2017s’ GIR pass rates continue to improve
The Class of 2017’s pass rate for the math and science General Institute Requirements (GIRs) was 97.2 percent last semester, an improvement over last year’s rate of 96.7 percent. Around 12.9 percent (144 students) of the Class of 2017 received at least one flag in a GIR, given to students who have a D or F in a class five weeks into the semester, and 86.8 percent (125 students) of those who received one or more flags passed their GIRs.
Family and friends remember Hadi Kasab
When Hadi Kasab was a boy in Lebanon, he went through a phase of carrying a small briefcase to school.
Patrick J. McGovern, member of Corporation, dies
Patrick J. McGovern ’59, a longstanding MIT supporter who made the gift that launched MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, died March 19 at the age of 76. As an MIT undergraduate, McGovern studied biophysics and later went on to found International Data Group (IDG), a publisher of computer-related news, information, and research.
NEWS BRIEFS
Voo Doo, a humor magazine published by MIT students, was not found to be in violation of Title IX, according to a report sent to officers and council members of the Undergraduate Association (UA) on Monday.
CORRECTIONS
In an editorial in Tuesday’s issue of The Tech, Shruti Sharma’s first name was spelled incorrectly on one mention.
Health exchange in Oregon is not meeting high hopes
SALEM, Ore. — As the federal health care overhaul was rolled out over the last few years, Oregon was invariably the eager overachiever in the first row, waving a hand to volunteer. The governor, John Kitzhaber, a doctor who left the emergency room for politics, made health care his main issue. Fellow Democrats controlling the Legislature went along, embracing ambitious plans to extend insurance coverage and Medicaid to low-income residents.
Mild weekend, then return to unseasonable cold
Temperatures were able to reach 52°F (11°C) yesterday in the wake of a warm front passing over New England early Thursday morning. Unfortunately, the same low-pressure system that heralded this warm front also swept a cold front through our region Thursday afternoon as the system moved from southern Quebec into the Canadian Maritimes. Conditions behind this front were slightly cooler, with breezy winds gusting in the 30s mph.
Sexual misconduct case ends with no jail time for general
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Bringing an end to a closely watched military sexual misconduct trial, a judge on Thursday reprimanded Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair for, among other offenses, mistreating an Army captain who was his mistress, but did not sentence him to jail time and allowed him to remain in the military.
Shorts (left)
Less than a month after Netflix insisted that its deal to pay Comcast to get a more direct connection to the company’s Internet pipes had nothing to do with net neutrality, Netflix’s chief executive, Reed Hastings, said Thursday that, well, yes it did.
Newly detected objects draw searchers for Malaysian plane
SYDNEY, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday that satellite imagery had detected floating objects in the southern Indian Ocean that might be parts of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished on March 8.
New York court sees improved efficiency
NEW YORK — For two decades, court officials in New York City have struggled to solve a vexing problem: reducing the arrest-to-arraignment time in its criminal courts.
Shorts (right)
A super PAC supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton’s possible presidential campaign is reaching out to some of New York’s most powerful and wealthy gay and lesbian donors.
Two states win court approval on voter rules
PHOENIX — A federal judge in Kansas on Wednesday ordered federal election authorities to help Kansas and Arizona require their voters to show proof of citizenship in state and local elections, in effect sanctioning a two-tier voter registration system that could set a trend for other Republican-dominated states.
A good conversation about bad words
Jason Bateman might be well known as the affable pushover Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, but he leads Bad Words as the sarcastic antihero Guy Trilby, who hijacks a spelling bee for children and tells off anyone who questions him. The type of role is not all that’s new here: the film is also Bateman’s first time in the director’s chair. He was recently available for a college press roundtable, where he discussed the difficult balance between caustic and sweet that was needed to make this film work.
Reykjavík Calling in Cambridge
Iceland’s population is just around 320,000 (which means the island has fewer inhabitants than Alaska), but the nation has an astonishingly high propensity for music. The country boasts ninety music schools, about four hundred choirs, four hundred orchestras and marching bands, and a vibrant scene in rock, jazz, and electronic genres.
100 percent fairy tale
From start to finish, Boston Ballet’s Cinderella is an enchanting telling of the beloved fairytale. Set to a score by Sergei Prokofiev and choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton, the ballet was premiered in 1948 by the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (now The Royal Ballet), and is now being performed for the first time by Boston Ballet.
Taste of Iceland 2014 at Rialto
This past weekend, Taste of Iceland 2014 gave Boston the chance to experience some of what Icelandic culture has to offer. For this year’s event, Iceland Naturally, a cooperative marketing organization that promotes tourism, sponsored events including a concert called Reykjavik Calling at The Middle East in Cambridge, a Reyka Vodka Cocktail making class at The Liberty Hotel, and a photography gallery reception at 555 Gallery. But what drew me to the event was the rare opportunity to experience New Nordic Cuisine in the form of a special Icelandic menu at Rialto in Harvard Square.
Another teen sci-fi novel made into a movie?
I went into this movie with high hopes and low expectations, and I came out feeling pleasantly surprised. Given that this movie is the newest in a long string of teen sci-fi romance novels adapted into movies, I figured that it was likely to be overly simplified, strangely cast, and poorly acted. Fortunately, for the most part, this was not the case.
The Tech talks with cast from Divergent
Editor’s Note: This interview was edited for clarity.
MIT Shakespeare Ensemble presents Twelfth Night
The MIT Shakespeare Ensemble’s performance of Twelfth Night was hilarious. The play tells the story of Viola, who pretends to be a man to get close to Orsino, whom she loves. However, Orsino loves Olivia, who falls in love with Cesario, who is really Viola — a confusing love triangle at best. For those of you more familiar with popular culture than Shakespeare, you may recall the movie She’s the Man, starring Amanda Bynes, which was based off of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This production was as humorous as any Shakespearian comedy and was set in an interesting time — the 1960s or 1970s.
Two fencers represent MIT
For the second year in a row, Joseph F. Rafidi ‘14 will represent MIT at the NCAA Fencing Championship and he will be joined by Cordelia G. Avery ‘17 at the competition scheduled to begin this Thursday at Ohio State. Qualifiers for epee and sabre, Rafidi and Avery are the lone Division III participants in their respective weapons.
MIT Sport Taekwondo Club places second overall Makes strong showing at Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference tournament
On March 9, the MIT Sport Taekwondo Club competed at the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (ECTC) tournament hosted by Princeton University. MIT faced many tough and experienced teams from schools such as Princeton and Cornell. With around 400 competitors, the team came in second in the overall competition with a total of 347 points.
