MIT police officer shot near Stata Center, confirmed dead
Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Thursday evening, an MIT police officer was shot near the Stata Center, and has been confirmed dead by the Cambridge Police Department. Though the weapon used to shoot the officer has been recovered, the shooter is still at large.
Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line: Timeline
Earlier today, two explosions went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Copley Square. The Tech has compiled a timeline of the events. Stay tuned for more coverage.
Changes to MIT’s cybersecurity policy on the horizon
On April 2, Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz emailed the Academic Council to announce a few changes to emergency protocol and network security at MIT. The changes are in response to recent attacks on MIT’s information network and are part of an effort to better protect the MIT community.
Reif to appoint new Institute Community and Equity Officer
Yesterday, in an email addressed to the MIT community, President L. Rafael Reif announced the creation of a new position — the “Institute Community and Equity Officer,” or ICEO. The position will be filled by a member of the MIT faculty, and that the officer will serve as “a senior member of the administration,” wrote Reif in his email.
Mixed views on Kendall petition
On Monday, the Cambridge City Council voted in favor of a rezoning petition proposed by MIT to allow development of Kendall Square with tall buildings for residential and commercial use. There were seven votes in favor of the proposal, with Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom voting against and Vice Mayor Denise Simmons abstaining.
Prefrosh at CPW!
This weekend, MIT takes up a lively, festive appearance as the Institute gears up for the Class of 2017’s Campus Preview Weekend (CPW). 1085 prospective freshmen (or prefrosh) arrived on campus, with about 800 parents. They traveled from all over the world, with 28 international students from Australia, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, Russia and Canada. The Tech roamed around campus to chat with prefrosh to see how they’re spending their CPW. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.
A new mobile records database for police officers
NEW YORK — As the officers walked up to the entrance of a Harlem housing project, a loose knot of people out front scattered into the damp, dark night and a few lingerers cast cold stares at the officers. One of the officers reached into his pocket and pulled out the newest tool in the Police Department’s crime-fighting arsenal: a smartphone.
Gun control a liability for swing-state Democrats
WASHINGTON — The families of the Newtown, Conn., shooting victims who have converged on Capitol Hill this week made a point of visiting Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a freshman Democrat known for the “North Dakota nice” of her home state, but on the main issue that brought them here — limiting the capacity of gun magazines and universal background checks — she curtly rejected their pleas for support.
The prefrosh perspective
I really like it! I’m surprised that Maseeh is as big as it is. I’ve toured other campuses and their dorms are tiny.
Shorts (right)
ISTANBUL — Turkish police said Thursday that they found evidence of an al-Qaida-linked plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, a synagogue in Istanbul and other targets, during a raid on two houses in February.
Shorts (left)
A report on three of the first patients in China to contract a new strain of avian flu paints a grim portrait of severe pneumonia, septic shock and other complications that damaged the brain, kidney and other organs. All three died.
Unsettled weather today, but dry weekend
A potent storm system over the Midwest will continue traveling toward the Atlantic. The storm is responsible for numerous reports of severe weather across the eastern U.S. over the past two days. Most of these reports involved damaging winds on Wednesday, as a series of squall lines propagated eastward. Not surprisingly, given that tornadoes mostly occur in the spring, several tornadoes were also spotted closer to the Gulf. Since much of the atmospheric instability is confined to the southeastern U.S., we will only see a cool, steady rain today rather than thunderstorms. Some of the cool Canadian air mass will reach us because the approaching storm will actually split into two weaker low pressure areas. As this occurs, winds will partially blow from the north through tonight and keep temperatures near 40°F (4°C) for today. We may even see sleet mix in with the rain if the air above is sufficiently cold.
US blacklists Iranian business over sanction breach
The United States blacklisted an affluent Iranian business executive and what it described as his multibillion-dollar money laundering network Thursday, accusing them of selling oil for Iran in violation of the Western economic sanctions imposed over Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
Kerry heads to Asia to reassure allies of US support
MANAS, Kyrgyzstan — With tensions on high in the Korean Peninsula, Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in South Korea on Friday in an attempt to reassure U.S. allies in the region that the United States remains committed to their defense.
