Graduate student Austin Travis dead
President L. Rafael Reif emailed the MIT community Friday afternoon to announce that chemistry graduate student Austin Travis, 26, had died Wednesday.
New cancer drug gets FDA approval
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first of an eagerly awaited new class of cancer drugs that unleash the body’s immune system to fight tumors.
Party ban expanded to all fraternities, sororities, and ILGs as Boston, MIT seem at odds
Large parties and gatherings are once again effectively banned at MIT fraternities, campus officials announced Wednesday afternoon, three days after a woman was injured in a fall from a window at the now suspended Lambda Chi Alpha.
New East Campus housemaster Professor Robert Miller moves in
Almost twenty years after leaving East Campus upon graduating MIT, computer science professor Robert C. Miller ’95 has returned to the dorm — this time as its housemaster. MIT named Miller to the position in August after a months-long selection process.
Charles River receives A- for water quality
The Charles River was awarded an A- for water quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced at a ceremony held Wednesday at the Boston Museum of Science.
MIT Medical confirms no Ebola cases on campus
In light of the ongoing Ebola outbreak, MIT Medical has reached out to community members returning to campus this fall from countries most affected by the disease.
Apple nears introduction of smartwatch, bigger iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO — When Apple wants to make a big splash, it returns to its history.
Scorching September
Although Labor Day has come and gone and the fall semester has begun, summer is still in full swing at the Institute. This past Tuesday’s high temperature of 93°F (34°C) was the hottest temperature of the year so far in Boston. Strengthening offshore flow in advance of an approaching cold front will cause temperatures to flirt with the 90-degree mark once again today and tomorrow. The best chance for heat will come tomorrow afternoon, right before the cold front passes through. As the front arrives, expect thunderstorms to develop and move across New England tomorrow afternoon and evening. There is a chance that some of these storms could produce hail and/or damaging winds.
Shorts (right)
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge here upheld Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, going against what had been a unanimous trend of federal court decisions striking down such bans since the Supreme Court ruled on the matter last year.
Al-Qaida announces new branch in India
NEW DELHI — Al-Qaida has released a video announcing the establishment of a new branch on the Indian subcontinent, saying it is meant to revive jihadist activity in a region that was once “part of the land of Muslims, until the infidel enemy occupied it and fragmented it and split it.”
Shorts (left)
UNITED NATIONS — One in 10 girls worldwide have been forced into a sexual act, and 6 in 10 children aged 2 to 14 are regularly beaten by parents and caregivers, according to a report issued Thursday by the United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF.
FCC to promote high-speed broadband competition
WASHINGTON — Americans lack real choices among providers of high-speed Internet service, with fewer than 1 in 4 homes having access to two or more providers of the broadband speeds that are quickly becoming “table stakes” in modern communications, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday.
Justice Department to investigate Ferguson police practices
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will open a broad civil rights investigation into police practices in Ferguson, Missouri, where a white police officer killed an unarmed black teenager last month and set off days of racially charged unrest, the city’s police chief and other officials said Wednesday.
New hazing policy has concerning implications
Under MIT’s recently overhauled hazing policy in the Mind and Hand Book, I am guilty of hazing students.
Changes to drug and alcohol policies inconsistent and irrational
I suppose I was a bit too optimistic after hearing of changes to the Mind and Hand Book, especially of those relating to the Institute’s drug and alcohol policies. Given MIT’s apparent willingness to support policies consistent with the prevailing trend on college campuses to support harm-reduction with the adoption of a Good Samaritan policy for alcohol-related medical emergencies in February 2013, I had hoped, briefly, that the recent revisions would tackle the issue of substance abuse in a consistent and rational way.
Men’s soccer crushes Anna Maria College
MIT’s men soccer team kicked off their 2014 campaign with a 7-0 non-conference victory over Anna Maria College on Tuesday evening at Roberts Field at Steinbrenner Stadium.
Women’s soccer puts up 4-0 win over Worcester State
MIT’s women soccer team, ranked 25th in the nation and third in the region in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, scored three second half goals en route to 4-0 non-conference win against Worcester State University on Tuesday evening. Co-captain Ambika M. Krishnamachar ‘15 registered one goal and two assists, while Olivia M. Struckman ‘18 and Julia M. Goupil ‘18 combined for three strikes.
