 $300 $200 $3,600 $1,700 47% MIT Syncopasian $35 $35 $45 $45 $500 $250 $180 $180 $760 $510 67% Techiya $45 $60 $50 $300 $455 0% Toons $500 $500 $600 $400 $470 $270 $1,570 $1,170 75% MIT Traditional Medicine Society $820 $515 $1,335 0% MIT Undergraduate Biochemistry Association $680 $680 $60 $60 $740 $740 100% MIT Undergraduate Research Journal $2,000 $2,000 $200 $200 $400 $250 $2,600 $2,450 94% United Christian Fellowship $110 $110 $50 $50 $410 $45 $45 $410 $615 $615 100% University Alliance for Essential Medicine $100 $240 $2,200 $200 $2,740 0% Vietnamese Students Association $70 $25 $1,095 $1,095 $40 $40 $1,230 $1,135 92% Voo Doo $200 $1,750 $1,750 $1,950 $1,750 90% Western Hemisphere Project $100 $510 $510 $150 $150 $760 $660 87% Music groups x 250 (10) $2500 $2500 TOTAL $209,301 $109,467
Corrections
A photo caption on page 15 of the Friday, May 7 issue incorrectly stated that the John Hancock Tower in Boston was designed by I.M. Pei ’40. While the Tower was designed by Pei’s firm, Pei Cobb Freed and Partners, the architects were Henry N. Cobb and Harold Fredenburgh, not Pei.
Inside the Reactor
The reactor building is divided into two sections — an external portion where the offices and basic training facilities are kept, and the containment chamber, the domed building that surrounds the reactor itself.
Physicists say weapon failed in missile tests
President Barack Obama’s plans for reducing America’s nuclear arsenal and defeating Iran’s missiles rely heavily on a new generation of anti-missile defenses, which last year he called “proven and effective.”
Anna Tang’s trial set for June 22
The trial of Anna Tang, accused of stabbing her ex-boyfriend in 2007, has been postponed once again, until June 22 and 23.
MIT and NStar to save $50M in energy
Last week Wednesday, May 26, MIT announced its “Efficiency Forward” initiative aimed at drastically cutting MIT’s energy use and cost over the next three years.
Slocum named to energy secretary’s oil spill panel
MIT professor of mechanical engineering Alexander H. Slocum ’82 was recently appointed by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to join a group of five scientists whose primary purpose is to devise alternative strategies to help slow the BP oil spill.
MIT announces yield %
Around 64 percent of prospective freshmen chose to accept their offers of admissions to MIT, roughly the same fraction as did last year, according to Dean of Admissions Stuart Schmill ’86.
MIT nuclear reactor trains students in safe management of complex systems
Brian K. Baum ’10 calls his job “essentially glorified babysitting,” but he’s not watching over his neighbor’s kids. Instead, he is one of a small group of undergraduates who operates MIT’s nuclear reactor.
New Israeli tack needed on Gaza, U.S. officials say
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration considers Israel’s blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel’s security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area, senior American officials said Wednesday.
Abortion foes advance<br />cause at state level
At least 11 states have passed laws this year regulating or restricting abortion, giving opponents of abortion what partisans on both sides of the issue say is an unusually high number of victories. In four additional states, bills have passed at least one house of the legislature.
Shorts (right)
The Transportation Department signaled Wednesday that it planned to be more aggressive in forcing airlines to address common traveler frustrations, proposing a wide range of consumer protections. They come on top of earlier rules limiting how much time passengers can sit on planes on the tarmac.
Nuclear option on the oil spill?<br />U.S. says no thank you
The chatter began weeks ago as armchair engineers brainstormed for ways to stop the torrent of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico: What about nuking the well?
Shorts (left)
Last month, when Steve St. Angelo, a longtime executive at Toyota in the United States, traveled to Japan, it was an eye-opening journey.
Heaviest users of AT&T<br />phone data will pay more
They spend hours watching video on their phones, downloading songs, browsing the Web, sending photos to friends and generally using mobile devices as full-fledged computers. They are the data hogs.
Commencement Weather
Last week when I picked up my regalia, I was warned that the fabric’s dye could run if the temperatures were warm or if it rained. Thankfully, it looks like our chance for rain during Commencement will be minimal. Highs should be reasonable as well, near 76°F (24°C). (With any luck, I’ll wear the white dress sitting in my closet.) Skies during commencement should be partly cloudy, with clouds increasing overnight. The chance for rain will also increase overnight and into Saturday as a shortwave moves through. The chance for rain will continue through Saturday night into Sunday as a weakly unstable air mass continues over the region. Temperatures through the weekend should remain comfortable with highs in the mid-70s, and lows in the 60s. A weak cold front will pass through Sunday night, followed by drier conditions and a more stable synoptic setup through the beginning of next week. And thus concludes my last Tech forecast as an MIT student. Good luck to the Class of 2010!
Study cited for health-cost cuts overstated upside, critics say
In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so.
The freshman experience
I remember falling asleep that first night after moving into my room. Music blasted somewhere in the distance, cars zoomed by across the river, and voices shouted and laughed outside as people walked by MacGregor House. It was a sharp contrast to what I was used to. Having grown up in Uxbridge, MA, a small town of 13,000, I was accustomed to far more natural sounds: the rustling of leaves as the wind swept through them. The chirping of crickets amid the buzzing of other insects. The gentle pattering of rain on the roof.
Where will you go from here?
