1,419 students, or 7.7 percent, admitted into the Class of 2018
MIT released its undergraduate admissions decisions for the Class of 2018 on Friday, March 14 at 6:28 p.m., with a target class size somewhat smaller than those of the past few years due to the closure of Bexley Hall.
CORRECTIONS
A SpringFest article in last Tuesday’s issue reported that funds for the event come from the student life fee paid by undergraduates, neglecting to mention that graduate students also pay the student life fee. SpringFest is also supported by ticket sales.
Student plans cover new surgery benefit
The MIT Medical Transgender Health FAQ website now lists a “Surgery” benefit of up to $50,000 per year as part of coverage available to transgender patients under the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan. The added coverage is for gender affirmation surgery (GAS), also known as gender reassignment surgery, in which some transgender individuals undergo procedures to modify their physical sex characteristics to match those traditionally associated with their transitioning identity.
Prof. Alan Guth’s theory supported
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — One night late in 1979, an itinerant young physicist named Alan Guth, with a new son and a year’s appointment at Stanford, stayed up late with his notebook and equations, venturing far beyond the world of known physics.
NEWS BRIEFS
On Friday, March 14, a campus-wide power outage impacted all MIT buildings powered by the MIT cogeneration plant. MIT Facilities reported that a manhole explosion outside of Green Hall on the corner of Amherst Alley and Danforth Street was the cause of the campus-wide power outage.
IN SHORT
CORRECTION TO THIS ARTICLE: Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly said that online registration for the undergraduate spring break house dining plan ended today. It also misstated the dates during which dining offerings will be reduced. In fact, there is no special registration for a spring break meal plan. Beginning Saturday, March 22, Bon Appétit will only serve dinner, and only at Maseeh Hall. Regular offerings will resume on Sunday, March 30.
Shorts (right)
PARIS — Global financial markets on Monday ignored the anticipated Russian annexation of Crimea, as stocks rose strongly on Wall Street and in Europe, and currencies and energy futures traded calmly.
Something went ‘very wrong’ at GM, chief says
Mary T. Barra, General Motors’ chief executive, announced another round of wide-ranging recalls Monday, a sign that the company was moving with a new sense of urgency on safety problems after it disclosed a decadelong failure to fix a defect tied to 12 deaths.
China releases plan to integrate farmers in cities
BEIJING — China has announced a sweeping plan to manage the flow of rural residents into cities, promising to promote urbanization but also to solve some of the drastic side effects of this great uprooting.
Gender inequality in Morocco continues despite changes in laws
When Zineb lost her father at the age of 15, her grief was compounded when she learned that she had to share his inheritance with an older half-brother unknown to her or her mother and sister.
Are Massive Online Open Courses right for you?
As part of the latest wave of online learning platforms, Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have gone viral. They can be useful for certain students, although those interested in changing or enhancing their careers should consider their more intensive sister, distance learning.
Billionaires with big ideas are privatizing American science
Last April, President Barack Obama assembled some of the nation’s most august scientific dignitaries in the East Room of the White House. Joking that his grades in physics made him a dubious candidate for “scientist in chief,” he spoke of using technological innovation “to grow our economy” and unveiled “the next great American project”: a $100 million initiative to probe the mysteries of the human brain.
Winter lingering except for a few nicer days
After a tantalizing glimpse of spring last weekend, cold weather returned to New England. Expect it to warm up into the high 40s Wednesday through Friday, then rain and snow again over the weekend. Unfortunately, the 10-day model runs do not make next week look any more promising, so try to get some sun before it cools down again!
Shorts (left)
Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, the man identified by Newsweek magazine as the founder of Bitcoin, has hired a lawyer and issued a written statement Monday denying any involvement with the digital currency.
