MIT Undergoes Reaccreditation Visit: a Breeze!
On Wednesday the New England Association of Schools and Colleges completed its review of MIT, as part of MIT’s bid for reaccreditation. Before the NEASC’s arrival, President Susan Hockfield noted in her State of the Institute address that she hadn’t “broken a sweat” over the outcome.
UA Gives Election Counts
The Undergraduate Association has reversed its stance and is providing detailed vote counts on the Senate and Class of 2013 elections, UA Election Commissioner Sun K. Kim ’11 said on Wednesday.
Electricians Picket Outside MIT—Passively
At 6:56 a.m., long before most undergrads stumble out of bed, an electrician from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) stepped off the bus at 77 Mass Ave. He joined the group of workmen waiting on the stairs of Lobby 7, all of whom shared his same shift. At 7 a.m. sharp, his workday began — not that you’d be able to tell.
Police Log
<b><i>Editor’s Note: </i></b><i>The MIT Police released this information in a timely fashion and the delay in publication is not theirs.</i>
MIT’s Endowment Over the Past Ten Years
MIT’s endowment investments lost 17 percent of their value in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 28 percent of its value over the same period. This was the first fiscal year since 2003 that net investment return to the endowment was negative. In the 2000s, MIT’s endowment has always outperformed the S&P 500. MIT released the Report of the Treasurer on Friday last week.
Admins: Increasing Enrollment Could Boost Endowment
Top MIT administrators discussed budget cuts at a Q&A session at the Undergraduate Association Senate meeting on Monday, October 5.
Next House Residents Bemoan Teeny Meals Many Complain Food Is Worse, Portions Shrank
It all started on September 20, with a third of an ear of corn, snap peas, and a stuffed portabello mushroom. Sean Y. Liu ’10 was disgusted with the size of his dinner, so he took a snapshot and sent it out the <i>next-forum</i> mailing list for everyone to see.
All-Sorority ’13 Council Elected
The Undergraduate Association released the results, but not the individual vote tallies, of its fall Senate and 2013 Class Council elections on Saturday. A little over a quarter of undergraduates voted. Danielle A. Class and Amanda C. David were elected President and Vice President, respectively, of an all-female, all-sorority Class of 2013 Council. In a special election, Sojung C. Lee was elected Class of 2011 treasurer.
In Short
CORRECTION TO THIS ARTICLE: Because of an editing error, a Tuesday, Oct. 6 "In Short" item on the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan ran one week late. The deadline for canceling or enrolling in the plan was Sept. 30, as correctly reported in the "In Short" section of The Tech's Tuesday, Sept. 29 issue.
Class Council, Senate Elections End Today
Elections for the UA Senate and 2013 Freshman Class Council have been ongoing this week and end today.
College Blogs Used To Unite & Promote
Cristen Chinea, a senior at MIT, made a confession in her blog on the college Web site.
Ig Nobel Winner Shows Knuckle Cracking Won’t Cause Arthritis
“Mother, I know you can hear me. Mother, you were wrong! And now that I have your attention, can I stop eating my broccoli, please?” Donald L. Unger raised his hands in mock rebellion. He had defied his mother’s words for three quarters of his life systematically cracking the knuckles on his left hand and leaving his right knuckles free for 60 years, demonstrating (if only anecdotally) that knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis. For this achievement, he won himself the Ig Nobel Award in Medicine, presented last night at the 19th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony yesterday evening.
Same Answers at State of Institute
MIT President Susan J. Hockfield delivered a 20-minute overview of the Institute’s financial climate in front of several hundred staff and a few students at the State of the Institute forum on Wednesday. Hockfield noted an intent to finish MIT’s $150 million in budget cuts in two years, rather than the three years initially proposed by the administration in 2008. Following this speech, administrators answered both pre-submitted and impromptu questions from the audience (select questions, p.13).
EC Fire Ruled not Arson
The trash chute fire at East Campus on Sept. 8 has been ruled not arson by the Cambridge Fire Department (CFD), according to MIT spokesman Nathaniel W. Nickerson.
Media Lab Construction Is Scheduled To Finish in Nov., MIT Facilities Says
Construction of the new Media Lab is on track to finish in November, according to Arne Abramson, who is managing the project.