Economic Crisis Hits MIT, Necessitates Budget Cuts Throughout the Institute
This past year, MIT saw sweeping budget cuts in response to the national economic crisis. One-fourth of the General Institute Budget is funded by MIT’s endowment, which saw a 20.7 percent decline in value during FY2009 from slightly over $10 billion to $8 billion. The original proposal to avoid a major Institute deficit was to reduce expenses by up to $150 million over two to three years, but this plan was changed to up to $130 million over the next two fiscal years. Through immediate cuts, such as DAPER’s cut of eight varsity sports and the closing of two libraries, the FY2010 budget was reduced by $58 million on a goal of $50 million.
MIT Makes National, International Headlines in 2009 News
Throughout 2009, MIT made national headlines in its usual fashion. While members of the MIT community received prestigious awards and pioneered groundbreaking research, this past year ranged from the highs of White House collaboration to the lows of an epidemic and poor economy.
From the Editor
As spring semester begins, take a moment to reflect on everything that has happened at MIT and in the world over the past year. In the pages of this Year in Review issue, you’ll find an overview of what made news at the Institute. We highlight some of the year’s best editorials and opinion submissions. Remember last year’s movies? We’ve summarized them with haiku.
Obama Visits MIT, Pushes Clean Energy
On October 23, 2009, President Barack Obama came to MIT to speak about clean energy and the Recovery act. He also toured several Institute labs that are working on energy issues.
Hack Taken Seriously: Bomb Squad Called on Burton Third Promotion
In 2008, Burton Third hung a silhouette of a bomber plane, bearing the letters “DTYD”, in Lobby 7 as a way of advertising their annual party. In 2009, they took it a step further. Early on April 24, a giant concrete structure, shaped to look like a bomb, appeared on the lawn of Kresge. What was meant as a simple advertisement for an annual event spun out of control, leading to investigation by the Cambridge Bomb squad.
Howard Johnson
Former MIT President Howard Wesley Johnson, who drew upon his management acumen to guide the Institute during the tumultuous late 1960s, died Saturday December 12, 2009. He was 87.
Team 9 wins annual Maslab competition
Last Friday, robot enthusiasts flocked to 26-100 to watch Maslab, one of MIT’s most popular IAP student competitions. This year, ten teams took to the playing field, building and programming robots to autonomously identify red and yellow balls and scoring them into their respective goals. The champion this year was Team 9, made up of Geza Kovacs ‘12, Daniel J. Stallworth ‘11, Raqeebul I. Ketan ‘11, Jeremy M. Martin ‘10, and Chukwuka C. Mbagwu ‘11.
D-Lab goes to Ecuador
In orientation for my trip to Ecuador for D-Lab, an introductory international development class, we were told to pack mirrors — so that we could make candlelight brighter. Wait, I thought. There wouldn’t be electricity?
‘Iron Nerd’ wins website contest with social gym app
In the end, it all worked out for Daniel A. Whitlow ’10 and Jong-Moon Kim ’09. Last Thursday, the team won first place, and $4,000 in the third annual 6.470 Web Programming Competition. Their social networking site, “Iron Nerd,” lets users exercise with their friends.
‘Backdoor Bandit’ Nabs Most Mice in 6.270 Autonomous Robot Design Competition
They’re not furry, they’re not friendly, but perhaps they’re housebroken.
“My Archon Died BellmanFording the Stream” Beats Prof. Mordemort
In an e-mail sent out to campus, the fictitious Professor-Who-Probably-Should-Not-Be-Named announced to students the commencement of the iconic 6.370 BattleCode competition, which took place last Saturday in Kresge at 7 p.m.
Domeview, ∞ Projection Systems Merging, Now ‘Infinite Display’
Domeview, the digital display advertising system in the Student Center and the Stata Center’s Student Street is merging with the projected advertising displays in the Infinite Corridor to form a new system called “Infinite Display,” http://infinitedisplay.mit.edu/.
MIT Reduces Paperwork for Gender Changes
The Registrar’s Office has modified its requirements for students to officially change their recorded gender. Since last week, instead of requiring evidence of sex-change surgery, students now may provide documentation from a licensed health care professional to verify their gender with the Registrar.
MIT Community Joins In Haiti Relief Efforts; Students Raise Funds
After the magnitude 7 earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, the MIT community has responded quickly by raising funds and initiating relief projects.
DSL To Reassess MIT Dining, Reduce Large Annual Deficits
Facing an average annual deficit of $500,000 from the MIT Dining Program, the Division for Student Life will be working with MIT community leaders this spring in an effort to improve the current dining program. While there is no strict timeline for making changes to dining, Dean for Student Life Chris Colombo hopes to prepare a plan by the end the academic year that will reduce financial loss while preserving student choice. As of now, no changes to the dining program are being made.
93 Random Hall Residents Share One Washer
Random Hall, MIT’s smallest dorm, is unique from other MIT dormitories in that it provides residents with “free” use of its laundry facilities. But since finals week of last term, all but one of the washers has been out of commission, generating a stir among Random’s 93 residents.