Police find body in Charles, has tentative identity
Around noon yesterday, state police troopers and the state police marine unit responded to the report of a dead body under the Harvard Bridge near Memorial Drive. According to the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Twitter feed, the body was recovered and under investigation by the Middlesex County detective unit as of 2:43 p.m.
Four professors selected for MacVicar fellowships
Today is MacVicar Day, a celebration of MIT’s dedication to enriching undergraduate education. As part of the celebration, this year’s MacVicar Fellows are being honored at this afternoon’s symposium.
A memorial for Aaron Swartz
A memorial was held for Aaron Swartz on the sixth floor of the Media Lab Tuesday evening. The event, hosted by Media Lab director Joi Ito, included speakers like Swartz’ colleagues, friends, and family.
Two tickets on the ballot for 2013-2014 UAP/VP
Students will cast their votes next week for the 2013–2014 Undergraduate Association President and Vice President. The next UA President and Vice President will take office at the end of the spring term. There are two tickets running this year: Cory D. Hernandez ’14/John Kongoletos ’14, and Sidhanth P. Rao ‘14/Devin T. Cornish ’14. Voting opens on Monday, March 18 and will be open at vote.mit.edu until Friday, March 23.
UAP/VP candidates debate goals
The two tickets running for UA President and Vice President faced off last night in a debate in the student center, co-hosted by the UA and The Tech. Running for President and Vice President, respectively, is the team of Cory Hernandez ’14 and John Kongoletos ’14, and the team of Sidhanth Rao ’14 and Devin Cornish ’14.
1548 admitted frosh for the Class of 2017
Yesterday evening, 898 high school seniors found extra reason to celebrate, besides the inherent mathiness of the date. As per tradition, MIT released admissions decisions for the fall’s incoming freshman class on Pi Day at precisely 6:28 p.m., or “tau o’clock,” in honor of pi’s bigger cousin constant.
Spring not here yet
After some spring-like weather earlier this week, temperatures have cooled down and will remain slightly below average for the foreseeable future. While in the past Boston has recorded highs in March above 70°F, the mean high temperature is 46°F. This weekend will bring temperatures around freezing, with scattered clouds and chances of precipitation.
Ieng Sary, former Khmer Rouge official, dies at 87
Ieng Sary, the former foreign minister of the Khmer Rouge who was one of three elderly leaders on trial on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, died Thursday in a hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he had been taken from his holding cell. He was 87.
To aid Syria rebels, France urges end to arms embargo
BRUSSELS — France, joining Britain, is urging its European Union partners to meet this month and end an arms embargo on Syria, to allow weapons to be sent to the opposition there.
US says Greek executive evaded sanctions on Iran
The United States blacklisted a Greek business executive and 14 of his companies Thursday, accusing them of conspiring with Iran to acquire eight large petroleum tankers used to transport Iranian oil to unwitting foreign customers in defiance of Western economic sanctions.
Netanyahu prepares to accept new government coalition
JERUSALEM — After six weeks of struggle, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared close Thursday night to finalizing a new governing coalition that may make significant changes on domestic issues like religious pluralism but is likely to be paralyzed on the Middle East peace process.
Iran abandons chase of drone after warnings from the US
WASHINGTON — An Iranian jet fighter pursued an American surveillance drone over the Persian Gulf this week.
Honoring MIT’s fallen
Lobby 10 is the crossroads of our campus. Student groups use it to advocate for causes, advertise for events, and to practice and perform. Despite its active role in student life and high visibility, many often forget that Lobby 10 serves another purpose — it is a war memorial.
BDS — a new name for an old tactic
On Apr. 1 1933, the Nazi regime implemented a nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany. Hitler’s Sturmabteilung storm troopers stood outside Jewish shops to prevent customers from entering, and vandals painted Jewish stars across doorways with slogans like “Germans! Defend yourselves! Do not buy from Jews” and “Go to Palestine!” This phenomenon quickly spread to other countries, with boycotts against Jews occurring in Poland and Hungary in 1935 and 1938, respectively.
Beyond technical communication
For many MIT students, the communication requirement is like a trip to the dentist’s office. We know it’s good for us, and after it’s over we are glad we did it, but no one looks forward to it and it’s painful to endure.
CORRECTIONS
The article titled “Brass Rat unveiled: 2015 Ring Premiere”, published on February 19, 2013, was mistakenly not marked as a Reporter’s Notebook. Reporter’s Notebooks differ from normal news stories in that they are written in first person style and include the reporter’s impressions about the event that they attended.
Oz the Meh
Oz The Great and Powerful is a prequel to Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. In keeping with this, Oz The Great and Powerful begins in gray scale and transitions to color, and the plot involves the Wizard making a medley of new friends. Like the musical Wicked, the film imagines the origins of an important but secondary character, in this case the Wizard of Oz. This version of events, too, explains how the Wicked Witch of the West became so wicked, and sets the scene for L. Frank Baum’s story in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
CAFÉ REVIEW: Like a cozy corner in Europe
If Atomic Bean Café is equivalent to hipsterland, going to Tatte is an escape to relaxed yuppiedom. With its rickety little wooden chairs and the warm light of its collage of light fixtures, it feels distinctly European.
A tale of two SimCities
When I was 10 years old, my favorite game in the world was SimCity 2000. I was fanatical about it — I spent whole weekends planning out city blocks on sheets of graphing paper and testing them to see which was the most efficient. I spent so many hours on the simulation that it’s possible it sowed the seeds of my political leanings.
Glimpse of the divine
Boston Ballet’s spring season began last week with All Kylián, a compilation of three pieces by the prestigious Czech choreographer Jirí Kylián.
Refreshing to the ears
Starting precisely together, the basses and cellos began the concert with vibrant depth in their tones. Immediately after, the soloist Vadim Repin began his violin entrance with his eyes closed and a serene face.
A jazzy story
MIT is unquestionably known for science and technology — many of the world’s cutting-edge research projects and ideas have either been developed here or are at least somehow connected to the Institute.
A new take on arts and entrepreneurship at MIT
Startup companies competing in the MIT $100K Launch Contest now have a chance to win $10K for incorporating art or design into their business. The $10K Creative Arts Competition, sponsored by Arts at MIT, will be awarded annually starting this year. To be eligible, a $100K entrant must have art or design at the core of its business model. The goal of the prize is to promote art-focused startups and put MIT at the forefront of art and design competitions.
MIT curling team takes bronze at Nationals
The MIT Curling Team swept their way to a bronze-medal finish in the playoffs at the National College Curling Championships in Duluth, MN. The title capped an overall 5-1 win-loss record at the event, which was held from March 8 to March 10. This year, the national competition was limited to 16 schools that earned the highest number of merit points in local bonspiels (the curling term for tournament). MIT earned their berth in the national competition by posting an undefeated record for the season, winning both bonspiels they competed in this year.
EVANGELOS L. EFSTATHIOU ‘00: Assistant fencing coach heads to World Cup
Meet Evangelos L. Efstathiou ’00. When Evan isn’t traveling the world as a maritime software sales director, assistant coaching for the MIT Varsity Women’s and Men’s Fencing teams, or teaching his 5-year old daughter Katherine how to fence with foam swords, he is competing in the U.S. and International fencing circuits.
