Ad hoc working group charged to review MIT’s position on free expression
The working group was created in response to MIT's decision to cancel the 2021 Carlson Lecture over statements made by the planned speaker, Professor Dorian Abbot.
MIT refuses to recognize Graduate Student Union without an independent election
MIT declined the GSU’s request for voluntary recognition in January 2021. The GSU’s Dec. 13 press release stated that in this situation, graduate student-workers “have the right to file for an NLRB election to secure union representation and a start to contract negotiations.”
Grant fraud case against mechanical engineering professor Gang Chen dismissed
Chen was arrested Jan. 14, 2021, on allegations of wire fraud, failure to file a foreign bank account report, and making a false statement in a tax return.
Registration deadline, concentration forms, PE classes
Spring registration deadline is Feb. 4.
A snowy campus welcomes the spring semester!
Campus is alive and bustling with students heading to their classes once again. There is still snow around campus from last weekend’s blizzard. On Briggs Field and Killian you can see where students have gone out to enjoy the snow. Make sure to wear your jacket when heading to class!
Surveying MIT Asian/American students on campus mental health resources
In our survey, a large majority of respondents indicated the importance of having therapists that share their ethnic background (70%) and are culturally competent (86%). Respondents noted that cultural familiarity increases therapists’ empathy and understanding of sources of mental health issues.
Unionize for a grievance procedure that puts students first
I enjoyed my first nine months in my lab without incident — I got along with my PI and was nearing completion on a body of work that would result in a first-author publication. But one October evening, things changed. My PI sent an email accusing me of breaking equipment that I hadn’t touched in weeks. When I tried to defend myself, she called me “combative” and called my communication style “unprofessional.” She told me that I was a bad lab citizen, even though as lab safety officer I devoted hours every week to managing lab waste and keeping my labmates safe. My PI made several unreasonable demands in the following weeks, including that we work at least 60 hours per week and respond to Slack messages within one hour during the workday, a rule that completely disregards the fact that students have classes and experiments that prohibit swift responses at all times. When I tried to communicate my concerns, I was again accused of “giving pushback” and being disrespectful.
To you. Yes. You.
I’m trying to live in memories and hope for the future and remain in the present moment; impossibly I think I might actually be doing it, but not enough — never as much as I want to.
Expiration
I was nostalgic for a version of myself who didn’t quite exist yet. And, to be frank, it made me appreciative.
Payment in kind
I don't think I ever told anyone this, but I cried many times out of stress over my grades in my time at MIT, and countless more times I have felt … worthless.
Homecoming
I was already starting to count down the days till the first day of IAP.