Pentagon finds nuclear strides by North Korea
WASHINGTON — A new assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm has concluded for the first time, with “moderate confidence,” North Korea has learned how to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile.
Unsafe practices found at compounding pharmacies
After a crash inspection program, federal regulators said Thursday that they had found numerous unsafe practices at about 30 compounding pharmacies, the same type of facility responsible for the tainted drug that caused a deadly meningitis outbreak last year.
Ensuring the success of competitive wrestling
As a member of the MIT wrestling team and the greater wrestling community, I was saddened by Boston University’s recent decision to drop its wrestling program. At a time when wrestling is still recovering from the shock of being dropped from the Olympics, this decision came as an added blow. However, I have been inspired by the way the wrestlers across the country have rallied together to try to save the program. While the university’s decision was disappointing, it is also emblematic of a larger problem with the sport.
America’s first black Major League player
After watching the masterful biopic 42, about the struggles of Jackie Robinson, his wife, and his team’s owner, during Jackie’s first year in the Major Leagues, the truth in Alonzo Bodden’s bit called “First Black Anything” becomes clear: “If you are the first black anything, you can’t be good. Your ass better be miraculous. You have to be unbelievable.” Bodden bemoans — in a hilarious manner — the uphill battle that non-whites face to earn recognition when entering any new field. Even though he gets to the subject apropos of Barack Obama’s presidency, Bodden illustrates the point invoking Jackie Robinson, “the first black player in the Mayor Leagues.”
Twisted mythology
MIT Professor of Music and Theater Arts Jay R. Scheib’s newest production, Elektra, took stage this month at Kresge Little Theater, starring an all-MIT-student cast. The Greek myth inspired tale of heartache and revenge makes the audience cringe, laugh, and gasp as characters spit blood into each other’s faces, surgically remove someone’s heart, reunite with long-lost siblings, and commit murder. The performance both captivates and horrifies the audience while effectively articulating its tragic theme.
A welcome update to an iconic film
In 1993, Steven Spielberg accomplished the impossible, bringing what seemed like living, breathing dinosaurs to the big screen in the world-renowned movie Jurassic Park. Now, two decades later, Universal Studios is back to take another bite out of the movie industry as it releases Jurassic Park 3D, quite literally adding an entirely new dimension to this classic film.
Dark-ambient electronica sounds from Sweden
Judging by the album cover, you might be thinking that another Britney Spears-inspired diva has emerged to conquer the world’s pop scene, but if you are a fan of the Swedish brother-sister duo The Knife, you know that this is far from the truth. The mellow-looking cover art is just a deceiving layer of their new album, Shaking the Habitual, which is everything but mellow.
Era-defining quality
Ever since I started reviewing for The Tech, I’ve found myself liking new game releases less and less. And this change has made me wonder: does reviewing a game as you play it lessen the experience? Or am I growing into a person who doesn’t like video games? Or is it neither, and today’s games are just not as exciting and fun as games of old were? I stayed up at night, searching for my gamer soul, hoping that Far Cry 3 was indeed boring and I wasn’t evolving into some ghastly sort of — shudder — non-gamer.
Wyatt L. Ubellacker ’13 is Swimmer of the Year
Wyatt L. Ubellacker ’13 has had quite the impressive year: the senior helped lead the men’s swimming and diving team to its fifth consecutive New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) title, was named the NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year for his five first place finishes, three of which were individual, and set four conference records.
Men’s volleyball wins final home match of season
In its final home match of the regular season on Tuesday night, the nationally-ranked MIT men’s volleyball team defeated Endicott College, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22. The victory extended the Engineers’ winning streak to 12 and lifted their record to 24-11 on the year while the Gulls dipped to 20-9 on the season.
