CMS and Writing join forces
Comparative Media Studies (CMS) and Writing (21W), formerly two separate majors, are now under the CMS/W program. The two majors will remain essentially the same from an academic point of view — their undergraduate and graduate programs will still remain separate — but the new program aims to encourage students in both majors to take classes in the other.
Somerville SafeRide shuttle pilot program implemented
MIT’s shuttle programs are undergoing several changes in the upcoming semester.
Japan nuclear plant leak worries worsen
TOKYO — A crisis over contaminated water at Japan’s stricken nuclear plant worsened Saturday when the plant’s operator said it detected high radiation levels near storage tanks, a finding that raised the possibility of additional leaks.
E52 renovations to finish in 2016
Renovations begin this week for E52, the original Sloan Building. The structure, built in 1938, is undergoing interior and exterior upgrades expected to be completed in early 2016.
China debates effect on law of Bo Xiliai’s trial
BEIJING — The melodramatic trial of Bo Xilai, the former elite Communist Party official, has been trumpeted by the state media here as a sure sign that Chinese citizens enjoy the benefits of a robust legal system.
Attack leads to peek inside Viagra spam enterprise
MOSCOW — For years, Igor A. Artimovich had been living in a three-room apartment he shared with his wife in St. Petersburg, sitting for long hours in front of his Lenovo laptop in his pajamas, drinking sugary coffee.
Collier officially Somerville officer
SOMERVILLE — Sean Collier, the MIT police officer allegedly killed by the suspected Boston Marathon bombers, posthumously received last Thursday an honor he had long sought: a Somerville police officer’s badge.
At JPMorgan, easy way in for China elite
The program was originally called “Sons and Daughters.” And although it was supposed to protect JPMorgan Chase’s business dealings in China, the program went so off track that it is now the focus of a federal bribery investigation in the United States, interviews and a confidential government document show.
Burton-Conner murals painted over, new policies being drafted
Last week, Burton 1 became the second floor of Burton-Conner to have a mural repainted this year, after Burton Third’s summer renovations left them without their signature bar and with several murals painted over. On Burton 1, a mural based off a strip from the Penny Arcade webcomic was altered to remove certain language. The mural originally read: “This floor will eviscerate you with pleasure. You will bleed to death.” After being brought to the attention of the housemasters, the word “eviscerate” and the phrase “bleed to death” were painted over without advance warning.
Former Bexley residents granted lounge space in Walker Memorial
According to an email from Campus Activities Complex (CAC) Director Phillip J. Walsh, members of the Bexley community will now have 24/7 access to the Pritchett Lounge on the second floor of Walker Memorial. Bexley Hall, the undergraduate dormitory located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue — right across the street from 77 Massachusetts Avenue — was closed for renovations after inspections in April uncovered serious structural issues. The dorm is scheduled to be closed for up to three years. All residents, including GRTs and housemasters, moved out after commencement in June.
Man struck by MBTA Red Line — third death this summer
Service on the Red Line was suspended for much of Saturday morning after a 30-year-old Asian man was struck and killed at Broadway station. The Boston Herald reported that he was struck by an inbound train at about 8:30 a.m. His death is still under investigation by the transit police.
Kenneth Stevens, EECS professor emeritus, 89, dies
Kenneth N. Stevens ScD ’52, the Clarence J. LeBel Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, whose pioneering work at the intersection of engineering and linguistics helped earn him the National Medal of Science, died Aug. 19 in Clackamas, Ore., from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89.
Path-breaking historian Pauline Maier dies at 75
The eminent historian Pauline R. Maier, whose award-winning books cast new light on Revolutionary-era America and the foundations of U.S. democracy, died Aug. 12 in Cambridge, Mass., after a battle with lung cancer. She was 75.