NEWS BRIEFS
Yesterday, Adèle Naudé Santos, dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) announced her intention to step down and return to faculty, effective at the end of the Spring semester. Santos is a professor in both the Department of Architecture and the Department of Urban Studies (DUSP), as well as a practicing architect with her own architecture studio in San-Francisco, Santos Prescott and Associates.
The life of Prof. Robert A. Alberty
Robert A. Alberty, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry and former dean of MIT’s School of Science — whose seminal contributions to the thermodynamics and kinetics of biochemical reactions are still at the forefront of chemistry — passed away on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the age of 92.
3.091 to return to traditional lecture format
3.091 is reverting back to its original format of lecture/recitation as the semester-long experiment comes to an end. Findings from the experiment are not yet conclusive, 3.091 Professor Michael J. Cima stressed in an email to The Tech; the full report to the Committee on the Undergraduate Program is due at the end of February.
Putin is given cool reception at EU headquarters
BRUSSELS — President Vladimir Putin for years trumpeted Russia’s grand ambitions for improved relations with the European Union.
In State of the Union, Obama vows solo action on economy
WASHINGTON — After five years of fractious political combat, President Obama declared independence from Congress on Tuesday as he vowed to tackle economic disparity with a series of limited initiatives on jobs, wages and retirement that he will take without legislative approval.
Thai aristocrat sides with the poor
BANGKOK — With a buzzer installed in her house to summon her servants and a royal title that helps secure choice tables at Bangkok restaurants, Malinee Chakrabandhu is a bona fide member of the Thai aristocracy.
Shares of Yahoo fall after it reports drop in revenue
SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo still lags far behind its major Internet competitors, but the company’s performance under Marissa Mayer continues to improve.
Shorts (left)
BEIRUT — Islamist rebels and extremist groups have seized control of most of Syria’s oil and gas resources, a rare generator of cash in the country’s war-battered economy, and are now using the proceeds to underwrite their fights against one another as well as President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials say.
House votes for tighter restrictions on federal payments for abortions
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to impose tighter restrictions on federal payments for abortions, thrusting the issue of a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy into the polarizing politics of an election year.
Shorts (right)
DUBLIN — The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that a 48-year-old Irish woman was entitled to compensation for the government’s failure to protect her from sexual abuse as a child when she attended a publicly financed Roman Catholic primary school in the 1970s.
Chilly temperatures continue
Although we experienced a brief respite from the cold on Monday with afternoon temperatures reaching into the mid 40s°F, that relief did not last long thanks to another Arctic cold front sweeping across our area Monday evening. Behind the front, air temperatures in the teens combined with wind gusts of up to 28 mph led to bitterly cold wild chills below 0°F yesterday morning.
CORRECTIONS
Due to an editing error, The Naturalist’s Notebook column in the Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013 issue neglected to specify the following in a quote: “ … Fiat Spider 850; you don’t often see those around anymore.”
Charm School — headed in the wrong direction?
People at MIT, like people anywhere, get together for a variety of reasons: to enjoy each other’s company, to work, to play, to serve the community. The concern that prompts my writing is that Charm School, first organized more than 20 years ago as an enjoyable, playful, service-oriented IAP activity, has, to its detriment, been transformed into an event focusing more than it needs to on job-seeking skills and other manners in the professional world. These include “dining etiquette and table conversation during business dinners” and “effective email in the business world.” Work is only one part of our lives where table manners and email messages are important.
The Forest of Eoren, a student-written production
“It’s like a Charlie’s Angels pose with stuffed animals”, says the director. “Remember, you’re the spokesdryad.”
Creative, delicious, and meatless
I am not a vegetarian by any means. I always go for a beef patty over a veggie patty, or a chicken Caesar salad over a regular Caesar salad. Back at home, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot into a vegetarian restaurant. But, so I’ve been told, college is “the time to try new things,” and so I’ve started to venture into the world of meatless restaurants.
MIT swim team receives awards Team wins in weekend meets
Michael J. Liao ’14 was named the NEWMAC Swimmer of the Week and was part of the 200-yard medley relay, along with Bradley A. Mattix ’16 and Sean R. Corcoran ’16, and Austin D. Fathman ’15, that received Relay of the Week accolades on Monday. This is the fourth time this season, dating back to Nov. 25, that the Engineers have earned both Swimmer and Relay of the Week during the same week.
Rifle team comes out on top in their weekend matches
Returning to action for the first time in 2014, the MIT rifle team came up with a number of career highs during the annual Beanpot competition this weekend, enough to carry the Engineers to the team title. MIT posted the top scores in both the small bore and air rifle disciplines on Saturday, putting up scores of 2,164 and 2,245 to edge out second-place Coast Guard. On Sunday MIT had the top air rifle score as well with a 2,246. Coast Guard posted the top smallbore score on the final day, a 2,167. Teams from Canisius, Penn State, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Penn State ROTC also took part in the competition.
Breaking silence
I am writing this not because I know exactly what words are the most right to say, but because I know it is important: I know it is important, and I know that I am not alone.
Events Jan 29 - Feb 4
Events Jan. 29 – Feb. 4 Wednesday (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) How do the Libraries select books for the shelves and your computer access? — 14N-132 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Institute Diversity Summit presents Brother Outsider: The Story of Bayard Rustin — 32-123 Thursday (5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) History of Heavy Metal: Part III — 14N-217 Friday (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) How to Speak lecture by Professor Patrick Henry Winston — 10-250 (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) MIT Can Talk Speaking Competition — 32-141 Saturday (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Harry Potter Trivia Challenge — 1-246 (8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.) A Concert of Music by Elena Ruehr — 14W-111 Monday (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) Women and Gender Studies presents How to Lose Your Virginity — 6-120 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