In 1970, an American agronomist named Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize. His research on improving crop yields, a central component to what is commonly called the “Green Revolution,” has been credited with saving as many as a billion lives. If this estimate is an exaggeration, it is not a large one — at the time of Borlaug’s effort, the conventional wisdom of pundits, epitomized by Paul Ehrlich’s “The Population Bomb,” was that without significant population control, mankind was on its way to mass starvation. Though he achieved little fame or monetary reward, Borlaug may be the greatest humanitarian of all time.
Process is key for dining
For all undergraduates, including the majority who don’t live in dining hall dorms and have no direct stake in the costs of meal plans, MIT’s house dining program impacts more than just how they eat; it impacts their cultures, friends, and social habits. Changing house dining, a financial necessity, will alter or eliminate some long cherished traditions and replace them with new, potentially better ones.
Life in the cement bunker
Over the course of four years at MIT, I’ve come to realize the meaning of IHTFP. I distinctly remember the senses of anguish: the smell of a blown op-amp at 2AM, feeling powerless when MIT cut eight varsity sports, the taste of another Red Bull while trying to finish that computational biology project, and listening to the collective groan of freshmen getting back their physics exams. The visions of paradise are even more vivid: watching our professor race to erase multivariable calculus equations in 10-250 before the boards could reset, observing a unanimous vote of the faculty to approve an experiment that could bring together the fall career fair and the September student holiday, and seeing it start to snow right before my first crew regatta. During the weeks since class ended, I’ve found myself thinking about how unique some of these experiences are to MIT and identifying the common thread behind them: our community and its insistence on the freedom to explore.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Fresh French feasts right in our backyard
I finally understand how Craigie On Main has appeared on the “Best of Boston” list year after year. After just my first visit, it easily moved to the top of my list, too. Off Main Street in Central Square, Craigie is anything but casual, perfectly pairing complex French cuisine with the simple taste of local New England. Classic 1920s prints decorate one wall, while another is adorned with myriad cooking pots and books. The rustic French design is complimented by a spacious open kitchen where diners can watch Chef Tony Maws busy at his art. The menu fluctuates with the seasons, and it’s compiled only with the freshest and often organic, but always local meats, fish, and vegetables. If you’re craving passionfruit out of season, you won’t find it on this menu. But if you want the richest, tangiest rhubarb flavor during the spring, the “Market Fruits Crisp” paired with canela ice cream is definitely for you.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Jazz it up with some EVOO
Though I don’t normally think of Kendall Square as the happenin’ place in town (most of the Cambridge nightlife and restaurants are clustered in Central Square), EVOO has spiced up the scene and brought the crowds to an area previously devoid of palatable pizazz. EVOO (which stands for “extra virgin olive oil”), though new to the Kendall Square area behind the Mariott hotel, is no newbie to the culinary world. The restaurant moved from Somerville just over a month ago.
BALLET REVIEW Balanchine presented via a trio sampler
The<i> Ultimate Balanchine</i> is not a ballet centralized around a single storyline. It instead focuses on the famous choreographer George Balanchine (1904-1983), known both for his mastery of traditional ballet technique and for his revolutionary style that founded modern ballet. The <i>Ultimate Balanchine</i> is a compilation of three of Balanchine’s ballets: <i>The Four Temperaments</i>, <i>Apollo,</i> composed by Igor Stravinsky, and <i>Theme and Variations,</i> composed by Tchaikovsky. The very distinct styles piece together form a program that displays the extensive range of Balanchine’s career.
MIT Cycling faces ECCC rivals in Madison
Nine members of the MIT cycling team competed in the Collegiate Road Nationals, held May 7-9 in Madison, Wisconsin. The event opened on Friday with an incredibly challenging road race at Blue Mound State Park. Rain, temperatures in the 40’s, and over 8,000 feet of climbing over 70 miles made the men’s race a race of attrition, with only half the starters finishing the race. John Dreher G was MIT’s first finisher, in a solid 18th place, even though he had upgraded to A’s just three weeks before nationals. Despite riding the last 10 miles of the race with a broken shifter cable, forcing him to run up the steep hills, John Rhoden G placed 27th. After spending much of the race chasing after getting a flat tire, Tim Humpton ’10 finished in 32nd place.
US preps for World Cup against Czechs, Turks
Last week, the US Men’s National Team played two friendly matches against the Czech Republic and Turkey teams, as a tune-up for the World Cup.
Senior spotlight: Exceptional student-athletes
In the spirit of today’s commencement, the sports section has chosen to spotlight a smattering of MIT’s graduating student-athletes. It is a testament to the strength of the Institute’s athletic program that we do not have space to feature all of the seniors, though we tip our caps to every student who balanced the time commitment that a varsity sport requires with some of the nation’s most rigorous academics.
What MIT taught me
After spending all these years walking across 77 Mass Ave, it is only natural that I should ask myself what I have learned from the Institute. The more interesting question would be to ask what I “haven’t” or “couldn’t” learn. I’ll go with “haven’t,” because it puts more weight on personal responsibility — definitely learned about that at MIT!
Crisis on multiple majors
Well, that’s it for junior year. Grades are in, sighs of relief have been released and blood pressure is back down. Yet a single understanding hangs over my head like an incontinent pigeon: in a matter of months, I’ll be a college senior. High-pitched, hyperventilated screams of panic abound. It’s not just the looming graduate school or reality, or the fact that I still don’t know which one it’s going to be. It’s not my inability to decide what I want to do or why, either. Nor is it the knowledge that many of my best mentor figures are going off to do with confidence aplenty the very things I’m panicking about. It’s...well, actually, I’m not entirely sure what it is, but it most certainly isn’t any of the above. No, sir, most definitely not one of those.
