A guide to campus groups engaged in political advocacy
If you’re interested in getting involved in politics, there are a number of groups on campus that focus on specific issues. <i>The Tech </i>highlights six of them.
SURVEY SAYS... The results are in
The economy. Health care reform. Iran’s nuclear program. Issues like these will determine the outcome of today’s midterm elections, when Americans across the country will vote for 37 Senators, 36 governors, and all 435 members of the House of Representatives. At stake are the Democrats’ control over both houses of Congress, and consequently, the direction of Barack Obama’s presidency for at least the next two years. With the increasing importance of science-related policy in America, and its relevance to MIT, <i>The Tech</i> wanted to know where MIT students stand on the important political issues of the day.
Guillen, suspect in W20 stabbing charged with assault to murder, among other charges
Gonzalo Guillen, the Anna’s Taqueria employee arrested late Friday, was charged on Monday with “assault to murder” as well as “assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.” Guillen allegedly stabbed another Anna’s Tacqueria worker last week Wednesday.
Corrections
Tuesday’s article about Deans holding “Cookies with Conversation” and “Dinner with the Dialogue” events with students misstated when the programs first began. The Deans starting holding these events in 2009, not 2010.
Trepman’s statement on HDAG
I am very frustrated with the way HDAG has handled student feedback and the lack of general student input incorporated into the plan. I feel like the decision has been made, and that the administration is just going through the motions to appear as if they care about student opinion. At the recent HDAG meeting, I brought up many suggestions on how to improve the proposed plan to align better with student desires and to make it more cost-efficient. Yet these valid arguments were not even considered, and once the RFP is sent out, the plan will be essentially unalterable. A survey is being planned by HDAG, but its purpose is to alleviate student concerns rather than to get student feedback, so honestly it’s just a waste of time.
Fires an ongoing vexation at MacGregor and other dorms
Wednesday night marked the fourth time this month and the second time within 10 days that the fire alarms in MacGregor House have gone off, forcing residents to evacuate the building. The reason, according to MIT’s director of housing, is that the building’s new fire alarm system is too sensitive.
Novartis to build $600M complex
Novartis and MIT announced Wednesday that MIT has leased four parcels of land just north of the MIT campus to Novartis. Novartis will increase its space by at least 400,000 square feet, and invest $600 million for construction of laboratory and office space, as well as ground floor retail space.
UA rep to HDAG quits in frustration
Undergraduate Association dining committee chair Paula C. Trepman ’13 resigned on Tuesday, criticizing the House Dining Advisory Group’s “sense of paternalism” and the “lack of general student input” into new mandatory house dining plan planned for fall 2011.
How to get wicked this weekend
It’s that spooky time of the year again for people to don costumes, party-hop, gorge on candy, or watch pumpkins fall from the Green Building. This year, Halloween lands on a Sunday, meaning festivities are popping up as early as Friday and will carry through the weekend. Here’s how you can get the most out of Halloween on and around campus.
Campus saw four robberies last week
Four street robberies, possibly related, have been reported just north of campus in the past week, according to MIT Police. One incident involved an MIT instructor, and two others involved graduate students. No one was injured.
Supreme Court will look at Stanford v. Roche today
The Supreme Court will consider a petition to accept <i>Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems </i>at today’s conference. MIT and university advocacy groups filed briefs in the case — concerning technology transfer from universities to private industry last spring.
Yesterday’s filings in stem cell case
Adult stem cell researchers James L. Sherley and Theresa A. Deisher filed their brief in opposition to the government’s appeal in the stem cell case before the District Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia yesterday afternoon.
Product endorsements link stars with charities
Last month’s early-morning car crash that left one person injured but Tom Brady unharmed was more than a close call for the New England Patriots quarterback. It was also a great marketing opportunity.
Testing bar code technology with smart phones
Sharon Bolton spotted “those funky tags” — known formally as two-dimensional bar codes — when she took her college-age daughter to catch a train at the Rensselaer rail station in Albany, N.Y., last week.
Corrections
A story on Friday, October 15 about the MIT-Greater China Strategy Working group misstated the name of the founder of Sohu.com. He is Charles Zhang PhD ’93, not Zhu.
Deans plan to build bonds over dinners
In an effort to strengthen their relationship with students, the Deans are hosting several new events during the year, including monthly “Dinners with Dialogue” for graduate students and “Cookies with Conversation” for undergraduates.
MIT rows in Head of the Charles
MIT’s four varsity crew squads rowed competitively in this weekend’s 46th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta. The four squads — the men’s lightweight, women’s lightweight, women’s openweight, and men’s heavyweight teams — all bested last year’s performances.
Freshmen, meet your alumni pals
On Family Weekend, freshmen, their families, and alumni came together for a meet-and-greet over dessert, the first official Class Connections event. Muise estimates that there were about ten alumni at the event.