The Tech chats with Bruce Friedrich
After debating MIT’s Parliamentary Debate Team, Bruce Friedrich, PETA Vice President of policy and government affairs, sat down with The Tech to discuss his views on the ethical treatment of animals.
45 student teams compete for $15K
Forty-five teams competed for $15,000 last night in the final round of MIT’s Innovation, Development, Enterprise, Action and Service (IDEAS) Competition, spelling out their vision to make the world a better place. The annual competition focuses on innovation in the realm of public service. Teams entered projects in fields ranging from health care and education to food production, with many focusing on the challenges of world poverty and international development.
Joichi Ito named new Media Lab Director
Joichi “Joi” Ito was named as the new director of the MIT Media Lab in an announcement yesterday. He will be the fourth director of the Media Lab, founded in 1985. Ito will take over the directorship from Franklin H. Moss PhD ’77, who has held the position for the past five years.
Should MIT go vegan?
Bruce Friedrich, the vice-president of policy and government affairs for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), debated the ethics of eating meat with the MIT Debate Team on Monday night in 10-250. Shireen S. Rudina ’13, the debate team’s vice president of tournaments, argued against Friedrich’s proposal that eating meat is unethical under all circumstances.
Broad Institute extension approved
Early last week, the Broad Institute Board of Directors authorized plans to construct a Broad Institute extension. Alan Fein, executive vice president and deputy director of the Broad Institute, delivered the news in an email sent to the Broad community last Friday. According to the email, the Planning Board of the City of Cambridge approved the external appearance of the building on April 12. The transcript of the meeting is not yet available.
Shorts (right)
Egyptians are looking forward with extraordinary confidence and enthusiasm to their first free and fair elections this fall after the defining revolution of the Arab spring, according to the first major poll since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. But they remain deeply divided over the role of Islam in their public life.
Shorts (left)
When an arbitrator ruled this month that Detroit could reduce the pensions being earned by its police sergeants and lieutenants, it put the struggling city at the forefront of a growing national debate over whether the pensions of current public workers can or should be reduced.
Syria intensifies military attacks against rebels
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian Army stormed the restive city of Dara’a with tanks and soldiers and helped detain dozens in towns across the country Monday in an escalation of the crackdown on Syria’s five-week-old uprising, according to residents and human rights activists. They said at least 25 people had been killed in Dara’a, with reports of bodies strewn in the streets.
Prison break by Taliban leaders sets hundreds free
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban leaders carried out an audacious plot Monday to free nearly 500 fighters from southern Afghanistan’s largest prison, leading them through a tunnel dug over more than five months and equipped with electricity and air pipes, which suggested that the insurgents remain formidable and wily opponents despite recent setbacks.
Haley Barbour, Mississippi governor, won’t run for president
WASHINGTON — Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi had hired a campaign manager, lined up influential Republican activists in early-voting states and secured commitments from donors across the country, but he surprised them all Monday by announcing that he was abandoning his effort to join the Republican presidential race.
NATO strikes Gadhafi office compound, Italy joins the fight
TRIPOLI, Libya — NATO warplanes struck Moammar Gadhafi’s compound here early on Monday and also bombed a state television complex in an escalation of the air campaign to aid the rebellion against his four decades in power.
April showers will linger this week
The last week of April will have spotty showers as the main weather concern. Through Thursday night we may experience raindrops at almost any time, day or night. A slow-moving low pressure system located in the northern Midwest is responsible for the wet and cloudy weather today. By Wednesday this system will be “pushed” slightly north as another storm system forms in the southern Midwest. But as Thursday rolls around, the new storm will swing a cold front through New England, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms. The weather through this week will be quite warmer than last week, with highs reaching 70°F (21°C) and lows staying in the 50s°F (10–15°C). The warm weather will take shape when a warm front edges its way northward into Canada today. A flow of Gulf moisture will also become apparent with the warm front’s passage.
Yemen’s opposition accepts deal for transfer of power
Yemen’s opposition coalition on Monday accepted a proposal for a transfer of power, bringing the country closer to a resolution of months of political turmoil and countless demonstrations calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
GUEST COLUMN Eating animals is indefensible … but try me
As the vice president of policy for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I’ve spent much of the last year visiting college campuses across the country and being inspired, challenged, and motivated by top debate teams as we sparred over the ethical implications of eating meat. After dozens of such debates, one thing is clear: a vegan lifestyle is more mainstream than ever on college campuses.
Restructuring is too important to rush
While we agree that the UA Senate is a broken, inefficient system and we would certainly like to see it reformed, we do not believe that compiling and implementing a hastily constructed proposal in the last few weeks of term is the way to fix it.
Cycling extends conference lead
The MIT Cycling team competed in its final regular-season race weekend April 16–17 and continued to extend its lead in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference ahead of the conference championships. The four-race weekend consisted of two races held at Dartmouth College on Saturday and two races organized by the University of New Hampshire on Sunday.