In a weak field, Sharma and Ndengeyingoma best option
By the end of the week, MIT undergraduates will choose Andrew M. Acker ’15 and Grace E. O’Malley ’15, Shruti Sharma ’15 and Billy Ndengeyingoma ’15, or Jeffrey M. Sperling ’15 and Nathan H. Varady ’16 to be the next Undergraduate Association president and vice president. It is encouraging to see three tickets so eager to tackle the challenges facing undergraduates. But the leaders of the UA need not only detailed, specific proposals, but also the experience and tact to realize their visions.
A culinary rhapsody in blue
For our latest night out on the town, we ventured into the financial district and visited Blue Inc., a place for wild culinary adventures helmed by Chef Jason Santos of FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen.” It was a little hard to get there — it was a 10 minute walk from the Downtown Crossing T station — but the food and the handcrafted cocktails were definitely worth the trip. Blue Inc. serves mostly new American-style cuisine, although many of the dishes are inspired by Asian spices and flavors. With six in our group, we were able to share and sample a variety of dishes.
Architecture for the body
Designer Gulsha Chereli always thinks of texture first when she begins her design process, and that mindset was apparent in the collection she showcased at the Liberty Hotel last Thursday night. Even in the first round of designs shown, which favored a neutral color scheme, the texture and layer play was prominent: leather was paired with satin like fabric in a wraparound trench coat, the slim silhouette of a miniskirt was countered with draped fabric over the front of the piece, fabric traditionally used in businesslike blazers was molded into a Moto jacket, and black lace was integrated into every design. The line had a high fashion feel, but with a practicality that would make it easily wearable.
Fans await rise of next prodigy in men’s tennis
For the first time in a while, men’s tennis is confronted with potential flux. With Federer now in his 30s and the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray in their mid- to late-twenties, the time seems ripe for the next tennis prodigy to burst onto the world stage.
MIT ballroom dance team dominates in tournament
On the weekend of March 7 – 9, several couples on the MIT Ballroom Dance Team (MITBDT) traveled to Columbia University to compete in the Big Apple Dance Competition (BADC), one of the largest such competitions on the East Coast. Of note, every MITBDT rookie, that is anyone who is a first year dancer on the team, made at least several semifinals. This year’s rookie class dominated in the newcomer finals. We also had a team couple place as a finalist in Champ, the highest skill level.
Men’s volleyball team stays undefeated en route to title
The MIT men’s volleyball team went 4-0 en route to its second straight championship title at the Johnson & Wales University Invitational held this past weekend. The No. 5 Engineers (20-4) defeated York College (N.Y.) (25-0, 25-22, 25-11), Vassar College (25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 25-19, 15-5), Wentworth Institute of Technology (25-20, 25-19, 25-23), and the host Wildcats (25-22, 25-20, 25-14) for the crown. Paul M. Syta ’14 was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player while Brendan S. Chang ’16 represented the Cardinal and Gray on the All-Tournament Team.
Events Mar 18-Mar 24
Events mar. 18 – mar. 24 Tuesday (4 p.m. – 5 p.m.) The Build-up of Galaxies over the Past 10 Billion Years talk by Pieter van Dokkum — 37-252 (6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Space Exploration in Italy and the U.S.: Human Experiences and Innovative Challenges — 66-110 Wednesday (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.) Artists Beyond the Desk Presents Howard Martin saxophone performance — Killian Hall (4 p.m. – 6 p.m.) Free Healthy Smoothie Day — Z-Center lobby Thursday (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.) Brown Bag Lunch: Capturing Contributor Roles in Scholarly Publications — E25-131 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) Designing the Next Generation of Wearable Devices — Microsoft NERD Center 1 Memorial Dr. Friday (5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.) Discussion Series: Human Rights — 50-020 (7 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Women Take the Reel presents Salma — 6-120 Saturday (7 a.m. – 8 p.m.) LibrePlanet 2014 conference — 32-1st floor (7:30 p.m.) Norouz Celebration, Persian festival — Walker Memorial Sunday (2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) MIT Ballroom Dance Workshops: Salsa and Merengue — W20-La Sala Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