ISAAC T. ENTZ ’11 Isaac T. Entz is up in the air
Isaac T. Entz ’11, a senior in Course 16, is currently taking the intense 2.007 (Design and Manufacturing I), yet still finds time to enjoy playing on the MIT Ultimate Frisbee team. Recollecting how he got so interested in Ultimate, Isaac explained, “I first learned to play after home football games at my high school. Half of the marching band would stick around after games to play, and that’s where I got my start. I didn’t play competitively in high school but did play pickup Ultimate with a quality group at the local college in town.”
SPORTS SHORT
The MIT Heavyweight Men’s Crew swept Colgate University in two races Saturday morning in the Charles River Basin. The freshman eight, stroked by Michael R. Klinker ’14, started off the day’s action. The Engineers’ firepower proved too much for the Colgate Raiders, as MIT took a lead at the start and extended it throughout the race. MIT won with a time of 6 minutes 14 seconds, 30 seconds ahead of Colgate. The freshmen race next weekend in Hanover, N.H. against Dartmouth College and the University of Wisconsin.
Tennis earns two more wins
Last Wednesday MIT Women’s Tennis had a long match against Brandeis University. The number one team of Lauren C. Quisenberry ’14 and Candace L. Wu ’14 lost 8-3 to their opponents. The number two doubles team of Julia C. Hsu ’14 and Bianca M. Dumitrascu ’13 dominated the court and won their match 8-4. The doubles team of Melissa A. Diskin ’11 and Katharine A. O’Neal ’14 defeated their opponents 8-5, giving MIT a 2-1 lead.
Afterhours with Beth Taylor
Elizabeth Vogel Taylor PhD ’07 loves her role as an instructor at MIT. Since MIT instructors don’t run their own labs, they get to focus all of their time on teaching, which Taylor does, both in the 5.111 (Principles of Chemical Science) classroom and also in her work developing chemistry teaching tools. She spoke with The Tech about why she enjoys teaching chemistry and trying to teach German to her baby daughter.
MAY CONTAIN NUTS Healthy, ‘well’-thy, and wise
“How you doin’?” The common answer is “good” — or “well” for the grammatically correct. But is this really the case? Perhaps in a superficial sense, yes. But from a health standpoint, the answer may not be so fitting. For me, I know that this semester has taken quite a toll on my sleeping and eating habits. I’ve succumbed to the age-old truth that you have to pick two: sleep, grades, or friends.
Cheat Sheet aka that random stuff that never shows up on the test
The Tech: What’s your favorite place in the world?
Institute Double Take
The limited dynamic range of a camera can often pose difficulties for the photographer, but in certain situations, it can also create artistic possibilities.
Events: Apr. 26 - May 2
Events Apr. 26 – May 2 Tuesday (4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Former NY Governor, Eliot Spitzer, on Government’s Role in the Market — E51 (Wong Auditorium) (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Dr. Peter-Paul Henze, scientific officer of the German Consulate in Boston presents “The Landscape of German Science and Innovation” — E40-496 (7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Chamber Music Society - Student Jazz Combos — Killian Hall Wednesday (2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.) Fulbright Info Session — 1-242 (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) EECS MasterWorks: a showcase of Masters’ theses — 32-G401 (5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Emerson Scholar Student Recital: Jennifer I. Lai ’11, piano — Killian Hall Thursday (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) MIT’s Action Learning program Spring poster session — E62 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Greek Week Barbecue — Kresge Oval Friday (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) Emerson Scholars Student Recital - Adrian M. Grossman ’14, electric and acoustic bass and Dylan Sherry ’12, tenor and soprano saxophone — Killian Hall (3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Greek Week Carnival — Kresge Oval (5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Emerson Fellow Student Recital - Sarah E. Rumbley ’12, piano — Killian Hall (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) MIT and the World’s Largest Science Experiment: Hunting the Higgs Boson at CERN — 32-123 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MTG Presents: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — Kresge Little Theatre (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Chamber Chorus concert — W16 (8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.) Spring Weekend Concert: Jason Derülo and Janelle Monae — W34 Saturday (11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) Under the Dome: MIT 150 Open House — W31 (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) MIT Flying Club hosts Fly-In/Drive-In — Beverly Airport (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Gospel Fest 2011 — W20-208 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble Pomeroy Memorial Concert — Kresge Auditorium Sunday (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Greek Week Cake-off and Lunch — Kresge Lawn (4:30 p.m.) MIT Sport Taekwondo presents the 9th annual KICK-A-THON! — Kresge Lawn Monday (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) Lunch with a Luminary: Peter A. Diamond PhD ‘63 — MIT Museum (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) IDEAS and MIT Global Challenge and Awards Ceremony — W16 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
